Tales from a Double Date

Chapters

Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter One

Chapter Two

“And what better place to start than at the beginning?”

The land of Equestria was built upon a foundation of friendship and common ground, but it was not a land without a history of conflict and strife. As much as many would wish otherwise, there would always be forces that sought to cause disorder and chaos, ones that would tear down even the strongest of structures for their own petty ends, and Equestria had long acted accordingly to deter them. Each tribe had their own fighters and heroes among them, and while it had been slow to happen, a unified military force eventually came together in the form of the EUP Guard, or more simply the Equestrian Royal Guard.

Guard forces, however, needed points to marshal and train. There were guard stations throughout Equestria which served that purpose for enlisted ponies, but for the officers, there were significantly fewer. The finest and the best known, however, was Wing Point. Located near Manehattan, the facility had begun its life as a barracks before being converted and expanded into a fully fledged military academy after Equestria’s conflict with the Griffon Kingdom. Not everypony who entered these halls left them a graduate, and many didn’t even pass basic training, but those who graduated became part of an honored tradition.

As he stepped onto the academy grounds and made his way towards the administration building, Flash Sentry was determined to become a part of that tradition. The road would be hard, he had no delusions about that, but it was a road well worth traveling.

As he stepped into the administration building, however, he found himself having to duck to one side as a pegasus mare shot past him into the doors with an excited laugh, her mane and tail streaked with varying shades of blue. He snorted, both at her lack of restraint and with a little contempt on his part despite his better nature. He then made his way into a crowded hall to find many ponies milling about. So far, so good.

“Attention recruits!” Flash’s attention immediately went to a stallion in uniform who called out, “Please convene in Iron Hewer Hall for orientation!”

The gathered ponies did as they were told and soon filed in line and made their way into an auditorium where they quickly took seats. Once everypony found seats, a different uniformed pony approached the lectern and turned to addressed them. “Good morning recruits. I am Lieutenant General Able Hawk, superintendent here at Wing Point. Odds are that most of you will only be seeing me at official functions or when going about your duties on campus, but nonetheless, I expect great things from all of you. Each recruit who steps onto this campus is following in traditions stretching back to before the founding of our nation, from each of the tribes. This isn’t something that should be taken lightly.

“Don’t pretend for one second that the road ahead of you will be an easy one. Many within this room right now won’t make it through basic training, much less the whole of their time here, but those who do will become part of something greater. A symbol to look up to, both within and outside of this institution. It will take hard work, but all of it will be worth it. Good luck to all of you.”

Flash heard a brief exhale from beside him, then turned to see a flame-haired pegasus mare by his side. “Guess it’s time to get down to business.” She turned to him and offered a smile. “Good luck.”

“Luck doesn’t have anything to do with it.” The two turned to see a bespectacled blue-grey earth pony mare give them a deadpan expression. “You either make the cut or you don’t.”

“That sounds a lot like how Shining Armor described his orientation.”

“Well, they aren’t there to waste anypony’s time. That first day isn’t about socializing, it’s about getting us used to life on campus, and what was expected of us.” Flash laughed. “It was nothing compared to basic training, mind you, but it was still a taste of what was coming.”

“Lots of getting yelled at by second-class cadets included.” Sunrunner turned to Quiver and explained, “Each class of cadet gets a class designation. Recruits are fourth class, so…”

“Senior students got to boss you guys around. Sounds like some of the frats in college.”

Flash laughed. “Trust me, what they had to go through was nothing compared to what we did.”

“Close that gap, recruit! Move! Move! Move!”

Flash did his best to keep pace with the recruit in front of him but doing so was difficult thanks to the gear he carried. He’d been given a kit of light armor and gear, meant to emulate what he’d carry when on duty, and while assured that he’d be able to handle the weight, it was still a bit more than he and many of the other recruits were used to. Still, he’d get through it. He wasn’t going to get booted out on his first day, and he doubted that anyone with him was eager to do the same.

If nothing else, it was helping him to keep his attention off said recruit. She wasn’t exactly hard on the eyes.

He briefly shook his head while keeping pace. He wasn’t here to stare, after all. He was here to march.

“Most ponies can comfortably carry about twenty percent of their body weight, up to thirty in a pinch. The kits we had on that first day when we were being instructed on marching in formation were about ten percent of the average pony’s weight, with full armor and equipment sometimes reaching twenty-five.” Flash exhaled. “I’m not sure what’s worse, having to stand in it or having to march in it.”

“Or fly in it,” Sunrunner grumbled. “At least it’s flexible enough that we can comfortably move. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad for the protection when we’re in combat, but if they can ever get the weight down, I’ll welcome it.”

“Well someone’s probably working on exactly that.” Quiver frowned. “Of course, the way Sour talks, they’ll probably make up for lighter armor with heavier equipment.”

“Sounds about right.” Flash managed a grin. “Still, as rough as that day was, it was all worth it in the end.”

“And now, we present our newest class of recruits into the Equestrian Royal Guard Academy!”

As one, Flash and the rest of the recruits marched in formation onto the field. Each one could feel the eyes of the crowd watching them, mostly made up of close relatives and school staff. They paid it no heed, focusing instead on maintaining formation. After everything they’d experienced today, it was practically second nature.

Their first day had been long and tiring, but it was over. They’d gotten through it. Now he was left to hope for a decent night’s sleep.

“Did you?”

“Yeah, but we still had things to do. Dinner in the mess, and then finding our bunks.” Flash shrugged. “The former went okay, but what they say about army food isn’t too far off the mark.”

“Still beats a kick in the teeth, though.” Sunrunner smiled. “And thankfully, sitting down in the mess finally gave us all a chance to sit down and socialize. One tiny little bit of respite before the start of six weeks of basic training.”

“Shining Armor told me about that, too. Didn’t sound easy.”

“It’s not. And it isn’t supposed to be.” The flame-haired mare rolled her eyes. “Not that some ponies understood that.”

The mess hall at Wing Point was a vast structure that nonetheless managed to look comfortable, and looked to Flash like some old-fashioned dining hall. He idly entertained the idea of ponies like Flash Magnus or Rockhoof eating in a place like this as he made his way to an empty table with his meal, unsure of where else to dine but hoping that he wasn’t eating somewhere a fresh recruit wasn’t. By some luck, he found one, and settled in to enjoy his meal.

“Hey, mind if I join you?” He turned to find the same flame-haired pegasus from earlier, a tray filled with food and drink carried in her wings. “Kinda hoping I can eat with a sorta-familiar face.”

He shrugged. “No problem here.”

“Thanks.” She seated herself beside him and offered a hoof in greeting. “Name’s Sunrunner.”

“Flash Sentry.” He returned the gesture, and the two set about their meal. “You worried about what’s coming next?”

“A little, yeah, but…”

“Ha! Sissies!” The two were rudely interrupted as the same pegasus who’d charged past Flash earlier in the day parked herself down at their table across from them with a grin. “If the two of you are afraid of what’s coming, then why be here in the first place?”

“They hardly said anything about being afraid.” The bespectacled mare from earlier took the empty seat beside the blue-haired pegasus with an unimpressed expression. “And anxiety over the start of basic training is normal.”

“Who asked you?” The blue-maned pegasus narrowed her eyes at the mare. “And what are you doing sitting at this table?”

The response she got was as dry as a desert. “I could ask you the same question.”

“Whoa now, let’s ease up.” The pair turned back to Sunrunner as she amended, “Besides, she’s right. No shame in being a little anxious about what’s coming. Regardless, we all made it here, and we’re all going to work like Tartarus to stay here. Getting through basic’s just the next step.”

The blue-haired mare smirked. “Fine, but the two of you are going to have a lot of trouble keeping up with me, so don’t be disappointed if you get left in the dust.”

Sunrunner quirked an eyebrow at the boastful mare. “And I wouldn’t get ahead of myself if I was you either.” She allowed herself a small smirk. “We might just surprise you.”

The mare smirked back. “Sunrunner, right? Well, you’d better be ready to prove it, ‘cuz you’ve got me to deal with. Indigo Zap.”

Flash rolled his eyes. “Could do without the wing-measuring contest, thanks.”

“Likewise. I was looking forward to enjoying this meal.” She briefly glanced up from her food to introduce herself. “Sugarcoat. Not that anypony asked.”

“Yes, don’t expect her to be the life of the party.” This time a unicorn mare joined them, her multi-hued purple mane cut short and professional and her tray hovering before her in her magic. She cast Sugarcoat a glance and suggested, “Let’s not burn our bridges with our fellow recruits before they’re even built, shall we?”

The bespectacled mare hardly responded to that as Sunrunner ventured, “I take it the two of you know one another?”

“Our parents run in similar circles in Canterlot, dearie.” The newcomer gave a polite nod. “Sunny Flare.”

The flame-haired mare did her best to keep her tone even. “Sunrunner.” She glanced at the empty space on their table and idly wondered, “So, any bets on how fast that spot gets filled?”

“Aw sweet!” Sunrunner’s question was answered as a pink earth pony mare with a mane full of varying shades of green popped herself down amongst them with her tray. “Hey dudes! Name’s Lemon Zest! Sweet food, huh?” She eyed her meal and grinned. “So much for what they say about military food, huh?”

Some eye-rolls greeted her, though Sugarcoat managed a small smirk of approval as she tucked into her own meal.

Quiver shook his head. “I knew the guard took all sorts, but it sounds like you got quite the combo platter.”

“Yeah, Two-Face included, even if we didn’t get introduced to her until the next day” Flash smirked. “Though she tended to vent most of her fury at the other four. At least with me she restrained herself. After meeting you, I think I can understand why.”

“And a lot of that attitude went away once they got a load of our drill instructor, trust me.” Sunrunner smiled as she admitted, “Still, that was a problem for the morning. That night, we settled into our rooms in the academy dorms. Not that I’m adverse to sleeping in a barrack with a dozen other ponies, mind, but a mare does like a little privacy here and there.”

“We both still ended up with bunkmates, though.”

“This is true.” The mare smiled. “And sometimes you find yourself with a good one.”

The mares’ dormitory was a nondescript building, unimpressive but reasonably tidy. Sunrunner suspected that the stallions’ dorm was little different, but wasn’t in much of a rush to confirm. Right now, she just wanted to find her dorm room, unpack her belongings and hopefully get a decent amount of sleep. She’d need it, if all the stories she’d heard about basic training were true.

Finding the room wasn’t difficult, and her key worked without any serious issues. Stepping into the room revealed that it was functional, if a bit spartan, with accommodations for two ponies. She recognized her bags on one bed, with a larger pile on the second one. Whomever her new roommate was, they’d clearly gotten here before she had, but apparently hadn’t unpacked.

Sunrunner shrugged and set down the gear and training uniform she’d been issued on her bed. Odds were that her roomie had gone off to shower or something. Nothing wrong with that, and hopefully she’d get her unpacking done. She picked up a few things and turned around towards the closet …

“Boo!”

Sunrunner stopped, then raised an eyebrow. “Seriously?”

The mare before her blinked her bright blue cat-like eyes. “Huh. Didn’t expect that reaction.”

A smirk crossed her face. “I’ve met thestrals before. Sudden shock and fangs aren’t going to scare me much.” She offered a hoof. “Sunrunner.”

“Pixie Dust. Nice to meet ya.” The hoof-bump was returned, and the mares set about unpacking. “Sunrunner, huh? You look like a ‘Sunrunner’, colors like that.”

“Whereas you’ve got a very non-indicative name based on looks alone.”

The other mare let out a low whistle. “Look at you with the fancy words.”

Sunrunner chuckled. “I had a… close friend growing up, he wanted to be a writer. Some of it rubbed off on me.” She packed away a dress uniform, marked with a tag depicting her cutie mark, and continued, “Still, how’d you end up with a name like that?”

“Honestly? I think my folks picked my name before I was born. They’re unicorns, and they probably expected another little baby unicorn.” Pixie Dust shrugged herself and laughed. “Then again, my family’s lived near Hollow Shades for ages, so a couple batponies probably got tangled up in the family tree somewhere. What about you? Where you from?”

“Indianapoloosa originally. Moved to Canterlot a little bit ago.”

“Ooh, big city mare. Ain’t we special.”

A sardonic laugh escaped her lips. “Not that special.” She set a couple framed photographs on her desk, one depicting her parents and the other herself as a filly with a second filly, practically her twin. “I left ponies behind, or hurt them, or all of the above. Not something I like to think about.”

She felt a gentle nudge on her shoulder, and turned to find Pixie Dust giving her a gentle smile. “Bad happens whether we want it to or not. You can’t dwell on it. Shouldn’t. The more you do, the more you get dragged down. I’m not saying you should forget about them, but you gotta put them aside. At least for now. You gotta smile at something, after all.” The smile grew and she added, “And hey, maybe you’ll find them again someday.”

Sunrunner smiled. “I can always hope.” Her smile turned anxious. “So I guess you’re not a night owl.”

“Nah. Just because my body’s built for the night doesn’t mean I have to operate in it, y’know? The day’s a lot more fun.” She shrugged. “Besides, Wing Point doesn’t have night classes. It’s easier to train a thestral during the day with the rest of the recruits, just like it’s easier to train all the other tribes together in one big group. But something tells me I’ll end up on the night shift anyway once I graduate. The higher-ups will think that’s the best place for me because of biology, y’know?”

“Yeah.” The flame-haired mare grinned. “But you never know.”

“Sounds like you and Pixie Dust got on okay.”

Sunrunner grinned and gently nudged her coltfriend. “It didn’t help that a certain someone had made sure I knew about thestrals before I met her. Otherwise, she’d have gotten a jump out of me that first day.”

At the curious expressions on their tablemate’s faces, Quiver elaborated, “I have a great uncle on my mom’s side who’s a thestral. Came to the mainland from the Emerald Island a long time ago. He always encouraged my creativity.”

Twilight smiled. “Good for him.” She turned to her coltfriend. “So what about you, Flash? How did things go with your roommate?”

The pegasus gagged. “Not nearly as well as things went for Warbler and Boo.” He sighed. “Usually things go well enough with roomies, but the trouble is that sometimes you find yourself with someone you can’t get on with no matter what you try.”

Flash thought that he had a good idea of what to expect when he entered his dorm. Unpack his stuff, meet his new roomie, settle in for the night and hopefully wake up the next morning ready for his first day of basic training.

The griffon glaring at him from the other bunk threw him. Said griffon was larger and bulkier than he was, colored in various shades of muted grey and with a beak like a condor. His eyes were golden and narrowed upon Flash in such a way that it made the young stallion uneasy. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling.

“Hey there.” He offered a hoof nervously. “I’m Flash Sentry. Guess we’re roomies…?”

Flash had, of course, registered that there would likely be griffons in attendance at the academy. Griffons were part of Equestria’s population, albeit a minority, and the school did take in students from the Griffon Kingdom under specific circumstances. Still, he figured they would be a little bit more social than this.

All of a sudden, Flash felt a tension that he hadn’t felt in a very long time. He pulled back his hoof and set about storing away his things. His new roommate was, apparently, not interested in conversation, polite or otherwise.

Not the best way to end what already felt like a rough day.

“Yikes.” Their meals were brought out to them, and once each pony claimed their food and the servers departed to go about their work elsewhere, Quiver continued, “If it helps, I can sympathize. Not with having a griffon glare at me and give me the silent treatment, mind, but being intimidated by new people…”

“I think everypony can sympathize with that at some point.” Flash shrugged as he started on his meal. “Anyway, that was our first day. We didn’t know it at the time, but it would probably be the easiest day of our careers.”

“Dang right.” Sunrunner grinned. “The next morning was when things got really interesting.”

Author's Note

A light chapter, I know, but as anyone who follows my journals knows, I've been creatively challenged of late. Don't be surprised if the next chapter isn't up until May at this rate.

Chapter Three

Mornings at a military academy began much like mornings on a working farm, often before the rising of the sun. Trumpets blared throughout the dorms, and every recruit was roused to clean themselves up before setting off for their tasks for the day. After freshening up and making use of the dorm’s restroom, the new recruits marched off to their first day of basic training out on the school’s athletics field. Flash groggily donned his uniform and made his way out of the dorm behind his roomie, then filed in with the rest as though by instinct, glad that the weather was at least looking promising.

New recruits at Wing Point could not, of course, all go through basic training as one big group. They would be divided up into groups of twenty, with each group placed in the charge of a drill instructor. The only guarantee about who was in what group was due to practicality more than anything else, as they were divided along the lines of those who had wings and those who hadn’t. Some adjustments, however, had been made over time as Equestria’s population had grown more diverse. Regardless of who was in what group, however, there was no guarantee that they would pass as on average, fifteen percent of recruits would flunk out for one reason or another. Nonetheless, they hadn’t gone this far simply to give up.

Much to his surprise, Flash found himself in familiar company. While he wasn’t surprised at being in the company of his roommate, he caught sight of two familiar mares, as well as a few other odd ponies that he didn’t remember speaking to the previous day. He hardly had a chance to consider the odds of this before the heard what had to be the voice of their drill instructor.

“Ten-hut!”

Instantly, the twenty recruits snapped to attention and lined up. They kept their faces forward as their drill instructor approached, but did their best to conceal their surprise at what they saw. Their drill instructor was not a pony, but in fact a minotaur, the chevrons on his shoulder identifying him as a master sergeant. He marched in front of the group of recruits, silent as he surveyed his charges until he reached the end of the line.

“So this is what I have to work with.” He turned about to face them again. “The latest and greatest recruits in the Equestrian Royal Guard. The few. The proud.” He snorted. “Not yet you’re not! The lot of you have years of schooling ahead of you, and before that, you have to deal with me! So don’t get any ideas that this will be a cakewalk!”

“Sir! No sir!”

“Now then recruits, for those of you who don’t know, I am Master Sergeant Blood Stripe! For the next six weeks, your plots belong to me! You will obey my orders and heed my commands! I tell you to jump, you jump! Is that clear?!”

“Sir! Yes sir!”

The drill instructor snorted in approval. “Well let’s see you do it! Right face!” As one, the row of recruits turned ninety degrees right. “About face!” The recruits then did a full one-eighty. “About face!” They turned once more, and seemingly satisfied, the instructor called, “Double time, march!”

With Blood Stripe at their head, the group set off at a quick march, focused only on following his instruction. So focused was he on the march, Flash had no thought for what was coming next. This was his task, and it needed to be done.

“Your drill instructor was a minotaur? Why have a minotaur looking after a group of pegasi, thestrals and griffons?”

Flash shrugged. “Never had the stones to ask. Never thought it was appropriate, either, but I guessed it was a lack of resources. Not enough pegasi drill instructors to go around, or something to that effect.”

Quiver nodded. “Might explain a few things about what Rainbow Dash has told me about her time training with the Wonderbolts.” He put that aside. “Anyway, I’m glad that drill instructors in real life aren’t nearly as intimidating as the movies make them out to be.”

Sunrunner smirked. “Movies exaggerate, Quivs. Real drill instructors aren’t snarling psychopaths. They won’t baby you either, of course. That isn’t their job.”

