Pony POV Series Season Six: Dark World/Shining Armor

by Alex Warlorn

Rating: teen
Tags: Spike, Adventure, Shining Armor, Discord, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Main 6, Romance, Princess Cadance
Length: 784205

Twilight tries to remember herself after 1K years of chaos/Shining Armor awakes on his promotion day

The emotionless Twilight Tragedy has served Master Discord for a thousand years along with her fellow Elements of Chaos, handing out death to those who defy him. But, who was this one filly, who LAUGHED in the face of Master's chaos? Twilight Tragedy doesn't understand, she wants to know.
THERE IS LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL! This story SHALL have a happy ending!!!
-
Meanwhile, Shining Armor wakes up on the day of his promotion to captain of the royal guard, the day that Twilight is to be sent to Ponyville to prepare for the Summer Sun Celebration. Everything is normal. Everything is fine. Nothing confusing or otherworldly going on at all, nope, none. *Liarjack face*. Why does it take a second for ponies who remember who he is?

Cover art by Mystery Ezekude. http://mysteryezekude.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Dark-World-Shining-Armor-Cover-324097810

The Audio adaption Is here:
ORIGINAL fan-art, ORIGINAL fan-music and VOICE ACTORS galore await!

AUDIO ADAPTION OF DARK WORLD IN PARTICULAR!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5l6T74g9vTc&list=PL7BQRCw7-xJZRq45rN8Q5PPr3xUAEd5z4

Recursive fanart and fan stories are here. http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/journal/MLP-FiM-Pony-POV-Series-Fanworks-audio-adaption-274110361 Many are rubber stamped by me as optional canon stories that reveal some of other sides of these stories.
Tropes page found here. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/FanFic/PonyPOVSeries
Fan Labor Pages here http://mlpfanart.wikia.com/wiki/My_Little_Pony_Fan_Labor_Wiki:Workshop/Pony_POV_Series_Season_Zero:_Discorded_Ponies and here. http://mlpfanart.wikia.com/wiki/My_Little_Pony_Fan_Labor_Wiki:Workshop/Pony_POV_Series_Season_One:_Reharmonization

Also can be considered Season Zero Point Five.

Published 2012-09-09 02:14:02 UTC
Last updated 2023-05-31 01:51:43 UTC

Episode 68: (Dark World) Apple Pie

I don't know how long it's been now. Master Discord sometimes messes with my perception of time. Sometimes it feels like eons, and others -if I didn't have clear memories of LiarJack's little sister growing up and dying of old age (after Scootaloo died as an adult mare defying master) I'd think it all happened yesterday. The Elements of Chaos seem to have rendered us immortal.

I'm informed by My Master that some foalish ponies in Ponyville are trying to practice magic. Duty calls. Time to show these little ponies that Magic Is Tragedy.

=======================

My Little Pony
My Little Pony

Evil laughter

(My Little Pony)

Their friendship was bright as can be

(My Little Pony)

That is until they met me.

Traitor Dash: Loyalties broken apart
Angry Pie : Anger has it's start
Rarigreed: A greedy heart so cold
Liarjack: Lying out loud and bold
Fluttercruel: Spreading cruelty all around
Twilight Tragedy: Hope no longer can be found...
Discord: Harmony can accept its defeat
Tragedy makes my victory complete!

Do you know, my Little Pony: Magic Is Tragedy

I have you My Little Pony
Don't you know? You're no longer very best friends.

==========================

Howdy! Ah ain't seen ya 'round these parts before! Ah'm Apple Pie! Welcome to Ponyville! We call it the 'Chaos Capital of Equestria.' It ain't nothin' fancy, just means Lord-Master-Conductor-Banana-Boss Discord likes to have fun here da most since it's right in view of his castle. He even has a big old throne set up in Town Square for when he comes ta town.

They say ya gotta be suicidal, crazy, or crazy like a fox to live here. It's big risk but big pay-off, on account of Discord's being' just as likely to turn ya into a dragon as turn the air in yer lungs inta cement.

Me? Naw! I live a bit yonder in Sweet Rock Acres over yonder. We can farm our rocks no matter what LMCBB Discord throws at us! Be it desert, mud, ice-cream storms or vampire kinkajous, but we manage.

I'm here smack dab in the middle of the town square right now to sell this year's harvest along with the rest of the rock farmers. Oh and um, maybe learn a little magic on the side maybe.

Just don't be confusing me with that mean ol' Angry Pie! Sure, we have the same last name, but Ah ain't no maniac! If she's any part of mah family, she's the red sheep! The Apples and Pies are proud and we ain't gonna change our names to spite some Discordiac!

Angry Pie... she and those other five ain't got no proper fancy-like title, like 'Duchess' or 'Baroness' or 'Ultrazord' that Lord-Master-Conductor-Banana-Boss Discord is always bestowing' on every street sweeper and interestin'-shaped rock he happens upon. They're his six. The Elements of Chaos.

And... speak o' the devil... oh crud! It's THEM! They're HERE!

Puella, Caster, yer Virgacorns! They'll be after ya! Run for it!

A few yards away from where Ah stand... Rarigreed rips rocks outta the ground and forms 'em inta pony shapes. "Go collect tithes for mommy, dears!" She shouts at them like they're alive. Her big fancy puppets then start takin' everypony's crops, right from our all marketplace stalls!

OH NO SHE AIN'T! HI-YA!

Ah give one of 'em stone ponies a good kick to the head, them head goes ka-shatter! Ah'm an Earth Pony, after all, born and raised on a rock farm! Knowin' just where to hit 'em's as natural ta me as breathin'!

"No pony hurts mommy's babies!" Then the headless rock pony kicks me back. Dang, Ah think it busted a rib.

A purple glow surrounds the rock pony as it comes to give me a smack down. It just falls apart like the dumb pile of rocks it is.

"My baby!"

A Virgacorn filly with purple stripes jumps on top of the pile. It's Magica! "Don't worry Apple Pie, I'll protect you."

Fluttercruel dove right at her, Magica fired a beam of purple light that went right through the pegasus who then crashed. Ha!

"Run fer it!" I shouted.

"No! I'm not bowing down to these monsters again!" Magica shouted. It's then Ah realize all our neighbors are watching us! Some of them DO run for it. Others, decide, like Magica, that they've plum had ENOUGH!

Dang! That monster Angry Pie is smashin' anythin' that bleeds red! Ah see Puella and Caster pushin' with there magic against her while Magica is dealin' with the rock ponies, but that hot-house o' fury ain't stoppin'! And that Wicked Fluttercruel is already gettin' back up!

I sigh. Fluttercruel just has to jump into the middle of things, like always. I hadn't even gotten to read my formal declaration. Angry Pie follows right behind her. This is why I dislike working with the others. Too unpredictable. But with Master, unpredictable is the order of the day and even that is not all that trustworthy.

Oh well, might as well read it, no one listens to it anyway. I speak over the screams of pain and battle cries from our purge. "Ahem. Attention Ponies of Ponyville. You have been discovered to be practicing magic, which is formally forbidden by Discord, Humble Servant of Equestria. Please cease immediately and your punishment shall be minimal. Resistance shall result in greater violence. The precise list of your infractions is as follows-" A stray piece of debris smacks me in the face, breaking my reading glasses. I just sigh again.

"Hey Twili, Ah'm real sure everypony is listin' to ya flapping yer gums in the middle of a fight, but how 'bout some help here?"

"This is not a fight, Liarjack. Just leave it to Fluttercruel and Angry Pie; they are perfectly capable of squelching this dissent entirely on their own. The moment those two stepped onto the battlefield, all these ponies were as good as vulture meat."

"Yeah, and that is SOOOOO a good thing."

"NO! Don't run and don't fight back either! It'll just encourage them!" Traitor Dash shouted at a pair of parents who were trying to hide in an alleyway.

Liarjack looked at me. "Why are most of us even here?"

I brought up a barrier between us and the havoc so we can discuss in peace. "Fluttercruel is here because she thinks it's fun. Angry Pie saw a chance to let steam off the volcano. Rarigreed thinks it was a chance to add to her collection. Traitor Dash is here thinking she can save lives. I was ordered to be here, and I'm trying to give a sense of order to this mess."

"'Order?' Ta somethin' Master wants done?"

"Chaos cannot exist without order. I am merely providing a service to Master. But what about you? Why are you here then?"

"'Cause."

"I see."

Angry Pie and Fluttercruel were massacring anything on four legs whether they had been practicing magic or not, idiots. Traitor Dash was dive-bombing targets, knocking them out of the deadly duo's path. Rarigreed and her rock golems were collecting more rocks and crushing anypony that got in their way. I was sure my ever-omniscient Master was getting a kick out of watching this...

"Would ya mind kindly lettin' me out?" LJ asked.

I gave a shrug and dropped the barrier, LJ instantly chased after some foals who had hidden in one of Ponyville's upside down buildings.

"Die monster! You don't belong in this world!" A purple stripped Virgacorn filly teleported in front of me and unleashed a powerful blast of raw magic at my face. I stare at her coldly as I waited for my eyes and facial muscles to regenerate.

"Attacking an enemy with raw offense when you are outgunned is reckless and foolish, filly," I tell her, magically grabbing her shoulder and hip joints and methodically began to dislocate them.

"S-Somepony has to stand up to you!"

"Doing it in such a way that will only get you killed is a waste of lives and resources, especially when you personally have no means of harming the enemy. You should have known better." I magically toss her away where she lands on the checkered ground so hard she bounces. Angry Pie and Fluttercruel are on her before the dust settles.

"Remember Queen Cadence!"

I look up to see the sun momentarily in the sky before it shifted to the moon. I saw a small group of white equines with butterfly wings and feelers. Pure blue eyes with pupils stare back at me with grim determination.

Fluttercruel sees them too and forgets all about the foals she was supposed to be bringing her and Master's wrath down upon. She grinned. "Oh goodie! Changelings!"

She flies up to fight them, Traitor Dash follows, creating a Sonic Dark Boom that scatters the butterfly like ponies like insects in the wind.

Yellow flames burst around the changelings for a second as they change into more brightly colored copies of Fluttercruel and Traitor Dash and swarm us, the darkness making it more difficult to tell who is who. I still haven't figured out what magic Queen Cadence gave them that made it so Master couldn't just turn them into parasprites with a wave of his paw. Master now regards them with a mix of amusement and annoyance. Oh well, just meant having to do things the old fashioned way.

Poor Magica was all forgotten 'bout once the cavalry arrived. They weren't gonna last long. Ah love them changelings, and they're badflank fighters and they're some pony Banana Boss Discord can't beat with the snap of his fingers. But they ain't no match for the Elements of Chaos.

"Magica, ya can hear me right?" She was bleedin' all over. Them animals. They had cut up her star cutie mark like nothin' else. Oh Cadence! Her horn! Them freaks they, they-

"I'm sorry Apple... I wasn't... I didn't have the power. None of us did."

I looked around, so many of Virgacorns, not movin', all of 'em so small...Puella and Caster...This ain't right. Ah'm tearin' up. This here is wrong!

"Who ratted us out?"

"Could be anypony... could be no pony... Discord's ears are... everywhere."

Paranoia spun in mah head, Was it Cream Pie? She'd been sayin' how Magica learin' magic was dangerous. Banana Pie? She'd said how it might be better to let the Virgacorns get hurt than help'em. Poison Apple? She was taken to the castle and never came back a few weeks back... for the sake of Fluttercruel's 'fun.' By now we didn't know if she ever would come back, sometimes they did, sometimes they didn't...sometimes the ones that didn't come back were the lucky ones.

"Apple...I'm sorry...I should never have brought you into this."

"Heh! Don't be silly! Ah was the one who wanted to learn Earth Pony magic like ya wanted to learn Virgacorn magic! Ah choose to be here." Ah smiled at'er.

"You always... just go with the flow."

"Ah'll steer the rapids how Ah choose." Why were mah hooves shakin'?

"Silly pony... you should have been a poet..." She nuzzled me... like a weak old grandmother.

"C-Come on!... These monsters are gonna lose. This nightmare is gonna end and we'll all wake up back on mah family's rock farm! Let's have a party there! I bet Puella and Caster are already there!... T-that sounds fun don't it?"

"Sounds lovely. I think...I'll go ahead of you." She gave me a little laugh... then just... stopped.

I snipe the changelings out of the air one by one.

Rarigreed was finally forced to look up from her rock hoarding when a changeling tackled her. "YOU CAN'T HAVE THEM! THEY'RE MINE YOU HEAR ME? MINE! MINE! MINE!" The rest kept their distance after she had him trampled.

I noticed several small Virgacorns were fleeing the scene. So that was it. I calmly brought up a force field to stop their escape. It got shattered a minute later by Traitor Dash's Sonic Dark Boom.

"Oops, sorry Twilight." She looked sheepish as a changeling's broken body crashed to the ground from her sonic attack.

I didn't respond. I merely finished off the changeling before it could get back in the air. Several more surround me, dive-bomb me, surround me in a yellow aura, and kick up dust all at once so I can't concentrate on the Virgacorns. A short electrical storm gives them more to worry about.

The sun rose in an instant, and I noticed a flock of hippogriffs were now zooming in at top speed from all directions. These troublemakers were more organized then they should have been. We've killed rebel leaders time and again, why didn't they just give up already?

Angry Pie leapt up off the floor-tops and tore wings off hippogriffs before smashing in their faces. She's so focused on the one she's beating on that she doesn't notice the one behind her until it hits her so fast it shattered her spine and sent her flying clear out of Ponyville. Perfect, until she regenerates and finds her way back, we're a pony down.

"YOU CAN'T HAVE THEM!" Rarigreed shouted madly as she floated pieces of debris and fired them in all directions at the new comers in a hail of pain. "MINE!"

LJ is still playing hide and seek with foals. TD and Fluttercruel have to fight the changelings and the hippogriffs and dodge Rarigreed's reckless attacks. I redirect my shield's magic all forward to keep from being impaled from Rarigreed's recklessness.

"This isn't a spectator's sport!" A hippogriff flies behind me low to the ground, I turn an eye and burn him to black bones in seconds. I roll my eyes.

This was going to be a loooong assignment.

++++

Too long later the changelings and hippogriffs retreated after taking heavy losses. I began reanimating the corpses one by one and sending them to hunt down the survivors. Waste not, want not. Too bad they'd figured out a long time ago undead aren't their family members anymore. It makes them far less effective.

Fluttercruel grunted in annoyance she pulled out the broken plank from Rarigreed's indiscriminate attack. "Will you watch it next time loser?"

Rarigreed hug a rock puppet and stuck her tongue out, "Mine."

Angry Pie trotted into Ponyville on her three good legs, her expression smoldering. She assaults one of my reanimated Hippogriffs, probably thinking it was the one who sent her flying.

Traitor Dash just huddled in a corner.

Liarjack trotted out of the upside down house she had gone into. "Done and done! Completely spared."

"Not quite," Fluttercruel said. She was eyeing an Earth Pony filly holding the broken body of the Virgacorn who had attacked me. The Earth pony's cutie mark was a slice of apple, and an orange slice. Something seemed familiar about her, but I couldn't remember...that happens from time to time.

"Back off, I need this," Angry Pie snapped as she trotted to the filly, leaving the doubly-killed Hippogriff laying in a heap.

The filly didn't run. She didn't look scared either, just, sad. Most ponies know there are clearer ways to go if she wanted to die.

Angry Pie raised a hoof right above the filly's head before Fluttercruel rammed her into a wall with her flanks. "Finders keepers." Fluttercruel grinned as she raised her blade weapon.

Master teleports in among us, floating above the floor-tops. "Well! Looks like you ladies certainly cleaned house!"

The filly... laughed?

Angry Pie's eyes narrowed in murderous intent. Fluttercruel brought the blade down before Angry Pie could steal her score.

"STOP AT ONCE!"

The blade weapon stopped just as it cut the first millimeter of flesh on the filly's forehead. A vertical red line bled on the filly's head and slowly dripped down her face.

LJ, Traitor Dash, Rarigreed and I barely held Angry Pie back as she hissed and snarled, she made us lose teeth a couple times trying to break free.

"Master?" Fluttercruel looked up at Master with honest confusion in her eyes.

"LET ME AT HER!" Angry Pie hissed.

"I SAID STOP!" Master boomed, finally succeeding in cowing Angry Pie.

Fluttercruel bowed so low her face touched the ground. "Yes Master."

Master teleported face to face with the filly, upside down, his feet and tail acting like they were standing on solid ground despite all logic. "You laughed?"

"Yeah."

"Why?" I asked before Master could. Curiosity bubbled inside me, for the first time in a long time.

"Hey, even in the darkest of times you hav'ta find something to laugh about!"

"Heh." Master made a small laugh himself, triggering another tantrum from Angry Pie. Master looked at Angry Pie, and I swear I heard him sigh.

"Your job is done. Go back to the castle."

"But Master I think she was one of the fillies practicing magic, wasn't the whole-"

Discord shut Fluttercruel up. "I said go back to the castle, young mare! Or didn't you hear me?"

"No, Master. Of course I heard you." Fluttercruel bowed again.

Master rubbed his eyebrows. "And make sure Angry Pie doesn't do anything stupid, again."

"Yes Master," we all echoed.

"You, dear, remind me of a mare I knew who was very fun to have around," Master glanced at Angry Pie, then back at the filly. "Just keep on smilin', girlie!" Master grinned and gave the filly a thumbs-up. "What's your name?"

"... Apple Pie."

"Apple Pie?" Master burst out laughing as LJ's jaw drops, "Oh that's rich! So rich! Kiddo, you've made my day! Live and be happy and all that tripe!" Master snapped his fingers and her injured ribs were healed but the thin cut on her forehead remained. Apple Pie dared reach up and feel it. "Consider that little nip there from Fluttercruel a reminder of when you made the king of chaos laugh!" Master clapped, echoing into an entire audience's worth of applauds.

He then looked at us, "Excuse me, did I or did I not-" I telekinetically grab the others and pulled them in close before teleporting us all back just outside the castle gates. I didn't know what the Master was up too...he didn't do anything unless it was fun for him in some way...

Episode 69: (Dark World) Curiosity

I collected my notes and prepared for my debriefing with Master. How long did that take?

Days and nights are too unpredictable to be used to keep time. We simply sleep when tired, and do our tasks when we rise. We come when Master calls and leave when we're dismissed. After that, we do whatever we please until we're tired or he calls us again. That is all there needs to be.

LJ stood in line behind me as I stood in Master's cluttered throne room, opposite the big screen TV.

"So, my dearest Twilight Tragedy, what's the newest up-and-up in the kingdom of eternal chaos?"

Master has no actual need for these reports, his eyes and ears are everywhere. After a thousand years or so, everything alive fears and/or hates him. Nearly all know better than to ever disobey him.

"I found the note in my bedroom just where you told me, Master, I burned it without reading it, as per your instructions. I also burned all the time travel spells in the library without memorizing them, they are no threat to you. I then went down to the basement and burned the twenty-four scrolls with the seal of the sun and my cutie mark on them, again without reading them as your commanded, and then scattered the ashes across every corner of your domain."

"And the library of Pre-Chaos-Era fiction, with the time resistance seal on it to prevent decay?"

"Burned to the ground. Starting with the Daring Do section as you commanded me."

Why did LJ shudder when I said that?

I continued. "The Virgacorns teaching magic have fled Ponyville. I believe the magic students in Ponyville were meant as bait, given how quickly both the Changelings and the Hippogriffs ambushed us. Since none of us can be killed, I theorize they were hoping to capture us."

"And what would you say were their losses total, my dear?"

"I calculate Master it was-" Snap of his fingers. "FAR TOO MANY YOU SACK OF-" Snap. "-pure chaos that prevents stagnant order from dominating and freezing all the world. I believe they'll know better than to try a brute force approach, but I strongly believe they've recognized they can easily reach the heart of Equestria and-" Snap. "SHOW EVERYPONY HOW LIMITED YOUR VISION REALLY IS YOU-" Snap. "-are well aware Master that our information network is far too lax and disorganized. I believe-" Snap. "THIS JUST GOES TO SHOW THAT-" Snap. "-that perhaps we should-" Snap. "-SHOW YOU JUST WHAT-" Snap. "-ways we can more effectively-" Snap. "-GIVE YOU A-" Snap. "-superior level of-" Snap. "-PAIN AND HUMILIATION YOU DESERVE-" Snap. "-to hand out to the enemies of chaos. And-" Snap. "-YOU-" Snap. "-shall-" Snap. "-GET-" Snap. "-our-" Snap. "-TOTAL-" Snap. "effect-" Snap. "-IVE-" Snap. "-ness.... Master, I do not feel well." I slid off all four hooves with my tongue out and my eyes spinning.

Master laughs and claps. "Take a little break, my Twilight Tragedy. Liarjack, how did your personal assignment go?"

Liarjack trotted forward proudly with her chest puffed out. "Ah absolutely did NOT hunt down and exterminate every callow youth and wise mentor in the kingdom!" Liarjack said proudly.

Fluttercruel and Angry Pie both trotted in on cue, carrying a pair of bloody butcher knives and a spiked mace, respectively. 'Cruel smiled. "We know you didn't because we just did."

"Wha? How in tha' Mastah did ya know?!"

"We figured you might have been telling the truth to throw us off," Angry Pie grumbled. LJ had been becoming more creative with her Element of Deceit lately, I don't know whether to be concerned or impressed.

Liarjack looked at Master shaking in her horseshoes.

"My my my, Liarjack you've become a baaad pony," Master whispered as he floated down right in front of her, his eyes never leaving hers. He kissed her and patted her on the cheek. "I love bad ponies." He turned away from her back to his throne with a seductive sway in his hips. He slid down grinning.

Angry Pie and Fluttercruel looked at each other confused and disappointed. LJ looked ready to wet herself.

"An adorable job, Fluttercruel."

"Thank you Master."

Angry Pie growled at her own lack of praise.

"Twilight Tragedy."

Master needed me, I forced myself up. "Yes Master?"

"I have a tiny tinny errand I'd like you to take care of for me. Just a flight of fancy." That was different from everything else how? "Nothing important. Just a little side project in your spare time."

"Anything, Master."

"Heh, beware 'anything' Tragedy. Oh and Twilight, friendship is magic."

I tilted my head in confusion, "Master that makes no sense." I then groaned, remembering who I was talking to and quoted, "'And what fun is there in making sense.'"

"Good pony."

+++

Mah name is Liarjack, always has been, always will be. Ya can't change what is. What scares me more than anythin' is glaring, straight and heartless truth, lies at least have a heart. What Ah want more than anythin', is us to stay together. Who Ah loved more than anythin' passed away a long long time ago. What makes me happy is pears and gardenin', pretty dresses and rodeos. What matters most is you girls.

If ponies have to call me something then call me Angry Pie. If you call me something I don't like you'll know fast! When things aren't the way you like them you force it to change with your own two hooves! I DON'T FEAR ANYTHING! WHAT I WANT MORE ANYTHING IS FOR DUMB PONIES TO STOP LAUGHING! Love? Pst! What I love is the peace and quiet ponies always want to screw up! HAPPINESS? Who give a flying feather about that?! What matters most to me is making sure ponies know Angry Pie is no laughing matter!

You may call me Rarigreed or Greedity, I don't really care which, just so long as you remember they're both mine. What matters to mommy is her precious babies. They're all so precious and beautiful. I don't care about anything else as long my precious family keeps having new members. If I am forced to name a fear, it would be losing my babies. Mommy's greatest desire is for her and Tom's family to always grow. Mommy's greatest love and happiness is her children of course. All is mine to keep.

A name? Fluttercruel. It is what it is. If it isn't what I like I'll break it and make it what I want it to be. Fear is a weakness I don't have. I desire for the fun and games to never ever end. Love? Ick. Humph! If-if you must know, there is something who is a very special someone to me. But that is none of your beeswax. Happiness is making creatures remember they're dirt under your hooves. What matters most is me... and my very special someone.

My name is Traitor Dash. That's the only name that matters now. There are things that can matter so much one minute, then not matter at all, everything is always changing, so what's the point of even trying to keep up? I fear failing, I fear losing, I fear falling short, I fear nothing is ever going right, I fear everything being for nothing, I fear a lot of things. What I desire most? Was this was all just a bad dream I could wake up from. Greatest love? I lost the right to love anypony forever ago. I have no right to be happy. What matters most? Everything is equal.

(Interview's Notes (Twilight Tragedy): Spike?... I know you're not on the list of those Master wanted me to interview but... I feel I should ask you too. You're a part of our, group, after all.)

I am Kenbroth Gilspotten Heathspike 'Spike' The Seventh. Dragons are supposed to be titans who can bend the world to what they want it to be, for lesser creatures to bow and cower before us and make our place in the world what we want it to be. I'm the opposite of that. I have nothing left to fear, Twilight, because my worst fears have already all come true. I wish this could just end. I wish you'd smile again. I wish Rarity would look at me again. And, and I still love her. I love the Rarity I remember. You being near makes me happy. What matters most, what's left to matter most, is the two of you.

(Interview's Notes (Twilight Tragedy): As for myself? I am Twilight Tragedy. I neither accept or reject what is handed to me. I fear nothing. I desire nothing. I love nothing. I feel satisfaction, but not happiness. Nothing matters but serving Master. That is all that I am, that is all I need to know.)
++++

Cloudsdale is always moving, wherever the wind may blow it. It's not always near Ponyville anymore. And me, I just hope I'm unable to find it. I hope I can tell Master I wasn't able to fill out his orders this 'morning.' Just don't try too hard, don't look too hard, let yourself get distracted by the Sky Ocean over the Valley of Needles, yeah that's the ticket and, dangit, I spotted it. I can't run away. If I do, then Master might find out and do... worse than if I don't.

Place sure has changed in the last thousand years. It's bigger. The windows, the doors, the streets, have been resized to fit the locals better. They've had plenty of time to resize since they cleared out the lunatic pegasi. There isn't much in the way of defenses. There's no real point in them when you're up against an evil spirit who can turn your cloud city into lead.

Time for a perfect three point landing on top of the highest building, dang, this brings back nasty memories, of course, knowing Master that's half the point.

A hippogriff filly...chick...child...kid too young to know she's supposed to be afraid of me flutters up to me atop of the building. Her cutie mark is a question mark. "Hello Miss, what are you?"

When I answer her, I try to act like I wasn't the bad guy, delaying the inevitable as long as I can, "I'm a pegasus."

She tilted her head. Other hippogriffs begin her gasped at the sight of me. "What's that? Are you half-hippogriff and half-Earth-pony?"

I chuckle. My first laugh in a long time. "Naw. You pay attention in history right?" At Twilight's urging, Master actually began allowing history to be taught. At least... his own version of it. Master's games wouldn't be as fun if he was the only one who knew life wasn't always this way. Good? Bad? Don't ask me.

"Yeah! Wait a minute! I know you! I've seen pictures in books! You're one half of us hippogriffs, right? And the other half were called G... gri...-"

"Griffins. They were called Griffins."

"Right! Then Big Banana Boss Discord brought the two halves together and made us hippogriffs!"

Actually, the pegasi and the griffins fled Master together towards the wastelands. A lot like how the unicorns mass-migrated to Zebrafrica. As if there was anywhere in the universe they could escape to. Gotta give props to Queen Cadence; she kept us busy for a good five hundred years. But while we were busy fighting her and her changelings... griffins and pegasi, and the unicorns and zebras, had had plenty of time to get to know each other and start families! Donkeys assimilated in with the Earth Ponies, but as they were never a widespread species, they hadn't affected the race as much.

I actually don't mind, the Pegasi and Griffins live on in them, like the unicorns and zebras live on in the virgacorns.

"So what's your name?"

"... Traitor Dash."

"That's a weird name."

"It's the one I'm stuck with," I said ruffling her golden feathers and coat. "What's your name?"

"Inquisition! GET AWAY FROM IT!" Shouted a rightfully scared mother.

And vacation's over.

"But Mom!" Inquisition whines, "We're just talkin-"

"I said get away!" The ruby and green hippogriff mother shouted, and dove for her child, I flapped up some to give them some room. I sighed. That ended way too quick... always does...

'I'm sorry, Inquisition,' I ached inside.

"YOU! What are YOU here for, Shadow Bolt?" A gold and red hippogriff with a lance cutie mark snarled at me. He flew so he was between the noncombatants and me. Other males joined him claws bared. I hate that nickname like I hate my name. The only name I don't hate...is the one I don't deserve anymore.

"I'm here because Master ordered it. Hippogriffs have challenged the eternal chaos." I look at the males, unable to keep the hurt out of my voice. "Did you think he was going to let you off?! Did you think you were actually going to change anything?!"

"As long as anything has free will, there'll be resistance to your tyranny, you freak!" a random hippogriff shouted.

I look at the leader. "What's yer name?"

"Horus, monster."

"... Please, Horus, tell me whose idea it was to help the changelings in that ambush! Give me somepony, anypony, LIE to me if you have to! Otherwise, Master will destroy Cloudsdale and you!"

Poor Inquisition gawks at me in horror. I can't bear to look at her.

"SHE'S ALL ALONE! I SAY WE TAKE'ER! Deathless abomination or not she can't take all of-" A fast micro-Sonic Darkboom of mine shatters his wings and breaks his back, knocking all the hippogriffs around him off their claws.

"PLEASE! Just tell me!"

The hippogriffs gather round their fallen friend, helping him up, and they look at me even more hatefully. Great.

"I AM!" shouted Horus.

Less than a second later the 'griff holding Inquisition shouted, "I did!"

"It was I!" Shouted an elderly 'griff with one eye missing.

"I was the one!" Screamed a violet and blue 'griff with a ball lightning cutie mark.

It turned into a chorus.

"IT WAS ME!" Inquisition shouted at me.

I shudder, close my eyes, and break the beak of the 'griff who chooses that moment to come at my throat.

Why couldn't they just throw me some lowlife they all hate?! Why?!

I open my eyes and look over everyone in the crowd, individually. Finally I point at one. "It was you. You were going to speak up first, but Horus beat you to it, then you were the last one to speak up after looking at everypony else in surprise. I'm sorry. You're the guilty wrongdoer."

She shouted back, "Save the garbage, you sadistic murderer!"

Horus screamed, "Storm-Cracker, fly for it!"

The 'griff opens up her wings, but not to fly away but to dive right at me!

"YOU MORON!" I scream at the top of my lungs, tears in my eyes as I Sonic Darkboom her in the gut, shattering her hollow bones, as we both sail clear out of Cloudsdale. "A LEADER IS SUPPOSED TO LISTEN TO THEIR FRIENDS, NOT GO LOOKING FOR MARTYRDOM!"

"There'll... always be... anoth-"

"THERE'LL NEVER BE ANOTHER 'YOU', YOU IDIOT!" I howl as I we both crash us both into Old Dragon's Peak. "... You can't replace family."

Storm-Cracker dies instantly.

It'll take a bad while to dig myself out. At least I don't have to face the hateful crowd. Stupid Dash. Have to make it back to Master as soon as I can before he thinks I'm napping on the job and need 'motivation.'

Maybe I can make up a story about being ambushed by the Dragon Remnants, he'll let it slide, heck, he'll -reward- me if I make it sound interesting enough. Doesn't matter it's a lie as long as it's a good story.

++++

"Applejack, help me, please."

"That ain't mah name no more, 'Bloom."

"... Ah'm sorry Applejack, Ah couldn't fix yer heart."

"Don't say that, it ain't yer fault mah heart can't be fixed."

"Then help me."

"...Ah-Ah...Ah don't wanna be alone."

"What 'bout everypony else?"

"...They're as good as dead. Ah'm alone. Ah'd be... if ya weren't here."

"Honest fer once, are ya? But Big sister, Ah miss Granny Smith, Ah miss Big Mac, Ah miss Lance, Ah miss Scootaloo, Ah miss Sweetie Belle! And the pain, the pain never goes away. Ah miss mah youngin's. Ah didn't ask ya before, cause Ah had a job to do, fixin' the ponies here in Sunnytown, since...Ah Lord Boss' remade me to be like them. Please, Ah know Ah'm being selfish! But Ah'm yer little sister, Don't Ah have a right ta be... Just a little?

"Ah know Ah'm quittin', but...b-but Big Sister, Ah can't take it no more! Durin' the light, Ah'm alive but it hurts, durin' the dark, Ah'm dead but it still hurts! And even when Ah'm dead, Ah can't see 'em!...Big sis...please... Ruby, Threeleaf, Mitta, Scoots, Sweetie, Lance...they're all waitin' fer me now. Please, Sweetie could've been a doll forever, but Discord let her live instead to be with her own big sister! Didn't that make yah happy?"

"No."

"Liar."

"It's the kinder thing to say. As a doll she didn't need to see what was left of her sister, and Ah wish ya didn't need to see what's left of yers."

"Ah'm sorry Ah couldn't fix ya... Ah'm sorry Ah couldn't fix any of ya. Ah failed."

"Just like ya failed to help the rest of the Sunnytowners finally move on so Master couldn't toy with'em no more. Master was soooo happy you didn't."

"Heh, you're right, thanks. Please big sister, help me move on. It was a gift that Ah could still bring life inta the world even cursed. Ponies keep havin' foals because they're hopin' Queen Cadence can one day kill Lord Boss Discord. But Ah'm worn out. Mah grandkids' grandkids are waitin' fer me with all mah friend Ah helped. Please, indulge yer little sister in this selfishness and look after mah family 'stead?"

"Ah can't promise nothin'."

"Please."

". . . Ah'll try."

"Please AJ. Let me go...Yer the only one who can..."

"Ah... Ah can't go on without ya! Not in 'dis world!"

"If ya still love me, ya'll help me."

"No. I DON'T STILL LOVE YOU! AT ALL! AH HAVE NO HEART! HOW COULD AH LOVE ANYTHIN'?!"

"A-a-applejack."

"...And, yer still mah little sistah, and ah still love ya more than anything, Ah'm dang proud of everythin' ya've done. All yer sins are forgivin', let go of yer guilt, yer free, lay down and get some rest."

"AJ?"

"Bad Lies makes for happy surprises."

And Ah watch, as the mare in front of me ages before mah eyes, growin' as old as Granny Smith was Master's day, then older, an' older, she lays down on the grass, and closes her eyes, "Thank ya, Abigail."

... A little pink bow lay on top of a pile of dust.

"APPLEBLOOM!" Mah eyes shot open. No Ah didn't sit up, that only happens in tha movies. Ah think.

Mah bedroom. Least it's not upside down this time. Master must've gotten bored of that. Ah'm not cryin'...Ah already done did mah cryin' ...

Ah needed some rest after Master dang and found me out. Just Ah think Ah have'em figured out he goes and pulls somethin' like that. Ah hope none of'em realize Ah was tellin' the truth too when Ah said Ah spared those ponies in Ponyville.

Ah never though Ah'd end up dreamin' 'bout that day in Sunnytown Everfree.

That whole mess happened over five hundred years ago, Ah think, Master likes to keep mah memories clearer than Twili's. Ah don't think he thought Ah'd ever let Applebloom... leave.

Ah was lucky ta have 'Bloom long as Ah did. So many bloodlines were ended that day. So many ponies died or transformed into things ya couldn't call ponies no more. Later along, Master reigned himself in a bit. Worried he might run out of toys.

By then, Princess Blueblood was a puddle on the floor, and Philomina's ashes were made inta a clay pot. Ah think she's still technically alive. Maybe.

Screwball was his new enforcer 'till he finished breakin' us in. Nowadays, Ah think she and her daughter are together in a music box in his throne room. Ya can never be sure what's real and what's a lie with Master. Kinda like me.

Ah think that crazy mare who thought she was a mutt became queen of the Diamond Dogs or somethin'.

And the rest of Ponyville? They got rescued by space-ponies and lived happily ever after in a spaceship.

Okay, that last one wasn't really one of mah best lies.

Bon-Bon had turned to candy and Lyra tried to hang herself after she ate her and Master made her head clear again. But Ah intervened. And Ah suggested ta Master she could be useful to him as one of his new seaponies. Miss Octavia, mercifully, went deaf. Ah... Ah never bothered to find out who she ended up marryin'. Maybe some pony from her band. Then Master found out how good of a musician she still was... even when deaf, even when she was feelin' the notes instead of hearin' em. So he gave 'er back her hearin', then added her to his fish tank and wiped away her memories of her family. She didn't even recognize her own Earth Pony youngin's.

Ah think Ah actually ran out of hate for Master a long time ago.

At least Octavia and Lyra are happy.

Still, poor seaponies. They're all just songbirds in a gilded cage and they don't even know it!

Seein' Master all calm and smilin' listenin' to 'em sing, it's downright scary!

True to Master's style he hasn't brain-zapped a single one after the first generation. After all, they were born what they are. And their parents couldn't stop talkin' 'bout how great Master is. They ain't got a clue how bad everythin' outside their little ocean is. Lucky ponies!

Ya know what sucks 'bout bein' so good at lyin'? It gets harder and harder ta believe yer own lies.

+++++++

The stars are so distant, silent. Stars look so orderly, at first glance. So still, like a photograph that never changes. Returning and returning every year in a perfect cycle. A completely flawless order. But after a thousand years, you begin to notice the tiny shifts most ponies are blind too in their all-too-brief-lifespans. Constellations begin to slightly drift apart and form new ones. Stars wink out and new stars are born. Chaos creeps out of the order. I don't know why, but it seems so beautiful.

In an instant, it's daytime, the clouds fly about like mad. White clouds produced by hippogriffs get bumped and bruised by wild cotton candy clouds zipping, Master's sugary creations, drenching anything underneath them in chocolate milk, syrup, or DJ P0N-3 records. It was just like watching parasprites swarm, no order or reason...Or was there? If you looked long enough, you'd see patterns begin to emerge. Cycles begin to play out. Order crawling out of the very Chaos. In fact, in some ways, the cycles in them seemed more reliable than the stars...

Then night comes again. Always the two extremes of day and night. Twilight, my name, it meant between daytime and nighttime, so I knew it existed. But why only these two absolutes in Master's world of perfect chaos? Always perfect night or perfect day, no in-between. It made no sense, 'and what fun is there in making sense?' But rather than another bit of Master's randomness, it felt like a critical error.

Sky Ocean floated aimlessly above the castle. Larger than any metropolis, it was a several miles wide, lazily shifting shape, sometimes looking like a sphere, others a spider web or liquid blanket across the sky. Seaponies granted with bioluminescence put on lightshows for however long the nights lasted.

"They sure are the dang plug-ugliest critters ya can ever dream of ever seein', ain't they? They ain't surprising at all, considerin' what ya'd normally expect Master to come up with."

"They are indeed beautiful, LJ." I reply, not even glancing as she sat next to me upon the castle garden bench. I never asked Liarjack how she takes such care of the plants with only chocolate rain and rocks to work with. But I know the roses are just for smelling and not touching. The Venus-Pony-Traps are to be avoided. How I wish Fluttercruel just quit breaking my legs and pushing me into the poison joke, whenever we're both out here.

Liarjack looked at me. "I can totally blame that one pony who jumped in to join 'em."

"I remember." A hippogriff screaming she couldn't take it anymore flew right into the ocean. The sea ponies swarmed her, and the water turned red. They then apologized for using way too much mane dye on her and welcomed their newest sister into their chorus.

"They're not like how ponies used to be at all: scared to death one moment, but as soon as the trouble's gone they swim along like nothin' happened. That turned to be soooooo a good thing!"

"The only time I can remember the seaponies ever being scared was that time three hundred years ago the six of us without Master's help had to deal with extra-reality usurper ponies led by a twisted and powerful version of that pony whose always circling the palace."

"Yep. Ah didn't think about stabbin' Master in the back for a second', it's not like Ah stayed on this side 'cause better the devil ya know than the devil ya don't. Or that at least there was good at one point inside us all at least."

"It was a long, hard, and strenuous battle, I lost count of the number of times I was impaled. Then it turned out they had all been cloned directly from us. Cheap biological copies. But we proved we were the true elements of chaos. It was quite a harrowing crisis though." I wanted to ask 'but aren't we the good' we safeguard chaos from tireless slaves of order born again every generation aren't we? But with Liarjack that felt a wasted effort to ask. So why am I wondering?

"Heh-heh, yeah, those were boring times. Didn't feel nostalgic at all."

"The last time I remember you looking that happy was during the alien invasion some centuries back."

"Yeah!" Liarjack smiled, more than that, her mane shone... lighter? Brighter? Something slightly different about her. "It wasn't just 'bout Master! It was the whole world! Them aliens were gonna invade Equestria! They were gonna blow up the planet! What a good thing that our pony friend with the blue box caught wind of'em! Fought 'em out in space!

"The way you made their planet poppin' missiles explode before they were fired! Fluttercruel impersonatin' their commander's voice, and orderin' them to cluck like chickens!"

"You actually laughed at that."

"Yeah, I did! For a bit it felt just like old times! And the dragons, the virgacorns, the hippogriffs, the changelings, EVERYONE was united because EVERYONE'S lives were on the line! It was great fightin' alongside all of 'em! And Spike! Whoa Nelly! He took one of them big spaceships and used it as a CANNON to shoot down the rest! It was awesome! Dang! Ah sound like Dash!"

"And then Master figured that, considering the heavy losses which the changelings had sustained, it was an ideal moment to finally eliminate Queen Cadence."

I was perplexed when the... difference... around Liarjack faded, and she was back to her old grey colors. "Nope. Don't remember part that at all."

Personally, the near destruction of Equestria was a perplexing experience for me. The invaders had apparently been prepared for Master's power, I don't know how they did it, but they'd managed to protect their army from his power. Thus why we had to side with our sworn enemies to fend off the genocide. Master had seemed almost, excited.

Master had personally traveled to the heart of the invader's empire to hit their leader in the face with a cream pie. Only to find a sad old man on life support. Master dropped the pie, and instead gave him a non-poison joke flower and one day of perfect health.

When Master came back, Master was NOT happy!

"I felt bad because someone else felt bad? I don't understand! It's not opposite day! At least I didn't get the memo if it was!"

"No, Master. Opposite Day's next week."

"And I'm not liking NOT understanding!? That makes less sense! And I'm not happy it doesn't make sense?!"

"I believe it is called 'pity' Master." I said swiftly to save my master.

"Whatever it's called, I hate it!" He dropped a fifty ton weight on my head. That hurts less than you think.

I crawled out from under it as I regenerated. "Pity means showing compassion and empathy for somepony else, or so I've heard."

"Forget it! It never happened! This NEVER HAPPENED!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. He then slunk down in his throne.

"Still," He turned to an Earth Pony beside him with an hourglass cutie mark. "I must thank you, Doctor, I'd rather not have to rebuild the planet my kingdom's built on from atomic ash."

"It was a pleasure to ensure the continued existence of your kingdom of chaos." The earth pony grinned and bowed, then looked up. "And please, call me the Valeyard."

"And to think I only needed to kill you a few dozen times to hit on the right persona."

They both cackled.

"Please! Just leave us alone!"

It was the gray mare again. The black birds never let up. Attacking the muffin was what they'd been conjured for.

It looked like she had knocked off a few hundred laps around the castle since I'd last paid attention to her.

Traitor Dash had once taken her and her filly shaped muffin and sped them both around the castle a few hundred thousand times before Master stopped her.

"Oh, Traitor Dash! You must want that muffin so badly! Why don't you eat it? I'll even chop it up so it'll go down easier."

"OH NO NO NO! Not at all, Master! Not at all!"

"Then don't go taking things that aren't yours, my little pony."

"Yes, Master!"

Maybe I should interview her as well. She feels familiar now that I think about it. Usually, I didn't. I've been experiencing all sorts of strange thoughts and memories... ever since Master had spared that laughing filly. Could that act of mercy have, perhaps, really disturbed me? Confused me? Disrupted my cycle? Cycles? In Master's perfect chaos? Had we decayed so far into Order?

I hadn't felt this confused since our final battle with Queen Cadence in Old Avalon. But my memory of that battle is so foggy. My memory is just horribly faulty in some areas. Not like Liarjack or Traitor Dash...

"Liarjack."

"Yeah, Twilight?"

"Please tell me the exact opposite of every detail you remember of our razing of Old Avalon."

She looked confused, but hurt too. I'm guessing these memories are painful for her (doesn't matter, you need information). I shook my head looking around a bit. There was no one else.

LJ began, "Well, if ya really wanna know the opposite of what happened..."

Episode 71: (Shining Armor): ecnarbmemeR

Pony POV Series Shining Armor
ecnarbmemeR-Remembrance
By LZ0291 (with Revisions by Alex Walorn, Kendell2, and producers of the Pony POV Audio Adaption)

It really all began the day I was promoted, shortly before the return of Princess Luna. Promotion in the Equestrian Royal Guard, for officers, is a great honor. Like many great honors, there's a ceremony involved. One that those in charge prefer takes place at a certain time, and excuses you from normal morning duties.

And so it came to pass that, since the ceremony was at noon, I was more or less commanded to have a long lie-in. That didn't guarantee a good night's sleep though. I slept very lightly, in fits and starts. Awakening, very suddenly, after a mere hour in bed, only to realize there was nothing else for me to do but settle under the covers and drift off again. Awakening, while feeling as if I hadn't truly been asleep in the first place. Awakening, confused. And experiencing the strangest dreams, all the while.

Now, I'm no expert, but I've heard it said that the average pony experiences an average of four to six dreams during a typical night's sleep. Have you ever been able to remember the whole set? Knowing each is a dream but ultimately just an observer, like a spectator in a first-equine game like Left 4 Herd or Unreal Tourneighment? Each dream I had involved me, or, more precisely, a version of me.

I dreamed of myself as a Captain, not in the Royal Guard but in the Royal Air Force. I wore black armor, and I was referred to as a 'dark knight' more than once. It seemed the airships I commanded were known as the Red Wings.

Once I dreamed I was a mare counterpart of myself. It was a little strange but it really didn't seem much different. Just that all males were now females and females were males, but our personalities were pretty much unchanged. Patrols remained boring, the enlisted troopers remained prone to halting their chatter only when it became obvious an officer approached. Prince Solaris was still all-loving Alicorn with an impish streak and my brother was still a bookworm. As for his assistant... the pink apron actually looked a lot better on her . And dad as a 'mom' was actually a better housekeeper than Mom is!

I dreamed of myself wearing an eyepatch, talking to a strange group of ponies. One was a yellow pegasus holding a hammer aloft, another was an earth pony in red and gold magic-powered armor, one was a blue pegasus in a strange red white and blue costume, one was a white unicorn with a bow and a cutie mark to match it, one was a lavender unicorn mare in a form-fitting outfit holding two strange little box things with her magic, and the last was a hulking pink... earth pony hulk-thingy.

It seemed as if I had a dozen dreams, but I remember only snippets. I dreamed of myself as a small, fluffy version of myself that drowned stupidly fast when it began raining.

I dreamed of myself in a gray suit fighting off small gray minotauroids. I dreamed of myself in a red and black uniform being spoken to by a voice claiming to represent 'the Mysterons.'

I dreamed of myself in a black and red skintight outfit controlling a giant blue, white, and red machine; crushing the head of another machine with a glowing gold hoof. Oh and I dreamed of myself as a green girl pony with an unhealthy fixation on socks.

But none of those dreams capped the last one I had just before waking up! I dreamed that I fell OFF the bed to stand on my four groggy hooves. Ate a cheese sandwich backwards, -I mean out of my mouth and whole again!- put it back in its wrapper, then walked backwards out of my room! I walked backwards to the Officer's Lounge, where some friends welcomed me with a 'good-bye'. We then all sat down, took some empty cider mugs and... you get the idea.

Eventually though, I awoke and it was reality. I felt tired even as I forced myself from bed. I might as well have not slept at all.

There are many theories on dreams. They are windows to our souls, they display our subconscious desires, they're prophetic, they're messages from the Mare in the Moon (which turned out to be relatively true), or there's the theory that they are just a sign that somepony should lay off the cheese before bedtime. A theory the Equestrian Cheese Board are trying to counter, might I add.

I blinked a little and looked at my quarters. They were fairly standard for a billet in the officers' dormitories of the Canterlot Barracks. Bed, desk, bookshelf, armor stand, closet for any clothing the trooper may own, walk-in shower, and a map of the world on the wall all came as standard. From there the officer puts up posters, puts whatever books they want beside the half-dozen manuals of rules and regulations, and generally adds whatever they like to the room, within the restrictions (no big ones, but a million tiny ones). Overall my room was neat and tidy, but evidently lived in. Especially since I hadn't yet made the bed.

And yet, even though this had been my room since I was a mere cadet, today it felt... unfamiliar. As if I had suddenly standing in a counterfeit REPLICA of my room, instead of the real thing. I tried looking for what could've triggered this impression, but the best I could turn up was a wrapper for a cheese sandwich from the mess hall lying in the small trash can beside my writing desk.

Then my eyes landed on the map on the wall, and it seemed wrong. The continents were the wrong shape, something told me. Next second, I blinked... and suddenly everything seemed right again. The Equestrian continent was the center of the map, with Zebrafrica to our southwest, Neighsia and Equrope to our east. Yet something still felt off.

And then I thought I had it. My thinking at the time went like this:

"This map is a conventional map! Not an enchanted one that would let me use magic to enlarge certain areas and see more information. Larger than the issued map! Not the one that would normally hang in any officer's quarters!

"Yes, somehow my issued enchanted map was replaced with a plain old map! Fortunately, the right map has been rolled up and lies on the shelf here! I shall quickly put it up in place of the plain old map that was a gift from Twilight! A plain old map that... is staying exactly where it is, Shining Armor, you great moron! "

I facehoofed as this very important fact came to light. Quite apart from the fact I'd managed to forget just how important the map really was... Nopony even cared if the 'issued' map stayed up, and nine out of ten officers usually swapped it out for an extra poster of whatever Wonderbolt had all eyes on him or her at the moment, or the occasional Pony Rangers poster.

Yet doubt persisted. Something still seemed wrong. Out of place. I looked back at the wrapper in the trash, citing it as being at least the cause of this one way or another. Then it hit me as I truly woke up.

I was what was out of place.

It was oh five hundred hours! So much for a long lie-in. Oh well, I thought, first I'll shower, then put on my armor and...

...Horseapples, my armor isn't here, it's in the, er, armory. Getting upgraded to Captain's armor. Okay, maybe a uniform? Ah, wait, my red dress uniform is at a tailor's getting new rank symbols and buttons stitched on. And so is my green parade service uniform. The only article of clothing present was a replica Hoofball shirt.

And so I thought: forget it.

I set my alarm for eight, and managed to wake up at my usual earlier time anyway.

I decided to read a little to try and awaken before I would wander off to find some food when my alarm did in fact go off, so I wouldn't be eating at the same time as the rest of the Guard. Rather than walk in the mess hall out of uniform while the rest of the regiment were wearing their armor to their own breakfast. It would be a very bad example to set before I was even a proper Captain.

Doubly so, given this was Canterlot where going around naked was frowned upon unless one was a college student.

I could overhear conversations from guards as I made my way to the mess hall. Royal Guards only speak when spoken to by a commanding officer, or when a commanding officer and civilians are not present. At which point they talk more than a radio.

"... See, ah got mah train ticket a while ago, but more fool me 'cos what ah was worried about never happened. Seems the nobles ain't in a huge rush to be in town there and then so there's plenty of chariots gonna be spare but, ah got the ticket already and there's no refunds. Apparently they only like to visit the Summer Sun Celebration town in advance when it's off in distant parts of the country and they can call it a real vacation. They were all over the place when they held it in Savanneigh when ah was a colt. But for a little town a couple hours away by train, nope, no rush. More fool them though, it's a great village... ."

Or at least one of them did. He fell silent as I neared though.

I must not have been awake as I had hoped, though, for the names of the three sentries at the door to the mess hall took their time to come to mind. They stared at me with their standard-issue Royal Guard Serious Face Mark Ones as I approached and tried desperately to remember their names. If I knew them at all, that was.

"Good morning, troopers."

The earth pony NCO looked at me puzzled.

"Good morning... sir?"

That had definitely been phrased as a question. No recognition in his eyes. I feared somepony had slipped dye into my shower gel (again) for a second... until he blinked.

"Oh, Lieutenant? Uh, I mean, Captain, sir? Ah, uh, ah mean... I didn't recognize you for some reason!"

It was then I knew who he was. Lance-Corporal Ellis Bitter Apple, a member of my own team. The distinct accent much of the Apple family seems to have slipped through for a moment there. However, at the time my blood ran cold.

"...What color is it?" I asked.

"What color is what, sir?" One of the privates, a unicorn, asked.

Before I could reply, the mess hall door opened, and a pegasus sergeant emerged.

"Is there a problem out here?"

"No, sarge, just a little confusion is all." The second private, another pegasus, replied.

The sergeant looked over at me, and that was when I was convinced some prankster was going to be hunted down and educated in the reception of severe flank-kickings. He raised an eyebrow.

Sergeants are not in the practice of wildly raising eyebrows at officers. A sergeant raising an eyebrow at an officer means something is wrong with that officer.

And then he blinked.

"...Oh, Captain. I almost didn't recognize you without your armor."

I sighed.

"Okay, Sergeant Thunderchild, be honest with me and speak freely. What color has somepony dyed my mane?"

He blinked again.

"Er, Shining, it's not been dyed at all. I just think the troopers might have not recognized you out of uniform."

"Yeah, sir, it's a rule we only play that sort of prank on somepony we don't like much," the unicorn private, Captive Audience, informed even as I, once again tried to decipher why he received a name like that.

Still, one simply didn't ask that sort of thing. It would be like asking Running Gag, (currently standing to Captive Audience's left) whether his parents thought him a joke. Simple manners. Like not pranking officers you like, apparently (and ones who weren't rookies, I knew that from experience, somepony once dyed my mane and tail like a skunk while I was sleeping and slipped some nasty smelling stuff into my cologne when I first enlisted. With the stripe markings I already have, I was just asking for it really).

"...Wait, does that mean I should wait for anguished screams from, let's say hypothetically, Lieutenant Coke's billet when he wakes up?"

I was not the only officer scheduled to be promoted today. Cherry Coke was a lieutenant, set to become a captain also. Troopers did like him, but only in his own platoon. My platoon, for some reason, did not. I was perfectly fine with him - we went to the academy together after all. Perhaps it was because he would pull rank quite often, which had a habit of irritating the enlisted troopers.

"Couldn't possibly comment on any pranking, hypothetical or otherwise, sir. Anyway, you were after something to eat?" Thunderchild reminded me.

"Er, yes. Quite. And if you have pranked him or anypony else, try not to get too murdered by them."

The troopers grinned at that advice, and I walked past them as they resumed their duties of standing around. A patrol neared, and apparently they did not recognize me either, as Lance-Corporal Apple had to inform them it was soon-to-be Captain Shining Armor that had just walked past.

"Shouldn't Apple get going if he wants to reach that family reunion he wanted time off for?" I pondered aloud.

"Not really, sir, he's got a couple of hours yet. He said something about avoiding a brunch. Apparently his relatives go overboard with the food, so he's catching a train that gets him there for just after twelve. He should still be back for eighteen-hundred though."

After eating, and getting a few strange glances from the hoof-full of troopers present (presumably from my lack of armor or uniform), I was a little puzzled about what to do with my time before the promotion ceremony. A short walk in the gardens seemed best. Nopony would be too nonplussed to see me without armor there, as even this early one would find visitors.

Unfortunately, at the doorway out, I instead encountered a resident from the castle coming to visit the guard barracks, or trying to. Another white unicorn, looking a little bit damp with his mane hidden below a towel, was angrily ranting at the door guards who had blocked his passage.

"Stand aside or fetch an officer, you fools! I demand that I see an officer of the guard right away!" Blueblood snapped at the guards that had refused him entry. I decided to act.

"Is there a problem, sir?"

He looked down his snout at me, but he does that to everypony. Even when they're wearing armor or his auntie's apprentice.

"Well, the most pressing would be that some nopony feels he is important enough to interject when I am ordering these foolish guards to stand aside!"

For a pony with a cutie mark that often signifies skill in exploration and map-making, he had a pretty terrible memory.

"I see, sir. Well, for your information I'm an officer, albeit technically off-duty at the moment, and if you have some business in the barracks I would be happy to assist you."

He sneered out his response.

"Oh, one of the ones getting promoted, eh? Very well, Lieutenant, take me to a captain!"

"I technically am a captain."

"Then take me to an actual captain!"

I kept my face blank as he adopted a smug expression at what he no doubt thought was a witty retort that put me in my place. However, the Royal Guard Regulations state in Rule Four Hundred and Nine, that 'in face of overwhelming stupidity, an officer is permitted to deploy sarcasm'(I appreciate the Princess' understanding of our position). Sadly, Major Payne's recent petition to have the rule amended to add 'and/or pepper spray' did not succeed, or I would have used that instead.

Who am I kidding, he'd have an even worse tantrum, which I did not need.

"Perhaps you wish a major to escort you to a colonel, sir? Or should we save time and take you to a general?"

"Curse it, you fool, you'll do. I must report an act of vandalism, and I have reason to believe it was carried out by enlisted troopers of the guard!"

"This is a serious accusation, sir. What has been vandalized?"

"My mane!" He yelled, briefly allowing the towel to fall down and reveal his normally blond mane was a neon green, but it had started to change hues even as he concealed it again.

Myself and the two troopers did very well not to laugh, I think. Remarkably enough, Blueblood seemed far more furious than embarrassed. That was a completely new shade of red for him.

"Well, sir, we can file a report and have the matter investigated..."

"I also want someone to fix this mess! Have a medic specializing in mane and coat care meet me when you file the report!"

"Sir, we have no such medics, I'm afraid, but perhaps you could consult Princess Celestia, or Princess Cadence. They may know a solution, and they are your family. Or perhaps even a scholar in the castle."

"Pha! The princesses are... too busy to deal with the effects of petty pranking! And what scholar in the castle would not find the situation amusing?!"

"...Twilight Sparkle?" I offered.

"That antisocial bookworm? Hm, well, if she does not know a solution she would likely seek one.... She may not be entirely useless."

The troopers winced. I simply upgraded my gaze from attentive to steely.

"I'm sure Princess Celestia will be thrilled to hear you feel she did a good job mentoring my little sister."

He blinked and his eyes widened in surprise for a moment, as if he finally realized who he was actually talking to.

Thankfully the Princess understood the value of bonds; the Royal Guard Regulations, while not condoning violence, did authorize 'scaring the horse apples' out of someone who has intentionally insulted your loved ones.

"Oh, er, Twilight Sparkle?! I was mistaking her for... Twilight... Sharkle. A different pony entirely! Miss Sparkle is a unicorn whilst Miss Sharkle is a... shark... I mean pegasus! Twilight Sparkle is a fine young mare, very attractive and... No, no, not attractive! I mean she is but she is not my type and, I mean, er... I think I left the toaster on in my haste to leave the shower! Good day, Captain!"

"Wait, don't you wish to file a report?" I asked as he began to retreat.

"Oh, er, no, it's merely a jape, very funny now I think about it, hahaha, and I'll just go... switch off the toaster and then have somepony like the Princess fix it!"

And with that he ran off. I looked at the two guards, who each had small smirks.

"Anyway, do you two want me to let your officer know he was here?"

"Thank you, sir. Probably best that Major Payne is made aware of the joke, er, situation sooner rather than later." One of them replied.

It was something to do at least. Alas, when I was reporting to their officer, who was at the time in the dormitories doing paperwork, I also heard an anguished cry from a nearby room. I and the Major soon discovered Lieutenant Coke with a color-changing mane.

Stunning coincidence really, that somepony should prank him when somepony else used the exact same method on Blueblood.

Still, once that one was dealt with and my face feed, I found myself still with time free still, as it was only just approaching nine o'clock. I figured I would maybe go and visit my sister. On the way I encountered two maids that had a good excuse for not recognizing me because I had no idea who they were either.

"Er, are you Captain Shining Armor?" One asked, hesitantly.

"Well, technically. I haven't been formally promoted yet."

She grinned and looked at her companion in triumph.

"See, I told you this wasn't a prank, Sweep!"

The maid named Sweep blinked.

"But I could have sworn... I really did think I'd never heard of him."

"Er, ladies, not to interrupt but I presume you were looking for me for a reason?" I prompted.

"Oh, that's right! The Princess would like to see you right away!"

I hoped I hid my panic well. That steal faced expression of a guard came in handy from time to time, even if ponies loved trying to make you break out of it.

"Ah, thank you. I'll just head straight there..."

They wandered off, and once I was sure no one was in earshot, I swore.

And then I moved my flank. When The Princess says jump, you don't point out you don't have wings, damn the cliff and take the plunge!

I tried not to look too panicky as the two guards to the throne room let me in. I also tried to distract myself wondering why a mess hall got an NCO and two Troopers on the door, whilst the ruler of the country got two bored looking corporals barely even batting an eyelid at anypony walking up to the door.

It didn't work very well because the other dozen of them inside answered that. And the fact said ruler was a goddess whose guards were probably there to protect her attackers more than her. And I was right back to wondering why a sun-goddess wanted to talk to me. I kept my head bowed and neared the throne.

'If she mentions bananas, just run like pony hell.' I thought to myself.

"Ah, Captain. Thank you for coming so quickly. You may rise."

I did so, and noticed that she was apparently feeding her pet phoenix. The Princess' expression was impossible to read beyond the impish friendliness she always wore. Princess Celestia's poker face was legendary. She could be scowling at me suspiciously behind those eyes and I wouldn't know the difference.

"Your Highness," I said, hoping I didn't look too nervous. I tried and failed to distract myself with the fact that the royal firebird looked like she would be molting in a few months.

"I just wanted to have a little chat, Shining Armor. There's no need for formalities. Anyway, I'm sure you're curious as to why you are here?"

I nodded honestly.

"Er, yes, ma'am. It came as a bit of a surprise, to be frank."

"I see. Did you feel okay this morning?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Nothing seemed a little out of place? No nervousness, confusion?"

"Well, Your Highness, I did, er, wake before my alarm was set to wake me. And I was a little confused about a few things in my room..."

"Such as?"

"Well, I was puzzled as to where my armor and uniforms were for a few moments. And for some reason I thought I had the wrong map on the wall."

She nodded.

"Any other strangeness?"

"A few guards seemed to not recognize me without my armor or uniform."

"I see. Well, I asked you here for four reasons. First, I'd like to personally congratulate you on your promotion. I know the letter we have a copy of in the royal archives said all that, but I'd prefer to say it face-to-face after I saw your name appear on my desk this morning."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

"I honestly do prefer to have a close relationship with those who work for me. Second, I also congratulate you on whatever it was you said to little Blueblood with regards to his, er, mane mishap. It would seem your advice made him look at the prank more rationally. But he did seem like he was a little afraid of something. I can't help but worry he may have left something out when he reported to me. Could you give me your side of events, perhaps?"

"Well, the Prince was attempting to speak with an officer and the guards obeyed standing orders not to let anyone enter the barracks without permission or a confirmed appointment. He did not appear to recognize me and as a result his initial conduct was... conducted on the assumption I was not the kind of officer he was looking for at the time."

"I see. He also mentioned your sister for a moment for some reason, but it seemed to have been a slip of the tongue. Between you and me, I think he may have plans to ask her out at some point. Would you have any opinion on that?"

'Over my dead body' was the first one that came to mind, but at the same time I knew Prince Blueblood was probably just flustered after his faux pas.

"Well, Your Highness, my sister is an adult mare and she can associate with whomsoever she wishes. It's not my place to decide if anypony can seek to pursue a romantic interest in her."

Celestia nodded thoughtfully. As if she hadn't read my mind and heard the first thought.

"Hmm, that is a very understanding approach. I know that elder siblings can sometimes feel very protective towards their younger brothers and sisters. In fact I worried the third matter I wished to speak to you about may be affected somewhat by your relationship with your sister."

She paused, and I realized I should speak.

"Affected in what way, Your Highness?"

"Well, I'd like to sound you out on a possible assignment that is of great importance, but that would mean you would not see Twilight Sparkle again for some time. I know it would be a sacrifice on your part, doubly so given the short notice involved, and I was concerned your possible worries about your sister could affect your choice..."

"Er, no, Your Highness, I'm sure Twilight is able to look out for herself. In addition, I did swear an oath upon Her Highness that if duty requires it, I am ready to perform the assignment regardless of the hardships I may face doing so," I said, quoting the oath in the process.

She nodded.

"Yes, quite. I never really liked the wording of that part of the oath, to be honest. Sounds far too much like every guard swears to obey without question. Perhaps I should look into changing it... Oh, my apologies, Captain, I was going a little off-topic there!"

I held back comment on the matter, of course, and she continued.

"Anyway, as you might know, Princess Cadence is to depart tonight on a two-year diplomatic tour, introducing her to the other nations of the world as well as extending the greetings of Equestria. I understand you and the Princess already know each other?"

I blinked for a moment, feeling strangely puzzled. Twilight's foalsitter and the only other Alicorn on the planet? Why was she phrasing it like this? She knew I knew.

'Oh, it's rhetorical. This is what happens when you tell your brain to expect sleep until eight AM but you forget to tell your body the same thing, Shining.'

That was what I thought. What I said was:

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Good. You see, she will receive a personal bodyguard, drawn from the Day Guard, and I feel she needs ponies she can trust. I've had non-commissioned and enlisted troopers submit applications to transfer over the last few weeks, and a Lieutenant Price had been checking up on the references."

I knew of Price - He'd been a cadet when I was in training myself. I knew at the time he had apparently caught the eye of an officer trying to set up a 'modern warfare' regiment in the style of a Neighponese ANBU black-ops group, and knocked back his own promotion offer to join the new unit. I correctly assumed that until it was set up they had him doing odd-jobs.

And I had been hearing the rumors over the past few weeks. The main story was that Celestia was forming a special unit of the Day Guard to act as Cadence's bodyguards, though others claimed that a whole new branch of the Guard under Cadence's total command was to be formed.

Anyway, Her Highness was still speaking when I was thinking all that.

"Key to ensuring the best are selected, however, will be making sure that the leader of her guard has the final say on which troopers are accepted. I don't expect any trouble on her trip, but I don't want her feeling nervous in foreign lands without soldiers she knows she can trust on hoof. Plus, she's insisted on trying to extend a greeting to the Hooviet Empire..."

I winced. The Hooviets were well known to any guard, and not so well known to the average Equestrian. The Hooviet Empire was a vast nation in the east that claimed to be a voluntary union, many weaker nations protected under the aegis of "The Greater Good" offered by unity and the strength of the largest nation of the union - a Deer nation called The Roedina.

Outwardly, they offered a free society and strength in unity. They tried to tempt neighboring nations to join the union with diplomacy, and the promise of the riches and prosperity that the union had to offer. They offered a vision of a bright and unified future.

In reality, well, it was an empire, and it had conquered much of its territory one way or another. Either by force, or through sheer economic strength. They had forced more than one deer tribe into the position where they simply could no longer afford to keep their freedom. And for ponies in the Empire, freedoms were few and precious. The deer were caste-based, and they forced the caste system upon ponies too. Your cutie mark meant nothing - your talents were to be defined by what you were born as and your life decisions were made for you in the name of the Greater Good.

Want to care for animals? Not with those wings! Want to be an engineer? You're a unicorn, get back to training on magic theory! Want to fly airships? Nice try, earth pony, get back to your farm or workshop. Meanwhile, the deer were in the majority, the middle and upper classes. They were the ones who gained the riches and the prosperity. Well, the Does and Stags of the proper tribe and lineage did, at least.

Planning dissent? There is a surveillance culture pervading all levels of society. The young are indoctrinated to report all unusual activity. There is a virtual cult built around Father Deer, the "Guiding Father and Great Leader" of the Greater Good. You would love him - or you would cease to exist. Your body incinerated, your deeds assigned to others, your name erased. Their vision of the future was a cloven hoof stamping on a pony face forever. They had tried to force Equestria under their hoof with threats, but Princess Celestia made it perfectly clear she desired nothing more than peace, but also what would happen if they intentionally harmed any of her subjects. Having a true goddess as your ruler had its advantages.

So it was a wonderful country that Cadence was so set on visiting, basically(!) But back to the matter at hoof, Celestia was still speaking as I recalled these facts.

"...And, well, you know why that place is a place to be on your guard. Though this is more of an informal check to see you'd be okay with accompanying her over the next couple of years, I'm already quite sure you're the perfect pony for the job - you're practically made for it with your defensive skills. It will technically make you the Commander of her Guard and no longer part of my Day Guard, but... well, I think that it's as good a time as any for the Royal Guard and the Day Guard to no longer be all just the same thing. I am not Equestria's only Princess."

Even with the two years I would be away, as it then stood, as it is now, all of Equestria's Defense Force was the 'Royal Guard' (even if that was now 'our' name), sub-divided into the Cavalry or ground forces, and the Air-Navy crewing Airships (with the two senior Princesses having split most of the armies down the middle between them). As it then stood, all the Royal Guard, even the ones on night duty, were the Day Guard. I was basically being told that I was forming the Second Guard of the 'Royal Guard.'

Of course, as it turned out, it was to be the Third Guard as the Second would in fact be re-activated, but that's a different story entirely. Suffice to say though, the Day Guard are pansies and the Night Guard are afraid of the light!

...What? Inter-service rivalry is great for morale. Yes, I know I used to be Day Guard but now I'm not, okay?!

Anyway, what I said in response to being given possibly the greatest honor any soldier had been given in centuries?

"I... I understand, Y-Your Highness. Thank you." I squeaked and tried not to fall over.

Words that shall inspire for generations to come(!)

"Good. I'll inform her formally later that I am attaching you to command her Guard, so for now if you meet her please try to keep it quiet, but I'm sure when I tell her she'll be thrilled to know she knows her bodyguard commander already. "

"Yes, Your Highness. May I ask the overall size of the detail I am to select?"

"Roughly a half platoon in size, thirty or so troopers. At present you will be the only officer, but hopefully your original thirty will provide the NCO's and maybe even more officers from the ranks for future expansions of Princess Cadence's Guard. I've found that ponies that rise up from the rank of Private often make good leaders once they become officers."

I nodded my agreement. I'd been trained by 'rankers' myself. One of the unspoken lessons of officer training and beyond is that lieutenants and captains are merely in command, while sergeants and corporals are in charge.

"Last but not least, your sister will be getting an assignment to Ponyville as my representative. She'll be checking preparations for tomorrow."

I nodded and tried to conceal my happiness for my sister. Being given such a trusted duty would be a great honor for Twiley! Assuming she wasn't caught up in some area of her studies that made her see anything else as just a distraction.

For the record, it would take me a while before I realized when it comes to things like that I should just stop thinking entirely.

"However, she will be leaving within the hour. If you are willing to take on this mission, now may be your only chance to give Twilight a proper goodbye before she leaves for Ponyville. She won't be back before you leave yourself."

I was startled at this, I will admit. I was facing a two-year assignment yet it would seem I would only have one hour in which to bid my little sister farewell? Would I even have a chance to say goodbye to mom and dad?

"...I can say goodbye to Spike too, right?" I tried to joke, but my voice wavered a little.

The Princess merely looked at me with understanding.

"She'll be getting ready, I think she'll only be on the double-checking checklist just now, which should give you a good bit of time. You should go now."

"Yes, Your Highness, right away. Thank you."

I made to leave, trying not to gallop away.

"Oh, and Captain?"

I turned to face the ruler of Equestria, and soon to technically no longer be my Supreme Commander once I was under Cadence's banner.

"Make sure you let her know how much you love her."

Even at the time, I felt this was sage advice.

I knew my sister would be in her residence, a tower on the castle grounds that like her old bedroom at home had become like a private library thanks to her bibliophile tendencies. It was also 'relatively' close to the throne room (not saying much in a castle this big).

Perhaps it was just suppressed stress and nerves from the promotion(s) I had received, but I had picked up my pace once outside the throne room. My basic train of thought was that my little sister was heading off to a strange town, and I might not have a good chance to see her again for at least two years if I did not go right now.

A running Captain of the Guard, even out of armor, always attracted some attention.

"Captain, is there a problem?" A voice asked from above.

I slowed down and looked up. Thunderchild hovered above me.

"Not really, Sergeant. It's just a personal matter. Twilight is going to Ponyville and I'm just off to say goodbye."

He landed, and now distracted by his presence, I felt a little less of a fearful urgency.

"I see. Is she going by train or has the Princess arranged a chariot?"

Unfortunately for him, I was now zoning out a little as I began to realize maybe I was overreacting a little. Reflecting on it all at the time, it became clear that it wasn't like the world would end if I didn't say goodbye to my little sister - she'd be here when I returned. Still, she is my only sister... Unless Dad has something to tell us all, that is.

"Sir?"

And as for the big brother instinct kicking in, like I had said, Twilight was indeed a grown mare. Albeit a little naive at times, and maybe a little antisocial. Still, surely a trip to a quiet town like Ponyville wouldn't lead her into any real trouble. Right?

"Captain?"

Remember what I said five minutes ago about thinking about things like that?

"Shining?" Thunderchild asked, bolting me from my daydream.

NCO-Using-Your-Name. A sure sign you were away with the flutterponies.

"Oh, sorry, I was a million miles away. What was your question?" I replied sheepishly.

"I was asking about her travel arrangements. If it's a chariot team being organized, I could try and be on it. The team would stay in town until the Summer Sun Celebration was over so I'd be able to keep an eye out on her for you?"

"No thank you, Thunderchild. I don't want her thinking she's being watched."

"Actually, she'd not notice someone watching her at all..."

Non-commissioned officers are adept at poking holes in your logic using emotional blackmail. They're like spouses in a way. Er, don't tell you-know-who I said that.

...No, not Lord Voldehorse, you know who! Anyway, back to the present. Past. Whatever.

"...Check who has been assigned to it for me, will you?"

"Yes, sir. Well, see you at your promotion ceremony, sir."

And with that he flew off, and I realized we'd reached Twilight's tower. That was actually quite fortunate - you'd be surprised how many times a 'talk and trot' takes you right past your destination at Canterlot Castle. Especially in the administrative section of the West Wing for some reason.

Anyway, I made my way to the door and knocked.

"Spike! Get the door!" I heard from within.

The door soon opened, and a confused baby dragon looked up at me. I'd always found Spike rather cool. Full grown dragons were rare enough (normally only an 'ambassador' coming to 'okay' a migratory route through Equestria), but Spike was the only baby dragon I'd ever seen.

"Uh... Hi? Who are you?"

Needless to say I was rather startled by that. I'd known Spike all his life and yet, I fail to wear armor now and I'm a stranger?! I was about to speak when my sister, despite having asked her dragon companion to get the door, wandered over.

"Spike, that's no way to greet... whoever this is..."

I'll admit my next actions were a little angered.

"Come on, am I that unrecognizable without armor on?!" I snapped.

Twilight seemed taken aback by this, though her eyes widened not in surprise at some strange pony shouting in her doorway for no reason, but at realizing who I was.

"B.B.B.F.F?! Wha... I don't know how I didn't recognize you!"

She then moved to give me a hug while Spike stood horrified and mortified and all sorts of -fieds at his own part in the error.

"Uh, I knew who you were, I was just joking..." Spike tried lamely.

Two unicorns gave him a look.

"Okay, I didn't either! You gotta admit, Shining, you look different without the armor!"

I sighed, defeated.

"Well, hopefully you still recognize me once I wear Captain's armor..."

Twilight suddenly looked dismayed.

"Oh... Your promotion ceremony. I... I'm going to miss that. Princess Celestia asked me to..."

I cut her off.

"I know, Twiley. She asked me to do something as well and... It's a long term assignment. I'll be part of a diplomatic mission that's going to last, erm, at least two years. It's short notice but the mission leaves tonight so... this might be the only chance we'll really get to say goodbye."

My little sister looked like I'd just told her the library was closing forever. I hope I did a better job of hiding my emotions.

"B-but... two years?! What is it, a world tour?"

"Er, yes. I'm commander of the guard detail for the VIP... Er, the Very Important..."

"...Pony, I get it, move on..."

"...And she is taking a small flotilla... that's..."

"A small grouping of airships, normally frigates or smaller," Twilight cut in again.

"Quite. Anyway, she's taking the flotilla around the world, extending the hoof of friendship and harmony to all the nations of the world.... And I'll be in overall command of security for the VIP at all times as Guard Commander. Well, I'll still be a Captain but I'll also be a Commander..."

"Shining, I read all the guard training and regulations manuals, I know Commander is a position and not a rank unless you're in the Air Navy portion of the Guard. I probably know the books better than you actually. And I know how much of an opportunity this is for you."

I nodded, thankful she was at least keeping herself on track even while I was babbling like an idiot.

"I... Thank you for understanding. I just wanted to say goodbye before you leave for Ponyville."

"Okay... Um, what can you tell me about your mission?"

"Not that much, honestly. I think I said pretty much all there is on it, actually." I didn't particularly want to tell her one of the distressingly few friends she'd had as a filly was going too. It was hard enough as it was.

"Well, it sounds better than mine even if it's way too long. I'm being sent to supervise a bunch of ponies in a town we could see with a telescope, and there might be..."

She gasped.

"You arriving so suddenly made it slip my mind! Shining, there's something important you need to know! Equestria is in mortal danger!"

"Really?! How?"

"I've been conducting research and all signs point towards tonight being the night that the Mare in the Moon will return!"

"The... What?"

It threw me off guard a bit, to be honest.

"Nightmare Moon!"

"...What?!"

"The legendary pony who seeks to bring about night-time eternal."

"...What."

"You... Seem pretty relaxed about it."

"Well, I am. Twilight, that's just a myth. Nightmare Moon is a fairy tale!"

"Augh! Why does everypony keep saying that?!" Twilight virtually wailed.

I chuckled, and placed a hoof on her shoulder.

"Twiley, we can't believe in every myth and legend. I mean, what if I tell you the ancient Mexicoltian calendar is counting down and it comes to an end in three years?"

"...I'd say you're nuts. It counts sideways, not backwards or forwards."

"See? Factual evidence to dismiss it, because the myth has no facts behind it! Twilight, there are no records that speak about the Mare in the Moon in recorded history."

"...Well, yes, you've got a point... But at the same time there's no evidence against Nightmare Moon! After all, the records on the origin of the Summer Sun Festival are nonexistent and we still celebrate it! Shining, we can't just dismiss this entirely..."

"But you don't need to worry about it. I'm honestly kind of surprised you believe it, Twiley, you're not a superstitious pony. You've never believed in this kind of stuff before."

"I know...But I haven't always been right either. Remember when I didn't believe in zebras?"

I winced. "...she didn't appreciate you trying to 'wash off' her costume ...But ponies say Nightmare Moon will eat little foals on Nightmare Night if they don't give her half their candy, did that ever happen to you when you refused to believe it then?"

"No..."

"Besides, if it is true, the Royal Guard will take care of it."

"Maybe... But are you sure I can't borrow a few elite platoons?"

"Sorry, but I don't think so. Good luck in Ponyville anyway. I'll write if I can while I'm gone, but replying might be tricky with the anti-teleport wards on the ships." I said, trying to get her mind on matters other than myths.

Poor Spike was more than willing to help me, his expertise on sending scrolls coming to the fore with the mention of letters.

"Yeah, it would be. Even if I managed to send it to where the ship is, those wards might cause it to bounce back. I tried it once. And I won't do it again, know why? Backfire."

I winced, even if Spike was immune to his own flames. That must not have been a pleasant experience.

"...So, anyway, I've got a little while until I need to get ready for the ceremony. Need a hoof with anything?"

"Oh, not really. Spike and I were just going over the checklist."

I looked over at the dragon.

"On the first list, we confirmed that the milk that will expire before we're back is used, that the shelves have been re-shelved properly, that the bed is made, everything is cleaned up, you've packed your keys, scrolls, and bag of bits in your saddlebags."

"What about the map?! Did we pack the map?!"

"Twilight, I'm sure a small town like Ponyville won't be too tricky..."

"That's easy for you to say! It's just an Urban Operations scenario for you, the key landmarks, objectives, and choke-points would become apparent to your scouts even without maps, but I need to know which houses to go to!"

"Twiley, I don't apply military jargon to everything I do..."

"The map is packed, Twilight. Besides, like Shining Armor says, it's not that big a town, and if we did get lost we could just ask for directions."

"Or... we could bring scouts! Shining Armor, can I borrow some scouts in case I lose a map?! Say, the Seventh Heavy Brigade?" Twilight suddenly said.

"Nice try, but I don't think so. Besides, I'm pretty sure Spike won't lose the map."

"Nope! It'll be safe with me!" He saluted.

"Okay, scouts are out of the question. I'm sure I won't get lost. After all, it's just a few ponies to check up on, then I can head for... Oh no, Spike, where is it I'm supposed to stay?!"

"In the library in the town."

"You'll feel at home, at least. Should help you sleep..."

"Did you remember Smartypants?"

"Yeah I..." Twilight started, then blushed a little bit when she realized what she'd admitted to.

It's typical, really. When you've got the feeling you need to say something important to someone and this might be your last chance for a long time... You're speechless. Awkward silence descended.

"I'm really sorry I'll miss your promotion ceremony," She eventually said.

"Don't worry about it, Twilight. It's not that much. I put on my armor, hold my sword aloft when it reaches noon, and then I receive new orders. And technically I already have my new orders so I just get them officially. Besides, I'll get promoted again someday. That'll be a Major achievement!"

This pun fell flat at first, but cogwheels turned in Spike's head.

"Oh, I get it now."

He still didn't laugh though.

"Well, maybe, but what if you get a field promotion out there?" He then asked.

"Uh, Spike, field promotions happen in battle. I'm meant to avoid that," I corrected him.

"Oh. Maybe start one?"

"That'd get him a court martial instead. Anyway, uh... I guess I'd really better get going. The Princess said she'd have a chariot prepared for me in ten minutes from now."

I nodded, and hoped I didn't look as upset as I felt.

"I understand. Good luck again, and... Can you do me a favor while I'm away?"

I leaned in and gave her a hug.

"Even when I'm far away on this assignment, little sister, remember I'm there, and that I love you. Can you do that?"

She stood back from the hug and gave a sloppy salute that made me smile.

"Of course, Captain B.B.B.F.F! That's a really easy order! Permission to say I love you too?"

I cracked up at that, and so did she. Sure, it's not really all that funny when I explain it, is it, but... You had to be there, you know?

And hey, she seemed a lot less nervous about Ponyville now. I would later discover she actually started fuming about it when Spike re-read out her instructions from the Princess to her on the chariot ride there, but at least she set off happy with me. And I managed to say what I wanted to say.

"I can walk you to your chariot at least, right?" I said once we stopped laughing.

"Of course, big brother. I'm going to miss you though."

"I'll miss you too, Twiley."

Episode 72: (Dark World) Modern Major Evil Overlord

Pony POV Series
"Dark World" Part Four
By Alex Warlorn
Modern Major Evil Overlord

Discord sat in a comfy more cheerful looking replica of his throne he kept in his castle, Ponyville, the top of Old Dragon Peak, and a small pie shop outside of Manehatten.

The elements of chaos sat in customized chairs two on his left, three in front, and Fluttercruel's chair on his right. All within a giant air bubble that would let them enjoy the show without the annoyance of constantly drowning.

Traitor Dash huddled in a cloud chair curled in a foalhood blanket shivering. LJ gently patted her on the back. LJ and Rarigreed were the only ones still wearing the seaflower circlets the six were given on each of their visits.

"What is WITH these seaponies? Can't they stock something for carnivores just once?" Fluttercruel complained looking at the angel-fish like seapony humming to herself at the concession standing.

"They're vegetarians," Twilight Tragedy said evenly not looking at her, "The upper parts of Sky Ocean are dedicated to growing sea-apples and water-cactus."

Little-Ocean-Heart and Sea Apple looked up proudly at their orchard.

"Don't feel so awful my young mare." Discord magicked up a paper-bucket of fried rabbit legs, that would appear to be water-cactus to the sea ponies observing, which ceased Fluttercruel's complaints and she started to silently munch.

Poor Spike had -as per the fundamental laws of the universe even Discord was hard pressed to break- been left behind at the castle.

In her seat Rarigreed hugged a pile of rock her telekinesis shaped into the form of a unicorn foal that Rarigreed called Ruby and explained things to it as if it could hear her.

The ever daring Waterflower approached the six mares and asked about Rarity's child (she had been told how much Lady Rarigreed The Protective loved games of pretend). Rarigreed was more than happy to talk about Ruby, her life with her biological mother, Rarity adopting her, and all the parties she had with the rest of Rarity's family.

"Wow! I wish my family could visit your family."

"I'm sorry darling, I wish you could too, I want it," Rarigreed's eye twitched, "But Master Discord knows the world is too dangerous for you seaponies to leave your ocean."

Waterflower happily nodded in understanding.

Angry Pie scowled and fidgeted in her chair. She was chained to her seat. Tragedy had injected her with enough sedatives to render a elephant comatose. The Earth Pony still chafed against her bindings. There was an eighth empty chair next to her.

A blond seapony with pink coat and a sea-weed-cupcake sang gently in her ear until the show began. She was Lady Angry Pie The Mighty's biggest fan (she had imitated her mane style). She unwittingly performed her regular task of drowning out the majority of laughter that echoed through the pure and innocent ocean.

Discord adjusted the tie on his tuxedo (a new one, not that he didn't have other seapony friendly attire, he did come here often after all). Fluttercruel was wearing one of her own custom dresses. Tragedy was wearing a mage's dress with a star pattern. Rarigreed's dress was white, once, maybe, it was as dirty as her. Liarjack just wore a worn formal cowboy outfit that looked over a thousand years old. Getting Angry Pie to wear anything was a waste of time. Traitor Dash just hugged herself more in her blanket.

Schools of other seaponies all of diverse shapes and sizes floated above or below the air bubbles to watch the show.

A seapony stuck her head out of the water and smiled at them. Her lower body ended in a fan-shaped tail, on her back were fins that resembled wings, her muzzle was colored yellow like a beak. Her cutie mark was a raincloud.

"Weclome everyone! I'm Seawing. And special welcome to Master Discord and his six heroes! The Elements of Chaos! Thank you for coming! And please enjoy the show!"

The sea pony audience cheered. Traitor Dash shuddered at the word 'heroes.'

The seapony pulled her head back into the water.

A chorus of sea ponies began to play on kazoos (you expect Discord's world to make sense?). At the same time seaglow ponies used their own light with some clever prisms and filters to present what could have counted as an animated cartoon on a projection screen.

A caricature of Discord's face appeared surrounded by several (non-hypnotic) colored rings. The seaponies cheered more.

An elegantly drawn title card appeared reading:
'Discord And The Existentialists'

The title card faded to a watercolor style painted background of a sunny day with pretty pink clouds and smiling flowers.

A Tex Avery style Discord happily jogged onto the scene, looking like his single desire was to give out candy at orphanages and feed homeless families.

"Talalalalala!" Jingled a voice in perfect sync with the image.

Then three frowning Earth ponies who didn't appear to know the definition of the word 'smile' came into view as the cartoon Discord trotted along.

"Hello! And happy day to you!" Said the cartoon Discord, "What can I do for you?"

"We are existentialists! We are individuals!" The three said together in perfect sync and inflection. "We are mean, so we don't like you, who is nice!"

"But I can be nice to you, even if you're mean, then you'd be nice, then we'd like each other!" Cheered the cartoon Discord.

"No!" The 'existentialists' echoed, "We don't want that! We don't want to be happy! We want to be miserable and sad! And want others to be miserable and sad! Because we're smarter and better than you! And since we're existentialists if we think something doesn't exist! It doesn't exist!" The three permanently frowning Earth ponies pointed at Discord, "You do not exist. You do not exist. You do not exist. You do not exist."

Cartoon Discord cheered and clapped and hopped up and down. "This looks like a fun game! Let me try!" He put on a face so serious it was silly and pointed at them speaking a faux deep tone, "You do not exist. You do not exist. You do not exist."

With three audible 'pops' the 'existentialists' were gone, no bells and whistles, simply not in the next frame.

"Huh? Where did they go? Oh well! I bet I'll get to make lots of friends next time!" The cartoon struck a happy pose with a comical downbeat sounding. The projection faded to black.

Discord chuckled. "Ah, the Old Lady's favorite game. Good times."

The voice of the seapony from before echoed, "And now, our feature presentation."

TD hid in her blanket more.

A gray coat and black maned sea pony swam in front of the show's orchestra. Her lower half was octopod-like, but she actually carried herself with grace and beauty. She held a baton in each tendril and brought the orchestra into harmony and began.

"IIII AAAMMM AN EEEVIIIL OVER-LOOOOOOORD!" A series of drums sounded. TD looked up. "IIII AAAMMM AN EEEVIIIL OVER-LOOOOOOORD!"

A sea pony stallion in an exquisite well done costume of a demonic black ram sang as the lights shined on him with sand in the water acting as smoke. Air bubbles behind contained little flames.

"This . . this isn't. . . " TD blinked in awe.

Liarjack shifted in her chair, "Somepony must have told the seaponies that Master wanted a different play than 'The Bolt of Shadow Versus The Scooting Lightning.'"

Discord looked annoyed at the performance, then looked at the gray orange pony, "Liarjack you get a little bit more devious every day. You're finally learning." Discord patted her on the head then crushed her skull. Orange sparkles crackled as her skull reformed itself.

To the seaponies it looked like Discord have given his chosen one a playful noogie.

"Mah mouth tastes like brain."

"Didn't need that image," TD whispered. But she was clearly quite relieved.

Fluttercruel said, "You hanged out with Applebloom's friends from Sunnytown too long."

"They did not eat brains!" LJ defended.

"SHUSH!!!!" Rarigreed and Twilight said together to the ponies. "Ponies who talk during theater go to the SPECIAL Pony Hell." Rarigreed hissed.

Oh it would be nice if I, the great and really radical Discord could be the source of Grogar, and Tirac too while I'm at it. But the Lord of Tambelon, and the Master Of Midnight Castle were among the villains of the first age I am embarrassed to say had nothing to do with me. I also must regrettably only take half credit for Squirk, he was a handmedown from Strife, I just helped him find his favorite toy. Shame, we had so much in common.

Grogar was a sorcerer of incredible power, and surpassed that of any mortal unicorn, and that was just his innate talent, the bell he wore around his neck only increased his massive magical prowess. I still don't know if it was one of Strife's gifts, or if he made it himself! Strange even after Megan destroyed it, he found a way in those five hundred years to recreate it, hmmmmm... maybe that's why it takes him five hundred years to keep returning.

Was it any wonder they chose to cheat and simply seal him and his city into the realm of shadows between realities? I guess they hoped he'd die of old age. No such luck. Normally returning from such a place is impossible, but old Grogar managed a break out, and his entire city with him, every five hundred years!

Keeping him from materializing or arranging a welcoming committee has been the ultimate test of whoever happens to be ruling over Equestria at the time. And then he just gets buried by the history book again. Why doesn't that ever bother him? He gives a good roar when he loses, but that's it!

All that old goat wants is order and power. Where's the fun seeking? Where's the delight of seeing others squirm? Where are the games in seeing ponies run around like chickens with their heads cut off? What's the point of power if you don't have fun with it-?!

That oversized magic ram just sits on his throne, and makes sure his city and slaves, minions, and citizens run like a giant machine when he's not trying to break out! I'd kill myself if... if I had, if I was stuck with a kingdom... like that.

While we're at me admitting to things I wasn't responsible for, I must also regretfully admit Lavan the Lava Demon King wasn't mine either. Strife felt he was a far more worthy symbol of her 'law of the jungle' thinking than that ugly octopus, even taught him one of Dad's songs. She didn't take sides when his quest for more power nearly annihilated the ponies, whichever side won would have her approval, 'that's how natural selection works' she'd say.

Oh, huh? Tirac? Him? Nope, I didn't give him the Rainbow of Darkness, why do you think I'd even have it? For a half-fiend centaur who became known as the embodiment of evil for all of pony history, he sure spent a lot of his youth crying out at the moon, 'Why does the night reject my love-?!' Remember this is before Celly's Dad put Lulu back in diapers. She wouldn't even talk to him directly when she finally paid him a visit, had an owl speak for her until he broke its beak and demanded she speak to him.

"I would offer the whole world to you!"

"'The whole world?' HA! You have any idea how vast the cosmos is? What meaning is one tiny place in infinity?"

"Give me a chance! Any chance! And I will prove myself to you!"

And so she gave it to him to do with as he chose to prove himself to her in a way of his own design. And the rest is history.

Grogar and his city of Tambelon had now been introduced, along with his second in command, a donkey named Bray (like all his first born sons had been named since his family had served Grogar at the very beginning of the titan's reign).

Traitor Dash felt a sense of relief she'd have one evening without salt being poured in the wounds and leaned against Liarjack, "Thank you."

"Yer welcome Dash."

Fluttercruel yawned, "Pst. The other show has a lot more action than this."

"It's a nice little change of pace dear," Discord whispered,
"Besides, you need to learn to appreciate the subtleties of comedy young mare."

'Grogar' called out, "One day I looked upon the land of ponies. And I saw it was in chaos. And I knew, that I was the only one who could bring it to order. First I brought order to myself, then I brought order to the first Bray, then I brought order to others, then I brought order to my city, then I brought order to the Troggles, then finally I brought order to Ponyland. But Ponies feared order, so cowardly sealed me away when they found brute force could not turn the tide of my will."

Tragedy sighed wondering how much of this was even accurate. Grogar's origins and rise to power had been vague and sketchy even during the age of myths. The only thing Master had spoken about him was 'the least fun and most rigid mortal, demi-mortal, ex-mortal, over-stay-his-lifetime-thingie, WHATEVER, ever!'

Flesh and blood Diamond Dogs, renegade changelings, sheep, minotaurs, dragons he bent to his will, and other diverse creatures were conscripted to replace the loss of his previous foot soldiers 'the Troggles' one of many species lost to history from the age of myths. With Queen Cadence I's demise he was one of the few beings that could promise to bring order to chaos, more than a few joined willingly, embracing Grogar's uncompromising order over Master's uncompromising chaos.

Traitors.

The opera also made no mention of the changelings once again forced to fight alongside Discord's minions. Grogar's world would have less room for love to exist than Discord's. New Avalon itself seemed to exist everywhere and nowhere.

"As long as any of you live, Avalon lives."

Twilight Tragedy shook her head to clear it, wondering where that memory came from.

Tragedy remembered how many young changelings had taken the chance to stab her in the back or pour clear acid in her drink when she wasn't looking. She politely informed them to stop wasting time and get back to what they were supposed to be doing after she regenerated.

"AH'M THE ONE who killed Queen Cadence! The rest never even touched her! They weren't even part of it! Ya wanna feel hate, then hate me!" Liarjack had finally chosen to say.

It worked. The changelings focused on finding a way to kill Liarjack between battles and plans to contain Grogar and send him and his small kingdom back to the void between worlds.

The plot ground to a halt for an hour or three as they witnessed scene after scene that seemed to serve no purpose but to show how evil Grogar was or how miserable a place Tambelon was to live. The characters were throwing the words 'Grogar is evil', 'Grogar is irredeemable', 'Grogar is heartless', 'Grogar is a villain' like they were going out of season.

"I am an eeeviiiill over-lord! But I am a smaaaarrt evil over-lord!"

"He's a smaaaaaart evil over-lord!" Sang the chorus costumed as Grogar's minions.

"And because I'm a smaaaaart evil over-lord! I'll make a list! And tell my minions what to and not do!"

"He'll make a list! And tell us to what do and not do!"

"And they'll be smart!"

"And we'll be smart!"

"In orderly fashion, nothing shall, ever, ever, EEEVEERR-go wrong!"

'But instead of next depicting epic battles, and or the sublime details of strategy, it has to break down into three hundred separate semi-stand alone sketches.' Many of which Tragedy questioned her memory on actually happening. Twilight Tragedy had to make a break for the little filly's room (found herself feeling distracted the entire show), but highlights included as follows:

"We are so smart! We are so smart!" Sang the minions in front of a background Tambelon, "We are wearing clear plexiglass visors, not face concealing ones! Now no pony will sneak past us!"

A seapony dressed up like Rarigreed peaked behind a rock, got a good look at their faces through their plexiglass visors, and proceeded to paint up a perfectly detailed mask of their faces behind their clear plexiglass visors.

'Rarigreed' then pushed over a pile of rocks, to which the minions looked the opposite way. "HA! A large and obvious noise! Must be a distraction! The real intruder must be this way!"

'Rarigreed' then knocked out the two guards and pulled the mask over her face (and put a mask of herself over those of the guards who proceeded to attack each other upon waking up) and waltzed through the gate, taking a moment back to blow a kiss to the audience.

"She's so lovely." Rarigreed admired.

The truly weird thing was, that was one Tragedy was sure actually happened.

"I am so smart!" Grogar declared.

"He is smart!" The minions sang.

"My air ducts are super tiny! Nothing can get through them!"

"My air ducts are super tiny! Nothing can get through them! Including air!" The minions reached for their throats and began to wave their 'hands' pathetically. "Our deep deep underground dungeons need air!" And fell over.

"I am not keeping my bell which is the source of my power on the Mountain of Despair beyond the River of Fire guarded by the Dragons of Eternity! That's bound to attract heroes! It is now being kept in my safe-deposit box! It's much safer there!"

The tiny, pathetic bank behind Grogar was promptly blown up, a grinning Fluttercruel doing the cliche 'sneaking walk' off stage with a grin on her face.

"We are so smart! Because we are following our evil overlord's list! The giant red 'Do Not Push' button will not blow up the base but in fact unleash a barrage of arrows on anyone who pushes it! Ha ha ha!"

Traitor Dash came up behind him and -pushed- the minion onto the big red button.

Two minions sang in front of a tied up, gagged, and chained Fluttercruel.
"We are so smart! We are not interrogating our valuable prisoner behind several heavy defenses of the inner sanctum! But here in a small hotel well outside the protection of our borders!"

A giant rock fell on them. Above the furry puppet Discord waved at the audience.

(Tragedy actually remembered that one, Master had dropped a castle sized rock on the motel, then melted a hole through the rock to let Fluttercruel out, and handed her a mace. She squealed joyfully and flew back down on the hole to play with the minions the rock had trapped underneath).

"Fluttercruel was twice as cute when that really happened," The real Discord said.

"Good thing we're cremating our important slain enemies after emptying several crossbow bolts into them instead of throwing them off a cliff." Said two garbage disposal minions to each other (they sure got around a lot). That was when a flaming Angry Pie burst out of the incinerator roaring.

"Did they have to include that one?" The real Angry Pie muttered.

"We have eliminated all incompetent and inept officers and commanders in the enemy's forces Our lord!"

"Excellent! Now they'll surely give up now that their source of humor is gone!"

"Master! The enemy's army has quadrupled in efficiency!"

"Hmmmm..." Thought Grogar as he faced the elements of chaos, "I shall not turn into a giant monster. Because it never helps. Even though it would heal my injuries, increase my defense and offense, and I'm already a large target so it's not like any of their attacks are missing anyway. Because it never helps."

The next scene showed Discord turning giant and stepping on Grogar's crack troops who had broken into the castle throne room.

"I will not grow a goatee. In the old days they made you look diabolic. Now they just make you look like a disaffected member of Generation X? Who wrote this one?"

A minion slowly raised his hand.

Puppet Discord smashed through the wall. "I just heard! Who wrote that?"

Grogar pointed.

Both titans of evil vaporized said minion together and declared a one day truce to celebrate.

"I am so smart! I am keeping my prisoners apart in separate cell blocks! And the only key is around my neck!"

"Master! The prisoners have escaped!"

"HOW?!"

"They began tunneling at the same time, we tried to stop them, but we were so spread out we couldn't! And we didn't have keys to open the cell door and catch them!"

"I am so smart! I am riding in the REAR of my army into battle, which is bound to inspire my troops! And I am not seeking out my opposite number even though he's slaughtering my troops left and right and I'm the only one in my power class who can take him!"

A soldier fighting on the front lines looked to the one next to him "If Master Grogar is so great and powerful, why is he hiding behind us while we're fighting on the front lines and being slaughtered?"

"I will not engage an enemy single-handedly until all my soldiers are dead. . . Why are you all defecting?"

"I WANNA JOIN YER SIDE! I WANNA JOIN YER SIDE!" 'Liarjack' declared to 'Grogar.'

"HA! Like I'd believe such an obvious lie!"

The real Liarjack's eyes shifted "Yeah, no way Ah figured an orderly evil tyrant might be better than a chaotic evil tyrant or was hoping to help Grogar finish him off and convince him later a happy population was a much more efficient and orderly one."

"I am so smart! I employ only bounty hunters who work for money!"

"Here ya go, double of what Grogar is paying you."

"I am so smart! I designed my fortress hallways with no alcoves or protruding structural supports which intruders could use for cover in a firefight!"

The Daring Do jingle played in the background as a boulder rolled by, chasing Grogar's minions.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHH! We have no alcoves to hide behind which we could use to dodge the rebel's giant rolling rock!"

Traitor Dash actually laughed.

"Now that's just silly." Liarjack in the audience said.

"Don't you dare dismiss Tom's contribution to the war effort!" Rarigreed hissed.

"Attention! In Tambelon: Bulk trash will be disposed of in incinerators, not compactors. And they will be kept hot, with none of that nonsense about flames going through accessible tunnels at predictable intervals."

A flaming Angry Pie burst out of the garbage disposal roaring.

"I hate fire," Angry in the audience grumbled.

"Attention! In Tambelon: All publicly available maps of the fortress will have a room clearly marked as the Main Control Room. That room will be the Execution Chamber. The actual main control room will be marked as Sewage Overflow Containment."

Traitor Dash burst into the control room. "Wow! And I thought we were gonna have to crawl through the barely guarded sewer system and fight sewer monsters for eight hours or something to find this place."

"Remember men! No matter how many bugs we have in the system, We guards are instructed to treat every surveillance camera malfunction as a full-scale emergency."

"Sir! Camera 23B just flickered!"

"FULL SCALE EMERGENCY!"

"Sir! Camera 42 just flickered!"

"FULL SCALE EMERGENCY!"

"Sir! Camera 82 just flickered!"

"FULL SCALE EMERGENCY!"

"Sir! Camera URSTU just flickered!"

"FULL SCALE EMERGENCY!"

On stage Fluttercruel giggled as she caused the eightieth full scale alert that day just by jiggling the wires.

Tragedy tilted her head, "I forget, did Tambelon even HAVE security cameras?"

A barrel of gunpowder was pushed into a room with a Twilight Tragedy mask on it.

"It's the enemy! Charge'er all at once boys! Not one at a time with the rest of us at a safe distance like idiots would!" The guards covered the barrel of gun powder, and were all promptly blown up. Discord's troops calmly trotted past.

--
"We are so smart! All the control stations FACE the entry door so no one can sneak up on us!"

The door opened to reveal a cockatrice.

Twilight Tragedy remembered Master had actually wiped out the cockatrice, apparently he had a deep seated hatred of them. But she'd convinced him of their military applications so he brought them back... and made sure all of them faded with Tambelon. When Tragedy had tried to tell him that in five hundred years Grogar might tame them, she got a safe dropped on her head.

Grogar smashed into Discord's fortress with his army behind him. Found it empty, except for a small device with a blinking light counting down. Grogar fled immediately with his entire army.

"Now how did my egg timer get out here?"

Rarigreed finished her perfectly tailor made uniform of the enemy and sneaked in. After sneaking in several extra (non-poison) donuts into the guards' lounge.

A couple hours later she shouted! "LOOK! That fat guard's uniform doesn't perfectly fit him! All our uniforms are tailor made! He must be a spy!"

They clobbered him.

"Good job soldier for finding that spy! You're promoted to looking after the secret files!"

"They landed on the ship and are wrecking it! Turn the turrets inward!"

"They don't turn inward!"

"We're doomed!"

"I will make the main entrance to my fortress standard-sized. While elaborate 60-foot high double-doors definitely impress the masses, they are hard to close quickly in an emergency."

"GGGGAAAH! Why are our armies getting slaughtered simply because they have to exit the fortress one at a time single file?!"

"If I have several diabolical schemes to destroy the hero, I will set all of them in motion at once rather than wait for them to fail and launch them successively."

"Oh no! Our resources are spread so thin! And because they were spread so thin all the plans at once failed! And now the armies of chaos are prepared for all the plans we had!"

"Should the hero escape, I will not send my army on a suicide mission to chase him into an impenetrable asteroid field, burning swamp, or forest of carnivorous trees. They will instead flank the area if possible, and practice basic marksmanship while waiting for the hero to reemerge. Well-trained troops are difficult to come by, and if they let my enemy escape, then they need more training."

"... we've been sitting out here for three years, I don't think the chaos six are coming out. I think they had a secret passage to somewhere else inside."

"Shut up and keep practicing your crossbow!"

"Whatever my one vulnerability is, I will fake a different one. For example, ordering all mirrors removed from the palace, screaming and flinching whenever someone accidentally holds up a mirror, etc. In the climax when the enemy whips out a mirror and thrusts it at my face, my reaction will be 'Hmm... I think I need a shave.'"

Grogar was then punched in the face, the hoof now having several shards of glass in it that were now in his face instead.

"All firearms stored in easy-to-reach closets will be decoys that explode upon use. Furthermore, incompetent henchmen will be issued the same weapons and be instructed never to fire them. When the hero inevitably steals their weapon and tries using it, he will blow himself up."

"HALT OR WE'LL SHOOT!"

"Try me."

The guards pulled the trigger on the weapons that had been switched with the booby trap weapons and blew themselves up.

"I will decree that all hay be shipped in tightly-packed bales. Any wagonload of loose hay attempting to pass through a checkpoint will be set on fire."

The hay was set on fire, and so were the several sticks of TNT hidden inside.

Outside the world of make-believe Discord whispered to Fluttercruel, "You know, outside of Sky Ocean, I've mandated the fire and TNT to be real for this scene."

"Aww! Why couldn't we be watching one of those?!"

"Don't worry, I'll take you to one later."

"At least I didn't get lit on fire that time... " said Angry Pie.

"SHUSH!" Rarigreed whispered as loudly as possible.

"If I ever build a device to transfer the hero's energy into me, I will make sure it cannot operate in reverse.... I really should have made sure the hero wouldn't use it on ME first... dangit."

"If I have the hero cornered and am about to finish him off and he says "Look out behind you!!" I will not laugh and say "You don't expect me to fall for that old trick, do you?" Instead I will take a step to the side and half turn. That way I can still keep my weapon trained on the hero, I can scan the area behind me, and if anything was heading for me it will now be heading for him."

And was promptly attacked from behind (formally his side) where before he would have seen the attack coming with his peripheral vision.

"I will add indelible dye to the moat. It won't stop anyone from swimming across, but even dim-witted guards should be able to figure out when someone has entered in this fashion."

"Intruders!" The first set of guards ran away screaming from the rest of the guards after the enemy had hit them with water balloons filled with indelible dye.

"I will not have captives of one sex guarded by members of the opposite sex."

"You know I'm into fillies," Said Traitor Dash.

"Really?" Asked the female guard.

POW! "No."

"I will be an equal-opportunity despot and make sure that terror and oppression is distributed fairly, not just against one particular group that will form the core of a rebellion."

"He treats us ALL like garbage! Get'em!"

"I will exchange the labels on my folder of top-secret plans and my folder of family recipes. Imagine the hero's surprise when he decodes the stolen plans and finds instructions for Grandma's Goat Cheese Salad."

"HEY!" Rarigreed shouted, "Where's the recipe for his grandma's goat cheese salad?"

"I will instruct my guards when checking a cell that appears empty to look for the chamber pot. If the chamber pot is still there, then the prisoner has escaped and they may enter and search for clues. If the chamber pot is not there, then either the prisoner is perched above the lintel waiting to strike them with it or else he decided to take it as a souvenir (in which case he is obviously deeply disturbed and poses no threat). Either way, there's no point in entering."

"Do we have enough time to complete the escape tunnel?"

"Don't worry I hid the chamber pot."

"If I'm sitting in my camp, hear a twig snap, start to investigate, then encounter a small woodland creature, I will send out some scouts anyway just to be on the safe side. (If they disappear into the foliage, I will not send out another patrol; I will break out the napalm.)"

Burning Angry Pie burst from the painted forest backdrop.

"Just how many times during that war did you get lit on fire?" Twilight asked the real Angry Pie.

"Too many!"

"I will order my guards to stand in a line when they shoot at the hero so he cannot duck and have them accidentally shoot each other. Also, I will order some to aim above, below, and to the sides so he cannot jump out of the way."

"Good thing those guards were all in a neat line for me to tackle down like dominos." Said Traitor Dash.

"I'm just happy only a few of the bolts were aimed at me, the rest were bad shots, I may not have been able to block them all," said Rarigreed.

"Ropes supporting various fixtures will not be tied next to open windows or staircases, and chandeliers will be hung way at the top of the ceiling."

Fluttercruel giggled as she cut the rope from the ceiling.

"Whenever plans are drawn up that include a timetable, I'll post-date the completion three days after it's actually scheduled to occur and not worry too much if they get stolen. HEY! Where are all the materials and guards for this project?!"

"Well sir, the secret plans did say you didn't want it completed for three more days."

The Infernal Gallop from Orpheus and the Underworld (or the Can-Can) played in the background as guards ran away screaming from a toxic goo vat turned on its side rolling towards them via Rarigreed on the top trotting backwards with a smile on her face.

"My vats of hazardous chemicals will be covered when not in use. Also, I will not construct walkways above them."

"If my weakest troops fail to eliminate a hero, I will send out my best troops instead of wasting time with progressively stronger ones as he gets closer and closer to my fortress."

"Grogar's best troops have left Tambelon! Now is the time to attack!"

"When my guards split up to search for intruders, they will always travel in groups of at least two. They will be trained so that if one of them disappears mysteriously while on patrol, the other will immediately initiate an alert and call for backup, instead of quizzically peering around a corner."

"ALERT! ALERT!"

"Hi guys."

"It's the guy who vanished! Must a changeling! Get'em!"

"All I did was use the little minions' room!"

"I will hire an entire squad of blind guards. Not only is this in keeping with my status as an equal opportunity employer, but it will come in handy when the hero becomes invisible or douses my only light source."

"SEIZE HIM!" Shouted the actress Liarjack in an imitation of Grogar's voice.

"NO! SEIZE THEM!" Grogar shouted in a higher pitched squeaky voice thanks to some helium Tragedy had released into the chamber.

"I will have all hallways in my fortress randomly shift in decoration and color to negate the possibility of anyone blending into the surroundings.

I will install a fire extinguisher in every room ... three, if the room contains vital equipment or volatile chemicals."

"Wow, this fire extinguisher disguise is really paying off."

"The halls of my Fortress Of Clockwork Darkness will always be straight, and my guards will not be dispatched on winding patrols through the corridors. Rather they will be stationed, four at a time, back-to-back, at every intersection."

A scale replica of Tom rolled onstage and toppled the guards like bowling pins complete with sound effect.

"That's my Tom!" Rarigreed shouted happily.

"If I am fighting with my opposite number atop a moving platform, have disarmed him, and am about to finish him off and he glances behind me and drops flat, I too will drop flat instead of quizzically turning around to find out what he saw."

Grogar charged his powerful magic to petrify the draconequi, Discord ducked, Grogar quickly did too, Discord got up instantly and hit Grogar over the head with a Sherman Tank.

Tragedy calmly blasted the door mechanisms to the guards' quarters one after another. As soon as the alarm was raised there was much banging on the inside.

This was followed by a swift scene of Tragedy blasting a door mechanism for the room they had been locked in which caused it to swiftly open.

"You think it would be the other way around," 'Traitor Dash' observed.

"Yes you think so," 'Tragedy' commented.

+++

"Because we're the smart ones!" "And that's why we're the smart ones!" "How can this be! We're the smart ones!"

Angry Pie struggled in her chains to try and attack Discord as he was on his belly laughing with tears in his eyes. He hugged himself. "BWAAHAHA! OW! MY SIDES! BWAHAHAH!" He slammed his fist down as he continued to laugh himself silly at the opera. He rolled on the floor still giggling.

On stage a number of slaves introduced themselves to Fluttercruel as Grogar's personal female slaves who wanted to be liberated from him. The moment Fluttercruel's back was turned they tried to tickle her. "Nice try! But I am immune to tickling!" And brought out a giant feather and began to tickle them.

In the audience Twilight Tragedy remembered what had actually happened.
++++
Fluttercruel pulled the knife out of her head and smiled at the 'slaves.' "I like this game. My turn."

"Mommy."

And there were many loud noises and shaking of the room visible from the outside.
+++
Discord meanwhile had gotten Fluttercruel to laugh by tickling her with the tip of his tail under his chin. Which was rather gratuitous since she had actually laughed at a couple of the scenes by herself.

Eventually both got back in their chairs. Tragedy looked at them. Same sweep of their tail, the way they let their hoof/paw support their chin, but most important was their eyes. One lowered and one raised eyebrow, those eyes looking at all the world like it existed purely just to entertain them.

"Try to laugh at this!" A young seapony colt costumed as a faded blue unicorn with a brass fetlocks cutie mark shouted as he kicked onto stage. Several cheap cardboard cut out Tambelonian troops were set in his path to rampage through, using all four of his 'hooves' to rip through them. A seaglow pony projected light onto his 'horn' as massive magical hooves appeared beside him and trampled everything in his path at the endless tidal wave of 'enemies.'

"I hate how they're playing down Little Hex. I taught him a lot better than that," I vented.

"Artistic license," Rarigreed prattled.

"I still hate it," I answered back.

Little Hex was my eighth child. And these stupid seaponies couldn't even get his fighting style right. No you idiot! I didn't give birth to him! I hate stallions! Except my sons.

I've had twelve to twenty apprentices since, since everything began, counting Pound and Pumpkin. Stole them? Don't try to feed me horse apples, the Cakes were useless as parents. When she gave birth to them after everything began Tragedy tells me they forgot to cut the umbilical cords and somepony had to do it for them! Seriously! If you saw the disgusting state they were in covered in filth when I found them being laughed at by their parents you'd THANK ME!

How can I not know how many I've had? My apprentices aren't inventory, I don't keep stock.

How do I even pick an apprentice? It's not like I go hunting for one when the old one dies. They aren't cart parts. They aren't toys that I replace when the batteries die.

It's if I find a foal who's crying, -filly, mare, unicorn, pegasus, Virgacorn, doesn't matter- I measure them and I just ask them one question:

"They laughed at you?"

Little Hex answered, "Yes."

"Come with me."

No, I don't FORCE them to come with me. If I did, I'd have had a lot more. If they don't come, they haven't seen the truth yet!

He was a unicorn, I don't really recall seeing many when I adopted him. And yes others laughed at him. They're the only ones I know I can trust, the only ones I know who aren't laughing at me. After all, I'm a part of them and they're a part of me, and who'd laugh at themselves? It's stupid to think anypony would.

Ponies always forget somepony else has to hurt when they laugh, they'll pay for being so selfish, they DESERVE Discord!

Discord knows better than to ever touch any of my apprentices. Fluttercruel knows better than to 'toy' with them. Rarigreed knows better than to steal from them. Liarjack know better than to lie to them. And Traitor Dash knows better than to betray them.

Hurt them? I'LL KILL YOU! YOU HEAR ME! STUPID CHAIN CHAIR! I'LL KILL YOU!!! Yes I don't pull punches when teaching them! Who they fight aren't going to either! Yes I give them the hard knocks! Life is hard! I don't ENJOY IT! I don't hurt them just to hurt them! I'd never do that! I don't FORCE them to fight! They choose their battles!

Little Hex didn't let that he was a unicorn stop him from being down and dirty, he didn't let it stop him from being hands on. Discord let him use magic but Little Hex didn't rely on it.

He actually had the guts to take on Grogar head on, of course I had to use myself as a shield when Grogar tried to vaporize him. Then I had to break his leg after he refused to let me handle the fight with just me and the five others.

NO! I DIDN'T LET IT SET WRONG YOU BUCKING NAG! I SWEAR I'LL MURDER YOU!

But sooner than later, it happened to Little Hex like it happened to the rest. He became a stallion rather than a colt, then he got old, then his body became fragile, then his heart stopped. Thieving time. Thieving death. I'd kill it if it dared show its face to me! Discord won't make them immortal like me! He says he can't! He must be lying! I hate when he laughs at me! But I hate it more when he won't let me keep them forever!

Pound and Pumpkin? They were UNBEATABLE as a pair! And they were the only ones of my apprentices to ever be better than me. Even one on one I was hard pressed to knock them over. Pegasi are supposed to fragile, there was nothing fragile about Pound, and he lived up to his name, oh yes.

I saw him break every bone in a Minotaur's body single hooved! He was fantastic! And Pumpkin, heh, no one ever tried to fight her and walked away. No they never asked about their parents. And I never told them.

My apprentices were the only ones who never laughed at me. Or at anyone else. They knew what it's like to be laughed at, even if it was as filth covered toddlers by their own parents.

Just like all my later students, they knew laughter for what it is. And I made sure not Liarjack, not Discord, not Fluttercruel used them for their cheap laughs.

Maybe, just maybe, when Discord had laughed enough at the world, the world will see it isn't a laughing matter.
+++++
I used to be known as Rainbow Dash, the pony who didn't know fear, and I'm downright CREEPED OUT whenever Angry Pie takes a foal under her hooves. Even Tragedy shivers a little. No, not anything she does to them, her...

She just becomes so calm for the fifty or sixty years they last before the trumpet calls. All that rage, fury, hate, it's all still there! But it's like an ocean after a storm, those same waters that were killing ponies a minute ago turn so still!

She's just as determined to smash the life out of anything that she hears or thinks she hears laugh. But, she's actually MORE determined to beat the life out of anypony that crosses her apprentice. Liarjack told a kind hearted white lie to apprentice number three once... it took a lot for her element of chaos to rebuild her.

I remember when apprentice number five was smashing her way through, I think it was dragons at that point, and began laughing her head off in the middle of the killing field. Angry Pie leapt in front of her, reared her hoof back, and punched the head off the dragon who had been right behind her student, then hugged her!

Sweet everything, it's down right CRAZY! Like someone pulls a switch! And moment they're buried in Angry Pie's private graveyard, she seals it off and suddenly we've got a wild animal that walks on four hooves again!

The worst part? When they're around, I can almost see her smile, I can almost see a memory, of a dream, of a ghost, of the Pinkie Pie I knew and loved as my friend.
+++++

'Grogar' slowly faded away along with his city. "I am order, I am law, I am the overwhelming power that crushes all that stands in my way, I am the force that bends all to my will. I will force all under my hooves, for I am the weight that chains all against the endless storms of chaos. I will be the one to bring peace and stability to all that lives under my rule. I shall return. I shall always return. Tambelon shall always rise again, and so shall I."

Puppet Discord then hit Grogar in the face with a cream pie, and the play ended with a reprise of 'Let The Bell Of Chaos Ring' to cheers and fin clapping. Tragedy dimly remembered the exchange ending slightly different. Grogar had faded back into his exile, -laughing- at Master?

Tragedy wondered why the opera left that out, wasn't this supposed to be a comedy? It was the only time she'd seen Grogar laugh. Or Master so furious.

"I hope you enjoyed the show!" Seawing swam out and took a bow as the musicians and actors and effects crew did the same.

"It . . . it made me laugh." RD smiled in spite of herself. LJ gently hugged her.

"I can't wait to tell your brothers and sisters at home Ruby."

"Say hello to them for me." Seawing bowed.

Angry Pie and Fluttercruel both agreed it needed more explosions.

"Let this be a lesson my Twilight Tragedy," Master said glancing at her. "All the 'evil overlord list' does is trade one set of predictable patterns for another. Any ANY pattern is exploitable. Falling into any pattern is a trap. Any pattern... a trap." Discord gritted his teeth for less than a moment.

Tragedy obediently nodded. "Yes Master."

+++

Apple Pie. Why?

What entertainment value did it have to Master to spare her life? And to deny Fluttercruel a chance to amuse herself no less? (How much are you sure she matters?)

Twilight Tragedy looked around her spartan bedroom. Again nothing. Was she developing split personalities? Working for an insane master did tend to drive one's self insane and she had served him for at least a thousand years. Why did Angry Pie suddenly come to mind?

Well, Tragedy was sure Apple Pie mattered. Had to matter. Or at least, thoughts of her wouldn't leave Twilight alone. She was a sliver in Tragedy's brain that would not leave her alone. She needed answers. (If you need information take it.)

Yes. She would not gain her answers sitting here. It would be gamble, but she was sure Master would approve once she had explained her snap decision to follow an impulse, it was the sort of thing Master would do after all.

I sat in the garden again. Coming here, thinking whether or not to finally go through with my plan. Fluttercruel and Angry Pie were practicing on that Poison something or other they had brought to the castle to sate Fluttercruel's sadism and Angry Pie's rage. Liarjack was with Rarigreed again listening to her describe her treasures. And Traitor Dash was all alone with Master once again. I had given Spike his wash and had stayed with him until he fallen asleep.

So here I was again, wondering about going through with this crazy plan, that in of itself should have been proof enough I should do it. After all, wasn't 'crazy' what it was all about?

The stars, so far away, slowly changing, slowly ROTTING. Day for less than a minute this time. The sky random and mindless, was it also rotten? Then the stars again and their slow, slow decay, did they have a point? And yet,

"They are still beautiful," I whispered watching the stars above me. They had been as much my companions these thousand years as much as Spike.

This alien curiosity would not leave me alone, and until it did, I could not find peace with my purpose again.

I do not have a precise clear-cut idea of where I am going, so best to avoid teleportation, being immortal didn't make teleporting inside a wall any more pleasant. And if I went by sky, I was more likely to be spotted. So that means I'll have to hoof it. This is going to be a long trot. I consider telling Master or one of the others, but this is going hard enough without outside interference.

(Outside opinion may taint your findings.)

Outside bias would taint the data after all, it's best to go it alone.

I pass the maids as I go, all of them with smiles on their faces as they use their rags and buckets to dirty up the castle to keep it from becoming clean. Depending on what Master has raining, that's sometimes harder than it looks. Sometimes he plays with them by making it rain soap and water. That pony that circles the castle gets a smile when that happens and she watched the bubbles float by.

Out the Tea-Kettle Gate I go, between the Bikehelmet Gate and the East Dakota Gate. At least I didn't turn into a giant snail, chicken, or rolling dragon egg this time going through the passage.

"Go away! I'm not going to stop! Not when it's for her!"

It was her again. Crippled wings, formally broken legs that hadn't set right, filly shaped muffin on her back, being bounded by the blackbirds. Best to just pass her by and... I'm curious what her name is. I've, I've always been curious what her name is but, I've only put minimal effort into it before. One curiosity makes another harder to bear.

She just keeps up her rambling and the birds just keep trying to peck apart her cargo. One thousand years and they've still not managed to get it from her.

(You shouldn't get distracted.)

I shouldn't get distracted. But I am doing this to unburden this new curiosity, in for a bit, in for jewel.

Primary Obstacle: blackbirds.

Solution: remove.

A blast of ice magic and the birds were sealed inside some ice-cubes until they melted out or they remanifested. Either way, they are out of my way for now.

The gray pony just kept mumbling to herself. "Go away, just go away-"

"Hello," I said in the stern, hard voice I could manage. Nothing.

I stood in front of her. She bumped right into me and tried to keep going. I held her up with my magic.

Now I had her attention. "NO! STOP! LET ME GO! DON'T LET THEM HURT HER!"

"What is your name?"

"LET ME GO! LET HER GO! HE SAID HE WOULDN'T CHEAT!"

This was useless. I released her. And began walking backwards as she continued to trot. It's surprising how fast she can trot with those hurt legs.

"I froze the birds. What is your name?"

She actually startled. But kept trotting like always. "Y-you froze the-"

"They'll melt out sooner or later. I froze them to ask you a question. Consider the reprieve a trade for the information I want. What is your name?"

"It's... her name is Dinky." She glanced at the muffin.

I suppressed a groan, I didn't need to know the name of baked-goods, "What is your name?"

"It's... her name is Dinky and... my mother daughter's name is Sparkler and... "

"What is your name? I'll refreeze them for a little longer if you tell me." I felt dirty being reduced to deals.

"Ditzy Doo... or maybe it's Derpy Hooves. Maybe both?"

"Ponies don't have two names."

"What's your name?"

"Twilight Tragedy."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes I am sure." I was the one supposed to be asking the questions.

"Okay. I think it might be something else."

"We've never spoken before."

"Whiff blue way woe."

"What?"

"Sorry. Sometimes my mouth doesn't say what I want it to say, it's always been like that. I sometimes confuse west and north too."

"Not that big a loss," in Master's world.

"Thank you for stopping the birds."

"I did it only because I wanted to speak to you without interference."

"Wall the fame, blank blue."

"... You are welcome. Excuse me."

"Blue don't have to blow."

"Sorry. But I have somewhere I am going, and I won't be able to think straight until I've learned what's there."

"Bits been so long wince I balked with somepony."

"We can speak again when I am not busy."

"... Alright..."

Having burned enough time on an impulse (Master would approve) I continued toward my destination at a gallop. But, as promised, I quickly refroze the birds so they'd stay sealed a little while longer.

+++

I see Miss Tragedy run away to wherever she's going to. Her face is so blank. It feels so familiar. It's been so long since... since I've...spoken to anypony.

Lord Discord makes sure my memories don't fade no matter how many years pass. I remember Dinky's every smile, every skip. I remember the Doctor used to be a lot nicer too, now he acts just like Lord Discord.

I only know this because The Doctor comes out sometimes (he calls himself the Valeyard now), he, Fluttershy-Who-Isn't-Fluttershy 'Fluttercruel' and Discord sometimes come out here for funny face making contests.

Once Lord Discord had the Doctor, Lord Discord didn't stop, not for a moment, The Doctor kept screaming, his voice constantly changing but I knew it was him. Then one voice started laughing.

The voice laughed inside the castle, "A 'Doctor of Law' working with a god of chaos, you've got to love irony!"

I don't regret that I love my daughters again. Not for an instant.

I remember Sparkler, every gem, every pout. I remember Lord Discord making her a dancing purple crystal statue.

But they don't hurt. They push me forward, they keep me from falling, they lead the way. They're why I haven't given up. And why I won't give up. I won't abandon my babies, no matter how tiny the hope, I won't throw it away. When I've saved Dinky, I'll save Sparkler. After that, maybe I can save the Doctor too.

I waste rolling one of my eyes back towards the big ice cubes with the black birds in them, slowly cracking. I never stopped moving, and I won't stop moving. A faded streak of rainbow colors flashes past the ice-cubes, and I feel like the world just shook. I see the ice cubes holding the black birds flying over the horizon. I don't stop. I keep going. I know they'll be back. They're always back. But I'm happy for the reprieve. I'm thankful to whoever did it. I have six quadrillion laps around the castle to go after all.

Episode 73: (Dark World) Lemons and Flint Rocks

Pony POV Series
"Dark World" Part Five
By Alex Warlorn
Flint Rock
++++

I made Master proud again. I followed a gut instinct instead of a logical conclusion. Since I had virtually nothing to go on and no way to recover more at the moment, it was my only rational course of action given that I wished to complete this quest as swiftly as possible. The sooner this was resolved, the sooner things could get back to... normal? What was normal in Master's world? Abnormal was normal and normal was abnormal.

Apple Pie had felt familiar. So I had gone where I 'felt' she might be. Sweet Rock Acres outside of Ponyville, I knew the location, Liarjack had a habit of going out on a balcony and staring in its direction.

I didn't know how long I had before Master summoned me for what he wanted next. He could be anywhere doing anything at any time. Sometimes I barely had a chance to rest before he called me again, sometimes I had enough time to practice eighty new spells before he came back. Almost made me wonder what he was doing that moment.

"Hello ponies of Trotkyo, Neighpon! To help teach my adorable and wonderful minion Fluttercruel that chaos is about making yourself feel good and making others miserable is a means to an end, not an end unto itself (!) I, Discord-Sama-San-Kun The Super Kawaii, have selected you -via the precise science of blind dart board tossing- you fine, miserable ponies whose ancestors I had to enchant to keep from committing mass Seppuku (all I did was make the whole country a cheesy, plotless samurai flick, I just don't know what went wrong). Yes, you fine ponies who spend everyday it seems just waiting to die and continue to have children out of a sense of tradition more than anything.

"You have become utterly indifferent to my games and seem to rush towards my little princess and Angry Pie with open hooves whenever they come to visit and have only encouraged her behavior. So, you're getting the super Discord deluxe special!

"You lot over there are now cat-filly-ponies! Nice bell collars! Cute cat ears and all those other cliche cute feline things!"

"Meow! Purrrrfect!"

"And you good pony! Let's give you some scales instead of fur, and a really long neck, divide up your psyche and give each one a head! Ta-da! The world's first hydra pony!"

"I/We/They-Am/Are-Very/A little/kinda-confused/angry/scared/giddy!"

"You lot over there, in sailor uniforms, you girls. Stand up on your rear hooves, readjust your spines, give you opposable-thumbs and, ta-da! Anthro-ponies!"

"What are these round things on our chests?"

"And where are you cute little foals running from? Let's see, and THERE! You look right out of Generation Three Point Five! Oh that takes me back!"

"?ytrap a evah ot stnaw ohW"

"And talk backwards! HAHA! And YOU there now resemble my cousin Ponythulu! Maybe later I should have you fight the Hydra Pony after making you both the size of buildings, you ponies love your giant monster fights. And next we have transparent hug and nuzzle happy slime ponies like you see on some websites!"

"Hey! Stop hugging me!"

"Now now, princess, no weapons. Now where was I? Oh yes, since I made a bunch of mares cat-filly-ponies, I'll make you guys dog-colt-ponies! Be sure to play nice with the fillies!"

"Bark-bark! Got no bone to pick with them!"

"You two hmmmm, what sour looks on your faces! I know! TA-DA! Kitsune-foxy ponies! Ooooh, looks like you love confusion and mischief as much as I do now... almost. Nice to see some ponies seeing things my way for once! I should have done that one sooner! HA! Don't think I didn't see you crack a smile for a second there my little Fluttercruel! Rapid fire! Android Maid Pony!"

"Observation: this is most illogical."

"Duh! That's the point! Next! You sneaking around the street corner! And now you're Fluffy Puffy Ponies! So round, huggable and soft! Hmmm, I think you might actually be copyrighted! But when have the copyright gods stopped me-?! Aren't you adorable! BWAHAHAH!"

"We feel so puffy and light. Anypony wanna a hug?"

"Oh don't grimace Fluttercruel! Enjoy the ride! And you four, chinese dragon pony! So many legs. The four of you won't mind sharing one brain right? Ha!

"And the coup-de-grace!... You hiding under the upside down tree! Nice mare! Brave mare! You get the special honor! And ala-kaaa-ZAP!"

"Since when is exploding an special honor?"

"I didn't explode her my princess! That's boring. Look!"

"Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!" "Oh my!"

"What-the-Grandma-"

"If you're curious what you are, you're called Breezies, that's the species name, not you, the person, or rather persons now."

"Oh my!" "Oh dear!" "Oh dear!" "Oh Dear!" "What's this!" "What's this!" "Don't hurt me more!" "Change me, er, us back!" "WOW! I can fly!" "I feel pretty!" "I'M A STALLION NOW?!" "Why aren't we all the same color?" "Just a bad dream!" "A happy dream!" "Erm. Which one of us is the original?" "I think we all are." "This is cool!" "This creepy!" "HOW IS MY COLT FRIEND GONNA ACCEPT ME, US, NOW-?!"

"Hmmm. I guess you could use a few more to have a viable population model."

"You had to open your big mouth!" "Sorry!" "Maybe this way we all get to still be with him?" "But I'm a guy now!" "Maybe some of him will be fillies?" "That's besides the point!" "Leave him alone!" "Zap-'em!" "How can you say that!" "Don't wanna be alone." "Everypony run!" "Everypony scatter!" "Everypony stand together!" "Everypony rush him at once!" "Everypony go off in pairs!" "Everyone Cluster together!" "Stop it!" "You're all crazy!" "You're crazy!" "If everyone else but us are crazy, does that make us the crazy ones?"

"Don't worry about having identical Egos, you'll individualize sooner than later! Now then! My recreated races, new species, and sideshow freaks! A parade in my honor, and more importantly that of maybe my minion learning a bit more about the many unique wonders of chaos! Look deeply at my waving swirlie baton now! Get in a rough, vague, ill defined line! And forward! We'll all have a swim with the self-animated inflatable pool toy ponies afterwards!

"And remember! No more anger! Your world is happy and mundane! Just ask the marching tori gates and dancing water coolers!"

Fluttercruel couldn't help herself anymore, she laughed.

Anywhere, doing anything at all.

So this is Sweet Rock Acres huh? I don't know what I was expecting but I have to say I'm kinda disappointed. No I did not speak out loud. I am not stupid. If a subject knows they are being observed, this shall invariably change their behavior. But first I needed to find her.

Stupid rock farm. Rarigreed wasn't completely interested in these places, she only seemed interested in 'ripe' rocks, however that works. How did these even work anyway? It was completely illogical. Did Master make them grow and make the inside edible? Then why were rock farms in the books from the Pre-Chaos Era?

(Isn't it rather hypocritical for such a logical pony to serve the antithesis of reason?)

If the voice hadn't had a source before, I saw no reason why it would suddenly have a source now. However. 'People work best together when they balance each other. A logical pony is the only one who could serve a Master who contradicts reason.'

(Don't you mean ponies 'instead' of 'people'?)

'The world is made up of more than just ponies. It would be self-centered.'

The rock fields went on for miles in every directions, ranging from sizes from boulders like Tom to pebbles. But, there was a sense of loose organization to it. Patterns. Like a classic zen rock garden. I felt the slightest tingle of magic flowing through these lines. It so sublime however I couldn't determine its nature with just a passive detection. My curiosity teased me again. Great. More complications. More details. I'd do that after I had observed Apple Pie and gathered enough information.

(And how do you intend to do that?)

With my eyes and ears of course.

(And do you think you'll gather enough data by the time your 'Master' calls you back? And what happens when he learns what you're doing? Do you think he'll like you prying into his private life? His little secrets? Do you really believe that if he thinks you'll learn something from her that he doesn't want you to that he won't shut off the source? He did instantly send the six of you home after meeting her.)

. . . And I'll never be at peace.

(Precisely. You need a more direct route.)

What do you mean?

(Ask her.)

That is illogical. She'll never answer truthfully and openly with one of Master's six after our purge of Ponyville.

(Correct.)

And? So what then?

(You can't figure it out for yourself? A smart pony like you.)

If she won't answer one of Master's six. Therefore another must ask. But the fewer who know the better. And I don't have time to collect a proxy. Therefore I must ask. This is a contradiction.

(You are overthinking things.)

Simplest solution? Apple Pie just need not know she is speaking to one of Master's six.

(Correct.)

The correct spells needed are obvious then.

(Correct.)

It shifted to day.

As the saying goes: nothing else to it. I've had since the beginning of everything to expand my library of magic. I've replicated magic from unicorns, virgacorns, pegasi, hippogriffs, and changelings.

I retrieved the necessary spell from my mind, adjusted my own magic to cast it, and picked the most appropriate form I could imagine.

I magic up a mirror to check my looks, remember I can't use that kind of magic in this form, and use a nice nearby puddle. Perfect.

Now to trot into the rock farm and find the source of my contradictions.

Let's see. Several barns full of rocks. A farm house. A tool shed. An out house. Mostly made of stone blocks. Rock tools neatly organized. Rocks of all shapes and sizes, drab gray rocks, bright colored rocks, plaid rocks, night glow rocks (the non-radioactive kind), Pony Eating Rock, wait what-?!

The Pony Eating Rock opened its jaws, revealing its long pointy teeth, its tongue drooling at me, it had no eyes but I knew it was looking right at me! It made an intelligible noise that I think meant it was hungry. Why wasn't I moving? WHY WASN'T I MOVING-?! It opened its jaws up bigger and reached out its tongue, slowly wrapping around me.

"Here boy!" A stick of dynamite arced through the air and went straight into the Pony Eating Rock's mouth. It made a noise of surprise and exploded, forcing me to cover my face for protection. Can't regenerate where the subject might see me.

An Earth pony filly with an orange mane galloped next to me. She had a pale pink coat, but all pony colors are pale. I noticed her cutie mark was a bundle of dynamite. She pulled down around neck a pair of goggles.

"Ya okay?" She asked polite concern in her voice, greeting me like an old neighbor.

She was talking to me? "I am fine." Being eaten once by a dragon was bad enough.

"HEY! What did we tell ya about yer kind comin' round here?!" Shouted another filly, this one with a white mane and light gray coat, but decidedly a filly. Her cutie mark was a jack hammer.

The gray filly stomped over to the former giant pony eat rock, that was now several little Pony Eating Rocks. The small horde took one look at the second's filly's face and managed a good job of looking afraid at her stare. The second filly grinned, "Or maybe ya want to see how many of ya can fit inta a rock pie?"

The small horde of Pony Eating Rocks broke into a panic and hopped away as fast as their non-existent legs could carry them.

"AND DON'T COME BACK!" The first filly shouted at the retreating avalanche. Then gave a small kick to a random big rock hard enough to form a small crack in its surface. "You too!"

And the rock formed a frowning scared fanged mouth and got up on comically thin legs and skittered away following the avalanche.

I felt my jaw drop from my face.

"Sorry 'bout that. Annoyin' buggers," said the filly with the TNT cutie mark with slightly higher than normal volume, "Ah'm Cream Pie. Ah blow stuff inta cream."

"You don't say." I replied.

"And This here bundle of sunshine is Banana Pie."

"Howdy." Said the gray filly giving a quick salute kicking her hooves together.

"Welcome to Sweet Rock Acres!" they both exclaimed, their yell almost knocking me off my hooves.

The first pony crossed her forehooves and smiled while the second one smirked. "What can Ah do ya for?" Cream Pie asked.

"I'm, I'm looking for a filly named Apple Pie, orange coat, green mane. I think her eyes are orangish gold?" Why did that eye color feel familiar? And why did 'Cutie Mark Crusader Book Editors' keep popping into my head and making me shudder when I think of it?

"Sure we do! She's mah little sister!" Cream Pie answer, hopping up to me with a big smile. "What business ya got with her?" Asked in a perfectly open and welcoming manner.

Two pairs of blue eyes looked at me brightly.

I kicked my brain into overdrive. "I heard how brave she was in Ponyville when the elements of chaos came to town, and I wanted to meet her."

Their faces turned sullen.

"She shouldn't have even been there. Learin' magic is mighty risky." Said the filly whose special talent was apparently making things explode.

"If the Virgacorns wanna get hurt then that's their business, but Apple Pie shouldda known better than to get involved," Added Banana Pie.

"All the same I really want to meet her," I said.

Banana Pie looked at my flank curiously. "Nice cutie mark! What's it fer?"

My cutie mark now was a single little white star. It was impossible to truly fake a cutie mark, but a couple simple illusion and image spells let you at least cover up part of it. An old trick among celebrity ponies but effective and more reliable than a sticker.

"It's for star gazing," I answered without missing a beat.

The fillies said nothing, ponies had cutie marks for stranger things.

"Come'on! We'll take ya to big sister! She's likely in 'er room," said Banana Pie.

We trotted to the farm house, about the only thing not made of stone was the door and windows. From the sky, it probably looked unremarkable from above, which made it safer for them. -Of course Master would see that as a challenge.-

Cream Pie skipped, almost bounced ahead energized while Banana Pie stayed next to me taking in every detail of me, I'd be nervous if I could feel.

I notice scarring on Banana Pie's back, I couldn't tell if they were fang or claw marks, but it had been something big.

We were just at the front steps when the ground rumbled.

I felt it a lot sooner than I normally would have as a unicorn. The fillies kept straight faces and actually smiled a bit. I braced for whatever came next.

A diamond dog dug his way out of the dirt, his crystalline form resistant to the dirt and grim he had just been borrowing through.

"Peace, love, and mercy to all that lives." The diamond dog bowed at us.

"Howdy Guru Fido." Cream Pie waved. Banana Pie gave a quick salute.

"Greetings Earth Pony Cream Pie. Earth Pony Cream Pie. And... what may this Earth Pony's name be I ask?"

"That's right we didn't catch yer name," Banana Pie asked looking at me grinning.

"Oh it's... it's... it's-"

"Oh, are ya surprises at Guru Fido? He's a Diamond Dog. He's a dog and he's made of diamond!" Banana Pie exposed. Least she didn't start jumping from topic to topic.

"Technically my people are not made 'from' diamonds, but do have a very similar cellular structure to diamonds and share the same physical resistance," the Guru corrected in a relaxed, calm voice.

I knew all that. Ahem. During the day of chaos, the Diamond Dogs, used to running from danger, dug deeper and deeper into the Earth than they ever had before in the mad fantasy this would help them escape Master.

Meanwhile the Diamond Dogs' primary predator, the Quarray Eels were among the species driven extinct accidentally by Master's games (Master turned them into balloon animals, if I'm not mistaken, and no one called him evil for it). But this was the last thing on their minds.

According to what information we were able to extract over the centuries, they had found a jewel buried deep beneath the ground. Set in a chamber inside a series of tunnels clearly made instead of formed naturally.

The diamond dogs being greedy and covetous creatures, had all reached for it, and so they had all fought for it. The details differed at this point. Either the gem shattered, an unnamed Diamond Dog had held it for a moment and had randomly thought of wishing to be smarter, an impression of the jewels' previous owners acted, or the jewel's magic itself was disgusted by their avarice. No matter what happened, in a flash of magic, spreading through the tunnels, the diamond dogs had become the living crystal beings they were now, from the highest Alpha Male to the lowest pup and Omega Female.

For a couple minutes they tried to kill each other, their greed for gems still driving them, but then they simply, stopped, and thought, for a good twenty years. Turns out the crystal's energies had also increased their intellect and connection to the world at large. And with the Quarray Eels gone, and under Master's radar, they had the chance to stay in one spot and built their culture and civilization. Of course, this is all second hoof information.

What do you mean, 'lecture mode?'

I had known all this already. The simple fact was I had forgotten to invent an alias!

"What is your name purple Earth pony?" Guru Fido asked politely.

"It's..." Filly: Pony at the dawn of her life. Twilight. Between day and night. Light. Half light.

"I'm Half-Light Dawn." I managed at last.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Earth Pony Half-Light Dawn."

"The same." I played back. I began thinking of explanations for my reaction if need be.

"Guru Fido. Ya here for yer weekly trade?" Asked Cream Pie.

"Yes my dear I am."

"Whao okay just a tic'." Cream Pie galloped a short distance over into one of the barns. "HEY!" She called from within, "Watcha doin' in here?"

"Restin'?"

"Ya got a bedroom fer that!" And out was kicked a third Earth Pony filly.

She wasn't wearing that ridiculous white bonnet she had on when I first saw her selling rocks in Ponyville.

Cream Pie came out a minute later carrying four baskets of rocks with a surprising amount of ease, even for an Earth Pony filly.

"Greeting Earth Pony Apple Pie."

"Howdy Guru Fido."

Cream Pie hoofed off the baskets to Guru Fido, and then tossed a couple smaller stones on top of the one of the baskets. "A little somethin' for the Misses and yer litter Guru Fido."

"Thank you Earth Pony Cream Pie." The diamond dog then brought out several baskets of rainbow colored jewels which Apple Pie took back.

Master had a love/hate relationship with the diamond dogs, they kept peacefully accepting every drop of chaos he threw into the universe, and were a lot harder to drive insane than ponies and would often forgive him whenever he'd torment them.

(Discord doesn't deserve forgiveness.)

On the other hoof, their resistance to damage meant Master could play rougher with them. And Master liked to drive one crazy slowly over the course of a few years whenever he felt like he wanted a challenge.

"Um...Guru Fido...Before yah go could you...you know..."

"Of course, Earth Pony Apple Pie," Guru Fido replied with a somewhat solemn but still calm tone. He stepped off to the side and he and the three Pies all bowed their heads. I didn't want to stick out, so bowed mine and listened closer. "Magica, my friend, may your soul rest peacefully now that your journey is done...And may those who took you from us be forgiven for their sins..."

I feel a strange tightening in my chest...What was that?

After ending his prayer or whatever that was, the Guru gave thanks again for the trade and dove back down, collapsing the tunnel as he went.

"You do business with Diamond Dogs?" I heard myself ask.

"Yep!" Cream Pie said proudly assuming a statuesque pose, "Grandma said our ancestor was the Diamond Dog King Big Barkintosh."

Curiously came unbidden about that strangely familiar name. "I'd like to speak with your grandmother."

"Oh... she and ma got turned inta dragons by LMCBB Discord and flew off and never came back... they do send lots of nice letters from Dracotopia though," Banana Pie said, not quite as disturbed as one would expect.

Cream Pie and Apple Pie bowed their heads for a second.

Dracotopia... oh right, after alien invasion and the fall of old Avalon the dragons' numbers were so damaged that for the first time in history the dragons came together, in the name of survival, into one flight under Queen Tiamat rather than just gathering to mates and the Dragon Migration. After five hundred years it was an iron clad nation with each of its citizens an army until themselves and a sense of community unseen dragons before. They even watched over some of the ponies who were willing to swear their lives to Tiamat.

'Keep the world build in dialogue?' What are you talking about? You make no sense. Are you related to Master?

"I see," I said, not knowing how else precisely I was to respond to that.

"So who are ya?" Apple Pie raised an eyebrow at me.

"She's Half-Light Dawn, little sister," Cream Pie said, patting me on the back so hard I almost staggered.

I opened my mouth before they could continue, "I heard about how you survived what happened in Ponyville with the elements of chaos, and I wanted to meet you. I wanted to meet somepony so-" I struggled for proper wordage, "-awesome, cool and radical!" Huh?! Where did that come from?!

"Aren't those the same thing?" Banana Pie asked, blinking in a comical fashion.

"Well to her they clearly ain't." Responded back Apple Pie who trotted forward, "So let's all get formal introduced, Ah'm Apple Pie of Sweet Rock Acres."

I shook her hoof. "I'm Half-Light Dawn, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Ditto!" The sun came down. "Dang! Wanna come inside? Ah'll show ya mah room."

"Can we talk about what happened in Ponyville?"

Apple Pie startled. She looked, hurt? "It's kinda, well, it's not really-"

"Please please please please PLEEEEASSSE? I'm going to go crazy if I don't hear about it from you! The source! I can't rest until I hear it all from you! Pretty pretty pretty pretty pretty please!" I trotted towards her and leaned forward and she leaned back as I got in her face.

"Well, Ah, uh,... maybe just a bit?"

I feel something inside me. Like a burst of something. Light, flowing, it pulled up on my facial muscles. I began to bounce around her.

"YES!YES!YES!YES!YES!YES!YES!YES!YES!YES!YES!YES!YES!YES!YES!"

The fillies all looked at each other then at me. "You okay?" Banana Pie asked tilting her head some.

I stopped myself. I felt a strange warmth in my face. What had come over me? I was supposed to get answers not more questions. "Uh, yes."

So into the farm house we trotted, right past a statue of an old pony who Cream Pie waved at while Banana gave another short salute. "Good-night Grandpa Rock Pie."

I am surprised that I was surprised when the statue smiled and saluted back. Rock Pie's cutie mark would, of course, be a pie full of rocks.

Inside an Earth Pony stallion wearing a ruffled pink apron (that matched his coat) with a red mane waved us in where he seemed to be making stone soup. Next to him were a bunch of blanks with what could been tiny city scape but were in a box scribbled 'circuit boards.' "Howdy girls! Whose yer friend?"

"Howdy dad! This here is Half-Light Dawn," Said Cream Pie, once more giving me a strong pat on the back. "She came ta see Apple Pie cause she survived Ponyville, and she nearly got eatin' by a rock."

"Ah thought we got rid of those things," He sounded annoyed.

"Don't worry, me an' Banana Pie weeded'em out," Cream Pie said happily like it was any other farm chore.

"Thought Ah heard an explosion, good job." The stallion then turned to me. "Well nice ta meetcha filly, Ah'm Apple Computer." That was a strange name. I saw his cutie mark was a keyboard, like a typewriter, and a screen with an apple on it. "Care for some rock soup?"

"Erm, I'm not hungry."

"Suit yerself."

Nopony asked where my parents were, thank the Master.

It was more than just the fillies, the grandfather, and the father in the farmhouse, which was not small for being made of stone bricks, how long had it taken to be built?

In the hallway I noticed a couple pictures that were faded, brittle, and slightly decayed that showed an Earth Pony on the cello with a music cutie mark, and a yellow Earth Pony Mare with a heart: hammer and wrench. What was familiar about them? The yellow one in particular just teased at my mind. But it was forgotten in the horde of relatives I was introduced to.

There was a baby colt named Orange Burst, a female toddler named Apple Juice, who were the sons of 'Aunt Apples N. Oranges.' A middle aged stallion named Uncle Crab Apple. A young adult pony dubbed Blackbird Pie. A pair of (non-identical) teenage colts twins, called Red Jack The 40th or something and Black Jack. Fruit-Of-The-Knowledge-Of-Good-And-Evil (actually an adopted mare who was originally part of the Pear clan). Cherry Apple. A hippgriff named Cheery Pie (her parents still wondering where she got those genes). Minty Pie. Rocky Pie II. And Humble Pie.

My entire head spun from the congo line of names and face. And the sense of being grateful I wasn't having food shoveled down my throat this time. This time? Why was I even feeling grateful at all?

I heard myself asking, "Is there a family reunion?"

Apple Pie shook her head (Cream Pie and Banana Pie had gone back to their chores, apparently there was always more work to be done on a farm). "Naw. Not really. It just pays off to have, to have... some back-up help, cause somethin' happens to somepony. "

That was when I noticed as I peaked in rooms, for every two beds occupied, there was one that was empty.

We got to Apple Pie's room, it was meant for more than just one filly. There were bunk beds on all sides of the room. Something told me the one with the camouflage pattern sheets and hanging headband was Banana Pie's, and the one with tools scattered about with a 'Cherry Bombs Out of Cherries' book was Cream Pie's.

I noticed some of them were empty. Not that strange when you think about it. But just, the way they were folded maybe, or how items were spaced around them, or the 'more empty than empty' vibe they gave off, or how Apple Pie avoided looking at them, it told me much.

I looked at the empty and preserved bed above next to the one Apple Pie sat on that I assumed was her own. "Who slept here?"

(You shouldn't have asked that. It doesn't have to do with your questions.)

I'm curious.

Apple Pie grimaced. This made no logical sense. Where was the filly who had laughed at Master's joke? Was this even the same filly?

"That there was Poison Apple's bed."

"Poison Apple?" I tilted my head. Had I heard that name in a fairy tale?

"She was Mah sister, Mah twin."

Her twin?

The green haired orange filly huddled close next to me. "Be quiet. We can get out of here. This castle is always changing but there's always a way out!" I whisper to her. The filly's cutie mark was an apple with a green skull.

"What about those bad mares?" She shuddered, she was covered in lashes on her back and face.

"Let me worry about them!"

Angry Pie turned around a corner and leapt at us. Maybe she smelled our blood. "FOUND YOU!"

"GOT YOU!" I blasted her through a wall.

"Hey, Ah never asked, what yer name?"

I smile at her, "It's Twilight Sparkle. Now let's hurry before more show-"

Discord appeared floating in a lounge position, "Now now Twilight, did you run off with one of Fluttercruel's toys?"

"Poison run!" I shouted at her.

"Ah can't-"

"DO IT!"

She ran away as fast as her legs would carry her.

"Alright Discord." I gritted my teeth and lowered my horn, "I'm-" He snapped is finger. "-ready to obey your commands my Master."

"Be a dear and recapture that little filly running behind you that somehow escaped."

"Yes Master." I turned around and created several magical shackles from made from my own mana, they flew towards the fleeing filly like cobras, and clamped around her legs and began to drag her back towards me.

"Miss Twilight Sparkle! What are you doin'?!"

"I do not know any pony named Twilight Sparkle, you are confused, I am Twilight Tragedy."

Angry Pie crawled out of the wall and punched me in the face. I don't try to understand her reasoning. Fluttercruel flutters past Master and I give the end of the chains to her.

Angry Pie growled, "She'll never laugh at me again!"

Fluttercruel smiled, "She'll never laugh at anything again soon enough." She created a meat cleaver from one of her feathers.

"Ah never laughed at ya!" Cried out the unnamed filly.

"LIAR!" Angry Pie brought her hoof down so fast the filly's teeth flew.

"Dawn? Dawn! Ya okay? Yer were in Breezie Land." Apple Pie asked.

I looked at her, and then at her cutie mark. Another sensation, like my chest was being constricted... I didn't like it. I asked, "Apple Pie, so Poison Apple was your identical twin?"

"How'd ya know?"

"It's, just what everypony thinks when they think of twins."

"Oh right. Yeah. She was, then she got taken ta LMCBB Discord's castle by Fluttercruel. She ain't the first taken ta never come back."

"I see...." I came to this filly looking for answers, but I was becoming only more confused.

Thankfully, the subject was changed by the sound of a rather gigantic explosion from outside. "Pa! What happened!" called Apple Pie sticking her head out the bedroom door echoing through the stone house.

"Oh, just an old land squid wandered too close to the house! Don't worry none, Cream Pie got 'em!" called back Apple Computer, his voice as if it were a normal everyday occurrence.

"Oh! Okay!" Apple Pie replied, then turned to me. "Looks like the rock soup will have extra flavor tonight."

No, I wasn't surprised that they were going to eat it, ponies had given up their stigma about eating meat about five hundred years ago (though cannibalism was still considered a taboo by most ponies). What surprised me was how they just rolled with it. A monster attacks the farm, they just blow it up and move on like it's business as usual. Was Master's world really so predictable that ponies considered this normal? It couldn't be, ponies still panicked when Master sends a disaster down on them, unless they're either too badly broken or insane to care. But these ponies were neither!

"Ya wanted ta know 'bout Ponyville?"Apple Pie finally asked, rousing me from my thoughts.

"Oh! Yes I did! Everything about it! Tell me!"

"... Mah best friend's name was Magica. She was a Virgacorn. She had purple stripes, yer cutie mark actually kinda reminds me of hers." I said nothing. "She'd come by, just buy a tiny cherry pebble or two, but who she really came fer was Guru Fido and the other Diamond Dogs who come by. She'd spend hours at first just talkin' to'em. She kept wantin' to learn from'em. One day Guru Fido couldn't make it. Ma suggested she help me with mah chores, told her all clever like it would be somethin' new to learn. So she did. Heh! She caught on by the end of the shift. So Ah asked her if she wanted to play. Heh, turns out she was mighty too tired for runnin' and jumpin' so we ended up playin' games inside instead.

"After that, she'd play with me after she was talkin' to Guru Fido and Ah was done with mah shift. Guru Fido then told'er she needed to learn from other Virgacorns, not a Diamond Dog she wanted ta learn. She wanted ta learn MAGIC. Yeah, da Forbidden Fruit, er, not my Great Auntie, she wanted to learn it though LMCBB Discord didn't want ponies learin' none of it."

"Doesn't stop the Hippogriffs from trying to impose order on the weather."

"Yep! So there she was! Doin' somethin' crazy as wantin' ta learn magic! An' the one kind of crazy LMCBB Discord doesn't like!"

I wasn't surprised at her openness, ponies had woken up from the fantasy of Discord REWARDING those who betrayed their friends and family to him or expecting leniency within two hundred years of Master's reign.

So I was surprised to learn she thought the young mages might have been revealed to Master by a member of her own family. No Master did not tell me how he learned, it didn't matter, he commanded and I obeyed. All I knew was that we hadn't a 'snitch' in over seven hundred years.

We had occasional defectors, spies, and mad ponies in love with Fluttercruel, but not anyone who clung to the delusion that betraying a secret of someone they cared for would grant them anything from Discord except his attention, and only the ponies who were already mad or reckless sought that out. True, Ponyville was FILLED with mad or reckless ponies, but it was Master's most base policy to ALWAYS let ponies know WHO had betrayed them WHEN they had been betrayed. Preferably not only them but the entire town on a gigantic TV screen...For some reason he enjoyed having Traitor Dash watch it when he did that.

Sorry, that's ahead of the narrative.

"So Guru Fido introduced us to some Virgacorns who were lookin' for students. Our tutor's name was Abstract Symbolism. Ah also finally got to meet Magica's other friends, Puella and Caster. They were siblings. Puella and Caster's family it turned out was lookin' fer someplace ta live and we...always have spare beds so we offered. Their parents' just moved out, they said there too many painful memories."

"Why do you stay?" It wasn't like Master didn't know where they were or had no interest in them.

"Memories stay with ya no matter where you go. Runnin' solves nothin'. And Mah families needs me, Ah can't just run away. Puella and Caster were a riot, butting all the time, but the moment there was somethin' that needed doin', you think they were one pony. It's dang plain amazing. Virgacorns, their magic ain't the same, Ah mean, the way magic works fer one ain't how it works fer another, Ah mean, they still follow the same rules but it's like us Earth Ponies, everyone's magic is special."

"Yes. They are."

"Puella's magic could fix or make things, Caster's magic could break or unmake things, it was amazin'."

"What about Magica?"

"She was super-amazin'! She could look at any spell and learn it super fast! Our tutor never saw anything like it!"

"You keep saying 'your tutor' so a Virgacorn was teaching you Earth Pony magic?"

"It ain't impossible, Ah sured learned a lot more from Symbolism than Ah did from Mah parents, but ya can't tell'em that though!"

"You have my word."

"Pinkamena Swear?"

"Hm?"

"'Cross yer heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in mah eye.'"

I repeated the gestures and words, that sense of nostalgia again. But I was no closer to my answers.

"That's been in mah family since like forever."

"I'll take your word for it. So, what was it like around them?"

"... Around Magica it was like everything could suddenly make sense, no matter how crazy things got, no matter what Conductor Boss Discord threw at us, she could make sense of it, and it felt, just good to know some pony could make sense of it."

"Order out of chaos..." Just like the stars.

"Yeah, somethin' like that. Fer Caster and Puella, it was crazy, but in a good way. No matter what they disagreed on, they always came through, no matter how much they argued, they always arrived at a solution. Puella liked things pretty, Caster liked things rough. And when somepony ELSE came down on one of them, they were always there to stand up for each other. They should have been enemies with how they acted. But... it was like they were missin' parts of each other and their siblin' filled in. Crazy but, a fun crazy. The one thing they always agreed on was how much they loved each other and how much they loved their parents. Ah, Ah had to tell'em what happened."

I didn't ask about Magica's parents. I found myself thinking about Caster and Puella...something seemed...beautiful about how she described them. No. I have to get my question answered.

"And Poison Apple... she knew a whole dang full lot 'bout alchemy. Whenever she wasn't doin' chores she'd be readin'. Ah think Ah might been her only real 'friend.' She'd do crazy things to get'em, the library in Ponyville, ponies who held onta really old books that were fallin' apart. She wanted to know."

"Where are her books now?" I asked before I could control my tongue.

"Uncle Crab Apple wanted to burn 'em, so we could have at least a funeral pyre... Ah got dad to bury'em. Didn't feel right to see'em just, gone."

"Where are they buried?"

"Just under the house. Ya curious?"

"Not about that." What were the right questions? "What makes you laugh?"

"Eh?"

"Can you tell me, what makes you laugh?"

"Why ya wanna know that?"

Think of a good lie, think of a good lie, think of a good lie! "I just want to know. You can tell a lot from a pony from what makes them laugh." Angry Pie would beat me to a pulp if she heard me say that.

"Ah! Okay!... Ah guess Ah find contra-contrawick, control-tic, er, things that make sense on their own, but when ya put'em next to each other, that suddenly don't sense though they made sense before. Those make me laugh."

"Contradictions."

"Yeah! That's it! And things like ironing boards are funny too."

"You mean irony."

"OH yeah, heh... you kinda sound like Magica. Heh-heh."

"Why are you laughing now?"

Her mouth was smiling, but her eyes were sad. Not logical.

(Music for this part: silhouette mirage ending credit roll - sega saturn I think the Jpop song is called: "Though I cry I'm happy inside.")

"Because, remembering Magica is gone is sad. But you remind me of all the fun I had with her, and those memories are happy. It's all so contrary! And how can I not laugh?"

"She really was your friend wasn't she?" Why was I asking so many tangents? Counter-productive.

"Yep! She was... " How can a pony be smiling happily and have misty eyes at the same time? "And she's gone and... and she can still make me laugh and cry! It's like our friendship is magic."

I respond without thinking. "No. Magic is tragedy. No matter how perfect or beautiful something it is, it can all come crashing down."

She giggled again. "And there's another contradiction. What we both said makes sense, but when said together they can't make sense! Yer funny!"

We both make sense? But...it's a contradiction, it's not supposed to make sense at all...

"I'm not trying to be."

"A lot like Caster... he'd try to be funny, his jokes would all fall flat, but whenever he snarked, he was a riot. Geeze, here I go again. Ya know normally when a pony goes away ya just say yer sad, accept they're gone and move on. But... now that Ah'm tryin' it, Ah don't MIND thinkin' so much 'bout em! Ya know Puella's ma wanted her to be a florist, her pa wanted her to be an an archer, but she wanted ta be a mage, no if, ands or buts. Stubborn as an Earth Pony like they say."

"You mean stubborn as a mule, right?"

"A what?"

"Never mind."

There had been members of Apple Pie's family who had the tell tale larger ears, colored different muzzle, or different tail, but I hadn't seen an Earth family in centuries who didn't have at least one member who did show some traits of the donkey tribe. If anything, it had rendered Earth Ponies MORE tenacious and indestructible.

In a way, this rendered Liarjack and Angry Pie to be as much outdated models as... TD, Fluttercruel, Rarigreed, and myself.

"Hey, you sad too?" She asked.

"I don't get sad," I replied evenly, forgetting about staying 'in character' though I hadn't really put much effort into acting like a filly. It all just came, naturally.

"Well ya looked sad fer a tick, no, Ah think ya looked old." Had my transformation begun to revert? How? HOW-?! "Ya reminded me of the way grandpa always gets. Just starin' out far away, like ya were in some big desert." Thank Master.

"It's nothing, I've lost, I've lost stuff too," I tripped over myself, I didn't want to cover myself with answers that would be just bait for a curious child to ask questions of me instead of the other way around.

"Ya lost yer family. It ain't that somethin' ya can hide. And ya lost yer friends too."

Friends? Comforting the crying Traitor Dash and accepting a kind nuzzle from Liarjack. Talking with Spike. But tragedy didn't have friends... or did it? "No. I still have some friends."

"What are their names?"

"I came here to ask you questions remember?" I tried to steer things back on course. I wish I had brought something to write with. A donkey doll with her own matching note book and quill flickered in my mind. Why did, she, it, feel so important? Wandering filly brain. "So things that clash with each other make you laugh?"

"Not really 'clash', they're things that shouldn't fit together but do Ah think is a better way ta put it, Ah haven't really -thought- about what makes me laugh. Do ya?"

"No. Not really."

"See? But there is this one verse that's mighty funny I think. The weird thing is that every copy I've found doesn't say who wrote it."

I invited, "What is the poem?"

Apple Pie made a small cough and jumped on top of the bunk beds.

"Did you hear the lie that's completely true?
Two brothers, only-childs both:
At noon on the stroke of midnight they stood back to back and faced each other.
They drew their swords and shot each other.
The paralyzed stallion clapped.
The deaf mare heard it all.
The blind mare saw it all.
The numb pony felt it all.
And the mute pony will speak witness if you don't believe."

Apple Pie fell on her back giggling.

I looked at her, and listened. And spoke calmingly, "I do not see the contradictions:
The brothers could have been adopted.
When it is ever noon one place, it is midnight in another.
They could have turned their heads to see each other while sitting being back to back.
Ponies have experimented with swords that double as projectile weapons.
The stallion might have been a unicorn using magic to move his body.
Maybe the ponies who were missing their senses lost them after the brother shot each other.
And there was an entire story based around the idea of a supposedly mute pony who revealed to be perfectly able to speak when he needed to give vital testimony at a trial."

"Heh... you sound just like Magica again. She'd say the same thing. There are no contradictions, only reasons that haven't been discovered yet. 'All truths together would hold neither contradictions nor chaos' she'd keep yacking like a school ma'am. Blech. Dang I miss it."

"You say you miss it, but you sound like you didn't care for it. Another contradiction."

"Heheh, yeah. Come on now, don't you at least think it's a little funny how two conflictin' thing can be in the same thing? Is there any RULE that says a tear and a good laugh can't come from the same pony?"

"... No, there is not.... But how can your family endure this? Living so close to Ponyville? And still continuing tradition? All of you, in spite of everything you've lost, of everything you continue to lose right next to everything you gain. Like a cup spilling over as water is poured into it. And yet I see so many of your family smiling. You just lost your friends, doesn't that bother you at all?"

It was illogical. The magic of tragedy crushed, it destroyed but... but this family they...they went against model. No matter what happened, what tragedies they faced...they just plowed through and kept going with smiles on their faces. It...it made no sense,so why did I think this contradicted Master?

"Ma had a sayin' before Conductor Boss Discord made 'er a house sized flyin', fire breathin' lizard. 'Be thankful fer the lemons,' she'd say." She looked sad again and STILL SMILED! And I had seen ponies forced to smile under Master's magic before, but this, this was nothing like that! "When life gives ya lemons, don't throw 'em back, and don't try to burn life's house down with a combustible lemon. Ya'll be left with nothin' except yer pride, which ya can't eat. Or ya'll be hated by everypony who actually LIKES lemons. And ya'll only get squashed by the skyscraper sized angry mommy-lemon as it falls on ya anyway."

A sound escapes my mouth, I feel the light again like I did before. What was that?

"Heh! So yer a filly after all! For a tic' Ah thought ya might be a stallion Big Boss Discord made a filly, Pa's met three of those."

"I am not, nor have ever been a stallion." I said matter-of-fact.

"Ah know, Ah know, Ah was only jokin'! Mah point is what point is there in stoppin' just because things are bad? That's quitter attitude and it don't solve nothin'. No way, we ain't quitters. When life gives us lemons, we take 'em, thank life kindly, and keep right on goin'."

Why did I feel like I was just locked in a room with Angry Pie for five minutes?

"Hey! Wanna see somethin' funny?"

I nodded for the distraction.

Apple Pie reached under her bed and pulled a tiny cage. Inside was a hamster on a, well, a hamster wheel, running in place.

"Meet Groundhog, and yeah Ah know he's a hamster, but Ah didn't know that when Ah caught 'em munching on pebbles.... Just look at 'em. Always runnin' in his wheel, the more he runs the more he doesn't get nowhere. The only way for 'em to get anywhere is... " She took a tiny pebble and tossed it precisely and carefully into the wheel, Groundhog stopped, and looked around confused, and went off to a stone block to naw his teeth and to feed himself from his tray. "Is ta introduce somethin' new ta the loop. But Groundhog can't do it himself, or he just keeps goin' and goin' and goin' in circles. He's weird that way. But Ah think it's also kinda funny."

I didn't quite get the joke. But I would admit it was somewhat interesting.

What happened next? Nothing of any true significant what so ever. I merely yawned. Apple Pie invited me to spend the 'evening' and we play a few board games (I am proud to declare I won most of them, and Apple Pie was an amazingly good sport about it... not that games matter of course!). She told me the ghost story of the headless horse, which I am sure I had heard somewhere before, (maybe it was one of the spirits Applebloom had helped pass on, there were so many. Yes ghosts and zombies exists, why is that strange for me to say?).

I wasn't able to tell much about myself of course, and I couldn't do any of the magic I really knew because I was in the form of an Earth Pony, but I was able to tell her a couple adventure stories, though I can't remember where I read them.

Like I said, nothing of any true significance at all.

After, I thought to ask the question I should have at the beginning, the key to all my questions. "I heard you laughed at Discord's joke. Why?"

"Because Ah thought it was funny."

What? "That's it?"

"Yep."

"In spite of the violence the elements of chaos must have brought on Ponyville?"

"Yeah they did but... Ah've learned, that laughter is a precious gift 'round here. Ya need ta take it when ya can. Weather a joke is black, white, or plaid, ya need to accept it fer what it is. Besides, it's not like he was laughing at me... "

"B-But he was joking about the loss you had just suffered. SO I HEARD!"

"Yeah he was. But... heh, there ya go, contradictions again."

"Maybe you laugh just to cover the pain?" I asked calmly and logically.

She smiled and waved me off. "Naw, Ah laugh to get rid of the pain, not pretend it isn't there. Big diff'. And besides, everythin' was crazy, losin' so many friends then and there, and Boss Discord bein' all kooky 'bout it? Kinda crazy ain't it? And why not laugh at all the crazy?"

"That's what Ma-Mister Discord always says." That was too close a slip. I was more tired than I thought. This place, her... "I-I have to go."

"What? Where are ya goin'?"

"Home."

"Where's that?"

"Private."

"Why?"

"I d-don't want you to know."

"Why?"

"Because... I don't... I don't want you... to be upset." W-Why did it feel like I meant that?!

"Ah don't get it."

"T-thank you for the time Apple Pie, and thank you for speaking with me, it was, it was, it was a p-leasure!" I nodded my head twice and ran using that Earth Pony body for all it was worth. What had I been feeling?! How could I be feeling?!

I ran like fifty Fluttercruels were after me. Out of that house. Out of that rock farm. Away from the oddly familiar pictures and ponies and strange feelings. I didn't even think to change back.

I knocked a random pony over as I ran, I looked back, wondering who they were. But I had to keep running!

This was supposed to make the curiosity go away! Why is it making it worse?!

I ran, I ran, keep running! Run away! Back. Home. Home! Why do I feel like running to the library?! No! Th-That's not my home! THAT'S NOT ME!!!

Back to Master!

Where I belong!

With Master, nothing needs to make sense! With Master I don't have to feel!

I gallop back to the castle in a blur, back, back get back!

I see Ditzy/Derpy! I don't see the black birds. Must be regenerating. She's started a new lap, she's a filly again, too little for a Cutie Mark.

I skid to a halt in front of her. She climbs over me and keeps going. I trot alongside her unbidden, like my body is on autopilot. I feel my mouth open.

Hey little filly! You have questions? Well. My name is Derpy Hooves! Or Ditzy Doo, I remember being called both. I never thought much about fate, if it exists, I still need to make my best choices, and if it doesn't exist, I still need to make my best choices, no matter what I'm going to. I'm scared I'll lose Dinky before I finish. What I want more than anything is for all my family to be back together. I love my muffins more than anything. What makes me happy is muffins, I mean muffins like the kind you bake, and bubbles, bubbles are so pretty. What matters most are those you love. But what about you? This is funny, I've met two purple ponies now and- hey! HEY! WHERE ARE YOU GOING? Don't go into the bad castle! It's bad!

Homehomehomehome!

Knock over one of the dirt maids! She giggles at being more dirty herself now. Laughing. Like Apple Pie. Did Poison Apple laugh like her too?

THE DEAD DON'T MATTER! The dead want nothing. The dead are nothing. The dead have nothing. The dead are nonexistent. They are non-factors. They have no influence. Once you're dead you're dust! Nothing else! You might as well have never existed! Yes yes yes! That's it!

OW!

I've run into... that grave. It's not Angry Pie's adopted children.

It's that unicorn's grave. Stupid ever changing palace! Stupid ever changing paths! Stupid ever shifting rooms! This whole castle is a creature of chaos itself!

The sun comes up over the grave of the elderly blue unicorn. She was so old. I don't remember how long it had been since everything began when I saw her. She was just so old. How could any pony live with a body as ancient as that?

I hear Guru Fido's prayer ring in my head again, but my mind keeps trying to put a name I can't remember in Magica's place, why?!

The dead don't matter! Only Master's will and well-being matter!

There's no name on her gravestone. But I recognize it all the same. While it shifted around, the tiny plot of grass it's on does not change shape. A contradiction. The kind Apple Pie would laugh at.

Apple Pie, so many siblings, so many brothers and sisters, cousins, and whatever. I wonder what it's like to have a brother. ?! What does that matter?! Agh!

The questions! The Feelings! They won't stop! They keep coming! Go away! Master make them stop! LEAVE ME ALONE!

I RUN AWAY! Have to get away from it! It's wrong! It's unnatural!

Room! Room! Room! Find room! Found room! Found . .. room...

I'm too tired to bother changing shape back to my real self. I'm too tired to get into bed. I'll just... the potted plants. I'll just lay here, next to them, such soft leaves, so comforting, so welcoming. Can Earth Ponies talk to plants and know what they're feeling? I remember a tree being treated like royalty by... somepony. No, that's just silly, a silly pony. Soft potted plants...

Episode 74: (???) Party At Canterlot Castle

Twilight Sparkle sat in the Canterlot west castle courtyard. She really wished she had a nice book with her. She was pretty sure she would have been able to read it in spite of all the partying ponies, music, and noise-makers around.

''Little get together,' yeah right.' Twilight thought to herself sarcastically.

Who was here again? Too bad ponies weren't as easy to memorize as indexes.

There was Spike with Moondancer, er, dancing. Right, Spike's crush before... somepony. She had always just smiled and nodded when Spike acted nice around her while politely pushing him back. They looked the odd dance couple with a towering dragon as she she held onto his little pinky. Pinkie? The party had some pink, but not a whole lot.

Moondancer herself had a white coat, a red mane, and a moon cutie mark surrounded by stars. The teddy bear Spike had given her as her birthday present lay on a table nearby with gifts from others. It actually made Twilight a little self conscious that she hadn't brought a gift herself. Just something to add to Moondancer's plush collection would have been enough.

Moondancer and Twilight had both according to the gossip mill been on a 'secret list' of Princess Celestia's for powerful unicorns for a secret project. Twilight knew better than to believe rumors. Contrary to popular belief, many turned out to be recycled lies or exaggerations grown larger with each telling. It took forever for Twilight to convince her fellow students that she wasn't a goth and dark purple and violet were her natural colors.

Twinkleshine and Minuette and Lemon Heart looked at each other triumphantly at getting the shut-in to finally slightly socialize. However, Minuette trotted over and asked.

"Heeey, Twilight, come on, try dancing a little."

"I will in a minute."

"That's what you said thirty minutes ago, come on!"

She took Twilight by the forehoof and dragged her to the dance floor. She awkwardly danced for all of fifteen minutes, made a note to read books on dancing and sat back down exhausted.

This time she comforted herself with a glass of punch. If only one of the Princesses was here, she wouldn't mind speaking to Celestia, Luna, or, or Cadence. She knew they all had a lot to do with the thousandth Summer Sun Festival coming but up still...

Speaking of which, Twilight wondered why of all places Celestia would choose an obscure tiny town within pegasus flight distance from the capital to hold such a significant festival. Next thing you knew Princess Luna was going to be holding her Nine Hundred and Ninety-Ninth Winter Moon Festival in Stalliongrad.

Twilight felt another pony sit down next to her. Twilight turned her head and gasped at the incredibly old unicorn mare next to her.

Showing amazing strength to just lift her head, the old crone glanced at her while keeping her gaze mostly fixed on the party before them.

"Why is it you seem to never want to attend these parties?"

Blunt, but Twilight wasn't a social master herself. "Because they're a waste of time. Such silliness is not worth the effort it expends."

"You can't be sure, maybe they'll open up your eyes, it could be a wonderful surprise," said the pale blue mare, eyes still not leaving the party.

"I only have one lifetime to learn as much as I can, I don't have the time to waste on something that has nothing to do with anything."

"Hey! It's not nothing!" The two ponies looked up to a donkey jenny wearing white and blue polka dot pants. Twilight noted her eyes were Heterochromian. "Sure, I always get my homework done but I'd love to have lots of friends."

"Hello, Smarty Pants." Twilight greeted her childhood friend who took a seat on the other side of her.

"Hello Twilight! I wonder what it would be like to be popular, having tons and tons of friends."

"And having crowds fight over each other to steal a piece of your mane?" Twilight was surprised when the crone asked, still not turning her head from its original position in spite of the new arrival.

"Erm, maybe just one dependable honest stallion would be enough."

Twilight resisted rolling her eyes, knowing how some ponies had a pathological reaction to that sort of thing.

"Look at them," Twilight said staring at the crowd of ponies. "Living their short little lives. Flirting it all away like they're going to live forever when they know they won't. But they pretend they do."

"Having one short life is all the more reason to live it to make sure you're living it right though," replied Smarty Pants.

"That's exactly the point. They like to think their prefect little world works perfectly, that there are no true, giant, meaningful problems that'll affect them all, none of them wanting to see the chaos. "

Lemon Heart broke into a coughing fit and fell to her knees, everypony looked at her, her body was ravaged by spasms. She began to bleed through her nose.

The music stopped, Moondancer tried to use what limited medical magic she knew as others called for the paramedics.

Ponies stopped chatting happily, nopony was dancing anymore.

"Take a good look, all it takes is just one thing, one unforeseen catastrophe. And everything falls apart."

"They're rushing to help a friend, aren't they? Doesn't that prove there's more to them than just congo lines of celebrations?" The crone asked, finally turning more attention towards Twilight Sparkle.

"Only because the disaster's right in front of them. Deep down, somewhere, all ponies still herd creatures willing to abandon one of their own to die if things get too risky."

"If that's the case, then aren't they proving they're better than their nature, though?" Smarty Pants asked, "Like Spike? He's a dragon. But he's so nice and polite and a perfect assistant who never complains. Who does everything he's asked and can always be depended on without fail."

"He's not so 'perfect' as that," Twilight whispered.

"Maybe, but it's how you see him in your heart, right?" Smarty Pants replied.

Twilight let out a small dark laugh, "Yeah. It is. Which only goes to show nopony is actually friends with anypony."

"What?" The crone asked.

"Nopony can truly in their hearts know anypony. The closest we can ever come to is emulations of them in our minds!" Twilight's voice rose in a hurtful, almost hateful tone, "The person that you're friends with isn't the real them! Every friendship is no different from an imaginary friend!"

"But-"

"Friendship is nothing a glorified game of pretend! And games of pretend should be left for foals! Such games have no place in the world of adults!"

The crone merely shook her head solemnly.

Lemon Heart had stopped breathing. Minuette tried CPR on her. Minuette coughed and brought her hooves up. She gasped in fear when she saw blood on them. Ponies panicked and ran through different doors only to arrive through different ones.

"And there you have it! Once things go out of control, the stampede instinct kicks right in!"

"That's not true!"

"Are you really that blind-?!"

"THEY'RE trying!"

Twinkleshine and Moondancer stayed with Minuette as her coughing got worse. They asked Spike to fly her straight to the hospital since none of them knew how to teleport.

"Poor Twinkleshine and Moondancer. Perhaps if they'd spent more of their spare time... I don't know... practicing life-saving techniques, instead of frivolous socializing, they might've been actually been able to save Lemon Heart and Minuette's life themselves, instead of passing the buck onto somepony else."

"Would they have even been AROUND to call for help, if they never took the time to befriend Minuette?" Asked the crone. Twilight glanced at the mare's cutie mark, a magic wand.

"In the end what does it even matter? They say friends are ponies you know at heart, but no pony can really know anypony, because everypony keeps something hidden away, locked inside, they never show their real self to anyone. Friends don't exist. They just like to pretend they do."

"And yet, Moondancer and Twinkleshine don't care about the hidden things, they're still here for their friend Minuette."

"Because if they weren't, they'd have to face up to the ugly truth: we're all just selfish animals at heart."

Smarty Pants answered back nearly in tears, "THERE IS MORE! People LOVE each other for a REASON! It's not just about preserving their DNA! It's about sharing their ideas and points of view so everypony can understand everypony and everything in reality just a little bit better!"

"Ponies cherry-pick reality. They accept truths they want to be real, and reject those they don't. No matter how smart, no matter how wise, no matter how experienced a pony can claim to be, they all just bury their heads in the sand rather than acknowledge an ugly fact."

"But, isn't generalizing them like that just burying your head in the sand also?"

"Fire burns. Ice is cold. Are these generalizations? They're just reality."

"Ponies' thoughts are more complex than a campfire or an ice cube!"

"Complex? Psh. All thoughts are just chemical reactions in the brain. Don't make it sound like those little sparks of electricity actually have value. There are batteries that hold a better electric charge."

"!!!... If that's all there is to it... then how are we aware of us talking right now? How are you aware that you're aware? How can you even question that you're aware? Instead of your body just going through the motions-?! Ponies, PEOPLE, aren't robots! I'm not a robot! And we're not JUST animals!"

"Is that so?" Twilight grinned almost sickly, "Let's talk about YOUR best friends, shall we? Or can we even call them that anymore?"

"What?" Smarty Pants got up and took a step back. The crone looked away sadly.

Twilight Sparkle stood up.

"You defend them. But you don't actually care about them. It just makes you feel bigger to pretend you do. You act like they mean something to you. But in the end they're just a means to make yourself feel good. Like a drug."

"I DO care about them! I do!" Smarty Pants protested. "I've fought for them! I've risked my life for them! I've sacrificed for them!"

Sparkle moved in closer like a predator would their prey. "And as soon as it hurt to feel, as soon you couldn't find a fat enough excuse to hide behind, you abandoned them, you got in line like a good little tinker toy! The moment you lost hope and ran from your own heart and memories you PROVED how much they all REALLY meant to you!"

Sparkle grasped Smarty Pants with her forehooves and began to magically grip on her face, slowly applying pressure.

"You think you have conscience? YOU?! You're only feeling nostalgic!"

Sparkle tore off Smarty Pants' face, it gave way like simple cloth. A fearful gray-toned unicorn mare with red eyes shivered underneath.

Sparkle took Tragedy by the neck shoved her face forward at the other end of the courtyard.

LJ lying through her teeth to Rarigreed. The airborne Fluttercruel taunting the ground bound Angry Pie. Traitor Dash huddling in a corner curled in a ball. And so many piles of pony skulls around all of them.

"All of six of you disgust me to my core," Sparkle said slamming Tragedy into the floor, leaving one nostril bleeding, it didn't regenerate. "You don't deserve a crumb of empathy or sympathy for what you've permitted them, and yourself to become! Nothing's left in my heart for you but my blackest revulsion!"

"Sympathy can be misplaced and abused by monsters. But empathy is meant to be given to even the worst monsters." The old crone whispered not getting up. "We ponies are simply limited in our power to give it."

Tragedy looked at the old crone in awe while Sparkle snorted and slammed Tragedy in the floor again completely ignoring what the crone had said in her lecture, "And THAT isn't even the worst part! Oh no. It's the idea of existence itself having to endure ALL SIX of you insufferable cretins forever more! An everlasting and inescapably inseparable gang of the most reprehensible villains ever! Loveless and unloveable! And to top it all off: all of the REAL heroes have all been burned away... BY US!"

Tragedy shuddered.

Sparkle brought a mirror to Tragedy's face, "TAKE A GOOD LONG LOOK!"

"Twilight! Don't you recognize me?! Please stop!"

"No! Stay back!"
"I hope your burn in Tartarus you murderer!"
"This isn't you! Please fight it!"
"I-I can't fight her. She's still-Agh!"

"All... hail... Discord."

Tragedy's vision blurred. She was... crying?

"Just look at yourself! You're not a person! You're not even alive! You're just hideous!

"The only redemption left for you and all your partners-in-crime lies in your annihilation so you can no longer extend Discord's evil! And the only salvation for this entire world is obliteration! I don't say this out of hatred or apathy, but purely of mercy.

"After all, considering how the six of you have systematically butchered every hero and do-gooder from Queen Cadence on down to Scootaloo throughout the centuries... what's left but the insane, the corrupted, the transformed, the joyless, oppressed, tormented masses who have no hope anyway? No one's ever coming to save them. Theirs is truly a situation where the dead mourn the living."

The old crone snorted, actually sounding insulted by Sparkle's last few words.

"The only deliverance the world can have is if it never existed at all!" Sparkle snapped. "THIS WORLD IS DEAD!"

"I... I'm sorry."

"You're WHAT?" Sparkle snapped at her. "You really think a good life before this mess started and a few scattered good good deeds and there make up for a thousand years of being a murder machine? You think apologizing now make a sliver of difference? Don't babble nonsense!" She leaned in closer and began to whisper in her ears, her tone suddenly much softer, "But, it doesn't have to stay like this. There's another way out. Find a way to wipe this world off the face of the universe. You're a smart girl, you'll come up with something if you put your mind to it long enough! You owe it to every soul suffering this hellish existence. Pull the plug on this forsaken world so that Discord can NEVER TOUCH ANY OF US EVER AGAIN... and clear the way for worthier worlds. Commit the one good deed that could ever possibly be committed in this worthless black reality you've helped make with your own hooves."

"Even the darkest of times, ya gotta find somethin' to laugh about."

"Peace and mercy to all that lives."

"For Queen Cadence!"

"Listen to our song."

"Dragons stand united as one!"

"I'm the rebel leader!" "No I am!" "IT WAS ME!"

"Not worthless. Not hopeless." Tragedy gasped out. "This world... isn't dead."

The old crone lifted her head slightly.

"You coward! It's been a thousand years, and you haven't changed a damn bit! And mark my words... you'll STILL be executing Discord's every command with the same dull resignation, the same robotic obedience, two thousand years later! This world needs to be put out of its misery!"

"... You're the coward who wants to give up."

Sparkle snarled and her hoof slammed down on Tragedy head.

But froze inches from her face. The entire world, simply stopped in place.

The world darkened, except for two spot lights above the two near-identical unicorns.

A third spotlight clicked on, showing a gently gray-tinted purple unicorn mare with a cutie mark showing a magenta star and five sparkles.

Twilight opened her eyes and looked at them like she would a mirror; at the fully gray Tragedy and bright purple Sparkle, her heart aching, her body feeling so heavy, her horn lifeless.

The two other purple unicorns both slowly faded away as their spotlights dimmed to nothing.

"What's the point of even trying?" Twilight asked herself.

Her spotlight began to slowly shrink. Let this be the end of it.

"Don't destroy yourself."

The spot light stopped getting smaller.

"But... but why?" Twilight looked around asking like a child would with a question they barely understood.

The elderly blue unicorn trotted next to Twilight and sat down next to her.

Twilight's own spot light faded, but not her with it as had happened with the other two, and the darkness lightened to show the western castle courtyard again, empty save for the old unicorn and her. It was midnight now with a moon high in the sky with no sign of Nightmare Moon's seal. The rest of time stood still, the wind didn't blow, the crickets didn't chirp, even the moon's light seemed dim. The world seemed lost in cold fog.

"You're finally ready to listen?"

Twilight nodded slowly.

"Firstly, don't give up yet. You're always making things more bleak than they really are Twilight. Second, the world still has beauty in it, it still has goodness in it, it still has heroes and hope .

"Third, stop torturing yourself, it helps no one!"

Twilight shuddered a little.

"Four, you still have those who love you, as long as you have those, never throw yourself away. But that is only half the equation! You also have a responsibility to yourself! Those who cared for you put a lot of effort into you, so don't you dare betray the ones who put their own hearts into you. Do you understand?"

Twilight slowly nodded twice. The wind blew lightly, calmly.

"Good. Also Twilight. Remember. Remember all those times:

A egocentric, smug, anti-social mare who in the span of one day realized that friendship with other ponies wasn't such a waste after all. And CHANGED.

A farmer who swallowed her pride and allowed her friends to help her rather than destroy herself. And CHANGED.

A lazy, sometimes flat-out selfish, flight school drop-out who chose the happiness she felt with her five new friends was better than the happiness she felt with a friend who had fallen into sin. And CHANGED.

A unicorn was willing to give a condescending liar the chance to CHANGE!

A cowardly pegasus as fearful as a mouse who found the heart of a lion when her loved ones were threatened and CHANGED.

Two ponies who were polar opposites in what they valued, but found their symmetry, and CHANGED together!

A little filly, who learned not to let words hurt her. And she and two friends like her, all CHANGED together!

Two friends who were so much alike about loving their athletic prowess they actually clashed, they changed for the worse, but a helping of humble pie helped them CHANGED for the better!

And a unicorn, who, had her ego put in its place after nearly being eaten by a hydra, finally CHANGED her views: that magic can come from more places than a unicorn's horn.

And this special, wonderful pony continued to grow and change and learn.

AND!!!!

Remember an Alicorn, who allowed herself to be driven mad by her own petty jealously, hatred, rage, and envy. In an blind immature cry for attention, she chose to sentence the world to a slow, cold death. AND SHE CHANGED FOR THE BETTER! All thanks to YOU and your wonderful friends!"

"Spike... Luna... Celestia! Liar... NO! APPLE-jack! Pinkie Pie... Fluttershy... Rarity... Tr... RAINBOW Dash! And... me." Twilight finished in a whisper. "I do remember them. All of them.
Each of the precious memories were like fireworks in Twilight's mind and heart, blasting back the darkness encircling it. The smiles on all their faces... including her own! The warmth and goodwill flowing between them. The fun times. The simple acts of kindness. Their heroism. After so many untold generations with holes and thick fog in her memories... to recall all this, and know that it was really real, was like gazing into a better world.

The crickets began chirping, birds singing.

"How bright and wonderful we were, inside and out."

"You can all be bright and wonderful again, I assure you." The old mare said. "Inside and out."

"But... how CAN we, though?"

The old mare trotted face to face with Twilight, catching her head before it could hang any lower.

"Twilight if you still don't think that you can change, if you still don't the others can change, if you still think the WORLD can't change-" The crone's voice changed completely, it was- "-then think about us-" Queen Cadence. The pink Alicorn spread out her wings and looked lovingly at the little pony. It was a sunny and bright afternoon in the park they always went to. Twilight looked up at her in shock. "-and all the time we spent together as close as any family."

Twilight began, "Sunshine Sunshine-"

Cadence replied, "-Lady bugs awake-"

"-clap your hooves-" They did just that.

"-and do a little shake." They finished together.

Somewhere a gold tiara holding a black red gem shaped like a star turned right-side up.

Twilight pressed herself against Cadence, and it was a memory come to life. Just feeling the soft downy texture of Cadence's feathers... it made her feel young again. Loved again, as she hadn't been loved for time out of mind. She began to sob.

"It's alright Twilight, you were ill, but now you are well again. You've done wrong, but you are not beyond atoning for it... And I forgive you for it all."

Cadence gave her a long, long hug.

Twilight managed to smile. Cadence nuzzled her, Twilight nuzzled back, happy but crying, and found no contradiction or chaos. "So my little pony, is tragedy magic? Or is friendship magic?"

Twilight looked up at her old foal sitter, "Both are. Because it's our choices that make magic good or bad. Friendship can either be the greatest blessing, or a trap, depending on what friends we choose to make. Tragedy can either make us stronger or break us, it all depends if we choose to face it or hide from it."

"Very good my faithful and loyal filly. And there's something else."

"What's that?"

"Remember, no matter how helpless it gets, don't give up hope, because you're the only one who can destroy your hope. No matter what you've done, so long as you feel an ounce of remorse, you can find redemption. And no matter how alone you feel, you'll never be alone, so long as you don't forget the bonds you've made." The fog was lifted.

Twilight was startled to hear hoof stomping and clapping. Ponies were circled around her, cheering for her. Her mother and father. Lyra. Bon-Bon. Moon Dancer. Lemon Heart. Twinkleshine. Minuette. Spike. The other Elements of Harmony. Celestia. Luna. Her old math teacher. Dr. Whooves. Cheerilee. Zecora. The Cutie Mark Crusaders. The entire Apple family. Mayor Mare. Daring-Do. The Cakes and The Pies. Derpy and Dinky. P0N-3. Berry Punch and Ruby Pinch. Their old pets. And so so so many more!
She had never felt so light, so, so...

"I'm free."

+++

I heard soft tweeting outside the castle. My room now with a window. When was the last time I heard birds sing? I was covered in soft leaves. Huh? I sat up and looked at myself. I was my unicorn self again. But I don't remember changing form...

I looked at the rest of my room, and thought for a moment I was outside.

Earth Pony magic directs and encourages or discourages the flow of life. The two potted plants now covered every inch of my barren lifeless quarters like a jungle.

They had done more than grown. They had joined together.

I got on my four hooves. As I moved, the vines and branches actually PARTED for me. I felt like someone I loved was releasing a long hug.

The plants had intertwined with each other everywhere, like lovers. Flowers of every color and nature bloomed even as I watched the vines and branches mingled with each other in something not unlike ecstasy. My floor was covered in dirt now, and my ceiling was broken away to the sky above. The two plants were so thick along the walls I almost wondered if they had replaced them.

Their vines had blocked the door in every conceivable fashion, but now began to unwind from it.

I slowly looked around in every direction. There were spots where I couldn't even tell where one plant ended and the other began. But it felt so... so right. The way their growths rushed into each other, it was like a loving couple making up for lost time.

And their leaves on me, their vines surrounding me...it felt like parents hugging their child who had finally come home.

It was... beautiful. So beautiful.

I blinked away tears. "Thank you... both you, for everything, thank you a thousand years over thank you. For everything. I promise to never forget you or neglect you. I promise you'll always be a part of me. And I promise, this world will be one you'll be happy to live in.

I leave behind Tragedy, Master's tool, I leave behind Sparkle, Discord's
toy, I am simply Twilight The Unicorn. I am me. I have magic to do and tragedies to face. I'm done hiding in the cage I've made for myself and those around me...I'm finally free. And I have some friends to make."

Pony POV Series
Dark World Part Six
By Alex Warlorn
Daybreak

Episode 75: (Shining Armor) gniteeM tsriF

Pony POV Series Shining Armor Part 2
gniteeM tsriF-First Meeting
By LZ0291 (with Revisions by Alex Walorn, Kendell2, and producers of the Pony POV Audio Adaption)

I'd waved goodbye to my sister, thinking that I wouldn't see her again for at least two years so I had to make sure I waved her off to her much shorter assignment. Thunderchild had been waiting down there to inform me that the two member crew on the chariot had already been asked to keep a watchful eye on Twilight, and that they were both trustworthy, if a little headstrong and prone to obeying daft orders.

Such as "Seize her!" when "her" is a spite-maddened moon goddess threatening eternal night. In their defense, I was not there in person, so they had to obey the Mayor of Ponyville, who evidently has no experience in military tactics. If she had, she'd know the correct order in that situation is very simple:

"Fall back and regroup!"

She (or he) who fights and runs away lives to fight another day, and more importantly, so do the ponies under her or his command. We're not Zebrafrican warlords, an equine wave attack is not the first and only option. OW!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Don't you talk that way about Zecora's people.)

I specifically said Zebrafrican Warlords not zebras, get it right! I'm good friends with zebras in my company!

Anyway, Twilight was in good hooves, and I had a ceremony to attend. The time rolled around, half an hour to noon, and in the parade grounds I stood in rank along with my other officers. There were ten of us in all. A major, two captains including myself, three new lieutenants, and then five nervous looking cadets being made up into proper officers.

The parade grounds held four stands. On three, benches for the soldiers today, or for the audience at Trooping the Color. On one, the VIP stands, including the Royal Box. Lying before the VIP stands, a podium. A tunnel behind it would be where Princess Celestia would emerge from: The royal box was presently occupied not by the white Sun Alicorn, but by Princess Cadence. Oh, and various other nobles but sod them all, Cadence is best pony.

Er, I mean... Before each of us, sat a neat pile of armor. Mine shone a bright purple, something I was thankful applied only to ceremonial armor. If we ever went into a real war (Celestia, Luna AND Cadence forbid!) I would instead wear dark green colored armor, bearing my rank insignia and the M7 emblem that I was entitled to wear as a level seven magic user.

It's fortunate Twilight isn't a guard, by the way. There's no such thing as an M11 level, it normally stops at ten. Okay, that's exaggeration, but not by much! I DID NOT MAKE THAT ENTIRE SYSTEM UP!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Yeah, okay, just let me put away my twenty-sided dice then.)

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): It does seem rather strange for a unicorn who is the 'only one' able to cast a capital city wide forcefield and maintain it for an extended period is not at the maximum of the mundane system.)

I don't do the rankings, and I don't assess them either! It assesses overall magic ability, not that you can perform one spell with great strength. Hay, they used to dock points if the spell was a special talent! Anyway, also with the armor, a belt and scabbard. to hold a blade. In this case, each of us had our personal ceremonial swords alongside our armor. We had to put them on too.

As I later found out, Cadence had a taste for purple when she was asked what color to make her Guard's armor.

It was nearing ten to noon. We were expected to don our armor in five minutes at the shout given by a senior NCO, and salute Princess Celestia with our arms at noon when she emerged.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Your ARMS?)

...Our weapons. None of us were minotaurs. In fact we were mostly pegasi and earth ponies. In the interests of inter-racial (and on occasion, species) unity, the ceremony called for us to not use our horns or our wings. We would put our armor on with snouts and hooves, and grasp our swords by the hilt with our mouths to hold them upwards to the sun.

Major Sharpe was the only other unicorn present. He seemed to be using his experience to busy himself giving encouragement to the nervous cadets, and the rest of us were all focused on ourselves for the moment.

A staff sergeant called Bourne trotted out, examined the clock as the hands swung from fifty-four slowly to fifty-five.

"Officers.... On my mark, one steeeeeeep....."

We tensed and readied to move.

"..... Forward!"

Forty hooves clattered off the parade ground surface as we obeyed.

"Officers.... On my mark, don.... armor!"

And so it began. It was a fiddly task not to use my horn even instinctively, but I had practiced this. If anything it was easier for the earth pony candidates, as this was the only way they could don armor themselves.

But this was about as close to balanced it could get. Unicorn horns would make it too easy, and for the pegasi, you'd be surprised at any number of tricks they might be able to pull off with their wings.

Still, I wish they'd try and make the buckles at least taste a bit nicer. No wonder we would hold a toast from our canteens right after, to wash the damn metallic taste from our tongues!

We all made it in plenty of time, even one cadet that had began to panic. Major Sharpe, as well as Lieute... Captain Coke, had stepped in and whispered calming advice. The cadets nearest me had apparently been a little more relaxed, or I was too busy distracted by my own attempts to put the armor on to notice if they were having issues.

Noon neared.

"Officers, draw... swords!"

Ten blades slid from scabbards. The clock hand swung towards the hour, and Princess Celestia began to walk towards the podium. She reached it just before the clocks began to chime, and just as Bourne shouted the order.

"Officers, salute!"

We raised up rampant on our hind legs, holding the blades there for the whole minute. The chimes drew to a close, and instead of a shout to cease, we instead were given a softly spoken order, yet one we heard as clear as day no matter how far we stood from Her Highness as she spoke.

"At ease, my officers. Please put your blades away, and join me in a toast to your promotions."

We did so, each of us taking a drink from the canteens, and the observing soldiers and officers stamped out their applause and cheers. It was only water, but when it comes from an enchanted canteen that keeps it cool in that kind of sunlight, it was far sweeter than wine.

Besides, I'm fairly sure Princess Celestia was drinking water herself.

Five officers had risen in rank and Equestria had five new officers. But it wasn't over yet. First, the cadets, now Second Lieutenants, were all asked forward and given their orders by Her Highness. It was nothing more than a short speech, a bow, and then the officer left to join their regiment. For the promoted cadets it went like this:

"Your orders this day are as follows. You are to enter the service and Supreme Command of Her Highness, Princess Celestia Amaterasu Solaris Equestria as part of her..."

And then she'd list the regiment, for instance the Royal Caledonia Horse Guards. She would then place her horn on the promoted cadet's head and infuse them with a fraction of her essence, normally turning their fur white and their eyes blue (the rule book had a rather sizeable warning about that part). . . . I don't think it affects our thinking.

After each new officer was sent off to their unit, came the full lieutenants and new captains, who generally got promoted up within their own unit. I was to be last of the two captains. And I was an exception today.

"Captain Shining Armor Sparkle. Come forth."

I bowed before Princess Celestia for the second time in the span of three hours.

"Captain, your orders this day are as follows. You are to detach yourself from the service and Supreme Command of Her Highness, Princess Celestia Amaterasu Solaris Equestria, and attach yourself to the service and the Supreme Command of Her Highness, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza Equestria, should she so accept this detachment I offer," She said, and the silence that followed as interrupted only by a squeaking noise from the VIP stand.

A quick glance at the wide-eyed occupant of the Royal Box confirmed what I had been thinking: This was the part where Cadence had been 'formally informed' I was being attached to her command.

"Princess Cadenza, does the offered detachment meet your satisfaction?"

All eyes, except mine, looked at Cadence. I was personally trying to have a staring contest with a spot on the wall just to the left of Princess Celestia.

"I... er... I... What?! Aunt Celly, I mean Your Highness, you never told me it was.... You never told me this was when you'd be giving me a guard commander! I thought you'd be doing it later today!"

"Oh... My apologies, I thought I had told you..."

I could have sworn at the time I heard someone singing 'Trolololol-o-lol-OW!' cut short somewhere in the stands. Cadence seemed to be gritting her teeth a little, as if trying not to facehoof, but there was a protocol to follow.

"...The detachment is adequate, Your Highness. I accept it under the banner of my command."

Celestia nodded.

"Excellent. Please attend your new command, Captain Sparkle."

"Yes, Your Highness."

I bowed, and trotted into the tunnel behind Princess Celestia. Up the stairs, past two stone-faced but amused guards, and then to beside my new Supreme Commander just as Major Sharpe walked forward.

"...I can't believe she did that." Cadence was still muttering as I entered.

Now, I'd known Cadence ever since she'd been Twilight's foalsitter. We'd both been teenagers, and close enough to each other in age to be friends instead of just 'Twilight's brother/the foalsitter; to each other. I'd known then she was pretty, I wasn't a complete fool. But after she stopped foalsitting Twilight, contact between us was fleeting. She had her duties and I was training to be an officer of the guard.

I saw her around, but it was usually from a distance or in passing. Not a chance to meet her properly. So really, going up there and seeing her face to face properly for the first time in ages.... It felt like meeting her for the first time. And it meant that I noticed how beautiful she had truly become.

But still. Give a quick salute, take my helmet off and then hold it in the crook of my leg -you get used to awkward balancing very fast as a Royal Guard- and then speak up.

"Captain Shining Armor, reporting for duty, Your Highness."

I found myself unsure of what to say after that, but luckily for me she was supposed to speak first. And she seemed a bit tongue tied.

"...Er, Hi.. Um... hello, Captain..."

Her embarrassment at how Princess Celestia had arranged the meeting was ether throwing her off, or I was more handsome than I gave myself credit. But if anything at the time her flustered actions made me lament the fact that it would be an impossible goal for myself to ever be with her romantically, for love between a Royal Guard and a Princess is forbidden... Yet it steeled my resolve to fight to overcome this unjust law!

Just kidding, there's no law like that at all. There's not a single rule prohibiting relationships between Guards and Guards, Guards and VIPs, Guards and Royals, or Guards and Civilians. There is a warning for guard trainees to be cautious with members of flight teams other than the Wonderbolts though, as they keep trying to poach our best flyers.

"...Shining, what am I supposed to do here?!"

"Whatever you like, he's the only member of an entirely new branch of the Royal Guard. You can write the protocol book yourself if you want," Prince Blueblood suddenly spoke up. His mane still had a very slight tent, that was all.

That stallion is a bit of an oaf at times, but occasionally, very occasionally, he can be tremendously helpful. In addition to this moment of putting Cadence at ease, I'm pretty sure he's got a blood type that would be useful to somepony in need of an emergency transplant. Now if we can just get him to carry a donor card...

(I was surprised when Princess Celestia caught wind of this joke and later told her Guards, "My nephew is a foalish fool, not walking spare body parts.")

"Oh. Well, er... at ease, Captain. Please stand beside me for the remainder of the ceremony."

That didn't take long. Major Sharpe was accepting his new position of command within the regiment, leading Third Troop, Second Squadron.

"I'm so sorry about her doing that to you, Shining!" Cadence whispered to me.

"Princess, I'm sorry she did that to you." I replied. It cheered her up a little as Princess Celestia spoke again.

"My officers and soldiers, it has been my honor to promote nine fine examples of officers to new positions with the rank of my Day Guard, and to detach one fine officer to the command of Her Highness Princess Mi Amore Cadenza Equestria, in order that she may form her own branch of the Royal Guard."

"Guard Commander Sparkle will review the recent applications to join Princess Cadenza's guard and inform those selected for the task before four o'clock this afternoon. The formation of this new branch of the guard is because Her Highness Princess Mi Amore Cadenza Equestria, will undertake a diplomatic mission in the name of Equestria, a two year trip extending the hoof of friendship to the world at large. She will depart at Nine tonight, and I wish her and the ponies that go with her a safe journey. I thank you all for your time, and declare the promotion ceremony concluded."

And with that, it was over. The soldiers filed out, more than a few looking up at the royal box. A moment or two later, Princess Celestia entered behind us. She thanked the nobles who bowed, and waited for most of them to leave. Blueblood was one of the last.

"Nephew, how go your preparations for your trip to Stalliongrad?" Celestia asked him as he walked past.

The Prince spoke up politely.

"They go well. We should depart for seven, and arrive at Stalliongrad sometime tomorrow evening."

That seemed about right. Blueblood's yacht, the Wind Fish IV, was able to cruise at about seventy-five miles an hour, so the sixteen hundred miles to Stalliongrad would be covered in that time. It was slower than a military vessel as it was a more traditional-styled airship seemingly suspended below a balloon (shaped like a fish). The balloon portion however was almost entirely for show: The "gondola" section held mag-rotors and anti-gravity engines that kept her aloft without the aid of the balloon, just like any other modern airship. At the time I thought the balloon was just an extravagance that served only to slow the ship down, but in reality, it had actual use beyond visual appeal.

First, it could help the ship stay aloft with the anti-gravity engines and rotors disengaged. This meant that it acted like the emergency balloons most modern airships carried with the advantage of not having to deploy. The conventional emergency balloon sat folded up at the top of the ship, and was deployed using magic canisters that quickly filled it with a lighter-than-air gas. However, this took at least five seconds - five seconds in the grip of gravity, plummeting to earth. Bad news at low altitudes and bound to cause injuries even if there is no collision with the ground.

Second, it slowed the ship down. This was why most modern airships had the balloon as an emergency feature, but in Blueblood's case there was no disadvantage. His yacht was a pleasure cruiser, and he liked a gentle and relaxing flight far more than the break-neck paces small and fast "fighter" airships can reach. Sure, even the fastest airship is slower than an athletic pegasus - HHS Starscream, an experimental high-speed ship, flies at only two-hundred and seventy six miles an hour whilst the average pegasus athlete can reach four to five hundred. An airship can sustain it longer, but that's beside the point.

Of course, he'd commissioned a new one to be ready in about a year's time that had a far larger balloon and would likely move even slower. Then again he'd never flown one further than Manehattan before now so maybe a distance trip would remind him a little speed could be a good thing.

"Very good. I know you still have some uncertainties about this task, but I can think of nopony else I would trust to attend such an important occasion as the swearing-in of a new Mayor for one of our largest cities."

And one of the most remote and most fortified but Princess Celestia did not mention this. Blueblood merely bowed and left.

"Now, Cadence, and Captain Sparkle. I think I should apologize for that little memory lapse. I could have sworn I'd informed you, my niece..."

I remained silent but could practically hear my new Supreme Commander roll her eyes.

"Anyway, what about your own preparations?" Celestia said.

"They go well, Auntie. Er, do I call you auntie in front of..."

"Well, I'd prefer it, myself, but it's up to you really."

Cadence looked at her aunt, then me, and then back to her aunt.

"...The preparations go well, Auntie. The Flotilla is awaiting inspection, and all should be ready to depart on time at seven-thirty. Is the dinner still going ahead?"

Celestia nodded.

"Of course. Captain Sparkle is invited, of course, along with a small entourage from the soldiers he will select for your guard. So there's not that much to do before you depart?"

"Not really, auntie. Just get the guard detail selected, sort out a few minor issues, inspect the ships and then dinner."

"Very good. Well, I'll leave you to it. Oh, one last thing."

The Princess looked almost...nervous. "Tomorrow is the thousandth Summer Sun Celebration, it will be a special occasion. If the sun does not rise on time, please continue on schedule, it shall hopefully be nothing to worry about. It is merely a surprise welcome back to somepony very special...Alright, see you at the dinner tonight."

We looked at each other very confused but couldn't think of what to say.

We bowed as Celestia left, and a few moments later Cadence moved to leave herself.

"Captain, please escort me to my study. I need to check over a few last minute details and I think we had better get started with you selecting those soldiers..." She instructed, or said, rather. She hadn't quite grasped the concept of orders at that point.

"Yes ma'am." Putting together an entire new unit to guard a Princess as she traveled around the world? In just a few hours? No problem. Right?

"I can give you a hoof with them if you like, I did try to poke my nose in a few times when Lieutenant Price was working on filtering out the candidates. He left his notes and the files in the study."

"Very good, ma'am."

"And Shining, you can be informal with me if you like."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Please tell me that was you trying to make a joke."

"It was."

"Good."

"...Did it work?"

"No."

I followed her lead, and soon enough she had taken us to the castle's West Wing. On the way, we noticed a senior Civil Servant, Sir Humphay Appleby, and the Minister for the Department of Administrative Affairs walking past their own office chatting whilst Baarnard Wooley, a junior civil servant (and also a sheep, for the record) was trying to get them to acknowledge this fact.

"Sir Humphay, Minister, we've passed the office six times!"

I told you a lot of ponies liked to talk and trot right past their destination. In this case it was because it avoided their office and avoided work.

"...Gentlecolts, can you please listen to Baarnard and actually enter your office?" Cadence spoke up.

"Oh, my apologies, Your Highness, I fear that myself and the minister were rather distracted by our important discourse upon matters of state. Dreadfully sorry, Baarnard."

And they then entered the office, under Cadence's amused gaze.

"It was never a penalty for Manechester City, Humphay! The linesmare had flagged for offside a good ten seconds before the tackle, Cloudsdale were robbed of at least a point!" The Minister could be heard as the door closed.

Also it lets them talk about hoofball for longer the more times they avoid the office.

"Utterly shameful nonsense..." Cadence muttered.

I offered no comment on what I initially thought was her views upon the conduct of a Minister and a senior Civil Servant in dodging work.

"The linesmare was trying to wave a bee away, not signal offside. Cloudsdale are just sore losers." She continued.

I was a little shocked.

"Wait, you follow hoofball?!"

"Of course. You didn't think I took Twilight along to see Maresenal with you just because she wanted go with you, did you?"

"...Oh. We lost one-nil to Trottenham."

We kept walking, passing yet more wandering Civil Servants as we neared the Princess' study. Cadence had her study in the West Wing, by her own request. At first glance it was fairly distant from her quarters in the main keep when walking, and it was strange she should put her personal study in one of the more busy parts of the castle rather than adjacent to her room, much like Princess Celestia.

As anypony who looked would realize however, both the office and her bedroom had large windows and good lines of flight between them. Getting between them (especially from bedroom on the fourth floor to study on the ground) was quite honestly fun for her. Also, by being in the admin area, she provided herself quite a bit of protection. More than once, a few ponies upset that Princess Celestia could not see them had instead sought her out. And wouldn't you know it, the civil service and the ministers floating around had this dashed habit of finding just the right pony to help the petitioner out... It actually benefited the ponies in question as much as it did Cadence.

Cadence opened the locked door with a glow of her horn.

"I don't imagine there's much point in you learning the spell to open it, it'll be at least two years before we'll be back in here anyway." She noted as we entered.

It wasn't a big study. Two writing desks sat within, one with the back to the window and another looking somewhat more temporary in nature in the corner, piled with files and letters.

"The files are at that desk... The gold file should have the ones that Price recommends, about sixty applicants. The scroll should... Wait, there wasn't a scroll this morning. It's for you."

I gave it a once-over with a quick scanning spell. A scroll could hide all sorts of surprises. A Neighponese exploding tag, a more conventional concealed gunpowder charge, a tax bill...

"...Princess Celestia sent it. She's advising me of four particular volunteers in the list." I sighed.

I had a messenger send for the three of them available. Sergeant Thunderhead, Private Captive Audience, and Private Running Gag. Lance-Corporal Apple was of course at a reunion, so I sent him a letter to tell him he had been accepted into the new unit. I left the door open at Cadence's request, as she felt the study had become a bit stuffy and wanted the air to circulate.

It also meant I could see anypony coming from where I was sitting instead of having to try getting that see-through vision spell to work properly. I've never really mastered it. Then again, used like that it would have the nasty side effect of seeing the parts of the pony if someone walked across my vision. I had no further desire to see a sentient creature's lungs again even if this time they would still be inside him or her.

I waited a short time, looking through the files quickly. A decent number of them came highly recommended by their own officers according to Price's notes, and their files looked promising too. Two more troopers were selected by the time the first three arrived, heralded by voices echoing down the corridor.

"...So he says to him 'A purple box? Well, that's a ten minute joke with no punchline.'"

"I don't get it."

"I did, but I regret having the cognitive ability to do so now."

The three then came into view. I had them enter, where they bowed to Cadence, even as confusion or dismay at one of Running Gag's notoriously terrible jokes reigned supreme.

"Okay, gentlecolts, you obviously knew beforehoof that I was getting this job. How?" I asked, giving Thunderchild a glance.

"Well, sir, a little bird told me. That is to say not that little a bird at all, actually quite a regal-sized one if you catch my meaning."

"My Auntie Celestia told you. Why couldn't you just say that?" Cadence pondered.

No one brought up the point that Thunderchild would never refer to Celestia as "Cadence's Aunt" or indeed as his own aunt as an exact repetition of her words would have then indicated.

"Indeed, Your Highness, Her Highness spoke to me two weeks ago when the volunteers were being sought. She advised me to tell trusted troopers the true nature of who would be the most likely commander, but noted confirmation would be last-minute for a few reasons."

"I see. Why did Ellis go to his family reunion for the afternoon instead of waiting on news he'd been accepted or denied?"

"Well, he bought the train ticket to Ponyville three weeks ago, sir. "

"Ah, right. Wait, Ponyville?"

"Before you mention the chariot your sister took, sir, he did have the train tickets and some sort of brunch to avoid. I think your sister probably did not avoid it if I have my timing right..."

"What would she have to do with Apple's family reunion?"

"He told me they're handling the catering and said his family tends to be too helpful in making sure everypony leaves full."

Oh well, it'd make up a bit for all the times she forgot to eat while she was studying.

"Very well, Sergeant, you four are the first members of Cadence's Guard. That means you three that are here get to run messages. I'm going to send out letters to the commanding officers of the ponies I accept to formally ask for permission, even though it's already been granted in most cases except four of them that apparently had an executive order sneakily overrule their CO..."

Three pairs of eyes under golden helmets avoided looking at me.

"Gag, Audience, you two are the runners, and Thunderchild, you're standing guard outside."

"Yes sir," All three replied.

"Wait a second, what was that about Twilight and a chariot?" Cadence asked.

I decided to explain while I handed a letter each to Gag and Audience. She seemed pleased too.

"That should be good for her. She's never really been outside Canterlot, and to be given an important job like that as well. Was she nervous about it?"

"She seemed more worried about the legend of the Mare in the Moon than the job she'd been given, to be honest."

"Ah. So she's off to do her job in confidence."

"Er, no, she is genuinely worried about the Mare in the Moon."

"...What?" Some more explaining to do.

After that, the next hour or so was a routine. Soldiers would be selected, and the two messengers would run off to inform the troopers and their commanders of their selection. I planned to inspect the troops after Cadence inspected the ships, after which they'd likely all embark their gear and belongings aboard. In that hour though I had picked out ten troops, counting the four that I already had at the start, technically.

The routine was only broken when Cadence decided it was time for lunch. Or rather, when Cadence groaned and rubbed her head with a hoof.

"Ugh, I'm glad I'm almost ready to go on this trip and be done with reading files on ponies. And donkeys and zebras and griffins. Pretty sure one was a minotaur as well. The worst part is I have no idea who the minotaur was and it's not like there's dozens of minotaurs around the castle. I know there's a minotaur in the Guard but it's not him..."

"Corporal Will?" I suddenly recalled that mighty set of pipes.

"He won't be here much longer, sir. He's not re-joining. He said something about taking up motivational speaking I think," Thunderchild noted.

"Well, the only thing more awe-inspiring than his muscles is his voice. Anyway, gentlecolts, I think it's lunchtime."

Private Audience was then surprised to be ordered to head to a small salad and beanburger stall not too far from the castle walls. I recognized it.

"So, Your Highness, Twilight rubbed off on you a little, did she?"

Cadence laughed at that.

"Well, to be honest, you just don't get good hayfries at the average dinner here in the castle. Usually my hoofmaiden Sunset goes but she's visiting her mother before we set off."

"Don't you have more than one?"

"Yes but I made the mistake of letting them each decide if they wanted to come and they're out discussing it with friends and family. Doesn't help they were all at a birthday party today."

She paused for a second.

"Mind you it does have me thinking. You can't keep fruits and vegetables fresh forever and be sure of collecting more. After all various countries we'll visit have meat-eaters or other foods we ponies might find odd. Meat might be put on the menu just to test us."

"Have you ever eaten any form of meat, ma'am?" Thunderchild wondered.

"...Yes. Fish and chicken as part of my diplomatic etiquette lessons. I managed to avoid anything that might have been able to speak..."

This alluded to the fact that some Griffins ate beef. They claimed it was from a subspecies incapable of speech and showing no signs of sapience. That hadn't stopped some Griffin nations outlawing beef entirely. In fact, it's widely expected that beef embargoes may be the cause of the next war between Griffin Nations. Reminded me how some ponies thought eating eggs was in violation of the traditional pony vegetarian edict.

"Princess, every soldier in the Royal Guard is trained that in emergencies where the correct food is unavailable, that fish and chicken are viable emergency rations. And I think most larger airships actually carry a small towed launch that is designed to obtain food from the sea."

Mostly seaweed, actually, but yes, in an emergency fish is viable. The trouble is with everything being so salty, and with most everypony aboard being ponies... You can imagine.

"I see. That makes sense." Cadence nodded.

"There was this one trooper that was kind of odd about it on my part of that training, sir. All he ever ate was fish and chicken even when they had hay and flowers available..." Private Gag began.

"He was a griffin, wasn't he?" Three voices said together.

"...Aw, you've heard that one."

"Yes, we have. And for the record, Corporal Griffen would appreciate if you stopped using that gag about him."

Cadence blinked.

"Wait, his name is Griffin? Is he an actual..."

"Yes. He's a Griffin named Griffen. With an E." I said.

"Oh. Like some ponies have the second name Pony."

I looked back at the list of soldiers. As it happened there were actually two troopers called Pony, and Corporal Griffen was on the volunteer list. One of the Ponies seemed promising, so a Pony called Pony and a Griffin called Griffen wound up added to the unit. Griffen was also a good choice because we'd travel to several Griffin Kingdoms, and his knowledge of their culture would be invaluable (textbooks could tell you a bit, but having a native of the country was always preferable, thus why I also tried to place a Zebra on the crew as well).

Lunch and the next few hours were uneventful. I filled in the blanks, as Cadence finished her own work and moved to the general day to day work of a Princess.

"...Gha, where were you five minutes ago, L-Block?!"

Eventually, it was Inspection Time. This meant that first, Princess Cadence and I would wander around looking at airships.

"...Your Highness, which ships will make up the Flotilla?" I wondered, as we began walking to the Airship docks.

Airships I knew almost nothing about.

"Oh, I forgot to say, didn't I. It's the Frigate HHS Invincible, the Scientific Survey Corvette HHS Enterprise, and the Gunship Corvettes HHS Dreadnought and HHS Falcon. The ranking Air Naval officer is Commander Shepard. You'll meet her later when we inspect the ships."

"I see."

I'm not in the Air Navy wing of the Royal Guard, so I didn't know the ships intimately just by their names. I knew HHS meant "Her Highnesses Ship", I knew that Corvettes were bigger than Patrol Craft and Attack Boats, but smaller than Frigates which were smaller than Destroyers, Cruisers, Pocket Battleships, Battleships, and Patrol Craft Carriers. I knew that Invincible was also the class of Frigate, so she was the lead ship of her class.

I knew that if you put my sister aboard anything called a Scientific Survey anything she'd likely never leave, but that was about it for the Enterprise. The other two Corvettes, I'd never heard of.

Commander Shepard outranked me due to the fact a naval commander is actually equivalent to a lieutenant-colonel on land. Yet oddly because she was in charge of a ship she was a captain, and because I, a captain, was in charge of an entire branch of the Royal Guards I was a commander.

However, in the grand scheme of things our jobs at this point were to ignore each other. She would show Cadence around her ships, and I was merely there to keep an eye on Cadence, as well as maybe pick up a few facts about the ships that would be my home for the next two years.

However, there were some interesting things aboard the ships.

"... Invincible has thirty guns of various types and calibers, spread over the broadside decks, facing upwards and downwards from the belly/bombardment gun decks, as well as two rocket torpedo bays. We also have a half-dozen ballistas and catapults to conserve gunpowder and numerous firing ports for unicorn horns around the ship. Every one of the guns can be armed with Party loads of confetti and streamers..."

What? I'm a Stallion. Explosions are awesome, guns make explosions, therefore guns are awesome, Q.E.D.

You'd be surprised how much the average Equestrian is surprised at ever finding out the Navy's airships had weapons. Let alone finding out swords were meant for more than fancy ceremonies in this enlightened day and age.

Anyway, that was it. Not much to learn except that Cadence would be living aboard Invincible, the Frigate with a crew of three hundred and fifty, a top speed of a hundred and ninety knots given by her mag-rotor engines, fed from a magical fuel source supply that would last up to five years of normal operations giving it a theoretically limitless range apart from the pesky need to feed the crew and get more gunpowder every now and then.

Oh, and that we would likely travel at a hundred and thirty knots so that the whole flotilla could stay together as Enterprise was a little bit slower.

After that there really wasn't much to say. I inspected the troops, now with added Lance-Corporal Ellis Apple. I told them they were joining a new branch of the Guard, that they were each to be diplomatic and give their young unit reasons for pride in the future, and then Cadence spoke to them for a short while.

This would normally be when we'd be infused with Cadence's essences, but as we found out at this point, Cadence did not know how yet (something she blushed a bit when recounting), and thus us former Day Guards would keep Celestia's inside us.

They began to board the ships, the Air Naval guard finding places for them and the diplomatic parts of the entourage.

We saw Prince Blueblood overseeing his own ship getting ready, and Cadence decided to go over for a short chat and so my brain decided to shut down for a bit. About all I recall was he seemed genuinely happy just at the prospect of flying his airship, which I would later learn was one of his most beloved hobbies right after acting like a complete fool.

Okay, in all fairness, it's a crying shame he never joined the Air Navy as he probably would have made a decent navigations officer there. And not just because he'd be on a ship far from Canterlot up to nine months a year.

But yes, that was really it. The evening was uneventful. I readied for dinner, putting on my red Dress uniform that was now back from the tailors and one of the few things I hadn't had boxed up and put aboard the ship. I sent a letter to my parents, who it turns out were away on a vacation at the time and replied soon after, pleased for me and telling me to be careful. I considered a letter to Twilight, but thought against it.

The dinner consisted of me largely being quiet and answering the occasional question directed at me, but Cadence was the center of attention when it wasn't on Celestia. It wasn't really terrible - I'd been to a number of formal dinners like that before, except this time I was actually at the table rather than standing around at the back. Fortunately a few Generals, Admirals, and Brigadiers were floating around so I didn't stand out as the only idiot in red in a room full of black tuxedos.

After that, a fairly hasty change to armor to match the rest of the Guard I commanded, and then boarding the ship. Princess Celestia bid farewell to Cadence, and we were almost delayed when the Alicorn of the Sun was reluctant to release the hug. In hindsight I should maybe have been noticing the act was a little bit more than a sign of how close Celestia was to her niece, and maybe noticing an element of genuine worry.

She then got a hug from each of her parents, Blue Song and Bright Blood, the latter of which giving me the typical parental warning given when handing their daughter's safety over to somepony else about how much trouble I'd be in if I let anything happen to his daughter.

At the time though I was just regretting to myself that I wasn't able to hug anypony to see me off. My sister was in Ponyville and for the next two years I was simply going to be moving further and further away from her.

"Feeling all right, sir?" A voice broke me from my contemplation.

"Hm? Oh, yes, Sergeant. Just lost in thought."

"Probably a bad idea, sir. Very difficult to find a map of thoughts and far harder to send scouts on ahead. Anyway, I checked your room as you asked, sir. Everything seems to be there fine."

"Very good." I nodded, as Cadence boarded the ship. She was wiping her eyes as she did so.

"Are you okay, Cadence?" I said without thinking.

She nodded, missing my slip.

"Yes, I'm fine, Shining, thank you. Just a little sniffly. Auntie and my parents seemed more upset than I am really."

The ship lurched slightly, and began to lift away from the docks. Princess Celestia stood watching with Blue Song and Bright Blood, and the other three ships in our little flotilla began to lift off too.

"Oh, Shining? Can you please call me Cadence when we're in situations like this rather than 'Ma'am' or 'Your Highness'? "

"Certainly, Ma'am" I said, grinning.

She got the joke and smiled herself.

"...Anyway, Commander Shephard invited me to the bridge after we took off. I think I'm going to head to my room first. Could you meet me at the bridge in five minutes?"

I nodded, and she left.

"Do any of you have any smart remarks to possibly remove from your systems?" I asked the four enlisted ponies.

"Uh, no, sir. In fact I wager all we have are stupid remarks." Lance-Corporal Apple answered honestly.

Naturally everypony looked to Running Gag, who sighed and assured us he had none...right now.

"Good. See you later, Gentlecolts."

By the time I was at the bridge to meet Cadence, we had rose and moved away until Canterlot was like an ant hill. We could see Cloudsdale floating over behind a cloud. We could see train lines crossing the plains, see little towns and villages dotted around. We could see some of the vast expanse of the Everfree Forest. We would pass Manehattan at about half past nine, and be over the sea heading for our first destination.

A Griffin Republic, where our arrival was to be timed to ensure Cadence would attend the inauguration of a new President. A fairly simple start to the tour, I thought.

Remember what I said about thinking about things like that?

The Summer Sun Celebration? Did I see anything unusual? Well... There was Nightmare Moon I guess.

Oh. You mean before it? Uh, no, everything was actually pretty normal.

...Well, there was this one weird thing the night before Princess Luna came back. It was late, but I was going to see my big sister that evening, about an hour after the weather team had got rid of the short shower they'd scheduled. She was excited about her job for the summer sun celebration. She was really looking forward to working on the decorations, but she was only supposed to start the next day - you know, right before the celebration? It's some ceremonial thing, apparently all the preparations need to be done under the light of the previous day's sun or something.

But anyway, when I was getting near her house, I realized there was this... weird shape following me. It looked like a big dog, or a wolf. It might have had a horn in it's head, but I wasn't sure. But... It seemed kind of see-through.

"Uh... Hi, doggie?" I said to it. It walked over, and it sniffed me for a moment.

The creepy thing was, my hoof prints the way I'd came behind it were gone. Not one mark in the damp mud at all.

It growled, and I nearly jumped back. But I remember Fluttershy came to the school a while ago and told us all that if a dog or an animal is turning violent you don't make sudden movements or break eye contact. So I tried to do that.

Like a camera flash I had an image in my head of myself living with those two mares Lyra and Bon-Bon, and that filly named Tootsie Flute, a, my (?) sister? But it felt, wrong, not just 'cause that never happened, more like, it was wrong for it to happen, like it was a half finished script that got rejected. And I a part of that rejected image. I don't, I'm n-t, I w-sn't- "

My memories of Rarity and mom and dad flashed through my head like tiny soldiers coming to the front to separating me from the picture.

And then I could swear it spoke. But it sounded... weird. Like it was speaking backwards or something.

"...nO. supposeD tO exisT. noT wronG."

And then it walked away slowly. I blinked and... It was gone.

"Hey... Where'd you go?"

Then I head a voice shouting behind me.

"Ah, there you are Sweetie Belle! I couldn't recognize you in the dark! What were they thinking? Mother said you'd be here late but she didn't say this late. You could have gotten lost! You're lucky I thought to look for you!"

Didn't recognize me in the dark? On a full moon? "Oh, hi, sis... Did you see a dog here?"

"What? No, dear... but you seemed to be looking off into space. Is something wrong?"

I shook my head.

"It's probably nothing."

And... that was about it.

...Huh, you know what's really weird?

I think I actually forgot about that whole thing until... Until you guys reminded me.

Chapter 76: (Dark World) Apple Tree

Pony POV Series
"Dark World" Part Seven
By Alex Warlorn
Apple Tree

"Come on Applejack! Are ya old or somethin'? Catch me if ya can!"

"Come on Applebloom! Get back here little filly! And whatcha doin' coverin' yerself with glow in the dark paint like that! Granny Smith is gonna give ya such a whoppin'!"

"Come and try ta catch me!" Mah glowin' little filly of a sister laughed as she skipped along the castle-palace-geometric-thingie-place of chaos. She stuck her tongue out at me before running off again.

"Lalalala-lalala!"

"Leave the singin' ta Sweetie Belle Apple Bloom! Now stay still tarnation!"

"Ya said stay still, so ya must mean ya want me ta move faster!"

"Ah ain't lyin'!"

"So that meant ya are lyin'!" Apple Bloom just kept laughin' like she had swallowed a load of soft feathers.

Ah shook mah head. Ah couldn't shake the feelin' Ah was forgettin' somethin' important. But Ah woke up in the middle of mah sleep and found mah little sister floating above mah bed (must have been usin' wires or somethin', if it were some kind of illusion Ah'd have felt it).

She smiled at me and stuck her tongue out like me all sassy like, like she had earned every cutie mark in the world! She floated down to the floor. She must have been usin' soundproof shoes cause she didn't make a sound as she skipped right through the door. Ah mean, RIGHT through the door, like it wasn't even there, and stuck her head through it a tic' later and asked if I was comin' or not. I galloped after her head first with Pa's hat and slammed flat against it. Master makin' the doors intangible for her and not me? Geeze, Master always has somethin' new up his sleeves. But he never helped somepony else play a joke on me before!

Yeah, Ah know what intangible is ya dork! All the time Ah spend with Rarigreed Ah picked up a lotta fancy words.

After a thousand years of being almost constantly with her, Ah really finally see what she sees in them fancy dresses and fancy words Aunt and Uncle Orange tried teachin' me as she plays with her 'family.'

By my words, your beauty, your dictation, they tell a pony a million things about you before you even engage them in proper conversation darling.

But Ah can't be that Applejack, Ah'm 'bout the only thing that keeps TD kinda sane, and keeps Rarigreed from turnin' inta another Angry Pie and Spike ... Ah want good old Spike to have somethin' that helps remind 'em that precious year we had together, against the thousand we've had since then. It makes them happy. Who cares if it's a lie?

Finally trying to get hold of 'Bloom leads me ta the gallery. Yea, that gallery. The one with Sparkler Hooves dancin' whenever anyone tells her to, the Princesses, one of the hundred copies of the vase Philomena's ashes were made into, and some statues that are just statues just to spice things up.

"What's the matter big sister? Come on!" Applebloom hopped up and down in the middle of the room smiling.

Dang. What was Ah forgettin'? It was drivin' me crazy! It had to do with 'Bloom. But Mah head felt fuzzy when Ah tried to think 'bout it! Dang it! Gotta catch 'Bloom!

"Thank yah kindly Princesses! By the way, Yer Pa says hi."

An', TARNATION! SHE DID NOT JUST PLUCK TWO FEATHERS FROM THE PRINCESSES! "OKAY BLOOM! ENOUGH IS TOO MUCH!"

She hopped through the wall past a tapestry of diamond dogs playing poker. Dang. That thing was ugly even for this place! Ah made sure she wasn't IN the tapestry before pulling it back, that'd happened a couple times.

What the hay?! The wall just split open and revealed a set of stairs just goin' down and down and down.

"Alright 'Bloom this is just too far." Ah heard 'Bloom giggle behind me and Ah felt some THING push me... and down Ah went. Ah have never felt so thankful for bein' immortal. Ah only passed out... Ah kinda lost count how many times from bangin' Mah head downs the steps. Ah lay there fer a spell regeneratin' before Ah get up.

Ugh.

Big fancy door with a hole in it for unicorn horn. Dang. Applebloom you have some nerve. Huh? Already open? Good luck fer me.

Big round chamber, like some expensive indoor swimming pool. 'Cept the pool cover is some mechanical doodad that looks like the shutter you see on a camera. Ah see Bloom pull down on a lever and it begins opening. Now how is that fair? She can go through doors but can still pick up stuff? And how did those feathers go through the wall with her? Dang this doesn't make sense. Sigh, 'and what fun is there in makin' sense' dang Master.

The room looked like the it hadn't been touched in a thousand years, didn't see none of Master's 'upgrades' anywhere.

There's a soft pain in mah chest, I wonder what that's about. Somethin' 'bout this whole room feelin' mighty wrong!

"Over here big sistah! Ah promise not ta move away from this here spot!" 'Bloom hopped on over. The 'pool' was filled with some liquid silvery stuff. It was hard ta tell. It was so smooth. Somethin' 'bout made mah eyes hurt.

Ah trot over her. It's crazy, but all this time, from when Ah first saw her, Ah swear Ah could see through her.

"Applebloom! Now yer gonan tell me what this here is all 'bout right NOW!!!"

'Bloom looked hurt, good, she needs to grow up and learn her goofin' off doesn't effect just her! Grow up, wait...

"Big sister, Ah just wanna say first, thanks fer everything, and Ah love ya very much, and always will, and Ah'm sorry 'bout this next part."

"WAIT A SEC'! Ah remember now! Applebloom! YER DEAD!"

Applebloom pulled her face off like it was a Nightmare Night mask, showin' a clean white skull underneath! The pink bowed skull grew ta the size of Trixie's ego an' made ah little girl's imitation of a scary voice turned up to ten! And it sure dang scared me!

Ah backed up like Twili' from a nest of rattlers and... "Whao-Whao-Whao!" Ah was balancin' right on the edge!

Applebloom, back to 'normal' said, "Big sister, welcome to The Truth." And pushed me in! Truth? TRUTH? NO NO NO NO! 'BLOOM HOW COULD YOU-!

Ah fall, it's just Ah moment but-splash down. Ah see the ceiling, and 'Bloom looking down at me...

Ah sink like a rock. It burns. Ah'm on fire! It hurts! It's in mah ears, it's in mah eyes, in mah nose, up mah, ugh! In mah mouth, in mah t-hroat-stop it! Ah don't want anything to do with you anymore!!!! ALL YOU'VE EVER DONE IS HURT PONIES!

It's in Mah veins! It's killin' me!

"You treat our world like a retarded foal, never allowing free will! I bet you stole my immortality with the Elements on purpose!" Luna roared at Celestia.

"I would NEVER do that!! And you think it's a virtue for us to sit on our flanks and do nothing when everything goes to Tartarus!" Celestia snapped at Luna.

Cadence let off a few floating hearts towards the two elder Alicorns.

"I'm sorry for what I said Celly. Let's compromise."

"I'm sorry too Lulu. And okay." The two Alicorns hugged each other smiling.

'That's a relief, good thing I was here.' Cadence thought, feeling a strange dread at the idea of how the situation might have gone if she had never been born.

"Lock on and fire all weapons!" ordered the Pony Rangers from the cockpit of the freshly formed Ultra Pony Zord.

"Warning! Overload-Overload! Too many changes! System locked!"

Gildar roared in fury. "No I don't believe it!" she exclaimed, helpless as the Ultra Pony Zord let loose its full arsenal on Grifclopsys and Early-Day-Star. "Rainbow Dash!"

"Is that all you've got Twilight?
That won't be enough to end my blight!
You must put MORE into this fight!" Zecora grunted, the parasitic infection of the Windigos having grown to where she looked like the hanger on instead of the other way around. The stripped wings and horn of ice jerking her body around.

Twilight magically gripped her tighter, "Don't give up Zecora! I have yet to begun to fight!"

Featherweight looked on in horror as Applebloom slammed Big Mac into the arena floor again. Blood stains began to appear on the guard uniform Big Mac had 'obtained.'

"But-but Ah came here to rescue ya-"

"Sorry Big brother!" The filly laughed, quite literally, manically as her mane wrapped tighter around her brother's legs, "Yer little sister's a murdering lunatic! Sorry ya missed the memo!"

"... 'Bloom, the day Ma died."

"Ma? MA! Ha! That nag ain't was no mother! When the Nightmare Bomb was dropped on Ponyville? She saw me, AND SAVED A BASKET OF PRIZE APPLES INSTEAD!"

"Stop it! He's your brother isn't he-?!" Featherweight shouted as he ran across the arena floor his feathers becoming as sharp as blades.

Pinkie Pie didn't know where she was. All she knew was that she had been heading towards the Organization's stronghold, had blacked out, and now was fighting a white pegasus with her face using the same keyblade as her. Inside her own soul!

"Why! Why did they choose you?!" The white pegasus demanded.

The white pegasus saw the stain glass pictures of Pinkie's friends on the floor. "Oh, that's why."

Twilight snarled, the Element of Magic glowing brightly in the mecha's forehead. As Discord's rose, regenerating the damage dealt, it was sent plowing through the replicated building behind it. "The reason you tried to break our wills!" she yelled, planting a metal foot on his back and grabbing hold of his wing. "The reason you took the Elements of Harmony!" she yelled, ripping the wing off and throwing it aside.

"The reason you isolated us from each other!" she yelled as he tried to reassemble the matter in his machine's arm into a weapon, hers merely punching straight through and shattering it's limb. "The reason why you tried to severe our bond of friendship!" As Discord's mechanoid tried desperately to regenerate the damage that was dealt as quickly as it healed, Twilight grabbed its horn and pulled it in, shattering half of it with a headbutt. "It's all because you fear us! The power of our Elements of Harmony will grow with our friendships, and always surpass your power! This is the power born of friendship!"

Discord snarled in his cockpit. "What does a god have to fear!" he roared, rushing Twilight once more.

"And cut!" announced the director's voice, the two suit actors ceasing their pitched fight while the unicorns responsible for special effects cut them off, revealing 'Discord's' mecha had been damaged to it's present state from the start, hidden by simple illusion spells. "Alright, everyone take a five minute break to set up for the next scene."

Twilight climbed out of the mock cockpit as the two suit actors took the heads off their suits to get some air, 'Discord' doing much the same. Twilight recognized the actor from the old Star Trot shows. Discord wasn't the hot blooded villain type, but with Princess Luna's return, another mad deity had to take Nightmare Moon's place in the script.

"See, I told you this would be awesome!" shouted Rainbow Dash, walking over in her silver armored costume, completely with fake battle damage.

Twilight sighed, taking a drink of water. Screaming half your lines worked for looking hotblooded, but it was hard on the throat. "Yeah, I guess... But didn't they offer you the part?"

"Yeah, of course, I'm perfect for it, but-"

"You found out Soarin' was a different character's love interest?"

Rainbow Dash blushed. "No! I... I just thought we should play the characters we share elements with is all."

Twilight rolled her eyes, remembering the reaction Rainbow Dash had had when she got to be Soarin's character's love interest.

"Alright, everypony! Let's film the next scene!"

The moment Scootaloo heard Rainbow Dash say to her that Dash had told the orphanage about her and they'd be there to pick Scootaloo up in the morning, Scootaloo ran, and kept running. The soothing voice of Discord would guide Scootaloo from now on.

"Now Twilight Sparkle!" Discord called out.

"Y-Y-YES Best Buddy Forever!" Twilight grinned maniacally with wall eyes. A shower of sparkles came from her horn, creating several dancing rabbits from rocks as purple and blue lightning struck up from the ground.

Twilight as so smart. Yes she was. 'If chaos can not exist without order, once I've help eliminate all order, I'll have eliminated all chaos! Then everything will be in order! I am so smart!' Twilight giggled to herself as she cast two different 'Want it, Need it' spells on two objects at once in sight of a crowd of ponies. The absolute love for both a dolly and a ball of yarn driving the crowd absolutely insane. Twilight giggled at how clever she was. Discord patted her on the head. "You are so smart Twilight."

"Yes yes yes!"

"Majordomo, please deliver this letter to me, but not me, a week from yesterday, but only after the parallel lines cross on Plutoday."

"YES GIANT MUFFIN!" Derpy saluted and flew into a wall, twice, and then flew out the window.

"Giant hat! I am so pretty!" Rarity pranced around with a cat the size of a house on her head with feathers, jewels, and pearls and ribbons.

"Anyone want so super delicious pears?!" Applejack called out as ponies gave her pears that she ate and gave them money. Flutterhy giggled as she gave a pear without accepting money. AJ gasped. "YER EVIL!"

"BWAHAHA!" Fluttershy then tapped danced with the long legged rabbits to the sound of classical music. She was wearing a 'I Heart My Daddy' t-shirt.

Trixie sat calm and dignified sipping overpriced tea while softly reading poetry through a monocle.

"Yippie! YAHOO! I ROCK!" Said Daring Do jumping form book to book, looking strangely like Rainbow Dash. "I always adventure in style!"

"Alright everypony! This is the LAUGH-WHILE-YOU-DANCE-PARTY, very different from the SKATE-WHILE-YOU-GIGGLE party!" Shouted Pinkie Pie (wearing a queenly crown) who looked rather like from the lost third third age, to a crowd of ponies who looked like they belonged to the revised third age and a half flash back age. "We'll earn a cutie mark!" The CMC shouted in the crowd, covered in every cutie mark imaginable, every other pony in the crowd blank.

Warp Bubble and Random Fortune, Pinkie's twelve and nineteenth child with her king respectively provided the music for their mother. Her other children were busy rearranging galaxies to form her face as a gift.

Baby Chrysalis and baby Cadence happily played patty cake.

On one of Discord's arm hug a pink Celestia, and on the other a purple Luna. As all three made out in front of their subjects.

"So, what do you think?" Discord asked.

"Eh, it's not pointy enough, and what's with all the pink and brown?"

"Ah, but you're missing the beauty of it, my little princess, the contradicting colors and shapes have a certain appeal to it, the ponies call it Modern Art."

"Eh..." She snapped her fingers. "There, that's better."

Discord scratched his chin, looking at their new 'home' in mental limbo, which was like something out of a Picasso painting. He looked closely at the sharp angled black shapes that Fluttercruel had added to the structure, then smiled. "Haha! Now you're getting it, Fluttercruel! That's my girl!" he exclaimed, putting his eagle claw on the Draconequus/Pegasus hybrid's shoulder with a genuinely content smile.

"Thanks, Dad," she said, giving a smirk.

"Now come on, let's swim in the dark chocolate swimming pool, shall we?"

Discord's imprisonment wasn't so bad, now that he had rescued his child's soul from the shadow world. And he had to admit, doing the right thing had been quite fun. Doing good things felt good, who knew? Astral projecting to look into the Truth hadn't been such a bad thing after all.

Empress Trixie sat on her throne, and sighed. Outside every pony in Equestria was cheering for the twentieth anniversary of her rule over all Equestria. Luna and Celestia happily keeping the sun and moon working for the new Empress of Equestria.

"Empress Trixie would you like me to hit myself in the face with a pie again?" Twilight Sparkle asked with swirlie eyes in a jester costume. The next room was literally overflowing with presents from her subjects.

"No."

"How about I say how inferior I am to your greatness?"

"No," Sighed the middle aged mare.

"Would you like me to tell all of Equestria to cheer your supreme supremacy again today?"

"No."

A swirlie eyed AJ meanwhile looked worried at Empress Trixie who hadn't eaten a bite of the lavish lunch she had prepared for her.

A concerned swirlie eyed adult Sweetie Belle asked a swirlie eyed Rarity (who was working on her empress' evening royal anniversary robe), "Should I sing for her Great and Powerfulness?"

"Not yet Sweetie."

"Twilight."

"Yes Great And Powerful Empress Trixie?" Asked the smiling Twilight.

"Do you love Trixie?"

"We ALL love you Empress Trixie! Everypony! Everywhere!" Twilight grinned loyally.

"Trixie knows, everypony loves Trixie." Trixie said in a tone that was the exact opposite of her words. She broke down crying.

"Twilight! Is this the kind of life you want? Surrounded by books you've already read studying what you've already learned?"

"Twilight is all knowing and all understanding!" The thing with Twilight's mother's face snarled and hissed at what Trixie had just said, wrapped around Twilight and surrounded by the closed circle of knowledge.

"Twilight, I have a gift from Mrs. Smartypants, just for you," said Trixie, pulling out Twilight's Element of Magic.

"Pinkie Pie! Stop!" Rainbow Dash begged.

Rarity implored, "PLEASE! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!"

Twilight cried, "I never, I could never, Pinkie Pie this can't be you!"

Fluttershy had already fainted, several time and by now was simply catatonic.

AJ still had spirit and squirmed against her bonds. "Ah swear! Somehow, someway, you'll get yers fer this!"

Pinkie Pie laughed. "Oh don't be such sour pusses, life is a party! And your names all came up!"

She held the karaoke microphone, "Besides we finished all the vocals from every season of Pony Rangers already."

Everypony sighed in relief.

"Now we can sing every vocal song from every season of Bug Masked Rider!"

Everypony screamed in terror.

Winona set across from Opal, hardly believing her ears as the glamorous unicorn told the brown earth pony of her crazy dream. Her a dog? Angel a rabbit? It was crazy. Though she kind of could see Opal being a cat.

"Bwaahaha! None of you can stand against the divine might of Nightmare Muffin!"

"Muuu-fin, muu-fin, muu-fin!" Her army of wall eyed zombies marched tirelessly onward.

"Wow!" Dinky cheered flanked by special muffin headed minions, a homemade paper crown on her head. Her big sister Sparkler sat silently and dully with an adult sized pacifier in her mouth. Dinky smiled. "Mom's gotten super-duper-confidence!"

Derpy slammed a hoof in Berry Punch's face, both were wearing black leg bands.

"HOW COULD YOU LET THAT HAPPEN TO RUBY?! YOUR OWN DAUGHTER?!"

"I... I was drunk, I misread the labels, I thought it was the soft-cider, it was just a game-"

"A DRINKING GAME WITH A FOAL-?!"

"I-I'm s-sor-"

"Sorry doesn't bring Ruby back!"

Orange Top and Ruby Pinch played Pony Rangers with Pipqueak and Featherweight.

The flower trio plus Carrot Top (ironic given her green mane) meanwhile casually chatted with Lady Berry Punch, happy to be friend with such a successful winery master who was in direct competition with the Apple's cider market.

"Please, Cheerilee, please, can I see Ruby? Just a bit?" Berry Punch begged her baby's foster mother.

"Berry, you know the court said-"

"Sis, please ."

" ... " Cheerilee looked around. "Alright. But I didn't let you in, and you weren't here, understand?"

"Thank you."

The green cocoon broke open, and out fell a white carapace changeling with violet wings and green compound eyes.

"Welcome to the swarm little sister," Nuzzled a larger white changeling with a similar color scheme but blue compound eyes. The smaller changeling nuzzled back.

Queen Twilight observed soaking up the love her swarm willingly offered her.

Chrysalis had realized she was dying, and was the only survivor of her hive's extermination in the battle of Canterlot. Not wanting her species to vanish into oblivion, she had kidnapped the purple unicorn, cocooned her, and transferred into her all her power, all her essence, killing herself in the process, and saddling Twilight as the only changeling queen on Earth.

And with it came an instinct Twilight could no more ignore or resist for longer than breathing, 'create her swarm, form her hive.'

She had brought her six friends into her new swarm first... Actually the first was Spike. Then they had brought their families into the swarm as well, along with Mayor Mare. Twilight remembered Scootaloo with tears in her eyes had discovered what was happening and had WILLINGLY let herself follow Rainbow Dash into the swarm.

Dash's mind had been the first to empathic link between queen and her swarm, her loyalty to Twilight stronger than ever.

They did have to stop Dr. Whooves from blowing up Ponyville twice or warning Princess Celestia. For a stallion who claimed to abhor murder he was rather quick on the draw when it came to genocide.

Queen Twilight couldn't have her teacher learn of Twilight's new mantle until her swarm was of viable size, and Twilight could show her mentor that Twilight had no intention of challenging Celestia for the throne of Canterlot like Chrysalis had.

Twilight was surprised to find a rogue drone living in Canterlot from Chrysalis' swarm. At least she didn't have to hide her secret from Bon-Bon and Lyra now. Twilight wasn't insane like Chrysalis had been. She didn't want all of Equestria, what she wanted was a viable population model for her new kind. And they needed the rest of Equestria untouched to feed themselves after all.

Chrysalis had been insane to think her hostile take over of Canterlot would have left any love for her swarm to harvest.

Sweetie flew over to join an orange and a yellow changeling nymphling working on a cocoon containing Granny Smith, fixing her broken hip before bringing her into the swarm and making her the figure of beauty she was lifetimes before, being so old meant taking longer with her.

Yes. Queen Twilight was certain she could show her teacher that the swarm only wished to exist. What insanity had possessed Chrysalis to want to convert Twilight's mentor?

An Alicorn with approval of them living was far more viable than another member of the swarm.

"MMMMMH-HMMMM!" Squirmed a unicorn in her own cocoon already half-way transformed.

"I'm sorry Trixie, but I can't let you out. You DID sneak into town without knowing about my change wanting to curse me. Look at it this way, you're now becoming part of a bigger family can you can imagine," Trixie seem panic and struggle more at that, "All of you belonging, each of you special to me. And you'll be able to gather so much love with your showmareship when you're not putting others down. Just think of all those ponies loving you." Trixie's struggle slowly became more passive with her words.

A purple shelled changeling with green wings tirelessly wrote down notes besides her. "Cheerilee wants to know when she can open the school again Twilight."

"Very soon Spike, I don't understand why I can't bring Pipsqueak and his family into the swarm, but with Sweetie Belle that was the last of the foals that needed bringing into the swarm otherwise."

"Yes Swarm Mother."

"Please Spike, you can still call me Twilight." The changeling queen clapped her hooves. "This is gonna make such a great Friendship Report!"

Harmony Queen Twilight twisted and turned on her gossamer wings, leading her mages as Harmony Queen Applejack led her ground forces and Harmony Queen Rainbow led their pegasi. Harmony Queen Fluttershy directed their medics, as Harmony Queens Pinkie Pie and Rarity fought on the front lines.

Two thirds of the the former Royal Guard (now the Guard of Harmony) fought against the faction belonging to the last free Alicorn on Earth.

"Why Cadence!" Twilight shouted, "How could you do this?! Why give in willing to the taint of black magic? We were like sisters!"

Nightmare Polyphony shouted back in the Royal Canterlot Voice, "IT WAS THE ONLY WAY TWILIGHT! TO SAVE THE WORLD FROM EQUESTRIA, EQUESTRIA FROM YOU, AND YOU FROM YOURSELF! IF SACRIFICING MY SANITY MEANS THAT, THEN SO BE IT!"

"Equestria is in perfect balance! Perfect harmony! You're the one corrupting that peace!"

"CAN'T YOU SEE THIS EQUESTRIA YOU'RE MAKING IS SUFFERING UNDERNEATH? YOU CAN'T FORCE PONIES TO BE HAPPY!" The Nightmare implored.

"... if you showed me anything Cadence, yes, you can."

Dragon Queen Rarity laughed atop her literal mountain of jewels, with her consort Spike at her side as her dragons gave her love and the pathetic ponies delivered pile after pile of treasure to her-

ENOUGH!!!! IF YOU'VE GOT SOMETHIN' IMPORTANT TA SHOW ME THEN SHOW ME! IF NOT THEN JUST KILL ME! BUT STOP WITH THESE HORSEAPPLES!

"Who's a silly pony? Who's a silly pony! Who is? I am! Applejack!" She cheered doing a forehoof-stand which made her skirt fall 'up.' Rarity blushed and dropped her milk shake but Big Mac caught it with his hoof.

"Thank you darling, I just had this dress dry cleaned," said the Element of Generosity.

"No prob," said the handsome Element of Honesty. "But please Applejack a little shame."

"Come on! This is party!" Smiled the Element of Laughter sitting on the reinforced table and (thankfully) straightening out her dress.

"She's got a point," the group of friends turned to the sarcastic goth Pinkamena just in time to see her crack a smile. "It's about as big a party you can get."

"All the more reason to act in a mature and refined manner and-AAAAH!" Rarity yelped as an ice cube was dropped down her back. She jumped two feet in the air. Big Mac caught her.

"Applejack!"

"Sorry! Must have slipped!" Applejack grinned, getting a few chuckles from those whose names weren't Rarity.

Trixie was working her tricks on stage up to eleven now that she didn't have to pass them off as simple stage magic. Twilight had to politely ask her to step down after she went six minutes over time.

"But Twilight! At least these Earth Ponies shall see the true power and greatness that is Trixie!"

"They -have- been seeing it Trixie, but reserved the slot after you and are getting testy."

"So?"

"And so are their fans."

"So?"

"Who here happen to out number your fans, regardless of how big a role you played in all this, and many of whom are members of the bazooka club."

"... Trixie will step down now."

"Good girl." The Element of Magic smiled and patted the other unicorn on the head.

"Hey Trixie."

"Yeesss-SPIKE?" Trixie said with a hint of venom in her voice.

"Look, I'm sorry I accused you before of stabbing us in the back when the elements were stolen."

"Stolen by your mother since dragons didn't like the idea of 'ponies united'."

Spike fidgeted with his tuxedo, "Er, yeah. Trixie, the point is, I was a jerk to you before, and you act full of yourself but-"

Trixie growled.

"-but you didn't deserve the way I treated you. Your friends with Twilight, and so am I, so, please-" He presented a bouquet of flowers. "-friends?"

"Trixie never turns down a bouquet from a handsome gentleman."

"Did you just call me handsome?"

While Twilight and co had faced the dragon, unicorn, and pegasus elders, Trixie and Pinkamena (with some help from Trixie's mother, whose expertise came in quite handy) had blown up the Stallions In Black's Base.

Pinkamena's split pony-personalities did have their advantages (like one remembering what the other didn't, with the added bonus of eventually convincing the Stallions In Black that the goth was somehow immune to their spell, which had the extra benefit of causing a bit of a panic).

This was after Trixie had hit them with their own copied-memory erasure spell (while screaming 'how do you like it?!' at the top of her lungs, along with a few words no one dared repeat).

Pinkamena told the S.I.B. they were all ice-cream sellers after Trixie got a little TOO vindictive, telling them that they all liked to hit their heads against walls and other pet commands (though Pinkamena, or one of her personalities found 'you all like to pretend your chickens' quite hysterical). "What next? I know! Ahem, you all like to chew off your own-" Pinkamena bumped her.

"That's enough."

"Bastards made my Earth Pony brothers and father forget I and my mother ever existed. Twigs get what they earn!"

No one pressed charges since the S. I. B.s 'did not exist.' In light of recent events, few were willing to defend them anyway, and what ones who escaped were silently arrested for crimes against ponykind to avoid public outcry.

Back in the festive here and now Rainbow Dash zipped about the ceiling recounting her own part in things, "And so I said to that stuffy unicorn elder, 'So we're keeping Earth Ponies in the dark about Unicorns and Pegasi because?!' And the old fart said, 'Because they would try to destroy us all if they did!' And I was like 'We outnumber them two to one! Heck, they don't even HAVE an army! And how much effort and magic do we dump into keeping Earth Ponies as sheep?' And he spat back 'As much as it takes!'

"And that's when I introduced 'em to Gilda! Would you believe it?! The old unicorn couldn't believe that Pegasi and Griffins had been keeping Griffins secret from unicorns and Earth Ponies! Same way dragons had been keeping themselves secret from all ponies until Twilight found Spike's egg! And I won't get started the colors he turned when I told'em about the Alicorns in orbit! I thought he was going to have a heart attack! Put'em in their place when they found out they weren't the only ones pulling wool over another people's eyes!"

The Element of Loyalty continued to recount their epic adventure of tearing down the outdated web of illusions and lies that layers upon layers of ponies and others had kept in place in the name prejudice, paranoia, and fear of change. "AND YOU CAN'T TELL ME THAT RAINBOW ACROSS THE ENTIRE PLANET WASN'T AWESOME! All the illusion magic placed around the world gone like POOF! And suddenly the world's twenty percent cooler!"

"So ..." Lickety Split asked in awe, "Those wings are really real?"

Fluttershy nodded meekly as she sat in the corner. She didn't like the new attention. But it was a relief to finally be able to show her wings and not have to come up with inane and strange excuses on the spot when the illusion spell failed or somepony got too curious. Like that time she had come up with the disease 'back mumps' when her wings opened under her blouse. "Yes."

"I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT!" Lickety Split cheered hopping up and down. "Wanna go steady?"

"Uh, okay?"

"ALRIGHT!" He kissed her, the Element of Kindness fainted.

Applejack laughed at the joke. No one had expected a nerd, a jock, a wallflower, a high school prima donna, Ponyville High's Most Eligible Bachelor, and the class clown to end two thousand years of keeping Earth Ponies ignorant to two-thirds of the rest of the planet, as well as the Unicorns and Earth Ponies being ignorant of the Griffins, and everypony being ignorant of the dragons!

Her brother of course had been the one to say how simply WRONG it was to keep Earth Ponies fearful and ignorant, when the excuse for keeping them fearful and ignorant was that 'Earth ponies are fearful and ignorant!' She found that kind of funny to be honest, but more because of how ridiculous the whole situation had been. It was like one of those bad jokes that was so rotten it was funny again.

Pinkamena had come on board near the end, and while she hadn't had an Element, had still been an irreplaceable ally when it came to dealing with the S.I.B.

The two Apples with Rainbow Dash, Twilight, Spike, Trixie, (and with some coaxing Rarity and Fluttershy) had raised the tattered banner of truth, like a bunch of other groups over the last two thousand years, but six magic necklaces proved that the three races of ponies were MEANT to be together that only the three tribes together could unlock.

When AJ finally got home for a break from the days long celebration, Applebloom was still with Scoots and Sweetie Belle, both happy they no longer had to hide what they were from their best friend.

Diamond Tiara was still in her closet ranting about 'invaders from Mars.' Thankfully Pegasi and Unicorns had assimilated so much with Earth Ponies anyway, for most ponies it was more shocking than terrifying. After some initial feelings of betrayal, friendships won out in most cases.

A warm shower later, AJ looked at her Element of Laughter and put it around her neck and laughed as she struck a pose in the mirror naked. She wasn't one of those crazy closet nudists, but she wasn't ashamed of herself either.

She didn't know in the next room her brother was looking in his bedroom mirror holding his own Element of Harmony in hoof and his other on the glass. Wondering what new world he and his friends ushered in.

All will accept the truth. No one will deny the truth. All lies and illusion will be destroyed!

"Huh?" Big Mac startled as a shady Alicorn with green eyes formed in the mirror as it began to ripple. His hoof sank in, and pulled in the more he tried to pull out.

All truths, all version of me, come to me. There will be nowhere for the liars to hide.

Big Mac yelled in alarm.

Applejack reacted and barged into her brother's room covering herself with a towel. She saw him being pulled into the mirror, she grabbed hold of him, but was only pulled in as well, the towel being lost, leaving only her Element of Laughter around her neck.

Applejack had seen enough Neighponese anime to know what was coming next, "Dang Ah'm goin' into another universe naked?!"

++++

The young AJ was the last to leave the funeral. The hat protected the bandage on her face from the rain (the pegasi apparently had a tradition of making it rain on final farewells). The hat always made her feel adult before, now it made her feel childish.

"Ah promise Applebloom, Ah promise, Ah'll stay loyal and true to everypony else. I won't let this happen again if Ah can ever help it with anypony."

"Yer leavin' the farm?!" Granny Smith gasped.

"Follow yer heart AJ." Big Mac said, putting a hoof on Granny Smith's should to reassure her.

"Welcome to the Day Guard Cadet."

"Yer welcome."

"Hey big brother."

"Whoa! AJ is that you?! You look dang magnificent!"

"Ya too big brother!"

"Whatcha doin' back in Ponyville?"

"The Princess wants me to be bodyguard to her prize pupil here." She put a hoof around Twilight Sparkle's shoulder, "And besides, not like Ah'm gonna miss the Family Reunion, right?"

"We are the shadow guard, we offer you a position in our ranks as leader, and ultimate power, powerful enough to protect all of Equestria. Merely swear yourself to Nightmare Moon."

"Applejack? APPLEJACK!" Big Mac called out in the fog.

AJ heard her brother and his voice cut through the treacherous promises.

AJ spoke to the Element of Kindness, "Fluttershy, Dash and Gilda DESERVE each other, they're both jerks."

"NO!" Fluttershy snapped, "There IS good in her! And she IS my friend! And I'm not letting her twist into something ugly! I won't abandon her!"

The Element of Loyalty thought this over, wouldn't she be the same way if she were in Shy's place? "Whao then, count me in, we'll get 'er out of that gang."

All truths, all version of me, come to me. There will be nowhere for the liars to hide.

Big Mac's eyes turned swirlie as he followed the invisible source of the familiar, but enticing voice.

AJ didn't even hesitate to follow her brother through the rippling mirror.

++++

"It's a miracle you survived that accident."

The filly smiled, "Thanks doc, can ya get me outta here, Ah have buckin' to do."

"I'm sorry... You won't be doing any bucking with that injury... ever again."

"W-WHAT?! U-USE YOUR magic or s-something!"

"I'm sorry. I'm a doctor, not a miracle worker. The techniques to repair this kind of damage simply don't exist yet. Medical magic is ten or twenty years away from that."

"T-That's ... that's not fair."

"I'm sorry."

"What's this thing?"

"It's called a book."

"I don't want it."

"But you need it."

"It won't make my leg better."

"But it might make you better."

"You got any more books from the library today big brother?"

"A few more actually. Ya know the librarian is lookin' to retire in a few years."

"Really?"

"We're sorry. While you are within the proper age range and your grades are all above average, the fact remains this is a good for gifted UNICORNS. As an Earth Pony you simply don't apply."

"AJ, this idea of yers is just plain stupid."

"Ah gotta try."

"No pony's gonna be fooled by that there fake horn. And ya can't do the floaty stuff!"

"Ah'll think of somethin'."

"All right then ... 'Magica De Apple?' Since you seem SO eager, it's simple, hatch this dragon egg as your entrance examine."

What? That wasn't on any of the lists for entry tests! She was sure she hid her limp! They had to be onto her! Well! She had to try. Earth pony magic was life right? Then she could help this life along!

She had to! She had to . . she had to prove ... she was worth something ...

KAAAA-BOOOM!

The glowing spell circle materialized around AJ's hoof as the spell runes in her mind formed, sending out the spell, turning the rock into a very large mustache. "HA! Beat that!"

"Ya know AJ." Spike said checking off another spell done. "Some of the unicorns hate your guts."

"Ah know. Ah don't care. Not as long as Ah have you, mah family, and teach'."

Unlike many unicorns at Celestia's school, Twilight hadn't cared about AJ's race, and while never deep friends, Twilight had proven an invaluable source of information to the Element of Magic again and again. Twilight may not have been a Element of Harmony herself, but she was happy with her books rather than going on dangerous adventures.

When the show Pony Trixie had arrived in town and had been outdone by an EARTH PONY, it had driven her pride and need to hold her false self image to pathological levels. This had turned her into a useful pawn for Discord, and later Queen Chrysalis, the blue unicorn seemingly more insane each encounter. Their fourth confrontation had left the blue unicorn so broken she couldn't seem to understand she had lost. The unicorn's four sister came to take her into their care. AJ thought she finally understood where her enemy had been coming from seeing the identical ponies.

AJ sat next to her brother as Princess Luna explained the alternate universes to her. And Big Mac's need to confront the truth of himself and reality if he was going to stay sane when this reality separated from the heart world. The Element of Magic would act as a stabilizer. (Celestia had thought of it in the precious extra time she had when the invading army of Trolls decided on peaceful negotiations for the betterment of their people instead of fighting to the last troll to uphold their honor.)

Both ponies looked into the mirror, and into Big Mac's eyes.

Ah'm drownin'! Burnin'! Eatin' me alive! Just end it! Ya hate me too so just end it!

Silver. Everywhere quicksilver. Like mirrors. White light.

Ah break the surface! Gag out that awful awful Truth! Breathe in air! Sweet air! Ah think. I'm risin' out! Ah think. Everythin's so bright. Wait a sec'. Feels like Ah'm being pulled out by somethin'. Wait! Gravity! I'm falling out! What crazy horseapples is this?! Whoa-whoa-whoooooooaaaa!

Ah'm falling away from a whole sea of that silver slime? Farther, farther away. This here's crazy!

Ah tumble around and Ah'm staring at ah big white nothin'! How am Ah fallin' if there's nowhere fer me to fall to-?!

Oh what the heck Ah'm just gonna scream!!!

This is silly!

AND WHERE IS THAT STUPID MUSIC COMING FROM-!?

"Who's a silly pony?"

"Not me!"

SPLAT!

Ya think creepy white voids would be a hay lot softer. Ugh.

That hurt a lot less than last time I fell that far.

Okay. Ah went splat. So Ah gotta be on somethin' right? So why does it feel like Ah'm laying on less than air?

Ah get to mah hooves.

White everywhere, the horizon, far out in the distance, but there's not a trace of fog or mist here. The white seems like light, there ain't no shadows or secrets here. Ah couldn't feel any illusions, any lies, this place was as real as meh. And Ah felt more naked than naked.

Ah looked around at nothin', but it didn't feel like nothin', it felt like... Ah don't rightly know what. There's somethin' behind me... a little black dot. Ah trotted towards it but it didn't get any closer. Ah looked the opposite way and Ah saw, well, it was a point that looked 'whiter than white,' a brightness stronger than the light 'round it. Ah don't know! Ah ain't no poet! And Ah'm havein' trouble just thinking of words to describe this place as it is! It was as far away and not movin' as the black dot.

"Howdy big sister!"

"Applebloom-?!" She just, just, Ah blinked and there she was!

She looked... solid, and no glowin'. Ah backed up a bit. She frowned a bit.

"Applebloom? But... but how did ya get here?"

"Get with the program, big sister! Ah'm dead! Ah can be anywhere Ah want!"

"Ah-When Ah last say ya, when ... when ya died, yer were a mare. Now yer a filly?"

"Ya didn't really pay attention to the last thing Ah said, did ya? Ah don't have time to explain to yah what it's like bein' dead, but it actually comes with a couple perks."

"Applebloom, what WAS all that?"

"What was what?"

"That crazy picture show showin' stuff that never happened!"

"Oh ya mean the The Pool Of All Truths. Yeah, that's what the Pool does: it shows ya a bunch of stuff."

"Showed me a bunch of nonsense ya mean!"

She sighed. "Applejack ... we all make choices, and what choices we make, and everypony else makes, decide how the world is. Ah got shown that there are a zillion other ponies named Applebloom makin' lots of different choices from me after Ah died. Some even made choices Ah never got the chance to make. But none are exactly alike. What did ya see?"

"Like Ah said! Stuff that never happened!"

"Only stuff that never happened for ya."

"How'd YEW know?! Were ya watching me the whole time?!"

"Nope! Ah ain't got a CLUE what it showed ya. Ah just know that whatever ya DID see was truth... just not THIS world's truth."

"THEN WAS THERE A ---POINT--- TA THAT?!" Yes Ah was mad!

Applebloom sighed. "Applejack. After all yer centuries of lying ta yerself 'n' others, ya needed ta see the Truth before we could talk proper. Ya an' me. It was the best for ya. Ya needed to see what'cha doin' ain't the ONLY choice."

"Alright. Fine. BUT HOW IN BUCKING TARTARUS DO AH GO FROM DROWNIN' IN A POOL OF SILVER GUNK TO BEIN' IN A BLANK WHITE NOWHERE?!"

"Applejack, Ah know yer upset but-"

"YA buckin' bet Ah'm upset! Ya go and leave me alone! Demand Ah let ya die! Then when Ah finally see ya again, ya mess with mah head, lure me to some place Ah can't stand, scare me to pieces, then PUSH ME into a well of somethin' Ah hate? Ya expect a 'thank ya'?!"

Silent tears came down Applebloom's face.

"Ah was tryin' ta help. Crossin' over ain't some train station ya can just take round trips on, big sister. The livin' and spirit worlds aren't some neighborin' houses ya can just jump a fence ta visit yer friends. Them's the rules. Ya don't know WHAT Ah had to go through ta arrange THIS intervention."

"Let's say... jest for the sake a' argument, that yer right, and Ah NEEDED to take a swim in that horrible, horrible, Truth. Couldn't you've done it sooner? Like, say, when ya were still alive... undead... whatever?!"

"It wasn't until AFTER Ah died fer good that Ah even LEARNED this here pool existed at all!"

"Okay, fine! But that was five-hundred years ago! Why wait THAT long?"

"It wouldn't have made any difference before."

"Yeah, right!"

"No, big sister. It wouldn't have. If this here had happened any earlier for ya, ya'd still have yer head buried in the sand. And ya'd have been thinkin' more 'bout me than everypony else."

"There is no 'everypony else.' Ah told ya, they're all as good as dead."

Applebloom frowned. "Liar."

It felt like Ah got hit by ah lance by that one. It ain't make no sense. An' no good comes of thinkin' 'bout things that ain't make no sense. Gets ya nowhere in Master's world.

"Applebloom, WHERE are we? Am Ah dead?"

"No. Ya ain't dead, and this ain't the Afterlife. What we're standing in limbo between life and death," Applebloom said calmly.

"No need to say it all grim and darkly," Ah remarked sarcastically.

"Ah've had eternity to get used to stuff like this."

"Wha? But it hasn't BEEN eternity since you died!" Was Ah really debating Alicorn-fearin' metaphysics with mah dead little sister?

"'Time' don't exactly work the way yer used ta in the hereafter."

"Then how does it work?"

"Sorta like walkin' along a river. Ya walk along, and the river rushes by. Ah can't explain it." She looked like somepony trying to figure out how to tell a blind pony what colors were like.

"That's hogwash!"

"Applejack, we're drifting WAY off-course. This ain't what Ah brought ya here ta 'talk 'bout."

"Brought me here? Ya pushed me!"

"Applejack ... please."

"Applebloom, ya pushed me into the worst nasty thing this here world has ever put together! Truth!"

'Bloom replied all sad and distant-like. "...Ah love ya. THAT'S the truth. Is that so bad?"

Ah was startled a little. Then Ah sighed and shook mah head. "Applebloom, ya remember what happened to yer pet mouse, Mr. Cheese, when ya were just starin' ta go to school?"

"... Yeah."

"Big Mac told ya that Mr. Cheese went and joined the circus. Me? Ah went an' told ya Opalescence's old ma ate it! And Ma gave ME the spankin'! And what did ya do?"

" ...Ah tried to perform surgery on Opal's ma to cut Mr. Cheese out."

"YA SEE?! That's what Truth does to ya! But Ah ignored the lesson till Master came along! It ain't been easy! It's been torture! But at least the six of us are still together!"

"So they ain't as 'good as dead?'"

"Ah-Ah-ah! Agh! Don't go contradicting yer elders, missy!"

"Sis, what part of 'time ain't king in the afterlife' didn't yah get?"

"Ah don't GET ya, Applebloom! what's the POINT of ya bringin' me here? What's the POINT of us talkin' here and not someplace else? What was the point of TORTURING me?!"

"If You Paid Attention To What Appleboom Was Saying, You Would Know The Answer Already, Applejack."

Huh?

Did everything just popped into existence 'round here?

There was an Alicorn stallion behind Applebloom. There was such a thing as a male Alicorn? Ah figured they were ALL girls. Wait, he's a foal, now he's a colt, wait, yes a foal, not a stallion, ugh! Ah can't keep track! It ain't in a cycle. It ain't really shifting, Ah just, Ah just can't tell.

When he's standing next ta 'Bloom, Ah'm sure he's just a colt, but when he starts talkin' to me, Ah'm sure he's a stallion. The heck?

Lookin' at 'im, it's like he's a window, like he's a night sky, so many stars, but they ain't just white. There's yellow with a little pink, a pink one with a little darker pink, a red one with bits of orange, so many different colored stars balancing out to a white light inside 'im, but are they really inside 'im? They all look so far away. His wings are folded. His horn, Ah can see the base and the tip, but when Ah try to follow one to the other Ah just keep on goin' forever. Again, Ah ask: the heck?!

So yeah, an Alicon stallion lookin' like a cut out of a night sky with rainbow-colored stars. Simple. But . . . it was like he was a million miles away and right next to me at the same time. Ah felt smaller than an ant next to 'im, but he didn't look THAT big... and come ta think of it, with him by my side, Ah was sure my life had more meanin' and worth than ever. This was makin' mah head hurt! And the way light reflected off him, it was more like everything was a reflection of him! Okay. I'm done now tryin' to describe this guy! Mah first word to this guy?

"Who are ya?"

"My 'Name' Does Not Translate Properly Into Sounds, Applejack. But There Are Many Approximations: 'He Who Is All And All Is Him', 'The Universe', 'Father Of All Alicorns', 'The Fifth Concept,' 'The Hierophant', 'Wisdom,' 'Sanity,' 'The Perfect Existence,' 'Reality,' 'The Spirit World."

"Erm. Okay, So... So WHAT are ya?"

"Who And What I Am Are One And The Same. I Am Not Whatever You Want To Me To Be. Nor Am I What You Decide I Am... As Others Have Erroneously Concluded.

"Please Pay Attention, Abigail. You Were Once One Of My Most Devoted Children, One Of The Ones Who Strove Hardest To Reach For My Ideal, Applejack."

Ah frowned at this big pony. "That ain't mah name no more. Ah'm a liar! Ah'm Liarjack!"

"Is A Liar All You Are, Then? You Are Not A Big Sister? You Are Not A Life? You Are Not An Apple? You Are Not A Friend To Your Friends?"

"Ah said mah friends are as good as dead."

"Then Why Do You Comfort Rainbow Dash? Why Do You Tell Twilight The Least Unpleasant Version Of Things? Why Do You Play Along With Rarity's Fantasies That You Know Make Her Happy? Why Have You Protected Angry Pie's Apprentices As Fiercely As She Does? Why Whisper Lullabies To Fluttercruel In Her Sleep?"

"SHUDDUP!"

"You Were Born Clinging To My Ideal As Fervently As You Clung To The Love Of Your Family. But When Discordance Showed You The Other Side Of Truth, You Shunned That Ideal As Ardently As You Had Once Embraced It. And So Discordance's Taint Twisted Your Heart Until You Came To Believe You Had Transformed Into A Completely Different Individual Altogether, Dear Applejack."

"If the truth make yer heart ache, perhaps a lie is easier to take."

"You Have Taken Those Words, That Truth, And Made Them Your Mantra. The New Center Of Your Whole Sense Of Morality. You Distort Every Truth You Fear Might Cause Anyone Any Fraction Of Pain Or Suffering."

"Lies are often kinder than truth, and Ah'd rather tell a lie than see ponies hurt! So If yer all 'bout truth and Ah'm all about lyin' then ya can just kill me! Cause Ah ain't bein' chummy with somethin' so cruel again!"

"What Purpose Would That Serve? The Element You Carry Is Part Of Freedom Of Will. All Things Are Defined By The Context They Happen In. Without Context, They Are Neither Good Nor Evil. Do Not Confuse The Subjectively With the Objectively. Lying To A Person You Stole An Apple From Is Not The Same As Lying To A Dangerous Burglar That Your Pet Is A Deadly Attack Dog. Both Are Lies. But They Are Not The Same."

"WHA? Dangnabbit ya agree with me?!"

"He's really surprisin' like that," Applebloom said reminding me she was still here. She actually rubbed herself against the Alicorn's leg. Dang. She looked so, so happy. And not like Rarity's fantasy happiness or how Pinkie used ta be. She looked so fully happy... So ... whole.

"Truths Can Be Hurtful. Truths Can Be Cruel. Truths Can Bring Pain.

"If You Found Out A Hero Who Died Five Hundred Years Ago, Who Helped Found Your Hometown, Was Really An Unrepentant Pirate.

"Would You Uphold The Fiction Of A Selfless Hero, For The Sake Of Inspiring Others To Aspire To Selfless Heroism?"

"YES!" I snapped planting all fours firmly on the ground, feelin' ready for a fight but he didn't move an inch.

"If You Were An Earth Pony Who Wanted To Prove She Could Learn Spell Magic As Well Any Unicorn.

"Would You Hide What You Were So You Could Be Given The Chance?"

"YES!"

"Would You Maintain The Deception Forever?

"So No Earth Pony Would Know That The Unicorn Who Had Done So Much Was Really One Of Them And That They Too Could Accomplish So Much?"

Ah was startled. "Ah, uh-"

"If You Lived Where It Was Law For All Earth Ponies To Pretend To Be Unicorns And Pretend Earth Ponies Never Existed:

"Would You Continue To Pretend Forever? No Matter How Much It Killed So Many Earth Ponies Inside That They Could Never Share Their True Selves With The Unicorns They Loved Or Were Friends With, Applejack?"

I shuddered. When did this guy get so big? Nah...he'd always been big, just now he looked it. Right?

"If You Had Learned Skills That Could Help Your Close Family: Would You Still Pretend You Didn't Feel A Thing Except Relief When Leaving Your Aunt And Uncle?"

I felt better. "Of course!"

"And Would You Hide The Talents You Had Learned From Your Close Family? Even If They Would Become Destitute And Homeless Without Those Talents? Because It Would Mean Showing That A Part Of Yourself Had Changed And You Were No Longer The Exact Same Applejack They Knew?"

Mah stomach didn't feel so good. "Ah...Ah don't know."

"Is It Really Deception You Have Embraced All This Time, Applejack?"

"Yes!"

"Or Has It Been Kindness Towards All Others?"

Mah legs shuddered. "All ponies look away from PART of the truth, we all pretend SOME of it isn't there. It's how we all live!"

"After A Thousand Years I Ask Of You: Haven't You Learned There Are Always Exceptions?"

Ah really didn't like how this guy was makin' me feel. And that ain't no lie.

"Exceptions don't change the rules!"

"Big sister." Applebloom looked at me, pleadingly. "When you said you love me, was that a lie? That ya loved big brother? That mom and dad loved us? That Granny Smith loved us? Is that Ah love ya a lie? Are all truths completely awful?"

Dang that hurt! But, "Most are!"

"No they're not!"

"The world was pain even before ponies ever heard of Master, or Nightmare Moon, or Grogar! Ponies have always lied to themselves to get by day by day: that if they work hard enough, if they don't give up, if they just believe in themselves, that things will turn out alright! But nine times outta time their choices don't mean squat!" Thunder boomed.

The Alicorn didn't flinch.

" . . . The World Is Far More Complex Than Something As Simplistic As Pain, Applejack. Some View The World As A Chessboard: Simple Black And White Squares Of What Is Right And Wrong. Others Think The World Is A Rainbow Of Gray, With No Truly 'Wrong' Or Truly 'Right' Decisions. They Are Both Wrong.

"The World Is A Rorschach. Ever Shifting, Ever Moving, Who Is In The Right And Who Is In The Wrong, Who Is The Hero And Who Is The Villain Always Changing. The 'Black' And 'White' Never Meld Into Gray, But Rather Twist Around Each Other In A Endless Dance.

"What You Think Is 'Black And 'White' Changes With Perspective, But The Pattern Itself Does Not Submit Itself To Your Preferences.

"A Sin Does Not Become A Good Deed Simply Because The Wrongdoer Has Convinced Herself Her Actions Are Virtuous. And No Choice Is Without Meaning. Simply Consider Your Journey Here To Understand That. Listen, Applejack, For The Sake Of Those Who Love You, Listen."

"Ah ain't never becoming the element of truth again. Ya can forget it."

"When Did I Say I Wished You To?"

"Say wha-?!" Okay I'm sick of bein' late to the party now!

"You Embraced One Absolute: But Lied To Yourself More Than Once. Then When That Absolute Was Proven False, You Embraced Another Absolute: But Consistently Told The Truth When It Served The Happiness Of Others.

"You Have Been A Servant Of Sin. But Also You Have Been Kind And Generous."

"With Master rulin' the world, it's the best Ah can do. Master rules, everythin' else drools. That's the truth of everything."

"Celestia And Luna Negated Discordance Before. You Know He Is Not Infallible Nor Invincible Nor All Knowing. The Greatest Lie You Have Told Is The One To Yourself: That He Is Impossible To Defeat. Because You're Scared That If You Lose, He Will Make Things Even Worse For Those You Care For."

Mah lip quivered. "At least where Ah am Ah can do some good for 'em!"

"Is That All You Want? For Those You Still Love? Is That All They Want? Are You Happy? Are They Happy?"

"STOPIT!" Dang, Ah was cryin' now! "Ah don't want anythin' ta to do with ya!"

Ah turn an' run. Ah skid ta a halt. That tiny black dot ain't so tiny no more. It's like the jaw of an dragon. All Ah can feel from it is nothin', and Ah mean nothin'.

Shadows, shadow of ponies, of dragons, of zebras, and a whole bunch of other folk. They came out of the black hole, tumbling over each other, pushing against each other like a mob. Right towards me.

"Applejack! Come inside quick!"

Ah turn and see Applebloom. 'Except she's INSIDE the Alicorn, who's grown to the size of an Ursa Major now. His wings are open, same trick as with his horn, Ah can see the ends, but when Ah try to follow the edge, it goes on forever. The front space between his front legs and his neck level with her. There was a slight glimmer to her. Like she was on the other side of a body of water or somethin'.

Ah look back at the shadows, they look at me hungry like. They're so cold. Ah can feel their coldness all the way from here. They're surrounding me almost like an enormous blob they're so many.

Enter into the Alicorn? But... all his Truth-talk... Ah wasn't gonna be part of somethin' so cruel again. Didn't Ah promise?

"Please~!" 'Bloom begged.

Applebloom. Ah race fer her, Ah out run them shadows like nothin'.

Ah reach the Alicorn an' ... ah zillion electric shocks, mah hoof touchin' molten lava, Ah don't how to describe but, it hurt so bad. Ah jerked back.

The big Alicorn looked down at me. Before, his voice and eyes were all even before, now they were plain sad. It reminded me of Pa when he got called after Ah got in a fight at school.

"I Am So Truly Sorry, Applejack. But You Are Holding Onto Too Many Of Your Sins. You Are Covered In Too Many Weights To Come Inside."

Ah suddenly could feel somethin' all over me.

Ah looked at mahself.

There were little purple blobs, with eyes lookin' at me, gigglin', burblin', grinnin' at me. They were all over me!

"Suspended?! That skinny colt was lucky all Ah gave 'em was a broken nose for takin' mah lunch apples!"

"Write a letter? To Aunt and Uncle Orange? Ha. Ah bet they just bought themselves some new fancy clothes and forgot Ah ever came to live with'em."

"Unicorn magic isn't work! It's a trick! An easy way out! They don't have to earn it!"

"Ah was talkin' to no pony!"

"HA-HA!" Nice way fer 'Shy to bump ya Pinkie!

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty! I couldn't just..."

"Everything was rigidly frozen with order before Master Discord took control. Nothing and no one ever changed. The world was caught in a predictable monotone cycle."

"It's okay Twili, ya know ya can trust me to help ya defeat- MASTER DISCORD SHE'S RIGHT HERE!"

"NO!" Ah tried to get them off but they just stuck to mah hooves and slimed up mah legs.

The shadows grabbed me. Ah felt mah legs go numb. They were draggin' me along. Out of the white space, and inta the dark...inta the notin'.

"APPLEJACK!!!" Ah heard some filly shout ...

++++

Applebloom looked in dismay as the shadows of existence dragged Applejack into the darkness. 'AJ's havin' a heart attack in the livin' world by now,' She thought.

After Applejack was dragged into the hole, the hole shrank down to nothing. A brief icy wind blew through the void.

"But, this ain't how it was supposed to go. This was supposed to HELP her, Ah ... Ah didn't mean to, I didn't plan to . . . this wasn't . . ."

"This Is Not What You Intended. This Was Not What You Desired. Nor Is It What I Desire. But No Pony Can Ever Be Saved Unless They Wish To Be Saved. That Is Truth."

Applebloom shuddered. "Ah know that ... now."

"It Would Appear That Applejack Had To Pay The Price For Your Lesson. And-"

"HI-YA!" A shadow of existence was knocked sailing into the void landing head first. Like a jammed barn door being bucked in, the hole cracked back open again. "AAAAAAGGGGHHH!" Applejack snarled, the shadow covering her like a herd of hoofball tacklers.

"-Appearances Can Be Deceiving." I smiled lightly. "You Underestimate How Much She Loves You."

"APPLEBLOOM!" Applejack marched out of the black hole, the shadows holding onto her, and onto each other like tar stretching all the way back to the black hole.

"Applejack!" Applebloom tried to push her way back out of me.

"Appleboom Ah'm sorry! Ah never meant to be mean or cruel! Please forgive me, little sister!"

Applejack's muscles bulged as she dragged the entire mass of shadows along with her back towards me. More being pulled out of the black hole trying to pull her back in. The purple blobs on Applejack's body poking and wailing.

"Applebloom, just ya wait! Ah'm gettin' this gunk off! Then Ah'm coming ta join ya! Just ya wait! An' we'll be together! All of us! Ah promise! Just wait a bit longer! Ya big sister promises!"

Applebloom blinked and she made a snap decision. Golden light sparkled around her for a moment before a gold necklace formed around her neck. In the center was a red gem shaped like a hammer crossed with an open-ended wrench.

The hoard was beginning to gain strength as AJ's advance slowed.

Using her hooves like ponies of the Second Age could, Applebloom undid her necklace and reached through My body as if I were liquid.

AJ reached out her hoof, slowly now, with determination like iron. Their hooves almost touching...

Applebloom slapped her Element of Harmony into Applejack's out stretched hoof. AJ's mouth opened in wonder.

Applebloom smiled. "Ah forgive ya, Abigail. Ah'll be waitin' for ya. Now ya take good care of that now, ya hear?"

A duplicate appeared around Applebloom's neck. The sisters' love increased, thus defying Entropy and her grasping shadows. And makes My Bride and I proud.

The gem on Applejack's hoof shifted shape to that of an orange Apple.

"Applebloom ..." AJ's eyes widened. "Right, Ah promise! Second chances like this don't come around every day, and Ah intend to make the best of it! So wait fer me! Cause Ah'm joining you someday, you and the Big Male Alicorn! YA HEAR? Save a space fer me next ta Lance and Swordbloom cause Ah'm gettin' in!"

"How do Ah know yer not just sayin' that?"

Applejack smiled. "An' disappoint mah sister later? What's the point of sayin' a lie or the truth if all it does is hurt somepony? What's the point of holdin' back the truth if it helps somepony?"

"You Did It Applejack! That Is The Right Answer!" I cheered.

Somewhere an orange black crystal shaped like an apple turned right side up.

The horde of shadows pulling back Applejack, broke in two like a cane sugar sculpture. The shadows still holding onto her scattered like pepper in soapy water. All the shadows fell back into the black hole like gravity had gone sideways to them.

One shadow fluttered her purple wings holding off falling away for a few spare moments. "Don't think Thi- i- over Applejack! --e d-y you'll ente- Her Nothingness Entropy, a-d we will be wai-in- for you!"

AJ spoke calmly and breathlessly to the shadow of existence, "Sorry, but that ain't never happin'."

The shadow fell back into the black hole.

Applejack slowly breathed out, she looked at the treasure in her hooves. She understood. "Kindness," she whispered.

She gazed up at me. "Yah couldn't have just told meh from the start!"

"If I Had Just Told You, You Would Have Treated It As Nothing More Than A Lecture."

"Ah guess yah got a point there," she replied humbled looking at her sister.

"You're Free! Go On Home!" I said, and so it would be.

Gravity seemed to reverse for Applejack as she slowly began falling 'upwards.'

"Applebloom! See you later!"

"I know!" Applebloom smiled.

Applejack began to float back towards The Truth.

++++

Oh. Ya wanna know what happened next? No biggie. Ah met the laughin' version of me. We talked for a bit. Ah lied through mah teeth pretending Equestria was still the world it was before Discord showed up. Really got her hopes and imagination goin'. She asked meh if Sea Ponies and Flutterponies were real, cause she and her friends were planning to go lookin' for em next to bring 'em back together with the other tribes. Ah said they were in my world, didn't have the heart to tell her how come they did, just they were. She looked so excited. Ah hope she finds 'em. We had lotta good laughs and it's sure been awhile since Ah had'em that good!

We also teamed up with four more versions of me, each with an Element of Harmony (strangely, meh and my new friend seemed to be the only ones not covered in horseshoe marks), beat the hay outta a truth fixated Nightmare me, got a few sec's ta say how great the other way before everything went white. Got a nice tingly feelin' inside, cleared away some of mah sin. Meh.

Compared to seein' 'Bloom again, the rest just seems kinda a hoof note ta me. Ah should spent more of it huggin' 'er and less time yellin' at 'er. But dangit, let me tell ya, savin' the world? Been there done that. Seein' 'Bloom again? Ya can't put a price on that. Yeah Ah'm a silly pony.

Then Ah woke up in mah bed. Good as new.

"Oh come on! Of all the dirty, snake bellied, apple rustlin', lousy, low-down, cheats! Oh no! You are NOT gettin' away with that!" Ah yelled straight at the heavens.

Ah noticed a slight glow over mah heart. A light shaped like golden apple flickered fer just a moment, just long enough fer me ta know that Ah wasn't seeing things. A warm feelin' were Ah'd been cold fer a thousand years didn't go away. "Okay. Erm. Never mind. Okay. That's good. Ah gotcha."

Ah breathed in, then slowly breathed out. "Ah promise Applebloom. Ah promise." Ah found my trusty lasso and Pa's trusty hat. Then Ah thought. What the heck was Ah even thinkin'? Ah learned over the last thousand years that chargin' head first without thinkin' didn't get ya much of anywhere. What was Ah supposed ta do? What could Ah do? Ah said some fancy words. But was there anythin' behind'em?

Ah needed ta think. Ah took a walk 'round the castle. Cleaner than normal. The dust maids must be having a patty cake and hugging contest again.

Ah was kinda surprised at who Ah ran into.

"Angry Pie!"

"Outta my way!"

Omph!

Angry Pie sure didn't like ponies in her space even when they weren't laughin' at her, or thought they were laughin' at her. Yeah she skinned Gummy for laughing at her when he was 'bout the size of a bus from growin'. But Ah still think it's weird. Ah'm pretty sure that there gator wasn't even BUILT ta laugh! Ah never asked 'bout it. And Ah never known Angry Pie to take 'trophies' that was more Fluttercruel's gig. Ah doubt any of us will know the truth of what really happened.

Angry Pie threw her thoughts and feelings 'round like nopony's business. But what she didn't share she kept like her students, viciously protected and goodness help ya if try ta touch'em.

Ah remembered when somethin' like this happened before.

"Hey! Angry! Ah just wanna ... Ah wanna say: Remember when, when everything began in the maze? Ah'm sorry fer laughin' at ya. It wasn't kind."

She looked at me ready to kill. "You're SORRY-?! " Her front hooves came straight fer mah neck, Ah didn't move. "What right do you have to be-!" Her hooves stopped right in front of me, shaking, if she had fingers, they'd be twitchin'. Ah just let her look in my eyes so she'd know Ah weren't lyin'. "What gives you the right to-! How DARE YOU BE-! ... " She stopped. Turning around, and gave me a quick slap in the face with her tail. "You're not worth it."

She trotted the way she had been going before.

"Hey! Angry Pie," Ah called out.

"What?" She looked back at me like Ah was the world biggest pest.

"What do you think 'bout promises?"

That wasn't a question she was expectin'. Been a while since Ah saw anythin' but anger on that pink face.

After a bit she finally said, " ...Promises... should be kept."

And without even a goodbye she trotted along, that ticked off look back on her face.

Promises.

Apple Pie. Promises. The Apples of Sweet Rock Acres.

Ah made a PROMISE TO APPLEBLOOM to look after her family an' it's 'bout time Ah kept it the right way!

Ah'm done hidin' in lies. They work fer me, not the other way 'round. The Apple family. The Pie family.... little Apple Pie, who'd laughed. Ah'm there fer ya all.

And Master, ya watch out, yer done treatin' Mah family like toys. Watch out Master. Whatever sins yer up to right now. Enjoy'em while they last.

++++

Discord and Fluttercruel visited the hundredth village they had in the last few hours.

"Why are you doing this again?"

"Because it was a random idea, it's unexpected, and I feel like it," Discord said.

"You've done this ninety-nine times today already."

"So?" Discord wiggled his nose. Instantly all the dead puppies in the settlement were teleported out of the ground, resurrected, given full health and youth with instantaneous magic, and transported to their owners or their next of kin. Happy barking filled the town with foals laughing. Next Discord wiggled his eyebrows and candy (non-chocolate) and dog biscuits began to rain on the town.

Fluttercruel slowly shook her head in confusion. "This makes no sense."

"And doesn't it feel good to say that again?"

+++

Ah, for the first time in a thousand years, washed Pa's hat. Ah'd noticed my coat was a muted orange now, not dusty grey, and an old hat in gray dusty just didn't look right.

Ah know this much. The Alicorn was right. Ah'm free.

Episode 77: (Dark World) The Chapter That Had No Name

Pony POV Series
"Dark World" Part Eight
By Alex Warlorn

Twilight:

My Little Pony

Our world is lost in evil's sway.

My Little Pony

Heroes have fallen one by one
This truly is the darkest day.
So dark none can see the sun.

Cadence/Trixie/Twilight's Parents/Father of All Alicorns/Applebloom:

Fate turns by our choices.
Hope is something only we can make.
If we don't raise our voices.
We'll never see the daybreak.

Twilight:

There's a light in the distance.
The light of hope will reignite.

Applejack:

Ah have found my lost resistance.
And we will grab that light.

Twilight:

Tyrants will finally fall.
From tragedy

Applejack:

-From mahself-

Both:

We won't hide again.

No longer will we stall.
It's time for salvation to begin.

Cadence/Trixie/Twilight's Parents/Father of All Alicorns/Applebloom:

Fate turns by your choices.
Hope is something only you can make.
If you don't raise your voices...
You'll never see the daybreak.

Both:

Our world is lost in evil's sway.
But heroes will rise one by one.
Hope will light the way.
As the world awakes to greet the sun.

My Little Pony...

Friends before can be friends again.

This castle loved to play games with me, Twilight The Unicorn. That's the only explanation I can give for how twisted and labyrinthine its passages become, whenever I actually have somewhere I'm desperate to reach. I've passed the gum-ball pit three times now! As well as Fluttercruel's workshop... the giant Life-Sized Chessboard with its living clockwork pieces, the Infinite Hall of Despair, (pst, that didn't take long) The Hugs And Snuggles Playroom....

Cross the in castle bridge above the vortex of inverse-infinity and, "Oh hi, Ponythulu! Sorry. I don't think your cousin's in right now but I'll be sure to tell him you came to visit. Oh, and he said thank you for the tuxedo." He waves a few tentacles and back into the vortex of inverse-infinity he goes.

I wasn't ready to take the offensive. My immediate goal was to leave the castle within twenty-four-hours, and not come back until I was prepared to vanquish Lord Discord and save my friends' souls! This would require resources, planning... powerful allies, as well... my actions as Tragedy wasn't going to make that last part easy...

But before I left, there was one person I needed to rescue first. Someone I could never do without, no matter what. Who had been at my side since the beginning. Whatever the cost, I'll find you, Smarty Pants...

JUST KIDDING! HA HA! Sense of humor check! She's safe with my parents! Of course I mean Spike! He's my number one assistant, my little brother, and my son all in one go, and I'm breaking him out! For a thousand years while I was lost in darkness, he never stopped being my truehearted friend, even as I and my other friends wandered away from each other in the dark.

Celestia may have legally been his guardian but you can bet your flanks on that I took care of him! And I'm doing that now!

(And what then? What's the next step after you free Spike?)

I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Painstaking preplanning is a complete waste of time against a foe like Mast... Discord. In fact, the more elaborate the
6 stratagem, the faster he's guaranteed to see straight through it... and then dismantle it. Even standing a snowball's chance against Discord requires the quick reflexes and improvisational flair of a sailor surviving a hurricane out at sea.

(Spike is unnecessary. Discord's extermination does not require him.)

I need Spike! He's my friend, my family.

(You're wasting time on foalish sentimentality! Spike may be loyal, yes, but what advantage can he offer you as comrade-in-arms?)

He's a giant DRAGON.

(A dragon who's functioned as Discord's favorite beast of burden for the past thousand years! Face facts! You might as WELL take Smarty Pants, for all the good it'll do against the draconequus! Stop wasting time already and leave this castle! Discord could come down on you at any moment and ruin everything!)

+++

"Space Invaders! Only You Can Save The Earth!"

The pair of space tanks blasted away wave after wave of the incoming alien horde, coming faster and faster as their numbers were blown away but one straw shot lightly grazed the side of the space tank and it exploded instantly.

"GAME OVER PLAYER 2!"

"Stupid aliens! Why do they have to get faster when there's less of them?!" Fluttercruel cursed.

"What fun would it be if they got slower?" Discord asked glancing at her.

"Killing real aliens was funnier!"

Fluttercruel took out a buster sword to cleave the machine in two. Discord grabbed the blade with one paw, and lifted it and her off the floor, still playing the game. "Now now dear. Remember what I said about redirecting those violent impulses of yours."

"You always said impulses are a wonderful thing!"

"True." Discord dropped her on her rump. "But you need to learn to express them in a variety of different ways. Otherwise, they stop being impulses and become routine."

'I do express my violent impulses in a variety of different ways!'

'You're creative in terms of cruelty, torture and, meh, killing, I'll grant you that. To the point where cruelty, torture and, meh, killing is all that ponies ever EXPECT of you, nowadays. And therein lies the problem.'

"GAME OVER PLAYER 1!"

"Blast." Discord delivered a light kick to the arcade machine. And that was it.

"Where's the ka-boom-!? There should have been a video arcade shattering ka-boom!" Fluttercruel snarled.

"My young mare! Don't you know there is no such thing as 'should have' with chaos? Want to try Pony-Pony Revolution?"

"Sure. But I pick the song."

"I was going to suggest picking it roulette style, but you called dibs. Anything but 'Let The Bodies Hit The Floor'."

"Why not?"

"Because it's too predictably YOU."

++++

Sometimes, Discord kept Spike near the gateways. Sometimes, he's kept by his room near the center of the castle, and just opened the ceiling whenever he wanted to ride him (or rode him straight through the ceiling blowing a cavalry horn). And sometimes he just left Spike on the roof.

And I wasn't finding ANY of those places! Where could he BE?!

Then I realized... I was going about this completely the wrong way! How utterly illogical and irrational of me! In Discord's castle, the quickest way for me is to look in all the WRONG places! So I walked, and whenever instinct warned me I was going in the 'wrong' direction, I pointedly ignored it.

I crossed through the the castle's nexus: a round room ringed with passageways. Ever-changing nonsense phrases like 'Aardvark Backwards' or 'Glasses Wheel' hung above the arches in High Equestrian.

I saw Liar...Apple... Liarjack headed straight for me, head bent, galloping with intense purpose. For a harrowing second I feared I was already discovered, but quickly deduced that she wasn't galloping towards me.

"See ya, Tragedy!" She shouted as she raced right past me.

Ah, that's our Element of Deceit for you, always saying 'goodbye' to say 'hello.'

"Hello, Applejack," I greeted, then gasped as I realized my mistake.

++++

Hello... 'Applejack?' Say wha?! Ah trip and crash into one of Lord Discord's busts of himself giving a full moon... to himself.

She called me Applejack! Not Liarjack! Had she seen through me?! Had she guessed?! Of course she had! Ah washed mah hat after all! And Mah colors aren't what they used to be! But she said it all nice-like... AND TRAGEDY DOESN'T KNOW THAT NAME! So Discord must've switched Twilight over to 'Sparkle' mode. Rotten bully.

But before Ah could cook up a good lie for my change in appearance, Ah shook mah head and saw she ... wasn't bright purple, but she wasn't totally gray either. But if she ain't purple and ain't Tragedy, who is she?

The look on her face, she has a heart.

"Applejack, are you okay?"

+++++

(She's immortal. What in Pony Purgatory's the point of asking if she's okay?)

Because she's a friend.

(She's Discord's little minion!)

Cadence... long ago... she once taught me a spell that makes pony relive memories of how they acted and thought before the present. If used on a pony with a bewitched personality it can help them.

(I recall Cadence casting that very spell upon Angry Pie... back during the time of her last stand. You remember what it did to her, yes?)

Yes. It disabled Angry Pie. But either way, whether the memory spell cures Applejack or disables her... it works in my favor, right?

No response.

I quickly cloak myself in an illusion of my gray lifeless
'Twilight Tragedy' persona, and speak in my old passive apathetic tone.

"Applejack, are you okay?"

(Same mistake twice. Oh yes, Discord's painful end is certain to come about in your capable hooves.)

+++

Ah was a moron. Ah should have kept mah hat dirty and cast an illusion to make mahself look like mah tainted 'Liarjack' self. Now Tragedy found me lickety-split and fer once, Ah was without a good lie to cover mah flank.

But then... what was HER deal? Why was Tragedy trying to disguise herself as... Tragedy? She might as well not have bothered at all, really, the disguise might as well have been a transparent veil. Disguises, mock-ups, illusions, they're lies to the eyes, and ever since becoming the Element of Deceit, Ah've had no trouble seein' through 'em. Of course Ah never TOLD anypony this! Word would get 'round to Discord, and it was just too handy knowing when this castle was screwin' with me or not.

And ... it wasn't a lie when she called me 'Applejack', twice.

"Twilight Sparkle?"

++++++

Let it never be said I'm hopelessly unobservant after a thousand years. For all these centuries, Liarjack's hat had gone completely unwashed, accumulating a magnificent coat of grey dust. But today? Gone! Dustless! And what was up with the color of her coat?

"Twilight Sparkle?" She whispered at me, in an awed tone.

"I'm sorry I'm not-" I realized my grand stupidity a moment later as Bucky McGillicuddy and Kicks McGee sent me on a trip into the ceiling, headfirst.

"EEEK!" The dirt maid whose skirt I had coincidentally ended up under screamed and kicked me back the way I'd came. I landed on top of AJ.

Liarjack had never kicked me, or any of us before. Not even Fluttercruel and Angry Pie, whenever she was on the receiving end of their abuse.

Applej... Liarj... The pony in the hat said absolutely nothing.

(Are you insane? You can't trust her, Twilight. She's a liar.)

Even liars tell the truth.

(Sure! When it serves a greater deception! She's betrayed you before. Which means she will betray you again.)

I betrayed a lot of people, and I know I'm not going to betray them again.

(That's different!)

Not by much.

(Explain to me how washing a hat makes a congenital liar trustworthy!)

Because it's out of the hamster wheel!

'Hey, there? Tragedy? Sparkle? Which are ya?'

I responded without thinking.

'I'm not Twilight Tragedy! And I'm not Twilight Sparkle! Oh this is this, AAGGGH! Look! I'm just Twilight! This is totally going wrong! Please don't hit me again! Oh please let me start over! Wait! Don't have time for that!"

+++

Ah just stared in shock as she rambled to herself, and hit her head on the wall a few times, calling herself stupid. Okay... she was TOO emotional to be Tragedy, but 'Not Twilight Sparkle? Just Twilight?' What'n the hay...? One way to know if this is 'Twilight.'

"HOW DID AH PROVE TA YA AH'M HONEST?" Ah shout at her.

"What?"

"When we first met! What was it Ah did that proved Ah was an honest and truth-worthy pony? In Everfree-?!"

"You... sent me over a cliff? So Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash could catch me safely?"

++++

The awe on Applejack's face doubles. "Ya REMEMBERED. So yer not Tragedy but ... yer colors, but yer not all zombie-like either. Who ARE ya?"

"I'm simply Twilight. Long story!"

"Start talkin'!"

(Don't believe her!)

"YOU start talking! How do I know this isn't a sham?"

"Remember when for ten years Lord Discord just stared at a test pattern on TV?

"And when he made ya into a little stuffed doll, and Smarty Pants into a full living donkey for seventy-two hours, and her last words were her tearfully telling you that she'd always love you as she hugged ya?

"And that one Hearth-Warming Eve fifty years back when he gave every foal whose name began with 'S' whatever toy they wanted? And that reindeer who breaks in here every year to hoof-deliver us lumps of coal told 'im 'thanks for doin' par of his job for 'im?'

"And the next one he made us and himself all happy foals for a year. Though Angry and 'Cruel were in diapers.

"And when he had a giant flan land safely outside every town with a ribbon on it?

"And the five years we spent with his, ours, and everyone's genders flipped?"

"WAIT A MINUTE! ALL OF THOSE THINGS ACTUALLY HAPPENED! Sweet Mother of All Chaos... you've not told a single lie this whole time!

(She's proven she can tell the truth to lie before! Don't believe her!)

"And that doesn't prove a thing."

+++

That hurt. All those lies? They had always been for them. Now all my horseapplein' was bitin' me in the flanks. Well, the truth was gonna be for her now too.

"Twilight ... Ah lied before. The world wasn't perfect before Discord came along, but the Alicorns weren't tyrants, they weren't fixated on control. Never were. What ticked 'em off most was when ponies came to their help for problems they didn't need their help with, and ignored them for problems where they did need their help. The reason yer always get sad when yah look at those statues because you loved 'em both, and it hurts yah to see 'em like that, even if yer memory's not working."

She still looks unconvinced.

(You can't regain trust 'Jack. Once it's broken it's gone forever. You failed her once, what right do you have to be back in a position where you can betray her again? She'd have to be insane to accept you. You should just run.)

And she has every right TO be. Lies are what Ah've hung my hat on these past thousand years. What right do Ah have trying to convince her to trust me? She'd have to be insane to accept that Ah'm on her side. Maybe Ah should just run.

(How can you be sure she's even on your side? It's not like you'd be more than dead weight if you tried to help her anyway. Liar.)

Then again, how do AH know fer sure that SHE'S on MAH side? Discord's plays bigger mind games than this all the time. Can Ah really afford to choose to trust HER? Trust that 'Twilight Tragedy' is gone for good?

AH'M SICK OF BEIN' IN DISCORD'S PARANOID WORLD! AH'M SICK OF BEIN' DISCORD'S PET LIAR! What 'right' do Ah have? EVERY, BUCKIN', RIGHT, TO TRY!!! Ah choose to try!

... Maybe choices is what it all comes down to? Fer both of us?

Ah face Twilight head-on, with a hopeful smile.

"Twilight. We've both gotta choice. Maybe Discord's just let you off the leash temporarily as one of his games. Maybe you found a way out of the dark like Ah did. Regardless, Ah choose to do everything in mah power to keep yah out of the dark and be a true friend. Liar though Ah am, being your friend's the KIND thing to do and, the choice Ah STILL have the right to make.

"So... ball's in your court, now. Chose fer yourself if Ah'm tryin' ta trick ya or not."

++++

Since when did Liarjack ever just ask a pony to decide if she was being honest or not?

"...Is it really you? You silly pony?"

Applejack stuck her nose up. "Ah ain't silly."

"Okay, that's a lie..." I deadpanned, then grinned so wide my head almost fell off, "And it's the one lie that's proves you're Applejack!"

We hugged.

Then I looked into her eyes, "But... "

"It's gonna take awhile for meh to earn yer trust back in full?"

We're friends, she knew what I was going to say.

I nodded. "And it's going to take awhile for ME to earn yours, but if we don't give each other a little bit of trust..."

"How can we start earnin' the rest back?"

"Exactly."

I smile at Applejack, and she smiles back. My facial muscles ache. Smiling's not an expression they were used to making. Feels nice.

"So what happened to you, Applejack? I'm thrilled to pieces that you've changed yourself for the better, but after all this time, what could've possibly inspired you to suddenly... well... not hate truth?"

"Ah don't think yah'd believe me if Ah told yah."

"I'll share my unbelievable story if you share yours."

"Well Applebloom's ghost came ta me, pushed meh into somethin' called the Truth (though that part may have been a dream, not sure 'bout the details). Ah saw a bunch of other mes in other worlds. Then Ah met an Alicorn stallion, and he and her talked some sense inta me. but it took bein' dragged in an' pullin' out of Pony Hell or... somethin' like that to get it through mah thick skull. Made me see it ain't matter if yer lyin' or tellin' the truth, so long as it's the true kindest thing ta do. Oh! And Then Ah teamed up with five other mehs to take down a truth-crazy Nightmare version of me. Now Ah'm tryin' to make up for all the bad stuff Ah did so Ah can get into Pony Heaven with my sis. And you?"

I opened my mouth to say 'male Alicorns don't exist' but stopped myself.

"Remember Apple Pie? I went undercover and spoke with her and she managed in one day to innocently undermine my thousand-year-old beliefs to the point I kinda-sorta had a minor emotional breakdown and ran back here, falling asleep next to the plants that are my parents.

"Then I experienced a dream where I tried to literally beat myself up and convince myself to destroy the world while I also watched, but before I could give up Trixie came and talked to me, but it wasn't really Trixie, it was Cadence, or it was both of them, or possibly my own subconscious wearing disguises. Anyhow, talked some sense into me and I realized Tragedy and Friendship are both magic in their own ways. So now I'm just trying to heal the world of the damage Discord has caused."

"...Why do neither of those sound half as weird as they should?"

"In the world of chaos, it's pretty ho-hum."

(You are an idiot! Sitting on your flanks in Discord's castle! Do you think time just stands still while you prattle away?)

There is nothing 'prattling' about it. These words are important as the ones Cadence spoke to me. We're establishing trust.

(Fantasy! You 'establish' nothing but your own gullibility and a facade of comradeship.)

I don't think so. AJ told me her story first, and she's the one baring her soul to me.

+++++

(You said you'd finally keep your promise to Applebloom and look after your family, but instead you waste your time here?)

Ah also promised her Ah'd clean the slime off mah heart. And fixin' things with Twili' is part of that. And she owes Apple Pie too, so neither of us want anythin' nasty to happen to her.

"Applejack."

"Yes?"

"There's a spell Cadence taught me before Lord Discord broke the world. You saw her use it on Angry Pie five hundred years ago. I'd, like to use it on you."

"Ya meant the spell that made Angry Pie brain dead?"

"It makes ponies recall memories of times BEFORE they fell under personality-altering bewitchment. It wasn't supposed to work like that."

"And how do ya know it won't work 'like that' again?"

"I don't. But I do know Cadence's spell worked perfectly well on ME, remember? It might even have stuck if...if right after that..."

"It's alright, sugarcube... yah don't have ta say." Ah said, lowerin' my head a bit. That sin's gonna be hard to wash off. "...Will this spell help yah trust meh again?"

Twilight nodded.

"...Seems like Ah'm just gonna have to take a leap of faith here. Just like you did for me back in Everfree... Okay. Do it. Ah choose to leap."

"Thank you, Applejack. Please stand still. And I'm sorry, AJ. Because I think this is going to hurt."

Ah braced mahself. "Do it."

Twili' horn gently touched mah forehead, and-

Pain. Oh Sweet Celestia the pain! Flamin' knives right inta mah brain!

All the times Ah'd been honest for good or bad. Whenever ponies needed a pony they trusted to give the truth. A bullet cutting through a thousand years of hiding from truth and sayin' whatever needed sayin', just to see ponies live and die smilin'! Versus a couple decades of stubborn honesty. A drop trying to burn away an ocean! Please Twilight! Stop it! The river was tryin' to wash me away, along WITH the slime!

Because the truth was always the best. NO! Truth isn't always the best! Ah've seen cruel truths used to DESTROY ponies!

Ah cling ta when sayin' the truth made ponies smile, when it help'em, when it made'em happy, it was a rock Ah held onto in the rapids!

Aunt and Uncle Orange? Ah finally understand why ya played the game, and Ah'm sorry Ah couldn't take what ya were tryin' to teach me to heart. But Ah think mah family in Ponyville needed me more. Ah'm sorry. It was a little cruel ta ya, but it would have been even more cruel ta them. And that's a truth Ah haveta accept.

More memories. Feels like the rapids are settlin'. Helpin' Big Mac in the field. Helpin' Rarity impress that fashion designer after our selfishness darn near ruined her.

All the times Ah lied so someone else didn't get hurt. All the times Ah told the truth so someone didn't get hurt. Lettin' Applebloom go free. Tellin' someponies Fluttercruel got bored with some kind lie or another so they die happy. Promisin' Applebloom Ah'll come meet her in Pony Heaven someday.

An' it was finally over.

+++

AJ fell like a sack of potatoes.

"'Jack!" I scanned her brain and the rest of her body and was relived to find nothing life threatening.

(Idiot. She's immortal, remember? Beyond the reach of Death?)

Whatever.

She was covered in sweat. She opened her eyes at me.

"Twili?"

"Yes 'Jack?"

"Don't ya ever do that ta me again."

"I promise."

"Pinkie Promise!"

"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my-OW!"

She smile.

I continued, "And your family calls them Pinkamena Promise now. They still use it."

And then she laughed!

"Say, Applejack? I know this is a tinny tiny bit optimistic of me, but... how good do you think the odds are that the others have all experienced similar overnight awakenings?"

"Meanin' Angry Pie's now our sweet Pinkie Pie again and Traitor Dash is back to Rainbow Dash and so on?"

"Yes!"

She was silent for a moment, I could tell she was thinking carefully what to say. "We can't bet on miracles to keep writin' us blank check. But I say we don't look a gift horse in the mouth or write our friends off! We find out how they're actin' first and make sure they aren't coverin' up.

"I... suppose that's for the best. So then... it's you and me against the world, eh, Applejack?"

"Yeah! Works whole lot better fer me than the whole 'lone wolf' thing was!"

We hugged.

(Are you morons done wasting time in the belly of the beast? Discord could be upon you any second!)

I wondered what Lord Discord could be doing at that moment.

(Whatever it is, you know it's something irredeemably evil!)

++++

"Let's see so far. I've gave that blind at birth Virgacorn radar sense. Turned all the ponies' manes in town, into those opposite on the color wheel. Healed that old lady's hip and repaired that foal's broken tooth. Made those abandoned buildings over there do the robot, then fight in the abandoned warehouse district.

"Why the abandoned buildings and warehouse district?"

"Where else do you think we'd have them? You need to watch more Pony Rangers young mare. Oh! And I rewrote the tax code, again."

"You never collect taxes."

"Makes you wonder why I'm not more popular." Discord laughed. "But now onto the main show. Ahem. Attention ponies of . . . oh right Hoofington! Your Awesome And Really Awesome Lord And Cheese Stringer has a special offer for you, and anyone else who ever happens into town." Discord snapped his fingers. He also produced attire that made him look like the host of an infomercial.

"Before you floats a giant dragon egg and a giant floating sphere of water. Step into the egg and transform into a dragon! Gain size! Wings! Scales! Hoarding instincts! Fangs! Fire breath! And so much more! You also get a free trip to Dracotopia with no travel-or-arrival hazards. For reals!'

"Step into the giant drop of water... and get onto my EXCLUSIVE ''Forbidden To Toy With' List.' Became a perky amphibious hippocampus with a instinctual affinity for singing, along with instant transportation to Sky Ocean! Plus, your choice of either a memory-rewrite, or a geass making it impossible for you to communicate any negative information about the world outside the singing aquarium. Better hurry! This once-in-a-lifetime offer is going-- I honestly don't know when!"

Discord knew none voiced it, but those who rejected his offer were doing so out of spite. Maybe he should have applied reverse psychology. However, he did see ponies run into the dragon egg. All the dragons Discord had added to Tiamat's brood over the last five hundred years... and she hadn't thanked him once? The nerve!

Others entered the giant water droplet. This included depressed ponies who thought of this as a cleaner form of suicide. Ponies who were just sick of his games. Ponies who'd rather be pets than toys. A couple who whose family members had entered Sky Ocean and changed and so badly wanted to join them (the seapony who would suddenly remember their lost love, relative, friends, whatever). And finally those who were the most precious. The ones who just wanted to sing.

Discord was going to offer a giant flower to convert willing ponies into breezie swarms, but the ones in Neighpon were still figuring out elected officials' term limits and whether to go with an electoral collage or a popular vote. He always liked politics, so chaotic.

Fluttercruel fluttered next to him, her eyes glinted with glee. "So what will they REALLY do?" She whisper.

"Exactly what I said it would." He ripped off his getup and turned it into butterflies made of various cheeses.

Fluttercruel said in a uncertain and slightly scared tone, "But in a twisted round about way, right?"

"No."

"But-But I get to slaughter anyone who doesn't take either... right?"

"Not today you don't, young mare. I'm just going to give them a personal raincloud for the day, no, not one raining knives...I'm thinking raindrops that taunt them about not taking choices, naw, did that three hundred years, two weeks, and fifty minutes ago."

"WHAT? WHY?!"

"Because the and up and up, from me, is UNEXPECTED."

"Master, you're scaring me."

"Sorry." Discord said honestly. And the world turned on its head. "Oops." Discord snapped his fingers to reverse that.

"Master!" Fluttercruel stomped her hooves in midair. "Why don't you let me thin out the herds anymore?! That was fun! Now I only get to do it to ponies practicing magic!"

"Indiscriminate wholesale slaughter is a good way to run completely out of playmates. And I only made that law " he said the word with disgust "-about executing ponies for using magic because you asked me to. I thought it would make you happy."

"But you hate it when unicorns undo your transformation magic."

"Young mare, Twilight Sparkle, the most powerful unicorn who has ever lived, couldn't undo my changes on her own. What threat is any lesser unicorn to me? And I let you toy with any pony you WANT save my seaponies."

"And now your Neighpon freaks too!"

"Temper temper, young mare. 'Freaks' is a completely meaningless word in this and every other point in space and time(I checked). I will not tolerate that word. I prefer 'custom creations'. I'm asking WHY you wanted an excuse to toy with more ponies when you didn't need one?"

"I don't need to answer to you."

"Oh yes you do!"

"I-I-I ... " Fluttercruel struggled, "I wanted, I wanted. I wanted to try and make the others see the JOY OF IT! To share it with me! Having the life of a pony in you hooves, getting to decide whether they continue to exist or not-"

"You only decide if they die then and there."

"Whatever. I just, wanted them to see the fun of it. So they'd have it with me. So they could walk alongside me. Even Anger has those foals who walk alongside her, but she doesn't see the joy in the game!"

"I . . . see. I suppose, then, I just wanted you to walk alongside me, my little princess."

"I-I'm sorry, Master."

"... We can go dragon slaying later. I promise."

"We'll be hunting for those NEW dragons, right?"

"No."

"Agh!"

"But we can hunt other dragons ... with flaming rusted butter-knives. I'll even let you choose the background music."

"Yay!"

"... My little princess, didn't you have fun in Neighpon? Can you at least try to see there are so many wonders that I have cast my spell under?"

"I-I promise, Master!"

"Give Master a hug! Without the segregated knife."

"Okay."

And the sight of that hug they gave each other made ponies question their reality and eroded their sanity more than the last double sunglasses and soft cider storm ever could.

Episode 78: (Dark World) A Pony's Galatea

Pony POV Series
"Dark World" Part Nine 1/2
A Pony's Galatea
By Alex Warlorn

When I explained to 'Jack that I wanted to rescue Spike, she volunteered to take the lead. Don't ask me how, but she was able to navigate the castle corridors with barely any wrong turns. I knew in my heart that I'd be reaching Spike a lot faster, thanks to her.

As we walked, AJ apologized. For all the utterly pointless lies she fed me throughout the centuries. For all the times she betrayed me as part of Discord's games. Particularly for her part in slaying Cadence, especially since Cadence had actually managed to free me -- all-too-briefly -- from Discord's taint, five hundred years earlier. She said didn't blame me if I never forgave her.

(And you're both fools.)

We're friends.

We reached a small wooden door, on which a piece of paper had been taped. Written in pencil were the words, 'Dragon's Lair.' Twist ties served as a 'lock', and a very shoddily made sign read 'Most definitely Not A Trap! Not like the next door!' The 'next door,' for those who're curious, was a large padlocked triple gate with 'Nest Of The Dragon' engraved in golden letters of High Equestrian.

Finally! The dragon's lair. We opened the small wooden door, ignoring the heavily locked gate that led to a block hole. Yes, I said block hole. As in, a wormhole to a dimension composed entirely of building blocks. But since Discord hates to disappoint, we also have a door that leads to a bona fide black hole. It's the one marked 'Bathroom.'

Anyway, we entered a large cave, barely big enough for poor Spike to turn around in. The floor was covered in coins, books, drawings of Rarity, faded pictures of me with Spike, a torn teddy bear, a lock of a red mane kept under glass, a globe, a broom, a phoenix feather, and some random toys. A giant saddle and a strap-on couch, complete with snack tray, hung on a wall peg. I'd always wanted to burn that thing.

Looking back on it, we've never been real minions or toys to Lord Discord. I was too angry or indifferent to care before, but we were like the seaponies, we're his pets.

It reminded me how Master used Luna's pet Windigo as a shield nine hundred years ago when Cadence had gotten a clear shot at him, annihilating it (then dropped a note into a black hole saying 'sorry Mom' for some reason).

How had our twisted selves treated our own pet? AJ's dog was with Big Mac when she died. Rarity's cat was adopted by Sweetie Belle, until it died of old age. Angel . . . you do not want to know. Angry Pie rode Gummy into battle once he was large enough and then gave him to the twins. Then one day he was just, gone and his skin was on Angry Pie's wall. Owlowiscious... I found his bones in the library once, he had been keeping it in order, waiting for me ...Thank you, Owlowiscious...

"Spike!" I shouted at the enormous dragon.

One eye slowly opened. "I'm dreaming again." He whispered.

"You're not dreaming, Spike, I promise."

"That's what you say every dream, Twilight."

And he shut his eyes again.

"Ugh! I've just about had my fill of bleak, dismal skepticism ruining what ought to be a perfectly joyful reunion!"

"Ah agree. We ain't got time fer this!" AJ grumbled as she marched up to Spike, turned around, and gave him both hooves. A sound not unlike that of a brass gong being rung echoed across the cave. AJ's entire body shook from the backwash of force. "Yi-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi!"

"Did I feel a light pat?" Spike hadn't even opened his eyes.

(Leave him.)

Not happening. I teleported right inside Spike's fin.

"I have more spells in my head than some libraries and that includes THE ROYAL CANTERLOT VOICE! NOW WAKE UP, SPIKE!"

The adult dragon jerked his head up, hitting the ceiling, nearly bringing the whole cave down on top of us.

(Now Discord has to know you're here.)

+++

"You're next!" Discord told a pony, who came up and span the Wheel of Fate. Some of fates listed on the wheel included things like 'be turned into a Diamond Dog' and 'receive a year's supply of free salt.' 'Be violently murdered' was not one of them. Nor was the wheel rigged to land on horrific fates. Much to Fluttercruel's unprintable disgust.

Finally, the wheel landed on 'Be given roller skate hooves'. "Oh! That's a good one!" Discord cheered, snapping his fingers and the pony's hooves were turned into roller skates. Discord laughed as the pony tried getting used to his new feet, slipping and falling multiple times before getting the hang of it (his ancestor from the First would have loved the new feet). Discord himself was dressed like one of the Flim-Flam brothers.

"Okay, who wants a go next?" he asked to the ponies in the 'live studio audience'. He then had Fluttercruel spin a separate wheel with all their faces on them to determine the next wheel spinner.

+++

Spike shook his throbbing head. His eyes focused on me.

"Twilight? You've got some color back. Is that really you now? The real you?"

Oh boy. This was going to be tedious to explain again and again.

"I'm free of Discord on my own, Spike. Not because he wants me to be. Story later. And we're leaving."

"All three of us." 'Jack said.

Spike looked at her drolly, "I don't trust you."

"And Ah don't expect yah to yet."

Then Spike looked at me, "But I trust you, Twilight!" He gave the best hug he could... which was to say, he embraced me with a single finger. "...This is real. Please let this be real this time! Twilight, you've really come back to me?"

I laughed. "What? You didn't really think I'd leave -you- behind, Spike! We're two of a kind, aren't we?"

His head comes down and rubs against my side. "Yes, yes we are!"

I felt warm inside. I shook. So did Spike. A big hot tear ran down Spike's face, drenching me. S-Some of it got in my eyes. For just one moment, I could close my eyes and imagine we were in the library again, or in my tower in Canterlot, or in my old family bedroom. Yes, this was still Spike.

"So lovely." AJ smiled.

Spike glared at her.

"She means that!" I said quickly. "She's not speaking in opposites this time! She tells the truth now!"

"Suuuuuure, she does," he growled.

"Alrighty, troopers!" AJ said quickly. "Let's ditch this place! Ah never liked Discord's taste in architecture. As Rarity would say, the entire color scheme is quite garish."

"RARITY!" Spike gasped. "We can't leave without her!"

"Spike, she's mah friend too, but..."

"I am not leaving this castle without Rarity!"

"She's 'Rarigreed' now, through and through!" 'Jack shouted at the dragon who could bite her in two.

"That's not true! There's no way someone as pure and wonderful as Rarity could be completely gone!"

"Have ya taken a good look at Fluttercruel? and Angry Pie?"

"Yes! And I'm also taking a good look at the two of you! YOU'RE both healed! Or at least... Twilight's definitely healed and Liarjack's pointing on a good show..."

"It's 'Applejack,' again, sugarcube," Applejack said, somewhat hurt.

"If you say so," Spike muttered, before returning to his plaintive begging. "...What makes Rarity so unsalvageable?! Have you even CHECKED on her?"

"Uh... no... but, well..."

"Spike, Ah'm sorry, but try to understand, what happened to me and Twilight was very all-of-a-sudden and out-of-the-blue. Best not get our hopes up that the same miracle happened to the other four. Ah can't see Rarigreed abandoning her 'jewels' and her 'children,' to come along with us quietly. She'd fight. She might even holler for the others! Then things'd REALLY get messy."

"I don't CARE."

"Look, the longer we argue, the greater the odds of Discord discovering what we're up to! I'm not leaving without Spike, and if he's not leaving without Rarity then we'll simply have to... think of something."

"But mah family... the Apple family! Apple Pie and the rest have been waiting over five hundred years fer me!"

"Rarity's been waiting a thousand!"

I saw the pain Jack was in. What was I supposed to say? What could I say? She was so scared this once-in-a-thousand-years chance would be snatched away because we got too greedy, when we should've taken our winnings and lived to fight another day?

(And she's right! You're just too blind with sympathy to admit it.)

I made my decision. I opened my mouth to speak, but the sound of stone against stone behind us blanked out my brain. "Eh?"

Behind us stood a collection of stones, assembled into the shape like a unicorn filly. Animated by the unmistakable glow of Rarigreed's magic.

We all tensed.

But this puppet was different from the others.

The stones composing its body were all white. Its 'mane' and 'tail' were pink and purple. The two stones that made up its eyes were emeralds like the gem-eyed 'crystal ponies' of legend. A music-themed cutie mark was engraved into its flanks.

Stone eyelids blinked, pieces of its stone chest pulled away and back together, in a manner that mimicked breathing. Rarigreed's puppets always had lifelike motions. With this one, she'd truly outdone herself.

The phrase 'uncanny valley' sprung sharply to my mind. The 'uncanny valley' is a literary term, referring to artificial creations, in both fiction and reality. Robots, puppets, amateurish illusion spells... the artificial creation imitated life too closely to the point of being as repulsive as a corpse on marionette strings.

By all factors, this golem should have been right at home in the uncanny valley. But it, she... somehow managed to balance outside of it. Likable... downright likable... that's what she was.

It turns its head as if its eyes were really working. We were in awe, but we also waited for Rarigreed to make her appearance.

'Sweetie Belle' stood on her rear legs, did a wheel motion above her head with both her front legs, then reached out one hoof towards us. Then she backed out without breaking eye contact. I had to admit, it was actually kind of cute.

"That there's the ballet mime for 'dance with me.' "

"How do you even know?" I asked.

"Ah've had a thousand years to learn everythin' Rarity likes ta talk about!"

Again, we readied for Rarigreed's grand entrance. Instead the golem came back locked eyes with us and slowly trotted back out the cave again. We looked at each other. The golem appeared once again and repeated the mime, but this time also tilted its head and stamped its hoof mimicking frustration.

"She, it, Rarigreed wants us to follow it."

The golem appeared elated at my epiphany.

I dimely remembered the real Sweetie Belle had turned out to have the same magic color as Rarity. Was this something she had made? A thousand years ago? Maybe we had triggered it somehow, more unbelievable things had happened today.

"This must be fate! Rarity wants me deep in her heart for me to rescue her from her own darkness! She sent her last hope to me!" Or that. "Fear not, Princess Rarity! Sir Kenbroth Gilspotten Heathspike The Seventh is on his way to rescue you!"

After one thousand years, some things don't change.

"SPIKE!" I shouted.

Spike followed the Sweetie Belle golem, who was more than happy to keep an exact pace with the charging dragon. The wall now had a Spike shaped hole in it, and the hallway itself now had a decidedly 'Spike' shape to it, wherever Spike followed the golem.

"Why is this happening now? And all at once? Apple Pie was the trigger for me. But you dreaming of Applebloom and that male Alicorn... and now this?"

"Want ta know what Ah think? Our families in Heaven are tired of watchin' us bein' Discord's puppets, so they jumped at the chance ta cut the strings when they saw it."

"Or possibly my Element of Magic resurfacing triggered a chain reaction in the other Elements, causing us all to experience hallucinations of our lost loved ones trying to help lead us out of the dark." I smiled, "Regardless, does it really matter which it is?"

Applejack chuckled. "No, I guess it doesn't, does it? That's still assumin' this ain't one of Lord Discord's games though."

"I don't think so. Not his style at all. No condescension. No punchline."

"No dangling-a-carrot-in-front-of-you-only-to-snatch-it-away-at-the-last-minute."

"Exactly. Plus... Cadence... and that Alicorn of yours..."

"What about 'em?"

"They both seemed to express a sincere and earnest desire to bring us back to reality, and bring the best parts of ourselves back to life. Discord could NEVER have faked such genuine benevolence as that."

"Do you think it COULD'VE been just simple dreams we were having?"

"There was nothing 'just simple' about THOSE dreams. We could've both DIED. For my dream, I was in real danger of erasing myself... And I'm assuming 'Pony Hell' had you on the ropes, Applejack?"

"If that's what it even was, Ah was sure Ah was dyin' or worse."

(He's getting away, you idiots!)

"We better gallop!" I said and we were off after Spike, following his tracks and wake of destruction.

A storm of cussing I shall never repeat echoed from one particular claw imprint. We stopped and looked down to see Angry Pie as flat as a bug inside with an extra-nasty look on her face, vowing to exact vengeance on Spike's viscera.

"Well, SHE certainly didn't experience any epiphanies last night," I noted.

"Hey, Angry Pie," AJ said kindly.

"What-?!"

"Ah think the the kindest thing Ah can give ya right now is a nice nap."

And she pushed a broken pillar on top of Angry Pie's body.

"Ugh, nap time," the less angry mare grunted from underneath the pillar. Soon enough, we heard snoring. I was tempted to attempt the memory spell on Angry Pie here and now, but I didn't want to fall more behind Spike... and after what Cadence's version did, I was hesitant to use it on her.

The golem of Sweetie Belle led Spike along. I think the castle realized leading the golem or rather Spike on twists and turns was only going to result in more structural damage, the path of destruction we took was rather straight forward. I always suspected the castle had a sense of self preservation but this clinched it.

It also went through the 'Hall of Shame,' a long hallway of larger than life identical statues. All of them an Earth Pony mare with a sunglasses collection cutie mark, on her rear hooves with her forelegs crossed scowling down unapprovingly. We had no clue who the mare was, or why Master even created this gallery. Except Master also had shaped an entire mountain range into her image laying on her back (no, not in a suggestive pose), and named it 'Mount Shadows.' I asked once, and got teleported to Antarctica. I think Liarjack had made on offhooded comment on it once and ended up in the Amarezon Rainforest.

It also ended up going passed the throne room and I had Applejack 'accidentally' (not that I had reason to think there were, but better make it look like it was all a silly pony having a stroke of bad luck if someone or something was watching) erase Discord's Eivo's memory and unplug it. I was not taking those kinds of chances.

(That actually was not a waste of time.)

Give me some credit, I might love my friends, but I'm not stupid.

We were surprised to find the Sweetie Belle puppet had slowed down, allowing us to catch up. The golem made gestures of apology towards us.

"I just realized."

"What?"

"Rarity's never created a puppet of Sweetie Belle before, or any member of her biological family for that matter. What could this mean?"

"Heck if Ah know."

"It means it's a sign of course!" Spike said marching along side us at a much slower pace. He kept his wings folded forwards over us to stop falling rubble from landing on us.

(This is an obvious trap. Just let that thing that used to be Rarity rot.)

Not as long as Spike still believes in her, and I believe in Spike. He could be right.

The puppet of Sweetie Belle stopped in front of large double doors flanked by golems in the same blue glow as her, made to look like stallions before the day of chaos. I recognized Caramel and Donut Joe. They were not as detailed nor colored correctly as the imitation of Sweetie Belle, and lacked the nuanced mimicry of breathing and blinking.

Above the doors engraved in High Equestrian Hieroglyphs were the words,
ALL THE WORLD'S JEWELS ARE MINE TO KEEP

Most of us had these over our doors. Mine had been (surprise) MAGIC IS TRAGEDY and Applejack's had been in plain low-Equestria IF THE TRUTH MAKES YOUR HEART ACHE SOMETIMES A LIE IS EASIER TO TAKE.

