The Only Mark That Matters

Princess Celestia touched down on the sidewalk just outside Light’s store. She entered. Light was busy arranging merchandise on her shelves.

“Oh! Hi, ‘stia!”

“Hello, Light. I’ve come to pick up the figurine I ordered. But more importantly, I’ve also come to congratulate you on your engagement.”

“Aw, thank you.”

“It’s so rare that a friend of mine gets engaged. May I see the ring?”

“Sure. Check it out.”

Light trotted up to Celestia and held out her wing. Celestia peered closely at her engagement ring.

“It’s beautiful.”

Light thought she noticed a touch of wistfulness in Celestia’s eyes. She rubbed the back of her head.

“Uh… Celestia… are we good?”

“Of course, dear.”

“I know you said you’d do it, but you really don’t have to officiate our wedding if you don’t want to.”

“Why wouldn’t I want to officiate your wedding?”

“I mean, let’s face it: the three of us have a… weird relationship.”

“True enough. But I think the act of me joining you two together would be a powerful testimony that there are no hard feelings between any of us.”

Light leaned forward. “Are there no hard feelings?”

Celestia put her wings around Light and hugged her. “Light, the most deserving mare won his heart. Take pride in that.”

“Okay. Thanks. Let me get you that figure.”

Light flew over her counter and pulled a glow-in-the-dark Princess Pain figurine off the shelf. She passed it to Celestia, who held it and smiled.

“The detail is excellent.”

“Isn’t it? Oh yeah, that reminds me- I had something else for you.”

“Really?”

Light reached under her counter and pulled out a small box. She pushed it toward Celestia, who opened it. Inside was Radish’s cutie mark.

“Light? Is this-”

“Yep. He gave it me as an engagement gift. Now I’m giving it to you.”

“Why?”

“It just seems right that you should have it. I mean, you’re a part of it as much as Radish is. I feel like this closes the circle, you know?”

“I understand. Thank you, Light. Could I get a bag for it?”

Radish slumped down into a seat opposite Spats in the royal commissary. He rubbed his left hoof and winced.

“Hey, Spats. Sorry I’m late.”

“You okay, Rad?”

He showed Spats his buckler. “I was on the shield training range. I kept fumbling every time I tried to block an attack.”

“There’s just a sharp learning curve, that’s all.”

“I’ve also been swinging my sword slower and throwing my spear off-target lately.”

“You’re just in a slump, that’s all. Happens to everypony.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, but I think it’s more than that. I think I’ve gotten physically weaker without my cutie mark.”

“Why would that be?”

“I don’t know, it just seems to be part of the process. The girls said they became weaker after Glimmer stole their marks. Applejack couldn’t kick down a door. Rainbow Dash couldn’t fly any faster than Fluttershy. I was hoping I was just overtired from the trial and the Glimmer stuff, but now I think I’ll have to live with the trade-off.”

“Hey, even a weakened Radish Root is still stronger than most guards. I bet most of us are still no match for you.”

“Thanks, Spats.”

A wisp of smoke flew up to their table and popped into a scroll. Radish caught it.

“What is it?” asked Spats. “Another world-ending crisis?”

Radish read the scroll and scowled. “Worse.”

Radish rushed to Luna’s tower. The guards allowed him into her bedroom, where Luna was at her table, eating a kolache and listening to an opera.

“Luna!”

“Radish? What is the matter?”

“I just heard from Twilight- you created a nightmare monster to torture yourself!?”

“Ah, yes. The Tantabus. Do not worry- the girls helped me defeat it.”

Radish sputtered. “How could you do that!? Us guards are sworn to protect you, and you just go and create a new enemy to make yourself suffer!?”

“Well, in a way, it was your idea.”

“My idea!?”

“You told me not to punish myself for Nightmare Moon’s misdeeds. That inspired me to punish myself for Nightmare Moon’s misdeeds.”

“Luna! You are not responsible for what Nightmare Moon did!”

“I realize that now. The girls helped me to finally accept this truth.”

“Why did you ask for their help? I’m your Champion! I should’ve been there to help you fight that thing!”

Luna shook her head. “The Tantabus could spread to the dreams of anypony it knew of. The girls could share the burden of fighting it because it had already learned of them from my nightmares.”

Luna walked up to Radish and put a hoof on his shoulder.

“But I have never have a nightmare about you, Radish.”

Radish smiled and put his hoof on hers. “Oh, Luna… promise me this is over? That you’ve moved past Nightmare Moon forever?”

“I promise, Radish. I will stop dwelling on the darkness of the past, and embrace the brightness of the future.”

“Good.”

A blinding wave of white light filled the room. Radish yelped and covered his eyes.

“Gah! I didn’t think you meant that literally!” he said, rubbing his eyes. “What was that?”

“Wh- who are you?” croaked a hoarse whisper.

Radish blinked his eyes open. The room was dim- thick curtains were now drawn over every window, and only sparse candles lit the space. Luna was no longer in front of Radish.

“Luna?”

“Stay… stay back.”

Radish turned and looked for the source of the voice. In Luna’s bed was a hunched-over figure, shrouded in the shadows cast by the crescent shape of the bed’s frame. He approached for a better look.

It was Luna, but not Luna. She looked just as she did when Radish first met her- small, pale, and with a short, lifeless mane. She cowered under her covers.

“Luna? What in the-?”

Luna seized a small bell from her nightstand in her teeth and shook it furiously. Her door flung open. A unicorn guard Radish didn’t know stood in the doorway with his spear drawn.

“Guardstallion!” cried Luna. She pointed to Radish. “Stop this intruder!”

The guard scowled at Radish. Radish backed away.

“Wait, what?”

The guard fired a glowing bolt from his horn. Radish held up his bucker in defense. The projectile hit with the force of a battering ram.

Radish was blown across the room and slammed into the wall. He lifted his head to blurrily make out the guard charging at him. Radish scrabbled to his hooves in a panic.

“Stand down! It’s me! It’s Major Root!”

The guard drove his spear toward Radish’s chest. Radish barely had enough time to twist his body to avoid it head-on. The spearhead struck his side and tore off his saddle plate.

“STOP!”

The guard spun and bucked with both hind legs. His boots impacted Radish’s head with a clang that filled the room. Radish blacked out with his ears still ringing.