Flash shook his head. “Nope. The job of the drill instructor is to break you down, and then build you back up into a soldier. They’re supposed to make sure you’re up for the physical demands of the job, and help develop a sense of loyalty between you and your fellow recruits.”

“By way of giving you a mutual enemy.”

Twilight shook her head at the flame-haired mare’s summation. “Shining Armor’s told me about that, but I’ve never been able to wrap my head around it. It just sounds counterproductive to hold animosity towards somepony you’re supposed to take orders from.”

“Better animosity towards the drill instructor than towards your fellow recruits. Besides, a soldier’s job isn’t supposed to be easy. If we can’t handle basic training, we sure can’t handle action in the field.” Flash scowled. “Makes me wish more drill instructors were like the Sarge, to be honest. And that more officers took their roles seriously.”

“Maybe they will after recent events.” Quiver looked up from his meal. “Sorry if that was out of line, but…”

Both soldiers were unanimous in their reply. “It wasn’t.” The pair shook their heads in unison before Flash continued, “Anyway, basic was harder on some of us than others, though exactly how varied from one pony to another.” He flexed a wing. “Still, that happens.”

Much to Flash’s displeasure, he was soon reminded that as harsh as the drill instructor could be, the exercises were that much worse. Granted, he’d been warned of this issue far ahead of time, and made sure to exercise regularly to prepare himself for what was ahead, but that could only carry him so far.

And a stallion in his physical condition could only get so many wing-ups done so quickly, no matter how much work he put in.

Flash let out a heave of relief at his last wing-up, glad to return to his hooves. He got fully back upright as the drill instructor reached him, a grim expression on the minotaur’s face. Flash kept his eyes focused on the horizon, however, as he had no desire to be singled out.

“Well, it seems I found myself with some recruits who aren’t completely useless!” Blood Stripe stood at attention himself as he called out, “And now that you’ve worked up an appetite, it’s time you got some real food into you! Get to the mess hall for breakfast, all of you, and report back to me here at zero-six-thirty hours sharp! Dismissed!”

The recruits let out some relief as they made their way to the mess hall. Flash trailed a bit from the rest of the group, but regained ground as he recovered his breath. The thought of a decent breakfast certainly didn’t discourage him. The food wasn’t anything spectacular, mostly oatmeal and jerky and juices with some extras to help add some flavor, but it was welcome after the morning exercises, and Flash soon found himself at an empty table, albeit one that soon found itself filled with familiar faces.

“I have never been so glad to get some grub into me.” Sunrunner was the first to join him, alongside a thestral mare he didn’t recognize. “Hey Flash. This is Pixie Dust, my roomie.”

“Hey.”

“We only have a half-hour for meals.” A familiar bespectacled mare joined them and continued, “We should focus on eating before making conversation.”

That prompted Pixie Dust to smirk. “You must be Sugarcoat. Not even a ‘hello’, huh?” The mare glared at her before continuing with her meal, and the thestral remarked, “Life of the party, you.”

“Don’t take it too personally.” Sunny Flare then joined them, and Lemon Zest claimed another chair in her wake alongside another mare, this one another unicorn with her rose and pale green mane tied back in a ponytail. “We all handle things in our own ways. Still, very observant.”

Pixie Dust shrugged. “It’s a good idea to pay attention, and my roomie’s good with details.” She gestured with her spork. “Sunny Flare and Lemon Zest.” Her utensil landed on the newcomer as she remarked, “Decided to stick with me for meals, Two-Face?”

The unicorn rolled her eyes. “Dumb luck, trust me.” She turned to the two pegasi and introduced herself. “Sour Sweet.”

The flame-haired pegasus gestured to herself and the stallion in turn. “Sunrunner and Flash Sentry. What’s with the nickname?”

Before she could get an answer, the last chair at their table was filled as a familiar blue-maned pegasus slammed her tray down. “Ha! They call that exhausting? I bet I set a record this morning!” She smirked in the direction of her fellow fliers and added, “Definitely outdid the three of you.”

“Measuring yourself against others is hardly a wise thing to do.”

Indigo brushed off Sugarcoat’s remark, then dug into her own meal. “Still, you gotta keep up the pace in a place like this, or you’ll get left behind.”

“I think we’re keeping pace just fine.”

Indigo laughed at Sunrunner’s remark, but kept her eyes on Flash as she noted, “Some of you are.”

“Okay, let’s cool things down, huh?” Sour’s expression was focused on Indigo as she made her point clear with a strained smile. “The day’s still young, and there’s plenty left to deal with, so let’s worry about that, okay?” Her expression turned foul as she added, “Before someone loses something they shouldn’t.”

Sunrunner nodded. “My sentiments exactly.”

Indigo took the hint and kept silent, but her smirk remained as she dug into her meal. Flash, meanwhile, felt what good mood he had deteriorating faster than he’d like.

“Yeesh. I’m glad Sour tried to keep the peace, but still, that Zap mare’s sounding more and more like a jerk the longer this story goes on.”

“She definitely didn’t leave a good first impression.” Sunrunner shrugged and admitted, “I probably didn’t help much on my end. Some of what I said probably came across as egging her on, but all I was doing was trying to stand my ground. You have to do that, show that you aren’t afraid to stand up for yourself.”

“Otherwise they’ll walk all over you.” Quiver frowned. “Easier said than done for some of us.”

“It helps to know that you have someone watching your back, though.” Flash smiled. “That’s one thing being in the guard is supposed to teach its recruits, officers and NCOs alike. That we’re supposed to look after one another.”

“Exactly. We aren’t just trained to fight or move in formation. Basic training includes everything from first aid to firearm training to surviving in hostile environments. We even have training to protect against mind control spells.” Sunrunner turned sheepish as she admitted, “Mind you, they’re only good against weak stuff.”

The earth pony shrugged. “Better than nothing, and I imagine protection like that can only go so far anyway.”

“Unfortunately, yes.” Twilight didn’t elaborate any further, but she took some small comfort in the fact that her friend didn’t blame her brother for what Chrysalis had done to him. Though looking into better protections seemed long overdue. “Anyway, the day wasn’t all marching and exercise, was it?”

Sunrunner shook her head. “No, just that morning before breakfast. The rest of the day was dedicated to first aid training. Believe it or not, we didn’t even touch anything that could be used for a weapon for a week.”

“Good thing, too.” Flash didn’t elaborate beyond that. “In any case, getting past that first week was the tricky part, for all of us. There was a lot that needed to be learned, and some ponies had worse lessons than others.”

It was the end of the last day of their first week at the academy, and Flash was reaching the end of his rope. The drill instructor wasn’t the problem, as Flash knew it was the sergeant’s job to act the way he was acting. His problem certainly wasn’t with the work that was expected of him, as that same work was expected of every other recruit. No, the problem wasn’t with the work or their taskmaster.

“Man, I can’t believe all of you are still here!”

The problem was Indigo Zap. It felt like every time she sat down at the table for a meal, she’d launch into a boast or talk herself up. And maybe it was just in his head, but it felt like she was doing her best to knock him down at the same time.

“Seriously though, fifteen percent of recruits aren’t supposed to make it, right? You’d think at least one of us…”

And he was fed up with it.

Flash had barely touched his meal. It looked pretty good, too, some sort of fried fish with wild rice and steamed veggies. Certainly better than the reputation military food had would’ve suggested. But unfortunately, the other tables were filled, and you couldn’t take your food out of the mess hall. And he couldn’t stand dealing with Indigo Zap for one more second, so his choices were limited.

He picked up his tray and left the table, much to the surprise of his fellow recruits, and went off to dispose of his meal. He’d eat his food at another table starting tomorrow, but for tonight, it looked as though he was going hungry.

“Whoa, Flash? You got a problem with the food?” Zap had apparently decided to follow him. “If it’s too much for you…”

He spun about and shoved his tray into her path, much to her surprise. “You want it? There. All yours.”

The mare gave him a flabbergasted look before she turned angry. “Hey! What’s crawled up your plot?!”

“You have.” Flash had just enough restraint left to keep from raising his voice, but his frustration was clear. “You come in here, day after day, acting like you’re the best thing born with wings. Showing off, acting up, acting like the rest of us are beneath you. You think this place is some big competition? That you’re here to win some kind of contest? We aren’t here to get some fancy prize, we’re here to learn to be soldiers! To help ponies, defend the populace, do for them what they can’t! That’s what I’m here to do, at least! That’s what I want to do! And every time you go off like that, I get a reminder that there’s every chance I could fail, despite all the hard work I’m putting in! And that’s the last thing I want to do!” He exhaled. “Not every pony gets a fair shake of it. And frankly, I’m sick of being reminded of that.”

Flash turned about, quietly ignored that the mess hall had taken notice of their little confrontation and put his tray full of food off to be cleaned by the kitchen staff. He tried to keep a stoic expression on his face, but deep down, he found himself thinking that he’d be lucky if he wasn’t packing his bags the next day.

Hours later, Flash fumed to himself as he sat on the steps of the stallions’ dorms, glad for at least a little solitude. He wasn’t worried about getting in any serious trouble, as curfew was still a long way off, but he hoped that he could stew in his frustration without being interrupted. The last thing he needed was to get taunted or snarked at by somepony, and he could already hear Zap taunting him, or Sugarcoat making some snarky, tactless remark the instant she laid eyes on him. She hadn’t done it yet, but it seemed inevitable.

Then something caught his ears, and his gaze went skyward. Was somepony singing? Granted, this was Equestria, such a thing wasn’t uncommon, but still.

Regardless, the sound was coming from a nearby rooftop. Specifically, that of the mares’ dorm next door. He briefly weighed his options, whether satisfying his curiosity was worth the strain he’d be putting on his wings, or worse, breaking a fraternization rule. But he soon realized that the question would nag at him forever, and thus, his mind was made up.

Flash couldn’t fly very high, or very fast, but as he’d demonstrated, he could handle short hops. The fact that the two buildings were so close together certainly helped, and he soon bounded his way up like a greased ball bearing through a pinball machine. He soon reached one roof to find a pony that he didn’t expect, and certainly not one he’d hoped that he’d see after his outburst today.

Seated on the rooftop, her gaze fixed upon the moon and her singing halted, was Sunrunner. He wasn’t quite sure why she’d gone silent, but the only conclusion that came to him was that she’d noticed him. He was about to approach before she continued to sing.

“And when the night wind starts to sing…”

Flash opted to remain silent, and sat down upon the roof, only for a loose bit of debris to rustle underneath him. The two groaned in unison, and their eyes met, his showing frustration and hers a weary annoyance.

“What are you doing up here?”

The stallion stood up and joined her. “I could ask you the same thing. Pretty sure you singing on a roof and singing isn’t allowed.”

“I didn’t see anything in the rules against it.” Sunrunner turned away from him and turned her gaze back up to the moon. “Guess I won’t have another shot at it after tonight. Once word gets around, I won’t be able to get away with it anymore.” She sighed. “You’d think it’d go away as you got older.”

“What do you…?” Flash didn’t bother to finish that question, as he recognized the tone behind that voice. Instead, he shook his head. “What happened earlier wasn’t your fault. Zap pushed my buttons too many times is all.”

“Yeah, but I did a lousy job of stepping in and defusing the situation. And don’t try to tell me that wasn’t any of my business either.” She bowed her head as she admitted, “Part of being a soldier is looking after your comrades, and I haven’t been the best about that.” She looked at him sadly. “Life’s beaten you down a little, huh?”

Flash shrugged. “More than I’d like.”

“Lot more of that going around than there should be.” That surprised Flash as she continued, “I had a good friend when I was younger, and life beat him down pretty hard too. That song was for him.” She frowned and added, “With him.”

Flash knew that tone, and despite himself, he ventured, “How bad?”

“Bad enough that you’d have to have a heart of stone to not empathize for him. Constant bullying, a parent who treated him like garbage, apathetic authority figures…” She idly ran a wing through her mane and added, “I got a taste of that myself. Tried to help him even before that.”

“You miss him.”

“Yeah.”

Flash suddenly got worried. “He’s not…?”

“No, thank the Maker. At least, I hope not.” She sank as she admitted, “We lost touch, though. A while ago. It’ll be a miracle if I see him again.” She opted to turn discussion elsewhere and asked, “So how’d you get up here?”

He shrugged. “Kinda bounced between the buildings. Nothing special.”

“I’d say it’s pretty special. Not a lot of ponies would’ve thought to do something like that.”

“Well, not a lot of ponies have to think outside the box like I do. You’ve seen me out on the course.”

“Yeah, I have. And I think you’re doing a damn good job out there.” Before he could protest, she pressed, “I’m serious! You’re giving your all, and that’s important! Anyone with common sense can see that, especially the DI.” She gently ribbed him with a wing and offered, “So don’t let anypony get you down, huh? You made it this far, and you’re gonna go all the way. I know it.”

Flash stared at her, and finally smiled. “Thanks.” The smile turned into a grin. “Warbler.”

Sunrunner laughed. “Damn right I am, Hopper.” The two laughed, the tension between them finally having faded. “So, I guess you’re not just here to try and impress the mares. Don’t get me wrong, that’s a good thing. That armor’s gonna look a lot less impressive to a filly from the inside, trust me.”

“No, and I kinda figured on that. I’m here because… well, it’s because I want to prove something to myself. That I’m not…” He flexed his wings. “That I’m not the sort of stallion who’d hurt somepony just because he could. That I can help others.” He turned nervous as he asked, “You up for a sob story?”

She smiled reassuringly. “Everypony has ‘em. Some are just better about sharing them.”

“That little exchange led to me and Flash becoming friends.” Sunrunner shrugged and admitted, “Word eventually got out about my singing during the night, though, and that’s what got me stuck with my nickname.”

Quiver grinned. “Worse nicknames than ‘Warbler’, though.”

“Dang right. Plus, I wasn’t the odd pony out anymore.” She then sighed. “I guess the two of you know?”

“About what happened to Flash and his mother, and who hurt them.” Twilight nodded. “He’s told us. I still can’t believe somepony would do that.”

“Unfortunately, some ponies are obsessed with power and control. And some take whatever excuse they can get to exercise those things, and don’t care what the consequences are because they know they’ll get away with it.” Flash scowled. “They don’t know everything.”

“And it’s a good thing that they don’t.” Sunrunner smiled. “It’s also good that some ponies can learn from their mistakes.” At Quiver and Twilight’s surprised expressions, she explained, “We ended up with an audience.”

Sunrunner shook her head and let out a mournful sigh. “Geez, Flash. Nopony should have to go through something like that. I mean, I’m glad things are better for you and your mom now and you’ve got a real dad, but still…”

“Yeah, it’s not something I like advertising.”

“No wonder. Even ignoring that it’s nopony’s business what your foalhood was like…” She paused as both of them heard something from nearby. She groaned and turned towards the door leading to the stairs and called, “You can come out now. No use hiding.”

The door opened, and Pixie Dust emerged. “Hey, sorry about the eaves-dropping. I was just wondering where you’d gone, heard the singing and...” She stepped aside to reveal a quartet of familiar mares. “They invited themselves along.”

Lemon Zest meekly waved. “Hey guys! Nice night, huh?”

Flash scowled. “And how much did all of you hear?”

“Enough.” Indigo stepped forward, her face marked by shock and shame. “You’re really a preemie?” At his nod, her gaze moved to his wings. “No wonder you took so long to finish in morning fitness compared to the rest of us, and what happened in the mess hall…”

“Your attitude could clearly be interpreted as arrogance and bullying from his perspective, even taking into account your likely ignorance of his condition.” The blue-maned mare glared at Sugarcoat, who merely raised an eyebrow in response.

Indigo’s expression softened. “Yeah.” She turned back to Flash and explained herself. “Honestly, I didn’t know. And I probably did go too far.” At his raised eyebrow, she corrected herself. “Okay, I did go too far. Still, I’m as scared as you are. You ever heard of Wind Rider?”

Sunrunner sat up in surprise. “The Wonderbolt ace?”

“He’s my grandfather, and he’s left me some pretty big shoes to fill.” Indigo sat down and admitted, “I’m here because I want to be a Wonderbolt, and carry on his legacy.”

The flame-haired mare gave her an incredulous look. “You know there is a civilian track for joining the Wonderbolts.”

“Yeah, but…” Indigo sighed. “But my sister’s already a shoo-in for that. She’s already got Grandpa’s recommendation and everything. And the less time I spend around Dusty, the better. Guess there’s more of her in me than I’d like, though.”

Flash’s scowl faded. “At least you’re recognizing it.”

“And if it helps, you aren’t the only one here because of a family legacy.” Heads turned to Sunny Flare as she approached. “I’m going to assume that none of you have heard of Duchess Majesty? Well, except for you Sugarcoat, obviously.”

“Yeah, actually.” She turned to Sunrunner in surprise as the mare explained, “The Duchess Majesty was a noblemare. She was one of the first unicorn commanders of the Royal Guard. There’s probably a statue or bust of her somewhere on campus.”

“She’s also Sunny Flare’s ancestor.” Sugarcoat’s admission surprised everypony, and the mare shrugged. “It was going to come out eventually.”

Sunny rolled her eyes. “Yes, obviously.” She sat down herself and explained, “Our peerage began in the courts of the first unicorn king, and continues on today. I’m currently second in the line of succession, after my father.”

“Which means it’s held by your paternal grandparent,” Flash surmised.

“My grandmother, Penumbra. And since my ancestor’s time in defense of the realm, members of my family have served in the Royal Guard. From border skirmishes against caribou tribes to the last war with the Griffon Empire, members of my family have fought for Equestria and her citizens. It is a legacy that I am expected to uphold.” She sighed. “I have mixed feelings about it.”

“I’m here because of the food.”

Sunny rolled her eyes. “Sugarcoat, two other ponies have born their souls and I’ve just tossed aside what anonymity I have. The least you can do is be completely honest, dearie.”

“I am being completely honest.” The bespectacled mare seemed to acknowledge her fellow recruit’s unspoken point, and took a seat as she explained, “My parents are two of the most prominent critics in Canterlot. They have very, very high opinions of themselves, and very specific tastes in regards to their professions. Mother especially, to the point that she was very specific about what could be eaten in our household.”

“So your mom’s a food critic?”

“With very specific tastes. She’d take one look at what’s served in the mess and toss it aside in a heartbeat.” Sugarcoat narrowed her eyes and added, “The food they serve in the military is better than anything she or I have ever been served at any restaurant that’s met her approval, and certainly better than what our staff at home has made.”

“And you’re here to break away from that.” At the bespectacled mare’s nod, Sunrunner nodded. “I get that.”

Indigo grinned. “Definitely explains how you eat, Tubby.” Sugarcoat responded with a smirk as the mare prodded, “But becoming a soldier just for better food?”

The smirk faded. “There might have been a little bit of spite involved also.” She turned to Sunrunner and Flash and admitted, “The two of you probably have the best reasons for being here out of all of us. At least, so far.”