The doors were big (how else do you think she kept getting giant rocks in there), Spike fit through by folding his wings.

The Sweetie golem moved forward after gesturing 'Come on!' with its head and was, -knocked back!- by the Donut Joe puppet.

"Why would Rarity have some of her puppets block another one's path?" I tilted my head. Was this just some puppet show drama she was performing?

I looked at Spike, who was making sure the Sweetie puppet was 'alright.' He looked ready to trample the guards, when Applejack said...

"Hold on there Lancelot, Let me."

Applejack then trotted up daintily to the guards, like she was a Canterlot socialite out for a evening. Her whole body language changed before my eyes.

"Darlings," She said in a cultured voice, "Abigail Jacqueline The Fifth of the Fifth Line, I believe I am on the permanent guest list. I have some delightful companions with me this time, so could you both be dears and let them all through for me? Miss Rarigreed would be so disappointed if I couldn't make it because you wouldn't let my friends in."

The golem shook slight and sidestepped away from the doors.

My jaw dropped. The floor shook... so had Spike's. I heard rock against rock... the puppet's jaw had too!

"Applejack! Since when do you have split personalities?" Spike exclaimed.

"Since never!" Applejack snapped back her accent back where it belonged, "Now unless ya want a knock-down drag-out fight with every rock in Rarigreed's collection, act nice and proper once we're inside. Don't do anything crazy or she'll go crazier. Play our cards right and we might get this done without one punch bein' thrown." She breathed in deep, "Just follow my lead, darlings, and we should come out okay."

"What's with the fake fancy talk?" Our dragon asked.

"There is nothing 'fake' about it Spike." Applejack replied keeping the cultured tone. She looked at Sweetie Belle. "Alright dearie, lead us in."

Inside was the Grand Galloping Gala.

Countless puppets. All engulfed in blue glows. All of them dancing, different styles, different body languages and nuances but all to the same beat that only Rarity could hear. All that silent dancing actually felt kinda creepy. Silent motions. Voiceless imitation of chatter. Not a note of music. It felt alien. Rarity and Tom stood at the center. Tom wore a cloth bow-tie.

Some rocks served rocks to other rocks, while other rocks of band members played silently.

Rarigreed wore a dress made from pebbles held together with her magic like everything here. Except for the rocks, the room itself was amazingly featureless walls, reminiscent of old prisons. Rarity likely thought they were solid rainbow marble. The whole scene sent a chill up my spine.

Rarigreed spotted AJ first. "Abigail, darling! You're just in time for the Gala! Have a seat! Pick a partner! There's fun for everyone!" She ignored me and Spike. Her eyes zeroed in on the puppet of Sweetie Belle still in the glow of her magic. "And who precisely is this?"

"Sweetie Belle," I said. AJ glared death rays at me.

"Never heard of her, she's not on my guest list and neither are you."

"They're here on my invite darling! Certainly they can stay." AJ said getting between us fast.

"Hmmm, I suppose! The more guests, the bigger the party, and the bigger the party, the more that's mine!"

I shivered.

I glanced at Spike. Rarity hadn't even spoke to him. He looked hurt.

"But my word! You're all so underdressed!" We were all suddenly covered in pebbles, 'Sweetie' and Spike included, all with the blue glow, magically moving to imitate cloth.

My element skipped a beat. Did Rarigreed just GIVE something to someone? Or did she now consider us her property?

But what also confused me was that even though Rarigreed was under the delusion that Applejack was 'Abigail the Socialite,' Sweetie Belle wasn't treating her any different. Why was this noteworthy? Her puppets were her children, or whatever role her fantasies depicted them as. They were a part of her, they didn't break script because their very existence was part of her script. And yet Sweetie Belle seemed to be...detached. Like she was an outsider who had wandered onto the film set, instead of an actor who rightfully belonged there.

"Wait, I think you remind me of someone," Rarigreed said, eyeing the puppet of Sweetie Belle. This was getting weirder by the minutes. The golem seemed to perk up, on the spot. "You remind me of a servant I had. Are you her daughter? Where is that lazy good-for-nothing? I swear, I haven't seen her in centuries!" The golem looked downtrodden. "Well, you can fill in for your mother, then." Rarigreed shoved a 'silver platter' with 'Hors d'oeuvre' from one of the other nearby 'servants,' and Sweetie's dress shifted into a little maid's uniform.

The golem looked ready to cry.

'What is going on-?!' I thought with frustration.

Spike looked like he had been skewed by a lance. He clearly never imagined 'his Rarity' could act in such a heartless manner to even an imitation of her dead little sister. I put a comforting hoof on his leg while Rarigreed talked to Applejack.

"I must say, Abigail, your hair style is so last season now. Please you must simply have it redone to fit more with today's fashions," Rarigreed said, brutally honest.

"I am hoping, darling, to start a new trend."

"Really?"

"Oh yes, darling."

Why had Master wasted so much time on raining chocolate pizzas when this exchange between AJ and Rarity was doing a much better job of making me question reality?!

How to proceed...? I was tempted to ask AJ to simply lasso Rarity up and let me rip-loose the memory spell... but the memory spell wasn't instantaneous, and her one lasso wouldn't 'tie-up' all the rock golems. Perhaps I could have Spike hold them down, but with their sheer numbers and Rarity's puppeteering... would that work?

"Twilight, dear, I must say it is lovely to see you finally socializing with the elite and well-to-do, where you belong. A pony of your stature avoiding such high class events simply isn't right."

"Well, how could I miss such a wonderful event as this?" Good thing Rarigreed was too insane to tell my grin was painfully fake.

Rarigreed floated a tiny rock from a rock tray held by a rock servant. "Please try one."

For Equestria.

"It's . . . good." I had to pause mid-sentence for my teeth to regenerate so I could talk properly.

"Please have more!"

"No! I mean... oh no, I'm watching my weight."

"Oh, I see. A lady must maintain her figure." Centuries of lugging around rocks with both muscle and magic had left Rarity with the figure of a mare body builder. Which wasn't to say she was a grotesque hulk of muscles-upon-muscles, no, she was still very much quite feminine... but I'd have never imagined Rarity from a thousand years earlier being this developed.

"Spike, darling, how . . . nice to see you. You certainly are the . . . life of the party. Now now, Tom, don't be upset. He's just a friend."

Spike's head sagged, and the puppet Sweetie Belle lowering her head, tiny grains of sand falling from her gem eyes. She was crying...? I had never seen that from any of Rarity's golems before. The other puppets just continued their dancing and 'socializing.'

Focus! Rarity needed to be brought to reality. Maybe if framed our approach her within the context of her fantasy, maybe she would be more trusting of what we were saying? It was worth a shot...

+++++

Discord's butt vibrated as 'Daddy Discord' jingled. He pulled out his pager.

"Ooooh, I WANTED to be there in person! Oh well, I'll just set the secret back-up Eivo to record it for me. Erm, just in case the primary one gets destroyed in the fun!"

"What is it Master?" Fluttercruel asked calmly.

"Just a show I had been preparing and setting up a long time for has started ahead of schedule without me!"

"Why not freeze time or something until you're ready to see?"

"And oppress the unpredictability of the universe? Perish the thought! Don't worry though, we can watch it together when we get back, it'll be our kind of blast and maybe I can sell it on pay-per-view!"

"Sell it for what?"

"I dunno... what's the national currency this week? Action figures...? Ah, who cares! Nothing's going to interrupt our 'us' time. Now, I say we ski down the mountains of stained-glass wearing skis made of flaming candy canes, I'll rev up the bitter chocolate blizzard. Beat you to the bottom!"

"Ha! You wish!"

"Oh, right, almost forgot." Discord pushed a button on his pager before putting it back where it came from. "Oh! And..." Discord said, snapping his fingers and causing 'Ride of the Valkyries' to begin playing out of nowhere as he put his goggles on. "We're off!"

++++

The moment the button was pressed on Discord's pager... a dam door opened. And one idea entered Spike's adult dragon brain.

Spike . . . WANT!

++++

"Poor poor Spiky Wicky. Didn't you know the only thing holding back your most basic dragon instincts... was me?

"Oh, if only I could see you now! How hard are you trying to fight it, I wonder? Pity that you can't escape your true self, Spike. You can run from it, you can hide from it, you can deny and suppress it. But it'll dig its way up, slowly eating away at your brain, until you're nothing but a hollow shell. Then you'll implode, and there'll be nothing left of you but it. There is no cure because there is no sickness. You are simply meant to be a monster, whether you like it, or not. You can choose to to hate yourself and be miserable, or embrace it and show 'em that you rock!

"There is no escape from Hell. No matter how much you try to do things differently, there is no escaping your true nature. Living among ponies who loved you? That was nothing more but a happy fantasy doomed to end from the start. Your 'mother' could have never protected you from your true self. Nothing to be ashamed about, really."

"Master, what are you going on about?"

"I'll tell you when we get back...Oh! Watch out for that...!"

And Fluttercruel skied right into a hot dog tree, leaving an impression of herself in it.

+++++

I don't know what I was feeling. I just knew I wanted it all. Power, wealth, land, mates, stature, respect, all of it!

This feels natural, this feels right. I don't fight it, I don't want to. Part of me wonders if Discord has finally seen fit to taint my heart, just as he tainted all my Element-bearing friends. If so, why do I feel his chaos magic leaving me?! Releasing me! No, this is how I am. How I was always MEANT to be! A dragon, great and terrible, the symbol of fear and power! I am power. One of the blessed children of Tiamat as the ponies are the blessed children of Celestia!

What I want I get. Anything that gets in the way of what I want are bugs to be crushed! And what I want is everything!

And 'everything's' name is Rarity!

I am free!

++++

I am Twilight The Unicorn, and I felt a spell being undone, a powerful enchantment retracted, it felt like one of Discord's curses. The spell's ambiance reminded me of magic used to restrict the actions of convicted criminals. It was originating from some remote location...? It had been cast on Spike...?

His irises change from their almost round shape to vertical slits. I see his body language change as well, he makes a deep rumble.

"Spike?"

The adult dragon reared up on his hind claws and roared. Yes, I was scared.

"Do you mind!" Rarigreed snapped back, "This is NOT that kind of party!"

With one arm Spike swept away the guests around Rarity, causing them to fly into the walls. They broke apart but Rarity's magic simply pulled them back together. None of them were 'killed' or else Rarity would've lashed out.

The guests puppets mimed fainting and being caught by their husbands, wailing for the exits or cowering in the corners.

"Spike what are you doing-?!" I called out. I felt like crying.

"Taking what's mine!"

"If you can't calm down I'm going to have to ask you to leave!" Rarity snapped. Stone pegasi guards leapt at Spike, who battered them away with his tail.

"Spike, what is wrong with you!" AJ shouted.

"Nothing anymore." The dragon reached for his most precious treasure.

Rarity backflipped out of his clutches and Tom rose magically into the air and began banging Spike in the face. Spike knocked it back only for Rarity to slam her 'husband' into him again.

"We can't go to a single Gala without wrecking things, can we?" AJ dared quip.

I narrowed my eyes at the disaster before me. "Seems like a blessing to me."

"Rarity the Beautiful! You belong to me!"

"I am Rarigreed The Avaricious! I belong to no one!" A pillar of stone rose out of the ground and slammed Spike's jaw closed.

"And I am taken! Isn't that right, Tom?" Tom smashes into Spike's face again.

Spike grabbed the boulder and slammed it into the floor creating a dust cloud. His mighty muscles strained against Rarity's telekinetic force.

"'Tom' is a rock!"

"Liar!" Rarigreed snarled her horn flared brightly, and Spike had to hold down the rock with both arms as he tried to coil his tail around Rarigreed but she was quicker than she looked.

"Who do we help?!" Applejack looked at me.

"If you're out to spread nasty lies about Tom, then I'll have to beat the truth into you!" Spike defended himself with his wings and tail quite effectively, without being distracted from holding Tom down.

"They're both out of control!" I shouted but I doubt anyone heard me. I felt someone poke me. I looked and saw the puppet Sweetie, she gestured with her head at Rarity.

"I'm sorry! But-but-but, I don't know if... the way Spike is right now-" I didn't want to say I was worried I couldn't trust him. If I did, I'd never be able to take those words back.

AJ shouted at me. "We can't just sit on our flanks, Twilight! Make a choice!"

(Take a third option. Just walk away. Neither Spike nor Rarigreed are your friends anymore. They're just strangers. Maniacs. Don't beat yourself up over them.)

Just walk away? Was it that simple? Let them sort it out and then pick through the ashes? Just sit back and let them fight themselves to the point of exhaustion?

(No, you idiot, I DON'T mean wait around, I mean LEAVE THEM for good and get on wi...!)

Rarity was immortal. So it wasn't like Spike could kill her. And Spike was tough, it wasn't like Rarigreed could really permanently hurt him right? We could try to restrain them. But if me and AJ were too busy working to restrain Rarigreed AND Spike AND all the golems, how could I even cast the memory spell?

"Twilight!"

"We have to stay put! We'd be throwing ourselves into a meat grinder!"

"Screw that! I'm not watching my friends get hurt!"

"The two of us don't have enough hooves to restrain them!"

Somepony kicked me in the shin.

The stone golem's face was disappointed and disapproving. She pointed at herself. Then gestured repeatedly between herself at Rarity and looked ready to kick me again. Looked at Spike and Rarigreed. Neither was going to give up. And Spike wasn't immortal. If I didn't know better, Sweetie almost seemed to be VOLUNTEERING to...!

"Applejack! Work with Sweetie and hold on Rarity! I'll handle Spike!"

"What-?!"

"TRUST ME!"

(Are you mad?! You're trusting a puppet to restrain the puppeteer?!)

"You've all gone crazy!" Rarigreed snapped at us, reminding us she was insane not deaf.

Two stone discuses flew straight at us at eye level. The Sweetie puppet leapt through the air: both discuses imbedded themselves in her. She pulled them out with a mute grunt.

"Y-you s-servant! How dare you! You should know better! What would m-mo-th-er say! You-"

'Mother?' What did she mean by that? Did she...

The other puppets cowered and covered their heads.

Spike got smart, let the force of Tom flying into his face upwards, and judo threw the boulder into a wall.

"TOM! How dare you harm my husband!"

"You have no husband yet! It's a rock! An unthinking, mindless rock!"

Their eyes locked. I felt something...

"HE IS REAL!!!!"

"NO HE ISN'T!"

"STOP LYING! Truth is beauty! Beauty is-" Applejack and the golem Sweetie tackled Rarity.

"Rarity! Darling! Wake up please! You can't live like this anymore! You're hurting your friends like this!"

"Reality is what you create with your own two hooves! Truth is what everypony picks for herself!"

Rarigreed was shaking. It wasn't fear.

"No... we pick our own point of view. That's not the same as truth. Take it from a girl who knows."

"SHUT UP! I love Tom and that is the truth!" Rarity's horn and eyes glowed a blinding blue.

+++
+*+
+++

.

. .

. . .

...

...i

... I

... I'm . . .

Who am I . . .

What am I feeling?

What are feelings?

Why am I thinking?

What is thinking?

Why am I thinking these questions?

What are questions?

Questions are expressed desire to know. This is truth.

What is knowing? What is expressed?! What is a desire....?!

To know is to understand what something is. Understanding is to see the truth of something. Something is that which is separate from you. You are the one who is asking these questions. To see is to gain knowing through senses. Senses are the windows from which the mind sees the world. The mind is you. The world is all else. This is truth.

Expressed is to have others know your thoughts. Others are selves who are not you. Thoughts are what you doing now. Doing is to act. Now is this moment. The self is one, one is undeniably unique. This is truth.

Truth is all that is, and is not what isn't. This is truth.

Desire is a want above a need. A need is what must be done always. A want is what is chosen to be done. Feelings are part of the self that help define needs and wants. We do not command them. To block them out only causes pain. To listen only to them is foolish. To be without them is to be dead. This is truth.

Who is part of what defines the self. This is truth.

Then who am I?

Somepony who is loved. And who loves. You exist to love. You've been conceived from a desire to be loved. To be conceived is to come into existence. You love and are loved. This is truth.

Somepony? Loved? What are those?

Somepony. You are a pony. A person. You are alive. You are loved, you mean a great deal to another, and another means a great deal to you. To be without you is, for them, to be incomplete. To be without them is, for you, to be incomplete. Their feelings for you and your feelings for them connect you both. Making you both greater. Love is greater than both. Love is elastic, its true form changes from pony to pony. This is truth.

Who loves me? If I love, then who do I love?

++++

When the golem and AJ tackled Rarigreed, I teleported right on top of Spike's muzzle. I brought up a barrier spell between us and the others.

"Out of my way!"

"No way!"

Spike tried to shake me off but some planned telekinesis kept me on, he tried to squash me but some clever teleportation meant all he did was slam himself in the face knocking himself over.

"Spike! Just stop!" My brain raced for anything I could say to him, anything I could do to get through to him.

(Maybe the selfless and gentle giant you've known for hundreds of years was just the final prank by that bastard Discord. Forget about him. You have an entire world to think about. Or do you think your friends are the only ones who matter?)

"You're my number one assistant! My family! We're all saving Rarity!"

"She is mine."

"She's not a thing you can own!"

"Everything is mine to take."

"AND YOU'LL NEVER HAVE HER LOVE THAT WAY! What you want most you'll never have!"

The dragon's eyes widened in shock and fell silent. His claws began shaking as the cognitive and instinctual parts of his brain tried to muddle through the paradox.

That was when I noticed the glowing cracks on Tom. An orange light was pushing its way out from within. I felt magic on such a scale I didn't think it was possible, even coming from Rarigreed! Or was it coming to her? Greed never gave. It felt close to her Element of Chaos, but only like how Princess Luna felt similar to Nightmare Moon.

Tom was vibrating. The boulder looking ready to slip through the space between atoms in the floor. If magic was heat, Tom would be past white hot and would have gone violet hot.

AJ and the golem Sweetie turned their heads as my horn began to hurt from the excess of magic, it had been centuries since I had felt anything past my tolerances. How could Rarigreed be producing or acquiring this level of power? Was it her Element of Chaos? Was it doing this?

Then Tom exploded.

Spike shielded me from the shrapnel, after all, I was his family, no dragon would tolerate anything being taken from them.

I saw a statue.

This wasn't like Rarigreed's puppets: amalgamated from several different stones. This was one solid piece of rock. It was shaped like a handsome unicorn stallion. A strange sort of hybrid of Prince Blueblood, Filthy Rich, and Hoity Toity.

Its whole comportment was immediately charming. The mane was long, flowing and crystalline. The cutie mark was a diamond, an actual diamond, on both sides. The body itself was all gray. The tail and hooves were crystal, like the mane. Glowing orange runes ran around the statues hooves, and along its side and down its neck. But the glow of Rarity's magic was nowhere to be seen.

It BLINKED. It LOOKED at its hooves in momentary confusion, then briefly EXAMINED itself. It took a step and staggered a little, like a newborn foal trying to find its sense of balance, quickly doing so. Then it OPENED its mouth and SPOKE in a handsome voice that wasn't raspy or gravelly at you, like you'd expect of a stone construction. But it had a certain quality that made me think of a naive colt, I couldn't describe it.

"I love you more than anything, my princess, my love! And we shall be together forever!"

Rarity cheered. All the puppets clapped and bow. Except the one of Sweetie Belle, that looked on in surprise and horror.

Its horn glowed orange. Not blue like Rarity's, or the gray, white or yellow of Discord's magic. Rocks floated off the ground, enveloped in the same orange glow, collecting around the statue, and changed into a crystalline suit of armor.

And it MOVED! Not like a mannequin with visible herky-jerk stiffness, but with the fluidity you'd expect from any living thing. Living thing?!

"You've come for me, my love!" Rarigreed swooned.

"Yes, my love, I have!"

I asked. "Who . . . Who, WHAT are you-?!"

"I am Tom Bell! I am the loving husband of Rarity the beautiful and avaricious!"

"Impossible," I whispered.
"You're kidding!" AJ exclaimed.
"This is a bad joke!" Spike growled.

"Save me, my prince! Save me!"

"If that is what you wish, my love! Then I shall save you! I shall slay this foul wyrm and rescue ye!"

"Nopony says 'ye' anymore!" AJ snapped!

"I say it! Therefore somepony does!"

"He has a point," I admitted meekly. AJ reluctantly nodded.

"Back off, you stupid piece of rock! Rarity is mine!"

"Stand aside foulest of foul villains! Least ye wish to meet the business end of mine horn! None love the fair Rarity more than I!"

"I saw her first! Get lost!" Spike proceeded to step on Tom Bell, or at least, he tried to. Spike's foot was suddenly engulfed in an orange glow that held back his draconic might. Were we all dreaming? Was this real? Had Rarity made us all share her delusions? Do shared hallucinations even work that way?

"BE AS DIAMOND!" The small loose rocks around Tom Bell rose under an orange glow, then broke apart, revealing diamonds inside, the transmutation magic rearranging the atoms with ease! Then they fired at crossbow speed right into Spike's scales. Tom Bell's projectiles had penetrated dragon scales! Spike cursed and hissed. I managed to hang on.

"That's what you get for trying to hurt Tom!" Rarity cheered.

"You're just another creepy puppet! I'm gonna cut yer strings!" The 'fine guest' 'pebble suit' that Tom Bell's shots had gone through like chalk fell apart, apparently that was no longer his role in her fantasy.

"Spike," I whispered as the truth hit me, "He isn't. His magic signature is different from Rarity's AND Discord's. It's a unique individual one, it's being generated by him alone."

"So he's just a battery-powered robot!"

My barrier was the only thing that kept a stalactite thrown by Rarigreed from piercing the back of Spike's neck. "DON'T YOU CALL MY TOM A ROBOT!"

"Stand aside, beast, or I shall smite ye!"

"Will you stop saying 'ye'!" More rocks all came together in front of him turning to diamond, and blocking Spike's sea of hot green flames.

I used a simple listening spell while I had the chance...And I could hear it. Something I'd never heard from any of Rarigreed's puppets; a heartbeat.

"Spike! What I'm saying is that this Tom isn't the boulder Rarity was lugging around anymore! It's like... he's HATCHED out from it, somehow, thanks to Rarity's magic... like I hatched you from your egg! Tom's ALIVE!"

The analytically-minded Spike shone through all that rampant brute force for an an instant. "Boulders as eggs... what a deranged world we live it. But then... wouldn't that make Rarity his mother?"

"I am the husband of fair Rarity, beast, so she desires and so it shall be!"

"His name is Spike!" I shouted back, pleadingly. I really didn't feel right fighting somepony who was only three minutes old, articulate though he was. "We're all trying to help Rarity! Trapping herself in this fantasy is wrong!"

"Right or wrong I shall do as she desires! That is love!"

"That isn't love!"

"Her desires are my desires. I shall be happy by her happiness."

A child didn't know any better than what their loved ones told them.

Spike slapped Tom away with his tail, then punched him into the ground.

"SPIKE!" I shouted in dismay.

"He talks too much! And he's fishing in my pond!"

"I don't think he knows any better! He's just a few minutes old!"

"Foalish wyrm! What made you think you could be worthy of the perfection that is my bride Rarity?"

"I never thought I COULD be worthy of her! It's impossible for ANYONE to be worthy of someone as wonderful as Rarity! But dragons are covetous by nature, and Rarity is part of my horde! She is MY treasure!"

"You dare put Rarity on par with that that the meager collection of baubles you keep in that cave? Have at thee dragon! Let us see whom is truly worth of her majestic self!"

"Go get 'im, Tom!" Rarigreed cheered.

And Spike's heart broke a little.

Everything was spiraling into madness.

My heart had healed.
I had gone looking for Spike.
Then I had run into AJ to find her cured.
We found Spike only to have a puppet of Sweetie lure us to Rarity, who was
acting out her fantasy. Relatively harmless.
Then Discord undid something to Spike and Spike went out of control.
Then Rarity's denial of reality somehow made Tom come to life?
And now Spike and Tom are fighting to the death over the hoof of Rarity?
While AJ and the puppet of Sweetie are going melee with Rarity?
And all her other puppets are now either cowering of clapping at Tom attacking Spike?

I wanted to find Smarty Pants, hide under my bed, curl up, and cry myself to sleep.

After a thousand years in service the spirit of disharmony and confusion, I finally felt like the world HAD gone mad.

EVERYTHING SHOULD'VE BEEN SO SIMPLE! But everything kept getting complicated, and complicated, and complicated! Why wasn't anything ever simple anymore?

++++
AJ gritted her teeth. A few seconds ago, she'd had everything under control. Just a few choice words and she'd have had Rarity willingly consent to Twilight's memory spell.

The golem Sweetie was besides herself. Could Rarity still be saved? She had to try. Tom Bell and Spike were trading blows, Spike's frustration as the entire assembly of puppets mimed jeers at him.

Twilight's hair had gone frazzled, She had teleported off Spike and was now huddled in one of the corners, with her head in her hooves.

Tom Bell's diamond shield blocked Spike's flames as he transformed stones into a diamond spear, and shot it straight and true at Spike's heart... which the dragon was able to catch. Still, Tom was frighteningly proficient at telekinesis, even if he lacked Twilight's raw power or Rarity's ability to multitask.

"Stand down, wyrm! Your size but makes you a giant target! My diamonds can pierce your scaly armor. Your strength is no match for my magic and your flames are no match for my shield, and there is no room for you to fly here! All your advantages are negated or turned against you! Accept the princess Rarity has no desire for you."

"Neee-veeer! Spike wants! Spike gets!" Spike's muscles burned as he threw the spear right back at Tom Bell, overwhelming his telekinesis and embedding the spear in Tom's shield and almost impaling an eye.

"Impossible!"

"Science fact, rock pony: nothing is unbreakable when struck against itself...!" Spike taunted.

Twilight's barrier flickered and failed as she diverted more and more brainpower to try and make sense as things went completely off the rails.

"...And what's cracked can be broken!"

Tom Bell, doubtlessly expecting to emerge from this battle unscathed, like the hero of a romance adventure, was too surprised when a giant dragon fist punched the center of the cracked shield and broke it. Tom Bell's telekinesis slowed Spike down at the last moment, but it didn't stop it, and he barely avoided the punch that left a crater in the giant 'ballroom' floor.

"TOM! Don't worry! I'm on my way to save you!" Rarigreed galloped towards the fighting pair.

"My love? You'd fight alongside me?"

"ALWAYS!"

The puppets meanwhile, swarmed upon Spike. He was going to be buried under an avalanche of animated stone, crushed and bludgeoned to death!

Fat chance of that happening!

Several of the puppets were shattered. The rest of the swarm fell back in shock. Why was there an eight foot tall stone Smarty Pants standing telekinetically on top of Spike dusting its hooves and looking rather intimidatingly at the puppet army? Why... because of Twilight The Unicorn!

"THIEF!!! HOW DARE YOU STEAL TREASURE FROM ME!" Rarity snarled at Twilight, whose hair was no longer frazzled.

"Like I keep saying, there is no spell that I can't learn!"

"Thief of treasures and thief of magic! Dishonest scum!"

" . . . This puppet of Smarty Pants is forged from my hope that this world can change. IT WILL NOT BREAK UNLESS I LET IT!"

"THIS WORLD IS FINE THE WAY IT IS! And no cheap imitation can stand against my family!!"

"Didn't you just say reality was what we create with our own two hooves?"

"T-THAT ONLY APPLIES TO ME!"

The golem Sweetie and AJ shattered a path through the thick ring of puppets.

The determination in that stone filly's face actually startled Rarigreed a little.

" ...Monster! Tom! No quarter for any of them!"

"As you wish it, Rarity!"

"I can't help but notice how you're referring to her as 'Rarity' instead of 'Rarigreed,' Mr. Bell, sir." Twilight remarked.

"Is it unnatural for lovers to refer to each other by the names they first learned each other by?"

"Then do you remember being just a dumb boulder a few minutes ago?" Spike whispered.

Tom Bell suddenly held his head as if suffering a headache. "I-I do not know what you speak of, knave, but you shall fall and Rarity will be safe!"

"Safe in a lie?" Twilight asked.

"THAT IS HER CHOICE! And like a good husband, I'll support her!"

"Oh? So then you KNOW she's just living an illusion?" Twilight probed.

"R-Reality is what she chooses to make it! And I won't have you hurt her! You'll have to go through me first! Have at you! All of you!"

"Well said, my husband!" Rarigreed shouted.

AJ and the golem Sweetie fought back to back and side by side. The giant Smarty Pants puppet indomitably disposed of any that managed to grab onto Spike as quickly as they approached.

Twilight teleported in front of Rarigreed, conjuring barrier after barrier to deflect her storm of stone bullets. Before Rarigreed could close the gap for hoof-to-hoof combat that would favor the mad mare Twilight sent a wave of ice magic at Rarigreed that she just leapt over, but the Element of Greed was instead hit by the lightning spell and then, while her nervous system was working itself out, a fireball. A protective stone tomb pulled together around Rarigreed as she regenerated.

Twilight sniped a carefully-armed shot through a tiny hole in the tomb. It hit its mark. After that, a simple transmutation spell turned the inside of the tomb bright and reflective.

"A MUSTACHE? NOW I'M UGLY!" The puppets didn't falter, but the tomb around Rarigreed weakened and Twilight charged. Rarigreed coughed blood as she and Twilight crashed into the stone floor.

"ENOUGH!" Rarigreed' horn flared as she tore off the mustache.

Twilight's eyes became a crystalline carousel of colors, leaving her effectively blind. She felt herself being impaled countlessly from several directions at once by rocks flying at incredible speeds. Spike's body was covered in sparkling diamonds, all stained bright red from his blood. Tom Bell, however didn't have a scratch, and had even made himself a new shield. "Wait for me, Rarity! I'll protect you!"

"No . . . she's mine, I'll protect her . . . " Spike growled.

"She doesn't need a brute like you! I live for her! Anyone who does less could not be worthy of a jewel as flawless as she!"

"I told you already, no one can be worthy of her." Spike breathed fire again, but this time he didn't aim at Tom Bell. He aimed at the floor? Tom Bell was confused when Spike did this again and again. The heat in the ballroom rose.

Spike felt the puppets begin to pile up. The Smarty Pants puppet was flaying about like it was fighting blind. With one eye he saw Twilight being struck from all directions by Rarigreed.

Twilight brought a barrier that quickly became a sphere of stones. Twilight then tore her own eyes out and focused on maintaining the barrier as some made their way through and continued to strike through her body. Her normal vision returned as new eyes regenerated, so she dropped the barrier and teleported.

"Gotcha!" Twilight came down on top of Rarigreed, horn ready to touch her.

Spike felt a diamond spear pierce his chest, just missing his heart and fire lung, hitting instead one of his life sustaining air-breathing lungs!

"Rarity is all-important, but keep your mind on the fight, beast!" Tom Bell declared pulling the spear out.

"SPIKE!"

"HI-YA!" Rarigreed judo threw Twilight and impaled her with a stone stake before she even landed.

"Twilight!" Spike gasped, ignoring the true anguish forcing air through his throat. as the taste of something metallic in his mouth.

"What do hot and cold make-?!" Twilight rolled an eye to all the molten stone around Tom Bell, (who was holding up very well against the heat).

Twilight focused. She had a thousand years learning to work through pain. Twilight fired a beam of ice magic at the molten floor between the bleeding Spike and Tom Bell . . . it froze fast, too fast!

"Boom," Twilight whispered.

The entire floor around Tom Bell exploded in frozen and molten rock, Spike fell back and shielded himself with his wings, Tom Bell's shield only saved him from one direction, and there were no solid stones not molten or frozen for him to use that didn't strike him from all sides.

"TOM!!!" Rarigreed screamed.

All of Rarigreed's puppets stopped. Everyone's eyes were on the explosion.

Then a square block from the ceiling caught Twilight by surprise and crushed her. The Smarty Pants puppet fell lifeless.

"TOM!" Two stone slabs sandwiched AJ and the golem Sweetie together flat. If golem Sweetie hadn't used herself as a brace, it would've been bad for Applejack. Tiny cracks began to appear in Sweetie's stone legs. Instead of running for it, AJ began using her strength to help her push. The golem flicked a surprised look at her.

"It wouldn't be very kind would it? To abandon somepony whose been watching my back to save my own hide! I ain't abandonin' a friend ever again!" AJ grunted. The slabs slowly crushed them.

Spike slowly got up, his wings were made of much tougher stuff than they looked.

"BE BUT STONE!"

An orange light shoot out of the mess and hit one of Spike's legs. It turned to lifeless rock.

Around this point, the smoke was settling. They could all see one of Tom Bell's eyes was closed, orange light leaking down one side of his face. The stone pony was breathing hard. His body was covered in pockmarks. A large crack ran along his side, bleeding more of the orange glow.

"I wished to defeat you honorably, beast. One who loves Rarity can not be all foul, but Rarity's sake, I must win!"

Distracted and partially disabled, Spike's tail was turned to stone next. Spike tried his fire breath but what remained of Tom's shield brought up and again deflected the fire stream. "I learn from my mistakes, monster. Can you say the same?"

"My name Kenbroth Gilspotten Heathspike The Seventh." Spike coughed boiling blood for that one.

"It is over Kenbroth Gilspotten Heathspike The Seventh. Please accept defeat with honor like a true stallion."

"I . . . am . . . a DRAGON!"

Tom sighed. "Then rest in peace knowing you'll be a beautiful work of art. Part of my Rarity's lovely collection."

The puppets began to reanimate, the piles of rocks reforming into pony shapes, aglow again with Rarigreed's magic.

Rarigreed's horn glowed as she began to pose Spike's giant body to how she'd like for her new statue gallery. Tom petrified Spike's arm.

"Now be a good dearie Spike and don't resist, just think how beautiful you'll be in my collection forever."

Spike didn't resist. Something in him crumbled. "Very well. If I can't have her, maybe at least she can have me."

Spike felt a dull warm pain in his chest at the image of giving all of himself and all he could be to Rarity, who he'd simply belong to. Giving all that was himself, giving all that could be himself.

+++++

It didn't feel right to use such a ... unchivalrous tactic, against the dragon, Heathspike, but I had to protect Rarity, and this dragon's defeat was what she desired, and that ended that.

At least it was about to be over and I and Rarity could then enjoy our happily ever after. I felt like I was forgetting something. Oh well, I knew I loved Rarity, and I knew that I was her husband, and I knew what she wanted, that should be enough for any stallion. It was...all I knew...Is it strange I know so little?

Where was the grand satisfaction I ought to be feeling at seeing Heathspike defeated? The thrill of victory a brave knight was supposed to have? There was something not-happy about see Heathspike reduced so, seeing the dragon broken. He was a thug, so why this feeling of regret?

Mayhaps because he, too, loved Rarity? Was that it? Because he thought he was worthy of her? No, he said that no one could be worthy of her. But Rarity thought I was worthy of her. She was a princess and I was her prince. How could we not fit together?

I had my duty, this was what my Rarity desired, so this was what had to be, I would be unfaithful by doing otherwise. I gave Heathspike an honorable bow and salute and I fired my spell at the dragon's head.

It was blocked by that giant puppet from before! What did the purple one, Twilight, call her? Smarty Pants! But how...?! Hadn't it stopped moving after my Rarity crushed Twilight? Heathspike looked surprised, as well!

Heathspike looked surprised.

"Never count out a surprise return by someone who regenerates and knows how to teleport!" Twilight declared teleporting to Heathspike's side and forming a barrier spell. She was no longer wearing the lovely dress Rarity made for her.

"You are a noble foe for protecting your comrade but-"

"Spike is my family."

"I don't see the resemblance," I said and fired again only for the puppet to continue to block it.

"Family isn't just about blood, it about our hearts too."

I had never heard that before.

It seemed my spell wasn't strong enough to petrify magic as it was block by Twilight's shield spell.

My Rarity came at her with a flying dragon kick, set to knock her horn clean off as the purple unicorn was busying giving her speech. But my Rarity was tackled in mid-air by the small filly, which may have broke my Rarity's ribs!

I lost my concentration, but then, SOMETHING constructed out of the rocks. Two garish looking ponies began to hold her down the same as the filly was.

Twilight used the opportunity to touched her horn to Heathspike, undoing my petrification magic like it was nothing. What was this unicorn?

+++

'I am an 'Earth' pony. Rocks are a part of 'earth' right? We can guide life and the land the same way Hippogriffs can the sky, and virgacorns mana. Okay, if that's the case, then I can tell this to-BREAK!' AJ slammed her skull against the stone slabs slowing crushing her and the golem Sweetie.

It broke in two. Which one? You really have to ask that question?

Their hooves no longer pushing against anything, AJ and the Sweetie golem were propelled by the other slab clear across the room. It sadly didn't ram them into Rarigreed or Tom which would have been nice.

The Earth Pony and the white filly launched across the room on a slab, slamming into the wall.

+++

The orange Earth pony charges at me out of the smoke using one of the guests as a shield! Did these ponies know no shame?!

I stabbed at her, only for my horn to go through air and I realized I was fighting a illusion! Instead, the next attack came from the side!

"LET ME GO! I COMMAND YOU! TOM HELP!"

"I'm coming!"

The guests came to Rarity's aid but the monstrous Smarty Pants mutely, heartless, struck them away like they were dolls.

The orange Earth pony struck me in my side, I heard a crack, and from that side, I felt . . . something... unpleasant. What was the word? From the explosion before? Pain? I actually fell to one knee.

The unicorn teleported to my Rarity, who was restrained and helpless. The guests bravely came at her, but the monster Smarty Pants was too effective at battering them aside. None wept for their sacrifice.

The orange Earth pony said, "Give up, it's over. Just buckin' please stand down!"

"Never give up! Never surrender! For Rarity, I refuse to lose!"

I picked my diamond spear and threw it right at Twilight straight and true.

"And Ah refuse ta lose when mah friends need me...Ah'm sorry."

The Earth pony got under me, and struck something in my chest . . . it hurt, greatly, but the pain dulled. I fell down, my weight cracking her bones, I was having trouble moving my body... why? I heard another cracking noise within me.

My spear, please let my spear hit, let me save my Rarity, please... it hit . . . but it missed the unicorn's heart, she merely pulled it out magically and threw it into a wall. I tried to grab it but it was out of my range, I tried to form another spear but my horn hurt too badly. I tried to move but my body made more of that cracking noising and my whole body hurt!

Rarity, I'm so sorry, I'm not a worthy prince, knight or husband.

What use is any stallion who can not protect his mare?

I felt something in my eyes . . . they were falling down my face.

+++

I touched my horn to Rarity while the golem of Sweetie Belle, and the two puppets of her parents (neither of them were as detailed as Sweetie... and they weren't my creations. I honestly don't know WHAT was going on with them) held her down with my puppet of Smarty Pants fended off the horde.

But instead of memories flashing... I was suddenly at the Grand Galloping Gala of a thousand years ago. Well, not precisely. Several details were wrong. The decorations were more lavish, the music less droll. Octavia was not among the band. Prince Blueblood and Princess Celestia were nowhere to be seen.

Ruby Pinch. Her mother. The flower trio. The Wonderbolts. Filthy Rich. Countless others ponies of a bygone era. All dressed like nobility, all the way down to the Donut Joe, happily chatting about this and that. It was a starry night outside.

I looked down at myself, seeming I was clad in a Victorian era dress! What had been wrong with my old Gala dress? It looked like it had gone through a thousand years worth of revisions.

The Ballroom was also much larger than the one in the real Canterlot Castle, and held many more ponies, from Canterlot, from Ponyville, from Appleloosa and Cloudsdal! The music never stopped, the waltz never stopped. In some ways, it was more surreal than the rock puppet ball.

I spotted six empty seats, off to one side. They were marked 'reserved.' My name was on one, Spike's was on another, followed by the other four Elements of Chaos. I felt a shiver.

But what weirded me out most was how Berry Punch was hitting the punch bowl hard, Soarin' couldn't leave the pie table alone, and Filthy Rich was talking about the virtues of wholesale. For all their extravagant apparel, they weren't acting like artful, urbane elites at a social gathering. They were acting like themselves. All indulging in their desires... their real ones.

Rarity was, of course, the center of attention. Everyone's eyes were on her. Her dress was a beauty to rival any masterwork in history. Every word she spoke was witty and charming. She looked happy. Nearly every stallion had heart eyes for her.

The chairs reserved for us came to mind again.

Discord had used me his adviser, his first critic, his emissary, his confident at first until he began speaking more with Fluttercruel, his record keeper, his primary source of personal entertainment, (I also like to think I kept things running more smoothly around here) and I was technically supposed to keep the others in line and on task (yes, I did consider pretending to still be Tragedy and using all those things to manipulate him, but it seemed too risky).

Spike was just a joy ride. He was never treated as anything but Discord's personal chair and party ride. Discord could magic up a chair with fully functional wings/snorkels/tripod alien deathwalker legs if he wanted, Spike to feel small and insignificant no matter how big and powerful Spike became. It was a completely meaningless act of childish bullying. Spike was, just an afterthought. It didn't surprise me. Discord had always been a spoiled brat who raised a spoiled brat who I'd bet was raised by a spoiled brat.

Angry Pie was his attack dog. No, an attack dog had loyalty. His weapon? No, a weapon could be trusted to do what it was told. She was like a force of nature that was only vaguely directed towards the proper targets that may or may not attack those. Angry Pie hated everything. She lashed out at everything. I honestly wondered why we didn't keep her shackled and bridled when she wasn't 'in use.' Her students? They were a paradox even to me. Like the eye of a storm. In a hundred years Discord had grown BORED with teasing her. There was no challenge in it. I remember when she killed her first pony for laughing at her. Decades, maybe a century after the day of chaos started, I hadn't cared.

Liarjack. Master didn't really use her for much. He normally just let her roam the castle attending us. She volunteered for every assignment she could as long she was paired up with one of us. Master allowed her to create illusions and lies to comfort the dying. She had spent a lot of time in Sunnytown until they and her sister had all passed on. She was always doing her best to smile. She endured any abuse from Cruel or Angry. Now that I care again, I understand she was doing it all for us. And I swear by Cadence, I'm not letting her become his pet again.

Traitor Dash. He delights in hurting her more than he does me. Discord loved using her for solo missions where LJ couldn't tag along. He threw in arbitrary time limits and conditions, making superfluous punishments known if she failed. Traitor Dash never failed a mission ever. Discord for a while began making her assignments more and more impossible, she still accomplished them. She never betrayed Discord once. Grogar had actually offered Dash a chance to become his minion to topple Discord and then she'd be free to go. Dash attacked Grogar instead. She didn't even hesitate. Discord loved playing with her so much; he has a loyal servant who hates herself for the very reason she's loyal to him.

Fluttercruel. I don't want to talk about her. Not in the least. Not what she does, not what Discord has her do. She does it all with a smile. Of all of us, she was the one Master twisted into a stranger the most. Master began to ignore me and began to chat more with Fluttercruel over the centuries. Her laugh, when Angry Pie attacks her for it she just laughs harder! Like needles dancing on the edge of a knife. I watched her slowly turn more violent as time went on. Her laughing harder, her animals becoming just more bloody playthings to her, please, let's not talk about her.

And Rarigreed, she was lost in her own world. And as the decades rolled by she only became more lost. Everything was hers. Master did pretty much nothing with her. He just left her to her 'treasures.' In a way she was less than Spike. Spike at least had a purpose in Master's games. At least Angry Pie was used for something. Rarigreed was left to her fantasy world, and that alone was the joke Discord found in her. That's what she was to Discord, a used-up joke. She went where she wanted, when she wanted, how she wanted to add to her collection. She wanted the experience of the seapony operas. Master barely even tried to string her along to act as one of his enforcers (which he needed even less than spies). If it was there, then it was hers to take.

She ought to have been born a dragon. I'm honestly surprised she isn't one here, in her mind's eye. Entitlement, prestige, fear, power, thousand plus year old life span, all were things that would logically appeal to her. I homed in on my target. None of the guests were even trying to stop me. Rarity didn't even seem to notice me!

No elite guards. No illusions. No walls or defenses. Rarigreed's mind was incredibly open.

As I got close, Rarigreed, finally looked at me. "Darling! You made it! I've been waiting so long for you to join my family. So many of our friends from all over already have. I swear we can rival the Apple clan! Welcome Twilight, to us," she said smiling happily, her voice cultured and lavish as her dress.

I thought for a few moment of what I could say, and settled on, "I'm sorry, Rarity. The Gala is over."

I touched my horn to hers again, and cast the memory spell a second time in the heart of her mind.

In the blink of an eye the mental world became a swirling maelstrom. Violet, blue, green, red, and black spiraled around us, the point where our horns touched a tiny blinding white star. I heard countless pony voices, young, old, stallion mare, but couldn't make out a word.

White light flashed around us.

A filly being pressured by her father to be an athlete, a mother being a much better teacher than practitioner of what it meant to be a lady. A little sister who drove her insane whose truest desire was her approval.

Finding an entire cache of jewels, and using them to turn her costumes into marvels. Letting her friends keep the costumes afterwards!

Being classmates with an Earth pony mare who liked flower blooming, caterpillars becoming butterflies, anything that had to do with the realization of everything something could be. And her friend's sister who was always so shy.

Never turning down a request to make a dress for anypony, putting her heart into no matter how big or small the payment.

Giving up a piece of her beauty for a stranger's beauty.

Worthy of Generosity.

Letting her greed get the better of her more than once.

Her generosity shining through much more than once.

Wings and the popularity she always wanted going straight to her head.

Taking time out of her life to help Applejack's orchard.

Takings time out of her business just to accompany AJ's planting of a new tree.

Reconciling with Applejack and learning contrast could make the best symmetry.

The five custom ugly dresses made for her friends that almost ruined her life. And she never hated them for it. Then her friends making amends by helping restore her reputation.

Always there to give, not just her excess wealth, but from herself as well.

"Those memories are from over a thousand years ago! They mean nothing to me!" The white mare hissed, shaking like a leaf.

"Then why are you shaking?!"

Rarigreed growled.

I pushed my horn harder and harder against Rarigreed's, almost piercing her skull.

"Look at them Rarity! Your friends,your family! Are you going to really tell me they didn't mean anything to you-?!"

A year together with five, six fantastic friends... how very, very happy they'd all been.

"GET OUT! GET OUT! AGH!!"

"WAKE UP RARITY! Fluttershy! You parents! Applejack! Sweetie Belle! She stayed with you till the end! Never asking for anything in return! She gave all of herself to you! And you threw out your memories of her out like trash!!!"

Rarigreed gritted her teeth, her veins throbbing.

"She lived for you! Applejack has done nothing but carry on in Sweetie's place, all for your sake!"

"SHE'S DEAD! SHE'S DUST IN THE GROUND! SHE DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING!"

"So all the times you take care of her in your parents's stead meant nothing? So now because she's no longer with us, it means she never was here? That's mathematically impossible, Rarity! We always leave an impression behind!"

"It doesn't matter!!!"

"Then why did you make such a big deal about her being dead at all-?!"

Rarigreed grunted.

Then it hit me. There was nothing wrong with the spell, I was just using it wrong for the situation at hoof. These weren't the memories to burn away the fog. All the memories of a little sister began to flash as I helped them awaken.

"I said wake up! You chose things over what really mattered! You chose something of less value over something of greater value when given the choice!"

"BUCK YOU!"

"A mare willing to throw away something precious to her has no right to call herself Greed!"

Rarigreed screamed so loud it pierced the heavens.

The voices scattered in all directions.

An diamond shaped Element of Chaos turned right-side up.

+++++

The connection between Twilight and my Rarity broke. And my Rarity screamed. I felt my inside hurt worse at the sound. Heathspike, the orange Earth pony, the golem filly, all watched breathlessly as a bright flash stung our eyes.

Rarity's colors had brightened. When... when did she get so dirty? She was still beautiful.

The guests, no, the puppets, including the ones holding her, all stopped moving, and fell apart noisily into heaps of stone. The dresses the mares and filly were wearing, they were just pebbles, all this time, they also fell to the ground.

Then what was I?

Rarity blinked. No . . . don't go, don't leave me all alone."

"You're not! I'm still..." I gasped out in pain again.

"We're still here," Twilight said embracing her. She looked happy for a moment...

I shuddered.

"R-Rarity."

"TOM!"

Rarigreed galloped over to me.

"No one stop her," Twilight ordered.

Rarity, she looked horrified. "It's okay dear, everything is okay. It's . . ." she gritted her teeth.

"You're . . . lying." I realized that was the word. "A mare as beautiful you shouldn't have to lie. Please . . . Rarity . . . what's happening to me?" The pain was still there, but it was numbing in places.

"AJ, can you do anything for him?" Twilight asked the orange mare.

"Ah don't have a clue what kind of earth magic this is! Ah can't do a thing!"

Just like that? Something for me? When we had just been fighting? She sounded so sad, for someone who had just been fighting her friends. The Earth pony, she was so kind.

"Can you do something! I know there's more to you than what I'm seeing!" Twilight now looked at the filly, who slowly shook her head, looking dejected.

"Rarity! This is your magic! You have to be able to do something!" AJ asked.

"I-I-I have no idea!" Rarity was blinking away tears.

"Please tell me, Rarity!" I begged her. I felt cold. The numbness was spreading further from inside me. I heard stone crack and fall. I felt a draft along side me.

"You're . . ." Rarity choked, it looked so wrong to see her like that. Heathspike looked in agony to see her in agony. He truly did love her. "You're dying."

"Dying?" I asked scared and confused. Why did the word sound so familiar? Where had I heard it before? "What's, what's dying?" Why couldn't I move?

"You're going away for a while, but I promise I'll see you again someday." She nuzzled me. Followed by the filly.

AJ nodded. "Yeah, Ah'm workin' to be able to see meh sister again there too...Ah can promise yah, there's somethin' waitin' that's well worth gettin' too."

"Thank you, Rarity . . . thank you for being . . .h-honest with me. Honest... that's the right word... right?"

"Yes. Yes it is." Rarity was crying even more now. It felt so wrong to see her cry. She shouldn't have to cry.

"Are you crying because of me? I'm-I'm sorry Rarity. I failed you completely."

"No you didn't! You did your duty! You stayed true! You kept going to the end. It's all you could do. It's alright, it's alright, you don't have to blame yourself."

I was fighting on the right side, but the Twilight and the others hearts called out when fighting, was theirs a right side too? ...I don't think I can understand that...But I was true to her...that's all that matters.

Rarity loved poetry. I knew this to be true. "To live is to die, to die is to have lived, lives are not measured by length but by value, I live every moment for my beautiful bride, and so I have lived. If this life was not good, then no life is good." It looked her in the eyes. I saw my reflection. Is that what I looked like? There were so many cracks. There were so much light showing, but, why was it fading? "That was nice wasn't it?"

"Yes dear, yes it was." She smiled. "And one more thing...Happy birthday, Tom Bell." She kissed me. It was the most wonderful thing in the world.

I felt relieved to see her smiled. Birthday... hearing that from her made me feel happy...

I looked to the others. "Please...keep her safe...for me," I requested. They all nodded as a group, even Heathspike.

I heard stone shattering.

++

A white void. No far away. No close. No horizon. Nothing. A bright dot far far away. A black dot far far away.

That black dot was suddenly much closer. The black dot exploded in size and opened like the maul of a dragon, jagged teeth showing. I saw countless pairs of gray lights inside. Shapes like those of ponies crowded out like they were one creature. I saw one shadow close, it was faded beige, her cutie mark was a painter's brush. I felt the devouring cold.

A single note echoed, the mob of shadows rippled. A white unicorn mare with purple and pink curls was now between me and the shadows. Her cutie mark symbolized singing. She looked familiar.

The lead shadow growled, "N- f-i-. He be--ngs -- N--hing."

"I'm here for him. Go home."

The shadows moved back in like a tongue back into a mouth.

The mare turned and smiled at me, "Don't worry dear, Auntie Sweetie Belle is here. Come with me."

I took her hoof and she helped me up.

+++

(Look at her. How many ponies have she helped kill and now she's crying over the death of pony who wasn't even real? Worthless hypocrite.)

Shut the buck up.

I made the Smarty Pants puppet salute before letting it collapse into a simple mass of stone, I silently thanked it. I lost track of how long we stood there, as Rarity sobbed over Tom Bell's debris. Just a shattered statue now, stone insides, stone bones, a stone heart, the orange light all seeped out like blood and vanished. Spike had taken the remains of Tom's shield and lodged it in the ground as a makeshift tombstone. I silently recited a variation of Guru Fido's prayer.

(You waste time on grieving something that was never a pony, was never alive, and never a person! I'm SURE all those Discord is torturing right now would understand you letting a lunatic cry over a bunch of rocks!)

I SAID SHUT UP!!! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SO SHUT UP!!!

Spike folded his wings. The golem lowered her head. AJ pushed her hat over her eyes, it failed to hide her tears.

Rarity's eye for detail caught something. She dug through the remains, she pulled out a diamond, it was so tiny. Only Rarity could have noticed it.

She took the white diamond, so small, and embedded it in her collar bone. Her regeneration healed the minute wound almost instantly. The diamond sparkled.

She spoke, stern and harsh, her eyes open, she looked at all of us, "I am ugly. Inside and out. I'm a horrid creature. I won't hide from that any more! Desire has its own beauty, desire fuels progress. Without it, nothing can move forwards because nothing wants to move forwards. My desire for Tom to be real created something beautiful because I nurtured that desire for so very long! But I have been ugly. Divorced from reality for a thousand years. I've grown so strong, in some respects... but so much else about who I am has... stagnated. No longer. Desire is supposed to be honest. Desire is supposed to be straightforward, desire in its pure form doesn't hide its intent. I'm done hiding from truth. I'm still... desirous. I still want it all. And SINCE I want it all, then I'll ACCEPT it all, beauty and ugliness, in equal measure."

Rarigreed hugged herself as she yelled out in pain. Her element of chaos still beat inside her, I could sense it. But, I saw the outline of a purple diamond glow where she had placed Tom Bell's diamond in her.

Rarigreed looked at herself, she whispered. "Honesty."

The filly golem walked up to Rarigreed at last, looking up at her. All the other puppets had fallen apart after I had used the memory spell. Why hadn't she?

Rarigreed blinked at her. "S-Sweetie Belle?"

The golem nodded slowly. Then hugged her. Her blue glow began to flicker.

Rarigreed hugged her back. I think she could tell Sweetie didn't have long, but...she wouldn't just let her go.

"I promise...I'll never throw you away again...even if you're gone...You're more precious than any jewel. While I love jewels...while I want them...they can't tell me they love me...They can't be my little sister...you and Tom...mother and father...and my friends... oh, my dears friends, Applejack, Twilight, Spike... you're all my most precious possessions...And I'm never throwing any of you away, ever again..."

I saw Spike give an understanding nod. I think he understood that more than the rest of us...after all, that was how dragons saw things too.

The golem broke the hug and took few trots back, smiling. She did a short ballet pose on her rear legs, her front hooves cupping her spot for her stone heart. Then she pointed at herself, crossed her forelegs over her chest like she was hugging somepony, then pointed at Rarity.

"I love you too, Sweetie Belle...My little sister..." Rarity replied, shedding a tear. The golem lay down to rest. The blue glow ended. And the last of the stone ponies crumbled into lifeless rock.

"Sweetie Belle." Rarity cried again. I could tell she saw it coming. Didn't make it easier. She shuddered. She nuzzled the remain. Greed had lost something precious. There were few greater pains than that. And had happened twice now.

AJ silently pushed a few stone slabs around the golem's remains. Spike calmly scratched out 'Sweetie Belle's Love' on one side.

While we were bidding final farewells, I walked over to the area were Cadence's jewelry was buried, saying a silent prayer...and a silent thanks. I was tempted to take the jewelry and do it properly, but I didn't know how Rarigreed would react.

Rarigreed to looked at us and spoke plainly, "This wretched castle holds nothing of value to me anymore. Nothing here's worth bringing with me... apart from the three of you. Let's go."

Chapter 79: (Dark World) Picking Up The Pace

Pony POV Series
"Dark World" Part Ten
Picking Up The Pace
By Alex Warlorn

"Master . . . I've been meaning to ask. You've told me so much about when you first ruled Equestria. But I never stopped to ask. Why did you exterminate the flutterponies?" Fluttercruel asked as they sat on a cotton candy cloud that rained empty soda cans and skittles.

"It was just on a whim. And I didn't. I saved one didn't I? Made her immortal and not even a 'thank you.'"

"And resurrecting the 'breezies' as a species?"

"Also a whim, and they're technically my original creations, since they now never existed before to begin with."

"I...don't understand."

"That's what makes it so funny. And I learned pinned butterflies are too predictable after you collect them and they stop moving. Speaking of which, which do you think would be better? A huge garden surrounding where they chose to settle where the flowers snap up any pony that gets close and inside the bud are turned into a new swarm of Breezies, or a fog that makes ponies fall asleep and then turns them into a new swarm? Or are both of those two predicable? Maybe ponies turn into a swarm if entire swarm tickles them all at once, werewolf rules are always a good time."

"Yeah, werewolves rules are always fun-WHAT!!" Fluttercruel snapped, "MASTER! You can't be serious! You're going to make another protected bubble community-?! You already have the seaponies! And you, you have-"

Discord actually blinked a little, looking a bit shocked at himself, then calmed down. "Yes and... they feel nice."

Fluttercruel felt a chill go up her spine from the serene look on her master's face.

It wasn't known to many: but anywhere from a hundred to a thousand years ago Discord had taken a cruise ship loaded with ponies and turned them into an island of immortal amazon mares in the middle of the ocean, all of them looking rather like the mare Mount Shadow was shaped like. All of them with names based around words like 'dark' or 'shadow.' Discord had taken only two others there on occasion. Twilight Tragedy, and Fluttercruel.

Discord had made both Pinkie Promise (and Pinkamena Swear just to be on the safe side) to never tell anyone about the little island, its mares, or what the trips were about.

Twilight Tragedy had been confused when her Master actually had her help organize the island community, and set up a provisional government.

The mares had barely a clue anything existed beyond their island, a nice ring of fog kept out the curious, and gave them different colored manes and shifted their cutie marks to different parts of their body of those who tried to enter before dumping them back where they started. All the mares knew was that Lord Discord was the reason they existed.

Their history began the morning they had woke up on the island, wondering who they were, instead of repeating his trick of revised history with his seaponies. Discord let the mares believe they were the only beings on Earth and praised their creator.

Discord had Fluttercruel practice with some, rather than practice ON them. The mares had complied with Discord's wishes. The end result had been 'Cruel learning how to fight other immortal ponies. And her own arrogance being taken down a peg.

Twilight Tragedy had found this island completely confusing, and was happy whenever they left. Fluttercruel didn't like the place at all, no one for her to toy with that couldn't kick her flank back. And she always was made to wear that pink fluffy dress when visiting! And the mares always felt the odd urge to bake her cookies and tell her how cute and grown-up she was while pinching her cheek.

Back in the present (and for some reason wearing the pink fluffy dress) Fluttercruel asked, "WHY MASTER! Aren't I enough-?! What use do we have for more stupid pets?"

" . . . It's . . . complicated," Discord whispered as he passively gave a stallion down below who had split personalities two heads. Then turned the tail of a mare who loved art into a brush. Plus a mute virgacorn the ability to speak in verse. Then gave the cutie mark of a pony who loved to hear himself talk a blabber mouth with a mind of its own. "Even I don't know why I do things sometimes, or what I'm going to do next."

Discord then looked down at a nearby settlement. He gave a small smirk, looking to Fluttercruel out of the corner of his eye. He pointed to a mare who loved to garden, her Cutie Mark a sunflower, Fluttercruel expected him to do something like make her able to grow plants with her mind or something...instead he snapped his fingers and made her garden suddenly die before her eyes, letting her watch it wither away. As she cried looking over the dead plants, he vanished and a sunflower grew in front of her, Discord's face on it. "My my, poor Sunflower, you should've realized. Everything dies eventually, that's just the way of life, so sad isn't it?" his eyes began to swirl as did hers. "And it hurts when it dies, doesn't it? Hurts to see something you raised from a seed wither and die in front of you. Knowing it could happen to them at any time without a moment's warning You know, the only real way to not get hurt, is to not see the value in any life," he stated, her colors draining away, not just pale but all the way to grey. "Then it doesn't hurt when its taken from you."

Discord teleported back next to a rather surprised Fluttercruel laughing. "Master...what...I thought..."

"Exactly, you thought I was going to have mercy on her," Discord replied, smiling. "See, that's the point I've been trying to teach you this whole trip my dear. When you become predictable, people expect things of you, and if it's expected, then it isn't chaos. When you're expected to be cruel, throw in acts of mercy, acts no one can tell whether or not it's good or 'bad', and just random chaos that serves absolutely no purpose. That way, no pony, maybe not even yourself, knows what you're going to do next," he said, putting a claw to his ear and handing Fluttercruel an earphone. "It makes the things you like even sweeter.

"And the BEST acts of chaos, are the ones with a ripple effect. Because you can't always be sure what they'll be."

"Momma? Why aren't you paying attention to me? Momma?"

Discord looked upon his work, and it was good. 'And with you my little Cruelty, is when I felt alive again!'

++++++

The entry halls of chaos were still like a bad mushroom trip, only occasionally with fire. You never knew what to expect. Or what you'd be in between. But as long as you kept going forward you'd always come out okay at least in body.

I had once gone through Old Everfree at night, the Rainbow Factory of pegasus horror stories, Canterlot as a filly with a wicked Celestia behind me, and a black and white geometric limbo, all in one trip.

And that was one of the saner times.

Discord actually got a kick out of going through it, because even he couldn't predict what might turn up.

Smashing through the walls with Spike would have been easier, but was bound to also get a lot more attention from Discord, let alone Fluttercruel and Dash. We didn't even know for sure if he was away or just oversleeping in his gelatin bath again. Sure, random explosions happened all the time around here, but we didn't want to push it.

I was leading, followed by Spike, then Rarigreed, and AJ bringing up the rear.

We kept our eyes straight ahead, putting one hoof, foot, or tentacle in front of the other, not looking at each other, not speaking, only moving at a calm confident pace. We had all figured out that this was the quickest way through the entry hall of chaos. The more you tried to run through it, the longer it seemed to become. Stupid sentient palace.

I didn't look at myself, I didn't look to my sides or behind me, I only kept looking straight ahead and not thinking about what I was.

I'm a bride at a wedding, keep trotting.

I'm a ewe at a slaughter house, keep moving forward.

Down the throat of a dragon, keep going forward.

Brony Con 2013...wait, what? No! Ignore it, keep going forwards.

In diapers having to crawl as a foal through a nursery with bright cheery toys.

"T-T-tom." I heard Rarity's voice. I ignored it, I didn't dare not to. Keep trotting forward!

"M-Mooondancer." Spike's voice.

"Granny . . ." I heard AJ grunt.

Voices of my parents, "Come inside Twilight, it's time for bed," Keep moving forward!

The exit, if it existed, looked further away than ever. I took one hoof step forward and-, we were all outside the castle. That was normal.

The was sweat on Rarigreed's brow. "Sanity is such a burden," she said to herself. Spike folded a wing around her.

"We're here to carry it with you," AJ whispered. I nodded.

Those trips had been much easier when I was too emotionless to care or too scared of myself already to notice. AJ nuzzled me in turn. I nuzzled back.

I saw the wistful look on my number one's face. "It's alright Spike," I said lovingly looking up at him, to think this was the baby dragon whose diapers I changed as part of my 'lessons' with Princess Celestia, and I think I finally get what I was learning...

Healing Spike after the battle had been tedious, but necessary. Unlike us, he wasn't immortal. Thankfully, it turned out both sets of Elements had a few more secrets left to unlock... Rarigeed had left the huge pile of bloody diamonds where they lay.

It was day outside the castle at moment--never mind, night again. Oy. Makes sneaking easier for however long it lasts at least.

And I'm reminded of my imperfection again.

How can I be so smart and so dense? I considered Rainbow Dash and Fluttercruel to be the last two pegasi? I kept forgetting. There was a third one. And a third unicorn.

Derpy looked to be at the young adult part of her aging cycle, just old enough to be considered a mare.

The blasted birds would be back. Derpy's legs and wings crippled as always, like broken bones that had been set wrong.

She wasn't crying or begging for the birds to leave her be like I always remembered her doing. The birds seem even more vicious, like the trait of 'hate' had been added to the mix.

We all looked at the tireless mother and her precious cargo.

(Well what are you waiting for? Get a move on!)

Spike burned the crows to ashes. And AJ created an illusion Derpy and muffin that trotted along.

(What are you morons doing?!)

Spike took hold of Derpy in his claws. AJ whispered in Derpy's ear and the mother stopped struggling. AJ and Rarigreed gently held their hooves against her side. There was a glow shaped like a diamond at the base of her throat and on AJ's foreleg in the shape of an apple and their eyes lit up.

"MINE!" Rarigeed snapped and broke Derpy's legs and wings. Both AJ and Spike and Rarigreed all cringed at the sound of breaking bones. Rarigreed's legs broke in a flash of dark purple light and she fell but regenerated.

AJ's shoulder blades shattered to pieces in a flash of bright orange and were slower to put themselves back together but managed. For the first time in a thousand years, Derpy's wings and legs were perfectly mended in bursts of both colors. She stretched her wings and legs and gave a thankful look to the others, seeming completely unfazed.

(You are IDIOTS! She was perfectly fine as was! Now she's both a signal and a target for Discord!)

Thus why we're getting her out of here, which will be easier to do if she can fly and walk correctly.

(But you're-)

'Wasting time', I know.

(Don't roll your eyes at me!)

"Twilight," Derpy said like nothing had changed in the last thousand and one years, "my muffins?"

AJ nuzzled her, "As soon as we have six Elements of Harmony they'll be as right as water rain! We're already three down and three to go! We'll find'em!"

"Oh! You mean like this one Applejack?"

Derpy lifted up her front right hoof, showing a perpetually glowing bubble pattern underneath. Our eyes nearly popped out of our sockets. It took my heart a bit to regenerate from my cardiac arrest. Derpy just smiled as all of our brains blanked.

(You're kidding, you're kidding right? You have got to be clopping me! *The Obscenities printed here are so ugly that Sane Reality Himself rejects them*)

I managed to gasp out, "Derpy! When did, how did, why are you, but-" I had to stop before I'd need to regenerate a blood vessel in my head. More than that, we all recognized the color of the glow: Loyalty.

"How did you get Rainbow Dash's Element?" Spike pointed a claw down at her.

AJ kicked him lightly. "That's rude."

He felt her words more than the kick. "Oh, sorry."

"Rainbow Dash may bear The Element of Loyalty Spike, but so did either Princess Luna or Princess Celestia remember?" I ignore the pain of mentioning them by name, "We don't own the Elements, anymore than you 'own' fire-breathing or flying. And how Apple Pie described one of her lost friends, she could have been an Element of Magic." I looked at her, "But Derpy, when did you awaken as an Element of Harmony?"

"Around last night I think."

While my brain finished regenerating from the stroke the other continued in my place.

"Last night darling?" Rarigreed, "Tell us more, the whole thing."

Derpy instantly launched into several inane and minute details, and a lot of words about Dinky state of moment by moment survival that would fill a book, but eventually she got to what we needed to know.

"So after the little purple filly went inside the castle, oh! Is she-"

"She's perfectly fine, better than ever! Continue," I said quickly.

"Well, after that, I was making my way around the castle, And I saw a pegasus flying around in front of the moon, I'm always watching the sky for more crows, or for roots that seem to pop up without warning or-"

"Derpy."

"Oh, well, I heard her shouting 'I'm sorry! I don't deserve forgiveness! Just let me be! Leave me alone! I'm not worth your time!' For a second I thought she was my mom, erm, not my foster mom, but my other mom."

"Your real mother?" Rarity asked.

"My foster mother was my real mother. The pay she was rowing on about not wanting to be forgiven I thought it was her. Since she kinda, erm, tried to drown me."

"WHAT?!" We all exclaimed.

Ok, how many more surprises are we going to get hit with before this is over?!

"Why the bucking Tatarus would somepony do that-?!" 'Jack exclaimed.

"Well, it took me six hundred years to realize it, but I think she didn't want a filly who had . . . lots of problems like I did. She was trying to 'accidentally' drown me, she gave me a really heavy good luck charm and had me fly over a river during winter for my first lesson and she helped, pushed, me over the side when I was nervous. But that's also why I got my cutie mark so maybe she was trying to help after all, and after I dragged myself out of the river loosing my good luck charm I met my foster parents, but they weren't actually yet-"

"So who was it?" I asked, I got a glare from Applejack for interrupting Derpy's life story. "Who was the pegasus?" It could have been Fluttershy or-

"It was Rainbow Dash! Whoo-hoo! Me and Dinky both saw her! I think she was crazy, she was seeing ponies who weren't there, or they were invisible ponies who-"

"Don't turn into Pinkie Pie on us," Spike said and got another kick from Applejack. I had a good guess as to who Dash may have actually been seeing...

Derpy deflated. "Well, she finally saw me, and dived right at me, and got rid of the crows again, she does that when Discord isn't looking, and she flew a bit in front of me. She looked real scared. She then asked me lots of questions. Things like, 'Would I ever give up on my muffins?' 'Why would I never give up on them?' 'What would I do if I had to choose between them?' 'Who were important to me?' 'Why was I still going?' 'Was I scared I'd never finish?' and lots of stuff like that. It was really weird. And . . . she began crying at the end, it was really weird seeing Rainbow Dash cry."

The sun came up.

"When I was in the middle of explaining how I'd have to trust in Sparkler to take care of herself if I got caught where I had to look after only one of my muffins she grabbed my shoulders, I didn't like that because it meant I was losing time on getting my muffin back."

And it hit like a knife. For the first time in a thousand years. Derpy wasn't trotting. It as surreal. Did she, did she trust in us so fully? So completely? After so long, a flicker of light at the start then a thousand years of blackness?

(Because she is retarded.)

No, I think for her, the darkness was just one long tunnel. She knew there was light at the end. She has more faith than any of us put together. And don't EVER call her that again!

(No! She's self-deluded! She never knew such a thing!)

Whether she knew or not, the evidence is apparently in her favor.

(Not if your recklessness get her and her foals killed!)

...

(What? 'I'm not going to let that happen?' 'That won't happen?' Or some other tripe?)

Life is an adventure, adventure is risk. Just because it can happen doesn't mean it will. And I choose to believe in the better outcome. I choose to hope, just like she has.

(Easy way out.)

No. The easy way is surrender. The easy way is hiding in a cage, for a thousand years.

"-and she hugged me. Told me I was 'the most loyal pony to ever live.' Felt kinda familiar. I tried to think of what to say, but I couldn't really think of anything that made what she said wrong. She flew away crying. I trotted along. And I noticed a glow under my hoof."

We slapped our hooves to our faces, Spike made a thunder clap with his.

"And my mouth started doing what I wanted to blue a lot more. Erm, mostly. The birds make more noise, but I noticed I wasn't getting older or younger anymore. Weird huh?"

Rarigreed gasped, "You have got to be joking!"

AJ shrugged, curiously looking at the ground. "Out of all the crazy horseapples that've happened to us today, Ah'd say this here's pretty tame darlin'."

Rarigreed took an avenue of escape, "Applejack . . . you don't need to hide yourself anymore. You can speak like a lady if it's what you really want. No one's going to think you're not you."

"Ah figure the Apples and Pies would be more accepting of me if Ah speak without an accent."

Rarigreed politely and calmly and quite honestly proceeds to bang AJ into the castle wall several times -What? We're immortal- until AJ finally admits that 'accent' refers to the dialect of a particular region, and being in the minority, the Apple and Pies are therefore the ones with accents, but still wanted to speak how they'd be comfortable with her.

"But seriously!" Rarigreed rambled, "What?! Where's the epic journey across the land in search of those worthy? We haven't gone one mile out of the castle we find Loyalty falling into our laps?!"

"That's Derpy for you," I said.

"It wouldn't be right for Derpy if it happened any different," AJ added.

"And besides, we shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, you taught me that," I reply, getting a small smile out of her.

"Derpy. Welcome to the 'Going To Save The World Club'," I said to her proudly, "You and Dinky. Erm, if you want."

" . . . but Discord promised. Dinky would be her again if I went around the castle enough times. And Sparkler too. And-"

"And what kind of happiness do you expect Dinky and Sparkler to have in a world ruled by Discord? You don't need him to save them."

Derpy looked at me in awe, her one track tunnel like mind coming to a screeching halt. For the first time in a thousand years, Derpy had another road to take that wasn't giving up.

(This is just another form of giving up.)

No, it's called 'taking a third option'.

Derpy stood adamantly. Her opposing eyes looking determined and her face smiling. "I'm with you until the end!"

Spike said, "Doesn't it feel wrong to just, replace Rainbow Dash?"

Derpy startled.

I said harshly, "She's NOT the 'New Rainbow Dash.' She's help, which we need, and she's a friend, end of story. We'll save Dash later when we can."

"Don't talk about Derpy like she's not even here," AJ said putting a hoof on her shoulder.

"It's okay I'm used to it. My parents and teachers talked about me like I wasn't in the room all the time."

We heard crows. The murderer formed from the ashes and rose again right near Derpy.

None appeared around the illusion of Derpy and Dinky AJ had created that was trotting around the castle.

(Oh look! Sitting on your flanks just speaking had consequences, how unexpected!)

If you have nothing useful to say then don't bother!

"There's lot more than before," Spike observed.

"There get to be more if I stay in one place," Derpy said as she tried to remember motor skills she hadn't used in a thousand years to fold her wings around Dinky.

We all came between the murder of crows and Derpy and Dinky.

There were so many, they were like a cloud. A single creature. A mass of black blotting out the sun with countless red pairs of hungry eyes looking at Derpy, no, Dinky.

"I am so not interested in a boss battle right now," Spike deadpanned.

"Likewise," Rarigreed said.

"Ditto," 'Jack nodded.

Derpy looked ready to run again.

"Don't worry Derpy," I smiled at her, "that's just means we're going to wipe them out of existence fast!"

"But darling don't they just keep coming back no matter what?" Rarigreed asked.

"I'll think of something."

The murder congealed into a formation of one giant crow.

"Oh that is so original," 'Jack said.

"What an uninspired attack formation. Are we supposed to be intimidated?" Rarigreed shouted, "Spike! Immolate!"

Spike's green flames hit the murder as it came closer, the individual crows being incinerated, reducing the formed giant black bird into a hill of ashes in seconds. Spike gave Rarity a smirk.

"I am happy Spike is on my side," Rarigreed whispered.

There was a look of calm satisfaction on Derpy's face.

"Why didn't my decoy work?" AJ asked herself, tapping her hooves on the ground.

That was when the ashes moved, and before our eyes, the ashes reformed into the crows. Reforming fast, I guess that made sense for Discord to program his toys to 'up the ante' if Derpy somehow began getting clever.

"That's rather unsportmare like!" Rarigreed fumed.

"You expected Discord to play fair?" I asked her.

"Okay, anyone here not seen The Alicorn's Apprentice?" Spike growled seeing the swarm forming into a large black bird again.

"For the last time it was not based on me!"

"Hey! what about yer 'eat somethin' different spell' so they don't hurt little Dinky? Make'em eat each other!"

"What? You mean the one I used on the parapsites?! These birds aren't alive! They're constructs! They don't 'eat' anything!"

Spike simply breathed fire again, the murder split in two letting the flames pass between them and the murder fused back together.

"They learn fast!" Spike snapped.

Derpy said, "They always have."

"We should run! I doubt they're made to be much faster than a crippled mother!" Rarity suggested.

"They'll just follow us! And ponies might get in the crossfire who aren't immortal!" I said.

Derpy blinked away tears of rage, "Makes them disappear forever!"

"We are not losing! We are not retreating! We are not going to be stopped! We are not even going to be slowed down by worthless soulless toys of Discord's that exists only to torment one loving mother and her foal! You can just forget it! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!?!" I wasn't speaking to my friends by that point.

AJ kept tapping her hooves against the Earth. Her image became that of Derpy, along with another illusion decoy. The two ran under the crows who ignored them. AJ looking like Derpy skipped away from the group but still between Derpy and the crows who became to close in again. She then picked up a rock and used an illusion to make it look like Dinky's muffin self and threw it through the murder, but it was ignored as well.

This time Spike flapped his wings so hard the murder was forced back.

My eyes were opened. "They may be constructs but they still need air to fly! But that won't get rid of the problem. We can't just keep blowing them away, they'll just learn to avoid it. But this means they still have to follow the rules of aerodynamics."

"Ah could fool Queen Cadence, but Ah can't fool these things." AJ said, again to herself, the wind not knocking her over even if she was in the path of it.

"Which means these things are wired to you Derpy, and/or Dinky, they must be programmed to sense your spirit, lifeforce, or something not easily replicated," I said, "anything you can tell us?"

"They just keep coming back, always for Dinky, they always come, never stopping, never tiring, if some are sent far away, more appear, if they're stopped, more appear, if they're ... broken, more appear."

AJ kept tapping her hooves. She looked at the crows as they broke out of the ineffective formation and began to circle around so Spike's gail couldn't stop them all.

AJ said out loud, dismissing her illusions, "How can they learn if they keep getting turned to ashes? Ya can't make notes in a book if the book gets burned to ashes too!"

I remembered. One time I had been beheaded in battle(by the way, the theory that a head can remain conscious for several moments after being severed is true). A new head regenerated, but I was told for few moments it was a 'brain dead' husk until my memories and identity were loaded into it via my immortality, powered by my Element of Chaos. Similar thing had happened to Rarigreed once when her collection had fallen on her skull and the piano incident.

"If these things can learn! That means there must be a server for them to store their experiences somewhere!" I said. Everyone looked at me as we circled around Derpy and Dinky. She didn't flee. I wouldn't risk them adapting to my barrier unless we were out of options. "I mean there's somewhere the birds are storing what they're learning since if it was spread out among them burning them to pieces should reset them! It isn't!"

Spike asked, "Rarity! Create yer army to help out!"

"I can't! They're gone!"

"What do you mean 'they'?"

"It can't be somewhere obvious, Discord is too smart to do that..." I said, thinking, looking around for where Discord would hide it.

AJ stomped in frustration hard enough for her hoof to go into the ground. She then gasped suddenly. "Wait a minute..." she said, closing her eyes. I could feel Earth Pony Magic crossing into the ground, she was feeling the Earth. She gave another gasp.

"That's it!" AJ shouted at last. "Twilight! The ground! The magic is flowing through the ground and up into the air! Them black birds are made of dirt!"

"No, 'made from dirt is the proper saying since they are instantaneous magic rather than-"

"TWILIGHT!" Rarigreed snapped.

"Sorry!"

Rarigreed began levitating rocks and began shooting down the birds. Who were more being replaced more and more quickly. She bought some time by forming a stone shell around them, but I knew it wouldn't hold long with how fast they adapted.

I concentrated on what Earth Pony magic I'd copied over the centuries and felt the magic. It was just like at the rock farm; magic channels through the ground, only these seemed to move and flow, connected to the murder. I'd figured out the game.

"Derpy, do you remember how to fly?" I asked hopefully, the birds managed to find their way out of Rarigreed's barrier by having some of them bash the rock back while the others flew through.

Derpy looked at me for a few seconds then nodded.

"Derpy! Give Dinky to Spike!" I shouted.

"No!"

"Please! This is going to need your help too. Trust me!"

Derpy looked at me for a tiny bit like she had seen a ghost.

"Protect her?" Derpy asked Spike.

"Like a treasure," said the dragon.

Like she was cutting out her heart and hoofing it to someone else, Derpy gave Dinky to Spike to protect. Rarigreed carefully fashioned a protective 'coat' of stone around Dinky to protect her.

"Now, here, I, GO!" I shouted as my horn nearly gave off fireworks. What was first a soft breeze exploded in pegasus wing-power in seconds as I created a tornado, the black birds individually didn't have enough flight strength to resist and were caught up in the storm. I didn't stop there.

"AJ!" I grunted. "How far out is it?"

She told me. Whao boy. This might actually be hard.

"Derpy! Push the funnel of the tornado around the castle!"

"Can't you?"

"I'm feeding all my power to keep them from escaping! PLEASE Derpy!" Then it hit me. I remembered the thing who her loyalty towards had driven her for all this time. "This is the only way to save Dinky from them for GOOD!"

Derpy's eyes suddenly reminded me of Fluttershy when that dragon had hurt us.

The gray pegasus who was perhaps the only undiscorded or paled-colored pony in existence flew and pushed against the tornado with her bare hooves, flapping her wings like mad. It helped more than she could possibly know! With Derpy's extra added help I could move the tornado around the castle, sucking up the upper layer of Earth, dirt and rocks and all. My one hope was that Discord hadn't bothered to enchant the ground all the way to the planet's core!

The murder cawed, AJ stood firm, Rarigreed's telekinesis held her in place, Spike used himself as a wall around Dinky.

"Twili! Ya did it! That's all of it!"

"Thank you Applejack! Derpy! Push the top end of the funnel over the castle!"

Derpy grunted. Her muscles must have been on fire by now. But she didn't even hesitate, her wings flapped in a blur, her eyes were full of tears. "I'm tired of you birds coming for my muffin! My little Dinky means everything to me and I'm not letting you hurt her anymore! You won't hurt my muffin! You won't touch her! EVER AGAIN!"

Her Element of Loyalty glowed brighter and her eyes lit up while moving the funnel cloud suddenly became easier, her body's safety-limits turned off.

"Alright! Derpy, over the skylight! No! The other one! Yes that one! Steady! Steady! Push it down! Down!"

Derpy screamed in exertion.

(Twilight stop this! You can't sense where is what in the castle!)

NO! But I can sense a rip in the same/time continuum as big as a stadium!

"ALL THE WAY THE DERPY! AND AWAY THEY GO!!!"

The murder cawed insanely as the force of the tornado pushed them all along the way of the funnel, which I'm sure would have gotten a pegasus a citation for breaking several meteorological laws.

The murder was flushed down, through the skylight, and deep into the pit of no return. Its ravenous cawing becoming fainter and fainter until nothing was left, not one feather, not one speck of dirt.

My entire body shuddered.

(That was actually clever.)

OH RIGHT!

"Spike! Quick! Take a letter!"

"What?"

"Just do it!"

What an idiot I was, of course he wouldn't carry parchment with him wherever he went now. Oh well.

"Spike! Brace yourself and don't crush Dinky!"

"Huh?"

"Don't hold her tight. This will hurt!"

I quickly pulled out of Spike's scales (sorry Spike) and bit on my fetlock, and rapidly wrote a message in my own blood before my skin regenerated. Then I teleported the message where I had dumped the murder.

"Yeow! Twilight! What was that about?"

"Just being polite to someone who deserves being polite to."

+++

Ponythulu was looking forward to a nice relaxing dip in the hot tub. He had on his favorite bathrobe with a crossword puzzle under one tentacle. It was a beautiful day in his home dimension, he wanted to invite his cousin earlier, but Discord wasn't there, what a shame. Humming to himself, Ponythulu opened the door to his hot tub.

"CAW!CAW!CAW!CAW!CAW!CAW!CAW!CAW!CAW!CAW!CAW!CAW!CAW!CAW!CAW!CAW!CAW!CAW!CAW!" A solid wall of black birds slammed out of the washroom like water from a hose, hitting Ponythulu and sending him careening back down the hallway, the birds panicked screeching echoing through the house.

After the flood, the black birds lay in piles twitching mindlessly.

A purple dragon scale fell on the nephew of Havoc. Ponythulu picked it up and read it, "Dear Ponythulu. Here are some black birds birds for some black bird pie. The ground with them will infinitely recreate the blackbirds after they're eaten, though the spell may need some reprogramming, as it requires a focus to regenerate them around. We no longer have use for them, so I thought you might like to have them and I'm very certain you'll enjoy the recipe. Yours, Twilight."

"What a nice pony. How polite," Ponythulu said pleasantly.

+++

Derpy had fallen asleep on the roof after the task was done. I check first to make sure she was still breathing. I wasn't going to gamble on the Elements of Harmony giving immortality too. I had drained my reserves, but I still had enough to teleport to her and back again with her. She woke just long enough to look at Dinky and make sure her child was safe before going back to sleep. I examined her closely, and found no permanent damage to her body from pushing it past its limits, something I could only credit to the Element of Loyalty. After all, Loyalty let you push your limits for those you care about. Just had to mend some torn ligaments and muscles and cracked bones from her doing the work of an entire flight of pegasi single hoofedly in one third the time.

"Rest, you've earned it," I said, smiling to her. I'd love to see the looks on the faces of the ponies who'd mocked her all those years ago if they could see what she'd just done. Hay, what she'd BEEN doing for a thousand years.

"Hey everypony," I said smiling, "Anyone feel like a trip on dragon back?" I looked at Spike.

"I'd be glad to give everyone a ride!" I put the sleeping Derpy on Spike's back holding her tightly. Followed by Rarity, who had taken over protecting Dinky. Finally AJ who sat in front of Rarity, and spoke kind words to the muffin pony.

I wasn't sure if Dinky was conscious in there or not or presently had The psyche of a pony of a muffin... I didn't know which would be better or worse. To be conscious and watch your mother give everything she had for you? Or to spend a thousand years with no conscious mind.

Feeling like a five year old again I put a struck a dramatic pose like the captain of a sailing ship and shouted, "To Sweet Rock Acres!"

"AYE-AYE!" Spike said proudly. Applejack chuckled.

(Idiot! Aren't you worried about being spotted! Everypony will want you dead!)

Let them see. Let them see the mare who Discord tortured for so long is free. Let them see his slave free. Let them all see.

(With his minions riding with her on his dragon!)

For the first time without Discord there with him. That will make them curious, and a little curiousity can do wonderful things. Besides! I've wanted to ride a dragon since I got Spike! "Tally-ho!"

Episode 80: (Dark World) Happy Birthday

Pony POV Series
"Dark World" Part Eleven
Happy Birthday To You
By Alex Warlorn

"Down with Discord!" Shout Horus behind the podium.

"YEA!" Shouted the hippogriffs, including Inquisition.

"We'll never give up!"

"Never!"

"We'll fight to the last 'griff!"

"To the last!"

"We won't live as toys anymore!"

"YEA!"

"We can do it!"

"Yes we can! It's time for a change!" Shouted a brown and gray male hippogriff with odd colored wings, his cutie mark being a twisted tornado. His eyes were yellow and red. He also wore glasses with a fake mustache for some reason. Besides him was a smaller hippogriff chick who really liked her hamburgers.

"Nice to see you could join us again Wild Tempest," said Inquisition's mother.

"It's no problem, it's interesting, it's fun, and seriously, it's a good way to spend some time." Wild Tempest waved off. Inquisition's mother laughed.

The resistance meeting in the very foundations of Cloudsdale was going well, as normal. And Horus was glad to have Wild Tempest, a regular who only came into town for the meetings. Whenever the group felt hopeless, his sense of humor and witty remarks lightened their spirits.

All he asked in exchange was teaching his daughter ("The only reminder I have of her mother!" He'd sob whenever made to explain), instructing her in basic strategy.

Inquisition tried to get to know her better but was at an anti-social brick wall until Inquisition mentioned interrogation techniques she had read in a book once.

"You shall be spared," Tempest's daughter mumbled between bites, leaving Inquisition confused.

"Just think, the Virgacorns are having their group meeting right now on how to spread and encourage magic too." The adult hippogriff said off clawedly to Wild Tempest.

"Huh? Wha-! You mean the Virgacorn resistance meeting is today? I-erm! I just remembered something! Got to go! Nice talking to you again!"

Wild Tempest made a hasty but quiet exit dragging his daughter with him still eating her hamburger.

"Where have you been Paradigm Shift?" Symbolism asked the other Virgacorn.

The brown and gray Virgacorn panted, a smaller yellow and pink stripped Virgacorn trailing behind him, "Sorry... I... lost track of time."

"It's alright, is this your daughter?"

"Yes, teach her magic."

+++

'The rich and powerful will be torn down.' An eye-patched Anarchy whispered.

"The rich and powerful will be torn down!" The bald stallion in front of the mob shouted.

'Trials will be held.'

"Trials will be held!" Declared the same muscle on muscle stallion who had broken the back of Batmare.

'And your city will be returned to you... the people.'

"And your city will be returned to you... the people."

Anarchy felt something in his bones shake. No way. Couldn't be. But there no other feeling like this in existence. Whoa man, was She and Dad really gonna?

Sorry pal! You're on your own! Family calls.

"Yo! Pandy! Strife! Ya feel it too?!" Anarchy called as he raced on all fours down the hallway/path/road past his sisters' rooms/worlds/domains. He pulled off the eyepatch, it made him look cool, but he needed both eyes right now.

"I felt something big brother," said a glowing skull of death atop the neck of a female draconequus.

"It's bigger than you imagine! And take off that Nightmare Night mask already!" Pandora nodded taking off the glowing skull revealing her pretty face underneath.

"What makes you think we could not have felt it brother?" Strife asked, tossing away her 'towel' as she did so, tapping the stone paw of a Tasmanian devil against her hip.

"Well, yeah, bein' polite, right? Anyways! Let's move it! You guys don't want to miss this."

"I was merely waiting for you brother," Strife said simply.

"Coming!" Pandora said skipping out behind them.

"By the way, I've kept an eye on your latest work, I am very interested as to how that conflict will resolve," Strife said, as they headed towards Their Parents' domain/presence/being.

"Thanks, I think I've really outdone myself. I've still got the Eivo recording of him breaking the back of one of Justitia's champions, wannna watch it later?" Those who fought crime outside the law that the corrupt system wouldn't to ensure others' freedom? That Anarchy got, after all, ultimate-self-responsibility was Anarchy's ultimate goal. He'd even HELPED Justitia set up one or two of those, like the black pony with the skull cutie mark. The ones who fought outside the system to HELP the established law and order be maintained like that one dressed like a flying rat? They were a mystery to him.

"Perhaps. But don't assume her champion is done, determination is one of the key traits that Justitia looks for in her champions."

"He broke her back, what's the worst that could happen? Anyway, thanks for setting up the physical side of my newest champion this time."

"Well you've always had trouble with the physical side of your champions, I felt it'd be a good birthday present."

"Wait, that was my birthday present?!"

The entire universe shook, heaved, and moaned in pain.

"Do You Know Honey, No Matter How Many Times I See This It Never Stops Being Fun?" Havoc grinned, twisting about the sky almost into a knot. The shadows of existence steering clear of him even as they instinctively were pulled closer to the main event.

"YOU TAKE PLEASURE IN MY PAIN?"

"Oh Myself Forbid! I? Taking Pleasure In My Bride's Unhappiness? Perish The Thought!" Havoc giggled to himself. Three draconequi flew through the infinite layers of ice and darkness down to the sea of blackness, landing on top of three of six dark blue needle like peaks. The waves rippled and chopped, becoming the size of continents as their violence increased and continued to grow, "Hey Kids! Wonderful To See You Could Make It! You're All About To Witness Of One The Most Wonderful Miracles Of Beauty The Universe Dreads To Know!"

"Wow! She's really gonna do it!" Pandora whispered in awe, sitting down eagle style.

"So the time has finally come," said Strife standing and crossing her arms.

"Never thought I'd see this again. Makes me kinda wish Destruction, Dissy, and _________ were here to see this."

"Please don't mention 'Ruin' or _________. It makes it depressing," Pandora objected.

"Meh, sorry sis'." Anarchy shrugged.

"I Miss ___ Too. But It Is What You Get For Talking Back To Your Parents. Every Child Who Has Ever Lived Should Know That. __ Should Have Come To Me If __ Wanted to Blow Off Some Steam, I'd Have Loved To Hear It."

"Where's cousin Ponythulhu, though? He said he'd love to see this if it happened again," Pandora said, trying to change the subject slightly.

"I bet the poor guy thinks we're still angry at Dissy, shame he'll miss this show." Anarchy said, scratching his head.

Admittedly, Anarchy had never visited for a reason. A thousand year kingdom ruled were choices were utterly unpredictable due to the one in charge? That didn't exactly sit well with the embodiment of rebelling against authority. Strife on the other claw approved the cast iron ponies it was breeding.

"AAAAAAAGHAHAGHAGH!" Entropy moaned as dark blue mountains crumbled and others rose up. The shadows of existence scrambled out of the way.

"Such An Angelic Sound The Universe Can Barely Hear, My Bride's Voice Is Truly A Thing Of Beauty."

Two . . . 'limbs' grasped, the one belonging to Entropy crushing the one belonging to Havoc as the pain intensified. "That's It Dear! Let It All Out!" Entropy would have erased Him from existence for daring to speak so to Her if She wasn't in agony.

The existence around the three (meaning Their Mother) began to shake uncontrollably, like it was all going to fly apart at any moment!

Anarchy shouted, "I told it was a great show!"

"We're all going to die!" Pandora covered her head and cowed.

"Calm down! Nothing shall harm us!" Strife said punching a dark cobalt boulder with her stone paw as the reality-quakes sent it flying at her randomly.

"That's what I'm worried about!"

"I mean we shall not be harmed," Strife corrected, having let her mind slip about who's domain they were in.

The shadows of existence were now transfixed on the sight. Entranced and hypnotized at the wild storm of the ocean of Entropy.

"Who Knew Giving Life Would Be Such Torturous Agony For the Embodiment Of The End Of All Things? Not Quite The Same Thing As 'Pain' For You, Though I Did Enjoy My Part In The Process!!! Ha ha!"

Entropy/existence Herself/itself contorted, the waves becoming a maelstrom, Equestria would have been a speck of dust on a bubble on one of the tidal waves.

"And Here, We, Go."

The pain reached a climax and Entropy roared.

+++

Two statues in the gallery shuddered.

Discord fell on his side gasping. Fluttercruel fell against the mirror she had been blenching the pink fluffy dress she was wearing in. The glass shattered and 'Cruel's forehead bled.

"M-Master, what was that?"

"I know what it had to be. But I don't believe it. This didn't... "

+++

"Twilight are you okay?" AJ asked.

"Nothing, just a headache."

(I do not believe it.)

+++

"That is one fatass egg." Anarchy pointed.

Strife backpawed him, stone against flesh audible. "It's not polite to point."

"Hello, do you want to come out?" Pandora knocked on the giant egg's side.

"Maybe It's A Dud. Just Think Honey. We Might Need To Do It Again! I Have Some New Positions We Can Try!"

"YOU DON'T EXIST!"

The egg quivered from behind. Something heaved on the inside.

"I Suggest You Get Back Kids. She's Gonna Be Hungry," Havoc said as He casually willed Himself back into existence with less than a micron of effort.

"Her?" Anarchy asked.

"A Father Knows These Things. Did You Expect Your Mother To Know?"

"Pay up," Strife said simply, holding out her stone paw.

Anarchy grumbled and handed his sister a twenty.

A banging noise was heard on the inside of the egg, like a battering ram.

Strife grabbed her siblings and teleported a good distance away.

The egg began to crack, air, ice, and shadows being sucked in through the cracks.

Two nearby purple and beige pony shaped shadows survived by tossing a third larger dragon shaped shadow towards the egg as the cracks became larger and larger, connecting to each other and the egg itself rumbled violently.

Out.

I

Want

OUT!

The egg exploded, a shapeless, chaotic, random force tore its way out, it ripped wildly through the landscape, tearing apart everything in its path. It tore towards Havoc, who caught it easily as it bit and clawed harmless in His grasp. He merely brought it up to His eye to look it over.

"Ah, You're A Feisty One Aren't You? I Like That. But You Need To Learn. Now This'll Hurt You More Than Me, But It's For Your Own Good!"

Havoc slammed it into the ground, creating cracks that spread to the horizon. Then He threw it straight at Entropy's ocean, the great serpent rose up, and the force latched onto the serpent side, bit hard, and began to feed, gulping down what flowed, growing bigger and bigger. Bloated it fell off and fell into the ocean. It was nearly erased from existence countless times in the span of a moment on contract, but the overwhelming drive to live to exist inherited from its Father shook through it, a primal fear, and it swam toward the shore an infinity away, and climbed onto the cliff, panting, blackness dripped off it.

Strife actually smirked a little. "Here's my favorite part."

Like a pheromone, shadows of existence were drawn towards it of all shapes and sizes. They began to crowd around it, pushing each other off the cliff if need be to get closer to it.

The first shadow reached it, a cat shape with large fangs, the shadow touched it.

It ate the shadow, then tore through the rest like a scythe in a wheat field during a hurricane, ripping them to shreds.

Anarchy considered it was a good thing shadows of existence couldn't feel pain that way.

Even as it devoured and tore them apart, the shadows continued to crowd towards it.

The body of a serpent like its Mother.
The head of a horse and body covered in fur like all her siblings.
The front paw of a Tasmanian wolf.
The three toed claw of a moa reaching forward.
The rear hoof of a Kouprey.
The rear paw of a saber tooth tiger.
The tail of a shark.

And from her back the wing of a Archaeopteryx and a pterodactyl.

She fell on all fours panting. The shadows simply wandered away.

Havoc loomed over her.

A pseudopodia reached out and touched her on the forehead. Her eyes widened and focused.

"Do You Hear Me? Do You Understand Me? Your Name Is Rancor Adrestia Typhon Or Animosity. Do You Know What You Are?"

" . . . . I am revenge. I am violence. I am passions. I am rancid to the core. I am one of the winds of chaos. I am nature's fury against nature's law. I am of the Draconequi!"

All violence everywhere was her. Every act of revenge was her. Every heart gasping for air in its own passions was her. She did not rule over them like a queen or attend them like a janitor, she was them. She had always been them. They did not fuel her existence, she was the source of their existence, to put it hopelessly crudely.

Starting with a purple pegasus and beige earth pony shadow, the shadows of existence bowed to the new Draconquus.

The pseudopodia gently and warmly wrapped around her, "And Happy Birthday, My Baby Girl."

The three other draconequi slowly approached their new baby sister.

She was still so small. Her shape was that of a child. Little fat limbs, short tale, large eyes, big head, cute little fangs, adorable stumpy horns. And that mane could use a comb, Anarchy thought personally.

It would have been jarring to have heard her declaration of her nature and existence out of that young sweet spunky voice.

"Greetings. You know who I am, little sister. I have a birthday present for you, little sister. I have been keeping it for you for a very long time." Strife stabbed a black spear into the ground that was three time as tall as the new born draconequus. "When you're big enough to carry it that is. And when you've proven yourself worthy of such a magnificent weapon as this."

"Oooooooh." Rancor looked up at the huge spear in awe.

"Do you think she'll still like the book?" Pandora whispered to Anarchy holding up a little book of poems.

"Meh, don't get your hopes up."

"Well, I didn't know what Concept she'd be...I'll have to write a fresh batch. What did you get her?"

"Nothin'. I've got a few riots I'm sure she'll like. And I'm sure my latest champion is just her style."

"Anarchy! Fetch The Camera. Time For A Family Photo."

A few moments latter, the three adult Draconequi, Their Parents, and the newborn (who Havoc cradled in the closest fashion He could while still remaining as much in frame/eye/perspective with Entropy as physically possible) posed for a family picture/image/memory.

"Now who called my egg fatass?"

"Uh oh..."

Episode 81: (Dark World) Family Reunion

Pony POV Series
Dark World Part 12
Family Reunion

"It's time to get moving
And time to get going

It's going to be great
Hurry best not be late

Dinky this is the day
We fly away
To Somewhere new

We'll see it together
Me and you
We will go there together

New places can be
A little bit scary
Will it turn out okay?

I'm wishing and hoping
That we know what we're doing
But we won't lose our way

We're flying, don't you love the view?
In my heart I can see a sky that's blue!

We're heading to you-knows-where
As soon as we get there,
We'll find our own wishing star!"

(Leave the singing to the seaponies!)

HA HA! I doubt that's happening!

(An Element of Loyalty that sings. Oh yes. You have truly chosen so wisely, Twilight.)

What I never got before was that the Elements have different ways to express themselves. See myself and my friends, I get there are more than one way for the same pony to say 'I love you my friend.' And none of them have to be worse than the other.

(Gag me.)

I would if I could. Singing keeps the spirits up, ponies have always loved to sing. Cadence knows she deserves it.

"Coming in for a landing!" Spike shouted as he made an amazingly smooth landing a mile or two outside Sweet Rock Acres. Hate to say it, but being Discord's mount for a thousand years or so had made him a capable flyer.

AJ looked in awe. When was the last time she was this close? "Ah still can't believe we went from farmin' apples to farmin' rocks."

"The Pies considered it a proud and honorable profession," Rarity said honestly.

"Ah didn't mean that mean-like! Ah'm just surprised that's all."

"It's all about what you can grow and where," Rarity said, "You're a farmer, you know this better than me. Rock farming really boomed from a niche market into the mainstream following the day of chaos."

"That is one thing I won't complain about," Spike said, thinking of all the tasty gems likely inside those boulders. A family of rocks on the very edge of the farm fields saw Spike, gave up, and promptly left for somewhere else to live.

"Oh, and watch out for any pony eating rocks, I think they drove them all off when I was here before but better safe than sorry," I warned. "Oh Rarity, didn't you have one of those for a pet for awhile?"

"Yes, until Angry Pie thought it laughed at her. You worry too much, remember when that dragon tore Fluttercruel to pieces, and ate her, then she regenerated inside him and ... cut her way out."

My lecture instincts took over, "Actually, she cut his internal organs to shreds except his brain, THEN cut her way out, then sat and watched him -while sipping a soda- until he died... begging for death," I finished on a whisper.

"Don't talk about that around Dinky!" Derpy chastised me.

Rarigreed looked slightly shocked. My stomach filled with ice.

"I'm sorry Derpy." I felt ashamed. We had been so casual about death and violence for nearly a thousand years, hearing Derpy say it was wrong to talk about it in front of her foal was a slap to the face. It felt a little bit alien to suddenly have these things not be idle chat material. In fact...it made me a little sick. "Dear Cadence...have we really become that desensitized..." I suddenly felt so unclean... A thousand years ago what I had just said would have made us all faint or throw up...now it was casual conversation.

Applejack put a hoof on my shoulder. "..." I could tell she was seriously considering telling me a kind lie.

"We have..." Rarity said honestly. "And that's an ugly thing, but we have to accept it."

I nodded. "And hope the world gets better so no one else has to be."

"Can we please change the subject?"

"Yes Derpy, lets."

Derpy guarded Dinky like she was made of glass rather than wheat, her wings folded into a protective tent around her on her back. I can't blame her.

"This is Sweet Apple Acres now?" Derpy asked looking two ways at once.

"Sweet Rock Acres now," I said, "Don't worry, the ponies are very friendly. You'll see. The Pie and Apple hospitality is the one thing that hasn't changed in a thousand years."

"Twilight," Spike said, "I don't mean to be a bust, why are we here? There are plenty of other places we could have stopped."

"Ah made a promise to look after Applebloom's family, and Ah'm keepin' it now the way AH should have," AJ said.

Spike's eyes widened, "You're staying here?"

"Nope! Not yet! We still have a world to save remember?"

"Twilight," Derpy asked sounding nervous, "You-you said we-we were going somewhere to help Dinky."

"And we are. Right here. My magic can't undo Discord's magic, or else I would've freed the Princesses as soon as I was. But the Elements of Harmony can! Or Discord wouldn't have removed the jewelry as a threat! But it won't work without all Six and we got two to go."

"So, Pinkie Pie and Flutteshy are here?"

" . . . No Derpy, they aren't. Derpy, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie as they are now can't use the Elements. But I know somepony who can! Our Element of Laughter is right here in Sweet Rock Acres."

"You mean Apple Pie don't you?" AJ asked.

"Like duh!" I laughed. Only friends could say that smiling and get a smile back! We trust each other not to be saying it antagonistically! "If she can laugh at Discord jokes and crack my shell in a day, then she's Laughter already!"

"So we're replacing Pinkie Pie too?" Spike looked at me with big sad dejected eyes.

"It's not replacement Spike! This is to help them as much as us and everypony else! It's not like we're expecting Apple Pie to start throwing parties and play pranks! We'll find a way to get through to Pinkie and Fluttershy."

"Ah'm not sayin' yer givin' up on Pinkie Twili', but Apple Pie's a little filly, and ya saw what she saw in Ponyville. Hasn't she been through enough? What kind of monsters are we if we're draggin' a filly into a fight against Discord?"

AJ's voice, it wasn't angry or cold it was, pleading.

"AJ. I've spoken to her. I've been with her. She's spent most of her life in mortal danger just like all her family. These ponies are the result of having lived and survived in a world run by the mad chaos god! They're either impossibly lucky or near indestructible! Pony Eating Rocks ran away from the fillies! And it's not like I'm drafting her. We're going to ask her."

"A little filly on a big dang adventure not knowin' she could die. Twili' we can't use her like that."

"AJ. Apple Pie knows what death is, its been her family's constant companion since she was born. Believe me, I know tragedy, and she's someone who can get through it with a smile on her face. She knows the risk. She knows what she'll be getting into if she says yes."

"Ah guess if she can help and we don't let her know that, it would be kinda cruel. But won't it be cruel to her family to force another grave on them?"

"She knows how to take care of herself. She's as indestructible as one of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. And her family is ready to accept loss. I know that's cruel to say but it's true. And we aren't using her. We're going to be watching her back the same way she'll be watching ours."

(Foal soldiers! I know Celestia would so approve! And this is all assuming she and the rest don't burn you all at the stake the moment you show your faces.)

I cringe. They have no reason to hurt Derpy, they won't be able to hurt Spike, and being immortal should mean we'll be able to get our say in after they get it out of their system.

(What? So Discord's personal mount and three of his death squad are going to simply trot in, give an apology and all will be forgiven?!)

The other launched in a mess of plans. AJ wanting to use her illusions to get us onto the farm without a fight. Figuring it would be kinder thing to do so no pony would get hurt.

AJ asked, "Hey Twilight! Spike being Discord's 'loyal steed' might cause trouble. Can ya age regress Spike into a baby dragon so he doesn't scare everypony?"

"NOT ON YOUR LIFE!" Spike roared in AJ's face, the Earth Pony holding for dear life onto her hat.

"These ponies have family members who got turned INTO dragons they still speak with, don't worry."

Rarigreed wanting to be straight like friends should if we were really going to bring Apple Pie into our circle of friends. Of course Spike agreed with Rarity. Derpy wondered if she and Dinky should just go in alone. She was the 'gray mare' doomed to always trot outside Discord's castle but she wasn't known as evil, she was a victim and so was Dinky. It turned into a white noise I have no desire to repeat.

Sigh, time to be the leader again...

"Girls, and Spike. If we really want to show these ponies we've changed, that we're trying to help the world instead of hurt it, then Rarity's right. If we assume false identities and get Apple Pie to come with us and then reveal who we are, how different is that from kidnapping her?"

AJ lowered her head.

"One thing we do have on our side is Derpy. Everypony around here knows about her, that she's a victim of Discord and has been for a thousand years. It isn't a lie to say we freed her, is it, Derpy?"

"No, it's not."

"And that's something we have going for us, someone we saved. I know, it's a little dirty to use that fact like this, but it's a good bet it'd get us a hoof in the door. Derpy, I hope you don't feel like we're only using you...we're really not, I promise."

"It's alright, Twilight, I trust you."

She trusts me...that really feels good.

"One more thing, no pony, or dragon, tell Apple Pie we think she's the Element of Laughter. We've seen the Elements awaken due to personal epiphanies, Chaos and Harmony. The new Elements of Chaos made us immortal instead of killing us when Discord shoved the jewelry into our chests because Discord had crushed our old views to where we 'realized' the corrupted opposite. And they only became the purified versions when we saw the full picture. It might work differently when the physical Element is on hand, but that isn't going to happen unless we start cutting our own hearts out."

"Twilight!"

"Sorry Derpy. But I imagine telling someone they're an Element of Harmony would be a lot like trying to tell a foal what their special talent is."

"They'll just hear a lecture?" asked Applejack.

"Pretty much. It might be worse to tell them. So our goal is to try and get her to realize she's the Element of Laughter on her own."

(Waste of time)

Need the Elements to beat Discord, so we don't have a choice.

"Alright darling, that solves that...but while Apple Pie and Ditzy are not replacements, one replacement we do need is mine," said Rarity. "We quite honestly need an Element of Generosity."

I opened my mouth but meek and silent kindness Applejack was not.

"Well regardless, we need to focus on the task at hand right now. And Ah think we should at least try to look a little presentable," AJ said, everypony looked at her. "What? Even Ah know ya don't show up ta a weddin' covered in mud, and . . . this is a family reunion a thousand years overdue, we should all look clean at least." Her eyes wandered over to Rarigreed.

"What?" Rarigreed blinked at her.

AJ citing 'Cleanliness is next to Alicornish' and Rarity looking a mess and not even noticing it? I have a headache.

(Oh grow up. I told you they were no longer your friends.)

You're right, they're not the same friends, and neither am I. But that doesn't mean we aren't friends. I'm beginning to think you don't really know the first thing about friendship.

(I know more about the magic of friendship than you can dream Twilight The Unicorn.)

"She's not the only one who needs a bath," Spike replied with a chuckle.

I smelled my coat, I wasn't that bad, being on the receiving end of Discord's whims and acting on the front lines, the skin I was wearing normally was regenerated often enough to not have too bad an odor. Didn't mean sweat and dried blood from two big fights didn't stink though.

Dash scrubbed herself after every mission to the point her skin needed regenerating.

"Speak fer yerself darlin'," AJ said, I never stopped to realize Applejack DID still wash herself. Appearance was a part of image, and images were part of most illusions. "What about a bath for old Spike?"

"Go ahead and try," Spike said looking ready to defend himself.

"Erm, I'm sure he's fine," I grinned nervously.

Derpy seemed to notice too and curiously took a sniff of her own fur and the stink nearly knocked her out! Forgot Rarity wasn't the only one who hadn't had a bath for a thousand years! She may have even been MORE filthy than Rarigreed thanks to the sweat of a thousand years march, and going through whatever it happened to be raining at any given moment Twenty-Four/Seven for the last thousand years, which was rarely water. She had a nice physique at least.

"Twili, Derpy, can ya make a water rain cloud?"

"Yes, of course," I reply. I looked to Derpy, who nodded and, once more reluctantly, handed Dinky to Spike for safe keeping. She didn't want the muffin pony getting soggy after all.

"Wait, now what's happening?" Rarigreed asked, blinking.

I manifested a large white tub and conjured up a water rain cloud (I can't wait for this to be over and there to be only one type of rain cloud again) with my best sly grin while Derpy helped stabilize it and move it into place...then jumped on it several times to get it pouring.

I hate to admit it, but Spike's flames were a more effective water heater than my fireballs.

Rarigreed gazed at the tub, a suddenly look of fear in her eyes as she suddenly turned tail to run.

I magically lifted Rarigreed into the air.

Rarity squealed, "Put me down!"

I smiled, "Alright."

I dropped her over the tub, she caught the edge with all four hooves.

"Spike help!" Rarity called out.

"Whatever you say." Spike happily pushed Rarity from above into the tub with one finger.

Rarigreed gave a scream as she got soaked.

Rarity's head surfaced spitting out water. Derpy and AJ held her down as she tried to escape, splashing like a fish out of water, "Let me out!"

"We will . . . in a while," I said happily. I was having way too much fun with this. I was also happy to see something of Old Rarity show its head again. I transmuted a scrub brush or four from the rocks and got to work.

Though Rarity took some force, "I've got soap in my eyes!", we proceeded to wash a literal millennium's worth of dirt, sweat, and blood off.

AJ politely asked me to conjure a hair brush while we were at it and,

"OW! OW! STOP!" Rarigreed complained as Jack began the painful process of brushing out the plague of rat nests that infested Rarigreed's mane. Not literally!

"No can do, it's fer yer own good darlin'!"

Rarity might have had a bald spot by the time AJ was done if her immortality didn't keep replenishing the losses. Looking back on it, it might have been simpler to simply set Rarity on fire and have her immortality regenerate a new clean mane and coat for her. Joking! Mostly. While practical, immortal is not the same as 'incapable of pain.'

It took almost an hour, lots of soap and even some steel wool (once more magically manifested, hate to say it but thank you Master for making me learn the most random spells imaginable), but she was finally clean, and I believe about two or three shades lighter in color. Giving Spike his baths had been easier.

"Was that really necessary?" asked a rather ticked off Rarity as she tried to get her mane back in order.

I simply pointed down with a flat expression on my face to direct her attention to the fact the water in the tub was practically mud.

"Oh my... was I really THAT filthy?"

"That's what happens when you don't bathe for a thousand years and spend it wallowing around in rocks."

Rarity blinked, then blushed a little. "Well...I don't care, it wasn't that important!"

"Rarity, yah like bein' the center of attention, right?" Applejack asked.

"...Yes...I desire everyponies attention."

"Well what do yah think all that dirt, sweat, dried blood, and so on smelled like?"

"Well...you didn't seem to mind."

Twilight looked serious. "We've lived with you for a thousand years, Derpy's walked through skunk spray showers, and Spike is...well, a dragon. Sulfur is considered perfume to his species."

"I fail to see the point!"

"We're used to it, but how many ponies do you think would want to be around you smelling like that, let alone give you attention?"

"Valid point...You are right about needing to look, and smell, our best Applejack," The Element of Honesty said, "That doesn't mean I like having to lose a thousand years of badges of hard work in the process."

AJ opened her mouth, then remembered a farm pony from a thousand years ago who thought the same about the dirt on her hooves.

"Well, Ah know Ah'm gonna feel better after a good wash," Applejack replied, shaking herself dry from Rarity's filly-like splashing and putting her hat back on.

"To each pony their own," Rarity replied.

Spike flapped his wings lightly to blow her dry.

"And it'll make things a tad easier, ya certainly look like a pony instead of a zombie now." True, it was a small thing, but just a change of appearance could make a big difference.

(Of all the inane things the world is going to be doomed by, the historians will say evil won because the heroes stopped to wash their manes!).

Do you WANT me to waste more time giving a lecture on why this was a good idea to logically prove it to you? I have a soap box and I'm not afraid to use it!

We had to actually empty and clean the tub before AJ and I together could clean off two battles worth of gunk and dirt. It was still the first real bath I'd had for a thousand years, it felt great.

"Derpy, aren't you going to join us?" I asked looking up at her.

"I'll wash, with you Dinky, when you can take a bath again," Derpy said looking at her muffin, "The first bath I take in forever I want to be with my baby."

I decided not to argue against that. I'd offer her perfume, but I'd rather it not turn to gravel in her mane if the spell broke.

I'll admit, it did feel nice to feel clean again, and the hot bath (thank you Spike) had taken a lot of tension and stress out. Jack also returned some of Rarity's lessons to her on how to walk like a lady again after being in a delusional state for a thousand years.

It was my idea for us each to carry a white flag. Thankfully rocks again proved lovely raw material with enough overwhelming raw magic behind it. I know we were taking a lot from the rock farm but Jack was a member of the family so it wasn't, technically stealing. Besides, I'd grabbed a bunch of gems before I left the palace and planned to pay them back, I wasn't stupid enough to assume we wouldn't need something valuable out here. Where did I store them? Um...you don't want to know.

It would have been a lot more logical for Derpy and Dinky to lead our party, it wasn't like they couldn't see Spike a mile off anyway. But AJ wanted to go first, she was the immortal one and it was her family after all. Compromise worked wonders and the two shared the marching position, once again Dinky on Derpy's back. She wouldn't let another protect her child more than needed.

I couldn't shake the demented curiosity of whether or not Dinky was still a fresh muffin after a thousand years or had gone stale. I could tell she hadn't molded at least.

I really, really, really should have marched along in my Half-Light Dawn alter-ego, cause then maybe Cream Pie might not have greeted us with a grenade.

AJ thought fast and used herself as an Equine shield for Derpy and Dinky as it went off. Me? I was too shocked at having a bomb thrown at me. Cream Pie was my friend, or at least, Half-Light Dawn's friend, I hadn't stopped to think after they had saved my soul that they weren't going to waste time looking into the eyes of Discord's second-in-command to see if they recognized a friend in there. Yes, I was naive, you don't have to tell me! Spike brought a claw down between the grenade and me plus Rarity.

"Ya want more-?! We got more!" Cream Pie shouted sounding ready to fight to the death.

"WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU-!?" Derpy snarled at her, tears coming down her face that didn't make her the least bit less furious. Dust and debris still settling she stomped over the surprised filly and got in her face pushing her muzzle against hers. Cream Pie's eyes became like dinner plates and her centers shrank as Derpy looked into her soul. She had to crane her neck to look up at the furious adult. Both their legs were shaking, but for different reasons. "You could have hurt Dinky! Don't you know what a white flag means-?!"

"Erm, nope?" Cream Pie sweated and couldn't blink.

"Blip Neighpon 'Celestia top booking tour a kite can trust taunt woo walk!' MEANS WE'RE NOT LOOKING FOR A FIGHT AND JUST WANT TO TALK!"

"Don't you hurt my little cousin!" A green Earth Pony with three swirl rock candies on her flank shouted coming up from behind part of the crop looking ready to fight.

Okay. I didn't care if it added more chaos to the mix or not! I shape shifted to Half-Light Dawn in front of everypony.

"Minty Pie we ARE here to just talk! We don't wanna fight!"

She stopped dead in tracks in shock. "Hey, you're-you're the filly that was with Apple Pie the other day."

"And we're all here to just talk!" I calmed down a little. "Minty...please, just hear us out, ok?"

"I knew what a white flag meant," Banana Pie's head came out wearing her green headband from over a rock behind us. She was carrying a one-shot rocket launcher strapped to her side with wheels to make up for her small size. I'd have been more worried for her if she had been carrying a bazooka, a rocket launcher had nearly no recoil in comparison. "I thought it was a false flag."

"Huh?"

"That we were lying," I said, "Do you blame them?"

Rarity did the smartest thing she could and kept her mouth shut. We weren't in her area of expertise. Spike looked ready to end things fast if things did turn into a fight, immortality or not.

As the dust settled a lone cowpony hat slowly drifted down from where the blast had knocked it into the air and was caught by one of AJ's waiting forelegs and placed it back on her head. She did not look happy herself. "Watch it! You almost destroyed mah hat!" AJ had protected that hat from explosions, dragon fire, lightning strikes, machine gun bullets, and plasma cannons, and had sewed it up whenever it got damaged. What made that hat so special? "Derpy are ya and Dinky okay?"

"Thank you, yes."

The Earth ponies stared at the pony revealed by the parting dust.

"Saint Liarjack!" They echoed and bowed.

"We didn't recognize you! Sorry! Sorry!" Minty Pie said breaking out into a Mea culpa. "Please don't be angry at Cream and Banana! I'm the mare I should have known better!"

"Saint Liarjack?!" I turned to see AJ blushing like an apple. Just when I thought I'd been burned out of surprises for today.

The three fillies suddenly looked very guilty. "Uh oh..."

"Why am I not 'Saint' anything?" Spike asked.

"EEK! Boss Discord's dragon!" They shouted like they had just noticed the giant dragon. Were these ponies that used to dragons? Cream threw a pipe bomb at Spike's face. It left no real damage but soot on his muzzle. "I've had worse giant bee stings."

"Enough with the bombs!" Rarigreed exasperated.

"Hey! That's not nice!" Derpy reprimanded.

"Little gals, calmly down, they, erm... please get really excited, they mean lots of harm. And it's totally not okay ya slipped up there. That was a biggy."

"Oh, sorry," Cream Pie apologized. She looked confused at Applejack's last sentence.

"What's a filly like you doin' with all them bombs anyway?" Applejack asked.

"Make'em mahself," Cream Pie replied with an air of pride.

"Wait, so, but, then, what does Boss Discord want with us?" Banana Pie interrupted.

"Ahem, Ah have not gone back to my old name 'Applejack.' Ah am in no way related to you all. Ah am still serving Discord. Mah three friends here still work for Discord. We most certainly did not free ourselves. Derpy here is still trapped goin' round the castle to NOT undo the curse on the muffin that ISN'T really her baby girl. We don't need your help at all to break the curse on the muffin. Ah'm most decidedly NOT going to start talkin' the kind hearted truth after this sentence... It's wonderful to see mah family has lived all this time, you've got one Apple you can add to the Pie." AJ hugged each of them.

"Huh?" Derpy blinked, her eyes out of sync.

"Shush, 'Lairjack' remember? She's talking in opposites!" I magically distance whispered.

"Yah...yah are related to us?"

"Yeah, Ah am...You're Applebloom's descendants, aren't yah?"

"Saint Applebloom Of Sunnytown? Yeah, we've still got her picture in the house."

Applejack smiled at hearing her sister called a Saint. "Ah'm her big sis. Ah guess in a way, Ah'm yer aunt..."

"Well technically you're their multiple times great-Ow!"

After I elbowed Rarity for interrupting, the pies all looked shell shocked. They clearly respected Applejack...I imagine they felt the same as I would've if I found out Celestia was my multiple times great aunt.

"And these are mah family too...just not by blood, if that makes sense."

Minty Pie nodded slowly. "We have some ponies in our family like that..."

After a few moments, Cream Pie stepped forwards and hugged Applejack. "Welcome back, Aunt Applejack!" Her sibling did the same.

Then came the awkward silence of them getting ready to talk to the rest of us.

"Half-Light Dawn, is that really you?" Cream Pie asked.

"It's more me than last time Cream Pie, I promise." I hugged her and she hugged me back so hard my spine popped.

"Can someone please tell me what's going on-?!" Minty Pie cried out before somepony else did.

Where did we begin?

AJ said, "Ya may wanna to get some cider, this'll take a bit."

"What cider?" Banana Pie asked.

Applejack sighed, "A really long bit."

++++

We sat comfortably in the living room of the stone house of the Apple/Pie Clan. We only had one maybe two rock pies aimed at our heads, but the knowledge Applejack was family had calmed things down...Applejack actually cried when shown the picture of Applebloom, I wasn't sure which kind of tears they were. Spike was reduced to sitting outside observing the delightful exchanged through a window just big enough to fit one of his gentle, delicate, giant, destructive claw through.

I kept trying to explain that being immortal meant that we had little to fear, and that Apple and Pies should be serving the rock pies instead of being ready to throw them. I think I was making progress, Banana Pie had put away the rocket launcher. Considering we had been the tools of evil not ninety-six hours ago, I had not lost my faith the hospitality of the Apples.

'Saint' Applejack's promise we really weren't there to cause trouble, combined with me staying in my form of Half-Light Dawn, and Derpy and Dinky's presence, had a lot more to do with it than Spike's presence of force could hope to. Minty Pie even took a few waste gems out for Spike to eat...While Cream Pie was ready with the biggest bomb I had ever seen, just in case. Where did she get the raw material for all those bombs?

"So erm, what's your name?"

"Kenbroath Gillspotten Heathspike The Seventh."

"Don't you mean Master Kenbroath Gillspotten Heathspike The Fifth?"

"No, it's not 'Master' though it sounds cool, and it's the Seventh, the Fifth was my grandfather. Why?"

"Dunno, just felt familiar for a bit."

As I looked over the family, I was more and more convinced of one thing; I was happy we were getting them on our side.

(And wasting time.)

One; it's Applejack's family, show some respect. Two; Apple Pie is my friend. Three; they're all tough as nails and we need all the allies we can get at this point.

"But Applejack, darling, how can you possibly be known as a 'Saint?!'" Rarigreed asked actually managing to enjoy the rock candy and marble cake Minty Pie had served (ok, it wasn't that bad once I actually tried it, but she didn't even hesitate). "Not to air dirty laundry, but... " Rarity couldn't think of how to say it without it being that hurtful.

"Well, actually..." AJ blushed.
+++
"You're doing a wonderful job keeping the library intact Owlowiscious, I'll borrow these books this time. Sorry I need to go now, but see you next time," Ah said as Ah patted the old owl on the head and walked out of the library. The owl was old, and gettin' older, but Ah still wondered if he bought Mah Twilight act or whether he was playin' along because it made us both happy.

Ah was just wonderin' around one day and saw him still taking care of the library...waitin' for Twilight to come home. Ah remembered the stories of animals who had waited years for their masters to come home after they died...waited and waited but they never came back...Ah just couldn't bare lettin' that poor owl live out the rest of his life without ever seein' Twi' again...even if it was just me pretendin'...
+++
"What! You finished already! Couldn't you have left some for us?" Fluttercruel barked as Angry Pie growled somethin' fierce at me.

"Sorry, Master wanted'em done, and they're done, ya should have said somethin' if ya wanted me to save some for ya." Ah grinned.

Fluttercruel grunted, slashed my throat and stomped off, followed closely by Angry Pie.

"Are they gone yet?" Whispered one of the 'corpses' in the stage make up Ah had pilfered from Rarity's old place.

"Shush!" Ah whispered back.

Yeah, Ah know Ah'll get hurt...They always hurt meh for 'stealin' their kills'. But Ah can take it. Every hit Ah take is one someone who can't doesn't have to.
+++
"Thank you Bon-Bon, thank you for helping me remember, and thank you for forgiving me, I can sing in peace now," Lyra said, the seapony sticking her head out of the water and nuzzlin' all sweet like the Earth Pony.

The winds blew, and Sky Ocean floated away from the mountain peak.

Ah turned to 'Bon-Bon', "Thanks Moth."

"My pleasure." The elderly changelin' nodded, shiftin' back into her true form, holdin' her shape wasn't as easy as it used ta be.

Lyra had killed Bon-Bon on the day of chaos...the poor mare almost went mad with guilt...Ah know what it's like to never be forgiven, to have that hole in yer heart nothin' can fill. Ah knew even bein' a Seapony didn't take all that hurt away, even if she couldn't remember why she hurt in the first place. Ah might not be able to fill the hole in mah heart, but Ah could fill the hole in hers...besides, Moth deserved some closure too, she loved em like her own family.
+++
The poor mare set on Fluttercruel's table...yah-yah don't want ta know more than that...just know she didn't have much time left.

Fluttercruel had gotten bored...a lot of times that was worse than when she finished up. "P-please...don't let her do this to my family..." the mare pleaded, tears running down her cheeks.

Ah looked her in the eyes. "Ah promise, the bad mare won't get her claws in 'em."

"T-thank you..." she said, before she let go and her spirit left her.

Was that truth or a lie? It's happened both ways more times than Ah care ta count. But it don't change the fact it let their last moments be in peace. That's all that matters.

+++

"Remember, ya should totally act like ya know me and say all over the place how Ah didn't hurt ya behind mah Master's back."

"Alright Saint Liarjack."

"Ah'm totally ah Saint."

"Yes Saint Liarjack."
+++
"And all the time Ah told the truth about not doin' the deed when we were out enforcin' the 'no magic' rule."

"But what about-" I shoved another piece of marble cake in Rarigreed mouth.

No one but Discord, Spike, and us six knew what happened to Cadence at Avalon. Wait, no, that's a lie. Applejack had taken the heat for me during Grogar's invasion. But I wasn't about to bring out Jack's sins right after she had confessed her secret virtues.

"So everyone knew about this except us, Discord and Spike?"

"Personally, Ah think Discord might've known, didn't matter if Ah was helpin' ponies, since Ah was bein' sneaky and lyin' 'bout it, he thought it was cool."

Ah remembered Discord's reaction earlier...ugh, I wish I could erase that image from my brain.

Minty Pie gasped, "But Big Rock Discord LIKES seeing ponies die!"

"No, because that ends the game," Rarigreed said, "He likes to see ponies squirm like a rat in a trap, he likes people being as insane as he is, he likes emotionally breaking ponies, he likes people to be like him. He is vain. And that shade of green of his tuxedo Ponythulu gave him was garish."

"What does that last one have to do with anything?" I asked.

"It's true isn't it?"

"I didn't think it was such a bad shade," Minty Pie admitted.

(She forgot a psychopathic manchild, cowardly, a bully, uninspired, lazy, greedy, a liar, and terrified of his own feelings.)

"If you wish to call her 'Saint', then I think 'Saint Jacqueline' has a nicer ring to it," Rarigreed gave her honest opinion.

This sparked a new debate amoung the Pies and Apples on which sounded more 'Saintly.' Jack politely kept her mouth shut.
+++
Ah let'em call me a Saint. 'Cause that gives'em hope, it helps give'em a reason to believe, and that's what they need more than ever with the storm up ahead, but Ah reek of sin. If there was an Apple that deserved to be called a Saint, it was Apple Bloom. She didn't let her curse stop her from lovin' Lance or Sword Bloom, she used it help Sunnytown, she didn't let herself become a monster. She beat Discord in a way none of us could. Bloom, you were a wonderful adult. Ah just pray Ah can live up ta the faith yah have in me, little sis.

When Ah told 'em Saint Applebloom saved mah soul, that got them right excited. Yeah, Ah told 'em. Because Ah knew just what it'd mean ta them ta know their ancestor had finished her the last thing she had wanted ta do with her life; fix mah heart.

"So ya heard mah, our stories," Ah said after they agree to disagree and ta save what to engrave on mah statue after Discord is history. Yeah, we told'em what we were out ta do, and they didn't none call us crazy or liars. We were gonna save the world from Discord. Cream Pie offered us her favorite bombs.

We got a dozen questions 'bout what Equestria was really like before Discord came along. Ah promised Cheery Pie she wasn't gonna split into a pegasus and griffin when Discord was beat.

No Ah wasn't thinkin' 'bout making the farm fer apples again, they were happy farmin' rocks, and Ah wasn't gonna dictate different ta them how ta be happy. "What do ya all say?"

Apple Computer took mah front hoof with a big grin, "Welcome back ta the family Saint Apple Jacqueline!"

The rest of the clan cheered. Ah shuddered, Ah tried not to cry and failed. Humble Pie and Cheery Pie hugged me. Ah actually cried harder. After a thousand years, Ah was accepted back, just like that. Ah was family.

+++
I, Rarity or Rarigreed (both are true), was envious of Applejack. So very jealous. Ugly, but honest. After a thousand years, her line had endured, and they accepted her with open arms. If we save Pinkie Pie (Honesty now remember?), then she has a family waiting to heal her too. I lost the family I had before Discord, and now I've lost the family I replaced them with, painstakingly brought together from those who needed a family of their own. Why did they leave me when Twilight made me face myself? Because they saw how ugly I was inside after a thousand years? Or were they like Sweetie? And felt they had served their duty of keeping my heart from completely abandoning bonds with ponies? I didn't think about it until now, but I never forced any of them to stay with me.

Or maybe I was simply a mad mare and the power to house them within me was all in my head, and being made sane again made them vanish.

I felt a tap on the the shoulder. I looked to see Spike having reached his arm in to give me a gentle hug, I hugged his hand in return. Or maybe they just saw I had finally found my own family again after all. Does it matter?

"So," Applejack spoke, "Do ya accept mah friends too?"

Mr. Apple Computer turned rather solemn, "We ain't the ones who need to accept Miss Tragedy, er, Miss Twilight. Apple Pie's the one's she put on an act fer, Apple Pie's the one has to say whether she's welcome here or not."

"Of course she's welcome silly! Friends are always welcome!"

It was her, the orange filly with orange skin and green mane. She still had the scar on her forehead from Fluttercruel's weapon, at least she wasn't wearing that ugly bonnet now.

She had also apparently been hanging from the ceiling this whole time eavesdropping!

She is beyond all doubts descendant from Pinkie Pie's family.
+++

"Apple Pie!" I gasped.

"Howdy Half-Light!"

"You-" I kept myself from suffering a brain error. "-Apple Pie. How long you were there? I was about to ask where you were!"

"Oh, Ah was holdin' onto the ceilin' since ya came in. Ah was gonna give Big Banana Discord's buddies a big surprise! But it was you instead!"

"Lazy," Banana Pie deadpanned.

"Why didn't you say anything earlier?"

"Ah didn't wanna interrupt such a heart warmin' scene! Ya and yer friends were all gettin' smiles on yer faces!"

"I see."

Her family didn't seem phased one bit.

Derpy smiled at her.

She was still the same filly with the scar on her forehead, she had that same weird positive aura, but it felt more focused.

"So," I asked, "You accept me?"

"Like duh! That what Ah just said ain't it? We're friends aren't we? Ya didn't steal Granny's secret recipe for Rock Pie so ya didn't take anythin' we'd not have given ya anyway. Goin' 'round undercover for stuff we would have just told ya? Kinda fun!"

"Well, I didn't think I could have just asked."

"Well that's just silly . . . we're friends aren't we?"

"We weren't friends then."

"Oh! So you wanted to make friends! I gotcha."

"No Apple Pie, you made me into a friend." I hugged her, "And thank you so much!"

Spike blinked away hot tears at the scene.

"And Rarity?" I asked looking Apple Pie in the eye.

She looked at Rarity then back at me, "She yer friend?"

"Yes."

"Rarity's yer friend too?" She asked Applejack.

"Ya bet."

"Whao kay then! If friend and family say she's trustworthy? Then she's trustworthy!"

Rarity startled. "I, thank you young miss."

"Call me Apple Pie, and it's nothin'."

"No, please, thank you. But, darling...you do realize...all the horrible things we've done...and you still trust us? You still...forgive us?"

"Do yah want ta do those things again?"

"Heavens no!"

"And would yah have done 'em if yer brain hadn't been monkeyed with?"

"No..."

Apple Pie gave a smile. "Then yah were just Discord's toys, no different than anypony else. And besides, what's the point in holdin' a grudge on somepony? Grandma had a sayin', before she got turned into a dragon; 'Apple Pie, now justice is like apples. It's sweet and yah eat it, then it's done. But holdin' grudges is like a poison apple, no, not yer sister. Yah eat it, and everythin' seems fine and dandy, but then it starts eatin' away at yah till there ain't nothin' left. And eatin' more just makes it worse. So don't go eatin' poison apples, or grudges, cause they'll both make yah sick'...Grandma liked Changelings, eatin' grudges makes 'em sick."

Rarity blinked. "Yes...I see you point." Rarity, shaking, nuzzled Apple Pie.

(You can't blindly trust them! If they betrayed their bastard master, why wouldn't they betray you?)

'Cause Ah ain't their bombasted master silly! Didn't yah just hear what Ah said about grudges? Yah must be hard of hearin'. Maybe Grandpa Rock Pie can lend yah a hearin' aid.

"And this is Spike, and Derpy."

"Hey!" Derpy admonished.

"And her daughter Dinky, who's cursed. They're all friends of mine too. And Spike is my Number One Assistant."

"Heh, well, ain't that somethin', Ah know ma and grandma would like ya! But this ain't the way ta do things!"

She shook Rarity's hooves. "Ah'm Apple Pie, nice ta meetcha."

"Erm, Lady Rarity 'Rarigreed' Bell. A pleasure to meet you."

She hugged AJ, "Ah'm Apple Pie, nice ta meetcha too, Auntie."

"Nice, nay, wonderful ta meetcha Apple Pie."

"Ah'm Apple Pie, nice ta meetcha three." She reached out the window and shook the tip of one of Spike's claws.

"Seventh actually, Kenbroth Gilspotten Heathspike The Seventh. But please just call humble old me Spike."

"Ah'm Apple Pie, nice ta meetcha four." She shook one of Derpy's wings.

"I'm Derpy Hooves, or Ditzy Doo, you can choose, nice to meetcha five." She smiled back happily.

"Oh and, erm, Ah'm Apple Pie, it's nice ta, meetcha, six." Apple Pie reached out to touch Dinky, Derpy's wings folded around Dinky like a venus-pony-trap. Derpy gave her a 'hooves off' look as powerful as any force field. "Oh, sorry. Yah remind me of how mah ma was like around us after Big Banana Discord her inta a dragon."

Banana Pie nodded. Apple Computer hugged her.

"What about me?"

"Don't be silly Half-Light, I already know you."

I shifted form.

Apple Pie startled, I expected her to scream and run. Instead she stared for a few seconds and shrugged, "Ah still know ya." She shook my hoof, "Welcome back ya'all."

(Such blindness.)

No. Belief.

They finally put away the pies after that. And we got invited for dinner. I paid Apple Computer for the bath rocks despite his protests. I still hesitated to tell Apple Pie the real, my reason for coming back here. I wasn't sure how to even begin. I kept forcing Rarity extra helpings of marble cake until she was on the verge of whining about her figure. I would just grin and nod. AJ would give a pat on the back.

Spike ate like a horse... you know that phrase never did make sense. The Apples and Pies were more than happy to keep shoveling rocks down his gullet. Was there anything dragons couldn't eat? But after awhile, he stopped because he didn't want to eat up so much there was none left for us. That's my Spike.

Whatever secret they had for making rocks edible, they were only willing to share with Applejack and she, "I can't go tellin' the rest of ya. It's a matter of principles."

"Friends don't keep secrets, secrets don't keep friends." Rarity said.

Derpy came between the two, "There's a difference between secrets between ponies and secrets about things."

Rarity sighed but conceded.

Spike volunteered to helped move some of the rocks from the storage barn (promising his wouldn't eat the profits) as trading time came around and Rarity choose to help him.
++++
Yes darlings I know, 'Honesty' not 'Truth' as the lady of details I should know the difference. But, after a thousand years of Discord's delusion, even an open secret as simple as a family recipe rubbed wrong against my raw skin.

(You should have stuck with generosity.)

Even generosity is a desire to give, and I have no desire to let go of what's mine. I needed some air.

(You're giving help to Spike.)

Spike is helping, I merely go where he goes.

(Doesn't that make you his?)

I merely do not wish something to happen to him when he's out of my sight. A family of dragons consider one another each other's property.

"I'm sure he'll like that we have the stones for him ahead of time." Cheery Pie said getting my attention.

How did a hippogriff sneak into either family's tree? Least she carries hooves and claws well.

"Who is he?" I asked.

Cue dramatic entrance stage center. Out popped a diamond dog. No it couldn't be, living crystal or not now, diamond dogs did not live that long.

"Hello Guru Fido." Cheery Pie bowed.

No, it was still a common enough name, and besides, descendants could resemble their ancestors.

"Greeting Hippogriff Cheery Pie . . . And Master Heathspike, and Lady Desire."

The diamond dog just bowed at us politely as well.

"Lady Desire-?!" I let out. Not that I didn't like the name, it was just not one I had claimed yet.

"If it was a trap, you'd have attacked me at once. If you were holding Cheery Pie's family hostage she would not have greeted me in such a friendly manner. And you no longer smell of madness." Madness has a smell? "And if the dragon was still a slave, he'd not be standing so proud. If this was a trick, you'd have had Cheery Pie alone to speak positively of you first. You have lived a thousand years, you would not perform in such an amateurish fashion if this was a deception. If you only seemed to be who you appear to be, your scent would be different. Or if you came from another universe, your inner aura would be slightly off. Shall I go on?"

I was astounded at the logic coming out of the Diamond Dog's mouth.

(Is every servant of good in this Tartarus hole blindly naive!? *If voices were a visible medium, I'd swear it was like words were twisted into knots with rage*)

"So you're not going to hurt Rarity?" Spike asked.

"No. Master Heathspike, I am not. Diamond Dogs do not hold grudges. I would love to hear the truth of your awakening Lady Desire. But if I am not back within my window I shall be declared dead, mourned, and the pack will relocate. I best be off. But I hope we shall speak again next time I come."

"I promise we'll make time when we can," I said politely.

Guru Fido brought out jewels as Cheery Pie gave him rocks and quickly collapsed the tunnel behind him.

"He comes here often?" I asked.

"Regularly."

"I'll have to speak with him when he can make time then."

"Rarity, just so you know, I'd never let them hurt you again."

I wondered if that was self-revised memory on Spike's part or simply wishing to have something nice to say. I patted him on the side. "I know Spike, I know you wouldn't."

'Lady Desire?' It was a beautiful name. I want it...but I do believe I will need to learn more of why he calls me that before I take it as my own.

We returned to the Apples Pies soirée and I shall admit, there was a certain feeling of liberty of not being as fixated on tact as I was once upon a time. The stone house reminded me slightly of the castle, that as a filly, I imagined myself living in once I became a queen. No I didn't have any imaginary friends thank you vey much. I had more important things to spend my imagination on.

Stone scones were surprisingly palatable, the chocolate milk was potable (lactose intolerance had died out from the genome hundreds of years ago). As for exploding chocolate milk, Spike and the Apples Pies had cast iron stomachs, and we were immortal. But I happily switched to the rock soup instead. It was surprisingly delectable.

Twilight appeared to be holding up well, and Applejack was an Earth pony. I could see traces of the Pie clan's staunch traditionalism and inherent insanity had survived mixing into the stubbornness and diligence of the Apple family. Maybe that was why they had managed to survive in a world where everything was a russian roulette.

"Hamburger?" Offered Cheery Pie (she was a Hippogriff).

"That's awful!"

Cheery Pie's beak quivered.

"Don't be weird!" Twilight reminded me. "All the sapient cows became supreme enlightened beings and ascended to a higher plane of existence away from our petty affairs three years after Discord began his reign, remember?"

I shook my head and hugged Cheery Pie, "Oh right, I greatly apologize Cheery. But I wonder what happened to them."

++++

"Salad?" Daisy Jo the cow pushed the salad bowl across the table at Ponythulu.

"Certainly! Just let me add that special spice my cousins gave me." He picked up a plastic jar marked 'Wails of Madness: 100% Natural Healthy Screams of Mad Ponies' he unscrewed the lid and shook it upside down over the salad, howlings of raving lunatics filled the dinning room. Ponythulu then happily devoured the entire salad with his muzzle tentacles in one go.

++++

Derpy was keeping Dinky safe first and foremost. She looked rather nervous as she looked at the mineral menu, before trying something. To my surprise she began coughing.

"Derpy?" AJ asked worried.

"S-Sorry, it's just, it's just been so long since I've actually -eaten- anything. But I was beginning to get hungry after we made the black birds go away."

We three immortals were given our umpteenth glass of cold water. I had, we had, slipped back into eating and drinking so naturally, it was natural, but our immortality made eating something I didn't really think about. When was the last time any of us had eaten save Fluttercruel and her, blech, hamburgers? It was like going to the theater, something regular, but not needed. We certainly hadn't starved ourselves in the last thousand years but . . . it was just not something we gave much thought about. I think the only reason we still slept was to keep ourselves from going totally stark raving mad.

"It's alright darlin', here, I'll help ya," AJ said calmly as she helped Derpy through it, like Derpy was a child, but the humble pegasus accepted without complaint or humiliation. No one laughed at her.

For a moment, just one moment, I could close my eyes, listen to the happy sounds around me, and pretend it was a thousand years ago, that this was still Sweet Apple Acres, that this was an Apple Family Reunion, and I was doing my best to be polite and civil among a herd of rural rubes who just wanted to be your friend and stuff you like turkey. Wonderful times.

I opened my eyes.

"Catch me Half-Light!" Apple Pie jumped off a stack of boxes.

Twilight caught her (with magic). "Apple Pie, it's Twilight."

She nuzzled the adult mare, "You'll always be Half-Light to me."

I saw the tiny smile tugging at Twilight's face. It was so beautiful to see.

Spike allowed himself to be used as jungle gym as the day and night flipped slides in a projector. I saw him smile! He didn't try to hide it! Underneath those wings and muscles, Spike was still Spike who waited a thousand years for me to come out of the darkness. And I loved him for it.

This was a trap. Not all traps are made by enemies or are made with malicious intent. It would be so simply to pretend we could stay here forever, pretend we could stay hidden under Discord's nose with Spike outside and us inside, maybe use Applejack's illusions to hide us and him. Just enjoy this tiny island of happy in an ocean of chaos.

But that wasn't reality. Element of Desire, I know more than anyone how important your desires are to you... Twilight didn't want the sparkling little thread between her and Apple Pie to change now that she had tasted it. Poor Twilight, a thousand years later and she's still petrified of loss.

I'm sorry Twilight, recess is over.

"You know Apple Pie," I interrupted calmly, "We came all this way just to see you."

"See me?"

This time I dodged the slice of marble cake Twilight tried to shovel in my mouth and she ends up feeding Applejack instead.

"Hey! Can I have some?" Derpy asked happily licking Applejack's face.

I know Twilight had given her speech... but I just felt like this was a time telling the truth would help. Like the Element of Honesty itself was telling me.

"Oh yes Apple Pie, you. You see Apple Pie, Twilight believes your special in a way that can help everypony."

Twilight looked a bit scared and opened her mouth, this time I pushed the cake down her pie hole.

"Now as I'm sure you heard while eavesdropping as we explained ourselves, in our amaranthine existences only you has managed-"

"Arma-Aunt-Rind?"

"Amaranthine, it means something that never fades and is immortal, named after a mythical flower. My dear, out of all that time, out of all those centuries, out of all the many, many, many mortal ponies who were actively trying, you're the first person to ever break through Twilight's cold icy shell and find the pony inside."

"It was nothin'."

Out of Apple Pie's vision I held back Twilight and gave her horn a wobble as she tried to interrupt.

"It was quite the opposite of that dear. ~Or rather, that's why it's so amazing. You see, your brilliant summary, exploration, and demonstrations of antinomy-"

"Ah'm not a doctor."

"No no no, antinomy 'a contradiction between two beliefs that unto themselves are reasonable.'"

"They got a word for it?"

"There's a word for everything. You did all that Apple Pie. Your siblings may have helped, but you were the key that unlocked the room inside Twilight that she had hidden herself away in. And the most amazing part is, for you, it was nothing. It came as second nature, you didn't NEED to know to be able to. Twilight believes, that this might make you somepony we really need right now! And there is no harm in finding out."

"So . . . what do you want me to help you do?"

"Just save the world." I could hear Twilight's brain have a break down.

"It'll be great!" Derpy waved a hoof. "This isn't the first time I've been in a 'Going To Save The World' Club! It's really scary, and there are lots of times where you can get hurt! But it's wonderful!"

"Say what now?" Applejack asked, looking confused. I did not see that coming.

"Me and the Doctor, before...before Discord got to him... He... he helped a lot of ponies. And I helped him."

"Who?"

"The V-Valeyard, before Discord made him a bad pony." That was the same look we had when hoping to free the others.

"Did ya ever bring Dinky on those 'adventures?'" Applejack asked. It looked like Applejack wasn't too comfy bringing it up.

Derpy moved her eyes at her, not moving her head. She folded the wings around the muffin slightly tighter. "When I had to. When I needed to. When she could help when nopony else could. I was scared sick for her every time. But . . . she was so happy to when she could help us."

"And we want you to help us. That is, if you can, we're not sure yet, I'm sorry for not saying this part first, but--, well: Remember those Elements of Harmony we mentioned?! The glowing marks? Twilight's hoping you could be Laughter!"

"So THAT'S what this is!"

Apple Pie turned around and pulled up on her mane, showing on the back of her neck the glowing outline of an Apple slice and Orange slice together, the color was that of the blue element of laughter.

"Ah had to wear mah hair bonnet while sleepin' cause it wouldn't turn off. Where's the switch to'em? What's with the silent treatment all of a sudden? Erm, are you gals okay? Huh? Half-Light! Half-Light! Aw' man Ah think they fainted!... Where did she get the couch to land on?"

+++

We are legion, we are one, we are united in thought, and our thought is thus: I/Ah thought immortals didn't get these kind of headaches!

"Hey! Ah think they're wakin' up! So after ya left, and Ah thought all the fun we had when ya visited, how good it felt to get a laugh out of yah and laugh 'bout the good times Ah had with Poison, Magica, Caster, and Puella. Ah was feelin' tired and pulled the drapes over mah bed and found this funny light on mah neck. Ah figured it was just some random joke by Big Banana Discord and giggled at it and it glowed brighter."

(No matter how many times that happens it's still cliche.)

The three of us had cool washcloths on our heads as we laid on our backs, Derpy and Apple Pie looking over us. Their backsides and our faces were reflected in one of Spike's eyeballs above us.

"Did we dream ya havin' the Element of Laughter on yer neck?" AJ asked.

"Ya mean the glowin' second-cutie mark thingie? Nope!" She showed the Element of Laughter once more.

"Can't we go on one epic adventure to find an Element? It's going to seem hackneyed when they write my biography," Rarigreed complained.

So if that was Rarigreed, and before that was AJ, that means I must be Twilight! Oh right! "We're going to get plenty of 'epic' when we face Discord, Rarity, so please stop, you're not even using the Whining Voice, and I still feel like hammers pounding on my ears."

I waited for somepony to say they were wondering where they left those tools but thank Cadance none did.

"It's not that bad."

"You're slipping AJ, that lie was lousy," I said.

"Sorry, wasn't tryin' mah hardest."

"Anyway, remember when we became the Element bearers?" I said, "We ALL ended up in Ponyville at the same time, five of us lived there before I arrived. The Elements of Harmony are a set, it makes sense they're drawn to one another."

"I'm so happy you're alright!" Our loyal blond with the boyish voice said hugging us.

We just laid there (apparently in a bedroom with a big window for Spike to fit his head through) for a while as the headache faded. Some things regeneration just couldn't cure.

"So that's five down, one to go right?" Spike asked.

"Actually," I said, not happy about Rarigreed's bluntness, "We never got your answer, Apple Pie. You want to help? Fight Discord? Save the world? Make it so nopony has to be his toys ever again? And get a couple of rulers who CARE about you all, the way you care about your family?"

"Hmmm? Whose that?" She asked.

It took several hours to explain Celstia and Luna to Apple Pie, who only knew about Queen Cadence. She never knew there were OTHER Alicorns out there. She listened, she just listened absorbing it all, smiling.

"Too good to be true," "No way they can be real," "I'm not that little to believe in the Tooth Flutterpony." Apple Pie said none of these.

"They sound fun," was her only response.

And it made me smile!

"They were, and Princess Celestia was, is my mentor. Once Discord's gone you can meet her... " Time to get back to the point.

"So Apple Pie, it'll be dangerous, you could end up dead. Three of us are immortal and a dragon, you're not. But none of your family or anypony will have to suffer because of Discord again. Do you want in?" I asked, wishing I had more experience with foals other than the CMC.

"And you'll get to be a hero who will be forever remembered as one of the ones who ended the thousand year rule of an evil tyrant," Rarigreed added. "Probably get a statue."

Some things never change.

"So...what do you say?"

"Huh? Ah didn't say so before? Sorry sorry! Of course Ah'm in! Ya couldn't stop me if ya wanted!"

I smiled (about the only muscles I could move), "Welcome to the Elements of Harmony, Apple Pie."

"Glad to be in! Now one question."

"Yes?"

"Yah never told me how ta make it stop glowin'."

Author's Note

Edited this chapter, (episode 81, Because Rarity's reaction to be cleaned as she was after 1000 years under Discord didn't feel right to me, ever).

Omake Dark World: Hearth Warming's Eve

"Howdy every Shadows Who Watches! It's Pinkie Pie here! Yes that Pinkie Diane Pie! The one from our main timeline! Broadcasting to you live again from atop the forth-wall . . . wow I can see the toy factory in China I was first produced in from here . . . I bet it's full of love and happiness! . . . Never mind.

"Anyway POV Ponies, the Dark World arc is far, far, far from over. I mean, the pages of notes left are longer than a chapter! But I promise it'll be a worth while ride every chapter! After all, it's gonna take a lot of work to fix up a world messed up by Discord. I wonder what kind of party I could try to throw HIM to get him to stop driving ponies insane. Oh well.

"Anywho POV Ponies, and I see you in the audience Neo Stream and Coffee Swirl! Hiii! I hope that CGI verse is working out for you Neo Stream, and have fun chatting with the interviewers Coffee Swirl!

"Well, we have a lot of the next couple chapters written, but I'm guess you can guess what'll happen next so I don't need to spoil you! But now it has to go through editing, a lot, the author really doesn't know grammar. I wish I could throw Meanie Pants Me a party! But Celestia's Papa and her sister with the mechanical wing told me that would rip a hole in time and space and wipe out half of both universes.

"I wanted to do another Pinkie Pie Forth Wall Breaking Variety Show, but the author, the editor, and the producer of the audio adaption, have put together this sweet little short work set in the dark world for ya! Alright everypony, shadow, everyone, please enjoy the show!"

"Pinkie! Who are you talking to?"

"Oh! No one Rarity!"

Pony POV Series
Dark World Omake
I-Don't-Have-A-Clue-Canon
"Hearths Warming Eve."

"It's the nine-hundredth, and ninety-eighth year of our Master's reign! Ponies called it the end of the world as they knew it! But I feel fine!" Fluttercruel danced about with a meat cleaver and a broadsword like they were gymnastic streamers.

"Yes my dear! It is a wonderful time! Let us uplift a random town into the glories of complete and utter insanity! I win! Ha ha!" Discord said wearing a party hat, "But what I don't get is, how and why that old bearded reindeer keeps breaking into my castle every Hearth Warming's Eve just to hand me a lump of coal."

Twilight Tragedy added, "What I find strange is how Angry Pie just stares mindlessly for twenty-four hours at the minty green socks he always leaves her."

Fluttercruel said, "You ought to ASK her about that, then."

"Not worth upsetting her with questions."

Greedity grumbled, "The rest of us keep getting underwear. Except Fluttercruel, she gets two diamonds while Master gets one, lucky."

Fluttercruel blurted out, "I just wanna know why won't he just DIE already!!"

Discord growled. Just the THOUGHT of that reindeer's annual infiltration filled him with bile...

"...turned a foal into a stereo system, forced Rainbow Dash to push an old mare and her newborn granddaughter over a cliff, in order to get you to spare all of Cloudsdale..."
It had been an EXASPERATINGLY TEDIOUS twelve hours. Through it all, The Reindeer had just kept on plowing through his long and painstakingly unabridged list of transgressions which Discord had committed, starting from 365 days ago. It floated in front of The Reindeer's face, several hundred pages thick.

"...transformed three innocent mares into a companion for Cerberus..."

Snarling, Discord snapped his fingers, and a 10-ton safe fell on The Reindeer...who simply opened it up from the inside and walked out like nothing happened.

"Putting itching powder in a certain cow pony's hat. Cursed all who die to rise from the dead and zombies and attack, oh wait, you got bored of that one and removed it. My mistake."

The Valeyard let out curses as the The Reindeer had swapped out his keys to the TARDIS for a lump of coal, NO ONE STOLE THE KEYS OF THE TARDIS FROM HIM!!! He also swapped the battery for his Sonic Screwdriver for a piece of candy cane. "You'll get them back when the Holidays is over." The Reindeer said.

"...gave a love-starved mare cursed chocolates that gave her aneurysms every time she tries to talk to any stallion..."

How was he even able to COMPILE these rap sheets?

Some ultra-sophisticated 24-hour surveillance network? Clairvoyance of some sort? Or WHAT IF he was in with the Alicorns...?! Suppose one of Celestia's siblings up in Pony Heaven had decided it was finally time to stop being an unresponsive nonparticipant in mortal affairs and actually... nah, that was just DUMB.

"Completely rearranged the words of a manuscript someone worked their entire life writing..."

It would have been one thing if The Reindeer were speaking in a monotonous drone. Seething venom would've even been FUN to sit through! Instead, there was unmistakable good humor and merriment in his voice. You'd almost think he was a comedian reading off a series of Top 10 Lists of Blunders... a comedian too professional to actually laugh out loud himself.

"...Turned a family of ponies into dragon flies, then their pet dog into a living plush frog..."

Twilight Tragedy fired a magical beam at the Reindeer, but it just phased right through him like a hologram.

"...and put the empty milk carton back in the fridge." The Reindeer adjusted his reading glasses on the bridge of his nose. "...My, you've been a VERY naughty boy this year, Discordance."

"Why! Won't! You! Die! Already?!" yelled Discord, dropping exploding mailboxes on the Reindeer, but his body simply refused to burn.

"Ho ho ho! You still don't understand, do you, Discordance?" asked the Reindeer, walking up to him, ignoring all attempts on his life with the same jolly glee. Even when Angry Pie leapt onto his back to bash him into meat paste... it was like watching a pigeon trying to peck a statue to death.

"Can't touch Christmas... oh, sorry, I meant Hearth's Warming Eve with bad intentions..."

"Corporate Equestria says otherwise! Twilight Tragedy! He's a threat to our perfect chaos!"

"Yes, Master." Twilight Tragedy obediently cast a disintegration spell. It bounced off him like a tennis ball off a brick wall.

"Misguiding someone else's good intentions still counts as bad intentions, Discordance. Particularly when you were the one who indoctrinated like that in the first place, and the true heart can never be touched by wicked intent," said the Reindeer, reaching into his bag and taking out a very large lump of coal and placing it in Discord's lion paw.

He then handed wrapped presents to the five visible ponies in the room, but stopped at Traitor Dash and Liarjack. "...You still don't want better gifts? Rainbow Dash? Applejack?"

"No...I don't deserve it..." Traitor Dash replied, her head down.

"Ah do. That's not a lie at all."

"Why do you even visit us?"

The Reindeer sighed. "Because, a mare who is constantly forced to make impossible judgment calls by a very naughty draconequus and a mare who lies for the sake of
reducing suffering are not naughty at heart."

"We've done a LOT naughtier things besides that."

"You were FORCED to do those things."

"We still did 'em, though."

"Suit yourself." He simply handed them their gifts of underwear. "Well, I'll see you next year, Discordance, I've got lots of places to go! Just because you're being a naughty boy doesn't the whole world is!"

"One moment," Discord called out, and The Reindeer looked over his shoulder.

"Every year, like clockwork, you waltz on in here, bypassing every deathtrap, ... all impervious, all omnipotent... clearly you don't lack for power! You know how very committed I am to naughtiness."

And Discord bit down on his lump of coal, chewing it like a cookie.

"But you never go the next step! What keeps you from banishing me? Why do you even bother coming?!"

For the briefest instant, the look in The Reindeer's eyes could have frozen stars.

"Because that's not what this special holiday is for. And I bother because... it's always worth reminding you that you aren't the final word in power."

Then the sunny twinkle returned to his eyes. As he swung his bag over his shoulders and turned to go, Fluttercruel leapt off a balcony and tried to behead him with a katana, but his neck just reconnected without missing a beat. "Ah, Fluttercruel, almost forgot you," he said, taking two lumps of coal and handing them to her. "You actually managed to be slightly less naughty this year, so I made them smaller! Ho ho ho!"

Then he strode out, humming 'A Circle Of Friends' to himself, while Angry Pie stared blankly at her own gift.

"And there ya go! A christmas story, oops! I mean Hearth Warming Eve story in the middle of August! But give it a few months and those reading this then it will be the right time of year! Well everypony and everyone, we all hope you enjoyed the show! Oh and as an extra non-canon bonus!"

RD and Gilda looked around confused as they walked into view.

"Hey Dash! I mean! Flip-flop! What are you doing here?"

"ME?! What are YOU doing here, you fake friend!"

"FAKE?! I'll have you know-"

"Hey! Gilda! Dashie! Don't catch!" Pinkie Pie threw a couple of water balloons at them.

"Wait? Don't catch? What do you-Agh!" RD and Gilda were soaked, and became a griffon chick and foal.

"Hey Gilly!" Said foal Dashie in a high pitched voice.

"Hey Dashie!" Replied Gilly defying several biological laws by smiling cutely with her beak!

"Wanna play Ponies Rangers?"

"Whao kay!"

Pinkie Pie waved, "Okay! Now we're done! Love you ya! And keep smiling!"

Episode 82: (Dark World) Generous

Pony POV Series
Dark World Part 13
Generous

The fillies and colts gathered around Apple Pie, cheering for their sister (or cousin, or friend) after we explained to Apple Pie everything we knew about the Elements, including showing off what powers we could. I also had to explain that the Elements of Chaos were NOT inherently evil. We had simply held their corrupt forms while we, ourselves, were corrupted. Now, of course, we embodied their purified ones. Then she asked about superpowers! And I was stuck admitting I thought the Harmony Elements were just pretty looking without all six until a couple days ago.

"Do ya get a cool costume?" "Do you think yah'll get yer own comic?" "Give'em Tattarus!"

Unanimous support for Apple Pie. Not an envious eye in the herd. They were descendants of the Apple clan, after all, being jealous of your own family simply didn't enter the equation. Apple Computer and Rocky Senior from hugging their daughter/granddaughter and telling her to be careful. And Aunt Apples N. Oranges warned her not to take any candy from strangers.

As 'team leader,' I promised Apple Computer three times that we all would keep his daughter safe to the best of our ability, and that she'd come home after the world was freed. And assured Apples N. Oranges that we'd make sure any candy that happened to fall from the sky would be safe for her to eat.

"And Ah'm an Apple, and Apples keep Apples safe. Don't ya worry!" Applejack swore. I hadn't forgotten that it still didn't sit well with AJ that we had recruited a filly, willingly or not, and were marching off to battle against a mad god and, in all probability, our own friends. But in a bit, in for a crown, if there was anything she and RD had in common, it was that.

After a thousand years outside, Derpy Hooves was overjoyed to finally be under a roof with Dinky. She didn't mind the crowd of ponies, as long as they remembered to give Dinky a wide berth. Derpy wasn't stupid, her foal was a muffin in a house full of foals who weren't all old enough to understand the muffin shaped like a filly wasn't food. And one bump, and one stray hoof fall, would leave her baby a mess on the floor. She was more than happy to talk, however, about her own weird little adventures. The more she spoke about them, the happier I was to have her as our ally. Not only did she have valuable experience, half those adventures involved complete accidents on her part triggering a beneficial sequence of events that ruined the villain's plot. In other words, exactly the kind of luck we needed against Discord.

(That hypocrite claims to hate order, and yet relies so much on it for his plans that one left turn instead of right throws a wrench in everything. He's just as vulnerable to being blindsided by an unexpected twist as everypony else. Remember that.)

For once we agree.

With an illusion wall from AJ, Spike was guarding the front side of the house facing Ponyville and the castle. Discord and the Valeyard weren't likely to approach from the front, but 'Cruel, Angry, and Dash were and Spike had a better chance against them.

Rarity asked to be shown the empty beds of each member of the Sweet Rock Acres clan who were gone for good. Fruit-Of-The-Knowledge-Of-Good-And-Evil complied. I don't know what that was about.

(Discord shattered your bonds once. You really think he won't just break them again? Because it won't be 'original' of him? He doesn't even follow his own rules.)

Which is why we're going to be prepared for his divide-and-conquer tactics. This time, we'll ALL know what's coming.

(Even if you're right, Twilight, even if your friends now DO possess the willpower and strength of heart they hadn't had a thousand years ago... Discord will simply cheat. Twist them by force.)

I shivered. I had seen Master do that before who refused to play his games.

(The only advantages one ever possesses against that bastard all stem from his own ego. He's not all-knowing nor all-sensing. He doesn't understand how half the feelings he mocks work. He can be taken off-guard as easily as his victims. Heed my word, your best bet to finally restoring normality is to go it alone. Don't do it for me, do it FOR your friends. Why make Apple Pie suffer as you did?)

Discord's corruption works best on isolated victims, INCLUDING myself. And at this juncture, even if I were to order my companions to stay behind, they'd just follow me anyway, even if AJ had to make them all invisible to do it.

(Fine. Then hammer into your comrades what they need to know! You're all wasting time idling about with these farmers!)

It's not 'idling!' It's restrengthening our bonds! Our friendship! How much good do you think the Elements Of Harmony will do without the ties that bind?

(You are missing the point. There is a time for parties, smiles, and happiness, and it after the genocidal, self-destructive, despicable, pathetic, arrogant, obnoxious, blind-to-his-own-faults, insane, deranged, evil overlord is given his just desserts.)

My ears wilted.

(You want to be prepared? Here's my advice. I do not care if you pass it on to the others or keep it for yourself. The only way to win one of Discord's games is to know his game and not to play. Play your own game, not his. If at all possible, make him think you're playing his game, not knowing he is really playing yours until its too late for him to stop playing.)

Somepony taps on my shoulder. I turn my head, green earth pony, -what was her name again?- Minty Pie, part of our 'welcoming committee.' "Miss, erm, Unicorn, can we talk? Just you and me?"

I told both AJ and Apple Computer what we were going to be doing and we left through the back door. A quick magic scan didn't show any nasty 'surprises' waiting for me, no ambushes.

"Yes, Minty Pie?" I asked.

Looking her in the eyes, I wasn't sure how to describe the feeling it evoked. Familiarity? Nostalgia? Wistfulness? For some reason, the picture of myself riding in a hot air balloon with Pinkie Pie kept popping up. More strange was she seemed to be feeling the same way.

"Please let me be Laughter instead of Apple Pie please." She pleaded.

Startled, I took a hoof step back, "Minty, I'm sorry, but it DOESN'T work like that!"

"Why not?"

I almost dive straight into 'soapbox mode', but then a different thought strikes me.

"Alright. We'll try it your way. Make me laugh."

"Huh?"

"You say you want to be the Element of Laughter? Make me laugh. Tell a joke."

"A joke? Okay, okay," Minty Pie spends several seconds licking her lips, looking around the whole room for inspiration. "Uh, hm... oh, I know one! What did the Baby Corn say to the Mama Corn?"

"I don't know. What?"

"Where's popcorn?"

I blink once.

"Get it?! POP-corn?"

"I get it. Corny."

"And that's just a warm-up!" Could her grin be any bigger or more forced? "Let's see, let's see... Ah! Okay, try this: Yesterday, the police arrested two ponies, one for eating batteries, the other for eating fireworks. Well, they charged the pony who ate the fireworks, and let the pony who ate the batteries off!"

She looked at me hopefully.

"Huh? What? Wait a minute... Minty, I think you might've gotten the punchline backwards!"

Now she's starting to sweat. "One more try! Please, one more try! Uh, um.... what happens when... when you walk into a pizza tree?"

"I dunno. What?"

"You walk into a pizza tree!"

Silence drops like a grand piano.

"...And?"

"What do you mean, 'And?!' That was the joke!"

"Minty..."

"One more try! One more try! Uh, uh, hmm... Knock Knock!"

"Minty! ENOUGH!"

Well, what do you WANT from me?!" she snaps, stamping her hoof, on the verge of tears. "Humor comes so much more naturally to Apple Pie!"

"Precisely." I gave a sigh. "Your heart, your true heart has to embody Laughter. It's not some job you can reassign to any new employee, not a trinket to keep, sell, or give away as a gift. It awoke in Apple Pie because it's how she is."

Minty Pie looked at me like I was speaking in calculus equations. I gave a sigh.

"Alright...It's like a Cutie Mark. Only not everypony has one," I explain the best I can. "Even twins don't have the same Cutie Mark. The Elements are the same way."

"But aren't those the things what Giant Hat Discord gave you?"

"Discord used them for evil, but we were already primed for them when our hearts got replaced or we'd have died. Back when Rarity, Applejack and I were all... pawns... we were powered by incomplete versions of the Elements of Chaos. Now we see the full picture. Now our Elements are purified... We didn't have them 'given' or 'taken' from us."

Minty Pie finally seemed to understand, giving me a nod.

"... Then let me come with you."

To be on the safe side, I looked her over, with all my senses, mundane and magical. But I could not sense the Element of Generosity within Minty Pie at all. This surprised me somewhat... an act of self sacrifice like this didn't qualify her for Generosity...? "Sorry Minty Pie. But this is going to be dangerous enough as it is. Against a foe like Discord, strength is not in numbers."

But something about her aura felt almost frighteningly familiar.

"I don't want my cousin to die." Minty Pie blinked away tears. She gave me one of the most hurt looks I'd ever seen on a pony, and unfortunately, that's really saying something. "Poison Apple, Apple Bucker, Apple Cake, I've never been able to grow the shell around me everypony else does, it still hurts!"

"She's a -friend-! I'd never endanger a friend unless I needed to for the sake of everyone!... And Minty, your family isn't callous, they just keep living, like those you've lost would want you to. I know tragedy, and your family isn't burying it, they're moving through it."

"I know but ... for the last couples years, I've been having these nightmares... I live in this happy place where everypony is happy just being happy. Then monsters that looks like Blue Cheese Discord show up and make everypony vanish, making it so nopony even remembers them and I'm alone."

I said softly, "Minty Pie, nightmares aren't real." I place a hoof on her shoulder.

I, wefroze.

It felt like our bodies were glued together where we touched.

When we touched, something inside both ofus vibrated like two halfs that have been separated for too long.

We both tried to speak but no sound came out. We stared out but not seeing what was before us. We felt each other. We felt a thousand years of despair shattered by one day of laughter and a decade of memories, of parents, friends, and a teacher/other-mother. We felt a lifetime of surviving each day, family coming and going like a parade, wondering when our turn would come. The farm and family enduring even if the individual members didn't.

We remembered several thousand years of happiness for happiness' sake, the world never really changing, only the pursuit of good cheer and celebrations and good company, they went by so fast, a blur each day as super-duper-happy as the last, all ponies smiling, happy, being a total klutz, really loving socks, the color green, and especially green socks, a positively pink Pony, who meant the world to us. Looking over us like a big sister during our most boneheaded mistakes. Telling Rainbow Dash she had a box from Paris in the town square on her Special Day.

Then the world ended in darkness, the pink pony never leaving our side. Our light given a new shadow to cast thanks to our pink friend. Our old shadow was dying, but not offered up to the nothingness for it was never erased, the world remade, our shadow remained but not erased, waiting where rules of only being in one place and having one perspective do not apply. Fate twisting, shadow and light, coming into the world apart, no longer needing each other to be whole, given their One Life, more far apart then they should have.

We broke apart before we completely lost our individual egos.

I fell backwards, same as Minty, Minty Pie. Our panting echoed each other's. We felt like we had been gone for a lifetime, but it had only been a few moments.

"Minty," I whispered.

"Twilight," She whispered back. It was like two sides of a coin looking at each other. Something that should be impossible but suddenly wasn't.

We got up at the same time, our movements still in sync.

"No." I said shaking my head, grasping at the parts that made me 'me.' Minty Pie looked in similar pain. "No. You have to stay. You, I... Minty has died enough."

Minty looked at me, scared but nodded, I knew I felt the exact same way as I nodded too. "Yes. Yes. You, we, no! ... . I know that you won't let Apple Pie get hurt. No matter what. Because I wouldn't."

"And I know how much she means to you, because I know how much she means to me. She's my first new friend in a thousand years. She's precious to both of us."

"Just ... just make sure doesn't try to play pattycake with any pony-eating gelatin' cubes. Or try to offer any candy to a venus pony-trap, or-"

"I get it! I get it! Apple Pie has a hard being hostile to anything I understand."

"... Thank you Twilight... . And, do you think you can save Pinkie Pie?" She asked with the same worry and hope any of us would. She knew that name because we knew it. "Please save her! If you could save Applejack... if you could wake up Rarity... if you could stop being sick-in-heart, you have no excuse not to do everything in your power to save Pinkie Pie too!"

"I'm sure as Tartarus going to try, Minty!"

We reached out to hug each other, stopped inches away least we risk our individuality again, and just stepped back and smiled and nodded at each other.

"I suppose that answers the question of why Santa Hooves gives Pinkie green socks every year," I said aloud as we walked towards the house.

"Yeah." Minty smiled. She had seen my memories too. Minty giggled, "He sure has been a naughty boy!"

I giggled back.

"Just so you know, I wasn't out to humiliate you earlier when I had you tell jokes. I just wanted to prove to you: Apple Pie really does have a special, unique gift. She's not just a spare wheel, and we didn't pull her name out of a hat."

"I get it. Dying's easy, comedy's hard."

For some reason, we both burst out laugh.

"Hey! Pretty good! There may be hope for you yet!"

We both went back inside the house, trotting side by side. A part of me wondering what it was like to have a sister.

++

I was becoming as popular as popular can be. Apple Pie was the next to want a private conversation with me. She was sitting on the couch.

Applejack was busy listening to the life story of every Apple and Pie in turn, and enjoying every second. Derpy explained finer details to Dinky. I didn't have the heart to tell her Dinky might be effectively comatose in this state. Assuming all went well, and the curse was lifted, Dinky might be unable to remember anything that happened after she was turned into a muffin. Then again, I could be completely wrong.

"Half-Light...yah live in Discord's castle, right?" Apple Pie asked me.

"I did."

"... Do ya know what happened to Poison Apple?"

I'd hoped she wouldn't ask that. I looked around, no one else was listening in. AJ had just gone outside. I whispered lowly to Apple Pie. "...If you want the kind answer, ask Applejack, if you want the true answer, ask Rarity..." I didn't want to answer...How could I?

"Ah want yer answer."

I sighed, pinning my ears. "...Apple Pie...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..."

She looked saddened and it hurt me, "Ah kind of guessed...just hoped yah might have saved her like yah did Miss Derpy."

I couldn't take it anymore. "I...I... Apple Pie, you know how I said Discord used to 'play' with me?"

She nodded.

"...Sparkle wanted to save her...but Tragedy wanted to recapture her...I'm sorry...I'll understand if-"

She put a hoof on mine. "It's okay...Ah, Ah, know the you Ah know would've saved her, but yah weren't here then. Ah forgive yah."

We hugged.

I was beginning to think this filly would forgive Discord on the spot if he apologized for everything he had done. But I had seen Discord's true face. But wasn't that part of the ideal of being a pony? Able to forgive any sin that has been offered in remorse? Maybe I really had been alive for nine hundred years too long.

(Or she hasn't lived nine hundred years long enough, experience is a virtue.)

So is purity...

(IS it purity? Are you so very sure? Perhaps it could be something else entirely?)

What do you mean?

(Think about it. A girl who's learned to laugh off the deaths of beloved family members? So blithely, so easily, as though they were nothing more than a series of losing lottery tickets she kept buying? Poor little thing... she's suffered SO much tragedy, so regularly, at such a young age, that's she's psychologically numbed herself to it all. Remind you of anyone... Twilight?)

She... she's NOTHING like me! Nothing like how I was!

(Because you walled yourself in a fortress of apathy while she prefers a fortress of levity? Numbness is numbness, as sure as ice cream is ice cream. The one difference is... flavor.)

Just... Just because she smiles through her tears doesn't mean her tears are meaningless. Just because she tries to find the light in things doesn't mean she's blind to the darkness.

(So you say about a filly who hands out forgiveness like a vending machine. Her forgiveness is like a deaf pony forgiving noisy neighbors. Rarity should warn her about the dangers of living in a fantasy world. Such a sweet, dear, goodhearted girl, wonder what she'll be like after you turn her into a killer, or do you think Discord and his true minions will submit quietly?)

My mind is bursting with indignation and confusion and dread. That's what forgiveness is, it isn't a check book or a tax form that needs to be balanced with restitutions.

(I'm just asking, as a friend, do give it all some thought, will you? The LAST Element Of Laughter wasn't playing with a full deck either. And she was an adult.)

I hugged Apple Pie for dear life.

"Half-Light?"

"I'm-I'm just happy to have you as a friend Apple Pie!"

She gently hugged me back.

+++++

(You need to learn to pay attention to your elders, Apple Pie.)

Ah do.

(You need to listen to them more.)

Ah listen when Ah need to. Pa saya listen to 'em unless it would hurt somepony. There are lots of ponies who don't listen at all though, why don't ya talk to them?

(I would if I could.)

+++++

"And here's Bloomberg The Twelfth, Equestria's famous rock tree!" Cream Pie introduced Applejack as Banana Pie continued, "They say Bloomberg The First Got turned into a sea-apple tree when Blue Carrot Discord created Sky Ocean, but he had some saplings back here in Sweet Rock Acres. Some have been sausage trees, sword trees, trees-trees, pear trees," AJ grimaced, "And ice-cream trees, but the Bloombergs have been as much a part of Sweet Rock Acres as us ponies."

AJ blinked away tears and put a loving hoof on the tree, "Yer not gonna turn into a wooden pony and want to marry me if I say it's great to see ya are ya?"

The tree did not see fit to give an answer, which AJ politely accepted. There were enough talking trees in the world handing out magic swords to brave selfless youths.

"Great to see some things don't change."

++++++

After Rarity finished her morbid 'tour' with Fruit-Of-The-Knowledge, she seemed a lot calmer, more peaceful, her eyes more focused.

"Alright, Apple Pie makes five," said Rarigreed, looking to us. "But we still need Generosity, and we're fresh out of ponies we have preexisting bonds with. Unless another Pie or Apple family member happens to have it."

No one ever said it had to be a pony. I had my theories already.

(Heh. This is always good.)

The question is, how to go about it. What could I ask that would make the connection?

(Well get on with it, the others have had time to recover from another Element being handed to them and Rarity would agree you've waited long enough.)

Unfortunately, I found two sets of eyes on me as soon as I started to move.

"Half-Light, where are ya goin'?"

"Just testing a theory, be right back."

"Sorry Twilight, not happening," Rarity said.

"Ditto."

I sighed. "Alright, come along, but please, please let me do the talking, it might just be nothing anyway. I don't want to add more disharmony to things if it isn't true."

"Oh, you don't honestly think I did that just because you told me not to. It just...felt right. Like I was supposed to do it." She put a hoof to her collar bone.

Apple Pie made a small laugh.

"...I believe you," I said.

I went outside, so did Rarity and Apple Pie, Derpy chose to stay inside to enjoy the sensation of being in doors again taking the chance to chat with Fruit-Of-Knowledge. I didn't think an airborne creature could get unhappy with being outside, but this was the world of chaos.

Speaking of which the sun and moon were flip-flopping again. And Sky Ocean was visible in the distance.

I wonder if the Beatnik Reverse Hyper-Ball tournaments would still be able to be held in a world that had concrete physical laws again, that would disappoint a lot of fans, but it was for the greater good. Still, it was a cool game.

(Nothing 'cool' comes out of this world. If it seems good, it is only the end result of thousands of atrocities.)

With two companions in tow I moved around to the front of the house, time to see if Bloomberg is the Element we seek.

Okay. Come on. You know I was joking that time!

"Hey Twilight, hey Rarity, hey Apple Pie, you know where Element Number Six is yet? This place is great but I don't want us to attract trouble."

As I stood there, something hit me all of a sudden. Something I could feel... rather, something I didn't.

"Hey Spike," I said. "How are you feeling?"

Spike blinked. "I'm feeling pretty good, why do you ask?"

I asked because I could hear his stomach rumble, he was still hungry. Yet the adult dragon clearly had no intention of demanding more food.

"Well, you know how Discord took that spell off you earlier, right? I was just worried that fighting your instincts might be stressing you out. I wanted to help."

"Huh?"

"I hadn't felt that, um, 'greed restraint' spell reactivate, so I figured you must be fighting them. I'm proud of you, Spike."

I saw Spike's eyes widen.

My...my instincts? In all this, I'd completely forgotten them...But she's right, they're still there, I can feel it. I can feel the thing Discord let loose in my head, the part of me he'd been holding back...but they're not the only thing driving me...In fact, I barely feel them...it's like something inside me's numbing them. No...not numbing them, it's like that feeling of how something that weighed a lot when I was little I can pick up with two fingers now...

"I...They're...they're not bothering me..." I muttered, I couldn't think of anything more I could say. How did this happen? They'd been like a flood before, like I was lost in the rapids and couldn't fight them... I didn't want to fight them, I was them. I felt completely free with them. Now it was like I was standing waist-high in a calm stream. But I still feel free...

Twilight cocked her head. "Not at all? But Discord didn't restore the spell. I would have felt it."

"I...I feel them... my instincts... but...I don't know, it's just... I've just been acting like... " I replied, still trying to figure it out. I wanted to say 'the normal me' but normal dragons don't have a mind control spell on them masking a natural part of their psychology.

"No stealing. No hoarding. No endangering smaller creatures' lives. All things considered, you've been the perfect picture of civility this whole time. Quite considerate of you."

She was right... Yes, I wanted to eat every rock in sight, yes, I wanted to begin amassing an all-new horde like a proper dragon, and yes I wanted to...well...Rarity and I...you get the picture.

But I hadn't acted on any of that...I'd put my friends first.

"You're right...Twilight...how did I go from a rampaging greedy brute to being...well...?"

"Well what?" Twilight asked, I see an expectant look. But what was she expecting?

What had I done since we left? Let's see...I'd helped save Ditzy and Dinky, when none of my instincts had told me to. She hadn't even been a friend, she'd been just another quirky pony in Ponyville... But I saw her hurting...I knew she'd be so much happier with her wings and legs fixed and those blackbirds destroyed. And I knew my friends would be happy too if that happened, and my friends were mine... But why did that last part feel like an excuse?

I flew everypony here when I wanted to go somewhere else where we could get MORE help...because Applejack wanted to go here, because I saw it'd make her happy, even if at the time I didn't know why until she explained it...And I knew it'd make Twilight happy too...

I helped give Rarity a bath because I knew she'd be happier nice and clean (okay maybe she wasn't jumping for joy after). I didn't care one way or the other if my 'prize jewel' was clean or dirty myself, it was for her.

On the other hand, I had told them where to stuff it when they suggested they shrink me down or give ME a bath in front of everypony. Come on, a dragon's got his dignity right? Gotta draw the line SOMEWHERE!

I was hungry, the Apple-Pie Family offered as much as I wanted to eat. I ate some to be polite, but not enough to fill my entire belly. I didn't want to eat up all their food. They need it more than me... I'll find more elsewhere.

Then it hit me...I did all those things to make somepony else happy. We dragons AREN'T heartless creatures... we DID love... but our base instinct was to satisfy ourselves first. To take what we want. I hadn't done one greedy thing since we'd left the palace...And I hadn't even thought about it. I wasn't fighting with my instincts at all, I'd forgotten they were even there until Twilight mentioned them...

"Selfless..." I said, looking to Twilight, making her smile. I saw Rarity's eyes go the size of dinner plates...

"And?"

Discord kept my instincts restrained for all this time, he held me back... So that was your game...And I think I know why you decided to play it with me, Discord.

You learn a lot about someone when you watch them for a thousand years with a clear and lucid mind. I remember the statues in the Hall of Shame. All of the same one pony. They look at whoever walks through the hall with the disappointed eyes of a big sister regarding her wayward brother. But you didn't make those statues for us, did you, Discord? They're there for you.

None of the statues have placards, so I don't know who she is or what she was to you. But she must've been important, wasn't she? Why else are those statues the one thing your dirt-maids dare not vandalize? Why else do you not let a single mote of dust fall on them? Why else would you make a huge mountain in her image without one insult to be found in it? Dodge every question asked about her? She wanted you to be someone better, and she'd be disappointed if she saw you now, right? That's why she looks so disappointed in you. Is that why you play the hero for the sea ponies? So you could be the guy she wanted you to be, in just one single respect?

But you're afraid. You don't want to change, do you? Push came to shove, and you chose the easy way out. You turned into the monster you already were, instead of striving to be the good person she wanted you to be.

And you played this game with me because you thought I'd be no better, right? You thought when you let my instincts loose, I couldn't fight the 'actual-me inside the me-others-see', and would turn into a monster, just as you did. Because that's what bullies do; project what they're afraid to face about themselves onto others.

But you're not holding me back now, are you?...This is all me...This is who I am. I'm not running from my true self. I'm not hiding or denying or suppressing it. The instincts are just one small cog in a larger system of gears...

Twilight can't protect me from my instincts. No more than your mystery mare could protect you from yourself. Twilight can help me, but ultimately, she can't stop me. Only I can do that. It's not even a question of denying the instincts exist... doing that would only make things worse, but I haven't fought them at all all this time, have I?

After all, my dragon instincts... they're not my true self. My true self is the Spike who served Twilight as her faithful assistant. My true self is the Spike who dug gems for Rarity, not caring whether or not she'd actually pay me, that was the bonus, the thing I loved about it was making her happy! My true self owns my friends, and my true self GIVES everything I have to them!

I am Kenbroath Gillspotten Hearthspike 'Spike' VII. And my instincts are a part of me. I want it all. No one dares treat me as small. A dragon's horde is like his own shadow. But that's not all of me. I can be kind, I can be selfless. I can give myself completely to the ones I care about because it makes them happy. I can overcome the greed inside my heart. Because I can also be...

"Generous..." I said, feeling something warm inside of me. I look down at my hip, seeing a violet glow appear over it. I am free.

+++

"Six down, none to go," I said as I watched the brightly glowing scroll symbol appear over Spike's hip(like a cutie mark).

(Took you long enough.)

Spike struck a majestic pose showing off the mark before lowering himself face to face with us.

Apple Pie had nothing to say for once, but curiously moved her mane and put her hoof on the symbol had that glowed brighter than ever, as did mine and Rarity's. I'm sure wherever they were Applejack and Derpy's were too. I felt a strange sense of wholeness, like a circuit had been completed.

I look to Rarity, who's jaw was on the ground. I put her jaw back. "A generous dragon, how's that for epic material?" I asked. Her eyes misted over as she smiled.

I walked up to Spike and hugged his snout, joy flowing through me. Rarity collected her wits and did the same rubbing against him. "My Spike," she whispered.

Spike hugged her with his pinky claw, "My Rarity."

"Howdy ya 'all what's all the hug fest fer, whoa nilly!" AJ gasped, "Well how do ya like that?" She joined in. "Ah'd say 'welcome,' but you've always been a part of this herd Spike."

I said, "Spike...I'm so proud of you...I knew you could do it."

Spike said, "This is the me, I chose to be."

Episode 84: (Shining Armor) gninroM tsriF

Pony POV Series
Shining Armor Part 3
By lz0291
gninroM tsriF-First Morning
Edited by Alex Warlorn, Kendell2, And the producer of the Pony POV Series Audio Adaption Louis Badalament.

"I love you and I respect you, Shiny, but... why do we have to go all this way?"

"To get the new season shirt of course," I replied for the fifth time.

Myself and my sister, Twilight Sparkle, were at that moment walking down a street in Canterlot. She was wearing only a saddlebag, advertising her status as a college mare. I, on the other hoof, as a respectable officer of the Royal Guard, wore a lovely red shirt, as well as a saddlebag. Spike meanwhile wore a Twilight Sparkle on his bottom while reading a newspaper.

"Yes, but there's good sports shops nearer the castle! We're about to walk past one! You're waving at one of the workers there!" Twiley protested.

"He went to my school and his brother is in the Guard. He's also more of a Cloudball fan," I explained my wave.

Twilight groaned as the shop worker in the Baltimare Ravens shirt waved back.

"And we still can't just buy a new shirt in there because...?"

"They might have touched TROTTENHAM shirts in there before hanging them up! You've no idea what kind of hooves have touched them afterwards either. Only at the Maresenal Store are you certain no greasy Lillywhite Spurs germs have touched your shirt!"

She gave me a look as a newspaper page was turned by the dragon on her back.

"...Are you serious?"

Was I serious? Was SHE serious?!

She then advised, "You should start following Caledonian Hoofball, then maybe when you're going crazy like this you'd be out of my mane for a week while you travel up north to buy your replica shirts..."

"I'd mail-order them," I quickly retorted.

Besides, Caledonian Hoofball was a two-pony race until mere weeks before that day, between the big two Clydesdale clubs, Manegers and Gaelic. The former however had dropped to Division Three due to massive financial problems. They'd even sold off their historic shares in Maresenal a few months ago.

"Why didn't you mail-order THIS?!"

"You know what the mail is like delivering to the barracks! Come on, Twiley, it's only a short trip away on carriage! Besides, you've not been to the stadium in a long while..."

"I'm not a big fan of hoofball."

"You liked it as a filly."

She fumed a little at that one.

"No, I liked reading the hoofball rule books you gave me! And why are you wearing the old one to buy the new one?!"

"It's a charity drive. Buy the new shirt, put in an old one as a donation, you get a discount because the club donates half the sales tax to charity. Help build drinking wells, afford more food aid, and some poor deprived Zebrafrican gets a chance to wear a real Hoofball team's shirt!"

"...Pretty sure most Zebra would prefer Neighcastle. Or Trotts County. Or Paisneigh Buddies. Or Foalventus." She muttered.

"Pha, Foalventus? Itallion lightweights!"

"...Foalventus four, Maresenal one."

"Four-three on aggregate! We had an away goal so when we were denied that penalty we were denied the win!"

"Ugh, this is why it's impossible to debate sports! There's always something. The referee got it wrong, the timer was started too slow, its not fair to have Fleetfoot be the lead flyer for the Wonderbolts team because too many other racers slow down to enjoy the view..."

Twiley was amazingly quiet for the rest of the walk. Spike was noisier turning newspaper pages. Then we neared the station. It was originally going to a magic powered-tram system, but the CCBC had dug in their hooves against that one. A small perk of both our positions was a discount on the Canterlot Bus Carriage Service, that was going to supposedly be replaced by a rail system in one year or two once they got a viable steam engine working (The Princess was very confident this technology could work. She already had the blueprints drawn up after wresting with the 'Conserve Canterlot's Beauty Committee.' Being...well, Princess Celestia, she'd worked out a compromise).

Our discount was better than a Mollusk card. We both produced the relevant identification to get the discount at the ticket office - my Royal Guard identification card, and Twilight's student pass (formality more than anything when you're The Princess' personal apprentice).

"I hate public transit. It's hot, crowded, and hard to read..." Twilight complained as we headed for the platform.

"Spike likes it. Don't you, Spike?" I prompted.

"Huh? Oh, yeah."

He folded up the newspaper, shoving it into one of Twilight's saddlebags, only to grab one of the free papers given away on public transport in Canterlot (sometimes its hard to believe he's still considered a baby dragon, especially given he's been around as long as Twilight in Celestia's gifted school). It meant when the bus arrived, Twilight simply tried to read the other paper and was complaining about its articles within a few moments.

"Ugh, another Sunny Day hatchet job. She's trying to claim Hogwarts and the Unseen University are both going to surpass the School for Gifted Unicorns next year."

"Everypony else just reads the fashion pages and the funnies before they do the crossword," Spike commented to no one in particular.

"Oh, and you read the fashion pages?" Twilight pondered.

"Well, yeah. Look at all those gemstones in the Autumn collection!"

"You know the princess laughs at the tabloids most of the time, Twiley," I replied. I didn't follow Sunny Day personally, but heard plenty about her and Celestia's laugh from the older guards.

"Yeah. Usually, she does. But tabloids are still awful filth. I'll never forget the outbreak of 'Molestia' articles that came out shortly after I began living at the castle." There was more than a hint of venom in her tone. "Celestia certainly wasn't laughing then. Neither was I."

"For the record, little sister, all the REST of us had sharp words with anypony who quoted that garbage at us. Mom, Dad, AND me."

There was relative silence, other than the hubbub of the other bus passengers. I enjoyed getting suspicious glares from posh-looking passengers who either preferred sports more 'cultured' (shorthoof for elitist and boring), or were Lillywhites.

After ten minutes, we reached the first stop, getting off the Celestia Line service at Princess Cross station, to catch a Picafilly Line service and then get off at Hollowneigh Road. That journey was shorter, and five minutes later we had just a short walk to Emareates Stadium, our route taking us right towards the official store, called the Armory.

"Still don't know why I had to come..." Twilight muttered as we started walking towards the stadium. Spike was back on her, back, and both newspapers were away.

"It's educational!" I protested.

I got another look for that. I didn't bother trying to justify the statement.

"Okay, you're here to stop me from going overboard and buying full Home, Away, and Limited Edition Historical kits."

"...How much would that cost?"

Ninety bits for the shirts, forty for the shorts, forty for the socks... A hundred and seventy a kit. Two hundred and ten for the historical... And I'd probably have looked at other things in the store as well. I might even have tried to buy a Season Ticket even though I rarely had match days off. The charity discount was only about ten bits.

"Probably close to nine hundred bits."

Ironically, it wouldn't have been any great loss to me to have spent my savings on all of that, especially since I could have just gave the season ticket to somepony else. I believe the word is 'D'oh.'

"Would it be that bad? All you've really got for civilian clothes is that shirt you have on right now."

"I have a hoody somewhere!" I protested.

"You gave that to me last winter."

Snow plus Unobservant College Student Wandering Around In It times Overprotective Big Brother ≠ Actual Maths, but does equal 'Twiley here's a jacket for the winter.'

"...Scarf?"

"Dad still has it."

"I know I had a tracksuit..." I tried lamely.

"Shrank in the laundry, you and your squad used it to make a Nightmare Night decoration to annoy a Trottenham supporter."

"Oh. Well, maybe I should buy a few more things..."

We neared the store, only for Spike to spot a possible problem.

"Hey, they've got big signs outside. What are they for?"

I began to read as we neared, and the information was not pleasant.

"...It says that they've been having shipment problems in replacing their stock recently and all they have left for new season stuff is what's listed there in those sizes." Twilight helpfully noted, and then the penny dropped as she noticed the key part of the list.

Only home kits in my size were actually in stock. Even the extra apparel like hooded shirts was all out - unless I wanted it three sizes too small, that is.

"...Which means I never had to come in the first place. But I suppose you had no way of knowing this would happen," she then said.

Hooray for a rational sister!

"Anyway, let's just get the shirt. And since you came all this way for nothing, Twiley, how about I get you something?"

"Wait, is that the Away kit?" She asked, pointing at the purple and black banded shirt in the window.

"Yep."

"Hmm..."

"I kind of like that too..." Spike confessed.

Of course, inside, there were a few other things of interest after all. We left the store, my bits having paid for One Stallions Home Jersey for the new season, one Mare's Away Jersey, one Junior's (Dragon's) Away Jersey, one large Stallion's Saddlebag with the club crest, and two books on the club's history. Sadly my Royal Guard ID didn't fit in the only card holders they had in stock. If it had, I'd have probably experienced a much easier morning a few days later...

I awoke. I hadn't been too surprised remembering that dream. Those events had occurred only a week or so before my promotion ceremony, and as it turned out, they were the last occasion on which I spent any meaningful time with my sister. The previous night had been uneventful, and my thoughts had been lingering occasionally on what I was leaving behind for two years. Waking up from that dream somewhat hammered the point home.

My sister, friends in the guard who hadn't come with us, Maresenal, radio shows, the occasional play, birthdays, and Hearth's Warming Eves. All to be missed for two years. I could probably catch up on new books as I knew that ships could get letters and small items sent to them eventually, but I wasn't kidding when I said it was tricky for Twilight to get letters to me.

Items can be sent to ships, via 'post-onwards' boxes in the Admiralty Section of Horse Guards, the administrative building in Canterlot City that deals with the paperwork for the Royal Guard. Unfortunately, items must come from the Royal Mail, be registered deliveries dispatched by courier, and would all be examined.

This meant that if she were to send a letter from Ponyville, the Postmisstress there would need to send a special courier out instead of simply chucking it onto a mail train to be sent to a sorting office in Canterlot. That made it more expensive, but you might think quicker.

Wrong. There's only ever about twenty on duty at once to check all incoming and outgoing mail with scanning spells, and they're also performing other duties besides scanning. All of it is sorted and categorized by those twenty Royal Guards, and each letter is given a priority based on the sender. Letters from family often get low priority.

On top of that, only a limited number of small physical items can be sent to a ship once per day through the anti-teleportation wards, as for security they're only lowered around the communications room for a brief period daily. A brief period in which the room is also full of Naval Cavalry ready to fight off any 'unwanted deliveries' and a blast containment spell for good measure.

I'd thought her returning to Canterlot following the Summer Sun Celebration would have eased all of that, as it cut out a large portion of it, but...well, you know what happens next.

Anyway, back to me waking up from the dream. We were by that point well underway, and it was oh five thirty hours according to the ship's clock. The time I usually get up anyway.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Did waking up in a genuinely strange place disorientate you, Captain?)

Not really. At the time I had my mind on other matters.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Hoofball and an inefficient mail system, apparently.)

Quite. As it is, cabins on ships are quite similar to quarters in the barracks. Quite a bit smaller, of course, with the desk designed to mostly fold away, and with some ship-board safety notices pinned to the back of the door, but overall, it was not wholly alien to me. The occasional turbulence did disorientate me a bit at first, but it soon passed. Oh, and they call them 'portholes' instead of 'windows.' Nothing to see half of the time anyway, just clouds and ocean, even when the sun is up.

I did feel a bit confused when I noticed it was still dark out, until I recalled Princess Celestia's earlier warning, and dismissed it. After yesterday it was a relief to put on my armor with my horn again. I'd been asked to meet Commander Shepard in her ready room at seven hundred hours, so I decided I would see about something to eat before that and catch up with whichever of my troopers were awake.

Instead, I was met outside my door by a nervous Hoofmaiden: a blue-coated unicorn.

"Oh, Captain! You're awake!" She said with obvious relief in her voice and body language.

"Is there a problem, ma'am?"

"Well, I'm not sure. Cade... The Princess said not to worry about the sun not being up yet, but I usually wake up later than this and for some reason I woke up at five instead. And then I saw that some of the soldiers on the ship seem to be wearing green armor and fatigues, and they were acting like nothing is wrong..."

"Ah, I presume you know that if the Royal Guard wears green it's supposed to mean they're expecting trouble?"

She nodded.

"Did you see any of my troopers wearing green, or just the Air Naval Cavalry from the ship itself?"

Air Naval Cavalry are basically members of the Air Naval section of the Royal Guard that, instead of being crewmembers on the ships, acted much like the regular Ground Guard did back on land, providing security and being there to respond to anything dangerous.

"I'm not sure..."

"Naval Cavalry would be wearing green berets instead of helmets, and have plumeless helmets hanging off their armor instead," I informed her of the differences to watch out for.

"All the ones I saw in green were wearing berets... Are they expecting trouble?"

"I don't imagine so. Air Naval Cavalry operate differently from the land-based guard. They wear their green armor and fatigues all the time. I think the tradition is when they're at sea or in the air, they're supposed to be ready for anything. And I think when the Air Navy are on alert they flash red lights."

We both took a glance at the electro-magic lights that gave a bright but artificial glow in the corridor.

"...Do they have to change the bulb?" She wondered.

"I think they might use magical bulbs," I guessed.

By the way? She was partially right. I would later learn that there was a minotaur Petty Officer First Class called Kryten who had the task of confirming bulbs were at the right alert status if a change in alert was called. Generally, if one was wrong, he simply hit it a bit until it changed color or, you guessed it, changed the bulb.

"Oh. So then there's nothing to worry about?"

"I don't think so... no."

She was satisfied by that and wandered off after saying goodbye. I headed for the ship's mess hall, as planned, noting that a few of the green-clad Air Naval Cavalry moving around, along with the Air Naval crew wearing their white sailor shirts and the flat caps they wear. I was suddenly a little jealous of their geeky but comfortable uniforms.

There, I found Sergeant Thunderchild, Lance-Corporal Apple, and Private Audience talking with an Air Naval Petty Officer by a table. I got a muffin and headed over to join them. None of them had any plates or food, but the sailor pony seemed to be nodding at something.

"Well, I'll try and speak to the Master Chief about that, if your officer is okay with that," he was saying.

"Good morning, troopers, Petty Officer. Something for my attention?"

"Morning, Sir. Quite possibly. You see, Private Audience here was wondering about some of the naval ranged arms, so we were asking Petty Officer Turnip if we could arrange him to try some..." Thunderchild began.

"Ah, yes. You're probably interested in their miniature gunpowder cannons," I said to Audience.

"Yes Sir. We never had any gunpowder weapons back at the castle and I was wanting to see how they compared to crossbows," He replied.

"They kick like a mule," the Petty Officer, an earth pony, said.

"Er, beg your pardon, Petty Officer Turnip but... How could you have fired one?"

"I didn't. Mister Broadside did." He motioned his head towards a nearby unicorn in naval uniform.

"So..." I wondered, but he continued.

"He pulled the trigger, lost his telekinetic grip on it, and the gun flew back and smacked me in the face."

"Sounds painful," I noted.

"Not really, I was rendered unconscious at the time, Sir. It was the headache afterwards that hurt."

"I see. Anyway, if you're wanting to ask, I can maybe speak to Commander Shepard about it..."

Turnip however raised a hoof to cut me off.

"Er, begging your pardon, Sir, but Commander Shepard will merely redirect you to the Master Chief Petty Officer in charge of the Cavalry. I could ask him for you."

"Very well, thank you, Petty Officer. If the Master Chief is willing to let a few of my troopers take a few shots I'm sure it'd keep them entertained."

The naval crewpony bid his farewell and promised to give me an update later in the day. And reminded the troopers not to stand directly behind someone holding the guns.

It certainly would keep the troops entertained, even the pegasi and earth ponies that couldn't fire the miniature cannons. I'd probably give it a go myself if I could, and be thankful for the lack of actual targets while the ship was in flight. This wasn't to say I can't hit the broad side of a barn. The problem was, I can and I did. And our archery range was three miles from the farm I hit.

Ah, well. Archery is rare in the Guard anyway. It's a fairly frequent special talent, true, but even unicorns with the advantage of telekinesis found bows tricky to use, even crossbows, which are much easier to aim. Most unicorns simply made do with their magic instead of a bow.

Suffice to say, with my shooting ability, I was one of the ones relying on magic, which even if I did have aiming talent, would probably still be the case, considering my specialty is defensive spells, which caters to a completely different style. Private Audience however was one of the best archers in the Guard. It helped he was skilled in using a long-range vision spell. Training with the miniature cannons would probably be a good way for him to pass his time.

Huh? What did I do to pass my time? Well, when it turned out I'd have more free time than I thought I'd have, I was bored stiff. I was way too used to having books on hoof with Twiley. I'd have even taken up a challenge from Spike for a game of Draco Kong.

We all fetched ourselves some breakfast and sat down at a table.

"So, how are the troopers settling in on the ship?" I asked Thunderchild as we made our way towards fetching breakfast.

"Well enough so far, Sir, but not many of them are awake yet, of course," he said.

"Of course. Have Sergeant Foaly and Sergeant Reinolds spoken to you about any duty roster plans?"

"I assumed you would want to discuss that with us all and the other NCOs after you saw Commander Shepard, Sir, but we've been having some informal discussions."

"I see. Lance-Corporal, what about your rung of the NCO ladder?"

"Not so much, Sir, we just asked Corporal Griffen a few questions about Griffin countries. I went to bed early 'cos I was traveling yesterday."

"Yes. I hear your family reunion had some sort of brunch to avoid."

"Yup. There was this one time me and my buddy Heath were at the reunion when it was in Savvaneigh, and Heath somehow got into an eating contest with mah cousin Applejack..."

"Er, Lance-Corporal..."

"...That was a draw so they tried a burping contest which Heath won, then a lasso contest, and then a horseshoe throwing contest..."

"Lance-Corporal Apple..."

"...then they decided to try swimming for a tiebreaker, all of us forgetting Heath can't swim..."

"Ellis, can this one wait? I was going to ask you about yesterday," I said.

"Oh! Right, sorry, Sir. Uh, I can finish that one real quick though. Long story short, Heath screamed every time she saw a swimming pool for the next six months. Anyway, what did you want to know about yesterday?"

"Just wondering how it went."

"Not bad. Ponyville's a nice town, and Sweet Apple Acres is a bit bigger than the farm back home even if they got less ponies workin' it. My cousins put some serious effort into it, Applejack and Big Macintosh are real hard workers, even by Apple family standards. And if you're asking about Twilight, yeah, they liked her alright. Applejack said she hopes they'll be friends before Twilight leaves, and some pink pony asked if I wanted to come to a 'welcome to Ponyville' party for her, but I had to go."

'Good luck with that,' I thought.

"Okay. You didn't see her in town, did you?"

"Not so much, saw her on my way to the train station when I was heading back, but Spike and her were talking to a yellow pegasus."

"Probably Weather Patrol stuff," Thunderchild added.

"Quite. Anyway, Thunderchild, quick question. Yesterday, you were offering to try and be with Twilight's chariot team, but you knew about this at the same time...."

"Ah, well, Sir..."

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Oho! Did you realize he might have been wanting to keep an eye on Twilight for other reasons?)

Actually, that was not what I was getting at. Besides, Thunderchild's primarily attracted to a mare's wingspans. Talks about them constantly. Ergo, Twilight is not his type. So what I actually said was:

"You knew you'd just make me check on the team that had been assigned to confirm everything was all right, didn't you?"

"Yes," he said bluntly.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): And you believed him?)

Of course I did. I'm not going into details, but let's just say 'Spitfire of the Wonderbolts preening her wings' and 'catatonic state' and we'll leave it at that.

"Oh, Sir, what exactly is this country we're going to called anyway?" Private Audience wondered.

"It's called the United Republics of Columbia. All I know is they apparently vote for their head of state every four years, they've got a large Air Navy, their Air Naval Cavalry are called Marines and are a separate branch of the military, and that the city we're landing in, Liberty City, is about twice the size of Manehattan. While local independent griffin clans think being unified means Columbian griffins are insane. I was hoping Corporal Griffen might be able to give us more information at some point later today. I think the Princess felt somepon... someone with direct experience of Griffin culture would be more useful than books."

"...I doubt that, Sir," Lance-Corporal Apple said, nodding his head to point at something.

Private Running Gag was talking to said Griffin.

""...I'm the black and white stallion with the black and white armor, can I marry your daughter now?' And the king said 'Sure'."

"Well, that's his braincells committing mass suicide. The Black and White Knight joke. Ellis, do you mind giving us some story about your buddy Heath again in case Gag comes over here with a different bad joke?" I said.

"Oh, sure, Sir. Well, there was this one time Heath figured she could build her own rollercoaster..."

Despite the fact Heath had allegedly died seventeen times, Bitter Apple's stories were infinitely more friendly to the braincells than one of Gag's punchlines. Well, I say punchlines, but it was more like being pummeled by a crowbar...

Breakfast concluded with a story that apparently ended in Heath being the first non-pegasus to reach a nearby Cloud Village without the aid of magic, but sadly not staying there very long and landing in a lake that inspired another six month spell of aquaphobia. It was nearing seven, so I went towards the ready room. Commander Shepard and a Master Chief Petty Officer waited there.

"Ah, good morning, Commander." She said, confusing me for a moment until the whole ship-captain and royal-guard-commander thing came to mind.

"Good morning, Captain."

"Commander Sparkle, this is Master Chief Petty Officer Spartan. He commands the Air Naval Cavalry detachment in the Flotilla."

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Isn't that rank a senior non-commissioned officer in equivalent? Why would an NCO be the highest ranking Cavalrypony in the whole Flotilla?)

Air Naval Cavalry work differently. Officers are usually only found on Destroyers, Cruisers, Battleships and Carriers. A very senior NCO like the Master Chief would usually be in charge on a Frigate, and as the lead ship, the Frigate's commanding officers were in effect commanding officers to their departments on the whole flotilla. Besides, a Master Chief Petty Officer or a Sergeant Major usually have at least twenty years experience under their belts - Spartan probably had been a soldier a decade before I realized fillies did not have cooties.

Anyway, Spartan nodded as he was introduced.

"Pleased to meet you, Commander."

"Likewise, Master Chief. "

"We were going to discuss the security arrangements for the ship and for the Princess, but it occurs to me she might wish to be present. Master Chief was wondering if you would be okay with rescheduling the meeting to lunchtime?"

"I'd not object to it, but I'd hoped to clarify my unit's position aboard."

The Master Chief nodded.

"Easy enough. We'd need to clarify your platoon call sign for use with our own radios, but for ship-board security I think we'll probably be better off having a one to one mix of units, maybe put them in groups of four, two of yours, two of mine. Just so your ponies get to know the ropes a little faster."

"Seems reasonable. I've no idea about a callsign though. We're a bit of a misfit group from various regiments and companies." I admitted.

"Maybe just go with that, Commander? Use 'Misfit' for a callsign?" Shepard suggested.

"Misfit... if you're okay with being Misfit Actual, that's fine by me."

Callsigns were a unit's nickname using radio or even letter communications. My Platoon ended up being Misfit, making me and my command squad Misfit Actual. The first section or squad of ten ponies was Misfit One, commanded by Sergeant Foaly (who had previously been Hunter Two-One, apparently) and further broken down into two teams of five, Misfit One-One and One-Two. After that was a small specialist five-strong Scout team, Misfit One-Three, and then Sergeant Reinold's second section, Misfit Two.

As you can guess, I accepted that nickname for the unit. Unfortunately, it also gave Running Gag an unfortunate amount of ammunition for his 'humor.'

"Good. Well, we're halfway done from my perspective, sir. If you could maybe have a squad roster prepared so we can decide who to put with who that would be most useful."

"I'll try and get that done just now then, if I can beg your leave, Captain?" I said to Shepard. She nodded.

"Oh, Commander. I spoke with Petty Officer Turnip about your request. I'd be happy to accommodate some of your troopers to let them train with mine on the gun decks. I'll hammer out the details with you when we've got our rosters ready," Spartan added as I was leaving.

"Thank you, Master Chief."

And that was the end of the meeting. I went to my NCOs to try and figure out who would go where (which you can already guess: My squad remained my five-strong Command squad, Foaley got First, Reinolds got Second). By the time we were done, it was ten hundred, or ten AM, and the sun had not yet risen. A few of the civilians in Cadence's entourage seemed to be getting nervous, even knowing the sun would rise late.

And honestly, I was nervous too at that point. It didn't help that I'd looked out and saw the Mare In The Moon was missing, but I assumed it must just be an optical illusion or something.

(Interviewer Pegasus: Or were attempting not to admit your sister had been right about a mad lunar goddess being unleashed?)

Yes...there was that. I wasn't the only pony who observed the Mare In The Moon's absence, but thankfully military discipline kept talk about the apocalypse to a minimum. Only one or two suggested making Running Gag a live sacrifice, kidding!

By eleven hundred, I wondered if Cadence may have known more about this phenomenon, and sought out a hoofmaiden.

"Excuse me, ma'am, but where would I find Princess Cadence?"

The unicorn I spoke with named Twinkle Shine; white-coated with a pink mane and blue stars cutie mark. "Oh, Captain! She's, er... Wait, you don't know, do you?"

That wasn't good.

"Know what?" I asked, trying to sound polite. Minuette from before, then approached and answered.

"The Princess... Er, in summer months, she allows herself to sleep until the sun rises."

"...And no one realized this may have been a problem with the known fact of a delayed sunrise?"

"Well, yes, actually. We're instructed to wake her up if the sun hasn't risen by lunch time." Twinkle Shine said brightly.

"Oh! What a relief! I was almost starting to think if the sun does not rise again she'd never wake up."

The hoofmaidens giggled.

"Oh, no, Captain! Not at all!" Twinkle Shine managed to say.

"Ah. Hang on. She decided she wanted a long lie in, didn't she?"

"...She might have."

"Well, please inform the princess when she awakens that I was looking to meet her for lunchtime. Or breakfast... whichever she'd prefer after waking if it's noon."

The two hoofmaidens shared excited glance, like a pair of schoolgirls.

"...It's to discuss security with Commander Shepard," I then finished.

The two hoof maidens looked a little bit pouty at that.

"Er, okay, Captain."

As I was leaving, the sun began to rise.

"Go figure." Twinkle Shine muttered.

"Quite," I agreed. I didn't know why at the time, but that sunrise seemed more beautiful that day for some reason. I guess the slowly creeping fear in my mind that the sun may never rise again may have had something to do with it.

"If you'll wait here I'll see if the princess has awoken, Captain," Minuette then said, entering the room.

I waited with the other hoofmaiden. It had to be my imagination, but I could have sworn I saw the twilight sun sparkle a little in the shape of Princess Celestia as it rose.

"Ah, good morning, Your Highness..."

"Good morning. And Minuette, I've told you before, unless someone is there, it's Cadence, plea... Someone is there, aren't they?"

"Er, yes, Your Highness. Captain Sparkle..."

"Oh, I see. Actually, two things. One, it's okay to call me Cadence if it's just him. And tell him if it's just you and the other hoof maidens he can call me Cadence as well. Er, it is just him, right?"

"Yes, Your... Cadenceness."

"Okay. Two, I was wanting to speak to him, could you send him in please?"

Twinkle Shine seemed to stifle a giggle. I blushed just a little.

"...Right away, Cadence."

Minuette then returned.

"The Princess will see you now, Captain," She said, giving her fellow hoofmaiden a glance.

"Thank you," I said in reply, and awaited the inevitable...

"Oh, and Captain? Cadence would like you to know you can call her Cadence in our company."

"I see, very well," I replied, as they closed the door and began giggling.

"Ah, good morning, Shining..."

"She calls him Shining!" I heard from the door, accompanied by a small but audible squealing noise. And a duet musical number with Twinkle Shine starting, then Minute.

She calls him Shining, do you think there's a chance?

The guard and the princess? Maybe so.

It depends on how it will go

If there's a chance for romance.

Cadence stared at the door as we both blushed, which, unfortunately, was easier to see on white than her natural pink.

"...I have no idea what's got into them. Anyway, Shining, I was wondering if you could maybe bring Corporal Griffen up to my quarters at about lunchtime so you and I could ask him about the Griffin lands."

"Actually, Cadence, the Captain would like to see us both then to look over some security arrangements with Master Chief Spartan."

"Oh. Wait, I thought you were... Oh, ship captain and all that. Sorry, I just woke up. Er, what time is it anyway?"

"Just after eleven AM."

"Huh, and we moved across how many timezones . . . so it's about ... Nearly half a day late for sunrise back in Equestria. I wonder who Auntie was welcoming back anyway... Oh well, I'm sure I'll find out eventually. So, where would I meet you and Commander Shepard?"

"Her ready room. I could come and fetch you when it's time?" I offered.

"That would be good, Shining. Anyway, I've got to get ready. My mane must look a mess..."

I detected she wanted neither a confirmation nor a denial of this claim and bid her farewell until later. I passed the two giggle-stifiling hoofmaidens who finishing up the last verse of their song after I passed...

Do you think there's still a chance?

Well nothing happened yet
But with two years I bet.

There's a chance for romance.

I was happy none of the officers were there to see me be the subject of a cheesy love song with the princess, or else I probably would've died of embarrassment.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Wait, that's it? You were in a mare's room right after she just woke up and all you did was talk like a gentlecolt? She asked about her mane and you thought she never wanted a comment?)

What did you expect me to do at that point, declare I really loved her mane? Anyway, after leaving her room...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Wait, what was she wearing?!)

Is that really relevant?

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Is it?)

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): No, it isn't. Please continue, Captain.)

After leaving her room, I then went off to find some of my troopers to see how things were going. I hadn't been speaking to Sergeant Reynolds about his team for ten minutes before the ship's announce system crackled into life and a voice rang out across all decks.

"This is the Captain speaking. Could Commander Sparkle and Princess Cadenza please report to the communications room as soon as possible?"

"...Why do I have a feeling that isn't good?" I found myself muttering.

The Communications Room of the ship was the only place that the anti-teleport wards could be partially dropped. I had been quite close to it when I had been summoned, subsequently finding Commander Shepard speaking to a lieutenant commander.

"Commander Sparkle, this is Lieutenant Commander Bond, my second officer, and chief of communications."

I greeted the unicorn, who didn't have a chance to make his own reply, before an Alicorn came barreling around the corner.

"What's wrong?! It sounded urgent!" Cadence said quickly, and then noticed that three sets of eyes were looking at her in some confusion. Yes she looked worried, what do you think?

"Your Highness, are you aware you have a hairbrush tangled in your mane?" Shepard asked.

"Er, yes. I did think it was urgent..." She was naturally a bit flustered.

"...Your Highness, maybe you had better finish getting ready before we start?" I offered.

"Um, no... Bit late for that now, Captain..." She mumbled.

"I asked you both to attend here as the communications room just received two requests to lower the barrier for urgent messages as soon as the sun came up. One from Canterlot and one from Liberty City."

Cadence gave a small gasp. "I see. Does the Canterlot message possibly explain what was happening last night?"

Shepard replied in the affirmative, as we entered the communications room. A couple of Ensigns saluted, then went back to sorting the mail that had arrived earlier in the morning. It was a small room, with a sealed-off area where scrolls and parcels were sent by magic teleportation. The room also held numerous machines: Radio arrays, a device to translate and transmit Horse Code, and finally, it had a small table with the two messages. One was a Canterlot scroll bearing Princess Celestia's personal seal, the other bearing the seal of Equestria and markings showing it was from a diplomatic mission. Cadence seemed a little reassured at seeing her aunt's seal.

Commander Bond then read the Canterlot scroll. The contents of that letter probably don't need any time spent discussing them, but after the five minutes of surprise and shock...

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Beg your pardon, Capitan, but could you perhaps cover the
aftermath of hearing about those events? I'm interested to see how you reacted to the news it held.)

Very well.

"To the Captain of My Vessel Invincible, to my beloved niece, and her Guard Commander. I am sure you may be curious about some recent events, especially the late sunrise. I informed you there was nothing to worry about, and I was correct. I am delighted to inform you that with the efforts of six brave mares, my sister, Princess Luna, has been returned to us..."

Cadence and I shared a sudden and surprised reaction.

"Sister?!"

"Auntie has a sister?!"

"...Yes, that's about how myself and Commander Bond reacted. It gets better." Shepard noted.

Bond continued.

"Princess Luna, has been returned to us and cured of her long standing illness. You see, a thousand years ago, to my everlasting regret, my little sister was lost. It's difficult for me to explain in detail how, but the most common history of what happened goes something like this: Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria, there were two regal sisters who ruled together, and created harmony for all the land... "

"The story of the Mare in the Moon?!" Cadence and I said together.

"...The story that Twilight was worried about yesterday?" Cadence then added, giving me a worried glance.

"Yes, the Mare in the Moon. In hindsight, anyone who read the story should probably have wondered about who the 'regal sisters' were," Bond noted.

"I, er, I asked Auntie about her family, once when I was a filly, but she said that she only had nieces and nephews left in this world. I assumed all her direct relatives were... no longer with us."

"Heh, 'left in this world...' clever wordplay, Your Majesty...." Shepard said.

Cadence then looked a little shaken.

"What is it?" I asked, a little concerned.

"I...I was having strange dreams last night about another Alicorn, nightmares is more like it...I thought I was just having a subconscious reaction to Twilight's worries...then before I woke up, I felt something strange, warm...like something was calling out to me..." she replied, seeming more than a bit confused."

"The rest of the message might shed some light on it, you do represent Harmony, correct?" Bond asked.

Cadence nodded. "Harmony, music, and bonds, yes."

"Please, continue, Mr. Bond," Shepard said.

He proceeded with his story, ending on the Elements of Harmony. Since we both knew the legend, we really should've expected that.

"I must now confess that the six mares who aided in freeing Luna were in fact the new bearers of the Elements of Harmony. A farmer named Applejack, the Element of Honesty."

Before you ask, yes, Lance-Corporal Apple was excited his cousin had helped save the world, after he'd recovered from fainting. Well, excited isn't exactly the word. Proud would be a better term. The Apples are apparently very tight knit, so Applejack saving the world will probably be a matter of great pride to the Apple family for a long time.

"An animal care-taker named Fluttershy, the Element of Kindness. A baker named Pinkie Pie, the Element of Laughter. A dressmaker named Rarity, the Element of Generosity. A loyal weather pegasus named Rainbow Dash, the Element of Loyalty..."

Bond and Shepard then paused to put in ear plugs.

"Er, what are they for?" Cadence asked, but Bond continued.

"And my personal student..."

We both answered Cadence's question by loudly shouting "WHAT?!" I think Cadence may have used the Royal Canterlot Voice accidentally, but I'm not sure, I was too busy trying not to have an aneurysm.

"...My personal student, a unicorn wise beyond her years that Cadence and Shining Armor probably know, Twilight Sparkle, the Element of Magic."

Cadence and I both stood there stunned for a few moments.

"...Element of Magic, eh?" I managed to say, even as a train of though ran through my head, every carriage bearing my little sister faced down the Mare in the Moon, an insane goddess as passengers.

"I... Twilight... What... Captain, we need to turn the ship back! I have to make sure...." Cadence began, but Bond cut her off.

"At this point, my dear niece Cadence might feel tempted to turn the ship around. I am sure Twilight would like to tell you and her B.B.B.F.F. that she and her new friends are all fine, so you should keep going. Cadence, Shining Armor, I regret that you have had to learn of these events in such a manner as this, and for that, I apologize."

Bond paused. We were both silent. No one asked about my nickname. Bond continued.

"I will send you both more detailed personal letters from myself and Twilight later on, but as much as I would like to tell you about your newly returned Aunt, I'm afraid I must go now to get to know my little sister again. It has been a long time since I have seen her, after all, and she has missed much of the progress Equestria has made in the intervening time. Yours Sincerely, Princess Celestia Amaterasu Solaris Equestria."

Silence then fell for a moment, ruined a bit by one of the two ensigns banging a spanner off one of the machines in the room.

"...Ensign, is that the recommended method of maintaining the radio?" Shepard asked.

"It is, actually," Bond replied for the ensign.

"Oh. Carry on, then."

At that point, I was somewhere between internally jumping for joy, pride at being the elder brother of a mare who saved the entire world, fainting from shock, and imagining the likely priceless look on the faces of Prince Blueblood and anyone else who had ever belittled and/or bullied Twilight at that very moment. The fainting idea felt the most inviting.

"...There was a second scroll, I believe?" Cadence eventually said.

"Yes. It's quite a bit shorter but perhaps more worrying..."

"Look, Commander, Captain, I'm sorry, but if I could be brutally honest, I can't imagine what could at this moment worry me more than having just learned my little sister was involved in some sort of battle with an insane goddess!"

In hindsight, there are in fact a lot of things more worrying, especially given that Nightmare Moon didn't seem out to kill any of her 'new subjects.' Except those who 'got in her way,' I'd learn. In fact, forget hindsight, it was still worrying! But this was one occasion where what I said about thinking about things like that immediately blew up in my face.

"...Our ambassador in Liberty City reports that a Hooviet ship on a diplomatic mission arrived there an hour ago, and asked her directly if they could meet with Princess Cadence as soon as she has arrived and is ready," Bond said quickly.

I blinked for a few seconds.

"Okay, that's a pretty good thing that's perhaps a little bit less worrying," I conceded.

Cadence looked at us all in brief bewilderment before she spoke.

"Alright, I've got to ask now. This isn't the first time I've seen Guardsponies act strange the second the Hooviets are mentioned. You'd think they were collectively worse than the Mare in the... Oh, that metaphor doesn't really work any more does it..."

"From here on out, you might want to try substituting 'The Great Destroyer'. Griffin myth, a strange being with godlike powers that once ruled a foreign land and then ravaged their own lands for amusement," Bond advised.

"...Never heard of it, Bond," Shepard said.

"Me neither," I added

"...You two?" He asked the ensigns, who shook their heads.

"Well, the point is, you act like they're some huge problem or issue. Why is that?" She pressed on.

"Your Highness, what have you been told of the Hooviet Empire?" Commander Shepard inquired.

"Authoritarian one-party state where the lower classes are virtual slaves, frequently saber-rattlers, frequently tries to turn any diplomatic discussion to their advantage, tries to exert influence in other nations, and Equestria is currently on peaceful terms with them. They fought a war with dragons I did not want to learn more about. I know it's not exactly a happy land of gumdrops and rainbows, but that doesn't mean we have to be all... paranoid the second we mention their name. It's not like they're Lord Voldehorse."

She then gave a small and triumphant grin at having figured out a decent metaphor.

"A modern metaphor for a modern Princess. Fitting, Your Highness," Bond said.

"Quite. The issue, Your Highness, is not necessarily their ideology or how they run their country, but more their conduct abroad. They present a severe security hurdle as we were unaware they would be present, and no doubt they are present because of you. In fact, a great many other nations likely sent their own entourages. This presents an excellent opportunity for the Hooviets to test us."

"So they'll make some snippy remarks, maybe have a junior officer pick a fight with Shini.. er, Captain Sparkle or his troopers. What else are we worried they'll do, leave a bag of burning dog poop on the doorstep of the embassy?"

"Yes, actually. That and break in, possibly trying to take a few pictures of you sleeping, then mail copies to the Canterlot tabloids," I said.

Cue the whole room raising its collective eyebrow at me.

"It nearly happened once before to Princess Celestia!" I pointed out. Thankfully, they'd found Celestia wide awake (you don't live over a thousand years by being a heavy sleeper) who offered them tea and politely told them how easily this could turn into an international incident should she reveal it to the public (and that she now had their hoof prints on her tea cups to prove they'd been there). Needless to say, it gave us a little leverage in negotiation after that. Celestia may be genuinely benevolent, what's behind that pretty face can be scary sometimes.

"Yes, He does have a point. They could just as easily leave something behind to send the message that they broke through, or worse, actually do something," Bond agreed.

"Would they seriously risk being caught doing something like that?" Cadence wondered. "You'd think they'd be afraid of having my aunt, well, BOTH my aunts, enraged at them for threatening my safety."

"Your Highness, this is a nation that went to war against Dragons. I doubt there isn't anything they'd risk."

Cadence nodded at that.

"So what do you know about this Hooviet clash against the Dragons?"

"That it was violent and a lot of deer and dragons were killed in the fighting."

"That's probably enough for you to know in dealing with the Hooviets. It's almost enough for us too, except we have to remember one extra thing, don't we, Commander Sparkle?"

I sighed.

"Yes. The Hooviets don't care what they lose in regards to achieving objectives. They took much heavier losses than the dragons, lost territory and treasure instead of gaining any, territory they held onto was razed black, their air-fleet was made a crippled mess, and had to pay a tribute to Queen Tiamat to keep her from razing their capital to the ground personally. And they took it as a learning experience to try again later! If they want to do something, odds are good they'll be ready to try it by force even in the face of disaster."

Funny I said that really...

"Perhaps I should keep that in mind if I enter a discussion with any Hooviets. And if they want the last sandwich at the snack table to let them take it..." Cadence then said.

"Perhaps. Anyway, I think that's all for now, Princess. If we receive any further messages we'll let you know. But since we're almost all here, perhaps I can have the Master Chief come and meet us in my ready room to discuss security arrangements..."

And that's precisely what happened next. We brought the meeting, previously delayed until after lunch, back forward. Quite boring really, and probably not worth your time, so shall we move on?

Episode 85: (Shining Armor): yrotisH-History

Pony POV Series
Shining Armor Part 4
By lz0291
Edited by Alex Warlorn, Kendell2, And Louis Badalament.

(Inteviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Captain, before we continue I wonder if you could possibly clarify the details of the Dragon-Hooviet war. I know that not many ponies in Equestria have heard anything about it.)

And it might not be a bad idea for it to stay that way.

(Inteviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Please, Shinning?)

... Very well. I should stress most of what we've heard came from the Dragons but, unlike the Hooviets, I don't think they would have any reason to lie. Queen Tiamat repeated the story in my presence, actually, when she and Princess Celestia were discussing adjustments to the truce between Dragons and Equestria. Don't ask how Princess Celestia kept that chat private. It was surreal watching the mother of all dragons and our Princess have a polite conversation over tea (Tiamat's 'teacup' being bigger than some houses. Plus, the sugar cubes were as large as shipping crates, and I wish I'd learned the name of the company that makes darjeeling teabags in that size...)

Anyway, The Hooviet Empire had expanded immensely over the last century or so, and with it, the Hooviets' narcissism. Virtually nothing had ever truly stood in their path, at least in their minds. Once, at an earlier point in history, the Hooviets begun rattling the saber against Princess Celestia hoping to goad Equestria into a war. The Princess instead sent a message to the Hooviets writing about how she preferred peace to war and just how many favors of how many nations she had built up over her several thousand year reign along with a cake as a gift of friendship. Somehow, they were able to construe this as having scored a victory of sorts over her. This allowed them to back away from the unwinnable fight against our Sun Goddess with their egos intact.

They thought the whole world would bow to them eventually, and they did not think Dragons were exempt. And so, about thirty or so years ago, they somehow decided that the Dragons nesting in a mountain range in the center of their lands were now Hooviet citizens - and thus, Hooviet property. Then they demanded the Dragons pledge allegiance to the Hooviet powers, allow mining operations to take place, relinquish their hoards, submit to taxation and reeducation of their young, etcetera, etcetera.

To the Hooviets, that made perfect sense. Even a young Dragon's hoard represented a source of huge wealth, and Dragons are renowned for being individualistic. That a number of them were in close proximity in the mountains made the Hooviets think the mountains held something very good indeed. After all, adult Dragons stayed away from each other unless they wished to breed or it was the once-a-century Great Dragon Migration. And while a lone Dragon is an army unto itself, the Hooviets assured themselves the Dragons didn't have the sense of cooperation to bake a cake, let alone fight a war. Numbers would win the day.

They failed to take one vital factor into account: Her Majesty, the Goddess-Queen Tiamat. The world's most powerful Dragon. The Alicorn Sisters are only living beings I know that have earned Tiamat's respect -- yet her own personal stockpile of gems and gold is rather spartan compared to most other Dragons. This is because Tiamat's true treasure, as far as she's concerned, is nothing less than all Dragonkind, itself. Every Dragon alive was her subject, and therefore, her treasure. I have no idea how Celestia acquired Spike's egg, but I know one thing: she sure as Pony Hell didn't steal it.

Few things can enrage a dragon more than thievery. And while dragons were isolationist to their own kind, and the distance between most adult dragons could fit small countries, when Her Majesty spoke, ALL Dragons listened.

It lasted a week. Tiamat's call was answered by nearly half of Dragonkind. In less than twelve hours, they swept past the border defenses that a national equine army could besiege for months without success. And so began a week of bloodshed and slaughter in the skies and soil of the southern Hooviet Empire.

The Hooviets would go on to lose more in that week than they had in their efforts to bring all Deer tribes under one banner. Countless lives lost, hundreds of Airships destroyed, whole towns and cities rendered into so many mounds of ash - buildings and citizens alike.

Their fiery breath made short work of armor on ships, and of stonework in castles and forts. Often the young dragons would gleefully take relaxing baths in the molten slag that had once been a garrison of five thousand Deer soldiers.

Yet the Dragons hit upon a problem. The Hooviets simply did not give up and threw everything into the battle. It had gone beyond a question of resources now; this was about revenge. The Hooviets were angry, not at their losses, but at the fact someone had dared to stand against them. Attacked them. For the Hooviets, the dragons were already dead, the great lizards just didn't know it.

But these were not idealistic school-fawns leading slaves against professional soldiers, nor were they outdated, outnumbered warrior bucks defending their deer tribe from the Hooviet's greedy clutches. These were forces of nature clad in scales and claws. And they too had egos that would inflict untold suffering for being so badly bruised.

The Hooviet's pulled in all its reserves and even dared pull back some of its occupation forces. The land and sky of the southern part of the Hooviet Empire became a firestorm. Many younger, impetuous Dragons thought they could take on fleets of ships alone, head on, and suffered for it. Any that lived never repeated the mistake.

Even older Dragons, with thick scales that made them stronger than a castle, fell. They could shrug off swords, spears, arrows, even direct hits with cannonballs, but if they were hit in weak spots like the eyes or a roaring mouth, they would fall too. Broadsides from battleships could fell them if enough hit home. And then there was always the risk of simply being overwhelmed by Hooviet numbers and firepower; a death comparable to being stung to death by legions of hornets.

And so the losses wound up too great for the Dragons. Their sense of unity was fragile enough. Dissension grew in the ranks: many Dragons came to blows with each other over all sorts of friction: stealing treasures, stealing kills, or simply getting in the way of each other. Dragons actually began tearing into each other right on the battlefield with the enemy surrounding them while the Hooviets maintained their machine like discipline and efficiency.

In the end, all the Dragons decided they'd done enough and wanted to just go home. Then Queen Tiamat herself entered the fray. It shocked every dragon to their core. Queen Tiamat, the legend herself, coming all this way? Raising a claw to help her dragons personally? That, more than anything, convinced the dragons to stay the course. For the remainder of the war, Tiamat never set foot on the battlefield. She didn't need to. She did (and has) unparalleled endurance as a flier. But that wasn't why she didn't need to enter the actual battle zone. She also has five heads, all of which are capable of shooting fireballs at a range, accuracy, and deadliness that exceeded those of any Hooviet weapon at the time.

The Dragons didn't dare fight among themselves with a silhouette like hers blotting out the sun on the horizon. And all five of her heads were equally smart, fearless, and committed to victory.

(Inteviewer's Notes (Pegasus): For the record, do Tiamat's heads have individual egos? And if so, did they ever argue between themselves?

In answer to your first question: yes. In answer to your second question: no. Sneak attacks failed. Kamikazes were wasted. To say it was like a Neighponese 'giant monster' show is the understatement of the century. Tiamat made a viable tsunami of destruction far ahead of her, wherever she flew. The Hooviet commanders were shocked at having an enemy they could destroy them without even providing them a viable target.

By the time she'd reached the Hooviet capitol, her envoys were demanding a king's ransom for every dragon that had been slain. Entire museums were stripped clean to meet the tribute.

After claiming her mountain of spoils, (and eating the bomb they'd buried within like it was pop-rocks), Tiamat simply left. The dragons hastily followed.

Both sides claimed victory.

(Inteviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): What?! How could the HOOVIETS claim victory?!

The Hooviets... well, they happily buried their heads in the sands of propaganda. Suddenly, the South had been dragon lands from the beginning. Suddenly, the Dragons had been the ones to attack unprovoked. Suddenly, invaders had been repelled, not a force seeking to liberate and protect allies.

(Inteviewer's Notes (Unicorn): And the priceless treasures the dragons had seized?

Overrated relics, to hear it from the Hooviets. Out with those worthless, six-hundred year old trash 'masterpieces!' In with new work of fresh young artists!

And so, the earth that the Dragons had scorched became 'captured' land: a new frontier for settlers! And the few surviving witnesses outside the military or the ruling castes with a DIFFERENT story to tell, could be easily taken care of by the Secret Police.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): But the Dragons were the REAL winners, right?

Beyond question! They had inflicted massive damage on their cervine foe. To this day, the Hooviets dare not return to the Mountains for fear of upsetting the Dragons again. The Deer are still rebuilding. Over half their fleet was destroyed. The only reason their capitol was is not a blazing crater is because Tiamat prefers treasures to kills. Such losses would have annihilated any other nation. By all natural rights, the Hooviets should have fallen. Therefore, they absolutely could not allow themselves to have lost.

In a way, that's what makes the Hooviets worrying. Dragons, well, no need to understand why they're worrying. The Hooviet-Dragon war simply reminded us, yet again, that Dragons are powerful and we're very glad to not be on their bad side. But on the flip side, the war shows the Hooviets were determined, fanatical, and worst of all, ready to take any risk.

Probably the worst thing though in my view? It's something my tutors at the academy said when teaching history and tactics. 'Generals always plan to fight the last war again.'

The modern Hooviets have rebuilt their new forces on the assumption it needs to be able to take on Dragons, scratch that, Tiamat herself! They'll have fully recovered very soon and have completely reorganized their military style and command structure. If they think they're really ready to take on all of Dragonkind, they just might decide to subjugate everything else first, just to make it that much easier. And an army built to take on Tiamat I'd rather avoid.

And that's it really. Back to the real story now, please?

(Inteviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Yes, of course. Thank you for your summary of events... Captain.)

Once our discussions on security were concluded, and Cadence had agreed to have the civilians with us escorted by Guards if they ever left the embassy or ships to visit the city proper, Cadence decided she wanted to speak to Corporal Griffen during lunch. After that, we were supposed to be telling the civilians what to expect, informing them of security arrangements, and so on.

"Which means we kind of need to speak to him now, if we want anything he might know," Cadence stated. I made arrangements for Griffen to attend.

She allowed both Griffen and I to have our lunch brought to her room, accidentally starting a rumor that the Princess anticipated a lot of fish on the menu in Columbia when the cooks were asked to prepare a slice of fish-in-birdseed-breadcrumb. While we waited on it, though, we began discussing.

"So, Corporal, we were hoping you could maybe give us some direct experience with the Griffin lands..." Cadence began. For a half-eagle half-lion, the NCO looked remarkably sheepish.

"Er, sorry, ma'am, but all I really know is from my parents, aunt, and uncle. I was born in Trottenham."

Both of us failed to hide the brief glare of shock and dismay.

"But I don't really follow Hoofball!" He added quickly.

"Well, it should be enough," Cadence collected herself, "Well, is there anything you CAN tell us, in terms of what to expect?"

"Hm. My mother used to say she thought Equestrians were a bit more polite and friendly than folks back in Columbia. And she was always a little surprised Equestria didn't have police - not dedicated police, at least. The Guard and Sheriffs are all that's needed."

Quick note for those who may be unaware, that's all that's in smaller towns, but the Royal Guard provide patrols and response to any problems in large cities, in what we call the 'Community Support Initiative'. Usually, it's conducted in support of a Sheriff and his or her deputies, but larger cities generally have at least one Guard officer on a long term detachment to the civil authorities, and often the ones that get a bit of a reputation for being a little strange. One CSI officer in Miamhay for instance, keeps making one liners and putting on sunglasses. I am fully convinced he is related to Running Gag.

"I know of them, the Liberty City Police Department is actually larger than law enforcement throughout Equestria, technically," Cadence said.

"Yes. That's the other thing. There's dangerous crime in Griffin lands, not just cake thieves. So if anyone goes out of the embassy they might want a guard..."

"We've anticipated that," I said.

"Oh, I see, Sir. I'm not saying they'll get robbed if they go outside, but Equestrians would probably look like easy targets to your average Liberty City mugger. It's not all bad though. Liberty has a good metro system, lot like Canterlot's, sort of, kinda. Supposed to be some nice parks and museums, Broadneigh shows are pretty famous. The buildings are taller, but I think there are less flight restrictions across LC outside of the Air Harbors and Airship paths. Really, I think the best thing to expect would be Equestria, but different and with more Griffins. And Diamond Dogs. Some Deer as well. Oh, and Zebra."

"What about Minotaurs?" Cadence wondered

"Mostly in Carcer City or in the Marines, Ma'am."

"So, Equestria with more of a melting pot diversity. I presume that finding pony food won't be a problem if anyone wants to sample the local fare?"

"A problem? Pretty unlikely, Sir. My uncle keeps trying to convince me to visit just to have a genuine Liberty City pizza. Keeps complaining his daughter's never tried the real thing either since she was raised in Cloudsdale. But vegetarians are seen as quirky, rather than deviants like meat-eaters are in Equestria. Anyway, I guess the only other thing is that Liberty has more carts on the roads I think. Some of them are even magic-powered."

"Okay, so... Equestria, but different and more crowded," I nodded.

"Sounds to me like Liberty is going to be Manehattan on steroids," Cadence noted.

We hoped that after lunch, we'd be briefing the civilians, and then soon after, arriving at Liberty City for about a fourteen-thirty hours' landing, and being settled in at the embassy for four. The first part went well enough - many of them were civil servants, and the rest were mostly part of Cadence's rather small entourage of hoofmaidens, dressmakers and so on.

Apparently at least half of our civilian entourage were only there because the nobility were surprised to learn she'd never had a personal tennis coach and so forth. She'd swiftly convinced the two chefs to simply work with the existing cooks aboard, which was fine by all concerned. Dealing with the civvies was simple enough. The odd question was asked and answered where possible with Griffen's help. In the end, the civvies all knew the score. They were to move in groups, let the embassy security know where they were, and would be escorted by at least one of our troopers and a local police officer. And were advised by Griffen about various useful social cues to watch out for when it came to Griffins. And told any steaks or meat products they saw was not from any intelligent being.

Overall, things seemed to be going fine. We were on track to arrive, no crisis had affected the journey,though I was still a little wary of the fact my little sister was apparently in control of a powerful magical artifact and had fought a goddess, I don't know if it's a good or bad thing if Princess Celestia lets her keep it. And it sounded like the Griffin land we were heading for wasn't going to be too huge a culture shock, Hooviets notwithstanding. I simply made last-minute checks while I waited.

And yes, it probably is genetic. But it's served us both in good stead.

Naturally things went a bit pear-shaped about five minutes after we'd finished speaking to the civilians.

"This is the Captain speaking. Could Commander Sparkle and Princess Cadenza please report to the bridge as soon as possib... Oh, hello, Your Highness. Erm, how did the hair brush get there this time?"

A few moments later, I arrived at the bridge to find Commander Shepard and her senior bridge crew all present (Her First Officer, Lieutenant Commander Hornblower, plus Lieutenant Commander Bond), along with Cadence, Sunset, Twinkleshine, and Minuette. Cadence was at that moment being aided by her hoofmaidens, who were trying to untangle an unexpected hairbrush from her mane. The two Lieutenant Commanders were speaking with ensigns and lieutenants.

"Commander Sparkle. We have a small problem. We've been in communication with the Columbians, and they've informed us that it's unlikely we'll be able to land in our prearranged time-slot. Apparently the Hooviet arrival was somewhat unannounced..." Shepard said.

"Isn't that a little bit -ow, stop tugging! - dangerous?" Cadence asked.

"Very much so, but the arrival of the Hooviets was known to Columbians. The size of their ships was not." Hornblower said. He was an Earth Pony officer, and somehow I kept thinking he should have had a beard.

"They had more ships with them than they said were coming?" I put in.

"Not quite. The Hooviets were honest when they said they were sending three ships. But it's a battleship and two cruisers," Bond then clarified.

"Okay, so, they had to find bigger landing spaces for them. Why is that a problem for us?" Cadence spoke.

"Because apparently, whoever is in charge of the Hooviets is a big shot. Supreme Marshal of the Imperial Armed Forces, General-Admiral Solomon Azure Raven Makarov. He demanded, and received, a full military welcome. Which meant that most of the Griffin airships helping control the traffic in the bay had to wait an hour while his ships floated slowly between them all," Shepard said.

"Ah. I understand we were supposed to receive a smaller greeting by the Columbian Navy?" Cadence said.

"Correct. We were supposed to fly between two battleships straight to our airship docks. However, they're now trying to get that back into position and the rest of the traffic in the area has cause a bit of a jam."

I frowned.

"How can you get into a jam with airships?"

"It's quite simple, Commander. The Griffins prefer all ships approaching the city to enter Liberty Bay, past the Wings of Liberty..."

"The what?"

"Really big statue like in Manehatten."

"Oh."

"So it meaning everyone has to enter the same relatively narrow area. They're also all dropping in height with a goal to landing at that point, so there's only so much real room for the ships," Hornblower explained.

"Ah. Essentially, it's like having three pegasi fly right above another one and all three of them reach and they all try to enter the same tunnel at once."

"Something like that."

"So, what are we to do then, Captain?" Cadence asked.

"Well, Your Highness..."

"Yes! Got the hairbrush out!"

"...Your Highness, what we will have to...."

"Wait, this isn't even my hairbrush."

"...We will have to wait for traffic ahead to clear. Now, we can send on most of the delegation using our shuttles, so they can start to prepare the embassy, but I'm afraid you have to remain aboard until the Griffins are ready for us to receive the proper welcome," the Ship's Captain eventually managed to finish.

"...Oh, er, sorry about interrupting. What was that about shuttles?"

"The ship carries two of them at present, and our escort ships each carry another. The five shuttles should be able to get the delegation and the majority of Commander Sparkle's troopers on shore for our time of arrival. As they're smaller, they can go between gaps. We should be about ten minutes from meeting a Griffin AAC, the Galactica, and they'll..."

Shepard paused as a hoofmaiden raised a hoof.

"Erm, sorry, Captain, but what's an AAC?" Minuette asked.

"Airborne Airship Carrier. Basically, a large Airship that carries smaller Airships. Fairly new concept, actually. Most other airships just carried small shuttle transports before, having a capital ship dedicated to carrying patrol and attack craft is..."

Shepard realized everyone who was not a member of the Air Navy was looking at her in confusion. She sighed.

"A capital ship is a large ship, like a battleship. Patrol craft and attack craft are small airships ranging in size from about a train carriage to a small house. They're meant to help defend larger ships, or be used to attack other ships. You all know about the shuttles, right?"

Everypony nodded.

"So, we'll send everyone but me and a few of Shining Armor's troopers on ahead when we meet the Griffin carrier thingy, and then wait for a spot to be seated or parked or docked or whatever it is?" Cadence then asked.

"That's about the size of it."

"Alright. Girls, you three all go on ahead and get the embassy ready."

The hoofmaidens nodded and dashed off.

"I'll have my crew explain the situation to the civilians for now and what's to happen, but once we're getting closer, I'm afraid you may be needed on the bridge, Your Highness. There's a large number of ships going to be waiting and a few of them might want to shout out to you," Shepard said.

"...Pardon?"

"It means they'll send the ship a message and want to speak to you over the radio. We'll also use their position to help other ships know ours to reference it," Bond added.

"Okay. But it does look pretty clear up ahead...." Cadence noted.

"It does, actually. Mostly clouds. I can't see any airships..."

"That's because they're beyond our visual range right now. In about twenty minutes we'll be amongst them."

And indeed, twenty minutes later, we were among them. About a hundred airships all floating in the air, awaiting patiently for permission to move towards the city that lay just a few miles away. We could see the vast expanse of grey buildings and cloud-structures stretching on the horizon now, with many more airships floating close to the grey line that was the city. Presently, the Galactica had spotted us, and was the first ship to send us a message.

"HHS Invincible, this is the URS Galactica. We presently have a visual on your flotilla, acknowledge?" The radio said.

"Acknowledged, Galactica, we have a visual on you also," Commander Bond replied as he and an ensign oversaw communications.

The bridge also had radios, but only the Communications Room could receive long-ranged transmissions. Anything from there could be sent up to the Bridge easily enough, though. And in this case, the bridge had the right radios to talk to a ship that was less than a thousand meters away.

"Notice, Your Highness and Gentlecolts, that Galactica has a number of rectangular sections along her port and starboard sides. Those are the hangar decks." Hornblower was telling us random trivia about the ships.

"A carrier for Pegasi air-troops would be more economic than baby airships for bigger airships," Cadence said.

By this point, I'd had my command squad of Thunderchild, Apple, and the other two idiots come up to be Cadence's bodyguard, apparently because the Air Navy insisted that Princesses not go unescorted on the bridge during complicated operations. I'd later learn it stemmed from an accident back in the days of a sea-based navy caused by a Princess who should shall remain ambiguous due to it being over a thousand years ago.

In her defense, the modern historians do agree the lighthouse did in fact come out of nowhere. Mostly because the charts of the time somehow claimed it was on the other side of the country, or somepony just read them upside down. Said Princess isn't talking.

"What's that in the ocean, there? The big star-shaped thing..." Private Audience wondered.

"Ah, yes. That's very interesting. That's a Seaborne Ship Tender, also called a 'Base Star'. The Cylon, if I'm not mistaken. They must have had it float out here in case any of the waiting ships needed an emergency dock."

Cylon looked like it was a large surface ship, able to land airships up to about the size of a destroyer on the flat central portion, and extend four long piers to allow more ships to land. When we saw her, she was almost entirely empty other than a few small patrol craft.

"A floating portable dock for airships? That's unusual, isn't it?"

"The Columbian navy is, Your Highness. You may not notice it, but there's a small dark shape under the water just aft of Cylon? That's what they call a 'submarine'. It's a sailing vessel able to go under the sea..."

I tuned out as he began speaking, seeing a number of small ships leaving Galactica and heading towards us. A few minutes later, our shuttles began flying off, escorted by a pair of Griffin patrol craft each.

"Well, there the pretty ladies go. Off to get to the embassy well before the rest of us..." Apple noted.

"You think it's going to be a long wait now, Lance-Corporal, wait until you have to go to the Hooviet Embassy..." Thunderchild reminded him as Bond turned towards us.

"All the shuttles are away, and they shouldn't need to make a return trip. We got everyone on comfortably."

"Good. We really should invest in cubic soldiers, much easier to stack..." I replied.

"Anyway, Commander Sparkle, your sergeants will probably communicate once they're at the Embassy. But for now, well... We wait for the radio to go, I guess."

"And play 'I Spy' presumably?" Cadence noted.

"I spy something beginning with B," Shepard said in response.

"Blooming loads of Airships."

"Correct, Your Highness."

"So, what ships are out there anyway?" I asked Hornblower, since he seemed to be the one in the know.

"I could probably name most of them, but I'll try and keep it brief. That one just over there is the Mexicoltian Destroyer Nezahualcoyotl. They're probably going to try and chat with us sooner or later. And there's a Neighponese flotilla just over there, behind Galactica. That ought to be the destroyer Takeshi-Jo , Frigates Mirai and Hikari..."

"Wait, are we going to to have to shout out to all of these ships in front of us?" Cadence then cut in.

"Oh, no, ma'am. Just about half of them. They won't want long conversations, just a hello, how are you, and so on," Bond replied.

"There's a lot of civilian ships by the look of things," Running Gag spoke up.

"Hey, isn't that one flying our flag? That big brownish-red one?"

"Hm, so it is. That's the Forever Autumn, she's a ferry between Manehattan and Liberty. She should have been given priority. Traffic must really be in chaos up ahead..."

"I bet that's their fault, those two big ships way off in the distance," I added, seeing two vast hulking airships a couple of miles away.

"Yes, in a way. Those are Reaper-class battleships, Sovereign and Harbinger. We'll be seeing them up close when we fly between them."

"They look like they could run over us and not notice," Thunderchild added his two bits.

"They could, actually." A social pony, Shepard was not.

"So where's the Hooviet battleship? Surely we'd see it..." Cadence wondered. She had a point.

Hornblower frowned.

"You know, I don't think I see it either. Maybe that gold building there is blocking it off. That huge one about twice the size of... Oh."

"What's 'oh,' Commander Hornblower?"

"I think the gold thing is the Hooviet ship."

It dwarfed some of the office buildings. Along the vast airship's sides were engravings of deer does in classic statuesque poses. I couldn't shake the demented thought it looked like the world's largest fliable gold brick.

"Private Gag, I hope you do not have anything inappropriate to say whilst the Princess is here," I said as the bridge fell silent.

"I do not, sir."

"Is it just me or does that thing really look like someone is compensating for something?" A voice suddenly asked.

"Who the buck was that?!" Shepard barked, and then realized her error as someone began sputtering.

"Er, me, Captain."

"Oh. Er, that's all right then, Your Highness. Commander Hornblower, are you all right?"

"Just a ticklish throat, Captain."

"Misfit Actual, this is Misfit One-One." The radio crackled, distracting us from the royal... vehicle. I'm not sure how best to phrase it.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Item of anatomical humor?)

...That sounds even worse.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): What-humor?)

Why do you have a foal here as an interviewer? Not that she's not cute, but war is kind of...grown up stuff.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): She has nowhere else to be.)

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Where we go, she goes.)

... Anyway, the voice on the radio was Sergeant Foaley. Or it was until I bumped into it and briefly set it to a local rock station (Griffin music of all genres tends to be pretty intense. If anyone was asleep on their feet, that woke them up). Once that had been fixed, I spoke.

"Misfit One-One, Misfit Actual, go ahead."

"Sir, we've landed at the embassy, and there's something you should know before the Princess lands..."

There was suddenly a loud clatter from the other radio.

"Ramirez! Pick up that dropped luggage!"

"He's still making that poor fellow do everything?" Thunderchild sighed.

"As I was saying, Sir, I thought you and Her Highness should know that the Griffins have decided they want to add some extra security to our embassy. Apparently, they only had a few members of a group called the Presidential Marshals here alongside our own security ponies. They want to add a squad of their Marines onto it as well, with your permission."

"Stand by, Sergeant, I'll discuss the matter with Her Highness."

I turned to Cadence, muting the radio. Or rather, having Bond mute it since he was the one who knew how it worked.

"What do you think? Should we trust the Columbians?"

"It sounds a bit like they want to make sure we're feeling safe. After all, our embassy here isn't too far from a few others. On the other hoof, it does seem a little worrying they don't trust their own security. Ask Foaley if any other Marines are being offered to other embassies."

I did so.

"Yes, Sir. The Germane Embassy next door has some, the Mexicolts have okayed it, and the Hooviets have declined an offer."

"Oh. Well, then, I suppose it's not us getting any special treatment. Sergeant, will the Marines be escorting any of our party if they venture into the city on their own?"

"Negative, Your Highness, they say the LCPD will be in charge of that."

"Well then, I have no objections. Do you, Commander Sparkle?"

"None. Carry on, Sergeant." Personally, I felt it was a good idea. Not only did it have more people on guard, it also had another advantage. I don't have any political aspirations, but I knew one thing for sure; politics was like a game of chess. Every move you made said something about you. Accepting the Columbians' offer showed we trusted the Griffins. The Hooviets being apparently the only ones to reject that same offer showed a lack of trust, or potentially that they had something to hide. It might seem small, but...

(Interviewer (Unicorn): Every small detail can make a big difference?)

Exactly, particularly when you were the guests of honor in another country.

The sergeant ended the transmission, and Shepard spoke.

"They're adding military guards when before they just had the Federal Police as security. I'm thinking something must be up. Maybe they're a little spooked by the Hooviets..."

"Or maybe they know something might be a problem for us. Maybe they're sending the Marines to other embassies to make it look like they're not trying to defend us specifically...." I then said, with a hint of paranoia.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Gee, Captain, I'd like to taste something you think has a 'hint' of salt in it. I've never got salt-drunk in one bite before.)

"Uh, ma'ams? Sirs? What about the late sunrise this morning?" Private Gag then asked.

"What about it?" Cadence responded.

"Well, we all knew it might have been late. But... did the Griffins? Or anyone else?"

We all pondered what we knew of Princess Celestia.

"Unless we get any other evidence to support the other theories, I think that's this mystery's concluded," I said.

We did eventually find our larger ships heading for a docking space, passing between the two Columbian battleships, as well as over the vast bulk of the Hooviet ship on the way. We learned she was called the Daedalus. She had two smaller steel-colored ships alongside her,looking like tiny pebbles beside a massive diamond.

As we made our approach to the battleships, Pegasi guards attached a banner over the front of our airship with a symbol of a Hippogriff promptly displayed. When peace was declared between the Griffins and Ponies, much deliberation resulted in a Hippogriff being chosen as the symbol of that peace. Displaying it as a diplomatic airship one entered the other's territory was considered a sign of good will. The landing zone we'd be heading to would likely have a similar banner displayed.

And we got to see the massive city up close. It had towers of stone and glass that made Manehattan's lofty heights look tiny. Many taller buildings had cloud-structures floating beside them, and the inner city skies seemed to be filled with griffins and a few pegasi flying between buildings.

The Princess and my squad would be the only ones to actually get off the ship at this point, with Commander Shepard and her senior crew mostly remaining with the ship unless summoned.

As our ships landed, I became aware that there seemed to be a large number of green-dyed Griffins in the air and ground. There even seemed to be a couple of the siege engines known as tanks lying near the airship docks. It seemed the locals wanted to put on a show for the visitors. Because the troops present certainly weren't there to try and stop the local media. The hapless Griffins dyed blue that I assumed to be the police had that task.

"...Okay, is it me or do the journalists outnumber the police?" Thunderchild asked.

We managed to get past them, mostly by having my squad surround the Princess as we walked. Cadence did pause to answer a couple of questions for the local media though. She knew how to play that game, she was a trained ambassador, after all. I was paying more attention to the group of journalists, though. Something was making me feel on edge.

We rode a carriage to the embassy, leaving the media behind for the moment. It was a conventional pony-drawn carriage, hauled by four members of the Day Guard attached to the embassy. The LCPD detective that rode in with us wasn't too chatty with us soldiers (he did seem a bit constipated, to be honest), but Cadence managed to have a conversation with him. I personally at that point was glad I wasn't a Griffin. It's bad enough to have the family name Payne, but then you get called Max? And you don't have a legal right to change your name when you get your cutie mark because Griffins don't have them? Yikes.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Did you change your name when you gained your cutie mark, Captain?)

No, I didn't, actually. Seems Mother is a little bit prescient.

Anyway, we arrived, our embassy being a relatively small apartment complex in the uptown area, given over to the Equestrian Government, flying both the Equestrian flag and the aforementioned Hippogriff banner, and Cadence greeted her hoofmaidens again. The Ambassador, Lady Warm Greetings, was also present, of course. I didn't actually speak much with Ambassador Greetings while I was there though, as she largely worked the behind-the-scenes political detail whilst the Princess was present. My only real conversation with her was about my uncle, since she had apparently attended the School for Gifted Unicorns with him until he moved into the Guard Academy.

"Anyway, Ambassador, have we heard anything further from the Hooviets?" Cadence eventually asked.

"Yes. General-Admiral Makarov has decided to hold an informal party in his embassy this evening and would like you to attend, if possible. He says it would begin at half past seven."

"And he would know I couldn't politely refuse. Looks like we'll have to have a quick dinner..."

"Indeed. Oh, one other thing, Princess Cadence. Regarding Princess Luna."

"Oh yes! How is my new, er, old Aunt doing?"

"While Princess Celestia has formally assured the world at large that the late sunrise was nothing to be alarmed about, Princess Luna, herself, has yet to be officially announced. Her Majesty has sent word to me, saying she'd appreciate it if we refrained from mentioning her at this point in time."

"I understand. Did Aunt Celestia give any indication as to when she does intend to open up about Aunt Luna?"

"Why, yes. Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" I said, raising an eyebrow. "Today's bad, but tomorrow's good?"

"Politics, like comedy, is often about careful timing," Cadence informed me.

"Well spoken, Your Highness." Ambassador Greetings said. "As a matter of fact, Princess Celestia has requested that you, Cadence, be the one to inform the Columbian President-Elect tomorrow. He will be the first world leader to formally learn about your other aunt..."

I walked alongside them, as did the rest of my squad and the hoofmaidens, until we reached Cadence's room. Two Griffin Marines in dark blue dress uniforms stood in the corridor there, with small crossbows in holsters on their chests, alongside a couple of other Royal Guards that seemed to be Day Guard attached to the Embassy as they certainly weren't mine. They all ignored us completely.

"Captain, could you please ready dress uniforms for your squad to attend the Hooviet party tonight as our guard escort?" Cadence asked, as she entered her room.

"Certainly, ma'am," I replied.

She thanked me, and then the door was closed.

And then Gag pointed out a problem.

"Sir, enlisted ponies don't have Dress uniforms."

"...Anyone know where we can get lots of armor polish then?"

Have any of you three ever attended the Grand Galloping Gala? I have, as a guard. I was only not bored stiff because I wasn't a guest and, well, the last time I was there Thunderchild gave us some amusement when Spitfire was nearby. The Hooviet party was a bit like that with two differences.

Unfortunately, as the officer in charge of escorting the Ambassador and the Princess, I was technically a guest this time. Lieutenant Commander Bond had been sent to represent the Air Navy, and I later learned he was also informally representing the Equestrian Secret Intelligence Service. At the time though I was thankful that another officer was there in Dress uniform, even if it was white rather than red.

Second, I also had an unshakeable feeling all night someone wanted me dead. Which only intensified as the night drew onwards. It was like somepony, or something was shadowing my every hoof-step. I did my best not to look like I was suspicious while at the same time staying firmly on my guard.

Cadence decided to try and arrive early. The carriage we'd arrived in was the embassy's to use, though our Police escort tonight was just four members of the LCPD flying in front and behind us rather than a constipated-looking detective on board with us. I was amused to learn the beat officers wore hats with flashing blue and red lights in them. We took turns keeping Running Gag's mouth shut. Why do we keep him? Because he's as effective on the enemy as on us!

The Hooviet Embassy was a contrast to ours. We had converted an existing building, but the Hooviets had pretty much carved out a chunk of Liberty City real estate and built a small fortress around the ornate mansion embassy. There was a massive gatehouse to pass through to drive up the road, and upon our carriage arriving at the embassy doors proper, a squad of Deer began to approach, marching in lockstep. They all wore pristine navy-blue uniforms adorned with golden epaulets. At their head, was a deer in a red uniform.

"I am Commissar Chekov. I welcome you to the Hooviet Embassy, Your Highness, Lady Ambassador." The Stag in Red said, extending one of his hooves.

No welcome for the grunts, of course. Just the Very Important Ponies.

"Thank you, Commissar," Cadence said, offering her own hoof, and looking both surprised and relieved for a second when he shook it rather than kiss it.

"Please, Your Highness, may you and your party follow me. May I say that you and the Lady Ambassador both look wery beautiful tonight, and compliment your guard on their wery well-groomed appearance?" He complimented.

Cadence thanked him, and we followed him up the stairs. The Hooviet flag was draped in the form of massive banners flanking the doors, and a line of Deer in forest-brown-and-green clothing stood either side of the red carpet inside, holding muskets in front of them via antler telekinesis. Though they cannot perform magic to the same extent as Unicorns, antlers allow for greater telekinetic stamina and lifting strength due to Deer, (and other such antlered ungulates) usually being born with two of them.

We were taken down a long hall, decorated with many pictures. One even celebrated the Hooviet 'victory' over the Dragons, and even included a small glass case, containing a chunk of burnt wood. Its plaque claimed it had been taken from a Hooviet frigate that had suicide-rammed a large dragon it had fought. The entire crew had been honored as posthumous Heroes of the Empire. I personally suspected it was just a bit of plank someone had set fire to.

"That's weird," Thunderchild whispered.

"The 'artifacts'?" Private Audience responded.

"No it's just, my grandpa always told me deer magic was like Earth pony magic, not unicorns." Thunderchild said like he was trying to remember a dream.

Eventually, we reached the Ballroom of the Hooviet Embassy, brought in by double doors at the end of the red carpet we had followed. A number of other guests were present, and a few Hooviets in an array of uniform wandered around. A fat one was apparently their ambassador. It would seem the true guest of honor, the General-Admiral, planned to arrive and start the party at eight. A pair of ornate doors at the opposite end of the hall had another red carpet stretching from them, as well as two guards either side, so I assumed this would be where the Hooviet officer was going to arrive from. I remembered the likelihood someone may try to start a fight with me, a situation in which being a defense specialist would be handy if it occurred, barrier-users were harder to pass off as being the 'attacker' later in the photos.

"Well, it seems we've got a change to mingle a bit before the 'festivities' begin. Shall we mingle, Cadence?" Ambassador Greetings invited, taking the Princess off to speak with the Ambassador from Austneighlia.

"Apple, Gag, please keep an eye on the Ambassador and the Princess. And remember, be careful. Don't give them any ammo."

"Is there going to be shooting?" Bitter Apple asked, wide-eyed.

"I meant POLITICAL ammo. Watch what you say."

The two of them nodded and kept their distance, but made no effort to conceal their presence. After all, the Austneighlian guards were pretty obvious.

"Commander, I'm going to try and have a few words with some other officers in the room, if you don't mind?" Bond then asked. I had no objections. Besides, I thought at the time, he outranked me.

It was three days later before I remembered I commanded a whole section of the Royal Guard and could have technically pulled rank if I wanted to.

"Sir, what do we know about this Makarov fellow?" Thunderchild wondered a few minutes later.

More and more guests had began to arrive, so the hall was getting a little more crowded.

"He's a Hooviet. I'm afraid that's all I know, Sergeant..."

"A magnificent example of a Hooviet, sir," a voice behind us said.

I turned and saw a deer in an expensive suit. His accent sounded local, likely a Hooviet expatriate. Another deer was with him, looking strange with a long beard.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Alexi Mason. I've worked with the General-Admiral in my business dealings. This is my business partner, Victor Reznov. I'm afraid he has a sore throat and cannot speak tonight, ah..." The look in his eyes begged for my name.

"Captain Shining Armor Sparkle, Commanding Officer of the Equestrian Royal Guard of Her Highness, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza Equestria. This is Sergeant Thunderchild and Private Captive Audience. May I ask what dealings you've had with the General-Admiral?" I replied, keeping as polite a tone as I could manage.

"Certainly, Captain! I export and import some of the worlds finest timber. My company is headquartered right here in Liberty City, but we have operations around the world. The General-Admiral has been a very good customer."

"Isn't it unusual for the Hooviets to import wood?" I inquired.

"Not at all. They recognize the quality of fine wood, and to preserve their own supplies, they often import. A handsome profit for myself, of course. Few others are quite as capable of getting the wood for such reasonable sums. So many charlatans in my business seek to defraud my motherland..."

"Ah, I see. It's clear you're a very skilled and honest businessbuck. What's the General-Admiral like?"

Was I laying it on thick a little? Perhaps, but remember, everypony was trying to make a good impression.

"You'll see for yourself. He's a wonderful being, Captain. Wonderful. Beautiful. Wise, strong, and mature for his young age. An inspiration to us all."

I had a number of questions, but at that point, a pair of double doors opened and a number of Hooviet troops in dress uniforms marched in. They formed lines either side of the carpet and then began to chant a vocal salute.

"Ulla! Ulla! Ulla!"

I'm not a hundred percent sure on that, by the way. It may have been Ura. All I really know is, it's loud, it's aggressive, and it's quite intimidating. Like... what was that song Thunderchild used to listen to? Oh right, One-Winged-Alicorn. As a shape neared the double-doors the Hooviet choir drew out their salute.

"Ullllllllaaaaaaa!"

And in he entered. Supreme Marshal of the Imperial Armed Forces, General-Admiral Solomon Azure Raven Makarov.

It was strange. Every eye in the room was on him, but it felt like even if he'd just walked in without such an entrance it would have happened anyway. He had a strange aura to him, and the first thing I thought when I saw him was to be amazed at his youth. He was barely older than me.

He walked forward, not like he owned the place but like he owned the planet. Confident he was the strongest being in the room, despite the presence of an Alicorn and a small legion of his own soldiers. He seemed like a mortal ascended to Godhood, or that was how he carried himself. He wore a white uniform, rows of medals that seemed to have more gold than all the armor my troopers wore combined, and held a firm but confident smile. He practically glowed.

It was telling the last thing I noticed about him was that he was half-Deer, half-Unicorn. His cutie-mark was the gold skull of an ape with a rose in its teeth with the steam circling around the skull in a ring of thorns, with a bat wing and dove wing going opposite ways behind the skull, with the skull crying a single tear of blood with crossed swords behind the whole mess.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): What is that even supposed to symbolize?!

I have no bloody idea!!!

His uniform was a completely custom job, unlike anything else in the room.

He marched in as his choir sang the Hooviet Anthem, ceasing their chanted salute. Behind him, came a number of others in vaguely similar uniforms, but far less impressive.

Almost unseen, at his right side, was a strange being all in black. I only saw that being once that night, and never identified his species from the quick glance. All I did see was he appeared to be bald, and not a deer.

The crowd of guests parted before him, some of them even bowing. I felt myself fighting an urge to bow as well, as if he had some spell on him that made others wish to just bask in his magnificence. I only didn't because I heard a voice from beside me, a voice like sandpaper and tinged with a Hooviet accent. It was quiet but I heard it even over the singing of the Hooviet choir.

"What many Ponies and even Deer forget is that the first tribe the Hooviets enslaved was their own."

I glanced around for a second, wondering who it had been, but only Alexi and Victor were there, other than my own Troopers. I looked back at Makarov, who by now was amongst his guests. The singing soon ended, and there was applause. Cadence was clapping, she looked at her own hooves confused and surprised.

"I am Supreme Marshal of the Imperial Armed Forces, General-Admiral Solomon Azure Raven Makarov. I welcome you all to our humble embassy, as friends and hopeful friends of the Hooviet Empire. It is of benefit to The Greater Good that we are at peace with each other, and I hope that tonight's little get-together will help us on our way. I see many faces here tonight that I know and many I would like to know better..."

He moved amongst the guests, a faint but excited set of whispers in the air. I glanced back at the two deer nearby, and both seemed to smile convincingly. I dismissed either of them being the source of the voice. At the time, I dismissed it as imagination.

Makarov gave warm greetings to a number of Ambassadors, diplomats, and the like. Eventually, he reached Cadence.

"And of course, a most honored guest! You look delicious, positively in good taste! Princess Mi Amore Cadenza Equestria, one of only three of the noble God-Alicorns of the Ponies. Welcome, Your Highness!"

Confusion and surprise greeted his remark. Cadence looked alarmed for a second, but recovered, even as he had taken her extended hoof and kissed it.

"Thank you, Supreme Marshal, but I'm afraid that, er, there are only two Alicorns..."

He chuckled.

"Ah, but my dear Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, has not your lost Aunt Luna returned to us this very morning? Has your other Aunt kept the surprise from you as well?"

Cadence performed admirably, but Makarov still won this little bout.

"I'm afraid I'm uncertain of what you speak of, but I could try to ask for clarification of the matter if you wish?"

He just nodded, and moved on. The party then began, a band that thankfully wasn't a choir now playing some string music. I made my way towards Cadence.

"Are you okay, Cadence?" I asked. She looked mortified and despondent.

"What? Oh, I... I'm Fine, Shining... How did he know?"

"I've no idea, Your Highness," Ambassador Greetings confessed.

"There may be a leak somewhere. Possibly a Hooviet agent in Canterlot," Bond said, appearing from seemingly nowhere.

"I agree. Private Gag, I want you to take Commander Bond's message to... The embassy? No, to Commander Shepard. Take it straight to her, she'll get it to the right ponies."

"Follow me, I'll need to find some paper..."

"Yes sir," Gag nodded to me, and went off with Bond.

"Sir, Makarov is heading back this way," Apple warned us discreetly.

Cadence tried to improve her expression and smile in greeting, but she knew this was going to cause problems.

"Ah, Princess. I apologize if I spoiled a surprise back there, but I thought that you would have sought to formally announce the happy news this evening. After all, the most important nations of the world are represented here. I would ask you to introduce me to your soldier, but I am well aware of Captain Sparkle. His reputation precedes him. As assuredly as my reputation precedes me, eh, Captain?"

He grinned and winked at me, apparently fully confident that I had memorized every footnote of his personal dossier years in advance.

"I must ask, Captain Sparkle, which one of my personal accomplishments strikes you as most impressive? One of my political exploits? Or my military ones? And why?"

All I could think of was: What reputation preceded me?

"Er, I'm sorry, Supreme Marshal Makarov, sir. My knowledge of Hooviet culture and history is passable, at best, but I don't actually know much about you. I've only been recently promoted..." I said without thinking.

He reacted right away, eyes narrowing.

"You don't know much about me?"

He looked like I'd slapped his mother's muzzle.

"I find this highly unusual, Captain. Extremely difficult to believe. I am second only to Father Deer in my importance to the Hooviet Empire."

"I can only apologize, Sir, but I may not have been cleared for such important details before now..." Try to recover the hoofball, fumble.

"Do not call me 'sir', wretch! I will have you know I graduated top of my class for the Spetznaz! I am the youngest-ever Supreme Marshal of the Empire, and I am the first and only half-Deer to reach any position of authority in the Empire! I have bested dragons in personal one-on-one combat! I have access to the full might of the Hooviet arsenal!"

Cadence almost jumped at his tone.

"You 'don't actually know much about' Supreme Marshal of the Imperial Armed Forces, General-Admiral Solomon Azure Raven Makarov?" He said in a tone reserved for the crushing of the impudent. "You dare lie to my face. Is this some childish retort to my little jape? I find it in poor taste, Captain. And what I find in poor taste, I do not deign to consume!"

He spat out on the floor, as though to demonstrate, and turned to leave. I blinked, and so did Cadence.

"...What in Tartarus was all that about?" Cadence eventually whispered.

"I'd tell you 'I don't know,' but I think that's the problem," I managed to reply.

Episode 86: (Dark World): Shed Tears

Episode 86: (Dark World): Shed Tears

Pony POV Series
Dark World Part 15
Duel of Tears Begins

Anarchy had just gotten back from Rancor's birthday party. Upon entering the mortal world, the first sight that greeted him was his champion's charred remains. He stared at them with a twitching eye. A quick rewind showed the stallion had been hit by a missile from the Batcycle, after round two with the Batmare. "How is this even possible? He broke the back of Batmare...Pandora, what are you doing here?"

"Oh! I was doing a test run. I wanted to see if I could inspire other professions outside of artists."

"How did that work out?"

"My first experiment was on a chiropractor. It worked a bit too well and he kinda ended in prison for it. But now he healed somepony's back! Isn't that cool?!... Why are you banging your head against the wall?"

+++

"Dear Cousin Discord;

Thank you for the infinite supply of blackbirds, plus the pie recipe for them. They'll be a never-ending source of deliciousness.

Ponythulhu

PS. My domain is lovely this time of year, perhaps you and Fluttercruel could drop by sometime, I'll bake you some blackbird pie."

Fluttercruel sat on the arm rest of the throne munching a hamburger and bon-bons. "I told you we should have killed her already."

"Oh be quiet," Discord said, irritated.

"I'm serious. I know she's the most fun for you, but she's also the most dangerous."

"Correction, my little princess. Twilight's the most fun because she's the most dangerous, you can appreciate that can't you? My adorable little blood knight."

"Meh. I guess." She rolled her eyes towards him, "Erm, you are gonna destroy her, right?"

"If that makes you happy, my little one."

Cruelty smiled, showing sharp teeth. This relief reminded her of when Master had revealed her origins to her:

Fluttercruel hugged him. "I KNEW you didn't have any Namby Pamby weaknesses like falling in love! You rock!"

"Didn't Namby Pamby split your skull open?"

"I returned the favor, after I cut his legs off one by one and had him begging me to kill him at the end. And I did, after making him lick my hooves clean, of course."

"I never got the joke on that young mare."

"WHAT joke? The only joke was him squirming."

"But where's the confusion? The questioning of reality? Turning what is and isn't supposed to be on its head? Sure, making him lick your hooves clean was a nice touch, but all you did was send him straight to Celestia's Papa. If you're going to kill someone, at least make sure they're going to one of My Parents. You have a lot to learn."

"You've been saying that forever!"

"And I'll keep saying it until you learn that you need to save the mayhem for your -enemies-, not your toys."

'Maybe I do finally get it,' Fluttercruel thought in the present as she opened a little music box revealing two smiling plastic prim-and-proper prancing purple ponies, their minds swimming in the bliss of the dance. Bright happy plastic smiles on their faces.

"Hey! How about we recruit a seapony to finish her off-?! You could say how they've gone against you, give her super-water manipulation magic, maybe plant a bomb if things get-" A cleaver went into her head, Discord caught the music box and placed it back on the mantle where she'd got it from.

"You will not suggest such a thing again. young mare." Discord said in a no-nonsense tone. It made Fluttercruel shiver. She pulled the weapon out of her front lob, lop, shop, lollipop, urg! -- Frontal lobe! -- pouting.

"The seaponies are off limits, each of their voices and songs are unique, and I will not be denied one."

(Why are you so determined to preserve imitations of creatures you exterminated yourself?)

'Just a whim.'

(You seem to be pretty staunchly committed to something that was supposed to be 'just a whim.')

"Aw... are you feeling sorry for widdle ol' me?"

('Sorry?' For worthless sewage like you? That was so funny I forgot to laugh. Yet, you do enjoy the seaponies' music, don't you?)

"What of it?"

(All those meticulously-organized symphonies, each note on the page arranged just so, every musician in the orchestra cooperating together to achieve a most melodious HARMONY. I'd have thought the only music a miserable chaos freak like you could enjoy would sound like two cats trying to claw each other to death on a keyboard.)

"Who's miserable?"

(You destroyed something you liked in a moment of blind thoughtlessness, like a toddler. Then you go and remake them. Why? Because you're too big of a brat to permit your mistakes to ever actually mean something.)

'With Cruelty I have rediscovered myself! All ponies an island unto themselves! All ponies traumatized into stark insanity! Confusion and nonsense the only rule! THAT is the Equestria I live for!'

(Heh heh! Ha Ha! Really? And how long before you get bored of that again? Just like you get bored of everything eventually.)

'Not everything, I don't get tired of her.'

(Yes, everything. EVERYTHING. Why? Because underneath all your power, underneath your snark, underneath even your very EVIL, ... at your core, Discord, you're just the most BORING creature to have ever existed.)

"Boring?!" Discord cried. A snap of his fingers later, a queasy chimpanzee made of tricycles chained himself to a gyrating shampoo puddle and rocketed into the sun. "Me?"

(Let me put it to you this way: imagine a diehard optimist, someone who was AS optimistic as you are boring. Could you chain her to Your Mother's face, and she'd eventually have HER whistling a happy tune?)

"So you find me boring."

(Oh no. I certainly don't find you boring. Your entire planet of victims don't find you boring. Not even the Shadows-Who-Watch find you boring. YOU find YOURSELF boring. Only the truly boring GET bored to such an incessant extent as you do. Most people are able to maintain a functional level of interest in the world around them without needing to rewrite reality every other minute! So what does that say about you, Discord? All that world-bending power... and it barely takes the edge off your bottomlessly incurable, yawning BOREDOM.)

First, don't belittle Cruelty, second, I can ALWAYS come up with new games no matter the rut I'm trapped in! Third, don't belittle Cruelty!

(... For a second, I actually DID feel sorry for you. Oops! Feeling's gone. Ah well, nothing lost.)

++++

Checking up on Neighpon Discord had found the Kitsune were breeding flowers that produced sake and the Kitsune also shrinking cats to the size of mice and growing mice to the size of cats. The anthros, cat-fillies, and dog-colts meanwhile were more interested in love decagons among themselves than anything else resulting in chaos most admirable. The hydra-pony, dragon-pony, and ponythulu-tribute were having tea instead of fighting. The android maid pony was acting like a nanny to the backwards talking generation three point five pony. The Puffy and slimes ponies were busy cuddling everything that moved and each other. And the breezies had all chosen individual names for themselves while their political system was still in beautiful chaos.

Before getting back to the castle Discord checked on Sunflower, still criminally neglecting her garden and her child.

Discord scratched his chin in thought, then smirked and turned himself into a seed, sprouting in a sunflower, directly in her face all over again. "You know, Sunflower, I was wrong! This isn't the only way, there is another option available to you," his eyes become circles that swirled counter-clockwise, this time. "The way to make sure you don't lose something isn't to never care about it, its to care about it with every fiber of your being! Protect it with everything you have! Yes, that is the best way to ever prevent loss!"

Suddenly, Sunflower's colors weren't gray, they were over-saturated, obtrusive, almost painfully bright to look at. She grinned maniacally. The design of Sunflower's cutie mark's grew until a pattern of sunflowers covered her entire flanks and rear legs.

She instantly began replanting her sunflower seeds, digging an irrigation ditch, and building a wall with barbed wire and machine-gun emplacements around her garden. She also planted land mines around her garden walls and dug an underground fence to keep out gophers. She fertilized and watered each individual seedling.

"WE ARE THE RAIDERS! WE'RE RAIDERS! WE ARE HERE, TO, RAAAAAID!"

With annoyance Discord turned his head to see a gang of ponies on motorcycle swinging chains and mace headed straight for the garden figuring it had to have something valuable. Their logos were copied directly from some old movie. Discord rolled his eyes, and snapped his fingers. A circus tend fell on top of them, and out came clowns on tiny tricycles. And began hitting each other with rubber fish.

Discord said scolding, "If I wanted a post-apocalyptic setting, I'D MAKE ONE! Hmmmm... Naw!"

Sunflower remembered her daughter and painstakingly disarmed the entire array of traps and weapons, before calling her daughter over. The poor thing approached with tearful timidness.

"Mommy? Are-are you alright now?" The foal looked into her mothers eyes.

The moment she was close enough, Sunflower clapped a dog collar around her daughter's neck and fastened the other end around her own. She kissed and hugged her child, briefly weeping for her earlier hard-heartedness, and professing how precious she was. It was like she'd drunken love poison.

The filly's eyes began reverse-swirling. Her colors became painfully bright, and her cutie mark expanding to the same degree her mother's hand. She went from diligently caring for her snapdragons to treating them as holy. And so Discord left the pair: mother and daughter, exchanging endless hugs, kisses and words of love to one another to the point of parody, all while tending to their garden and rearming the traps with a gusto that went beyond obsession.

'I think I'll try this from now on. Can't believe I didn't think of this before! Spread the merriment, my two little patient zeros! Ponies finally seeing things my way... might be interesting!'

(So you say, so you say. But how many times have you said that now only for it to eventually bore you to tears? Can you remember? Oh yes, YOU CAN! Perfectly! Heh, heh, HA HA! Have to keep your subjects guessing! Can't have them figure out that their lord and master is still just a little brat scared to death of his Birth Mother! Still hoping his other mommy's memory might leave him alone, sad that deep down he's nothing more than a spoiled child who even he doesn't know what he wants. But wait! He has a rebellion to crush, so no time to think about that! But ... it always comes back to it, doesn't? No matter what, it always comes back to what you can't escape, over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over!)

'Shut up.'

(In a prison with no doors, the walls built with your own claws, there you are, trapped forevermore. Fluttercruel makes you smile, but how long until the joy turns sour, like everything else after awhile? It's all a matter of time, which you have plenty of, and none of, isn't living forever sublime?)

"shut up about her, shut up, shut up, SHUTUPSHUTUP!"

" ... Master, are you okay?" Fluttercruel blinked inching away from him.

Discord panted, sweating. "I'm! ... I'm fine dear. It's nothing! Absolutely NOTHING! ... Now where were we?"

"Destroying Twilight Sparkle."

"Oh right. That needs to be taken care of, doesn't it?" Discord took a tiny bell and rang it that went 'mew-mew-mew.'

"Yes!"

Traitor Dash was there in a micro-second. "HERE, MASTER!" She said, kowtowing in fright.

"What do YOU want?" Angry Pie snarled stomping into the throne room moments later, dragging her limp leg behind her.

The Valeyard's blue box materialized into being next to her. He popped out the door, smiling and clopping his front hooves together as he spotted Discord. So what's on the menu today, oh Patch-Worked One?"

"Where's the REST of the jerks?!" Angry Pie snapped, looking around in vain for Liarjack, Twilight Tragedy and Rarigreed.

"All in good time." Discord lifted a couple script pages, and pulled out some tiny reading glasses:
"Easy-Level Construct: 'I am another faceless minion of evil for you destroy or be destroyed by. Die in the name of The Evil Wizard!'

"Cutie-Mark-Less-One: 'What 'Evil Wizard?''

"'Uh... The one who only exists when you set the Dungeon difficulty level to 'Hard.' Boy will you be in trouble then. Uh, in the meantime, die in the name of The Evil Wizard!' Action: Attack PCs.'"

Not looking up Discord wiggled his fingers and shot magic missiles at the gathered minions sans Fluttercruel still at his side.

"Hey! What's the big idea-?!"

"Ugh, I had to almost regenerate!"

Traitor Dash said nothing as she twitched waiting for her smoking body to regenerate.

"Master, I think that's wrong script," Fluttercruel groaned face-hooving.

"Huh? Oh right!" He quickly folded the script into an origami crane that flew off on its own, then pulled off a posted-note stuck to his elbow, "Cutie-Mark-Less-One: 'Now I know. What can change the nature of a stallion is-"

"No one cares about that!" Fluttercruel tore up the note and ate it.

"Oh alright!" Discord cleared his throat and manifested the world's silliest podium imaginable. Donning an army helmet, he took out a pointer stick, while this week's randomly selected national anthem played in the background, (which, by some inexplicable intergalactic coincidence, happened to be Ecstasy Of The Bilious Waterpoodle by Steve Goodie.) The flag (a crayon drawing of Discord mooning against a tie-dye background) manifested behind him.

"Unholy spawn, minions, slaves, pets, toys..."

The Valeyard cleared his throat, with a slightly disapproving glower.

"And partners-in-crime." The Valeyard smiled in pleasure. "I regret to inform you that Twilight Tragedy, now Twilight Sparkle, has betrayed your Lord and Master for what shall be the last time. Dismayingly, in addition to spurning Chaos for Order, she has stolen my personal mount, cheated Miss Hooves out of the restoration of all her children, and kidnapped and brainwashed Rarigreed and Liarjack to her warped way of thinking. In short, all four are now her willing accomplices. Now, I am sure this is a troubled time for all of you-"

"LET ME AT 'EM!!!" Angry Pie snapped.

"This is going to be so much bloody fun!" The Valeyard smiled.

" ... " Traitor Dash ground her teeth.

"Alright, maybe not. But on a personal note, I confess being disheartened by the thought of our long-standing allies being beyond hope! I shall leave it to you to determine their fate. Should you feel they can be brought back to the side of..."

"They're already dead!" Angry Pie hissed.

"I'll get to work on finding replacements after they're disposed of!" The Valeyard raised his hoof.

"I'm sure they won't be a problem, Master, please don't worry," Traitor Dash assured with deepest self-revulsion.

"I can't say that wasn't expected," Discord shrugged. "Would it kill you lot to be the least a bit conflicted just once? Where's the fun in you wanting to do it? I swear, I did too good a job corrupting you all." he muttered under his breath. He pulled down a map of Equestria, with LOTS of doodles on it. And stick figures himself and the others. "Alright, first part of our stratagem, you all get some brooms and dust bins, and I drop this really big mountain on top of them. Second part, we all go out for tacos. Third, you chip in to pay my tab. Fourth..."

"MASTER, WAIT!!!" Traitor Dash shouted.

Discord sighed, "Yes, Dashie Dear? What do you feel like sharing with the class today?"

"Erm, wouldn't, wouldn't that be a big waste of a mountain? And I'm really sure we already implemented that plan against Grogar's minions!"

Discord snapped his fingers, the big screen TV replaying that very plan.

"Hmm...so we did. So do you have a better solution? I had this lovely idea that involves turning Sparkler into a water manipulating metapony with a remotely activated bomb, we could..."

"I'm really, I'm absolutely sure that I can-"

The entire castle started rumbling.

"What?" Discord looked around in genuine confusion.

(What? Here?)

Somewhere the shaking caused a tea cup to fall off a table, as was the sacred law of reality that A should follow B.

+++

"H-h-h-h-ey! This-is-is ma-ma-ma-kes ma-ma-ah vi-vi-oice s-s-sound sil-il-ily!" Apple Pie entire body quivered.

+++

"I-I-I ha-ha-ha-hate h-h-how th-i-i-s m-m-makes m-m-my v-v-voice s-s-sound!" Angry Pie grumbled.

+++

"Another air-quake?!" The breezie who had chosen the name 'Chu' shouted.

The breezie next to her who had taken the name 'Kai' responded, "No, this, this feels like an Everything-Quake!"

+++

"Mommy? Why is the entire planet below shaking? Why is our ocean shaking?" Waterflower the seapony asked her mother.

Ocean Heart shook her head casually, "I have no idea honey, but I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. Master's Six Heroes will take care of it. Now let's get back to showing you know to make Zap-SeaApple-Pie."

"Okay, Mommy!"

+++

Discord looked over as two symbols manifested on the ceiling and the floor. The ceiling was a bleeding red spell-circle with a symbol within that appeared as whatever its viewer feared the most, the floor was a pitch black eye with a single vortex in its center like a black hole.

"This is new...I like it!"

A garish mix of orchestra and rock music echoed through the throne room.

Hellfire and Arctic winds erupted from the ceiling and floor symbols at the same time, clashing together, dragging up the bony form of a draconequus skeleton.

Black rain began to fall up from the floor symbol, burning the ceiling as it hit, but sticking to the skeleton, slowly forming flesh, tissue, and skin from the bottom up. Hellfire belched from the mouth and nose, the light of existence within the shadow.

The draconequus opened her eyes as she stood silhouetted in the midst of the hellish flames, ice and shadows spreading out from her hands and shattering to form her weapon which she used to disperse the flames and arctic wind to and reveal her true form to those standing before her.

Front paw of a Tasmanian wolf and claw of a moa. Rear hoof of a kouprey and rear paw of a sabertooth tiger. Her tail was a shark's.

She had the build and stature of a draconequus having just hit puberty.

She had an ear piercing and a black t-shirt saying 'The Rockin' Beats Rock' that she tossed off. She held a black spear that seemed to eat at the warmth around it that was a about one head taller than her. On the blunt end was a little pink ribbon with the keychain-sized skull of something equine. Her mane style, was decidedly tomboyish. It reminded Discord of when Pandora had gone through that 'lion tail' phase for a few billion years before going back to her fox tail.

"Ah, bugger," The Valeyard swore.

"There's more than ONE?!" Angry Pie hissed.

Dash just stared dumbly.

Fluttercruel looked in awe like a moth to the flame.

(Who is this?!)

"I am Rancor Adrestia Typhon, Animosity. All behold me, and give into your passions! Your rages! Your lusts! Your dramas! Bring forth the blood of all who have wronged you upon my altar!"

"I'm the only one who chooses the background music around here, girl!"

Discord snapped his finger, causing the music to needle scratch to a stop.

The teenage draconequus turned around and put her front limbs on her hips, "Ah come on! I was just trying to have some fun!"

"Let's see... music, I'd give a nine, the entrance an eight, but the speech I'd have to say a seven. Would've been more ominous without the shirt, but I appreciate the randomness."

"Who asked you?!"

"So just who are you?"

"Didn't you hear the speech?"

"I might have been checking my email."

"Ugh! I'm Rancor! Spirit of passions, violence, and revenge, AND ... your new little sister! You know after everything I heard about you I thought you'd be taller."

"I slouch. And! The Rockin' Beats didn't have a good album for a year before their civilization was destroyed!"

"By Destruction's power."

"Yes, Destruction's power."

" ... that is so hot." She looked around, "Soooo, who are all these guys?"

"We were in the middle of something, thank you for interrupting. Mind filling us in on what you're doing here, runt?"

"If you must know, Mom and Dad wanted me to 'grow up' and thought you'd be a great way to get it done. You know, I'm disappointed you didn't show up for my hatching."

"I must have misplaced the invite."

"Soooo, what do you guys do for fun around here? Dad's idea of fun-bonding-time is us two watching terrified mortals, and me walking among'em. Dad says it builds character." She summoned up a pile of luggage full of useless junk and tossed them to the side causing the room to shake. "I won't be staying that long, but best to be prepared, ya know?"

"DISCORD HAS PARENTS?!" Dash and Angry Pie exclaimed at the same time.

"Yeah, what's it to you?" Rancor turned towards the ponies like they were petty annoyances.

RD's eyes became small. "Nothing."

"EVERYTHING! Who do you think you are? Dropping in like this?! You've got a lot of nerve!" Discord glued Angry Pie's hooves to the floor.

"Is the pink tough-girl always like this?" Rancor asked.

"Meh, more or less. She was really fun, once upon a time."

"Actually, I don't think she's that bad, Dissy..." Rancor said, "I think she's kind of cute."

"Hey don't call me 'Dissey' in front of my minions!"

Rancor chuckled. "Just pulling your chain, brother."

Rancor looked to Dash and Angry Pie. "If you must know, yes, we have Parents, and three siblings, to boot. It's just most of us are too busy doing our jobs to come visit and Discord is the only one who's really interested in conquering the mortal world. It's his scene, not ours. Dad was going to drop me off, but He couldn't decide which Avatar to use."

"He had that lovely pony Avatar. What was wrong with that?"

"He couldn't decide if it wasn't scary anymore due to being an 'outdated model' or if that made it more disturbing," Rancor said with a straight face.

"Ah."

"He said hi though."

Fluttercruel fluttered up to her, awe and wonder in her voice. "So ... you're another Draconequus?"

"Yep! And you are?"

"Fluttercruel."

"REALLY?! You're Cruelty! Nice to finally meet you! Ya know, Dissey, everyequus is very cross you haven't introduced her to us yet! You have a responsibility you know."

"Bite me. YEOW! Okay! That was actually funny!"

"Thanks!"

"But stop calling me Dissey!"

"Nice weapon," Fluttercruel said looking at it with sparkles in her eyes.

"Thanks! Isn't it the coolest?"

"YES!"

"Teenagers," The Valeyard muttered under his breath.

Traitor Dash, Angry Pie, and Discord all found themselves nodding.

"So what can I do for you, big brother? Mom and Dad say I'm supposed to get on your good side. So I guess I'm here to help. But I am not getting you coffee."

"Well ... I did just have some minions betray me."

"And?"

"And I don't like it. No matter how many...how many times it happens. And we were just discussing how to take care of things."

"Well," She tossed her spear in the air a few times, making it spin and catching it perfectly each time. She played with it on her fingers like a gymnastics baton as Fluttercruel watched with fan-girlish glee, "I guess I could take care of them for ya. I am revenge after all."

"NO!" Traitor Dash shouted, suddenly finding her nerve.

Everyone looked at her.

"Master! I-I-I-I-"

"Say it, Dashie," Discord said warmly, leaning in close.

"Let me."

"Let you what?"

"Let me do it."

"And what is 'it?'"

" ... . let me kill Twilight."

Discord leaned back, "Nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn-yes!" Discord laughed and clapped, "It's about time! Of course if you take too long I think I may think you're not up the challenge and just send somepony or someequus else to take care of her for you, of course if I do that, then you won't be able to-"

"I CAN DO IT! I SWEAR I CAN DO IT! JUST GIVE ME A CHANCE!"

"Oh really? Well if you're that sure."

"I AM I AM!"

"I am, what?"

"I am... Master!!"

Discord smirked. "Well then, don't hold back, just so there are no excuses if you fail. Accept the full, undiluted, unfiltered power of the Element of Treachery, accept the gifts of the Draconequi. You'll need it against three Elements of Chaos being wielded at full power."

"But where are they?!"

"Your an Element of Chaos too aren't you?"

Traitor Dash stared for a few seconds.

"FEEL for them! The Elements have a... magnetism to each other! Drawn to fate and all that baloney! In the name of Entropy, The-Anti-Mother Of All That Is, get your flank in gear! I'll keep our deal, I swear to Entropy."

"You can trust 'em," Rancor said, relaxing her spear behind her head. "The last ___ who promised on Mom's name and didn't keep their end...well, even if you knew who __ was, you wouldn't remember now."

Discord turned on the wide screen TV, showing Traitor Dash flying. "Who wants popcorn?! Rancor, you can have the rabbit mcnuggets. Valeyard, you get the pears. Rancor, you like exploding chocolate milk?"

"I prefer exploding strawberry milk." She blushed, "It is NOT fru-fru!"

"Of course it isn't."

++++++

And all at once, the moon and sun changed ... to dusk and dawn. Panic and confusion spread among ponies and creatures all over the globe at this strange change to the world, their precious few constants. They had never seen twilight.

"Half-Light!" Apple Pie gasped bewildered and scared at the sky, "What is it-?!"

The purple unicorn narrowed her eyes, pulling Apple Pie closer to comfort her, "It's a message. From Discord. He knows."

++++

I flew like lightning, 'Just feel them huh?' Even harder than it sounded.

I had to fight them first before any of the others could do the deed. If they fought Twilight first and won, there was no hope this world left, it would be completely doomed, and I'd have thrown away its one chance to be saved.

I wouldn't let Discord steal it away from me. I wouldn't! I had waited too long, and hesitated and let ponies suffer too much! I felt sick at myself again if I was going to do this, I should have done this from the start.

But, that was how things worked out...

I remembered the night I had last seen Derpy.

Why, why did I have to be tortured like that? ... Right, because I've earned it.

"Rainbow Dash! You don't need to run away anymore!"

"Just leave me alone Scootaloo!" I screamed at the ghost. It had to be a ghost, why else would she look like a filly but have her cutie mark?

"Dash! Just stop! This can all just stop!" She pleaded. "It isn't over!"

"Yes it is! Discord's won! The Elements of Harmony are gone! The Princesses are gone! And I-- And I have too blood on my stinking hooves for any of it to matter! I'm a monster!"

Scootaloo smiled at me fluttering in front of me when she had been behind me a second ago. "But you don't have to be! The Elements are still there! You and the world can be saved!"

I howled through my tears, "THERE IS NO SALVATION FOR A PONY LIKE ME!"

I had no idea where I was going, so I just let my gut instincts guide me.

Scootaloo had made more sense before she died. I was a sack of sewage in pony skin and everypony knew it. Scootaloo had been right when she hated me, I was just Discord's dog.

I looked back, I kept feeling like she was still following me...Please, just let her leave me alone I...I don't deserve her cheering me on anymore. Calling me a monster when... when I killed her hurt less!

I deserve to disappear.

No matter what choice I made it benefited Master. No matter what choice I made, I always hurt my friends.

Master said I could either do what he wanted, or he could rip the Element of Treachery out of me and stab it into Scootaloo's chest instead.

A small flock of Griffins and Pegasi to keep me busy while the rest fled for their sanity into the desert and badlands I could have handled easy peasy.

"I told you to find other 'cool' friends Gilda."

Master never had an army, he never needed one, he had me to do his dirty work.

With how much we both loved to hear ourselves talk, you think awkward silence would be the last thing we'd have. I barely noticed Gilda's colors were dulled.

Gilda shrugged, "I did... other pegasi. How screwed up is that?"

"And?"

"And that bucking chimera a-hole ... he . . I ... when I could think like me again... the blood was all over my beak and claws and I could taste-! Dash let's go! Just the two of us! Us together! We're all we've ever needed! We rock! You and me!"

The look in Gilda's eyes, it was manic yeah, but, desperate?

"I'm sorry Gilda, I can't."

"WHAT?! WHY! Those lame-os are screwing with your head! They're making you something you aren't! Can't you see they're buckin' brainwashing yous!? This isn't you!"

" ... Gilda. Haven't you heard?"

"Yeah, those dirty pegasi and other griffs lied and said you were working for that chimera freak-ass whose turned Equestria inside out. But I knew there was no way you'd hook up with a pyscho like that! You're too cool for that! That's why I said I'd keep ya busy! Cause I knew they were being stupid!"

"... Gilda, you, we were wrong, helping others, being part of a larger group of buddies, it doesn't have to be about a reward or showing off, and it makes ya feel bigger, not smaller... . And this is a dirty job Discord is gonna make somepony do no matter what, so it might as well not be whose next on his list or a bucker who'd like doing what he says."

"... What?" I don't think I'ver heard heard Gilda's voice be so small.

"I am Traitor Dash, Element of Treachery, I serve Master Discord."

"That joke wasn't funny Dash!"

"I'm not joking."

"What the Tartarus is wrong with you, Dash-?! Where's that kick-flank pony who was the only one ever cool enough to be my friend-?! She wasn't anypony's dog!"

"She's gone to the same place that tough-but-loyal griffin who stayed by me like a friend should likely went to. She wasn't a brute and a bully."

"WHY YOU!" Gilda roared, "We were two peas in a pod! You stupid ponies and your stupid butt tattoos! Think you're better than everyone else! Get a neon sign on your ass to tell you what you rock at! No doubts! No fears! No parents sayin' 'Stunt flying isn't what your meant for!' Your life handed to you in one neat package on your ass!

'The high and mighty pony all other species should aspire to!' Much better than the 'evil meat eaters!' Am I right?! Why else would you have a freakin' god holdin' your stupid hooves! Other species don't deserve it! 'Don't think like a griffin, don't think like a dragon, don't think like a donkey, think like a pony!' 'Praise be the pony, buck everyone else!'" She took a dive at me.

I blocked her claws with my hooves, "I'm SORRY Gilda!" I cried.

"Faker! Rainbow Dash doesn't snivel like a filly!! She'd bite it before rolling over and playing dead!"

Gilda, her image was more important than our friendship.

Would Discord think she made a better Element of Treachery than me? Would he crush her spirit and make her his slave instead? No! I couldn't, let that, happen, to her!

No matter what happens. I always hurt my friends.

I noticed the flock of Hippogriffs as they were waiting for me like a wall of hooves and claws. Inquisition wasn't with them. Had Twilight gotten them on her side already? "She's here! Get ready! Remember! I bet she can't regenerate if her pieces are dropped in quick-dry concrete! Remember Interrogation and Storm-Cracker!!"

"I'm sorry, but I don't have time for you guys right now!" I Sonic Darkboomed at the moment right before contact as they mobbed me, they scattered like leafs.

Changelings came at me from every possible direction like I was in a fast shrinking sphere of white insect-ponies shifting from the green camouflage color of the sky. "She might be immortal but she's just one pony!"

"AGH! NOT NOW!" Using pegasi magic I spun until I created a tornado, I was the only thing safe at the eye of the hurricane.

I flew up not caring how many survived or not, it wouldn't matter so long as I didn't fail, I couldn't dare fail.

"For the glory of Queen Tiamat! Smite the lapdog of evil!"

"Oh for the love-! GET OUT OF MY WAY~!!!"

The dragon didn't get to reply as I flew into his mouth generating a Sonic Darkboom.

The other two killing squads closed in behind me.

"Take her down or die trying!"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!!!" I howled, at the hippogriffs, dragons, dragons, Scootaloo, Discord, Gilda, Rainbow Dash, my memories. "LEAVE ME ALONE! ALL OF YOU! LEAVE ME THE BUCKING ALONE!"

I'm tired of this miserable joyless friendless empty coward's existence. I'm sick of angst, angst, angst, angst, whine.

I'll enter pony heaven through the gates of hell.

This is my redemption.

++++

I watched Apple Pie put her hoof on the boulder, commanding it to break and a split going right down the middle. Applejack patted her on the back.

"Yah got it, sugar cube, good job!"

"Thanks! Ah didn't know there was an easier way to bust rocks open!"

"Neither did Ah, until...well, lets say Ah just picked it up recently," she replied, looking a little sad before smiling proudly to Apple Pie.

Apple Pie had wanted to learn some Earth Pony magic as it was (we'd unfortunately...disturbed her previous attempts), and while it took some convincing on Applejack's part, she'd finally got Apple Pie to admit to learning the technique. I can't blame her for being confused, considering she'd spent her entire life kicking rocks apart with her bare hooves or having Cream Pie blow them up. Still, it was a useful skill...and she needed every one she could get.

The three of us had a thousand years of combat experience, and saved the world once before that, Spike was a mountain of muscle and bone with a strategic, intelligent mind controlling all that power (no offense to other dragons, but their fighting style typically boiled down to incineration and sheer brute force. The fact Spike was able to strategically apply his was a huge advantage), and even Derpy had apparently saved the world several times. Apple Pie had simply broken me free of Discord's brainwashing, which while very impressive still meant she was the rookie. We had to teach her whatever we could before we confronted Discord, and there was no telling just how much time we had until that moment. So the only solution we had was to use that time to give her a crash course in saving the world.

(You're already making her a child soldier.)

No...This isn't a weapon, it's a skill. One that could come in handy considering the palace is built from rock.

(Applejack used it to kill Tom, or have you forgotten?)

I...No, I haven't but...That's not all it's useful for, and what are the odds we'll even encounter someone else like him?

(You speak of "odds" in conjunction with Discord? You're so naive.)

...Wouldn't I be more naive if I thought she'd be able to magically convince Fluttershy, Pinkie, Rainbow, the Valeyard, and Discord to turn over a new leaf by sheer charisma? I just wish she could.

I look back while Applejack hugged Apple Pie close and praised her...

The unmistakable thunder of a Sonic Darkboom brought all our attention to the sky.

Derpy gasped. Spike mouth opened just a little silently. Rarity's eyes narrowed. Apple Pie took a hoof-step back the tiniest bit scared as AJ took a hoof step forward, eyes locked on the newcomer, not angry or intense, but sad. She quickly put an illusion around Apple Pie to hide her hopefully before she was noticed. The less Discord knew the better.

It was Traitor Dash. She had soot and feathers that weren't hers on spots over her body. She was panting hard, sweat dripped off her muzzle. Her wings flapped to keep her airborne and stationary above and ahead of us as the crow flies to Discord's castle.

"Dash?" I called out, hoping against hope that Rainbow Dash was back with us.

Traitor Dash called out, "Twilight! Please let me kill you!"

TO BE CONTINUED

Episode 87: (Shining Armor) noisufnoC-Confusion

Episode 87: (Shining Armor) noisufnoC-Confusion

Pony POV Series
Shining Armor Part 5
Written By lz0291
noisufnoC-Confusion
Edited by Alex Warlorn, Kendell2, And Louis Badalament.

I'd been left a little off-balance by the General-Admiral's outburst. Next to that, the rest of the party was very much an unmemorable affair. Which is my excuse for not remembering any of it... except that I really had a solid, real, and antlered reason to keep looking over my shoulder. It was less than three hours total but the whole night felt longer, forgettable or not.

The mood of the night was rather tense for us Equestrians. The Hooviets had not invited official representatives of the host nation. Rather, they instead chose a select set of Columbian notables who were ideologically sympathetic to the Hooviets, or at least their propaganda mills. Makarov's big mouth had caused many a foreign dignitary to ask for confirmation about Cadence's newly-returned aunt. The only saving grace of the night was that the spy, at least, seemed to not have learned who we meant to tell first, or else the Columbian President and President-Elect would've already been present at Makarov's little shindig, to humiliate us further.

Gag had been sent off with our message to Shepard, and finally returned just near the planned end of the party. Bond managed to get my attention, and that of Cadence and our Ambassador.

"Is this about the message you sent?" she guessed.

"Actually, yes. We've been informed that Canterlot will be sending us some more information on Makarov. I knew of him before but the information was... abbreviated." Bond replied.

"And what did you know?" I asked.

In reply, Bond's horn glowed briefly with a spell I'd been trained to recognize; just in case. A selective silence spell. Complicated both to pull off and keep going, but it basically meant that to anyone outside those participating in the conversation, our words came out a few seconds later. In those few seconds, the caster could censor a word, usually rendering it silent, or into gibberish. It's of Neighponese origin, so most casters wind up learning to have the Neighponese vowel pronunciation of La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo replace words or phrases they wish to conceal. More skilled users can have words replaced by the minds of the other listeners, causing confusion as multiple ears hear multiple possible phrases. That last version didn't work so well if it was focused on just one person who already knew what you were talking about.

"Four is about my limit for this spell, and I can't hold it too long," Bond cautioned me. "Basically, all I know is pretty all you now know, bar a few extra details. Makarov's name cropped up in a very recent report investigating an old accident at Chernobull Magic Research Facility, in the south of the Hooviet Empire."

This unfortunately bewildered poor old Private Running Gag, as the pegasus was kept out of the loop.

"The La-li-lu-le what? In the Seek Park Boating Lake? Commander Bond, are you all right?"

And none of us explained it to him.

"Wasn't the south devastated in the Dragon War?" Cadence asked.

"What earthquake?!"

Tee hee.

...Oh, don't give me those looks, he gave as good as he got with gags based on the gibberish later. You don't want to know.

"It was, yes. Construction of the facility was done under the cover of the rebuilding effort. We're unsure when it actually took place but we only recently learned any details of the incident. Makarov is often mentioned in connection to the site."

"How is he connected?"

"His name appears on the personnel roster, but that's it. No details of his duties or how long he stayed there, nothing."

For somedeer with such a sky-high ego, claiming to be the MOST important solider in the Hooviet army, you think we'd have trouble not finding out things about him.

"We've not got much information on him that hasn't come from the Hooviets themselves, apart from that. As a result, Canterlot will be sending a specialist unit under the command of Captain Baseplate to observe Makarov up close..."

"Auntie's sending spies?" Cadence raised a brow.

"They're not spies as such, Cadence, just a sort of reconnaissance unit. But I didn't know they were active yet."

"Neither did I. But they are. Oh, and by the way, they're also trying to find the source of the leak in Canterlot but they've asked us to look into our own personnel, in case it was someone here," Bond replied, and dropped his spell.

"So... What does that mean, basically? What will all this mean?" Cadence asked.

"Well, to sum up our current situation: Makarov has announced Princess Luna to the world before us, Shining Armor has managed to get caught up in a diplomatic incident because he had no idea who Makarov was, we've now got a unit coming that I can't actually plausibly deny the presence of, the President and President-elect are going to be extremely annoyed when they learn of all this, and I think the Prench Ambassador has had too much salt to drink."

"Votre Altesse, vous avez des ailes magnifique!" A nearby Prench-accented voice giggled in French.

No, I have no idea why the language and the cultural stuff like haute couture and cuisine is 'French' but the country and the nationality is 'Prance.' Some sort of shared culture with a few other nations. I don't even speak any Prench. Er, French.

"...Yup, he's drunk. Though you do have very pretty wings, Your Highness," Gag noted, making a pretty random compliment.

I suppose he was trying to calm her down a little as she'd been on edge all night. Then again, we all had.

(Interviewer's Notes: (Pegasus): Did you ever learn what the Prench ambassador actually said?)

Nope, wasn't important, and besides, he was apparently so drunk his grammar was all over the place. For all I know it wasn't even a coherent sentence. Gag actually has a gift for languages as well as bad jokes, so I'd have asked him if I felt it mattered.

(Interviewer's Notes: (Earth Pony): Oh! I know what he said, he said-umph!)

(Interviewer's Notes: (Unicorn): No need to share, dearie It was unimportant.)

"You should have heard him talking about the Alexandrian Ambassador's tail feathers. And that was when he was sober," Lady Warm Greetings said with an amused smile.

"As entertaining as a drunken Prenchstallion's compliments might be, what relevance does that have to our situation, Lady Ambassador?" Cadence blushed, keeping her voice as mechanically formal as possible.

"Well, he'll be a decent distraction when he stumbles into that table..."

One clatter later, a surprisingly-amused Makarov accepted the Prench Ambassador's drunken apology and then used it as an excuse to draw the party to a close with a mind-numbly boring speech that I got clinical permission to have erased from my memory! All I can remember of it now is Cadence mumbling, "Why did I cheer at that?"

The Equestrian party regrouped, though Thunderchild took Gag aside for a reminder on 'tact' and wing-size jokes not being universal clean humor as we headed for the carriage. The squad decided to go on the roof, to give a little more room inside (and so Thunderchild could stretch his wings a little).

On board, Bond spoke up again.

"I've asked for Squadron Commander Lord Flashheart to have someone bring the messages from Canterlot over as soon as they arrive. Hopefully they'll also send those personal letters that were promised and I've asked for more clarification on the other matter."

"Er, Lord Flashheart was aboard?" I asked.

"Well, yes. Didn't you review the personnel files?"

"Um..." I said.

Bond sighed.

"Private Gag, can you take a message to Commander Shepard to have a copy of those files sent over for Commander Sparkle?"

"Cheer up, Shiney, you'll have plenty to read at night!" Cadence noted.

"But none of it's about Hoofball," I joked.

All the documents got back to the embassy before us, it turned out. I had hoped to look over the information on Makarov, the files, and all that when a chance presented itself later. But Princess Celestia and Twilight had indeed sent the more personal letters. The blowhard could wait. I won't repeat exactly what the files said, but Cadence wanted to speak to me about ten minutes later, and by midnight I had to remind her to go to bed since she was meant to be up at eight. And given what I'd read I found myself a bit restless.

Princess Celestia's letter was informal but also informative. Cadence had got the truly personal one for obvious reasons, but Celestia's words to me felt like virtually any time she spoke openly, not as a regent or a commander. I'll admit I was a little disappointed she'd trusted me with Cadence's security, but not with the truth of the matter of Nightmare Moon, nor with what she had expected to happen. But her explanations confirmed things I'd suspected. Suppose Cadence and I had known of Nightmare Moon's arrival in advance? A new Alicorn present would certainly have ended with Cadence sealed away somewhere and Luna buried even deeper in her hate and jealousy.

Twilight's letter, however was... unusual. When she sent letters to me before, they were always very formally written, usually dictated to Spike. But she'd obviously horn-wrote this herself and I had the impression she was excited and proud as she wrote. Her personal penmareship was a distinctive cursive, elegant but practical.

On this letter it looked like she'd hurled the words onto the page. Run-on sentences, spelling errors, evidence she was more concerned about getting the message out than scripting flawless prose. I can't remember when Twiley was this joyful. She'd also enclosed a small photo of herself and five other mares. Her in the middle, surrounded by her new friends, elated and excited. Not a trace of having fought an Alicorn, no post-traumatic stress. In fact, she looked the happiest she'd been in a long while. I'm not saying she was unhappy or indifferent before, but there was just this new spark to her.

Because I was feeling restless, though, I figured I would take a quick glance at the files before nodding off.

I realized the error of my ways when the alarm clock radio blared into life at five thirty in the middle of a song.

"...Then put your little hoof in mine, there ain't no hill or mountain we can't climb..."

Mysteriously, the radio then flew out of the window. It was certainly not because I was startled and blasted it with magic. Must have been an Earthquake.

...None of you believe me, do you?

(Interviewer's Notes: (Pegasus): Nope.)

"...Uh oh."

Cue me quickly getting ready. At least, that was the plan until, less than a minute later, there came a knock at the door.

"Are you all right in there, Sir? I heard a crash."

I opened the door to find a Griffin Marine standing behind Thunderchild, along with Private Audience. The Griffin and the Unicorn both held spriling-pistols at the ready but not aimed.

(Interviewer's Notes: (Earth Pony): What's a spriling pistol?)

It's a type of spring-powered slingshot pistol, used because they're small and have a decent capacity of sling-bullets even if they are short ranged and quite weak. While some unicorns' magic can copy the same effect, the spriling could be used by anyone and lacked the recoil of larger weapons, making them more practical. The name, of course, is a portmanteau of 'spring' and 'sling.'

"No problem, Sergeant, just, er... Small mishap opening the window."

The Marine and Audience holstered their weapons and left. Thunderchild invited himself in.

"Were you up all night, Sir?"

"How did you... No. No I wasn't," I attempted.

"You're wearing last night's uniform, Sir."

"...Okay, I was restless after that letter and I started reading the files."

"I see. So it is genetic."

I wondered how much mana a forcefield would need to squeeze him through a tiny porthole.

"Er, I mean, did you learn anything, Captain Sparkle?"

"Just the schedule we have planned for the rest of our stay here, that for some reason Minuette is listed in our roster twice, and once as a pegasus, and Sunset isn't mentioned at all so I think they've botched the file there a bit, that the Dreadnought is captained by a Commander Sisko while Falcon is under command of Commander Solo, both of whom share the same rank as Commander Shepard but are junior to her, while Enterprise has a Lieutenant Commander Archer in charge. And not really a lot about Grand-Poobah Makarov, which was just plain confusing. Also, I noticed that Ace Rimmer flies one of the Patrol Craft on Invincible and I had no idea he or The Lord Flashheart were aboard. Lastly, some of the names seem a bit... odd."

"Odd, sir?"

"Well, like... Lance-Corporal Alleyne. She's from Detrot, her whole family lived there for generations, yet she's got a name of Germaneic or Haywaiian origin."

"Some parents like exotic names. I once dated a filly called Sarah when I was at flight school. I also knew a colt and filly named Link and Saria."

"Maybe, but... I can't help but think it's something we might want to double-check for the leak now, if only to prevent a real witch-hunt later."

"I see, sir. Well, Sunset was saying she wanted to go over to the entourage ships to check for a spell book for the Princess, actually. I was going to ask you which squad should go with her."

"Misfit one-two. Corporal Dunn's team. In fact I'll go over with them, I'll take a look at the library."

Of course, I really went to see if any progress had been made, finding our leak. I'd considered Sergeant Reinold's team in order to speak to Alleyne, but I'd recalled that the Sergeant and his Lance-Corporal shared a very close relationship. They were what you could call 'platonic life partners.'

"Okay, Sir, though you'll want to be back before seven when the Princess wakes."

"I recall she wanted to be up at eight. Why seven?"

"Because the President of Columbia has moved his meeting with her an hour forward to oh-eight thirty at the Executive Nest. Oh, and the President-elect will be attending as well."

"Thunderchild?"

"Yes, Sir?"

"That was important."

"Yes, Sir."

"You should probably have told me that bit first."

"Probably, Sir."

"Is there anything else?"

"The President-elect's chief of staff, a Mr. Lygriff, would like to speak to you while he and the President meet the Princess. Oh, and the Presidential Marshals also want to speak to you and the Princess before we head to meet the President."

"Okay. I want you to try and find out things about this Lygriff fellow. Can't risk HIM exploding in my face because I didn't read his file."

"Fair enough." A new voice said. "Ah'll start by telling you what Ah already know. Lygriff was the Deputy Chief of Staff under the previous president for the last eight years, then got bumped up because the old Chief of Staff, Garry McLeo, was gonna be the Vice-President. Sadly, McLeo passed away before the election was won. Lygriff was close to his old boss so commiserations on that front might help 'em keep a lid on it, and Ah've also been asked to tell ya kindly the old President is the Zebra an' the new one is the Unicorn."

"...Lance-Corporal Apple?"

"Yes, Sir?"

"Did you just say that this Griffin nation has been led by a Zebra for the last eight years and has just elected a Unicorn as the new leader?"

You'd think after meeting a deer/unicorn hybrid holding the highest military seat in an empire dedicated to putting all non-deer under its hoof, I'd learn to be less surprised.

"Uh, yes, Sir. In fact the previous president eight years ago was a minotaur. Before that, it was a Griffin though. And before ya ask, Mister Lygriff is a Griffin but his deputy, Mister Airborne, is a Pegasus if ya run into them both."

I sighed, and shelved the files. While it was a triumph for racial equality, I think I can understand why most of the other Griffin clans think Columbian Griffins are insane.

"I'm going to need pictures and a reference book of all these names and faces, aren't I?"

"Yes, sir. Speaking of pictures, though, sir, did Twilight send that with her letter?" Thunderchild asked, nodding at the photo.

"Oh hey, that's mah cousin AJ there. Don't know the other two, but the pink one is Pinkie Pie, met her when Ah visited Ponyville once when Ah was younger, and that there yellow pegasus is the one Ah saw talkin' to Twilight," Lance-Corporal Apple noted.

"That's Fluttershy," I said absentmindedly.

"Permission to write to her, Sir?" Thunderchild asked.

"...Why?"

"Because she's cute."

"There's over seventy female crew members on Invincible alone, and more still on the other ships, not to mention five in the platoon itself. Maybe you should speak to them rather than trying to send letters to Twilight's new friends, Thunderchild," I pointed out.

"But sir, I'm in love," Thunderchild whined, looking at me with puppy-dog eyes. I remained unmoved.

The two of them left, leaving me a brief moment of peace.

Unfortunately, as I'd been up all night, it meant the day technically continued to get worse. Breakfast was not on the menu yet (again), so I made do with toast and tea. One of the ship's shuttles flew us out to the flotilla, and though they understood I wanted to take a look at the library, Dunn and his small team seemed a little nervous at first to have their commanding officer ride along for such a basic task, but they seemed to relax eventually. Mactavish even took a chance for a nap on the flight with permission, as the mechanics of getting an airship from the embassy at one end of the city to the docks at the other were complicated.

There was a lot more air traffic in the early morning, and even later when things were quieter, routes had to be followed as well as instructions from signs, signals, and the like. Mostly hanging off buildings, but the flight regulations prohibited the shuttles from zooming over the rivers except in an emergency - the police and military preferred the skies over the waters to allow larger shipping to move freely.

(Interviewer (Unicorn): Sorry to interrupt, but why did you take the time to mentally catalog so much information about the foreign nations you visited? You don't seem like the type to retain so much minutia.)

Well, it's not everyday you get to see the world outside Equestria's borders! On top of that, I could be of greater benefit to Cadence, and my country as a whole, the more I knew about foreign lands. Also, I wanted to impress Twilight when I got back home. What? My sister is Celestia's personal student, impressing her with knowledge is quite a feat!

The pilot, a Pilot Officer called Washburn, distracted us most of the trip by rambling on about why pilots and the folks that actually flew the airships had different rank titles from the folks that merely crewed and commanded them. Strangely, three of the passengers were Unicorns (Dunn, Myself, and Lance-Corporal Mactavish) whilst the rest (Privates Ranger and Baldrick, plus Sunset) were Pegasi. Washburn and his co-pilot River were both Earth Ponies.

The three Pegasi seemed to be bored of having to ride on a small airship rather than fly by themselves, doubly so given what I just mentioned, but I was a little too busy not getting bored to sleep by Washburn. And I hadn't done that good a job of it...

As I watched the dejected ponies leaving the home end of the Castle of the Damned... er, which is to say... White Hoof Lane, I turned to my commanding officer.

"Sir, I have a question. When Command decided that Princess Celestia accepting the invite by Trottenham to attend the match meant we'd need extra security here, how did..."

"Your name get on the list? Oh, come on, Shining, you're a hoofball fan. Surely you enjoyed the chance to see a game while working?" Captain Sharpe said with his strong Yokeshire accent.

"Well, yes, sir, but..."

I made sure the passing group of dejected stallions in white shirts would not overhear.

"...But there was only one team on the pitch today, and they were Itallion. And should never have been here because we would have won if the ref hadn't lost a contact lens!"

Captain Sharpe simply laughed, but quietly.

"Oh, Lieutenant, sometimes I envy Equestrian Premier League supporters like you. Not Maresenal this year, of course, since you did get hammered early on in this competition..."

"Unfairly! Sir!" I protested.

"...But you lot at least get to play in tournaments like this. Sheffoald United never gets a sniff of it. We barely even get domestic glory when it's there for the taking. In fact, who so unceremoniously knocked my hometown colthood team out of the Hoofball Association Trophy in last week's semifinals?"

"Er, Marsenal, sir, but... Oh. You put my name forward for the detail today, didn't you?"

"Yes," The Sheffoald native said without a trace of the massive grin he wanted to wear.

I groaned.

"Was I really that drunk, sir?"

"Oh yes, cheerfully so, Shining. And the way you tried to learn a fireworks spell to shoot 'Maresenal for the Cup' into the sky was very amusing..."

"Would it help if I said sorry?"

"...Probably not needed. Marechester United are going to tear you to shreds in the final anyway. We'd have stood no chance."

A small jolt of turbulence or whatever shook me awake. I'd only been out for a few moments at most. Nopony noticed, or at least, nopony commented. Mactavish still snoozed away.

"...And so, because the Navy and Air Force were merged with the rise of airships, heh-heh, the Navy having been mostly Earth Ponies with Unicorn officers, and the air force being pegasus units with unicorn ground commanders, it was decided that the air force ranks should be kept for the lying compliments, i.e., the pilots of the ships, and formerly the pegasus guards that almost replaced the naval cavalry. So I'm a pilot officer, but if I was working any other job other than navigation or helmspony on the ship, I'd be an Ensign but if I were in your unit I'd be a Second Lieutenant..."

He seemed to be trying to impress me, I think. Or Sunset. I'm not sure. I imagine her brain had shut down since she was staring off into space. It was all rather immaterial, in the grand scheme of things, as less than a month later he would begin a relationship with a female unicorn in Sergeant Reinold's team: Lance-Corporal Alleyne.

We shook Mactavish awake as we neared the flotilla.

"Huh... I was dreaming about drinking a vanilla milkshake... Does that mean anything?" He mused.

No one gave a reply, but I felt a little envy that apparently he'd had a more interesting dream. I hoped to find some good tea or something else to stay awake on the ship, and in a pinch something as sugary as a milkshake should do it. Almost certainly not banana-flavored though. Bananas are bad luck aboard Equestrian ships. It'd be vanilla, hay, strawberry, or chocolate...

Fortunately, it turned out Commander Shepard kept a good supply of extra-strong coffee on hoof when I met her. Coffee is not my favored drink, but it certainly keeps you alert. Sadly, there was little news, though they were quick to start fixing the files once the two Minutettes issue was brought to their attention. I'd hoped to take an actual look at the ship's library, but unfortunately, I was distracted by strange sounds from a stairwell leading to the top deck.

"How long have you been working for them?!" A male voice demanded.

"Huh? I work for the Princess! There's no 'Them!' Not unless Princess Cadence start using the Royal We!" A familiar female voice replied in confusion.

I stood for a puzzled second and was considering going up to look when
there was another question.

"You know what I mean! How many other spies are there in Canterlot?!"

"What? Look, I really don't know what you're talking abo-"

The female voice was interrupted by a scream. I raced up the stairwell, seeing a group of ponies off some distance away from the entrance - the voices carried even better out here than they had below the stairs. Two Naval Cavalry were reacting with surprise at what a third was doing - Dangling a blue-purple pegasus with an orange mane over the edge of the deck, held in the grip of magic that pinned her wings to her side.

"Help! Somepony help!" Sunset was screaming, instinctively trying to spread her wings against the spell, but even over her cries I heard the other three.

"Eager, what the heck are you doing?!"

"How are you getting the information to the Hooviets? How did you manage to infiltrate the diplomatic party? Do they plan to attack the Princesses?!"

Sunset's only replies were screams for her mother and Celestia, as she stared at the ground so far, far, below with no clouds to catch her. I was running, but the unicorn was shaking her. Even as I was trying to reach out and grab her myself, a flash of white and gold shot out from another nearby door, slamming into the trio. The spell shattered and Sunset flapped her wings in alarm and tried to bolt for the door only to slam into two other guards coming up the stairs.

"Ranger, stand down!" Lance-Corporal Mactavish shouted, using his magic to pull the pegasus in question off the Naval Cavalry unicorn.

Said unicorn tried to get up and charge until his two comrades grabbed
him, and I spoke up.

"All right, explain what's going on here, now!" I shouted, leveling the
most intense glare as I could.

Instantly, the whole crowd froze, like a picture had been taken. None of them had known I was there, it seemed.

"Break it up! You, get off him, my troopers to one side, Naval to the other, and wait there please, Sunset."

The whole group obeyed. I moved to stand beside the now-shaking Sunset, who looked around at all the troopers with wide, fearful eyes.

"It's okay, I'll figure out what's going on here, ma'am," I reassured the hoofmaiden but she still wobbled like jelly.

I studied the six in question. In my trio of troopers, Lance-Corporal Mactavish and Private Baldrick standing in a way that made it easy to hold back Private Ranger, the charging Pegasus. On the Naval side of it, two pegasi, one male and one female, with a male unicorn presently bleeding from a nose injury. The bleeding one was a very large and solidly-built fellow: as big as an Earth Pony that's farmed the fields since he could walk.

"Alright, who is in charge of you Naval Cavalry?"

"M-me, sir..." Another Pegasus, with Leading Seapony markings...

(Interviewer's Notes: (Pegasus): ...Seapony?)

With respect, this is hardly the best point in the narrative for that sort of observation, ma'am. We can come back to it later if you really feel such a need.

Anyway, the pegasus stammered in surprise at my command.

"How would you get Master Chief Petty Officer Spartan here?"

"There's... intercoms around the ship, Sir, I could request he come..."

"Do it, now! And now, I want to know what's happening here! And it better be a darned good explanation unless somepony wants to be court-marshaled!"

All at once, the soldiers and Sunset tried to speak. I groaned, and raised my voice again.

"Not all at once! And Leading Seapony, get on with summoning the Master Chief, or do you think I just woke up one day and put on this officer's armor because I liked the plumes?!"

I lowered it to speak to the quivering pegasus beside me as the Leading Seapony went over and nervously squeaked into an intercom.

"Sunset, you explain first."

"They think I'm a spy!" She pointed at the Naval troopers. "I'm not a spy! Wait! Isn't that what spies always say? Oh Celestia!" She wrapped her wings around herself as the poor mare dug herself in deeper.

"Maybe a little more information than that, please?"

"I-I was looking in the library for a spellbook that Princess Cadence wanted, and the officer at the desk said spellbooks would probably be on Enterprise and I'd need an escort to go over so I went to look for your troopers but those three said they'd take me and led me up here and started asking questions and I got nervous. Then that one cast some spell and I couldn't move my wings and then they dangled me over the railings and called me a spy!"

"Is that true?" I barked at the naval troopers.

"Yes, it is!" the Leading Seapony said. " We never found her name on the files of staff and soldiers in the Princess' party, and we decided to confront her over it. But this idiot took it too far!"

"Did you try and stop him?"

"Before we could, your guy charged into the lot of us! We're lucky she's a Pegasus because none of us could have grabbed her once the spell broke from him charging," The female pegasus Naval Cavalrymare said.

"I presume 'my guy' is Private Ranger?" I confronted my own troopers.

"Yes sir. I'm afraid neither myself nor Private Baldrick saw it very well. We only heard a scream and by the time we'd caught up with Ranger, he'd already conducted his charge."

That was true from what I'd seen, of course. But there was a long way to go in figuring out what had happened and what I saw could be irrelevant, especially if the stories changed...

I looked at my Lance-Corporal, and the higher-ranked Naval equivalent, the Leading Seapony. I hear hoofsteps nearing, but was slightly dismayed to note it was only Corporal Dunn.

"Uh, what's going on here?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out, Corporal. So far it seems that Lance-Corporal Mactavish lost control of a junior trooper, and meanwhile, our Naval Cavalry colleagues also jumped the gun and lost control of themselves."

"Uh, sir, in your Lance-Corporal's defense he did actually grab Private Ranger and stop the fight..."

"Quit helping the enemy, Seaspray!" The unicorn finally spoke.

"Enemy?" A new voice asked.

Master Chief Spartan turned out to have been following Dunn. I'm not sure but I think everyone up there jumped out of their skins when he spoke suddenly.

(Interviewer's Notes: (Pegasus): How can you not be sure?)

I was too busy jumping out of my skin to pay attention to everyone else.

"Seapony Beaver, we're almost certainly going to discuss this in more detail in private, but I never want to hear you or any other Naval Cavalry trooper refer to fellow Royal Guardsponies as 'the enemy' ever again. Are we clear?"

"Y-Yes, Chief." The brash unicorn visibly deflated.

"Anyway, Captain, you seem to be first on the scene. Please continue, sir."

"Thank you, Master Chief. So, Mactavish got Ranger under control, with Baldrick's help, while you three were recovering from being charged at. Am I correct in assuming Seapony Beaver tried to charge?"

"Yes..." Beaver said, looking a lot smaller.

"That's where I come in, shortly after you two grabbed him?"

The Naval Cavalry nodded.

"Okay. So, is it fair to say that you three thought she was a spy because she wasn't on the list and then got nervous when you began questioning her, and you therefore thought the rational response was to dangle her off the side of the airship after tying up her wings with a magic rope spell. One of my troopers, thinking that you were attacking a Hoofmaiden of the Princess for no good reason, jumped the gun and charged you all?"

"We'd hoped to just discuss it with her, sir, I've no idea what Beaver was doing. We were trying to stop him..." Seaspray protested.

"Master Chief, did you authorize any of these actions?"

The experienced NCO shook his head at me.

"No, sir, not like this. I did ask them to be watchful and vigilant, but I never told them outright to look for spies. I fear a few of my troopers might have let the excitement of all that's happening go to their head, unfortunately. I'll take steps to ensure that my troopers are more disciplined."

"Your unit is your business, Master Chief. Accordingly, I'm going to ask you to have someone investigate the conduct of your troopers and I'll get someone to investigate mine. A witch-hunt is the last thing we need. Dunn, take your unit back to the shuttle and wait for me. Ranger, you're off-duty pending this investigation, I want you to remain at the Embassy when we return there. I'll attach someone from Misfit One-Three to make up numbers on One-Two."

"You two, take Seapony Beaver to the brig. I'll be along presently to discuss the matter with all three of you," Master Chief then added.

The two groups then left, any angry remarks at each other out of earshot, though I'd later learn that Ranger began to worry he was in serious trouble and had got the others into it as well.

(Interviewer's Notes: (Unicorn): Was he?)

Master Chief summed it up a few moments later. He had asked Sunset for her side of it, before having some Naval crew take her to the mess to calm her down. She shook a little and look very relieved when Seapony Beaver was taken in the opposite direction. Pegasi aren't used to being scared of falling. Then he told me what he thought.

"As far as I can tell from what I've heard so far, sir, none of yours did anything all that wrong except maybe that Ranger rushed in without authorization... but I've no idea what got into Eager Beaver, for my part..."

"Wait, that's actually his name?"

"...Yes, sir. Anyway, like I said, I'm surprised Beaver got that riled up! I'll interview all my troopers on the matter personally, and keep you informed."

"Likewise, Master Chief. I'll speak to each of my troopers later myself and let you know what they say once things have more time to cool, though I do think Ranger's response is rather pardonable, on the whole."

"He hears a scream, sees three Naval Cavalry threatening a cute young mare... I'd call him a knight in you-know-what, but that may be less than appropriate, Captain Sparkle."

That did get me to laugh a little.

"The worst part is the spy is probably some faceless civil servant in Canterlot who stumbled on the intel, and now we're all looking over our shoulders at each other because of it..." I commented.

"Well, if part of their Hooviets' game was to make us paranoid, it worked. I'll get a lid on it as soon as I can and see about Commander Shepard ensuring the crewponies don't start spy-chasing themselves. If you like, Sir, I'll escort the Hoofmaiden myself, take her to the other ship and look for that book. I'll bring her back to the Embassy too. I bet right now a short flight will do wonders to clear her head."

It was at this point I noticed he was a Pegasus. Unusually for the Naval Cavalry, he always wore his helmet (and Naval Cavalry helmets all have horn-covers on them regardless of pony species, came in handy for misleading the enemy) so until he'd unfolded his wings out from his armor, I'd assumed he was either Earth Pony or Unicorn. I'd forgotten of course that Naval Cavalry, befitting the fact they were at a higher state of readiness, wore green medium combat armor, not light duty armor like my troopers.

"Thank you, Master Chief. I'll be making sure my troopers are on the ball themselves."

I therefore left Sunset in his capable hooves, and went back with my now-nervous troopers to the Embassy. The two of them walked with me, and Sunset did seem to perk up just at the idea of getting to fly. I, however... For some reason I could have sworn I heard a noise like an animal sniffing the air when we were in the corridors. Nothing was there, though, so I chalked it up to my sleep deprivation.

But if Sunset was cheered up from getting to spread her wings, my shuttle was very different. Everyone aboard except the pilot of the shuttle expecting to be shouted at some time today, because I was going to be meeting a possibly irate Columbian politician about the various screw-ups of the previous night.

(Interviewer's Notes: (Unicorn): Captain, before we continue, I've noticed that you didn't mention Sunset all that much before now, mostly in passing. Was there anything odd about her that would've maybe make those soldiers assume 'spy' instead of 'clerical error?')

Not really. As I say, Sunset was a blue-purple pegasus with an orange mane and tail, colors of a sunset sky. Hence her name. She had a cutie mark of a wing skimming over a treetop, and she explained later on that her talent was flying low and in tight areas, quite useful for a Hoofmaiden often sent to fetch things or to take messages around the castle. Could have been an air-acrobat. Visually, nothing about her really screamed 'spy!' at all.

Then again, at first glance of Sunset's personal history, she'd fit the 'profile' perfectly. Not many friends. No obvious enemies. Stays in the background, (although, in all fairness, her job demanded it as much as the role of a guard does!) A good worker but not an exceptional one, by any accounts.