Pixie Dust shrugged. “Something tells me I’m not changing that. I’m here because I thought it was a good idea, and I wanted to travel.” She stretched her wings a little and added, “Plus I kinda like the idea of reminding folks that ponies like me exist.”

Lemon Zest laughed. “I guess I’m here for the same reasons as Pixie and Sunny. But I’m really looking forward to getting my hooves on some of the really cool toys the Royal Guard has.” She waved a hoof. “Not weapons though, I’m talking stuff like radio equipment. They say the Guard has stuff the civilian market’s not gonna see for years.”

Flash laughed. “I hope you’re right.” He sobered up and admitted, “Anyway, why we’re here isn’t as important as the fact that we are here. And I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m not going to leave easily. Not if I have a choice in the matter.”

“Me either.” The other mares echoed Sunrunner’s sentiment as she continued, “Won’t be easy, but in the end, nothing ever is.”

“And it’ll help if I don’t come across as a jerk. Definitely don’t want to.” Indigo offered a hopeful expression to Flash. “Can you forgive? Maybe?”

He shrugged. “Maybe. Give me time.”

“Wow. I’m not surprised that Indigo could own up to her acting insensitive, but I’m a little surprised she did it that quickly.” Quiver smiled. “I’m not complaining, though. I just wish I’d known more ponies with that level of maturity.”

“And I wish there were more ponies with that much maturity.” Twilight frowned. “Ask Rainbow Dash to tell you about her time at Wonderbolt Academy sometime.”

“Oooh, don’t get me started about what I’ve heard about that.” Sunrunner scowled. “I’m just glad the superintendent we had was nothing like Spitfire. That mare’s got a long way to go.”

Quiver quirked an eyebrow and turned to Flash. “Then I guess that exchange you had with Indigo didn’t go without incident.”

The other stallion shook his head. “No, not without incident.”

“Recruit Flash Sentry! Recruit Indigo Zap!” The pair stiffened as the drill instructor singled them out, neither having any delusions about what they were being singled out for. “Seems that you two dunderheaded featherbrains have attracted the attention of the commandant! Whatever the rut you did, it must have been epic! Get your plots to his office now, on hoof, double time!”

“Sir! Yes sir!”

The pair did as instructed, and made their way to one of the central office buildings on campus. Finding the office of the commandant wasn’t difficult, as such things are clearly marked, and the pair barely had a second before they were prompted inside.

Seated before them was a stallion that both had seen around campus during their brief time at Wing Point, but had thus far not seen professionally. Brigadier General Flintlock was something of an old soldier, and cut an imposing figure even behind a desk. “Recruits. Close the door behind you. Doesn’t matter which one.” Flash followed his instruction, and the commandant continued, “I’m told there was an altercation between the two of you in the mess yesterday evening. Care to explain yourselves?”

“It was my fault, sir.” Indigo’s prompt reply surprised Flash, and she continued on. “Circumstances have led to Flash and myself being in one another’s proximity since we began basic, and I’ve been far more abrasive with him than I should be to the point of implying that I expected him to wash out of the academy. Things came to a head yesterday in the mess, and Flash attempted to remove himself from the situation before things went too far. I failed to recognize it as such, and that led to the altercation yesterday.”

The old stallion regarded her for a moment, then turned to face the other recruit. “And?”

“And I’ll be the last to deny what happened, or Indigo’s account. I also won’t deny that I might have been more sensitive to her remarks than I should have been, but what’s done is done, and I can’t change it. Whatever disciplinary action you deem adequate, I accept.”

The commandant regarded the pair, then smiled. “You two are damn lucky you kept your heads. If this had turned into a fight, you’d be looking at a hearing right now.” He leaned back in his seat. “Recruits, we aren’t in the business of throwing out cadets over failing to take others’ feelings into account, or being sensitive to others’ remarks. Not until it becomes clear that they can’t work out their own issues for themselves. The two of you sound like you can, so don’t give me reason to think otherwise.” The smile turned into a grin. “And the next time the two of you decide to have a heart-to-heart with a group of other recruits, do it during daylight hours.”

They responded in unison. “Yes sir.”

“Good. Dismissed.”

The pair exited the office, and both felt like they’d dodged a crossbow bolt. Neither wished to try their luck again.

The rest of the day went more smoothly, though both had to endure some ribbing from their fellow recruits over getting sent to the commandant’s office. Both suspected that neither would hear the end of the incident for some time, but took comfort in the fact that they’d both already been stuck with their embarrassing nicknames. The pair, as well as the rest of the recruits on their table, had managed to bond, however. Even Two-Face, though not to the same extent as the rest.

Flash had some hope that would change with time, but there was no guarantee. Still, that seemed more likely than him forming any sort of bond with his roommate. That ship, alas, appeared to have sunk in the harbor.

“Garrett.” The stallion turned in surprise as his griffon roommate elaborated. “My name is Garrett.” His shocked expression prompted an explanation. “Didn’t know if I’d last the first week. Didn’t want to get attached. How many griffons do you see in the Royal Guard anyway?”

The surprise wore off, and Flash laughed. “Not enough. What made you change your mind?”

That prompted a small smile. “Deciding that getting attached might be worth it.”

“And that ended the first week of basic training.” Flash smiled at the memory. “The rest of basic went pretty much the same way, but the pressure eased on us with each day. We still had years of proper schooling to get through, but we at least survived basic training. Amazingly, none of us ended up washing out. Other recruits did, but not as many as we feared.”

“Something tells me I’d have been among them.” Quiver shrugged. “Not every pony is cut out for military service, and I know that I’m not one of them.”

Sunrunner flashed him a smile. “And there’s nothing wrong with that in the slightest.”

Quiver nodded at that as Twilight asked, “So, you got through basic. Anything exciting happen during classes at the academy?”

Flash waved a hoof. “Sorta. I mean, nothing especially exciting happened, though Warbler tended to be something of a teacher’s pet with her essays.”

The flame-maned pegasus took on a proud posture. “I can’t help it if I did good research.” She grinned at her coltfriend and added, “Or that I knew where to look for a lot of it.”

“Still, one day kinda blurred into the next, and before we all knew it, we’d graduated.” Flash smiled. “That’s where things got really exciting.”

Author's Note

I hope no one objects too strongly to my portrayals of the pony versions of the Shadowbolts. I doubt anyone will, but you never know.

Chapter Four

The stadium at Wing Point was filled with spectators, family and friends and even a few younger students in attendance as the newest class of cadets stepped onto the field and took their positions for graduation.

Flash had some mixed feelings about this, having long gotten used to academy uniforms and routine but all too glad to put it behind him and get out into the field. And that ignored inevitably having to say goodbye to the ponies he’d gotten to know and the friends that he’d made. Yes, this was to be expected, and there was a fair chance he would see them again at some point, but still, parting was a sweet sorrow that he didn’t look forward to.

At last, the bell sounded, and the nearly thousand gathered cadets joined together to sing the school song. As that came to an end, the commandant stood before them. As commanded, the cadets raised their right forelimb and recited the Oath of Office. Flash doubted that he would ever forget his next words.

“I, Flash Sentry, having been appointed an officer in the Royal Guard of Equestria in the rank of Second Lieutenant, do solemnly affirm that I will support and defend the Constitution of the Unified Kingdom of Equestria against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will swear true faith and allegiance to the same. That I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter, Maker help me so.”

“Welcome to the profession of arms. Please lower your appendages.”

Applause sounded from the stands before the assembled graduates and the crowds joined in singing the Song of the Royal Guard, a brief tune as old as the Guard itself. This in turn was followed by a brief benediction, before the commandant stepped forth one more to address the graduate at their head.

“Second Lieutenant Cobalt, take charge of class, and dismiss graduating class.”

The lead graduate, a deep blue stallion, saluted. “So freedom and harmony will reign.” He then turned to the rest of the graduates and called out, “Class, dismissed!”

That elicited a cheer from the crowds and graduates as they tossed their covers, decorated caps that were an explicit part of their uniforms, high into the air above their heads. Many applauded and hugged their comrades in relief and celebration, glad that one obstacle was over and celebrating before another began.

“Wait, you’re just skipping to the end of it?” Quiver’s expression was shocked as he asked, “No wacky hijinks, no crazy escapades, just your first week and then bam, graduation?”

Sunrunner raised an eyebrow. “Did you have wacky hijinks during your time in higher education?”

The stallion shrugged. “No, but I’m antisocial.”

Flash laughed. “Believe it or not, most days in the Royal Guard aren’t all that exciting. And I figure you’d be interested in the really good stuff, and we didn’t get any of that until after we graduated.”

“Couple weeks leave, and then our first assignments.” The flame-haired pegasus laughed. “First assignment, rather.”

Twilight gained a giddy look and clapped her hooves together. “I think I might’ve heard a little bit about that.”

“Well please, no spoilers.” Quiver turned his attention back to the two soldiers and asked, “So, what did the two of you do during that leave?”

Flash smiled. “I visited with my family. Mom was getting settled into her new position in Ponyville as district attorney, so I figured that I’d help her out.”

“Honestly Flash, you didn’t need to come and do this. The three of us could’ve managed.”

“Yeah, but I don’t know how soon it will be before I get the chance to see the three of you.” Flash gently laid some boxes out on a table for his mother with his wings, glad that they could at least be used for moving objects around if not for helping him fly. “And I’ll feel better going on my first assignment knowing all of you are settled in.”

Legalhawke looked as though she wanted to argue, but a soft chuckle distracted her as a stallion entered with a box carried in one hoof and a colt close by. “I don’t think this is an argument you can win, Hawk. You raised him too well for that.”

Flash grinned. “She didn’t do it alone, Dad.” He then turned to his sibling. “Hey Basey. Gotten sick of me yet?”

“Nope!” Pop Fly then charged his older brother and took him into a tight hug. “Never gonna happen!”

The two brothers laughed and briefly play-wrestled as their parents looked on, but the moment was brief before their father cleared his throat. “Flash, I’d like a word with you. Privately.” At his youngest’s alarmed expression, he smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry Pop, he’s not in trouble.”

Legalhawke opted to follow her husband’s lead and gestured to her youngest. “Come on, let’s get out of the way. Still plenty to do.”

Pop Fly followed his mother’s prompt, and the pair left to continue unpacking as Flash turned to face his father. A larger stallion with a bulkier build than he, Curt Marshall cut a very imposing figure, with his deep voice doing little to shatter that image. Those who knew him long enough to speak with him, however, quickly discovered that he was perhaps the warmest stallion you could ever meet. That warm was obvious as Marshall approached his stepson with the proudest smile on his face that anypony could imagine. “Look at you, son. Look how far you’ve come.”

Flash smiled back. “It’s all thanks to you, Dad.”

His stepfather laughed. “I’m not going to take all the credit. You put in the hard work all on your own.” His tone turned somber as he got to the point. “But I am worried, Flash. Not about what you can do in the Guard, but why you joined it.”

“I told you Dad. I can make a difference there.”

“And I believe you. I’m just worried that you have other reasons for it.” He looked his child in the eye and said firmly, “You aren’t him, Flash. You’re you. And you don’t need to prove that to anypony by putting on armor, least of all yourself.” The smile returned as he added, “And you certainly never had anything to prove to me. You showed me the kind of stallion you were when I first met you.” He gently rested a hoof on his son’s shoulder. “A brave one, and a kind one. Hold on to that, and you’ll go further than I ever did, or ever will.” He laughed. “Now come on, we’ve still got a job to do.”

Flash nodded and smiled. “Yes sir.”

Quiver gave an impressed smile. “Your dad’s awesome.”

“He is. Still active in the Guard, too, just stationed out on the western frontier. We don’t get to see him much, but those times where we’re all together…” Flash grinned. “I wouldn’t miss them for the world.”

The other stallion’s smile turned sad as he looked to Sunrunner. “And I guess then was when…?”

The mare frowned. “Yeah.” She turned to Flash and admitted, “I have a sinking feeling that if you and Twilight continue being a thing, you’ll get on a lot better with her parents than I have with Quiver’s father.”

The blue-haired pegasus grimaced. “Went that bad, huh?”

“Worse.”

Sunrunner had never been to Quiver Quill’s home during all the time they’d been in school together. Circumstances had never led to them visiting one another’s houses, even for a simple playdate. How much of that was simply nopony wanting to leave a colt and filly alone by themselves for very long was something she’d probably never know, but she honestly hoped that was it.

Nonetheless, school directories were a thing, and she did have his address, thanks partly to the fact that her parents rarely if ever threw anything that wasn’t obviously trash out. And now seemed as good a time as any for her to try and reconnect with her old friend. There was a chance that he’d moved, of course, but what information she had suggested that he was still there.

A tiny part of her, however, made her hope that he wasn’t. The house before her was old, and while it was still standing, it was clear that for whatever reason, the residents weren’t keeping on top of regular day-to-day maintenance. The front steps had cracks in them, with bits broken off at points, and the house itself looked as though it needed a new coat of paint, among other bits of repair.

Still, there was only one way to find out. She trotted up the steps and gently rang the doorbell, then stepped back from the door to give whoever answered a respectful amount of space. Shortly thereafter, it was answered by a middle-aged stallion with a dark-colored beard and a foul expression on his face, who glared at her through a screen door.

“Good afternoon, sir. My name is Sunrunner, and I…”

“We aren’t interested.”

He then slammed the door, which prompted Sunrunner to try ringing the bell again. He opened the door, and she quickly explained, “Sir, I’m not trying to sell you anything or whatever, I just…”

“I don’t care why you’re here. We aren’t interested.”

He slammed the door for a second time, and Sunrunner steeled herself and tried once more. He barely opened the door before she continued, “Does a stallion named…?”

“Listen to me, you rutting little bitch! If you don’t get off my doorstep right now, I’ll force you off it! Now get lost!”

The door slammed on her a third time, and Sunrunner sighed and turned away. As much as she hated to think it, trying to reconnect with Quiver this way might well be a lost cause.

Flash and Twilight both looked at her in shock. “He didn’t…”

“He would.” Quiver noted grimly. “Probably thought he was saving me from getting scammed, too.”

The alicorn drooped as she considered things. “But language like that? I mean, you told us about what happened when you earned your cutie mark, but just going off like that? How could a pony be that angry?”

“Be thankful that you don’t know the answer to that question, Twilight.” Flash shot Quiver a sympathetic look. “I’m not going to pretend that Quiver and I went through the same ordeal, but different sorts of abuse can still leave similar scars. How you deal with them is the important thing, though.”

Quiver managed a small smile. “Ain’t that the truth.” A thought suddenly occurred to him, and he looked between the two Guardsponies and said, “Wait a minute. A while ago, Flash told me and Twilight that you told Pixie Dust about what had happened to him. Now you’re saying that she overheard you two talking about it.”

“And she told me when we first met that the two of you fought when you first met.” Twilight was similarly surprised.

Sunrunner sighed. “I’m not going to say there wasn’t a little tension between me and Flash, but Boo tended to exaggerate.”

Flash, meanwhile, took on a nervous grin. “And can you blame me for being a little embarrassed about getting eaves-dropped on?”

“Still…” Twilight wasn’t happy about her coltfriend’s little white lie, but tried her best to be diplomatic about it. “I’d appreciate a little more honesty from here on, alright? Like I said, no secrets.”

Flash nodded, shamefaced, and opted to get back to the story. “Anyway, our leave ended, and we reported to Canterlot for our first assignment fresh out of the academy. It wasn’t what either of us was expecting.” He paused for a second, then turned to his marefriend. “Twilight, you wouldn’t happen to know any spells that can obscure conversations? White noise charms, cones of silence, things like that? What Warbler and I are about to talk about isn’t really something the public should know about. I trust Quiver to keep it to himself, but…”

“Don’t worry Flash, I’ve already taken care of it.” At Quiver’s curious expression, she explained, “Even putting aside Princess Celestia’s assurances that the staff at this restaurant are very discreet, I put an enchantment around us to obscure what we’re saying. They can only understand us if we directly speak to them.”

Quiver frowned, not entirely certain he liked that notion, but accepted it. “That explains the extra pitcher of ice water at least.” He then turned to Flash. “Anyway, I’m honored. Please, go on.”

While Wing Point was located closer to Equestria’s east coast, the primary headquarters for the Royal Guard was located close to Canterlot. Officially, however, it remained outside of the city limits, mostly due to regional laws and ordinances. Practically a small town unto itself, the campus was where as many as ten thousand ponies lived and/or worked, with most of that number commuting into Canterlot for their duties in the city proper. Sunrunner had some misgivings about the arrangement, but given she was at this point amongst the most junior of junior officers, she was in no position to voice those misgivings.

Besides, private conversations with her teachers at Wing Point had made clear that the decisions were made more for political reasons than for practical ones. It had never been the position of Equestria’s government to present the nation as militaristic, even if it had a military. The land was, after all, one founded on the principles of harmony, and harmony was not something one associated with conflict.

Sunrunner had more than her share of misgivings about such an arrangement, but kept those to herself as well, at least in public. Right now, she just hoped that her first proper assignment wasn’t something that would force her into the proverbial deep end.

“Well ain’t this a surprise!” Sunrunner turned to see a pair of familiar faces approaching her down the hall, one stallion with a blue mane and one thestral mare with an indigo mane. “What’re the odds, Warbler?”

She laughed. “Apparently, pretty good.” Quick hoof-bumps were shared, and the pegasus asked, “How’d your leaves go?”

Pixie Dust shrugged. “Not bad. Hung out back home, enjoyed a little bit of freedom before the really hard work starts.”

“Spent time with my family, mostly.” A brief, sad smile crossed Flash’s face before it disappeared. “How about you?”

“Pretty much the same. Tried looking up that friend I told the two of you about.” She managed a sad shrug. “Didn’t have much luck.”

Pixie draped a reassuring wing over her friend’s shoulder. “You’ll see him again someday. I got a good feeling about this.”

The three were interrupted by the sound of a throat clearing behind them, and immediately moved to attention before they recognized their addressor. “I don’t think now’s the time for idle gossip.”

Sunrunner kept an even face as she countered, “Catching up doesn’t really count as idle gossip.”

The burly stallion didn’t seem impressed. “Regardless, we’re here to report for our first duty assignment. It’s not going to do us any good to be seen standing around chatting.” He gestured for the other three to follow him onto the campus towards the main building. They did so, not at all surprised by his curt behavior.

Silver Bullet was not the sort for socializing. He tended to be the solitary sort at the academy, working as hard as any of them and getting good marks across the board, but rarely interacting with his peers. If something needed to be done, he was going to do it, but he wasn’t interested in chatting anyone up along the way. Not once had they seen him so much as crack a smile, let alone laugh. His serious nature had thus led to what was perhaps the most ironic of nicknames amongst his peers – ‘Chuckles’.

Still, none of them were inclined to argue as they made their way to the central administration building, then inside, a senior NCO meeting them and leading them to one office in particular. The NCO knocked on the door, and a gruff voice called forth from inside, “Let them in.”

The door opened, and the four ponies entered. The office was spartan, the walls bare of decoration beyond the odd artifact showcasing pony lore and the only furniture being a desk and chair. Sunrunner doubted that she was the only one to recognize the replica of Netitus on one wall. Standing before them was the office’s current occupant, a middle-aged dark-colored stallion with a short-cropped mane and tail and a pencil-thin moustache, his icy blue eyes locked on the four of them.

“Colonel Stormfront.” The four ponies stood at attention as Silver Bullet introduced them. “Second Lieutenants Silver Bullet, Sunrunner, Pixie Dust and Flash Sentry, reporting as ordered.”

“As you were.” The colonel examined the four before his gaze settled on the largest among them. “Fresh recruits right out of the academy. Stuck with me for your first assignment. I look forward to seeing what you’re made of.” He turned away from them to a map on the wall. “Tell me, have any of you heard of a nation called Farasi?”

“It’s a nation state on the northern part of Zebrica, bordered by the Celestial Sea on the west and the Dragon Lands on the south.”

The colonel turned back to face them at her answer, and Sunrunner thought for a second that she saw a scowl upon the stallion’s face. “Correct, Lieutenant. And two days after the upcoming Summer Sun Celebration, Canterlot shall be hosting a delegation from that nation to discuss diplomatic ties and the start of trade relations between our two nations.” He turned back to face them and explained, “We have been assigned the task of escorting the delegation upon their arrival at Horseshoe Bay to Canterlot. This is, for all intents and purposes, a milk run.”

“Permission to speak frankly, sir?” At the colonel’s nod, Silver Bullet continued, “We seem to be operating on a tight timetable, sir. The Summer Sun Celebration is three days away. That doesn’t give us a lot of time to reach Horseshoe Bay.”

“Indeed it doesn’t. However, the brass has made arrangements with that in mind.” He regarded them with a grim expression and said, “Retrieve your go-bags and meet me at the Canterlot Skyport in two hours’ time. Our ride will be along then.”

“Wow. Silver Bullet never really came across as the most open of ponies, but…” Twilight shrugged. “I guess he loosened up with time.”

“That’s putting it politely.” The blue-maned pegasus turned to his fellow stallion and noticed the thoughtful expression on his face. “Something bothering you, Quiver?”

“Bit overkill, isn’t it?” Quiver prodded at his meal as he wondered aloud. “I can get a military escort for a diplomatic party, that makes perfect sense, but four lieutenants fresh from the academy? Commanded by a colonel?”

“The Guard’s stretched thin and you know it, Quiver.” Flash frowned as he admitted, “I don’t like that very much myself, but there isn’t a lot to be done about it.”

The stallion nodded. “I suppose. But why go to the skyport instead of…” His eyes lit up as he realized, “You went by airship.”

The Skyport was one of the more recent additions to the Canterlot landscape, thanks primarily to the recent surge in popularity of personal airships amongst the city’s elite. Exactly who started the trend was unclear, though the most popular theory was that Prince Blueblood had taken a fancy to the idea of them in order to expedite his travels across Equestria and beyond. While they were vast, they were mostly noiseless, and as many could attest from the young noble’s assorted soirees, were far more luxurious than they appeared. Their cargo carrying capacity alone made them popular with the Royal Guard, and contracts were made for expanded versions intended for troop and materiel transport. More than a few in Equestria’s government protested the project as a waste… until they saw the job numbers projected for their respective districts.

Princess Celestia personally backing the project certainly didn’t discourage things.

At the appointed time, the four Guardsponies found themselves at their appointed place, packed and ready for deployment as they were escorted to their docking platform. As they approached, three of the four caught sight of their approaching ride, and found themselves unable to restrain their awe.

The craft resembled a shark at a distance, a resemblance that was maintained as it rapidly approached. As it got closer, however, the ponies got a far better look at it – the ‘mouth’ was an air intake, the ‘gills’ vents, and while the vessel still had fins, they were segmented, allowing for steering and shifting during transit. As it closed in, they could also make out gunports along its sides and on the front of the craft, and found themselves with mixed feelings in regards to their use.

“Get a good look, all of you. That’s a Requiem-class airship, one of the first of a new breed.” Colonel Stormfront’s voice clearly showed his approval with the craft as it approached for docking. “I present, the Valiant.”

The vessel came in for a smooth docking before them, and clamps were deployed to hold the vessel in place as a gangplank extended from its gondola and doors opened to allow them entry. The five walked along the gangplank and stepped onto the vessel to be greeted by its senior staff with a salute. At their head was an earthy-colored pegasus stallion with a short, well-trimmed mustache, more prominent than that of Stormfront’s and giving a different air to the junior officers. “Permission granted to board the Valiant, Colonel Stormfront.”

“Colonel Stalwart Steel.” The greeting was terse as the one pegasus appraised the other. “You have a fine vessel here, and a plum assignment.”

“I’m merely following the orders given to me.” He turned to his subordinate, an earth pony with impressive stature and a warm bearing. “Sergeant Grace Point will escort you to guest quarters and point you towards our recreation areas. I ask that your subordinates kindly keep to one of those two places, however, as my staff and I still have an airship to run.” The four nodded in acceptance of his request. “Very well then. Sergeant!”

“Yes sir!” The NCO stepped forward and prompted, “If you’d kindly follow me.”

Quiver laughed. “You got to ride in style.”

“Oh, that’s putting it lightly.” Sunrunner smiled. “The Valiant’s a good ship, with a good crew and a good CO. I wouldn’t complain if I saw them again.”

“No kidding. Col. Steel…” Flash sighed. “You know how certain ponies give an air of authority, but you can tell right off that they’re the sort you can trust?” He was met with nods, and he explained, “Col. Steel gave me that feeling. Plum assignment and a crew with good morale. Stormfront was another matter.”

His fellow Guardspony frowned. “His cutie mark having a skull in it certainly didn’t help.”

Both Quiver and Twilight grimaced at that, and the latter politely changed the subject. “So, things went well on the Valiant?”

“Yeah. She was on her shakedown cruise, so we had a long trip out to our destination. Plenty enough time to get to know the crew.”

The recreation areas onboard the Valiant were, by Sunrunner’s estimation, generous. While this likely wasn’t at the level of a really fancy hotel in Manehattan, Canterlot or somewhere of that nature, the recreation areas on board were definitely on the same level as the ones she’d seen in Indianapoloosa. Granted, she hadn’t seen many, but still, what little she had seen met with her approval.

As she and two of her fellow officers entered the main mess, they took in the sights around them. The mess was decorated in Cloudsdale Retro, with lightweight furniture that looked both elegant and sturdy, complimented by the cutlery and dinnerware. The walls were plain and bare, but she briefly entertained the idea of maps or murals being painted once the vessel had accumulated some flight time, and a piano was being played by a crewmember off in one corner. Both the elite and the common ponies could be comfortable in a place like this, and given the fact that officers as well as NCOs were intermingling, that appeared to be exactly the case.

“Lieutenants!” She heard a familiar voice calling to her, and she caught sight of the sergeant from earlier as he beckoned the three of them to a table, one other NCO and two officers with him. “Care to join us? Plenty of room!”

Sunrunner noticed the approving expressions on her colleagues’ faces and smiled. “Invitation accepted, Sergeant. Thanks.” The trio approached the table. “Whom do I have the honor of addressing?”

“Very curious members of the senior staff, Lieutenant.” One of the officers, a dark-haired earth pony stallion with coltish good looks, flashed her a smile. “Captain Pure Green, ship’s chief navigator.” He gestured to his fellow officer, a curly-haired unicorn stallion with a solid build. “Lieutenant Vintage Balm, CMO.” Finally, he gestured to the other NCO, an earth pony mare with a professional-looking manecut. “Corporal Bell Carol, communications.”

“Lieutenants Sunrunner, Flash Sentry and Pixie Dust.” The trio claimed empty seats for themselves as Sunrunner admitted, “I’m a little surprised at the intermingling between officers and NCOs here.”

“Unfortunately old girl, that’s a consequence of how the recreation deck and quarters have been laid out.” The medical officer gave a small smile as he admitted, “Still, we are off duty, and some relaxation is allowed.”

“And the four of us were part of the colonel’s staff at our previous posting, so we’re at least somewhat familiar with one another.” The corporal turned to the doctor with an incredulous look. “And with all due respect sir, ‘old girl’?”

Vintage Balm had the decency to blush as he turned to the flame-haired mare. “Apologies, Lieutenant. Old habits.”

“I’ve seen worse.” Outdated and slightly patronizing terms of endearment were something she could deal with, especially if they were clearly meant to be polite. “So is everyone onboard from the Griffish Isles, or just the five of you?”

“There are a few ponies onboard from the mainland, don’t worry.” Grace Post turned to Pixie Dust curiously. “Forgive my asking, ma’am, but ‘Pixie Dust’?”

The thestral shrugged. “Mom and Dad were expecting a unicorn. Something tells me they were okay with what they got, though.” She glanced to the bar, fully aware of the drinks resting before their hosts, and asked, “So what do we have as far as drinks go around here?”

The sergeant tipped his head towards the nearby taps. “Nothing stronger than apple cider or ginger beer while we’re aloft, as per regs.”

“Makes sense to me.” Flash got back up and asked, “Anything for either of you?”

“Ciders for the both of us.” Sunrunner turned back to their hosts as Flash went on his way. “Well forgive me being frank, but I think you all ended up with a good assignment here. I’m a little envious.”

“Well I’d be patient if I were you, given the Valiant isn’t the first or last of her class.” The doctor gave the younger officer a teasing smile and offered, “Besides, rumor has it that you all have a rather plum assignment yourselves.”

The young mare straightened up and declared, “I will neither confirm nor deny any allegations regarding our assignment.”

“Say no more about it then.” As Flash returned, Vintage Balm prodded in other directions. “I’m a little surprised that we haven’t seen the rest of your party yet, however. I imagine the colonels are in conference at the moment, but what about your fellow lieutenant?”

“Something tells me that Silver Bullet’s in his cabin getting some rest.” Flash experimentally sniffed his cider, then took a sip.

Pixie Dust grinned. “Yeah, Chuckles ain’t exactly much for socializing.” At their curious expressions, she explained, “Academy nickname. Guy didn’t do much laughing.”

The captain among them shook his head in disapproval. “Shame. Hopefully he learns to lighten up a bit. Won’t last long if he doesn’t.” He took a sip of his own drink and prodded, “I don’t suppose the rest of you have ironic nicknames from your academy days?”

“Actually, the rest of us just got silly ones.” Sunrunner smirked at her old roomie and noted, “Ain’t that right, Boo?”

“Darn tootin’, Warbler.”

The two mares laughed among themselves before Flash explained, “Pixie Dust liked to surprise people, and Sunrunner sings. A lot.”

That got the attention of the stallions at the table. As Bell Carol rolled her eyes and sighed, Pure Green prodded, “Are you any good at it?”

The flame-haired mare shrugged. “Better than average.”

The captain then grinned. “Well, any way we could convince you to demonstrate? Would be good for Old Fife to have somepony to play accompaniment for.”

Sunrunner sighed. “Well, I guess I’m going to have to embarrass us sometime on this trip.”

That got an approving laugh from their hosts, and the captain went off to make arrangements. Flash leaned over and noted, “Caved a little quick, didn’t you?”

“Better to get it over with, right?” She was finally called towards the piano by Pure Green, the crewmember at the piano at the ready. In the face of an eager crowd, Sunrunner took a deep breath, and sang the first few words to a song from her youth that she figured had a good chance of resonating with the crowd.

“Do you ever miss the mare you left behind?”

Quiver grinned. “Tell me you brought the house down.”

Sunrunner grinned. “Something like that.”

Much to Sunrunner’s surprise, Old Fife appeared to have cottoned onto the music almost immediately, and she quickly launched into the song proper, even letting the music take over and dancing on her hooves in time to the music. She herself, and even quite a few in the audience, could swear they heard violins playing as she sang, even as the stallions in the audience joined in. The mares refrained, if only because they were either laughing or trying to restrain themselves at their colleagues’ antics.

“You’ll find the mare,

You’ll find the mare,

You left behind…

Tonight! Tonight! Tonight, that’s right, alright!”

Cheers and roaring approval went out across the mess as Sunrunner took a bow, exhausted but pleased with herself. Before she could rejoin her friends, however, a bang sounded across the deck.

“And what is this supposed to be?!” The mess went dead silent as the three young officers turned to find Colonel Stormfront at the entrance, his gaze firmly locked upon his subordinates. “Lieutenants! Explain yourselves!”

“Colonel, with due respect, we asked…”

“Your statement on the matter wasn’t requested, Captain!” Pure Green stumbled back at that as the colonel turned his attention back to his subordinates. “I expect an answer!”

Sunrunner stepped forth and stood straight. “I was asked to entertain our hosts, sir.”

“And in the process, made a mockery of yourself!” The colonel’s expression was furious as he barked, “Do you consider yourself a mockery, Lieutenant?!”

“No sir.”

“Well I’d think otherwise!”

“As would I.” Stormfront turned to find Col. Stalwart Steel standing behind him, his mood decidedly more calm. “A rousing performance, Lieutenant. Thank you for humoring my staff.” He turned to his fellow colonel and noted, “Your subordinates were off-duty, as were mine. This wasn’t a brawl, it was light entertainment, that your subordinate chose to indulge my subordinates with. I hardly think that’s worth a dressing down.” His tone shifted subtly as he added, “And were it worth such a thing, I would be the one delivering it.”

Stormfront frowned, but relented. “Very well. I will have to take comfort in one of my subordinates conducting themselves properly.” He turned and departed, but his attitude made clear that he wouldn’t forget what had happened.

The remaining colonel turned and regarded his guests. “I appreciate the entertainment for my crew, Lieutenant, but I think it best that you and your fellows retire to your cabins for the rest of the journey.”

“Yes sir.”

He raised an eyebrow. “No apology?”

“I don’t think it’s necessary, sir. As you said, light entertainment isn’t worth being punished over.”

She thought she saw the barest hint of a smile as he remarked, “Indeed.” He then turned and departed himself.

Just as he got out of earshot, Sunrunner relaxed and turned to her fellows. “I think we’d better do as the colonel suggested.”

Flash and Pixie Dust followed her out, the latter with a sad look on her face. “So much for an encore.”

Quiver frowned. “The more I hear about Stormfront, the more I don’t like him. Don’t think it was his place to intervene.”

“And I’m glad that Stalwart Steel did intervene.” Sunrunner sighed. “You’re right though, we weren’t in the wrong. We were off-duty, and nothing I did was against the regs.”

Flash frowned himself. “But that doesn’t mean ponies are going to approve of it.”

“I think the colonel was right to step in.” Silver Bullet had remained in his cabin, likely content to get some rest while he could on the flight over. “Sunrunner was making a fool out of herself.”

“Maybe so, but it was her choice.” Flash wasn’t thrilled at having ended up with the olive stallion as a cabin-mate, but accepted the circumstances for what they were. “And I’m not even sure it was his place to step in. Colonel Stormfront might be in charge of us, but Colonel Stalwart Steel is in charge of the Valiant.”

“Regardless, we aren’t here to make ourselves look like jokes. We make a mistake, and it could end our careers.” The larger of the two stallions shifted in his bunk and noted, “If I were the three of you, I’d keep my head down and follow the colonel’s orders for the remainder of this mission.”

Flash scowled, but opted to keep his thoughts to himself as he settled into his bunk. With any luck, the remainder of the mission would go smoothly.

Flash frowned as he recalled the memory. “It’s not going to surprise either of you that it didn’t. The rest of the trip went without incident, and we got to Horseshoe Bay with plenty of time, but after that…”

Located on Equestria’s southeast coast, Horseshoe Bay was equal parts a pleasure destination for ponies across the nation and a shipping port, with vessels going from there to points all across the coast of the Celestial Sea and back again. It was no surprise that it ended up being the destination for the Farasian diplomatic party as a result, especially as they didn’t appear to have any airships.

Sunrunner kept silent as she disembarked from the Valiant, she and the rest of her party now wearing their armor rather than their duty uniforms. Their point of arrival, fortunately, was very close to the docks, and by all appearances, they showed little sign of a long wait for their charges.

“Colonel, there you are!” Awaiting them at the docks was a small entourage of ponies. At their head was a sight familiar anypony who paid attention to the gossip columns, immaculately dressed and looking ready to please. “I was beginning to worry!”

“Prince Blueblood.” The Guardsponies stood at attention as the noblepony approached. “Reporting as ordered for escort duty.”

“And presenting yourselves as proper members of the Guard as well.” A horn sounded in the distance, and the gathered ponies turned their attention as a vessel approached the docks. It wasn’t a fancy design, but it was a perfectly seaworthy vessel. “Personally, I just hope they don’t see the five of you as a show of force.”

The colonel gave a confident smirk. “All the same, it’s important that they know what they’re dealing with.”

The ship docked, and gangplanks were deployed as the passengers disembarked. Sunrunner had never seen a zebra in the flesh, only illustrations in books, but those she saw before her were little different. They were built like ponies, most little different from her in physical build other than slighter figures, and had predominantly light coats with stripes of assorted colors streaking across their forms, their manes styled to point straight up and similarly colored to their coats. Two of the group wore what Sunrunner assumed were uniforms, deep red and brown cloth complimented by silvery armor about their shoulders and lower legs. A third was more plainly attired, naught but a silver necklace and a sash around his neck. At the forefront, however, was a mare whose build reminded Sunrunner of Princess Celestia, tall and slender with a casual elegance. Her eyes were a deep emerald, her stripes a vibrant shade of red and she was adorned in necklace, crown and a brightly-colored dress that covered her torso and rear legs. She flashed a pleasant smile in greeting. “Prince Blueblood, I presume?”

“Indeed.” The prince bowed in greeting. “And I have the honor of addressing Princess Horaia.”

The mare nodded. “Indeed. We thank you for welcoming us into your land, and look forward to meeting your aunt in due time.”

“As does she. Are you ready for the next leg of your journey, or do you wish to rest…?”

The dignitary shook her head. “While the offer is appreciated, we rested long enough on the voyage here, and I am eager to meet Princess Celestia.”

“Then let us make haste to the train station. We’ve a long distance to…”

“Sir!” Colonel Stormfront surged forward and tackled the prince and princess to the ground, seconds before an explosion burst not one inch from where Blueblood had stood, everypony else staggering back in shock from the flash.

Her own eyes filled with spots as she rapidly blinked to get rid of the flash, Sunrunner nonetheless sprang into action. “Flash, Silver, get eyes on that sniper! Pix!”

“I’m fine! Had my visor down!”

“Good, with me!” The pair rushed to their commanding officer and the prince as the former helped the latter back to his feet, their counterparts doing likewise for Horaia. “Sir, any injuries?”

“None, mercifully.” Stormfront returned to his feet. “Your Highness, I suggest we hurry to the train station, before whoever that was makes another attempt.”

Prince Blueblood was hardly in a position to disagree.

Author's Note

Yes, we have a bunch of Doctor Who expies here. Deal with it.