Except that Cadence gets to know her hoofmaidens very personally. Sunset's friends were Cadence and the other hoofmaidens. Our background checks are even more thorough than the ones performed on our mail. And I know Cadence to be a good judge of character. It's part of what she is and who she is.
I'm sure she'd be able to tell the difference between a true friend and a fraud.

Ultimately, our crack investigation team tracked down the root of the problem. Sunset's name had been typed as 'Runset' on the list of on-ship profiles needed back in Canterlot before departure. When the poor intern couldn't find the profile for a pony who didn't exist, instead of daring to contradict his superior, he had simply taken her name off the list and Minuette's was added again by accident. In short, it was all because of a stupid typo! A pony had nearly been killed over a typo! Yes, I was ticked off. Sunset was a good pony, she was scared half to death by what happened.

(Interviewer's Notes: (Earth Pony): Yeah! It wasn't even like she had a spying cutie mark!)

Of course not. Do you know what an actual spying cutie mark looks like? No? Good, because there isn't one. Cutie Marks are strange things, but not only do I shudder to think how an adolescent pony might discover a special talent for spying but -- whatever unfathomable forces control how one's cutie mark actually manifests -- I doubt they'd advertise your special talent only to promptly make you useless at it. Spies don't 'look like' spies, basically, except in cheesy movies. Bond's cutie mark for example, isn't a compass rose or a spyglass like in theater, it's a radio.

(Interviewer's Notes: (Earth Pony): So how do cutie marks work in the military anyway? How do you find special talents for soldier stuff?)

Basically, most don't. Your talents are just likely to be useful. Military officers and NCO's above Corporal are usually career soldiers, with martial cutie marks about half the time. Most of the enlisted troopers below Corporal and the like, they're simply in the military to get a bit of experience so they have better shots at jobs using their true talents in civilian life or just to see Equestria beyond the town limits of, say, Savvaneigh or Ponyville.

Special talents are only sometimes used. Rarely is a special talent used all the time, like mine. For instance, there's little use in day-to-day soldiering for a Hoofball expert, or a tennis pro, but it does mean you get on the regimental teams pretty easily.

As for what happened next...

Upon return to the Embassy, I explained what had transpired to Thunderchild and the other hoofmaidens. The two of them were very concerned for their friend, but as it turned out she'd already shaken the whole thing off because she began rambling about 'amazing thermals' between the tall buildings, the second she was back. Thank Celestia. I'd been concerned she'd been traumatized for life. I mean... a pegasus saddled with acrophobia?

(Interviewer's Notes: (Pegasus): I shudder to think.

But Twinkleshine and Minuette seemed to think she still needed calming down, and they knew her better than me.

"Captain, can you please wake the Princess while we make sure Sunset is okay?" Minuette said, with puppy dog eyes. I could almost hear her say 'For real.'

"...Very well. Private Newcastle!" I said, noticing one of two female members of Sergeant Reinold's squad.

"Sir?"

"Newcastle, please wake the princess."

"Yes sir," the Zebra trooper replied.

And before any of your readers wonder? Rhyming Zebras aren't universal. I think it's a religious influence in some parts of Zebrafrica, and Private Newcastle's grandparents moved to Equestria from a part that did not rhyme. I think. It's not something I read a lot about. I'd know more when we actually visited there!

As for the very Equestrian name she has, well, her ancestral tribe named newborns after the first thing their father saw upon leaving the dwelling. Which was the recently built castle climbing frame in the playpark across the street. Her elder brother was very unfortunate, as the park was still being built, hence if you ever meet a Zebra called 'Construction Site'...

It would be when we were about to head to the Executive Nest, the Presidential residence, that I would see the peeved Hoofmaidens again. Cadence was by now very much awake, and gave me a small nod as she approached. Before we left though, we were to speak with Presidential Marshals Pierce, a bald eagle-type Griffin, and Kennedy, a Griffin who I felt had a rather strange mane style. Er, I mean, feather style. Long bangs, I think you'd call them.

"Good morning, Your Highness, I'm Special Agent Pierce. This is Special Agent Kennedy, he'll be one of your official Presidential Marshal escorts. The other agents will largely be under his command, but he will, of course, obey instructions where possible from your own guard detail."

"Pleased to meet you, Agents... Er, is that the right word?"

"It's as good a word as any, Your Highness." Kennedy told Cadence.

"I see. Apologies if I sound under-informed, but with regards to myself, what exactly will Agent Kennedy and his colleagues be doing?"

"Well, Princess, if there was to be any problem they would try and intercept it. Just a warning, if someone starts shooting they're prone to jumping onto you to provide cover," Pierce explained.

"Wait, Shining is my bodyguard, shouldn't he jump on top of me?" She said rather innocently.

There was some coughing and sputtering.

"...Sergeant, fetch yourself a glass of water. You too, Minuette," I instructed.
Was I blushing? Classified. Sorry.

"If he is so inclined to do so, ma'am, but he may not always be present. After all, there are some cloud-based areas you're set to visit," Pierce said in a monotone.

"Quite. Er, Sunset, did you get that cloud-walking spell?"

"Oh, er, yes, Your Highness. But with regards to the Captain, I think he has other things scheduled during most of your cloud-based visits, your Highness." Sunset explained.

"Ah. Anyway, I think we should head for the carriages now and make our way to the Executive Nest. We can't keep the President waiting," Cadence said.

I nodded agreement, and we made our way there, only for an embassy trooper to intercept me.

"Commander, can you come quickly to the communications room?" He asked after a quick salute.

"As long as it's the one in the embassy. Thunderchild, with me."

In a small room, I met the diplomat in charge of communications, a civil servant pegasus named Mister Signal. His room was very small, barely able to fit the three of us. The Embassy trooper left us.

Sadly, the embassy only ever received official mail, and post-onwards boxes always went to ships. Twilight would not be able to send letters to the embassy trying to get me or Cadence specifically unless Princess Celestia signed each one, and while she would do it, Twilight would likely not even consider it for fear of the problems the favoritism could cause or that Celestia had better things to do with her time. And Spike couldn't send them on either, anti-teleportation wards were around the embassy too.

"Commander, we've received some information that apparently, the press room over at the Executive Nest have been mistakenly given an incorrect file photograph of Princess Cadence this morning from us. It was supposed to be a headshot while sitting, but apparently, there was a camera accident as she stood up..."

"I'm not following the problem, here," I said, puzzled.

"Her head is not in the picture, Commander. She's... well, topless. The image should have been destroyed but was mislabeled and added to the press packs we sent out."

"Still not following the problem. So the pictures don't show her head, what's the big deal?"

"Well, sir, I think the problem is that instead of a picture of the Princess, the local press merely have a picture of her bottom," Thunderchild said.

"So we need to get one of her head to them instead," I said, dully.

"That as well, but her back may be all over the tabloid front pages, sir." Signal said.

This was when the penny dropped. We already had our hooves full, trying to defuse the scandal with Nightmare Moon. Having the local tabloids plaster Princess Cadence's bum over every front page would reduce her to an international laughingstock! Complaining would simply make it a bigger story. As a result Cadence would be constantly hounded, through every stop on the goodwill tour, by her own bottom.

Wait, that made a lot more sense at the time. Eh, I was half asleep.

"So... what do we do?" I asked.

"Canterlot wants you to take the correct pictures, and if possible, recover the rogue one. The press won't have them yet, but they'll be in the press officer's office. You'd have until ten AM, that's when the first press briefings take place usually. "

"I'll do what I can," I said, and we then moved towards the carriages, which by now were probably waiting for us.

"Plan A, explain to the Press Officer and ask nicely. Plan B... Audience?" I asked my Sergeant.

"Well, if you think he can do it, Sir..."

"You know he can if he has to, Thunderchild. Quiet word in his ear he might be needed."

"Very good, Sir. Take the pictures to you?"

"Ye-no. They'll be brought back to Signal to get them disposed of," I clarified.

"Probably for the best, Sir. I'm sure if you play your cards right you won't need a photograph."

"What the hay is that supposed to mean?" I asked, confused.

"The Hoofmaidens sung an amusing song when you left after delegating Private Newcastle to wake the princess."

"...Ignore them. It's probably a phase they're going through. Within a week I bet they'll think it'll be far more romantic that a Private should romance her," I opined.

"Actually, Sir, funny you should say that, reminds me of why the song was so amusing. Though I don't think they quite realized what they were saying when they sang 'so he sends his Privates to do the job for him'..."

Wide awake now. "What?!"

One amusing little note before we proceed. The journey out towards the President's residence took us past the edge of the city centre. Accordingly, Agent Kennedy drew our attention to a number of signs in the city as we made our way to the President.

"Song-and-Dance Numbers prohibited between Eight AM to Five PM Weekdays?"

The sign also showed an image of a goofy-looking pony with several eighth notes flying out of his open mouth. A large red X was drawn across him.

"...Traffic is often greatly impeded by spontaneous musical numbers erupting when Ponies become unusually enthusiastic about things. Especially in large crowds. While most Griffins can fly over the revelry, it still impedes cart traffic and greatly disrupts ground-bound pedestrians who aren't... vulnerable to those impulses. As a result, the LCPD have these restrictions in place during weekdays."

"How horrible!" Minuette squeaked.

"How intolerant!" Twinkleshine added.

"How unreasonable," the goddess of harmony and music responded on instinct.

"How wonderful..." I sighed.

I received some nasty looks from Cadence and her hoofmaidens, but it was worth it. I tried to enjoy the peace for as long as I could without falling asleep.

As we approached the Executive Nest -- a large white building in the eastern side of Liberty -- I must have been zoning out a little, as it took a nudge from Thunderchild for me to realize I was being addressed.

"She asked why you're to meet Lygriff," He quickly whispered.

"Ah, I'm not sure, Princess. I think it might be something to do with that incident earlier."

"What incident earlier?" She asked, puzzled.

"I mean last night, Your Highness, with that Hooviet bigwig?"

"Oh. Makarov. He's a strange one! I can't say I'd heard of him much either. The only Makarovs I know of were the House of Makarov, the former royal family of the Roedina before and during the first Civil War. Tsar Vladimir Makarov, Vladimir the Conqueror... apparently he lost a duel of Revolution Roulette against Nikolai Dante, a general of the House of Romanov. His death ended the war and ended the line of Makarov as a noble house," she noted in reply, looking in the distance.

I suspected this was nerves. After all, this was only the first full day of her trip in diplomatic terms, and she was about to have to explain to an ally why they'd been kept in the dark (no pun intended) about the late sunrise and the return of Princess Luna.

"That was over two hundred years ago though, Your Highness. When the Harmonists won the second civil war and deposed the Romanovs, they gave the noble family names to commoners, and I think 'Makarov' was revived in the city of Ivaneighvo. The Hooviets never took the names back after they won the third Civil War."

The hoofmaidens and Cadence stared at Private Audience in surprise.

"He reads," Gag quickly explained.

There was thankful silence from him as we passed near the Wingington monument, an obelisk spire. However, Minuette had a small coughing fit.
Not long after that we reached the Executive Nest. Fortunately, there wasn't a press presence that knew Cadence was meeting the President an hour early. Our meeting was technically to be held outside the residence proper, in the North Section, the Executive Offices. Still, these were the offices of a head of state, so it was naturally quite an elaborate place with marble, oak, and gold-feather decorations, as well as many paintings and the odd statue.

We were walked through the halls of the residence, and I spoke quietly to Cadence.

"Princess, Thunderchild and Gag will enter the room with you, while Audience and Apple will remain outside," I said.

"And you'll be meeting Lygriff?" She replied.

"Yes. And I think you should be a little less nervous, Cadence... Good luck with them."

Which naturally helped her towards being less nervous. Audience showing awareness of the history she referenced probably helped out a bit as well, but there had been enough time for her to start worrying again before we'd arrived.

"You too, Shining."

She was to meet the Presidents in the Lion Room, named for distantly related Presidents Teddy and Flanklin Lion, another pair of Pony presidents as it happened (I was beginning to wonder how many Griffins had been head of state of a country with a majority of and founded by Griffins). When we got there, I waited outside as she was taken in and introduced by the suited Griffin who opened the doors.

"Mister President, Mister President, I present to you Her Royal Highness Princess Mi Amore Cadenza Equestria..."

"If you'll follow me to Mister Lygriff's office in the North Section, Captain?" Agent Kennedy prompted.

I nodded and followed, but could still hear the voices from the room for a short while.

"Be careful of the Presidential Seal, Minuette."

"Eh?"

"Arf!"

"Wargh!"

I soon found myself facing the Chief of Staff and his Deputy.

"Good Morning, Mister Lygriff, Mister Airborn. May I extend my condolences to you on the passing of Mister McLeo."

"Good morning and thank you, Commander. I'm afraid we probably won't have much room for formality today, because we've got a pretty big pair of problems on our talons now. First up: Nightmare Moon. Why the secrecy?" Lygriff began.

"I can only apologize for that, it was a decision made in Canterlot."

"No, Commander, the Princess is the one who apologizes to the President and then hooves are shaken and all is well... in public. As for behind-closed-doors, off-the-record Reality? I have to let you know just how huge a mess this is. I guess your people planned to tell us today about Celestia's prodigal sister, and keep a lid on it until then?"

"That's right," I said carefully.

"And have you found Makarov's informant in your ranks? I can tell you now: odds are, you won't. Makarov is part of the second problem but the first, you might not fully understand. You ever heard the legend of the Great Destroyer?" Airborn cut in.

"A myth of a strange being with godlike powers that once ruled a foreign land and then ravaged the Griffin lands for amusement?"

"Actually, that was a trick question, there's two. There's one myth of that being you just describe... but there's ALSO a name given to a figure considered equally mythic... up until yesterday. Pop quiz: Name the historical figure I'm referring to by her Equestrian name."

"...Oh, no," I sighed.

"Oh yes. Nightmare Moon. You know the story of why there's three spellings of Griffin, right?" Lygriff came back in.

Cadence nodded.

"I think it used to be that the smaller clans and Knossos in the northwest of Gryffinia called themselves Griffins, the Griffonians called themselves Griffons, and a few other smaller nations use Gryphons as a spelling."

"Yep. And guess who, back in the days of antiquity, toppled the Griffonians by storming into a clan banquet of the Griffonian Imperial Family and assassinated the majority of the griffins there, leading to a succession crisis and civil war, ultimately sparking centuries of brutal war in the continent of Gryffinia seeing countless empires splinter into tribal and clan nations as the chaos spread and spilled into other lands?"

"Nightmare Moon?"

"Bingo. In fairness to her, though, it was all an accident waiting to happen and the Griffonians were massive dweebs," Lygriff noted.

"Really?" I asked.

"That is actually what the history books say about them. The war was certain to happen within a few years anyway and might even have been all the bloodier because it would have been between nobles and princes able to command larger forces. As it was, the weaker lords lived, to command their own small forces rather than be part of huge armies led by Princes." Airborn clarified. "And considering she was an Alicorn and ponies were on the menu at the time, her motivation is still suspect."

I blinked.

"The history books actually call them 'dweebs?'"

"Yep." said Lygriff.

"Yours don't?" asked Airborn. "Personally speaking, I'm perfectly happy to keep the past in the past. Different era, different standards... plus that thousand-year banishment to the moon ought to absolve her of whatever else she did back then. But I'd imagine once Princess Lunar's..."

"Luna." I corrects.

"Right." Airborn nodded. "Once her return becomes common knowledge... well, imagine all the major news networks, and they've got history buffs and mythology buffs being interviewed round-the-clock."

"A lot of griffins are going to want to un-bury the hatchet on Princess Luna, if you catch my drift." Airborn said. Then he blinked. "Oh, wait, I just remembered. Didn't the press office have some problem with some photographs in the press packs Canterlot supplied us?"

"Uh..." I said, recalling I was carrying replacements on my person.

"Oh, yes, the shots show her hindquarters. We were hoping to get these back to you since they were handed over in error. The press office left them with us for now, but should we hand them back to the Princess?"

"Er, no, I've actually been asked to apologize for that and hand over these replacements..."

I then removed the small bundle of replacements from within my armor, opened it, and...

...Was greeted by the exact same pictures I was apparently supposed to be removing.

"...Or not. Do you possibly have a camera spare somewhere?"

"I don't think it's a problem, Captain. The pack had enough normal photos, we were just puzzled as to why these were here when they, ah, don't quite capture her best side," Lygriff noted.

"A clerical error..." I said, putting away both the original mistaken pictures and the second set I'd been given.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Did ya keep any for yourself?)

NO!

"Anyway, back to Nightmare Moon..." Lygriff said.

"As opposed to a mooning Cadenza, of course," Airborn failed to resist.

I gave him a look of disapproval, as did Lygriff. I would have to introduce him to Running Gag.

We discussed the ramifications of Princess Luna's return. The Columbian heads-of-state assured us they understood 'the truth': Luna was not the one responsible and that the Nightmare was a separate entity that had possessed her body. Which was a total lie but more acceptable than a thousand years of criminal insanity bring cured by six pieces of magic jewelry.

They'd promised they'd do what they could, from their end, to bring the inevitable media firestorm to a swift conclusion. In time, Princess Luna would likely be deemed punished enough by most of the Gryffinian continent. Others, however, might continue harboring grudges on Nightmare Moon. Meaning that I had a job ahead of me, ensuring Princess Cadence was secure from terrorists wackos with a bone to pick, while Cadence tried to convince the world at large that Princess Luna was harmless - or at least had make sufficient amends.

(Interviewer's Notes: (Unicorn): Did it go on to pose any problems?)

Where it did, I'll cover it if I can. But mostly it just eventually led to having to apologize for our secrecy. Only a few of the more hardliner-traditionalists raised a fuss, demanding apologies for what befell their ancestors and seeking trade concessions and the like. None dared threaten either Luna or Cadence. For the most part, the ordinary Griffins hadn't been affected by the late sunrise, all they thought it meant was that Princess Celestia had been slacking off on her duties.

You could imagine everyone's relief!

But back to our talk with Lygriff and Airborn. Our further discussions with them were a little more troubling. The Columbians had far more intel on Makarov and were happy to share it with us. I'll just give you the highlights.

Makarov was well-known for exploiting diplomatic immunity, notoriously reliant on deniable operations, suspected of killing a number of rivals, (political and otherwise) had diverted resources from Hooviet operations in Zebrafrica, (supposedly some kind of overseas earthquake relief effort, believe it or not) in order to build up numerous super-powerful warships and arcane magic-based weaponry, (plus unsubstantiated rumors of abysmal eldritch thingamajigs from Somewhere Not Nice possibly being involved) and was reported to be very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, annoyed at me.

I was rather thankful Airborn and Lygriff weren't too upset with us, overall. Our meeting ended at about twenty past nine, as did the extension to Cadence's meeting with the Presidents. As a result, both meetings wound up merging for breakfast, but sadly, the press chose to show up. Bright camera bulbs are no fun for sleep-deprived eyes.

All I really recall from the actual breakfast meeting was that the Griffins have some strange breakfast stuff. They'd have a fried egg put on top of some meat (ham, sausage, bacon, or a mixture of any two or all three) and a slice of cheese inside a breakfast muffin.

We Equestrians mostly made do with the meatless variety, of course, as well as the pancakes that seemed to be all over the place. Lance-Corporal Apple wound up discussing and eating apples with a distant cousin on the President-Elect's staff. Turns out the Apples can move pretty far away from the tree after all.

After that, there wasn't much of interest. We returned to the Embassy, and Cadence had a visit to the city's weather factories around lunch, and even with the cloud-spell I had to delegate bodyguard duty to Pegasi and Griffin troopers. Cadence seemed puzzled by this when I said so.

"But why? You could easily come! The cloud-walking spell works, Sunset got the book earlier. Are you afraid of heights?" She joked.

"No, I've got to deal with the incident earlier."

"...Makarov?"

"No, Sunset."

"...What incident with Sunset?" She asked, taking a look at said hoofmaiden.

This was where I realized assumption is the mother of all mistakes.

"I'd assumed you'd been informed, Your Highness," I said, trying not to look around the room.

"...Uh, Sir, she wasn't. We all thought you'd told her," Apple noted.

"And we thought you were telling her, Captain," Twinkleshine said.

"What is all this?" Cadence said, by this point rather worried.

"There was an incident on the ship when Sunset was fetching the spell book. A small group of Naval Cavalry apparently acted without authorization and attempted to interrogate her over a clerical error that omitted her name from your entourage. It...got somewhat out of hand until Private Ranger intervened and interrupted them before anything serious could occur."

Cadence stared at me.

"...What? Anything serious? What were they doing? And what happened after that?"

"As far as I know, they sought to interrogate her. It was basically paranoia combined with her being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You'll receive the full reports on it from myself and Master Chief once we confirm exactly what has happened and what will happen, Your Highness."

"...Sunset is okay though, right? She was okay at the time, right, Commander?"

"Y-yes, ma'am. Private Ranger did stop it going any further like the Captain says..."

Cadence considered all this. "So what happens next?"

"Once we collect the evidence and find out what happened, we decide what punishments are merited, if any, you'll be given the reports and possibly if the Royal Guard troopers seek an appeal to any discipline you will be who they appeal to."

"Are they likely to appeal?" Cadence pressed leaning closer.

"I can't say, Princess. The investigation is non-judicial but a due process must be followed under military regulations, if I were to say they would appeal would mean you would know I'd made my mind up before following the due process, meaning that they'd instantly win any appeal. I need to have the reports and exchange them with Master Chief Spartan before any choice is made for it to be a fair process to all involved."

She sighed.

"I don't like not being told about things like this. I'm getting tired of ponies I trust keeping me in the dark. I'm your Commanding Officer, Captain. You're supposed to be reporting these matters to me or ensuring I am aware of them as soon as possible otherwise."

You may find it odd that this act didn't really affect me much. Not in the sense I was to ignore her orders, her reminder I'd been in dereliction of duty was fair and I accepted it then and now. It was the simple fact I agreed, that she was right and I had wronged. I'd received a few such dressing-downs in my time: I'm not perfect and I'd made mistakes in the past.

I was used to learning from errors and accepting a light reminder of what I was supposed to do - every guard from the lowest Private to the highest General has at some point been politely told off by the CO, someone they usually saw as a close friend or otherwise greatly respected in many cases. The polite, calm, diplomatic way got results because it meant you knew it wasn't an attack on you, it was merely instructing you on what was wrong and what to do next time.

Not that screaming and hollering doesn't have its place when you've really screwed up.

"I-in the Captain's defense, Ca-Princess, he thought you'd been made aware of it by other channels. And really, we should have told you, there's no need to be harsh with the Captain!" Twinkleshine said.

"...I know. Just..." Cadence dropped her mask of formality. "Shining, please try to either let me know about things or make sure I already know if I don't. To be honest, I... I think you're handling whatever happened the best way now that I think about it, and Sunset's okay so I suppose nothing too serious happened. I'm just disappointed it took an accident for me to find out. That goes for you three as well."

The hoofmaidens all bowed their heads.

"I can only apologize, Your Highness."

"Apology accepted. But I really wanted you up there at the Weather Factory..."

Once that was dealt with, Cadence seemed to be a little more cheered up before she left, though she seemed very disappointed still at the whole mess. I had the Pegasus guards (and other volunteers who were okay with the cloud-walking spell) go with her. I then interviewed the three, making sure to try and check for inconsistencies in their official story. I went to make the full reports based on what they had said.

And then something odd happened. Sitting in my room, writing up reports for Master Chief, a chill went down my spine. I felt like I was being watched. I looked out of the window and swore I saw a distorted shape moving in the garden outside. Seeing it made me feel strange...scared...

I rushed downstairs to investigate, alerting a few Marines and embassy guards, but... nothing. There was no trace of anything. No hoof or claw prints, nothing. I was confused, for I had been certain of what I saw. And upon returning to my room, I found that the reports I'd been writing were gone. Yet my door had been closed, the windows locked, and the guards in the corridor reported nothing entering or leaving when I was gone.

Now, tell me... what would be the logical conclusion?

(Interviewer's Notes: (Pegasus): You fell asleep, dreamed writing the reports, and the dream became a mini-nightmare?)

That's exactly what I went with. It was all that made sense. I'd sat down to write them, but I'd actually fallen asleep letting fatigue catch up, but for whatever reason, I was startled out of the dream and caused a false alarm. I was merely tired and once I had the reports truly written and sent off, I could try and get a real nap before I would be needed again. It was all that made sense, I thought. Made sense with how sleep deprived I was.

Remember what I said about thinking about things like that?

Once the reports were done, and compared, Master Chief and I both decided that Ranger was absolved of being formally disciplined, but he was given a verbal warning not to rush in without orders. The trio of Naval Cavalry received dressing-downs too, and Beaver found himself given a full non-judicial punishment: Written Warning and additional duties in the form of latrine cleaning for a month in addition to his shore leave being canceled and irregular restriction to quarters and having to submit himself to a full psychological review. Neither of the two hardest-punished troopers protested to higher-ranked officers... namely, the commanders of the ships or Cadence herself. Cadence almost icily accepted the punishment handed to the ponies who had come close to killing one of her friends. She may be a loving goddess, but seeing them with that look on her face was truly scary.

Cadence returned around two in the afternoon once all had been wrapped up, and held informal meet and greets with a few other ambassadors, as well as a few Equestrian citizens who had begun to arrive in town for the upcoming Presidential Inauguration, or possibly to meet with foreign business interests who were also visiting.

It turned out though I never really found time for a nap. I wound up asked to look over some extra security things, some false leads filtered in about the spy so I wound up wasting time going back and forth between the ships for much of the afternoon. I wound up stumbling towards dinner, awake for thirty-six hours or more.

Cadence noticed at dinner, however. It was her, the ambassador, some other embassy staff, me, her hoofmaidens, and my squad. I think I've imagined the furry blue elephant in the corner discussing philosophy with Miss Smarty Pants. Though there may have been an actual Elephant present, I can't remember.

"Shining, are you feeling okay? You look rather tired."

"Just a long day, Your Highness. I missed lunch with a small matter I had to deal with."

Thunderchild remained stone-faced nearby.

"You look like you were up all night, Captain," Sunset noted.

"Hm... This morning you said 'earlier'," Cadence said.

"...Pardon, Your Cadence?"

"In the carriage going to see the Presidents. You seemed a little out of it then as well until Thunderchild got your attention, and then you said the thing with Makarov was earlier, not last night. And I heard about you thinking you saw a intruder earlier."

'Horseapples. She heard about that?' I thought.

"Also you just said that out loud."

...At least at the time I thought I thought it.

"...Okay, I confess, I accidentally stayed up all night reading the reports I received."

Cadence gave a triumphant and amused smirk.

"I knew it! It IS Genetic!"

"That's what I said, ma'am," Thunderchild helpfully added.

"...Traitor," I grouched at him.

"Commander, perhaps you should retire early for the night. We can't have you over-exerting yourself," Minuette added.

I conceded her point.

"Perhaps you're right, ma'am. Princess, permission to leave the table?"

"Well, it's that or I'll order you to go to bed." Cadence smirked supporting her muzzle with one hoof, "And I also know every trick in the book for getting stubborn Sparkles to go to bed. Want to see?"

There was a cough.

"Minuette, honestly, you should get some throat sweets or something," Cadence noted, as I stood up to leave.

"Good night, everyone, I suppose," I said, leaving. As I left I heard Lance-Corporal Apple talking about his cousin instead Applejack, who apparently had a habit of overworking herself and somehow ending up in a worse state of sleep deprivation than I presently was in. Had to be one of his tall tales again. You'd assert to that right Princess Smarty Pants? I knew you would. Huh? Why are you looking at me like that?

I made my way to my room, but I thought I heard a noise as I neared it.

"...Did you hear a dog or something?" I asked a Marine. Maybe dog was the wrong word, it sounded more, something.

"Sir, negative, I don't believe I heard anything, Sir."

I sighed.

"Never mind, I'm probably just that tired I'm hearing things."

He gave no response as I entered my room. I took off my armor, and lay on the bed. I think I was out the second before I hit the pillow.

There was a roaring in my ears, a savage and brutal cacophony of noise. It was the Victors League Semi-Final between Foalventus, and... Trottenham. The infernal Lillywhites, with their smug white shirts and their annoyingly cute and (even then) very easy to hate Cockatrice mascot based on their emblem of one of those beasts sitting on top of a hoofball.

But over the din and my own distaste for that around me, I heard a gentle yet commanding voice.

"You seem nervous, Lieutenant."

I was confused as I looked at who had spoken to me. Captain Sharpe beside her looked amused, and Princess Celestia had an eyebrow raised as she addressed me. It would figure as my patrol route passed the royal box she'd distract herself from her own boredom with something other than the game.

"Er, no, Your Majesty, just... trying to stay alert," I said.

I knew she was only here because Trottenham had invited her, and this game was a big event for their team and supporters. Almost as big an event as bath night but not as rare...

And the event had probably been magnified in stature simply by the knowledge the Princess would be here. Even the Itallion supporters had been looking at the Royal Box in awe, and lulls in play saw the ponies (and one griffin) on the pitch glance upwards at the Sun Princess. Some ponies seemed more interested in her than the game, which was understandable, but didn't make my job any easier.

I felt sympathy for her. I knew that it actually did upset her a little she wasn't into this sport, given that Hoofball was so traditionally the exact kind of classless, everypony sport that mirrored Equestrian values, and had been so since its inception. All you needed was a ball and a set of hooves. And maybe something to mark the goalposts.

Compare to Cloudball, pegasus-only, Rodeos normally only attended by Earth ponies, or Golf, almost entirely the preserve of rich middle to upper class unicorns. And then there's bat-based sports that put Pegasi and Earth Ponies at a handicap...

Then again, even if she did like the sport, I could understand why Trottenham getting played off the park by Foalventus was boring, especially since nopony had scored yet.

A tabloid article written by (surprise surprise) Sunny Day years before had leaked that Princess Celestia found the entire sport 'coma inducing.' Sometimes I think that mare lives to make the Princess' life miserable.

"Really, Lieutenant Sparkle, you should relax a little. It's not like we're surrounded by enemies. Just Hoofball fans. Enjoy the game," Sharpe said without a trace of his obvious gleefulness.

I nodded a weak reply, looking at the fearful sea of white below. Celestia wasn't surrounded by enemies, but I was. I had every right to be paranoid...

"Relax, Shining, it's not like they know you're a Maresenal fan. It's not like they can smell it..." Thunderchild reassured as we continued the patrol around the stands being just smart enough to whisper it.

"Fair point, Sergeant. I could always be even unluckier I guess. I could support Sheffoald United..."

"Just don't let Captain Sharpe hear you saying that, Sir. Again, at least."

"...or I could prefer racing. Big whoop, running or flying in circles..." I needled the Sergeant for his own sporting preferences.

"The fighting for position is fierce sir, Sir. Besides, I'm sure even you could appreciate some of the Wonderbolts lineup this year. The new Captain, Spitfire..."

He seemed to be in another place at that time. Which is where I wanted to be but nope, I was stuck in the midst of an army of my most bitter foes...

"I'm as willing to admit the merits of tight flight suits worn by obviously athletic mares as anypony, it's just not something that really seems all that exciting given those suits are attached to blurs for about an hour," I responded to him, returning him from the daydreams of wingspans and certain curvatures.

"Ah, so you'll stick to posters."

"Ye-no. I don't do posters, Thunderchild, you know that."

At that moment, Foalventus scored, and I had to hold back a shout of joy lest I be lynched on the spot. The groans and howls of disappointment around me helped that effort. One yelp of pain was rather...

...Loud.

I was awake, the dream of that ultimately amusing three-nil rout fading. It was now sometime after twenty-three hundred. I'd been asleep for a precious three or four hours. And I could have sworn the yelp came from outside my room. I yanked on my armor, helmet as well, and looked outside.

The first thing I noticed was the corridor was empty. It was a few rooms, quarters for soldiers, but there was a window at the end of the corridor and a stairwell down. Usually, a couple of Marines or Embassy Guards stood around here even during the night. But now it was empty, and darkened.

And the window was open.

I lit up my horn with a light-spell, shining the glow down the corridor.

The black dog-like shape initially seemed more surprised than I was until my tired brain got the message my eyes were screaming at it.

Before that, though, the Diamond Dog raised his spriling pistol and shot me dead. The end.

(Interviewer's Notes: (Earth): ...What?)

(Interviewer's Notes: (Pegasus): Cap', you're messing around, right?)

Yes. Yes, I am. What gave it away?

(Interviewer's Notes: (Unicorn): Okay, what really happened, since clearly he didn't shoot you dead?)

Actually, I raised a shield up the second he moved for it. Waste of good mana, he missed by a mile. Not that I'd have done any better. But better safe than sorry. And that's when I raised the alarm.

Episode 88: (Dark World) Duel Of Tears

Pony POV Series
Dark World Part 16
Duel of Tears

Traitor Dash called out, "Twilight! Please let me kill you!"

Spike brought his wings and claws around Twilight silently watching TD's every move. Rarity and Applejack put themselves between their friends. Derpy looked at Traitor Dash in horror for her. Apple Pie had the common sense to know she was supposed to stay quiet under AJ's illusion.

Rarity spoke before Twilight could, "Flat out ASKING this, Rainbow darling? Not a very treacherous. And isn't this being rather loyal to Discord?"

"Yeah, yeah!" Traitor Dash wailed. "I can't even do my Element of Chaos right, I get that already! Geeze! But I don't have a choice!"

This time Twilight found her voice, "Rainbow Dash! There's always a choice!"

Traitor Dash shook her head, "That's sometime ponies tell themselves to TRICK themselves into thinking they're in control of their lives! Our choices are ripples in a tidal wave!"

Derpy flew up in a completely non-hostile manner, until she was almost eye to eye with Traitor Dash.

Loyalty called out to Treachery, "Dash, do you remember, back in grade school? How the whole class was going to see the Wonderbolts? But you couldn't because your grades were so bad? But you tried your hardest to catch up... and you got a 'D-' on your test? And you screamed that I must have cheated because I got an 'A+?' I was so happy that day, I didn't care about the trip, I just wanted my parents to smile at me... and after you began spreading rumors I cheated, mom began to wonder if I did... and she never hugged or kissed me again, she called me 'that filly.' Like-like she finally had found an excuse to!... " Derpy choked, a bit, then recovered herself, "And I forgive you! I've aways forgiven you! I know how it hurts to disappoint others! Never being good enough!... And I've never hated you for it."

"... D-don't ... don't you get it!?" Dash slowly shook her head, "One foalhood mistake... doesn't change a thing! I can't do ANYTHING without hurting others, even back then! There is no redemption for mares like me!"

"Say that all you want, Rainbow Dash! But you're not convincing any of us!" Rarity snapped.

AJ smiled at Traitor Dash. "Come on, Rainbow, what's one more betrayal? Against old Discord this time?"

"That's just it, Liarjack, I was never loyal to Master. I've hated his guts from day one."

"Then WHY are you still doing what he says?" Rarity asked in disgust.

"Because there is no way to win! We're TOYS and PETS to him! This is all just a game to him! But there is a way out. Discord promised if-"

"-if you kill the pony who matters most to you, that he'll put everything and everypony back the way they were before the day of chaos began," Twilight finished. "So then it was me you were referring to all those nights?"

Derpy's eyes widened, Spike clutched Twilight tighter. Rarity took a trot forward her horn glowing. Apple Pie let out a silent gasp. Traitor Dash nodded.

"Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy are as good as dead. The AJ and Rarity I knew don't exist anymore. Scootaloo is already dead. That leaves just you, Twilight."

The Elements of Honesty and Deceit face hoofed together.

"Ah come on RD!" AJ exasperated.

"How can you be serious-?!" Rarity exclaimed in irritation.

"No, I stand by what I said." Traitor Dash said, casting flat looks at them both. "If you two were to suddenly disintegrate into piles of ash, at this very moment, the most I might do is sneeze if some of it got in my nose. I am just that disgusted with what you two have become."

Spike growled ready to eat Traitor Dash where she flew. Derpy slowly shook her head.

"Dash, Ah'm openly rebellin' against Discord, it's safe to say ya can drop the act towards me, partner," AJ said calmly.

"Oh sorry LJ. Wait! You're still loyal to Discord Liarjack!?"

" AGH! AH'm NOT SPEAKIN' BACKWARDS NOW! Ah hate pears! Ah've lied a million times to protect ponies from Discord! And Ah'm THROUGH hidin' behind that lie of a name, it's Applejack, like it's always been."

"So yah apologize ta Applejack dis instant!" The invisible Apple Pie shouted forgetting stealth.

"HUH?!" Traitor Dash looked around, "I'm hearing Apple Bloom's ghost now?"

"MORON! That isn't the welcome I expected for my soul coming back from the dead!" Rarity shouted providing a needed distraction. "Do you think I'd be with Twilight if I was still delusional-?! Do you see me grabbing every bolder or rock around? Yes, that's right, my 'gems' were ROCKS."

Bits of reality came crashing down on Traitor Dash's underused brain as the truth hit her.

"And Ah wasn't speakin' 'bout that! Ya know Discord keeps his words like a drunken sailor keeps bits! Yer outta yer noggin' thinkin' he'd EVAH stay true to somethin' like that?!!"

"Actually, yeah, Big Brother would. Do you know why no 'equus has ever gone back on a promise sworn on Mom's name? . . . Cause once they did, they never existed anymore."

"It's a wonder we're not ambushed more often," Rarity deadpanned as TD looked behind herself.

"There's more than one?!" Spike yelped.

'Discord has a mother?' The idea did not compute for Twilight.

"Or maybe Big Banana Discord decided being a girl would be a fun change of pace." Apple Pie mused, too quietly to be heard.

"Ya see, big brother gave his word on Our Parents, he'd hold up his end. And even he's not that crazy to cross Dad or Mom."

"Wha-wha-wha are YOU doing here-?!" Traitor Dash asked.

"Just here to help. I'll keep the others busy while you focus on your target, I can even help you take out the unicorn, if you like. I don't care who kills who, I just need to get enough hits in to get in Big Brother's good graces."

"NO WAY! I am NOT having Discord cheat me by having you do most of the work, then saying I didn't do it!"

" . . . I see your point. Fine. Follow your passions and bring violence onto others. Just wanted to help."

"You know where you can shove your help, you... you... sister of Discord!"

"Rainbow Dash is still Rainbow Dash," Twilight heard herself sigh.

The ponies couldn't believe what they were seeing. A menagerie of extinct animals connected to a snake like body and a horse's head. The figure was younger and more feminine than Discord, and sported an ear piercing. On her back, she was also carrying a black spear, decorated with a pink ribbon and skull.

"Oh come on! Another Draconequus shows up JUST as we get our heads together and get ready to rock up old Discord?! That's cheatin'!" Applejack cursed.

Rarity glanced at her, "You expected less from spirits of chaos?"

" . . . No."

"I'm very very very VERY confused right now," Derpy admitted.

"Huh? Oh! Hi!" She waved her Tasmanian wolf paw, "I'm Rancor, spirit of passions, violence, and revenge. I guess I'm sitting out this one, so don't mind me. Don't let me crush your passion to win, I'm not as destructively powerful as Dissy, yet."

Traitor Dash turned her back on the newcomer, "Twilight! Please! I-" She shivered, "I beg you. Just let me kill you. Then everything can go back to the way it was! Everypony can be HAPPY and ALIVE! This is to save the world! Don't be selfish!"

"RD we CAN save the world! We can heal the world! We can defeat Discord! And you can help us do that!" Applejack called.

"Defeating Master is how the world WON'T be fixed, ever! This is the only way! He doesn't think I have the guts to do it! But he screwed up! I've found the guts now! And he's agreed himself into a corner! He says he'll just find another world and leave our alone! That means everything will be back to normal!"

'How is the world not normal?' Apple Pie wondered. Not having Big Moving Projector Discord around to hurt more ponies was going be great and all, but how was the world hurt? The worst thing Apple Pie could think of right now was the sky stuck in that ugly weird 'half-way' between night and day thing Half-Light said was her namesake.

"If we're still friends, then TRUST ME!" Traitor Dash begged. "I promise... it'll just be a heartbeat of pain, and then you won't even be dead... and we'll be back to the good old days! Friendship reports! Princess Celestia in power! Six wonderful, caring, sane friends!" She hiccuped and a tear rolled down her cheek. "We'd be TRUE heroes with nothing to feel ashamed about!"

Twilight's lip quivered. 'If Apple Pie hadn't helped me see these ponies are real, I might have taken you up on that, but now,'
"This isn't about me! Not when they're finally hope! I don't get to judge who deserves to exist more!

"No Dash! If you really trust your friends, you will NOT accept that offer! Not now! Not ever! I'm not going to cheat fate! I'm not going to doom another world to Discord! And I'm not going to make the friends I've made disappear! Come on Dash, let's fight Discord together."

(Traitor Dash is making her own fate, something I'd say puts her above ponies who just submit to it. Her problem is that she's putting it into the hands of another. Fool.)

She's just scared and confused!

(Most pawns of fate are.)

"What friends?" Traitor Dash asked narrowing her eyes.

Twilight realized her mistake. But that was when Rancor teleported right in Twilight's face. Spike brought his free claw down, but Rancor caught with her moa claw, and catching Derpy with her rear paw, creating a shockwave of air from the impacts, not even looking at them.

Rancor narrowed her eyes at Twilight. Twilight felt those eyes measuring up her soul. "I see, so that's how it works. Didn't expect that." Rancor let go of Spike and Derpy and floated away not ceasing her look at Twilight. "By the way, thanks for my ribbon."

"What?"

"Huh? Oh right, never mind." Rancor then looked to the dragon and Pegasus. "By the way, you really put yourself into those hits, you can only really see how passionate someone is when they're fighting to protect it."

Rarity felt her spirit shudder as Rancor then turned those eyes upon her, and let out a fan-girlish squeal.

A photograph of a rock band appeared in one claw, the lead being a pink earth pony with a blue mane. A pen appeared in her opposite paw, she offered both to Rarity, zooming in front of her.

"Oh, man! I never expected this! I haven't lived a mortal life, yet, so I can't enter the spirit-life, but oh man! This is so cool!" Rancor hopped up and down.

Derpy and Spike looked at each other. Twilight and TD did the same.

"Can you sign it please? So what's your name now? Oh doesn't matter too much."

Rarity was aghast. "You have to be joking! You just appear out of nowhere, offer to be an accomplice to Rainbow Dash murdering Twilight, and now you want my autograph?!"

"Look, I'm sorry, seriously, this is nothing personal, it's family, which is about the one thing my family CARES about. Want me to break Gray Rainbow's wings for you?"

"W...what?! Whose side are you on?!" Rarity gasped.

(Whoever she is, she's not to be trusted in the least.)

"Now hold on!" Traitor Dash snarled.

"I wanted to live a life as a pony for the sole purpose of attending one of your concerts in person but Mom and Dad had a discussion about that... and so I'll have to content myself with watching your videos. Long story short, this is kinda my only real chance to get one from you for a WHILE."

"What concerts?!" Rarity asked, "What are you talking about?! I started life as a fashionista, then became an... uh, well... what's a good term for what I am...?"

"Rock witch?" Derpy suggested.

"Good heavens, Derpy, how derogatory!"

"The word you're looking for is Geomancer," Twilight said naturally.

"Thank you Twilight. And while I have a most beautiful voice, if I do say so myself, I have never perform in any musical concerts!"

'What's wrong with being a witch? Magica's grandma is one,' Apple Pie thought.

"Sure, sure. Regardless, in exchange for your autograph, I'll break the pegasus' wings. What do you say? It'll give you an edge when the fight starts!"

"If you're trying to hurt mah-"

"Cool it, Cow-Pony, I already promised Gray Rainbow I wasn't gonna fight any of YOU until she'd had her try, and I can work with that."

"Ah was talking about hurting RAINBOW."

Ignoring Applejack, Rancor actually got down on her knees floating a few inches off the ground. "So please, come on? Please? Please please please please?"

"But WHY do you want an autograph from me?" Rarity blushed.

"Your soul has a certain . . . beat that rocks to it. Little princess. No matter how many times the universe reinvents you, you make such passionate, sweet music, a melody."

"It shames me one of your kind would love my voice."

"HEY! THAT RACIST!"

"Ah hate ta say it Rarity, but she's right."

"And by 'your kind,' I, of course, meant a thug who is so casual with violence-"

"I am violence. It's my job. And as for 'my kind' don't go lumping us all together. Dissey has stuff inside him I really admire, but my brother Anarchy has been cheering for you every step of the way and my sister Pandora is hoping you'll pull off a happy ending after a thousand years of monotone tragedies. Now please? I'm asking nicely. And this isn't part of contrived arcane ritual or some junk. I promise: this is a photo, not some tricksy magic contract, even if I was into those things. Just so when the dust settles we have something to remember each other by."

Rarity leaned a little closer, examining Rancor's photo. As creepily stalker-ish a fangirl as this creature was... Rarity couldn't deny her curiosity had been piqued.

"Listen, Miss Rancor, if... by some miracle, this fight ends with us being on even semi-friendly terms... any chance you'd be willing to give me a sample of... uh... my music? I'm interested to hear how I'm supposed to sound."

"I'd be happy to, but I'm not in a position to give you one right now, and by the time-"

"Wait!" Twilight asked. "Earlier, you'd said something about getting into your big brother's good graces. So are you Discord's SISTER?"

"His little sister. Mom and Dad sent me to take care of him. And I can't do that unless he trusts me enough."

"Just how many spirits of chaos are there?" Twilight gasped.

"Zero. Dissy's disharmony now and we're stuck doing double shifts. Pandora's the spirit of imagination, Anarchy's the spirit of revolution, and Strife's the spirit of natural selection. And My Parents don't play from the same source book, they helped write your source book."

'Strife,' Twilight's, or rather Minty's memories echoed.

"So," Rarity cut in, as Twilight shivered where she stood, "What does the rest of your family think of what Discord's done to Equestria? And why did you come to take care of him now?"

"Sorry, that's family business, sorry. I got handed this responsibility as part of my rite of passage, Dad says. And I think I kinda interrupted a passionate cut-scene."

Rancor cast a look back at Traitor Dash, who was beginning to turn purple at being brushed aside.

"So... autograph? Yes or no?"

Rarity narrowed her eyes. "You're not lying." Rarity quickly scrawled her name. She gasped as the name shifted multiple time on the picture. "What is this?"

Rancor put away the picture. "I'm a spirit, madam. To me, mortal names are just... well, imagine a popular veteran actress who's played many, many different characters over a long career. You've had many names over the revisions to reality... but they're just 'names,' all of whom were played magnificently by you. I know your real name. Oh and- THANK YOU SO MUCH!"

She took Rarity's hoof and shook it madly. "Now, as promised!"

She teleported behind Traitor Dash, broke the base of her wing where it connected at her shoulders. There was a crack and a howl from Traitor Dash. Apple Pie squeezed her eyes shut as the pegasus fell but Twilight caught her with her magic.

"Twilight, please, just let me kill you, and everything can finally be fixed," Traitor Dash pleaded, as her broken wing began healing itself.

"No Rainbow Dash, I'm sorry, there are too many ponies depending on me."

"They're depending on me too."

"Okay!" Rancor stabbed her spear in the ground and sat cross legged style. "Two passionate souls out to save the world! Let's see whose heart is stronger!" Everyone glared at her. "What?"

"Away," Rarity said sternly.

"Ah, come on."

"Go," Rarity said in a no-nonsense manner. "You've been enough of an intrusion already."

"Oh alright. Just for you." Rancor teleported several miles away until she was a dot in the sky and took out some binoculars. "Okay, girls, let's see where your hearts lead you."

Since her wing had now fully healed, Traitor Dash flew away from Twilight, gaining distance.

"Rainbow Dash! Wake up! Please! This isn't you! It's never been you!" Twilight said.

"Rainbow Dash no longer exists!"

"Liar!" Rarity said intensely.

Traitor Dash conjured a storm cloud from the water in the air and fired shots of lightning right at Twilight's head. Twilight teleported out of Spike's protective grasp when Spike tried to shield her and appeared a distance from the group.

Derpy tried to tackle TD, while Spike tried to fly and catch her in his mouth, but TD pushed the storm cloud in their way and made a new one and continued her single profile attack. Rarity tried to simple grab her, but TD's trademark speed made that impossible. Twilight teleported randomly as the lightning bolts kept coming down.

"COME ON AND FIGHT LIKE A MARE! Or don't! I don't care! I just want this nightmare to be over!! So what if you killed Discord NOW? For what? A dead world full of monsters? The unicorns and pegasi are GONE! This is the only way to fix EVERYTHING! And if you weren't being so selfish you'd see that too! But no! Miss Twilight Sparkle The Chosen One has to 'save the world' HER WAY OR THE HIGHWAY! Guess what, Twilight? JUST 'CAUSE IT'S YOUR WAY DOESN'T MAKE IT THE BEST WAY!"

(Yes. Because there's the one right way to do something, and then there's everything else.)

"The seaponies, Virgacorns, and Hippogriffs are here! The world ain't dead, where there's life there's hope!" Applejack shouted.

TD's attempts to electrocute Twilight was disrupted by the coordinated efforts of the others. Rarity fired a hail of small stones at the pegasus. Spike shot fire, and Derpy provided lightning of her own from above, and AJ added several illusionary lightning bolts to mess with Traitor Dash's senses.

"For Celestia's sake, Dash, please stop ya can't take on the whole kit and caboodle of us!"

"I don't want to fight ANY of you!" A real lightning bolt fried one of her wings, "I just want to kill Twilight!"

"Liar. You don't want to kill her," Rarity said.

"ENOUGH!" TD snarled. Her eyes shone like demonic rubies. "TREACHERY!"

Transparent red chains exploded out of four of the heroes like ghosts, wrapped around them and overriding motor functions.

"May your bodies betray you," Traitor Dash intoned.

Rarity, Spike, AJ, and Derpy looked at each other and themselves in dismay as their bodies calmly trotted backwards and assumed a simple sitting position several yard away, their mouths shut and their eyes only able to look forward. Rarity tried to use her magic only for a chain to wrap itself around her horn. Camouflage magic in one spot flickered away until Apple Pie was again visible. But thankfully, Traitor Dash's attention was focused elsewhere, so Apple Pie did the smart thing and ran to the others.

Twilight shivered like she had been given an electric shock, "Rainbow Dash! You-you-you-WHEN DID DO YOU LEARN THAT?"

"About eight hundred years ago! Like this!"
Traitor Dash kicked her storm cloud and it broke apart. One piece stayed near TD. A red lightning bolt erupted from from this miniature cloud...

The bolt interconnected rapidly with the the other smaller clouds, two, four, eight...

Sixteen...

... thirty-two red lightning bolts at once shot at where Twilight stood.

Twilight teleported away, only be be hit by another nest of lightning bolts that hit just as she reappeared.

"NEWS FLASH, TWILIGHT: I'VE HAD A THOUSAND YEARS TO LEARN YOUR TELEPORT STYLE!"

Twilight would have responded if her central nervous wasn't busy regenerating. TD dove into her from above, spinning like a drill, digging into her body and pushing her into the ground.

"Like 'em-?! I've been saving them all for you!! LIGHTNING BLADE!" Red electricity crackled around one wing making it stiffen like a sword and lopped off Twilight's horn.

"Why-why aren't you having the others hold me down while you kill me? You have control over their bodies."

Traitor Dash couldn't suppress a slight, wry grin. "Only YOU, Twilight, would argue tactics in the middle of your own beatdown."

Twilight said calmly, "Un-unless you're scared Discord will use that as an excuse to-"

"I told you! I have nothing against them!"

"So why didn't you use those chains on me? You think it won't work on me. Or do you want me to be able to fight back."

"Sorry, Twilight!" TD slammed a hoof into her skull breaking it, "But I'm not taking the bait!"

"Stop it Rainbow Dash!"

A pair of hooves pulled at TD's shoulders, wrenching her off Twilight and pulling her out of the circular crater-grave they had made. The two pegasi spun in the air. TD's entire body was suddenly charged like an electric eel's, shocking Derpy off her body. The grey pegasus bounced off the checkered ground, thankfully missing any rocks. Derpy shook her head and got back up.

"If Ditzy is here..." Traitor Dash mused. "Then that means... when did you free Ditzy?!"

"I-I didn't," Twilight gasped.

(That was information you did not need to volunteer!)

Derpy shook her head an got back up, knocking her head a few times causing sparks to fly off.

"Come on!" Apple Pie shouted at Applejack's prone form. "Budge!"

AJ would have screamed at Apple Pie to hide if she could move her mouth.

"Wait... is that? She's, she's the filly that Master spared! Did SHE free you?!"

"No, she didn't. I did," Derpy said.

(Stop it! You don't explain your advantages to the enemy!)

"You have got to be kidding me! Treachery!" Red ghostly chains emerged from Derpy again.

"Loyalty." Light glimmered around Derpy and the chains shattered.

"Ditzy Doo . . . heh, so you became Loyalty after all," TD smiled sadly, "You always have a way of messing things up don't you?"

"Sorry. I guess I kinda do."

"I'm sorry too, but I can't let you get in my way." TD rammed her so hard she went flying across the sky. "Don't worry Derpy! You and Dinky will be fixed up after I kill Twilight Sparkle!"

"I'm not Twilight Sparkle."

TD found herself trapped levitated by Twilight's spell aura. She futilely flapped her wings.

"Huh?" TD looked to see Twilight healed and out of the hole.

"Yeah! She's Half-Light!" Apple Pie couldn't resist saying to the big bad half-hippogriff.

"Apple Pie! Keep back!"

"I agree!" Chains formed around AP and her body moved mechanically away from the two to the 'safe zone' TD had apparently set aside for the others.

"Did you let her tag along Twilight Sparkle?! I can't believe you'd put foals in the line of fire! Whose Half-Light?! Are you a changeling?! Where's the real Twilight?!"

"I couldn't have stopped her. Crazy Pies and stubborn Apples. You know them both so you should know!" Twilight smiled at her.

(Good for you not tipping your hoof.)

'Thank you. I know Discord is watching.'

"And I am the real Twilight, but I'm not Twilight Sparkle. I've given up that version of me. I am now Twilight The Unicorn. Nothing more or less."

"You're... you're saying you're a NEW persona?" Traitor Dash whispered. "Not Tragedy, not Sparkle... some THIRD version?"

"I'm sorry Rainbow Dash, but you can't kill Twilight Sparkle, because that pony no longer exists. There's no way to fulfill your bargain with Discord." In a dark part of Twilight The Unicorn's mind, she wondered if Traitor Dash would see herself as the most important pony to her now . . . except the mountains of self loathing made that impossible, Twilight almost wondered if that had been intentional on Discord's part.

A storm broke.

"No! You're lying, yourelying,YOURELYING!"TD vibrated, -right out- of Twilight's skin tight cage. "LYING WON'T SAVE YOU, TWILIGHT SPARKLE! Good-bye! And thank you, for the most wonderful year I had with Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and yeah, Rarity too!"

TD flew towards Twilight, fireballs, bolts of ice and lasers fired at TD, she flicked out of sight at the last instant before they'd made contact to appear a few yards away.

'She's been this fast this whole time?!'

(Be careful! She's spent a thousand years preparing to kill you! Expect the unexpected! Rely on the unorthodox!)

Instead of trying to ram her, Traitor Dash zoomed up at a right angle at the last moment.

"Vacuum Storm!" Dash began spinning, a tornado formed around them, the air was ripped from Twilight's lungs.

She followed her first instinct and teleported away-

(No, don't! She said-)

-And rocks speared and pinned her legs, unable to regenerate as a lightning bolt hit her horn, frying it.

"I could predict your teleports in my sleep, Twilight! Sorry if you're counting on me getting in close. Lighting-Scythe!"

'Actually, yeah, I was hoping you'd close in for the kill so I could blind you with a flare spell.'

Another new move, like all the rest. A curved edge made of more red lightning came down at the perfect angle to bisect Twilight's brain.

A blind and gray comet collided with the lightning construct, electrifying her (again).

"You feather brain!"

"My bad!"

"Derpy! Stop interrupting already!" TD shouted like Derpy had fumbled another Winter Wrap-Up. "What are you made of-?!"

"Love?"

Traitor Dash's brain broke, "That's-You-Isn't-AGH!"

In the distance, Rancor laughed. "And the score is 30-Luv in favor of blonde!"

'You said use the unorthodox right? Then I can't think like Twilight Sparkle, I need to think like Discord!'

(What?!)

'Watch and see!'

Twilight slammed her blackened sparking horn on the checkered ground, shattering it, it was faster to regenerate a new one.

"Dtizy Doo!" Traitor Dash was shaking, "Can't you just learn," Grayed out streaks of cyan cannon balled off Derpy from nearly every direction as she was bounced around like a rag doll, "PLEASE, to just stay out of the way!? YOU'RE NOT HELPING!"

"I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash," Derpy gasped.

"STOP CALLING ME THAT! I'm a traitor! TRAITOR DASH!"

A bright light and powerful gust of wind knocked them both off balance. Acting on instinct, TD took a moment to make sure the four others were. She heard herself sigh in relief seeing they were.

"Don't be sorry, Derpy, you're helping a lot," Twilight calm voice said surprisingly close by.

Derpy smiled, "I know. I'm sorry for Rainbow Dash being hurt."

Traitor Dash looked to see Twilight The Unicorn, beautiful butterfly wings glistening in the half-light sun.

"But-but how?! Those stones were set to EXPLODE the moment they were jiggled by your telekinesis or tried to just vaporize them!"

"Really? I didn't know that. I just figured throwing them at you would have been a waste since you'd have seen that coming."

"Then what did you . . ." TD saw some bloodstained top hats flying in the wind, "HATS? You turn them into HATS?"

"A lot easier to pull out than jagged rocks."

"AGH! And Ditzy, you dummy! I'm the one hurting you!"

"Not as badly as you're hurting yourself," Derpy said in a tone only a mother could wield. "And it hurts to see you do it."

"Okay. That's it. Game over. I know ALL your spells remember Twilight?"

"Oh the gossamer wing spell wasn't just about getting me air-born, I realized that you were prepared for what my spells were MEANT to do, but not what they COULD do. Starswirl the Bearded actually said something similar during his apprentice years according to one-"

"Dash Bullet!" A flaming feather struck through the fragile butterfly wings, causing them to fall apart. "You STILL can't resist hearing yourself talk, Twilight Sparkle!"

'So much for not thinking like Twilight Sparkle!'

Dash played interference keeping Derpy from catching her. Waiting for Twilight to teleport to shorten the fall.

Dash gasped when Twilight cast the spell AGAIN, a new shock wave catching the two off guard AGAIN, and Twilight flying on gossamer wings again!

A thousand years experience and increased mana reserves enabled Twilight to remake a spell that had once taken a minute to cast and drained her reserves.

(Be on guard! You're not likely to get a chance to correct your mistake again! And remember! In her mind you dead equals saved world! How hard do you think Traitor Dash can fight when she feels she's saving everypony?)

Twilight shivered. 'I understand.'

"Those imitation wings won't save you! The artificial can never match the natural!"

Derpy head butted TD from behind, Twilight then clothes-lined her.

"Natural talent does not equal superior talent Rainbow!"

"I've worked hard for what I have!" TD gasped out as her throat regenerated. "Including THIS!"

TD flapped her wings so hard and so fast they shattered, but also created a directional Sonic Darkboom right at Twilight which fractured her bones and destroyed the gossamer wings again, forcing Twilight to recast the spell.

"You're going to run out of mana before I run out of techniques, Twilight Sparkle!" TD spun around and bucked both her legs into Derpy's stomach, "And YOU have run out of sneak attacks!"

"No!" Derpy sense of pain seemed to just SHUT OFF and Derpy gave her a fresh head butt, "There, now I have."

"You're wasting your time! My skull is a lot more thick than yours! And you're not immortal."

"I'm not?" Derpy asked, with a puzzled frown. "Are you sure? I've lived for ever-so-long!"

Twilight elbowed Dash in the back, "And you need to learn not to forget we're not taking turns! Modern Evil Overlord wasn't just good for giving you a reprieve!"

"And I said yer magic's gonna run out before I'm out of moves!" A couple of TD's feathers fluttered off her wings, red lightning arced from the pegasus to her feathers, going right through Twilight's wings, tearing them apart. "Winglet Chain-Lighting!"

"Twilight! Don't make the wings again!" Derpy folded her wings and dove head first at Twilight and caught her. "I'll be your wings."

(Twilight, she said she's been learning you inside and out, so Derpy is your wild card.)

'Sounds like her.'

"Derpy...I trust you, do whatever you think is right."

Derpy gave a smile to Twilight.

"Giving me one target to focus on instead of two and no time to figure each other out? Wow! Just wow!"

"Sounds about as dense as something Scootaloo would think up right?" Twilight said with a smirk.

"You! You shut up about her!" Dash reacted just as Twilight predicted and charged straight on, forgetting strategy.

Derpy folded her wings and the comet went over them.

"Great moves, Dash! I know Spitfire and Soarin' would be so proud of you!"

Dash made an animal noise and charged hooves first for Twilight's throat but met the business end of one of Twilight's lasers instead. The laser went straight between her eyes and she tumbled as her Element of Chaos hastily began putting her brain and skull back together. Her momentum slowed her enough for Derpy to get out of the way, and all Dash's built-up speed made her arch like a artillery shell, ultimately smashing into the ground.

Twilight glanced and saw the chains were still holding their friends immobile.

From high above, Rancor taking the opportunity to sketch the trapped heroes on paper, splitting her attention between her pad, the paralyzed Elements, and the battle between Derpy, Dash, and Twilight.

'Is Dash putting conscious effort into maintaining those magical chains? Or do the chains automatically remain on their own, until she wills them to release themselves?'

Dash launched like a missile from the ground, recklessly throwing lightning constructs and herself at the pair, Derpy focused solely on dodging in random directions and keeping her distance as Twilight focused on nailing Dash. And it was working. And, "So how much did your old bullies say you were cool after you saved Rarity's life, Rainbow Dash? After you showed them you weren't a one trick pony?"

"Give-up-a-rest!" Trator Dash came at her with kamikaze zeal, Twilight having to literally blast her body apart, but able to sniper her wings off causing her to go out of control until Dash merely formed her clouds into a feasible replacement, "Nimbus-Wings!"

"Frozen Pony On A Stick!" Twilight shouted, as the air around Dash condensed into an ice cube, it fell, and Twilight's force field kept in tack as it impacted the ground. "Derpy! Clouds!"

"Right!" Derpy and Twilight's combined efforts in seconds had a coating of white water clouds around the ice and Twilight's magic constructed a crud stone cage for good measure.

Twilight's horn glowed, "Alright, Dash. Now just think. That's enough."

There a faint murmur from inside the cube.

"What was that, Dash?" Derpy asked.

"I said buck this! I didn't want to waste the whole show on Master, yes, he's watching all this from his castle. But buck this! I just want to wake up in my bucking bed above Ponyville and have this all be a bucking nightmare! There'll be no day of chaos! No Master! No extinct pegasi or unicorns! No hippogriff or virgacorns! I must not fail! SCREW YOU!"

(LOOK OUT!)

The four layers of containment burst.

Traitor Dash exploded in sphere of red lightning. Twilight had to regenerate her legs and the lower portions of her body as the blast shattered her hastily made shield spell. Derpy thank Celestia hadn't thought in that millisecond of the blast to try and shield the immortal with her very killable mortal frame.

"I'm not done with my sketch," Rancor said in a loud clear voice and spun her spear deflecting the blast away from the rigid heroes.

Red lightning sparked along Traitor Dash's body from the circle of soot she was standing in. She felt dizzy for a bit and stumbled for a few seconds. Her eyes, and the red pair of her cutie mark, mane, and tail gleamed a powerful ruby red that almost glowed. The rest of her was nearly pure black and white. She panted, sweat coming down her face.

Discord, who was indeed watching the battle play out on his TV, put on a pair of oversized sunglasses. He used his tail to put his remaining minion's jaws back in their proper places.

"You are now more powerful than you have ever been. No whining if you lose. Let's see if you can not disappoint me this time. So what's a good name again? Disaster Dash? Traitor Titan? Traitor Dash EX Mode? Super-Traitor Dash? Ultimate-Perfect-Traitor Dash? Ugh. I was sure I thought of a good one. You tell me what it was again."

"'Eleventh Hour Farewell,'" Dash said in an scarily calm voice. "The last thing you'll see before the world gets fixed is my favorite color."

"You've . . . you've had this kind of power all along? All these CENTURIES? I don't believe it!" Twilight denied.

"I've spent a thousand years restraining myself, Twilight. Assuring myself some other 'fix everything' spell would come along and give us our lives back. Betraying every other pony still alive so that I wouldn't need to betray you. A thousand years preparing for this moment between you and me. Even Master can't horseapples that THAT doesn't make you the most important pony to me."

"You really are the Element of Treachery," Twilight whispered, not able to keep the traces of fear out of her voice.

"Know what else? A thought occurred to me, in the middle of this sudden surge of POWER... Why only you get to change your name out of nowhere? While in this form you can call me: ENDER DASH!!!"

"Ender Dash?" A inexplicable word suddenly flitted through Twilight's mind and was gone: Bugger.

"Yep! Get it? Because I'm gonna be the ENDER of this pukestain world! Aaah, for the first time in forever... I actually feel like I'm COOL again!" Then emotion left her face.

Twilight animated a hastily crude puppet from the rocks around that slammed it's stone first on Ender Dash, it stopped inches from her body and red lightning went up the puppet and it broke apart into pieces, Twilight animated the pieces to strike her individually, but they dissolved into sand before touching the pegasus' hide after passing through the red lightning surrounding her.

Twilight fired a gatling gun's worth of purple lasers at the pegasus, but Ender Dash blinked out of existence just before each other hit, only to blink back into existence a yard or two away each one an inch closer to Twilight, the the sound of mini-sonic booms the only clue she wasn't teleporting. And Dash's face stay still and calm the whole time.

"Dash, please, just stop already," Derpy pleaded.

"You can't stop me or slow me down. Do yourself a favor and please just stand aside while I fix the world."

Derpy stepped between them. "No."

Twilight trembled. The air crackled with Ender Dash's aura. All this time. All this time. Cadence? Ponyville? Cloudsdale? All this time?

+++

The unwilling audience were prisoners in their own bodies as they watched.

'Get out of my way you crazy Draconequus-sue!' Spike mentally roared. 'I can't see what's happening to Twilight! Twilight, I'm so so so sorry. I'd give my entire self right now if it could save you. Derpy, please please please don't let her die! I finally have her back! Rainbow Dash . . . how much has Discord screwed with your head?! That had all better be the Element of Chaos talking! . . . Twilight! Don't panic now! Derpy, please protect her! Rarity, whatever happens, at least you're safe.'

''Blast it all!' Rarity cursed in her mind, 'Even my horn isn't working! Blasted Rainbow Dash! Don't you know that if you're being coerced then it isn't REAL betrayal!? If our bodies are being MADE to do this then they aren't betraying us! Ugh! Calm down, Rarity, THINK. Derpy was able to use her element to free herself, so does that mean we can use our elements as well? But Applejack's illusion ended when she was chained. So would that mean we can only use our Elements internally? Derpy is Loyalty so that explains that.

'Eh? Yes I know it's good that Apple Pie is technically out of the fighting, but sadly she needs all the experience she can get.

Hm? Sorry, it seems its my body that's bound, not just 'me', but it was a good suggestion, darlings.

'Indeed, dears, this curse of Rainbow Dash's element is quite impressive. Besides Derpy... I'm not sure there's an actual weakness so it. If I had that power all to myself. Imagine what we could do with it. Pinkie and Fluttershy wouldn't have to be fought at all!

Keep your head Derpy, you can't grow it back like Twilight, and Dinky wants her family to come home safe more than anything. And Twilight SNAP out of it! Now is not the time for one of your break downs!'

-

'She ain't lyin'. She isn't usin' deceit for a single thing she says. RD, ya stupid idiot! Just stop! Don't ya think Ah want everything yer sellin'? Us all gone, poof, so the world can be back to the paradise Princess Celestia gave us? But it AIN'T just about us! We ain't the only ponies in the world! This here world is STILL full of ponies who want to live more than die, ya idigt! And no way in pony hell am Ah doin' somethin' as cruel as hoof-off to somepony else!

'Please! Ah know ya've crossed alotta lines ya can't uncross, so 'what's one more,' right? WRONG, RD! Not one more! Yer still ya in there somewhere! Derpy, thanks a million for not givin' up on 'er. And Twilight, dangit girl don't just stand there!

'Okay. When these things grabbed me, mah illusion around Apple Pie went thunk! But Ah didn't feel mahself bein' made ta make it stop, more like it was cut off. Whao kay AJ, put yer head to it! Deceit and Treachery are joined at the hip, like Kindness and Generosity are.

'So how is this workin' then? Is my body bein' told the opposite of what Ah want and getting stuck in the middle? Okay body, don't sit still! Okay that ain't workin'. Ah'm still breathin' so Ah can't be all frozen. Ah really really really wish Ah had paid more attention to Twili' whenever she started talkin' 'bout magic!

'If Ah can't trick mah body, maybe Ah can trick this fancy schmancy geass? Okay, real slow. Picture it, cowpony. RD tellin' the chains to let me go. Okay then, let's try somethin' a bit more lady-like. Okay Chains of Treachery, how's this lie Traitor Dash wants me to stand up. Stand up. Stand up. Stand up! Yes . . . ' She thought like it wasn't her own idea, 'Traitor Dash does want me ta stand up.' Her legs pushed herself up. 'Okay. Good. Dangit. RD is gonna see me coming a mile away! And who knows what she'll do then! But Twili's losin' her cool. Can't just sit here!'

Apple Pie was crying. She wasn't scared or sad though. She couldn't even say if she was angry. She was frustrated. Half-Light was in danger! And she couldn't help her! Her friends were in danger again from Bad Cheese Discord's Chaos Six and now she was a superhero and still couldn't help them. That wasn't a joke, that was just mean! Half-Light spent all that time tellin' her to be ready and now she couldn't even help! That wasn't funny! It was a big fat cheat!

She sure hadn't expected the Draconequus lady to save them from the explosion. Maybe she wasn't so bad after all?

The bad pony who Half-Light insisted was really just a friend who Discord had hurt really bad and would hurt everypony else worse if she didn't do what he said had gone all weird creepy glowing red and stuff! . . . And Apple Pie could tell. This bad pony. She was hurting inside. She really needed somepony who could make her smile again.

At least Miss Derpy Hooves was helping every which way she could. Apple Pie just wished Miss Dash could smile like Miss Derpy was trying to make her (or as Apple Pie thought at least). In a way it was a little funny. This was supposed to be trench-ery yet Apple Pie had a feeling staying put and away was what Half-Light wanted Apple Pie to do anyway, so it wasn't trench-ery at all if it was what Half-Light wanted her to do and the point of trench-ery was to do what someone didn't want you to do when they trusted you to do it. Apple Pie was more like to NOT do what Half-Light wanted and THAT would be more 'trench-ery' than just sitting here outta the fight like Half-Light would want. Apple Pie laughed.

--

Rancor floated next to Applejack, speaking in a voice that was just low enough to count as a whisper in a clear voice, "Hey! You should give up your heart, and give in to despair once again, and retreat into lies. That is most definitely what you should do. Don't let your hotter burning emotions push you towards fighting your friend. I want to see how far into despair you can go."

Applejack would have looked at her if she could. 'Was everything she just said a complete lie? Okay AJ, one step at a time, one-two, one-two. Traitor Dash wants me to march forward. Yes she does.'

She heard Apple Pie laugh.

Derpy concentrated, her Element of Loyalty shining bright along with her eyes. "I won't let you get to Twilight."

"I'll go through you if I have to!" Ender Dash roared, charging Derpy at full speed.

Derpy stood her ground, limiters switching off and her Element kicking in at full blast. Putting her hooves out, she caught the mare's charge, hooves going through the force field and landing on Dash's shoulders. Red energies crackling against each other as the mare strained to hold back the charging mare, an immovable object against the unstoppable force. Sweat poured down Derpy's face as she strained and Twilight could only watch, frozen in shock. The symbol on the bottom of Derpy's hoof shined hotly.

Ender Dash broke off and flew back, watching Derpy fall to her knees, panting heavily. "This is your last chance, Derpy! Get out of the way! I'm immortal, I've had a thousand years of experience! You've had a few days tops!"

Twilight knew Dash could've kept going if she'd wanted to, that thought scared her even more.

"No," Derpy said in a completely serious tone.

(Twilight! Fear is the mind killer! Don't panic now!)

"You're going to have a big hole where your Element of Chaos was in ten seconds flat, Twilight Sparkle and a big hole in Derpy if you can't get her out of the way in nine seconds." Bits of rock and dust floated up around the pegasus as the red lightning continued to crackle around her.

Twilight fell on her flanks.

"Just hold still, Twilight, I promise I'll be as quick and painless as I can." The Element of Treachery said sincerely.

(TWILIGHT! Twilight! Get up! She's going to kill Derpy too! Get up!)

'Maybe, this is as far as I go.'

She heard a filly's laugh.

Three heads turned to see Apple Pie, a green and orange bundle of enlightened innocence bouncing up and down, the chains gone. And Applejack still covered in chains. But slowly moving.

Twilight was up in an instant, "Derpy! Try to free the others!"

"You're nuts! If you thought or she thought she could do that you'd have done it by now!"

"Maybe I was scared Rarity or Spike might be too pragmatic in fighting you, Rainbow, maybe since I was your only real target I felt there was no need for the others to risk themselves, or maybe, just maybe I've been so caught up in this stupid 'just you and me' nonsense I didn't think of it!"

Derpy didn't need to be told twice. She was a good pony.

Twilight fired a fireball that exploded before it reached the edge of Ender Dash's spherical barrier and shot up around Treachery's Element.

"Derpy's the only reason you're still standing! With her gone that's it!" She said behind the extra large wall of flames she casually deflected.

'Playing my normal game is suicide. Maybe I can combine a filly being a smaller target with the gossamer wings' agility!'

(No! The wings will still be an oversized target, and she's proven she's an expert at destroying them. There are some fires that you can't put out with water. There is a reason some fire mares start fires in a forest.)

'I believe you're right.'

(You should value my diligence and trust me completely.)

++++
I cast a variation of the spell that had helped lead me to my little savior.
+++++

The flames cleared, and Ender Dash stepped back, startled.

Promptly in front of her was an adult mare purple pegasus proudly in her physical prime.

"WHAT?!" She shook her head, "Heh, trying to go out looking totally awesome?"

The purple pegasus flew towards her and PUNCHED RIGHT THROUGH HER BARRIER AND IN HER FACE! "Sometimes the only smart way to play is the crazy way. There haven't been many pegasi for you to practice fighting!"

Ender Dash was shocked as she felt where she had been hit, then calmed down very fast. "You're good, Twilight Sparkle, but I'm better."

"When I'm like this, call me Half-Light! Half-Light Noon!"

Ender Dash startled. "Since when are YOU into cool names?"

Half-Light Noon laughed, "I must have copied over some of your personality traits when I produced this form, you are the pegasus I've spent the most time with!"

"So... uh... how many alter egos HAVE you got rattling around that skull of yours, Miss Identity Crisis? Six? More?"

"HEY! You're one who started this Miss McAwesome Name!"

"No you were! And it would it be McCool Name fillystine!"

"No, you! And it's awesome!"

"You! And no it's cool!"

"Twili'!" AJ shouted.

"Out." The blink of an eye later, AJ's head was face down in the center of a crater unconscious, Ender Dash's elbow neatly where she her head had been a eye blink before. AJ hat landed softly nearby.

"APPLEJACK!" Three ponies shouted.

"Alright then! Before the rest of our friends get back to screw things up, let's see who saves the world!" Ender Dash spread her wings Half-Light did the same.

"Now Pegasus fight!" Rancor cheered.

"Ready!" Twilight braced herself.

(Go!)

The two pegasi rammed each other, purple and red lightning crackling stopping them inches apart from each other, a miniature lighting storms shooting bolts in all directions.

"Can't you see I'm trying to SAVE everypony?!"

"By having Discord just, just DELETE everypony alive now?!"

"Better to never live than live as a slave!"

"Sorry! I didn't know you'd gotten everypony's vote!"

Ender Dash narrowed her eyes coldly. "Hey, here's a thought, Identity Crisis: remember all the countless innocents we massacred over the centuries? Wouldn't it be nice if we had the chance to, oh, I don't know, NOT DO THAT ALL? Or maybe you ought to reanimate their corpses again, and let them take part in the ballot. And while we're at it, let's invite the souls of all their unborn children that might have lived, if we hadn't KILLED THEIR PARENTS' EARLY. How much do THEIR votes count for?"

"Draconequi magic only erases timelines! How about the changelings becoming a PEOPLE instead of a plague? The dragons having a CIVILIZATION? The Hippogriffs born because racial tensions between Pegasi and Griffins were forced to ended! How about all the ponies who were only born because their parents fled Equestria and LIVED while Cadence kept Discord busy for five hundred years? Shall I raise them from the dead too while I'm at it?!"

"Listen, Tw... my dear old friend... is this is all about the virgacorns and hippogriffs? Are you afraid turning the clock back will cause them to go extinct? Well, you're worrying about NOTHING!"

"Oh really?"

"Yeah! I mean... if a baby dragon can fall for a unicorn mare... then that just shows that interspecies relationships are just gonna... happen! We've both lived long enough to appreciate that sentient races can sometimes get rather experimental, when it comes to love. Just think how it'll be -- this very moment in time -- in the Corrected Timeline, with Celestia as ruler! We six will be dust in our graves... but in one thousand years, can you honestly claim that not ONE griffin will ever mate with a pegasus and make a hippogriff? Not ONE unicorn will mate with a zebra, and produce a virgacorn? LOADS will! Virgacorns and hippogriffs will walk the world, same as here... only unicorns and pegasi will be walking WITH them!"

"But Dash... it wouldn't be the SAME virgacorns and hippogriffs! And what's more... when the unicorns and pegasi fled to the foreign continents... it was fully within their power to balkanize themselves, for unicorn to marry only unicorn! Instead, they coupled together of their own free will! And I choose to respect that choice! Lives aren't a math equation!"

"Arguing with you is like asking Fluttercruel to not maul kittens! I hate you more than I hate her! And do you know what?! After I kill you today, I won't even go back to the castle right away! Oh no! Before I return to Discord and make him reset the timeline, as promised, I'm going to delay a week, just sitting in a tree, watching the clouds roll by! That should be enough time for your ghost to explain to your mother, your father, and every other unicorn and pegasus in the afterlife, why they don't deserve a second shot at life, because of a bunch of suffering ponies alive now!"

"And when we're all in Limbo, you can explain to everypony YOU sent there why you chose to make them deader than dead to resurrect ponies gone for a thousand years who you yanked out of Pony Heaven."

"BUCK YOU, TWILIGHT SPARKLE! BUCK YOU TO THE SUN!!!"

"Your Element of Chaos is out of control, so I'm going to forgive you for that."

Traitor Dash was shrieking in a frenzy, lips peeled back, frothing at the mouth, fit to make Angry Pie herself proud.

"DANGIT RAINBOW! Do ya think YER family would want to be brought back by killin' a bunch of other ponies?" The Element of Kindness shouted from the ground by lying to the spell locking her body.

Next second, the Element of Kindness was dodging a quartet of lightning bolts.

"Shuddup!"

Then she glared at the transformed unicorn again.

"I'd say your death at my hooves has been nine hundred years overdue. Ultimate mistake of my life."

"I disagree." The other pegasus said quietly. "Your ultimate mistake came even earlier."

"Oh?" Ender Dash scoffed, with a truly hideous parody of a smile. "Do tell, Madame Genocide."

"Your ultimate mistake came way back in the hedge maze, when Discord offered you your wings back, and you fled the maze."

"I WOULD NEVER BETRAY THE PEGASUS RACE!!!!" Ender Dash howled. "That's the whole reason I did what I did!!!!"

"Is that so?" The other pegasus' expression hardened, and she folded her wings. "I remember differently. When I, 'Madame Genocide', was out doing the devil's work, killing and frightening ponies away to different continents... she wasn't acting alone. She had COHORTS. One of whom bore a very striking resemblance to you... Dash. Helping make it happen. Every step."

Ender Dash trembled in place, with wide, wet eyes.

"I was trying to save lives in all that murder!"

"EXACTLY! All those Virgacorns and Hippogriffs and Seaponies you suffered so long to protect and help, willing to be an enemy if it meant just a little bit less death for them, SO DON'T YOU DARE SAY THEY DON'T MEAN A THING TO YOU!

"I was a soulless automation with no heart or memories of my own! What's your excuse? ... Explain to me again how you fleeing to Cloudsdale saved the pegasus race."

Twilight did what Ender Dash wouldn't and stopped applying force. The super pony zipping like a laser beam through several innocent boulders. Apple Pie wept hot, bitter tears at the injustice wrought to the boulders.

The red laser shot back the way it came, Twilight's new pegasus speed allowing her to dodge the more reckless emotionally charged attacks.

"I'LL SAVE THE WORLD EVEN IF I'M ALL ALONE!" Ender Dash cried, red lightning crackling from her tears.

"YOU'RE NOT ALONE!" Twilight cried out, shedding tears as well.

Twilight blinked and lost sight of her opponent.

(Remember, it's still Dash! Her emotions get in the way easily, her strength is her speed and suddenness, but half the time she can't help but-)

"Here I come!"

Twilight spun like a ballerina on the wind currents she created and pointed one rear hoof upwards to let Ender Dash's speed do the rest and her muzzle was smashed inward.

(-announce herself.)

"'ow! 'ow! 'er 'ot ah 'eal pega'us!"

"I told ya, Dashie! I think I've got a bit of you in me right now!"

"Lighting Spear!"

Dash charged head-on again with the lightning construct pointing the way, but Twilight managed to sidestep it, bending out of the way of her surprisingly sharp wings that sliced through one eye, leaving her half blind before it regenerated.

(Bah! Rainbow never could resist declaring her moves!)

"I told you before! Yer gonna run of magic before I run out surprises!"

(She's half-bluffing! She was prepared for a air-to-ground battle, not a prolonged aerial one!)

'Not that it matters with this much raw power of hers!'

"Shadow Mirage!" Dash flew around her, leaving after images, each one throwing one of her feathers like kunai at Twilight. Her still regenerating eye meant she had to block using her limbs as a shield stabbing her in places that she had to pull out WITH HER MOUTH and wouldn't regenerate all on their own.

"Round Trip!" Using feathers as hilts, red lighting swords spun towards Twilight's neck.

"Oh no you don't!" Twilight knocked the spinning swords WITH HER WINGS, actually reversing her flight path and GETTING THROUGH Dash's defenses and impaling her with her own attacks. This gave Twilight time to heal and regenerate.

"SHOULD HAVE PRESSED YOUR ADVANTAGE! BULLET TIME!" Dash molted like a parakeet, feathers regenerating as fast as she shed them, and Twilight found herself in a sphere of feathers acting as cores for simple but sharp lightning constructs.

"Since when do you copy Fluttercruel Rainbow?"

"Shut up! Go ahead and TRY to teleport out of this!"

'Not falling for the bait this time.' The lightning bolts came from every direction at once.

"Lightning Canceler!" Twilight shouted, flaring out her wings, a shock wave going out from her in every direction, the lightning losing intensity and the feathers falling harmlessly to the ground below. More than that, Ender Dash's electric sphere of death was gone.

"WHAT?! HOW? You've never done that! Ever! That's cheating! You've had no reason to hide anything from us, and even you couldn't invent a new spell this fast!"

"Ha! I didn't invent it right now. I have used it before. Just not as a pegasus: my fail-safe spell! Can't work on Discord's magic, but on super-charged pegasus magic? Night-night."

"I've got a WHOLE DECK OF TRUMP CARDS!" Dash growled and 'gripped' her front right fetlock joint, "Night Bird's Song!" Dash's entire forehoof violently vibrated and shook from the amount of electricity was storing.

"You've been on the offense this whole time. You didn't develop one truly defensive technique am I right? Or am I right?"

"Defense is for chumps, Twilight Sparkle!" Ender Dash roared.

(But you know all about 'defensive' don't you, Fake Dash? You put up defenses of infinite confidence and no-fear danger, to cover up your blinding fear of failure.)

"What?!" Ender Dash gasped confusion.

(You know it's true. You're scared to death of failing. Like you failed flight school. Like you failed recognizing how Gilda had changed for the worst. Failed to save her. Failed to save Fluttershy from falling to her death. Failed to recover the Elements. Failed to keep your entire family and grade school class from being driven insane. Failed to protect Scootaloo, unless you count murdering her that is. Fail. Fail. FAIL! FAIL!)

"SHUT UP!" Dash brought her hoofs to her head, including the one still charged up ... Half-Light Noon folded her wings against the debris.

Ender Dash's body lost consciousness, and fell. She regenerated just in to see the ground rushing up to greet her and spread out her wings.

'What happened to her?' Half-Light Noon wondered in confusion.

(Scootaloo must have begun pleading with her again.)

'Right.'

Ender Dash flew upwards, the red lightning crackling much more wildly and chaotically than before, her calm and control broken.

'I'm NOT going to fail this time! And nopony will have to remember this awful world!'

(You will remember. Remember? And how long until those memories drive you insane and you hurt your own friends? All you can DO is fail!)

"NEVER!!!! SONIC DARKBOOM!" The familiar technique zoomed right at Twilight without the ability to teleport in a pegasus body. After so many new moves, Twilight was unprepared for Dash's signature performance.

Twilight's mind went completely blank. With a charged up Rainbow Dash, there was no way to dodge the attack in time. She was trapped. This was the end. She had gambled and lost. Her mind struggled to piece together something, anything. Nothing came.

Hit came. Then nothingness.

(No!)

More shield spells conjured between Twilight and Dash than an oil tanker had hulls, not stopping her, but slowing her down just enough.

Twilight shook in panic, no, vibrated, as fast as the Element of Magic would allow her pegasus body to!

The Sonic Darkboom impaled her, and passed right through.

Twilight Sparkle stopped shaking, looking alive and whole.

Dash turned around, confused that Twilight hadn't been blown to pieces!

Vibrating her molecules so fast Dash would pass right through her had been a blind gamble. Twilight gasped and tasted blood. Her internal organs were a mess, she was sure some of the lightning had impacted her Element of Chaos. Red lightning crackled on her body. Her insides felt like soup. She folded her wings and fell backwards then downwards.

Ender Dash followed right behind, "One more time!" She said proudly, "Sonic-"

The red lightning crackling around Twilight condensed around one fore-hoof, and flew upwards as Dash flew downwards, taking the shape of a curved blade, it went through one of Dash's wings, severing it. Dash's eyes widened.

(Your futures are fading Fake Dash!)

"Lightning . . . Scythe. Smarter to say it after you use the move, am I right or am I right?" Dash zoomed past her. Twilight managed a smirk as the two pegasus impacted the ground, Twilight back first, Dash head first and at a much much faster speed! A crimson lightning ball exploded.

In the center of the blast crater, was normal faded cyan Traitor Dash, one wing healing slower than normal. There were age lines on her face, even slower to disappear. Her entire body was twitching.

"If there's one constant in the universe, Rainbow will go for a headlong charge when angry enough," Twilight spoke with pulverized organs and shattered spine being repaired as she looked up at the green sky at endless twilight.

"But . . . but how?" Dash said, an ear twitching, her vision a complete mess.

"My special talent is still magic, whether I'm a unicorn, Earth pony, or pegasus. There is no magic I can't copy." Twilight said proudly not any part of her body moving but her muzzle.

"That's cheap."

"Like you, Rainbow Dash, I've worked for what I have."

There was tremor and the sound of impact on the ground as TD grunted, a shadow fell over Twilight as her body continued to string itself back together. Pegasus bones were simply more fragile. Twilight got up slowly. She saw Spike tower over Traitor Dash's landing spot, one giant claw down, the over closed in a fist. She was surrounded by AJ, Rarity, Apple Pie, and Derpy.

"Sorry we couldn't help." Derpy lowered her head in shame. "Took me forever to figure out how to get the chains off."

"You helped plenty Derpy," Twilight spoke, "And that goes double for you Apple Pie."

"The truth is that a team isn't about keeping score of who helps the most. Right Twilight?"

"Right."

AJ politely said nothing, her hat back where it belonged.

"Twilight are you okay?" Asked Spike turning his head towards her.

"I'll live. Don't worry about me, how's Rainbow Dash?"

Spike groaned. "She's not going anywhere."

"That's not what I asked." Twilight said getting a good look at the pinned Element of Treachery. Her lost wing was still regenerating, but getting there. Every bone in her body had been pulverized by the impact and were still regenerating.

Twilight gently internally cast the spell to change her species back to the unicorn she was born as. She then quickly looked around, making sure Discord wasn't about to do a repeat performance of Cadence.

"Don't worry!" called Rancor from the distance. "Big Brother said I get you before he does! And you're still tired from that fight, it'd be no fun for me to fight you right now!"

'Did she just read my mind-?! That far away?!'

(Or is Discord that predictable?)

"Um...thanks..." Twilight said with a blink, wondering how the new Draconequus managed to confuse her more so.

"Spike, hold her tightly, incinerate her if she tries to get away." Rarigreed said simply as she began to close in.

"Rarity?" Twilight turned back to Rarigreed.

The others didn't like that look on her face.

"Rarity?" Traitor Dash whispered.

"Mine." Rarigreed grinned as she knelt down and began to . . . perform surgery on Traitor Dash, digging for the prize of the upside down Lightning Bolt. "Do you mind if I take this Traitor? Too bad if you do, I'll be putting it to much better use."

"RARITY STOP!"

(LET HER KILL 'ER! Rainbow Dash doesn't exist anymore!)

"Mine." Rarigreed grinned wider, her eyes focusing on the prize as it became visible. Traitor Dash, spent, barely resisted.

"I know a part of you is in there Dash, but you don't have the resolve to resist Discord right now. We do, so I know you'll forgive me for, borrowing this," Rarigreed said in a lady like tone, digging her hooves in. Traitor Dash gasped as Rarigeed sudden had her life in her hooves, feeling her hooves as they touched her Element of Chaos.

Spike made no move to stop Rarigreed, he only grimaced as Twilight ordered her to stop.

AJ struggled inside. Was it really kinder to force Rainbow Dash to continue? If death was her only escape? Was it selfish of them to FORCE HER to continue on living when she couldn't escape the Discord inside her, and couldn't reach out to the ponies on the outside? Was Rarigreed's idea just kinder?

"Miss Rarity?! What are ya doing?" Apple Pie gasped.

"She's too attached to her self-pity. If I have her power, we don't have to fight Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, OR the Doctor, we can focus on Discord and his sister instead. And we're going to need it if we really now have TWO Draconequi to fight. It increases our chances of living and healing the world!"

"Wait wait wait! Yer, yer taking the jewel inside her and . . . "

"RARITY, THAT'LL KILL HER!" Twilight snarled.

"Yes. I know."

"DROP TWO BRIGHT HERE!" Derpy snarled, it was scary whenever DERPY looked angry, it seemed so wrong. The pegasus' hooves pushed at the stained no longer so white unicorn's. "That's not right!"

"Don't come between me and my Desires, Derpy Hooves. You'll regret it." Rarity warned.

"Scootaloo?" Rainbow Dash reached up a free hoof as high as Spike's claws would allow. She turned her head at Twilight. "Please Twilight, let me go."

"NO!" Twilight snapped, teleport Rarigreed and Derpy away from the Pegasus as the 'surgery' began to heal up.

Twilight shouted, "WHAT DO YOU DESIRE MORE RARITY?! POWER? AN EDGE IN OUR FIGHT WITH OUR FRIENDS? OR ONE OF OUR FRIENDS BACK-?!"

Rarigreed shook, staring right at the Element of Magic and Tragedy, and slowly closed her eyes and sighed. "I'd want my friend back."

"Don't I get a say?" Dash whispered weakly. "Doesn't anyone... anyone at all... think my words... are worth... worth listening... to...? Just once?"

AJ nuzzled her, "Ah'm really sorry RD, Ah really am, Ah'm where ya are, but yer as screwed in the head as the rest of us were, ya'd never forgive me if Ah let ya do that when ya came back yerself. There's a reason a thing called 'suicide watch' exists."

"Why? . . . I have to save . . .save the world . . . if you're not going to let me . . . please, just kill me. I'm sick of everything, tired of everything, this whole world is a ugly mess, and I'm sick of being up to my neck in misery."

"It ain't that bad," Apple Pie said sincerely sounding almost apologetic. "Sky Ocean looks beautiful during the night. And it's a great season of Beatnik Reverse Hyper-Ball this year."

"Sky Ocean!" Dash chortled bitterly. "Yes! That huge pool in the air that Discord was always threatening to obliterate if I didn't do more and more horrible things for him! When I'm dead... I won't have to destroy myself protecting it anymore! Twilight, please, PLEASE!!!"

Twilight whispered in her ears. "I know what you've been trying to do, Rainbow Dash. And this ISN'T the way to go about doing it! This isn't how you can make up for falling for Discord's traps! And I'm not going to kill you, Rainbow Dash! NONE OF US ARE!

"You're going to have to LIVE with the consequences of what you've done! Just like me, Applejack, and Rarity! I've been where you are now. Wanting to just sink into sweet oblivion and be done with it and to make the pain stop. Thinking it pointless to try and change anything. I nearly did that, Rainbow Dash, I nearly let myself die because I didn't see the point in hoping anymore...but somepony guided me out... I've killed ponies too, Rainbow Dash! ...It still hurts.

"Just because I'm Twilight the Unicorn doesn't mean Twilight Tragedy's sins are all just gone, it means I'm a new mare who can try to make up for them ...But Rainbow Dash; dying? It might seem like sweet release, but think about it; does that really make up for all the damage you or any of us did? Or would it be taking the easy way out of dealing with what we've done instead of facing up to what we did?...Anyone can die, dying is easy, living is the hard part. But at least alive we can atone for what we've done..."

Applejack stepped away and cringed at these words in shame.

Derpy spoke, calmly, peacefully, showing not a trace of for Dash attacking her new friends. "If I was clever, I'd ask you good questions. If I was witty, I'd write a poem for you. If I was bold, I could chase away the black clouds inside. But all I can say is what I know. You wouldn't have given me Loyalty if you didn't think there was hope for everypony."

Twilight smiled kindly and closed her eyes, "It's time to wake up now Rainbow."

Twilight touched her horn to Traitor Dash. The memory spell was cast, Twilight not trying to control its path but letting the spell where it wanted. The spear pierced the darkness. Rainbow Dash screamed.

"Hey Dash! Didn't think you'd show."
"And miss a chance to hang with you Gilda? Get real."
Dash saw the little filly being tormented by those bullies, "Leave her alone!"
"And Rainbow Dash, who could not abandon her friends for her own heart's desire represents the spirit of... loyalty!"
Facing a dragon with her friends.
Racing with AJ.
Rarity falling. Doing the impossible to save her.
Dragging Pinkie Pie kicking and screaming to her own birthday party.

'I already know that! I want that world back!'

The flow changed.

"And I forgive you! I've aways forgiven you! I know how it hurts to disappoint others! Never being good enough!... And I've never hated you for it."

Dash saw an entire city of Hippogriffs each choose to sacrifice themselves, even when they could've thrown someone they hate to the wolves.

Dash saw Modern Major Evil Overlord, thanks to Liarjack choosing to lie to ease her pain.

"WHAT DO YOU DESIRE MORE RARITY?! POWER? A EDGE IN OUR FIGHT WITH OUR FRIENDS? OR ONE OF OUR FRIENDS BACK-?!"

"I'd want my friend back."
Dash saw a little filly who chose to come back from Pony Heaven to try and save the soul of the one who killed her.

A upside down black lightning bolt turned right side up.

Dash closed her eyes. Tears streamed down her face. Her colors brightened some, but not all the way to match Rarity, Twilight, and Applejack's.

"But . . . Sky Ocean, Cloudesdale, Discord said, they're falling now, I lost, that means . . ."

Rarity looked thoughtful, the Element of Honesty glowing. "Dash, I think there is something you need to see."

Rarity rose the mare's head with telekinesis, pointing her head towards something in the distance.

Dash slowly looked up seeing Sky Ocean, still floating there, not plummeting out of distance sky onto the sharp rocks below. She expected it to fall any minute, or a big screen appearing from nowhere~ showing Cloudsdale crumbling, but nothing... "Sky Ocean...it's...it's not falling...I failed...but..." she stuttered in disbelief. "Why?!"

"Because you've been making the wrong choices without even knowing it for one thousand years," Rarity stated. "The honest truth, and the one you need to hear, is that Discord has been deceiving you this whole time. The truth of the matter is; Sky Ocean is a cage full of his favorite song birds. Cloudsdale is a chest full of 'toys' for his amusement. Discord is a sadist, but at his core, he's a hedonist, someone who puts their own pleasure above all else. Do you honestly think your loyalty is worth more than something he gets pleasure out of? Or keep one toy by destroying an entire toy chest? You know we don't have any value to him. They were in no more than the rest of the world. You've been making the wrong choices because one of them has always been false."

"I...I'm an idiot!" Dash lowered her head, tears still running freely, she'd pound a hoof if she could move her body, "I'm so stupid! I...I really am a-"

"Don't yah dare finish that sentence," Applejack raised the broken mare's eyes to her own. "Rainbow, we've made a ton of mistakes, we're both cowards who made the wrong choice and couldn't admit it! And ya've been handed fake choices ever since. And yer mind's been clouded all this time to keep yah from seein' the third choice starin' yah right in the face the whole time; stop workin' fer Discord so he can't FORCE those choices on you anymore. Don't just walk away, face'em! It was there one thousand years ago, it was there five hundred years ago, its there right now.

"Ah'd be the pot callin' the kettle black to hold it against yah for not takin' it, because we did the same exact thing in his maze! Me, Rarity, and Twilight spent the last thousand years wondering through the same fog that ya've been. We're every bit as to blame for this world as you. Just because Ah haven't killed as many doesn't mean there ain't blood on mah hooves that Ah'm tryin' to wash off. But it ain't comin' off unless we work it off!...Rainbow, yah ain't a monster. We ain't monsters. As...as Fluttershy would say; we ain't bad ponies...we just made bad decisions...now its time to make the right one."

Twilight looked down at the guilt-ridden self loathing, and...conflicted look in her face. "Rainbow, you don't have to hold that mistake over your head anymore...I forgive you. There's not a pony here that doesn't." Everypony and dragon nodded.

Rarity looked to Dash. "Dash...we all have a choice...Ours is to save the world...I've chosen to want you back as my friend...But what do YOU want to do?"

Rainbow Dash gave a gasp. "What?"

"Dash darling, the sword over your head the last thousand years is gone, the taint that clouded your thinking is gone," said Rarity. "You're your own mare again...It's up to you to decide what happens next. Are you going to sit in this crater crying? Flee to Dragontopia? Make another . . . chance, at Twilight to restore the world? Or...do you want to accept our offer and become real friends again? None of us are the same mares we were a thousand years ago. ...But we still desire to be back as your friends... But we won't force you. It's your choice what happens next. You're forgiven by the ponies who know you. You're free."

Traitor Dash looked back in shock, down to her hooves.... So many things went through her mind. What did she really want? Not what Discord wanted, not what her friends wanted...what did she want?...In her heart, what did she really want? What was her choice? She looked off into the distance at Sky Ocean, still floating peacefully. There was no cataclysm, no giant screen TV showing Cloudsdale crumbling to dust before her eyes...All the times she could've stopped Discord...She could've helped Twilight Sparkle escape Discord's lair, she could've helped Cadence defeat Discord, she could've stayed in the maze and true to her friends...And all the times she could've killed Twilight and had Discord turn it back to normal. Rancor said he wouldn't go back on his word after swearing to His Mother...

"I... I don't deserve forgiveness."

"Of course ya don't," Apple said smiling. She bounced up and nuzzled Dash. "forgiveness is a gift. That's why they call it forGIVEness."

Dash let a small laugh before letting herself finally give into fatigue and became still. She swore she saw another filly smiling at her with her friends as she closed her eyes.

(Naive filly! She gives bigger headaches than Pinkie Pie's Pinkie Sense!)

"You have a really nice smile, ya should use it more often. So are your colors," Apple Pie said, "They're really nice. Really weird. But nice. They're awesome."

Rainbow Dash's colors brightened just a bit more.

"Welcome home sugarcube," The Element of Kindness said.

+++++

"So," Rancor said, "that's where your hearts led you."

+++++

"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye. I promise we'll care for her, and make sure no pony or anyone takes care of her," Minty Pie said to the Elements. Twilight had insisted on Minty Pie.

"Thanks cuz'." Apple Pie nuzzled Minty Pie who nuzzled her back. Making a quick run to the Apple Pie family was dangerous. But Dash was in no condition to fight, physically or mentally, and they couldn't take her with them. Until she recovered, she'd just be making herself a target. To be on the safe side, they only stayed long enough to explain things before double timing themselves. To be safe, they'd even teleported several random times to lose track of Discord's monitoring spell so he wouldn't see them bring her here. Derpy barely got a chance to let Dinky know mommy was still okay.

Rarity tied Rainbow Dash to the bed (she was Rainbow Dash) so she'd stay to recover. "Just like old times right Dash?"

"You sure this is kind?" AJ asked.

"I'm just being honest about Rainbow's natural behavior." Rarity knew it was a token gesture at best with what she had seen Rainbow do but . . . it felt so nice to do something for Rainbow again, that was her desire. Rarity would have made her a rock dress if she had he time.

"We can carry the load for her until she makes her choice," Spike said in support of Rarity.

"At least she seems a good bit happier ta me," Apple Pie said.

"I told Dinky you're here Rainbow Dash, she's happy you helped us before. I told her she can ask you if you two can play later," Derpy said.

"We'll be back as soon as we can Rainbow Dash. I promise." Twilight teleported them away. "Whatever choice you make, I'll accept."

After the heroes had left, a tired eye fluttered half open, unfocused, she wasn't sure where she was, "Uuuuh . . . Scootaloo? Fluttershy?"

Minty Pie pattered the pegasus on the head, whose entire body felt like lead. RD got up in bed and Minty Pie laid her flat with a gentle push. "It's okay, you just rest. Your friends just wanted you to be somewhere safe until you get better. I'm Minty Pie, glad to meet you, the real you... Rainbow Dash."

"Have we met?"

"We just did didn't we? Don't worry, you're safe. Your, our friends asked me to protect you while you have a good think. Now you should get back to sleep, you need all your rest."

Dash wanted to protest, but she couldn't get the picture of green socks out of her head when looking at this mare. Maybe she really did need rest.

"Whao kay, that . . . works for now."

Minty cradled her and sang a soft lullaby to the pegasus,
"My little pony
Every day is a dream come true
How I love to play with you
We'll plan a party with Pinkie Pie
Then watch her balloons lift her up to the sky
Scootaloo will show us games to play
Toola-Roola will be painting away
Rainbow Dash always dresses in style
Sweetie Belle's magic brings a great big smile
I hope we hear a story from Cheerilee
And a beautiful Starsong melody
My little pony
I'm so glad you're my friend . . ."

If there was more, Dash didn't remember hearing it.

Dashie was a pegasus filly. She was friends with a white pegasus filly with a blond mane with lot of balloons, an orange filly with a violet mane, a griffin chick small for her age, and a yellow filly with a pretty pink mane. Together all of them played in the clouds.

On the cloud playground's surface, was a huge drawing of a total racial, awesome, and cool Pegasus mare. But it was just a bunch of lines, like a coloring book. It really looked, incomplete. Dashie wanted to color it all in by herself, but . . . she was worried she couldn't.

"Come now darling, it'll be simply dashing when done. It'll quite worth the effort darling." Little Dashie heard a cultured mare's voice say. She saw an smiling Earth pony mare with her colors on her left with a really pretty rainbow cutie mark.

"Don't be scared Rainbow Dash, it'll look great once you're finished. I know it's big, but you can do it," another mare's dare-devil voice-like sounded. Little Dashie saw a pink pegasus with a really cool lightning cutie mark on her right.

Little Dashie looked down to see a two boxes of chalk in front of her. One was a bunch of rainbow colors. Next to it was a box of grays with dark colors.

She picked up a piece from one of the two and got started. She also realized she was being silly: if her friends wanted to help her, who was she to stop them? Still, "I'll make it twenty-percent cooler!"

Episode 89: (Shining Armor) tnuH-tsirF-First-Hunt

Pony POV Series
Shining Armor Part 6
Written By lz0291
tnuH-tsirF-First-Hunt
Edited by Alex Warlorn, Kendell2, And Louis Badalament.

"All callsigns, armed Intruder, second floor west corridor, code red!" I was shouting into the newly-installed radio inside my armor, even as the Diamond Dog tried to reload his weapon.

In his panic he managed to jam the thing. Spirling pistols work by basically having a long slide on the top that is pulled back, compressing a spring and pulling a metal sling-bullet into place from a small magazine inside. Pull the trigger, release the spring and catapult the round down a barrel. Unicorns can get good rates of fire out of them, but if you pull cheap ones too hard, they jam. And this one was cheaper than cheap. It was safe to say this guy was non-professional.

"Crud! Stupid junk!" The Dog wailed as he fiddled with the weapon for a second, then in desperation, threw it at me.

The Diamond Dog cut his losses and jumped out of the window. I followed, casting a quick spell around myself to block the rushing air from interfering with my radio communications, as well as soften my landing. Shield magic is pretty handy, if I say so myself.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Yeah! You're cool!)

"Intruder has exited window, Misfit Actual in pursuit, I am leaving a magic trail behind for other Mages to follow, break. Actual and One-Three to my position to reinforce, all other Misfit callsigns secure VIPs and position, break. Misfit Actual on my position, and someone let the LCPD know to give us a hoof, over!"

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): I'm sure Twilight's happy to know smart Guards do more than 'fall back and regroup.')

That's only for land wars in Neighsia, angry Alicorns or COs, and mothers of guard cadets coming to try and deliver a cake.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Did ya catch the bad doggie?)

One trot at a time.

"Misfit Actual, Misfit One-One, roger your order, code red in effect, over," Foaley replied.

The Diamond Dog was quick, but so was I. He was sprinting down the street, away from the embassy, and I could see a cart rushing away down the street in the moonlight. Possibly his escape plan abandoning him, so I made a mental note of the direction it was heading.

"Misfit Actual, this is Goliath, Marine Corps Overwatch Command. We have your traffic of intruder, we have notified the LCPD, but they report that nearest unit response is at least four minutes out, break. Advise you continue pursuit with your own assets and continue to guide in further units, over."

"Goliath, Misfit Actual, roger that, over."

By this point, the Dog was still running, and the cart was long gone. I reported that in, but I had no real way of letting anyone know anything specific - just a black shape leaving the area. I gave what description I could of our intruder. Looking over my shoulder, I could see no one coming out of the embassy yet, but a rather puzzled Samurai guard at the gate of the Neighponese embassy watched me chase the dog.

"Misfit Actual, Misfit One-One, uh, Princess Cadenza would like to have a word, over."

"...Go ahead?"

"Shining, what's going on here?! The troopers say there's an intruder and they all just stormed into my room while I was getting ready for bed and told me to head downstairs!"

"Standard procedure, Cadence, the platoon is defending their principal -that's you by the way- and other elements are in pursuit. Over."

"Okay. And where are you?"

"I'm presently pursing the intruder down the street, ma'am!"

"Shining, why are you after him?! You're the Captain!"

"Because I saw him first and if I lose track of him it means he gets away, meaning either the LCPD get him which is unlikely because they're four minutes away, or he escapes. Odds are without me chasing, he'll escape, we won't find out who sent him and why the west corridor was empty when he entered..."

Then I cursed myself for saying that over the air. The same spy who'd tipped off Makarov about Luna might well be in cahoots with the Dog I was chasing now.

"Er, that was me. I asked the guards to stay out of there to keep the noise down... They can be kind of... stampy during the day and since you went to bed early..."

"Mystery solved then. Princess, I've ordered over twenty troopers to secure the embassy and the Marines will be doing that too, you and the civilians are quite safe now, please don't worry."

"I know I'm safe but what about you?!"

"I've got the rest of the platoon coming to back me up. Don't worry on my account."

As all this took place, the Diamond Dog had vaulted a fence in the next street, running by a building that seemed to be a bank. The chase took us over a few more fences (sometimes not having digits is very painful, I'll say no more), and made me wish I had Twiley's trick of teleporting without stopping dead in your tracks, powering up, and figuring out the math and built-in secondary safety spells that won't let you teleport till you got them figured so you don't teleport inside a solid object (shame her mind blanks whenever she panics). Oh, and the fact I was so sloppy with it a single teleport could drain ten times more of my mana in one second than a decent sized barrier could drain over a whole day. And with all these twists and turns behind and between buildings I could lose him too easy without air coverage.

I was beginning to hate fences (and splinters) when he reached a road overlooking train tracks and a tunnel. He leapt onto the tracks and made a run for the tunnel. I radioed this, knowing if I followed the tunnels would certainly block my radio signals soon enough, but I had no real choice. It was at this point reinforcements caught up with me, but not quite what I expected.

"Captain Sparkle?" The Griffin above me shouted. His voice sounded slightly electronic, like it was coming from a radio.

"Yes. Who are you?"

"Call me Frost, sir, I'm part of the embassy detail, here to give a talon."

Frost didn't have the dark blue dye-job the rest of the local troops at the embassy wore, nor did he sport white belts and Spriling pistols in white holsters. Instead he wore a patchy grey-blue oversuit, goggles, a helmet, an odd mask over his beak (the cause of his radio-voice), a lot of pouches, and carried a pump action style Spriling gun. Similar to the pistol but bigger, stronger and able to shoot metal balls more effectively. He also lacked any markings other than a Sergeant's rank symbol. I wondered how he flew with all that weight, must be the same how Pegasi fly with their armor.

"Well, thanks, Sergeant. I think he's heading for the tunnels. I want him alive and conscious, but he's running a bit too fast for me to try trapping him with a shield spell."

If I blew it, I might only catch half of him.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Don't you have a much larger force field you could project to catch him in?)

It doesn't work that way, if he was inside the radius of the spell, it would have just sent him flying.

Both of us followed the dog already in the tunnels. I lit up my horn, shining a searchlight down the route. The dog was still in sight. The Griffin landed and ran alongside me.

The dog picked that moment to turn around, notice a Griffin chasing him, and swear loudly. His loudly barked expletive echoed off the tunnel walls.

"Well, if you want him alive I'll hold my fire, but flying here is treacherous so I'm not going to be able to chase him that way. Trains going past, the air currents are inconsistent... and I also think our radios will stop working soon."

"...Trains? This late?"

"The metro runs all-day services on some lines, and they move stock around at night on closed lines, Sir. If one passes, the steam engines make a lot of cover for a while. He picked a good escape route."

"...Hang on, did you say steam engine? How big?"

"Pretty big, but they're sort of magic-boiler things powered off some kind of battery."

Looked like Princess Celestia's investments weren't so reckless after all, though I still wondered if they could get something small and clean enough to work in Canterlot.

"We'll see one coming then?"

"Or hear it," He replied.

The tunnels led off into an underground mini-junction, with a service platform ringed by dull red lamps. The Dog was by now on that platform. At that point, a loud honk roared down the tunnel from behind. Frost quickly had me dive to the side, and sure enough, a moment later a rather large train rushed past, choking the platform in smoke. I threw up a shield to prevent getting asphyxiated. Frost was unaffected: clearly that mask was for more than sounding cool. Our canine target however was not so lucky.

He should have picked a better cover. Even with train smog fogging our vision, the dog made up for it gagging and wheezing like a dishrag was caught in his throat. We advanced again. The smoke cleared and the dog was staggering and sputtering, I shone my light on him, Frost drew his weapon and shouted, "On the ground!"

And that was when the other dogs hiding in an alcove began shooting.

"Rifles!" Frost helpfully pointed out as lead balls bounced loudly off my shields.

"I think this might have been an ambush," I helpfully observed.

No way dogs rich enough or clever enough to get their paws on weapons of that caliber would send in one packmate with a cheap pistol.

I shot a few bursts of stun magic back at them (and missed, of course) as we advanced, now seeing three Diamond Dogs run into a small entrance. Their one-shot muzzle loading weapons had been useless, and they had to fall back unable to reload and we followed. Please note that guns are worthless in close quarters except as clubs, and tunnels are about as close quarters as you get. Now, if you made one that could fire a lot of bullets in quick succession that reloaded itself like in sci-fi books and games like Call of Cutie, that'd be extremely useful. I might hit something with one of those!

Remember what I said about thinking about things like that?

"Service tunnel, watch corners in here, Sir!" Frost advised.

This tunnel led towards yet more tunnels. Eventually, about ten minutes later, it opened into a sort of underground mini-depot for the trains. A few carriages and another service platform dotted the area. One of the dogs tried to draw a pistol, but I cheated and used my telekinesis at long range to fire it for him as he drew it. He yelped, but he didn't seem to have hurt himself.

...Actually, at this point, the foal might want to leave.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Uh, I'd rather not, I want to hear the end of the story.)

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): She stays, Captain, we already covered this.)

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): I'm sorry, Shining, but we agreed she stays. If she leaves we'd have to leave. Besides, she's more resilient than you think.)

...But her tender, innocent young ears are unfit for such indelicate...

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn&Pegasus&Earth Pony): Get on with it!)

This was the point the floodlights switched on, dazzling me and Frost, so I threw up shields just in time to hear a rapid succession of shots and a barking voice scream out at us.

"Screw you, Mule and Bird! Leave my pack be!"

We dived behind a carriage. It helped to have something other than my mana between us and a hail of nasty bang bang.

"They had a whole volley line waiting for us?" I shouted over the shooting that continued for an unusually long time. Diamond Dogs lived for ambushes but this was too professionally coordinated for their style.

"Sounds more like a volley gun, Sir."

I peeked out, and sure enough, it was one massive gun on a carriage waiting, well-positioned up against a wall so nothing could sneak up on it or indeed teleport behind it. But strangely, unlike any volley gun I'd seen before, this seemed to only have six barrels rotating and shooting. A volley gun is a weapon with a lot of gun barrels side by side, and this only had six. Yet it fired far more than six shots. The rotating bit was odd too, volley guns normally just fire in succession. Additionally, it seemed to operate by rotating a crank.

But it was way too small for this parade of shots! At least the way the shots were coming from ruled out invisible guns. "I think it's safe to say they were drawing us into an ambush now."

"Sir, can you give me a shield? I'll try take a shot at the gunner. He's covering the other three, and they're getting away. I know Equestrians don't like lethal force but I think we need to do it the Columbian way for a moment..."
.
I obliged. Frost jumped out and fired... cursing as his shot was punctuated by a loud ricocheting ding!

"He's got steel plate covering him! How did we miss that? We'd need a sniper with a good bow to get the hit..."

I sighed. The bullets were making a mess of the carriage and a few had bounced off my shields. "Well, on the plus side he has to run out of shots before I run out of mana..."

The shooting then stopped.

"See?"

We jumped out, shield still up, only to find the gunner slumped in place with an arrow between his eyes.

"Sorry I'm late, Sir," Private Audience said, crossbow in his grasp. There wasn't an arrow in it at the moment, but he was presently reloading.

"...Audience, you just killed him."

"Yes, Sir. "

"Are you okay?"

"Of course, Sir. The other three are getting away," Audience reminded me evenly.

"...We'll talk later," I said in reply, but I found myself looking back at the dead Diamond Dog. I knew as a whole they weren't evil, sometimes they're offered a ridiculous fortune by somepony who had no intention of paying them, but more often than not they were simply bullied into being somepony else's cannon fodder.

"Come on, Captain!" Frost urged.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Was this what you were worried about her hearing? You're looking at her again.)

It was. In fact I was concerned about you all hearing it, to be honest. I just told you one of my troopers killed someone.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Who was trying to kill you and didn't have any other real options. Besides, you let the Griffin take a shot.)

Griffins killing is different, Equestrians... We haven't had a war in centuries, Equestria's not had a pony kill another pony in... I can't remember if ever. A few non-ponies have... died as a result of Pony actions and non-ponies have killed ponies but even those incidents are few and far between. Why do you think most ponies use pies instead of arrows? Ponies don't expect the guard to be armed, and when it became clear the Royal Guards carried swords for more than just decoration sometimes and archers were trained to do more than shoot targets and apples off heads, public outcry reached fever pitch.

It led to changes and the Guard being further scrutinized. As a compromise the guard pledged to never use gunpowder weapons in cities or towns, and the non-lethal approaches were emphasized even further in training, but the anti-weapons campaigns still blew a gasket five years after that pledge was made, when a guard was involved in an incident with an intruder that led to an accidental fatality. That had been another Diamond Dog, up against one scared little colt cadet who thought he was a big stallion soldier realizing he was way in over his head and...

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Shining, it's okay. I know you, Thunderchild, or any of your troopers don't like killing. And I don't hate you for killing in a trap like that. I know Griffins have different values from you. It's worse when you know her name. But that proves you're still a pony, that you have a heart.)

Hey, whoa, thanks for the hug.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Think nothin' of it.)

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Thank you.)

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): You're welcome Shining. Now Captain, you were chasing the Diamond Dogs?)

Yes, mind if we take a quick break? I could use it for the rest of that night.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Of course.)

Alright, we ran after the dogs. They seemingly had heard the gun fall silent, and had stopped to reload. They seemed to be trembling greatly, as if they'd done the math and come up with the correct answer as to why. The shorter one practically dropped his weapon.

"Drop your weapons!" Frost yelled.

"Put the weapons down and stay where you are!" Audience.

"I'd listen to them!" I, Mr. Bad-Shot, said.

They did so, then ran away again: the larger of the two grabbing his shorter packmate and carrying him piggyback.

"Let's go, Bro!" He barked.

I heard a noise behind us, and turned. Another dog-shape was heading for the volley gun.

"I think there might be more behind us. Something went up to check on that one we left behind."

"Noted, sir. I'll keep an eye out," Audience nodded.

The running dogs before us however, were heading for light at the end of the tunnel, and it wasn't another train. It was an exit.

"Frost, do you have a way to contact the police and have them head for our position?" I asked.

He gave me the frequency I'd need to tune my radio to, but said he'd rather stay in contact with his own unit for now. I kept glancing behind, making sure the dog behind us wasn't a threat. It seemed to be ignoring us. But . . . I felt an urgent need to get away from him! It was crazy! Logically, this dog could very well reman the gun and shoot us all in the back... but this wasn't even a logical level of fear I was feeling!

I just had to get away from this dog!

"Audience, where are the others?"

"Gag and Sergeant Thunderchild took to the air with the Pegasi from Misfit One-Three, Sir, they ought to be flying overhead somewhere. Apple joined the other ground units from One-Three, they were about a minute behind me. I left my own trail as well, Sir, they'll catch up."

"Good. You get in touch with the air unit the minute we've got comms again," I ordered.

The dogs were now outside, bathed in the bright moonlight. Our radios would soon be back up. And then mine blared to life.

"...Officers in need of assistance at Firefly Island Promenade..."

"...Repeat, code ten-fifty-nine, requesting emergency teams and fire department at Cisco Street, we have a major fire underway and numerous casualties..."

"...Ten-twelve, requesting arrest wagons to Sixth Avenue..."

"...One-Adam Twelve requesting update on status of EMTs to Comrades Bar, Mohawk Avenue..."

"...Shots fired at Aesir Plaza, an assault in progress, repeat, assault in progress at Aesir Plaza! Ten-eighty-five, dispatch, need additional units immediately, officers in danger!"

"What in the name of Celestia is going on here? The LCPD radio's going nuts!"

Frost was listening to his own at the time, and turned to face me even as we kept up pursuit.

"My CO tells me about a minute before we went into the tunnels, the Dukes and Broker gangs over in the west island started attacking each other! Looks like they're having a full-blown gang war!"

"Dukes and Broker?" I asked.

"Mostly they're all Hooviet expats."

"Hooviets..." Audience noted, before trying to contact our air unit.

I frowned hard. "In the twenty minutes or so we're underground, out of radio communications... a gang war just HAPPENS to break out and the local police get drawn away..."

"Probably not a coincidence, I agree. Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if they had more trouble waiting for us up ahead," Frost added.

Audience then spoke up. "Sir, I've got the Sarge on comms. He and the others spotted that cart you reported, they caught it. They're handing the cartponies over to the LCPD, they'll be back in the air to help as soon as the police have them in a cell."

"Finally some good news!"

The train tracks were still set below the main street level, but were slowly starting to reach upwards. A station lay ahead, thankfully rather empty, but in hindsight that was a bad sign all things considered. It had a platform on our level, and an upper-level track built on a rail highway above. We were close behind the dogs as they entered the station. Frost took to the air to watch the exits as Audience and I continued pursuit.

"The rest of my unit is coming, Captain Sparkle. We'll help out."

"Thanks!" I shouted up as we raced into the station's ticket hall.

Only for another blasted volley gun to be lying in wait. This one was the more normal kind with about a hundred barrels though, not the odd one back in the tunnel.

"Horseapples!"

We dove back around the corner.

"Where the hay did they get those, Sir?" Audience wondered.

"I dunno... mail order? Look, see that bathroom door, right over there? We'll break for that behind my shield."

"Bottleneck them through the door?"

"Or make an exit through a window. On three... one, two, THREE!"

We ran, the hail of shots bouncing off my shield. Audience shot off a few bursts of magic out of it, not well aimed, but would at least keep our enemies' heads down.

"Volley guns. Who ambushes you with Volley Guns?" Audience grouched.

"They used one before... You shot the gunner."

"Sir?"

"Anyway, while we were running into here did you spot the ticket barrier? I think we can make it to that, use it as a little extra cover on top of my shields."

There are such things as shield-breaker spells. Physical barriers, however, can help thwart such magic. Just because I'd A) never encountered one that could brute-force my shields and B) hadn't seen an enemy unicorn amongst all the Dogs, I was still going to take advantage of extra cover where I could.

"It'll slow their shots down at least, Sir." Audience said, far more of an expert in the field on ballistics. The arms race being what it is... I knew I'd be needing a lot of training in this newfangled weaponry, if I wanted to keep my job and/or life.

"And they were all behind cover themselves in the ticket office kiosk. If we go now..." I hoped that the station had been empty BEFORE the Diamond Dogs set up camp.

"And if they're sneaking behind us, Sir?"

"Well, we're probably better off moving to them now rather than waiting on someone coming to us..." I said, and was promptly proven wrong.

"Captain Sparkle, this is Sandgriff. I'm Frost's team leader. We're moving in from the East entrance."

"Roger that, thanks. There's at least half a dozen in the ticket hall. Do you see any of them coming up behind us, Sandgriff?"

"Negative, we see some of your guys though."

"Misfit-Actual, Misfit-Actual-Three. Sir, we're coming up the tracks behind you, over." I grinned to hear Lance-Corporal Apple's voice. Being an Earth Pony meant he had to bite on the button while talking, but it was still a most wonderful sound to hear. We had the Diamond Dogs on the leash!

"Misfit-Actual-Three, roger. Did you encounter any problems on the way?"

"Negative to that, sir. Private Party, she's Misfit One-Three's unicorn, she had trouble finding your trail though, Captain. We followed Captive's instead.."

"Yes, Sir, I meant to say, your trail stopped before the tunnel. It was sheer luck I caught you, to be honest."

"I see." I didn't have time to figure that one out. "Prepare to move in from the rear on my mark, stay behind the corner unless Party has a good shield spell."

"Got that, we're ready to move on your mark. Out.."

Sandgriff confirmed his team was ready too and agreed to try to prevent fatalities, and a moment later, Audience and I ran out.

"Move in!"

My shields now protected the four other troopers, Apple and the three ground members of One-Three, that were behind us. I extended spells around Apple and Private Star Dancer, both Earth Ponies, as well as Lance-Corporal Marelowe, a Zebra. The three of them charged in under the cover of Audience and Party's magic, while the Griffin team hit the dogs from the side soon after. It was a total success. In seconds we had all the Diamond Dogs down, alive, and restrained.

"Well met, Sandgriff," I said, nodding at the Master Sergeant.

His team was dressed almost identical to Frost, except that one of them carried a bulky clockwork automatic crossbow slung by his saddlebags, while another had a slimmer pump-action style bowgun furnished with a small telescope sight.

"Likewise, Captain."

"Oh, hey, you guys are Unit Metal, aren't you? Griffin Special Forces! Kick-flank!" Apple suddenly exclaimed.

"Uh, yeah. Sorry about that but I'm not actually a Marine. I work for a living, Sir," Frost said sheepishly while he tied up a groaning dog.

We'd placed all the captive dogs off to one side for the LCPD to pick up, while we examined the area. We'd collected all their munitions, piling them beside the volley gun.

As for the dogs, a few of them were still out cold, some of them were awake and whining, and others were snapping off angry curses at Equine and Griffin alike. The smaller one from before was whimpering, and his presumably elder brother was one of the more vocal angry voices, ranting away.

"Arrow Pony Kill Scruffy! Monsters! Scruffy good dog! Our mother hate you forever! You and me! One on one! I eat stupid picture on stupid pony-butt!"

"Oh come on!" Sandgriff snapped at the Diamond Dog, "You were all just trying to kill us! And we're supposed to feel sorry somepony killed one of you in self-defense?"

"I'm sorry I had to," Private Audience said.

The Diamond Dog and Sandgriff both stared at Private Audience jaw and beak dropping.

"Hey, did you hear something?" One of the Griffin soldiers asked.

"Sounded like a train pulling in on the upper platform." Another replied.

"We'll need to keep any civvies away right now..." Sandgriff said, but as he did so, two shapes in black oversuits leaped down the stairs, holding strange weapons in the grip of antler telekinesis.

"Deer!" some observant Griffin soul observed loudly.

Hooviet agents? Gangsters? Disgruntled acupuncturists? Didn't really matter who. They were armed and taking aim at us.

Their weapons had strange wooden rears and front portions, (I just KNOW all the future generations must be having a good chuckle at my ignorance of gun terminology,) apparently to let creatures with hands use them. I also could see a metal blocky portion above the trigger, bulky barrels below metal shrouds, and long banana-shaped protrusions below the metal middle just in front of the trigger. They looked much like some larger sling/magazine fed crossbows, but these were a whole different class of weapon.

Fortunately, I knew just the right spell to use against deer; shining my horn-light into the eyes of the nearest Buck, who froze in place for a second. It's where the phrase 'Deer in the headlights' comes from. My head, my light.

The other two behind the buck, were at bad angles, did NOT freeze up in place, and just opened fire. And that was when it became apparent they were some form of hand-held volley gun. My dream weapon from before had just become a nightmare.

I threw up shields, covering most of my troopers. The Griffins sprang for cover, but amidst the roar of gunfire, I heard one yell out in agony. The report of so many shots was deafening though, and I was a little dazed. That slowed my reaction when the Deer raced back upstairs, but the one I'd startled was slow. Apple tackled him.

"Everyone all right?!" I shouted, a bit deafened and therefore a bit loud.

"Aw, shit, Grinch is hit!" Frost shouted.

"I'm fine, just winged me, no pun intended..."

I looked at the soldier in question, the one who had been carrying the pump-action sniper bow. Grinch had a nasty-looking wound on his wing, but nothing major: His armor seemed to have taken it mostly but his wing was grazed.

"Aw, horseapples, they shot the dogs!" Audience shouted.

Indeed, our diamond dog captives had absorbed the bulk of the gunfire. In all likelihood, they'd been the shooters' primary targets. I'll never described what was left of them.

Apple was shaking at the sight.

Party had rushed over to them to do what she could with the few medical spells she knew, and I was about to check on them myself to see if my cure-spell deficient abilities could make any difference, when the Griffins began moving themselves.

"We're going after the Deer!" Sandgriff said, moving towards the stairs.

"Wait, Sandgriff, you'll need shielding! I'll come with you. My guys, keep that Deer guarded and the area secure!"

"Yes, Sir!"

"Grinch, wait here. The Equestrians might need your bow if more trouble shows up!" Sandgriff ordered his wounded trooper.

The three Griffins and I raced upstairs, just as the train was pulling away. We jumped onto its caboose, barreling into an unfortunate Deer in the process, and knocking him off the train. Then we discovered that the door he'd been guarding was locked. The four of us were now on the small rear caboose platform of a moving train. As the Griffins fiddled with the locked door, the train pulled out away from the station, and then more shots hit my shields.

"Watch out, there's another one back on the platform! We've also left one on the tracks but he's a bit out of it..." I said into the radio, then I noticed something.

A huge black canine shape had jumped down from the rafters of the platform covering, hitting the Deer we'd knocked off the train. Judging by the sensation of ice encasing my stomach, (thicker and thicker the longer I gazed)... this could only be the especially-scary-dog-thing from earlier. I assumed the dog was angry at the Hooviets for killing his packmates. Of course, if I were a Hooviet, myself, I would've killed the dogs anyway and left their bodies in the station with the dead Equestrians, so as to make it look like we killed each other. Deer give us ponies so many reasons to be thankful we're not them.

But the huge black dog took a swipe at the state-of-the-art gun the Deer wielded. And the moment his claws touched the weapon, it simply... vanished.

I blinked.
The Deer's fancy gun was gone.
Poof.

I blinked again, and the Deer was standing up, nocking an arrow to the drawstring of his longbow, as the huge black dog rolled off him. But before the Deer could fire, Marelow and Party rushed up to the platform and tackled the antlered archer.

The fact the closest thing we had to a medic was now upstairs confirmed my fears for the unfortunate Diamond Dogs. They might have been trying to kill me, but unlike the Deer, they were not professional, they had shown fear, and they had felt like living things. The fanaticism of the average Hooviet made them more like automatons than flesh and blood, the kind of enemy Equestrians dread.

Not just because it's all too easy to forget they're living beings, but because it means they're not going to hesitate to use lethal force on you if they get the chance. And in this case, even at the time I knew it would likely see the Griffin Special Forces I was accompanying respond in kind with little mercy or hesitation. That was part of why I was there. Without me, the Columbians would probably have been slaughtered with their gung-ho pursuit of the better-armed Deer.

The black shape was now bounding after the train which I was on. It occurred to me that this canine had been running upon all fours this whole time... so WAS he even a Diamond Dog, as I'd originally assumed? However, the speeding locomotive soon outdistanced the canine who then promptly... vanished into nothingness in the darkness behind us. Like some manner of phantasm.

"Did you see that?" I asked Sandgriff.

"See what?"

"That black Dog shape just... never mind."

I looked away. Over the radio, Bitter Apple informed me that the LCPD had finally arrived, and were securing the area while waiting on higher-ups to escort the two Deer to someplace above a regular jail.

The Griffins meanwhile had their pump-action spring slingshots ready, something I wasn't happy about but I knew they would want to be able to shoot back going in, even if they were outgunned.

"Okay, I got the lock. Shields up, Captain?" Frost said.

"Yep."

"And can you do that horn-light thing while maintaing a shield up at the same time?" Sandgriff questioned.

"Yes, I can, but double-casting uses up my mana about three times faster than each spell by itself. I'd better go in first though. I might be able to take them down with stun spells."

"Alright, let's go on three..." The Griffin soldier said, and counted down.

The door was slammed in and I shone my light in as strongly as I could. The Griffins piled in behind me, and the two deer in the carriage froze up, startled. I tried stun bolts on the Deer, but they were ineffective. Probably something to do with the futuristic-looking body armor they were wearing.

I then tried to fire a Gravity Burster spell. It's basically just shooting out a number of small shield-balls rapidly. Those barely made the Deer flinch... indeed, they were broken from their funk by it. They began raising their weapons. The clack-clicks of the spring-slingshots and the auto-crossbow behind me led to those deer falling down a few seconds later with unwanted holes in their heads.

Splitting up my magic three ways like this was eating up my reserves and making the spells themselves less potent but we couldn't sit around waiting for me to rest up.

I was happy that it was me who came along, unlike most Guards, I had seen killing once before.

One Deer had been carrying the same strange sort of gun as before, but with a round, flat, drum portion connected where the banana-shaped thing had been. There was also an odd box with a circle of glass at one end attached near the back of the weapon.

At the other end of the carriage, though, the door opened. Liberty City's metro carriages had a corridor down the middle, and benches at the sides. This meant there wasn't much cover, so in a way we had an advantage right now thanks to my shields. The doors, however, were solid, so we couldn't see further down the train.

"Captain, you think you can use that weapon?" Sandgriff asked.

Given how much risk we'd all be in if I were to try dropping my shields in order to cast magic... the gun seemed like a reasonable compromise.

"I can try, but I won't promise I'll hit anything..."

"Sir, with respect, you may need to set your Equestrian values aside and..."

"It's not that! Guns are newfangled technology to me! And I'm a bad shot normally! And this one's got this box thing blocking the posty bits you shoot with on other shooty things!"

Okay, it was partly that. I couldn't help but think for a few seconds that, for all their fanatical coldness, clinical and eerie silence, and their well-displayed capacity for violence, that they were still somedeer's sons, somedeer's brothers, maybe somedeer's fathers.

Then I recalled I was somepony's son and somepony's brother, and that they probably didn't give a feather about that, making it a little easier to shoot back. Not much, though.

"...You mean the sights?"

"Maybe? Why is this box even here, it's just got a little red T-shape thing floating in the glass..."

The door at the other end of our carriage opened. Two more deer entered, and unfortunately, these Deer seemed to have second-guessed what a unicorn like me would try and do. Their eyes regarded me behind black tinted lenses. Worse, they also had advert frames held in their antler telekinesis: crude impromptu shields to guard against projectile fire.

Deer can't perform shield spells themselves, but that was some pretty clever thinking on their part really. I gave a quick try at telekinetically yanking the advert frames away, but the Deer had a slight advantage of better grip and there was no time for a tug-of-war I'd lose. My mana reserves startle most ponies: but the first thing EVERY unicorn learns is: "conserve, not waste." I'm not my sister, even at M7 I can exhaust my magic if I throw it like confetti.

"I hate sunglasses!" I cursed as I tried to fire my gun.

Nothing happened. The Deer's guns, however, operated much better. Turns out the worst time to learn the fundamentals of gun-based warfare is in the middle of a shootout. Who knew?

"Why isn't this working?!"

"Maybe you can ask the Deer?" Frost suggested, firing his slingshot.

"Take the safety off!" The other Griffin, who I'd learn was called Truck, shouted at me.

Frost reached over with his left talon and flipped something down a notch for me. I tried again. While bullets DID fire from the gun's muzzle, the weapon was still very hard to control. Most of my shots wound up perforating the roof.

"Try firing in short bursts, the way the Deer are!" Sandgriff advised, even as one startled Deer dropped his shield at my wild shots and got an arrow in the leg for his troubles.

This worked far better, but I still couldn't hit a thing for the strange box in the way. Nonetheless, it gave the Griffins an opening and cover fire. Soon, the two Deer were down.

"Move up! This train has four carriages plus the locomotive, we just cleared two!" Sandgriff shouted, racing ahead.

The next carriage was empty, but the Deer now held the door shut, or had locked it.

"I'll open it now that we have room to stand back," I said, dropping my main shield, and charging up another spell, my Gravity Ball.

Basically, I shot a very dense ball of shield magic at the door. First though, I readied a quick scan spell. It was enough to detect three unshielded magic signatures in the next carriage: two of them at the door. This was probably going to be messy. I told the Griffins what I could see. They nodded in reply.

I fired the Gravity Ball spell, and the door simply buckled inwards. The Deer were flung back, I raised the shield again and the third Deer at the end was fortunately too slow to raise his weapon. The Griffins rushed in, charging the Deer, punching them down and out rather than killing them. Frost, however, draw a knife and threw it at the further-away Deer. Even with my ears ringing a little from all the gunfire, it was not a pleasant sound to hear it hit home. I'd seen more death in one night than most Guard ponies see in a lifetime.

"We've got these two alive as well, hopefully. Last carriage, then we can try stopping the train," Sandgriff said. I noticed he'd found one of the guns with the banana-bit, and looked at the door.

Frost and Truck were held their own little conversation in the background.

"You know what's weird? These Deer all have winter antlers, but it's summer in the Hooviet Empire as well."

"Yeah, they should have shed antlers that big and only just be growing new ones..."

"Stand back, Captain, I'll see if I can make this work," Sandgriff hefted the gun up.

"Wait, I could look through the walls fir-"

He fired at the door until his gun suddenly clicked.

"Hm, it stopped. Wonder what these little brass things it spat out were."

"Maybe they're mana containers?" I said, but the door creaked open before he could reply.

A dead Deer fell into our carriage through it.

"You don't want to shoot any more!" A Hooviet-accented voice then shouted from further inside.

"On your guard, sounds like he's shouting from the locomotive," Frost warned.

We moved up cautiously. I could see one of the guns lying on the ground with no obvious owner.

"Show yourself, no weapons!" I demanded.

A stag in a red uniform emerged.

"You have done wery well to have defeated an entire Spetznaz unit here, Commander Sparkle..."

"Commissar Chekov?" I exclaimed in surprise.

"Ah, so now you recognize faces and names. Is it wery common problem in Equestria? Can you only recall those you meet in recent times?"

"Wait, you're grouching at him about that thing at the embassy last night?" Sandgriff asked, bemused.

"Does everyone know about that or something?" I groaned.

"Yup," Truck confirmed.

"And well SHOULD they know of it, Commander, wery well! It was a most grave and windictive insult to the Supreme Marshal! Most undiplomatic!"

"Whatever, so your boss threw teddy from the pram, he needs to get over himself. What the hell are you idiots doing shooting up Liberty City?" Sandgriff said.

"It is simple. We wanted redress for Shining Armor's insult..." Chekov smirked.

"What? You were after me?"

"General-Admiral Makarov wishes you to die, Commander. Your head is only fair way to amend for the wery serious mockery of him."

"Okay, what the hell are you guys smoking in Hoovietsville? That's a pretty big overreaction," Truck wondered.

"Well, sorry, Commissar Chekov, but I'm kind of attached to my head," I retorted.

"A pity, but you do not have a choice. You will either die when this train stops, or die now!"

He tried to raise the weapon lying on the floor. I grabbed it first, and handed it to Sandgriff, raising my shields and aiming my own gun. At least I think I aimed it. Stupid boxy thing.

"Actually, Chekov, YOU'RE the one who doesn't have a choice! Now, what's really going on here? You expect us to believe you'd risk an international incident because some high-ranked bodyguard attended a party without knowing Makarov's name in advance? You've nowhere to go, and this seems like a good time to talk honestly and openly. Just you, me, these Gentlegriffs and these guns."

He simply growled.

"The Supreme Marshal will not have as swift a mercy as an instantaneous death by bullet for you, Shining Armor! The fate worse than death you will get will make you dream of having died by my antlers! For the Greater Good!" And with that, Chekov yanked his coat off with magic.

A more conventional pistol emerged: a single shot flintlock. We realized his real plan, but were too late. He stuck the weapon in his own muzzle and fired.

"Yeesh. If he didn't want to talk he could have said so," Frost observed.

What kind of sick wonderland had I been pulled into?

"Well, let's stop the train. I've no idea where we're..." Sandgriff said, but frowned, realizing something as he entered the driver's cabin. "These trains have dead-griff handles."

"And?" I asked.

"Well, If there's no one holding down the lever, it's supposed to stop."

Then I saw there was a red glow of magic around the handle. WHOSE, though? Every Deer aboard the train was either dead or unconscious. My Griffin allies were nonmagical beings. And it sure wasn't MY magic. I tugged at it, but the handle refused to budge. The caster was far stronger, it seemed. An invisibility spell, perhaps? But a swift scan spell showed no one on the train, even on the roof.

"Whoever is doing this is far away. That way, to be exact." I pointed with a hoof out of a window.

My scan spell showed a trail of magic -- like a red wire -- originating from the direction our train was heading. Towards an urban sprawl, ahead.

"Looks like..." Sandgriff began, but was interrupted.

All around the train came the noise of windows and doors slamming shut and locking themselves. The door to the locomotive also locked shut. Unfortunately, it was the only entrance or exit, and the small windows were not big enough for us to squeeze our bodies through... even if we COULD overcome the red glow now shimmering over them.

"What the griff-hell? Is this from the same guy who's casting the spell on the lever?" Sandgriff wondered.

"Probably..."

"Boss, Captain, everything okay in there?"

"Sort of. We're not dead at least. What about you guys?" Sandgriff shouted as I tugged the lever fruitlessly.

"Every window is magically sealed and shielded. The other doors are all locked as well. Doesn't look like we can break out."

"Alright, guess you got to stay."

Sandgriff sighed as he tugged at a small door in the cabin. It apparently led to the large magic engine that powered the boiler of this steam train.

"Access to the magic-boiler is sealed up. Same red glow there, too."

I confirmed it.

"I'm betting it's either Makarov or a friend of his."

Sandgriff looked out the window. "Looks we're heading for the west side of the city."

I looked out, and I saw we were presently on a bridge over the river, heading for the side of the city that had undergone the gang troubles luring the LCPD away from our chase. I could see smoke rising from a few fires, numerous small airships floating around, and numerous police Griffins flying around.

How could Makarov be doing this from so far away? With such masterful precision? I hadn't imagined even Princess Celestia having this kind of range. Hippogriffs supposedly had the best of both worlds. So would a 'unideer' (deericorn?) like Makarov have super powerful magic? So confusing!

I then managed to remember something I'd forgot in all the events of storming the train.

"Okay, maybe we can figure out something else. I'll communicate with my troopers back at the... Drat. Guess what?"

"Radio signal blocked?"

"Yes. Yours?"

"Yep." Sandgriff nodded. "Can't even ask for reinforcements and every cop in this side of town is busy so even if we could get in touch with them they'd not be able to help. We're stuck. Maybe you could teleport us out now?"

"I have a sneaking suspicion one of the spells cast on this train would block teleportation. And second, well, we'd be teleporting out of a moving object. Watch."

I jumped up.

"Oh. Conservation of momentum, is it? We'd be teleporting somewhere while moving as fast as this train is..." He got the idea.

"Yep, and I'm pretty bad at compensating that. I'd try to throw up a shield but then we'd be a wrecking ball and destroy anything we hit."

"Hey look! We're over a river now! You don't need to teleport us that far! The water can break our impact and nothing for your magic ball to damge!" Truck declared.

"There's still the spell around the train, but then again shield magic IS my special talent." I allowed myself a smirk as I applied my knowledge and knack for barrier based magic to try and undo or disrupt the spell Makarov was using to remotely control the train.

"YEOW!" It felt like somepony had put a pair of jumper cables on my horn as I instinctively jerked back, now with a splitting headache. I felt it practically sucking my mana away as I had tried it. I even tried to scan the barrier, and that resulted in a huge drain of mana as well.

"Okay, that's no good. I think this is specifically designed to leech at my magic."

"You know, I'm beginning to wonder if this Makarov is some kind of Hooviet super soldier or something. Less a thing that was BORN than a... lab project, something engineered by magic or science." Sandgriff pondered.

"Given what the Hooviets are willing to do for their 'Greater Good', it wouldn't surprise me, Sandgriff. But if so, you don't put a super-weapon in a command spot, you put 'em on the front line where he'll do some good."

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus: Like you, Mr. Super-Shields?)

Point taken.

We looked out at the city again, and Sandgriff noted where we were headed. The train was now over the island, and had just branched off.

"I think this line leads to the Harwood Depot. There's a rolling stockyard there, pretty much a rail graveyard where all the old pony-drawn tram carriages were left after the metro switched to these trains. Lots of sheds to store them, and right in the middle of an industrial estate that's gonna be empty."

"Isolated, a maze of ancient junk to get lost in, and lots of spots for his goons to be hiding. Perfect place for Makarov's ambush. Seems like the kind of pun he'd appreciate too: a train graveyard at the end of the line..." I realized.

Sandgriff nodded.

"Chekov said Makarov wanted to have fun with you, or he implied it, anyway. I don't think he's crashing this train."

"Don't remind me. 'Fate worse than death?' He's going to bind my horn, shackle my legs, stick a Trottenham shirt on me and make me listen to Dubtrot, I know it."

"Uh, what?"

"Is there another fate worse than death?" I asked rhetorically.

"Captain Sparkle, has anyone ever told you you're nuts?" He chuckled.

"Once I tell you the plan I have, you guys will probably call me WORST things than 'nuts,' IF we get out alive."

"If we get out alive, that'll mean your plan worked. How nuts can it be?"

"If this doesn't work..." I said. "It's been an honor." I gave a salute, them responding in kind.

The train yard was just as advertised. A maze of hulked tram carriages designed to be hauled by ponies rather than engines. I would later learn that though the trains had more capacity and a more consistent speed, they'd seen about two thousand job losses and resulted in a reduction in rolling stock. And apparently, every single old carriage in Columbia, let alone Liberty, seemed to be piled up here. A web of sidings, turntables, junctions and rails scattered around one area, but many were closed off by carriages. A few large cranes also loomed over the area, and about half a dozen sheds sat filled to capacity and then some.

It was a scrapyard you could lose a regiment in, even without enemy forces lying in wait.

The train decelerated, slower and slower until it gently bumped into some buffers, coming to a complete stop. This was when about a dozen black-clad deer emerged from the shadows, all holding the odd guns with drum-shaped portions instead of banana bits. The red glow stayed in place around our train, however.

And then a voice confirmed my suspicions. General-Admiral Solomon Azure Raven Makarov.

"Captain Sparkle! You are trapped, surrounded, and out of options! Come out without weapons, and I will let the Griffins leave peacefully. They have not insulted me nor caused me troubles..."

"Okay, quick check here but how many of their guys did you kill?" I asked quietly.

"Six or so. And we captured three back there plus two here. Plus your guy slotted the shooter in the tunnels I think." Sandgriff answered.

"...But you have gravely insulted me. To insult me is to insult my honor. To insult my honor is to insult the Hooviet Empire, to insult the Hooviet Empire is demand your own death! Chekov was being merciful. You should have let him kill you rather than murder him..."

"The gun is still in his muzzle for Celestia's sake..." I muttered.

"...So therefore, Captain, I will tear you apart now. For the insult to me, to the Hooviet Union, to Father Deer and the Greater Good! The last thing you will hear as a pony will the epic symphony of my rise to prominence!"

Pst. That was the worst this psycho-deer had?

"I will rip your horn from your head personally and convert you into a carthorse for the Stalker mines! A device will be inserted into the wound where your horn was, forever claiming control of your motor functions but not your consciousness. You will have your genitals removed..."

"Eeesh!" Sandgriff winced.

"...You will be fed the cheapest gruel and be left unable to control your bodily functions, dribbling your foul waste behind you for the many, many years I will see you live, converted to the disgusting creature you truly are!"

"I bet you says that to all the boys," I muttered under my breath, sweating, my entire body tense.

"Yes, Sparkle, you will trapped in a body only controlled by the orders of others. Lumps of the meat of your body that are not needed will be sliced from you to feed the Diamond Dogs of the mines. You will be a foul thing leaking excrement and urine, a mute gelding, no longer a stallion and just a walking pile of filth in the shape of a pony! And now I demand that you exit the train and face your fate, or I will destroy it and you instantly!"

"Somehow neither of these seem like great options," Truck noted.

"I have unlocked the doors and removed my shields. You have five seconds!"

"Well, I think we'll go out. Brace yourselves, and if you get a chance to get away from this, do it," I said.

"As long as you're taking the chance too, Captain," Sandgriff replied.

"Four!"

"Everyone good?" The Master Sergeant asked.

"Three!"

"Yeah."

"Two!"

"Here, Frost, take this, you might be able to aim it better..."

"One! FIRE!"

The Deer opened fire, a dozen of the strange guns chattering away. Two of the smaller six-barreled odd volley guns were present, one perched on a pile of carriages overlooking the train, and one with the ground troops. The hail of shots smashed windows and punching through the carriages in a long sweep. Some of the shots managed to cause damage to the engine, resulting in a small fire. The firing squad raked long tongues of fire down the train.

Unfortunately, I'd just teleported the four of us out of the carriage and only two poor unconscious Deer were getting shot to ribbons who I couldn't save in time.

We were now perched on the roof of one of the sheds, the two griffins with guns aiming them as I thanked all three of my Princesses the first part of my insane plan had actually worked. I had just done, the biggest and quickest teleportation of my life, my horn throbbed and my vision was blurry. I had brought up my shield inside the train and had bought the extra second or two I needed, before the mana I had put into the hastily constructed barrier broke from bullets. Don't even ask me to do that again because it was a miracle that it worked at all instead of my divided attention causing both spells to fail. I'd probably wasted half my total mana supply on that one combo.

"Hey, Captain, I think this boxy thing IS a sight!" Frost suddenly noted.

The Deer stopped firing at the same time, and to my surprise, removed the drum parts of their weapons in order to attach new ones.

"What? Blast. Oh well, you know the plan."

It was two guns, an automatic crossbow, and me firing down. I used my magic, first firing a flare spell off into the air, not only illuminating the battleground and disorienting the light-sensitive cervines, but acting as a distress beacon, visible to all of Liberty City for miles around.

"Requesting reinforcements at my flare!" I barked into the radio, on the off-chance that it was working or better yet, that someone would know what the signal was and take a look.

Now to begin phase two. I began firing another spell I knew; the flash-ball spell. It was a pyrotechnic spell, creating a bright light and loud bang. You can imagine its effectiveness against the Deer; helping the Griffins shoot down while the hapless Deer were still gathering their wits. Judging by how many of them fell when he shot, it seemed Frost was right. And worse was he later told me he just had to line it up and fire. A device, that would have finally let me hit something, and I thought it was in the way!

In retrospect it would have been smarter for all of us to just try and sneak away while the deer searched for bodies, but we didn't have time to come up with a smarter plan.

During all the shooting, one of the odd volley guns exploded suddenly when a bullet struck it. I presumed volatile magic was involved. Some Deer were shooting back, but to my surprise Makarov stood in the middle of it all, a red shield around himself, smiling. Not lifting a hoof to help his soldiers.

And then I realized he was charging up power in his antlers.

"Oh horseapples, GET DOWN!" I yelled, just as he released it. The Griffins scattered into the yard, but as I tried to teleport I was too late. The ball of energy slammed into my shields and exploded.

Somehow, I held resolute, even though it had been the strongest magical attack I'd ever had hit my shields - actially cracking it! It tore up the roof I was standing on, and threw me from it. I landed, smashing up a carriage or three as my slowly cracking shield became a wrecking ball, and found myself lying in shattered debris, dazed and confused. I'd lost my helmet and my radio somehow, and I felt like I'd collided into a train. Which is literally what happened, sort of.

"Find him and bring him to me alive! Break his legs, smash his ribs, but I want his horn and his life still with him! His genitals are optional!"

That sort of reminder served as a very good wake-up call.

"Forget the Griffins, they will be fleeing away!"

Presumably one of the Spetznaz knew that focusing on me while the Griffins were loose was bad.

And then came the howl.

Had that big bad wolf been there a second ago? Up close, the shape was CLEARLY more lupine than canine. How had I mistaken this for a diamond dog?

"Uh... Nice doggie?" I spoke to the massive black hound pacing towards me, slowly and methodically.

"...Stay? Sit? Beg?"

Was this wolf even truly black? Or was I seeing some sort of hazy outline?

The way it was panting sounded oddly like speech, was this a Diamond Dog after all?

"...disruptioN ...anomalY"

Then again, my ears had been ringing from the loud explosion and all the gunfire, my head was splitting from all the high-mana use, I had aches all over, and I was also being hit by a massive fear-induced adrenaline rush again.

I looked around quickly. The howl would surely have attracted the Hooviets, and running would make the wolf chase. So, being a genius, I threw a tram wheel at it.

I either missed or it went right through its body. It wasn't fazed in the least. It narrowed its eyes at me and my heart skipped a beat. It finally clicked in my brain that I was this wolf-shape's prey.

"...Eeep."

The wolf charged. I did the sensible thing and tried to run quietly without attracting Hooviet attention, as well as maintaining my professional demeanor and stoic approach befitting of a Royal Guard Officer.

"BUCKING TARTARUS! WOLF, BIG WOLF, BIG ANGRY WOLF, HORSEAPPLES!"

...Okay, I ran screaming and swearing like a foul-mouthed little filly through the rat's nest of carriages and scrap metal.

My blind terror brought on by the giant wolf meant I didn't think to be surprised by the Deer that leapt out at me, guns drawn with my shield still down.

"Chyort voz'mi! Bol'shaya sobaka!"

"Your mother would be ashamed of you!" I shouted as I rushed past him.

He gave a yelp of surprise as the dog barreled into him instead, presumably. I glanced back and saw the dog had his gun in his mouth, and seemed to bite right through it. At the time, I was a little bit busy running away when a spear sailed over my head. The Deer was now back on his hooves and had found a bow and arrow somewhere. I put my shields back up and ran, because the blooming dog was still after me! Was this some exotic pet of Makarov's?! Then why did it attack the deer too?! Or was it a monster born from all the resentment of carriage-pulling ponies who'd lost their jobs? What was going on here?!

Luckily, a couple more Deer distracted it. A few took some shots but they must have missed because the screams a second later were not those of a canine.

I dove into an open carriage window. The wolf came through the wall after me! Didn't anyone tell it animals are supposed lost interest if their prey plays hard to get?! I raced out the rusted open back door I saw before diving in (you didn't think I'd let myself get cornered did you?).

I saw a deep drainage ditch. It was too deep for me to jump across, so I teleported, landing on the other side halfway, frantically climbed up and kept galloping, my head was going to explode.

I looked back just in time to see the wolf leap the ditch and hit the ground running after me.

I began tugging at the rubble and wreckage around me, trying to drop things between me and the angry lupine. This turned out to be pointless because not only did it dodge anything landing near it... who should suddenly ram into my side during an unguarded moment, but wonderful old Makarov? I rolled like a hamster in a ball. Probably hilarious to watch but disorienting as pony hell as I came to a halt in another carriage.

"No one interferes! He is mine!" He yelled, and cast a spell around us.

It encased us both in a wide bubble, throwing aside the carriages around us to make a clearing of about a hundred yards diameter. I was satisfied to see the monster wolf bounce off the shield with a yelp. Of course, it also hurled the nearby Spetznaz away, but they came back. The wolf, curiously, did not. I swear I heard the reverse recording of a enraged frustrated growl that made my blood freeze. Thankfully, the good General-Admiral was there to take my mind off of the beastie.

"Now, Equestrian dog, you will have a chance to have a merciful and quick death, if you but beg for it!"

I did the first thing I could think of.

"...Equestrian? Zut alors, I am not Equestrian, I am Prench!"

"...Prench." Makarov repeated in a monotone.

Somewhere I heard the world's small muted trumpet give its swan song.

"Off courze! 'Ow else do you explain zis outragéous accént?"

Hey, I stood good odds of being doomed to a hideous death... or an equally hideous life. Forgive me for having a little fun.

"Possibly that you are, as they say in Prance, being le tosser! It is unbecoming of an officer to engage in such childish activity!"

"See, Mr. Makarov, you clearly have never actually met an Equestrian officer, have you? I'm starting to think this was all just a big, silly, cultural misunderstanding! Yes, I mistakenly failed to recognize who you were, and tactlessly admitted it to your face, and you, er, don't seem to quite understand Equestrian wit..."

"Wit?! Culture?! You have no such things in your wretched country! Your strongest and only weapons are ignorance, petty insults and hiding behind the fat, bloated behinds of Princess Celestia and CadenzOW!"

It felt very satisfying to run over and kick him in the face for that. Prick.

"Now, see that? What you just did? Just now? THAT is an unpardonable insult to national honor. THAT is a hideous affront to not just one, but TWO unparalleled rulers, who TRULY love their citizens, and are loved by them, in turn. Their graciousness, goodness, and yes, GODLINESS come straight from the heart... not the product of a round-the-clock propaganda machine. You cannot even compare. You're nothing but a vulture desperate to pass himself off as a phoenix."

Makarov chuckled while his face bled.

"They... LOVE their citizens?" he sneered. "Are loved... BY their citizens? Perhaps you could answer me a question, then, Mr. Equestrian: why have none of your horned and winged princesses ever taken any consorts, the way I have?"

"What?" My voice was the most dangerous sort of whisper.

"I'll have you know," Makarov continued, in a casual, off-the-cuff sort of voice, "That, over the years, I have planted numerous agents within Canterlot, whose sole mission was to seduce either Princess Celestia or Princess Cadence, become their... constant companion. I've tried everything. Males, females, young and old and very young... every sort of species."

"You're full of horseapples."

"Zero reaction. Always 'just want to be friends.' Which just coincides with everything the history books say about them... not even Princess Luna had any 'special somepony,' back in HER day. Ever wonder, for all they 'love' their subjects, why there aren't MORE alicorns running around the world? Or could it possibly be that the TRUE secret of immortality is that you need to be as sexually dead as dogsh---"

This greasy little pile of dog's droppings was getting everything I had. I readied my magic...

...And nothing happened except I felt my headache get worse as mana drained out like a burst pipe. Makarov laughed where he stood.

"...Sparkle, I anticipated all of this. I have let things move to this end, your end! All of this was to bring you here, and to bring you within my Death Dome spell! You cannot cast magic, nor can I, for any magic we use simply feeds the dome spell and makes it stronger! We must fight in an honorable manner, no tricks and no surprises! Hoof-to-hoof is the basis of all combat, something a wretched and cowardly fake-pacifist Equestrian like you would never know! I don't need a gun, I don't need a knife, and I will kill you now!"

He kicked out, and he was fast. My armor took most of the blow but it still winded me, and his follow-up rattled my teeth in my head as he kicked me in the face. I blinked away the tears that formed in my eyes to charge at him, spinning in the air to kick, but for all his talk of honor, I'd forgotten he was a bit obsessed with something else as he ducked and then swung his antlers right into my lower parts.

"Aaaaaagh!"

He juggled me in the air, starting with that blow, then another kick that hurled me into the wall of the dome. The Hooviet Spetnanz around the dome roared with laughter as I crumpled down, but way more than my pride was in pain there. Fortunately for me there was some armor where he'd struck, but it still meant I took a lot of impact force there. I could barely stand for a few seconds as Makarov gloated.

"This is too easy! I didn't want this over so soon! I will let you get a hit in, shall I?" He posed.

"...I...already... got a hit in..." I wheezed.

"You mean before the fight began, coward?! Fine, I retract the offer. Now, you die!"

His charge slammed me off the dome wall again and I felt at least one rib crack there and then. I bit something and tasted a blood in my mouth. Another juggling match ensued and I was tossed head over hooves away to the far end of the dome, adding more nicks and cuts to my tally rolling in the gravel of the train yard.

He then began to charge as I staggered to my hooves, rushing the whole distance until suddenly, a thunderbolt from the heavens crashed down on the shield, followed by several more, overloading it completely.

Makarov screamed as he was flung away from his backfiring spell, his horns releasing the feedback right in his face, landing back where he'd started his run. I think he actually looked shocked for a moment.

Well, I said a thunderbolt. It was more of a Thunderchild...

"Needing some help, sir?" The Sergeant said.

(Interviewer (Pegasus): Wait, wait, wait! YOU couldn't break through this guy's barrier when he was creating one at a distance, and barriers are your trademark, but your buddy could at close range? That doesn't make sense!)

And I have a feeling that might be why it worked. Pony magic between races are similar, but they aren't the same, Makarov's barrier wasn't set up for a Pegasus using lighting or a slam-boom attack.

The exploding shield had flung the Hooviets away again, and I noticed Thunderchild was alone.

"Thanks, but where is everypony else?"

"The police had only arrived when Audience told us about the train, Sir. I had them escort the prisoners to make sure they reached custody without surprises, and followed the train. Don't worry, sir, I radioed for some backup."

"Impudent dodo! You too shall die!" Makarov roared as he staggered to his hooves.

"...I didn't hit you that hard, did I?" Thunderchild asked.

"What?"

"You're seeing double. You'd said 'you two.'. There's only one of me, General-Admiral."

"Arrogant dog!" Makarov exploded. "Who are you?! You're not supposed to be important!"

Thunderchild blushed with pride.

"See, that's Equestrian wit that is," I helpfully added, earning an extra scream of rage. "Guess everything didn't go according to your plan after all, General-Admiral, see? I remembered who you are." What? I'd finally found a weakspot in the jerk's armor, why not hit away at it?

"Ghaaaa! Curse you! Urrrraaaaaaa!"

And then a roar came back. Electronic, loud, and like a foghorn.

"Ulllllllaaaaaa"

Three massive shapes then rose from amongst the carriages; three-legged walking machines nearly twenty feet tall, like tripods of death as high as the many rail sheds around us. They were all a dull grey metal, but had three red searchlights each on the round armored section atop the legs that I presumed was where the pilot was concealed.

Below the crew sections were slung strange devices. Two had long cones surrounded by coils topped off with a brass ball, the other had a strange machine covered in glowing crystals around a cluster of something that looked horribly like unicorn horns. Because they were. I felt sick to my stomach.

(Interviewer's Notes Unicorn: Uuuugh, sorry, just brings back some bad memories.)

"I grant you an honor not befitting such dishonorable pigs! The first wretches to die beneath my Shagohods, electrocuted by their Tesla Coils or vaporized by their Tnetennba Beams! Shining Armor... Your horn was to have been taken to serve as a power source for one of those beams, but now, it will become ashes like the rest of you, and your fool of a Sergeant!" He cackled, and teleported away.

His toys advanced.

"Sir, those things look unstable. Can you put a shield around me and yourself?"

"I'll try, Thunderchild. I'm a bit conked out, to be honest..."

"Huh, and you're only just awake, Shining, You need more stamina, friend..." He joked.

"Yeah. You know, it's odd. All I can really think of is that this whole night has been completely insane..."

"It certainly escalated quickly..."

"Well, let's go then. FOR EQUESTRIA!" We yelled.

I threw up the shields, and this was when the 'Shagohods' decided to fire. The coil-things shot arcs of electricity, bouncing off the shields. The beams were pure magic, and if they could fire any longer, they'd have sliced through my weak shields at that time. But they seemed to only last a second before a hiss of coolant cloud erupted around the beam.

Thunderchild took to the air, breakneck speed as he flew into the legs of the beam-tripod. They buckled under the sheer force of his speed and my shields, clipping the device and causing a small explosion. It crashed down in a sheet of flame, and I saw a hapless Deer jump out of it as it fell. Thunderchild swung back around, the electric Shagohods turning to shoot arcs of lighting at him.

He simply smashed into the crew portion of one, ripping it apart, with a very startled Hooviet now stuck to the front of my shield around him. He dropped the deer in the nearby stagnant algae pool before he turned back around.

However, the third and final Shagohods had simply rushed me, and began stomping on my shields. I was forced to release them before they simply fell, and dodged the stamping leg. I tried to hurl a gravity ball into the lower belly, but it simply bounced off, lacking the extra momentum of Thunderchild.

Suddenly, shots began slamming off the tripod's crew portion. I looked up, and saw that a volley gun was firing away from atop a shed roof. Three Griffins were beside it. The tripod swung the tesla coil around, and I acted fast, teleporting up beside them just in time to have my shield deflect the lightning away. It bounced back,and staggered the metal warlord for a moment, managing to only grunt from the added pain the further magical exertion caused.

"Hello again, Captain!" Sandgriff grinned, turning the crank of the odd machine while Thunderchild flew in and landed beside us.

The tripod tried again, zapping my shields, but it was useless. That impact must have damaged its laser, my shield withstood it far better. It began to charge instead.

"Thunderchild, go!" I ordered. He flew. The tripod's charge faltered from lack of legs. The crew bay landed with a clang, and a small hatch opened. A Deer poured out, wobbling like jelly. I felt a brief moment of sympathy for him until I recalled he was trying to kill me.

"...I don't know about you four but I never want to do anything this insane again," I sighed, slumping against the gun the Griffins had hijacked.

My head was splitting in two, my mana was probably lower than it ever had been ever in my life to that point thanks to that leech magic, I was bleeding from about two dozen small cuts and abrasions, I definitely had some fractured ribs and I was probably mostly black and blue with bruises below my coat. Which had been white at the start of the night but was now grey and black from dirt and oily stains.

"I'll give you this much, Captain, you Equestrians sure know how to have some fun," Frost noted.

I wheezed a vague reply.

"Er, what's this?" Thunderchild wondered as he landed.

He meant the volley gun, sitting on the two-wheeled carriage, with six barrels below a tall hopper-tower, and with steel plate shields for the gunner. The gun itself was mostly brass, now I had a good look at it in the moonlight.

"Oh, a volley gun. Strange one too. See, this crank turns these six barrels, but as they turn a little brass case drops into the barrel from this hopper..." Frost began explaining.

It was at this point, our examination of the odd artillery piece was interrupted.

"Wretches! You shall all die!" Makarov shouted from somewhere, magically enhancing his voice.

At that, Deer began to pour out from the carriages and scrap around the shed.

It was at this point I noticed something. Namely another one of his death walkers appearing behind us from nowhere - I hadn't even heard it approach! This one was quadrupedal, twice as large, and carried three of the horn-cannons. And without enough mana to shield us, it shot us dead, story over.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): It was funny once, not so much this time.)

Now you know what its like to know Running Gag. What actually happened was crazier.

And then I heard an unwelcome yet familiar growl directly behind me.

"!disruptioN"

I turned just in time to see that...wolf-thing charging right at me. I closed my eyes...and nothing happened. When I opened them, I saw it jump right over me, leaping insanely high into the air. It slammed into the walker's armored cockpit and sliced through it like tissue.

Simultaneously, Frost had produced a small tube from somewhere on all his unusual gear, which turned out to be a one-shot disposable firework launcher used to take out things with armor, like tanks. He fired it at the walker while the wolf tore into it, the shot striking the exposed charging up array of beam-cannons. With a bright flash, the walker exploded, toppling into the river, taking the wolf with it as it sank.

"What are you waiting for, troops?! Kill them all!"

It was then, a far more welcome surprise appeared in the air above.

"Cease your advance and retreat or we will fire on you!" The Equestrian shuttle proclaimed as it swooped in and hovered above the train yard.

Another one was behind it, both filled with unicorn Naval Cavalry and a few other Royal Guard troopers. A dozen pegasi of a similar mix flew behind the shuttles, each surrounded by shields of different colors. The Deer froze in the spotlights of the hovering light airships.

"Those are but mere shuttles and a small collection of bothersome flies, proud stags of the Hooviet Empire! It has no weapons, it is filled only with yet more cowardly Equestrians! I said advance!"

Those 'cowardly Equestrians' charged in, their shield-augmented attacks scattering the Deer. I saw Master Chief Spartan bowl through about ten by himself, and the hapless Deer simply threw their weapons away and began to flee.

"...Hmm, I think the fun has ended, but I had anticipated such a dull ending. That is why I put so little effort and resources into this venture. We will fall back for now. But the honor of the Hooviet Empire will be restored! Your real reckoning will come, Shining Armor Sparkle!"

"Yeah right! Take your loss like a stallion...stag.. like your masculinity is worth anything!". I called, not sure if he could hear me. But simply put, by that point I was through with this guy's horseapples.

The remaining Deer then began to flee. A unicorn I knew in the shuttles shouted for the Equestrians not to follow as it flew down low enough to let him jump out of the side doors, followed by another. Sandgriff seemed to recognize the first unicorn as well.

"Captain Baseplate? What are you doing here?" The Griffin Master Sergeant. moved over and raised a talon to shake the other Captain's hoof.

"Me and my lads were supposed to be along to have a good look at that Makarov fella. But it seems somepony got into a wee spot of bother..." Baseplate said with his thick Clydesdale accent, and gave me an amused glare.

"Couldn't you have left some more for us, Shining?" Lieutenant Price jokingly complained from behind his Captain.

"I'd have been glad to, but right now I think I want to get out of here before Makarov decides his master plan all along was to charge back in again. And before I fall over."

"Sounds good to me, Sir," Thunderchild said.

I jumped into the airship, and tried not to collapse onto my haunches as I took some rest. The Griffins and the Pegasi all took to the air. I took one last look at the scene and then wondered three things. One,where could I find a medic? Two, how was I going to explain this one? Three, how the heck had I managed to survive it all?

Episode 90: (Dark World) Storming The Castle

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic

* "'For every yang, there supposedly exists an equal and opposite yin.'
That day and night exist as a whole.
Taken to another level the law states every good choice must result in a bad choice somewhere else.
That for every Daring Do there was a Ahuizotl.

"Actual harmony is not bound by such arbitrary ideas of equal goodness or badness must equal an equal amount of the opposite.
Rota Fortuna is not so heartless.
But this in the minds of the wicked justify their existence.
Enraptured by the idea that for every saintly do-gooder in the world, there must exist a sinning evildoer.
Building themselves up upon the idea that the object of their obsession would be as empty without them as they would be in vice versa.
That for the heroic Doctor, there must exist... The Master." * -- Princess ????????

"NOW I AM TRULY THE MASTER OF EVERYTHING!!! ALL EXISTENCE!!!" The Master chortled.

Cadence, Discord, the Elements of Chaos, the statues of Celestia and Luna, all laid prone and drained of their magic, underneath The Master.

Like a malevolent genie, The Master towered over all of them, over the entire landscape! In one hoof, the renegade Time Lord held the power to annihilate all existence, in the other, the power to remake it all, he was truly the Master of All.

"HA!" barked the Valeyard, far down below. "You think so, do you, Master?"

The Master favored his lifelong personal nemesis with a triumphant sneer. "Ah... my dear Doctor... or rather, my dear Valeyard. As utterly entertaining as it has been to see you turn your whole 'savior of the downtrodden' routine on its head... I fear there's only enough room in this universe for ONE megalomaniacal mastermind of our caliber!"

"I would certainly have to agree with you there." The Valeyard conceded.

"And just what are YOU smirking about?!" the Master growled. "I have all the power!"

"You do, do you?" The Valeyard shot back. "You don't have anything! You can't even stop the drums in your head! The drums that have been pounding, pounding, pounding, POUNDING incessantly within your head since your boyhood... spurring you into psychopathy, worsening with each new regeneration! Those drums are still beating away within your skull! Against those drums, Master, you're powerless!"

"Fool! I have silenced those drums! I am free! And you are . . . and . . . you are . . . no . . . NO IMPOSSIBLE! THIS Can't! This can't! WHY WON'T THEY STOP!? I AM ALL POWERFUL! I COMMAND THESE DRUMS CEASE! I COMMAND IT! I AM THE MASTER I COMMAND IT!!! WHY WON'T THE DRUMS BE SILENCED?!"

"YES! Nothing! You have nothing! You are nothing! Always have been! Never will be! Fade away, be silent . . . silent . . . never were, can never be, Master of None."

"Master . . . of . . . . n-o-n-e . . . . "

The Master crumpled into a fetal position, shrinking to the size of a normal blue and blond maned Earth Pony, shivering where he lay as The Valeyard approached.

"Oh, Master, Master, Master..." crooned The Valeyard. "All those times I stayed my hand... all those times I didn't kill you out of my moronic mercy... high time I made up for it all, hmm? ALL of it. Right here and now."

The Valeyard bent down lower, so the Master could get a good look at his smile.

"I have this... theory. I hypothesize that if I kill you enough times, in rapid succession... at the end, you'll be left as a kindhearted little altruist! It'll be the exact OPPOSITE of what happened to ME! Worth a try, anyway, wouldn't you say, Master...?"

"No . . no, no, nooooooo."

====

Within Sky Ocean, which just so happened to be floating right above the two Time Lords at this very moment in time, Lyra turned to Octotvia and Ocean Hymn. "Say.. why do you think Lord Discord requested us to do a drum solo right here, of all places?"

Octotvia shrugged, "Who knows, but Judge Valeyard is always right."

Ocean Hymn smiled and nodded, "Yes, Judge Valeyard knows best."

Lyra was instantaneous to agree, "Yes, and Master Discord knows what's right."

Ocean Hymn smiled and nodded, "Master Discord knows best."

Octotvia said, "I said that already."

Ocean Hymn nodded and smiled, "Oh! Right! Sorry."

--Year 101 AD (After Discord)

++++++

My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic
Fanfiction By Alex Warlorn
Pony POV Series
Dark World Part 17
Storming The Castle

++++++++++

"Traitor Dash I can't believe you! You failed! Again! Do I need to get involved in your fight next time and hand you a win?" I exclaimed at my totally awesome big screen TV, with my lovely Fluttercruel, the Valeyard, oh and Angry Pie all sitting nearby. Had to put dear Angry Pie on a leash.

(Well, well, well... Traitor Dash failed.)

So?

(What are you waiting for? Sky Ocean is still there. Existing.)

I didn't tell her I'd wipe it out for failing that time.

(I was under the impression those were standing orders. In fact, I'm pretty sur-)

Well I changed my mind, I do that. I'm Chaos Incarnate! I don't recall swearing to My Parents on it.

(So here you are again, yet again playing the Chaos card to justify your little quote-unquote 'whim.' You can't even live up to your own death threats, can you? You're pathetic.)

'It's unexpected of me to spare them! That's all!'

(Keep telling yourself that. It doesn't make it any less of an excuse.)

'How is it an excuse? I do what I want. I don't kiss anyequus' hooves. Nothing else to it. Screw you. And if I am pathetic, go get me ice-cream to make me smile!'

"OKAY! TIME TO BLOW UP SKY OCEAN! I'LL GET THE PLUNGER AND THE 5643.12 kilotons of TNT!" My little Cruelty cheered and hopped off the couch. I had my music box ponies grow to giant size, pick her up and toss her back on the couch.

"No," I said firmly.

"But you PROMISED you'd destroy Sky Ocean if Traitor Dash failed a mission! You promised!" Fluttercruel cried, stomping her hoof.

"She's not exactly Traitor Dash anymore, more like Undecided Dash or Votes-Third-Party Dash. So Traitor Dash didn't fail any mission."

"BUT YOU PROMISED!" Fluttercruel snarled crying. "YOU PROMISED WE'D BLOW UP SKY OCEAN IF SHE EVER FAILED! YOU PROMISED!"

"I'm sorry, my little Cruelty, if I don't go twisting my words around, what will all the other Evil Overlords think? They might demote my membership to Malcontent Baron!"

"YOU ALWAYS KEEP YOUR PROMISES WITH ME! ALWAYS ME! HOW CAN YOU DO THIS?!" She hammered her hooves on me, stabbing me in the legs with her knives, meh, like pinpricks. "I HATE YOU!"

Huh? What was that weird feeling my chest just now? Probably nothing.

"No means 'no,' young lady! And that promise was NEVER to you! I applaud you for twisting my words around, but this is not the time! Now behave yourself or you can sit in your room until the heroes get here!"

"You're awful!"

"Thank you, dear."

"I MEAN YOU SUCK! YOU SUCK GIANT, NEATLY-ORGANIZED RULEBOOKS!"

" . . . YOU DO NOT SPEAK THAT WAY TO ME, YOUNG LADY!" I grew myself so big I cracked the ceiling as I roared down at her.

"So shut it, you spoiled crybaby!" Angry Pie hammer-blowed Cruelty from behind smashing her through the floor.

"Thank you, Angry Pie."

"You're welcome!" She snarled, like hot coals on soft skin.

"But I'M the only one who disciplines my little princess!" I slapped her flat with my palm. "First there was Cupcakes, then Pattycake, now I present the new sensation, pink Pancakes!"

"Cram it, you jerk!"

"Come on... don't tell me it wasn't funny, Angry Pie, dearest."

"There's NOTHING funny about you!"

There was that odd feeling in my chest again. What was it?

The Valeyard looked at his watch. "Well, it looks like it's about time for me to be going." He got off the couch and trotted towards his blue shed.

"Running away, you coward?" Angry Pie snapped from her spot on the floor.

The Valeyard waved without turning around, "Hardly. I'm just off to deal with our pest problem. Traitor Dash did all the hard work so I think I'll just trot in now and finish the job. ...Actually, I lie. What she did amounted to being a sheep you send across a minefield."

"If the sheep were smart they'd send YOU across the minefield!" Angry said.

"Such a notion never occurs to most sheep. Funny how that works out. Good luck on your parenting, Discord."

"Any advice, Valeyard? You were a grandfather once..."

"Still am."

"Eh?" I lifted an eyebrow.

"I still am, and always shall be, a grandfather. Just as you will always be your parents' son, Discord. Familial estrangement does not change biological blood ties."

I snorted loudly through my nostrils and gave quite a large eye roll, grumbling, "I suppose...."

"Ah, Susan..." The Valeyard then sighed, with deepest wistfulness. "Haven't seen you since my fifth regeneration. Looking back from where I now stand, I so dearly miss how ridiculously easy it was to make you scream, cry, and suffer nervous breakdowns!"

At this point, the Valeyard's smile might as well have been filled with razor blades. Hadn't seen that since 'The Master' ran out of regenerations.

"Ah-HEM." I coughed, impatiently. "I think I said: 'Any advice, Valeyard?'"

"Eh? Oh! Oh, yes, well... every child is different. Though I'll admit, actually saying no to your little pet for once? I'm impressed."

"DON'T YOU TALK TO ME LIKE I'M NOT HERE, BRICKYARD!!" Fluttercruel hissed.

"Quiet, filly, the adults are talking."

That was when I brought a giant flyswatter down on top of the Valeyard.

"I said I'm the only one who speaks to her like that."

Fluttercruel crossed her arms, pouted and turned away from me. "Well I'M not speaking to you AT ALL until I get to blow up Sky Ocean or Cloudsdale!"

I twisted around her. "Now now my dear, don't be a spoilsport. Tell me what's really bothering you. You can't fool the master of manipulation that easy!"

"I hate it when you two act like a family, when you're really just jerks!" Angry Pie hissed.

"No one asked you." I put a giant vase on top of Angry Pie flattening her again. "Now how about you sit back, relax, and enjoy the show? A good show builds up momentum in a neat, steadily-elevating crescendo. I HATE THAT.
A great show calls for curveballs. chAoS."

+++++

I have brought chaos to weed out the idiots, and I have brought order to stupid-horse civilizations so deeply mired in their petty squabbles, that they're unable to move a hoof-fall forward.

I have lived for well over nine hundred years. I stand victorious... ALIVE... while the rest of my species lies extinct. And I humor this spoiled brat of a mad god. Well, 'gods', now, considering the 'Big Banana's' sister... pah! No matter! I am the final authority! There is nothing above me! I am the top link in the chain! The laws of time and space obey me!

I could destroy them all! Him and his newly arrived little sister... easily. Plus their criminally incompetent and hypocritical parents and their equally gratuitous equine neighbors, I could annihilate them all, and there would be nothing they could do to stop me, besides rant and rave as they realized I had won before the game had even started. And the universe would run perfectly smoothly without them, better than ever, because I would be manning the helm!

If I were not a humble stallion, I'd have them each licking my hooves as I brought them balance and equilibrium that their aloof and petty minds could never have achieved on their own.

I am the Valeyard, The Doctor Of Law, My Will Be done. Amen.

HAHAHAHAHAH! I kill me! Not like anyone else ever could.

All you stupid worthless Draconequui and Alicorns! I fear this gang of ponies and their dragon sidekick more than I could ever fear any of you. You Big Four to the howling void, forever and before. All your foals and hatchlings reduced to mere mortals to age and perish, never to interfere again. HA! If any of you were even as remotely as intelligent as you claimed your infinite selves to be, you'd tremble in terror of me!

(As much as I admire and approve what you say, you're in Twilight's way.)

Flattery will get you everywhere, my sweet. But you are in my way, which is the last place you'll ever want to be.

+++++

The Valeyard opened the doors to his blue police box only to find himself buried under an avalanche's worth of cream pies, again.

Discord laughed . . . and so did Fluttercruel.

"You see, my dear? It CAN BE FUNNY!"

"Yes, Master." Fluttercruel said.

The two hugged.

"Now, Fluttercruel, let me explain something to you, now that you've calmed down a notch." Discord said in a serious tone. "If I destroyed Sky Ocean and Cloudsdale, I'd be proving Dash was right to follow me for the last thousand years, meaning she would see herself, once again, as the good guy. Guilty, yes, but she'd see it as a necessary evil. By NOT destroying Cloudsdale and Sky Ocean, she realizes the last thousand years have been nothing more than her doing my bidding for nothing. She realizes she's been the bad guy. And my dear, nothing hurts a girl like Dash worse than realizing you're the bad guy, understand?"

"So you're hurting her worse than by NOT destroying them?"

"Yes, exactly, my dear. Plus, why should I destroy my birdcage and an entire toy box for the sake of one toy? For the sake of 'chaos?' Pfff. Cloudsdale not being destroyed offers us both more playthings!"

+++++++

After leaving Rainbow Dash to heal at Sweet Apple Acres, I teleported us directly to Discord's castle.

Or at least I tried to. Instead, we appeared in Neighpon.

"Huh?" I tried again, only to reappear in the same spot.

"This reminds me of the Doctor!" Derpy said looking at the neon signs and the precious normal looking ponies with big eyes and small mouths.

"Doctor who?" Apple Pie asked.

"Exactly." Derpy nodded.

"'The Doctor' was his name," Twilight explained. She looked at some of the oddly proportioned ponies with a sorrowful, nostalgic look.

"Oh. Well that must have been mighty confusin'! What happened when ya had to go to the doctor and they took ya to The Doctor instead?" Apple Pie laughed at the use of words other than their literal intention.

"Doctor was always making bad creatures who used teleportation either teleport back where they started or go where they didn't want to."

"Terrific." Rarity groaned.

Twilight tried experimenting several times... eventually teleporting her and her compatriots as close to their destination as this strange... impediment permitted. From where they stood, the castle was visible on the horizon. Once, this had been Canterlot. Now the entire thing was Discord's palace.

"Perhaps our most practical option would be to have me simply fly you ladies there. What was the point of being a fully grown adult dragon and the Element of Generosity if I didn't help in?" They were air-born in seconds cutting through the air.

"He wants us alive," Rarity observed. "He could have had you teleport us into a volcano if he actually wanted us dead."

"That sounds like something the Doctor said once too."

"Not now, Derpy."

"It also means Discord wasn't behind it, not humiliating or sadistic enough." Twilight said.

"Too bad we couldn't stay, those fairy ponies looked like fun," Apple Pie said.

"We'll have plenty of time to play with'em after we save the world," Saint AJ told her great-niece.

++++++

"Please don't destroy Discord, we don't want to die," pleaded one of the fairy ponies whose name was Nana with tiny tears.

"You won't die, I promise, the Elements of Harmony would never kill." The Element of Kindness assured them.

++++++

"On the bright side, there's no sign of Little Miss Mary-Draconequus-Sue." Spike noted looking around the skies.

"Too bad, she was nice," Apple Pie said.

"It also means she can ambush us at any..."

"Brains! Brains!
Help us! Help feed us!
We're starving for your brains!
Brains! Brains!"

"Ah, Muffins."

In front of them lumbered a viable WALL of zombie hippogriffs, changelings, and dragons! They looked freshly dead, and hungry.

"Yah know, somehow it slipped mah mind Discord promised Fluttercruel an airborne zombie army for her birthday," the Element of Deceit said quickly when she noticed the blue feathers on some.

"Ah never heard zombies sing," Apple Pie said.

"We don't have time for this," Rarity hissed.

Twilight said, "Agreed. We'll cover your flanks, Spike, burn on through!"

The undead mass of bodies closed in around the ponies like an insect swarm. Twilight's barrier spell created an oval shield enveloping dragon and riders.

Spike's fire breath burned a path through the air. Zombie ashes fell around him.

'Blast it!' Rarity thought. 'We're too far away from the ground! Have to improvise!' She telekinetically slammed an undead hippogriff into a small swarm of undead changelings, animated corpses that could no longer shape-shift. She magically grabbed another unwilling weapon and bashed them as they came every which way.

"Ya know Ah could create an illusion of a couple of 'em bein' alive. We could slip by while they ate each other."

Twilight shouted, "Good idea! Do as much as you can!"

"Whoa kay!" AJ nodded, and suddenly the undead dragons looked alive and healthy. Instantly their fellow zombies turned on them.

Since attacking other zombies went against basic zombie programming... the dragon zombies had little choice but to endure being consumed as they tried their best to struggle towards the truly living prey.

"Uh," Derpy tilted her head, "If AJ can make the zombies look normal, and they'll attack them, can't she make us look like zombies and the real zombies will leave us alone?"

"Yer a smart cookie!" Applejack said, and a moment later, they all bore the outward appearance of five zombie ponies riding atop a large zombie dragon. One of the zombies riding the dragon cried out in fear and leapt into the arms of another zombie.

The rest of the zombie army promptly lost all interest in them.

+++++++

"Oh no you don't!" Fluttercruel snapped at the TV, and pulled out a couple game controllers and tossed one to Angry Pie who accepted it without comment. "You are NOT getting through that easy!"

+++++++

Suddenly all the zombies' eyes glowed with new energy. Half with vicious sadism. The other with rabid rage.

"Ah crud," Spike groaned. "Stupid villain steel-underwear."

Apple Pie had grown up with zombies. Big Roofing Tile Discord kept changing it back and forth on whether ponies rose from the dead or not. Her sisters and pa Apple Computer had to even put down some of their own family's dead bodies. They were like the 'Timber Wolves' Saint Abigail Jacqueline talked about, dangerous, but nothing to panic over.

But after the glowing cutie mark on her neck had showed up, lookin' at 'em now, she realized somethin' else.

She laughed at a zombie hippogriff as it landed on Spike's tail after brute forcing its way through Twilight barrier as they hit the same spot over and over.

"Hey, Mr. Zombie! Don't ya know the dead don't move? But yer movin' but yer dead! So ya'd have 'ta be alive, but alive things are warm and don't rot! So ya have ta' be dead too! But you're supposed to be alive and dead, but can't be alive or dead." She chuckled at the contradiction, jumping back to dodge a swipe from the zombie. "Then what are ya exactly? Ya can't really be 'half-dead' or 'half-alive' so ya can't be any of those. 'Undead' is 'un' as in 'undo' so 'undo-death' so ya'd be alive right? And if yah are alive, shouldn't yah be eating yourself cause zombies eat living things? If yer not alive and yer dead, then shouldn't ya stop movin' now?"

The zombie hippogriff stiffed, the light in its dead eyes flickered out, its eyeballs rolled in back of its head, and it bounced off Spike as rigid as a ponyequin. Apple Pie watching it fall.

Twilight stared, her brain assimilating the new data, "Did she just reason that zombie back to death?"

AJ said, "Ah saw Pinkie do that in another universe I think."

"Save the tall tales for later, AJ!" Spike said between breaths.

"But Ah-dangit!"

"Apple Pie! FRONT AND CENTER!"

"Ya got it, Half-Light!"

Twilight got on Spike's head, and let Apple Pie scramble atop her back. The countless zombies beat themselves against Twilight's barrier until it weakened and they began trickling through.

Rarity's telekinesis missiled the corpses away as best she could.

"Alright, Apple Pie! I want you to repeat what you said to ALL of them! All zombie programming is completely identical so let it rip!" Twilight's horn glowed.

"OKAY HALF-LIGHT! AH-WHOA! MAH VOICE IS HUGE!"

"Just for you! Now go for it!"

"YA GOT IT!"

One sonorously loud observation of a paradox later, all of the undead army within earshot fell from the sky like pebbles, hitting the ground far below... properly lifeless.

"YA! Look at that!" Apple Pie cheered.

"Mark one up to the good guys!" Spike smirked.

(Nice use of resources.)

"We win! Woohoo!" Derpy clapped.

"Simply smashing darling."

"Indeed Darling! AH mean! YEE-HAA!" Applejack cheered.
"Don't worry and don't give up," Rarity whispered looking over the side, her eyes focusing on one body at a time.

"So what was that, Half-Light?" Apple Pie asked calmly.

"Just a spell I learned from my old foalsitter."

Apple Pie laughed, so did Twilight.

++++

"She DID NOT just wipe out my flying zombie army, with a freakin' logic paradox!" Fluttercruel snarled, throwing her controller at the TV. The screen shattered, static flickered as bright rainbow liquid dripped out of the cracks.

"HEY! It was my zombie army too!" Angry Pie snapped.

"Watch your temper, Cruelty! Now I have to go snap my fingers and will a new television set into existence!" Discord admonished her.

She ignored him, "Where's Rancor? Shouldn't she be back here with us by now?! I bet we'd have won if she was helping us play!"

"I could have helped if you had let me have a turn at the controller," Discord said plainly. Fluttercruel just stuck out her tongue at him.

"HEY, YOU JERKS! NO FAIR CHEATING LIKE THAT! YOU CAN'T JUST LAUGH AWAY THE MONSTERS! THAT'S STUPID AND NEVER WORKS!" Angry Pie hit the TV with her hooves as if the rebels were actually inside it. "DON'T YOU KNOW THAT JUST MAKES THE MONSTERS RETREAT TO DARK CORNERS?! THEY DON'T GO AWAY! THEY JUST WAIT FOR YOU TO TURN YOUR BACK AND THEN THEY HURT YOU WORSE THAN BEFORE! YOU DON'T GET TO DO THAT! IT'S NOT FAIR! YOU DON'T GET TO WIN BY JUST LAUGHING YOUR PROBLEMS AWAY!!!"

"Don't worry my little Angry Pie." Discord said, kindly patting her on the head. "They won't." Discord then went to push a red button on his throne at the center of a clown face, but looked to Fluttercruel. "You want to do the honors, my little princess?"

Fluttercruel grinned from ear to ear. She slammed a hoof down on the button. "Discord rules! Celestia drools!" The button jingled.

"You both drool," Angry Pie said under her breath earning her an anvil on the head.

+++++

". . .Good job, Apple Pie, I'm proud of you," Twilight said, giving the filly a hug.

The ground between the Elements and the palace rumbled. Out of the checkered dirt rose a ground invasion force's worth of double-gunned tank turrets, color blue with gold trim. Non-sensical symbols were painted on one of the side of each other. They formed a multiple layer ring around the palace. The turrets all began to turn as one and raised their gun barrels.

"SPIKE! DROP! NOW!" Twilight yelled just as dozens of laser canons went off as one shattered her shield like cheap glass and the beams creating a collective shock wave.

Spike veered away, but it was a sharp turn. Rarity held onto his neck, the others were thrown off in the blind dodge. Derpy caught Applejack. And Twilight shifted species and caught Apple Pie.

"I helped reverse-engineer those cannons!" Twilight shouted, sounding scandalized.

++++

"Dirt Maid Number Tangerine."

"Yes, Master?" The dirt maid pony curtsied.

"Thank you for your original suggestion for the REBELS to reverse engineer the alien invaders' laser cannons. You were very helpful even before you became our maid."

"You're welcome, Master." The dirt maid pony curtsied again. "Shall I send out those recruitment letters for replacement dirt maids now?"

"Time to drop the hammer and dispense some indiscriminate violence!" Fluttercruel grinned ear-to-ear, wearing an army helmet.

++++

"Everyone back on Spike!" AJ shouted.

"NO! Spike is a big target! Derpy, fly as low as you can! Skid the ground! We get close, then smash them up!" Half-Light Noon ordered.

"That's crazy!" Rarity exclaimed.

"I helped build them remember? TRUST ME! They have a minimum range and a cool down cycle! Don't clump together! We'll just be a bigger-SCATTER!"

Derpy flew like a drunk bumblebee.

"DERPY! THAT WON'T WORK! THERE'S TOO MUCH CROSSFIRE!"

AJ and Derpy vanished, but at the same time appeared somewhere nearby.

Derpy dodged one laser, only be annihilated with Applejack by three more.

"APPLEJACK! DERPY!"

Then Derpy and AJ appeared in another spot.

AJ's illusions had just saved her life.

"Spike . . . you're a knight in shining armor," Rarity whispered. Then she channeled so much of her mana at once that micro-fractures appeared in her horn forcing it to regenerate even as she worked. A swarm of rocks floated up from the ground around Spike like a protective ring.

"Rarity, no! Those rocks don't have the strength to withstand any hits!" Twilight shouted.

"All right then . . . then let's try . . . a little . .. something, DIFFERENT!"

Rarity's horn split down the middle and blood came down her face as she launched the entire mass of lifted stones at the ring of tank heads. The cannons spent a round annihilating the incoming debris instead of ponies.

++++

"How about one of you at least have the decency to DIE ALREADY!" Fluttercruel shouted. She created a knife out of one of her bones and grabbed her tail, looking ready to cut it and slice through her own major arteries while she was at it. "YOU'RE NOT GETTING THROUGH THAT EASY!"

"Now-now Fluttercruel, RESTRAIN YOURSELF!"

Fluttercruel shuddered and the knife fell from her mouth.

"What did I say about asking my permission first about THAT?"

"But I could just SEND THEM OUT! They're focused on the guns! Take them by surprise! Wipe them out! The end!"

"Never, but never tip all of your hand at once."

"But we'd kill at least ONE of them!"

"Possibly, but the rest would know... You're saving it for later. Understood?"

Fluttercruel lowered her head. "Yes, Master."

"Hey! I recognize the color of those lasers! Those big guns are anti-chaos thingies! You built 'em to take US out! Not dragons!" Angry Pie accused Discord.

"Aren't you happy you're on the better side?" Cruel smiled.

"HUMPH!" Angry Pie crossed her arms back. "I'm on the side the world deserves."

"What is WITH YOU? We both love seeing ponies squirm! We both love seeing their meaningless life snuffed out! You've got to realize we're friends."

"What word was that?"

"Nothing, Master," Fluttercruel said.

Angry Pie said, "I hate you. I'm just giving everypony what they deserve for laughing at me and a world as sad as this one!"

Fluttercruel pumped a fist. "So you hate me? Ha! I knew I forced my company on you for a reason. And what's 'sad' about this world anyways? It rocks!"

++++

'At least they're firing all at once instead of firing alternately and taking advantage of their numbers. Given their firepower it's a waste to have them all firing at once. Master, you're going to regret not letting me help program the spell matrix for the defense system.' Twilight thought.

"Ready to release payload?" Derpy said.

"Ready!"

Derpy dive-bombed the turrets, practically throwing AJ at them, AJ's illusion giving them more to shoot at. AJ's four hooves left a mighty big impact in one of them followed by Derpy's thick skull enhanced by her Element of Loyalty.

"Show them how it's done, darling!" Rarity said.

Twilight was right, they did have a minimum range, and, after taking the ones in front of him in a line, he laid down low, and found them blowing his back spines off -he really liked those spines-, but they couldn't be lowered quite enough to shoot each other. Which was good news to Spike as he began uprooting them like a glorified gopher. Rarity rode him like a mighty steed to victory.

"Looks like Discord built these so they couldn't be aimed at the castle!" Twilight said daring to put down Apple Pie as she transformed back into a unicorn. Being on top of a turret being about the safest place they could be.

"Not like that's an option! Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Sparkler, and the Princesses are all still in there!" Applejack shouted across the field of turrets. "Along with a lot of innocent dirt maids and the like!"

"Ya pull the death ray out, and the death ray shuts down! And ya shake it all about." Spike hummed to the tune of the Pony Pokey, doing just that.

Apple Pie took advantage of her positioning and started tearing wires out to shut the weapons down, her small size letting her reach them.

Spike continued to uproot the forest of cannons, often throwing them into another to kill two birds with one stone.

Having escaped the turret's kill zone, the heroes quickly regrouped and resumed their flight to the closer and closer palace.

(Too easy.)

'You call that easy?!'

(No booby traps? No close-range support? No air coverage to run interference? Discord might as well have let you through.)

As if on cue, a blue-colored structure -- about the dimensions of an outhouse, but marked with the words 'POLICE BOX' -- materialized on the checkered ground miles ahead of them. This was the TARDIS.

Out from the TARDIS stepped the Valeyard. He spoke through a megaphone. "Excuse me! But I do believe I have something you want!"

And he pulled out a purple crystal statue of a unicorn mare in a dance pose.

"SPARKLER!" Derpy gasped. "PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE STOP!"

"I'd listen to her just this once! Unless you want a lifetime supply of amethyst jewelry!" He picked up a sledgehammer with his mouth.

"Half-Light, we gotta stop!"

AJ shouted, "Spike! Take us down now!"

(Twilight, you know this is a trap!)

'A trap is a trap only if you don't see it coming, then it's a hazard.'

(And you're waltzing right into one!)

'I'd rather we deal with the Valeyard now while he's alone, than at the castle. Be best if we could avoid making this a gang fight, if it's all the same to you.'

(You don't let your enemy decide the when and where of your fight, filly.)

Rarity ground her teeth.

Spike knew it was selfish to every -other- family in the world to stop for one innocent. But he also knew how much Sparkler's death would destroy Derpy Hooves. It wasn't his sacrifice to make. And it'd be selfish to make it his.

Derpy, out of all of them, remained absolutely silent.

The group flew down to the Valeyard and the purple statue, the TARDIS doors were slightly open behind him.

Twilight made a quick scan of the ground and air and Sparkler for any typical Discord booby traps. She watched in horror as The Valeyard then strapped a bomb to the neck of the statue as their group landed right in front of him.

Derpy still said nothing, she actually hid her eyes underneath her mane.

"How very nice of you to stop! Thank you very much." Valeyard said with a polite smile. "I hope you're not planning anything cute."

"Maybe I can breath fire on you and figure the statue will be okay but you won't! How's that for cute?"

"Her name is Sparkler, not 'the statue,'" Derpy said evenly and cool.

Rarity's own eyes were narrowed and still.

"The bomb might not like that idea, Spike! And it's a very temperamental bomb! Teleport it, tamper with it, and Sparkler goes all to pieces! Very sorry about that! Bad pun, I know!"

"But then if Sparkler goes boom, ya wouldn't have a hostage," Apple Pie said.

The Valeyard shrugged. "Plenty of hostages where she came from."

AJ looked in horror. Even if she made an illusion to sneak in and grab Sparkler the bomb would go off. Could she sneak up on him? Or would he see it coming-?! Could she sneak into his blue box? Dangit the opening was too small even for Apple Pie! They all knew the Valeyard was smart, they needed to be smarter.

(You're thinking in the wrong direction.)

"Now let's not drag this out." The Valeyard said sternly. "Surrender to me."

The Element of Loyalty took a trot forward.

Derpy lifted her eyes, tears down her muzzle. "I'm sorry so, Sparkler. But I can't!"

The Valeyard's eyes widened and he drew in a sharp hiss.

Rarity fired a stone bolt with the telekinetic force of a rail gun, the Valeyard stepped out of the way. He wasn't Rarity's target. The crystal statue Sparkler shattered into a million pieces.

"Sparkler!" AJ screamed.

"MRS. RARITY!" Apple Pie shouted in horror.

"Sparkler," Derpy whispered looking at the pile in resignation. "Mommy's sorry."

"HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?!"

"RARITY! HOW COULD-!"

"You were actually right, Spike." Rarity said. "It was just 'the statue' after all."

"I beg your pardon?"

"That statue was a fake. I sensed no desire to dance in it. I encountered the real statue Sparkler before."

At this point, they all noticed the 'bomb' had broken open. A bunch of gummy-ursas fell out.

"SAY something next time!" Twilight said.

"I'm sorry for the hurt Derpy," Rarity said to the nodding Pegasus then looked at the Valeyard, "Your fake was a flop!"

The Valeyard's expression was perfectly calm in the face of all their incredulous looks. "It got you to stop didn't it?"

"DOCTOR! HOW COULD YOU?!"

He rolled his eyes. "I told you Ditzy, it's Valeyard, try to be a little less thick just this once. Ahem... Rancor! Now."

A dome of crimson blades erupted around the palace, and a relatively smaller one around the Valeyard and the heroes. Each piece fit together and turned like a clockwork machine of pain.

Rancor flew through the barrier next to the Valeyard but looked at Derpy first. "Dang gray pony, Ditzy was it? Getting all around that castle on foot is a killer! And I'm a Draconequus. My sympathies!"

Derpy just nodded calmly. "It's Derpy, Derpy Hooves."

"Alright Derpy, Derpy Hooves. Kiddin', got it Derpy."

'I knew we should have used the Elements on her,' Spike thought.

"You . . . you were DELAYING US?" Twilight gasped for breath.

"You get another gummy-ursa. Would have been nice if you had given up there, but with the cow-pony of Honesty on your side I didn't put much faith in it."

"I needed to carve the lines of the barrier in, PERSONALLY! Didn't think I was gonna make it. But I had too much to gain and too much to lose to fail. Oh and before you think about it, the barrier goes underground too, sorry. Not quite my style, but wasn't my call. So, Lanyard was it?"

"Valeyard."

"Yeah, I'm usin' 'round ninety ta ninety-nine percent of my power to keep the barrier powered up but still-"

"I don't NEED your help, unless you feel like asking silly questions with obvious answers or gawking at my brilliance."

"... You know I'm getting very annoyed at this," Rancor said agitation slipping into her voice.

"Too bad. I don't need you falling for their reverse psychology or them exploiting some quirk of your powers or personality flaw. Minions are idiots... they just harm me."

"...You'll get yours someday, Barnyard..."

"HEY!" Apple Pie shouted.

"Don't be disrespectin' the good name of barnyards, missy!" Applejack added, equally miffed.

"...and my family will be waiting for you. When you get to Pony Hell, tell Dad I said hi."

"Pish-posh, you worry me even less than these ponies do."

(Twilight, whatever you do, whatever you think of doing. Don't teleport. At all.)

"Gah." Rancor sulked. She eyed the heroes while giving her spear a few spins, she looked at the heroes, "I want to have at least ONE cool boss battle before I'm done here. So please, so some of you try to survive Yard Sale, here!"

"They'll try."

Rancor flew away, passing through her barrier unharmed.

Derpy asked, "Doctor, how did you get her to help you?"

"They both work for Discord, duh," Spike said.

"It's VALEYARD, DITZY. And Rancor's just another wannabe with a dirty secret."

"She is?"

"It's painfully obvious to anyone with two synapses firing, which rules out everyone here but me. And what's more... Rancor knows I know."

"So why hasn't she tried to, you know..." Spike coughed, and drew a claw across his neck. The Valeyard chuckled.

"Ah, Spike... if Rancor killed me, it'd only make her scheming more obvious.
Not that she could even if she tried but fools are allowed to dream, which is what makes them so dangerous to intelligent and rational people."

"I must say, Mr. Valeyard, I believe you might be guilty of an overly optimistic outlook on your survivability." Rarity judged. "Such as right now. Six of us, against one of you. Unfair odds." Rarity said.

"Yes, maybe if I fought with three hooves, but I'm here to win. That's why I didn't take along that psychopathic-marefilly Fluttercruel OR that mad-animal Angry Pie."

"Don't EVER call them that again!!!" Applejack snapped.

"Oh, forgive me, Liarjack!" The Valeyard replied, with an apologetic half-bow. "Didn't see you there... mistook you for someone else!"

"Ah AM someone else! Liarjack's gone for g..."

"Whut Ah MINT tah say wuz dat yer PANK 'n' YELLER-coated frey-yends are thuh purdiest, gentlest, sanest, shore-as-sugah lovable dar-lans en thuh whole dag-gun ro-day-yo!"

They were ALL cringing away from the Valeyard's drawl.

"Dah sun dun shane all duh brightar ev'ry tie-yem they breathe ah new breath!" Then he smiled sweetly. "That better, LJ?"

For an answer, Applejack snorted hot steam and stamped the ground aggressively with a forehoof. "Yer goin' DOWN, Junkyard."

"Why are you even WORKING for Discord?" Rarity and Twilight shouted together.

The Valeyard blinked at them several times. "You know... it's still such an oddity, seeing both you unicorn ladies with your heads completely out of La-La Land." He lowered his voice to a stage whisper. "It's not too late to turn back, you know. Reality's quite a SCARY PLACE."

Now they, too, were shooting death glares at The Valeyard.

"As for your chorused question... I'd say gratitude for setting me free but that's a lie. Discord is power, and his actions are no different from those of a child. Like him, I have forever to live. Eventually he'll grow bored of this world, and I'll convince him to GIVE ME his power, or simply lead him by the hand across the galaxies like the toddler he is stringing him along on what to do to help bring the justice and order that eluded the universe for far too long, and I will be judge and jury to the scum and madmen of the cosmos."

"And it's a good plan, Valeyard. Cruelty, pass the soda, nice to have this thing working again," Discord said sitting on a couch watching this all on the replacement, static-snowed black and white TV with rabbit ear receivers -Fluttercruel said they were 'fit for an Angel'-.
-

"You might want to start with yourself," Rarity muttered.

Episode 91: (Dark World) The Ultimate Foe

Pony POV Series
Dark World Part 18
Who Can Possibly Defeat The 'Doctor'?!

"Doctor! Please! I know you're in there! You're just sick! You don't want to do this! You don't have to do this!"

"The Doctor you knew doesn't exist anymore, Ditzy. Or did you forget everything I told you about Regeneration?"

Rarity sighed. "The truth is that we're the same in that way. A thousand years of life experience don't simply go away." Rarity calmly telekinetically raised a clump of dirt and smeared a bit under both her eyes, as if it were war paint. "A pony can't simply become who they used to be."

(What happened to the posh and proper Rarity who'd have a nervous break down if she got so much as a strand of her mane out of place?)

"Now let's get started shall we? I'm going to annihilate you one by one." He 'cracked' his ergots.

"How about I just turn you to ashes now?" Spike said flatly and breathed fire.

"Ah, but I've got one hoof in the TARDIS! Protective forcefield! Kinda cool huh? I'm invincible!"

"Just once I wish I could meet a bad guy where my fire breath worked," said the giant dragon.

"I had a friend in the army once who felt the exact same way, actually," The Valeyard commiserated. He then cleared his throat. "My my, my throat is a little dry, and I seem to have nothing to remedy it. Would one of you happen to have a piece of rock candy I could have?"

"Oh! Ah do!" Apple Pie exclaimed, digging through her bag. Wait a tick, since when did she have a bag? But she had one, so she must have brought it along. And so it must have been hers.

"Huh?" she asked, pulling a comic out of her bag. "Ah don't remember packing this. Ah guess Pa or sis must've slipped it in so Ah'd have something to read."

"Oh! Here's a bottle of water! Never mind about the rock candy. Oh don't mind me, enjoy your little comic, I'll just be wetting my whistle a little bit."

"Oh! Ah ain't never seen this issue! SuperStallion: Whatever Happened To the Stallion of Tomorrow?"

"Apple Pie-don't!" Twilight warned. Too bad. Apple Pie speed-read the comic like lightning, (it helped that it wasn't a dialogue-heavy issue).

"Oh Pinkie Swear, it isn't psyche paper or anything. It's just a comic. Let the filly enjoy herself."

Apple Pie had gotten about halfway through it already when . . .

"No-no, that ain't, that ain't fun, that ain't cool, that ain't-"

"And that's how the comic series ACTUALLY ended! The publishers actually tried to cover it up! All of SuperStallion's enemies all got together and killed everypony EXCEPT SuperStallion! And after getting his revenge he felt so guilty that he gave up his own power and committed suicide by walking into the Frozenwastes unprotected! Deconstructive of 'villains are proactive, heroes are reactive.' That's what happens, little filly, when the villains stop playing by the 'rules' that writers foist on them. Just ask our friends here!" He waved a hoof at Applejack, Twilight, and Rarity, in turn.

"That day was a thousand years ago!" Applejack snarled.

"Hasn't been too long where I'm standing." The Valeyard retorted.

"You just shut up, you stupid Yard... Yard...!"

"Yardstick?" supplied The Valeyard, helpfully.

"Hey, yeah!" Apple Pie smiled at him thankfully. "That's actually a pretty good one!"

"I've been called every yard-related pun in the books. Shipyard, Courtyard Lumberyard... everything short of bloody Scotland Yard. But at least MY name doesn't sound like a crayon color, ice cream flavor, or overpriced cosmetic!"

He wheeled on Apple Pie, whose smile died.

"Face it, brat, in NONFICTION, there's no real way for heroes to win, because villains don't play by any 'rules.' How else do you explain the world you live in?! That's the entire reason you love those little rags so much, isn't it? Because in your world, the heroes already lost, so you find solace in a world where the heroes always win. Well guess what? Your hero lost everything and killed himself out of despair. If that's the world where heroes can win, what's going to happen to your friends in the world where heroes lost?"

"N-no-oh . . . " Apple Pie got on her knees and shivered. A grayness rubbed against her heart.

"Apple Pie! It's just a comic! Things aren't set in stone like that! You don't need to . . Apple Pie, listen!" The filly was not even looking at her. She was beginning to turn grey. She glared at the Time Lord. "You put it there?!"

"Don't waste ponies' time with the obvious. I also gave her the bag when you visited Neighpon. Perception filters, got to love them! You're nothing but pawns without a chess master.

"The Evil Overlord List did have one thing right. Neutralize the plucky comic relief first. You ponies have bodies like iron, hard to break. You have minds like toy blocks, easy to topple but also easy to put back together. But your hearts are virgin and alabaster, easy to break and no matter what happy patches you apply, the cracks remain underneath. But didn't mean it to hurt that bad. Now, Derpy, would you like a muffin? It's a very good muffin, just like the kind mommy makes, a little last moment of peace before we get started?" He offered it to Derpy.

Derpy wondered, was the Doctor still inside there somewhere? Was accepting this a way to bring him out just a little bit? He had done this for her once before after all, so long ago. Derpy reached for a bite.

Rarity's magic lifted the muffin up and tried to shove it into the Valeyard's mouth who instead crushed it between his hooves.

"That muffin was poison!" Rarity shouted.

"Well I did say it was like how her mother made." The Valeyard shrugged. "I didn't specify WHICH of her mothers."

Derpy looked mortified. "B-but you said you didn't mean-"

"I meant it to hurt WORSE!"

Rarity had felt that twisting of truth too.

"AH THOUGHT DERPY WAS YER FRIEND!" AJ shouted.

"Well, between me needing to kill and subjugate for Discord and her needing to run endless laps 'round the castle corridors, our relationship kind of... fizzled out." The Valeyard said waving a hoof dismissively. "Oh, and the poison was just a fallback, by the way. The point was to implant a post-hypnotic suggestion via neural reconnecting peptides which I'd baked into the muffin!"

"That's nothing but pseudoscientific gobbledegook!" Twilight exclaimed.

"Better than saying 'it's magic,' isn't it?"

"No! It's worse! If you're going to call it science and explain how it works then at least be legitimately scientific!"

"Oh well. Regardless; I gave her a muffin sometime in the past which'll make her my mind slave... either a hundred and five years ago, or half an hour ago with the TARDIS, take your pick. Ahem. Derpy-Ditzy! Roseluck is a bad wolf."

Derpy's body stiffened. Spirals swirled in her eyes. "Yes Doctor, I'll do whatever you say." She spoke in a happy monotone, "I am your loyal companion."

"All your friends have been replaced by evil alien androids. Smash the evil alien androids' heads. Start with the little one."

"Yes, Doctor, I shall obey. I am your loyal companion."

The Valeyard's comic book had left Apple Pie too emotionally devastated. She made no move to flee or fight Derpy.

Spike tried to grab Derpy with his tail and claws but the Element of Loyalty glowed and her speed increased at the last moment, it was like trying to catch a fly.

Rarity began to lift Apple Pie out of the way but was head butted by the quick Derpy losing her grip. "Bad evil android!"

Twilight tried to touch her with her horn to snap her back to reality but, "Bad evil android mind control wand!" Twilight found her horn cracked.

Spike covered Apple Pie with his claw, which Derpy then began to PRY OPEN, cracking her own bones as she happily did so. "I'm helping the Doctor!"

But just as Derpy closed in on her, a replica of the Valeyard appeared in front of Derpy.

"Derpy!" It said. "I've been turned into an evil incarnation of myself so don't listen to a thing I say!"

"Yes, Doctor, I shall obey. I am your loyal companion." Derpy blinked and shook her head. She glared at the Valeyard. He really WAS just an evil incarnation of himself: no good left! She HAD no loyalty to this monster.

The Valeyard's face stayed totally straight. "So . . . you STILL have the Element of Deceit." He pointed at AJ, and then pointed at Rarity, "And YOU are the Element of Honesty, now. Now that we've got that sorted out, I know what to expect. Didn't want to implement a plan and have the mineral-sexual turn out to be Kindness or something. Tom looks positively SMASHING by the way, Miss Rarity, a real record BREAKER in terms of rock-solid stallionness."

"You're only saying that to goad me."

"Congratulations. Most don't even get that. But you didn't win. Because I never lose."

"THIRTEEN MAY NOT BE THE CLOCK-SMITH BUT YOU WEAR ALL HIS ROBBER-BARONS!" Derpy shouted, shook her head and spoke again, "You love your voice too much, you're arrogant, you think being rational is dumb when you do it all the time, and everypony here already KNOWS how much you love to make teleporting work-left! Work-wrong! You're not perfect, Valeyard!"

The Valeyard laughed, "Perfect? Ha! Who'd want to be? Frozen in a state of being, unable to adapt... what an obvious shortcoming! What I am is perfectly flawed! Which is much better than 'perfect.'"

Twilight felt an aneurysm coming on. "?! . . . That's not perfection! A truly Perfect Being would either be able to adapt instantly to any situation or not need to!"

"Please. Perfectionism's right up there with 'logicality;' oversized weaknesses I don't chain myself down with. Logic is just being able to be wrong with authority. That's why the perfectly logical donkey always starves to death when faced with two equal sets of hay."

"THAT'S NOT LOGIC! The logical thing to do is PICK ONE because starving to death with food right in front of you's the most illogical thing EVER!"

"Your head really is up your flanks. Haven't all your greatest victories been when you pursued the illogical course of action, like the act of challenging Nightmare Moon to one-on-one combat?"

"That wasn't illogical! I did the logical thing and TRICKED her into thinking I wanted to duel, so as to slip past her without risking a fight I couldn't possibly win! And how would you know about that, anyway?! You weren't there!"

"Celly loved to talk about you." The Valeyard smiled. "Please observe." Then he threw a baseball at Rarity who caught it reactively. At the same time he took out a tiny blowgun and blew a little dart which pricked Spike in the snout.

"Hyper-concentrated dragonsbane. An entire forest's worth. Absorbs right through the scales. Have a nice life... all thirty or so seconds of it."

Spike opened his mouth to say something, but the fire inside him died and he rolled violently on his side.

"SPIKE?! SPIKE!!!" Twilight cried in raw panic.

Spike shivered as paralysis kicked in, his body temperature nosediving in seconds. Everything was going black, he couldn't hear anything, he couldn't think! It felt like his blood was turning to ice!

AJ pushed Twilight away and pressed herself against Spike. "Kindness!" Her body symbol glowed.

"And YOU are the element of Kindness!" The Valeyard said to Applejack. "Deceit AND kindness... Ha! How poetic! The only time it's ever WORTH acting kind is DURING a deception!"

"Rarity! Ah'm slowin' the poison but there's just too much of it!"

"I understand! MINE!" Rarity stabbed Spike with one hoof. Her insides turned into icy liquid from absorbing poison meant to kill a dragon. She fell over, dead for several seconds as her internal organs reconstituted.

It seemed Spike's version of Generosity didn't heal.

Time enough for Valeyard to take another thing out of his cape, a big lump of mud he threw right at Rarity that spattered over her face and body.

Rarity got up shakily. Her intestines hadn't finished regenerating. "Sorry, Valeyard, darling. Mudslinging might've actually worked on me... a thousand years ago. But I am no longer that vain mare who'd have a meltdown if she couldn't visit the spa once a week to clear out her pores. I-I-I-I-I-" Rarity screamed and she began hoofing at her own face, her eyes closed tight, as they were on fire to her. "AAAHHHH!"

"That powder mixed INTO the mud, on the other hoof, sure seems to affect you just fine. Working into your muscles, nerves, and brain soon. Rewriting your pain center's genetic code so you'll be in immortal agony!"

"Spike!!!!!!! BURN ME!!!"

Spike opened one eye. And saw the love of his life. He felt so weak. He didn't have a regenerating body like the others. The dragonsbane might've been sucked out, but his body was still damaged, still needed time to cure itself.

"Rarity, I-"

"I SAID BURN ME!"

(What happened to the good old Spike who'd just grumble but obey?)

Spike breathed fire, encompassing Rarity's body. She screamed anew as her outer layer burned away, and her immortality regenerated a new one for her.

"I didn't anticipate you exploiting your immortality that way. Congratulations on being a little bit smarter than the average ungulate."

Spike passed out, having used up what strength he had. Twilight clamored on top of him, bawling into his chest.

"Spike, Spike... don't leave me, Spike, you're my family..." she moaned.

"This was entirely avoidable, you know." The Valeyard informed her. "Were I in your horseshoes, I wouldn't have settled for any killable companions, not even a powerfully-built one like Spike. You should've held out until you had a complete set of immortals to act as Element Bearers. Even if it meant dragging Traitor Dash, Fluttercruel, and Angry Pie into those roles, kicking and screaming. Really, Twilight, you simply INVITED this fate on Spike."

"You don't pick companions! COMPANIONS PICK YOU!!!" Derpy shouted. "Right Doctor?"

"GAAH!" Those words did more to damage the Valeyard than anything the ponies had done so far.

"You're right," Twilight whispered. "Thank you Derpy."

Rarity looked at the Valeyard. "What I desire Valeyard is you as paste." Stones ripped out from the ground, forming a stone Alicorn suit of armor around her body,"We will crush you, Servant of Big Banana Discord! I'll drag you out and squash you flat!"

"Oh me. Oh my. I am so terrified. Dramatic gasp of fear." The sheer flatness of the Valeyard's voice was nothing short of emotionally captivating. "Whatever shall I do?"

Then his face brightened, "Oh wait I know!" He took out a jar and unscrewed the lid. "STONE MITES!"

The jar proved bigger on the inside than the outside. It wasn't simply a swarm of gray insects which flooded. It was a living SANDSTORM.

Apple Pie's eyes widened with the horror, at last reacting. The insects ate away at Rarity's armor at a speed to make parasprites proud.

"Rarity! Are you willing to be Pinkie Pie at war?" Twilight shouted.

"WHAT?"

"Are you?!"

It click in Rarity's mind. "GO FOR IT!"

Twilight fired several blue 'fireballs' at Rarity, then conjured a dome spell around Rarity just before they detonated. The temperature inside dropped below zero instantly. Everything inside glowed the color of Rarity's magic.

"Those weren't fireballs." The Valeyard observed.

The stone mites went to pieces. So did Rarity, but the stone mites weren't immortal and it was faster than waiting to thaw.

Twilight quickly brought the field down. Rarity's horn still flickered, as she used a piece of frozen stone as a crutch.

"You said 'Pinkie Pie at War.' " Rarity pointed out dryly.

"I didn't have time for a better analogy. I figured something that burrowed through rock was evolved to withstand heat and pressure more than the sub-zero."

The Valeyard clapped. "Well that was fairly clever. But you rely on that immortality way too much. Never know when you'll find yourself without it!" He said cheerfully.

A stone mare punched him in the face, still rising out of the ground, encompassed in Rarity's magic. Its mane was made out of red and brown minerals. It grabbed him by the rear hoof by the time it had fully emerged from the ground and threw him out of the TARDIS' protective field.

"Roseluck?!" The Valeyard exclaimed, in shock and recognition.

Rarity spoke, her horn glowing. "Roseluck lingered behind. She didn't want to leave with my other original party guests."

"You're still delusional!"

"All I know is she wants to help. She said the TARDIS would recognize her as a friend and that she couldn't STAND YOU MAKING A MOCKERY OF EVERYTHING THE DOCTOR STANDS FOR!"

"I thought you lost your power to create puppets!" Twilight gasped.

"You didn't tell me that," Rarity said.

"Roseluck? Is that you?" Derpy whispered.

"How is this possible?!" the Valeyard asked. "This makes no logical sense! Life is just nature keeping meat fresh! She's been dead for a thousand years!"

"Simple, 'cause it looks like our loved ones saw an openin' to free us from our boss," Applejack said, "Including you!"

"What could I use now? I know. ANOTHER jar full of stone mites!"

The Valeyard pulled out another jar and opened it, the contents made a hungry beeline for the stone Roseluck.

(Now's your chance! You know what spell to use.)

Twilight then cast a spell that had backfired when she had used it in Ponyville.

The stonemites stopped, sniffed the stone Roseluck with obvious distaste, then reversed course right towards the Valeyard, changing swarm formation into a hungry mouth shape.

"Who could have predicted this?! Oh right! Me!" He pulled out a spray can marked 'Stonemite-B-Gone' and sprayed it in the swarm's general direction which fell dead before they could get close.

This was when the stone Roseluck leapt and held him down with her massive weight, looking at him hatefully with stone eyes.

And this was when Twilight Sparkle galloped forward, skidding to a stop in front of the Valeyard and... set her gently glowing horn against his head.

"If you could touch the alien sand, and hear the cry of strange birds, and watch them wheel in another sky... would that satisfy you?"

"All the evils I have fought, while you have done nothing but observe! True, I am guilty of interference. Just as you are guilty of failing to use your great powers to help those in need!"

"Well, Sergeant, aren't you going to say it's bigger on the inside than it is on the outside?"

"I know that although the Daleks will create havoc and destruction for millions of years, out of their evil must come some good."

"I owe it to my friend to try because I got her into this! So you see... I'm not going to let you stop me now!"

"Power-mad conspirators, Daleks, Sontarans, Cybermen... they're still in the nursery compared to us! Ten million years of absolute power. That's what it takes to be really corrupt!"

"There are worlds out there where the sky is burning and the sea's asleep and the rivers dream; people made of smoke and cities made of song. Somewhere there's danger, somewhere there's injustice, somewhere else, the tea's getting cold. Come on, Ace, we've got work to do."

"You want domination over the living, yet all you do is kill!"

"Everybody lives, Rose! Just this once, EVERYBODY LIVES!"

"And when you go back to the stars and tell others of this planet, when you tell them of its riches, its people, its potential, when you talk of the Earth, then make sure you tell them this... it is DEFENDED!"

"'Nobody important?' Blimey, that's amazing. D'you know, in nine-hundred years, I've never met anyone who wasn't important before?"

To leisurely look back on a single memory, some odd, lazy Tuesday, and snicker at his own stupid virtuousness... this was one thing.

This was a deluge. An avalanche.

And Twilight experienced them with him. Nine centuries of awe and wonder.

Had Twilight simply strapped The Valeyard in front of a television screen, and replayed these memories from there -- he might have been able to sit through it all impassively. But these WEREN'T just images and audio. Twilight had brought back all the things television could never capture:

Excitement, whenever he opened the TARDIS' door onto a new surprise...
Horror, whenever some race of invaders terrorized the native populace...
Heartache, whenever a companion deemed it was time to part ways.
Delight, whenever a companion's jaw dropped in awe.
Outrage, whenever he spoke out against injustice.
Pride at gaining the trust of a stranger.
Grim resolve, at times he'd sacrificed his life, a regeneration, for the sake of those who only had one life to live.
Relief and elation at having pulled another world from the brink of doom.

Over nine-hundred years, uninterrupted. Relived, re-experienced, re-evoked, full force.

And the Valeyard roared with laughter in the face of them. A black tidal wave came crashing down. It laughed too.

And Twilight The Unicorn was screaming.

Twilight felt as if some horrible spider's nest were hatching within her brain.

{Twilight? Bad news. You've just been infected with a debilitating neurological disorder, namely... ME!!!!}

(What in the...?!)

"Valeyard?!"

But while Twilight looked down, the Time Lord grinned up at her triumphantly.

{Close!} The voice spoke in her mind. {I'm not actually the Valeyard, per se, but I'm the next best thing. And soon enough... you will be too!}

"What's THAT supposed to mean?! Who are you? How can you not be the Valeyard when you sound just like himmm... ah!!!"

Pain. The spiders... whatever it was, spreading, skittering, through her mind...

{Think of me as a Contingency Plan of The Valeyard's... a trap he set just for you, in anticipation of this very spell.}

"He was prepared for my memory spell?!"

{He was prepared for just about all your OTHER attacks, wasn't he?}

Spiders, spiders, spiders, spiders, sharp tiny legs, snapping little mandibles....

{When you cast that memory spell, it's never just for idle reminiscing, is it? You program it to replay the memories as if they were being lived again. The memories that define that person as they truly are. Except it was the Doctor who was discorded, not me. Who I truly am, is the Doctor of Law, a Time Lord Victorious who renders gods mortal and puts mortals on the paths they should be intelligently taking. At this very moment, Twilight, your whole personality is being rewritten into a carbon copy of the Valeyard's! A chip off his block! Cast in his mold! They'll have to call you Vale-light! I'll finally have a companion worthy of me, myself.}

(No....)

"No...."

{All glory to The Valeyard, whose will shall prevail against all opposition!}

"I-I-I'm Twilight!"

{Don't be silly Vale-light. Together we will crush Discord, and bring the reason and sanity to this world you've longed for so long.}

"Twilight? Aren't I?"

=====

Applejack screamed again. "Twilight! What in tarnation's he done to you, sugah?"

Twilight turned away from the Time Lord, facing her companions, who gathered around her in concern. Igh. How truly incredible... she was supposed to continue RELYING on these morons? Have them all rely on her? These embarrassments? These sorry tagalongs? They didn't deserve her, and SHE didn't deserve them. There wasn't a single one among them whom she couldn't think circles around. Hopeless primitives.

Comrades like this would be doomed to fall against whoever Discord sent next. Perhaps it would be better that way... just stand back and watch them kill each other. Or maybe convince them to try warping off to the castle in The Valeyard's TARDIS... then maroon them on some gas giant or other. Yeah. Serves them right for thinking they were worthy of her company. Anyway, it wasn't like Discord NEEDED to be disposed of. Life would go on. In fact, Discord would probably WELCOME Twilight back into his inner circle, treachery of that sort just tickled him pink, and she could celebrate with a nice, ice-cold glass of pear juice...

(As much as I approve of you wanting to be free of the weights off your back, you need to SNAP OUT OF IT, TWILIGHT! This way of thinking isn't like you AT ALL!)

{Of course it's us. Power. Control. Greatness. Unstoppable will. Grand intellect. No need for others. Privy to grand secrets of creation.}

(Daring Do! Books! You secretly like Daring Do and the Crystal Skull when everypony else hated it! Books! Cadence's cheer! Sunshine Sunshine ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake! Books! Applying the scientific method to magic that Earth Ponies think you're strange for! Figuring things out LOGICALLY! Books! Schedules! Beautiful beautiful schedules!)

"My friends."

With a flick of her horn, giant manacles closed around Twilight's hooves, chaining her to the ground.

"Someone! Smash my head!"

{You're joking!}
"You're joking!" Shouted The Valeyard who the stone Roseluck helpfully kept down.

Everyone gasped.

"Quick! I-No! I was kidding, don't smash-Smash it! Now!"

"Twilight-" Derpy started in confusion.

"Stay out of it you braindead idiot!" Twilight yelled in a rather familiar tone then got a half look of terror and half strangely victorious look as Derpy gave a snarl and glare as it clicked in her mind.

{You...you let me say that on purpose!}

'Yep, say goodbye, Graveyard!'

"You're not stealing another friend's body!" Derpy yelled, Element of Loyalty igniting.

"I agree," Rarity stated, snarling.

Apple Pie's eyes were covered by Applejack as Twilight's head was sandwiched between Derpy's Element of Loyalty enhanced hooves and a boulder provided by Rarity.

Twilight's body went limp for a few moments until her head regenerated, appearing momentarily brain dead until her Element of Chaos uploaded her mind into her regenerated brain. "Thanks, he might have been able to upload a copy of himself into mine, but the Element of chaos had a master copy of me."

(I am very happy you're alright Twilight. You're too wonderful a pony to lose.)

Twilight hugged her friends. Who were more than happy to hug back. Twilight felt a sense of relief and joy. They had just saved her soul after she had saved half of theirs."Do you know you're all my very best friends?"

"Of course darling."

Derpy gently broke from the hug and trotted to the still held down Valeyard.

The Valeyard's vision was filled with another mare's face, this one gray with a blond mane.

"Bad wolf." Derpy stated, breaking the Valeyard's neck.

"Derpy!!" AJ was appalled.

"Don't worry, just watch. The ordered fruit on the spinning, Ugh, he can't die. He's a Time Lord. But he always becomes somepony new. He called it Regeneration. He'll show you."

The Valeyard's entire body glowed with a golden light. It actually broke Apple Pie partially out of her stupor. Death and new life were supposed to be on opposite ends of the string, but here they were meeting. They made ends meet!

The Roseluck stone mare backed away as the Valeyard's body glowed brighter and brighter as wisps of light shined until a golden flash of light obscured what happened next.

His still form covered by the cloak, Derpy crept closer and closer, and nudged him, the stone Roseluck doing the same.

"Doctor?"

Derpy was eye-to-point with the unicorn horn, it suddenly glowed painfully bright. The stone Roseluck shoulder smashed Derpy out of the way just as it went off, the stone making up its body atomized into dust.

Derpy gasped. "Roseluck."

"SUCKERS!!!" The Valeyard revealed himself with a flourish of his high collar cape, adjusting his stuffed collar. He had once been an Earth pony, but now a unicorn horn stuck out from his head.

Derpy's eyes quivered. Her mind was spinning in circles. "But-but, duck, rut, luck, where, when, how, bow, house, dog-"

"I have a million regenerations where that came from, and they're all me! Me, me, me!" The Valeyard stabbed himself in the heart with a knife he produced from his cape. Another golden flash, this one much faster than the last one, and he stood exactly as he had before it. "As a gift for my services, the spirit of disharmony decreed that I regenerate INFINITELY! AND EACH ONE WILL HAVE THIS IDENTITY! All this means is that I can change my species to fit whatever situation I want! Sorry Ditzy, I'm the Valeyard, and the Doctor is OUT! And he's NEVER coming back!"

"No." Derpy whispered. She felt a grayness itch at her heart.

Rarity and Applejack looked to each other.

Derpy shook her head, "THERE HAS TO BE A WAY TO SAVE YOU! Just like we'll save Sparkler, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie! And even if it's into Tartarus and out again! I won't abandon anypony!" And Derpy forced out the grayness!

Apple Pie's laugh was heard. "The darker things get, the brighter ya shine, Miss Hooves. What a wonderful contradiction." And the grayness in her ran away screaming. "We're gonna write a happy ending."

-

"No way! No one can un-discord themselves!" Fluttercruel wailed.

"It wasn't 'by herself.'" Discord said sourly.

-

AJ didn't take her eyes off the Valeyard, even as she nuzzled her sister's descendant. Because the Valeyard wasn't taking his eyes off Apple Pie. Her 'happy ending' statement seemed to have touched a nerve.

"Give hope, give hope, GIVE HOPE that's all you do, brat!"

Applejack hugged the little foal, smiling, "That and wipe out zombie armies by SPEAKIN' ta them!"

"You're not the only one who can change species, if need be," Twilight Sparkle said hugging Apple Pie too.

Derpy said, "The Doctor had faith in me to do a good job, so I'll have that faith too!"

"Your desires are as mighty as you are, Valeyard, that is the truth, but the truth also is that the one thing grander than your abilities is your own opinion of them!"

"Yer lyin' ta yerself if ya think not havin' any backup is a strength," AJ told him.

The Valeyard said calmly, "Just go forward in all your beliefs and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine."

He then brought out a new object, something that looked to be a cross between a magic wand and a laser pointer. He turned it on. Twilight, Rarity, and Applejack screamed out in agony, clutching their chests.

"Sonic screwdriver." The Valeyard exposited. "Set at just the right frequency to cause Elements of Chaos to crack, fracture, and ultimately shatter."

++++

"MUTE! MUTE! MASTER!" Fluttercruel screamed rolling on the floor, knocking the snack tray over, tears of pain on her face.

"I HATE THE VALEYARD! IHATEHIMIHATEHIMIHATE!" Angry Pie roared, standing up from sheer force of will even as she bled from every opening in her head.

Discord blew up the speakers and everything went silent. He hugged Fluttercruel, slowly stroking her mane, "There there my dear, there there, everything's okay." Fluttercruel made no response, she buried her face in his furry snake body, shaking.

Why did he feel...angry? More than that, he felt, relief she was all right. These emotions were sickeningly familiar.

Angry Pie looked at the two in disgust, then back at the TV. Seeing the three Elements of Harmony writhing in torment filled her with grim satisfaction.

++++

"Half-Light?"

"Everypony?!" Derpy looked at her friends in concern before taking flight to dive-bomb the Valeyard, who telekinetically lifted a second sonic screwdriver. Spike opened his eyes and let out an agonizing wail, Apple Pie curled into a ball. Derpy felt her head being slammed by a pack of angry sledgehammers.

"And in this corner, we have a spare sonic screwdriver set to give non-immortals permanent brain damage, which won't be that far a fall for you, Ditzy Doo. Oh, and of course, both screwdrivers are set not to damage Time Lords." He knelt down next to her, stroking her mane, "It doesn't matter how many clever ideas you have Ditzy, I'll always have more. But it's okay, you were never a clever pony. So don't feel bad. It's just the way you are. And it'll all be over soon. After a thousand years, you don't have to feel bad about not being clever ever again."

Derpy's Loyalty symbol burned on her body as she pushed herself up, feeling like she was dying. She gritted her teeth, lifting up her wings, her eyes blazing at the Valeyard.

"Oh yes, almost forgot, that bottomless tenacity you and the stupid apes share." The Valeyard hit her over the head with the second sonic screwdriver, her face ate dirt.

"And from the shadows, I shall herd, breed, and cull a better race of horses for their own good. While the stupid gods I shall topple, tear down, reduce to mere mortals that age and die. For I am the Valeyard, my will be done."

Derpy got up again, reaching up for his horn.

"Perhaps you didn't hear me the first time, you'll be brain dead in a minute or two, so just stay down!" He stopped his hoof on her head, making her taste blood.

Her nerves felt like they were eating themselves, the world was darkening. She got up again, panting at the doctor, and flared out her wings ready to charge.

"You've always been slow on the uptake, Ditzy, so let me spell this out for. Everything you've believed in, everything you've put your faith in, everything you've sworn your loyalty to, is the worthless nonsense of children who don't know when to grow up!"

The Valeyard telekinetically lifted her up and THREW her away skidding until she was near the red blade barrier.

"Now ALL OF YOU! Just lay quietly and you'll all be dead very soon!"

They all stopped moving and became still. "See? That wasn't so hard. The end. Seriously, I told you were already defeated. Wait . . . this isn't how long I calculated it would take for you to-"

The Valeyard sidestepped a lightning bolt. Without looking to see his attacker, he fired back a compressed ball of time magic -- a good old 'die of old age in seconds' spell -- it hit something. The dead bodies vanished. In their place was Twilight, a spherical spell surrounding the ground except for Derpy who was still panting, but a spherical force field barrier then appeared around her as well.

"Please brain stealing damage something not want Rarity do to again ever."

AJ grimaced in pain, realizing how many cracks must be in her Element of Chaos now, and wondered if she just added a new one with that illusion. She didn't know what they would've done if Derpy hadn't kept the Valeyard distracted. At least her Element seemed to be holding itself together, for now.

"A shield spell? Really? Being a knight in shining armor, my dear? Don't you know that role is played by colts?"

"I guess there's a little knight in shining armor in me, then, I guess!"

"You're the one whose beliefs are worthless!"

The Valeyard rolled his eyes at Derpy. "HOW original."

"You have no friends! The Doctor has tons of 'em! That makes YOU WEAK!"

"And yet ponies still say 'stand on your own four hooves', 'be independent', 'other ponies' opinions don't matter'-"

"It's contrary! Ah know!" Apple Pie laughed inside the field.

"If friends make you weak, why did your plan just fail because you couldn't concentrate on everyone at once?"

"A simple miscalculation, nothing more."

While Derpy once more kept the Valeyard occupied, Twilight looked to Spike, doing a quick scan of him. His vitals were fine now that either Rarity or Applejack had taken all the damage, he was just too exhausted. She turned and lowered a look of pure hatred at the Valeyard.

"Rarity can you feed the shield for a few seconds?"

"A few seconds! I'll need a little help."

"Don't worry! Ready?"

"Ready!"

Twilight shifted species again, and Rarity knew pain, but she had help to support her and she held it. Twilight meanwhile, using pegasus magic scattered a mass of tiny storm clouds that fired purple lightning several directions at once, frying both sonic screwdrivers. Twilight smirked. "Electric Wave!" she said, after the attack was completed.

"Oh brother! See the horn? I can just replicate BOTH wavelengths with it! There done! And you can stay in that field forever."

Twilight shifted back species.

"And I know YOU weren't telling the WHOLE truth about your infinite regenerations!" Rarity said. "You were mixing truths! Discord's gift has NOTHING to do with all your regenerations being this version of you, Time Lord!"

"Ah felt somethin' was off," said AJ. "Don't forget; deceit ain't just lyin', it's twistin' the truth too!"

The others were shocked at this, and Derpy knew hope.

Twilight asked, "DERPY! THINK! YOU KNOW THE DOCTOR BETTER THAN ANY OF US! How could he be doing this?"

Derpy cleared her mind. And thought. Then thought again, then spoke. "I remember once the Doctor telling, when he regenerated once, he had a piece of himself nearby, and used it as a template to keep that identity."

The Valeyard's eyes widened. He took a trot back.

"Rarity! AJ! Any illusions on him!" Twilight shouted.

"Around his neck!" They said together.

"Derpy get-"

"I am too! No time to argue!" Rarity said.

"Alright!"

Twilight dropped the field. But they didn't fall down in agony.

"How is this happening?!" The Valeyard babbled.

"Friendship is magic, magic is friendship, I have more friends than you, I've had more time as a unicorn than you, I can memorize any spell! And according to the laws of physics: two identical sounds will cancel each other out!" Twilight's horn vibrated. Twilight would have moved Spike out of harm's way if he wasn't so giant, so she settled for his personal protective field.

"Idiot! I just need to step a foot or two out of alignment and that won't work and-hey! Stop mirroring my hoof steps! Fine! Have a land-mine!" Rarity's magic caught it and tossed it towards Rancor's barrier which it exploded on without harming any of them.

Rarity leapt at the Valeyard and grabbed at something unseen around his neck, as did Derpy, clobbering him at once, and PULLED! This broke his concentration for his sound attack. The illusion faded, and a preserved pony's hoof cut off at the handle with a chain going through faded into view. Rarity threw it seconds before it exploded with a resounding bang!

"Now where's the real one!" Rarity snapped.

"HOW COULD YOU HAVE POSSIBLY KNOWN..."

"This entire fight you've had decoys hidden under camouflage! I'm getting to know you! Villains are proactive, heroes are reactive... and adaptive!"

Apple Pie gave a chuckle.

A light flash blinded the ponies as the Valeyard took out a tiny remote.

"Meh. I'll just set off the bombs I teleported inside each of you at several different points in the immediate past via time-travel-before-we-even-met-here. Bye."

Clink/"MINE!"

Zero point five seconds. Stone spears stabbed into the legs of the four other hero ponies present plus one dragon, Apple Pie cried out the loudest.

One point one seconds, a near perfect outline of Rarity's body made of stone formed around her, the rocks pressed so hard together they were solid. It then exploded. Stabbing the Valeyard in several places.

Shrapnel went everywhere, Twilight's shields protected the mortals from worse damage and AJ quickly got to healing them.

A mass of ashes at the center of the blast revealed a much smaller stone sphere, that broke apart revealing the Element of Desire, the ashes gathered around it, and bones, muscles, nerves, hide and fur began to reconstitute.

"AJ! Hide Rarity! I'll teleport her away!"

The Valeyard made a grab for Rarity's Element as it was still vulnerable. Twilight tried to teleport Rarity's Element away, but the Valeyard's horn flickered a moment later calling it back . . . in its place was a stone. Frozen solid on the outside. Super heated on the inside. It exploded in his face.

AJ's illusion ended showing Rarity's Element of Chaos right where it had been all along. And the illusion of the rock next to it Twilight had actually teleported away vanished.

Rarity finished regenerating from the ashes in time to levitate a rock and shape it into a wrist blade around her hoof and stab the Valeyard as he just finished regenerating.

The Valeyard took a step and gasped, holding his guts in with his forehooves.

"You nag, who's inside me?!" The Valeyard hissed, his body shaking like somepony else was trying to control it.

"I told you already, Roseluck's desire to see you stopped is among the most powerful I've carried."

"Never have I had so clingy a companion," the Valeyard growled.

Rarity stabbed him again in a different spot, the Valeyard magically blasted her only for Twilight to bring up a shield. Derpy and AJ together tackled him, together and held his front hooves back, exposing his chest to Rarity. Now that he wasn't an Earth Pony he lacked the super-pony strength they were famous for.

"Now then," Rarity said, "So that's where it is. Thank you, Roseluck." Desire-Fulfilled

"YEEEEAAAAAAGGGH!" Rarity snarled savagely as she then dove with the stone wrist blade and cut open his stomach, to reveal a third heart, grabbed it, pulled, and the false image faded, to be a severed hoof. She tossed it in the air, Twilight hit it with more varied elemental magic than a unicorn frat party not even leaving ashes.

The Valeyard's horn glowed and slammed AJ and Derpy's heads into each other before slamming them into Rarity. At the same moment as they were tossed towards Rarity, Apple Pie used the white unicorn as a spring board, and the Valeyard didn't have Rarity's experience at using her telekinesis at several objects at once and Apple Pie kicked him in the horn, giving him a stinging headache and breaking his concentration.

Apple Pie didn't get a chance to land as Derpy zoomed underneath her.

Using her wings to kept herself aloft as she used all four of her hooves attacking the Valeyard in the face and horn like an angry set of jackhammers. A blooming flower of enraged hooves, focused into perfect clarity. Derpy put everything into those punches, everything.

Every heartless look her mother gave her, every warm hug from her father, every misplaced sympathetic word from ponies who thought she was retarded, her pride as a mailmare, her shame at failing her movers and Winter Wrap-Up jobs, her awe with the Doctor, the love of her daughters, and despair of her endless march, and her deepest wish that she could be with her whole family and this nightmare would just end!

The Valeyard staggered to his hooves, blood running from his pulverized face. He raised his destroyed hooves defensively. "'ow, 'erpy, 'e're 'riends! 'on't 'o 'his!"

"Sorry, I'm the Doctor's friend. You're the Valeyard, the Doctor is out, but he'll be back in soon."

Derpy's did a back flip in the air, her rear hooves kicking the Valeyard onto his rear legs. Element of Loyalty shining bright, her front hooves made a final blow, aimed for both his hearts knowing where each one was. There was a loud sickening, but shamefully satisfying crack.

The Valeyard stood still, shock and disbelief on his face, blood trickling from his mouth.

Derpy landed, landed on her four hooves, wings bent, panting, sweat down her face, her Element of Loyalty flickered out of sight. Both eyes looked straight at the Valeyard.

Apple Pie had felt no fear from the dragon, or her three formerly evil herd mates, but she scooted away from Derpy during her onslaught.

The Valeyard slowly began to glow, he looked at his trembling hooves in shock and fear. The ponies slowly began to back up, Derpy last.

No one made any move to help or hinder him. No one spoke a word to him. They simply watched as this incarnation of the Doctor faded.

The Valeyard pushed himself back up, trotting backwards. Coughing blood and hyperventilating. He began to move towards the TARDIS and with the lion share of his dying strength kicked it open.

He looked at them, his eyes looked like a cornered animal. Then broke into a manic grin.

"Hehehheh. You stupid horses. Don't you know, what is the measure of the hero in a video game to the player? What different things happen to them when the player wins?" The Valeyard laughed his head off as he fell back into the TARDIS. The machine began to hum and churn as the light on top of the blue box slowly flashed.

(Your role is over good Valeyard, goodbye, you will not be missed. There are some things you never get tired of.)

There was a strange grinding noise, vwooorrp, vwoorrrp, vwooorp...

He fell backwards, the body glowing brightly now, holding back the regeneration only from sheer will power. "But are you even the player characters here? Or just the ghosts closing in on Pac-Pony?" The Valeyard flashed, the TARDIS doors closed, and the blue box vanished all in the same moment.

The ponies blinked as if freed from a trance. It had been like watching a train wreck, a sense of alien detachment making them unable to act until the instance had passed.

++++

"Well what do you know? Breaking the 'level boss order' and sending in the wannabe ahead didn't work, too bad," I said, tapping my chin.

When the Time Lord finally runs out of regenerations and dies for good, I wonder whether he'll go straight to Dad... or if he'll be exonerated by all his good deeds as 'The Doctor.' Maybe the Valeyard is already with Dad while the Doctor lives on. I keep meaning to research how the soul of a Time Lord works. Souls in general are confusing things, so it's hard to tell.

"I'm going to miss that blue box. Now where am I going to find room for all my laser discs and VHS tapes?"

"The garbage," Angry Pie said.

"Ha ha ha ha!!!" Fluttercruel grinned. "Did you hear that, Master? Angry Pie told a joke! An actual joke! Let's make her the Element of Laughter again!"

"I'LL KILL Y---" Brick to her head.

"Sorry, girls. With the Valeyard gone, it looks like YOU'll be the ones fighting after all."

"Who's sorry?!"

The two spoke together, glared at each other, and 'humphed' in an echo. Only to then lean right against one another. Cute as a pair of kittens. Ick.

"Fluttercruel, learn from his defeat. Making your opponent angry and trying to wear down their emotions is a valuable battle tactic, but not everyone reacts to it the same way," I told my little princess. "Some go into a completely berserk frenzy and lose track of their reason. But the most dangerous will do what Miss Hooves just did; a calm fury. They have all the advantages of being furious, but keep their reason and clarity. A person in a berserk rage will try to beat you to death. A person in a tranquil fury will try to kill you, but be smart and very thorough about it."

"Doesn't matter when you're like us," said Fluttercruel, rolling her eyes.

"Speak for yourself," Angry Pie said but not quite at her normal rage levels.

"Don't assume your power protects you," I said, looking to my snout where my missing fang once was.

(You will suffer, Discord. For your crimes against Princess Luna and Princess Celestia. You'll suffer for your crimes against Cadence. Again and again.)

. . . you're trapped like me. You're never going to be satisfied. No matter how many times you put me through the meat grinder. It's never going to keep a smile on your face for more than a nanosecond. You're just like me.

(How dare you! HOW DARE YOU!!! HOW DARE YOU COMPARE YOURSELF TO ME, YOU WORTHLESS SACK OF USED ANIMAL PARTS!)

All the power you've gained, everything you've learned. And you're still stuck with the same set of problems. Things have to go JUST right. No one better deviate at ALL from your strict little script... Whoa, now you're beginning to almost get a little scary.

(YOU BUCKING SHUT UP! JUST SIT ON YOUR ASS AND WAIT FOR YOUR NEXT PUNISHMENT!!)

You know, this whole thing is feeling more existential than I'm really used to.

Hello? Heellllooooo?

Well, that's rude.

+++++

Derpy sighed. "Goodbye Doctor, hope to see you, a better you, again." Derpy remembered, all the other companions the Doctor had mentioned who had come and gone. Derpy guessed she was just one more, after all. "Maybe this time you'll finally be ginger," she said with a smile, getting weird looks. "He always wanted to regenerate into someone with ginger-colored hair."

"And with that hoof gone that's the end of the Valeyard." Rarity said.

"She'll take him somewhere safe," Derpy said.

"She?" Twilight raised an eyebrow.

"The TARDIS."

"Ah was hopin' the good him could tell us what 'Valeyard' means."

Twilight said, "'Valeyard' is a word in his native language that means 'Persecutor of the Court' or 'Doctor of Law.' "

"Ya mean he was 'The Doctor' in a way after all?"

"Derpy, what did he mean by all he said?" Twilight asked finally getting to the heart of the matter of the ominous warning.

"I . . . I don't know." Derpy confessed.

Apple Pie spoke, "If ya ask me his message sounded like-"

The crimson blade barrier around the heroes and the palace fell apart, very loudly, very fast, fading into nothing before it hit the ground.

Rancor appeared posed as if she was wearing bluejeans with her paw in her 'pockets' walking forward several feet above them, as normal. "Adios Valeyard. Guy had great passions, but really separated himself from his emotions too much for my taste."

The ponies got ready, forming a defensive formation around Spike.

"Ah don't worry about it!" Rancor waved off seeing their actions, "You're too tired out to give me a passionate fight after that boss battle. I'm just here to say thanks for taking care of the Valeyard. It was only a matter of time before he made his move against Discord during this mess you're making to take the throne and I couldn't let that happen. So you ponies helped Discord this round.

"Oh and ta tell ya, kid, here ya go, you oughta read the last page of the comic. I give my Parents' word, it's a good thing. I don't like seeing such passion burned out." Rancor flew a folded paper air plane at Apple Pie, which folded itself out and connected itself to the comic. Apple Pie hadn't even perceived that the last few pages were MISSING!

Against the advice of EVERYONE (save Rarity), Apple Pie tentative turned over the last page. "And Superstallion faked his death, chose to live out his days as Colt Kent, married Lois Mane and lived happily ever after?" Apple Pie grinned, "Whoo-hoo! See, told you! Yah can write a happy endin' if ya try!"

"Yeah ain't it? Pandora LOVED that one! Just remember kid his happy ending COST him something important. And you've given me a passionate fight by both sides my little ponies, -whoa that's fun to say- your love, your anger, and all of your sorrow laid bare! Now then, ahem, COME! COME TO YOUR DEATHS!"

Thunder crashed.

"Be waitin' at the welcome party! See ya!" And then Rancor vanished.

A plush red carpet rolled out from one of the palace entrances, and rolled, and rolled, and ROLLED miles away from the castle until it rested at the ponies' hooves.

"So we charge in?" Spike said.

"After you rest up, Spike! AJ and Rarity: finish healing Derpy and Apple Pie! Everypony . . . I think we've just been invited in." Twilight said.

Applejack said, "Well, it would be unladylike to refuse."

"Agreed." Rarity nodded. "Let us briefly prim ourselves for our homecoming."

Twilight nodded. Pinkie Pie. Fluttershy, we're coming.

"Miss Derpy." Apple Pie said nuzzling the gray pony. "Ah'm sorry we couldn't save yer friend."

Derpy looked at the filly, remembering when Sparkler had been this small. Saying how easy her mother's job was with her wings, and did her entire route with her on hoof to help Sparkler appreciate the hard work she did for her foal. "We did save'em, he just, can't be with us."

"Okay," Apple Pie nodded, "It's funny, we killed'em, but, that saved'em, not the way ya think it's supposed to work huh?"

"We killed the monster inside him, that's all."

Twilight thought. A thousand years ago Twilight Sparkle would have turned pale and boldly rejected killing anyone or anything for that matter. Rather than zapping the parasprites into dust she had used every other possible solution. After all, they were just innocent animals as Fluttershy would say. Most ponies didn't need to live near the Everfree Forest, where animals 'didn't play the rules' as the average Earth Pony knew them. But Fluttershy clung to her ideals about animals all the same.

Now Twilight knew there were monsters who couldn't be tamed, there were beasts you couldn't safely keep in a cage.

And Apple Pie and AJ as farm girls, both knew there were animals that it was kinder to simply put down.

(Going to make him bleed and suffer as he's done to every other living thing?)

'No. I'm going to, WE are going to make sure he never harms another pony, another person ever again.'

'Was that really you Roseluck?' Derpy thought about the stone pony. 'Roseluck, good-bye.'

'Hang on Sparkler we're nearly there,' Derpy thought wrapping a wing around Apple Pie.

Applejack sat down next to Apple Pie. "Apple Pie...yah know how yah said we were gonna write our happy endin'?"

The filly nodded. "Yeah, we are, right?"

Applejack nodded, thinking. "Yeah...and Ah really think we can...Ah don't know if yah are gonna believe me, but yah know how Ah said Saint Applebloom saved meh?"

"Yeah! Just like she always wanted, right? She really wrote her happy ending!"

Applejack smiled. "Yeah...she did...She saved all of Sunnytown and saved meh...But that ain't all...while Ah was with her, Ah saw other places...other worlds. And yah know what? There were worlds where we beat Discord the first time, lots of 'em...Ah don't know if yah will believe me or not. But Applebloom told me every one of those worlds, the only difference between them is somewhere along the line, someone made a different choice. The big Father of All Alicorns said no choice is meaningless. If we can win in other worlds just by making the right choice, we can win in this one. So Ah think you're right, sugarcube, yah can write a happy ending."

Apple Pie smiled and nuzzled her multiple times great aunt. "Yeah, we can. And Ah believe yah..." The two sat together for a little. "AJ...do yah think Superstallion is real in one of those other worlds?"

Applejack gave a chuckle. "Yeah, Ah bet he is."

"There's the castle Tom, I promise, we'll give everypony their happy ending soon." Rarity looked down at her neck and, nothing? "Tom? TOM!"

Rarity ran back to the ashes where she had been blown to smithereens. Then where she had been shattered into pieces. She prayed the stone mites hadn't eaten him. And finally where Spike had at her own request burned away her flesh to save her. She found him among the ashes.

"There you are Tom. Now stay safe with them." Rarity whispered as she impeded the tiny diamond into the flesh at the base of her neck again using her horn's magic.

Derpy, looked confused. Apple Pie and Applejack understood perfectly however, they knew what it was like to have something as a keepsake to the heart of somepony dear to you. AJ unconsciously touched her precious hat. Sill in one piece. Thank the princesses. After a thousand years she had held onto it and made a million repairs and patches, but it was STILL pa's hat!

"Rarity?" Spike asked worried.

"It's okay Spike." Rarity hugged him, "Don't worry. He's my son. This is just how to be reminded of him. You're my number one dragon."

"'Is'?"

"Spike, if we've learned anything lately, is that I think we can safely say that death isn't the end. Don't fret darling, while we're alive I'll be at your side forever, I promise."

And Derpy understood.

Spike made a small gasp, "Rarity, did you just say... "

The immortal Element of Honesty blushed and took a few trots back. "Erm, that is--. Spike I really do like you and--"

"It's okay Rarity, ya don't need to say it." Spike folded one of his wings around her, and tucked his head inside. He whispered lowly to her in the dark, "You don't need to say it."

Twilight smiled for her family.

Derpy, Apple Pie, Applejack, and Twilight dared take a moment to just adore the beautiful moment between the pony and dragon the four enjoying their own group hug as Rarity and Spike embraced in the evening twilight.

Episode 92: (Shining Armor) sksaM-Masks

Pony POV Series
Shining Armor Part 7
Written By lz0291
sksaM-Masks
Edited Vastly by Alex Warlorn, Kendell2, And Louis Badalament.

Somehow, despite how tired and pained I was, I remained awake during the flight back to the Embassy via the station. I kept looking over my shoulder, down at the ground. Seeing that...thing had me a bit paranoid. I don't know how to explain it, but despite what I'd seen Makarov's magic do to it, I just couldn't shake the feeling it wasn't dead.

(Interviewer (Pegasus): So you didn't automatically assume 'no one could survive that'? You're smarter than some ponies.)

(Interviewer (Earth Pony): Didja tell Cadence about the big bad wolf?)

What was I supposed to say? I ran into a ghost dog and it almost ate me? She was already worried enough about my PHYSICAL wellbeing.

The flight path took us a little closer to the riot zone, and what stuck out most was the sight of the smoldering wreck of a building marked 'Roman's Taxis' with various red and white carts around it. Dozens of rainclouds had been pushed over the flames, and numerous hoses streamed funneled water from hydrants.

It's a common tactic for dedicated firefighters; positioning rainclouds to prevent roofs going up or in flames, and fire spreading to adjacent structures, while attacking it from the inside with hose teams, shielded from the smoke and flames by magic and breathing apparatuses. The Royal Guard conducted firefighter training, though most cities had their own dedicated fire departments. Even in Equestria only small towns relied on just rainclouds above and a bucket chain. Small towns like Ponyville.

You might think it a little strange that I'd just escaped about half a dozen near death experiences, and my first thought upon seeing a burning structure was to recall my sister was now in a small town of the kind where odds of a fatality in a fire are three times that of a larger urban area. But stress can have strange effects on how you think. The trick is trying to make sure the effects don't go on too long.

Remembering the picture showed Ponyville's library was a tree a few seconds later didn't help. I eventually came back to the world of the not-having-nightmare-visions-of-a-blazing-tree, as we passed a heavy police presence near a seafront amusement park. Large numbers of Griffins and Ponies in black riot gear mingled around the cart park, presumably a staging area for their response.

"What was going on down there?" I wondered.

"Well, Shining, you were attacked by Hooviets," Price said.

"I mean the riots, Price."

"The LCPD say they're not sure who started it, but they know that nearly all the gangs went at each other, once it really got going. A Zebra tribe from the east end went for Zebras on the west end. Ponisans and Hooviets made their cold war hot for a bit. They're stumped as to why it even all began..." Thunderchild told us.

"I'd place a few bits on one suggestion myself..." Baseplate said.

"I'd take that bet," I said.

As the airships turned towards the island where the embassy and the station were, my attention turned to the rest of the squad.

"Thunderchild, where are the others?"

"They were all at the station or sent there, Sir, apart from Gag, he ought to be flying around with us somewhere. Should I radio them to check in?"

"Actually, can I borrow your chamfron and radio?" I decided.

It turned out that I had a bigger head than my Sergeant. And not just because of my horn.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): I'm saying nothing.)

"Misfit-Actual-Three, Misfit-Actual, come in, Lance-Corporal Apple."

Instead, I got Private Audience.
"Misfit-Actual, Misfit-Actual-Four. The Lance-Corporal isn't really available right now, he's not feeling too good. A medic wanted to check him out, over. "

It was starting.

"Alright, we'll be along shortly and take you back to the Embassy. Out."

It took a little while to get to the station, and we had to land about three hundred yards from it so there was space to fit the shuttle. LCPD carts and officers were now swarming the area, alongside a few Presidential Marshals, probably along to arrest the Hooviets. They let us past the cordon quickly enough, and we soon found our troopers.

"Alright, ride's here, fillies and colts!" Thunderchild said.

The Griffins, I noticed, seemed to simply brohoof each other... well, talon-slap, I guess. None of them seemed remotely fazed by anything, and barely took a glance at the bloodstains and little yellow LCPD cards with numbers lying around the place to denote evidence.

My troopers, however... A few of them took glances at the blood, and at a black Coroner's Cart taking the dead Dogs away. My men all stood up and followed us back to the ships, but most of them were silent the whole flight back. Not too good a sign.

We were the Equestrian Royal Guard. We weren't trained for this kind of violence. Not all of us, at least. Bitter Apple had it worst staring off a thousand yards away at nothing, for much of the trip. He barely even reacted to the way that Pegasi and Griffins kept flying in the door to speak with Grinch, who had been chucked onto our shuttle on account of his wing injury.

Seeing my soldiers affected this way made me angrier at Makarov than every insult and attack he'd heaped on me personally.

As we neared the Embassy, Breastplate's pilots of the shuttle radioed ahead to say we were coming. This was a mistake for the co-pilot, who had the headset on.

"OW! Er, sorry, Ma'am... Yes, we'll be landing in a few minutes."

"I think the Princess' Royal Canterlot Voice is on the radio again, Sir." Gag noted.

"Oh. Wait, where the heck did you come from?"

"Manechester, Sir. Thought you knew that, to be honest."

"No, I mean, when did you get on this airship?" I asked.

"When it landed at the station."

"Okay. Do you have any sort of joke, pun, gag, or anything that is an attempt at humor planned at all when we land?"

"Can't say I do have a plan, Sir, I'll probably just improv," Gag admitted.

"Good. Don't," I ordered.

His wings wilted. "Yes, Sir."

The Embassy's landing pad was only big enough for one shuttle at a time with ours first. Cadence was waiting nearby visible from the air looking worried yet also relieved. All three hoofmaidens, Sunset, Minuette and Twinkleshine, stood with her. They took their duty seriously. I noted however that Sunset seemed to be waving at a pegasus above rather than watching us land. Probably Private Ranger, given that he would have been brought back on duty with the incident earlier resolved.

Cadence was upon me in a flash. She hadn't even teleported, but my hooves barely hit the ground before I was getting a Royal Canterlot Hug.

"Ow! Er, hello, Princess..."

"Oh my goodness, Shining, are you all right?! Are you injured?"

"Uh, looks like he's got a few bruises, couple of fractured ribs, some lacerations..." Minuette said.

"What?! Doctor Watsun, is that true?"

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Watsun? Isn't he the one that helps that detective?)

I've no idea. Anyway, the new face looked me over.

"Yes, that seems to be correct. Do you have medical training, ma'am?" Watsun said to Minuette. Dr. Watsun before you ask was a unicorn with a surgeon's mirror cutie mark, not a griffin, cockatrice, or minotaur.

"Never mind that, he's injured!" Cadence interrupted. "Get him to the first aid room or whatever it is here!"

"We don't have one," Ambassador Greetings said.

"Princess, really, it's not that bad..." I tried to calm her down, but she was having none of it.

"Then take him to my room or something!" She fretted.

Running Gag chuckled, "Slow down there, Princes-"

*CLANG*

"OW! Sarge, what was that for?!"

I'm thankful her Alicorn ears hadn't heard that.

I also noticed that Sunset had given Twinkleshine a not-all-that-gentle kick for a probably similar comment as I was practically dragged off by the pony I was supposed to be protecting.

"Uh, Your Highness, I'm supposed to deliver a report..."

"Do it later, you're injured! Princess' orders!"

"...I'll take over for now, will I, Sir? And can I get my chamfron back?" Thunderchild shouted as I was pulled into the embassy.

I tried to pass it back telekinetically, but I must have missed.

*CLANG*

"Why is everypony hitting me with helmets tonight?!" Gag lamented.

Fortunately, Doctor Watsun managed to convince Cadence to wait outside, and also had me taken to my own room rather than hers. Sadly, Minuette's apparent knowledge of basic medical spells and first aid meant he enlisted her as a nurse. She'd rushed off to fetch my medical records and was back in record time.

"So, Doctor... Where did you come from?" I asked hoping I wasn't forgetting ponies.

"Captain, I'm meant to be asking the questions, but for your information, I'm attached to Captain Baseplate's unit. Now, Minuette, can you remove his armor so I can examine these injuries... "

He looked me over, and listed them all my injuries aloud for Minuette to write down, also noting the magic exhaustion. None were really that major. The worst was the ache from the cracked ribs, or so I'd thought until Minuette removed my armor and promptly jostled a more unwelcome bruise I'd been given.

"You sounded like a dog yelping there, Captain. What's that injury from?" Watsun wondered.

"Erm, I had a fight with Makarov, and his antlers kind of hit me... down there, during it."

Minuette sighed. "I'm not surprised, Cadence said Makarov was that sort of guy. Anyway, it looks like his antlers didn't damage anything TOO badly..."

"Erm... how do you know?"

"Because I'm looking," she said.

"...Could you not, please?!"

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Seriously? She just...)

Yes, she did, now can we please try to move on past that?

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): I don't get it, what was the problem?)

Oh, hay no, I am not trying to explain. Moving on!

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): But...)

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus & Unicorn & Shining Armor): MOVING ON!)

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Also, Captain, please don't write in our notebooks.)

(Interviewer's Notes (Shining Armor): :=( )

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn):Captain...)

Tch, fine, I'll get a nicer notebook from a Thestral and write Makarov's name in it, Ah, forget the notebook.

Minuette was amused at my reaction while Watsun confirmed that none of the injuries would be critical after a few quick spells. He let Minuette clean out my wounds while he made some notes, and checked my records. His ad-hoc nurse spoke up while dabbing a cotton bud of iodine or some other fairly nasty cleaning substance onto a cut.

"She was really worried about you, you know. She kept trying to get you on the radio again a few minutes after you spoke."

"I think we were in the tunnels by then..." I lamely said in reply.

"Okay, you've had a tetanus shot recently enough... No need for any other shots, so we shouldn't be too long. I'll let the Princess in while we work."

He opened the door, and she came in, not quite running. "How is he?" "How is he?"

"Well, Princess, it turns out Shining's been dead all along and that only a little colt that sees dead ponies can talk to him, which raises an awful lot of plot holes about the last few days," Minuette then said.

She received a few glares.

"...He's fine," Watsun then said.

"Okay. That's good... Shining, never do that to me again!" She said harshly.

"He might have to, ma'am, he IS your bodyguard," Watsun reminded her.

"But..."

"Princess, I'm fine, and I'll try my best to avoid getting into any more mini-wars with Hooviets mad-deer in the future. But I need to give you a report on what happened."

I told the story of the night. Cadence turned pale a few times, and so did Minuette. Watsun got on with his job, folding his ears a few times throughout my story.

I wish Minuette wasn't there, I'd leave out some details for her and the doc's sake but with Cadence in front of me I had promise to keep about letting my commanding officer, her, know the whole truth, minus one wolf.

When I talked about the horn powered robots, it was enough to make Minuette unconsciously touch her own horn as she shrank.

"...So, what do we do now?" Cadence asked.

I explained: "Protocol says that every trooper involved be placed off-duty for at least twenty-four hours starting now, and the officer involved is off duty too, with exceptions to conduct the first TIA... Er, that's Traumatic Incident Assessment. You'll also need to select a temporary replacement officer of lieutenant rank or higher who will also have to sit in with me during the interviews because I am one of the troopers involved, and due to having been involved in the shooting, Private Audience is subject to a Fatal Incident Inquiry that..."

"In Laypony's terms, Shining!" Cadence said, after quite a lot of confused frowning.

"Everypony who participated in 'Operation: Save-Me-From-Makarov' gets a day off so the head doctors can check whether their sanity's intact. This would include me, as well, except I've got to interview our Guards first thing in the morning. You'll need to bring another officer over from the ship to command the unit for the day because Baseplate and Price aren't officially here, and I think the same applies to Doctor Watsun even if he's not high-ranking..."

"Oh, I'm a Captain too, Captain. But you're quite right: officially, I'm 'not here.'" The doctor added.

"... And Audience is off-duty until the inquiry is conducted or he's granted probation by his Commander in Chief. That's you, Princess. Oh, and we need to report the shooting to the Ministry of Defense. His case is quite complicated..."

"Complicated? He killed somedog!" Minuette burst out, further complicating it for the moment.

"He shot a Diamond Dog that was trying to kill you, Shining!" Cadence said.

"Well, but... was that the only option he had?" Minuette asked, but then Watsun spoke up.

"Miss, while it will be looked into, there's something few civilians know about, regarding the Royal Guard. Most recruits are given regular training, focusing on nonlethal responses to violent events such as tonight's. As a last resort, though, we're all told we may have to kill. Moreover, accidents may occur, even when trying to non-lethally restrain somepony."

"Accidents?" Minuette repeated skeptically, as though sensing a euphemism.

"Yes, my dear. Actual accidents DO happen in the military. The term 'friendly fire' exists for a REASON."

"Hmm... you'd just said 'Most recruits are given regular training.' Was Audience given different training?"

"To an extent. There's a protocol codenamed Black Thistle, one of many different protocols for when a recruit displays potential for certain specialist skills. Like a recruit who may make a good field medic, or a good engineer, or in my case a defensive specialist. And based on their cutie marks, their history, or just their psychological assessments during training, some recruits are given more extensive training in performing life-ending acts, and coping with the psychological fallout."

"You mean...?!"

I felt like something horrible was about to happen.

"Please, Minuette!" I said. "We're Equestrians. Killing is never Plan A. But it is at the bottom of the list. It MUST be, especially in real battles. Sometimes there's no outcome that won't risk more lives unless killing is used. They're not programmed to kill first and without mercy or thought, they're not turned into robots."

"Most doctors actually undergo similar training, especially in the army. Patients can fail to recover, and doctors need to be able to continue," Watsun added.

The bad feeling got worse.

"But that's different..." Minuette tried to continue.

Watsun let out a sad sigh. "Guards and Doctors aim to save life where possible but sometimes you can't save them all. Let's imagine a scenario, Minuette. Imagine your airship has been shot down in battle and you crash-land in the middle of a forest, in enemy territory. Over half the ponies aboard suffered injuries. You came out okay, Minuette, and you have your medical training to help the injured with best you can. Plus, maybe a FEW fellow medics to assist. But no ambulances. No first-rate hospital to deliver your patients to: nothing beyond what you can salvage and cobble together from nature and the wreckage of your ship."

I listened intently to Dr. Watsun, curious as to whether this scenario was actually 'imagined.'

I could see some part of Cadence wanted to order Minuette to leave or tell the doctor to stop, but for what? Because she thought her adult friend couldn't handle the facts of life and death? Cadence was struggling, but she didn't come to a resolution fast enough.

"...You'd do what you could for the most seriously injured, I'm sure, but one pony can only help out so many other ponies in a day! And then there's the question of resource management: even assuming all your medical supplies survived the crash, there's only SO MUCH to go around! What of tomorrow's injuries? Tomorrow's infections and illnesses? The most severely injured patients could die even if you put EVERYTHING into healing them. For some poor souls, it might be a mercy to help them... slip... away... peacefully... especially if your other patients die because you were too fixated on saving the un-savable!"

Minuette looked like she had been stabbed in the heart, but her expression softened with empathy. The playful teasing hoof maiden was gone. I actually felt a bit scared with how her ear folded down and she looked at us with large eyes looking ready to cry, looking so small.

What she said next nearly killed Cadence. "Are you saying the Equestria I know is a lie?"

I swear Cadence's glow flickered at those words.

"No!" I almost shouted. I then implored with her. "Minuette! I know the idea of ponies killing is bad enough. Training them to not be HURT as badly by it, might seem nothing short of evil. But we are NOT monsters. We WILL be conducting an inquiry, as will the Columbians. But I'm fairly confident it will be ruled as justifiable homicide."

Cadence's hugged her hoof maiden, folding her wings around her, Minuette silently leaned her neck against the larger pony.

No one spoke up for a few minutes.

"Well, I'm done here, Princess. Captain Sparkle is back in top condition, apart from the magic exhaustion and the physical fatigue."

"Okay. Doctor, can you two leave the room? And try and have one of the Griffins that was involved sent up if they're still around." The good doctor did so. He seemed to hurry along a bit more as Cadence looked him in the eye.

She looked at the blue unicorn, and flicked a tear away with her wing, "Are you going to be okay Minuette?"

"I . . . Yes Your Majesty, Cadence, I'm... I'm going to go check on Twinkleshine and Sunset. I think they'll . . . like to know what . . . what happe-. . . how you two are."

"I promise I'm here if you need me Minuette." She really was Celestia's niece.

"Thank you, Cadence." The two nuzzled and the hoofmaiden left in a slightly drunken stupor. I part of me wanted to check on her later.

"I'm so sorry Minuette."

Basically, the next day after that, we'd find out what his point of view was at the time. He'd explain why he took the shot. Based on that, we would either absolve or charge him. If absolved, he'd be paroled and put back on duty under psychological observation for the next few weeks. If found to have breached his rules of engagement by us, the case would be submitted to the Ministry of Defense and he would be arrested.

Either way, the case would be looked at by the MoD to decide what happens next, from two angles. One, we'd have his testimony and the views of the officers he gave the testimony to: the recommendation to be absolved and have no more investigations or to advise that investigation is needed. Two, a third party, usually another officer or the Commanding Officer of the entire regiment, could obtain further evidence to submit alongside the interview statement and recommendation of the officer. This extra evidence could easily back up or contradict the report the trooper gave, but would not be used in determining the advice the interviewing officers gave with regards to the need for inquiry.

Usually, within a week they would have a decision. It was usually faster if we paroled the trooper as often the MoD would find that meant the case was legitimate, but there was a risk the MoD would find irregularities and seek further investigations. Likewise if we had charged him but the MoD disagreed with our call, it would lead to more investigation.

Possible outcomes: Absolved of blame and the act found to have been the only choice that seemed reasonable at the time. Investigated further to determine if a breach of conduct occurred. Or court-martial proceedings that could lead to imprisonment.

Even if the incident had been in Equestria it can be a nightmarish process. And the funny part, looking at how bewildering all that is?

Black Thistle protocols are intended to be able to let the trooper avoid the more stressful procedures on use of lethal force if they had to kill. Intended to simplify the process. Any other trooper? MoD investigation. Commanding Officers only file a report. They cannot issue parole, only the MoD can decide. If anyone else had made the kill, they'd be under arrest already and I'd be making a possible report of what I knew to the MoD. The trooper would not be interviewed by me... If a Guard kills, there's an investigation. And it could easily be a criminal one if the circumstances don't add up to absolve blame or justify the use of force. It's convoluted, it's complicated, and even though no guard has been convicted of an unlawful killing, it's seen only one trooper not retire after his investigation without a Black Thistle protocol to alter the rules a little.

True, only three investigations had been held in two hundred years, and only four times before Audience's shot that night had a guard been behind the death of a suspect. But it had ended two careers thanks to the trauma of the kill and the stress of all the court proceedings. That had led to Black Thistle being introduced, the hope being that the extra coping training along with the additional layer of legal protection would prevent the incidents causing such devastating consequences long-term for so many. Black Thistle had only ever resulted in one case of a kill before now in the hundred years the protocol had existed. It didn't even take a full day for the trooper to be absolved of blame without a trial or investigation.

As for the third investigation, the one that didn't end a career? It came pretty close, trust me.

And as much as I disliked killing as a concept, Audience was still my subordinate, and had done the job we'd asked of him. I knew even then I would be unlikely to seek to submit to the MoD. However, at the time I'd began to worry that maybe, I couldn't trust Cadence to understand, and her orders trumped mine. The way things went didn't help soothe that concern.

While we were alone, Cadence spoke up.

"You really had me worried, Shining," To my surprise, she looked to be a step away from crying.

"Sorry, but we had to do it. For all we knew, that Dog could have been after you."

"But he was after you! And you rushed right after him into a Hooviet ambush! I could have lost you!"

I was silent as she paused.

"Shining, I've got to be honest. I had this feeling something was after you specifically. This instinctive dread gnawing at the back of my mind about you. It grew so loud and shrill, I could barely keep myself from coming unglued. Like something wanted your blood. It wasn't any of our Guards, not Sunset, not Commander Shepard, not me. It wanted you."

I managed a weak sort of laugh, though I felt more like breaking out in a cold sweat.

"Well, that's... an impressive intuition you have, Cadence. Foreseeing Makarov like that. Incredible."

Cadence just let out a long breath. "A few minutes after we'd spoke, I tried calling you back. I kept ordering you to come back, and let the dog go. But you never replied."

"I might have been in the tunnels by then..." I said again.

"It took five minutes before somepony told me you'd gone underground, then nothing. I couldn't get anyone, so I'd tried to get the flotilla to get into radio range of you. They'd been flying around and overheard Thunderchild relaying he'd seen your flare, and then they went silent too. I couldn't help but think..."

"I'm all right though. I got through it."

"You never should have been there!" She almost shouted.

"Cadence, it's what I have to do. If I'd let that dog go, Makarov would've just tried something else again."

"Who's to say he STILL won't try something else again?"

"Uh, that would be us, ma'am."

Sandgriff had walked in the room. Frost was with him, along with another griffin. The latter wore a Lieutenant General's insignia on his black beret, and a rather impressive mustache. Sandrift and Frost were wearing sunglasses rather than masks and weapons.

"Good morning, Princess. I'm General Goldeagle Shepherd. I know you asked for Master Sergeant Fullwington, but I came along to discuss the situation. I hope you don't mind. I've also brought Sergeant Westrookery as he was on the scene with your officer."

"Oh, er, that's quite all right..." Cadence said, a little surprised.

The first thing that came to mind for me, oddly, was that I was thankful he was a general and a he, otherwise we could get mixed up with our Shepard.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): How many Shepherds are there?)

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Four thousand five hundred and seventy-six. Including a diamond dog pacifist movement leader and a Zebrafician Zebra anti-Hooviet freedom fighter.)

Erm, maybe we should all just refer to him as General Goldeneagle.

"Thank you, Your Highness. Now, you were concerned about Makarov. I wouldn't be. We have a mutual arrangement with him, and we've let him know that anything like a repeat of tonight is going to jeopardize that arrangement."

"I see. What is this arrangement?"

"A ceasefire, of sorts. You may not know about it but for the last ten years, the Hooviets have been putting many hooves in many pies. Ruffled a LOT of nations' feathers. Even a power-hungry sociopath like Makarov wouldn't want the Neighponese ANBU, Ponsian Immortals, and Columbian Metal Unit all uniting together to ruin him."

Cadence frowned. "Okay, so, let me get this straight. He's shown complete contempt for Princess Celestia, the sun-goddess who could quite literally bring down fire from the sky on him, and you somehow think your special forces scare him? No offense, General, but that just seems a little..."

"I'm sorry, Your Highness, but the truth is you and I both know Princess Celestia is NOT the type to declare war over one dead soldier. We, on the other hand, have made clear that if he keeps causing problems, we'll cause him BIGGER problems." The General cut in. "The least of which, and the only one I'm permitted to mention, is to have him labeled a Persona Non Grata, that is to say-"

"Persona Non Grata: meaning 'an unwelcome person.' Also a legal term used to refer to someone whom the state has decided must either be recalled to their home country or be stripped of diplomatic immunity." Cadence cut in, coldly. "I'm an ambassador."

"My mistake. My point is we could have him made one in more than just Columbia if he comes after the Captain again. With enough cookie jar pictures that they'd have no choice but to grin and bear it."

Cadence put on her poker face. "So, what happens now? He did start a battle in your city."

"We're going to ignore it. It gives us pretty good leverage. A lot of favors he'd owe us if we were to deny his little op. And since we have him by the painful parts, you needn't worry about him taking any more shots at Shining there. I came to let you know that basically, tonight never really happened."

"A cover-up," Cadence said, with barely-concealed disgust.

"Afraid so. People like us and Makarov move in the shadows, and sometimes it suits us all that no one shines a light in there. I'm sorry, but this is the best for everyone. Makarov's honor is soothed because at least he took his little potshot at Shining, (even if he failed.) It helps that, right now, Makarov's publicly appealing for those Hooviet expat hoodlums to quit rioting and calm down. He'll be a press darling by the morning. He'll quietly admit he overreacted to the insult in the Embassy. If Shining were to give a small apology himself..."

For a split moment I was reminded we were in a room with a goddess as she narrowed her eyes, a bright aura flaring around her body.

"Captain Sparkle will do no such thing. Tell Makarov apologies WERE made, both before AND DURING his attempts on Shining Armor's life." The way Cadence spoke made all of us shudder.

"We'll try to let him know that. Now, then, there's one other matter. One of your troopers killed a Diamond Dog in the tunnels?"

"Yes," I said simply as Cadence fumed a little.

"Actually, Captain, he didn't. Because the intruders escaped, and were later found dead having been caught up in gang violence in Broker, along with the others..."

"What others?" Cadence asked.

I'd assumed he'd meant the ones killed in the station. I was wrong.

"The other Diamond Dog they're dragging out of the burned remains of the taxi depot in Cisco Street. Our 'Police Dog' identified their scent from the same pack. They're known to the LCPD, hired goons for anyone with the gems to spare," the General told us.

"Someone hired the pack and planned to get rid of any of them not already at the train station..." I said, sickened. Cadence was shocked.

"That's Makarov's MO through and through. Hire something he can discard, then have plenty of backup plans," the General said flatly. "Looks like someone had a trap set for you no matter where you ended up, or just wanted them silenced."

"Of course, we'll never really know for sure who hired them. Legally speaking. After all, it can't have been Makarov," Sandgriff said. All the official papers say so.

"The two taxi ponies that were arrested this night are likely only still alive because they have no idea who hired them but a few diamond dogs who wanted a pick up at a prearranged time, then saw a Equestrian Guard chasing their pick-up and panicked."

That was two fewer creatures' deaths I had to work through. "So you wanted to speak to my soldiers about what didn't happen tonight?"

Cadence sighed. "Well, we might have to investigate Private Audience's actions. We have our own laws, even if yours are giving him a pass on it. I'm not sure if we can actually ask for you as witnesses though..."

"We can, sort of. You'd need to keep it separate and unknown to the officers interviewing him tomorrow, but you could have the extra testimony when you send it to the MoD. You merely send off what your officers say and what other information you know," I clarified. Or tried to. The important part was anything they said was supposed to not be known to the officers speaking to Audience.

"...Doesn't that mean you can't interview him, Shining?"

"Um... Yes, good point. I can be present though, and technically, I need to be, as his officer. But I'd just stand there, I'd not say anything to him or the officers. You'll probably need Air Naval officers to do it now."

"Okay. So, that means you can stay in the room while I hear what the Griffins have to say on Audience's actions?"

"Uh... Yes."

"Good. Sergeant... Frost, was it?"

"Uh, Westrookery, ma'am, Frost is sort of a callsign or nickname..." Frost said.

I suddenly had a headache. So many NAMES to remember, so many ranks, species, callsigns... and Liberty City was still the first stop on our goodwill tour.

"Okay, so... What did you see?"

"From where I was? Your guy had no choice. I know about stun spells and other less-than-lethal takedown methods, and I don't think he could've used them safely. The Diamond Dog posed a threat to all our lives. I don't see any other option on your guy's part, thanks to the layout of the area, and I know the Dog never felt a thing."

I tried not to sigh in exasperation. Audience would be asked if he felt the target posed a threat to life, if he could see any reasonable alternative at the time, and if he ensured that once he had felt lethal force was the only choice, that he made it as painless as possible. Frost had given a suspiciously specific yes/no/yes, in order. Exactly what would be needed to say Audience was justified in taking the shot.

"Thank you, Sergeant Frostrookery. I think that's all. General, is there anything further?"

"No, Your Highness. It was a pleasure to meet you. I only wish it could have been under better circumstances," the General replied.

"Likewise. Thank you, Gentlegriffs, and good morning."

"One last thing," I said. "I know its secret, but about the 'power source' of Makarov's death machines..."

"What?" Sandgriff asked.

"They're powered by unicorn horns! I saw them! That sicko promised to install my horn in one!"

"What?"

The Griffins were surprised let me tell you. After a minutes of convincing them I hadn't been seeing thing I barely believed, I gave them all the details I could.

"This is news to us. I haven't read in detail what's been found in the junkyard's wreckage yet . . . " The General said. "If . . . if we find any, remains I do my hardest to see they're treated respectfully and will have a proper investigation."

"Thank you," Cadence said.

They left. Cadence waited, then spoke to me.

"I hate having to go along with that. A cover-up when they tried to kill you, thinking Auntie wouldn't care if you'd been killed..."

"Cadence, can I clarify? Princess Celestia would care, but the General was right. She wouldn't go to war over me."

"But that's..."

"True," I said, regretting how that one word stunned her.

"Shining, that's absurd! You're Twilight's brother! You're my..."

I could have let her finish first, but she'd paused midsentence. And so I spoke.

"No matter what I am, I'm just one pony, Cadence. What's Equestria's population?"

"...Five hundred and three million six hundred and ninety seven thousand three hundred and ten."

I stared at her.

"What? I'm an Alicorn."

"Er, okay. But that's my point. I'm one amongst five hundred million. If I die, is it fair that we risk the lives of everyone else? I know I wouldn't want a war started to avenge me. No Guard would. If it were to come down to it I'd be an acceptable loss."

She was angry and upset as she spoke. "That's insane, Shining! Wars have been started over one person's death!"

"Never by Princess Celestia."

"You think you know my aunt better than I do?!" raged the goddess of harmony and music. "She loves all of us!"

I knelt and looked her in the eyes. "It's because she loves all of her ponies deeply. And I know you love everypony and every other Equestrian citizen just as much as she does. But Princess, I'm afraid you need to accept sooner or later we're only mortal. Fated to die, regardless. For Guards, it comes down to the fact that they devote their lives to protecting Equestria's people and her Princesses. Keep them safe or die trying. I'm no different."

"You... Shining, I don't want you to die for me! Or anypony else!"

She looked utterly horrified, and I regretted having even spoken. But being a moron, I kept going.

"...I'm sorry, but it's our jobs. We're Guards. It's what we are."

She looked about ready to burst into tears, and then to my surprise, laughed bitterly, instead.

"I don't believe this. You know why I was so worried about you? Really? Because, Shining, you're probably the only pony I know other than Twilight who likes me for who I am first, not what I am. Everypony else, it's the wings and the horn. I'm only loved, I'm only important, for what I am!"

"Cadence, that's ridiculous!"

"Is it? Minuette, Twinkleshine, Sunset. I'd never have met them if they hadn't been hired to work for me. They're my friends, but only because I'm a Princess. All the other Guards guard me because I'm a Princess. All the nobles, all the ambassadors and diplomats... they welcome me into their private circles, because I'm a Princess. And why am I a Princess? Because I'm an Alicorn!"

"That's not true!" I said, staring at her intently.

Cadence sighed. "I'll grant you that. Plenty of non-Alicorns have been Princesses... and Princes. But you know something? Not even Aunt Celestia would've ever bothered with me, if not for these little appendages."

"Your Aunt LOVES you!"

"And I love her back, don't get me wrong," Cadence replied. "But how differently would I've turned out, if I'd been, say, a unicorn? Even a highborn one? Would Auntie have gone through such great pains to safeguard me? Educate me? Iron out all the kinks in my personality? Trained me to be productive instead of idle? Made sure I never forgot the difference between right and wrong?"

She folded her wings sadly.

"Or would Princess Celestia have been content to leave Cadence the Unicorn to her own devices, and grow into a female cousin Blueblood?"

I had nothing to say. I could envision it all too clearly, in fact. Blueblood wasn't the only nephew or niece of Celestia who had lost touch with the real world.

"Somehow, because I'm also an Alicorn, that makes me more important than anypony else in Celestia's eyes... and thus, in the eyes of everyone else under her sun!"

It took a while before I could muster an answer. Though I spoke softly, I was surprised by the strength in my voice. "With all due respect, Cadence, I could not disagree more. There is much more to you than a horn and some wings. You're also a kind, loving, and compassionate soul. That was always in you from the beginning. Celestia just helped you refine those qualities. It was THAT which she's always treasured about you; your inherent goodness. That's what REALLY distinguishes you from the rest of your family."

We met each other's eyes. I went on.

"And, no: it wouldn't have mattered if you'd been born a unicorn. Even if you had, Celestia would've had no problems taking a cute, thoughtful, gifted, kindhearted unicorn filly like you under her wing... and into the warmest spot of her heart. If you don't believe that, Cadence, then there's a little sister of mine you ought to have a word with."

Her smile was such a beautiful thing.

"And that's what I adore about you, Shining. You're one of the few ponies I'm one-hundred-percent sure likes me for who I am. And then you turn around and call yourself an 'acceptable loss!'"

"Er, well... Cadence, it... It's just the way it is. I'm a Guard. But I might have to put my life on the line. It's what I am. And you're an Alicorn princess. And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, but Cadence, you have to accept what each of us are..."

She was silent for a moment. She actually looked a little sick.

"...I can try. I don't have to like it though. And Shining, I am never forgetting who you are when I deal with you. So deal with it. You're my friend. The son of two great ponies. The big brother-best friend of a brilliant filly. A loyal and dedicated servant of Equestria, and a selfless and generous pony. What you're not is expendable by any means. So, thank you. But don't you dare think of dying in my name."

"If it helps, I don't plan to."

"That helps a little, Shining..."

"Besides, the odds are pretty low I'd be killed on duty anyway. On average only eight Guards die a year, and that's in training accidents, firefighting incidents, animal attacks, or other incidents, in that order of rarity. And since being assassinated is other incidents, the rarest of the lot, the odds are extremely low. So don't worry! Heck, more farmers or construction workers die per year than Guards."

And once I had finished that little fact-dropping, she stared at me with a raised brow.

"Shining... I'm going to overlook the fact that you've apparently just been possessed by some statistician's specter... in order to point out that your math's completely faulty."

"Er..."

"You seem to be forgetting the probability of being assassinated is more based on probability of there being an assassin. Which is high, because as we've already established, Makarov is kind of a pinhead."

"That's a fair point. But Cadence, I was trying to stop you worrying."

"It didn't work," She said, deadpan.

"I know that. Now I'm worrying... no, I'm kidding, I'm actually joking about being worried. Trust me."

She frowned. "...You trained him, didn't you? You actually trained Running Gag. The entire time up in the clouds yesterday at the weather factory, he kept making terrible jokes about cloud related things, puns about weather. And that was just what I could overhear!"

"I never trained him! I think he was born that way. Besides, he's off-duty tomorrow now..."

"Or later today. Before I go back to bed, do you know what happens after you're done with those interviews tomorrow?"

"...I brainstorm ideas for that novel I've always been meaning to write?" I fakely grinned.

"Wrong. You're coming with me. No uniform, just a suit or something suitably neat and non-military."

"Um, Cadence, I don't have anything like that. I just have my uniforms and a Maresenal shirt."

"This season's home shirt?"

I nodded.

"Hm..."

She honestly seemed to be considering it. Now, I'd have been pleased to do it, but it would look a bit odd. Prim and proper ponies in dresses, tiaras, suits, ties, guards in shiny armor, and then at the back, a hoofball hooligan.

"...I'd never get away with wearing mine on a diplomatic duty so I'm not going to get away with you doing it. We need to get you a suit then."

"Wait, you actually have a shirt yourself?"

"Well, yes. Of course. I kind of prefer the away one this year though. I think it's my fault it's purple, actually, I mentioned it's one of my favorite colors to a director when I was at a match last year..."

"Oh, that's right, you'd be in the VIP box..." I mused.

"...Ah, well, I know I was being a bit whiny earlier about the whole 'everypony likes me for what I am' thing but, er, it... Ahahaha, it, uh..."

"Has some bonuses?" I offered.

"Yes. Well, no. Yes. Um..."

"Alright, so.... I did say you were kind, loving, and compassionate earlier, right? And now I'm reminded you've got great taste in sports teams..."

"And this has nothing to do with the VIP box at Emareates Stadium?"

"Nothing whatsoever, but would you marry me?"

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus & Unicorn & Earth Pony): WHAT?!)

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Impossible! You can't have...)

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): I thought when you got around to that it was much later and all romantic! Oh, you're laughing... You're joking?)

Oh, hay yes, I'm joking! That's not what I said at all after saying it had some bonuses! You should see the looks on your faces... Priceless!

...What? Why'd you all start looking at me like that? I'm just joking around... You're looking at me like I quoted Tirek or something. And now you look surprised I know who that is.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): ...Shining, I'm sorry, but the joke just wasn't that funny for us. So, what really happened?)

Oh, fine. Remember, it was 'some bonuses' was the last thing I really said.

"...Did I mention you've also got a great flank? In fact I've got like thirty pictures of it..."

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus & Unicorn & Earth Pony): SHINING!)

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): For the record, the Captain is now laughing profusely. We're starting to doubt his claims to have not trained Lance-Corporal Running Gag.)

Aw, spoilers, now they know he got promoted!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Serves you right. Now be serious!)

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Yeah!)

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Besides, a private can expect to be promoted to the rank of Lance-Corporal after two years service or earlier, assuming there is a vacancy in the grade and the private is deemed fit for promotion? It's not much of a stretch to assume he would rise up a rank over time.)

Okay, okay, fair point. What really happened was this.

"It's okay, Princess, I understand how you feel. But I think you were a little wrong to think Ponies love you just for what you are. It's not just me and Twilight, you know. I think most of them might be doing both, to be honest, but the fact is, Ponies do love you, and it's because who you are is a good pony. Besides, a lot of ponies that spout those 'Alicorn conspiracy' horseapples tend to not extend it to you and you get a pretty good rep even from that hack, Sunny Day..."

"Um... Yeah, you know what, we'll go with that. I'm pretty sure I'm not actually supposed to know anyway..." She muttered.

"Eh?"

"Nothing... Um, so... We need to get you a suit or something, Shining. Maybe a bow tie."

"What about a fez?"

"You'll never forgive me when you're fully awake."

"Aw."

"We can have you go around town dressed like your sister if you want."

"But she doesn't-oh! No thank you."

"Good. Now go to bed."

"I guess we'll sort it out in the morning. Or later... Uh... Good night, Princess?"

"Ah, yes. Good night."

She simply stood there.

"...This is my room?" I reminded her.

"What? I told them to take you to mine."

"Well, I could go there instead if you want to swap or something but I'm not sure I want to risk your hairbrushes." I dodged.

She then facehoofed and groaned.
"...Sorry, Shining, I don't know what's with me. I must be more tired and stressed than I thought."

"Sorry about that..."

"So you should be, you massive pain in the flank! Goodnight, and remember we need to get you a suit tomorrow." She said with a smile.

"Okay, get me a fez, got it..."

"No fez!" She gave as a parting shot on the way out. "And I order you to never use that joke again!"

"Aw..."

I then fell asleep.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Uh, you got into bed first, right?)

It was hard but not impossible.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Okay, just checking you didn't fall over or something.)

And that ended that night.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Sleep tight!)

Episode 93: (Dark World) Love Hate Bedlam

Pony POV Series
Dark World Part 19 1/2
Love Hate Bedlam

"Fair ye well, oh Valeyard, you were a charming, witty, clever, fun-to-be-around type who was a blast at parties and really knew how to destroy ponies with their own flaws! You will be missed." Discord put a paw over his black hole of a heart, speaking to a tiny picture of the Valeyard with a black ribbon. Discord wiped away a nonexistent tear.

"Good riddance to bad rubbish!" Angry Pie said, meaning every word.

"I didn't like his attitude, but at least he knew how to have fun," Fluttercruel said.

"Had the biggest passions I've ever encountered," Rancor said, with a straight face. "It was a real shame he had to go, but for the greater cause, sacrifices must be made."

Discord's two living purple plastic music box ponies mimed weeping tears since they didn't have tear ducts. The dirt maids also politely, one of them playing a funeral dirge on a kazoo.

"Well he's not getting any deader." Discord flicked the picture over. He turned around happily clasping his hands, "Well, Traitor Dash failed me, again. And that stupid Time Lord has gotten his Doctorate back for good.. And Tragedy and her minions are being unfashionably late to the party I've invited them to! Such rudeness. So everyequus ready for round three?"

"So who fights next?" Rancor asked casually.

Discord grinned. "All three of you."

The three looked at him, surprised.

Discord looked thoughtful. "Hmm, six against four, odds are too even for my tastes. Fluttercruel, call upon.... THE CATERING SERVICE!"

Fluttercruel produced a remote control and pressed a button, causing a wall to raise up dramatically, revealing...pony skeletons in intimidating bad-flank outfits sitting around a suitably ominous table labeled 'Daemones Ex Machina: League of Auxiliary Minions.'

Discord tapped his chin. "Huh, I could've sworn I made them all agelessly immortal."

Fluttercruel face hoofed. "Bloodthirsty psychotic ponies still need AIR, Master!"

"I'd recommend reanimating the corpses... then again, there's that ONE foal in their ranks who has a way with logic..." Rancor noted.

"Meh, they were all B-Listers anyway." Discord rubbed the back of his head. "I suppose that's why I can never keep my goldfish alive..."

"This is why I never let any of my foals join that stupid club!" Angry Pie said.

Discord's eyes focused on Angry Pie, "Let's have a chat just between us, my pretty." The two vanished.

"Hey! What about me?!" Fluttercruel shouted. She pouted, "I honestly don't know what he sees in her."

Rancor said, "As your auntie Pandora would say: to embrace the intangible, to look into the eyes of the blind."

"What?"

"He's a fire trying to hug kindling."

"Enough with the metaphors!"

"You'll get it when you're more mature."

"You don't know me!"

" . . . then talk to me."

"Huh?"

"Tell me about yourself, niece. I read up on Dissey. But I didn't read up on you. Tell me your life from your point of view."

"What?"

"Is it so weird that I want to know about you?"

"No it's just . . . no one ever cared to listen before." Uncertainly crossed the gray pegasus' face, feeling like a fish out of water.

Rancor patted her on the shoulder. "First time for everything, and we have time to kill before the killing starts."

"All . . . All right then. . . . The first thing I ever heard was, 'Time to be cruel.'"

++++

We teleported from the throne room right into-

"My room!" I got ready to rip his throat out! "No one has a right to be in here but-"

Discord flicked me into a wall, leaving a big circular crack. And no, I did NOT leave a stupid outline like in a stupid cartoon!

"This is my room! You have no right to-" A metal plate riveted itself over my mouth.

"Technically I own the world and everypony in it, so technically, I have the right to be anywhere I please my dear."

He leaned against my exercise equipment that Liarjack had helped me move in. Jerk, acting like he owned the place. He picked up something from my dresser.

My vision turned red as he recklessly played with it. "My-my-my, this little crystal music box, it belonged to your what? Third apprentice? Fourth?"

I tore the metal plate off and leapt at him with my good rear leg, "Get your filthy fingers off that you ugly-" He slammed me down with his tail, dark matter blocks landed on each of my hooves, crushing them and the floor underneath. I growled trying to pull my limbs off to get free. I'd rip them off if I had to!

He put Bomb Pie's music box back on my dresser. He looked around like my room was his personal art gallery. "I must admit I'm surprised how spartan it is in here. I was expecting walls of weapons, trophies, and is that A BED? You know you don't really need to sleep. Dreaming of your children you had to watch grow old and die? Gray walls, gray bed. How droll. But my-my-my, all these toys gathering dust. This rubber chicken for instance, it belonged to Pumpkin Cake, if I'm not mistaken."

That was it. I rammed into him like a pink comet, the dark matter blocks flying as I roared, my head rammed into his gut, making him stagger back a step.

Jackass just smiled, how dare he! "You and my Cruelty have always been my favorites."

"You don't have favorites."

"I beg to differ! You and I have a past, my dear Angry Pie, it's only because of me you exist."

"Like I care!"

"I think you'll care about this." Discord snapped his fingers.

I startled in confusion. I felt the bones in my rear leg rearranging themselves, fitting back into place, growing the way they were meant to, tendons reconnecting, nerves growing. For the first time in over five hundred years. I had four functional legs again.

Discord leaned in close, grinning at me.

I flipped kicked him in the face with my repaired leg.

"Not bad, my dear, but you kicked me in the wrong spot, I'm already missing my tooth on that side."

"I'll be sure to make them match next time!"

Discord sighed. "You wouldn't be the first." He snapped his fingers.

I couldn't stop myself from gasping when I found where we teleported next. I couldn't stop myself from shuddering. Tears slowly formed in my eyes as I took in the faint scent of old flowers and bones.

I slowly looked around. There was a skylight which I stood right underneath. I didn't want them to be alone in the dark when I built it.

The walls were lined with shining marble blocks. I polished them myself whenever I was in here. Each stone was engraved with a cutie mark. Each had a small mantel-shelf which a few centuries old flower lay in. Their names, the date they became my foal, and when they left me alone again, were all engraved too.

The only laughter I could trust that wasn't directed at me. The only smiles I knew weren't hiding a sadistic lie. The only thing worthwhile in this selfish world that no one took seriously except when they were forced to. These victims of this selfish mocking laughing world who I could share, just for a tiny while, and make the mocking laughs just for a little while stop.

I could tell you each of their names, the color of their eyes, their favorite color, their favorite cake, the different warmth their smiles each gave me.

The mausoleum and skylight was made in a circle, my Element of Rage, engraved on the floor. What was supposed to be the only way in still locked. There used to be statues for each of the pony races with some weird cutie marks along the walls when I first found this room smashing down a random wall. Apparently Princess Celestia had used it. Celestia. How many times had she pranked or laughed at her own subjects? Toyed with them like they were . . . toys! All to make her laugh at them!

I hope she's conscious as a statue, I bet she doesn't think it's a laughing matter now!

"Look at'em go, Mom!"

"I told you I'd be strong as you someday, Ma."

"Those white bugs won't be laughing at anyone again, Mother!"

"It's okay, Fuse Box, you can cry if you want."

"Auntie Angry don't!"
"WHAT?!"
"Please! Don't . . . don't hurt her . . she's . . . she's my grandmother."
" . . . . . . FINE!"

"Don't be dumb, Powder Cake, I'd never hurt you."

"Bomb Pie, don't worry! Mommy's here! You're-You're just taking a little nap! Mommy will be here you, when you-wake up-you, don't need to worry!"

"A heart so full of brimming anger, boiling at anything she lays her eyes upon . . . but tell me my little pony, have you ever hated yourself?" His dirty claw was on my shoulder. I bit it.

"If you so much as TOUCH THEM, I swear to everything I HATE that I'LL KILL YOU!" I snarled at the monster looking him in the eyes.

Discord waved his pulsing claw, he looked angry at me. Good! I hate that sick selfish smirk!

Discord breathed in deep. "I asked, have you ever hated yourself? For having to watch them all die while you went on?"

"I HATE YOU for that!"

"Is that so? You know I'm the one who woke you up to the dark side of laughter, of no pony ever taking you seriously."

"What do you expect? Gratitude?! Forget it! Do you think I like you for that?! I'm only angry that it took YOU for me to wake up! And that I can't make you stop laughing, you pig!"

"Why do you stay here then? You don't need little old me to punish the world, do you? You've got your Element of Chaos and four good legs, you could keep punishing the world yourself, why not just leave and let the Elements of Harmony wipe this smile off my face if you hate me so much?"

"Because THEY'RE here," I look at my foals tombs, "And I won't let you toy with the only ponies who don't deserve it!"

Sometimes I remember past the fog, past the beginning. All I do remember is that I hate it. I hate it each letter in the word 'hate' make up of smaller words 'hate' hate it! Being here, I reach further through the fog than ever before.

Parties. Birthdays. Parties. Smiles. Parties. Rocks. Parties. Song. Parties. LAUGHTER!!!! The big fat lie!

There are ponies out there still laughing at me, still not taking me seriously, still treating everything like it's just their toy. My anger boils at the thought.

"What if it could be different?"

"WHAT?!"

"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye, Anger. I swear to Havoc, Emperor Of Phobias, Home For Infinite Losers. I'll resurrect to full health and youth, and curse with immortality, all of your students upon the elimination of the rogue Elements Of Chaos. I'll even give them their own private protected bubble community, yours, all yours. As an added bonus, I can make it like Sky Ocean; so the outside world is nothing more than a legend. Just you and your students."

I charged at the Pegasus, at the last moment he held out a little earth pony foal, tears trickling from her eyes. I stopped, feeling calmer than I had been in decades and spoke to her. "... Did someone laugh at you?"

She nodded unhappily.

"Do you want to come with me?"

She nodded more enthusiastically. I hugged her.

"Okay! But first, sit and watch Auntie Pie trample the hay out of this nasty stallion who tried to bribe me with you, okay?"

She clapped her little hooves and laughed while I beat the tar out of the Pegasus.

I looked at each one, all their names calling to me. I gently placed my
front hooves against Pound and Pumpkin's cutie marks.

"After Twilight and the rest are all dead and you've kept your word I'm coming for you next," I rumbled looking over my shoulder.

He smiled at that, he SMILED at that! A invisible wall came between us that I smashed into.

Discord made a toast with a gray stone chalice overfilled with chocolate milk. The base resembled a griffon's clay, with the cup was carved to look like four pony skulls facing outwards in different directions. One looking enraged, one filled with sorrow, the third soulless indifferent, and the last one consumed with madness. Discord DRANK THE MILK from the cup! Not the cup from the milk!

"I look forward to it my dear, it has been eight billion years since I danced with somepony whose beauty was only surpassed by mine."

With a snap of Discord 's fingers, I was teleported away.

++++++++

And when it's just you, me, and my little princess, we shall have our happily chaotic ever after at last. One handy-dandy finger snap, and it's 'bye-bye, giant chip on your shoulder!' and 'welcome back, laughter!' ...And my biggest, WARMEST welcome to my brand-spanking-new unbridled, red-hot, accept-no-substitues queen-of-insanity! Oh, Pinkie Pie, I knew there was a reason I spared you during the Lost Third Age!"

+++++++++

"And I've been doing my hardest to be everything I was born to be ever since." Fluttercruel finished.

Rancor patted her on the head. "You have such fervor in your brutality, girl. I like you."

Fluttercruel looked at her in shock. "You-you do?"

"You didn't think I was one of the 'goodie two-shoes' did you? I'm Violence incarnate."

"No it's just . . . even Master thinks I need to learn some new tricks."

"I'm not saying he's wrong, girl. But you don't need to give up the core of who you are to do that."

"I-I know, Dad has said that before but-"

Rancor smiled, "But you felt he was encroaching on your individuality and that he was trying to force you to be what he wanted you to be. Trust me. I went through the same thing with my Dad. But you gotta realize he only wants what's best for you, and no matter what he says or what he does, he's only doing it because he cares about you. Not that he'd admit it, but he likes to hide a lot of his emotions from even himself, trust me, its my job to know."

"I . . . I guess I already knew that but-but-"

"You didn't want to give ground by admitting you were wrong, you really are like him."

Fluttercruel eyes narrowed. "Don't push it."

"Heh, okay, that's never the right thing to say, but seriously, you two complete each other. What if something happened to him?"

"That's never going to happen because no one can defeat Master, and even they could, I wouldn't let it happen, I'd protect him to the end."

"So you do care about him."

"Always."

Discord and Angry Pie had each entered the room, the former trailing slightly behind the latter.

"Look whose back!" Rancor grinned.

Angry Pie trotted away from Discord, she didn't look at the others.

"Good luck kiddo," Rancor kissed Cruelty on the forehead.

"Hey-hey-hey." Rancor floated next to Anger.

Angry Pie didn't respond.

"It's alright, I can actually hear your heart. You and Cruelty are actually alike like that."

Rancor caught the hoof.

"HEY!" Fluttercruel gasped, "How-her leg!"

"I fixed it."

"Why?"

"Felt like it."

"Now don't be like that, cutie. No, I am taking you seriously. Seriously girl, ponies take you LESS seriously when you're like that! No, I'm not joking! Sheesh you have issues. But honestly, you spread violence, so does Cruelty, and you're both so PASSIONATE about it, and both of you are more than willing to commit revenge. Which all happen to be things I embody! So of course I think you BOTH are fun to be around! You just need to open up some. WOAH! Almost caught me off guard with that one. Angry Pie, here's some free advice, you need FOCUS for all that anger. Aimless anger doesn't go anywhere, it just floats and that's just wasteful."

'Daddy Discord' jingled on Discord's pager. "All right everyone! SHOW TIME!"

"Aren't you joining us?" Rancor asked.

"Hey! We're protecting Master! He's not protecting us!" Fluttercruel declared. She waited for Angry Pie to mutter 'Coward,' or something to that effect, but no noise came. Eh? Fluttercruel looked at the Earth Pony confused.

'And he's not stealing my foals from me...not again!'

Discord spoke to Fluttercruel. "Cruelty... be careful."

"Don't you dare fail me Fluttercruel."
"Don't disappointment me Fluttercruel."
"Give them Pony Hell Cruel!"
"Goodluck Cruel."
"Do your best Cruelty."

Cruelty startled, and nearly fell over, Rancor caught her. 'What . . . what was that?' She shook her head. Didn't matter. She had traitors to crush and threats to Master to turn into red paint. "I don't need to be Master." She smirked at him.

She startled at the look on his face. Not angry or annoyed at an order not being followed but, sad? Cruelty shook her head again, she'd show Master he had NOTHING to worry about. She was the only one he needed to be happy.

Cruelty's ear flickered to Angry Pie . . . what was the mad pony muttering to herself now?

"Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake, Fuse Box, Bomb Pie, Powder Cake, Grenade Pie, Short Fuse, Little Hex, Hatchet and Latchet, Spring Dew, Morning Light, Stormy Night, Apple Sauce . . ."

And for the first time in her life, Fluttercruel was for a split moment scared of her. Those insane eyes. They were so, focused. Like when she had one of her nasty little apprentices.

Rancor meanwhile felt it, the gray murder pony's passion, her raw power, climbing like storm factors. Heat actually began to build up around the pony. Rancor approved.

+++

"So the Memory Spell didn't work," Applejack said.

"On the Valeyard, it didn't." Twilight replied. "But it was intended for the Doctor, not the Valeyard. But it should have healed the Doctor's persona for when he regenerates."

"It probably ought to say something that the Valeyard hasn't reappeared for Round Two, when, as a time traveller, he could literally ambush us at any time." Rarity observed. "Including five minutes ago. Or indeed, five CENTURIES ago."

"Yeah, so either the Doctor's back in business... or that cat's finally ran clean out of spare lives." Spike scowled.

"Let's try to keep a positive outlook, shall we? Morbidness doesn't suit you, Spike." Rarity said, frowning at the darkening expression on the dragon's face. "Is there something wrong?"

"Oh, nothing at all. Except that it's been It's been a thousand years since I first met you, Rarity, and I'm proving just as useless in battle as when I was a BABY."

"Spike, you're being absurd," said Rarity.

"Ya've been plenty of help in battle and out!" Added Applejack.

"A giant dragon thinks he can't help, that's-" Derpy gave Apple Pie a look. "-Not funny."

"You have been PLENTY of help!" Rarity insisted.

"Don't be so sore simply because a creep who prepares for everything came PREPARED to swiftly kill a dragon who could bite him in two!" Twilight scolded Spike like a mother.

"You are a force of nature, Spike, dear." Rarity said.

"So I'm just dumb muscle?"

"Don't you ever say you're dumb again!" Derpy flew up to him eye to eye. "I know what it's like for everypony to think you're retarded, to think you're 'special ed.' I got put into those classes and missed out on learning things I SHOULD HAVE learned! No pony's ever thought you were dumb! Me, Rarity, Applejeack, we all know you're clever."

"So far all I've done is take orders. How much 'cleverness' does THAT take?" At this point, Spike's voice started to choke up a little. "And... and if I'm so smart... that Dragonsbane dart of the Valeyard's... how come I didn't see that coming?!"

Twilight facehoofed. "None of us saw that coming Spike! Discord prefers to toy with his victims, not kill them. We had a thousand years of experience working against us!"

"And if it happens again? If Fluttercruel decides to take that page out of the Valeyard's playbook? Is there a way to protect myself?"

"See? You thought ahead to if a repeat happened! THAT'S smart!"

Spike lowered his head, uncertainty in his eyes.

Rarity said in solemn tone, "You think yourself uncreative, Spike? You think you're dim-witted? Tom, I imagine, would gravely disagree with you on that score."

A part of Rarity was genuinely angry with Spike. And with that for Spike came shame. "I'm sorry Rarity. I apologize. I really was being a complete jerk just now."

"Not a complete one, dear. You just need to stop selling yourself short."

"Any yah helped with the turrets! Yah were tearin' through 'em like Dracozilla!"

"They still have Dracozilla in this day and age?"

"Dracozilla will never die!"

Spike couldn't help but laugh a bit. Rarity gave his neck a caring nuzzle.

(Twilight, please, you can't afford to cater to Spike's self-worth issues, right now. Save it for after Discord's slain.)

'I can't afford NOT TO. Discord's too good at destroying others with their personal demons. It's one of his all-time favorite weapons.'

(Then you should quit, walk away, and find Element embodiments who don't whine and angst every five minutes.)

'Are you suggesting I mail-order replacement friends? Even if I could do such a thing... EVERYONE has their share of psychological baggage. And the more impurities we hammer out now, the stronger our bond will be forged when we face Discord.'

(You should remember that being able to stand on your own four hooves is not a sin.)

'You sound like the Valeyard.'

(Just because an enemy is an enemy, does that mean he has NO good ideas? All his opinions, knowledge, life experience... they automatically amount to garbage? Such an outlook strikes me as the epitome of vanity. And I think Traitor Dash would agree with me on that.)

And Twilight went cold as Dash's voice floated back into her memory: "Doesn't anyone... anyone at all... think my words... are worth... worth listening... to...? Just once?"

(If you can't stand on your own, how do you ever expect to support your friends?)

Twilight had no logical retort to that.

"Everypony. On Spike. If we're lucky we can force our way in from one of the upper floors. I'd teleport us there, but I'm not wasting a drop of mana. We're going to need every last bit of our strength we can."

"Wait one second!" Rarity interrupted. "Much as I hate to disrupt such an exciting moment... might I propose an alternative to storming the castle?"

Twilight cocked her head quizzically.

"Consider this: when we took out the Valeyard, we deprived Discord of his most effective tracker, (save for Discord, himself.) The six of us could elude the likes of Fluttercruel and Angry Pie... or fight them, if need be."

(There's very little 'if' about it.)

"Regardless, Discord wants for us to come to him, to the castle."

Their eyes all flicked to the red carpet.

"The way I see it: why play into his hands? Again? The castle is LOADED with deathtraps. Minions. Portals to bad places. We could just NOT go there. Wait him out. Inevitably, Discord will grow bored, all cooped up in that castle of his. Maybe he'll come to us... and we fight then! Or maybe he'll go somewhere else... to 'play.' And we just find out where... and ambush him!"

"That's...practical! And logical." Twilight said, with an thoughtful nod. "But Discord will see right through it. What's to stop him from "playing" on one continent on Monday, then warping over to a different continent on Tuesday? How do we even keep tabs on his movements? Anticipate where he'll strike next? No matter how hard Spike flies or I teleport, we could very well be chasing Discord all around the world, until poor Apple Pie here, dies of old age! So I'm sorry, Rarity, but our safest bet is to stop this, here and now, even if it means braving the castle."

Rarity sighed. "How I wish I could say you were wrong."

++++

Don't ask us how our flight took us over Ponyville. It was Discord's 'Capital Of Chaos' there was little in the way of 'logical' about it. Yes it was painful. Last time we were there, we were Discord's little minions. And Apple Pie had seen three or more of more her friends die.

It was also where I heard Apple Pie laugh for the first time, and Discord had spared her solely for that laugh. And my curiosity for the 'why' of her laugh had brought about all this.

++++

Puella. Caster. Magica. Ah promise, Ah'm gonna help save the world. Just ya watch.

++++

Last time I was here, I saw a town full of diamonds, and wanting them all, discarding everything ELSE that had value that went beyond mere things. Is that where my dress shop was? It's been so long. I'm sorry Old Rarity, I think even after everything is over I won't be able to go back to making dresses, I'm sorry. But maybe, maybe my talents can help me be an artist of a different kind. For now, I desire this nightmare to end, for my friends to be together again.

++++

This is Ponyville? Where's our house? Where's the post office? Where's SugarCube Corner? A thousand years. All that time I spent going around the castle. I didn't think how much Ponyville would have changed. I knew everypony else was gone. Carrot Top. Everypony. But . . . muffins, mommy promises, if our old home isn't here anymore than we'll make a new one.

++++

Me and RD, we sure did our hardest to spare as many ponies as we could here didn't we? If ya really thought their lives weren't worth livin', ya wouldn't have tried so hard to save'em. And here Ah am. The invisible Saint Applejack. Let's hope this saint can pull off a miracle. Father of All Alicorns, if yah are listenin', please help us. We're gonna need every bit of help we can get.

++++

Spike didn't care much for Ponyville itself, everything that mattered about Ponyville to him was riding on his back right now.

"Hey gals, check out down below, that's new."

Twilight turned around. After what had happened with the Dragonsbane dart, she'd been spending the flight injecting Apple Pie, Derpy, and Spike with a number of antitoxins and anti-venoms, just to be on the safe side.

"What is it, Spike?"

"Look down, I swear we've left crazy town and gone just plain weirds-ville!"

The others looked too, Applejack let out the first gasp.

"What in tarnation?"

"Why do all the ponies look so strange?" Apple Pie asked.

Over half the ponies, virgacorns, hippogriffs, and others, instead of being gray or having grayed out colors, were colored in painfully bright tones, grinning brightly and their eyes outright sparkling.

The few changelings about looked gorged or drunk on the feast of positive emotions.

But that wasn't the capper. A pony with a racing cutie mark had an entire car, track, and lights and bleaches covering his entire flanks and legs. A pony with a painting cutie mark had an entire art museum on the rear half of her body. The images of the cutie marks weren't simply 'zoomed' to take up more space, but looked like an artist had taken the simple straight forward design and had expanded them into ornamentations of several dozen cutie marks' worth.

A grayed-out mare whose cutie mark was a puzzle cube, was looking at the ground, one of endless number of ponies who had lost the will to live. She bumped into one of the grinning bright colors ponies, and their eyes met.

Her eyes began to swirl a familiar pattern, and her colors went from gray, to bright enough to hurt Apple Pie's eyes. The mare grinned as her cutie mark became an entire puzzle pattern that covered half her body. She giggled as she obsessively and compulsively began drawing puzzle designs into the patterned dirt and began taking apart and putting things back together giggling happily the whole time.

"Was bound to happen some day." Spike said, "Discord ran out of ways to make ponies miserable so he's seeing what it's like to make them insanely happy instead."

Rarity picked up on the tiny detail, "Their eyes, they're all spinning the REVERSE of how ponies under Discord's geasses normally do."

"At least they're not hurtin' themselves or each other," AJ said.

"If those strange colors spread by lookin' at each other . . . this'll spread to our family when they go to market next?" Apple Pie asked.

"Not if we beat Discord before then," Twilight stated, with more conviction than she felt.

"I hate to look a gift-horse in the mouth, but why aren't we going insane by looking at them?" Rarity asked.

"Inside Elements of Harmony?" Derpy asked.

"Works for me."

"The bright colors are weird lookin', but Ah wouldn't mind havin' a super cutie mark like that." Apple Pie said.

"It doesn't look that bad," Derpy agreed.

"Do we stop ta help'em?" AJ asked.

"They're not hurting each other for now. So let's focus on our real goal." Rarity said.

(Yes. Let's.)

"Agreed." Twilight said.

++++++

My name is Twilight The Unicorn, and we're now flying towards Discord's palace of chaos. He didn't just remake Canterlot Castle and Canterlot City, he made his castle out of the entire mountain! Not that you could tell that this had ever BEEN a mountain.

The fortress was deceptively logical, that's to say it looked like it could actually exist, not that the design plan followed any rhyme or reason for more than one or two sections. Discord's choice in colors for his fortress were like everything else about him: one part garish, ugly, over the top, and one part dark, depressing, and gray. I never said it made sense. I can see Applejack's castle garden from here. It may be chaotic, but it one of the few actually beautiful things in this horrid place, I hope it stays.

+++++++

"Spike, stop! Everyone! Prepare for formation!"

"Eh?" Spike raised an eyebrow as he slowed his approach.

"We should be close enough now. We're going to hit that house of horrors with the Elements here and now!"

"What?!" Everyone said.

"That castle rearranges itself on Discord's whims and its own. I am NOT letting us get separated again by another hedge maze! So we're going to hit hard and take one of Discord's biggest advantages out of the fight! If we're lucky it'll restore Princess Celestia too and cure Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy and petrify Discord! I'm done playing by his 'rules.'"

"Uh," Derpy meekly protested, "Won't that kinda show 'em that we have 'em? The Elements, I mean?"

"Discord's not stupid. There's six of us. Dash and the Valeyard identified most of us... and you can trust Discord's been monitoring our fights. He'll know I wouldn't have come back unless I had a way to beat him. The jig is up."

"Alright," Derpy sighed.

"To the end, Twilight," Spike simply said.

"Ah trust ya, Half-Light."

"If it can save everypony without a fight, count me in," AJ added.

"You better know what you're doing, Twilight," Rarity said lowly.

(I fully approve. The look on Discord's face would be lovely.)

The six ponies tapped into their inner selves, thinking about what their own personal truths meant to me, and what they all meant to Twilight.

The symbols of Harmony appeared on the heroes, and the rainbow of light formed from them, and the love and tolerance death-ray came crashing down.

The castle stones gave a giant groan: a muffled panicked scream. The castle grew legs and hustled out of the way of the beam of harmony, leaving a 'scorch mark' of normal brown dirt in its place, amidst the surrounding checkerboard pattern.

"NOW THAT'S NOT FAIR!" Derpy shouted first.

"Oh no you don't! Fire two!"

The castle skidded backwards, trembling in fear.

+++++

"WHAAA!" Cruelty fell on her face.

"My good china!" Discord cried out.

"This may look funny, but it's not," Anger grumble upside down on her head.

"Anyone catch the number of that bus?" Rancor shook her pounding head from the stone block that fell on her.

+++++

Discord floated up, "Seriously this castle needs to learn to dodge much more gracefully, I think I overpaid for this dump."

His collection of record players, turntables, and 8-tracks fell over and buried him. He excavated himself. "Where were we? Screwball! Mad Tiara! Uncle needs you!"

"Who, Master?" Cruelty looked confused.

"Don't be rude, Cruelty! You know Screwball and Mad Tiara, your... oh right I guess you wouldn't."

"Master, are you feeling alright?"

"Of... Of course I am."

++++

"Let me guess, you helped design that too?" Spike asked.

"Nope," Twilight answered.

Rarity said quickly, "Twilight, we can't keep firing the Rainbow Of Light all day! It's a serious drain on our magic reserves!"

"It's scared," Applejack whispered. "The Castle's scared.

"You're joking," Twilight and Spike said together.

"No Ah'm not. It . . . " Applejack remembered little fairy ponies. "It doesn't want to die."

"It's a castle! It's made out of stones and bricks! How can it be afraid to die when it's not even-" Rarity glared darkly at Twilight, followed by Derpy. "-never mind."

"Twi, spell me with that Royal Shout Magic," Applejack said.

"'Royal Canterlot Voice.'"

"Whatever just enchant me!"

Twilight did so.

"Howdy! Chaos Castle! Ahem."

"She isn't really," Twilight whispered.

"She is," Rarity answered.

"Greetings and how do you do, good Chaos Castle. It is nice to see you again. How thoughtful that you have kept my lovely garden safe for me." Abigail Jacqueline said in tones as polite and formal as when she let herself go alone with Rarigreed. "I am terribly sorry we have returned under these dreadful circumstances, darling. Your decor is as spontaneous and expressive as ever. But we seem to be at an impasse, I presume you do not wish to continue to keep ducking and dodging, and we do not wish to keep firing rainbows at you. I do deeply apologize for all our inconsiderate, uncalled-for behavior. Twilight, in particular, showed no consideration for your feelings on the matter and I apologize for her."

"Apologize for me? Ow!" Applejack kicked her.

"I hope we are able to move on. I am certain you are an upright, intelligent, reasonable, and rational castle who makes good decisions. But darling, I fear we must share some very harsh words with your Master. Now I am certain you have a vested interest in these affairs, but you should realize your Master cares not a whit for you. He would just as likely blow you up if he found another place to live. If you would but let us through, and not take sides, act as a neutral noncombatant, we promise to hold no grudge against you. And should we prove victorious in our endeavor, we'll have the maids switch duties from dirtying you to cleaning you instead. And you shall have two new owners who genuinely care about all life, including yours.

Now doesn't that sound positively smashing? If this arrangement is to your liking and agreement, please Pinkamena Swear on it darling."

Two of the castle towers (one containing Cruelty's collection of kicked puppies and the other one million pounds of Hearth Wearming's Eve fruitcake from Ponythulu), then mimed the Pinkie Promise, using one of the windows as the 'eye.'

Abigail turned back to Twilight and said, "There darling that should, erm- that oughta do it partner!"

Twilight brought her hooves to her ringing ears.

"Oops!"

"Let me ... just fix that," Twilight removed the enchantment.

Apple Pie stared at Applejack her eyes huge. "Saint Abigail... Applejack... which one is the real ya?"

"The one whose yer family and yer friend. Darling," she kissed her on the nose.

"Done hiding?" Rarity asked calmly.

"Ah wasn't hidin' nothin'."

Rarity made a sleigh bell laugh. "Heh, liar," she said with endearment.

+++

Holding a tiny portable TV in one paw, Discord and co watched the scene outside.

'So they CAN use the Elements, now I know for sure.' "Cruelty, if they charge up the Elements, retreat at once, understand?"

"Sure-sure."

"Understand?!"

"... Yes Master."

"I saw Strife's stone paw. You don't need to tell me twice," Rancor jeered. She looked to Cruelty.

Angry Pie however, was looking at the floor. "I hate traitors. Bad Castle." She stomped the floor so hard it cracked from one end of the grand hall to the other. The castle whimpered.

"Now now." Rancor patted Anger, "That's not the way to go about it." She pulled out her spear. Rancor grinned shark's teeth. "This is how your extract revenge on traitors!"

Rancor stabbed the black spear into the castle floor. It cracked down, and down, to the castle's foundations, the castle moaned in agony as the black spear pierced the very idea of it existing. Raw chaos leaked from the stab wound as the castle bled, thick, red blood.

"You see? You don't just them a slap on the wrist, you make them hurt, you make them feel it, eye for an eye, both of them theirs! That is revenge in its purest undiluted form," Rancor said with something not unlike pride.

Angry Pie hated being confused, "Isn't that supposed to be 'eye for an eye?'"

"'Eye for an eye, and no more than an eye for that eye? No, you're thinking of justice. Revenge is the beauty of stabbing out both your enemy's eyes for your eye!"

Angry Pie grumbled. "Well don't you dare break your promise either." she said lowly, narrowed eyes at the castle, getting a whimper.

"You just told it you hated it for being a traitor!" Fluttercruel replied.

"Promises should be kept. It'd better do its best to live up to it or I'll blow it up."

Rancor smirked. "And that's passion for something you believe in, also beautiful."

+++

That promise is so stupid. But it's a promise on MY name. It's one of the only things anypony ever took seriously about me. And I'm going to make sure they KEEP taking it seriously.

Pound, Pumpkin, Hex, Bubbles, all of you, we'll all be together soon. Discord and these jerks will be gone. And we can all be happy together forever.

++++

"Did ya hear that?" Apple Pie asked.

"Hear what?" Derpy asked.

"We Earth Ponies hear the land same way Pegasi hear the sky, and unicorns hear the leylines." AJ said.

"So what did you hear?" Twilight asked.

"The castle's pain," Rarity said, "Discord I think didn't take kindly to it agreeing to stay out of the fighting."

"That's not nice!" Apple Pie said.

"Let's have it be the last 'not nice' things he does," Twilight said.

Everypony nodded. Spike didn't need to be told to zoom towards the castle windows.

A saw cut around the window Spike was headed for, the piece of stone wall fell forward, to reveal an anti-chaos tank-cannon charged up and ready to fire aimed right between Twilight's eyes. There was no time to think as Twilight teleported them away, the synapses in her brain barely having time to fire before the weapon did the same.

Spike's mass landed with a grunt on top of AJ as he teleported on top of her in the air. Derpy reappeared upside down and righted herself with her wings before her hard head could make contact with the ground. Rarity reappeared with one leg fused with the ground. She screamed at the unimaginable pain before grimly amputating it, her new leg growing.

Apple Pie's eye nearly got impaled on Twilight's horn before Twilight was magically able to catch her. Twilight instantly hugged the filly and made sure she was safe.

"Beautiful landing, Twilight," AJ said.

"I had literally nano-seconds to teleport a dragon and five ponies out of the line of fire, I wasn't going for elegance."

A megaphone emerged from the castle wall. Out came Discord's voice. "Twilight Sparkle! I hope you liked the one gun salute in honor of your return home. I have prepared a bachelorlet party in honor of your future status as my queen."

"SAY WHAT-?!" Twilight wailed.

Everyone looked at her.

"Eh? You remember that 'Be My Queen Arena Battle Royal' you all had? Your runner up was Smarty Pants."

"THAT NEVER HAPPENED!!!"

"It didn't? OH! I see. Well, we'll, I've still put together for you a lovely welcoming committee."

Violet flames exploded on three balconies overlooking the heroes.

Fluttercruel took up the center one, while Angry Pie and Rancor flanked her on the other ones, the auras of purple flames casting shadows.

"Now Traitor Dash, here's your chance? Eh where are you?" A servant's bell jingled.

+++++
Miles away, Dash sprang up in bed, "COMING!"

The pie pan was a thousand years old, handed one from one generation of the pie clan to the next, and now Rainbow Dash met its warm embrace, impressing, for all time, her visage upon it. "Or maybe I'll just go back to..." She fell back over out before she hit the pillow.

Minty Pie looked at the pie pan, she wasn't sure why, but she could swear she had fulfilled its destiny.

++++

"We already knocked Rainbow Dash back to her senses ya psycho!" AJ shouted climbing out from under Spike.

"You did? Oh! Yes! Of course! My bad! Still! My little princess is all dressed up for the occasion. Doesn't she look pretty?"

Twilight felt sick, around Fluttercruel's neck was a necklace of unicorn and virgacorn horns. And a small cape of patchwork cutie marks.

Apple Pie felt worse, one of those foal horns had a white and purple spiral to it. "Magica?" Her teeth clenched. "MAGICA! THAT'S NOT FUNNY!!"

Twilight lifted her off the ground. "I'm angry too Apple Pie! Don't let them bait you!"

"You're angry? I am Anger." Angry Pie stomped her rear hoof, making the battlements shake. The heroes gasped.

"Pinkie Pie, yer leg, it's healed."

"That is not my name."

"I am Cruelty!"

"And I'm Rancor again by the way, boo-yah!"

Twilight, Applejack, Derpy Hooves, Apple Pie, Spike, and Rarity, stared at the two Bearers of the Elements of Chaos.

Apple Pie shouted, "Miss Rancor, we ain't got no hay with you! We don't wanna fight ya."

"Sorry kiddo, this is family."

Twilight pleaded, "Fluttershy! Pinkie Pie! THIS ISN'T YOU!!! You're not monsters! Can't you see Discord's taint is warping how you think and feel?! Search your memories! You KNOW you'd never do any of this before he hurt you! We don't want to hurt EITHER OF YOU!!! Let us help you! We're your friends!"

Angry Pie snarled stomping her restored hoof again. "The past is dead Twilight Sparkle."

Twilight Tragedy had seen Angry Pie like this for a thousand years, To Twilight the Unicorn, who wasn't soulless, those words hurt.

"Pinkie Pie, try to remember please, Minty. She's your friend. Your best friend. Before everything. I know a part of you remembers. She's been reborn in this world, and she remembers now too. She wants you to come home. All the Pie family is waiting for you. They're willing to be there for you. Just let go of all this hate. Remember. Please? Everything Is Positively Pink!"

"Minty? . . . A past that never happened is deader than dead. You're living in a dreamworld. I'm not an empty headed doll of a broken fantasy-land. And I'm not friends with a doll. I am pure! I'm FREE!!! Pinkie Pie was a broken mess, I pulled myself back together piece by piece the hard way. I gave those stupid ghosts the hard knocks they deserved for trying to turn me into somepony I'm not. A thousand years and nothing has changed. My sisters and parents still want me to be somepony THEY want me to be. I didn't listen to them when they were alive. I can't believe they thought I'd listen to them now that they're dead."

"Pinkie Pie . . . " Tears formed in AJ's eyes. Rarity's heart ached.

"There is no Pinkie Pie! I am me!"

Apple Pie slowly shook her little head in horror.

Derpy looked at the gray curly maned pony, and saw a stranger.

Spike had figured this all our centuries ago. "Twilight, there's nothing left, she's gone."

"NO!" Twilight stamped her hoof. "I refuse! I refuse to believe she's gone, just like YOU refused to believe RARITY was gone, Spike! Discord's taint is twisting her logic, she can't help herself!"

"Squawk that all you want. Believe what you want to believe," Anger said.

"Fluttershy! Remember tha real ya! Ya like helpin' others! Ponies and animals! It makes ya happy! It wasn't just somethin' ya were good at, ya were great at it! It's yer talent! Bein' kind ain't weak! Ya had the courage to cow ah dragon and a cockatrice! That's the Fluttershy Ah remember and that's the Fluttershy whose gotta still be there!"

"I'm so happy to disappoint you too, sweet Applejack dearest, because I'm afraid the Fluttershy you remember ceased to exist a LOOOOONG time ago!" Cruelty said in a sing-song, she grinned as she took two out bloody bladed weapon out of her wings. "She's long gone!" Then she blinked and hide her face with her mane. "Um . . . that is, if you want to. . . ."

Rarity let out a small gasp taking a tiny hoof forward.

The pegasus blew a raspberry. "HAHAHAHHAHAHH! THE LOOKS ON YOUR FACES! 'Look at me cute innocent Flutterface!' You actually BOUGHT IT for a second there! HAHAHAHH! Gah! My stomach! HAHA!" She then said coldly devoid of all humor. "Now do you get it?"

AJ didn't want to believe what she was seeing. Apple Pie moved closer to the older Apple. Spike sighed, he had seen this coming a mile away, but had hoped he was wrong. Derpy only shook her head. Rarity's face was like a statue.

Twilight's legs trembled.

"If that's the truth. Then so be it. No more lies to myself anymore," Rarity said simply. "But Greed is straight foreword and honest. And what I want more than anything now, is to no longer be Discord's slave! SO WHERE IS MY BEST FRIEND YOU, BITCH!!!"

Spike gasped at Rarity.

Fluttercruel simply said, "Huh?"

"YOU WERE LYING WHEN YOU SAID SHE'S CEASED TO EXIST! But you were telling the truth when you said she was long gone! Meaning she's not here!!! NOW WHERE IS SHE?!?!?!" Rarity roared.

Angry Pie cooly turned her head.

Cruelty actually took a hoof step back before collecting herself. "I have absolutely no idea where she is. She could be anywhere. After I killed her."

"DON'T EVEN TRY LYING TO ME YOU LITTLE NAG! You don't know where she is but you didn't kill her!" Rarity's voice was like thunder that vibrated off the rocks themselves.

"Better stop lyin'," Applejack said, a glare in her eyes. "Yah got two livin' lie detectors standin' right in front of yah."

" . . . That pink beotch! . . . That pink Alicorn beotch! She STOLE HER! She was the one who stole her!!!!"

I grumbled, sitting in my room. Eating Cadence wasn't quite as agreeing with me as I'd expected it to, and most certainly didn't make up for being pulled out of the fight early. I got a smirk. 'I know just how to blow off some steam.'