The Valiant is directly inspired by both real-world airships such as the Hindenberg, and more directly by design sketches done by Baron-Engel/Dave Bryant on behalf of chakat-goldfur, with the design used with permission.

Sunrunner's song is adapted from "The Girl You Left Behind" from An American Tail: Fievel Goes West. Lyrics by Will Jennings, score by James Horner, performed by Cathy Cavadini.

Chapter Five

“Sweet Celestia.” Quiver regarded the two Guardsponies with some surprise. “Now I get why you wanted a cone of silence. An assassination attempt.” The thought of such a thing got his inquisitiveness going, and the obvious questions leapt to mind. “Alright then, how did they know about the diplomatic visit? And who was the target, Princess Horaia or Prince Blueblood? If it was the former, then it had to be some sort of conspiracy, but the latter, well, it could go either way.”

The princess showed some concern at her friend’s attitude. “You’re not taking Rarity’s account of him that seriously, are you?”

He shook his head. “Not completely. Rarity told me about what happened that night once, and asked me if I had any thoughts. I suggested that it might not have just been him being a ponce and a twit.” At the expressions of Sunrunner and Flash Sentry, he explained, “Rarity went to the Grand Galloping Gala with the express hope of finding her Prince Charming and wooing him, based on his wealth and societal status. You have to wonder exactly how many gold diggers ponies like Blueblood find heading their way over the course of their social rounds, and from his perspective, she might well have been the latest in a long line.” He held up a hoof and noted, “I’m not saying that she is a gold digger, I know better. I’m just playing devil’s advocate, and to her credit, she at least considered what I had to say about it.”

Sunrunner then gave him a critical expression. “Anyone ever tell you that you’re too cynical?”

“Yes, and you and I both know life tends to give me reason think I’m on the right track.” She relented, and Quiver continued, “Anyway, I’m guessing the answers are forthcoming.”

Flash shrugged. “For the most part, at least, but you’ll have to wait a bit. Still a little drama to get through.”

Quiver rolled his eyes. “Is there never drama to get through?”

The pegasus stallion nodded. “True, but this was more serious than most.”

The party had made rapid haste towards the nearest train station, a trip which thankfully went without incident. The diplomatic party as well as its escort soon found themselves onboard the train, and they were soon on their way to Canterlot.

Sunrunner, for her part, could sense some rising tension. That wasn’t a surprise, given there had just been an apparent assassination attempt, but something told her that this particular mission wasn’t going to proceed nearly as well as any of them hoped.

“Well, I do apologize for the excitement you’ve had since your arrival.” Right now, she and her compatriots found themselves standing watch as Prince Blueblood, their commanding officer and the Farasian party took part in dinner on the train. “Obviously we try to avoid having things like that happen when we welcome diplomatic parties.”

“Obviously.” If she were in any way shaken by the experience, Princess Horaia did a good job of hiding it as their meal was laid out. “Still, we are on our way, and such dedication is to be commended.”

“With all due respect, Highness, I’m not impressed.”

Attention turned to one of the Farasian guards, her violet eyes intense with suspicion. Blueblood laughed, no doubt in an effort to defuse any tension. “Well, everypony knows that no plan survives first contact with the enemy. Metaphorically speaking.”

“And poorly worded.” The mare’s eyes narrowed. “Five ponies are all that you have for a security detail? What assurance do we have that anyone is even looking for the sniper, or that there might not be additional agents on the train targeting the princess?” They narrowed further as she added, “And that’s assuming they are even targeting the princess.”

Stormfront’s tone was combative as he responded to her complaints. “This train is perfectly secure.”

She turned her attention to her counterpart. “More secure than the airship which you used to rendezvous with us? The very same airship that could easily allow us to reach our destination in a fraction of the time this train could take us? I cannot tell whether your actions thus far are due to negligence, incompetence, or both. Or worse.”

“Colonel Aziza?” The other Farasian guard’s voice was firm and respectful as she spoke up, though she did flinch slightly when her superior regarded her. “With all due respect, perhaps we should tone things down?”

“Yes Colonel, that might be the wise course of action.” Aziza acquiesced to her monarch’s request, and Horaia turned her attention back to the meal. “In any case, this is an excellent dish.”

“It’s a griffon recipe, to be honest. I find it a safe meal to start on, neutral ground as it were.”

Aziza looked as though she wished to comment further, but kept herself silent. Sunrunner kept a straight face, but couldn’t help thinking that she had a point.

“How could she speak like that?” Twilight looked hurt as she considered what she had been told. “I mean yes, that was a bad first impression, but accusing all of you like that…”

“Isn’t unjustified.” Quiver waved his hoof with each point as he elaborated, “You want to put your best hoof forward with things like diplomacy, and show the other nation what you have to offer. Steam engines are nice and all, but compared to an airship, they’re pretty quaint. Plus, they’d just experienced what looked like an assassination attempt, and more priority was given to the mission itself than to figuring out who was endangering it.”

The young alicorn frowned as she processed her friend’s points. “Still, it sounded like she was accusing us of being behind it.”

“And I’d at least consider the same possibility were I in her position, though I wouldn’t volunteer it quite so readily.” The stallion crossed his hooves as he admitted, “Her being that blunt, however, implies quite a bit on its own, but I’ll hold judgment until I hear more.” He then sighed and prompted, “But something tells me she didn’t get a reason to ease up on her suspicions.”

Flash frowned. “She didn’t.”

Sunrunner smiled reassuringly. “Thankfully, however, not everyone in the Farasian party was against us.”

Pixie Dust let out a low moan after the door to their cabin closed behind them. “Is it just me, or was that the most awkward diplomatic dinner ever?”

“The most awkward we’ve experienced so far, anyway.” Sunrunner slipped off her helmet and shook out her mane. “And I can’t say what she said wasn’t unjustified. Why not have the Valiant ferry us back to Canterlot?”

The thestral shrugged, her own helmet removed and a perch claimed on her bunk. “Ain’t our place to figure out what’s going on in the heads of the politicians or the staff officers, Warbler. Just hope that it’s a good reason rather than a stupid one.”

A knock sounded at the door to their cabin, and Sunrunner opened it to find the second of the two Farasian guards on the other side. “Forgive me, I hope I’m not disturbing you. May I come in?” She waited for her comrade to sit up and make herself presentable, then invited the mare in. “Thank you. Major Raziya, of the Elite Guard of Farasi.”

“Second Lieutenants Sunrunner and Pixie Dust, Equestrian Royal Guard.” She invited the mare to sit. “If I may ask, what’s the reason for this visit?”

“Hopefully to smooth over troubled waters.” The major readied herself as she explained, “I agree with my superior’s concerns regarding this visit, but I and the princess both feel that her way of expressing herself was less than diplomatic. I hope that neither of you have taken it personally.”

Sunrunner shook her head and offered a reassuring smile. “We don’t. Sometimes it’s a good idea to have things like that out in the open, in any case. Thank you, however, for extending an olive branch.” That helped to put their guest at ease, and she opted to turn the conversation towards more pleasant topics. “So, missing home?”

“Yes, though I am glad for the chance to see your country. I don’t know how much you know of my homeland, but Equestria has been known to my people for some time. Over a thousand years, in fact.”

“We know a little bit about it.” Sunrunner opted against elaborating too much on the inadequacies of the Equestrian educational system. “I’m guessing part of that is due to the zebra colony that was present in what became Equestrian territory back then?”

“Yes. Quite a few stories from here made their way to my homeland as a result. I even learned of Equestrian healers when I was in school. It was a delightful surprise to be chosen by the royals for this mission, after all the stories I read as a child.” She turned to Pixie Dust and asked, “Forgive my asking, but have you ever met the Princess of the Night?”

The thestral tilted her head. “Sorry?”

“I’m sorry, I thought…” She shook her head. “Nevermind, that was a silly question. The stories I heard spoke of two princesses who ruled Equestria together. I hoped it was still the case, given how things are in my country, but clearly, things have changed.”

Sunrunner sighed. “About a thousand years ago, actually. There are stories, none of them fully confirmed, that there was a rift between the two sisters. It led to the Princess of the Night being banished. Equestria has two princesses now, but Princess Celestia is the one who handles the duties of government. Princess Mi Amore Cadenza has duties of her own, same as Prince Blueblood, but nothing compared to those of their aunt.”

“My condolences to Princess Celestia then, as she must have little time for herself. Each of our royals have duties of their own, but their responsibilities are equal and unique. The burden should not rest on one individual’s back alone.” Raziya offered a rueful smile as she added, “That is part of the reason the colonel is uneasy. This is the first time Princess Horaia’s duties have taken her so far from home.”

“Where do they take her normally, if you don’t mind my asking?”

“Usually to our neighbors in Minossos and the dragon lands. I think that might be part of the reason the colonel is anxious, however. We know what to expect with…” A loud whistle sounded, and they could feel the train rapidly decelerating beneath their hooves. “What’s going on?”

“Whatever it is, it can’t be good.” Sunrunner and Pixie Dust retrieved their helmets, and followed Raziya out of the cabin. They quickly took up positions near the diplomatic cabins, and were swiftly joined by their fellow guards. “Feels like we’re slowing down. Must be an obstruction on the track.”

“That’s the logical explanation.” Silver Bullet and Flash Sentry both looked as though they had rushed off from their meal, having gotten first shift to get their meal in on the way to Canterlot, though the latter appeared the worst of it. “Something tells me this isn’t going to help.”

“I’m very sorry, your Highness, but there’s nothing that we can do.” The train’s engineer gestured to the tracks ahead, which had been thoroughly ravaged to the point that the train was unable to proceed. To Sunrunner’s perspective, it looked as though a Tatzlewurm had burrowed under them just a little too close to the surface, and a hydra had mistaken them for a snack for good measure. “You and your party will need to find some other means to reach Canterlot, same as the rest of our passengers.”

Blueblood, to his credit, looked less frustrated at this news and more anxious, which given the current circumstances was entirely understandable. “May we at least have access to the train’s wireless?”

“Of course, but we’ve already sent word out about the trouble. Might as well be patient and wait for help to arrive.”

The prince nodded, then turned to address his party. “I apologize for this, your Highness. Something like this is completely unforeseen.”

Princess Horaia slowly nodded with acceptance. “You’ve no need to apologize, Prince Blueblood. This clearly isn’t your fault. Perhaps we should do as the engineer suggests, and wait in the train car.”

“I can’t support that option.” Colonel Stormfront turned to the prince and counselled, “Your Highness, it’s imperative that we get to Canterlot. There’s already been one potential attack against us, and in all likelihood, whatever caused the tracks to be wrecked is connected to it.”

“Then wouldn’t we be wise to…?”

“Your opinion wasn’t asked for, Lieutenant.” The colonel’s tone was a harsh growl as he regarded Sunrunner, and he turned his attention back to the prince. “If we remain here, we’re sitting ducks. We need to keep moving.”

The prince looked as though he wished to argue, but his hesitation was brief. “Very well. But we still need transport, and I’m not sure how soon…”

“Hey there!” The party turned as one towards the forests to their east to see a pair of covered wagons approach, one pulled by an aged donkey and the other by a grown earth pony stallion with a glossy blue coat. “Got an order to provide transport for a diplomatic party to the next town on the route!”

Blueblood heaved a sigh of relief and approached the newcomers with Stormfront in tow, Sunrunner couldn’t help but notice the Farasians looking among themselves uneasily. And she could certainly sympathize.

Quiver scowled. “So can I. Train tracks wrecked and then fresh transport suddenly appearing from nowhere? Bit too much coincidence for my liking.”

Sunrunner shared her coltfriend’s sentiment. “And ours, but the colonel had convinced the prince, and they were the ones calling the shots.”

“Would staying with the train have been the better idea, though?” Twilight wasn’t a soldier, and hadn’t delved much into military strategy, but she had picked up a little bit here and there from Shining Armor. “I mean, the train was at least a defensible position.”

Flash shook his head. “It was a catch-22, Twilight. The train might’ve been a defensible position in theory, but we had forests on one side and the start of a mountain range on the other. And that ignored the possibility that there was an agent onboard the train with us waiting to strike.”

“And like I said, the colonel and the prince were the ones calling the shots.” The pegasus mare frowned as she admitted, “And we still had a ways to go. Tempers flaring, pressure building, something was gonna give.”

Flash gave a dry laugh. “Just not in the way we expected.”

Fortunately for the party, the next town was a short distance away and was home to a bustling rail hub. Once they reached it, they would be able to catch a new train to reach Canterlot with little difficulty. Unfortunately, said short distance was much longer on hoof than it was via train, and things were steadily getting dark.

As she marched alongside the first of the two wagons carrying the diplomats, Sunrunner did her best to keep her thoughts on the mission, and not on memories from her foalhood. The Summer Sun Celebration was less than two days away at this point, and there was every chance that an old prophecy was due to come true. She hoped, all at once, that Quiver was alright, that his math was wrong, and that the story was just that.

All of that aside, she hoped that this mission wouldn’t run into any further complications.

“Alright, stop it right here!” The donkey pulling the lead wagon came to a halt, and as Colonel Stormfront stuck his head out to protest, he explained, “It’s getting too dark to keep going! We need to set up camp for the night!”

The colonel frowned before shifting his attention eastward. “There’s a clearing a short distance away to your right! We can set up camp there!”

The donkey grunted in acknowledgement, then shifted course towards the clearing. What dim light was available to her allowed Sunrunner to take a quick stock of the ground, and it looked serviceable enough for a campsite. Level ground, with some tall trees to provide shade and breaks against the wind and a stream flowing nearby for fresh water. It was probably the best they could ask for under the circumstances.

The group came to a halt, and the colonel emerged from the first wagon. “Alright ponies, pick a compass point! I want torches in each direction! After that, pitch your tents and prep your rations!”

As her comrades moved to unload their supplies from the second wagon, Sunrunner moved to help their new allies with their burdens. “Need help getting unhitched, sir?”

“Wouldn’t say no to it.” Sunrunner helped the aging donkey free from the wagon, and he took a moment to stretch himself out. “Thanks. And don’t call me ‘sir’. Name’s Cranky.” He pointed to his associate with his head. “That’s Gossamer.”

“Sunrunner, and we’re the ones who should be thanking…”

“Lieutenant!” The mare stood ramrod straight as her commanding officer approached. “I gave you orders to set up camp, not socialize! Now get on it!”

“Sir, yes sir!”

Sunrunner joined her comrades in setting up camp and weathered the odd scowl sent her way from both Stormfront and Silver Bullet. Perhaps she deserved it, but taking a moment to help someone who needed it was something that she felt a member of the Royal Guard should do, especially if they were assisting in a mission.

In any case, between four able-bodied ponies, a campsite was quickly set up. Torches were erected and lit at the four compass points, and tents were quickly built, starting with those for the foreign dignitaries and ending with their own. Finally, a fire was lit and rations were doled out, and things finally started to look reasonably peaceful.

Sunrunner soon found herself realizing that she needed to stop tempting fate, even if it was just in her head.

As she started diving into her own ration with Flash and Pixie, Sunrunner noticed Cranky’s associate seated a small distance away from herself and her friends. The stallion’s slender build and pained expression implied nothing pleasant, and she gently waved him over. “Gossamer, right? You can join us if you want.”

Gossamer looked at them in surprise, but accepted the invitation. “Thanks. Don’t take this the wrong way, but I tend to keep my distance around most ponies.”

“Nothing wrong with that.” She tore off a chunk of jerky between her hooves and offered it. “Hungry?”

He hesitated for a moment, then accepted the offering. “Famished, thanks.” He took small bites of the food and tipped his head towards the delegates. “Looks like you all have had an interesting time of it.”

“That’s putting it mildly.” She then made quick introductions and prodded further, “So you and Cranky been working together long?”

“Not very long, but we get on okay. He keeps to himself, I keep to myself.” The donkey in question took his own seat around the fire, his own food at hoof, and shot them a disgruntled look. “We aren’t saying anything bad about you, Cranky.”

He snorted. “Didn’t think you were.” He gave a weak grin to the three Guardsponies. “And I appreciate that gesture earlier. Rarer than it should be that folks treat others with basic decency.”

“Ain’t that the truth.” Sunrunner frowned as she admitted, “Too much hurt in this world. Part of my job is to lessen it if I can.”

“Being a soldier?”

“Being a sapient being.”

An unimpressed snort sounded from the other side of the fire, where Blueblood, Stormfront and the party from Farasi were seated. Despite the alarmed expression of her subordinate and the stern one from her superior, Aziza chose to comment. “I’m finding that somewhat lacking.”

Sunrunner scowled, but restrained herself. She had no desire to spark a diplomatic incident, even less to get further on the bad side of her commanding officer, and she wasn’t about to lose her cool over this.

“Where do you get off?” She, Flash and Pixie turned in surprise as Silver Bullet rose to his hooves and locked eyes with the mare. “You’ve been giving us nothing but attitude since you got here, needling us, accusing us…”

“And not without reason, given how incompetent…”

“Oh shove it! You’re biased against Equestrians in general!”

Before any of them could try and dissuade him from going further, the colonel managed another snort. “Finally figured that out, haven’t you?”

“Colonel, perhaps…” A scowl out of the corner of her superior’s eye instantly silenced Raziya, and the younger mare went stiff.

“Yes, I am biased.” Aziza turned back to Silver Bullet with a cold expression. “I am biased against arrogance, and against the self-importance that your people have placed upon yourselves. Tell me, how many maps have you seen with my nation on it, and how many of them were before this last week? There’s far more to the world than you ponies care to acknowledge and would rather ignore. But why bother to consider the world outside your borders when your monarch supposedly manipulates the very sun and moon?” She snorted again. “It wouldn’t surprise me if that was some convenient lie that your people cooked up for themselves, just to make themselves feel like they mean something.”

The stallion’s tone turned colder than ice. “Are you calling Princess Celestia a liar?”

“All monarchs and politicians are liars. Some are just better at being called out on their lies than others.”

That was the final straw, as Silver Bullet flexed his wings and deployed the blades hidden at their tips. These were standard issue weapons for pegasi in the Royal Guard, and augmented by their natural talents for weather manipulation. Aziza, meanwhile, seemed to produce a silvery spear from out of nowhere, then twirled it in one hoof. Her expression clearly showed that she was unimpressed at her apparent opponent.

Silver crouched low with his wings extended and blades pointed forward. His posture was not unlike a cat waiting to pounce.

“Hold on, both of you!” Sunrunner got to her hoofs. “There’s no need for…!”

“Stand down and leave them be, Lieutenant!”

The mare and her comrades turned to their commanding officer in shock. “Colonel!”

“I said to stand down, Lieutenant!” Stormfront barked, even as the diplomats looked at him in surprise.

Gossamer gave a pained grunt as he got to his own hooves and approached the pegasus colonel. “Alright, that’s enough, you don’t…!”

Stormfront promptly bucked the stallion away and sent him flying several yards into a dead heap on the ground.

“Hey!” Cranky called out in shock and moved to his own hooves to help his friend.