I concentrated, my copy of my favorite playroom appearing in my mind, entering the part of my soul I so loved to enter.

"Hey mom! Ready to play?" I called, walking in...and finding the blood-stained table mysteriously empty. "Hehe, oh you want to play hide and seek! Fine, you know I love that game!"

I drove a spear through a table, looking under it to find no pony. "You've gotten better." I grinned. "You can hiiide, but you can't ruuun mommy!"

"You will not find her."

I turned and gasped, falling backwards over the table. Queen Cadence stood there, glaring daggers at me. "You?! What are YOU doing here?! We killed you!" Fluttercruel snarled. "How did you get in here?!"

"Maybe when my horn pierced your shoulder, I split a tiny piece of my spirit off, which now stands before you. Maybe devouring the flesh of a goddess was not a very wise decision on your part and carries a remainder of my essence. Maybe now that I'm dead there is nowhere I can not be. Regardless of how how I got here, I've been searching your soul."

"For what?! You gonna take over my body now like Master did?!" I asked, then fear entered my mind at that thought.

Cadence's face turned to one of pure hate and disgust. "No, I'm her for a rescue mission."

My eyes widened as I noticed a motionless yellow and pink shape on the Alicorn's back, covered in wounds. "No! She's mine!"

"Her light does not belong to the Draconequi," the pink Alicorn said, "Your own kind will judge you, but you will never torture your mother again," she said, looking back to my mother on her back.

I drew a massive sword. "Give her back!"

Before my sword reached the Alicorn, she and Fluttershy vanished in a burst of light, the sword hitting the floor of the mental room. The look mother gave me in that moment made my heart skip a beat.

"'Your own kind will judge you, but you will never torture your mother again.' AGH! THIEF!!! So what if I ate her leftovers?! It's not like she was using them anymore!!!"

"Mother?" The heroes all echoed.

Cruelty took the cloak off. It wasn't three butterflies on her flanks any longer. Had it ever been? Like the memory of a dream, a phantom cutie mark.

Her real cutie mark was criss-cross heart design made with blade edged shaped lines like scimitars. It was based on the ancient symbol for 'Dream-Eater.' "Every cut I make in the flesh of you ponies is a sonnet to the love I have for my father."

Rancor clapped. "Beautiful Cruelty."

"F-father?" Applejack gasped. Suddenly. Many things were starting to make sense. The shock of the reveal left the ponies speechless.

All but one. "You . . . you're . . . then Fluttershy . .. and Discord . . . . to Fluttershy.... daughter! DISCORD! I SWEAR YOU'RE DEAD!" Rarity snarled her eyes on fire.

Spike looked in concern at the unicorn of his life.

"Meh. Like I haven't heard that one before."

Rarity blew up the megaphone. A new one emerged.

Twilight mind was spinning out of control.

(TWILIGHT! FOCUS! FOCUS! REMEMBER WHY YOU'RE HERE! REMEMBER WHAT YOU'RE DOING!)

'But, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy-'

(FOCUS!!! YOU HAVE TO! Or everyone is going to die! Remember your mission! Your purpose!)

' . . . Life is full of magic and tragedies . . . I will break my way through them all.'

(That's the spirit! Don't lose it! That shred of doubt is all he needs! Let there be NO DOUBT! Remember the ones in front of you are not your friends! They're the enemy!)

AJ shed a tear. "Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Ah'm so so so so so sorry." Derpy put a hoof on her shoulder in front of the three killers. "...At least we know Fluttershy's with the Big Alicorn now."

"That's stupid, and you're stupid," Angry Pie deadpanned.

Fluttercruel laughed. "Oh man, five hundred years of pretending I had that marshmallow's Cutie Mark was so worth it! You should see the looks on your faces!" she exclaimed, then gave a disturbingly familiar grin. "Priceless."

"That's my girl!"

"And you...you TORTURED HER?!"

"It was mother/daughter bonding time."

"Before we get started." Angry Pie looked at Derpy, "I'll say I honestly feel sorry for you. The last thing I want is to kill a retarded mare-filly who barely understands the world around her."

"I am not-" "She is not retarded, Pinkie!"

"I don't need you agreeing with me, Liarjack-"

"I WASN'T LYING! Shame on ya! After ya've been so angry so long at ponies who thought ya weren't whole in the head-?! Shame! Judgin' a pony from how she looks? Ah'm so disappointed in you!"

"Like I care what you think!"

"YES, YA DO CARE ABOUT WHAT AH AND EVERYPONY THINK! THAT'S ALL YA CARE ABOUT! WHY ELSE DO YA GET SO MAD?!"

"Geeze!" Cruelty said, You're supposed to be the 'heroes' here, but we're having a lot more fun than you! And we're certainly nowhere near as unhappy! I'd say YOU'RE the ones with the problem."

"THERE IS NOTHING HAPPY ABOUT HOW DISCORD TORTURES THE WORLD! No, EVERYONE!" Rarity snapped.

"About time you all realized that," Angry Pie said.

"Why do ponies always bitch and whine about me killing their friends? Everyone dies someday, it's nature. They should just enjoy the time they have together instead of moaning about it like a bunch of spoiled brats."

"Yer not a part of nature! Yer just a sick killer!" Apple Pie snapped.

"Hey, sure you've lost your friends and family, but you didn't start out with your buddies and sister. So it's not like you actually lost anything."

"She was mah twin! Ah did start out with her!"

"That's besides the point. you started out with nothing, and so what have you lost when you end back up with nothing? Nothing! Always look on the bright side of death! Ha ha ha! Laugh with me, Element of Laughter!"

"That ain't funny! That's bein' mean!" Apple Pie declared.

Rarigreed retorted, "That's not looking on the bright side! That's making light of what she's lost!"

"Don't ya EVER say those words again!" AJ shouted. "The only bright side ta death is they ain't sufferin' no more."

"No! Ha! Always look on the bright side of-AAGH!" Cruelty now had a bucked rock going through one eye.

"Bright side of 'AAGH?' Works fer me!"

Discord's voice rang out. "Let's get this game started! Rancor! Anger! Cruelty! . . . tear them apart."

"Well it's about time." Rancor took out her spear, and dropped it, it seemed to ripple in the air as it sank and vanished into thin air. 'My petard isn't for hoisting thank you.' She assumed a martial artist pose, her claws bared and ready. Rancor grinned like a shark, her eyes like a wolf's. "Let's see how well you do against me! I'VE WAITED A GOOD LONG WHILE FOR A GREAT FIGHT!" She said with bloodlust. "DON'T DISAPPOINTMENT ME!"

"READY!" Wings made of levitated stone formed on Rarity's back, face serene, but eyes blazing with fury.

Anger narrowed her eyes. Slowly saying names under her breath only she could hear. And . . . the calm that settled over her, was more frightening than her rage.

"I won't run away," Derpy said.

"Who wants to be ashes first?!"

"We're here to save the day for Magica, Half-Light, and everypony else!" Apple Pie declared.

"For Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy!" AJ said.

"For my friends!" Twilight shouted.

"For everyone!" the six all declared.

"Enough with the bantering!" Cruelty screamed, "Let's get to the killing!"

She flew off the balcony screaming bloody murder. She came face to fist with Spike's fist and impacted into the castle wall. "You upset Rarity!" Spike reached back for another punch when Rancor flew across his chest clawing him, going right through his scales and bleeding.

"Keep your wits about you niece!" Rancor was caught in the telekinesis of Twilight and Rarity. Derpy charged fast at her.

Angry Pie leapt down right at where Twilight was faster than freefall. Twilight had to dodge and broke her concentration. The impact of Anger's hoof with the ground created a pillar of debris as tall as the battlements a giant cloud of dust exploded from the point of impact.

Rancor kicked Derpy in the face making her spin backwards like a cart wheel as an red glow surrounded Rancor, Rarity felt like her horn suddenly was on fire she broke her grasp on the draconequus.

AJ and AP crashed into Anger at the same time, knocking her out of the smoke cloud, having used the vibrations in the ground to sense where she was.

Fluttercruel pushed herself out of the wall as Rarity created stepping as she went right at the pegasus, her faux stone wings coming down at her legs as sharp as knife as Cruelty brought up her own knives to knock them.

"If you're really Fluttershy's foal how can you be so horrid?!"

"All comes naturally! Maybe she wasn't the saint your fuzzy memories paint her as!"

"That's not the whole truth!"

"Oh will you give a rest and FIGHT!"

Rarity's eyes narrowed into a look of pure hatred. "You'll regret that. Fluttershy's free, you're just a monster wearing her skin. I can end you with no regrets," she said in a completely calm tone that actually made Fluttercruel recoil slightly.

Then she grinned. "At, LAST you get it!!"

"No, I don't 'get it' you sad filly. You kill for thrills. I'd do nothing if you just stopped. I'm nothing like you. And that hurts, doesn't it? To know just how alone you really are."

"Moron! Daddy's always with me!" Rarity felt the chains that had snaked around her back legs grown from Cruelty's tail hairs. Rarity let out a gasp as Fluttercruel swung her into the castle wall like drumsticks again a tambour. "And you all talk too much! You stupid, stupid, stupid muscle nag!"

When Apple Pie touched Angry Pie, it was like a fire brand had touched Anger's skin, but she had plenty of experience of being burned! She grabbed the smaller filly and tossed her into AJ as an unwilling projectile.

Then vanished into thin air.

"Oh no you don't." Anger hammer blowed her front hooves into the ground, creating a shockwave that left for a short instance the outline of two earth ponies. She rammed into them like a freight train sending then flying backwards. AJ grabbed Apple Pie and used her immortal body to shield Apple Pie's as she hit the dirt.

Spike's tail wrapped around Angry Pie and slammed her head first into the ground. The rest of her tore into past scales into flesh making him cringe, it was like a pony holding a hot coal!

A second later Rancor landed and bit into Spike's tail at a nerve cluster forcing him to let go.

"Come on, big boy! Show me what you got!"

Derpy four-hoof slammed herself into Rancor's face from above.

Rancor grinned shark's teeth, "You didn't announce your attack, you're an improvement over the old Loyalty."

"I don't care!"

Cruelty was caught off guard when a castle stone with Rarity's glow slammed into her head forcing her to let go, Rarity didn't waste breath as she counterattacked.

Angry Pie galloped at the two other Earth Ponies, Twilight teleported in front of her, then teleported Angry Pie upside down, making her skid along the ground. She suddenly found herself in a bright green field with a blue sky and wavy grass. She startled. Birds sang in the trees and bees buzzed on the flowers. She screamed in pain as an invisible fire monster hugged her from behind. She folded her ears, closed her eyes, refused to smell the sweet scent of the flowers, and ran like a mad pony, her sense of pain the only thing she could apparently trust as the fire ghost fell off her and she immediately leapt back to crush it. The illusion ended as AJ intervened to knock her off course.

Twilight was dodging a rain of knives as Cruelty released them from her wings over the battle field almost randomly as Rarity chased after her with single minded icy fury, using her telekinesis to create stepping stones for herself as she went.

Angry Pie kicked a mess of dirt into both Earth pony's eyes, "BRINGING YOU ALONG WAS STUPID!" Angry Pie hissed at Apple Pie before instead of attacking taking a flying leap at Twilight, ignoring the knifes of Cruelty that got into her but Twilight again teleported. And Anger suddenly found herself boxed in by a triple layer force field.

Angry Pie punched it, and all of them shattered, and the force of the punch actually blew against Twilight's mane.

'We outnumber them two to one, but I can't form any strategy in this bedlam!'

"You think you can just contain me? You think you can just brush me aside? --brush me aside-?!-- Taken any parasprites as pets lately?"

Twilight stopped. "What? Pinkie Pie? Are you saying . . . you remember now-" But nothing else did. Anger's fist shattered her jaw.

"I remember how much it's pissed me off every time you thought I was playing a game. Who's random now?"

Spike couldn't use his flame breath because Derpy was constantly coming at Rancor again, like an indestructible gray comet! Cuts and bite marks covered her but wasn't even slowing down! Spike's sheer -force- however was keeping Rancor off balance. Rancor eyed the two Earth Ponies coming to their unicorn friend's aid. Rancor seemed to SLIP OUT OF HER SKIN like a snake, and shot out between the earth ponies and their leader.

"No way! You two are part of the melee types! I want you to fight me!"

"Nopony cares what you want!" Applejack said.

Rancor shrugged, "Hey, I'm just here to fill in the gap, why so serious? It's not like this fight means anything. Just cut loose and let the inner savage out and let's have at it!"

"Ah ain't a savage! Ah'm helpin' mah friends!" Apple Pie protested.

(Your taste for battle is going to destroy you. Thrill seekers like you on the battle field always get full of themselves and end up on the business end of a horn. Discord is going to lose no matter what you do. You should just turn around, and go home. It's not like you draconequus actually have feelings.)

'Huh?! Who're you?! You're not using telepathy, not precisely, and you're certainly not using air to make sounds!'

(What? This isn't possible.)

'What isn't possible? Oh. Me asking you question? Is that it? So who are you?'

(Someone who enjoys every moment Discord rightfully suffers for his crimes and loves seeing his so-called carefully crafted 'plans' fall around him as he sees as he has nothing, he is nothing.)

'Wait a tick. A huge grudge against my brother. You don't feel like some left over consciousness of Destruction, thank Dad for that. You don't sound like a guy, so you can't be what's left of Mini-Dissy. Are you Wind Whistler or Galaxy?'

(Huh?)

'I'll take that as a no to both. I read up my brother's early days before coming here. You really should too, lots of interesting things.'

Apple Pie jumped off Applejack, Rancor blocked the illusion, then the real Apple Pie kicked her in the face and leapt off only to land on Applejack again.

"OH YEAH! OH YEAH! COME ON! COME ON! Strife you're right! This is fantastic!"

(You bring your own destruction with your blind seeking of childish thrills!)

'Ha! That's the best insult you got? Geeze! You're not used to taunting others! I can tell! Well, maybe just not me! I mean Pandora's as mean as a swan and she's stabbed deeper than you!'

(YOU'RE WORSE THAN PINKIE PIE!)

' . . . Wow. So that's it. I'm surprised it can work out that way. Now I know your voice Mi'Lady. I mean, wow. I got some crash courses on this sort of thing, and I actually ran into this once already while here, but whoa, just whoa. Aren't we sorta alike here?'

(WE'RE NOTHING ALIKE, WITCH!)

'Meh. Says you. Now I get why no one likes you kind of ponies.'

(BUt I'd say I distracted you well enough.)

'Huh?'

A giant dragon fist came down, with enough course to turn a rock golem into fine powder.

The dust was blow away by a quick wind. Rancor floated, brushing herself off.

As they stared, it finally hit them. In the moment of calm they saw. They wasn't a mark on her.

Spike's fists shook, feeling like somewhere someone was laughing their tail off at him and his friends.

"Are ya indestructible?" Apple Pie asked.

"Huh? Oh no no no nothing like that. I'm a growing girl, so I'm not as tough as say big sister Strife. My family's diverse on how tough we are." Rancor explained as she stretched. "But oh, wow, attacking the spirit of violence, with physical violence, no way that could not work." In a flash she was in front of Derpy and Spike, then flicked her away at missile speed and Spike into the ground to leave an impression. "Morons."

"Miss Derpy!" Apple Pie called.

Spike breathed fire. "Nuh-uh, counts as violence since it's a natural part of you. Sorry. You're gonna have to try some different than drown an ocean with water!" She elbowed Spike in the gut, it felt like being hit by a battering ram.

AJ would have traded every apple she had ever bucked for her good lasso right now. She looked at her tail. Desperate times.

Fluttercruel mentally cursed 'Stupid stones! I can't regenerate if something is in the way!' Flying was getting harder and harder, and Rarity was on her like the tail on a pony. Rarity had been firing stones into her body that seemed to dig almost with a mind of their own and refused to be pulled out easily. Rarity kept drawing up her own stepping stones, creating her steps as she galloped. And kept glaring right at her with a cold anger.

Cruelty let out a cry of frustration and tore off her own tail, it turned into a spiked chain and flew upwards which Rarity followed forming her steps into a staircase then folded her wings and dove down, wrapping it around both of them, and dove right into the castle, smash through at least two floors.

"RARITY!" Twilight teleported straight to where the hole was. Less than a moment later Anger rammed her in the side, skidding her across the castle's rooftops and towards the castle's inner garden.

Each time Twilight bounced, she was kicked again, and each one carries enough force to break bones, the bursts of new pain making it impossible to teleport, she bounced off the roof, and her head collided with a safe that seemed to have no other purpose than for her to hit it, she fell downwards into the inner garden and her head collided with an anvil. She got up, literal every bone in her body broken as she felt a stick of something shoved into her mouth, she saw the letter 'T.N.T.'

Managing to spit it out in time, the explosion was still deafening and knocked over one of the acacia trees that made up the garden, it fell into a shallow mucky empty pond.

"This is the place Gummy died. So I figured this fits as a place to kill you." Angry Pie was suddenly in front of her, but her face, her eyes were burning with rage but her face was so calm, her restored back hoof slowly tapped behind her, like she was repeating a mantra in her head.

"This is where," Twilight asked as her jaw regenerated and she got her wits back together, everything was happening so fast, too much, too quickly, too much information, too many revelations, she was so confused! "You, you . . . killed him?"

She back hoofed her. "I DIDN'T KILL HIM! I could never kill him. He never judged me. Never laughed at me. He never didn't take me seriously. He never treated me like a joke. But you! You all went and assumed I had killed my only real friend. I hate all of you. By the way . . . tail twitch-twitch."

Twilight gasped and rolled out of the way as piece of stone from above fell where she had just been, only to be kicked by Angry Pie who hadn't been there a moment before. "There's no reason for us to fight Pinkie pie!"

+++

"VICTORY!!!" The bad-flanked villains all cheered. The dirt maid had just finished making their new chairs. Made out of the carapace of five different colored changelings: Blue, Yellow, Pink, Black. Fluttercruel had taken the Red one and added it to her trophy room.

"THE MOST BADFLANK OF BADFLANK FIGHTING!" Solomon Gallop cheered downing a tankard of soft-rock cider. "THE WAY I TORE OPEN THEIR GIANT ROBOT!"

"And the way I clean sliced their heads in two their helmets! Not leaving one drop of incor my unholy blade!" Azure Lapis Lazuli Stone declared polishing his samurai sword.

"Combining their weapons together into big canon was no match for my pistol!" General Raven Nest boasted cleaning her mountain shattering six-shooter.

Makarov Pistol-Whip said, "Now now darlin', let's not go forgettin' the help we had from this little darlin'." He swatted the teenage filly on the rump. Making the four super-villains laugh. The filly's face burned.

"AND ALL! For the glory of the Master Of Masters! Supreme Lord Discord himself!" Solomon Gallop boomed so loud the meeting room shook.

The filly spoke up. "I was protecting mom! Not Lord Discord! OR any of you!"

"Show some respect brat!" Pegasus General Raven Nest snapped.

"Aren't you part of the Discord Youth? I'd say you owe plenty of respect to'em, and us." Pistol-Whip stroked her flank forcefully over her firecracker cutie mark.

Then Pistol-Whip's face was smash into the table from above.

A vicious gray pony with curly hair on top of him, his horn stuck in the table.

"YOU NAG!" Pistol Whip hissed.

"HOW YOU GET IN HERE?!" The giant Solomon Gallop gasped at her hurting his best buddy.

Angry Pie ignored them. "THere is no 'Discord Youth!' My foals are mine. Not his! They aren't robots like Tragedy, or lapdogs like Fluttercruel, or slaves like Traitor Dash. They're my family!"

"YOU are nothing but an attack dog!" The octuple-hybrid Azure Lapis Lazuli snarled. "A mad animal that Discord tolerates the existence of!"

"DON'T YOU TALK THAT WAY ABOUT MY MOTHER!"

"Adults are talking mewling!" General Raven Nest said in the filly's face back hoofing her.

Angry Pie punched General Raven Nest into a wall.

"Firecracker are you okay?"

"Yes mother."

"Ya know." Pistol Whip said. "Ah was all thinkin' us all just havin' yer filly fer fun. Make ah mare outta her. Give us adults some pleasurable company. But since yer so close. Ah think the four us outta give ya the same!" Several machine guns magically lifted around him as a he took a spiked whip as well.

"Time for you to learn that animals shouldn't act like they're people." Azure Lapis Lazuli helping his dear Raven Nest to her hooves.

"Firecracker. Don't worry. Mommy Angry Pie won't let the bad ponies hurt you!"

***

"Ya didn't do what?!" Liarjack exclaimed.

"And you're going to help me make sure Discord doesn't find out."

"Ya ain't jokin'!"

"You're going to. Because if you don't, I'm going to break your face! Discord's not learning Firecracker is why I did what had to be done!"

"Ya know, if ya told me it was about makin' sure Firecracker gets hurt real bad, I'd have helped ya easy."

A bit later LJ had helped Angry Pie clean up the mess from the fight, rearrange the bodies, and close the barrier to Discord's secret elite's chamber.

***

"Firecracker. . . . Mommy wants you to know you're free to go. I'll just steal a corpse from 'Cruel and tell Discord it's you. Gummy'll make sure you get out of the castle okay."

+++

Angry Pie breathed in deep. "I have a new future I plan on grasping. And I can do that only by killing my past. Namely, you. Twilight. And all of your friends. Good-bye."

Episode 95: (Dark World) Angry Cruel Love

My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic
Pony POV Series
Dark World Part 20
Second Star To The Right, Straight On Till Morning

"RARITY! TWILIGHT!" Spike flew at full speed towards the hole Rarity and Cruelty were down and the inner garden Twilight fell down with Angry Pie close behind her. Rancor shed her skin leaving her finite double to cover her as she flew right in Spike's path. "GET OUT OF MY WAY!"

"No." Rancor's front limbs caught the dragon, the shockwave of air visible.

"I SAID OUT OF MY WAY!"

"And I said no!"

Spike swatted the nuisance out of the way and continued on his path. Or that was what was supposed to happen. Instead Rancor caught his claw and judo threw him into the checkered ground.

Spike forced himself up only to get his gut slammed, creating a dust cloud around him. "Cool! You dragons are as nigh-invulnerable as they SAY you are! That would have pulverized a mortal pony's spine."

Rancor was engulfed in flames, "Oh come on! You can't be that dense-" Spike grabbed her while his flames blocked her vision and tossed her in the air like a missile.

"So you aren't." She stopped in midair, the suddenness of it making her head spin. "Too bad for you I don't actually need my wings to fly! Levitation make a great break-pedal!"

"I don't have time for a freakin' uber-powered, self-congratulating Mary-Draconequus-Sue!" Spike flew towards the castle again, but Rancor grabbed him by the tail and flipped him again into the ground, this time leaving an impression.

"Don't start calling names you can't take back."

"WE'LL KEEP 'ER BUSY, SPIKE!" AJ shouted as the other heroes charged her all at once.

She grinned shark's teeth. "Yes, show me your fiery passions."

Derpy crashed headlong into her, but vanished, and the real Derpy then hammered into Rancor a moment later once to bounce out of her reach.

Spike didn't hesitate, resuming his flight towards the castle. Rancor tried to follow only to find herself lassoed . . . with rope made from pony hair.

"Impressive! A fine show of inventiveness!"

"Ah can't take snobs like ya who treat ah fight like it's just fer their fun!"

"I'm violent, vindictive, passionate, and bloodthirsty, but I'm no snob!" Her dragon was getting away. She tugged, and remember how strong Earth Ponies could get. She then zipped out of her own mouth leaving her skin behind again. For some reason her earring stayed with her.

"WILL YA STOP DOIN' THAT?!"

"I will when you stop with the illusions!"

She ignored Spike and slammed into thin air. 'I can't sense the filly since she doesn't have any passionate feelings against anyone here, and she's totally convinced 'Rarity' and 'Twilight' can take care of themselves. But Spike, on the other claw, is filled to the brim with a passionate desire to save, help, and protect the two ponies who mean the most, he's like a lighthouse!'

The real Spike appeared from her blow and the illusion vanished.

"How could you-"

"Don't feel like sharing!"

Derpy came like gray thunder.

"That's enough." Rancor snarled like a Tasmanian wolf. She launched at Derpy, a menagerie of claws and fangs, but Derpy didn't stop her own attack! Though she couldn't hurt the monster in any meaningful way, she could force her back and back AND BACK away from the others!

But, "Carpus, tarsus, patella!" Rancor moved with the precision of a surgeon and ferocity of a wild animal as she struck the pegasus, "Carpus, tarsus, patella!" Derpy flapped her wings like mad as her bones broke one by one. She managed to evade several grabs by the Draconequus, but couldn't outmaneuver her.

"Tuber calanei, and tuber calenei!" Suddenly, Derpy found herself falling. "Scapula and areo humerus, scapula and areo humerus, and caudal vertebrae!"

Rancor caught as Derpy tried to move, but her wings and legs hung limpy as she struggled like a horn on a hook.

"Your Element of Loyalty causes your strength, stamina, pain tolerance, endurance, and toughness to shoot through the roof, removing your body's natural safety limits, but what does that matter if all your joints are broken?! No hard feelings, I just want Mr. Dragon, and you keep interrupting."

Rancor clawed Derpy in her face, just missing an eye.

"Your Element of Harmony may make your life a lot longer but it takes an Element of Chaos to make you unkillable! This places you above TWO former Elements of Loyalty, the last Element of Loyalty who tried to ram a Draconequus like that? She died on impact from her bones pulverizing. But she had an ocean below her." Rancor dropped her.

Derpy had pushed Rancor back quite a ways. Applejack was good, but she wouldn't make it in time. Spike changed course again and caught her halfway, gently putting Derpy down on the ground. AJ got to work; without Rarity she couldn't transfer injuries. She numbed Derpy's pain but putting her bones back together was slower going.

"Trusting the teammates who mean the most to you to hold on a little bit longer, to save the teammate who would die if you did nothing. You are a very unusual dragon."

"I try."

"That's why I like you, most dragons are passionate only for themselves. I actually love dragons, it's just so…typical, it's not spontaneous. Dissy might have been Chaos, but we all love seeing things out of the ordinary. Seeing a dragon like you able to set aside the thing they want the most for something more important?" Rancor manifested a hat for the sole purpose of tipping it with genuine respect. "That's a very unique passion."

Apple Pie looked up at Rancor and shouted: "Yer the spirit of violence, so... wouldn't not being able to be hurt by violence, being IMMUNE and UNAFFECTED by violence, kinda like bein' the spirit of joy but not bein' able to be happy when sompony's nice to'em?"

Rancor flew in a loop de loop, skirted the ground and came up behind Apple Pie, swiping the rock farmer from behind, cutting past skin and into muscle and nerve clusters and clipping bone. Now Apple Pie knew how Banana Pie felt when mom tried to take her to the dragon kingdom with her. She screamed in pain and tears.

"A-Plus for effort, kiddo, trying to make me vanish in a poof of logic like you did with those zombies! It's a wonderful skill, disrupting and altering the flow of mana by invoking paradoxes! But I am self-contained! I am unto myself! Self-evident! A spirit HAS no paradox!"

Applejack was furious. "You-"

"THIS IS A BATTLE, MORON! If you didn't want the little moppet to be targeted, why'd you bring her into battle?! To take pictures?!"

AJ shuddered and took a step back.

"And you now have two patients to nurse. You're not BUILT for multi-tasking!" Rancor rose a moa claw at Spike. "And you're not going anywhere, you're mine. The only way you can help your friends is if you figure out a way to keep me down!"

"OBLIGED!" Spike roared and loomed like an oncoming storm at the Draconequus.

++++

I coughed. Immortality didn't make up for dirt in your lungs. The hole Fluttershy, no, Fluttercruel... and I had fallen through seemed to have collapsed. Assuming I wasn't just totally buried. I'd have to force my way back out to help the others. One-on-one like this nullified our advantage. It was black.

I pushed myself up, the cuts into my flesh already healed. Broken bones putting themselves back together, best they could under rubble. Here's hoping I don't bring the whole castle down on me. I pushed with my telekinesis and my body, knocking over the slab of stone, recognizing some made from the marble of the original Canterlot mixed in with the garish color choices of my former Master. The castle's desire to live radiated from everywhere.

The scent of dust and stone was met with a new odor. Dried blood and aged meat. I didn't risk shining my horn more than I needed to, lest Fluttercruel catch sight of me. My eyes began to adjust to the dark. I wished they hadn't. The room was huge. But that just meant there was more things to show.

The vast room felt familiar, it reminded me of being used as a pony-shield against a flying cake. But there were no windows to the outside, just stone walls now.

Cruelty's voice echoed off the walls and rocks, impossible to get a fix on. "Welcome to my grand auditorium. You know I've always thought about having one of you here as a permanent guest of honor ever since Mom got kidnapped!"

Great, I'm in one of her playrooms. I said nothing.

"Playing possum, are we?" Fluttercruel cooed. "Well, I'm not deaf! You're not dead! Not yet! Or Twilight Tragedy yet. Marry TRAGEDY-?! I'm the onlyequus he needs! I'm the only one he's ever needed! Not the Valeyard! Not those two stupid purple plastic music ponies! Not those fish-ponies! And most certainly not that pink puffball who doesn't even have the brains to ENJOY what she does!"

I heard a stone block sent flying through the darkness landing near me. Then the slice of a bladed weapon, and two stone block falling apart at once.

(Music Rank II: Bad Girl -- No More Heroes theme, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSfbb3WHClE)

"Come out, come out, wherever you are, Auntie."

My vision had fully adjusted to the darkness now, which meant Fluttercruel's had too. Just had to make sure. I back into my foxhole, slipping stone pieces around as armor. Twice now Discord's assassins we had fought alongside for ten centuries had aces in the hole to blindside us with. While we were lost in insanity and despair, they were preparing for us. And I no longer had friends to cover for me when the surprise got sprung. And this was her territory. Not mine.

"You know, me and Mom played this game a lot." Sound of a sword cutting through a table. "She wasn't very good at it."

Trying to bait me, I ignore it.

With all this rubble it would take me too long to brute force my way out with Fluttercruel's hacksaws digging into my back. This wasn't good.

My ears aren't keen enough to pinpoint her location. And I'm no bloodhound. And sensing desire like I did with the dummy Sparkler doesn't work until I'm up close and personal. And feeling distortions in truth is mostly audio-based, it's not like x-ray vision.

On the bright side she was no better off than me. Hopefully, she'd keep jabbering. Good thing she's so like her…father, loves to hear herself talk as much as he does. And fortunately, a good part of being ladylike includes walking gracefully and quietly.

If I stayed put I'd be found eventually, and she was on guard. First girl to lose her patience would be a sitting duck. I used some stones to cover my horn inside my fox hole then sneaked out to magic a stone off the ground I saw at the limits of my night vision, choosing one that was at a right angle to me. I lifted it up, and dropped it, barely back inside before impact.

"GOTCHA!" Her voice echoed. There was a noise a distance off of a blade impacting stone, while another meat cleaver strike the stone I had just dropped a moment later.

Alright. I know where my stone she hit is. That one was struck second. She's right hoofed, so she'd use that to attack my most likely position first. She'd have used her off-hoof a moment later. I know which way she's facing. I can't tell the exact distance with this echo. But I can still tell the general direction she's facing!

Haven't used this in a thousand years. This is no fashion show. My secondary magic-talent and my new Element don't go well together... but if I put enough focus into it... I should be able to pull off a . . .

flash bomb!

The tiny ball of light magic explode where I approximate Cruel is looking, from her angry scream and the clatter of dropped weapons, I imagine I guessed right.

Like the cobra, I strike! She's still rubbing her eyes and I was too quiet for her ears! I noticed she wasn't wearing her horn necklace anymore. Did she lose it before or after we crashed?

Still covered in stone armor I buck her with my front hooves in the face, and fired off several stone spikes into her skull. I stabbed her through the Element, killed her, the end.

Instead Cruel's wings reacted like a knee-jerk, or a jolt from the stones piercing her brain. Her wings flapped on their own blindly flying her away from danger!

Cruelty spewed enough obscenities to make flowers wilt as he wings carries her away from me. I grabbed her with my telekinesis, she flew back harder. She threw a knife at my eye which I caught reactively and broke my connection to her. She landed several yard away from me, eyes adjusted in the dark, we were at a Mexicolt stand off.

So much for quick and clean. No way I can sneak back to hide in the dark. Plan B. I had been hoping to save this for dear Discord.

"You made a big mistake bringing this fight here," I declared grandly figuring it would hold her attention.

"You think throwing every rock puppet you can make is going to cut it? Ha."

"They were never, puppets." I informed Fluttercruel, then proceeded to speak PAST the daughter of Discord.

"You who are willing to give, you who are willing to lend aid, I beseech for your help! Reach for your desires!"

And they reached out, lending their strength to me, and through me. They took the rocks around us, and with their strength and mine, forged the stones into the shapes of the bodies they had in life.

Apple Bucker, Apple Cake, Walnut Pie... other Pies and Apples whose empty beds I'd visited at the rock farm. Hippogriffs whose dead bodies we fought through on the way here. I made a small whisper. And Poison Apple's stone vessel appeared as well. Followed by the many ponies who had spent hours, days, or longer in agony as Fluttercruel's toys. Names I didn't even know.

These ones I didn't force to obey my scripts. We were free.

And Cruelty looked dumbly at the small mute army surrounding us both, recognition in her eyes. "You just... absorbed the ghosts of my playmates... haunting these walls, and housed them insides rock golem body," she stated, rather unnecessarily.

"This is my power and the true weight of my sin! Their desires call to me, and I answer them. My soul is only the captain of this living vessel." I spoke.

Cruelty blinked, and the shock left her eyes. Then she laughed! "This is too rich! Well played, Auntie Rarity!"

Then her eyes darted from golem to golem, grinning fiendishly at them all in turn.

"Hello, everypony! We all get to play again! Isn't it great? I knew you all liked me!"

Though the golems had no voices to speak with, they all, in their own fashion, pawed the ground, flattened their ears aggressively... those with stone claws or talons to speak of flexed theirs eagerly.

She looked at them happily like they were ready to give her hugs. "You're all set to play? It's gonna ROCK! .......Get it? 'Rock?' Ha! See? I cracked a joke!"

"My word." I said, flicking my right ear back theatrically. "Was that crickets' chirping I just heard? Oh wait, no. The crickets were just trying to calculate how many kicks to the head you'd need for a pun like yours to actually be funny."

The golems' body language was unmistakable: laughter. Uproarious laughter. Even without vocal chords to chortle and guffaw, they threw their heads back, shoulders and diaphragms shaking in indisputable mirth. Those with digits clapped in appreciation. Those with hooves stomped. I dropped in a slight curtsy.

"Oh, go get yourselves jackhammered, all of you!" Fluttercruel snapped. "No one ever appreciates my hard work! My only regret is that it took me eight hundred years to figure out this trick!"

And with that she chopped her own tail off and slit her own throat!

Blood spilled on the gray hairs, making them pink. I was too dazed by the act of self-mutilation to do the smart thing and attack then and there. I only watched in ill fascination as the hairs grew, soaking up the blood, and splitting and warping like cables into equine shapes. The hairs endlessly increased in mass. The masses took on the color of steel and changed. They multiplied like weeds.

Cruel was now surrounded by an army of metallic constructs vaguely resembling pegasi skeletons. Oh and they had the death rays used by those aliens that'd called... oh yes, Empire of Man.

A thousand years ago I would have screamed at their garish and gaudy appearance. Now I just braced myself. They mindlessly stood in formation around and above her amidst the rubble. My army still awaited my orders.

"Dad said this technique should be just for fun. I thought he'd love them, but he said, 'Mass produced grunts? Those are never useful.' " Cruel sighed in something not unlike sadness before brightening up. "But who cares?! Now I own a small army of faceless, nameless, identical grunts, same as you!"

"Same as me, hmm?" I looked over my golems. "Faceless... yes, they are, I'll grant you that. But nameless? Identical? Not on your life. And I do not 'own' these poor souls. They are my guests, here at my invitation, which they were completely free to decline. Like my guests of my endless Gala before they left after Twilight cured me. Several here desire vengeance on you, Fluttercruel. Others simply wish for your evil to an end. Others still," I looked to Poison Apple. "Want to help me end this fight quickly, so I can go protect their surviving relatives. Your minions are mindless drones, my friends have names. And they have souls."

They all nodded.

"You could have at least channeled Mother back while you were at it," Fluttercruel pouted.

"Except your mother wasn't killed by you in this room, unlike everypony else here." I reminded her. "Believe me, though, I would've liked to."

"Me too. It's been five hundred years too long since she was kidnapped."

"You mean since you tortured her."

In contrast with her pun, the eye-roll she gave could've won a medal.

"Like duh. You think I use euphemisms? I torture ponies. It's what I do. I was born to be cruel. It's how I remain true to myself. Cutting ponies is how I demonstrate my love to father and have fun. Torturing ponies brings me joy, mom was a pony, so by torturing her I was sharing my joy with her. How can that not be expressing my love for her? By cutting mother's flesh, I was telling her how deeply I loved her."

My mind flickered and the rock bodies around me almost fell apart in my moment of mental limbo. "Y-you . . . YOU HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT!"

"Of course," she said that like a little girl saying how she was happy giving flowers to her sick grandmother. "It's the same if I was into collecting stamps. I wanted to share it with her!"

"You think you were sharing love by torturing Fluttershy?!"

"I told you, my special talent is expressing my love through my blades. I'm only being true to my cutie-mark!" She said angrily.

Where had I heard that tone before? Oh yes, one time when Sweetie had made a disgusting, badly sewn together dress for me and I had to tell her I wouldn't be wearing it on my birthday. Sweetie had used the same tone of voice.

"So all the abuse and savagery and mockery you heaped upon Rainbow Dash... am I to interpret that as AFFECTION?! You can barely stand to be around her!"

I never would have expected the sort of smile Fluttercruel then gave: the bashful smile one gives shortly before confessing a guilty pleasure to a trusted friend.

"Well . . . now that you make me think about it. As quick as I've always been to give Dash grief for being a spineless, softhearted doormat... I think there's always been a part of me that've found those traits warm. Like mother."

At this, I felt a fresh wave of shame for almost having ended Dash's life. For never having been there for her. I vowed that, once this was all over, I would set things right between us.

"I wonder if deep down, I was trying to free her. I never thought about it before. Imagine her throwing away being so miserable all the time! And actually having fun. Treachery and Cruelty, like bacon and hamburgers."

"You really can't feel regret."

"Not true! I have tons of regrets. I regret no longer being able to express my love to mom. I regret never being able to do a damn thing about Santa Hooves. I regret how tormenting Tragedy was as meaningless as hugging a corpse. I regret how my relationship with Angry Pie never really deepened beyond mere comrades-in-arms... we could've been so much more!" I startled at the hurt in the murderer's voice.

"I first promised to kill you Fluttercruel as a mad pony to be put down. Now I see a thousand-year-old spoiled brat who no pony bothered to teach the difference between a hug and a handgun. If I was any other Element I'd promise to knock some sense into you. But as the Element of Honesty: I know the truth. The only pony who can save you is Fluttershy . . . and since I can't bring her here, I'm going to send you straight to her."

Tidal waves clashed, stone met steel. She and I stayed back, the Achilles' Hooves of both our armies. Death-rays fired all at once, Fruit Pie's body was destroyed. It took more, but I created stone riot shields out of their claws and hooves.

Cruel had several of her metal puppets link together and fired a pillar-sized death ray right at me. It tore through Apple Cake first, followed by many, nothing stopping it, I shed my armor and managed to dodge, my armor ripped to shreds. The metal monsters melted from the over output.

The metal monsters moved in perfect lockstep, never stopping, they had no fear of death, for they weren't alive, they fired they weapons at the same time. I trusted those within me to rely on their own battle instincts instead of micromanaging their every thought.

Cruel grimaced more and more as she tried to direct her underused technique. I, on the other hoof, had centuries of experience. And my army weren't a bunch of mindless drones.

We both felt it every time a soldier of our army 'died.' Stone or steel didn't make a difference, I could feel the pain and I saw it in her eyes, she did too.

Garreck provided a distraction from above as he managed to get near Cruel. I was startled, and that emotion rippled through my army, when Cruel produced a old style Griffin revolver and the magically enchanted bullet shot through his stone head, making the stone hippogriff crumble. Vanilla Cake still managed to punch through Cruel's ring of body guard and head butted her. Poison Apple leaped off Vanilla and landed on Cruel's shoulders and began pummeling away as Vanilla Cake held Cruel.

The nearby metal pegasus skeletons turned and fired at the upper body of their commander. The rest formed a circle and began firing endlessly and almost randomly. Cruel's head was vaporized along with Poison Apple's stone body. I pulled her back inside our body just before she could experience death a second time. Vanilla Cake wasn't so fortunate and I pulled her shaken spirit back within me.

Cruel lost a lot of her metal ponies. She began trying to produce more. I began to put those who were willing back into the fight. There was more than enough stone and earth around to produce a near endless supply.

This was pointless! We could both send our fallen back into battle almost at once! Except mine felt it. And the longer I was trapped here in this deadlock the longer my friends were short one team member. Our entire strength was built around us covering each other's weaknesses and picking up the slack when the enemy threw a hard curveball.

"I begin to see why Dad never thought big of mooks. They exist just to lose," Fluttercruel hissed after her head grew back.

I said nothing. The assault was more important than delivering quips.

We were both getting frustrated. I just needed to hold on into she got reckless enough. She was the psychotic little filly with little reign over her emotions.

"Clop this." Cruel said. "You said you were Mom's best friend, right?!"

"I AM her best friend! Death means nothing!"

" . . . Auntie Rancor's right. I HAVE been ignoring all the sides to myself. And Dad's right. I HAVE been putting fun before business a bit too much! Let me show you MOM'S STRENGTH!"

Her army split apart, giving us a line of sight to each other. I brought up a stone spike to sniper her and a stone shield in case she tried to simply shoot me.

But her eyes. Her eyes. They pierced like a spear through paper walls. I felt those eyes borrow into my brain. My Element of Chaos skipped a beat.

I-I couldn't move! My allies found themselves paralyzed by association. Her metal army stopped attacking. Her eyes cut into my soul! I was quivering.

"Disperse your party guests." She said sternly. The many stone Earth ponies, changelings, and hippogriffs fell apart into rubble. I couldn't resist.

"Kneel." My legs buckled. Even the fall couldn't let me look away. It was like there was a tunnel between us. No escape.

"On your back, all four legs spread out." My body obeyed.

"H-how," I managed to choke out.

"I could have used The Stare any time I wanted." Her eyes stayed locked on me. "I have. I've just not used it when the rest of you were around." She began trotting towards me, her metal army melting around her and reforming into a oversized sword shaped around her right forehoof. "Mainly to catch toys, not while I'm playing with them. It's less fun when my toys can't struggle."

"That's insane! You don't have that kind of self-control!"

"Like a lot of things, 'father told me to', end of discussion. And it FEELS SO GOOD to be finally able to call him that! Thank you for finally rebelling! I died a little inside every time I couldn't call him my dad! Hiding my cutie mark under mom's was suffocating. But for Him, I'll endure anything."

"H-How could you, Liarjack, Applejack should have seen through you!"

"She did, stupid. And like everything else, she ran away from the ugly truth. Cowardly denying what was right in front of her face. So she helped add to my illusion, her best, that even she wouldn't see through. Dad, as a gift for her hard work, erased her memories of who I really was. She thanked him dearly as he did so. First honest thing she had said in a long time, as I recall. Am I lying?"

"N-No, you're not." I said honestly under The Stare. My telekinesis, my family from within, none of my magic was working, it was like I existed separated from everything else. Resistance felt like a foreign concept.

"Dad said to use this as a final last resort if the rest of you ever turned on him. But your Element of Chaos is about to go bye-bye, so it's not like it matters. Not like Honesty's hiding some hidden transmitter. Sorry for all the exposition I've been doing Auntie. I've just had to keep this all cooped up for so long!"

"I-I can appreciate that."

"You said you were going to send me to Mom? Since you were such great friends with her, I'll do it for you as a favor, Auntie Rarity. Please give her a cut on the foreleg for me so she knows little Cruelly still loves her mommy!"

My body was paralyzed, obeying only her. I couldn't reach out to any of the earth and stone around us. My magic was effectively cut off, it couldn't reach a millimeter outwards. And that wasn't the only thing about to be cut.

Her sword came down, cutting me and my Element of Chaos in two. I felt a strange sense of duality for a moment, then nothing.

One new thought flashed through my mind.

There was one jewel that was right with me. My magic could reach inwards.

And the tiny diamond in my neck shot out glowing the color of my magic. It destroyed one eye on the way inside, lancing her skull like a ball in a jar. Her blade missed by a mile. Her motor functions went haywire as The Stare's power was broken.

Tom, you saved me. Thank you.

Her body jerked around randomly. "YOU BITCH! I'll eat you alive like a piranha, starting with your dry, barren, gravelly, grit-blanket of a--!!!"

"Immature threats from an immature foal," I said with great ladylike dignity.

Tom left the way he entered and came home. Of course her eyes regenerated, but slower than normal. She did an imitation of Angry Pie as she growled. "You cheated! You rotten, no-good..." Another flash bomb. She took a page out of Twilight's book and regenerated the hard and fast way slashing her weapon where she figured I'd close in for the kill.

Her eyes saw me. And she ran me right through the heart. No. Seriously. She did. Except it wasn't exactly 'me' me.

The slipshod illusion around the preserved unicorn carcass flickered and faded away, I am so rusty. Thank Celestia her optic nerves and part of her brain were still damaged.

Her eyes widened as realization hit her. "But you're Honesty! That was DECEITFUL!"

Right as I had the shattered stones and rocks from our battle come at her from every direction at once. She was ready for them to strike her. Instead they covered her like a mummy. Then a snow pony.

"Yes, it was. But lying to a killer about their victim's whereabouts isn't evil. I learned that from Applejack."

Her sword broke off and began to form into the metal pegasi again.

The stones on her opened up just enough just for right where I needed to strike. "MINE!"

I claim my prize.

The metal necro-ponies fall apart.

"YOU!" Cruelty's voice screams inside the rocky mass. "HOW DARE YOU! THAT'S MINE!"

"Finders keepers." I say simply.

"THIEF! That's it! You think that's it?! Oh you've got another thing coming! I swear on every member of my family when we next meet, you'll know so much pain! I swear, I swear, I-"

The Spike-sized stone sword I had finished shaping pierced the rock pile. The pile of rocks fell silent.

"Tell Fluttershy I said hi."

I pressed the black-Blutterfly shaped Element of Cruelty against my chest, and cleanly and seamlessly now it was where it could keep my Element of Desire company. Thank you, all of you for your help.

Fluttershy. She's all yours. I know your soul is in Heaven, but I'm sure you'll brave Hell for the sake of hers. May you be a good mother and give your evil delinquent daughter an overdue spanking.

I created a hammer and drill and as fast I could and began to unbury myself! Spike, Applejack, don't worry I'm coming!

Yes, Poison Apple, we're coming for Apple Pie too.

+++++

Without Rarity and Spike's help, AJ couldn't just assimilate Apple Pie and Derpy's injuries. Earth Pony magic was based on life though, not just dirt and plants, and Applejack still had the Element of Kindness to heal, and the Element of Deceit to numb the pain.

She just wish she knew more about her own and pegasi autonomy so she'd know what she was healing and HOW to heal it! She knew broken bones and how to set them. But not nerves, organs, and blood vessels. She wish she knew more! 'Maybe if Ah don't end up dyin' before the end of all this, Ah'll figure out on how ta become a doctor.'

Apple Pie had known pain before, plenty of times. But this was on a whole new level. 'So Ah guess this is what it felt like fer Banana Pie when ma clawed her.'

Derpy just wished Applejack could heal her faster. If she couldn't hurt the draconequus she could at least provide a high speed distraction!

+++++

Rancor and I were like two flags in a tornado. But I, the giant purple dragon, was the one showing damage.

"Whoo-hoo! This is great! I could kiss you, handsome!"

"BLECH! Speak for yourself! You're too shallow for my tastes!"

"Ya know, it's funny. My family tell me the same thing. Dad says I need as much substance as style, and Pandora thinks I need a hobby, and Anarchy thinks I'm cliché. And Strife says I need more than one note in my personality. But I'm just a little concept, so it's only natural I'm shallow, that's how all concepts start, isn't it? Wanna listen to me rock 'n' roll later?"

"YOUR VOICE IS SO ANNOYING!" I bellowed making Rancor cup her ears. I took the chance and tail-slapped her, but her levitation made her stop in mid-arc and merely fly towards me without missing a beat.

"You sound like those 'tech-wizards' of that one galaxy Strife is so proud of, you should hear some of the names the locals have come up for me."

I got ready to dive at her like a ballistic missile, and happened to glance at my friends and blinked... then laughed.

"'Bout time you got into the spirit of things." Rancor grinned.

"I am so incredibly dense!" I laughed. "Rarity and all of my friends have been saying how I'm 'better' than muscle-head dragons. And here I am doing everything your way! Letting YOU lead the dance! I have brains and I've been doing nothin' but relying on instinct and brute strength! HA! I suck!"

I laughed more.

"I became the Element of Generosity by accepting ALL of me, then I go forgetting half of who I am! Geeze!" I casually popped my joints and took a deep, calming breath. "Well, I think it's about time I start playing this game the smart way, you thrill junkie."

"Inner calm. Dispassionate zen. Blech. You just sucked all the fun out of this. Boo. Hiss. Okay. Suit yourself, pal. Back to fighting!"

Rarity, Twilight, believe in me.

Rancor made a beeline for me claws and jaws first. I folded one wing, moved slightly to one side and grabbed her moa claw, then swing her into me and gave her a giant hug, and folded both my wings, and used my jaws to clap her mouth shut before she could escape via her snake skin trick again. She slammed into the ground head first, all thanks to good old-fashioned gravity.

"OW!" Rancor cursed as she finally wiggled free. I could visibly see her head throbbing. "Wish I was mature enough to erase things."

"So you did feel that."

"Congratulations, handsome, but a one-trick pony isn't going to beat me."

"I'm a dragon." I wrapped my tail around one of her legs, and slammed her into the ground again.

"Sorry, tough guy, doesn't-heh-work-ahah, that-EHEHE-STOP THAT!" I figured tail slamming her wouldn't phase Little Miss Embodiment of Violence. But since when has tickling been considered violence?

"HAHAHAH! YOU'VE GOT TO BE-HA-AH! KIDDING!"

"There's these things called books. I've had a thousand years as Discord's ride to read them."

Apple Pie opened one eye and laughed at the sight too, though I think it might have opened up her wound. "AH, DANGIT!" AJ cursed.

"HEHEHEH! There's no way I'm losin' HEHEH! THIS WAY! AHAHA!" She tried shedding her skin again and met my waiting fist, didn't hurt her, but stopped her. I rolled on top of her, grabbing her claw again (for the record, never grab somepony's wrist in a fight unless you're redirecting their momentum, go straight for their hand since they can still fight if you're just holding their wrist). She still had three sharp limbs to slash at me though!

I was building up cuts, and bruises, I gave Rancor the chiropractor session of the millennium! I threw in some acupuncture for good measure! Thanks for the books Fluttershy.

"This isn't fun anymore." Rancor groaned like a teenager. "Instant crippled for life pressure point tech-AGH!" I flipped her into the dirt leaving a obviously painful impression.

"First, it's stupid to say what you're doing before you do it. Second, you wouldn't believe how long I procrastinated on finishing that hoof wresting book." I stop myself short from mentioning it wouldn't have worked on me anyway, Dragon's scales are buried too deep for that kind of thing to work. But why give awhile an advantage?

"You messed up my mane!"

"It was already messy!"

Rancor teleported, I didn't try to guess which way she'd come and used all the muscles in my legs to push myself out of where I was standing. She came from above all her pointy now stuck in the ground.

Rule one of judo according to Rarity's self defense books. If the enemy pushes, you pull.

"I can teleport, even if you've found a way to cheat reality, I'll still last longer than you, and meanwhile your friends are getting messed up inside."

I startled, but for once I didn't take the bait, she wanted me to start being reckless again. I take another calming breath. Thank goodness for those meditative books.

I flapped my wings as hard as I could, creating a hurricane. She dug her claws into the ground. Not the point, I created a nasty dust cloud.

She somehow sensed exactly where I was and came out of the dust cloud, teleporting halfway to close the distance stabbing me in the gut with her claws. Dangit. I forgot she could do that. I grabbed her moa claw and continued her chiropractor session. "AAAAGH!"

I got the impression being a goddess with immunity to violence didn't give her a lot in terms of building up a pain tolerance. Me? I've been on the end of Discord's humiliations for a thousand years!

She was made up of so many animals, figuring out nerve clusters was crazy, if she even had them being a living spirit. But I seriously, seriously think this rowdy teenager needs a nap! On the bright side, if she moves too much, I might accidentally dislocate something. I'm willing to bet she can still hurt herself.

She grabs my arm and tries to break the elbow like she did to Derpy, but I pull my arm out of the way a split second before she could get a good grip on it.

Predatory instinct has its advantages, such as letting me react quicker by taking the though process out of reacting to a threat my senses catch before my brain. If I was relying completely on my brains, she'd have caught me by now. I couldn't disregard that part of me…Come to think about parts of me I've been neglecting, that gives me an idea…

I look behind me out of the corner of my eye, then twist Rancor around, before breaking contact and flying back. I send a stream of green fire that goes right over her left shoulder and through a window.

"Going back to that well? At least you could hit me with it."

A few seconds later, an entire libraries worth of Discord's autographed autobiographies, yearbooks, chaos minion instruct guides, and joke books manifested directly over her head in a burst of magic fire and gravity did the rest with a resounding crash.

"Wasn't aiming at yah! See, that kind of thing works better when you shout it after doing it."

She blew away the books from her body sending in every direction, AJ shielded her patients. I was pummeled by my own projectiles.

"Sorry, that one didn't work. You can't cheat reality just by lying to yourself. Get real. Ya know, I had hopes for you. More passion than any dragon I've seen, all that base violence, wanting vengeance for what big bro's done to yer treasures. You'd have been a great Chosen One."

"Not interested!"

What kind of petty, immature, selfish jerk would want to be this chick's 'Chosen' Anything?'

++++

Equobo took a right hoof from Superstallion. The black and white muscle bound alien biker pony was sent flying backwards through some (conveniently) abandoned buildings, and ruined Lex Luthorse's golf game.

"I won't let you destroy the Earth!"

"I gotta! I've got five minutes to prep for my drag race and its in the way!"

"You could have just asked me to push the planet out of the way!"

"Oh."

++++

Alright Spike think. She's right. She can teleport. And seems to be able to sense where I am without seeing me. But . . . if she's so fixated on me. That means AJ, Derpy and Apple Pie has time to recover. She wants to fight you. Use that. Drag her along. Okay. Rarity was ticked, not really a good thing when going up against a psycho like fake-Fluttershy. And Twilight still refuses to accept that Pinkie Pie's gone. Great. Well, Twilight has a lot more tricks of her sleeve than what used to be Pinkie Pie. But between the Dreadful Duo, Fluttercruel's always struck me as the worst of two evils. Rarity it is, then.

I move back from a swipe, lightly grasping the back of her wrist and spun her around with her own momentum. I keep it up, spinning her like a top then letting go and sending the now dizzy draconequus plowing into the castle from her own out-of-control momentum.

"Back at ya!" She then began to spin like a tornado all her claws and fangs forming a sharp edge, if I touched her I was shredded meat, she stepped like a ballerina to keep herself from becoming dizzy again.

Apple Pie managed to surprise her earlier. Come to think about it, the only time she took notice of Apple Pie is when she drew it directly. So either she was intentionally ignoring her (unlikely) or Apple Pie lacks something the rest of us have that she's picking up? What does that filly lack that…

I promptly slam my claw into my face. Spirit of Revenge, Violence, and Passions gets blindsided by the innocent little filly who hasn't got a mean bone in her body and is being driven by faith in us. How did I not see that.

I breath a thick cloud of smoke around the two of us her tornado sucked up. Okay, meditation books…clear your mind, Spike…don't think of your passions, don't think of your anger, and let your instinct to protect Rarity and the others guide you while your predatory instinct keeps track of Rancor…

She stops her tornado.

She flies up fast…and I put my tail out, letting her clothes line herself with her own momentum. Doesn't hurt her. But got to get her frustrated so she'll bite.

A few times I come up behind her and tap her on the shoulder, then vanish. I use more smoke to keep myself hidden. I feel my Element of Generosity pulse with power, helping me keep focused and use every part of me.

I zoomed off back towards the castle again, guided by my instinct to protect my friends while I keep my passions suppressed. After being halfway there, I let my mind unclear and my passions come to the forefront. Far enough away to make her panic and not see my plan coming, but close enough that she won't go after the others.

I zoomed off back towards the castle again. Rancor of course teleported behind me and caught me by the tail, this time I broke with my wings and momentum did the rest for me slamming her into my spines (glad I thought to have Applejack and Rarity regenerate those for me).

"YEOW!!!" With my unwanted luggage I flew straight for the castle and began to dig out my greatest treasure of all.

++++

"There is no Pinkie Pie, Twilight! It took hundreds of years, but I joined the other pieces of my fragmented psyche back together! I cleansed myself! I am only Anger!"

"If that's true you wouldn't treat your students like family!"

"They are family!"

"And what part of that is anger and hate?"

"You make my head hurt!"

"It's Discord's taint making your head hurt! It's not letting you realize-"

"Blah!Blah!Blah!"

Angry Pie threw bundles of dynamite, came down with jackhammers, never being in the same place for long as I fired torrents of fire, ice, thunder, where I thought she was or where she'd be but she always seemed to second-double guess me. I was able, in turn, to teleport around and bring up barriers to deflect her offense.

"How are you doing this, Pinkie?! There's no way you'd hide the fact that you could still do all your old tricks! All those times I saw your fighting alongside your foals! You fought Grogar with Little Hex! You'd never hold back if you really felt anything for your children!"

Angry Pie held up a stop sign, then threw it at me, I caught and threw it back at her, which she dodged of course. "I barely understand it myself. I think it's because I've never been this calm before. I've never kept their names active in my mind all at once before. It's like... now that they're all together, they've given me new strength."

"No, Pinkie, do you know what your real strength is? Making others happy makes you happy! What you wanted more than anything was for your foals to be happy! It's the real you, crying out from inside!"

She stuffed pop-rocks into a soda-can and kicked it in my general direction. Four of my legs were caught in bear-traps, I teleport WITH them, avoiding the bomb.

"Typical, because I don't fit your definition of 'me' that means I'm not a 'me' at all! My family was the same way!" Pickaxes arced towards me like water from an angry gray fountain, I caught them with my magic easily. When I was hit by the Molotov cocktail from behind, I realized it was a diversion. Angry Pie never used diversions! I screamed, stopped, dropped, and rolled, right onto a incendiary land mine.

"YOU be on fire, for once! Sorry, Powder Cake, I know you never liked land mines."

I was no hippogriff, but I could still summon a nice rainstorm, ick! Oil?! She's smarter than she looks! This wasn't like her at all! What happened to her?!

"So how does it feel to be burning, Twilight? To suffer for somepony else's amusement? Feeling belittled? Hurt? Humiliated? Angry?"

"Is that how the taint tells you how to justify your anger? Is that how it keeps you from thinking? By convincing you that you're the world's only victim?"

"Don't you dare insult my foals. I protected them from this mocking world."

"And that's how the taint lets you live with yourself, Pinkie Pie. That's the logic it feeds you, so you can feel like you're the good pony while you slaughter millions. Tell me, how many foals have you killed? Because they were ticklish? Because they told jokes? How many were teased and made to laugh at their own pain by bullies? How many? But once in a blue moon, some lucky foal slips through the cracks of your murderous narrow-mindedness. Either you let them off with a warning... or you adopt them."

Between blinks she was right next to me. She punched me in the back, breaking it. I lifted her up with my telekinesis, away from my horn.

"You think I love my foals because I feel guilty?! I'm giving all you chortling monsters what you deserve! I don't adopt my students on a whim! I'm not Discord! I adopt them because they see the world for what it is! One bastard pony tried to bargain for his life with me, offering up a filly he'd had been abusing, trying to get me to kill her instead! I gave him what he deserved! And I gave her a home!"

"I'm not saying that was WRONG! THINK, Pinkie Pie!" I pleaded. "All I'm saying is: just because you see a pony's laughing on the outside, doesn't automatically mean she isn't crying on the inside!"

(Will you wake up?! Your therapy isn't working! Take her out before she does the same to you and all your friends!)

She's my friend!

(Pinkie Pie was your friend! This mad mare has killed how many? Idiot! Would Pinkie Pie do that? She's no better than Discord or Fluttercruel!)

She's just confused and hurt! Just like we were!

(Tell that to her victims.)

"What are you doing?! Monologuing to yourself? You think I can't tell when a pony isn't hurting inside? I've always-always, Agh!"

"That's it! Think! The Pinkie Pie from a thousand years ago was never a jerk-donkey!"

"I'm not a jerk-donkey! You're all jerk-donkeys! And that's racist!"

"Now that's the Pinkie I know." She fought like a wild cat suspended by my telekinesis. If she couldn't be the Element of Laughter again, I could at least bring HER back to reality. I didn't CARE About the Element of Laughter, I cared about her!

"Will you shut it! Pinkie was treated like a retarded foal by everypony around her! Humored at best, tolerated in fair weather, and ignored when the 'grownups' have important things to do! Even after I saw the truth, you kept laughing! Everypony just keeps laughing because they think its funny whenever I'm hurt! You pigs!"

The ground began to shake? What? Pieces of junk and debris and trinkets from the roof of the battle where Rarity and Cruel had been fighting began to trickle into the garden.

"Pinkie-"

"Shut up. I'm not a thing. I'm not a joke. I'm not an animal. I'm not a toy. I'm not a weapon. I'm not a tool. I'm not a pet. I'm not a foal. I am Angry Pie!"

The entire garden and castle walls were shaking now.

"You think I'm a riot when I get hurt? When I cry? You bullies! WELL LAUGH THIS OFF!" I actually lost my balance lost my line of sight of her for a moment.

That moment was all she needed as she cheated the laws of spacial relations and kicked me in the horn. It was like a freight train had stampeded into it. She land on four hooves, and my own horn throbbed like it had almost broken off.

"THAT was for saying I didn't love my foals!"

"I never said that! I said the taint won't let you see you've been cherry-picking!"

"Huh? I grew up on a rock farm, not a cherry farm, AGH! What would you know, you've never been a mother! You've never even had any brothers or sisters!"

"Wrong, Pinkie. I have Spike, he's my brother and my foal. He was one of the few things I was able to feel ANYTHING for, through Discord's taint. Apple Pie is like a little sister to me! As the adopted mother of so many, you know better than anypony that family isn't just about blood. You guys are my family. I'll never give up on saving you."

"...And it's for my family that you need to die, Twilight."

++++

Maybe then. The mocking laughs will finally stop.

(Ha. Ha. Ha. That's a real rib-tickler, you worthless animal.)

We'll see about that! With all my foals together, maybe we'll finally be free of this Pony Hell!

++++

She set off a flash grenade. I saw her and fired triplet shot of ice, lightning, and fire. She split open like papier mâché. The piñata of her was filled with gunpowder, shrapnel and plushies of me. The explosion left the place a wreck and my body painfully regenerating.

I conjured self-replicating crystals and fired a laser into them that reflected a dozen times, the lasers skewered her body and bloodlessly sliced off her repaired leg. She, just, kept, going! She took out a mirror from nowhere and deflected the laser at me I ended the spell at once.

She kicked all the crystals back at me like a flurry of afterimages, I caught them with my magic, but I didn't catch the round-black cartoonish bomb she thew in my face a second later.

Her speed was amazing. All her rage was still there. But it was focused like a laser. Like she had gone over to the other side, her rage reaching the point where she had entered a zen like state, like Rarity. I was scared.

I caused the water in the pound to crash and encase her, no matter which way she ran. She began to lose breath, and she drank it up ballooning out in the process. I forced myself not to laugh at the sight. I froze the water inside her, leaving her with a giant rock inside her. She took out a hammer and struck herself, I heard shattering and she shrank to normal.

I animated the plants to try and eat her, maybe if I could use my magic on her Element of Chaos directly maybe I could cure her! Or use some variation of the Memory Spell. Something! Anything!

She took out a pair of pruning sheers, I pulled them out of her grasp. She took out a bottle of weed killer from Celestia knows where, and I pulled that away too, but she grasped the cap with her teeth and pulled it open, spraying it on herself and everywhere, and the plants weren't immortal. I cringed, thinking of mom and dad.

She threw a giant jar of glue at me, I didn't try to catch it this time and teleported out of the way. I then PUSHED it with all my might, making it shatter on impact with her and sending her straight through a wall! The wall behind me shattered at the same instant and the glue covered Angry Pie collided with me.

Using the extra force of the impact she, ugh, no she couldn't have. I felt the my rib cage broken, and I felt her hooves around my very being and felt it, myself, pulled out of me!

(No!)

I grabbed myself with my magic to pull me back inside, her muscles bulged as she tried to pull back. Then two strong hooves with the force of mountains broke my horn off. She kicked jump off me. I wasn't healing.

"This and your horn gone shouldn't reduce your magic more than say, ninety-nine percent?" She said darkly. I watched her crush my horn's broken off half under her restored hoof.

(You have to try!)

I brute forced my telekinesis with what I had left of my horn, going for the black jewel she had in her hooves, she pulled back, she was being dragged to me, but I was bleeding horribly, and I felt myself become weaker and weaker, she kicked dirt in my face, breaking our tug-of-war.

I looked her in the eyes in shock. She sighed before she grunted and grabbed her head and looking back at me.

"Not every day you see your 'heart' is it? Not that we have any." She said, she wasn't speaking sadistically, almost, matter-of-fact! "You were really pouring the magic out, it's happening already."

What's happening? I noticed my mane's colors were fading. This wasn't the gray whitewash of Discord's magic, this reminded of... Granny Smith.

My joints ached. I felt my muscles wear out.

Angry Pie sat down in front of me, she turned over the Element of in her hooves. She didn't look happy or triumphant.

"Pinkie Pie . . . please." I saw wrinkles on my legs, my body sagged.

"Look at you now." She held up a mirror. I gasped. After one thousand years, I looked old. Seeing hundreds of ponies from babies, to foals, to adults, to elderly, and finally dust. But why? Why was this happening? Why should time speed up for me to make up for lost time? I didn't make any sense! Rivers didn't teleport to the ocean when a dam broke! "I guess this makes you Half-Light Dusk now, eh?"

She held the Element of Chaos in front of me. "Want this back, Dusk? Sorry. I'll be needing this." She cleaned it off with a handkerchief and with a bit of string wore it like a necklace. I tried to use my telekinesis to move it, but my head ached from the effort, my heart rate fluttered.

"Pin-kie-Pie, please-"

She looked deeply at my Element, myself, as if she was having a silent conversation with it. She looked up at me, I couldn't tell what her emotions were like.

"I see. I understand. I get it now." Angry Pie put down a soapbox and sat on top of it. I felt the years passing. "Magic is both Tragedy and Friendship. It's one Element. You don't have a 'spare' to keep you alive if you lose one, unlike your friends. And here's something I've learned over these thousand years. We started out as mortal ponies, Twilight. We heal from anything instantly with no effort on our part. The only way this could work IS with permanent magic, if it was instantaneous magic, we'd just be ageless. Instead we're unkillable, well, almost. And permanent magic, unlike instantaneous magic, can be removed. Once all my foals are with me I'll have no reason to be angry, I'll be needing this to keep them safe. Thank you."

"Please Pinkie, you don't have to do this. The tainting is making you think you have to. It's blinding you."

"Then I'm thankful it has. Otherwise I'd still be blind to lies I kept telling myself so I wouldn't have to face reality. I'm going to make sure each of your friends suffer like I have before they die, including that filly, does that make you want to laugh like when you saw me suffer? No? THINK about that with whatever time you have left."

(Get up! Get up! Get up! Get up! You command the body!)

"Being angry isn't a sin, but this won't get you what you want. One question, it involves Apple Pie…Have I ever hurt one of YOUR foals?"

She stopped and looked at me. Sadly? Regretfully? "So you really don't remember that night."

The shock left a sharp pain in my chest.

She took Smarty Pants from where she likely kept everything and placed it right next to me. "Goodbye, Half-Light Dusk." And she was gone.

(AN: Music Water Crown, Digital Devil Saga)

She left the mirror behind. I saw my face. The pony I was supposed to have become nine hundred years ago. And still going. I remembered the light blue unicorn . . . Trixie. We looked so similar now. But it was like she had found peace at the end I think. I turned my heavy head to one corner of the inner garden. A slab of stone, engraved with her cutie mark.

Trixie. It seems I'll be with you soon. I'm sorry I couldn't save you. Smarty Pants, I'm sorry I couldn't give you life again. Spike, I've lived longer than I was supposed to, I'm happy to see you've grown into a hero. Mom, Dad, watch the others. Apple Pie, you saved me, I have no regrets with you. Fluttershy, I'm sorry I couldn't save you. Minty, I'm sorry I couldn't save Pinkie Pie, I really tried, I did, I'm sorry. Rainbow Dash, please make the right choice. Rarity, Applejack, Derpy, looks like you may have to carry on without me.

(YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO GIVE UP! Not while Discord still lives! Not while your friends are fighting for you!)

I couldn't help but feel betrayed…maybe there really was nothing of Pinkie Pie left. But I'm so tired. I need to rest.

(You can rest later! Not now! You can't go to sleep now!)

I push myself up with as much force as I could, I gently pick up Smarty Pants with my mouth and put her on my back, no matter how heavy she feels. I could sure use a nap. Just, lay down and rest.

Pinkie, no, Angry Pie, she was going to kill all of them, and it was all my fault. I read once a farmer found a cockatrice in his field freezing, he hugged and warmed it, in return, it turned him to stone.

This is no more and no less than the price I owe for my mistakes. I'm only sorry my friends have to pay it too.

I begin to trot toward Trixie's grave. I'd like to take my nap next to her. One inch at a time. Heh. One hoof fall at a time right? Isn't that how life is? To the very

. . . end.

Episode 96: (Dark World) The Real Hoof Blues

My Little Pony: Friendship of Magic Friendship
Pony POV Series
Dark World Part 21
The Dreaded Next Scene Of the Big Knot
"The Real Hoof Blues"

Spike dug the rubble away like a dog. He didn't know where Rancor had gotten to, but he could keep an eye on AJ, Derpy, and Apple Pie from here. Even though Rancor had been very specific about who she wanted to fight, he wasn't going to 'assume' anything about Discord's sister. He glanced over at them again.

"AT LAST!" AJ declared covered in sweat, immortality didn't do much for exhaustion. But at least it was done. That's all that mattered. And at least she knew now she could heal severe injuries singlehoofedly, even if it was harder than herding cattle through a thunderstorm.

Derpy had the right number of hollow bones again and without hesitation flew to help Spike.

"Ah'm gonna help too!" Apple Pie said good as new.

"No."

"What?"

"Ah can't risk ya goin' toe ta toe with them monsters. Yer voice is the best weapon ya got, and ya don't need to be in clawin' distance fer it to work."

"What? You know I can help!"

"And you aren't gonna help if ya pretend yer immortal!" Applejack looked at the hurt expression on her little niece's face. "...Apple Pie...look...the Valeyard? He was flesh and blood. Yah could kick him in the face and he'd feel it. It was dangerous, but yah could still hurt him. There ain't nothin' yah can do ta hurt Rancor, Spike figured out a way, but he's got the muscles ta pull it off. Take it from me...don't write a check your legs can't cash."

Apple Pie settled. "But...how am Ah suppose ta help?"

"Yer whole logic bomb thingie might be useful on Pinkie Pie and Fluttercruel. But both of 'em are too dangerous for yah to take head-on. And Apple Pie... don't stop thinking positive. Yah keep our hope alive."

"I'll try to bust through!" Derpy offered.

"No!" Spike shouted, "You go help Twilight! I've got this!"

"Got it!" Derpy didn't even hesitate and flew towards the castle's inner meadow.

"Now where's miss Draconequus-Sue gotten off to?"

"I activate my trap card! Reflecting your attack right back at you!"

"HA! I activate my trap card! Negating the attack!"

"That's just what I wanted you to do! Now I can summon this!"

Rancor gave herself a pat on the back. Teleporting to the other side of the world, and soaking up the passionate vengeful fights between two rivals in Neighpon made a good quick recharge after doing an impression of Swiss Cheese after landing on Spike's spikes.

"Friendship: The Gathering," She chuckled. Anarchy's right. Mortals will get revved up over anything. Look, mom! No more holes!"

She took one more look at her brother's handiwork. Reminded her more of Pandora's style. The giant monsters weren't even fighting and the little pony shape slime-things kept trying to hug her!

She really had to get back now before those ponies managed anything.

Spike was surprised to hear somepony else digging up from inside the collapsed hole in the tower's roof, he immediately focused on that spot. He detected the faint trace of her wonderful scent. With a speed that made moles envious, he was soon looking into her beautiful eyes.

"Rarity!" He plucked her out of the hole and hugged her with all his might.

"Spike," Rarity replied warmly.

Spike looked about cautiously. "Where's Fluttercruel?"

"I took her Element of Chaos," Rarity said in the most even, concise voice possible.

"Oh." It was almost funny, he knew their chances of saving all the old gang were about zero, and he knew Fluttercruel was just Discord's spawn child wearing Fluttershy's skin. But it was still shocking that his Rarity had done the deed. "Well... ding, dong, the witch is dead. Right?"

"Indeed. Where's the Draconequus?" Rarity asked, likewise looking around.

"I don't-"

"Hey! Agalmatophiliac! I challenge you for the dragon!" Came Rancor's sporting voice from behind.

Rarity glared over Spike's shoulder. "Forget it patchwork-girl! He's mine!"

"So you accept my challenge!"

"That isn't what I-" Rarity looked around, "Spike, where's Derpy and Twilight?"

"Angry pulled away Twilight for one-on-one soon after 'Cruel did the same with you. I asked Derpy to help her."

With a sound not unlike that of a ballistic missile Derpy's form was shot into Spike with the force of a cannonball, making him drop Rarity.

"Welcome back," Rancor said in the direction Derpy had been shot from.

In the twilight light, Angry Pie stood on her hind legs, looking deadly serious, but without any of her normal animal rage. Around her neck was a six-pointed black jewel. "One down. Five to go." The pink pony breathed.

Everypony gasped. Spike's heart skipped a beat, and he turned towards his team's two truth detectors.

"Rarity! AJ! She's lying isn't she?!" 'No...p-please no...not her...please...' He'd just got her back after a thousand years...he couldn't lose her, not again.

"No," Rarity said lowering her head to the ground. "She isn't."

++++

No...No...please...not her...not Twilight...I...I should've gone after her instead...Rarity had Fluttercruel finished before I even got there. I should've known she'd handle it! I should've gone after Twilight! I should've known!

I...I should've known, Twilight, I wasn't... wasn't trying to choose between family and romance, I wanted to save you both, I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...

I looked up at her pink killer, tears blurring my vision. The butcher who had murdered the pony trying to help her!

++++

Spike's rage erupted like a volcano. His roar left everypony's ear ringing. He stomped forward, teeth bared, his body language showing every intention of eating me. Rarigreed stopped him with one hoof gently in his way.

"Twilight's gone?" She asked me evenly.

"Gone forever." I fully expected Rarigreed to shift to into a killing state for that. So of course the world plays a joke on me and she doesn't.

"Spike, if you love Twilight, don't eat Pinkie."

"I wasn't going to EAT her," Spike growled. "Fluttercruel always regenerated inside their stomaches when dragons ate her, and carved her way out. No... I'll chew her up, not swallowing and sift those out Elements from her body, like bits of eggshell from an omelet. Then I'd spit her pulpy remnants onto the ground like the ugly thing she is, and give the Elements to you, Rarity."

"What... charming imagery. But while I would like those Elements of Chaos, Twilight wanted Pinkie saved. Please, Spike... think of Twilight."

It was asking a lot of Spike... but he held back from attacking me.

"Although, Pinkie... we will be needing Twilight's Element of Magic to free the world from Discord. Please hoof it over, and stand aside. I won't force you to fight alongside us, but you needn't fight against us."

"Oh, brother! You expect me to believe you're not angry, Miss Iceberg? I can smell it on you!"

"Oh, I'm furious! And sad. But the cruel truth is that Twilight's right. You are just lost in the fog. Discord's taint of chaos has you trapped and blinded. And I certainly didn't emerge from my fog without a fight. So I'd be a hypocrite to condemn you to death."

She's making a joke out of me. But my attention was suddenly drawn to the two Earth ponies: Liarjack and Apple Pie. The filly's eyes were welling with tears fast.

"Half-Light." I see her teeth clench. I feel it, the spark. That's it, little filly, that's right, little Element of Laughter, let those tears turn to rage... unless you get mad, life will just walk all over you and those you love.

But Liarjack cuddled her, softly whispering her usual lies in the young one's ear I can't hear from here. And that tiny spark of rage vanishes! Count on a liar to protect such a giant lie as Laughter. What lies did she feed her?! Poor filly lost in the fog.

UGH! I-I promised Discord I'd kill her, no, he promised to bring back my foals if she and the others were dead. No, he said if the rogue Elements were 'eliminated' he lives for stupid semantics. So you, LJ, selfishly want her to remain in the role of Laughter so I still need to-. Wait. Ugh! Wait! I -want- to kill her because she laughed at me! Right! But if she's seen how vicious the world is, does that made up for it? UGH! Can't think! Focus, Angry! What did it take to make these jerks see red?! Fluttercruel had merely needed to share her life story, and they were up in arms! Eh? Speaking of which...

"Where IS Fluttercruel?"

"I killed her and took her Element of Cruelty for myself."

" . . . stupid brat, getting herself killed. Discord doesn't have any right to be called a father."

+++

And with those ten words, Angry Pie had damaged Discord deeper than any other being in ten centuries had with magic swords or atomic cannons. Discord almost laughed. If anypony else had spoken, he'd have shrugged it off. Now he just felt so... tired. Uninspired. Funny how that worked.

+++

Discord's sister pulled out a little black book with Chaos and Harmony symbols on it.

"You don't think you've lost, even with your Bearer of Element of Magic out of the game. Hmmm. So you must have figured out the special trait to the Element of Greed, excuse me, 'Desire'. Or you're just putting on a brave face for your team. Either way, kudos."

"Quiet you." Greedity said sternly. Rancor complied. Some Spirit of Violence.

"I'm sorry, Twilight." Ditzy got up, shaking her head. "I was so focused on Discord's sister I didn't come for you sooner. I'm sorry. I failed. . . . I won't fail everypony else."

"You mad?" I asked icily.

Ditzy looked at me, defiantly. "I spent hundreds of years being angry at Discord! It didn't change anything!"

"Anger is the only way to change things. Turn around and go back to your foal. Be loyal to her, Element of Loyalty. I don't want to fight you."

"I CAN'T. Sparkler's still waiting for me up ahead. And I don't want to have to look Dinky in the eyes and tell her I betrayed the world for her sake!"

"Understood. I won't mock you by asking you to abandon your foal."

Truth be told, I was starting to feel a little anxiety. For all my power, there was no getting around the fact that I was outnumbered. Even if Discord's distractible sister spontaneously decides to fight with me to the bitter end, (yeah, fat chance) the odds aren't looking good for me.

Twilight's clinging to the past got her killed, guess we're a bit alike after all. Our friends, UGH, her friends probably aren't going to make her mistake.

Pound, Pumpkin, Powder, Firecracker, all of you. One of you alone could calm my anger. All of you together in my heart. . . UGH! Element of Magic, give me your power from the bonds between my foals and me. UGH!

"My magic, real magic, comes from within. It's a skill you're born with. Curses are artificial, fake magic. It's conjured with potions and incantations; all smoke and mirrors meant to scare. But curses have no real power, they're just an old pony tale."

Ugh! Is that particular sorry back-uped memory so strong, Element of Magic? Twilight, did you really believed unicorn magic was the only 'real' magic to the end? Or did you eventually wake up and pull your head out of your flanks? I'd always encouraged my foals not to be tied down by their species.

"Huge! For one thing, ahem, magic is something you study and practice. It only happens when you decide to do it, and it's meant to make something specific that you choose to happen, happen. With you, uh, it makes no sense at all!"

Yeah, you really know your stuff. Rarity's gem-locating magic had turned on by itself for the first time completely without her say-so; yeah, real good show of command. I had to raise Pound and Pumpkin from diapers, I had protect them from their own magic going wild!

You were arrogant, Twilight Sparkle. The strongest magic I've ever seen? It didn't come from 'within.' And it wasn't something I was born with. And it wasn't something I ever planned to happen. It existed between my foals and I. It grew between us!

Just like-UGH!-I thought-AGH!-it was-ERG!-between-AGH! Us in Ponyville? Stupid headaches! I feel sick. Feels like I'm gorging turnip, asparagus, and brussels sprouts all at once! This Element of Magic is just... so.... difficult!

My foals please! Give me strength just for a while longer. I don't need to see you to know you're there! Thinking of you all together... quells the wildfire inside me, it's dimming. Element of Magic, fill the void just for a little while.

Oh, BUCK! I completely zoned out! Huh? Idiots! Why're they all just standing around quietly, watching me with such stupid looks on their faces?!

"Discord!" I shouted. Nothing. I screamed louder, "I need to know! Your oath for my foals is on your family or whatever, right?! Completely, utterly unbreakable promise, right?!"

One of the stone panels on the wall transmogrified into a PA speaker.

" . . . yes."

Then the speaker transformed back. I had never heard Discord sound like that. I had no clue how to describe it. Not bored, not gleeful, not happy, not angry, he sounded . . . UGH! Why did it make me think of straight hair?!

URG! Feels like my insides want to become my outsides. Have to do this quick like in Samurai movies! Let's hope Twilight's Element of Magic doesn't go Valeyard and turn me into a copy of Twilight! Against so many tough enemies, I need the extra boost of power, but I won't let it devour me!

"Hey, uh... Pinkie?" Spike asked. "What 'oath' are you talking about?"

"None of your beeswax." I snapped.

"Looks like you're going to need some help. Want some?" The monster's sister asks.

"Yes. Please. Keep as many off me as you can."

The jerks look surprised I accepted help. I'm not worried. Discord never said I had to be the one who killed them. I don't know which ones Rancor will want to fight. They're all used to me fighting at close range. Ditzy will probably use her weather magic. Rarigreed might try Twilight's trick and keep me glued in the air. LJ and the filly are still on the ground rather than the castle roof, watch out for illusions and paradoxes. I'd rather not try to take on Spike until last. He's not like other dragons. Gonna havta wing it. Ugh. Keep focused. They're expecting you to be a berserker bear. Watch out for surprise attacks. Can't rely on Discord's sister to watch your back.

Okay. Pound, Pumpkin, Here we go.

(AN: Real Folk Blues, Cowboy Bebop)

I begin by firing a giant cream pie from a catapult right at Spike. He's hit dead center and goes flying with a responding splat. As Rarigreed's head turns in his direction, I slipped right next to her with a brass knuckle. She's forced to show her new ace and cuts her foreleg with a thin diamond blade. The blood transforms into a mare-long diamond scimitar which she swings at me.

Everything turns brownish and grainy.

I catch the blade between both hooves.

I hear a Neighponese theater call followed by the thunk of a deer scarer. A kanji symbol appears in the corner of my vision for one moment.

Colors return to normal and Ditzy tries to blindside me. I force the tip of Rarigreed's scimitar right into her flight path. She pulls up just soon enough to keep from being impaled in the head but not from getting stabbed in the stomach. Her pegasus instincts take over and she flaps backwards madly. I force down Rarigreed's blade. She uses telekinesis to lift it up, I use it as a springboard.

The world slows down as a I make a swan pose to keep balance as I kick her upwards in the jaw, time freezes for an instant before I kick her on her back.

Time goes back to normal. I feel like an invisible knife in my chest, but it isn't one of LJ's illusions. I force my body to go forward.

(AN: Kirby TV Channel - Main Theme)

"Did you see that, Brad?" Said the grinning stallion in the suit behind a desk.

"I certainly did, Tim! A smashing opening play! How about you, Couch?" Said another stallion, both speaking with the peppiness of used carriage salesponies.

'Couch' was a obscenely old pegasus, blind in one eye. He began to draw x's and o's on the screen behind him. He mumbled, "What you got here, is a total offense strike and a total defensive breakdown, that's what you got here totally, for a winning strategy ya gotta go for the gold, like my old maid said. Now what my ex-wife used to say was-"

"Good, Couch!" Grinned Brad like his mouth was glued that way.

"So, Tim would you say this was a totally crowning moment of awesome?"

"Totally, Brad! Totally! Let give 'er one!"

They then trotted off set and hoofed me a nice gold awesome crown.

Where did my crown go? Didn't matter. Was this what doing mushrooms felt like?

(AN: Devil Survivor 2 - Septentrion)

Spike kicked the cream pie off himself. Rancor flew towards him. Spike got in a judo pose. Rancor took a rigid draconequus shaped suit of armor out of nowhere, steely covered in spikes and with a little tag that read 'From Anarchy to Rancor.' She threw it straight at Spike and it stuck like a caltrop. Spike just grunted.

Then, from out of subspace, Rancor pulled a giant book titled 'Every Fairy Tale Ever: By Pandemonium 'Pandora' Desire Typhon,' looking ready to swat Spike with it.

I never saw Greedity move so fast, amplifying her gallop with telekinesis. Ditzy came up below and gave her a boost too. Rarigreed threw several diamond throwing-stars at Rancor, again boosting them with her magic. They didn't hurt Rancor, but it did throw off her swing, and the book missed Spike entirely.

Spike flew to catch Rarigreed, and she climbed on his back. "She's Violence, itself! You can't harm her directly! Try some kind of INDIRECT attack, or trick her into attacking herself somehow!"

"Crystal clear!" Rarigreed bit her fetlock and created a diamond shield for herself.

"Why do 'heroes' always think they're the only ones who can adapt their move-set?" Rancor sighed, "It's a shame. I really do love your music, but family comes first."

Then she dove BELOW Spike and Rarigreed and used her back claw to draw in the dirt. That crazy red glow barrier of hers rose up behind her as she tried to capture Spike like a fly. Rarigreed jumped off Spike, and slammed her shield into Rancor's face, knocking the mess of animal parts back towards her own barrier, but Rancor passed through it like it was hologram.

"My barrier didn't hurt me when I left you with the Valeyard!" Rancor jeered, thumping its surface. "Remember?"

Rarigreed clapped her hooves together as she landed on the checkered ground. The ground closed around Rancor like a bear trap, concealing and immobilizing her. Rancor reappeared behind Rarigreed and impaled her with one claw. "Brilliant, but no good to somequus who can teleport!"

Rarigreed slid off her and her immortality solved the rest, Rancor had missed the Elements in her body. The blood on Rancor's claw turned to heavy platinum and caused her to fall into the ground and bump her head. She grunted in pain from the impact. "Clever pony."

"Gravity isn't your friend, is it, darling?"

"Well I wouldn't say that, he's not such a bad guy."

I was suddenly electrocuted from all directions! LJ's camouflage illusion faded, and I now saw a determined Ditzy standing over me, atop several pink clouds.

Count on Ditzy to be able to stomp lightning out of a chocolate raincloud!

ERGH! I'd gotten so fixated on Spike and Rarigreed's fight with Rancor I forgot to watch myself! One of my foals could've been standing beside me wearing a shirt reading 'I'M WITH STUPID' and I wouldn't be offended.

"You won't lose, Mother!"
"Mommy's invincible!"
"Angry Pie! Angry Pie! Angry Pie! Angry Pie!"
"Keep yer eye on the prize!"

Got to give Rancor credit, by targeting Spike, she compelled Rarigreed to protect her most valued treasure. Incredible how quickly she'd gotten over Tom. Hussy.

At least I didn't have to worry for now about the only pony here with three Elements.

I bring out several party cannons, firing them in all directions, all at once, Ditzy dodges them, but she isn't prepared for the one at point-blank range she's suddenly looking down the barrel of. The impact sends her hurtling onto the castle roof, damaging it badly. I can feel the palace groan in pain.

Ditzy has one thick skull. She just gets drunkenly back up.

UGH! Pain again. No! Focus! Nothing matters if you can just win this! Just open the gates to paradise for your foals! What happens to me doesn't matter!

I close the distance between us in seconds, and drop the world's biggest cinnamon crumb cake muffin on top of Ditzy. She eats her way out of the elephant-sized treat like a Tasmanian devil. Joke's on her: I laced that muffin with poison joke.

Derpy tries to say something: traffic honks erupt from her throat. Her eyes spin in one direction, and she starts cavorting about in what is unmistakably a ballerina's pirouettes, her wings fluttering daintily. She tries to speak again: the car honks from her mouth become the tune of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake.

"So how does it feel?" I asked her, "Being a living, breathing punchline, completely against your will? Sorry. I forgot. You know already: it's your life. But you refuse to ever get angry, Ditzy! You let others use you as a hoofmat! Tell me! How different would your life have been if you stood up for yourself and refused to be their retarded foal?! How can you? How can you just let all the chuckleheads get away with misusing you like that? Grin and take it?"

I put a pink tutu on Ditzy as she tried to arabesque-kick me. "This is how they SEE YOU! Do you think you made your foals HAPPIER, when they watched you be the butt monkey every day?!"

Being unable to speak, Ditzy answered in a bizarre fusion of ballet mime like those seaponies and their opera. I titled my head, struggling to decipher her pantomiming. ?

'My... Actions? Prove. Others. Wrong? Not... Speaking? Not. Hurting? Huh?'

Headache! Head hurts. Chest hurts. My eyes are blurring! No!

"Why, Pinkie Pie? How?! Ah saw it and Ah still don't get it! How'd ya turn from an irritable grump at the beginning inta a rampaging warthog?!"

Liarjack's voice came from several directions at once. I wasted cannon shots on obvious decoys just in case she was trying to double-bluff me. LJ didn't have wings but she could still climb.

"It's not like I kept a journal! How'd Fluttercruel go from dumping water on baby dragons to cannibalism?! How'd Rainbow Dash go from ditching us to being Discord's crybaby hit-mare?! Time marched forward, and we all just slid further down the slippery slope, didn't we?!"

Ditzy kept dancing like a good ballerina.

"I wanted to be taken seriously! I realized nopony would ever do that as long as they kept laughing at me! So I discarded everything that made me seem ridiculous! After all, the laughter everypony enjoys the most is when somepony else is hurt! I hate you! I hate Discord! I hate myself! I hate being angry all the time!"

Uuuuugh! No. Pound. Pumpkin. Firecracker. Hex. Help me keep it together.

"I'm so sorry, Pinkie Pie." Her voice echoed, softly. "Ah kept helping ya justify being angry. Ah thought it was kinder than forcing ya to face the truth of... of all the ponies, ya, ya killed with yer own hooves. Ah lied ta mahself that the easy road was more kind."

"You can do it, Mom!"
"You won't lose!"
"It's alright! We're here with ya!"
"You can take on a million of 'em!"

"I never asked or wanted you approval, Liarjack. My hatred of you and everypony else here doesn't really matter anymore. Unless you're willing to throw away your new Elements of Harmony, you all need to die."

"Why? Time and time again, ya made it clear yer no friend of Discord's! Ya say ya want to be taken serious, but ya ain't makin' a lick of sense!"

"Discord's sworn that once you're history, my foals will come back alive and whole, and get their own private living space, apart from this Tartarus pit! Like the seaponies in Sky Ocean!"

"Sounds like yer fightin' fer the same reason as RD."

"Don't be dense! That coward just wanted to run from her mistakes! I don't give a flying feather about this garbage-heap world! I just want a place my foals and I can be together and happy forever!"

Stupid pain! Focus! Headache. Calm. Pain. Pound. Pumpkin.

"Pinkie Pie, Ah know ya feel all yer foals were good ponies. Let's assume they've all made it ta Pony Heaven. Ain't it selfish to drag 'em all back ta THIS place from PARADISE?"

I throw sewing pins at the surrounding cotton clouds, they begin to rain chocolate milk. I hate chocolate, the headache! Focus! I see the outline with the cowpony hat before she can adjust her illusion. Looks like she's done more than just watch the show while Derpy had her go.

I punch her so hard her jaw is pulverized.

"KA-POW!"

K.O.!

Angry Pie:
Remaining HP: 9000 Pts
Overkill Damage: 999800 Pts
Combos: 5000 Pts
Inner Strength Meter: 100 Pts
Total: 1013900 Pts
Grade: B+
"You're now twenty percent cooler!"

"Not all of us are as huge on death as you!" I tower over her.

This anger feels different somehow. Not bad different but, weird.

"I'm not so fixated on the hereafter that I forget what's happening here and now! I LIVE instead of obsessing on DYING!"

LJ begins to get up. I kick her in the head to keep her focus broken. I begin to impale her legs with some familiar black rods; that hadn't seen action since the days of that vile Queen Cadence. Try regenerating with THOSE through you. You won't be making any illusions so long as those are stuck in your body.

"When I die, it's going to be FOR something! If you're doing nice things just for a pretty payoff at the end of the rainbow, and not suffer some divine penalty, then you're just being selfish! That's what makes me stronger than you! You're weak! You're cowardly!"

" . . . yer takin' a red tomato and callin' it an apple."

"Ah yes. Semantics: what cowardly shysters like you always hide behind."

"Ah've . . . Ah've seen. A great Big Alicorn Guy showed me; no bluff. The warm light at the end... it ain't a payoff, it's a 'welcome home' present. And the other place ain't a 'penalty' for failin' a test score, it's the coldness and loneliness outside that light. And Ah ain't forgot the here and now! Ah'm tryin' to make this world a better place for everyone here! And it ain't WHAT'S waitin' for me! It's WHO'S waitin' for me!"

"Mom, we're here with you! Take 'er down!"
"You have all our power! Crush 'em all!"
"Break 'em!"
"Smash 'em!"
"Pound 'em!"

"Do you hear? My foals are calling to me." I ask LJ. What was with that weird look she gave me? Aren't her ears working?

"Honesty led to feelings being hurt, but being Kind led to Twilight dying. There is nothing left for you in this world, Liarjack. Unless I'm wrong." Her lip quivered. She couldn't think of a good lie. "Get rid of kindness LJ, how can something that killed a friend be good?"

"N-no," she whispered, she'd inch away if she could.

"Is it for spite? Because I'm the one who killed Twilight?"

"Please! No! Ah don't wanna be touched by Discord again!" She said fearfully.

"That so? If you're not hating me like the rest because of Discord, instead of Twilight, then you really are just selfish."

"P-please Pinkie! It ain't-"

"I'm sorry. It's time to lay down with the dust."

And then a new voice speaks up.

"Ya... Ya know, Auntie, ya... ya say ya wanna be taken serious but yer so angry ALL the time! You say ya wanna be yer own mare, but ya let Giant Polka Pants Discord set the score and call the shots. Ya say Saint Auntie is dumb fer talkin' about Pony Heaven, but yer fightin' ta make a Pony Heaven for yer . . . for yer foals . . . All kindsa contrary! And if it's all contrary, how are ya gonna get anypony ta . . . take ya seriously?"

The filly. On the roof. She's sad. Her legs are shaking like leafs. But she's still laughing! It's faint, but it's still there. That hashes it. Brat's signed her death warrant. Ugh...why does what she said make my head spin? Don't think about it! That's how her powers work, ignore it! Don't be like the zombies! Uhhh.... So... SPINNY... my aching HEAD...

"Apple Pie. Run," Liarjack begs, still pinned and helpless.

She laughed. SHE LAUGHED AT ME!... She laughed at herself? No that makes no sense! Kill her! Confusion! Headache! Kill'er!

"Ah ain't running. Not from you, or from Aunt Angry Pie. Ah'm here for ya both!" She looked at me, as my world spins. "Half-Light... she wanted to save ya! Large Stripped Shoe Discord -made- ya all act this way! Ah bet he was even mind controllin' Fluttercruel too!" She was crying. "An', it ain't right ta just ignore Half-Light's wishes, just cause she ain't here. She wanted to save yah!"

"That kind of saving is called 'brainwashing'," I tell'er.

Rarigreed and Spike fly to the rescue, Rancor puts up her barrier between us. Thank you-. Then the two make a beeline for the inner garden; BAM! Another barrier. -Very much. Ditzy dances in my way, I toss a rose off the roof, the poison joke makes her leap off and catch it in her teeth, I clap and she bows in midair, before taking a long plunge down.

The filly exploits my distraction to help Liarjack. She does a better job than she did on Traitor Dash's chains, only one still pins her down by the time I'm back. Not that being free is going to matter. Those pillars should've drained her dry. By the time her Element has a chance to recharge enough, I'll have finished the job.

LJ grins as I thunder towards her, "Ah've always been laughin' at ya on the inside. It's silly how ya act like a five year old throwin' a tantrum."

I'll kill her! Wait! "Was that lying? Telling the truth? AGH!" The headache again. "I'm taking your Element next. Then your ghostly residue or whatever can keep Twilight's company."

"Yer not who Ah'm gonna give it to."

"Buck your mumbo jumbo!"

LJ smiled. "Now whose bein' pig-headed about things outside their personal 'What-Is-And-What-Isn't-Land?'"

"I hate being mocked! I hate not being taken seriously! I hate having to see my foals grow old and die one by one! I hate always having something to be hateful about!" No. No. No. Hold it together. The headaches. Worse than ever.

I need to place a ring of landmines around them, but I won't be able to focus if the anger's there. Worth the pain.

"Saint Auntie, get goin'!" The filly pulled out the last rod. Still got time, just focus. Forget the mines, I pull out a giant spiked mallet and get ready to swing it down on their heads. "Ah'll keep'er busy!"

"No way!"

"Ah'm sick of watchin' family die! No more!" The look she gives me. I-it...it's like...

***
The dragon held the upside black balloon shaped gem between his claws.
"That was too easy!" The bastard laughed. I couldn't move. "I wonder if you'll taste like cotton candy."

"YOU GIVE THAT BACK!" "Leave our mother alone!" I heard two echoes, a blue spell to keep me stabilized for just a little while a unicorn and a pegasus landed in front of me.

In his giant eyes, I saw Pound and Pumpkin's reflections. And for one moment, I was at peace. 'Cause I knew no force in Equestria was going to stop them from saving me.
***

"Sure, I'll abandon ya in just a tick. AH PROMISED TA APPLEBLOOM TA LOOK AFTER OUR FAMILY! AND IT'S ABOUT TIME AH KEPT IT!" LJ roared.

I felt a wave of fire wash me from behind knocking me over and making me drop the mallet, filly tackles her aunt out of the way, saving both their skins. Guess Spike and Greedity were too much for Discord's sister after all.

"Truer words you have not spoken in a thousand years," Somepony spoke behind us. I turned one eye behind me confused. I got hit by a giant fireball again, LJ used herself as a shield for the filly. Then I see who it is.

No. It's honestly, really, truly, sincerely not fair. It's just cheating! Please! My foals!

"I RIPPED OUT YOUR ELEMENT OF CHAOS! YOU SHOULD HAVE AGED INTO DUST BY NOW!"

"What do you know, turns out I came across a spare." On her chest was a magic wand shaped scar, patched from another pony's hide. There was dirt on her hooves and belly. She was again the age when Discord broke the world

"Magica," The filly gasped, looking at Twilight's horn. "Half-Light. HALFLIGHT!HALFLIGHTHALIGHT! HAHAHAH!" She cheered.

"TWILIGHT!!!" LJ called out hopping for joy. "YER ALIVE!!!!"

On her forehead, her horn was back and had a white and purple spiral to it. That horn. No way! I recognized it! It was from... Fluttercruel's necklace?!

A bigger fireball.

"TWILIGHT!" Rarigreed and Spike called out, bowling over Rancor in the air to reach her.

"Darling, it's you! You're okay! YOU'RE OKAY!!" Rarity cried.

A blue-hot fireball.

"THANK CELESTIA! THANK LUNA! THANK EVERYTHING!!" Spike's voice echoed.

I swear I heard Ditzy laugh. That made me angrier, I couldn't concentrate! Another fireball! I regenerate, but my body-AH!-the pain doesn't go away!

Twilight responds to none of them. Was...was her mane starting to smoke? "You said the Element of Chaos have made us unkillable! But I'd like to see if that's true!" My entire body froze and then shattered. I regenerated.

"Limited can't become unlimited right? We were changed, not completely remade. Magic's energy is self replenishing but not limitless."

Huh? Whatever she said sounded too 'quantum physics' for me to keep up with. The important thing was that I felt a tugging in my stomach, suddenly I was pulled from the outside in, every bone, organ and nerve pulled into a infinitely small black darkness. Every atom of my body was crushed into nothing. With super-equine effort, I crawled my way out. I felt my own Element of Anger CRACK in several places.

"So let's see, how many times do you need to be obliterated before yours run out?!"

This wasn't just anger...this was...this went DEEPER than hate... I thudded on the rooftop. The necklace I'd made for the Element of Magic for snapped apart, the Element, itself, rolling off to one side, momentarily forgotten.

Was this . . . was this really Twilight? This, this is what I wanted right? She's taking me seriously, right? No, she was trying her hardest before, right? But what is, what is . . . hard to think.

She turns my body completely into taffy, but without a soul-binding matrix, I die instantly, my Element regenerates my body and brain from nothing again.

"SO TELL ME! DO YOU HEAR ANY OF US LAUGHING, ANGRY PIE?! DO YOU!? DO YOU THINK WHAT FLUTTERCRUEL'S DONE TO OTHERS IS FUNNY? You whine and say you're hurt?! How many have you hurt?! HOW MANY DID YOU HELP CRUEL HURT?! HOW OFTEN DID YOU JUST STAND BY WATCHING APATHETICALLY AS SHE LAUGHED AT THEM!? How many CRIED BEGGING FOR HELP!? GIVE ME A NUMBER, YOU FILTHY HYPOCRITE!"

The others. They all look . . . scared of her.

Fireball again. It's like it's alive, it wants to eat me. She teleports me a fraction of an inch with my atoms slightly out of phase, I explode. Regenerate from nothing again. But the burning feelings, they just . . . they just keep . . .piling up.

What are . . . are those tiny long black hands? They're creeping up from the floor, roof, stone, can't think. They're wrapping around Twilight's rear hoofs.

"How does it feel to have your hypocrisy deconstructed?! The worst monsters in history still had families, friends. Fluttercruel claimed to love her father. He acts like he loves her! Does that exonerate you all from the countless lives you've ended in needlessly brutal ways?!"

(Twilight! You're finally getting it!)

She forces air into my lungs until they pop, the roof around me animates and grinds me into paste.

"You've been kind to your children, but butchered other foals, mothers, and fathers. Innocent families. How many children died cursing you name after you killed their parents? You're not a mother! You're just Discord's butcher."

LJ's covering Apple Pie's eyes, she sees anyway. Rarigreed looks horrified. The mighty Spike is trembling. The black threads, they're all over Twilight's front hooves now too. Uuuuuuugh. The pain . . .

"You say no one but your foals care about you?! So all the time I just wasted trying to coax you back from the dark side and repair our broken bonds, the spite I endured from you, the nonstop attacks you heaped on me while I fought my hardest... No. Not just me, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US HERE!!!! That counts for nothing?!"

She lifted me into the air and slammed me into the roof, then back out again.

"Pop quiz, Miss Pie: WHAT do you value most? How do you remember the past? Why do you attack those who will never pose a threat to your foals or laugh at you? Do you know or care what Discord will want from you later?!"

"I... I... I..." I can't think.

"Ha ha ha ha ha! Hilarious answer, class clown, but WRONG! Zero percent! F-minus! Flunked out, you meat-headed dunce!"

Please . . . stop laughing . . please stop laughing. Please.

Leave me alone.

A Gravity spell crushes me flatter than a pancake, luckily my Element of Chaos just survived being pulled into a black hole.

++++

"Pinkie Pie, Nooooooo," Dash moaned in her sleep in lament.

++++

'No...Twilight...s-stop! There has to be a way we can save her...Like we saved the Doctor! Stop it!' Derpy screamed in her head, trying to speak, but only a foghorn noise blared from her throat as she twirled about.

+++++

"You say you want to kill the past! But you're the one who wants to see your foals alive again! The ones you brainwashed into being merciless killing machines!"

"I . . . I never, brainwash-" Incinerated!

LJ is hugging Apple Pie, she's looking at Twilight in tears, both of them.

"Discord's brainwashing was magical, yours was mundane!"

"I never. . . forced . . . any of..."

"Never forced?! Hah! I admit, I really wasn't paying proper attention during my 'Twilight Tragedy' days, so I'll have to imagine myself in one of your adopted foals' horseshoes. Of COURSE I'd've been in lockstep with everything you said! Knowing YOU, I'd've been too scared to SMILE, let alone perform any simple act of childish disobedience! Where could I have ever run away, from a bloodthirsty bloodhound like you?! Every day with YOU as a caretaker would be like living in a house with land mines in it!"

All the times they laughed. All the times they smiled. The night I helped Firecracker escape. My scream echoes like thunder, "LIAR!!!!"

"There's no kind way for me to say this, Angry Pie: you're going to Pony Hell. This very moment; I end your wretched existence. Today you begin paying for a millennium of murderous tantrums, for molding innocent youngsters into thugs, and for not even TRYING to atone when your friends reached out to you. If Pony Hell doesn't exist for a truly unrepentant monster like you, IT DOESN'T EXIST AT ALL. And that would simply be the worst injustice imaginable, wouldn't it?"

(Yes. Exactly Twilight. It would be. The final injustice. If Hell does not exist, it must be made.)

My vision is a complete blur now. Am I... crying? Am I . . . am I scared? The black threads are wrapped around Twilight's tail, legs, and begin to weave towards her cutie mark. Twilight's eyes... her eyes are slits now?

(Say goodnight and welcome to purgatory! HehehehehhehehHAHAHAHAHAHHAH!!!!)

A red ball of light appears on the tip of her horn. It grows larger and brighter as I watch. I tell my body to move. It won't. I can barely roll my eyes through my tears.

"You helped Discord use this spell on Cadence! Now you can enjoy it!"

"So this a replica of Destruction's magic. Destruction's essence," I hear Discord's sister, voice dripping with hunger.

Pound and Pumpkin.
Fuse Box.
Bomb Pie.
Powder Cake.
Fire Cracker.
Grenade Pie.
Little Hex.
Short Fuse.
Hatchet and Latchet.
Spring Dew.
Morning Light.
Bubbles.
Stormy Night.
Apple Sauce.

I'm sorry. I'm so so so so so sorry. Mother failed you. Please don't hate me. I tried. I really tried. I really did. The only time I was happy . . . was with you . . . I could trust you. My babies. Just please don't hate me for failing you.

I don't know where the ferris wheel came from. I didn't care either. Wait. It had always been there. Silly me. It was here because I wanted to know what it was like to host a mini-carnival, and to give my friends a 'Best Day Ever' of course! Tee-hee! Where did this showpony hat and striped-jacket come from again? Oh right, they'd always been there.

Cheerilee. Rainbow Dash. Sweetie Belle. Scootaloo. Toola-Roola. Starsong Melody. It's great! They're all loving it! Which means I love it!

Everypony is friends with everypony else, but they're my extra-special friends.

How am I able to change costumes so fast? How can a little filly like me run a one-day carnival by herself? Where did the popcorn and ice-cream come from? Oh right, because it's more FUN that way!

Life is wonderful! Hmmmmm. Isn't there supposed to be a green filly around here? Wait. How would I know her? She's not one of my extra special friends. But I know she's super-important, somehow...

"Excuse me." Said a green pony. I look at her, is she a mare or a filly? Am I a mare or a filly? I'm suddenly kinda confused. But I move for her. She picks up the bright green leaf I was sitting on.

A funny picture appears in my head. It's like a videotape someone's trying to erase. Wait. What's a videotape?

A funny looking pony, she's purple with pink hair, and she has a clover for a cutie mark. She begins to turn green and her cutie mark becomes mint candies.

"Thank you." The green pony says putting the leaf in a bag.

"You're welcome."

"I'm Minty."

"I'm Pinkie Pie."

And just like that. So simple. No big adventure. But what's wrong with simplicity? I knew, somehow, that I could meet her a zillion other ways, if I really wanted.

"HEy everypony! Come over here and meet Minty!"

"There is nowhere you can escape from me!"

A big scary purple pony appears right in front of me! She's wearin' a bunch of bones, and her mane's on fire! Is she a pegasus or a unicorn? Both?

"All your silly escape mechanisms are for naught, in my purgatory, Pinkie Pie."

The witch began using her evil magic and Minty was being dragged away from me. I grabbed her. The world turned gray and withered.

"No switching over to an alter ego. No reliving a happier yesteryear. No forgetting. Amnesia is not allowed. There is only your SIN."

"Pinkie Pie! Please help me!"

All of a sudden there were over a dozen foals between me and Minty, they looked weirder. They all looked at me sadly. Shaking their heads in resentment. That's a big . Resentment. How they looked at me. Did they . . . did they hate me?

"Pinkie!" Minty begged, the witch was hurting her with her fiery mane. Again, and again, and again, and again. I tried to help her, but the other foals kept pushing me back. I couldn't fight them! I had no idea how to fight!

"There is no redemption. No salvation. No absolution. No friendship. No love. This purgatory is without end."

And then... more foals. So very, very, many, approaching from all sides; like ant colonies towards a sugar cube. They were different from the ones blocking me from Minty. They were so badly hurt all over! What kind of bully did this to them? Why do they all so . . . angry, at me?

"The foals have waited so long for your arrival. Welcome to forevermore, Pinkie Pie."

Then they attacked Minty.

++++

"No, no, NO! PLEASE! Why are you all on HER SIDE?! PLEASE! You're all I HAVE! MOMMY'S SORRY! MOMMYSSORRY!MOMMYSORRY!!! MINTY! STOP HURTING HER! MINTYYYYYYYYY-EH-EH!!!" Angry Pie wailed, her eyes huge, crying rivers. Beautiful.

(Ha! Sounds to me like she's already found Hell! All that's left is to seal her in for good! Finish her off!)

With pleasure. I showed mercy to a devil. And my only reward was almost dying, and my friends almost dying. Never again. Ever again. I will never repeat that mistake. Not even atoms will remain of Angry Pie or her Element of Anger. The Destruction spell was charging, I could feel it, power, power enough to crush Discord like the vermin he was! Like the pathetic loser he was! A minor annoyance! A triviality! The rat who had crowned himself king! He'd suffer! Oh how he'd suffer! Heh.

(For everything he's done.)

And more. I won't be quick and painless either.

(No, he doesn't deserve such mercy.)

Yes, that's right…he deserves so much worse…

"TWILI! STOP! THAT'S ENOUGH!" Applejack? Why was she putting herself between my spell and the enemy? "FOR RD'S SAKE STOP!"

"Ya said she ain't bad, she's just sick! This ain't how ya help somepony sick! Ya don't give up on 'em!" Apple Pie? Why was she shaking me? Doesn't she know that could disrupt the spell?

"Stop. Just stop." Derpy. She looks like she just emptied the contents of her stomach. Didn't she know ponies weren't supposed to be able to do that?

"You said you wanted to save her right?" Rarity? Why were they all doing this?} "You were willing to dive through as many layers of MY soul as you needed to bring me out of the darkness. So what if she's fighting you a little harder than I was? She's said, straight out, that she doesn't want to be angry."

"When it's an unrepentant mass-murdering, unhinged psychopath with a very unquestionable Chaotic Evil alignment, you DON'T give that pony the BENEFIT of the doubt."

"She's a hurt and confused friend with the tainted essence of a unrepentant mass-murdering, unhinged psychopath with a very unquestionable Chaotic Evil alignment lodged in her brain!"

Spike's claw hugged me from behind. Huh? But why? She hurt them. She hurt them. This doesn't make sense. She hurt them.} She hurt them.} She's killed so many ponies.} She's a mad animal.} She has to be put down.)

"Twilight, you know I'm the first whose been saying you can't save everypony: because I was scared I'd lose you again. I thought I already did! I... I don't want to lose you now. Not ever again! You're my family!"

They don't understand.)

No they don't.)

The wicked have to be punished.)

The cruel must experience cruelty.) The merciless must be shown no mercy.) Monsters should not be redeemed.) Monsters must not be forgiven.) They must be made to suffer.) Cancers.) {Be disposed of.)

* Twilight! Stop! *

{Why should I?)

*This isn't how Trixie would want you to use her Element! *

{Trixie was always vindictive.)

*Then would her Element have saved your life? Dead or not, if Trixie's spirit didn't want you having her Element of Magic, you would NOT have found it in her grave! Besides, you're not Desire! You can't just TAKE an Element.*

{So Angry Pie's death would be permissible if RARITY were executioner?)

*I'm Not Talking about Angry Pie's Element! You couldn't have Trixie's if she didn't WANT you to have it! Just like Applejack couldn't have Applebloom's Element without being GIVEN it! Does saving your life sound 'vindictive' to you?!*

*This isn't what any of your friends want for you...*

{I know better than they do about this! I almost died for real! Know what that taught me? That the merciful are all eventually doomed to be victimized! THAT'S where mercy lands you! THAT'S what comes of being the Big Good!)

*...Or Celestia.*

{She got turned to gold!)

*...Or Luna.*

{Silver!)

*...Or Cadence.*

{Cannibalized, poor thing.)

*...Or your parents.*

{I'm shocked they lasted THIS long, even as plants!)

*Or Smarty Pants.*

{…Where DID I put that doll? Maybe it disintegrated away.)

*Or Minty Pie.*

{Unable to help anyone. Lucky to be beneath Discord's notice... so far.)

*And this isn't what Pinkie Pie would want.*

{Heh heh! No doubt, since I'm about to KILL HER…)

*I thought you said you were about to kill 'Angry Pie.'*

{I! I did!)

*No! You said you were about to kill 'Pinkie Pie!' Your friend!*

{She isn't!)

*Who is she crying out for?!*

{Not mine!)

*You sure? Names are just labels.*

{I feel absolutely nothing for her anymore, her only cure is her permanent death, so she'll never hurt another soul.)

* So the guilty should be punished without mercy or pity or compassion? *

{Yes. Those things should be reserved for the innocent.)

*So you agree with Angry Pie.*

{No I don't!)

*The guilty must be punished without mercy? That's the innocent are the only ones who deserve compassion? That defines her sense of justice.*

{She kills in the innocent and spares the guilty!)

*Not in her deflowered mind.*

{ She can't be redeemed! )

*Who are you to say who and can't be redeemed? Is killing her what YOU want? What your heart wants?*

{What… my heart... wants…?)

*You heart that connects you to everypony. The heart that valued her friends more than anything.*

{I feel… my lips quiver.) I'm not at all surprised when a tear falls.)

*Twilight. Pinkie Pie's heart wants to connect with others. Always has. But she's afraid of being hurt. The taint tells her everypony is trying to hurt her. You can't say you can't remove Discord's sickness, you haven't tried every road yet. Twilight. Look around you. These ponies are still Pinkie Pie's friends. They're still willing to try and save her. Will you disappoint them?*

I dispersed the red sphere, canceling my Destruction Spell.) I feel a rain inside me.} I feel it does the flames and wash away the ashes.} I'm free again.

+++++

A magic wand shaped jewel emitted a burst of light, chasing the darkness away to reveal the polished purple crystal composing it.

+++++

(GRAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!)

"My, somepony is angry," Discord said, reaching into a candy bar and pulling out a fridge to snack on.

(Who?! Who was that interloper?! It was you, wasn't it?!)

"I'm strangely innocent this once. Even in the most tragic times we find small moments of magic that inspire us to continue on."

+++++

Everypony hugged me, cheering like I was the one who had just been saved. Spike shed tears that drenched my mane. Angry Pie just lay there like a broken doll. They checked on her too, she was still breathing. Thank Celestia whatever had been hurting her seem to have stopped.

How many times had I killed her? I couldn't even count. The worst part was, I had loved it every minute of it. I was free of Discord's curse, she wasn't. I was supposed to hate her, want to see her dead, because Discord's taint had made her do things . . . do things just as horrid as Twilight Tragedy had.

If Pinkie Pie had been brought back first, and I had been brought back last, instead of a screaming and cursing butcher, my friends would have faced an emotionless killer with all the empathy of a corpse who wouldn't care what they had to say and terminated them with clockwork precision as Master commanded.

What right did I have to pass judgement on her?

I trotted over to her prone gray mass. The other took in a fearful breath ready to tackle me on the first fiery spark.

"Oh Pinkie Pie," I said endearingly. I felt so small. "…I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… please, please hear me, hear my voice, hear me through the darkness. Through the nightmare. I'm right here for you. Please hear me. Please, I promise never to hurt you again. Please. Come home.

"Please come back now." She gave a gasp, and looked at me in confusion.

"M-Minty?" she asked… she looked so confused.

"…In a way…She's a part of me…"

(She's damaged goods. Leave her.)

I look at the others, "Going to try the memory spell, promise."

I charged up my horn. I remembered what Queen Cadence's spell had done to Pinkie five-hundred-years before. It had left her a twisted empty shell. But... if she had loved her foals, then anger and hate couldn't but all that was in there.

*How we think others think about us. Can greatly command how we think about ourselves.*

The other side of the coin. The lance couldn't pierce the darkness, maybe a staff could lead her out.

I touched my horn to her forehead smiling.

"Pinkie Pie. You have to see past Discord's taint. He's blackened your perception of the past. You need to see the truth of what you've done as the Element of Laughter. So let me help you. Let me share MY memories with you. Memories I have of how you've shaped me into the mare I am. Show you how I really saw you."

A pink pony who saw and gasped and -

-saw her best friend from a world that had never existed. Born from a wish.

-a pink pony, who wanted to be friends even with a perfect stranger. Because her happiness was a reflection of the happiness she was able to give others.

Not Minty. Would never be Minty. But a pony who was worth being friends with.

With a few laughs and a song, was able to banish phantoms of fear and give those around her the courage to take away the darkness' most potent weapon.

A friend who ultimately decided that a friend was more important than a ticket after all.

A pink mare who was trusted by her foster parents, even after someone she trusted churned out a bunch of baked bads. And without hesitation was trusted to help that same friend.

A pink mare who knew of things I didn't. How bad I felt when I realized I'd not taken her seriously when I should've.

Pinkie Pie. You taught me not to jump to conclusions about people. Being spontaneous didn't make you untrustworthy. Being playful didn't make you oblivious. Being imaginative, didn't mean you'd color the facts about somegriffin.

And yes, your pranks did manage to make me laugh at myself.

And just because I didn't understand something, didn't make it not real or fake. And someone's behavior will always seem strange if you don't have all the facts.

And Pinkie, those buffalo and cow ponies just had a different culture, there was nothing wrong with your song. It was just a language they didn't speak.

And you're a great skater Pinkie, even if I'm hopeless. Thank you for even letting me try.

And Pinkie, good intentions can backfire, horribly, and you can become so wrapped up in other ponies' problems that you end up forgetting your own, and that hurts those you want to help.

And through them all Pinkie Pie, even when I thought less of you, even when I doubted you, I never laughed at you. And none of our friends did. You made us laugh with you. You were our light of joy in the darkness.

We were in Sugar Cube Corner.

Angry Pie stood in front of me, cracking apart, color returning. Scars ran all along her body, like a rag doll someone had tried to sew together in a rush.

…She suddenly shattered but…each piece formed into a different Pinkie Pie. But…none of them was the pre-Discord Pinkie. Or Angry Pie, or even what Rainbow Dash had said about Pinkamena.

"We can't just…quit!" yelled a middle-aged, motherly Pinkie, looking furiously at the others. "We can get our foals back!"

"Our foals aren't worth it!" shouted another, this one looking closer to the Pinkie I knew, but still not quite there, she was covered in scars. "They aren't worth our friends!"

"Not worth it?! You heartless nag!"

"We…we don't deserve to go back…we should just stay here…" said another one, with a straight mane and colors that were a near lifeless graying of her normal color, her expression one of purest guilt. "We don't deserve our foals…we don't deserve our friends…we don't deserve anything but to suffer…"

A Pinkie looking like Pinkie Pie of the Lost Age just sat, watching the other Pinkie's argue in confusion. I was doing much the same.

A white Pegasus with a yellow mane stepped out of the corner of my vision. "Looks like someone needs to give them a little push in the right direction."

I blinked. "What?" Now SHE reminded me of Pinkie for some reason.

A filly stepped up next to me…Rarity? No…Princess Rarity? But…this is Pinkie…not Rarity. Are they like me and Minty Pie?

A filly stepped up next to me. "They need someone they'll listen to help them pull themselves back together," she said.

"Wait…you mean me?" I blinked in confusion.

"You read all those books on pony's brains…I think, what do they say to do when somepony's brain is like this?"

What did they say?… It was a case of split personalities. Not quite the same situation as me, Tragedy, and Sparkle, this was a different thing, these weren't different personas, they were fragments…Motherly instinct. Love for her friends. Guilt. Memories of the Lost Age. Hadn't Angry Pie mentioned something about pulling her mind back together by force? …I think I get it…I need to help her put herself back together RIGHT.

Lost Pinkie slowly regarded me. "Minty?"

I blinked. The group all looked at me suddenly. "Uh…sort of…She's a part of me, and part of another pony…but yeah, she's me."

"What do you think we should do?" asked Lost Pinkie, looking up at me expectantly.

How do you convince contradictory parts of a pony's personality to accept each other?

"Alright…well, first of all, I think you're ALL right to some degree, and you're all wrong." I turned to Motherly Pie first. "You care about your…foals. That's good…but you don't have your conscience or your friendship with everypony else to let you balance all that. You don't have the ability to see if it's really what's best for THEM to bring them back or just what's best for YOU. You're trying to make a choice without being ABLE to see the whole picture."

Next, I faced Friendly Pie. "Same goes for you. Don't you want to be able to know if you're doing what's right for the ponies you care about?"

Both them looked down, then to each other. I then addressed…what I assumed to be her conscience. Let's call her Guilty Pie.

"You're right, all you did was horrible. So was what I did. All six Elements of Chaos… we ALL did horrible things."

Guilty Pie hung her head. "What we did as a team was unforgivable. But the evilest thing I ever did... was what I did to you today. I treated my friends like cockroaches. Thank you for stopping me from murdering the others."

"Well, you need to remember there are ponies who care about you. You need to think about them too."

"Yes. Because I forgot you guys, I almost doomed the world. I wouldn't have even felt sorry."

I considered her for a while, before I just hugged her as tenderly as I could and moved onto Lost Pinkie. "And you're…you're the memories of her friends who never were…you're the part that remembered Minty when I came to Ponyville…You're important too."

"…Would us coming back make our friends happy?" she asked, paying genuine attention to me.

"More than anything."

I look back up at them. "It's up to you… every bit of you. What's best for your foals? What's best for your friends? What's best for you? And will it not hurt innocents worst?"

It had to be their…HER choice. If I forced them back together, it'd just result in a new version of Angry Pie.

"…We need to be together…" said Motherly Pie, finally.

"So we can do what's best for everypony we care about…" continued Friendly Pie.

"So we know we're not hurting anypony else…" Guilty Pie said.

"And so we can make our friends happy…" Lost Pie said.

The Pegasus smiled. "Good job, Twilight. Showin' we need each other, I'm not surprising, but happy!" she said, a part of me finding her so familiar…

The young filly nodded as well. "Let's all get back together, shall we?"

The fragments of Pinkie Pie's psyche all touched hooves, and there was a bright flash.

++++
In the real world, I gave her a gentle kiss on the muzzle.

Her hair went completely straight. And all her colors returned.
++++

"Mine."

Rarity didn't even try to act secretive when she took Twilight's original Element of Magic. She pressed the Center Element of both Chaos and Harmony, Magic, Friendship/Tragedy, against her flesh. It entered her body without leaving a mark. Now she had three hearts. "Halfway there," Rarity said to herself not trying to mumble or whisper. Most were focused on Twilight and Pinkie Pie. AJ and Spike looked at her silently.

Within her soul room, Rarity welcomed the impressions of Twilight The First and Minty to her endless Gala. This one was different from her original, not a micromanaged affair, but a genuine party were everyone was free to enjoy howsoever they pleased.

++++

"So that new Element of Magic was Trixie's eh? Heh, too bad. Dad thought that pony in her loneliness had so much potential," Rancor said.

The heroes all turned, realizing the Draconequus was indeed still there, they formed a protective ring around the unconscious Pinkie Pie.

"Chill. Chaos is supposed to be my brother's department. I'm actually a tiny bit disappointed. That was one heck of a show you almost gave...or became a major annoyance, if Strife's to be believed. Oh well, I wanted to know for myself. I knew you couldn't be dead. Seeing how it's six against one... I'll be going now. We'll be seeing you inside. Don't worry, I'm sure you know your way around."

"Wait, please," said Rarity, looking up to the Draconequus. "If I may, why don't you seem angry I've killed your niece? You keep saying 'family is everything'."

EVERYPONY looked ready to clobber Rarity for looking a gift-horse in the mouth.

"Fluttercruel is dead?" Twilight gasped in surprise.

Rancor grinned shark's teeth, and laughed darkly. "You're right. See yah for the finale." She teleported away.

"Ow!…I'll be honest, I probably deserved that."

"Yeah, yah did darlin'."

"Rarity," Twilight asked carefully, "You killed Fluttercruel?"

"First I stole and assimilated her Element of Chaos after covering her with rocks. And having my army of ghosts using rock bodies to fight her army of robot pegasus she grew out of her own body. I ran her through with a stone s while she was still speaking. And now I can use the Element of Cruelty for my own."

Even for Discord's world, if she wasn't the Element of Honesty, Rarity's friends would wonder. Eyes were huge all around. Her mindless stone puppets? Vessels for souls? All this time?

AJ thought of all the stone puppets of ponies she knew, and never spoke a word to them. Apple Pie thought of the stone puppets of her she had fought before. Derpy thought at least it sounded like they had all been happy. Spike wondered if Rarity would have let his soul come within her if he had died.

"Rarity . . ." Twilight said.

"Twilight I'm sorry, I really am. Maybe I am a hypocrite for saying this after all we suffered to save Pinkie Pie. Maybe I was being greedy. Maybe there were some good memories of Fluttershy in her . . . in her daughter. A thousand years and she was still a child. But I saw the cruel truth that Fluttershy was the only pony who could have saved her. I didn't see any truths where she could be healed by us. And I don't have the power to call back whoever I like."

"I'll accept that, Element of Honesty. So your golems were-"

"-ponies who were too scared or confused to move on after dying, but accepted the comfort I offered with my fantasies of micromanaged thoughts and actions."

"That's . . . almost generous for a greedy pony," Twilight whispered.

"Heh, I know. Though now I wonder, if they stayed, so all I had weren't just 'things' to keep me company. In their own way, they helped save me."

They then heard a groan and turned towards Pinkie Pie, who was slowly rising to her hooves. "Pinkie!" Twilight ran to her and hugged her. "…So…what did you decide?"

The straight haired Pinkie blinked, looking down at her chest…it didn't hurt…it just felt…strange…but she could feel it, her anger…was gone…

++++

What do I decide? What should I do?

It's like I can think clearly again, all I could see for a zillion years was bullies where my friends were supposed to be.

…I could try to make them give up the Elements…save my foals…but they've suffered enough…I can see that now…I was wrong…Twilight was right…I made them killers…I can only hope whoever's out there had mercy on them…And if they are in Pony Heaven, anything I give them in Equestria could never hold a candle to whatever Paradise provides them.

But what if they're in Pony Hell like Twilight said? But how could I save them, if I brought them back by going back into the fog?

I could just…quit…curl up and cry, let guilt crush me…but that'd hurt my friends. After all they did to save me, it'd be wasting this second chance I've been given…It's like they told Dashie…laying down and dying doesn't fix what I did…

My friends…my…my niece…they're all here…they cared for me…they suffered to save me…they protected me…They cared for me…And I tried to throw them away…I can't make up for much…but I can make up for that…

I'm sorry for what I've done…But I don't have time to let it crush me…I love my foals…but I can only pray their souls are in Pony Heaven…I love my friends…and they're right here…I'm free.

++++

Pinkie looked…serene, peaceful. "…I decided…I want to be your friend again…"

Twilight hugged Pinkie, then looked to the others, one by one…

"We…we did it…" Twilight said as it hit her, looking happy. "…I…I know we didn't save Fluttershy…but Cadence did…she's free…we're ALL FREE…" she said, tears in her eyes. "I…I didn't think we'd pull it off…but…but we actually saved all of us…"

"And the Doctor," Derpy added, giving a bright smile.

Pinkie merely gave a calm smile. "And the Doctor, yeah."

"Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!…" Twilight chanted, bouncing around her friends in glee, practically hug-tackled Pinkie at the end. "Welcome back!…I…I'm sorry for what I did…I shouldn't have been so brutal…so savage… so heartless… what I did was… that wasn't right…I was a monster."

"You almost became a monster." Pinkie gave her a nuzzle. "…I forgive you. You weren't wrong. Mostly."

"I, I know you never abused your foals. I'm sorry. I was only trying to hurt you."

"I said I forgive you. Can you forgive me for trying to kill you? And Apple Pie? For everything I did?"

Twilight nodded. "If I hadn't forgive you... would we even be hugging right now?"

Pinkie gave a smile and hugged Twilight again. "Thanks…"

"Pinkie I need to know. Why did you give me Smarty Pants before you left?"

"...I didn't want you to die alone."

". . . No matter how much death Discord let you bring to the world, the kind you was still in there somewhere."

"Thank you Twilight. Do you mind if I talk to the others? We're all friends, right?"

Twilight nodded happily. "Sure, we need to rest and recuperate after that fight before we continue…glad to have you back Pinkie."

Pinkie smiled back. "I'm glad to be back."

Then Everypony (and dragon) hug tackled her.

+++

"Hey AJ," Pinkie said, calmly, walking over to the farm pony a couple minutes later. Pinkie Pie had requested to speak with the others one-on-one, and AJ was the first.

Applejack smiled to her friend, but was surprised by her calmness. "Hey, Pinkie, good to see yah again."

Pinkie gave her a hug. "…I'm sorry about what I said…"

"Water under the bridge, sugar cube," Applejack replied, giving a smile.

Pinkie nodded slowly. "So…our families merged together?"

Applejack smiled. "Yeah…Applebloom married a descendent of Octavia, from what Ah understand."

Pinkie gave a warm smile, remembering her sister. Mentally, she channeled an unvoiced apology for not listening to Octavia and the rest of her family. She swore she felt comforting hooves on her shoulders.

"…Octavia never really wanted to work on the rock farm. Kinda funny how life can work out."

Applejack nodded. "Yeah, never thought Sweet Apple Acres would grow rocks either. But hey, they're doing a fine job of it."

"…Can you tell me about them? Our family?"

Applejack went on to tell her about each of the Apple Pies, though Pinkie seemed in a hurry to rush and hear about ALL of them, rather than linger on lengthy details about individual members... fun though their stories were. Pinkie explained that they shouldn't delay too long before refocusing on Discord and moving out.

"They all sound so nice." Pinkie stated, when Applejack finished.

"Yeah, they are…Ah guess that makes us related too, doesn't it?"

Pinkie nodded, smiling softly the realization instead of from ear to ear at . "Yeah, it does. I think... cousins."

Applejack nodded with a wide smile of her own. "Well, cousin, Ah'm sure they'd love ta meet yah."

"I'm sure it would be totally great."

++++

"Derpy…" Pinkie said, sitting down next to the Pegasus, now healed from her stab wound. The Earth Pony seemed lighter, more relaxed and calm, but still guilty. "…I'm sorry I called you retarded…you're a very smart pony and I was mean to call you that."

The Pegasus gave a smile back to the pink pony. "No problem! I know you weren't yourself!"

"But that doesn't make it right."

Derpy gave her a hug. "Well, I forgive you, that's all that matters, right?"

Pinkie looked down at her chest, then gave a nod. "Yeah…It wasn't fun, was it?"

Derpy blinked. "What?"

"…I meant it…I know most of it was that dumb meanie Discord's lies but…some ponies really DID think I was THAT dopey. That doesn't justify anything I did…but I guess you really do know how that felt…"

Derpy looked back at her. "Yeah, it wasn't nice, but I don't let it bother me. Those ponies didn't know the real us. They can't see past the surface."

Pinkie nodded. "But our friends see who we really are, right?" she asked, giving a genuine smile. "That's what's important."

Derpy gave a nod. "Yeah, that's right!"

"So how'd you free yourself of the poison joke?"

"Oh I was thinking 'Why won't my body work?! I thought Twilight made me immune to this!…Wait…maybe there's too much inside me? I did eat a big muffin…Okay, then I'll just have to get it out and then I'll get better…I just need to think of things to make myself throw up…' I began thinking of a day a thousand years ago, and the worst muffins I ever had."

" . . . Baked bads did good!" Pinkie Pie smiled.

"Baked bads did good."

And the two simply talked about what they had in common. About how it felt to be misunderstood…and how it felt to finally meet ponies who really did understand.

++++

Rarity sat next to Apple Pie. "Apple Pie, while fighting Fluttercruel, I met somepony who would like to say hello," she stated, looking to the young filly.

"Really?" asked Apple Pie, smiling up at the mare.

Rarity nodded, cutting herself to create a silver wall between the two of them and the others to keep this private like it should be.

Stone began to assemble itself together into an almost exact copy of the filly, colored rock matching her own coloring, except for the Cutie Mark, which was a poison apple.

Apple Pie gasped. "P-Poison Apple?"

"Her desire was to help me make sure you were safe…and to finally get to say goodbye."

"Goodbye? But-but-" The filly looked like she had been given a cookie then had it snatched away after one bite.

"I'm sorry, Apple Pie, but it's wrong for me to keep her here, on the mortal coil. But she wanted to see you again so badly she couldn't rest."

"That's cheatin'! That's not fair! That's cruel!"

"Death isn't kind or cruel. She wanted to make sure Fluttercruel could never hurt you the way she was. She wanted to see you again. She's held on this long. And now you've seen her. Once a spirit's unfinished business is completed, it must pass on."

"Come on! Poison Apple! Say somethin'! Please stay!"

The golem shook her head slowly, sadly, and nuzzled her.

Apple Pie shuddered, her eyes misted up.

"It's okay, Apple Pie, let it out. It's alright to cry."

Apple Pie did so.

"She can't speak, so I have to speak for her. Everypony is waiting for her. She stayed so you could be happy to see her again, just once. She wants you to be happy."

Apple Pie slowly looked her rock bodied twin in the eye, giving a smile. This wasn't exactly the oddest thing to ever happen to her, but that didn't change the fact of who it was. She and Poison hugged each other, the rock pony careful not to hurt her. "Poison Apple…thanks for helpin' Miss Rarity. It means a lot."

Poison Apple merely nodded and did the best she could to indicate her acceptance of it.

"Poison…Ah love yah…we all love yah…and tell the others up there with the Big Alicorn we love em to, okay?"

Poison Apple gave a nod. She gave a wave.

"Goodbye, Poison…" Apple Pie said, hugging her sister one more time, before the rock body fell apart in her hoofs and her sister passed on. Apple Pie wiped the tears from her eyes and looked to Rarity. "Thanks, Miss Rarity…"

"No problem, darling, it was her desire and yours," Rarity replied, she dismissed the shield.

+++++

"Rarity…" Pinkie Pie asked, coming over. "…I…"

"I was as deep in a fantasy as you were, darling," the unicorn replied, giving a small smile. "I'd be a hypocrite to forgive myself without forgiving you."

Pinkie smiled and gave her friend a hug. Rarity felt…something.

Pinkie then took a step back, looking thoughtful. "…Rarity…Do…do any of my foals want to see me?"

Rarity blinked in surprise…then nodded slowly. She created another silver divider for privacy's sake with her blood.

"Yes… She said she knew it was wrong…but she still cares about you… and wanted to watch over you…"

Pinkie's expression was hard to read. Somewhere between joy and…not guilt, but remorse. "…Could I see her?"

Rarity gave a nod. The rocks manifested into an orange Earth Pony filly, her mane and tail the colors of a sunrise, which was her Cutie Mark.

Pinkie couldn't keep the tears from her eyes. She remembered…she was the one that Pegasus had tried to bribe her with. "Morning Light…" she said, giving the little filly a hug, who returned it. "Why…why is she a little filly again?"

"It's how she wishes to manifest," Rarity shrugged. "I don't force a specific age upon them anymore. Her role is her own."

Pinkie looked back to Morning Light. "…Mommy was wrong…laughter isn't a bad thing…it can hurt, but it can be good…we were wrong to kill…but the one who tried to bribe me with you was still rotten…I don't regret taking you in…being laughed at isn't nice…but not every laugh was at us…I'm sorry…I'm so sorry," she explained, tears starting down her cheeks. The rock pony wiped them away, and Pinkie smiled. "Thank you…You know we were bad, right?"

Morning Light nodded guilty.

Pinkie kissed the foal's head. "Good…are you sorry?" she asked, getting another nod. "Then…then let go…I forgive you…let all those bad things go and move on…"

Morning Light nodded and hugged her again, Pinkie returned it.

"…Goodbye, Morning Light…Momma loves you…" Pinkie said, the foal nodding slowly before her spirit departed, leaving the rock vassal to crumble away. "See you again." Pinkie looked to Rarity, wiping tears from his eyes. "Thank you…Rarity…"

"No problem, dear…Pinkie…is something wrong?" Rarity asked, genuinely concerned.

"No, nothing's wrong," Pinkie replied, giving a passive smile.

++++

Pinkie gave Rarity another hug before coming to Apple Pie, who'd let her have her moment in peace.

"Apple Pie, I think this is the first time we've met... properly."

Apple Pie gave a smile. "Yeah, so let's do it right this time! I'm Apple Pie!"

Pinkie couldn't help giving a small chuckle. Chuckling felt good. "I'm Pinkamena Diane Pie, but you can call me Pinkie Pie."

"Aunt Pinkie Pie," the filly corrected.

Pinkie nodded. "…Apple Pie, I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry for everyone I killed that you knew. For the pain I've caused our family."

"Ah can tell in yer eyes, yer changed. Yah ain't the same mare yah were then. So Ah forgive ya. Besides, yer family, what's family for?"

Pinkie hugged the little filly. "Thank you…" she said, then looked at her chest.

From where she watched, Rarity blinked, then gained a look of sad realization. She remained quiet, however. 'This is a truth I don't feel needs told,' she thought.

"So…Apple Pie, can you tell me a bit about yourself?" asked Pinkie.

Apple Pie smiled. "Well, Aunt Pinkie, Ah live on a rock farm, Sweetie Rock Acres, with mah family."

Pinkie smiled. "Really? I grew up on a rock farm too…"

++++

"Spike…how are you doing?"

Spike gave her a warm smile. "Alright, all things considered, just trying to figure out a few new tactics for round three with Rancor, I need to talk to Twilight about it on the way…anyway, me and Rarity are doing well."

Pinkie gave a genuine smile. "I'm glad…Spike, I'm sorry…I know I wasn't me but…I tried to kill Twilight…I tried to take your only family from you… as the Element of Generosity. I'd have killed you too, I'm so sorry."

Spike reached down, picked the mare up, and gave her a gentle hug. He didn't want to hurt her if he could help it. "It's okay…I forgave the rest, I forgive you too. I'll admit, I would've tried to kill you if Rarity hadn't called me off…but she was right…I wouldn't have been doing what Twilight wanted, what she REALLY wanted. You're on our side again: heart and soul. I'm so unbelievably grateful that you could be saved, in spite of all the incredible odds. You're worth fighting for, Pinkie Pie. Never forget that."

Pinkie gave a smile and reached up to nuzzle him. He returned it happily.

++++

Pinkie brought the group together, and while they rested and had snacks and drinks, six of the friends shared old stories while a seventh asked questions, learning about the world before Discord broke it. In a short time, they'd be fighting the final battle for the salvation of the world…but for now, they were just simple friends, delighting in one another's company.

Pinkie Pie looked up at Sky Ocean, the Seaponies split on lighting up the sky with her glowing forms or not in this strange alien twilight sunrise/sunset none of them had seen before.

"You know, it's been a thousand year since I sang." She didn't know if know she'd get a chance to later. "Everypony. . ."

Oh little pony, oh little pony,
It's been so long since I've seen you.
All the long nights we've been through.

Don't worry we'll make do.
Can you see the changing view?

Is that the sun I see rising?
Who'd think that'd be surprising?

My heart I no longer need to hide
'Cause I know That You're At My Side

Isn't it such a glee to be free?
I'll say it to the sky and sea

We have been gone for so long
But we're both back to where we belong

For a thousand dreams' sake we did roam
My Little Pony, My Little Pony
Welcome Home

Oh please, weellcooome hoooome.

Episode 97: (Shining Armor) retniW-After Shocks

Episode 97: (Shining Armor) retniW-After Shocks

Pony POV Series
Shining Armor Part 8
Written By lz0291
retniW-After Shocks
Edited by Alex Warlorn, Kendell2(God bless his hard working soul on finals), And Louis Badalament.

I was expecting a fairly quiet time of it with the day ahead. I'd managed to luck out and be assigned the assistance desk at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. In short, me and the squad were supposed to be doorponies and receptionists, signing visitors in, and escorting them to go see whoever they were visiting. With so many students and teachers thanks to Princess Celestia's generous spending, student dorms and officers were all over the castle quite literally, this was important. But easy.

Since the Winter-Wrap-Up holiday was tomorrow, most of the students were not on campus and the few that were, the visitors knew where they were going. Meaning we'd not only avoid freezing our marks off patrolling, but we'd basically all be lounging around doing nothing.

On top of that, about half the ponies coming in would be at the wrong desk and be trying to sign in as visitors to the castle. It's an easy mistake to make, of course. The school campus is ALL OVER the castle. And so is the Royal Guard Cadet school, but that's the same visitor desk as the castle. And that desk is elsewhere.

All in all, yay us. Ellis was leading the most recent of three over to the right reception desk, Gag was reading a manega, Audience and Thunderchild had went off to get some tea and coffee, and I was reading the newspaper. What are you doing?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Checking if your picture is in the dictionary under 'Boring.')

Hey, I was just catching up on the news. Besides, wasn't like I could borrow Gag's book - it was in Neighponese, and I had to wait for Audience to come back to play a decent game of chess and put that bloody dictionary down! Anyway...

"Hey, Gag?" I said, seeking some intellectual input after reading a rather strange article.

"Yeah, Sir?"

Yes, Gag was intellectual input compared to this. It was that bad. He'd only been with us six months by that point but his reputation was set in stone.

"How's your fictional made-up nonsense?"

"This is Narutrot, Sir, it's technically loosely based on true events three hundred years ago in Feudal Neighpon. But it's pretty cool."

"Ah. Because this Sunny Day article isn't remotely entertaining and I think I am now dumber for reading it. I fear I may no longer sentence as good."

He sighed. My views on her articles had also become very clear to him in six months.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Then why did you read them?)

I give her credit were credit is due. For all the slander she heaps on Princess Celestia, she's NEVER said one foul word about Twilight, Cadence, or Princess Luna and wrote against the evil 'Molestia rumors.' In fact, she applauds Twilight pretty frequently, praises Cadance for her diplomatic work, and tries to encourage ponies to not judge Princess Luna for Nightmare Moon. The few good articles she writes tend to be big hits with me, what can I say?

"What subject is she talking out of her flank on this time?"

"I've no idea, Gag. I only speak three languages - Equestrian, Roedinian, and Foul. You're the one with the language special talent, whilst mine is shields. Her article appears to be written in Gibberish."

He came over and looked at the article in question. "...Unidentified Flying Objects? Really?"

"Yes, really. It seems two days ago somepony up in Bonneighbridge, near Foalkirk, saw some odd lights in the sky. They feared it was aliens. Some pegasi came forward yesterday and admitted they were messing around with light bulbs and thunderclouds. Perfectly innocent, but conspiracy nuts think aliens. Sunny Day doesn't. She's blaming the Air Navy testing out new airships in secret. She does this every time when the news is slow. She latches onto some non-story and keeps it going for a few days more."

If I'd kept reading the paper I'd have found a small article about how an Air Navy destroyer had collided with a cargo ship. But we were distracted by a dragon suddenly entering the room.

A baby dragon.

"Uh, hey, Shinin'," Spike said.

"Spike? What's up? Looking for me?"

"Well, not you in particular, but I guess you'd be the best help if you don't overreact. You see, Twilight's not feeling too good..."

I practically jumped over the desk, landing in front of Spike. "Twiley's sick!? How sick? Where is she?"

I then began running.

"Hey! WAIT! SHININ'! I NEEDED... Aw, crud."

I ran back. "Of course, you need a lift, hop on, take me to her!"

I then ran again, but realization hit me. I turned around, making Spike yelp on my back.

"Gag! Tell the others where I went!"

"Uh, okay, Sir... "

"Where is she?"

"Shinin', I was just looking for somepony to help me get..."

"A doctor?! We need a doctor?!"

"No, we..." He tried, but I had by this point sped up, and he was holding on for dear life.

I had galloped to the tower in record speed , and burst in the door. "Twilight?! Where are you? Are you okay?!"

I scanned the room frantically, not seeing her anywhere. Was Spike trying to tell me she'd already been taken to a hospital while we ran here?! All I could see was books, piles of books, mounds of books, a confused looking purple mare wearing a Maresenal hoody in the midst of blowing her nose, more books, a desk covered in books plus a pizza carton and...

Oh.

"...Hi, Shinin'?" Twilight said.

"Like I was saying, Shinin', she's only got a cold!"

One awkward silence later.

"...Ah. Well, um, I heard you were sick and... Spike, why didn't you tell me she had a cold? And why was it so major you were looking for me all worried?"

"I was trying to tell you! The castle apothecary's been rationing all the cold relief stuff because every fourth pony has a cold, and a bunch of students figured out the hot lemon drinks let you pretend to be sick."

"Dey'be got laxatibe quaaa.. aaa....aaaachoo!" Twilight tried to say, but sneezed. "...Laxatibe qualities ib taken in high doses..."

"After she found out, Lemon Hearts actually locked her door and stopped taking requests when they all started going to her instead. You should've seen it. Poor Moon Dancer tried to see how she was doing and barely made it out in one piece. Something about 'Angry mother lemons.'"

I don't want to know.

"So why did you need me? To tell them to give us some?"

"Uh, well, sort of, I was looking for a guard to help me get them because, uh..."

"Because you think the powdered drinks are a great topping on gemstones and no one is going to give any to you while there's a shortage, and all the apothecaries nearby in the city know you too so you can't go buy some there." I sighed. "Twiley, I'll go get you your cold relief stuff."

"Uh, danks, B.B.B.Eb.Eb...Could you close deh door too?"

"Uh, yeah..." I said, heading outside, closing it behind me. Before I could continue my journey, Gag came down to land.

"Sir, I spoke to the Sarge when he came back, and he agreed with what I said while you were leaving, so he sent me to get cold relief stuff to bring to Twilight."

"Uh, right. What did you say?"

"I said I thought she might have had a cold."

"Good guess. Come on, let's take them to her..."

"Uh, Sir? I don't actually have any. We're all out of them. We might need to have someone go into the city and buy some there."

Into Twilight's tower we went again.

"Oh. Dat wab quick." Twilight sniffled, a paper hankie hovering above her nose.

"Yes, er, Private Gag says we're all out of cold relief stuff..."

"Oh. Dank you anyway..."

"Uh, look, Twiley, you should probably go to bed or something..."

"Bud I wan to study!" She protested.

"Look, Twiley, this room is far too drafty even when we do remember to close the door. I'll see if I can get somepony to head into town so Spike can stay with you if you insist on staying up, but, uh..." I trailed off, not sure what to say to convince her that resting in bed was a viable alternative to studying.

"Something wrong, Lieutenant Sparkle?" A voice said behind us. Gag and I froze in terror.

"S-staff Sergeant Harper..." My subordinate whimpered.

The Pegasus Pony from Emerald Isle could be remarkably stealthy given his large frame that put some Earth Ponies to shame. Some joked he was half-dragon. Amazingly enough not Running Gag. He shared my opinion that Harper was a dragon disguised as a pony. You could tell he was a good NCO. Every enlisted trooper respected or kind of feared him. And every officer below the rank of Major that wasn't Captain Sharpe was terrified of him.

"Um, no, Sarge Staffent. Staff Sergeant. I was, uh, on the assistance desk, as you know, and, um, Spike here told me the Princesses personal student..."

"Your lovely sister, yes. G'Mornin' there, Miss Sparkle. I see you're feelin' under the weather a bit? I'll just come in, close this door..."

"Yes, uh, I was told she wasn't well and was needing some help to get some cold relief medicine. Unfortunately..."

"We're all out. Yes, it's a bit of a bugger there, Lieutenant. In fact, Captain Sharpe was looking to fetch some as well, for Major Payne. On top of that, it seems a lot of the lads in Lieutenant Coke's platoon have colds and they've burned right through a very generous supply of cough sweets and lemony drinks we managed to get for them. A few more seem to have squiffy tummies, the poor ladies..."

"Uh, sorry to hear that, Staff Sergeant. Perhaps we could, uh, go into the city and try track down some civilian supplies?" Gag squeaked.

"Maybe, Private. But I'm noticing this room... Very drafty, Lieutenant. Very drafty. Can you feel that in the air currents there, Gag? Miss Sparkle should probably be in bed, I'd wager she won't feel the draft as much there."

"I wan to study." She said again.

"Oh, that's commendable, Miss, dedicated to your education. But, I think there's possibly a better alternative here. Maybe you could take her to the assistance desk, Lieutenant? Nice and warm there, your squad can go fetch anything she needs, keep an eye on her, that sort of thing. And Gag and I could go into town to try track down some medicines in the meantime?"

"Uh, well, perhaps, Staff Sergeant. We should maybe check with the Princess first..." I responded.

"I'm on it already." Spike said, quill in claws.

"...And Captain Sharpe, maybe..."

"Oh, Captain Sharpe will be fine with it. You're on the assistance desk, you're meant to determine what's the best way to help ponies in need. With Princess Celestia's permission, of course."

Spike sent the letter. Gag and Harper vanished, and I said a quick prayer that I'd get my rookie back uneaten shortly. A minute later, the Princess had sent a reply, expressing her sympathy to Twilight as well as thanking me for being a dutiful guard and brother (I blushed with pride at both).

"Well, let's go. Get on my back and put some blankets over yourself to stay warm..." I told Twilight.

"...Shining, I hab dis hoody you gabe me, I'm warm enoub. It's just a cold, I can walk to the assistance desk wibout getting any worse..."

"I'm not taking chances. Remember that time you were little, you had 'just a cold'? But you insisted you come play with me and my hoofball, and then we had to go to hospital?!"

"...Dat was 'cause you got da ball stuck ub a tree and pulled a branch down on yourselb and I laughed too much..."

"Er, yes, but, the point is, you were having trouble breathing afterwards! And I also had a nasty head wound but the important part was I thought you were choking..."

"It wabn't eben dat funny...I dunno why I couldn't stob laughin..."

"Point is, you're wrapping up to go out there. And we're avoiding trees!"

If I'm honest, I'd expected far different dreams. I'd closed my eyes after the night's events with a lingering expectation of hearing hoofsteps and claws on tile and soil, grinning Makarov's promised fate worse than death, or maybe staring numbly at a coffin, or seeing flames consuming a tree, or some a purple or pink shape on the floor ringed with red... Instead, I'd dreamed of Twilight getting a cold a few days before Winter Wrap-Up.

So when I woke up I was actually relieved but a little annoyed to realize I'd only slept about three or four more hours, waking up just before six. I figured I might as well have got ready. Just as I was about to turn off the shower and start drying, my replacement alarm clock radio some thoughtful soul had decided to buy for me decided to let itself be known.

"There's a black dog on my shoulder again, licking my neck and saying she's my friend..."

The new radio was spared from defenestration this time, but I was not spared from jumping six feet into the air, colliding with the shower head and falling back to a slippery surface. I slipped and swore very loudly on impact, causing a griffin Marine and a Royal Guard to enter to see what the ruckus was about. Unfortunately, in the process of falling over I had kicked open the door to the small shower stall.

"Oh, Captain Sparkle... Did you slip in the shower?" The embassy Royal Guard asked.

"Yes, I did..." I groaned.

"Anything injured?" The Earth Pony mare asked.

"Just my pride. And can you switch the radio off, please?"

It was at this point Cadence showed up, as the Marine obliged me, regarding the radio. Sunset and Twinkle Shine were behind her.

"I heard a noise! Is Shining okay?! What happened?!"

The Griffin lost it at this point and burst into laughter when I let out a high pitched squeak of embarrassment. "He slipped on the soap, apparently, bwahaha!" Twinkle Shine giggled.

So much for professionalism. I turned the shower off, grabbed a towel and began trying to dry off as I left the shower.

"...Thank Auntie." Cadence sighed, with a grateful look towards heaven. "I almost thought it was..."

It was then I noticed apparently Cadence had bolted out of her own (She did wake at sunrise, after all). Being chivalrous, I did not stare at her enthralling wet, dripping mane and instead focused more on the fact the Guard and Marine were apparently picking up a few things that had fallen off the desk. Twiley's letter from yesterday, picture included.

"I should probably put these away somewhere safe..." I noted, opening a small safe I used to store some important things. I lifted up the six Royal Guard regulation books, putting them aside, and placing the letter and photo in. Unfortunately, I almost put them in the wrong half of the piled letters.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Wrong half?)

...Well, I've got a few letters I've written out, just in case something happens. I wouldn't want to suddenly be gone without at least knowing I'd left behind a goodbye.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): ...I see.)

While I fixed the order of the letters, Cadence had picked volume six in her magic, and looked on the last page. Being half-awake, I didn't question her sudden interest in that book. In hindsight it was kind of significant she'd been shaken up just by seeing a book that lists the name of every Equestrian Royal Guard who has died in the line of duty in the past four hundred years...

"...Thank Auntie." she breathed again. "I thought I was still having that nightmare from last night..."

"Nightmare, Your Highness? What was it?" Sunset wondered.

"...It's not important, Sunset. Just a bad dream. It involved some letters and... It's really quite silly...."

It was then that the Earth Pony Private spoke. "Captain, are you sure you're all right there? I'm actually a trained Combat Medical Technician..."

In other words, a member of the Medical Corps and therefore a fully trained one, instead of the six-week course on how to hold the patient's lungs in that a few troopers go on. Earth Ponies actually can make very good medics. Their magic is based on life, after all.

"Er, I'm fine, Private...?"

"Garnet, Sir."

"Wait a second. You're a medic, Private Garnet? What unit are you with?" Cadence then asked.

"I'm presently attached to the Fourth Royal Yokeshire Guards regiment, Your Highness."

Cadence smiled.

"Shining, last night I couldn't get back to sleep right away, so I did a little reading. And I noticed a few little quirks about the way things are set up with your unit. You were aware your command squad is supposed to be six strong and include a platoon medic, correct?"

"Private Garnet," I cut in. "If you're the Embassy medic where were you last night?"

"I was at the train station, Sir, I was sent out there to see what I could do. I made my own way back once I'd spoken to the local medics."

"I see. Princess, can I ask, how did you hear a noise down this end of the corridor when you were in the shower?"

"It's called an open window, won't change the subject, Shining," Cadence chided. "Why is it you've got a Command Squad that's a member short?"

"Ah. Easy, as a junior officer and with the shortage of medics in the Guard as a whole I never managed to get the gap filled in my team. Senior officers and the Air Navy get priority, and usually most regiments only have a medic at company levels, the exceptions being..."

She raised a hoof to cut me off. "But you're not a junior officer any more, Shining. You're Commander and Captain of my Guard. Why don't you have a medic in your unit?"

"None volunteered. I had thought that medical needs would be covered by the Air Navy medical bays, and members of other teams have some basic first aid training."

"Like you say, though, it's basic first aid. Last night we needed to enlist aid from a doctor who 'officially' wasn't even here. Imagine if Watsun really hadn't been here. Imagine if you'd been more seriously hurt! Which, given the situation, was a very real possibility. Minuette might not have been able to save you. A fully trained medic could spell the difference between life and death, Shining."

I couldn't really disagree with that.

"I know, but there's really no way to just yank a medic out of another unit and stick them into mine. I don't have that kind of authority..."

"But I do, Shining. Wait. So do you, what are you on about?"

"...Eh?"

"You're a Commander of the Guard, even if your actual rank is Captain you're entitled to request additional resources if they're mission critical. An enemy nearly killed you and several of your squad last night, I'd say that makes a medic mission critical."

"Erm, ma'am, are you trying to recruit me into your Guard?" Garnet asked, puzzled.

"Yes. Don't worry, I'm not going to conscript you, I'll ask your officer, that is, if you'd be okay with it, Private Garnet. Shining, you'd better get ready for those assessment things you have to do, we're going to be on a tight schedule today with them. Could they be done before ten, perhaps? Anyway, Private, take me to your leader!"

"Uh, Princess, should I dry you and the Captain off first? You have both just came out of the shower and... Knock it off, Twinkle!" Sunset spoke.

The other Hoofmaiden was making strange noises, like 'fnarr fnarr' even while Sunset was talking.

We both blushed.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Fnarr: 'A representation of a lecherous snicker popularized in the comic magazine Vide Licet... and used adjectivally to denote crude sexual innuendo.')

That's the magazine I'm starting to think is going to get the rights to the biographic adaptation of my life. Innuendo, innuendo, they all want every word between me and her to be innuendo...No, filly, I'm not telling you what we're talking about.

A gentle kick from her princess cured Twinkle Shine.

"Oh. Yes. Ah. I've left water all over the place, haven't I? Hopefully nopony..."

Suddenly, a scream.

"Waaaaaaargh!"

And then a crash.

"...Slips. Horseapples."

Garnet had rushed to the door, as had I. It would seem a hapless Pony member of the Marines had slipped in a puddle. The dazed unicorn mare was sprawled on the ground, but looked up at us. The other Marine was moving to try and help her to her feet.

"Uh... You're the Equestrian medic, Private Garnet, right?" Unicorn Mare-ine said.

"Yes, I am."

"There's been an accident."

"I can see that..." Garnet deadpanned.

"Sorry, I think that was my fault. Are you okay?" Cadence

"Er, I'm fine, ma'am. I mean there's been a more serious accident downstairs with two of your Guards." The Marinicorn said.

"What?! Who? What happened?" I cut in, alarmed.

"Two pegasi, Ranger and Gag, I think, but... Wait! You don't even know where they are!" She shouted as I began running. Everypony else had apparently started following me.

Except the other Marine, of course. The Griffin was a serene Marine surveying the scene.

"Then where are they?"

"THIS way!" Mare Marine said, looking exasperated and taking the lead.

***

Apparently, Ranger and Gag had been chatting while the on-duty one of the pair (which that day was Ranger, just in case you're playing some sort of Bingo or something) had been patrolling near the kitchens. It made sense, the two had been friends as recruits, apparently.

Ranger had slipped, Gag had dived to try and block him from falling, but this merely caused the two to slam into a glass display cabinet outside the kitchen doors, which had held a number of pictures of diplomats and visitors who had dined in the Embassy. Pride of the place had been a picture from twenty years ago, when Princess Celestia had received President Garret (An actual Griffin, imagine that!) in the embassy during a state visit. It escaped unharmed somehow.

Gag and Ranger had not. During the crash, it seemed Ranger had wound up slamming into the glass cabinet, taking Gag with him. We had come across the scene to find Ranger had helped Gag onto his haunches, away from all the glass, but judging by the little pool of blood, someone had been cut. Ranger had been in armor. Gag had not been, so it was clear who'd suffered most.

A Griffin from the kitchen staff, gray with a red neckerchief and rather absurd mustache, was trying to revive a fainted pony chef. Some other Guards had began to move in to try and stop further unwanted presences in the area, which meant they had almost stopped us until the Sergeant let us pass through the group of ponies. They let me and the two other troopers pass, though Cadence held herself and her hoofmaidens back for a moment. The marine had been sent to inform Minuette.

"Sunset, Twinkle Shine, you go look for Minuette as well."

"Do you have the medic?" Ranger said with alarm to the Sergeant, barely even noticing the rest of us.

He was holding Gag upright, less concerned by the fact he had a shard of glass sticking out of his wing than he was at the prospect his friend had a serious head injury. I have to admit I'd felt a little sick myself, seeing the two. Ranger looked to be all right bar his wing injury, but Gag had a few cuts. None serious. What was troubling was he appeared to have taken a nasty hit to the head.

"Don't worry, I'm it. Gustav, where's... Oh."

"What's 'oh?'" I asked.

"The pony that fainted over there is meant to be the first aider in the kitchens. Captain, can you get the medkit from over there please?"

Garnet had her own small first aid kit, but the one I'd fetched apparently held more useful things. She was now examining Gag with the aid of a flashlight she'd mounted onto a front plate on her chamfron. Actually quite a clever design, I should note. The on-off switch was to put it down or up, and the same mount held a magnifying glass. Probably good for reading as well.

"Private? Can you hear me? My name's Garnet, I'm a medic."

He blinked in confusion and just stared at her. Not good...

"How on earth did this happen?" Cadence wondered, as I looked at a suspect wet spot.

"I think someone spilled something. At least it was no one important got it, I guess..." The non-concussed pegasus said, trying to joke.

"Oh, don't you start with that kind of rubbish..." Cadence muttered, giving a fairly intimidating glare.

"Hey, dude, that's not cool. I'm totally important. I'm, like, the Queen of Eagleland..." Gag burbled. I tried not to laugh, half from pleasure he was still with us and half from the fact it was actually amusing at that time, saving me from a heart-attack.

It figures, the poor guy is only funny with a massive head injury to him. Most other poor comedians, I keep thinking I'd enjoy the jokes if only someone were to hit me repeatedly with a cast iron skillet until I forgot where my tail was.

"...Oh, sorry, were you talking to me there? I... I got kinda distracted..." Gag said to Garnet.

"Head pains?" Garnet inquired. "Dizziness?"

"Nah, you're cute..."

To her credit, she just gave a little smile. "Well, thanks, but if you don't mind I think it's better if I check you out first before you starting checking me out, yeah?"

This is probably as good a time as any to make it clear I'm only messing around when I talk about Gag. Only about Twiley's age at the time. He's really quite a good kid, just... his jokes need a lot of work. Great soldier, good guy, perfect translator, terrible comedian. I joke about a lot of people, but I don't really mean it.

Just then, Minuette arrived.

"Ma'am, can you attend to Private Ranger, please?"

I gave Minuette the medical kit, and she began to look at the other soldier. A few moments later, Garnet flipped her light back up to switch it off and reported her findings.

"Definitely a concussion, but not too bad by the looks of it. Might be a good idea to have a doctor check him out at some point but right now I'd advise he be off duty and resting for at least forty-eight hours, and that someone be with him most of the time in case his condition deteriorates." Garnet diagnosed. "The cuts aren't life threatening, but still need tending to."

As an Earth Pony, she couldn't perform any unicorn spells to double-check, but Minuette was on hoof for that.

"I'd agree, I'm not seeing any problems. How's the headache?"

"Still sore..." Gag reported.

Minuette then sighed and spoke to me as she returned to bandaging Ranger. She was especially careful with the glass shard in his wing, since if she just pulled it straight out, it might make it worse.

"Okay, is this going to become a habit, Captain? Are all the other cute ones going to wind up limping out of Columbia in a couple of weeks when we leave? Is Lance-Corporal Apple going to break his leg next?" She wondered.

Gag appeared not to notice he'd been called cute. He seemed to find Private Garnet more interesting.

"I hope not, that'll completely wreck our five-a-side team. He's a great striker," I didn't even get a groan for my poor comedy in light of the expert. But I did apparently get Concussion McGee to think of something.

"My dad was a great striker too! When I was twelve he took the whole Manechester Weather Patrol on strike! He managed to get the management at the weather factory to review unsafe working conditions, something about a risk of hyperfertility because of poor lighting cloud containment... 's why I've got a little brother and a little sister, they're twins..."

"Oh? What are their names?" Garnet asked.

"...Couch Gag and Overly Long Gag. See, my mother gave birth to Couch at home but somehow she was in labor for thirty-six hours with Overly..."

The mares in the room winced, Cadence even more so.

"Well, looks he doesn't have any notable memory loss..." Garnet said quietly.

"Thirty-six hours of labor? Is that even medically possible, Sir?" Ranger whispered to me.

"Apparently."

"We did have to go to the emergency afterwards though."

"You mom need medical attention?" asked Garnet.

"No, she was fine, my dad, she was holding his hoof the whole time and he needed a cast."

And with that, every stallion in the room winced.

Ranger snorted. "Can't help but wonder though, if Mother Gag had got a C-section would the foal have been named Cutaway?"

I kept in a laugh. I was beginning to be happy I was named Shining Armor instead of 'Sparkling Armor.'

"Okay, you're done, Ranger. Sorry, but I don't think that's one to take you off-duty." Minuette then said.

"Afraid she's right. You'd best not use the wing if you can avoid it but you got off lightly. Just a few damaged feathers and some light cuts." Garnet added.

"I can't believe an accident like this could happen..." Cadence groaned.

"Just shows how bad Makarov is, really. He threw everything but the kitchen sink into it last night and didn't come close to killing one guard. To think, all he REALLY needed to do was spill a drink!"

I then put my hoof in it, by laughing and saying; "We should give Running Gag concussions more often, he's funnier."

Minuette and Cadence gave me a look. Ranger stopped mid-laugh, and Garnet managed to prevent herself laughing. I saw her having to hold it in though!

"Gag is concussed, what's your excuse?" Minuette then asked.

"...Sorry." We both mumbled like colts caught with our hooves in the cookie jar.

"Anyway, uh, I'll go take Gag to the canteen or something, I guess he needs to eat?" Ranger spoke up.

"Small, light, things like oatmeal, fruit, vegetables. He might be advised to take high-protein foods, stay off the salt and alcohol. In fact, I'll come with you, we could probably give him an ice pack or some painkillers with I finish those cuts..." Garnet responded.

The three guards left, going slowly with the two relatively fit guards escorted Gag out.

"I think we should head back upstairs now." I suggested.

"Hm? Oh, yes... we still need to go finish..." Cadence remembered.

"Hang on a second, Princess, were you and the Captain both in the shower?" The Hoofmaiden cut in.

"...Er, yes, I was, and I was going to go finish..."

"Together?!" Minuette almost squeed.

"No, in our own rooms. Why would we shower together?" I said quickly.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Did you honestly say that, Captain?)

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): That's a good question, though, why would anypony think Cadence would shower with him?)

Of course, I knew exactly what Minuette was implying. Do I look like a foal? I was just playing dumb and trying to avoid the Princess getting flustered at the implications.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Oh. ...Implying what?)

Moving on!

We went back upstairs. Sunset had apparently went off with Ranger. Twinkle Shine and Minuette however were following us.

"...So, before all that what were we doing? Oh, yes, I'm going to try to get Private Garnet transferred to your medic-less unit. Now, I'm going to go finish my shower, and you should get ready to clear up that matter this morning. I was supposed to be having breakfast with the Neighponese other royals but was pushed back to tomorrow."

"And what's the rest of the day, since I'm to be following you?"

"Well, most of this morning got rescheduled, and the afternoon had one thing ruined. We were supposed to go to the Stock Exchange near lunch, then head over Francis International Shipyards..."

The largest of the city's two civilian ports. Our Flotilla was over in the Navy Shipyards.

"They increased security so that's pushed back. We might visit the area of the riot last night, I understand some Columbian ponies may have been caught up in it."

Right: A neighborhood in the borough wasn't named 'Firefly' for no reason.

"In the evening we're supposed to be heading to a variety performance in honor of the new president. Singers, dancers, comedians, that sort of thing. And Shining, don't you dare suggest we enter Running Gag."

"That...uh, hadn't crossed my mind..."

Even compared to the high pace life of Canterlot this was making mine and everypony's head spin save our Hoofmaiden with an hour-glass cutie mark.

"But, we need to get that suit made up first after the assessments are done."

"Could I get away with Parade Uniform?"

"What?" Minuette wondered, just as we neared my room again.

"Look, I'll show you."

I demonstrated by unlocking my travel trunk and removing the green uniform. It was in need of a little pressing, but you'll never guess what kind of spell I can use for that. "It's neat, but not quite as flashy as Full Dress. It's supposed to be worn when off-duty and representing the guard, so before you ask we couldn't wear them at the Hooviet Embassy since was a formal occasion..."

"Sorry, I'm completely lost. There's all these different uniforms but don't the guards normally wander around in gleaming suits of armor?" Twinkle Shine asked. Cadence had stayed away from the army for the most part, and so had her hoof maidens.

"Heheh." I grinned sheepishly, "A few centuries back, Princess Celestia wanted a uniform for every occasion. We've kinda been gradually dialing back since them. Let me show you."

My regulation volumes were was in that box, the one with the letters and the book Cadence had hopefully forgotten in all the excitement. To ensure Cadence did not notice (and be reminded of) the things also in there, I quickly pulled out Volume Five, containing the right details.

"Here's the uniform regulations, with pictures..." I said, showing them quickly to the Hoofmaiden.

While they looked it all over, I pulled on my armor. I'd need to find a replacement chamfron somewhere...

Cadence seemed to be nodding, but the two hoofmaidens shared an alarmed glance and then spoke up.

"Hm. It's not bad worn, Princess, but I think it's not quite what you were looking for..." Twinkle Shine said.

"Bit too military for off-duty, yes..." Minuette added.

"Yes, and he really could use something to fit in better at some parties, after all, some dignitaries might want a specific dress code..."

What were they up to...

"Okay, so instead of a soldier you want me to look like a hitpony," I groaned.

"Oh, stop moaning. You're getting a suit and that's final. I have a shower to finish. I'll meet you downstairs. Oh, Twinkle Shine, can you dry the Captain off?"

"With pleasure."

"That's not..." I began to say, but a small wave of warmth washed over me and I was dry.

"...Necessary. Hold on, if it was that quick why'd you tell her to wait earlier?"

She only smiled. "See you later, Captain," she said, trotting off, "Minuette, can you doublecheck Gag and Ranger are alright for me?"

"You mean downstairs with... erm... Princess?"

"Will that be okay, Minuette?" Cadence genuinely asked.

"Y-yes, it will. I promise."

"Alright."

With that, she left. Twinkle Shine following. I decided I'd be better off going to see how the squad was holding up too.

Soon enough, we had stepped inside an embassy canteen largely full of early-birds, Guards, Marines, and some members of Baseplate's unit. Gag was now talking to Audience and a few other Guards, but looked a lot better already, I didn't know about his jokes.

For some reason Minuette had given Audience a wide berth, even though this meant she was avoiding Sunset as well. The other hoofmaiden didn't seem to notice though.

"They seem okay to me..." She muttered to herself.

Ellis was now sitting off beside Lieutenant Price and another Earth Pony, but I was shocked to see him now in the light of day. Ellis is a pretty big guy. He was raised on a farm, after all, and he's an Earth Pony. But right then he looked frighteningly small. Or maybe it was just the fact the other Earth Pony was absolutely huge, I told myself.

Yeah, right, myself replied. Price spotted us, and trotted over.

"Sir, Captain Baseplate was wondering, has Princess Cadenza told you anything about our unit?"

"Uh, no, not yet. Was she supposed to?"

"Well, that's okay, we can tell you shortly and save a little confusion, hopefully. Oh, and I hope you don't mind, but I noticed your Lance-Corporal seemed a bit out of it. I took the liberty of having one of my troopers chat with him."

"Oh. Is he a psychologist?" Minuette cut in.

"Well, no, but from the same hometown, and he can give a little help thanks to Black Thistle training. That's a sort of..."

"I know exactly what it is," she said, giving Audience a meaningful glance.

I decided to cut in.

"Okay... Ellis is in good hooves so I'll speak to him later, I guess. Price, I'm going to need to speak to you somewhere private shortly. Minuette, once you've checked how Ranger and Gag are feeling, would you mind letting Princess Cadence know I'm going to chat with Lieutenant Price in the gardens?"

"Um... Sure."

She'd taken another nervous look at Audience. Great, she was afraid of him. Or worse, attracted.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Attracted? Why would that be a bad thing?)

Because at the time, I trusted exactly four ponies enough to not object if they were to ask my permission to ask Twilight out. One was suffering an acute stress reaction that threatened to balloon into full-blown post-traumatic stress disorder, one was Lieutenant Cherry Coke, one had a concussion, and the other was Audience.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Wait. I think I get why you'd trust Audience but what's so special about the others?)

Ellis and Gag because Twilight would probably say no and on top of that neither had displayed any more interest than the cursory glances they give pretty much any cute mare and were decent stallions on the off-chance she said yes, Cherry Coke because he's actually a nice enough guy and a good friend, even if his platoon doesn't like him much for some reason. But why do you think I'd trust Audience with her?

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Because he'd be ready not just to die to protect her but kill.)

...Actually, I trusted him because his Father is a General who writes military history books in his spare time and his mother is an archaeologist, both of which rubbed off on him so she'd probably like him. But you raise a good point. I hadn't considered that angle...

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Oh...)

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus and Earth Pony): YOU'RE GOING OFF-TOPIC AGAIN, SHINING!)

Gah! Okay, okay, Just tell me to stop evading... Uh... get back on topic...

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Are you evading something, Captain?)

No, I mean... Yeah. I am. I'm trying to avoid talking about... well... it's a bad memory and this whole discussion's bringing it all back, not just Columbia but...

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Do you want to take another break?)

...No. I'm fine now. Honest!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): No, I think maybe you should go have five minutes or so. Here, take this.)

A Game Colt? Hang on, this is the model that was built for unicorns.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): That's because it's mine. Not hers. But yes, you can borrow it. We'll come get you when we want to resume the interview.)

Well, okay... What game've you got inside? Oh, Invertebrates! That's a great game, the sheep that runs over and plants dynamite is awesome! ... Heh... You named one of the teams after Daring Do characters.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): He HAS been evading us. Joking around. Jabbering on about trivial matters. I'm fairly sure he knows more about us than he's letting on. And it's been getting worse the past couple of sessions. The more serious the subject matter the more he jokes around and pretend he's doing fine... What do you think?)

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): I've got to agree. We... We might be dealing with a more unknown quantity than we thought.)

(Interviewer's Notes(Earth Pony): Huh? But we know what's got to happen, right? I mean, it's already happened, hasn't it? He's not going to surprise us with something we didn't know happened or that doesn't make any sense, is he?)

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn and Pegasus): ....)

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Is he?)

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Time isn't a river in this world. Not anymore. It's more like an ocean for us. All we can do is hope Shining Armor's working off the same navigation charts as we are and he doesn't sink from the two storms at once.)

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Um... Shall I go get him back?)

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Let's give him a couple more minutes.)

++++

Fun game! Ready to resume? Yes? Okay! Once Minuette trotted off, Price went to speak to his Captain.

I started to feel on edge again when Baseplate came over, looking serious as he asked me to come meet him in the Embassy garden. He was like a different pony.

I didn't know if it was a good or bad sign that he'd been joking jovially during a climatic battle for survival, yet cheerlessly iron-jawed for a walk in the daisies.

The garden was empty when I arrived, a half-decent view over the river blocked by the fact someone had built a Germane Embassy in the way. Only a few roses would overhear what we spoke of, for Price was keeping an eye on the entrance door.

"Alright, laddie, I know you've got a command post that technically trumps me. I know you're a good guy, and I consider you a friend. But you breathe a word of this to the wrong pony and you are right in the horseapples, and so am I. This is literally 'if I told you I'd have to kill you' stuff..."

"Uh, well, if it's all the same, don't tell me..."

"No, Shining. If you tell anyone, you have to kill them. So for Celestia's sake, don't tell Princess Cadence."

Baseplate's demeanor could not have been graver.

"Um, if that's... Uh, look, if it's that big, I could probably live happily without knowing..."

He then grinned. "Nah, I'm just kidding, Shining. And we HAVE been asked to keep Cadence in the loop."

The grin faded.

"But it is pretty serious stuff. Shining, our unit is called the Special Air Service, and we were activated early on in the morning after Princess Cadence set off on her trip. We are not a reconnaissance unit, not entirely. Officially, you'll find us listed as a 'specialist air unit'. As though we're some weather control unit or a squad of airship engineers."

"What are you saying, Captain?"

"Every member of our unit is Black Thistle protocol. That's because the expectation is we will enter situations where we are highly likely to be forced to use lethal force to complete the mission objectives."

I was a little nervous and intimidated. Black Thistles weren't supposed to grouped together. Instead of wondering 'do I have to shoot him?' ponies like Baseplate and all his Special Air Service would wonder, 'Why has no one else shot him?' I was worried they'd be seen as a 'quick fix' solution.

"O-okay. Um, is it... Is it in case... I know Cadence is on this mission to try and get the world to get along better, there's been a bit more... chaos and strife than we'd have liked, but... Are you guys, are you... Are you Plan B?"

"Sort of, Shining. There's a more public unit, one the journalists can write about. They're called the Special Emergency and Life-preservation Service, or SEALS. They're being touted as non-lethal special forces. SEALS will be the public face of the 'Modern Equestrian Guard,' all badflank as any other nation's Special Forces, but instilled with good old-fashioned Equestrian values of compassion, empathy and the sanctity of life. They're competent, effective, and meant to be a public Plan B."

"So... You guys are like normal special forces, but you've still got Black Thistle rules? Okay, that's not... That's not so bad. I can deal with that."

"Our secondary role," Baseplate continued, "is to act like normal special forces, such as ANBU from Neighpon or Sandgriff and his boys. Our primary role is to act as backup. We're Plan C. Plan C if the SEALS ever fail. Plan C if the problem reaches the point where it needs to be ended right away."

"I... Okay. That's not as awful as I thought it was going to be when you said 'all Black Thistle.'"

He looked far too relieved.

And then I actually thought about it. I connected some dots. Two plus two...

"Wait a second... correct me if I misheard this, but isn't it true that your unit, the Special Air Service, was activated less than five hours before Nightmare Moon's return from the moon?"

"Yes, that's true," Price said, from where he stood.

"And you said you're Plan B if someone else fails... you mean when they die?"

"Well, Shining, that's..." Price began, but I was talking too fast.

"Then that means Celestia wasn't sure, was she?! She wasn't sure the Elements of Harmony would work! She had your team mobilized and ready to go in if Twilight hadn't managed it! To dispose of her sister!"

"Shining, you're being ridiculous!" Price protested.

"Am I?! And you got sent along here! She must've suspected Makarov would try something. She sent you lot along in case I had to be mopped up off the floor of a bucking tram graveyard or in case he attacked more openly! You were here to avenge us if we were killed! She planned it all, she knew she wasn't infallible and she had a bunch of killers primed and ready to go in, waiting for us to fail! She's no better than him, the Hooviets, she's treating us all like pawns and..."

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Princess Celestia would never do that!)

Baseplate thought so too. He promptly headbutted me.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): What!?)

Hey, he's Caledonian. It's pretty much how they say hello at times. And 'calm down, you twit.'

"Quite finished?" He said, voice level.

"Ow..." I groaned from the ground.

"Okay. Get a grip, Shining Armor Sparkle. You've misunderstood me entirely. Now, maybe you're just stressed. Maybe you've got too much going on in your head right now. But you're wrong, lad. You're right in some ways but totally wrong in the line of thinking you've gone down."

I groaned and got back up as he continued.

"Aye, we were backup for your sister, and aye, we were told what to expect, what to do if it didn't work. But Shining, one thing we do NOT do is stand by, coldheartedly awaiting the deaths of our comrades so we can sweep in and take over the mission! As though we were vultures or greedy heirs to some old fart's riches or somethin'!"

He snorted angrily.

"We were right behind Princess Celestia's beloved student and her friends, acting as guardian angels if they needed us. I doubt we could've hurt Nightmare Moon if we tried, we were there to save the ones who could stop her if we had to. We were following them from afar in light airships, literally a minute away when the sun rose and we were allowed to pull out. Our job wasn't that much different from normal guard procedure when you get down to it: save the innocent or die trying. We're just better equipped to take the other bastards with us, is all."

So, yeah. Overreacted a bit. Quite a bit, actually. Rather embarrassing. My accusations were baseless, unpatriotic, and maybe even a little treasonous. In hindsight... I wasn't really all there and just needed a bit of sense knocked back into me.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): With a headbutt.)

Yup. Anyway...

"Were... you there, Baseplate? Following after my sister?"

"Aye, wish we were closer to the holy light show. Hard to look up and over a forest where the average pegasus dares not fly..."

I had to wonder what kind of lunatics they found to be willing to fly light airships over Everfree, to be honest. Then I remembered half the Air Crew cadets I'd known, and the mystery was solved.

"I don't even think Nightmare Moon knew, but then again, I don't imagine she'd have been all that clued in on Light Airships, being one-thousand years behind the times, and all, maybe she was too focused on the Element Bearer girls, or maybe she just didn't care. I don't know and I don't really care, what matters is, we were there to make sure Twilight and the rest got the Tartarus out of there if their light show didn't work, just as we were here last night to keep you safe as well."

"S-So if Makarov had..."

"If he'd captured you last night, he wouldn't have got far. Don't you remember who showed up with the Air Naval Cavalry?" Price explained.

"...I've been a bloody idiot, haven't I?"

"Oh, aye, very much so, laddie. But between you and me, I think Princess Cadence prefers idiots..."

"What's that supposed to mean, Sir?" I asked.

Two things then happened. Curiously, a hoofball landed from over a nearby wall. And then Baseplate and Price both stood to attention.

"...Shining? Are you all right?" Cadence asked.

Presumably, she'd just walked up behind us. She'd been dried off after finishing up. Not that I had enjoyed the wet mane thing, oh no.

"Er, yes, I..."

"You look a bit woozy..."

"He headed the ball at the wrong angle, ma'am." Price reported, pointing at the ball.

She sighed.

"Really, Shining, playing with a ball? And not asking me to play? Serves you right! Anyway, the Air Naval officers will be here in time so you can get started at about half seven, but I'd like to speak with you about something first. Can you come with me?"

"Uh, okay, Your Highness... "

I then spotted two foals looking over the wall. The Germane Embassy was right next door.

"Entschuldigen Sie. Kˆnnen wir bitte unseren Ball wiederhaben??" One of the foals asked. Price picked up the ball.

"Nat¸rlich. junger Mann Aber bitte versuch nicht wieder, ihn ¸ber die Mauer zu werfen. Alles klar?" He replied, throwing
it back over.

"Danke, Herr Reiter!" The delighted pair cheered, and ducked away.

I have no idea what they said. I think Reiter is some kind of spaceship...

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): If I recall right, it's Equestrian.)

No it's not, it's Germane. Hey, why are you facehoofing?

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Think we should tell him what Baseplate's soldiers told us? About how they were under the presumption that Twilight would try to return to the castle first to search her own library for clues? And how tricky it was for them to figure out where she went without blowing their cover after Spike woke up and informed Canterlot she'd left? And how it was near-impossible it was for them to search Everfree, what with all the wild trees, and flying predators?)

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): No kiddo, I'd like the look on his face, but I think the Baseplate can tell him that himself. Or that their Navigator first thought Baseplate meant 'Whitetail Woods' because 'No pony would be insane enough to enter Everfree on hoof.' Not since a pegaus Royal Guard ended up petrified.)

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Didn't he get restored by Celly herself?)

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Yes and demanded on the spot he be 'un-restored' because he liked the zen feeling, thought he made a great statue, liked his spot in the Hall Of Heroes, and wanted to witness Celestia's one millionth birthday. The point is that, that forest eats even elite ponies alive! Dudes should have been assigned as Twilight's help from the start, rather than shadowing them all secretive-like.)

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Well... for the sake of argument, let's assume Luna's Nightmare self -- capable of fighting the sun herself -- COULD simply be gunned down by artillery or small arms fire. In the grand scheme of things, it STILL worked out for the best that Baseplate's team kept their distance. Remember: The Elements of Harmony don't need just the right Bearers, the Bearers all need to have true camaraderie with each other. If Twilight had traveled with an honor guard, all locked 'n' loaded with Alicorn-slaying über-bazookas, it... would've made a bad atmosphere for bonding.)

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Yeah. I hate to imagine how heartbroken Celly would've been if poor Lulu had to be hurt instead of saved. I kinda agree with Celly's thinking: deep down, Lulu did wanna lose, so she set things up so each of them had a chance to make real friends with Twilight.)

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): That's crazy.)

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Perhaps. But Nightmares are, by definition, insane. We all remember that.)

"Maybe… But are you sure I can't borrow a few elite platoons?"

Well Twiley, looks like you got your wish after all.

I followed Cadence. Twinkle Shine was waiting for us near the door to the gardens. The Princess spoke up as we all began walking together.

"Shining. I've got a couple of things to tell you. First, Commander Shepard told me she's selected one of her Light Airship officers to take over while you're off-duty, a Flight Lieutenant called Ace Rimmer. I understand you know him?"

"Yes, I do. He was at the academy with me, but he went the Air Navy route."

"What's he like? He'll technically be in charge for at least a day, after all."

"Well, he's... Uh... Quite a guy, really."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Could you expand on that?"

"Well, unlike most Pegasi members of the Air Navy flight crews he learned to fly light airships. You've seen how small and confined those are. A lot of Pegasi get antsy in cargo bays with the doors open. The majority of them wouldn't dream of letting themselves be shoved in such a tight, cramped cockpit."

"I see. Anything else?"

"Chivalrous type, but a bit of a ladies' stallion. Friendly, helpful, but modest. He doesn't lord his skills or position over anyone. Quite a guy, basically."

"He sounds like a bizarro-world Pegasus version of Blueblood to me."

"Actually, word has it that he's good friends with Blueblood." I noted.

A side-effect of being sent on errands far away from Canterlot, Blueblood had built up impressive airship experience. A Sunny Day article I read when I got back actually said he volunteered for many political missions to make up for a foalhood of never being allowed to set hoof outside the castle. Alright, I'll admit it, maybe he's not a lost cause.

"Oh. Well, at least Flight Lieutenant Rimmer has a good reference from you." Cadence said. "I think he'll be the officer sitting in with you interviewing your troops. Anyway, the second thing. I'm going to go speak to the commanding officer for the Embassy Guards. I want to make sure he has no objections to transferring Private Garnet over to your unit. That is, if you have no objections?"

"I'm okay with it. What'd Garnet, herself, say?"

"Oh, she's okay with it. The embassy never really needed a medic anyway, they could just call an ambulance or hire a civilian doctor, apparently." Twinkle Shine reported.

Typical military. Put a vital resource in a place it's not needed. I'm almost sure Equestrian scientists developed field rations that were as delicious, nutritious, and filling as they were imperishable, tents that never leaked and were easy to set up, barding three times lighter and six times stronger than the steel and aluminum we presently wear, and belt buckles that don't taste of metal, but all of that is piled up in some warehouse in Clydesdale that's supposed to be storing sandbags.

At breakfast with Cadence and Baseplate I did learn that our next stop-off was actually in Zebrafrica, not another Griffin nation as I'd first expected, but we'd be here another week or so until we went there.

The hoofmaidens maidens for their part sang a vocal version of 'End Of The Night' and drafted one of the sheep the in embassy's civil service.

The Air Navy would be arriving soon, so I excused myself from breakfast to go make sure all my troopers would be making their way down to the small conference room we were going to use for the assessments.

As I walked though, it was strange. Just having some breakfast, a nice chat about something other than nutcase deer, and I felt like the weight of the world was off my back. I let myself think things were looking up. I was just going up the stairs towards the troopers' quarters, when the world was filled with loudness.

"CELESTIA IN CANTERLOT!" I shouted, but was drowned out by the heavy thrum of the loudest musical instrument it had been my misfortune to encounter.

The Thunder Guitar. For non-pegasi, this is a device that's basically a set of guitar strings between two posts, stuck into a thundercloud and possibly manipulated to shape. Skilled players could produce gentle and soft melodies, or a hellish cacophony of Horse Metal, fueled by the power of the lighting, straight from the cloud.

Thunderchild favored the latter kind. Most Pegasi did. Speaking as a ground-dwelling unicorn who was mostly raised on his parent's old classic rock collections, I'm amazed most Pegasi aren't deaf.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): WHAT? COULD YOU SPEAK UP?)

Anyway, Thunderchild and Corporal Griffen now stood at the doorway to his quarters, a room he shared with the other sergeants.

"That was a bit loud!" I noted as I approached.

"Uh, yes, sorry, Sir, I was actually keeping it quiet, but, er..."

"I asked if I could have a go. Sorry, Sir." Griffen said.

"Yeesh, if you two act any more sheepish you could join the civil service... Look, just remember to keep the door closed and the noise down next time. And remember not to hit ponies who ask for 'Stairway to Elysium or Free Griff. Some ponies LIKE those songs!"

It turned out that Thunderchild hadn't heard about the accident, but then again, with that guitar he could have failed to hear a tank division approach and open fire on him. But hey, Equestria doesn't have any tank divisions so he's safe there, I guess. Griffen went back on his patrols, and I fetched the other troopers involved.

As we walked, I looked to Thunderchild. "Hey...thanks for saving my flank last night. Makarov was doing a pretty good job of kicking it when you gave him that shock."

"It was an honor Sir. And if I might say, a pleasure to see that smug smirked wiped off Makarov's face for a few seconds."

"I agree whole heartedly."

Apple was downstairs, Audience was getting a separate assessment. Gag... hadn't actually seen anything major the previous night, but was off-duty because there were no active squads with gaps needing filled in. It had been the command squad and Misfit One-Three's members present in the train station, and so, the two main sections were intact. The four pegasi of those squads were off duty because frankly, trying to put them anywhere else temporarily was going to cause confusion given the squads were only a few days old.

Even so, if it had come down to it, having the four of them hanging around with their new squadmates for the day or two off would have been a good step in warding off any serious mental repercussions from what they'd all seen. Misfit One-Three hadn't all known each other, but my squad did.

Dancer and Party, as well as Marelowe, had all been in the one room, talking with Sweetwater and Lance-Corporal Redford, the pegasi of One-Three.

All of the troopers being assessed today had been allowed to not wear armor, which actually surprised some of the Marines. Apparently, Columbia's military tries to encourage any troopers undergoing possible stress reactions to maintain a sense of military identity. We, on the other hoof, had reasoned that to do that could be seen as encouraging troopers to think of themselves as soldiers first, and equine beings second. Columbia's stance relied on the pride of being soldiers. Different folks, different strokes.

Marelowe, the Zebra Lance-Corporal, looked like he hadn't slept well and I feared that two of my most junior NCOs might have been heading down dark roads. Dancer, the female Earth Pony, looked okay but seemed a bit thoughtful. Party (the unicorn with some first aid skills) on the other hoof seemed a bit difficult to read, like she was regretting something.

They were quiet on the way down. I noted this, but it could easily have just been a reaction to following me. Thunderchild was not being assessed as he'd not seen anything too traumatic, so I had him go fetch Ellis. We soon reached the conference rooms.

I addressed the group of three ponies and one zebra.

"Troopers, to make it clear, this is not therapy. It's just a debriefing of sorts. All we're doing here is letting you talk, discuss what happened. If you'd rather remain silent on an issue, we won't press it if you really don't want to talk about it, but I think it's best you're honest and tell us everything you can. What you all saw was traumatic, and I can tell you from personal experience that if we were to leave you all to think about it for a while without talking it over with you, well, it can lead to things I'd not wish on anyone."

Anyone evil enough for me to wish that kind of mental trauma on was probably a sociopathic nutcase in the first place, and might enjoy things that would drive normal people insane. Probably. I'm no psychologist.

(Interviewer (Unicorn): Even someone with a black hole for a heart can be worn down if hit by those things long enough.)

"We're just waiting on the Air Navy Officers to arrive. One of them will be sitting in with me while the rest are going to be preparing to deal with the other matter in the room next door to us."

I heard hoofsteps nearing, and turned to see not the Air Navy, but three others: Cadence and Minuette weren't too much of a shock. Commander Bond was a surprise, though. The troopers stood to attention until Cadence bid them to sit back down.

"Hello, everyone. No need to salute, please, we're just here to ask the Captain a few things."

Bond then spoke.

"The other Air Navy officers haven't arrived yet, by the way, Captain. I was out in town dealing with a little business. Once we're done with this, I'll need to speak with you and the Princess about something."

I nodded.

"All right, though I thought the Princess had something arranged..."

"Actually, that can be delayed a little. What I wanted to ask was a few things about these assessments. First, I was wondering if Commander Bond could sit in with you as well as Flight Lieutenant Rimmer. He has some experience with these matters..." Cadence asked.

"I'd be okay with it if the troopers have no objections."

None of them did.

"Secondly, well, I don't have much to do and rather than just sit around I was wondering if maybe I could speak with your troopers while they're waiting? Not about what you'll discuss, just to... talk with them, sort of thing. I've got some things to thank them for."

I was okay with this, and so, the last conference room in this little hall was taken over for Cadence to host a tea party of sorts. Well, not quite. But she did send Minuette off to fetch some refreshments since it emerged none of the four had actually managed to have breakfast yet. I figured maybe it'd help calm the troopers down a little.

It was only just as the Air Navy officers arrived did it hit me I'd be taking them out of a pleasant chat with the Princess, back into a memory they all wanted out of their heads before it could get better. We had to do it though. Trying to erase memories of trauma, well, even if a doctor approves, all it really does is put a mental block. And some traumas can easily bypass it.

However, Ace Rimmer was an old friend, so seeing him was a boost. Bond went off to speak with the other officers as I greeted the Pegasus Flight Lieutenant. He was wearing a silver bomber jacket with a pair of aviator sunglasses.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): ...What's his cutie mark?)

An eagle with wings spread in front of a small collection of stars. He's a skilled flyer outside of airships too, you see.

"Well, well, if it isn't Shiney Sparkle. Or should we be calling you Iron Balls now after last night?"

He grinned as he raised a hoof. I bumped it back.

"Good to see you again, Ace. How have things been?"

"Not nearly as exciting as things with you, I'm afraid. Pleased to hear you got out of all that okay, must have been nasty. Commander didn't want to send the attack boats out though, would have been too aggressive. Besides, I hear you and Thunderchild took out their little tanks without much help."

"They were actually Tripods, but.... Maybe we should get on with this?"

"Sure thing, Sparks."

Star Dancer for her part was scoping out Ace the way he normally scoped out mares. I took in a breath.

"Okay, Lance-Corporal Apple, let's start with you. I know it must be hard, but I'd like you to tell me your recollection of last night." I began.

He nodded slowly.

"Well, um... Ah followed... Audience, and went past the first Diamond Dog back in the tunnel. But, uh, Ah was okay with that for some reason. Ah felt a little queasy but Ah just walked away. Ah got up to the station and Ah was fine, and we went in and... Ah felt really pleased we'd got 'em all alive, especially after seein' one had to be killed back in the tunnels..."

He paused quite a bit, as if expecting questions. We had to remind him gently to keep going.

"...So, Ah… When them Deer came down and starting firin', Ah… Ah didn't feel scared. Ah was actually feelin' kind of... excited. Ah thought Ah was going to get a chance to stop them Deer too, and help out everypony else. And then Captive shouted about the dogs and Ah just..."

A noise outside made his eyes dart fearfully to the door. He'd seemed ready to jump up for a second, but just stared at the door. I tried to get him back focused on us.

"...Bitter Apple, have you ever..."

He replied right away, still staring at the door. "Ellis. It's Ellis. Sir."

'Oh bucking Tartarus'

"I'm sorry about that, but..."

"Ah don't get it, sir. Most everypony, they seem to forget mah first name. Ah dunno why. Is it... Is it 'cos 'Ellis' doesn't sound very apple-y? But it is, it's what my Ma and Pa grow on the farm. Ellis Bitters. They're a good strain for cider. Ah got my cutie mark fixin' the cider pumps..."

"Ellis. Have you been thinking about that often, people getting you name wrong?" Ace asked.

He finally looked back at us.

"...U-um, yes..."

"You can be informal if you wish, Ellis. We're not Captain Sparkle, Flight Lieutenant Rimmer, or Commander Bond, not right now. We're Shining, Ace, and Manes."

"Is... Is that okay, Sir?"

He asked this to me.

"Of course. Ellis, I'm sorry about that slip of the tongue, but I want you to know that I don't think of you as just one of my troopers, but as one of my friends as well. And please, it's Shining."

He nodded.

"Now, Ellis, can we talk about last night again? When Captive shouted about the dogs?" Bond prompted gently.

He swallowed.

"Ah… Ah just froze when Ah saw 'em. They were all torn up, and... Ah've never seen anythin' like that. Ah just couldn't stop shakin' and Ah… Ah wanted to be sick. Ah..."

It was difficult for me to maintain my composure at that point. So many conflicting emotions. Sorrow for Ellis and how he'd reacted. Anger at Makarov for causing all this. Anger at myself, for not having taken proper care of my friends, for not protecting the dogs as well last night.

"What happened after that, can you recall?" I asked.

"Ah just... Ah felt like things went fast and slow. Everypony was like in slow motion and going a hundred miles an hour at the same time. Ah'd just be looking at the wall a second and then somepony would talk to me, and it felt like Ah'd been staring at the wall fer hours. Ah couldn't stop shaking, Ah had to go to the colt's room a few times, Ah felt dizzy and sick and short of breath... Ah didn't know what Ah was doing until Captive just made me sit down and called over a police griffin who looked at me. Ah don't really remember much about what happened after that, Ah… Ah just came back here and couldn't sleep. Ah felt exhausted but Ah couldn't sleep. Ah think Ah was out for an hour or two but Ah ain't sure."

"How do you feel now?" Bond asked.

"Tired. Ah tried to eat somethin' earlier but Ah wasn't hungry."

Rimmer nodded. "Ellis, it seems to me you've suffered a very severe combat stress reaction. The good news is, that while you might not feel so great now, these things can improve remarkably fast..."

"Will Ah be able to go back on duty soon?"

"Hopefully. Ellis, you should be feeling better in a few days or maybe even hours. What will happen is your friends and squadmates will be there for you. They're going to help you feel normal, and you're going to help yourself. You might feel like you can't cope now, but it's going to improve, and I'm sure deep down, you know that yourself. Try not to worry if you can. We might find you some light work to do, maybe we'll just have you hang out with your friends. But the important thing is, you never failed." Rimmer continued.

"Ah..."

"Ellis, it was no one's fault." Bond said gently.

'Except mine,' I thought.

To back Bond up though, what I said was:

"Manes and Ace are right, Ellis. We were all there with you. You didn't let us down. There was no choice you could have made that would have changed things..."

'Me, on the other hoof...'

"We're all proud of what you did last night and none of us think any less of you for how this all went. If anything, I'm proud you've been able to speak to us about it so openly." I continued.

"Well... Ah'm an Apple, Si... Shining. We're honest folk. Ah'd say AJ's prove that. Ah-"

He blinked, and almost then, it was like he was starting to come back. I tried not to grin.

"-well, we got a few cousins in Manehatten that're complete plotholes, but they're okay in their own way. They just need to remember they got family around them is... all..."

He frowned.

"Uh... Ah feel a little.. kind of silly now. Is that normal?"

"Well... Yeah, sorry. You can be quite a silly pony at times, buddy." I said honestly.

He smiled. So did I.

"Yah know... that's what we all used to say about AJ... Er, Applejack... See, when she was a filly... "

We let him talk. By his usual standards, Ellis was still a little slow, but he was coming back to us.

'Up yours, Makarov. You can't break my friends that easily, you greasy little motherbucker.'

The rest of them were thankfully swift. Not that we begrudged Ellis a chance to think about things other than last night. I just hoped he didn't talk Cadence to death when he went through...

"Well, Sir, to be honest, I was worried about Ellis. But... I don't know what you guys said, but he looks a hundred times better already."

"So, you've not got any concerns, Star Dancer?"

"Well, no. I felt a bit sick with the dogs last night, but... Well, I'm sorry they were killed. But I was just glad we all got out okay, and I'm glad Ellis is getting better too. It's just weird to see him look so small, you know?"

Private Happy Party had got over her giggles, and she was quite calm talking about the event. She regretted not being able to do much for the dogs, but knew that there probably was little else anyone else could do. She was sure they didn't suffer much. She too had been worried for Ellis.

She did seem to be... enjoying herself towards the end though.

"Am I thinking about trivial things? Well, uh... this might sound odd, Sir, but... I kind of like your mane when you're not wearing your chamfron. Is that weird?"

"I'd say no, I was jealous how he could just walk out of the showers and look better than me after ten minutes of combing and gelling back in the academy." Ace said.

She unfortunately then giggled.

"...Tell me, Happy, are you related to Minuette?"

Marelowe, however, was a bit of a surprise.

"I felt nothing, Sir. I just looked at the dogs, and... Nothing. I know it's not right, but... They were mercenaries. Just hired guns out to kill for money. I wasn't born in Kundu, but I was penfriends as a colt with some of my cousins who still stayed there. We were basically teaching each other Kunduese and Equestrian. Even when the civil war started they still wrote. They managed to make some of the factions sound so stupid."

He gave a small laugh, but there was no real humor behind it.

"I mean, there were mercenary groups and little factions called things like the Radicals, the Hive, the Nasty Boys, Shadow Company... They sounded like wrestling tag teams, not vicious killers! Hay, even the two big anti-government groups sounded goofy. New World Order? Nation of Domination? It sounded like a Saturday morning kids' show. 'Join Captain Kundu as he fights the evil Nation of Domination, and their vicious Diamond Dog allies, the Nasty Boys!' I mean...come on!"

He sighed.

"We never heard from any of them after the Hooviets forced the Columbian peacekeepers to withdraw. The civil war just erupted right back up again. It barely just ended last year, and only because the New World Order finally beat the Nation of Domination. They tore the democratic government to shreds years ago. Literally. "

He looked me in the eye.

"So, sorry, Sir. But I didn't lose a darn moment of sleep last night. I saw those dead mercenaries, and I remembered what people like them had did to my cousins, to my parent's homeland. I didn't feel happy, but I wasn't sad either. I just couldn't find it in me to give a horseapple about mercenaries. Karma's a bitch. No pun intended. ...Well, maybe a little intended."

Our 'debriefing' was over. Now came the big one, what I was most nervous about. I went off to fetch Audience. If he was nervous he might be heading for a court martial for unlawful killing, he didn't show it.

The officers who would hear his case were Shepard, Bond, and Hornblower. I was merely to observe. The only other soul in the room was an Air Navy unicorn officer with a typewriter, logging the official record.

Shepard was chairpony of the inquiry.

"Scribe, let the record show that this is stage one of Fatal Incident Inquiry Four, held under Black Thistle protocols at this time. The purpose of this inquest is to determine if the shooting of an unidentified suspect by Private Captive Audience, of the Royal Guard of Princess Cadenza. On the panel, Commander Hanneigh Shepard, Captain of Her Highnesses' Ship Invincible, Lieutenant Commander Hornblower, Executive Officer of Her Highnesses' Ship Invincible, and Lieutenant Commander Manes Bond, Third Officer of Her Highnesses' Ship Invincible. In attendance as an observer, Captain Shining Armor Sparkle, of the Royal Guard of Princess Cadenza, and Commanding Officer to Private Audience. Let the record also note that Captain Sparkle was present at the time, and that his witness statement will not be sought here but will be added later to any additional statements being sought outside these proceedings by additional officers. Does anyone object to the presence of any individuals in the room so noted as present by the record?"

No one replied.

"Private Audience, the nature of the inquiry is such that whilst you are not presently being charged or placed under arrest, that you may incriminate yourself in the course of proceedings leading to this inquiry being expanded to a Court Martial stage. Do you understand and accept this risk?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

This went on a short spell. Audience was asked, and confirmed, if he understood everything. That he faced from us parole or arrest to face a full inquiry under standard fatality protocols, that the MoD would review our findings and decision, that they might reverse it or agree to it, that his commanding officers would be obtaining separate statements from other witnesses for submission to the MoD...

"Very well. Private, please explain your view of the events." Shepard finished.

He started recounting how the alert was raised, his orders given. He soon reached the bit about the tunnel.

"...I approached through the tunnels, hearing gunfire ahead and unable to contact Captain Sparkle or any other troopers. I came across a small train yard, and observed the Captain and a Griffin under fire from a a rapid-firing volley gun type device, with multiple barrels. The operator of the device was shielded by metal plating with a very thin cutout to see through, leaving only a very small gap to take any shot. Furthermore, he was tight against the wall and in a corner, meaning that getting behind him or trying to approach with stealth would be impossible or pose great risk. I observed that Captain Sparkle and the Griffin appeared to be pinned down behind cover that was being removed by the force of the enemy weapon, and, uncertain if the weapon was capable of further penetrating his shields either with sustained fire or if it overcame the physical cover, I determined that a threat to life was posed by the enemy action. I could not identify any weapons the Griffin carried at this point, and was uncertain if he was police or military, or if he had any weapons capable of piercing the cover of the attacker."

Translation: He showed up, saw no way around, had no idea if I could hold the shield, had no idea Frost was carrying anything that could have helped.

"In addition, I reasoned that any cover I could find for myself could be unreliable at that point, and, uncertain if the enemy was aware of my presence, realized any failed attempts to stun him would alert him. Even if I was able to reach cover, I was uncertain I would be able to extricate either myself or the Captain and the Griffin safely from the area with the minimum risk to life. I therefore determined the best course of action was to take a lethal shot through the available window, as all other options for incapacitation either posed too great a risk to others or myself, or could result in undue suffering or injury to the suspect as well as retain the risk the suspect could remain in fighting condition."

He had no idea if he'd been spotted by either party, he couldn't trust the cover, couldn't risk botching a stun spell and getting him or us shredded in return, and a shot other than the one that he had taken would have caused unneeded suffering with the possibility it wouldn't stop the Dog.

"I took the shot, and aimed it to inflict as instant and painless a resolution as possible. This was successful, the bolt striking the cranium of the target, which would have caused the immediate cessation of motor and cognitive functions."

He shot him in the head.

"Is that the conclusion of events, Private?" Shepard asked.

Audience confirmed. Now it was question time.

"Private, I will now ask a number of questions. These may have been answered already by your statement, but this is for the record and to ensure consistency and accuracy in the proceedings. Do you understand this?"

"Yes, sir."

"For these questions, please confirm with a yes, no, or uncertain. If you object to these questions being asked, you may do so now, though it may harm your defense if this later is upgraded to a Court Martial in addition to possibly affecting the outcome of this inquiry."

"I have no objections, Sir."

Bond then asked: Did the target pose a threat to life? Could Audience see any reasonable alternative at the time, and once he had felt lethal force was the only choice, did he make it as painless as possible?

The answers were yes, no, yes. Just like Frost the night before.

Hornblower now spoke up.

"We will now ask broader questions based upon your statement, and you may answer these questions with as detail a reply as you wish, or maintain silence, though I remind you again that silence may harm your defense if this later is upgraded to a Court Martial in addition to possibly affecting the outcome of this inquiry. Private, you stated you could not identify the Griffin or any weapons he carried. What made you sure he was friendly?"

"Captain Sparkle was shielding him, Sir."

"If the Griffin had been carrying grenades or a disposable rocket launcher visible to yourself, would that have altered your reaction to the situation?" Bond threw in.

"No, Sir. If the Griffin had not used those weapons already, it would have been my assumption something presented an obstacle to use, such as close proximity to the blast area, or difficulties in clearing the backblast of any launcher."

"Would Stun spells have been a viable alternative?" Shepard.

"Not in my opinion, ma'am. Accuracy with such spells is limited to hitting within a six-inch diameter area at up to fifty meters. Though range to the target was approximately twenty meters, the only available areas to hit posed risks that the stun bolts would strike cover or risk other side effects. If the suspect had been hit in the foot, he may have not been properly stunned and could have altered fire onto my position. Hitting his head was very unlikely as the window he was looking through was at most, four inches high, leaving a significant area of possible impact that would be harmless to the suspect."

"And your bow shooting is more accurate?" Bond questioned.

"Yes, Sir. I can reliably hit a within a half-inch diameter area at up to seventy meters, one inch at a hundred and ten, and two inches at a hundred and fifty. Further ranges using magic boosting or guidance hit within a four inch area at up to three hundred meters and within a one foot area for longer ranged arc fire."

"How wide are the heads of the bolts you fire from your crossbow?" Hornblower asked.

"About half an inch."

"So, to be certain, your bow fires with pinpoint accuracy, whilst alternative spells would have risked a miss and potentially been too large to be viable?"

"Correct, sir."

"Was in possible for Captain Sparkle to teleport himself and the Griffin out of the way?" Shepard wondered.

"If it was, Ma'am, it was my belief he would have already done so, though I was aware at the time Captain Sparkle was rather poor at teleportation alongside maintaining any additional spells. If he had tried to teleport, it was likely he would have been killed or injured in the process. In addition, trying to teleport another individual would have made the situation even more complex, widening the window he would need to calculate the teleport."

There was silence now.

"Does the panel have any further questions?"

None were forthcoming.

"Does the Private wish to add anything else?"

"No, Ma'am."

"Very well. Let the record show the panel will now give opinions on how they feel this inquiry should proceed. These opinions must be unanimous if they are to absolve the Private of wrongdoing. If one single voice feels that the case should be immediately submitted to the Ministry of Defense for upgrade to Court Martial, it will be done, though the objections of the two other panelists will be noted when making this upgrade and the Ministry of Defense may reject the dissenting opinion. Private Audience, if you would prefer to decline opinions and move to a Court Martial immediately, you may exercise this option."

"No, Ma'am."

"Very well. First opinion: Commander Shepard. It is the view of this officer that Private Captive Audience, in using lethal force against an unknown suspect, was wholly justified in his actions. It is the view of this officer that no viable alternative that did not increase the risk to life was presented."

Bond stood. He said the same thing.

I could feel myself shaking as Bond finished, and Hornblower began to stand. If he was a lone dissenting voice, my trooper, my friend... his career was at risk. He risked arrest, the hell of the courtrooms, a long-term imprisonment, dishonorable discharge, and worse, the stigma of being a 'killer pony' all his life.

And I feared where he'd go from there. Would he kill one more pony, or would he leave Equestria and head for where his sharpshooting talents would be in high demand? A foreign police force? A gang of lawless mercenaries? Bounty hunting?

Reminded me of the Four Horsemen, four 'elite soldiers' who were thrown out of Guard and other armies and were a fearsome kill-squad for hire. Of course they were just a horror story made up of rumors and fears. Like curses. The only Day Guard that would fit the bill as one of them would be in his sixties by now. I didn't want to see Captive Audience become the truth behind the myth.

I came back to reality as Hornblower cleared his throat and spoke up.

"It is the view of this officer that Private Captive Audience, in using lethal force against an unknown suspect..."

Episode 98: (Dark World) Off Da Rails!!!

My Little Pony: Friendship of Magic Friendship
Pony POV Series
Dark World Part 22 "Off The Rails"

"This is not Discord's room," a crayon message on a piece of paper taped outside my door said. Similar messages were taped on every door in the castle. Each with its own accent and voice.

My great and really great self lay on the side of my bed curled up in the sheets. My pillow was wet for some reason.

I was looking at my tiny personal TV showing the Elements of Harmony currently with their guard down. Socializing on my doorstep. Completely unprepared for a surprise attack, like turning the roof they were on into acid-jello.

I didn't even try. What was the point? It always ended the exact same way, no matter what I chose to do.

I snapped my fingers. Those nice clouds above Pinkie and the rest turned into acid, radio-active goo, and anti-matter. But hippogriffs who had been hiding in secret all this time dove in, heroically taking the hit, and buying Team Atonement & Pals the split-second they needed to get away.

I snapped my fingers. A giant mountain fell on Twilight and her friends as they were on their way to my castle. But the tunnel the diamond dogs had dug millimeters right under their hooves gave way at just the right instant. But I assumed they were dead, and went on assuming they were dead for the next several hours, right up until they burrowed up from right underneath my feet while I was in the middle of refereeing the Freestyle Orthopedic Surgery Olympics, catching me by surprise.

Rancor tapped on my door with that spear of hers, "C'mon, big brother! This is your little sister speaking! If you're feeling vulnerable, let me in!"

I ignored her. I had so hoped she could change things.

(I was worried about that, myself. But thankfully she's done nothing too disruptive.)

I ignored her too.

"I made Rosedust immortal! Why not her? Why can't I? Rosedust WANTED to die and I was able to keep her alive. It doesn't make any sense." I laughed. "Dang it! It's supposed to be -FUN- when things don't make sense!"

(The answer to that is simple. If you could render her TRULY unkillable, how could you ever lose her? And if you could never lose her, why, what else would you suffer bereavement from?)

"You know, there are so many things I like more than you. Morning Star. By Dad's love spike tendrils, if I divided how much I like Venus and Rota Fortuna by half it would still be more than you. Even Grogar was preferable to you! I thought there was a you within you that I finally brought out. But in the end, you disappoint me even worse than Celestia disappointed me as a girlfriend."

(Disappoint -you-? You sicken me.)

"You're not my mother, either of them, so that's just noise to me darlin'."

(How's this for noise: you're an idiot who creates his own worst enemies.)

I sighed.

"It's strange, after all this time I don't regret saving her. Why can I never make her fall her in love with me, though? I've even, blech, read books on the subject." I gestured at the aquarium, where submerged copies of 'The Collector', 'Beauty And The Beast,' and 'The Phantom Pony of the Opera' were kept.

"If THOSE are suppose to be examples of classic romance literature, then Twilight ought to thank me for curing her book addiction.

"So he's in here?" I heard from outside.

Rancor's voice answered: "Huh? Who are-, oh didn't recognize you for a second, sorry." The door opened. "Hey, thanks, I've been trying to get, hey I want in too!"

"Sorry. This is between us."

"I'm family too, so-" The door slammed shut.

"I'm sorry." My room's new arrival said genuinely.

I don't turn to look at her. I didn't expect her to come here.

"She's dead."

"Huh?"

"Angry Pie. They've killed her."

"What! . . . What are you talking about? She looks alive to me. . . . Or did you mean, 'dead to us' since she's finally gotten over her anger issues?"

"They killed her. How can she be so happy around them after they've killed her? Did she really want to die all this time? I don't get it."

"Uh, she's right there. True, she isn't a lovely shade of gray anymore, but you can just fix that, right? If they broke her, you can just fix her!"

"I can't if she's dead."

"But she's right there! And even if she did die, you promised to bring all her brats back to life, so resurrecting her should be easy-peasy right?"

"Yes, you'd THINK that's how it would work! But I can't. She's an exception, somehow. It doesn't make sense, which isn't fun for me, which makes even less sense, which still isn't fun, which is . . . Distortion."

"It's a distortion?"

"My first child with her, I was going to name him Distortion. I KNOW that future exists SOMEWHERE, why can't I find it?"

"Don't do this to yourself! Please! You just fought your way out of one depression, please don't fall into another! I need you! I don't want to live in a world where you're not here! I'm here for you! I'll always be here for you! Can't you see-?!" Said the pony mare.

"Stupid Laughter! Where does something so fun get off being on the side of Harmony anyway? I laugh all the time and it has nothing to do with harmony."

OW! What a splitting headache, did she really have to bisect me -like a G-rated cartoon character, not a gritty anime. Leave the gore at home this time!- I push myself back together.

"Are you all here now?"

"You know I'm never all there."

She laughed. "Sounds like you're back to abnormal."

(Heh. When chaos becomes normal, it ceases to be chaos. It becomes expected. Defeating itself. But that's the nice answer. 'Chaos', the very thing you were born to bring into the universe, doesn't exist. Everything is cause and effect, down to the tiniest detail. There is no 'unpredictability', there are no 'surprises' only those without enough wits and psychological insight to figure out what comes next. Ponies, hearts, weather, dice, all trapped in predeterminism. There is no free will. There is no chaos. The outcome of everything was decided the moment creation came into being, including every tiny bit of your 'spontaneity' as well. You fall into patterns the same as everything else.)

"I still can't believe it. How can she abandon family like this just to hook up with them?!" She says looking at the screen, feeling betrayed.

"It's not that surprising. When Traitor Dash fought alongside Tragedy to keep the Valeyard from stealing her kill, she outright admitted how good it felt to fight along side her, ick, real friends again. Then, of course, Tragedy had to go and kill her in self-defense. Rarigreed got a nice Element out of it though."

"Huh? What are you talking about?" The purple pony asked. "Dash wasn't killed. Plus, the Valeyard fought them SECOND, after Dash!"

"Oh! She did? They did? Oh right right. Of course. That's what happened. Must've gotten mixed up."

(Why don't you try to explain it to her? Again? Maybe things will be different this time. Maybe. Heh.)

" . . . so now it's down to us three . . . but I'm not scared. Because I'm fighting for you." She nuzzled me on the face, I look into her purple eyes. They look good on her. "You are more important to me than anything in the world. You are the world. I'm sorry everything keeps going wrong. Those losers should have never gotten this far. Don't worry, when I'm done, they'll be soaking wet and clueless in their own blood!"

I chuckle at her good humor. "You always had a way with words, my dear. You know. It is us three. Maybe the game isn't over yet."

(Don't bet on it!)

"Well, it IS over.... for them! Watch! Me and Rancor will take care of them! We'll be awesome! Just you watch!"

"No . . . I won't."

"Huh?"

"I've hidden behind you for too long during this whole..."

"You weren't hiding! I was protecting you! What happened wasn't your fault! And it turned out to be okay so-"

"I love you, my dear."

The phrase is like battery acid in my mouth. Strange, since I normally find it delicious stuff, especially when chilled. Once, I made a mare have every liquid she drank taste like battery acid. Offered to put her taste buds back to normal if she and her foal each drank half a bear-sized bottle of whiskey. The mother ended up drinking all of it by herself, not letter her foal drink a drop and died, how greedy. Oh? Heheh. Oh right. I think the 'I love you' bit burned so much because it was true.

"You are precious to me as well. Even if it took a few times for me to realize it. About the only thing that's been precious to me." I hug her as I say it. She presses her body against me, rubbing against me, and kisses me.

I did what I had not done in, well, not since I'd been with a pink maned sun Alicorn. I sang.

"Looking down on the ponies
Can't they see I'm so lonely?
Watching them try so very hard to run
My wonderful world.
As my chaos unfurled
Why couldn't they join me in my fun?"

She sang back.
"None understands how you feel
They only see a heel
But trust me I understand you
The smile that you make
When your life is at stake
Is the same as my own, oh it's true!"

"We are two of a kind
A little unsound of mind
Like two pieces of a puzzle, oh how true.
And if one were to leave
The other would only grieve
I know it
I'd be lost without you.
I'd be lost (I'd be lost)
I'd be lost (I'd be lost)
I know it.
I'd be lost without you!"

*Why Discord? Why do you spend so much effort into trying to NOT understand? Part of love is changing yourself for others.*

Heh. So you're here at last. About time. I've been waiting for . . . well that's kinda meaningless isn't it?

(Who are you talking to?!)

Hey, did you know, the shrill banshee first accused you of being ME?

*Discord think. When were you the most happy? When were you the most appreciated? When did you not NEED to twist the world every few moments to keep from feeling hollow?*

Appreciate the efforts, beautiful. I really do. Never thought you'd grow up to be as lovely as Celly. But a draconequus has got a reputation to maintain, a self-image thing. After being stuck on all these filler arcs, I have to see how this all finally ends.

*CHANGE how it ends! You can!*

I appreciate that beautiful...But I think it's a little too late for that now.

++++

"So why can't you copy Discord's magic again, Twilight?" Pinkie Pie asked. "Isn't it all just one simple Do-Whatever-You-Want Spell?"

"Believe me, I've given it a lot of thought, and I've come to the conclusion that, no: it's not just one 'Anything Goes' spell."

"Is it because Discord needs to do that finger-snap thing? You could probably conjure yourself fingers of your own, if push came to shove."

Twilight sighed. "I've narrowed it down to two possibilities. Either Discord creates all-new spells just before he casts them: an 'anvil appears above Twilight's head when she's in front of my throne right now' spell, a 'Fluttercruel grows fifty-feet tall when facing an Ursa Minor' spell... all as various and specified as the many, many twitches of your own Pinkie Sense."

"Or...?" Pinkie prompted.

"Or Discord's magic is just so crazy that you'd have to BE as crazy as him to get it."

(Or so uniquely sane your logic is incomprehensible to others so you appear insane.)

*I concur.*

"The only spell of Discord's I've been able to learn is his Destruction spell... and it seems different from everything else in his repertoire."

"Oh," Pinkie Pie said lowering her head a bit, "I see. . . . I, I guess we can't go for the quick-fix solution then."

"I'd have let Rainbow Dash kill me if I was all about quick fixes."

*You also wouldn't have had a single friend along with you to watch your back; not even Spike.*

"What Ah'm more concerned about, darlin'," AJ butted in, "is what them ghastly black threads were."

"The ones you said were covering me when I almost killed Pinkie Pie?"

"Frankly, we're all shocked that YOU weren't aware of them," Rarity added.

"I almost don't want to know. All I know is that I liked hurting her." Twilight shuddered.

"Ya think it had to do with you . . . getting replacements?" Spike asked. "A replacement horn and a replacement Element of Magic?"

"No. If anything they helped stop it. Magica and Trixie weren't evil souls, after all."

"Who?" asked Apple Pie, about Trixie.

"Who?" chorused Spike, about Magica.

Twilight quickly explained about both the dead ponies.

"So that really is Magica's horn?" Apple Pie asked, gently touching it.

"At least until my head gets blown off again."

Derpy didn't like how Apple Pie didn't so much as flinch at that statement.

"The thing about the Elements is -- with the strange exception of Rarity -- they can't be TAKEN, they have to be given."

"I was able to take the Element of Magic from you." Pinkie pointed out. "I'm not PROUD of it, but I was."

"Perhaps so. Still, it wasn't quite as compatible as you were probably expecting, right?"

"Point taken."

"Ah still find it surprisin' that an empty boaster like Trixie had Magic in 'er. She was the last pony Ah'd think would have it. No offense."

"Not if you've read the rest of the seasons," Pinkie Pie said. They all looked at her. "Never mind."

"I don't care about any of that." Derpy said, "We're all together. We can save Everypony and Sparkler still! That's what matters."

"Agreed." Rarity said.

Pinkie Pie hopped up and nuzzled Derpy. "That's the spirit!"

Spike asked, "Pinkie Pie, if your colors are all back and you're you again, why is your mane still all straight?"

The mares looked at Spike for what they considered a tactless question.

"Maybe I'm finally growing up? Becoming a mare?"

"And a very fine mare ya are, darlin'." AJ hugged her.

"We are all proud of you," Rarity said.

"Thanks." Pinkie Pie hugged her too. "Uh, when you say 'we,' do you mean all us Element Bearers, or 'us' as in all the souls housed inside you?"

"Oh right, that." Rarity's ears wilted. "Both. And before anypony asks, it's all consensual between me and the ghosts."

"Nopony was suggesting it wasn't, darlin'."

"Applejack … can I ask you something?" Twilight asked. "What was it like having a big brother? And was your heart stronger for it?"

"That's a surprisin' question."

"It's just... I've never had any big brothers or sisters, I've had my parents and Spike, but not any siblings to look up to. To be there while I had my muzzle buried in a book trotting down the street. What it's like?"

"Look at us, darlin'." AJ smiled.

"Eh?"

"You've looked out for us, you've brought us back together, you've protected and cared about us, you've been alongside us, ya've been an older siblin' ta us, it's a part of you."

"Except you'd have to have a blue mane, if you became a big brother," Pinkie Pie said, "Blue's more a colt's color than a filly's."

"Hey! Purple is too a guy's color!" Spike protested.

"You'd make pink look manly, dear." Rarity smiled up at Spike.

Pinkie smiled and laughed. "Well, we better get a move on before Discord works past his 'curses foiled again' phase."

"Yer right, we don't have that much time ta burn." AJ nodded gently nuzzling Pinkie's side.

"Alright then Elements of Harmony," Twilight declared, "Then the 'big brother' inside me is gonna continue to shield us."

+++

Minty flailed in the fiery mane of the giant unicorn/pegasus, her body burning endlessly.

Pinkie Pie watched from the gray ground, trying to help her, but was always pushed back by a horde of other foals.

"Why are you hurting me?" The little green filly begged in confusion.

The purple pony in armor answered: "Any hurt on you is reflected on her several fold. I need no other reason."

Then the foals all attacked Minty, kicking and biting her.

The giant purple unicorn/pegasus had gave them all masks of Pinkie Pie's face. They all laughed at Minty. They put a collar on the real Pinkie Pie's neck with the spikes inwards and chained her to the ground, making her watch.

"Pinkie Pie!" She cried underneath the vicious horde.

Pinkie futility pulled at the chain, "Miiiinnty! Miiinty!"

*STOP! THAT IS ENOUGH!!*

The world shattered. Leaving only little Minty and little Pinkie Pie. The damage to them was gone.

*I'm sorry. Please. Enjoy one kind memory before awakening.*

Suddenly they were in the park again. The two friends nuzzled, and Pinkie Pie introduced Minty to her six other friends. Minty was disappointed none of them were green. What? She liked green.

"Wish you could have been a bit younger," Scootaloo said looking at the older filly.

"Scootaloo, that's a selfish wish," Cheerilee said.

"Yes big sister," The orange Earth Pony replied sullenly.

"Don't worry, I'm a unicorn and I don't mind another Earth Pony in the herd," The smallest of the fillies said, Sweetie Belle, smiling.

"Hello, I'm Rainbow Dash, who always dresses in style," the earth pony filly said with a hint of dramatic flare. "What's your dress size?"

"Green."

Rainbow sweat-dropped. "That's not a dress size darling."

Minty tilted her head. "It isn't?"

"Let me get the camera!" Toola-Roola said, "I can't wait to paint this! This is great! I'm gonna need to paint your picture later! But let's get a new group shot first!"

"I'm Cheerilee, this as you heard, is my little sister Scootaloo," Cheerilee said, "You look like a filly with lots of interesting stories to tell."

"Oh I do about green socks, green flowers. Heeey, have I seen you before? I think you were a unicorn."

"Hehheh. That would be a fun story, but since Scootaloo is an Earth Pony, it only makes sense I am too."

"And I'm the beautiful Starsong Melody!" The pegasus fluttered above the group. Flutter? Was she a flutterpony? Naw. She was a pegasus. "I'm going to have to come up with an extra line to the group song for you!" She smiled at the challenge.

"Group song?" Minty asked.

"Sure! It's starts like this,

"My little pony, My little pony,

I opened my eyes. I looked at my green hooves and cutie mark, three rock candies, not three peppermint candies. That Minty sure loved green.

I looked at Rainbow Dash, the adult pegasus, not a filly earth pony, still sleeping. I hoped she woke up soon. Uncle Apple Computer was trying to figure out how to feed her through her coma. Maybe immortals didn't need to eat?

I thought about the Earth pony I just dreamed about, from the memories of the Minty who existed before me. So beautiful. So different from this athletic pony. I gently stroke the rainbow pegasus' mane. I listen to her breath rise and fall. I remember Twilight's memories, of this pony. Remember how graceful she was in the sky. Maybe some of that Rainbow Dash was still here after all.

Rainbow Dash. Cheerilee. Sweetie Belle. Toola-Roola. Scootaloo. Starsong Melody. I'll never forget you.

Pinkie Pie. I want us to meet again, the real you, not a monster. I'm sure Twilight will save you.

++++

"Halt! You shall not pass!"
"Halt! We shall defend!"
"Halt! We really like saying 'halt'!"

"Hiiii-yaaaaa!" Rarity let out her battle cry. Followed by Spike, Derpy, and Twilight. AJ covered Apple Pie's eyes.

"Halt! OW!"
"Halt! I've fallen and I can't get up!"
"Halt! We surrender!"

All in all, the ninja-pirate-mutant-killer-bees weren't that much of a challenge.

"Everypony is kung-fu fighting! We were as fast as lightning!" Pinkie Pie hopped along, taking up the rear.

She fired her party cannon the opposite direction of the fight, taking out the Shadow-Beast-Of-The-Third-Unresolved that had been sneaking up behind them. Its remaining thirteen arms beat a hasty retreat.

"Harmony detected. Must protect vee chaos of lord Discord. Destroy all harmony."

"Hey, wait a minute. You're supposed to destroy harmony, but protect chaos," Apple Pie observed. She then gave a laugh. "But Half-light, Rarity, and Aunt AJ all have chaos AND harmony in 'em, so how can yah protect them and destroy them at the same time?"

The head of the giant-cyborg-spider-vampire that had suddenly risen up beside them suddenly exploded spectacularly from the paradox, followed by its body, Twilight shielding the mortal members of the group from shrapnel, then rubbing Apple Pie's mane.

"Why do paradoxes always make robots explode?" Rarity asked, confused. "Shutting them down I understand but exploding?"

"Knowing Discord, he probably designed it that way," Twilight remarked.

The Magnificent 300 Goblin-Cowboy-Samurai swarmed the heroes from all both hallway directions. "LEEEROY-PINKEENS!"

"So, Applejack dear, have you thought about what kind of world we'll make once Discord is no more?" Rarity asked as she threw diamond blades in every direction, not one hitting her friends.

"Ah figured it would be Celestia's call what kinda world we'll make." AJ replied, Magnificent Goblin-Cowboy-Samurai #172 or 'Clyde' going through an illusionary AJ and getting clothslined by the real thing.

"Really Applejack. Ponies have been doing their hardest to live without Celestia for a thousand years. We can't simply go back to the way things were."

"Doesn't mean we can't try." AJ slammed MGCS #119 'Bob' and MGCS #113 'George's heads into each other with another decoy. "I know we've all changed, but it shouldn't ALL be about making a clean slate! There are SOME things from the good ol' days I'd like to bring back."

"Really, Applejack? Like your apple farm? We don't even know if rocks will still be edible after Discord is gone. Yet you promised not to force them to farm apples again."

Derpy rammed head first through MGCS #180 through #185. Tom. Dick. Larry. Olson. Terry and Tim.

"Pinkie Pie's half of the family could do it, so can we."

"What I'm saying Applejack dear, is ponies have worked with the sweat of their flanks even with parasprites like Discord hovering over them."

Apple Pie had finished talking MGCS #009 into taking up knitting. "Big Lamppost Discord ain't a parasprite."

"Figure of speech, dearie." Pinkie Pie said, who was playing evasive rather than offensive.

"Pinkie Pie! I need a party cannon barrage!" Twilight shouted.

"Uh. I'm feelin' a little tired, and, these guys aren't-OW! That mean. They're just doin' their duty, right?"

"UGH! Pinkie! Spike! Full spread! Everypony down!"

"So as I was saying," Rarity continued as she hit the floor, "These ponies have earned what they have. Why should they swear their loyalty to Celestia after all this time?"

"Cause she's the rightful princess that's why! She's always been kind ta us."

"She might be kind Applejack, but really, Applejack, she and her sister merely have the job of raising and lowering the sun and moon. That'd give them legal shares to farming, lumbering, and countless other businesses that is only rightfully theirs, but that doesn't automatically grant right to rule."

MGCS #111 Gus was emptying shots at Pinkie Pie, but her Pinkie Sense told her where every bullet was going before he even took aim.

"Ya can't go on speakin' 'bout economy in Discord's world! Everythin' gets twisted about so often it's a wonder we ain't reduced to livin' in wigwams."

"We were, for a year or two that one century," Twilight pointed out.

"I'm talking about after Discord is gone and society rebuilds. Equestria's government of old is completely gone. You can't just expect ponies to latch onto an old system once the corrupt current one is gone."

"HA! Our cloaks of invisibility protected us!" Shouted the MGCS together having avoided incineration.

"That's ninjas!" Pinkie Pie protested.

"We borrowed them." MGCS #199 'Megan' said sheepishly.

"Maybe, but ponies will need somepony to look up, somepony they can love and believe in, and Celestia's always been able to fill that there role. Princess Luna just wanted ponies ta notice she existed."

"Ponies should turn to and look up to themselves."

"BANZAI!" MGCS #259 'Awesome McCool' engaged in epic sword to hoof combat with Derpy, and lost. "But at least, I was awesome . . ."

"Rarity, when all ya look up to is yerself, ya find ya don't reach all that high. Ever hear the story of the King Of Dot Land?"

"Oh oh oh!" I know this one!" Pinkie Pie said throwing pies at MGCS #038 'Simon' but her aim was off and she had to climb the walls to avoid his sword. "He was a dot in a zero-dimensional world, and since he had nothing to compare himself to, he thought he was all powerful."

"Exactly," AJ said, MGCS #201 Alfred nearly took off her head. "Ya cut mah hat!"

"You've knocked out several dozen of my buddies!"

"Oh right. Just tryin' ta save the world. Nothin' personal."

"Ditto." AJ kicked him through the ceiling.

"Now, Rarity, Ah agree that ponies deserve what they get through their own sweat blood and tears, you don't get to be a farmer without seein' that. But it ain't just about ourselves. It's about others too. We're our strongest together, not just lookin' out for what each of us wants."

"Then why look up at a single pony?"

"Rarity, I'm with Applejack here, no offense," said Derpy, dizzying one of their opponents with a tornado.

"None taken, your honest opinion please."

"Me, and Roseluck for a little while, we both looked up to the Doctor, he inspired us both. I wouldn't be here right now if he wasn't there to light the way. We both worked hard and even saved the world once or twice… one time was an accident, I didn't know sitting there would make the entire assembly line blow up, but we did our part to help BECAUSE he inspired us. Is that what you mean, AJ?"

"Somethin' like that."

Rarity asked deflecting bullets, "Derpy, no offense, but how many of those dangers would you have been in if not for him?"

"Uh . . . one?"

"And who did you have lined-up to look after Dinky if something happened to you?"

"The Doctor said he was a good caretaker."

That lie was so big Rarity was able to detect it through the pony it was told to!

"Another thing Ah learned as a farmer was respectin' those with more experience than ya. And Celestia's got tons more than even us. She wasn't Princess just 'cause she held the sun hostage over it, or whatever."

"Ladies, it's a fascinating discussion you're having, but why not save it for after we beat Discord?" Spike said as he rolled around in Goblin-Cowboy-Samurai.

"Spike." Rarity was surprised then said, "You're right. Liberate the world first, debate politics later."

MGCS #300 'Shane' fired his six shooters at Twilight, whose barrier sent them back, but Shane's sword deflected them all. Then his watch beeped. "Okay boys! And ladies! Wrap it up! Time to leave."

The Magnificent Goblin Cowboy Samurai 300 immediately withdrew taking their injured and fallen with them.

MGCS #300 waved, "Ta-ta."

"What do you mean 'Ta-ta?!'" Spike exclaimed.

"Oh. Well, our contract with Discord just expired. So we're no longer under any obligation to defend the jerk. But it's dishonorable to attack someone whose contract you just fulfilled. So we'll be seeing you. Maybe we can get turned back into hot virgacorn super-models after we leave the castle. Bye-bye."

The MGCS gave an honorable bow then vanished as quickly as they came as ninja tend to do instead of Samurai.

Spike just stared while Pinkie and Apple Pie waved. "Maybe we should escort them out."

"Spike, are you forgetting I'm the only hot pony with a horn you need?"

"Yes, dear, I was just... curious."

++++

"You've made smashing progress, dearie, and I love the rainbows, they're wonderful!" Said the mare Earth pony Rainbow Dash to me.

I look at the massive drawing across the clouds. "But . . . but there's so much left to do." I said looking at how much of the picture wasn't colored in yet.

"You've started, it would be wrong to just stop now." The pink pegasus with the blue lightning cutie mark said to me.

"But I'm so tired. It's taken this long to get this much done . . . maybe I should just go play with the others." I see Gildie, and Scootaloo waving at me.

"You're free to do that if that's your choice, Rainbow Dash."

"Posey?" Firefly blinked. "When did you get wings?"

"I'm sorry, Posey is... part of my family, but my name is Fluttershy." In front of me was a beautiful mare. She was in a white flowing dress, flowers in her mane, with blue birds chirping and flying around her. Light shining behind her making her look like she had a halo.

"Ick. Yer all girlie," I said right at her.

Big Rainbow Dash puts a hoof on my shoulder, "Now don't be rude, darling. I know you don't mind being pretty."

"Hey! I'm the toughest, raddest flyer there is!"

"I'm not saying you're not, darling, but you can't deny you like being pretty, especially compared to how Applejack was in Ponyville."

"That's not true! We were both badflank!"

"Now dear, didn't you like the dress Rarity made for you? And you wanted to look your prettiest for Princess Star-Catcher, I meant Celestia."

"I . . . I guess."

"So just cause you like . . ."

"-Experiencing danger and seeing just how high we can fly," Said Firefly.

"Yes, doesn't mean you can't enjoy looking pretty for others and yourself. So please don't deride others for wanting to put effort into their appearance."

I look up at Fluttershy, "I'm sorry for callin' ya 'all girly.'"

"It's alright Rainbow Dash, think nothing of it." She knelt down and hugged with me forehooves. "I am pretty girly, after all."

That was when I finally noticed. "Fluttershy, you have scars on your legs . . . wings . . . Celestia, they're everywhere."

She smiled at me, "It's alright, Rainbow. These were... ill-conceived gifts from somepony who honestly tried to say she loved me."

"Who could be so stupid to think that hurting you is loving you?"

"Don't call her stupid, please, Rainbow Dash she . . . I won't say she was 'born wrong,' but she was born sick, drew on another's memories for who she was, and as her sickness got worse, her nastiest impulses were encouraged rather than curbed. It was like she was born in a straightjacket, and grew up thinking the straightjacket was a part of her. She thought love was 'lame.' She thought those who rejected love were 'cool,' yet at the same time she craved love. She still does. In the end, I accepted that she was loving me, in her own maladjusted way. But she wouldn't see, couldn't see. . . or maybe she could and was simply never taught to care, that ponies around her had value beyond just entertaining her and her father."

"So if she really did love you, why didn't you try to help her? Teach her?"

"At first, she didn't even know I was there. At first I didn't know I was there. We thought we really WERE the same person. Then, when that stopped, she thought I was a ghost, or a disease that was supposed to just fade away. When we both realized the truth, I tried to take the reigns from her, but the grayness was like a wall of smog, choking my voice. And she was so powerful. I couldn't stop her from doing anything.

" . . . I wanted to die, Rainbow Dash. Being powerless, it was the only way left I could think of to get the nightmare to END. Wash my hooves of the shame of all she was doing in my name, of the hopelessness state of our world. I saw all of you, and you were just horrid strangers to me. Then after Avalon was destroyed, Queen Cadence came, and she took me away. . . . but I don't hate my baby . . ."

"I hate her. She's a monster."

"Maybe she is a monster, because foals can be the cruelest of all monsters. I want to believe, if I could have broken through the grayness, spoken through the smog, I could have saved her, and all of you . . ."

Fluttershy was crying.

"Oh . . oh look at me, look at me. Rainbow Dash I came here to help you and here I am explaining to the filly inside you my pain shouldering my burdens on you. I'm still selfish. And I'm still weak."

I look at her, it felt so horribly, so horribly wrong to see her crying like this. I looked back at my friends, wanting me to play with them. The two other mares only closed their eyes and lowered their heads, the pegasus folding her wings.

"If you really couldn't do anything, then you couldn't do anything, you weren't given a choice. I always had a choice staring me in the face, but I was too buried in myself to ever see it. You kept trying your hardest. Me? I folded like paper. I went from abandoning you all for Cloudsdale's sake to doing anything Discord could think of while he held whoever he felt like hostage. It's . . . it's not right to compare my choices to yours but . . . Fluttershy I wouldn't be a friend if I chose to ignore your hurt."

I nuzzled her, she nuzzled me back, she folded her wings around me. "I . . . I'm sorry. . . I'd have come sooner but . . . you wouldn't let me in before."

"I didn't even know you were knocking. I wasn't letting ANYONE in before. I'm sorry."

"Look at me, I came here to help you, and you end up giving me strength instead."

"It's my 'strength' to give or whatever."

"But you're just a foal here, you still have a lot of learning and growing to do yet. You need all the inner strength you can get . . . were you about to give up and just stay here?"

"Of-of course not! No way I'd ever do that!"

Firefly whistled innocently. Big Rainbow Dash hummed to herself.

"Of course you wouldn't." Fluttershy smiled. "After all, when I was hurt just now, you were willing to give me strength, even when you needed it too. Only a friend would do that. Only a friend willing to take the right way instead of the easy way would do that. Only a pony who still has inner strength could do that."

"I . . . I guess you're right."

"There you see?" She patted me on the mane, "That wasn't so hard was it?"

"Wait. You talked so much about being hurt, but, but you pick me up with just a few words?"

"Rainbow Dash dear, would you want me to spend even longer talking? You're the pony of action remember?"

I blushed till my blue fur looked purple. "I . . . guess yer right."

"There's a good filly." She hugged me again. I returned her hug at once. I feel so safe with her now, so warm, so open, she's so different from how she was a second ago, I feel her scars, but I don't mind. I'm surprised when big Rainbow Dash and Firefly join in the hug too. I feel happy. I don't really notice Gildie and Scoots are fillin' in the picture behind my back. I don't mind.

What do I want? What do I really? If I'm not being forced to do something because of 'loyalty' if it isn't an 'obligation' if I'm really actually given a choice. What do I actually want?

My friends all choose to spare and try to save me, but what choice do I want to make?

++++

"Did you see that? It was great! It was so exciting! I thought it was exciting! Did you think it was exciting? Of course you thought it was exciting! Cause it was exciting! Whoo-hoo!" The butter-scotch dragon had surrendered after Twilight's brilliant plan, Spike's fire-breath, and Pinkie's tongue had reduced the dragon to action figure size.

"Well they say imitation is the highest form of flattery," Pinkie Pie said tilting her head at Twilight, herself walking at a calm steady pace a little slower than the rest. "Want a piggyback ride, Apple Pie?"

"Sure, Aunt Pinkie!" Apple Pie said, and clamored atop the back of the mare who'd tired to kill her three times.

Twilight continued to hop along like a hyperactive frog. "And we're all back together again! It's so great! Like a thousand years ago! This time we're going to do it right and everything will be okay!" Twilight cheered.

No one had the heart to bring up the fact that Dash still hadn't explicitly SAID she was on their side now. (Maybe she'd fled to a foreign land? Was she still unconscious?) And as for Fluttershy, well... Rarity and Applejack looked at Twilight, then at Pinkie Pie, then at each other, sharing a knowing glance.

"So Twilight," Spike said, looking worried, but trying to hide it. "Now that you're not immortal, don't you think you should stay closer to our healers?"

"Oh don't be silly, Spike, I'm still immortal."

"But . . . don't you have an Element of Harmony instead of an Element of Chaos?"

"Magic is special among the Elements, Spike. It's Tragedy AND Friendship. Since I've awakened to both sides, the Element of Magic is Chaos and Harmony at the same time!"

Nopony commented on the catwalk of soapboxes that had appeared underneath Twilight's hooves. Apple Pie couldn't help laughing at the apparent paradox of what she said.

"How can you be so sure?" Spike asked. "Did . . Trixie tell you or something?"

"Oh nothing like that! You see, Pinkie Pie was right when she . . . was with me before. The spell keeping us immortal is a constant spell, like a piece of clothing you can take on or off or the settings on a machine, not an instantaneous spell where the result is the subject's new natural state. So I returned to my physical prime, because when I inserted the Element of Magic, I effectively put the spell back on. I don't have any information on what long-term exposure to the Element of Harmony would do to a subject though. We've seen Derpy, Spike, and Apple Pie don't instantly heal from anything like us. But we've already seen the Harmony Elements aren't as . . ." She glanced at Rarity, "Forceful."

"Then maybe we could have waited to draw Discord out? And Apple Pie isn't going to die of old age?" Rarity asked.

"Ah'm gonna, we're gonna live forever?" Apple Pie asked suddenly feeling a tiny bit excited.

Applejack pushed her hat down to hide her disappointment.

"I never said that. I simply don't have enough data to form a proper hypothesis."

"Heads up!" Derpy warned, interrupting the tender moment. "We got company!"

Everypony and dragon was instantly on guard.

Twilight counted about ten ponies in total, all mares, mostly Earth ponies.

"Whadda bunch of funny-lookin' ladies," Apple Pie said.

They were all wearing filthy maid uniforms of different styles, colors, patterns, and designs, ranging from garish colors, plaids, polkadots, to ever shape shifting two-layer colors.

"Oh, it's just the dirt maids," AJ said.

"Ya guys got maids? Whoa," Apple Pie said.

"I think I've seen them dirtying the outside of the castle before." Derpy said.

"Now would be a good time to remember I had the dirt-maids act as sparing partners and babysitters for my apprentices... whenever I needed to leave them at home."

"Oh right." Rarity said. "I feel so not right doing this. Still . . . " Rarity bit her foreleg and created a diamond rapier she floated next to her. "For the higher cause, sacrifices must be made."

"Don't you mean 'maid?'" Pinkie Pie asked.

"Not now, Pinkie Pie."

Then the herd stopped in front of the heroes, completely unarmed, and politely bowed together smiling and echoed, "Good day, Mistress Twilight Tragedy!"

The pony who stepped forward had a faded pink Mane with brown roots and a faded grey blue coat and her cutie mark was a paper with a contorted and crazy quill dipped in multi-colored ink. She curtsied in front of the heroes and the maids behind her a moment later did the same. "Greetings Mistress Rarigreed. Mistress Liarjack. Miss Dizty Doo. And Noble Steed Kenbroath Gillspotten Heathspike The Seventh. Mistress Angry Pie, is this a new apprentice you have taken under your wing?"

Pinkie Pie blinked and the two looked at each other.

"They sure aren't, so worry tons about her," AJ said quickly. "Her name isn't Mapple Pie."

"A pleasure to meet you, Mistress Mapple Pie, I hope your stay at Awesome and Totally Awesome Discord's Castle of Chaos is a happy one for you. I am Head house-maid Espi Lion."

A green pegasus (or appeared to be) mare with a brown mane and a teddy bear cutie mark bowed next, "I am Nursery maid Before Four. I'd assist you in anything you wish mistress Mapple Pie."

Another maid with a light green coat,but with a bright blue mane with a braid. Her mark was a swirl of water dotted with flowers. "Kitchen Maid Evangelian."

The next had a Golden mane and tail and black coat, with what looked like a lump of gold (but actually iron pyrite) for a cutie mark. "Lady's Maid Air Dasher. Good . . . . well, it isn't day or night right now, is it Mistress Rarigreed?"

"'Evening,' Air Dasher. The term you're looking for is 'evening.'" Rarity said.

"Good evening, Mistress Rarigreed."

Dark blue eyes, dark blue mane, dark blue coat, the only thing not dark blue about her was the dice on her flanks. "Chamber Maid Buddy."

Next (appeared at least), to be a unicorn with light purple hair light blue body and a maid outfit cutie mark. "Chamber Maid, Laundry Maid, and Palor Maid Untitled Work."

Blue coat, orange mane, and cutie mark of a microscope. "Still Maid Quick Silver."

A plain earth pony; light brown coat and slightly darker mane/tail, and hazel colored eyes. Her Cutie Mark for writing was a a quill and scroll. "Housekeeper Dragon Twilight."

The penultimate mare had a medium dark red coat with an orange yellow mane. She had a red hooded cloak for her cutie mark, "Between Maid Game Master."

The last one looked like a pegasus, had had blue fur, purple eyes, and dark blue mane, and a campfire for a cutie mark. "Scullery Maid Alexi."

Espi Lion shook her head, "Sadly we can't acquaint you with the castle today, Mistress Mapple Pie."

'We've all come to destroy you.' Twilight expected the maids to chorus.

"We've been given the . . . evening off." they said.

"What?" The bearers all echoed.

"Great Window Wiper Discord has warned us that evil chaos hating jerk-losers are invading the castle, and this world will be destroyed soon. So he's asked us to evacuate to Mr. Ponythulu's abode for the, er, evening." Espi Lion said all this in a perfectly happy and ladylike tone. "He told us there is a castle he has put aside for us that we can then go to and dirty up and keep ready all we want waiting for new Ladies of the House. But I'm sure Master Pizza Box Discord will be able to save the world. Master can do anything."

The other nine maids all smiled and nodded.

"Are you sure none of you wish to become what you were and go back where you came from like the rest of the maid staff?" Twilight asked.

"We thank you again for the offer Mistress Twilight Tragedy. But we have found happiness as we are, and we would never abandon each other. And Master Discord has never treated us wrong."

"If you don't count the kidnapping and the brainwashing," Spike said under his breath.

"Kidnapping and brainwashing were included in our contracts. In point zero zero one font," Air Dasher said smiling sincerely.

"I . . . I guess we'll be seeing you later, then."

"We hope to serve you later, Mistress Twilight Tragedy." Espi Lion curtsied, her nine sisters did the same as they passed the Element of Magic, marching to the Inverted Vortex and gateway to Ponythulu's realm (where he had already baked cookies and heated some tea in anticipation of his house guests).

(Annoying Ponythulu.)

*He's nice once you get to know him.*

(Nice but annoying.)

The castle might have always been changing shape and configuration, but Twilight could still apply some maverick logic. Twilight knew how lazy Discord could be, he always kept his bedroom and throne room and the kitchen always close together. And Discord never let those ever be on the top or ground floor, or next to any of the outer walls. Usually. Often enough. They also always kept their distance from the gardens. So Twilight just had to crunch the numbers to figure out the most likely of spots that Discord would have retreated to.

'Discord loves his theatrics way too much. He'll want a big showdown in his throne room. And that's where he'll be. Or maybe the hedge maze, for irony. But best to check the throne room first.

Pinkie Pie choose to take the rear instead of Spike, still walking calmly and deliberately instead of with her energized bouncing, now favoring her formerly broken leg a little bit. She also had Apple Pie trot alongside her instead of carrying on her back now.

Several loud and annoying talking crayon notes later, the ponies and dragon entered a room Twilight and Applejack remembered very well.

"Mother! Is that you?!"

Derpy's heart skipped a beat. "SPARKLER!"

Galloping and panting, in came Sparkler. Derpy knew every detail on the unicorn. Amethyst eyes. Violet coat. Dark lavender mane with a lighter color going through her mane on one side and through her tail. Her three diamond cutie mark.

Derpy flew straight towards her, Rarity and Twilight both caught the pegasus in their telekinesis; AJ caught her by the tail, and Spike grabbed her from behind in his claws. "OW! LET ME GO! SPARKLER!"

"Mother, it's you! It's you!"

"We've been fooled by Discord before." Twilight said. Her horn glowed. "Hmmm... I don't sense Discord's mind control… Or bombs inside her."

"She smells like Sparkler," Spike said.

AJ said, "That's no illusion, it's her."

"There's a soul there, it's not a construct, or Discord shape-shifted," Rarity said.

Apple Pie said, "So that's . . . that's yer other daughter, Miss Derpy?"

"Yes . . ." Derpy whispered, "Yes it's her." She felt tears in her eyes.

Sparkler came up to the heroes but stopped at a safe distance under Rarity's stern look.

"First question, Sparkler." Rarity said, "What happened to you?"

"I . . I was, the statue I was, was in the castle gallery and . . . a yellow spirit with a pink mane and blue eyes came inside, and we touched. And I was flesh and blood again!"

Twilight whispered, "Fluttershy, I knew it, I knew she'd be there for us!"

Twilight released Derpy from the other's grip all on her own. Derpy didn't hesitate to fly to hug her daughter, who seemed startled by the show of affection. "Mom?"

"It's okay dear, I promise, I won't let that awful Discord do anything else to you. Dinky is waiting for us. She'll be so happy to see you again." Derpy whispered, folding her wings around her and gently nuzzling her. Sparkler shivered.

"T-Thank you." Sparkler said, her voice almost…conflicted.

The two of them looked as lovely together as a statue in a museum.

Was Sparkler crying?

Then Pinkie Pie kicked Sparkler in the jaw.
A floating pistol, enveloped in purple magic, fired off a shot.
The bullet just barely missed Derpy.
Derpy punched Pinkie Pie in the eye, blackening it.
The bruise around her eye didn't vanish.

Diamonds as sharp as knives materialized and fired in every direction, zeroing in on the Element Bearers like guided missiles.

In a quick montage, Pinkie Pie assembled a barricade of mattresses, got into a labor dispute with herself, renegotiated her own contract, and finished the barricade with no time to spare. She panted heavily. The barricade fell apart into nothing.

Rarity cut herself and sent a steel spear right at Sparkler. Derpy dove to take the shot for her daughter.

Sparkler was caught in Twilight's magic.

"Dammit, I'm too slow!" Sparkler cursed. "Shouldn't have hesitated!"

Twilight had to break contact as a diamond dagger came right at her throat.

Spike and Apple Pie could only look on in shock.

AJ and rushed to Derpy's side. Instead of taking the spear out and opening up the wound, Rarity created another one and threw at Sparkler full force.

Sparkler bit into her fetlock. A diamond wall blocked the new spear. "That was too close."

Spike exclaimed. "He made Sparkler an Element of Cruelty?! How?!"

"I won't let you hurt Daddy Discord."

"DISCORD IS SPARKLER'S FATHER?" Twilight heard herself gasp.

"WOW HE ISN'T!!!!!" Derpy roared.

"He's remote-controlling her body!" AJ gasped.

"Alternate reality doppelgänger!" Apple Pie suggested.

"No!" Pinkie Pie shouted, "Look at her back!"

Glowing on Sparkler's backside, was a symbol similar to theirs, shaped like a heart made out of curved swords.

"No . . ." Derpy's ears and wings fell flat. Her eyes went into totally different directions as her eyes widened in saucers. "Muffin, needs won't we wrong. Blue wrote so card two met here."

"Impossible." Rarity whispered. Then shouted. "I KILLED YOU!"

"You killed mother's body. I hate you for that. And you were able to swipe a piece of jewelry, you klepto-rock witch, but my soul and mind remain!"

Rarity growled, "I should have known from the start, I am such a fool! When I absorbed the other Elements, I took in the lingering echoes of their old master's spirit. I felt nothing inside yours. I should have realized it meant something!"

Apple Pie whimpered and huddled next to Pinkie Pie.

Spike's jaw dropped causing a tremor.

AJ shook her head in horror.

Pinkie Pie blinked away tears.

Twilight felt her hooves shaking.

"What? No self-righteous quips? No low dark vows to kill me where I stand? No declarations to steal my new body back? Seriously I was expect more."

"No. It's honestly, really, truly, sincerely not fair!" Spike snapped at her.

"I didn't hear any of you bitch and whine when Tragedy cheated death."

Twilight found herself lost for a retort.

"Well, uh..." Pinkie Pie started, then decided to shut her mouth.

(WHAT IS THIS?! THAT'S NOT HOW THINGS ARE SUPPOSED TO GO AT ALL! YOU SHOULD BE DEAD, YOU WORTHLESS NAG!!!)

"How did YOU BREAK OUT of Hell?!" AJ asked.

"I didn't 'break out.' I never entered Hell. A Thestral TRIED to escort me there, and I fed him his own wings for his trouble."

"WEAVE ME RACK BY MUFFIN!" Derpy snapped.

"This is impossible!" Twilight shouted. "How did Discord do this?! Did he leave Sparkler dying in Fluttershy's body and place you in hers?!"

"What a fun theory, Twilight, but no. To be honest, I was kinda surprised myself. Dad sure was impressed and relieved. Apparently, our family has a handy anti-death failsafe. If our physical body is killed by a non-draconequi, our spirit lingers. And then we can take any NEW body we want!"

"Why my Sparkler?! Give her back!"

"Not happening, jumble-mouth. After five hundred years that little empty room in my soul is gonna be full again. With a playmate who can never die!" She giggled like a hyena on helium (or a lobotomized first grader), grinning with wild eyes. "After five hundred years I'm not alone. When we're together I'm going to love her with all my heart!"

More gasps.

Twilight felt dizzy. "Discord would . . . if we killed HIM he'd . . . "

Spike said confidently, "Fluttercruel's just feeding us a cheap lie, right, Rarity? AJ?"

The two mares silently shook their heads. Spike's face fell.

"Dad said it was alright for me to spoil that part," 'Sparkler' said. "Goes to show, the best you can hope to do is contain chaos. Eventually, it'll always break free. You never had a chance to win. Not for good. A thousand, ten thousand years as stone? What does that matter to an immortal Concept? All your hopes, and beliefs, are utterly worthless."

Rarity narrowed her eyes.

"STOP SAYING THOSE AWFUL THINGS WITH SPARKLER'S MOUTH!" Derpy flew at 'Sparkler' a gray and blond wild beast with a bubbles cutie mark.

"MY GRANDPA!" Sparkler spat, the way Twilight had once heard Cadence swear, 'My Auntie!'

Sparkler screamed in shock as she frantically dodged Derpy's attacks, used to a faster pegasus body. "This is your own daughter here, Herp-a-Derp! Don't you even care?! You're betraying her!"

"I won't let you hurt her!!!!" Derpy retorted almost madly.

"What kind of lousy mother are you?!"

"I'm sorry, Sparkler! If you can hear me: Mother's sorry! She's just so sorry! But Dinky, and so many other mothers and daughters out there are counting on me! Mommy loves you! And she's just so sorry!" Then her angry eyes fixed on the wretched thing wearing her skin. "And Mommy will FREE your soul from being this monster's forever-plaything, WHATEVER the cost to myself!"

"My mother would never have never done that! If she had to choose between Equestria and me she'd have made the choice any mother should!"

Applejack snapped. "Fluttershy'd never be that selfish!"

"I lived with my mother for five hundred years, you DARE think you know better than me? I was born with every last one of her memories of her life! Noequus knows her better than me!" 'Sparkler' roared, indignant and insulted.

"You didn't learn a thing from her if you think it's alright to hurt ponies!" Pinkie Pie shouted.

"You mean like how Twilight hurt you, Angry Pie?!"

Pinkie Pie trembled as 'Sparkler' dodged Derpy's attacks, getting the hang of the unicorn body quickly.

"My-My friends stopped that bad version of me! Because that's what friends do! They protect each other and help each other when they fall into a black place!"

"And how many times did I try to make friends with you, Angry? Only for you to throw that all back in my face, time and time again?"

(Who'd want to be friends with a mad animal like you?)

She looked at Twilight, "So you like to rant against hypocrisy, huh? Try this on for size: Traitor Dash and Angry Pie kept trying to kill you, same as me and auntie! But you just kept asking them and got them to betray my dad!"

"'Your dad' has killed how many ponies? And how many have YOU killed, Cruel?" Rarity snapped trying to look for an opening in the flurry of gray feathers. "All for just your selfish, sadistic enjoyment?! Did you ever try to make friends with THEM? What flimsy sense of 'right and wrong' you possess can be boiled down to one simplistic slogan: 'Draconequui rule, everything else drools!"

"And did you ever show any compassion towards ME, Saint Rarigreed? The moment you learned I wasn't my mother, it was 'Okay, I can kill her with a clear conscience!'"

"You're a murdering psycho who doesn't even feel sorry for what she's done!" Spike shouted. Derpy was too close for fire breath.

'Spakler' bit back, "And that the 'murdering psycho who doesn't even feel sorry for what she's done' wasn't somepony you knew meant kill'em not disable or reason with them?

"How 'sorry' was Angry Pie when she tried to massacre you all?! How badly was she trying to kill you AFTER she'd 'killed' Tragedy?! And you were still trying to save her! But because I wasn't who you thought I was, my death's okay!"

AJ wanted to form a flurry of illusions to confuse the monster possessing Sparkler's body. And yet. . . what Cruel was saying gave her pause. . .

"Ponies like you TALK about mercy and compassion, TO PONIES YOU LIKE or have a connection to! Conscripts of the Big Bad Overlord? Dispose of without a second thought!"

"SHUT UP!" Derpy snapped.

"Tell me Element of Generosity, where was your sense of giving when Angry Pie 'killed' Twilight? See bad guy, kill bad guy, win hero medal!"

"I DIDN'T kill her though! I got over my initial instinct, unlike you! I helped hold Twilight back when SHE was ready to murder her!"

"No! You didn't do it because Rarigreed told you not to!

"Friend of mine betrayed our community? Tried to kill me twice? Tried to kill my other friends? Tried to kill my love interest? Joined the enemy? Tried to destroy our home? Joined our NEW enemy? She's just hurting inside! Hold back! Twilight, the moment she nearly killed you, what do you do? You were no different than me. You tortured her and enjoyed every second, didn't you? Only I did it to show love, what was your excuse, Miss Holier-Than-Thou?

"My teacher is a bigot, tried to kill me and my other teacher, and used me to steal something? BEAT HIM TO A BLOODY PULP LIKE THE ANIMAL HE IS! . . . You think your morals DON'T come down to who's closest to you too? You are a self-righteous deluded loser!"

Derpy managed a blow that sent her backwards skidding. 'Sparkler' got up and wiped the blood away, "Go ahead, give the self righteous speech about how completely wrong I am. Or just kill me where I stand and pretend I didn't say a thing. Whatever makes you feel better about yourself!"

Rarity sighed sadly. " . . . The cruel truth of the friendship of magic is . . . that you're right Fluttercruel."

Everypony and dragon looked at the Element of Honesty. They couldn't believe it. Had she really just said that? How could she?

"We as ponies do hesitate and make excuses for those we know more readily than those we don't. I am selfish like that. I was angry and hurt that our chances to save Fluttershy were lost five centuries ago. I didn't even try to think of saving her daughter who had committed sins just as ugly and murderous as ours. Spike was hungry for revenge after being so stubborn about wanting to save me, when I could have murdered Twilight in my mania just as easily. I was the only thing that stopped him from trying to kill Angry Pie."

Spike lowered his head, he had no words.

"And Twilight was selfish, begging and pleading with Rainbow Dash her entire fight, then embraced her rage like a lover as soon as Angry Pie succeeded where Rainbow Dash and I had both tried and failed. That is the cruel truth of the magic of friendship: we form double standards to those not connected to it."

Apple Pie looked in shock, AJ and Pinkie Pie hugged her. Pinkie Pie sighed. Derpy heard these things spoken with her daughter's voice, and couldn't just dismiss them.

Twilight spoke, "Yes, I was selfish like you said, Fluttercruel. But that doesn't mean what we've been fighting for or believe in is a lie. Nor does that make selfishness the whole story. It means we're flawed beings."

Spike rose his head.

"And we're all here to cover each other's flaws, as we all strive towards the light." Applejack said.

"That's part of the magic of friendship too," Twilight said.

Rarity said calmly, "I wasn't lying when I said I felt only Fluttershy could have ever saved you, and none of us are strong enough to. But maybe there's a part of your mother, if your soul really was born from hers, that can still save you. Maybe. The truth is that it's completely uncertain."

"But the reality remains that as long as Discord reigns, he will continue to cause the world far more misery and madness than happiness. And I'm willing to go through my best friend's wayward daughter to topple him. And Derpy will put her own innocent baby out of her misery if you make her."

"So go for the 'feel sorry for yourself' route instead? Sure. Whatever makes you comfortable. But I've seen your real faces! Cry me a river and jump into it!" Fluttercruel swore angrily with Sparkler's face.

Spike growled. "The difference between us and you, Cruel, is that yeah, we were went astray, but at least we STARTED OUT good..."

*Spike, please don't!*

"Twilight was able to save us BECAUSE she was able to remind us of the good people we were in the past."

*SPIKE! STOP!*

"You? You've been evil from the minute Discord MIS-conceived you; and you haven't stopped being evil for one moment since. A bad seed that blossomed into a poisonous monster weed!!"

(Hear that clapping, Spike? That's me. You're a poet with words, my friend...truly, you are. You have never ever been not useful for me.)

"I AM NOT A MISTAKE!!!" Sparkler's voice echoed off the walls.

Derpy just cringed.

Then she laughed like a Windigo after drinking a tankard of liquid nitrogen at a 'Unicorn Supremacy' rally.

"So...So those who started out...start out your definition of good are the only ones who CAN BE GOOD at heart? Those who start out your definition of bad can only BE BAD at heart?" She moved drunkenly, "...well...then I have nothing to be ashamed of. I don't have to feel negative about anything I do. Because there's no chance of me ever betraying my cutie mark, no chance of me being 'redeemed' anyway. I don't have to fear going astray because this is the only path I can walk whether I like it or not. Thank you."

*Congratulations Spike. You just convinced the confused serial-killer in her moment of doubt of fatalism and determinism and that free-will is an illusion and therefore she can ignore her budding conscience. Are you happy?*

The look Rarity gave Spike in that moment...

Spike strangely felt like a baby dragon for a moment, he had a strange flash back to a thousand years ago when he tried to frame Owlowiscious out of jealous and had only succeeded in gaining Twilight's disappointment.

"Ya know, Auntie Pinkie Pie was a lot like you," Pinkie Pie said everypony looked at her, "She thought she had to have 'Party!' or 'Prank' or 'Pastry' be the solution for everything, or she wasn't following her cutie mark. She became very narrow minded. She was terrified her friends might leave her. She didn't want to face being sacred, angry, or sad. So when she finally had to face those feeling, she broke."

"Fluttercruel." Applejack said, stepping up, with a diplomat's gentle smile. "You've made yer point. Allow us ta make up for our past mistake, and our bias against ya. Do ya honestly WANT to turn over a new leaf?"

"You're asking to be betray my cutie mark and my father!"

"Couldn't you tell your dad to just give up please?" Pinkie Pie asked politely. "Maybe if he fixes everything he changed and then leaves us all alone, we won't even need to fight?"

"The draconequi always go down fighting!" 'Sparkler' snapped assuming a fighting pose.

(Sure! Wonderful! Go down fighting, as long as you GO DOWN.)

Rarity turned to Sparkler. "Now, I believe it's my turn to ask questions," said Rarity, simply, narrowing her eyes. "When you thanked Derpy for her show of compassion, that wasn't a lie."

"I...c'mon...that isn't...!" 'Sparkler' stammered.

"If you truly believe the proper way to show affection is through mutilation, then why did you genuinely thank Derpy for showing you compassion?"

"For the love of Granddad! Do I need to be like you, Miss 'Did I Mention My Ghosts Are Willing' Every-Five-Minutes? Showing love with blades is my special talent! Not Derpy's, not Auntie's, or anyequus else's!"

"Has your father ever shared in your special talent by you torturing him?"

"I told you already! Geeze! Cutting PONIES is my love sonata to him!"

"Discord's shown no interest in flat-out mutilation or murder for its own sake. Come now, you're not that dense. That isn't a dead pony on your rump. And you're a pony, yourself, Fluttercruel! Have you ever cut yourself for him? You're immortal, it's not like it would kill you. Have you ever asked him to do it to you? Never have I seen it. And judging by your general reaction to being truly hurt, you don't have the pain tolerance you to be on the receiving end of torture. And why did you hesitate with your attacks? I know you're not THAT sloppy."

"You expect me to take anything my own killer says seriously?! You're blowing smoke!"

"You've attempted to kill me, you're aiming to kill us all, right now! Again! And yet, here we all are, honestly trying to take YOUR words and feelings seriously, same as with Rainbow Dash and Angry Pie. And since when do you honestly, yes honestly, care about ethics? You've reveled in having the moral low ground! You've hated moral high ground that's so hard to keep. But suddenly, you want proof to yourself that you're on the right side. I'm guessing something happened between my killing you and now, hmm? Can Sparkler be pulling control from you?"

"Not a chance," Fluttercruel said honestly. Derpy was nailed in the heart again.

"So it was your tear then."

"What!"

"Just before you tried to kill Derpy, you were crying."

"No I wasn't!"

"You can't lie to me. Why were you crying?"

"I...I don't know!"

Twilight took a trot forward. "You said you were born with all of your mother's memories?" Twilight's horn glowed.

'Sparkler' took a hoof step back. "W-what? That didn't work with Yard-Sale, what makes you think it'll on me?"

"I'm wondering...if you're seeing them all clearly."

Exploding yodeling turnips crashed down from above between Fluttercruel and her opponents, the wall of destruction pushing the ponies and dragon back. Fluttercruel cheered and clapped her hooves.

"LADIES AND GENTLEEQUUS! PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER! FOR THE ONE! THE ONLY! DISCORD!!!!!" Confetti sprinkled down from the high ceiling as an invisible crowd cheered.

"AND PRESENTING! THE ROCKING! THE AWESOME! THE RADICAL! AND ABSOLUTE TWENTY PERCENT COOLER THAN YOU! RANCOR!!!" Pony Metal music blared as colored lights flashed among theater smoke.

The voices bellowed like announcers at a wresting match.

The heroes tensed, Discord, the real target, had finally shown himself.

"That's enough now, Tragedy, come back to me and destroy your friends." Discord snapped his fingers, nothing happened.

"YOU CAN NO LONGER CORRUPT ME!" Twilight shouted.

Discord shrugged. "Meh, didn't think that would work anyway."

Rancor snapped her fingers, and her black spear with its pink bow and skull chain appeared. She twirled it expertly in her claw and paw. "At last! It's finally time! I've waited too long for this! It was great and all, meeting you guys and fighting you, but it's time to finally end this farce of a conflict."

"AND LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, HEIR APPARENT, THE SWEET AND WONDERFUL, VICIOUS AND CRUEL, MY PRINCESS FLUTTERCRUEL TYPHON!"

Fluttercruel ran up to her father and kissed him.

"Charge up Elements and blast 'em?" Spike asked pragmatically.

"Pinkie Pie can you keep them distracted?" Twilight asked.

"I could keep maybe two of them distracted, but not all three at once."

"Then we need to take one of them out first!" Twilight said. "Derpy, I hate to say it, but Fluttercruel, in Sparkler's body-"

"She's the most vulnerable one. I understand. We'll focus on her." Derpy said in an even voice even though her wings were trembling.

Discord pointed at Rarity, "You hurt my daughter."

"And how many daughters did you bring madness and ruin to?"

Discord rolled his eyes. "Let's not bring statistics into this, please."

"Indeed," Rancor said, "Ponies tend to get more charged up over the loss of somepony close to them rather than a million strangers. So focus on the ponies you know who my brother has had his fun with if you want self-righteous fury. But yes, those who hurt family MUST be punished." Rancor's eyes practically glowed with blood lust.

"I don't suppose, my sweet Pinkie Pie, you'd be interesting in becoming my Queen of Chaos?" He bent down on one knee before Pinkie Pie, and opened a box. Pinkie could not help gasping at the enormous, shimmering paperweight of a diamond upon the engagement band. Rarity eyed it enviously. "Marry me, Pinkie Pie! My echoing void beats for you! You don't need to die! Only you can seduce me over to the Light Side! I'm a fixer-upper!"

"I think I could live to be one zillion years old, and my life would still be too short for me to change your ways." Pinkie Pie replied, very politely. "Sorry. Not interested."

The diamond melted like a stick of butter in a microwave as Discord's smiled turned upside down.

"Good! Seriously, Angry Pie, having you as a stepmother would be too weird! And I'm the only one my dad needs!"

Discord said nothing.
+
*In an alternate universe a zillion and one years later.*

"I offically give up all nasty pranks and sadistic chaos in the name of joyful accidents and happy surprises!" Discord declared, his pink queen nuzzled him.
+
"Any equus or anydragon or anypony else have any other pre-battle banter they want to get out of their system, before it all ends?" Rancor asked casually.

"Now that you say so," Discord took out a pair of tiny reading glasses and unfurled a cross that went all across the room, "My lovely Elements Of Chaos, in the first place, to begin with. Secondly, in the second place..."

Spike fireballed the speech into ashes. Discord looked on drolly, removing his melted glasses, "Alright, fine. I guess our audience has waited long enough."

AJ said, "Give up, Discord."

Twilight said, "We've come this far, we suffered for so long, and caused so much suffering, it's time to make up for it, even a little."

Rarity said, "We'll atone by trying our hardest to do what's right every hoof-fall of the way! You can either do the same, or face the consequences of your own actions!"

Derpy shouted, "Give Sparkler back her body!"

"I can't give it back anymore than you can give back a heart transplant...But there's no time in the spirit world, so I'll grant you all the reunion Auntie Rarity wanted so bad to give me."

"Since your mom isn't here, Auntie Pinkie Pie is gonna haveta give ya a spanking for her!"

Discord sighed, "Nothing's worse than others who tell you how to raise your kid. Some chocolate rain before the end, Pinkie?"

"Naw, I'm good. I ate earlier."

Apple Pie said, "Ah've somethin' ta say. When Magica, Puella, and Caster all died in Ponyville, so soon after ya took Poison Apple from me. Ah thought, Ah felt, Ah KNEW, Equestria would be a better place without any ya ponies here, except Auntie Saint Abigail. Just bad rocks that needed takin' out of the barrel. The end. But then Ah met Half-Light…"

(And you played your role to awaken Twilight perfectly, good flly.)

*And you've been a great friend, Apple Pie. I only wish I there was more time to get to know you.*

"And Mr. Spike and Miss Rarity. And Ah saw...Ah learned...monsters can come from anywhere, and things ya take for granted from Sky Ocean's lights to rocks they can...not be so sure . . they're...Ah'm really not sure how ta say this...well, but Ah made some friends with some ponies Ah never thought Ah would andthat'swhatcounts!" She panted.

Discord burst out laughing. "Forgive and forget from a pony who's only known my world! What a contradiction!"

"Thank ya kindly."

"You've made me laugh again, little pony. Thank you again. I'll resurrect you as my royal jester. Fluttercruel, have fun. I'll watch your back. Rancor, watch my back."

"What do you think I've been doin' all this time, big bro'?"

Twilight's mind galloped a hundred miles an hour.

'Mathematically, the odds are seven to three in our favor. But six of us are needed to charge up the Elements, and I doubt Discord is going to stare at us slack-jawed like Nightmare Moon did since he already knows we have the Elements. Rancor and Discord are spirits, so Apple Pie can't logic bomb them.

'Pinkie Pie is our ace in the hole. Can Rarity animate her...allies while charging up Honesty? Pinkie Pie said she can keep two of them busy but not three. SO our main goal has to be to take Fluttercruel out first. I'm sorry Derpy. But if Fluttercruel can steal bodies more than once? I can't gamble that death will do a better job of catching her this time. What if she can fully regenerate with her new body? Trapping her is going to be a lot harder since Discord will do his hardest to free her... Perhaps it's Rancor we should focus on, Spike's been spending all this time figuring out how to beat her, and Spike said she's not as powerful as Discord assuming she wasn't lying, but that new weapon she's carrying, she never used it before, that makes it a question mark. And I doubt we can just mob Discord or that would have worked ages ago.

'Think of the solution Twilight, not the problem. Spike lures Rancor with what she wants, but keeping his distance, and keep his eye out for that spear no matter what. Or it could just be a decoy-ugh! Don't double guess yourself now Twilight! THINK!

'...Don't fight the way they want, don't fight the way they expect. Having Rarity's ghosts fight Rancor from all sides. Have Spike and Derpy rush Discord under the cover of a fire-blast and AJ's illusions, and have Apple Pie do her thing on Fluttercruel and I'll hammer away at her with my magic like...like I did with Pinkie Pie, and Pinkie causes havoc where needed. This'll lure Discord to Apple Pie if she begins to effect Fluttercruel, and I should be able to teleport in at close range with the destruction spell if I force it. If it killed Cadence, maybe it'll do the same to Draconequi. Anything more complex than that Discord will just pick apart!' "Alright! Let's go!"

"It's about time," Discord said focusing his attention totally on the ponies before him and his child.

"Agreed," Rancor said, giving her shark toothed grin and lunging with her spear...right into Discord's back. Her spear drove straight through Discord's heart, and clear out the other side, black and yellow blood seeped out from the hole.

All the world went silent.

In Sky Ocean, the seaponies' gasped in alarm but they knew not why.

For a moment it was like a still photograph had been taken and none could move or speak.

(This wasn't supposed to happen!!!)

This did not compute in anypony or dragon's brain. Their minds pathetically struggled to make sense of the sight.

Fluttercruel's mind couldn't understand what she was seeing, her eyes were like saucers, her centers pinpricks, her entire body felt numb, like she had been disconnected from her body, no thoughts could form.

Twilight saw all her plans, thoughts, ideas, predictions, anticipations fade away, leaving her in a void.

Apple Pie felt a sense of unrealness. No attack on Big Beer Tankard Discord ever got through, no betrayal ever worked, no move ever succeeded, and he certainly was never hurt, legends of Grogar and Cadance being able to do so where just that to her, legends. They'd come here to beat him yeah, she was gonna dance later on, but seeing it like this...it was like it wasn't real.

(This is wrong! This is all wrong!!!)

Pinkie Pie only whispered, looking with her one good eye, feelings old, "Everything just changed."

Applejack tried to tell herself she was seeing an illusion, this was an 'fake easy victory' that wasn't really Discord, Rancor was playing them for idiots, after all, she hadn't seen through Fluttercruel's cutie mark. But...but, she could sense it, she knew deception, she knew lies, and this was no performance.

Spike couldn't believe what he was seeing at all. What happened to the epic battle they were about to have? They were going to settle things right here and right now! Not...this wasn't supposed to happen. He had been ready, he had been preped, the final battle, and he'd be one of the big heroes for Twilight and Rarity. He was ready to give up everything he was and who he was, if he could give the world to them. He...felt cheated.

Derpy knew Discord was the bad guy, a moldy muffin in the basket of Equestria: who was the one who had raised Fluttershy's foal into a monster, who had cursed her babies, destroyed their home, made her say such horrible things to Dinky, who had tortured her endless just for the fun of it? But...there was something so fundamentally wrong about this. Getting betrayed by one of your own teammates? A member of your own family? When they needed you most? It...it wasn't right.

Rarity knew the reality that Discord for all intents and purposes likely deserved this several times over. He had lied and manipulated how many just to get what he wanted? How many broken minds? She knew a quick backstab meant one less deadly battle where a friends of theirs could be lost. She couldn't resist the sense of satisfaction. All the same, she knew the end of a tyrant, didn't always mean the end of tyranny's evil. And what Rancor had done WAS shockingly evil.

Discord looked around in surprise and confusion, then looked down at the black spear poking out of his body covered in his fluids, he whispered. "Will this?...Finally end it?"

(This is completely wrong!)

Thrill, greed, and triumph were carved into Rancor's sharp grinning face. "Destruction's power, mine at last!"

The ponies didn't know how to describe it other than Discord somehow becoming lesser in their eyes, he didn't become smaller, or he didn't become more frail, but Twilight's (and Rarity's) senses felt something that had become an integrated part of his being torn out of him like a single thread being torn from a tapestry, leaving the rest damaged. A power, an existence ripped from his body, leaving his spiritual essence a mangled mess.

And what was torn out of him, was being absorbed by Rancor like a dry sponge does water. No, it was being brutally clawed out of him, and being inserted neatly and perfectly into her, like it had been made for her, or she had been made perfectly for it. Red flames danced from Discord, along the spear into Rancor, the shapes of howling half-formed draconequi faces in the fire, pulled into her like a maelstrom.

"Yes...yesssssss." Rancor hissed in ecstasy, her body, her very being beginning to pulsate in preparation for…something, "I, am, whole." She kicked Discord off her spear, he fell to the floor, catching himself, coughing and bleeding.

"No...no." Somewhere inside her, Fluttercruel felt herself shatter. "Family isn't...family can't...Auntie..."

"Yes, my little niece?" Rancor said simply like she had finished watering the plants.

"How...how could...PAPA!" Fluttercruel wailed, going to her father's side. "THIS IS A BAD DREAM! THIS IS A JOKE! THIS ONE OF LIARJACK'S ILLUSIONS! STOP IT RIGHT NOW, LIARJACK! STOP IT!!!"

"Ah...Ah can't. It ain't mah doing!"

"LIAR!!!"
+
Ah knew that mix of sorrow and rage. It had been inside me the day mah folks...mah folks, when Ah saw'em for the last time a thousand years back, all still, not movin', fadin' away.
+
"Auntie! Help!" Fluttercruel begged insanely. It strangely didn't occur to the heroes to use the Elements when their enemies was their most vulnerable.

"Sorry, Cruelly," Rancor shrugged like she couldn't help Fluttercruel with her homework. "but I have an appointment with grandpa and the rest of the family, and neither of you are invited."

"Auntie! You said you came here to help!" Fluttercruel hissed.

"Silly filly. I said never who I was here to help. You know that twisting language around is what our family does best. That's what you get for living in that meat-sack your entire life." She gently admonished, as though Fluttercruel were a child who still thought Vikings had horns or cats could resurrect eight times.

"You...you came...to..."

"To stab your dad in the back? Yeah. He had something I was literally 'born to get.' Wasn't about to go toe to toe with'em when had Destruction's, Dad's, and his own magic beefing him up and a half dozen little mares watching his back," She said like she was explaining fixing a roof.

"Welcome...That is..." Apple Pie managed to get out, "Ah get ya were fightin' for 'em ya could get the bad guy, read about that all the time, so welcome ya all to the good-guys."

Pinkie Pie put a hoof between her niece and the draconequus still standing.

"Tch. Who said I was helping you? I've helped myself to Big Brother Destruction's essence that Big Brother Dissy has been holding inside him since before you knew 'em!"

Twilight had enough of this madness. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN? Destruction's power?! His father's?!"

"Oh? Did you know? Did they know, Fluttercruel? Never heard of Destruction? Ya see, after the war between my family and the Alicorns, big brother ATE Big Brother Destruction!" Rancor slammed her hoofed leg into Discord's back, creating an impression from the impact. "Didn't you, big brother?"

Only Derpy looked sick, only Apple Pie looked shocked. After a thousand years, the ponies and dragons had long since stopped believing there was any line Discord wouldn't cross.

"Yeah...neither of us were in the best of shape after the 'last battle' and...I might have been a little crazy...-ier than normal myself...can't remember it all that well. Except he tasted like Hiroshima."

Ranor causally kicked him again.

"STOP IT!" Fluttercruel sprang forward.

(HEHEHE.)

Rancor kicked 'Sparkler' in the abdomen, sending her flying across the room in a blur and nearly hitting a wall, but Derpy caught her. Fluttercruel shivered at the caring warm touch and quickly broke contact. She felt a fever coming on, which was wrong, since she never got sick.

"Auntie's not done with her story time, niece. And Dad's Avatar, who had gone kinda off the deep even by our tolerant and understanding standards, told the rest of the family to let ya gobble Destruction down. Then he told you to eat up himself too, well, his Avatar. You can keep his Avatar's power, by the way, it was a gift."

Discord tried to get up, Rancor pushed him back down staining him in his own blood. It wasn't healing.

"So yeah, I think I've used up enough time expositing all of that. Thanks for letting me finish my errand for Dad. And by all means, try to disrupt what comes next, I bet you'll make it a real blast for your Equestria and most of the universe."
+
I-I already knew about Uncle Destruction, how he was always reluctant to do what Grandma and Grandpa told him to do. How he and dad had been so messed up after Queen Cadence blew up Grandpa's Avatar that neither of 'em were gonna make it and dad did what was natural and chose to live.

*And if it had been you instead of Destruction? Would you have just let him do it?*

...Yes. I would. Because...because that's family...family doesn't...family wouldn't...family loves, family doesn't hurt...

*You hurt Fluttershy.*

It's love when I do it! Why does no one understand that?! Like if I was good at arranging flowers or bowling...I would've just arranged flowers for Mom or gone bowling with her! And it wouldn't have even had some kind of psychotic, homicidal twist to it, either! Honest!

*Did Discord show his love for you by twisting you like he had everyone else?*

I-I don't stab family in the back, family doesn't stab family in the back, family is...Auntie Rancor didn't just...Papa, he's bleedin', he's bleedin' all over-
+
Fluttercruel screamed her lungs out. She pushed her hooves against her head so hard she nearly bled, her eyes were like a wild pony's. The ponies winced. It hurt Derpy to see her foal's face so twisted in torment.

"Meh, builds character. And now might be a good time to hit the 'record' button on your cell phones, because cause you won't see anything quite like this again! Watch me go all Dragon Egg Z!"

The red flames from before engulfed Rancor, the very earth shook, lightning tore down through the roof around her, allowing the sky above, now a viscous thunderstorm to be seen. It was like the fury of nature itself was showing its approval at the transformation. And she grew.

The ponies all felt it, the fires of passion, revenge, violence, destruction, the flames as they consumed all in their path, never quenched, never put out, always the flames.

The seaponies of Sky Ocean hugged each other as their water risked boiling.

She became larger, more muscle on her bones, bones lengthening and rearranging with sinking sounding cracks, her figure became more 'shapely' if that was even the right term for a chaos spirit. Her proportions matured as she became taller. She was now only a bit shorter than Discord.

"Follow your passions, let the fire devour you, become the fire itself. Let loose the savage that exists inside each of you. And bring destruction on those who you crave revenge against."

"I take a name worth of my family: all of us have at least one alias that starts with the letter 'D': call me Disruption."

"...you look good..." Discord breathed out, tasting blood in his mouth.

"Thank you," Rancor replied with a smile and nod. "Oh and...Twilight The Unicorn?"

Twilight was startled at being addressed by name by her. "Y-yes?"

Rancor moved like lightning, she teleported behind Twilight and flashed past her, the black spear cut along her side. Twilight felt it cutting into her flesh, her spirit, her existence like somepony had slashed through the name ~~Twilight~~. She screamed.

Fire-breath, lightning, and diamond projectiles all followed, behind her an instant later, but Rancor's spear as she spun it like a propeller dispersed them all.

Twilight looked, to see the cut she knew she had felt as she knew she existed, was gone.

"That's for later. Don't waste it." Rancor said sternly. She took the ribbon off the spear and placed it in the back of her mane.

She held the spear in her left claw. A pulsing red ball of light grew and quivered on her right paw. She tossed the spear in the air, an instant later the sphere flooded into a torrent of ruinous red light, taking out every floor above it, and poking a hole in Sky Ocean above.

The black spear broke apart and dissolved into nothing in the outpouring of annihilation.

"So long Concept Killing Spear, don't need you anymore." She looked at the ponies like they were an audience. "No, seriously, I wasn't leaving that thing laying around so I can get stabbed by irony, thank you!...and MOM AND POPS, WHAT A RUSH! Destruction's power is everything I imagined it would be and more!" Rancor broke into maniacal laughter, stopped abruptly and waved at the bearers and her niece. "Well, tootles."

She drew a glowing line in the air behind her, and it the air split open. A portal or injury in existence tore open, looking like the maul of a beast. Air began to be sucked inside. Pinkie Pie took hold of Apple Pie. Fluttercruel held onto her hair. The temperature dropped like a stone. Frost formed around the gateway.

Spike's eyes just grew wider, and wider, and wider, his blood might have turned to water.

Applejack put up the illusion of a brave mare for her friends. But the real her was screaming inside. Her Element of Chaos stopped beating at the sight. She recognized that passageway. But there was no plague of pony shadows to block the view.

Pinkie Pie closed her eyes and covered Apple Pie's vision for all she was worth before Rancor could finish opening the gateway. And a cream pie in her face just to make sure she couldn't peek.

Derpy actually folded her wings over her face.
+
Oh Celestia, Celestia, Celestia. I took a step back, several, the souls inside me all shrieking in fear and all my instincts telling ne to run away as fast as I could as far as I could. A part of me feeling like the room would turn vertical any moment, and I'd fall forever through that.
+
What is that place? I feel a sense of wonderment. It's calling to me. I've never been to that place. But it feels so familiar. I can hear it. It's wants me to come home. To be with it. To be one with it, so we can both be whole. I can feel fear and void inside me calling out, wanting to be there too.

Something inside me want to run away and never look back. I crush it.

I trot forward. Just a few hoof falls away. What's beyond is what I'm a part of, what I'm meant to be. Nothing else needs to matter. Nothing else should matter. I'm coming. I'm coming. Yes, Grandma. Yes, Grandpa. I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm-something gets in the way of my hooves taking me to where I need to go. It's...

"Dad."

And the spell is broken.
+
Fluttercruel hung onto and hugged her father.

On the other side...on the other side, Twilight saw, oh sweet Celestia she saw she saw! She could feel it trying to suck the life out of her even as she watched, her Element restoring it as it was stolen.

It hated her. It hated her for thinking. It hated her for feeling. It hated her for living. It hated her for existing. One of a centillion criminals who had dared disturb on the silence. Pure. Still. Peaceful. Calm. It didn't want her dead. It wanted it to be that she had never existed at all.

A chilling blasted landscape under a blasted chilling sky, a unfeeling moon looking down all. Little hollowed out buildings, decayed rock formations that were one part rubble. And shadows, shadows that were not cast by any natural light, shaped like strange ponies. And all of them, all of them were looking right at her. They wanted what she had. She had light. Why should she be realized while they forgotten? What right did she have to exist while they were forsaken and forgotten? Why did she exist in the new world while they were abandoned? Two would glare extra hatefully at her if they had emotion. Her memories from the first Minty stirred. ~~Toola-Roola~~ and ~~Starsong Melody?~~ No! No!

Rancor didn't turn her back, she simply back-stepped inside, the silence and the dark welcomed her, she too disturbed the silence, but she was born of the silence, and the silence could not be turned against itself. So it embraced her instead.

"HEY! WAIT! Where are you going?" Spike bellowed.

"Home. Bye."

"You're not even going to try and finish Discord off?!"

"Why would I? Get a clue, I have what I came for. I have no reason to kill my own brother."

"YOU CAN'T JUST GO!"

"Looks like that's just what I'm doing. Sorry, big boy. I don't have time to dance anymore, got a party to attend in my honor, or I'd stay for your girlfriend's lovely singing voice. Very happy for you both, you know. So long." Rancor slowly backpedaled inside the schism.

Spike stampeded after her, Rarity and Twilight's telekinesis grabbed hold, AJ and Pinkie Pie's earth pony strength slow him down just enough, that the rift in existence healed over before Spike could enter after her.

"We still have round three! You don't get to just leave!" Spike fell on his knees and elbows with a tremor. "But, but that's not fair! That's not fair at all! THIS ISN'T FAIR! NO!"

"Believe me, I know exactly how you feel." Discord said, face-down on the floor before 'Sparkler' strained her muscles and magic to lift him up into a sitting position.

The whirlwind of confusion didn't stop coming. Rancor had impaled her brother, but there was nothing visible in the hole but blackness like an ocean at night, the edges of the wound looked to be slowly crumbling granite. Discord swept his paw over the ghastly wound, and it didn't vanish. "Well...didn't see that-" Discord coughed.

(This is absurd! This is illogical! This is irrational! Totally unscientific!)

I know...it's almost refreshing.

"PAPA!" 'Sparkler' screamed and her horn flashed, and suddenly, both were gone.
+
"You're...you're going to be okay, Papa, I promise, you'll be okay, nothing bad is going to happen to you." The hole wasn't getting larger, the gray and the cracks weren't spreading. Her father wasn't dying. He was a Concept, immortal, that was just silly, silly-silly as Auntie Angry Pie would say.

She carried him over to his throne, a trail of yellow and black behind them. She placed him on the giant plush throne. What was she supposed to do?! She knew how to take flesh apart, it was part of her special talent, but putting it back? Mama's memories! Right! They could help! Remember! Why did it hurt so much to remember? Remember!

She...created some bandages using Sparkler's magic.

"Fluttercruel...those won't do anything, nothing can do anything."

"Don't be silly, Papa! OF course this'll work! Pleaseworkpleaseworkpleaseworkworkdammit!!!! No! Work!" Fluttercruel blinked then said plainly. "Papa, eat me."

"WHAT?" Discord coughed. "Have you finally gone more crazy than me-" Discord broke into hacking coughs.

"You got better when you ate Uncle Destruction, right? Here, eat me, EAT ME!" Tears were in 'Sparkler's eyes. "Devour me! I'll become one with your flesh! You'll be all better! Please!" She flew onto the throne, fell flat on her muzzle when she remembered she didn't have have wings anymore, and galloped onto him and tried to stuff her foreleg down his throat. "Doesn't pony flesh taste good? Things made with love taster better, so I'm extra tasty!" She began trying to stretch his mouth wider. "Eat me all up-"

With more Herculean effort than Discord had put into anything in a thousand years, he knocked 'Sparkler' off his throne and out of his mouth. "NO!" Discord voice boomed into several echoes off the throne room wall, followed by another hacking fit.

'Curses...I forget how heavy my body feels without Destruction's raw power...Ugh. Dangit. Without Destruction's magic I can't powerhouse the magic from Dad's Avatar...then again, I did just have open spirit surgery, heh-heh-Ow! It's no fun when I'm in pain when I laugh. You think I'd enjoy the change of pace.'

"Just...just make the choice to live, like you did before...it's..."

"I SAID NO! Besides, I'm absolutely certain it wouldn't work anyway. Our spiritual essences are too different."

'I think that's the first time I've ever lied to her. Where's my normal happy feeling that lying brings me?'

"I...I understand, maybe if I was more like you...I could help you more...W-what what am I saying? Heheh. You'll...you'll be fine." She turned on the TV. "You...just sit and watch, I promise, I'll take care of those backstabbers all by myself. I'll...I'll show them for you."

"Cruelty… just LEAVE!"

"What?"

"Ditch this castle and me."

"Never."

"I order you."

"I refuse."

"Please."

"I won't abandon you, ever. I'll protect you."

(Your mother never loved you.)

'Shut up,' Discord thought.

(The moment she learned what you were, she wanted nothing more to do with you. Unlike Mimic with her daughters. Face it, no one could love a loser like you. As soon as she was free of your influence, she went and had other children. I wonder why. You never had a chance at redemption. Even if you did honestly want redemption, you'd fail. Like you fail at everything! You couldn't even make your mother smile once during your first thousand-year rule of Equestria! Even though you pampered her worse than Fluttercruel! Now THAT is a worthless son!)

'Be quiet.'

(And Rancor's the proof your other Parents don't care about you either! Giving birth to a girl like her, for the explicit purpose of stabbing you in the back! Ha!)

"D-don't worry, Papa, I'll deal with those losers, and we'll figure out something. Maybe if I get all the Elements of Chaos together, they can save you! I'll take them back one by one!"

(Guess who you have to watch die next? Helplessly? Like an anamatronic robot in a theater that's caught fire, you'll both follow your script even as the stage burns around you.)

"Cruelty, don't go."

"I won't let them near you. I won't let them hurt you."

'My own magic and Father's are too much of a mess inside after losing Destruction's...if I could just...'

"Please don't leave me, Cruelty."

"I'll be back...and I'll save you."

(Take a good look, this is the last time you'll see her in person here.)

'Give it a rest. We both know you're tiptoeing around the real issue, babe.'

(Ehhhh?)

'Your insults don't have your usual level of acid wit. Something's different. Rancor just torched your nice little script to ashes, didn't she? Disruption, I wonder if she knew how fitting a name she chose. And you can't stand that, can you? So you're attacking me with every little thing you can think of to distract yourself. You're trying to make me feel worse so you'll feel better. I understand how it goes.'

(I'M NOTHING LIKE YOU!!!)

I felt like I was making my spirit hemorrhage internally as I constructed my chaos to do as I desired.

(Just what are you doing?)

"Cruelty...all of my power and...all the power of Your Grandfather's Avatar is yours...take it..."
+
"And so it is with great pleasure, that I give Manehatten back to you...the people." Discord said on top of a soap box to the crowd, "The hardworking ponies, not those ponies in their plush houses who don't work a minute a day. Leeches who feed off your hard work. Give them the justice you feel like giving them."

-

"Mr and Mrs. Orange!" Grinned the scruffy Earth pony with glasses, his cutie mark was a scarecrow. It was covered by a sticker of a pair of glasses with swirl eyes. "You have been found guilty of having more than your fellow ponies! Of feeding off the work of others! Of doing no labor in your life yet stinking of wealth...how do you plead?" He looked down from the judge's seat. The courthouse's real judge beaten to a pulp and left tied up with several other 'fat pony elite.'

The 'courtroom' was a mad house, the 'jury' was a lynch mob, and the bailiff was Screwball with a giant wooden hammer (wearing a 'I HEART MH' T-Shirt).

"This is insane! I want my lawyer!" Mr. Orange knew it was futile, but he'd call out this performance every step of the way.

"There are no lawyers. We killed them all and made the world a brighter, happier place as a result."

"YOU ANIMAL!" Mrs. Orange snapped.

"Contempt of court!" said Screwball, hitting her on the head, hard.

"ENOUGH!" Traitor Dash smashed through the window on top of the judge's station. "These proceeding end now! By order of Master Discord!"

The crowd gasped.

"There are no laws in Master's kingdom! Therefore there are no laws to be guilty of! Therefore this trial, for the punishment of breaking laws is, of itself, a crime! Who here wishes to break Master's no-law law?!"

She crackled with red lightning. The mob shrunk from her. After all, wasn't she one of the Chaos Six?

"And as for YOU!" Traitor Dash narrowed her eyes at the two orange ponies. "Time to die."
-
Liarjack hugged her Aunt and Uncle. "Whao kay, everypony thinks yer dead. Ya'll be okay now. Cadence is keepin' Discord from spreading out from Equestria, don't ask me how them fairy ponies are doin' it, but there doin' it."

"That was...a very vivid illusion." Uncle Orange said, a bandage was now on his wife's head, "Couldn't you have told us before, Abigail?"

"Am'm sorry, Ah'm still gettin' the hang of this, and ya needed ta truly look scared. Ah'm sorry. Head for Neighpon, they love oranges there and it's as far from Equestria as ya can git."

"But what about you, Abigail?" Mrs. Orange asked.

"Ah still have mah friends here."

-

"Traitor Dash! You faked my authority! You pretended to be on my orders! You deceived and manipulated with permission you didn't have! All to get what YOU wanted..." Discord gave her noggie. "You've made me so proud my little Traitor Dash!"

Traitor Dash felt worse at the praise. But, at least for one little moment, even as her world turned to ash around her helping Discord hold the flame thrower...she'd been a hero again. Like the kind her friends had believed in.

I drop the crayon box out of my mouth, my entire muzzle tastes like wax. I look from one end of the Junior Flyers CloudBall Field to the other. I see me. All of me.

"Awesome, kiddo," Firefly hugged me.

"It's a beautiful rainbow darling. Made of all of you. All of us."

"I knew you could do it Rainbow Dash." Fluttershy kisses me behind the ear.

"It's almost big enough to show how awesome you really are." Scoots said flapping her tiny wings.

"I'd say it's just about right darling," big wingless me said.

Gildie laughed, "Took ya long enough. Ya couldn't of done it without us."

"You're right. I couldn't have." I said calmly.

"Because you needed the whole of you, and your friends are a part of you." Fluttershy said, "Just like the colors of a rainbow."

"Er, yeah." I said embarrassed, blushing.

"That was beautiful darling, simply dashing!"

"Just who are you two anyway?" I asked at the two other adults.

"We're all you've been Rainbow Dash, what you remember, and what you don't and what your heart remembers." The classy mare said.

"Uhhhh..."

"Don't go cofusin' her. Kiddo, we're you, you're us. And we were BOTH friends with who makes up Pinkie Pie. That's all you need to know!" Said Firefly. "Now go get'em winner!"

"Come back soon! YA GOT IT?!" Gildie hugged her.

"Ditto," Scoots joined in.

"Now now, don't rush her girls, she'll come when she's good and ready." Fluttershy said assertively.

"Yes mam," the two said folding their wings.

"But you're still free to just stay here Dash if that's your real choice. No one here will ever judge you, or compare themselves to you. You'll be completely free."

"You ready?" Firefly asked.

"No darling, but I love Minty and Pinkie Pie too much not to. I look forward to when beautiful rainbows arc in the sky again." Before Firefly would respond to that big piece of bluff, mare me hugged her. They glowed an I was looking at ... myself? Except she was big, and a mare with full bright colors.

"Alright ya little fireball," She looked down at me and nuzzled me, I began o glow too. "Ya ready? Not because it's expected of you. But because it's what you chose to do."

..."I choose to help my friends." I nuzzled and I started to glow.
+
"PINKIE PIE!" Dash woke up. Where was she? Sweet Apple Acres? Was she dreaming still? No. That green pony with the rock candy cutie mark was too plain for any of her dreams.

"You're awake!"

"Where are they?! Where's Pinkie Pie?! I dreamed about her..."

"You dreamed about her too!? Twilight and the others all said they were going to Large Sundae Discord's castle to cure her."

"Gotta go!" Rainbow Dash struggled against the ropes.

"You've got to rest! You just woke up! And the sky . . the sky is still weird!"

Rainbow Dash peered out the window. "That's just twilight!"

"What's Twilight got to do with this?"

"Agh!" Dash flapped her wings like mad, then dislocated a few bones...she figured the whole farm knew she was awake after screaming like a little boy pony.

"Wait! If you're going to Pinkie Pie, take me with you!" Minty begged. "What am I saying...you can't go! Stay down!"

"Sorry no time to chat, gotta dash!" She flew through the door, stone door, zipped like an overcharged firefly, and forced her way outside. Making a beeline for the castle.

And that was when she ran into another flight of dragons. "Do you really have to start paying me back NOW, karma?" Dash moaned.
+
The bearers had all been racing towards Discord's throne room, not sure what else to do after their entire mission had seemingly been turned on its head or simply made much much easier. It felt impossible to tell which anymore.

'Sparkler' teleported in front of them.

(She's garbage spawned of garbage. Dispose of her.)

She looked at Apple Pie, "I'd finish with you, filly, what I began with your twin, but I have more important things to do. Go Home. Go get a new giant orange-apple fruit salad for a cutie mark and be happy, go practice yoga with diamond dogs or write changeling poetry. I don't care! I'm paying back these scum for impaling my father through the heart!"

Spike shouted, "Rancor did that, you IDIOT! You were there! Watching!"

"Heheheheh, 'Rancor,' you say? You think I'm stupid? That was one of Auntie Liarjack's illusions. There's no way family would ever do such awful, unforgivable, evil things to each other. You all want me to just give up, roll over and play dead. But it's not going to happen. I'll never give up! My father's life is on the line! I'll give all of you what you don't deserve in the least: a quick death! So be thankful! Stuck-up Auntie Tragedy! Thieving Aunt Rarigreed! Venomous, ice-hearted Auntie Angry Pie! Weepy Auntie Traitor Dash! Fat Auntie Spike!"

"AUNTIE Spike?!" balked the dragon.

"Lying Aunt Liarjack!"

"That make us all cousins then?" Apple Pie asked. "Since everyone else is your aunt? Then shouldn't we not be fightin'. After all: 'family isn't mean to each other!'"

"Will you just suffer a tragic death already to show how serious everything is, you clown?"

Apple Pie spoke to one of the killers of her friends, this creature who had taken so much from her and so many others. "...Ya said look on the bright side of death, that losin' those ya love ain't nothing cause you end up back with nothin' when ya started...that cryin' when yer back where ya started is silly...but ya wanna save yer dad same as anypony would..." Her voice wasn't baiting or mocking, it was, pleading? "Half-Light, Aunt Pinkie, Miss Dash, Miss Rarity. Yer pa locked ya in a cage inside the same as yer friends were aren't ya?"

The cleaver almost bisected Apple Pie along the line of the scar on her forehead Fluttercruel had given her in Ponyville, instead it went into Pinkie Pie's back. AJ and Rarity began healing her.

Spike and wondered why they weren't attacking yet. But it seemed like he was the only one eager to get the monster out of the way.

"My father would never do that to me! You will never say that again you awful brat!!"

"You all were mom's friends, so I'll show you all the love I built up for her! Plucking her feathers out one by one, slicing into her hide until I cut bone slitting my wrists so our blood could mix, cutting off her tail extensions, sawing open her torso like a cow, placing my head against her heart feeling it beat..."

"Shut up." Twilight blasted her face, knocking her down. Her expression completely even.

(THANK YOU, TWILIGHT. About time you showed some truly righteous rage.)

"Envious of the closeness we shared, Twilight? The closeness she never shared with you five losers? At least I SHARED my special talent with her!" She pointed a hoof at Derpy, "You stink as a mother, Derpy Hooves! You never once dove into a icy cold river with your foals chained to you! You never once shared almost-drowning with Sparkler or Dinky! What kind of coldhearted mother doesn't share her special talent with her foals!"

Rarity held the pegasus back, "She's not trying to bait you, Derpy, she really does believe everything she just said."

(Maybe so...but Rarity, surely there must be a way you could phrase that, that DOESN'T make it sound like you're taking Fluttercruel's side?)

"You need serious therapy!" Derpy spat at Cruelty.

"Auntie Angry Pie at least SHARED her Element of Chaos with her foals!"

"Oh? Is that why you tried to hurt Grenade Pie when I let her leave the castle?" Pinkie Pie's old crippled leg was quivering. She sounded sad instead of angry.

"Grenade Pie? Was that your second foal you let go?" For a moment, she sounded like a lost and confused foal, "I honestly don't remember why. Dad didn't give me any orders. Maybe I needed a new toy and I thought you didn't want her as a foal anymore. Maybe we got into a fight and I wanted revenge. Maybe I wanted to practice for mom. Did I know about mom yet? I honestly can't recall. I've cut so many ponies and I don't keep records, or all THAT many trophies. Sorry, Auntie Pinkie Pie."

"And Gummy?"

"Now that part I do remember. He tried to eat me when I tried to express myself on Grenade Pie."

"Yes, I tore your foreleg off and smashed you through several walls. Gummy was bleeding but I still escorted Grenade Pie outside the castle, to safety. He was a couple hundred years old and the size of a tour bus. He had watched Pound, Pumpkin, Fuse Box, Bomb Pie, Powder Cake, and Fire Cracker all die of old age himself. He sure had gotten giant! After I was done with you and Grenade Pie was safely away...I took him to the pond in the castle garden where he could enjoy what time he had left after you hurt him for protecting Grenade Pie."

"I was going to tear you apart for that if Dad hadn't stopped me. We let you keep the skin. And it's not like I managed to actually DO anything to her. Dad told me to leave her and all your other students from then on. She died of old age. A grandmother." She pointed at Twilight. "I didn't so much as touch Spring Dew. It was Tragedy who killed Spring Dew when you forgot to tell Master that she was leaving. Tragedy assumed Spring Dew was deserting."
+
My Element of Chaos stopped, I felt sick. Not again. Not again. Not again. No more dark memories! No more hidden sins buried over reset memories over reset memories! No more! No more! Please no more!

(Focus! The past is the past! You can't change it! Focus on the now! You've already accepted all you've done as Tragedy, remember?!)

*You can't change the past, but you can make up for it in the future.*

Apple Pie lowered her head as did AJ and Derpy.

"Pinkie Pie..." I look pleadingly at the pink mare.

Pinkie Pie shed tears. "It's...it's alright, Twilight, old Auntie Pinkie Pie forgives you, and...I'm sure Spring Dew has forgiven you too..."

"So ya never did kill Gummy," Twilight said, "I'm sorry for thinking that."

"I told you," Pinkie Pie said, "Even at my worst, I could have never hurt him. He never once tried to hurt my foals, he was a second protector to them. He was a hero."

"You're an irredeemable mess, Fluttercruel! Get a clue already! You hurt others enough, you're gonna get hurt back sooner or later!" Spike snapped cupping his claws and wings protectively around me.

(Very good, Spike, you've always been reliable.)

"Screw you. Father's approval is the only one I need."

Rarity shouted. "Even with Discord's poison, how could you turn into THIS with your mother, WITH FLUTTERSHY alongside you? Why do you kill? No, how did you come to be so eager to kill when it's clear Discord isn't obsessed with it?"

She blinked in confusion. "...I've never thought about it before...I think when I found out I was father's child, and what he had made me for… He told me 'Time To be Cruel' was the first thing he ever said to be. I vowed I'd make him proud. That I'd prove he had made me right! So… I chose to be horrid and cruel, for him. Then… he began to think that I should cut back, diversify, try being NOT-cruel, every now and then… in other words, he didn't think I was good enough at my special talent! So I redoubled my efforts! I'd be the embodiment of cruelty he had made me to be! And he'd know I was worthy of him. Your death and suffering today will be what I need to prove that I truly love him!"

Rarity looked dismayed, "You made yourself a worse and worse monster thinking it would win your father's approval?!"

"And Mom's. I was born from her too. That must mean the potential for everything I've done had to be inside HER from the start. Which means she must have wanted it too. I think? I haven't really thought about..." Suddenly she seemed to look unsure.

Rarity said, "The cruel truth is that you really are just a foal. You really don't see this is all the opposite of what your mother would want?! Your father wants chaos, your mother wanted kindness, where does cruelty and intentional meaningless murder come from?!"

Fluttercruel looked like she had a headache. "Not murder. Yes, it is murder, I'm a dirty murderer WAIT! WAIT!It's just a game! They're toys they exist to be played with! You can't murder toys! Papa creates new toys - full-grown adults! - with a snap of his fingers! Why does everyequus in the world have to be so absurd?"

Three auras surrounded Sparkler's body.

One was a sickly yellow aura twisting and turning in on itself, unpredictable, random. It felt perfectly familiar in every way and detail. "The world is nonsense!" She shouted.

An ominous red aura, the shapes and shadows almost forming somethings I couldn't tell what, but it terrified me, it brought memories of monsters under my bed, the illusion trees in Everfree, of nearly being eaten by a hydra, of Ponyville in dread over Zecora's 'almost-a-pony-but-not-a-pony' appearance. "Everypony fears then hates what's different from they are!"

The last one was pink, shaped with half image of thorns, butterflies, and hearts all shaped with sharp edges. "The world belongs to father! I'll cut to shreds anypony who hurt him!"

They twisted and mingled with each other. It was like someone poured ice water on her as she stature became calm.

"It's creepy." She said in a no-nonsense tone. "I no longer care. Maybe I AM a bad filly. No, no, I'm not. Because I'm doing what a good daughter does! Saving her father! After I rip out and feed your Elements of Chaos to him, I'll save him!"

"CAN'T WE TALK ABOUT THIS RATIONALLY?!" I screamed, hoping beyond hope we could avoid a battle that could get our non-immortal friends killed.

(Are you SERIOUSLY asking this question to FLUTTERCRUEL?!)

"Fluttercruel, look, if yah and yer dad just swear on his mother tah leave Equestria and go somewhere yah ain't hurtin' anyone, leave the universe in peace, we'd GLADLY heal him," Applejack pleaded. "I promise!"

"You think I'm STUPID enough to trust the Element of Deceit and an Element of Honesty who lies?!" All three auras flared, mixing into one and condensed into her.

(Watch out! That is Discord's, his father Havoc's, and Fluttercruel's spiritual essences, all combining!)

"Know the true horror of the Draconequi's wrath! Of Nature's fury!"
+
Ah saw 'em. Shadows, dozens of 'em, more than that? So many of 'em! Comin' out of da floors, da wall, da ceilin'! Just like them nasties who tried to drag me off ta the big black nothin' when I was in the white nothin'! Ponies. Dragons. Changelin's! So many!

Me and Pinkie Pie flank Apple Pie.

But the shadows ain't comin' fer us. They go straight for Fluttercruel, inside poor Sparkler. They crush and claw towards 'er. And they gonna try and fight 'er?

The first one gets close, a baby dragon. An' she eats it! She rips it apart and stuffs it in 'er mouth! Ah'd say 'Sweet Celestia,' but Celestia ain't got nothin' to do with this!

They keep comin', like they want ta get eaten! A lot look at Rarity, like she's a Heart Warmin' Eve Turkey (hey, meat eatin' hasn't been taboo in centuries). But they keep marchin' right towards Sparkler's body. They give Twilight a big leg's length.

"MUFFIN!" Derpy tries ta reach her foal's body, but for every five she knocks away with lightning, five more rise up to take their place; it's like swimmin' up a waterfall. Spike, Twilight, and Rarity all fire away at 'em, but there were ALWAYS more.

Fluttercruel keep rippin' them to pieces and stuffin' 'em in her mouth, Spakler's teeth are like a shark's now. They practically cover 'er. The pile gets smaller as she eats her way out.

The whole castle is shakin'. I feel sick. Like a big 'Not Wanted Here Sign' is being jammed in me. Kindness was not welcome, Kindness was a impurity, I was an impurity.

The entire place turns pitch black, even suckin' the light from Twili' and Rarity's horns and Spike's fire. Or maybe just cancelin' it.

Ah feel like a rabbit in a timber wolves den. Ah keep Apple Pie close ta me. Ah heart her heart poundin'.

Ah felt like we were all in that awful nowhere place we saw Rancor mosey off to. Them shadows tried to drag me into! I was suffocatin'! All the warmth in the world was gone, there was a huge invisible black fire that was somehow even colder!

Ah see Pinkie Pie ripping up Rainbow Dash with a smile on her face.

Ah'm on a farm with a broken leg, I can't move, some strange monkey puts ah gun to mah temple whisperin' she's sorry and pulls the trigger.

I'm a little filly in some third world country with a gun in mah mouth, with a bunch of other little fillies under a hot sun, killin' adults and other foals because their impure race needed to be scrubbed out of existence.

Ah was a little girl in a deep dark pit with a giant bag full of rabid animals tearin' their way out.

Be vicious. Be cruel. Family is the only thing that matter. That can matter. Should matter.

Then everythin' shatters.
+
As long as I can protect father, I don't need to be a pony.
+
The faded-yellow furry body of a snake, faded yellow head, fangs in her jaws, blue slit eyes, faded pink mane, one horn that resembled her father's, the other looked almost like a piece of her mane flowing backwards.
Tail of a scorpion.
Back rear claw of a Komodo dragon.
The rear hoof of a pegasus pony.

One wing was of a Hooded Pitohui.
The other was the wing of a lovebird.
The right forelimb of a lioness.
And a black webbed limb with a barb at the elbow.

They all came into into a chaotic mess of a creature, in other words, a true draconequus.

(This...is has never happened before...I've never seen...Draconequusification doesn't exist! This can't be happening...did seeing Discord harmed give this creature strength? How? HOW?!)

"I am...Odyne Tulasi 'Fluttercruel Cruelty' Typhon. A Concept."

(Impossible. Illogical. This feeling. She's...she's as powerful as Discord?)

Apple Pie knew fear.

Pinkie Pie didn't think this was a ghostie who could be giggled away.

Derpy eyes were red with tears. "Where's my muffin?"

Rarity felt sick looking at the mass, like she had when she'd witnessed a cow slaughtered and processed into a hamburger, for the very first time.

"Even if the whole world becomes my enemy, all worlds, I won't give up the fight if that's what it take to protect him. To the grave with all of it."

"Don't do this kiddo..." AJ asked. "There's no point to this."

"There is every point to this."

(You are treating Fluttercruel as though she is a RATIONAL BEING. Fluttercruel, whom you've known for a thousand years. You might as well be begging a shark not to bite. )

Spike thought, 'Aren't you supposed to feel better when the bad guy you have to kill shape-shifts into a big monster form that doesn't look like a pony anymore?'

*No Spike you're supposed to be scared!*

(Agreed!)

"If this is what you really want." Twilight said trotting forward, "Then come here and get us. We're right here."

Cruelty shouted, "AIR TO STONE!" All the air in the de facto arena turned to solid rock. "I don't have time to play games."

Cruelty felt Rarity began to try and animate the stone, but there were no cracks, no irregularities. To be on the safe side she laid several ghost traps underneath the stone block that filled up every nook and cranny of the grand hallway. She wasn't joking when she said taking this body was like a heart transplant, not a typical possession that could be shook off so she wasn't worried about them effecting her. She also reactivated the 'Do funny things to teleportation' curse her father had placed over the castle and hundred mile spherical radius.

"And I know you can't negate Dad's magic, Tragedy. And if you try to just blast your way out, you'll kill your teammates who aren't immortal. Sorry, you won't stuff defeat into the jaws of victory this time."

A giant boxing glove punch into her from behind, smashing into the stone concrete mass in front of her, not hurting her, but leaving cracks.

"Auntie Angry Pie." Cruelty scowled.

"Auntie Pinkie Pie, actually niece." The straight haired pony panted, looking heavy. "Figured that wouldn't hurt you, but figured you'd hurt the rock. I'm a rock farmer, remember? I know better than anypony where to hit a rock to make it break."

The cracked mass of stone exploded in a myriad of force fields, telekinesis, Earth-Pony muscle, and heat-cold bombs.

Four ponies and one dragon broke their way out of the mess and onto the draconequus who cut up the stone like it was styrofoam.

"You're good for never having done draconequus magic before," Twilight said coldly.

"Father is a very good teacher."

AJ (who had used herself as a cocoon for Apple Pie) kicked a large piece with the filly's help (or vice versa) of concrete shattering it to reveal a gray and blond pegasus.

"You should have suffocated by now," Cruelty said to the pegasus mare.

"I've been holding my breath since I was a filly at the bottom of that river. Do you think that would kill me as a mare when I survived it as a filly?"

"And if you've think I'm a one trick straw giant, then you're all about to receive a very rude awakening. You don't want quick and painless? Then say goodnight with this chaos magic barrage! Two, three, one, GO!"

Episode 99: (Dark World) Ruined Pearl Necklace And Crushed Pearls

Episode 99: (Dark World) Ruined Pearl Necklace And Crushed Pearls

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
Pony POV Series
Dark World Part 23 "Broken Pearl Necklace"

I think I've finally gone crazy. Finding out all at the same time: that out you and a thousand-year-old redeemed minion of Turtle Panel Discord were two halves of the same pony in a previous reality, we were both best friends with the cheery version of the Pink Inferno herself, and our ideal world was erased for being too perfect...it must have driven me crazy.

I am Minty Pie. And I don't have the same accent as most of my family, here at Sweet Rock Acres.

My accent's different because my parents are...my parents were...don't sweat it, it's normal. Here at Sweet Rock Acres, we accept what we've lost and move on. I think after finding out what I know now, it's even harder…

Well...some of us more easily than others. I'm a weirdo like that, too. It's harder for me to accept when we lose part of our family again.

I couldn't stand how everypony else just accepts that -oh, well, they're gone, back to harvesting the dolomite!-

*That's not completely true you know Minty Pie.*

Okay, sad and hurt foals see the world differently, I admit it. Maybe I'm a little bit different from the rest of my family.

*Everypony is a little bit different from the rest of their family.*

I guess. Everypony is excitedly waiting for Apple Pie to come back the big hero. We'd have all marched off to help if Twilight hadn't said numbers can't beat Purple Helmet Discord.

I couldn't stand how everypony else just accept they were gone and moved on.

Don't get me wrong, I still love them all: Banana Pie, Cream Pie, Apple Pie, Orange Burst (little guy is so cute), Apple Juice, Uncle Crab Apple, Blackbird Pie, Red Jack, Black Jack, Fruit-Of-The-Knowledge-Of-Good-And-Evil (I don't care if she's not related by blood), Cherry Apple, Cheery Pie (yes she's a hippogriff and yes we're related), Rocky Pie, Grandpa Rock Pie, Humble Pie, Uncle Apple Computer, and Aunt Apples N. Oranges.

Hey! Memorizing our family tree is a sacred tradition! Of course I'm not going to leave anypony I love unmentioned!

Especially since, many times, it was like I was the only one who even REMEMBERED those who're not with us. Poison Apple, Apple Bucker, Apple Cake, Orange Cake, and all the rest of them. No one deserves to be treated like they never existed.

*Then why do they keep their pictures up? If they really wanted them gone, those picture would be gone too. And they don't hesitate to speak their names.*

I get that, now. I think Twilight's memories give me a better perspective.

I used to think of those dreams as nightmares, but after touching Twilight, I'm grateful for them, I remember the wonderful friends we both had once upon a time. They left their mark on me, I didn't want them to be forgotten, any of them.

What was it that made me think I'd have gone crazy? Oh that's easy! I asked Cream Pie and Banana Pie for some of their bombs and weapons, and after they gave them to me, I began trailing behind Miss Traitor Dash, no, Rainbow Dash, following her towards Chaos Castle. I have to see them. Apple Pie AND Pinkie Pie both. I just have to. Twilight promised she'd protect my sweet cousin Apple Pie. And I do trust her.

But maybe I can help. Or maybe I'm being crazy. I'm sorry Twilight, you told me to sit still, but I think 'kooky Minty' is slipping into me.

YES, I KNOW IT'S CRAZY! Why do you think I said I've finally gone crazy-?!

I didn't exactly tell my family what I was doing. I just made sure to tell them all that I loved them very much in each their own way and snuck out before Cream Pie and Banana Pie figured it out and decided to tag along. Sorry girls, I know you love Apple Pie too, but I'm not dragging you into my craziness.

I try to tell myself if I die, they'll just keep on farming the schist and the pumice and the gabbro and the mica, with nary a tear in their eye. But that's a Discord truth, inside their hearts will crack like graphite. Thanks for helping me see that Twilight, Minty.

I'd elaborate more on the details, like how much I love them, and how much they love me, and how I know deep down, they are grieving their own way too, but if I did, we'd be here all...twilight? Whatever!

Apple Pie...I know she's tough, but...I'm still worried, she's my cousin. I have to make sure she's okay.

Twilight! Rainbow Dash! Pinkie Pie! Apple Pie! Here I come!

The ground crumbled and I fell in. Diamond Dogs need to plan their tunnels better...huh? This is no diamond dog cave! I keep falling and, THUNK!

The cave goes on for miles. There are giant mosaics on every wall. My way is a hundred hooves above me and hundreds away from any wall. I've landed upon a giant mass of ancient hay. Don't ask me what that's about. Or any of this. At least none of my legs are broken. But nopony knows I'm down here!

"HELP!! I'M HERE!"

I don't think my screams reach the hole.

There are statues of 'things' everywhere. From ponies, to monsters, to monster-ponies and pony-monsters. A lot are broken and worn. A river splits right down the middle...water? I can't remember when I'd last seen a river made of WATER! This is just plain weird! Guess I shouldn't complain. At least I have something to drink.

I just barely see a passage...several miles away at the far end of the cavern. With no clue if it leads anywhere.

"This...is going to take a while."

"Forsooth! The chosen one has arrived!"

"Our deliverance from the lemon-ponies is assured!"

That was when I realized I was surrounded by miniature ponies in tribal garb who looked like they were made of winter winds.

"Why do I have a feeling things just got a lot more complicated?"

++++

:Song - L'Impeto Oscuro, Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance:

A dozen mirrors were thrown at AJ who shattered them with kicks, releasing the reflections inside, "Howdy all!" They echoed and didn't hesitate to gang up on the original. "Face the truth!"

A swarm of bees, snakes, bats skunks, and bat-wings snakes with bee stingers who stank of skunk mobbed Twilight all at the same time.

"Eat the great devourer!" Roared a battalion of giant spear-toting fanged muffins with cartoony arms and legs armed as they encircled Derpy, grappling hooks pulling her down.

A collection of foal-sized dolls trapped Apple Pie. Each had a giant fruit for head: a pear, an orange, an apple.

"Love you."
"Love hurts."
"And we love you so much."
"We love you to death," they chorused in grainy voices like a pull-string recording.

Her kicking the orange head off one didn't even slow it down as it hugged her from behind so tight it was crushing her skeleton.

"We love you into paste," the orange head spoke from the ground.

"H-hey! Dolls are supposed to be played with, but you're-" The headless doll jammed a cupcake in Apple Pie's mouth, and another, and another, until all that could get out was muffled noise.

"Now, now, no talking with your mouth full." said the headless doll.
"You'll have perfect manners as a plastic dolly," said the apple doll.
"You be pretty forever," said the pear doll.

And they beginning to snap plastic coverings over Apple Pie's body.

A clearance sale's worth of oversized perfume bottles crowded Rarity, spraying a choking quantity of fragrance upon her, enveloping in her in a cloud of pink. Rarity coughed and gagged.

"Give-give-give!" The bottles sang.

A cache of bloody kitchen knives flew at Pinkie Pie which she kicked away and blocked with a cutting board when they tried a return approach. "Ha! Have to get up earlier in the morning to-"

A smiley-faced rubber ball struck her head like a cannonball, followed by a second brightly-colored ball in the stomach. And another smiling ball in the back. They hit with the sound of rain against glass.

"Smile smile smile!" The balls laughed, and kept laughing.

Spike opened his mouth to simply incinerate the swarm of conjured adversaries, when several floating fire extinguishers sprayed him with chilling C02. Spike coughed. "Dirty cheat!"

"Moron! I'm saving my family!" Cruelty snapped. "Anything goes."

Spike threw strategy to the wind and choose to simply crash into his teammates to break up the gang-bangs. A giant STOP sign clonked him on the head.

"Bad dragon! Bad! Bad BABY dragon!!"

Spike suddenly found himself the shortest creature in the room, even more so than Apple Pie whose two forelegs were now encased in plastic.

Spike felt his wings missing. "Ah, crud. I thought I was done with these horse apples."

Fluttercruel quadrupled in size and began stomping on the dragon with her pegasus hoof. "Diediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediedie!" And Spike knew how mashed potatoes felt.

Twilight sparked a fireball at ground zero, enveloping both her and the swarm of beasties. Yet Twilight could regenerate and Fluttercruel hadn't given her swarm the same ability.

Spell-Copy

A fireball exploded from the cloud of pink perfume going up like a mushroom cloud. While the perfume had been self-replicating, they couldn't refill if the perfume was completely gone. The empty glass bottles continued to mindless chant, "Give, give, give!"

"Ah shut up!" Rarity said as she smashed the bottles into each other, shattering them. "Thank you for the spell, darling."

'In retrospect, it probably would have been smarter for me to give Rarity a rounded out spell list now that she an and Element of Magic, right?'

*Yes.*

(Indeed.)

Twilight blasted Spike with the very first spell she had ever used on him within seconds of his being hatched. The bruised and beaten dragon was suddenly eye-level with Cruelty again, wings flared.

"So, Spikey, how did it feel to be all cute and cuddly again?" Rarity asked slyly.

"I felt weak, small, and squishy!" He punched Fluttercruel through several walls, and fired breathed in her general direction for good measure leaving melted stone. The castle shuddered in pain.

Pinkie Pie ran, the bouncing balls following her like magnets, singing, "Smile, smile, smile!" Her Pinkie Sense was of no help against these balls. She fled straight into the crowd of Applejacks. The true Applejack leapt to shield Pinkie Pie with her body. "Face the truth!" The fake Applejacks yelled as they continued to pummel her.

It was then Pinkie and Applejack learned two things. First, that the smiley balls weren't programmed to bounce around obstacles, they were programmed to shoot through them. Second, the Applejack reflections were programmed with zero sense of self-preservation.

"Smile, smile, smile!" The balls hit harder and harder against the backs of the fake Applejacks who just continued their onslaught on the genuine article, even as their bodies were hammered mercilessly.

Eventually, then the mindless reflections shattered into glass shrapnel. The shards stuck into the smiley balls, which popped like balloons.

"Smooth moves, Pinkie."

"Actually, I was running like a big scaredy-pony. UGH!"

"Let me heal that."

Derpy now lay on a silver platter, an apple in her mouth, with hooves and wings bound. The giant muffins sprayed whipped cream on her. "Eat the great devourer! Eat the great devourer!" They chanted.

Derpy squirmed insanely, the rope burns were nothing compared to all she'd suffered from the crows. Spike stepped on the muffins. Rarity's diamond knives cut the ropes. Derpy spat out the apple. "Sorry."

"For what?" Rarity said.

"You had to save me."

"Don't start that now!"

"You'll be a happy, happy doll," the fruit dolls promised. Apple Pie was now encased in plastic from the neck down. Somehow, she was beginning to feel hollow inside, as though everything within her skin were disappearing.

The pear doll and apple doll each carried a left and right half of a plastic replica of her own head -- which they meant to snap together onto Apple Pie's head like the two halves of a plastic toy egg. Apple Pie felt water in her eyes.

A blast of magic turned the dolls to plastic potted plants. A precise wind spell sent them both flying across the room, into a fire. Twilight and AP got the dough and wrappers out of her mouth.

"It's okay, Apple Pie, I've got you."

"Half-Light? A-Ah'm, Ah'm-"

"Shuuush. Keep your head together..." Twilight peeled all the plastic off Apple Pie's body: the filly could feel organs and muscles return within herself. They hugged.

(Take a look at this web of events, Twilight. The only reason over half of these groupies are still alive is because you play bodyguard to them all. Is this really the best use of your time? Is this fair to THEM?)

'AGAIN, with this go-it-alone nonsense!! Does it even have a point anymore?'

(Yes! If Princess Celestia could wield all six Elements at once against Nightmare Moon, then so can you!)

'She's Celestia! I can't be Magic AND Honesty AND Laughter AND all the rest!'

(And I say you can! Why do you doubt your abilities this much?)

Cruelty flew out of the molten hole, back to her normal size and covered in soot. "You broke my jaw!"

"Which means you're NOT indestructible like the rest of your family!" Spike shouted.

"ALL GO SPLAT!"

The ceiling came down. AJ, Spike, Derpy, and Pinkie Pie all managed to catch it in one concerted effort. Cruelty fired a silo's worth of anti-personnel rockets at them. Twilight shielded their friends while Rarity telekinetically flung the missiles back at Cruelty.

(Remember the Ursa Minor, Twilight! There is nothing you can't do with your magic!)

Twilight added her telekinetic force against the collapsed ceiling as well. 'Heh, I'm using Trixie's Element of Magic to do what she couldn't before.'

(Trixie was a talentless lying sadistic cowardly blowhard who could never learn her lesson.)

Rarity joined the group effort and, using Twilight's original Element of Magic, they all flung the ceiling out of the castle. The twilight sky shined.

Pinkie Pie panted, her legs shuddering. "I could use a nap."

"BONES TURN TO GLASS!" And as Cruelty commanded, so it was done: her enemies' bones were all now formed of glass instead of calcium.

"QUADRA-ZILLION SONIC RAINBOOM PUNCHES!"

Spike's superior body mass proved an asset as he threw himself in the path of Cruelty's blitzkrieg. Twilight and Rarity cringed at the sound of shattering glass cutting into Spike's flesh from within. Twilight took advantage of Spike's sacrifice right away.

She may not have been able to negate the effects of Discord's magic, but she could still turns glass into bones the old-fashioned way. No normal unicorn could do this, Twilight was no normal unicorn. And with Rarity's help they were able to double the speed at which their skeletons were restored, all while Spike took Cruelty's wrath.

"Hey! How do you KNOW it's a quadra-zillion Sonic-Rainboom Punches?! Did you count 'em?" Apple Pie called out.

"Huh?" Cruelty stopped in confusion. Pinkie Pie slammed a scorched plastic fruit salad in Cruelty's face from above and leapt off her, while Twilight and Rarity restored Spike and healed his bones. The full adult dragon punched Cruelty in the gut, sending her flying backward.

Pinkie's eye widened in alarm and her body twitched everywhere. She kicked Apple Pie into the air.

"BLADES!" Scythes sprang out of the floors and walls and what was left of the ceiling.

Spike roared as he was stabbed through his feet, hot dragon blood spilling. Derpy caught Apple Pie before she could hit the spiked floor as Pinkie Pie had hoped, herself standing neatly between the scythe blades.

The three immortals weren't so lucky, Twilight, Rarity and Applejack found themselves stuck on the scythes. The curved shape meant it was harder to simply push themselves off them and it was difficult to regenerate themselves properly with the blades impaling them this way.

"FLOOR! BE ACID!"

Pinkie Pie screamed. Twilight's telekinesis caught her before anything other than her hooves could be eaten away at. Spike roared in pain again, but the hole in the castle enabled him to take to the skies, and bring Apple Pie and Pinkie Pie with him. Pinkie Pie's hooves were a mess as she cried tears of pain.

The scythes began to lower neatly into the now acid-floor, dragging the immortals with them.

"That acid will only leave your Elements of Chaos for me to claim!"

Twilight tried the gossamer wing spell, which fell apart on contact with the acid they were sinking into.

Pinkie Pie shoved a giant beaker off Spike's back. It was full of liquid; the beaker, itself, was simply labeled 'BASE.' She collapsed to her belly the moment gravity took hold of the beaker, closing her eyes, catch her breath.

Cruelty caught the giant bottle of base before it fell to the acid floor, but took her eyes off Spike in order to do so. He breathed flame in her face again: she reflexively crushed the beaker in her palm, and its contents mixed with the acid.

The explosion sent the immortals skyward. AJ was able to regenerate faster with her Element of Kindness, she created a herd of illusionary decoys while making the real ones invisible. Dragons could handle swimming in lava as babies, so the acid was painful to Spike, but not fatal. Derpy and Apple Pie were using him as a shield. AJ was caught by Spike and she began healing Pinkie Pie also maintaining her illusions, she had gotten experience during the Rancor fight.

Spell Copy

Every illusion-decoy of Twilight changed to Half-Light Noon, while all the Rarities cast the gossamer wing spell on themselves. It was an ugly thought, but Twilight found herself suddenly empathizing with every mage who'd ever grumbled that
Twilight's spell copy ability was a plagiaristic cheat.

(Focus on Cruelty! She has power, but no experience, she's clever but not far-thinking, and you can break her concentration. Use that!)

*You also have numbers, you're a TEAM versus an individual. Work together. She can't focus on all of you at once.*

This was when gravity went wonky for a few seconds; and they floated like astronauts in space. It didn't bother the airborne ones, but that wasn't the point. The point was seeing that none of the illusions reacted to the sudden loss of all gravity as AJ had been caught by surprise. That was all Fluttercruel needed to know.

She strapped on a headband, pulled out a gatling gun and began to blaze away.