“Colonel Stormfront, I must protest! What…?!” Prince Blueblood’s exclamations were interrupted as Gossamer flashed with green, fiery light, and left something else in his place. “What in the Maker’s name…?”

All thought of the fight had left everyone’s minds as Sunrunner eyed the sight before her. Laid out on the ground unconscious was a creature with a build like a pony’s, black with some highlights of navy blue that reminded her of the carapaces of flies. Its wings and tail were gauzy and had holes in them, and further holes appeared to have been burned clean through the creature’s legs, large enough that it looked as though they could crumble at any moment. It had a horn, but its base was wider than that of any unicorn and it curved inwards, and what she supposed were ears were thin and narrow, and were it not for the fact that she could see ear canals she would’ve mistaken them for antennae. The thin, vampiric fangs were just final confirmation.

“Changeling.” Sunrunner almost didn’t believe her own voice as she realized, “He’s a changeling!”

“A changeling?!” Twilight’s exclamation would’ve attracted the attention of the whole restaurant if not for the spells she’d placed to ensure their privacy. “What was a changeling doing there?!”

Sunrunner rolled her eyes as though she expected the outburst, but managed a smile at the young princess’s surprise. “We’re getting to that, don’t worry.”

“Changeling?” Raziya kept close to her princess even as Stormfront broke off from their part of the group and approached the prone creature.

“They’re shapeshifters, able to impersonate creatures like ponies. They’ve taken part in multiple attacks on pony or pony-allied settlements. They’re also emotion eaters. They feed on love.”

“And it seems we’ve discovered the reason for all our troubles.” Stormfront extended one of his own wing blades as he approached the prone changeling with a cold look in his eyes.

Sunrunner’s eyes went wide as she realized what was likely happening, and she edged her way between the colonel and the changeling. “Sir, what are you doing?”

“Out of the way, Lieutenant.” She stood her ground, and the stallion growled, “That’s an order!”

“I’ll move aside once I’m aware of your intentions, sir.”

“My intention is to eliminate the cause of our troubles! These two are clearly agents against Equestria…!”

“Now hold on!” Cranky stepped forth and protested, “I’m no changeling! I sure as heck didn’t know…!”

“And I’m supposed to believe you?!” That got the donkey to move back before Stormfront turned to Sunrunner and declared, “The donkey needs to be restrained, and the changeling dealt with! Now stand aside!”

“Negative, sir. You are jumping to conclusions.”

“And you are committing an act of insubordination! Lieutenants, restrain her!” None of the ponies under his command moved to act, however, and he barked again, “I said restrain her, damn it! Or I’ll have all of you up on charges!”

The zebra colonel stood ready to act herself as she remarked, “Something tells me you have a bigger problem than four ponies who won’t follow your orders, Colonel Stormfront.”

“Stuff it, you filthy striped mudpony!” The colonel’s snarling slur was just the start as he finally let loose. “Bad enough we’ve got plenty to deal with on our own, between tribes mixing with each other and mongrels running around creating half-breeds, and now that bleeding heart mare sitting on the throne wants to let a different breed run around in Equestria? Worse that I seem to be the only one doing anything about it, even worse that I got saddled with a giant flying rat, a cripple, and another bleeding heart mare! This is why Equestria should’ve been run by the pegasi from day one!” He deployed his second wing blade and turned back to the changeling. “Soldiers know how to get things done.”

His blades were met by Sunrunner’s, and she gave him a two-hooved punch to the chest for good measure. That forced him back, but only by so much as she pressed her attack. Surprise and speed were the only advantages she had in this fight, and she knew it. Stormfront was larger, stronger and more experienced than she was, and any fight between the pair of them would likely end with her on the loosing end.

Fortunately, however, she wasn’t facing him alone, as Flash charged in himself and tackled the older stallion from one side. He managed two blows to the older stallion’s side before he was knocked aside and Pixie Dust intervened. Wing blades were, unfortunately, a tricker thing to equip for thestrals, but she’d nonetheless had the same training as the rest in terms of grappling, and even as she made her own attempts to join in the fight, Sunrunner regained the offensive and landed two blows to the old stallion’s face.

Stormfront, however, was not so easily felled. He shook off Pixie Dust’s attempts to push him down and continued to parry Sunrunner’s blade strikes. Before Flash could rejoin the fight, however, Silver Bullet beat him to it, and the grey Pegasus tackled the older one and succeeded in knocking him to the ground, where Pixie Dust and Flash rushed to pin him down.

Stormfront looked up at Silver Bullet, the former’s disgust mirrored by the latter. “You damn tribe traitor.”

One more blow to the older stallion’s head, and Stormfront was rendered unconscious. Silver Bullet stepped back and growled, “The only traitor here is you. Sir.” He turned to Sunrunner and admitted, “I think I owe the three of you an apology.”

“Consider it accepted.” Sunrunner reached into her pack with one hoof and withdrew some rope. “Let’s get him disarmed and tied up, just in case he wakes up.”

The four ponies immediately set to work, and in very short order, the older stallion was disarmed and bound. They moved him where they could easily see him from any vantage point, though admittedly, it was perhaps a better place than none.

“Well, this obviously did very little to improve our image with your government.” Sunrunner turned to the delegates and bowed. “My apologies for all of this, your Highness.”

Princess Horaia offered an understanding smile. “Your apologies are unnecessary, Lieutenant. You are not at fault for his actions. And while you’re correct in that this has been a less than perfect visit, you have demonstrated greater good than bad.” She then turned her attention to the prone changeling. “What of him?”

“Good question!” Blueblood was clearly more than a little rattled by what he’d experienced, between an admittance of treason and the presence of an apparent enemy shapeshifter among them. “Stormfront might’ve been behind the trouble we had on this trip, but how do we know the changeling wasn’t part of his own plot?! Others could be all around us in the woods right now!”

“And if there were and I were them, I’d have taken advantage of us being distracted and made a move by now.” Sunrunner turned to the unconscious changeling, and an idea slowly came to mind. “Let me try something. Pix, you keep me covered. Silver, Flash, you keep Stormfront covered.” She slowly approached the unconscious changeling, and quietly hoped that what she had in mind would work. There were no guarantees, of course, and it was little more than a theory, but she didn’t have many other ideas. She saw him start to stir, and as his eyes opened to reveal glossy, bright blue orbs, light patches in them suggesting pupils and irises, he turned towards her. “Easy, I’m not…”

The changeling hissed, fangs bared and a long, forked tongue extended from his mouth.

Sunrunner charged and wrapped her hooves about him in a tight embrace, eyes shut tight as she focused her mind on memories. Even as he hissed and struggled, she concentrated hard on the strongest things that she could. The love and comradeship she had with her friends in the Royal Guard, Flash and Pixie in particular. Thoughts of her parents, holidays and birthdays and all the little moments that made life worthwhile. Thoughts of those she’d lost, the love and longing for them.

The hissing halted, and soon was replaced with slow, careful breaths. Drained, Sunrunner released him, and stumbled back before he caught her and steadied her. Pixie Dust and the two zebra guards were quick to join him. “Steady, steady, it’s alright.”

The mare shook her head, then looked up at the changeling with a weakened smile. “You okay?”

He nodded, and it might have been her imagination, but she could see the tips of a smile on his muzzle. It did a lot to take away the fear factor from the fangs. “Actually, yeah. Better than I have in a long time.”

Raziya looked between the pair with an incredulous look. “What just happened?”

“Changelings feed on love, remember?” Sunrunner steadied herself and explained, “I just focused my mind on the ponies I love the most, and hoped for the best.” She turned to him and reasoned, “You must’ve been starving.”

The changeling nodded. “Like you wouldn’t believe. Thank you.”

“Damn treasonous little bitch!” Heads turned back to Stormfront, who had apparently managed to regain a measure of consciousness. “I’ll have you all up at court martial so fast…!”

The pegasus was silenced as a glob spat from the changeling’s mouth and congealed around his own, his nostrils just barely left unobstructed. The changeling scowled as he explained, “I knew there was something I didn’t like about him. Hate like his hangs around like a poisonous cloud.”

“So you truly had nothing to do with our misfortunes,” Aziza confirmed.

The changeling shook his head. “Cranky and I just got sent to get you from the train to the next town. Had no clue about why, and even if I had some foreknowledge, you’d think I’d want whatever you were doing to fail? Diplomatic ties between two nations just means more food for me and my kind.” He turned to the rest of the Guardsponies and assured them, “And before any of you ask, I’m the only changeling around for miles. And the odds of any of them looking for me are slim, given they probably think I’m dead.”

“Well that’s nice and all, but it doesn’t explain one thing.” Cranky scowled as he approached his so-called partner, having kept his distance during the scuffle. “Why in the Maker’s name did you keep me in the dark?”

“After how he reacted, you ask me that question?”

“You think you’re the only minority in this country?! Besides, I could’ve helped!” His voice dropped an octave as he grumbled, “Got some unrequited love of my own, after all.”

The changeling bowed his head. “I figured as much. Unrequited love has a bittersweet tang to it.” He turned to Sunrunner and noted, “Got some of that from you, too. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”

The mare shrugged. “We all have our burdens to carry.” She then tried to steer conversation elsewhere. “So, I’m guessing Gossamer isn’t your real name?”

“No, just one I picked out thinking most ponies wouldn’t bat an eyelash at it. My real name is Clypeus.”

“Cool name.”

“Thanks.” He tipped his head towards the colonel and asked, “So what happens now?”

“We’ll have to turn him in once we get to town, and Cranky hasn’t done anything wrong. As for you, well…” Sunrunner idly rubbed her chin with one hoof, then turned to the prince. “Your Highness? Correct me if I’m wrong, but Cranky and Gossamer were sent to make sure we got to the next town safely, am I right?” Blueblood cautiously approached as she continued, “Once we get there and board a train for Canterlot, then they can go on their way, can’t they?”

The prince seemed to mull over her proposal, then turned to Clypeus and asked, “You’re absolutely certain no other changelings are around?”

“If they were, they’d have shown themselves by now. As you can guess, stealth and ambushes are pretty much our forte. Besides, as far as the hive’s concerned, I’m long dead.” As if anticipating their next question, he explained, “Close to five hundred years dead.”

“Five hundred…” Sunrunner’s eyes went wide as she asked, “Were you at Trot?”

A slow nod. “Guilty as charged.” He raised one leg to indicate the holes and explained, “Got the scars to prove it.” He turned to the prince and asked, “So, do we have an agreement?”

Blueblood pursed his lips, then nodded. “On the condition that you restrain yourself from…feeding or whatever.”

“Accepted.” Clypeus tipped his head towards the bound colonel and asked, “So what’s the plan with him?”

“We turn him in, obviously. But for now, two of us will keep watch, then wake up the other two for relief.” Sunrunner frowned and decided, “I’ll take first shift.”

Silver Bullet immediately stepped up to join her. “I’ll join you.”

Author's Note

Winding down to the final stretch now. Chapter's a bit rushed, I admit, but I think it's okay.

Chapter Six

“I can’t believe it.” Twilight slumped, more than a little stunned at what she had been told. She wasn’t sure that anything could’ve topped finding out that her coltfriend had encountered a changeling prior to the invasion, but now… “A colonel in the Royal Guard? Committing acts of treason?”

“Don’t forget him being a pegasus supremacist.” Quiver dourly noted.

“That too. I mean, I know ponies like that exist, but being willing to commit crimes against the crown…” The young alicorn sighed. “What prompts a pony to go that far?”

“That’s a question we might never know the answer to, and it’s probably better that we don’t.” Sunrunner frowned. “Still, as much as we like to ignore it, despite how far we’ve come, there’s still a subtle undercurrent of tension between the tribes.”

“And it wouldn’t take much to tear us apart.” Flash’s expression was as dour as his fellow Guardspony. “I hope we never see something like that in our lifetime.”

“Still, how does a pony like that get that high up the ladder in the Royal Guard?” Twilight looked to the two and pleaded, “Surely someone would’ve noticed something.”

“Ponies like that are pretty good at covering things up, Twilight.” Quiver glumly elaborated, “And others likely covered for him where he fell short. Not every pony is like your brother and gets where they are on their own merits.” He opted to turn discussion back to more pleasant topics. “So, did the rest of the night go okay?”

Sunrunner brightened. “Actually, yes.”

Sunrunner and Silver Bullet found themselves keeping silent vigil over their former superior, both with the full expectation of spending most of the evening with nothing to do beyond hope that he failed any potential escape attempts. Neither was looking forward to what would be involved once he was turned in.

“Mind if I join the two of you for a bit?” Sunrunner turned as Clypeus approached. “Adrenaline’s still acting up, so I’m having trouble sleeping.”

A familiar laugh reached their ears from another direction as Aziza approached with spear at hoof. “If only I had that excuse to ask.”

The two Guardsponies briefly shared a look before Silver answered. “He can stay no problem. All I ask from you is that you don’t give us an ‘I told you so’.”

The zebra mare smiled. “I think you’ve earned a reprieve from that.” She took a seat beside the stallion, while Clypeus joined Sunrunner. “Though I hope you don’t decide to try and dissuade me from my earlier arguments.”

Silver shook his head. “Hard to do that when you’re right. The only issue I had was the way you were making them.” The stallion sighed and admitted, “You’re right. Most ponies don’t pay much mind to what’s beyond our borders. Most don’t even pay much mind to what’s beyond their city limits most of the time, and that’s a shame. It’s a dark, cruel world out there. I got a taste of it when I was a foal. Grew up in a small village on the northern border, and one year, we had us a problem.”

“Blizzard?”

“Worse. Caribou.” The stallion growled. “There are gangs of them scattered across the northern reaches. Every once in a while, someone ends up in charge of them and decides to lead them on raids on Equestrian territories. Raids that tend to include pillaging and plundering and everything that goes with it. My village happened to be the next one on their hitlist.” He sighed. “We were too small to even be on the map, let alone have anything beyond a local sheriff and deputy. The best we could do if trouble came was hope for help from the outside. Thankfully, it came.” He looked the zebra in the eye and explained, “Princess Celestia herself. I saw her fight off twenty of those thugs with my own eyes. When the leader took a hostage, my own mother, and made it very clear what he was going to do to her, the Princess didn’t hesitate.” He idly turned to Clypeus and wondered aloud, “Makes me wonder why she didn’t do the same thing to your leadership.”

The changeling shrugged. “Riddle for the ages.”

Silver Bullet huffed, then turned back to Aziza. “Anyway, I didn’t want to be helpless like that again. And I didn’t want other ponies to feel helpless, like I did.” He gestured to the bound and gagged Stormfront and noted, “He probably saw something about that in my record and thought he and I were two of a kind.”

“It is a good thing for you and the rest of us that he was wrong.” Aziza smiled. “Your mother should be proud.” She glanced at Sunrunner and admitted, “Both of your mothers. Taking a moral stand is often easier said than done.”

The flame-haired mare grinned. “They get easier every time.” She then frowned and asked, “So was the belligerent tone necessary? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t blame you for being angry with us, but the open hostility didn’t do you any favors.”

“No, it didn’t.” She managed a sardonic laugh as she admitted, “The princess won’t be letting this go any time soon.”

“But she will let it go.” She gave Silver Bullet a surprised expression as he explained, “Belligerent or not, you’re dedicated, loyal, honest, and not afraid to admit when you’re wrong. That counts for a great deal, at least by me.”

Sunrunner grinned at her comrade’s words, and caught the sound of a contented sigh from the changeling at her side. “Can’t help but soak it in, huh?”

“Can you help but soak in sunlight?”

“Nope.” She then turned to the changeling at her side. “So, five hundred years. You’re still pretty spry.”

Clypeus shrugged. “It’s a mixed blessing.” He sighed. “You look like you have questions.”

Sunrunner managed an apologetic smile. “That obvious, huh? You don’t have to answer any.”

“Maybe not, but I’d like to. I’ve spent so long hiding in one guise or another, it’d be nice to reacquaint myself with…well, myself. Fire away.”

The mare considered her first question, and decided to go with something light. “I didn’t poison you with that jerky, did I?”

The changeling laughed. “No. I still take in the odd bit of food, but I don’t turn it into nutrients. Some of it ended up being turned into that goop I used on your commanding officer. Kinda surprised it was that quick, though. What was that stuff exactly?”

“Turkey jerky.” Clypeus looked at her in shock, and she explained, “Mare’s gotta get protein out in the field somehow.” He nodded his agreement, and she moved on to another question. “You said that you were at Trot, though. What was the context?”

“Willing participant, unfortunately.” Clypeus gestured to his head and explained, “We changelings have a sort of empathic hive-mind. We can’t read one another’s thoughts, but we can sense one another, or direct one another to particular places provided we have a strong enough signal, and if one changeling’s will is strong enough, they can dominate others and influence their emotions. Especially if they happened to have imprinted on a changeling from birth. And Queen Chrysalis has imprinted on every changeling since the first generation.” He sighed glumly and admitted, “Trot was her latest target. We attacked, they beat us off, we attacked again, they summoned help, Princess Celestia arrived and blasted the queen with enough raw energy to scar her ever since. We all got knocked out as a result of the mental feedback. Next thing I knew afterwards, I woke up in a volcano with the rest of the force sent to attack Trot.” He raised a hoof as if to emphasize the holes and explained, “Chrysalis warped all of us physically afterwards, so that we could always remember the defeat. They’ve never gone away. I doubt they ever will.”

“Obviously you got out, though.”

“A dragon eventually came along, and Chrysalis was able to distract him enough to allow us to escape. There were complications, and I was blamed for them. It’s only because of sheer dumb luck that I didn’t end up back in the volcano, or worse.” He sighed. “Been on my own ever since. Isolated from the rest of the hive, I only had myself for company, and I was forced to consider things on my own. Eventually, I came to a very disheartening conclusion.” He turned to her and explained, “I’m a parasite. Me, the rest of my kind, we’re all parasites. Little better than mosquitoes or ticks or something else that feeds on another creature just to survive. We hardly even have a culture. Everything we do is dedicated towards the will and goals of one creature alone, and I think you can guess who.”

“Mother of the stinking millennium.”

“Surrogate mother at least. Chrysalis has never once had a child.” At Sunrunner’s surprise, he asked, “How do you think changelings reproduce? Trust me, it’s not like how ponies do it.”

“Well, I never really considered it. I’m just hoping it doesn’t involve turning ponies into more changelings.”

“Turning…?” Clypeus gagged in disgust. “Ew! That’s sick! No! We don’t do that! I don’t even want to think about how that could work!” He shook his head. “No, it’s simpler than that. Bit more tragic, too. A male changeling and a female changeling mate, usually after harvesting a sufficient amount of love. After a while, the female lays eggs, and the eggs hatch into little baby changelings. The babies spend a while as little grubs, eventually spin cocoons, then emerge as nymphs and grow from there. Don’t know how many eggs to a batch, but by the time I came along, our numbers were big enough that only about half the population needed to breed at a time to increase our numbers. And as you can probably figure, we’re practically immortal, barring illness, injury, or severe trauma.”

“Well how is it that Equestria isn’t swarming with changelings by now, if you breed that much?”