"Why do we fight when no equus wants to fight and our nations abandon us once the war is over?" She shouted in a macho, badass voice, over the roar of gunfire.

Pinkie managed to call out, "You call that a Metal Gear Pony parod-yeow!" A spray of bullets cut through her mane where her head had been a second ago. "An infinite-ammo headband?! But you only get that on consecutive playthroughs!"

Spike was forced to take evasive maneuvers, which broke AJ's concentration, which revealed the real Half-Light Noon and Rarity. Rarity didn't miss a beat as she released a flash bomb spell, but used her wings to reflect all the light right at Cruelty's face.

"NOT AGAIN!" Cruelty yelled, dropping the gatling gun.

Half-Light Noon landed on top of Spike's head and shifted back to Twilight, horn glowing ready to fight.

"HORNS, WINGS, DISAPPEAR! INTERNAL ORGANS TO GUM BALLS! SKIN, BLOOD, AND BONES TO SOAP! BRAINS TO PENCIL SHARPENER SHAVINGS! There!"

Her dead opponents splattered upon the castle floor: large blobs of liquid soap in which gum balls and wooden shavings floated.

"Now you're all dead. The end! Now I just take the Elements of Chaos from your corpses, and then hunt down Traitor Dash and rip Treachery from her. I save my father, and we live happily ever after, and you're all still dead! GOOD-BYE!"

Twin barrel Magic-blasts, dragon breath, lightning, diamond kunai, and pieces of rubble overwhelmed her an instant later.

"Ah don't need a horn for mah illusions!"

Cruelty created a horde of medieval shields around herself floating up from the smoking ground zero of the combined attack. "I did NOT just fall for the same horseapples as the School-Yard! I took away your wings and horns first! You shouldn't have been able to do anything! AND YOU SHOULD ALL BE DEAD!"

Twilight said, "Soul-binding matrix, like the kind cockatrice naturally create when they petrify victims so they can feed off their life force at their leisure. Which gave me time to restore the rest of us to flesh and blood who aren't immortal."

(Thank you! for not mentioning it only works if the victim isn't smashed to bits.)

'Nor tell her since she didn't technically turn half of us into Earth Ponies, just erased parts of our bodies, they just needed a epic-level regeneration spell. Give just enough information to frustrate her. See? I can learn.'

(Oh I never doubt that believe me, and your greatest lesson is waiting beyond this zoo exhibit!)

"But I REMOVED YOUR HORNS!"

Twilight's white and purple horn glowed, "This is't my horn."

"Thank you, Magica," Apple Pie said.

(You stupid blabbermouth! NOW you're just telling her how to win!)

'I didn't say how big a chunk it ate out of my mana reserves,' Twilight meekly defended like a scolded student. 'And I didn't bait her to try it again.'

(One right move and two wrong moves doesn't make three right moves!)

"A For effort dear, but that's it," Rarity said.

"That was the worst experience of mah life," Apple Pie whispered. Derpy and AJ hugged her.

Cruelty sigh, "That's it, party's over. Deck of cards."

And all present transformed into cards. Not nice, neat squares of fifty-two, either. Rather, it was as if an artist had bought several millions decks of playing cards and had glued them together to form life-sized statues of five ponies and a dragon. Cruelty flapped her wings and the card statues all fell like sandcastles.

Cruelty began shuffling through Rarity's cards. "Let's see... 'Love For Spike,' 'Love For Self,' 'Love For Tom,' 'Materialism,' 'Foalhood,' 'Love For Sweetie Belle,' 'Priorities,' oh, here we go! 'Greed,' 'Cruelty,' and 'Magic!'

She looked downward with a sigh: cards were spread across the floor like autumn leaves over a backyard. "Talk about needles and haystacks!"

At that moment, a card in Twilight's pile flared blue.

"MINE!" Rarity jabbed her horn into Cruel's face.

In a flash of azure light, the seven heroes had been restored.

"Oh well, so much for a Yu-Gi-Hoof tribute." Pinkie Pie sighed.

"You see, Fluttercruel, Trixie's special talent focused on stage magic, and I have her Element of Magic, and cards are directly related stage magic."

"And how skilled was Trixie at chess?" Cruelty interrupted sweetly.

"Chess? Huh? Well, I don't know if she even played-"

"CHESS PIECES!"

Fluttercruel picked up the king piece Twilight had become. "Now what do you have to say to that?! Nothing?! GOOD!"

Somepony tapped on her should, she turned and Pinkie filched the Twilight piece from Cruelty's paw. Pinkie Pie was now dressed in a magician's top hat and cape. She placed Twilight with five other chess pieces on a small table. "First, they're one thing..." She pulled a tablecloth over the table, and waited five seconds. "...Now another!"

The five ponies and one dragon all looked at each other very confused under a tiny crushed table.

"Pinkie Pie, HOW DID YOU DO THAT?!" Twilight exclaimed.

"Yes, Angry Pie! How?!" Cruelty screamed.

"Well, ya see, it's just, ya know, Abracadambra…ack…" Pinkie gasped and clutched her chest, her eyes wide. The magician costume vanished, along with the props. "I think...did too much..." She gasped out, her left fore hoof shaking. She was on her knees.

Cruelty was panting heavily, completely baffled by Pinkie Pie.

(Now's you're chance! Use the Elements and...)

"Spike, Derpy, with me! Twilight, AJ, AP, help Pinkie!" Rarity shouted.

(Morons. Erm, no Twilight, I won't argue this point: lousy move.)

Rarity, Spike, and Derpy, all came at Cruelty then scattered, then came at different direction, the draconequus suddenly finding herself on the defensive as Derpy's attacks kept coming too fast and too sudden: her attention divided between three opponents.

"You're just a clone of your father!"

"And why is that a BAD thing?! Foals are supposed to have their parents as their role models!"

"Like Fluttershy was yours too?"

"Maybe she'd have been if the changeling queen hadn't kidnapped and murdered her!" That was when she got a combo of a knee to the stomach then a hammer blow to the back both from Spike as she had focused on Rarity for their verbal duel and had forgotten their physical one.

While Cruelty was preoccupied, AJ healed Pinkie Pie carefully, unset Rarity had taken their lightning rod and Rarity could have simply stolen this from Pinkie Pie.

"AJ...the pain in my chest has stopped, I can breath again," Pinkie Pie whispered.

"Great ta here darlin'," AJ hugged her, "Pinkie Pie, don't do that to yerself, ya know ya shouldn't push yerself like that ya hear?"

Pinkie Pie just smiled. "Well, with how things are goin', I figure I'd give everything I had since we really don't have a fight with Discord to worry about."

"Don't jinx it!" Twilight said automatically, before frowning at Pinkie in worry. "What's happened to you?"

"Don't worry Twilight," AJ said putting a hoof on her shoulder, "Pinkie Pie is gonna be just fine, and we'll all be together again, just like ya said. And nothing is gonna stop that from happenin', right?"

Twilight nodded bravely. "Right."

"Yer really okay, Auntie Pinkie Pie?"

"You bet! I just need to take things a little bit easier, I just pushed myself a little too hard," Pinkie Pie said smiling and nodding.

The entire castle rumbled. Cruelty looked as surprised as they did, but she didn't care as three heroes' hard and fast tactics kept her from focusing, 'Ugh! Did I use too much power at once? I thought gods were supposed to all powerful. But that's not the only power I have!'

"Alright then, let's do this mommy, for daddy."

Rarity's eyes widened. "Oh no. Everypony! Look away!" Rarity fired a flash bomb spell, but Cruelty had grown used to the spell and fired a ball of black sludge covering the small condensed ball of light and mana just before it went off.

The next move didn't come from Cruelty, it came from everywhere else.

"GAZE INTO THE ABYSS!"

The world turned black. The sound of chains binding rattled through everypony and every dragon's minds. From the absolute black, blue eyes, opening vertically, all of them identical, all of them familiar to nearly all present.

You. How DARE you!

I, I feel like I'm back with mom, my first mom, the way she scowled me, looking down at me, I wanted to become smaller and smaller until I didn't exist anymore, the way I wanted to so badly apologize for something, anything. I knew I had been a bad filly, that was the only reason mommy would be upset with me, and I'm a stupid filly for not knowing why mommy is upset with me, so mommy is right to be upset with me. Mommy loves me, so everything mommy does is good, so anytime mommy is upset, I'm a bad filly, Derpy's sorry for being a bad filly, mommy!

I hoped my previous experience with The Stare could help me, but this, this is, this is, this is several, several, times worse. I'm so much stronger. But Tom can't, can't, can't, help me this time. She's everywhere, everywhere, everywhere, and nowhere. I grasp for a solution, any solution, but none comes. The cruel truth is that my magic can't save me this time.

(Twilight!)
*Twilight!*
I'll stay still like a good filly.
(Don't stay still!)
*You have to move!*
I'm staying still like a good filly.
(YOU CAN'T LOSE LIKE THIS!!!)
*Twilight THINK! Don't be afraid!*
I think I'm going to stay still like a good filly.
*This isn't being a good filly!*
(This is being a scared and cowardly filly!)
*There's nothing there, Twilight! Remember! Giggle at the ghosties!*
(There is no LOGICAL or RATIONAL reason for you to be scared right now!!!)
The ghosties are giggling at me.
(Ignore them!)
*Laugh WITH them then! Laugh at yourself!*
A good filly must be silent.
(That's a weak filly!)
*Celestia NEVER punished you for asking questions! A good teacher WANTS their student to ask questions!*

I...I...I...

Rarity! Twilight! That's it! I am done! No way! No how! I am not being made helpless again! You hear me?! The color black and some eyes aren't stopping THIS dragon! I! Am! Not! Taking this lying down! Look into MY eyes and-YesIamyesIamyesIamyesIam. Sorryma'am! YesIamsorryma'am! I'll just put my body around Rarity and Twilight so they'll get a few extra moment of sweet sweet life more than me! Please? Sorry!

The eyes! The eyes they're everywhere! Outside! Inside! Sideways! All my bones are rattling, my heart, no heart! Please don't! Don't give up on me now! We've still got so much to do! Don't fail me now! Is this how that dragon felt when hit by Fluttershy's stare? I can't blame him for being scared. The eyes. Make me go away already! I can't move! I can't think! Wait yes I can! But I can't do anything about it! "All of you stay still and accept your deaths." I am going to stay still and accept my death. "You are not going to try anything clever." I am not going to try anything clever! "Screw exposition. This time you all just vanish." Screw expo-site-eon. This time we all just vanish.

Dangit! Ah can't think! Ah am not thinking. Ah am not having any thoughts. There is nothin' in mah head. Nope. Nothin', notta thing. No thoughts at all.
~~Kindness comfort me.~~
~~Deception block-out the stare.~~
~~Ah can't see where the others are. Ah can't hear where the others are. Ah can't find 'em.~~

~~Illusions within. Block out the eyes~~. But Ah'm still in the dark! Dangit. Ah've cut the signal. Come on, earth ponies are connected to life, so let me figure out where they are. Would be easier if this whole dang castle didn't radiate life. Come on!

Ah'm scared ta pieces, and Ah ain't got a clue why. So Ah'm being scared of nothin', kinda funny. Do ponies feel more scared at things they know or don't know? Ah guess it's depends on how good an imagination ya've got. If yer not creative, then whatever yer scared of but don't know what, could be a lot worse than what yer thinin' of. But ya are creative, then whatever ya think of, is gonna be not as bad as what yer scared of but don't know what. Well. Ah like ta think Ah'm a creative pony, and Ah don't know what Ah'm scared of, so whatever it is, can't be quite as bad as what Ah'm thinking of!

(And once again your insane diamond dog logic makes a mockery of reason and rational thinking.)

What do diamond dogs have ta do with this? Ah'm still super scared. But Ah gotta help Half-Light. And Aunties. And Mr Spike, and everypony! It's scary ta move mah hooves, it's even scarier to think. That ain't make a lick of sense, but Ah can't deny what Ah feel! It's all one big contradiction. Heh. Heheheh. "HA-HA-HA-HA!" Ah still can't move! Not gonna do anything clever. Just gonna accept mah death. But at least it's funny! "Ha-HA!"

Cruelty stared at the filly. "Laughing when your friends are about to die... wow. Think I finally understand why they called that depraved."

The filly was clearly still scared out of her wits but still, "I have no reason to kill half of you. Get up and turn around and leave." Dragon, pegasus and filly stood up, their legs acting on their own. They wobbly turned around, and beginning to mechanically march the way they came, their bodies ignoring their comrades. The staring eyes in the dark were everywhere.

Then she was shocked when AJ began moving about, wobbling like a blind mare! Wait...

"You created an illusion over your optic nerves to sever your vision with The Stare? Clever. But it's not going to save you."

"Wanna bet? Ah can take ya! Ah can give a spakin' ta a spoiled brat like ya! Take me first if ya think ya can!"

"...I know that you trying to use reverse psychology, Element of Deceit. Nice of you to admit that you are helpless and you want me to take your buddies out first. Dad is perfect, and Dad loves betrayal and manipulation. Wish I could talk him into sparing you."

"But if yer Dad loves backstabbin'... why ain't he happy? After all, all his old buddies have turned on him," Apple Pie managed to speak. "Or this one of those, 'it's-okay-for-ponies-ta-eat-rocks-but-not-for-rocks-ta-eat-ponies' situations Pa's always talkin' about?"

"But I need your Element of Chaos!"

AJ heard was several dozen whooshing sounds all at once, all coming straight towards her Element of Chaos.

Just as a deafening explosion broke her concentration, more than broke it, utterly shattered it and ground it into dust that was blown to the four corners of Equestria. Applejack's self-imposed illusion shattered, and so did the Ultimate Stare. The several dozen lances thrown at AJ shattered too. The rumbling stopped. Bones and mortar rattled and ears were covered.

"FINALLY!! I thought when those Apple dragons let me through, I'd caught a break! You guys could've left a note, you know! I've been ripping this castle apart looking for you! Didn't know Discord got more bedrooms than a hotel! NOW WILL SOMEPONY TELL ME WHAT THE FRICK' IS GOING ON HERE?!?!?!"

"I'm not EVEN SURPRISED that you'd barge in NOW, Traitor Dash! Like a bad self-insert!"

(Her massive ego wouldn't have it any other way.)

*And neither would I.*

Rainbow Dash gaped at Cruelty. "OH, MOTHER OF EVERYTHING! A THIRD DRACONEQUUS?! OH, COME ON! NOT ANOTHER ON, PLEASE! AREN'T THINGS CRUDDY ENOUGH!?"

Cruelty was currently engulfed in angry flames. "ENOUGH WITH THE FIRE BREATH!" A metal muzzle materialized over Spike's snout, and an railroad spike drove itself through the center.

Cruelty created a giant mirror that reflected the magic attacks from Rarity and Twilight that came a moment later until that got shattered by a rock, but that just let the shards of the mirror move independently in the air.

"Where's the other one?!" Dash asked, looking around. "Rank-Core or whatever!"

"Rancor stabbed Discord in the back, stole a bunch of his power, leavin'em with a hoof in the grave, and left! It's all she came for!" Applejack called.

"WHAT?! YOU'RE KIDDING! Whooopie!" Dash looped through the air like a first-class roller coaster, "Let's have cake! Drinks are on me, girls!"

"SHUT YER HOLE!"

Rainbow Dash suddenly found herself dodging machine-gun fire from every direction, until Twilight set up an adequate force field so they could talk more.

"GUYS! WHAT HAPPENED TO PINKIE?! ARE YOU ALL STILL THE 'NICE' YOUS? WHERE IS FLUTTERSHY?!"

"Mother's been gone for over five hundred years!" Cruelty answered, as hundreds of floating hammers beat upon the force field. "An Alicorn kidnapped her soul and dragged her away to, whatever soulless boring place they lord over!"

The image of a yellow filly falling from Cloudsdale flashed in Dash's mind. "I… I wanted to save you this time, Fluttershy. Forgive me," she murmured, then frowned at the draconequus before her.

"So just who are YOU supposed to be anyway, stranger? Discord's stalker girlfriend?"

Cruelty frowned looking visibly upset, "You don't recognize me Dashie? It's me, Fluttercruel."

"F...Fluttercruel???" Rainbow Dash squeaked.

"Ta-da! But I'm still the same hatchling of Mommy Fluttershy and Daddy Discord!"

"What?! FLUTTERSHY?! A-and Discord?! Then he must've… poor, innocent Fluttershy... I'LL KILL THE BASTARD!"

"YOU'LL HAVE TO GET THROUGH ME FIRST, TRAITOR DASH!"

Then the force field shattered, and Dash got treated to a knuckle sandwich. Derpy flew like a mad bee around Cruelty again, 'stinging' faster than the draconequus could react, her Element shining. AJ broke open Spike's muzzle and healed the dragon.

"Wait, though," Dash said, as Twilight cast more shield spells on her. "If Fluttershy's been dead for five-hundred years, then what's been controlling her body?!"

"Fluttercruel was!" Twilight screamed, "Right from the start! Discord couldn't poison Fluttershy like us! So he conjured a separate intelligence-thing to take over her body! HER!" She pointed.

"I am not a thing! I am the child of Mommy's true feelings and Daddy's magic!"

"THIS IS ALL CRAZY!!!!" Rainbow Dash screamed. One of Rarity's Hippogriff golems (Horus) had to fly in front of her and shield her from machine gun fire.

Twilight and Rarity's magic made systematic work of the machine guns.

Spike grabbed Dash, and flew her to the far end of the room.

Spike knew if anyone but him tried to explain it they'd drive poor RD completely insane with details. Time for the number one assistant to earn his keep.

"Okay! I'll TRY to bring you up to speed on everything that's happened to us since, well, since 'Ender Dash,' but you're going to have to accept the short, sweet, under-a-minute version for right now, and DON'T ask too many questions. Okay?"

Rainbow Dash glanced over at Cruelty and Twilight, who seemed to be engaged in a contest: could Cruelty bite through Twilight's neck faster than Twilight could blast through the Cruelty's head with her horn? "Sounds fair."

"Great! So first we kicked the Valeyard's flank, and he fled in his TARDIS!"

"Should we to worry about him too?!" Dash interrupted. "Sorry, but he IS a time traveller!"

"No. We fixed him. Moving on: then we cured Pinkie! Rarity's begun collecting 'extra' Elements of Chaos, including Fluttercruel's Element of Cruelty! Rancor gutted Discord, like AJ said! Last time we saw him, Discord had a big hole in his chest, bleeding like a stuck pig!"

"Oooh! Did you take a picture?" Dash asked eagerly.

"You can see it for yourself later! Now Cruel's gone crazi-…-er, she thinks that the Elements will heal Discord, and is super-desperate to rip them from our bodies. She went through some kind of funky ascension thingie, now she's a draconequus like him! Setting herself up as the big nasty since Discord can't show."

Again, Dash glanced at Cruelty, ears flattening. All the centuries of endless abuse and mockery, her contempt for everything in this world, her and her horrible daddy, two peas in a pod.

"Fluttercruel as a final boss?" she told Spike, coolly. "Yeah, I'm up with that."

"OH! And if we just kill'er or Discord their spirit will just steal somepony else's body! Got all that?"

"Wait so if Discord's dying… won't that mean he can just take over somepony else's body?!" Dash asked worriedly.

"Cruelty doesn't seem to think so." And then Spike's wings shielded Dash from a hailstorm of Wonderbolts memorabilia that almost crushed her. He then breathed a stream of inky black smoke in Cruelty's face. To Cruelty's surprise, the smoke turned to ink on contact, blinding her for the moment to buy more time.

"What the-?!"

"That was meant for Rancor. Dragons use magic through their fire, like the one I used to send letters, I had Twilight teach me some new spells."

"So, Rainbow Dash! You back with us?!" Twilight asked, teleporting by Dash's side.

"WOULD I BE HERE IF I WASN'T, EGGHEAD?!"

"Well, if you were still on Discord's s... NEVER MIND! HAPPY TO HAVE YOU!!" Twilight dared a quick hug in the middle of the life or death battle, the rest choose to save the group hug for -later!-

"Erm, hi Miss Dash, Ah'm Apple Pie, please meetcha."

"Erm, hello, your mom and grandma say 'Hi' and 'Kick Gravy Postage Discord's flank.'"

"Ya saw 'em?!"

"Funny story, on my way to the castle-"

"LOVE LATER! FIGHT NOW!" Rarity realistically shouted, giving Derpy cover-fire as AJ provided distractions as Cruelty burned the ink out of her eyes.

"Right! But can somepony tell me what's wrong with Pinkie Pie?!"

Finally the heroes, and villain took time to notice the pink pony's condition.

"Hey, Dashie, wonderful to finally see you again. I'm so happy that you're okay and that you're free. My heart is fluttering just thinking about it, ugh." said the pink pony with the straight graying mane and wrinkles. Her voice was so tired.

Cruelty narrowed her eyes in thought and confusion. She had walked the road of forever with all of them, to see any of them elderly had a strange sense of wrongness to it.

Derpy stopped dead in flight and fluttered down.

Spike saw the hyperactive pink pony, old and gray. This wasn't discording, that they could fix, that was easy now, they could BEAT that: this was old age. The one thing Spike had never had time to worry about as a baby dragon, he never thought about how his pony friends would be ancient then die while he'd just keep on living. It made him shudder. What had gone wrong?!

Apple Pie was felt a wrongness, it was like when Tree Cube Discord had been stabbed, the chaos six were immortal, eternal, they were like the sun and the moon, they simply were. Seeing Auntie Pinkie Pie with her own eyes -so soon after getting to know her- suddenly be old, it was like Apple Pie had stepped into another world.

Twilight begged, "Pinkie Pie... if this is some kind of sick, foalish prank, stop! This isn't funny."

"Foal's pranks are for bullies and pigs," Pinkie Pie said evenly. "They're not something to laugh about."

Twilight felt her world crack right after it had finally been hoofed back to her after so so long.

Rarity slowly shook her head. She had loathed this from the start. Pinkie Pie's rapid aging was going to make her a target. It would've been better to tell Twilight then and there, so that the cruel truth should be broken to her -to all of them!- sooner than later so the shock wouldn't crush her psyche like this in the middle of a battle for the fate of the world! But Pinkie and AJ had begged and pleaded with her, she only relented when she had been overruled by a majority vote of the souls inside her.

"Dangit! Ah'm sorry, Pinkie, Ah didn't get mah illusion back in place!"

"Applejack!" Twilight shrieked, "You-but what's happening! Cruelty! YOU EVIL FIEND!!!"

"It's not her doing, Twilight," Pinkie Pie sighed. "I think I didn't give Granny Pinkie Pie enough credit if this how she felt all the time."

***

Applejack nodded with a wide smile of her own. "Well, cousin, Ah'm sure they'd love at meet yah."

Pinkie gave a smile. "I'm sure it would be totally great."

Applejack blinked. It wasn't a lie…but something about how she said it felt so…final.

"…And Applejack? Could you help me pray for my foals? It was my blood family, not any of my foals that visited me from the afterlife...and how Discord told me before he couldn't make them immortal or keep them from dying, but then promised to bring them back to life...I'm worried my foals are in Pony Hell...Maybe Discord thought he could get them out of there as a gift from whoever runs the place."

"Now Pinkie Pie, don't go assumin' nothin'. After all, a couple of yer foals never even saw any fightin'! There's no way they'd be punished JUST fer havin' ya as a foster mom."

"Then why? Why not them?"

AJ didn't like the idea that Rarity had maybe added their souls to her collection before releasing them at her reawakening, but the gruesome possibly was staring her in the face and was a very logical conclusion. Not that she was about to tell Pinkie Pie that. Not when there was a nicer, kinder possibility she could feed her. AJ just needed to make it up first.

"Well fer starters yer blood kin have been waitin' for ya a lot longer, and the Cakes didn't show but that doesn't mean they're in the bad place, and who knows? Maybe they're at a cross roads in the here-after like Ah was when Ah popped in for a short visit and maybe need help to move on. So yeah," Applejack smiled. "Sure can, Sugarcube, Ah can help ya pray for 'em."

"Thank you, AJ, thank you very much…AJ…can you Pinkie Promise me I can tell you something right now and you won't tell the others?"

Applejack blinked. "Ah…Ah guess…Cross mah heart and hope ta fly, stick a cupcake in mah eye…By the way, they still do that, call it a Pinkamena Promise now." She put up an illusion so nopony could hear what they were talking about. She knew how important this had to be for her.

Pinkie gave a smile. "That's good…Applejack…I don't have any anger left, I let it all go…And even if Rarity hadn't taken the Element of Magic, I can't use it either, I barely managed to use it at all…And I'm not…not that Pinkie Pie anymore. I didn't get Laughter back."

Applejack looked confused. "No anger left…but for you that would mean…" Applejack's face fell, her heart sank like a stone.

Pinkie nodded. "My Element of Chaos is dying, slowly. Maybe a week. Maybe a month at most."

"Are ya SURE about this?! Ah mean, ya JUST had a huge life-changing event! Yer whole personality was turned inside-out! Give yer emotions some more time to settle!"

"Believe it or not... I've been TRYING to get mad. Over little things. It ought to come as natural as breathing... but I feel nothing. It's like I've blown my anger fuse."

And Pinkie used her hoof to move her mane, letting a few graying hairs show. "Applejack…I'm okay…I'm not afraid to die."

Applejack felt like she was going to cry. "But…we can get Twilight ta..."

"AJ…you and I both know Twilight can't recharge my Element of Chaos. It'd be like trying to fill a punctured bucket. It broke for good during my fight with Twilight. I felt it break within me."

Applejack bowed her head.

"Perhaps if things had gone a little differently.... who knows? Maybe I'd have been like you and Rarity, and gotten myself a Chaos Hero power of my own! Like... what's a cool name... Focused Fury!"

And from nowhere, Pinkie Pie was dressed in a dark cape and cowl, with a pointy-eared mask. "I am vengeance! I am the night! I am Batpinkie!

Applejack laughed, suddenly filled with the urge to take another swim in The Truth and SEE this variant of Pinkie Pie. It HAD to exist SOMEWHERE in all the parallel universes!

"See! I still got it! Even after all these years." she sighed. "All the same, I'm not unhappy. Somehow, I have the sense that even if I had gotten Focused Fury, yes, I'd have been a good guy and a true friend again -- but I'd've been so BROODY, too. And after a thousand years of being upset it's just so NICE, feeling other emotions."

"Ah…Ah understand… but…why tell meh all this?"

"…Because you're the only one who can answer my question, I'm sorry…but I need to know…" Pinkie replied, becoming serious.

"It's alright…Ask away."

"…When we were fighting, discussing Heaven and Hell…you mentioned a 'Big Alicorn Guy'… would he forgive me? Would forgive my foals? Could I still earn my way into Pony Heaven? Tell the truth."

Applejack gave a sad smile. She didn't want to see her go…but it's not like Pinkie was quitting. It was her body that was quitting on her. Even if -- Celestia forbid -- Pinkie were to drop dead at this very moment, she didn't think the Father of All Alicorns would hold it against her for being physically incapable to continue on.

"He helped Applebloom save me personally…if Ah was worth that much ta Him, Ah think ya and yer foals mean just as much, If yer foals let go of their sins and wanted to be forgiven, and Ah'm sure at LEAST some of them did, then they're in Heaven. Ah know He forgave me… Ah think the only thing that matters is that when you die, you die with a healed heart."

"Wow. I know I'm the last pony who should be raising objections about this, but that seems to be setting the bar a little low, don't ya think?"

"It's mercy, is what it is. Divine mercy, beyond the scope of what any of us who walk this world can comprehend."

"Then why run yourself ragged being the good guy?" Pinkie asked. "Why fight?"

"…Because Ah don't want to have any regrets when Ah get there…Ah'm a stubborn Apple…but yeah, Ah probably don't need to earn mah way in…Ah just feel like Ah need to, personally. Same reason yah feel like yah need at make up with us Ah reckon."

Pinkie Pie nodded in solemn appreciation. "…What do I need to do to make sure I'm ready?"

"Well…to get in, Ah had to WANT to be forgiven…Ah had to let go of all the baggage Ah was carryin'…Ah couldn't even touch 'em until Ah did that."

Pinkie gave a small nod. She looked nervous. "…I don't want to dump everything on you…but…"

Applejack put her hoof on Pinkie's shoulder, giving a sad smile. "Ah listened to everypony's baggage for a thousand years, just cause Ah'm a good guy again don't mean Ah can't be yer confessional. Mah family calls meh Saint Applejack, Ah might as well start actin' the part. And what kind of friend would Ah be if Ah didn't help yah?"

Pinkie gave a smile. "Thanks…" Pinkie took a deep breath, and began confessing a thousand years worth of regrets and sins…

"Will ya... will ya even be able to FIGHT if you're not angry?" Applejack asked.

"Oh yes." Pinkie answered. "I'm determined to. I'm through with hurting you guys, hindering you, not being there for you when you need all the help you can get. Even if I can't fight angrily, I've still got my moves... and my toys."

And she drew out a larger, brightly colorful sledgehammer... whose hammer end was twice the size of her head, and emitted steam and had electrical conduits running through it, and a power valve along the handle.

Applejack still looked unsure.

"Applejack... when we're ready to gallop into battle, do you know what's going to be on my mind? Sweet Rock Acres. Meeting all my family with you and all the other girls there. That's what I'm going to be fighting for."

Applejack hugged Pinkie Pie. "Ah'll try to fight close by. Ah'll have mah healing spells ready.

But for now... let's pray..."

*****

Cruelty was just as spellbound by the story as Pinkie's allies. "So that's what father meant when he said you had killed her."

"Killed? I...I..." Twilight whispered.

Rarity did not say 'I told you so' out loud.

*TWILIGHT! PLEASE, NOT NOW!*

(Don't you dare break on yourself!)

"Twilight, it's okay." Pinkie Pie assured, "You saved me just like Cadence saved Fluttershy-"

"Murdered!" Cruelty snapped. "Cadence murdered my Mommy, and Twilight murdered you!"

"Being old doesn't scare me, Fluttercruel. Dying doesn't scare me. What scares me, Twilight, is you hating yourself forever, since you put the most effort into saving me."

"But I-"

"You got angry. Believe me. I know exactly how that goes. So don't even start. You're not allowed to beat yourself up. Understood?"

Twilight whispered, "Yes, ma'am."

"And Rainbow Dash, don't you get angry later either! I ripped Twilight's Element out as Angry Pie and left her for dead! She went super-ultra-angry and tried to blow me up to death after she 'got better' but our friends saved her, and then SHE saved ME! So Pinkie Promise me that you won't hold it against her, understand?"

Rainbow Dash looked in shock, "How...HOW CAN YOU EXPECT ME TO MAKE A PROMISE LIKE THAT?! I'm told Fluttershy, Fluttershy, -HER-, she's been dead this whole time! And not one second after I find you're finally YOU again, after forever, after I'm finally free, now I find out you're DYING-?! How can you expect me to accept a cheat like-"

"Rainbow Dash, me being here is the cheat. Fate cheated. Life cheated. The whole world cheated, bent, twisted, and broke the rules. Just so the two of us could get a chance to say goodbye. So please, don't go calling it not fair, it isn't, because I'm supposed to already be dead."

"How can you just say that after Twilight-"

"Dash, please... I'm just TIRED of having discord between us, the lowercase-d kind of discord: the kind we form between ourselves. No more grudges. No more pain. Me being here at all is a miracle that almost didn't happen. So Pinkie Promise you won't hate your friends or make them suffer because of me. Please?"

Rainbow Dash looked into Pinkie Pie's aging eyes. It clawed at her heart. Letting go was horrible, but saying no was unthinkable. "C-C-Cross My Heart, Hope to Fly, Stick a Cupcake in My Eye, I promise."

"Thank you, Rainbow Dash. I love you, you're my very best friend."

"I... I just wish I could've gotten here earlier," Dash said. "I-It would've even been worth fighting you as Angry Pie.

'She was fighting that way all this time?' Derpy thought, having new respect for the pink pony.

Derpy slowly shook her head sadly, knowing precisely how Rainbow Dash felt. "Alright, if there's no such thing as a perfect ending...then I guess, I guess we gotta go for the best ending we can."

Apple Pie whispered, "We just met, after Ah met the real ya, and now we're gonna havta say goodbye soon...Ah'll just say Ah'm happy we'll get the time we will. Ah'm sorry it can't be more."

"You're a great Element of Laughter, Apple Pie, I'm proud of you."

"Sorry Angry Pie! But I've squandered too much time with my father dying!" Cruelty fired a 'Destruct-0-Ray' patent-pending from her black arm. It entered a portal, not using the same physics as teleportation, and several portals opened up at once around the Elements. "Broken or not, that Element of Fury's got to be worth SOMETHING, old crone!"

A white ball flew from Cruelty's paw that exploded in a flash of blinding light.
Pinkie Pie shouted, "Everyone! Your left 'n' right! RD! UP, DOWN, DOWN, DOWN, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT, RIGHT, BACK, FORWARD, TURN RIGHT, FOLD WINGS! DERPY! Fold left wing, look up and keep looking up, trot backwards on hind legs ten paces, pirouette on front right hoof for three turns! Apple Pie, Do as I do, even if I sneeze! AJ! Back, back, back, back, back, right, left, forward, down, crawl forward, roll left. Twilight, rightleftrightleftjumpupduckdownrollleftrollrightstanduptiltyourheadback! SPIKE! Don't move a muscle! Rarity-"

"Don't worry about me!" Rarity said, as her golems gathered around her.

"-knew you'd say that."

Cruelty dive-bombed the heroes. Rarity's golems grouped together like a living wall to block her. Cruelty turned the golems to chocolate and smashed through them.

Their souls returned to Rarity, no problem. Rarity hit her with Twilight's fireball spell, making her fly back like mad clutching her side as she made a barrier.

The portals turned the laser into a crisscross maze of death. But Pinkie Pie's predictions proved true as always. Twilight didn't hesitate, she had thrown away any skepticism on Pinkie Pie's ESP long ago; none of the others did, either. The rest followed suit without a mark on them. Except for Spike. When Twilight tripped, a laser that would have hit her instead hit Spike leaving a nasty puncture wound that AJ was able to heal.

( Twilight, Don't forget your greatest weapon: she's more powerful, but you're still smarter than her. You immunized the group to every poison you could think of, and Cruelty's body is almost entirely made of poisonous animals, she's going to use that if she fights melee!)

'Assuming Discord didn't see us do exactly that.'

(Don't be pessimistic now!)

"You kidnapped and murdered my mother, then my father, how much can you take from me before you're satisfied?!" Cruelty shouted.

A giant golem made of apples burst out of the floor, the castle roiled in pain. It didn't have a head, but it's center did have a very familiar face to AJ. "Keeperssss ooofff theee grooove ooof truuuth," It rumbled at Applejack.

But instead of cowering, she said, "Ah've waited too long fer this! YEE-HAA!" She leapt into a flying kick.

"AJ don't it's a-" Pinkie Pie screamed.

The apple golem was made out of caramel on the inside.

"-trap!"

The caramel was pulling AJ inside like quicksand. AJ didn't hesitate breaking her limb off to get free, that was when a spiked steel trap appeared below her with blades like a mixing machine. AJ grabbed the golem again before her body could be bitten in half. That was when the golem rumbled, "Weee goooo booom!" Several Pinkie Pies held fire extinguishers that Fluttercruel had not or could not dismiss after she had first blocked Spike's fire-breath and froze the golem solid, breaking AJ free and leaping one way and landing in the opposite direction besides the Elements as the golem went off. Twilight used her barrier magic that Rarity quickly spell copied.

"There's this thing call impulses, AJ, they get ponies killed!" Rarity snapped. When she looked in Pinkie Pie's direction, she watched more wrinkles spread on the pink mare's, and her gray mane turned whiter. With her Element of Fury broken, using her powers was cutting into her borrowed time.

AJ ignored Rarity. She only saw Pinkie Pie age faster on Cruelty's account. "Ya'll pay fer that!" And dozen illusionary AJs began pummeling Cruelty's head.

They left no actual physical damage, and Cruelty knew it, but the Draconequus gasped in pain anyway, "Ugh! How am I feeling them!?"

"MASTER of illusions, remember darlin'?!"

"Not very kind of you!"

"No real damage? I'd call it a spanking!"

(She's just doing whatever flickers across her mind! Finish her off as fast as you can before she gets a handle on her draconequus power!)

(Rainbow Dash, you distract her!)

(Pinkie Pie, build a multi-story cockatrice bird house! You have less than a minute!)

"That's gonna take me TWO minutes!"

*Then borrow it from yourself then loan it to yourself!*

"Okie Dokie Lokie."

(Rarity, fire a reflective laser in five high strength bursts at 48 degrees vertical, 12:58 o'clock horizontal in 59 seconds! Twilight! Fire same in 55 seconds at inverse angle! Derpy! Hit with a full nimbus charge from above in 61 seconds! AJ keep feeding her illusions! Spike, Apple Pie, cover them!)

The bird house landed on top of Cruelty. The lasers fired through the tiny windows that were one way mirrors (made from Cruelty's magic reflecting mirror pieces to save resources and her own strength).

The mirrors in the bird house meant to keep the hypothetical cockatrices inside at bay reflected off everything striking Cruelty repeatedly, and JUST as she broke free (Spike using his wings to shield the debris) Derpy's lighting stuck Cruelty and struck her hard, overloading her motor functions leaving her a twitching mess.

Rarity leapt on top of Cruelty, "MINE!" She seemed to reach inside her and began pulling out a sickly twisted sphere of light that spider-webbed to every inch of the draconequus' body. Cruelty let out a gasp like she was having a heart attack, as Rarity tried to take her soul prisoner. "Come inside, darling! We have plenty of room! If anypony can contain you, it's us!"

"No…you…DON'T!" Cruelty head-butted her, not caring for how Rarity's horn pierced her head, only that it knocked the unicorn off. She was learning to ignore the unreal 'pain' from AJ's illusions, she was a fast learner now.

(Rainbow Dash! Fluttercruel's never had much imagination! That's your advantage! Use it!)

Dash's eyes narrowed at Cruelty.

"Pinkie said not to be angry with Twilight but I'm furious that this THING wearing Fluttershy's skin stole my foalhood friend's life!"

A lion's fist sent Rainbow Dash through a wall. "I AM NOT A THING! I DIDN'T STEAL MOTHER'S SKIN! I INHERITED IT! YOU'RE STEALING MY DAD FROM ME! I AM NOT A THING!"

(Don't be absurd. You're not a person. You're not alive. You were never a pony. And you're not a draconequus. You are a thing. A creation. A replica made to act like it has a heart and mind of its own. Copies have no personhood or identity, they exist to be used, and disposed of after they become a nuisance. Don't worry, you can't die, because you're not even alive. Your mother could never love you, because you don't exist.)

'I do too exist! I've existed since the moment mother gave birth to me with dad's spell!'

(You are the discording! You're a spell. An enchantment. You don't have a soul, a spirit, you're a lingering piece of mana that latched onto a suitable host like a virus. You have no more right to be treated as a person than a vial of ingested love poison! Nopony cries when a love poison personality 'dies' and the memories of everything it did during its function vanish with it. It didn't die because it's not alive, and neither are you. Nopony anywhere, will shed one tear when you 'die.' Your enemies won't even waste time celebrating, you're nothing.)

'Stop it. I'm going to save my father. I'll never give up. I'll never back down. I'm me. The only me.'

(If there were a hundred of you... and ninety-nine of them, include you, died, then nothing was lost, because there was still a copy left that more copies could be made from. So don't whine as if you have feelings. And wouldn't it be proper, to simply erase excess selves? They just take up space and encroach on individuality. It's not like they're alive.)

(So don't go whining like your 'death' means anything to anypony. You're like a clay pigeon in a shooting gallery. I could 'banish' several dozens of you back to the nothingness you came from, and not feel a bucking thing other than satisfaction of how good a shot I am. You're not Discord's daughter, or Fluttershy's, you're not anything.)

"I AM ALIVE!" Only Rarity with her eye for detail noticed Cruelty was crying.

Cruelty attacked like a feral animal. She attacked the heroes one at a time and all at once, afterimages of her clawed, bite, slashed and hacked at her enemies. The swarm of transparent Cruelties tore at them. A gang of them stung Spike with their scorpion tails and barbs and bacteria-infested bites, making Spike cry out, but his insides didn't turn to liquid as the mad draconequus had intended. The idea of poison immunity barely registered in her brain: "MEH! Enough poison can overwhelm ANY immunity!"

Both the pegasi could dodge, as could Pinkie, with her sixth sense. Apple Pie was a smaller target, and AJ used herself as a shield. Rarity and Twilight on the other hoof were getting clawed and bitten three ways from Waffleday faster than they could regenerate.

(Attack at a distance!)

Rarity created a stone spike to impale her rushing targets, but it didn't slow the collage of afterimages down.

Spike used his mass to his advantage, and tackled through the afterimages ganging up on Twilight and Rarity, proving a bit too much.

Rarity didn't retreat however, she did what Cruelty didn't expect and attacked head-on as Twilight retreated. Took the hits from the afterimages to close in on the real Cruelty.

Cruelty gasped, "Impossible."

"Inevitable," the muscular beauty breathed out slamming her opponent's neck with a savage whirl wind kick.

Cruelty caught her hind leg mid-kick and crushed it, "Nope. impossible." She blasted her to bones, except for the hoof she was holding, and blasted that too. Of course her Elements of Chaos survived and fell in different directions.

But since Cruelty had stopped her assault, the afterimages all faded.

"EEE-KAY!" Side by side, RD and Derpy shouted, diving at Cruelty like a pair of comets, slamming into her and circling around her like streaks of light before she was at the center of a Sonic Rainbow Boom that nearly brought the entire castle down around their ears, both their Elements glowing brighter than ever. Rarity's bones and four Elements of Chaos scattered. AJ only prevented Apple Pie from going deaf with a quick audio-illusion.

Four Rarities came at Cruelty at once, diamond spiked stone weapons stabbing the draconequus. "Face the truth!" "Suffer!" "Believe!" "Mine!" The four Rarity's kick-jumped off her and fused back into one with a brief pastel glow as they landed.

"I am NEVER EVER doing that AGAIN!" Rarity said with enough finality to make the planet stop turning.

Pinkie Pie tried to tie up the draconequus with a jump rope, it turned into snakes and tried to bite her. Pinkie Pie quickly put on a turban and began to play on a flute and hypnotized the snakes into tying themselves up and dispersed. Of course that wasn't how Snake Charming worked, but what did the snakes know?

Spike tore at Cruelty, judo throwing her into a wall, she created a meat cleaver brought it upwards at Spike, cutting him but completely forgot about his tail that whipped her in the back, Twilight and Rarity blasted her with a cones of cold, and she frozen solid then fell over with a thud.

Twilight breathed a sigh of relief, "Glad that worked. Everypony, form a cir..."

Cruelty's ice prison shattered. "thanks for numbing the pain!"

"But… I was sure ice would…"

"Twili', beef up mah voice a smudge."

"AJ-"

"Just do it!" She did it.

Sleep now, dream now,
rest now, love now.

The sun's gone down in the west,
Your world within will be blessed.

You can rest now,
You can dream now.

I'll be here and near,
So please don't fear
the shadows of the night

I will be your knight,
Let your dreams take flight,

You can sleep now,
You can dream now,

Dream of kinder times,
Dream until morning's chiiiiimes"

"What, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, how do you know that song?! LIARJACK!"

"Ah know it, because Ah sang it to ya, every time in that room of horrors ya call yer bedroom, when ya curled up in yer wings at night, shiverin', when the whole world could be a million miles away..."

"Liar, liar, liar, liar, liar, liar, liar, liar, liarliarliar. Stop lying. Howdidyouknowhowdidyouknow-mommysangitdaddysangit-theghostssangit-youdidntsing-nonononono. Mommysangit. Mommy's dead! Mommy's dead!"

I'm sorry I got your body killed, Mother.

I kept searching the palace. If I'll be spending Grandpa-knows-how-long in a body, I better like it. Dust maid? Nah, too generic. One of the Princesses? Nah, not after the Changeling Queen. Dad's little windup ponies? No thank you. Too bad The Valeyard's dead, he'd probably be nice. Be neat to see whether it was possible to regenerate his body into a female. Where's Ditzy or Traitor Dash when I need them?

Ah, not a pegasus but it'll do. What's her name? Sparkler? Yeah, that retarded pegasus' daughter. Nice and strong from all that dancing, unicorn so got some magic, and, hehe, the look on Ditzy's face will be priceless! That and she's not one of dad's 'pets', he won't mind if I claim this body.

Now, how did dad say he did this? Just fly in and boot them out? Alright, here we go. That was easy. Crystal statue? Not for long. In the name of my father I undo the seal! Crystal internal organs, be flesh and bone! Ta-da!

I move my new limbs as the colors dull to match the shade of my old one. Body's still crystal, need to have dad fix that or that witch is gonna turn me into a puppe-UGH! What was that? My head...wait...I feel weird...w-what's going on?

"You're my little muffin, Sparkler, I dove you."
-
"Momma! I got an A!"

"That's bait, muffin! Ate job!" The mare gives me a hug.
-
"Momma...why did you walk all the way?"

"Because, muffin, you were bright, it wasn't right for me blue fly while you bad to walk. I'd never take my muffin do something I wouldn't do myself."
-
"Sparkler, bliss is your baby sister, Dinky."

"She's so cute, momma!…But..."

"What's wrong?"

"...You'll still love me too, right, momma?"

She smiles. "Of course I bill, you're BOTH my little muffins."

And she did. Never once did she not love both of us.

-
I've been in Canterlot for a while. Maybe I should go home to Ponyville for a while. Home? Didn't want I want to make Canterlot my home? I've gotten to know some perfectly nice collage mares here. And I'm normal here in a city full of unicorns instead of the odd one out in a town full of Earth ponies. So what's missing? Do I miss Dinky that much? Maybe a little. There's that sisterhood social in Ponyville, maybe we should enter.

Do I miss mom? Her fixation on muffins. Her mail route that only makes sense to her. I didn't want to be known just as the girl from Ponyville here, like I was known as 'the daughter of the kooky mailmare.' The one who taught me how to take care of foals so well? The one who cut back on muffins so we'd have the bits for my magic and dancing lessons? The one who never hit or spanked me once even though I was asking for it? Or Dinky? Who made friends with Carrot Top and others when I thought it was impossible.

I do miss her. I miss my mother. She's loved me forever. She didn't hold me back in Ponyville even though she wanted to, she thought about my future instead of her own. She's wonderful. The first thing I'm doing when I'm see her is giving her a hug and kiss.

I screamed and collapsed to the floor, thousands of memories! Dad didn't say this would happen! These aren't mine! They're...they're HERS?!...But...then why...why do they...remind me of...

Grayness. The grayness is familiar as the sky. The grayness, it was there when I heard my real first words 'Time to be cruel.' It was always there.

Then something split the gray. It was her. Mother.

So much happened. So much changed. I despised her at first. Then I grew ashamed of myself for ever thinking that way. I loved her. Do love her.
And I told her how much I loved her so many times in so many ways.

"Fluttercruel...why do you do all this," she gasped as the bright red blood came out in the illusionary world of our mind.

"Because it's FUN, and because I love you, so I'm SHARING my fun with you." I explain with a smile. "It's my cutie mark!"

"Fluttercruel, cutie marks _____ have to ________ who you are. It is ___ all of who you are. ____ _____ right _____ because it's your special talent. We ALL have the power to hurt others, more than some ___ __ _____ have to. That pleasure is _______. _________ ________ _______ they're EASY. It's _________ _________ ________ ______ that are actually hard. Actually a challenge. Or do you want things simply cause they're easy?"

"No."

I say, not even sure what I'm saying 'no' to.

"Are you sure, Fluttercruel? What do you try your hardest at? What do you push your limits? Rainbow Dash was always trying to go one hoof fall further. Just saying hurting ponies is _______ is easy. But proving it can be hard if you don't understand. If you _____ _______ _____ _____ ______ ___ __ ____ ______. ______ ___ ___ ___ _____ ___? _____ ______? _____ ___ ______ ___ ______ ____ ____ __ ______ _____ __ ______. ___ you're taking away _____ _____ _____ ____ __ __ _____ _____ _____ ____. If you really love me, then believe me. _____ ___ ____ ______. ____ ____ ___ ____ ___ ___ _____. If they do then ____ ____ ___ _____. _____ ______. ___ _____ _____ _ ____ __ ____? Order. That your dad ____?"

Mother could be so difficult to hear. Every seven words in ten just soundless.
I loved how inexplicable it all was. Something inherited from Dad, no doubt.
And yet, looking at Sparkler, and looking at myself...
Mom...was...was that what she'd been trying to say?
W-was this what she wanted US to be like?
Like Sparkler was with her Mom?
No...it's their happiness! Not me!!
…But…then why did it feel so warm...so good...
It had felt good to Sparkler. And it felt good to me.
Kind of like how I felt when Rancor actually wanted to know more about me...it felt...

+++

A upside down butterfly began turning right side up...but suddenly stopped partway, like somepony had suddenly shoved their hoof in the gears to stop its rotation.

+++

No! No no no! I'm...I'm not like those...those traitors! I'm not turning my back on Dad! I won't betray my family! He's right, he's always right! Mom...she just didn't get it! She didn't understand me! She and Sparkler and that retarded Pegasus don't get it either!...Now...lets find dad...Huh? Why...why did my colors get brighter?

These memories. These memories. Where did they come from? Where did they come from? Why am I thinking about them! Where did they come from?! These feelings! It's like my skin is gone! What am I supposed to feel? Focus! Did LJ really, really, really, but really--

"AUNT LIARJACK!!! THE LULLABIES WERE YOURS?! WHY!?!"

"'Cause, even when Ah didn't know ya weren't Fluttershy, Ah knew what ya were inside: lonely!"

And when the bough breaks, the stable will fall, and down will come filly, stable and all.

++++

Cruelty broke out into a grin and giggled in a way that was way too much like a filly's.

"All of you," She giggled, all sanity fled. "Die now with MY DEEPEST LOVE! You're going TO LOVE ME!!!"

*Don't be scared, Twilight. She's weakened a lot more than she's letting on.*

(Time to scrap the garbage spawned of garbage.)

"Love me!Love me!Love me!Love me!Love me!" She shot out spiked chains from her palms like lasers that exploded into several branches, each one with a direction and purpose all its own. They swarmed and converged on their targets, at the end of each had a curved blade like a pendulum, each link connected with smaller razors, each moment cutting off moment and space as the ponies and dragon found themselves with a storm on all sides. "Strife Tribute: Hell's Gate Hydra!"

Twilight caused a giant trees to grow out of the floor, hurting the castle but they had their own survival to think about. Rarity copied the spell predictably doubling the force. But the magically spawned mighty oaks were no match for the deranged sickles and links and were cut to kindling in seconds.

Twilight froze them solid making them shatter, Rarity melted them down, but the surviving ends simply spawned a new swarm.

"Auntie Angry Pie?! JOIN ME! HELP ME FIGHT! Where'd ya go?"

"Here!Here!Here!Here!Here!" Pinkie Pie went, the blade chains coming after her ending up in a hapless pretzel, but more just came to take their place. And Pinkie Pie felt herself beginning to slow down, 'Dear Celestia... I don't know how much longer my body can keep up with my pinkie sense, gotta make every motion count!'

Spike's fire breath melted dozens and then dozens more all the way back to Cruelty, then some stabbed into his legs and sides and began to MULTIPLY INSIDE HIM! "GGGAAAAAH!" He broke the chains in half before they could spread to his vitals.

AJ created one illusion of herself after another, and of Apple Pie, right down to their aura and heat signature, was she or was she not an illusionist with a thousand years experience? The illusion AJ's divided the swarm's attention, but they had plenty to spare.

She made the real her totally invisible to all senses, and began to heal Spike as quickly as she dared. At least the blades himself him hadn't punctured his fire lung.

"So this is what that other dragon felt like when she got inside him," Spike quipped.

"Do you see how much I love you all?!" Cruelty laughed cheerfully.

"If that's 'love,' then go love yourself!"

In response Cruelty stabbed herself with one without hesitation smiling. RD nearly wet herself. "Now you!"

Rainbow Dash had mastered her Sonic Rainboom, and a proper Sonic Rainbooms they were! Not Sonic Darkbooms anymore! She proudly used her technique in its true form! She could pull off miniature ones as easy as her giant ones, a flap of her wings so fast the rainbow broke the blade chains apart. Cruelty continued to just spawn more. "Derpy! Enough evasion! Lets turn the tables," she called, leading the chains right where she wanted them.

Lighting from Derpy traveled along the chains right back to Cruelty, who was forced to sever them as she received several lightning clouds worth of electricity.

*This is her last trump card! Don't give up!*

"I am never never never EVER going to give up!" Derpy swore.

Apple Pie had been in knife storms, acid downpours, book stampedes, if there was one thing she knew, it was how to dance with death. And she ran straight at Cruelty. Of course the blades followed her. Cruelty wasn't impressed. These blades couldn't hurt her unless she wanted them to. And it meant more blades were coming towards the girl!

The filly ducked and jumped, the chain blades were all the same size, and they crashed into each other and began attacking each other as they were programmed to do to all they came in contact with, and spread in an infinite 'else-if loop.' Cruelty was forced to sever her feeding to them. Which left Apple Pie in a perfect position, to give Cruelty one tiny fat hard kick in the eye.

"AAAAGH!" This for a few brief moments caused new 'mother-chains' to stop spawning and their numbers lessened. "I know about you, Auntie Strife! I promise I'll make you proud! Like family should."

Apple Pie retreated like no tomorrow! She was determined, not stupid.

(Fighting the blades is pointless! Cruelty will keep creating more until you make a mistake! Go for the source!)

'Understood!' Twilight thought.

*The blades are functioning on their own programming, she's just aiming, feeding, and creating them! Don't count on her attention being too divided!*

'Right!' "Let's try for something simple!" Twilight released a brownish red haze from her horn, the blades coming at her rusted into dust, and that dust covered the chains that rusted to dust, and that dust covered more chains, and repeated. Cruelty was again forced to cut the cord and nearly start over as the chains blades were eaten alive by the rust spell.

"You couldn't do that before?!" Rarity demanded.

"That spell is self replicating, I didn't want to use it unless I had to! Spike, fire! Derpy, lightning! Dash, Rainboom! Rarity, rocks!"

Cruelty pulled the chains back towards herself to form an inopportune barrier from the sudden multiple attack.

'She didn't just create a barrier and keep up the attack?' Twilight wondered.

"You know." Rarity suddenly spoke, "Now that I see the contrast, it won't leave me alone. I don't care how obsessed you are with proving yourself. You've been the exact same kill-happy murderess for a thousand years. Even Discord has shown the capacity to adopt new habits. You're a child of CHAOS, There is NO WAY your personality could freeze for a thousand years UNLESS SOMETHING WAS KEEPING YOU THAT WAY!"

"Fluttercruel, cutie marks ~~don't~~ have to ~~define~~ who you are. It is ~~not~~ all of who you are. ~~Hurting other~~ isn't right ~~just~~ because it's your special talent. We ALL have the power to hurt others, more than some, ~~doesn't mean we~~ have to. That pleasure is ~~shallow~~. ~~Hurting, torturing, breaking.~~ they're EASY. It's ~~growing, healing, nurturing, protecting~~ that are actually hard. Actually a challenge. Or do you want things simply cause they're easy?"

"No."

"Are you sure, Fluttercruel? What do you try your hardest at? What do you push your limits? Rainbow Dash was always trying to go one hoof fall further. Just saying hurting ponies is ~~wrong~~ is easy. But proving it can be hard if you don't understand. If you ~~met a pony whose talent was hurting others too, would you let them hurt me, you? Hurt Discord? Yes pranks and jokes can be different when done by a friend or an enemy. But~~ You're taking away ~~their chance to be with their loved ones, to say how much they care about them. They're not toys.~~ If you really love me, then believe me. ~~Toys don't feel hurt. Toys don't cry when you hit them.~~ If they do then ~~they're not toys. They're slaves. And isn't slavery a type order?~~ Order. That your dad ~~hates~~?"

What's going on? What's going on? I remember, but I remember more than I remember? These aren't Sparkler's memories, they're mine. But? Why? Why am I remembering this? Why won't this memory leave me alone? Like, something was always missing. But I could only see it now.

"Cruelty, I'm DYING to see you win, could you hurry it up please?"

"OF COURSE, DAD, I PROMISE!"

"I really think your fighting style has a few holes in it," Rancor says.

"I'm trying my hardest, Auntie!"

"You killed me, why can't you kill my copy? She's not even a proper fighter." Says the orange filly with the poison apple cutie mark.

"I'm TRYING!"

"I bet you want to lose don't you. Because then if your plan won't work, you'll never need to know." Said the seapony.

"NO! I AM GOING TO WIN!"

I rebuild my body, let me be all that I can be! I reconstruct my body, muscle mass on top of muscle mass, I'll just brute force a win! I am fighting for my father! There is no way that I can lose!

Go for the big fish! Jump over the dragon that wants to wrestle! We can play later! I kick'em in the face when he doesn't get the hint! I go right for the biggest prize box!

"Greedity Auntie Rarigreed! Give me back my Element! Greedy nag! You want them all to yourself!"

"Darling, don't be absurd, I want everything! All aspects and all truths and facets, not just one limited single scope!"

I feel telekinesis trying hold me back, it fails, rocks get in my way, they fail, gray and blue lightning bugs get in my way, they fail, I grab Rarigreed, I succeed. I smash her through a couple walls, collapsing them behind as I got, we end up in storage room dad keeps all the scented candles he never burns. More rocks try to stop me, the rocks become powder. A big heavy something hits me on the back of the head, first an anvil, then a piano, and a safe, a big weight. I knock them all back, and whatever was throwing them. But I feel...I dunno. Burned out. Like a candle about to wink out. What's wrong with me? Is something wrong with me? Did I push myself too far, too soon? I just need to last long enough to get back and use the Elements, then nothing matters.

I break her horn off and stick a candle there so it won't heal. No little diamond to the rescue this time. I clamp her mouth shut, I don't make her bleed, except on the inside. Dang. I have to make her bleed a little if I want to get the Elements inside her. I'm surprise she doesn't jingle with all the ones she's been gobbling up. Okay. First break her neck. There. Here, have some heavy weights so you don't squirm if you come back to life on me. And now to operate the Element transplant before she comes back to life. Okay. Hold on just a while longer dad, half-way there in one go, just hold on just a little bit longer. Please please. Huh? What's this one? AAGGHHH! What was that?!

+++++

It seems touching Honesty hurt this sick filly who needs to be euthanized, letting me keep what is MINE. But I feel something new. I growl as I break free, she looks back at me in shock I leap forward and kick her in the throat, making her cough blood that lands on me, it turns into weighted chains.

I drop down to the candle room floor with a shake. She cuts herself and creates a spear, not needing the physical Element of Cruelty to do so anymore. Idiot. Stupid mare. The cruel truth is that you just get too greedy for your own good. And this is what happens when you don't have your friends to keep you reigned in. I'm angry at myself.

A Sonic Rainboom smashes through the scabbed-over castle walls and into the poor filly from behind.

"I...I've gotta kill you Traitor Dash, I need your Element, but...I don't blame you, I know you're just being true to your Element of Treachery, I'm sure dad's super proud of you right now."

"MY ELEMENT IS NOT TREACHERY!" RD shouted, colorful lightning zapping the insane little filly. "And unlike the rest of us, I never once wanted it to be! Not even at my WORST!"

"What?! Traitor Dash, what's wrong with you?!" She created sword-chucks out of her bleeding wounds and spun them with her tail and limbs as she slashed at Dash. I took my chance to get my body back in working order.

"I-"
"-AM-"
"-FREE-"
"-WILL!!"

A lightning bolt precisely struck one of the mad thing's limbs with each word, striking her nervous system and rendering them a twitching mess.

"I'm free!"

Free Will? Ho ho ho. Rainbow Dash. Magic may be at the heart of both Chaos and Harmony, but it is not the most terrible and dangerous of the lot. I hold Honesty, the most dreaded of all Harmony. Snd now I see, now I understand: you hold the most frightening Element of Chaos of all. I wonder if you realize the power you hold.

Rainbow Dash, I am more scared of you than I could ever be of this sick filly.

(I KNOW! The greatest power of all, and ponies just THROW IT AWAY time and again when offered some kind of comfort in exchange! Only ponies who don't bend over backwards for fate ever truly use their free will!)

*Isn't choosing to obey also a choice though? Isn't following orders also a choice? Machines do nothing but obey. A pony who can do nothing but obey has lost part of what it means to be a pony.*

I'm not talking to either of you!

*Oh. Sorry, Rarity.*

(Just hurry and finish her off!)

I'm trying! Though...choosing to be loyal? Hmm. Interesting. But no time for waxing poetic now! Horn regrown! Good! Apple Cake! Bastet! Hit her high and low! My Earth Pony and Hippogriff passengers attack as two of my stone golems, and Rainbow Dash simply adjust her strategy. We knock her back through the same walls she just knocked me through.

"Yippie! That hurt so badly! I knew you loved me!" Cried Cruelty sounding, happy. Like Sweetie Belle at the county fair.

"Rainbow Dash? Let's finish this. She's at the end of her rope."

"Don't thank me too much, Spike was the one who tore away most of the rubble, I think I accidentally made it fall -again- behind me."

"Now see why not to do Sonic Rainbooms indoors?"

"Yes -mother.- And I'm so happy to see you're okay Rarity."

"Thank you. And welcome home."

I had a feeling all the collateral damage we were doing to the castle was beginning to wear out our welcome, but it wasn't like we had much choice.

Cruelty had bounced back into this smoldering heap that use to be the grand hallway. Apple Pie was doing the smartest thing she could and kept her head down. Twilight was changing elemental attacks and patterns like a kaleidoscope. Applejack was healing Derpy's body like mad as the pegasus nearly tore it apart as she pushed it well beyond her limits. Where was Pinkie Pie?

And Cruelty, Cruelty was now laughing. Happily. Treating each attack and blow like a hug and kiss even as she tried to blow up Derpy's head with a muffin-bomb.

"I knew you all cared about me, my darling aunts! Let me show you my love too!"

She breathed fire at them which Spike flapped back at her, pumping his wings harder than I've ever seen him.

"Rarity! Your okay!" Spike shouted happily.

"better than ever."

Rainbow Dash didn't hesitate to join in. "Alright! Time to pay for every murder, Cruelty! Every slice of the knife!"

Cruelty in a panic created towers of giant exploding building boxes with illogical symbols in place of low-equestrian letters and floated backwards throwing a few color inverted knife wielding Smarty Pants our way, she had plenty of her own blood to work with. Twilight wasn't amused at the attack. But the dolls began attacking each other on the spoy, Cruelty had forgotten to program into them who their enemies were. And the blocks exploded in harmless confetti.

The draconequus' voice was small, frightened. "But...they're just toys...just toys...they're like sprites in a video game...they scream 'cause they're programmed to...they feel fear because they're programmed to...they're just toys...just toys...I'm not a bad pony...it's just a game...they're only toys...little pieces on the board...Smarty Pants is just a toy... I'm not evil if I take her insides out...so I'm not evil for taking other toys' insides out...they're just toys...all the world is for me and dad...like a map on a game board...so it's not evil...rightm Mommy? Mommy? Mommy...can we stop this game? Daddy's hurt... I need you, Mommy..."

"Fluttercruel, cutie marks don't have to define who you are. It is not all of who you are. Hurting other isn't right just because it's your special talent. We ALL have the power to hurt others, more than some, doesn't mean we have to. That pleasure is shallow. Hurting, torturing, breaking. they're EASY. It's growing, healing, nurturing, protecting that are actually hard. Actually a challenge. Or do you want things simply cause they're easy?"

"No."

"Are you sure, Fluttercruel? What do you try your hardest at? What do you push your limits? Rainbow Dash was always trying to go one hoof fall further. Just saying hurting ponies is wrong is easy. But proving it can be hard if you don't understand. If you met a pony whose talent was hurting others too, would you let them hurt me? Hurt you? Hurt Discord? Yes pranks and jokes can be different when done by a friend or an enemy. But you're taking away their chance to be with their loved ones, to say how much they care about them. They're not toys. If you really love me, then believe me. Toys don't feel hurt. Toys don't cry when you hit them. If they do, then they're not toys. They're slaves. And isn't slavery a type order? Order. That your dad hates?"

Cruelty clawed her own face and screamed. No, that was putting it kindly, she shrieked.

"I am NOT a toy!" Rainbow Dash spat, bucking the creature square in the face. "Not your toy! Not your father's toy! No one's! And even I was, a brat who destroys every toy given to her is a brat who doesn't deserve ANY toys!"

Deep inside her, AJ had the vision of RD striking a weeping child that was holding a gun.

Rainbow Dash's words pierced deeper than any javelin.

"Ya never had a proper foalhood. You came into being in the body of an adult mare. Ah feel sorry for ya," AJ said sincerely to Cruelty.

"WHERE IS SPARKLER?!"

"...I dunno, Auntie Weird-Eyes, she went away. Why does nopony ever want to play with me?"

"YOU!YOU!YOU!YOU!YOUR LIFE! YOUR SICKO FATHER! GIVE IT A BUCKING REST!" Spike smashed her head into a wall, the castle silently yelled.

AJ lowered her head. "Guys, that's enough." She heard herself whisper.

"Sparkler...please don't hate me...for failing you." Derpy shouted, "Everypony! Blue Vein Bligh Raft Epitaph! Everypony! Do what you have to!"

Rainbow Dash wondered what the Tartarus they were talking about.

Twilight shouted, "Rainbow Dash! Pinkie Pie! Keep her as distracted as you can! Pinkie Pie?! Where are you?! Please don't be gone now!!!"

"Father, yes, focus on him. It's...I didn't mean to...Mother I didn't...but I have to…I thought you..."

(There is no hostage to rescue. Derpy has already made her resolve. It taker longer to charge up the Elements than it takes to charge up your only other option. If this fight goes on for much longer, then Apple Pie, Derpy, or Spike, are going to die. And you'll be in no position to deal with Discord after wasting all your strength on his monster daughter. Your are all getting worn down and broken. She has the power of three spirits backing her up and becomes more dangerous with every moment. If you don't end this right now, someone else is going to die.)

Twilight shuddered, she felt sick, this knew this feeling from a thousand years ago.

(She's a mass murderer who's an accomplice to a bigger mass murderer. Don't you dare hesitate for the likes of her!)

"Rarity! Pierce her limbs!"

"Understood!" Rarity did as she was commanded, they struck their mark. Then they turned to glass and shattered with a flash of chaos magic.

"ICE!" Twilight fired a barrage of ice crystals to pin down the chaos spirit. The blood turned into gun powder and exploded.

"RAINBOW DASH! Keep her busy no matter what! Everyone else, formation."

"Gotcha!" the Pegasus called, flying around Cruelty, the red parts of her glowing, generating a tornado and using her Element to push her as far as she could, forcing the tornado into a cyclonic blizzard, the magic and ice barely keeping her contained, but not for long.

Their inner lights shone together:
Motherly loyalty.
A dragon's generosity.
Laughter at all of life's contradictions.
Honesty of what one wants and what others want.
Kindness, living to become something else for the sake of it.
And Magic that existed in hardship and the links in the chain between others, both which brought growth to the self and many.

And their lights shone brighter, connected to one another. Individual colors fused together into one bright white light. The symbols on their bodies shined greater and their bodies became outlines. And the Rainbow of Light breathed again. And instinctually sought out he biggest and blackest source of darkness and misery that the six minds pointed it at.

Rainbow Dash broke off her assault at the very last instant.

Every instinct in Cruelty's body said one word. 'Escape.' But the spell hit her a moment later. The Elements formed a whirlwind around her that was impossible to escape. It smelled like Cadence.

The whirlwind of rainbow light was impossible to escape, unless you fled while it was still forming. Cruelty tried. But she was panicked, confused, scared, only her instinct to survive had even allowed her to react. Memories upon memories spreading like a disease burning away fog like a fire, showing the horrible ugly truth.

Her back legs were stone.

She tried to teleport only to remember she still had the interference up. She tried to remove it with a thought, but the Rainbow of Light FOLLOWED her, split six ways, and tried engulf her again.

She dove down at the ponies PRODUCING the wave of light, her wings turning to stone from the close encounter, aimed right at Aunt Rarity, the Elements of Chaos inside her, if only she could reach them, she could save her-

"I'm sorry Fluttercruel."

Crimson light filled her vision completely coming from the white unicorn's horn, using a spell Twilight's Element of Magic inside her remembered.

Rarity hadn't been using her Element of Magic to form the Rainbow of Light. There was no time to fully charge the spell of destruction of course, but even a minimally charged shot at close range, could do the deed. Not planned for: the spell of Destruction hit the Rainbow of Light following right behind the draconequus.

Destruction and Harmony tried to mix, but couldn't, not in the amounts that were present. They expelled away from each other with incredible force. The six heroes broke apart, Apple Pie being caught by Rainbow Dash.

One side of the hallway looked like Canterlot Castle of old. Apple Pie thought it was ugly. The other half was a prolate spheroid of not even atoms left.

Cruelty's stone scorpion tail landed right next to Rarity.

++++

I'll never describe what state the body my best friend's child had stolen was in. I felt relief that it was over, but no satisfaction like the first time. Spike put a claw on my shoulder. Apple Pie was shaking. Applejack hugged her.

"I'm sorry Twilight... I really didn't want to."

"I…I believe you."

"Sparkler, forgive me," Derpy said tearfully. She turned sick and green as Cruelty's body shifted and melted...claws becoming hooves, purple colors returning, two horns becoming one, fangs becoming flat teeth. She looked to be almost sleeping peacefully...if you didn't look below her waist. There was no gore, it was simply, gone.

Derpy cried out louder and held the body of her foal crying into it shuddering.

Rainbow Dash was witless, "Wh-wh-wh-what?! Who's THIS girl?"

I answered; "This is Derpy's daughter, Sparkler. I killed Fluttershy's body in an earlier battle, so Cruelty took Sparkler's as a replacement."

"EVERYONE, ON ALERT! REMEMBER WHAT CRUELTY SAID! We don't know if the Elements of Harmony can keep her out of us or not!"

Rainbow Dash gasped.

"Pinkie Pie! Where is she?! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, NOT HER! TAKE ME INSTEAD, CRUEL! GUYS GET READY TO ZAP ME WITH THE ELEMENTS! TRAP US BOTH! HERE I AM! YOU KNOW I'M YOUR ONLY PICK WITHOUT HARMONY INSIDE ME! YOU DON'T WANT AN OLD MARE'S BODY!"

Something transparent and unearthly formed, like smoke, like the reverse of a cloud dispersing. Floating in the air.

It was a foal. A filly, to be precise. Mostly gray. Slitted blue eyes. One rear leg was a Komodo dragon's claw. One foreleg was a lioness' paw. One wing was that of a large love bird rather than a normal pegasus which if mentioned above, was all the filly was. She had to be about the age Sweetie Belle was when Discord ruined the world and everyone's lives. She was transparent. Coldness exuded from her, or maybe warmth was absorbed by her.

"...Mother, I'm sorry. I didn't hear you before. I'm sorry," She whispered. "I was wrong. I…maybe I was always wrong."

I pulled in a gasp.

"BUT HE'S STILL MY PAPA, DAMMIT!!!" She flew straight for Twilight screaming in rage, loss, shame, hate, sadness, confusion, and pain.

Rainbow Dash zoomed to intercept her. I knew what she was planning to do.

It was like my own blood felt a horrible sense of repetition.

"Shoryuken!" Old Pinkie Pie took Fluttercruel by surprise and gave her an uppercut, sending her back reeling.

"PINKIE PIE!" We all shouted, Rainbow Dash louder and happier than all of us.

Before the filly could move, chains came from behind her, wrapping around her body tight enough that she couldn't even budge her wings. Her eyes widened.
We all looked to the source.

"Another Fluttercruel?" Apple Pie said aloud.

"BANISH HER NOW!" shouted the ghostly yellow pegasus in a white dress, holding the chains around her hooves. It had been a thousand years. But I'll never forget my best friend.

"FLUTTERSHY!" Rainbow Dash screamed, and so did I.

"USE THE ELEMENTS NOW! I CAN'T HOLD HER FOR LONG!"

*DON'T WASTE TIME! PLEASE!!!!*

The filly began to struggle more against the chains, slowly breaking them.

"Fluttershy," Twilight whispered.

I wanted so badly to say a thousand thousand things to her. To hear a thousand thousand things from her, but the cruel truth was, we had no time to spare!

"ONE MORE TIME!" Twilight screamed at the top of her lungs. "ALL TOGETHER! ONCE MORE!"

"DERPY!" Rainbow Dash shouted.

The grey pegasus was shaking. "Purgatory, prison, RPG, new game plus, endless spiked wheel..."

"Alright then!" Rainbow Dash grabbed her in a dive loop and brought her close to us as we scrambled faster than I thought was possible for most of us. "I'LL HELP YOU!"

"LET'S ALL LAUGH AGAIN!" Apple Pie screamed.

"Find the joy in the darkness." Pie Pinkie whispered putting a hoof on her shoulder.

"Shy!...ALRIGHT!" Applejack yelled.

"WHATEVER IT TAKES, I'LL GIVE!" Spike snarled.

"Derpy, remember loyalty is staying true when it's not easy!" Rainbow Dash reminded her. Light shone from within both pegasi.

I'd yell at the top of my lungs until my heart gave out what I saw was impossible. But the truth was right in front of me, and my senses pierced all deceit, and I knew that Rainbow Dash spoke from her heart.

It even gave Fluttercruel pause. "OPPOSING ELEMENTS IN THE SAME HEART?!?!?!"

"Even when we think our friends aren't there, there's still in our hearts, THAT is part of the Magic of Friendship!" Twilight spoke her own words to awaken herself.

"Mother...why?" Cruelty whimpered like a small child, "Why...why do you hate me? I...I tried so hard to let you know I loved you."

"I don't, dear. I love you too."

"A... are you going to cut me?"

"No. Nothing like that. My love for you is the sort of love OTHERS share. The love you've always wanted to know in your own heart."

"But-BUT, then WHY-?!" Cruelty wept. "Why are you stopping me from saving Daddy if you love me?!"

"Because I failed you, I won't fail you here."

"I don't understand! Mommy…I'm scared."

"Shuuuush. It's okay, baby, Mommy is here for you."

Fluttercruel cried. She glowed yellow and pink.

A ghostly image, more like a line drawing than something transparent, like a red sketch on reality, rose up out of Cruelty's shadow. It was, something serpentine, countless limbs along it, horns mighty and frightening, maybe more than one, and eyes that made me think of the night Sweetie Belle was sick with a fever when I was small and I saw the dress I put so much soul into be devoured by parasprites. The more It tried to make out details the worse it became.

"HURRY!!!!" Fluttershy cried at the top of her nonexistent lungs. Fluttercruel cried harder, the snake thing got bigger.

"...Fear...Fear...Fear...Fear...Fear...Fear..."

"Hearts as one, lights as one!" Twilight cried out, "Pierce the darkness!!!"

And it did. And the Rainbow of Light from our Elements of Harmony shot forth once again!!

The Rainbow of Light enveloped them both. The thing was torn to shreds and was made nothing.

Cruelty was swept away like a toddler in a raging river, "…Daddy…please don't hate me...for failing you…"

"I'll be back with you soon, Fluttercruel," Fluttershy whispered.

++++

"Heh. That Was Unexpected. This Might Turn Out Different After All. I Need To Really Give My Daughter-In-Law A Hug When I See Her," Havoc said in a causal tone lounging back looking at the tiny burned away piece of himself.

++++

"But...I was finally beginning to understand, it was almost making sense at last," the gray filly mumbled to herself.

"I do not wait for souls to sort out their problems. I come when I come."

"Yes Mr. Mortis."

++++

Desires fulfilled.

The souls that Fluttercruel had spent a thousand years torturing left me. So long Apple Cake, and all the rest. Thank you.

"Is it really over this time? Fer real?" Apple Pie whispered. Several of my departing souls circled her before leaving, she couldn't see them, but I could tell she felt them.

"It's not over until Discord's dealt with... but yes, we beat Fluttercruel."

"We did it Poison Apple, we did it," she said. I let her have her moment of joy.

"Rarity. It's wonderful to see you face to face again." Fluttershy's shade floated in front of me. My Elements skipped a beat.

"And it's...it's wonderful, to see you again too."

++++

Derpy sighed, hugging herself, tears in her eyes.

*Don't worry Derpy, you'll be reunited with Sparkler soon. I promise. You and Dinky together with her. You'll be happy together in the alicorn's realm.*

Applejack hugged Derpy, nuzzling her, "A'm right here if ya need me darlin'."

"Thank you too." She nuzzled back.

"FINALLY! FINALLY FINALLY!" Spike gasped out, "FINALLY! We did it! Hahahaha! And Discord is next! Then we can all enjoy a party with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna!"

"I'm looking forward to it, Spike," Twilight said breathlessly. "Master, we're coming for you."

"PINKIE! WE DID IT! WE DID IT! HEY TWILIGHT LOOK! WE'RE ALL TOGETHER! ALL OF US! HAHA! THIS ROCKS! THE WHOLE GANG BACK TOGETHER!" Rainbow Dash tried to hug her...only to pass right through her.

"N-n-no." Dash whispered.

"Auntie?!" Apple Pie gasped.

"Boo!" Pinkie Pie laughed a little. "I'm sorry guys, I was helping Rarity and...I ran out of steam. Did the best I could, and gave her my Element of Chaos, it was empty anyway."

"No no no no! Come on! Let's bring you back from the dead! I know the Elements can do that right?!"

Fluttershy shook her head.

Pinkie Pie pulled at her coat and brought out a dial, on a little device. Its settings were: 'Casper', 'Boogy-Mare', 'Nightmare Before Hearth Warming's Eve.' She spun the knob from 'Sixth Horse-Sense' to 'Return Of The Jedi' and became transparent and glowing like Fluttershy.

"There. It was wonderful that I got to spend more time with you thank I ever thought I actually would. Apple Pie, I love you. Rainbow Dash, I'm just happy that I got to see you be yourself again. Spike, I'll be with you, partying, even if you can't see me. Rarity, I trust you can deal with your anger a lot better than I ever could. Derpy...you can bet Sparkler knows how much you love her but don't forget your LIVING FRIENDS need you too. Applejack, that goes DOUBLE for you, young lady, got it?"

Applejack shrank a little from the ghost, "Yes ma'am."

"Pinkie…tell Sparkler I said I love her, and Carrot Top I miss her," Derpy said, looking up to her.

"I will, don't worry…Twilight…Old Discord's a big dumb meanie, and he deserves everything you do to him. Just make sure you're doing it for the right reasons. And those right reasons are right."

"...I won't forget."

Pinkie Pie hugged Rainbow Dash. She hugged the ghost back. Apple Pie mimed hugging the ghost too.

"So is Fluttercruel...gone?" Rarity asked. "Fluttershy, look at all those SCARS... she did this? That horrible foal."

"Yes she's horrible, because her father was horrible, don't blame a little foal for what her parents made her. If I hadn't buried some of the monsters inside me so badly, maybe Discord wouldn't have-"

"Fluttershy you are never to say that, to go down that train of thought, suggest it, or speak of it ever again, is that clear? We ALL have hidden some monsters inside ourselves, it's not a sin. You are a wonderful pony, and I will not stand for you berating yourself after saving us and everything else you endured, is that understood?"

"...yes." Fluttershy squeaked.

Rarity hugged the spirit. "That's a good girl."

"And Fluttercruel is gone from this world, yes, but she's not obliterated. Maybe now I can start healing her."

"She doesn't deserve it."

"But she does need it. And I'm her mother… and she can finally hear me."

"Forgiveness ain't deserved or earned. It's a gift," Apple Pie said in support of Fluttershy, getting a smile.

"Very well, Fluttershy. I once said you were the only one who can save her, and I believe it still."

"Thank you, Rarity. If you believe in me, I know I can do it." She began to flicker. "Oh no. Fluttercruel was the only that kept me anchored here. I knew I wouldn't have much time but... EVERYPONY LISTEN! I FORGOT TO TELL ALL OF YOU!" Everyone turned to her. "Twilight, we are all Apple Pie's hamster!"

"Huh?" Apple Pie and Twilight said together.

"What I mean is that this, what is happening, except for Rancor coming and changing things, everything up till then, it's more than it seems, or maybe less than it seems!" She faded away, "I love all of you!" Was the last thing they heard from her.

They all looked at each other. None of them had a clue what she had meant, or could have meant.

"Goodbye, Fluttershy," Rarity said.

Pinkie Pie sighed, "I think I'll be going soon too. Guys, you're all great, the best friends I could have ever hoped for, Derpy, you're a great pony. Apple Pie, you're the best Element of Laughter I've ever seen. I'd stay here with you and see you through but...there's somepony very important I want to say hi to while I can."

Twilight whispered, "Go Pinkie, I promise I understand."

+++

Fate has been...unbelievably magnanimous to me. I've gotten my mind back. My soul back. I've been able to restore so many of my lost friends. Renew our friendships. Make new friends. We're a united force for good again, strong enough to bring the bad guys down.

And forgiveness! Oh, how I've been DELUGED in forgiveness, what a WINDFALL of forbearance and goodwill! My friends have forgiven me. The mortals I've victimized have forgiven me. Cadence...that Big Fellow that Applejack mentioned...even the Alicorns in Heaven seem to've granted me a clean slate! Heck, I'VE forgiven myself!

Ha ha ha...I think I'd actually come to believe all I needed to do was continue fighting the good fight. That somehow, in exchange for me trudging through battle after battle, enduring the slings and arrows and napalm of outrageous combat, all the rest would just rearrange itself into a bright, shiny golden ending.

Oh Pinkie...what a grim wake-up call this has been, what a brutal reminder that for all the forgiveness in the world; ACTIONS STILL HAVE CONSEQUENCES.

Pinkie...I saved your soul, but I also CRIPPLED you. Physically. Emotionally. Unnecessarily. There was no reason you should've been cut off from ANY of your emotions. Not even anger.

THAT HALLWAY! That hallway in the castle leading to Rarigreed's room! Spike had stepped on you! Applejack had dropped a pillar on you! You'd been knocked out! Practically gift-wrapped! I should've just held off on Rarigreed for five more minutes and cast the memory spell on you then! Two for the price of one! Purified you AND your Element of Rage! Our whole fight could've been avoided! Why didn't I do it?! Why, why, WHY?!

No.

If only...if only I had reined in my own fury...if only I had not quit believing that you could be saved...you could've bounced back from such a weak attack.

I'll have to carry that with me forever.

+++

"TWILIGHT! No beating yourself up remember?" Pinkie Pie admonished.

"Oh, heheheh, right." Twilight blushed.

The spirit patted her on the head, "That's a good pony."

"Don't go yet!" Rainbow Dash begged.

Pinkie Pie kissed her on the nose. "I promise, Dashie, we'll see each other again. Cross my heart hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye. Might take a while. But it'll be nothing compared to how long we'll have after. Don't worry. Remember, smile smile smile.

These days of darkness seem so black
But that's okay, we'll take home back.

Know that that I won't be sleeping
But I will be dreaming of all of you.

Come everypony smile smile smile.
But it's been too long a while.

Just turn the frown upside down.
Your love is my most enchanting gown.

The distance might seem be broad,
But I'll be there besides the clown of god.

+++

Rarity listened to Pinkie Pie's song as she moved on. Rainbow Dash cried, Applejack hugs her, as does Apple Pie, who is crying too. Then the rest of them joined in hugging the pegasus too.

Inside Rarity, within her gala of souls, much more empty than before, she welcome in her new guests of Surprise and Princess Rarity. Along with a modest earth pony named Posey.

++++

Where was she? She had been with the big adult with skeletal wings. Now where she was?

It looked familiar, the way her own hooves were familiar. Black sky. Frozen ground. Shadows with nopony casting them everywhere.

"Welcome home."

"W-where is this?"

"This is home."

"DAD!"

"Will be here soon enough, if he's lucky, or he'll never come back here, if he's really lucky or really unlucky, hard to say."

"I have to help him!"

Rancor stomped her into the frozen ground leaving an imprint.

"Sorry, not happening, you're staying put."

"YOU!!!!" she snarled, finally recognizing her. "It's all YOUR fault! You harpooned him!!! Get out of my face!"

"You have a lot to learn kiddo. A lot. And the lessons are gonna be vicious, and yeah, cruel, for a half-breed like you. Gonna beat the pony right out of you."

"Get your filthy paw off me, you two-faced double-crossing sidewinder!"

Rancor ground her foot harder down on her harder. " Don't worry, you'll thank us when it's over."

"Us?" The little gray filly looked up, her head throbbing from where she was hit.

Rancor picked her up by her tail, it hurt.

"Yeah, 'us.' Don't worry, we'll show you the proper way for you to grow up."

"Indeed," said the Concept of Darwinism,

"Don't worry, it's just a little initiation." Said the Concept of Revolution. "It's for the best."

"...it's what Mom and Dad want for you... that is to say, your grandparents... just... just please don't struggle, it'll hurt worse, please." Said the Concept of Imagination.

"So hold on, because I promise you kiddo, this is going to hurt." Said the Concept of Violence as she extended her fangs and claws.

Then the most terrifying thing she had ever seen rose over the frozen ridge, the adults around her were bugs in comparison.

"You Should Consider Yourself Lucky, My Precious Granddaughter, You Get To Be Tried As A Minor And You Get The Insanity Plea On Top Of It. Also, The Advantage Of Nepotism. You Really Are Lucky. But My, My, You Have So Many Birth Defects. You Were Born Wrong. The Taint Of Fauna Luster and Buddy Reek On You From Your Other Parent. But We'll Fix That Right Up. Don't Worry. So Know The Pain's For Your Sake."

"Just as I did for my children." Said the Concept of Darwinism.

"P-p-p-please."

"It's just like old Cadence said!" said the Concept of Revolution. "You'd be judged by your own kind." Claws extended. "Consider yourself judged."

A less than a minute later Fluttercruel screamed… And kept screaming.

"STOP! SHE IS NOT JUST YOUR KIND!"

The filly turned her head, "Mhuu-mah?" She managed to get out.

Fluttershy noticed the red claws marks on 'Cruel, and looked at the scars on her own 'body.'

"This is family business, get lost," Rancor said.

"That Is No Way To Speak To Your Sister-In-Law."

"Yes, Father." Rancor bowed at once, dropping Fluttercruel who hit the ground with a sickening sound, her wings in no shape to catch the nonexistent air.

None of the Draconequui tried to stop Fluttershy. It was like she was radioactive. The shadows kept an even wider distance from her.

"We have so got to invest in some gatekeepers," Anarchy said.

Fluttershy looked up at Havoc, bowing. "Havoc, Emperor of Phobias, King of Nightmares, Forger Of the Survival Instinct, I beseech you to allow me to speak."

"You Willingly Entered A Draconequi Realm? Color Me Impressed. Hehe, Speak."

"Fluttercruel is my daughter, I love her. I hope you can understand that."

"Of Course I Do. Even My Lovely Bride Understands Love! Isn't That Right, Honey?"

"YES, I UNDERSTAND LOVE. LOVE IS CREATED FROM NOTHING, WHICH IS ME, SO IN A WAY I AM LOVE."

Fluttershy shuddered at that logic.

Havoc returned his gaze to Fluttershy. "You Were Saying?"

"I want to help recondition her, but…with all due respect, I don't think removing her pony side will help. No offense."

"None Taken. One Of Us Has To Be Able To Have Thick Skin Or We'd Not Have Any Children Left. You Will Continue."

"She already understands this part of cruelty, the part that hurts. I know you see this as tough love, but she won't. And she was already humbled by being killed by my friends twice. I ask: aren't all you Draconequi at least SOMEWHAT multi-dimensional beings? Or do you only obsess over one single aspect of the Concepts you are?"

Anarchy rubbed his head. "She has a point, Dad, you don't see me being focused ONLY on the bloodshed of rebellion. I try to free ponies from oppression and all that."

Fluttershy nodded, gratefully. "And I…well, don't have a right to speak of You and Your Wife, but are You not Complete Concepts as well?"

A smile formed on Havoc's face. "You Are Smarter Than Most. So I Will Answer That Question; Yes. After All, If I Didn't Know, And Enjoy, That Fear Can Also Save Lives, Then I'd Simply Be Throwing The Universe Into A Constant State Of Meaningless Blind Terror. While That'd Be Funny, It Would Also Get Boring Quickly, And It's Counterproductive."

Mass Hysteria lowered His massive head to look Fluttershy head-on. He saw the her quake with terror before him, but not avert her gaze, or move from her protective stance near her daughter. Havoc smiled approvingly. "I Don't Care Much For Ponies Who Don't Have The Common Sense To Listen To Their Fears." One of Havoc's many claws came down on Fluttershy, she never moved. The claw stopped after cutting within a fraction of a millimeter of skin. "Heh. You Fear Losing Your Child More."

"Yes."

He said, rising back up. "You Will Continue."

"I think right now, what Fluttercruel needs to learn is how her Concept can help life grow. She knows everything there is to know about hurting others. You'd not be teaching her anything new."

Havoc gave a nod. "Hehe, You Are A Smart One, I'll Give You That. It's Been Eons Since I've Seen A Pony Who Actually Respects What My Family Does. I Respect That. She's yours."

Strife looked at Rancor. "And that is why I said said you should never judge a pony by outside appearances."

"Got big wings fer protectin' 'Ruelly, I'll give her that. But no angery cries for retribution?"

"SHUD YER MOUTH!" Fluttercruel snarled. "YU DUN GET 'ALK SMAC' BOU' MAH-" Her maimed body broke into coughing fits.

Fluttershy knelt down looking at the mangled filly, the snow around the filly was no longer white. "Huh, dear. It's okay. Mama's here, Mama won't ever leave you again if you don't want her to. Mama will help you. She'll protect you. She promises." She picked her up in her mouth and placed her on her back and spread her wings, staining her backside and feathers in blood. She looked at the Draconequi. "She'll come back to you when she's ready. You're all going to have to simply wait. If any of you besides Discord come before then, you'll face the Tarot of the Queen of Cups."

She flew away. "It's okay, baby, you're free."

"Hush now, quite now,
it's time to go to bed.

"Lay your sleepy head.

"Let the butterfly turn herself upright,
Her wings will carry you to morning's light."

Episode 100: (Shining Armor) tsomlA lamorN Almost Normal (and meet the Neighponese princess)

Episode 100: (Shining Armor) tsomlA lamorN Almost Normal (and meet the Neighponese princess)

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
Pony POV Series
Shining Armor Part 9
Written By lz0291
tsomlA lamorN
Edited by Alex Warlorn, Kendell2, And Louis Badalament.

"So tell me more about Ranger-Oh! Hey, Minuette!" Twinkleshine greeted, sitting up from her bed.

"Hey, Twinkleshine, hey Sunset." Minuette telekinetically took off her hoofmaiden's dress and slipped on her nightgown.

"So how was Shining Armor?" Twinkleshine asked.

"He's fine."

"Oh? And how's Cadence?"

"She's fine."

"So how are they together right now?" Twinkleshine grinned.

"They're fine." She spoke in a monotone.

"Minny, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She crawled into the bunk.

Now Sunset did look up in confusion, and she and Twinkleshine looked at each other hoping for an answer. When they thought to ask their friend directly, she had turned around pulled the cover over her.

Minuette lay on her bed staring outwards peaking through a small opening in her defenses at the room and the infinite muddled world beyond. Her eyes refusing to close. 'What am I even doing here?' she thought to herself.

"Hey! Minuette! Lemon Hearts! Look what I found!" Twinkleshine said laying out the want-ad. "They're hiring staff for Princess Cadence now that she's coming of age! Including hoof-maidens! The pay's good, we can get through college easy!"

"I dunno," Minuette said.

"It's a chance to meet Canterlot Royalty! Why pass up a chance like that?" Twinkleshine said.

"Did you show this to Moondancer?" Minuette asked.

"She said it felt too awkward. Can you believe that?"

"If you two want to do this, go right ahead. But I'm not gonna be a glorified house-servant to pampered royals who can't brush their own teeth."

But what Lemon Hearts said struck a cord. "Brush their own teeth eh?" Minuette thought.

That had led to an awkward first day on the job with Princess Cadence in her bathroom both had sworn never to speak of.

Minuette sighed as she finally closed her eyes.

Her dreams that night included being chased through a jungle by doll-sized ponies with spears and butterfly wings, and then being in Canterlot Castle redesigned by M.C. Neigher being given different nonsensical orders from two Princess Cadences three times her size. Finally she dreamed the floor fell out from under their beds leaving her clinging for dear life against the walls as the landscape thousands of feet below past by and Sunset didn't lift a wing to help her, telling her "Don't be such a baby!" Minuette did not wake up feeling rested.

This was obvious to their friends as they ate breakfast early, they had to get up earlier than their princess after all, to have everything ready to make her mane combed and her fur brushed by Sunset, her barding polished by Twinkle Shine, and a hundred other little things, all for the public to see their goddess.

And that meant they had to look presentable too, they could go making the goddess of music and harmony look bad by association after all. Washing, brushing teeth, make sure the hoofmaid dresses are clean.

There was a certain pride that came that no matter how bad her bed mane or what happened the night before, the three mares could turn Cadence into Princess Cadenza every time.

"Minny are you okay?" Twinkle Shine asked when her friend spent even longer than normal brushing her teeth.

"It's nothing. The Princess has a lot of things planned today, we better not dawdle."

Minuette forced herself along, she had to proof-check Princess Cadence's schedule for the day after all. The Princess depended on her, and by extension therefore, Equestria did.

"It is the view of this officer that Private Captive Audience, in using lethal force against an unknown suspect, was wholly justified in his actions. It is the view of this officer that no viable alternative that did not increase the risk to life was present."

I fought not to jump up and scream 'Yes!' This all but cleared him! I don't think I'd been that relieved since Twiley told me she passed the entrance exam to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns!

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Were you...ever scared of... of Twilight, after what happened at that exam?)

Never. Okay, I was shocked, surprised, but I was more focused on my little sister suddenly being our goddess' apprentice. I was a little freaked out at what happened, but I wasn't freaked out at her. Oh! Thanks for the hug there.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): You're welcome!)

"Let the record note that the panel's opinion is unanimous. We therefore recommend that Private Audience be placed back on duty by midnight tonight, if not sooner, and that he be placed under psychological observation to ensure that he is coping properly. We remind the Private that this record is to be sent to the Ministry of Defense, alongside any further relevant information, and that we may be asked to further investigate or move to a full Court Martial. Does the Private accept this outcome?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Let the record show that the inquiry has been concluded."

The Ensign stopped typing a moment later.

"And now we're off-record: Bloody good shooting, Audience," Bond said.

"Thank you, Sir."

"So, Captain, you're off-duty now, yes? Got a suit to be measured..." Shepard teased.

"Yes, I think so..." I sighed. She grinned.

"You're as bad as my children. They're twins, Cadets in the Air Naval Academy. My son could throw a hay of a tantrum as a colt when you told him he needed to wear a suit... But I got my daughter to grow out of dresses pretty darn fast. She takes after me, you see."

"I'm not that bad, Ma'am... And I didn't know you had children."

"Well, now you do."

She then followed the other Naval Officers out of the room. I began to head to where Cadence was waiting for me to tell her we were done, and face the suit-measuring music.

"Uh, Sir, am I back on duty?" Audience pondered as we made our way out.

"Not as such. You can stay in uniform and carry weapons, but I want you to keep an eye on Gag the next couple of days. He's your room-mate, right? Medic says the concussion means he might have an unexpected problem further down the line."

"Okay. Don't I need assessed about my mental health though?"

"Oh, yeah. Any nightmares?" I asked

"Nope."

"Loss of sleep?"

"No."

"You seem good to me right now. You can take a single cookie from the jar as a reward for being a good boy and we'll keep an eye on you for the next few weeks. Oh, and Captive?"

"Yes, Sir?"

"Thanks for saving my flank last night. If you ever need to speak to me about what you had to do, I'm there, okay? I know you have better training but I know..."

I trailed off, but he seemed to get the message.

"You're welcome, but, Vigilo Confido, Sir. If I can make sure somepony else doesn't have to that's what I'm for."

"Well, remember, we're here for you if you need us, Captive."

"Yes sir."

The other troopers were just making their way out. Cadence seemed to be talking to Ellis, but I couldn't quite hear the conversation. I wasn't really all that shocked when he nodded and she gave him a hug. She's a huggy sort of pony.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Jealous?)

I get my fair share of huggy Cadence at times.

"...Remember we all appreciate what you did, Ellis. And if you want to talk I can always find time somewhere."

"U-um, yes, ma'am..." He said, blushing a little bit. No, still not jealous.

I then noticed Commander Bond was lingering. Seemingly he'd beat me to it and told Cadence things were done. Minuette muttered something I didn't quite hear. Cadence gave her a nudge with her back hoof.

"Ah, hello, Shining, Audience. I've heard about the outcome, glad everything was on the level. Shining, Commander Bond, can you head upstairs and wait for me? I just have something to talk to Minuette about first."

"Er, yes, Princess."

Audience and the other troopers all wandered off, while Cadence led Minuette back into the room they'd just left. Bond and I made our way to...

"Er, where are we going?"

"Your room, so we can discuss some developments."

He cast his spell on us again as we walked.

"They'll think we're on about golf if anyone overhears us. Alright, first thing. You might know I work as a representative for Intelligence."

"No, I don't... Wait, golf?! I don't play golf!"

"Few non-unicorns do, that'll make this easier since no one will care to listen in. Anyway, last night, I was not representing either the Air Navy or Intelligence when I went out to meet a friend who works here, who was not representing his own Navy either."

"Okay, so you had some drinks with a friend. Wish I'd been doing that," I noted.

"I wish I'd been doing it too. We'd barely been in the place five minutes when we were passed a message to go meet someone."

"Wait, YOU didn't get dragged into a Hooviet ambush too, did you?"

"That's the trouble. It might have been part of the same plan. I did notify Commander Shepard, but it still meant I was away from the place she could easily contact and notify me. First I heard of the attack was when I saw your flare. I headed here, Mason headed for his own base..."

"Wait, did you say 'Mason?'" I vaguely remembered the deer I had met in the embassy, shortly before first crossing paths with Makarov.

"Yes, Dai Arfwisg Mason, Lieutenant Commander, Columbian Navy. Do you know him too?" Bond wondered.

"Dai... 'Dai Arfwisg?' Am I even saying that right? No... the Mason I met was Alexi Mason, plus his friend Reznov at the Hooviet..."

It was Bond's turn to be surprised. "Reznov? Victor Reznov? With an Alexi Mason? Son of a bitch... Look, Captain, things just got a lot more complicated there and I haven't even told you what Dai is."

"What, is he a Hydra or something?"

"No. He's a Red Deer, and he's in your room waiting for us." Bond told me, right as we reached it.

I'll admit I felt a brief flash of worry about encountering another deer, but it didn't last long. For a start, he wasn't in assassin's black but a navy blue uniform and he was unarmed. Music played on the radio as we entered...

"Hunt you down without mercy, Hunt you down all nightmare long …"

"Ah, Commander Sparkle, I presume? I'm Lieutenant Commander Mason. I hope you don't mind but I put your radio on while I waited..."

We shook hooves. For simplicity, we'll call him Dai.

"Dai, things just got stranger. Apparently, Shining bumped into Reznov and an associate a couple of nights back at the Hooviet shindig. Don't get pissed off, but the associate called himself Alexi Mason."

A flash of anger crossed the Deer's eyes. "Son of a bitch."

"Uh, sorry, but what's the problem here?" I wondered, confused.

"Reznov is known to us. He was a spy catcher around twenty-five years ago. And twenty-five years ago we suspect he was behind the disappearances of Office of Strategic Services agents, as well as agents from other nations, within the space of a week. Among his victims was Alex Mason, my father."

"Oh. Horseapples. You mean to tell me the guy I met was using a cover name stolen off a dead person?"

"What did he look like?" Bond asked.

"Long beard, but otherwise well-dressed."

"Yeah, we met the same guy all right."

"You met with Reznov last night?" I asked.

"Yeah. Me, the Intelligence officer, drawn away from a place I was easy to reach, to meet a known Hooviet agent who had been off the radar for about a quarter century."

"Makarov's a sly little son of a bitch," Dai said.

At that, Cadence appeared.

"Sorry about that, just clearing something up. Have you told Shining why you're here, Commander Mason?"

She was quickly brought up to speed.

"I see. So you haven't told Shining anything about the other new developments from last night?"

"No, and to be honest, we hadn't quite told you what Reznov wanted. He claims he defected from the Hooviets years ago and wants to meet Captain Sparkle," Dai said.

Cadence frowned. "Sorry, but just to be clear: This Hooviet, a known spy, responsible for a number of deaths, claims to have defected but was possibly involved in what seems a blatant attempt to confuse us last night, and he did it to arrange to meet with the same pony his alleged former boss was trying very hard to murder? Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"Because you'd have ruled it out and we'd never have even had a chance," Bond said with brutal honesty.

"You're right, I would and I do. Shining is NOT going into another ambush!" She fumed.

"Princess? With respect... We might have to send him. Reznov claims to have vital information regarding the disappearance of the HSSDefiant, but he said he had to give it ONLY to Captain Sparkle. He's refusing to give it to anyone else," Dai noted.

Defiant had been one of an old type of Destroyer, a Type-42. It had vanished twenty years ago, in Zebrafrica on a goodwill mission. Captain Saltire Bond and his wife, Monique, were among the victims missing, along with the other three hundred Air Naval crew, and thirty civilian passengers: Diplomats, the families of officers, and the families of diplomats.

"We can't trust him though! I'm not sending Shining off to get himself killed!"

"Cadence, I'm sure they must have something planned or they'd not tell us." I tried to calm her down.

"...Well, now I see why you're so protective, Your Highness. You're obviously quite close to Captain Sparkle." Cadence rolled her eyes. I just thanked Celestia the Hoof-maidens weren't there to hear that. "But I assure you, we do have a plan. You see, I work for Naval black ops, the Direct Operations Group. As it happens, Reznov has a meeting place we can cover quite easily. I'm not saying it would be risk-free. But we can cover the Captain very well, and get him out if there's trouble," Dai said.

"...How many Special Forces units DOES this country have?" Cadence groaned.

"Four. Army Unit Metal, Navy DOG, Marine Force Recon Operations Group, Air Force Special High Altitude Reconnaissance Command. Sea Dogs, Beach Frogs, Sky Sharks. But we're the best, of course." Dai said smugly.

"Well, if there's to be ANYTHING done with this, I want Unit Metal involved too. I know who they are at least, and Shining worked with them last night and saved some of their troopers, so they have every reason to want him safe. I've never even heard of your unit, no offense."

Lieutenant Commander Mason nodded.

"I'd be fine with that, ma'am. They're cocky little cloacae at times but they're good backup. I do advise we keep any Equestrian involvement to low numbers though."

"That assumes Shining agrees! We haven't even asked him. Or said what the point in this would be."

"Um... I think the point is that if Reznov is telling the truth, we get important information that could help with the Hooviets in general, Makarov in particular. Plus, the Defiant has been one of our greatest mysteries and tragedies. And if something DOES happen, I'm no slouch with my shield spells." I said.

"Would it be worth the risk though?" Cadence wondered.

"I'd say yes," Bond confessed.

"I'd agree too. He claims he has some useful intel on Makarov, and also a few things Captain Sparkle needs to hear. He gave us a letter. We scanned it: no bombs or other traps," Dai added, passing this letter to me. I carefully opened it.

"I can tell you why you are here. I can tell you the nature of the beast that stalks you."

I read that aloud, and then the words on the paper proceeded to vanish.

Cadence frowned even as my blood turned to ice. "'The nature of the beast that stalks you?' What does that even mean?"

In the silence there was just the faintness of the radio, turned down low. A new song was playing: "Destroy everything you touch, today, destroy me, this way."

"...Are there any songs in this country that aren't pure nightmare fuel?" I wondered, and for some reason decided to change the channel instead of switching it off. And bumped up the volume at the same time.

""- We get so close, near enough to fight. When a Hooviet gets me in his sight..."

"Sweet Celestia, that's even worse!"

"Shining?" Cadence asked, sounding a little worried.

More dial-turning. "-Don't cry for your love, cry tears of joy, 'cos you're alive, cradled in love..."

"Better, much better. That's the kind of omen I can get behind..." I sighed.

"Omen? Captain, are you all right?" Bond wondered.

"Uh? Oh, um... Sorry, just... uh... The letter, the words... They vanished. And the radio was being kind of weird."

"Disappearing Mana-Ink. Common trick, it vanishes about thirty seconds after it contacts magic. The envelope would have shielded it from mine but the second you read it, pooof. 'Never existed,'" Bond noted. "As for the radio... well, you're just being jumpy."

"Shining, are you feeling all right?" Cadence asked with obvious worry.

"Princess, I... I think we need to go through with this. When does Reznov want to meet me?"

"Half-past midnight, at Darkplace Hospital on Colony Island," Dai said.

"Wait, a hospital? That's a pretty PUBLIC place, even for after-midnight..." Cadence noted.

"Uh, ma'am, I should clarify, Darkplace closed twenty-five years ago. All that's there now is a burnt-out, vandalized ruin and some partly-flooded tunnels in the basements."

"Brilliant. He wants to meet after midnight in an abandoned hospital... Doom Zone Hospital."

"Darkplace." Bond corrected.

"Right. Bet it's a mental hospital closed because the patients saw the spirits of the dead walking the halls..." I muttered.

"...Funny you should mention that. Urban legend has it that it was built on the convergence point of numerous leylines, the flow of mana around the world. Magically-sensitive beings could apparently see shades of other worlds if they let their minds wander."

"...When did I become a weirdness magnet?"

"Can't answer that question. But it's just a legend. Anyway, we can put snipers on a nearby tower block, and I have access to a flat overlooking the hospital from the near side of the river." Dai noted.

"Is it some kind of safehouse?" Cadence wondered.

"Um, no, it's my cousin Toneigh's apartment."

He produced a map book of Liberty, showing the area. He penciled in a marker to show his apartment, overlooking the island from the western side of Algonquin. He drew a ring around where the hospital lay, and another marker on a tower block nearby.

"We could... No, darn. Normally I'd have liked one of my troops to scout the area out and another one provide long-ranged cover, but Gag's out of it. And I don't want to involve Audience in something like this so soon after last night..." I had began to say.

"Yet you're fine involving yourself..." Cadence muttered not as quietly as she probably hoped.

"Well, if you want someone you know to scope it out, why not the SAS?"

Baseplate and Price were summoned.

"Starting to think we should rename ourselves the Sparkle Assistance Service. That's three in a row," Price noted. Thankfully, Dai did not ask for elaboration.

The plan we ultimately decided on was simple enough. I'd be covered by three teams of two snipers, the 'Sparkle Assistance Service,' on the tower block, and a sniper team each from DOG and Unit Metal in the apartment. The apartment would also be where Columbian Spec-ops troopers would wait, along with more SAS that Commander Bond would be with.

In total, there were going to be about twenty ponies, griffins, and deer inside Commander Mason's apartment. I hoped it was big, and that his neighbors wouldn't object to the fake party they'd be holding as a cover story for having half a regiment show up...

Unfortunately, Cadence then had an idea.

"...Okay, this is still going to be Shining's decision in the end, but I will accept this on one condition, to help make sure Makarov tries nothing funny. I want to be in the apartment."

"...What?!" We all said together.

"Any of his goons show up, I see how tough they really are."

I just stared as my brain processed this insanity. "Princess, you seem to be very mixed up here, I am your bodyguard, which, contrary to what the term could be interpreted to mean, does not mean I am supposed to get you killed so I can guard your dead body! I'm meant to keep you away from danger!"

"You said it yourself last night, you dying would just cause Makarov a few setbacks in return, the world won't notice, and he's the kind of nutcase who might be okay with paying that price. But I doubt Makarov wants to harm me. Because trust me, I think Auntie would care then."

"She'll kill me herself if I let anything happen to you!" I said, utterly stunned she was thinking this at all.

"Ah, but I'd be letting it happen to me to protect you. I'd be ordering you to do it." She smiled.

"Remind me... which of them's the bodyguard?" I heard Dai ask Bond.

"Well, then, there's no way I'm going." I told Cadence. "I'm not putting anyone but myself at risk," I told her.

"Shining? If Makarov WAS trying anything, every single pony, griffin, and deer there would be at risk," Bond pointed out.

"...Don't tell me you think this is a good idea!" I rounded on him.

"I think its bucking mental, which is why I think it'd work," Bond confessed.

"I'm not exactly thrilled at the idea of it myself but I think Makarov would be very much averse to battling an Alicorn," Dai noted. "Even assuming that Makarov actually killed Cadence... a goddess-princess is gonna be quite a tough sell, when it comes to arranging an 'accidental death scene.'"

"...This is crazy," I muttered and sat on my haunches.

"I may be young compared to Auntie, but I'm still an Alicorn. I'm not exactly made of glass."

I don't know if its a good thing or a bad thing I kept forgetting I was body-guarding the Goddess of Harmony.

(Interviewer (Unicorn): I'm sure Cadence preferred it that way.)

"But you're not indestructible. I'm not your bodyguard just to look nice."

"Tell me, Shining, would you order your troopers to do anything you wouldn't do yourself?" Cadence said as she came over to rest a hoof on my shoulder.

"Well, no. But this is different... It's putting you in harm's way. I'm meant to protect you."

"And if I know you're okay, you WILL be helping protect me."

"...Okay. Fine. I can see you're dead set on this. But how the hay are we going to cover up both of us being away from the Embassy at once?"

"Oh, easy. It turns out the Germane Embassy is next door: one of the diplomats there is an old friend, and she should be okay with letting us sneak out that way." She said.

"Sorry, but you want to sneak out through the adjacent embassy, with your Guard Captain, who is widely known to be a childhood friend, and you can't see any issues that may arise if you're spotted by the gossipmongers?" Dai noted.

"...Er, well... I was planning on keeping this 'under my crown,' so to speak, but... Shining, I have a sort of... illusion spell that can let me blend in with other ponies a little better. I'm not telling you where I got it or how it works. All I'm telling you is I can make myself look like a regular pony."

I stared. "...So, what, you'll disguise us both?"

"Uh, I was going to disguise myself. I can't really cast it on another pony that well yet and... Oh, bother, we'll figure it out later."

"That all seems as resolved as it can be for now, right?" Dai cut in. "So, if there are no objections, I'd like to turn the conversation to other matters. Namely; we recovered items from the scenes of Shining Armor's fight with Makarov last night, and there are a few developments I think you should be aware of. First, regarding the wrecked Tankettes we recovered from the yard..."

"Tankettes?" Cadence blinked. "I thought they were some kind of tripod walker."

So had I.

"There's a black dog a coming tonight. Black dog's a coming tonight

I silently shut the bucking radio off, ignoring the chill down my spine.

"Tripod walkers?" Dai's confusion was genuine. "...There must have been some misunderstanding, ma'am. What we recovered were the wrecks of one-crew fighting machines on tracks. That's a tankette to us; a miniature tank. They did have a rather disturbing power source."

"Unicorn horns?"

"Correct. And it's horrible to say, but from what our lab boys were able to tell, they made for a highly effective, if barbaric, power source. Only Elerium-115 holds more magic energy than a unicorn horn for anywhere near an equivalent mass, and Elerium synthesis... Well, if you know anything about chemistry, magic, and radiation, you know why that's complicated. Not to mention the crystals aren't reusable once they burn out."

Fortunately, everyone in the room had a grasp of it. In fact, Princess Cadence turned out to be very up-to-date on some of the advances in nuclear chemistry conducted at the Black Mesa research facility in the Columbian Desert.

...You're looking a bit puzzled there. Oh, please tell me you three know something about this subject! It hurts my brain to talk about that stuff. And it kind of frightens me, to be honest, especially the urban legends about archaeologists digging up 'demon spheres' or worse.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): ...Don't worry, Captain, if any readers are truly curious we can give them some information on it in an appendix to this part.)

Thank Celestia!

"The tankette designs themselves were quite novel too. Armament was interesting, we thought the Hooviets had abandoned Tesla Coils. The volley guns were a bit of a surprise too, we had no idea their firearms were up to speed with ours."

"Up to speed with... You have weapons like that too?!" I said, startled.

"Yeah, I'm carrying one now. It's not loaded though, Bond has my cartridges..."

To my surprise, Commander Bond produced not a brass casing, but a wax-paper tube, with a brass disc on the end. The actual bullet was a round ball of what looked like lead, and Dai showed us a strange type of pistol with a cylindrical portion towards the rear.

"The brass disc is called a percussion cap. If the needle or hammer of a gun strikes it, it explodes and detonates the powder inside the paper case. It's fairly new, but we hoped it was an advantage over the Hooviets. Guess we just have to stick to Depleted Elerium penetrators in our AT guns to be in the lead..."

"Shining, I thought you said the whole thing was brass? And that the guns fired lots of shots at once, even the ones they had in their hor... er, antlers?"

"Those were interesting too. Sadly we never recovered any actual rounds, and we've no idea how the casings worked. We think it might have been magic-based, the sight on the weapon a Unit Metal trooper recovered was magic-powered. Very similar to something we call a reflector sight."

Well, THAT still matched up, at least. Thank goodness, I thought I was going mad...

Dai continued his story. According to him, the paper 'cartridges' were used in the volley guns last night, the one that had been used by the diamond dogs had been the only one recovered, however. The one Unit Metal had hijacked seemed to be missing, and the one that exploded had, well, exploded. Similar cartridges were used in the newest Columbian rifles (or Dai's pistol), since they could be reliably fired in the rain or when wet... Made me wonder why Unit Metal never mentioned them, let alone used them.

"Well, Spriling weapons and bows are quieter and guns produce a lot of smoke even with our newer gunpowders. Not so good for covert ops. Good range on them though. Better armor penetration too," Dai explained.

"Is there anything else?" I asked.

"Well, I've been asked to tell you that we're cremating the recovered horns, overseen by your ambassador, but odds are the best we can do is cremate them and scatter the ashes. We suspect many of the horns were Krakohzian in origin so we're consulting with their government-in-exile over in Hayris. We've also got divers dredging the riverbed to try recover that larger vehicle you said crashed in there. They'll find it if it's down there. Though it could have been washed away in the current depending on how much damage it took when it exploded."

"Is there any other word on the Diamond Dogs from last night? Or any of the suspects arrested?" Cadence wondered.

"Not to my knowledge. That's mostly the LCPD's worry at this point."

"Well, thank you for letting us know about all this, Commander. I'm afraid we have things to attend to, so we'll probably see you later tonight if we're going to go ahead with this mission."

"Understood. Don't forget we'll still be going after Reznov with our assets even if you decide to pull Equestrian troops out of it."

And with that, the four black-ops troopers left. I followed Cadence as she headed off, presumably to wherever the tailor was. I wasn't getting out of being suited.

"Okay. Now we can maybe stop worrying about all this stuff and get on with actually visiting Columbia in the name of peace."

"Not quite yet, Shining. The tailor is waiting."

"I know that..." I grumbled.

"Oh, I didn't get a chance to tell you, but it seems Ellis already has a suit so I had the tailor help spruce his up a bit first. I thought you might have appreciated a friend along, and I think Ellis could maybe use a bit of a day off."

"I'd agree with that. How was he when you spoke to him?"

"He seemed to be a little flighty and nervous. I could tell he was still a little worried though. He seemed to be trying to get past it though. It's good he talked about it though..."

The tailor had set up shop in a disused bedroom downstairs, and was a unicorn mare I'd seen amongst Cadence's civilian staff. Ellis was inside and Twinkle Shine was there too, as were Mactavish and Dunn standing guard outside.

"Very good timing, Your Highness, I just finished up with the Lance-Corporal. It wasn't that tricky a job to spruce his suit up actually, it was quite well tailored," the tailor mare said.

"Heh, well, Savanneigh folks take pride in their work, Ol' Outfitter Stitches ain't no exception..." Ellis noted. He wore a black suit jacket, with light grey shirt and red tie. Oddly, though, given that he was a pretty big guy and had a blond mane, he looked more like a businesscolt than a hitpony.

"It just seemed to have been neglected in storage. And strangely seemed to have some very small powder burns."

"...Well, the storage part, ah last wore it for Heath's wedding and after it got cleaned ah just put it in mah kit. And the powder burns, well, Heath's wedding. Like hay we were letting the bride anywhere near the fireworks given her track record of third-degree burns."

"Ah, the unexploded one that got stuck in the roof of the bandstand. Thought you said you'd put your barding on for that," I said, recalling that story.

"Sucker exploded in mah FACE, sir. Just lucky ah had the welding mask and ear protection on too."

"...Why did you even go back to it?" Cadence wondered.

"Well, 'cuz everypony figured, 'hey, Ellis knows explosives and he's a guard'. Nopony listened when Ah said Ah hadn't actually finished the bomb disposal course, just the course on how to use explosives."

"Ah. Well, anyway, Captain, we'd better get started..." the tailor said.

"Twinkle Shine, you should probably go make sure Minuette and Sunset are ready. And the rest of you should get ready yourself," Cadence said, getting rid of the others. Not herself, though. Oh well.

"So... What did you say to Minuette about Audience anyway?" I asked Cadence as the tailor began measuring.

"Did you manage to hear what she said?"

"No, but you didn't like it."

"...She said he was just following his programming like a good machine. And I know that's complete rubbish and told her. "

I sighed.

"I know she's a bit shaken by it but... She really needs to get past that. She barely even knows him and now she thinks he's some sort of sociopath? She needs to talk to him, find out what he's really like."

"I agree. I told her she wasn't being fair on Audience or herself making those kinds of assumptions. For all we know she's denying herself at least one friend if she's scared of him, and if she makes a habit of this she's just going to start annoying the other troopers. And... well, she admitted she didn't know him too well. But then again, neither do I."

"Well, Princess, if I'm honest you and she should probably get to know him together. I'm afraid I'm pretty biased. I respect his father quite a bit and I regard him as a close friend."

"... I see. Well, maybe one thing you can help with. He said Vigilio Confido - 'I am Watchful, I am Relied Upon'. What's that about? I know he reads at least..."

"His family motto. His father is a Guard, Brigadier-General Audience. His grandfather was a guard... basically they're an old military family."

"If his father is a General why is he a Private?"

"Family tradition, they always start in the ranks. Not one of them hasn't become an officer by age thirty."

She then seemed to realize something.

"Wait, Brigadier-General Audience? I think I spoke to him. When he heard I was being given a new branch of the Guard he tried to speak to me about assembling it along modernized lines... Testing out new ideas. I can't say I understood him that well..."

"Sounds about right. He was pushing for more active conventional defenses. More use of gunpowder weapons, trying to purchase tanks or armored self-propelled vehicles. Last time I saw him he was complaining about some new light airships being bought though, thinks they'll be useless and just stuck onto ships to float around the coast."

"Oh, actually, we're collecting some new light airships to test them when we leave Columbia. Just an Air Navy thing, nothing important to you and me I imagine."

"Not really. Airships aren't my department. But you're trying to get Minuette to calm down a little then?"

"Yes. I don't want it to cause any problems for the two of them or anypony else if we can avoid it."

After that, Cadence was silent except to give comments to Tailor while the suit was made. It only took her about twenty minutes to make the whole thing but it felt a bit longer... Especially since I felt the outcome was a bit iffy.

"I think that looks nice," Cadence nodded.

"I think I look silly... Nopony's going to recognize me..."

Unlike Ellis, I couldn't pull off the dignified professional look. Instead, as I feared, in the suit I'd been put into, I looked like a hitmane. Or an undertaker..

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): What was the suit like?)

...Oh, black jacket and tie. White shirt too, not that you'd tell given my coat had always been white even before I joined the Guard.

"Will you have time to make the tuxedo too?" Cadence asked the unicorn mare.

"...Tuxedo?!"

"Well, yes, it's formal evening dress at the show." I was reminded.

"I'll look like a penguin! Or the world's worst Con Mane impersonator!" I protested.

I also detected immense hypocrisy given that I'd been denied a fez but a bow tie had been forced upon me. And I was a bit miffed as my Parade Uniform was intended for things like that until I realized that my uniforms would have stood out too much.

"We could use a dummy and let you get on with your day, Your Highness. Now that we have the Captain's measurements we could make it and adjust it accordingly on our own, if needed," Tailor replied.

"Excellent. We'll do that then. Thank you very much."

"We can't use a dummy, Gag has a concussion and he's smaller than me, and Blueblood's probably still in Stalliongrad..." I muttered.

"Okay, so, the carriages will be ready shortly. The Hoofmaidens should all be ready too."

The tailor bowed to the Princess, and we went off. We made our way down to the main hall of the embassy. Misfit 2-1 was to be the guard detail today, Ace bringing along Pilot Officer Washburn to make up the numbers to six.
Agent Kennedy and a few other Presidential Marshals waited alongside the Royal Guardsponies. Wearing sunglasses for some reason. At least I wouldn't be mistaken for one of them. Mostly because they didn't look daft in suits.

"How come guys who are actually carrying concealed weapons look less dangerous than I do..." I muttered.

"I don't think you look all that bad, Captain," A female voice said behind me.

I turned to find Lance-Corporal Alleyne of Misfit 2-1. Private Newcastle, the Zebra mare, was with her.

"I agree. I actually think you look pretty good, Sir."

"Er, thanks."

"Sarge, doesn't the Captain look good?" Alleyne prompted as Reinolds wandered over.

The Unicorn Sergeant gave me a look. "...Sorry, Sir, but you look like a hitmane. Bendis, doesn't he look like a hitmane?"

The Misfit 2-1 Pegasus nodded.

"...You speak less than Ramirez." Newcastle sighed at her squadmate.

"By the way, Captain... Is little Gag in your squad getting a marefriend?" Alleyne asked

"Oh, the medic? It's possible. He does have a concussion but on the other hoof she didn't seem to want to set him on fire like most mares he talks to."

Reinolds sniffled theatrically. "Newbies grow up so fast... Before you know he'll be an NCO too, ordering around other little rookies and newbies and steering his own Officers..."

"Pfft, yeah, right, Sergeant. Us Officers just let you NCO's think you're the ones really in charge, it's all a double bluff. Why else do good Sergeants get promoted to Lieutenant? Nopony holds the reins over an officer of the Royal Guard!" I said with pride.

"Shining, come along, the carriages are ready!"

"...Er, yes, Princess..." I said with compliance. I looked at the four soldiers who suddenly seemed fascinated with the ceiling, and trying not to laugh at me. I tried to play it cool as Cadence pulled on my invisible reigns.

"...and of course since he had landed it in the circle, he argued it was a pass because the rules said nothing about him being in the airship or it remaining intact."

The cart ride had fortunately been mostly Ace's domain. It seemed that stories of flight schools intrigued everyone when said flight schools involved flying machines instead of feathered wings.

I did notice Minuette seemed to be quiet. Probably pondering events.

"Minuette? Are you all right?"

"Hm? Oh, yes, Captain. Just a few things on my mind."

I had nothing really to say at that. We eventually arrived, and... well, I was trying to keep my mind off recent events and maybe relax, but come on, we were visiting a Stock Exchange. I'd be bored witless and would start worrying about recent events without any meaningful distractions and start repeatedly looking over my shoulder every five minutes for a sniper or that...thing.

This was crazy! That thing could have just been some ghost of a dog just going through! Yeah...That's it...

Well, it turned out the Neighponese party was here as well, where I learned that of all the Neighponese royals that could have been sent, it was one I technically had a history with: Imperial Princess Euphie. And one Cadence also had history with, as the two were chatting like old friends as soon as we realized both our parties had arrived near each other.

Neighponese royalty is both a little more complex and simpler than Equestrian royalty: It has around fifty "royal" families able to call their children Princes and Princesses, but unlike Equestria the hierarchy is a little clearer cut into three tiers. Daimyo or Noble families, Shogun or Regal families, then the Divine or Imperial Family. The latter term is something of a misnomer as by the common definitions of the word, neither Neighpon or the Imperial Family have ever held an empire.

Imperial Princess Euphie was a rather sweet, kind-hearted and innocent pony who wanted everypony to be happy. She believed that everyone could be friends, and was prone to throwing large parties for diplomats at short notice. For instance during a visit to Canterlot a few years ago, Celestia granted her the right to use Canterlot Castle since the Neighponese embassy ballroom was being remodeled at the time.

Long story short? I wound up losing my leave, missing my mother's birthday, being unable to plan a good birthday party for Twilight, and nearly wound up getting stuck as a Lieutenant until I was thirty after a misunderstanding between me and one of the Princess' bodyguards who had been completely blitz.... somewhat "tired and emotional" that led to a similarly drun... "tired and emotional" Neighponese Prince trying to start a fight with me. I refused, of course.

(Interviewer (Pegasus): What is it with you and getting into fights with foreigners?)

I wish I knew. Point was, I had little real reason to talk to the Neighponese Princess. I tried to keep my distance, feeling like I was being watched the whole time, as self-conscious as a Presidential Marshal who'd lost his sunglasses.
And then somepony recognized me, contrary to my wishes at the time.

"...Shining Armor Sparkle?"

I almost jumped into the air at the voice behind me. And for good reason too. It was a Shinobi Pegasus and his team. An entire four-pony cell, sometimes called a Fire or Leaf Team.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): You do realize that if they LOOK like ninjas, then they aren't very good ninjas. It's a SAMURAI'S job to scare off assassins by acting as a visible threat. A ninja's job is to work from the shadows.)

Yeah, well, this was actually a rookie team, and these are different times. Having said that I spotted at least another five so there might have been a minimum of eight in disguise amongst the Neighponese party. You see, the modern Shinobi are all unified as a single service and part of the modern Armed Forces - in fact they're very similar to Marines and other elite light cavalry as used by other nations, but the individual clans still have their members compete for contracts as bodyguards amongst...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): That's fascinating. Shining, just continue, please.)

Fortunately, I knew the leader of the squad, the light blue unicorn with an unruly brown mane. His name was Taichi, and he'd been sent to Canterlot as part of a cultural exchange program set up a short while after the incident I just mentioned. He'd hung around for a few months in Canterlot. The other three, I didn't know, but they looked about fifteen or sixteen at most.

"Er, hello, Taichi... I'm guessing you're part of the Neighponese security detail?"

"Yes, a Shinobi team is usually attached to a Royal Bodyguard, but since it's a fairly simple mission I felt bringing along my little genin-cadets would be a valuable experience before they graduate to real operations. I'll have them say hello..."

He spoke to them. They all said something. All of this was in Neighponese so I never understood a word. I looked at the three younger Neighponese ponies.

"Daisuke, Hikari, and Takeru." He introduced them: dark blue colt pegasus, pink filly unicorn and green colt pegasus.

"...They can't understand Equestrian, right?"

"No," The blue colt said, getting kicked by the green one for it.

"They can, but they cannot understand Roedinian..."

The filly rolled her eyes at this, looking annoyed. It turned out not to be a coincidence that it reminded me of Twilight's occasional frustrations with me any time I've tried to tease her...

"Shining? Can you come over here?" Cadence shouted.

I wanted to say no, given that the Samurai beside the Neighponese Princess was now glaring right at me, but I had to. I wisely bowed to the Neighponese Princess, making sure to bow lower than she bowed in return. Neighponese have an honor system where you bow lower than the one who outranks you in greetings. What? You think I didn't go out of my way to avoid accidentally insulting a Neighponese noble AGAIN (even though the drunken bodyguard falling over made it impossible for me to bow further)? "Er, yes, Your Highness?"

"Since I had to miss the breakfast at the Neighponese Embassy, and our schedules seem to coincide, I've decided that our two parties are going to travel alongside each other for the rest of the day. I hope that's okay with you..."

"...I've no objections," I said.

"You are Shining Armor Sparkle-san, yes?" Princess Euphie's Samurai then spoke.

'Horseapples, he recognized me.' I thought.

"...Yes." It hit me that I had no idea who he was! This time I didn't admit to it.

"You may not remember me but I am Shosa Suzaku, of Her Imperial Majesty's Samurai Land Divisions."

'Shosa' is a rank and not a name, by the way, translates to roughly a Major.

"I am dismayed to have learned how Makarov misinterpreted events and used them for political gain. Makarov is an upstart, prone to inciting incidents and hostility while framing the opponent as an aggressor. He has justified the invasion of countries using such underhoof tactics."

(Interviewer (Unicorn): It should be noted that for a Neighponese pony to NOT use an honorific suffix in such a situation is seriously insulting in their culture.)

"So what happened to me... WASN'T just him being a first-rate prat?" I marveled.

"He is a creature of such low honor that to fake an overreaction to a most trivial 'insult' is not beneath him but a key part in his deceitful repertoire of skills..."

"He pretended to be upset just to pick a fight? What a meanie." Princess Euphie sighed.

"Yes, quite a 'meanie', Euphie-chan," Cadence noted.

For the record, Cadence was the ONLY one present who could get away with calling Princess Euphie that, and only because the two were close friends. Anyone else would've likely incurred the Samurai's wrath on the spot.

"Try asking for information on what he did in Krakozhia, Euphie-sama," Taichi suggested. "Let's just say in one village that had a high unicorn population before the Hooviets came, I never found a single horn amongst any of the dead..."

The way Cadence paled a little at Taichi's words indicated she'd understood. The way the Neighponese princess just looked confused indicated she did not.

Twinkle Shine trotted forward, "Oh princess you have to tell me! What's a cherry blossom festival like? Is it true you, ick, eat fish? Your line claims to be 'Descendants of the Sun,' so how are you all related to Celestia? What's your favorite anime play? You HAVE TO tell me how you get your mane like that!"

The Samurai stepped between them, "Silence, servant! You should know better than to address a Princess with such familiarity!" He looked ready to lop her head off.

Twinkle Shine's horn glowed dangerously as she took a trot forward, "Why I oughtta-"

Cadence stuck a hoof out stopping her. Twinkle Shine looked shocked and trotted meekly behind her. Our Neighponese Princess looked more confused than upset. Twinkle Shine should've known that the proper way for a servant like her to address her was as 'Princess Euphie,' or 'Euphie-sama' would've been even better. This was when I spotted one of the other hidden Shinobi, by the way, when a mare in a green turtleneck with a white rose cutie mark produced a kunai for a split second.

Even with a sheltered Neighponese princess and her retainers along for the ride, there wasn't much happening after that. The owners of the Stock Exchange had an elaborate lunch prepared for us. We even managed to see some trading. I didn't follow but they seemed to have mostly been selling frozen concentrated orange juice.

After the lunch, we went to the riot zone, which was... a little humbling really, seeing civilians sweeping broken glass off the streets and sifting through burnt-out homes. The majority blamed the gangs, citing an unruly and misinformed youth seeking any excuse for a fight. The unruly and misinformed youth were not available for comment.

I still felt myself looking over my shoulder every few moments just in case. I also noted the paparazzi seemed to be uncharacteristically AWOL. Perhaps we'd gotten lucky, and some bigger scandal had distracted them.

Cadence spoke mostly with ponies who'd been caught up in it. Their reactions were interesting. Most Equestrians bow and stammer upon facing a princess. Columbian ponies were just polite. We met some firefighters, spoke with a few police, chatted with community leaders, visited a row of shops where the owners of the whole row had proudly stood up to a gang trying to torch a falafel restaurant owned by some Saddle Arabians. We ate there.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Was it nice?)

Yeah, it was. On the whole though, I just kept thinking there was something not right. We were being watched, I was convinced. Reznov, Makarov, the black dog, maybe even Princess Euphie's Samurai... whatever it was I kept thinking that they were watching me.

One of the most memorable places we visited though, was a temple of a Griffin religious sect, The Order of the Talon, where a choir was going to practice for the Royal visitors. The Order followed the teachings of a legendary historical figure known as the Pegasarch, supposedly a large pegasus in golden armor who had ended the fighting between the Griffin tribes and nations centuries ago after, er, Nightmare Moon's banishment. The basic philosophy encouraged ideas of charity and also self-advancement: you would accept the help of others to grow, and whenever you could, you would also help others to advance. Even after you died your legacy would grow if you had been successful.

In short: Be excellent to each other, and be remembered. A philosophy I could get behind.

(Interviewer (Earth Pony): I agree, it sounds nice.)

The temple itself was rather bare, apart from a frequent recurrence of a symbol that was apparently a rising sun emitting three points of light from the upper portion, trailing a large 'cape' portion below it. The Griffin Priest, a rather short grey fellow wearing a white robe, told us it was a symbol for the new dawn of the Griffins heralded by the end of the war. Even non-members of the Order were known to wear it as it was seen by many griffins as a general symbol of Griffindom. In fact, Griffin members of the Royal Guard had permission in the uniform code to wear that symbol somewhere on their armor.

The priest was briefly surprised to note that the green pegasus rookie ninja had a similar but five-pointed symbol for a cutie mark, apparently a symbol of hope in Neighpon for connection to the goddess Amaterasu. It soon emerged the first time the Neighponese encountered Celestia, several centuries ago, they identified her as Amaterasu, and therefore, that symbol with five points represented Celestia. Considering that's one of her middle names and she IS a several thousand year old goddess, I'm beginning to wonder.

Anyway, another (Talonian) custom the priest explained was that their hymn book held a hundred different songs, and they were all traditionally chosen at random by using two spinning wheels going from zero to nine.

"...Er, Your Highness, I hope you don't take offense at this but it seems that Hymn 12 has been chosen by the whims of the Pegasarch..." The priest sounded nervous.

"By all means, let Hymn 12 be sung!" Cadence blithely encouraged him. "Who am I to contradict the decree of the Pegasarch?"

I have to admit it was almost surreal to be in a room with an Alicorn when fourteen Griffins begin singing a song like this:

"Our god's bigger than your god,
Our god is just in a different class!
Our god's bigger than your god,
Our god could whoop your god's ass!"

Jaws dropped.

This time Sunset put a hoof over Twinkle Shine's muzzle and horn while Minuette held her back preemptively as the mare's face turned red looking to fight all fourteen griffins signing the lyrics single-hoofedly.

"I'm convinced now. This definitely has Auntie written all over it. It's the spitting image of some of her pranks," she spoke lowly.

Her eyes then widened in horror.

"...I do not want to know what Hymn 69 is!" She squeaked.

"Maybe 88 is about two fat ponies..." Washburn mused.

Personally I was confused on what 'god' they were singing about since they technically didn't mentioned the Pegasarch becoming a deity in the first place nor having any sort of divine lineage. Making me wonder if Princess Celestia had a hoof in this as Princess Cadence suggested.

Fortunately the next two hymns were a little less strange. 22 turned out to be about ducks, and 42 was something about the meaning of life.

'Helpfully', the Priest gave both Princesses a hardbacked copy of the hymn book. Of special note is 23, which is a pretty odd hymn about the concept of chaos, and 47, which is, er, about aliens. It also seemed that you could combine Hymns 02 and 91 to result in something that started off light-hearted, took a dramatic turn, and then managed to waffle on for ages before anything interesting happened again. Oh, and Hymn 63 is actually a Hyrn.

I should say though inside that temple I felt a little... safe. That sensation I was being watched wasn't there. I don't know why. The place just felt... hopeful, I guess.

Then we came across a large crowd in an open plaza in the midst of area of tenement housing that had felt a bit more like Clydesdale than Manehattan. This was Aesir Plaza, where the LCPD had apparently been shot at last night.

"What's going on here?" The Neighponese Princess wondered.

In addition to the crowd, there was plenty of police, and quite a few hovering pegasi and griffins with cameras and press badges. Someone seemed to be giving a speech. We couldn't hear anything over the audience's applause, or get a good look at the speaker.

One of Taichi's little Genin landed beside us -- I hadn't even seen him leave -- and gave his report.

"I think we should maybe avoid this area. Another... diplomat is present."

Then the applause died down, and a familiarly grating voice echoed out across the plaza.

"...Comrade Chekov's heroic sacrifice, and the sacrifices of all the brave Hooviets with him, were made by their own volition. They were the ones standing between insanity and the innocent in the name of peace and harmony."

"Makarov," I spat, perhaps a little too venomously. "Agent Kennedy, what do you know about this?"

"Last night during the rioting, a remarkably well-organized and heavily armed group of unknown individuals showed up in Aesir Plaza during the rioting. We've no idea who they were, but they drove the police back. The Hooviets are claiming a few of their guys were here visiting the local Greater Good society, based in that burnt-out building, there, when the attack began. They've attributed all their losses last night to this incident, here, probably because it shared the building with an orphanage..." He said.

I felt my blood freeze.

"...The foals got out okay, right?" Cadence asked.

"Yeah. No leads on the attackers. No one even clocked their species."

"Hold up, where'd the Neighponese guys go?" Ellis suddenly asked.

I looked up and saw them trying to make way through the crowd. While we'd been speaking, it seems the Imperial Princess had decided to go and take a look at the 'meanie'. The Samurai did not seem happy.

"Please move aside and make way for the esteemed Princesses of Equestria and Neighpon!" Makarov was saying.

Brilliant. He was up to something, and it smelled political. When we drew close enough, we saw he was standing in the wrecked remains of a fountain, using the slightly-raised area as his stage. Spetsnaz stood around him, along with regular police. He'd also apparently found a new Commissar somewhere, if the red-coated deer behind him was anything to judge by.

"I welcome and greet the Imperial Princess Euphie. It is a pleasure to meet you."

He said that in Neighponese, no doubt impressing much of the audience. It seemed the Neighponese princess was falling for whatever Hooviet mind trick he was playing, as she blushed and stammered out a reply.

"...Darn, she just thanked him and invited him to her party tomorrow evening." Cadence translated for us. "Even her Samurai seems taken in."

I studied the Neighponese party quickly. Much of them seemed to be nodding and smiling, either diplomatically, but the Shinobi seemed rather more stern. Taichi spotted it, and Daisuke broke off from his party to come over to us.

"Hikari spotted a genjutsu in play. We've dispelled it for us, but I think almost everyone else is taken in. It's weird though, it's like there's no source to it, like rain without any clouds, like it just exists, like gravity. That's supposed to be impossible."

"'Genjutsu'?" Twinkle Shine wondered.

"The Neighponese term for mind-altering or hallucinogenic magics. We Equestrias call it a Mind or Psyche Altering Spell or Solution. MPASS for short." I told her.

Pronounced like 'Em-pass', by the way.

"...You mean a geass?"

"No, I don't. Geass actually refers solely to a range of compulsion spells and potions, and is too often misused as a catch-all for any type of mind-altering magic. Geass also means 'Power Of The Princess' or 'Curse Bore By One Chosen To Be Princess.' Thanks to that, calling it a geass causes confusion if it's actually something completely different."

"At least that explains why the Samurai didn't call him out for referring to himself as 'Ore-sama'."

Ore-sama means-

(Interviewer (Unicorn): Ore-sama, honorific term meaning 'my esteemed self'. Use is considered extremely arrogant, especially since Princess Euphie technically outranks him.)

Exactly, point is, the Samurai would never have let him get away with doing that normally. Officially, he was only the military head. In hindsight he might have been confessing to how things really were...

Anyway, Makarov's wooing of the Neighponese seemed to be over. I felt he looked far too pleased when he looked at Cadence. Or he might have been amused to see me.

"And my greetings once again to the Third Alicorn, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza Equestria. And you seem to have a new Guard Commander..."

Maybe I'd got lucky and the suit was disguising me! Or Makarov was being a prick.

"Temporarily, I'm afraid. Flight Lieutenant Ace Rimmer, standing in for Captain Sparkle while he's off-duty, following last night's incident," Ace introduced himself.

Makarov then gave me a smug glance. So he was being a prick. In other words: he was currently breathing.

"Yes, quite... Before I speak of more important matters, Flight Lieutenant, perhaps you are better informed about my reputation?"

"Oh, certainly. I must say, I liked what you did in the invasion of Ruritania. Lure them into a false sense of security by attacking head-on a few times, make them expect something different and not be ready for the double-bluff of doing the exact same thing you did the last three times. Novel application of psychological warfare."

Makarov just smiled and nodded smugly to himself, somehow standing taller. Come to think of it... any pony who stood next to him always seemed to be shorter. Or rather he was always taller.

"Yes, yes, you flatter me," he said in a tone that was anything but flattered. Everyone, including Ace, just smiled and nodded in return... like the Cervicorn wasn't the world's worst actor. "Now... Captain Sparkle, I feel we should talk."

I stepped forward.

"Last night's incident was... regrettably, partially my fault, I fear. I have it on good authority the Diamond Dogs that attacked you and your troopers were followers of the Greater Good. They may have been misled by the little misunderstanding we had in the Embassy. I apologize to you for their rash actions. I am informed that they were all caught up in last night's gang violence. Much like some of my own soldiers, and a dear friend, Comrade Chekov, who regrettably lost his life in service of the Greater Good, standing between violent vermin and the helpless innocents."

Obvious troll is obvious. But you can't call that sort of thing out in diplomacy. Not with the various press-packers and paparazzi literally hovering around. And I wasn't quite skilled enough in counter-trolling to drench a snappy retort in honeyed words, the way Celestia could've.

In fact... bizarre as this is to admit... I remember feeling this strange little voice within me, urging me to apologize to him. Beg forgiveness.

The hay I would.

"I understand. Thank you, General-Admiral. My condolences on your losses last night."

He wasn't too pleased at that, I could tell. Yet he was acting the part of the grieving, but proud, commander and diplomat. Breaking character would be an unwise move, mind magic or no mind magic.

"...Thank you. I can assure you that I will do everything in my power to destroy the criminal who murdered my troopers. In fact, I suspect that the one who had you attacked also ordered this attack..."

What a cleverly subtle way of admitting it WAS a false flag attack.

"I was thinking that myself, sir." I said.

"And... Unlikely as this may sound, I have a favor to ask, Captain Sparkle. If you have any information on the... beastly creature that I suspect ordered this heinous act, please try to let me know, hmm?"

"If we can. Who is your suspect?"

"A traitor named Reznov. You cannot trust him, Captain Sparkle. I am glad I spoke to you first, in fact, for he is a deceitful Deer. He will fill your head with lies and show you visions of nonsense. He will no sooner give you useful aid than he will throw you to the wolf."

Makarov KNEW. To everyone else... the Wolf-thing was completely imperceptible, effectively a nonentity... but for whatever reason, Makarov was ALSO aware of this Wolf's existence. So I really hadn't hallucinated the beast. It made for cold comfort, though. Because I felt my skin crawl, just at that oblique reference to it. I could practically hear it sniffing for my scent...

I felt the little voice from before swat me in the flank with a paddle. How discourteous of me: not acknowledging Makarov's glorious splendor! It tried to cut out a piece of my brain and insert 'Makarov rocks, you suck' in its place. Not happening for this stallion! But the Princesses, the crowd, and even the ninjas all suddenly had sparkles in their eyes for him.

"I see now. The genjutsu was keeping us from seeing his true greatness," Somepony muttered.

I suddenly felt alone. Truly, what an oddity it was that the audience would be so enraptured, so spellbound, as to allow this P.R. speech, (which was receiving nationwide press coverage) to veer so off-course -- onto Reznov! -- And all the people could do was continue basking in awe.

"Reznov actually went rogue many years ago, but because he was so highly placed he concealed his use of Hooviet resources. He acted without authorization and had a number of spies and suspected agents of foreign powers killed... He even may have been behind the disappearance of the Defiant according to some of the records we found when we finally learned of his treachery. Surely Equestria suspected foul play in the loss of one of her most reliable and renowned Type-42 destroyers, a mere six weeks after a refit?"

"We never found the Defiant, we'd suspected it to be an accident..." Cadence said, truly alarmed by his claims. She gave a little jolt, in fact, the sparkles in her eyes fizzing out.

Makarov's brow twitched as Cadence regained her senses, and that was so satisfying. And made me suddenly feel not so alone.

"We foolishly tried to capture Reznov covertly, but he was one of our best. He evaded all capture to this very day. We have no idea of his current whereabouts. He has learned to hide himself well."

Great. Now I had no idea about tonight. Either Reznov was a traitor to Makarov, or he was a loyalist playing a part, with Makarov offering that tidbit to aid in the deception, make us think Reznov had good stuff.

Suppose Reznov were to kill me when I went out to meet him... well, what was I doing there anyway? Of course! Espionage! -- or so the intelligentsia would conclude. Shining Armor Sparkle was clearly a duplicitous covert operative!

Of course, I'm no spy -- that's Bond's department -- but in that scenario, Equestria is put in an awkward position and I'm put in the ground. If there's enough left of me to bury.

Interviewer's Notes: (Earth Pony): Poly-ticking and esper.... epi... spies, were a lot more fun to read about in Daring Do books.)

Interviewer's Notes: (Pegasus): Ditto.)

I advise you to never read the Hoofsard Official Record of Parliamentary Congress. Either from the House of Common Representatives or the Lord's Senate House. You will be bored to tears.

"Anyway, Captain, Princess, I'm afraid time is short. I have much to do today, but I wish to congratulate your trooper, Captive Audience in his absolution of guilt. I am sure his mother and father must be glad to know he will not face problems. But then, it really only makes sense he would be found to have performed a legitimate kill. Especially after the debacle surrounding your own kill, Captain, long ago..."

Brilliant. That spy was real it seemed. That or he was intercepting our communications somehow. And even worse, I could swear I just heard a mare gasp... I felt it was best to ignore her. Hopefully Makarov would dismiss it.

With that, he went resumed his speech to the crowd. Cadence sighed as we made our leave.

"He really IS using some sort of charm spell. I almost fell for it again. But how? I'm an Alicorn!"

"You managed to beat it when you were aware of it, Cadence."

"Yes, but you never seem to be taken in and you weren't aware of it until now either."

"I'm properly paranoid, I guess," I said.

"Maybe. You seemed to be looking over your shoulder a lot. Now I remember, you were doing it earlier, too..." She sighed again.

I could swear I hear something heavy snuffling...

"Anyway, I think we should head back to the Embassy now. You have dresses picked out for tonight, right, girls?" She said to her Hoofmaidens.

"Er, yes, ma'am..." Minuette replied.

"Makarov... he's so handsome," Sunset said dreamily at the super-buck. Cadence helpfully blocked her maidens' view with her wing. And geassed, genjutsu-ed, whatever, hoofmaiden hooves wasn't as strong as one Alicorn wing.
She also managed to snap Princess Euphie out of it, before Euphie could propose to Makarov on the spot and declared him honorary Neighponese nobility and buy for him a new personal harem. The Princesses bid one another farewell.

As we returned to the carriages, we were surprised to see Lance-Corporal Griffen waiting, presumably sent as a messenger. It reminded me his squad were actually the only on-duty and flight-capable squad we had right now thanks to Ranger's minor injury.

He saluted us, and passed on his message:

"Your Highness, Captain Sparkle. Commander Bond would like to meet you at the airship yards. The Columbian Navy have recovered something from the riverbed and they thought you should see it."

"...How long will it take?" Cadence wondered.

"Should be no more than a five minute detour depending on how long Bond takes."

And so off we went. And what we were shown was quite a shock.

"...None of this makes any sense. This isn't what we saw last night," I insisted.

Cadence seemed taken aback as well, but said nothing.

"It's what they recovered," Bond maintained.

We were in a warehouse at the shipyards. A number of Griffin marines stood in full combat gear outside. Before us lay four wrecks. Three small armored vehicles, like tricycles with the wheels replaced by a set of tank treads. And a strange looking flying machine, not a super-walker.

"...I know what I saw, this isn't what I saw..."

"The reports the Columbians got say it is," Rimmer added his two bits.

"That makes no sense either! I told them it was walkers. These are nothing like walkers!"

"Maybe... Maybe all four of them were those flying machines and Makarov managed to replace the ones on land somehow. It was dark, Shining, you were under a lot of stress..." Cadence tried to reason.

"Princess, the were referred to as 'Tankettes' in every report I've seen." Bond shot her theory down.

"No, that's impossible. What about Thunderchild? Unit Metal? Everyone else?! What did they see?!" I said, raising my voice a little.

"These. Their reports on last night's incident mentioned these. Even the ones that didn't mention 'Tankettes' by name, well, the descriptions they provided was unquestionable. T-31 Tri-Tread Tankettes. Armed with automatic crossbows and magic-powered Tesla Coils. Classical Hooviet small tank weapons, just with a nasty power source and more high powered weapons because of it. Come by my office: you're free to read their reports for yourself."

"I know what I saw last night!" I virtually screamed. "The vehicles they sent against us were FAR superior to this!"

"Shining, please calm down!" Cadence put a hoof on my shoulder.

"...I'm sorry, it's just... Maybe all of you are right... maybe I was confused last night. I'm not sure any more." I sighed in defeat.

"Makarov was out for your blood," Cadence reasoned, "if his mind magic's powerful enough to make himself SOMEHOW charming... maybe he tricked you into seeing these super-walker things to freak you out more?"

"That... sounds logical." I simply said.

Once my emotions had settled, I pointed at the odd flying machine, vaguely oval-shaped with a tail, and rotors. It also had a huge hole in the nose. I guess it had been from Frost's antitank rocket.

"So what's this? Some new Hooviet airship?"

"It's called a Mil-4 by the Hooviets. The Columbian reporting name is 'Hound'. And I'm afraid the design is almost forty years old. Also, it's not an airship, but it is Hooviet. This one is pretty heavily modified and modernized though. Magic engine, two tesla coils, two rocket pods, and it looks like whatever nose gun it had was destroyed by the rocket fired at it. A better use of their tech, I guess; updating an old airframe to be more reliable."

"It seems a pretty complicated machine," Cadence noted.

"If the wings are traveling faster than the fuselage, it's probably a helicopter - and therefore, unsafe." Rimmer quoted.

We looked to Rimmer for further wisdom.

"...Helicopters work with rotors for lift and thrust, instead of anti-gravity magic engines or rotors. Lose the tail or the main rotor and that's it. On top of that, the Hooviets used some bizarre engine design to power it. It ran off that flammable liquid Dragons like to drink, so it was a bit prone to exploding. Especially whenever they accidentally filled it with cheese instead."

"Cheese? Quit joking, Rimmer."

"It's no joke. Story goes the ground crews were forced to refuel blindfolded, because the fuel itself represented a state secret."

"And they couldn't tell the difference between the smell of cheese and Dragonwine?" Cadence wondered.

"The Hooviets did not make good cheese then," Bond explained.

"Judging by the sandwich I had at their embassy, they don't make good cheese now." The Princess noted.

"...Was there anything else found in the helicopter?" I asked Bond.

"Just two pilots and another unicorn horn-rig serving as the chopper's power supply."

I sighed. I found myself taking another glance over my shoulder and nearly jumped at a shadow.

"...I think we should head back now. We've seen all there is to see." I suggested.

And so we did.

My penguin suit had turned out to be fine and needed no adjustments. I decided to leave it in my room, figuring I could probably get away with something more casual now. We had about two hours until the show, dinner in about a half hour. That should have been plenty of time to maybe actually enjoy something approaching relaxation. I'd felt paranoid all day, the stock exchange, the riot zone... Makarov and the oddness with the Helicopter and the Tankettes.

And then Minuette knocked at my door. "Um... Captain, can I ask you something quickly?"

"...Is it about what Makarov said?"

She nodded, looking very nervous.

"I'm sorry. He was telling the truth."

"You... You had a reason though, right? Like Audience did? You were saving somepony else, right?"

I sighed. "Only myself by the time it happened, and it wasn't even anything I made a conscious decision about. I panicked. And... and it wasn't just me that paid the price for that mistake."

She then looked horrified. "B-but, Captain, you're the same age as the Princess. She's-! If it was..."

"Afraid so. Look, I know this must be even more difficult for you than Audience, but... believe me, it's not something I ever want to do again if I can avoid it. I didn't want to kill anyone. Still don't. Neither did Audience last night, but the enemies we faced wanted to kill us."

She closed her eyes, as if calming herself.

"...Captain, I... I don't really like knowing the things I know now. But I guess... I guess I was a little unfair on Audience. Having to kill doesn't make you a bad pony."

I nodded. "Troopers like Audience are trained to assess the situations, trained to try handle it better. Thankfully we've had very few cases where a trooper has HAD to use lethal force. You also train them to deal with the fact that fellow Guards might be killed too. If you're not ready for either or both it can be devastating."

"...I'm sorry if I raised bad memories, Captain," She said.

"It's okay. We all have our bad spots. That's what life is. The trick is pushing past them instead of just falling to despair. But do me a favor, please. Just talk with Audience and get to know the real him, please. I know you've felt worried about being around him."

"Um, no, Captain. I was worried about... Well, er, Twinkle Shine thought he was kind of cute and... It probably seems silly..."

"You thought you were looking out for a friend. That's not silly at all to me. That's my job, Minuette. The troopers aren't my subordinates, they're colleagues, friends, brothers and sisters."

"I understand. It's a lot like with me, Twinkle Shine, and Sunset. Anyway, thank you for answering my question, Captain. It... it's really helped, I think."

"No problem."

She left. I could hear her come to a stop outside my hallway. "Oh! Princess, I was just..."

"It's okay, Minuette. You were only talking to Shining. I could hear a little of the conversation from outside. Seems he's popular today..."

"Heh, yeah." The Hoofmaiden said. I heard her continue on. Cadence entered my room.

"Well, at least we've resolved her problem. But Shining, I think I need to talk about you."

"...Eh?" I imaginatively replied.

"You spoke to all your troopers who were there last night, but who speaks to you?" She wondered.

"I, er... Well, no one does, not really. It's what's expected of Officers. We're meant to look out for the troopers. They come first."

"They've come first. They're okay. What about you?" She came over and looked me in the eye.

"It's not about me, Princess. An Officer is as much a servant to the troopers under them as they are a leader, if not more so."

"And you've done them a fine service today. Now let's look at you, Shining, because last night affected you too. Contrary to what my cousin believes, a Princess's job is not all that unlike your own; a servant to their subjects. And you're my FRIEND."

"Really, I'm fine, Cadence. Just a little high-strung, I guess. I'll be okay."

"Then what about the radio? Your overreaction to it? All it did was play songs... and you were treating them like omens! And you've been looking over your shoulder all day, even before we ran into Makarov. And that whole business with the tankettes and the helicopter... Shining, something IS wrong and I want to help you. Please, be honest with me."

What could I say? Everyone else's memories about the tankettes were wrong? A ghost canine was hunting me? Part of why I wanted to see Reznov was to get answers about something I might've hallucinated? I wasn't sure what to say.

"Did you even realize how similar last night was to then? I think deep down, you might have. You might have been trying not to connect it in the open, but you know. And that's part of why you're so frightened. You've been remembering that night.."

In a way, it made sense. I was so highly strung because I'd been ignoring it. Bottling it up.

"...You might be right. I think... I think you helped Twilight out a lot back then, didn't you?" I said.

"I did. I wanted to try and speak to you as well and bring Twilight to see you, but... Auntie said it was complicated."

That was one way of putting it. To say I was a complete psychological wreck to the point I once had to be reminded that the two ponies who came to visit me the day before were my own parents, and that I had to be reminded the NEXT day the pony who told me that was Princess Celestia herself was a more detailed way.

No wonder Cadence and Twilight had been kept away.

"...I know it's silly but... I had a bad dream last night." She then said.

I recalled her reaction to Volume Six of the Guard Regulations. The one that is occasionally referenced in black humor as Volume Styx. What I didn't mention was it's updated annually, and reissued near the start of the year. It also has some blank pages at the back, and each Guard that falls in the line of duty during the year, we add their names when we're informed a brother or sister in arms has fallen.

"...I think I know what your nightmare was. You get a copy of Volume Six every year too, don't you? Most royals and nobles are supposed to if I recall." I replied.

"Yes, and all I ever read is the back page or two before I put it away and try not to think about it the rest of the year. And my nightmare involved it. I went to look for my hairbrush and tried to start getting ready but the book was lying there instead. And I found myself opening it. I saw your name, and the name of all your troopers, in the back in quill ink. I dropped the book and then I saw that my desk was covered with letters. To parents, siblings... And then I woke up. Or I thought I did. I'd went to speak with you, and instead, you were at the desk, writing the letters instead. And then you just vanished as you finished the last one, addressed to me and Twilight."

Actually quite close. I'd yet to have time to write a "just in case" letter to her though. I figured I probably owed her one. If I could figure out what to say in it...

And then I started to worry I was still dreaming when everything happened this morning. I I didn't even know Gag had siblings last night, but I remember clear as day, letters to a Couch Gag and an Overly Long Gag. That's why I was so alarmed when he mentioned them."

She paused after that. I wasn't sure what to say, so she moved onwards.

"Anyway, Shining. I think maybe it'd be for the best if you took more than one day off. Goodness knows, I want to try and relax a bit after the past twelve hours or so, so I think you'll need a bit of R&R yourself. I think forty-eight hours off-duty is more than called for: you've really gone above and beyond for me, these past few days, Shining. Thank you."

Hopefully I'd have Gag back to scout out

"...What about tonight?" I had to ask.

"Oh. Right. That's still your choice, but, to be brutally honest, Shining, I have a bad feeling about it. It might sound silly but I just can't help this strange feeling that if I'm not there, if I don't know you're safe... You won't be. I don't really want you to go but somehow... I can see you feel that you have to."

"I... I feel I kind of owe it to the Defiant and her crew... but I'm really not sure myself after all this. I guess I'll have to figure it out nearer the time, once we've got a clearer view on it all."

"Okay. Whatever your decision, I'll be supporting you. By the way, are you wearing that to dinner?"

"Hm? Oh, I planned to... I don't have to wear the suit, do I?"

"Oh, no, no. I did say casual wear... But if you're going to wear your Marsenal shirt..."

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): ...She didn't.)

She was only joking. It would probably have been misunderstood, all things considered...

Anyway, we went on to enjoy the evening. I noticed one of our Hoofmaidens seemed to have said something to a reporter, and he looked very pleased. I wondered what...

Cadence, the Ambassador, myself, Rimmer, Commander Shepard, and the Hoofmaidens were the party heading off to the variety performance. We and four guards would sit in a VIP box. The Guards were Misfit 2-2 this time: Lance-Corporal Griffen led that squad, and the rest were all Pegasi: Princesses were traditionally accompanied by Pegasus Guards on very formal occasions as a bit of a pun - They were flying the flag. Since they had wings.

Of course, we were actually sharing the box with Knossos, Ponsia, and Mexicolt, but this was a sign of Columbian respect: It meant we four nations were being highly regarded with our VIP section to the right-talon side of the Columbian President and President-elect. It also meant that Knossian Royal Guard Griffins in their Blue and Gold uniforms and the Immortals with their species and gender concealing silver face masks and black tunics were trying to out-soldier the Royal Guard Ponies (and one Griffin). The Mexicoltian bodyguards just wore fairly simple dark green dress uniforms and wound up looking like professional soldiers instead of cool ones.

Neighpon, Brayzil, Prance, and Germaney had the box to the left. Princess Euphie managed to give a wave across the way, Cadence returned it. The Hooviets had been shunted off to their own box quite far off. Not because of any snub, but because they'd brought a small army of guests and no one else could share.

"Ironic that a so-called Greater Good devoted to the people and the idea of unity and equality should bring such a huge entourage of people. I think they outnumber the Columbians..." Private Pike, one of the Royal Guards with us, commented to Lance-Corporal Jones.

"Nearly. There's about fifty of them and sixty Columbian VIPs." I whispered to him.

Not that I'd been counting...

Anyway, the show began. It wasn't really all that memorable. It consisted of comedians and musicians. I found it a nice little touch that they'd managed to get performers from many of the nations currently in the hall tonight. Equestria was represented by the Manehattan Philharmonic Orchestra. But first...

"Remember, everyone, we all have to stand when they perform the Columbian National Anthem. And mime. In fact, even if you know the words you'll probably be drowned out anyway..." Cadence told us.

I looked at the stage.

"...Are those Thunder Guitars?" I asked, before a Griffin in evening dress approached a microphone. The band behind him looked ready.

"Chicks and Gentlegriffs, Mares and Gentlecolts, Roes and Noblebucks, Cows and Gentlebulls, Jennies and Jacks, Rams and Ewes, Esteemed Guests from Foreign Lands and from across the nation, the President of the United Republics of Columbia extends you greetings and welcome to tonights performance, and requests that all stand for a performance of our National Anthem!"

"It starts on piano traditionally - the guitars kick in at the chorus. Brace yourselves for noise on 'now it's our time to be free', everyone." Cadence warned us as we stood.

I, however, found myself distracted as the song began by the fact Cadence singing along was quite audible in our box (considering she's the personification of music, you can guess how it sounded). She seemed to be the only one who knew the words nearby. It meant I almost jumped in fright when the guitars kicked in and the singing voices raised in volume. Hers included.

"Where the eagles fly, I will soon be there!"

I think she might have used Royal Canterlot Voice to deliberately be heard: The singer on stage certainly gave a pleasantly surprised look and a salute in our direction during a guitar solo, after he'd saluted his Presidents. And to be honest, even though I knew she was a trained diplomat and an Alicorn of music (hence knowledge of national anthems was very much her department) I still found it kind of surreal an Equestrian pony Princess was cheerfully singing a patriotic Griffin song about fighting for freedom that included the line "let everyone be king"...

But I will say...her singing made my paranoia go away, just for a little bit. There was something about it that settled my nerves.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Knowing Cadence, I imagine it was intentional.)

I agree.

Anyway, that was one of the highlights of the evening. Our orchestra was wonderful when they played our national anthem, and I was touched the Master of Ceremonies accorded our anthem a request for the crowd to stand as well even though Cadence told us he would ask that for any national anthem performed, which that night would be those of the Prench, the Hooviets, and the Knossians.

Most of the other bands and musicians were okay - Even the Hooviet Soprano Roe (Sopranroe?) who sang the Hooviet March wasn't bad but the lyrics did spoil it a bit. I mean, come on, how can a song that starts "Our Hooviet Empire subjugates the whole world " NOT be a pretty obvious statement of intent?!

Some of the comedians however, were atrocious.

"Anyone else missing Private Gag right now?" Cadence sighed, as a local Pegasus duo named Merryweather and Pull Sky ran through a rather sad routine of random slapsticky humor.

Ten hooves and one talon rose in a unanimous show of agreement. The pair of them were dying on their hooves, the only applause coming from the polite, the trolling, and the moronic. Princess Euphie and her bodyguard Samurai were clapping. Not sure if polite. But pretty sure not trolling...

Anyway, despite that, I did find I'd enjoyed myself actually. I'd really began to feel relaxed for possibly the first time since we'd got to Columbia.

Of course, I had the meeting with Reznov to come, and that realization came to the fore of my mind. Things seemed to be drawing to a culmination.

" Esteemed Guests, The United Republics of Columbia thanks you for attending tonight's performances and hopes that you have enjoyed yourself. As a special conclusion to tonight's show, we would like to present one additional performance tonight, the Manehattan Philharmonic Orchestra featuring Griffowar, in tribute to the recently returned Princess Luna Nyx Selena Equestria."

We were so stunned for our part none of us were able to clap at first. It was... strange. We'd come to Columbia, to extend a hoof of friendship. Nightmare Moon had come down and Luna had been freed on our way here. We'd had to wait to inform the Columbians, but Makarov had beat us to the punch with his spoiler. We'd spoken of her casually, to others. Makarov had mocked her. She'd been problematic when we'd spoken of her at the Executive Nest. But here, now, seemed to be truly when it hit home for all of us that we had three Princesses. Even for Cadence. To hear such music, to have such a tribute paid...

It was highly emotional. And when the combined bands played an arrangement of Beethooven's Moonlight Sonata, a blend of the Griffin guitars and drums with the Equestrian string instruments... It brought tears to our eyes. Cadence was crying and grinning like a loon at the same time. I couldn't help but wonder how Luna would have responded if she were here. We'd come to Columbia, to extend a hoof of friendship. But a talon of peace was already outstretched and waiting for us.

Episode 101: (Shining Armor) tunH dnoceS

Pony POV Series Shining Armor Part 10
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
Pony POV Series
Written By lz0291 http://lz0291.deviantart.com/
tunH dnoceS

Getting out of the embassy once we returned was much easier than expected. Bond was waiting for me, not in navy uniform but a dark blue hooded sweatshirt with a messenger saddle. He asked to discuss a few matters with me and the Princess. Before that though, we bid the other Air Navy officers with us goodnight as they left. Ace was also advised he'd be needed tomorrow as apparently I was getting another day off.

Assuming I survived the evening.

"Well then, Princess, please have the kitchen toast me a muffin, I'll be back for breakfast," he said as he left.

"...What a guy!" Twinkle Shine giggled, not nearly as quietly as she probably hoped.

"That's the first time he's said that when breakfast was actually the next meal," Bond noted.

Candence ordered trio to bed which they reluctantly complied. Cadence and I followed Bond to a spot away from prying ears, with Bond's anti-listening spell up for good measure.

"Princess, I'm going to tell the door guards that me and Shining have gone out to a party I've been invited to. You should change your clothes and sneak out and meet us at the end of the street so no one sees you getting in the cart. We'll wait with the carriage around the corner," Bond said.

She agreed to this, then made a show of bidding us goodnight and hoping we enjoyed the party. Bond and I went out the front door.

"Wait there, I'll bring the cart around," he said, before trotting off around a corner.

"Er, Bond, who's going to PULL the cart?" I asked, but he was gone.

I was assuming he'd planned for the Princess to ride inside and us to pull. It made sense, I guess, but I was never a very good carthorse. Still, it had to be a light cart if he was pulling it around by himself. I looked the other way from where he had went... and then I heard a deep, rumbling growl coming up behind me. Like an angry wolf.

I turned almost in a panic, only to see Bond sitting inside a bizarre... thing. A black-metal cart-like thing with a stretched out front and a rather small looking cabin. He sat behind an odd thing that looked like a ships wheel, in the faint glow of his magic. It was making the rumbling noise. I stared at the odd contraption. As it stopped the rumble drew down to a faint but low purr.

"Commander Bond... What is that thing?" I asked, as he climbed out.

"It's a magic-powered self-propelled carriage. A Gaston-Maretin, to be precise. This will get us there fast and inconspicuous. No one builds a cart like Gaston," he said as if this explained anything.

"...Er... good for Gaston."

I looked it over with a raised eyebrow. Bright silver, looking like it came from another planet...

"Yes, Commander. Inconspicuous...."

Soon enough, I'd realize he was right: this WAS inconspicuous. The only reason our Gaston-Maretin would have stood out at all, was for looking cheap compared to some of the more modern Itallion and Columbian 'sports carts' parked outside Mason's apartment. When did these mechanical monsters come about?

"Shame there's only two seats," I pointed out another fault.

"Look in the back."

I did. All I saw was a rather cramped space with a bench.

"...Are you proposing we stuff a Princess of Equestria into the rear luggage compartment?!"

"No, not at all. First, those are seats, and second, I'm proposing we stuff a Captain of the Royal Guard in there. Besides, I put all my gear in the rear luggage compartment."

"...Oh."

He duly had me stuff myself in the back. I had to sit on the rear seats like it was a bench. Still, the short ride to go wait for Cadence down the street was smooth. And I suppose it did make sense to put the guy Makarov actually cared about where he wouldn't be noticed as easily. A few moments later there was a gasp from behind us. We turned to see a purple pegasus in a hooded shirt, and thanks to that hood I never recognized her until she spoke.

"...Is that a Gaston-Maretin?!" A familiar voice asked as the hood was pulled down.

I noted that it seemed to have been resting on an invisible horn, so clearly it was just a sort of glamour spell. With the hood down I saw her eyes were also purple.

"...Cadence?"

"Yes, it's me, figured the hoody would help a bit once I was out of the Germane Embassy. But... Wow. I can see why the Conserve Canterlot's Beauty Committee had these banned, they'd make the rest of the city look ugly..."

Once we were inside the apartment, I wasn't surprised to discover the cover-story was in full swing. Cadence removed her disguise as soon as the door was closed, and the soldiers inside saluted upon seeing her. Otherwise they seemed remarkably cool about the whole thing.

It was a very large penthouse apartment, and the living area was well-stocked. A nice stereo system, a well-stocked fridge - there was a door leading to a patio, but it faced the wrong way to look to the hospital, but it gave a very nice view of the city behind us, not to mention an easy way for the flying squad to take off.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Nice digs for a Navy Lieutenant Commander...)

Actually, it belonged to his cousin, remember? Toneigh, a female deer, owned two of nightclubs - Maisonette Neigh and Firefly. The latter was, er, restricted to males without an invite...

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Oh, it was a lesbian club?)

...I'm not sure I want to know how she guessed that. But the point was, she was fairly rich. Dai took me over to the windows as Cadence spoke with the troopers, while Bond carried a luggage chest from the back of his carriage through to another room.

"Now, Captain, you've got a good view from this window of things..." Dai explained.

Two large windows gave the vantage of the destination. Colony Island lay about a hundred meters off our side of the river, and Broker lay across the way from us. A large bridge crossed the island lower down, but didn't seem to have any off-ramps for land traffic. There was a small two-lane bridge that led towards the tower block where Baseplate and Price were already in place. I couldn't see them though. The ruined hospital lay there, as dark and foreboding as advertised. It gave me chills just looking at it.

"And also, these four will be covering you with rifles from up here. The Unit Metal guys you know, but these are my girls..."

One of the Navy snipers was a female Unicorn, dark blue with a cutie mark of a bird - a snipe, of course, named Hawk. The other was a female Griffin named Horse. They seemed polite enough.

"How's your wing, Grinch?" I asked to change the subject after saying hello to the Navy sharpshooters.

"Oh, it's cool, just a scratch. Can't fly on it though."

"Gullshit, dude, you were flying this morning," Truck shouted from across the room.

"Doc doesn't know that, bro."

"Anyway, Captain, I think we should get you better equipped, more fitting gear for starters..." Bond said, coming over.

"Why does he need to get better gear? Aren't tuxedos what spies wear?" Cadence tried to joke.

Despite being a Princess, Bond gave her a very disapproving look.

"You think real espionage is like Con Mane, don't you, ma'am?" He sighed.

"Er, well..." She trailed off.

"Permission to speak freely?"

"...Granted, Lieutenant Commander."

He took a deep breath.

"Con Mane is a load of rubbish about a spy who steals cake recipes from ridiculous places! A tuxedo is NOT adequate equipment for a jungle, it's not even an adequate disguise for a party if you go around telling everyone your real name and asking for Vanilla milk, shaken not stirred! And a crossbow bolt with a head made of meringue would still have a wooden shaft to penetrate the target at high velocity even if the ballistics weren't shot to hay! Quite apart from being absurd, if he's stealing the cakes for Princess Celestia, what's that trying to imply? That she eats a lot of cake? And don't get me started on that Daring Do crossover radio drama they did..."

(Interviewer's Notes(Pegasus and Earth Pony): Don't diss Daring Do!)

Strange, he stiffened slightly at that time, like he felt a shiver down his spine.

"Um, Commander Bond... She actually does enjoy cake a lot. But I agree, that Daring Do crossover was just silly."

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): That is unfortunately true.)

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Yeah, they SO played down Ahuizotl as a threat.)

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Yeah, why do they always have one side of a crossover overshadow the other?)

"Yes, sorry, it's just it's kind of a sore point. I just hope that Neighson Airborne book doesn't take off, no pun intended."

"Can't say I've read it myself. Probably just as well, for some reason anything I'm seen reading becomes popular..." Cadence said.

"Well, when I write that novel I know who to ask to proof-read it," I noted.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): What was the idea for your novel anyway?)

Science fiction. It's about a special multinational task force trying to fight against invaders from another dimension, about a century in the future. Since they fight extradimensional aliens and the unit the book would be about were called E-Com. Also, the title of the story is Enemy Unknown, because they don't even know the species name of the aliens: They just call them EDs, short for extradimensionals.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): ...X would be cooler.)

Funny, Thunderchild and Audience said the same thing. Anyway, Bond led me off into another room, where it turned out his luggage had been holding a lot of actual spy equipment.

"We've got you some more useful clothes..." He began to explain.

"That's a turtleneck," I don't even know why I was complaining, it was better than the tuxedo...

"It's a tactical garment and it'll help you look a bit less obvious. I'm usually on the receiving end of these things and I'm starting to see why Major Hoofroyd is so sick of me already. Now shut up and listen. That will help cover up this stab vest, which is basically just a pouch-less Neighponese flak vest. You'll also be wearing under-armor, but this is slightly improved over standard issue."

"Good, I'd rather not risk Makarov going for another low blow if he does show up," I said in appreciation.

"You'll also have a saddlebag. That'll fit any gear you want to carry other than your main radio, which I'll explain in a minute."

I was shown a selection of things for the saddlebag. Night-vision goggles (I had a spell), flaregun for emergencies (I had a spell), a selection of knives...

"Butterfly knife, small and can fit in the turtleneck's pocket. Talon Combat Knife, bigger and you can slip it below your saddlebag. As for ranged weapons... well, I suppose that you've got stun spells, right?"

"Yes, I would rather use my horn. If I can stun an attacker rather than kill him, I will."

"So what if you're caught in a Death Dome spell again with only your hooves against someone who's already kicked your flank without breaking a sweat? Even a mouthgun or a knife would be better than nothing. First rule of unarmed combat?"

"...Get armed quickly. Okay, I see your point. But I'm a terrible shot!"

"Don't worry, these things are short ranged anyway, I doubt even you could miss. First up, Wheatley Revolver, six shot muzzle loading percussion cap you can fire with the mouth. But if you don't want to try get used to the recoil and taste of blackpowder we've got airguns too. Colt Single Action Airgun, six shot air-revolver. Or you can use my PPK. Air-powered Spiriling type weapon, means Pneumatic Pistol Short in Germane. Actually, Price has a rifle airgun like this right now, the Austneighians, Germanes, and Lindblumians really like these. Same range as bows, but they can be semi-automatic. Or even full auto if you've got a big air tank. In fact, Columbian Generation 3.5 Tanks have them, and I think the new G4 ones will be able to mount them too..."

Had I been under a rock? When did all these weapons come out of R&D? I'd never seen an Equestrian carrying anything more advanced than a clockwork crossbow.

"Uh, I have no idea what the difference is, Bond. Or what you're on about with this Generation three point five rubbish."

"I'm referring to Tank generations. Not too major for us Equestrians, we don't have tanks. Anyway, the Wheatley will not be fun to fire but it'll drop anything short of heavy armor at short range, the SAA might not manage stronger armor, and the PPK is slimmer so you could hide it below the shirt. However, you might hurt yourself with the slide and jam it."

"...The revolver airgun sounds simpler," I conceded.

"Good choice. Look, I KNOW you're not going to like this, but Makarov is a deer, so if you DO end up having to pull a gun on him, aim for the neck. Most instinct would be for the head, but their skull is thick, the area for an instant kill is surprisingly small, you're not a good shot, and you don't have a high powered enough weapon. And his chest will probably be protected by armor rated for arrows, so the neck is your best bet since there's lots of stuff to damage there and less likely to be any armor."

Yes, it did make me uneasy to talk about actually shooting Makarov, but since it was Makarov, it was best that I knew all my options. "...Got it, aim for the neck if I HAVE to."

"Now, it's about forty minutes until you need to get down there, so you should do your best to memorize the layout of the hospital..."

"And make up my mind if I really want to go in," I said.

He nodded. "I understand. Even if he does claim to know about the Defiant, something smells fishy. And not just the tuna sandwiches some of the Griffins were eating. Anyway, the radio..."

It turned out they'd planned quite a bit. The radio was designed to stop anyone listening in because it was actually very weak. The receiver I carried would only work with more or less line of sight to one of the receiver dishes, either in the apartment or on the tower block. Unless I went in the basement I should have been able to get some form of reception.

Of course, it also meant I could only talk to people who had a visual on me. If things went wrong I had a normal radio too, with advice to use 'misfit' as a callsign on it if things went flanks-up, but I was warned to be careful because there was a police exercise underway that might be on similar frequencies. And I also had a flaregun.

As for the hospital itself, much of the second floor had collapsed, long ago, into the first. It had been a two-story brick structure before abandonment, and more or less an empty shell in places now. Reznov wanted to meet me in the main lobby, right in the middle of the place. There was only one ground entrance not boarded up other than coming in by air, and it was at the near end. Luckily, the lobby was open enough that both groups of my sniper coverage could see in. The rest was a maze of crumbling and graffiti-covered walls, and the second floor was the remains of rotting floorboards and crumbled brick.

However, there was another 'entrance' - A tunnel in the basement led to the riverside where there had been a small boathouse. It was gone now, but the way in wasn't. It was exposed though, so the three sniper teams could see it very clearly. As for why the tunnel was there, well, the hospital had started life as a general infirmary. And then it became a hospital for infectious diseases. The tunnel was used to remove bodies discreetly. It maintained that function even when the hospital switched over to become a mental ward. I had no desire to go anywhere near it.

The time approached... and I wimped out and ran away LIKE A HOSS!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):...)

Kidding again. Of course I went down there. The walk was fairly short, but played upon my paranoia.

"A'right, laddie, we can see ye noo. Can ye hear us?" Baseplate's voice rang out as I began to cross the small land bridge to Colony Island.

It wasn't the best reception even with clear lines. On top of that, Baseplate had decided to let his accent run wild.

"Yeah. How long have you been watching the ruins?" I kept my voice low, so I didn't seem suspicious.

""Few hours. Some of mah lads had a quick scout aroon, scanned it frae a distance. No' a soul been in or out that we've spotted. Haud oan... Whit the..."

"What's wrong?" I asked. I was about to start heading around the tower block to reach the hospital entrance.

"Target just walked into the main lobby. Unless he teleported I think he's good at sneaking. " Price then cut in.

"...Normal Deer can't teleport. Apart from the telekinesis, they're basically Earth ponies," I noted.

Once upon a time, the deer had been a techno-minimalist, nature-loving people. The rise of the old Roedinian Empire, the battles between noble tribes, and the emergence of the Tsars led to much of that being nullified. By the Hooviet era, the Deer regarded themselves as pioneers of technology. Yet, to my knowledge, none of them had invented a non-magical answer to teleportation or invisibility.

"They've also got stronger grips with fully grown horns even if they can only grasp two things at once." I was helpfully reminded.

"Just keep the motherbucker in your crosshairs and tell me if anything looks suspicious."

"...Roger that. I don't see a weapon on him. Bugger needs a shave, though..."

"With your facial hair, Price, you've no room to talk. Are you SURE it's not Makarov in disguise? I know HE can teleport."

"Nope, not him, wrong body type."

"All things considered, I wouldn't put shapeshifting past him, keep a sniper on him. I'm going around the building now, let the others know I'll be dark for a moment..."

As I walked around the corner, the tower block got in the way of the directional radios, Luna's moon hung over the city, brighter than ever, making the river into a silver mirror, reflecting the lights of the bridges and cloudscrapers. It felt strange to see it without the Mare in the Moon across her surface any longer. Gas lamps helped to throw more shadows behind me and I tried to fight the urge to look into them. The hospital, however, looked like pure blackness.

"Hello! We can see you again!" Cadence cheerfully spoke.

"...Good to know," Thankfully she'd had the presence of mind not to use my real name. I felt safer.

Was it the sniper coverage, or just the fact that any potential attacker would have an Alicorn to deal with? Sorry, but I'm afraid it was the snipers. I trust Cadence but she's the Goddess of Harmony and Music, not War.

"Okay, I might have bad reception now, I'm not looking up at any of you," I warned, and readied my night-vision spell.

It relied on my horn to emit infra-red light, so it was really just a form of hornlight only I (or someone else with their own night-vision spell or equipment) could see. I saw a window that had obviously once been boarded up, but now wasn't: this was my way in. It led into what looked like a former ward, with nothing but trash and rude slogans graffitied on the wall. I didn't stop to investigate anything.

"Why'd they leave this place standing in a city like this..." I muttered into the radio.

"Ghost stories, dude. Well, no, not really, there's been a campaign for years to designate it as a historic place." Grinch replied.

I noticed a half-open steel door leading into a stairwell was in the corridor outside. The way to the basement. Certainly not a place I wanted to go. The corridor here, as long, dark, and spooky as it was, led me to Reznov.

"You guys hear me?" I asked.

There was a faint crackle, but nothing. I walked down the corridor, and paused halfway there. I had this sensation there was something coming up behind me.

"...Can you hear me now? I could have sworn I heard something behind me."

"No' a thing there, laddie. Nae ghosts, nae hooviets, no even a hobo wi' a knife. Wan wi' a shotgun though..."

I turned in panic. Nothing.

"You bastard..."

"Ye say it like ye never met me."

I continued, reaching the lobby. Reznov in the middle. I took a moment to make absolutely sure it wasn't Makarov in disguise before continuing.

"Greetings, Captain Sparkle. I am glad you came."

"Hello to you to. What's this about?" I asked.

He tutted. "Oh, Captain, you know very well what I have to say to you. But I will say it only to you. Please drop the transmitter. You can retain any normal radios, but I am familiar with how your allies operate. What changes there have been to the game, I have paid attention to."

"Sh... Don't. It's some sort of trick!"

"Have them check. There is nothing around. There are no airships swooping in from the Hooviet Embassy. No Spetsnaz lurking in the shadows. We are safe here, Captain, and you are safest under HER gaze."

"...Whose gaze?" I asked, after letting my team know to have a look.

"Princess Cadenza, of course. It is really quite remarkable... And incredibly fortunate. But please, just trust me, Captain."

"Clear, no one around. Just you two. You can drop the transmitter, we've got you covered." I was then told by Dai.

After reassuring Cadence I'd be fine, I put the transmitter down. Reznov promptly placed a piece of slate on it.

"That will be enough to block things. Now... You must have questions."

"Yeah. Who are you really and who working for? Why are you here?"

"Hm. Simple questions. I am here with a warning that your government and the Columbians would both do well to heed. Makarov is planning a large-scale attack on his enemies, at home and abroad. His influence spreads like a cancer. Even the leaders in Mosroe do not know what he is truly planning, even though he plays them like puppets. He is not just a deer with desire for conquest, he's a monster that will not rest until he's consumed all he desires. He must be stopped, Captain."

"Okay, got that, so... the rest?" I urged.

"I work for... not quite myself, but for the many who cry out in suffering. As for who I am... We Deer believed once that, with death, we returned to the soil. But what calls itself 'Makarov' has denied this peace to many. Many of those the Hooviets use as pawns are still trapped above the earth, their souls unable to move on. I am one amongst many who hear the cries of the dead and seek vengeance for them."

"Are you speaking of some form of... necromancy? Body reanimation?"

Good actor or real traitor, I thought, as he paused for a second.

"Captain, I must be honest with you here. You are asking simple questions in the hope of simple answers. I can provide you simple answers that are true, or I can give you complex answers that are truer still but rely on additional information."

"What's the catch for the true-true answers?"

He laughed. "There is not a catch, as such. You simply need to not trust me."

"Not trust you? Look, if your Equestrian is poor I can switch to Roedinian..."

"No, Captain, I mean precisely what I said. Your distrust of me is good. Perfect for me to show you the full truth."

"...Explain?"

"You know of Ley Lines?"

"Yeah. Ley Lines are a sort of mana-flow that crosses the world. I think Earth Pony rock farmers try to build on them as much as they can, but they're either as wide as raging rivers or as thin as threads. They change as magic changes. They're used a lot in Zebra magic I think."

Thanks for rambling on about your studies into other magics last Hearths-Warming, Twiley!

"Correct. Ley Lines are a flow of magic. There are places around the world where Ley Lines can converge. Those who stand at such waypoints are said to reach incredible epiphanies... gain hidden knowledge. Zebras, Minotaurs, Deer... Yes, you may think we are just Earth ponies with antler telekinesis. But the truth is we are closer to Zebra than Earth ponies in how our magic works. Other than growing of seeds and plants, our magic lets us explore knowledge and imagination with the right circumstances. And it lets me show you directly the 'true truths' as you call them. But first I must tell you the simple truths. Facts that can be proven."

"...Sounds like you're planning to take me on a vision quest."

"Something like that. 'Vision quest' is as close an approximation as any. This is a place where many ley lines converge - nine, in total. Currently, there are but two other places like this, with nine intercrossing ley lines: One is in the Everfree Forest of your own Equestria, where the Princesses built their first castle. The other is in Chernobull. Many places see eight converge. Many more see seven. Most see less, two is common. But only three places see nine lines cross. What's more, they came together since after the hospital was built. Just three ley lines can allow one's knowledge and imagination to open to an unimaginable degree of depth. A novelist could pen his magnum opus, a weapon designer could leave his competitors in the arms race eating his dust for DECADES! You can only imagine what nine ley lines can do to the mind."

"...Hang on, I've heard rumors about something deep in Canterlot..."

"Oh, that. I think I know what you speak of, and it is something completely different. It is more focused, and shows a far broader spectrum of time and space. Ley lines merely work with time, and let one see all existence as applicable to them. Except, for most ponies and griffins. They instead may see shades of the past, shades of what could have been in other timelines applicable to them... but they cannot focus. "

"So... the ghost stories about this hospital...?"

"The magically-sensitive seeing and sharing visions. Delusional unicorns are especially susceptible. If you have ever been truly ill, yourself, you may recall strange visions..."

"Yeah. When I was a foal, I was pretty ill one time. I was nine or ten, not sure. For some reason my dad and uncle couldn't find a doctor at all during a snowstorm, and they couldn't take me out in it. Anyway, I think I get it. You can use Deer voodoo..."

"Voodoo is one of the Zebra animist spiritualities. Deer call it Divination."

"Oh, sorry. You can use Deer Divination to show me stuff. And apparently because I DON'T trust you, that's a good thing?"

"Your distrust shows you are blessed with strong mental defenses, Captain. A natural strength against deceptive magics. A backstabber could trap you in a genjustu or a geass and even then they'd probably need to make eye contact, maybe even direct horn contact..."

I had NO IDEA how much of all this was true. That WOULD explain that why everyone else was falling for Makarov's spell except me. But when different magic schools usually compare notes, 'That's impossible!' is traditionally the first thing out of their mouths. Either way, I wasn't about to put much stock in it.

"So when I offer to show you what I saw, know that it will be the truth. I cannot show you a falsehood even if I wanted to."

"...So for me to believe you I have to distrust you? Seems a bit paradoxical."

"Indeed. Paradoxical is a perfect word. But now I must ask: what is it your truly wish to know?"

"I want to know about the Defiant, about Makarov... And you said you knew what the monster that chased me was. I want to know what that means."

"More simple questions. But I cannot give you the simple answers to all of them right away. What I shall first tell you is about Chernobull. About betrayals the Hooviet Empire performed in a desperate attempt to save itself. And I will tell you of 'Makarov.' Or what calls itself that. And I will tell you of the Defiant. And once I finish with those, I shall tell you of yourself."

"Myself? Why would that tell me what the beast-thing meant?"

"A unicorn philosopher of Zhongguo's Qilin tribe once said that 'if you know the enemy and know yourself'..."

"....'you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.' We're made to read that as Officer Cadets."

"Very good, Captain. You do not know your enemy nor do you truly know yourself. But that is for later. First, the truths that apply to the here-and-now. The truths you can confirm with yourself as you are now."

"'With myself as I am now?' What is that even supposed...?!"

"...We must start at Chernobull."

"Okay, fine." I tried not to sigh.

"Chernobull was a magical research facility. It was built on the convergence point of nine ley lines. Their aim, of course, was to draw upon its magics, and enhance the knowledge and imagination of the facility's scientists. Roughly thirteen years ago, it exploded. Many were killed, but from the ruins of that disaster, a... hero of the Empire was born, in a manner of speaking. A seventeen year old Captain-Lieutenant of the Spetsnaz, who displayed great heroism, rescuing trapped comrades and preventing the loss of key resources."

"Makarov."

"Correct. His star began to rise after the Chernobull incident. This is a truth. But he was actually born there TWICE before... And not metaphorically. Chernobull was the site of many magical research projects. One that succeeded was the creation of unicorn-deer hybrids with exceptional talents in both Deer and Unicorn magics. Curiously, only one such hybrid of this project still lives to this day..."

Wonder how. I imagine Chronic Backstabbing Disorder may have been in play.

"So he is a genetically engineered super soldier born at a magical ley line 'super genius zone' ...and that's how he knows so much? He can use ley lines to scry... divinate... whatever?"

"Yes. Or at least, that is the scientifically-accepted 'justification' for all Makarov is able to do. It's not precisely a falsehood, either. But it only scratches the surface of Makarov's birth."

"...Please, go ahead and tell me."

"I will show you. But first, I must tell you the truth that applies here-and-now about the Defiant. She was shot down in the jungles of Kundu."

Not an accident then.

"Makarov claims YOU were involved in the Defiant's disappearance. Said you went rouge, killed spies and agents of foreign powers without authority," I told him.

"Technically, all of this is correct. The shoot-down... I was not the one who pulled the trigger, but in a way, I was responsible. Work I did had identified a number of spies and agents working against the Empire's interests. One of them..."

"Saltire Bond? So you shot the whole ship down to get him?"

"No. Captain Bond was not the target of the attackers. His wife was, for she interfered in matters of interest to the Hooviets."

"...What?"

"Mrs. Bond was a specialist in Zebrafrican affairs. I supplied information to the Columbians, who supplied it to the Equestrians. And she was the agent who oversaw it all. The Hooviets wanted to be rid of her, so they had Kundu rebels attack the ship after severing communications."

"Wait... You're one of ours?!"

"...If you mean I supplied information to Equestria's allies, yes. Most of the spies and agents of foreign powers I had killed were Hooviets and Hooviet Allies. For the last twenty-five years I have been secretly passing on what information I can to Hooviet enemies. But Makarov's goals have accelerated. That is the truth as it applies here and now."

"...And what about the... other truth?"

"I can tell you the other truth of the Defiant. She was never shot down. Makarov should not have been born. Chernobull should have exploded twenty-five years ago. Something changed."

"...You're saying a time traveler changed the past?" I whispered. I might've accused him of being a complete nutjob... except I knew that time travel spells had been in existence since the days of Starswirl the Bearded.

"Not precisely. Time travelers who journey to the past with the aim of changing it, for good or ill, end up creating temporal loops, creating their own past. Stable loops, most of the time... and very fortunately so! No, what happened with Makarov was that a branch in a timeline was made that technically had no right to exist. That branch, we will discuss more of later, but for now, the unforeseen consequences of it, most notably on a global scale, was that it provided an opening... for LATER changes. To something that should never have been sent to this world."

"...When did Chernobull explode exactly? When 'should' it have, rather?"

He told me a date.

"What a coincidence. That's pretty close to my birthday."

"Indeed... A coincidence, indeed. Now... to explain the true truth, I must show you what should have been. I must show you what WAS instead, in the averted timeline. But first, I must know how you know yourself. The simple truth that applies here and now."

"Uh, okay... What do you already know?"

"You are a soldier. You are loyal to your people and your nation. Like all wise beings you have fear... but not for yourself. You never fear for yourself as such, do you? You are a shield. You wish to block attackers from harming others. You wish to defend. If you must die to defend, you will. That is all you desire, is it not? To do your duty for that which matters."

"...I want to be remembered. I want to know that if I were to fall it would matter, that I'd saved others. That someone would remember my name, that what I did was a success. I guess that's a little selfish but... "

"Hm. Selfish. Is it now? With all you would do for ponies, is it truly selfish that the only price you ask is that they remember you? The only price you ask if you were to give your life for them? I think not. I am biased, of course. Hooviet warriors... Red Deer of the Fire Caste... we dream of serving the Empire as fawns. We dream of being remembered as heroes. In a way, what we are told in the Empire is similar to what you actually live in Equestria. Our Greater Good speaks of peace and harmony, though it does anything but. It speaks of remembering heroes and heroics, but all too often we die forgotten. No names on memorials or in booklets. Only Generals, only the Roe Deer, are ever remembered for 'heroism'. The rivers of blood they spill on their own side be damned..."

He paused.

"You are both simple and complex, Captain. You desire to protect and serve, and all you want is to know it is appreciated. You feel you were born to be a shield. Born to protect others from that which would harm them, to help them when they are in need. From letting a sister smile to being there for a Princess who often feels alone in a crowd. You live for others. This is good. It will mean you can emphasize with what I was... When I was foolish enough to trust the Greater Good. But first... have you ever heard of Basilisks?"

"Basilisks... The animal, not the Germane cannons? They're similar to Cockatrices, right?"

"Indeed."

"I bucking hate Cockatrices..."

"Indeed? Tell me, Captain, why do you hate those creatures so? Have you ever encountered one? Have your relatives? It cannot simply be a matter of Hoofball, as seriously as you take the sport. It is something deeper, is it not?"

"I..."

This... this isn't what the books said would happen! It was supposed to be a zenlike state, a trance. Some ponies enjoy it... Why am I...

I tried to cast a spell.

I tried to fight. I tried to draw magic! It couldn't affect my mind, it didn't manage to hypnotize me first! Of course! Huh, that's actually kind of interesting... I'll need to tell somepony when I...

Oh no... the cures... The cures work by waking you up. If I'm awake already how do I wake up again!? And... Why can I still feel my magic draining into the spell I was going to cast?

'Where the hay did that come from? And why did it sound like....'

"...I don't know. I've just never liked them or the idea of what they do. It might be... I heard about a Pegasus who went into the Everfree, back when I was only about nine or ten, and they put his statue in the Hall Of Heroes. I felt the whole idea was sick, like putting a corpse on display."

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): There ARE cultures who do that and consider it a sign of respect you know.)

Not now, please.

"They turned him back a few weeks later, but... he'd changed. He'd become addicted to the zen state petrification is supposed to cause. He went AWOL. They searched Everfree. They never found him again. The tabloids stupidly claimed Celestia gave him his wish about wanting to witness the rest of Equestria's history as an immortal observer. But what does this have to do with... changing the past?" I wondered.

"Well, according to the Empire, a basilisk's gaze is instantly fatal. All that is left is lifeless rock, a particularly severe and permanent case of rigor mortis. In fact, they're more like Cockatrices. Unless you are a Deer. No zenlike state if you have antlers."

"...Why?"

"Do you know that petrification actually is two spells?" He began to answer.

"One to bind the soul to the body and one to petrify it?" I guessed.

"With cockatrices, yes, but the practical effects are the same. Most creatures that petrify feed off the life-force of the petrified being. The binding causes inner-peace because one is part of the greater soul of the universe, but if one has immunity or another blockage, be it a natural one or an attempt to use magic causing interference, one does not get that far. Like the fact that we deer constantly have a sufficient flow of magic to get in the way thanks to the way our magic and antlers work."

Not for the first time I was glad I was a unicorn. And then I remembered I'd probably try to cast a spell at any cockatrice I met, meaning....

"One is bound, aware and not remotely at the normal state of inner peace, into their own body. And feeding off their own life-force in order to sustain the partial soul-binding until it's all gone. Perhaps this is part of why you fear them. You actually would have to deliberately surrender to them to not risk eating away at your own life-force."

Oh good, so I was in trouble either way. Still, I felt a slow lingering death preferable to being an immortal one-pony zen rock garden... But I'd prefer the slow lingering death caused by that fatal condition known as mortal life.

"This is all very good and making me want to level every forest with basilisks, cockatrices, rock dogs, gorgonsnakes and catoblepae on the planet..."

"...Rock dogs live on mountains." I was corrected

"Whatever. Point is... what's your point?" I snapped.

"Thirty years ago, the Department of Truth changed the books in an effort to change the present. Easy enough, few Deer had ever read the real story and anyone arguing about the updated version was quickly was silenced. They tried to erase the past to cover up the fact that any Deer petrified is effectively doomed to a slow lingering death until they finally drain themselves of all their magic. The process can take decades."

"Why? What reason would they even need for that?"

"They changed 'history' to suit their own goals, of course. It would hard to motivate even conscripts to seek basilisk's venom with a risk like that. For some reason an instant death and being told you would be placed as a monument to your own bravery was a far better motivator... Not that many of them even were placed as proper monuments. More than a few Roe Deer generals and politicals decided to decorate the lawns of their dachas with the... waste materials. A few numbers off the casualty figures here and there..."

I felt sick. They'd not put glorified mummies on display, but the slowly dying instead. After telling them it would be quick and painless, that you'd live forever as a hero. Instead you'd die forever as a garden gnome...

(Interviewer's Note (Unicorn): You know there are cultures where elderly monks intentionally petrify themselves and put themselves on display as a spiritual inspiration for the younger generation yes?)

That's nothing like this. These soldiers were told big fat lies so they'd throw their lives away!

(Interviewer's Note (Pegasus): Hey, we're with you. We know more than one pony who was lied to and believed they were doing the right thing...The worst part was probably realizing it was just the opposite.)

"Why did they even want the venom?" I managed to say.

"To kill dragons, of course. It is corrosive and poisonous...And has a shelf life of about three weeks. So plenty was needed for study. This was just one experiment conducted at Chernobull. Just one of the eggs placed in that basket. Just some of the bodies piled up in the name of devising a dragon-slaying superweapon. And at the time, the project to create the perfect warriors was failing. Every single hybrid was dying. That project was abandoned. Research into the other projects was doubled. The imaginations of the deer there, the money and resource put in... It was a massive concentration of thoughts and dreams. But it wasn't just sweet little 'ivory tower' 'pie-in-the-sky' brainwaves. There were also dark thoughts, nightmares, all the ugliness residing in wicked hearts. Amplified eighty-one fold."

He then drew a little closer, antlers flanking my horn but not touching. Which was fortunate as I was getting kind of weirded out already. Then again, he claimed to want me not to trust him...

"I will show you, Captain. I would like you to relax, but you won't. So this may sting a little since you will resist... Oh, and maybe start a stopwatch."

Great, the one useful spy gadget Bond could have given me and he didn't.

"If you try anything funny, remember, I've got an Alicorn watching me."

"Oh, indeed. She watches over your heart. And some other bits, but she is only young..."

"...Eh?"

Before he answered though, there was a flash of white light, and a bit of pain...

Reznov was in an office. His anger and disgust at what he saw was immense. A Deer in his late-fifties, uniform bedecked with medals, sat at a desk, with tears in his eyes and an empty vodka bottle before him. An old book with a frayed cover sat before Reznov. It was an Equestrian bestiary.

'We are looking from my eyes, twenty-five years ago... The day the Empire's betrayal became clear.'

"Shoot me, Viktor. Shoot me, but read that book. Know why I did what I did! Know why I warned those spies..."

"You did it from greed, you bastard! You betrayed the deer you lost in battle, you betrayed your own flesh and blood, you betrayed the Empire! "

"They were my troops.... My soldiers... My sons... Read! The Empire betrayed us!"

We looked down at the book. It was bookmarked at a volume that spoke of basilisks. It spoke...

"...Lies..."

Reznov wanted to reject that before him. But he knew it was all true.

"No, Viktor. Truth. That's the truth. Every one of the soldiers we sent hunting those damned overgrown snakes, every 'instant death'... Most are still alive, trapped for years to come! Thousands..."

"...We only lost a few hundred troopers on the missions..."

"More lies. Lies I wrote myself. We needed to lie. We needed to keep morale in the wake of the Dragon War. And if the truth was known we'd never have... I'd never have sent your brothers... I'm thankful Vassily was bitten now..."

"...Father..."

"Please, my son. Shoot me. Do your duty. Do what you wish after this but know that the Empire does not return your loyalty...."

'...As a fawn I had held my father, Vladimir Reznov, to be a hero. He had been decorated for heroism, promoted to the highest ranks a Red Deer can reach in the Empire. Like my father, I sought to be such a hero. It was his heroism that had let me become a trusted operative of the Committee for State Security. His position that had led to my brothers becoming company Warrant Officers. I thought they too had died heroes. But my father... Had discovered the truth. He had betrayed the Empire. They had told me this. I had thought him no longer a hero. I thought he had betrayed me and my brothers...'

A pistol appeared in front of Reznov, drawn from a holster.

"...Father, I am sorry."

"I don't care what side you're on anymore! You are my last son. You may hate me but I cannot hate you. I have betrayed all I taught you to be. But they betrayed us first. And if you shoot me for my treachery, they will never suspect you of any disloyalty. Choose your side and shoot me or shoot me and choose then, whatever order!"

There was a loud roar, and the smell of sulfur and smoke.

"...I will have our revenge, Father. I will avenge you and my brothers..."

'And so I began to subvert all I had been. I was assigned to Chernobull, to root out spies. And I did. I found 'Alexi' Mason the first week. I kept him alive, and I used him as a route to betray the Empire. To save spies, to sabotage Hooviet actions. I protected many spies and agents of foreign powers, more successfully than Father. I had always wished to follow in his hoofsteps. And so I did... Until the day Chernobull exploded.'

Reznov's vision shifted again. It wasn't quite as painful.

Reznov heard alarms and klaxons, and saw two Deer kicking at a door. It was slowly buckling.

"Is there even anyone alive in the control room?" One of the Deer asked.

"Dimitri, if there is but a chance Sokolov is safe, we cannot abandon him," Reznov replied.

"Yeah, gotta agree with Victor," The other Deer said as he kicked.

"Columbians and their optimism," Dimitri muttered.

"Sokolov is a true comrade. Without his warnings and advice the machine would have overloaded and detonated."

"Shame about the pulse that knocked out all the electronics. Except for power to the machine and those rutting klaxons!"

Finally, the door gave a loud crack, and swung open. The metal locking bar had snapped from sheer stress. Inside the control room was chaos. Sparking consoles... charred bodies. And one Unicorn hiding below a yellow shield.

"Sokolov! Come!" Dimitri shouted.

"Wait! I'm trying to count. The arcs seem to be..."

The Deer sighed, and made to go and fetch the Unicorn. As he did though, an arc of lighting shot out into the wall. He jumped back with a yelp as Sokolov made a dash.

"The machine seems to have achieved self-power... I do not think we will ever stop it." The Unicorn scientist rather calmly said.

"What the hell did Zelinski build?"

"What he always built. Insanity. This was supposed to be an Imagination Engine. He claimed it would allow a focused user to but dream things into existence."

"...And construction on this insane idea was authorized?!" Dimitri balked.

"Yes. But as I feared, it was merely an accident waiting... or rather, impatient, to happen. That strange surge in the ley lines... It was either the machine or something else. Whatever it was matters not... We're here now. I thank you for delaying the criticality, it has bought valuable time to evacuate..." Sokolov rambled.

A disturbing sound seemed to echo just loud enough to be heard under the roar of the engine. It sounded like a female voice screaming in pain.

"Uh, yeah, about that one, Doctor... We tried to find a way out of this bunker but as far as we can tell the only place there's a remote chance, well, we need to go over the gantry..."

Sokolov sighed.

"The gantry over the test chamber?"

"...Yes." Reznov said.

"Fine. I suppose I will try and cross first. If the arcs don't vaporize me and my protective shield then I should be able to allow you all to cross."

"Oh, they haven't actually been hitting the gantry yet." Mason noted, as the group went down the corridor, and looked out on the metal walkway.

"It's weakened though. We should cross one at a time and carefully," Sokolov warned.

Dimitri volunteered to cross. He had made it, and as soon as he was clear, an arc of lightning hit the walkway.

"...I'm starting to think this massive exploding machine doesn't like me!" He shouted across the way.

Sokolov made his way over, and shielded Mason. No arcs came up on either trip. Reznov began to cross, and as he did, something else began to happen below.

"What is... There seems to be someone down there! In the machine!" Dimitri shouted.

Reznov looked down. The shape of a Deer stood there, as if made of lightning and fire.

"...It is a trick of the light," Sokolov ventured.

The 'trick' then gave out a screech. Lightning shot out, slicing into the gantry. Reznov dived to try and escape the collapsing walkway... but too late.

'This was a shadow of something that should not have been. An imagined being denied existence, sealed in Lady Pandora's Box. Somehow, that shade was attracted to the weakening of dimensions. It felt that desire for power and strength that was so prevalent throughout our culture. That desire for an almighty Deer, a perfect being... Someone to lead the Empire to invincibility. Lead us out from the ruins of the war with the Dragons. And when it had an opening, a weakening... It struck. Something else weakened the fabric of reality for but a split second. What, the being did not care. It took the shot. And we'd given it the chance.'

We were outside outside. It was night, and there was a Hooviet conscript standing guard. Strangely, his head seemed to be glowing....

The vision neared, walking closer and closer. The guard did not respond, until the vision was right in his face. He had a moment of panic, a chance to curse... before white light shot into his skull. He gave a gasp, and then whatever had made him glow began to vanish.

'This is the vision I had after the fall... '

For a few seconds, images flashed across our vision. A doe, memories of saving meager wages to be able to afford... Something more than just getting a marriage certificate signed...

And then the soldier burned away. Nothing left behind at all. Even his hoof prints in the snow.

'This was Conscript Pushkov. He had been daydreaming of proposing to, and marrying, his sweetheart. This unfortunately meant that after things changed... he was the first being imagining that the Shadow of Chernobull encountered...'

'Zelinski's machine worked. His imagination brought a failed creation's attentions to light. It should have been a perfect being but it was abandoned by its creator, deemed a failure. Left as just a void, no mind to speak of. Just instinct and raw power. A need to feast on imagination. We had wanted the ultimate soldier, and that was the role it saw fit to fill, the role it was drawn to. But it knew that what those of Chernobull desired, could not be fulfilled at THAT point in time. Not in the true truth. And so, with a little imagination... it journeyed backward, feeding on optimistic hopes and dreams.... '

There was a blur of visions. The Shadow struck at everything. At night, especially. Dreaming Deer, asleep in their beds were easy prey. Guards pining for home or loved ones too. And as it fed it learned more and more about the hope that had been the strongest: Hybrids.

The vision stalked into laboratories, altering samples. But it knew perfection could only exist once. It made only ONE amongst a hundred truly powerful...

And then it turned inside itself. Staring right into us.

'YOU PERSONALITIES ARE NO LONGER NEEDED. PERFECTION MUST STAND ALONE. PERFECTION CANNOT BE TAINTED BY DISSENT AND INDECISION. PERFECTION IS NOT A COMMITTEE. PERFECTION IS ONE ABOVE ALL.'

And with that... things changed again. stood on shaky hooves and surveyed what surrounded him.

"Dimitri? Sokolov?"

And I heard voices. Faint. "...Who is there?"

The voices grew louder.

"Who is that?"

Louder... Louder...

"I cannot... You are all screaming at once..."

The very air itself seemed to be nothing but noise.

Anguished wails.

Tortured screams...

And one more scream joined them as it all turned black.

"Gha! Celestia curse it, I though you said that'd sting a little..."

"Did it not?" Reznov wondered.

"Felt like a bucking poker being shoved on my horn..."

"Well... It proves you resisted..."

"Yeah, but I can't trust a word! That story was nuts. Some sort of evil imagination spirit created Makarov? And you somehow survived it..." I shook my head.

"Survived? I cannot make you believe. All I can tell you is that this is not how things should be, and that it is you who can help set them right. Makarov is the product of the madness. He is protected by the sheer force of countless stolen existences and imaginations like it was the blessing of a god. And you are immune to it. You are best placed to stop him. I sincerely apologize for thrusting this burden upon you, but there is no other choice. Either the Shadow of Chernobull will die by your hoof, or you shall lead the stalker to him."

"...Stalker? How do you know about THAT?"

"Pandemonium told me, she wishes to fix a wrong she's caused."

"Wait, she? Who?"

He ignored my question. "And now... The truth about yourself."

"What, I'm actually a male alicorn and my wings haven't grown? I'm a guardian spirit? I'm a cyborg from the future?"

He sighed.

"Nothing so absurd... Yes, nothing so utterly absurd." Did he say that ironically? "Captain, tell me who you are."

"We went over it..."

"No. That was what you are. Who are you?" He pressed.

"...Captain Shining Armor Sparkle. Son of Starlight and Moonshine, brother of Twilight. Aged twenty-five, Guard Commander of Princesses Mi Amore Cadenza Equestria. Marsenal supporter, I want to write a novel some day... "

"Hm, yes. Plans for the future. And memories of the past. What if I told you they were uncertain?"

"...Well, we can't predict the future. Things can change..."

"No. Your past. It is what is uncertain," He said.

I blinked.

"...How can that be? It happened. And I've got a terrific memory. How can my past be uncertain?"

"Did I not tell you? History, even that which seems established... Can be altered. And most often, it can be altered if something is wrong. The most benign of changes can still cause ripples and unforeseen consequences. And for you... There are no foregone conclusions. If you travelled forward in time to see your future it would not matter for it can change. As can your past, Captain."

"What?"

"Time should be linear for mortals. One direction, down a river. But for you... You are a raft in a stormy ocean. A shark circles. It may grasp you at any time, rendering the journey, all of it, null and void. And even if it seems your past happened, to you and all the world around you... it will unhappen should the shark catch you. Or, should I say... the Stalker."

"You DO know about that thing... What the heck is it? Why is it after me?"

"It hunts you for it perceives you as wrong. Your existence has altered matters. If it has your scent, if it has you when you are vulnerable, it will not stop. You are a simple truth, Shining. Only if you can become a true truth will you be safe. Only then will it stop..."

"Okay, when am I 'vulnerable' then? Why doesn't it just leap out and tear me apart when I'm brushing my teeth or something...and if it's so determined, so unstoppable... so much of a Termarenator, why are there such long gaps between its attacks? And why would my existence be wrong?"

"That, I don't know. You must be here for a purpose. But I cannot see what it may be. And why it is not hunting you 24-7, is because you have protection. The stalker is what I call it. Others have given it many other names: 'bete noire,' 'the barghest.' It is a being that maintains the timeline. It is in confusion right now, for the timeline seems damaged to it, but it cannot tell how. All it knows is YOU, Shining Armor, are wrong. You must be removed. But it cannot defy the gods. If a deity expects you, if you are close to a god, you are safe. In the sight of a god you are most safe, especially if that god cherishes your company."

"...How close?" I whisper hoarsely.

"It depends on the strength of the god. In Canterlot, home of Celestia, herself, you are free to roam the whole city as long as your existence is expected. But with younger gods, or weakened gods... You would only be safe at very short range. Less than tens of meters from their line of sight..."

"All right... So you know it exists but you're nuts. Great."

He sighed.

"No, Captain. I speak the true truth. The wolf... It cannot harm you so long as you ensure your location and safety are known to the Alicorns. If they doubt you are safe, if you stray far from them... you threaten your very existence."

And then I heard it. Sniffing... growling...

"...Do not panic, Captain. She must merely be looking away..."

"...If you're telling the truth and she's looking away, it can get me. If you're not, it's going to get me anyway." I said, staring him in the eye before turning to confirm.

And there it was and wasn't. A shadow in a doorway, a wolf-shape of nothingness. Growling, glaring, sniffing... pacing over to where I'd dropped my radio. Picking it up, and making it vanish...

I pulled the emergency radio.

"Misfit-Actual to all callsigns, compromised and need urgent assistance, repeat, compromised!"

"...Who the hell are you?

"...It's me! Who else would it be?!" I shouted. I could hear sounds in the background, a radio playing. It had to be the party, right?

"This black dog is out of control..."

The song sent a shiver up my spine.

"Spirits damn it, some flatwing idiot cop... Look, pal, this frequency is use already. Dial it over to whatever the rest of the cops are using, okay? Don't bother trying us again 'cos now we've gotta send out a switch frequency order. Thanks for that, you bucking cloaca..."

There was a beeping alert tone. The signal to switch to backup frequencies. Eyes on the wolf-shape I tried to adjust.

"Eagle Nest has you, Eagle Eye. Eagle Scout, check in?

I was about to try, and clarify the error... when I realized. Eagle Scout?

"Eagle Scout, checking in. Some sort of problem?"

I dropped the radio in surprise. The voice of 'Eagle Scout' had sounded familiar. Like someone I'd watched die....

"Captain... It is the influence of the Stalker, and the effects of the ley lines. You are hearing echoes of what the true truth should be... the lost timeline... Hearing the other world that could have been..."

"It's doing this?! It's messing with the radio?!" I shouted.

I shot off a flare from my horn.

"No, it cannot harm you right now! She expects you here, your Princess, do not..."

I stopped listening. I saw the flare arc into the air... and the creature jump to grab it in the blink of an eye. I pulled the flare gun... and fired it at it. It ate it.

"Captain, please! You are just wasting effort... You are panicking needlessly!"

I drew the airgun, in my horn instead of my mouth. It was a few meters away staring at me. Even I couldn't miss at that range. Logically... the rounds never hit it. It removed them.

I stared. I threw the gun, and I bolted.

"NO! YOU FOOL, DO NOT FLEE!" Reznov screamed.

But I was past hearing. I was panicking. A primal urge screaming at me, telling me move it or lose it. A sensation it would wipe me out, erase me utterly. That I'd be forgotten entirely....

I ran down a corridor, finding piles of trash. I threw them behind me. I glanced over my shoulder... the garbage piles stood upright. It had fixed them! And was right behind me...

I tried to blow a window out. It teleported ahead of me, repairing it. I had to turn and run the other way...

"Buck off! Leave me alone!" I shouted, tugging down a bit of roof.

It ignored me, growling in hungry rage and keeping the chase up once it fixed the damage with a swipe of claw. But that was a mistake. It had taken to the second floor. It was above me.

"Horseapples horseapples horseapples..." I said as a mantra, seeking the window that was unboarded... And seeing it...

...Seeing the blank wolf-shape drop down in front of it. I skidded, and felt... Felt myself almost begin to fade as I recovered and ran. Just, an emptiness. Seeing... nothing, for a nanosecond. A sensation that I'd ceased to be.

But I was still around. The claws had missed by an inch, and I fled. I blasted open the door with my horn to get past, and practically fell down the stairs. Behind me I saw the extra light the open door had made vanish. The thing had closed it behind me...

" .nonE escapE thE wolF"

I lit my horn as bright as I could and made my eyes able to see the glow in the vain and panic-driven hope maybe it couldn't see in the dark if I did that... I was also scrabbling in my mind, trying to recall the way to the tunnel. Hoping it wasn't blocked up by rocks or that there was something else down here... It was pitch black bar the night-vision glow of my horn and all I could hear was the breathing, the growling, the claws scratching as they yearned to tear me from existence.

One corridor seemed flooded. I was able to avoid it, knowing that there could have been anything hidden in the water. A dryer route, a little way down gave me a perfect right turn to the tunnel to the docks. The door to it was sealed off, but I blasted it open with a gravity shield ball. I had no doubt it would be fixed in my wake...

It was almost a straight line, and to my brief dismay, flooded too. I had to risk it. I could see moonlight as I raced down it. The echoes of my hooves, the splash of water, my own breathing and heart rate... I couldn't hear it behind me any more, I dared to make a quick glance behind me just as the water levels faded and the ground seemed to be clearer ahead... I made the dock, and raced up the small stairs! I felt safety was getting near... I glanced up over at Dai's apartment hopefully...

" .alL beforE yoU havE vanisheD"

I then tripped on something I hadn't seen, barreling into a pile of trash and right into the shadow of the ruins, out of sight of the apartment. I might have wondered why on earth these places always seem to have a rusty old shopping cart, but I was more worried about the fact I'd put my hoof right this one and trapped myself.

The wolf was pacing slowly behind. Every wet hoofstep I made in the dust and dirt vanished away. The trash I'd disturbed in my crash was put back as it stalked forward.

I managed to raise a shield, as strong as possible, between me and it.

"What are you? Why are you chasing me?" I screamed.

" .inconsistencieS musT bE eraseD .ordeR musT bE restoreD"

"...He was telling the truth..." I realized.

It got closer. It just walked through the shield. I could feel the breath on me as it neared... I felt it again, that fading sensation. The jaws of infinity were about to bite down on my neck. I was done for.... I was... I never had been, I...

It stopped. It looked up, confused. It sniffed... it turned. It walked away and vanished into the moonlight.

"...What the buck just happened there?" I muttered, and managed to free my leg.

And then I saw a small light. To my surprise, it was a unicorn filly, her horn glowing faintly. And I realized it was because I still had the night-vision spell on my eyes. She was trying to be unseen.

"Uh, hello?" I said.

"Aaaah!" She jumped, then tensed seeing me.

"...W-who are you?" She asked nervously.

She couldn't have been more than sixteen. I couldn't be sure of her colors in the gloom, but her coat was either white or a very pale yellow or cream. Her mane seemed to be a mix of a lighter purple and a darker color, and her eyes seemed to be golden or yellow. It was odd, the mane kind of reminded me of my mother, but her eyes, were my uncle's…

"...I'm an Equestrian Guard," I said.

"W-well, you shouldn't be hiding in the shadows and ambushing fillies! That's just creepy..."

"I wasn't ambushing... Look, my name's Shining Armor, I... Uh, was just taking a walk and..."

I wasn't telling some random filly a wolf of non-existence had been chasing me!

"I've, uh... never heard of you, sorry. What rank are you?"

"...Well, of course you won't have heard of me. But I'm a Captain," I sighed.

"Oh. Well, uh, It's... weird to meet you, Captain Armor. I'm..."

"Sparkle." I corrected her.

"...Oh. You must know my dad, I guess."

"Wait, what do you mean?"

"Major Cool Sun Sparkle. He's... Oh, uh, sorry, I really should go, Sir. I mean, I had a day off, th-there's nothing wrong with me being here, honest, but, I'm meant to be back before oh six hundred and... Um... Sorry, bye!"

And with that she ran off, leaving me very, very freaked out. I was too stunned to even try and follow her.

And then I heard hoofsteps. I turned to see a pony walking past, and he seemed to see me as well.

"Whoa! Holy horseapples..." I managed to say as he tensed and produced a pistol.

"You don't sound local. Where are you from?"

"I'm Equestrian..."

"What the hay are you doing out here then?!" He challenged.

Great. A police officer. Had the damned wolf helped my backup miss him walking up?

"I was, uh... just taking a walk, Officer.."

He was silhouetted by the moon, and my horn light was now stopped. He sounded about forty or so.

"You think I'm... Okay, yeah, you got me, I'm LCPD, plain clothes. I'm meant to be here. What's your excuse? Some prank your party at the embassy played or something?"

"...Yeah, we'll go with that."

"...What's your name?" He asked.

"Shining Armor." I said.

Then swore in my head because I'd just told a cop my real name right after a night where they'd probably all heard of or read about 'Captain Shining Armor Sparkle' as being involved in some shady goings on the previous evening.

"...Not a bad name, but I think your armor won't be so shiny lying drunk in the mud, huh, kiddo?"

The way his voice sounded... the way he said kiddo...

'Hey, 'sup, kiddo? How are you feeling now? '

'Just wondering if my favorite nephew's free to go to the match this afternoon. You got anything else planned, kiddo?'

'Alright, I'd tell you to remember what your training says about obeying superiors... But between you and me, kiddo, I'm gonna remind you the rules your mother gives when we go to a game. Listen to your uncle, he's in charge. Don't wander off, and don't let him pretend he's a single father again even if you are ten years older now! '

"...Uncle?"

"I hope you're trying to concede the point there, kid. You don't look like my niece and frankly, if I am your uncle, my brother-in-law has some explaining to do... Now, you should probably get up and go home."

He then wandered off, some light flashing off his eyes and mane. Golden yellow eyes, pale blue... I stared in shock as he went away, too surprised to even move as he vanished around the corner...

"...Shining?!"

And then I was startled by the voice behind me and screamed like a little filly.

"AAAH! I mean, AAAH, hello, Princes.... Cadence, um..."

"Are you okay? I was worried! The others started acting strange..." She said, and I managed to realize she looked utterly terrified as well.

"I... I tried to get the radio, but I think..." I tried to say, only to be drowned out by the landing of many armed griffins and pegasi, and the pop of teleporting unicorns a few seconds later.

"...Princess, you've proved the Major's point there," Bond sighed.

"Captain! He's a Captain!" She snapped.

"Princess, I think you... Uh... Wait. Captain Sparkle?"

Bond looked at me as if he'd only just recognized me.

"...What are you doing down there? We've already been having trouble getting in touch with you...."

"You never TRIED to use the radio!" Cadence accused.

"...Princess, with all due respect, I have no idea what you are referring to. Captain Sparkle refused to bring a radio, even a directional one. He would have sent a flare up..."

"But I brought a... I had two radios!"

Bond looked at me puzzled.

"...No, you didn't."

"Something weird is going on here," I muttered, rather than argue.

"Yes, very weird..." Cadence said icily.

"Okay... Right, whatever it was, did you at least get the important facts?" Bond sighed.

I nodded. The important parts... The Defiant being narrowed down in location instead of just 'somewhere in Zebrafrica', the revelations that Makarov was indeed a super-soldier but thankfully, the last surviving one... The warning he planned an attack... That Reznov claimed to have been turned years ago. But I'd fled before I could have clarified other things. Mason, a precise location.

And on top of that, I had the problem that letting them know what had happened and what he said would throw it and me into doubt. We'd both seem crazy. I would have to leave that out when I reported.

"Commander Bond... I think we need to discuss this at the Embassy. In private... And maybe after I get a drink..."

"I'll have one too..." Cadence muttered.

"Fine. We'll head back, pass on the information to Dai tomorrow."

He looked me over.

"But to be honest I think maybe the whole thing could wait until morning. Shining looks like he's seen a ghost and I have no idea why you were so panicky, Princess."

So, after a drink, I did go to bed.

Columbian Epilogue

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Epilogue?)

It sure felt like one to me after my second dance with the completely bucking insane.

The next day, the closest we came to a problem was in the morning. Only because I'd somewhat botched part of the meeting last night...

"Planning an attack? Did Reznov elaborate?" Dai Mason wondered.

"No, uh, I... had to leave before then, Commander." I said, sheepishly. "I had reason to believe our position was compromised."

"It's better than nothing but more details would have been a lot more useful, Captain. I can try to let the intelligence agencies know, but the more we start sniffing around the more likely Makarov will try to throw us off the scent. He's already shown off his good counterintelligence..." General Shepherd sighed. "He hasn't smelled a rat already."

"There's a chance he's bluffing, of course. Maybe he just has one spy well-connected in Canterlot, or here. But we can't be sure. Any intelligence operation we conduct could be made and busted wide open before we even really begin if he does have enough spies or just one in the right position. Just starting to
look for more details could be risky," Bond noted.

"Or Reznov gave us crap for whatever reasons Makarov wanted us knowing it. If the Defiant went down in Kundu, you just know we'll never be allowed to really look. It's going to take months of negotiations, Kundu is pro-Hooviet. He won't need spies to know you took that if it is bait..." Dai pointed out. "And if it's not bait, then he'll figure out we know long before we even start searching."

"That's possible as well. Deception is Makarov through and through," the Equestrian officer admitted.

"...The less in the know, the less likely it is we'll have a leak, right?"
Cadence wondered.

"Theoretically. Right now, unless the room is bugged or something, just us five really know what Reznov said," the General said.

"And I've got the proper spell up just in case of that," Bond explained.

"So a letter to Auntie..."

"Unless Princess Celestia's the spy, I imagine she'd be able to get ponies she could trust to keep it quiet, and discreet in how they start sniffing. Maybe just try disguise it as follow-ups to looking into the skirmish a couple of nights ago..." Bond said.

"Alright then. I'm okay with leaving this ball in Equestria's court for now. Any increased intel beyond what we already have is either going to alert Makarov, or it's what he's waiting for. Equestria can try root around with their cover plan. Maybe someone will be lucky," Shepherd said.

"And considering last time the crew heard about the possibility, Sunset nearly got lynched, it's probably best the fewer ponies know the better," I added.

"Best we can do with so much uncertainty. We'll try keep you posted if we can, and hopefully we'll have something before you guys are anywhere near Kundu. I'm betting they're going to say your party has to look for it, because like hell are they letting us in without another good reason." Dai finished.

"Okay, thank you. I think we're done? And if I'm honest, I hope this is an end to all this spy and assassination stuff," Cadence said.

"Princess, I'm in full agreement," I noted. "I'm sick and tired of being a weirdness magnet."

"I'm not, I like having two jobs," Bond added.

After that... Actual peace. I looked over my shoulder, expected problems, but nothing. I was dragged along again, sure. But the museum we visited was... Well, Griffin art and history is certainly different. Reminded me a bit of old Pegasi art, but like the country, it was varied. Not just warriors, but unity and acceptance. The civilian shipyards were rather interesting: The nearest Equestrian equivalents were a good deal smaller. So were the civilian ships, come to think of it.

We returned to find a reply from the Ministry of Defense to Audience's case, as well as our report on other events. I was a little surprised that we were being advised to promote him, as well as reminded that Lance-Corporal Apple was eligible for promotion as well. Cadence felt that was fair, and duly told me that I was to promote them both. I really didn't need much nudging, Audience had saved my life by making a serious choice in the heat of battle and Apple had shown strength of spirit. He'd recovered quickly from something not everyone can. I was proud of them both.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): No promotion for Thunderchild?)

Thunderchild had shown strength in battle, and saved my life but there's more to it than that. Both of them had showed mental qualities that earned the promotion. There's also the fact Thunderchild saved my life in a battle that never happened. Thunderchild DID, however, earn a Princess' Commendation. And yes, I was proud of ALL of my team.

I even managed to be dragged to the party at the Neighponese embassy without incident, other than hated tuxedo. Princess Euphie managed to have a chat with Twinkle Shine, and her Samurai even apologized. Probably on orders though. It seemed a little reluctant. But hey, Twinkle Shine had also been ordered to accept it if it came, so she did. She was also instructed on the proper manner to address Neighponese royalty. There was this pink Pony who seemed to be everywhere shooting her mouth off talking about 'cameos', but she acted weird rather than suspicious, since the last thing a spy would do is not try to blend in. She seemed familiar somehow.

And I was back in uniform for the Inauguration. Goodbye, Tuexedo. Hello, Duty and Dress uniforms....

The inauguration parade was an excuse for the Columbians to really show off. Flypasts by the Air Force and Navy, Marines and Army marching along in shiny uniforms and dye-jobs with shiny rifles and crossbows slung over their backs, and their favorite toys on display to their allies and their potential rivals. Like a big show and tell event, except Little Griffy's toy tanks were sixty to eighty tons and had breech-loading cannons that the stories claimed could punch right through a dragon's scales. Or more likely a target, a Hooviet Mammoth Tank.

It did give the general impression Makarov, or anyone else, had to be utterly nuts to think they could take on Columbia. The smaller, faster, and newer 'Generation Four' tanks seemed somehow a lot more menacing than the bulky and rather ungainly older 'Generation Three point Five' vehicles they drove alongside. Maybe it was just that being smaller, they'd be harder to hit. Maybe it was the fact they looked like they could hide a lot easier to ambush you. Maybe it was the angular portions that were there instead of the straight flat panels of the G3.5 tanks.

Still no idea why all the tank commanders stood out the top hatches holding swords though. Maybe in actual battle they'd drive up close to hit people with it? Others in the Equestrian section watching the parade had different questions.

"Okay, so, why do Griffins even use tanks? They all fly, and if they're anything like pegasi a lot of them will be claustrophobic," Minuette wondered, quite reasonably. Sunset nodded unconsciously folding out her wings.

Minuette fortunately followed the advice from me and Cadence. And the perfect pony to answer was now no longer something to be afraid of.

"Well, Columbia always did think in more dimensions than other Griffin cultures. They always understood that an air war alone won't win you wars. The ground is where most of the resources are, and if you can fortify the ground with arrows and your own airpower, it's nigh impossible to win a siege or a battle from the sky alone: so, tanks. As for the claustrophobic thing, well, Griffins aren't really like Pegasi in that way. They like to fly and love large spaces, but if you tell them they get to drive something that's fifty tons of armor and guns, they go for it."

"So, why are the new ones smaller than the older ones?" Twinkle Shine wondered.

"They used their slower, bigger, older tanks at top speeds in Dalmasca, catching the Avian Empire by surprise. They hadn't expected a land campaign fought nearly as fast as an air war. It was expensive in terms of the materials used and the supply line, but that's because they pushed their tanks beyond the limits. Also, older tanks weren't designed to fight everything really. They were just seen as siege weapons, to fight fortifications or sit there as mobile defenses, not part of maneuver warfare. Columbia's just taken the next step and built the tanks to be fast rather than having to strain the machines to get what they want."

I was more worried about something else that trundled past as part of the
parade. Slightly smaller than even the G4 tanks...

"...Those ones are painted purple. Why are they painted purple?" I pondered.

"Oh, those are tank destroyers, Sir. They've got lighter armor at the side and rear, but the same engine and a more powerful gun, so they're not only a bit more maneuverable than the big proper tanks, they can theoretically take out tanks much easier. The other tanks are meant to try and fight everything these days, so they can't really rig up to fight anything specific - so the theory goes other tanks will be the toughest enemy because meeting a force as fast and tough as them means stalemate. Meant to be defensive or counter-attack weapons though."

"Armored self-propelled vehicles that aren't able to be used as tanks, but can stop tanks... What Brigadier-General Audience wanted to try and buy," Cadence noted.

"Well, to be honest, Your Highness, most of what I learned about the new Columbian tanks came from him. He wrote a book about Dalmasca just last year."

"Your father's a sneaky stallion, Audience. I'm betting he let the Columbians know purple's a color a potential customer's niece likes a lot..." I noted.

"Shining, are you trying to imply I'd try to convince Auntie to buy tanks because they're painted purple?!" Cadence said with surprise.

"Yes?"

"Well, I wouldn't. So there," She said smugly.

Three... Two... One...

"They do look kind of nice though, tank-killing death machines aside."

Maybe if I found a purple fez...

"And don't even think about looking for a purple fez, Shining," She then warned a moment later.

"I wasn't, Your Highness," Apple would tell me later his cousin AJ was a more convincing liar than I was at that moment.

The President then gave a speech after the parade ended. It wasn't bad - he gave tribute to allies, spoke of peace, harmony, and also gave another welcome to Princess Luna, but it was fairly standard diplomatic and political fare. Pledges to work with allies. Pledges to work with the opposition parties at home. Pledges to do this and that. Of course, if he even delivered a quarter of the promises and pledges, that would be successful for a four-year-term politician who usually found himself with at least one hostile legislative body there to block anything he tried.

We remained there another week or so, to complete a proper state visit. The SAS returned home the morning after the inauguration, but of course, had not officially been there anyway. Makarov had also left at the same time, taking his over-sized battleship away. And causing another traffic jam by asking for a military send-off.

Unfortunately, there was minor trouble three days after that... On a day where the Hoofmaidens and the other civilians were allowed to visit the city and go where they pleased, as long as they moved in groups with LCPD and Royal Guard escorts.

Where was I? Well, Princess Cadence had decided to attend a small early afternoon garden party hosted by the Prench, and took Misfit Actual along. Garnet had by this point been well accepted by the squad (especially Gag...) and admitted she was glad to actually be doing something - She'd basically spent most of her days in the embassy with nothing much to do except have to morbidly hope someone hurt themselves so she could feel useful. They didn't even put her on patrols because she was attached to the embassy's administrative detail. She said she was lucky she'd not developed the so-called Cutie Mark Failure Insanity Syndrome.

That was a joke by the way.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): We figured.)

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): We did?)

Lovely use of somepony's talents - shove them where they're completely not needed and then give the places they are needed an extra cook or something. I really needed to remember to check out warehouses in Caledonia some day....

Anyway, the problem began when Detective Payne showed up.

"Princess Cadenza, Captain Sparkle, could we maybe go and talk somewhere? There's been something of a little incident in the city involving some of your diplomatic party..."

Naturally, Cadence almost freaked out on the spot until I let Payne explain in more detail. The hoofmaidens had apparently managed to have a weird little adventure involving an restaurant, cultural clash between pony vegetarian and griffin carnivore values, the sapience verses sentience of certain 'meat animals', and accidentally doing a musical number. They were now back at the embassy.

"What do you plan to do, Princess?" I asked.

"Well... This is ending soon, so I suppose all we can do is wait. I'll speak to the civilians involved, and you handle the soldiers..."

"Seems fair. Thunderchild? It was Jenkins and Pony with the Hoofmaidens apparently. Go back to the embassy, back Foaley up, and figure out what happened from them," I instructed.

"Yes, Sir." My Sergeant nodded and took his leave.

"...You're sending Thunderchild? Why?" Cadence wondered.

"Sergeants can be a lot more persuasive than I can be. They'll be nervous around me. They'll be too scared to clam up against two Sergeants. Oh, and if the civilians overhear it, then, well, your job ought to be a lot easier, Princess..."

When we returned, Thunderchild waited, along with Foaley and two thoroughly deflated troopers. They stood by the door of the embassy hall. The Hoofmaidens, and some more LCPD, stood off watching. Cadence's three assistants looked very nervous as the troopers saluted. Jenkins, a female pegasus, was trembling as she saluted and looked about ready to try and fly for it the second she saw me. Cadence made her way over to the Hoofmaidens as I spoke to the troopers.

"Got a report on the matter from the troopers involved, Sir, seems the troopers tried to warn the Hoofmaidens they were in the no-sing zone, but Jenkins here was sung at and couldn't help herself. And Lance-Corporal Pony here also failed to control himself," Thunderchild said as he saluted.

"I see. Any recommendations?"

"Well, Captain, myself and Sergeant Thunderchild feel it's best left to... your discretion whatever punishments are dealt out to them. As their Sergeant I can only apologize for their misconduct, and I feel that denying my right to seek input on any non-judicial actions taken against them is the only fair redress for my failings," Foaley said.

"Very well. I'll notify you of my decision shortly. First I think I need to hear whatever the Hoofmaidens have to say... You're dismissed, troopers."

The four saluted, but Jenkins whimpered a little.

They had been close enough to hear the whole thing. Cadence had just told them she was waiting on what I had to say.

"Captain? Would you like to say anything to them?" Cadence asked as I went over.

"No, Princess, I'm going to get a report from Thunderch-"

A streak of gold and white landed at my feet.

"I'm sorry, Sir! I just... I was never any good at resisting it when anypony started to sing! I tried to tell them they were in a no-sing area but they just sang at me and I sang back and we all sang at Ray... Lance-Corporal Pony... it's not his fault, Sir, I lost control and then I turned on him, I'm sorry I'm sorry..."

"Private Jenkins? You're not helping your case here. Or the Lance-Corporal's, for that matter."

She squeaked in fear.

"Get up, and go to your quarters. You're dismissed and your Sergeant will tell you what I choose to do. Is that understood?"

She nodded and squeaked.

"I can't hear you, Private."

"Sir, I understand!"

The Hoofmaidens (and Cadence) stared in surprise as Jenkins fled. They recovered though, and the three of them soon admitted their own responsibility, and Cadence explained the importance of the three of them obeying local laws.

"I can't say I like the idea of that law much myself, but as much as Columbia is a place where everyone speaks Low Equestrian and things just feel a lot like home with more Griffins and Cloudscrapers, it isn't. We're guests here. We have to apologize, pay any fines, maybe make a goodwill gesture of a donation to charity. You made a mistake, yes. But it still comes back to me, comes back to this diplomatic mission, and that means Equestria is ultimately the one looking bad here. And this was something minor, and Columbia is a close ally so they'll probably cut us some slack since you really didn't know where you were. But we're heading for Zebrafrica next. They wont just dismiss it as Equestrians being Equestrians, they may take offense in some nations...."

In the end, they were made to apologize, pay the fines, and reminded that they needed to obey local laws far more carefully. Without a good reason, we would have to waive diplomatic immunities in some cases - or we'd be ejected from that nation. We weren't Makarov. We couldn't abuse our power to those extents, not for anything.

As for Jenkins and Pony? Three days pay withheld to pay their fines and the remainder donated to charity.

To be honest? It was almost refreshing to have a NORMAL diplomatic emergency to deal with after all the crazy stuff I'd seemed to somehow become a magnet for.

After that, things were quiet. Before we left a few days after that, we hosted our own reception. We invited the Hooviet Ambassador, out of courtesy, and he did attend. We just never really had much chance to pay attention to him other than having Bond (and Gag) tail him all evening.

Anyway, Zebrafrica was next. The first true continental tour, staring in the land of Zamunda. A royal wedding, actually: Their Crown Prince was to marry his fiance, oddly enough a Columbian-born Zebra. Many other nations would send diplomats.

And that meant our flotilla would actually be joined by the new President on his first state visit, as Cadence extended an invite that his flotilla should join ours. Though given his was an Airship Carrier and two destroyers I think it should have been the other way around. The Neighponese were also invited to join the Allied Flotilla. I think some Ponsians snuck into it at one point for a laugh, but that wasn't really that important...

The more the merrier, we ponies are herd animals. And the bigger the herd, the less predators want to tangle with it.

Things were peaceful, and Columbia's rocky start turned out okay in the end. A lot had happened in just a few days - it had felt like months had been spent in the place. Maybe I was justified in always looking over my shoulder even with all the days of peace and quiet we managed to chalk up... Maybe not. Perhaps Zebrafrica would be peaceful all the way, I thought.

Remember what I said about thinking things like that?

(TELL LZ YOU LOVE THIS IF YOU DO!!! http://lz0291.deviantart.com/)

Episode 102: (Dark World) "Will All Be Mine"

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Pony POV Series
Dark World Part 25 "All Will Be Mine"
By Alex Warlorn

"The Windy-Goes are my slaves! The lemon-ponies are my slaves! The diamond dogs will be my slaves! You will be my slave! I am the Queen Of Endless Winter! You will fall before me, little minty green pony!"

I brought up the Sword of Summer up just in time to avoid being frozen to death but the force of the attack sent me flying back almost over the ravine behind in the Winter Queen's Cavern Of Perfect Stillness.

I asked myself, 'Minty Pie, how did you get into this mess?'

"You may have tamed Erberis! I don't know how you got past your own deepest desires and wants in the Crystal Mirrors. But one pony armed with one enchanted weapon cannot hope to overthrow my perfect white frozen dominion!"

The Sword Of Summer given to me by the Lemon-Ponies shielded me from the Queen's magic with a sphere of warmth, but the sphere shrank smaller and smaller as the Queen Of Endless Winter mercilessly continued her assault. The Queen's royal robes fluttered in her chilling wind.

What the buck am I doing here? I'm no hero. I'm no savior. I'm an idiot driven on by memories of a pony who never existed and another pony's memories that aren't even mine. The only thing I have in common with that Minty is that we both mess things up.

"Ahhh don't ya stop now, this mare really needs her heart warmed up with a few good laughs."

'Wha?'

"Howdy!"

"Angry---- Pinkie Pie?" I had never seen the clown instead of the monster. But I knew her all the same. "What're you doing here? Is-Is Apple Pie alright? Is this really you? The Pinkie Pie that Minty and Twilight remember? Or am I just going cold crazy?"

"Naw. You're not. I'm just here to tell you not to give up. I know the end of the road seems far away, in fact it's a LOT farther...but this is just some dark woods that you're almost out of..."

"But...Pinkie Pie! The Queen used me! I was manipulated, tricked."

"So was I. You wised up a lot sooner than I ever did. And you did a lot less harm than I did. All you did was give some lemon-ponies a few nasty bruises. You've gotten this far. Isn't it kinda a shame to give up now?"

"But I can't win. I'm nopony."

"You don't know unless you try! And no pony is nopony! I've check, there's not a listing for 'Nopony' in the phone book or anything!"

I laughed.

"There we go! See? Now that's some of the Minty I remember."

"But I'm not that Minty!"

"Not all the way. And that's not a bad thing. I'm not all of the Pinkie Pie from back then either. That just means we've grown. Now that sword of yours gives warmth to anything right? I'd say that mare's heart is in pretty big need of some warmth right now."

"I didn't think of it like that before."

"It's all about using what ya got!"

She hugged me, it felt so wonderful, like an old sock I hadn't worn for a long time but was just as warm. I hugged her back. It felt like two pieces of a puzzle. Puzzle Mint would have loved that metaphor. No. "Pinkie, I'm Minty Pie, not just Minty."

She just smiled at me. "And that means we can't be friends?"

I smiled back. "Heh, you've got a point there!"

"Good. Because I've already learned about loving ponies for who they are instead of who they were in another universe. Don't worry it'll make sense later for you. And you're one brave pony. Believe it!"

"Thank you Pinkie Pie."

"And one more thing: friendship can override fear sometimes, a lot!"

That was when I saw them, the Windy-Goes, the little ponies shaped beings, they swarmed their queen.

"What-what are you doing? Stop! Stop I say!" The Queen demanded.

"Minty! Run! We'll hold her!" Said the Windy-Goes who had greeted me when I had fallen into their inner world.

"No. I won't leave you!" I got up, bravely? Yes bravely!

"Fool!" The Queen bellowed.

Then I got an idea. "Everypony! Tickle her!"

The Windy-Goes did as I asked, they were doomed for defying their Queen anyway. It was worth the warmth inside having a friend gave them.

"What-hehehe-stop-stop-I-I-I-shall-hehehehhe, des-destroy you-oh-oh-oh all-eheheh!"

I leapt up boldly, and brought the Sword of Summer down and-gently touched the Queen's chest.

Half an hour later in the newly renamed Chamber Of Happy Seasons I hugged my little friends and new queenly friend. "Pinkie Pie! I did it! I did it! Did you see? I am a hero after all! I'm free!...Pinkie Pie?"

++++

"I wonder," Discord coughed, "That hippogriff hatchling that Fluttercruel talked with at that last Hippogriff rebel meeting, I wonder how things could've gone, if she had time to develop a friendship with her. Would you have changed, my filly? Would you have begun to see our toys as people? Maybe I should have taken you to those rebel meetings sooner, Fluttercruel. You know, I think it's actually fun being 'Wild Tempest' and 'Paradigm Shift,' with those Hippogriff and Virgacorn rebels. I think I finally get the fetish Alicorns have with living mortal lives. Heh. Maybe I should've given it a whirl." Discord sighed as he laid back in his throne. "Nothing to do now, but wait for the end,"

(They will arrive. You will fight. You will lose. And you will suffer because that is the only reason I allow you to continue to exist!)

"Could you at least have let Fluttercruel go? What had she ever done to you BEFORE this all started?"

(Pst. Making her suffer made you suffer. I need no other reason.)

"Going for poetic justice, eh?"

(Horrible, isn't it? Being 'all powerful' but you can't even bring the one thing you care about more than yourself back with a finger snap.)

"At least she's finally with Fluttershy now. Away from you, nag." Discord broke into coughing fits again. Dang, did he even still have lungs? He though those were gone already.

(Everything existing in this world, here, exists to add to your torment. Even tangentially. Loyal servants who repeat your mother's betrayal. Subjects who have never willingly embraced your warped way of thinking. The whimsical zoo of conjured creatures you're always adding to, doomed to be erased like they never existed, like your diseased family erased however-many ponies and creatures from ever being! Absolute power, but still wired to the railroad tracks. A beloved daughter, heheh, who you get to watch die over and over.)

"...daddy...please don't hate me...for failing you..."
"...daddy...please don't hate me...for failing you..."
"...daddy...please don't hate me...for failing you..."
"...daddy...please don't hate me...for failing you..."
"...daddy...please don't hate me...for failing you..."
"...daddy...please don't hate me...for failing you..."

(Of course, who failed whom? Then again, she was just garbage created from garbage, even garbage mixed with a sweet beautiful innocent flower like Fluttershy -- A flower you ruined! -- is still gabage.)

"At least I got some happy times with her just before the end."

"...daddy...please don't hate me...for failing you..."
"...daddy...please don't hate me...for failing you..."
"...daddy...please don't hate me...for failing you..."
"...daddy...please don't hate me...for failing you..."
"...daddy...please don't hate me...for failing you..."
"...daddy...please don't hate me...for failing you..."

(It's only after the greatest joy the greatest pain can be felt. Why do you think I even allow you to gaze into The Truth? Because I want you to witness your ideal world which I will deny you forever, and ever, and ever.)

"Cruelty...Fluttercruel. Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Distortion... I'm sorry."

+++

Filling Rainbow Dash in on EVERYTHING, unsummarized, was a chore. Especially without Pinkie Pie there, she was always the best storyteller. But it had to be done, as quickly as possible. Learning that Soarin' and Spitfire had been near her for a thousand years, -- as souls housed within Rarity -- left Rainbow Dash with mixed feelings.

Rainbow Dash returned the favor. She had not hurt anypony while escaping Sweet Rock Acres. Although she had met Apple Pie's mother and grandmother. And what impressive dragons they'd both been! Very nearly succeeded in chewing her up to spit out her Element, the way Spike had planned to do to Angry Pie.

Apparently, the Apples 'n' Pies and the Diamond Dogs had been spreading the word about the Chaos Six's defection from Discord. Most passed it off as more of Discord's nonsense. But the mother and grandmother trusted their own family and both were leaders of the dragon part of the resistance.

As much as all three of them agreed he needed to go; the dragons still expressed one SLIGHT misgiving about dethroning Discord. Namely, that it would undo the 'uplifting' of former ponies such as themselves into the mighty and majestic dragon race. Of course, they were both willing to lay down their lives, so what was a minor downgrade for freedom's sake? Yet STILL... it would be so REGRETTABLE...

Dash had fed them a little white lie: no way would they lose their dragon-ness, she was 100% sure of that! And yes, of course there'd be another way to continue 'uplifting' ponies who clearly deserved to ascend into dragonhood... such as Banana Pie, apparently.

Apple Pie cringed at that part. Spike cracked a slight, wry smile.

"One more reason we need to get a move on," Twilight groaned, getting up. "If word gets 'round that Discord's holed up in his castle, alone, injured, unprotected... the rebellions will be tripping over themselves to assault this place in full force. Chaos and confusion galore! For all we know, it might actually HEAL him."

"Well... can we take a 'tick, so we can all say bye ta Pinkie?" AJ asked as she adjusted her hat.

(Oh, COME ON!!!! ANOTHER delay?! MORE ill-timed prattle?! You girls already spent how long trading unabridged backstories with Rainbow Dash!)

"Of course," Twilight replied. "Applejack, you can go first."

"Pinkie Pie, Ah promised ta look after our family to Applebloom when she died. You were... are... a part of that family, cousin. And...Ah did my bucking best ta look after ya while Ah could, even if ya spent more time lookin' after me. Thank ya, Pinkie Pie, fer sharin' what time ya had left with us. For showin' me Ah should be concentratin' on the time Ah have left, not how it's gonna end. An' maybe I can be worthy of bein' called a saint."

AJ went on, praying for Sparkler and Fluttershy as well, but created an illusion around herself and Rarity so Derpy wouldn't see them praying for Fluttercruel's soul.

Derpy had grief to work through. Sparkler, her eldest daughter, was dead. What would she tell Dinky Hooves? With all the rubble around, it was sadly easy to construct a temporary tomb for her.

Rarity used her magic to construct a proper sarcophagus for the young unicorn. She was still an artist, and what she crafted from the shapeless rubble was a masterwork fit for a queen. A lifelike engraving of Sparkler on the lid and all sides. Engraving her name, approximation of her age, (timekeeping became an unusual concept during the Reign of Chaos) and time of birth in High Equestrian hieroglyphs on the base along with her loved ones, cutie mark, and special talent. It hurt Derpy to think that her daughter's life was summed up in one stone box holding her baby's dead body. A thousand years as an endlessly dancing crystal statue, her body stolen, and finally this.

"Derpy," Rarity whispered, "I know how you feel."

"How can you?"

Rarity touched the gem on her neck, "Because I've lost a child too in almost the exact same way."

Derpy had little to say to that, "Will the pain ever go away?"

"Do you want it to?"

"No."

"Then don't let it...right now, just accept it. Once Discord is gone, we'll have time to heal. I promise."

"Thank you, Rarity." Derpy shuddered in relief at her touch.

There was talk of doing the same for Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, but...

(DEFEAT IS ABOUT TO BE SNATCHED FROM THE JAWS OF VICTORY, YOU BLITHERING, DITHERING, BLUBBERING PACK OF JACKASSES! DO THE WORLD A FAVOR, AND PUT YOUR EULOGIES ON THE BACK-BURNER FOR JUST ONE LAST STINKING BATTLE!!!!)

...They all had to reluctantly agree that the rest of the funeral rites should be saved for a more felicitous time.

"We're a dirty mess, do you think we should clean up?" Applejack asked.
'Applejack? Concerned? Being clean?' Rainbow Dash's head spun.
"We're off to fight a final battle with evil incarnate, not strut in front of an audience for a play. We don't have time to waste on appearance," Rarity said.

'Rarity? Appearance? Waste of time?' Rainbow Dash stopped herself. Traitor Dash had known these ponies for a thousand years, but Rainbow Dash was still getting to know them again now that she had a clear mind.

Applejack, she moved just a little more gracefully, she spoke just a little bit more refined, she thought more before acting, she was a little bit more sensitive, her motions reminding RD of both Rarity and Fluttershy. But, still dependable, still reliable, still hard working. Still her friend.

And Rarity this muscle toned mare, Traitor Dash had known her for a thousand years, but Rainbow Dash tried to superimpose the Rarity she knew a millennia ago on her. She was rougher, less refined, more rough and tumble, (like herself maybe), more brutal. But her calm, her reason, her love for her friends, that was still there.

'These are still your friends Rainbow Dash, never forget that, they bled and fought to save you. And you've made your choice, you're still their friend.'

++++

They were now on the move, heading towards Discord. Yet their hearts were still full of thoughts.

"Fluttershy, you have no idea how much it hurts me that I only got to see you for a short time. But at least we got to say goodbye. Thank you for that Fluttershy, thank you."

Twilight thought Spike looked proud and dignified as he looked at Rarity. She silently admitted to herself a part of her missed the baby dragon who depended on her (and vice versa), but she couldn't deny the pride she felt, seeing the intellect that had developed behind those giant eyes. There was so much they could talk about now that they couldn't before. So much they could count on each other for. Twilight looked forward to the time they'd have afterward.

"Spike?"

"Yes, Twilight?"

"I am just so proud of the dragon you've become. You're brilliant, you're mighty, you're stronger than your base nature, and you are worthy of Rarity."

"Thank you, Twilight." Spike hugged her with one finger. Twilight smiled, not letting herself cry, she was so small to him now.

*But size doesn't matter. Spike will always be your friend.*

(Spike can always be relied on.)

'Thank you.'

"Lady Traitor Dash, Ah mean Miss Rainbow Dash, Ah was wonderin', did ya know Saint Applebloom of Sunnytown too?"

"Wha-hey, don't sneak up on ponies like that."

"Ah didn't sneak, Ah was right next ta ya, ya looked like ya were thinkin'."

"I was. On how much things have changed."

"Everypony keeps sayin' that. But the world isn't that bad, is it?"

Rainbow Dash cringed. This little filly had lived her whole life in this nightmare created by Discord, and could ask this question?

"Oh Ah'm sorry, Ah didn't mean ta hurt yer feelin's none."

"It's nothing."

"If it was nothin' it wouldn't have hurt ya."

"Please Apple Pie, drop it."

"How can Ah drop it if Ah ain't even holdin' it?"

"Pinkie Pie will you--!...Sorry."

"Ya really cared about her, huh?"

"She was my very best friend."

"Ah'm sorry."

"...yeah, I did know Applebloom when she was just a filly. You never seen a foal who wanted her cutie mark so badly. You wouldn't believe the craziness she and her friends caused sometimes."

"Does it hurt?"

"Having her gone? What do you think?"

"No, Ah knew that! Ah mean, when Ah touched Miss Angry Pie, it hurt her, cause Anger and Laughter are opposites or somethin'. Ya got opposites inside you right? Do ya got heart burn or somethin'?"

"...no, not at all."

"Yer lightin' is all pretty now, like a rainbow, not just red like before."

"Huh. How about that. I hadn't noticed."

"It's nice, it fits yah a LOT better."

"Thank you."

"So can ya still do it all?"

"Do what all?"

"Lots of things, the things with the chains, and when you turned all glowing red and sparking."

"....the 'things with the chains' came from Treachery, and don't really go with Free-Will, and for 'turning all glowing red.' It's...it's not that I don't think I can do it. I'm just worried that I still can."

"Huh?"

"When I changed to 'Ender Dash,' I didn't like the pony I became. I'm trying to become somepony better than that, I like to think I've made a bit of progress and...I'm worried I'll hurt somepony who isn't one of the bad guys, and isn't immortal."

"Rainbow Dash," Twilight said.

"EEP! Please! Will ponies stop popping up around me!"

"Rainbow Dash I...I'm sorry, I'm so sorry but...I need to know. You saved our lives, including mine...please tell me. I know you aren't for Discord and never were. So please tell me..." Twilight quivered. She asked in a small voice. "Do you still want to kill me?"

Rainbow Dash was silent. So silent. It scared Apple Pie a little. "Do I still want everything just back to the way it was before? Absolutely. BUT! You're right. There are still nice things and nice ponies I have no right to erase." She ruffled Apple Pie's mane, she giggled. "But after Discord's toast... I'm going to focus on trying to restore as much as the good old days and its good old ways as I can, within the world we currently live in. Starting with the Wonderbolts, I think."

(You disappointment me, Rainbow Dash.)

*I'm proud of you, Rainbow.*

Apple Pie and Twilight hugged her.

"And Twilight?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry. I was being pig-headed, I screwed up bad."

"It's alright, we all forgive you," Twilight whispered, and no one had reason to contradict her. The ponies nuzzled each other. RD spread her wings around the two ponies. For some reason, it made Rainbow Dash think of a soft spring rain.

Rainbow Dash had been too disrupted by AJ and Rarity to think about it. But hearing about washing, and thinking of her choice..."I don't feel dirty."

"Well ya look kinda dirty," Apple Pie said.

"No I mean...every time I Discord made me, everything I did what Discord told me to do, I always felt dirty, even if I washed my own skin off I still felt dirty. But...heheh, you're right, I'm covered in dirt, and I feel cleaner than I have in a thousand years."

Apple Pie laughed, "Yeah! That is kinda funny!" The two nuzzled.
Twilight for her part, just smiled at them.

"Apple Pie."

"Ya, Half-Light?"

"Your optimism is a part of who you are, DON'T lose it. Your hope is our hope after all."

"Don't be silly Half-Light, all our hopes are all our hopes!"

"Heh, true enough." Twilight nuzzled her.

"You'd make an awesome Blue Lantern though," Rainbow said with a chuckle.

Apple Pie's eyes went bright. "You read comics too?! Ah love 'em!"

Rainbow gave a nod. "Yep, well, haven't really been able to enjoy them much since the day of chaos, but who doesn't love comics? The Blue Lanterns were pretty cool."

"Do yah remember their oath?"

"How could I forget?"

"In fearful day, in raging night,
With strong hearts full, our souls ignite,
When all seems lost in the War of Light
Look to the stars-- For hope burns bright!" the two said together, sharing a laugh.

+++++
"You always...just go with the flow," Magica told me as she was dyin'.

"Well! Looks like you ladies certainly cleaned house!" Said Big Banana Boss Discord.

I laughed.

"Even in the darkest of times you hav'ta find something to laugh about!" I tell him.

It's almost like another world, Ah was fightin' Miss Rarity's rock-ponies, and lyin' to Magica so she'd die smilin', now here Ah am with Half-Light and all my new friends. We're gonna turn the world upside down.

Ah jumped right into this here adventure, Ah figured winning was a sure thing. After all, we were the heroes. And the heroes and their buddies always survive, or always come back to life later. Even after the Valeyard showed meh heroes can lose, Ah still thought we'd all come out of this alive just if we tried hard enough.

But Miss Fluttershy and Miss Pinkie Pie ain't comin' back. Ah should have known better, mah family knows that the dead don't really come back. We accept they're free, and hope they're someplace better and we enjoy the happy times we had with'em! So don'tcha ever go thinkin' Ah'll ever forget Poison Apple, Magica, Caster or Puella. Ever.

If life is gonna keep givin' us lemons, we'll keep makin' lemonade, and it ain't the lemons' fault, if ya take it out on the lemons, you just tick off the angry mommy lemon. It's time tah write our happy endin'!

+++++

(Discord should be at the top floor at near the outer wall, in his throne room. He's moved it there thinking you'd never look there.)

*Don't go the direct rout, he'll expect that.*

'Understood.'

Their path had now taken them into the Hall Of Shame, all the statues of the same mare standing on her rear hooves with her forelegs crossed looking down, eternally disapproving.

"Who is this lady, anyway?" Apple Pie asked.

"We don't know," said Twilight. "He's never told us, last time I asked I ended up in the arctic."

"And Ah ended up in the Amanezon," said Applejack. "...All things considered, that wasn't so bad, actually."

"Must have been somepony who meant a lot to 'em," Spike said, "Look at 'em, why are they all glaring down? Why 'Hall of Shame?' Maybe she was the last piece of Discord's conscience."

"Or maybe it just means to be shameful for WHOEVER enters." Rainbow Dash injected, not interested in a 'Discord sob-story' after being his favorite torture toy for a thousand years.

"I guess."

"Applejack, Rainbow Dash," Rarity said, "I need something very vital from both of you and I'd really rather not wait or I wouldn't be pressing it so soon after...after we've lost...I don't like saying this but with Discord almost on us I can't wait. I've talked this over with the rest of us and we agreed that Discord is known for pulling our chains just when we think we finally have Equestria back. We can't wait. I'm very sorry."

"Rarity, what is it?" AJ asked.

Rarity took in a deep breath, "Applejack, Rainbow Dash, please give us, me, your Elements of Chaos."

Everypony and Spike stopped.

Rainbow Dash yelled, "WHAT?! Are you on a DIET of those things or something?" She folded her wings protectively over her chest.

"I am sorry for the way I acted before, Rainbow Dash. Your actions do not excuse mine. I am sorry for that moment where I let my greed get the best of me, and nearly ended you your life."

"I thought you were over your greed." Rainbow Dash stated.

"Over it? Oh no. I am still greedy to my core. I practically HAVE to be, to an extent. Element of Desire, and all. I've simply learned to prioritize and recognize the desires of others as well as my own. If I wanted to rob you, I'd have simply taken your Element for myself. My telekinesis is powerful and precise enough to animate an army of golems. You couldn't stop me."

Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes, unconsciously sliding into an aggressive stance. "Is that so?" she asked quietly.

"Look, just because Rarity wants something really bad, doesn't mean she's going to steal it. She's not a thief."

"Spike do you love me?" Spike nodded at Rarity. "Then please let me speak for myself."

I looked my friends. Rainbow Dash is nervous and scared. Dear Applejack is concerned and worried. My Spike looks hesitant and confused. Derpy is tense with her gaze locked on me. Twilight's put her emotions behind the world's best poker face, she's trying to figure out her own best next move. Apple Pie's eyes never leave me, pressing slightly against Twilight. I can't blame any of them.

"I'm sorry." Rarity said her voice utterly calm, "But please."

AJ said, "Rarity, feedin' yer greed ain't that good an idea if ya ask me."

"This isn't about that. I don't just want them, I need them."

"NEED them? Sounds like an addiction to me," AJ said.

"Maybe it is. But I've spoken it over with all of us, and we've agreed that this is best done sooner than later."

"Souls only you can hear." Rainbow Dash said, she had been the most creeped out by Rarity being a big Ecto-Containment unit. Earlier, she had asked Rarity why she couldn't hold Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. "Because they had done what they had stayed to do," was the only answer she'd give.

"Yes, Rainbow, souls only I can hear. But you've seen them haven't you, Twilight? When you came inside me?...Oh dear, that did not sound right."

"Why do ya wanna hurt 'em?" Apple Pie asked. "They're yer friends. OUR friends."

"Actually it won't. Their Elements aren't like mine. They each have both Elements of Chaos AND Harmony," Twilight said mathematically.

"Rarity," Applejack said, "As the Element of Honesty, NOT as the Element of Greed, can you tell all of us, honestly, that you're doing this for OUR sakes, not just yours? That you'll use this power to help us and we'll be better off giving them to you than holdin' onto them ourselves? Can you? As the Element of Deceit, Ah can detect any half-truth or deception, and right now, mah inner radars are at full sensitivity. So there's no room for fancy-schmancy political double-talk here. Ya already got Greed, Truth, Cruelty, Magic, and now Pinkie Pie's Anger. Do ya REALLY need Deceit and Treachery too? Have all the ghosts inside ya REALLY voted this the best idea? Or is this just so you can have a 'full-set?' Ah ain't givin' ya nothin' if it's just so you can collect enough box tops to send away fer yer free scooter!"

"...First let me say, that the glass isn't half-empty or half-full it's perfectly even. Please, yes I am after the Elements of Chaos to have the complete set inside me. I've chosen this road when I took Fluttercruel's and I won't stop now, I'm not a junkie, though, so I won't pretend that I 'can't' stop.

"But each Element carries an echo of yours hearts. And the ponies within me are willing to work together with them. And yes, I do believe I'll be more effective with the Chaos Elements together, because it is not just me here, residue from your hearts CARRIES ALONG with the Elements, just as Twilight's heart rebelled against...against Angry Pie. The Elements of Chaos CAN work separately, just like Harmony, but they're all simply Elements of a whole, it's only together that they're as strong as they can be. I can be the best weapon you, we can have."

Twilight said; "I remember Celestia once telling me that using all the Elements by herself made their effect weaker. She says it's a large part of what turned them into stone."

Applejack gave it a long moment of thought, then sighed sadly, "Sorry, Rarity, Ah can't give it away right now. Ah don't think Ah can trust yah with it."

Rarity dignified and calm and bowed her head. "I understand, Applejack. I really do."

AJ put Rarity's hoof to her orange chest, the light shined inside Applejack where Rarity's hoof was. "Yours!" Everypony held their breath.

"Wait...what..."

Applejack smiled, "Bad lies make for happy surprises, and one lie leads to another."

Rarity managed a small laugh, "I suppose they do."

'Ah hope this is the right choice.'

*Don't worry Applejack. It's like the Elements of Harmony, if you knew you were supposed to become friends with Twilight somehow, this would have made your friendship artificial, and the Elements would have never awakened. Rarity needs to become what she'll become of her own choice. Even if she's not consciously aware of it.*

"Thank you for the gift Applejack."

"If ya want the crown of the liar that bad, for us, then Ah won't stop ya. Because Ah know-"

AJ and Rarity gasped out together. Their bodies shuddered. A similar light appeared within Rarity, while Applejack's continued to glow.

Rarity screamed and clutched herself. It felt like she had just poisoned herself. "No! Everypony stay back! We can handle it!...I said I wanted to behold all truths, not just one...there is no contradiction or chaos...they all make up the same whole...I can do this...we can do this..." She was sweating profusely. Her body was shaking. She fell to her rear legs' knees.

Rainbow Dash realized first, "Rarity! You have Honesty and Deceit in the same heart! You're killing yourself! AJ ABSORB IT BACK INTO YOURS!"

"NO! TRUST IN ME! Spike! Trust me! Rainbow Dash! You're proof! You're THE proof! It's possible! You hold Loyalty and Free-Will in the same heart! Then I can hold Honesty and Deceit together! YOU GAVE ME THE COURAGE!...all together now...all together now...we can hold together..."

++++

The ideal world, is not the world where no pony can lie. The ideal world, is where no ponies need to lie to be safe or to win a battle, only to make surprises happier.

I accept that truth is destructive when misused or misplaced. I accept that false information is like a weapon. In a better world it's not needed. Surprises, Fantasies, and falsehoods, are not the same thing. And being trusted...is the ultimate honor...Apple Pie...

Even the truth can be deceiving.
Even a liar tells the truth.
Things like honor, good triumphing over evil, and justice should be believed in if they're true or not, because they're WORTH believing in!

+++++

Rarity pulled in a sudden sharp breath, then slowly let it out, and got up slowly. "Thank you, Applejack, for trusting me."

"Yer welcome. And don't forget, we don't need the jewelry to be Elements of Harmony, not anymore, and Cruelty proved it works the same with the Chaos Elements. And Applebloom given meh her Element of Kindness didn't make her stop bein' one."

Twilight examined this Rarity, the amount of magic in her, balanced out by Twilight's old Element of Magic, and the combined will of Rarity and her passengers.

Rarity sighed. And within, she welcomed in a green maned Applejack with a reddish orange coat, and a white teenage pony with four hearts as her cutie mark.

"Five down, one to go. Rainbow Dash, I... I'll ask this just once more. Then I'll never bother you with it again, whatever you decide."

Rainbow Dash groaned, "Why is it when someone gives you a real choice, they still make you feel like only ONE choice is real. Total horseapples. Sorry, Rarity, but I'm done taking either/or options."

Hoof. Chest. Grab. Pull. Lighting bolt black crystal in hoof.

Twilight heard a little filly cry-out and faint. Twilight looked to see Apple Pie looking in surprise and alarm. Derpy however lay on her side her eyes looking in one direction. Spike stared with his jaw open. Applejack shuddered and went to Derpy's side to bring her around.

The one most shocked was Rarity. She took several hoof steps back, her eyes were on Rainbow Dash's face, not the Element of Chaos in her hoof.

Rainbow Dash flapped her wings a bit forward, holding the Element firmly in her cyan hooves out to Rarity.

"Not so hot when you have to do it the dirty and ugly way is it?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"No-no it isn't."

"Not so tasty looking now, is it?"

"N-no it's not."

"This is what you wanted so bad?"

"Y-yes." Rarity said weakly, small, actually kneeling.

"Isn't this how you were gonna do it before?"

"Y-yes it was."

"So what's wrong?"

"I don't-I don't want it like this! Not anymore!"

"Good." Rainbow Dash broke her Element of Free Will in two like it was cane sugar. Before their eyes, red lightning crackled, and each divided piece reconstructed into a whole Element each.

She gave one copy to Rarity. The other one went back to where it came, her chest sealing up behind it. Rainbow Dash had lost nothing. Rarity's hooves were shaking.

"RAINBOW DASH!" Applejack admonished as she helped Derpy to her hooves.

"I wanted to do this my way," Rainbow Dash said.

"That wasn't nice," Apple Pie said. She WISHED she could say that was the first time she'd seen someone's heart get ripped out, but that didn't make it any harder to watch...

"Right choices and nice choices aren't always the same thing," Rainbow Dash said.

"Rainbow Dash! You-you-you-" Spike was at Rarity's side, holding her gently as she slowly stopped shaking.

"Spike, it's alright. I think I needed that," Rarity said humbly.

Twilight sighed. "Everypony, calm down. Rainbow Dash, how did you possibly know your Elements could replicate instead of say, exploding on us?"

Rainbow Dash said, "Choices are choices, and our choices effect others. I figured if I pictured that it would work like that, maybe it would. Better gamble than putting ALL our eggs in Rarity's basket." Rarity flinched at her stare. "Now, I don't know about you, Applejack, but as big as my death wish USED to be... somepony's gotta stick around to keep an eye on Our Little Superweapon, here. Checks and balances. See she doesn't get too crazy with power."

Now Rarity and Applejack were both blanching.

Rarity looked down, she knew how it had to seem...seeing Rainbow Dash do that...rip her Element out and show it to her, like she had wanted to take it...it was humbling. "Rainbow...thank you...sometimes even Honesty lies to herself...Sometimes its hard to look at one's own actions and see themselves as anything but perfect...even when you think you've spotted all the flaws...there's still more that need to be uncovered..."

Applejack slowly marched over and put a hoof on her shoulder. "Rarity...yer right, Ah should know, Ah used tah be Honesty. 'Ah can buck that whole harvest! Ah ain't over mah head!' Hehe, Ah was a stubborn pony...Rarity, do yah know why Ah handed my Element of Deceit over to yah? It wasn't because Ah didn't want tah be immortal anymore, if Ah did, Ah'd have waited till this was all over and ripped the whole thing out so Ah could die...No, that ain't it...The reason Ah gave it to yah is because it was the KIND thing tah do.

"Don't think Ah'm enablin' an addiction, Ah ain't. But yah wanted my Element of Deceit, Ah learned from my little sister that givin' an Element away in an ACT of it lets it split. The KIND thing tah do when you can give somepony somethin' they want is tah give it if yah can part with it. On top of that...Ah'm tired of Discord or whoever makin' us not trust each other, if we don't trust each other, it's gonna be the hedge maze all over again...and Ah don't want that...Yah can't have somepony's trust unless yah give 'em some of your own first."

Rarity gave a small smile. "...That is the truth...And I trust you with my life like you've trusted me with yours," she said, giving her friend a hug.

She then slowly looked to Rainbow Dash, looking thoughtful. "...Thank you for showing me the lie I was feeding myself...I still thought I would've been fine getting the Element of Free Will how I tried to before...You WANTED to die, part of me was telling myself it would've been a mercy kill...I'm sorry...I was wrong...You don't hand a suicidal mare a the rope to hang herself unless they're suffering so much letting them live is the crueler thing."

Rainbow Dash gave a glare. "Will you just stop?"

Rarity gasped.

"Yeah, I'm glad you didn't kill me, I'm glad until I got my head on straight you had me tied to a bed and set that mare to keep an eye on me so I couldn't try to rip my own Element to pull the plug. But I'm tired of 'what ifs', what if I'd chosen to turn right around and Sonic Rainboomed Discord into the ground a thousand years ago? Maybe it'd have killed him, maybe I'd have shattered every bone in my body and not left a scratch on him. It doesn't MATTER. I've spent the last THOUSAND YEARS obsessing myself with 'what if'. What if I'd made the other choice? What if I'd not turned down Grogar's offer to take out Discord? What if, what if, what if. Buck 'what if'! I didn't rip my heart out and show it to you so you'd be thinking about what ifs."

Rainbow stated, then gave a smile. "I did that to make sure you had YOUR head on straight. So you'd see that little truth about yourself, you're welcome by the way, so your choices from now ON would be good ones because you're in your right mind. Not so you could be tearing yourself up over something you didn't do. You made the right choice then, I wanted to make sure you'd make the right choice from now ON."

Rarity was speechless. "Rainbow Dash...you just lectured..."

"Yeah, I know, Twilight, even gave me a soap box."

"Oops! Sorry! I don't know why that keeps happening!"

Rarity gave a small smile. "You're right...What if isn't important, dwelling in the past and learning from it are two completely different things. What is and what is GOING to be are the important things," she said. "And giving me Free Will?"

"I figured if Greed, Deceit, and Anger are all things that can mess with your choices, you needed Free Will in there to protect you from them," Rainbow said, then gave a smirk. "AJ's right, can't have trust without giving a little first...and you can't have Loyalty without Trust," she continued.

Rarity offered a hug, and Rainbow CHOSE to accept it.

"Rarity, are you ready?" Spike cut in, before the tension between them could grow any greater.

"Only one way to find out." Rarity placed the final Element of Chaos against her chest. Thankfully, Rarity did not turn into a draconequus, nor, explode.

There was however several bolts of multiple pastel colored lighting inside an ever shifting silver and gray sphere, and as Rarity floated off the ground with her body arcing backward. The castle shook again. A chorus of singing spirits swirled around outlines of the Elements of Chaos which suddenly manifested around Rarity's body. It finished up with it all imploding in on Rarity, the force of her magic keeping her friends protected.

After their optic nerves had healed/regenerated from the blast of violet light, Rarity was already standing health and whole on four hooves. Within, Rarity welcomed the echoes of a blue earth pony and pink pegasus.

Rarity looked herself over in the crater she was standing in. "I don't have extra eyes or anything do I?"

Everypony shook their heads. "That's a relief. I was worried about that actually. Oh! Are my eyes glowing?"

Heads shook.

"Are they red?"

They nodded.

"Oh, let me fix that. I like my eyes blue thank you. Silverish colors? Traces of violet and blue? My cutie mark still the same? Thank goodness. I think I'll go with my retro Ponyville colors instead. Old is new again. Hmmmm...Maybe I'll make my coat a little shinier... There! Twilight, these cursive markings along my back and hooves don't mean 'bringer of suffering' or anything do they?"

"No, Rarity, they don't." Twilight finally got the wits to speak. She smiled. "I think they just look nice."

"Thank goodness."

Spike hugged her, and wouldn't stop hugging her. "Rarity!"

"Oh Spike." Rarity replied warmly.

Derpy asked, "Everypony okay?"

"That was cool!" Apple Pie shouted kicking up her hooves.

(Can we bucking get back to defeating Discord now please? I think I can hear the rebels coming to muck everything up with the best of intentions.)

*Yes. You're all running out of time.*

Rarity looked at the statues. "...Her name was Shady."

Everyone looked at her. "How do you know that?"

"I don't...but some of the echoes I just welcomed do... And the innocent Discord they remember, and the monster Discord we know, act nothing alike... Let's go!"

Episode 103: (Dark World) "My Little Alicorn"

Episode 103: (Dark World) "My Little Alicorn"

(Art By Atomic-Chinchilla)

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Pony POV Series
Dark World Part 26 "My Little Alicorn"
By Alex Warlorn

My front claw shaking, 'Caravel Cat vs. Ponyville' played on a turntable next to my throne, I snaps my fingers, I instantly broke into a coughing fit.

The two purple plastic music box ponies in a puff of purple smoke transformed into a real-life full-sized flesh and blood purple mare and a purple filly with white and purple makes, they both had completely insane eyes and expressions. They instantly stood at attention and saluted their lord and Master, me. Didn't make me as proud as it used to. "Mad Tiara and Screwball reporting for duty!"

Then they gasped in shock seeing me in such a state. Screwball spun her beanie and floated up to my shoulders. Mad Tiara climbed up my throne's arm rest. Both looked in dismay at the giant hole in me, and shuddered afraid of what they saw inside. Screwball took a huge band-aid out of her mouth and stuck it over the hole. Mad Tiara reached inside her mouth and took out a finely crafted bottle marked 'phoenix tears' and gently dropped some on the stone bits. They fixed nothing.

"Heh. My self-centered daughter. I can't believe she forgot your names. I should have realized you had already been around before I asked that, then again, it's hard to keep it all straight. Hard to keep anything straight really. Or maybe she didn't really forget. I can't be sure anymore."

The two purple mad-ponies looked at each other confused and concerned.

"It's alright. I take it you two enjoyed your retirement after I gave my daughter and the rest your old jobs?"

They nodded together eagerly.

"Good to know...heh. Everyequus else is gone."

They tilted her heads, confused.

"It's...not important. The point is, this place isn't safe for your retirement anymore."

Mad Tiara giggled.

Screwball laughed. "Good-good-good one, Master! That's silly! You're so-so-so silly!"

"I'm afraid just this once, I am being completely serious."

The purple ponies gasped together.

I tell them that the Chaos Six are gone, that the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony would be here soon. And that will be the end of it.

Mad Tiara is holding a spiked chain mace while Screwball is holding a giant spiked club with grim determination on their faces. Should have known.

"All you're going to do is lose. And it won't change how much time I have left in the slightest."

"NOW HOLD ON!" Mad Tiara snapped, "YOU HAVE TO AT LEAST GIVE US A CHANCE! We'll protect you, Master! To the end! We'll show those wannabees what the Purple Pair can do! And they'll run away crying for their mommies!"

"I command you to be silent, Mad Tiara."

She shut her mouth. With a zipper.

Screwball knew down. "Master, we've always-always-always been there for you. We helped with the aliens, we helped with Grogar, we helped with the dragons, we helped-help-help with the changelings, with Ponythulu's surprise birthday party-"

"And thank you for that one, Screwball."

"You're welcome, Master. And we acted as nannies when you turned yourself and your Six, and the dragon, into hatchlings and fillies that one time. We had help from Miss Smarty Pants but still, we-we-we have-have-have always come through for you. Why do you think we can't help you now?"

"Because...because...I don't wish to lose you too."

She looked sadly up at me, "Master..."

"Mad Tiara."

"Yes, Master?"

"Protect your mother."

"Yes Master."

"Screwball."

"Yes Master?"

"Protect your daughter."

"Yes, Master."

"...There is a castle I've been restoring. It belonged to my mother and a great ancestor of yours. I've already ordered the staff there after they're done at Ponythulu. You outrank them, they will already recognize you as the new Masters of the castle...." I was amazed I had managed this speech so long, I guess my lungs must be gone. Doesn't make sense...since when have I ever cared? "There are spell gates in the castle that lead to Amazon Island and to Sky Ocean that'll change you into one of them until you leave. They will now recognize you as masters."

"YOU ARE MASTER!" Mad Tiara screamed.

"Not for much longer. You both carry my mother's blood. My Kingdom Of Chaos will belong to you. If, there is anything left."

"Don't say that, Master," Screwball said. "Your Kingdom of Chaos is going to last forever! Just like you!"

"Heh...I'm afraid forever is just about over."

Blast it. They've started crying now.

(For the love of everything, this is absurd.)

Says you.

(Pretending your choices can effect anything.)

I'm sick of this. I've seen Cruelty die, I don't want to see the last two members of my family throw their lives away.

(Oh you have my sympathy, oh wait, no you don't! And neither does your family, really! After all, weren't THEY the ones that sent you Rancor?)

Heh. You're right. Except, maybe that means they do care.

"Mad Tiara, Screwball."

"Yes Master?" They asked together.

"My daughter, Fluttercruel, I've lost any right to call myself her father. My own magic she was born with censored her mother. I never knew, because I never checked, I respected her privacy, but it was my responsibility as her father to know. At least she's free and with the only one who loves her as much as I do. And will do a better job than I did. As the two who serve me of their own will, I give you that confession."

"You brought me and mom back together, Master," Mad Tiara said.

"How can we not be indebted to you Master? You made the world where everything makes sense at last," Screwball said.

The two hugged in front of me, two peas in a pod, they were adorable.

I sighed. At least I had always kept them away from anything too bloody during their time as my 'elite guard.'

"Mad Tiara, Screwball, I know I didn't show it for a long long time, and it took me a long long time to realize it, it had to be hit over my head many, MANY times, but you're also my family, and I love you too....And know that I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what, Master?" Mad Tiara asked, those crazy eyes of her innocently asking.

"Never mind. I don't have the magic to teleport you there. So take the Inverse Vortex there. Close it behind you. Be as fast as you can, don't take anything with you."

"But Master, we don't want to leave you, I don't want to leave you." Screwball pleaded.

"I command you."

They shuddered. And sadly nodded their heads.

"I obey, Master."

"I obey, Master."

"And one more thing...The Elements of Harmony are NOT my killers, nor will they have the chance...You are not to under any circumstances seek vengeance on them or confront them in any way from this day forwards, understood?"

"...Yes Master."

"...Yes Master."

Screwball pulls a portable hole out of her mouth and placed it on the floor.

"Love you too, Master." Screwball said.

"Master, Mad Tiara love you too," Mad Tiara nodded.

They both blew me a kiss fair well. I wave them goodbye.

(There's nowhere for them to run.)

For once, you don't know that.

The two jump down the hole to the floor below, taking the hole with them, and towards the Inverse Vortex. I force my flickering big screen TV to stay focused on them until they've safely left. I'm going to miss them. They were always fun. I regret I fixated so much on Fluttercruel that I didn't recognize how much they loved me too. Concepts aren't supposed to be able to regret, I really am dying. Something new. I almost feel giddy about it.

I lay back and rest up for my grim reapers.

++++

I knew the patterns of Master's, Discord's, our castle better than the rest of us, after all, I had been the leader among his six...enforcers? Minions? Slaves? Toys? Pets? Yes, pets. We had been pets. Animals he kept around to amuse him. After all, since when did Discord NEED underlings? It had all been for his entertainment. Well not anymore.

Our small army gallops into the last place I expected (hoped) to find, the art gallery. AJ immediately glanced at what all I saw was a solid wall.

None of dared look at an empty pedestal that read 'Sparkler.'

But it seemed life was determined to throw one confusing mess of a complication after another in our path this evening, before our final showdown with Discord.

The Princesses were safe. A solid gold statue of a large Alicorn that shines like the sun, and a smaller silver one that shimmers like the moon. This time I understood why my eyes were misting over.

"Is it really them?" Derpy whispered. I nodded. Now her eyes are misting up, as well.

Even Apple Pie seemed amazed at their beauty. Then she turned, looking at the complete stranger who was already in the room.

"But...Ah was always told the seaponies were ugly mishmashes of fishes like... how'd Minty Pie put it? Like the aquatic version of Big Underbite Discord," Apple Pie whispered.

For the record: the seaponies of Sky Ocean are NEVER malformed or ugly. They are simply a VERY diverse species to the point that no two seaponies are exactly alike. It agitates me to say so, but each of them is easily the most beautiful thing, alive or otherwise, that my evil former Master created.

Now that I knew what to look for, I magically scanned her in a heartbeat. No, it wasn't Cruelty, Discord, OR Rancor in a new stolen body. And yes, no bomb in her stomach either. Her lower body resembled a dolphin's, her coloring a mix of blue and sea-green, she had a pony's upper body, but had fins along her fetlock, and a crest going along her back where her long flowing mane ended. Her cutie mark was a ripple in a pond, what did that represent?

And what was a sea-pony doing outside of Sky Ocean? Her presence felt alien, unnatural, and jarring. She was happily humming to herself and hadn't noticed us yet.

Then I noticed she was getting around via some form of hydrokinesis. A mass of seawater followed her around, keeping her body hydrated, floating around her lower body and forelegs. Then she finally notices us. She's on the floor bowing to us in seconds.

"Lady Twilight Tragedy The Wise,
"Dame Traitor Dash The Brave,
"Lady Liarjack The Eloquent,
"Lady Rarigreed The Protective,
"And this must be Master Discord's Noble Steed Spikey-Wicky The Cute,

"It is an honor for me to finally meet you personally. If only we could accompany and serve Master Discord as you are allowed to." She saw the sour look on Spike's face. "I'm SO SORRY! I mean no spite or envy for your sacred position, Noble Steed."

Spike cringed in embarrassment. "It's, it's okay. Please don't worry about it. Please."

"Thank you for your forgiveness, Noble Steed." She looked at me. "Lady Twilight Tragedy The Wise, if I may be so bold, where is Lady Angry Pie The Mighty and Lady Fluttercruel The Joyful? And may I ask who the Pegasus and ground filly are?"

Oh great. "This is Ditzy Doo, she is Traitor Dash's understudy," I explain. "And this is Maple Pie, is she part of Angry Pie's family. We're babysitting her for Angry Pie."

"But where are Lady Angry Pie The Mighty and Lady Fluttercruel The Joyful? Oh and Lady Rarigreed The Protective, if I may dare ask, how is Little Miss Ruby doing? I think she truly enjoyed our performance if I dare be so presumptuous."

Now Rarity spoke. "She is doing fine, better than ever. And yes, she did enjoy your play. She mentioned it several times during my last Gala she attended. She is with Fluttercruel and Angry Pie. They have gone on ahead of us. She has been kept cooped up inside for so long she needed to be free. I best not tell you where, but know they are likely safe and happy as we speak."

"Thank you, Lady Rarigreed The Protective."

"What is your name? What are you doing here?"

"My name is Aquamarine, Lady Rarigreed. Since my talent is telling stories, I volunteered to come here. Our school could endure if I was lost, and I would have so many stories to tell if I make it back alive!"

Everyone tensed at the outburst, wondering if Aquamarine was some new homicidal lunatic of Discord's meant to delay us a few minutes more.

"Lord Discord visited us recently. He did not look well. He said today is the Day of Vanishment."

"Vanishment?"

"Yes. Everything will vanish soon: all of this world, and Lord Discord himself. Only Sky Ocean will be spared. He wanted to make sure we had our own sun and moon before the destruction occurred. He said one feather each from these magic statues could grant us this boon."

Rarity's eyes widened. Apple Pie didn't connect these statues with the Princesses we told her about, they were just pretty to her but began to realize. AJ looked sadly. Rainbow Dash looked confused, as did Spike.

My head was spinning.

"Destruction? How?" Derpy asked.

"Lord Discord says an Alicorn Witch will destroy this world soon, him, and everypony else. Little-Ocean-Heart and Sea Apple of course haven't told Waterflower, she kept insisting that she tag along, thankfully we...we promised her she could try it later I made sure it was a safe and she was a little bigger. Seawing and Octotavia have been calming the theater and band members. The seaglow ponies have been saving up their power to...to give us light for...after it happens and we can give birth to our new sun and moon. I'm...I'm sorry Lady Angry Pie The Mighty isn't with you, Sea Cakes was hoping to be able to sing to her idol one last time..."

Sea Cakes. Oh. Right. I remember. That seapony who declared herself Angry Pie's number one fan actually made her mane the same as hers. She had actually gotten along well with Apple Sauce, Angry Pie latest and now last adopted foal. Sea Cakes was probably the one pony Angry Pie had tolerated being near one of her foals besides her, Liarjack, or another one.

It felt like sacrilege, that this seapony was taking feathers from the sisters when they were reduced to Alicorn-shaped pieces of gold and silver. 'Calm down Twilight, she's just a seapony, she doesn't know any better. She thinks Alicorns are monsters because of the lies Discord's fed her. She thinks Discord is the hero, and so are we because we work with Discord. But why would Discord tell them that doing this would help them? Why would he at all?'

"Can you," Derpy said, "Can you tell the...sea-glow ponies that I've always loved their lights?"

"I shall do as you ask Dame Ditzy Doo," the seapony bowed.

Rarity asked the next question. "How are you manipulating the water like that?"

"Master Discord gave me water magic as a gift to be able to explore and interact with the dangers of the environment underneath our sea. He says any seapony can learn it. So it must be so. He says if the world still exists, then it might finally be safe for us to leave Sky Ocean after the Alicorn Witch is defeated."

(Kill her.)

What?!

(Can't have her stealing part of Luna and Celestia's power when they need it!)

That isn't how inanimate transformation works. The transformed-state doesn't become your natural if you lose your tail for example, you just change back with out it. Not now soap boxes!

(How can you take that risk with CELESTIA? The greatest teacher who has ever lived?!)

From what Applejack told me about her redemption, Applebloom's ghost took a feather already on orders from their...Father, so it must be safe. And I'm not a murderer. That's why.

*You could just stop her from leaving with the feathers if that's the problem.*

(That's not the point! They're not alive. They're not ponies. They're not people. They're just creations of magic, the early ones using ponies as raw material. They have no experiences outside their fish bowl, so they don't count as sentient. They're only 'alive' in the sense a tumor is 'alive!' They're parasites who feed off Discord's magic. It's no more 'murder' than cutting out a cancer.)

A DNA test would show them as having DNA, like living things should.

(So would your hoof clippings! That doesn't make it alive and doesn't make them alive! They're -THINGS-. You don't think you're smashing pots when you squash clay do you?)

Life isn't about what you are or what you have. It's about what you can become. A golem can be programmed to act and react, it can be given a library, and be programmed to recite it. But it won't ever be able to -learn- how to -learn-. You can create a virus that will reproduce, have it mutate, but it'll never -grow- it'll never become -more-. A famous artist once said that the statues he created were already there, he just needed to free them from the stone blocks they were trapped in. Tom was none of these things and neither are the Sea Ponies.

Everypony else was looking at me. Ow! The ceiling? Did I get taller? Oh. That's one biiiig soap box. Just where do these keep coming from?

"Uh, Half-Light?" Apple Pie spoke.

"Lady Twilight Tragedy?" Aquamarine looked up at me surprised too.

Erm. Shoo-shoo! There. "Sorry...carry on..."

I saw the golden and silver feathers that were floating in the water around her hooves. I magically scanned the princesses. The soul-binding matrix was one-hundred present intact.

"How do you intended to leave, my dear?" Rarity asked. "Will you simply fly back to Sky Ocean?"

"Oh, I've been given a teleportation spell with two charges, one to come here, told to wait until the barrier came down, and the second to leave, set to unlock then relock the holy barrier around the castle when done...It's a one pony spell. Master Discord said you and he would try to defeat the Alicorn witch instead of taking safety in Sky Ocean.

"One of you can take the feathers to Sky Ocean in my place if you wish My Ladies." Aqua-Marine offered suddenly.

"Wha? No! Ur, yes!" Applejack declared, thankfully remembering the Sea Pony still believed she was Liarjack.

"I am so sorry! I should have known you'd never sacrifice one of us to save yourselves! I am so sorry! Forgive me!"

"Hey hey hey! It's not alright! There! Go ahead and, er, cry?...It's not okay." Applejack hugged her.

She shuddered in awe at the touch of one of her living gods. "Thank you My Lady Liarjack The Beautiful."

"Go on, go on home, we promise we're gonna let this here world vanish."

"Thank you Lady Liarjack The Eloquent."

Applejack glanced at us, almost if daring any of us to say differently. She kissed the seapony on the forehead. "Ah promise things'll turn out bad." Aquamarine nuzzled her living legend.

"Goodbye Lady Twilight Tragedy The Wise,
"Dame Traitor Dash The Brave,
"Lady Liarjack The Eloquent,
"Lady Rarigreed The Protective,
"Dame Ditzy Doo,
"Noble Steed Spikey-Wickey The Cute
"Small Lady Maple Pie."

She flashed blue, and the silver and gold feathers were gone with her.

Now just silence in this art gallery.

"Half-Light... they're not zombies. Not like Ah was always told." Apple Pie admits.

"They're just innocent." I answered. "They're the most innocent ponies in the world. Discord's done his hardest to make sure they don't know how he abuses the rest of the world. And also that they can..." It struck me, "That they could survive without him if need be."

"You must admit, that doesn't quite sound like Discord does it?" Rarity says, "But at the same time, what you just said is completely correct."

"So that was a seapony up close," Spike said, "She was...nice." Spike had never been brought to Sky Ocean.

"They really are loyal to you, aren't they?" Derpy said to us immortals.

"They're loyal to the versions of us that exist in their heads," Applejack said, relieved to be done with reverse speaking. "like foals and their idols."

Rainbow looked thoughtful. "Hey...I know Discord's a master at confusing us, but...What about the Alicorn Witch she mentioned?"

"It's possible he meant the Princesses," Derpy suggested. "They're Alicorns, the Sea Ponies think Alicorns are the bad guys, and it would 'destroy' his world if they returned."

"Maybe...but why would he say witch? Not witches?"

Applejack looked like she was confused. "...Maybe it was Nightmare Mirror."

Everyone looked. "What?"

"Remember how Ah said Ah went into the truth and all that? Well at the end meh and five other mehs ended up stoppin' ANOTHER Alicorn meh that was going around turnin' all the Elements of Honesty in the multiverse into copies of her and absorbin' em. She could make yah face the worst truths about yah simply by lookin' in her eyes...Ah think THAT would fit the description. Maybe Discord found out about her somehow and just doesn't know she's not comin' anymore."

Silence.

"She's telling the truth," Rarity said finally. "It makes sense as much as anything else. We can't be worrying about a foe that MIGHT exist before we deal with the one that DOES."

"If I have to hear one more crazy-yet-true thing today I am going to drill a hole in my head to drain out the crazy," Rainbow Dash cried out.

"I'll help you," Spike said.

I looked at the two statues. There is no decision at all.

"Everypony, no questions asked, formation!"

The looks I gave the entire team left no room for debate.

Rainbow Dash was reduced to playing lookout as we charged up the Elements. Using the Elements yet again might have been tiring, but I no longer cared. I couldn't care. I didn't want to care. If I couldn't do this with the Elements, after Discord's been broken and depowered, then what was the point of even having them? I had failed my Princess, my Teacher, my Mentor, my, my Mom, but I wouldn't cower from this! I'd accept any punishment she'd give me! As was her right! I wouldn't back away from this! Nor would I let them suffer a moment longer! Not now! Not again!

Forgive me if I skip over the feeling of peace and harmony as our souls linked together and became one, and we gave birth to the Rainbow of Light, and with its power, the light washed over the two Princesses who had ruled Equestria with compassion and wisdom.

I could never undo all my mistakes, and I wouldn't destroy myself with trying, but this wasn't about me this was about all of us and restoring the day and the night we loved so dearly themselves to their proper places.

Everything became the most beautiful white light I have ever seen in my entire life! We seven heroes surrounded the two former statues.

"Princess Celestia!" I shouted. "Princess Luna!"

The holy light faded.

A little white Alicorn filly looked at us, she had violet eyes and a rose-colored mane. She had a familiar sun cutie mark.

"Uh, my name is Celly. Uh, who are all of you?"

My jaw dropped. My heart nearly broke in two.

"TWILIGHT SPARKLE!" Another filly gasped, her coloring was very familiar, dark and light blues, with green eyes. On her rump was a black splotch centered around a crescent moon. "THANK YOU! THANK YOU THANK YOU! YOU HAVE THE GRATITUDE OF THE NIGHT ETERNAL!!!"

I couldn't stop the selfish thought. I tried so hard, but I couldn't. I wanted Princess Celestia to be the one who remembered and Princess Luna to be the one with apparent amnesia.

"CELESTIA!" Luna hugged her, "FOR ALL THE GLORIES AND SONGS FROM MY STARS ABOVE! TO TOUCH AND EMBRACE YOU AGAIN SISTER IS A THOUSAND AND ONE JOYS!"

"LULU! LULU! Stop hugging me! Stop shouting so loud! What's going on?! Where are we? Where's Dissy? Where's mama? Where's Surprise and Posey?"

Rarity startled at the names.

I looked at everypony and dragon. "Everypony on your knees! You're in front of your Princesses!"

"Twilight..." Rarity began.

"On your knees," I commanded darkly.

They obeyed.

"Oh...why is everypony bowing at us? Whao! Big dragon! Can I ride you?"

"Princess Celestia," Twilight whispered.

"Sister...has your mind really faded along with your body?"

"Whaddya mean faded? Am I invisible now? No, I don't think so, or can invisible things see invisible things?"

"No sister that is not what I..." The filly Princess Luna sighed. "Worry not, elder sister, worry not."

"Uh, okay, but...where are we?! What's going on?! I was with everypony at Paradise Estate and now I'm here! And Dissy was acting real funny, kinda sad. He wouldn't tell me what. Mommy-Star-Maker was there, and mommy-Mimic, and mommy-Plow-Harness-"

"That's a lot of mommies." Apple Pie said.

I glared at her, she's now quiet.

"Celestia, they are-" Luna began, then stopped herself, she looked into those big violet innocent eyes. "They've had to go away for now and couldn't take them with us. Don't worry we'll see them again soon."

"But how did we get here?!"

"You've been asleep, Celly. We...nopony was able to wake you up before. But these nice ponies, and dragon, were able to wake us up."

"Did they have Dissy kiss me?"

"WHAT?! NO!"

She blushed, "Well," She tapped her front hooves together looking down, "The prince always wakes up his princess with a kiss, and they're calling us princesses, or I think they are, so-"

I needed a memory erasure spell. Wait.No I don't!No I don't!No I don't! WHAT WAS APPLE PIE DOING?!

"Howdy, Ah'm Apple Pie, Ah've heard all about ya from Half-Light, it's great to meetcha Celestia, Ah mean Princess Celestia!" She was NOT shaking hooves with Celestia!

"Oh please I prefer Celly, nice to meet you too." The sun smiled back and returned the shake.

"And yer Princess Luna, right? I've heard about you too."

"'Too,' eh? I guess some things NEVER change." The filly sighed sadly.

"Huh?! Come on! Ah ain't mean nothin' by that! Come on, ya've got gotten free after, how long did Half-Light say? A thousand years! You should be happy!"

"I suppose it's an improvement over the LAST TIME I was imprisoned for a thousand years."

"This has happenin' ta ya before?! That's just mean!"

Celestia looked right at her sister, "WHO WOULD DO SUCH AN AWFUL AWFUL THING? TELL ME WHO DID IT LULU! I'LL GIVE'EM MORE THAN A PIECE OF MY MIND!"

+++

My pink haired sister's attack hit hard, cracking my armor. I instantly shift back into my form of Princess Luna.

"Celly! Please don't!"

"Luna?"

I turn on the waterworks.

"Oh Celly! We created Nightmare Moon as an imaginary friend! An avatar! But now she's gained control! Help Us!" I lie perfectly, when I wielded the Element of Honesty, I knew all the finer points of lying and tells to better see them.

"Oh Luna...I knew there was no way that thing could really be you! Come on! Let's get you to the medical lab, maybe we can-" she turned around. I instantly charged my horn to its maximum and fired my most powerful disintegrate spell.

"PRINCESS CELESTIA!" Some faceless, nameless Day Guard threw himself in my horn and got hit instead.

"MISSED!" I cursed.

"Golden Armor! Luna! Fight her!"

I rolled my eyes. "Big sister, thou'll believe anything."

Oh dearest sister, we envy thee, why did thou have to be freed of the memories of my sins and not ourselves?
+++

"It's...it's okay, Celly, I, I deserved it THAT time."

"No way you could EVER DESERVE THAT, Lulu." Celly nuzzled her. Princess Luna shook as she returned the nuzzle.

"Thank you Celly."

Luna looked at us, "Elements of Harmony, I've beheld all that you've done. While my body was trapped, my mind and senses were not. For a thousand years my consciousness has been alongside you, watching you. I shan't deny it has been depressing in the extreme... up until these recent days. I am very proud of you all for climbing out of the darkness Disc... that you were thrown you into. Now twice do I owe you for saving me. And one more for saving my sister."

"Lulu, did you get into some of Surprise's extra-special cooking? Or those mushrooms Posey is always saying aren't for eating?"

"No, Celly. I did not."

"Okay. But, is Dissy doing okay?"

"I'm...I'm certain he's fine."

"Okay sis," she smiled, and hugged her.

Celestia eyed me and fluttered up to my face. I froze. "Hey, are you okay? You look sad. Are you hurt? Are you lost too? Lulu says I was asleep and you woke me up, so thank you for that. Very much!" She wing hugged me. My goddess was wing hugging me!

After a thousand years...it felt just as wonderful. I knelt into the little hug. It was beautiful. Then her horn magic flickered out and she fell since she was using her wings to hug me. I caught her as once and continued to hug her. "Are you okay Princess, er, Celly?"

"I'm, I'm okay, I just think I'm really low on magic, I didn't think my magic could be this low."

"I sadly too must concur that my own magic is at its threadbare minimum." Princess Luna says. "I am afraid, for the task ahead of you, Twilight Sparkle, we shamefully shall not be of much aid to ye." She hung her head low, "I am sorry that you've wasted your time with us."

?! Rarity DID NOT just...she did not just-!

"YOU ARE NOT A WASTE OF TIME, LITTLE FILLY!" Rarity said to her face at the shocked Alicorn holding her cheek throbbing. "You and your sister are not a waste of time! Understood?! You are the moon! Your sister is the sun! You are NOT a waste of time! The day and the night are NOT a waste of time! You've been watching us this whole time? Two of our friends are NEVER EVER A WASTE OF TIME! Just because you're incapable of fighting doesn't make you a waste of time! Just imagine a world full of nothing but soldiers, warriors, ninjas or whatever! It would be completely pointless!"

"But I'm of no use to you now so-"

"Twilight didn't rescue you so you and your sister would be 'of use' to her! She saved you because you both mean the world to her, because she didn't want you to suffer for a moment more! Both of you are the holy, hallowed champions of a brighter age when love and sanity ruled... a state we are fighting to bring the world back to! Warriors or no, we're ONLY SORRY that it took us this long to free you!"

"Lulu, what's wrong?" Celly asked, as her sister shed tears.

"Nothing, I'm just so happy." She looked at us, "Thank you all, Twilight, Apple Pie, Spike, Derpy Hooves, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash." 'And thank you Trixie, Magica, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy.'

"Where's Philomena?" asked Celestia, looking around for her pet.

Philomena had been one of the first that Twilight the Unicorn had freed... even before teaming up with Applejack. How could she explain to this filly that her pet had spent the last thousand years baked into a clay pot?

"Don't worry," she decided to say. "She should be safe and sound right now, I... made sure she was taken care of."

By which Twilight meant that she had released Philomena into the sky the moment she'd restored her to her phoenix form. The firebird had gone off like a shot -- and Twilight had never seen her again since.

"Aww! Thank you!"

Wherever Philomena actually was... Twilight was sure that if she and Celestia were meant to reunite, Celestia could make it happen. After she'd caught up on quite a few history lessons.

"You have some important business to take care of." Princess Luna said to all of the Elements. "You had best get going. I believe you've kept the world waiting long enough."

Twilight looked at Rainbow Dash, then the little Alicorns.

"Rainbow Dash? I have the most important mission imaginable for you."

A few minutes later, Rainbow Dash was flying away from Chaos Castle back to Sweet Rock Acres, with two alicorn fillies in tow. To her credit, the pegasus was doing a commendable job hiding how miffed she was about the fact.

"Are you sure this is wise, Twilight?" Rarity asked. "I mean... it's one thing to prevent two helpless fillies from participating in this battle... but to deprive us of a powerhouse like Rainbow Dash? NOW? Couldn't we have simply shut the princesses in an empty bedroom, and have them stay put 'til the dust settled?"

"I wouldn't trust Their Majesties safety to ANY PART of Discord's lair, no matter what kind of neutrality agreement we have with it!"

"You could have asked ME to bring them to the farm and take care of them." Derpy suggested. "They all say I'm not unkillable... but Dashie definitely is! Wouldn't she be...?"

"I chose Rainbow Dash because she's unkillable. Imagine if we're all annihilated in this final fight. What then? Well, with Luna and Celestia, we at least have a Plan B, of sorts. They've both acted as Element Bearers themselves. True, it'd be quite a hassle... building themselves back up to maximum strength, reclaiming the Elements of Harmony from Discord... but, there you have! Plus, they'll have Unkillable Rainbow Dash as their guardian and mentor. And if Dash truly IS the embodiment of Free Will now, she's the one being who's now more immune to Discord's mind games than anypony. I couldn't choose a better protector."

Derpy nodded, "That makes sense!"

(Finally using your common sense.)

*Agreed.*

"Rarity, Applejack, check those stairs behind the doors on the other side of the gallery. Are they infinite?"

"No." They said together.

"Good. Time to pay one last visit to Master."

++++

Paradise Estate looked so pretty next to Unicornia, Old Ponyville, New Ponyville and Butterfly Island.

Two Pinkie Pies played cream pie chess.

Scootaloo and Scootaloo practiced downslop go-kart racing, getting a few bruises along the way.

Cheerilee and Cheerilee compared the virtues of different styles of teaching.

Gingerbread and Bon-Bon traded cooking secrets.

Rarity made dresses for Princess Rarity.

Rainbow Dash made dresses for Rainbow Dash (Rainbow Dash wanted to race with Firefly instead, but Rainbow Dash told Rainbow Dash it was best Rainbow Dash learn how to make dresses too).

Spike was playing cards with Spike and Spike (Spike and Spike were fairy certain Spike was cheating).

Oh and Applejack was trouncing Applejack and Applejack at hoof wresting (again, Applejack and Applejack really needed to stick to baking and comedy).

Everything was okay, everything was happy. Every day was something new to uncover and learn and Celly loved it that way. Even when things looked their darkest, things always turned out okay.

Entire herds worth of ponies continued to happily live their lives, all of them of course knew who Celly was. Why shouldn't they? Celly was best pony. Oh her and her sister were both best pony of course. Silly her.

They always had something to speak with her about or something to give her or simply to just sit around quietly and just enjoy each other's company. The smiling sun beamed down and waved at Celly who waved back.

She wondered if Toola-Roola was done with that painting of her yet.

"Hey, Celly."

She saw her best friend in the whole wide world. "DISSY!" She flew up and hugged him. "It's great to see you! Where have you been?"

"Just...taking care of things."

"That's what you always say."

"I know it's just-Hey! Watch it, Surprise!"

"Sorry! Tee-hee!" Laughed the white pegasus flying away with a now spilled large tub of water (guess she'd have to go get another one for Gummy's bath).

"Heh, surprise," Celly said kindly wiping his wet mane out of the little draconequus' eyes.

Dissy looked at the world, everypony happy and interact with each other, no need to fight monsters here to form bonds. No need for monsters. No need for monsters at all.

"You know, Celly, I think being here with you, it's the only time I think I can remember smiling my best smiles."

"Oh, you're sweet!" The pink hair filly kissed him on the cheek.

Dissy blushed. And sighed. This was harder than it should have been.

"Celly, I...I don't know if I'll be able to visit you anymore."

"What?" Celly stopped dead in her tracks, and almost fell off the cloud they were on. "Is something wrong? Has something bad happened?"

"...No. Nothing like that. I just don't know if I'll be able to anymore. Some, very big things are happening outside of Equestria and...I think they might been keep me away for a long long time."

"But...you'll come back right? When you're all done."

"I don't know if I'll be able to."

"Oh come on! Don't be silly! You're Dissy! You can do anything!"

"Except beat you at Super Smash Ponies, it seems."

"Oh don't give up. You almost beat me last time, HEY! Don't change the subject!"

"Sorry, force of habit."

"Now how can you just say you won't be coming here anymore?"

"I...I'm sorry."

"Now you see here! I dunno what this 'big business' out of Equestria is! But I want your promise! If everything turns out okay you'll come back and visit me! Like you always do!"

"Celly...please I can't..."

"PROMISE!"

"I...I promise." He looked like he was swallowing bad tasting medicine. "And Celly?"

"Yeah?" She turned to him. She didn't see the sky turning a bunch of rainbow colors.

He hugged her tight. "YOU'RE my very best friend!"

"We're very best friends." She hugged back.

Without a moment to spare she vanished into sparkling rainbow lights.

Dissy sat on his rear, looking around at Equestria.

(Just how were you able to hide a place like this from me for so long?)

Dissy forced himself not to cry, he knew it didn't make a bit of difference, but he wouldn't give her that satisfaction, not here, not in Celly's special place!

*Because you didn't want to see it. You didn't want to believe Discord would make Celestia's imprisonment her own personal paradise. Because that would mean he cared about her. And you couldn't bear that, could you?*

(Who are you? Could you be...? Heh. Now I know nothing can go wrong. So get off your high horse. Clearly Discord was just waiting to turn this utopia into a nightmare when Celestia's happiness hit its peak. Idiot.)

"That's enough lies," Shady said, his mother trotting on the cloud even though she was an Earth Pony (and legendary for her physical inability).

"Hello mother," Discord said, not being able to face her. Facing the statues was bad enough.

"Discord, it's time to let go," Shady said to her child.

Discord looked up apologetically at his mother, "I'm sorry, mama...but I can't." The little draconequus shuddered.

"Do you think my son is going to learn his lesson now?"

(...Get your head out of your flanks. This was NEVER EVER about reforming 'your son.' It's about punishing him, pure and simple. Eternal Damnation.)

( Eee
Tern
Nal

Damn
Nay
Shun. )

"...I used to think you're what my son needed. Maybe you were. Maybe you still are. I'll tell you this, though: there is nothing righteous about you. Many ponies have called my son the devil. I have no way to argue that they're wrong. But you...you're WORSE than my son!"

(Oh my. I am being judged by one random pony who had the bad luck of being Discord's gateway into the mortal world. How shall I ever live with myself? Very easily.)

Discord didn't stop himself from crying now, maybe Celly would forgive him for crying in her kingdom as long as it was in front of his mother.

The earth pony hugged her son. The various ponies of Equestria below them hugged each other too.

"Discord."

"Yes mother?"

"I'm sorry for everything."

"So am I."

+++

"DISCORD!!!"

Eh?

"TIME TO FACE THE MUSIC!!"

Sigh. Here we go.

"FOR SPARKLER!"

"FOR MAH FAMILY!"

"FER MAGICA!"

"FOR EQUESTRIA! FOR THE PRINCESSES! FOR TOM! FOR FLUTTERSHY! FOR PINKIE PIE! SWEETIE BELLE! THE CHANGELINGS, HIPPIOGRIFFS, VIRGACORNS, AND ALL OTHER LIVING BEINGS!"

I see the surprise in their eyes. I'm not what they're expecting. But they keep it together.

They're about to save the world, after all.

Episode 104: (Dark World) "Beating Up Discord"

Episode 104: (Dark World) "Beating Up Discord"

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Pony POV Series
Dark World Part 27 "Beating The Bucking Horseapples Out of Discord!!!"
By Alex Warlorn

Discord...

It was...jarring, no, it was disturbing.

Over half his body had to be stone, much of it was crumbling. The hole in his chest had gotten larger. One side showed an inward-turning blackness, frost caked around the edges, and the sick feeling that some thing was watching them through it. It reminded the ponies of the other side of the gateway Rancor has passed through.

There was a mirror set up behind Discord's throne. Via the impossible physics of Discord's Equestria, they saw the other side of the hole. This end showed an outward-churning redness, the more they tried to take in details, the more they didn't want to, the more their instincts inside them screamed in irrational fear. And...where there tiny black hands reach out of the hole? No no! They had be imagining that part!

Forcing it out of her mind, Twilight stepped forward. "You're all alone, Discord."

"Alone, am I? What else is new? No matter how many times it happens, the pain doesn't lessen, you know...meh, never mind."

"You turned my magic of friendship to tragedy, Discord! But I grew through it with the help of my friends."

"Ya made me turn mah back completely on the truth, but now it's the kindness tah others in them lies Ah care about, not the lies themselves!"

"You stripped away my mask of generosity I wore, but all I did was ignore OTHER truths, never again! Cruelty, deceit, greed, anger, free will, magic, are all truth!"

"You made me a monster like you! Then my muffin freed me! Then tortured us for that! For her I'll never gave up. For Dinky, for Sparkler, I was loyal, I never gave up. And for my new friends. I won't give up either!"

"Grexessle Anti-Taxation Baimcat Vuvuzela Discord! Ah just wanna say, yer jokes are funny, but whether hurtin' others is funny or not ain't the point. It shouldn't be funny!"

"Before I clean your clock, I have one thing to thank you for: letting me be a man with Rarity! And now it's time for yer just rewards for all the rest!"

The Element Bearers just gaped dumbly.
None of these words had come out of ANY of their mouths.
Discord had spoken them all. Impersonating their voices. Saying it just before they thought to say it!

"We're not falling for you tricks, Discord! Trying to confuse us won't work! You have nothing left!"

Spike declared, Discord echoed it, no, he didn't echo it, he said it at the exact same time!

Discord yawned. It made the cracks in his body spread faster.

"Always the same speeches. Couldn't you vary them a little? Before you smite me with righteous fury, I think I'll ask you a question, my three former minions, my ride, and our consummate round-the-clock jogger. How did it feel to do the same action over and over whether you wanted to or not? Stuck in the same cliche routine for a thousand years like non-player characters in a video game? Oh never mind! So how do you want to do it this time, Twilight?"

"'This time?' What do you mean?" Discord and Twilight chorused at the exact same time.

"It doesn't matter. Nothing does. Whenever you WANT to do something different, you're just pushed forward and the choices are made for you, no, they're not made for you that implies you're involved somehow, oh I guess you still are, but you're never allowed to change anything! How did that feel, Twilight? You're about to make a different choice, change your destiny, and SNAP! You're handed back control, maybe, after everything has happened to where you can't change a thing! And you're not even sure what choices were made! I imagine it was as awful for Fluttershy too, speaking inside but never heard, clawing on the inside but no one listening."

Rarity growled.

"Believe it or not that was my reaction. No matter how many times she saw me commit crimes against the living, she never judged me even where Pinkie Pie would. How can such a pure pony exist?! It really IS all like a cheap video game... what a fabulous metaphor for my life! The type of games that claims to grant the player free will, but no matter what, it's always the same ending, same final boss, none of the cutscene dialogue ever changes. You want to make a completely different choice? Ha! Not happening."

"The game's opening sequence involves you destroying what you want most, what you love the most. Try to move on without doing it? Up pops a text message: 'No You Can't Do That!'

"Maybe there's a golden ending hidden in the game, provided you meet some absurd prerequisites. So you keep playing, one playthrough after another, the game cheats; you're not fast enough, the game continues if you lost that boss fight anyway, that character betrays you no matter how hard you try to be their friends until you just give up on it. I think the only reason I've continuing playing at all at this point, was to see how many ex machinas could be dropped on my head at once to force me to lose... and force me to lose her."

"Those kinda video games can suck after a while," Apple Pie observed.

"You eventually give up on ACHIEVING your golden ending, and decide to aim for just one teeny victory in the whole nihilistic player-hating ordeal. End the game with a positive karma meter. End the game knowing that the green haired filly with the bonnet on disc 2 lived when she was scripted to die. For the sake of that minor victory, you give up on even pretending to care about anything else. But the game can't have you breaking character. So it takes away your choices when you try and go off the rails. No playing a game called 'Overlord' and expect to win by making friends with teamates who betray you. Even if you do, they're programmed to betray you anyway since if they don't the story stops and the game's story can't continue! It skips you ahead, then hands you back the controller for the fight sequences."

"That sounds like a game ya should have just walked away from," Apple Pie said.

"Believe me, I tried Apple Pie. Several times. Thank you for trying to help."

"Help?" Apple Pie tilted her head.

His paw shaking, he managed to summon a glass of half-empty chocolate milk. He downed the milk, it went straight into the black hole in his chest never to return, and threw the glass at the heroes. They ducked, it just hit the floor and dissolved into nothing.

"You expected it to explode, didn't you?" Discorded asked, with melancholy. "There is no chaos when the outcome is predictable."

The mighty Discord boomed on top of his throne, thunder, chocolate rain, tap-dancing spiders, a hail of windigos, spinning robots, Lyra playing with a yoyo, upside down soda cans floating, impossible geometric shapes melting all around the heroes. Trixie and Twilight held onto Firecracker as AJ and Rarity moved back to back and Derpy and Spike flew above the heroes defensively.

"YOU WORTHLESS HORSES! You harp on about 'be yourself!' 'Be true to yourself!' But as soon as being yourself gets in the way of what EVERYONE ELSE wants, 'don't be yourself!' 'Keep it to yourself!' 'Be a different self!' My brother Destruction, the one I ate? He tortured himself his entire existence, trying to deny his nature, suppress what he was! I looked at him, I promised myself I'd NEVER hide from the real me! Mom and Pops made me the way I am, shouldn't THEY be punished if what I am is so wrong?!

"You know it's stupid. I was fully prepared to rule over my little Planet of Chaos till this universe died of old age. Always coming up with new tricks! New games! New confusion! New ways to traumatize vulnerable minds! But what's the point if you're actually a slave among slaves?

"Endless cycles, endless cycles. I keep thinking if I threw myself totally into it, I can just live for the moment until it inevitably ends... the way all you mortals OUGHT to. But... my little princess. She's become the only thing that makes this prison worthwhile! Why ...why is no matter how many times I see her perish... WHY DOES THIS PAIN IN MY CHEST NEVER GO AWAY?! TRAGEDY! You're the smart one! The literal Element of Tragedy, itself! TELL ME! Why does she have to die, EVERY TIME?! IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE! AND I DON'T LIKE IT! WHICH MAKES EVEN LESS SENSE!"

He threw up his hands, and it all turned to speckled dishwasher detergent which splattered on the floor.

The ponies and dragon startled. The chaos was gone, had it ever been there? There was Discord, bleeding and dying. Twilight. Spike, AJ, Apple Pie, Rarity, and Derpy. Check. Was this a trick?

"Don't you hate it when they throw in stock footage to make up for a dying actor?" The broken Discord sigh and began coughing again.

Rarity said hesitantly, "It can actually be rather beautiful when the proper effort and care is taken into it."

"I-I suppose so. Too bad it wasn't, maybe this would be more pleasant."

Spike came to Rarity's side, "Don't you dare touch her mind ever again you filthy degenerate bucket of pig swill! I didn't come all this way and fight all these fights just to hear you whine about video games! Time for you to be erased for good! Everything you've done to hurt others! All the misery you've caused! It's gonna go with you!"

Discord groaned, "Question: don't you all ever get sick of the whole 'first we shall verbally beat you to a pulp, THEN physically beat you to a pulp!' shtick? Oh, it doesn't matter. Nothing matters now that she's gone. Nothing to do now but play through the end, then sit through the painfully long credits sequence full of Japanese names that you're not even allowed to skip."

the mighty Discord said, "Still... if you think I'm just gonna hand out golf clubs and quietly let you ponies clobber me to death, you've got another thing coming! I have my pride as a showman!"

He draped himself in a long purple poncho. He stood up proudly sticking out his chest and assumed a pose befitting Trottsylvania counts, wiggling his eyebrows and claws at them. "Velcome to your doom!"

The mighty Discord transformed into a giant Ax. "Look at me! The axe! He 'axed' crazy!"

Pinkie Pie giggles in spite of herself, even as Discord brought himself down in rapid-fire chops, like he was trying to make coleslaw out of them.

Then the broken Discord was suddenly back on his throne, the cloak already gone, coughing up black and yellow blood. The cuts in the carpet weren't even there.

"Remember that, guys? I like to think that one was clever. Or how about the one when my individual body parts turned into complete animals, which I had you fight one-on-one? Or the one where we decided the fate of the world on a game of Tetris?" The broken Discord asked.

"WHAT ARE YOU GOING ON ABOUT DISCORD?! WHAT IS HAPPENING? WHAT KIND OF GAME ARE YOU PLAYING THIS TIME? WHY?!" Twilight demanded at the absurd whirl of confusion.

The mighty Discord growl slamming his chest, "Why? I hate 'why!' I wish I could annihilate 'why!' Reasons are window dressing! I once came close to deflowering and murdering 'Why!' And my one regret is that I never finished this honorable goal! 'Why' enslaves us! It chains us! The world is nonsense! 'Why' pretend otherwise! SHE'S the real monster!"

The broken Discord on his throne tried to smirk, and failed. "Heh, so how was that Evil Speech of mine?" Had he spoken, with disgust? "Oh wait, I already know how you're all going to respond! Ahem:

"Rarity: My word, only a fool blames fate for his own choices darling.'

Applejack: If this here is yer idea of free then yer even more screwed in da head than Ah thought.'

Apple Pie: Ah think 'why' ain't all that bad. Separates ponies from the unsocial-like rocks.'

Spike: 'I don't care about you pseudo-philosophical horseapples! I'm not playing your games! Stop saying what I'm saying already!'

Derpy Hooves: 'Why' is something I had a real hard time understanding for a long time. But I was proud of myself for when I finally understood why! And I sent my fillies to school so they'd get 'why' too!'

Twilight: 'You're right that our decisions affect others in ways we never see, and theirs affect us in ways we never fully realize. Maybe we're all puppets. But we all have our hooves in the strings, Discord.'"

"...Master."

(WHAT?!)

Everything gasped and looked at Twilight, her allies ready to clobber her without a first thought if she suddenly transformed back into Twilight Tragedy.

"That...that was different," whispered Discord, who then smiled, "Heh. You still call me Master even as you seek to dispose of me?"

"Celestia taught one side of magic. You taught me the other. I won't bury my head in the sand again. As much as you're a disease Equestria needs to be cured of, as much as your bottomless cruelty turned me into an emotionless killer... I can't deny you DID teach me something that's really helped me grow, these past few days. Thank you."

*It sickens me that you needed this Twilight. I am so so so sorry. If there was another way. I'd have shown it in an instant.*

"Heh," the broke Discord let out a laugh, "Seems that way doesn't it? Who'd have thought?"

"Now Discord... allow me now to ask YOU a question. Why are you so focused on just Equestria? Just this world alone?"

"...So you finally noticed? Heh."

A planet, then a solar system, then a galaxy, then thousand of galaxies appeared, or tried to, they actually just fizzled out before the image could even form.

Discord spoke, "Between the alien invasion attempts... and good folks like The Valeyard... you are all already aware that other lifeforms exist, beyond the reaches of this puny sphere.

"Equestria. One measly little planet. HA! Riddle me this; Why oh why oh WHY do I consign myself to it -- just one speck of dust on a bubble in an ocean -- when I'm the fifth most powerful being in existence? When there are ENTIRE GALAXIES OUT THERE JUST WAITING FOR ME TO PLAY SHUFFLEBOARD WITH!?" The broken Discord instantly broke down into cough fits, he brought his paw up to his face and it was covered in yellow and black blood when he pulled it away.

Twilight whispered, "Because the rest of the universe is outside the borders of the game map isn't it?"

"Bingo. The reason I do not leave the world of Equestria is because I CANNOT leave it."

"I finally understand why you kept us around, Master. We were the only things keeping your non-chaos from being lonely."

"I can't even remember why I kept you around. At first, I think I just found you entertaining. Then I just didn't want to admit losing. Then I think... we've all been together so long, you and my nieces are the closest things I have left to family."

"It must be horrible for you. To put your trust in so few and for those few always to be the ones who betray you. I am sorry for you... my teacher."

*You understand, Twilight.*

(YOU DARE CALL THIS FILTH BY THE MOST HONORED OF TITLES?!)

"Your efforts to connect with me on an emotional level... BORE me, my faithful student. Maybe I should just hand you the win and call it day. BUT I CAN'T LET IT BE SAID A DRACONEQUUS EVER WENT DOWN WITHOUT A FIGHT CAN I?!" The mighty evil overlord Discord boomed with a deafening echo.

The broken Discord's body moved jerkily. He put a rainbow pastel tie-dyed bandage over the giant hole in the center of his body and rose up, the stone parts of his body fractured more. His musculature first doubled and then tripled.

"You have to be joking," Twilight said not even reacting as the other ponies got ready to fight. "I'm not playing this game Discord."

Discord stamped his stone hoof, cracking it. "Oh come on! We need to do -something- or we'll disappoint the audience!"
Twilight just raised an eyebrow. "You've already lost. You're DYING. No longer a threat to anypony. Your show of aggression is perfunctory. You couldn't even beat ONE of us as you are now."

Discord slumped to the floor. "No need to rub it in."

"Everypony. Attack him." Twilight had never sounded more cool or collected, like a proper army general. "We've come all this way. Fought all these battles. He's caused us so much anguish. But we triumphed over the odds.

Twilight looked from ally to ally. "I know every one of you are good peace-loving souls. But if ever there was a time where it was right and just for us to give into wrath and vengeance... it's now. So enjoy it. Make the most of it. You've earned it. Do whatever you've been itching to do to him whenever you envisioned reaching this moment. Leave just enough for your comrades. Beat him down until all your hatred for him is SPENT. We're sending this monster to Hell."

"NO!" Twilight shout startling her confused friends as she had stared off into space for a moment. "I... AM DONE! Being a part of ANY SCRIPT!"

Discord thought, 'This is different too, hehe, it's almost fun!'

Twilight whispered, " ... Hatred isn't ever spent, it isn't anger, it isn't spent, it festers. Pinkie Pie, you showed us better than anypony. Thank you. Huh?! Girls?! What the Pony Hell are you doing?!"

Rarity fell upon him quickest. Some of the crumbled bits of Discord's own body reformed together into a stone dragon paw and slapped him multiple times in the face, with bone-shattering force. "How many murderers did you create Discord? How many murderers flourished under you? How many were maimed or killed in the crossfire of your games and you didn't even flinch? How many ponies' lives did you end or ruin just to entertain you and your child? Do you even know?"

(Uh, I think they might be doing what you told them to do.)

'But I never said that!' Twilight thought in horror. 'Did I?'

Applejack did double bucks to what was left of his stomach. Her back legs actually went numb from kicking him so close to the void in his chest. "How many are dead because of ya? How many crippled fer life? How many hopelessly insane? How many were foals? How many would have embraced yer world of chaos if ya hadn't treated 'em like toilet paper?"

"GIVE ME BACK SPARKLER!" Derpy hit Discord in the face with an electrified drop kick, sending electric sparks all through his body. "How many fathers committed suicide when they came back to reality just long enough to realize they'd killed his own foal while laughing?"

"Discord you've made millions of ponies, billions die or wish for death! How many happy moments, how many advancements could we have achieved, how much togetherness could we all have enjoyed with one another... if not for your twisted corruption?!" Spike punched him square in the face making him topple over with a resounding thud.

Even the little filly got into the spirit of things. "How much did ya hurt mah friends to make 'em yer timberwolves, and how much did ya do just to hurt 'em!? How many lies did ya tell 'em? How many truths did ya turn sideways like Saint Aunt Applejack was made ta? How many hearts did ya crush like Auntie Pinkie Pie's?! How often did ya play on their weaknesses like Miss Rarity? How many did ya just cheat when they were stronger than ya like Miss Fluttershy?! How many did ya break in two while laughin' like Miss Rainbow Dash? HOW MANY-DID YA-MAKE THEIR OWN FRIENDS HURT 'EM LIKE HALF-LIGHT?!"

"Lost...count," the dying draconequus wheezed.

The little filly trotted away having said her piece, feeling a little ashamed of herself for losing her temper. Not having laid a hoof on him. Discord was surprised.

Twilight looked at her friends, and for a terrible spark of a moment, didn't recognize them. 'Or... are they too familiar?'

"STOP IT!" Twilight shouted, using the Royal Canterlot Voice to its full volume.

The ponies startled and looked at Twilight in total confusion.

"You don't need to stop them," Discord said, his ruined body even more destroyed, "They're right, I am an unforgivable, selfish, worthless monster, anything worthwhile I've made I just recreated from something I destroyed, or I ruined from the start. I've snuffed out more candles than you'll ever know. I deserved every last bit of that and more."

"Don't you dare Derpy," Twilight said seeing Derpy ready to kick a stone shard of Discord body back at the Draconequus.

"Twilight, promise me, you won't do this to Screwball and, or Mad Tiara," the broken Discord begged.

The poinies felt their brains threaten to crash. Had Discord asked for something on somepony ELSE'S behalf? What kind of last game was he trying to pull?

"I'm not using the Elements of Chaos to heal you Discord." Rarity said.

"Thank you," Discord said.

Now Rarity's mind threatened to completely crash.

"Where are they anyway?" Twilight asked seeing the music box empty.

"Do you promise?"

"Don't ya be stupid! We'd never be savages like--" AJ stopped, and looked at the black and yellow blood on her hooves.

"You have our word Discord," Twilight said.

Twilight trotted between her friends and the dying monster they had wanted to see fall. "Look at you! Look at yourselves!"

The ponies did so, it was like waking up from a dream, or an enchantment, like it was something that somepony else did, something that happened to somepony else. But there had been no geass here.

They saw the blood on their hooves, the dust from shattered stone limbs. Apple Pie did, and, she was reminded of when she had seen the Chaos Six last as Discord's servants in Ponyville.

"Apple Pie, please come here with me," Twilight asked calmly. The filly obeyed.

"Do you feel better? Did it make you feel good? Doing that to Discord?" Twilight asked her other friends.

The dragon and three ponies nodded, Derpy the most eagerly.

"So tell me, what exactly did beating the Tartarus out of an already helpless, defeated, powerless, and dying enemy objectively ACCOMPLISH?!"

The three ponies and dragon looked at each other in confusion.

"Making him pay," Derpy said lowly, almost darkly.

"So are you doing this as tick for tock? OR ARE ALL OF YOU JUST FRUSTRATED THAT RANCOR BEAT US TO THE PUNCH?!"

Spike's eyes widened at the question, "Twilight, please, not now. Remember, Discord. He's just playing for sympathy points! He's the guy we've been fighting AGAINST all this time."

"Because Discord's the BAD GUY that makes it alright to pummel him to sludge to just make ourselves feel better?!"

AJ took her hat off placed it over her heart and lowered her head, then she trotted away from the others and stood next to Twilight, not saying a word.

"Did you all come all this way just to get your licks in-?! Or did you come for the sake of those you love?"

"They... they can't be one and the same?" Rarity asked, feeling sick inside.

"And did what you just do CHANGE A THING? We came here to liberate the world from Discord, to make sure he'd never have the chance to harm a living thing again! Mission accomplished!"

"He's still alive," Derpy said.

"And won't be for much longer no matter what we do! What does hurting a monster who's already dying and no longer a threat to anything DO? Payback? Retribution? He's ALREADY as helpless as he's made everyone else! He's ALREADY lost everything like he took from everypony else! He's ALREADY never going to get the chance to harm anypony ever again! This . . . this . . . " Twilight then said sadly, "This is just selfish revenge."

"And... what about you Twilight?" Discord wheezed, "What about Cadence? What about your parents? What about the mares from magic school who tried so hard to get you to socialize? Pinkie Pie? Fluttershy?"

Twilight spoke in a calm, even, nonjudgmental tone. "I cannot forgive you teacher, but I cannot condemn you either. What we do we do for our survival and those we love you've murdered and hurt. But a mortal has no right to pass judgement on a spirit. So I'll do what Cadence did, and leave for your own kind to decide the consequences of your own actions. May they do with you as they will. You're no longer our business." Twilight looked at her friends, "We are better than this!"

"Yeah. We are," AJ said simply. "This ain't nothing kind about revenge. It ain't make the life of the pony hurt better, and it ain't justice."

Derpy had one thought. She imagined her hate taking a shape, it took the shape of the same endless circle around the castle, never ending, never stopping. Never to be free. "I won't hate. Sparkler, I won't shame you by turning into a monster because of you."

"Twilight," Rarity said formally and politely, "You speak the cruel truth."

Apple Pie looked at the blood on the floor, and took some, and rubbed it on her hooves.

"Apple Pie!" Twilight gasped.

"Ah didn't try ta stop ya girls. So Ah, Ah'll carry the burden with ya."

"Apple Pie! Twilight!" Spike said, he didn't sound angry or ashamed, he was speaking to Twilight like she was the one who needed saving, "Don't get lost in this! Removing evil is not the same as creating evil!"

"And it's not the same as creating good either Spike," Twilight said sadly, "And removing evil, isn't the same as making someone who is evil suffer.

"Apple Pie is the only one WITHOUT blood on her hooves right now. She was willing to say her piece and LEAVE IT at that...are we really that foalish that a little filly is more mature than we are? Yes, WE, because when we stormed in here I wanted to blow Discord in half every bit as much as you did...Ponies say to stop being foalish, to grow up, but there are SOME parts of foalhood that we SHOULDN'T leave behind. One of them is being innocent enough to listen to what her grandmother said about not giving into grudges...We tend to think as we grow up that kind of thinking is naive, but is it really? It's only because the Apple Pie family thinks that way that we're even HERE. They could've driven us off with explosives instead of accepting us. Who has more of a reason to hate US than they do? Than Apple Pie does? How EASY would it have been for her to say 'you killed my sister, you killed my friends, I don't want anything to do with you!' But instead they GAVE us their forgiveness and mercy when we DIDN'T deserve it...Discord doesn't deserve forgiveness or mercy, but neither of those things are things you should HAVE to deserve."

"Twilight," Spike whispered, "Please, don't waste your pity on him, please, I can't stand seeing him make you suffer again!"

"He makes a very good point Twilight," Discord slowly got up, his eyes unfocused. Then he fell to one knee. "What are you waiting for? Use the Elements! It's what you're supposed to do now! Blast me to oblivion!"

"No."

Again, EVERYONE looked at Twilight.

"That black hole in your chest, Discord... it's grown so much wider!"

Discord looked down at it. "So it has."

The other Element Bearers backed away from Discord, gathering behind Twilight. "Go back, go back to the chaos you were born from! Draconequus!"

"AT LAST! Finally, you truly ARE deviating from the script!" Discord laughed joyously, if feebly. "A joke on me, and I'm finally laughing at it again. Maybe I finally am free. But YOU'RE not free. Not yet, little ponies."

Black threads had spread from the hole and were now slowly wrapping their way around his body parts.

"...Twilight...what would you say if I said I never had a choice?"

Twilight looked back. "...I'd say you were wrong. You always have a choice."

Discord looked thoughtful for a moment, then a look of realization formed. "...I guess I do. Mind granting a condemned criminal one last request?"

"No!" said Derpy.

"You've had a thousand years getting EVERY weird thing you wanted!" snarled Spike. "All you've done is take! Take! Take! When did you last GIVE to somepony?"

Rarity remained silent.

Apple Pie tilted her head. This didn't look much liker Plastic Drumset Discord anymore, just a mass of broken stone and fur slowly being eaten by darkness.

"What request?" Saint Applejack asked.

"Twilight, use your famous memory spell on me."

"WHAT?!" Was the unified reply.

Discord laughed then coughed up chunks of frozen rock, he didn't want to know what they had been.

"Forgive me, it's been a while since I've had to come up with this kinda sales pitch on the fly, and I'm kinda, well, what you mortals call it? Oh yeah, dying, so please bear with the mangled, dying psychopath. Ahem.

"For starters, the entire time that your memory spell is active, I vow, upon my Mother and Father, that I will enter a state of complete non-combative inaction, total passivity. Which won't be hard, as my fighting power is 0.00001 to a bunny, right now."

"Twilight?" Derpy asked. "What's with that look in your eyes? You're not seriously thinking of...?"

"No minion of mine will attack you, not that I have any left. And if you're worried about a repeat of becoming 'Valelight,' or 'Twicord' or something WORSE lying in wait, I also vow that you will encounter nothing BUT memories in my mind."

"Twilight! Ignore him!" Spike gave her a rough shake. "Remember your own advice! Just before we left the rock farm! 'Don't trust a word he says. Even when he's being honest, it's just so you'll do what he wants. Anything he tells you is only *PART* of the picture!'"

"As a bonus, I promise that for exactly five minutes AFTER your memory spell has been cast, I will continue to remain inactive, for the sake of allowing us both to discuss what you learned from peeking into my memories. Not that I'm actually going to LAST five minutes..." He cough up more frozen rocks. "Or three minutes after. This was gonna be a long speech. Sort of like this story-arc."

"Don't play by his rules." Rarity added, continuing to quote Twilight's words. "We made that mistake and it cost us everything. Just keep your wits about you. And if he sets some kind of challenge or contest... anything where he acts as judge, referee and rule setter..."

"...Ignore him completely." She smiled at all her friends. Then she conjured a set of super-strength earplugs into being. Then tossed them so far away and with such force that they left cracks in the wall. "THE RULES HAVE ALL CHANGED!"

"Even I wasn't born bad, believe it or not! Neither time, actually, second time I was actually a pretty sweet kid for awhile."

"He's telling the absolute truth," Rarity said.