“Easy. For changelings, sex literally kills. The male puts so much effort into impregnating the female that his heart tends to go out, and the female puts so much effort into carrying and then laying eggs that she dies. Those who don’t likely get killed by Chrysalis so she doesn’t have anyone to compete with for the affections of the grubs.”

“And neither you nor her have had children, so assuming you can maintain a steady diet and don’t have a really bad day, you’ll stick around for a while.”

“Pretty much.”

Sunrunner frowned, then sadly noted, “Your people deserve better.”

“Yes, we do, but I doubt any of them will realize that. And I’m in no position to tell them. I go back to the hive, I’ll probably go right back to being under Chrysalis’s thrall, same as the rest. And that’s assuming it hasn’t moved since I left it. Five hundred years is a long time.” A curious look now formed on Clypeus’s face as he asked, “So I guess you heard about Trot in school?”

“Yes, but it wasn’t taught until I reached the Academy. I found out about Trot and Timbucktu when I was a filly. Had a friend growing up who was a history buff.” She sighed. “Haven’t seen him in years.”

Clypeus laughed. “There’s that unrequited love again. Keep that up, and I might slip into a coma.” He stood up. “Anyway, I’ve kept you from your duties long enough. I have to sleep too, after all.”

Sunrunner smiled as the changeling made his way to a tent to rest. “You’ve earned it, Clypeus. Rest well.” She noticed the other two guards watching her, and she quirked an eyebrow. “What? I can’t be polite?”

Quiver sighed in relief. “Well, call me glad that changeling reproduction isn’t like anything out of a horror movie.”

“And call me glad that I knew you growing up, or we would’ve had a problem back there.” Sunrunner gently rubbed her coltfriend’s head with a wingtip. “Well, more of a problem.” She turned to Twilight. “And something tells me you aren’t unhappy to hear about that either.”

“No, I’m not.” Twilight was beaming as she admitted, “I was worried for a while that aside from Chrysalis, changelings didn’t have a will of their own. Assuming Clypeus wasn’t just putting on an act, then that means there’s a chance for real change among them.”

Flash looked less optimistic than his marefriend. “There’s still one big obstacle in the way of that, Twilight, and you and I both know that.” He frowned and added, “Well, two. Assuming the whole force of changelings wasn’t sent against Canterlot, we don’t know where the rest of the hive is. And even if we did, we don’t know how much hold Chrysalis has on them. It’s still better than nothing, of course, but…”

“I know.” Twilight sighed, then prompted the story onwards. “So what happened next?”

“Well, we got to the next town the next day, but the trains were shut down because of the Summer Sun Celebration. Clypeus parted ways and vanished to parts unknown, and we didn’t get to Canterlot until well after all the excitement you had in Ponyville was finished.” Sunrunner sighed. “And as you can probably guess, things didn’t go all that well for us.”

As their train rolled into the hub station outside Canterlot, the group of young officers exited the train car with their prisoner in tow. The improvised gag provided by Clypeus had long since broken off and been replaced with a sturdier muzzle, and Stormfront found himself clamped in irons. Awaiting them as they emerged was a contingent of experience Royal Guardsponies, one blue-maned stallion at the head. “Colonel Shining Armor, Captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard. Here to accept transfer of the prisoner.”

“Second Lieutenant Silver Bullet, sir.” The young pegasus passed off the chains, then accepted and signed the requisite paperwork. “Thank you, sir.”

The colonel nodded, a glimmer of approval clear in his eyes, then turned his attention to the bound Stormfront as he and his party led the captured stallion away.

That business addressed, the recruits turned their attention back to their original mission. Prince Blueblood and the party from Farasi emerged from the train car, and the four escorted them from one train to another, which led directly into the city’s core and thus closer to the castle itself.

All around them, the city was buzzing with news and activity. Each of the four knew what the reason behind that excitement was, as they’d received word on the train about the recent paradigm shift in Equestrian history and politics. Sunrunner did her best to mask it, but she got a little satisfaction in knowing that a friend had seen this coming long in advance. Not very much, of course, in light of what had come with said paradigm shift, but still.

Their ride continued in silence, and the party quickly reached Canterlot proper and departed their train. With Sunrunner and Silver Bullet in front and Pixie Dust and Flash Sentry in the rear, the group made their way through the palace, their Farasian counterparts standing between them and covering the flanks of the princess. As one, the group made its way through the palace and into the foyer of the throne room.

“Announcing the arrival of Prince Blueblood and the diplomatic party from the Kingdom of Farasi!” Fanfare heralded their arrival, and the group entered the throne room proper. Despite having been there in the past, Sunrunner did her best to restrain her glee at seeing it again. Some things never really went away, after all.

“Princess Celestia.” The prince greeted his aunt with a bow as she approached, and she bowed to him in return.

“Prince Blueblood.” The prince and the Equestrian guards stepped aside, and Celestia approached the guest party before bowing herself. “Princess Horaia. Welcome to Canterlot. I understand that you had a rough journey here, and I apologize for the trouble you experienced.”

“Your apologies are appreciated, Princess Celestia.” Horaia cast her gaze over the gathered ponies who had accompanied her on her journey. “I am pleased to say that your provided escort performed its duties admirably, especially in light of the unforeseen circumstances that they experienced. They impressed me in particular both with their dedication to their duty as well as their moral choices.” What praise was in her tone vanished as she amended, “However, I insist that the talks between us regarding a strengthening of relations between our two nations be cancelled.”

Blueblood looked at the visiting dignitary as though she had sprouted a second head, and was about to sputter a protest before a raised hoof from his aunt stopped him. “I assume this is in part due to the actions of Stormfront?”

“In part, but also due to your actions.” As Blueblood continued to sputter in shock, Horaia continued, “My people still speak of Equestria. Some of my citizens have even come to live among yours, though what met them when they arrived I do not know. The stories, however, made clear the existence of both the Princess of the Sun and the Princess of the Night almost eleven hundred years previous. When my siblings and I received your offer of a strengthening of relations between our nations through our mutual allies in Minossus, we were intrigued to learn that your name was the same as that of the Princess of the Sun, and assumed that you were her descendant.” Her eyes narrowed. “Obviously, we were wrong.”

To her credit, Celestia managed a diplomatic smile. “Well, a mare obviously doesn’t like to discuss her age.”

“And this was compounded by the events that occurred during this visit, and the return of the Princess of the Night. Your sister, Princess Luna.” Horaia’s tone was clearly unamused as she continued, “The fact that this came as a surprise to the general population changes what could simply have been an incorrect but reasonable assumption on our part into the territory of a lie of omission. My learning of the legends surrounding Nightmare Moon moved us further into that territory, and leads to some unpleasant questions.”

The smile became far more clearly forced as Celestia stood.

“The first is whether you were aware of your sister’s impending return when you scheduled our talks. Based on the evidence, I suspect that you were. The second is whether you made any sort of preparations for her return, and a way to stop your transformed sister from causing damage. As we are having this conversation, the answer is self-evident. The third, and I ask that you forgive my crudeness…but what in the Maker’s name were you thinking?” The fact that her tone didn’t shift was both impressive and frightening. “You knew of an impending danger, and not only was your population kept in ignorance, but you invited representatives of a foreign power into your territory, thus putting them in danger as well. The fact that the danger was stopped before it could get very far is inconsequential in light of the fact that said danger was present in the first place. That is irresponsible and reckless, and one of your age and experience should know better.” She took a breath, likely to calm herself, then continued. “And that ignores the fact that a senior member of your own military participated in a plot to undermine these very talks. Were it not for your behavior, I would be inclined to continue simply to ensure that his actions were in vain, but as things stand now, things are clear.” She briefly turned to Sunrunner, with some regret in her eyes, before she turned back to Celestia. “Farasi is ready for stronger ties with Equestria. But Equestria is not ready for stronger ties with Farasi.”

The smile faltered. “Then, will you be ending relations entirely between our nations?”

“No. Our relationship will remain unchanged. Even if I knew where to find all of my people in your nation, I suspect that most if not all have found places within local communities, and I will not tear them away from said communities. And while I do not think that today is that day, I do believe that a stronger link between our nations will come. But before that happens, things must change here.”

Celestia managed a slight nod. “How soon shall you depart?”

“As soon as arrangements can be made. For the time being, I hope that you will at least extend us your hospitality.”

The smile returned. “That we shall.”

“Thank you. And I wish to extend my regards to your sister. Perhaps I may yet see her before my departure.”

“One can only hope.”

Horaia nodded, then turned. She and her party departed in silence, and Sunrunner couldn’t help but feel a sense of failure. She knew intellectually that she was not at fault, of course, but nonetheless, it still felt as though a chance had been lost for some time to come.

“All guards, dismissed.” Before they could move, Celestia amended herself. “Second Lieutenant Sunrunner, please remain.” Sunrunner did as she was instructed as the rest of the guards left, and stood at attention as Celestia approached her. “I read your mission report, Lieutenant, and I agree with Princess Horaia’s views on the matter. You did indeed act in a professional manner, and your decisions were both morally sound and within orders and regulations. You have nothing to be concerned about, or ashamed of.”

“Permission to speak frankly?” At Celestia’s nod, Sunrunner removed her helmet and looked the princess in the eye. How much of the guilt she saw was her own reflected back at her, and how much was Celestia’s own, she couldn’t tell. “As relieved as I am by your stance on the matter, I’m still concerned that this will be a black mark for both myself and my comrades. We succeeded in getting the diplomatic party to Canterlot, yes, but the talks…”

“Were not your responsibility.”

“No, but to an outsider looking in…”

“If they were in any way sensible, they would see where the fault truly stood. With my actions, and mine alone.” She turned regretful as she admitted, “This is not my first time making a mistake, as you well know.” Sunrunner opted not to respond to that remark, and Celestia continued, “Don’t take blame that isn’t yours. Leave it for those of us who truly deserve it, and take comfort in the fact that neither you nor your comrades did no wrong.”

“Yes, ma’am. Thank you, ma’am.”

“You’re very welcome. Dismissed.” Sunrunner replaced her helmet, and departed as Celestia turned to her nephew. “Now then nephew, perhaps you’d be willing to give me and your Aunt Luna your account of what happened.”

Twilight shook her head in disappointment. “Celestia never told me about any of that. I mean, I’m not surprised, but…” She sighed sadly. “It doesn’t matter that there wasn’t a change one way or another, Stormfront still got what he wanted. No positive change in the relationship between Equestria and Farasi.”

Quiver frowned. “Sadly, the bad guy tends to win far more often in real life than he should.” The stallion knew that sad truth all too well.

“If it’s any consolation, he didn’t get to enjoy his victory.” Flash frowned as he explained, “Stormfront was found dead in his cell before he even had his first pre-trial hearing. No firm word on how he died, but the accepted theory is suicide.” He noticed Quiver’s raised eyebrow and added, “I didn’t say that I accepted it.”

“Smart stallion. As much as I support Occam’s Razor, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be paranoid.” Quiver brightened as he added, “Regardless, your careers haven’t suffered too badly.”

“We did expose a plot, after all.” Sunrunner grinned. “Prince Blueblood was apparently impressed enough with us to request the four of us for his security detail, and it was spun hard enough that the brass accepted it as a punishment detail. Probably saved us from getting kicked somewhere unpleasant and forgotten.” The grin grew as she added, “And it put us in a position where we could do some good later on.”

Protection detail for a member of the royal family was not a bad assignment in Sunrunner’s estimation, though like any bit of work in the Royal Guard, it came with its ups and downs. The downs often meant finding herself in the presence of ponies and other creatures who tended to treat her and her fellows more like hired help than security, especially when Prince Blueblood attended some social gathering in a major city. Be it Canterlot, Manehattan or San Fransiscolt, at least one individual high up in the local hierarchy would ask her to clean up a bit of trash or fetch them a drink. Half the time a member of the actual waitstaff would oblige instead, but the other half…

The ups, however, involved travel. Sunrunner had seen more of Equestria in her months on this assignment than she expected most members of the Guard saw in their entire lifetimes, which likely said something, and had of course met the odd non-pony creature, even ones who weren’t equines. Her travels as part of the detail now found her in Spur Antonia, a city on Equestria’s southern frontier near the border with Maretonia, for yet another bit of diplomacy.

The visiting diplomat in question lifted a glass of wine in her dexterous paw and took in the beverage’s aroma with delight. “And you said this vintage was of griffon origin, Prince Blueblood?”

“Indeed, Princess Chloe. One of their best years in my estimation.”

“Good or not, griffon wines are difficult to obtain back home.” The Abyssinian lowered her glass. “Though rather popular. Griffon and cat cuisine isn’t that dissimilar, after all. Should these trade talks prove successful, it could lead to better business for Equestrian buyers and sellers of all sorts.”

“And for Abyssinian traders as well, seeing as Equestria has quite a few markets of its own.”

Sunrunner restrained herself. She’d gotten pretty good at doing so, thanks mostly to a great deal of practice. Blueblood tended to dance around political issues rather than go at them directly. It seemed to work, but she wished that he would simply cut to the chase and be done with it for once.

A knock sounded at the door to the dining hall, and a raised paw from the cat princess saw it opened and a pony step inside clad in the uniform of a hotel buscolt. “My apologies for disturbing the proceedings, but I’ve an urgent message.”

The prince sat up with surprise. “Of what sort?”

“The message isn’t for you, sir. The message is for Lieutenants Sunrunner or Flash Sentry.”

That surprised all the ponies present, but Blueblood was swift to recover. “Very well, both are present.” He nodded to the pair. “You are dismissed to receive your message, Lieutenants.”

Both responded with a nod, and the two followed the pony out of the dining hall and into the halls of the hotel that hosted the conference. He led them into a storage area, then closed the door behind him before he turned to face them. “Nice to see meeting me didn’t damage your careers too much.” In a flash of green light, the pony before them was revealed to be a familiar changeling. “Surprise.”

“Clypeus!” Sunrunner let out a surprised laugh. “No, we’re doing okay enough.”

“How’d you find us?” Flash wondered aloud.

“A little bit of old-fashioned talent and a lot of luck, but I can’t give you the details. Don’t have the time.” His tone of urgency discouraged further questioning as he turned to Sunrunner and asked, “You remember what I told you about that hive-mind we have? How one changeling can sense others close to them?” At her nod, he explained, “Well, I’ve been hiding out a lot in central Equestria over the last few months. One benefit of Princess Luna’s return is that there’s a lot of excess love to go around, and that’s ignoring what you get at sporting events and the like.”

“And you’ve been sensing other changelings.”

Clypeus nodded at Flash’s summation. “And in growing numbers in communities and cities near Canterlot. Ponyville, Cloudsdale, places like that. And there’s an impression among them, a sense of something coming on the horizon. I felt that same impression before the attack on Trot five centuries ago. Chrysalis is planning something, and it can’t be good for Equestria.”

“But what…” It dawned on the two guards at the same time as Flash joined Sunrunner in realizing Chrysalis’ target out loud. “The Royal Wedding.”

Clypeus was briefly confused before Flash Sentry explained, “It hasn’t been announced to the public yet, but early preparations are starting for a wedding between Colonel Shining Armor and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, Princess Celestia’s niece.”

The changeling frowned. “And Chrysalis would take advantage of something like that to slip in and attack.” He shifted back to his earlier guise and explained, “You have to warn them. I can’t risk revealing myself, just in case a changeling has infiltrated Canterlot and I’m reclaimed by the hive.”

“Wait, how do we know they haven’t already reclaimed you?” Annoyed expressions went his way, and Flash admitted, “Yeah, I know, stupid idea to tip off the enemy that you’re going to attack, but still.”

“Honestly, I’ve got no clue how they haven’t noticed me. I’m good at keeping my head down, but no one’s that good at going unnoticed.” He glanced between the pair and asked, “Still, can you really take the risk that I’m lying?”

Sunrunner shook her head. “No, we can’t. Thank you for the warning.”

The disguised changeling flashed a hopeful smile. “Just don’t waste it, huh?” He then opened the door behind him and led the pair back out.

They parted ways, and the pair returned to the dining hall. “Reporting back on duty, sir.”

“Thank you, Lieutenant.”

As the pair reclaimed their posts, Princess Chloe gave them approving looks. “You have a very efficient security detail, Prince Blueblood.”

“Thank you. I’m honored to have met them on very unique circumstances. A prior diplomatic mission, though one that wasn’t quite as successful as this thanks to an incident regarding a changeling…”

“Please, don’t elaborate.” The princess’s voice took on a growl as she recounted, “Changelings are more than familiar to my people. My ancestor Queen Katrina bested them when they invaded our capitol two centuries ago.” Claws extended from the tips of the digits on her raised right paw as she added, “They learned to leave us in peace as a result.”

The prince gulped. “Indeed, I’ll spare you the details.”

“So it was thanks to the two of you that we were warned about the changeling invasion?” Twilight showed an awestruck smile as she looked upon her two friends. “Wow.”

“And all thanks to you doing the right thing.” Quiver beamed at his marefriend.

Sunrunner blushed slightly, then bowed her head. “Well, the warning was nice, but it didn’t do us nearly as much good as it could have.” She turned to Twilight. “You and your friends weren’t the only ones who were busy that day.”

Much to the surprise of his security detail, Prince Blueblood had opted against taking part in anything regarding the upcoming Royal Wedding. His excuse was exhaustion from his royal duties, but Sunrunner and many others quietly suspected that he simply wanted to keep himself out of harms way given the increased presence of Royal Guard troops in Canterlot.

Given the fact that Sunrunner and Flash Sentry had jointly requested a direct audience with Princess Celestia through Blueblood to inform her of what Clypeus had told them, however, neither were surprised by his actions, but opted to keep that fact to themselves. Neither had managed to speak to her about it directly, but had been assured that their intel would make its way up the chain of command along proper channels. Both of them, as well as most of the prince’s security detail, had been temporarily reassigned to the Canterlot Royal Guard divisions, while Blueblood himself had opted to hunker down inside his chambers, doors locked and windows barred, and wait out the oncoming storm with provisions and his teddy bear. Warning had been made, however, so the belief was that they would be ready for whatever came.

Sunrunner stifled a curse as the magical shield surrounding Canterlot literally shattered above their heads. As changelings rained down from above, Sunrunner declared, “Keep the civilians safe! Take out as many of the attackers as you can! Lethal force is authorized! Go!”

She doubted that anypony present would listen to the word of a lowly second lieutenant, but hopefully at least one of the NCOs would actually acknowledge her orders and act accordingly. Assuming, of course, they actually heard her. Mass communication appeared to be rather low on the list of priorities for a soldier’s equipment at this point.

Here's hoping the bean counters would reconsider.

Rather than take to the air to fight the changelings directly, Sunrunner opted to catch them by surprise as they struck the ground. Fortunately, several of her comrades followed in her example, and many changelings were quickly downed. One hissed underneath her hooves, and it took everything she had to fight back her memories of how Clypeus described their conditions and do her job as a soldier.