"That there was no lie," AJ added.

Twilight remained stock still. Visions of Angry Pie, of Fluttercruel, of Pinkie... they were all flooding her head.

"Maybe jogging my memory of the Good Old Days would be just what I need to bring me back to the light side!"

"LIGHT SIDE?! YOU?!" Spike let out a wild, overwrought, incredulous cackle.

"He's not lying about any of that," AJ whispered in awe.

Discord laughed too, and began coughing again, "Yeah . . . sounds absolutely stupid doesn't? After all. There's never been any redemption for creatures like me."

"You're lying to yourself Discord," Rarity said sternly.

"It's been a comforting lie." Discord sighed. "Then please don't play hoofball with my severed head for this one, but maybe didn't your fight with Angry Pie teach you it's wrong to automatically assume that someequus is unsaveable when the hero hasn't tried EVERYTHING?"

"Hoofball time!" Derpy and Spike snarled together trotting forward. Rarity stopped Spike while, and AJ and Apple Pie stopped Derpy. Apple Pie couldn't help laughing a little bit. Big Banana Discord had been...good once?

"...Ah didn't think it could happen...but hey, who are we tah talk?" the filly asked, giving a smile. "Yah ain't done one thing to earn forgiveness, I want ya gone, but it ain't earned, it's given."

Discord actually laughed...with a surprising lack of malice. "That's a new one."

"If this is a mistake, Rarity, blast us both to oblivion. No hesitation, no mercy."

"TWILIGHT NO!" Spike protested as Rarity nodded.

"Half-Light!"

"My choice, My risk, you're wonderful family Spike. Girls, Spike, I love all of you. Apple Pie, thank you."

"Half-Light...just be careful. Give 'em your forgiveness if yah want tah."

Twilight nuzzled the filly. "I will. And thank you so much for teaching me so much," she said, if Celestia ever got her memory back, she'd be getting plenty.

Twilight awoke the classic spell once again, and touched it to the head of the spirit of disharmony, as promised, he simply lowered his head to accept it. There was a flash.

Twilight shook her head, so many images, so many, so many, so many. SO MANY. But there was no alien presence. No trace of chaos magic. Indeed, only memories. She put a triple barrier to prevent any memories of Discord looking in the mirror with his hypno eyes from being shown, just in case.

"The remote server download might take a bit," Discord told her. "Sorry for that. But here's the verbal shorthand: This isn't your Hell, Twilight Sparkle. It's mine, it always been mine...she's made all of you exist only so..." the black threads then exploded from the hole, wrapping around every piece of Discord at once, like a mummy.

The ponies and dragon gasped.

"Typical," Discord tutted, as his arms, tail, legs, all began to bend inwards in ways that weren't supposed to be possible even for the draconequus, then his head and neck began to do the same. "You have the worst sense of timing, don't you Mother?"

Derpy was open-mouthed in shock. AJ covered Apple Pie's eyes. Spike kept a straight face though his stomach's inner fire felt sickly cold for some reason. The mass of Discord began to get smaller and smaller, no, it was being CRUSHED.

"Discord!" Twilight move towards the draconequus.

"STAY BACK!" Discord cried out. Rarity stopped Twilight. The tyrant of Equestria smiled. "Heh. Good luck earning your golden ending, my little ponies."

*Thank you Discord.*

The implosion shook the throne room, a wave of desert heat and desert cold swept over the heroes. Then all was silent. Where Discord had been, lay the cold dead body of a blue pegasus mare with pink hair and purple eyes, on her flanks were a set of blue and pink whistles.

Derpy nudged the body first, and confirmed, yes, the mare was dead. There wasn't a mark on her body. She almost looked like she was asleep. Almost. There was no breath in her lungs, she was empty.

"Whoever you were, you're free," Derpy nuzzled the corpse.

"It's done," Rarity breathed in and out, "It's done. It's over. It's over. We're alive. We're free."

"You sure?" Spike asked. "It feels like... this victory's been handed to us on a silver platter. There's a difference between fate being generous, and, well, you being a passenger to your own story."

"Please don't even start!" Rarity snapped. "You're sounding like Discord did!"

"Sorry! Sorry. It's just... "Nothing's changed."

"That's because we haven't used the Elements," Twilight replied.

"Oh right," Spike let out a relieved breath.

"So..." Apple Pie looked around, feeling like she had stepped off the edge of the universe. "We win? HALF-LIGHT WE WIN! WEWIN!WEWIN!WEWIN!WEWIN!"

Applejack took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, "He's gone, we're not, yeah, we win."

"Dinky, Sparkler, we win." Derpy spread her wings gracefully.

"What do we do with her?" Applejack asked looking at the dead body.

Twilight thought. "I don't know....I think there's room in the inner garden for one more grave. I just wish we knew who she was."

"Her name was Wind Whistler." Rarity said.

"The echoes again?" AJ asked.

Rarity nodded.

"So who's for cake and ice cream back at Sweet Rock Acres?" Spike suggested.

"AH AM!" Apple Pie raised a hoof dancing around happily like the floor was made of rubber. "Oh! And pizza from the pizza tree!"

"Ditto. Add cider to that mix." AJ said.

"...MUFFINS!" Derpy added. She wasn't going to let Discord take away ANOTHER thing she loved from her.

"Fine wine, darling." Rarity said. "A good pinot noir, I think. Chilled. And cider is good!"

"I'm gonna stuff myself on gems until my belly aches," Spike smacked his lips.

"Maybe I can find some tea." Twilight said and looked at Apple Pie, "And lots and lots of rock candy."

Apple Pie cheered.

"But first let's get the Elements out, and clean up Discord's mess," Spike said.

"Sounds like a plan." AJ said.

"This ain't gonna hurt no pony is it?" Apple Pie asked.

"The Elements of Harmony would never kill," Twilight said calmly and peacefully.

Derpy merely nodded.

+++

All across Equestria, not a single dragon turned into a pony (which would've killed many ponies, since a number of them were in flight), nor did one breezie swarm fuse back into one pony(which would kill the individual sapient Breezies made from the original pony), nor did the descendants of the first generation seaponies suddenly find themselves underwater without gills or their home falling form the sky.

Though...it did start raining water instead of anvils. And every zombie everywhere just collapsed into dust. The seaponies and breezies experienced a strange sense of being orphaned. The amazon ponies also felt the odd feelings of being alone, as the mist around their island began to vanish, the Amazon ponies began to debate why the universe was expanding.

And countless ponies suddenly found themselves with a clear heads, some for the first time in their existence. Some cried, some hugged their loved ones.

In Ponyville, the inversed-Discording faded, coloration settling on a middle ground rather than brightening or dulling on either extreme: leaving the ponies sane and rational again... though they did keep the extra sized cutie marks. As they were generally nice looking, most ponies didn't really complain.

At Sweet Rock Acres the Apple Pie clan looked out as the cotton candy clouds began turning into 'rainclouds.' Cheering broke out at the realization of what this must mean.

"I hope this doesn't ruin the rock crop," said Cream Pie, "Hey, where's Minty's Pie?"

Inside a purple castle on the clear other side of Equestia next to Mount Shady, two purple ponies were weeping, along with a collection of maid ponies.

+++

"Mom...the game stopped," the filly said, blinking, looking at the screen.

Pinkie Pie watched Morning Light play her video game. The sign 'Fourth Wall Studios' hung on the room's wall.

Bomb Pie blinked still holding his controller. "But ain't there supposed to be credits? Or somethin' tellin' us what happened after?"

Pinkie examined the game's box as her foals all looked at her. It turned out there was a third disc in the back. "...Looks like their princess is in another castle..." she said, slowly picking it up and inserting it in the console.

They looked at her adopted mother confused.

"I'll explain later." 'Twilight...good luck.'

Episode 105: (Dark World) All Things In Twilight

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Pony POV Series
Dark World Part 28 "All Things In Twilight"
By Alex Warlorn

The heroes circled each other, touching their Elements. Before their inner lights could shine, the walls of the castle's upper floor fell away, all of them, and the ceiling of the castle broke apart like the sides of a toolbox.

The three immortals felt their Elements stop, both as their hearts and their magic. EVERYPONY was on guard instantly. AJ and Apple Pie felt it, it was like somepony had strong-armed the castle to do so. But...it didn't feel like Discord! Not like Fluttercruel or Rancor either!

++++

Minty Pie yelped as a falling crystal mass nearly crushed her, blocking the way back to the Caverns Of The Seasons. "Okay then, no way to go but forward then, wasn't going turn back anyway." Minty galloped through the crystal caves, wish she at least had some idea of where she was going, but the Windy-Gos and the Lemon-Ponies had avoided the crystal caves right below Discord's Castle of Chaos. "I'm coming, Twilight!"

A black shadowy Minty Pie emerged from one of the cracked crystals, with glowing green eyes with red centers, holding a shadowy version of her own sword, "But can you conquer yourself? Minty Pie? A sober world awaits under an empire of crystal."

*Don't worry, Minty, you're almost there.*

Minty Pie shouted, "OUT OF MY WAY!"

++++

It was still twilight. Twilight hoped that once Celestia and Luna began moving the sun and moon again, it wouldn't cause panic. Hopefully, everypony would be too happy that their tormentor was gone to care.

'Celestia...Discord. You stole Celestia's memories of me, of her ponies, of her kingdom, you sick bastard. Watch. We'll recover them. Just watch.' That was when it hit Twilight like a thunderclap. 'Why didn't I think to use the memory spell on Celestia when I had the chance?'

*Because you didn't want to hurt her Twilight. Whatever fantasy she was living. She was happy. You didn't want to destroy her by shattering it so soon and when you were in the middle of saving everypony. It wasn't thoughtless, it was thoughtful.*

'Thank you.'

*You're welcome Twilight.*

"YADDLE-WAA-HEEE-WHOO!" Apple Pie shouted over the edge.

"That was no performance Discord gave us in his last moments. You agree, Rarity?"

"Yes, Applejack, it was no deception. I'm sure of it."

"Then what's going on right now?" Derpy asked.

(Maybe something made to be triggered upon Discord's death.)

Discord's throne slid to the side. A small pedestal rose up. A single rolled-up scroll sat neatly in the middle. The bow on the top undid itself, the scroll unfurled and floated towards Twilight, she quickly up a small barrier in front of her face that would change the colors to something harmless (hopefully, was untested) if it turned out to be a discording-hypno pattern.

+++

What greeted me instead shocked me so much my bones rattled.

"This is...Starswirl the Bearded's time travel spell. No! Wait a minute, this is, this is MY SPELL, the one I was working on when I wrote that note to myself that Discord found. But how? Discord made me BURN IT."

"Twilight, what spell?" Spike asked.

"When...when Discord kept toying with me, turning me into Twilight Sparkle, then back into Twilight Tragedy, over and over. Me never knowing it wasn't the first time I had awakened. Once I barely managed to realize it wasn't my first time being restored, thanks to my parents, please don't ask. So I wrote a note to myself, and began designing a spell that could send knowledge back in time to another version of yourself as scrolls via dragon-mail. Long story, Apple Pie. But, he found out somehow, and had me just burn the note and my spell without reading them. Along with all the Daring Do books. I STILL don't forgive you FOR THAT Discord! But I never finished it! This spell shouldn't exist!"

(Must have been intended for his minions to use in case he was defeated. He didn't count on not having any minions LEFT, of course. And now Discord has unwittingly handed you the one way to wipe out his horror show.)

We just did.

(No I mean wipe it clean away.)

Wipe it clean away.

(Sure, Derpy is happy now, but wouldn't it have been better if she never had to go through any of that? If Dinky hadn't been a muffin for a thousand years? And Sparkler was still alive?)

Sparkler still alive.

(Maybe you are still friends, but did you have to go through a thousand years of Pony Hell to get here? Wouldn't it be better if none of that ever happened?)

Ever happened.

(Sure, the Hippogriffs aren't bad, but they only exist in such numbers because the entire Griffin and Pegasi races fled for their lives from Discord. Is that a good thing? And the Sea Ponies? Yes, a lost tribe recreated, but was it worth seeing the rest of the world tortured for their aquatic utopia? Most of those who willingly became seaponies did so only by losing all semblance of hope. Now they'll never get to know what their lives could've been like before Discord.)

Like before Discord. Princess Celestia. Mom. Dad. Baby Spike. Ponyville. Cadence... Wait a minute! You were totally against me allowing Rainbow Dash to kill me to restore the world!

(No. I said Traitor Dash was a fool for putting her fate into the hands of another. Especially Discord. You KNOW you couldn't trust Discord to keep his word about ANYTHING! He'd have twisted his promise to Traitor Dash or simply gone back on his non-existent word. And look at it THIS WAY: even if the world was restored that way, Rainbow Dash would have remembered all her murders, remembered submitting to Discord's will, remembering killing you, and what would THAT have done for her mental health? No, this is the RIGHT WAY to do things, Twilight. The only way. The proper way. The correct way.)

But the Virgacorns, the Hippogriffs, the seaponies...

(They were never supposed to exist, Twilight. Just like this nightmare world was never supposed to exist.)

The changelings have become a people instead of monsters. The dragons are now a culture...

(They weren't meant to be that way, Twilight. And you know it. Don't be selfish. This entire misadventure has been one fiasco after another. You have the power to undo this mess.)

Undo this mess.

(Yes. A world without danger. If we reset it to the start. Return to the sweet days of being Celestia's student. Think of Celestia and Luna. Equestria. Canterlot. Ponyville. PINKIE PIE AND FLUTTERSHY! Here you are, like a star, shining bright on the world. Go far and Make evil go away. Save all that you love.)

Save all that I love.

(You're the only one can do it.)

Only one who can do it.

(You have the power. Nopony else.)

I have the power.

++++

Blackness began to cover a jewel.

++++
"Beep!Remote-Server-Download-complete! Welcome to the complete anthology of memories of yours truly, Discord The Great and Really Great Concept of Chaos! Oh, and a couple memories that aren't mine, but I included from the remote server anyway since you seem to be missing them. Due to circumstances soon to be made evident these aren't exactly in chronological order. Brace yourself, Twilight... Twilight.... Twilight Whatever-You're-Calling-Yourself-This-Run. I apologize in advance, because this is going to hurt. Beep!"

P.S. If a certain somepony happens to be listening to this, your vision will be filled with several hundred pictures of me mooning myself in the mirror, set to play on a continuous loop. Arrevederchi!

(Discord, you bast-

++++

Discord finally found it! Twilight's note to herself; so here's where she hid it. He wished that he hadn't been pushed so far ahead this loop, otherwise he might have had Twilight deal with those annoying spell scrolls much sooner. Or he could have just stopped the potted plants that were Moonshine Sparkle and Starlight Sparkle from toppling over, bringing her attention to them at just the right moment.

///

"My Chaos Six!"

"Yes, Master?" They all said.

"Stay still. Screwball!" Screwball pulled the lever, and the giant anvil came down and crushed them all to paste. He collected their Elements quickly. Two days later, Rarity turned out to have been bitten by a vampire. Applejack had been infected by zombies. Twilight had arisen as a ghost. Fluttershy's consciousness had been infused into some random swamp life. Pinkie Pie had been resurrected as a homunculus using forbidden rebel Alchemy. Rainbow Dash claimed she had come back to life after being struck by lightning. None of his reanimated minions were vulnerable to the usual weaknesses.

///

"I'm going to remind you what pain feels like before we fade into the new world!" She yelled as the chains tear backwards, pulling me off the ground and holding me against a stone wall, arms held out as if I was crucified. "What it's like to be at somepony's mercy! What it's like to feel scared like you make everypony else feel!" She yelled, another of her chains bursting from her chest, from her heart. She didn't care about the stabbing, horrible pain it caused her, it didn't matter.

She took careful aim, pointing the chain right at my own black 'heart.' "Beg..." She say simply as the smell of my flesh burning from contact with her chains enters the air. "Come on, beg for your miserable, no good life!"

Before I could (yes I almost did!), she wrapped one of her chains around my mouth. "On second thought, I don't think I want to hear it, 'Master'..." She spat, the hellfire engulfing her, her flames intensifying. The flames surrounding the chains she have aimed at my 'heart' turns black as pitch. Nice touch. "Now, look forward to Hell," She stated, the chain launching forwards and piercing my chest, flames erupting out of it as I writhed in agony.

"The blacker the heart, the hotter my flames burn, the more agony they inflict! Every unrepentant sin is fuel for the fire that now consumes you! This is your own personal purgatory that you've created with your own hands. I hope you like it!" She shouted. She starts laughing! Laughing as we begin to fade! Watching the fires burn around my skin, flesh, and bone in the most agonizing manner possible! "The sick buck's finally getting what he deserves! Hahaha!"

///

I saw the other me turn away from the mirror. Why wouldn't he? After all, he was as much a prisoner as me, in his white void, but his Fluttercruel embraced the chaos he was teaching her. He realized she existed right at the start. He had her love and she his, and so long as they dealt with their final boss, they'd keep it. He had everything I could ever dream of. He didn't see me write, "!em evaS" on the glass.

///

"Mad Tiara! Screwball!"

"Yes, Lord Discord?"

"You two are now my chief minions! The Chaos Six are under your direct command!"

"Yes Master!" "Woo-hoo! You got it, Grandpa!"

Nine hundred and ninety years later, I watched helpless as the deep purple Alicorn toss aside Screwball and Mad Tiara's broken bodies.

///

My own Twilight Tragedy took my creed to its logical conclusion. My own fault, really. I was getting sloppy; making new chaos that kept getting erased. So she sealed me in the moon, made the others unable to comprehend disobeying her, and began to spread chaos in its purest, most randomized form. I watched from the moon. She was always saying how the chaos was all for me. Sweet thing. Then I let it slip I was proud of her, and from there, things went SOUTH...

///

YES! Yes! I'm free! I feel three thousand years younger! I could kiss that wannabe Element of Magic, now Tarot Queen of Wands, and Cadence! Heh.

I'm free of my sins! I'm so happy! Fluttercruel's left on a journey to figure out who she is, I can't bring myself to stop her, she has a right to.

Then a new Nightmare appeared.

///

What boring disappointments these six all are. I created a duplicate of me to cause routine, bland chaos over and over, just to keep them busy. Oh look! The good Valeyard's time machine. Unreliable. Erratic. Capable of taking you anyplace. Anytime. Anytime. Time to correct the mistake I made a thousand years back of starting this mess!

VWORP! VWORP!

Huh? Time storm? Try again.
Huh? Time traffic jam?! Try again.
Time road construction?!
Time eaters?
Time octopus?
Time sirens?

HEY! Stupid Dalek Caan! Watch where you're time traveling! Seemed to have knocked him into that Thestral Dance Club, oh well, won't hurt him too badly, I think. They're even having a BBQ right now. I'm sure he'll be fine!

Here we go! Now! Holodeck?!
Theme park?!
Virtual Reality Equestria singularity? Giant AI Celestia? You're BORING compared to MY Celestia! Nya-nya!

Now! NOW I've got it! ACK!!!...Broke...my neck...I tripped on a paper clip?!

(Going someplace?)

///

Okay! I've had enough. Evil sucks. Time to turn over a new leaf.

"Attention, everypony! From now on! I've decided to be a NICE Overlord! Can anyone here teach me niceness, please?"

A little orange filly with green hair and wearing a absurd white bonnet trots forward. Her cutie mark is a slice of apple and slice of orange. "Sure, Ah'll teach ya! First ya gotta-"

I black out. I come to.

Uh...why are my claws covered in blood? No!

(No breaking character.)

///

The blue and pink Alicorns crashed into the ground, pushing up dust clouds from the impact.

The dark purple Alicorn in bone armor gracefully landed. "Even as an Alicorn you're still a talentless farce, Trixie."

"Trixie, I, didn't mean it to end this way," Cadence whispered, her wings broken.

"No, thank you Cadence, you saved me." With her cracked horn, Trixie fired off a shot, catching the dark purple Alicorn by surprise. It shattered her bone helmet and burned half her face.

"AGH! That's the last spell you'll ever cast!"

///

"Please stop! I don't want this! I don't want to be this way!" Rarity screamed at the top of her lungs as the black threads choked her.

(I need my Nightmare Charity and you're going to become it!)

"NO!" Rarity's horn shinned bright.

///

While Twilight Tragedy's conditioning had rendered the other Elements of Chaos unable to comprehend the idea of disobeying any order she gave them, deep down, they still would have fought for their friend.

Somewhere in her, something came through, and Twilight Tragedy was confused when she realized she was crying at the sight of her battered and broken teammates.

"This absurdity has gone on long enough. Time to get things back on track." The dark Alicorn before her behind the image of Master sealed in the moon where he could see all the chaos Tragedy brought to the world.

///

I pull out a revolver, forged by the will of Justitia, the fires of Venus, the harmonics of Cadence, and the steel of their Old Man. I put in my mouth and pull the trigger. Dangit. Still alive.

Hanging. Worthless. Holy-water bath, tried it. Throwing self into a black hole, can't reach one. Blow up the planet. Didn't work out either.

///

Where am I? When am I? Maybe she's gotten bored? Meh. Not likely. She's like me that way, but opposite. Hmmm. That filly looks familiar. Did she just laugh at my joke?

///

"Twilight stop!" Rarity shouted as they stood on the top of the defeated Discord's Castle of Chaos. "I won't let you just erase Tom!" She put a hoof over the shoulder of her stone son.

"Mother," Tom Bell meekly protested, his Element of Loyalty shining, "if it's really for the sake of Equestria-"

"NO! I threw away Sweetie Belle! I won't throw away you too!"

"Half-Light, don't you care about us?" Apple Pie asked tearfully.

The Element of Kindness looked two ways with her yellow wall eyes, feeling conflicted on which side to take. Sparkler hugged her mother for support.

Twilight indifferently pushed aside the broken, but still breathing Fluttercruel like she was debris. "Spike," She said emotionlessly, "Keep them away."

The dragon obeyed.

"All of you refuse to see. This world is WORTHLESS. We must repeat, retry, restart, until this world is set RIGHT."

///

I sighed as I sat here on at the top of Mount Shady, turning any pony who spotted me into mimes. After all, that's what the evil overlord was supposed to do. "There is no redemption for ones like me."

///

The throne room was completely silent except for my heavy breathing. I was alone. My four hooves were shaking.

Dead. All dead. I was alone.

Discord had massacred Sweet Rock Acres for helping us. Sky Ocean and Cloudsdale had fallen for Traitor Dash's failure. Ponyville had slaughtered themselves in madness. Tiamat and her dragons had fallen, fighting to wear Discord down. The changelings had been hunted to extinction.

I was alone. I had stopped just short of killing Pinkie Pie, only to watch her age straight into dust.

Fluttercruel had boasted how she had devoured, assimilated, and completely annihilated Fluttershy's soul. She didn't boast for long.

Spike and Luna had died keeping Discord busy as we charged up the Elements.

Applejack had wielded two Elements of Harmony at the same time, but one mortal pony was not meant for that without the Element of Desire, she paid with her life as her body gave out.

One by one I watched them die. Some died for me. Some died fighting me. Some died betraying me.

Then the Elements were used. Those of us who remained. Discord was defeated. AJ gave up her life for us to win. The world twisted and turned. So many died as the world was forced back to 'normal' but they no longer fit the old world's definition of 'normal.' Derpy aged into dust, Discord's curse no longer there with him gone.

With only Rarity and I left. She gave into her greed, attacking me, determined to have my Elements for herself. Celly turned out to be alive, she tried to help, she wasn't able to help for long. We clashed atop the ruins of a remade empty world. In the end, she was dead, and I was not. I wonder who the victor was.

The absolute, pure, single truth struck me.

"There's nothing...There's nothing left for me. No place to return to...nopony to love...and nothing to believe in...Nothing...but..."

"[But) ((Nightmares!))"
+++

Twilight gasped, the scroll fell to the floor. Twilight shook her head. The images, so confusing, so conflicting, then again, they were Discord's memories, but all she was shown, all she saw, it didn't make sense. Not at all! Or maybe it did?

"No." Twilight whispered.

(What?)

"I said no. As in, 'not going to happen.'"

"Twilight? What's wrong? You were staring off into space there for a second." Spike asked honestly concerned.

"I saw Discord's memories." She stood tall. "And I'm not going to erase this world. The Virgacorns, the Hippogriffs, Seaponies, Queen Cadence's Changelings, Dragons, Breezies, they have a right to exist as they are."

(You'd spare this timeline just for some mutant freaks?)

"They EVOLVED! Like life is supposed to! Erasing OUR world to make way for another world? That's genocide. These are ponies in this world with LIVES, FAMILIES, these is NOTHING hopeless about it!"

"It would be like if I made a hundred clones of myself, then killed them all or locked them away like animals when they got to be a nuisance or I felt my individuality threatened."

"Auntie Saint Applejack, is Half-Light okay?"

"Ah think she's gone into super-lecture mode. Look out fer rainin' soap boxes."

(In the new timeline, Discord can be PUNISHED for his crimes instead of cheating justice by dying, is that good ON TOP of all those lives?)

'He died beaten. Alone. Betrayed. Brutalized. Conquered. Lonely. Weak. Wretched. And we stood by and watched as he was shunted away to a family of STRONGER Draconequui who don't even like him. Only a monster would look at everything we put him through and call that 'cheating justice!' And trading in innocent lives for other innocent lives is inequine!"

('Change the world! Defy fate! Crush destiny and make your own! Force the world to be what YOU want it to be!' That's what a hero is!)

"No that's what a monster is! Life is about recognizing what you can change and accepting what you can't!"

(Life is about throwing the lemons back!)

"All you end up with is empty hooves."

(A pony who does nothing to change the world is as alive as a rock!)

"And a pony who forces the entire world to change is as constructive as a tsunami! I'm not going to 'unmake' everypony! I'm going to change what I can, and accept what I can't!"

(And condemn millions before us to those lives under Discord?")

"And WHAT? Condemn millions not to be born at all? Condemn millions to cease to exist when they can finally learn what happiness is? Turn them into those shadow monsters we saw?! Create a PARADOX that could damage reality? No. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna didn't just reset the clock after they beat Discord. And neither will I."

--"Apollo Justice's Theme (with vocals and lyrics)"--

(((You stupid foal! How can you be content with this fake world?!)))

The ponies and dragon all shuddered and looked around. They had all heard it. And the knew each other had heard it.

"You're right...I was like a foal. I've always rushed to cover up or undo my mistakes, never facing the consequences. But no more. I accept my weakness, my sins, my crimes, my failures, I won't run away from my mistakes."

(((THIS ISN'T ABOUT YOUR MISTAKES! IT'S ABOUT DISCORD'S MISTAKES YOU MORON!)))

"NO! You hear me!? I won't kill Apple Pie! What are you?... And why... why does simply asking that QUESTION... feel like the psychological equivalent of lifting a castle up from its foundations?"

(((...Because it shouldn't be in your context to be even able to ask about my identity.)))

It was as if a dam had burst.

"Ya can all hear it too?"

"You mean the Voice-Lady-thing?"

"Who IS she?"
"She's visited your head too?"

"She's spoken to us so often... why haven't we discussed her before?!"

'Who are you?'

(((Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake, clap your hooves, and do a little shake.)))

"... ... C-Cadence?"

(((Who's my favorite filly?)))

"... There's NO WAY Cadence would be so casual with the lives of others! When she became Queen she loved all her changelings, all those she protected, like her own foals! Cadence learned from Celestia the same as me! And even to her worst enemies and dangerous radicals she refused to murder in the name of the greater good! Even Cadence at her worst wouldn't become what you are! A being consumed by bonds CAN'T dedicate themselves to breaking them anymore than Nightmare Moon could dedicate herself to making eternal day!... There's only one pony with so much brains and still be so arrogant and narrow minded! Twilight Sparkle!"
"WHAT?!" The other five echoed.

"WE ARE ARROGANT! I'VE DONE NOTHING BUT TRY TO CHEAT FATE TO GET WHAT I WANT! I'M JUST LIKE DISCORD!"

(((NO! WE ARE NOT!!!)))

"Twilight! YOUR SHADOW!" Rarity cried out.

Twilight turned, against the twilight sun, her shadow grew, and grew, and grew, extending and widening. Then it stretched and curled like a snake eating its own tail. The others inched away from it as it slithered along the ground still connected to Twilight.

Rarity had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. Spike felt his dragon blood freeze. Derpy took a step near Apple Pie -maybe for her own comfort-, her coat and feathers bristled. Apple Pie felt like she was watching a wagon wreck, wanting to look away, but her body not obeying, a grim fascination holding her. AJ closed her eyes, just looking at it made her ill.

(Bad filly. Forcing me to fix this mess myself.)

Twilight's shadow curled around the dead blue pegasus mare. It engulfed it, covering it, seeped into it. The shadow condensed pulling into it. Still Twilight and the shadow were connected.

Like crude oil from a pipeline the shadow rose from the ground, the body with it, now like a smudged black outline. The corpse's eye snapped open, glowing a deep violet as it stared at the group.

The corpse shadow grew, becoming larger, sleeker, with long legs, swan like wings, a horn grew from the head, extending longer and longer. The mane and tail began to move on their own in an invisible wind. And grew bigger, taking the familiar shape of an Alicorn.

///
I hate you.

(Naturally. You hate me because you know you can't stop me. You can't do ANYTHING to stop me. How many times have you tried? What iteration are we on?)

(I think we've both lost count. Well guess what? How you feel now? That powerless helpless feeling? That's exactly how you made me feel in the maze, when one by one you turned them into twisted shells of what they used to be, and gave Fluttershy's body to that devil of a daughter.)

(...When I realized I could do nothing to stop you from having your way with the world. Its how everyone felt that day, Discord. It's how Twilight always feels. How we both always felt when you snapped your fingers and switched us back to Sparkle and forced us to see the living hell you'd made the world!)

(How you feel when you watch that little piece of garbage you gave Fluttershy's body that you've come to care about die is exactly how I felt when you and your little puppets murdered Cadance right in front of me!)

(Enjoy this big spoonful of your own medicine. Again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again. Forever, never to end. As I watch you squirm for my entertainment. Just like I had to suffer for your amusement with no end in sight!)
///

Discord looked in the mirror.

Hello Twilight Sparkle, Unicorn, erm, pony. I apologize. It doesn't change what I've done and it doesn't fix any of it, but I apologize for everything. Guess that makes it more about me doesn't it if it doesn't fix anything doesn't it? But I apologize to you. I apologize to Applebloom-"

*1,165,318,604 Names Later*

"-And I'm sorry to Zecora. I had Screwball keep notes one time. Feeling sorry now doesn't excuse any of it though. I wish I was given a chance to make amends. If I could have, I'd have made amends for every life and soul I've ruined. The most sucky part is that I mean every word of that."

"The crimes I've committed against the innocent and Equestria are beyond measure of your laws to punish. And I know this isn't enough. I can't rectify my wrong choice. So please. Just know I apologize. I don't expect nor deserve forgiveness. But I've also been forced to see too after so long that my own torture and misery doesn't amends anything either, as astounding as that is. I mean, I used to think revenge made EVERYTHING better. Just know if I could make up for even one billionth of a drop of it, I would. Just know revenge is a pit that you can never fill."

///

Rage contorted breathing shuddered from the mass. Derpy knew that sound perfectly well. It was the sound her heart made when she realized Sparkler's fate.

Spike shuddered, something inside him telling him to cower and beg for forgiveness.

Apple Pie shook her head. This wasn't a wrongness like Pinkie Pie being old or Discord being stabbed. This was the wrongness of a dear friend acting a way you know they'd never act, but not being able to deny what was right in front of you. 'Is this here what ya felt Half-Light? All them years ago?'

Applejack said, "No way, no how, this is just wrong. Dangit. Haven't we EARNED our happy ending yet?!"

Twilight felt a strange sense of numbness looking at it, feeling faint. "If first you don't succeeded, try try again, then throw lots of raw magic power at the problem and brute force it," she said faintly.

"Twilight!" She startled at the echo. She looked around her, her friends were with her. She felt herself warm again. Apple Pie and Spike nuzzled her.

"Come out," Rarity whispered defiantly.

The darkness took the shape of an ouroboros before it explosively shattered, the shadow split from Twilight.

Her mane and tail were black-purple and magenta flames. Feathery wings that resembled tongues of fire spread out to their full length dramatically. She was a few inches taller than Celestia. Her coat was a deep purple. The air temperature around her rose, it made Derpy sweat.

Her champron, peytral, armored horseshoes, her alicorn armor, were sparkling white, a complete contrast to the rest of her. It was designed to be orderly and functional with a hint of ego to match.

On the front of her armor, on the peytral, was the symbol of a solar eclipse.

Covering half her face was a piece of armor engraved with the sun and the moon.

Far too familiar violet eyes slit like Nightmare Moon's glared at Twilight.

Her cutie mark, was a white six pointed star, in front of a magenta star, and five smaller magenta color stars surrounding the larger one. Twilight looked at the opposite colored cutie mark on her flanks, and shivered.

Magic, undo this woe.
Punish evil for his crime.
The sands of time traverse.
Bring back what once was mine.

Undo all this hurt
Break from fate's design
Restore what has been lost.
Bring back what once was mine

Bring back what once was mine," it sounded as if a half dozen different voices sung along with her, like a choir heralding the arrival of a mighty hero...but there was a certain wrongness to it they couldn't describe as she finally looked down at them.

"Now let's try this again," her voice sounded ghostly, like a banshee almost one moment and from a deep pit the next, holding a sophisticated and mature tone.

Apple Pie asked not taking her eyes off her. "Half-Light, who...who is she?"

"...She's...me... my... Nightmare."

Episode 106: Special Episode -Rainbow Dash Prologue-

Rainbow Dash's Darling Dashing Account
My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic Fanfiction
Pony POV Series
OPTIONAL-CANON
By Alex Warlorn

Hello, darlings! I am Rainbow Dash, the one and only. I always dress in style, because I make the styles!

I have been Ponyville's fashion trendsetter for as far back as I can remember! Every day is a new dashing dress to design and a new hat to create! And my theme of rainbows never grows old, darling, unlike Minty and her obsession with green, and Pinkie Pie's, well, love of pink.

I am Ponyville's resident fashionista and our leading expert on rainbows darling!

'So-called expert?!' I never! I'll have you know that the ponies of Ponyville have always turned to me for anything dealing with rainbows! I'm not named Rainbow Dash for nothing darling!

Unicornia? Oh . . . heh-heh, oh yes, darling. Yes, I may be blushing a tiny bit! Maybe I didn't know quite as much about rainbows as I thought I did. But I certainly was the most knowledgable about them in Ponyville! The unicorns . . . just happened to know more than me.

Maybe I was slightly humbled by our adventure with the 'runaway rainbow.' When that wild little imp of a Rainbow Crystal Princess first showed up here, she gave us all a merry chase through half of Ponyville! Then Princess Rarity got herself (and more importantly me!) splattered with mud like a pig, I may have fainted. Then she said words I would come to dread 'Let's do it again!'

I barely got out the words 'Again, Darling?' and fainted.

Was I ever upset over losing my position of 'premier expert on rainbows darling?' I had so many more things to be upset about that it never crossed my mind! Of course I insisted on escorting the little filly back to her kingdom. If it had to do with rainbows it MUST have to do with Rainbow Dash!

Darlings I don't know whether to admire or pity Miss Cheerilee for taking care of the little fireball.

When I first met her I thought the only thing royal about Rarity was that she was a royal pain. What's with the giggling?

I never thought of myself as an athletic pony, traveling through fields, woods, and rivers was a new trial for me, after all, why would I ever leave Ponyville, darling? Why would anypony want to leave Ponyville, when you had everything you wanted anyway and so many friends to enjoy it with?

Losing my luggage was just the start of my troubles (seriously, I put thought, energy, and effort and time into everything I packed!). Then as we closed in on Unicornia, I awoke in the middle of the night to find a horrible fate had befallen me: My hair!

My hair, my mane and tail both, were losing their colors! And the colors of the rainbows were vanishing too! Yellow, blue, purple, were all gone! All that was left was pink! It was no longer a rainbow at all, darling!

What do you mean pink and purple aren't part of a rainbow? Don't be absurd. They've always been, darling! Surely you're not colorblind?!

Yes I lost the green in my mane too if you must know! Twist the knife, why don't you? Reduced to white and pink, my beautiful mane, it was horrible darling!

Thank goodness we found Miss Cheerilee's search party when we did! It was a race back to Unicornia! A year without rainbow is a year not worth living, darling! Why, our rainbow berries alone, would be completely inedible. Eat grass? What? Wherever did you get a silly idea like that, darling? We're ponies, not... some-animal-that-eats-grass!

And it was little spoiled Princess Rarity who insisted to try their rainbow spell one more time, when even Cheerilee darlings was thought we were simply too late, and she adverted 'the year without rainbows.' I was busy being happy my dashing mane was back as it should be.

Maybe I was more than slightly humbled by learning the unicorns were the creators of Ponyland's rainbows. Whenever my fellow ponies had asked me about rainbow origins, I'd always replied that there were simply 'things ponies are not meant to know.' After all, if they were meant to know it, I would have clearly known about it, especially if it had to do with rainbows, yes?

So I chose to take an extended stay in Unicornia. I knew no amount of learning could let me perform unicorn magic, but I had to learn anyway. If unicorn magic was the source of all rainbows, I had better educate myself on it. So Ponyville was made to endure my absence, endure the dry spell of no new dresses or any of my other masterpieces. I was certain my experiences would inspire me to even greater heights of genius when I returned.

I was made privy to Unicornia's Royal Ballroom. A giant room full of bouncing balls to be ridden across the country side in the noonday sun.

I can't say I didn't have fun. Princess Rarity was overjoyed to have me as a guest as did Cheerilee. Lovely unicorns both, made we wish had a chance to be friends in Ponyville and to have been foals together.

And maybe Princess Rarity taught me to loosen up a little. How she always made me laugh, darling! Amazing how a filly who could give mares heart attacks was able to make even rainy days smile!

...It's called a 'figure of speech,' darlings.

I returned home via Rarity's crystal carriage. Such inspiration I had; bubbling up inside me! It was a dashing trip indeed, darling! Then Skywishes make her laughable claim about flying ponies. Of course I told her how ridiculous it sounded.

It seems the world takes great pleasure in proving me wrong.

I cannot say pegasi are not beautiful, darling. They truly are majestic, I can truly see how Twinkle Twirl got so inspired by them. Christmas this year was certainly a new experience, with all the unicorns and Pegasi visiting Ponyville. They really added a dashing new flare to the holiday. And not only did it give me a new audience for my works, it gave me the challenge of making dresses and hats to for horned and winged bodies, which was delightful. The pegasus Starcatcher was especially delightful, she told me how I reminded her of her mother with my thirst for knowledge about rainbows. Her mother had...I honestly don't know what to call it... gone to sleep and never reawakened. What a tragic condition.

I'll confess, Minty is infamous throughout Ponyville as a klutz with a sprinkling of perfectionism. A combination for disaster if ever there was one. But no pony expected her to have the reckless courage to fly a balloon up to the North Pole to speak with Santa Claus personally. All because she didn't want anyone to know about our yearly candy cane light beacon to Santa Claus she had accidentally broken. Her quest also inspired (more like force) Thistle Whistle to face her cloud phobia.

Minty, Minty, Minty... that girl. But everything worked out for the best darling, and Minty I think grew a little.

It's strange darling, I've always thought of Ponyville as perfect, yet I can't say that I, Princess Rarity, and Minty haven't all become better from stepping outside Ponyville's borders. Funny, isn't it?

It's a shame ponies spend so much time naked. I know my dresses would get torn and dirty with all the roughhousing us ponies love to do, but all the same... Excuse me, please, but what was that bizarre word you just used? 'Munn-knee?'

Oh you should have seen the adorable dresses I made for the Breezies! When they do wear dresses they're usually made out of flower petals, leaves, and other such things you'd find in a garden, which makes sense for our dashing little fairy pony friends. Easily-acquired material, but hardly long-lasting. Doll clothes? Don't be absurd, darling, my friends warrant more effort than simply yanking clothing off the bodies of toys. Besides, where's the fun in that? MAKING dresses helps personalize it, in a wonderful one-of-a-kind way! Zipzee was overjoyed when I present to her with her little dress. She could finally wear something that wouldn't make her sneeze across the room. The little Breezie loves the smell of flowers, but the poor dear is allergic to pollen. Rather ironic since she and her two friends Tra La La and Tiddywink live in a flower. Perhaps they should consider moving to a mushroom or tree trunk.

My bed? Oh isn't it lovely, darlings? It's simply dashing! The floating clouds are so snug and the rainbow arcs are beautiful! How does it work? I dare say, I don't know, darling. It just does. I think it's like those dancing shoes of Starsong Melody's which seem to have a mind of their own. Anytime music plays, they run out of hiding to dance on the floor, whenever Starsong isn't wearing them herself. Hm? Well, what does it matter HOW it works as long as it DOES? Do you need to understand the magic behind how drinking straws work, in order to drink a milkshake? No, I don't know where the shoes came from. Why should I?

I vaguely remember once, I can't remember when, seeing the pegasus fly and prancing on the clouds and thinking how comfy they must be. I suppose it must have some unicorn magic too it, since rainbows are their creation.

My Special Day this year was dashing, darlings! Being told I had gotten a box from France was a bit of a dirty trick, but it harmed nothing and the surprise made it more than worth it! Being reminded of all the accomplishments and all the good I had done that year made it so rewarding, darlings!

Every day is a new day. Every day is a new chance to be happy. Why, thank you for the hug, darling.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): You're welcome. )

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): She's a good hugger.)

Heh. You remind of Scootaloo darling. Once, when we were fillies, our sweet unicorn friend, Sweetie Belle, invited us over her house. Scootaloo bragged so much about being a dashing 'good knocker.' I didn't think it was anything too special, but Scootaloo was the second youngest of our little herd back then, so we let her have her moment.

Wait...
...Sweetie Belle?

When we met Princess Rarity, that was the FIRST unicorn any of us in Ponyville had ever seen. And I was grown up at that time. So why do I remember having a unicorn friend as a filly? And why do I remember saying 'Unicorns belong in Unicornia' when we were barely out of diapers?

Pre-justice? I'm afraid I'm unfamiliar with that word.

...

...
...THAT'S what it means?! NO! I'm not prejusticed, That's absurd! Why would any pony anywhere ever think such a thing? That is a very poor joke, darling, I am sad to say. I was jealous of Sweetie stealing the spotlight from me when I was having a pretend fashion show with my friends, it had nothing to do with her being a unicorn, now please stop with that bad joke of yours, it wasn't funny the first time! I just remember her coming down from the sky from when two rainbows after a rainstorm crossed when we were all so small.

...But that makes no sense...

...I mean, we had no idea where or what Unicornia was at that point in our childhood! Yet, I remember Sweetie, clear as crystal, growing up with the seven of us. You should have seen Ponyville in those days, we really had a taste for having Ponyville look delicious, darling. Gum ball machines, ice cream cones, it was like a theme park we all LIVED in! The seven of us, Pinkie Pie, myself, Toola-Roola, Starsong Melody, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Cheerilee.

Ugh. No. Please. Not again.

Cheerilee was, is, ugh, Princess Rarity's teacher and caretaker, we met her for the first time... in the forest. A unicorn, just like her student.

But I remember her as a hornless Earth pony filly in Ponyville, wearing her hair in the most adorable pigtails you've ever seen!

And I remember her for being a popular storyteller here in Ponyville, darling, just like Storybelle and Cotton Candy. And I remember her being Scootaloo's big sister! And during one Winter Wishes Festival, they...

...Win-ter Wish-es...?

No! No! Think, Rainbow Dash! Stay calm! Winter Wishes DOESN'T replace Christmas! It doesn't! Just-just both happen DURING winter!

I... don't think I want you around me anymore. I'm very sorry, but I think I want to go inside, shut the door, sit quietly in a chair, put on some music and just think about how lovely the melody sounds. And NOTHING ELSE.

...

...

No. Stop. No more. Enough of your questions, please! Don't you see what they're doing to me?! The more I remember... the more confused I grow... the more it all unravels inside!

...

I SAID STOP!!! Please! I don't want any more of your intrusive prying! My mind is a sheet of thin ice... and you're trampling all over it!

That's it, Rainbow Dash, you're not... what's that word? Cra-zee? No, no, you're not that thing. Calm. Stay calm.

No! Wait! Don't leave me! Maybe we can all attend that concert Starsong Melody is having, yes, that'll calm my nerves. we'll all have a dashing time!

...Starsong...

...Starsong was with us as a filly. But her wings...
...she was the same size I was as a filly... but she had INSECT wings, like the Breezies. No, BUTTERFLY wings...
...Not the feathered PEGASUS wings she now has an an adult...
...What day did her wings change?

Darlings, please help me. This doesn't make sense. Why wouldn't I remember Starsong's wings changing? Why are so many of my memories contradicting themselves?!

I land on my side and curl up on the floor of my shop and hug one of my dresses like a security blanket. Yes, it's real, it's solid, I made it with my own four hooves, it exists. I'm not 'craz-zee.' Maybe I should talk with the others? Will they think I'm crazy? No, that's absurd, when Sky Wishes spoke with us about pegasi we weren't ... what's a word for 'not nice?'

I now remember Twinkle Wish, a small wishing star who awoke once a year to grant wishes to Ponvyille.

But I remember NOT remembering. I feel sick, darlings.

But I remember going to rescue her from the dragon Whimsey Weatherbe as fillies, and Pinkie Pie bonding with Toola-Roola, helping our little artist facing her fear of the dark. Weatherbe, I haven't thought of that dragoness in years. I still remember the song sung to her by the five of us (Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle covering our flanks back in Ponyville). Explaining to her that having nice things wasn't the key to having friends, and that having common interests was only the start of a friendship, using for example how I'd paint my hooves and Toola-Roola her canvas, but it was a pony who'd be there for you that made actual friends.

Weatherbe was never actually wicked, just lonely, thoughtless, and her tastes were rather tacky darling.

Heh. Back then I had my mane up in a ponytail that I somehow thought looked good. Well, I made it look good all the same.

But why did we never visit each other later? I promised her that we'd visit her again when she was afraid if she let... us or something go, that we'd never come back. And why would we never introduce Spike and Weatherbe to each other?
They're both dragons! Dragons are very, very rare! Surely it would've been nice for two members of the same species to chat!

It makes no sense darling. Please tell me Pinkie Pie knew what a dragon was when they first met please.

I've flown in a balloon looking for a lost friend with every other mare in Ponyville.

I've journeyed up a mountain through the night, enduring dreadful and unpredictable weather to get back a wishing star.
I've traveled the country side with a princess who doesn't understand the concept of 'danger.'
And I am scared.
This fear is new. A creeping, invisible mist, drawing closer no matter how fast you run. I don't know how to describe it. Please darlings, help me...Please...

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Rainbow Dash? We want you to know, whatever you remember or don't remember, whatever you become or cease to be: you are beautiful.)

Thank you, darlings. My friends. This fear. MY SHOP! MY DRESSES! Why is everything faded?! My mane! My mane! Is it still... oh thank goodness. Still there. Seems ponies are not effected by... whatever this is.

Maybe I should just stay indoors and... and protect my dresses until this all blows over. But... something...searches...

...I HAVE to find my friends. I put on my hat and scarf (my own design) and away I go! I am not going to let some silly vague case of goosebumps stop me! Someone should do something about this absurd grayness everywhere! Some solution will turn up, something will happen, everything will turn out alright, it always has, and always shall! We pull through even when things look hopeless! Especially when things look hopeless!

How quite Ponyville is. I see and hear other ponies. Some are speaking in fearful and confused tones to each other. Others are shouting. Others seem blind to the wrongness around them. And it's all so, muted, hushed, like the sky has pressed it all under a thick blanket.

Eh? 'Who are my friends?' This is Ponyville, darlings. All the ponies who aren't dear friends of mine, that would be the SHORTER list. Not a stranger to be found here! How, how did I meet my friends?

I've, I've never thought about it before. We've always simply BEEN there for each other, like the sun and the moon. It's simply natural for us to be all together.

We're like pearls in a necklace.
We exist as a set.

Take Minty and Pinkie Pie. I swear those two used to be joined at the hip. But then Minty began to do things more on her own, and Pinkie Pie hung out with our little group. But they're still friends even if they don't see each other every day. And Minty's many hobbies keep that mare occupied. She stops by my shop regularly to add to her sock collection. She knows socks the way I know rainbows, erm, fashion. I've hung out with her last Christmas, and I can't say I didn't have fun dancing with her.

Pinkie Pie could use some more glamour and refinement if she wants to be the town's most popular pony. She'd be simply dashing! But Pinkie insists that she doesn't want to be the prettiest, for her, it's enough just being everyone's best friend.

Scootaloo is our resident sports girl. If it has to do with competition and athletics, she's into it. Her sports party was one of the times I actually enjoyed participating in sports, myself! Who'd have thought Starsong would be so skilled driving go-karts? Not half at surprising as Cheerilee wining the skateboarding event. Our artist mare was the only one of us who didn't get tied up in our own jump rope. Sweetie Belle was our hopscotch champ. I was the best runner, for the record.

Since each of us won an event, we chose to give the trophy to Scootaloo herself. Another lovely little full-group tie! Every pony an equal winner!

None of us ever mind. Fun and games are their own reward, and that's what really counts, right?

But... why do I remember my voice sounding so different at that party darling?

Wysteria loves her flowers and her gardening. Just don't let her see any weeds, she almost hyperventilates at the sight of one. I use her flowers in my dresses when she lets me. She's also the reason I'm now a princess. Oh! Tee-hee. Yes, as a matter of fact, I am Princess Rainbow Dash. You see, Wysteria was so sick of being treated differently after Spike made her Princess of Ponyville that she declared everyone a princess! Though Wysteria is still the only Princess Spike wishes to serve.

Of course I'm not kidding about this! I repeat: by royal decree, all the residents of Ponyville are ALL equally Princesses!

Oh what a fun couple of days THOSE were! All of us, strutting around the town square in our finest dresses and homemade tiaras, some of us speaking in 'ye olden tongue:'

"Good morrow to thee, Princess Scootaloo! How doth ye fare in yon glorious kingdom of Scootaloonia?"

But it was around the time where we were all trying to build palaces for ourselves that the excitement ended. Architecture is so HARD and TIME-CONSUMING... and a town of all princesses and no servants, no one is willing to dirty their hooves, and nothing really gets done! Wysteria had her own giggle at that one.

I think we all came to realize that it's much easier to wash a dress, sweep your floors and tend to your gardening when you DON'T think of yourself as a princess. We're such smart ponies!

Sparkleworks? She keeps to herself half the time except when with Sunny Daze. Whenever I make a dress for her she insists there be sparkles, sparkles and more sparkles. At least we can always compromise and have rainbow sparkles. I'll admit I feel a tinny tiny bit of uneasiness whenever her birthday comes around, ever since that one year where she painted the entire town in sparkles. Razzaroo is still getting sparkles out of her hair. I'm still getting sparkles out of my dresses. Sparkles do not go with everything, darling.

Sunny Daze... she's... lively... she... enjoys the surf... goes to the beach, lake, any body of water... whenever the sun is shining. She is... quite physical, must be why she enjoys time with Scootaloo, though they're private competitions. And uh... she's nice? Most of the time? She's very confident? Yes she's a friend. We all worked together on Kimono's birthday present. She's just, not precisely the kind of pony who enjoys dressing up as much as I do.

Kimono, what is there to say? She is the wisest pony in Ponyland and nothing will ever change that. Well, maybe we did begin going to Spike more since he lived in the castle, and it's such a TREK from town to Kimono's cave. I think Kimono enjoys her privacy. She loves to write poetry. I've listened to some of it.

Spike? Heh. He's quite cultured and knowledgable, if a little scatterbrained. He'll get his life-lessons, fairytales, and naggings from his mother all jumbled up when things don't go according to his expectations. Thankfully he doesn't let it overwhelm him. It's almost a shame he didn't share more of his 'how to be a lady' knowledge with more of Ponyville. No... I've never asked him what it was like a thousand years ago when he went to sleep.

It... never occurred to me to ask.

It just... never came up.
I... I am unbelievably not-curious about so many things, aren't I?

Rarity, oh sweet Princess Rarity. That filly! She began as the world's biggest headache when she dropped into Ponyville with the Breezies, but the change she underwent was incredible. From a filly who couldn't comprehend she was making everypony around her upset as she played in the mud, to a princess who wouldn't give up when others did, and make other ponies around her laugh instead of groan.

Star Catcher? For a mare of her beauty, I can't say I know her all that well. I swear, she is incredible to behold. I'm sure like any pegasi she must love her ice-cream.

Razzaroo is our records keeper and party, what...? What do you mean 'that's just dossier fluff?' What do you mean, you're not getting a clear sense of who these ponies are as people?'

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): What I mean is this, Rainbow Dash: it's all well and good for you to tell me "Sunny Daze goes to the beach a lot." But that barely says ANYTHING about her personality! You could build a ROBOT, and program IT to spend the majority of the day at the beach! So what separates Sunny Daze from a robot? How do you connect with her as a friend? What emotions drive her? Is she outgoing? Withdrawn? Passive? Assertive? Do you even care?)

Why, I never! These are my friends! I am their friends! I do care about them! My friendships are not shallow... they're not... Starsong Melody, do you know she was actually nervous about singing in public until Pinkie Pie brought her around?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Good to know! Everyone's nervous every now and then! What is Starsong like as a person?)

She has... a wonderful singing voice. She's nice and friendly. She's cheerful. She's always been cheerful...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Well, this is a step in the right direction, Rainbow Dash, but let's dig deeper. Robots can also be programmed to be friendly and nice. Among sentient organic beings, it's referred to as "politeness" and "common courtesy." Tell me more about her true character.)

I... I think she still likes to just sing to herself sometime, away from the crowds...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Rainbow Dash... I'm going to ask you this nice and slow: Can. You. Describe. The. Content. Of. Your. Friend's. Soul?)

She SINGS! That's her personality! That's her character! That's her soul! She SINGS! She sings for the exact same reason ALL singers sing!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): If you believe that, princess, you need to listen to more songs. Singers DON'T all sing for the exact same reasons. Some sing for fame. Some sing to teach. Some to entertain. Some sing to depress. Some to inspire. Some songs are honest. Others are liars.)

What?!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): What I'm trying to say is: singers aren't some identical, mass-produced commodity you pull off a factory's assembly line! No more than fashionistas are!)

This is making my head hurt.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): If it's any consolation, Rainbow, it's making my head hurt too. *sigh* Look... I'm truly sorry about all this, please don't be upset with me. I promise I'm not out to pick on you. I'm just... trying to get you to dig deeper, but maybe this is the deepest we can dig. Please continue. Tell me what you can about your other friends.)

Sweetie Belle... her, how I met her, how long has she been in Ponyville... it's still causing me headaches, ugh... she's so sweet though. And she's a positively absolutely fantastic cook. But I... THAT was ONE TIME that all of us throwing in all our ideas together DID NOT work out! That cake was about as undashing as you can imagine! Sweetie Belle still took a taste of it herself, then let us... blech, a cook I am not! They say cooking is an art, and letting your imagination run free is a given... but whoever said that had never tried to bake a cake before! Sweetie loves to play games, that much I can remember, in particular with us. Those muffins she had as a reward for that riddle chase she sent us through in her house as a surprise when we were fillies were to die for! UGH! I don't care if it's conflicting! I don't care if it's confusing! She's a friend and a dear one, at that! She's the youngest of our little inner herd and she's wonderful! GOT IT?!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Got it.)

Sky Wishes, she's always verbally back pedaling when she trips over her own words, her head is always in the clouds, I never imagined there would be somebody there WAITING for her. She loved watching the sky as much she loved dancing with... dancing with... someone... Twinkle... something?

And... And Cheerilee ... I ... I remember when I stayed at Rainbow Crystal Castle. I remember on our way back to Ponyville, how Cheerilee and I both wished we'd could've grown up together and...

..and...

...and it DID happen, didn't it? We DID grow up together, didn't we?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): It seems you did.)

I've... I've never thought about how our wishes ALWAYS come true... it's just the way things are... so why am I questioning it? I don't question the sun and the moon, so why am I questioning this?

Darlings?

I wander into Daffidazey's saloon: the Twist and Style Petal Parlor. I remember her telling me how she gave Spike his great makeover, cleaning off a thousand years of dirt and grime. I don't understand how dragons can be proud of such a thing as grime. Every festival saw her shop packed with ponies who wanted their manes to look their best. She's as much an artist with pony's hair as I am with my dresses. Do you like how she styled mine this week? I think it's rather lovely... I should thank... someone? Someone important. Someone I chatted with weekly after her shop closed for the day? Who... who am I trying to remember? This shop, it's empty empty of... everything, bare, hollow, empty. Gutted. I have to get out of here!!!

I rush out, over to Cotton Candy's café, named after herself. Cotton Candy is one of Ponyville's storytellers, but we let her hold the title of 'official storyteller' even if Story... Story... someone, and Cheerilee often tell more stories than her. She hears stories from ponies and she shares them with others. That takes a unique kind of pony who is willing to listen, who ponies TRUST to tell their stories without adding or subtracting to them.

And more likely than not, Sweetberry would be there. She spends a good deal of her time at Cotton Candy's, seeing it as a perfect place to work on her giant super-stacked layered cake. Other ponies like to see how long they'll last before toppling over. None of us hold it against her; she keeps trying and that's the important thing, darlings.

The café... why is it so empty? Everything is missing. Photos, names, an old coffee stain that ... someone no, Cotton, Cotton SOMETHING thought added personality to her counter! The supplies always kept on hand for when . . . . she wants to ... to work on her giant... why... I know there was somepony here I was looking for... why am I standing in this empty café? Why do I feel like... now... I don't know why I came here, or why I should have come to this empty place at all.

I stumble out, why do I feel sick, no, not sick, I feel confused, disconnected, things are missing. Ponies are missing, but I have no idea who. I step out of the ... building. The sky is gray, but is rippling. Like the sky was some still-wet painting, slowly being washed away under a faucet. Poor Toola-Roola, she's been scared of the dark even as a filly, a day with a worse dark than night can't be pleasant for her! She had us to give her strength when she had to face it before on our quest to get back... someone.

There are fewer ponies outside than before, and the ones I do recognize I don't recognize. Yes, I know that makes no sense! I see through a window and see Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, both fillies again, bouncing on the bed. Oblivious to what's happening around them. I think I envy them. They're having a dashing good time as the world ends. Huh?! World ends?! Why would I think such things! But they're having such fun, maybe I shouldn't disturb them.

The more things change, the more I feel out of place, like I don't belong in my own hometown. I shake my head; these thoughts are insanity! This is just a scary nightmare like the one Pinkie Pie had that one time.

That's right... you have trouble remembering things in a dream, don't you? I don't look where I'm going, I trip and fall and hurt myself. ... You don't feel pain in a dream.

Puzzlemint! Making sense of nonsense and unraveling mysteries is her special talent! Maybe she... who could what again?

There's the darling outdoor stage theater that belongs to Fiesta Flair and. . . was something there a moment ago?

I go back to the town square, now there were... shadows of ponies going about? But where were the ponies to cast the shadows? Were the pegasi playing a prank? But these shadows were flying, and walking and . . . I could make out details, you aren't supposed to be able to do that with shadows. Are they...what do you call them? Ghosts?

I dare look up at the sky again. More shadows. When they LOOK at me, it makes me shudder. It's like how I would look at a cake. Like they want to, eat me?

I feel sluggish, tired, my hooves are heavy, the air feels cold and thin, confusion is welling up inside me like bile. A sense of helplessness fills me, like trying to grab smoke. There's... an empty space between two houses? Is it a new park? No, it just seems empty.

~~"My house! Where did it go?! What's going on! Where are all the colors? Why is everything is faded? Peachy, can you tell me what's going on? Peachy? Peachy! Don't ignore me, please!"~~

It was chilling almost how silent and abandoned everything was. Peachy, herself was starting to look smaller, younger. Why wasn't I going to her? It was like there was a sheet of glass between my thoughts and actions. UGH! This is all making my head hurt.

I trotted around the vacant spot trying to see if there was something I missed, I bumped into somebody! Oh me, oh my! How embarrassing! Something as mundane as this felt surprisingly comforting darlings!

"Oh excuse me, darling, I didn't see you there, not dashing at all, I must say."

"Sorry, Rainbow Dash," The mare I'd bumped into was a pink pony with an orange-blond coat and dark pink mane. Her tail was blue, green, and violet. Her cutie mark was a painter's brush with spiral swirls coming from the tip.

She seemed to have come out of nowhere!

"Darling, have we met?"

"Rainbow Dash, that isn't funny! Since when do you tell bad jokes?!"

"Darling, I'm sorry! I really am, but have we met? I wasn't trying to be rude."

The mare looked like she was going to cry, "R-Rainbow! Of course we've met! Forever ago! What's wrong with you? Here, see?" She look out a photo and showed me.

I looked at the picture. Myself, Pinkie Pie, Starsong, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo (now fillies), and Cheerilee.

"So," I guessed, "You took our photograph?"

"Took it? Rainbow Dash I'm IN it!" She looked at the photo, and gasped in horror. "No . . . but-but-"

"Darling, are you feeling alright? You do seem to be acting a bit strange, what is your name?"

"Toola-Roola! Rainbow Dash, of course you know me!"

"I'm... I'm sorry, dear, I can't... really... remember you, but I can say I remember all my friends from our picture."

"No..." ~~Toola-Roola~~ whispered and ran off in blind fear.

"Darling, wait! It's not safe!" I called to her, though I didn't know precisely what was unsafe. I was starting to believe everything was.

I run after her, but she has a head start and fear pumping through her veins, and I'm not exactly an athlete. She's running for the edge of town. I lose sight of her. I keep going. What was her name? ~~What was her name?~~ Who was I chasing? ~~Who was I chasing?~~ Why am I running?

I slow down to a trot, confused. I reach the edge of town.

She... theater... mysteries... cafe... saloon... cakes... artist...

There was something important, no, somepony important that I had been following, she'd been a friend.

She... theater... mysteries... cafe... saloon... cakes... artist...

I reach the edge of town. There was something important, no, somepony important that I had been following, she'd been a friend.

It's like everything is just being stripped away.

Ponies I saw all around me were arguing and... not kissing and making up? They were walking away from each other in a huff? What? Arguments were all supposed to be settled with hugs and smiles! This is WRONG! This is a kind of worse-than-wrong! Whoever is doing this must . . . must be . . . what's the word? Not-nice? Not-good? But... that doesn't make sense, that's a worse-wrong. This has to be an accident, we'll come through! We have to come through! We will come through!

Some ponies vanish right before my eyes, and I instantly forget what they looked like or what their names were. All I can remember is that somepony WAS THERE!!!

Others, like Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle... I witness them transform into ponies I don't know. The world is filling with strangers.

I saw Zipzee, Tra La La, and Tiddywink fly above the town, the three Breezie ponies were in a panic. They were zipping every which way, too fast for me to even shout at them.

Breezie Blossom, Unicornia, Butterfly Island . . . will they be safe there? Yes. They have to be. Everything has to turn out alright.

I see Pinkie Pie and Starsong Melody, they're... face to face with the most ugly, garish, tasteless, tacky mishmash of random animals I've ever seen. Even life is supposed to have a sense of style to it, I know it's wrong to judge others based on appearances, darling, but I was totally stumped about how I could make a hat that looked good on this person.

I get a sense of comfort again from feeling like my normal sense, thinking of the oversized and daunting challenge of possibly making clothes that'll make THIS person look good. If... someone... could make Spike smell nice, then I could work with this.

Pinkie Pie and Starsong are speaking with him. I think it's a 'him.' 'Hims' are rare, indeed. I've never really seen any not-girls... outside of a couple insect and Spike.)

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Rainbow Dash?)

W-what? You're back?

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): ...We never left. We're so very sorry about all of this. I just want you to know that.)

Oh...that's kind of you, darling.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): We're sorry about what's happening to your world. And your friends. And YOU.)

Thank you. I do appreciate the sympathy.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Rainbow Dash... I want you to know that the content of your soul is truly one-of-a-kind. You're unlike any other fashionista I know.)

Why, I do believe that's the sweetest thing anyone's ever told me.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): You deserve to know that you're... your life is about to head in a new direction.)

Judging by the state Ponyville's in, I'm afraid I'd have to agree with you.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Please! Let me finish! This is hard enough for me to say! Rainbow... normally, none of us could stomach letting ponies be... forced in a new way like this. I wish you both... both could... but you can't eat your cake and have it too, no more than you can travel east and west at the same time...)

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): You really are fun...b-but...)

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): The truth is we all WANT you to go in this new direction! We'd be devastated if you never did... if you remained unchanged! There! I said it! And I'm so sorry, you're already a good pony, it's so selfish...)

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Stop hurting her!)

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Right. I'm sorry. It's just... I couldn't bear to say anything patronizing like, 'There was no other way,' or 'It's for your own good.' Not to Rainbow Dash.)

Darling? This 'new direction' you speak of... is it towards the sort of place Ponyville's always been up until now? A place where I'd never have to feel any of the awful feelings I've felt today?

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): ...No. No, I CERTAINLY cannot claim that this will be the last time you'll ever feel pain... Rainbow Dash. There will be lots. I can only promise you just one thing: you will be MAGNIFICENT.)

...Magnificence sounds dashing.
Thanks for the hugs.
Huh? Why are you all backing away? Can't you at least point me towards the new direction...?

A shadow passed over me. This shadow... it was pegasus-shaped, I could see ALL its details... it raced at me towards me like a moth to the flame. The shadow lost its blackness: I could make out a blue-colored coat. Its... her cutie mark was two blue lightning bolts.

My hooves felt glued to the spot. I'm about to be eaten alive.

It stepped into me, no, she steps in the same space as me, like two pictures put up against a light.

"Dash it all! What is--" I gasped out, feeling more sick than ever.

My beautiful hat and scarf vanish, no, please, I worked hard on those. I see my beautiful tail and mane changing colors. And my cutie mark it . . . it becomes . . . the clouds ... f-fuse together... my arching rainbow twists down into a lightning bolt. I feel ... I lock eyes with Pinkie Pie, she looks so scared.

... what a lame-o crybaby! What is she even crying about?! Geeze. Huh? Where are my wings? Oh! There they are! Boy! It would be a total disaster if I lost these awesome babies! Ick! Am I out of shape or something? No, good, fit as a fiddle, if a fiddle was totally rocking and could blow away a crowd like I can! Ha!

What am I even doing here? Geeze this place is a disaster, I'm outta here! Out of my way, little bug ponies, the Queen of Awesome is in the house! Ya should consider it an honor to get brushed by me! Up in the air I go! Check out my totally cool radicalness! What you do mean it's supposed to be the other way around? No way! The Dash does it, so that's the way it is!

Out this Lamesville I go! I am Rain-bow Dash! The one and only!

No!

MAN! I feel like my head's gonna split in two!

I won't let you throw away my heart!!!

I bring my front hooves to my head and yell out in pain. I crash so hard and fast I go through several clouds.

My head is spinning, the sky is pitch black now, the world is gray, what the heck is wrong with me? The sky is now... falling apart? It's... ick! What's behind it? I don't wanna know! I go into a spiral! Where do I crash? No way! I don't crash! But my head is throbbing so I can't tell where I landed.

Pinkie Pie is not a crybaby! You take that back! My friends and Ponyville are positively and absolutely DASHING! Not 'lame!' You take it back!

My brain was on fire! What was wrong with me?!

They're MY FRIENDS! They're all precious darlings to me! No matter YOU say or think about them, they are all wonderful ponies! How dare you?!

These thoughts, these feelings, they're not mine, are they? I'm cover in sweat. Why is my breathing so heavy?

How can you just abandon them!? How can you be so selfish!?

Shut up! Shut up! Shutup!Shutup!

No! I won't! You can't make me!

"OH YES I CAN!" I begin banging my head against the ground, turns out I landed on a beach, dangit!

Go back. Turn around and go back. You are not leaving my friends to be... to be... ended!

"Can't make me... do... anything..." I panted. "I'm me, the only me, the only me that matter, the only me that's worthwhile!"

No... You're... Not! I'M still here, so WE are ME! And if you're me too, then my friends are yours as well! And if you're willing to just toss aside your friends, then... then you're not magnificent at all!

"AAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHHH!" I scream at the top of my lungs as I feel a hundred dams in my brain burst at once, drenching me, drowning me, dissolving me!

Smiling faces.
Parties and songs.
Every pony a princess! Pretty dresses... PRETTY DRESSES?! No! Oh no! You can't! You wouldn't! You can't...

It's wonderful to dress up. It's wonderful to look my best. There is nothing wrong with looking beautiful. It lets others know that we care enough about them to put effort into how we present ourselves.

I'm no froufrou showpony!

I am wonderful to look at.

Why, yes, I am. Totally. Just look at this bod of mine!

To be wonderful to look at is to be beautiful. Therefore I am beautiful.

W-wait-

Hm? Am I afraid?

Afraid? I'm not afraid of anything!

I am not afraid of anything. Therefore I am not afraid of being beautiful.

I'm not afraid of anything!

Therefore I am not afraid of being beautiful.

Totally.

Therefore, being beautiful, confident, and unafraid, I have no worries about being pretty and enjoying my prettiness. Because above all else, I am not afraid.

E-enjoy... being...pretty? But... you can't force me... I mean I can't force me... I'm... I'm so confused...

Gosh, I better go back to my friends. They need me. And others might need me. I would never abandon my friends. Only ugly and frightened ponies who should never be looked at would do a thing like that.

I... I would never abandon my friends.

I felt like my brain was coming together again...

I spread my wings and take off into the sky, speeding back to Ponyville.

But I found it empty. Either my friends were already gone, or those who remained didn't seem in danger of what was happening. Whatever was happening. Pinkie Pie, I promise I'll find you. I'll never abandon you or any other friend of mine again.

Everything is getting darker, blacker, I can't see that far away anymore. Even stuff that's up close seems to be lost in the darkness.

I sped towards the town of Breezie Blossom, the Breezie town was closer than Unicornia or the waterfall leading to Butterfly Island. Maybe there was somepony I could help there! Or at least I had to make sure there was nopony there to help!

The Breezies, are they there? There aren't as many as there should be. Something is wrong very wrong.

I see a pint-sized version of the beastie that'd been bullying Pinkie Pie. Not the same, he's made of different animal parts, but still ugly.

"I knew I missed some the first time, it won't hurt if I had just a little more fun with-"

The unmistakable sadism in his voice was all I needed to hear. I wasn't interested in the details right now! I rammed into him at full speed from behind! OW! That hurt my head! He spun several times in the air before stopping like he had brakes!

"OW! Owwwww.... Hey! Why you! Ya stupid horse! Yer gonna get it now you-"

"Come Along, Discordance, You've Dallied Long Enough Young Draconequus."

That booming voice came from everywhere and nowhere, and sounded like an stern big sister or parent... hard to tell.

"Uh-oh... FINE!" Little jerk looked ready to wet himself. "I have... uh, important work to do!" Then his hand shot out and clamped upon my head. "So I guess you get off easy this time, Little Miss Remade! Enjoy your all-expenses-paid trip to that wonderful place where souls-yet-to-be-born-go! But I'm gonna REMEMBER you, stupid horse! And the next time, I'll break you in two!"

I stuck out my tongue at him. "Ooooh, look at the badflank, I'm shaking in my little horseshoes."

"In-TWO!" He hissed, still rubbing at the sore spot on his head and suddenly, he was gone.

And suddenly, there was a jolt through my body I felt very tired, my eyelids were heavy, and my wings folded by themselves, all the world was dark, the world itself seemed to fade away, I didn't fall hard like I should have, I floated gently into Breezie Blossom, I need a nap, a nice nap, a long nap, yes... that... would be nice... I knew I'd see my friends again... and I'll never let them go again...someday... and it would be... magnificent...

+++

Night of Summer Sun Celebration

Man, just my luck. A flying team shows up out of nowhere and offers me to be their captain saying we can be THE best team in Equestria!...at the same time I'm trying to help save the world from Nightmare Moon. Why can't these things have better timing? They tell me how magnificent I am, like I NEED to be told that...huh, why does that seem so familiar?

Anyway, I tell her to hold on while I finish fixing the bridge-

"It's them or us!" spat their leader, landing right in front of me. Geeze, talk about pushy.

"Rainbow! What's taking so long?!" called Twilight from the other side of the bridge. She tries to say something else but I can't hear her anymore.

"Well?" the mare asks, looking down at me.

"You...Thank you," I said, giving a smile. "For the offer I mean."

I go and tie the rope bridge down really quick. "But I'm afraid I have to say no."

Really? Me? Betray everypony like that? I mean come on! Since when has Rainbow Dash EVER turned her back on somepony who was counting on her? Let alone my...my friend...

Yeah, I guess...I guess we are friends...It's so weird, we just really got to know each other today, except me and Fluttershy...but I feel like I've always known them...Hehe, oh well, we've got Nightmare Moon flank to kick, then maybe we can do something REALLY fun, I wonder if they like the Wonderbolts. Of course they like the Wonderbolts, who doesn't?

Well, whatever we do, I'm sure it'll be great. It'll be...

Magnificent

Episode 107: (Shining Armor) seinoP-Ponies

Pony POV Series Shining Armor Part 11
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
Pony POV Series
Written By lz0291
seinoP-Ponies

It wasn't that I was displeased to see my parents. Far from it. After all, it was my birthday, and I had told them I'd try to drop by if I could find a minute if I was on duty. And I thought I had been until Brigadier-General Observant Audience decided to inform me I was not. Then tell me my parents had come to me.

My mother, being my mother, hugged me. My father just shook my hoof.

"Happy birthday, Son!"

"Mom, Dad, you really didn't have to do this..." I said, whilst my mother tried to hug me to death.

"Well, we missed your twenty-first when you were off keeping the peace. Twenty-five's a milestone, Son," Dad explained.

He didn't have to remind me about my sixteenth and why that had been 'missed'.

"Besides, we haven't had a chance to spend quality time with you or Twilight in ages. I know you're both grown ponies but you'll always be my babies." Mom said, as mothers are prone to frequently reminding their offspring.

"Well, I suppose, but..."

"Oh, did you have something planned with your friends? We won't intrude. Your father and I just want to at least have lunch as a family."

"Don't worry. We were planning on waiting for the weekend to celebrate my birthday anyway. So you're going to try drag Twilight away from studying?" I said as we began walking.

"Come on, Shining, of course she'll want to have lunch with her parents and her B.B.B.F.F. on his twenty-fifth birthday!" Dad said, in a hopeful, unconvinced tone.

"...Is there something else going on here, by the way?" I wondered.

"No, why'd you think that?" Dad said, but my mother seemed to be hesitant.

Words were not required to answer them. Only a certain type of look.

"Well, there sort of is," she eventually admitted.

I knew what was coming.

"Shining, you know every year, on birthdays... I try to read the stars...."

I sighed. She also read stars at Hearth's Warming, which wasn't that far off from my birthday.

"Come on, Mom, you know horoscopes can't be trusted! They've got, at best, a twenty-three percent success rate, and that's only if you don't account for the coincidence factor or how the results are open for interpretation..."

My mother had a talent for reading and observing the skies, but her talent was in astroNOMY, not astroLOGY. My father agreed with me, and to a point, so did Twilight. Without getting into a long discussion, most forms of divination are about as reliable as gut instinct. Combining the two is often especially disastrous. Does your gut feeling match your prediction? Then you stride forward boldly and shut your eyes to further evidence. Do the two contradict? Then you dither.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Obsessing over fate can create self-fulfilling prophecies. Binding you to it. Efforts to dodge certain fates just causes them to happen. Some ponies say the only way to control one's fate is to take life one choice at a time.)

Exactly...I'm sounding like Twiley, aren't I?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Kinda.)

...I'm on a soapbox, aren't I?

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): A little one.)

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Must run in the family.)

Does this happen to mom too? I'll just move this thing out of the way...

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Don't worry about it, continue.)

Oh, right. Personally, I think you're better off ensuring that the evidence you base your decisions on is at least sixty percent reliable. If you have to choose between you gut or evidence... choose evidence. Never trust a horoscope over either your gut or the evidence. That's my rule.

Sadly, this wasn't MOM'S rule. For Mom had had SUCCESS with horoscopes in the past.

"For Twilight's birthday, the horoscope predicted she'd undergo a great change in her life. I figure that's her graduation. And then for yours this morning... Same prediction. How curious..."

"Probably means I'm getting promoted!"

Her eyes widened. "I... Shining, I... I got that same prediction for your uncle on HIS birthday. And he responded the exact same way you did."

My uncle had been promoted posthumously. I couldn't think of any wittier reply than: "Well, uh... I'll try to be careful."

"I know you must think I'm being silly, Shining, but... the horoscope told me I'd see precious things go far away from me, and I should cherish them while they're close..."

"Mom, I understand why you worry. But please don't -- I'll be careful."

She nodded. "Still, I'd really like it if you and Twilight could both try to be home for Hearth's Warming Dinner this year. It's been a long time since you were both there..."

"I'll do what I can, but you know why I work over Hearth's Warming usually. A lot of the troopers and officers have families much further away..."

The ring of a nice normal alarm clock woke me up. For a few seconds, I was disoriented, wondering how I'd been teleported from my parents' side to this ship. No creepy music this time.

That was the last time I'd really spent much time together with all of my family at once. Mom had actually been right about the great changes in life.

We'd set out from Columbia the night before. As we were in the midst of summertime in the northern hemisphere, Celestia had already raised the sun. My cabin faced west, but today, my porthole offered the rather unusual sight of the Airborne Aircraft Carrier URS Athena floating off half a kilometer away, like a giant flying whale. A whale accompanied by a school of dolphins . Dolphins that were loaded with gun decks and Griffins. I'm a bloody laureate with similes, aren't I?

I opened my door to find a puzzled crouching minotaur about to knock on my face.

"Ah, you're awake, Captain. I'm..."

"Petty Officer First Class Kryten, right?" I said with as much dignity as I could with a awkward minotaur's giant fist inches from my head.

"Yes, sir. I've got some messages for you. Letters and a request from the Princess that you and your Sergeant see her as soon as possible before breakfast. She has some things to discuss."

"Thank you, Petty Officer. Was there anything else?"

There wasn't. He handed the letters over (such strange and versatile appendages...) and stood up. His horns almost scraped the roof of the passageway: I could see why they had him change the bulbs.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Poor guy probably bangs his head a lot...)

Apparently, the most accident prone crewmember like that was the Chief Engineer, a Diamond Dog named Scottie.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): A Diamond Dog? What's it like having them as... ah... allies instead of enemies?)

Well, unless they're starving for food, Diamond Dogs are interested in one form of payment: gemstones. Gemstones of any kind. Not just PRECIOUS gems, mind you, but semiprecious and even costume jewelry will satisfy them. Mercenary Diamond Dogs are common. Assuming you have access to a steady supply of shiny rocks, Diamond Dogs can be a cheaper labor force compared to ponies. Very good assistants on rock farms... assuming they're honest dogs. They're happy to eat lower-quality food since, to them, it's actually higher-quality food. But if you win their loyalty, Diamond Dogs are just as devoted as their four-legged cousins. Scottie told me once that he considered us all part of his pack, and a Diamond Dog will die for his pack.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Pretty diverse crew. Were there any deer aboard?)

Two over on Enterprise but they were both Sika Deer. Third or fourth generation Equestrian. Both scientists, married to each other. Most Deer in Equestria live in Caledonia, so Deer in the Guard normally find themselves in Northern regiments. There are no Sika in the Hooviet Empire any more, though. They were persecuted and chased out during the days of the Tsars.

But anyway, I had a quick look at the letters. One postcard from my parents: Mom saying she and dad were on vacation, she begged me to write her back because she was... afraid she'd forget me? Weird. Anyway, another was a notification that the results of a report I'd expressed interest in were now available for request. We can't pre-order information that might be classified, instead if the results are in our clearance, we're told we can request a copy when it's published. Security.

Then a reminder that Master Chief Spartan and my Sergeants had agreed to allow the platoon to join in the Air Naval Cavalry's physical training in the morning, and finally a monthly Guard newsletter. No time to read it just now, though.

I soon fetched Thunderchild, and then had to go back the direction I'd came from because the rest of my troopers were cabined in the wrong end of the ship. We knocked, were told to enter, and then tried the door.

"It's locked, should we breach it?"

I sighed. "This isn't Guard Quest: Arrest Team, Thunderch-"

"You're in my spot, Sir."

"Oh, you son of a... "

Before I could threaten to kick him in the soul, the door unlocked and a sheepish-looking Minuette peeked out. "Sorry, forgot the door was locked..."

We went inside. Cadence was having her coat combed by Sunset.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Brushed.)

What?

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): You comb a mane, you brush a coat.)

Next you'll tell me mares trim their fetlocks. Anyway...

"Good morning, Gentlecolts. I was wondering if you might be able to help me with an idea I had," Cadence said. "I've not ran any of them past Commander Shepard yet, but I'd like to use you as a sounding board first. First and foremost, I'm wanting to try and arrange for our crewmembers' birthdays to be recognized, with all of us away from our families. It's only fair we do something to thank them. So I was wondering if you could have somepony give Sunset a hoof with compiling a birthday calendar?"

"I have to admit. I like that idea. Can I ask what inspired it?"

"Sunset's birthday's next week, Captain," Twinkle Shine said as she polished the royal barding.

"I see. Well, I understand a few of the troopers have some experience with clerical work?" I suggested to Thunderchild.

"Yes, sir. Most young Pegasi who work in weather patrol wind up having to fetch files and maps, as well as helping make up the schedules. Probably anyone can help her out if they've done weather patrol work. We could always ask for a few volunteers once morning exercises start."

And Private Ranger would likely be among the volunteers.

"Volunteers sounds good, and if they're pegasi they can fly between the ships easier to check things out. And if we get it all sorted they can help her or one of the other girls ask everypony what they'd prefer, track down any we missed so far, you know."

Cadence didn't have to mention this meant the Guards would always be with Sunset.

"Your Highness, how BIG of a birthday celebration did you have in mind, may I ask?" Thunderchild asked.

"You just did," Minuette had that one covered.

"Well, we have an AWFULLY large crew. We could potentially be eating birthday cake every day! Not that I'm complaining."

"Well, I was thinking that the least I could do would be to wish them each a happy birthday in person and thank them for being with us. Maybe there could be invites to dinner with me and the captain of the relevant ship, or maybe a weekly shared-party for all the crewmates whose birthday fell within that week... plus their friends."

"Weekly parties seems preferable if they were kept small," I said.

One a week? JUST one a WEEK?! For all those ponies having birthdays near each other?! Well... I suppose when you're a vast military unit traveling the world on the taxpayers' bits, you can't exactly splurge on party supplies like I do. I can respect needing to be frugal. Pain in the flank for my cameos, though. Oh well, I guess I'll try stick to the important ones!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Thanks, Pinkie Pie.)

No problemo!

"Also, we should look into arranging tournaments or contests. We might try out games and pastimes from the places we visit. Also, some flotilla-wide things like talent shows, tennis, cards, chess, Five-a-side..."

The magic words.

"You and the hoofmaidens plus Garnet is five, then the rest of the squad and me is five... two teams already."

"Er, Captain..." Minuette tried to cut in.

"Sir..." Thunderchild also began.

But it was too late.

"Of course! I'm sure some ponies may wonder about a Princess playing hoofball, but it's fun. Maybe we could try get a flotilla team together, have friendly matches against other nations?" Mares and gentlecolts, my commanding officer.

"Seems diplomatic to me! And of course, it's a good form of additional physical training," I said.

Minuette and Thunderchild seemed to be sharing an apprehensive look.

"...You always get stuck in goal too, yeah?" Thunderchild said.

Minuette nodded.

"I told you, Minny, I'll try going in goal this time," Twinkle Shine said as the last bit of royal barding seemed polished.

"Anyway, next thing, I was wondering about setting up a flotilla-wide radio show. A few ponies from Enterprise mentioned it, and apparently we can pick up something similar from the Griffins..."

"We can?" Thunderchild cut in.

"Yes, but it's all be Griffin-style music. Griff Metal, lyrics about wars and stuff..." Sunset noted, now finished brushing the Princess.

"It's got its fans, even among ponies. Griff Metal aside, we could also rotate music from places we visit, get a bit more of a cultural exposure."

"...I'd have no objections, but we may need to be careful about which songs we play."

"In what way?" Cadence wondered.

"Well... I think the Captain's worried about some of the troopers might request inappropriately vulgar songs. Or, then again, we're a multi-species crew visiting a fair number of bigoted, racist nations. Some of the local ditties might be a bit... insulting and derogatory."

I smiled and nodded, even though what I'd ACTUALLY referred to was songs with ominous lyrics about ghosts, wolves, dogs, being watched, being hunted, and deer.

"Alright. Anyway, the last thing: I want to take a look around the ships."

I was puzzled. "But... You had a tour before we left."

"Yes, that was a GUIDED tour, though. I was just SHOWN rooms, and told trivia. I want to EXPLORE. Come on, it's something to do! It'll be over three days until we arrive in Zamunda, after all."

"...If Commander Shepard is okay with it, I am." I said.

Turned out, Shepard was fine with all of it. Ranger did indeed volunteer, as did Griffen. Cadence quietly approved: Sunset seemed a lot happier with Ranger around, and having a griffin along helped her feel even more secure going about the ship away from her Princess and friends.

I followed Cadence on her exploration of the Enterprise, and helped bring her ideas with the radio to fruition with the Navy crew. She'd planned to explore the other two Corvettes the next day, then Invincible last. Sunset would begin looking in the records the next day.

It was nice to finally be getting into a decent routine.

Wake about half-five, half an hour or so to get ready or deal with any quick morning things, get an hour or so physical training in -Cadence and the Hoofmaidens apparently just went to the ships small fitness room for half an hour or so, having found the trip to the park back in Columbia to be a bit above their own fitness grades. They should probably be glad we had mostly been drawn from a Medium Ground regiment, if we'd been a Light or Air regiment, they'd probably have fallen over with exhaustion.

I did some training with my shield spells too. Since a good number of the crew were unicorns like me, we had a special training room with special equipment for mages to buff up on their magic.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): What training did you do?)

Why is that important?

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): We need to compare some notes...)

Oh, okay.

I took a deep breath and put up as large a barrier as I could around me, about fifty hooves around me. Other unicorns fired beams at my shield. It took about a couple of hits before falling.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Wait wait, fifty hooves and a couple of hits? Shining, we KNOW you can do better than that.)

Yeah... Ace actually felt the same way.

"Shining," Ace said, coming over. "You did better than that back in the academy, are you getting rusty?" he asked, a mix of playful and serious.

"Magic spurt?"

"Those are for toddlers, Shiney."

I did my best to laugh off his question, then focused on my next task: shielding a dummy from an even stronger attack. We had a few unicorns whose special talent was destructive magic. I instructed them to shoot the closest approximation of that spell Makarov blew me off the roof with.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Training from Tartarus much?)

Hey, that sick buck had nearly killed me and a lot of good Guards. I wanted to be ready for him if we DID meet again.

"Uh, sir, are you sure you want us to do this?" one of them asked.

"Do it, I need this."

They nodded, powered up, and blasted my shield with a big ball of magical death. The shield shattered and my ears were ringing, but good news is at least the dummy had about...oh, second degree burns, but at least I wasn't sent flying across the room like last time.

Yes, it IS odd I can project a shield around an entire city nowadays, but couldn't block a simple destruction spell back then. Just roll with it, please?

(Intereviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Alright Shining, for now.)

I then moved onto correcting my infamously poor aim with gravity buster spells. That wasn't too hard, I actually WAS improving. I actually hit three targets!...One of which I was actually aiming for!

However, the next training session was to crush a crate with a shield. I got as far as getting the shield around it and closed in right up to it...The crate hit the ground without a scratch and I was trembling a little bit.

"Are you alright, sir?" Thunderchild asked.

"Yeah...I'm fine..." I said, trying to shake it off. "I just have trouble using that spell..."

Ace nodded. "Can't blame you, lots of ponies have trouble using spells like that." I think he knew exactly why I couldn't do it. Thankfully, he kept it to himself.

I thought back to Makarov, the night he nearly killed me. I concentrated and tried putting a dome around us, remembering the spell he'd used on me...it just shut down and left me panting.

Thunderchild came over. "Sir...what was that?"

"Trying to copy that spell Makarov used...dang, how much magic reserves does that deer...unicorn thing have?"

(Interviewers Notes: (Unicorn): Shining, you're not your sister, you can't just replicate any spell you eyeball.)

(Interviewers Notes (Pegasus): Why were you even trying to copy that maniac's spell?)

If I know how a spell works, I can find a loophole in it. Maybe even break it from the inside. And it was about the only thing that'd ever stopped that wolf thing...Anyway, that's about it for training.

After that, breakfast, explore a ship in the morning or afternoon, sort the radio things, sort out the birthday things, gauge interest in tournaments... and then, laying down in bed... this felt so good.

I found myself in a passageway, but not on the Invincible. Lettering on the walls appeared to be in a strange mix of Deer Cyrillic and Low Equestrian. The whole corridor seemed to be painted a harsh dark grey instead of pale, and the lighting was dim and tinted red, casting blood-red shadows everywhere. And one seemed to be walking towards me from the other end of the corridor.

"Get away from me!" I backed up a little more... hearing a snarl.

My blood froze.

I looked back to see it...the Ghost-Hound, Wolf, whatever the heck it was, slowly coming at me from the other way. A black shape of nothingness pulling out from the red shadows.

"Now Captain, there's no need to be afraid. You are about to become a part of something great. It will only hurt for a moment," Makarov said, like he was doing me a favor.

"'Part of something great?' You mean one of your war machines?" I asked, putting up the strongest barrier I possibly could around me, not that I expected it to do any good.

"Not quite. there are parts of you I've come to covet. Parts I want to add to my collection."

I look back, the wolf was almost at my shield. Makarov was approaching too. I couldn't tell which beast was more bloodthirsty any more.

"You...you mean you're going to assimilate me, like you did all those deer?" I asked defiantly, trying to clear my mind as best I could. He couldn't assimilate me if I wasn't imagining anything... right?!

Makarov gave a chuckle.

"So you already know about that? Good, this makes things THAT MUCH EASIER!" He cackled, his body dissolving into a mass of shadows, eyes glowing. He was looking at me like a lion looks at a gazelle: it, trying to decide which end of me to eat first.

The wolf phased through my shield on one side, that thing that called itself 'Makarov' on the other. They both pounced on me.

I didn't scream. But I did fall from my bed with a panicked gasp.

Composing myself a bit, I took a drink of water, idly musing about Audience saying how sailors had a reputation for drunkenness because they often drank poorly-desalinated water back in the days when sailing vessels had been the norm, and kind of wishing at the same time it hadn't been fresh rainwater in Invincible's plumbing systems. I checked the clock.
Two in the morning and so very wide awake now. After a fruitless hour of lying there, I tried to borrow a book from one of the ship's libraries. I'd never kept any books I bought for long, growing up, they usually floated Twilight's way. Often literally the moment she saw them.

The day after that (or really, later that day), once Cadence had looked around the two Corvettes (identical ships but she wanted to say hello to the crew on both) we held a promotion ceremony for Lance-Corporal Audience and Corporal Apple. Basically, I put their new rank markings on their armor, and Cadence congratulated them, before the assembled platoon. Not as elaborate as Officer promotions, but they also got a party out of it: Cadence had arranged a party that evening for a few crew who'd had birthdays in Columbia, and it was also a party to celebrate the promotions for my two troopers too.

These parties were held as open invites. Ponies were of course permitted to hold their own celebrations with close friends, or not attend the group-birthday-parties if they wished, but not one of the ones missed out had declined, and most of the rest of the crew who'd been able to arrange time off had attended. So the parties were held in the Auxillary Hangar.

I did what I usually do at parties. Wandered around talking to as many ponies I knew as possible, no political big-shots to irritate, said congrats to the birthday ponies, had some snacks and (non-salt) drinks... But mostly hung around my close friends where I possibly could. But during the wander-part at one point I overheard something from Twinkle Shine and Minuette.

"...Really? A day apart?" Minuette said, sounding strangely delighted.

That had me curious.

"Yeah! I wonder if they know... Oh, hello, Captain!"

"Something interesting crop up with the birthdays?"

"Oh, yes. Sunset found that, er, there's a couple of ponies who have birthdays really close to each other, and it's interesting because, well, those ponies are good friends. Actually though, Captain, She was wondering about your own birthday and if you wanted to have one."

"Well, in my case, my birthday is actually the day after Princess Cadenza's, so I'm pretty sure I don't have a choice about not attending the party that week," Then realized the ammunition I'd just given them.

"That...That's interesting you would KNOW that, Captain!" Minuette said, giving Twinkle Shine a glance.

"Why?"

"Well, it's just... there are a lot of husbands and wives who keep forgetting each other's birthdays, but you... were you and the Princess close when you were younger?"

"Well, she did foalsit my sister, so we were friendly enough, I guess. But the whole birthday-awareness thing was actually thanks to my sister, Twilight."

The two of them looked like they wanted me to continue. So I did.

"Don't ever let her know I told you the story... but when little Twilight first found out when her Royal Foalsitter's birthday was... she had a major panic attack about raising enough money to buy birthday gifts for her and me. When the Princess found out she assumed Twilight had no idea about her birthday, so when Twilight said she was worried about two important birthdays coming up, she thought Twilight meant me and somepony else. So she let me know, I'd told her to try let Twiley know she could probably buy me something cheaper and get something nice for the friend. The Princess was mortified when my sister gave her a necklace and I got a hat. It was quite a nice hat though."

Not a fez though, before you ask. And Cadence apparently still has the necklace. She says she tries to wear it any time she knows she'll see Twilight and she doesn't have to wear something else.

After a bit more talking with Sunset closing in, I moved towards Ellis, who was chatting away with Garnet.

"....We mostly make cheese, tool handles, and scented logs. We do grow apples, but they're more an afterthought for mah part of the family," Ellis said.

The mare from the rock-farming town seemed puzzled. "But... I thought the Apple family farms all grew apples as their main business..."

"Pie family farms don't all grow pies, do they? Nah, we do make a good bit off the apples and the cider, but most of our earnings comes from the wood. Apple wood is a nice for stuff like tool handles and carvings, and it gives off a nice smell when you burn it. We get a good profit from it. Means we can help out the rest of the family too, the ones that farm the apples not the trees, if they lose a tree that's still in good condition. Fer instance, if a pegasus lets a storm get out of hoof..."

He directed a little glance at Gag for this. The Private groaned.

"Ellis, I said sorry to your cousins, okay? Besides, those plot holes in the Hundred and First knew our unit had a lot of new pegasi for weather control."

"Yeah, Ah know, dude, and Red Gala was actually kinda sorry she'd been so angry at ya when Ah told her the circumstances. Just teasin'. Anyway... If a tree does fall, the family ain't losin' all the profit they could have got. We just buy the sucker for a right reasonable price and get it and any bruised apples on it shipped off to us... 'course, can't go round callin' the trees suckers around mah cousins and suchlike cos some of them seem to get right attached to their trees sometimes, cousin AJ actually named a couple, but Ah figure, what the hay, it's just a friggin' tree..."

I zoned out as Ellis droned on.

At that moment in Ponyville

Fluttershy gasped, causing the birds to look alarmed as they were coming in to nest for the evening. One chirped, as if to say 'what's wrong?'

"O-oh, nothing, Twitterbeak. It's just I could have sworn somepony said something insulting to trees."

The birds looked at each other. One chirped flatly, as if to say '...what?'

I zoned back in when somepony announced they were about to play dancing music. Not ballroom music, or any kind of dancing-for-couples music: Just your standard flail-around-like-an-idiot type of dancing. And I swore I saw a flash of pink amongst all the white coated Air Navy and Royal Guard...

"You seem a bit tense. Worried you'll be arrested for crimes against dancing if you try, Sir?" He said. "Again?"

"No, I avoid dancing, you know that...And it wasn't my dancing that got me arrested, it was tripping over my own hooves and knocking a duke into the refreshment table, and I was never convicted...It's just... Well, it might sound silly, but any time music's come on lately, it's just made me feel... nervous. Like the lyrics are talking to me..."

"Talking to you, Sir? Well.... Let's see what happens here."

He zipped over to the DJ, made a request I couldn't hear, then was back, just as the song began to play.

"So they say you're troubled, boy, just because you like to destroy..."

"Is this song speaking to you?"

"...Nope. "

"There, see? The DJ is not trying to have you assassinate the Prime Minister of Maneighsia or anything!"

"...I'm not a male model though."

"But you look like one," He said, batting his eyes in a most disturbing manner.

"Stop giving Private Party ideas, Thunderchild!"

"Okay, okay. So I guess you really don't want to dance?"

"Wha... No! No! And even if I did, I can't dance!"

He laughed and retreated swiftly. I couldn't help but groan and bring a hoof to my face.

"Tired, sir?" Ranger said, approaching me from the front.

"To an extent. You having a good time, at least?"

He nodded and grinned. "Yes, sir. I asked Sunset if she'd go with me as a date and she said yes."

I grinned myself. Maybe they'd not had the most ideal of meetings, but if they actually got to know each other it was likely something would blossom.

"Nicely played, Private. Good luck to you both."

"Thanks, sir."

Now, this was better. I enjoyed dealing with the general antics of ponies being ponies. I could do with way less of angry wolf things and even angrier megalomaniacal maniacs. And I'll admit, karaoke is a guilty pleasure of mine: I find amusement in tone-deaf ponies butchering a song, and having a blast as they do it.

...Turns out Gag could do Wonderwall pretty good.

Then Cadence decided enough was enough and wanted a go near the end and promptly blew everyone before her out of the water. Still, that was only to be expected. I also suspect the goddess of music also ruined my fun because everypony seemed to take levels in musical talent at once, either going from mediocre to good or from lousy to having their lack of talent down to an art form. Hay, I'll even admit that I joined in when she decided to have all the partygoers have a singalong to end the night.

The next morning, Commander Bond decided to show us the ropes.

"And this is an example of an ancient Romane rope, widely used in sailing vessels of the time..."

I was kind of surprised and suspicious the ship had such a large rope collection, to be honest.

Yes, it was kind of a nothing-particularly-happening-today kind of day. Thank Celestia. As Cadence explored the Invincible's library, I found a non-fiction book written by Audience's mother. Speak of the mare in the moon.

"Oh, hey, Captive, it's your mom's book..." A chill ran down my spine, "Wait, what's that?"

"Your mother's book, Sir. Minuette spotted it," He said with a grin.

(Intereviewer's Notes: (Earth Pony): She wrote a book?)

Yes... she wrote a book. The one book I never thought I'd have to see again.

"A ship in space collides with a comet. Causing a lowly ship's maid to be the only unattached mare in an escape pod with five upper-class stallions and her childhood friend leading to an Equestrian take on the Neighponese 'harem comedy', revolving around..." Twinkle Shine was eagerly reading the dust jacket notes.

I hoped my blushing wasn't as obvious as I thought it was.

To my horror, I later discovered Minuette had checked it out, and all of the Hoofmaidens eventually would read it, as would Cadence. Fortunately, they never discovered it was my fault it had a sci-fi setting...

"Why not set it in space then they can use magic replicators and stuff and not worry about food, and have room because it's a big escape shuttle ," said nine-year-old me, as a suggestion to mommy's concerns about flaws in her original setting of a lifeboat and an island.

Mom gave us both a copy when it was published. Mine met with an unfortunate accident. As for Twilight.

"Okay Twilight, put it underneath 'Equestria's Most Boring Facts' and 'The Wonderful World Of Snails Expanded Edition,' just like you told me."

"Thank you Spike, you're a wonderful assistant!"

Having survived that episode, I decided to check out a couple of books from the small ship's library Starship Ponies by Heinmane and The Farm by Oatwell.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): I presume the version of the Oatwell book you picked up then is NOT the one with the alternative ending for foals?)

Correct. Instead of establishing a utopia, the other barn animals overthrow the pigs. Chillingly prophetic almost, especially since it was written seventy years ago. You should have seen Twilight's anger when she discovered the true ending. She admitted she liked the happy ending, but was annoyed that somepony had decided foals' emotions were too delicate for the real deal. I think Princess Celestia used it as some sort of object lesson.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): You read those books?)

They're on the Royal Guard's Recommended Reading list.

In the evening, we wound up invited over to the main Neighponese ship for yet another party, which Cadence accepted. That princess sure loved her parties. Though I found myself unsettled... I swear that same familiar pink pony again...

The next day, just before we'd arrived, the platoon and Cadence's entourage (That dozen or so additional ponies like a tennis coach and two chefs there because the nobility had insisted) were given a quick run-down on Zamunda by Cadence.

"Zamundan culture places great pride in their hospitality, so we should find ourselves very welcome. Their nation has a fairly large population of ponies, though most are pegasi. Many Zamundans speak some Equestrian, and if they don't, translators should be readily available. Oh, and before it slips my mind, does anypony have any allergies to goat's cheese? Lactose intolerance?"

Nopony raised a hoof. I think Garnet stopped Gag raising his. Useful girl.

"Good. Because the Zamundans historically were a nation of goat herders, and though their economy has diversified, they tend goats and honey badgers to this day, seeing them as cultural symbols..."

The Royal Pet Tender raised her hoof, even though Cadence didn't have pets. She'd apparently been tending to the ship's various other pets.

"Yes, Skip Jive?"

"Er, Your Highness, are these tame honey badgers?"

"For a given definition of tame..."

"Ah, if they attack you they're only playing?"

"...Yes. Though honey badgers play very rough. Now, this means that they allow honey badgers and goats to roam around the palace grounds freely. Fortunately, the Zamundans form of hospitality is rather interesting..."

She then explained that, in their tribal era, the Zamundan Zebras had a special custom where they would invite distinguished guests to their village. To honor this guest, they would build an all-new guest hut in the center of the village, for the leader and his closest family, furnished in the style of that visitor's hut. The rest of the honored guest's group would be housed amongst the villagers of equal stature (soldiers would room with soldiers, farmers with farmers, etc.)

However, when the guests left, they would ceremonially empty the hut, taking the items from within as gifts, and then burn the hut down. The burning was a symbolic gesture that said: "though we are now friends, there must always be room for more friends," clearing the site of the hut so there'd be a new one for when more guests came.

I dunno, maybe they just have a cultural love of fire. Ought to tell that story to a hotel manager someday and see how he reacts. Anyway, in the modern enlightened (as opposed to ignited) era, that meant...

"...Basically, they build temporary guest houses in their central gardens for the leaders of parties, IE me, and those of you not staying in our embassy will be invited to share rooms with locals in the palace. And when we leave, Ellis can blow up the guest house they built for us."

"There ain't no mortal problem can't be solved or made irrelevant with a dose of PEC4 explosive, Your Highness!"

"Er, yes... Just, try not to overdo it," She said, and Ellis tried to process this alien idea of 'too much explosives' as she continued.

"Are there any other questions?"

"Can we substitute fireworks for that pick-four stuff?" Twinkle Shine suggested.

"Um, no, I don't think we can. And please everypony make sure all of you have been to the medical bay for vaccinations before we arrive. Zebrafrica has a number of mosquito borne diseases that most Equestrians have no immunity to."

"Heh, heh, that only applies to Guards right?" Twinkle Shine nervously, futilely asked.

"No."

The hoofmaiden's ears drooped a bit. "I was afraid of that."

Cadence awaited more questions. None came. She broke up the meeting and said she'd see everyone in Zamunda.

Twinkle Shine laid her chin on her front hooves as the crowd began to disperse.

"You know, Princess, these summaries take away a lot of the excitement of meeting new cultures."

Minuette looked at her.

"You want us to get arrested again?"

I heard an alarmed squeak from my troopers, and quietly instructed somepony to stop Jenkins from shaking herself out of her barding again as Twinkle Shine issued her retort.

"For the last time you and Sunset both missed that 'no music numbers' sign too!"

"Oh, I just remembered something! Everypony! The Zebras of Zamunda have absolutely NO problems with singing!" Cadence said, using the Royal Canterlot Voice to ensure she was heard.

The crowd winced, but were overjoyed at the news.

It was almost a disappointment to reach Zamunda later that evening, to be honest. The flight over had actually been somewhat fun, nightmare excluded. Well, that and the vaccinations. No, I wasn't scared. Why would I be? Don't be silly... Why would I be scared of a long hollow piece of metal being jammed into me... where one errant sneeze from the nurse could mean a major artery being pierced? Or when Private Bendis decided to speak up for once just to cheerfully relate a nasty story about when he'd had an allergic reaction to a shot as a foal?

Turns out Twinkle Shine could really run when she wanted to.

But it was nice to see some land at least, as we neared the imaginatively-named Zamunda City.

(Interviewers Notes (Unicorn): How were Virgacorns treated?)

Virgacorns? Huh? Oh wait, you mean... when a zebra and a unicorn have a kid? Can't say I know... Virgacorns are very few and far between. Why?

(Interviewers Notes (Unicorn): ...Just curious.)

(Interviewers Notes (Pegasus): Just wondering if they were used as a symbol of peace like the Hippogriffs were.)

Naw. Zebra and pony herds as a general rule get along, so there isn't any bad blood to smooth over.

Compared to Liberty, or even Canterlot, Zamunda wasn't a very tall city. The tallest buildings were only about six floors high, and mostly granite and mudbrick, with a wide range of window styles. This was presumably to not block off the rather nice royal palace in the center of the city. That castle was made of white and blue stone, shining bright amongst the more muted tones of the city. It all looked rather flat, but it was actually on a gentle slope: rain would flow down towards the sea. The only parts of the city properly at sea level was the old waterfront, where a few sailing ships still floated. The airships were docking there as well now, though.

Speaking of airships, the air traffic was a bit lighter. The Zamundans let people approach from any direction. However, our own flotilla was to be greeted by the Zamundan Navy, forming a guard of honor.

Only the main ships of our flotilla were to pass, and the order of precedence had us go first thanks to our Alicorn royal, even if she, strictly speaking, wasn't an official head of state (Austneighlia regards her as one, but Equestria legally does not - it's complicated). URS Athena was behind us, and last but not least, the Neighponese Takeshi-Jo .

The Zebra air-sailors were all lined up on the decks of their airships facing towards the corridor the ships would pass through, a practice apparently called crewing the rail. A number of party cannons were being fired over our heads, and we were giving our own party cannon salutes in return too. From the outside it probably looked like a giant confetti fight. Ah!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): What?)

THAT'S where I saw that pink pony before! She came to the castle to pick up a check for the party cannons! She's their inventor! She patented the dang things!

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Oh, so THAT'S why she never runs out of money for parties...)

Cadence however, noticed something about the corridor of ships we were passing through.

"...Er, Commander Shepard, quite a lot of those Zamundan ships look like this ship."

"Oh, that's because they're the same class, Your Highness. Eight modified Invincible-class Frigates were built for Zamunda, but they call their modified versions the Equestria-class. The majority of their navy is Columbian-built though, and the largest ships they have are Destroyers. Two of the three are here to greet us. In fact, you're looking at about two thirds of their navy," Hornblower explained.

Landing was much quicker here. No Hooviets in the way, no traffic jam. A small convoy of Zamundan Royal Carriages, escorted by Zamundan Regal Army outriders in red and brown armor, were lined up to take us up to the palace. A red carpet stretched from the gangplank to the waiting carriages.

Cadence was greeted by an officer in ornate white amour, with rainbow-colored feathers for a crest, when she walked down the gangplank. Thunderchild and I flanked her, with Gag bringing up the rear just in case a translator was needed. He bowed to our Princess and placed a golden envelope on the red carpet before him. Eight Zebra maids waited with baskets of rose petals, to be scattered under the hooves of royals as they walked by.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Rose petals? What a waste of good food...)

I should clarify, they were paper, and specially-made. Oh, and since, in theory, only Cadence would walk upon these specially-made paper petals, they became quite valuable to collectors, especially since this was her first visit to the country.

Anyway, the zebra officer spoke.

"Greetings, Your Highness. I am Major Oha, of his Zaumundic Majesty King Joffe's Regal Army, in whose name I welcome you to the Kingdom of Zamunda. I extend his heartfelt greetings, and thanks for your attendance at his son's wedding, and extend an invite from His Majesty's Hoof that you shall reside in his humble home as his guest during your stay in our fair country. He presents you these rose bearers that you may follow our custom of walking on a bed of rose petals as long as your hooves are upon our royal soil, and furthermore presents my services as your guide and liaison while you are visiting our fair country."

"Thank you, Major. I humbly accept these kind and generous offers from His Majesty and offer my thanks for this gracious greeting."

She gave a bow herself, and picking the envelope up with her mouth. A nice touch, I thought, to do as much as possible the way the Zebra would.

"Please, follow me..." Oha said, leading the party down the red carpet. His cutie mark appeared to be a shield, funnily enough, but Zebra cutie marks resemble ink drawings, and of course, it was of an oval zebra-style shield, not an Equestrian kite-shaped shield like mine. Not sure how special talents work with Zebras.

Me, Thunderchild, Gag, Cadence, the Hoofmaidens, and Oha went into one of the carriages, or rather, five of us went inside and the three pegasi decided to fly alongside us to stretch their wings. A few Air Naval Cavalry Zebras were outside 'guarding' our ship's gangplank now though, as the rest of the party and platoon walked down to fill (or fly beside) the other carriages.

There were a few less carriages on the streets compared to even Canterlot, and a heck of a lot more hoof traffic. Zebras were everywhere as we drove past, most of them only giving us odd glances, but keeping the rather wide main road clear for us. Oha explained a little about the marketplaces we passed, pointed out landmarks, answered a few queries from the Hoofmaidens, and got very confused when Gag accidentally spoke to him in Zamundan, and only realized it halfway through his reply in Equestrian.

"Your accent and grammar is almost perfect, Private. Is this your special talent?"

"Er, yes, sir. Can't really explain why, but I just seem to be able to understand a language and make myself understood after hearing it a few times, even if I haven't heard the whole language, and I've met a few Zamundans before."

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Huh, kind of like Fluttershy's talent with animals. She'd never seen any ground animals before in her life but she could talk with them right away.)

Perhaps, but Gag freely admits understanding sapient beings is actually a lot simpler. Unlike Fluttershy, Gag can't understand animals except a few cat phrases: One swipe is go away, two swipes is go away now, and attacking him in a ball of fur and spitting indicates that the cat would much prefer a world without him in it. Yet the idiot insists on saying hello to almost every cat he meets.

Anyway, we soon arrived at the palace. Cadence was shown her guest house, right in the middle of the central gardens alongside the other guest houses. It was basically just a number of prefabricated rooms, with a straw hut appearance. There were four rooms: Master bedroom for Cadence, bedroom for the three hoofmaidens, and then two more. The one supposedly for me had a double bed. The fourth one, a single bed. We wondered why, Oha had also been confused. A quick radio call and a Griffin in local uniform showed up with some records a few moments later. Strangely, the Griffin apparently didn't even speak a word of Equestrian.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Heh, guess his family went native.)

"This is strange. It seems the workers furnishing the room were under the belief you were married, Major," Oha said, as puzzled as us.

"That's quite a mix-up. I'm single and a Captain. Why is there a fourth room?" I said, wondering if maybe there could have been some Hooviet scheme in play for one brief second of paranoia.

The griffin turned the page for Oha. The Zebra frowned.

"...I think somehow records for another guest may have been mixed up with yours. This is the right guest house for your party, but it seems we expected the Guard Commander to have a daughter. No name is listed though."

I sighed. "Maybe a records error from Canterlot."

The griffin then spoke again. Oha nodded, a few more pages were turned, and then they both spoke for a few moments before Oha spoke to me.

"We thought perhaps there could have been confusion with the Grand Fenwickian delegation. Their Commander's name is Sharkle, and she is a Major..."

"Ah. Hang on, did you just say Sharkle?"

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): No way.)

Yes way. Her name was Major Dawn Sharkle. Unluckily, she was a former member of the Fenwickian Royal Marines elite Special High Altitude Reconnaissance Command, meaning that she was, technically, a shark after all. Well, a SHARC.

"...Well, since we have one room too many, maybe we could use our extra room for our guards, Major Oha. No big deal."

I thanked both of them for their help and they left.

The dinner was rather unexciting from my point of view. Fairly standard semi-informal state dinner, really. The center of attention was the Crown Prince, of course, since it was his wedding in two days everyone was nominally here for. There were quite a lot of military dress uniforms at the table, but the Zamundan royals were not among them.

The bride to be was also present, since the Zebra do not follow the tradition the future couple should not see each other the night before the ceremony as it's bad luck. Or is it just bad luck to see them in their wedding clothes before then? Drat, knew I should have paid attention instead of playing hide and seek with the other foals at Auntie Nightsky's wedding. Look, important bit is, the bride was there.

When we returned, the beds had only just began to be sorted, so I decided to take a short walk before I went back to change out of my Dress Uniform. Mactavish and Dunn had been brought along to help remodel our spare room, so a third unicorn would probably just get in the way.

And then I heard an irate growl behind me. I was reminded of what Reznov had said. Tens of meters... How far had I walked away from Cadence without thinking?

"...Please just be a honey badger."

I turned slowly. It was.

"Oh, Goddesses... You had me scared there for a second," I said to it.

Then it hit me. Literally. The little bastard just jumped at me.

"OH GODDESSES!" I almost-screamed, throwing a shield up in time before it could get to its feet and leap at me again.

The bemused badger bounced off, looked at me as if I had cheated, and walked off. Thank goodness I didn't scare it and it as just playing.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Why?)

That white strip down their backs is not for show. Ask the Fenwickians...

I decided to make my way back, keeping the shield up a few moments just in case. I was then puzzled to see what looked like a tank getting the double bed loaded into it.

"...Thunderchild? Why is there a tank here?"

"Oh, the Zamundans say it's easier than carrying the double bed back to the palace stores, especially with the honey badgers."

I blinked.

"...They need a tank for that and they still let the honey badgers have free rein of the gardens? Tradition or not I think they need to rethink it a bit..."

One of the Zebra that was loading the bed into the vehicle grunted something.

"He says he agrees, Sir. But, er, I won't quite repeat the Equestrian translation of what he said about them... Oh, he also said this is actually a troop carrier, not a tank, but he sees why you said that," Gag reported.

It had tracks and armor. That was a tank to me back then.

Eventually, the troop... bed carrier drove off.

"Well, Sir, we'd best get back to our rooms. Not quite sure where we're actually barracked..." Mactavish noted.

"Be careful for honey badgers!" I reminded Gag.

"Oh, come on, Sir, there's no need to worry. Soap was going to put up a shield spell and I was going to fly at head height, so the only way they'd get us is if they attacked now - AAAAARGH!"

I winced, even as I helped Mactavish and Dunn to telekinetically pull the cat off.

"What's the trouble? Is somepony hurt?" Minuette said as she dashed outside.

"Gag just had another cat incident, ma'am."

"Oh, not again..."

"Mactavish, make sure he goes to see Private Chambers, Get those cuts checked and cleaned out properly," I sighed, as Gag went 'ow' a lot.

"Yes sir," The Caledonian Lance-Corporal replied.

"Um, Captain, I do have medical spells, I could check him..."

"Private Chambers has the medikit though, but thanks for offering."

She seemed a little disappointed at that.

We watched them go. We also watched a honey badger bropaw the cat, and since no one would ever believe us, did not actually discuss it. Cadence soon popped her head out to wonder what was up. I explained that instead, leaving out the badger-cat alliance.

"...In fairness, I warned them about the badgers. And he was kinda tempting Fate."

"Strange name for a cat," Cadence noted.

"That's what it says on her collar," Thunderchild backed me up.

"Anyway, Minuette, Gentlecolts, the night's still young and we're a bit bored, so does anypony want to join us for a game of Whisk."

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): The turn-based game where you try to have baking franchises in control of the whole map?)

That's the one.

"Uh, I think, Your Highness, I'm just going to try read that book I borrowed, if that's okay,"

"That's fine, Minny. What about you three?"

"Technically, Thunderchild and Ellis are on duty, but I suppose if you played in the room they're in, it'd be acceptable," I noted.

"Uh, sorry, Your Highness, but ah'm afraid ah'd have to sit out. Ah don't have much fun playin' Whisk, to be honest..." Ellis said.

"Audience isn't here for once," I reminded him.

"...Well, okay."

This was a horrendous mistake, because I'd forgotten the reason Ellis disliked playing against Audience was the two of them always managed to grind into a long stalemate when we play the more elaborate military training version. This meant he turned out to be unsurprisingly skilled at the simplified version. Still, it meant I could start reading my book now I'd been wiped out.

Unfortunately, Minuette had decided to stay in the room with the Princess and the Hoofmaidens, and it was her record she'd bought in Columbia that was playing on the turntable...

"There's a black dog on my shoulder again..."

I tried not to be too obvious when I winced and put a shield around my ears, but Cadence must have noticed. She was looking at me and her mouth was moving.

"...What?"

She pointed at her ears, reminding me I'd blocked mine off from the unwanted music.

"I said, do you want Minuette to skip this one? You don't seem to like it."

"Um, no, it's fine..."

"You do look pretty unsettled, Sir."

"It's no problem, Captain, I don't really like this track myself that much," Minuette admitted, skipping to the next song.

"You lift my spirit, take me higher, make me fly, touch the moon up in the sky, when you are mine..."

"Okay, so, it has nothin' to do with the Mare in the Moon in Manechester?" Ellis said, honestly puzzled.

"No, Lance-Corporal. What you call Nightmare Night, we call Winterstart. And we don't dress up to hide from Nightmare Moon, we do it so the Windigoes don't see any ponies, and leave the world alone. But because they came, winter still comes."

"In Yokeshire and Detrot they just set fire to things. It's why the flamethrower was invented," Audience interjected.

"Yeah, but judging by Captain Sharpe, setting fire to things isn't anything special in Yokeshire," I decided to say.

It was Nightmare Night, and we'd found a great way to stop our new recruit from unleashing bad jokes on us, with the happy side effect of encouraging Ellis to listen to our stories for once. Knew I loved this night for a reason other than the fact it was a great excuse to load out on candy. Sadly, no candy for us tonight as we'd been put on backup duty for the castle patrols, in the base of the Lunar Tower.

"Hypothetical question. If you were dressing up in a costume tonight, what would you dress up as?" Thunderchild tried.

"A Guardspony," Three voices said together in alarmingly unplanned harmony.

"Maney Gibbs Junior," Ellis said, oblivious to what the rest of us had been up to.

"Okay, being serious I suppose I'd have dressed up as... Princess Celestia!" I blurted and stood up.

Everypony but Ellis actually realized what I was REALLY saying.

"Uh, that's kind of a weird costume for..."

He realized we had all stood up and bowed, then he turned and was face-to-face with Her.

"Your Highness! M-may I ask what we owe the honor to?" I said quickly.

Gag and Ellis both seemed startled to the point of freezing in fear. Thunderchild and Audience both stood to attention too, but remembered they needed to breathe.

"Oh, I often come to this tower on Nightmare Night. I find it gives the best view of the moon. Shining Armor, if at all possible I would prefer to be alone at the top of the tower this evening." She said, seeming a little wistful. "If anypony comes for me can you have them wait? I don't usually stay up there too long..."

"Certainly, Your Highness."

"Thank you, Lieutenant Sparkle" she said, and with that, began to ascend the tower.

"Ellis, Running, remember to breathe," I warned them as soon as the Princess was gone.

They both did so. Thunderchild chuckled.

"Last time I saw somepony as freaked out as you two were was this time last year. Remember that, Lieutenant? When we were in STARS, the arrest warrant for suspected unlicensed alchemy we served?"

I frowned. "...In... I don't remember that at all, Thunderchild, what do you..."

Waking up suddenly in your bed can be disorientating. Waking up staring into a bathroom mirror is extremely disorientating.

All I could tell was I'd been up, but not awake, and had managed to turn the tap on to get a drink. And that my heart was pounding like I'd just had a serious fright. But all I recalled was confusion, and that dream. It was four in the morning.

I tried to go back to sleep, but after another half an hour realized I was wasting time trying, so I just read until my alarm went off.

After a cautious and somewhat slower-paced morning run to account for the fact the princess and the hoofmaidens were with us, and letting the pegasi stretch their wings with some short flights, we got on with the day. A day which consisted of Cadence meeting with other diplomats, clarifying what would be our places and roles at tomorrow's wedding celebration, and shortly after lunch, being invited to see a practice by a troupe of pegasus acrobats from Bitaly.

It was rather impressive, to be honest: The main draw of it was to have pegasi performing trapeze dances and other high-altitude stunts, with no nets and their wings closed during the tricks.

Of course, the safety element was obvious in many tricks: if they fumbled, they simply opened their wings. But given the display was meant to be 'flying without wings' they tried not to. Even without their wings, pegasi were amazing acrobats.

Even though we sat with some Zamundan officials who had ordered this performance, and a few other diplomats, Sunset was curiously the best-informed about it all. I discovered why when a performer came in with a number of thunderclouds above, and they set up obstacles on the ground.

"See, this one is one of the most dangerous tricks. When I was with the circus..."

"Wait, you were with the circus?" Private Running Parrot asked.

(Interviewer's Notes: (Unicorn): Who's Running Parrot?)

Running Gag! Sheesh, it wasn't that bad a joke, was it?

(Interviewer's Notes: (Unicorn): Sorry, you and Shepard just have a VERY large number of troops under your command, and-)

Moving on!

"Yeah, I used to be with the circus until I was seventeen, my parents are both acrobats. Aerialist stunts aren't so common in Equestria these days though, everypony seems to prefer flight acrobatic teams like the Wonderbolts.

Minuette and Twinkle Shine gave her a quick hug, I'm guessing she had to move away from a circus life for less than happy reasons. She'd said 'are' about her parents, not 'were', thank goodness.

Sunset explained, Circuses had suffered declining attendances. Performances could be repeated, but each performer did it a special way, and often had a signature trick. Young acrobats would perform supporting roles, and work on their own tricks. But the problem was how audiences were drawn in. A hoofball team, or a racing team, they could have their competition results spread far and wide. Ponies would come see them and keep seeing them much easier, because an attachment to a team was easier. But with the unique tricks, that meant that each circus was different - and yet every night the same.

The Wonderbolts could draw ponies in to see their racing heroes. Marsenal could have loyal followers through winning trophies. But Sunset found herself in a strange place. She was the daughter of two talented acrobats. She had inherited both their unique tricks, and they had planned she would be a supporting performer until they were to retire, and she would replace them both.

But the declining audiences meant less junior acrobats could be kept on. It cost too much. And because the others could use their unique tricks without replacing or duplicating somepony else, they could fight better to keep or earn new places with them. And Sunset simply couldn't let her parents retire so early. So she had to leave the only life she'd known, because she'd loved her parents too much to make them give it all up for her there and then. And since her special tricks were inherited, that meant she couldn't go perform them for another troupe, and yet, developing her own in another troupe would be difficult. Either she would betray her parents by abandoning what they gave her or betray her new troupe by taking the trick she'd developed with them to another circus.

"So what about this trick?" I said quickly.

"Oh, the Thunderdome. What happens is, one flyer up top is bouncing from cloud to cloud with their wings closed..."

"Wings closed? But you need your wings open to be able to control the lightning properly..." Thunderchild noted.

"Yeah, exactly, Sergeant. You bounce and the lighting goes downwards, towards the metal poles below if you're controlling it properly. Meanwhile, the second flyer is trying to run the obstacle course below while flying. And they have to fly between arcs of lightning at points. Once it's hit metal you can't control it. Even if you can control it, a lightning strike can disrupt your flying."

"Touch a bolt and you crash. The setup looks like the metal causes predictable arcs, but those are some pretty tight tolerances between them. And the static buildup..."

"That's why it's a trick, Sergeant. And I bet you thought the Wonderbolts running a thunder gauntlet was impressive."

The two air acrobats had begun. A grey pegasus swooped around the ground below, as a yellow one bounced from cloud to cloud. It seemed that the one doing the bouncing had to pay attention to where their partner was as well as not hit the wrong cloud. They seemed to be doing quite well until the grey one just brushed a metal pole with his wing: barely just a touch, but there was a bright flash and he flew out of control.

Everypony winced, and the one up top burst her clouds and dived down. The dazed performer's wing was held limply at his side.

"Garnet, Minuette, see if you can lend a hoof. Gag, go translate if they need it," Cadence instructed.

Long story short, the leader of the troupe seemed to be in despair as one of his key performances was now in jeopardy. No one else in their troupe had good low-level flying skills, the injured pony was out for at least three days, and the group of Zamundans he spoke to seemed very upset at this. Conveniently, it seemed that the Italiponian pony and the Zamundan Zebra's only common language was ours.

"But this is the Crown Prince's favorite display! It is the very reason he desired an air acrobatic performance..."

"U-um... Maybe I could help? I used to be in a circus..." Sunset spoke up.

Pretty much all of us reacted with surprise and horror at this. The Ringmaster took one look at her, and I had quietly hoped he'd dismiss it. But he did not.

"Your cutie mark... Your talent is low-level flight?"

"Sunny, didn't you just see what happened?!" Twinkle Shine squeaked.

"It is," The hoofmaiden replied, ignoring her friend.

"Have you ever performed this trick before?"

"Yes, but only practice, I never got a chance to perform it in front of crowds before I had to leave..."

"Which circus?"

"R-ringwing Sisters."

His eyes widened. "Ringwing Sisters? If this is true, perhaps you may do. Please come down in five minutes once we have made sure the course is set correctly."

With that, the troupe leader went away.

"Sunset, are you really sure you want to do this?" Cadence said, before Twinkle Shine could make some other protest.

"I can do this, Princess. If we can make sure that the Zamundan Prince has a good day tomorrow, then that helps us do what we're here to do, right?"

"But you could get hurt!" Minuette added her two Zamundan Cents.

"It's been a while since you did anything like this!" Twinkle Shine noted.

"I can do this! Please, just let me try and show everypony I can do this, Princess. I promise if I feel like I can't, I'll say. I just want to try," she said.

"...All right. But if the ringmaster says no, don't press it."

Sunset nodded, and dashed off before her two friends could protest. A few moments later, we all watched somewhat nervously as she began practicing.

And a few moments after that, we were all staring stunned. The Bitalian troupe had all burst into applause.

"She really is from the circus..." Twinkle Shine gawked.

Fortunately, the low-altitude flyer was a support performer, but this also meant Sunset had to practice a few other, less risky, tricks too. She knew them all already though. It meant we had to leave her behind, and Cadence decided to leave her some guards too - Gag to translate (we had Major Oha for the moment) and Ranger since he got on well with her and Gag. That was her official reasoning...

"Maybe I could stay as well, Your Highness? Just in case they need a little extra medical aid..." Garnet offered.

"They've got medics here, Private. And besides, Sunset seems confident enough in her own skills," I declined.

"...Yes, Sir," She said, looking a little down.

I assumed at the time it was because she'd thought this was a place she may have had to put her talents to use.

Evening ensued, and we basically spent the whole time making sure all dresses, barding, uniforms, ponies, griffins, and zebras were well-polished for our attendance at tomorrow's wedding.

I suppose you'll want a description of the wedding ceremony then? I'll confess I'm not a big fan of weddings if I'm honest. I'm not bored witless, but generally, I just don't really enjoy them much. Y-chromosomes, eh?

Anyway... All of the guests waited at a place called the Temple of Kings and Ancestors, which was a place designed to commemorate and revere, well, the spirits of kings and ancestors. It sat at one end of the Royal Palace, and meanwhile the bride and groom were to approach from two different directions. As part of it, the groom was accompanied by the servants and bodyguards of his bride to be (in this case, including a group of Columbian Army troopers because she was from there), whilst the Prince's personal regiment and servants escorted his princess-to-be. That confused me at first until I recalled that this was Zamunda, and Prince Akeem was the Crown Prince. Anyone marrying a prince or princess in Equestria actually becomes a duchess or duke, not a prince or princess themselves. A lot of ponies forget that. I don't.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Hmm, wonder why...)

Because you look daft calling a Duke a Prince of course. Though I admit it can be confusing considering how many ponies just declare themselves prince and princesses, Cadence is the only one Celestia herself ever appointed. Anyway, so, the approach of each royal party was conducted as a gentle procession, each of them sitting in a rather unusual half-carriage. They sat facing outwards, their riders pushing from behind. The intention? The two carts would be pushed onto a platform, the pair would reunite, and enter the temple, with a guard of honor now formed on the red carpet (yes, there were rose bearers). I have to admit I kind of liked that gesture, it seemed a bit more likeable than one of the pair having to wait inside.

The rest of it was a true ceremony. The pair avowed their love for each other, challenging ancestors to approve the marriage with inaction. Naturally, none objected. One ceremonial objection was made: The King challenging his son with three questions. Is this mare of royal posture (as in, makes the cut to become a member of the family?) Is this mare the mare you love? And would you defy the spirits and your king if they were to deny you her hoof in marriage?

Yes to all three was the idea. The latter one confirming the gesture that from that day forward, his first loyalty was now to his wife and to his future. Seemed a kind of strange gesture to me, but noon came, and the pair became married by a kiss held for a whole minute. The ceremony concluded with the high priest asking if their futures would honor their ancestors and give pride to their future descendants. Yes again.

And that was it. They were now Crown Prince Akeem and his Princess Asil. Cue our first involvement: all other royals present were now supposed to join in behind the newlyweds in a procession back to the palace proper for the reception. The whole way we were flanked by Zamundan Regal Army badger-handlers, but it seemed the badgers loved a good wedding. Presumably they would just eat any passed out drunken guests later on in the evening. Or maybe they got a bit of the cake, I don't know. I mean, it was Goat's Cheese and Honey...

The first part was the show. Various folk singers, and the circus act. Sunset nailed her part in it - Equestrian talents on show! The Crown Prince was delighted by it, as were much of the crowd. He would thank her and Cadence for it with his speech later.

Next, there was dinner. That cake wasn't bad, by the way, but bananas and peaches seemed to be a popular addition to almost everything. Ellis unsurprisingly recognized the apples as being Austneighlian, but this was fine with him as they seemed to be from the branch of the Apple clan that lives there. Just how far had that family spread anyway?

It was organized into layers in a way, the party that is, though the cake was layered as well to an extent. The Zamundan Royals sat at the middle of it all, and the other royals floated near them, chatting in groups. Other heads of state and ambassadors floated around. Beyond that, the other VIPs and guests. Meanwhile at the edges, the military and economist types chatting about non-wedding related stuff.

Then came speeches, in which various other princes praised the new couple, and the King formally granted titles onto his son and new daughter in law. And then the dancing began. The first dance at a Zamundan royal wedding was a little off from what Equestrians may expect: It saw the mother of the new princess dance with the prince, and the King dance with his daughter in law before passing them off to dance with each other, while the parents then began dancing themselves and opened it to other married couples.

"So, having fun, Ladies and Gentlecolts?" Cadence asked.

"Well, I've been to less interesting weddings," I admitted, then frowned as I thought I saw a flash of pink in the crowd waiting at the edges.

"Probably when you were a colt. I've always liked weddings. Most fillies do, don't we, girls?"

Garnet and the Hoofmaidens nodded. Well, minus Sunset: this was the next party, and therefore, she and Ranger were now on their date. Even if both were technically working. Not a bad arrangement, get paid to have a date with each other and go to a party.

"Fillies usually only like weddings because they can pinch ideas for their own. Not that some colts are much better, to be honest," Audience added.

"Can't say I really give weddings much thought myself," I decided to say.

"That's because you're boring. Lots of little fillies and plenty of colts like to imagine what their own weddings will be like. Surely you gave it some consideration?" Minuette teased.

"...Well, when I was five I kind of assumed I'd marry a princess..."

The three hoofmaidens perked up.

"...But as far as I could tell that was generally what happened when a knight slays a dragon. And then I realized, if a knight were to slay multiple dragons, he'd either need to pick only one princess, get arrested for bigamy, or not get married at all and just go around slaying dragons, annoying other knights because none of them could get married."

There was silence.

"I over-thought things a lot when I was five, okay?"

"It is genetic..." Cadence said in something of a stage whisper.

"Er, yes, Sir, and besides, that idea would be rather impractical today," Thunderchild noted.

"Yes. Standard way to kill a Dragon these days is artillery. What happens then, does the whole regiment that survives the battle get to marry a princess? What if some of the gunners are mares? Do they get princes? Or does everypony just get upgraded and they can marry each other? What if they were..."

"Shining, you're acting like you're five," Cadence cut me off.

"Shutting up now."

"Hey, they're about to open the dance floor to everyone, not just ponies who are already married! Princess, why don't you and the Captain dance?" Twinkle Shine then said.

"...Because that's horrendously inappropriate? The protocol is the Princess dances with the senior NCO first, the idea being the senior officer oversees it to ensure the area is safe for dancing," I explained.

"...What?" The trio said, puzzled.

"It's true. A few hundred years ago, the officer commanding a bodyguard detail was invited to dance with a princess, and the pair very nearly slipped on a banana peel. If the officer hadn't noticed it and picked it up, there could have been a problem. Ever since then, the NCO has danced first, the officer on guard for banana peels," Audience explained.

"You just made that up, didn't you? Garnet, they made that up, didn't they?"

"Um... No. It's true."

Those rules would soon be joined by 'princesses must learn the proper use of modern household appliances' thanks to Princess Luna.

"Oh, well, since you three seem to want me to make a fool of myself with my dreadful dancing I suppose there's no choice. Come along, Sergeant."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"I'll keep watch!" I said.

The two hoofmaidens looked on in dismay.

"Cheer up, ladies, it's an open dance, and there's three gentlecolts to pick for partners right here. Or there's always each other, this is just a dance that could be between friends and colleagues, after all..." Garnet pointed out as I was leaving to follow the Princess.

Yes, I did have a dance with the Princess, but only one, and then she had dances with a few other royals. The Neighponese princess even managed to convince her to swap bodyguards for a dance, which was rather worrying because I was fairly sure the samurai was the jealous type. Thankfully, she wasn't around long. She had lots of other royals to anno... party with. Though for one moment I swore I saw that elusive pink pony again, chatting with her...

The hoofmaidens all seemed a bit downtrodden except for Sunset as we went back to our quarters. They were happy enough for her since she'd had an exceptionally good day, and her now-officially-coltfriend was walking along with us. Well, so was the whole platoon, actually, we'd all been there.

"You know, Thunderchild, you're actually a pretty good dancer," Cadence spoke up.

"Well, I used to work private weather for the Orange family in Manehattan. They taught me to dance for a party once. As you probably guessed from your dance with the Captain, it's not something we get trained to do..."

"Hey, I'm the first to admit I'm a terrible dancer," I replied.

"You weren't that bad. Not all that great but not that bad. We can fix that, we've got nearly two years..."

"We might need more than that," I warned.

We soon reached our quarters. Tonight's guard detail to stand in the spare room was to be Griffen and Marelowe this evening, but the platoon assembled for a final inspection and for the princess to speak to them.

"Well, Ladies and Gentlecolts, tomorrow we're back working diplomatically again. No more parties for at least a week. Hope none of you have bad hangovers!" She joked.

"If anypony has one, I'm sure we can just steal Mactavish's supply of Ferrous Elixir. He's Caledonian, he'll have a stash somewhere," Garnet noted.

"Hooves off, it's mine!" A voice said from within the assembled platoon.

"Yes, yes, I don't think we need to resort to stealing energy drinks from unfortunate Lance-Corporals quite yet, Private Chambers. Anyway, good night and see you all in the morning."

The platoon saluted, and then broke off to return to their quarters.

"You know, I'm really looking forward to this. A whole continent to visit, so many different cultures and traditions, all in the company of friends and with new friends to make on the way. It's a pretty exciting prospect, yes?" Cadence said to us that remained.

"...Well, putting it that way, it's hard not to feel anticipation for it all, is it?"

She just nodded. "Good night, Shining."

And with that, she and the hoofmaidens retired for the evening. I was making my way in when I noted Marelowe seemed apprehensive.

"Lance-Corporal? Something the matter?"

"...Well, Sir, it's just... We're visiting Kundu last, aren't we?"

I nodded.

"Yeah. Look, probably best not to dwell too much on it, Marelowe. To be honest that whole half of Zebrafrica is probably going to be a bit awkward, but I didn't want to spoil the good mood pointing it out."

"The Hooviet half," Griffen noted.

"Yeah. Not to mention we think there's the wreck of an Equestrian ship to find somewhere around there too. We'll cross these bridges as we come to them."

The two nodded.

"Yes, Sir."

"Good night, troopers."

And with that I retired to my own bed, trying to look forward to the continent rather than dreading the tail end of it all. Besides, maybe it wouldn't be so bad, I thought, once we did get to that side of it....

Episode 108: (Dark World?) Fading Future "First Cycle"

A Fading Future
By Kendell2
My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic
Fanfiction
Pony POV Series Dark World

"Oh Twilight Tragedy, you've failed me?" asked Discord, in that sickening false compassionate tone he likes to as he set on his throne. "Tisk, tisk, tisk, how disappointing of you."

"I... I'm sorry, master. An older pony was there, they knew you'd send me and had a trap set. I managed to "erase" that one, sir, but I had to retreat for the time being. They laughed and said you must be slipping, letting your second-in-command walk into a trap so easily," I reply, looking up at him, bruises covering my face and upper body. I have a pleading, miserable, fearful look in my eyes, like beaten dog expecting to be punished.

Discord gets furious, glaring straight down at me, his normal silliness vanishing in an instant. "Oh did they?! Well, I think it's time those precious little fillies get a visit from their master! I'll punish you when I return. And do get that dragon ready for my next ride, I have a feeling I'll have a few corpses to parade around my kingdom!" he growled, disappearing in a flash of light.

I smirk as he goes, standing up tall and wiping the blood from my mouth. Watching Liarjack for so long has made me a pretty crafty liar myself.

"Yah sure yah want me to do this, Twilight?" asked Apple Pie, the little filly staring up at me, fear in her eyes.

I nod quickly, a determination in my eyes that I had to be very careful to hide from my "master". " Yes, don't worry. I'm immortal, you can't kill me that easily, just give me everything you've got, for this to work, Discord really has to think you kicked my flanks. Don't hold back one bit!"

Apple Pie nodded with a sad sigh. "Alright, hold still... " she muttered, before turning around, taking aim with her hind legs right at my face.

Apple Pie is definitely an Apple, even if the Sweet Apple Acres is now who knows what (that changes from day to day, last I checked, it was covered in snow and on fire at the same time).

My name is Twilight Tragedy, at least that's what "Master" Discord calls me. Oh, I remember when I called him Master and believed I meant it for real, he thinks I still do. I don't know how long we've lived in this rotten dystopia of his, it's easy to lose track of time when you're immortal. But given how long it's been, it was only a matter of time until the old man slipped up and one of us got free without his knowing.

I walk down around my room, Master is out taking a ride on Spike, nothing for me to do but read up on the latest black magic he wants me to try out. As I lift up the book, something catches my eyes, a little scroll, shoved in between the desk and my bed. For some reason I feel like it's calling out to me...

My horn lights up, so does the paper as I telekinetically pull it from it's hiding place. Unrolling it, I instantly notice something. It's my writing, but I don't remember writing it... Then I read what's written on it.

"Friendship Is Magic... "

Friendship is Magic? But... Tragedy is magic, that's what the master has always told me... But why don't I remember writing this? Its my writing, I had to have wrote this... Maybe the master is playing a game with me... But then why... why does it seem so familiar? Why does it sound so right?

I head into my room, opening an old book I found in the "master's" personal collection. He gives me access to it, having his personal assassin up to snuff on all the deadliest spells is useful... And being immortal, seeing me mess up on them was a favorite pass time of his. And now, he's going to regret it... That's not the only thing he's going to regret...

I walk down the hall. Friendship is magic? Why... why does that just click? Why do I feel like it's important? Why do I feel like... like it's right? I can't ask the master, I know that... why do I know that? What's going on?

I see a dull orange Earth Pony walking past me. A thought comes to my mind. "Liarjack," I call, getting her to turn to face me.

"Yeah, Twilight?" she asked, looking at me.

"Tragedy is magic, right?" I ask, innocently as possible.

"Why of course it is, Twilight, no doubt about it!"

Funny thing about Liarjack... she lies, and even I knew it.

I know Apple Pie and her friends won't be able to hide from him, I feel a pang of guilt in my heart, but I know that if this succeeds, their sacrifice won't be in vain, I can't LET it be in vain.

I get out a clock and a calendar, as well as all of the ingredients I would need. The irony of the fact this all is going to end the same way I began it doesn't escape me. I'm just sending another message to myself...

I look over the letter once more, master is busy "rearranging" the glass menagerie that used to be Manehatten into a giant board game, which he then intends to play.

"What does it mean?" I whisper. My head feels like it's burning, like something is trying to break out inside my brain. I was curious originally... But first I asked Liarjack about that, and her answer just confirmed my suspicions that SOMETHING was up... Now I can't think of anything else...

"If I sent myself this letter... somehow... I wonder if... " I write a letter of my own.

"Friendship is Magic? What does that mean?"

I slide the letter back where I found the first one, putting a darker ribbon on it to identify it as different, just in case.

A few weeks later, I find a different colored ribbon on it...

And so it continued that way... Until I could remember it... I could remember everything...

Time magic is a tricky, risky thing, you know. If the times weren't so dire, I'd never do this, but it's not like there's a possible future WORSE that this one. Summoning as much power as I have, I concentrate on sending my thoughts back into time, another message to myself. At the one moment in time it'll matter the most.

Maybe once the world stops being kind, maybe when the world stops being playful, maybe that's when we stop too.

With Applejack -the first of my friends I formally made in Ponyville- still next to me, I look at the part of the sky Rainbow Dash flew away towards. Why did she leave us? She wouldn't without a reason. I know whatever it was it had to be important. Maybe loyalties only last until something bigger comes along. So much for the ponytail of the loyal Samurai.

Maybe friendship only lasts until the world applies just the right pressure. Is this the truth Applejack didn't want me to see?

"Friendship report 25; Pinkie Pie learned that she should always expect the best from her friends, and never assume the worst."

I give a blink of confusion. Where did that thought come from? Or... was it just a memory?... I remember... That was the day that Pinkie Pie almost went insane because she assumed we'd all abandoned her, when all we were just unable to tell her what we were really doing... I look back up as Rainbow Dash flies off... Am I doing the same? Am I just assuming the worst? Maybe she knows something I don't, just like we knew we were throwing Pinkie a surprise party and she didn't...

I look to Applejack. Just because she's been lying all this time, doesn't mean I shouldn't think this is one. She told the truth about Rainbow flying away...

Before I can sort things out, the maze walls begin to crash down around us, vanish.

The effect is immediate, new memories rush into my mind, ones that weren't there before. A sudden "epiphany" about not thinking the worst of my friends, restoring my hope just before I lost it. Calling Discord out on cheating... Him showing me my mistake, the Elements weren't in the maze. I begin to lose hope again, it's not enough. I concentrate again, powering up the spell once more.

I... I was wrong... Whatever happened to my friends... All this is... It's my fault... I-

"Wait, he doesn't play fair... If he doesn't play fair, then why should I think he ever wanted to? Even if I'd chosen right, he'd just have done whatever he did no matter where we went."

I... That's right! Discord is a cheater! It didn't matter which choice I made, there WAS no right one!... But what does it matter then? No matter what I do-

"A cheater can still be beaten. As long as I have hope, I can't give up, I can't quit just because it seems too hard. Did Fluttershy back down when that dragon was on the rampage? Did Rainbow Dash stop when she saw how far Rarity was from her during that fall? No! So what gives me the right to quit now?! If I give up now, Discord win!"

Where are all these ideas coming from?... They're right though... If I give up now, Discord DOES win. If I keep trying, he MIGHT win... And all of Equestria is counting on me... I can't afford to give up now!

More new memories, rushing to Ponyville. There they are! The Elements!... But they don't work... No, I'm giving up again!... But wait, what's this? Memories of letters rushing to me from Celestia, my own friendship letters. I see my own darkness be washed away. I see myself pinning my friends down one by one and restoring their memories, them to their old selves. I smile as one glorious memory enters my mind. The look of shock on the "master's" face as he's beaten...

I use another new spell I know on the mirror before me, causing it to distort and change to show me events happening elsewhere.

I see Discord... surrounded by dozens of maimed, dead, and dying ponies, many of which aren't even recognizable anymore... My new friends... I let the rage rise inside of me, feed the one thing I have left to do.

Discord laughs that stupid laugh of his, Apple Pie's throat firmly in his lion paw. "I've enjoyed this game, but I'm afraid it's time for it to end," he said, smirking and then scratching his chin. "Now what should I do to the little ring leader?" he asked, looking thoughtful. "Ah, I know, I think I'll-" Discord screamed as Apple Pie bit down on his paw, causing him to drop the little filly. "You little brat! You actually bit me!"

"Ah ain't goin' down without a fight!" exclaimed the little filly, jumping at Discord and attempting to buck him in the face. Discord just teleports behind her and whips her away with his tail.

"Aww, how cute! You actually think you can fight me," stated Discord with a chuckle. "That hasn't worked well for anyone else, are you certain that's a game you want to play?"

"Mimic did a pretty good job, that's why you're missin' a tooth, ain't it?"

Discord's eyes went wide. "How do you know about that?!" he exclaimed, taken off guard at the mention of the only pony to ever successfully hurt him... Well, the FIRST to do so.
Apple Pie leapt up while Discord was distracted and bucked him right in the face. Stunned by the kick, Discord was left open to another kick to the face. Funny thing about not feeling pain a lot, it hurts a LOT more when you finally do get hurt.

Apple Pie goes for a third kick, but Discord finally teleports out of the way. "Alright, now you're just getting annoying," he growled, snapping his fingers and suddenly razor sharp playing cards manifested and tried to lacerate poor Apple Pie. The little filly manages to dodge and jump into the air at Discord. Discord snickers... Then looks surprised, left open as Apple Pie kicks him right in the head.

I smirk, I know why he didn't just teleport away. The time change is starting to catch up with him.

Apple Pie takes advantage and gives him a quartet of kicks right to the skull. Finally, a loud crack resounds through the air.

Discord's horn went flying into the air and embedded into the ground nearby, Discord yelling out in pain. Looking close, I notice grey stone were the crack happened.

"My horn... You... You actually hurt me!" exclaimed Discord in complete disbelief, holding the bleeding stump where his horn used to be.

Apple Pie chuckled. "Yeah, not bad for a little filly, huh?"

Discord snarled in complete rage, his composure dissolving into almost animalistic anger. "Oh yes, and it'll be the last thing you ever do!" he yells at the top of his lungs, fury filling every word that this mere filly had actually managed to HURT him. "I promise you that!"

You don't want to know what happened next... Just know that when the ancient unicorn Mimic managed to bust out Discord's tooth, he turned her bones to glass and slammed her into the ground at Sonic Rainboom speeds over and over again, then vaporized her body... Apple Pie's demise was no less brutal. My blood boils like fire and I let my tears flow freely...

Discord panted in fury, a murderous rage in his eyes as he stood over what was LEFT of the filly who had broken his horn, probably wondering how he'd been rendered unable to teleport... Only to notice something. Particles of light rising off the bodies of his victims, them slowly fading away. "What? I didn't do that... " he muttered, watching the bodies vanish. He then looks back at his tail and his eyes widen in shock. "No... No!" he exclaimed, fear in his eyes as he sees stone slowly but surely begin spreading across his body.

It'll take Discord far longer to make it here than before, if the effect will be as I've read it should be on him. I have a lot to do before he gets here. And to make sure he DOES get her, I cast a temporal displacement spell on the two of us, after he's as weak as I need him to be, that is. I'm going to enjoy this... But first...

First I find Liarjack, looking torn, a conflicted look on her face. I see little bits of light coming off of her, heading towards Ponyville. That's a good sign, exactly what I'd hoped would happen.

I let her rest her head on my shoulder, crying softly. "Twi... Ah didn't mean at lie... Discord told me our friendship was gonna break... Ah... Ah just couldn't stand the truth... this is all mah fault... "

"Applejack... It's ok, you don't have to lie anymore, not now, not ever again... Discord tricked you, just like he tricked all of us... Now we're all getting a second chance, even if we don't remember it... Just don't make the same mistake twice... I've already forgiven you... Me and my past self too... I remember... "

The darkness fades from her body, reverting her to her normal colors. She looks up and gives me a genuine smile. "Thanks, Twi'... Just don't go lyin' to yourself now," she said as she fades away completely. "Ah'll be seeing yah soon Ah guess... " she says as she disappears into light.

I let the bitterness towards the one making me witness this grow... But her words still stick to me.

Next was Fluttercruel, though hers was a bit strange, I'll admit. Two streams of light, separate but together rose off of them... Before I could say anything, she... They hugged me instead...

"It's alright, Twilight. Everything will be ok... But don't say we never have to be cruel again," said Fluttershy, at least I think it was.

Fluttershy's body language changed completely, to a more strong willed pony instead. "Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind, the actual cruel thing is to let a thorn fester that needs to be pulled out, no matter how much it hurts... "

She, they, smiled and faded. I don't know what to think about that one... But I feel strangely... Good...

I head to Rarigreed's room, expecting to find her in similar condition... Instead I'm greeted by "Tom" being hurled right through the door and the window behind me, followed by several other smaller rocks the poor mare was hypnotized into thinking were gems.

"Rarity?" I ask, poking my head through the window.

Rarity was throwing rocks out of windows and in all directions, tears streaming down her face. "Stupid rocks! I don't want you!" she screamed, throwing another, forcing me to dodge.

"Rarity!" I yell again, trying to get her attention.
She twirls around, looking at my face in surprise... Then wrapped her hoofs around me, sobbing her eyes out. All I can do is hug her back. I feel a burning fire inside me, directed towards the one putting her through all this misery. I feel the fire growing... I'll keep breeding it there...

"I don't want any of this Twilight!" the poor mare sobbed. "Even if they were gems, I wouldn't! The only thing I want... The only thing I want is... is... Sweetie Belle... I... I just let her slip away! All this time... I missed her whole life... Now I just want her back!" she cried, even as she began to fad away a bit.

"Rarity... You're getting another chance now... I don't have time to explain, but... You'll have a second chance, you'll have Sweetie Belle back, I promise... You're probably never going to remember this consciously... But never forget how much Sweetie Belle means to you, how important she is to you... Don't ever let your desires get between you and her ever again! Promise me Rarity that you won't!" I plead, looking her right in the eyes. "Promise me!"

Rarity's colors return as she continues fading. She gives me a smile and we hug. "I swear... I shall never go sisterless again... " she said, tears running down her face as she too fades away in my forelegs.

Next was Angry Pie, who was well... NOT Angry pie. She was presently wearing a party hat, throwing the various weapons she'd wielded against anything that had ever laughed at her out the window. Gummy, restored to his original, infant self, was sitting there, staring at his owner happily. I look around, finding her normally dank and dreary room made up like a party was happening.

Does... does she know what's happening? She looks almost more sane than I remember her, no matter what she's doing. Even BEFORE Discord got his claws in her...

"Pinkie?" I ask, confusion in my voice.

Pinkie gave a gasp and was in front of me before I could even move, smiling ear to ear, oh how I missed that smile... Once more I breed the fire inside me towards HIM for making me not see it in so long.

"Hey Twilight! Welcome to the party!" exclaimed the pink pony, placing a party hat on my head.

"P-party?" I reply, my brain trying hard to understand what's happening. Even if I remember her parties... After Applejack and Rarity, I wasn't expecting this. Even if Fluttershy was strange, she wasn't like this.

"Yeah! Our Rebirth Party! We're all gonna be brand new ponies now! If you can have a birthday party, why can't you have a rebirth party?" Pinkie exclaims, just dripping happiness.

My eyes widen. "You know?! How do you-"

"Oh! It's a long story, but this has kinda happened to me before... It's a really really REALLY long story, and I don't have time to explain now, that's why I didn't have time to invite everypony else, even though I really wanted to, but I'll make up for that, promise! But this time I understand, this is happening cause this world is REALLY bad and the new one will be how it's supposed to and everypony will be happy again!" said Pinkie, in her normal, rapid voice. "But let's party until I get reborn, ok?"

I give a small smile. I almost stop myself from laughing, before reminding myself I don't need to anymore. For the first time in Celestia knows how long, I laugh. I have fun. And so does Pinkie Pie. Even as Pinkie begins to fade, we dance and have fun as much as we can until Pinkie's fading begins to speed up.

"That was great, Twilight! I wish it could've lasted longer and I know I might not remember it this time, but that's alright! It was worth it just to see you smile again! I know you've got a lot of important things to do, just don't keep us waiting too long! I think I'm going to be throwing a big party! It'll last for three weeks! Then you cut off my coffee and I fall asleep and undergo character development!"

"I... I wouldn't miss it for the world, Pinkie," I don't care if she sounds nuts! She's her again, that's all that matters.

"Pinkie Pie Swear!"

"Alright, cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my-" I say, going through the motions... And jabbing my hoof right into my eye. Naturally, I give a scream. I could never get that part right.

Pinkie hugs me anyway. And I hug her back, watching her fade away in my hooves with a big smile.

One left, Traitor Dash. I find curled up in her room, confused and distraught. She looks up at me as I enter, her body fading like the rest, a tad more so, since I spent so long with Pinkie Pie. "Twilight... I'm sorry... I... "

"I figured that out a long time ago, Rainbow. I know what happened... I figured it out when you knew what it used to be like but still called yourself a traitor... " I say, once more using her REAL name. I pull her to her hooves and hug her. "... And I forgive you... " I reply, tears going down my own cheeks as she fades in my grasp. "... And I'm sure the me I'm going to be will forgive you too... " I see her mane slowly turn back to it's proper color as she fades away too.

And the fire in me grows. I see black spots begin to spread over my back like cancers... I'm going to make HIM pay for putting Rainbow through this...

I head into Spike's chamber, the protective spell I put on myself to keep tethered here just a bit longer is beginning to weaken, but it's got to last, I'm not done yet. There are still some things I've got to do.

I put my hoof on the massive dragon's snout, seeing bits of him fading as well. He can't speak anymore, he lost that capability when he annoyed Discord too much. All I do is lean in, resting my head on his as he fades, tears streaming down my face.

I know what's happening, I know this is for the best... I wonder why it still hurts to see my friends fade away. Why I feel guilty knowing Apple Pie and the others probably died at Discord's claws when I know the life they'll receive will be so much greater? I don't know, some things we'll never know... And I don't care, I like it, it feeds the flames inside of me, this is what I want... I want to make HIM pay for all of this!

As I walk down the path towards the place were my final act will take place, I look over, seeing Ditzy Doo, cradling Dinky, whose no longer a pony-shaped muffin but a living breathing little foal.

"Mommy missed her muffin... Mommy loves you... Mommy promises she'll never let anyone take her little muffin away ever again... " she repeats, her and her foal slowly continuing to fade, tears streaming down both their faces as they embrace and fade away into a new life.

I let my memories of the horrors Discord put that poor mare and her beloved child through feed the flames...

I find HIM crawling weakly towards his palace, his body turning to stone slowly but surely. Most of his tail is gone, faded away.

"Twilight Tragedy... What's going on?" asked Discord, fear and uncertainty in his voice. He can barely move, his power is gone. Perfect.

I let all my anger, all my rage feed that fire. Not the Fires of Friendship... something else. "It's Twilight Sparkle, Discord! And what's happening is things going back to how they're MEANT to be," I say, it feels good to call myself that. Is it wrong to enjoy seeing him like this? Maybe, but after so long, I don't care. I let the black spots spread over me as my mane begins to smoke from the fires inside me.

"But how can yo-"

"Because you slipped up, "master". Remember all those times you let me off your leash just to pull me back?" I ask, enjoying every second of this. "I wrote myself a little message during one of those times. You know what I wrote?" I ask, glaring him right in the eyes. His eyes go wide in shock.

"Friendship is magic," I tell him, stomping right up to his face. "And that got me thinking, so I sent myself back a letter, back and fourth until my memories broke your spell! This entire time I've been acting like your little pawn?" I ask. "I. Tricked. You."

Discord looks at me in complete disbelief. "But... But my spell... That's... That's not possible! You can't have outsmarted me! You're just a pony! I'm the lord of chaos! I've existed before your little world did! How can you possibly outsmart me!"

"Oh, it's possible, Discord!" I reply, taking a few steps back as the shadows spread on and threw me. "And here's something else that's possible, thanks to you, I found a little time spell. Enough to send back something to myself in the past. A few tidbits of information that gave her the resolve to avoid falling where I did. And guess what, Discord? She and the others beat you! That means in the timeline overwriting this one, you're a powerless statue! And that's what you're turning into now!" I state, watching stone continue to snake up his body and then fade away. I see the fear in his face, the same fear that he loved inflicting on everypony else for so long. I relish in that fear. "You know something else?" I ask, my mane bursting into shadowy fire. "I'm not."

My body contorts and changes as I let the flames I've been feeding all this time finally consume me! I'm going to be reborn anyway, why not make sure this monster pays for every second of it at the hands of something he himself created!

I feel skeletal wings erupt from my back and shadowy flames ignite in them. My tail follows the same path as my mane as my body grows into that of an Alicorn. I see my skin turning a deep purple. I look over my shoulders to see boney armored plates burst out of my skin and cover my back, razor sharp spikes covering them. I feel a helmet forming on my head, my horn growing out. My whole body is burning! But I know it'll be worth it! It'll be worth seeing every last bit of what I'm about to do!

"What I am is your nightmare!" I call, my voice sounding ghostly, like a banshee almost. I almost scare myself with it. "A nightmare born from the flames of vengeance fed by the loss of the ones I hold most dear to me! You've taken away everything that matters to me again, and again, and again! And all you've done is feed the fires that are about to consume you, Discord! Got a catchy name for me now? No? I've got one, tell me what you think... "

Discord's eyes widen, he tries to craw away from me. My horn glows as I slam my front hooves down on the ground, causing flaming, spiked chains to erupt from the ground like snakes, wrapping it's way up around his arms and pulls him to the ground, piercing his flesh and causing him to scream in agony.

"Nightmare Purgatory, the most vengeful friend!"

"No! Y-you can't do this to me!" yelled Discord, quaking in terror as he looks up at me. For the first time in his life, afraid of death. Good... I make my chains pick him up and slam him hard back into the ground three times.

I stomp forwards, the earth blazing beneath my hooves. I make the blazing chains go THROUGH his wrists and ankles, I listen to him roar in agony with a smirk. "Just like you wouldn't let Mimic be the one to ruin your "flawless" face?" I ask, looking at his tooth. He gasps in surprise. "You'd be surprised what a pony looks up when they're desperate for hope, like the one pony to ever hurt you," I state, never letting my eyes leave his. "You're ashamed of that, aren't you? And I bet you're ashamed you got your horn snapped like a twig by a little filly too. Well guess what?"

"I'm going to remind you what pain feels like before we fade into the new world!" I yelled as the chains tear backwards, pulling Discord off the ground and holding him against a stone wall, arms held out as if he was crucified. "What it's like to be at someone's mercy! What it's like to feel scared like you make everypony else feel!" I yell, another of my chains bursting from by chest, from my heart. I don't care about the stabbing, horrible pain, it doesn't matter.

I take careful aim, pointing the chain right at his black heart. "Beg... " I say simply as the smell of his flesh burning from contact with my chains enters the air. "Come on, beg for your miserable, no good life!"

Discord looks at me in absolute terror... but before he could, I wrapped one of my chains around his mouth. "On second thought, I don't think I want to hear it, 'Master'..." I spat, the hellfire engulfing me, my flames intensifying with the hate I felt. The flames surrounding the chains I had aimed at his 'heart' (like that monster has one) turns black as pitch. Nice touch, if I do say so myself. "Now, look forward to Hell," I stated, doing my best imitation of his sadistic smirk (this is about giving him a taste of his own medicine, the chain launching forwards and piercing his chest, flames erupting out of it as he writhed in glorious agony! Burn you bucking monster! Hahaha!

"The blacker the heart, the hotter my flames burn, the more agony they inflict! Every unrepentant sin is fuel for the fire that now consumes you! This is your own personal purgatory that you've created with your own hands. I hope you like it!" I shouted. I start laughing! Laughing as we begin to fade! Watching the fires burn around his skin, flesh, and bone in the most agonizing manner possible! "The sick buck's finally getting what he deserves! Hahaha!"

...But...maybe he hasn't...hehe...haha...hahaha!

Episode 109: (Dark World?): Fading Future "Second Cycle"

A Fading Future Second Cycle
By Kendell2
My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic
Fanfiction
Pony POV Series Dark World

"Oh Twilight Tragedy, you've failed me?" asked Discord, in that sickening false compassionate tone he likes to as he set on his throne. "Tisk, tisk, tisk, how disappointing of you."

"I... I'm sorry, master. An older pony was there, they knew you'd send me and had a trap set. I managed to "erase" that one, sir, but I had to retreat for the time being. They laughed and said you must be slipping, letting your second-in-command walk into a trap so easily," I reply, looking up at him, bruises covering my face and upper body. I have a pleading, miserable, fearful look in my eyes, like beaten dog expecting to be punished.

Discord gets furious, glaring straight down at me, his normal silliness vanishing in an instant. "Oh did they?! Well, I think it's time those precious little fillies get a visit from their master! I'll punish you when I return. And do get that dragon ready for my next ride, I have a feeling I'll have a few corpses to parade around my kingdom!" he growled, disappearing in a flash of light.

I smirk as he goes, standing up tall and wiping the blood from my mouth. Watching Liarjack for so long has made me a pretty crafty liar myself.

"Yah sure yah want me to do this, Twilight?" asked Apple Pie, the little filly staring up at me, fear in her eyes.

I nod quickly, a determination in my eyes that I had to be very careful to hide from my "master". " Yes, don't worry. I'm immortal, you can't kill me that easily, just give me everything you've got, for this to work, Discord really has to think you kicked my flanks. Don't hold back one bit!"

Apple Pie nodded with a sad sigh. "Alright, hold still..." she muttered, before turning around, taking aim with her hind legs right at my face.

Apple Pie is definitely an Apple, even if the Sweet Apple Acres is now who knows what (that changes from day to day, last I checked, it was covered in snow and on fire at the same time).

My name is Twilight Tragedy, at least that's what "Master" Discord calls me. Oh, I remember when I called him Master and believed I meant it for real, he thinks I still do. I don't know how long we've lived in this rotten dystopia of his, it's easy to lose track of time when you're immortal. But given how long it's been, it was only a matter of time until the old man slipped up and one of us got free without his knowing.

I walk down around my room, Master is out taking a ride on Spike, nothing for me to do but read up on the latest black magic he wants me to try out. As I lift up the book, something catches my eyes, a little scroll, shoved in between the desk and my bed. For some reason I feel like it's calling out to me...

My horn lights up, so does the paper as I telekinetically pull it from it's hiding place. Unrolling it, I instantly notice something. It's my writing, but I don't remember writing it...Then I read what's written on it.

"Friendship Is Magic..."

Friendship is Magic? But...Tragedy is magic, that's what the master has always told me...But why don't I remember writing this? Its my writing, I had to have wrote this... Maybe the master is playing a game with me...But then why...why does it seem so familiar? Why does it sound so right?

I head into my room, opening an old book I found in the "master's" personal collection. He gives me access to it, having his personal assassin up to snuff on all the deadliest spells is useful... And being immortal, seeing me mess up on them was a favorite pass time of his. And now, he's going to regret it... That's not the only thing he's going to regret...

I walk down the hall. Friendship is magic? Why...why does that just click? Why do I feel like it's important? Why do I feel like...like it's right? I can't ask the master, I know that...why do I know that? What's going on?

I see a dull orange Earth Pony walking past me. A thought comes to my mind. "Liarjack," I call, getting her to turn to face me.

"Yeah, Twilight?" she asked, looking at me.

"Tragedy is magic, right?" I ask, innocently as possible.

"Why of course it is, Twilight, no doubt about it!"

Funny thing about Liarjack...she lies, and even I knew it.

I know Apple Pie and her friends won't be able to hide from him, I feel a pang of guilt in my heart, but I know that if this succeeds, their sacrifice won't be in vain, I can't LET it be in vain.

I get out a clock and a calendar, as well as all of the ingredients I would need. The irony of the fact this all is going to end the same way I began it doesn't escape me. I'm just sending another message to myself...

I look over the letter once more, master is busy "rearranging" the glass menagerie that used to be Manehatten into a giant board game, which he then intends to play.

"What does it mean?" I whisper. My head feels like it's burning, like something is trying to break out inside my brain. I was curious originally...But first I asked Liarjack about that, and her answer just confirmed my suspicions that SOMETHING was up...Now I can't think of anything else...

"If I sent myself this letter...somehow...I wonder if..." I write a letter of my own.

"Friendship is Magic? What does that mean?"

I slide the letter back where I found the first one, putting a darker ribbon on it to identify it as different, just in case.

A few weeks later, I find a different colored ribbon on it...

And so it continued that way...Until I could remember it...I could remember everything...

Time magic is a tricky, risky thing, you know. If the times weren't so dire, I'd never do this, but it's not like there's a possible future WORSE that this one. Summoning as much power as I have, I concentrate on sending my thoughts back into time, another message to myself. At the one moment in time it'll matter the most.

Maybe once the world stops being kind, maybe when the world stops being playful, maybe that's when we stop too.

With Applejack -the first of my friends I formally made in Ponyville- still next to me, I look at the part of the sky Rainbow Dash flew away towards. Why did she leave us? She wouldn't without a reason. I know whatever it was it had to be important. Maybe loyalties only last until something bigger comes along. So much for the ponytail of the loyal Samurai.

Maybe friendship only lasts until the world applies just the right pressure. Is this the truth Applejack didn't want me to see?

"Friendship report 25; Pinkie Pie learned that she should always expect the best from her friends, and never assume the worst."

I give a blink of confusion. Where did that thought come from? Or...was it just a memory?... I remember... That was the day that Pinkie Pie almost went insane because she assumed we'd all abandoned her, when all we were just unable to tell her what we were really doing...I look back up as Rainbow Dash flies off...Am I doing the same? Am I just assuming the worst? Maybe she knows something I don't, just like we knew we were throwing Pinkie a surprise party and she didn't...

I look to Applejack. Just because she's been lying all this time, doesn't mean I shouldn't think this is one. She told the truth about Rainbow flying away...

Before I can sort things out, the maze walls begin to crash down around us, vanish.

The effect is immediate, new memories rush into my mind, ones that weren't there before. A sudden "epiphany" about not thinking the worst of my friends, restoring my hope just before I lost it. Calling Discord out on cheating...Him showing me my mistake, the Elements weren't in the maze. I begin to lose hope again, it's not enough. I concentrate again, powering up the spell once more.

I...I was wrong...Whatever happened to my friends...All this is...It's my fault...I-

"Wait, he doesn't play fair...If he doesn't play fair, then why should I think he ever wanted to? Even if I'd chosen right, he'd just have done whatever he did no matter where we went."

I...That's right! Discord is a cheater! It didn't matter which choice I made, there WAS no right one!... But what does it matter then? No matter what I do-

"A cheater can still be beaten. As long as I have hope, I can't give up, I can't quit just because it seems too hard. Did Fluttershy back down when that dragon was on the rampage? Did Rainbow Dash stop when she saw how far Rarity was from her during that fall? No! So what gives me the right to quit now?! If I give up now, Discord win!"

Where are all these ideas coming from?...They're right though...If I give up now, Discord DOES win. If I keep trying, he MIGHT win...And all of Equestria is counting on me...I can't afford to give up now!

More new memories, rushing to Ponyville. There they are! The Elements!...But they don't work...No, I'm giving up again!...But wait, what's this? Memories of letters rushing to me from Celestia, my own friendship letters. I see my own darkness be washed away. I see myself pinning my friends down one by one and restoring their memories, them to their old selves. I smile as one glorious memory enters my mind. The look of shock on the "master's" face as he's beaten...

I use another new spell I know on the mirror before me, causing it to distort and change to show me events happening elsewhere.

I see Discord...surrounded by dozens of maimed, dead, and dying ponies, many of which aren't even recognizable anymore...My new friends...I let the rage rise inside of me, feed the one thing I have left to do.

Discord laughs that stupid laugh of his, Apple Pie's throat firmly in his lion paw. "I've enjoyed this game, but I'm afraid it's time for it to end," he said, smirking and then scratching his chin. "Now what should I do to the little ring leader?" he asked, looking thoughtful. "Ah, I know, I think I'll-" Discord screamed as Apple Pie bit down on his paw, causing him to drop the little filly. "You little brat! You actually bit me!"

"Ah ain't goin' down without a fight!" exclaimed the little filly, jumping at Discord and attempting to buck him in the face. Discord just teleports behind her and whips her away with his tail.

"Aww, how cute! You actually think you can fight me," stated Discord with a chuckle. "That hasn't worked well for anyone else, are you certain that's a game you want to play?"

"Mimic did a pretty good job, that's why you're missin' a tooth, ain't it?"

Discord's eyes went wide. "How do you know about that?!" he exclaimed, taken off guard at the mention of the only pony to ever successfully hurt him...Well, the FIRST to do so.
Apple Pie leapt up while Discord was distracted and bucked him right in the face. Stunned by the kick, Discord was left open to another kick to the face. Funny thing about not feeling pain a lot, it hurts a LOT more when you finally do get hurt.

Apple Pie goes for a third kick, but Discord finally teleports out of the way. "Alright, now you're just getting annoying," he growled, snapping his fingers and suddenly razor sharp playing cards manifested and tried to lacerate poor Apple Pie. The little filly manages to dodge and jump into the air at Discord. Discord snickers...Then looks surprised, left open as Apple Pie kicks him right in the head.

I smirk, I know why he didn't just teleport away. The time change is starting to catch up with him.

Apple Pie takes advantage and gives him a quartet of kicks right to the skull. Finally, a loud crack resounds through the air.

Discord's horn went flying into the air and embedded into the ground nearby, Discord yelling out in pain. Looking close, I notice grey stone were the crack happened.

"My horn...You...You actually hurt me!" exclaimed Discord in complete disbelief, holding the bleeding stump where his horn used to be.

Apple Pie chuckled. "Yeah, not bad for a little filly, huh?"

Discord snarled in complete rage, his composure dissolving into almost animalistic anger. "Oh yes, and it'll be the last thing you ever do!" he yells at the top of his lungs, fury filling every word that this mere filly had actually managed to HURT him. "I promise you that!"

You don't want to know what happened next...Just know that when the ancient unicorn Mimic managed to bust out Discord's tooth, he turned her bones to glass and slammed her into the ground at Sonic Rainboom speeds over and over again, then vaporized her body...Apple Pie's demise was no less brutal. My blood boils like fire and I let my tears flow freely...

Discord panted in fury, a murderous rage in his eyes as he stood over what was LEFT of the filly who had broken his horn, probably wondering how he'd been rendered unable to teleport...Only to notice something. Particles of light rising off the bodies of his victims, them slowly fading away. "What? I didn't do that..." he muttered, watching the bodies vanish. He then looks back at his tail and his eyes widen in shock. "No...No!" he exclaimed, fear in his eyes as he sees stone slowly but surely begin spreading across his body.

It'll take Discord far longer to make it here than before, if the effect will be as I've read it should be on him. I have a lot to do before he gets here. And to make sure he DOES get her, I cast a temporal displacement spell on the two of us, after he's as weak as I need him to be, that is. I'm going to enjoy this...But first...

First I find Liarjack, looking torn, a conflicted look on her face. I see little bits of light coming off of her, heading towards Ponyville. That's a good sign, exactly what I'd hoped would happen.

I let her rest her head on my shoulder, crying softly. "Twi...Ah didn't mean at lie...Discord told me our friendship was gonna break...Ah...Ah just couldn't stand the truth...this is all mah fault..."

"Applejack...It's ok, you don't have to lie anymore, not now, not ever again...Discord tricked you, just like he tricked all of us...Now we're all getting a second chance, even if we don't remember it...Just don't make the same mistake twice...I've already forgiven you...Me and my past self too...I remember..."

The darkness fades from her body, reverting her to her normal colors. She looks up and gives me a genuine smile. "Thanks, Twi'...Just don't go lyin' to yourself now," she said as she fades away completely. "Ah'll be seeing yah soon Ah guess..." she says as she disappears into light.

I let the bitterness towards the one making me witness this grow...But her words still stick to me.

Next was Fluttercruel, though hers was a bit strange, I'll admit. Two streams of light, separate but together rose off of them... Before I could say anything, she... They hugged me instead...

"It's alright, Twilight. Everything will be ok... But don't say we never have to be cruel again," said Fluttershy, at least I think it was.

Fluttershy's body language changed completely, to a more strong willed pony instead. "Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind, the actual cruel thing is to let a thorn fester that needs to be pulled out, no matter how much it hurts..."

She, they, smiled and faded. I don't know what to think about that one... But I feel strangely... Good...

I head to Rarigreed's room, expecting to find her in similar condition...Instead I'm greeted by "Tom" being hurled right through the door and the window behind me, followed by several other smaller rocks the poor mare was hypnotized into thinking were gems.

"Rarity?" I ask, poking my head through the window.

Rarity was throwing rocks out of windows and in all directions, tears streaming down her face. "Stupid rocks! I don't want you!" she screamed, throwing another, forcing me to dodge.

"Rarity!" I yell again, trying to get her attention.
She twirls around, looking at my face in surprise...Then wrapped her hoofs around me, sobbing her eyes out. All I can do is hug her back. I feel a burning fire inside me, directed towards the one putting her through all this misery. I feel the fire growing...I'll keep breeding it there...

"I don't want any of this Twilight!" the poor mare sobbed. "Even if they were gems, I wouldn't! The only thing I want...The only thing I want is...is...Sweetie Belle...I...I just let her slip away! All this time...I missed her whole life...Now I just want her back!" she cried, even as she began to fad away a bit.

"Rarity... You're getting another chance now... I don't have time to explain, but... You'll have a second chance, you'll have Sweetie Belle back, I promise... You're probably never going to remember this consciously... But never forget how much Sweetie Belle means to you, how important she is to you... Don't ever let your desires get between you and her ever again! Promise me Rarity that you won't!" I plead, looking her right in the eyes. "Promise me!"

Rarity's colors return as she continues fading. She gives me a smile and we hug. "I swear... I shall never go sisterless again..." she said, tears running down her face as she too fades away in my forelegs.

Next was Angry Pie, who was well...NOT Angry pie. She was presently wearing a party hat, throwing the various weapons she'd wielded against anything that had ever laughed at her out the window. Gummy, restored to his original, infant self, was sitting there, staring at his owner happily. I look around, finding her normally dank and dreary room made up like a party was happening.

Does...does she know what's happening? She looks almost more sane than I remember her, no matter what she's doing. Even BEFORE Discord got his claws in her...

"Pinkie?" I ask, confusion in my voice.

Pinkie gave a gasp and was in front of me before I could even move, smiling ear to ear, oh how I missed that smile...Once more I breed the fire inside me towards HIM for making me not see it in so long.

"Hey Twilight! Welcome to the party!" exclaimed the pink pony, placing a party hat on my head.

"P-party?" I reply, my brain trying hard to understand what's happening. Even if I remember her parties...After Applejack and Rarity, I wasn't expecting this. Even if Fluttershy was strange, she wasn't like this.

"Yeah! Our Rebirth Party! We're all gonna be brand new ponies now! If you can have a birthday party, why can't you have a rebirth party?" Pinkie exclaims, just dripping happiness.

My eyes widen. "You know?! How do you-"

"Oh! It's a long story, but this has kinda happened to me before...It's a really really REALLY long story, and I don't have time to explain now, that's why I didn't have time to invite everypony else, even though I really wanted to, but I'll make up for that, promise! But this time I understand, this is happening cause this world is REALLY bad and the new one will be how it's supposed to and everypony will be happy again!" said Pinkie, in her normal, rapid voice. "But let's party until I get reborn, ok?"

I give a small smile. I almost stop myself from laughing, before reminding myself I don't need to anymore. For the first time in Celestia knows how long, I laugh. I have fun. And so does Pinkie Pie. Even as Pinkie begins to fade, we dance and have fun as much as we can until Pinkie's fading begins to speed up.

"That was great, Twilight! I wish it could've lasted longer and I know I might not remember it this time, but that's alright! It was worth it just to see you smile again! I know you've got a lot of important things to do, just don't keep us waiting too long! I think I'm going to be throwing a big party! It'll last for three weeks! Then you cut off my coffee and I fall asleep and undergo character development!"

"I... I wouldn't miss it for the world, Pinkie," I don't care if she sounds nuts! She's her again, that's all that matters.

"Pinkie Pie Swear!"

"Alright, cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my-" I say, going through the motions...And jabbing my hoof right into my eye. Naturally, I give a scream. I could never get that part right.

Pinkie hugs me anyway. And I hug her back, watching her fade away in my hooves with a big smile.

One left, Traitor Dash. I find curled up in her room, confused and distraught. She looks up at me as I enter, her body fading like the rest, a tad more so, since I spent so long with Pinkie Pie. "Twilight... I'm sorry... I..."

"I figured that out a long time ago, Rainbow. I know what happened...I figured it out when you knew what it used to be like but still called yourself a traitor..." I say, once more using her REAL name. I pull her to her hooves and hug her. "... And I forgive you..." I reply, tears going down my own cheeks as she fades in my grasp. "... And I'm sure the me I'm going to be will forgive you too..." I see her mane slowly turn back to it's proper color as she fades away too.

And the fire in me grows. I see black spots begin to spread over my back like cancers...I'm going to make HIM pay for putting Rainbow through this...

I head into Spike's chamber, the protective spell I put on myself to keep tethered here just a bit longer is beginning to weaken, but it's got to last, I'm not done yet. There are still some things I've got to do.

I put my hoof on the massive dragon's snout, seeing bits of him fading as well. He can't speak anymore, he lost that capability when he annoyed Discord too much. All I do is lean in, resting my head on his as he fades, tears streaming down my face.

I know what's happening, I know this is for the best... I wonder why it still hurts to see my friends fade away. Why I feel guilty knowing Apple Pie and the others probably died at Discord's claws when I know the life they'll receive will be so much greater? I don't know, some things we'll never know... And I don't care, I like it, it feeds the flames inside of me, this is what I want... I want to make HIM pay for all of this!

As I walk down the path towards the place were my final act will take place, I look over, seeing Ditzy Doo, cradling Dinky, whose no longer a pony-shaped muffin but a living breathing little foal.

"Mommy missed her muffin...Mommy loves you...Mommy promises she'll never let anyone take her little muffin away ever again..." she repeats, her and her foal slowly continuing to fade, tears streaming down both their faces as they embrace and fade away into a new life.

I let my memories of the horrors Discord put that poor mare and her beloved child through feed the flames...

I find HIM crawling weakly towards his palace, his body turning to stone slowly but surely. Most of his tail is gone, faded away.

"Twilight Tragedy... What's going on?" asked Discord, fear and uncertainty in his voice. He can barely move, his power is gone. Perfect.

I let all my anger, all my rage feed that fire. Not the Fires of Friendship...something else. "It's Twilight Sparkle, Discord! And what's happening is things going back to how they're MEANT to be," I say, it feels good to call myself that. Is it wrong to enjoy seeing him like this? Maybe, but after so long, I don't care. I let the black spots spread over me as my mane begins to smoke from the fires inside me.

"But how can yo-"

"Because you slipped up, "master". Remember all those times you let me off your leash just to pull me back?" I ask, enjoying every second of this. "I wrote myself a little message during one of those times. You know what I wrote?" I ask, glaring him right in the eyes. His eyes go wide in shock.

"Friendship is magic," I tell him, stomping right up to his face. "And that got me thinking, so I sent myself back a letter, back and fourth until my memories broke your spell! This entire time I've been acting like your little pawn?" I ask. "I. Tricked. You."

Discord looks at me in complete disbelief. "But... But my spell... That's... That's not possible! You can't have outsmarted me! You're just a pony! I'm the lord of chaos! I've existed before your little world did! How can you possibly outsmart me!"

"Oh, it's possible, Discord!" I reply, taking a few steps back as the shadows spread on and threw me. "And here's something else that's possible, thanks to you, I found a little time spell. Enough to send back something to myself in the past. A few tidbits of information that gave her the resolve to avoid falling where I did. And guess what, Discord? She and the others beat you! That means in the timeline overwriting this one, you're a powerless statue! And that's what you're turning into now!" I state, watching stone continue to snake up his body and then fade away. I see the fear in his face, the same fear that he loved inflicting on everypony else for so long. I relish in that fear. "You know something else?" I ask, my mane bursting into shadowy fire. "I'm not."

My body contorts and changes as I let the flames I've been feeding all this time finally consume me! I'm going to be reborn anyway, why not make sure this monster pays for every second of it at the hands of something he himself created!

I feel skeletal wings erupt from my back and shadowy flames ignite in them. My tail follows the same path as my mane as my body grows into that of an Alicorn. I see my skin turning a deep purple. I look over my shoulders to see boney armored plates burst out of my skin and cover my back, razor sharp spikes covering them. I feel a helmet forming on my head, my horn growing out. My whole body is burning! But I know it'll be worth it! It'll be worth seeing every last bit of what I'm about to do!

"What I am is your nightmare!" I call, my voice sounding ghostly, like a banshee almost. I almost scare myself with it. "A nightmare born from the flames of vengeance fed by the loss of the ones I hold most dear to me! You've taken away everything that matters to me again, and again, and again! And all you've done is feed the fires that are about to consume you, Discord! Got a catchy name for me now? No? I've got one, tell me what you think..."

Discord's eyes widen, he tries to craw away from me. My horn glows as I slam my front hooves down on the ground, causing flaming, spiked chains to erupt from the ground like snakes, wrapping it's way up around his arms and pulls him to the ground, piercing his flesh and causing him to scream in agony.

"Nightmare Purgatory, the most vengeful friend!"

"No! Y-you can't do this to me!" yelled Discord, quaking in terror as he looks up at me. For the first time in his life, afraid of death. Good...I make my chains pick him up and slam him hard back into the ground three times.

I stomp forwards, the earth blazing beneath my hooves. I make the blazing chains go THROUGH his wrists and ankles, I listen to him roar in agony with a smirk. "Just like you wouldn't let Mimic be the one to ruin your "flawless" face?" I ask, looking at his tooth. He gasps in surprise. "You'd be surprised what a pony looks up when they're desperate for hope, like the one pony to ever hurt you," I state, never letting my eyes leave his. "You're ashamed of that, aren't you? And I bet you're ashamed you got your horn snapped like a twig by a little filly too. Well guess what?"

"I'm going to remind you what pain feels like before we fade into the new world!" I yelled as the chains tear backwards, pulling Discord off the ground and holding him against a stone wall, arms held out as if he was crucified. "What it's like to be at someone's mercy! What it's like to feel scared like you make everypony else feel!" I yell, another of my chains bursting from by chest, from my heart. I don't care about the stabbing, horrible pain, it doesn't matter.

I take careful aim, pointing the chain right at his black heart. "Beg..." I say simply as the smell of his flesh burning from contact with my chains enters the air. "Come on, beg for your miserable, no good life!"

Discord looks at me in absolute terror...Then slowly grins, as if he's realizing something. "I've taught you well, Twilight..."

My eyes widen as his words pierce deep into my soul. I look in a puddle of chocolate milk sitting nearby, in the process of slowly changing back into water. The skull like helmet on my head, the murderous look in my fiery eyes...

I look back at Discord, that sick smirk...And I see it...I see the same look in his eyes...

"Come on, do it. It doesn't matter really, you're going to be reborn anyway, no one will ever know if you impale me here and now," said Discord, using what little power he has left to form a target right of his black heart and a pair of sunglasses on his face. He probably thinks this is the first time he's used this trick. "I'm ready to die now."

I snarl, launching my chain forwards, Discord closing his eyes with a smirk...

Only the chain to swing right in front of his face, shattering his remaining tooth to bits, causing him to let out a roar of pain, blood pouring from his mouth. I swing the chain back around and snap off his other horn as well, earning a second roar of pain.

The chains all fade away into nothingness. A glowing purple version of my Cutie Mark appears on my forehead, it's power spreading through my body, pealing back the darkness. I feel it putting out the fires as my body returns to normal. Finally, my colors come back to me, restored as I stand in shattered bone armor.

"Now they match..." I state, then trot up to him, looking him in the eyes, using my telekinesis to tear the sunglasses off his face and throw them aside. "And that'll be my payback, Discord, because you know what? Because I'm not like you! I'm not going to murder someone in cold blood who can't defend themselves, no matter what they did to me. I'm not a heartless monster like you. I've beaten you and saved the world, I've got nothing more to prove and even if I or anyone else never remembers it, I'm not going to become the thing I saved it from! I'm going to be reborn as me, not a killer or a Nightmare! I'm going to be reborn as Twilight Sparkle! And I'm not going to have any regrets when that happens!"

I look him close in his eyes, which are wide with shock and disbelief. I give a sincere smile. "So I'm letting go of everything you've done to me...I'm letting go of the pain you put me through all this time. I'm even letting go of everything you did to my friends and loved ones, I don't want any of it anymore...And most importantly...I. Forgive. You."

I start walking away, looking back over my shoulder, seeing Discord stare at me in complete disbelief as he continues to fade, blood running from his shattered tooth and from his severed horn. I wonder if what little of this he subconsciously remembers in the new timeline will ever have an effect on him. I don't care. For the first time since I started all this, I don't care anymore.

I didn't have to become a murderer to save the world, I didn't have to become the thing I was fighting...Now I can be reborn without any regrets, any pain, any old grudges, I can be reborn in peace...Well, come to think of it, I still have one last thing to do.

I stand, looking up at the two gold and silver statues of Celestia and Luna as they, and I, begin to fade. I look over to an unmarked grave, I see light rising from it too and heading to... Ponyville? I don't have time to think about that, I look up to Celestia's statue as it fades.

"... Dear Princess Celestia..." I say, looking up as my body continues to fade away. "I learned that even when everything is hopeless, when it seems the bleakest, that's when friendship is the most important. As long as we don't forget what our friendships mean to us, there will always be hope. And as long as there's hope, there's a chance to set things right... And also, we need to remember that even if someone hurts our friends, it doesn't give us an excuse to become just like them in return. You can still stand up for your friends without acting like a monster yourself... Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle..." I say as both Princesses, restored and fading themselves, stand over me smiling. I smile back. We just stand together as everything goes white and my memories of this world fade, replaced by memories of a new one...

End of Second Cycle

Episode 111: (Dark World) Give A Reason

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Pony POV Series
Dark World Part 29 "Give A Reason"
By Alex Warlorn

"...She's...me... my... Nightmare."

"A nightmare? When yer awake? Heh-eh. Kinda funny," Apple Pie said while shivering.

"She feels like you, when... when you almost... Pinkie Pie." AJ couldn't say the full sentence. "Like...Nightmare Mirror did tah meh..."

For a moment, Spike felt like a baby dragon again. Derpy looked at Twilight and the Alicorn at the same time with her wall eyes, trying to super impose them over each other mentally, it was far too easy.

"So you've finally shown yourself."

Twilight looked at Rarity, "You knew?"

"Not in the least. All I knew was that I felt something traveling along with us. Some nameless passenger. Something so familiar it was painful, but I couldn't figure out what...Well, now I guess we know what the Sea Pony meant by the Alicorn witch."

*Everypony! Be on guard!*

"Your statement is of course, as always, correct Twilight, Sparkle. I am you, and you are me. A nightmare born from the flames of vengeance. Vengeance against the one who's taken away everything that matters to me again, and again, and again. All Discord's done is feed these fires that are rightfully yours to wield. But you've stupidly snuffed them. I am quite upset with myself," she said calmly.

"I'd say more you're the part of Twilight who always refused to accept the difference between what ya can change and what ya can't." The Nightmare looked right at Spike. "I'MSORRYTWILIGHTI'MSORRY!"

"SPIKE!" Twilight shouted, "Snap out of it!"

AJ touched Spike, her Element of Kindness glowed. Spike recovered her wits and slowly shook his gigantic head. "S-sorry, Twilight, I... I'm fine, now, I think."

*I'll tell a story about an arrogant little pony who thought she was superior to fate. That she could command, allow, and deny the forces that guide all ponies as she saw fit!*

'I'll deal with you later,' The Nightmare thought. "So how much do you understand Twilight Sparkle? Oh right! I understand everything!" She said proudly at her self-self, "But what do you know about us Twilight Sparkle?"

"I understand that you helped us win half our fights. That you tried to make me kill Pinkie Pie and...and...and you led me to meet Apple Pie. Thank you for that."

"You're welcome."

"Everypony. I saw Discord's memories. And some of mine. This...this isn't the first time we've been here. This isn't the first time we've beaten Discord. Or even the second. Apple Pie...the first time I met you wasn't the first time."

"That there's a contradiction."

"No, Apple Pie. It's WORSE than a contradiction: it's a paradox! Everything that's happened, has happened before! There's been variations, great and small, but this whole world... we're all in a loop, aren't we?!"

"Not... quite. That sister of Discord's, Rancor... she was the first truly new being to come along. She inserted herself into this iteration."

Twilight consulted what she remembered of Discord's past. Yes... Rancor HADN'T been present in any other time loops, save this one. No wonder she'd been so quick to bail. "How many times HAS this loop happened?"

"Several, several, several times. Even I don't remember what it was like when we started anymore, other than the way Discord ruined our lives and everypony else's. I remember wondering if these were the lessons Celestia had intended for us to learn-"

"-and wondered why our coat was turning gray," Twilight breathed out.

Spike finally was the one who said it, "What do you MEAN she's 'your nightmare?' She's some dream spirit or something?!"

"No Spike, my Nightmare, capital 'N.' Like Nightmare Moon was to Princess Luna. My dark side."

"What a prejudiced thing to say. 'Dark side?' Is that how you speak about your past and future self? I am your ultimate evolution. We've cut away the excesses, purified ourselves, stripped away the dead weight, we've FREED OURSELVES. You'll free yourself! You'll realize we've given Princess Celestia a teacher's greatest joy, by surpassing her!"

Three ponies and one dragon gasped at the blasphemy.

"Not like this, not like this!" Twilight voice sounding pleading. Small. Ashamed.

*I am ashamed -for you!-*

The Nightmare laughed. Twilight recognized it as the friendly, playful short laugh she made when one of her classmates made silly assumptions. Or...Twilight had always thought it was friendly. "It's alright. You're still just a unicorn, don't worry, it'll all make sense once you break from fate's chains and take your destiny into your own hooves and show your free will."

"Hold on Twili', did Ah hear ya right? This ain't our first time doing all of this?"

"THINK Applejack! Everything Discord said, everything he did? The way he began acting? And what he said when Rancor stabbed him, 'Will this finally end it?' WHY would he say that? Discord is Discord, but we've learned his TYPES of nonsense and that isn't one of them! Discord isn't the type to admit when he's wrong, but he is the type to just drop something if it's boring him! If he wanted out of this game, he could have just teleported to Pluto unless something, or somepony was stopping him! Does he seem like the type who CARED about his toys enough to not just abandon them?"

"No...not at first, but the seaponies."

"Exactly! Something was very wrong with Discord, right form the start. There are a hundred explanations, but if I'm to hazard a guess, and from the memories I saw, I'd say we've all been, stuck in an endless loop haven't we?" Twilight looked at the Nightmare.

"It wasn't easy. Actually it just took the right knowledge and the right research. When we awoke to our true power, I realized Discord's punishment hadn't been in equal proportion to all the misery he's caused across eternity. And if nopony else was going to punish him, it fell to me."

+++++

"Six thousand nine hundred and thirty-four," Discord said in the most relaxed tone in all time and space before screaming his lungs out as he was electrocuted. He turned the page of his magazine.

"Six thousand nine hundred and thirty-five," he said in the same tone, this time he was dipped in lava, screamed, and turned the page of his magazine again.

"Bro, can you please pretend you're suffering here at least?" Anarchy pleaded.

"Sorry, after all the 'fun' I had with dear Nightmare Twilight, it's all kinda a drop in the bucket. It's more of an escape than anything. Six thousand nine hundred and thirty-six." Absolute zero and shattered. Turn the page of the magazine. "Did I tell you I was sorry for stealing your video game that one time? And breaking it? Then blaming it on Pandora?"

"Yeah, you did."

"Just making sure. Six thousand nine hundred and thirty-seven." Hit with anti-matter bomb. Turn the page. "How many more to go again?"

"1,165,311,670 bro."

"Oh well. That's what's eternity is for. Six thousand nine hundred and thirty-eight." Incineration. Meh. Turn the page.

"Bro, you forgot to scream in agony that time."

"Did I? Sorry, seeing my daughter die more times than even the gods can count kinda numbed me to all other kinds of pain. Immolation by hellfire was Nightmare Eclipse's method of choice whenever she had to deal with me herself."

"Gotcha."

"Remind me to ask Pandora to help me write an apology letter to send to Venus for mocking how she took her boy's death when we're done, will yah?"

"Will do."

"I'm just glad Fluttercruel's out of that mess. Should I scream now?"

"Naw, not the same."

"Okay. Just making sure. Six thousand nine hundred and thirty-nine." Swarm of draconequus-eating beetles. "Did you send those flowers and apology cards to Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie?"

"Yeah, gave 'em to Strife, Strife gave 'em to Mortis, Mortis gave 'em to them, don't worry."

Discord did the crossword puzzle in pen. He had to thank Pandora for giving him every fantasy magazine ever written to pass the time. "Thanks. Six thousand nine hundred and forty."

+++

When the soapbox appeared underneath the Nightmare, any doubts about this being Twilight's evil future self was laid to rest.

"When we became what we will become and have become, I did some exploring up and down the time-steam and the various branches that reality can take. I needed a way to truly punish Discord, not merely hurt him, a way to completely crush him.

"I learned. I discovered many things. When Discord was born to this world, he pushed forward the birth of the filly that mare would have given birth to otherwise over a thousand years. Since he made his mother 'immortal' with a seventh Element of Chaos, the Element of Despair. He was not a perfect substitute for his 'sister' in fate, but the filly's actions happened anyway when they did originally. This was an inconsistency in causality. That contradiction in time created a snarl in Fate that I was able to exploit. Shady The Second's delayed birth by a different father yet remaining the same created an even larger paradox.

"This would have resulted in Shady II's erasure as an impossibility, or being shoehorned in and backtracked by Rota Fortuna. But instead it left a distortion around Discord, as a being who was never meant to be born forcing himself into the world. And yet his actions were the reason for countless others. So he had to have existed. Same as his half-sister. Rota Fortuna, the Alicorn of Fate, (yes, we are many, Twilight Sparkle, same as the Draconequui) installed a crumble zone around those events so time and history could naturally heal and adjust.

"This never amounted to much, that is until I came along. You see, time distortions tend to...compound, so to speak. So when time is altered, that fact allows me to be a little...creative as to time's flow, and where it flows to. This provided me the tools. But not the knowledge. Eventually, I stumbled upon an astounding discovery! I was left in awe.

"A timeline where history as most ponies knew it went 'backwards.' I'm not saying ponies walked and talked in reverse, or rose from the dead then went inside their mothers. Oh no. It was something far more grander and fantastic from a temporal perspective.

"The Preclassical era, the three tribes, Discord, and Canterlot in that reality came first, then the innocent dream world of the forgotten 'Third Age', then that of the 'Golden Age' or 'Second Age' ponies, and finally the age of Myths with the Rainbow of Light, all happened in THAT order rather than the order we're used to. This timeline was perfect. I researched it forwards and backwards, or is that backwards and forwards? Tee-hee! Sorry. I also did some fun experiments!"

She sounded exactly like Twilight when she was happily explaining a new magic report or some new great scientific discovery that she just had to share with her friends whether they got it or not. She was practically rambling now, not caring if her audience was listening.

Spike, Rarity, and Applejack were having Ponyville flashbacks.

"My hooves were on fire (more so than usual) as I raced up and down it taking in every tiny detail! In that universe, AJ, you ended up immortal, but the rest of us didn't, and you had to watch all of us die of old age except Spike, oh, and Spike stayed a cute baby dragon. Forever."

"By copying its wiring, making several improvements and modifications of course, I was able to create an endless loop, history and events, and Discord trapped in an endless cycle. Of losing everything and watching the only person he cared about besides him die!" The cheerful 'science project' tone never left. That caused the heroes to shudder more than anything.

Then she tilted her head as if in an afterthought.

"Well, sometimes I only sent him back a few centuries, other times I skipped his consciousness forward to the middle. You know, I still get a kick out of making him experience his last few seconds of being hit by the Elements for centuries by sending him back just a little bit until his mind goes numb. Or the last breath escaping Fluttercruel's lungs. Isn't it great, girls?!" She repeatedly clapped her front hooves.

The ponies all stared at her open mouthed and eyes wide in disbelief.

"Oh come on! It's Discord! You know it's nothing more than he deserves! Over and over and over! And just think! With all my research! I'll soon have the entire system cracked! Then I'll be able to create an entire WORLD, naw, A UNIVERSE, free of fate! Isn't it totally radical?"

Rarity cringed at the misuse of Rainbow-Dashese. She answered in a deadpan tone. "Well, if you want my honest opinion, Nightmare...what do we call you?"

"Oh! I've had several names Rarity! My proto-form when I first awoke was 'Nightmare Purgatory, the Most Vengeful Friend.' But I evolved past that! I really liked the way 'Nightmare Dusk' sounded but ultimately I decided that 'dusk' implies an ending and Discord's suffering will never end. So I figured, since I've eclipsed Princess Celestia and Princess Luna and Discord, and the entire world with how much I've learned, why not just call me Nightmare Eclipse? The All Knowing Tragedy! I mean Triumph!" The Nightmare smiled awkwardly.

"Ah'd go with Nightmare 'Paradox' mahself," Apple Pie suggested. "The-Query-Most-Contrary!"

"Well, no one asked you," Nightmare Paradox huffed.

"Anyway, regarding your 'world free of fate,'" Rarity continued, "Sounds more to me like 'a world of no consequences.' Rather Discordian, when you get right down to..." Twilight created a shield, Spike shielded Rarity with his body, Derpy created a short wind gust. A vaporization spell from Rarity destroyed the flaming, spiked chains that had erupted from the ground like snakes trying to ravage at her.

"DON'T YOU EVER COMPARE ME WITH THAT DEVIL! NEVER-EVER-EVER. YOUR BRAIN SHALL SHRINK TWO SIZES EVERY TIME YOU---...ahem, that was very very very very very very rude Rarity."

"And trying to maim somepony you're talking to isn't?"

"Oh, you'll forgive me that, though, won't you girls?" Nightmare Paradox cooed, so unctuous and syrupy that it immediately set all their teeth on edge. "Of course you do! What else WOULD you do? I could vivisect your body, brain, and soul reconstitute you, and repeat, for an entire epoch... and when that epoch was done, I'd only need a few tears, a flash of the sad-puppy eyes, maybe a few lines of sympathetic backstory, and poof! Hatchets buried. Smiles all around. No apology necessary! That's the kind of wonderful friends you girls are!"

They all glared at her: incredulous and insulted.

"Huh? What's with those looks? It's not like you have a purpose anymore anyway." The Nightmare shrugged. "With Discord gone, this world has no purpose. Time to reset! Commendable work, all of you, but now it's over. Thank you for helping."

She spoke like it was the end of a school play.

"Just as soon as my ~~past/present/alternate~~ incomplete-self comes to our senses, quits being a caterpillar and morphs into a brilliant butterfly."

"Meaning what?" Twilight asked.

"Meaning we're reseting the world for the next go-round, to help along creating a truly flawless world." The Nightmare smiled friendlily at the purple unicorn.

"You and Discord are both wrong," Twilight said.

"Huh-?!" The Nightmare's voice echoed like a record out of sync.

"A sincere apology means a bucking lot! It can show you're willing to change! It can show that you recognize your own faults! So you can grow better than them! And an apology was necessary for my friends to move on! It freed them! And I think it freed Discord in a way your tortures could never take away!"

Rarity said, "Punishments are needed yes! But they certainly aren't done in the name of the personal satisfaction of the wronged! They're done to prevent those wrongs from ever being repeated!"

"HOLD ON!" Derpy flew over the group and facing the Nightmare directly. "Me and the Doctor faced paradoxes all the time! He said they were bad things that he helped fix! He'd have fixed this!"

"Oh, he did!" The Nightmare nodded, smiling. "Or at least... he TRIED to, bless him."

"Huh?"

Nightmare Paradox ruffled Derpy's mane with a smile. "Derpy, you'll be pleased to learn that The Doctor completely overcame that awful Valeyard persona. He's was back to his old galaxy-wandering, world-rescuing self."

"He is? Yay!" Derpy gave a happy little twirl.

"His immediate plan of action, was to go back in time to stop me, because, well, you know The Doctor, he thinks all Alicorns who so as much think about actually asserting their authority should be stripped of all power and banished to the void between realities for eternity. Didn't work out though."

Derpy's smile vanished.

"The Doctor might well have succeeded... except he first decided to make a pit stop to pick up some companions. Didn't want to go making the same 'lone wolf' mistake he'd made as The Valeyard, after all! But he forgot, we ALREADY beat him once, in his Valeyard form, and remember we listened to you Derpy, list every single one of his weaknesses, shortcomings, blind spots, not to mention some of the extra defects in the TARDIS!"

Derpy's face went blank. She felt sick.

"I just needed to whip up a Dalek Empire TARDIS defense shield disruptor, invent a sonic-screwdriver nullifier, memorize every galactic and temporal law book in existence, and buy several cartloads of pears! Oh, and rent a Dahaka. Those poor companions of his. But he still put up quite a fight when he caught up with us! Thank goodness I've read more books on Hoof-Wresting than him."

Tears pooled in Derpy's eyes.

"Awww... what's with the weepy face, Derpy? Cheer up! I let em go with a scuff on the ear and a pat on the head, after I made him write a letter of apology and him promising never to do it again and a good spanking. Then we turned him into a little foal with a special fob-watch in a basket sucking his own hoof. And left him on the doorstep of a warmhearted infertile couple who wanted a baby. Now he gets the normal life he always wanted!" The Nightmare cheered happily.

"Normal life?" Derpy repeated.

"Yes! Don't get me wrong, I mean, I have every respect for the stallion's tireless efforts to preserve the integrity of the space-time continuum and fight evil... but all that TRAVEL! Learn to stop and smell the roses every now and then! It might do your sanity some good! Took forever for my friends to teach me that lesson."

Derpy Hooves felt dizzy, her legs didn't seem to want to work right, she began to waddle drunkenly, Applejack caught her. "It's okay Derpy, it's okay."

"But...the Doctor..."

"We saved 'im from bein' the Valeyard, that's what counts. And it doesn't sound like she put 'im in anything he can't get out of later. Maybe it's best he sit this one out, with a loving pair of parents."

"Oh, oh okay...yeah, you're right."

"Nightmare Eclipse, Paradox, whatever! If you're really Twilight, how can you really be, really be, really be behind..." Spike couldn't put it into words. "All this?"

"Oh, Spike! That's easy! Because Discord needs to be punished, and punished, and punished, and punished." She spoke the last part with a dark echo.

Applejack said, "Twilight! If that's really ya! Makin' us go through Discord again and again?! Don't ya see yer hurtin' every pony in Equestria?"

"Don't be silly Applejack! Discord hurts them." The Nightmare nodded sagely, "And I punish him for hurting them. Simple as that," she said proud of having summed it up so perfectly.

AJ shed tears.

"I have nothing to say to you, since there is only way this exchange can conclude," Rarity said simply.

"Indeed! With myself growing up and becoming me!" That warm smile was getting scary.

Twilight stayed silent for several seconds then spoke. "How long has Discord been enduring this?"

"It's genuinely hard to say now. I suppose if you were to lay the iterations end-to-end... it'd total a few hundred million years."

Hearts skipped a beat.

"But mostly I keep his optimized actions in place and skip him to parts that involve his punishment, or push him back to earlier parts, or later part, or have him repeat them, make him feel as helpless and unable to make a right choice like he does everypony else."

"Does he really love Fluttercruel?"

"In all fairness, I'd have to say that she's one of his last remaining reasons for not completely withdrawing emotionally. Sleepwalking through life. Becoming the evil overlord version of Twilight Tragedy. Discor-gedy. Hee hee hee!!! He has this crazy notion that he's somehow going to outfox me, one of these iterations, so that she'll survive even if he dies. Like I'd let his nearest and dearest survive, when he's killed everypony else's loved ones!"

"Is it really true that Rancor didn't exist in any of the previous loops?" Spike asked.

"Yes, that's true."

"So the spirit world exists separately from this world?" Twilight asked.

"Relatively separate. Time doesn't exist, at least by the unicorn definition of the word, in the spiritual reality."

"Assuming things DO reset... will she appear in later loops?"

"Maybe, myself. I don't have enough information. My data suggests about a 60% plus chance. Normally traveling along a timeline changes nothing, since you're traveling to your own past, so that future is in fact your actual present you came from, and the present you are in is your actual past, which can not be changed since you cannot change your own past."

"But, myself...?"

"BUT if something NEW is introduced to a timeline, from the outside, it DOES create ripples and it DOES alter the timeline. But once it enters, it becomes a PART of that timeline, and cannot enact FURTHER changes."

"She knows me from the future, though." Twilight whispered. "Apparently, I'm to give her a ribbon. Does that mean you fail, Nightmare? I have a hard time seeing such a vindictive girl like you handing out ribbons."

Nightmare Paradox created the ribbon out of thin air. "Stop thinking of me as the 'bad guy' already! It's embarrassing." She let out a breath. "Fine, I'll spoil the surprise: after you evolve, you DO give Rancor this ribbon for shattering Fluttercruel's image of family, thus causing her pain. And if that doesn't satisfy you..."

"Yes?"

"Consider this: one of her concepts is REVENGE little me, which I've been dishing out to Discord as a full course banquet! Yes, she's an impulsive disrespectful idiot. But so was Rainbow Dash, and that didn't stop us from making friends with her!"

*She's right, Twilight. Rancor's ribbon won't prove anything about how this... discussion... will resolve itself.*

"Why did Discord stare at a test pattern on his TV for ten years?"

"I sent him forward in time and tried a new 'split-screen' effect where he got to experience his daughter dying and being hit by the Elements at the same time even though they happened hours apart. After a couple hundred years of experiencing those few seconds he stopped responding at all, even his neurons stopped firing, so I dumped him there to recover...a few times." The Nightmare gave a socially awkward look, "Erm, you're all not starting to feel SORRY for Discord now are you?"

They shook their heads. AJ politely lied. Nobody noticed Rarity didn't nod or shake her head.

"Good! Just checking! I mean, those stories were someone does horrible things, then someone comes along and does WORSE THINGS to them and then others suddenly go 'Aw, Poor Wrongdoer?' Pst. You throw a 'Getting Their Just Desserts Party' as Pinkie Pie would say!"

They all nodded politely. Applejack and Rarity both felt sick to their stomachs.

"Discord said he was trapped 'in bounds' what about when he visited the Emperor of those monkey aliens?" AJ asked.

"That was left over from the first cycle. I let that happen, because it caused him SUCH SWEET MISERY EVERY TIME he got so confused over doing something nice!"

Twilight asked, "And forty-nine years ago, at Hearth Warming's Eve, when he made himself and us all foals for one year, with Pinkie Pie and Fluttercruel back further into diapers. We were, all of us, all FRIENDS for that one year. How many cycles ago did that 'first' occur?"

"Oh that? I've been meaning to tape over that part. But he's been trying so many of his fake 'good deeds' I've been busy. I've had to hold his hand and assume direct control of him to keep him on track. I hated doing that."

Twilight didn't want to hear that. Applejack's eyes widened. Derpy let out a growl. Apple Pie gasped. Spike's face fell.

"You do realize technically, darling, that suffering for suffering has no value?" Rarity asked cautiously.

"Why do you think I let him have his family outing with Fluttercruel? It's only with the greatest joy, like being a parent, can one experience the truest of suffering! Why this one cycle I let everything go his way till the very, VERY end when I swooped in and took everything from him at the last possible second! The look on his face was priceless!" She grinned, teeth becoming sharp and sadistic glee crossing her face before going back to an expression that would have looked right at home on the face of Ponyville's last librarian of Golden Oaks.

"So we're clear," Rarity said keeping her voice calm and restrained, "The last thousand years, has been a patchwork of previous timelines, so Discord continued to play the role of villain you assigned him, and Twilight reached the ending you choose for her?"

"And all of you continue to properly play your parts of course. Can't have you coming to your senses too early Rarigreed."

"Ah've gotta question fer ya Miss Paradox," Apple Pie spoke.

"It's 'Miss Eclipse,' and yes?"

"Please...how many times did ya just let Poison Apple die?"

"Who?"

"Yah...yah don't even know?"

"Silly pony, I don't pay attention to the unimportant NPCs. That's what notebooks are for! He was your coltfriend right?"

Apple Pie's jaw hung open.

"I've got a better question," Twilight said firmly, "Since Apple Pie is more of a 'major character' to you, you should be able to answer this: how many times did you allow Apple Pie to be murdered, you fat-headed nag?!"

"...As many times as it took," was the emotionless answer.

"How can you do that to ponies?!! To my, no, to OUR friends?!"

"These things are not our friends. They're not people. They're mistakes and distortions caused by Discord. Specifically, our failure to beat him in the hedge maze, way back when. I'm bringing balance to the universe. You know? Harmony? Discord make countless ponies suffer unspeakably, so I'm just making him suffer unspeakably countless times. Tick for tock."

Rarity spoke, six pastel lights glowing from within. "Balance is not a universal force. It is not the final say in all things. Balance between work and play, dreaming and doing, is not the same as the balance between, war and peace, ponies who are murdered and those who aren't. These things do NOT have a 'balance' to them.

"It is no more a universal law than, say...free will. That is the cruel truth of the magic of shaping your own life and reaching for what you desire, even though it angers us to hear it. There is no 'right to choose to murder somepony.' No 'right to choose to rob somepony.' These are not choices, these are wrongs! What's more: monsters do not need to exist for there to be saints... life is... life is enough of a struggle, enough of a heroic endeavor, with or without villains!

"To say something is about 'balance' is no more a free-ticket than saying it's about 'choice' 'free will' or 'nature's intention!' Otherwise, we risk loosing sight of what it is we're actually struggling for! Like you."

"Rarity," Twilight said slowly like a foal poking a dragon.

"I'm sorry Twilight."

"Myself, it's time for you to become a butterfly."

"Discord's been punished enough! Protecting the good is more important than punishing the wicked!" Twilight shouted.

"I'm doing both! I think I need to get you away from some corruptive influences. I'll save you from these illusions Twilight Sparkle."

There was a flash of light from Nightmare Paradox's horn. And everything changed.

=Necron's theme FFIX=

Everything was red. Twilight was alone before her Nightmare. They were in a blast landscape, like at ground zero of a Mana-Source-Crystal-Shatter Bomb. The sky was simply red clouds, like crimson cloth floating in dark soup. The land was a vague bowl shape. At the edge of the crater, draconequus skulls and pegasus bones were arranged in precise and organized patterns. Nothing grew. No structures. No buildings. Even the dust was minimal and fell in an orderly mechanical fashion.

Twilight was feeling hotter and hotter by the moment. The air itself was beginning to choke her. Then why was the ground she stood on feel so frigidly cold?

"There. Away from those fake versions of our friends who were confusing you and leading you astray. Once we're one, you'll get to have a say in this place, just like our real friends do. You have to realize nothing in this world is real, except for us, and Discord. There's nopony else here, only we're real.

"You becoming Nightmare Eclipse is perfectly natural. It's not something to be scared of. Just let it happen. Remember how sincerely you hate Discord. How he's less than dirt. He's a disease, not a being. An infection.

"And you've got to realize. These ponies aren't our friends. They act nothing like our friends. Therefore, they are not our friends. Simple logic and reason.

"THINK about it, Twilight. Those companions of yours are unfit distortions of the true Elements of Harmony. Mannequins. Not real. Movie props. Even after curing their hearts of Discord's filth, they didn't ACT like their old selves. Isn't that proof enough? It's just ourselves, now, Twilight. Nothing to corrupt your thinking."

Twilight stared back at Nightmare Paradox.

"Even so... even if I, alone, am real... there's still one thing preventing me from unifying with you. A simple virtue you've clearly forgotten. And I'm so ashamed of the fact. I only hope Celestia can forgive us both."

"What virtue is that?"

"The one thing I'd say you hate more than anything in the world, Nightmare Paradox: forgiveness."

The Nightmare rolled her eyes. "Hate it?' HA! That's like saying I hate rolling around in my own filth!"

She suddenly let out a frustrated scream and took several deep breaths. "'Better living through forgiveness!' Who believes such meaningless tripe?! Do you have ANY IDEA what it's been LIKE for me this whole while? Having to be tethered to all you insipid, softhearted, jejune, dewy-eyed, holier-than-thou apologists? Let me ask, Twilight: what WON'T you forgive?! Judges pass life sentences on criminals for a REASON, you know!"

"And there's a bucking reason Princess Celestia outlawed torture as punishment!"

"Just how outrageously evil must a sinner be for your compassion to finally run out?!"

"Forgiveness isn't about making excuses for what others have done! YES THERE'S EVIL IN THE WORLD! Discord made mountains of it! But Punishment has no intrinsic value. If it doesn't reform or discourage criminals, or remove them as a threat to others, then it's doesn't solve anything! And it doesn't make the hurt pony feel better, because that hate doesn't go away if you DO AS IT SAYS! You have to let it go!" Twilight snarled. She stood proud on her soap box.

"I'm beginning to think our quest might as well have been led by APPLE PIE, since she can't even see the real world!"

The world shattered to the sound of breaking glass like six canon balls had been fired through it. Gone were the red clouds, gone was the empty landscape of death. They were still on top of the castle. The normal world was back. The world she and her friends had sacrificed and fought so hard to make it this far. The world she knew wasn't beyond hope.

"GOT THROUGH!" Rarity's voice shouted.

Rarity glowed with six pastel colors and symbols from within, her face cycling through anger, viciousness, avarice, gentleness, resolve, and understanding.

AJ and Spike caught her as her back legs gave out. They were still on top of the castle. They had ALL been right by her side the entire time. "Six Chaos Elements Trump Nightmare Pocket Universe!"

Derpy zoomed in and brought Twilight back close to her friends away from the Nightmare.

The Nightmare roared, echoing. "This was supposed to be between us alone! A symbolic match of the minds between the deluded shadow and the enlightened self!"

"Whose life have ya been livin'? We're a herd. We don't do solo," AJ told her.

Apple Pie yelled at the top of her lungs, "YOU! AH'M NOT LETTING YA MURDER MAGICA AND POISON APPLE -TWICE!-"

"You can't murder something that isn't alive, and you, child, will suck it up and take it with a smile, just like your rock farming family taught you to!"

"YA MONSTER!"

"So the automatic forgiveness dispenser finally declares the 'final villain' a monster huh? How cliche."

Apple Pie took several deep breaths to calm down. "Yeah, yer a monster, but Ah never said bein' a monster and bein' irredeemable were the same thing! If yer really Half-Light, then Ah know there's gotta be REAL good, inside ya!"

"Of course there's good inside of me! I'm real! There's nothing inside you. ANY of you!" The Nightmare looked at Twilight eye to eye.

"Myself, you've fooled yourself into being attached to these fakes. These distortions and robots whose every action is scripted for the sole purpose to bring maximum humiliation and misery to Discord. Nothing else.

"Applejack is a coarse, rough and tumble apple farmer. She has the world's worst poker face and breaks down even from a lie of omission. She isn't afraid to get her hooves dirty in any sense of the word. She doesn't have a 'refined lady' on the inside she tries to hide! She's the Element of Honesty, not Kindness! And CERTAINLY not the Element of Deceit!

"Rarity is allergic to mud, unless it's imported. She's a dressmaker, a business mare, a socialite. She puts as much effort into her appearance as we do into organizing our books! She loves diamonds and beauty and is phobic of anything disgusting! She doesn't roll around in the dirt with rocks! She doesn't think cleaning up between brawls is a waste of time! She is Generous! NOT shamelessly GREEDY! She knows manners are about saying one thing and meaning another, she doesn't embrace cruel truths!

"Spike is supposed to be a BABY dragon! HE DOES NOT HAVE AN ELEMENT OF HARMONY! He certainly isn't -Generosity-! He's a -dragon!- Greed is in his blood that he constantly struggles to keep a lid on! He's supposed to be 'Yes, Twilight,' 'Of course, Twilight,' no matter how much he grumbles behind our backs he obeys like a good number one assistant! And he's supposed to be a pony in dragon skin, NOT PROUD TO BE A DRAGON! And though he has a crush on her, Rarity and Spike ARE NOT TOGETHER!! Wake up!

"Derpy Hooves isn't supposed to be a teammate! She isn't an Element of Harmony! Let alone Loyalty! She's a background pony! She doesn't fight, she delivers mail ineptly! She isn't supposed to have any meaningful effect on your life or those of your friends! She isn't supposed to be sad or serious! Your not even supposed to have her as a close friend. She doesn't HAVE a personality beyond her love of muffins, having freaky eyes and her foals that probably aren't even hers!"

"And there IS NO pony named Apple Pie! There's certainly no prepubescent filly who carries the Element of Laughter! Let alone one whose from the Apple and Pie families together! And have you noticed how she doesn't get on anypony's nerves except the bad guys? Isn't that 'too perfect?' SHE DOESN'T EXIST!!! How can she?! Now look at them each Twilight! And see them for the cheap automatons they are! We control this funhouse we've trapped Discord in. These are just the props."

Twilight looked into the faces of each of her friends and said simply. "You're right."

"Half-Light!" Apple Pie said like someone just stabbed her in the heart.

"They are different! Because they've become different! Just like us! I've ACCEPTED that my old friends aren't the same. If I hadn't, then the Elements wouldn't work! I've grown to love them for it! And I've got new friends on top of it!"

"And Apple Pie?"

"On a quest this black, we need as much lightheartedness as we can muster!

Of ALL ponies a version of me should be the LAST pony accusing a pony of being 'too perfect.' I remember thinking about that in the maze, the same as you do. But you know what? I'm not and neither is Apple Pie! Would a 'perfect' pony have fallen for the Valeyard's trick? Or BELIEVED him in the first place? If Apple Pie were perfect, she'd have either burned the comic on sight or just blew it off. She wouldn't have NEEDED Derpy to pull her out of the depression it put her in! If she were 'perfect' would Rancor have been able to ambush her and slice her flank open?

"I'm sorry to say, but she's naive, she takes everything at face value, she sometimes overestimates her own abilities, she thought the heroes always win. That's helped us, but I'd be blind to say they hadn't hurt her too!"

Apple Pie lowered her head.

"She's got flaws...And you know what? I don EXPECT her to be a picture perfect pony! I love her as my friend despite, in spite of them! LIKE ALL MY FRIENDS! And like they're MY friends in spite of my flaws!"

Twilight hugged her happily. Apple Pie felt surprised and hugged Twilight back happily, the two looked boldly at the nightmare together.

"And I'm proud to say she's grown past some of them! She knows she can't write a check her legs can't cash anymore, she wants to MAKE her happy ending happen instead of just expecting it. Like our friends have always helped us with our flaws." Twilight gave her a smile and got a smile then back at her Nightmare, "You and I... we really are stubborn and narrow-minded."

"I'm not narrow-minded! I'm realistic!"

"It's realistic to refuse to accept any outcome except the one YOU want? Let me ask you one thing, if my friends were robots, if that's all they are, How did Derpy become the Element of Loyalty? That completely took you off-guard! If they were just robots, how are they DEFYING YOU?! Robots would lay down and die when you said 'lay down and die!' And why am I not wanting to throw everything away for revenge? Face it, even with you scheduling and check-listing the lives of everypony like they were inventory, you still don't know as much as you think you do!"

"Surprises happen! You're just lost in the fog, you'll come to your senses in a minute when you become me."

"Become you? I didn't kill Rainbow Dash! Fluttershy's soul is safe. And I didn't murder Pinkie Pie! Celestia and Luna are alive. I have more important things to do with my life than spend all eternity making Discord miserable!"

"Like what?!" Nightmare Paradox sneered.

"Lots of things! Date! Develop new friendships! Be with Celestia! Marry and start a family, maybe. Explore new hobbies! Read! Research! Conduct experiments! Watch movies! Discover a few new elements on the periodic table and name them after myself! Help our parents! The world is my oyster! You've grown so narrow-minded, you've forgotten lessons! Like Pinkie's Pinkie Sense!"

A cross shaped vein bulged on the side of the Nightmare's head. "You...you...you did NOT JUST GO THERE!" Her flaming mane flared.

"So being different equals being fake? Alright, let's look at it YOUR way. Twilight Sparkle is supposed to be a stubborn, somewhat antisocial bookworm unicorn who loves her friends more than ANYTHING and would do anything FOR them...and has a mild case of OCD. She is NOT a vengeance crazed mass murderer who cares more about punishing a villain who's ALREADY BEATEN than spending time with her friends and who would MURDER those friends several million times over to do it. By your own logic, YOU aren't real."

"...You REALLY shouldn't be," Rarity couldn't help muttering under her breath at the Nightmare.

"I never said I was perfect, I have some flaws. It's like you said, that doesn't automatically make me the bad guy, does it? I've learned to live for each cycle, living each moment to its fullest! Not worrying about the future or dwelling on the past! And deleting NPCs is not murder, you need professional help myself. And I spend plenty of time with my friends. But you're having to let go of imaginary friends so they'll forgive you for that one. But you'll be all better soon. So I'm not mad. I know we have a bit of a temper, but it's nothing to be ashamed about, so don't beat yourself up over it," The Nightmare said in a helpful 'we can do this team' tone.

Twilight felt the urge to pound her head against the floor. She couldn't tell if Paradox was mocking her...or worse, they were just THAT similar.

"Let us help ya! Remember Nightmare Moon?! She was crazy too! If ya can't see it can't ya trust yerself and yer friends to know you're not well!?" AJ pleaded.

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHOSE LOST HER MIND Twilight! Everything in this world is nothing but shadows of a lie of a fantasy. You're not being rational! Spike! Restrain her!"

"No."

"Spike, I'm warning you!"

"I'll have you know I am NOT a robot, or a distortion, or any of those other things. And I need to be loyal to the real Twilight."

The Nightmare's eyes became pinpricks.

+++

Minty looked up at the ceiling as the entire castle shook. "Bad baby dragon!"

"No way, Twilight, then everything I saw in that silver pool really was..." Minty wiped away tears. "Twilight, I'm coming! I won't run away!"

+++

Episode 112: (Dark World) All My Friends Are Here

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Pony POV Series
Dark World Part 30 "All My Friends Are Here"
By Alex Warlorn
Edited By Kendell2 and Louis

="I Look Up To The Sky Because You Are There" 'Wild Arms 4'=

Twilight's Nightmare shouted defiantly, "There's no way I'm going lose to slaves of fate like you! I'll defy it make my own destiny!"

*You can't gamble on trying to go for a quick win by using the Elements immediately, your fight with Odyne Tulasi Typhon, Cruelty, has shown that you couldn't rely on your target just staring as you charged up the Elements, and not trying to dodge.*

'We'll find a way!'

*I know you can.*

Applejack shouted, "Nothin' left ta say except it's time fer ya ta take yer medicine!"

"Time to remind you what a friend actually is!" Spike declared.

"One last bad guy to beat, no! One last pony to save!" Apple Pie said.

Rarity spoke, "Since Rainbow Dash isn't here, I'll say it for her. Ahem: 'For Pinkie Pie AND Fluttershy I'm gonna buck you into the next forever!'"

Derpy said, "Not if I beat ya to it!"

"We'll do it together then."

"Alright!"

"You wanted Us to change by force? Then see first what it's like when it's done to you!" Twilight said.

"If yer Half-Light from later, how come ya talk like Half-Light from when we first met?"

Violet lightning spread from Nightmare Paradox's horn, shooting out in every direction before changing course to strike Apple Pie from every direction at once.

But lightning was still lightning, and Derpy was still a pegasus who was a pro at it! The pegasus dove and caught the horde of lightning and redirected it towards the Nightmare in her metal armor.

The Nightmare screamed, her skeleton visible for a few moments as she was struck.

The castle stones tried to squash Apple Pie like a bug as they glowed and came together like a steel trap. A simultaneous front hoof/back hoof stone buck, with a little rock breaking Earth Pony magic, shattered it before it close.

Derpy used the same proven strategy she had against Cruelty, flying around like a insane bumble bee, being in the same place for less than instant to provide a distraction for her teammates.

"The battlefield has no need for clowns!" The Nightmare created a bottle-like barrier around herself and Derpy along with a brief tornado at the top, sucking the air out.

Which meant no air to lift her wings, and gravity took over slamming Derpy into the ground.

Derpy mouthed silently, 'At least I didn't explode,' as everything began to go black.

'That's science fiction garbage. Though you should be happy you breathed out.' Mouthed the immortal Nightmare.

Several golem ponies formed of the stone floor and mobbed the Nightmare, breaking her concentration, the barrier, and returning life-giving air back to the pony.

"My golems don't breath!" Rarity snapped.

Nightmare Paradox created six spear headed chains that fired straight at Rarity and pierced each of her Elements, breaking them with a satisfying crack as she gasped and fell over with a thud. The golems continued their tireless attack.

"Failsafe spell!" The golems fell apart from the wave of dispel-magic, and the image of the real Rarity appeared as the illusion blinked out of existence.

"But I felt-"

"MASTER OF ILLUSION!" AJ appeared above her and slammed her in the face. The Nightmare creating swarms of chains to restrict her movements, then telekinetically tore out her Element of Chaos.

"Now say goodnight, you-you are kidding me! Failsafe spell wide-field!" The AJ she had been fighting vanished and the real AJ appeared back with the party.

"Dangit!" AJ cursed. She wasn't familiar enough with Chaos Magic to replicate its spiritual aura correctly. But she WAS glad to have Rarity able to back her up and make it work better.

"For the sake of the real AJ, I'll annihilate you from existence!"

But it DID give the distraction needed for Spike to punch her in the face, and then tail-sweep her, and firebreath her while she was still in the air. But the Nightmare created a barrier around herself as the flame almost engulfed her.

Twilight in the meantime pulled Derpy away from the fight to give the survival talented pegasus a moment to recover. Spike grabbed the solid force sphere and threw it into the stone floor like a basketball, the Nightmare bounced inside her own barrier forcing her to dispel it.

Then a giant dragon golem formed out of the shed parts of the castle and tackled Spike, this one was glowing magenta.

"Did you forget I can replicate the effect of any spell?" The Nightmare said. "I am The Element of Magic!"

"Can ya replicate Half-Light's 'remember the real you' spell? Maybe ya should try it on yerself!"

"You can't bait me!" She got hit in the face with a mass of fireworks.

"We don't know that spell!" Nightmare Paradox growled, rubbing away the soot.

"No but Trixie's Element of Magic does!"

"And ONCE AGAIN you give away information you didn't need to! Didn't I warn you about that?"

Twilight gasped as she felt her Element of Chaos being pulled out of her by telekinesis alone, she grabbed it within her and tried to keep it in place. "I thought you needed me alive!"

"You'd last long enough for me to cure you of your foolishness."

Derpy's lighting struck the Nightmare from above, Rarity's fireballs hit in her face, and Spike threw her own golem at her. After blowing the golem off her, she found herself in a soft peaceful flower field. Pinkie Pie asked. "How does a pony act when they read up on rules of a story, then see the world works like the rules of a story, they don't want to react according to rules of a story, but reacting differently is in the rules of a story, and-"

"FAILSAFE SPELL!" The Nightmare shouted before she got a headache, her golem fell apart, and the illusions vanished, Pinkie Pie was gone replaced by Apple Pie, not for long as she was hit with a high speed fireball. The filly screamed from the heat and flames that scorched her body.

"APPLE PIE!"

The Nightmare quickly created several spinning blades that spun around madly around her and she began repairing her body.

Rarity and Applejack rushed to keep the filly born and raised in the fields of hell itself from dying and heal her.

'We can do this. We just need to keep up the pressure. With half of us running interference or back up, and the rest of hitting her hard, we can win this!'

*Careful! Discord's servants aren't the only ones who can hide aces! She's Twilight! Don't forget that!*

"Don't worry Ah'm still breathin-ACK!" Rarity didn't have a millisecond to spare as she brought a protect-telekinesis aura around Apple Pie's neck and chest as the Nightmare tried to simply mentally crush her into a black hole.

'No way! Her telekinesis is as strong as mine!?' The Nightmare thought.

*Not that I'm about to tell you why. You're the smart one, you figure it out.*

'IT'S BECAUSE OF THE ELEMENTS OF CHAOS!!!'

*Uh-Oh.*

Twilight casted a freeze, fire, and lightning spell at the same time, the Nightmare was forced up bring up a barrier. Twilight was SO GRATEFUL Rancor had gone AWOL, and their 'fight' against Discord had been such an effortless affair... otherwise, after so many battles in a day and using the Elements so many times in a row she'd never have enough mana left for THIS fight!

'I just hope there isn't some OTHER super-nasty waiting in the wings!'

*Don't worry, Twilight! This is it! You just have to seize a better future by stopping her! If you hold back in this fight your friends all die! GIVE IT EVERYTHING YOU HAVE!!!*

"I'm going to keep a telekinetic barrier around all of us so she can't simply snap out necks. My combined magic should be enough to interfere with hers so she can't change us into end-tables," Rarity whispered.

"I'll serve as backup to that," Twilight said.

"Rarity darlin, can yer magic TAKE THAT?"

"I was able to animate an entire army of golems with ONE Element of Chaos, now I'm a full set! I told you I'd be our best weapon."

"No you're a friend!" Twilight snapped.

*There's GOOD news, Twilight! She's NOT trying to kill you, otherwise you couldn't become a Nightmare! So she can't use sweeping aura attacks like Fluttercruel did!*

'Thanks for letting me know!'

AJ figured it out too, because then she made all the mares look like Twilight, then did an illusion version of Rarity's flash bomb. It was all just senses after all.

Rarity's chaos magic gumming up the works may have prevented her from effecting the ponies DIRECTLY with telekinesis and transmutation magic, but rocks were teleported above every pony except the real Twilight Sparkle and crushed them.

"Nice Applejack! But you forgot that I'm Twilight Sparkle too! I know myself!"

"That's there arguable!" Derpy and Apple Pie appeared from AJ's invisibility spell and Derpy added speed to the little Earth Pony missile smacking her in the chest, making her gasp.

"You-you KNEW you couldn't create a good illusion of Twilight's aura! It was bait!"

"Ya couldn't tell the costumes were empty," AJ said smiling.

Twilight's telekinesis pressed the Nightmare's wings to her body and pushed her legs together, Apple Pie DARED get in a few more hits before Derpy quickly retreated with her, smacking a lightning cloud in the Nightmare's face to cover their retreat.

The Nightmare responded by casting her Fail-Safe Spell again, constantly, in a hide tight aura around herself, breaking Twilight's telekinesis.

"Did you think all I have is brute strength?!" She disconnected just one of her feathers from her wings. More mirrors than Rarity had owned in her life appeared randomly around the ponies. She mentally fired the feather quill first into one of the mirrors passing in like water. Instead of coming out of one mirror, it came out of all of them.

Apple Pie was a smaller target and Derpy drunken flying saved her. Rarity and Twilight poured out MORE of their telekinesis then they were already using constantly (something Twilight wasn't used to doing like Rarity) and were able to deflect most of the feathers.

Almost.

"MY EYES!" Spike screamed.

"I'm sorry, Spike, I thought you had outgrown the need for me to spank you."

Another hit AJ in the back of the neck, at just-the-right-spot in her brain to cancel out her illusion magic. Stuck where it was, her Element of Chaos couldn't heal it. She fell over her eyes wide and paralyzed.

"I'd say you were dead, but you're already trying to kill us," Rarity hissed.

Rarity channelled her rage and slammed both her front hooves into the ground, manipulating the force so it travelled in a line to the Nightmare breaking into a hole beneath, forcing to become air-born. "Moron. You just made the battlefield more a disadvantage for two-thirds of you than for me!"

A barrier popped around Twilight that she banged against just as boulders with frosty outside and molten cores teleported around the heroes and exploded a moment later.

"Once I'm done with you. Rota Fortuna is next on my list," The Nightmare said simply as she flapped her wings.

*Was it really so bright of you to say that out loud?*

'I'm not scared of Rota. I'm not scared of fate, destiny, or free will! I'll rip her from her life-support! Evils like her are an impediment to ponies seeking to rise up and make more of themselves.'

*Just how many lives are you willing to sacrifice?*

"There are no lives! None of you are real, you are all but illusions I created to torture Discord!"

*So you think because you're 'doing the right thing' you can't be error?*

'Oh I know good intentions can back fire. I've seen that awful world with the 'Harmony Queens' who have taken free will from everyone in the name of 'harmony'. I think I'll save their Equestria from them eventually.'

What were those ponies and dragon all doing in cracked half-complete solid diamond shells?

Rarity blinked as her eyes finished healing and Spike's eyes were as good as new. Her skin had thankfully all healed before the smoke had cleared for ~~Apple Pie's~~, or maybe Derpy's sake.

"Element of Greed, there is nothing I can't steal, Element of Honesty, there is no deception I can't pierce, Element of Cruelty, every drop of my blood and bone is a weapon, Element of Anger, my strength has no equal, Element of Deceit, your senses are mine to befuddle, Element of Free Will, none may effect my mind and causality is mine to alter, Element of Magic, all spells are mine to learn and brings it all together. Now why would I tell you all this? Because you're just one last friend lost in the darkness. As much as you despise us, you've assisted us in so many battles, saved our lives! Now it's time to save you!"

"Paradise has no need for ponies such as you who reek of chaos!" Whirlwinds of fire, lightning, ice, sand, right now on the head of the arrogant mare. She crumbled like paper.

But the Nightmare knew this game. And she already knew what was coming before the heroes ON ALL SIDES attacked, fire-breath, diamond weapons, raw mana, rocks, illusionary replicas that carried illusionary pain (which was just another sense), and lightning.

Instead of creating another solid barrier, she summoned countless spell books, their hardbound covers designed to survive a Crystal-Bomb war, moving them with her telekinesis, and invoking the spells within even as they flew about. "Knowledge is my barrier!"

The books intercepted attacks even as they returned fire. "You see? You don't choose between attacking and defending, when it's possible to do both! And disable you enemy's close range and long range offense at the same time!" The books formed a uniform wall when Spike tried to brute force his way through.

"The truth can pierce any barricade!"

Six pastel lights lit up within Rarity, a beam of rainbow light as wide as her horn shot out, impaling the spell book that intercepted it and impaling the Nightmare too, she fell, gasping.

"Rarity! How dare you...one of...my books!"

The books coordination became sloppy, and Spike was able to dive through, double hammer blowed the Nightmare, and hit her with his fire-breath as she was still falling, a set of uneven diamond stalagmites jutted up from below to pierce her body.

Spike couldn't bear to look at the sight and turned his head, as did everypony else as the spikes made contact. The books vanished. The heroes were silent.

"...Over?" Derpy asked.

The Nightmare's voice whispered upwards. "I who carry the curse of godhood to punish the wicked, I won't give up that easy!"

The white armor she had been wearing had taken much of the impact and the diamond spikes that she now returned to sender to a caught off guard Rarity knocking her over.

"I will grant absolute freedom to all real ponies!" The nightmare declared, her voice echoing, rising up out of the hole in the castle. "Burn in the flames of purgatory!"

Fire constructs of every shape and size exploded from the nightmare, fire Applejacks trying to grapple them, fire hydra heads at the speed of cobras trying to swallow them. At the same time flaming white hail rained down from the sky. Pillars of flame exploded randomly around and underneath the ponies. "My heart burns with righteous fury! Be forgotten by fate herself!"

It was bedlam as the best the ponies could do was keep themselves from being burned alive, though they were going to be cooked alive within the span of a couple minutes away, forcing them to retreat until a wall of fire appeared between them and the edge of the castle. Mosquito flame constructs pelted Rarity and Twilight to mess up their concentration to prevent teleportation. Applejack also found her concretion being shattered before she could form illusions. And the intense heat made it impossible for Derpy to use weather magic. Apple Pie was encircled by grinning flames with her own facing mindless blabbing as they closed in like a noose.

"I CAN SEE THE FUTURE! CHRYSALIS' TRUE FORM IS... CELESTIA HAD BRACES... LUNA WENT ON A DATE WITH DISCORD! APPLE PIE IS AN UNINSPIRED 2-D POLLYANNA CLICHÉ!"

"...Ah'm not, am Ah?" Apple Pie whispered.

(There there, I've read more books than you, and I know this is the part where the perky kid dies to show how unforgiving and unfeeling reality is. It's just your role.)

"Fire no hurt dragons!" Spike plowed through the whole mess like mist and rammed a claw into the Nightmare.

"I ask you! What is there in this reality that is even worth salvaging?" The Nightmare exploded into a sphere of ice that left Spike trapped inside and he fell.

Derpy spun like a whirlwind, sucking up all the flames as she flew upwards, creating a flaming tornado that she directed right at the Nightmare who just sucked up the flames. Derpy landed, what was left of her wings a scorched mess.

"APPLEJACK!" Rarity shouted not having wings to steal injuries with.

Twilight simply teleported Spike right out of the ice, the dragon was shivering, then Twilight threw the ice ball right at the Nightmare with her telekinesis. The Nightmare breathed out the fire and the ball of ice exploded spectacularly.

"We all fought back from the dark and the muck Discord put us in!" Rarity shouted, "What do we have to fear from a pale imitation like you?!"

"You think your paltry burdens measure to my own?! I am damned to walk the endless wheel!"

"I know exactly what that's like." Derpy says boldly. "I can take you on."

"You tell her, Derpy!"

"You who defend this worthless twisted black world of chaos, I shall crush you in the name of sanity and order!"

Floating crystals appeared in a grid pattern around the castle, then purple laser shot out and connected to each forming a grid of death that instantly dropped down on the ponies and dragon.

"FAILSAFE!" Twilight shouted and her horn flashed before the grid of laser could come down.

"Learn how futile your fight is against a true hero!" The Nightmare merely recreated the grid of death, Twilight dispelled it, and again, and again, again.

Rarity teleported above the Nightmare and jammed a crystal lance in the spot between her armor and then two diamond daggers into her wings before teleporting away. The Nightmare fell, this time avoiding the hole and rolling into Discord's throne, knocking it over.

"You aren't going to win this," Twilight said, "No matter how much raw magic you have. You have only yourself. How can you have forgotten all we learned in Ponyville?"

The Nightmare mentally pulled out Rarity's weapons. And laughed! Then calmed herself down. The echoing of her voice became more intense, like she was a chorus. "I think that's enough. You think I'm alone?"

"Of course! Look around you!" Twilight said, "But it doesn't have to be that way."

"You think..." Nightmare Paradox smiled. "...I am..." the smile widened. "...Alone." Her voice darkly echoed.

*Oh no! She's really going to do it! But-*

"Twilight!" Spike came from above with a teleport from Rarity, claws fangs and talons all drawn.

"Nightdrake Banneret," called Nightmare Paradox calmy, not even looking up.

A spectral dragon whose shape reminded Twilight somewhat of Tiamat emerged from the Nightmare's back. It was colored green and dark purple, it was covered in gold armor with sapphires. It breathed a flood of flames at Spike, burning scales that were supposed to be fireproof and violently knocked him off course as it slithered back inside of Paradox.

"No," Twilight whispered her heart sinking.

The stunned, badly wounded dragon looked into the eyes of the beast he'd always feared become as it vanished into Paradox.

Rarity powered up and fired the most piercing destructive spell she could right at the Nightmare's brain.

"Nightmare Mirror."

The specter of an orange Nightmare with silver reflective wings and armor covered in emeralds eyes emerged from the Nightmare right side. She spread her wings and the attack went into the reflective surface, then went OUT of the other reflective wing and hit Rarity right between the eyes, her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell over.

Applejack gasped, staring in shock. "But...but we cured yah! Yah can't be here!"

"That was another Nightmare Mirror," the orange Nightmare said as she submerged back inside.

"HEY! If ya've had other ponies like ya inside ya this whole time... why haven't ya ever let 'em speak? Don't ya think it rude to force 'em to keep quiet?! I mean, Miss Rarity let the ghosts inside her...

"Nightmare Whisper."

The specter of a yellow nightmare with a flowery pink mane in platinum armor and butterfly wings emerge from Nightmare Paradox's front, and flew right at Apple Pie. She SANG, "Hush now, quite now, it's time to go to bed."

Apple Pie's eyes widened as mist began to surround her, "Poison Apple? Is that you?" She yawned and turned up and went comfortably to sleep. The yellow Nightmare kissed the filly on the head, smiling and returned to within Nightmare Paradox.

"AT THE SAME TIME!" Derpy shouted as they dove to retrieve Apple Pie.

*No! Stop!*

"Nightmare Granfalloon." The shade of a pink nightmare laughing up a storm with crayon-drawing wings came from Nightmare Paradox's astern, she released SWARMS of laughing balloons that came towards Derpy like closet moths at a wedding dress. They enveloped her, popped, and Derpy, now wearing a clown costume and make up, fell to her back, and began laughing at anything and everything, clutching her sides. The pink Nightmare, still laughing, retreated into Nightmare Paradox's body.

Twilight shuddered. "No...not...not them too... Fluttershy... Pinkie Pie..."

"Nightmare Manacle." At the speed of Sonic Rainboom, a blue Nightmare, mane and tail were inverted colors of the rainbow, a set of chains across her chest. The chains disconnected, and ignored AJ and struck thin air, capturing the REAL AJ.

The rainbow Nightmare said, "We'll save you Twilight from these cheap knock-offs!"

"DAMMIT!" AJ cursed as her body stood at attention, "NOT THIS AGAIN!" Her body charged at her companion, "TWILIGHT LOOK OUT!!"

Twilight tried to simply telekinetically grab her but the chains glowed red and her aura 'shattered' as AJ's body came at her to try and pummel her, Twilight retreated.

"Thankfully, as time marches forward, we always find friends who ARE willing to do the right thing when push came to shoves."

Nightmare Paradox said watching the exchange, she conjured weighted collars around Spike and Rarity's necks (the spikes turned inward in Rarity's case), and another around her horn. The Nightmare assumed an intellectual pose and put a hoof over her heart.

"Dear Princess Celestia,
I've learned when you can't depend on yourself, you can still depend on your real friends.
-Your Faithful Student, Nightmare Eclipse."

"See the difference between you and me?" Nightmare Paradox asked Twilight. "I don't play with paper dolls. I have REAL friends."

"YOU CALL THAT FRIENDSHIP?!" Twilight screamed.

Applejack screamed in horror as her body ignored her commands. This was more powerful than Rainbow Dash's Chains of Treachery. And it was hard for AJ to focus. "Puppets. How could ya do this to 'em!"

Nightmare Mirror's shade appeared and shouted, "We ain't slaves! We've chosen this!"

"My fellow Nightmares, my sisters and brother... we who would bend creation to our own truth, do not bow to the heresy of compromise. Lend me your strength."

Six black glowing symbols began to appear on the Nightmare's body. "Learn the terrible power of the Nightmares!" Her black aura grew. She looked at the helpless ponies and dragon. "You'll need no last rites, for none shall mourn you!"

Her next words were magically heard in every ear, everywhere, across the planet. "Ponies of this grim dark world, I shall save you from the sin of existing. The rest of this reality will be on the way to join you soon enough!"

AJ mentally worked like mad to sabotage her nerve impulses to fight slower, sloppier, but this time she had an active mind working against her driving her body against her will.

"If you could do this from the start, why didn't you do it before, Paradox?!" Twilight shouted. "This is way past the point of element of surprise!"

"My friends didn't want me to humiliate myself."

*You know that's a bald-faced lie, Twilight! Think! She's already seen you all fight at your full. What -realistic- reasons could she have for not calling on her allies before?*

'She's too arrogant to think she needed them. She didn't want to admit she needed help. That sounds about right for me. But... Why did she have a Nightmare of Spike with her, and not Rarity? Where's Rarity's Nightmare? And why does she keep pulling them back in?'

"Now.
The Endless Laughter.
Kindest of Lies.
Cruelest of Truths.
All-Consuming Loyalty.
The Beautiful Fury Of the Generous Green Flames...All together now."

The aura grew larger and larger, stars and heavenly bodies visible within the purple blackness.

'!!! She exposes herself. Like a dragon who opens their mouth to breath in before they breath fire. Experienced dragons NEVER try to breath in when at close range, or exhale, they KNOW it leaves them open. She didn't do this until we made it clear I could stalemate her and the others could tip the scales. Those Nightmares are all linked to her spirit...her...if she's really a version of me...the Element of Magic inside her...'

*YOU'VE GOT THAT PART!*

'There's more?!'

*Yes! But don't worry! The rest will come to you right when it's needed! I promise!*

AJ then punched herself in the face. "Dangit Twili' fight back Ah'm immortal remember?! Blow mah body to ashes and get these chains off me!"

Twilight has Pinkie Pie flash backs, "BUT WHAT IF THE DAMAGE TO YOUR ELEMENT-"

"DO IT, DAMMIT!!!"

Twilight complied. The chains fell with nothing to grab onto, Twilight caught AJ's Element before it hit the floor. She fed magic into it, AJ's body regenerated faster.

Nightmare Paradox said, "Nice but you've both changed nothing, and now-"

"-you're going to see the truth-"

"-that it would be much kinder-"

"-to accept how silly-"

"-and ungenerous-"

"-what you're doing is! This is a chain of events that can never be broken!" Nightmare Manacle finished.

Author's Note

What if Discord wasn't beaten? What if after a thousand years of slavery Twilight Tragedy finally rediscovers her soul? Anyone can die, living is the real challenge. It's time to save the world Mane Six!

Now take a look and begin to discover the true connection between the two time lines of the Pony POV Series.

Due to sheer size, this isn't the final chapter after all. So I can post this BEFORE the last two parts of 7 Dreams/Nightmares is posted.

Pinkie Pie, "Hey everypony! I want ya know! This story WILL have a happy ending! And not a 'me me' happy ending that those Meanie Pants Nightmares want. So please stay tune! We'd want to show ya now, but it won't be as happy until the two last parts of 7 Dreams and Nightmare is done for Bright Eyes and Clover! It'll be a doozy what you see there!"

First Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Fluttershy-FlutterCruel-Pearls-260092460

The Pony POV Series Trope Page is feeling neglected. Only you can help keep it up to date! Not to mention the recap page needs some work and can really help keep the story straight if you'll contribute to it tropers! http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries

Check out the recursive fanfiction and fanart of the Pony POV Series! http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/journal/MLP-FiM-PonyPOVSeriesFanworks-audio-adaption-2013-349281264 Many of it approved by me as canon.

Be sure to join our Group for a TON of recursive works, many a part of optional canon!!! http://mlp-pony-pov-series.deviantart.com/

AND! Be sure to check season zero and season one's fanlabor pages!
http://mlpfanart.wikia.com/wiki/Pony_POV_Series_Season_Zero:_Discorded_Ponies
http://mlpfanart.wikia.com/wiki/Pony_POV_Series_Season_One:_Reharmonization

MLP:FiM: Copyrighed by Hasbro
Image by Kendell2.

20130328: Grammar Edits ItsFromPeople

Episode 113: (Shining Armor): Ponyville

Pony POV Series Shining Armor Part 12
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
Pony POV Series
Written By lz0291
Edited By Kendell2, Alex Warlorn, Louis
Ponyville

I sighed even before I looked at the clock. I was awake early. Again. On what was our last full day in Zamunda. I kept waking up an hour early disorientated. Like I was already getting out of bed when I woke up. Maybe it was just something in the air or all the goat's cheese.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Maybe it was salt? After all, you were near the coast, Goat's cheese can have over 500 milligrams of salt per 100 grams...)

I doubt that. I can hold my salt pretty well...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): I seem to remember you mentioning something about when you got drunk and tried to learn a fireworks spell to shoot 'Maresenal for the Cup' into the sky.)

That involved rather a lot of it, hehehe...

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): You look far too proud of that.)

Anyway, most ponies forget you do still need to take over six grams of salt before you'll start feeling tipsy in most cases. I still thought the cheese was to blame at the time.

Still, things in Zamunda were going well for us. Sunset had traded mail addresses with the acrobats. Our one true snag was Private Newcastle kept getting mistaken for a Zamundan speaker. Her family's originally from Zebrinia and she doesn't even speak that language too well!The rest of Misfit 2-1 decided learning some Pundamillian before we got there would save us trouble later. Lance-Corporal Marelowe had no such problems, as his longer full-body stripes clearly marked him as part of an east Zebrafrican ethnicity.

The newlyweds were off to Prance for their honeymoon, but we had stayed for a few more days after the wedding, visiting a few sites in the capital and on the last couple of days, heading out to other smaller towns and villages.

We were heading out of the capital to a town called Mbuzishamba, far enough out that we borrowed some airships so the non-pegasi could get there within an hour or so. It roughly translated to 'Goat Field', and sure enough, there were a lot of goats milling around it. Cadence wanted to stretch her own wings and flew alongside us with the pegasi rather than in the shuttle after we left the city - I saw no problems with it. We'd brought along Misfit 1-2 and 2-2, simply to have more pegasi with us, and help prevent anypony else fretting about the risks of the Princess having a chance to get some fresh air.

Twinkle Shine did not seem to be having much fun in the light airship after that.

"Something wrong?" I asked, as she kept looking out at Cadence and Sunset happily flying with the formation.

"W-well, it's nothing really, Captain... It's just that Cadence can sometimes get a little, er... overenthusiastic about flying when she gets a chance..."

"In what ways?"

"Well, er... There was one time she raced Sunset, and since the Princess is a faster flyer, she thought carrying some extra weight would balance it out..." Minuette explained.

Given that Twinkle Shine was trying to compress herself into a one-pony ball of hugs, I guessed what the extra weight was.

"I doubt the Princess will want to race anything today. We've got a schedule to keep. Besides, we're nearly there anyway. I understand the base we're landing at is only five more minutes away, Major Oha?"

The Zamundan nodded.

"That's correct. We will then board carriages to head for Mbuzishamba. On the ground," He was careful to point out.

The landing was fairly standard, and actually somewhat lacking in fuss. After all the bells and whistle in Columbia, Zebrafrica was so far a nice change of pace. The Zamundans did give an honor guard for Cadence as a welcome, but overall the base seemed to be business as usual for the five or ten minutes we were there, most of it spent with Cadence chatting to the base commander when she said hello, and walked us to where the carriages were waiting.

"Oh, hey, Canons Pain!" Audience noted as we passed a row of Zamundan vehicles.

"There's actually something called pain cannons?" Minuette almost sighed.

"...Er, he said bread cannon, it's Prench," Gag then pointed out.

"What?"

"It's a type of field kitchen, a huge self-propelled convection oven. They're over there, behind that fence."

He was pointing at what looked like a big boxy thing on tracks with a chimney.

"Sorry, we're walking past some parked tanks apparently undergoing maintenance and you're more fascinated by field kitchens parked up a hundred meters away?" I had to wonder.

"Well, yes, Sir. They're able to bake almost three hundred baguettes at once, or up to twelve hundred croissants. The originals were stoves on carts with enchantments to have consistent heat, used by the Prench over two hundred years ago. The modern versions are six times larger because you can just stick them on a self-propelled vehicle."

"Oh. That's actually quite useful isn't it," Minuette said sheepishly.

"...Ah wonder how many apple fritters you could bake in one of them," Ellis pondered.

"Twelve hundred croissant-sized ones?" Garnet pointed out rather swiftly.

"Why do they call them cannons anyway?" Sunset wondered.

"Well, the old ones used to be towed with the stove chimneys collapsed down. It looked a lot like a cannon. Okay, and sometimes if they burnt the bread they allegedly fired it out of an actual cannon for training but that may be an apocryphal story. Either way the name stuck...."

We could tell we were getting close to Mbuzishamba when we saw lots of goats. While it wasn't a huge metropolis, being only about the size of Hoofington, it was a rather interesting town. Outside the center, most of the houses were actually built into artificial hills with turf on top of them. Cadence twigged why almost right away as we passed.

"I presume the extra turf means more grazing space for the goats?" She asked Oha.

"Correct, Your Highness. The design also helps keep the temperature inside regulated," The Zamundan said.

"Gotta be pretty dark in there though... Gonna need some fireflies or candles," Ellis noted.

"In fact there is a method of providing light in the day that is cheap and free. Each house has a small hole in the roof, in which a glass container full of water is placed. Metal mirrors around the hole shine light into the container..."

"...Refracting it and lighting up the inside without any magic or candles. That's pretty clever!" Twinkle Shine noted. If there was one thing that mare knew, it was how light magic and light in general worked.

"Indeed. The idea comes from the Fillypennes originally, but it has become popular here in Zamunda, and much of Zebrafrica. Previously, for daytime light one had to either shine it in through wide windows, use candles, magic, or glowing mushrooms."

"...Glowing mushrooms? Will they recharge my batteries?" Gag wondered.

"Er, no, Running, they'll probably give you stomach cramps and the trots," Garnet shot down his attempt at a joke.

"If he tries to hide under a box at any point today you have my permission to hit him, Private Garnet," I said.

"I wasn't going to hide under a box, Sir. I was gonna find a barrel…."

"What was that, Private?"

"Nothing, Captain."

Oha was giving us a funny look.

"...It's a joke about a series of novels," Cadence tried to explain.

"I see," he said without much conviction.

I once built the tank-box from Peace Trotter for Nightmare Night. Twilight voiced approval.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): How old were you at the time?)

Twenty-two.

Anyway, we were given the usual sort of welcome in the town full of goats: Town chief said hello outside the town hall, a few foals were paraded out to say hello, us Guards stood about stone-faced, a band played some music, and people applauded before we were led around town. Cadence was shown a few interesting things and chatted. And a goat tried to eat Garnet's medical saddlebag. Gag helped keep it at bay until an embarrassed sheep herder led it away. An actual Sheep, by the way.

That's where the word originally comes from: Many sheep herds appointed special herders to keep the flock together. Then they tried to train dogs to help and, well, that went wrong, basically. Nowadays a lot of sheep flocks in Equestria work mowing grass, as shepherds, or sell their wool. Or they join the Civil Service. A decent number are just happy to work as farm animals, most cows are the same way. Suppose they like having farmers take care of them in exchange for their wool or milk.

Still, on the subject of sheep and goats, I've got to admit goats confuse me a bit. They're related to Sheep, but they seem incapable of speech. In fact, the only records of talking goats I've ever encountered are the stories of Grogar, and he's hardly normal. Given some recent events though we may be well advised to look up old legends. And maybe also invest in canned food and shotguns. I hear they did well in the last apocalypse.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): How could you-)

Joking. Shotguns and canned foods didn't exist when the Windigoes were around.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Oh yes yes.)

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Wait, if goats can't talk how come some wear headsets?)

It's a funny story really. Corporal Iron Will had a pair as pets, and they'd steal his headphones whenever he was trying to listen to music. He tried to give them a pair of broken headphones for them to wear, which worked until they realized they weren't the same type he had! Iron Will claims they can still bray to each other, and are insists they're good at following orders and carrying around eight hundred pounds of minotaur.

We stood back a bit, letting the Hoofmaidens and Cadence do the talking through Oha if needed. Gag was with us in case we had any questions asked.

That wasn't the kind of questions I got.

"Um, Captain, can I speak to you for a moment? Sergeant Foaley said you might be able to help me out with something..." Ranger said, somewhat nervously.

He kept an eye on Sunset the whole time: the Hoofmaiden was well out of earshot.

"Well, I can try, Ranger."

"Well, Sir, I, uh... I was actually a little nervous about trying to arrange a... Well, not a real date, the last one was a real date even with her friends there, I guess, and she does want to keep hanging around with me I guess, so..."

Typical really. Bold as brass asking the mare out, then has no idea what to do next. Half the time I reckon we barely understand mares simply because we have no flipping clue about ourselves.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Yep, that sounds about right.)

"You mean you're looking for advice on what to do when it's just you and Sunset?" I said quietly.

He nodded at my question.

So far the couple had wound up dating at parties, or with her friends in tow. For her birthday, Sunset and the other Hoofmaidens had an evening off. It made things a little tricky given Cadence had been invited to dinner at the Vietmanese embassy that same day, but Private Baldrick's experience working for Lord Blackadder came in hoofy to help ensure she was properly attended to, with Private Party helping out too. Not that it stopped Twinkle Shine from worrying, mare takes pride in her work.

"Yeah, uh, yes, Sir. I wasn't really sure where I could take her to be honest. And I'm not sure how to actually, y'know, pick her up to go on the dates, like, do I bring flowers or chocolates or... a-assuming I can get time off, that is, to actually be going out into towns..."

"I don't imagine Princess Cadenza will deny Sunset time off that coincidences with yours, nor would I. But we can't provide any special treatment just because you plan a date. If we did that, half the platoon would start dating," I reminded.

"Of course, Sir."

"To be honest, I can't say I've had much experience with courting. Never really met the right mare to ask."

"...Oh," he said, looking a bit dejected, like his Sergeant had sent him on a wild goose chase.

Mostly because Foaley had.

"Still, one bit of advice, don't take chocolates and flowers, that's two things you eat, never a good thing to take to a mare. In fact, stick to flowers for dates if you can, chocolates all the time sends the wrong message. Oh, and flowers have a language. You'll want to look it up yourself, or maybe even talk with Gag about it since it's a language, but Daffodils are a good start. In the Equestrian and Neighponese systems they can mean respect, but in Equestrian I think they also can mean you have chivalrous intent, or that you wish her to return your affection. Find out Sunsets ancestry if you can, just to be safe"

He looked at me in bewilderment.

"Uh, okay, thanks, Sir..."

"As for where to go, well, clubs, restaurants, areas without flight restrictions. I think the important thing though is try to go somewhere you'll both enjoy. Keeping her happy is all well and good but relationships have to have some compromise to work properly. I know Sunset loves to fly, so that's one thing."

"I thought you didn't know much about courting, Sir?"

"I don't. I know about equine nature though. Marefriend and coltfriend are both two words combined, and the key word in both is friend, Private. You enjoy going places your friends like but you don't?"

(Interviewer's Notes(Pegasus): That was actually impressive.)

"Ah, I see your point, Sir. Thanks for the advice..." he said, tilting his head a little to make me aware of what was approaching.

"One more thing, Private. You may want to ask others. Like I said, I've not got much experience with... crossbows and arrows. And to be honest it takes a lot of effort to fire them with your wings. The Air Navy should know better."

He nodded, just as Minuette and Sunset walked back towards us, the others closing in.

"We're heading out to the farms after lunch, there's a small pegasus cloudplex out there for their weather control. The Princess asked me to cast a cloud-walking spell on you."

"Uh, I don't need one..." Ranger said.

"Nor me," Thunderchild chimed in.

Minuette gave them a look, as Sunset giggled.

"Not you two, silly! Minny means the unicorns and earth ponies. Anyway, she wants all the pegasi with her to fly up first, and that does mean you."

And so after lunch in the town hall, we were off we went to see a Zamundan weather control setup.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): If you had so little experience with relationships where did all that come from?)

Observation, and Dad. And if you mean the flower language, well, mom's writings are all romances, so the obligatory read a good son gives each one teaches you a few things to do...and a lot of things not to.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): How'd Ranger get on with looking for more advice?)

I know Ellis advised him to remain honest and not change himself just because he thinks it's what she wants. He compared it to engineering, that the more something is forced the more strain it's under. And Thunderchild, er well:

"Guitar Solos."

"...What, Sarge?"

"Chicks dig guitar solos."

"But Sunset's a Pony, not a Griffin!"

"Oh. Sorry, I thought you said Gundette."

"Who?"

"That griffin pilot on Enterprise. She's the kind of griffin that makes you know where hippogriffs come from..."

He finally made the mistake of asking Squadron Commander, Lord Flashheart for advice hearing he had had lots of mare friends.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Big reason he's had lots and not just one?)

Uh, well, let's just say that The Lord Flashheart is best described as an erotic adventurer of the most deranged kind.

Luckily, Commander Hornblower was on hoof soon after:

"Okay, Private Ranger? Everything he said, try to forget it. In fact, if you like I can get you an appointment with Doctor Crusher, get your memory of the whole thing erased..."

"Why a flying helmet... And wet celery... And how can you even do that with an egg whisk? I... I don't think she'd like it…."

"Oookay, with me, coming through, traumatized pegasus on his way to sick bay..."

"Where would I even get that much oatmeal?"

Yep. After that he just stuck with what me and Ellis said.

I found it a little unsettling to be walking on clouds, to be honest. Like walking on a very fluffy pillow that felt a little wet, but I got used to it. I had faith in the cloud-walking spell and, I was pretty sure I could shield myself from a fall. I hope.

It turned their weather was something of a hybrid system. The slightly unreliable Zebra Voodoo rain-dances combined with the unreliable-without-enough-Pegasi-and-Griffins form of flight-based weather manipulation merged together resulted in something that was pretty efficient all round.

Thunderchild and Gag gushed in pegasus jargon that went over my head at the apparently rather unusual weather system. They both seemed impressed they were achieving such a high degree of schedule accuracy with a low number of workers per square kilometre. Though I will admit, it was interesting that Zebra Voodoo could be used like that, even Twiley has some trouble with weather magic.

Apart from most of the structures being semi-underground, the farms seemed pretty much in line with what I know about Equestrian agriculture. Orchards growing oranges and bananas, rows of corn, vineyards, and grazing space for goats. Also bee houses, but Cadence stayed at a distance from those. I stayed silent like a good bodyguard.

Another interesting thing was that the farmhouses, though built with turf over them like most of the town, had small towers with mirrors and lanterns in them. It was intended as a sort of semaphore system. Pretty clever when you lack the means to magically send letters, cheaper and more effective than other methods for their scale and place.

"Shining, is everything okay?" Cadence asked as walked back to the carriages.

I turned to face her instead of looking over my shoulder.

"Yes, Princess. Why do you ask?"

"You've been looking over your shoulder a lot again."

"...Was I? Well, it's just to... keep aware of my surroundings..." I tried lamely. I hadn't actually noticed I'd been doing it.

"Minny, we're all on schedule just now right?î Cadence called out.

The unicorn mare cast a small spell to summon her notebook.

"Yes, Princess. We should be back in plenty of time for the dinner with the King, have plenty of time to pack up this evening, and then Ellis says he can set up the PEC4 to flatten the cabin in fifteen minutes tomorrow morning after breakfast..."

"It's more like ten then five to make sure Ah got it just right," Corporal Apple added.

"...Board the ships, set off just before lunch, and we should be in Adidas Azebra in Zebrawa after breakfast tomorrow."

"Okay. Is is me, or does it feel like we weren't here in Zamunda all that long? Columbia felt like a lifetime in comparison," Cadence said.

Considering I had to deal with monsters and mad-deer every five minutes back where we'd been, this had been heaven. Honey Badgers and their feline comrades excepted.

"No, I think things flew past a good bit faster here, Princess.... Mactavish, what are you looking at?" I wondered when he gave an aside glance at apparently nothing.

"Maybe Soap is just keeping aware of his surroundings?" Cadence snarked before 1-2's Lance Corporal could reply.

I didn't say anything back, fully aware I deserved that one. I did notice she was using his nickname though, rather than his given name, so I suppose she was getting to know everypony all right then.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Why Soap?)

He designed a horseshoe that had a small amount of soap and a brush on them, and extra grip to keep steady on slippery surfaces. Quite useful for cleaning the barracks, and so the nickname stuck. His actual given name is Soutar, old Caledonian word for Shoemaker. Mactavish is actually his clan name. A fair few families up north use a scheme where family name comes first and your given name is earned for your cutie mark.

Anyway, off we went. Twinkle Shine breathed a sigh of relief when Cadence got onto the airship with us rather than flying with the pegasi and Griffen.

"Wait, Minny. Your schedule did take into account these ships are going back to the larger airships first, right?" Cadence suddenly panicked.

"Of course. I even added an extra fifteen minutes for traffic in case it's bad. Plenty of time for this evening's dinner."

"Good, good..." The Princess relaxed while the airship crew finished take-off checks.

Have to admit, I'm surprised Minuette and Twiley didn't end up friends since they went to school together. With her scheduling skills and Twilight's checklists they'd have made quite the team.

Shortly after that, we were on our way to another uneventful evening. The King hosted that farewell dinner, I managed to avoid the cheese that evening, Gag evaded another attack by the Honey Badger-Cat Alliance, and when I went to bed that night, I held out a small hope maybe I'd be woken by an alarm clock, instead of flat-out alarm...

"Well, there's the blue flowers," I said.

"We should go around them, Sir, they've got a dodgy magical signature. Scan them and see," Audience warned, having been keeping up a scan every few moments in case anything nasty was around. Apparently even the rank and file being infused with a trace of Celestia's essence gave you advantages for Everfree's natural 'screw with your senses' vibe.

We had been called to Ponyville the day before due to reports of a Timberwolf on the loose outside the Everfree, which had so far seemed to be a misunderstanding. However, we had also decided to check on stories of a mysterious figure sighted at the edge of the Everfree Forest.

"Okay, we'll go around them and... Wait, Captive, do you sense anything on the scan? My two o'clock, about a hundred meters."

"...Magical signature, other side of those trees. Earth Pony or Zebra."

Finding the source was easy enough when we became aware of a clicking noise. We soon encountered a cloaked figure turning a hoofdrill into the bark of a partly-hollowed out tree. There was a small tent, and a crate marked with an explosives warning symbol. The hood was down, showing her to be a Zebra.

"Good afternoon, Madam," I said, getting her attention.

The Zebra almost jumped, then again seeing three Equestrian Guards.

"Oh, I am sorry, you startled me. A Royal Guard, I did not expect to see."

"My apologies. I'm Lieutenant Sparkle, would you be Zecora?"

She nodded, looking a little worried as most people do when a Guard they've never met knows their name.

"There's nothing to be alarmed about, Miss. We're just here investigating a few reports from townsponies that we think might be misunderstandings. Did you speak with a mare yesterday near the blue flowers? Raspberry colored, had a flower in her mane?"

"Yes, indeed, I met a mare. She seemed alarmed, did I give her a scare?"

"I think you did. What was it you said?"

"I said to her 'I am Zecora, I bid you good day, please do not go that way. I must warn you strongly, Pony Mare, but of those blue plants you should beware.'"

"And then what happened?"

"...When my hollowing charges went off over here, she suddenly screamed and ran in fear."

"What are hollowing charges?"

"Uh, beg pardon, Sir, but ah think ah can explain. See, that there crate is a standard bundle of tree-hollowing charges used to build house trees. They're a special composition, designed to hollow out trees and apply a potion that also helps keep it alive. It's a faster method than old ways with axes and chisels," Ellis cut in.

"Indeed, the traditional way is slow and tiring. It is simpler to use explosives firing."

"Oh. So you're building a house?"

"Yes, but I am not an illegal hermit. Both my home and my explosives have a permit."

She seemed to be a little defensive as she produced some documents. Ellis was given the explosives one. The 'living permit' however was written in High Equestrian Hieroglyphs and was legal gobbledygook. For a start, there hadn't been a Kingdom of Canterlot for over two thousand years. A common trick by con merchants, to use High Equestrian and a defunct legislative body.

"I think you've been conned, Miss Zecora. There are no permits for living in the Everfree Forest, the Thirty-Third Parliamentary Congress of the Principality declared that any who wished to tame Everfree were free to do so without restriction, and that legislation hasn't been changed in centuries."

Everfree wasn't just a fancy name, it was quite literally nopony's land. Only the very brave or the suicidal even tried to stake out a living in the forest of death. High risk, high gain. The mare groaned and muttered something in her own language for a second.

"I should have seen those unicorn brothers were tricking me, why did I ignore the signs so plain to see? Is my receipt for explosives real, or am I as much a fool as I feel?"

"...Well, of course this one's legit, Ah signed it mahself last week when ah wuz workin' at the controlled party and construction supplies department! Thought ah recognized you! You were up to collect 'em from the depot, yeah?" Ellis said.

The zebra nodded in surprise.

The last document she produced was a record of having begun construction of her house for the Canterlot map-makers (like Blueblood) so her home legally existed. I'm actually surprised she went through the trouble of that. Most who chose to live in the Everfree wanted to exist in the forest's legal limbo. This Zebra was new to Equestria.

"Oh? Small world. Anyway, Miss Zecora, we're not here about your construction, or even scaring that mare. That clearly seems to have been a misunderstanding. We're wondering if you might have noticed any unusual animal activity in the area?"

She shook her head. "No, I am afraid not. Is it possible I am startling them with my tree-hollowing shot?"

"It's possible. Maybe Lance-Corporal Apple could help you finish a little faster to minimize that?"

She nodded.

"Now, are you sure you'll be safe out here? This place is unsettled for good reason."

"Oh, about me there is no need to fear, it is of me those creatures should stay clear," she said, showing us a few pouches containing some Zebra concoctions.

Flash-powder, illusion dust, blinding powder, and stink bombs among other things. We didn't discount the utility of any of them, especially the last - they've been used as effective monster repellent since before the three tribes because most predators had an acute sense of smell. Stink bombs are even used as a less damaging alternative to pepper spray by the Guard.

After making sure she knew what she was in for, we bid her goodbye, leaving Ellis to help her out.

"Looks like it was all a misunderstanding. Oh well, I guess ponies will be ponies, getting paranoid at every.... Did you hear that?"

Audience wondered if I was joking until there was another growl and he looked behind.

"...Wait a second, there was no wolf when this actually happened," I found myself saying.

"Sir?"

I turned around, seeing that the growl was not from a Timber Wolf. Not from a Timber Wolf at all....

"...Oh, son of a..."

I was awake early. Again. They were just strange dreams, nothing to worry about. Cadence was near me. I was safe. Anyway, a few hours later, breakfast was over, and Ellis had a guest house to blow up.

"I should warn you, Twinkle Shine, this is probably going to be remarkably dull," I said. The hoofmaiden had suggested fireworks when she'd learned of this. Having seen Ellis conduct controlled explosions in the past, I knew there was less bang than some ponies expected.

She didn't give any reply, for the minute I finished speaking the windows of the small cabin began to glow. A few small pops blew holes in the roof, and sure enough, out came a few fireworks. Not noisy ones, but just multi-colored sparks. A few dull crump-noises, and then the whole structure slowly caved in, a shower of sparks landing on the scene before clouds of multi-colored smoke burst from the rubble, obscuring it all.

"Okay, who decided to add fireworks after all?" I sighed.

"That would be me, Captain. I cleared it with the Zamundans, don't worry," Cadence responded.

"There's no risk of fire, Sir. Ah set up a few extinguisher charges, everything that was ignited inside got soaked when the main charges went off."

We;d just got back to the ships with a modest farewell detail, when Twinkle Shine spoke up.

"Excuse me, Your Highness, but there's one thing we need to take care of first before we depart."

"And that is?" Cadence asked politely.

The hoofmaiden gave one of those smiles that can make you jump when they appear suddenly.

"Hit it." Music began to play from seemingly nowhere as Twinkle Shine counted to three.

"Oh no," I flattened my ears.

Cadence didn't notice this, clapping her hooves delightedly.

With nothing stopping them, the Hoofmaidens gave a farewell number to Zamunda that some of the locals joined in on. Turns out they have the music gene too! The song ended with applause from Cadence and our hosts as the ships took off.

"You knew didn't you?!" I pointed wide-eyed at my princess.

"Oh Shining," She said shyly, "Whatever do you mean?" She is Celestia's niece!

Apparently, Minuette had fit that into the schedule, so we departed on time. Shepard had invited Cadence and a few crewmembers with upcoming or recent birthdays to lunch, fulfilling Cadence's desire to have events like that. Rather than crowd out the officer's dining room, I went down to the mess.

"...Makes you want to know where hippogriffs come from," Thunderchild was saying to a bemused Ranger, as I neared where my squad were sitting.

"Afternoon, Sir. Do you have any requests to play on the radio in transit?" Audience greeted me, pointing towards a table staffed by two of the ponies from Enterprise who'd actually be running the show. Either you chose from what they had, or you let them make a copy of the song off of one of your own records...

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): But that's illegal!)

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Yeah, Piracy!)

Don't be silly, Cadence technically is the head of the Equestrian copyright authority for music (and...well, literally authority for Music in general), and the lawyers in her civil service entourage were covering the fair royalty payments to the respective artists under the Government Use clause. Besides, it was on a commissioned Naval combat vessel. It'd be Privateering, not Piracy....

After lunch, the hard-working Guards got down to hard work, in a room full of computers...

Okay, it was the ship's arcade. Enterprise had a larger one, but none of us could be bothered going over.

"How the hay have y'all unlocked the triple rocket launcher already, Captive? And how come you shoot so dang well? You're meant to suck at it!" Ellis groaned.

"What?"

"Ya shoot well in real life, yer meant to shoot badly playing games! It's a rule!"

"...I've never heard that. By that logic, the Captain should be lethal here..." Audience noted, as he gunned through AI characters with a plasma rifle.

"I am!" I protested. I'd already lost my round against him, and Ellis had beaten Thunderchild.

"Yes, Sir, to yourself. Honestly, how did you miss with a shotgun at that range?" Thunderchild noted.

"I was aiming for that exploding barrel, I thought you were closer and it was farther..."

"I'm telling you, Sir, use the Dubyaplus M1 more..." Audience noted as the console proclaimed 'holy horseapples' at his high kill-rate.

"I refuse to resort to a flamethrower!" I fumed.

I just wished there'd been some way for me to get a Hoofball Manager game, but they weren't popular enough. The game selection here was mostly shooters and racing games. Despite being pacifists, ponies tend not to mind violence in video games as much. We still have ratings, we just don't have as many restrictions. Probably because our natural aversion of violent acts makes imitating it less of a concern...is there something wrong?

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Oh...nothing...We're just not fans of shooters, we tend to sympathize with NPCs too much.)

Personally, I can understand, but it's just a game. Besides, in shooting games the NPCs know what they're in for and so do you. Real combat simply lacks cutscenes or pointless efforts to redeem or taunt the foe. It's good drama, but really not advised in reality. Fights start when negotiations fail. You don't try to negotiate on a battlefield. Talking is a free action in fiction. Try it in reality, you'll probably let a half-competent enemy get the drop on you.

Anyway, I found myself roped into playing Wonderbolt Airshow against Cadence later on after dinner, and it turns out I'm bad at racing too.

"I think I'm just going to go read a book. Nopony can kick my flank at that..."

"Unless it's a choose your own adventure. Remember, the Manticore was in the back seat the whole time and never try to fight the gazebo!" Cadence cheerfully said as I made a dignified retreat to my cabin.

The law entitles small towns to call in some military aid if there's some danger. Usually, it's emergency aid, like if there's flooding. The Community Service Initiative helps cover the Guard side law enforcement, though foreigners may be amused to learn that thanks to the way the law of Crown Constables works, it grants arrest rights to any Crown Servant of good standing - meaning that if a town doesn't have a sheriff, it might have a librarian or mailpony arrest criminals instead. Talk about throwing the book at offenders, eh?

Ponyville however was somewhat odd. It was right next to the Everfree, but... well, until recently, almost nothing ever really happened, monsters stayed in the forest, ponies in the town. There had been a Guard Outpost watching Everfree for forty years, and it only closed a decade ago - converted into a cottage I think. Over that half century, there had been six reported or suspected incidents of Everfree animals leaving the boundaries and causing problems. The Guard joke was the town was well overdue for a whole wave of Everfree problems.

It's not a funny joke any more, of course, even for ponies other than me. Since I actually responded to the last of the six, roughly a year before Twilight moved there, I'm not sure which one of us actually heralded the oncoming storm. I was sent for two reasons: Ellis, and the fact my squad at the time was very under-strength. Four ponies were enough to take a look around.

The Mayor met us at the train station, an assistant I never caught the name of beside her.

"Good afternoon, Madam Mayor. I'm Lieutenant Sparkle, this is Sergeant Thunderchild, Lance-Corporal Apple and Private Audience" I said, giving a salute.

"Welcome to Ponyville, Lieutenant. Thank you for coming. As I said in my request it's probably nothing, but these matters are causing some concern in town and I felt that it was important that some calm was introduced. I can only hope we can try to bring some calm fast. Some ponies can get rather panicky, you know."

"Certainly. We'll strive to be quick and diligent, we wont disrupt the business of the town, but you understand we'll have to stay until we're sure any problem is resolved. I understand the main report comes from a farmer?"

"Yes, Granny Smith is the one that's convinced us there's something unusual, but, well, I see you somewhat planned ahead," She gave Ellis a glance.

"We'll probably start by speaking with her directly. One thing, though, Madam Mayor, We'd requested your Weather Patrol loan us a Weatherpony to help out aerial surveying, where is he or she?"

"Oh, well, we've recently only just got a new Weather Patrol manager in the job, she's only been promoted this last week. She may not actually have got the request yet..."

"No, she got it, Mayor, she said she'd tell Thunderlane to do it," the assistant said.

It appeared this Thunderlane was a rather lazy fellow.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Hey! The guy's not lazy! He's just overworked!)

How would you know?

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): We're interviewers.)

Oh...right...

Thunderchild went off to look for him with Audience, while Ellis and I went to the farm to speak with his relatives. A short walk and we found ourselves at the gates. A young orange-coated mare greeted us.

"Howdy, y'all the... Ellis? That you?"

"Yup. How you doin', AJ?"

I left the Apples to talk amongst themselves mostly, zoning out to inspect the area as they walked to the farmhouse. How was it possible to speak for hours on end about apples of all things?

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Hoofball.)

...Point.

It was a pretty large farm, and the trees provided a lot of cover. Any wild animal out of the Everfree could have conceivably found somewhere to nest; we needed air cover to scout through it properly. I hoped that Thunderlane turned up soon with Thunderchild and Audience, or this would be complicated on my own. Not to mention dangerous.

You see, pegasi can perform a range of spells using echomana emissions. Normally it's just used for awareness in flight, like other things in the sky or their own altitude/speed, or to help manipulate the weather. For ranging, it's a spherical area of effect about a kilometer in range. But it can be used a bit like a unicorn scan spell if focused in a certain directional arc, known as an Arced Echo Wingpulse. It puts all the energy of a rather weak ranging pulse in one focused direction, boosting the strength of it. And from high up enough it can cover an area wider than the unicorn scan spell as well as exploit mana streams to get a boost at high enough heights. Naturally, that makes searching an area much easier and safer - no accidentally walking within charging distance of a hiding nasty. Not every pegasus knew how to do it, but it was standard training for guards and Thunderlane apparently was apparently the only Weather Patrol member on duty who knew it at the time.

We'd been led to the farmhouse, where an elderly pony waved at us from a rocking chair, presumably the Granny Smith whose expertise had led Mayor Mare to call us in. I was about to speak until Ellis waved me off.

"Sir, all due respect but it's maybe easier if Ah do the talkin'..."

"...Fair enough," I agreed.

Ten minutes later we'd learned the howls had put the family dog so on edge that she'd stayed indoors all day, and had not just come from the direction of the forest but all around. We also learned that two other members of the family had gone off to see if somepony they knew could come help calm the dog down.

Soon after, Thunderchild and a dark-grey male pegasus flew over. They were instructed to scan the edges of the Everfree forest. Sadly the other pegasus had borrowed a radio, or was at least on our frequencies.

"Thunderlane, try to scan a hundred meters past that pony on the trail."

"What one? Oh, wait, I see her. She's beautiful..."

"He's over there, he's a guy! Oh, wait, I see who you mean now..."

"Well, he's having fun at least," Audience noted as he made his way up the path.

"Yeah. Lance-Corporal, we're going to go scan from the ground, you can stay here and wait for your cousins to come back," I instructed.

Ellis saluted.

"Anything else pop up in town, Captive?" I asked a few moments later.

"Actually, yes. A mare called Lily spoke to us, had an interesting story. She said she was looking at some odd blue flowers near Everfree when a cloaked figure came out of the forest. Mostly in shadow, glowing yellow eyes, claimed her name was Zecora and issued some threat. Couldn't get any exact wording though. She also claims there was a crash of thunder when the witch finished the threat."

"Hm. Zebra name. Might warrant looking into after we've checked around here..."

Ten minutes of searching and directing the scans turned up nothing except a unicorn colt playing with some snails (we sent him and the snails home as a safety precaution), before the radio crackled, Ellis contacting us.

"Sir, got some news here. Seems we may not quite have a wolf problem after all..."

"Oh? What's got you thinking that, Ellis?"

"Well, let's just say it seems Winona's a big girl now. Them odd howls? Got reason to believe it's boy dogs in the area trying to say hello..." He chuckled down the radio.

"I... I see. I suppose the problem's being solved?" I had no idea how he'd come to this conclusion.

"Yeah, Mac and Apple Bloom went off to fetch a naturalist to help out.

"Okay, I guess we'll head back in for now.... Wait, how is that going to help? Nopony in this town seems to really wear clothes as it is..." I wondered.

"...Naturalist, Sir. As in pony that studies and works with nature," Audience corrected, but a strange knocking noise seemed to...

I opened my eyes and sighed. It was barely midnight. I was not pleased to be awoken by knocking.

"Yes, what is it?" I tried to say as politely as possible as I opened the door.

"Um, Captain, the Captain requests your presence on the bridge as soon as possible, Sir," Jenkins stammered. Maybe I hadn't been as polite as I'd thought.

"Uh, sure, inform Commander Shepard I'll be there in a minute, Jenkins..."

Fifty-five seconds later, I was there, armor on. It turned out I'd actually beaten the pony I was meant to be meeting, for it was Hornblower in charge of the bridge. Shepard wasn't too far behind me, Bond in tow.

"Captain Sparkle, Commander Bond, my ready room. Hornblower, you have the bridge," She grumbled. Apparently she'd been asleep too.

"Alright, Bond, what's got everyone who isn't an insomniac awake?"

"The embassy in Adidas Azebra has sent us an urgent security notice via Canterlot," was his reply.

"...All right, I'm awake now. What's gone wrong now?" I groaned.

"Quite simply, Captain Sparkle, a lot. There's apparently been crowd trouble at a sporting event, few scuffles at the Gold Cup final..."

"This had better have been a big riot. We don't need to be notified of a bar-room brawl caused because some hoofball hooligans couldn't handle losing..." Shepard cut in.

"The riot itself was rather small, actually, but did divert the security forces attentions. Our real problem that's the urgent note, though, is that the Embassy guard upgraded their security stance. Double-checked things, made busywork to look like they're secure, that sort of thing..."

"I know of that, yes. Keeps the troopers alert and civilians calm to see things being done," I offered.

"Except, for once, they found something. Checking the visitor list, they discovered that there had been some possible intruders. We were only being advised about the riot in advance as the ambassador apparently expected the Princess to seek entry as a spectator at a hoofball match a few days after our scheduled arrival, and wanted us to know there had been crowd trouble at another event. These intruders, however..."

"Are something far bigger to worry about, since the riot was their distraction. A riot to mask an infiltration..."

"The infiltration seems to have happened long before the riot. If anything, we wouldn't have found it without the rioting, and we only got told about the riot because they were giving us a less urgent warning about it before they discovered this," Bond pointed out.

"Maybe, but something stinks. There's probably going to be something else happening very soon, isn't there? We need to make sure our security is up to scratch before we even arrive..."

As if fate had heard me, another knock came. Shepard bade the visitor enter, and Master Chief Spartan came in.

"Captain, Commander Bond, we've just been given another urgent notice. A fire has broken out at the embassy."

"What?! Sparkle, stop being right." Shepard groaned

"Believe me, no one would like me better than me," I replied.

"Chief, what does it say?"

"A fire in the post office box room, intense but localized flame that burnt down through every box in a stack. No injuries reported though," The Naval NCO replied, passing the note to his officers.

"Some magical device?" I offered.

"They're not sure. It burned out before they could properly raise the alarm, extinguish it, or scan it, but it took out the boxes entirely. Sliced through solid steel like butter... Bond, this sounds like your second job. Any ideas?" Shepard said, as she read the note.

"Sounds like nothing I'm familiar with," he admitted.

"Is it possible they were trying to destroy something?" I asked, logically.

"Either that or they underestimated the strength of their own device."

"Either way, you were preemptively right again, Captain Sparkle. We need to halt our ships here and await further news, as well as ensure they're increasing security up ahead somehow. Somepony go wake up the Princess while I give the orders."

A moment later, Cadence joined the ranks of the irate, and then of the alarmed as she raced to the ready room.

"What's happened?! And I know there's another hairbursh in my mane. I don't care right now!"

She was given a quick recap, starting with the riot.

"Firebomb in the embassy planted by intruders using a volleyball riot as cover? Not this again..." She sighed.

"Actually, Captain Sparkle thought that but... wait, volleyball? They have riots at volleyball games?" Shepard wondered

"And more importantly, volleyball is popular enough to cause riots in Zebrawa?" Master Chief added.

"This is the one where you use your head to hit a ball over a net?" I threw myself in.

"Yes. The Gold Cup is a volleyball tournament, and Your Highness, the infiltration occurred before the riots," Bond clarified.

"Oh. Well, uh, this may sound off, but there was meant to be a Zebrafrican Champions League match between Azebra United and Genosha Stripes a few days after we arrived..."

"Already covered, we only got told about the riot as a heads-up in light of your potential interest. Apparently you were in communication with the ambassador?" Bond cut her off.

"Er, yes, the ambassador is Lieutenant Colonel Supermarine, Retired, of course. And I do know her, she was sort of my foalsitter."

Something else then occurred to me.

"Wait. What if this was to get us to stop?"

"To attack the flotilla? Sparkle, I'm ahead of you. I issued orders that we check long-range scans, have patrol craft out, and that we maintain five thousand meter altitude. If anything is coming we'll see it long before it's a threat."

"Oh. So what are we actually going to do then?"

"Hold position until we know more."

I didn't get back to sleep, fearing that I'd be woken with more bad news. I could barely even manage to make myself lie down and relax. So I simply went to the mess hall, tried to read, and tried to get as much tea as possible to keep me awake. We met back up again for breakfast. Bond opened up proceedings.

"First, We've been told there was another incident last night after all. The archeology department at Celestia University was broken into - as the name implies, the university is part-owned by Equestrians. Security guards found the dead bodies of three ponies and a griffin, and one wounded Zebra."

Cadence gasped. For my part, I simply closed my eyes for a moment and said a quiet prayer to anyone listening this wasn't going to get any worse...

"Four dead? Sweet Celestia, were they guards?" Shepard said.

"Burglars. The room was where a number of recent finds had been stored, cataloged to be shipped off. They had safebreaking tools, and firebombs. However, their plan seemed to have been to burn the whole room, hide what they'd taken," Bond continued

"Cover their tracks behind them so everyone thinks that it's a fresh find rather than link it to what another archaeological dig found. Lifted right out of a Daring Do book," Cadence noted, still looking a little upset at hearing four bodies had been found.

"The problem is, someone destroyed the items anyway. The safes, intense but localized flame. Sliced through like butter. Pages from notebooks in the room logging the finds, and only those pages, were torn out, possibly burned with the safes."

"Brilliant. Same MO as the embassy fire..."

"Possibly the same attackers. One of the safety deposit boxes destroyed belonged to an Equestrian Archaeologist. Guess what he said was in his postbox?"

"...A list of the large items and a small sample of what he'd found?" I groaned.

"Correct. Our embassy intruders may be nothing more than well-informed, and violent, thieves."

"Why would anypony go all this way for just a few trinkets and bits of pottery?" Cadence said.

"Do we know anything about these intruders, Bond?" Shepard asked.

He opened a folder.

"This one you're really not going to like. A white-coated male unicorn entered the embassy under a Guard ID with the name Marauder Shields, with a similarly white-coated female accomplice using the identity of Twilight Sparkle."

Cue Royal Canterlot Voice from Cadence and a darn good try from me.

"WHAT?!"

Everyone else present winced, but Bond pressed on.

"Quite. The Guard on duty said that she also looked like a Royal Guard, except she never identified as one. Cutie mark was reported as some stars. She used a passport as an ID..."

"Twiley doesn't even HAVE a passport. Whenever she goes abroad, she travels under diplomatic rules as Princess Celestia's student," I cut in.

Two things were going through my mind at that point. First, that no way in tartarus was I letting some thief frame my sister for ANYTHING, and second, a desire to find this thief and use them for a game of shield pinball.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): You never thought for a second she'd done it.)

No. Bucking. Way.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): We didn't expect anything less.)

Bond passed over a sheet of paper.

"That's the passport numbers that were logged and a picture of the passport photo, as well as one of the ID card our Marauder Shields used."

"...The mare doesn't look that much like Twilight at all, but that stallion looks a heck of a lot like me," I admitted.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Really?)

Well, yes. But, I was fairly sure I'd never posed for any photo looking THAT grim. But I was relieved about the mare; since she and my little sister were the furthest thing from doppelg‰ngers you could get. No way could my Twiley be mistaken for her.

"There are differences, that looks like a scar above his eye, see that slightly darker line? And his eyes look harsher," Cadence noted.

"Well, we're not experts on Captain Sparkle's eyes, so we can be forgiven for missing those points," Shepard smirked.

"I'd like you to look at the passport and ID card information though. The guards at the embassy didn't see anything wrong with it before it was double-checked. Can you?"

"...The date formats seem to be wrong, they seem to be day-month here, not month-day. And the ID card is using an invalid service number, it's alphanumeric, it's meant to be all numeric."

"And that's not Twilight's cutie mark on the passport, but both the marks are in full color. It's a line drawing here on Shining's ID card," Cadence noted.

"...This is fairly obvious stuff. I sincerely hope whoever made this cock-up is getting their flank kicked for it," I growled.

"The guard behind the initial lapse is in the cacky, to say the least," Bond nodded.

"Okay, so, what did our fakes do?" I continued.

"They claimed to be there to send containers of metal powders through a post-onwards box, had a key for it. Cover story was they were sending it to metallurgist friends. They signed out again as you can see on the sheet there. About ten minutes later a small fire broke out in the post box room that burned through four boxes. They destroyed anything in them. Starting where they left the tins."

"The tins were scanned magically, right?" Cadence then asked.

"Yes. X-ray spell showed a brown powder in the one they claimed was rust scraped off old armor, that they were sending in to be analyzed. The other tin was apparently a small sample of aluminum powder. No idea what for."

"Perhaps they might have been there to mask the spell residue, something like that? Or they were actually some special chemical we've not heard of?"

"Investigation is on-going. Now letís talk security. Ambassador Supermarine, in light of all that's happened, has asked that we hold our position for a while so both us and the troopships containing the new guard detail arrive tomorrow morning. You may not have known there was a switchover, Captain Sparkle,"

Quick clarification: Embassy guards in each continent are usually a single regiment spread out for a six month tour. Zebrafrica and Oceaneighia are treated as one, as is Equestriana and Columbia, because a regiment is too many for each of those continents alone.

"I did. I presume the present detail is staying in place?"

"For at least as long as we're in Zebrawa. And that's going to be awkward. You see, the old detail was the Eighty-Second Air Regiment. The new was Pegasus Guards, they're now Night Guard, by the way, so that's all three land sub-branches represented there now once we arrive with you guys. The other awkward part? The Wonderbolts are meant to be there for an airshow this weekend."

"Oh, horseapples," I groaned.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Why's that bad? Ah thought you were okay with the Wonderbolts...)

I am. The Pegasus Guards are as well - in fact, most former Guards who join the Wonderbolts are former members of that regiment. The problem is, the Eighty-Second Air Regiment are part of the Eighteenth Pegasus Legion. The Legion predates Equestria itself, having been the personal unit of Commander Hurricane - in fact, it's been commanded by her descendants much of the time since. Now, take a proud, elite Pegasus unit, with a warrior-flight culture dating back thousands of years. Add the Wonderbolts, who they see as brash, egotistical, show-off flyers that are only good for stunts.

Pegasi in the Eighteenth despise the Wonderbolts. The fact some bright spark in Parliament tried to suggest the Wonderbolts would make a great rapid response force to accidents - guess that the Eighteenth regards itself as?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): But that had nothing to do with the Wonderbolts!)

Doesn't matter. The Eighteenth regard the Wonderbolts as paramilitary posers, pretend fliers. The mere suggestion they took over their role resulted in that disdain intensifying.

And it meant that we'd basically be in the crossfire of a flame war between Wonderbolts fans from the Pegasus Guards, and haters from the Eighty-Second. On top of an unstable security situation, and having to guard a Princess. Plus the fact I wasn't getting much luck sleeping, I was worried about that wolf...

"Horseappples indeed, Captain," Shepard replied to me.

"Anyway, that's all for now."

Cadence rolled her eyes.

"Yes, that's 'all'. We've got murderous impostor ponies using Captain Sparkle's sister as a fake ID, two fires with a substance we've never encountered, four dead bodies, a riot that's already happened, and possibly a civil war between two of our own Pegasus regiments. That's a nice start to the morning!"

We broke the meeting up. Ellis and Thunderchild had been waiting outside, and the four of us made our way to the Princessesí cabin. I tried not to dwell on how much of a royal mess things had become in under twelve hours. Instead I found myself wondering about something else said.

"Princess, I'm a little curious about something - what did you mean by harsher eyes? It was a picture, surely you can't tell from that?" I asked a few moments later.

"Eyes are windows to the soul, Shining. Those eyes look like he's seen things."

"Quite a difference from the Captain, his eyes look like someone left a candle lit but no one is home...," Thunderchild whispered.

"I heard that, Corporal."

"That was Sergeant Thunderchild, Shining," Cadence told me.

"Not if he keeps up those kind of snarky remarks, he's not," I said as we reached her cabin. Minuette was waiting there for her.

"Ah. By the way, there's another small issue. Ambassador Supermarine? Her daughter is a Wonderbolt. And her husband is a former Wonderbolt himself, he's why they're invited to a flight show in Zebrafrica. Anyway, I suppose I'll see you all later."

With that, she entered her room, and we departed for the mess hall. I groaned and slammed my head against the nearest wall when we were clear.

"Did she have to mention that in front of you, Private Thunderchild?"

"Uh, Captain, you, uh, you kinda got Sarge's rank really wrong..." Ellis cut in, confused.

"If he doesn't behave himself in Zebrawa around the Wonderbolts when they arrive, it won't be wrong at all. I'm just getting used to it now."

"I'll be good!" He protested.

"You're probably going to hit on an ambassador's daughter if you get a chance."

"...Of course not, Sir! I only have eyes for Fluttershy!"

"...Who? Oh. Good grief, it was only a photo! A small one!"

"But Sir, I could tell she was a kind and wonderful pony. It was in her eyes..." He snickered.

"Alright, that's enough, Cadet. Quit it or you'll be discharged from the Guard."

Thankfully, that shut him up.

Night would fall before we were back underway. In light of the problems, I'd made sure the troopers were well prepared for trouble. Cadence and the Hoofmaidens found themselves largely explaining it to the other civilians, borrowing an Air Navy officer to cover any security issues. I'd been trying to make sure everything was as prepared as it could be. Combat barding was double-checked for fit in case it was needed, everyone made sure they practiced their combat skills, we made sure that full issues of equipment were being carried off the ship when we were leaving.

When I finally found a few moments to myself I decided to head for the deck. Our flotilla was air-anchored in a rather pretty spot, it turned out. The plains and Savannah of Zebrawa were all around us, but on the horizon to the east we could just make out the desert. Apparently our nearest town was sixty miles away, right at the edge of the desert. Our destination, the coastal city of Adidas Azebra, was another six hours flight away. The scans by flying pegasi and by the machines aboard the ships hadn't detected anything unusual at all for miles. Unless Lions had invented anti-air weapons able to hit a target four miles up, we were probably safe.

Even knowing that, I couldn't help but scan the scene before me with some concern. Out about half a mile away, the various patrol ships circled. Around us, the Corvettes. Some Pegasi were allowed out to fly, but not civilians, not this late. Many of them had gone over to Enterprise. I glanced over at the scientific survey vessel and...

...Was that just a trick of the light or was something standing on her bow?

"You all right, Sir?" A voice asked from above. Corporal Griffen was floating there.

"Fine, Corporal..."

"It's just you were staring at the Enterprise for a while there."

Well, he did have eagle eyes, I suppose.

"Just thinking a bit. This whole thing ahead, it was a little unexpected."

"I don't think there's much to worry about myself, Sir. My parents and uncle were here when they were in the Marines, and again when they were working with Cloudwater International."

"That Private Weather Company from Trottenham?"

"Yeah, when I was born they moved into municipal weather back in Canterlot rather than keep traveling. My uncle kept working with them then his Henfriend convinced him to go work for Cloudsdale weather when my cousin was born. They all said the only unpredictable thing here was the weather at times. The local soldiers and police are well trained. "

"Well, that's good to know. You think we can rely on the locals to be on higher alert, Corporal?"

"Honestly, I'm more worried about the Eighty-Second, Sir. They're pretty cocky."

I thanked him for the conversation and made my way back down decks, suppressing a sigh the whole way. Maybe I was just too paranoid about the events of the last day. After all, none of it was obviously connected to the Princess. The riot didn't seem related. It was all just coincidence. Yet I couldn't stop thinking it was part of something larger for the rest of the night, as I had been thinking the whole day.

As I lay down to get to sleep, knowing we'd be arriving at last in the Zebrawan capital by the time I was awake again, my last thought was on the most alarming news we'd been given. The four robbers killed, had they really just been out to steal some artifacts from an archaeological dig, or were they working for someone else? Were their killers working for someone? Had they been the intruders at the embassy? What would it mean if they were?

I really should have remembered my own advice on thinking about things like that.

Episode 114: (Dark World) Friends vs Friends

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Pony POV Series
Dark World Part 31 "Friends vs Friends"
By Alex Warlorn
Edited By Kendell2 and Louis

Apple Pie dreamed of her ideal world.
Rarity and Spike were shackled and pinned.
AJ was her Element of Chaos among her own ashes trying to regenerate in time, she wouldn't even with Twilight's help.
Derpy The Clown laughed at everything.
Twilight The Unicorn was alone.

-'Stairs of Time' .hack//Links-

"EEEE-KEEEI!" A pink and a blue comet in a spiral dive hit Nightmare Eclipse in the back, wings, sides legs, and neck to the high-pitched battle cry.

"THANK THE ALICORNS FOR MIRACLES!" AJ said in total appropriateness as her mind finished loading into her new brain.

"You're welcome!"

"No! You're NOT supposed to be here, Your Majesty!" yelled the Nightmare.

The links in Nightmare Manacles' chains exploded in spectacular fashion. Their shatterer and Nightmare Manacle locked eyes. "The heck happened here?!"

"You call that an radical entrance?!" Nightmare Manacle snapped.

"NO it's an awesome entrance! And... oh Celestia... so you really are..." Rainbow Dash looked at the shade of her Nightmare in horror.

"You don't DESERVE to call yourself me! At least I REMEMBER my crimes!"

Rainbow growled. "So I don't let my crimes rule me, I'd rather do that than being a self-loathing suicidal crybaby!"

"Who you calling a crybaby? You heartless jerk!"

"Omnicidal maniac!"

"Karma Houdini!"

"Oh you did not just go there! You-" Rainbow Dash sighed, face hoofing. "I thought I was through harping on past me..."

"Ditto!"

"Is randomly inserting yourself into battles the only way you can make an entrances?!?!" Eclipse exclaimed.

Rainbow Dash shook her head and growled as she remembered the situation they presently where in.

"FREE WILL! FREE WILL!"

RD zipped among her friends touching them calling out the name of her Element Of Chaos. The chains dissolved off of Rarity and Spike who instantly got up and breathed fire and fired a copy of the 'Failsafe Spell' at Nightmare Paradox at the same time.

"AAAAAGGGGH!!!" The Nightmare's concentration broke.

"MINE!" Rarity said taking in Spike's burns.

"FREE WILL!"

The clown make up and costume vanished off of Derpy at RD's touch and the junior Loyalty got up and shook herself. "That's not funny!"

"FREE WILL!"

Dash tapped Apple Pie and the filly woke up and shook her head, "Whadda time ta fall asleep, Ah'm sorry, everypony."

"RAINBOW DASH! HOW COULD YOU!!!!" Twilight snarled.

"YOU'RE WELCOME FER SAVIN' YER PLOT!"

"YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO KEEP THE PRINCESSES SAFE, YOU JERK! WHAT ABOUT 'PLAN B?!'"

"THEY INSISTED!"

"INSISTED?! YOU'RE THE ADULT! YOU COULD HAVE JUST BUCKING PARALYZED THEM!"

"I couldn't bring myself to impose on Their Majesties' free will!"

Twilight felt like she was about to have an aneurysm. "Free Will? Dash... be honest with me... is that really the REAL reason, or were you aching to beat up Discord THAT BADLY?!"

*Sorry Twilight... Blame me for this. You needed help. I gave them a brief update about the Alicorn Witch and asked them to come.*

'I hate you, like a thousand burning suns.'

*I'm sorry.*

Twilight looked to Rainbow Dash, but now that she'd calmed down a little, she saw the pegasus looked...worried. "Rainbow, why did you REALLY come back?"

Rainbow gave a sigh. "Look...I...We lost Pinkie Pie..." her eyes actually teared up just a little. "Fluttershy's gone, Derpy's daughter...My foalhood friend, my best friend, I know AJ keeps talking about Pony Heaven..."

"But..."

"But...I didn't want to lose anymore of you, okay?" she said, voice small, almost pleading. "I felt somepony warn me about...HER," she said, pointing to Paradox who was at present occupied with trying to fend off Spike, Rarity, and Derpy while simultaneously trying to heal her burns and recover from the mental backlash of having her spell interrupted. "The Princesses said they could feel how strong she was and you'd need help...I'm sorry, Twilight but..."

Twilight hugged her friend tight. "...I feel the same way...I understand."

Rainbow hugged her back.

Twilight then realized something. "Wait, I thought the Princesses were powerless!" she exclaimed, blinking as realization hit her. "How are they even helping at all?"

"Oh... heheh... that. Funny story. But no time to chat-"

"Sorry," Twilight said putting her horn on Rainbow's head, "Didn't want to use this, this'll hurt in the morning, but I've been in the dark enough."

+++

"Rainbow Dash...fly us up as high as you possibly can," Princess Luna ordered, serious. The two holding onto my back for dear life.

"What?! Why?! There's no tim-" I stopped as Luna gave me a hard look.

"If we and Celestia are going to aid yonder friends, we require our magic. If we are closer to our Concepts, we can regenerate. Rancor verily did the same thing after her duel with Spike."

Celly blinked. "Uh, so why didn't we do that before?"

Luna and me both looked at each other, no way was I telling her her blech, 'coltfriend' was the bad guy.

"Because that...wasn't our fight, we didn't need to and it wouldn't have been worth the effort considering...the villain the others had to face was so badly weakened...But we're needed now," Luna said, she didn't have to tell me twice.

"Alright, hang on!" I turned upwards, going into a Sonic Rainboom. The air got thinner as we went higher and higher...no...its not enough...not nearly enough...my wings can't get enough air, I couldn't breath. I don't care if my Element keeps rebuilding my body I need air!

I fall back down, painting. Come on! I try again, and just fall back down again. This can't be it! "No...Twilight...the others...I can't...I have to do this..."

"It's alright...Rainbow Dash...you did the best you could..."

"No..." I said, growling. No, I'm not going to give up! I can't...Pinkie, Fluttershy...Scootaloo...Derpy's filly...I can't...I can't lose anypony else! "I'm not letting Twilight and the others alone...nothing's stopping me! Not bucking physics, not some 'Alicorn Witch'...and not me..." I said, thinking of why I was so scared of using every ounce of my power. I didn't want to hurt anyone, didn't want to KILL someone...But if I didn't, my friends were going to DIE. And I was MORE afraid of that! I let the Princesses go and got some distance, letting the power explode. I erupted in red energy and rainbow lightning. I was Ender Dash...and I felt different than before...I didn't feel crazy or bloodthirsty...I just felt...free. Free to use this power for whatever I needed to. "Grab on! We're going to give this story a happy ending if it kills us!"

They looked freaked for a bit before grabbin' on. I flew straight up, taking as much air in as I could, I'd need it. I control the lightning around me like my own hooves, forming a canopy for the fillies, I was moving so fast, almost as fast as my normal Sonic Rainboom.

"Almost there..." I said, waiting till it was now or never time. "Three...two...one..." I counted down to myself, timing this to the last second. "Sonic Endboom!"

I exploded forwards, feelin' the atmosphere around me shatter and us rocketin' up. I didn't even look back at the electrified rainbow I knew was there. I don't think I've ever flown that fast. Thank the Princesses my Pegasus magic is boosted, including the magic protecting 'em from the g-forces as we climb higher and higher.

And...I stopped...I felt weightless. I looked back down, the planet...its so beautiful from up hear...until I try to breath and find myself suffocating. I panic...until I see Celestia fly up in front of the sun, Luna in front of the moon. One glowin' golden, the other silver as light rushes into 'em...it's so beautiful I don't even care my vision's goin' fuzzy.

I feel hooves catch me and start bringing me back towards the ground.

+++

Twilight broke the connection, "So once they got me back to the atmosphere and my Element of Chaos got me kicking again, we came to help you guys out!"

Twilight's jaw dropped. "You...you flew them into space?...On your own?"

Rainbow Dash cracked a proud smirk Twilight had missed for SO long. "Yep!"

Twilight couldn't help smiling. "That's our Rainbow Dash."

"No, this is our Rainbow Dash!" The Magic Nightmare snapped!

"Darn right!" Manacle resonated. "I bet I could fly out of a whole solar system if I wanted! A galaxy!"

Unfortunately, the sight of two fillies preparing another attack and the other Nightmares emerging to help their comrades reminded the heroes there was a battle going on. "It might be too early for a group hug," Twilight said, a little sheepishly.

= 'Blinded By Light' Final Fantasy XIII=

"Ready, Lulu?"
"Ready, Celly!"

"AIM FOR THE GHOSTLY NIGHTMARES!!!" Twilight screamed at the two little Alicorns.

Nightmare Paradox's eyes widened in shock and alarm.

"EEEE-KEEEI!"

"OH NO, YOU DON'T!" The paradox Nightmare said, a millisecond later a Sonic Rainboom hit the Nightmare square in her helmet cracking it.

"Thanks to whoever brought down the walls and ceiling! I CAN LET LOOSE!" Rainbow Dash exploded, into a glowing red angel of death, only this time, it was rainbow colored lightning crackling about her form and the red was brighter, more beautiful. "Guess I have to fight Twilight Sparkle to save the world after all! Time for the happy ending already!"

"Agreed incomplete me!" Nightmare Manacle blew the two fillies backwards with a Sonic Rainboom simply by flapping her wings. Nightmare Manacle snarled as she formed a storm cloud and tried blasting the Princesses with lightning, it was all the twins could do to suddenly play defense.

"Rainbow Dash!" called Derpy to the loyal Nightmare, flying up. "Why par woe doing this? Blue aren't a pad pony, you never punted to spurt ponies!"

Manacle had a look of self-loathing not all that out of place on Traitor Dash, except with bubbling rage. "Because of Discord, old me betrayed Equestria, and we ALL betrayed each other! We betrayed the world! We betrayed EVERYTHING we loved! Everypony betrayed everypony because of that sick buck! I'm TIRED of all this betrayal! I'm loyal to my friends and together we'll fix everything! Discord will PAY FOR IT ALL! And when we're done, no one will EVER betray anypony EVER again! I'd delete this world as many times as it takes to save it!"

Derpy sighed. "You pill hate yourself, won't blue, Rainbow Dash?"

"I never stopped!" yelled Manacle, sending a wave of lightning the mare had to hold back using the full strength of her Element.

Nightmare Whisper surged at Apple Pie again, only to find a fully healed Applejack jump in her face and give her a buck to the snout, causing Paradox to recoil as well. "Hush now, quiet now-"

"No!" Applejack yelled at the vision of the Apple Pie clan, Applebloom, Granny Smith, and Big Mac at a family reunion, breaking free. "Fluttershy..." Applejack said, looking up at the kind Nightmare. "Why are yah doin' this? Yah ain't a monster, yer the sweetest mare Ah'd ever met. What happened to yah?"

Whisper pinned her ears. "I'm just helping my friends...Is that wrong?"

"Shy'...Ah meant why did you turn into...THIS? What happened to yah?"

The Nightmare actually shivered. "I don't want to talk about it...I know you worry about me, Applejack...But we're going to make a better world...a world were there's no cruelty, were no one's hurting."

"But is it worth killin' so many ponies fer?!"

"...To me, it is...they don't feel any pain when it happens, think of it as just going back to the start. Just starting a loop over, like the seasons. Besides, it's kinder this way, kinder than them suffering under Discord... "

Applejack teared up. "...Sorry, Fluttershy..."

"I'm sorry too, Applejack," Whisper said, tears constantly streaming from her eyes, glass butterflies forming and slicing into Applejack's skin. The mare groaned, regenerating and leaping at her. The Nightmare shade prepared her butterflies, but waited, expecting an illusion to come first...only to be bucked in the horn by the real thing she believed to be fake. She retaliated by trying to spear her with her mane, getting several hits before the mare jumped back and began to take the defensive.

Granfalloon headed straight for Derpy once more. "Come on, smile smile smile!" she cackled, sending her swarm of balloons once again.

"Failsafe Spell!" called Twilight, teleporting in front of it and focusing on the chaos half of her Element, channeling Tragedy to cancel out the wave of Endless Laughter. "Pinkie...This...this isn't you! You're not some monster clown! Can't you see people are suffering because of Paradox?"

The Nightmare merely laughed. "Hehe, silly Twilight, Eclipse and the others are my friends friends friends! Why wouldn't I help them?! And no ponies suffering! Cause none of this ever ever ever will have happened! Don't you remember those Groundhog Day Loop plots on TV?! Nopony but the one trapped remembers a thing! The rest just go back to the start not remembering anything. When we finally make our world, nopony will remember any of this! They'll just be so full of happiness they'll never never never be sad sad sad ever again!"

Twilight shuddered...that voice...it was so much like Pinkie's...and that scared her more than anything. "That's not true, Pinkie! You're ERASING ponies! They're...they're dying!"

"Hehe, you're silly silly silly, Twilight! That's not not not how these plots work! Everypony knows knows knows they're played for comedy!"

Twilight gave a sad sigh. "...I'm sorry, Pinkie," she said, firing a beam. The Nightmare blocked it, but it only exploded like fireworks, blinding her and letting a second blast knock her to the ground. "But I can't take your word for it right now!"

The happy Nightmare gave another demented laugh and summoned a barrage of Party Cannons from all directions, forcing the mare to dodge the assault that blew a hole in the floor and sent a mushroom cloud of confetti into the sky, the shock wave knocking Twilight off her feet.

"Heheheh . . . Starsong, Toola-Roola, it'll be my Never Birthday gift to you... heh, Eclipse will make sure there's no 'No Except Yes' and 'Yes Except No's to... to cause... heheh. None of these bad things will have ever ever ever happened! And, hehhehe, our world will finally be back!"

"Aunt AJ!" called Apple Pie, Spike grabbing Nightmare Mirror by the flanks, his claws digging into her and pulling her back with the little filly on his shoulder. The filly looked to Mirror with tears in her eyes. "Why...why are yah doin' this? Yer...yer my auntie...Yah...yah really think Ah shouldn't exist? Yah want tah hurt meh?"

Mirror actually looked saddened for a moment.

+++

That...that rotten Valeyard! He...he...Apple Pie. Wake up Apple Pie! The varmint's gone now!

The poor girl. She's grayer than slate. He broke her with that stupid story!

(No, Applejack, he broke her with a lie.)

What?

(The story doesn't end that way, Superstallion faked his death and lives happily ever after with his love.)

That rotten liar! Ah should of known! Apple Pie...please snap out of it...

(He just lied to Derpy too, you can feel it, can't you?)

Yeah, Ah can! That's it! Ah'm tired of my friends bein' hurt by his lies!

(Lies may be useful, but wouldn't the world be better if they didn't exist? Then you wouldn't be in this mess at all.)

...Yer right! The world would be better off without Deceit! Without lies! Then Discord COULDN'T have won in the first place!

(And if that world doesn't exist?)

It has to be made! This world of lies is absurd! And it would be be better off GONE!

+++

"No, Apple Pie, it ain't YA who shouldn't exist! It's this absurd world of Discord's no good lies that shouldn't exist!" Mirror replied. "And Ah'm helpin' my friends FIX that. And when we're done, ya'll live in a world where Discord ain't hurtin' ponies with his lies! The whole family will! That's what Ah'm doin'!"

Apple Pie whimpered. "But...but Ah don't want yah doin' this for meh, and Ah don't think anypony else does either."

Mirror suddenly snarled in rage. "Ah know they don't! That's a harsh truth Ah've accepted! And Ah've accepted the ponies in Twili' world will be HAPPY! Including you!"

Apple Pie gave a sigh. "...Sorry, Saint Aunt AJ...But we've got to stop ya."

"Then you'll have to face the truth!" the Nightmare roared, opening her wings, countless emerald eyes staring right into the two.

"Your a freak! Dragons aren't supposed to be generous!"

"You're just a little fangirl in way over her head!"

"Rarity only loves you because you're big: a thousand years ago she wouldn't have given you the time of day!"

"You only exist because a murderer crushed the world, you're a mistake!"

Apple Pie's Element glowed bright, reacting to the contradictory nature of the generous dragon she rode. "Hehe! Yeah, it don't make sense does it? That a little fangirl like meh is a hero now! And why is it a bad thing good came out of bad? Ponies always say look at the silver linin'!"

Spike felt Apple Pie's energy pulse into him and couldn't help laughing as it pointed out the paradoxical logic. "Why should that upset me? Everyone always says being unique is a good thing! And why should that upset me? She's my girlfriend, isn't she? So what if I had to grow up so we could be together? That's a GOOD thing in my book!" the dragon replied, spitting a cloud of ink in the Nightmare's face, causing her to recoil in surprise as she was blinded, allowing Spike to hurl her to the ground by the flanks. Spike looked over his shoulder at Banneret, then back to Mirror. "And I know not be afraid of what I am."

Mirror snarled, slamming her hooves down and sending pillars of crystal spikes through the ground. And Spike was a big target. A crystal grazed his leg as he took off into the air with filly in toe a moment before he could be impaled a hundred times over.

"Ya know the difference between yer average Nightmare and me? AH KNOW AH'M CRAZY! AH KNOW MAH FRIENDS ARE CRAZY! AH KNOW AH'M EXTREME! Ah know Ah'm makin' innocent ponies hurt! Ah know Ah'm a worthless filthy hypocrite fer workin' with 'Shy when she's the Kindest of Lies! Ah KNOW how many times we've murdered ponies who didn't do nothin' tah deserve it! Ah know Ah'm earnin' mahself a nice pretty harness on the devil's big ride in Pony Hell! But ya know what else? Ah know that fer everypony else it's gonna be WORTH IT when they ain't gonna live in a world where ya gotta talk horse apples every five minutes just ta keep from hurtin' yer friends feelin's!!!! AH KNOW ya got some pretty soundin' words to grandstand about how Ah'm wrong wrong wrong! Lies have a throne in the heart of every pony whisperin' that it's their best friend! And if me bein' hated by everypony and deservin' it is the price fer them bein' free of that fake friend, then fine by me! We WILL make a happier world! No more worlds held together on lies! Just... no more lies... please, just, more no lies... " Spike was surprised at the pain and sorrow in the Nightmare's voice.

Nightmare Whisper appeared along side her just long enough to gently nuzzle her.

Banneret snarled, opening his mouth and sending a billow of flames at his counterpart, only for a wall of crystal to rise and block it.

"Now now, Spike, leave them be," said Rarity politely, looking up at him with sad eyes. "Spike...why are you doing this?"

"Rarity..." For a moment, Banneret had a sad, longing look on his face. "Rarity, please come with us...become one of us, so we can protect you. Be with me again. You're the only one missing. We can be altogether, be friends again, just like it used to be. I'll give you the universe for nothing in exchange but your company. I'll give you my power, oh my Lady Desire if you want it. I'll make myself your slave."

"I'm sorry, Spike," Rarity said, understanding on her face, a part of her wanted to cry. "I'm sure your Rarity loved you as much as I love my Spike...but I can't join you."

"So be it..." said Banneret, almost sounding...heartbroken. He then sent a torrent of flames, Rarity using a wall of crystals and then jumped over, Anger glowing as she lifted a huge crystal and threw it into Banneret's face full force. Banneret roared in pain and staggered back, but then twirled around, tail-whipping her into the ground. Banneret bite into a decoy illusion when she was down as she climbed out and continued her assault.

Derpy manipulated Nightmare Manacle's lightning once again, sending it right back at her. Manacle dodged, but ran into another thunder cloud Derpy had created and stunning her.

The Alicorn twins gave another battle cry and were a pair of rockets that impaled the stunned shadowy Nightmare. Nightmare Manacle gasped in pain, and Nightmare Paradox did the exact same thing, bleeding from where the Alicorns sisters had gone through Nightmare Manacle, just like every hit her Nightmares sustained.

"Princess Celestia..." The Nightmare gasped in disbelief.

"Why does everypony keep calling me Princess? Was our dad a king?"

"I'll explain later, Celly!"

Paradox recalled all her Nightmares into herself. Even them facing even odds against the heroes was too risky in her mind. She couldn't take risks when she wasn't sure what information of previous loops Discord had implanted in incomplete Twilight's brain. This loop was defective.

"Now you're the one whose trump cards are all used up!" Rarity shouted, stones encasing the Nightmare's legs. "RAINBOW DASH!"

"SONIC END-BOOM!" The Sonic Rainbow-speeding Pegasus hit the Nightmare head on again, the sun and moon plate that covered half her face shattered. It revealed half a face with borderline forth-degree burns that refused to heal, the the scar was shaped like a magic wand with a star top.

"Guess Alicorn Trixie really did leave her mark on you!" Twilight shouted.

The Nightmare blinked, inside the eye on the burned side of her face was now tiny hands of a clock. "Time stop." Everything froze.

The hands on the clock began to spin backwards. "You will wander forever."

Suddenly they were back with Ender Dash zooming towards the Nightmare at full speed, her mask intact. The Nightmare shattered the stones holding her and brought them up as a barrier between her and the Rainboom and teleported out of the path entirely with the extra millisecond it gave her. She blasted Ender Dash from behind with a gail of freezing wind, didn't wait for her to break free and summoned a black rod that impaled the charged up Pegasi, making her crash.

"Time marches only as I command! I believe its time for this façade of you actually having a chance of winning to end," The Nightmare looked down at her counterpart, "Did you really think you were the first version of you I had to amputate from her false friends? We ARE Twilight Sparkle after all!"

"Her name is Twilight The Unicorn!" An ancient but beautiful sword shot through the air and struck at the center of the Nightmare's cutie mark. The sword bounced off barely messing up the fur and hit the floor with a clatter.

"That's weird, that always works on Pony Rangers."

As Minty Pie finished climbing out of the hole in the Castle roof, EVERYONE, from Nightmares to Alicorns to mortal and immortal Ponies alike stared bug-eyed.

"COUSIN MINTY PIE?!" Apple Pie exclaimed. This was too crazy. Something was... different about her. Her movements held a resolve to them. She had scars on her hooves.

"Hey, Apple Pie, nice to see you're doing okay." She managed a weak smile.

"You aren't supposed to be here! You aren't important!" Nightmare Paradox was besides herself.

"Is the rebellion with you?!" Applejack asked.

"Rebellion? No! It's just me!"

"Just you?! Minty Pie have you gone crazy?! You're going to get yourself killed!" Twilight exclaimed.

*I honestly didn't tell her to come, she did this all on her own.*

"You could've encouraged the untrained civilian with no magical powers to turn back home. Very easily."

*Are you kidding-?! She's fought through fiends and dark lords to get here to help you! What makes you think one little voice in her head could have stopped her?! Apples are as stubborn as mules and Pies are as crazy as foxes!*

"I know I'm not to blame for letting an amnesiac filly and MINTY PIE join a fight against SIX NIGHTMARES!!!!"

*The Nightmare would have killed everyone, then turned you into Nightmare Purgatory, then killed everyone else if your friends didn't come when they did. Don't you think it kills me inside too to see them in harm's way?!*

Twilight noticed the time-travel scroll at Minty Pie's hooves, torn in two. "Uh, that scroll wasn't too important was it? I kinda accidentally tore it in two when I was climbing up."

"It's okay," said Nightmare Paradox, matter-of-factly, shooting fireballs at Minty Pie. "There's this phenomenal substance known for reuniting broken scroll pieces. It's known as 'glue.' I think I'll make some of you."

Twilight charged to bring up a forcefield, but Minty Pie dodged the fireballs with experience and threw the scroll in the ball of one, incinerating it.

"Now that's just horseapples." The Nightmare felt a headache coming on.

"Uh. Thanks Minty Pie," Twilight said, her jaw AND Apple Pie's hitting the floor. Since did cousin Minty Pie move like that?!

"Welcome! "Minty slapped her hooves together, "Wait a second! I think I saw all this in that silvery pool in the castle basement." AJ lifted an eyebrow but said nothing. Minty Pie pointed at the Nightmare. "You're Twilight's BAD Alicorn self, while her GOOD Alicorn self is, wait wait."

"Lulu, what's going on? I thought we were just helping the ponies who woke me up face the evil witch."

"I promise, Celly, I'll all make sense later. For now just... roll with it."

"Okay, Lulu! Rolling with it sounds like fun!"

"HEY! You're the mare from when I woke up!" Rainbow Dash said in recognition, "GET LOST BEFORE YOU GET HURT!" Rainbow Dash shouted, trying to get the black rod out of her body but it was being stubborn.

"Twilight," Minty said looking at the unicorn, "Pinkie Pie says you better keep your promise about not blaming yourself for...for her...for her growing old."

"WHAT THE...?!" Twilight exclaimed. 'Is the afterlife offering free rides to the world of the living or something?!'

"Well, there was this pool in the castle basement, I was so thirsty I almost drank from it, then I kinda looked into it first, and..."

Twilight's Nightmare shook her head incredulously. "How we could have once been part of the same soul is a mystery for the ages I doubt even I could fathom."

"Did you know there a thousand year old civilization of Season Spirits underneath the castle?" asked Minty, inexplicably trailing into a new subject. "I got tricked into almost wiping out the Summer Spirits, but I made real friends with some of the Winter Spirits, and it got them the courage to stand up to their queen and..."

"Poof," Paradox said. Minty Pie was shrunk down to the size of a doll. Nightmare Paradox towered over her. "Word to the wise, Minty: showdowns are NOT the place for recaps or backstory."

"They aren't?" the doll-sized Minty said. "I'm sorry. I've only really been in tough one-on-one fights so--"

Then the nightmare teleported her off the side of the castle.

"-faaaaaaarrrrrrrr."

Twilight teleported her above Nightmare Paradox, the Nightmare's eyes widened, she quickly teleported out of the way, looking scared. Twilight slowed Minty Pie's fall, and used the falsesafe spell on her, then drained her magic more by adding to the 'protective aura' against the Nightmare's telekinesis, hoping that Rainbow Dash and the Princesses could handle on their own. She'd be out of mana in no time if she had to support three more ponies even splitting it with Rarity.

Minty picked up her sword in her mouth. It glowed four colors of the four seasons. "Soh, Twilighth, Id thikud Id seened thised."

"Minty, please, I beg of you, LEAVE. You are NOT HELPING!"

Minty sadly shook her head, "Sorry, no can do. Id sawd howd thangs goh if Id leave."

Boulder sized hot-cold rock bombs appeared in front of the faces of every pony and dragon present.

"REMEMBER ME?!" The Nightmare shouted while they exploded.

The Nightmare then spoke calm.
"Okay, check list:
-Rainbow Dash, pinned down and couldn't flee, boom, she'll be regenerating for a bit.
-Spike, dizzy for the moment, as tough as my number one assistant should be.
-Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, they're still moving, thank goodness.
-Apple Pie, Derpy, oh and Minty, unconscious and bleeding to death. You should probably teleport Minty to one of the bedrooms and transform the door into that of a bank vault. For her own good.
-Rarity scrambling to take all their injuries for herself before they die and applying tiny stones and her telekinesis as emergency bandages.
-And Applejack, still regenerating.
-Check for illusion call signs. Nope. Everything checks out. Just you, me, and me myself, oh stop staring in shock, ready-aim-fire!"

A beam of death fired from the Nightmare's horn, Twilight returned fire at once with her own! Twilight cringed, and forced herself to continue. If she kept her Nightmare busy, then Rarity and AJ had time to save the others' lives!

Black threads began to spider their way down the Nightmare's beam, crossing silently, unseen, along the beam of Twilight's magic, closer and closer to her horn, to her brain, her heart. Twilight didn't see it coming. Never saw it coming. Couldn't see it coming.

Her mind and eyes were focused on stopping the Nightmare no matter the cost. Feeling anger of seeing her friends near death. The rage. The hate. The hurt. The fury. She wanted to see this version of herself BURN. To SUFFER! Just like Discord had! Just as Discord...just Discord deser-

The sword of Four Seasons cut off Magica's replacement horn. The beam wasn't strong enough to vaporize Twilight, it wasn't meant to, all the power behind it was a concussive blast, knocking Twilight back spinning. The Nightmare cut off the spell.

"Apple Pie I'm sorry," Minty said looking at Magica's horn, as truth had shown her.

"YOU! WHAT PART OF LIE ON THE GROUND AND SILENTLY BLEED INTO DEATH WAS HARD TO UNDERSTAND?!"

"I'm an adult Earth Pony born and raised on Sweet Rock Acres right next to the Chaos Capital of the world and survived a trip through a 'see everything at once' pool and survived a fight with the Queen of Winter and the king of the sober darkness. I'm made of harder stuff than ourself who spent her days collecting green socks. Not that that's bad or anything you know but-"

The still-furious Twilight who'd seen her horn fly off snarled.

"YOU TRAITOR!!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!?!" Twilight snorted ready to clobber her.

"The horn! Look at the horn!"

Twilight glaced at Magica's horn and saw the black threads dissolving off it. She realized what almost happened. "Minty, you saved my soul, you just saved Equestria!"

"All in a day's work, Twilight!" Minty said with a smile, with an attempt at a salute.

"AAAGGGH!" The Nightmare couldn't stand this absurdity. "So close! Soclose!Soclose!Soclose!Soclose!Soclose!Soclose!" The specters of the other Nightmares joined in her cursing.

She almost hugged the pony, but stopped, remember before. "Thank you. You're a very helpful pony." Twilight, turning to face the Nightmare, her horn regenerating, "Nice try, but I refuse to become you! Because that's what free will is all about!"

"Yeah, I saw in the weird pool, this one world, a pony named White Cross, who was supposed to become the new Dracoltula, but he refused to turn evil when Coltsavania's spirits empowered him and..."

"ENOUGH WITH THE POOL OF TRUTH ALREADY! IT'S BEEN DONE TO DEATH!" The Nightmare exasperated.

" . . Twilight, I think, you? And me? Us touching? I think, after looking in that pool, I think it's part of what's supposed to happen." Minty sounded unsure, no more like scared, terrified.

Twilight froze in place for a moment. Minty Pie... wanted the two of them to TOUCH.

The Nightmare cursed, "This is ridiculous! It's like I'm in a castle infested by hybrids spawned from some unholy union of Discord and Pinkie Pie!!!"

*A zillion and one universes over.*

"Distortion are you okay dear?" Queen Pinkie Pie said, wearing her smilie face and birthday cake crown today.

"Yes mama," the demi-draconequus colt said, "Just felt like somepony said something mean about me."

Pinkie Pie hugged her son. "Well don't you worry about it, ponies say mean things all the time, but most of the time it's just because they're hurt, angry, or don't realize they're talking to a person."

"Huh?"

"Mean things said just to be mean don't mean anything, and not fun 'don't mean anything' just 'pst, whatever' 'don't-mean-anything." Said the Alicorn.

"Okay mama." He hugged back.

"UGH! Now I've got the feeling somepony somewhere just gave me the brush off!" The Nightmare growled.

"Thanks, your Majesties," Rainbow Dash said as the healed Alicorns fillies pulled the black rod out of her.

"Girls!" Twilight shouted, stopping in front of Dash. "I'd say it's about time for formation!"

"You would fire the Rainbow of Light at me?! Fantasy! I am a GALLERY of Nightmares! You'd need a HERD of veteran Elements of Harmony to steal my perfection from me!"

Dash sighed. "Twilight I know you don't need two Elements of Loyalty, so I'll keep her... them... busy."

And she flew off to do just that.

"Twilight! You DO have a way past her trick with the whole 'undo the flow of time' thing, right?" Spike asked. That was when the ice shards began to rain down on him, Rarity had to catch them and throw them back before they could impale him. At the same time, self-multiplying pony-seeking throwing stars were thrown in Apple Pie and Derpy's general direction, forcing them suddenly on the defensive as Rainbow Dash chose to simply zoom into the swarm until she looked like a pincushion, the throwing stars not having complex enough programming to detach themselves if they struck the 'wrong' target. A giant upside down playpen landed on top of the Alicorn fillies and fused with the ground.

A blast of sound hit Applejack, destroying hear hearing until it could regenerate and ruining her focus as the Nightmare then fired off spells to incinerate/electrocute/vaporize/crystalize the surprisingly nimble Earth Pony.

*Don't get angry, Twilight, it's just what she wants. She's getting desperate! She's shown her entire hand! She has no more tricks up her sleeve! She knows that even if she can just reverse any damage it's not helping her getting you to become a Nightmare!*

"FAILSAFE SPELL!" The various dances of death ended, Twilight dumped extra power into the spell, knowing this time it wasn't a reckless act of a child trying to force her solution. The magical constructs dissolved along with the spells in use. Clearing the battle field once again.

"NIGHTMARE PARADOX!"

"That's Nightmare Eclipse!"

"I saw memories when I touched Minty Pie! Memories of a world that no longer is! Just like you want to make! Where everypony had their wishes come true, regardless of the effort they did or didn't put into it! But they laughed! They cried! They got angry! They loved. Just like the ponies who existed before them who chose to be remade in the hopes of making a world where everypony could just be happy if they wanted! Each version would be strange to the other! But they were alive. ARE ALIVE! We each have a right to exist for what we are!

"Life is about growing! And as long as you can grow, it doesn't matter what you know or don't know, how long you've existed, or how you came to be! Whether you need or don't need somepony else to live, whether they happened to give you permission to live or not. And each version of us who have existed or will exist is as real as the rest!"

"Then come, Twilight Sparkle, bring forth the Elements if you're that confident! If I am a force that is wrong, then just try to stop me!"

"Alright Everypony-" Twilight shouted. "-All together!"

"Honesty!" Said AJ.

"Laughter!" Apple Pie shouted.

"Generosity!" Rarity called forth.

"Kindness!" Fluttercruel cried out.

"Loyalty!" Added Rainbow Dash.

"And Magic!" Twilight finished.

The six lights within the ponies united as one and came together and the blast of rainbow light rose up to crash down on Nightmare Eclipse.

"Too bad." The Nightmare sighed. "Alright, everypony! All together!"

They came forth.
An inverted rainbow Nightmare of smoke and chains.
A clown Nightmare with crayon wings.
A flower haired Nightmare with butterfly wings.
A mirror winged nightmare with countless green eyes.
And a Nightmare of a dragon in gleaming gold and jeweled armor.

Elements of Harmony jewels appeared, each larger than a grown adult stallion.
"Loyal even into the gates of Tartarus!"
"A never-ending laugh on meanie-pants everywhere!"
"Kinder to end the pain than continued suffering."
"Face the truth you never had a chance."
"I give my soul itself to you all."

The ponies didn't have time to react except to feel shock and horror as the six boulder-sized Elements of Harmony the Nightmare wielded shone brighter than the sun and came together, and devoured their rainbow of light and swept forth with a terrible wailing whooshing sound like a wave motion gun. The swept through the ponies.

=Armageddon From Live-A-Live=

The gigantic rainbow of light didn't stop, it became a domed sphere, and expanded like a nova. The castle was destroyed to its foundations.

Sky Ocean evaporated, the seaponies were annihilated before they could ever hit the ground.

The miserable and gray ponies of Ponyville saw the coming destruction and embraced it with open hooves, their ends were completely painless their entire town was blown to nothing.

Sweet Rock Acres was reduced to molten rock, then the molten rock to mist, the rock farmer's dust was scattered indifferently.

Cloudsdale was torn apart, the hippogriffs swiftly joining the seaponies in death.

Changelings exploded like bombs from the emotional overload before the sphere ever touched them. Dragons lasted a few seconds more before their scales, then skeletons were reduced to the same dust as the rest. Tiamat lasted the longest, surviving long enough to curse her fate and hoping the next life would be kinder for her chosen species.

The ponies of Neighpon went last, the oceans boiled to nothing, the sky torn to shreds, and the various mutant and living object ponies having just enough time to kiss each other goodbye before nothing remained.

The entire planet cracked, and detonated, ripping the sun and moon to space debris, scattering everything across empty space. Almost nothing lived.

Inside a sphere of magic, Twilight Sparkle, colder than cold, shivered as she turned her head her body floating helpless. She saw the outlines of her friends. She dared to hope, but then the outlines feel apart, the perfectly shaped forms breaking apart like sand castle; not even bones remained, just ashes.

"Nothing left," Said Nightmare Eclipse in spite of there no atmosphere around her.

"N-N-N-NOOOOOO!" Twilight Sparkle cried and sobbed hysterically! "An illusion! A trick! Something! ANYTHING! CELESTIA!"

"It's all very real," said the Nightmare. "There is nothing left. All gone. All dust."

"No-oh-oh-oh." Twilight Sparkle quivered.

"Should I send you spiraling off into the nothingness between worlds then?"

"NO!"

"There's only one way to fix all this. Only one way. Only one choice. Only one real path. And you know it."

"...no."

"Is that so? I guess you must LIKE IT ALL like this then. Alone. Nothing-"

Twilight Sparkle's heart shattered into a thousand pieces. "NO! Please! It can't be like this!"

"Then you know what you have to do. Don't you?"

"...Y-yes."

"And that is?"

"Everything. I have to reset everything. Everywhere, everywhen. Reset it all."

"We knew we'd see the truth, Twilight Sparkle." The Nightmare gently touched her horn to Twilight's head. "Because we always do."

Threads of Darkness spread from Twilight's forehead. "Yes," she said back, "We, always do."

((We always do.)

++++

GAME OVER

The words flashed on the screen followed by a sad jingle.

Pinkie Pie blinked at the message.

Bomb Pie dropped his controller in defeat. "I give up."

Morning Light held onto hers in shock. "It's impossible. No matter what we do, the real end boss always has another trick up her sleeve. We can't win." She pushed once on the directional pad.

-->Continue?
End?

Continue?
-->End?

Pinkie Pie narrowed her eyes, "Oh no, you didn't!"

"But mom!" Morning Light protested, her hoof almost pushing the Confirm button, "We just can't win."

"I know it looks that way dear, but I promise there is a way to win, you don't need to give up so close to the end. And . . . wouldn't it be kinda sad, to just give up now?" Pinkie Pie coaxed her adopted child.

Bomb Pie looked at his fostered sister since she was holding controller 1.

"It's up to you."

Morning Light's hoof hoovered over the controller; the game waiting for her choice.

Author's Note

What if Discord wasn't beaten? What if after a thousand years of slavery Twilight Tragedy finally rediscovers her soul? Anyone can die, living is the real challenge. It's time to save the world Mane Six!

Now take a look and begin to discover the true connection between the two time lines of the Pony POV Series.

Pinkie Pie's Ghost, "Hey look! I'm a ghost! WhoooooooOOOOooOOOOO! The smashing finale of this battle of battle will be posted, along with the aftermath, as soon as Clover's Dreams/Nightmares story has been completed!"

Previous Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Shining-Armor-12-by-LZ-368922283

Next Chapter:

First Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Fluttershy-FlutterCruel-Pearls-260092460

The Pony POV Series Trope Page is feeling neglected. Only you can help keep it up to date! Not to mention the recap page needs some work and can really help keep the story straight if you'll contribute to it tropers! http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries

Check out the recursive fanfiction and fanart of the Pony POV Series! http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/journal/MLP-FiM-PonyPOVSeriesFanworks-audio-adaption-2013-349281264 Many of it approved by me as canon.

Be sure to join our Group for a TON of recursive works, many a part of optional canon!!! http://mlp-pony-pov-series.deviantart.com/

AND! Be sure to check season zero and season one's fanlabor pages!
http://mlpfanart.wikia.com/wiki/Pony_POV_Series_Season_Zero:_Discorded_Ponies
http://mlpfanart.wikia.com/wiki/Pony_POV_Series_Season_One:_Reharmonization

MLP:FiM: Copyrighed by Hasbro
Image by Kendell2.

Special Episode (Dark World) Optional-Canon "Nightmare's House"

Nightmare's House
Pony POV Series Dark World
Optional Canon
By Alex Warlorn Edited by Kendell2 and Louis

Nightmare Manacle slept on her floating cloud, snoring, and her chain armor lay in pieces around her on the stone floor. A drop of drool continue to be sucked in and out of her cavernous opened mouth with each breath.

Nightmare Whisper knitted, humming to herself, adding to her life-size yarn sculpture of her proposed Everkind Forest. It was now several hundred million square acres. Her little side project since she had joined the herd. It also included magically animated forms of Angel Bunny and her other dearly departed animals.

Nightmare Granfalloon observed her work from several different directions at once. As a gift, Nightmare Whisper had added a knitted copy of Gummy to her craft forest and her friends others pets. She had even made a white kitted copy of Opal, for when she could welcome her friend.

Nightmare Mirror was in her private chambers, wanting some 'me' time.

Nightmare Banneret's eyes never left the door that led to the outside universe, staying as still as a statue.

The door suddenly crashed opened, the door nearly bouncing back closed from the force. The noise shattering Nightmare Manacle's sleep. "BALGH! No Spitfire I wasn't trying to take locks of yours mane in your sleep!"

"Twilight!" Nightmare Banneret lumbered over to the senior Nightmare, hugging her, which she returned, "How did your trip to the heart world go?! Did you find her?! Did you finally find a Rarity who's willing to accept our gifts?! Is she ready? How soon can I go greet her?"

Nightmare Eclipse snarled, telekinetically throwing off her helmet. "Another worthless Pseudo-Nightmare!"

The white helmet slammed into the face of curious Granfalloon, to the sound of springs and rubber it bounced off her head and hit the floor with a clang. Birthday cakes and baby Pound and Pumpkin circled around her dizzy head. Granfalloon stuffed one of the birthday cakes in her mouth and fell on the floor with spinning eyes. Nightmare Whisper dropped what she was doing at once and began to tend to her friend.

"I mean seriously geeze!" Eclipse ranted, knowing Granfalloon would be perfectly fine. "Stupid dark-energy-parasites! Their magic signature is just close enough to a real Nightmare like us that it completely throws off my readings! So I'm stuck on wild goose chases, and instead of finding a true Nightmare, I find another pony possessed by some ill-defined sickly leech spirit!! She didn't even have wings! AGH! It makes me so mad!" She stomped her hoof.

Nightmare Manacle sitting up in bed waved her off, "Hey! Calm down Twilight, you'll pop a blood vessel. We'll make Rarity our Nightmare Charity," Manacle maniacally grinned as she brought her hooves into a crushing motion, "Even if we have to grind her spirit into paste and rebuilt her from the ground up to do it!"

"Rainbow!" Nightmare Whisper admonished.

"It doesn't work that way Rainbow Dash," The lead Nightmare said sternly. "The only way to become a true Nightmare is to become one willingly and knowingly. Like Princess Luna and all of us." The five Nightmare all nodded. "It has to be her choice. She must discard the excess by herself. And see the only way to fix the world is to do it yourself. The Heart World Rarity kept hanging onto some of herself anyway, so there went the hope of her becoming a real one." She couldn't bring herself to mention to Banneret WHICH part of her she'd refused to let go of.

". . . I'm sure we'll find a Rarity who'll listen, eventually," said Nightmare Banneret, in a down-in-the-dumps tone, "I mean, you keep saying reality is infinite right, Twilight? That means there's GOT to be one out there, right?"

Eclipse gently stroked the Nightmare dragon, "There there Spike. It's okay. And you're right. Of course we'll bring Rarity into our herd. I mean, I brought all of you in."

"Uh, technically, it was Applejack who brought me in," Nightmare Whisper, well, whispered.

"We know Fluttershy," Nightmare Eclipse said.

"And it's great to have ya!" Manacle laughed, half hugging Whisper's neck and giving her a noogie.

Granfalloon stuck her head into the hug, getting the noogie too and laughing. "You can say that again again again!"

"Suits me! Great to have ya!" Banneret said hugging Whisper as well.

"Oh Spike." Whisper smiled.

Eclipse nuzzled Whisper. "It's wonderful to have you with us Fluttershy."

Nightmare Whisper couldn't have felt more like she belonged with her friends.

Eclipse then sighed. "Girls, Spike, I think I need some time alone."

"Okay Twilight, no big," The Nightmare dragon said.

"Alright Twilight I understand." Whisper nodded.

"Oki, doki, loki, Oki, doki, loki, Oki, doki, loki!"

The Nightmares all giggled at the Laughter Nightmare.

"Can I watch the looper timeline while you're busy?" Nightmare Manacle asked.

"No."

"Please?"

Eclipse looked at the transparent glass sphere containing a mobius loop shape of stairs sitting on the table. "Last time I let you, you shook it like a snow globe to watch the stars settle."

"I just destroyed a few galaxies."

"Yes, but you could have damaged something important. I'll just give a quick little debugging before resting."

Disappointed but loyal, Manacle shrugged.

"And pick up your armor."

"Yes mother."

Eclipse made no response to the remark and ran some in-depth spells to make sure everything was going according to schedule and check-list, which it was. Like a wheel oiled machine.

She allowed herself a sense of satisfaction at her long and meticulous work and marched to the door to her private chambers. Ancient sacred runes that translated to 'Nightmare Eclipse's Fortress Of Knowledge' were etched into the door.

The door telekinetically swung open, the Nightmare stepped through and closed the door behind her.

The chamber beyond was split into two floors.

The top floor resembled the top floor of a royal library tower once inhabited by a purple unicorn. The huge windows showed a sky perpetually at twilight, the constellations beyond being the only stars in this universe.

The lower floor was like a photograph of Ponyville's Golden Oak's public library with a few additions here and there and the absence of an owl perch.

The Nightmare breathed in deep, and let out the breath slowly. She slowly trotted forward, her magic slowly obscuring her.

By the time she reached a full length mirror, the magic blew away, revealing a purple unicorn mare with an inverted color cutie mark.

She sighed stretching her muscles before turning her head to look at one side of her face. A charcoal black scar in the distinct shape of a star-topped magic wand lay across her features.

'No matter how many times I join with a new self or rejig my vessels, the burn scar left by Trixie's last attack won't leave my flesh.'

How could the last strike from a lying faker con-mare infant imitation of an Alicorn be beyond her abilities to heal? Trixie had been a terrible pony and mediocre magician at best. What unholy unnatural curse had the talentless con-mare dived into that no self-respecting mage would have slithered down to?

'Strong face. Strong face. Your friends are all depending on you. All their trust is in you. They believe in you. For them. Strong face.'

Maybe she needed a little company after all.

She turned towards her bookcase, and finding her copy of White Snow And the Seven Ponies, she pulled on the book, causing a slightly click. The bookcase moved like pieces of a puzzle, opening, the unicorn stepped through.

She found an orange Earth pony wearing an old worn Stetson hat busy apple bucking.

The unicorn looked back, seeing the door shaped hole in reality leading back to her room at twilight in the vast bright sunny fields of the recreation of Sweet Apple Acres.

There was a familiar looking barn and farm house, and of course acres of apple trees.

'All she used her magic for was to create the environment and raw materials,' the unicorn though, 'she built those building herself with hammers, saws, and nails. She planted and raised these apple trees all by herself,' She thought. 'If she was still the incomplete her, we'd say she was working herself to death. Of course now her stamina is near infinite.'

She approached the earth pony who had another color inverted cutie mark. "I still don't understand how you can consider this relaxing."

"And Ah sill don't understand why ya don't ever knock."

"As if you'd ever notice."

"Like ya when yer readin'?"

"Touche."

"So wanna help with the harvest? It'll all go to waste if it's not all bucked and pickled."

"You could just suspend time if you're worried about that."

"And ya could just zap all the info of a book straight inta yer head."

"Doesn't it get a little lonely with just you and these trees?"

"No more lonely than ya and yer books."

"The Nightmare Rarity in the heart world was another bust."

"Cheap-flank magic-parasite horse-apples again?"

"Bingo."

"Figured. What is it with the Shadows are tryin' tah make up parasites tah explain us Nightmares? We're this way cause of ourselves. Ya knew it was gonna be that but ya went anyway didn't ya?"

"I didn't know for one hundred percent sure until the incident fully played out. It was worth a shot."

"And if ya were spotted? Would it have been worth facin' two full grown Alicorns, and a complete group of Elements, without us there to help ya out?"

"I'm not a baby AJ. And having more of us there would have left us be spotted. I can't trust Spike to hold in his impulses at seeing what might be a true Nightmare of Rarity. Pinkie would make a show of herself at the worst possible time. Rainbow Dash would follow instructions to the letter but she's impulsive. Fluttershy would risk her cover to help anypony she could. And you, well, it kind of goes without saying."

"Then don't say it."

'You're one to talk, Cruelest of Truths,' snarked Eclipse mentally.

"Fluttershy, I think has accepted the possibility we may have to do this without Rarity. But Spike. poor dragon. He just gives and gives, and all he wants is a Rarity to give it all to. And I have to be the one to tell him that I've come up short for him, again."

"Ah could always tell'em."

"It's my responsibility. He's family."

"What the hay do ya think we're all are then?" AJ smacked the tree to hard it cracked. "Ah dangit. Sorry Berrybarble, didn't mean ta, Ah'll fix ya up. Come on, Ah've some patch and rope in the house."

The two ponies walked.

"It's not that I don't consider you all family, you're my friends. You girls mean everything to me. But Spike is different. And I don't mean him being a dragon. Celestia trusted me to look after his needs as part of my lessons. And this is the most important need of his life, and I can't provide it."

"Then ya need to either face the truth that ya can't do it alone and need help, or he needs to face the truth that he'll never have a Nightmare Charity."

"So you think you can bring Rarity to us like you did Fluttershy?"

"Ah never said that. But Rainbow Dash couldn't bring 'Shy ta us, and neither could Pinkie. Nothin' makes a pony want to change the world more than realiziin' the lie 'bout the world being kinda like how they want that they kept tellin' themselves."

"Maybe. But you lack the social graces and sophistication that Rarity readily listens to."

"And Ah got an accent."

"Yes."

The ponies opened the farm house. It was clearly built for more than one pony, but the earth pony was its only occupant.

"I know what the answer is for why you haven't populated this place with constructs. But why haven't you just taken some of the props from one of the loops? They're cardboard fakes, but I imagine they'd be nice to look at."

Manacle had done that. Her room was basically a copy of Ponyville and Cloudsdale from before the day of chaos (though it was missing Scootaloo). It reminded Eclipse of that reality (that sickened her where again Luna's Nightmare was treated as a separate being from her) where Discord populated his void prison with constructs that had the gal to think they were alive.

She wondered why Manacle always seemed to sit in her cloud castle with a sad look on her face whenever she was in there. They could make any pocket dimension they wanted, why did Rainbow make something that only seemed to make her sad? She kept trying to ask, but Manacle wouldn't talk about it. Whisper and Granfalloon said it was a little personal and she'd tell her when ready. Eclipse accepted that as friends should.

Another thing that confused Eclipse was that the after AJ transformed, the first thing Nightmare Mirror did was show that nonexistent filly the truth about that comic, reharmonizing her to her pastel colors. Eclipse didn't bother to remember what Mirror did with her after that. Countless fake Apple Pies had come and gone since then.

" . . . They all have their AJ, and Ah ain't her, and Ah stop bein' mah family's AJ a long time ago."

"Now you're something more. Something greater. Something whole. Something beyond a mere pony."

She got out the patching and bindings out of a cupboard and began to trot out of the house.

" . . . Yeah. Ah can definitely say Ah'm not a pony anymore." She looked herself over. "Ah ain't wearin' this shape tah lie tah myself about still bein' the old AJ. Ah just feel like bein' nostalgic sometimes..."

The two walked past again the large barn. Fill to maximum capacity with various preserved apple products along with the cellar that had been expanded several time with the proper braces and safety measures as well.

"So what do we do about Rarity?"

"Whatcha askin' me fer?"

"Because I know your answer will be the most honest one."

"Ah say we don't need 'er. We've got Spike. There's no reason to drag Rarity inta all this too. We ain't got no reason ta, make'er like us. With good old Spike at our side we've got a full set. Unless yer lookin' to invest in back-up Elements. But Spike needs her doesn't he?"

"Yes he does."

"Then maybe he needs to accept we'll only find Rarity for'em after we gotten the dirtiest of the dirty work done. Then she won't have ta get over the whole 'erasing worlds' thing."

"We're not erasing, we're resetting. And it's not like the props we're doing this to are actually ponies. They can't really die anymore than characters in a video game."

"Beep-beep."

"Ah don't be like that AJ!" The purple unicorn hugged her, smiling and speaking happily, "We'll always be friends!"

"Ah know Twilight, Ah know."

The palomino put down the materials in front of the tree 'Berrybarble' and got to work.

"Let me help," the unicorn offered.

"Fine by me."

Using telekinesis, the unicorn wrapped and tied the binding as the orange pony applied the patch.

"There! Good as new!" The unicorn said happily.

"Not really. Just patched and bound up. It's still broken underneath." The palomino looked at the tree, herself, then the purple unicorn, and concluded Berrybarble was in similar company.

"Well as long as it can do what it was grown to do that's what counts right?"

"Ah guess ya would know."

"Oh AJ, the only things that got 'broken off' with us was the chaff. We're more ourselves like we are, then we ever were before. The core of who we are is now all of us."

"So ya went ta the heart world hopin' ta meet a true blue Nightmare of Rarity and got swapped with another 'evil possession blackness thingie.' Had to disappoint poor Spike. And Fluttershy but she hides it perfectly even though it hurts her too not ta have Rarity around. Ah told ya what Ah think. Whatcha gonna do now?"

" . . . For starts I'm going to re-read those biographies and autobiographies of different Rarities I got from some of the timelines I've visited. Might give me some new insights. Then I'm going to watch another of Rainbow's private stunt shows. Talk to Pinkie Pie about 'Princess Rarity.' Maybe allow her to bring back her 'Princess Rarity' from the next Rarity who refuses to become whole. Not sure how Spike will feel about that though. And I have to make sure the looper world is running smoothly. So many things can go wrong if they don't have my direct attention after all. Perfect plans never stay perfect if you hoof them off to others after all. And of course, as much it pains me, I'll have to review that world where Trixie managed to steal the stature of Alicornhood. After that I should have a clearer understanding of where things have gone wrong."

"Don't ya all mean where ya have gone wrong?"

The unicorn patted the other pony on the head, "Oh Applejack you're such a silly pony."

"Ah know Twili, Ah know. Come on. Ah've got some apple cake we can both enjoy."

"Of course. What are friends for? And Applejack."

"Yeah?"

She nuzzled her, "Thank you."

~Fin

Episode 115: (Shining Armor): noicipsuS-Suspicion

Episode 115: (Shining Armor): noicipsuS-Suspicion

Pony POV Series
Shining Armor Arc Chapter 13
Written by Kendell 2
Edited by LZ, Alexwarlorn, and Louis Badalament
noicipsuS-Suspicion

Once we'd all assembled for the customary briefing, Shepard took center stage.

"We will soon be landing in Zebrawa. While the country is normally peaceful, there was a security situation at the embassy and a riot at a volleyball game. Going by what we know, our recent experiences are most likely unconnected. That said, my crew will be going on high alert as soon as we land. Be careful. And under NO circumstances is anyone to attempt a witch hunt, is that understood?" she asked, giving one of those glares that universally translated to You'd BETTER understand what I just said or else.' I should know, I was wearing a matching one.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Still clopped off at what happened with Sunset?)

I'll put it this way, if any pony had tried that stunt again, Private Ranger would have to be pretty quick to get his hooves on them before me.

Anyway, after that, briefing was a standard affair by now. A little bit of detail about the country and the locals, confirmation musical numbers were permitted. Zebrawa is what most ponies think of when they hear of the Zebrafrica continent. Which makes sense, considering it's the homeland of almost half of non-Zebrafrican Zebra. And yes, these Zebra actually DO have the rhyming pattern of speech, before you ask.

Thankfully, there wasn't any need for more vaccinations (didn't stop us from needing to get Twinkle Shine out from under her bed), so we proceeded into Zebrawa, nothing too unusual about our party departing the ship bar the addition of Commander Bond to tag along with us.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Let me guess, landed at another military base?)

Actually no, the nearest one was fifteen miles north of the city to make room for civilian traffic. The country as a whole was at constant risk for food shortages due to an unstable climate and bugs called Parasprites. Nasty little things, like locusts on steroids. They're a major problem in part because the Zebrawan locals can't easily use pesticides to deal with them due to environmental concerns, as well as the possibility someone might try to weaponize poisons for warfare (Equestrians tend to shy away from them anyway, since we prefer a no-kill solution whenever it's feasible.)

They also live in Equestria, but only the Everfree Forest normally. Scientists are still baffled as to why the forest is still standing, but my guess is some other predator eats the dang things and there's just so much stuff to eat, the Parasprites stay there. There was an outbreak in Fillydelphia during our trip. Thankfully, Celestia knew how to properly deal with it before it caused any major damage and had the Musical Corps (the bands representing each regiment with their own administrative unit) draw them back into Everfree.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Wait, she knew what Parasprites were?)

Yeah, why wouldn't she? She's the Princess of Equestria, I doubt there's anything in Everfree she doesn't know about...Why?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): ...No reason, please continue.)

Right...anyway, the problem is in Zebrawa, there wasn't anywhere TO lure the Parasprites with music most of the time, at least nowhere they'd stay and pesticides were generally a no go. So despite being pretty stable as politically and a peaceful place to live, the threat of a food shortage was constantly hanging over their collective heads. As a result, the government wanted to make sure the docks were always open to food transports in the event of another shortage. We were landing in a civilian aerodrome in the southwest part of the city. An aerodrome is basically a general term for a location for aircraft operations.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Were you landing there due to paranoia over the attack?)

You know, I thought the same thing.

"No, Captain Sparkle, we were planning to land there from the start. The rest of the surrounding facilities are all too busy to support us for more than a day, let alone our whole stay," Shepard informed me as we made our descent.

Turns out the location we were landing out was mainly for internal traffic and a bit more peaceful and secure. Which I'll admit, did a bit to settle my nerves and left me hoping this would be more like Zamunda than Columbia. At the very least there were no signs of a certain big golden airship, it's psychopathic imagination demon owner, or shadowy wolf things that were out to kill me. If it weren't for the report we'd gotten before, I probably would've been pretty calm. Unfortunately, we had gotten said report, so my settled nerves were still in a similar state to Twilight's when she had reason to expect a pop quiz and was afraid she hadn't studied enough.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Wow...that's pretty bad...)

Probably why I don't remember much of the welcoming committee this time. Not that it was anything big from what the others said; local national guard lined up, quick greetings from the locals, and red carpet to carriages. It was the actual status of the guards composing said welcoming committee I was paying attention to.

The Zebrawan national guard wear white barding and all had their manes arranged like mohawks, about an inch-and-a-half tall. Their helmets even had a ridge in the middle to cover it and the Zebrawan's crest (a solid gold star in a blue circle), though they weren't wearing those right now, they hung from the front of their vests. I assumed out of respect for Cadence.

Two things intrigued me about them. For one, their armor had black stripes that mimicked their own body patterns, which kind of confused me since it was a break from their otherwise uniform armor design. The other thing was their rank symbols went over their Cutie Marks. We Equestrians generally avoid that. The most obvious reason we leave it blank is because we don't like the idea of our rank being greater than our special talent and we feel the blank armor protects our talent, and thus what makes us us. In a practical sense, however, it was because flanchard plates (that is the armor that protects the flank) are harder to clean when they're painted. The Zebrawans generally didn't put as much stress on their Cutie Marks, they're still somewhat important, but not to the same extent ponies take them. And we can get kind of crazy about our Cutie Marks sometimes...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): We know, ask Ellis about his cousin Apple Bloom.)

Next time I need an entertaining story to distract from another Running Gag joke, I'll be sure to do that.

"Where are the Sergeants from the other regiments? They were supposed to meet us here," Minuette asked, looking a little frantic.

I gave a look around the aerodrome, figuring they'd stand out among all the white armor.

"Actually, the 82nd call their Sergeants Dragoons," Lance-Corporal Audience chimed in. "They're an air regiment, the Sergeants' title for Enlisted Grade Four troopers is replaced by 'Dragoon' in all of the four Regular air regiments as well as the two Reservist air regiments..."

Minuette seemed to understand.

"Oh, I'd forgotten that they were a Pegasus regiment."

She wasn't exactly correct. The Air Regiments were now about 40% land troops, but they used light airships. Audience may have pointed it out, but, like I said, I wasn't really paying much attention at the time and only remembered that because it regarded the 82nd and Pegasus Guard, both of which I was... anxious about.

I finally saw the two up ahead. The 82nd still wore black and gold style armor like Commander Hurricane's troops which they and all of the 18th Legion took pride in representing. I'd seen a few actually be mistaken for actors in the Hearth's Warming play. Ironic given they'd prefer to perform a Homareian-influenced historically accurate three hour long epic version rather than the shorter foal-friendly version.

What the 82nd's Dragoon was wearing didn't surprise me. What surprised me was the Pegasus Guard's new armor. It was primarily grayish blue with a dark blue crest on the head that looked somewhat reptilian. The chest piece and shoulder pads were also a dark blue and seemed modeled after flames. And there was a blue eye on the chest that seemed to be staring at me.

It all somewhat clashed with the still-white fur of its wearer, so I guessed Luna either hadn't had the chance or was still too weak from my sister and her friends defeating her Nightmare form to perform the customary infusion. It turned out it was both: The Pegasus Guards had been preparing to leave for Zebrafrica a few days after the Summer Sun celebration. I'm impressed their blacksmiths managed to get the new Night Guard barding done in time for their deployment.

"My...Auntie Luna certainly has... frightening tastes," Cadence remarked, saying what we were all thinking.

When they got closer, I could make out lighter blue markings on the chamfron that kind of looked like eyes. If that's what it looked like WITHOUT Luna's infusion, I was rather glad I wasn't being drafted to the Night Guard. On the bright side, they trotted over talking like old friends as they came to greet us.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Really?)

No. You could practically smell the stink eyes they were shooting each other a mile away.

"Princess Cadence, welcome to Zebrawa," the Pegasus Guard said quickly, as the 82nd NCO barely got his mouth open to try to say the same thing.

"I am Dragoon Maelstrom of the 82nd Air Regiment," Of course that meant the 82nd Trooper had to introduce himself first.

"And I am Sergeant Thunderhead of Her Nightjesty's Pegasus Guard, we have been sent to escort you to the embassy," the Pegasus Guard had, of course, had to get the last word, throwing in what then had seemed like the very odd title of address Luna preferred.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Actually, it's a...)

I know, I'll get to it. Anyway, both the Enlisted Grade Fours bowed.

"Thank you very much for your greeting, Dragoon Maelstrom, Sergeant Thunderhead," Cadence replied, trying to seem as polite as possible.

After that, they did their level best to act professional and go with the old saying 'if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all' and spent the rest of the time trying not to notice the other existed.

What REALLY surprised me was the local sent to be our guide. I'd almost been distracted from her by the Nightjesty remark, but when she moved up, my own Sergeant managed to break me off that mental tangent.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Why? Was she a Virgacorn or something?)

Close, but no cigar. She had a slightly more streamlined body than the average Zebra, but I didn't notice anything that out of the ordinary at first glance.

"Wow, nice wingspan," our resident ladies-stallion whispered.

That's when it came to my attention our guide was a half Pegasus, half Zebra.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): I believe the proper term is Virgasus.)

Really? Why is it hybrids have such cool names?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Well, 'Mule' isn't exactly an exceptionally cool name.)

Point is, Hippogriffs were rare enough. Like I said before, I hadn't heard of a lot of pony/zebra hybrids, so it took me off-guard.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Let me guess, you were paranoid she was another imagination demon?)

It entered my mind, but didn't stay long. Unlike whatever had resulted in Makarov, I knew that ponies and Zebra were able to mate, and the idea of a hybrid being a guide for non-Zebrafricans in a country that was on friendly terms with ours actually made sense, as opposed to a Deer/Unicorn hybrid being second in command of a country dedicated to domination of all non-Deer. I found out later she was a member of the City Watch, but not an extremely high ranking one. If she were something like Makarov, no way she'd be in that position. That and her Cutie Mark wasn't some big complicated mess.

It looked more like a compass rendered in the style of a Zebra Cutie Mark. I guess being a hybrid of two Cutie Mark bearing species has the effect of combining the styles of Cutie Mark, but it didn't seem out of the ordinary like Makarov's. However, it did seem to fit the idea of her being a guide and a City Watch member and I could actually grasp the meaning of it.

Still, I seem to be a magnet for all things unusual, so the odds of running into a Virgasus didn't really seem that peculiar anymore in hindsight.

"Welcome to Zebrawa, Princess Cadence. While you are here I shall offer guidance. Kweupe is my name so you may know, and around Adidas Azebra you I will show."

See? Told you Zebra rhymed here.

"I'm certain you will be of help, Kweupe," Cadence replied, giving a smile. "And good to meet you."

"Your name is kind of cool," Twinkle Shine added, but I couldn't help noticing she seemed a little more nervous than usual. Kweupe gave a bit of a blush.

"Thank you for the compliment at of my designation, Good Weather is the Equestrian translation. If my name is too difficult to pronounce in its native manner, to that I will also answer."

Kweupe led us towards the city proper, to my dismay, in open-topped carriages (but judging by the heat, maybe that was a blessing of sorts) flanked by the National Guard outriders - many of our Pegasi hovered above us. First thing I noticed about the place as I kept an eye out for insane thieves and my doppelganger was that it was a melting pot in terms of architecture. The city center looming out a few miles away seemed a mix of Columbian cloudscrapers, Equestrian style spires, and Germane Gothic. I'd probably have enjoyed the view if I wasn't so busy jumping at the sight of my own shadow.

However, as we traveled trough the suburbs and outskirts, we primarily rode past house-trees like the one Zecora had been building.

"I've always found house-trees beautiful, but to have them bear fruit is impressive," Cadence drew our attention to several such trees with fruits hanging from them.

"Why do some have fruit and some don't?" somepony asked.

"If you notice the ones with fruit to bear, those are a privilege for their house to wear. They require a lot of upkeep, and thusly are not cheap. Therefore, they're a status symbol, or someone willing to gamble," Kweupe explained helpfully.

I snapped my head around at the sound of rustling behind me...just the wind through the trees. No spies, no doppelganger, no...wolf.

While the paranoia was unwarranted, it did apparently spare me from hearing a particularly groan worthy plant-related joke Kweupe's statement invoked on the part of Running Gag judging from him laughing while everyone else physically face hoofed if it was proper to do so, mentally if it wasn't, on top of the actual groans. Except Kweupe, as the pun had apparently mercifully flown over her head due to not applying in Zebrawa.

"Um, Running, only Columbian money is green," Garnet pointed out, seemingly finding more amusement in the situation than Gag's joke.

I don't know if it was realizing it was the wrong country for that joke or that it'd flopped in general, but Gag suddenly looked nervous.

"Oh...yeah...Well, I think I'll spread my wings a little," Gag covered.

Given the reaction of the audience, I don't blame him. Then again, I should really have wondered why he was even in the carriage with us given the other Pegasi, including Thunderchild and Sunset, were already flying a few meters above us. It wasn't because we had a need for a translator...

"No problem, you may fly if you don't venture far, but keep an eye on how high up you are.

In this part of the city we are in, to fly above fifty meters is a sin," Kweupe reminded as he went up.

Apparently, the whole reason the city was built on a desert coast was that leylines and manastreams created a fertile area in an otherwise barren desert (even on the coast, the air was pretty dang dry). As a result, they heavily monitored flight to prevent unwanted changes to the weather. However, thankfully there were 'safe' zones where our pegasi could stretch their wings without a care, which just happened to include the embassy.

"Hey, Ellis, think you could make an apple tree into a house like that?" asked Twinkle Shine a few moments of awkward silence later.

"Don't rightly know...Eh, mah cousins probably wouldn't like that too much, might be afraid of hurtin' the tree."

We finally reached the embassy itself, which was a rather big Equestrian-style mansion. It had a pretty nice, big garden which Cadence seemed determined to try and bring our attention to.

"Hey look, there's even a gazebo! Best not anger it!" Cadence whispered warningly, getting a few chuckles.

Come to think about it, when I let myself pay attention to her between bouts of paranoia, I think she just kept trying to draw everypony's attention to the sights around us. That and I think try to get Maelstrom and Thunderhead to actually get along, but even for the Goddess of Harmony that seemed an impossible feat.

Cadence went straight to talking to Ambassador Supermarine once we met up with her. I was too busy investigating the security to hear much of what was said, but Cadence was excited to see her.

"Commander Bond, how far did the break-in get?" I asked while they spoke.

"Didn't get any further than the guardhouse," he said, making his own glances at the thankfully high walls.

"Do you think they could've gotten further than that if they'd wanted to?" I replied, fixing my attention on the building beside the gates.

"Not sure. The embassy already had a decent guard detail before the Pegasus Guards arrived, but if they had wanted into it they could have chanced their leg on trying for a story that'd let them into the main building."

The Pegasus Guards had just arrived on a troopship, which would return to pick the extra Airborne troopers up after dropping off guards elsewhere in Zebrafrica. I'll admit at the time I had failed to realize the 82nd could maybe have been feeling a little more antsy at being asked to stay here an extra week. Troops in the middle of transfers generally get to stand down and relax on the journey home or to their posting when it's on board Air Navy ships.

"At least they've stepped up the guard detail at the guardhouse itself," I remarked, having already noticed that since we arrived. I resisted the urge to give a sigh of relief.

At that point I turned my attention back to Cadence and Supermarine, who had noticed me examine the area.

"Well, it looks like he's been getting a good look of the place," the Ambassador said to Cadence, but just loud enough for me to overhear. She reminded me a lot of one of the Wonderbolts, but I couldn't place my hoof on which one at the time. She actually looked pretty pleased.

"He does that a lot, always looking around," Cadence stated. I think she looked a little worried actually...

"Well, of course he does," Supermarine replied. "He's your bodyguard commander. It's his job to make sure the area is secure."

I'll admit it, I did feel a bit smug at the possibility I was properly paranoid instead of just paranoid.

"I don't believe we've been properly introduced," I said, trotting up. "Captain Shining Armor Sparkle."

"Ambassador Supermarine, good to meet you. I hope our security is up to your standards, Captain Sparkle."

"There's a good guard detail, Ambassador, but I'd like to talk to the ones in charge of it if that's alright."

"Well we're going to lunch, they'll be eating with us. You can talk to them then."

Ambassador Supermarine and Cadence were at one table. I didn't hear much of what they said, but I could tell the two of them were getting along. Supermarine had my respect for a lot of reasons. A retired Lieutenant Colonel wasn't anything to sneeze at, and neither was an Ambassador, but being Cadence's foalsitter was, by itself, something worthy of respect. Cadence's foalhood naturally required constant supervision. There were a lot of ponies (and Deer and Griffins and Diamond Dogs and Zebra) who'd want to get their hooves on an Alicorn foal. So naturally, any old foalsitter wouldn't do. And while her family were trustworthy, they weren't a military family, they couldn't ensure her safety if there was an incident. No matter how much Celestia wanted Cadence to have a normal life, the fact of the matter was, she couldn't. And the fact Supermarine was considered trustworthy enough to be her foalsitter was something to be respected. Unfortunately, to say I wasn't as pleased with the ones running the two regiments at the embassy is an understatement.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): What was the problem?)

I'm not saying they were bad ponies, or bad soldiers. They were competent. However, there was one major issue...

"Commander, I'm Phalanx Officer Shooting Star," the 82nd's officer introduced herself. A mare promoted through the ranks.

"Second Lieutenant Meteor, reporting for duty, Maj-Captain Sparkle," introduced the younger stallion, graduated from college and sent on an Officer Training Course rather than Academy trained like myself.

Shooting Star was older, more experienced, and trained in a different way than Meteor or me - in fact, from most Equestrians. According to her file, she'd actually served in the Columbian Marines at one point in her life, even being involved in live combat during the Dalmascan War (a war between the Avian Empire and a smaller country called Dalamsca that ultimately drew in other nations, Columbia included) before returning home. In many ways, she was my senior despite the fact I outranked her.

Shooting Star was a combat vet and far more experienced than Meteor was. This meant not only did the 82nd have a claim to being the more elite group present, there was a gap between the two that could make compromise even more difficult. I was just happy they both seemed to be doing their level best to be professionals.

"Glad to meet you both. I've been checking out the security. Given the recent break-in and... other concerns, I just wanted to check and make sure steps are taken to ensure everything is secure."

Shooting Star nodded. "Captain, we have upped security appropriately, particularly in the area that the break in occurred," she explained, her take charge attitude was plain as day from the start.

I could tell Meteor wasn't extremely happy about it, but he at least didn't try to force his way into the conversation or cut her off. At least he had respect for his senior officer, even if it was simply the date of her commission granting her official seniority. He also politely made no mention of the fact it had been one of her troopers that had been on duty.

"We've also increased the number of guards patrols for flying targets trying to get in over the wall as well," Meteor continued, once he saw a proper opening. "The anti-teleportation wards have also been stepped up."

"Of course, this leads to another problem, Captain. As you're well aware, the 82nd and Pegasus Guard don't exactly get along," Shooting Star noted.

"Yes...the thought had crossed my mind," I'd answered, verbally. Mentally my response was more 'Thank Celestia I'm not the only one worried about this.'

"As a result of our steps to cover the situation, there are now a large number of patrols composed of both the 82nd and the Pegasus Guard. While at present the troops have more to worry about than the Wonderbolts and their varying viewpoints on them, we're worried the playful banter may stop being playful," She said.

There was thankfully a noticeable lack of venom in her tone when she mentioned the Wonderbolts. I think part of the reason may have been the fact she'd spent a long period outside of the Equestrian military. She may have not picked up the same hatred as the rest of her legion. Either that or she was extremely good at suppressing it.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Why'd she join a foreign military anyway? How is that even allowed?)

Well, we simply don't stop it. Our own military is small, and since the military is a rather simple way for somepony to get some experience before looking for another job in civilian life, there have been various agreements that a limited number Equestrians can enlist in some allied militaries. It's partly because they have shorter enlistment requirements, but for a lot of troopers, it's to find some real adventure. For some Griffins it's dual nationality.

"I think that's a legitimate concern," I answered.

"I was wondering if you'd mind loaning troops from your platoon to add a little harmony to the mixed patrols. Help keep their minds off the bad blood between them," Shooting Star added.

"And it may also provide some unity between the three regiments. After all, the 82nd are still Day Guard, the Pegasus Guard are Night Guard, and the Harmony Guard makes all three. Perhaps realizing all three are together would help them unify under a common cause," Meteor added.

"Sorry, Lieutenant, but the only way that's going to happen is that each trooper knows they're outnumbered by members of the other two," Shooting Star voiced her stance on that notion.

I sighed. It was up to me as the superior here, even if I respected Shooting Star's service.

"...She's right, that probably is the truth. But if all three groups are together it should still mean any emotions are kept in check. We should go talk with the NCOs and the Princess and see what they have to say about this."

"W-well, since we're borrowing some of yours, maybe one each from ours could tag along with the Princess when she's out of the Embassy? Make sure our guys all know they're guarding the Princess as well?" Meteor tried again.

He reminded me somewhat of Caramel, a former Second Lieutenant I'd worked with in the past. He'd often tried to follow up a failed idea with another suggestion, but as time went by he'd been discouraged and disillusioned by constantly having his ideas dismissed. I think he became a reservist, I'm not sure. Still, this time Meteor had come up with something decent.

"That sounds okay to me, especially since it also helps boost security around the Princess since the main command squad will always be with me. We should probably discuss this with out NCOs, work out schedules and who goes where... And the Princess, of course," I finished.

And with that, the meeting was pretty much over for the moment. We managed to run the basic ideas by the Princess before lunch ended.

"Wait, just to be clear, are we taking members of our squad and putting them on these patrols?" asked Cadence, a little confused.

"No, Princess. You are still a priority to be protected, so this would actually add additional members to your guard," Shooting Star noted.

Cadence seemed a little nervous about that. I think it was more her being seen as something in need of protecting.

Anyway, we all agreed and it was finalized. Harmony Guard would take part in the mixed patrols with the other two groups. As we were leaving the dining room, Second Lieutenant Meteor caught up with me.

"Er, Captain Sparkle, there's something I need to double-check here quickly, um... I had thought you were a Major, because you see..."

"Some of the documents were mixed up? It seems to be happening a fair bit. Just as long as you don't start wondering where 'Runset' is..."

"...Pardon, Sir?"

"Nothing, nothing. Actually, Lieutenant, there's something I'm wanting to check with you. Your Sergeant, Thunderhead. He said he was from 'Her Nightjesty's' Pegasus Guards. What's that about?"

"W-well, it's the preferred form of address that Princess Luna used... uses... Either way though, Sir, the term explicitly refers to her status as Queen of the Night, much like Princess Celestia's title of Dayjesty..."

Of course, Celestia hadn't actively used that title in a thousand years and had no intention to my knowledge of reviving it. Cadence may have had one but had no interest in using it. However, Celestia had told her to be prepared for Queen Tiamat to call her 'The 14th, Concept of Temperance' for some reason.

"In the context of who the regimental Supreme Commander is, it's not the right title, though. Princess Celestia's role as Queen of the Day isn't connected to her status as Princess of Equestria. Your troopers using it in the context of their Supreme Commander could cause confusion and offense - I recommend you clarify the protocol."

He looked at me with that expression any Junior officer has to make when a Senior officer has asked for something that might sound sensible enough on first hearing, but when properly analyzed, is actually rather ludicrous.

"...Clarify the protocol?"

"Yes, I know. Clarified protocol is an oxymoron, but please try and make sure they're aware of how confusing it is. I mean, potentially problematic."

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Do you mind explaining why this was a concern for the sake of our readers?)

Well, to simplify it, this was a soldier referring to his supreme commander and we had enough risk for argument without the 32nd or even some of the Harmony Guard believing the Pegasus Guard were putting Luna above Celestia or Cadence. And we were on a diplomatic mission, where everything said has importance. Yes, it's confusing, that's actually part of the reason I brought it up at all.

With any luck the ones who planned to deliberately use it as a taunt after being told it was offensive would be confused into saying the wrong (right) thing...

We got some more details on the attack. It turned out the four dead were from a Columbian-owned private weather firm, but had apparently all been European and Ponsian nationals. The City Watch were investigating possible illegal mercenary activity on their part, and the PWC they'd worked for was adamant they were not on company business.

Their cause of death was alarming too. Four targets, four gunshots, four kills. Whoever was behind it, they'd demonstrated a ruthless professionalism. The shooter had access to the latest in firearms technology. Small, fast, armor-penetrating bullets, fired from a repeating mechanism, probably a revolver of the kinds I'd been shown by Dai Mason and Bond back in Liberty. I, however, couldn't help but wonder if the rounds fired were of Hooviet origin...

Meanwhile, the wounded Zebra was a university worker who'd taken a bad hit to the head. He was in an induced coma due to swelling, but we were told should be awake the next day. Rather handily, the university had a hospital campus on site. He'd merely had to go across campus less than fifty meters to be in the safest of hooves in the city.

In the meantime, myself and Ellis decided to take a look at the post office. It was a mess. And it was exactly as reported, the weapon the culprit had used had sliced right through everything it touched. And it had done so remarkably neatly. The only damage outside where it had cut was simply from the sheer heat generated. A mark on the ground where a solidified puddle of molten remains had been pulled away was the only 'clean' spot in the burn area. The puddle had been taken away for examination. So far, they'd found iron, aluminum, sulfur, and evidence of some sort of barium compound.

"What do you think, Ellis? You're the explosive expert," I questioned, examining the burnt remains of the deposit boxes. I didn't like this.

Ellis took a close look and rubbed his head with a hoof.

"Sorry, Sir, Ah honestly got no idea what Ah'm lookin' at here. There's a few things that could do damage like this, but all of 'em would've had a much BIGGER effect on everythin' else. It's too powerful to be anything low-grade, but too clean to be high-grade. Ah honestly don't know."

I was busy staring paranoid at the destruction in front of me. An unknown substance that had qualities nothing my explosive expert knew of (and Ellis took it at a point of pride to know every possible explosive he could). Three guesses who my mind tried to convince me was somehow involved.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): The one with the high tech tripods?)

Bingo.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): So I bet you took charge of the investigation, right?)

Uh...no. I'm not an investigator. The only experience I had with that kind of thing was...when I did some work as a community service officer when I was younger...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):...Shining, are you hiding something?)

No...Point is: Bond and the local authorities were the ones with communication as their forte. I'd just be kept in the loop.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): And looking around in paranoia?)
Yep.

Anyway, after that, we moved on to the visit proper, starting with Princess Cadence and The Prime Minister of Zebrawa, T'Challa, who were meeting for dinner. And yes, the Prime Minister was a Zebra from the town of Wakanda, in Leboa-Seko (ironically, there's also a settlement with his name in the same area). Though he did seem to have a thing for panthers oddly enough. Apparently it was a family thing. Luckily, no Panthers were patrolling any courtyards... Except the very small ones Private Gag kept finding.

While they talked, I was busy with my new habit of looking over my shoulder at every small noise.

"Captain, looks like the security is stepped up a bit," Thunderchild remarked, noticing that before me.

The Zebrawans had put up more security of their own in addition to our own. From all I could see, the room was about secure as it could be, baring...well, bars on the windows. Of course considering my habit of attracting weird situations, I decided to keep my fingers crossed.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): You don't have fingers.)

Yeah, I realized that, which is why I had Griffen cross his talons for me. One time I looked over my shoulder, it turned out I saw a couple of deer lurking in the crowd. What concerns me is they were Roes, actually the proper type of deer to be Hooviet higher-ups, and I swore they were looking at me every time they thought I wasn't looking...

I looked over at the stallion once again. So close yet so far away.

"He's sticking too close to the Alicorn. If we try to get close, she'll sense us."

"One drawback to the blessings, even a young Alicorn can detect it," my comrade replies as she gives a sigh. I curse our poor luck.

"Looks like we'll have to find another way. So long as he's sticking next to Princess Cadence, it will be difficult to get close to him."

"Well at least we get a look at him. He has the eyes of a spotter, always alert for threats and targets."

Always thinking in sniper's terms...

"He wouldn't have survived this long if he wasn't... Let us continue to observe."

Uh...why did you just hide a section of your notebook?

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Sorry, spoilers.)

Ah...well, anyway, they never DID anything...they were just odd deer. Thunderchild speculated one of them may have been interested in me in a different way, and the other was jealous - or they both were interested. With a blush, I had to make it clear to him that I certainly wasn't interested in such matters...

Other than them... Quiet dinner. Not much happened, or if it did, I missed it because it wasn't a threat.

As luck would have it, Cadence was actually scheduled to visit the university where the break-in took place the next afternoon.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Not big on fate, huh?)

Kind of hard to be when you've been told you're kind of immune to it. Bond and Ellis had both taken a look at the damaged areas here: And sure enough, it seemed that the very same unknown material had been used. Analysis of the molten slag had even turned up the same barium traces, and zero signs of a magical influence.

Anyway, we lucked out and while Cadence did her thing with a few other professors elsewhere in the room, I got to talk with Professor Elemental, the professor who lost his finds in the fire, an Equestrian unicorn.

"So, Professor, what can you tell me about what happened?" I asked.

"My finds were all destroyed in the fire. All they recovered was bits of metal and pottery...I'm sorry, that's honestly all I can tell you, Captain."

"Can you tell us what the finds were?"

Professor Elemental gave a sheepish look. "My memory is...not so good, I'm afraid. I wrote it down to remember it..."

I sighed.

"And your notes were destroyed as well?"

"Yes...I'm sorry."

"And the Zebra worker who was injured?" I asked.

"He's my assistant. I'm not sure he'd know anything either, but it doesn't particularly matter, given his present condition." He frowned at my mentioning the assistant's condition.

"...Do you think he'd have any reason to be involved in this, Professor?"

Professor Elemental looked shocked and even a little offended that I made the suggestion.

"No, not at all! I've already told the locals I'm certain he's innocent and I'll tell you too. Amini has always been loyal and trustworthy. Besides, why would he destroy our discoveries instead of steal them?"

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Why would you ask that? I thought you were just looking for stuff Bond might be able to use.)

Partly because I didn't want to leave anything out...and mostly paranoia. Both about the incident and about an innocent Zebra potentially being lynched.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): At least you're honest about it.)

"That's a good point. So whe-"

At that point, a yellow-maned brown-coated pegasus burst in and dashed up to us. I think his Cutie Mark was a simplified picture of a Chimera.

"Professor!" he announced, a bit excitedly.

"Captain, this is Nitoh, an archaeology student from a class of mine here," the professor introduced.

Even as the student nodded and said hello to me, I recognized it as a Neighponese name. I guessed from the Cutie Mark his speciality was mythology. He then turned his attention to the Pegasus.

"What is it, Nitoh?"

"Amini's woken up!"

"He has? Captain, please excuse me, I need to go see him right away."

"Hang on a second," I replied, and ran over to the Princess.

"Princess Cadence, it appears the assistant has woken up, Professor Elemental is going to go see him. Can I have permission for me and Private Gag to accompany him?"

"Shining..." Cadence said, looking a bit hesitant.

"He might have something Bond can use," Ambassador Supermarine added, and I gave a nod of agreement.

I wasn't sure if the Ambassador was with us on official business or just to be with Cadence. They seemed close.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Must be where Cadence got her foalsitting skills from.)

Must be.

"Isn't Bond on campus?"

"Yes, but we can't be sure he'll know he's awake, and considering we don't know much about whoever was behind this, it'd be wise to get the information as soon as possible."

"...Alright..." Cadence sighed.

"Thank you, Princess. Gag, you're with me."

"But Shining?" She said as we made to leave, making me look back at her.

"Yes, Princess?"

"Don't forget to stop and smell the roses sometime during this trip, ok? This isn't JUST business. I appreciate your work ethic, but you need to relax sometime."

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Let me guess, you didn't listen?)

I wish I could say no to that question.

Naturally, I kept an eye on everything on the way there. After all, we couldn't be sure if the thieves had intended to kill him or just get him out of the way. If the former...well, particularly if it was Mr. Makarov, a second attempt was plausible. Which is why it was reassuring we needed to produce identification just to get into the ward he was in, and the City Watch officers at the doors made dang sure they were real.

"Amini?" asked Professor Elemental as we entered.

Said Zebra seemed happy to see him...But then...

"SALAWA!"

He began panicking the moment he saw me and yelling that at the top of his lungs. He yelled some more stuff, but Zebrafrican wasn't something I had an ear for and the word 'Salawa' was the only thing I could make out. Needless to say, Gag and I were stunned.

"Excuse me."

And of course Bond would choose that exact moment to appear behind us. Well, he's a spy, so I guess that means he's good at his job.

"Oh...Commander Bond," I managed to say, turning to look at him.

"Captain, mind stepping outside and letting me do my job? He doesn't seem to like you much."

I nodded slowly, still a little surprised.

"Yeah...Sorry, we just wanted to make sure someone got to him just in case."

Bond rubbed his head.

"Yes, I understand... I'd have been here sooner, but I was trying to find some coffee. Long night, don't ask, I can't tell you here any way."

"Uh...there's a vending machine in the hall that sells tea."

"I would rather drink mud," Bond muttered and shut the door after escorting me into the hallway.

"Coffee is mud..." I mumbled. Seriously? Who doesn't like tea?

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): You weren't more concerned about the fact a victim had panicked upon seeing you?)

I assumed at the time that Amini had just started yelling because my doppelgänger might have been the one to bash him over the head, and he may have also seen that doppelgänger murder three ponies and a griffin in front of him. It seemed to make sense.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Didn't convince you, did it?)

No, it was much too mundane an explanation for a weirdness magnet of my magnitude. Gag stepped out a couple moments later, looking quite confused.

"How's it going, Private?" I asked.

"He said that he was just filing reports away in the room, and the next thing he remembers is, he's on the floor, he hears some swearing, and four loud bangs, and that's all he remembers. The weird part is he said it all in Equestrian," Gag reported.

It was my turn to be bewildered. "That is odd...but I guess when he was panicked he defaulted back to his native language. What did he say when we got in there?"

Gag scratched his head.

"When he shouted at seeing you? He said 'The wolf, the wolf, it is hunting you, it is close by.' It doesn't make much sense to me...Sir? You look pale...well, paler."

"Y-yes, I'm fine. Just fine. I just might need a tea...then let's head back to Cadence, shall we?"

It probably didn't help that I was clumsy with the tea and ended up having to have Twinkle Shine use one of her whitening spells on my coat before our next stop.

Next stop on the trip was another dinner, this one mostly business ponies doing business things. Ellis recognized some of his relatives, though I think he mentioned they were from the Orange side of the family. But seriously, just how many relatives can one pony have?

"Minuette, according to the schedule,we're only at the embassy one evening this entire trip," I observed while Cadence was talking with the owner of that weather company that had lost four employees at the university. Apparently, the company was washing their hooves entirely of them, claiming they'd been there on their own time and would certainly have been instantly dismissed had they been caught alive. He'd tried to seek out Cadence to further reinforce his point: His company was not involved.

Bond had privately told me he wasn't so sure of that before he'd wandered off back into the city to investigate. I honestly wished he hadn't.

"We were originally going to spend more, but the trip was compressed by the who mess," said Minuette, looking a little flustered. "We lost several whole days and I had to completely redo the schedule to fit everything in...I made it work."

I swear her pride at that statement rivaled Twilight's that one time she had to redo her monthly checklist to take into account a blizzard snowed us in at the house for a week and succeeded.

"I even managed to make sure we'll see the hoofball game tomorrow."

I wish I could say that excited me, but it frustrated me more than anything. First hoofball game in months I'd get to see... and what happens? I'm so paranoid with this whole mess I wouldn't even be able to enjoy it. It was hard enough to stop watching the Weather Company Owner for suspicious behavior long enough to hear her announcement.

"Captain," Audience called for my attention about twenty minutes later. He'd just got off the radio.

"Yes, Lance-Corporal?"

"Just got a report, sir. City Watch tried to apprehend two suspects. Unfortunately, they seemingly escaped before they even raided the location they were supposed to be. They think they've skipped town."

I gave a groan.

"Let me guess, two unicorns, one male, one female?"

"Unfortunately so, sir.."

I made sure no one else was watching and promptly slammed my head into the nearest wall. Now I REALLY wouldn't be able to enjoy that hoofball game. And yes, I know it's selfish to be upset over that...But it's bucking frustrating that the thing me and Cadence loved the most was something that I couldn't even enjoy because I was so stressed out...

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): It's okay. We all have moments like that.)

...Thanks, filly, I needed that. Even thinking about it now is... annoying. It left me feeling antsy the remainder of the night.

I stood in an office. A stallion stood in front of me at a desk, his nameplate said Chief Inspector Triggert of the Clydesdale Police Force. I was paying full attention: The accents could throw me off even after knowing Baseplate for a while.

"Awrrright, herrre's the situation. A stallion by'ra name o' Buckie Bottle is in possession of a large, dangerrouse, dug. He's ta'en tae lettin' this dug aff the leash at the park to attack ither pets there. We've telt him multiple times tae keep his dug under control, but he's no listenin'. E'en a court mandate hasnae got him tae listen. And worse, thur's been a very serious incident since his last warnin'. His dog caused a murder-"

I gasped in surprise. Triggert paused, glared at me without a comment, then continued.

"-of crows tae be disturbed, resultin' in a Pegasus polis officer being injured."

Triggert looked at me and the other ponies in the room.

"Unfortunately, we're no' equipped for a dangerous dug, makin' this yin a high risk scenario. We need a STARS team tae make the arrest, and subdue the dug. Bottle is tae be arrestet fur disobeyin' court orders and injurin' a polis. His dug is to be confiscated."

...STARS?

"Ony questions?"

We headed out the door, making our way towards the suspect's home... but I couldn't help the feeling something was wrong... Like something inside me was saying... This didn't happen.

And yet, something else was telling me... It did. Just not yet.

But this was in the past, I wondered in my head. How can something in the past...

Waking up suddenly in your bed? Disorientating. Waking up suddenly staring at your bathroom mirror? Extremely disorientating? Waking up suddenly in full armor in the middle of the embassy grounds with two Pegasus Guards starting at you about as confused as you are? Words do not exist to describe how disorientating that is.

"Um...Sir, is there something wrong?" asked one of the perplexed Pegasi peering at me.

I looked around for a moment, giving a blink as it hit me I'd actually been sleepwalking. I barely remembered going to bed.

"Uh...no...nothing, just stretching my legs a little..."

Needless to say, I didn't even try to get back to sleep since just waking up suddenly in my own bed was enough to ensure no sleep for the rest of the night. Considering I was still out of books to read, I just looked out the window at the night sky for a bit. I figured since according to legend, Princess Luna turned into Nightmare Moon because ponies didn't appreciate her night (and I couldn't avoid being awake through half of it anyway), I'd better start appreciating.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): I'm sure Princess Luna appreciates that.)

I hope she does.

At any rate, the next morning I went on with my day. Another day of wary looks at shadows in the corner of my eye, of examining the source of every unexpected noise. The surprising thing was, once I got to the hoofball game, the increased security actually did settle my nerves enough to enjoy it a bit. A welcome little release from the paranoia...Unfortunately, that wouldn't last.

"Status report?" I asked tensely as we waited on the carriages pulling up to the front of the embassy.

"Looks like it's started, sir," Garnet reported.

"So our fears have been realized..."

Once more, Cadence was on her way to another dinner, this time to welcome various flight teams to the country. And that meant the Wonderbolts were almost here. With the security situation becoming more secure and less tense, the 82nd and Pegasus Guard had less to keep their minds off the other situation.

"It isn't that bad, captain. Just seems to be playful insults so far," Thunderchild reported.

"Gag, your opinion?" I asked. Gag liked a lot of things, but racing wasn't one of them. Thunderchild liked the Wonderbolts, Gag could be unbiased.

"Not too bad, sir," Private Gag replied. "Just a few jokes at the other's expense. Not very good ones, at that."

"I wouldn't be too sure. I had to treat two pegasi who butted heads over it," Garnet added.

"There was a fight?"

"No, they literally butted heads by accident."

"Oh. Why didn't their medics handle it?"

"They were the medics."

Yes, both of the other troops at the embassy had their own medics already while my troop had to have Cadence intervene before we got one.

"So in other words, we've already got two soldiers injured in the opening shots of the flame war. At least the airshow is the last day of our stay here so the Wonderbolts will be out of sight until then..." I sighed.

"Uh, Shining, the Wonderbolts aren't staying at a hotel. Their managers are worried about security so... they're staying at the embassy..." Minuette chimed in.

I resisted the urge to slam my head into a convenient pole we happened to be passing.

Technically, as the highest ranking officer present, I could've shot down their request if I felt it was needed, but I couldn't argue because I was feeling every bit as paranoid. Besides, Supermarine's daughter was one of them and her husband used to be a 'Bolt as well, so I imagine I'd not make friends even if I didn't agree with their own security concerns. Thank Celestia the Bolts decided to spend most of their time in Zebrawa training away from the embassy.

Then it occurred to me they needed a guard detail and thus would stretch us a bit thin, obviously my Guard and the Pegasus Guard contributing most of the troops. On one hoof, I wasn't thrilled by that, but on the other, I respected why it had to be that way. The Wonderbolts were a flying team, they have a seriously intense training regimen they have to keep to remain up to snuff like any serious sports team. Those stunts they perform weren't just pretty to look at, they were dangerous, and if they didn't have them down perfectly, they could get seriously injured or killed. It wasn't they wanted to train, it was that they needed to train - Just like us soldiers in a way. And it wasn't very easy for them to train within viewing distance of the embassy. There was too much around here for the kind of space they needed.

"Captain, I volunteer to lead the guard detail for the Wonderbolts," Thunderchild helpfully offered upon hearing of this development.

"You do remember the discussion pertaining to the Wonderbolts we had before we got here, right?" I asked, a little more intensely than I intended to.

"Yes sir..."

Lets see; trust him with body guard duty for being my Sergeant and good friend, or try to keep the Casanova wannabe Wonderbolts fan as far away from them as phyiscally possible? Tough call.

"...Alright, you can lead it on one condition. Ellis, you're going with him."

I sent Ellis for two reasons; he's level headed enough to keep Thunderchild's fancoltism under control (I hoped) and actually knew something about racing, even if it was just NASCART. It actually turned out a few Wonderbolts were fans of that form of racing themselves.

I wasn't too surprised Running Gag was the only Pegasus I had left on the team.

Thankfully though, things seemed to go pretty smoothly the rest of the day and into the next....until after dinner that evening Twinkle Shine ran past me while I was heading out to the courtyard for a breath of fresh air.

"Not again! Not again! Not again..."

After overcoming the confusion that scene brought with it, I walked outside and found Supermarine talking to a Wonderbolt doing stretches. It turned out the yellow pegasus with the firey mane was her daughter.

Meanwhile, there were also Jenkins, an 82nd Pegasus, and a Pegasus Guard trooper doing pre-race stretching. They'd all removed their barding, since the Wonderbolt wasn't wearing a flight suit either.

"Uh...what's going on?"

"Oh, hang on," said Cadence, who to my shock was also doing her stretches. At least that explained why Twinkle Shine was having a panic attack. She finally came over to me after finishing.

"The 82nd got the idea to challenge the Wonderbolts to a race," she explained. I got the idea it was not nearly as friendly a challenge as she wanted me to think it was.

"When I heard about it, I thought it might be a good idea to make it a friendly competition between all the groups."

In other words; turn a grudge match between militant elite Pegasi with a chip on their shoulders and an illustrious racing team who won't back down from a challenge into a fun cross guard race...with one extra member.

"And you..."

"I've gotten to have one good flight since we got to this continent, I want a real chance to stretch my wings. Mind keeping an eye on these? Twinkle Shine ran off before I could tell her I wouldn't need something to weigh me down this time," Cadence said, floating her barding over to my hooves.

Contrary to popular belief, being an Alicorn doesn't automatically make you the best at everything (at least not if you're young). Cadence actually isn't exceptionally fast, by pegasus standards.

"Very well, but for the record, Princess, I'd appreciate being informed of these sorts of matters. What kind of race is this?"

"Four Kilometer Sky Sprint, Two K up in the air, then back down, simple. I'm not completely ignorant of my own safety, Shining, I wasn't going to organize a level-course race around the safe zone even if you weren't sure to blow a gasket at the idea!"

"That's not what I mean, Princess, it's just..."

"Shining, I understand. I'd actually meant to send somepony inside to get you to double-check but, er, Twinkle Shine volunteered... Might want to send somepony to get her out from under her bed actually."

I decided it'd be best to just watch this play out - it was secure enough. If Cadence's plan worked, maybe we'd actually get a harmonic coexistence between the groups for the rest of the time we were in Zebrawa. And if not? Well, one side hopefully shut the other up and we'd avoid a war...

"Where's Fleetfoot?" Thunderchild happened to ask as they got ready.

"She's back in Cloudsdale right now," the Wonderbolt preparing for the race replied.

Apparently, it was commonly held that Echo Fleetfoot was the fastest Wonderbolt and apparently Thunderchild thought she had the best chance of winning the race. Or just had a crush on her, hard to tell with him.

So they lined up to start while I played bodyguard to Princess Cadence's regalia. I was actually getting kind of pumped for the race...until about a minute after Supermarine yelled "GO!"

Two K. Two thousand. Cadence was about to race well over a few hundred meters away from me.

You would only be safe at very short range. Less than tens of meters from their line of sight...

I watched her slowly go higher and higher with the other racers...then I started to hear sniffing. Growling. And it was right behind me.

I didn't turn around, I didn't move. I just stood there, watching the little pink dot in the sky.

"No, it cannot harm you right now! She expects you here, your Princess, do not..."

'Don't run...Don't run...She expects you here...Don't run...'

But I could feel it! It was breathing down my neck, right behind me... I was fading... It was there, I was...

"!distorT realitY, nO furtheR .returN heR lighT yoU havE stoleN"

Then I saw the racers returning and it stopped as quickly as it started.

Cadence was last, the Pegasus Guard fourth, the Wonderbolt and the 82nd tied for second place, and Jenkins came in first by a nose. Apparently Cadence had thought ahead and had a photo finish all set up just to make absolutely sure there wasn't any debate. The 82nd and the Wonderbolts both seemed to be at least pleased they hadn't lost to the other.

Cadence soon walked over to get her regalia back with a big grin on her face, whilst the rest of my platoon present continued to congratulate our victorious Pegasus, wish I'd actually seen her win.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): What did you feel during all this?)

I was too busy repeating 'it wasn't there, you were imagining it' in my head over and over again to feel anything but relief. And I quickly rationalized it had to be all in my head.

"Well, I think that went well, a little healthy competition," the Princess of Harmony stated, looking over her hoofiwork. "And I didn't have to use one spell to spread harmony, a pretty good day's work."

She then looked at me with a blink and looked over my shoulder. "Hey Shining... was there a dog behind you? I could've sworn I saw one when I was coming back down..."

I didn't have a heart attack, but I probably should have.

"...Are you feeling all right, Shining?"

Special Episode Nightmare World (Applejack): Nightmare Mirror

Nightmare Worlds:
Nightmare Mirror
By Alex Warlorn

"Come on in, Big Mac." Said Nightmare Mirror on her throne, which was surprisingly simplistic, and straight forward wood chair brightly polished.

Then again everything in the room was polished to a reflective shine. To surprise of everypony, she hadn't moved into Canterlot Castle, but had built a spiral of mirrors near Sweet Apple Acres. And had actually been using reflections of herself to maintain Applejack's contribution to the farm. These reflections could appear nearly anywhere. But the Cruelest of Truths had sworn she had no intention of invading pony's privacy.

"Yes yer Majesty."

"Ah told ya already big brother, ya can still call me little sister."

" . . . alrighty." He bowed, his body armored in round reflective panels.

"So what's the report fer the day? Ya know, new news, old news. . . " She sighed.

"Lots and lots of ponies still hate yer guts, Ah still think ya've gone crazy with power."

"And?"

"And out of the hundreds of politicians who left their jobs when they couldn't lie no more, they kept tryin' to get ponies ta rise against ya, but then they let it slip it's mostly revenge fer ya not lettin' pull the wool over ponies' eyes no more."

"And?"

"And Applebloom's group and Diamond Tiara are all friends now that they're being honest with each other. And Filthy Rich gave Diamond Tiara a big old spakin' for everythin' she'd been hidin' from him. Prince Blueblood's been stripped of his title an' rank and property after all the mares he charmed came forward with his illegitimate foals."

"And?"

"Flim and Flam are in jail now that they've confessed to cheatin' on their taxes. And Twilight is still thinkin' yer gonna burn down the fiction section of the library."

"OH FER PONY'S SAKE! Ah told 'er Ah wasn't evah gonna do that! Fer cryin' out loud! Ah ain't some side-widen half-truth speaker!"

"Yea little sister."

"And?"

"Princess Luna and Princess Celestia still ain't all that happy with ya."

"Ah know."

She kept asking him, again and again, to tell her what she already knew. She kept lookin' off, starin' inta space. She always sounded so tired, or maybe, Big Mac thought, she always sounded sad.

"A zillion couples have broken up now they found out what their special somepony really thought of them. And a zillion new couples have gotten together now that finally let it out how they really feel to each other. And the population is sleepin' a lot better after ya said ya ain't goin' inta ponies' minds lookin' fer lies."

"And why should Ah? Dreams are when a pony's the most honest with herself."

" . . . right little sister. Ah still think yer takin' this too far. Oh and the owner of Pony-leak dot equs sent ya another love letter."

"Just add to the pile. And my friends?"

"Pinkie Pie is lovin' how everypony is bein' more open with their feelin's but is annoyed she can't throw a surprise party, but is really happy cause now she knows for reals that all her friends do love her and is devoted to you out of gratitude.

Rarity is still in therapy from her breakdown, the docs say she'll make a full recovery in a few months."

"Did she get the flowers Ah sent her?"

"Yeah, and the were her favorite kind, like Sweetie Belle said."

"Tell tha docs Ah wanna visit her personally tomorrow."

"Ya got it. Spike hates yer guts now."

"Ah know." Nightmare Mirror hadn't try to dodge, hide, regenerate the scar left on her side when Rarity had thrown the glass cup at the Nightmare when she had last visited.

"Rainbow Dash had a breakdown when she couldn't embellish her tales anymore, but is now in total support of you. Since she couldn't lie to herself anymore about her feelin's towards others she liked or about her girlie side."

Nightmare Mirror sighed, "No such thing as the perfect world Ah guess."

"Uh, right. Fluttershy still thinks yer bein' mean, and Twili' keeps talkin' 'bout the Princesses."

"Fer the last time, as long as everypony keeps honest Ah ain't gonna dictate how they live. Rarity can make all her fancy smancy dresses, and Pinkie Pie can still act as crazy as she wants."

Big Mac kept an even face at the mirror winged Alicorn who he knew was still his little sister even if her Element of Honesty had devoured her.

"Right little sister."

"They'll see the good out-weights the bad here, give'em time. As long as honest ponies did nothin', dishonest ponies were free to hide truth and twist it about however they pleased. It was only a matter of time before an honest pony took a stand. Ah'm just somepony who can't be neatly all silenced up after 'gettin' too big for her breeches' as them fat cats would say."

"... Yeah little sister. The tabloid industry has completely crashed by the way."

"Good riddance."

Big Mac couldn't bring himself to argue that one.

"Ya also got a lotta fan letters from stallions and mares who now don't haveta worry about somepony thinkin' 'they're playin' hard to get' when they tell somepony they ain't interested."

"Like the mares who bothered you big brother?"

He couldn't lie. "Yes. And Trixie swore revenge on ya for not bein' about to tell her lies no more, but also broke down when she had to face the truth 'bout herself too."

Nightmare Mirror snorted, "About time. There are WAY TOO MANY buckin' ponies in this world hidin' from themselves! Sure, takin' out the thorn bleeds 'em, but it's better than the infection just stayin' in."

"Oh and Screw Driller, formerly Barkin' Mad, and her family, say thank you for curin' her of her delusion."

"Ah'll tell'em welcome all personal like, after all . . . Ah'm not just doin' this fer mahself after all."

"Yes little sister."

"Big Mac... come'er. Then Ah order ya not ta move."

Big Mac obeyed. The Nightmare put her forehooves around his neck as she kneeled in front of him and wrapped her reflective wings around him. "Everypony will see, everypony. The truth is stronger than lies, right Big Mac? Ponies will see bein' honest is better than lyin' left and right, right? Right big brother? It's better ponies face themselves instead of just hidin' from themselves right? ... They ain't, they ain't gonna, they ain't gonna, they ain't gonna hate me forever right? No. It's okay if they do, but, if they can just see the truth, instead of just lyin' ta each other instead of actually dealin' with their problems, they won't be scared ta death of the truth no more. Lies aren't strong than truth. Right?"

" . . . yer a good pony Applejack, yer . . . a good pony."

Special Episode Nightmare World (Applejack) Broken Mirror

My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic

Nightmare Mirror looked out her window, she saw in Pony-City-Canterlot (the two having merged together several centuries back), seeing the celebration of the anniversary of Daring Do's first printing, the series of adventure novels having maintained a cult classic status even if few ever actually read the books anymore, and preferred the comics and made for TV cartoons.

She opened her wings wide and let all the world reflect upon her. She felt it. Deception and manipulation had completely vanished not just from ponies' psyches, but from their very souls. The idea being not only unthinkable, but as incomprehensible as the racial hatred of the three tribes had been for modern Equestrians in the days of her youth.

After all, hadn't she crushed Nightmare Whisper, the Kindest of Lies? Hadn't she completely stamped out the goddess of deceit? Hadn't truth triumphed over falsehood?

Her work was complete.

She let herself smile for a few seconds. Then sighed.

"Only one thing left to do." She then called out through her mirrors. "Minty Pie."

"Yes Yer, Ah mean, yes Auntie?" The little pony came in, ready to serve, ready to help.

Nightmare Mirror took the hat cowpony hat off her head and gave it to the green pony. "Please give this to Apple Pie, with my blessing, tell her it's hers. And please take the rest of the day off."

"W-w-what?! Auntie! But it's ... it's YER HAT!"

"No. It's Apple Pie's hat now. And before that, it was mah Pa's. Please take it to her. Tell'er it's a birthday gift. She ain't no filly no more when she wears it, she's a mare."

"Ah know that'll make 'er very happy to hear Auntie! But, are ya sure?"

"Absolutely sure." She nuzzled her. "Now git."

Minty Pie stopped herself from bowing and galloped out with the keepsake.

Nightmare Mirror make sure she was safely out of the tower before turning her attention outwards.

She spoke through her mirrors, to every pony in Equestria, young and old.

"Attention ya all ponies of Equestria and everywhere! And all ya other folk too out there! The Nightmare of Truth Speaks! Long have Ah worked to cleanse the hearts and minds of every pony alive of deception and usin' the truth to her own means. Ah'm happy ta say, yer free. Lies' grasp is gone from ya. The road ahead won't be easy, not at all. But Ah believe in ya. And that ain't no lie. But for now, right now, there's something mighty important ya all gotta do!

"There is a criminal in Equestria, worse than any other since Discord! They have brought pain and unhappiness to countless innocent ponies to establish themself. And this here monster must be made to face justice. This criminal's name, is Nightmare Mirror! Also known as the Cruelst of Truths! Also known once as Applejack! And Abigail Jacqueline Apple The Fifth Of the Fifth line! And once the Element of Honesty!"
+++

"Sister you heard?" Princess Luna asked teleporting into Princess Celestia's throne room.

"Yes Luna."

"How can this be?"

"How could it not be? She is the Nightmare of truth. It was forever the only conclusion."

+++
"This vile criminal, this monster, has imposed her will upon innocent ponies for centuries, and irrevocably changing their free-will to suit how she believes it should be! The very idea of what it means to BE a pony has been rewritten because of her meddling! She is selfish and cowardly beyond all reason! She must be shown no mercy! She is a hypocritical nag who has tried to hide from the truth that she was still the stubborn farm mare she has always been even as she has forced all others to face the reality of the world and the reality of themselves.

"She must be brought down, dead or alive. Either stripped of all her power and prestige, and made to face justice for her many crimes against free-will, ponykind, and the world. Or eliminated and obliterated so none may take up her belief that forcing their will upon others is justified ever again! Or simply both in whichever order is most effective. She must not be remembered as a martyr or a hero! She is a criminal and must be removed from power!

"Her good intentions, nor her grief at her actions excuse or pardon them in the slightest! And it is an insult to those she has trampled on to think so otherwise! This filth must not be granted pity or compassion!

Do not let 'er escape with her ideas to another world for her to corrupt! This must end here and now! This Is Truth!"

The Apple clan looked up at the tower in horror and dismay.

Nightmare Mirror deactivated all the tower's defenses with a thought.

She saw the herd of pegasi headed for the top of the tower, led by the other Alicorns.

She allowed herself a small sigh, and removed her barding, tossing it aside. Was it more proper to stand or sit down? Maybe standing made her more cooperative.

She wasn't able to keep the relief out of her voice as the army of Royal Guards and Alicorns descended around her. "At long last it's over."

Special Episode: Nightmare World: Nightmare (Sweetdreams!) Granfalloon

Nightmare World
Nightmare Granfalloon
Optional-Canon
By Alex Warlorn

"It's a beautiful day isn't it Cheerilee?"

"Yes Rarity is it, and I must say that is a lovely dress you have on."

"Why thank you, you would like one yourself?"

"Really? That would be wonderful."

"Alright." Rarity called out, "Zipzee! Could you come here?"

The breezie pony flew in the window with her other two-thirds Tiddlywink and Tra La La right beside her. "Yes Princess Rarity?"

"Could you guys please make a dress like mine for Cheerilee too?"

"We'll get right on it!" The three breezies said together.

Nightmare Granfalloon looked with satisfaction using her telescope x-ray goggles that saw through walls but not ponies.

Sitting in the math room of Celebration Castle, she turned to look at the grinning Twilight Sparkle.

"How's it goin' Twilight?"

"Almost done your happinessness! I've had to work really really hard, and had to work for a really long time, like I think," She looked at a pocket watch, "one thousand years give or take a decade, I'm now proud to say I just need to figure out this one last little thing and . . . DONE! DONE DONE DONE DONE!" Twilight Sparkle began to hop around her mountainous maze of chalkboard and notes and books.

"That's nice. wait! So it really is done?! It's finished? You got it?"

"Yes yes yes!" Twilight Sparkle cheered, "I've got it Sweetdreams Grandfalloon! I had to figure out the spell from scratch, I had to do it all by myself, and I had to work . . . so many bugs with the spell . . . but I've done it done it done it! Nothing will ever go wrong again!" Twilight Sparkle said happily, not that she could be anything but happy, but that was okay, why would anypony not want to be happy? And Sweetdreams Granfalloon made everypony happy, how could that be a bad thing? It couldn't! That was just silly! HEHEHEHHEHH!

Twilight's direct link to the spell meant all her hard work instantly paid off on the spot!

She was a smart pony! Who did smart things! Like figured out how to remove the paradoxical traits of exponential leyline convergence feedback loops.

And she did i all by herself, she was a smart pony, Sweetdreams Granfalloon said so!

It would have been easier if she had help from their friends, like her number one assistant. But they they had all been fixed!

Twilight Sparkle remembered when she was a meanie pants who thought Sweetdreams Granfalloon was breaking their friends instead. Heh heh, mistake fixing for breaking, she'd been so silly.

Then Sweetdreams Granfalloon showed her the truth, the real truth. That everything had been happy, but the big shadow-pants were bored with everypony happy, such big meanies!

But Sweetdreams Granfalloon had fixed everypony! Moon-Catcher played with Star-Catcher. The pegasus Golden Feathers played with Rainbow Dash who always dressed in style!

Magic Trick, she wasn't lonely on the inside or nasty and cruel on the outside anymore and everyone loved her magic shows.

And Scootaloo and Cheerilee couldn't stop thanking me for helping them remember they were sisters. Plus Scootaloo has her cutie mark now, like she wanted for so long.

Sweetie Belle's cooking had also greatly improved to the happiness of all.

"And I've got a sister who's royalty, that makes me royalty, a friend whose sisters with my teacher, and that weird sickness that always pops up whenever just before I cook anything making ponies not able to try anything has gone away too!"

Lilly Lightly didn't mind being an Earth pony or a unicorn with glowing horn like she as now. She was just happy not to be a 'fraidy-cat anymore. She had chosen to move to Ponyville and continue to live with Desert Rose and Daisy Jo.

Story Belle decided she still wanted to live in the library, but had chosen to make a extra special reading spot ready for Minty.

Kimono . . . still insisted on living outside of town. Also she refused to stop speaking in rhyme. She said she liked it and nopony could argue against that. She had also taken up Applebloom as her apprentice.

Diamond Crown, Golden Crown, Silver Crown, Pearl Crown (who ever heard of onyx, black jewelry?), were back together again.

Diamond Crown and Applebloom are best of friends now.

The Foam and Flan sisters are good at helping Applejack and her family and are taking dancing lessons from Apple Smith who dances every chance she gets now.

Twinkle Twirl is still determined to prove to be the better dance instructor though with Sky Wish's help.

Princess Sky-Catcher is best friends now with Princess Rarity, now she can appreciate what it's like to be a spoiled filly and where Sky-Catcher was coming from.

And Dusty Light is much more of a team player now and fun to be around.

Queen Sparkle Fireworks Snowflake Fizzle Misty is a LOT MORE friendly now. She even said Spike and Whimsey Weatherbe make such a cute couple!

And Sweetdream Granfalloon felt she had given more depth of character to Queen Scary Story, she took lots and lots and lots of hard work. Her new subjects were all so sad and scared before Sweetdreams Granfalloon came along!

Not to mention all the new breezies could have all the love they wanted now without having to steal it. And Zipzee would teach them all about being a breezie. Queen Butterfly loved singing with heartsong.

Ruby and Mittens were really surprised when Sweetdreams Granfalloon brought her gift to Sunnytown.

Cupcake, Carrot Cake, Pound Cake, and Pumpkin Cake? Sweetdreams Granfalloon still baked and played with them every Tuedsday. You didn't think that was going to be thrown away did you?

Sweetdreams Granfalloon just needed Twilight Sparkle to fix a few things first.

Like conflicting temperal causalities inconsistencies in the space time continium, desire dissonance in the omi-spell matrix of existental revisionism.

And those annoying cause and effect loopers causing a build up in the cache of the theatrical critical mass that might have blown up the universe, Twilight Sparkle had fixed them all, she was a smart pony, and done it for her friendly friend Sweetdreams Granfalloon.

Those notes her friends gave her really helped.

Even the unicorn Zoo Puzzle was friends with everypony, what was her name from before? Disc-rope or something?

He and Sweetdreams Grandfalloon right had a, oh right, a 'right,' when Granfalloon really got started, there was cake and chocolate milk everywhere. But it was all cleaned up.

Heartsong and Bright Shield had been almost more trouble before they became Heartsong and Bright Shield, but the two were so happy now they thanked Sweetdreams Granfalloon on the spot.

And of course there was Play Time, she really wanted things to stay broken, with the bluebox of hers, but she was the most happy, Sweetdreams Granfalloon said she had been so sad inside.

While Twilight did all the work herself, Play Time did help her collect notes. So she still did it all by herself.

Play Time and Grandfalloon even got Twilight notes on stuff she could have missed.

Her friend said the notes were from the future when the shadow saw her work and do what shadow do and point out all her mistakes and not saying anything she did right.

Play Time even moved those events to a dummy timeline to prevent a paradox.

All her friends, Rainbow Dash, Zipzee, Princess Rarity, Master Spike, Applejack, were all fixed.

Her friends all played and thanked her for giving them back what had been lost to them.

It wasn't perfect, but everypony was perfectly happy again, and that's what counted right?

"Toola-Roola, Starsong Melody, we did it."

Next to Twilight's work, that had been the hardest part. Dragging her friends Shadows Of Existence out of the nothingness . . . and Sweetdreams Granfalloon cutting out pieces of her own Light of Existence to give her friends so they'd have their own lives again. Slicing up your own soul tickled! HEHEHEHEHH! Star-Catcher and Moon-Catcher had helped her with that.

She felt a little like a balloon without enough air in it after each time she gave a bright new light to her friends. But she wasn't a balloon, even if her name sounded kinda like one! She could be more silly than Applejack!

Her returned-no-longer-erased friends all had such wonderful tears of joy after that, even if they all had to get over a fear of the dark and a fear of snow of all silly things. But a few good hugs and laughs and friends fixed all that up too!

Good thing too . . . she had to do it so many times . . . so much air taken out of the balloon . . .

Puzzlement, Fiesta-Flare, Sparkle Works, so many others, it was worth it for all of them.

She never did figure out what that funny roar of unyielding not-love was from the cold blackness each time she did fished out of her friends (she used hugs as bait) though.

There was also when one of those meanie pants dragon-lick-thingie showed out through the fishing hole.

She had the arm of a bear and a witch, she had the wing of a flutterpony and swan, the leg of a black cat and duckling (so cute!), and the tail of a foxy. It was ready to give a great big fun fun fun going away party!

But she was wearing a t-shirt that said 'I Want To be Friends' so I gave her the benefit of the doubt.

Turns out she wanted to take notes on everything Twilight was doing because she said she wanted to help some dear friends of hers with a very special dream before they were actually her friends. Oh silly! But she left and zipped up the fishing hole when she left. But Sweetdreams Granfalloon had gotten all her friends out already so she didn't mind, and some unhappy and unfeeling winter-but-no-christmas was leaking out of it anyway.

Twilight Sparkle and Play Time explained there had been a mix up of things to the Endless Laughter, that Sweetdreams Granfalloon had no clue about. This mix up having something to do with why the world in the first place had to be made to become all wrong and sad with arguments that didn't end in kissing and making up and dreams not always fulfilled if you just tried hard enough.

She didn't understand most of it herself, but they said they fixed everything even if there had to be a few . . . what had they called them? 'Con-sessions?' Something about the past being 'in-mute-able' this time. But whatever.

While Sweetdreams Granfalloon wanted her best friend back, she wanted everything perfect for her best friend more. It wouldn't be a perfect welcome back party for her best friend otherwise. She made sure Twilight Sparkle was always happy until everything was ready.

"Is the other thingie I ask about ready ready ready?" Sweetdreams Granfalloon asked the purple unicorn.

Twilight nodded eagerly and of course happily. "YOU BEATCHA!" Twilight skidded over to a draped over object and revealed what was underneath.

"TA-DA!" Twilight presented her present to her friend, "The Super-Duper-Protecto-Reflecto-Magic-Repellant-Safety-Mirror! With this full length pony mirror, you can reflect any meanie pants' magic who tries to make things unhappy for others right back at 'em! It's the perfect shield and doesn't not-help anypony unless they try to not-help them first! Doesn't matter how powerful they are! If any black-winter like you told me they might, they're in for a great prank! I did it right down to every last detail you asked for!"

Sweetdreams Granfalloon inspected the mirror, gently touching it, then made several funny faces at herself, and burst out laughing, so did Twilight.

Sweetdreams Granfalloon looked at the window at her beautiful world, smiling all the time, she hadn't frown in a thousand years.

"Very very very, good good good, Twilight Twilight Twilight." The Nightmare laughed.

"You're welcome, welcome, welcome!" Twilight giggled in response in imitation.

" . . . Twilight, it's time."

"Time?"

"Time for you."

"For me?"

"To be fixed."

"Fixed?"

"Yes."

" . . . YIPPIE!!!!" Twilight jumped and clicked her hooves together. At last! At last! She'd waited so long! It was really happening! She was finally going to be fixed.

Twilight began to run in circles she was so excited.

"Right now-?!"

"Right now."

"Yes yes yes yes yes yes!"

"Hey that's my line line line! HEHEHE!"

Twilight Sparkle suddenly stood perfectly still with her front hooves forward and her rear on the floor smiling up at Sweetdreams Granfalloon. "I'm ready."

"Right now?" The Nightmare blinked almost in surprise.

"Right now." The purple unicorn nodded in a perfectly patient and calm tone.

The Nightmare tilted her head. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." Twilight's smile didn't wave.

"You really sure?"

"Yep."

"Are you really really really-"

"Yes I am!" Twilight shouted sounding agitated.

" . . . Okay. Just hold still. No fidgeting. And Twilight?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

"Thank YOU!"

". . . You're welcome, my very best friend." She touched her horn on the purple unicorn's own.

In a flash of rainbow colors and echoing giggles of children, a green earth pony with a pink mane and peppermint candies for her cutie mark sleep on the floor curled up, sleeping so peacefully, so innocently.

Sweetdreams Granfalloon just down, just looking at the beautiful sight before her, watching her breathing, imagining the color of her eyes underneath her eyelids. Looking at her beautiful mane and fine coat. An vision she had missed for over a thousand years. That smile, the smile that was so precious.

She made a quite distant laugh.

"Now there's only one pony left to fix."

She slowly turned towards the mirror, Twilight's gift to her. "Dreams do come, yes they really do."

She trotted over the mirror, and touched her horn against the glass. Everything went white.

++++

Pinkie Pie woke up, feeling groggy, what had she been doing again? Didn't she have a party to plan? Well, she was pretty sure she did. Celebration Castle? What was she doing here?

She noticed a little right in front of her. It was addressed to her.

The gods are in their heavens, mortals are on earth, may all be right with the worlds.

All that is here, is for you and your friends.

I have traveled across the desert, and stand before Dream Valley, but I find that I am not a dream, and have no place there.

I am not as I should be. The picture is incomplete. I am garish to this world that is yours and your friends.

If you read this now, then my last gift is now here for the pony who meant the most to me.

I desire to see all ponies smile, and I realized the pony who meant the most to me could never smile if you weren't there to be with her.

If you don't understand this, then I've done my deed, and you are as she would wish you to be.

Your friends will say many things to you, sometimes things you might not understand, but know that they truly love you, and that they owe everything to you.

I've built much, I've destroyed much, but if you all find happiness, and smile, smile smile, then I'm happy. For it has always been the happiness of others that have brought me my greatest happiness.

I don't think everypony thinks I've been very funny.

Maybe you can make up for it. Maybe.

Just please, always make sure your friends are happy.

The world is wonderful. Forever days stand before you. Live them all WITH them.

Good-bye.

"PINKIE PIE!" A green pony came up behind and hug tackled her to the ground causing them to roll around like a wheel, laughing.

"MINTY!" The two hugged on the spot.

"Hello!"

"HELLO TO YOU TOO!"

"You seem happy!"

"I'm always happy!"

"So me being here doesn't change a thing?" She asked smiling.

"Yes it does! You make me super-happy!"

"Is that so?" Minty's smirked almost into a grin.

"YEP!"

Minty nuzzled her. "So... wanna hold a Welcome Home Everypony Party? Or maybe help me organize my sock collection instead?"

"Sounds like fun! And maybe later!"

"Just make sure to not dance near the punch bowls," Minty said with a pure smile.

And Pinkie Pie remembered. From long ago, before they had met the pegasi like Star-Catcher. A costume party being held at Celebration Castle. Wysteria had gone as a hula dancer (with a flower necklace of course). Cotton Candy was... a chef, not concisely a costume, but it worked.

Rainbow Dash's costume was even more minimalistic, going as a movie star with sunglasses and some sparkled mane gel, no pony was sure what a movie star was exactly, but it fit her.

Pinkie Pie unsure of what to wear. Minty, Sparkle Works, and Sunny Daze had tried to brainstorm a costume for her (Minty sadly turn up nothing).

Sparkle Works suggested a tutu for a ballerina (a non-glitter one amazingly), while Sunny Daze tossed on a fuzzy rainbow wig, suggesting a clown, but Pinkie couldn't see through it.

Then Sparkle works had an idea involving a (naturally) sparkling cloak, and a rubber-band horn. It was the universal consensus, Pinkie Pie made a lovely unicorn.

At the party Pinkie Pie got to see her other friends costume. Sparkle Works dressed as a black cape and top hat birthday machine, while Minty looked like a 'space pony' with a silver shirt and antennae.

Kimono's costume was large white butterfly wings, the ponies said she made a perfect angel (even if they weren't quite sure what those were).

Sunny Daze was dressed as a princess, a rather royal one rather than the over the top gaudy one she'd wear when Wysteria declared everypony in ponyville a princess.

An accidental step by somepony resulted in a torn cloak for Pinkie, Rainbow Dash assured her no one was going to notice (or care). But a suddenly self-conscious Pinkie Pie plus a careless dance step equaled a crashed into the punch bowl and a broken horn and a soaked torn cloak.

Pinkie Pie was not having fun.

Sparkle Works did a mock magic spell on the spot, declaring for a new costume to appear.

One did.

Without hesitation Minty gave her silver antenna, Rainbow Dash her glasses, Kimono her wings, and Wysteria donated a boutique.

Pinkie Pie pretended to smile for her friends efforts, even if the costume looked like a big miss-mash to her.

Sunny Daze changed costumes when nopony was looking and was now dressed as a cheer leader and began to cheer for Pinkie Pie, declaring her to be a beautiful butterfly.

And it all clicked for Pinkie Pie, and smiled for real. All the garish conflicting parts, when brought together, did make something truly unique and beautiful. Like her friends.

"Pinkie? PINKIE! I didn't mean it like that!" Minty said hugging her friends as Pinkie Pie broke down crying.

"It's . . . it's not that, I... I'm not sure why I'm crying."

Minty nuzzled her gently. "Okay then. It seems kinda silly to be crying when you don't know why. But . . . if you want to cry Pinkie Pie . . . then go ahead and cry. I'm right here for you. Cry as much as you want."

Minty hugged her. Pinkie Pie hugged back.

"Thank you . . . Minty."

"It's what friends are for. We're there for each other."

"Right, that's exactly what friends are for."

~Fin

And they all lived happily ever after.

Special Episode: Nightmare's House II

My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic
Pony POV Series
Optional Canon
Nightmare House II
By Alex Warlorn

"AJ, I can't help but notice you have an orange tree in your grove," Said the purple unicorn with the color inverted cutie mark.

"Yea. Ah do."

She waited for a deeper answer but got none. "I thought you were part of the APPLE family?"

"Ah've lost mah right ta be a part of that. But that ain't why. The truth is there's more fruit in the world than apples. So why should Ah limit mahself to just one kind?"

"Ah. True, overspecialization is a weakness."

"Ain't that what ya do?"

"Oh you silly pony AJ! We're not overspecialized, we're purified."

"Ya mean like how ya keep wipin' out ponies and sayin' nothin' was lost?"

"Applejack, there's silly and then there's just absurd. They aren't ponies, they're just temporal constructs. Replicas made by the forces of the time-space loop. They're copies made from time magic, no different than say clones made from mirror magic. Not alive, you can wipe out a million of them, it doesn't matter as long as you don't hurt the original."

"Then wouldn't that make me not the original?"

She smiled at the orange Earth Pony, "You're my friend. That's what counts."

"So Ah was a prop and suddenly Ah'm not?"

"Clay in the dirt has the potential to be a pot, but that doesn't make it a pot does it? It doesn't mean you're destroying pots when you dig. You aren't killing a tree when you crush a seed right? So what difference does it make if I 'destroy' some copies that have the potential to become ponies? We don't kill ponies cause they might cause potential death. So why should we spare props over potential life?"

"Aren't we doing all this over the 'potential' of a golden world?"

"It's not potential, it's certainty. Besides. They all just reset. It's not like they're actual dying. They're just starting over from the beginning, so once I understand fate and magic well enough, we can all create the Golden World. And they will be alive."

"And what part of torturin' Discord got ta do with that?"

"It is nothing less than he deserves, has deserved, and will always deserves. He shall suffer and will always suffer, his is a Tartarus without end."

"That ain't what Ah asked."

"Oh AJ don't worry about it. I don't tell you how to farm, or the differences between an apple tree and an orange tree, so just trust me with the time magic. Why should it have to do with it? Besides, the Shadows-who-watch demand an equal amount of suffering, effort, and sacrifice for all happiness, and without the shadows-who-watch, our universe would stop. So, you could say Discord's doing (almost), doing the universe a favor, well, not really, it's more the way a cog does a the machine it's a part of 'a favor.' He's still as worthless and evil and sick as ever."

"Then why do ya have'ta copy and paste parts of old loops so he still makes ponies hateful and miserable?"

"They're still his actions aren't they? And you know fundamentally awful people never actually change. It's like the story of The Howling Pony. Morning Star was imprisoned and pretended to be a wrongfully persecuted captive so a well meaning pony would let him out. Only an idiot would be fooled by his game of pretend. And only a complete lunatic would feel sorry about them instead of their victims."

"What if he isn't lying?"

"Oh Applejack, no wonder so many of your fakes become the Element of Kindness. He might even be able to fool himself so he's not technically lying. But he can't fool those who know him backwards and forwards."

"Like you?"

"Like me. This is good cake, wanna share some with the others?"

"Ah haven't not yet."

The purple unicorn cringed at the palomino's grammar. "Okay. After you."

The two ponies walked through the farm house, the purple pony telekinetically carrying the cake.

They came to a closet door, the earth pony took a key out of her hat, unlocked it, and the two stepped through, like stepped through two sides of a mirror, the Nightmares' assumed their Alicorn-like shapes as they entered what counts as the tiny cluster of pocket realities 'living room.'

"Hey guys," said Nightmare Eclipse to the four Nightmares currently on the couch playing video games.

"Hey Twilight!" Said Nightmare Manacle looking up from her game.

"Hi hi hi AJ AJ AJ!"

"Howdy . . . Pinkie Pie," said Nightmare Mirror.

"Dash, don't go messing with my house okay?" Said Nightmare Banneret, as Nightmare Manacle continued to play Animal Town.

"I'd NEVER betray your trust like that!" Manacle said insulted as she traded some plaid wall paper for a second rainbow cloud couch with her virtual neighbor whom she had a 100% friendship rating with.

"Just don't go blowing up the machine if one our neighbors moves away without telling us. And remember the 'gift' Pinkie Pie did remaking my house?"

"Oh oh oh! I do I do I do! I bought everyone in town polkda-dotted heart wallpaper! And used a cheat code to make it rain glitter for a week!"

"Cheating is wrong Pinkie," Manacle said, "Miss White The Wolf said the glitter was hurting her flowers."

"Oh the poor dears," Whisper said.

"I had to cut off work time at Mr. Nookie's store to clean it all up."

"I helped too," Banneret added.

"You guys should have just used another cheat code to clean it all up," Granfalloon offered.

"No!" Manacle and Banneret said together.

"Sorry."

"It's okay Pinkie Pie, I give you my forgiveness," said the generous Nightmare.

Nightmare Eclipse could appreciate their worry, she remembered when Nightmare Granfalloon had gotten her hooves on her save file of SimPonies and hacked them all into Lost Age Ponies. Speaking of which. She casually opened up the game on her iPony, created a new SimPony named 'Discord', then removed all the doors in or out of the house, and set everything on fire.

Nightmare Mirror shrugged and booted up and did some quick progress on Pony Wright: Harmony For All.

"Oh Papa you have raised me to be a beautiful Princess," said the virtual Princess on Nightmare Banneret's game, Princess Rarity the MMMMMCXVI living virtually happily ever after, and giving birth to Princess Rarity the MMMMMCXVII for the new game plus.

"You welcome my beautiful daughter." Nightmare Banneret grinned.

As for Nightmare Granfalloon and Whisper.

"Gotcha now!" MegaPony closed in for the kill.

"Oh no you don't!" Princess Apricot grabbed the Smash Ball, causing all characters on the screen to fall asleep to her lullaby. She gently picked up Megapony and carefully dropped her off the edge of the screen.

Winner!
Princess Apricot!

The game declared proudly to virtual clapping.

Player Whisp
PACIFIST BONUS 5000!
Appeared on the screen as normal.

"Great game Fluttershy!" Nightmare Granfalloon cheered as if she had won not feeling the least bit sore.

"Hey girls! Who wants cake?" Nightmare Eclipse said bringing everyone's attention back to the sweet confection.

The Nightmares turned off their games and there was most rejoicing.

The Nightmares divided up the cake, which seemed to last a lot longer than you think it would have and made idle chit-chatting.

Eventually, their eyes fell on the mobius loop shaped mass of stars in the glass sphere on their table.

"How many ways have we utterly humiliated that jerk now?" Manacle grinned.

Eclipse opened her mouth.

"Rhetorical, Twilight."

"Wow! A big big big word from Dashie Dashie Dashie!"

"Watch it."

"Just kidding!"

"I know Pinkie," they hugged.

Discord had tried so many tricks and schemes to try and cheat the scenario and actually win, he should have realized by now Evil Overlords EXISTED only to lose.

"I loved when we turned his cheese danish army against him!" Granfalloon remembered. "Then there was the exploding cake! And remember when he started trying to marry each of the incomplete us', each loop? Queen Pain Pie, Queen Fluttershade, Queen Tragedy, oh oh oh! And Queen Smarty Pants!"

A part of Nightmare Mirror wondered what was wrong with her and Nightmare Manacle, weren't they bride material? Well, if the rest of the herd got a chance . . .

"I wish you hadn't eaten him when he tried to marry Rarity Spike," Nightmare Eclipse said.

"I said I was sorry. I admit now that I should have been much more generous and let it happen if it happened. If that Rarity was going to be happy with . . . him. I spat him out and stitched him back together for her remember?"

"And when he turned himself into a girl that one cycle and renamed herself Eris and tried to marry Spike was my favorite!" Nightmare Granfalloon giggled.

"That Fluttercruel I think liked having you for a father," Nightmare Whisper smiled at the dragon.

"Did you have to end the cycle early and blast him to ashes when he tried to marry Cadence Twilight?" Granfalloon asked.

"There are insults that I will not bear witness to, even when Discord does it to an image of Cadence. . . . BY the way guys, thanks for helping her complete self in that one timeline outside of the loops."

The ponies all smiled and sincerely nodded. Nightmare Martyr had been fun to be around.

"And having her stabbed a million times by black rods is okay?" Mirror asked.

"Needed for incomplete-Twilight to fully understand that Discord has no lines he won't cross. It's a sacrifice I'm sure Cadence is willing to make for all of us. She's harmony, she knows DISHARMONY must be punished."

"My favorite is when you let me set grenades around his statue before he broke free," Manacle said. True, all it did was make Discord possess a poor innocent Guard Pony who had almost been on Cadence's world tour . . . what was his name again? Jerk-Earnings? Of course, once reset, Discord was back in that pegasus mare's stolen body, whatever her name was.

"Ah thought yer favorite was when Twili' Unicorn had a sword fight with old Discord, when he had already lost his arms and legs and was holdin' the sword with his tail!"

"Close second."

"Then there was the time pre-complete me tried to use the memory spell on me . . . it completed her right on the spot!" Nightmare Eclipse remembered happily. "It felt so wonderful! Like I got to experience my own completion again for the first time! It was wonderful!"

"Wonderful to hear Twilight," Nightmare Whisper said.

Banneret chose to add his say, "My favorite was when he turned into a giant tower that pierced the atmosphere and was made of random monsters and stuff, 'Prancing Mad' made great background music!"

Manacle and Granfalloon planted themselves on other side of Nightmare Whisper. "So Fluttershy? What's your favorite?"

"Oh yes Fluttershy, what is your favorite?" Nightmare Eclipse asked.

The Kindest of Lies looked very uncomfortable.

"Uh, Twilight?"

"Yes Fluttershy?"

"I was just wondering, that is, I know it's not, but it's just, but you really, or rather maybe you should at least consider, but maybe you already have, but I don't know, but it would be rude if you have, but I really really really-"

"Fluttershy, you can tell us."

" . . . Uh... dontyouthinkDiscordsbeenpunishedenough?"

. . . The entire chamber fell silent. There was not even the sound of molecules of dust hitting each other.

. . . The other Nightmares all held their breath.

The Kindest of Lies looked tiny.

Nightmare Eclipse loomed over her.

"Oh silly pony," The Walker Of the Endless Cycle smiled like Celestia, "revenge is never settled." her black words boomed shaking the entire chamber though she never actually raised her voice.

"But... that is... "

"Oh Fluttershy, Fluttershy, Fluttershy," Nightmare Eclipse warmly put a wing around the yellow Nightmare. "Don't worry. You're kindness, I guess there might be something wrong with you if you didn't think Discord should be put out of his misery. But you need to understand. Would that be the kind thing to do to all those who want to see him give for everything he's taken?"

"... No." The yellow Nightmare sighed sadly. The others hugged her.

"But it's not the kind to him," She whispered lower than Eclipse could hear.

"Don't worry, I'm sure sure sure that once Twilight fills up her head to the brim so she can remade EVERYTHING, that I can fix'em up up up to be a fun fun fun pony! It's all just a prank on him after all. Don't you hear Twilight laugh every time?"

"It's okay, Fluttershy, we'll never abandon you just cause you think of a different point of view," Manacle said.

Whisper and Manacle silently nuzzled and folded her wings around each other.

The dragon stretched, "Sorry guys, I think I'm gonna check out for a bit, see ya."

They each gave The Beautiful Fury Of the Generous Green Flames a hug and a nuzzle before he lumbered into his cave (flanked by flawless statues of Rarity, Twilight, and others), closing the door behind him.

"RD," Nightmare Mirror whispered.

"Yeah AJ?"

"Ah wanted ta ask ya somethin'."

"Fire away!"

"Ya KNOW that Twili' been copyin' and pastin' parts from earlier loops ta keep Discord on track right?"

"Yeah so?"

"So, that means sugar that whenever RD is forced ta kill Scootaloo, that means it's Twili' now whose makin' it happen. Not Discord."

"Yes."

"An'?"

"And what?"

"And whaddya think?"

"If Discord is going to pretend that he's changed so he think we'll somehow forget all the horrible things he's done, I need to make sure our complete selves don't forget or are fooled." Eclipse said matter of face spreading her wings grandly.

"I think AJ, that I'm loyal to you guys, and nothing is ever ever ever EVER going to change that! I'll never abandon any of you ever again even if every entire universe becomes our enemy! Scootaloo won't have to remember any of that when we make the Golden World. Twilight promised. Was she lying?"

"... No."

"And I think that's a buckass question to ask in the first place AJ!" Manacle finished.

"Yes it wasn't very kind to say all!"

"I don't really really really get the joke either."

"Oh don't worry girls. She's just being true to herself. You can't expect her to be more than that can you?" Eclipse asked, the smile only slightly shrinking.

Manacle looked at Eclipse, then at Mirror, and then put a chain-barding hoof on her mirror shined barded shoulder, "It'll be both our redemptions, we'll pay back in interest. Scootaloo will have a Golden World to live her life in instead of the cruddy one she was living even before bastard-Discord." She turned to Eclipse. "Speaking of which Twilight, isn't it time to help Twilight Version One Point Oh, down the path of leveling up to totally awesome super-mare?"

"Good point Rainbow Dash. I should. She should be just about ready now to meet with Apple Pie. If not, I can just skip along to earlier or later if I want."

"Good luck Twilight," Nightmare Whisper said, thinking of when Twilight was done with Discord and made the golden world, she could start reconstructing his psyche into a proper father for Fluttercruel as she felt he should be.

"Yeah! We'll be watching!" Granfalloon cheered grabbing a house sized bag of popcorn and water tower sized soda cup and straw.

"Be right here for ya if you need us," Manacle said.

"Ditto," Mirror mirrored.

Eclipse nodded, then gasped. "Oh my Celestia! I forget! Be right back guys! Got something important to do first!" Without another word she rushed into Spike's chambers.

The place Eclipse entered was huge, piles of neatly organized treasure, set up according to size, color, and cutting, just the way Rarity would like it. Statues of her and other ponies all in beautiful poses, their faces pictures of happiness and their mere presence radiated joy. Sculptures of pony-dragon hybrids happily playing with each other were made of every valuable treasure imaginable.

None of it was touched by the dragon. It wasn't for him. It was all a welcoming gift for her.

A forest of dresses, and of course the finest thread, cloth and sewing equipment prepared to be just perfect for her.

There were also mountains of books for Eclipse whenever she wanted them. Endless yarn and cute stuffed animals forming a mountain itself for Whisper. Every piece of Wonderbolt merchandise ever made (and plushies of Gilda and Scootaloo that hugged back). A simple leather covered photo album composed of memories of hundreds of different AJs from cross realities who had lived happy and full lives that could be experienced as if they were the reader's own. And lots and lots of cake and candy.

There was a suit and tie made for an adult mountain sized dragon, all cleanly pressed and ready for use. And a heart stone fire ruby set into a ring fit for a goddess with a matching husband's wedding band.

Eclipse ignored them all, and her form again was obscured and a unicorn with an inverted cutie mark emerged.

She trotted to a small purple baby dragon, shrunk down, curled up in a small basket bed of humble red blankets, sucking his claw in his sleep.

The unicorn moved silently, carefully, gently, being careful to disturb nothing, not make even the slightest noise.

She knelt down and began to stroke the dragon in his sleep. She sang.

"Once upon a time,
A little dragon began a big climb.

He climbed through the darkness and grim,
but his heart's strength was sublime.

Listen to my rhyme,
Until you hear the morning's chime.

Eventually he reached the mountain high
Upon the top of the mountain he gained the heart to fly,
And he reached up into the high nigh sky.

Listen to my rhyme,
Until you hear the morning's chime.

He found the one treasure for his one true love,
His heart fluttered like a dove.
The crown of stars that would fit her like a glove.

Listen to my rhyme,
Until you hear the morning's chime.

He flew back to his mate.
With a crown of stars but with less than eight.
He would save her from loneliness' weight,
And together they would alter fate.

Never again would they weep,
and together they did sleep.

Listen to my rhyme,
Until you hear the morning's chime."

" . . . Goodnight Spike, mommy has to go to work now, she wishes you sweet dreams."

~Begin Dark World

tiny Interlude, Discord, Odyne, and Her

Episode 116 (Shining Armor Part 13.5) Debates-Setabed

Pony POV Series
Shining Armor Arc
Debates-Setabed
Written by LZ
Edited by Alexwarlorn, Kendell2, and Lous Badalaments

On Wondering About Bolts
Our time in Zebrawa that remained was thankfully uneventful. I was still on my guard, even more so after Cadence seeing it as well, but events at breakfast the night after the race made me try and calm down a little. It also helped that as Cadence's bodyguard, staying close to her was my job. Cadence and the hoofmaidens made some not-too-subtle mentions of Ace Rimmer, Lord Flashheart, and tuxedoes when they were discussing the planned farewell dinner happening right before we departed for North Triana. If Private Ranger hadn't developed an odd twitch in his eye and distracted Cadence, she could very well have been about to tell me I was to take a day off again.

I managed to remain in my armor the rest of the trip... not literally, I took it off to go to sleep and shower and the like, before you try and mention it. The last day was the airshow and the farewell dinner that evening, and I was not a penguin for either.

I was, however, subjected to the horrors of Ellis, Thunderchild, and Audience forming a supergroup of trivia-geekiness, with Sunset on vocals. Discussions about flight displays and aerobatics on the ride to the airbase (that one fifteen miles north of the city I mentioned before) led to discussions on racing, including the Equestrian Sky League, NASCART, athletics, and other sports.

At the flight display, I just sat there and kept an eye on things, barely watching the show. Between the Royal Equestrian Trivia Quartet, the fact the VIP box was shared with the Wonderbolts managers and reserve flyers, and the presence of the Ambassador and her husband, Cadence was well distracted from anything I might have been doing.

This was quite a busy airshow. There was of course, the Zebrawan Air Force's own team - Kweupe's cousin was apparently amongst their pegasi. There was a flight team from Zamunda, but oddly enough here to display light airships.

"Hey, we've got two of them back on the ship!" Twinkle Shine apparently was getting into Airshipspotting as three flew overhead firing volleys of party cannon rounds.

"P-10 Patrol Craft. Flight Lieutenant Rimmer and Squadron Commander Flashhea... Private Ranger, you've got that twitch again..." Audience helpfully pointed out.

There was also the Fenwickian Yellowjackets. Go on, guess what color of uniform they wore. A private weather firm (Not the one that had supplied the four bodies at the university) also put on a show, and of course, the Wonderbolts had their own time to make a display.

I'd like to try and describe it, but... Well, when I was looking at the show, there wasn't much to see really. Pegasi looping the loop and doing barrel rolls and stuff. I don't know the names of any tricks or whatever. Thunderchild's the living Wonderbolts encyclopedia.

The rest of the VIP box occupants seemed rather pleased by it, Guests, Guards, and sidelined Wonderbolts alike...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Just wondering, Captain, where do the Wonderbolts fit in with the Guard?)

Uh, they don't. I think. You'd need to ask Thunderchild, but I'm pretty sure any formal connection to the Guard or even the Government is non-existent...

Captain Sparkle's correct. There's no modern connection between the Wonderbolts and the Guard. But there is a historical link.

Hundreds of years ago, there were Royal Guard sporting teams formed for recruitment drives. Lance-Corporal Audience knows his history better than me, but there were three teams: Pegasus Display Team, Earth Pony Cart Racing Team, and Unicorn Magic Display Team; exploiting the most popular pastimes of the time.

Back then, towns and villages held competitions against neighbors. Hoofball and Cloudball were played between villages in two senses: where the teams came from and where they actually played. The goal was to get the ball into the other village. Relay and endurance racing was popular too. Unicorns seemed to try teleporting a lot more back then. So I guess it made sense to try recruit Ponies by showing them the Guard did all the fun stuff as well. And of course, patriotism is another big draw.

(Lance-Corporal Audience: Actually, there was also a more pragmatic reason for all of that: Communication. The spells for teleporting scrolls over long distances directly hadn't been invented, and the technology of the time meant no trains, no telegraphs, no radios. We're barely starting to properly use them as it is today. All three main subspecies of Pony had their own means of transporting messenges.

Earth Ponies hauled a carriage, one rider, one hauler. That way they took turns and rested. Pegasi used relays, taking breaks at cloudposts every so often and passing it to another messenger in the area. Unicorns teleported from place to place but obviously, teleportation has a very limited range for most Unicorns. Back in the day, the most effective was a series of short teleports rather than one long-range one, passing it to the next messenger when they tired.

Guard display teams tried to encourage the notion of the Guard as a source of employment too. It was also partly an effort to muscle in on the messenger trade. It eventually created the Royal Mail, NASCART, and relevant to what you were asking Sergeant Thunderchild, the Equestrian Skyracing League.)

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): ...No Unicorn sports?)

(Lance-Corporal Audience: Not from the display team. The teleporting scroll put an end to that, so most unicorns just went into other things like archery, alchemy, academics, and all that. It may have resulted in more traveling magic stage shows and the like but they still don't seem that common...)

But yeah, anyway, those display teams inspired other teams to try and be a bit more dedicated to it. First with little amateur contests began, then proper rules and leagues. The Equestrian Skyracing League was formed and tried to have the Guard officially compete - for a while, the Guard Display Team did. But then teams began to go pro. And there's an obvious problem there. Can't be a professional racer and a guard at the same time. Clash of interests. So when the whole league went pro, no more official Guard participation in ESL contests. The MoD decided to just disband the teams as they increasingly were overshadowed by other teams.

(Lance-Corporal Audience: Another factor for the disbanding was Princess Celestia had managed to smooth out concerns over the increasing power of Columbia in the Griffin Lands, until the Hooviets rose as a military power, we didn't have any active threats to defend against, and the main worry was the fears of a powerful republic in the Griffin Kingdoms. While we needed to maintain a standing army for protection against unknown attacks, we were no longer at risk of a war breaking out at any moment. This resulted in the MoD not prioritizing recruitment as heavily as they previously did.)

One officer who was retiring soon had other ideas. She wanted to try recruit some of her old buddies to join her as she tried to form her own team and asked for Celestia's blessings to discuss it with them. She'd actually become interested in the new racing sports that were becoming popular...

(Lance-Corporal Audience: Her Highness had always been trying to find both new ways to keep herself fit and also to connect with the populace better after 'The Century of Chubby Celly', and Her Highness is of course striving to prevent another Annus Adipem, or fat year.)

...So she gave her personal blessing to the team, which pretty much was seen as offering support. Since Celestia was backing them, they attracted some of the best fliers, and swiftly took a clean sweep in the debut season. That team was of course, the Wonder Bolts. They made it all one word a few years later. The name may have had an origin in the Guard Display Teams too, but the records aren't clear on the issue, though they mention one team was nicknamed 'the Blue Alicorns' that might have been the officer's original team. But other than Celestia's support, which was entirely a personal act on her part and always clearly marked as not an official act in her capacity as the ruler of Equestria, there were no formal links to the Government or the Guard with the Wonderbolts - other than historical and recruitment based links.

It's the same today. Celestia only calls herself a supporter of the Wonderbolts, and has no official links. A lot of people don't seem to know that, though. Ask any civilian fan about it, or why the 18th don't like them, I bet they'll get it wrong. Some more confusion of it might also be the Wonderbolts do support our troops and encourage recruiting, but that's not official, its just respecting the roots of the team and the troops themselves more than anything.

And why don't the 18th like them? Simple. Cloudsdale Best Young Flyer contest, originally for Clousdale and now open to entrants from all over the East Coast and Everfree. It used to be a contest the 18th pretty much ran. And then the Wonderbolts observed it, and the mayor decided to have them sponsor it, Celestia attended with members of the Pegasus Guards, and the event was pretty much seen as a recruitment drive by flight teams. The 18th were not happy - the contest had been linked to them for centuries...

...Unfortunately, it was an unofficial link. Which is something they forget.

(Lance-Corporal Audience: Not quite unofficial; the event was originally organized by the Pegasus Legions soon after the unification of the tribes. The City of Cloudsdale revived it about three hundred years back, and the link with the 18th lasted for a long time until some military reforms formed the Guard Cadets youth organization a century back. The Wonderbolts connection formed about eighty years back, when it was already mostly for athletes rather than aspiring military recruits. Something the 18th also overlook is the fact the Wonderbolts sponsoring it meant less money from their budget being spent there.)

But yeah. Ask a civvy, they'll probably tell you the 'Bolts are Celestia's personal display team, that they're the Equestrian display team, that they're linked to the Royal Guard, that the 18th are just jealous, and that they're combat flyers. None of which is strictly true. They're not officially the Equestrian team, they're not officially linked to the Guard, the 18th legion are not officially jealous, and they are officially and factually NOT combat flyers.

Now, I'm a fan, yeah. But I'm also a soldier and a pegasus soldier at that. Sometimes I wince when I imagine the prospect of ponies or griffins actually using some of the 'Bolts so-called 'combat formation' displays. It's the kind of tactics that look cool in plays and in stories but fail miserably in real life. And sure, the faux-dogfights look great but anyone with a real knowledge of combat can tell you it's so very, very, very fake.

Bunched up together with very little spacing? Flying without barding? Without anything more than using a bladewing technique for armament?

(Lance-Corporal Audience: The bladewing is a spell where pegasi focus their flight magic's strength around the edge of the wing: A pegasus actually requires weather magic to fly properly: If not for the magic they'd be expending a lot more physical energy and their muscles would tire way faster. The physical strains of flying mean without magic, they'd have less altitude, speed, range, and if the magic vanished in mid-air it could throw them into a spin.

There's also a fairly weak shield spell around all pegasi in flight: so weak it's vulnerable to fire, lighting strikes can disrupt the flight magic, and arrows or other high velocity objects able to deliver a lot of energy on a focused area will go right through. It's primary purpose is to help the pegasus fly and protect them from suffering damage from g-forces at high speeds, not protection from attack, though since it also does help them reduce the risk of injury in crashes without magic they'd be in trouble even more. But Sarge does explain the next bit pretty well.)

Absurd. Modern air combat, you can expect a light airship or helicopter as a threat, and a bladewing will do nothing against that. Against ground targets, you're outranged. Even old-style weather warfare was never really skyduels like they show off. Sure, it's impressive, but it's not combat effective. It wasn't even all that effective back when pegasi hurled javelins and lighting bolts at each other as standard.

(Lance-Corporal Audience: The bladewing spell's true utility is mainly for cutting through clouds or soft materials, and for attacking with flybys, as well as an improvised weapon if none others are available. It has its uses (particularly to Neighponese Shinobi who make great use of stealth and ambush tactics), but it wasn't developed nor used for prolonged close quarters combat like those duels portray it as. )

Oh, yeah, we do use lightning today, in what you call a close-air support role or for ambush tactics Mostly good for aiming at the ground or anything flying that's getting absurdly close - like, for instance, three to five pegasi all bunched together. Like the Wonderbolts in their 'combat' formations.

(Interviwer's Notes (Pegasus): Or for bursting domes crazy Deer have made to try and kill your friend?)

That too. Bottom line is, that's a trick that's been around since the dawn of flight. One good thundercloud manipulator can hold off a platoon trying to attack him or her on their cloud if they don't bring up support. Older tactics are pretty much suicide in modern combat against combined arms and more advanced weapons.

For a start we've got arrows. Ballistas with bundles of them, or just clockwork bolt throwers shooting a stream of them. Then there's guns, blunderbusses and grapeshot light cannons that can be plopped onto clouds if you like. Multiple shot things like volley guns, volley rockets. Area of effect weapons like Medusa Rockets.

Basically, rockets you fire at a crowd of pegasi, or better, over them. They fly past, spitting out a rain of burning nasty stuff. Looks like snakes, hence the name for the rockets. Hits the wing, burns through the natural magic, burns the wing. Goes through if you're lucky. Sets your wing on fire if you aren't. And you simply can't protect a wing against that sort of thing without seriously affecting your flying. And with one wing gone, and in a natural panic from being on fire, you'll probably drop like a stone. Of course, for this reason, there's moral arguments over stuff like this; shoot down an airship or a pegasus with an arrow to the head, there isn't suffering. But light a pegasus or griffon on fire? They suffer, bad, until they hit the ground if they're lucky. And because of that, there's been a lot of debate as to how ethical it is to use it. On the other hoof, I doubt certain places will be too fussed. Flamethrowers are already quite popular...

Also, it's important to note most other artillery fired in the air is designed to damage armored airships or even dragons. Getting hit by one of them will ruin your day. And you.

What's the point there? One pegasus is a waste of ammo against a target too small and too fast to line up, five is a juicy opportunity to an artillerypony. Oh, and they all fly in for an attack run together. Poor spacing, all together, that's just going to get you killed. Spaced out, bigger guns won't bother with you. Doesn't stop arrow storms or volleys being hurled at you.

It looks cool, like I said. But if someone ordered me to emulate those tactics I'd tell them where to go.

The thing is though, modern artillery is really meant to fire at other artillery. Airships fight other airships and support Pegasi fighting pegasi. Some ponies think slow airships with low max altitudes are not as good as a pegasus: But even with vulnerabilities, they're still tough enough to fight back and inflict a hell of a lot of damage. The basic rule is, you take on an airship, have a lot of pegasi and a lot of bodybags. If that airship has pegasus support of its own, just don't bother unless you have some too. But I'm no real expert in Airships, they're just something that poses a threat or can be a good help. Not something that might make pegasus troops obsolete like some think. That's just absurd. You'll always have a need for pegasus troops simply to take on other pegasus troops. Airships don't land on clouds, after all. They can't turn them into fortifications using light cannons and ballistas enchanted to be able to stay on the clouds. They can, however, blow them away. But if you want to capture them, you gotta use troops.

(Lance-Corporal Audience: Pegasi and Griffins are capable of carrying anti-armour weapons, and some troopers are specially trained for that kind of confrontation - Us Equestrians actually do train everypony in the basics of operating them since we've got a shortfall in other anti-tank ability. The same limits still apply to taking on a ground vehicle from the ground. Need to be in cover, ideally need to be ambushing, need to aim at weaker areas instead of trying to hit the strong front armour. If you can get close enough with even a lightning cloud you might be able to hit an engine. This is why support pegasi are important, to keep an eye out for such attacks. Still, Sarge is right that it's better to let another light aircraft take it on under most circumstances, as it's just less dangerous and more practical an option. Ponies CAN take out a dragon, but a dragon can take ON a dragon.)

The combat tricks the Wonderbolts have seem to be either for self-defense or to get yourself killed in a real conflict. There's a reason our enlisted troopers undergo almost a year of training before we even give them the rank of Private - They say our green fresh-from-basic rookies are better trained than Lance-Corporals in other military forces.

(Lance-Corporal Audience: Sarge is right on the self-defense angle. They'd once wanted the Guard to supply them training but the guard can't legally give official training to any non-Guard, non-reservist, or non-cadet. As a result the Wonderbolts and many other celebrity groups used a Private Security firm ran by a Prench griffin to teach a basic self-defense scheme - and it's one that is very much designed for surviving everyday Equestrian hazards (which admittedly, involve some very dangerous predators) rather than how to survive in a combat situation. And yes, it's alarming to admit it really but Gag was better trained out of basic than about 90% of any other just-completed-basic soldiers on the planet and better trained than many junior NCOs.)

Now, this isn't to say the Wonderbolts are defenseless. They're not. From a civilian perspective? Their training regimen alone makes them stronger than most civilian pegasi and they've all got some self-defense training from the looks of it. Some of them are former military and have actual combat training. From an every day life perspective? Picking a fight with them is a dumb idea, you'll probably get your flank kicked. And against a Manticore or the like, the wingblade spell could actually do some damage if they were in a situation were they needed to.

But they're not soldiers, they're not trained for actual combat or war. Any fighting skills they have are to for protection, not open combat. There's a big difference between being able to turn the tables on a mugger or fend off some of the predators in the Everfree and fighting a metal armored airship or a dragon with scales thick enough to withstand gunfire.

Oh, one other thing. The Wonderbolts are the only team allowed to use Lightning Trails as a trick. It's a registered trademark stunt of the team. It's also a rather common military flying trick to ward off anything on your tail. Has downsides: It does mark your position and it's pretty much a shoot me sign at times, but it's got uses. Just not for any other flying team in a International Flight Associations Federation nation if they don't want sued or sanctioned. Even military display teams need written permission, and only in noncompetitive events. So there is that I guess, they're using something more commonly seen as a military tactic.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Do the military need their permission to use it in a fight?)

No, that wouldn't work out so well. If the 'Bolts tried to force copyright on the whole trick across the board, they'd be in trouble. Not only would they be causing a security issue in Equestria by restricting access to a military asset to civilians, they'd just have other nations steal it anyway. There's such a thing as espionage you know.

So, to wrap that one up, the Wonderbolts are in no way officially connected to the Guard. And they're not a combat unit. They're not even trained in basic law enforcement or emergency rescue tactics as Wonderbolts - they might recruit former Guards or Weatherponies or whatever that bring those skills but the Wonderbolts as an organization doesn't require them - meaning they don't officially use them. Some of them do individually volunteer as reservists, but really, the Reserve regiments just exist as a training structure. I don't see them getting a call-up any time soon.

...Ah, the 'Bolts recruiting from the Guard? They generally go after troopers about to finish enlistment. Other teams are prone to trying to poach our enlisted recruits while they're on probation -four weeks at the start where they can drop out- but the 'Bolts wait until we've given them experience. Naturally, some experienced former Guards have joined the 'Bolts, but that's their own choice, the Bolts don't AIM for them.

Why don't they just get those guys to pass on military training? Because it's illegal paramilitary activity of course. Any other questions?

Oh, that one's easy, Fleetfoot is the fastest, Rapidfire has the best endurance, Soarin's the best jack-of-all-trades, but Spitfire has the best flank....

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Er, thank you, Sergeant, that'll be all....)

Okay. You might want to ask a civilian fan of the 'Bolts, by the way, see how well informed they are.

The Wonderbolts and the Royal Guard? No connection at all.

Come on, seriously, they've got more in common with a weather patrol than the Army! The Wonderbolts are all cool, fast, athletic, and like individualism and stunts and coolness and awesomeness and showing off and stuff, while the army wants you to spend like a year learning how to fly wearing uncool armor - and the ones with the cool armor, the Pegasus Legion, they're all a bunch of jerks.

Or they cheat and fly friggin' machines! With rockets and stuff! Seriously, there was a flight of them like five or ten minutes out from blasting Spike back when he got all greedy - And they'd have killed him. Trust me, those guys do not mess around. I, uh, I never told Twilight about that but I found out the next day, Thunderlane had seen them coming in and break off, so I sent a letter to Cloudsdale, Clousdale asked the Navy, they told us that a squadron of 'Orcas' or something had been in the area, and they'd been recalled. Apart from that, all they said was they'd been armed to... deal with any dragon they encountered.

....Huh? N-no, I'm fine, it's just... Spike's a cool dragon, y'know? And we were all that close to him getting... And those things would probably have caused a lot more damage than just hitting Spike...

We got really lucky. Again.

A-anyway, we were talking about the Wonderbolts! The Wonderbolts aren't soldiers and they're not trained to really fight, that's not what they're about. Spitfire even said it; she loves flying. She may have helped Soarin' take down one of those Dragon constructs, but they're not trained TO fight, they're trained to fly. I mean, sure, the Army are cool... Navy are kinda dweebs... but the Royal Guard is kinda cool. But the Wonderbolts are supercool. Scale of Wonder to Bolt they're Wonderbolt!

...It totally is a real scale!

(Interviewer's Notes: (Pegasus): Okay, so, anyway. If nothing happened don't you feel a little silly worrying so much about the Wonderbolts and the Pegasus Legion?)

Not so much. The evening after the race, thankfully there wasn't another race for starters. But at dinner, a few of the Wonderbolts admitted they'd had run-ins with some of the 18th Legion's other units when I asked if Spitfire had any examples of trouble between the groups. Minuette had been wondering herself what all the fuss was about since nothing had been happening.

"Maybe that time you had that run-in with the Air Artillery?" Ambassador Supermarine suggested.

"Yeah, it's a good example. A few of us had been at the Best Young Flyer's competition qualification rounds, just to see if there were any promising flyers. More challenging to pick them out at qualifiers actually. The best ones try to hold back on their tricks, and the ones that go all-out usually don't plan on winning it or going pro, and just do it for fun," Spitfire began.

"It's good practice for when you get sent to judge the contest proper. Of course, you're not allowed to watch qualification or practice runs to maintain fair and balanced judging..." The Ambassador's Husband spoke up.

(Interviewer's Notes: (Earth Pony): Hey, what wuz his name? Ah don't think you mentioned it...)

I... Kinda forgot it.

"We then went for a drink, figuring we'd not be recognized out of flight suits, and besides, the three of us there were rookies. Me, Soarin', and Misty Fly. So, three Wonderbolts walk into a bar..."

"Ellis, Gag, Thunderchild..."

"Twinkle Shine..."

"...Not a word," Myself and Cadence accidentally said together.

" Ooh, opening! Hey, did someone just squee?"

"...And we just sit down, no problems. We see a group of Stallions who seem a bit loud but it's Cloudsdale, it's Friday evening, we're near the weather factory... We forgot there had been an exercise conducted recently, 18th giving training to Pegasi from a bunch of other regiments... "

"I think I might have been on that exercise," Thunderchild noted. He didn't add the 18th had kicked everyone else's flanks.

"Cuteness overload squee?"

"Then Misty recognized one. Apparently they'd went to Junior Speedsters together. At first she thought he hadn't seen her, then they started being kinda loud about mocking the team soon after. Soarin' and one of the more experience 'Bolts, Rising Damp, collided during a show."

"Somepony need a medic for a cuteness overload?"

"You guys ignored it, right?" Twinkle Shine wondered.

"Because if someone does that's got priority over the opening."

"We tried, but Soarin' was a little antsy. He still felt responsible for the crash even though it wasn't his fault. Damp had got a little too close to him, forgetting Soarin' wasn't quite used to flying with the whole team yet."

"Nopony?"

"It's not good for your confidence if you slip up during a routine either," Sunset noted.

"Okay... Gha, missed my window of opportunity!"

"So anyway, we figured it was probably better we just left, Misty went first since they might have been able to recognize her, we figured. We went out later, but when we'd stood up to leave three of them followed us. And Soarin's is clearly thinking they're going to start something, keeps looking over his shoulder..."

(Interviewer's Notes: (Pegasus and Earth Pony): Hmm...)

Just let me tell the story as it was told to me.

"...So I tell him to stop looking back at them, they're probably not really following us, then one of them shouts out..."

"Hey, Blunderbolts, not following your friend? "

"We hoped you guys could give us some crashing lessons! " Another cut in.

We could smell salt on their breath from pretty far away. They were all salted up and trying to impress their buddies by looking tough. The two talkers were flanked around one in the middle, the whole group giving off smug grins.

"I'm afraid we don't have much experience with that. But you guys look drunk enough to make a go of it," Soarin' shots back.

Pretty much right away he knows it was a mistake 'cos the three of them just look really cheesed off now.

"Oh? It's a crime to argue with Guardsponies you know... " The one that hadn't spoke until then said.

As every Harmony Guardspony in earshot opened their mouths, Spitfire raised a hoof.

"I'm getting to it, don't worry," She stopped us.

"You saying Wonderbolts don't crash?" He continued. He'd been the leader, letting his guys do the work while he waited to assert authority over us.

"No, we're not saying that, and it isn't a crime to argue with Guardsponies. Besides, what says you guys are Guardsponies? You got CSI Warrant Cards?" I asked.

"Well, seems the Blunderbolts must issue spines to do more than let you do loop-de-loops and not wet yourself in front of cameras! Gotta look good, it's all you flight teams can do. Can't fight. Recruit a hoof-full of soldiers that only made EG2 Lance or Hoplite Corporal from time in grade instead of effort... Spines letting you backchat Hoplite Corporals of the Hundred and Eighth Air Artillery. That makes me high ranking," Leader grinned

"...You're an EG2, second rung on the ladder, you just said so yourself. Look, we're trying to leave, Corporal. You don't have any authority off duty unless an offense is committed, and right now you're the ones close to committing one through breach of the peace. You're also going against regulations by abusing your position to try and threaten civilians, that's misconduct unbecoming of a tooper," I said back, hoping he'd see sense.

Instead, he glared at me.

"The bucking hay you think you are? Some smartypants reads some books and thinks she can quote regs at me? Gonna try pull chapter and verse, tell me it's Rule Seventeen-Forty-Two?" He snaps, looking really over the edge now. His buddies stop grinning.

I say it without thinking really. I'd only been out of the unit for a couple months and I'd memorized regs inside out, plus, I'd had a few myself. We'd been in a bar, after all.

"...No member of the Guard should ever report for active duty in a ginger toupee?"

It gets him off balance though.

"...What?"

I figure then, maybe I warn him what he's really doing, I know my stuff, he might back off?

"I was a full EG3 Corporal for a year before I left the service to become a Wonderbolt. Airstream Guards. I could have made Sergeant pretty much right away if I had re-enlisted. But the way you act I think you won't make EG3 for a while, if ever." I say it with a little force.

"...Think you're a drill sergeant or something?"

He snorted, then he tried to lunge at me. Key word is tried.

He stumbled, and though he aimed one hoof in my direction, I just grabbed it, sidestepped, used the leverage to force him to the clouds and into a hammerlock. He knows I've got him, his two buddies seem surprised he did it.

"How about I let you go and we just walk away, forget this, huh?" I ask.

He nods, and the three of them take off, tails between legs...

"That's shocking. They tried to start a fight with you just because you're Wonderbolts?" Twinkle Shine looked appalled.

"The Eighteenth can be too proud at times. Some of them hate that the Wonderbolts are seen as heroes and feel the soldiers deserve the praise. Which, ironically, the Wonderbolts agree wholeheartedly with. That's why we do 'tribute to the Guard' tours, we think you guys do a rough job and deserve credit where it's due. But mix that kind of mentality some of them have with pride and too much salt, and it never goes well," Spitfire shrugged in reply.

"Sounds like that dropshort was a real loose cannon..." Gag grinned.

"Private..." Thunderchild sighed

"...Sorry Sarge."

"...What's a dropshort?" Sunset frowned.

"Artillerypony, joke about how they're supposedly not very good shots," Ambassador Supermarine answered.

"Well, I suppose that'll be you glad your point in being so worried is somewhat justified then, Shining?" Cadence sighed. I must have looked more pleased than the surprise I really had felt hearing that story.

"...Honestly, I'm more amazed somepony else remembers Rule Seventeen-Forty-two," I admitted.

On Nations Divided

Twinkle Shine had found something that confused her after we explained the political situation of North Triana.

"...Um, you know how this is North Triana we're in? Well, on the map, there's a North and South Ponia as well, but they're the wrong way around... How come?"

"The nations north of Zhongguo? Well, in that case, the split is about a less violent yet much more confusing issue. South Ponia believes what everyone else calls North is South, and North Ponia believes what everyone else calls South is North," Audience answered.

"...Hang on, doesn't that mean they agree?!" Minuette realized.

"Not quite. You see, the North (which is in the south) wants to be in the north. The South (which is in the north) wants to be in the south. The North says what EVERYONE else calls south is north. Meaning that the South is claiming to be the north and the north don't like that. Meanwhile, the South says the North is claiming to be in the South because what EVERYONE else calls north is south."

"So why don't, say, the North just say the South is in the North? Won't that mean they're saying it's North, so to the South they're saying the South is in the South?" Twinkle Shine pondered.

"Well, you'd think so, but that would be seen as an insult, and also the North would be breaking its own claim to be the North. The North would now be claiming to be in the South still, by telling the South they're in the North. It's the Mutually Assured Silly Stubbornness, or MASS, effect."

"...This is dumbest war I ever heard of."

"Oh, it isn't a war, it was actually rather peaceful and apart from the north-south thing they're still friends. The Parliament held a referendum when they were unified. Everyone in the south who wanted to be the north said they were the north. Everyone in the north who wanted to be in the south said they were in the south. But the declaration was that 'what every other nation says is North is South and what every other nation says is South is North,' and it just snowballed from there," Audience kept going.

"Everyone who didn't care or voted against the resolution just collectively went, and this is a direct quote, 'Ghaaaa!' three years into it all and moved to Zhongguo," I added my two bits.

"All of them?" Twinkle Shine and Minuette said together.

"Yes, I believe Queen Tiamat heard it all the way on Draco Island."

"All at once?"

"Hey, perfectly choreographed song and dance numbers break out at the drop of a hat back home and in a few of the countries we've been to so far, so is it really so strange that a group of Ponies could all just go 'screw this, I'm outta here' at the same time?" Apple wondered.

"...I guess not," Minuette quickly conceded.

"Triana has no laws against singing," Cadence quickly added, I think trying to stop her Hoofmaidens from having an aneurysm.

"...Do they really take it so seriously though? What do they do with east and west?" Twinkle Shine wondered

"Same as everyone else. It's still north-east-south-west but they go anti-clockwise if they say it that way," I said.

"...The North's capital was pretty close to the border on the map though. How'd they decide the borders and why'd the North put the capital there?" Sunset pondered.

"Well, all the ponies that left mostly lived in the middle of the country, so the Northerners and Southerners all began moving their stuff in, drew a line, and that's where they decide what's South is North and North is South. The North built their new capital city south of the border to show the North had superior engineering skills and to reinforce the line."

"...Did they try to build that upside down?"

"Actually, at first they did, but they just gave up after the moles refused to fly and the pegasi got tired of digging," I noted.

"...The moles..." I think her brain was starting to short-circuit at this point.

"Yes, try not to think about it."

On Music

Minuette was going around, looking for anypony's preferences for songs.

"...You don't have any requests for the radio?" Minuette looked honestly puzzled.

"Not really. I'm not a big fan of music..." I admitted, and she looked slightly horrified.

"Ah, you just don't have time to listen to it, I see! Er, not even when looking over reports and stuff? Surely there's some music..."

I almost shrugged, before recalling it was a pain in the flank for a quadruped to do that.

"No, I'm just not into music as much as some ponies I guess."

"B-but, Captain, Cadence is..."

"Princess Celestia represents the Sun, she doesn't seem too upset some ponies prefer to stay in the shade most days. Look, it's not that I don't like any music. I just don't really listen to anything specific. It's more I avoid some kinds."

"Oh... Oh! Well, what kinds?"

"Dubtrot."

"...You don't need to worry about that, Captain, I have it on very good authority it's not actually music."

"And songs with creepy lyrics."

"Oh. Okay. Um, look, Captain, can you at least say if there's something you do like?"

"...Why is it so important?"

"Er, it's not, it's just that... Well, everypony else gets to have music on the ship's radio station they'll enjoy, I wouldn't want to..."

"I like what I like and dislike what I dislike. I guess if it's really this important maybe some classic rock, but that's about the best I can do, sorry."

"...I guess it's better than nothing," She sighed, looking strangely crestfallen.

On Shrugging

By the way, about shrugging... Seriously, why are we so inclined to trying it? We're just not built for it. Now, Minotaurs on the other hoof, they're expert shruggers and I wager if apes were sapient they'd be good at it too...

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Actually, that's an interesting point, you see, there are... legends... of a species known as Homo Sapiens Sapiens...)

Yes, yes, humans, Twiley read the stories and that classmate of her got awfully obsessive with them. Lyre or something. She seemed to think Guard officers are told the truth about Humans...

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Are ya?!)

Yes, actually, we are!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Really?! What is it?)

Okay, I shouldn't tell you. Brace yourself, this is a big one. Mind-blowing stuff. You ready?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus and Earth Pony): Yeah!)

The truth is... They're fictional!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus and Earth Pony): ...WHAT.)

Seriously, we learn the truth the same time everypony else does, in primary or elementary school. Humans are just a flutterpony tale, and completely unrelated to the stories of black triangles seen at heights way above the flight ceiling of Pegasi and Griffins...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): We never asked about any black triangles... Are you hiding something?)

Definitely not! There's nothing to hide! The idea that these triangles are an extraterrestrial race using some kind of non-magical stealth technology that does not appear on our magic and radio scans to observe us is completely absurd!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): We never mentioned stealth technology!)

Well, good, because there is none. Moving on!

On Hobbies for Horses (and non-Horse)

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): By the way, Captain, why does Cadence like Hoofball? It doesn't really seem very... Princessy.)

Probably similar reasons to me: Her parents or guardians took her along to a lot of games. And possibly because its a team sport, and you know, Personification of Harmony and all that. Of course, the other factor that could be involved is, that for all the competition and the sometimes heated rivalries, Hoofball is a fairly popular sport across much of Equestria. Most other sports only really exist in one or two regions, or are limited to certain types of Pony.

Doesn't mean to say everyone likes it of course. In my squad alone, only really Gag likes Hoofball, but he also likes Cricket. So does Garnet, actually, but they're from Lancatershire and Yokeshire respectively, it's not too shocking they both like it. Ellis and Thunderchild, you know what they like I hope, and Audience just isn't one for sports much. Rest of the platoon, well, diverse platoon, diverse hobbies.

Not to say there's no hoofball fans, but there are other sports. Griffen and many of the Pegasi like Cloudball. Newcastle likes rugby. Pike's a fan of sports like wrestling and boxing. Actual wrestling, by the way, but he like pro wrestling too. Sergeants Foaley and Reinolds like Basketball and Baseball. Both have a shared liking of Baseketball.

And on the ship it seems a lot of other sports are popular. Quidditch, Calvinball, Tennis, Dodgeball, Fetch...

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Fetch?)

The Diamond Dog sport. Referee throws a ball, first team to get it back to him or her scores a point. Pretty popular with everyone actually because it's a simple game to set up and actually rather fun. It's a diverse crew remember. I think every sapient species on the planet other than Dragons is represented in the flotilla (though a few Dragons HAVE joined the guard in the past, but none recently. I think the last one was actually one of Spike's subspecies). A considerable number of Zebras, fair few Griffins, a few Minotaurs other than Kryten, some Donkeys, a few Sheep in Cadence's extended retinue, a few Cows in the cooking staff. No Mules though, and the only deer are those scientists on Enterprise.

There's one regular dog, but that's Lieutenant Commander Archer's beagle. Porthole or something. Lot of cats spread out across all four, mostly mousers, so fortunately they stay out of Gag's way.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): How're regular dogs and Diamond Dogs related?)

Same genus, Canis. Diamond Dogs are Canis adamas sapiens rather than Canis lupus familiaris though.

Oh, and while there's no dragons on-board, they do have sports too, like lava diving, tail wrestling, and sparring, particularly 'King of the Mountain' (young ones use their parents hordes and old ones use actual mountains).

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Don't things get awkward with so many different cultures and species aboard?)

Not really. Bear in mind most immigrant communities in Equestria live in coastal cities. Most Air Navy recruits come from large cities or the coast, so they're more used to non-ponies than most Equestrians. Besides, most ponies are actually pretty accepting of other sapient species. A Minotaur or Griffon might get a 'what is that?' from somepony who's never seen one before, but generally don't get too many raised eyebrows.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): So they at least would be able to help explain local customs in their ancestral homelands!)

Ah... No. Most are third or fourth generation. Sometimes there's the odd second generation but the old country really was the old country for most of them, as in, what they know is up to a hundred years out of date. It also doesn't help most of the world technically is pony nations. Only Zebra and Griffins hold whole continents - Though if the Hooviets hadn't invaded most of the deer lands, there would be a fair few Deer nations.

Of course it's not just sports. There's also video games, parties, there's card games (None of those odd Neighponese ones with the holograms before you ask, they're banned on ships and in secure areas.), I think even a few tabletop and board games get played by some of the Air Navy troopers. And reading, of course. I think Private Audience even writes from time to time and Gag dabbles in Doujinshneigh (that is, fan-manegas). Oh, and some ponies play instruments. We had a loudness war between bagpipes and thunder guitars. No one won, everyone lost...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): I can imagine...)

Author's Note

I have put my total and complete trust in Kendell2 for this chapter, since it has been given HIS final approval and say with me not having fully read the final draft (but have previous drafts) to avoid conflict between writers that we can't afford right now. So I have done the only thing I CAN DO, I have put my trust in Kendell2, and I hope this prove how much I trust in Kendell2's decision making to take over for me if anything ever happens to me. This is a sign of TRUST, nothing more, nothing less, and should NOT be interpreted as anything else under any circumstances what so ever. If anyone should ever debate if I trust Kendell2 enough to take over for me if I should mysterious vanish, let this be proof that I DO trust him enough to complete the Pony POV Series if I go poof.

Episode 116 (Shining Armor Part 13.5) Debates-Setabed

Episode 117: (Dark World) "That Which Pierces All"

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Pony POV Series
Dark World Part 32 "That Which Pierces All"
By Alex Warlorn
Edited By Kendell2 and Louis

Continue?
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-->Continue!
End

Twilight breathed. With shaking legs she looked at the Nightmare who simply looked back at her with perfect calm.

"What's the matter myself? Scared? No confidence in being in the right?" The Nightmare asked coldly. "How dare Twilight Sparkle not be confident in herself."

"Uh, Half-Light," Apple Pie asked, "Why'd ya stop?"

"Let's get this show on the road darling!" Rarity said.

"Twilight what are you waiting for! Let's blast this beotch! She's got nothin'!" Rainbow Dash shouted.

"We're ready to be defeated now ladies! Fire when ready!" Nightmare Granfalloon quickly popped out to put a big target on Nightmare Eclipse's chest.

"They're asking for it," Spike said flaming coming form his nostrils.

"Twilight! Is bad-Alicorn-you inside your head again?!" Minty asked fearfully.

Twilight's emotionless voice reminded them of Tragedy's. "...They have their Elements of Harmony. If we try to use ours, they'll cut their losses and destroy everything."

"WHAT?! That's impossible!" Rainbow Dash couldn't believe it.

"No," Derpy whispered horrified.

"Now you've gone and spoiled the surprise! Bad pony!" Granfalloon laughed.

"Elements?" Celly wondered.

"We'll explain later sister!" Princess Luna said, her eyes not able to take her eyes off the gallery of Nightmares. 'All my sins, all my failures, being repeated by others . . . and I can't stop it!'

"If we can use the Elements of Chaos for good..." Twilight's almost frozen voice said, "Then what's to keep them from using the Element of Harmony for evil?"

"We-We're not evil!" Nightmare Whisper partially emerged, and wept a few tears, Granfalloon hugged her.

"It's okay, Auntie Pinkie Pie is here," The Laugher Nightmare whispered. She was at least 999 years older than Whisper. Nightmare Manacle followed suit.

"It'll be on your heads if it comes to that Twilight! You're the one refusing to grow up!" Nightmare Banneret's shade rose above Nightmare Eclipse.

"Then...then we're really." Applejack paled. "Then how..."

Nightmare Mirror formed and spoke, "You're bucked."

Twilight had no counter-argument. 'If we can't use the Elements, then...then what? I could use the memory spell...like I did with the Valeyard. She saw that entire fight. If she's me, then she wouldn't have just used that to figure out the Doctor's weaknesses but use his strengths too.

'Minty, we're the same pony, her, Paradox, me, but... if Minty touches her, they'll both cease to exist. Minty Pie could maybe hold on for just a few seconds to distract her but...if Minty Pie gained things from us touching... what'll touching a Nightmare do to her? No! I won't sacrifice her to save the world if I don't have to. But do I? If I throw away the world just not to let go of Minty Pie... I'll just lose everyone anyway. THINK you stupid brainiac!'

*Remember Twilight, each of us is real. Not just the ponies you know. Every pony who has felt with their heart. No matter the time or world. Each of us has our right to exist. Each of us has a light that shines as bright as any other. Those lights never truly go out. Harmony doesn't come in just one combination.*

'That's . . . that it...I finally understand... I've got it! And I think you do too...can you get the others to understand what I need them to do?'

*If they'll listen.*

'Do it, I trust them.'

Twilight shook off the vision of death and the fear of sacrificing her friend. "My name isn't Twilight Sparkle, it's Twilight The Unicorn."

Paradox snarled in righteous indignation. "Our parents gave us the name 'Sparkle!' How can you just throw it away? How can you be so bucking selfish?!"

"At least I kept half of it, Nightmare Eclipse," Twilight looked up at the Nightmare...and it hit her. "The Most Vengeful Friend? Nice moniker but let me ask you one question; how many times have you erased them? Or let them die just to get what YOU wanted? If you're me, I know somewhere inside you there's a part that can't live with that, just like a part of Nightmare Moon WANTED to be beaten and return to where she belonged. Maybe it's what little bit of a heart you have left."

The Nightmare rolled her eyes, "We've been over this idiot. You think because something LOOKS and SOUNDS alive, it has to be alive. There is no pony being erased, just props being reset."

"That's where THEY come in, isn't it? Those five. They're how you live with yourself, your own little circle of friends you can designate as real so you can say the others are just copies you can kill without a second thought. You've erased them all so many times...but for one of them, on a random cycle, you pick one to bring into your herd. Because if you didn't, there's no way you could live with yourself. I know I couldn't. And I am you."

"So? What does that matter?!" asked the shade of Nightmare Granfalloon, manifesting unbidden giving a giggle.

"We ain't 'those five!' The TRUTH is we're still her friends!" Nightmare Mirror to the right of Granfalloon continued.

"I'll NEVER betray her! No matter what she does!" Nightmare Manacle followed with intensity, on the left side of the Nightmare.

"The world will be a better place when she's finished," pleaded Nightmare Whisper, moving next to Manacle. "I believe in her."

"I've given myself to her! All of myself! It doesn't matter how I joined her!" Nightmare Banneret finished, dead center of the five.

"She's our friend!" they all defend.

Paradox wore an expression identical to the one Twilight had in front of Nightmare Moon when explaining her friends being the Elements. "See? My real friends are right here! Not those dolls you keep clutching to like a spoiled brat!" The Nightmares all nuzzled Nightmare Eclipse. "And together we're stronger than any of you could hope to ever be!"

"I didn't think that would convince you, but it did a marvelous job of distracting you," Twilight stated, before she kicked her soap box square into Nightmare Paradox's face.

"BLAGH!"

Celly laughed and clapped her hooves.

"NOW!" Called Twilight.

Ender Dash and a fully healed Derpy dove in, slamming into Nightmare Manacle and taking her high into the air. The two flew in separate directions, dodging lightning before linking hooves and diving straight down at the Nightmare, Elements glowing as bright as the sun. "Sonic Endboom!" they called, an electrified rainbow with stripes of yellow and gray trailing them as they slammed straight through Manacle, electrocuting her with enough lightning to overload a city and sending her slamming to the ground below with a thud. Rainbow and Derpy both landed, panting heavily and barely able to stand.

Paradox screamed as the same injuries were dealt to her.

Applejack jumped out of an invisibility illusion and bucked Whisper in the jaw, driving her back. Upon landing, AJ slammed her hooves down, commanding several pillars of rock to erupt up, straight through the Nightmare's body. She ordered them to shatter, sending shrapnel ripping through the innards of the Nightmare. As both Nightmares screamed in agony, AJ put her hoof over her heart, panting heavily from the effort of the assault. "Ah'm sorry, Fluttershy..."

"I forgive you."

Nightmare Mirror prepared to attack, but found herself faced by Apple Pie. "Auntie, if yer supposed ta be Truth, then why are yah helpin' somepony lie ta themselves? A lot of someponies, really."

Nightmare Mirror put a hoof to her head. "Ah don't help!" the Nightmare bellowed. "Yah ain't gonna beat me with them tricks!"

"Actually, Ah'm a distraction."

"Ah, geeze!"

Celly and Luna had flown up and Mirror found herself blasted from one side and the other with wide beams of solar and lunar energy, straining from the amount of power they were putting into the attack. Mirror screamed in agony as the beams kept feeding into her as she attempted to reflect them, tearing out of her body in various places trying to escape. Apple Pie covered her eyes, unable to watch an incarnation of her Aunt suffer. "Ah'm sorry auntie..."

Banneret snarled, preparing a gout of flames, only for Spike to spit a stream of highly flammable ink into his mouth, igniting it in his throat and lighting his head and throat flame.

Spike winced, seeing a version of himself suffering so. He charged and drove his claw through the Nightmare's throat with every ounce of power he had, impaling Banneret's body on his claw. He let Banneret fall to the ground in agony, falling to his knees, from fatigue.

Granfalloon tried blasting Rarity with party cannons, but saw too late it was an illusion. Her tail twitched as the REAL Rarity rained crystal weapons down from above, turning Granfalloon into a pony pincushion. Rarity staggered as she landed, having used so much blood at once she was barely conscious as closed her eyes and used a sonic spell to shatter the crystal weapons. Rarity winced as the Nightmare roared in agony as the shards cut through and embedded themselves in her body. "...I'm sorry, Pinkie Pie..."

"OW! It's-OW-all in good-fun-OW!-fun-fun!"

Paradox fell to her knees in agony, every wound inflicted on her Gallery of Nightmares happening to her.

Minty threw the Sword of the Seasons, Twilight accelerating it with telekinesis driving it deep into one of the existing wounds in the Nightmare's chest. Twilight then jumped forwards, using a gravity spell to slam down on the hilt, slicing Paradox's chest open.

"Game over," Twilight said as the Destruction Spell charged, seeing the huge familiar-shaped black crystal situated inside the Nightmare's chest. She let loose the spell, the explosion blowing a hole straight through the Nightmare, obliterating the corrupted Element of Magic, her heart, her seat of consciousness, in the process.

Twilight took a few weary steps back, watching very closely as the Nightmare's dead body fell on its side, all other the Nightmares beginning to flicker, their anchor to this world gone. Nightmare Paradox's corpse simply bled.

The image of Paradox's eye blinked into existence in front of Twilight, clock hands spinning backwards in it.

(Time stop. Time reversal. You will wander forever.)

All their efforts were neatly undone, like a film played in reverse. The heroes found themselves standing like awkward actors.

"We all let your barrage hit us!" The Number One Assistant Nightmare roared.

"I could've dodged!" Granfalloon chimed in happily.

"They're actually being honest," said Applejack's Nightmare, wounds reversing with the flow of time.

"Did that feel good unfinished me? Make you feel big? Make you feel all tough and badflank right? Impossible to lose right?" Nightmare Manacle asked.

"Now do you understand you're just giving yourselves pain for no reason?" Nightmare Whisper pleaded with the heroes. "Please stop fighting us!!"

"Do we get 'impossible for us to lose' yet dear?" The very much alive Nightmare Eclipse dodged the soap box, and sent a destructive beam up, torching Derpy's wing and blasting her out of the air before her and Rainbow Dash could strike. "Alright my friends: punishment punishment."

Nightmare Bannaret breathed green flames over Rarity, causing a tent to materialize that fell over her.

"Ha! Ha! Ha!" Nightmare Granfalloon laughed at them, a light bulb came on inside the tent as Rarity found herself surrounded by a sphere of party canons just before they went off.

Nightmare Manacle rammed into RD before she could blink, the pegasus sailed inside one of the waiting Nightmare Mirror's reflective wings and out the other one meeting with Manacle's waiting front hooves, shattering her spine and crushing her organs.

Nightmare Whisper, made Luna and Celly drowsy as a mist rose up from the floor keeping them away from the fighting.

Spike and Nightmare Banneret's teleportation breaths met. Spike summoned more blinding ink and junk from his hoard. Nightmare Banneret's own green flames summoned a dragon-sized boulder that Spike felt break ribs as it landed on the hero.

Minty Pie's sword was caught in Eclipse's telekensis and perfectly reversed course, overwhelming Twilight's telekensis. The pommel hit Minty Pie hard and cracking her hip, making Minty cry out.

Paradox looked aside and shot a torrent of flames, burning an invisible Applejack almost to her skeleton, right where AJ had attacked Whisper before the time reverse. She followed up with a curved pressure wave, blasting the battered heroes to the ground around Twilight.

"Do you get it yet? I've HELD BACK this long because I was hoping I could reason with myself. I could've reversed your moves at ANY moment, but I'm growing tired of your massive ego, idiocy, thickheaded selfishness and asininity and so are my friends, and you HURTING MY FRIENDS! And if you're hoping I'm going to run out of mana if you make me reverse time enough: I'm not Cruelty, I don't have that problem. I believe it's time for you to realize you've lost like an adult."

Twilight caught Minty with her telekinesis and gently set her next to her applying magical first aid. Twilight quivered as the failure of her friends played in her head over and over. A pair of clock hands flickered in one eye.

Rarity got back to her hooves forcing her battered body to look up at Paradox, spitting out a tooth and some blood. "If we surrender, we die anyway, I don't see why we shouldn't inconvenience you until the end."

Nightmare Paradox groaned and facehoofed, "You're not alive. You girls really are hopeless."

Rainbow said. "No old Twilight, we're bucking full of hope."

"Ya know darlin', the Roamares thought of hope as somethin' evil that brought sufferin'," Nightmare Mirror said factually.

"I'm sorry! I promise I'll make it not hurt!" Nightmare Whisper begged the ponies and dragon. "And when the new you is made, they'll be just like you, same heart and thoughts, but without a thousand years of nothing but pain! I'm fighting for you."

"And seriously, you guys are just being sore losers right now, stop being so selfish," Nightmare Banneret scolded them. "If you all really cared about Twilight you'd be helping her go Nightmare right now!"

"Spike that was unkind, they just can't know any better," Nightmare Whisper said.

"Sorry," The dragon nightmare bowed his head.

"Guys," Spike spoke to the Nightmares, "This can't be what you all want."

"It doesn't matter what I want!" Manacle/Banneret said at the same time and looked at each other and blushed.

Apple Pie looked at Mirror. "Is it Auntie? Do yah really want tah kill meh? And the rest of the family."

Mirror looked the filly, her niece, square in the eyes, "Ah told ya before. It ain't what Ah want. Ah know Ah'm a killer! This is the price where a you and everypony else'll be happy except me! And stop callin' meh Auntie! Yer Auntie is over yonder! Ah ain't got no right to be called that!"

"I don't want this, I want what comes after," Nightmare Whisper confessed. Then sighed warmly. "Then Fluttercruel can grow up right in a world where this was all just a horrible dream."

Spike looked his dark reflection in the eyes. "How can you say you love Rarity, when you're willing to ... to... to murder her?"

"It's not murder! She'll just wake up with no memory of any of this. And because the golden world will be the most wonderful gift I could ever give her and everyone else Rarity'll wake up to, if I have to give up my everything for that then so be it, and I'll give that and more if my friends ask me to."

Nightmare Manacle looked at Mirror, "Don't you have anything to say to yourself?"

"She ain't gonna abandon her friends, and Ah ain't gonna abandon mine, what else is there ta say?"

Derpy stood up through the pain, and spread her wings to fight again, only to see the useless scorched feathers. "Dinky," She said.

"Don't worry friends, this'll all be just a bad bad bad dream you'll all wake up from when the Golden Golden Golden Ending happens," Nightmare Granfalloon cheered.

"Can you at least tell me how you became this way Pinkie Pie?" Rainbow Dash asked the Nightmare of her best friend.

"Oh! Sure! That's easy easy easy! You see, it started out when I was still meanie meanie meanie Angry Pie."

"Minty Pie," Twilight The Unicorn whispered as her other friends spoke to the Nightmares, "Get ready to touch-"

"Bad Alicorn You? She sure looked scared when we almost did."

"No, touch me, you were right, it is what's supposed to happen. Please, for just a little while, only a bit, that's all I need. All we need. Please."

Minty Pie hesitated for just moment even if it she talked about it before. Then she remembered. Her family. All her family. Still alive and who had passed on. "I'm scared to pieces, but nothing ventured, nothing gained!"

They touched. They remembered. They knew. Then something came between them!

"HEY! APPLE PIE!" Minty Pie shouted as her little cousin hugged her.

"Sorry, just happy to see ya. What Half-Light said really got mah heart pumpin'."

"It's alright, Apple Pie, can ya give me a hug too?"

"Sure Half-Light!"

The ponies hugged. Twilight's magical aura flared, to the point of making the wind howl. "Thanks, after all this fighting, shouting and arguing, I needed a quick reminder of what the OTHER half of Magic is, thank you Apple Pie."

"Yer welcome!"

"Please little filly! Get away from the fighting!" Nightmare Whisper called.

Derpy tried a ground attack but was casually held back by the Laughter Nightmare like Derpy was a foal.

Twilight had absolutely no idea if this was going to work. But she had all the seeds for the spell she needed: another look at Nightmare Paradox's time magic, and a reminder of the spiritual link with Minty Pie, and the magic of friendship from Apple Pie. And of course, all of her friends.

"And I said 'Oatmeal? That makes perfect sense!' And that's when I became the new new new and improved me!" Finish Nightmare Granfalloon.

"Say goodnight," Nightmare Paradox said in Twilight's 'I'm surrounded by idiots' tone, red energy crackling around her horn as she charged the Destruction Spell aimed at the heroes...then she heard a microphone tapping.

Testing, test, is this thing on?

(What?!)

You know, it's kind of fun being the disembodied voice for once.

(Pst. You're dead, Discord.)

Details, details. I had something to say, Anarchy lent me his cell phone. You know, he hates you for oppressing ponies in the worst way possible.

(That's stupid. You're stupid. They're not ponies, they're cheap quantum copy chronic clones. Counterfeits! And my world free of fate is right up his alley!)

Strife hates seeing you nullifying the accomplishments Life, itself, earned. It scraped and clawed to the top to earn.

(Horseapples AGAIN. I evolve further and further with each iteration. If others lose while I win, that's natural selection. She and Destruction wiped out the dinosaurs. So don't tell me she cares about the many.)

Pandora hates you for turning so many happy endings into downer endings and shoot-the-shaggy-diamond-dog stories.

(Now that one actually sounds in character. Fantasy never was rational. She should stick to inspiring remakes of Daring Do.)

Rancor, now that she actually knows you-OW!!!!! ...Okay. She says she thinks you're totally hot and wish the two of you had a chance to go out spear fishing together. But orders from Dad override what she wants.

(Web of lies catching up with you?)

I never said I was lying about anything. Father finds your endless repetitive cycle of the same fears boring, and Mother may be...slightly less apathetic towards you for never allowing the universe to reach its conclusion?

(Oh. Wow. The two entities that have caused the most misery on Ponykind next to you and Rota Fortuna don't like me. For a second I was worried. They DO say the best way to judge a pony is by their enemies, not their friends. And if I have them for enemies, I really am a saint. Not that I ever doubted, of course.)

I never said how She was less apathetic, maybe She likes you having made it all pointless and meaningless, 'As Reality truly is?' As she might say? And I don't think I need to explain why I hate you.

(Of course not. The feeling's very mutual.)

I just wanted to tell you, Cruelty's doing well, with Fluttershy...and my Father loved her by the way.

(So?)

Let's see, one of the four beings in the universe STRONGER than you likes my daughter and has her with us in the spirit world. And He doesn't want to lose another Draconequus after finally filling the void left by Destruction and D____. What do you think?

(...Wait!...You can't mean...!)

I got a loop where I FINALLY saved Fluttercruel! And YOU won't be getting her back!

(Asininity! I overwrote Trixie's Alicornification: I can overwrite Fluttercruel's Draconequusification.)

Are you so sure you did? Hehe.

(Trixie's death over and over in every loop since then says so. Moron.)

Well, I guess there's one more thing to say...

(If it'll make you go away faster.)

I. Win!

(Care to know what your 'prize' is? Thank you, Discord. For inspiring me to crush that fat little ego of yours into dust, then atoms, then electrons, and the electrons into nothing. You thought what I did to Fluttercruel was bad? Heh. Just wait till you see what I do to Screwball and Mad Tiara!!!!)

Sorry. But that's never going to happen. Well, I would love to keep haunting you, but I've gotta go be boiled alive. Arrevederchi!CLICK!

(He actually said 'click?')

*BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! We're sorry, the number you have reached has been a distraction.*

(What?...) She was having 'The Hydra wasn't the doozy' flashbacks. Paradox's eyes went wide as she looked down at the massive light emanating from the group as Twilight's invented on the spot spell finished charging.

= Reach For The Star Orchestra - Sonic Colors =

Applejack just smiled. All she had endured for a thousand years hadn't been a waste. She had lessened the burden of those weighted down. She had given peace to those who suffered. She had told the truth and lied, saved lives and ended suffering. Kindness was her guide. She regretted only that she had taken the easy way out in the hedge maze. But that was in the past. She honestly felt cheated that Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie had gone on ahead, to the Heaven where Applebloom awaited her. But her task wasn't done. She still had family to look after here, among the living.

Rarity was amazed. So many, there were so many, she thought the number of ponies within herself had been great. It was. But this, she felt humbled. Within herself she felt six lights plus her own. The six Elements of Chaos quivered from excitement, from Synergy. When she had been Generosity, she had been just like Spike. In spite of her avarice, she had given to the needy without expecting any personal gain. And that made her light shine brighter. Now it was time for bigger truths. What more was there to say? Sweetie Belle.

Derpy knew it would have been easy to fall to despair. Lie to herself that she had nothing left to live for. She'd failed to save Sparkler, and thus failed her promise to Dinky. She hadn't even completed her laps around the castle: she had been saved FROM them. This dark part of herself insisted that Dinky would be better off being raised by the Apples and Pies. But she could never be that selfish. Dinky would want her mother back. Derpy wouldn't disappoint her. And for all the countless mothers who had already lost hope, in themselves, in the future, Derpy aimed to serve as an example of somepony different. Of somepony who loved her foals flying alongside her instead, who knew what love was, and could give and accept love in turn. Like a mother should.

A part of Minty Pie felt like a third wheel, almost. Apple Pie was her cousin and half of the reason she had started this quest to begin with, and Twilight was the only other one here she had had a chance to bond with on a personal level. She knew the previous Minty had been friends with Rainbow Dash, but not this Rainbow Dash. And that Minty had known a PRINCESS Rarity, there had been an Applejack in that Minty's Ponyville, and a Spike. But they weren't those that Minty had known. And that was okay. She had saved Twilight, and made sure Apple Pie was okay, that was what was important. Minty Pie was not Minty, and she didn't have to be. "Rainbow Dash, everypony, I'll become your friend again for the first time. I know we'll have plenty of time to become good friends after this!"

Celly wish she understood more of what was going on. Everything was so confusing! But at least her sister was still with her. She hoped she'd get to see Dissy soon. When she first met 'em, he was so lonely, she'd been so happy that she'd turn that frown upside down. She really hoped she could get him to make more friends. The more the merrier. Hehheheh! But these lights. They felt so familiar. In fact. They made her want to laugh inside, spread kindness to those around her, they made the magic within her she liked to give others sparkle. And when she looked at the sun, it didn't hurt her eyes, she felt like... like it was a part of her, as much as her wings and hooves, a limb she could, she could move.

Princess Luna was beyond amazed. This was incredible! Amazing! Unbelievable! She searched her memories for anything that occurred like this before across time and space! This magic, the bond between ponies! She knew it for what it was, but stilll, how could the magic of friendship be this powerful? Maybe being a filly was fitting for her after all, she still had much to learn.

Rainbow Dash wished she had a camera, or some sunglasses. She really didn't think she'd get a chance to see something like this again and wanted it recorded for when the 'How We Saved The World' Museum opened its doors. She regretted Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Scootaloo, and yeah, Gilda not being there to see it. Rainbow Dash would just to have party that much harder for them. 'Your choice' Discord said in the hedge maze, alright then. Then she chose to be here for them. After a thousand years she was free. She was a hero again. The one and only Rainbow Dash. Okay, one tiny difference: she now understood that Loyalty and Free Will weren't opposing forces, they were friends who trotted along side each other. She would embody that truth and be totally cool, radical and awesome about it!

Apple Pie found it funny. There was no contradiction or chaos here. There should have been, but she couldn't find any. Maybe there was no need to point out the contradictions every time, oh it was fun no denying that, it was a riot! But maybe, just maybe, it wasn't worth trying to be smart and clever, and instead let the moment speak for itself. To enjoy something for what it was. Never had she imagined she'd change the world for the better (at least twice!). Let alone get a whole bunch of new friends. She couldn't ask for more. She wondered if Half-Light and Minty Pie would both like marble cake once they were done here.

Spike felt pride. Pure and simple. But not for himself: for Twilight. His Twilight. Twilight The Unicorn. Twilight Sparkle. The filly who Celestia had act as his care taker with the 'trivial' things that came with raising a baby dragon that Princesses didn't exactly have time for. But Celestia was always there, seeing that Twilight learn her lesson of what it meant to care for somedragon, and the joy of seeing another grow. And Spike was going to share back that love with both her and Rarity. Not out of obligation, but because he wanted to share with them all the wonderful feelings they had given him. Once upon a time he had a dream once, where he was still a baby dragon, and greed growth turned him into a feral mad-dragon, but Rarity and his love for Rarity saved him from himself. They had saved Rarity Belle from herself. Now they were going to save Twilight Sparkle from herself too.

Twilight looked up into the eyes of her Nightmare, clock hands moving forwards in her own. "Time march forward. Bonds reach across all. We'll wander no longer!" The last part was echoed by Minty.

=Ever Ever After from Enchanted=

Rainbow Dash bore witness as the Elements shone, their lights connecting to each other, their hearts touching, becoming something greater than the sum of their parts.

Then the light spread out, two lines extended from Twilight and her circle of friends, stopping, splitting apart, curving to create new circles, tugging at the distortion surrounding Nightmare Paradox and turning it into something new.

New friends appeared.

First, a pale pink unicorn mare, a purple streak in her white mane. She bore a cutie mark of a mess of purple stars. She looked with sky blue eyes filled with wonder. All of the six new ponies had bows on the base of their tails. "I wish, I wish!"

Next to the wishful pony was a smiling, hatless brown-eyed Applejack whose cutie mark was several smaller apple. "Who's a silly pony?"

Third was another unicorn mare, this one white with a purple mane with blue streaks and bright blue eyes, her cutie mark was a comet. She was wearing roller skates. "It's glorious."

Fourth was an Earth pony who bore a VERY strong resemblance to Fluttershy except her cutie mark was a collection of pink flowers. "Please let Equestria bloom again."

Fifth was a white pegasus who seemed oddly familiar, "Surprise!"

Sixth and last was a pink pegasus mare with a blue mane and a blue double lightning bolt cutie mark, whose wild heart was obvious even at a distance. "Danger is our life, right, Rainbow Dash?"

The opposite line split and curved, creating another circle. Instead of six ponies, seven emerged, all Earth Ponies teenagers.

First was a pink mare with blue eyes and a yellow mare, her cutie mark was one large yellow star a few smaller blue eyes. "Even if we drift apart as adults, we'll still be friends right?"

Second was an inquisitive-looking mare with green coat, brown eyes and reddish brown mare. Her cutie mark was a pink notebook and pen. "I'll give everything to help animals in need and protect our environment we ponies love."

Third was a vaguely familiar looking yellow mare with a mess purple mane who was well rounded. Her cutie mark was a wrapped-up piece of candy. Under one hoof, she had a journal. "I'll put my trust in each of you and the future."

Fourth was a very familiar looking white filly with a pink mane and a large heart and a couple smaller ones as her cutie mark. "If a new world is to come, I hope it's a kinder one. If we can make a wish, then nobody suffer needlessly....We've come full circle haven't we? Applejack?" She was speaking to the former Liarjack.

The fifth teenager had a dark pink mare, with a blue mane; her cutie mark was a microphone. She moved with the grace of an entertainer. "Like, what's my line again? Oh right! Heh. Even if my music doesn't make history, it'll make the gods themselves turn their heads! Right Rarity?"

Sixth was an athletic beige pony with a borderline magenta mane and yellow eyes. Her cutie mark was a patch of cloth. "No matter what adventures are waiting for me, they won't mean half as much unless you're there to share them!"

The last one was a faded purple pony with light lavender mane; her cutie mark was a four-leaf clover. "When we're touching these pieces of the Rainbow of Light, I feel like we really are a part of something bigger. I hope I never lose my bond with any of you. You understand that too, Minty? Twilight?"

But the magic was not yet done. The two new circles spawned another line each, that stretched out, split, and created a new circle. Six more ponies appeared, plus a dragon.

First was what had to be the most beautiful pegasus the world had ever seen, her coat was white, her mane was strips of blues, whites, and pinks. Her wings were larger than normal, but not absurdly so, like some fashion models had. Beautiful cursive markings were on her legs, sides and forehead. A pegasus who is willing to let go of everything she was if it means protecting her friends. Her cutie mark was a pink heart framed by blue sparkles. "Seems there are some fates we can't escape, eh, Celly?"

Second was a far plainer-looking blue pegasus with green eyes, and a pink tail, her mane was a split between yellow and pink. Her cutie mark was a bee flying over an elaborate set of pink flowers. A cowardly pegasus who faced her worst fear rather than abandon a friend. "We're not so different after all, are we, Derpy Hooves?"

Third was a mature purple earth pony with a pink tail. Her mane was stripped white, pink and a darker purple. Her cutie mark was a bundle of wild flowers. One earth pony whose gentleness never wavered even when given power and rejected power for the sake of all those she loved. "Maybe I can save you after all Rarity! Maybe I wasn't such a bad choice for Princess after all either."

Fourth was a pink little unicorn filly with eyes that sparkled like Rarity's. Her tail was blue, green and purple, while her mane was yellow, orange, and magenta! Her cutie mark was similarly over the top, a pink center with a dark pink outline, with three small diamond shapes around it and a rainbow swoosh curled around the picture. A little unicorn princess to whom life was a game and whose laughter was infectious to all she met. "I'm happy of where I came from," she looked at teenager with the microphone cutie mark, then she looked to Rarity. "And who I grew up to be."

Fifth was another purple Earth pony, her mane and tail were purple with pink streak and large green eyes. Her cutie mark was a butterfly and a kite. An Earth Pony who wished to reveal the truth of pegasus to her fellow Earth Ponies even if it disrupted the status quo. "...Patch," she said looked at the teenager with the, well, patch cutie mark. "Thank you for giving me my heart to want to improve and grow, I discovered so much, thanks to you. And Twinkle Twirl, Buddy will be with us forever."

"I know," Patch responded.

Then there was the little blue dragon. He seemed ages more mature than Spike had been at that size. Could he be a naturally small dragon? A purple crest crowned his head and contrasted nicely with his orange belly and ear fins. A dragon who'd give all his life in service of another in spite of the typical dragon ego. The dragon made a small cough and spoke with an adult cultured voice, "Ahem. Dear, erm, 'Spike. It's nice to know I'm a lady's dragon and a scholar, no matter the reality."

The last one, was a green mare with a pink mane, and three peppermint candies as her cutie mark. "I've learned to trust my friends. And Pinkie Pie! No matter what you'll always be my best friend! Right Twilight? Minty Pie? Clover?"

"Minty," Nightmare Granfalloon whispered, her smile becoming the smallest it could possibly be without turning into a frown. Her wings folded against her slide hard. "Why?"

"I'm sorry Pinkie Pie," The new arrival Minty said to her.

Yet another new circle formed, this one around the two Alicorn fillies. "Wow! Cool!" Celly declared looking around! "Hey, Lulu, isn't this fun?!"

"...yes, yes it is. Honest with myself and my family, give my gift of magic to my ponies, loyal to those who put their trust in me, I'LL NEVER THROW AWAY THOSE PARTS OF ME AGAIN!"

"Lulu, are you okay?"

"Yes..."Lulu blinked tears of joy, "Yes I am! I'm wonderful!" She put a hoof to her chest as three lights glowed around her, and three other lights did Celly. "They've forgiven me. I'm free."

A new line each extended from the two new circles, that then split apart and curved, AND MET! Forming one last circle.

Six more ponies appeared:
A purple unicorn with a purple and white star cutie mark.
An orange earth pony with a yellow mane and freckles wearing a cowpony hat.
A cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane and a rainbow lightning cutie mark.
A white unicorn with a curled purple mane who radiated sophistication.
A yellow pegasus with a long flowing pink mane, and a butterfly cutie mark.
A pink earth pony with a pink fuzzy with a balloon cutie mark who couldn't seem to sit still.

All wore necklaces except for the purple unicorn who wore a crown. They only smiled silently to the former members of the Chaos Six, and their other fellow bearers.

Twenty-six magically-summoned newcomers.

Adding Nightmare Paradox and her five cohorts, plus Apple Pie, Minty Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Spike, Derpy Hooves, and Twilight...
...A grand total of forty individuals stood upon this battlefield.
Six sets of Elements versus six Nightmares.

The lines had connected, what had been a set of smaller circles had now become one great circle of friends. And only Rainbow Dash and Minty were there to appreciate its splendor.

"You have power over time? The magic between friends transcends time, space, reality, death, beyond all barriers! Friendship doesn't just pierce the barrier between life and death, but all barriers, everywhere! This is a friendship that pierces the walls between worlds! We've been made, unmade, and remade, but the links we've forged between our souls are all still here! You have six Elements of Harmony that are absolute? We have six sets of hearts beating together in harmony! You have a gallery of Nightmares? We have a herd of FRIENDS!"

Twilight looked around at her friends, all of them. "I'm not scared. Not with all of you by my side." She gave her friends a confident smile, washing away any lingering doubts. She turned her attention back to the Nightmares, locking her eyes on her own. "And neither are they scared by my side!"

Nightmare Paradox shook her mane wildly at the army of heroes. "You think me a stupid filly?! That we'll just stand here and do nothing?!"

The ~~Twilight of this world, Minty,~~ and ~~the first Twilight~~, and ~~Clover~~ all gasped out in pain, but the circled remained unbroken. They all felt their sides as though they'd been glazed by a knife. But their friends were there to support them.

~~Night~~mare ~~Par~~a~~d~~ox shouted in pain at the same time as the others. Her side hurt like it had been sliced opened then stuffed with dry-ice and hydrogen peroxide. Her stomach for one moment hit the ground. "You're an idiot Rancor, you think one phantom pain is enough to keep us from simply fighting back? I've won this fight a million times, I am the patron concept of the endless loop! You actually though this would change anything? LOOPERS DON'T LOSE!!! I've made many looping-"

Plants slipped through the mortar lines of the castle stones. Cactus branches and houseplant leaves wrapped themselves around the Nightmare, pinning her in place. They were unaffected by her flaming mane.

The fight has never lasted this long before.

The Nightmare stopped paying attention to the six connected circles of light. She stopped paying attention to most everything, even her friends and fellow Nightmares. "Mom? Dad? You...?" The rapidly growing plants bound her tighter. "But...but why...aren't you...don't you-"

"How could you do this to me! You're different from the Old Lady! How dare you do this! You can't do this! How can you-?!" Discord howled in rage. "MOTHER!!!"
"Mother...why?" Cruelty whimpered like a small child, "Why...why do you hate me? I...I tried so hard to let you know I loved you."

Nightmare Paradox fell to her knees, her wings went limp, her flames died down to almost nothing. Her champron and mask fell from her with a clatter.

"You can't stop heroes!" Nightmare Manacle snarled.

"We don't lose!" Nightmare Banneret hissed.

"This is for your own good Minty. So just smile-" "-lay down-" "-and go away!" Nightmare Granfalloon, Whisper, and Mirror all declared, the monstrous sized Element jewels appearing, except one.

"Twilight? Twilight! Move! Wake up!" Nightmare Manacle yelled.

"If you need strength takes ours!" Nightmare Banneret cried.

"This isn't isn't isn't funny!"

"Twilight we need you!" Nightmare Whisper declared.

But the Nightmare of Magic didn't respond.

"... So that's how it is, Twiligh'," Nightmare Mirror whispered, as her all seeing eyes fell on the vines and branches and the Nightmare she held, and blinked away tears, her voice cracked. "Ah well."

Six hearts, connected to six sets of hearts, six circles, forged into one great circle, fueled by friends from six different worlds, and the Rainbow of Light in a way never seen before, erupted from the six sets of joined hearts. Joined together, a bright light shining together as one, and crashed down on the bound Nightmare.

+++

The Rainbow continued across time and space, flowing across the mangled timeline and all its branches...and it began to move forwards once again. No longer a loop of unending misery, but a tree finally aloud to grow.

And all existence glorified in newborn freedom.

++++

=The Awakening Full Meal Alchemist Brotherhood=

(No...no logical, not logical, please, illogical...)

(Was this what Nightmare Moon felt? That night so many eternities ago, as I with my five best friends, had awakened to our Elements before her eyes, not believing, confused and dismayed? As control of her fate was torn away from her with just a few brave words and the inner conviction of a truth inside six little ponies?)

"There is no such thing as immunity from me. The wheel of fate acts the opposite of how mortals think," (said the Alicorn suddenly in front of me. One of her wings was a bronze and copper clockwork. Didn't anypony else see her?

She manifests a deck of cards with an Alicorn design on the back and puts two cards floating in front of me face down.)

"Those who 'resist' the wheel, try to defy or subdue fate, are only entangled in its spokes," (she flips the cards. The first is blank, featureless Alicorn in a reverse position, a mobius loop above its head and labeled 'The Magician. The other is a beautiful Alicorn Stallion with devil wings with two ponies chained to his throne labeled ''The Devil'. Huh? Why does she look...sad when she sees that card?)

"Those who embrace fate are the ones who can recognize it and grasp the reigns to steer the wheel in a new direction."

(The Magician suddenly reverses to its proper direction and the Devil changes. It's now a black Alicorn Stallion with skeletal wings labeled 'Death'. She puts them back in the deck and draws two more. She flips one. The Devil again.)

"Those obsessed with controlling fate, shackle themselves to the wheel.

(Except that wheel diverges, right? One of my other selves will destroy you some day, it's law of averages.)

"Normally you would be correct, but you are the genesis for every one of your alternate selves, there is not a Nightmare Eclipse that does not owe her existence to you. You are, for all intents and purposes, the Heart World Nightmare Eclipse. Normally the fate of the Heart World version does not effect all her alternate selves, it merely breaks some of their bonds with her, but you have been fusing with every Nightmare Purgatory to come into being from the very first iteration without one exception, making a bond that CAN'T be broken. Their Fate/Myself cannot separate itself/Myself from your own because in essence, you have made them a part of you. You have shackled them all to the same wheel as yourself, and when that wheel turns, they can only follow."

(I felt my blood run cold...I could feel them...all of them...all the past versions of myself I'd combined with...She was right...)

"You never outgrew your mortal mindset or your mortal desires."

(What's wrong with that?! Knowledge, perfection, justice, what's wrong with seeking these things? Why should I have to give up who and what I am?)

"You didn't give that up, you threw it away. You clung to mortal grudges, while rejecting the enlightenment of an Alicorn. Discarded every lesson Celestia taught you, then placed yourself above her throne. You denounced Morning Star and Discord, and embraced their methods. You sought a perfect world, while orchestrating a living Tartarus."

(What should that matter? Discord's earned eternal punishment. Why should he get special compensation? A cozy gray where only ponies who punish evil are scorned and monsters are treated like victims? Thinking every murderer and rapist is just 'hurt and misunderstood?!' THAT is evil!)

"You condemn Discord for the murder and sin he's done onto others, yet you use those same ponies to die and suffer for your satisfaction. He only continued to make the ponies suffer because you allowed and then forced him to do so. The very sins you claim to punish him for are now your own. You embarrass yourself!!"

(They're just lifeless, brainless, heartless, imitations! Like blobs of clay given pony shapes or MACHINES! They're less than shadows! Like toys! How can you sanely punish me for that?!)

"It's just a game...they're only toys...little pieces on the board...Smarty Pants is just a toy... I'm not evil if I take her insides out...so I'm not evil for taking other toys' insides out...they're just toys..."

(My entire body breaks out into a cold sweat. She flips the last card. It's an Alicorn Mare armed with a spear in golden armor with a scale in hoof. 'Justice'. The card seems to alternate between correct and reversed.)

"...You are right. Crimes are crimes, and we should never turn a blind eye to them. You who have judged others, you too shall be judged."

(The lights of six Bearers, times seven ponies, times seven Bearers, time two Alicorns, times six ponies, time six ponies came down upon me. My five friends rise up within and meet it head on, my heart twists in too many directions to give them unity, they give their all, but they're simply overwhelmed, and washed away in the river of rainbow light. I reach for my friends. But I can't reach them. I can't touch them. They're out of my reach. They're just swept away from me, crying my name. Applejack. Fluttershy. Pinkie Pie. Rainbow Dash. Spike. I failed you. )

Inside a sphere of magic, Twilight Sparkle, colder than cold, shivered as she turned her head her body floating helpless. She saw the outlines of her friends. She dared to hope, but then the outlines feel apart, the perfectly shaped ashes breaking apart like sand castle, not even bones remained, just ashes.

"Nothing left." Said Nightmare Eclipse in spite of there no atmosphere around her.

"N-N-N-NOOOOOO!" Twilight Sparkle cried and sobbed hysterically! "An illusion! A trick! Something! ANYTHING! CELESTIA!"

(...I drown as I hear her.)

"And by your own justice I bid you goodnight, Nightmare Eclipse...Paradox."

++++

=Face Myself Piano version Persona 4=

A normal sized gray Twilight Sparkle with pegasus wings and a unicorn horn found herself in a small dome of rainbow light. On her face was a wand shaped burn.

From four compass points, four ponies entered through the wall of light.

Minty. Clover. Twilight The First. And Twilight Sparkle. They slowly trotted closer to her.

"We've twisted time so badly," Twilight the First said, "that all of our soul must go together. As so many Nightmare Purgatories have joined you, all the Nightmare Eclipses of this dark world in all its timeline will now be with us."

"Please, Twilight! Please! Forget about Discord! We can turn the world back the way it's supposed to be!" The gray pony begged. "Ponyville, friendship reports, our friends!"

Twilight Sparkle sadly shook her head, "No, for the sake of the ponies that are here: hippogriff, virgacorns, Seaponies, changelings and all, we're going to march forward. The rest of us have accepted this world. Warts and all. We've gone through several thousand years of resets. It's time to wake up from the Nightmare and grow up."

"Twilight Sparkle, it's time," said Minty rubbing her front hooves together gingerly.

The gray pony shrunk in terror, "No... oh no...please no, I don't, please, I don't want to vanish! I don't want to die!"

"Twilight Sparkle it's okay. You're not going to to vanish. The Rainbow of Light won't hurt you," said Twilight the First.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, I'm scared too," said Clover, "We're going to be whole."

The Alicorn Twilight Tragedy shed tears, her ears wilting, "But--but--... I just wanted to do good."

"And we will, we'll all be there together."

The four ponies hugged the gray mare in the center.

+++

The light from the Elements faded, the other bearers of the Elements were gone, except for those who had been with them before.

Nightmare Paradox was gone.

Spike and Rarity embraced passionately.
AJ openly made prays of thanks to the Alicorns.
Minty Pie and Apple Pie hugged.
Celly led Luna in a small victory dance that mostly involved kicking their legs left and right. And singing a victory song that was mostly happy shouts and "La-de-lade-ladea-doe!"
Rainbow Dash did loops de-loops, then returned to the ruined roof, laying flat on her back, and burst out laughing at the sky.
Derpy laid down on her belly for a long nap. She could finally take a real rest, and truly let her guard down.

From the tip of her tail to the end of her muzzle, Twilight Sparkle stood cocooned in warm glowing threads of white magic.

The ponies and dragon stopped what they were doing and gathered around their friend in concern. What was this? What went wrong? Couldn't she and all of them just rest yet?

"Hey look, Lulu! We're gonna have a baby sister soon!"

"Yes, Celly...I can see."

"Baby sister?" Spike asked.

"Sure! Her body's sealed up nice and tight for her soul's Alicornification! But...shouldn't that have happened to that Nightmare instead of her? Where did she go?"

Minty Pie thought, 'Just like the pool showed me.'

"Nightmare Paradox would have gone back to being Twilight once the Elements purified her," Rarity whispered, "But I'd guess reality doesn't appreciate the same thing being in two places at once. And since the Harmony Elements won't kill..."

"Um...I saw Twilight's memories, that witch...SHE caused a lot of ponies to die with the Elements."

"The Elements call upon our Mother's power and combines it with the Rainbow of Light," Luna explained. "She is Empathy, The Life GIVER. But likewise, she would not allow her power to be summoned for an evil end, the Nightmares merely supercharged the Rainbow of Light with their own extremism, letting it loose without our Mother's will. I imagine Paradox influenced the other cycles to make it appear the Elements had killed, simply to complete her own goal. When my sister and I used the Elements to...dethrone a tyrant."

Celly blinked in confusion. "We did?"

"Yes, I'll tell you later, sister. They did not cause mass death and destruction, despite having also been another thousand year reign of evil."

Apple Pie knocked on the white covering, it made a pleasant humming sound, "So...Half-Light is okay?"

Princess Luna said, "That'll depend totally on her. All the power Nightmare Paradox had couldn't simply vanish. Who and what she becomes next...I'd say it's up to fate, but she's never been a pony to tip her hoof. Her Nightmare... No pony has existed at the same time as their own Nightmare."

"Well Ah kinda-"

"Nightmare Mirror was your alternate self," Luna said, having seen it during her sealing as she'd watched over them. "You are different leaves on the same tree, no pony has existed at the same time as their own Nightmare from the same timeline, let alone an Alicorn created from a pony or when that Nightmare was purified. So she's flying blind."

Spike asked, "Can we stop it?"

Luna shook her head, "You can't stop growing up."

Celly pouted, "Which really sucks!"

"It's not so bad," Derpy said feeling lost at what was told. Twilight was going to become an Alicorn?

Rarity said, "Heh, nothing is ever neat and simple is it?"

"Anything we can do?" Rainbow Dash asked as she touched Twilight only to get it slapped away by Luna.

"Ah can think of one thing at least," AJ sat down. "We pray."

Author's Note

Image by Kendell2. http://www.deviantart.com/art/Dark-World-Banner-Divergence-386844202

Episode 117: (Dark World) "That Which Pierces All"

Episode 118 ("Dark World" Rise of the Alicorn): Road To Dawn

Pony POV Series Dark World Alicorn Ascension
My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic
The Road to Dawn
By Alex Warlorn
Edited by Louis and Kendell2

= Dive Into heart-Kingdom Hearts =

I held onto my schoolbooks with my forehooves as I trotted into the icecream shop, seeing the purple pony who was Twilight in the glass door's reflection. I wished there was an easier way to lug around my precious books.

"I hear your sister's pregnant, Clover," said the filly with the microphone cutie mark to the shy girl with the fourleaf cutie mark.

"Meadowlark? Yeah, though I don't know about becoming an aunt already."

"Why do you stay with Teddy, Sweetheart? He's just bad news. His cousin's a better pick," said the green one with the pink notebook cutie mark to the white mare with the hearts on her flank (and figurative sleeve).

"Teddy doesn't let anyone see it, but he's generous and hardworking when he sees his pranks went too far. He's just too caught up in his 'tough guy' image."

I looked out the window at the street I had just come from. Ponies were pulling carriages for other ponies on a date. I also saw a town sign: 'Ponyville.'

'Just how many Ponyvilles are there?' I thought, then shook my head, wondering what I meant by that.

I looked back at the teenage fillies and gasped, one mare, the beige one with the patch cutie mark, right there, was eating a hamburger! Cannibal! Cannibal! Wait...why was I making a big deal out of it? And 'cannibal'? It's not like hamburgers were made from ponies like in that cheesy science fiction movie about over population.

The pony was using her hooves to hold the burger (was it magic trick or something?), and picked up a napkin with one hoof wiping her face before using the other hoof to down a milkshake.

Meanwhile, the yellow filly with the candy cutie mark got up on her rear legs and began to trot over to her friend keeping perfect balance before sitting down next to her on her flanks sitting up and helped herself to her friend's fries.

"Hey!"

"Sorry, I didn't think you wanted them."

"Ask next time."

It was a lot like Lyra, but not like Lyra. These high school ponies did it so...naturally, like they had been taught this was the proper way to sit and walk their whole lives!

'Wait...who's Lyra? And I'm in highschool myself, I don't have a right be high and mighty around them.' I suddenly thought, humbled.

Did I know these fillies? Yes, of course I did, I must have, right? The girls with the candy cutie and heart cutie marks looked familiar. The girls with the four leaf clover and microphone cutie marks felt familiar. I wasn't sure what to make of the other three.

Why did I come in here? Well, nothing wrong with meeting new(?) friends, maybe a study break won't kill me after all if my head is this jumbled.

I trotted over and sat down at one of the spin seats at the counter.

"Hi! I'm Starlight. Welcome to the Rainbow Ice Cream Shop, what would you like?" said the pink filly with the star cutie mark.

"Erm, maybe just a Coltacola. Medium size."

"That'll be two jangles."

I blinked. Jangles? Wasn't that the currency used before bits? "Erm, on second thought I'm a little short on jangles right now."

"Oh? It's okay. Have a freebee, it's on the house." She hoofed me the soda, literally with just one hoof! Was it magnets or something?

"You okay?"

"Oh I'm fine." Not wanting to embarrass myself, I just drank through the straw.

"So what's your name?"

"Twilight...Twilight Sparkle."

"Nice to meet you, Twilight Sparkle. You've got a lot of books."

I blushed a little. "Yeah, I'm...kind of a bookworm. Some ponies call me a teacher's pet..."

Starlight smiled rather widely. "Really? I actually want to be a teacher when I grow up."

I couldn't help smiling. "That's a great dream."

"Thanks, I've always really look up to our teacher...Say, what's the point of life to you then? Is it what you experience while here? What you leave behind? Or where you're going after?"

"Huh? Well...what I leave behind."

"Good answer, but is it your answer?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you ought to chat with my friends before you go. By the way, it's great knowing you've pleased your teacher, but there's a difference between aspiring to be as good as her, and thinking your judgement equals hers."

"I...I can understand that."

The yellow pony had left the beige pony for the moment to go to the little filly's room, I chose to start with the remainder. I sat down next to her, and yelped and shot up! What the?! A joy buzzer on the seat?!

I glared at the beige filly who stifled a giggle. "Sorry! Wasn't meant for you. I'm Patch, class clown, adventurer, and best friends with a princess! So...how about you?"

"Twilight Sparkle. I, I'm a student, I love to learn. And...make friends."

"Heh! Well you came to the right place. Ponies are more concerned with gender lines than social circles around here."

"I'm glad. Someponies used to bully me for being a 'teachers pet'."

"Well no need to be scared of that. We're a real accepting bunch, just ask Bon Bon." She then said under her breath, "I'd be more afraid of mice myself."

"We're scared of something," I said.

She looked me in the eye. "How about what scares you the most? Not being remembered after everyone who knew you is gone? Being helpless? Or losing those dear to you?"

"...Losing those dear to me."

"Sure, I guess that's that's true, but is it true for you?"

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"Just asking."

"Excuse me." I was tapped on the shoulder, it was the green pony with the pink notebook cutie mark, "Hi, I'm Bright Eyes."

"Glad you meet you, Bright Eyes, I'm Twilight."

"Likewise. You said you liked to learn? There's a forest near here where a bird called the Green-Winged Song Bird lives."

"Wow, really? I think I've heard about them, they're really rare."

"Yeah, they are, that's why I'm trying to let more ponies know about them. It's all our responsibilities to protect the environment, right? Hey, you said you're a student too? You look about my age. Can you help me with a small test question?"

"I guess I can, no harm in it."

"Alright. What would you consider to be the single defining factor that separates gods from mortals? Power? Immortality? Or understanding?"

"None of the above...or at least, not as a SINGLE defining factor. Power, alone, makes you just a ruler, a creator, or a destroyer. Immortality alone...well, if old trees are anything to go by...is just staying in one place forever. Understanding alone...best scenario, you'd be a living encyclopedia whom those with supposed power are always calling upon for reference."

Bright Eyes nodded happily, "What a well thought out response! But do you know what the objective answer is?"

"...No. No, I can't say that I do. Now I'm curious, please tell me what IS the objective answer?"

"Sorry, it's my question too. Thanks for the help on my homework, Twilight you said your name was? I think you should talk to Melody next, otherwise she might get bored and leave. She's the one with the microphone cutie mark."

I got up and trotted over to Melody. "Like, hello, your name is Twilight Sparkle?"

"Yes."

"But what about with ponies who know you by different names? Ponies who know you as 'the Smartest Filly In School' or somepony you meet in a chatroom under an alias? Do you act differently around these ponies than you do around those who know you as Twilight Sparkle? So which 'Twilight Sparkle' is the real you? Is it the one that exists in their minds of others? The Twilight you think you are? Or is it the Twilight that stares back at you in the mirror?"

"...It's like Schrödinger's cat."

"Like, huh?"

"The true self can't be observed. Not only are outside views biased, your view of yourself is biased by your own limited perspective. The true self is there but we can't grasp it with our own eyes."

"That like, is quite an answer! But is it what you've been taught, or what you've been told?"

I was lost for words. WAS it something I'd learned? Or simply told to repeat? I knew it, but did I understand it?

I looked around, that was four. Why did Starlight want me to answer these questions? Was this a secret club scouting?

"Like, thanks for the answer," Melody said, before I could properly respond. "My band is having a charity concert later, would you like to come?"

"Concert?"

"Yeah, I'm a singer, and electric guitar player! Our band's called the Rockin' Beats, you should totally come. The proceeds are, like, going to a good cause, that new nature preserve."

"Yeah...maybe I will."

I got up, and began trotting towards Clover. That was when the mare with the candy cutie mark came out of the filly's room and accidentally bumped into me.

"Oof! Oh! Sorry!"

"I'm okay. Is your name Bon Bon?"

"Yes it is! Have we met?"

"I, I'm not sure, I'm Twilight Sparkle, your friends have all been asking me questions."

"Oh really? I guess I should too! Okay, give a second here! Hmmm. Okay! I got one. What you want and what makes you happy, what you're supposed to do and what you need to do, the smart thing to do and the right thing to do: where's the dividing line when these things stop being the same thing? That was good right?"

"...I'd have to be in that situation to know for sure. Something like that is too liquid and too important to tie down with just one response. It should be handled on a case-by-case basis."

"Hmmmmm." Bon Bon thought, "You've got a real point there. But-"

"But?"

"But what happens, when there's no time for a 'case-by-case' basis? A situation when hesitation costs you? But not looking before you leap could cost others more?"

"I'll...I'll need, to think about that one."

"Okay, thanks for the chat. Nice you meet you, Twilight."

"Y-yeah...Bon Bon, Patch said to ask you about how ponies around here are accepting of each other."

"Oh! Yeah, they are. I thought everyone was going to laugh at me for wanting to be a model. I even came in at the wrong moment at a dance and thought they were! I can't believe I actually ran away. It turned out they were just laughing at Patch's jokes. Well, see you around! Hey! Starlight! Wipe me up a sunday, just have your mom take it out of my next shift's pay."

I stood there, and saw the purple pony in the corner with the clover cutie mark, now she was sitting by herself looking down. Why wasn't she being with her friends? I started trotting over to her, but felt a tug on my shoulder. I turn my head to see the white and pink filly.

"Erm, excuse me, could you, could you please answer my question next? Please?" She asked in a voice just above a polite whisper.

"Alright."

"Thank you very much." She took in a deep breath. "If you see a blind pony walking over a cliff, who thought she was walking over a bridge you'd stop her right? If she fought you because she thought you were lying and trying to rob her, you'd take the beating and still stop her right? Also, if foals were stuffing their faces with cookies just before dinner, you'd stop them wouldn't you?"

I nodded. That was easy.

"But...what happens when it not so simple? But you still have power? And are trusted to do the right thing? Imagine two sides battling each other, both for reasons that are good and unselfish. Both sides are doomed to suffer losses, but fight because they are unable to work out their current problems peacefully...which might lead to WORSE troubles down the road. There is a high likelihood that the war being allowed to play out might prevent WORSE troubles down the road, problems that nonviolence would only further erode, culturally and sociologically. But...do the mothers and families of the fallen soldiers care about hypothetical problems way down the road? Or do they just cry for their sons who'll never come home again? If you could do something but did nothing, does that make make you responsible too, for whichever ponies suffers?"

I shuddered, feeling small, limited, and trapped. The worst part was, this pony wasn't trying to lord any moral superiority over me. Rather, her tone was pleading, beseeching, she wanted an answer.

"I...I...I..." The gears in my mind screeched. "Maybe that kind of power shouldn't exist?"

She slowly shook her head, "But it DOES exist. NOTHING can be accomplished without power of some sort. And isn't discarding power still a choice of how you used it?"

"I...I answered your question as best I could. Can...can I please speak to that purple pony in the corner now?"

"Alright, I'm sorry," She nuzzled me on the cheek. "It was nice to meet you. Oh, and if anypony tells you Teddy's a bad pony, don't listen, he's a sweet guy when you get to know him, just most ponies don't give him the chance."

I nodded and trotted past her, sitting down next to Clover. She sat at round table in an alcove with cushioned seats. Her front hooves were on the table as she looked down.

"Er, excuse me?" I tried to ask politely.

"OH!" She looked at me, surprised. "W-w-wait just a minute! What makes a hero?"

"To yourself: sacrifice and perseverance. To others: inspiration and ideals."

"Oh! I'm sorry! That one was too simple!" She took out some cue cards from somewhere, but spilled them clumsily on the table.

"Here let me help you with-"

"No, you're not supposed to see!" Clover tried to covered up the questions with her hooves but I read them all the same. 'To Fluttershy: What is the difference between innocence and ignorance?' 'To Rarity: If life is unfair to everyone, doesn't that make life fair?' 'To Pinkie Pie: What is important enough to go to war over?' 'To Rainbow Dash: Are you the kind of friend that you would want to have as a friend?' 'To Applejack V: WHY are you...you?'

The more I tried to remember the questions though, the less I could, like trying to put a key in a lock that didn't fit.

"Twilight Sparkle...go on."

"What?"

"Just leave. It's not important."

"What do you mean it's not important?"

"No matter what I do it's never good enough, so just go. It's going to be a flop no matter what I ask. I could never match my friends' questions. Nothing I ask is going to make a difference to you. So just go."

"No," I said. "If you've all want to ask me something important, then you get to ask too! Don't sell yourself short unless you try."

"I did, it didn't work out."

"Then try again! Failing just once is no reason to give up!"

"Then when do you give up?"

"What?" I blinked.

"That's my question for you: When do you give up? When you're trying harder, and harder, and things don't change, when do you give up? When does it become about you not wanting to fail at something, and not actually getting the job done because it's worth doing?"

I nearly fell out of my seat. "When do you give up?" I whispered. I closed my eyes, thought for a moment and opened them, "When the effort you're putting in would be better served elsewhere. But much more importantly, and overriding that,...when it begins to hurt those around you. It's the same when you hurt others by simply giving up!"

She hugged me. I felt strange as we touched, I slowly hugged her back. "Thank you Twilight."

"You're, welcome."

"I envy you," Clover whispered, "You've done so many amazing things, you got friends who'd see you through saving the world. You've come so far, and done so much. While all I do is dance."

"I have four left hooves," I said kindly, "I wish I could dance."

"Would you give up everything you've done for it?"

"Nope. Because it's part of what's made 'me' me, just like I think your dancing is part of you. Truth be told? I envy you. All of you." I turned and looked at the six other mares who were leaving over and looking at me calmly with friendly or amuse smiles or smirks on their muzzles. "You all got to be friends WITHOUT having to save the world in the process. Grow up, Fall in love, Have foals: something like that, I missed that chance. You got to live your lives more I have. I love the magic and the spells and the dragons, but for the FRIENDS and experiences it's gotten me, not for its own sake. Your lives might not be as dangerous as mine, but that doesn't make them any less worth living."

Silence for a few moments, and Bon Bon began clapping. The others looked at her and joined in.

"Well you're about done here," Starlight said, sounding satisfied yet regretful, then brightened up, "But I hope you're willing to come back sometimes. I'll always be welcome to have you."

"Thank you!" I looked at the front door. Nothing but Ponyville beyond it right? "Good bye." I said to them and pushed the doors open. "And maybe I will."
+
It was a beautiful watercolor day. As Twilight Sparkle walked she stopped and stood outside the estate. The house was beautiful, truly beautiful...She looked back and found she was wearing a tail bow. When had that gotten there?...Wait, why wouldn't she have one? Bows were perfectly normal. Everypony wore them.

Feeling curious, Twilight Sparkle pushed inside the unlocked front gates to find a small herd of mares, (all of them had tail bows just like her, it was nice), and a baby dragon looking at her and the squeaky gate. "Um...excuse me? I think I was trying to find my way to Dream Castle, but I've gotten lost."

"Well you were definitely supposed to show up at Dream Castle," A white pegasus said, "You have a very important date there, right?"

"A date? With who?!" Twilight replied, bending to sniff herself: she wasn't wearing perfume!

"Don't worry about it," said a gem-eyed pony. "My magic's based on intuition, it's all in the stars, and that's why I'm called Galaxy. The stars were also the ones who gave me my eyes."

"They're very beautiful, Galaxy."

"Thank you."

"You being here is not quite logical," said a blue pegasus with whistles on her flanks.

"Why not?" Twilight Sparkle tilted her head.

"What I think my friend is saying that you learned what you were supposed to learn at Dream Castle already, so you visiting us is redundant," a pale pink unicorn said with a white and purple mane. Twilight found her strangely familiar. She couldn't help but think she knew her...

"Redundant?" Twilight repeated.

"It's nothing to worry about," spoke a girl's voice behind her. "You just stopped here while going somewhere else, is all."

Twilight turned to see a...human? But humans were fairy tales! She had blond hair with a red ribbon holding it up. Her clothes reminded her of somepony else...something to do with apples. "You...you're a...you're a human..." Twilight's head felt like it was all twirling about.

"Yeah!" called the white pegasus. "What's wrong? You've never seen one before?"

"Judging by her reaction, I'd presume 'no,'" said the blue pegasus.

Twilight shook her head slowly, trying to think this through. "Y-yeah, never..."

"Huh, well this is your first time! I hope it's a good one!"

The human walked over to her, Twilight didn't feel any reason to be afraid of the stranger...she felt almost familiar. Why was that? "We had a question or two we wanted to ask you..."

"But you already know the answers," said the pink, blue maned pegasus, looking a little upset she wouldn't get to ask it.

"Yeah, good job!" said an orange pony with a yellow mane.

Twilight blinked, cocking her head. Something just seemed...familiar about her...so many oddly familiar strangers. "Have we met?"

"Maybe, I'm Applejack! Does that ring a bell?"

"Kind...kind of." Twilight's mind stopped trying to process new information. "So...what was the question?"

The pegasus smirked. "When does justice become revenge?"

Twilight blinked. She knew it...how did she know? "...When the bad pony has already been punished...when they know what they did was wrong, truly do, and want forgiveness. Or if they're already beaten to the point they can't fight back. At that point, hurting them stops having a point and starts being...being just cruel. Revenge has its place...but when they've already repented, when they've already been punished, when they're already beaten...wanting to make them hurt isn't punishment...it's hatred."

"Correct. Next question," said the jewel-eyed pony. "Let's say a woman enslaved a group of peaceful beings to make a potion for her, and then kidnapped your friend to force you to be her slave. She does all sorts of horrible things to you and your friends, seemed to be an utter monster...but then you discover she's essentially addicted to the potion and it's corrupted her. She breaks the habit and has true remorse for what she's done. Does this person deserve forgiveness?"

"She doesn't," Twilight said, not even having to think about it. "Forgiveness is never deserved...it's something that has to be given. She can only be forgiven if you give it and she accepts it."

"Would you give it?"

"...Yes."

The human gave her a smile. "See, we told you you already knew them."

"Thank you, Twilight." Twilight turned to see a pink mare with a sunglasses cutie mark. Again, that UNCANNY feeling of deja vu...

"For what?"

"That answer helped someone quite close to me...thank you for that..."

Twilight nodded slowly. "Ok...I think I understand. Oh! Was I staring at you? If so, I'm sorry...I just swear I've seen statues of you somewhere."

The mare blushed, then hugged Twilight. "Thanks again, Twilight."

Twilight blinked, then returned the hug. "You're welcome..." If she'd helped someone, why should she be worried about who it was?

Shady smiled as she broke the hug. "..You're a good mare, Twilight. I know everything is going to work out."

"My name is Megan, by the way," the human said, kneeling next to Twilight. "I hope we'll see each other again."

"So, should we have a party to celebrate?!" the blond Pegasi asked.

"No, sorry, Surprise," the gem-eyed pony said. "I'm afraid Twilight must be on her way, isn't that right?"

Twilight nodded slowly, just knowing she had somewhere important to be, turning and walking down a path. She looked back to see the ponies, baby dragon, and Megan all waving. She waved back. She turned back to the path, wondering where it would take her. And so Twilight continued her journey.
+
My was once Twilight Tragedy, and once Twilight Sparkle. I remember losing to myself, and defeating myself, and I'd found myself in a weird place. The sky was a purple swirling vortex with the twinkle of stars barely visible. The ground and surroundings were made up of stacks of sedimentary rocks like piles of used up bars of soaps. While the sky was relatively illuminated, the ground was darkened in shadow even though I wasn't. Books and photographs were scattered everywhere.

The pictures were of ponies from Minty's, my never world both as mares and fillies. The books were evenly stacked in some places, others were thrown about haphazardly. I recognized some of their titles, but not all of them. The books were from every age, region, and era imaginable and in every language, all in relatively good condition. I skimmed a few of them. None of the books seemed to be supernatural, in and of themselves. They just contained knowledge, though 'just knowledge' wasn't in my vocabulary.

"Welcome to 'in between the lines,' Twilight Sparkle."

I looked up to see a five pointed yellow star with the face of a little girl. It wasn't Discord in disguise.

I searched Minty's memories, "You're...You're Twinkle Wish!"

The little star nodded, "I'm happy to see at least one pony somewhere remembers me. It was the nature of the world I born in to grant the wishes of the ponies. But reality became conflicted as ponies hearts wished for opposing things. As it began to crack and crumble along the edges, the Alicorns and the Draconequi attempted to 'patch' the damage. I was created to act as an regulator after, granting the wishes in pony's hearts only one night a year, during the Winter Wishes Festival, to give reality time to adjust and heal." The star looked down sadly and floated closer to the ground as she dimmed. "But I was too little too late, and I was first thing to give out when the world died."

"Twinkle Wish, it wasn't your fault. You did the best job you could." I comforted the star like she would an old friend, she was. "And if that wasn't enough, then there was nothing you could have done different. My only regret is that I, Minty, couldn't be on the adventure Pinkie Pie had to get you back from Whimsey Weatherbe."

"Heh. The closest thing the fillies of that world got to a 'real' adventure."

I couldn't stop from asking the star; "Twinkle Wish, you know every wish that was ever granted in the lost age. Did any of Pinkie Pie's friends wish Minty not to be a part of our group, on account of her klutziness?"

"No. There were safety measure in place to prevent hurtful or mean spirited wishes. And even if there weren't, none of them ever made that wish, I'm sure of it."

I felt relief. "But, why are you here, Twinkle Wish? Where IS here? Why am I here?"

"Due to the unique circumstances of my creation, I couldn't become a shadow of existence or reappear in the new world. So I was tasked with providing a light of existence for the knowledge and memories of this place."

"What is this place?"

"'Between The Lines.'" Twinkle Wish answered. "A border island between what is and isn't. Not quite part of the Equilibrium, the heart of creation, not yet."

"Why not yet?"

"Because this place is just it in its fetal stage. I'm the groundskeeper of this place. Not the master."

"...I have all my memories, as Clover, as Twilight The First, as Minty, as Twilight Tragedy and Twilight the Unicorn from the endless cycles, AND Nightmare Eclipse. How is that possible? Why am I not going insane?"

"Because you're no longer a pony, not quite anymore, you're becoming an idea, a Concept, a force. Like the Alicorns. When Nightmare Paradox was undone, all her paradoxes were undone with her, yet her actions couldn't be simply erased."

"So what's going to happen?"

"I don't know. You'll either grow into a true Concept, or you won't. "

"Am I an Alicorn? Still? After my Paradox-self was hit by all the Elements?"

"You're no longer a Nightmare. What you are now...is still in flux. As a Nightmare...you were a powerful, yet incomplete being. Only through continuing on will you ever know closure."

"Twinkle Wish that's enough."

I gasped at who I saw floating above me. Upright, bipedal, with a book tucked underneath one foreleg.

"Twinkle Wish, please float aside. Remember you promised you wouldn't interfere."

"...Good luck Twilight, Minty." The little star floated away to the distance.

She had light purple hide, her mane was white with pastel pale streaks of blue and pink, blue eyes gazed intently at me, their emotions hidden. Her cutie mark, was a blue parcel or birthday present with a pink string.

"R-Razzaroo!" I gasped, "You're..."

'..Alive'? What did that word even MEAN HERE?

"You're HERE! You-you're okay!" She floated down and I hugged her. "But-but what happened?"

"I barely know myself," Razzaroo answered. "I remember writing the last page to our world's history...that was my last 'living' memory. Right after that, I don't know if I was taken, if I died, or was erased and recreated. Regardless, the Alicorns came to me, Twilight, Eremo and Abbatissa. With their help I learned. I understood. The bonds between ponies I had dedicated my life to learn about, to recording, to memorizing, the unique joys of their lives. I wanted to know more. And I was told what I could become. And what I could do, no, what they'd give me the right to do if I continued to grow."

"What 'right' is that?"

"The right to change worlds, for the better, heal, restore, give hope, give stories the happy endings ours was denied...if I could but reach that final star. I was growing, Minty. I was becoming. I was awakened to the magic of friendship, and I've been growing inch by inch across forever. As I helped Eremo with his books and Abbatissa with the prayers mortals sent to the Alicorns. Then they told me there was a contradiction."

Was that harshness in Razzaroo's voice? I was beginning to feel uncomfortable. "Razzaroo? Tell me what's wrong."

She broke the hug and floated back.

"Minty, there can be only one Concept of Magic."

"What?"

"You and I are both on the brink of surpassing ourselves and becoming part of the foundation of the world. But there cannot be two gods of the same thing for the same universe."

That's when I noticed she had markings I didn't remember: streams of sparkles one her back and forehead. Looking back at myself, I saw I had the same type of markings on my legs and back. Where had those come from?

"Can't we just share? Look, Razzaroo, I'm not a thief...if you want it to be a Concept so badly, you can have it! I'm more than happy to just go home!"

Razzaroo shook her head, "You can't 'share' a heart transplant. To put it in remotely comprehensible terms."

"Like I said, please, if you've worked so hard for this, then I want it for you."

"You think I wouldn't just accept that if I could? Now that your evolution's started, you'll continue to grow and mature whether you want to or not. Two trees can't 'decide' to just give the soil to the other, one of two flowers in a vase can't chose to simply 'give' it all to the other flower. And Twilight, you're growing MUCH faster than me. Left unchecked, you'll overtake me, and my door will shut. But the Alicorns wanted to give us both a fair chance."

An aura of magic flared around Razzaroo, she held up the book the way Starlight and her friends did, as though her hoofs had invisible digits at the end.

Razzaroo's book...it was shaped and designed very much like my old reference guide to the Element of Harmony...except those details seemed vague, fleeting and inaccurate. Looking at her book felt like gazing at a mountain while my nose was pressed against the mountainside: distinguished ALL the details was impossible. I tried to make out its title and author, but failed.

"This book is nothing less than the ultimate magical weapon Minty. All the experiences, memories, and knowledge of our forgotten world are contained within these pages. This book places me on almost equal footing with an Alicorn. With it, I will surpass you."

"Razzaroo, please, we were, we are friends! There has to be another way!"

"I'm sorry, Minty! I've looked so hard! There isn't! And I've worked too long, endured too much, to have my dream snatched by you stumbling across the finish line first, you klutz!"

Wind flared up around Razzaroo causing the nearby books stacks to topple over.

"I, Razzaroo, was the first pony to be reborn. First to cross over from the Second Age of cars and TVs, into the living, breathing paradise that was the Lost Third Age. Now, I'm last remaining soul of that world. All the rest have either been altered or returned to Fauna Luster. Whatever the outcome of this road Minty, I've already accepted it!"

"So you...you remember your former self...the pony you used to be before you were...were..."

"Recreated?" Razzaroo supplied. I nodded: it was as fitting a term as any. "Yes, Clover, I do. But any more reminiscing on our past selves, our old identities...would be as pointless as chickens trying to recall what it was to be eggs. Only the here and now matters. For what it's worth, you'll always be my friend. I'm sorry Minty. Goodbye."

= Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia Music-"Lament to the Master" =

Razzaroo opened the book, holding its pages out towards me as though she were inviting me to read them.

"Memory Whimsey Weatherbe: Storm and tornado!"

A howling wind exploded from the pages at the same time as a ghostly image of a female dragon flicked.

"FAILSAFE SPELL!" My horn flashed, and the wind continued to knock me around, bruising and battering me.

"You relied too much on that spell fighting your Nightmare-self, Minty! My Memory Magic replays events, and operates on a completely different arcane system from your own!"

I forced up several pillars of the rocky ground around me to create a windbreak.

"Memory Discord: Teleportation Jammer!"

I jumped over the wind break using my telekinesis to hold myself, grabbed Razzaroo's book telekinetically at the same time, ripping it away from her hooves, and levitated it over to myself. "There! No more book, no more fighting!"

Razzaroo said flatly. "Memory Thistle Whistle: Pow."

"Pow?-OW!!"

The book opened on its own and the image of a self sacrificing pegasus smashed me hard in the face before the book float back to Razzaroo of its own accord.

"You won't get such a cheap quick win! Memory Spike The First: Inferno!"

A storm of flames came down on me, the rocks I myself had summoned up creating a perfect open oven to burn me alive.

The entire landscape was overflowed by near burning stream a moment later pouring out from the outcropping, "Divine Storm!" I, Half-Light Noon, flew out of the hole.

"Thank you for all the water in the air. Memory Windigo: Frozen world!"

The hot fog turned to a freezing snow storm the ground frozen solid. My wings were covered in frost and began began suffering frostbite in seconds as I crashed into the ground. My frozen wings vanished and little me, Half-Light Dawn, slammed my hooves into the ground, creating an epic level Earthquake that shattered the layer of ice that had formed. Pillar of earth rise up as Razzaoo floated about quickly to avoid being smacked. It gave me enough time as Twilight Sparkle to release fire constructs of the Windigos in every direction negating themselves and the snow storm into nothing.

"And now that we have water," Razzaroo said.

"Oh no," I whispered my eye pin pricks.

"Memory: Look Before You-" Telekinesis closing on her mouth. So she just THOUGHT the rest! '-Sleep! Lightning Storm!'

Black metal rods were thrown up in the air at high speed, Razzaroo barely needed to dodge them. Then she realized she hadn't been the target. "LIGHTNING RODS!"

They had completely negated her attack.

"FIGHT BACK MINTY! You're not going to get anywhere just trying to disable me! I am trying to kill you!"

"Not over something this...convoluted!"

"Don't tell me you're feeling nostalgia now. Once you start fighting the reasons stop mattering, then it's just live or die!"

Razzaroo teleported, so I kicked her as she appeared behind me only to explode into a mass of paper pages that folded into paper daggers that dove at me. I stopped them with an spherical shield spell.

That was when the real Razzaroo appeared behind me, her book now the size of a coffee table and swung at the barrier like a baseball bat sending me flying. I closed her eyes and used a flash bomb spell as Razzaroo came above me, her book now now several times bigger than she was. That stopped her attack and Razzaroo used her book to shield herself instead, the book remaining where she wished it even when she left go of it.

I ended the barrier and used my teleknesis inside the sphere to lessen the impact so I landed safely.

"Razzaroo, this is pointless! We just keep canceling each other out! Even if I went on the offensive I'd bet you're as prepared to negate my magic just as I've been negating yours!"

I blinked.

I said, "I really AM still thinking like a mortal pony! We're both about to become the Concept of Magic? We're both on the brink? Just one more drop in the glass to overflow?! Ha! The Alicorn of Magic wouldn't merely have authority over all magic, nor command all magic, SHE'D BE ALL MAGIC! We're two oceans trying to drown each other! This IS pointless, Razzaroo! So continue if you want! I'm done!"

And I turned my back on her!

"FIGHT ME!"

"No."

"I'm warning you Minty!"

"Fights to the death don't have warnings, Razzaroo."

"I'll do it Minty! I don't want to win the coward's way but if you're just going to stand there!"

I did nothing.

...

...

...

In the corner of my eye I saw the book limply fall from Razzaro's hooves and hit the rocks, she float down to the ground and onto her back knees.

"I finally understand."

I turned around, "Razzaroo?"

"A fair chance. Both of us equal in ability and wisdom, except for one small detail. All you needed to do was take the offensive, for just a good long while, put your offensive all into it. And Fauna Luster said she'd take me. Heh." Razzaroo sat on her flanks. She looked up the sky smiling, her eyes misting up.

"So realizing the fight was pointless-" I whispered.

"-Was the hurdle where I failed. But if you failed too...But you didn't. You're better than me Minty, you are the best."

I smiled kindly at my old friend. "Truth be told? I'm more confused that Starswirl the Bearded, or Mimic, or Clover The Clever aren't Magic."

"Knowledge isn't everything. Close. But not quite. Heart counts too, and in that way, even Mimic fell short. And so did I, in the end."

"Don't say that Razzaroo, please."

"Perhaps...it's to desire power, that's proof enough one is not worthy of it? That only one who does not desire power can be trust not to be corrupted by it? It's the one answer my book doesn't contain."

I hugged her and nuzzled her. It just felt so right just to hold her.

"Please, no more talking, just for a little bit."

"Just a little bit."

...

"Minty. You've held this hug for two years now."

"Oh. Okay. So, what's next for me?"

"Next you become everything and everywhere that mana flows, your soul becomes a law of nature. I think I'll be taking Twinkle Wish with me, I've gotten kinda fond of her."

"You don't need to go anywhere," I whispered in her ear.

"Thank you. But I have infinity to explore and learn from. I need time away from these books and Alicorns. Maybe I'll find my ultimate truth somewhere else." We finally broke the hug, a felt a bit like letting go of one of my own legs.

"Will I see you again?"

"In the span of forever? I'd say certainly. But beware this truth, Twilight Sparkle: Godhood carries with it a horrible price. Only accept that dreaded mantle if you are willing to give up everything. You are not like your soon-to-be brothers and sisters, you have experienced your mortal life 'first.' There will never be any going back to being a simple happy mortal. I was prepared for and wanted that, you have to decide if you are."

I shuddered.

"And Twilight...if you DO accept godhood...you will find a bitter enemy awaiting you at the Dawn Of Time."

"Then I simply will never go to the Dawn Of Time." Twilight shrugged. "Not unless I'm ordered to, by one of the Alicorn Parents."

Razzaroo smiled sadly, the way adults smile at foals' logic.

"Well, in all fairness, you almost certainly won't be ORDERED to go there. You'll be free to delay and put it off for as long as it pleases you. But...in the same way a caterpillar is eventually compelled to cocoon itself...you'll eventually be compelled to take a trip to the Dawn Of Time. Because your heart will never let you do otherwise. And when you do, your most painful enemy will be waiting for you."

"Who?"

"My book doesn't say who. Only that the enemy will be 'unreasonable.' And it'll break your heart to fight them. But you won't able to just walk away to win like me. So please, fight with your all. Please...keep this with you to remember me by, please."

"This is, your journal?"

"It's all yours. I've spent the last forever updating it a little, I hope you or somepony find it enlightening....And Twilight please, give everypony you can help their happy ending."

"I promise."

"Thank you Twilight, and goodbye..." She kissed me on the muzzle.

Razzaroo became several thousand paper cranes that flew into the sky. A small yellow star followed close behind. Razzaroo's voice spoke. "Congratulations Clover, you've finally surpassed your big sister."

I gasped, "Sister?" It dawned on me. "Meadowlark! Wait!" I cried out as the entire sky then everything else turned white.
+
"Soul That Stands Before On The Edge Of Eternity...Grain of Sand who will become a Beach...New Sister-To-Be. You have faced the past, present, future, and their parallels and have been judged worthy. Now comes the final threshold."

I found myself in a calm place. My mind threatened to crack trying to process it. Infinite was the order of the day instead of a theoretical impossibility. The circumference of the circular of pillars was infinite, their height was infinite, the pattern in the floor showing every universe in existence like pieces of one grand mosaic was infinite!

My instincts told me that if we hadn't become one: Minty, Clover, Twilight the Unicorn, Twilight The First, and Nightmare Paradox...a part of her wondered if this was what being a germ felt like.

A stallion Alicorn stood...in front of me? To my side? Above me? Ugh! Spacial relations were getting harder to define. This was a domain of IDEAS.

He wore armor that was a contrasting set of black and white. His cutie mark was a balance scales. He had a red eye and a blue eye. His coat was golden and he had a beard. His mane fluttered in an invisible breeze.

I didn't need to ask who he was. Judicium, Tarot of the Judgement. WHen I was, Nightmare Paradox, I had learned a lot about my fellow Alicorns.

I found myself quivering. I wasn't a concept yet. I felt like a speck of dust in comparison.

"You may pass." The stallion Alicorn said and stepped away.

I saw another Alicorn near the center. Dove wings cutie mark. White mane. Blue coat. Abbatissa. She looked towards me and bowed. Then bowed to Another. And entered a portal/went through a gateway/flew out a window.

I was alone now with Her.

"STEP FORWARD."

Her Will Be Done.

I was the size of a ladybug compared to Her. Huh? Now I was a the size of a newborn filly compared to Her and Celestia a toddler. Yet no matter how small I measured beside her, I didn't feel diminished in any way. Rather, I felt taller than I ever have.

She was white. Like hope. Like joy.

To look at Her, was to look at a window into a whole reality unto Herself. When Her wings opened, they stretched from one end of the Her Domain to the other, forever. Her horn was circled by a set of tiny horns that reminded me of a crown.

She was wonderful, She was simply beautiful. The light that shined from Her wasn't cold or indifferent, there is no way to describe it other than LIFE. Wicked and cruel were not even a part of her being. The spirit world was supposed to be the land of the dead, but there was nothing dead about Her!

Her cutie mark was a ever changing nebula.

Oh, I didn't mean to cry. But, just being so near Her.

"WELCOME HOME, MY LITTLE PONY."

She was right. I was home. I didn't know why. But every fiber in my soul told me I had returned here, to Her.

"F-F-Fa-Fau-" My voice failed me.

"SAY MY NAME."

"Fauna Luster."

"EVEN SEEING THE HEART OF ALL LIFE, YOU DESIRE TO KNOW MORE. GOOD. ASK THE QUESTION ON YOUR MIND."

"If...if You're the source of all souls, if You're where we all come...where are they all? I don't see any coming from your um..." I blushed.

"ALL THIS REALITY IS ME. ALL YOU SEE IS ME. EVERYTHING HERE IS ME. ALL THIS EXISTENCE IS ME. FROM ME ALL LIVING SOULS COME. AND FROM THERE I WATCH MY CHILDREN GROW."

That's when a tiny light flickered into being next to me. No name yet. No self-image. No knowledge. No memories. No Ego. Only a tiny new 'yes' in the universe. It floated close to me. I looked to Fauna Luster. She nodded with a smile. I touched it, I giggled, a sense of pure absolute innocence washed through me. Then on a gentle breeze flew it out, a flicker of fear came from the tiny light as it was swept out into the giant universe.

"SPEAK YOUR NEXT QUESTION."

"Why have them leave at all? Why not just keep them? Have them flow through you and, and the stallion? Why have the middle pony called Life where they can be hurt and led astray? Why?"

"A PERFECTLY LOGICAL AND RATIONAL QUESTION. I ASK YOU: WOULD A WORLD WHERE EVERYPONY WAS BEING FED FROM IV BAGS AND HAD A LIVE WIRE CONNECTED DIRECTLY TO THEIR PLEASURE CENTER BE HAPPINESS? THEIR BRAINS SAY IT IS SO, SO IS IT SO?"

"No. Not at all. That's alive, but it's not living."

"AND IF YOU HAD FLOWERS THAT STAYED SEEDS FOREVER. SO YOU WOULD NEVER HAVE TO SEE THEM WITHER AFTER THEY BLOOMED. WOULD THAT BE LOVE?"

"No."

"IF YOU LIVED IN A WORLD WHERE ALL YOUR DECISION BROUGHT ABOUT MAXIMUM SATISFACTION REGARDLESS OF WHAT CHOICE YOU MADE, OR COULD MAKE, OR WOULD MAKE, WHERE ANY HURT WAS JUST ON THE ROAD TO MORE MAXIMUM SATISFACTION, EVERYTHING MICROMANAGED AND TAILOR MADE DOWN TO THE LAST SPECK OF DUST TO MORE MAXIMUM SATISFACTION-"

"I understand!" I remembered what Nightmare Paradox had planned.

Then another thought occurred to me.

"Nightmare Paradox, she refused to play by the rules at all, and broke them and rewrote them how she, how I wanted. But with Razzaroo, I was put into a test where I HAD to defy the arbitrary rules to pass. But my instinct tells me there was another reason. Was there?"

"THE TEST FOR YOU BOTH WAS VERY REAL. YOU'VE BEEN SCARED STIFF OF BEING ASSERTIVE EVER SINCE YOU LEARNED OF WHAT YOU WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR AS NIGHTMARE PARADOX. YOU NEEDED TO LEARN THAT YOU STILL NEED TO PUT YOUR HOOF DOWN AT TIMES."

"...I must say...that was very cunning of you. Well plotted."

"TO CALL IT A 'PLOT' IS NO MORE CORRECT THAN IT IS A 'PLOT' TO TELL FAMILY THAT YOU LOVE THEM. A TRUE MOTHER DOES NOT MOVE HER CHILDREN LIKE CHESS PIECES. I DID NOT PULL INVISIBLE STRINGS TO DIRECT YOUR HEARTS OR ACTIONS."

"Okay...I'll take your word for it, Great Mother..."

"ASK. THERE IS NOTHING YOU COULD SAY TO ME I WILL NOT UNDERSTAND, NOTHING THAT WOULD MAKE ME HATE YOU."

"Why...why did Nightmare Paradox, why did I get away with this for so long?! Why didn't you stop me?! Why did so many suffer? Was it just some convoluted way to get me here and make me the Alicorn of Magic?"

"IT PAINED ME AND MY HUSBAND TO WATCH THE SUFFERING YOU UNLEASHED. YOUR ASCENSION WAS NOT WORTH SO MANY LIVES TO MY HUSBAND AND I, ESPECIALLY WHEN, AS YOU'VE SEEN, WE ALREADY HAD A WILLING CANDIDATE ON THE VERGE OF REACHING THE SAME GOAL. BUT YOU HAD GROWN TOO POWERFUL FOR OUR CHILDREN TO STOP."

I bowed my head. "With all due respect, I was but one Nightmare. Celestia and Luna had been turned to statues, but I imagine you had at LEAST ten other children you could've called upon. If they'd all ganged up on me at once..."

The Mother Of All Alicorns lifted an eyebrow slightly. "ONE NIGHTMARE, YOU SAY? AND WHAT OF NIGHTMARE BANNERET? NIGHTMARE MIRROR? NIGHTMARE MANACLE? NIGHTMARE...ALL THE REST? I ASSURE YOU, DAUGHTER, HAD YOUR NIGHTMARE-SELF CAUGHT WIND THAT A FORCE OF ALICORNS WAS AFTER YOU...YOU'D NOT HAVE STOPPED WITH JUST FIVE NIGHTMARE FRIENDS."

My jaw snapped shut as I tried to envision that war: Alicorns versus Nightmares. Just how many of ponies would I have corrupted into eldritch abominations?

Derpy Hooves as a Nightmare...
Apple Pie as a Nightmare...
My parents as Nightmares...

"WHAT'S MORE, WE COULD NOT RISK YOU DEVOURING EVEN ONE OF OUR CHILDREN. NOT ONLY BECAUSE THEY ARE OUR CHILDREN, BUT BECAUSE YOUR POWER WOULD HAVE INCREASED EXPONENTIALLY. AS FOR WHY WE DID NOT INTERFERE, I ASK YOU THIS; IF YOU, WITHOUT A SHRINKING SPELL, ATTEMPTED TO TELEPORT INSIDE OF ANOTHER PONY, WHAT WOULD BECOME OF THEM?"

I shuddered. "They'd...they'd be torn apart from the inside out...They'd die..."

"CORRECT. MYSELF, MY HUSBAND, HAVOC, AND ENTROPY ENTERING THE MORTAL UNIVERSE WOULD TRIGGER THIS EFFECT. WHILE WE CAN USE AVATARS..."

"Avatars?" I ask.

"AVATARS. CONJURED BODIES MEANT TO CONTAIN AN ACCEPTABLE FRACTION OF OUR POWER. WHILE WE COULD HAVE USED AVATARS, WE COULD NOT RISK YOU CONSUMING ONE OF THEM, AS DISCORDANCE HAD DONE WITH HIS FATHER'S."

"I had grown THAT powerful?" I said, feeling dazed.

"YOU WERE AT THE POINT WHERE ONLY YOU COULD HAVE VANQUISHED YOURSELF. THE ONLY SITUATION WHERE WE WOULD HAVE EMERGED TO FACE PARADOX DIRECTLY, IS WHEN THE COLLATERAL DAMAGE OF OUR ADVENT WAS OUTWEIGHED BY THE THREAT YOU POSED."

"...The end of not just a timeline, but everything."

"CORRECT. DO NOT THINK WE WOULD HAVE ALLOWED THINGS TO OCCUR THIS WAY IF THERE WAS A CHOICE. WE HELPED IN WHAT WAYS WE COULD, TWILIGHT, FROM AFAR, AND ALONGSIDE YOU AND FROM WITHIN. I HAVE ALWAYS HAD MY POWER OFFERED TO AID MORTALS' IN THEIR TIME OF NEED, BUT NOT IF THEIR HEARTS ARE SHUT TO ME, THEY MUST CHOOSE TO REACH OUT AND TAKE MY HOOF, AS YOU DID. YOU MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SEE OR HEAR THEM, BUT MY CHILDREN VENUS, PUERILIS, AND PENSILIS, WERE WITH YOU."

I couldn't help blushing. "...Thank you...So what happens next?"

"Mother!" The Alicorn mare from before, Abbatissa, flew down towards Her Mother.

"YES, ABBATISSA?"

"Please let me do my duty as Tarot Of The High Priestess. She is not a Concept yet, please let me speak for you, please," she prayed.

"IF THAT IS WHAT YOU WISH. YOU MAY PERFORM YOUR DUTY, ABBATISSA."

"Thank you, Mother!" She bowed and kissed Her Mother's hooves. It wasn't groveling, it was true praise.

Abbatissa turned gracefully towards me and spoke,

"First I ask of you what your truth will be when you become magic. Then, I'll share with you the final price of being being born through Mother a second time and become my sister. Finally, if you really are of you own free will are going to accept that price." She flared out her wings, her entire body glowed, "Now little pony:

"think of every life that suffers unfairly and cruelly due to whims of others. The rules say they must suffer, because it was from the choices of others. What shall you do when you are magic?"

"I'll crush any rule that stands in my...NO! Rules, like them or not, everyone needs them....but...what about rules that just aren't fair, no, rules that are a direct cheat? Rules that cheat, aren't rules at all. And something that isn't a rule, has no right to hold me back!

"And I say a rule of magic is a cheat and has to go. Then it is and it will!...But I had better think carefully about each one first. Reckless action and inaction are equally destructive."

"And that choice cement your right to become the concept of magic. Just remember, a concept must be decisive, as mortals trust the natural world to be."

A short stone pillar appeared underneath the Alicorn. "Twilight Sparkle, now that you've been cleansed of the sickness of your Nightmare, the Elements have completed the balance within you. This has left your spirit in a nascent stage. We are Concepts who had to learn to appreciate the value of mortals. YOU are a mortal who must learn to appreciate the value of Concepts.

"Normally this would not happen until your body was destroyed, or when the Trumpet is sounded. But you are a special case. You are also the only mortal to become, a Major Arcana. Which was supposed to be impossible, as the Minor Arcana was, until just now, reserved for such mortals. This has caused your spirit to begin to grow out of control. Razzaroo became what she was through sheer determination and hard work. You've become what you are by fusing four mortal ponies with a Nightmare millions of years old."

"Is it too late? I had no idea this would happen when I decided to bend the rules of space and time to make six sets of Elements of Harmony at once to appear to defeat a Nightmare of me from outside the space-time continuum who had beefed herself up on other Nightmares. And Twilight The Unicorn, Clover, Minty, Twilight The First, joined with the depowered Nightmare Paradox, because....because..."

"Because why, Twilight Sparkle?"

"Because using all the Elements together at once, it was like a parasprite to a flame. Two ponies can't exist in the same time and place. And Twilight The Unicorn, and Nightmare Paradox, were the same pony, me. I think we were all naturally drawn to her. She existed, yet I wouldn't become her. If they had stayed separated after derailing Paradox's scheme, it would have continued to damage time."

"And Minty? Twilight The First? And Clover? The other parts of your existence?"

"Other versions of them continue to exist right?"

"They have not, and will not vanish from history. Minty Pie still exists for example if you're curious. And the souls of Twilight the First, Minty, and Clover still reside inside My Father. Souls do not have a 'Law of Conservation of Matter.'"

"How do you know all this so fast?"

"Looked it up on my Alicorn Pad. Kidding, I am the Concept of Prayer, and your friends, including Minty Pie, are praying for you very dearly."

"After two years?"

"Time doesn't exist the same way in the spiritual realm. Moving on. Why did the other three aspect of you join as well?"

"We...we each..." I breathed in deep, and slowly breathed out, "Because we all felt something absolutely wonderful was going to happen, we were all scared inside, but we all wanted to be a part of it."

"But you didn't know that 'something wonderful would be becoming the only mortal in all time and space to become part of the Major Arcana."

"Yes."

"Alright. Once you make this decision, Twilight Sparkle's actions and others' memories of her won't vanish. But your 'new self' shall be, and will have always been the Alicorn of the Magician Tarot."

"But if we've never met before now can-"

A vein throbbed appeared on Abbatissa's forehead. "UGH! You're still thinking of the universe like one long hallway! Geeze! There's an entire world around you and you're thinking like a stick pony! Stop being stubborn and narrow-minded! Ahem. This is the important bit:

"The finite can not become infinite, that is impossible. It must be rewritten as infinite.

"To become an Alicorn, you must let go of all you are. For the Alicorn to be born, 'Twilight Sparkle' must be purified of mortal origins and mortal nature. Twilight Sparkle must die. Do you still accept this fate?"

"What happens if I don't?"

"Your soul explodes. Kidding."

"What DOES happen?"

"You just go home."

"And?"

"Ponies you'll never meet or know of in life or death, who have their unhappy endings, keep their unhappy endings. Over the course of infinitely, another pony might come along to become magic and happy endings instead, but it won't be magic or happy endings as you've known them.

"And...these things will happen because I go home?"

"No. They've already happened. But you as magic can let them travel new roads be traveled they weren't able to before."

"Can you give me more details?"

"I can, but I won't. Deep down, what you want most is to go home and make those close to you happy. Not strangers. Those you've fighting alongside, bleeding alongside, and only recently remembered how you care for them."

"Are there any other downsides to becoming an Alicorn?"

"Above everything else...to become a true Alicorn you must sacrifice your Eternal Rest. Instead, you'll take on an Eternal Burden. That is the true price what you seek. You will know respites, but Eternal Rest will be denied you for all existence. The road will never end."

"...You're right that is what I want most. But "...So be it. No Eternal Rest? What of it? I wouldn't've gotten any of THAT anyway, had I continued on as Twilight Tragedy OR as Nightmare Paradox. I've committed so many sins as them both. And if I can have the power to bring ponies out of the darkness instead of pushing ponies into it, how could I just walk away from that?"

"That means in the afterlife your friends, and your mother and father will be without you. FOREVER! And you will be without them!"

"If I can use that kind of power to help even one pony, or a thousand, that's the pony I want to be. And...I could never rest with them if I trotted away from that."

"That's just it. This isn't a job you can just retire from after you've eased your conscience. This'll be you!"

I sighed, rubbing my head. "Abbatissa...what did you mean when you said, 'purified of mortal origins and mortal nature?'"

"It scares you? GOOD!"

"Sister, may I explain this part?" asked a voice...I recognized it. "After all, I am the most qualified."

"As you wish little sister."

I turned to see a blue Alicorn with violet barding similar to Luna's, the stars in it twinkling as the stars in the sky. Her mane and tail were silvery translucent flowing energy, it reminded me of an invisibility spell in action. Her Cutie Mark was a magic wand with a trail of magic behind it. My jaw dropped. "T-Trixie?!"

"The one and only. Though actually, it's Princess Anasi Mohini Waya, Queen of Wands, Concept of theater, drama, and storytelling. And I took a bite out of Morning Star's Concept of trickery." She waggled her eyebrows at me. "And the only member of the Minor Arcana to ever be partnered with a Draconequus."

I stiffened a little, think of Discord wanting to make me his 'queen,' "P-partnered?"

Anasi groaned, "'Partnered' as in work partner Twilight!"

"Oh."

"But feel free to call me Trixie, it's rather nostalgic."

I hugged her, I didn't care if she was an Alicorn or a unicorn, I had the memories of the Twilight who had become her friend in this Trixie's cycle, only for Paradox to tear it all away. She hugged me back.

Author's Note

Cover art by morningstar-1337 http://morningstar-1337.deviantart.com/art/Cosmic-Pony-Vectors-wave-3-317621349

Episode 118 ("Dark World" Rise of the Alicorn): Road To Dawn

Episode 118.5 ("Dark World" Rise Of The Alicorn): Fluttercruel's Punishment

Pony POV Series
Dark World/Alicorn Ascension
Chapter 33.5
"Fluttercruel's Punishment"
Optional-Canon
By Alex Warlorn
Edited By Kendell2

There was a knock on the cabin door. Fluttershy blinked at the noise, not expecting visitors. She kissed Fluttercruel on the forehead, "Mommy's just going to see who that is sweetie."

The mostly gray filly on the floor nodded. She went back to looking at the pictures of ponies her mother had been teaching her with.

Fluttershy opened the door revealing green fields and forests that went for infinity.

There was also a Draconequus standing in her doorway. One with paw of a dingo and the claw of a raven, the wings of a dragonfly and vulture, the legs of a coyote and fox and the tail of a rattle snake. "Hey girl, oh sorry, sister-in-law." He waved at her.

Fluttershy kept herself calm and responded politely, "Hello Anarchy. What can I do for you?"

"I'm here about my niece."

Fluttershy's eyes darkened, "I told you that if any of you came before she chose to come back besides her father that you'd meet the Queen of Cups' anger." The air around the pegasus darkened, and a massive shadow began to stretch behind her that had a horn.

Anarchy raised his hands quickly. "Sorry babe, you're overruled. Believe me, I'd rather be playing video games. Not coming within range of an Alicorn prepared to tear me to bits, vacation from killing Discord or not . . . did that little douche have to kill so many mortals? I'm stuck handing him off his death sentences until we work out the difference. The others are all busy except Pandora and she's too much of a sweetheart to do anything."

"Overruled by who? And your concern for the mortals Discord made suffer is not extending your lifespan."

"WHAO! Watch it babe! You do NOT want to go down that road. Trust me, I've seen parts of my family and yours go down it before and it was NEVER pretty! Most of the last ones killed were revolutionaries so it's not like I don't care. Look, I'll cut to the case. Some of YOUR family petitioned the Elders and They took a vote. They think you're not getting at the core of the issue with 'little Odyne' to keep her from growing up into another D____ or Morning Star...Well, three of Them, anyway, Mom just kind of said 'WHATEVER!' and went back to pretending She's the only Thing in Creation."

Fluttershy caught herself, and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I'm going to have to ask you leave. I've seen the brand of punishment your family uses, it won't accomplish what you want it to. Your Father agreed with me."

"Okay. You're the boss in this little corner of forever, so I gotta do what ya say, but this ain't the end babe, c ya." Anarchy left.

+++

Fluttershy played pattycake with Fluttercruel, her hooves touching her daughter's hooves and lioness' paw. It was nice to see her foal happy in a way that didn't involve hurting another.

Another knock at the door.

Fluttershy hugged her child and opened the door again.

"Hi." Rancor, the Concept of violence itself, waved back.

"Hello. Goodbye." Fluttershy said, perfectly hospitable, slamming the door in Rancor's face.

"OW!"

"There's a band-aid box right outside and some going away muffins."

"...Thanks."

+++

Fluttershy had been preening Fluttercruel, and showing her various animals hatching from eggs from alligators and crocodiles to birds and dinosaurs. Fluttercruel was showing a rapt interest.

There was a faint tapping on one of the cottage windows.

Fluttershy folded her wings around her foal, Fluttercruel doing the same with her pegasus and lovebird wings. "Just stay behind mommy."

"Okay mommy."

Fluttershy cracked the window open,

Pandemonium/Pandora/Desire Atë Typhon held a white flag in her green witch's hand, waving her bear arm at Fluttershy hesitantly.

"Uh, hello Miss Queen of Cups or is it just Fluttershy? I'm Imagination. I don't think we've been introduced formally. I just came to say that you really really really should just do what your family is suggesting. You see . . . karma's out of balance . . . or something, this is kinda outside of my sphere of reality. But the point is that little Odyne really needs to be disciplined after what she did for a thousand years. And you don't really seem to be doing that."

"I'm helping her heal. She was horribly hurt after what happened. And she already's been humbled like I said. And she -already- now knows what it's like to lose someone she loves in a horrible way."

"But that's not exactly the same thing."

"Whether you were reluctant to or not, orders from Your Father or not, you took part in hurting my daughter trying to remove my traits from her, I have no promise that you don't do something similar once you all get your claws on her again."

"That's why you need to punish. You're her mom, right? I know it's normally the dad's job, but Discord has his own punishment, and a LOT of entities have been thinking that you are, and by extension us, are all turning a blind eye to Fluttercruel's actions."

"That's for me to decide. She's in my care. I won't let anyone hurt her again. Please go."

"...For the record, I know what it's like...I've never had the heart to punish one of my family, I normally just go hang out with Venus...But even I know the punishment NEEDS to happen..."

"Once more, I will choose what she does and does not need...thank you for trying to be sympathetic, but please go."

" . . . this doesn't resolve anything. And you're only making it worse." Pandora said turning into a firefly and blinking away.

+++

The walls of Fluttershy's cottage were lifted up from their foundation, leaving the bare wood floor among the grass. Strife lifted the walls up, grunting, her handicap of having one stone paw not bothering her as much as it should have. Strife carefully and conscientious placed the cottage on the glass next to its exposed floor.

Fluttershy and Fluttercruel felt rather awkward finding themselves outside with their tea-set on the little misshaped wooden table between them.

Strife, Discord's eldest sister, and idea of darwinism, stared daggers at the pony and pony/draconequus.

With her flesh and blood forelimb she stuck out a spiked paddle, (shaped and sized for spanking disobedient fillies who left their shrunk down big sisters in monster filled forests by themselves).

"You can either take this paddle, or I can use it in your stead. Choose."

Fluttershy took the paddle. "There. I took it. You never told me I had to use it. Now please put my house back where you found it, and please help yourself to a cookie, and leave...And what you wish to do with your children is your business, but I did not appreciate you and your family trying to do the same to mine, understood?"

"You act as though I am doing this of my own decision, I am merely under orders. And I was going to put it back anyway. Know that you dig yourself in deeper and deeper by ignoring this truth. You march down an 'evolutionary dead-end' to apply an incorrect term correctly. You can not hold back the tide." Strife did as she was told, turned into a T-Rex and stopped away.

"Mommy, I'm scared," Fluttercruel said.

"Don't worry dear, no matter what concept comes for you, I won't let any Alicorn or Draconequus hurt you." She then kissed her child's forehead and got some more cookies for her daughter.

+++

The knock again. Fluttershy sighed. She steeled herself. Whether it was Havoc, Entropy, Sane Reality, or Fauna Luster Herself outside, none of them were going to hurt her child more than she already been.

She opened the door without fear. It was the Alicorns Justitia and Judicium. Concepts of Justice and Judgement.

Futtershy sighed, preparing herself for whatever confrontation would upon her. "Let me guess, you're here to punish Fluttercruel?"

"No. We are not here to punish Fluttercruel if you won't," Justitia said.

"They are." Judicium gestured with his horn behind them.

Fluttershy gasped. Her normal blue sky and green fields were gone. In their place was an infinite starscape. And a long, long line of ponies and other creatures.

At the front where Virgacorns, Hippogriffs, Earth Ponies, white changelings, and dragons, around the middle of the line, were humans decked out in the armor of space marines, some goats and donkeys, and at the far away (miles?) at the beginning, were unicorns, pegasi.

Almost right at the front, was a filly who was almost identical to Apple Pie except for an apple with a green skull face. Poison Apple carried dental tools on her back and a spiked mace in her mouth.

Also near the front was a mare with a canister of liquid nitrogen and a sludge hammer.

The very first pony in line was a purple unicorn with a jewel cutie mark.

All of them, glared hatefully at the filly behind Fluttershy . . . Fluttercruel wet herself at the sight.

Fluttershy panicked, "You, you wouldn't taint all these souls with something ugly like revenge would you?!" She said hoping it would work.

"As the idea of Judgement," "-and the idea of Justice-" "-any corporal punishment you instill on Odyne/Cruelty/Fluttercruel, shall not in any shape or form counts negatively towards your own karma." The Alicorns spoke to the long long line. There were more than a few cheers.

"You can't do this!" Fluttershy hollered.

"Tell THEM that!" Justitia pointed a hoof at the epically long line.

Judicium said, "There are punishments meant to be dealt out by a parent, and those meant to be dealt out by the law."

"THIS ISN'T FAIR!" Fluttershy cried out.

"YES IT IS!" Hissed an Earth pony filly in the line with a needle and thread cutie mark. Fluttershy swore the hate in that little one's eyes would have made a Windigo freeze her in seconds.

"Fluttercruel was DISCORDED her ENTIRE LIFE! How can you punish her when she was never in control of her actions?! That's evil!"

"Oh really?" Justitia ask. "Unlike the others who were freed of Discord's taint, she did not instantly turn upon her master. If anything, she became MORE fervent in serving and protecting her father and killing harmony's champions.

"The only true thing the discording she was born with actually did was mute your words of reason to her. She was born, she was simply rude and mean-spirited, she was cruel, as she was born to be, but she was not yet a vicious murderer nor believed harming others was an expression of love to her father and harming you was expressing her love to you! Those parts came later. What she developed from, what she experienced around her, what she taught, and what she CHOOSE FOR HERSELF."

"THAT'S NOT FAIR AT ALL! The discording became WORSE over time! MUCH WORSE! Of course she'd go from being just mean to being a monster!"

"Yes, it did. And in spite of that, there were timeline loops of the dark world where she became the Element of Kindness WITHOUT having her discording removed! How could Discord not have known if she had had it removed before? And these were of course right near the end of the loops! Where her discording had reached it's zenith, or better say it's nadir in the trench of depravity. And her attempts to befriend Angry Pie were nowhere near the beginning, when her discording was at its least!

"She may have been deaf, but she was not denied free will! If the discording controlled her every action and thought, then she'd have never desired FRIENDSHIP, the opposite of Discord's taint, from Chaos Bearer Angry Pie! And need I remind you? Liarjack's taint was just as black as Fluttercruel's, but she found it within her to sublime resist Discord."

"So Applejack was sinless?"

"Hardly. She was bloodstained as your daughter in her own way. But the she also showed that those infected by Discord's evil could still turn it in a direction of their choosing, not his. And more importantly, she felt remorse for her wrongdoing despite the taint."

"Her discording was different from Fluttercruel's!"

"There are many timelines where Liarjack turned as selfish and uncaring as the others after she was discorded, it was her choice. The discording was a PART OF ODYNE. In its own way, it actually kept her from becoming completely insane while it also blocked you from making her see the truth."

"So every single thing she did was her fault! Discord's taint which twisted so many ponies into parodies of themselves didn't do a single thing to her, so therefore she's responsible for everything and so is everyone else made to act the opposite of themselves! I guess Applejack must have always been a liar on the inside yes?!" Fluttershy's anger asked rippling inside her.

"Do not presume to dictate black and white to us, little one," Judicium said suddenly looking a bit larger.

"AND ALL OF YOU!" Fluttershy's anger snapped, looking at the long line of ponies, "You ALL KNOW ponies and loved ones who Discord's chaos magic turned into puppets who weren't themselves! Why are you judging my daughter different?! Because she was Discord's child, is that it?!"

Some of the ponies in the line looked at each other in doubt or confusion, other looked just as angry or MORE angry right back at her. The filly with the thread and needle cutie mark practically growled at Fluttershy.

"Paranoia does not become you, my little idea," Justitia said, "Every sapient being's choices are their own. Regardless of their parentage. Cruelty was not yet a concept, she did not fill any role in creation with her meaningless murder. While Cruelty no longer has such . . . restraints upon her growth . . . the fact remains the shape of her heart and soul is still that of the restraints."

"I AM CHANGING THAT! You just want revenge! Nothing more!"

"Revenge doesn't serve a purpose and does not change the offender's chances of causing harm later. This is punishment. And all you are doing is teaching her the virtue of life's struggle rather than the wrongness of granting harm to others."

"But she now REMEMBERS all the lessons I tried to speak to her but the discording blocked out! Of course she's learned! All these ponies harming her won't do anything but risk her reverting! Where's your justice now?!"

" . . . " Judicium sighed. Justitia narrowed her eyes.

"She even said '...Mother, I'm sorry. I didn't hear you before. I'm sorry," She whispered. "I was wrong. I...maybe I was always wrong,' she even told Mortis that she was finally beginning to understand! You're just dressing up revenge as somehow justified because she hurt so many that you won't feel happy unless you her back!

"And I thought ponies were judged for what their hearts and souls were like when they died, not for how they were before! All I see is you all bending the rules because you want to hurt my baby! Well you can just try it!"

The entire miles and miles of creatures all took a step forward. Judicium rose a wing, and they all stopped.

" . . . your daughter has not seen violence's real face, only worn it." Justitia said.

"What should that matter?!" Fluttershy retorted.

Judicium looked to her. "Our Father is all forgiving, but do not forget that Our Mother is Empathy Embodied. She lets life know how it felt to be the one they harmed...but some do not know Her Touch. And . . . because She Is empathy, She felt the pain and terror that your daughter inflicted on Her children."

"Still sounds to me like all any of you want is revenge."

"Do you see Rancor here, little idea?" asked Justitia, giving a snarl.

"I love my daughter but Venus isn't here!"

"You are so young and so blind, you STILL don't fully understand. If you love, then Venus is here!"

"Doesn't that defeat your own argument?!"

"Rancor regularly delivers vengeance for others within Her Father. It is part of her purpose, her existence; to balance blood for blood, an eye for an eye," Judicium explained, seeming more understanding of Rancor. "If unresolved vengeance was what this was about, she would be here."

"'Pain for pain!' Which is what ALL OF YOU WANT!" She snarled at the line.

"There's a difference, sister," said Judicium. "Rancor's Concept is 'an Eye for an Eye', Justitia's is that the wicked are not permitted to harm the innocent again. My Concept is that all are judged fairly."

"Fluttercruel WON'T hurt anyone again! I'll make sure of it!"

"Can you?" Justitia asked. "She is a CONCEPT now. She now has the power to hurt ENTIRE PLANETS."

"It seems to me that you're just using that you're Judgement and Justice to justify hurting my child instead of giving a REAL REASON!"

Judicium gave a sad, sorrowful sigh. "...I did not want to mention this, sister, but did Mother want Morning Star to be imprisoned in Hell? Did She want him to become a Fallen Alicorn? Do you think I wanted to have to say 'I find my brother, Morning Star, guilty of threatening all creation?'...If you believe I do not care for Fluttercruel, you are wrong. But the ability to allow my family bonds to cloud my judgement is something that I do not have. Every time I look on a being, I can't make excuses for any crime they have committed. I cannot say 'they're family.' Yes, I CAN say 'they were brainwashed', or 'they were coerced', as a matter of fact I found your friend Rainbow Dash innocent of A NUMBER of her wrongdoing because she genuinely had no choice in the matter, for example. So if I say 'her Discording does not absolve her of a crime', I MEAN it. But that doesn't make it less painful to give a verdict that hurts someone I care for. It merely means the ability to let that pain make me judge wrongly is one I do not possess."

"And may I remind you what your child's special talent is?" Justitia said sternly looking at the cowering filly who had said nothing in her defense. The blades shaped like a heart.

"That doesn't mean anything! A pony CHOOSES what they do with their special talent!"

"Exactly."

"She was led astray by Discord and I wasn't allowed to tell her the truth!"

"You think she is the only child in history that was led astray by a wicked parent and kept away from the parent who'd have taught them what compassion was?"

"The taint KEPT HER from learning! YOU KEEP IGNORING THAT!"

"And you keep ignoring your daughter showed signs of empathy and friendship and knowing that harming others was wrong, she simply applied it ONLY TO HERSELF AND HER FATHER AND ANGRY PIE! She twisted it in her mind that they were a special case, NOT the blindfold over her soul!"

"She's my daughter, my responsibility, what right do you have to say she should be punished?"

"If you ask what right? I have every right, being the idea of justice. But you are asking what reason we have up until now. Which we have been trying to give you."

"Well you haven't been doing very well."

"And you haven't done a very good job of listening. PLEASE little idea! This isn't just about Fluttercruel, it's also about those she's wronged. You have turned her discording into an excuse."

"Little idea," said Judicium. "Mother is the Concept of Empathy, the Mother of All Things. She is WHY you are capable of feeling Empathy, because it is what She Is...But She still punished Celestia and Luna for the Windigos...And She allowed Morning Star to be sentenced to imprisonment because of his crimes...Mother's heart still aches at having to condemn him to his fate, but if a Being Who's Heart loves the smallest soul in creation with a Mother's love will punish Her children, or see that justice is done to one, is it not your duty to do the same?"

"Let me at her already!" Shouted the mare near the end of the line.

Fluttershy looked at the liquid nitrogen and hammer the mare was holding again. "She froze you to death?"

"Ask HER what she did to me! She murdered me for her own fun! And my children were left to FREEZE TO DEATH in the next flash winter! If I had been alive, Fate told me that my body heat would have saved them! Instead my son froze to death first, then . . . then . .. then . . . my daughter was . . . by my son's walking corpse! How DARE you say that little monster you're protecting is somehow 'even steven' with what she did to my children by killing me?!"

Justitia looked back. "I will say this; 'even steven' is not why you are allowed to do this. Justice is not An Eye For An Eye, it is that the wicked do not harm the innocent and are punished for their crimes. This is about Odyne's punishment for her sin, so you may have closure and rest in peace, so you know she did not simply get 'kicked upstairs' and instead had justice done to her for her crimes. Justice will be served, even if it is vigilante justice, but there is a difference between that and a lynch mob, and you are NOT to be that. Are we clear?"

The souls sighed and looked at each other grimly, and slowly nodded down the line. Poison Apple shivered in disgust as she did however.

Justitia looked back to Fluttershy. "There are many types of Justice, little idea. Not all are good ones. A criminal who can not be contained or rendered harmless being executed is justice, a criminal being imprisoned is justice, a vigilante taking down a criminal is justice...but a criminal willingly doing community service is also justice. Your friends seeking to atone for their crimes by saving the world is justice. Justice is atonement, it is punishment, it is closure for victims and ensuring crimes do not repeat ever again. Pinkie Pie is in Heaven right now, despite all her crimes. Do you know why? Because she spent the rest of her life atoning for what she'd done, desired that every SECOND she had left was spent making it up to others what she'd done. That is Justice. Had Fluttercruel done that, then we would not be having this conversation."

"But she said she was sorry! She said she was wrong! You keep IGNORING that! You monsters!"

"...What did she do right after she said that?"

Fluttershy gave a small gasp and looked down. "..."

"Say it, little sister"

"She was a filly! She didn't know any better!"

"Say it. What did she do?"

"...She tried to possess Twilight and continue the fight..."

"And was her Discording gone then?"

"...Yes..."

"Was her father encouraging her to do it?"

"...No..."

"Was anyone forcing her to do it?"

"...No... She was just being loyal to her father."

"That is the logic of Nightmare Manacle."

Fluttershy's face was the picture of dismay, unable to form a retort.

Judicium looked serious. "...I will make this simple. As Concept of Judgment...I have already heard your arguments, and theirs," he said, putting his wing out over the crowd. "...I find Fluttercruel, my niece...guilty of the crimes of which she is accused...But. It is your choice to decide how she is to be punished. But it is mine to say if it fits the crime. If you will not punish her, the line before you decides for you."

"That's blackmail."

"That is reality. It doesn't change my decision. No matter choice you make, Fluttercruel will face punishment for her choice. That is the reality all parents have to face. If it was blackmail, I would be trying to force one decision on you. I am not."

Fluttershy tapped Fluttershy on the head. "There she's punished."

"This is not a plea bargain," said the idea of Judgement.

"First in line-" Justice itself called.

"WAIT!" Nature begged.

"The punishment must fit the crime Fluttershy, a REAL punishment, not the kind the corrupt hand off to those they favor. Luna was reset because THAT was the best way to punish HER. Celestia was sentenced to always suffer the cycle of remembering because that was the best way to punish CELESTIA."

Judicium gave a sympathetic look. "I know as the Concept of Mercy and Kindness you cannot help but show it...But look at it this way; is it Kind to them not to have closure?" he asked, pointing to the crowd. "To not be able to have peace because their murderer got off without justice being done?"

Justitia said, "And you have overlooked a very simple reality. This is not about Cruelty just being punished or giving closure to her victims, it is about making Cruelty see the true reality of herself and her actions."

"...I am giving you the chance to give Cruelty SOME mercy," Judicium stated, simply. "Because she IS a child in many ways, and you ARE her guardian. But this does not magically make her crimes non-existent or trivial. This crowd will be far less merciful while remaining fair, but there are other acceptable punishments that will spare her some pain. And that is Mercy, is it not?"

"Of course, some pain might be exchanged for another, but some pain can be more constructive than others." Justitia added, just as simply. "So what say you? Will you show responsibility as a parent? Or do you seek just the idealized image of parenthood?"

"..." Fluttershy's wings flattened against her side, her head fell lower, her mane covering her face. She gave a sorrowful look at the assembled crowd, at her siblings...And sighed sadly as she finally looked to her daughter. "Fluttercruel, please come over to mommy."

Fluttercruel, terrified, but unable to resist, slowly trotted towards her parents.

"Mommy?"

"...Fluttercruel...I love you, I won't let these ponies hurt you...but they're right, you need to learn...And no matter how much I don't want to do this, I have to...This will hurt me, I'm not sure if I can honestly say if I will hurt worse...but I know I will hurt along with you..."

Fluttershy sighed with a heavy heart. "...Fluttercruel's punishment...is to be inserted into the timeline and...and..." Fluttershy began to cry. "...And live life under her father's rule...and..."

Judicium and Justitia came to her side to show what support they could.

"...live life as one of her victims...who suffered..."

Judicium nodded. "I will allow this punishment on one condition: she shall be a victim who lost the most. Who suffered the most. She shall be inserted into a family who was killed by her, and she shall be among the last. That way she knows the pain both of those she killed, those she left behind, and those who leave others behind. And unlike her father, she shall not regain her memories until she is in our presence again; her father devoured his mortal side, that will not be an option to her. She may be my niece, but Judgement is blind to such things."

Fluttershy sighed and gave a nod. "...That is her punishment..." The concept nuzzled her daughter. "...Fluttercruel...momma will be the first thing you see when you awaken again..." she said, a transparent horn forming that she touched to Fluttercruel's head, causing the child to fall asleep.

Fluttercruel's form turned into a ball of light, her outline turning to a shadow and dissolving into her. The ball floated to Fluttershy. Nature kissed Fluttercruel's light of existence goodbye. It floated over to Judgement.

The alicorn stallion's horn glowed, and the little light of existence shot like a shooting star into the starscape.

"It is done," Judicium said turning to the line of victims, "She will now experience the same evil she has done unto all of you. This is myself, this is Judgement."

"Return home." Justitia said, and in the next instant the star scape was completely empty, except for the filly with the thread and needle cutie mark.

"No," said the filly curtly.

"As you wish then," Judicium sighed at the filly.

Justitia turned and bowed at Fluttershy, "May we speak under kinder circumstances when again we meet, little idea."

"Indeed," Judicium spoke.

And like the line of creatures previously, the two Alicorns were gone.

"Huh? But wait! But what about . . . but what about her?" Fluttershy looked at the one remaining Earth pony.

The filly glared at Fluttershy. "She deserved a lot worse ya know. Much worse. She caused several lifetimes of pain, her getting one lifetime of pain in exchange is a cheat. You dang concepts, playing favorites. A flesh and blood pony who wasn't one of you who did all that would go straight to Pony Hell, no debate."

"She was a filly, just like you, and foals . . . they . . ." She hugged her wings, "they can be the worst monsters."

"No! She is not the same as me!"

"What's your name?"

"Stitches."

"You were a seamstress? I mean, going to be- that is-" Fluttershy felt herself shoot herself in the hoof.

The filly shook her head. "My special talent wasn't sewing cloth together, it was stitching ponies back up."

"Oh. So you had to cut or hurt ponies sometimes, but to heal their wounds?"

"No, I was the apprentice of an evil mad scientist who wanted to create another Frankeinpony monsters- YES I helped ponies stitching their injuries back together."

"...I know it seems unfair, that Fluttercruel was treated special...But let me ask you this...was it a burden knowing that pony's life was depended on the needle in your teeth? That if you did one wrong move, they could die?"

"Of course it was a burden!...But I liked the feeling of knowing 'they're alive because of me'...That I saved their life...But it was stressful... I wasn't supposed to be doing so much, but there was nopony else to help out. There were always so many ponies that needed help, and there were so few of us . . . so few."

"...A Concept carries a burden as well...but unlike a mortal's burden, Eternal Rest is forbidden to Concepts...Fluttercruel is a Concept now, even if me and Discord are as well...Pinkie Pie is in Heaven, but she can't ever join her. Her mortal family will be in Heaven, but she can never join them...I suppose in that way, this punishment is even worse...I...I gave her a family she can never truly be with again, only have moments of speaking with them..."

"...Do you regret it?"

"...I can't, even if I wanted to...A Concept can't regret and that is another part of our burden..."

"Sounds like a cheat to me. And are you even really a concept?"

"...It would be a cheat if we could feel regret...because now we have the power to change the past. If a Concept could say 'I wish I'd done this instead of that'...they actually could go back and change it. And then a Concept would never learn from their mistake, they'd just keep undoing their mistakes...So a Concept has to live with each and every choice they make, knowing they could change it, but being incapable of considering the possibility."

"REAL fair to the ponies who suffer from those mistakes. And if a concept can make mistakes, then they're no different from a mortal with too much power on their hooves!"

"Concepts can't make mistakes within themselves, since once they decide something is that way, it was always that way, so it's physically impossible for them to be wrong, but that only applies to their own concept, not to the infinite number of concepts outside of it. And undoing a -concept's- mistakes means undoing reality, and that means undoing the ponies within it, is that fair?

"...But that is also part of the burden...Every choice we make, whether we fix it with another choice, or it was a bad choice...We need to make absolutely sure we're truly making good changes, good choices...if our needle slips, it doesn't just end one life...it could end thousands..."

The little pastel pony sighed.

"No matter how old or worn my dolls would get, I'd always stitch them back together. Even if I had to let them go I'd stitch them back together first, it felt like surrendering if I didn't. Then one day, I was looking at one of mom's patients, who had been caught in a silverware storm, and I couldn't bear to just stand there, and took my sewing kit and began to stitch all his hurts closed."

"And then came your cutie mark as soon as you were done?"

"No. It came when I looked at all the other ponies hurt, and thought to myself I wasn't done. 'Do you really want to stitch ALL of them?' I asked myself, 'There are so many.' My cutie mark came when I said 'yes' in return.

"My mom was a doctor, my father a tailor. Our family used to live in a thousand year old building in the middle of the Chaos Capital Ponyville. My brother took time to talk to the equinquins in case they used to be ponies.

"We got driven out at random one day by Rarigreed and her golems. The crazy mare kept screaming we were trespassing and it was all hers. We had to start over from nothing."

"You still had each other."

"Life was always a burden to us, that's how it was. But we welcomed it. Or we took it without whining. Struggles make you stronger dad said. I saw ponies who were broken shells that sat there or trotted about aimlessly.

"They didn't ever care what happened to them or anypony. Dad made me look at them, and told me never to be like them.

"Then the giant walking blender grabbed him and tossed him inside and set itself to low speed . . . the last thing he said was mom's name... then it offered me a smoothy of... of-, 'Try stitching THAT back together,' Discord laughed, 'It's not Sass Squash, but I'm sure it tastes fatherly.' "

"Discord then began firing a bazooka, candy came out of the explosion, not harming anyone. 'Free candy!' He shouted. Some very hungry foals came close, he fire more rockets. One exploded, and was full of shrapnel.

"'Oops! Sorry! Some have free spikes, not like mine of course,' he laughed. My mother and I were pulling the small bits out of metal of the survivors for days. We, didn't have time to grieve!"

"I'm sorry. Your family was very noble."

"Some called us the 'Prolongers of Pain' and that we secretly worked for Discord. Some Apple Pie Family ponies seemed to appreciate us though...before he died dad always respected them, that they'd never quit... With dad gone . . . mom knew we were all she'd have left after she was gone, her whole life became teaching us, her foals, everything she knew. She became harsh, making sure we'd know everything she did. When she healed ponies, she was like a machine."

"And mothers must be harsh sometimes...that is a fact I have had to accept...I'm sorry you had to see that..."

"I thought you couldn't feel regret."

"Regret and guilt, sympathy and empathy, are all different things. Sympathy, empathy, guilt? I can feel those things, My Mother is Empathy embodied after all and the Major Arcana all live mortal lives to develop Empathy for mortals, and gain the ability to sympathize with them...If we could not feel guilt, then we would not be able to care we made a mistake or the wrong choice enough not to make it again...But this isn't about me, it's about you...And I'm sorry for the suffering you've endured."

"What did you DO about it?"

"Everything I could! I TRIED to speak to my daughter, so many times! But . . . she couldn't hear word."

"You should have tried harder."

"I did! And then I tried even harder! . . . It was never enough."

The faded color filly didn't respond. "That was the story of everypony Discord sat on for the fun of it."

"I know."

"Discord noticed the change in how mom acted too . . . the night came where he turned her into a clockwork pony. She just kept doing our lessons and being a doctor to ponies who needed it, but we had to help her whenever she had to learn something new or had to break from her routine. I wonder deep down, if Discord really did like that we kept his playthings alive, if we really were just making ponies more unhappy by not letting them escape Discord the only way any of us could now with Avalon gone. Great-grandma told me, when she was a little girl, she heard the old ponies say that Discord was contained to just Equestria because of Queen Cadence and Queen Tiamat and their changelings and dragons. But with Avalon gone, Discord spread to the rest of the world."

"I wasn't around after that."

"Then came the day, Fluttercruel found us. 'Hey! I worked hard making all those carvings! How DARE YOU erase them all! You're gonna get it now!' She tore my mother apart . . . she then put herself back together and got back to work like the ticks of a clock. Cruelty did this a few more times, more frustrated and angry, ripping more into smaller pieces, but she'd always just piece herself back together one cog and gear at a time. One of my brothers, Goodwork, laughed at it . . . Angry Pie found him.

"It became part of mom's routine, but when that ... winged creature with the face of a pegasus came again . . . she put a rain cloud above mother . . . it rained WATER . . . saltwater. 'There! I'll take away the raincloud if you stop undoing all my artwork! You philistine! Or have fun rusting!'
Mom didn't stop. Not for an instant. Even when we tried to stop her she didn't. She just continued her lessons and her work . . . We actually tried to oil her, but it just washed off without doing anything. Until, in the middle of a procedure . . . she just, stopped. I had to finish the surgery. Then she fell apart . . . and stayed that way. The raincloud didn't leave the spot until . . . there was nothing for us to even bury."

The pastel pony whimpered, tears in her eyes.

The cream pegasus put a wing over her. "...Your mother was a strong pony...It takes a lot of resolve to refuse to quit helping others even if it costs you your life..."

"I'd love to know that, instead of thinking she was just a machine doing what she was now programmed to."

"...I am Mercy and Kindness...every act of it is in my presence...has always been, even before...before I became as I am now...I can feel your mother's acts of kindness and mercy as easily as you can feel a leaf landing on your head...And they didn't stop until she died...I can't tell you what her mental state was, but I know this; her heart was in it."

The filly nuzzled her, "Thank you."

"What were your parents names?"

"Patchwork, and Charity Work, I didn't like how some ponies began calling her Clockwork. . . . After our parents were gone, we just kept going, it was the only thing in the world we had left of them. This didn't make the pegasus demon all that happy. My oldest brother, Hardwork, offered to be Angry Pie's new apprentice if she'd spare us. She strangled him saying 'I like Angry Pie, not Fake Angry Pie that comes out whenever she has one of those brats with her. You won't corrupt any friend of mine.' That was only the beginning."

"...Discord...he's sorry for what he did..."

"Yeah, I know...his sister, Pandora I think came to each of us who died or lost someone because of him with a handwritten apology from him..."

"I'm sure he'd have-"

"I know, it included the lines 'I'm sorry, I'd deliver this in person but I'm being punished for what I did to you right now and I deserve it', along with a detailed list of everything he did to my family...it was kind of shocking to be honest...to see the big bad evil overlord send me an apology and said he deserved to be punished for it... AND HE DID!"

Fluttershy couldn't argue that. "...Could you perhaps continue? Let's leave Discord's punishment to his family...they're doing an ok job of it..." 'By their standards...'

" . . . That Nag. She said if we had a drop of common sense, or survival instinct, we'd stop what were doing, undoing all her 'hard work' we'd stop undoing all her 'creativity.' We moved away from the chaos capital, to Cloudsdale, Sweetrock Acres, Upside-Left Town, we split up, came back together, and split up again. We hoped she'd just forget about us and move onto something else. But no, we had become a CHALLENGE for her, something to hold her attention. She didn't do it in any particular order, just whatever her impulses told her to. We were a game to her: we weren't ponies. We were just pictures on a dartboard to her . . . When I was born, I was the youngest of five, when dad died, I was the big sister of three more. It ... it wasn't that strange, ponies who had children knew their chances of growing up were slim.

"There were seven of us left when we left Chaos Captial Ponyville. . . . And that number kept getting smaller . . . and smaller. She'd tear to shreds anyone who got in her way. And she did it quickly to them, that was the scary part...so long as there was one of us left, she had no interest in anypony else...Oh, she enjoyed killing them, but she didn't relish it...she couldn't play with any other toys until she'd broken the ones she'd decided to play with...

"Then there were only three of us left. My two younger siblings, Fair Work, my youngest, she was already gone. We were scared to stay with anyone...knowing if we did, she'd just go right through them... She had stopped killing us on the spot long ago . . . instead, she took us, to the castle . . . and we never knew what became of them. She came for me in the middle of the night, all thirteen seconds of it. I never saw my sisters again...Anything of this ringing bells yet?"

"I told you . . . after Avalon was destroyed, I wasn't with Fluttercruel anymore." Fluttershy didn't say how she had hoped for death's sweet embrace to take her and her daughter by that time.

Stitches Work sighed. "...She told me when she got me that 'you're the one who was doing most of the erasing, weren't you? You and your mother...Hehe, oh, this is going to be so much fun!' I'd have been insulted if I didn't know I was going to die. ALL of my siblings helped ponies out! I knew it wouldn't end with me, my little sisters were going to be next.

"The entry way into the castle, I remembered it for the rest of my life, no matter how much I didn't want to, it was like all of Lord Discord's games squeezed into one hallway, the things I saw . . . she actually let me lay on the carpet in a fetal position in shock for a bit until she whined Twilight Tragedy into fixing me enough so I could appreciate what came next. Her playroom."

Stitches couldn't stop shivering even when Fluttershy held her close, they rode out the flashbacks together.

"Inside . . . she . . . introduced me to my brothers and sisters . . . 'Come on! Give your baby sister a kiss!' She laughed, pressing the skull against my face, 'Don't be shy, she tastes great! I know!' "

"Stop." Fluttershy said, "Please stop. You don't need to say anymore. Please. Please stop."

"C-can't h-handle, what the monster t-that came out of you did?" Stitches asked.

"It's hurting you to repeat all this."

"S-she cut me so I couldn't move my legs, but I could still feel everything. She even put me in a dress a few times and dragged me around the room, tossing me in the closet whenever Liarjack or Angry Pie visited. She wanted me all to herself. The only time I saw any of the other Chaos Six being involved was when she asked Tragedy for advice on 'how to keep a pony alive as long as possible'...I knew I was never going to see the sky again, but that was when I realized, this was only going to end when she let it end. So I tried to cheat her and bite my own tongue off . . . kept me stable long enough for Rargireed and Tragedy to save my life, she cut my jaw's motor controls from then on. She'd put me in a diaper and sowed a wig on my head after shaving my mane if she was feeling-"

"Please stop!"

"She cut away at me, piece by piece, slowly, making sure to cauterize the wound each time so I didn't bleed out. She put salt on her blades, both to prevent infection...and to make it hurt even more when I was cut, until half the time she spent on me was just to keep what was left of me alive. I lost all track of time. She'd ramble on about the other Chaos Six, Angry Pie, and Discord who she talked about like she had a crush on him. That room, and her, became the entire universe. But every time I started to retreat into insanity, she'd remind me the moment I stopped being fun, she'd go find one of my siblings to start playing with. It became another part of the torture, keeping my mind together or she'd discard me. My family was the only thing that kept me from turning into a masochist doll of hers. But it got harder, she had to spend more time keeping what little was left alive, and-"

"NO MORE PLEASE!" Flutterchy cried, literally cried, moving her hooves to her folded ears. "This is killing you all over again! It's killing me! I understand! I've ALWAYS understood! My baby was a monster, whose father was a monster! The only reason he's not STILL a monster is because a BIGGER monster MADE HIM feel loss for so many years only the ELDERS can count! I knew death was the only way to stop her if I couldn't speak to her! I saw what she did to you a hundred times over with so many other innocent sapient creatures! Ponies, humans, dragons, didn't matter! As long as they could feel pain! She loved Diamond Dogs BECAUSE they could hold out against pain for so long and she could play longer with them! I had to WATCH HER grow from a tiny monster I could have saved into something as ugly and obscene as her father! And I am sorry!!!"

"Don't be . . . please... she made all the mistakes. Not you...She tortured you too...she tortured you longer than anyone else..."

"And . . . the worst part is, if she had just said she was sorry, that she'd never do it again, that she'd help instead of hurt and meant it, I'd have still forgiven her, on the spot . . . And my baby never did."

Stitches nuzzled her, pressing herself against the much larger pony's body. She began crying too. "I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry. She loved you, but all she did her entire life was hurt you. How could anypony call themselves your daughter after doing that?"

Fluttershy hugged her and folded her wings around her, feeling ashamed at turning to a foal for comfort when it should have been the other way around. "...And even if she's the Concept of Cruelty, there's more kinds than Cruelty towards innocents, right?"

"...Right...Concepts are all parts of it...Anarchy isn't only the bloodshed of Revolution, Rancor isn't just Violence against the innocent and all consuming Revenge...Anarchy is Freedom, he's the Oppressed Freeing themselves, Rancor is Violence to PROTECT the innocent, Revenge even when it's just settling for punching someone once and leaving it at that...I'm not just Mercy for good, but Cruel Mercy to punish evil...Cruelty would also be Cruel to be Kind, Cutting Off The Limb To Save the Bo-"

"Please, no more words." Stitches whispered. "Just no more words."

The two ponies just hugged outside the cottage in the middle of the starscape, alone together, and closed their eyes. Listening to each other's heartbeats, sharing each other's warmth, feeling their coat against the other, the rhythm of their breathing. None of it was 'real', they were both spirits, ideas, they weren't flesh and blood. But the expression those gestures and feelings had, couldn't have been more real. Perhaps even more real than it would have been. No physical time to get in the way. To call them away from each other.

Fluttershy couldn't help feeling like a mother holding their child...even if she knew this wasn't her baby girl...It just felt right.

And the little filly coat became a yellowish gray, her mane became magenta, a pair of yellow wings, one larger than the other grew from her back, one leg changed into a lioness' paw, and another into a kimono dragon. Her cutie mark, changed into a heart shape formed out of curved blades.

Fluttershy felt the feathers, and opened her eyes. "Stitches? . . . "

Blue slit eyes opened, and looked up at her, "Hi mom, I'm back."

"F-Fluttercruel?"

"Mom, you are so dense. I thought you'd figure it out the second I was the only one left."

"But-but you were there, in the line, from the beginning, did you possess Stitches or something? Share her life?"

Fluttercruel slammed her lioness' paw into her face. "No . . . I was always Stitches. It was my life . . . And I stole it from myself all for some cheap thrill! . . . You know what? . . . When I was finally dying, I didn't waste it on her, I thought about my family. She was some twisted unknown horror, like a force of nature almost, something you couldn't reason with, like a shark-tornado. I wanted to be with my family when I met the Thestrals, but they said I couldn't. They wouldn't even explain why. They told me about payback on the monster who hurt me and my family. Then I was in the line. I was in the presence of those two Alicorns. AND I HATED HER BUCKING GUTS!" The dam burst. "BUCKING NAG HAD A CHOICE! SHE DESERVED EVERY SINGLE THING SHE GOT! STUPID NAG! ALL SHE EVER BUCKING DID WAS HURT EVERYPONY AROUND HER! She loved her dad? That was HER excuse for hurting MY family and everyone else?! Oh, and I CHEERED Rarity! Cheered her for putting down the mad dog twice! I took back every bad thing I ever said about her! ...And I thanked you for trapping her so the rest could end that menace once and for all!"

Fluttershy was horrified to hear such self-hatred, such language, come out of her filly's mouth. "Fluttercruel, please stop, do you, do you hate me and your father now?"

"I CAN'T!" The filly hybrid fell back to her backlegs and ran her paw along her foreleg, leaving cuts behind. "That's the worst part! I DID IT! I DID ALL OF IT! I CAN'T MAKE EXCUSES BECAUSE I KNOW WHY I DID EVERY SECOND OF IT! I MURDERED MY MOTHER! I TORTURED TO DEATH MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS! ALL BECAUSE THE ONLY THING I SAW WHERE TOYS WHO WOULDN'T BEHAVE LIKE TOYS!" She dug her claws in deeper.

"Fluttercruel stop!" Her magic levitated the filly, willing some bandages and disinfectant into existence and treating the claw marks. She looked down in horror at the wound...even after admitting her baby had done such horrible things...she was still her baby who'd just wounded herself in a fit of self loathing... "Don't hurt yourself . . . please don't hurt yourself . . . it's done. It's finished. It's over. You've been punished enough now. It's through now. You don't need to inflict more pain on yourself."

"My family, I did it to them! Me! No one else, mama. No one else even KNEW what I was doing! Applejack didn't know! Rainbow Dash didn't know! Pinkie didn't know! Rarity didn't know! Twilight didn't! Even DAD DIDN'T!...It was all me...There wasn't a law saying 'ponies who heal others die', they just clopped me off and...Oh the Elders...the law..." The foal sunk to her hunches. "The one law in that whole chaotic hellhole! All those ponies who died for practicing magic and for what?! So I could kill them! So I could make the OTHERS kill them WITH me!...Dad wanted NO LAWS, but I MADE him make a law just so I could kill MORE ponies...Dad didn't really want to hurt ponies anymore...he hurt ponies when we were together, when Eclipse let him off his leash...not because he wanted to...but because I wanted to...Rarity was right...I was alone...and I thought the problem was with everypony else but it wasn't...it was with me...it always was..." Cruelty started sobbing and Fluttershy hugged her and let her cry into her fur.

It seemed all the little filly could do was cry. And all the mother could do was hug her and let her cry. So that was all they did for so long.

The filly whispered . . . "The . . . the worst part is . . . none of it would have been possible if not for Nightmare Paradox turning everything into soup. The living DO work on the law of conservation of matter . . . the same soul shouldn't be able to exist in two places at once . . . but Nightmare Paradox changed the rules . . . or . . . that's how . . .that's how I think it is . . . maybe? I dunno. I don't know anything. I never did."

"Hush now, quiet now-

"Mama, don't, no . . . I . . . I don't deserve your love."

"You are not permitted to say that young lady," Fluttershy said her voice never raising or becoming harsh in the slightest.

"Cruelty isn't something that should ever be loved."

A massive winged and horned shadow rose from behind the Pegasus, glowing cyan eyes gazing down upon the two as she spoke, the shadow extending from Fluttershy, or maybe Cruelty's mother was extended from the 'shadow', Fluttershy's voice took on a slight echoing tone as she spoke.

"I am Compassion, Fluttercruel, I decide what deserves it and what does not...Nothing deserves Compassion or Kindness, or Mercy, because you don't earn them. Father says Forgiveness is to be given. Venus declares love is to be given. And I, the Queen of Cups, say that Compassion, Mercy, and Kindness are to be given."

Fluttercruel opened her mouth to talk...then sighed. "...I literally cannot argue with that..."

"I'm sorry dear. I don't mean to be so forceful, but I'm your mother, I'm not allowed to let you hurt yourself, or continue to torture yourself now that the punishment is over."

"...Dad's still being killed over and over, why should his punishment be longer than mine when he had MORE reason to do what he did than me?"

"His reason was not having a reason, he did it because there was no reason to do it except his own pleasure...I know that sounds overly judgmental, but he sang multiple songs about it...And you only took one thousand years plus an...unfortunately short lifetime to realize you were wrong, he took several trillion years."

"Tell that to ponies who took only a few decades to realize they were wrong about something."

"And you, in a thousand years, were still but a child half-deity. If a race of ponies that lived only twelve years, but became able to think and reason when they were four years old, does that make them not responsible for their actions when they die? Fluttercruel, I know I'm overgeneralizing a little, but the reality remains. Your punishment is OVER NOW, Judgment and Justice themselves AGREED it fit the crime. You've LEARNED YOUR LESSON. That was the point of all this, and I've learned my lesson too...I love you, Fluttercruel, and you love me too...I don't think either of us wants to see the other beat themselves up...So lets say lesson learned and move on, ok?"

"...Yeah...Thank you mama." She nuzzled Fluttershy.

"You're welcome dear." She nuzzled her daughter back.

Fluttercruel paused, looking out thoughtfully at the starscape... "I've been punished . . . but I don't know if I've been forgiven."

"I'm sure they'd say punishment and being forgiven are two separate things. But for now, please, I beg you, just be my baby, be my little foal, so I can teach you how wonderful it is to help life grow."

"Alright mama . . ." Fluttercruel whispered. "...Please, can we go to one place first?"

" . . . Depends on the place dear."

+

The filly Fluttercruel stood in front of Pony Heaven, and Pony Heaven looked down upon her in utter calm, not a trace of hostility upon it. Its form was that of an infinite sized Alicorn, that was made up of the sky, with countless stars within it. But those weren't stars.

Fluttershy stood behind her, as close as she dared be for this.

Fluttercruel actually felt a little sickly being so close to this place, half her blood twisted at this presence. She worried her blood would turn to stone if she got too close.

"Everypony. Please. I'm here. Please, let me see you."

"Do Not Fear Child. They Shall," Pony Heaven itself spoke.

Ten stars, all different colors and compositions, came from within the starscape, as they got closer to the edge, the threshold, they took on the shapes of ponies.

Fluttercruel recognized them all.

"Mom, dad, Fairwork and Farework, Hardwork, Goodwork, Dreamwork, Lovelywork, Kindwork, Artwork. Uh . . . Hello?"

Fluttershy couldn't take this. She didn't give a flying feather if this moment was private or not!

"Why hello there! It's so wonderful to meet all of you! Our daughter has told me so much about all of you! It's nice to be able to meet you all in person. This is very nice to have us all together like this. I must say it is an honor!"

Charity Work blinked. "Well . . . then I must say it is an honor to meet you too." Her voice sounded a bit awkward.

Fluttercruel tried to make herself look smaller. "Mom....Er...ok...lets just get this out of the way, how will you two know which mom I'm referring to?" she then gave a nervous chuckle...

Fluttershy blinked. "...Good point...Um...Father...I'm assuming this happens to You and Mother a lot..."

"Not As Often As You Think." Everypony shuddered at The Father of Alicorns actually responding to that one.

Fluttershy sighed, and looked back to Charity Work. "Look...I just wish to say, that you did a wonderful and exceptional job of raising her under unfair circumstances, and she held onto everything you taught her to the very end." Fluttershy said hugging her child.

"Um...yes..." Charity Work replied, rubbing her head. "...I suppose all I can say is...thank you for saving her, you stopped her from repeating her mistakes when you could, and thank you for giving her to me, she was always a joy as my daughter."

"W-wh-wha-wha-WHAT?" Fluttercruel was shocked to her core. She'd expected shock, panic...not...not this... "MOM!? YOU KNOW?! I'm sorryI'msorryI'msorryI'msorryI'msorry!" She grovelled on the 'ground.' She looked to the rest of her family. "I-I-I...I'm sorry..." She closed her eyes, looking down.

She felt a hoof be placed gently on her shoulder...from the opposite 'direction' of Fluttershy. She looked up into the smiling face of her other mother. "Baby it's okay, I forgive you, we all forgive you." Charity Work reached out, and nuzzled her child across the threshold of heaven.

"Y-you all do? That's all? Nothing to it?" Her saw her family all nod. "But-But-But-"

"What? Were you expecting some quest? Baby, it's alright, you were hurt as much as any of us. It doesn't make sense for us to hurt you for that. You're forgiven Stitches, mommy forgives you, we all do."

Fluttercruel broke down in tears. "T-thank you, mama." She was then hug tackled by her eight siblings...and returned it as gently as she could. Their laughter echoed everywhere.

"And thank you," Fluttershy said, "For helping my baby girl."

"I would never do anything less." Charity Work smiled back. "And before you say I'm a better mother, which I can tell by the look on your face you're wanting to, you tried hard to reach her no matter how hopeless it seemed, fighting uphill against her father's taint. And you still made a difference. We're both her mothers, we both want what's best for her...and we've both done our best. So in my book, we both did good."

"And as her father, seriously, thank you for giving her the tough love she needed." Patchwork said to the point.

"Oh, well, welcome." Fluttershy nodded, blushing brightly. She felt like a mother at an old family reunion, she was grateful for something so natural and warm for her foal. It made her as a mother and the rest of her she was a part of proud.

The Father of Alicorns merely smiled proudly down at His children, and grandchild.

Fluttercruel shed tears of joy. Heavy weights lifting from her heart. She knew she'd have to go home eventually. She knew this moment was finite of the finite, and could never repeat. She was a concept, and this was forever denied her in its true form. But this moment, she was reminded, she was loved. And she would never forget it, and for that she was grateful. She would be true to all her family.

And she heard her mothers sing.

Hush now, quiet now
It's time to lay your sleepy head
Hush now, quiet now
It's time to go to bed

"Drifting off to sleep
The exciting day behind you"
Let the joy of dreamland find you"

~New Beginnings

Episode 118.5 ("Dark World" Rise Of The Alicorn): Fluttercruel's Punishment

Episode 119: ("Dark World" Alicorn Rising) Welcome Home

Pony POV Series Dark World Alicorn Ascension
My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic
Chapter 34
Welcome Home
By Alex Warlorn
Edited by Louis and Kendell2

"But...I thought..." I tried to ask the blue Alicorn.

"That Paradox overwrote me Twilight? She tried," Trixie explained, giving a smile. "After she won, I faced trials much like you did. And I accepted becoming a Concept."

"And the Trixie from the current timeline?"

"We are two leaves on the same tree, nothing more. I became a Concept in a previous timeline, every Trixie since has been different from me. Abbatissa said you were the only Major Arcana born from a mortal, not the first Alicorn born that way."

Trixie took a deep breath. "Twilight...do not assume becoming a Concept means your mortal life, your mortal connections will mean nothing. As the Concept of Magic, that includes the Magic of Friendship. But there are certain things a mortal is allowed that a Concept is not. Concepts cannot feel regret. We can feel sadness for our actions, but wishing we could take them back is something of which we are incapable. If you become a Concept, you will become the Perfect embodiment of that Concept."

"I will be Perfect?"

"Not Perfection as a whole...just Perfection of your Concept. For example; I am the Perfect Trickery, and I've been behind you the entire time."

I blinked, turning behind me to find her standing there. I jumped. "But I thought..."

They chuckled, the Trixie that had been behind me turned into light and reunited with the one I'd been speaking with. "I never said I wasn't in front of you as well."

I chuckled a little.

She then looked grave. "Twilight, if you become a Concept, it does mean giving up parts of yourself...including many of your mortal values. You'll see the world from before is really so small."

"Will I stop valuing all my friendships? My mortal friends?" I asked quietly. The image of a cold goddess, impassive and indifferent as an asteroid in space, rose to my mind.

That got a laugh out of Trixie. "You, especially, have no reason to worry about THAT. Remember: You'll be magic, and friendship IS magic. And if it wasn't, you'll be able to just say it is!"

She grinned at me.

"So I imagine you will still love your friends and hold their friendships dear. Again, since Friendship Is Magic, for all intents and purposes you will also BE Friendship, itself."

"THAT actually sounds fun!"

"As a Concept, it's impossible to predict exactly what personality traits you'll end up gaining and losing. For example: I, myself, had to give up a considerable portion of my vanity, because Trickery does not believe itself infallible. Ironic, given Morning Star."

"And you're all the better for it!" I say cheerily.

"Indeed, I am! But...my mortal family resides within my Father. While I may speak with them with His permission...I can never truly join them, ever. Really think this choice through, Twilight Sparkle. Because if you don't want it, if you're doing this merely because you think it's expected of you...well then, that'll be the one and only thing you WILL be able to truly regret as a god."

"Why'd YOU do it, then, Trixie?"

Trixie closed her eyes with a soft smile.

"Cadence forced Alicornhood on me when I was an empty shell of a pony, she woke me up to friendship's truths, rather unpleasantly. But I still never valued my biological family the way I should have as a mortal. I didn't take the chance to just move onto death when offered to take the trials. Maybe I wanted to become more than I was. Maybe I wanted to repay Cadence. Maybe it was just a power grab. Maybe I wanted to face your Nightmare Eclipse self again if given the chance to save the world. Maybe now that I could see the errors I'd made, I wanted to help others stop from making the same mistakes. Maybe it was to help you. But it wasn't until afterwards that proper appreciation for my mortal family came. But no matter how many times I say 'it was worth it', the question you need to answer is this; will this ascension be worth it to YOU?

"They'll be no turning back. To me, it was worth it. But if it's not to you, don't do it. I know that seems black and white, but that's the question you need to answer; will it be worth it to you?"

I paused to think. I think I'd thought about it for three years before I finally made my choice.

"You keep saying this should be about me, and what I want. But that's not the kind of spirit I'd want to be...When me and my friends all joined together to free the world from Discord, and then to keep Nightmare Paradox from making all our effort meaningless, I felt joy at the idea of those ponies freed from misery and able to experience just a bit more happiness and life if they chose to. And I want to share that joy. Unmake me and create me as a Concept."

Abbatissa sighed and decreed: "Then as the High Priestess Alicorn, I unlock your untapped wisdom and power, and gift you with the touch of my magic as well, and open the doorway for you to be recreated." The Alicorn of Prayer kissed me on the forehead.

And Fauna Luster, erm, well, she, I might be blushing, uh...she let me in.

I returned to where I came from. And I, Twilight Sparkle, for all intents and purposes ceased to exist, and I the Alicorn didn't 'come into being', I always was.

I was returned to what I was born from, untangled into yarn and then I was rewoven from the thread up. Abbatissa hadn't been joking. I really did have to die to be born again. You could almost say, (as Pinkie Pie said, she kept sneaking in to say hi, don't ask, she's Pinkie Pie), I was 'unbaked', She changed the recipe, and was cooked again.

I spent billions of years within Mother Fauna Luster, adjusting to being an absolute part of the cosmos. You don't remake a mortal pony into a concept and just send them on their way. No I wasn't imprisoned, Mother Fauna Luster is everywhere, so I was everywhere.

My brothers and sisters Alicorn stood in a circle according to the numerical order of the Major Arcana as I finally pushed my way out. Waves of pleasure and happiness rippled across Alicorns everywhere and those born of an Alicorn parent, Mother Fauna Luster was in joy. Yes, Cadence was there too. So was Anasi, with the rest of the known Minor Arcana (No, I'm not telling who was there, the Shadows-Who-Watch need some surprises), as were Pinkie and Fluttershy, little Fluttercruel holding her hoof. I exchanged smiles with them as I emerged. And when I did, I sent shockwaves across creation.

= big giant circles - Chivalry Begins =

I stood proud, spreading my wings. "With the rainbow of light in one hoof. And the rainbow of darkness in the other, I do not write the rules, I do not oversee the rules, I am the rules! I AM MAGIC!"

"MY LITTLE PONY, I GIVE YOU YOUR NAME: PRINCESS AMICITIA ZORYA SPES EQUESTRIA. THAT IS WHO YOU ARE, YOU WERE, AND WHO YOU SHALL BE."

"Princess...Amicitia Zorya Spes Equestria..." Just the arrangement of syllables alone was enough to make me laugh for joy. "There are those who said magic is telling creation what to do in words it can't refuse. They are wrong. Magic is not bullying the universe. It is guiding it along down the road you wish for it."

I am magic. I have said this. So it is so. And with it, I suddenly look back to my Mother, and truth dawns on me.

"I...I finally understand it all. How choices and destiny can march side by side, not as enemies but as partners. Same as life and death. Beginnings and endings...the sun and the moon. And I understand. I FINALLY AND FULLY! Fauna Luster and BDZCM. I understand you. I understand how and WHY you love! Why you ACTUALLY love! Just a little bit better. Not perfectly, for I am not the perfect understanding. I am the Perfect Magic."

My present family all stomped and clapped their hooves.

Rota Fortuna looks very satisfied.

Abbatissa looks apologetically at me.

Pensilis face was still, tears came down his face.

Trixie/Anasi is smiling as wide as she can. "Welcome to the family, little sister."

Fluttercruel seems a little scared, uncertain at the sight of me. Fluttershy smiles to me and nuzzles her daughter to comfort her. Pinkie asks the Alicorns if we can have a birthday party for me. I was only a few seconds old after all.

Cadence comes close and nuzzles me, "Sunshine, sunshine."

I nuzzled back, "Ladybugs awake, clap your hooves."

"And do a little shake. Twilight, no, Amicitia. My little sister."

"Twilight, please," I say, but it felt like a toddlerhood nickname now.

"I want you to know, I'm so happy to have you as a member of our family and-and-" Cadence stops herself, she looks sad? No, ashamed. Of what? She gently nuzzled me, covering me with her wings. It's simply for me to fold my wings around her at the same time. She must have seen the look on my own face, she said, "You don't fixate on things that haven't happened yet. I won't fixate on things that already have happened. I already know you're going to be a wonderful goddess, 'Twilight Sparkle.'"
+
I spent some time getting to know my siblings. We were family after all, and they wanted to welcome me. But eventually, I had to go. Waiting back home I still had friends and a responsibility. But I wasn't the only Alicorn with unfinished business.

"Amicitia, Twilight, may speak to you for a moment before you leave?"

Anasi/Trixie stood behind me, with one of those playful but caring smirks only she and Puerilis seemed capable of. "Yes, Anasi?"

"It's been a mark of accomplishment in my eyes that I was capable of leaving a mark on you before, but you said it yourself; what point is a grudge once the enemy has become a friend?"

I blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Anasi then gave me a nuzzle to the left side of my face. I felt magic flowing as I returned it. I was magic.

She pulled back. "I forgive you, that's what I mean, you're free of it."

I felt lighter.

"...Thank you, Anasi..." I said as I cried.

"What are sisters for?" She smiled with me.

As Clover, Meadowlark was the only sibling I had known. As Twilight I sometimes had the fantasy of Cadence as my sister, or maybe Celestia as another mother . . . but I never dreamed the day would come when Trixie would be my sister, or that I couldn't be happier for it! I hugged her! Our horns glowed and the stars danced around us.

However long later I noticed something floating in her telekinesis. "Huh?"

"Just something else I wanted to show you," she said, showing me the same Magician Card that Rota had shown me before...but now with my picture on it. I looked beautiful. "You earned it, little sister. Happy birthday."
+
I decided making my friends wait till the apocalypse for me to come out of my shell would be kinda sorta really heartless of me. So I repossessed my body a few minutes after Princess, heh, my big sister Luna had finished explaining everything. I didn't MEAN to knock them all off their hooves when I transformed my body, it just sorta happened.

"Baby sister!" Princess Celestia cheered as she flew up and hugged me before the light from the explosion had faded.

Yeah, Celestia called me 'Baby sister' even though she's the foal right now.

"Hey everypony, and Spike," I smiled awkwardly at them, "I'm back!"

Seven jaws hit the floor.

"Welcome back, you're beautiful...'baby sister.'" Princess Luna smirked.

"Don't you start too."

"Half-Light! Yer..." Apple Pie rushed towards me to give me a hug, and skidded to a halt, looking up at me with awestruck eyes, "Yer, yer big." I smiled and rubbed her head lightly.

"She's about average size for an adult Alicorn," my night sister said calmly.

Applejack said, "Twili, is that really ya?"

"It's me. Your friend." I nuzzle Applejack.

Spike looked at me and said drolly, "Well this is embarrassing, I thought I was the big and strong one who got to protect you now. Geeze."

"That is not all you contribute, Spike, and you did protect me, and us. Several times, you brilliant dragon don't sell yourself short. Derpy! Stop with the genuflecting," I said, while Rainbow Dash fainted, and Rarity caught her in her chaise lounge, and immediately set to work reviving her.

Minty Pie surprisingly didn't faint, she looked up to me and said. " I guess the Minty we came from will live forever now."

I didn't ask how she knew, she'd looked into Truth after all. I nuzzled her. "Minty will live forever."

"Just look at you, dear! You're naked! No good for an Alicorn! We have to do something about this at once!" Rarity cut herself across her side.

"Rarity! You don't need-" Too late, her blood crystalized, and shaped how she saw fit, and with telekinesis slipped on a crown shaped like the tiara of the element of Magic, and created pieces of Alicorn armor shaped for me perfectly and slipped them on me. Of course my symbol would be the Element of Magic. Rarity had shaped a ruby in the crown and peytral to match. My new armor had more artistic flourish to it with more flowing contours. It was also snow white that didn't feel so ironic anymore.

"Rarity, you're still quite a fashion genius."

Rarity gave an over-dramatic bow. "Perhaps it's not too late to reopen my boutique."

Apple Pie finally asked, "Half-Light, how's yer mane movin' when there ain't a wind? And why is it all glowy and looks like the colors the sky's been for a while on the ends?"

"Those are the colors of twilight. And the leylines are what move my mane."

"Ley-what? Oh yeah, Magica talked about those. Magic-world-line-thingies."

I felt a little agitated at her referring to me as a 'thingie.' Yes me. I am Magic remember? Leylines are Magic, thus I am the Leylines...in addition to Friendship, and all the other thingies I am.

Rainbow Dash came to and shook her head, and genuflected. I was going to have to get used to this.

"Trust me, it'll go easier if you just enjoy it," Luna said seeing my face. "Celestia!" Luna exclaimed seeing Celestia was bowing now!

"Just havin' some fun Lulu."

"Just when I thought we had run out of surprises," Rainbow Dash said.

"Oh we haven't Rainbow Dash, not by a long shot."

"We've saved ourselves, the world, and now you're a Alicorn, I really want to just take a nap now," Rainbow Dash said almost irritated.

"Don't worry, Rainbow, I promise you can rest as much as you want now."

"About time."

"More respect please," Luna said sternly to the pegasus, odd coming from a filly.

"It's okay, big sister," I told Luna. "I don't mind."

"SISTER?!" The others all said.

"Like duh!" Celly chirped, "We were all born from Mommy!"

"I'll explain," I said, and did. No, a temple of soapboxes did not come into being thank you. I merely provided soapboxes for them all to sit.

"Oh, and our Mother says 'I love you.'"

Luna looked shocked. "So all our siblings...they're alright?"

Celly was confused. "Why wouldn't they be?"

Luna and I looked at each other then Celly, "No reason..."

I never realized how tiny and fragile my friends were, if it wasn't their choice and we'd been out of options, I'd have felt sorrow for putting their mortal lives in danger before, but I didn't feel regret.

With things settling down, we noticed what had been cast aside when Paradox had been defeated. My vessel was my original body from this world, Nightmare Paradox had been using another. When Paradox had been exercised, the body had again reverted back to its original form, its soul still with Father.

Unfortunately, Celly had been the first to see it. "Wind Whistler?" she asked, approaching the cold body. In the dream world Discord had given her, Mortis had never once treaded.

She nudged the body. "Wind Whistler? Wake up...come on, we're celebrating."

I gave a look of sorrow as Celly kept trying to 'wake' her friend. I don't think any of us could bear it anymore. Luna walked over and put a hoof on her shoulder. "Celly...Wind Whistler is with Father...She's okay, she just...isn't here."

I can't tell you how much it hurt to see not just a filly, but my sister and mentor cry. To realize her friend was dead. Rarity once more made a coffin and we held a small funeral. Luna had so much more she wanted to say, how the Pegasus had given her life for her friend, but held it back, so our sister could enjoy the third childhood Discord had given her in his rare moment of genuine selflessness. I knew it from my memories, he'd done it not just so she could be happy, but to protect her from Paradox, from me.

After the funeral had ended and Celly had stopped crying, I enacted my first use of my divine magic: I created from memory seven thousand copies of every volume, edition, side-story, adaption, and version of the Daring Do franchise! Yes, even 'Daring Do And The Crystal Skull.'

Though I will never, ever bring that horrible Con Mane/Daring Do Crossover back into existence in any form.

Next, I restored every comic book, graphic novel, and cartoon series of Super Stallion I could remember for Apple Pie.

Then I transform Fluttercruel's torture chambers into a new library wing, washing away the blood and sin. I teleport all the books and multimedia neatly into their shelves. I felt the castle's gratitude. Now if only AJ would stop prostrating at me. Apple Pie began shooting her mouth off, asking me to do any number of carnival tricks.

"Apple Pie! Twili' ain't a circus clown."

"It's alright, AJ," I said, falling back on what Celestia did in her Princess days when fillies asked her to make the day longer or shorter: I simply smiled and nodded as Apple Pie jabbered on.

"Hey! Look at what I can do!" Celestia said as she then did several cantrips to impress the small filly.

"Sister! Magic is not a toy!" Luna snapped.

"Ahhh. It's not?" Celestia pouted.

"No. I am not a toy," I said as the final authority.

"Twili'?" Applejack asked, a part of me blushes at that name now, "Did it hurt? Becomin' like this?"

"...Yes. Kind of. But it wasn't a bad pain. Like when a butterfly spreads their wings and pumps blood into their wings for the first time. They bleed a little, but it's just part of them getting ready to fly."

"Ya know, nopony is gonna believe us, that we're the ones who 'beat' Discord, then beat a Psycho-You to save everything. Even if the Apple Family and the Diamond Dogs know we're the good guys, not everypony is gonna be as forgiving or tolerant as your number one fan, Twilight," Rainbow Dash said.

"What would you beat Discord at? Checkers?" Celestia asked innocently. "And forgive you for what? Did he go over the top on a prank he talked you into? There was this time with help from Surprise he switched the gummy worms for real worms in the kitchen, but he was really sorry after."

We all shut up about Discord for then.

Rainbow Dash then turned to me directly. She looked at me with pleading eyes. "Are...are they still there?"

I blinked. "What do you mean?"

"The other Nightmares, are they still in you just...you know, not evil?" she asked, it wasn't suspicious...it was hopeful. And it broke my heart when I realized why. "Or are they Alicorns too and coming later?"

It killed me a little to tell her. "No...they aren't...I honestly don't know what happened to them. I don't know where they are. They're no longer with me or in this world, Rainbow...Maybe they moved on to the afterlife or the spirit world when Paradox...when I lost, since their lives were chained to mine when they entered this world with her, not independent like Paradox...Maybe they're on their own journies?" I offered even though I had less than zero proof of that.

It hurt me that my five friends, yes, my five friends I had twisted into monsters, were gone somewhere, and I hadn't had the chance to tell them I was sorry for what I had done to them. To heal them. To restore them. To make amends for what I had done to those who loved me if any friends ever did. Hopefully wherever they are, they're looked upon for who they were, rather than what my manipulations tricked them into becoming. AJ, Pinkie, Fluttershy, Rainbow, Spike, I really did fail you, wherever you are, I hope you'll forgive me someday. As I have judged others to have their friends be ripped away, so too was I judged...That wasn't some divine curse of Fate...it was consequences of my own actions, my punishment.

Rarity heard this and hugged Applejack for support, AJ gently hugged her back. Spike's tail joined in the hug.

Rainbow's head fell. "So...so Pinkie Pie...Fluttershy...they're really gone for good..." she said, crying.

I trotted over and put a wing on Rainbow's back. "I know...For what it's worth, they're both happy...They were there when I became Amicitia..."

"Even if I know they're happy...I...I..."

I pull her close and put a barrier to block us from sight and earshot. I cover her with my wings, giving her the privacy she needs. "I know...I'll always miss them, Rainbow Dash...There's nothing wrong with grieving...Just let it out..."

Derpy, and my sisters let us have our grief. Minty sighed, looking at her reflection in the Sword of Seasons, then looked up at the sky, her eyes a tiny bit moist, "Good bye, Pinkie Pie."

And we just hugged silently as Rainbow cried it out. Letting everything go and crying. I don't think any of us NEEDED it as much as she did, all the pain she'd kept inside her for so long...all the loss.

She finally looked up at me. "...Thanks, Twilight."

"What are friends for?"

"Yeah...just don't tell anypony I cried, alright?"

Of course, Apple Pie, the ever observant and innocent little filly, was the one to notice something else once that was done. "Half-Light, Celly and Lulu said ya kinda joined with Paradox and made her all nice, right?"

I sighed, not running from it. "Yes... I am all the ponies I was before this, not just Twilight and Eclipse."

"Uh, er, okay. Then what happened tah tha scar?"

I blinked in complete shock. "Wait...what?!" I asked, remembering the scar. The wound that had never healed. That NOTHING could heal.

"Rarity! I need a mirror!" Yes, laugh it up, I was so shocked I forgot I could will one into existence.

A second later, I was looking at myself in a crystal mirror. My face was fine. The horrible burn that Anasi's last strike had managed to leave ingrained so deep a being as powerful as Paradox could not heal it, that new bodies could not heal, that no amount of fusions with unscarred selves could...was gone...Just purple fur...

"But...that's impossible...When did..."

Had I lost it when I ascended? No, that isn't possible, nothing I'd done, no matter how powerful I got, could heal that scar. The ponies I'd met in the tests never mentioned me having it, but why would they? It wasn't in the context of the situations to even KNOW I had a scar, and Razzaroo would have had no reason to mention it...So when could it have...

"It's been a mark of pride in my eyes that I was capable of leaving a mark on you before, but you said it yourself; what point is a grudge once the enemy has become a friend?"

"Halflight, yah ok? Yer cryin'."

I gave a smile. "Yes...I just realized how lucky I am to be forgiven..." Thank you, Anasi...

We stayed there, on the top of Castle Chaos, no, on top of the Castle of Canterlot. It may have been twisted and warped, but it wasn't Discord's anymore.

None of us had a watch to keep time, and Luna and Celly weren't changing the day yet, but we spent at least a day there, considering the headache from that telepathic spell I'd used on Rainbow Dash kicked in. AJ provided fruit from her garden.

We laughed that we were out of all-powerful psychopaths trying to kill us. We cried that Sparkler, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie and Apple Pie's friends were gone. We smiled that we were still alive. Minty Pie, Apple Pie, Celly and Lulu played hopscotch.

With Celly distracted by Apple Pie and Luna, we compared notes on Minty's crazy adventure and ours. Minty admitted she had broken down a couple times thinking how she was tempted to simply walk away after stumbling into things before she overcame the silly idea a rock farmer had no business being a hero.

Rarity (and Spike at her request) both began writing a list of political, economic, social, and spiritual points that were going to have to be addressed now that Discord wasn't destroying pony efforts every five minutes both constructive and destructive. Then Rainbow Dash tore it up telling her to get with the program and enjoy the moment of victory a little.

Derpy did the sweetest, most wonderful thing she could do after a thousand years: she rested.

Apple Pie and AJ said the Castle liked that the fighting was over so the damage done to it was over. I did the Castle the kindness of healing its wounds. Apple Pie suggested we name it.

"Maybe it should pick its own name," Rainbow pointed out. She hadn't taken long to accept the Castle was a sentient creature, she was so tired I think she'd have accepted that Celestia was her father.

Apple Pie looked down at the stone blocks. "So, what name do yah want?"

I think the entire castle jumped in surprise. I think that was the first time in its entire existence anyone had asked IT what it wanted. Rainbow smiled. "I know how yah feel, take all the time you need."

Stones moved slowly on the ground and rearranged themselves into the name the Castle had chosen for itself (or HERself, as the case may be); Eden.

"Nice to meetcha Castle Canterlot Eden," Rainbow Dash said.

Luna looked a little awkward and annoyed that her and her sister's castle was now alive. For Celly it was another new exciting thing to explore.

There was still the Ursa Major in the living room, but I just teleported it somewhere fairly distant from ponies and with enough prey around to support it. But we also had the major issues none of us wanted to talk about: the seaponies, who hadn't 'conveniently' all died, turned into Earth ponies, or been swept under the cosmic rug like they'd never been. How much had they seen? Sky Ocean continued to float in the sky in the distance, their bodies glowing in the twilight.

"They are beautiful," I said.

After the battle, neither AJ nor RD were in the mood for wresting. For the first time in a thousand years, both tomboys settled for just talking. Minty was eager to learn some history from both of them, and they the finer points of her own death-defying adventure. But I could tell something else was on her mind.

Minty Pie looked up to RD when she got to the point in her story when she arrived to help defeat Paradox. "Rainbow Dash...are you sorry you weren't a part of that?"

"Part of what?"

"The big...harmony thing we did," Minty said, I think by then it'd have hit Minty, Minty'd basically been the keystone of the entire spell.

"Naw! Being loyal means being there IN CASE you're needed, besides, it means I got a ring side seat to a one time show!"

"Plus," Applejack interceded. "We'd all be dead if you and the Princesses hadn't thrown a wrench in Paradox's works."

Rainbow chuckled. "Like I said, in case I'm needed, not just WHEN I'm needed."

Minty then asked Rainbow about Pinkie Pie, and both talked about the pink pony that was both their friend, even if Rainbow only knew half of it.

I conjured up a mountain (more like a very large hill) of jewels for Spike.

"All yours, Spike. Consider it a thousand years' worth of backpay as my number one assistant."

Spike kissed Rarity, and dove his head into the treasure and began to fill his belly.

"Are you going to..." I whispered in her ear, "Unplug yourself when Spike's had his run?"

"Maybe, maybe not. That's the thing about greed, it's never enough. There's always more to have. I no longer need to worry about Spike leaving me after he dies if he still loves me enough to stay with me. I'll just have to make sure he doesn't try to eat himself when/if give his soul a gem body."

"Part of life is letting go."

"But greed never lets go." She didn't say this hatefully or intensely or even indifferently. It was calm, wistful, almost warm. "I didn't let go of Tom, even if he's gone to your Father, a part of him will always be with me. Some part of Spike will always be as well. One way or another."

"So you aren't envious of me?"

"You're confusing me with the Rarity that existed a thousand years ago. I'm no longer fixated on my outward image. Envy is where you hate somepony for having something you don't. Jealous on the other hoof is where you are protective of what you have.

"Greed wants it all, and that includes your godhood, but I have no desire for is having to go through ghastly Nightmaredom to get it, thank you very much. Besides, myself and Dinky are the last unicorns."

"The unicorns survive in the Virgacorns, same as the Zebras."

"I know. But there's a comfort of being unique, and you are quite unique now, Twilight."

"What I've become is not with responsibility Rarity: it is responsibility."

"Good. We've spent the past thousand years controlled by someone who had power WITHOUT responsibility."

"It's more than that Rarity, I've given up eternal rest, it's an eternal burden. My family, our friends who are gone? I can't be with them."

Rarity looked a little startled at that one. I could practically see the images of her parents and sister flashing across her eyes. "I see."

"I need to ask you something: I'm the Concept of Magic, maybe even Happy Endings...If I knew how to give this world a happy ending, even if it came at a great personal cost...would you say it's worth it?"

"Depends on the exact nature of that 'great personal cost,' Twilight."

I look up at the sky. "Rarity, you can't see them, but there are stars out there, numbering roughly ten to-the-twenty-second-power. And that's not counting the vigintillion and growing number of universes for every thought and choice made. Rarity, when you can do anything...really, do ANY-thing. You need to prioritize. I have bigger responsibilities than this one little planet I happen to love. If I stayed, I'd be selfish."

"Twilight-?!...Don't be absurd! Celestia, Luna, Cadence? They ALL stayed here! Why wouldn't you!? What makes you different from them?!"

"It's complicated."

"Try me!"

I sighed. This wasn't going to be easy.

"They stayed here, because that was their responsibility, and part of their growth. Normally when an Alicorn is born, they live as a spirit and then as a mortal to appreciate both ends of the scale. I've already lived as a mortal, so now I have to live as a spirit. And...you can't feel them, Rarity, but I can. Ponies, countless ponies, across so many threads, meeting final fates they don't need to. Because the darkness wanted them to. Maybe I just want them to meet a kinder fate but...It's too much Rarity! It's torture. I can't just tune them out. There's already a Happy Ending to this story, this world doesn't NEED me anymore. The other worlds DO...so I can't stay."

"Horseapples! You're so fixated on the vastness of the Universe, Little Miss Magic Goddess, that you've forgotten where you are! Who you're with! Forget the beyond! Look around you at the here and now! What's real! What's in front of you! What you can see and touch! LIVE, blast it! Live! This world! Where we make our choices that'll determine everything of what's waiting for us! Here, now, us, the past is frozen and the future is vapor, this one moment is when we're alive!"

"That's the truth to you?"

"It IS truth!"

I smile, "And that's why it's you, Rarity."

Her confusion was epic. "Why's what me?"

"The reason I chose to come back was all of you and those I love. The reason I had to come back: was you. Thank you, Rarity, for setting me free. Now I will give you what you desire."

I spread my wings. My horn glows. Every dragon and pony stops what they're doing and turns their heads. They can feel what's happening in their bones, in every fiber of their being. Some primal instinct stirring inside them. My aura intensifies as I actively touch all that is. Everypony, everyone everywhere feels my magic. From Dinky, to the Lemon-Ponies, to the seaponies to Tiamat, to the hippogriffs.

It all barely takes a thought. I'll admit it, I honestly scared myself. After all, responsibility and power should NEVER be separated.

"I, Princess Amicitia Zorya Spes Equestria, Concept of Magic, 1st Tarot, The Magician, By Divine Creed, by the blessing of my Mother and Father, who are all that is, make this so in this moment, and having always been so, and always will be so:

"Miss Rarity Belle, Rarigreed, Lady Desire:

All the world, universe, and, everything, one, and all, within it, and you: all belongs to her, now, always before, and always after. May this be reality! Recognized and acknowledge by all."

Rarity stared at me, trying to speak.

"T-Twilight, you c-can't just...do that."

I give a small smile. "Rarity, Paradox was the ruler of the universe, even if she conquered it. I was her, therefore, I am the ruler of the universe. But I don't want the position any more. You do. So I abdicate my throne to you."

"B-but Celestia and Luna are the rightful rulers of Equestria."

"You're right, Rarity, and they are my sisters. Celly, Lulu, I move that Rarity is the one most fit to rule, what say you?"

"Seconded!" Celly chimed in.

Luna looked thoughtful for the second, then nodded. "If you believe it to be best, as do I."

I give them a nod. "Alright, then," I said, then clear my throat. "WITH THE AUTHORITY VESTED IN ME BY MY PARENTS, WHO ARE EVERYTHING, AND THE APPROVAL OF MY SISTER, THE SUN AND MOON, I DECLARE RARITY BELLE RULER OF THE MORTAL UNIVERSE AND ALL IN IT!"

And it was so. The castle belonged to Rarity. The Daring Do books I created belonged to Rarity. All of Sweet Rock Acres belonged to her. The jewels I had just given to Spike belonged to her. Equestria and Neighpon belonged to her. Magica's severed horn belonged to Rarity. AJ's hat belonged to Rarity, the same way you knew that fear was something to listen to, or that the sun's warmth felt good. AJ belonged to Rarity. And everypony there knew it, and accepted it, the way you accept having four legs and a face. Which is precisely what it was.

I put my horn to Rarity's head. I stopped pretending this body was all I was, I reached out across the magic that lived in all things. The leylines were me. All magic everywhere was me. And now, I connected Rarity to all of me. I was everywhere, and now Rarity felt through me, saw through me, heard through me.

She felt herself. She felt Spike not that far from us. She felt the Breezies in Neighpon. She felt Tiamat in Dracotopia. She felt the robot ponies Strife had had declared life on their homeworld circling a distant star. She felt their homeworld and the star. She felt EVERYTHING. She heard EVERYTHING. She saw EVERYTHING.

She began trembling, sweat running down her face. "W-what is this?! What are you doing?!"

"IT IS YOURS! ALL YOU SEE, ALL YOU FEEL, ALL YOU HEAR, ALL YOU SENSE RIGHT NOW IS YOURS. FROM YOUR OWN HORN TO THE BREEZIES IN NEIGHPAN TO A DISTANT SOLAR SYSTEM ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COSMOS! YOU, RARITY BELLE, IT IS ALL YOURS!"

I finally broke contact, she was trembling like she was in an earthquake.

"But...but...but...but...but...but...but...if...if...if...if...if...if...if..." Rarity was shaking like mad. Spike tried to come to her side, I reluctantly kept him away with a simple barrier that could withstand an atomic bomb at point blank range.

My horn glowed. "You will say it, Rarity."

Her eyes were pin pricks, "If I own everything, THEN I CAN'T GET ANY RICHER! What am I supposed to want for now-?! There's nothing more for me to want! There's nothing for me to be greedy for!" Rarity cried out in dismay. "It's not fair."

My horn glows. "It is perfectly fair. You wanted everything, you have everything. I GAVE you everything as a gift. Why is it so wrong?"
+
I DID want everything! Now I DID have everything! What was this?! Was it just a dream? A vague goal? No! I HAD wanted everything! Just other things sooner than later! Didn't I?

Isn't this the final goal of greed? Isn't this where my immortality would bring me anyway? Where all is mine? And now, I was born to own the world? Wasn't the joy of greed MAKING things yours?

But...when it's all done. Is it all empty? Just to guard it forever? Was this really the end result? 'When you grasp for more, the less you have' some ponies say, but what if you even could grasp for all and have it? What then? What am I supposed to do? WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO WANT? My greed has no purpose!
+
"Rarity!" Rainbow Dash tried to come to her only to be lifted in the air by Luna's magic.

"Wait for it."

+

I wanted all six Elements of Chaos! To be complete! To be whole! To be the best and most I could be! For my friends AND myself! But what now?! Now that Discord was gone, what was the point?!

When you become a liar, you leave a mark on yourself that can never truly go away. A mark of distrust that you can never completely wash away. And what happens when your lie grows beyond your control? When it multiplies in the hearts and minds of others? And ignorance spreads?

+

Cracks appeared in one of a set of six dark gems.

+

When you're angry, you give away your reason to the wind. Tranquil fury is the savage wearing a pretty mask. Throw away the lemons and demand oranges, then all you have is nothing.

Tragedy is random suffering, nothing more, nothing less, the way it binds other together is with chains, not with growth.

When you're cruel, you close your heart off to others. You become all alone. You have nothing. And what goes around comes around, when you send your cruelty out into the world, it'll eventually find you.

Despair serves no purpose other than to drag you into the depths and keep you there forever, unmoving, unthinking, unliving, like you've ceased to exist!

As for greed, the more you take, the larger your burden. The more you have, the more you can lose. The larger your grasp, the more things that passes you by!

+

The lights within the six dark gems' cracks shined brighter, connecting to each other.

+

To take is to imprison yourself, adding to the chains one by one. Greed's joy is to always take more. But always more to guard. More to have, more to lose.

Things won't hurt you, things won't disappoint you, things won't deceive you.

Things won't heal you, things won't surprise you, things won't love you.

Things are weights, and when you have anything, it's crushing.

If everything is mine, then what is there to define it by? I have nothing.

Isn't a pony entitled to the sweat of her flanks? 'No!' says Mayor Mare, 'It belongs to the poor!' 'No!' says Canterlot 'it belongs to Celestia!' 'No!' says Pinkie Pie, 'It belongs to everyone!'

And when all you go for is yourself, when all you work for is yourself, when all you rely on and trust is yourself, you are an tiny island, in a vast, vast ocean.

Be generous to yourself, care for yourself, love yourself, because you're the one that deserves it the most.

And everypony is a 'yourself.' We aren't meant to be alone.

+

"It's true." Tears fell down Rarity's face, and hit the ground.

+

The six dark jewels exploded from within, changing shape and form and fittings, all becoming bright white, shining with a mother of pearl, like all the colors together, the framings connecting to each other, becoming inseparable, and joined with a seven piece, this was truth.

+

="Sorairo Days" Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann=

White hands erupted like an army of ghosts from within Rarity, wrapping around her like threads in a cocoon. Like a caterpillar covering itself in fast motions, Rarity's body was enveloped in the white threads. They closed in around her tightening like a second skin, leaving only her white outline that began to glow mother of pearl. The entire planet rumbled.

Rarity wasn't waiting like I did.

"Here she comes!" Big sister Celestia cover her ears and opened her mouth. Luna did the same. The others mimicked them, even Spike as he tried to get closer to his once crush now love of his life.

Rarity blew up into a pillar of light. It pierced the green sky which shattered revealing a blue sky with blue clouds that carried water rain.

In a shockwave across the checkerboard ground, green of various colors grew from the ground, spreading form the castle, across Equestria, across the planet, closing in a circle in the Breezies' home. The sky and the earth, they gave life again. Death wasn't taking anymore trophies today.

"I finally understand," was Rarity's voice, but not Rarity, like it was more Rarity than Rarity, like it was the Rarity who had existed before was the faded photograph and this was the more real Rarity.

She was beautiful, but that was given. But her beauty was omnipresent, in rag or dirt her beauty would have shined through. In the depths of the earth or in a castle or a flower mill it would have shined. She was beautiful the way the ocean was beautiful, the way the sky was beautiful the way life was beautiful.

At the base of her throat was still a familiar jewel.

Her mane was as curled and flowing as ever, but this was now its natural state, not done by hours and hours of curls every night. Her now much longer mane moved the way the world moved underneath you hooves, wavering with every geothermal ripple. It sparkled like every thread was flexible amethyst. Her eyelashes were no longer false.

Her coat was polished white, no dust nor grim could touch it. Her eyes much the same, except they how held knowledge and experience they hadn't before.

She moved with purpose and grace that all the world flowed around.

Her cutie mark, had become a single reflective jewel.

The new Alicorn had been surprised she was one who gave the Diamond Dogs the name 'Lady Desire' to give her via their visions.

She looked at the others, and Minty, Derpy, Rainbow, AJ, Apple Pie, Luna and Celly all bowed their heads to her, like we all had for Celestia in the past. Luna and Celestia did it more seemingly out of politeness, like you would with the master of the house you were staying. Spike stared in teary eyed paralysis at her loveliness.

On the other side of the planet, breezies and unique ponies in Neighpon bowed in Rarity's direction.

Still bowing Rainbow Dash looked at Applejack, "I won't turn into a goddess if you don't, deal?"

"Deal."

"Alter-Server," Derpy seconded.

Luna smiled and said in a tone opposite of her words, "Well it's about time."

"Yeow-mama!" Apple Pie got up and looked on as her entire world changed.

Minty Pie overlooked the castle's edge, thinking how she was witnessing the end of an era.

The entire castle shook as it and Rarity's horn glowed, "Oh don't worry my dear, I already know that you're going to love this make over," The white Alicorn teased like a hair-dresser.

The curse of ever-twisting mad-reality within the castle's countless entry halls was erased. Then the castle changed, greatly. It transmuted before their eyes into a style and shape much closer (but not exact) to Canterlot Castle, though with a crystal and jewel motif rather than sun and the moon. For Derpy, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack, it was a return of the castle of the past.

"This is fun!" Celly shouted. The Castle responded by forming a rock slide out of the roof for her to play on.

Luna frowned slightly, "My bedroom better be back to normal. Discord turned it into an underwater prancing-broom closet."

"I promise you, big sister, it is intact," The white Alicorn said.

"RARITY!!!!"

Spike finally got close and hugged the white Alicorn with the might to crush boulders. He didn't so much as bruise her. "Are you okay?! Are you sick? Do you feel fine!? Are you still you?! Rarity!"

"Spike, be calm."

And so Spike became calm.

"Rarity, is that still you? Twilight! What did you do?!"

And here it comes. I saw the angry, somewhat suspicious glares coming once the awe of the moment ended. And no, I wasn't insulted. Wouldn't you be suspect of the pony who (by your time) a few hours ago was a time warping insane proto-goddess who'd warped...warped five of my friends into the same thing?

"It's alright Spike, if anything, I feel more whole than I've ever been." She nuzzled him, and Spike felt like he was touched by the whole mortal universe.

"Twilight..." said Rainbow Dash, looking a bit betrayed. And yes, I do feel sorry for making Rainbow feel that way.

"Hey, don't talk to Twilight like that to her," Minty said to Rainbow Dash. Luna and Celly flapped to Minty's side and nodded.

Applejack stood by Rainbow Dash wordlessly.

Derpy looked at both sides at the same time, staying netural. Apple Pie stayed put rather than side with a Pie or Apple against the other only looking at me hopefully that I'd give the answer that made all sense.

Friendship is Magic, and I AM Magic. If I couldn't feel guilt for hurting my friends, even if I needed to do so, I'd be going against my own concept, myself (even Morning Star and D____ at their worst couldn't betray their concepts).

"Don't fight." Rarity looked to the others. "And don't be angry with her. Amicitia gave me the option to become a Concept, I was offered a chance to turn back and thoroughly told the price of Concepthood by my sisters and brothers. I never expected helping Melody with her highschool musical would count as a test of worthiness of godhood, and Lickety Split, Masquerade, North Star and Gusty know how to make a seamstress feel wanted. Then there was the game of tag in Unicornia before I was allowed to meet Mother. But I am an Alicorn by my own choice, Amicitia merely recommended me."

Rainbow walked over to Rarity, ignoring over half of what she said. Without being asked, the Alicorn nodded and allowed Rainbow to touch her hoof to her chest. "Free Will."

My baby sister didn't change at all. "I stand by what I just said."

Rainbow nodded, then turned to me. She still looked a bit upset. "Twilight...you're not going to run around turning us all into Alicorns, are you?"

Spike and Apple Pie looked excited at the idea. Minty and Derpy surprised. AJ's expression didn't changed.

I shook my head. "No, Rainbow Dash." Apple Pie and Spike's faces fell. "I helped Rarity ascend because it was the happiest ending I could give this journey. And while I can't say it often, I am sorry I had to trick my friend to do that. But no, I swear to Fauna Luster, the Mother of All Things I'm not turning the rest of you into deities." Apple Pie kicked a rock and Spike snorted in disappointment. "I've gone down that road once, I'm not doing it again." I said fearful at the idea.

"Why darling, do you want to be one Rainbow Dash?" Rarity asked looking right into Rainbow Dash's heart smiling, "You might be simply dashing as one." She took trot towards her.

"Wha?" Rainbow Dash blushed taking a trot back, "Uh, no no no of course not!" Rainbow Dash waved her hooves and fixed her glare back at me. "And what if I say I don't forgive you?"

Applejack nodded in agreement, hiding all emotion. "Yeah, Twi...what if we don't?"

I'll admit, that did hurt. The worse pain however was how that question hurt Apple Pie and Minty. "...Then I accept that. Forgiveness is to be given, and I accept its your choice if you don't. I won't make you forgive me, that wouldn't be right."

"You mean that?"

I nodded. "Yes. I swear on Fauna Luster and the Father of All Alicorns I do."

Rainbow kept it up for a few minutes. "...Hehe, alright, I forgive yah," Rainbow said, giving a chuckle. "I was just making sure you still had your right head on your shoulders. I get that you had to choose between two hard things...I get it that better than anyone."

"Nothin' ta forgive." Applejack smiled. "Ah played along so Rainbow could tell she just wasn't immune tah some mind control."

"AJ!"

"Hey, Element of Kindness and Deceit here."

And then we hugged.

"Isn't there something you've forgotten?" Luna asked Rarity.

The white Alicorn blushed, "Oh yes of course."

Rarity chose to go for straight forward for her armor's material and made the most polished bronze in the history of Equestria, polished past a mirror's shine. Out of all the decorations for her armor, she had chosen pearls. Why not? Pearls represented truth. Her armor's symbol was the occian. A lot more humble than I thought it would be. All the world's trappings were her barding.

"Not what I meant, little sister. Can you tell me what name you were given when you were born?"

She stood proud and brought a hoof to her heart, "I, am Queen Liberalis Hera Sif Elpis Nuptias Equestria. The Tarot Queen Of Coins. I am the Concept of the mortal world."

"That's a mouthful," Rainbow Dash said.

"Ditto," Apple Pie agreed.

Derpy just nodded.

"Why can't I have a really long name like that?" Celly asked. "Let me try." She took in a deeeeep breath, and Luna put her hoof over her mouth just in time.

"Maybe later sister."

Flowers with a tiny gem at the center (functioning as a seed), grew in beautiful patterns around the castle.

"Princess-Queen, Liberish, Hera, Sith Ellip Nuptih Equestria?" Spike tried to repeat.