Sunrunner soon lost count of the number of changelings she had slain, and she decided that was hardly a bad thing. Her wing blades and armor were soon stained with what she assumed was their blood, and she hoped that with more and more of them falling, more and more would be drawn to her and her comrades and away from civilians.

One almost caught her from behind, but a crossbow bolt to the cranium followed by a brief explosion put paid to its efforts. Sunrunner turned to the source as a familiar group of ponies joined her. “Two Face.”

“Warbler.” Sour Sweet fired off another couple rounds as Silver Bullet charged down two more changelings. “Guess the wedding’s delayed.”

“Guess it is.” Sunrunner bucked an oncoming attacker right into the path of a magic bolt from Sunny Flare. “We got a rough estimate on their numbers?”

“Ten thousand or so is my guess, and not all of them have made landfall.” Indigo Zap sliced through a changeling’s neck with one wing blade even as she kicked away another. “Anypony want to take a stab at who screwed the pooch on this one?”

“Save it, Zips!” Sunrunner quietly fumed that they’d likely never find out, for whatever reason. “We’ve got a job to do! Thin the swarm as much as you can, and keep their attention on us! Rut, maybe we’ll actually beat these guys off without a Deux Ex Machina saving our plots!”

Flash forced a changeling down before stabbing it with a wing blade. “Tempting fate there, Warbler!”

A griffon among them tore through a changeling’s throat with his claws. “Probably why she said ‘maybe’!”

The fighting continued as the guards held their ground. The bodies of dead changelings soon piled up around them to the point that some were shoved aside, but the swarm clearly wasn’t letting up as Sugarcoat reported, “They’re still coming.”

“Oh really? I hadn’t noticed!” With her crossbow now freshly reloaded, Sour fired off three more bolts as changelings continued to swarm around them. She didn’t even bother to look back at the bespectacled mare fighting alongside her as she did away with sarcasm and shouted, “What was your first clue?!”

That retort was the last that Sour would make before they were finally overwhelmed. Perhaps they’d simply thinned out some of the less intelligent changelings, or the survivors had cottoned on to long-distance attacks, but the sharpshooter soon found her weapon blown from her hooves by a mess of changeling goo. Other projectiles soon followed and pinned down Lemon Zest and Garrett, with one mass of goo congealed around Sunny Flare’s horn and thus taking her out of the fight.

Sunrunner soon found herself among the last ones standing, with changelings circling all around. Many were hissing or snarling, whether from hunger or rage she didn’t know and didn’t care to guess. Maybe she and the other guards would become food for them, maybe they’d just kill them outright. It didn’t matter much either way.

But she wouldn’t make it easy for them.

Just as the hoard pounced upon them, however, a loud cry of anger and disbelief sounded from the direction of the castle. The changelings barely acknowledged the screams of their queen as Chrysalis was ejected from the city by a growing shield of light rose light before they joined her, the bindings that they had created fading in their wake.

As she watched the changeling horde disappear into the southern sky, Sunrunner helped Lemon Zest back to her hooves and sighed. “So much for not needing that Deus Ex Machina. Alright ponies, let’s make sure there aren’t any stragglers!”

“Thankfully, it didn’t look like there were. A few odd strays probably got loose and scattered across the south of Equestria, but most…” Flash turned to Twilight. “Well, you know what happened to them.”

“I do.” Twilight turned to Quiver and explained, “Chrysalis regrouped, took advantage of the Secretariat Comet and tried to take my magic for her own. Now she and the changeling forces she had available to her are trapped in the castle they claimed for themselves on Equestria’s southern border and watched around the clock. They won’t be getting out anytime soon.”

Quiver refrained from pointing out that Twilight was tempting fate, then turned to Sunrunner and asked, “Anyway, there we are?”

“Yep. There we are.” Sunrunner managed an exhausted smile as she continued, “We were decorated for our part in the defense of Canterlot, and thanks to us having the dumb luck to hold out the longest, Flash and I got first pick when new assignments came in. We ended up being among the first Guardponies asked to take up posts in the Crystal Empire.”

Flash smirked. “Which she turned down.”

“Worked out okay in the end.”

“Yeah, but you do that too many times, and you’ll get the boot before you get your next promotion.”

Sunrunner smirked. “Then I won’t do it again.” The smirk faded as she added, “In any case, I’m still stationed in Canterlot as part of the palace guard, just not as part of Prince Blueblood’s security detail. Maybe it’s not the ideal assignment, but I’m happy with it.” She turned her attention to Twilight and admitted, “Still, a small part of me does wish that I had taken the post in the Crystal Empire. If I had been there, maybe I could’ve stopped Shims from stealing your Element of Harmony.”

“Or failing that, gone with Twilight to retrieve it.” Quiver frowned as he admitted, “I’ve wondered about that, Twilight. Why did Princess Celestia send you to the human world with so little preparation? Spike dashed off after you on his own, and I can understand her not wanting your friends to go with given they had counterparts on the other side and she knew about it, but why not just give you more information? Could’ve saved you some time if you took the fake crown with you, gone to the princess’s counterpart and explained what was going on.”

Twilight managed a small nod. “It would have, I agree, but Sunset would’ve still been terrorizing Canterlot High if I’d just swapped the crowns and called it a day.”

“I’m not saying you should’ve just left her causing trouble. That would’ve been immoral. I’m just saying that the Princess could’ve saved you and everyone else a little trouble.” Quiver sighed and leaned back into his seat. “Speaking of little trouble, this was a good meal.”

“A little rich for my taste, though.” Flash raised a hoof. “No offense to Chef Ramshead or the staff, of course. It’s good, but a bit expensive for my pay grade.”

The young princess shook her head. “I don’t think he’ll be too hurt.” She then noticed the thoughtful expression on Quiver’s face. “Something’s bugging you.”

“Yeah.” The stallion turned to Flash. “You said that Stormfront was found dead in his cell before he could go to trial. Presumed suicide.”

“I didn’t say that I thought it really was a suicide.”

“No, and I’m glad that you’re not. I’m just saying that it’s an interesting thing that it happened.” Quiver waved a hoof as he mused, “Granted, Stormfront could’ve killed himself out of spite, but still, it makes one wonder.”

Sunrunner laid a wingtip on her coltfriend’s shoulder. “And something tells me we’ll probably never find out one way or another. And if we do, we might not enjoy it.”

He had been alone in his cell for longer than he had liked. Stormfront did not object to that. This was a temporary thing, after all, and he would be getting out, sooner rather than later. After all, he had fulfilled his part of the bargain, and his associates weren’t going to leave him high and dry.

A heavy creak signalled the door to his cell block being opened, and hoofsteps sounded as he raised his head to his guest. “Well done, soldier.” Stormfront didn’t like the tone of voice that he heard, and liked the pony he saw even less as he came into view. Said pony was a unicorn stallion with a bishop chess piece for a cutie mark, his mane cut short and a smirk that practically oozed slime on his face as he looked the colonel in the eye. “Mission accomplished.”

Stormfront could immediately tell that he was being played with, but didn’t find himself in the mood. “I fulfilled my end of the bargain. The treaty’s been called off. Equestria and Farasi won’t be strengthening ties.”

“True, true, and…yes, true. Good grasp of the obvious there.” The smirk grew even worse as he admitted, “The trouble is, you didn’t think things through.”

What brief surprise was on his face turned to outrage as Stormfront screamed, “We had a deal!”

“And where in that deal did it say we’d let you out?”

“You damned bone-headed…!” It was then that Stormfront suddenly found himself unable to speak, as breathing suddenly became far more difficult.

“What was that?” As the stallion before him continued to choke, the unicorn laughed. “I guess something you ate didn’t agree with you.”

Stormfront found himself even more enraged, but could do little about it beyond gasp for air. It felt like his throat was tightening, and his first instinct was that magic was involved. It always was with… with…

“Damnedest thing, Stormfront. You look at me with contempt just because I’ve got a horn, and yet, you were more than happy to work with me and mine to further your own goals. Don’t let more mongrels in, or whatever you like to think, so they don’t work with the ones already here. Trouble is, the ponies I work with? We aren’t opposed to Equestria and Farasi forming stronger diplomatic ties. We just want it happening when the time is right.” As the stallion before him continued to gag and choke, he continued, “It’s going to happen, just not for while yet. Exactly when is still up in the air, mind you, but the day’s coming. You, though? You’re not in the picture. You’re not part of the plan, and you never were. And you put yourself in the perfect position to be tossed aside. Thrown away. Forgotten, before you could cause problems for us in the future. You’re not the only bigot out there, soldier. Not even the only one inclined towards violence. But there’s a chance that ponies might be willing to follow your orders, and that’s a problem.” He saw the life start to go out of the stallion’s eyes and declared, “And I’m here to make sure that problem is solved.”

Stormfront’s struggle ended, and he slumped to the ground, dead as a doornail.

The unicorn turned and departed. So far as the world would know, Stormfront would have died in prison from natural causes. Most wouldn’t care, and those who did wouldn’t mourn him. At least, not for very long. That was a soldier’s job, after all – they were meant to die for somepony else’s cause.

And Stormfront had died for the cause of himself and his associates. Harmony was to be maintained.

Author's Note

And thus ends what has been one of the most difficult stories for me to write for a very long time. Here's hoping that folks have enjoyed the ride.

Chapter One

It was early evening in the Equestrian Midwest, with a few clouds idly drifting through the sky as the sun slowly set and the moon began to appear. It made for a pleasing tableau for the passengers of the Friendship Express as it made its way from Ponyville to Canterlot.

“Hold still, darling, I just want this to be perfect.”

Most of the passengers, at least.

Twilight Sparkle sighed and did as she was told as Rarity continued to fuss over her attire. The dress itself was nothing fancy, simply a modified version of the outfit she wore to the previous Grand Galloping Gala meant to accommodate her change in anatomy since, but the seamstress seemed determined to make sure it was perfect for the evening’s events.

“I know I’m being somewhat over-enthusiastic, but I couldn’t live with myself if the two of you weren’t perfect for your evening tonight. Like it or not, Twilight, you are a high-profile mare, and you will attract attention. Your presence casts a spotlight on everyone in your company, and you need to look your best not only for yourself, but for them as well.” Finally satisfied, the mare stepped back and surveyed her work. “Besides, you’ll thank me once Flash lays his eyes upon you.”

The alicorn gave a relieved breath as she stretched her wings. “I just hope you’re giving Quiver as much attention as you’ve given me.”

“Of course, darling! This is going to be his first proper evening out with Sunrunner since the two of them became an official couple, after all!” Rarity cooed. “Ooh, it’s absolutely romantic! If I didn’t need to take a connecting train to Manehattan, well…” She noticed the annoyed expression on her friend’s face and blushed in embarrassment. “Sorry, Twilight. You’re both experiencing something that I’ve been seeking for some time, after all. I can’t help but feel a little envious.”

A weary smile crossed Twilight’s face. “At least you recognize it.” It became encouraging as she continued, “Rarity, Quiver and I will be fine. And I’ll be sure to fill you in on all the details when you get back from your appointment with Sapphire Shores.” She then blushed and added, “At least, the important details.”

Rarity grinned teasingly. “I suspect you and I have a very different idea of what is important in this instance, darling.” The two giggled at that before she amended, “Regardless, have a good evening, hmm?” At her friend’s nod, she went off to another compartment. “Now then, to tend to Quiver.”

Much to Rarity’s relief, Quiver had tended to himself fairly well, though he’d insisted on an addition to his newly-tailored and freshly-cleaned suit in the forms of the gifts that he’d received not two weeks previous. She relented, if only because of an awareness of sentimental value, and paid him little fuss otherwise.

Eventually, the train reached Canterlot’s train station and slowed to a halt. As its passengers disembarked, three emerged from one of the rear-most carriages, the one unicorn among them pulling cargo behind her. “I am glad that you’ve taken so well to that scarf, Quiver, though you needn’t wear it everywhere.”

Quiver Quill grinned. “I don’t wear it everywhere, just to special occasions.” He idly stroked one end of his new scarf and added, “Besides, I thought scarves counted as formal wear.”

Twilight Sparkle shook her head in amusement. “Alright, but don’t be surprised if your date laughs at you for it.”

“And why would I do a thing like that?” The pair turned to find a familiar pair of pegasi approaching them on the platform. The mare among the pair, clad in a plain dark-colored evening dress, smiled as she continued, “That scarf is a badge of honor, and he’s earned it.”

As Quiver rubbed muzzles with his marefriend, the second pegasus approached with his best relaxed expression on his face. His attire was little different from Quiver Quill’s, though lacking in a scarf and tailored to his different anatomy. “Hey Twilight. You look great.”

“So do you, Flash.”

The two briefly rubbed muzzles as Rarity beamed. “Well, I won’t disturb the four of you any further. Enjoy yourselves, darlings!”

Farewells and well-wishes were bid, and Rarity went on her way. As she climbed onto her train and the quartet began to make their way out of the station, Twilight admitted, “I know her heart’s in the right place, but I wish we didn’t have to be this formal.”

“Well, we can’t leave you as the odd mare out.” Sunrunner shrugged her wings and smiled. “Don’t worry, Twilight. Flash and I don’t mind.”

“I’m just glad I talked Warbler out of us coming to this in dinner dress.” Flash Sentry looked about and asked, “No escort?”

“Sour’s probably somewhere around here in plain clothes, trying to give us space.” Quiver shrugged. “No sense in pointing her out.”

The two Guardsponies nodded, and the four made their way out of the station as Sunrunner continued, “Anyway, there’s something familiar about that dress of yours. Obviously, Rarity made it, but…”

“It’s a slightly altered version of the gown I wore to last year’s Grand Galloping Gala.” The alicorn waved a wing and explained, “Rarity wanted me to go with something else, but I had to put my hoof down. It is okay for a mare to wear something similar on more than one occasion.”

“Certainly works for us stallions.”

The group made their way through the streets of Canterlot until they reached one street in particular, the city’s famous Restaurant Row. Each side of the street was packed with fancy eateries of one sort or another, several with ponies lined up outside the door to gain entrance. As the smells of various meals reached their nostrils, the quartet found themselves looking forward all the more to their coming meal, and Quiver’s gaze swept about. “Okay Twilight, I think you’ve kept the secret long enough, where…?” His gaze followed Twilight’s to their destination, and his eyes widened in shock. “Tartarus’ Kitchen? You booked us a table there?”

“Not really.” Twilight let out a nervous chuckle. “Princess Celestia has a table reserved there. Apparently, she’s a fan of Gourmand Ramshead’s cooking.”

Sunrunner let out a low whistle. “She’s got good taste.”

The building itself wasn’t too unremarkable by itself, a two-story structure of stone, glass and metal with wide windows at street level and aesthetics that fit in with Canterlot architecture. Along the top of the building was its most outstanding feature, a logo depicting the letters T and K with Cerberus seated betwixt them, his three heads pointed upwards to suggest a trident. Unlike other restaurants, there wasn’t much of a line, and the group was quickly able to gain entry. They soon found themselves in a brightly-lit and clean-looking interior decked out in black and white, accents suggesting flames and assorted glowing lights resembling torches giving the place a fire motif. Waiting for them at reception was a well-groomed young mare in glasses. “Good evening and welcome to Tartarus’ Kitchen. Do you have a reservation?”

“Yes ma’am. Twilight Sparkle and company.”

“Of course.” The mare politely smiled. “Forgive me, your Highness, but I’m supposed to ask that of all our guests.” She tapped a bell on the desk, and a stallion barely older than her approached. “The Royal Table, party of four.”

The waiter led them to a table that had been roped off, signs noting that it was reserved for specific guests, and helped the two stallions with their jackets while laying out menus. “I’ll be along shortly with some water and bread for the four of you. Anything to drink to start you off?”

“Ginger ales for the four of us, please.” As the young stallion went off to get them started, Twilight offered an apologetic smile. “I hope that wasn’t being presumptive.”

“I don’t think any of us are big on alcohol, so no, we’re good.” Flash opened his menu and glanced over the selection. “Wow. I’m not sure what’s more intimidating, how light the menu is or how high the prices are.”

“Well, this is the sort of place for special occasions.” Sunrunner subtly looked about and quietly added, “Still, this is a little rich for our pay grade. At least, on a regular basis.”

“Good thing that we’re all chipping in then.” Quiver glanced over the menu in his hooves and saw a few items that looked appealing, though he did his best to avoid looking intimidated.

Twilight stifled a wince before she caught sight of a unicorn stallion approaching their table with bread and drinks. Unlike the younger stallion from earlier, this one was aged and experienced. His coloring reminded her of Applejack without her freckles and his brow was creased, his cutie mark a ball of flame. “Good evening and welcome to Tartarus’ Kitchen, Princess Twilight Sparkle!” He laid out their drinks and bread. “Do forgive me, but I make it a point of greeting the royalty whenever they visit.”

“No apologies necessary, Chef Ramshead, I’m honored.” She gestured to her party. “Allow me to introduce Lieutenants Flash Sentry and Sunrunner, and Mister Quiver Quill.”

“Delighted.” His gaze lingered on Sunrunner for the briefest of seconds. “Sorry miss, you remind me of someone I knew. Young filly, something of a magical prodigy.”

“Was her name by any chance ‘Sunset Shimmer’?” At the chef’s nod, Sunrunner smiled. “She and I are cousins. Practically sisters.”

A sad smile crossed his face. “Been a long time since I’ve heard her name.” The waiter from earlier approached, at ease with pen and notepad in his magical grip, and listened as his boss continued, “Anyway, you aren’t here to hear me grouse. Do you need more time to think over your orders?”

Twilight looked over the table at her friends, who all shook their heads, then turned to the chef. “I think we’re ready.”

Orders were placed and their host and his subordinate went on their way, and Flash turned to Sunrunner with a curious look. “What do you think that was about?”

The mare shrugged. “Princess Celestia might’ve brought Shims here on special occasions, birthdays and the like, or my aunt and uncle. Either way, the place has been around long enough.”

“Could always check with Sunset about it,” Quiver suggested. He then turned to Flash and asked, “No questions?”

“Twilight’s kept me in the loop about Sunset Shimmer, don’t worry.” He smirked. “She and I might have some words if we ever meet, but something tells me that’s still a while to come.” He turned to Twilight and prompted, “Unless…”

Twilight shook her head. “As much as I’ve figured out about how the portals work, for now it’s on the back burner while I focus on other issues.”

Flash nodded. “Say no more.” While he doubted that anyone would pick up on their conversations regarding the Tree of Harmony, it made no sense to gab about it under the current circumstances. “So, anyone got something they want to talk about?”

Twilight smiled. “Actually, there is something I’ve been hoping to discuss with both you and Sunrunner for a while.” She turned to the other mare and prompted, “How the two of you met, and how you became friends.”

Sunrunner laughed. “Not the most interesting of stories, Twilight, but if you’re interested, and assuming Flash doesn’t object…”

The pegasus stallion smiled. “Hey, I’ve got nothing to hide.”

Author's Note

A warning to all of my readers. Due to circumstances in real life, it could be a very long time before I complete the next chapter, much less complete this story entirely.