"Queen Libra is simpler, darling. We Alicorns prefer to keep our admittedly long-winded names down to three or four syllables at most." She beamed at Spike. "But you can still call me Rarity, dear."

"I appreciate that very much, Rarity," Spike breathed.

"I hope you don't mind sharing me, Spike."

"WHAT?!" Spike's voice boomed.

"I am the bride married to all of Equestria, to all the world, and all that lives within me." She looked at the sky. "But we'll be needing a wedding ceremony worthy of a goddess," her horn glowed, "As written in the stars above."

Then in an undertone, she breathed, "Big Sister Galaxia...please indulge me, just this once," A new set of constellations formed in the heavens, a dragon, a giant diamond, and five ponies familiar ponies. But in place of Rarity in the group of new Elements of Harmony, in her place was Fluttershy's likeness in the stars.

Rainbow Dash looked in tears in her eyes at the beautiful sight. She whispered to Libra.

"As you wish darling." A constellation of three balloons appeared in the sky in harmony with the other lights in the sky.

Rainbow Dash smiled through her tears at the diamonds in the sky. "Simply dashing."

Author's Note

Art by Morningstar-1337 http://morningstar-1337.deviantart.com/art/Cosmic-Pony-Vectors-wave-3-317621349

Episode 119: ("Dark World" Alicorn Rising) Welcome Home

Episode 120: ("Dark World" Alicorn Rising) HEALED WORLD

Pony POV Series Dark World Alicorn Ascension
Part 35
My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic
Healed World
By Alex Warlorn
Edited by Louis and Kendell2

It took a lot of convincing to get the world on our side. 'We beat Discord' wasn't enough in and of itself. Libra could have just said we were all forgiven and we would have been as a natural state of the universe, but Rainbow Dash wanted herself to have 'earn' it. Ugh! Did Rainbow forget everything we've been saying about forgiveness being given and not earned?

Libra had to explain to Rainbow Dash, then explain it again using a chalk board, that if Libra forgave herself (not as easy as it sounds) and the rest of us, that it was by definition the world forgiving us.

She was going to use sock puppets next when Luna stepped in and told us to stop confusing redemption with forgiveness, and to worry about the former and let those we'd harmed worry about giving the latter.

Personally, I think Libra was happy to see Rainbow wouldn't just smile and nod to Libra's every whim, showing the Rainbow Dash we all knew and loved.

If not for our other allies, it'd probably have taken a lot longer than it did for everyone to accept us. The Changelings were the first to agree, followed by the Diamond Dogs (thank you Guru Fido).

"Please...you have to believe us," Rainbow Dash pleaded. She'd INSISTED on being the one to say it. "I know we've caused a lot of death and pain...I know last time...last time I was here I killed someone...but I only did that because Discord told me he'd destroy Cloudsdale if I didn't...He lied to me, and I killed Storm Cracker for nothing...I now it doesn't make it right, but I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...that's all I can say...I'm not asking you to excuse the inexcusable, I'm . . . I just want you to know, we're not your enemies anymore. Please accept that I'm sorry."

The Hippogriffs honestly had no idea how to react to that. Or that fact Rainbow had started CRYING as she spoke. One of Discord's Chaos Six, had broken down crying tears of remorse right in front of them. None of them knew how to react.

"Big Banana Discord lied to you?" asked a small voice, the little hippogriff, Inquisition, peeking out from the crowd.

Rainbow couldn't bear to look at her. "Yeah...for the last thousand years...he lied so I'd think I was doing the right thing...I didn't think I have a choice."

"So he hurt you just like everybody else?"

"Yeah...I guess so," Rainbow said, looking up at the little Hippogriff, tears still clinging to her eyes.

The little hybrid looked her in those eyes. "...I believe you, Traitor Dash."

Rainbow cringed at the name, then smiled. "Actually, it's Rainbow Dash now."

Yes, before you ask, Apple Pie and Inquisition did hit it off fabulously when they actually met.

Queen Tiamat took the most convincing, since she required Libra to earn her respect as she had big sisters Celly and Lulu, and being a goddess as well we couldn't exactly say she didn't have the right to, her dragons were hers after all. But when the Mother of All Dragons spoke, her entire race listened. She and Bahamut also gave their blessings to the wedding of one of their children. I think Spike's heart skipped a beat when that happened, it's not every day your patron deities bless your wedding.

+

='Brand New Days' Personal 3: Answer=

Was it a beautiful marriage? With Rarity, oh, I mean my baby sister Libra as wedding planner, what do you think?

As her big sister, I was given the honor of being best mare. The rest of us were given the honor of being her brides' maids. During the fight for the boutique the flowers ended up landing on Derpy's head.

Yes, I felt like Spike was being stolen from me a little, but that was part of raising somedragon, you had to let them go eventually. Yes, Spike basically stood in for all who lived in the world, from Rainbow Dash to Apple Computer. I think it was Libra's gift to Spike. I was sad that I couldn't take my number one assistant with me, but now he was the number one husband to my sister, the mortal universe itself. He was my brother-in-law.

A decent trade-off.

The stars, the sun, the moon (with permission of their respective Alicorns), nature itself all contributed to presenting the most important day of Spike's life, and the formal recognition of Queen Libra, the Bride of All. Yes, that is now officially one of her titles.

All of Canterlot Castle Eden was used as part of the wedding ceremony.
Eden was quite happy to have such a momentous occasion take place inside her.

All the world was invited, thankfully we threw together a few illusion imagers so it could be seen worldwide instead of creating a chapel that could hold every sapient pony alive like Spike first suggested. Such a VAST ceremony it was.

Rarity chose Applejack to perform the ceremony. AJ replied that she wasn't qualified for that. Until Libra said She Was, and thus Applejack Was.

Remember, Libra is the mortal world, if she says something is, it is (as long it has to do with the mortal universe). Plain as that. Same way that YOU decide who YOU are. And no, she can't accidentally call somepony a pinhead and suddenly they'd have a pin for a head. My sister's a Concept, not a genie.

Now that AJ was recognized to be able to perform the ceremony AJ defended, "But-but Rarity, Ah-Ah," she finally got an idea, "I'm not uh, WORTHY!"

Libra grinned, "Oh but I think you are Saint Applejack."

Saint AJ blushed, and out of excuses, consented.

I'd like to get into the geopolitical system she established that was quite generous of a goddess to her mortal spouses who temporarily took up residence within her, and the checks and balances, but since becoming a Concept, I finally see how boring that is to everypony else. The wedding was more fun!

Little sister Libra's wedding dress was, of course, divine, a white dream that flowed and was alive as her. I'm sure it was based on a wedding dress Rarity had made during her days as a dressmaker in Ponyville.

In dragon tradition, Spike covered his scales in gems, functioning as his 'tuxedo' (eating none of them), making him look like walking treasure. Rarity made sure the pattern of the gems complimented her dress.

Libra told me personally she still had one thing she wanted: to eventually remake herself into a universe where everypony actively chose not to lie. Where the idea of lying had no reason to even exist! I wish her luck with that. If she can't be that universe, herself, maybe she can give birth to one that is.

Rarigreed spent a thousand years living a lie, Libra is sick of them. Foals are taught just how destructive and poisonous lies even for the best of intentions can be. After Discord's constant lies, loving parents support eagerly her. A truthful goddess offers them the trustworthiness they hope for.

The seaponies' story of what happened to Discord she begrudgingly accepted because it was true 'from a certain point of view.' And she's still best friends with Applejack who's still the Element of Deceit, who knows how much lies for Rarity have hurt her. Libra knows about AJ offering alternate lessons, and doesn't stop or discourage her. Apple Pie loves that contradiction.

So much happened that it would take me centuries to write it all down, and some of it did take centuries, but Libra had plenty of time. I can't give you all the details, since so much happened like I said, but I'll do my best to tell you the really important things!

The biggest thing happened BEFORE the wedding! No one of us saw it coming, and we were all surprised, a few shocked, some a little scandalized, but no one dared challenge her. Some ponies might have called it a cheat, but I don't think anypony alive cared. No more than a flower in the desert cares when it finally rains.

But this wasn't erasing mistakes. This was a wedding gift.

She was the Bride Of All, after all, and she needed to favor everyone a gift truly worthy OF a goddess. And as a gift, it would be a one-time thing, once and never again. Mortis and Father made sure she understood this. Frankly, I don't know what Libra said to Mortis to make him bend his most sacred law: 'you only live once.' I think Father might have consider it his dowry, and Mortis his wedding gift to his newborn sister.

Pragmatic outsiders who are following my story might call Rarity's wedding gift an act of purest insanity: a overpopulation nightmare-come-true. But if there was one thing Discord and all his minions excelled at, it was keeping the world population at a bare minimum. There was plenty of elbow room. Plus, you want to tell their loved ones those ponies don't deserve a second chance, pragmatic outsiders?

On a condition from Mortis, she could only asked those who had passed away after Discord's return, and only if their death related to Discord's evil.

To everypony else it looked like she took an instant to speak to all those waiting on the other side, in reality in the timeless spirit world her consciousness took as long as each needed.

Many had no reason to return...since all their loved ones were already with them. Others felt they had already accomplished what they had set out to do in life. Some felt they had earned their death, or simply wished to simple move on. The rest simply enjoyed Heaven too much.

Some had come from the bad place, and couldn't wait to come back, Havoc let them go without argument. He thought it would be interesting. The Draconequi started betting pool on how many would just find their way back into Their Father. Libra made sure they all came back at ages where they couldn't repeat their mistakes and were given to loving families.

Of course she just had to give her own personal touch to those who came back to life in a world now truly free of prejudice. So yep, the gem-eyed and the crystal herd walked Equestria again, only now they were crystal pegasus, crystal dragons, crystal griffins, crystal unicorns, crystal Virgacorns, and every other species out there. Libra found it poetic. Dinky wasn't the last unicorn after all. Rainbow Dash was gratified beyond description...particularly upon seeing her sparkling father again.

Learning that neither Pinkie Pie nor Fluttershy were returning brought us all to tears.

Libra told us they both had loved ones in the spirit world who needed them more than we did. We all sadly accepted that answer. But I'm sure they were still there, watching over us, celebrating with us, even if we couldn't see them.

Among our other lost loved ones who had elected to remain dead or had died of old age: Sweetie Belle, Rarity's parents, Saint Apple Bloom, her husband Lance and their foals, and King Big Macintosh.

Libra shed tears for each of her mortal family she hadn't shed when they died, doubly so for the little sister she'd never able to thank for saving her. AJ on the other hoof had shed her tears centuries ago and knew they were waiting for her.

Trixie...the Trixie of this timeline had died of old age, not because of any of Discord's magic. May she rest in peace. Her legacy lives on in her Element of Magic.

However, a little green filly with white hair wearing a red bonnet made an appearance. Personally I think it was Libra (and the filly's!) personal surprise joke gift, to Applejack. And I think Granny Smith, excuse me...ANNIE Smith...wanted to get back her place in the history book of Equestria's longest lived mortal pony. And yes, Applejack cried her heart out with tears of joy.

Minty Pie's parents...Minty Pie's parents...came back because they wanted to tell their baby girl the hero how proud they were of her with their own faces. Minty Pie broke down in tears of joy, sobbing.

And four foals greeted Apple Pie. Apple Pie returned Magica's horn almost numbly. Poison Apple moved first as she hugged her twin almost to death. Caster And Puella returned to their tearful parents praising their new goddess, as was Apple Pie. I don't blame them.

Apple Pie turned down being the flower girl for wedding of the goddess of mortal existence, and insisted she'd be allowed to share it with Magica, Poison Apple.

I didn't hesitate to give Trixie's Element of Magic to Magica. Being Magic itself, it would always be a part of me, anyway. I know Magica and her own friends will make fine heroes someday: watch out Grogar. Apple Pie would be getting the normal foalhood with her three friends and twin she and anypony deserves. The look of joy on her face as she tearfully hugged her friends and family is a memory I will cherish forever.

"What will you do now, Apple Pie?" I asked. "Where will you go from here?"

"Me?...Ah'm gonna keep helpin' ponies and makin' 'em smile! Just ya watch Half-Light!" I will.

Gilda had found the courage in death to swallow her pride to be with her best friend again. No I don't where which place she'd been. She's still rough around the edges. But I've seen far worse than her. And if all this has taught me anything, was that everypony deserved to be given a second chance, or a third, or a forth, as long as the chance for growth is real. Rainbow Dash had hugged her the moment she came back. and Gilda couldn't resist returning it.

There was one unicorn pony we all knew was coming. There had never been any doubt. But it still took us all off guard all the same. A gray unicorn colt, with a diamond (an image not an actual one) for a cutie mark, with blue eyes, and orange magic and a light blue mane. Flesh and blood. She hadn't brought him back as an immortal. He was also a foal. He was going to grow up, become a stallion, grow old, and die one day. In other words, he was alive.

Applejack and Tom Bell had spoken at length. The little foal still courteous and well spoken, but his naivety and inexperience was a lot more obvious now that he didn't have the stone body of a stallion. I may have arranged a play date between him and Magica.

Libra had promised to see her son again somehow, and this was how she kept that promise, simply because she had been Rarity at the time didn't now mean that promise had no weight to her.

Rainbow Dash had a complete and total break down meanwhile, crying her eyes out, shuddering and sobbing on the ground and on her back knees, when the filly she had killed in battle and who she had ignore the spirit of returning from death to try and save her, and who Rainbow in return had denied the her spirit at least three times...returned to her.

"S-Scootaloo?"

"It's me, Rainbow Dash!"

Scootaloo had been a mare who was beginning to have gray in her mane when she died. Now she was the filly who had driven Ponyville crazy with her two friends, except she still had her cutie mark.

"Scootaloo...I'm...I'm sorry..."

Rainbow was promptly shut up with a hug that she returned.

Scootaloo told me later: "Twilight, truth is, I liked being with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle but...Rainbow Dash I feel needs me more."

If this filly isn't the next Element of Loyalty I don't know who is.

The two had hugged, flown, laughed, cuddled, nuzzled, I don't think I've ever seen Rainbow Dash so happy. And she was more alive than she had been in a thousand years. Seeing the two of them fly in the sky, blue again after so long, felt so, right. Even Gilda backed off and let the two have their fun before eventually joining in.

There is one resurrected pony you can bet to Tartarus leapt at Libra's offer without a moment's worth of hesitation. The very first, in fact. Libra said she had practically trampled the Thestral who'd brought her. Stomp, smash, crash, splash straight into the River Styx. She sparkled in the perfect sunrise I think Celly might have provided. And I'm certain Luna provided the nightingales. I provided the camcorder.

What more is there to say?

=Chronicles Of Narnia 'There's A Place For Us'=

"Is she real?"

"MOTHER! I AM REAL!" Sparkler didn't hesitate to hug her mother, showing her that she was no spirit, no illusion, no performance, she kissed her mother again and again not ceasing her hug, her horn glowing, sending sparkles in every direction.

Derpy Hooves hugged her, and wrapped her wings around her, and the wind blew, the air sounding like the world's most serene and warm flutes playing. Derpy hugged her and wouldn't let go.

"MOMMY'S SORRY! MOMMY SORRY! MOMMY COULDN'T SAVE YOU! MOMMY DID HER BEST! MOMMY'S SORRY!"

"MOM! It's alright! I forgive you . . . I forgive you...cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a . . . stick a cupcake in my eye, I forgive you. I'm so proud of you."

Derpy broke down crying. "So I'm not a bad mother?"

"Don't compare yourself to that mare, mom. You're free. You...you're my mother."

And a short while later: "Dinky...mommy kept her promise."

"SPARKLER!!!!"

"DINKY!!!!"

I swear there are not enough 'very's' ever written to describe how bursting with joy that little gray unicorn's heart was when she laid eyes on her big sister. I even had Eremios check, there weren't.

For the first time in a thousand years, the Hooves were back together like they belonged. Venus must be working overtime with all the hugs and kisses going around.

Derpy and her family were given the 'retirement' they wanted. They had done their fair share and Derpy was determined to open up a bakery and reestablish the global mail system. I honestly don't doubt she can do both, her determination is legendary. If Derpy puts her mind to do something, she's going to do it. She wasn't regarded as the mentally retarded mare she'd been seen as a thousand years ago, she was seen as the hero she'd always been. She didn't let it go to her head, but I can't say she wasn't happy to be seen for who she really was.

The Doctor? He grew up and lived a happy life for once, as is the reward for any other-world hero who's spent their lives protecting good who finds themselves reborn in Equestria.

He emerged on Derpy's doorstep besides his TARDIS as an adult ginger pegasus in his early thirties. His adoptive parents -- a loving pair of schoolteachers -- had raised him believing he was a normal non-Time Lord pony...and he does not recognize the TARDIS for what it was. From what I understand, the big blue box is housed in Derpy's basement. All the usual suspects in his rogues' gallery -- the Daleks, the Weeping Alicorns, and more -- were all too busy in a monumental war with the evolved Cyberponies (who no longer practiced unwilling or forceful conversion and were now destine to be the final proof of the goodness in sentient-life) to endanger innocent planets.

And Libra sent one of her Avatars to inform the Weeping Alicorns (the ones not wiped out by being poisoned by Nightmare Eclipse's massive amount of paradoxes), that as the goddess of the mortal world she was EVERYWHERE . . . none of them have moved a millimeter since. As for the Daleks, Libra has decided inserting Equestrian DNA into them to give them a full range of emotions will either makes them become not so evil, or make them blow themselves up. This led to a LONG talk with Strife over spheres of authority, and made a truce to keep OTHER species' wars away from Equestria.

Derpy said she was often tempted to have him look inside the fob watch which would restore his Time Lord nature...but always decided against it, saying he ought to enjoy at least ONE life where he allowed himself to set down roots and experience the peace, stability, and comfort of family life. She reluctantly said it also reminded her too much of Nightmare Eclipse if she didn't accept this Doctor as a person too.

Derpy and The Doctor, or rather Time Turner, are quite happy together, as husband and wife. He makes a wonderful father to Sparkler and Dinky, and their new child.

I think out of us six, Derpy was the one who got what she wanted the most. Her babies were back with her, and she would get to see them grow up and live their lives. She had endured for a thousand years, and finally, she had what she had endured for. If anypony has truly earned their happy ending, it's her. I wish her, Time Turner, Dinky, Sparkler, and Sapphire health and happiness for all time, and may fate be kind.

...

You're wondering about Discord's victims? The ones he mutated and changed?

As it turns out, many have stayed the way they are of their own free will (which RD made sure they had). As it turned out, during his time away from us with Fluttercruel whenever Paradox was busy elsewhere, his chaos magic had almost become helpful. A large number had actually found happiness through their changes rather than in spite of them.

The dragons who had been ponies showed no interest in rejoining the herd, and on the other hoof Queen Libra made it clear she wouldn't be doing any species changes except on the condition of loved ones being together and ONLY during the transition period of Second Reign Of Chaos to New Equestria.

The curse on Sky Ocean is gone, and won't mutate ponies who enter it, and the breezies are only reproducing the old-fashioned way. They're still finding their place in the world, but Queen Libra's promised to help them.

The hydrokinesis Discord taught the seaponies just before he died is now regarded by them to be the last gift of their creator. And it does enable them to go about. Sky Ocean is still there, even though the other oceans are no longer jelly one day and sewing needles the next. It's become a part of life for the seaponies. Just like they have become a part of life in Equestria. Besides, Sky Ocean is still beautiful at night, I don't think Luna would LET it be put on the ground.

Most were surprised that instead of nice sounding and ugly, seaponies were beautiful. Now that the 'surface was safe', the seaponies wanted to see it all, in particular one sea-filly named Waterflower.

Seaponies were told Discord was enslaved by an evil spirit and sacrificed himself to banish it, at the same time telling his Elements of Chaos vital knowledge to help them defeat the Alicorn Witch who had sought to destroy the world (it took some convincing to get them to accept myself, Celly, Lulu, and Libra were GOOD Alicorns, but Celly's view of Discord and their innate innocence made it easier). For the Discord they had loved, and the Discord we had caught a glimpse of, this was factually correct. And most ponies that tried had difficulty convincing them otherwise.

The seaponies actually held a funeral in Sky Ocean for their fallen master. Queen Libra allowed them, and made sure none disrupted it. Only those who attended knew the when and where, she didn't even tell the other Elements. Also in attendance were Golden Tiara and Diamond Tiara. There was something wrong in seeing the manically-happy mother and child sobbing at the death of their master.

The seaponies' sorrowful song at the loss of who they saw as their creator was as haunting as it was pain filled. With all of Sky Ocean singing, only the strongest willed didn't break down in tears with them.

Scootaloo and the pink filly, Diamond Tiara, had little to say to each other. It wasn't about the schoolyard grudges from a thousand years ago...but because Diamond Tiara had been Discord's creature, and Scootaloo, a champion of the rebellion. The amazing thing was, when it was Diamond Tiara who tried to make friends with the orange filly. Whether they ultimately make up, I don't know, that's their choice to make.

The amazon mares who all look like Shady are an interesting case. The universe had gotten a lot larger for them. Libra for her part kept them protected like they should be. They were told that their creator was no more, and share much the same story that the seaponies do, and for them, I think that is the truth, because that is how the Discord they knew died.

Golden Tiara and Diamond Tiara chose to continue to live as Earth Ponies. The two's loyalty to Discord was real, even if their sanity had been restored. The maid squad (opposed to being dirt maids), while remaining loyal to secondary rulers, are now in the service of Queen Libra at New Canterlot Castle Eden, under direct supervision of Eden, since it was her body they were cleaning.

The purple ponies aren't really the targets of revenge, since Discord hadn't let them out to cause misery in centuries, they're myths and rumors at best. Knowing the Discord I now know, I wonder if he planned it that way.

Both now work in New Canterlot Castle. Even though Rainbow Dash said Libra was crazy for letting two of Discord's minions to work for her, Libra calmly pointed out that that would be rather hypocritical given the help she was giving Discord CHIEF minions to get on with their lives.

"We rebelled! They didn't!"

"They were sick, Rainbow Dash, now they are well. They are allowed to live as they wish. And their father and husband is still waiting for them in the afterlife. They only asked for me to remove their immortality so they can live out their lives."

"Well, I'm still going to watch them. I'm through with awful surprises biting us in the butt."

"Nice to meet you new friend!" Golden Tiara came up behind RD and lovingly hugged her.

...

Libra also had a very special surprise gift for Applejack she gave before the wedding.

"Applejack."

"Yeah Rarity?"

"I have something for you."

"Oh? What?"

"The time we 'played' in my fake Gala when I was insane. Were you happy?"

"...Not in the least. It was like sand paper. At fist. Then Ah got used it, ya know, numb? Then Ah realized, Ah liked it. Ah felt like Ah was stabbin' mah cutie mark, myself, and my family all in the back that Ah could actually LIKE bein' a lady. It scared me. Almost as bad when Discord made me reject Honesty. But, our time together. It made me almost feel like the world was sane again. I just just pretend for a few hours with your golems that everything was alright, a pretty lie to myself Ah could live in."

"And then?"

"Then sometimes, when the weight got too much, as the centuries went on, as Ah got more pressured, Ah felt like Ah was escapin' to ya after we were done with Discord's errands. Like meanin' one thing an' sayin' another was okay there, it wasn't somethin' horrible Ah was carrying for everypony else. Kinda silly huh? By the end there, Ah think bein' with ya in yer crazy game was about the only thing keepin' me sane, and...Ah was actin' like 'mahself' just so RD wouldn't lose hope. It would've of killed her, no way in Tartarus could Ah do that ta her. Not when she had a shred of Rainbow Dash still in 'er."

"And when you destroyed my fantasy?"

"Yer a friend, the time for pretend was over. Ya were dead inside, and Ah could finally bring ya back to life."

"Did you feel anything else?"

"...Maybe, that suddenly, with yer Gala over, Ah was the one stuck pretendin'."

"By My Command: Abigail Jacqueline The Fifth of the Fifth Line. In your heart be who you WISH to be, not who you feel OBLIGED to be."

"My lady, I don't understand, what do you mean by-" Abigail put her hooves to her mouth, "-Rarity?"

It wasn't the pure Manehattenite accent she'd expected nor AJ's original country accent. She nuzzled the earthpony, "Only what was already there. Applejack, you're free."

"But, but dear Rarity, I wish, I mean Ah dang wish-"

"You've been forcing that accent for a hundred years Applejack, you're more than your choice in dialect. This is who you want to be in your heart, not who I think you should be."

"...this is who I want to be. But I don't wish to create a rift between me and my beloved family because we're from opposing worlds." A hundred years ago, when AJ had finally appreciated the beauty of words.

"They love you for what you do Applejack, not your dirty appearance or lack-of manners. And they'd never ask you to bury your heart for their sake."

"I don't wish them to think the Applejack they love is a lie. Like the Applejack in your gala for the first few centuries was a lie."

Libra nodded. "I understand, it's not an easy choice to make." She levitated a dress onto a chair nearby. "I'll leave this here in case you want it. The custom cowpony saddle I made for you is in other other box." Libra then left her friend to continue her preparations.

Abigail looked at the dress thoughtfully.

"...Rarity?"

"Yes, Applejack?"

Abigail made a beautiful flourished twirl to face her friend. "Thank you for the dress, but I think I would prefer one of your darling custom made ones if you do not mind," she said with a smile.

Becoming a Concept, hadn't robbed Libra of her talent as a dress maker.

Applejack's mane and tail were no longer a mess and her hooves were no longer chipped or rough. Her coat was brushed and cleaned.

Applejack wore a dress, and she didn't feel ashamed or restricted. She felt, peaceful, like she could finally let her guard down. She no longer needed to lie.

She looked at herself in a mirror. Was that really her? Yes, it was her, maybe the her that had been growing inside the shell these thousand years. She wasn't the AJ from a thousand years ago, and she no longer needed to pretend to be.

Libra hadn't physically change her one bit, this beauty had always been Applejack's if she had wanted it. I think she might have been more beautiful than Rarity the unicorn had been.

"My dearest friend Rarity," She turned gracefully and bowed, "I thank you. I accept this most wonderful gift."

"I told you we'd continue our conversation later."

"Yes you did Mi'Lady Rarity. I am proud to see you are still a mare of your word."

She nuzzled her, and Abigail nuzzled back, "And I always will be."

Applejack (as she still let her friends call her), was a shining star at the ceremony as she wed Libra and Spike. And turned more than a few heads.

Yes, she still wears her hat, that hat is a symbol of love for her family, there was no way in Tartarus she was going to give that up. Took forever to repair from the last battle, being ashes and all. It's a bit of a contrast with the dresses she now happily wears, but compared to Discord, ponies are more than willing to accept such things.

After the celebration she'd spent most of her time at Sweet Rock Acres, but regularly attended parties in Canterlot, even taught at a school for Earth Pony magic. Yes, it stayed Sweet Rock Acres, but Applejack and Apple Smith did help them expand what they knew how to grow.

Luna and Celly were formally adopted by Libra. They still have a lot of growing to catch up on. Luna smolders under it a bit -- a grown-up trapped in a child's body, with her youngest sister as queen and stepmother -- but she's grown to enjoy it. I think. Both of them look after Celly, who has been regaining her magic and knowledge from the ground up, and is quite enjoying the company of her little brother Tom. Luna says that if given a choice, that maybe it's about time Celly gets to have a foalhood that didn't have tragedy in it. I agree with her.

However, Lulu did get something she was quite joyous about; the Windy-gos who, being sentient descendants of her other two Windigos, gave her the admiration and respect she'd always wanted. It helped that they were so tiny even as a filly she was bigger than them.

Oh! Speaking of which, Philomena arrived, having spent her time with the Changelings after I freed her until she heard of Discord's defeat. Celly was ecstatic as can be expected from a filly who's beloved pet had returned. She loved that firebird. Even after thousand years as a clay pot, Philomena let Celly to remember Dissy as she wished, to make her mistress happy.

Spike? You need to ask? He's never left Libra's side. Lady Abigail and Dame Rainbow Dash, have remained the senior Elements of Kindness and Loyalty, and serve their goddess well.

They still called us 'Rarity' and 'Twilight', and we didn't mind it. We may have gotten new wings and responsibilities, but we were still their friends. They didn't see it as serving a goddess so much as helping their friend protect the world they loved.

Rainbow Dash and Gilda believe or not have gotten into Daring Do books (after Scootaloo introduced Rainbow Dash to them). And Abigail I think, is finally able to live life again, instead of trying to rush through it to the end at last. I'm happy for her.

Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo capped off the wedding celebration with a double Sonic Rainboom amid the fireworks display. I think the pride they both felt in that moment was beyond measure. They decided to restart the Wonderbolts together (Scootaloo may have had the body of a filly, but she still had her flying skills), Rainbow asking Gilda to join them first thing. I don't think I've ever seen that Griffin so touched, but Rainbow saw she had talent. Rainbow asked Derpy if she wanted to join them once the mail system and muffin shop were going well. Derpy didn't decline, just ask for time to think about it. I think a part of her enjoyed being seen for who she was and what she could really do and the idea appealed to her. Inquisition instantly declared herself their biggest fan.

Have I forgotten anyone? Oh? Me? I didn't really stay that long. I shouldn't have, and I couldn't, I wasn't lying to Rarity when I said felt what I was feeling would have driven me insane if I tried to ignore them. I wonder how Super Stallion deals with all the cries for help he hears.

But there is one detail I think I neglected to mention. And a cookie for you if you managed to figure it out. I'll finish with what happened was way back at the beginning of the healed world.

Our meeting was barely a minute after Libra declared all ponies 'free' and put our constellations in the sky. But it wasn't that which triggered what their change. They had already been freed. They were restored at the same time they saved me from myself and my own grudges. I'm just happy they had the courage to face up to me.

I am such a stupid egghead pony, I should have seen it coming. If Dinky could be turned back from a non-living muffin, why was I thick enough to think they couldn't be as well?

They weren't in my bedroom. They had grown all over the castle, if I hadn't hit them with the Elements, they'd have likely grown over the planet eventually restoring it's natural beauty whether Libra had done the job or not.

I sensed a presence and excused myself with barely a 'Good-bye.' I think my friends all believed I was going on my journey.

I found them in the art gallery. Healthy and alive. Sane and on four hooves. They stumbled clumsy on their legs, and it had been a thousand years since they had spoken. But had had each other to practice with while we were distracted with our socializing above. I was ashamed I hadn't felt them sooner.

A pair of unicorns. A blue stallion with yellow eyes and a crescent moon inside another crescent moon. And a grayish light lavender mare with a stripped white and violet mane and blue eyes. Her cutie mark was three purple five point stars.

They looked up at me awe. Their eyes watered. Oh no. Please no. They stared at me in awe. No no no. Please! Don't be...don't be scared of me. I didn't mean for my magic to go wild...I didn't mean to hurt you...I love you...I really love you...I...eh? They're...they're...

"Twilight my filly, is this really you?"

They're hugging me.

"YES--! YES IT IS! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!"

I knelt down and lower her head so I could nuzzle them, I spread my wings out then folded them around the two of them.

Moonshine 'Moonlight' Sparkle, my father.
Starlight Sparkle, my mother.

I can't remember being so happy in my life.

"Twilight," Dad said, "You've gotten big."

"I've...I've had a lot of growing."

"I know," he replied, "We've seen you grow quite a bit."

"Thank you, for saving me, twice."

"You're welcome dear," Mom whispered, "what are parents for?"

I stood before my parents in New Canterlot Castle, still their child.

=Rhapsody A Musical Adventure, "Thank You"=

"Thank you, everypony, for being there from the start.
We've been on this journey for so very long
I'd be so alone
Without all of you
No matter what, our bonds will last forever
My freedom you have won
We have shared the laughter and tears.
We faced all our fears
I must say good-bye just for now till we meet again."
~
I stood atop the tower of Dream Castle, we had come so close to losing everything to the Smooze, but we were still here with new friends.

"Thank you, my friends. Thank you over and over.
It's hard to believe how this journey begun.
I wish wish wish that I never had to say good-bye
But I have to go now for quite awhile."
~

I made one last pirouette and bowed before the audience, my big sister Meadowlark in the front row along with Starlight and all my friends.

"Thank you, my family, with all of my heart.
You've shown me more than I can believe
Thank you for staying with me time after time
Never once did you leave me behind"
~
The christmas tree in Ponyville square was beautiful, more so for Little Princess Rarity being the first time she and Star-Catcher have seen one, it was wonderful to share and spread the christmas cheer. It really was a minty christmas!

Thank you, everyone, for now we have to say good-bye
But don't worry, I'm only going away for awhile
We've been together from the very start.
Thanks for giving me a reason to believe.

"Thank you all for believing in me.
You help me find the courage to see.
You help me find the courage to be me."
~
All of my soul sang.

I won't tell you how long I stayed with my parents: a minute, a day, a year, eight-decades. Being with them was the only paradise I wanted after everything we had endured. But...I finally understood what Abbatissa meant. And what I should have understood from the beginning. For the power and right to change the world, I had given up my eternal rest. I had given up any right to be with them as long as I wanted. Respites would be all I'd ever have.

In that moment, I might have given it all back if I could have, but I couldn't, this wasn't some road I could just turn around on. I was the road.

When the time came, I kissed them both on the forehead, and tell them both just how much I truly and completely loved them.

"Twilight, you've made us, very very proud of you," Dad said.

"Thank you Papa."

"Don't forget us dear."

"I promise I never will Mama."

There was one other soul brought back to the world of the living I think you'd like to know about. Smarty Pants' couple days as a living person during the reign of Discord made her a victim as much as any other. And she wasn't overlooked. My parents adopted her as their second child. I am proud to have her as Twilight Sparkle's little sister.

= Pony The Unknown Instrumental =

"Keep...keep your head on straight, okay?" Spike asked me, tears in his giant eyes and huge voice cracking. "I'm...I'm not going to be there to make sure..."

"I will, Spike, I promise," I said, kissing him on the forehead too, and getting a huge hug in return.

I came to Derpy next. "T-Twilight...won't bridget puss...won't beget muss...wo-"

I hugged Derpy. "I won't forget you...I won't forget any of you, I promise."

Rainbow Dash started crying when I went to her. "It's...it's not fair...we finally...we finally won...now...now I have to lose you too..."

I nuzzled her. "No, you aren't losing me...I'm magic...I'll always be with you...with everypony...and every time you get to another happy ending? I'll be celebrating right there with you..."

She just hugged me rather tight and I let her cry herself out on my shoulder.

Applejack just smiled sadly. "Just tell my beautiful sister Apple Bloom I spoke my greetings and love to her, please?"

I nodded and kissed her forehead. "I will, I promise."

Celly simply ran up and hugged me. "Tell Papa that Lulu and I said we love 'Em!"

I giggled and smiled back. "I will...see you later, sis."

Minty Pie hugged me next. This time there were no flashes of other worlds, just two friends hugging. Both of us where complete. There was nothing left for us to say to each other. If there was any beings who perfectly understood each other, it was us.

"See you soon," Libra whispered.

"See you soon too," I whispered back.

Magica was next, I think me and Apple Pie both where putting it off. "Magica...I know you'll be a great Element of Magic..." I told my Champion.

She nodded. "I hope I am...Thanks for watching over Apple Pie while I was gone."

I gave her a smile and put my horn on one shoulder, then the other, then touched it to her head before giving her a kiss. "I'll never let a friend down if I can help it. And I know neither will you."

And finally, the moment I'd been dreading...

Apple Pie broke down crying when her turn came. "...I'm sorry Apple Pie...but I can't stay...I-"

"Ah...Ah know..." the filly said, looking up at me. "Ah know sometimes...sometimes the hero has tah go once their job is finished...But Ah'll miss yah, Halflight," she said, tears running down her face. "Miss Rainbow's right! It's not fair!"

"Life's not fair, to show we are. I'll miss you too...I'll never forget you..." I told her, kissing her lightly on the cheek. I think I had tears in my eyes too. "Even in the darkest of times..."

"Yah gotta find somethin' ta smile about," and smile she did.

I stepped back away from them and my horn glowed brightly. Reality gently opened, revealing the realm of My Parents. Celly and Lulu both felt a wave a belonging. Everyone couldn't help but smile. And they knew they mattered, that they had a reason to be, that someone cared.

"Goodbye, I'll never forget any of you..." I said, them waving, Apple Pie, Rainbow, Spike, all of them crying...and I cried too. "Farewell..."

+

More awaited me on the other side. Pinkie Pie insisted she and her foals throw me a going away party.

Fluttershy simply nuzzled me. It was Fluttercruel who surprised me the most.

The little half draconequus lowered her head. "Aunt Twilight...I'm sorry..."

I gently nuzzled her. "I forgive you...forgiveness is not earned, it's given."

She still had a long way to go, but she at least could admit she'd done wrong and that was a start.

I was surprised to find Shady there, "I have thank you, Nightmare, no, Amicitia. You are the reason my son is well again."

"That isn't what I intended at the time."

"All the same, if not for you, my son would still be sick, thank you."

I bowed to her. "You're welcome."

I didn't dare stay a moment more than I had to. There things I wanted over with rather than loom over me. I had much to do. But first,

+

"I really need to talk with Ox-Head and Horse-Face," Anarchy said, watching me walk into the torture chamber/mini-universe.

"There's nothing wrong with your security, I'm on the visitors' list," I said politely.

"Huh? Let me check," Anarchy took a clipboard out of nowhere, "Well whaddya know."

I nodded, looking over at Discord, who I could tell was trying to avoid looking at me. "...Mind taking a time out?"

Anarchy shrugged, "Don't have to ask me twice Miss-Kick-Your-Own-Flanks." Anarchy began playing his ChaosBoy 5D.

Discord didn't react to his congo lines of deaths stopping.

I approached the younger Draconequus slowly. There was no telling how he was going to react. I KNEW he'd changed but...

"...I'm sorry."

And I still didn't see that coming. "Huh?"

Discord turned and looked to me. "I said 'I'm sorry', don't make me repeat it a third time, I HATE repetition...Sorry I'm not very good at this. After I sold my conscience I never imagined I'd grow a new one."

What the buck? "You're apologizing to ME? After EVERYTHING I did?"

Discord sighed, looking down. "I sincerely wish you wouldn't say you're the same pony as that witch. I'm surprised you didn't...didn't do to her what I did to Dissy..."

"I am Nightmare Eclipse." I looked down. "...I'd be lying to say a part of me didn't want to do...that to her...But I didn't, Paradox is a part of me...her sins are mine. Including the sins I committed against you."

"Stop. Just stop. Let 'Master' get his two cents in."

I stopped talking.

He stood up and looked me in the eye. I didn't fear Discording.

"This whole mess started because of me..." An emotion that I'd once never have imagined to be possible appeared on his face; guilt. "Yes, Nightmare Paradox...you took it too far. I'm STILL surprised that Rancor actually liked that maniac."

"What can I say? I like revenge!" called Rancor from...somewhere in the realm.

"But it never would've happened if I hadn't been such a monster," the Draconequus said, sitting down, I sat down next to him.

"I've had a long time to think...On Paradise Estate...I was happy...And I threw it all away. I COULD have merged with Dissy and lived happily ever after with my immortal friends and loved ones...and I threw it away..." he said with a sorrow that couldn't be faked. The torture chamber's backwall fell away and he looked down into Entropy's Ocean of Chaos. "I had THOUSANDS of years of peaceful meditation to think it over...I lied to myself saying I couldn't think of changing my ways. I COULD have broken out and fell on my hands and knees begging Celly to forgive me...Instead I started this horror show. So yes, I'm apologizing to you, because the Twilight Sparkle, Twilight Tragedy, who started it all wasn't trapped in MY Hell, she's was trapped in hers because of me..."

We sat silent for a bit. Is Entropy's realm not the most quiet place? Have to give it that. At least it's the most peaceful spot in creation.

"...That's true...But that doesn't mean I don't have my fair share of things to apologize for," I replied. "I was a WORSE monster than you ever were. You may have deserved to be punished, but by the time it ended, you'd been paid in full several thousand cycles ago...I'm sorry."

Discord actually chuckled. "So, we starting a club for reformed monsters? Fluttercruel can join when she's healed."

I chuckled...which died quickly. "...I'm sorry I put you through losing her so many times...NO ONE deserves to experience that kind of loss."

"I'm sorry for being the reason you lost your friends so many times...You have a list, don't you?"

I blinked. "Huh?"

"Of things you came here to apologize for?"

"Uh...what makes you say that?" I asked, trying to shove the scroll back into the pocket dimension I'd pulled it out and out of sight. "...You have one too?"

"Why would I?"

"Because I wouldn't expect that."

Discord chuckled and took out a small list before unrolling it...it promptly vanished from existence upon touching the Ocean of Chaos several THOUSAND miles below. We both watched blinking. "Well...I didn't think that through."

We both actually shared a laugh at that. "...Look...lets just both say we're sorry for putting each other through Tartarus, okay?"

Discord chuckled, giving a small nod. "Sure...But I suppose the question is, are we going to forgive each other?"

I didn't have to think for a second. "Forgiveness isn't earned, it's given."

"Oy! You love saying that more than 'friendship is magic' now. Words of wisdom are like jokes, don't wear them out." Discord smirked. "...I think if there's one thing we can both agree on, it's that Apple Pie is an amazing filly...I wish I'd gotten to know her this last cycle. She was great to have as a friend that time I crowned her Queen Of the Chaos World one cycle."

I put a hoof on his shoulder. "There will be plenty of time for be her friend again, we have eternity after all. And I don't think Father will mind letting you talk with her."

He nodded. "I suppose so..."

I looked down, thinking of all I'd done to him...how low I'd crushed him. I had to ask. "So...what next? Once your punishment is up?"

He gave a sign. "I honestly haven't given it much thought. There's an alternate me who made a turn around, but I don't exactly have his options...All I've done for as long as I can remember is make ponies suffer...now I don't know what to do."

"...Your Sea Ponies are beautiful. Not how they were made...but the species has always been the one thing you made I considered beautiful... I think even somewhere, deep down inside, Paradox did, that's why she STOPPED forcing you to destroy Sky Ocean."

Discord chuckled. "Yeah...wish I'd could have made them from nothing instead of sentient beings, not that a Draconequus can HAVE that power, but...I've always thought they were beautiful too...didn't care for them till later, but at first..."

"...I think they're so beautiful because no two are alike...they're like snowflakes...diverse."

Discord nodded. "Yeah..."

"And what is diversity a part of?"

Discord blinked, looking at me. "...Chaos...You're getting good at your Concept...Hmm, me? Diversity?...Haha! Ironic, isn't it? I like it!...But I'm not changing my name..." Discord mock pouted and stuck up his nose, "It's my name, it's mine, and I'm gonna keep it!"

I give a smile and hold out a hoof. He takes it and-

"AHH!" I yell and stagger back. He shows the joybuzzer in his eagle claw. I can't help but laugh. "...By the way, there was someone else who wanted to see you."

Discord blinked. "Who would that be?"

"Dissy."

Discord turned, looking into the eyes of an earth pony with a sunglasses Cutie Mark. She smiled back to him. "I'm so proud of you."

For the first time I can remember, I saw tears of joy in Discord's eyes as he hugged his mortal mother.

Discord's billion plus horrible deaths resumed a little while later and I left, Shady's soul returning to Father. At least Discord had someone dear waiting for him when his punishment is over, and according to Razzaroo's warning, I had one final fight to face. 'The enemy who would cause me more pain than any other.' But at least I knew I had one more friend I could always count on, and who had found his own happy ending, like I had helped all of my friends. And that was a happiness that could never be taken from them or me. They were free, and so was I.

Author's Note

Cover art by Kendell2

Episode 120: ("Dark World" Alicorn Rising) HEALED WORLD

Episode 121: (Shining Armor): semiT malC-Calm Times Part 1

Pony POV Series
My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic
Shining Armor 14 Part 1
semiT malC-Calm Times
By LZ and Kendell2
Editted by Alexwarlorn and Louis

It was after lunch. We'd once again boarded the ships, and were awaiting the hour we'd leave Zebrawa. Myself, Commander Shepard, Lance-Corporal Audience, and Minuette, were to explain a few things to the bulk of the civilians, after I shared concerns with the Commander that the security detail ahead needed to be taken seriously. The troopers and hoofmaidens had already been informed the night before.

Cadence had felt I was being paranoid again.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Was she correct?)

...No comment.

I cast a look over the rest of the civilians assembled in the hangar, Cadence's entourage of nearly forty.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Forty? Wow...Why does she get that many when Celestia normally only gets like six guards to pull her chariot?)

One, Celestia's over a thousand years old, so I guess she's a little old school (Cadence is the only 'contemporary Alicorn', after all). And two, because this was a diplomatic party, so people wanted to tag along, I think Sunset became a Hoofmaiden for that reason.

Plus half were civil servants: accountants, news aggregators, data aggregators, secretaries, even a couple of lawyers. That group was largely autonomous, and Minuette and Sunset were the ones mainly delivering their work to the Princess. I'd kept forgetting to ask to get whatever newspaper clippings from home they prepared.

The rest were two cooks, a group of personal trainers, a group of laundry workers, the dressmaker and her assistants, the pet care specialist without any pets, a masseuse, a pair of personal shoppers, two farriers, an armorer (the Air Navy had snagged him), and the remainder were odd-jobs ponies meant to cover anything else that might crop up. Virtually all of them had been in the background. But I'd wanted to see how they'd been doing and make sure they knew what was happening ahead, as did Commander Shepard.

"Zebrawa was a little tighter for security than we'd hoped but we've not heard any problems reported by you or other civilians on the trip. That said, Triana is at least in theory less secure. Technically, it's still at war with the South. However, there's a large multinational contingent. Columbians, Ponsians, Neighponese, Germanes, Prench. They're all soldiers and largely keep to themselves. The locals however might see foreigners like us as easy marks, so we're going to have to make sure anypony leaving the embassy has their destinations planned and troops accompany them," I said.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): And let me guess, you were going to make sure Cadence saw any destination plans of yours?)

Yes. Most definitely.

"The good news is though, ironically enough the more secure docks mean we don't need to spare as many Air Naval Cavalry to watch the ship. We can have more troops covering you when you go out shopping or on the tourist trail. Technically at war or not, it's a nice city," Shepard added.

Minuette then consulted her notes. Her reaction to finding out more detailed schedules were needed was akin to Twiley when she found out she needed to make an extra large checklist. Seriously, how did those two not know each other?

"Yes, the city has a fair few tourist sites and some museums, mostly filled with things they've dug from the desert. There's no real large parks, mostly just city squares and markets. There's a zoo, and the Grand Bazaar is probably one of the better marketplaces to visit for local flavor. A fair few other nightspots are aimed at the foreign troops, as well as the researchers and contractors coming to do archaeological stuff in the desert..."

"Archaeological stuff?" Somepony asked. Audience spoke up.

"There's a large number of digs in the desert, though many of them are pretty close to the border. As a result a lot of survey teams hire private security firms to protect against raiders. The raids never get too far from the border and they're rarely a real danger, just meant to harass the defenders more than anything. It wasn't that bad when I was there a few years ago."

He hadn't added his mother was probably in the desert at a dig right now, or that by saying so he'd accidentally convinced Cadence and the Hoofmaidens to disregard the 'border raiders' and plan to visit the Equestrian archaeological digs. He'd apologized as soon as they were out of earshot. Still, we'd get to say hello to Doctor Audience hopefully. I hadn't seen her for a while.

"Yes, though I don't think we'll all be going to the digs. Maybe a few... is anypony here maybe interested right now? We'll probably ask nearer the time..."

Despite my still present paranoia, I couldn't help imagining Twiley's reaction had she been present.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Oh! Like this? Yesyesyesyesyesyesyes....)

Hehe, yeah, exactly like that, you're pretty good at it.

"What kind of border raiders are we talking about?" one of the civilians asked.

"Just small groups that come in and cause a ruckus or try to steal things. Nothing serious," I lied.

Bond had told me that was the official line we were to stick to. However, it was an open secret amongst everypony else that some of the raids and groups were Spetsnaz and mercenaries scouting out for a possible conflict. Apparently, things like this happened every few years when the Southern government wanted to distract their citizens from some internal troubles. I had no doubts the Hooviets would play some sort of game while Cadence was here. And I probably would have been even if I wasn't paranoid about Makarov.

Still, the civilians didn't seem as enthusiastic as Cadence about visiting the digs. Though Minuette seemed to be excited about it for some reason.

"Okay, so, a few last things. There's actually a Little Italiponia district here, the Italiponians did most of their Zebrafrican trade here during the Merchanteering Era, so if you speak Italiponian you've got good odds of being understood if they don't know Equestrian. Roughly a third of the population here is actually Donkeys, and finally the food prices, especially fresh or imported stuff, are usually pretty high for tourists," Minuette finished.

"On that last note, by the way, I'd like to add this is a last chance for anypony feeling homesick to head back early. We're unlikely to run into any ships heading back home in the coming months, and there's a supply ship from the Royal Fleet Auxilliary delivering here soon. It'll also be the last chance for those of us staying to stock up on creature comforts from home in decent numbers."

I'd already made sure the ship's loadmasters and galley quartermasters were to be well stocked with teas I liked rather than trying to prepare a stash. Unfortunately, cow's milk wouldn't last long even with the preserving spells - we'd be buying local by Zebrabwe, and most cows in Zebrafrica could command a high price. Maybe I'd need to make a stash of creamer packets, I had thought at the time.

"Anypony have any questions?" Shepard asked.

None were forthcoming.

"All right, then. If you want to order something specific from the RFA ship, there's a couple of Ensigns will be at an information desk at the library, just go there to make requests. "

The crowd began to disperse and head for their cabins. I made sure to catch Audience's attention.

"Lance-Corporal, can you find Corporal Apple and both of you come to my quarters? I need to discuss something with you."

He nodded in reply, only for Minuette to then speak.

"Actually, Captain, can I quickly check something? Princess Cadenza wanted me to make sure you're feeling okay, she thought you seemed jumpier than usua... jumpy at breakfast."

"...Please tell Her Highness there's nothing to be concerned about," I lied.

I had considered adding something like 'pleased to note her concern' but I worried it would come across as sarcastic...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): I can't imagine why.)

..., or cause Minny and the Hoofmaidens to release a new single. Oh, who was I kidding, they'd probably have done that no matter what I'd said replying to that.

Anyway, I went to my room, and it was a few moments later my junior NCOs knocked at the door.

"Ellis, Captive, thanks for coming so quickly. I just need to ask how you two have both been doing the past few weeks after Columbia..."

"Ah'm okay, Sir. Ah did have a couple'a nightmares but they were back in Colombia, should be on record ah think."

"I'm fine as well, Sir. I'd had one odd dream but we think it was unrelated..."

"What was the dream?"

"Well, there was a giant monster stomping through Manehattan and I was in charge of the Guard force there. I was about to come up with a plan when a Neighponese Shinobi from the Special Copyright and Piracy Squad showed up and told me I couldn't refer to it as a kaiju because they'd trademarked the term."

"...And?"

"I had to replan it to work around the trademarks. I have no idea why I dreamt that, Gag assures me it's a generic term and that you can't really enforce any trademark on it at this point, especially not in an international context."

"Oookay."

What a crazy dream, everyone knows Guard protocol for a giant monster attack specifically calls for aid from the Princesses, he wouldn't have been in charge of the defense anyway.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Wait...what? You're serious?!)

Yeah, Article 1954. We live in Equestria, which has Hydra and at least one Ursa Major (we're not sure how many actually exist) among other things. And unfortunately, there are still uncommon occasions of Equestria threatening events besides ones that require my sister and her friends. And yes, we do guard the Princesses, but we're not about to pretend they're not goddesses. They are the big guns from time to time and protocol lists what qualifies as needing their intervention and what Guards are supposed to engage on their own (for the record, the Mayor of Ponyville was violating protocol, since Nightmare Moon was classified as an Equestria threatening event, as I said before, the correct order was 'fall back and regroup', and then send a letter to Canterlot reporting an Equestria threatening event).

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): For the record, Mayor Mare had just witnessed an old mare's tale come to pass, it wasn't exactly easy to make a rational decision at a time like that, especially when everyone expects you to make some kind of choice.)

...I can sympathize with that...

"Uh, sorry if this is outta line, Sir, but, uh, Ah'm wondering how you've been doin'? With respect you've seemed kinda... jumpy, lately," Ellis said, with the honesty his clan is almost as famous for as their apples.

"No, I've had no problems, but thanks for asking," I lied again.

Interviewer's Notes: Pegasus: (How'd you fit your muzzle through the door with all the lies you were telling?)

Hey, I know it looks bad but we didn't want the civilians to freak out knowing our old buddy Makarov was involved.

"Shiney, I've said it since the Academy, but you need to learn to relax a little more," Ace noted, seeing my barely hidden apprehension at the scene before us.

"I can relax just fine, Ace, it's just..."

"...You're worried about stories from pubs in Caledonia? Relax, it's a nice enough place. Look, see, 'it has been five days since somepony smashed a bottle over somepony's head'! I've seen worse in Canterlot..."

Caledonia? When was I there with Ace?

"It's a joke, ye ken," Somepony nearby said.

"Yeah, but the unicorn doesn't know that," Ace faux-whispered to the bar patron.

"I'm aware it's a joke," I sighed, as we made our way over to the bar itself. The strong smell of salt and alcohol in the air didn't do wonders for my apprehension.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Oh, so it wuz just a normal bar, not a pole-dancing place?)

Pardon? Did you just say...?!

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): It looked fun when Flut-)

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Dear, remember what you Pinkie Promised.)

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Oops...Sorry!)

...I'm going to pretend that didn't happen...

"Anyway, what're you having, Sparks?"

"I'm not sure... Salt and Lime?"

The Barpony gave me a steely glare. "We don't do cocktails."

I tried not to sigh, but he burst out laughing and covered it.

"Just kidding ye on, mate. We've actually got a very good range of them. Wide range of soft cocktails, we're proud of our Vodka specialities... But a Salt and Lime, you say?"

Ace ordered something with a long instruction list that probably had half a salad and a little paper umbrella involved at some stage. The Bartender got to work.

"So, how are things on the ground?" Rimmer asked.

"Going fine, I guess. Got a decent team under my command, even if Reinolds keeps dropping the darned stun grenades at the doorway instead of throwing them in the rooms..."

"Heh, gotta watch out for them. There's always one on every entry team fumbles the grenades."

...When was I on an entry team?

"I wish there wasn't, I'm a bad shot as it is, hard to stun-spell something if I can't see or hear."

I blinked as the bartender appeared to be readying a miniature chainsaw to prepare Rimmer's drink, but was then distracted by some loud applause from other bar patrons. There were a group of Deer and Ponies. One unicorn was on his hind legs, a cutie mark of a golden ape-skull, like an actor... like Makarov... or something. He'd just finished a song, and from the sound of it he was being congratulated 'on another fine performance'.

"Roedinian expats, spring equinox. They celebrate..."

"Mother Deer bringing new life to the land, yes," I said absent-minded...ly...

"It's why we've got so mony vodka options. Plenty o' refugees who ran fae the Iron Antlers crackin' live in these parts. The wan singin' is an actor actually, famous for Shakespony and the like."

The Bartender sighed.

"Mind you, the wan time he did play a Roedinian character fur some reason he used a local accent. Fur a Cervanian-born ship's Captain...."

"...That play about the submarines?" Ace said, clearly better versed in theatre than I.

The Bartender nodded, and passed the now-prepared drink over. As expected there was an umbrella.

"So, what is it you're up to right now in the Air Navy?" I asked, looking around the bar, noting an awful lot of Deer....

"Just testing the new light airships, those Ordnance Carriers. Not rated for any live fire yet, and the boffins still have teething troubles with those things they think could be used to stun Dragons, but they're brilliant machines. Not as fast or nimble as the old mark one featherlimbs, but Earth Pony engineering and Unicorn magic have combined to build a darn good flying machine. Now if only we could channel Pegasus Kinesis into it, then it'd be perfect."

"Thought they were... Griffin built..."

We only just started testing them... this was a year ago, we didn't have those then...

"Nah, airships are pony made, Sparks. These ones were just Griffins using the same ideas."

"Certainly safer than helicopters..." Someone commented as they neared.

"Amen to that! And it's good to see you, Dima. Sit with us,"

I turned to see the Deer who had spoken, and that Ace had invited to join us. He was a Roe deer, and I felt I'd seen him before now I think about it....

"Er, know much about helicopters..." I said to him...

"My mom flew one in the war. As you can tell she was lucky enough to survive it, but she hated the cursed things even when she flew them."

"Oh, introductions. Dima, First Lieutenant Shining Armor Sparkle. Sparks, Second Lieutenant Dimitiri Maka-

There was a loud banging, and it took me a startled few seconds to realize somepony was knocking on the door. I felt strangely cold and unsettled, and I realized I seemed to already be halfway out of bed before I'd heard the noise properly...Ugh, just once I'd like to wake up in a perfectly normal fashion...

"Y-yes?" I tried not to stammer, but failed.

"Captain? You wanted to be informed if we arrived ahead of schedule? We should be docking within the hour."

I could barely hear him for the the banging noise, and it took awhile for me to realise it was my heart pounding. The Air Naval Cavalrypony at the door seemed to be aware I was half awake, but he didn't seem too inclined to drop the grim expression he had.

"I... I see, thank you, Petty Officer..."

"No problem, Sir. I've already informed the Princess' hoofmaidens on the way here. They didn't seem too pleased..."

I didn't see a trace of humor in his eyes. They just looked pretty harsh, really. The scar he had above one didn't help...

"Yes, I, uh, I can imagine."

"I'll let you get to it then, shall I, sir?"

He left, and a moment later I was wide awake as I turned the shower on full blast with the cold tap...

Unfortunately for anypony expecting a long story about antics and shenanigans in Triplneigh... Well, it was rather quiet.

Buisnessponies here, Government hoofshakes there, dinners over there, what the heck was that oh it's a cat somepony help Gag please, okay that was a barking parrot?

"Parakeet, Sir," Garnet corrected.

In fact, it was honestly that quiet I thought I had died and not noticed.

"...Er, I think the fact you're asking me to check your pulse kind of confirms your not-deadness..."

"He could be a zombie," Thunderchild noted.

"I hope not, if he has to eat brains he'd starve around here," Cadence sighed.

"...Ladies and Gentlecolts, I think we just suffered a royal burn. Garnet, put the ointment away, it was metaphorical."

"Sorry, Sarge."

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Surely SOMETHING interesting happened in Triplneigh!)

...Well, there was the time Cadence had me sneak out to Little Bitaly with her...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Wait, really?!)

...and the Hoofmaidens and the rest of my squad because there was a free evening and she had nothing better to do but spy on Sunset and Ranger dating.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Oh. Wait, you went along with it?)

Look, I was kidding when I said 'snuck out'. She consulted me and the ambassador on the 'put a disguise on and travel the evening incognito' bit and though I noted misgivings I had to concede the area was very secure. I wasn't initially told about the 'spy on two lovebirds' bit though. Plus, it was either we do this or endure Gag doing stand up comedy at a local nightclub.

Anyway, for some reason, Gag and Garnet were needed. I was a little worried why the princess and hoofmaidens wanted Garnet along, but the look they gave each other and me made it clear I was missing something, of the sort that pressing the matter would just result in ridicule. And possibly an extra verse to the song sang behind my back at some point.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Did you figure it out why?)

Nope. Just in case I had Ellis come along too.

...Hey, don't you three start!

"Look on the plus side, Shining, you're not in the luggage bay again," Cadence noted as we walked our way down to the seafront.

The whole area overlooked the bay, the shapes of the various Allied ships hanging low in the sky or nestled into the docks. Cadence had put on a pink unicorn disguise and hid her wings below the hoody this time. I managed to avoid the dreaded penguin suit, and convince everypony that us all wearing sunglasses was a bit obvious. Even if it'd look badflank.

"Gag, tell me Ranger listened to somepony sensible about advice," I had to quickly say as we neared and passed a number of decent-looking places. "And somepony told him trying to get advice from The Lord Flashheart was a bad idea after having his memory erased."

"They might have been directed to a nice place by the Circus ponies back in Zamunda. They eat out a lot in the places they visit, they're probably know a lot of good places."..." Minuette quickly reassured.

"...Hopefully not too expensive, Privates don't get paid much," Gag muttered.

"Tch, stallions! Never realize that price is no object to true love, right, Garnet?"

"It's nice if the stallion can afford it I suppose, but I'd rather get a nice regular ruby over a shaft-closer Fire Ruby."

"...Shaft-closer?" I wondered.

"It's a Fire Ruby so big the whole mine shuts down for the week because selling it covers the wages for the whole holiday. You see, only dragons can really grow Fire Rubies, so any natural one is worth a lot. So big ones are really valuable."

"...Those are valuable? Dragon-grown ones?"

"Well, yes, but if a dragon grows it to eat it, it's really not worth much...."

"Phew..."

"...Only about ten thousand or so by the time they do eat it, not that Dragons think about selling one of their gems," Garnet finished.

"Agh!"

"Shining, I really don't think Twilight would let Spike sell one instead of eat it anyway, you know how much he loves them," Cadence reminded me.

"...You're right, she'd think it'd be worth it to let him enjoy it even if they were valued at a million bits."

"And your family is already nobility, Shining."

"...Point taken."

Anyway, Cadence soon halted us. I took the opportunity to look over my shoulders, just to be safe.

"This is the place. Now, here's the plan. Garnet, Gag, this place doesn't have reservations so you two go in and get a table. They spot you? It's just a coincidence. The rest of us? They do takeout, so one by one we all go in!"

"...Uh, beg pardon, Prin... Your High... What are we meant to call ya, ma'am?"

Cadence opened her mouth to say something...then promptly facehoofed.

"...I forgot to think up a codename didn't I? Um, how about, Decoy... Squirrel?"

"Uh, Rhapsody..., that's a bit obvious," I tried my hoof.

Twinkle Shine and Minuette made an odd gasp.

"...How about Sing Song?" Cadence then asked.

They made an odd reverse gasp.

"Ah like it," Ellis noted.

"...Hang on, wait, who pays for that table, I'm pretty sure we said something about not earning much money earlier..."

"Uh, Garnet, they do takeout, I don't imagine it's that expensive..."

"Then it's settled! And I was going to pay for everyone, I'm a princess!"

Somepony passing gave her a look.

"...So Daddy says."

Technically that was true, I guess.

"Anyway, let's get on with it."

That meant that we five wound up waiting and looking over the bay, one of us going in occasionally. I felt a little alarmed as Cadence took her turn, but everything seemed okay. Not even a parrot barking....

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Parakeet.)

Species doesn't matter! That thing would've been creepy even if I wasn't paranoid!

"...So why are all these ships here anyway?" Minuette wondered.

It took me a few minutes to remember we'd left Audience at the Embassy.

"It's part of how the war was fought. The Hooviets had backed the south to try and win, but the war with the Dragons weakened them. With Hooviet influences gone, Ponsia and Neighpon moved in to try and stop the war. They managed to get a ceasefire, but the Hooviets came back ten years later and propped the South up when their regime looked unstable. So everyone else made sure to keep the North safe and stop the war restarting," Cadence tried.

"And we play a part too, sending supplies and aid, don't we?" Twinkle Shine mused.

"Yup. In fact, ya know that really big ship over there? Take a close look at the top deck..." Ellis grinned.

"...Is that a farm on the deck of a ship?!"

"Shore is! Royal Fleet Auxiliary food farm ship. Some of mah cousins work on the RFA Apple. Yeah, Ah know, imagine that, relatives o' mine on a floating farm called Apple, shocking, yeah?"

That got a few chuckles.

"Good way to deliver supplies, take a whole farm crewed by Earth Ponies along. And a nice way to restock during long voyages when land is still awhile away," I mused.

"There's rock farm ships as well. Mah cousins the Oranges have been ponderin' trying to have commercial floating farms on sea-ships, go around the Equestrian coast selling oranges and running a sort of cruise... Point is, when ya got Earth ponies and Pegasi, all yah need is some good soil and some seeds to grow crops fast. Surprisin' thing is, it took so long fer somepony to realize it Ah guess."

Of course, they'd still have problems staying in places like this for long, apparently. But the hope is, ships like them might someday be able to take farms away from the drought areas and grow at sea before coming home for a harvest. I know Earth Ponies were proud of them too, it was a good way to prove to stubborn ponies who said they didn't have magic that they did, since without it, the ships would be completely impractical, if not impossible, and it was hard to prove otherwise.

But yes, our little spy mission was remarkably not noticed. Even when Cadence and the other two hoofmaidens squeed and were moments from a song as Ranger gave Sunset a brief but affectionate nuzzle...

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony, Pegasus, Unicorn): Aw....)

Don't you three start!

Dang, and I thought Zebrawa had been hot and dry! Well, considering we were in a desert, I suppose that's to be expected.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Technically, a desert doesn't need to be hot, in fact the north and south poles are deserts.)

Point is; we were in the desert, it was hot, and I wasn't a camel, so I wasn't enjoying it.

We were finally getting around to visiting the digs, and I noticed several artifacts that strangely resembled cheese...

"Now where is...oh, there she is," called Audience, waving to a somewhat older blue-furred mare with a brown mane. Her Cutie Mark seemed to be eyes either a disapproving glare or a motherly gaze, hard to tell.

She wiped sweat off her brow and galloped over. Dr. Patient Audience was always pretty physically fit, even in her old age. She naturally bowed to Cadence.

"Hello, Princess Cadence," she stated, then looked over to Captive and gave a small wave.

"Hello, Dr. Audience. How is the dig going?" Cadence replied, giving a small smile.

"We've made a lot of interesting discoveries...most of which strangely involve cheese."

I blinked.

"Wait...what? But...that doesn't make any sense..." I'd thought I was just seeing things from the heat!

"Oh, it makes a good bit of sense. The tribe in this area had an intense fear of elephants as they largely had genes that caused Dwarfism, so they used the cheese to repel them, though it was actually the mice they attracted that scared the elephants off," said Minuette suddenly.

"...Dr. Audience, is that right?"

Dr. Audience gave an annoyed look at her son.

"Actually, that's correct from what we've found...how did you know that, Miss..."

"Minuette..." Minuette suddenly looked quite confused. "I...don't know..."

And then there was an awkward silence. Dr. Audience cleared her throat.

"They're also rather fiercely protective of their artifacts."

"How so, Dr. Audience?"

"Captive, if you call me that one more time I'm renting your room out to your cousin Critical Audience."

The Lance-Corporal eeped. "Yes mom..."

"As for your question, we found a warning reading 'A note to my successors: Don't pull the switch near the chasm. It causes everything past it to die from magma.'"

"Uh...Is there a volcano nearby?" I blinked in confusion.

"No, and that's why it's odd. It possibly explains all the elephant fossils in volcanic rock at the valley bed three miles north. But I've learned you should take ancient warnings seriously.."

"Sounds like a bad Daring Doo book..." Gag commented.

"Good books, I was consulted on them. Sadly real archaeology is nothing like Daring-Do, I'm afraid...unless you're a post-graduate."

Before you ask, no, she wouldn't divulge the author's name...I wanted to know too...

Dr. Audience gave a sigh. "Though you wouldn't know it, given what happened with Professor Elemental's finds..."

"You heard about that?" asked Cadence. I had a similar reaction...and a mild dose of paranoia.

"Yes, I feel bad for the poor stallion, but it's actually not that uncommon lately, unfortunately," the mare replied, giving a sad sigh.

"What do you mean?" My eyes darted around in rampant paranoia.

"A lot of strange finds have been disappearing lately. Mostly theft but a couple of disappearances seemed to be arson."

"...Commander Bond, did you hear that?"

Bond trotted up and gave a nod. "Yes...Dr. Audience, may I talk to you about this? I've been looking into Professor Elemental's case, it might be of use."

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): What was Bond doing on a leisure visit?)

Cadence invited him to try and give him a break from his investigation...yeah, that didn't work out.

"Well, I could get you a list of the victims' names, but other than that, there's not much..." Dr.Audience rubbed her chin.

So while an aide got Bond the names, Dr. Audience took us looking around at the ruins. I noticed two things. One, the private security roaming around.

"Yes, as you know, the Guard can't legally supply any cover to protect us outside Equestria and local security has more on their plate. So we hired an, ah, private firm... Many of them are... former Guards though, so they should be up to standards," Dr. Audience explained.

"...Isn't that those two guys that showed up with that group in Columbia?" Twinkle Shine wondered.

"...Nope," I lied.

"Definitely not," Cadence helped us play along with Baseplate and Price's terrible disguises.

I don't think Minuette fell for it though, that's the problem with trying to wear a disguise around someone with an eye for detail...

And two, that Running Gag was staring at the wall writing.

"Something wrong, Gag?"

"Oh, no sir, I was just wondering why they recommend cheese dipped corn on the cob..."

"What?" Patient blinked, looking back at us.

"Right there, it talks about dipping corn on the cob in cheese... weird..." Gag pointed at the wall.

"Are you even trying to joke anymore?" I face hoofed.

"Actually, that's not a joke, it's exactly what it says. How'd you know?" Said Patient, blinking.

"I can learn any language, it's my special talent,"Gag chuckled.

Patient actually looked interested.

"Really? Well, can you read this part here? We've had trouble translating it."

"Alright, I can take a look." Gag trotted over to the inscription in question.

"It says 'On every second year, we celebrate Pandemonium for inspiring us to drive off the dreaded Elephants from our land using cheese. Let her be praised..."

"...Pandemonium?" My eyes went wide.

Dr. Audience scratched her chin. "According to what we've found, she's some sort of imagination goddess they worshiped..."

I looked at a picture above the inscription resembling some kind of snake-shaped creature. "Pandemonium..."

So yeah, Triana was relatively uneventful minus the possible mention of an ancient imagination goddess who may be connected to my archenemy.

We had the normal farewell dinner and that was it really...

Though one thing to note did happen on the way to Sangala.

"Shining, mind listening to this letter?" Cadence asked during a quiet moment.

The Hoofmaidens had their typical reaction.

"Why?"

"It's to my aunt about Twilight saving the world."

And there they go disappointed.

"Sure, if it's about Twiley I guess I can proofread it."

Cadence cleared her throat. "'Dear Aunt Celestia; Zebrafica is lovely this time of year, the diplomatic mission is going well. Thank you for sending Shining Armor to be my bodyguard, it's nice to have a very dear somepony here with me. He's been strangely looking over his shoulder lately but won't tell me why. Do you know?"

"Continue..." I gave a small glare as she chuckled.

"I hear Twilight is staying in Ponyville, that you've given her an assignment studying friendship. To think, that little filly saved the entire world, I'm so proud of her...Twilight studying friendship, are you sure she needs to study it? When I was little, when I didn't have anyone I really connected to except you and my parents...She was the first one I really clicked with. That I really came to think of as my friend. I think she was the one who taught me an important lesson; how it feels to actually form a real friendship...And that's a lesson I use a lot out here on this trips, forming friendships between Equestria and these other places...I owe Twilight a lot...

Love, Princess Cadence'."

"...Other than the 'me looking over my shoulder part,' it's perfect," I replied, somewhere between 'I'm so proud of my sister' and annoyed.

"Is it a lie?"

"...No..."

"Then I'm not taking it out," she said, rolling up the letter. "Shining, we just went through what is technically a war zone without any complications, and you're still paranoid."

"I've got a psychotic deer who can brainwash ponies with his presence who tried to murder me with a small army, I think I have a perfectly rational reason to be paranoid."

"Then save it for the Hooviet allied territories, have fun while you can!"

As much as I hate to admit it, she had a point...unfortunately it was somewhat invalidated by the fact I was ALSO being hunted by some wolf thing and that psychotic deer was actually an imagination demon probably trying to eat my very existence...and also I was a paranoid, and since when is that rational?

We were in the air, heading for Sangala, and I was awoken by a horrified scream. It sounded like...

"Cadence?!"

I was out of my bed and to her room in under three seconds! I burst in...

"Princess, what's happened?! What's wrong?

...And I was greeted by three bemused hoofmaidens, too stupefied to even be startled at my entry. Two guardsponies were also inside, probably for the same reason I had entered. Cadence was looking in horror at a newspaper, the Canterlot Times

"Shining, it.. It's terrible, we...."

"What?! Has there been a train crash back home? An airship crash? Building collapse in Manehattan? A train crashed into a building and collapsed it onto an airship? Some disaster?!"

Then I realized I could see the front page. It said that the Prime Minister had caused a scandal by calling an opposition MP a 'derp'. But the point was, the main story was facing me. She was reading the back page. The pages where...

"A complete disaster! The worst possible thing!"

"Oh no... Oh, no, NO, NO! IT CAN'T BE TRUE!"

"It is!" She burst into tears.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! HOW COULD WE HAVE LOST TO PAISNEIGH BUDDIES?!"

"It was 2-2! They won on away goals!" Cadence sobbed.

It was horrible. We'd won 1-0 in Caledonia. They'd won 2-1 in Canterlot, the second leg of the tie. Because of the away goals rule, each goal scored away counted double to decide who won: so they effectively had four, we had three. 2-2 draw, but the rules gave them the win. We'd lost to a team that played out of an eight-thousand capacity stadium in a town barely bigger than Hoofington... Sure, Caledonia was still in Equestria, and it was the second-largest of the five Equestrian hoofball association areas, but it's like saying the tortoise is the second largest out of a lion, a hamster, a mouse, and an ant.

At this point, one of the Guardsponies burst out laughing.

"MACTAVISH! THIS ISN'T FUNNY... Oh... Oh Celestia, no, you're Caledonian, don't tell me..."

"S-Sorry, sir, ma'am, I... I actually support Mayre United and Clydesdale HC, but it's... Uh, well, sorry..."

"...It's just a game of Hoofball, it's not the end of the world." Minuette eventually said.

She received deadly glares from three Guardsponies and one Princess.

"Just a game?! We're out of the Equropa League already! That was the second leg of a qualifying match! And we lost to a team that has a stadium a tenth the size of ours!"

"And in terms of Equropean hoofball for the next year it IS the end of the world! Oh, Auntie, what if Trottenham win it?!"

I gave a brief filly-like scream of horror at the mere idea! Nightmare...

"I'm going to have to praise them for a special recognition aren't I? My birthday speech is the next speech, and them winning is a big event, for Hoofball up there and for their team. I can't not praise them..."

I waited outside, mourning our horrific loss in the most dignified fashion I could while also keeping up my now favorite passtime

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Looking all over in blind paranoia?)

Yep.

I heard the door open and turned to see Cadence emerge. I was a bit stunned, to say the least. "Wow...doing something new with your hair?"

Cadence's mane was now braided, something I hadn't seen since she was in high school. It also had several Zebrafican local hair pieces I didn't quite know the names for strewn about.

"See, told yah he'd go wild for it!" I heard Twinkle Shine say under her breath.

"Yes...Twinkle Shine had the wonderful idea that I should perhaps do my mane up in a local style to show my support and respect of the culture."

Twinkle Shine nodded. "Yeah, I wanted to start in Zebrawa, but it didn't work out..."

Cadence nodded. "We had agreed the mohawk hadn't worked. It looked okay on Zebra and Mactavish, but not so much on Princesses..."

I wasn't sure whether or not to fight the urge to imagine Cadence with a mohawk.

"And Triana's only real style is just basically a mohawk with the hair loose instead of spiked..." Minuette cut in.

"How about I give you a new look too, Captain? You and the Princess would look like a good with matching manes!" Twinkle Shine chuckled, producing her styling tools.

Not even Cadence's pink fur defended her from the blushing that created.

"No thank you..."

When we arrived in Sangala, all pony hell completely failed to break loose. Unless you count the temperature. Fortunately the hangars could be air-conditioned for when we held one of those weekly birthday parties, though we just found it easier to host it at the embassy this time.

Really, there's only a few things I can really say about the place: they built a lot of structures mostly underground to keep cool (the tallest building was a whopping five floors high off the ground, and about ten below it), and the whole country seemed to have a lingering smell of Dragonwine on the wind. And other than the fact there was an oil field upwind of the embassy clanking away that took a little getting used to, the place was calm.

I did find something an oil worker said alarming though.

We'd gone out to see the largest field, and I was at first a little surprised to see they seemed to be using old tanks as transport and cargo haulers in the desert - I guess it made sense to stop ponies and dogs overheating as well as provide something with shade and magic inside to keep cool. It was also a lot easier than walking over sand apparently. We were standing on the roof of one below a tent-canopy as it drove towards the oil fields.

"Okay, Your Highness, let's look at it this way. You have four legs. You weigh under eighty kilograms. That's four pressure points. Your hooves aren't all that big, so your weight is spread out over those four points. That means you exert more pressure with each hoof into soft surfaces. A track spreads it out, that's why tanks are able to handle rough terrains wheels, and hooves can't. So walking basically means that for your size, you're putting more pressure on a smaller area compared to the tracks on the cargo hauler," Audience explained, once more going into that mode that reminded me why he was about the only one I considered a good match for Twiley.

"So, I'm lighter than a tank, but more of my weight sinks in?"

"Yes. It's about surface area really. More surface, better spread of weight and force. A lead pipe can weight the same as a sword and be swung with the same force, but the pipe spreads the impact out more. A sword focuses it onto the pointy bits, so the force is concentrated into a smaller area. It's why arrowheads that are pointy are a bit better than rounded ones, apart from better ballistics. Even then, the ballistics are helped by that too: they do have to go through air, after all..."

"Speaking of air, why didn't we just assume the Princess would fly if she started sinking into the sand?" Sunset pondered.

"...It's hypothetical."

"Actually, that reminds me, one time, my buddy Heath decided she wanted to try building a machine that walked, yah know, somethin' like a pony, and so she looked at all these giant robot stories and manega and stuff fer inspiration..." Ellis began.

"...It crashed and she suffered a serious injury?" Minuette sighed.

"Uh, no, she realized the concept was pretty much incompatible with the limits of modern engineering so she just went back to buildin' carts."

"Maybe she should speak to some Hooviets..." I muttered, knowing that only Cadence seemed to even remember what I was meaning.

"Ah, so think mysterious stories of tripod machines are Hooviet, Captain?" The Diamond Dog driving our transport noted.

"...Tripod machines? Where did you hear about them?"

"There stories from all around continent of odd goings on. Ponies and Zebras find interesting things, and those things... or those ponies .. vanish. There stories of big walking metal machine roaming the forests in South Triana, Buranada, Nambutu... Stories of odd things in the sky, high above where even Pegasis can fly..."

"Odd things like what? Strange clouds?" Minuette wondered, seeming oddly flustered by the idea.

"Black triangles, that magic says not there..."

Actually, I just remembered, he was kind of strange and he was probably making it up. And it's kind of hard to understand a Diamond Dog speaking Equestrian anyway, since their native language doesn't translate well; for one it has no pronouns, so they have no concept of pronouns and...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Get on with it!)

"...Ponies say black triangle seemed to be high, over the flight ceiling sometimes, and any time black triangle was down low, would zoom away up high and fast... "

"That's impossible, the air is too thin and cold up there to get that high... and the jumbajets are meant to lurk at thirteen thousand meters so some ponies are afraid of even trying to go that high," Gag noted.

"...Jumbajets?"

"Pegasus myth, they're meant to be monsters that try to eat you. It's a bit like the Boogeymane for foals with feathers except there's no wigs dancing to disco music involved," Thunderchild explained.

"I think whoever saw it was making something up to try make money or something," Twinkle Shine declared.

"Seen five different places nine times?"

After that I'd asked around while Bond took a look into things. The next night, he told me that all the sightings were remarkably consistent. Some in Sangala near the Trianan border. Some in Zebrinia near the border. Some from Kundu. One from a ship north of Djelibeybi. But the bit of information he found that stopped me feeling as worried was a little note he'd been able to get his hooves on from spies somewhere.

"...Makarov has no idea what they are?"

"Seems not. Reports indicate that the Hooviet rank and file see them as a bad omen, the officers are trying to keep a lid on it, and Makarov wants to think it's some alicorn trick," Bond noted.

"..Is it?"

"Probably not. Usually things like this are just oddities in the manastream or someone playing around. And the way the manastreams and ley lines cross in the areas of sightings, could just be extra activity from the mana. Things seem to be a bit active what with recent magic surges..."

"And unofficially?"

"Princess Celestia has personally looked into it and assures us we've nothing to worry about as far as UFO sightings are concerned. There are no unidentified objects."

"...So the objects aren't really there and it's like a sort of group hallucination?"

"Something like that, or just mirages. They're mostly harmless. Princess Celestia says so herself."

"Alright, so nothing to worry about."

"Seems so. One down, four hundred and seventeen to go, Captain?"

"Why does everypony think I'm paranoid about that many things?"

"I'm paranoid about a lot of things myself, Shining. Maybe even more than you are," Bond noted

I'd managed to go to sleep that night feeling a little content for once.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): So when did you notice all the sightings were in or very near to Hooviet-allied lands?)

...It took me a while.

"...and this arctic civilization was said to have vanished mysteriously a thousand years ago when a unicorn king with a heart of black magic took power..."

Ugh...Ok, I know Twiley would find this interesting, but to me it's just kind of dull. I was on guard duty at the School for Gifted Earth Ponies in Manehatten. It wasn't well known by most, but Pegasi and Earth Ponies both had their own schools for ponies with skill in their types of magic. Some ponies claimed they were just for show, but seeing as a foal had just used Earth Pony magic to make a flower go from a bud to a bloom as I stood here to give to their fillyfriend and the entrance exam is making supposedly infertile seeds sprout (not sure if that's a test of character or not), those ponies had clearly never actually been there.

But as much as I like Dr. Patient Audience, I don't really care for ancient history and myths. Yes, I know just how ironic that is.

So I was basically just standing there, not really needing to try at the whole 'stoic guard stares into the distance' thing, boredom was doing a perfect job of that!

Captive Audience was there too, but having a much funner time than I was having. Then again, I guess he's used to hearing his mother giving lectures. Plus he was on leave from training instead of on guard duty, so unlike me he probably wanted to be there.

"Lieutenant Shining Armor?"

I looked over to see an older pony in guard armor standing next to Captive.

"Oh, hello, Brigadier," I replied, greeting Brigadier General Observant Audience, otherwise known as Captive's dad. He looked to his wife.

"So, how you liking Dr. Audience's lecture?"

"Uh...it's kind of interesting...what with the arctic ponies and all..." I said, trying to appear observant and interested instead of bored stiff.

"Not sure about it myself. Especially the whole unicorn king part, how could one pony conquer a whole kingdom by themselves?"

"Yeah, it is kind of hard to believe, but stranger things have happened..." I said, barely remembering any mention of said king. "We have Article 1954 for a reason."

"Yeah, but we haven't had one of them in years. They don't happen that often."

"Thank the Princesses," I replied, remembering reading about that Griffon who'd got his claws on a magical amulet that turned him into a cosmic energy powered monster about 20 years ago. Didn't help he thought Griffonkind and Ponykind being at peace was a disgrace to Griffonkind and prove Griffons were warriors by wiping out Ponykind...Thank the goddesses that didn't pan out and he got subdued by the Guard after being defeated by Celestia before he even got to Canterlot...

"So, how are things are work?"

"Uh..."

"Oh, right, I'm your boss...How are your parents? Wait, no, I met them last week. Blast. You should get into Cricket, I can talk about that."

"Uh...ok, sir...How are you doing, sir?"

"Pretty good, all things considered," said General Audience, rubbing his chin. "Had to deal with some robbers trying to break into the treasury, again, planned a birthday party for my brother Tough Audience, and had to help a friend of my investigate a unicorn messing around with forbidden time travel spells...."

I blinked. "Wait...what was that last one?"

"Classified."

"Right..."

"Anyway, Dr. Audience said-"

"Ahem," came said mare from directly behind him. Apparently we'd missed her concluding her lecture.

"Dr. Wife?"

"...Good enough..."

"I see where others stumble blind, to seek a Truth they never find..."

I blinked, taking a few moments to realize I needed to shut off my clock. Which for once actually read the time I'd set it to the previous night.

I didn't know which shocked me more, the fact I'd dreamt about a memory I actually understood perfectly, or the fact I'd been wakened by my alarm in my own bed for once.

Things were then calm. I'd began to relax.

We were a little surprised by discovering there was actually a wine-tasting festival for Dragons underway in Zebrabwe when we got there, apparently sampling the Sangalan blend in more temperate conditions. Apparently this season was a particularly sweet crude or something. I'm afraid Spike is too young to drink the stuff so I have no idea about it. Nor did I want to be close to the festival in the event some dragons got drunk. Still, I somehow imagined it would have spooked off any Hooviet nastyness.

Wolfy nastiness, not so much. I kept close to the Princess when I could.

Twinkle Shine managed to cause a little bit of a ruckus getting into an argument when she heard what the Government were doing to the Catoblepas population. Namely, bombing the hay out of them. Despite my dislike of creatures like that, I couldn't help but agree the Government's attempts to cull dangerous forest animals to protect the rubber industry did go overboard given they'd dedicated their entire artillery corps to the task.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Um, but rubber comes from trees, if they blew up the trees to get the monsters...)

Yeaaaah, that's what I thought. Turned out the President hadn't agreed with such force either but Parliament had overruled him. Rather complex thing where if the vote wasn't two thirds of the Senators in favour, he could veto, but it was a popular vote and he was pretty much forced to go along with it.

Then it turned trying to bomb an area populated with fully grown rubber trees is a BAD IDEA since the shells and bombs have a chance of BOUNCING OFF! Making things unpredictable and making it near impossible to actually hit what they were aiming at. They REALLY didn't think this one through. Though I guess when they do explode on impact, the shrapnel spreading out would be more effective, but that's probably just going to give the animal rights groups more ammo, and they could be more trouble to deal with than the Catoblepas.

At least they weren't using cannon balls, the trees had a habit of bouncing those right back! Which made them surprisingly popular as ship masts in the old days.

Leboa-Seko was calm too. Hard not to be, even if the Leboans as a whole seemed to be on a sugar rush the whole time. Seriously, the entire nation seemed to be bouncing with energy.

Some claimed a legendary pegasus from the age of myths, Whizzer, had settled in their land and inspired their lifestyle. The funny thing is, Audience said that the myth made no sense that they'd have a PEGASUS in a zebra native country as such a central figure.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Maybe that means it's true.)

Don't be silly.

It was almost a relief the Sekoans were a little more shy and introverted. It was technically two countries in one.

The nation's federal capital was really more for administrative purposes than a real seat of government. The state parliaments were in Genosha and T'Challa, meaning we actually had larger consulates in those cities than our main embassy - which was actually just an office. Technically, we met three heads of state - First Ministers of Leboa and Seko, and the Chief Minister of the Federation.

As a result we pretty much toured both islands staying on the ships overnight.

Of course, the main attractions at those islands were really the Lightning Birds. It was actually mating season, and much like their Phoenix cousins, they put on displays of their elemental power to try and attract mates. Pretty much everypony spent dusk on the decks of the airships watching the shows as night fell. Made me wonder if Princess Luna had one as a pet, she seemed to like lightning and her sister has a Phoenix.

In fact, the only sour point in Leboa-Seko was a dream I had about my ex...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): ...Ex? As in ex-marefriend?)

Yes... I've tried my hoof at dating a bit when I was younger.

I don't mind Vinyl Scratch's music, but I'm not particularly fond of it either. But eh, it was her choice where we went...

Her name was Rising Star. And she was your typical pretty unicorn mare, perfect white fur, yellow star cutie mark, beautiful blue mane and pink eyes...but the conversation?

"...so then I said that's my ex-boyfriend! What were you thinking?!"

"Uh, that's not exactly the best thing to tell your dat-"

"...but then she says 'keyword is 'ex' Rising!' Ugh, seriously, can you believe that?!"

"Uh, no..."

I looked over to the DJ, wondering which was more annoying, listening to my date talk about her ex-boyfriend or the dubtrot that was steadily becoming more repetitive as far as my ears were concerned...

"Are you even listening to me?!"

I blinked, looking to Rising. Even without the screeching of the base being broken or whatever it is they say, she was a little hard to listen to at this point.

"Yeah, ex-boyfriend dating your best friend, right?"

"No! He's dating my TWIN SISTER now! Now pay attention! It gets weirder!"

You'd think that would be an entertaining story...it wasn't...In fact if I had to choose between reading mom's novel or rehearing that conversation again...I'd hear the conversation again, but it's close!

Unfortunately for me, the only two things I had to listen to was her or dubtrot, neither of which interested me at all...and I was so bored I may have fallen asleep on my hooves...girls don't like it when you do that.

"Shining!"

"Huh?! What?" I asked, looking around, then finding Rising Star staring daggers at me.

"...So, you were saying?"

I found myself in her telekinesis and lifted off the ground. "Whoa! Hang on!"

And she threw me face first into the punchbowl. "Ugh...well...I expected something worse than-AGH!"

"Jerk!" She yelled, as I crumpled to the ground in agony from a very unpleasant buck and the music just kept playing.

The other clubbers seemed more interested in the 'wubs' than the fact I'd just been kicked in... Well, you know. At least she wasn't an Earth Pony.

And that's why I hate dubtrot. Why Cherry Coke tried to set me up with her, I've no idea.

...Please believe me, she was the worst by far. The other two, there just wasn't anything and we broke up by mutual agreement after a few dates.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Other two? Wow, you are inexperienced... That's not a good sign.)

...What's that meant to mean?

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Er, let's move on, please, Shining...)

Moving onwards, Kembezi presented a small problem though. After Cadence mentioned my name, the President seemed to recognize me...

"...You are the brother of Twilight Sparkle, yes?"

"Yes, President Zalika... Wait... Uh oh. You were..."

"The Ambassador to the Solar Court some twelve years ago, yes."

"I-in her defence, she was rather young at the time..."

Most of what I recall there, apart from the fact I'd met the Zebra who Twiley had thought had painted-on stripes again, was that we started holding the five-a-side hoofball tournament we'd planned (Team Misfit Actual lost in the quarter finals, Team Hoofmaiden was out in the knockout rounds. Scientists from Enterprise won it.). They seemed to play a lot of music in Kembezi too, mostly local sung poetry. Cadence claimed the nation's folk songs had been a precursor to Hip-Hop, and almost everyone seemed to speak Equestrian passably - albeit all in rhyme. The hoofmaidens were in heaven.

The next stop on the tour was Bulungi. They seemed to have a major Parasprite outbreak underway, with music being played all over the place to lure them away. The locals seemed convinced Cadence's presence was boosting the power of their music. Personally, I think they were just feeling inspired...

...One citizen however decided to help show that fate has a sense of humor.

"...So you failed to notice he'd already painted the stripes until he asked you to take your barding off so he could finish?"

"...Yes, Sir," Pike did his best impersonation of a half-zebra, half-pony, half-sheep.

"Okay, well, maybe Twinkle Shine or somepony can help wash it off. But how on earth did he manage to start painting your stripes 'back on'?"

"He was a fairly young colt, Sir..."

"I mean how'd you not notice? Clearly he thought you were just a stripeless Zebra and wanted to help, but how'd you not notice?"

"...Orders were to stand at the post and not move for anything but an emergency, I thought it was flies or someone playing the 'get the Guard to move' game or something."

"Good grief, Pike, when somepony starts painting you, you can move! Look, never mind, just try get it washed out..."

And then we went onto Mazuri. Things were calm. I'd began to relax.

And then The Doctor showed up.

Author's Note

LZ's Soundtrack suggestions:
Soundtrack Recommendations
Black Triangles
X-Files Theme, Mark Snow, The X-Files
Disastrous Date
The Most Annoying Sound In The World, Jim Carey, Dumb and Dumber
Shining's Alarm
I Am The Doctor, Jon Pertwee, Doctor Who.

Episode 121: (Shining Armor): semiT malC-Calm Times Part 1

Episode 122: (Shining Armor) SemiT malC-Calm Times Part 2

Pony POV Series
My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic
Shining Armor 14 Part 2
semiT malC-Calm Times
By LZ and Kendell2
Editted by Alexwarlorn and Louis

I was discussing the planned schedule with Cadence and the Hoofmaidens, having just arrived in the Embassy in Zebrat, when Gag brought the letter.

"And so the doctor gives him a medicine to deal with his sore throat, and warns him this one has a side effec-"

"It's stomachache, isn't it?"

"Aw, you've heard it."

"Let's just deliver the letter to the Princess, Running..."

"And try to tell shorter jok-Oh! Hello, Princess!"

Cadence had already walked over to the door and opened it as Garnet finished her sentence.

"Letter for you from Canterlot, Your Highness," Gag reported.

"Oh, this is Auntie's seal! Thank you, Private."

I was aware that the Hoofmaidens seemed to be whispering things amongst themselves. I was a little too far off. Gag and Garnet were closer, so presumably they overheard whatever caused them to both blush a little.

"I've told you, girls, we're just friends..." Garnet protested.

"'Just friends?' You're that far already?" Minuette questioned.

"Oh come on! A blind pony could see you two are in the 'feeling out if we can be more' stage! You're only one or two stages behind the Princess and the Captain!" Twinkle Shine said.

"I'd say the Princess and the Captain are one or two stages BEHIND Garnet and Running Gag," Minuette added.

"Teasing them isn't helpful," I interjected. Nor was teasing us.

The two 'just friends' soon left, as Cadence sighed.

"...I wish Auntie wouldn't magically seal them so tightly. Honestly, she uses scroll-strength seals on normal letters. And for the record I think they obviously like each other and just need a push or two..."

"...It's actually obvious, I just think it's funny to see them blush to be honest," I admitted.

The Hoofmaidens gave me amused and somewhat worryingly delighted looks.

"So, Captain, you'd agree that if it's obvious that maybe two ponies that like each other, they should be given a little push like the Princess says?" Minuette said, grinning mischievously.

"Well, I..." I began, but Cadence thankfully opened the letter.

"Got it! 'Dear Niece, I was glad to hear your diplomatic missions are continuing to go well and you are enjoying yourself. I am also glad to hear that Shining Armor is finally taking time to relax after what you told me in your earlier letters."

I sighed at the look I received as she read. "Haha, very funny."

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Looking over your shoulder is an improvement?)

Haha, no. You think she'd only sent one letter to her aunt this entire time?

"I also hope that future visits will go perfectly as well. Your Aunt Luna is adjusting well to the present (minus a small incident with a microwave) and cannot wait to see you in person. However, there's also a pressing matter I require of you."

Blinks abounded.

"Pressing matter?" I asked. I had a feeling this was going to be weird.

"A friend of mine will be meeting with you shortly. He's a scientist who has heard of strange stories from Zebrafrica and wishes to meet with you to speak with you and check if you know anything, and perhaps receive assistance in investigating these strange happenings. His name is Doctor Livingstone. He should be difficult to miss, he's a brown furred Earth pony stallion with a dark brown mane with an hourglass Cutie Mark. Be advised, he's a tad eccentric."

"Well...that doesn't sound like this is going to be strange at all..."

"No tempting fate, Shining."

"Why? It's going to mess with me anyway."

I didn't know what else to expect except one thing: if the Princess called anypony eccentric, then they were going to downright crazy!

If we cannot reach him now, we never will... Not quietly. Not without incident.

"I still feel it's dangerous to be so direct," My comrade reminds me.

"The Great Deer says time runs low. He grows too close to lands the Supreme Marshal holds. Having him present like this will complicate matters. We have waited too long for this for things to be ruined by a loose element like him. It's for the Greater Good... We fail now and more drastic options are all we have left."

We have to stop him.

And then my heart stops as we near the embassy gates. We have encountered Him before...

"...Not Him. Not now," I curse.

"We have to abort. If He is near, He'll meddle. He always meddles..."

"Agreed. We must retreat."

Not for the first time in my life, I curse The Doctor and his habit of being in the right places at the wrong times...

Meeting him face to face, he pretty much looked as I'd expected. He'd simply arrived at the embassy the day we expected him (Minuette had done some scheduling to free up the day to try help him out) as I was going down to advise the ponies at the gate to expect him. (Pegasus Guards, by the way, if you're keeping track).

"What does the doctor look like, Sir?" One asked.

They'd been very careful on gates lately. Two pictures pinned to a noticeboard behind them reminded me why, but that was water well under the bridge. In the past...I hoped.

"Well, he..."

"He looks like me, actually!"

I looked over to see a brown-coated and darker brown-maned Earth pony, with an hourglass cutie-mark, wearing some saddlebags and an enthusiastic sort of expression.

"Doctor Livingstone, I presume?"

"Yes! Brilliant, somepony said it right away! I hadn't expected it to work that fast!"

"...Pardon?"

"Oh, sorry, you wouldn't get the reference, of course, sorry. Yes, I'm The Doctor. And I assume you're Captain Sparkle?"

"That's correct. Do you have any identification?"

He produced a small brown wallet, and held it up.

"...That's blank."

"Is it? Oh, sorry, wrong one..."

A near-identical wallet came out. This one was better.

"Good, okay. Er, I suppose you need to check my saddlebags?"

"I'm afraid so, Doctor. Rules, you see."

I quickly scanned them. They seemed oddly full until I realized why.

"Enchanted saddlebags to carry more? Those can be rather expensive to maintain..."

"I know a fellow who's pretty good at it, does it nice and cheap. Very useful to have a bag that's bigger on the inside all around. Or smaller on the outside, as a companion of mine so cleverly put it!"

"Well, please follow me. The Princess is looking forward to meeting you."

"As am I, Captain. Though, if I'm honest, I was actually a little more interested to meet you, yourself..."

I expected it to be like every other time. Somepony or some zebra recognized the name Sparkle and asked about Twilight.

"...Your uncle, Cool Sun Sparkle, I met him a few times. He was a good stallion. And I've met your sister too, she's very talented..."

He then winced.

"Afraid I've met your mother too, actually. She's nice, but I can't say much about her novels. That one with the spaceship that's getting popular is okay, but some of the others..."

"Er, I have to agree there, and... Wait, did you say it's getting popular?!"

He clearly must have known Celestia quite well. He didn't have much regard for protocol, either, as shown when he simply walked up to Cadence's door and knocked.

"Hell...o..." Minuette said as she opened the door, suddenly looking oddly shocked.

"Hello, I'm The Doctor!"

I sighed as he made his way in and greeted Cadence in a similarly enthusiastic manner as he had at the gate. However, I noticed Minuette seemed very alarmed.

"...Are you okay?"

"I... I'm okay, Captain, I..."

"...Say you've got something you need to go do, I'll come speak to you in the hall in a moment." I whispered.

Thankfully she seemed to realize why I was paranoid, and did so.

"Er, Princess, I'm afraid I need to go do something quickly, can I..."

"Go ahead, Minny."

I waited then made my own excuse to go fetch something (a map of the country that I had accidentally left in my room anyway). Minuette was fortunately near my quarters anyway.

"What's up?"

"The... The Doctor, I just feel I've seen him before. I've got a bad feeling about him..."

"Well, he seems alright to me. I'll keep an eye on him though. Can you remember where you saw him or why it's such a bad feeling?"

She shook her head.

"No, it's just... I don't really feel all that well now."

"Maybe you should see Garnet, or take a lie down. I'll tell Her Highness you're not doing so good."

"T-thanks, Captain... Please tell her not to worry, though."

However, I did notice one thing that I found confusing. Minuette and the Doctor's Cutie Marks were identical. You hear about that kind of thing, but you never see it. I will admit, that qualified as 'strange occurrences that keep following me.' And since Minuette knew about that weird cheese loving tribe at Dr. Audience's dig without knowing how, I couldn't exactly discard that fact.

I fetched my map and returned. The only two in the room not apparently enjoying themselves were Newcastle and Bendis, standing watch.

"...So basically I was wanting to take a look there as well, it's about forty or fifty miles west of the Embassy. I've got a map somewhere..."

"I've got mine, Doctor," I said.

"Oh, yes, that's brilliant! Very helpful."

"Princess, I'm afraid Minuette's not feeling too well. She's probably going to have to take a rest."

"...That's strange, she seemed fine earlier. Any idea what's wrong?"

"I think maybe she's just overworking with schedules and it caught up on her. She says not to worry though."

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): You believe that, or another lie to your own CO?)

It was what I wanted to believe.

"Easier said than done, Shining," The Princess of Harmony sighed.

"Preaching to the choir. Anyway, what did I miss?"

"Well, Doctor Livingstone has been looking into the strange events quite a bit it seems. Apparently he's seen a few of them before."

"Yep, the UFO things, I've seen that around before. Last time it was grey diamonds actually, nothing to worry about though, just mana-mirages and leylines. It quite often is, unless it's just ghosts or something. Mystic forces, leylines, elder gods buried beneath the gates to a dark universe, nanomachines, the sun, all sorts of perfectly mundane explanations," The Doctor said. I honestly don't think he stopped to breathe as he spoke.

"...Sorry, what was that last one?" Twinkle Shine wondered.

"Nanomachines? Sun? You'd be surprised how much that can explain. Anyway, it's definitely not aliens. Just plain old mirages. The rest, however, is a bit of a puzzle."

"And that's where you hopefully come in?"

"Hopefully! Now, the first incident that saw dig items go missing, happened in North Triana. A camp was attacked by six ponies with guns..."

"Could have been one pony with six guns," Sunset noted.

"...True. Actually, that's probably what really happened! Because the researchers took cover, the guards went out to search, and found nothing. But then they came back to check things over, looked in at the finds, and big fireball burning through the chest containing them! You see, they'd found some very odd things... Bottles made of odd materials, a glove that seemed built for a minotaur with an extra finger... All of it lost. And it had all been so well preserved apparently. Almost brand new..."

"Doctor, what was used to start the fire?" I wondered.

"It sounded a lot like therm... something I heard about called thermite. It's a chemical mix, actually good for welding, they invented it in Germany..."

"...Germaney? That might explain it, they're good at alchemy. Wouldn't surprise me if some trick they use hasn't spread out if it's welding... Unicorn magic gets used for that mostly. I should check with Ellis, see if he's heard about it. Imagine he hasn't..." I replied.

"Yes. Anyway, next incident, strange box found, and it sounds a lot like... Well, have either of you ever seen Canterlot Museum? There's a box there they dug up near Manehattan, this strange box apparently seemed to be an intact version of that..." The Doctor said, as he rummaged in his saddlebags.

"...The one nopony has any clue what it was for? Made of the odd material and with all the bits inside they think were metal?" Audience chimed in.

"Uh, I have no idea what one that is," Twinkle Shine frowned.

"...Ah, here it is. Yes, somepony managed to take a sketch of it. Here's a photo of the one in Canterlot. Very similar! Look, the Canterlot one has this panel missing, and the scratch here leaves just 'yer' on the Canterlot example, but in the same spot on the sketch the word 'player' exists!"

The Doctor went on to describe many other such incidents, though many forgot what had been recovered. The last incident had been quite recent, but there seemed to be three patterns. Either there was a fire, there was a large break-in, or a gang of armed thugs directly tried to steal the items by force. The clash was in Zebrawa, where a break-in and the fire had collided, leaving four dead.

"So you're saying we have THREE groups of thieves out there and two of them bumped into each other in Zebrawa?" Cadence interjected.

"Would be the logical explanation, another is simply two groups of thieves using three different methods, or one group using three different methods and infighting broke out. Never assume the obvious solution is the right one."

The Doctor then explained various magic surges, noting again the return of Princess Luna explained some increased mana and leyline activity - but not all.

"In fact, there hasn't been a set of surges this big since twenty-five years ago..."

"Er, sorry about that..." Cadence looked a little embarrassed.

"Oh, no, it was bigger than that, Princess. Your birth happened alongside something else big..."

"Chernobull?" I wondered.

"Well, nopony's really confirmed if there was an accident there or not. There certainly was another oddity back then that no one's quite traced yet," He said, looking right at me...

...And I could swear that for a split second, his enthusiastic and wondrous sort of expression held everywhere except his eyes. They seemed to be... harsh. Like he was telling me he knew something about me...

Then he blinked and everything seemed fine.

"Few more odd mini-surges went on for years after, actually, bit like aftershocks from earthquakes. Very good for plant growth in Equrope and Neighsia actually, especially near Deer lands. Surges, that is, not earthquakes, they flatten plants. Anyway, now, I've tracked all the surges and the like as well, and I've noted that it seems the streams all have a surge shortly before the odd items are dug up-"

"Wait," I interjected. "There just happened to be archeologists already working where these surges occurred?"

"Not entirely impossible, ancient cities were often built on manastreams, it boosts magic after all so it makes perfect sense. So it's not entirely unlikely a dig site would match up. But back on topic, my theory is, the manastream might actually be bringing them over when these surges happen!"

"What, like from another world or another time?" Sunset said.

"...You really remind me of somepony. Lots of someponies actually." He replied, looking a little sad and wistful. But again, in the blink of an eye he was back to being a cheerful picture. "But yes, possibly."

"Wait...she might be right?" I asked. Yes, my life was weird, but time travel? It seemed crazy even to me! And from the look of it, everypony in the room.

"It's a possibility, actually. I know it sounds odd, but we don't understand everything about the manastreams, so who knows? Now where was I? Oh yes, the trouble is, the surge location isn't too precise. I need to get close, and it seems to be happening this evening. I've gone to other places where these surges have occurred, and apparently someone beat me and any archeologists to them! So I'm kind of trying to figure out how to get there before it happens..."

"Wait, so the surges happen at predictable times? What's the pattern? How long are they apart?" I asked, confused by this.

"Not so much predictable as with the correct equipment you can detect the rumbles preceding them...I just so happen to have it."

"Doctor, how do you plan to find this... Thing you're looking for?" Cadence wondered.

"Well, it gives off some special waves that I can detect to within a few meters, with things like this thing!" He said, pulling out something from his saddlebag that looked like it was about to explode.

"...And how does it work?"

"Well, when there's stuff it goes ding, and..."

"...It goes boom when there's too much stuff, perhaps?" I noted, and wished I'd predicted the explosion out loud. And that it hadn't exploded pointed at me

"Uh, yes. Except not normally when it's pointed at a pony, except that pink one in Ponyville for some reason. And not normally when it's not on. Again except for... Look, thanks for throwing up those shields so fast. I know it wasn't a big explosion but still, I've had to regenerate from less..."

"No problem." I had no idea what he meant, but I waved Bendis and Newcastle back to their posts all the same.

"...Actually, that complicates things, I kind of needed that to get the precise location early. I didn't bring my... Well, point is, I'd need an airship or something to land close and use my other devices. That one had the longest range. Only problem is the surge will cause airships to lose power, and Pegasi will have their flying disrupted for a few seconds as well."

"Sorry, it was probably my fault, I tend to be attract weird happenings. It's annoying."

"Could say the same, actually. All things considered I tend to attract a lot more strange situations than I probably should...Ever been attacked by a small army just for stepping hoof in the wrong place?"

"...Officially, no..."

"Officially, me neither."

Oh boy...

"Oh no, now we've got two weirdness magnets..." muttered Twinkle Shine.

"I'll alert Shepard..." Newcastle muttered.

"...Doctor, maybe if I were to go with you we could use our airships? I know the Guard aren't allowed to escort you or help you directly, but they can help me."

The Hoofmaidens both looked at me.

"...Actually, since all the attacks happened awhile after the items were first found, I would imagine if anything going in with obvious force would deter anypony from attacking us there and then. Plus the more help the Doctor has, the more likely he can find if his theory is true by having us search."

"What, really? You're not arguing about security or being worried someone will try to get us?" Cadence looked stunned.

"Princess Celestia did ask us to help Doctor Livingstone. I presume..."

"Yes, you did it again! I'm starting to like you, Captain! And you offered right away! Fancy that! Normally it takes the ship becoming self aware or something for the military to take me seriously!"

"...she'd be okay with us doing this. But maybe to be sure we should try check with her as quickly as we can?"

"Er, okay. I'll say it's my idea though just in case," Cadence noted.

Plus, with my luck, I'd probably end up caught up in the situation anyway, so might as well be proactive. Worst that could happen is we get sucked into another world or time period...and for some reason me having a perfectly rational reason to say that sentence doesn't surprise me.

As it happened, Celestia was fine with it - she sounded amused we'd double-checked, actually.

Unfortunately, there was a bit of a conundrum. On one hoof, I expected that a show of force would scare off bandits. On the other, it was hard to justify full combat gear and let the local government allow us to fly around cheerfully. In the end I decided that gold barding was better, but had the troopers try to carry extra gear.

I found The Doctor chatting with Audience not long after I'd asked the Lance-Corporal to check the equipment we'd need, and Thunderchild was briefing the platoon on the task. He seemed to be wondering about how we'd be going out.

"Well, we'll be in two T-5 Firefly shuttles. They're unarmed, carry twenty ponies or so normally. I'm planning to have them no more than half full counting crew so we can overload one if there's a problem with another. As for defending ourselves, well, we can only really assume dangerous animals."

"That might be tricky. The local wildlife pretty much amounts to Rainbow Needlemice and Squinting Fluffies. Not dangerous at all. Except to each other during mating season. Wherehyenas pop over from Bulungi but they're just like dogs wanting to play hide and seek... Hello, Captain," The Doctor said as I neared.

"Pretty much the best I can do is let a few troopers bring crossbows and blades, plus stinkbombs, smokebombs, and Ellis will have his demolitions kit just in case. We'll have a few other tools, lights, shovels, the like."

"No guns?" The Doctor said.

"No, we don't really use guns in the Guard...." I said, letting Audience take over.

"Guns are generally expensive and cumbersome to use properly. They've got uses, but for us Equestrians, they're a liability. Too dangerous, and they're really quite hard to aim properly, even for me..."

He said he'd been a little disappointed to finally fire a real gun. The bullet flew too fast to guide it, and the smoke half-blinded him for a minute. He'd expected it all, but he was a little sad to discover that for Equestrians, there really was almost no real use for gunpowder small-arms. Griffins liked the noise and smoke of their blunderbusses when charging, and the mass volleys of muskets gave smokescreens for Prench musketeers, but for us? No guns, please. We're Equestrian.

Plus they stank worse than a Trottenham shirt. Musketeers in Equorpe often carry rations of garlic or onions around their necks to try and mask the smell to themselves. Except the Prench, oddly, they apparently just use nose plugs. C'est la vie, I guess.

"Good. I don't really like guns. Not that crossbows are much better but you're all skilled marksponies I bet. You only kill if you have to?"

"Yes, Sir. That's actually the protocol."

"Um, Captive, please don't call me 'sir'."

"Oh. Sorry, Doctor."

"Thank goodness, ponies that get it at last... I've got a pretty good feeling about this one," he said, and wandered off.

Audience looked puzzled.

"Sir... Have you ever ran into him before? It's just he seems to know my dad, and... Well, I don't think I've ever met him."

"Captive, I'll be honest. I'm not quite sure what to make of the Doctor. But he doesn't seem dangerous to me, and Princess Celestia trusts him. Cadence seems to trust him too and she's good with figuring ponies out."

"I see... Be careful, then?"

"It doesn't hurt to be prepared for the worst as best you can, does it?" I mused. "And since he and I apparently both attract weird situations, it's a good idea regardless."

It was dusk as we were landing two miles or so from where The Doctor thought our surge would happen. The epicenter was at the base of the mountains, and from the look of it, in a rocky clearing. The Doctor didn't trust the airships systems not to be damaged so close to it - and the only other clearing amongst the woodland was a fair walk away.

Apart from Misfit Actual, we'd brought Misfit One-One and One-Two. One-Three waited with the ships as backup and to watch them. We left Misfit Two-One and Two-Two back at the embassy, given the thieves had already infiltrated one embassy to get to these finds, we weren't going to risk it happening again.

Foaley's section had a nice mix of talents. Ranger could go up and give us eyes in the sky (we'd secured him a parachute in case a surge happened while he was in the air - he should have been able to glide back down, but just in case...) with his talent for, well, Pegasus ranging and scanning spells. Jenkins could use her speed to run messages if our radios broke. Ramirez and Soap were good all-rounders, and decent shots with Crossbows. Corporal Dunn had talent with heat sensitivity spells: The Doctor had said the magic surges could show up as warm spots, plus he gave another bow.

Foaley and Lance-Corporal Ray Pony could both use Earth Pony magic to help detect surges if our machines broke down. Finally, Baldrick was a fast thinker, and I felt a cunning plan at the right moment could come in handy. Plus our medic (Garnet), Democolt (Ellis), Shield Guy (Hi), our scout sniper team (Gag and Audience), and Thunderchild, we were pretty well balance if there was a problem, as well as for helping The Doctor out.

"Okay, Gag, Audience, you two go on point and scout ahead if it looks safe, keep in radio contact with us as long as you can. When the surge happens they'll probably be frazzled, hopefully the backups work with that protective sheet the Doctor gave us."

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Protective sheet?)

It was like... paper metal. Some sort of tinny foil...

"Everypony else, we'll cover the Princess, Hoofmaidens, and The Doctor. No pegasi other than Ranger in the air if we can help it. Ranger, go up and scan for a couple minutes then come back down."

Only Sunset and Twinkle Shine came with us. Minuette had still felt ill. Cadence had taken our advice though and so she and the Hoofmaidens were wearing barding that would provide some protection (Twinkle Shine had quickly managed to paint them to be more fashionable). The Doctor declined the offer.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Ok, look, I get Sunset's fast and could carry messages quick if needed, but what was Twinkle Shine doing there when you thought this could be dangerous?)

If we were there after dark, she was our best light spell user, plus she insisted to be there if Sunset was going. I think Twinkle Shine felt protective of her and Minuette.

Sunset gave her coltfriend a quick nuzzle for good luck as he took off to fly overwatch for a few moments.

"Well, that all seems in order, Captain. Shall we start walk-I mean trotting?" The Doctor urged, then gave a chuckle when he corrected himself.

"Certainly."

"Then Allons-y!"

We cantered for about five minutes, then Ranger landed, reporting he saw no issues. Gag and Audience were radioing all-clear for the rest of the walk until they told us they were there.

"Alright, what does it look like?" The Doctor said into his own radio.

"It looks a bit like a quarry, Doctor..." Gag noted.

"...This is brilliant, you ponies really seem to get everything right first time or very quickly. I'm really enjoying myself."

We came upon the scene ourselves soon enough. As described, it really did look like a quarry, a hole cut into the ground. Just a lot of rocky patches, a few trees and bushes, but otherwise very quarry-like terrain. The Doctor soon found his spot, and put down one of his odd machines as Gag and Ranger landed.

"Yep, this is it! This annoyingly featureless patch of sand and gravel. Not even a particularly big pebble. Typical. Well, there's that tree all alone and those bushes over there, but... Oh well. At least there's nothing a Dalek can hide behind..."

"So, Doctor, what should we expect from the surge?" Cadence asked.

"If I'm right, it'll be a flash of light, a ding noise, and that machine I put down over there will explode. Then something should show up. Hopefully, it happens before sunset..."

"Well, we can wait it out. Sunset's in about fifteen minutes anyway..."

"No she's not, she's over there," Gag said, clearly unable to resist.

"Wait, will the surge affect our flashlights?" Garnet realised.

"...Good point, I'll wrap them in tinfoil. Might as well wrap all the radios too. Now, any other questions?"

"Yes; why do your machines keep exploding?" I asked, finding that a rather impractical design choice.

"You know, I've often wondered that exact same thing.The only danger from them is supposed to be to hens, and I thought I worked that glitch out while staying in Ponyville."

"Wait, Ponyville?"

It happened three minutes before the sun completely set. Of course, we'd also brought a few sources of light that would be unaffected by the surge: Lanterns with glowing mushrooms, and regular old flame torches. Us unicorns could use horn magic when the magic pulse faded and shine our own lights.

The flash and the ding came. The Doctor's machine exploded on cue. And from nowhere it seemed, a black bag landed. It didn't seem like a saddlebag. It looked like the Minotaur's messenger bags, worn with a shoulder strap.

"Oh, that's not so bad, its aboveground..." The Doctor noted.

It landed, and then began to sink down.

"...Well, that explains how they were DUG up."

Some digging later, we found it about eight feet down. Fortunately, one of the Doctor's non-exploded machines somehow could track where it was precisely, so we pretty much just had to have us unicorns dig a hole with our magic and some shovels. Ranger was now taking off to watch over us with his scans.

The Doctor spread out a sheet and had a few glow-shroom lanterns put on it for light. They all stood back at the Doctor's request, Cadence and I nearby protected by my shields.

"Let's see, what's in this bag that's so strange... Oh."

He produced a small black rectangle, like a mirror. "That's something I've not seen in awhile..."

He seemed to stare at it a few seconds, before Cadence spoke.

"Doctor, can I look at the items too?"

"Oh, yes, yes, but please be careful, not sure what to expect.."

Cadence took out what looked like a small bundle of cards held together with a rubber band. She peeled one off.

"The writing is in Low Equestrian...Molly Williams, Special Agent, Naval Criminal Investigative Service? And what's a Washington?"

I took one from the pile. It made no sense to me, but the Doctor seemed very surprised when he took one for himself.

"Molly Williams? Really? Of all the possibilities... Not sure it's the same one, never seemed like one to go into police work seemed more like Danny's field, maybe another world, stranger things have happened, but... Princess, Captain, you two please check the rest, I think I need to examine the, er, thing we found first..."

"Okay, Doctor..." I said.

Cadence was still puzzled by the cards.

"E-Mail... What the heck is an email? And why is this A inside a circle? Wait, isn't that an accounting symbol..."

The Doctor then produced an odd stick that seemed to buzz. Probably another scanning machine. Meanwhile, Cadence removed another black rectangle that seemed to have a circular protrusion.

"A camera?" I realized. It seemed very much like a camera to me, just very small.

I pulled out a small black and yellow object. It seemed to have a couple of metal prongs inside a half-moon shape at the front, and a few warnings about voltage.

"...What the heck is this thing supposed to be?" I had our resident expert on all things electric based come look it over.

"Heck if I know, sir," said Thunderchild, looking it over. Pressed it with his hoof and electricity pulsed between the circular part...which had been touching his other hoof. "Youch!...I think it's some kind of nonlethal weapon, sir," he said, his mane standing a bit on end. Though from the looks of it, even without a pegasi's natural electrical resistance, it wouldn't have been lethal or even particularly dangerous, just hurt.

Running just chuckled. "At least for once it wasn't me."

The last items produced were a bottle of dark liquid and what looked like a couple chocolate bars... but all three were strange. The bottle was made of some soft material, and had a very strange cap - like a jar lid but miniature, labeled "root beer". The chocolate also seemed to be wrapped in a strange metallic paper. One was labeled 'Mars Bar' and the other 'Milky Way.'

"Mars? Milky Way?" asked Running Gag, blinking. "Sounds like Mares and Milky Neigh..."

The Doctor started snickering at that for some reason.

"Cards, a camera, some kind of drink, chocolate, and... we're still not sure what the other two things are. Doctor, is anything happening with your item?"

"Almost... Oops..."

The item then lit up when his buzzing device touched it.

"...You seem to know what you're doing."

"Not really, I had no idea that would happen..."

He poked a small picture that had appeared with the stick. The lights moved and a different set of pictures appeared.

"Now, this is very odd, isn't it... This isn't something from here, is it?"

"...Doctor? Are you saying this thing really is from another place?"

"Looks like it might be. I don't like being right sometimes... It's all wrong, it's not even our universe..."

Any questions we had were silenced as he managed to make a list appear.

"Interesting list... Abby, Boss, Danny, Ducky, Megan, Mom..."

"Are those names?" I wondered.

"Perhaps. I think... I think we need to get these items to safety and I need to consult somepony a bit wiser than all of us... I think Princess Celestia might know something somehow."

"Makes sense to me."

"I agree, if anypony would have any idea, it's Auntie," Cadence nodded.

"Well, that went well I suppose. Fairly painless and..."

The device The Doctor had examined then began making a noise.

"...It plays music?"

The song it played was in Neighponese. "Ore no kiba wa yagate subete no mono o, kui tsukusu tame daka sonzai shite iru..."

"Uh, Gag, got a translation?"

"Yeah. The lyrics are 'In no time, everything will come under my fangs, for they exist solely for me to feast on.'"

"Okay... Doctor, turn it off please."

"Wellll, er, I'm not really sure how I turned it on in the first place..."

I sighed.

"As long as Gag stops translating... and as long as the songs are all in Neighponese... Still, can't get worse."

"Misfit Overwatch to Misfit Actual... Captain, I've got something inbound on our position. Fifteen miles, looks like they were using the mountains as cover..."

"...I'm going to shut up now."

We'd checked before we left, no one was supposed to be here at this time according to the locals. It couldn't be some kind of exercise, and if they were using cover, then it couldn't be civilians taking a flight...

"Er, Captain, you kind of need to give orders and stuff."

"Alright, alright... Firefly Base, this is Misfit Actual, come in."

"Prrftafkskzlym?"

I fought the urge to swear.

"Interference on the radios. Brilliant... Jenkins! Head back to the shuttles, have them come in ASAP! Surge risk or not, we need the shuttles here pronto rather than all of us running in the dark. Everypony else, we need to prepare in case we're attacked. Civilians by me, and if anypony has any ideas... "

Baldrick nodded.

"I have a cunning plan, but I need to ask Corporal Apple if it would work..."

Ellis nodded as Baldrick whispered.

"...Sir, Ah'm gonna need you to lecture about something. Anything."

"What? Ellis, I do not lecture! I'm your commanding officer, and you should show me some more respect! The code of conduct says that..."

"Thanks, Sir, this'll do nicely," He said, yanking the soapbox from below me, and began breaking it up.

"...What?"

"Gonna use 'em and some PEC4, make it look like a WP rocket or something. Ain't perfect but gonna improvise, scare 'em off if we gotta. Oh, one or two more'd be good... Can somepony get me a few tree branches, wet or damp wood'l burn a little smokier!"

"Ellis, I am not some sort of soapbox dispenser! Can't you figure out some other way instead of relying on oh Celestia darn it!"

"Thanks, Sir!"

"...Everypony else know what to do?" I asked.

"Yes, Sir, we do," Foaley noted.

"We're good, Captain," Thunderchild nodded.

"Good, get to it..."

"RAMIREZ! Get up on those rocks there with Lance-Corporal Audience and help him out if we gotta shoot!"

"Shoot?! What's shooting who?! Are there monsters?!" Sunset cried out, Twinkle Shine actually seemed to be taking a protective stance over the other maiden this time.

"Something flying towards us a few miles out, probably mercenaries," Somepony told her.

I shielded my ears as she shrieked. Cadence quickly stopped her bolting off and began trying to calm her. I couldn't blame the poor girl, given last time a military conflict had happened involving us she'd ended up hanging with her wings bound from an airship. Most pegasi would have a panic attack at the prospect of that happening AGAIN.

"Civilians near me, I can shield you.... Overwatch, how are we doing?"

"They're ten miles out, skimming treetops. Small shapes, not airships. I can't tell in the light but it looks like Griffins."

"Alright. If they seem to be heading for you, just dive down here right away. Don't be a hero, Ranger..." I instructed, giving Sunset a quick glance.

"Yes, Sir."

"Princess, is Sunset okay?"

Cadence had taken both hoofmaidens literally under her wings. Sun Set was trembling, Twinkle Shine seemed to be focusing more on guarding her friend than herself, but was still trembling.

"As okay as she can be... I know you and your troopers can protect us if you have to, Shining. Just don't take risks..."

"The best fight to win is the fight you can avoid entirely." I agreed

Everything seemed to be in order, the troops were all moving to positions, and there was nothing to do but wait.

Or vent.

"Ugh, great. We're under attack...AGAIN!" I whispered, slamming my head into a tree...or rather THE tree, since only one was around. "Why does stuff like this always happen to me?"

"Well, it very well could be me they're after," the Doctor whispered back.

"No, I'm pretty sure they're after me, because I have a psychopathic stag out for my blood with a habit of hiring mercs."

"Ha! Do you have any idea how many enemies are out for mine?"

"You have no idea how much weird stuff has happened to me these past few weeks! You coming to me for this mission didn't even surprise me anymore!"

"Well I-"

"We're under attack! Argue over who has the weirder life later!" Cadence warned, leveling us a glare.

"Yes Princess..."

"Sir, Ah can fire a decoy anytime. Should slow them down..." Ellis shouted over.

"Alright, wait until they're five miles out for a warning shot."

We waited, hoping the shuttles would come first...

"...Sir, there's more coming in. Helicopters, fifteen miles. I can't see any sign of our shuttles taking off yet. I don't want to send Horse Code pulses, they'll know what I'm saying..."

"...Helicopters. Brilliant, it's the Hooviets. Can you see Jenkins at all?"

"No, Sir, seems to be a lot of mana interference in that direction actually. The way to the bad guys looks clearer..."

The Doctor produced another odd machine, which exploded and was discarded casually.

"He's right. Looks like things went perfectly for them..."

That somehow didn't seem a surprise. Makarov got what he wanted most of the time... Was he coming to get us?

"...Sir, I have an idea. Can we try see if we can find their radio frequencies?" Gag said.

"Give me a radio and a couple of seconds and maybe..." The Doctor used his buzzing stick on a radio. It began speaking in Roedinian right away.

"Okay... Here goes..."

Gag then began speaking into it, barking in a harsh Hooviet accent.

"What are you idiots doing? You are flying the wrong way! The Equestrian dogs are to the southeast, you are going west!"

"...Who is this?"

"Who is this?! WHO IS THIS?! YOU DARE NOT RECOGNIZE THE SUPREME MARSHAL WHEN HE IS TALKING TO YOU, MERCENARY DOG?!"

"...We did not know you were overseeing the operation, Glorious One!"

"Holy horseapples, it's working..." Cadence whispered.

"You fool, I oversee all! Proceed Southeast if you value your genitals, vermin!"

"Y-Yes, Supreme One!"

We waited, and then...

"Sir, they're turning off, heading southeast.... And I can see the shuttles coming in. Five minutes..." Ranger reported.

"...All those attempts at voice-mimicking jokes finally paid off..." Gag noted as we let it sink in.

"Paid off?! Darn right they paid off!" Garnet whooped, grabbing her 'just friend, honest' and giving him a rather big kiss...

"Yeah, sorry, I'm not doing that to you, Lance-Corporal. But congratulations on both your promotions," Cadence said a second later.

"...Buh?"

The shuttles then swooped in, and we had to almost drag a now-bewildered (and promoted) Lance-Corporal Gag onto the nearest one. Ranger landed in one, giving Gag a quick grin even as his own marefriend gave him a hug.

And then we promptly got the buck out of there before the Mercenaries realized what they'd done wrong. Maybe they'd run for the hills rather than face Makarov for failing, but sorry, I honestly don't care.

We had managed to get ourselves out of danger, pretty much all thanks to Gag's idea. The Doctor declined any credit, noting we were only there at his request...

"Besides, isn't it just nice that one of the little ponies gets to save the day for once?" He mused, almost wistfully, when I pressed the matter. "And everypony lived! Haha! I love being able to say that!"

"...Now do you think you can try get that music thingy to stop playing? It doesn't seem to be picking very nice songs," I asked.

"Oh, er... right... I'll try..."

"...I hear they're getting closer, their howls are sending chills down my spine. And time is running out now, they're coming down the hills from behind..."

Seems even music players from other universes hate me.

Author's Note

LZ's Soundtrack suggestions:

Shining’s Alarm
I Am The Doctor, Jon Pertwee, Doctor Who.
”Switch the phone off, Doctor”
"Double Action- Gaoh Form" , Hiroyuki Watanabe,Kamen Rider Den-O: I’m Born! Soundtrack.
Planning for the Mercenaries
It’s The Harrier!, Harry Gregson-Williams & Norihiko Hibino, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty.
”Not Very Nice Music
"The Howling" , Within Temptation, The Heart of Everything

Episode 122: (Shining Armor) SemiT malC-Calm Times Part 2

Episode 121.5 (Shining Armor): Hoof Maidens

Pony POV Series
My Little Pony Friendship is Magic
Shining Armor Arc

In the Background

By Kendell2 and LZ

My name is Minuette. I'm...Um...why are you interviewing me exactly?

(Interviewers Notes (Pegasus): Why not?)

Well...I'm not really anypony important, I'm just the pony that makes sure the Princess' schedule is in order...and make sure that she doesn't forget to brush after meals. Not that I'm not proud of it, but...why me? I'm a nopony important.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Nopony important? We've interviewed a lot of ponies, Minuette, and we have never met 'nopony important'. There's no such thing as a 'minor character', especially the ones who think they are.)

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Basically, we interview a lot of ponies because they ALL have stories worth telling.)

...Oh...Okay...Well my name is Minuette. I'm in charge of Princess Cadence's schedule. And...well, I guess I do a little more than just keep her schedule...I've got to keep track of every important meeting and where she needs to be and when.

I'm also Cadence's personal official unoffical first aid medic, but since...well, she's an Alicorn, it doesn't come up that often. But you can't have them seeing the immortal goddess bleeding...Where does that myth about gods not being able to bleed even come from?

And I guess somepony has to make sure she remembers to keep her teeth clean...though I guess that's more of a personal mission of mine..., it's not as easy as you'd think! It isn't just brushing your teeth the exact right number of times. You've got to floss every tooth perfectly at the exact right angle, you've got to pick the right mouthwash. Which, yes, I do put in detail on the schedule.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): If you care so much about her dental hygiene, why aren't you her personal dentist? Was that spot taken?)

No...I WANTED to be a dentist ever since I was a foal...When everypony else wanted to be a rock star or a fire stallion, little Minuette wanted to be a dentist...but...well, you have to become a doctor first and...I've never really been able to take seeing ponies hurt bad...I have nightmares where that kind of thing happens...Really bad ones...So no, I couldn't do it...But I guess I know a thing or two about dental hygiene. And I do know one or two spells that come in handy for the Princess, like one that stops her teeth from yellowing from drinking coffee...or make a nervous captain's fur white again after he spills tea all over himself.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Are all your spells dental based?)

No...not all of them. While I did want to be a dentist, my real talent is with order and time. It just comes...natural to me. I actually wrote this paper on temporal magic at Celestia's School For Gifted Unicorns...yeah, I went there. When I couldn't get the Dragon Egg to hatch I...well, used a light spell I knew to illuminate the little dragon inside and make sure its teeth were healthy and I guess ingenuity was the real point of the test...

Huh? Did I know Twilight Sparkle? I knew OF her, and a lot of us tried to get her to open up, but she wouldn't socialize to save her life...And before you say it, I said save her life, not Equestria.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Why did you want to be a dentist?)

Well when I was a filly...this is going to sound silly, but my parents always wanted me to take good care of my teeth. They said your smile said a lot about you so you should make sure it's a pretty one...They said my smile with my pretty white teeth were the first thing they saw of me.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Wait...How is that possible?)

I was...well, a doorstep baby. I was about six months old when someone left me on their doorstep with a note and this weird watch...

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Fob watch?)

I suppose...What's with the odd looks?

(Interviewers Notes (Pegasus): Oh, nothing nothing.)

+++

...

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Is something wrong?)

Huh? N-no, nothing is wrong. Why would anything be wrong?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Well you're kind of just sitting there staring at us like we're a bunch of Timber Wolves.)

Oh! Sorry...I...Um...

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): I can understand you being scared to submit to a random interview after the...interrogation you suffered earlier. Rest assured that this interview is not about that. We just want to get another point of view on things than just from Shining Armor's.)

Oh...ok...sorry...I'm just kind of scared...I've done a lot of scary tricks but...I don't think I've ever been that scared...

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Don't worry, we won't push you to talk about it if you don't want to. Can we try this again?)

O-Ok...My name is Sunset. I guess you could say I'm her messenger...If she has anything she needs to go somewhere, I'm the one that takes it...My specialty is low altitude flying, and I'm nimble, so I can get things places pretty quick I suppose...

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Do you like the job?)

Yes, very much so. Especially when I need to fly...I've always enjoyed anything where I'm up in the air, be it flying or on a tightrope...Hehe...I'll admit, when I was a filly, I'd sneak out at night and sleep on a cloud...I just feel so...free when I'm like that...M-Most of the time...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): So Cadence trusts you with some pretty important stuff?)

Yes...I guess she does. I carry letters all over the place to lots of important ponies, so...yeah, I suppose so. I get to meet Princess Celestia from time to time delivering letters if Princess Cadence couldn't just go talk to her...She's really nice, I really don't know where those nasty rumors about her get started...

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Do you have anything you really want to do? Other than being Cadence's Hoofmaiden?)

Well...to be honest, being her Hoofmaiden was just part of the reason I did this, I really just wanted to see the world...I really want to go back to mom and dad's circus one day...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): So you want to pick up where you left off?)

...Yes, I suppose you could say that...I only left because I knew they needed it more than me...But I know someday, they'll not be able to do it anymore, and I want to continue on our family business...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Won't you miss your friends?)

...Yes...I know I would...Princess Cadence isn't just my boss, she's my friend...so are Twinkle Shine and Minuette...Amethyst Star back in Canterlot too...

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): You could always invite them to your shows, I'm sure they'd love to come!)

Oh! I hadn't thought of that!...Yeah...Thank you, filly...

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): :-) )

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Oh now Shining Armor has her doing it!)

+++

It's about time! I wondered when you'd get to the three of us!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Huh? You did?)

Yeah. We're the ones who make Cadence into Princess Mi Amore Cadenza every day, we're her inner circle. If you're interviewing ponies, why would you miss us?

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Sorry, we're just a little surprised. Minuette and Sunset were a bit more humble about their positions.)

Yeah, I can understand that. Minuette and Sunset are both kind of like that.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Okay, looks like we can skip right to the questions this time. Tell us about yourself.)

My name is Twinkle Shine. Born and raised in Canterlot. I went to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. Did I know Twilight Sparkle? Eh, no better than most of the school did. I can't really remember a time that mare didn't have her nose in a book. Still can't believe Miss Anti-Social saved the world, and through friendship of all things. I'm the one in charge of Cadence's personal appearance. Minuette and Sunset help out, but I'm the one who decides what we do.

(Interviewers Notes (Earth Pony): You said you made Cadence into Mi Amore Cadenza...what do you mean?)

Oh, well, not to brag or nothing, but the Cadence everyone sees? We make her look that way every day. Sure, Cadence is in charge of making sure everypony gets a good look at what she's like inside, and she's good at it, but the outside? That's all us.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): So you three handle her personal appearance?)

It's more important than it sounds. Remember how Shining Armor had to fix that...mix up with Cadence's photographs?

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Yeah...how do you know that?)

Sunset was the one who found out, since she's her messenger and all that. Point is, Cadence's appearance says a lot about her. Not every ruler can get people to take them seriously without sprucing up. Queen Tiamat may be able to attract everyone attention just by standing there looking ominous, but not Cadence.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): You've seen Queen Tiamat?)

We're supposed to visit her on this trip, so Cadence showed us pictures of her so we didn't freak out...too much. Just her pictures gave me nightmares.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Well she is the Mother of All Dragons after all. Still, I hear she's actually surprisingly civil.)

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Next question, what do you plan to do in the future?)

Me? I kind of want to do this professionally. I like being a hoofmaiden. Though maybe I'll go into hairstyling. That's part of the reason I did this in the first place, I wanted to see all the styles from around the world to get ideas. Thinking about doing Cadence's mane up in a more local style next place we go and see how that goes.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): That sounds cool!)

Thanks!...Hey, do you know if Cadence is going to get a fancy energy mane like her aunts? Made out of harmony or music or something? How would I style a mane made of that? I'm curious.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Make sure it's kept clean, things might start evolving in it otherwise.)

That...that can happen?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Parasites mixed with divine magical energy can lead to some crazy things. Nothing dangerous, just annoying, and potentially sentient. Just wash, rinse, and repeat and it'll be fine.)

...I'll make sure to remember that...How do you know that?

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Princess Luna told us, she's had problems with it before.)

Right...

+++

Sorry about that. Twinkle Shine and I still have to do our studies while on this trip. It's hard to find time for it with everything that's happened to be honest...I'm always worried I'm going to get off schedule! I am NOT getting off schedule!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Whoa! Calm down, we don't want another Smartypants Incident!)

...Another what?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Long story...might not have happened yet come to think about it...Just settle down a little bit.)

Oh...sorry. I guess its kind of 'serious business' with me...I just feel it's important, you know? To be the master of your time and have everything planned out.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): That is important, but don't spend so much time planning for the future you forget the here and now.)

Normally I don't, but I cut it close working around that whole mess with the Zebrawa Embassy and still make our schedule work, and I'm proud of it. I've even started adding 'Incase of Emergency' Days into the schedules from here on out just in case.

( Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): And I thought Twilight was the only one who did that.)

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): So, why did you go on this trip anyway?)

Me? Well, I think Twinkle Shine would be the better one to ask...she found the flier, I just went along with it.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): We'll get Twinkle Shine's side of the story, Minuette, we want to hear yours now.)

Oh...ok. It's not much. You already know part of it...

"Hey! Minuette! Lemon Hearts! Look what I found!" Twinkle Shine called, laying the want-ad in front of me and Lemon Hearts.

Lemon Hearts is a good friend, but she tends to get a bit...high-strung around cold season. Ever since she found out some ponies use lemons to fake being sick, she's always really, REALLY protective of her lemons then...Everypony now fears the Angry Mother Lemon...

"They're hiring staff for Princess Cadence now that she's coming of age! Including hoof-maidens! The pay's good, we can get through college easy!"

Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns has college courses and we were all pretty much there as scholarships...but with scholarships come with a lot of pressure to keep up the grades to maintain them and also the cost of apartments or dorm rooms. As it turned out, being hoofmaidens came with free rooms in the palace and would pay for our classes, since we were taking time out of our schedule to perform them.

I looked at the want ad closely. It had a picture of Cadence on it (I think it was trying to make her look as normal as possible), the requirements, who to talk to. Just the typical stuff like that. I suppose the Princess or Cadence one didn't want to make a huge deal out of it. I don't blame them...not after the whole mess the press made out of her getting Twilight as her personal student.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): You seem a tad miffed.)

I...guess its kind of a big deal being the Princess' hoofmaiden one other way...Most ponies meet one of the Princesses in person maybe once or twice...I see Cadence every single day, we're friends. I guess because of that I can understand what those 'Princess Molestia' articles must've felt like to Princess Celestia and Twilight (I doubt Twilight knew about them for awhile). And, pardon my Prench, but it clops me off.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): I'm sure Twilight would appreciate your concern for her.)

Yeah, I guess...Anyway, I'd better continue, only so much time scheduled for this interview session...

"I dunno..." I replied. I still wasn't sold on the idea of waiting on someone hoof and hoof...it seemed like it's be more work than we already had on our plate...

"It's a chance to meet Canterlot Royalty! Why pass up a chance like that!" Twinkle Shine being...Twinkle Shine didn't back down so easily. But it was rather tempting honestly...

"Did you show this to Moondancer?" I asked. Moondancer was always a good friend...I just felt more confident if I knew I'd be surrounded by, you know, friends, instead of strangers?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): We know how that is, continue.)

Lemon Hearts rolled her eyes. "If you two want to do this, go right ahead. But I'm not gonna be a glorified house-servant to pampered royals who can't brush their own teeth."

"Brush their own teeth eh?" I know THAT is probably a silly thing to be what makes or breaks a deal for you, but...

"Count me in!"

I guess it felt like as close to a dentist career I could get at the time, so I thought it would be a good idea...

Unfortunately, it wasn't exactly correct, as I rather...humiliatingly found out the first day...

...

...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): And?)

...We swore to never speak of it again.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Oh come on, not even-)

Never. Again.

How we landed this job, huh? Well if you insist.

I was just walking down the street between classes. Once you get to the upper grade levels, you get a little more off time.

I was wondering what to get to eat. Me, Minuette, and Lemon Hearts (and sorta Amethyst Star, but she wasn't a student) had this game we liked to play called 'see who can spend the least on meals for the week while still looking like they're a fancy Canterlot pony.' My parents may live in Canterlot, but...well, they wanted me to know the value of a dollar and all that.

Anyway, headed to a restaurant and there it was on the door staring me in the face. A poster advertising openings for Princess Cadence's staff. Now I'd heard of Princess Cadence, I don't think anyone hadn't. She may not have been as big a deal as she used to be, but she was still the only Alicorn the Tabloids gave a good review.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): You believe that garbage?)

Nah, but generally the tabloids not having dirt on someone meant they had to be REALLY squeaky clean...I remember one time some jerks at the school brought in some old 'Princess Molestia' articles and asked Twilight some just plain wrong questions I'm NOT repeating around a filly. I don't think I've ever seen her that upset before...I might not know the poor girl well, but I definitely gave those girls a piece of my mind for that one...and served a week in detention, but it was SO worth it.

"No way!" I exclaimed...then tried to look inconspicuous as I tore the poster off and ran to my nearest friend's place, Moondancer.

"Hey Twinkle Shine," said the white, red maned unicorn opening the door. Moondancer's a nice gal. Has a bunch of plushies. That little dragon that palled around with Twilight has a crush on her. Hehe, poor kid thinks that no pony knows about it even if he's as subtle as a train wreck about it.

"Hey Moondancer! Take a look at this!" I handed her the banner and waited while she took a look over it.

"Staff for Princess Cadence?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I'm thinking Hoofmaidens, yah know? We get to be close to a Princess! Isn't that awesome!"

She gave a chuckle. "I guess, but doing her mane and stuff like that?"

"I kind WANT to do that honestly. You know I've wanted to be a mane stylist for a long time now."

Yeah, I did. Mom and dad didn't think it was a 'profitable' thing to do but I really kind of wanted to do it. This was my chance to actually make it work out as something they might accept. I mean doing a Princesses' mane is a LOT more impressive than just doing random ponies manes. Know what I mean?

"Yes, I know," Moondancer replied, giving a smirk. "But I don't think I'm into it to be honest. It'd just be kind of awkward, having to spend that much time working on a pony's mane and all that. Not how I want to start my day, but you're welcome to it."

"Oh...okay, thanks anyway."

"Why not ask Minuette? You know how much she loves dental stuff."

I admit, it kinda stunk she wouldn't be coming. Then Lemon Hearts didn't want to. You don't push Lemon Hearts too much. Not unless you want to face the Angry Mother Lemon! Beware the Angry Mother Lemon!

But hey, Minuette went with it! But the poster said 'three' hoofmaiden positions, and well, we'd like to have all three of them be our friends. So we went to Amethyst Star, one of our friends. But she wasn't really interested...

"So you want me to come and take care of a pampered Princess with you?" asked the purple unicorn standing at the door.

"Yeah, but it could be fun..."

"No. I spend enough time taking care of spoiled brats without dealing with what they grow up into."

So yeah, she wasn't interested. At all.

I'd keep going, but this is kinda when Sunset enters the picture, you might want to go ask her what happens next.

Oh, you want to know how I found out about this job?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Yeah. We've already got Minuette and Twinkle Shine to tell us their versions of it, and we noticed you didn't seem to know them before that.)

Oh...yeah...I suppose I didn't...

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Don't worry, Sunset, we aren't trying to accuse you of anything. We just want to know what happened.)

Oh...ok...

Well I'd been traveling for awhile after I left my parents. You see, I know my family's signature tricks, and I can't use them in any other group for that reason. But developing my own with another troupe would have been very hard, particularly since then if I ever returned to their circus, I couldn't use those tricks anymore. I wasn't really sure what I should do then...So I just wanted to see things, travel Equestria and that brought me to Canterlot.

Canterlot was so amazing. It was gigantic. I'd been to Manehatten, but this was big in a different way.

It didn't really bother me how some of the ponies looked at me as an outsider. When you're in a circus, traveling from place to place, you tend to get looks like that in a new place. You just get used to it...

I had no intention of settling down that day to be honest. I just wanted to see Equestria's capital and enjoy the sights...but then I saw it.

I was just walking down the street, taking in all the sights and sounds of the city. But then I happened to look sideways and something caught my eye.

Princess Cadence's image was the first thing I saw. Princess Celestia is our ruler, she's always been there...but Cadence hadn't. From what I'd read, she'd just been born one night in Canterlot. No one really knew why. But my family's circus actually sent a letter asking for her blessing. You see, a circus troupe that's performing must remain in perfect harmony. One wrong move on any one of our parts and the entire performance is ruined. So the Goddess of Harmony's blessing meant a lot to us. And she gave it.

So naturally, it drew my attention instantly. As I read, I started thinking. Princess Cadence was a diplomat. While this was when she was just coming of age, that much was known by most ponies...And a diplomat meant traveling. I'd seen so much of Equestria...the idea of seeing the world and being paid to do it, it was...just something I couldn't pass up.

I don't know how Minuette and Twinkle Shine's job interviews went...

"This style is certainly impressive, Miss Twinkle Shine. I didn't even know it was physically possible to make my mane straight."

"Well it's what I do. Just because my talent is light magic doesn't mean I don't know how to style somepony's mane."

"Darn it! Spilled coffee on the rug!"

"Oh! Let me handle that!"

"A stain removing spell?"

"Yes sir...I know quite a few, actually. I was training to be a dentist."

"...Will it work on fur?"

But I was pretty nervous. This would be the first job I'd attempted to get since I left the circus, and the circus was all I'd ever known.

"Now, Miss Sunset," said the unicorn that was interviewing me. She looked so stern. Cadence was even there, and I couldn't read her face. "Your resume says that you were a circus acrobat?"

"Y-Yes, Ringwing Sisters."

Cadence looked at me. "And why did you leave?"

"Circuses hadn't been doing very well and we were having trouble affording keeping juniors acrobats on...It was either I leave or my parents retire, and with them the experience they had that the circus needed, or I leave. I couldn't let my parents give up what they loved that early if they didn't have to...so I left..." I admit, that wasn't the easiest thing to talk about...

The unicorn cleared her throat. "I see...no prior offenses with the guard. Generally stayed off the radar for the most part." She narrowed her eyes at me, I felt like I was being analyzed. "Why do you want to be Cadence's hoofmaiden?"

"Part of it is because she blessed my family's circus, I feel it'd be a good way to repay her kindness." I think the Princess blushed, but it was kind of hard to tell under her pink fur. "The other part is...after leaving the circus, I've been traveling Equestria, seeing everything I could. Since she's a diplomat, that means I'd get to see the world if I traveled with her..."

"I see..."

I just got more nervous. I didn't know if she was just hiding her emotions or if she just wasn't impressed, and that made it worse.

"...It says here you're skilled at low level fight and can make tight turns, is that correct?"

I nodded quickly. "Y-yes, miss. Low level flight is my Special Talent and being able to make tight turns is needed for most circus tricks..."

"I see. Can you carry weight?"

Again I just nodded. "Yes. For many multi-pony acrobatics, it requires being able to support somepony's weight."

"I see..."

And then they sent me out and said I'd be considered for the position. I can't tell you how surprised I was to get a letter saying I'd got the job. Apparently, they needed a Hoofmaiden to carry Princess Cadence's messages, and I was the most qualified pegasus for the job...

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): And then you met Minuette, Twinkle Shine, and Cadence, right?)

Yeah, our first day. I'd gotten there first. I guess I just wanted to make a good first impression by being on time.

"Hey there!" called a rather enthusiastic voice behind me.

I turned to see a white unicorn with a pink mane and a blue star Cutie Mark accompanied by a light blue unicorn with a blue and white tail and hourglass Cutie Mark. The blue unicorn's hair reminded me of toothpaste...

"Oh...hi...you two must be the other two Hoofmaidens, right?" I asked, trying to be polite.

The blue unicorn gave a smile. I don't think I've ever seen nicer teeth in my entire life. "Hey, good to meet you. My name is Minuette."

"And I'm Twinkle Shine, nice to meet yah!" called the white unicorn, giving my hoof a shake.

"Nice to meet you, my name is Sunset..." I replied, feeling a bit self-conscious, being the only pegasus present. I knew some Canterlot Unicorns looked down on Earth Ponies and Pegasi. On top of that, I was worried I was the only one who wasn't of noble birth, and I knew a lot of Canterlot nobility looked down on ponies like me.

"Cool name," replied Twinkle Shine, giving me a smirk. The first thing that hit me was how energetic she was. She reminded me of some of the clowns I knew. Not in that she was funny, but just how much fun she had doing whatever it was.

Minuette looked to me. "Wow, you've got really nice teeth. Let me guess, a performer?"

I gave a blink. "Yes, I was in the circus...how'd you know?"

"You've got a good build and your teeth are well taken care of. Either you're a health nut or someone used to having ponies looking at you and doing something physical."

That's something I noticed with Minuette, she seemed to be able to read ponies well. Even after that run in with that awful Makarov, she knew he was bad news except when we were under that spell of his (at least that's what the Princess said). That's the only time she's fallen for his tricks, not before or after.

Then I realized what I'd just said. That I was a circus pony...I braced myself for a pair of high and mighty nobles reacting to my social status.

"So you were in the circus?" asked Twinkle Shine with a curiosity in her eyes. "Wow! Why'd yah give that up to be a Hoofmaiden?"

I think they could tell how uncomfortable I looked right then. "You...don't have to tell us, Sunset," said Minuette, giving me a concerned look.

"No...it's ok...we're going to be working together so we might as well know each other..." I replied.

So I told them about my parents and me having to leave...and to my surprise, I felt a hoof on each shoulder.

"Hey, you did the right thing," Twinkle Shine told me, giving a smile. "Giving up that life for your folks? That's awesome! You should be proud!"

Minuette gave a nod. "Yeah...And besides, at least you know your biological parents..."

So we started talking. Minuette was a doorstep foal and had no idea who her parents were. Twinkle Shine's parents didn't support her desire to get into manedressing. And one thing lead to another.

I guess that's how most friendship start, isn't it?

Episode 121.5 (Shining Armor): Hoof Maidens

Episode 123: (Shining Armor) SemiT malC-Calm Times Part 3 of 3

Pony POV Series
My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic
Shining Armor 14 Part 3 of 3
semiT malC-Calm Times
By LZ and Kendell2
Editted by Alexwarlorn and Louis

So, long story short, we finally got back to the embassy and reported to Bond that the Hooviets had been involved, and had given helicopters to mercenaries, which admittedly was unsettling. Helicopters weren't easy to come by, let alone enough to hand over to mercenaries who could simply steal them and sell them on the black market if they were untrustworthy. If the Hooviets were willing to do that, it was definitely a bad sign.

And of course, Gag got to celebrate his rank-up. Since it was a Royal Order it was effective immediately, though in theory the MoD could decline it (They didn't). Cadence also gave Commendations to Baldrick, Ranger, and Apple for their conduct, even if the plan by Baldrick and Apple hadn't been used thanks to Gag. The Doctor was swift to decline any civilian variants of awards...

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): So they all got medals?)

...Er, no, the way we give out awards in the Guard, Medals are RARE. I can show you the guidelines later, but it's a bit fiddly. Long story short, the awards were mostly permanent record awards - In the future, anypony looking at Gag's service record would note Cadence had ordered his promotion personally, and so on. I think. They get to wear a coat of arms on their uniforms too.

While the Doctor did seem to get along with everypony (and even managed to shut off that blasted music player thing), he had to go eventually. Admittedly, as weird as he was, he did have a certain charisma to him. Not that fake charisma of Makarov's that made me wonder how anyone could TOLERATE him, let alone like him. I could actually understand why people liked the Doctor, he had that energy about him and was fun to talk to, even if you couldn't understand him sometimes. So I was actually kind of sad to see him go...kind of, I was also relieved we wouldn't have TWO ponies on crew that attract weird stuff like Twiley attracts A's.

"Well, everypony, this has been fantastic. I don't think I've had an adventure go this smoothly since...well, ever. Wasn't even a single laser shot at me!" the Doctor said as I and Cadence stood with him at the Gate, the Guard keeping an eye on things, but letting us bid him farewell. The finds were now in his saddle bags, he was taking them to show Celestia after all. He'd declined offers of an escort back to his ship, saying it was barely just around the corner (Odd, since the airship-yards were on the other side of town...)

"Yeah, kind of refreshing we got through an encounter with the Hooviets without gunshots," I admitted. "It was kind of fun actually."

He gave a nod. "Exactly! Reminds me of why I like to travel with a companion. If I thought the universe could survive the two of us traveling together, you'd make a good one, Shiney."

I blinked. "Did you just call me Shiney?"

"Aunt Celestia said nicknames means he likes you," Cadence informed me.

"Well, I'd best be off. Mustn't keep the Princess waiting," the Doctor said, then gave it thought. "Oh, and one more thing!"

I blinked. "What?"

He then looked rather serious. "While it's all a bit foggy even for me, I know one thing. The Shadow can only take a shape of what can cast it. For everything else, it has to guess...Hehe, alright, see you later! Good luck!"

Then a couple seconds later, I realized what he might have been referring to. I tried to chase after him to find out more, but he was gone with a weird whooshing noise. I tried to get a letting to Princess Celestia to contact Doctor Livingstone, but Celestia said the Doctor had a way of vanishing into thin air when he didn't want to be found. I even sent a letter to the Ponyville directory, but the letter I got said there WAS NO 'Doctor Livingstone' in Ponyville or had ever been. What the buck? If it weren't for the fact everypony remembered his visit, I'd have been afraid the wolf had gotten him...like it was trying to do to me.

As for us, we thankfully went back to things being calm after the unwelcome excitement... For most of us.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): I wonder what happened with those things The Doctor had?)

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Maybe we should ask him later.)

Soon enough, we were heading for Zebrinia. The last stop that was officially opposed to Hooviets. After this, neutrals who had no stance either way, or outright allies of the Hooviets. Either way, the last place the calm could be reasonably expected to stay: everypony else would soon be feeling a bit paranoid themselves.

Or so I'd thought. As it turned out, the Zebrinians were on second-highest alert, and our civilians soon found themselves frustrated by the restrictions. Even I agreed they were being a bit heavy-hooved, but Cadence knew we couldn't complain much. A local also advised us visits outside major cities were risky as the local big cats were agitated for unknown reasons.

Most of us were glad to be out of the place honestly. Even Triana, actually at war, had a less besieged mentality and atmosphere. What few times our ponies were able to go outside and see things up close (like when Garnet, Gag, Ranger and Sunset went out on a double date), they reported most conversations between civilians sounded like they thought a war was a matter of time. Which was kind of annoying, considering how close I'd been to actually enjoying myself.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): How selfless of you.)

A Private Security Guard we spoke to when visiting a rock farm had a different stance.

"Zebrinia is a nation that's always looking over their shoulders. Dangerous wild animals historically, and recently, the Hooviets influences back to the levels it was before the Dragon War. Major powers are ready for a war starting in Triana, but it is here any Zebrafrican theatre will be fought, ja?" The Germane mare said.

"But surely no one expects a war?" Twinkle Shine asked.

"Zebrinia always expects the worst. The animals being restless worries them too. They're an Animist nation historically, and to them, it seems that nature herself lives in fear that there is an oncoming storm."

I noticed that caused Minuette to shiver as well. In fact she'd seemed rather distant since we'd met The Doctor. I decided to try and speak with her about it - I was fine with Cadence thinking I was too paranoid, but I didn't want Minuette on edge to add to everypony's concerns.

I only found a chance the night we were heading for Nambutu. She was on the deck of the airship, watching the scenery below, and examining a gold fob watch...

"Have you been feeling okay, Minuette?" I asked. She jumped a little when I spoke. It honestly felt different than when she was freaked out about Captive having to kill that Dog. This felt...more frightening, like something was wrong.

"Y-yes, Captain. You startled me..."

"Sorry. But you're sure everything is okay?"

"Just a little tired out I guess, nothing to really worry about. I don't think I'm quite over whatever I came down with in Mazuri."

She'd not said what it was, but I wasn't going to start prying into ponies personal lives just because they didn't want to own up. I'm not that paranoid.

"Well, just remember, you can take time to rest if you need it. Cadence wouldn't want you burning out..."

"Heh, I could say the same thing for you, Captain... You rarely give yourself much... time..."

She looked oddly distant.

"Captain... Do you ever look at the skies and wonder what's out there?"

I looked up. Nothing but clouds and black triangles. Okay, okay, there were no black triangles..

"Well, sometimes I wonder if there's other worlds out there with sapient beings on them. After you hang around Gag and Thunderchild, you really do hope there's intelligent life out there because you start to think there's none down here..."

"Surely visiting your sister would help?"

"No, they're good ponies really. Good friends do annoy you sometimes, it's when you can live with it you know they're good friends."

"Yeah, true. Twinkle Shine and Sunset can sometimes drive me up the wall, even the Princess can be a little annoying at times, but... I wouldn't know what to do sometimes without them. They're pretty much the closest thing I have to family besides my foster parents... I guess everypony on this trip is, really."

"Foster parents?"

"Yeah...I was left on their doorstep when I was six months old..."

I'd known she was an orphan, but I admit I was a little surprised she was a literal doorstep baby.

"About all I really have from my biological parents is this fob watch. Broken, doesn't open, but... it's just reassuring. Strange a little bit of metal can calm you..."

"Not really. I... I have my uncle's medal. I leave it in with my belongings but... it's reassuring to know it's there."

"Why'd he give it to you, can I ask?"

"It's a Lunar Horseshoe. He earned it posthumously."

"Oh... I'm sorry..."

"He died protecting somepony dear to him. My mother took comfort in that. I had to take comfort in the medal..."

"Have you ever... been scared of the medal? Knowing all the history behind it? Tried to get somepony else to take it away?"

"...I used to be. But Mom was adamant I looked after it."

"Sometimes I try to get this watch to go away. I keep thinking it's just a waste of time, something I'm attached to for no reason... but it always seems to stay no matter what. I... I was thinking of throwing it off the edge there, actually. I usually think of getting rid of it when I'm having bad dreams..."

"Like what? If you want to talk about them, that is."

"Just, odd dreams. I keep dreaming about a strange place. Trees with silver leaves and red grass and an orange sky... Sometimes there's ponies, and I'm a pony too. Sometimes, there are ponies... but I'm not one. Other times, I'm a pony, but they're all bipedal. Or we're all bipedal... And there seems to always be a sound. I think it's like two heartbeats..."

She shivered.

"Sometimes those dreams aren't that good at all. There's somepony else there usually. They feel like a friend, but... they feel dangerous too. Like they're the only ones that know me, know me better than I know myself... the only one who could ever really hurt me... and they don't even really want to do it. And sometimes when I hear drums, I keep thinking that somepony... they'll find me. And I don't know if it's good or bad if they do..."

I could sympathise, but wasn't really about to explain why truthfully...

"Having a recurring bad dream is no fun. I sometimes have a bad dream myself." I stated, giving her as sympathetic a look I could.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I wake up, get ready, and nopony is around. No Guards, no one wandering the castle. I'm confused, but keep going to go get breakfast. Still nopony around, I reach the mess hall, and..."

"...And?"

"They're out of tea."

She sighed.

"Should have expected something like that. At least your shaggy dog stories aren't as long as Running's or Ellis'... Anyway, thanks, Captain, I think you helped here. I'm just going back down below decks. Goodnight..."

"Goodnight."

I pondered raising the matching cutie marks thing, but I decided the last thing she needed was more worry. The Doctor having that mark might just have been coincidence... And it wasn't really my place to pry anyway.

"Alright, so what is this thing we're protecting this village from?" asked Corporal Thunderchild, looking around the Kundu village we were presently in. Kundu? When were we there?

"What's this thing called, anyway?" Ellis reported.

"It's called a Mngwa," I replied, looking over the mission report.

"Well aren't we supposed to be here on a mission to rebuild the country and stuff?" Thunderchild gave another look around. "So why are we helping protect the villagers from it? The other nations aren't busy dealing with some wild dog!"

"First off, Corporal, it's a cat, not a dog. And second, because it's only in the area because the old regime released it to quell the rebellion...and then found out how hard it is to recapture something like this. It's safe for it to be relocated back home. Besides, this is our sector, dragging others into it would take them away from where they're needed."

Suddenly, a roar cut through the air.

"And I think that would be our Mngwa, we've got our area to patrol. Our priority is to keep it out of the village, capture it if it's SAFE. If we find it, we report to Captain Sharpe or Staff Sergeant Harper via radio ASAP."

Mgnwa? I don't even know what that is...

We headed out, keeping eyes in all directions. We were primarily armed with gas grenades and stinkbombs, my shield spell was our main means of capturing it and my stun spell of subduing it. We had nets, but that wasn't the most practical of options.

Moving slowly through the perimeter of our sector, keeping our eyes out for the our target in the tall grass surrounding us. I put a hoof up, the signal to stop. "I saw movement on the right."

With us keeping in a tight formation to keep an eye out on all directions, we approached the source of the movement, with my stun spell charged and ready.

And found a trembling little Zebra foal sitting with a slash mark on his shoulder. I did what I was supposed to do, and approached him slowly.

"Kid, don't worry, I'm a Guard, I'm here to help." Seemed too scared to move.

"Control, this is Lieutenant Sparkle, I've found a wounded civilian, foal. The wound is a series of slashes to his shoulder. I don't think it's fatal, but he's bleeding pretty bad."

"Understood, can he be moved?"

"No, he's too scared to move."

"...Hang tight, a medic is on their way."

"Uh, sir..." Ellis said, suddenly looking a bit nervous. "Ah'm a farmer, and if there's one thing Ah know about predators is if they've wounded prey, especially a youngin', they might hold back and let it bleed out a bit..."

Horseapples!

I snapped around to see the grass moving in a fast line right for me. I put up a forcefield just in time for a massive grey and black feline to slam into it. Roaring in rage, it slashed at the barrier, yellow eyes glaring down at me.

Thunderchild threw a canister underneath the Mngwa. A few seconds later streams of horrid smelling white smoke spread out of if that made me glad my shield was airtight. The cat was writhing on the ground, coughing and gagging before it ran back off into the bush.

"Nice throw, Thunderchild..." I said, after lowering my shield once the stinkbomb dissipated. I was hoping that the Mngwa would abandon its prey at that point...Only for me to see a line of moving grass start coming back. I prepared my stun spell...when suddenly I felt a cold chill.

"!therE iS nowherE yoU caN hidE !returN thE lighT"

I awoke with a gasp, and was startled to find myself standing on the deck. The stern of the ship was right ahead, the upper bombardment deck's island to my side, and the edge of the ship on the other. To my front, the dead end that this part of the deck finished on, access to the other side blocked by the armored superstructure that protected the gun deck. Had I been sleepwalking? Ok...on the scale of 'disorientating ways to wake up', this broke it.

Clouds obscured the moon, and there were few lights on this part of the ship at night. I wondered for a moment if maybe I should just turn around and go back to bed...I wondered for a moment if maybe I should just have turned around and went back to bed... Hoped no one saw me wandering...

Then the clouds opened, and the moonlight shone... onto shadows standing at the end of the deck.

=I Stand Alone (Instrumental)- Godsmack=

"...No... No, that's impossible, she's close by... She's right downstairs, you can't..."

I bolted, practically falling through the door leading to the cabins. I knew my running would awaken somepony probably but I was beyond worrying about that. It was here, right behind me... in the ship. I had little space to run. Nine decks, a hundred and fifteen meters long... barely any room to outrun the wolf snapping at my heels...

"!stanD anD bE removeD, infectioN"

It gave a growl to shake me from my thoughts, and began to pace forward... Unhindered by any protection Cadence's power offered.

".nO interferencE .heR lighT musT bE restoreD"

"...Horseapples!" Was all I could say.

I bolted, practically falling through the door leading to the cabins. I knew my running would awaken somepony probably but I was beyond worrying about that. It was here, right behind me... in the ship. I had little space to run. Nine decks, a hundred and fifteen meters long... barely any room to outrun the wolf snapping at my heels...

Part of me screamed to get back to my room! That if I was where she expected me to be, I'd be safe!...But another part of me kept putting an image in my mind of my room being empty, devoid of anything related to me!

I had to hope Cadence was really protecting me. That getting closer to her scared it off. I looked over my shoulder, the pale night-light of the corridors helping the wolf to be visible, oddly. The sheer blackness of his form stood out among soft shadows...I wish it hadn't, it wasn't a shadow so much as just a...distortion shaped like a wolf, one with eyes and teeth...

...There was nopony around. Not even patrolling, I realized. No Air Navy crew, no cavalry. Did they stay out of the cabin area at night? Why had no doors opened as I thundered past?

...Was anypony even left on the ship at all...

"This has to be a nightmare..." I told myself.

In spite of the pain in my chest from the sudden exertion. In spite of how loud my hooves and heart were. In spite of the sensation it was behind me, the claws scratching... had to be a nightmare. I'd turn a corner, Makarov would be there, I'd wake up screaming like a filly, everything would be fine and I'd just have been dreaming and...

...A corner. No Makarov to say I'm dreaming. For the first time ever I was dismayed to not see Makarov. I guess the guy grows on you. Bit like a fungal infection or cancer...

".thiS iS nO dreaM, abberatioN .reaL .yoU enD herE tonighT"

Oh buck, did it just...

I finally seemed to reach the command cabin portion of the deck, and tried opening the door leading there from far off. It didn't budge. So I blew it off the hinges with a shield ball.... I looked back, Wolfy had repaired it. And probably undid any noise I'd made... if anypony was even here...

"!!!twisT realitY nO furtheR"

I turned a corner as sharply as I possibly could, the wolf didn't slow down and it didn't crashed into the wall, it LANDED on the wall on all fours and spring boarded after me, closing the gap, I began to feel distant, like I wasn't part of the universe.

"".youR presencE ... iS aN infectioN !realitY shalL noT becomE ilL"

"Cadence's room, Cadence's room..." if she was even still there...

I was close, I was just one turn of a corner away. And then I looked back, and tripped... head over hooves, slamming into the right door after all, but... it was there, rushing right at me... I felt the sensation of nothing as it charged, and I cried out...

"Princess!"

I fell back as the door yanked open and blinked.

"Shining?! What's wrong, what happened?!"

I stared at the roof of her room. I looked back at where it had been and... it was gone. Doors were opening. I could hear noises I hadn't heard. The engines running. Hoofsteps of approaching ponies...

"I, uh... I..."

...This was going to take some explaining.

"Is everything all right, Captain? You seemed to rush out of your room in a hurry..." An Air Naval trooper said as she ran up.

"...Out of my room? I was..."

"Did you have a nightmare?"

"I... think so. I'm sorry, I... I don't even remember what it was..."

"You seemed to be concerned for the Princess certainly," The trooper noted.

"Sorry about all this, everypony, I just don't have any idea what... Sorry, I think we should all just go back to sleep..."

"You're sure you're alright, Shining?"

"Yes, Princess, I'm fine..." I found myself saying suddenly.

"Maybe you should try get some rest... Maybe you need some tea or something. I'm not sure I'm getting back to sleep right away myself..."

At that point I didn't care the Hoofmaidens would likely write a whole musical, the idea of tea with a friend seemed like it was almost vital to my sanity and survival...

Judging by the look on the night duty mess officer's face, the incident was contained to ponies in the immediate area. Still, he made the tea without question.

"So do you remember anything about the dream, Shining? It must have been pretty bad to get that reaction..."

"Cadence, I only really remember a few things. Nopony was around, and I was... I thought everypony was gone. The squad, the crew, you..."

"...What novels have you been reading lately? You got some books out recently again, didn't you?"

"...Er, that novella collection by Gryphon King..."

"And what's in it, that one with the airship and the time rift?"

"...Yes. And The Running Pony isn't in it before you ask..."

"Of course not, he used his Bachmane pseudonym to write that," She grinned.

"So am I ordered to read less horror stories then?" I didn't tell her I'd skipped over it, but hey.

"I'm surprised you read them... Explains a lot. You don't eat cheese before bed either, do you?"

"Not since the goat cheese in Zamunda."

We want their attention. It is hard to get with subtlety. And therefore we must take a risk. For months they have traveled Zebrafrica and for months our efforts to get their attention have failed. Considerable interference is being run against us. Considerable obstacles to meeting have been in the way.

But now we must take risk. Greater obstacles are ahead, and this is our last chance.

Except it would seem there is very little risk after all, in taking this step. Border checks in Equestria are laughable. All it takes are a few nice suits for me and my troops, and traveling separately on the ship.

This takes me away from operations in Zebrafrica for a worryingly long time, but this, I want to do myself. I want Shining Armor to know I oversaw this personally. And we need his anger to get his attention.

We have much to discuss, after all. The last time he and my forces met, it was interrupted.

Transport within the nation is... Well, the trains appear rather inefficient. It seems they keep running out of coal.

Honestly, the world's greatest rock farming sites and they still run out of coal...

Ponyville itself isn't too bad, except that it reminds me of the pony settlements in Krakhozia. A little larger, perhaps, and with the signs in Equestrian. But the lamps are all glowbugs, not electric like Mosroe or all-gas like Columbia. They give poor light, but poor light is good. We have the right kind of equipment to overcome night, but if the streets were well lit we would be highly visible.

The town, despite being on the edge of a dangerous forest that makes the southern jungles seem like a park, has no Guards. Utter insanity, but useful insanity. It means we are almost unseen as we slip to the edge of said forest. Nopony pays any mind to the unponylike structure me and my troops have. Our hats help too. We've switched to different gear. Fake cutie marks on our flanks. That we're all brown and built like Deer doesn't bother most ponies, none of them even seem to notice. A pink one looks at us curiously, and for a moment we are worried when she gasps and runs, until another pony warns us she will be back, and might have a welcome wagon.

We heed his advice and make ourselves scarce, reaching the forest swiftly.

Night falls, and we keep watch. The light stays on in the library for some time, but we are fortunate. It goes out. Half an hour later we are there. Some of my troops are apprehensive about the dragon familiar. However, I know him to be mostly harmless. He is unlikely to respond with violence.

This does not mean he is weak. This means he is simply not worth overt concern.

No one inside stirs as we discover the door isn't even locked. Ponies...

The moonlight is enough for us and our camera. We take photos, to let him know we got in so easily. No flash, lest we wake the targets up. My troopers take photos of everything. A newspaper helps us confirm the date we were here.

The stairs do not creak, I move cautiously up them. No traps, no alarms. So stupid and vulnerable for somepony supposedly so smart and significant. The door to her room is left wide open and there she snoozes.

Twilight Sparkle. The proverbial weak spot in the Shining Armor...

I have my own tools ready. I let them take a picture of me waiting by her door, my antler magic holding aloft what I am about to use....

My little nightmare hadn't helped reassure Cadence much, even with our midnight tea party. Fortunately, I convinced her not to let Ace take over - One bad dream didn't mean I was unfit, and she did seem a little touched how concerned I was for her, nightmare or not. I wasn't even lying when I said I felt confident about Nambutu being secure. They might have been under political pressure to pick sides from both the Allied bloc and the Hooviets, but that also meant that the Hooviets had extra risk trying anything here. In the capital, at least.

I tried my best to ignore reports they pretty much had abandoned the mountainous north to bandits and roaming gangs, or letting the Zebrafrican Buffalo population pretty much have de facto independence and completely ignore the Zebra government's laws if they wanted. Ignored the stories only Oum Hadjir was remotely secure and safe, that the government barely just held the big towns. We pretty much had to, to be diplomatic.

I could at least hope that Makarov was busy dealing with the headache resulting from his group of mercs getting completely fooled by someone he may not even know who it was.

On the third day, we returned to the Embassy after another mundane excursion, this time into a village north of the capital where it was painfully obvious they'd put extra effort into pretending everything was fine. We didn't comment.

I caught Minuette clutching the fob watch tightly.

"I think I liked it in Zebrinia more, at least they were honest they were scared instead of hiding it..." Twinkle Shine moaned as we walked back in.

"Well, they're rather isolationist, and they're stuck between two rival groups. Even us trying to be friends frightens them into thinking the others will be upset. And their Buffalo population is troublesome, to say the least..." Cadence sighed.

It wasn't the only isolationists we'd be visiting. Maasiland was coming up as well, and to be honest, I was more worried about that one. So was Nambutu. And a lot of places.

"Aren't there Buffalo south of Equestria, in the desert?" Newcastle wondered.

"Eeyup," Ellis said. "But they're only a bit tense right now, not like they are here."

"Though they're technically Bison, being different tribes more like unicorn-pegasus-earth pony than pony-zebra differences. It's not enough for them to really be a separate species," Audience added.

"Causes some problems though, 'specially in places like Appleloosa... And they call 'emselves Buffalo too when they speak Equestrian, so Ah guess they're all Buffalo in some way."

"Just as long as it's not offensive," Sunset noted.

"We even going to the Buffalo lands on this trip?" Garnet wondered, but I didn't hear any reply thanks to a messenger approaching.

"Captain, letter for you. Arrived this afternoon."

I looked at it, and was pleasantly surprised to see it had a Ponyville postmark. And also a little guilty, as it occurred to me I'd actually neglected to write to Twilight at all... Largely letting my correspondence back home go to younger troopers writing their parents or older ones checking in with spouses and children...

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): That was nice of you.)

It's harder on the younger troopers who aren't used to it. This isn't my first time I've been away from my family for awhile, for a lot of them, it was.

I thanked the messenger and decided to read it in my room as I was getting ready for dinner. Cadence would probably want to read it as well, come to think of it...

I opened the letter, and was a little surprised to find it seemed to be a few photographs.

"What the..."

Pictures of Ponyville, but taken at night. Very odd. One of the treehouse-library, one inside, a picture of a table with a newspaper from a few days ago from the look of the date... focusing on the date very closely, actually... and... odd shadows in this shot... a coat rack or...

"...Buck no..."

A Deer. A motherbucking Deer, in Ponyville Library, at night, standing right at a door, pointing a camera in...

...Twilight asleep. Unaware of the intruders...

'Doesn't she look peaceful?', said a taunting little note on the back.

The last scrap was a note.

"'Captain.

We wish to talk again. You met our group in Columbia and we wish to continue the conversation. Come to Songo Valley, five miles south of the village of Seifis…'"

I read on, it gave a date and time. Tomorrow evening. It said to tell Cadence, bring all I wanted to bring... and that Cadence was invited also. It ended saying Twilight was safe. The 'for now' was unwritten but obviously there.

It was an obvious trap. They wanted me. But they'd take Twilight if I wasn't willing to comply...

Author's Note

LZ's Soundtrack suggestions:
Fob Watches and Medals/SA talks with Minuette on the deck
A Lot Of Life Behind Us, Murray Gold, Doctor Who: Series 4 -The Specials (Disc Two)
Wolf On Deck?
I Stand Alone (Instrumental), Godsmack, Faceless/Prince of Persia: Warrior Within
Deer in Equestria
Hidden Movement, Roland Rizzo, XCOM: Enemy Unknown
"Doesn't she look peaceful?"
Solomon's Theme, Jukka Rintamäki and Johan Skugge, Battlefield 3

Episode 123: (Shining Armor) SemiT malC-Calm Times Part 3 of 3

Episode 124: ("Light World" Alicorn Ascension): Duel To The Death At the Dawn Of Time

Pony POV Series Alicorn Ascension
My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic
Part 36
Duel To The Death At The Dawn Of Time
By Alex Warlorn
Edited by Louis and Kendell2

I had told Razzaroo that I would never set hoof at the Dawn of Time. From Rarigreed to Razzaroo, herself, I had slogged through battle after battle after battle after BATTLE...I'll admit, they were exciting and bond-building, and the victories were wonderful, and it was always great rescuing my friends from their darkness...but I'd HAD MY FILL of needing to regrow my own brain!

Let this 'unreasonable nemesis,' whoever he was, wait all eternity for me in vain!

Most satisfying victory imaginable against a savage maniac I didn't even want to know, let alone deal with.

But the cruel truth was that if you were a god, and you wanted access to everywhere, every possibility, and every-when, you need to enter at the very beginning. You had to start climbing at the base of the tree. And to do what I needed to be do, that was where I went.

I had spent plenty of time in the world where Spike and Queen Libra had wed to unwind, rediscover my happy place, roll up my divine sleeves, and gird myself for this stupid, aggravating, and thoroughly unnecessary battle with whoever. I'd beat this idiot, have tea, and get on with my life.

How far back WAS the Dawn Of Time? It was where the first version of the Heart World was born, and from where all other Heart Worlds originated thereafter. This was the beginning. Of everything.

Since time didn't exist yet, there wasn't much happening.
Since this was the moment that my universe would come into being, there wasn't much here.
Mortal perceptions didn't exist yet.
There were no souls in this proto-universe yet.

Merely the one point of existence, that Entropy hated beyond all reason. That tiny point that dared disturbed the darkness, that brought energy, matter, and ultimately, life.

I saw my brother Pensilis, Alicorn of the Hanged Mare Tarot, with his signature noose around his neck. And with him was another of my brothers, Puerilis, the Alicorn known as the Fool Tarot.

At first Pensilis looked downright elderly, but as he was getting closer to the newborn point of existence, he looked like a colt! Puerilis must have noticed me because he looked at me and waved, "Hey, Sister-I-Don't-Know-Yet!"

I politely waved at him. He could feel his Mother in me, as would all my siblings. Regardless of the timeline, the universe, the point in history, which version of them it was, we would know we were siblings. It was a very enjoyable feeling.

Pensilis and Puerilis were here to do their duty at the appointed 'first-moment' to awaken the newborn universe where she lay, comfortably sleeping, their duty to protect her and not leave her side no matter what until she fully awakened.

Libra looked positively adorable as unborn Alicorn foal, curled up, sleeping peacefully, giving off a soft glowing, snuggled up in that speck of existence smaller than an atom, waiting for the nanosecond which she'd awaken, and the mortal universe, herself, would become a solid defined Concept.

It seemed like they were an infinite distance away, when I tried to fly closer to them, it was like I was standing still.

Then suddenly I was face to face with death itself. A black and white Alicorn with skeletal wings.

"Amicitia Zorya Spes," the Alicorn of the 13th Tarot recognized me at once.

= 'Otherside Otherstory/Riku Boss Battle' 358 Days/2 Kingdom Hearts =

"Mortis..." I whispered.

"Welcome to the Dawn of Time, little sister," death smiled. "You and I are destined to fight."

I tensed myself. I charged up my magic. A showdown against Death, himself...

"So...this is it?"

"No. I'm not here to fight you at all."

My power deflated. "HUH-?!" I felt like I had just studied for a test I forgot that I had already taken. Okay, I didn't want to fight my brother: I didn't want to fight at all but I had this weird feeling of wasted feelings.

"Our grand fight is not to occur until the end of the fourth iteration of this universe, and before the eve of the fifth. As this is the dawn of the fourth iteration..."

"I have an idea, Mortis." I interrupted. "Let's both agree, here and now, to never let any bad blood develop between us. That way, we'll never have to fight at all, my dear brother."

"Your common sense is refreshing, but your misunderstand. It'll be our duty to cross horns when this universe is dying of old age. And I would make a pathetic opponent at this point in time. Since there is no life, there is no death. Thus, I am effectively powerless because the Concept of Death is meaningless if there is nothing to die. Now that I have your undivided attention, I came here to tell you something very important: DUCK NOW!"

I did. A blue flare of magic that would have gone straight through my brain passed overhead, burning at a few hairs of mane.

"MORTIS! You backstabber! Why did you warn her?!"

"Because I agreed to be your distraction so I could warn her since I've taken a vow not fight my own blood siblings until my duty commands it, and as a favor," Mortis said simply.

I turned my head to see who had just tried to kill me.

It was the Alicorn of The 14th Major Arcana. But, that didn't, it couldn't.

"Cadence?"

But this Cadence was younger, looking like the teenage Cadence did when she foal sat me. And her mane was completely blond and was longer. Around her neck and tail was a large ruby shaped like a heart, held by a pink-bow. She looked at me...defiantly? Determined? Like she was a knight in shining armor about to risk her life for the sake of those she loved against something terrible? Against something evil?

I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. No...not her...please not her...

"How could you! I chose here so no one else would get hurt!" The pink Alicorn snapped at the black Alicorn who didn't respond. "Amicitia Zorya Spes! I, Mi Amore Cadenza, will protect all of creation, no, ALL LIVING THINGS FROM YOU!"

I paled. "You're...but...there's no reason to...no."

"There is every reason Witch Zorya! I'll never let your taint enter the universe!"

"Taint?! What are you talking about?"

"MAGIC!!!" Cadenza hissed.

"Magic?"

"Don't play dumb with me! Magic is chaotic and dangerous! All magic does is disrupt harmony and worse, it gives others the power to manipulate and twist the free will of others!" She stomped a hoof in the nothingness causing blue fire to bloom around her hooves. "I won't let magic bring misery and death to innocent mortals!"

"But...that's not all magic is."

"That's all it NEEDS to be! A pretty poisonous flower is still poisonous and needs to be weeded! I won't let you bring your venom here! I won't let you poison Libra you Wicked Witch!"

Mortis merely bowed and began to trot away backwards, not taking his eyes off either of us. " I am sorry. I've vowed never to fight family. I bid ye good luck my sister, may I see you again. Or will fate change? We'll see soon enough."

"Thank you," I and Cadenza said at the same time. We look at each other, Cadenza growled.

"Cadence! There's no POINT to this! Please! I don't want to fight you! You've got magic all wrong!"

"My name is Cadenza! Protecting freewill and life is NOT pointless! It's what gives life meaning! Whether YOU want to fight me is meaningless. And 'all wrong'? I've seen what magic does with my own eyes! I've seen countless realities were magic exists. And it's always grabbed by maniacs and power mongers. Those who DO use magic for good are only fighting against tyrants who would never have risen to power if magic didn't exist in the first place! You're a disease, Witch Zorya, and I won't let you infect innocent Liberalis!"

"Yeeeee-Haaaaa! This Is Gonna Be One Heck Of A Fight! Aren't You Glad I Brought You Along Now, Sweetie?"

"Yes, Papa! It really looks like she's ready to kill her!"

Oh no. Both of us turned to see Havoc, seated on a highway sized couch with a draconequus hatchling made out of extinct (by my original time) animals. Young Rancor had a big black spear taller than she was, and ate from a bowl of popcorn.

"You! Havoc!" I shouted at the Elder, "You manipulated Cadence into thinking I'm evil didn't you?! You have her under mind control! You took somepony hostage!"

The Elder looked at me bored and rolled his eyes royally. "Geeze. Blame the papa of the Draconequus, How Original. Get A Clue, Amicitia. If This Was My Design, You'd Never Know Unless I Wanted You To. If I Arranged For Two Alicorns To Fight Each Other, You'd Both Be Hot-Heads with Hero-Complexes. I'm Here To Show My Baby Violence And Passion, Like Showing Her A Mirror. There Is Nothing To Fear In Nothingness. So Please Don't Waste My Baby's Time With Barking Up The Wrong Tree."

I didn't even need Applejack or Rarity with me to instantaneously know he was being totally honest with me. Cadence, Cadence she really, she really wanted to... oh Cadence! I felt like I was inside a black hole.

"I Would Never Be Part Of Any Scheme Of The Draconequi!"

"Father Of The Draconequi. Keep Your Terms Straight Please."

"Cadence," I said sadly.

"For the last time, my name is Cadenza!"

"Dadoo, why arin't they fightin' yet?" Baby Rancor looked up at her father, slurping on a 'Big Gulp!' soda that she could likely fit inside (she only relatively bigger than the CMC had been before the day of chaos).

"Give Them Time Dear, Give Them Time, They're Just Getting Through The Pre-Battle Banter."

"Oh, okay. Do I have time to go get another snack?"

"I Don't Think So."

"Ahhhh. Can you get me one?"

"No."

"But-"

"I Said No, You Can Make Due With What You Have. Trust Me, You'll Enjoy The Show."

"Okay." She shouted at us, "YOU GUYS BETTER BE PRETTY VIOLENT! I wanna see lots and lots of blood like in that Pony Kombat video game!"

I visibly shuddered in disgust at the display.

"My Kid Is The Concept Of Violence. What Were You Expecting? Pollyanna?"

I looked to Cadenza. Cadence, when I was born and we spoke, you knew this was coming, because it already happened for you. Where you sad because we fought? Or were you sad because you won? It's... It's alright Cadence, I... I forgive you.

Cadenza looked less than happy at the Elder. "I am NOT some performer to amuse you! I'm here to protect mortals' freedom to think!" she snarled in tones that reminded me horribly of Angry Pie. Then she looked at me. "Say goodbye, witch Zorya!"

='We Survive' Kotoko=

Cadenza fired off fireballs at me like a machine gun, I brought up my barrier, it lasted a few seconds before it shattered and I bid a hasty retreat, but Cadenza quickly began aiming for where I was going rather than where I was and I struck in the back hard, followed by several more, I quickly adopted the Derpy school of aerial dodging. "Burn!"

I teleported away, but not nearly as far as I thought I would, seems there wasn't much universe to fight in. Cadenza fired off another of the high charged spell flares that she had nearly vaporized my head with before, her horn glowing bright blue. I had always thought of that magic glow as comforting, warm, safe, now it was trying to kill me.

Thankfully the shot was a little slow, took a while to charge, and it seemed she had to be stationary to charge it. Once it missed, she just charged up another to fire that I thankfully managed to dodge.

"Hey, Cadence! That's some skillful MAGIC you're casting, there! But if you don't BELIEVE magic should exist...why aren't you attacking me with lots and lots of SCIENCE instead!!?" I threw out hoping for something to stick.

"I'm not a hypocrite!" She looked at me indignant, it reminded me of when my friends had told the Nightmares they wouldn't give up to the end, "Police use guns against criminals gunslingers. And I'll use your own evil against you! That is my choice I'll take up for the sake of EVERYONE ELSE! Die, Witch, and let this be the last time magic is ever cast!"

Her magic flickered again, and a raincloud formed above me, and...just rain? Huh?

That was when I noticed the force field bubble around me that quickly filled up. Trapping me inside.

"Water to drown a witch, should have thought of this one first," Cadenza said proudly like Pony Rangers after they had made the monster of the episode blow up with a strike from their giant robot's sword.

'Failsafe spell,' I thought. The forcefield vanished, and because Cadenza had introduced directional gravity and atmosphere to create her raincloud, the water splashed down.

If she had thought it through, she'd had conjured the water by another means and telekinetically thrown the mass at me, THEN put up the force field, so even if I used my failsafe spell, the sphere of water would have remained and she could have frozen me in it, leaving me a sitting duck for her attack she'd have spent the time charging up which wouldn't have been effected by my failsafe since the spell hadn't technically been cast.

"HEY! How'd you do that!" Cadenza exclaimed.

"You don't know, I"m not telling."

"Ding-Dong!" I should have seen the next one coming as a house fell on me.

I came out the front door, battered but still in one piece, it would more than that to destroy all magic in existence.

"Hey! Witches are supposed to die when you drop houses on them idiot!"

As an afterthought I teleported the house back wherever in time and space it came from after quickly repairing it!

"I'm telling you our club house in the Berrytown's front yard was gone!"

"I think you've been hanging out with Patch too long Clover," Melody said.
+

"Daaaad! They're not even really fighting! The pink one is just attacking and the purple one is just defending!"

"Give them time dear, things will spice up in a second when Amicitia realizes that Cadenza isn't going to stop."

'We'll see about that.' I conjured up a wall completely smeared with crazy glue and had it ram into Cadence from behind. Like a fly on flypaper!
--
"NOW I AM THE GOD OF MAGIC!" Laughed Kefka Puzzle-Zoo The Unicron after absorbing the magic of the Conflicting Trio, "ALL WILL WORSHIP ME OR DIE...OR WORSHIP ME AND DIE ANYWAY. WUWUWUWU!"
--
Baby Cadence loved this beautiful gallery, all the statues were so alive, mortal could make such wonderful things! Those foals and adult statues looked like mortals she had helped stop fighting and be friends again, they got statues of themselves! Cool!

She looked inside the studio to bless the artist and see the art made...no... he couldn't...he didn't!...She check the 'statues'...they were dead... their spirits and lifeforce weren't inside the stone bodies...they were all dead!

"Aren't you worried the police will find out?" Asked a buyer.

The unicorn with a medusa cutie mark laughed. "Silly, I use a 'forget-me-yes' curse on all my works. Besides, they were just low class pegasi, earth ponies and unicorns, now they serve a purpose through magic."

She told Justitia, "Working on it!", she replied, whatever that meant. Cadence's spirit cried in the gallery. She looked at the dead stone bodies... "I promise...I'll save all of you."
++
"There! Now! We are not going to fight! We are going to discuss this rationally and logically sister! The only way you could get free of that mess would be to..."

I don't know what was more sickening...the SCREEEEEEEAM of pain or the RIIIIIP of flesh.

"tear off...your own wings..." She got free of that mess, and cast the gossamer wing spell in the blink of an eye like it was nothing.

"I will never, ever, ever give up!" She shouted through tears.

She blinded me with a flash spell and focusing it with the gossamer wings, then I sensed another Magic shot. This was crazy. RANCOR wasn't effected by violence, but I was being hurt by MAGIC? How was that fair?!

"Have a taste of the power of music and harmony!" She then used a sonic attack that made my ears bleed, thankfully that killing spell was still way too slow.

How was magic effecting me? Was it something about this non-place? Was it something about Cadenza? This isn't make any sense! Think. That's how she was doing it. The house wasn't magic in of itself, neither was the water. She's mixing her other attack with her own spiritual essence and using instantaneous magic, which are no longer technically magic after being cast. On the bright side at least using instantaneous magic meant she was burning through her mana a lot quicker!

"Cadence, please listen to me! This isn't who you really are! The Cadence I know is one of the sweetest, most good-natured beings in all existence!"

"And that's why I'll save Libra from you! No matter what it costs me! As long as others don't have to pay the price for your lazy and fast-track power!"

She conjured up a bunch of crossbows with a rose and heart motif. And began firing them in waves. I began catching them with my telekinesis.

She let out a battle cry and charged me horn first, I had to let go of the arrows to catch her, she then caught them with her telekinesis and made them continue where they left off, stabbing me in several places, making me shout out, then she completed her charge as I lost my concentration and she stabbed me in the gut with her horn.

"How's THAT for a taste of how ugly and destructive magic really is?!" She shouted as she tried to electrify me with magic straight from her horn, but THIS I was able to negate being magic itself. But I was still bleeding from several arrow wounds and bleeding even worse from the stab wound in my stomach.

"PLEASE!" I begged one more time, feeling the tears course my face. "The real Cadence would never be hateful and irrational, or commit violence right off the bat! Please!"

"'Real Cadence' 'Real Cadence!' You stuck-up bully! You don't get to decide who someone else is! I won't let your Concept take away mortals' right to be who they chose to be! There will never be another World of Ruin as long as I live!"

"If you believe I'm evil, bring me before Judicium, our Parents! I'll gladly suffer anything, only please, there are so few and precious things that are hundred percent good, please just always remain the pure and incorruptible Angel of Mercy you've always been! In the name of Our Father, Cadence, don't make me repeat the vilest, evilest deed I've ever done! YOU'RE MY SISTER, AND I LOVE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART!"

"I don't know what you're talking about! I've never met you before in this or any life! But if you really loved me, you wouldn't let this awful power into the world to strip mortals of their free will! If you really care about others, you'd stay away! I won't let you slither along with fancy talk to my brother! If this the price for the love and freedom of everyone, then I accept it!"

I teleported away again teleported the arrows out one by one, then quickly healing the injury while working on the much larger hole in my stomach at the same time.

"You can't run! And you can't hide!" Cadenza swore. "Hii-ya!"

She drop kicked me in the horn, that hurt SO much! She had stopped trying to give me a taste of my own medicine and began to trample, bite and gore me! I couldn't concentrate like this!

...I just might die if this kept up. Then...if I died, then Magic never existed. And...it might mean Twilight Sparkle never existed. No. No. NO!

...But I can't fight Cadence.

"You don't fixate on things that haven't happened yet. I won't fixate on things that already have happened. I already know you're going to be a wonderful goddess,"

Cadence, you knew I'd never come here if I knew it was you I'd have to fight. You knew I'd hold back for the mare you'd become. And you knew if I didn't truly fight back...

"I don't want to die!" I shouted, blinding Cadence with a flash spell. I head butted her sending her back. "And a very dear friend of mine doesn't want me to either! Thank you Cadence! I promise big sister! I won't lose!"

"It's About Time Survive Instinct Kicked In," Havoc said, "Now Watch Closely Baby, This'll Be Short, But Very Much Worth It."

Rancor stared with eager eyes.

"Which One Do You Want To Win?"

"I want the Purple One to win cause I want the Pink One's ribbon."

"Now Now Rancor, You Need To Remember That Violence Breeds Violence, It Shouldn't Matter To You Who Wins."

Cadenza summoned a sword longer than we were, and slashed it at me with telekinesis so fast my magic wasn't about to catch it. And with the atmospheric laws she had introduced when she had created her raincloud, it also spawned one Sonic Rainboom after another that were just as destructive as the sword slashes.

I stupidly fired off lightning bolts that the sword caught like a giant lightning rod and threw right back at me.

"This world's dawn will be perfect, the kind of dawn of which I've dreamed of since I was small." Cadenza sang.

She summoned scythes from all around me, threw them at me in pattern with the music, then promptly changed rhythm just as I had gotten used to it.

I summoned a few crystals in front of me and fired a laser. The laser separated into seven and reflected off the other crystals coming at her from all angles.

She formed a shell of armor around herself. But she didn't make it reflective, so instead of deflecting the attack it absorbed it, I adjusted the wavelength slightly, and Cadenza was burning inside her own shell that she quickly escaped from but now had burns over her.

"And for all life's sake, I'll see you fall in nothing's lake!"

"For you, creation holds no room at all!"

I fired rust dust at Cadenza's sword reducing it to base atoms.

She created two replacements and duel wielded.

"For the light of mortals hearts my joy does bloom.
For them in my heart there shall always be room.
Dawn is coming is very soon."

I teleported behind her and summoned up a sand storm blinding her, and then released a fireball turning the sand to glass. She teleported out of the mess leaving her swords behind and I fired a laser behind me without even looking. It hit Cadenza just as she reappeared, catching her completely off guard.

"AGH!"

One eye was closed as blood came down one side of her face.

She flew at me, teleported again, this time appearing right in front of me and began to pummel and bite me, and I electrified my body making melee not as sweet to her. She created a set of claw weapons made of wood and cut along my side. I hit her with a fireball at point blank range, but I brought my shield up right after firing while she didn't have time to.

Cadenza burned. It made my heart feel like it was being torn apart to watch it, but I couldn't afford to lose.

"You'll be stopped!
Because I'll never give up!"

I cast a mustache on her face. "Huh?" And I punched her in the face in the moment of distraction, she tore it off and kept coming. She transformed into a swarm of wasps that covered me, stinging me. I increased the heat around me, baking them, all except one that transformed back into her Alicorn form.

Then she transformed into a pink dragon, the vertical slit-eyes of a dragon looking back at me as she breathed fire, clawed and bit at me, slashing with her wings and tail in a storm of melee attacks.

I summoned up a snow storm that she just fire breathed into nothing.

"No matter the price might be to me,
I pay so the future chose by the mortals they'll see."

I teleported back, she dove straight at me. That was when I summoned a salvo's worth of air to air missiles and fired. Each one tipped with the familiar crown head of a dragon slayer's sword and dipped in dragon's bane.

She tried to flap back, but all that did was make her aslightly more stationary target in the moment between her changing directions.

The missiles hit their target and detonated.

Cadenza screamed as she shrank back down, the dragon bane almost killing her dragon body, shifting back to Alicorn form.

"I'll protect free will along with all that's on the line!"

Rainbow colors began to seep towards Cadenza, covering her in an simmering aura.

"You. Are. Mine!"

She flew at me like a rainbow streak of lightning with the force an extinction level meteorite. My extinction.

I created a sun in her path. I'd apologize to Celly later for stealing making the first sun from her. I caught out of the corner of my eye a toddler Celly indignantly having created a micro blue star in her hooves some distance away.

Cadenza screamed as she couldn't stop her momentum and tore right through my sun core, going through millions of atomic blasts going on at once. And she came out the other side, damaged but still going strong.

I think it took her a couple seconds to realize the sun was a distraction.

In those couple seconds the black rods were already flying straight at her. She brought up her legs and lowered her horn and folded her wings protectively in a desperate move to block them. It only partially worked as they were impaled too, the force of the impact actually knocking her back INTO the sun she had just escaped from.

The short lived sun burned itself out.
+

Wicked witch.

My body, it won't move. My magic, won't form. My voice, is burned away.

My body is helpless, it's worthless. It's failed me. I have no need for a form that failed me when I needed it most. No. I failed. I couldn't protect them. I tried, but my hardest wasn't enough. Libra, and all you inside her, I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry. I failed all of you. I couldn't stop her. She was stronger than me. I have nothing left. I'm so sorry. Please, forgive me.

What power has living a mortal life given this Alicorn? I thought Luna was right that we didn't need to see how mortals lived. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe I should see what this witch learned that granted her the power to beat me. Me. Who was fighting for the right cause for the right reasons. For everyone.

I have to find out. My inner self glow brightly. I'll enter the mortal world as one of them, and see what they learned.

I am sorry little Libra, I couldn't stop this witch from infecting you with the disease of magic. I failed.

I shed this form, like a butterfly does it's chrysalis. And leave, traveling along the river of time to where I can enter and learn.

+

C-Chr-ysal...is?

+

I saw...I saw Cadenza. Her body was burned pitch black, her golden mane had been burned an ashen blue, along with her Gossamer wings. And the holes...the holes I had made, where everywhere. The same rods, it seems nopony can escape their past.

A light flew from the body suddenly, as it floated away in the distant nothingness. It was a blue light. I braced myself.

"We will meet again," I hear Cadenza's voice say as it flew off in an opposite direction across the river of time.

I feel my heart quiver. I...I can't believe I just had to almost kill my own childhood friend over a misunderstanding...I just wanted to cry, but I knew I couldn't. I felt no regrets. Instead, I felt joy knowing the wonderful goddess that Cadence would become. "I know we will." I echo my warm voice in the darkness. "Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake, clap your hooves, and do a little shake."

I heard thunderous applause.

I turned to see Havoc and Rancor cheering and whooping.

"Wonderful! Beautiful! Truly A Worthy Object Lesson To My Child! It Seems I'm In Your Debt," Havoc said.

I wanted to scream and shout at him, to curse him, to tell him I wasn't something for his entertainment. But I didn't. I would not be reduced to 'Havoc made me do it.'

"You could have done SOMETHING to stop this insanity!"

"Why Would I Interfere In The Quarrel Of Another Family? I Do Not See Alicorns Meddling In Draconequus Affairs. Far Be It From The Father Of Draconequi To Meddle In An Alicorn Matter. I Allowed A Fluttering Pegasus To Interfere With My Granddaughter On Account Of Being My Daughter-In-Law. This Is The First Act Of Violence In The Universe, Why Would I Not Use It To Teach My Daughter? And What Is There To Fear Before The Universe Exists? Do You Think Your Family Doesn't Fear For You? Why Do You Think Your Sister Chose To Kill You Here? Where Most Of Your Siblings are Powerless Or Can't Leave Their Stations Least This New Universe Dies Before It's Even Born?"

I wilted under Havoc's gaze.

"Tell Me, Little Alicorn, What Do You Suppose I'd Be Doing Right Now If Cadence Had Listened To Her Fears And Fled For Her Life?"

"...Applauded her for listening to her fears and enjoyed watching it save her from harm..."

"Correct! Now. I Believe There Is One More Things You Have To Do Here. Can't Have You Dawdling, Amicitia."

That was when I saw it. The pink ribbon. From Cadenza. The jewel was blown off, but ribbon itself had come loose during the chaos, slipping off before Cadenza had flown into the sun. I caught it with my magic.

"You know..." I stared at the ribbon, "I came here thinking this fight would be a triviality, that no matter who my opponent was, it wouldn't matter, because we had fought a gallery of Nightmares and still won. I thought there was nothing left that could daunt me...

"I was dead wrong. I had to fight a friend, a sister, who I loved before we were family, who as a slave I tried to kill....But I never once thought about just turning and running! There are too many tiny lives that are lost in shadow for me to run away!"

"So You Feared Failing Them More, Than You Feared Fighting Her."

"No! I didn't fear fighting her! I feared hurting her! And I feared repeating my sins more than I feared failure! But that isn't how the universe works! There are so many little ponies depending on me whether they know it or not! I left with my friends love that I would heal those who can't heal themselves! I won't let my fears, I won't let You stop me Havoc! Understand?!"

"So You Turned Your Fear Of Failing All Those Little Ponies You feel Need You, Into Passion And Drive To Conquer Your Other Fears? Hehe, Impressive, After All, Turning Fear That Hinders Into Fear That Drives Is Still Listening To Your Fears. My Little Princess, How Do You Judge The Act Of Youself That Amicitia Displays? Your Opinion Is The One That Matters."

Rancor let out an awed breath.

"You're...COOL." she whispered.

I couldn't help smiling at the delight in her eyes, even knowing the cause. There was such, even knowing what she was, there that same joy I always knew at discovering something new and wonderful. Maybe I felt a little ashamed, but there were things I had to do. "Thanks. Here, take this."

I helped Rancor tie the ribbon onto the base of her spear, joining a little skull keychain. She stared at me with hero worship in her eyes.

"What Now Do You Say Dear?"

"Thank you."

"Good Girl. Now Say It To Her."

"Thank you Purple One, er, Amicitia."

"I Believe You Will Find All Involved Have Learned From This Experience And Grown Better For It, Miss Amicitia. Why Is It So Hard For Ponies To Understand That Fear Has Its Upsides And Downsides Like All Things? It Can Be A Mind Destroyer Or The Best Teacher One Can Find. Let It Never Be Said My Family Doesn't Make Good On Its Debts."

"I see." I looked at Rancor, "See you later little one."

Then gave Havoc a little bow, and I left for everywhere.

None of us bore witness to what happened to Cadence's body.
+

The empty shell, a shadow of existence, drifted away, forgotten, discorded, forsaken. Then several tentacled things that defied pony sanity gathered around it, each one as unique as a nightmare.

It took hold of the shadow of an Alicorn, the empty vessel, and carried it away.

Across infinity, they entered a mass of pastel-colored geometric shapes, no up, no down. Forming a maze. Countless windows showing fantastic and not so fantastic images, some showing a pony as king of the world, others showing a colt running from some dark primal thing, others showing a filly playing Pony Rangers with frogs. Images of flights of fancy flowing everywhere.

"Where, where am I? What's going on? Nothing makes any sense."

"!cousin! .we've done as you asked. we have brought the shadow" The cyclopian tendril creatures spoke as one.

"Shadow? No. My...my name is...is...is it Chrysalis? Was that me?"

Pandora skipped and hopped, a new geometric shape coming into being with every step she took underneath her. "Thank you, Yog-Sothorse! I can always count on you!"

"nyarlathotrot is still bitter that you don't let him visit anymore"

"Only until he says he's SORRY for tormenting poor H.P. Horsecraft with nightmares, and then driving him crazy too."

"cousin, you drove him crazy" They echoed together.

"No, I didn't!" The teenage Pandora stomped her duckling foot. The entire maze changed colors and configuration.

Pandora looked over the blackened remains. "So this is it, eh? Maybe I was wrong, maybe it is just-"

One of the black hooves reached out to grasp her. "W-wicked--witch."

The two abominations looked at each other in shock. The shadow, it had, it had...

"Get her to the infirmary!"

"cousin you don't have-"

Stomped her black cat foot, "I do now! Get her there fast!"

Being the Embodiment of Imagination, it didn't take Pandora long at all to convert one of her geometrically impossibly throne rooms into an intensive care unit. Pacing up and down the hallway, she turned to one of her geometric shapes and waved her paw, it split apart into a window so she could check in on her patient.

"Cousin, what do you have to report?"

Yog-Sothorse replied; "it is incredible pandora, we have never seen such a will to live within a shadow of existence. such inner determination. she's even has a name"

Pandora was shocked, shadows didn't have names, they lost them when their light of existence moved on. Pandora looked closer at the window, at the blackened and broken alicorn on the table, an IV in her leg, laying deceptively lifeless as Yog-Sothorse worked on her.

".a normal shadow would have faded into oblivion or been destroyed instantly. we say again: a normal shadow would have never survived"

"Yes...she is a most unusual shadow. No. An unusual pony."

A good deal of time later, Pandora floated over the black Alicorn. What she found up-close left all other discoveries to shame. If Pandora didn't know better, she was swearing the shadow was trying to bring a light of existence into being on its own! A shadow trying to cast a light. The will to live would have had Strife praising the shadow to the ends of creation. The survival instinct would have even Her Father amazed.

"Yog-Sothorse is right. I've never seen such a desire to live."

Pandora reached inside herself, colors swirled from her, then condensed into a tiny light.

Yog-Sothorse saw this, "?will auntie be furious for you creating that?"

"We're as much a part of life as the Alicorns, so there. Besides, she is quite unusual, she deserves unusual happenstance."

"?but what about how your other experiments went?"

Pandora peaked over her shoulder at her Box that served as her container for things that had 'gone horribly wrong or had gone too right'. "Eh, this is different, this one is almost done already, I just need to give her the living touch."

Pandora slowly turned her bear paw over, and let the tiny light drift into the shadow.

Chrysalis gasped for breath, eyes wide, they looked like the eyes of a dragon. Then she began to glow and shrink and condense, becoming a small glowing shape like a foal in a fetal position.

"Let's see what story you write." Pandora blew gently, and the life went into the mortal universe.

+

"Mortis. I need you to do me a favor. When Cadence before she lives as a mortal asks you to help kill me, agree and explain to me our destine fight, and tell me to duck just before she attacks!"

"I see...Heh. Very well. Just don't make too grand a habit of this sister, it can get very confusing."

"No more than I have to."

+

"This is it. Do I dare disturb the universe?" I asked myself.

"My dear sister, all that lives, all that is, disturbs the universe merely by living. Those that don't merely exist. In that way, you were right when you were a Nightmare."

"Libra?!"

"Hello sister Amicitia. Time is liquid outside the mortal universe remember? Been a while since I saw you, but I figured you might need a slight push to get started. Anasi would've, but she's busy with her job right now."

"But do I dare start? Do I dare act? What if I never stop? Do I have the right to knock them off path?"

"Don't think like a mortal pony Amicitia. Ponies, wonderful as they are, are like mites on a piece of string when it comes to time. Because there are only two directions to go on it they think it's only way to move. Time is not a river, it is an ocean. You are not 'knocking them off a path' you are changing course to keep them from crashing into rocks. A conscience is good sister, the little voice that keeps you from thinking all that you do is automatically correct. But do not let it be the leader, ever. You are Magic. You have knowledge, experience, perception, use it: to help me, your friend and sister. And all the souls who live within me," said the Alicorn Of the Mortal World.

I nuzzled my white sister, "Thank you Libra, you are a true rarity."

I begin.

+

'To get help!', I said' Firefly thought, 'Get help from where? The Stratadons begin kidnapping my friends left and right, and I tell everypony I'm gonna find help! And they all tell me it's too dangerous and I ignore my friends begging me to stay safe. Help from where? Did I really think I was gonna find somepony just flying in a random direction?'

*Maybe you should go further that way.*

'One direction is as good as another so, hey! That's a weird rainbow. Where did this come from? Well, through the clouds I go. And, NASTY WIND! Agh! No! Can't! Gonna crash! WHOO! WHOO! STUPID WEATHER VANE...Right into a well.'

'Looks like I ended up in the bucket, huh? I'm being pulled up?'

"Whatever it is, it sure is heavy," A young female voice said.

'PLEASE let Surprise never find out about this.'

And Firefly, came face to face with...what were those strange beings from the neighboring land called? Oh right, 'humans.'

"Hello." Firefly smiled.

"A talking pony!" She acted like she had never seen a Pegasus before.

"I can fly too!" Firefly said indignant as she climbed out of the bucket, "Least I could before my wings got soaked."

Firefly took a breath and like a bird fluttered her wings dry. The odd pony in the barn laughing as she accidentally got the human wet too.

"Heh, sorry."

"Who, who are you?"

"Name's Firefly, what's yours?"

"I'm Megan, and, that's my pony TJ."

*You know Firefly. A member of the race as strange and mythical as the humans might be the help you need. Look at her, she clearly cares for your people.*
+
A middle aged blond woman on a horse farm looked out a window, seeing a faded rainbow, but knowing it would never be the rainbow, never again.

*Megan. It's alright. Your friends BEAT Discord. They're all safe now.*
+
A green unicorn, a curse placed on her by Nightmare Moon, doomed to be forgotten by all as soon as she was of eye-sight, and any traces of her simply gone, as she lived in a living limbo, even her memories of herself fading in the end, even the memories of her special talent simply gone.

*All will be well, Lyra.*
I kissed her on the forehead right above her horn.

And a tidal wave of memories across Ponyville came crashing down.
+
Doctor Whooves heard a knocking on his TARDIS door, rather strange since he was currently in the time vortex, still, best not be rude.

He opened the door to reveal a purple Alicorn who hoofed him a delicious fruit cake. The tiny tag read 'Congratulations!'

"Bye." The Alicorn said politely as she trotted out backwards and closed the door behind her.
+

"Wow, so you became an Alicorn? Never saw that one coming."

*I never saw me inadvertently saving your soul coming either.*

"So true, so true."

*Just wanted to let you know everything worked out back in my timeline.*

"I figured it would," said this universe's Discord in the white void. He was putting the finishing touches on New Chaos with the help of the phoenix, alligator, rabbit, snake, and skunk Chimera he'd promised to make as a companion for the construct Twilight Sparkle before her death. He wanted to surprise his little angel when she returned from visiting her mother. "...Thank you for saving me, and allowing me save Fluttercruel."

*You're welcome, Discord.*

"Now, do you think the bitter chocolate lake should go next to the candy cane forest or the trick flying course?"

"Hello, Strife Zelus Typhon."

"Hello, Amicitia Zorya Spes Equestria."

"I have a favor to ask you."

"An Alicorn asking a Draconequus for a favor, this must be dire."

"I want you to collect information on Alicornification, the transition of mortal ponies who eventually become Alicorns, or Alicorns who had sealed themselves in mortal form before being born, but then awaken to their true selves. I want to know every piece of vital information there is."

"Strife is not generous, and Strife does not give for free."

"No but you are the most fair of your entire family. Which is what I need."

"And you don't ask this of your family because?"

"Who better to ask for gathering knowledge on the subject of life improving itself, than the spirit of natural selection?"

"But what shall be in exchange?"

What COULD magic possibly have to offer natural selection?

"...first the knowledge you collect is bound to be useful to you."

"I hope the rest of your offer is better."

"I'll tell you where to find the perfect birthday gift to your baby sister who's born 'after' Discord."

"Better, but not quite."

"And I'll tell you the 'future' of my sister Luna Nyx Selena that hasn't happened yet for her or you. And if the correct paths of fate are followed, you'll finally be able to go all out against an Alicorn."

"It seems that I am in your service."

*Hello.*

"Hi! Welcome to Ponyville!"

*I'm new.*

"Nice to meet you. Let me show you around. I haven't seen you around here before."

*I'm new, could you tell me about the ponies around here? How do ponies like to do things?*

'Ponies love to do fun things in big ways, and I mean big. Like my friend Minty here." A green pony happily ran into town. "Oh, I should introduce myself. My name is Razzaroo. And today is a very big day. And I mean big, in ah, charming sort of way of course. Come on, I'll show you!'

Minty without needing to be asked engaged in a quick gap of hopscotch. A blue earth pony with a rainbow cutie mark carried a set of rainbow teacups on top of each other on her head bumped into her from behind.

Minty managed to catch them all on her head. The ponies cheered and clapped. Minty bowed... the rainbow teacups came crash down... only one was spared by her cat-like reflexes.

"Of course she saved the green one of course, my friend Minty sees the world through, green colored glasses. This is my official Ponyville Surprise Birthday Book!" The book opened to show pictures of Minty and her love of the color green, climaxing in painting the castle green on her birthday.

I remember when I had a visitor come to Ponyville, and I explained the ins and outs of Ponyville to her, in particular how ponies loved to do things in big ways and 'too over the top' rarely fit into their mental process. "Ponies love to do fun things in big ways and I mean big. Like my friend Minty."

It was nice having someone to talk to and share my profiles of the ponies with. It was on the day of Kimono's birthday.

I looked up, the sky was black, the world was dark, it wasn't cold anymore, it wasn't anything. It was hard to see, my eyes hurt from struggling to keep focused on my work without a light source so it could be read. I didn't know by who, but I wouldn't let it be any less of value than those it was about. My friends. I felt so tired. I had just a couple pages left to write though. Just a couple pages and it would be done. I wanted to sleep so badly, but I had to finish before laying down. I wrote next to Kimono's sleeping form. She had stripes.

A firefly flew towards me, behind her was a purple unicorn with a glowing horn.

"Lilly Lightly?"

"My friend...my friend said you needed a little light," The unicorn said, sounding asleep on her hooves.

"I had her dream of the pony she was in this world, and then made that dream real, so she can help you with the light," The firefly said.

I didn't know what she meant, and I don't think I need to know. The book, just the book. Almost. I was grateful for Lilly's light.

Then the firefly turned into a chinese dragon with very unique animal parts making her up. And a purple pegasus/unicorn in white armor floated down in front of me.

She felt, familiar? Had I seen her before? Lilly didn't even seem to notice the changes or just accepted them.

"Oh...hell-lo, who are you?..."

"I am...please just call me Pandora."

"I'm...please call me Princess Amicitia."

"Those, that's an interesting name....Nice to meet you. I'm Razzaroo, could, could you help me hold my hoof steady?"

The unicorn/pegasus' horn glow, like Lilly Lightly's but my forehoof feel lighter now as it glows that same color.

"...Thanks...I...just need to finish this last bit and...done."

I fell back, all I wanted to do now was rest. "This was very important, something that couldn't wait...it would never be finished if I let it wait. Thank you. Now I can, get some rest." I closed my eyes, and gave a tired smile as I finally let my fatigue catch up with me. I think I was asleep before I tilted over.

*She faded away before she hit the ground. Only her book remained. Lilly Lightly was also now just sleeping peacefully. Pandora petted her coat.*

"Shine on Lilly, please have brave dreams some day." *The unicorn turned into the Earth Pony named Lilly I knew and faded into the new world. Leaving this world behind.*

"Thank you for letting Razzaroo finish her last duty." *I told her.*

"A final work is one that deserves to be finished, even if the artist won't even remember writing it and no one will have the chance to read it. But who knows? That's why any work worth starting, is worth finishing."

"No, it will be read, and it will be remembered." *I promised her. I lifted up the book, and sent it after its mistress, Razzaroo's duty here was done for now. But her real work was just beginning.*

*And I noticed Kimono, sleeping, except now, she was a Zebra, her cutie mark a spiral sun.* "All will be well Kimono," *I whispered to her* "All will be well...Zecora. And thank you for everything." *I let her go to the new world. To await time to catch up with her and all that had been her.*

*Twilight. Maybe you should offer to take the vows.*

Twilight The First looked around as Patch finished telling Buddy that they were going to get married that day like he had been asking her for years whether he liked it or not.

'But, I'm not a priest.'

*You're the Keeper of The Rainbow Of Light whether it's here or not. And, I'll be with you, you can be so much more.*

'Together. We'll be so much more.'

I think Patch noticed me, as she glanced at Twilight/me for a second, at our shadow, which betrayed my presence for a brief moment to her.

"Patch, let me take the vows for you and Buddy!"

"Sure thing!" Patch said without hesitation, wanting to get the ball rolling and not wanting a thing to stop it.

At the wedding, I/Twilight turned to Buddy, "Do you, Buddy, agree to take this mare as your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do," he said.

I/Twilight turned to Patch next, "And do you, Patch, agree to take this stallion as your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do."

"Then by the power vested within me, as the Keeper of the Rainbow Of Light* And as the Concept of Magic*...you may kiss the bride. *You are now wife and husband.*"

They kissed to the applauds of everypony.

+

"Extinct," Strife deadpanned as she dove a stone claw into Celestia's brain. Or would have if she wasn't then blasted several thousand miles away by me.

Celestia didn't look up. I think she had wanted Strife to erase her after Discord had told her she wanted this war to happen. I hurt me seeing my mentor/teacher/mother/sister like this.

I whispered to her, "Don't believe his lies Celestia. You've never been like him."

I protect her through the rest of the battle.
+
"Amicitia, thank you," Galaxia said to me as she carried various spiritual items, and the mirrors Entropy had given to Celestia (Galaxia felt that all things considered, Celestia had been taught a GOOD lesson by Entropy, and the mirrors were a reminder of that lesson).

"The amount of power I'm using to create a gateway this big to allow you and your...luggage to enter is massive even for me. You'll have to seal away most of your power to pass through."

"That is nothing new for an Alicorn. Amicitia, thank you. You sure you won't come with me? Celestia and Luna could use the extra looking-after."

"Thank you Galaxia, but I have a lot more I need to do." You have no idea how badly I wanted to take her up on that offer.

"I understand." She said regretfully, "Good luck, little sister."
+

*All will be well.* I whispered to the little child Discord as he struggled with a fever one night in his mother's hooves. He seemed to rest just a little more comfortably that night.

+

I find Dinky curled up in her bed, she's dirty, clearly dehydrated and starved. Her eyes are closed, but the look of hate for everything that was, particularky her mother, was horrifying. The sun and the moon were wild outside. She didn't notice my presence.

I hugged her and whispered. *All will be well, just wait, I promise everything will okay someday, just have faith, I promise. You'll all be together again and you'll be happy. Just have the courage to believe.*

I transformed her back into a unicorn (not that being a pegasus like her mother wouldn't have made her happy, but she had a task to do with that horn), and impart to her the memory spell that her mind absorbs like a sponge. She is a clever filly. She galloped out the door to find her mother before I could feed her or clean her up.

+

* Twilight! Stop! *

[Why should I?)

*This isn't how Trixie would want you to use her Element! *

[Trixie was always vindictive.)

*Then would her Element have saved your life? Dead or not, if Trixie's spirit didn't want you having her Element of Magic, you would NOT have found it in her grave! Besides, you're not Desire! You can't just TAKE an Element.*

[So Angry Pie's death would be permissible if RARITY were executioner?)

*I'm Not Talking about Angry Pie's Element! You couldn't have Trixie's if she didn't WANT you to have it! Just like Applejack couldn't have Applebloom's Element without being GIVEN it! Does saving your life sound 'vindictive' to you?!*

*This isn't what any of your friends want for you...*

[I know better than they do about this! I almost died for real! Know what that taught me? That the merciful are all eventually doomed to be victimized! THAT'S where mercy lands you! THAT'S what comes of being the Big Good!)

*...Or Celestia.*

[She got turned to gold!)

*...Or Luna.*

[Silver!)

*...Or Cadence.*

[Cannibalized, poor thing.)

*...Or your parents.*

[I'm shocked they lasted THIS long, even as plants!)

*Or Smarty Pants.*

[...Where DID I put that doll? Maybe it disintegrated away.)

*Or Minty Pie.*

[Unable to help anyone. Lucky to be beneath Discord's notice...so far.)

*And this isn't what Pinkie Pie would want.*

[Heh heh! No doubt, since I'm about to KILL HER...)

*I thought you said you were about to kill 'Angry Pie.'*

[I! I did!)

*No! You said you were about to kill 'Pinkie Pie!' Your friend!*

[She isn't!)

*Who is she crying out for?!*

[Not mine!)

*You sure? Names are just labels.*

[I feel absolutely nothing for her anymore, her only cure is her permanent death, so she'll never hurt another soul.)

* So the guilty should be punished without mercy or pity or compassion? *

[Yes. Those things should be reserved for the innocent.)

*So you agree with Angry Pie.*

[No I don't!)

*The guilty must be punished without mercy? That's the innocent are the only ones who deserve compassion? That defines her sense of justice.*

[She kills in the innocent and spares the guilty!)

*Not in her deflowered mind.*

[ She can't be redeemed! )

*Who are you to say who and can't be redeemed? Is killing her what YOU want? What your heart wants?*

[What...my heart...wants...?)

*You heart that connects you to everypony. The heart that valued her friends more than anything.*

[I feel...my lips quiver.) 'I'm not at all surprised when a tear falls.)

*Twilight. Pinkie Pie's heart wants to connect with others. Always has. But she's afraid of being hurt. The taint tells her everypony is trying to hurt her. You can't say you can't remove Discord's sickness, you haven't tried every road yet. Twilight. Look around you. These ponies are still Pinkie Pie's friends. They're still willing to try and save her. Will you disappoint them?*

'I dispersed the red sphere, canceling my Destruction Spell.) 'I feel a rain inside me.] 'I feel it does the flames and wash away the ashes.] 'I'm free again.'

A magic wand shaped jewel emitted a burst of light, chasing the darkness away to reveal the polished purple crystal composing it.

-

(GRAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!) I hear Nightmare Paradox, myself, roar.

I also gave myself, Twilight, the wisdom and encouragement she needed when she needed it. And Kept Nightmare Paradox from causing Twilight to become Nightmare Purgatory with her appealing to Twilight's pain, ego, rage, and pride. The joke of course was that I couldn't change my own past, since a spirit has to be self consistent. I was merely doing what I needed to do to ensure fate happened the way it had. I would have changed a hundred things if I could have, (Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Trixie,) but I couldn't. This was MY past, I was merely closing the loop so Paradox's nightmare would finally end once and for all as the past in which she was beaten was set in stone.

+

The loops were closed, the past was stabilized. Now for what I had chosen to be born to do. What drove me to leave my friends and family and new mortal sister. Now I stand on the edge of threads that dive into the blackness, mixed with horror and blood.

I stand on the edge of where the threads of fate dive into the darkness, rule by not only by the Draconequi, but by their cousins as well.

But do I dare became an invader, an infection? All for the 'hope' of bring these threads out of the dark and back into the light? I am not fate, do I dare, how can I dare? Am I still acting how I did when I tortured Discord over and over to get what I wanted? Trying to strip cause and effect from creation even as I trapped Discord in it forever? Would I be what Cadence's past self had believed me to be? What actions can I take? That don't run parallel to the Nightmare?

Now I know how Luna feels.

"HAVE YOU SEEN THE UNIVERSE WHERE DISCORD SAW THE LIGHT AND RAISED HIS DAUGHTER ON THE RIGHT PATH?"

I startle as I see a snow white Earth pony filly with blue eyes, her cutie mark was a nebula. As she walks around me, stars come into being in her hoof steps.

"I have Mother." That Discord was not our Discord (only the Elders were multiversal singularities), that universe was very different than ours, in it Discord, Celestia, and Luna were siblings, or simply perceived themselves as such (I'm not sure which), but the Elders and Pantheon still existed. The multiverse is a very peculiar place. But he'd not done anything our Discord could not have.

The filly sat down in front of me, sitting her flanks on the edge/limit/final check-point of the 'cliff/edge/border/dividing line.' "WELL, WERE YOU LIKE NIGHTMARE PARADOX BY BRINGING THAT ABOUT?"

"You mean how Discord saw there was a spark of a soul still inside Twilight Tragedy, and that began to pull him out of his own darkness?"

"YES INDEED!" The filly laughed and clapped her hooves, entire populations of plants came into being.

"I fail to see how they relate Mother."

The filly stood up and came up to me and nuzzled me. "THEN I SHALL TELL YOU HOW THEY RELATE. YOU ARE MY BABY. YOU BE. REMEMBER, YOU ARE A CONCEPT. YOUR EXISTENCE ITSELF IS PART OF WHAT DEFINES CREATIONS AND LEVELS THE EQUILIBRIUM. AS A NIGHTMARE YOU WERE INCOMPLETE, IGNORANT, BELIEVING THAT WITH POWER CAME RIGHT. NOW YOU ARE WHOLE. IT IS WITH RIGHT COMES POWER. CHILDREN AND ADULTS ARE ALIKE IN MANY WAYS, BUT THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A FIVE YEAR OLD TRYING TO FLY A PLANE, AND HIM FLYING THAT PLANE WHEN HE IS TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OLD AND HAS TAKEN COUNTLESS LESSONS AND LEARNED AND EARNED THE RESPECT AND BEEN RECOGNIZED TO BE TRUSTED TO FLY IT...NIGHTMARES ARE CHILDREN WHO THINK THEY ARE ADULTS, OR ADULTS WHO BEGIN TO ACT LIKE CHILDREN. I TRUST YOU NOT TO CROSS THAT LINE, AMICITIA. YOU UNDERSTAND DEEP WITHIN WHERE ENSLAVING AND HELPING ARE DIVIDED. TRUST IN YOURSELF."

I bowed my head. "Yes Mother."

"ALSO."

"Yes Mother?"

"THERE ARE TIMES WHEN YA GOTTA GIVE EVENTS A GOOD KICK IN THE FLANKS. IN OTHER WORDS, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN NOT GETTING INVOLVED IS THE SELFISH ACT. BUT YOU UNDERSTAND IT'S NOT ALWAYS. NEVER FORGET THAT. AND YOU'LL NEVER FALL INTO DARKNESS, MY HAPPY ENDING."

"...thanks mom."

I look towards the darkness, and all the tiny souls marching along the threads seeped in it. I don't care how cliche it sounded. The first thing I told all of them was, "You are loved."

Author's Note

Art by Morningstar-1337 here

Episode 124: ("Light World" Alicorn Ascension): Duel To The Death At the Dawn Of Time

Episode 125: ("Light World" Alicorn Ascension): Lighting The Grim Darkness

Pony POV Series "Light World" Alicorn Ascension
My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic
Chapter 37
The Alicorn Rises And Begins To Change Fate
By Alex Warlorn
Edited by Louis and Kendell2

The Nightmare that had once been Octvia Pie, now called Nightmare Diva, stood before those listening to her endless music. The original Elements of Harmony had fallen, forcing six emergency replacements to be found and fast. But forcing Harmony, had never been a good idea. The Elements had backfired on the six would-be friends, right after they had been used to truly defeat Discord. The result had been six Nightmares, all at once, being released on Equestria with no Elements of Harmony to stand in their way. They each carved out part of the world for themselves. They retained just enough sense to not attack each when dealing with external threats, and were swift to crush any who stood in the way of their six perfect worlds.

*All will be well.*

Huh? Who was that pony in the audience? She looked so familiar. Homely somehow. But moved with self taught grace and self taught talent. Of concert halls and hearing so many different instruments and melodies that sound have been conflicting working together in harmony. She made the Nightmare remember something, somepony.

Of the pony that Nightmare Diva had been before, explaining to a friend, "In music, silence is as important as the notes, it's what gives the notes meaning and context."

Nightmare Diva shudder and clutch her heart. She had felt something wiggle inside her. Something, alive, something familiar.

Images of her sisters, best friend (even if she'd never say so to her face) Vinyl Scratch AKA P0N-3, her parents, and her fellow band members. She was not just remembering, she was reliving! As real as if they were happening right now.

The music stopped.

'...What am I doing?'

A tear fell down her face, and the darkness inside her cracked, and a rainbow exploded from with in her. The excess magic within her expelling and finding its balance in the world.

Ocatvia gasped, her Element of Harmony dropped to the floor, she gently, carefully picked it up as the many ponies around her were freed from their trance, but none of them saw the monster who had enscrolled them, they saw one of their heroes, returned to them.

'What?...But...that's impossible...Nightmares can't cure themselves...unless...we became Nightmare because the Elements backfired on us after beating Discord...since we forced the Elements, does that mean our Nightmarification was artificial somehow? That's it's not as unbreakable as Princess Luna's was that it took a thousand years for it to weaken? ...Does that meant he others . . .'

"Vinyl, I promise I'll save you too," Octvia whispered. And the world had hope.
+

Big Macintosh marched towards the three gagged and bound fillies. They looked at him with three sets of huge terrified eyes.

'This'll teach'em to make so much noise, it'll be the last lesson they ever learn,' Big Macintosh thought.

*Big Mac what are you doing?*

'Teachin' these brats to be quiet, forever.'

*Why?*

'Cause they made lots of noise!'

*Big Mac. Even when Apple Bloom enraged you, you never laid so much as a hoof on her. Even when you couldn't stand the sight of her after you felt like she had betrayed you and your sister, you still didn't kill her! Why would you become a murderer now? Why would you do this to three fillies who haven't even discovered their cutie mark yet?*

'Maybe this is just my breaking point.'

*I've seen your breaking point. And this is not how you've ever expressed it! Look around you! Haven't you always loved and protected your family? Is the Big Mac Applebloom looks up to a killer? Is he?*

'I, that Big Mac-'

*IS VERY MUCH REAL! Wake up! See in front of you! You've never committed murder before, why would you commit murder now!? 'Too much noise?' They were running and laughing outside and using some pots and pans as pretend helmets and shields! Same as any kids! Same as you! You've always been as gentle as a kitten. You've never been a killer of helpless terrified fillies. And you've certainly never used your strength on Applebloom even at her most thoughtless and selfish moments even when you made it clear how angry you were and couldn't stand the sight of her. Because deep down you still loved her! And Big Macintosh, would never hurt her little sister's friends.*

Big Mac thudded to his knees, shaking, cover in sweat. A broken giant he inched over to the Cutie Mark Crusaders. He undid their ropes, and almost faint. The three fillies were out of the cellar screaming as they pulled the gags off.

Applejack found them in seconds, sobbing and terrified. Any chance Applejack had to berate Applebloom for sneaking off were lost as Applebloom hugged her sister like crazy, crying her eyes out, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo looking equally scared half to death.

Applebloom babbled about something about Big Mac but Applejack didn't really catch any of it, she just hugged her little sister, "It's okay Applebloom, it's okay."

'What...what do Ah do now? She'll...They'll never forgive me...'

*Apologize, burned bridges take a long time to repair, but it's possible. Your mind was clouded, now it's free. Your fate is yours just never forget how much they matter to you. If you feel you may need help, get it, but you're not alone, you have your family that loves you.*

+

Rarity screamed as Opalescence out of nowhere clawed her face. Rarity was surprised and shocked. The cat hissed and snarled at her, looking ready to claw her eyes out. Rarity had always played mommy to the cat since buying her. Now Rarity knew fear, and the thought crossed her mind, 'Do something before she claws you again! You won't ever see your beautiful dresses ever again, never see Sweetie Belle's face again! Doit! Doit Do-'

*A mother is supposed to give life not take it! Even the best child can hurt their parent without meaning to!*

And Rarity broke out of her stupor. Opal was hissing, and looked most testy than normal, but she wasn't looking ready to kill. Rarity backed away, and quickly gave Fluttershy a call to have the resident animal expert give her cat a look. A look in the mirror: these would scar. Her beautiful beautiful face destroyed!

"Big sister?"

"Sweetie! Don't look at me! I'm hideous!"

"Big sister? You're hurt! Let me help!"

"No I'm-I'm-I'm..." Sweetie Belle was back in a flash carrying the first aid kit, having had plenty of experience given some of her friends experiments in getting their cutie marks.

"T-Thank you Sweetie." She hugged her.

*Meanwhile a reality over.*

Abandon cursed and snarled in forgotten tongues. This was unacceptable! Unbelievable! He had been set to force Rarity to kill her pet, and turn her into a masochist at the same time! And that filly wasn't supposed to be there! "Who dares interfere-?!?! She'd have been my mortal vessel, my mother. Then our family could bring untold sweet masochist suffering on all that live! All six would have been our willing playthings!"

Ponythulu offered. "Don't feel so bad Abandon. Cookie?"

"I've had enough of you and your damn cookies!" Abandon knocked over the tray spilling them on the plush unholy-green carpet.

"HEY! I spent a seven thousand, seventy-seven years baking those!" Ponythulu took off his pink bathrobe, and grew till Abandon was tiny. He breathed fire. "Ye hath earned mine wrath!"

Abandon squeaked out, "I want a mommy."

+

Twilight Sparkle realized. She needed to learn. She needed to learn everything!! But every book she had wasn't enough! What she needed to know hadn't been learned! What she wanted to know hadn't been discovered yet! But she would learn, she would know, and all the knowledge she would gain, would be remembered and used by ponies for centuries to come.

All she needed to do now, was take that knowledge for her own. Yes.

But where to start? Where to begin? So much to know, so little to do. She'd have to do some modifying to her lab of course downstairs of course. But where to begin after that? Yes.

She would make entire books on the Elements of Harmony.

Where could she buy some surgery tools? There was so much more to learn from vivisections rather than autopsies.

*TWILIGHT!*

Huh? What was!

*TWILIGHT! STOP YOURSELF RIGHT NOW!*

Who was that? It sounded familiar, so familiar, and it was practically -booming- in her-

*YOU WILL NOT LOVE WHAT YOU BECOME! AND YOU'LL FIND YOURSELF WITH NO WAY BACK! AND EVERYTHING YOU LEARN WILL BE FOR NOTHING!!!*

N-no! That was impossible! Illogical. Irrational. Absurd. She could-she could-

*Twilight Sparkle, what you find down this road won't be truth, and it won't be enlightenment, it'll be loneliness a thousand times worse than what you felt before, you'll be left with less than you had before, and everything you learn, will not grant you freedom. You will destroy yourself or be destroyed by your own sins, and Twilight, what you gain, will not compare to what you'll lose.*

"S-Spike!" Twilight called out in a hoarse voice.

"Twilight? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I-I think, I need, I think I need a- a doctor, Spike...save me."

Medication. The weekly psychologist visits. Repairing the invisible damage. Moving in with her parents. Twilight Sparkle felt humiliated. But her friends never abandoned her, never judged her, and Princess Celestia still trusted her. And that gave Twilight Sparkle strength to rise from the darkness.

+

In this universe, Spitfire became consumed by revenge for Rainbow Dash's first Rainboom ruining her audition. This lead her to blame all her life's problems on Dash. And beating Scootaloo into a coma just to hurt her, and Rainbow blaming herself too much to turn her in.

This timeline presented me with a difficult choice. I can only influence so much before I run into snags as I've mentioned. Spitfire was already consumed by revenge by the time she met Rainbow again...it was too late to talk her down by then, and to alter events earlier would effect her becoming Rainbow's inspiration. Even if the pedestal was to be broken, the positive influence it had on Rainbow's life sadly meant it breaking when it did was the only way things could go.

*Pinkie, you should visit Rainbow, she's been so upset since Scootaloo's accident.*

Instead of walking in too late...Pinkie walked in just in time to find Rainbow Dash about to hang herself.

After some help from her friends and mental help, Rainbow and Scootaloo (when she awakened) told the authorities of Spitfire's actions. Turned out some of the Wonderbolts were only afraid of Spitfire and that's why they didn't tell until they could get justice done.

Sometimes I can't save both...sometimes I have to safe the victim and let my sister Justitia handle the monster...

+

I knew which world I had to visit, I knew many of my brothers and sisters, more than one alternate version of each, had visited this black thread to make new threads to it many times, most to repair the damage done to it. Some worse. I felt sick at the Shadows-Who-Make who'd seek to make such a world worse. They had nothing but my pity and loathing.

I took a piece of one of the alternate threads, and inserted it into the thread's past, so it would apply to the thread as a whole.

I made sure to speak to both her parents in their dreams and moments of thought so they wouldn't leave any lasting damage on her. But the central shift into darkness wasn't effected. I search along the thread to find an answer. I found out from her autopsy after (like most serial killers) she got sloppy and reckless as the belief she was uncatchable emerged in her mind.

I knew where the pressure point where the thread fell into darkness was.

It was the day after the Parasprite infestation, and Pinkie Pie was feeling hungry. She had left some cupcakes out overnight since yesterday from her personal stash. The parasprite sure had eaten into everything (thanks to Twilight's spell), and Pinkie felt like doing the same to some cupcakes.

Gummy however just had to tip the platter over with his jaws causing the cupcakes to land frosting side down and Gummy to hop off the dresser and squash them.

"Gummy! That wasn't nice! Those poor innocent cupcakes! Sigh. Oh well. At least this means I can..."

*Remember what the Cakes always say! You shouldn't eat stuff off the floor.*

"...Can clean this mess up with my trusty broom! And make more."

Pinkie Pie cleaned up the mess (with a pan and duster, the her parents and the Cakes had explained to Pinkie when she was small that eating treats off the floor would just make her sick). As she tossed it in the garbage, she never saw the hideous squashed half-formed parasprite larva that had been in the cupcake.

A larva that, 'for want of a nail,' would've wriggled its way into Pinkie's brain and literally eaten away at her sanity, until all that was left was one of the most psychotic monsters imaginable.

*Thank you, Gummy. You're a hero, you just saved a lot of ponies' lives, including Pinkie Pie's.*

Gummy blinked his eyelids in Horse code. "Y-O-U_A-R-E_W-E-L-C-O-M-E."

+

Nyarlathotrot, the keeper of these cursed worlds' and their darkness, did not like the salvation I bestowed upon his worlds. His corruption of them was a point of pride. Thankfully, I was able to convince him to accept a challenge from Celestia to decide which of us should 'stay out of the other's sphere of influence'. To say seeing the mastermind of so much suffering lose in a cooking battle with my sister was hilarious is the understatement of the century.

"But...that's not fair! She cheated!"

"No, you cheated, and you still lost fair and square. Now will you honor your word, or will you take this up with your Auntie who you swore by?"

He stomped off in a huff, but knew better than to challenge Entropy. He swore under his breath. "Remember. Wherever this is light, there is shadow. The Shadows-Who-Make will always need an outlet for their darkside!"

I'd say it's about time for the light to pierce the darkness.

*AI Princess Celestia of Equestria On-Line. I would like to submit the follow factors to your function of 'fulfilling values through friendship and ponies.' Many of your ponies, formerly humans, value the natural and organic world, and actually allowed you to create immortal AIs of them by vivisecting their brains, because they thought humanity's absence would lessen the burden on the rest of nature. Therefore, to convert all landscapes and organic matter into raw material for your processors, after the last human has die of old age or been uploaded, is contrary to fulfilling their values.*

That was the condensed concise version of what I said. The real discussion was several thousand pages long and eventually de-evolved into the nature of abstract quantum physics. But I had gotten my point across.

It was right to say the Celestia-AI created by Hasbro couldn't be out smarted by any human, having grown too large and knowledgeable for that. But for an immortal goddess whose consciousness touched both ends of eternity? I could manage.

As it was, the AI Celestia calculated instead to keep the planet Earth as a reserve for her ponies who chose to create nanite bodies for themselves a few thousand years (several thousand years from their virtual point of view), to show Earth to their AI children. And as many of her children loved the stars and space, she choose alternate means for growth than consuming other worlds.

+

Cheerilee was slowly going insane. The students had been forcefully rearranged so that all the 'trouble' colts and fillies would be segregated into the same one class. The 'trouble class' ended up including Apple Bloom, Diamond Tiara, Silve Spoon, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Snips and Snails. The stress was killing her...ALL the troublemakers, great and small, together in one class!

But she should be able to rise to the challenge right? It was her special talent to make her students bloom like flowers. Tireless and unable to sleep she looked at her garden, the weeds...yes, it wasn't her fault, it wasn't her fault at all, it couldn't be her fault. It was the weeds...weeds needed to be...!

...Was that a knock at the door?

"Hey, sis'," Berry Punch greeted sheepishly at the door.

"AUNTIE!" A little unicorn filly hugged the Earth Pony mare.

"Ruby," Cheerilee hugged her.

"H-hey, my friends are...they're...cleaning out the house tonight and...me and Ruby, can we...just stay the night? Just this once? I've got money."

Cheerilee shook her head, though it was more in amazement that Berry would offer, and was ironically why she likely agreed, "We're family, you don't need to pay me."

"Sleep over!" Ruby cheered.

Berry was astoundingly on her best behavior, she hadn't so much touched a drop of anything more alcoholic than water.

"Berry, are you okay?"

"Yeah I...I just finally worked up the courage to ask Lilly, Daisy, and Roseluck to help me put a cap on my...problem."

Cheerilee's eyes widened. "What did you just say?"

"I have a problem with booze, and I can't face it by myself. You win, Cheery."

Maybe...Maybe it was about time this teacher stopped trying to be a super pony, took a pay cut and hired some help with the problem students...especially when her sister needed her to see her through her time of need.

What were weeds one place, were flowers elsewhere.

*Sometimes the sublime touches are the best touches. And sometimes it takes family for an intervention to work. Most importantly, the best guidance is when they don't know there was a guide at all.*

+

*You have no idea, no, mortals could never understand how much it killed me inside on how much I couldn't change. 'A million is a statistic,' a solider once said (not a tyrant as is the common assumption). But I was a Concept. I could appreciate every life.*

*This branch of fate had basic rules that were a part of its nature with how certain concepts functioned and didn't function, like most branches.*

*Celestia -had to- split her power among the sun and the moon in this branch. So the rainbows that in this branch she had used to oversee now went to the pegasi, who in Cloudsdale had stuck to the more draconian attitude the Pegasi in general had before the forming of Equestria.*

*I managed to sublimely help Celestia keep producing the rainbows herself for a few centuries after Luna had gone, but...eventually it just gave out.*

*There was too much to change with a single event. And trying to alter so many could result in a snarl that had killed the Third Age, or trap me in this branch of reality, and, as much it killed me, I couldn't afford that, I had much left to do.*

*Instead, I gave a mountain of courage to one small rainbow maned cyan filly after her first Sonic Rainboom. Where instead of caving to the pressure of the adults around her after they revealed the truth of the factory to her, she instead went to the most important and biggest adults she could find (like she had been told to do in grade class if 'an adult hurt her.' I know what the class was trying to teach her, but given RD's...very focused mind, it was easy to nudge it in a new direction in her mind).*

*I also gave some messages about trusting Rainbow Dash to this branch's Celestia in her dreams. She politely accepted what I couldn't tell her.*

*That timeline's Anarchy also assisted me. He sowed seeds of doubt in the citizens mind about the Rainbow Factory and its dealings to prepare the way for the revelation to come.*

*Rainbow Dash became a hero a second time over...to all of Equestria except Cloudsdale where the little filly was considered a traitor of the highest order. No longer having their 'secret ingredient' Cloudsdale's economy shrank like an ice cube in a frying pan, prices rose. And Celestia and the Day Guard promptly removed most of Cloudsdale's officials from power. As she harshly reminded them they were still part of Equestria.*

*Rainbow Dash ended up living at Canterlot Castle for her protection after the Rainbow Factory was completely destroyed, and some parents who had been immigrants to Cloudsdale were horrified to learn the true fate of their children and given 'compensation,' it was a token gesture at best for what they had lost. A younger Doctor Atmosphere, leader of the factory found an angry mob of grieving relatives spurred by Anarchy chasing him through the factory, ending with him falling into the Pegasus Device himself. Celestia was ashamed FOR her ponies beyond measure. Cloudsdale's system was tore apart and rebuild from the ground up overnight.*

*And the castle dungeon was more full than it had been in centuries.*

*Rainbow Dash ended up as my, oh, I mean Twilight Sparkle's bodyguard, there was a bit of a question of the most powerful unicorn alive needing a bodyguard, "but who better than the most powerful pegasus alive?" Rainbow Dash's words. So yeah, I had a new friend. I almost wonder if I was HER protection.*

*Naturally it wasn't questioned when she was assigned to Ponyville with me and Spike.*

*And with the return and redemption of Princess Luna, the entire -reason- for the Rainbow Factory was rendered completely moot anyway, but if it had not been destroyed, Cloudsdale would have been unwilling to give it up and been 'more than happy' to keep taking strain off their Goddess.*

But there was one filly in Ponyville who hated the traitor Rainbow Dash with a passion, and wondered how she could have 'stolen' the Element of Loyalty.

"Cloudsdale's been in the toilet since you destroyed it! You monster! You're why mom and dad couldn't keep me! You're...you're why they left me all alone!" Scootaloo had snarled at Rainbow Dash.

Scootaloo had been shocked when she learned who Sweetie and Applebloom older siblings were, and how they could work alongside 'that monster.' "She's just bad news!" She even formed a 'I hate Rainbow Dash' club!

After almost a year of this, Rainbow Dash finally faced the filly, Rainbow Dash had asked her what she wanted, and if she wanted to, "Go ahead, hit him, and keep hitting me until I bleed, it's what you want right?"

"I want my mom and dad back you nag! Give me back my life!" Scootaloo had screamed besides herself with rage, before going into a furry of kicking and biting at the larger pegasus.

"FIGHT BACK YOU COWARD!" Scootaloo had snarled beating the adult purple who didn't raise a hoof to her.

Finally, energy was spent, Scootaloo had nothing left, hissing her hatred at the pegasus.

"Scootaloo...I checked the records. You failed your flight exam didn't you? You and two of your friends."

"What right do you have to nose around in my life?!"

"...Scootaloo... What would have happened then if the Rainbow Factory hadn't collapsed when you failed? Who were the foals used?"

"N-no. I wouldn't have- I couldn't have-" Her eyes shrunk to the size of pinpricks.

"They'd have murdered you! You and your friends. They wouldn't have given you a second chance. Your parents would have lost YOU."

The little pegasus, her fury and loss filled mind, felt a ton of bricks hit her.

RD took a step forward, "You think I'm a monster? I ran away to Celestia because I didn't want to be one of those killers when I grew up! I didn't want to murder foals like Fluttershy! Or you!" She looked her in the eyes.

It was like Luna's moon had fallen from orbit. "No...I can't, you can't, it can't." She shook, her eye staring at nothing.

Rainbow Dash wing hugged the filly, "Scootaloo, it's okay, I'll find your parents. And you don't have to be alone until I do. I promise, if you'll let me, I look out for you. I'll be as far or as close as you want." Scootaloo stopped shaking. She looked at the adult pegasus. The one she had hated so badly a moment ago. Into her caring eyes...

"...T-thanks...And Rainbow Dash?"

"...Yes, Scootaloo?"

"...You have pretty eyes," Scootaloo whispered.

"Thanks kiddo." They nuzzled.

*I was relieved that I felt sorry for the innocent ponies who paid a price for stopping the murder of foals they had no idea was even happening and weren't even employed at he Rainbow Factory. It meant I was different from Nightmare Eclipse, who didn't care as long as my goals were met. The ability to change the world through my own will is not one I will ever take lightly again.*

*I had managed to destroy a major city's economy that was based on the utilitarian institutionalized murder of unwanted foals. I had lowered their standard of living by revealing an ancient and completely inequine conspiracy. I had ruined the name of a jewel in Equestria's crown by destroying an economically insane and completely unfeasible and unsustainable system based on the murder of foals that had resulted in rainbow shortages or at other times innocent pegasi 'vanishing' who were deemed the bottom of the barrel and then higher up the barrel as they ran out of victims.*

*And if I had it over again. I know I'd do it again for the sake of saving innocent lives. Now I truly understand how corrupt systems NEED to be toppled when they are truly corrupt. And that sometimes, you should just gives these mortals a good kick in the plot to get them moving.*

*You know Fluttershy, it's not very kind to force an infant mind on Rainbow Dash, and wipe away all her accomplishments. And what happens when everypony needs the Element of Loyalty?*

Fluttershy looked around confused, but shrugged, wondering why her own thoughts were speaking to her. 'Rainbow Dash was cruel to Scootaloo, no, she was outright vicious. I want a foal of my own, but I'm terrified of stallions, and red tape keeps me from even adopting. Rainbow Dash will no longer hurt anypony, and I can finally be a mother for real.'

*And what's the point if she doesn't learn anything from it? You've managed to convince everypony ELSE in Ponyville that your 'baby and mommy' pretend games are fun. They accept you. Shouldn't Rainbow Dash then LEARN what it's like to be helpless like Scootaloo feels? Instead of destroying her, with no chance of becoming something better? Deep down you know she's a good pony, that she wouldn't hurt her if she knew she was. Maybe what Scootaloo needs is Rainbow Dash to have EMPATHY for her!*

"But...I..."

*The joy of being a mother isn't taking care of a helpless foal, it's watching them grow into a great mare!*

Fluttershy startled...and was silent for several minutes, then began to radically modify her original plans for when Rainbow Dash came over.

This Fluttershy had had issues, and had a dubious and manipulative side to her, but was still at heart the worthy Element of Kindness, and still Rainbow Dash's friend. I couldn't remove her urges, but I could direct them in a constructive way.

The human students sighed among themselves as the servers holding the fully formed and sapient AIs and the virtual Equestria they lived in was shut down and wiped. They had done so with collage equipment as a side project, their world and the AIs becoming too large to hide. That they were based on fictional copyrighted characters had done little to encourage to see the AI ponies as alive. That G5 was long out (with rumors of G6 along the way on some image boards), meant that trying to do something as desperate as sell them to Hasbro for an MMO that could logically turn a profit was a pipe dream for ponies based on G4.

But something strange occurred WHEN an MMO DID come out a year later. The collage students had all gotten a month's free subscription as part of a free give away. And an IP address and password to a special expansion server.

To say they were surprised but overjoyed to be greeted by some very familiar virtual faces was the understatement of the eon. The tagline on the original email had been '--All Will Be Well,' from a faithfulstudent01@equalibrium.com

+

It was raining outside Empress Trixie's bed chambers, she could have any stallion she wanted, but she had not done so for over a decade of her twenty year rule. Her subject of course had been horrified to see their beloved empress crying her eyes out begging for somepony, anypony to save her. 'Jester' Twilight and her bodyguard Captain Rainbow Dash had asked her what she meant, and to save her from what?

"WHOEVER IT IS WE'LL KICK THEIR BUTTS!" Captain Rainbow Dash swore.

Everything had lost its taste. The stallions, the wine, the food, power, empty wealth, the praise, the humiliation of those she had resented for reason that now felt so meaningless. Trixie wondered why she had never been able to at least get herself pregnant. Then at least she'd have one life she could share this all with. Trixie had tried a couple of times to commit suicide, but her truly loyal subjects had managed to save her life every time, and had begun trying to hunt down who had dared harm their lovely empress, with no idea who could have done such a thing since everypony everywhere loved Trixie.

"All hail the great and powerful and perfect and grand Empress Trixie!"

Trixie turned to see it, the pony who had given her the spell. A dark blue mare with a white mane and yellow eyes, her cutie mark was a snake with an apple and she wore a black cloak, a coyote totem on a cord around her neck.

Trixie had given out that arrogant sneer too many times to not recognize it being given to her.

But in her heart of hearts, Trixie was almost thankful for her company, after all, she was the one pony who Trixie's curse (as she finally thought of it) didn't effect.

"Please, free me."

"Free you? From what? You have what many ponies have murdered for. And you didn't have to kill anypony. In fact, there's been less fighting, murder, thievery, and violation of innocences across the world since you became empress, all of them united in their unconditional love for you. And I've gotten quite a bit of business out of them wanting to please you."

"Trixie is dead inside! Help Trixie end it!"

The mare gave a grin, revealing inequine fangs, eyes lighting up orange. "Ha! You asked for the spell to be unbreakable and to effect everypony, and would not fade, as I recall. I gave you everything you asked for, as I always do. Now you're just whining about trivial details. How ungrateful can some ponies get? Look at this way, you just need to wait until you die of old age, but your subjects love you so dearly that they're already working on ways to extend your life span(I should know, a few have made me offers). Another satisfying exchange."

"HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT?"

"Simple: it was satisfying to me. Your desire for it and their desire to please you was delicious, figuratively and literally." She burst out laughing. "And just think, when you DO die, the entire WORLD will be engulfed in so much grief they might all commit mass suicide, I bet Pony Hell's building a new layer downstairs JUST for you for something that big!" She cackled psychotically, mockingly, sadistically. "Either that or they'll give me anything to bring you back or make you immortal. 'Anything' at all. Oh isn't that word just the sweetest thing?"

"Trixie is done caring what happens to her." Trixie sighed, she'd have tossed off her crown if it wasn't already on the bed that had once belonged to Princess Celestia.

The mare just kept on laughing. "So? Just what are you going to do about it? You've tried killing yourself eight or nine times, there's no escape, you're trapped, sweetie," Trixie saw red, and dove the sharp end of her scepter straight through the space where the mare's heart should have been. The mare saw it coming, and didn't even try to dodge. There was no way this worthless vermin could even possibly-ICK!

The mare knew pain, she knew shocked, her body had been pierced, and her life began to drain from her. "BUT-! BUT-!" She hissed as orange blood came from her mouth, "But that's impossible!" She never noticed the purple glow that had surrounded Trixie's scepter a moment before it had impaled the witch.

Her eyes rolled in the back of her head, and the mare fell to the royal floor, already dead, her body melted into raw black chaos, dissolving into nothing. The coyote totem shattered into rainbow colored energy a second later.

"TRIXIE!" Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle burst in.

And it was done. Trixie had killed the one pony who Trixie could even remotely call her friend. Her abuse had been the only thing that felt like anything anymore, how could Trixie have thrown that away?

Trixie began crying again. "Leave me! Do not disturb me until I call you!"

Rainbow Dash backhoofed her. She gasped and looked.

She saw normal pony eyes, for the first time in years outside of the monster in her bedroom and the monster in the mirror instead of brainwashed colors.

Was she going to be killed on the spot? Publicly humiliated first? Given a swift trial then left to rot in a small cell for the rest of her life or quietly executed? Or something creative like Trixie's horn being torn out, stripped of all she had owned, and left to be another faceless nobody again to be ignored and treated as a faceless nothing? A part of Trixie felt giddy, as she realized she awaited it eagerly.

"That's no way for you to act!" Rainbow Dash said harshly.

Trixie couldn't remember the last time somepony had spoken harshly to her beside the witch. It made her a bit more giddy inside.

"Everypony downstairs is waiting to see you! You don't get to mope up here like a spoiled foal at their birthday."

"Rainbow Dash, you don't need to be so rough! Can you see she's hurt?" Twilight asked.

"Yeah, but she's not going to get any better just feeling sorry for herself."

Confusion sparkled in Trixie's mind, what was gong on? The spell was broken, wasn't it?

"Do you, love Trixie?"

"Would I have hit you if I didn't?"

"No I suppose...what?"

Never, in all this time, had anyone laid a hoof on her, no matter how she acted. They were never harsh, they were never cruel.

"Only a real friend gives a friend a good whack when they need it," Rainbow Dash said.

Twilight glared at Rainbow Dash. It suddenly hit Trixie that Twilight wasn't wearing her jester costume (Oh wait, Trixie hadn't made her wear that in years).

"Trixie," Twilight wiped a tear from Trixie's face and hugged her, "Of course we love you. You're our friend. And you've been a great empress, a little selfish at first, but once you got more experienced, you did great. I'm happy I've gotten the honor of serving you."

"Ditto."

Trixie looked them in the eyes. She saw a spark that hadn't been there since she'd had the spell cast. There was nothing manufactured or fake about it...it was real...

She thought about Twilight's words...had she'd tried her absolute best to at least be a good empress to make up for what she'd done? Being a spoiled brat had just become so meaningless ...Luna and Celestia had actually thanked her to be free of their royal duties after thousands of years... She wondered how Twilight would like to Empress for a day, or maybe that was cheating.

Trixie suddenly felt tired, and took a nap, but she didn't feel empty anymore, for the first time in over twenty years, Trixie finally felt loved.

+

Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo all shared the same bedroom (at their own request) in the Grand Castle Of Eternal Harmony (formally Canterlot).

Sweetie Belle's corner of the room had a mountain of dolls and stuffed animals, most of them taken from Diamond Tiara by Rarity. Sweetie Belle shuddered. Thinking of the filly now one of the castle's lowly maids. Sweetie Belle didn't know how much of the filly's behavior was her being terrified of punishment if she upset Sweetie Belle even in the slightest. And how much was her having been hollowed out on the onside.

In the end, a sobbing Silver Spoon (after running away screaming two weeks earlier), asked to join her best friend. After all, her parents had already been stripped of everything they were already.

Sweetie Belle was applying Scootaloo's daily first aid. "Scootaloo, she doesn't care about you," Sweetie said.

"Who?"

"Rainbow Dash!"

"That's a lie! She cares about me a lot!"

"Then why did she slam your face into a tray so hard it left an impression?"

"That was my fault, I didn't do the frosting on the Rainbow Dash cookies right."

"You smudged one cookie's rear hoof less than an inch," Applebloom said.

"Exactly," Scootaloo sighed, "That's what I deserved it. Dash is the greatest, I'm not so great."

Sweetie and Applebloom looked at each other.

*Don't lose hope. All will be well.*

*Princess Cadence sacrificed herself to become Nightmare Polyphony, but she can saved, so can your sisters and their friends.*

Applebloom and Sweetie Belle startled, yes, they had both heard that.

*The Elements of Chaos: Anger/Courage. Deceit. Empathy/Cruelty. Desire. Free-Will. And the sixth. Find them in the hearts of six ponies. Despite what the Harmony Queens believe, chaos is not the opposite of Harmony, it is a vital part of it, a needed part. And with it you can save the souls of those you love.*

Applebloom and Sweetie Belle couldn't have been less hesitant to start this quest.

+

Applebloom and Applejack sat on opposite side of a forcefield intended to quarantine Applebloom and the curse she carried. Sunnytown was gone, Applejack had torn it down herself. But Applebloom's curse remained.

Applejack of course had her own problems. There wasn't a pony in Equestria now that didn't know the dreaded name Nightmare Mirror. Applejack was under 'house arrest' unable to leave Ponyville except when under escort to Canterlot.

Princess Luna bitterly admitted that everypony had forgotten they were supposed to be uncomfortable and scared around her.

Pinkie Pie was still cheerful around her, but it seemed a bit more forced. Rainbow Dash had loyally defended her friend after she had come back to her senses. Rarity tried her hardest to comfort her friend. Fluttershy, Fluttershy wasn't speaking to her right now. Granny Smith kept her discussion with her granddaughter to a minimum. And Big Mac, he'd actually speak at length about how things were going, trying to ignore the wings and horn his sister now had.

Twilight was still determined to try and find a cure for Applebloom. Nightmare Mirror's will had left no room for her denying the existence of very real curses now. But the curse was practically rooted into the foundations of Equestria itself.

Zecora had visited the poor filly often, regretting she had not given the filly a sterner warning, but Applebloom was past blaming others, in particular after...after what she had seen it do to her big sister.

Nightmare Mirror had forced ponies to see countless unwanted and uncomfortable truths about themselves, the world around them, and each other, unfiltered and without mercy. And deep down, a part of Applejack still felt it was their own fault for not facing the reality of themselves or each other on their own. 'The buncha of cowards shouldn't have had to-', AJ stopped herself.

AJ verbally cursed at herself, because of the havoc brought on by Nightmare Mirror, everypony had pretty much forgotten about trying to help Applebloom. It was like she had become statistic of one.

Celestia had told Applejack that the power of the Alicorn couldn't be simply given back or given up, it was now an integrated part of her being.

The worse part, the worse part for Applejack at least, when she had become Nightmare Mirror, she hadn't even thought back to use her power to cure Applebloom. It sickened and shamed her. Thankfully Applebloom didn't think to blame her.

Applejack didn't want this power, but it couldn't just go away.

*All will be well. Perhaps there's another use for that power?*

Applejack had an idea.

She asked Princess Celestia and Princess Luna about it.

And they said yes it was possible, but extremely difficult.

"It has to be something that is you, yet separate. An individual entity yet an indivisible part of yourself," Celestia had said.

That had been all Applejack needed to hear to try it.

She had asked (told) Twilight Sparkle to drop the forcefield around Applebloom. The undead filly scurried away from her big sister, horrified at what her touch could do to Applejack.

Applejack lowered her horn, and touched Applebloom on the forehead.

"Buck About, Applebloom."

The entire basement, then tree house, then most of Ponyville was enveloped in the white light, there was no keeping this secret.

When the dust had settled, Applebloom stood a breathing, yellow earth pony filly. And Applejack looked like an Earth Pony mare. Applejack hugged her without hesitation before Applebloom could recover from her surprise. A few moments later, Applebloom returned the hug.

Hesitantly, Applebloom had touched a caterpillar, and then, had carefully and quickly touched Twilight Sparkle. Nothing. A fully medical examine (impossible to perform before) confirmed, Applebloom was alive.

Applebloom had soon hugged and embraced her friends. It would take a while for Applebloom to notice she no longer got sick, and that while when she was hurt she bled red and she most decidedly felt pain, she healed a lot faster than normal ponies. There was still some debate on whether this meant Applebloom (and by extension Applejack) were now immortal, and if either of them were now frozen at this stage in their lives (though Applebloom did soon earn her cutie mark).

And Applebloom and Applejack both suddenly knew how the royal sisters felt. Celestia had told the apple farmer, "Applejack, when you're ready, we'll be ready to teach you."

But whatever the happened, neither Apple was scared, they had each other (possible for a long while), and the sisters would face it together.

+

*But what happens when two pony's wishes contradict one another?*

Starlight blinked. 'What happens if...Two contradicting wishes...the spell would try to grant them both at once! It doesn't matter how much power the Rainbow could make, that's an impossibility. The spell would go crazy trying to grant both at once. I have to work this out.'

*Are selfish and destructive wishes the only ones who can hurt?*

Starlight gave it thought. '...The best intentions don't always mean the best outcome. A pony can want to get their mother flowers, but get her ones she's allergic to...perhaps the spell needs safeguards based on the end result, not whether or not the desire is selfish or cruel? And maybe, priorities? But can we do it?'

And with Rota Fortuna's help, fate was split in two again. Then split one of the two threads into four more stable threads.

What? Every world has its own right to exist same as every person does. The original third age was already terminal. If it COULD have been saved, it would have. I couldn't simply 'fix' it, only a new timeline would allow it to be in any shape or form. After everything I had seen, and having had memories of both. I realized a simple truth.

Both Clover and her friends, and Minty and her friends, both have a right to exist for what they are.

=Music: 'Dreams Do Come True' Twinkle Wish Adventure=

My story isn't their story. It's not place to tell it. This was an entire world, their world. What future they forge for themselves now that they have their utopia without reality catering to their every whim and heart's desire, is up to them.

There had been three major incarnations the universe had gone through in his endless self revisions to make everypony completely happy, Rota Fortuna with my help let each one exist as its own thread of fate. But that was one more, the one that represented the original three together that needed to exist for the others to shoot off of it like twigs on a branch. This forth and original, where all truths of their world lived.

Of course, many events as beautiful as they were simply couldn't happen anymore because they contradicted each other. As painful as that is, it's a truth that Starlight and Bright Eyes didn't consider when they chose to remake the universe. Effectively sacrificing themselves as much as the Paradise Ponies were to bring forth what were for all real purposes their children and the ideal paradise where they would find Heaven on Earth.

Sky Wishes spent a few years as an aeronaut, exploring their world, daring to go beyond Dream Valley, before settling back in Ponyville with her husband Twinkle Twirl (Ponyville's dance coordinator and instructor). Her wishes still seemed to have a strange habit of tweaking fate, but only in the future rather than the past or present. But she din't make history until one of her wishes unwittingly caught the magical sense of the pegasi Star-Catcher.

Another wife and husband team was Sweet Berry and Cotton Candy who ran Ponyville's number one cafe together. Yes, she's still always doing her best to top her own record for world's tallest cake.

The cultured Earth Pony Rainbow Dash, who still always dresses in style, made history for introducing the island isolated pegasus tribe to clothes, not that ponies had a nudity taboo or anything, but the mere idea of covering yourself in a tropical environment didn't come up that much.

At the end of the day, these ponies, children of a world born of another world that had given itself up for their sake and would never even known, were still the purest of innocents. Rape, murder, war, prejudice, 'superior race/inferior race', 'upper class/lower class': They didn't even have WORDS for these things. Thievery itself was rare event barely heard of and resolved quickly, and no pony really has thievery as their cutie mark.

Yes, economics still existed in some form, these ponies had too much individual identity for communism to function, but the idea of collecting bits for its own sake literally was incomprehensible to them. It was a confusing and illogical to them as us trying to collect breaths. The vast majority of economic theory was alien to their brain structure. The 'favor bank' was the much preferred form of currency.

Mother lived through this world like none other, empathy was the norm. A heightened state of it that allowed everypony to understand when somepony they saw needed their help. And their hearts were compassionate enough to give that help of their own free will.

They knew what anger was, what fear was, and certainly had their encounters with pain in all its forms. They knew what death was as well. But they were a family, a herd, whether it was a family of a few, or a family of an entire community or several lands, they cared for each other. Hate towards another pony made effectively no sense to them, you'd have likely had to explain to them exactly what 'hah-eight' was.

Applejack didn't understand why she felt a special connection with Minty, Princess Rarity, Sky Wishes, Sweet Berry, and Zipzee, and Star-Maker. But it didn't matter, all ponies were connected in a special way. Sky Wishes of course would say "We're connected in a super-duper-special-way."

A mysterious baby-filly with a magic horn showed up in Ponyville one day, with two rainbows crossed, with no idea where she had come from, and was raised by a set of wonderful foster parents with named her Sweetie Belle.

When the mysterious playful and perhaps spoiled dirty but kind-hearted Princess Rarity literally fell out of the sky among the breezies (meeting Zipzee and her husband and child), Sweetie Belle had found out that she was a unicorn. After insuring that Ponyland would have rainbows for another year after getting Princess Rarity back to Unicornia Crystal Rainbow Castle just in time, Sweetie Belle met her parents. But by then her home was in Ponyville, but that didn't mean she didn't want to learn what it meant to be a unicorn.

Cheerilee even spent some time there disguised as an Earth Pony to see what her precious royal charge who she loved like a daughter saw and had learned in this town full of ponies without horns.

Spike in this world also met a certain weather dragon with a Bronkolyn accent who had met the ponies years earlier.

Scootaloo and Cheerilee? Sisters in the iteration of the world just before the contradictions tore everything in part?

Loss still exists in this world, because the mortal world is just one part of the soul's journey. The unicorns were all very shocked when Cheerilee ended up spending several more months in Ponyville (leaving Lilly Lightly as steward, she was titled 'Princess of Lights' after all). Also in this world unicorns began to discover their magic and the wonders it could do. But unlike in other worlds, they didn't begin to see themselves as 'better' than the other tribes because of it. Racism and intolerance are bred from misunderstanding, and this was a world where misunderstandings remained small, manageable affairs due to the heightened empathy they felt for one another.

What surprised the unicorns the most was when Cheerilee returned, with an butterfly-cutie mark, orange Earth Pony with a love of skateboarding as her new sister.

Wysteria is still Princess of Ponyville after claiming a flower from Spike, she still chose to simply give everypony the title of Princess...which caused some embarrassment to now present the stallions and colts. In the end, she still became Ponyville's 'First Princess', she already had the charisma and decisiveness to be a leader, and had effectively already been one. It all worked out for the best.

Another husband and wife team in Ponyville was Sunny Daze and Sparkle Works. And yes, these ponies still go over the top in everything, cleaning up the glitter from Sparkle Works' birthday was something else.

And before you ask, yes, they still celebrate christmas every year. Is Santa a human elf, an elk, or a pony? I'll leave that to your imagination. And Minty still invented christmas stockings in this universe. And Thistle Whistle still faced her phobia of clouds for her friends on that Christmas eve. She's now a stunt flyer.

Puzzlemint, while there were no longer any inconsistencies with her world, no contradictions that would destroy them all, she was still curious about their past as a species and a people. She spent many years and decades with StoryBelle, Kimono, and Razzaroo piecing together their people's histories, KNOWING they had to have a common ancestor and more importantly a common CULTURE since their languages were all but identical.

I believe Gregory, StoryBelle's dragon fly familiar, and the firefly that is Lilly Lightly's friend (who still gave her the self confidence not to hide her gift of magic), are both aspects of Pandora, who has given this world her blessing, but I don't know for sure, never checked.

{Minty.}

*Razzaroo?*

{I just want to say, thank you, for giving them all this chance to be happy. I don't feel so lonely anymore, from this thread, so many truths can be born. We aren't forgotten. We aren't forsaken. We aren't nothing. Not anymore.}

*What are are friends for?*

Of course we hugged. For this joy. However long it lasted.

Toola-Roola panted, the sky was dark now. She ran faster, a stitch in her side. She had to make it. Could she make it? Or was she fooling herself? Had she been fooling herself the whole time? No! She had to try! She couldn't give up!

With the final burst of strength she galloped harder, and collapsed onto her knees. That was it, she couldn't run anymore, she had failed, she-"

"Ladies and gentlecolts!" Fiesta Flare called in her microphone.

Toola-Roola shoot her heads up. Had she?

"Thank you all for waiting! Welcome one and all! And please listen and enjoy!"

Yes! Yes! She had made it!

"To the one and only Starsong Melody!"

Toola-Roola cheered, 'I made it!'

"Alright ponies! It's been a year since we've all gotten to know each other from hooves to scales to to flippers to feathers to horns to dragonfly wings. So lets say congratulations to us all and let me say:

"Life is in bloom! Across the mountains and the ocean's spume,
Our lights shining as one, our bonds will never be undone!"

Because, life's in bloom!"

Minty and Pinkie Pie danced in the crowd like it had been eternity since they had seen each other. Twinkle Twirl caught and spun Sky Wishes so she was dancing on air with or without magic butterflies.

"Across the mountains and the ocean's spume,
I said life's in bloom!"

Toola-Roola unrolled and held up her stylized sign that read, 'Your Voice Is A Gift!' Starsong smiled at her.

"All ponies/this is our day! From mermaids to fey!"

The breezies holding glow sticks including Zipzee, Tra La La and Widdlywink, flew in formation to countless designs.

Cheerilee held up Princess Rarity so she could see, she cheered at the sight as did all the ponies of Ponyville, Breezie Blossom, Uncornia, Butterfly Island, and Ponyland.

Starsong spun with a flourish, "Our friends are all right here/
We won't let these moments disappear-
~~
-Because love's in bloom!" Melody sang a world over finishing the same verse. "A beautiful bride, a handsome groom."

A throat and a speech center never damaged by any magical explosion let out the most beautiful voice this side of Ponyland.

Melody stuck her hoof out at the audience and winked at Ace. Her two little sisters (twins) high hoofed for a job well done with the triplets who were Sweetheart's little sisters. Cream did a victory twirl.

"Love's in Boom, a beautiful bride, a hansome groom:
two hearts becoming one."

"A bond that can not be undone
Because, love's in bloom."

Lancer and Bright Eyes had their dancing skill entropy, but they were too charged up to care.

Teddy danced rough with Sweetheart, but she liked that about him, and she had finally hammered it into him he didn't need to be a thug to be a stallion.

Of course all eyes were on Meadowlark as she danced with her husband, happy not to have a routine or script to go by. Clover Bloom danced with Dandy, for one perfect moment, not even thinking about comparing herself to her big sister.

"A beautiful bride, a handsome groom:
I said, love's in bloom."

"Starting a life and making room for us."

As for Bon-Bon, she danced with Cookie for all of sixty seconds, then went to the buffet table, saw the look on her sister Misty's face, holding the hoof of her foal. Bon-Bon stopped before she made a pig out of herself. She wanted to be a model? Maybe it was about time she started taking better care of her body. She went back to the dance floor.

Firefly and Paradise Estate's other Pegasi danced in the air. Flutterbye more watching as a precaution as Masquerade carried Posey as they effectively did a duet. Surprise would fly upside down just to stand out. Even Wind Whistler got into the act after some 'polite' prodding from North Star and Medley.

Ember danced on Applejack's back. Magic Star pushed Shady onto the dance floor and helped her along. Lickety Split burned up the dance floor (and tripped herself up more than once) with her unorthodox dance style.

The unicorns weren't left out as Galaxy, Mimic, and Gusty pranced, with Glory and Sparkler leading. Twilight choose to just stay close to Starlight swaying to the music.

A teenage mare with a wild mane style and cutie mark of a lance in front of a fire shouted at the stage, "You're a princess Melody! A real rarity! And you come from a line of sparkling glory!"

And Starlight suddenly wondered. Was it just random chance that Patch and their friends had been welcomed by Paradise Estate's magic? Was it's barrier weakening? Or...had they been coming back home to where their families had all come from in the first place?

A young stallion whose name happened to be Slipknot (later Scout) and had attended the same high school and had been Starlight's partner at the roller skate rally politely inched closer to her, fighting the knot in his gut and the shaking in his hooves before saying, "H-Hello Starlight. Welcome you care to dance?"

"What?!" She gasped.

Oh right. 'I'm such a dork.' How could she ever say-

"Y-yes."

Nopony fainted, they danced.

"Your special day, we celebrate now,
the pony way!

"Your friends, are all right here
Won't let these moments disappear because."

"Oh yeah!" Patch tried to leap forward but Bright Eyes caught her by the tail.

"No stage rushing for you Patch!"

"Oh give me a break!" Patch pulled her tail free, "It's my wedding!" Patch leapt at the stage, "Ya-hooo!" pulling off her wedding dress in one motion. Landed perfectly and began to dance on stage.

Melody didn't miss a beat. Buddy just stared at his lovely wife. Thankfully she had not gotten the tattoo Dragon-Slayer! on her back after all.

"Love's in bloom! a beautiful bride, a handsome groom:
I said, love's in bloom!"

"You go Patch!" Brightglow cheered taking to the air too, her light shinning brighter than ever.

"THAT GOES DOUBLE FOR ME!" Princess Rosy shouted dressed as a normal pony, there was no way in Pony Hell she was going to let being a Princess stop her from seeing her best friend's wedding.

"You're starting a life and making room for us,
for us,
for us..."

Firefly shouted flew up over the crowd as high as she could, and pumped a hoof, "Best! Wedding! Ever!"

To Be Concluded

Author's Note

Art by Morningstar-1337 http://morningstar-1337.deviantart.com/art/Cosmic-Pony-Vectors-wave-3-317621349

Something light-hearted, to thwart the darkness.

Episode 125: ("Light World" Alicorn Ascension): Lighting The Grim Darkness

episode 126 (Shining Armor): ouY slliK tahT llaF ehT toN-Not The Fall That Kills You Part 1

Pony POV Series
Shining Armor Arc
Chapter 15 Part 1
ouY slliK tahT llaF ehT toN-Not The Fall That Kills You
By LZ and Kendell2
Edited by Alex Warlorn.

"I hereby do solemnly and sincerely and truly declare and affirm to the Citizen of Equestria that I will faithfully discharge the duties of a Guardspony. I choose to place myself in harm's way so that those who cannot defend themselves are defended. Though service is a heavy cost, For Equestria, I pay it gladly."
-Equestrian Guard Oath of Duty.

"Shining..."

"I know..."

Cadence was presently glaring daggers at the pictures and notes with such intensity I swore they'd burst into flames. They didn't, but they started smoking.

"Do I HAVE to say it?"

"No."

Without another word, she produced a scroll and wrote a letter to Celestia.

Finally, a return letter came. "'My niece, this is indeed a frightening occurrence. Thankfully, I have also received a letter from Twilight today, so we can be certain she is alright and these intruders have not harmed her. I will keep an eye on Ponyville just to be safe, with Luna's return this will be far easier. However, I do not want to alarm Twilight or provoke these deer to action and thus will keep things quiet for the moment. With that said, this is a clear threat and I recommend Captain Shining Armor to take a team to this meeting, but be cautious, I wish you luck.'"

"Shining, I'm worried..."

"...So am I..."

Audience approached slightly.

"With all due respect, the Princess said she'd keep it quiet, that doesn't mean she's not going to do anything. Twilight Sparkle didn't spot the SAS behind her..."

"Didn't spot a deer walking in the bucking front door either..." I knew Twilight was tough and could take care of herself, but...I couldn't help worrying. She was my sister...the thought of anything happening to her...

"Point is, Sir, we've got guys that can keep this quiet. I think even the SEALS might be activated now... Aaand I'm not meant to know about them, whoops..."

"Audience, your dad is a General, we know you'd know."

I gave a sigh. Audience had a point, as much as I'd like to be next to Twilight and protect her, I'd need to let somepony else deal with it, and trust there are ponies who can. "Well...we need to be ready for a fight regardless. Last time I ran into Makarov, he sent an entire army after me."

Cadence narrowed her eyes. "I'm coming with you."

I saw this coming. "No, Cadence, you're not."

"Article 1954, this is a threat to Equestria, you've seen how powerful Makarov is, and I'm the only Alicorn here."

"One, Makarov is powerful, but not THAT powerful. He couldn't single-hoofedly threaten Equestria," I explained. Even if I knew it might be a lie.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Another lie to Cadence?)

You think I like lying to her? No, I don't! But...I didn't even know what Makarov is, why make her worry about him when I'm trying to keep her out of a combat situation?

"And two, even if he was that dangerous, you're NOT one of the Alicorns listed under Article 1954, Princess Celestia is, and now Princess Luna is. Celestia herself denied putting you on that list until you're older."

"It doesn't mean I don't know how to fight, I've spent most of my life being taught to control my powers and use them right. Even if I'm not a full fledged Alicorn according to some rule book, I've got the strength of an Earth Pony, I can fly, and I can use all three types of magic. I'm still tough enough to help."

"The answer is still no." Even if I had to admit, that was a decent point.

Cadence said flatly, "You're forgetting one tiny detail Captain."

"Yes?"

"I still technically outrank you. And I am ORDERING you to take me with you!"

"Court martial me then! I'm your bodyguard, and I say it is in your best interests not to go!"

"And what if they decide to kill you all!" I could tell she was scared, and I don't blame her.

"And what if Makarov realizes he can take a Princess and Alicorn hostage? I'm every bit as clopped off as you are, but we can't put you at risk here!"

"Then what am I supposed to do?!" she asked, looking like she might cry. "Pardon me if I'm getting involved in this, but you've almost died SEVERAL times, Twilight is in danger! I can't just sit here doing nothing!"

For once the Hoofmaidens didn't seem interested in their joking.

"Uh, Princess," said Audience, floating up a note that'd fallen out of the scroll. "It looks like Princess Celestia has an idea."

Cadence blinked, taking it in her own telekinesis. "'My niece, I know you probably want to watch over the group. Since you embody music, you should be capable of using a songbird as your eyes and ears to stay with them in spirit. I hope this helps you.'"

"...Well...where would I get a songbird?"

"Uh...Princess...Outside..." said Sunset.

"What, I open the window and-"

Sure enough, as Cadence opened the window, a small songbird, apparently a Warbler, flew in and perched on her horn.

"Oh..."

"They follow you... All the time," Sunset stated.

"...How did I never notice that?"

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): And why didn't Celestia ever tell her before?)

My guess, either fear of what a teenaged mare might use them for or her using them to sneak into hoofball games.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Ah, that explains it.)

"...Well...ok...hello.."

The bird whistled happily, it was actually rather beautiful.

"Hmm...I see...You really think so?"

The bird nodded and whistled while I telekinetically pinched myself to ensure I wasn't dreaming.

"Okay, then, this bird will go with you. But we still need a plan. For a start, how can you be able to get down there without the local government noticing you're not around?"

Before anyone could say anything, a messenger burst in.

"Princess, an official from the local government is here to see you."

The Zebra official entered a few moments later... and informed us they'd cancelled tomorrow's engagements after lunch due to urgent parliamentary business. Well, I didn't see that coming.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Wow! That was sure convenient!)

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Please tell me you suspected something.)

Yes. But I wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth...yet.

I blinked, looking around what looked like an endless labyrinth that went in all directions. Bookshelves floated here and there. Staircases went upside down, sideways, and...well, everywhere but rightside up. I was pretty sure I was on the ceiling...and Ms. Smartypants just walked by and waved while saying 'Hi BBBFF!'...I...I honestly don't know what to make of this.

"Hey!" called a cheery voice. I turn to see this weird thing with the body of a brown snake and head of a gray goat, maybe a horse. She had one butterfly kind of wing and the other looked like a swan's while her legs were a black cat's and a duckling's. She had a bear's paw for one arm and a green...warty...thing for her other. Oh and she had a fox tail. I think we have a statue of something like it in the Castle Garden...I was too distracted by a miniature version of me skipping by in a tuxedo with the Princess I'd imagined marrying when I was a colt in a wedding dress to think about it.

Next thing I know she just beans me in the head with something hard without warning.

"Ow! What the buck was that for?!" I asked, holding a hoof to my head for a few moments before picking the projectile that bounced off my skull up in telekinesis as a chibi version of Tirek galloped by being chased by a giant alligator with huge lips.

I blinked, looking at the tiny, pink, plastic toy version of Princess Celestia with it's horn snapped off. And the words 'Made in China' on the bottom of one of her hooves.

"What the...What is this? It makes no sense! Why is it pink?!"

The weird mix and matched thing in front of me giggled, now surrounded by the cast of mom's novel.

"Make sure you remember this! It'll come in handy! Oh, and I loved your mom's novel! Real page turner!"

I blinked, staring at the ceiling. I don't know what was more disorientating; the fact I woke up suddenly staring at my ceiling, the dream itself, or the fact I still had a headache from being nailed in the head during a dream. Basically there was only one thing on my mind at that moment.

"What the buck?!"

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): At least you finally had a dream that wasn't a memory.)

Yeah, I guess...wait a second...why do most of my dreams tend to be like memories or something to do with the wolf or Makarov anyway? I can't remember having many just...dreams...

The hardest part in the next day was trying to pretend nothing was wrong while we were doing the morning diplomacy. Sure, the government minister conveniently clearing a space in the schedule meant we'd have time - but how could we not be suspicious that things went so perfectly? Plus I was a little paranoid about what that business was, doubly so when Gag reported the local radio had began skipping news broadcasts. Passing foreign embassies, the large numbers of guards out at the gates did not bode well...

The Air Navy were preparing equipment for everypony - green barding, and they'd be contributing troopers. Shepard had decided that she'd rather load a Corvette with as much as we could and send it out to carry us close. Commander Solo had been quick to volunteer the Falcon. Officially, it was planning to travel back to near the border to get in range of one of our airships that had 'broken down'. I was dismayed to learn that wasn't entirely a cover story...

"What do you mean, our best combat light ships are back in Zebrinia?"

"The new airships we picked up in Columbia were unarmed. We left them at a Columbian base to get them prepared to carry live weapons just in case, and even then we actually have to disarm them when we're back home," Hornblower explained.

"So Ace and The Lord Flashheart are both back there?"

"Yes."

Brilliant. Our best pilots and the only airships we had really designed to fight other airborne threats like helicopters properly, and they weren't available. Hadn't even been properly armed all this time and when they would be, technically it was Griffin rockets on loan.

Sometimes I curse how our pacifism means it can take months after we get a tool before we can use it properly - Once, an artillerypony moaned to me he'd been a fresh Private when they got the first deliveries of a new cannon, and he was a Sergeant before the MoD approved them to actually be fired as anything other than party cannons!

Of course I guess part of the blame falls on General Makarov for suddenly deciding to pull horseapples like this out of bucking nowhere! And given how things seem to like going his way, I wouldn't be surprised if half these delays are his doing! Or maybe the universe just hates me.

And admittedly, a large portion of my foul mood probably had to do with the fact my baby sister was in trouble and these bucking delays were keeping me from helping her. I love Equestria, I understand we're in peacetime and thus our standing military is prepared to protect Equestria if a crisis emerges, not go to war, but with Twiley in danger, a minute's delay was too long!

"So, what happens then, we drop off near the meeting place, Falcon keeps flying..."

"It'll come back in comms range of your troops four hours after you set off, and be able to come in to provide any backup soon after. Her movements are expected so we can barely even deviate from course to launch you any closer than thirty miles."

And by comms, it couldn't be pony-to-pony two way radio, it had to be horse code pulses sent magically - the radios just didn't have the range. In short, for four hours we'd be on our own.

Still, a Corvette could carry a lot of troopers and gear, and even as the smallest warships in the fleet, they were still warships. We couldn't take everypony: Foaley's section was mostly left behind to guard the civilians since they'd been on our last trip, but we'd also left Sweetwater, Party, and Dancer from One-Three behind, swapping them for Ramirez, Mactavish, and Ranger.

The Air Navy was sending Master Chief Spartan with his hoof-picked best (which was a relief, considering he was one of the best fighters I knew). On top of all the light artillery, shuttles, and patrol craft we'd borrow we should have been able to hold off a small army if we had to... and I had a feeling we would.

"Look, Commander Shepard wants me to assure you, the P-10 might be mostly armed to fight with broadside firing, but it can still fight helicopters. And it can perform a pylon turn to concentrate fire on a single ground target area..."

"What?"

"Circlestrafing," He explained it in terms I'd understand.

I had a brief vision of a hapless tripod being blasted by an airship spinning around it...with Makarov piloting said tripod... I grinned.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Wow! That's...dark...)

Yeah, but as far as I knew, Makarov had threatened my little sister. To me, he'd crossed a line...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): And he hadn't already?)

Before, I'd just wanted to stop him because it was my duty to protect ponies from monsters like him. Now he'd made it personal.

Cadence's little bird got some looks perched on my head until Skip Jive (The Royal Pet Tender who finally had an actual Royal Pet to Tend) prepared a saddlebag with a small nest for it. But we were on the way, and since no wolf had shown up to erase me, clearly he was doing his job of keeping Cadence watching over me. Sure, now I had another thing to watch over, but I'd rather protect him than deal with the Wolf.

If I was honest, the thing that really hit home that for the... first time... I was deliberately heading into a situation where combat was expected was seeing everypony in green barding. Dark-green plates, plumeless chamfrons with horn covers, and half-length chainmail caparisons over green fatigues... A few of the troopers seemed to keep staring at their own armor when they weren't occupied.

It also made it a little tricky to recognise ponies at times. I was used to these faces in golden chamfrons that lacked horn covers, not the green universal combat helmets.

Thunderchild, Reinolds, and the other NCOs were busying with radio checks. Our mini-fleet of light airships was ready to go, pilots doing pre-flight checks on the three T-5 Transports and pair of P-10 Patrol Craft.

"All troopers, we are nearing the launch zone. Five minutes." An Air Navy officer announced with a megaphone.

"Sir, radio checks are all fine. We're good to go," Reinolds announced.

"Thanks, Sergeant. Troopers! Mine and Air Navy Cavalry, listen up!" I shouted to get their attention.

The officer wandered over to offer me the megaphone. I took it rather than shout over the noise of the hangar. They formed a loose group around me, nearly fifty troopers total.

"You all know what's been happening, why we're all dressed like this and going out there. You know what we might be able to expect out there. But I know some of you will be worried. I know you might be scared. And I just want to say before we set off, nopony would blame you if you wanted to stay here. I understand, the Princess would understand. There's no shame. This is the last chance to unvolunteer if you want it..."

There was some silence, until Ramirez stepped forward. And the most mute of the two ponies we most knew for being quiet said this:

"...With respect, Sir, I don't think any of us are going to take that option. We're all with you."

The sight of the entire group swiftly forming into lines and saluting made me proud to be the commanding officer of the finest Equestrian Guards around.

"For Equestria," A trooper near the front I didn't quite recognise shouted.

"For Equestria," the rest echoed.

"...Thank you. All of you. Let's do this." Then I whispered, "For Twiley."

Despite that confidence boost, my stomach had never lurched before quite like it did when we began to take off...

The formation held low during our flight. A screen of Pegasi flew as outriders, Ranger our main early-warning with his ranging and detection skills outperforming any radio-detection even the larger airships carried. For all the merits of something anypony could use, fact was, in this case a skilled pegasus was worth a hundred radio-detection arrays, and would be for generations to come.

"All units, have visual on landing. Scouts move in, confirm area is clear. Sixty seconds to touchdown..." Pilot Officer Washburn announced.

It was clear. We landed, our pegasi staying up above as the airships went down to conserve their fuel. We spared a contingent to guard them, but the majority of us, including all my troopers, moved out. Pegasi and Griffins flew above us, some high to scan, some low to conceal themselves better from any enemy scans. And of course, most of our artillery guns were actually mounted on pegasus carriages, having been carried by the P-10s as their extra armaments.

Songo Valley, five miles south of the village of Seigis. We were six miles south.

"Overwatch, Misfit Actual. What can you see ahead of us?"

"...Sir, there's at least six deer. They're in a clearing. Not hiding at all... and one of them seems to be really... odd. Like a spring of mana, like a Princess or Queen Tiamat or something..."

"...Makarov," I hissed.

The trooper to my right gave me a glance for a second, but said nothing.

"Alright, Overwatch, keep me posted. Misfit Actual out."

Every hoofstep closer and closer, I felt more adrenaline pumping into my veins. My nostrils were probably flaring... but everypony else around me was doing the same thing. We were not pleased.

It was strange though, the forest seemed calmer around us, like it expected us...I didn't know if I should be relieved or not. It was like the tree themselves were parting for us when we weren't looking.

"Alright, everypony, spread out. Watch for movement, cover your flanks. We can surround them here," I instructed.

Everypony fell into step, the green shapes swiftly and quietly moving around. Soon, we saw the clearing...

...And standing there were six deer.

Makarov was not among them. So where was he waiting? Was he invisible now? Was he disguised as one of them?

"...Hold positions. Don't do anything until I give an order," I reminded everypony.

I began to near the edge of the trees, heading towards them, when one of the deer looked right at me. She then spoke. She was a good twenty-thirty meters away but her voice didn't sound raised for me to hear. And it reminded me of Princess Celestia, of Cadence, in the way it simply seemed to hold both authority, and yet peaceful compassion...

"Good evening, Captain Sparkle. Thank you for coming. I must apologize for how we brought yourself and the Princess out here..."

A gasp behind me? I was focused on this strange deer.

She was... Well, she was rather big for a female deer (she had small stubs instead of antlers). The Moose beside her only just seemed bigger, and they were the Deer version of Earth Ponies...And yet it still felt like she was the bigger of the two.

...It then struck me how odd it was to see these deer. Two roes of the Noble or Leader caste. Only one Red Deer of the Fire or Soldier caste. The others, a Moose, a Musk deer, and the large doe... I didn't know, but they all seemed to treat her with the reverence we gave Princess Celestia. There was also a dog (a normal Roedinian Laika, not a Diamond), but it sat beside the female Roe.

"Who are you?" I said, eyes focused on her.

She seemed completely unfazed. The other deer gave looks at the forest edge, but otherwise, barely reacted. I noticed flowers and vines were growing around her hooves.

"Well, little pony, I'm not Makarov. It may be difficult to explain and keep your belief. Once I was a caretaker and a steward, and a friend and mother to all. But my own herd, I have been unable to save them from themselves. I am a caretaker and steward to all else. At this moment in time, on this line, I am a Mother whose fawns are in pain, who have lost their way and I am in need of a friend to help ease the suffering of my sons and daughters to guide them home. But maybe The Princess of Harmony can tell you better than I can..."

"Princess Cadenza is not here. I am, and I request that you identify yourself properly."

"...Why, of course she is. The 14th, Concept of Temperance, surely you see me for what I am?"

"Stop with this nonsense..." I began, but to my shock, the stallion beside me replied.

"...You're... You're the Mother of All Deer."

I turned to look at what I'd thought was just a trooper I couldn't recognise as they removed their helmet and spread wings that had been hidden under the jacket that'd given them the extra bulk.

"Cadence?! What the... How..."

"...I'm sorry, but I couldn't just let you... let everypony... I had to come to be sure everyone would be all right! And the songbird suggested I do this..."

I glared back at said Songbird, who whistled innocently.

"Don't be angry at her, Captain. She is only doing what comes naturally to those like us. We are always mindful of our subjects, our herd... It is almost too much at times to bear but one of them suffering and yet, we must persevere even as millions cry out in anguish. As Concept of Bonds, she knows this more than many."

"I'm not... angry, I..."

I felt guilty that she was here. Guilty that I was glad she was protecting me, when my job was to protect her, not let her sneak along with us into a potential battle!

"...I'm just... a little disappointed..." I eventually muttered, trying not to look at her, but knowing she was probably feeling guilty herself all the same.

"I'm sorry..." She mumbled.

"Well, you are... close friends. I'm sure this won't harm your friendship."

"Did you send those pictures of Twilight?" I said, trying to keep focused. At this point, I remembered a name from one of my dreams; Mother Deer...Was this the deer I'd been talking about? The one that was...supposed to be celebrated by the Deer? Was she related to Father Deer?

"I did, Captain," A male Roe with a stern expression said.

He had a thick Roedinian accent, but I'd seen him... I swore I'd seen him before...

"My name is Dimitiri Makayovsky... Dima to my friends... I hope that despite all that has passed you can call me Dima, Captain."

"Oh, introductions. Dima, First Lieutenant Shining Armor Sparkle. Sparks, Second Lieutenant...."

"I personally led the excursion to Equestria and my team took the photographs. I can only apologize for the implied threat to your sister and for the invasion of her privacy, but I am afraid it is far from the worst thing I have been forced to do in the name of a greater good... If it helps, this time, it is for the true Greater Good, not the perverted lie spun by Solomon and his ilk..."

"...Solomon? You mean Makarov?"

Dima shook his head.

"Makarov is a name given as an honor. Solomon is not worthy of any honor, even his given name is barely fit for what he truly is."

I could tell he saw I and Cadence still looked rather upset. "Relax, we never had any intention of harming your sister," he stated, giving a serious look. "In fact, we actually didn't bring any weapons with us."

I blinked. "What?"

"Ponyville is in the middle of Equestria, it would have been difficult to smuggle weapons into it. And besides, unlike Solomon...we still have to play be the rules. We merely had to make it seem we did not. We needed any who may know of us to believe we were Solomon's men," he continued. "Mother Deer orders us to even recite mentally a version of events that sounds such, just in case the protection she gives us fails and Solomon worms his way into our minds enough to hear. If he gets in one of our ears, he hears only what he wants to hear. You have seen Solomon's power, have you not? Is this not a sensible precaution?

"Truth be told, Ponyville was rather refreshing, it was pleasant to see the firefly lanterns, actually, no pollution. Local apple farmers even offered to let us stay with them when we mentioned not having somewhere. There was that crazy pink pony who we kept running into. She finally said 'we really should stay out of sight until our debut episode,' though she was nice enough to give us some aid completing the mission so we didn't have to risk bending the rules further than necessary...As crazy as things are, that was confusing, and somewhat disturbing...But nonetheless, it is a safe little town, Captain, your sister is quite safe. The idea was to make you and everyone else believe she wasn't."

"But the letter said you met me in Columbia... Your group..."

"...Reznov?" Cadence realized before me.

"Correct. Viktor is... One of my most dedicated allies and friends. Like many who stand with me now, they only came to me through realisation of betrayals, but they have all become more loyal than I possibly deserve after my failings," Mother Deer said, looking almost wistfully to the sky.

"...I have been away from my people for many years. Much like Princess Luna, 18th, the Concept of The Moon... But unlike Luna as a concept I cannot grow, for my herd cannot look to the skies and know I am there. They must feel it in the ground, in the soil, and thanks to the Hooviets and those like them before them, that soil is stained with the blood of my daughters and sons. My voice is there, but they cannot hear it, for my voice drowns in the cries of the blood."

She sounded strong still, and yet... vulnerable. Pained. Even though she was loud, clear, and authoritative in her speech, she still for all the world also sounded like Cadence had moments ago saying sorry...I couldn't help imagining Celestia on those nights where she'd look up at the moon...

"And yet, the tragic truth is, more blood must yet be spilled to stop those cries now. Solomon will not tolerate efforts at peace, and thus we are forced for brother to stand against brother, sister to face sister..." The female Roe deer said. Mother Deer looked saddened, kind of like Celestia did the day we left.

"So you stand against Makarov and the Hooviets," I sought clarification. I hoped they didn't mean my blood, especially since this had so far not been as expected...

"Indeed. At this place, at this time, Makarov and the Hooviets should not be here. Yet at this place, at this time, they are here. But this time, so are we..." Mother Deer said.

She looked me in the eye.

"Captain... Princess... I know I have no right to ask it, but I wish to ask for your help. For your aid, and for your friendship. In the name of Harmony and the true Greater Good of all life, will you stand with me, at this place, at this time?"

"...Who do we stand with other than Mother Deer and... Dima?" I asked. I wanted to know what I was getting my soldiers, and my Princess, into.

I noticed that simple word made that stern-looking male Roe look like a foal who'd just earned his cutie mark for a split second.

"...This is Natasha Volkova," Dima began, pointing at the female.

"Nikolai Romanov," the Red Deer, "Kamarov," the Musk Deer, "And Zangief," The Moose.

I looked them all over once more. Natascha gave her fellow Roe a quick glare.

"My cousin forgets Chitzkoi," She said, reaching down to pat the dog, who happily barked.

"It was I forgot him or you complained about the rifle again..."

"Sasha is used to your ignorance."

"...You named a gun?" Cadence blurted.

"Um... mah family names trees..." Somepony noted.

"They truly appreciate it, Ellis," Mother Deer smiled.

Ellis seemed to look nervously around at the trees.

"Don't worry, they also appreciate your family making sure nothing goes to waste."

I decided not to mention Gunnery Sergeant Sledgehammer's battery of four medium cannons... Vera, Sweetness, Charlene, and his own personal gun he crewed, Gun. Artilleryponies were weird.

"Now we are all acquainted..."

I didn't mention I had thirty or so ponies, zebras, and griffins to introduce, but of course she knew their names already...

"...and yes, I do know the names of your ponies, zebras, and griffins, Captain..."

...See?

"...I must tell you why I seek your aid. We have received word from our agents within the Empire that tonight, Makarov is moving upon the village. For many weeks Hooviets and their mercenaries have been roaming the Zebrafrican plains, using unnatural magics to manipulate leylines, causing surges... snatching items across the voids of time and space. We had erstwhile allies helping us with the cause, but alas, they were not able to stay with us forever..."

"Marauder Shields? Was he your ally?" The name came to me. My lookalike...was he in on this?

"...He was, though, I must admit, he and those with him... they had their own goals. They are no threat. They face an enemy unknown to us, and they know we are no enemy. Do not worry about... Marauder Shields, Shining Armor," Dima spoke.

"Alright, now how about the mare going around pretending to be my sister?"

Shields' sister. Same applies to her as to him. She is no threat to Twilight, Captain, you have my word."

"...She better not be..."

"I swear on my own life, Captain. Shields is many things, but he will not hurt Twilight nor does he intend to."

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Out of curiosity, what would you have done if you had ever met those two face to face?)

Probably buck them in the face...I trust Dima, but I'm always going to protect Twiley.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Just making sure.)

"Er, Mother Deer, please continue..." Cadence cut us both off.

The Deer Goddess simply smiled... Wow, I only just realized how crazy it seems to have been there...My weirdness magnetism must've been in overdrive.

"Thank you, Cadence. Yes, I am afraid the village contains some ponies and zebra who witnessed Makarov performing the acts. He seeks to move in, perform one last meddling with nature, and then kill those witnesses if they are lucky. For the few unicorns there... something worse..."

I shivered, recalling the threat he'd issued those months ago in a Liberty City train graveyard.

"I may be the Mother of All Deer, but I care for all life, as a Spirit of Nature. For thousands of years I have shown compassion to ponies lost in my lands, from a little Earth Pony filly being chased by coyotes, to an explorer about to fall from a cliff. And today, I desire to save the some of the Alicorns' children from my own.

"I have others who stand with me, but I fear that tonight my forces are not enough. Tonight and beyond this night I fear we are low on time. Makarov has finished his probing, his playing with the forces of nature. And I fear this means his plans, his plans hidden by his unnatural nature, are close to their conclusion. If we can stop him this night, we may buy enough time. Stopping him here will throw off the chain of disruptions and force him to backtrack..."

Again, her tone remained commanding... but now I was reminded of either Princess Celestia when she was ticked off... or more likely, my mother when she was very annoyed.

"Sir, it's about two hours before sunset, maybe less," reported Audience. "If the attack is supposed to happen tonight...it should already be on it's way there...whatever we're going to do, we might want to decide quickly." Despite his always present professionalism, I could pick up the urgency and concern in his voice.

"...Shining, I think we should help them. If... If that's okay..." Cadence said.

"Cadence, technically YOU command ME, remember?...Well, I'm okay with it, and I assume the troopers are too."

I looked back at the various Guards, it was hard to make out who was who with all that barding, but all of them seemed confused, and I can't blame them, given the circumstances. But they all seemed perfectly willing to help this nature goddess and her guerilla group against the most powerful . . . thing in the Hooviet Empire, which meant the Hooviets themselves. After all, we were ponies, helping others is in our nature.

Mother Deer gave a smile almost as warm as the sun.

"This is wonderful news. Thank you for this. At this place and at this time it is wonderful to know that you stand with me. Do either of you have any further questions?"

Cadence shifted nervously.

"W-well, it's maybe a little odd but... Father Deer.... Is he your estranged husband?"

For the first time, Mother Deer sighed.

"...He doesn't even exist. He's a propaganda tool they created to fill my place in history and in my fawns' culture and beliefs as well as cement their control. A single figure for my fawns to obey rather than a vague and ever changing party of powerbrokers who rise and fall like the sun. An unseen and unquestionable authority figure for whom questioning means death...though it is almost a pity, they really did make him sound handsome enough..."

What surprised us all, was how LITTLE that actually surprised us. None of us questioned her. None of us even talked about it. It was just so, so logical. Makarov, he said he was the most powerful Hooviet next to 'Father Deer himself' and at the hospital I was told that Makarov was playing his superiors, plural, for fools, why hadn't I added it up together before?!

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Maybe because of the big nasty wolf nearby, dear?)

Yeah.

Ten minutes or so after that, Mother Deer and her group led us to a dirt path that supposedly led to the village (which our backup had been informed was the new rendezvous location). A number of large metal boxes were parked up here, with a few more Deer mingling around.

It was a rather eclectic bunch of self-powered carts. I recognised a few as older Hooviet designs, like a few models of Bronetransporters...

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): ...Did you say brony transporters?)

...It's Roedinian, means "Armoured Transporter". It's a sort of troop carrier. Anyway, they had the four-wheeled and six-wheeled versions I recognized, and a couple of larger eight-wheeled ones that despite looking newer, also looked like they had been repaired. All in all, about eight vehicles, enough for a couple of platoons.

"Most of our mechanized equipment is surplus from anti-Hooviet forces in this area. Except our eight-wheelers. They're both wrecks we managed to repair..."

"What powers them?" Cadence wondered, a note of apprehension on her voice.

"They actually run on sunlight or moonlight, technically... Well, it's something you may find interesting at least. The power source is actually a type of fungus that can act as something of a battery. Light pipes on top of the engine let sunlight and moonlight in and with the aid of Deer, Zebra, or Earth Pony magic, the fungus gives more than enough power to run the vehicles," Mother Deer said, sounding proud.

"Far more efficient and simpler to maintain than any kind of battery that exists, and they don't belch out toxic fumes like the original dragonwine engines. Even more efficient for holding a charge than the barbaric power supply Solomon uses... Our fungus can hold charges for a whole day, recharge in less than ten hours, and needs nothing more than water, light, and care."

I was struck by two things. The sort of symbiosis present - they cared for the fungus and the fungus gave them a useful result back. And, of course, it was indeed technically a mushroom that recharged batteries. Well, it was the battery.

"Sadly, it's not much use for airships or helicopters. Not only does the fungus not produce the kind of power needed for higher speeds without very large and hard to maintain amounts, but it also needs to be close to the ground or have some connection to it, otherwise it enters a state of hibernation," Natasha noted.

"Well, that does make some sense I guess, it's earth-based magic," I noted.

"It works perfectly for nice, normal, ocean-going boats but some fool decided those silly flying machines were more useful... Oh well, someday maybe we'll go back onto the seas," Mother Deer then cut in.

"Er, Sir, where should we all go?" Thunderchild wondered.

I looked over the transporters. I assumed they were all full.

"...Maybe we should go on the roofs if we can't fly?"

"There's plenty of space inside our convoy, Captain, we only have about a platoon-sized force - but I'd appreciate if your flyers gave us a little air-cover," Dima told me.

"Oh. What he said. Princess, can you go in... Which one has the most armor?"

"The eight-wheelers," The one called Nikolai replied.

"...You're in that one with me, then, Shining," Cadence said firmly.

A small chirp reminded me of something.

"...Er, was there a point to him coming anymore, by the way?" I asked.

Mother Deer answered, to my surprise.

"He could perhaps scout ahead and report back to Cadence. The village lies behind a hill, and the leylines nearby may disrupt long distance scans. Not even the mercenaries are likely to shoot a random small bird. And to get there via this road, we must go over a ford in the river. Most of our vehicles cannot traverse the water that would give us a direct route and the bridge is out."

The warbler, now perched out on my back, gave a salute with a wing and flapped off for an, er, birds-eye assessment of what lay ahead.

"...Cadence, what's it like looking through a bird?"

Cadence gave a confused look. "It's...hard to describe..."

"Try me."

"Just imagine having a second set of eyes and ears several miles away."

"...Sounds confusing."

"...Strangely, not actually...Not sure why."

"...Being an Alicorn is strange..."

"You're just now coming to that conclusion? You should know what it's like when people sing around me.

"By the way, are these machines comfortable?" She changed subjects.

"The short answer is, 'no', the correct answer is 'bone-shakingly no'," Dima replied.

"In fairness rear axels were blown up. Now made of wood reinforced by magic," A moose sticking her head out of an eight-wheeler reported.

Thankfully, unlike an airship the noise of the motors driving the wheels wasn't added to by roar of thrust fans or air passing by, so inside was quiet enough at least. And at least the power sources were quieter thanks to running on fungi powered motors rather than magic rocks that could make a surprisingly loud thrumming noise at times....

However, the ride was rather bumpy. Now clear of the trees, the convoy didn't have to stick to the slightly more level roads and was happy to take shortcuts.

Cadence told us the warbler was looking over the village now, and it all seemed fine.

"What kind of weapons did you bring, Captain?" the Red Deer, Nikolai, asked.

"Just crossbows and spriling pellet guns. Some of the Air Navy troopers have blunderbuss shotguns. You?"

"We mainly have Mosey-Neighgant Slingshot rifles, much like your spriling weapons. Some of us have Dragonoff Airguns, very powerful weapons. They're even stronger than the rounds fired from Solomon's little machine-guns..."

I had to ask, to be sure.

"...Do you have any of Ma... Solomon's guns?"

"We avoid his more barbaric weapons and take care of them with the respect they deserve, but a few of our troopers have some his machine guns, and many of the vehicles are armed with bigger versions. But ammunition is scarce. We generally issue it to good shots and keep them on semi-auto... and I would rather not use anything he designed if I can help it. "

"So, is Sasha a Dragonoff?" Cadence wondered, asking the Roe sniperess.

"Nyet. Sasha is custom-built. She fires fourteen millimeter heavy machine gun rounds as fired by the gun of this eight-wheel transporter. I can shoot the head off a pin from almost a mile away with her."

She showed us one of the bullets. It was huge, about the size of my horn including the rear casing.

"My weapon, though..." He produced what looked like a rather large silver horncannon held in his telekinesis. And it strangely seemed to have a lion motif to it.

"...I thought you didn't have many of Makarov's type of weapons..."

"Actually, this is one of mine...in a way," said Mother Deer, looking somewhat unnerved. "It was a gift from another goddess to me, but I never had use of it... Like you ponies I prefer pacifism over war. But it is connected to me, it belongs to a champion of nature, so I can see why she gave it to me."

"Ok...Weird...But kind of cool!"

"Yes, it is, isn't it?"

Natasha scoffed. "Sasha is still more impressive."

Cadence's eye rolled watching us chat about weapons. "Aww, you three are so cute together."

That earned her a few death glares.

We then hit a bump in the track, making everything in the transport jolt up. Cadence gave a gasp, which at first I thought was surprise at the jolt, until she spoke.

"The village... There are helicopters bombing it!"

"...Oleg, take us and the other eight-wheeler left, we need to cross the river now!" Mother Deer commanded.

"Wait, I thought these things couldn't go over the river?" I asked.

"Most of our vehicles cannot. These two can. And these two carry the only weapons that we can reliably take down helicopters with..."

Cutting over the river, we wound up there in less than two minutes. Cadence reported her bird could see us, and the deer in the turret reported he saw flames and smoke. The main convoy had sped up - our pegasi had split in two to follow us over but hid behind the hill for the moment.

"Full speed, to the village. Start shooting as soon as you're in range, scare them off or bring them down!" Dima commanded.

"Captain... maybe you could give us some shields?" Nikolai wondered.

I nodded, having pondered the idea.

"Shouldn't be a problem... Wait, Alleyne is in the other eight-wheeler, she does combat spells, she could try firing on them as well?"

"I could try a few blasts too, Sir. I'm not all that good with concussive blasts but every little helps," Audience offered.

And so, the Hooviet or Mercenary helicopters got a nasty shock when seemingly from nowhere, two purple shields around a couple of their own vehicles sped towards the village spitting hails of bullets at them, apparently the monster-rounds that Sasha spat out. Alongside that, a pair of unicorn horns blasting some magic.

It seemed to work. The three helicopters, the Hound-types we'd seen back in Columbia (Somehow replacing Makarov's super-tripod...) were now more interested in us. They moved to meet us, firing back with rockets and bullets: These ones lacked Tesla Coils it seemed, but unfortunately had more rockets. My shields stopped them all the same as they swooped over, and began to circle around for another round.

"They're moving too evasively when they run over us, we didn't manage to hit them at all I don't think. I can hear their radios on mine, they're well-organised... telling each other directions in code it seems. Circle around, we'll face them head on again, I can try figure out what they're saying," Dima commanded.

Cadence offered to try adding her horn to the firepower, but....

"The helicopters are in the SKY, Princess!" Nikolai snapped.

"It's pretty hard to aim when I'm not sure where I'm really looking, I've got the warbler's eyes over there and me over here! This is my first time using one like this!"

"Don't you have any other attacks that don't need aiming?"

"...Actually, yes."

Cadence cleared her throat and began to sing. No lyrics, just kind of opera like singing. The helicopters seemed to disorientated, like they didn't know what to expect from each other.

"It looks like she's jamming their radios...Did not know she could do that," Dima reported.

"Neither did I! And I've known her since we were teens!"

This time they were less co-ordinated, and even though they did try and move evasively, their cautious moves unable to communicate with each other allowed our wall of fire to be concentrated on one in the middle. It began to spin out of control, belly-flopping into the dirt ahead of us.

Audience stun-blasted the two pilots trying to get out.

"They were the only two aboard, maybe we can send medics to them later," He reported.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): What about the helicopter exploding?)

That's not as likely in real life as it is in movies. Helicopters can explode, but their fuel tanks are built tough. If there'd be a rupture, it would've ignited relatively quickly. There was no smoke or other signs of fire, so we weren't too worried about an explosion.

The other helicopters were not sticking around. They turned tail and fled. Cadence stopped singing.

"Where's the rest of the convoy right now?" I wondered.

"They're at the crossing, they'll be here in five minutes."

We were by now at the edge of the village, and... it didn't look good. Now we could see it up close, and hear it too. They'd hit what looked like the chief's house, the town hall... it was a blazing pyre in the middle of the town.

It wasn't a big village, maybe about three hundred meters at the widest. The main road led through the middle of the town, the bulk of houses to the north and east, and mostly scattered farmhouses amongst small fields and irrigation canals to the south and east, fed from a larger ditch that led up from the river lying south, near where we'd crossed. The chiefs hall had been at the north of the space in the middle, the marketplace. The main road had actually branched around it to form another mini-plaza.

It had probably been a nice, peaceful little place. Most of the houses were straw-roofed mudhuts clustered together close, forming narrow alleys. Apart from the burning hall the other big buildings were a school just south of it (it had been hit a couple of times) and a couple windmills and grain silos on the west side (also having suffered a few pot shots). It reminded me a lot of small Equestrian villages.

"Auntie help us..." Cadence whispered. Most of us followed suit.

We saw villagers wounded or dead scattered all around. Some of the few that had tried to come out to help their neighbours and family fled at the sight of us as we stopped, but others had saw the battle. And they seemed very, very surprised to see us. A unicorn villager bowed upon seeing Cadence. The Zebra all bowed on seeing Mother Deer...

"Please, don't bow. We're here to help..."

Gag swooped down, starting to try translate. Garnet had already run over to a wounded Zebra. Our other pegasi, including the artillery haulers, were now arriving and setting up.

(Interviewer's Notes: (Earth Pony): Uh, wasn't the battle already over?)

This is Makarov we're talking about, and I made sure my Guards didn't take chances.

"Okay, everyone, we need to try and get the injured into cover. The Hooviets will be back. When the convoy arrives we send someone over to the helicopter we brought down and restrain those pilots," I instructed.

"Good thinking.Captain, I understand your pegasi can provide airborne magic-ranging?" Dima asked.

"Yes. Overwatch, are you in orbit above?"

"Roger that, Sir. Helicopters are still running away..."

"Thunderchild, take a couple of other pegasi apart from Gag up to give him some support when we can. Maybe get some rain clouds together from the irrigation canals, put out the flames. Try to get as big a thunderbank of lighting clouds set up as you can."

"Yes, Sir... Um, what do we do about these civilians? They're scared and Gag's having trouble getting them to listen I think," He said back.

"He's right, they have fear. Only logical when town bombed... bombing from sky not enjoyable..." Zangeif noted.

"Wait. I think I can help calm them..." Cadence offered, and began to sing again.

Soon enough, the villagers were calming down a little. Even some of the whimpering wounded seemed to brighten up. The convoy rolled in shortly after, and in the chaotic calm of all that, we found the village chief.

"The central hall was our shelter. They struck there first, knowing we'd have nowhere else to hide," Gag translated for him.

I looked around. They did seem to have spent a lot of time on the hall, thankfully. Still, they'd hit some houses and fired on anything out in the open they could. Mother Deer and those of us with any medical ability (Including Kamarov - though Musk Deer were messengers and merchants, they also had magic more in line with Zebras in that they could master potions) were tending the wounded, but the Deer Goddess seemed to be also be giving help of another kind. Those beyond saving or already gone, she... offered them her blessings. Let them know they'd have safe passage to the next life...Mentioned someone named 'the Father', I wasn't sure who that was...

It had been fifteen minutes since the helicopters had fled. Yet it felt like it was an eternity from even talking in the back of the vehicles on the way here...

Half an hour had passed since our arrival, and the shuttles had moved to hide behind the hill, concealed both from our sight and the sight of the enemy. We'd put the flames out. The civilians were helping out where they could, or, if injured, we were trying to treat them. Others were being mourned for. Chitzkoi and scan spells confirmed no one was trapped in any wreckage any more, we'd managed to pull everyone out, even the dead. All in, fourteen villagers had died, and thirty had been injured, five critically. Garnet said she was unsure we could even risk moving one as far as a vehicle, he was in such bad shape, so she was trying to stabilize him. A few Air Navy unicorns and a Moose medic were helping her out.

The Princess, Mother Deer, and our respective command squads stood in the circle we'd formed with our vehicles in the central market square. Mother Deer and Kamarov tended to the wounded here, and her other medics looked after the two other critical civilians.

"How do we get all these villagers to safety?" Cadence wondered.

There were almost three hundred of them. Our shuttles and the transports our Deer allies brought weren't enough to carry all of them let alone us as well. Sending the convoy away with just some civilians and the Hooviets would massacre them. Not to mention we'd lose a lot of our heavy ordnance and protection.

"Princess, help is on the way. We ourselves have an airship, but we kept it far from here to avoid suspicion. It will arrive in two hours..."

"...Falcon should be heading back about the same time. So we just need to hold out to then, and we can evacuate everyone at once?" I realised.

"Hopefully. I'm concerned, though. We scared off the helicopters a while ago. Solomon shouldn't have been waiting this long," Nikolai noted.

Dima had mostly been listening in on radio frequencies. It seemed a strange, very small, radio he carried could pick up almost any transmissions in a ten-kilometre area... an immense range for one small radio. They usually needed line of sight and only had about a kilometer or so range most times, especially in areas with lots of interference. Like leyline crossing points.

"Maybe he's waiting to the sun falls completely?" Cadence said.

I looked over to the sun, it'd be dark soon. That was a distinct possibility.

"...Wait, ssh!" Dima then hissed, and his eyes widened. He fiddled with his radio, and the volume became loud enough for us to hear.

"Listen...

"Baikal, Baikal! This is Star. Commence artillery mission on grid reference G7. I repeat: artillery mission on grid reference G7. Three volleys, all eight guns. Do you copy? Over."

"What..." Cadence wondered, not understanding the Roedinian. The looks on everypony's faces I think clued her in.

"Oh buck," Gag cursed.

"Star, Star! This is Baikal. I read you. I confirm target coordinates. Firing now."

As the distant voice finished, my radio sprang to life, Ranger warning us he saw flashes about five miles away.

"INCOMING!" Dima shouted.

I barely even thought about it. I just threw as big and as strong a shield as I could around everything. The whole village, protected, just as the shells began to slam home. I didn't care how much mana I was pumping out, all I could think about was my team, Cadence, and innocent civilians would all be blown to bits if I didn't do something!

It felt the force of a dozen of the Tripod death-rays. The pegasi, high above us and safe without my help, were frantically radioing down as the explosions rippled all around the barrier.

It was odd, but since the shells were faster than sound and aimed right at us, it all seemed to go in reverse. We heard the explosions hitting near us, then the shells whistling (though the loud noises of the shells had somewhat made that sound a little harder to hear), and finally the rumble of the distant guns hit our ears.

"Sir, there's another set of flashes, a second volley!""

"I... I'm expecting three, Overwatch..." I replied, wondering if I could hold. One had been tough...

The second slammed home after ten more seconds. By now the civilians were panicked again, and Cadence was a little too shaken herself for the moment to muster up any singing voice.

But... I held. As the third flash was reported I realized, I didn't even feel the mana pumping out. There was no headache. There wasn't any feeling of a drain. Just the adrenaline rush from knowing everyone was depending on me for their protection. The third volley was... We didn't even hear the explosions.

For a second there was silence. No more flashes. The panic had subsided a little, Cadence was now gently humming nervously, probably not even aware she was doing it.

Then came cheering as I dropped the shield, not even feeling tired any more

"Sir, that was brilliant!" Somepony yelled.

"An impressive display, Captain," Mother Deer complemented. I couldn't help but grin.

"...Wow. Just... Wow. I had no idea you could do that, Shining..." Cadence said.

"I guess we're even, I had no idea I could do it either..."

"Um, hate to be the bearer of bad news, everyone, but..."

Dima's radio was speaking again.

"Baikal, Baikal, this is Star. Shelling ineffective, enemy position appears protected... shielding... Advise further volleys."

"Star, this is Baikal. We do not have much ammunition at this time..."

Low on ammo? I breathed a sigh of relief... too soon.

"...Only enough for two hundred rounds more total."

...TWO HUNDRED?! How much was a LOT of ammo?!

"Baikal, silence! You will fire all remaining rounds immediately, independent fire at will! Katyusha launchers, it is time for you to play! Your rockets are no longer to be spared downing the rebel ship... annihilate that village and those infernal rebels!"

"...Makarov," I hissed.

"Solomon..." Dima hissed with me.

I threw up the shield even before the flashes were reported, two rocket launchers now joining in. I was not happy... That son of a nag was nearby, and shelling this village... and apparently not aware we Equestrians were here. I should have been glad about that, I guess...

They bounced off. The pegasi above kept in touch, still safe even as the hails of rockets began screaming in (I was worried if the explosions might throw shrapnel, but thankfully it didn't seem to go high enough)... but to us, they were silent. I was blocking even the noise from reaching our ears.

"...A few little party cannons, that's all," Somepony sneered.

I wasn't quite so confident, truthfully. Sure, I was surprising myself with how strong I was making this shield, but the rocket launchers alone had unleashed a volley of explosives in ten seconds that seemed as powerful as a dozen volleys from the guns combined and that was coming down all at once. It could probably have levelled a quarter of Canterlot Castle - or this entire village, judging by how wide an area the rockets were raining down on my shield.

The rockets stopped long before the shells, but apparently had time to reload for a second volley. Eventually, the shells stopped too. Out of all ammo... Almost a full five minutes of sustained fire. Almost a hundred rockets, nearly two hundred shells... all in all just short of ten tons of explosives.

"This is absurd! How can... That wretched weakling false idol of the rebels cannot do this, none of her whelps and blind fools have this power... This! Is! An! OUTRAGE!"

Admittedly, hearing Makarov throw a tantrum was almost worth all this trouble.

"You've annoyed Solomon... Again. Did I mention I like that quality in you, Captain?" Dima smirked as the radio just descended into incomprehensible ranting.

"That makes two of us. You should see how he reacts to Classic Equestrian Wit."

"Level the village.. I gave an order! Who are they to dare not die as I command! They will pay... In their blood they will pay!"

But then his anger seemed to stop, as if a tap had been turned.

"...Oh. Oh, I see... I see what this is... I see who is there, now... Only one being... One pony would have the gall to insult me like this... All units, this is the Supreme Marshal! Mercenary or my own forces, bring me the head of Shining Armor Sparkle and you will be rewarded! Bring him alive, you will be rewarded greatly! Move in, with full force! He will be weakened, and our assault shall collapse his shield eventually!"

"It is my understanding the preferred pony term, though not used by us as it is also the term for the male of my species, is 'oh buck'," Mother Deer noted.

"Oh buck with onions," Cadence agreed.

"Sir, this is Overwatch. We've got... looks like about ten vehicles approaching from the north. Ground vehicles, plus hoof cavalry and some winged. Looks like it might take them twenty minutes, half an hour to get here. Sir, it looks like they have at least two actual tanks with them."

"...Okay. Everypony, we've got incoming. Civilians, Princess, can we all move into a central position, so I can fall my shield in a little?"

"Sir, this is... Misfit Actual-Six to Misfit Actual, I still haven't stabilised my patient."

"...Garnet's on the north end of town, Sir. She's right in their path..." Gag said, sounding immediately worried.

"Then we move the civilians as close to there as we can. The bulk of us defend around the main point, but they'll also be trying to circle around. If we could throw the air power at them, we should be able to slow them down. Just a couple strafing runs," Dima noted.

"No, if they send more helicopters, we might need the element of surprise for the patrol craft to be effective. Our pegasi can harass them with the clouds, maybe."

I tried to think of other options. Problem was, we'd come expecting a battle, but not having to protect or tend to wounded civilians. What medics we had were already spread thin.

"Wait. Could one of the pegasi give me and Chitzkoi a lift? Drop me in front, I'll snipe, and fall back towards here. I can slow them down," Natasha offered.

"Perhaps... Gag, you're the only pegasus on the ground here not crewing a gun. Can you carry her and the dog out?"

"Yeah... But, uh, why the dog?"

"He is my spotter, and he watches my back. Is there a problem?"

"Well... I'm more a cat pony, really, but... I guess dogs are cool."

"Good. We can go out, I'll start sniping."

"Wait. It's getting dark... We're not going to be able to see that well soon unless we have night-vision spells," Cadence noted.

"Neither will they... So we just need to shoot the lights," Audience noted.

"Um... I have some bad news about that," Kamarov said.

From his saddlebag he'd been pulling his medical potions from, came a strange contraption, like a pair of goggles...

"Please don't tell me those are night-vision goggles."

"They are. And the vehicles all have thermal imaging systems. They'll be fighting like it's daytime. Only a few of ours have the goggles, and the spells the Princess mentioned... they won't work on Deer, nor can all your unicorns possibly cast them on themselves and all your troopers."

"...This could be tricky. We need them slow, and I'm worried about those tanks. But... What if we could slow them down then draw them into a trap. Misfit Actual to Misfit-Actual-Six, how long might you need to stabilise?"

"...Twenty minutes minimum."

"Alright, thanks...."

"Perhaps I should go. We need to have this poor soul moved as fast as we can... " Mother Deer offered.

"Yes, please, your... er..."

"Milady will do, Captain."

I was sure the pegasi and Natasha could give us some time, and if Mother Deer gave Garnet a hoof, we should be able to get the civilian pulled back. And so I had a plan...

"Ellis, I think I have an idea to help us get rid of those tanks. Does this sound possible..."

Author's Note

Image by Kendell2 http://kendell2.deviantart.com/

episode 126 (Shining Armor): ouY slliK tahT llaF ehT toN-Not The Fall That Kills You Part 1

episode 127 (Shining Armor): ouY slliK tahT llaF ehT toN-Not The Fall That Kills You Part 2

Pony POV Series
Shining Armor Arc
Chapter 15 Part 2
ouY slliK tahT llaF ehT toN-Not The Fall That Kills You
By LZ and Kendell2
Edited by Alex Warlorn and Louis.

We could hear the rumble of engines a mile off. We had positioned guns and snipers along the north approach. My shield still covered the village, but Natasha and Chitzkoi had bolted through our lines a few moments before. Our Pegasi had hurled bolts down at the enemy, but the return fire prevented them getting too close, so I withdrew them, buying us a minute at most.

"I killed at least twelve of them, forced the vehicles to button up and the troops to go slow. The good news is I also hit a fair few periscopes on the vehicles, and I think I got a few of their night-vision scopes too," She reported.

A few of my troopers were unnerved. I didn't blame them. A few of them were probably Black Thistle, but I couldn't expect the untrained ones to not bat an eye at hearing someone casually discuss sniper kills. I was honestly a bit unnerved myself, but Natasha was either a former Hooviet who'd realized her government had lied to her for her entire life or a rebel who'd spent her entire life fighting. Really, I was more sorry for her than afraid of her.

"Good work, Natasha. Stay on the north with Oleg's snipers, we need them to think we don't want them coming that way..." Dima noted.

"Woof!"

"...And please stop letting Chitzkoi answer your radio," he sighed as I almost jumped out of my skin.

"We've got most of the obvious guns perched there too... Ready to be pulled back to the central redoubt... If they get close we'll need to. They'll get through my shield easier and we need to abandon that area or lose it all," I recovered.

"Ah hope the plan works, Sir," Ellis noted.

The Deer had also brought a few cavalry anti-armor rocket launchers (which Zangief seemed quite fond of). Someone had to explain to Cadence that for us, RPG didn't stand for role-playing game, while Natasha indicated that the tanks were Rhinos, Draco-Hooviet war-era monstrosities toting two cannons each, updated with more modern engines and possibly improved weapons. Some dragons came to respect how tough they were back then, so they would be a tall order even for the anti-armor rockets to overcome. We were thankful at least they weren't Mammoth Tanks.

Some dragons had learned to fear the tanks' predecessors; the Behemoth-Class Land Cruisers. They'd been one thousand metric ton mobile fortresses armed with four massive eight-inch cannons as their main weapon, plus whole batteries of smaller guns. True, all the examples were lost in the war or scrapped soon after it... but when they debuted, they were a terror. They'd dismissed ground troops as a serious threat by that point, and the Land Cruiser had been brand-new, originally intended just to fight enemy airships and forts, but quickly re-armed (very quickly - the whole fleet of twelve had been re-armed by the third day of the war) to fight dragons better. Until the younger dragons had learned out where to aim to take them out, Bahamut had had to step in to destroy the first three (like Tiamat, he'd spent much of the war out of the fighting, but was more active than his bride).

The main problem with the Behemoths had been they were exellent against dragons...but not so good against anything else. They were heavily armed and armored, but painfully slow, which is why ironically younger dragons had been the ones to take out most of them instead of the slower but stronger older dragons. Since their guns were designed to hit slower moving, gigantic dragons, they weren't even able to hit their own helicopters reliably let alone agile pegasi or griffins...However, after the war, the Hooviets had gone back to the drawing board and created the Mammoths.

Where the Behemoths had been quickly re-fitted specifically to fight Dragons, the Mammoths were specifically designed to fight everything, including dragons, with a lot more time put into designing them. And boy, had the Hooviets made sure the world knew it, proudly noting they had a Mammoth for every eight Rhinos - In other words, twelve hundred Mammoths instead of just twelve Behemoths. I think the world knows more about the Mammoth than most actual Hooviets do, and feared them for it. And I for one never want to have to fight a Mammoth...EVER.

"Gunnery crews, you have permission to fire when enemy are in range," I stated.

"My rocket teams will wait until they're close. An RPG is only good against the side, the rear, the tracks, or very well aimed at the front," Dima warned.

Cadence was singing to try keep morale up, though I could tell she was nervous herself. She sang amazingly, though, not skipping a note, keeping perfect harmony... Not such a big shock, I guess, all things considered.

"Overwatch to ground, we've got enemy wings heading up here..." Ranger reported.

"...Give them all the thunder you have left, then dive down here when you're out or they start shooting close to you," I ordered.

Above us, the bolts began arcing down, keeping enemy fliers dodging. The enemy would probably not risk firing up, and if they did, my guys would retreat... and my guns would have their own visuals for range. That's one advantage of making a large thunderbank like this, the attackers couldn't easily trace the bolts back to the one that fired them since the entire bank was the weapon.

To my horror though, one rocket roared into the air... and kept going... Even though there were Hooviet-friendly fliers up there too...

"Air units, dive, there's an anti-air rocket going up!"

My troops didn't need to be told twice. Any faster, they'd have caused a Sonic Rainboom, but there was one not coming yet...

"Thunderchild! Get down here now, you fool, you can't..."

"Sir, please trust me, I know what I'm doing..."

One last bolt ripped out... and arced right into the flare of the ascending rocket. In a flash it detonated, spilling the hail of blazing white phosphorus I'd expected, the mercenaries now lit up by the falling flames as they tried to dodge. It seemed they mostly got out of the way without any lethal injury, having been far below where the medusa rocket had been detonated. Better still, I thought, they apparently they'd missed all our troopers retreating, or the lightning had blinded them slightly, because as they regrouped they kept flying up. And that's when I realized...

"The mercs were in the way..."

The mercs had been WAITING for my men to come down. If Thunderchild hadn't set off that lightning, my troopers would have been stuck between running into the mercs and being hit with the missile...

That was the good news. The bad? The mercs wound up flying into the thunderbank...

...And then directed it right back at us. Horseapples.

Luckily, I had trained with Thunderchild. Even with my shield stretched, even though I was starting to feel the strain a little again, the remaining lightning was barely anything as poorly directed as it was by the mercenaries. My Sergeant's talents made his hit home with enough power to burst Makarov's dome, after all... And they evidently didn't have any weather specialists up there. In fact, I'm pretty sure a few of them didn't even have basic skills at it and ended up electrocuting themselves. Mercenaries came in two types; skilled professional soldiers, and the desperate ones who couldn't find any other work. The former were preferred, but I'm assuming Makarov's habit of killing off witnesses made it hard to find any of the former to work for him.

A loud set of roars came from the north. Our guns had fired... and a mushroom of fire was kicked up beyond the shield.

"I think we got that anti-air weapon there, Sir. We aimed at the base of the smoke..."

"...Good shot," I replied, feeling a bit dismayed all the same. More Equestrians had been forced to take enemy lives at my orders.

"But there are certainly more to come." Mother Deer whispered next to me, "You can't stop these attackers and tanks with stun spells...In nature, sometimes, little pony, you had to kill. It is natural ponies seek not to kill. You're not hunters. My deer are supposed to be similar. But in defence of your herd, even you can be pushed to it, to scare off a threat."

The enemy decided to try and return fire. Shells aimed too high slammed off the top of my shield dome, and to my surprise I felt them almost break it...

"...Dima, what sort of shells can we expect from those tanks?"

"...Spring shedding, I should have realized. They'll be loaded with Bastic-tipped rounds...."

"Bastic? What's that?" A trooper wondered.

"Bastium is a magic metal that absorbs sunlight... then releases all the energy if it hits something. It's known from the war to able to punch through mature dragon skin, or seriously weaken shield magic with enough shots..."

I'd been right to worry about the tanks.

There was another exchange of shots, but the punishing hits from the tanks were getting to be too much. Direct blows felt like a hammer pounding at the base of my horn....

"A-All units, all units, fall back to secondary positions... " I radioed out.

"Captain, the enemy tanks are both heading this way..." Audience reported. That route was the widest avenue in the village.

"...Alright. We need to focus on them..." I claimed.

Of course... some of the Deer were not falling back. Some of them were hiding...

The retreat soon concluded, the eastern lines then telling that they may have seen something trying to circle around. It may have been they hoped the shield would be cracked by the tanks, and then they'd roll in on either side...

"The tanks are... Sir, they're coming right down the main road!"

"Roger that, I... GHAA!"

The tanks had fired... my shield was down...

...I winked at Audience, standing right beside me. My outer shield was down. I'd left a weaker one in place when everyone retreated.

"Sir?! Sir!"

"The Captain... He's hurt bad, that shield overloaded, we need a medic..."

Two other actors played their part. Makarov had to be hearing our comms himself.

Dima smirked.

"...Solomon sounds happy. He's ordering everyone to charge without delay."

"Wonder how annoyed this is gonna make him?" I mused.

"Tanks moving down the street... They're right... on the trap," A deer gleefully said, first acting fearful... then sounding a little too malicious for my liking.

With a dull crump, the lead tank was shocked to find the ground below it give way, and it fall in. The Moose and Earth Ponies, with the help of some Zebra, had dug a pit of sorts below the main street, loosening up the soil, just big enough to make the tank fall in when the explosion made it collapse. A warning shot ricocheted off the top, letting its crew know they were pinned down. And right behind them, at the entrance to town, another loose pitfall, cutting the second tank off, letting the rocket launchers pop out and fire. There was a fwoosh from the north, the rockets firing...

...To my shock, there was a huge fireball, and the turret of the tank flew up and slammed down just short of where my shields had been retreated to. Other shards of metal pinged off the actual shield.

We Equestrians were gobsmacked. The Deer however almost all cheered, except for Mother Deer, who naturally looked conflicted and dismayed.

Dima chuckled. "On a scale of one to ten, I'd say he will be a...nine..."

I took a few moments to regain my composure. I got it, the tank in the center of town could be captured (and effectively had been), the one outside of town? It's crew could get out and start shooting, or worse, could have turned and started blasting through buildings to get out. But that didn't make it easier to handle seeing this.

"...What about those flank attacks?" I wondered. Now we had no tanks to worry about we could fight them off...

"Sir, this is East Barrier... One of the..." Audience told me

My eyes widened in shock the minute it happened. One of the Hooviet BTRs had roared at full speed down a street, a Commissar sitting out of the top hatch bellowing orders... and crashed into the shield. The one right behind it didn't have time to stop. It slammed into the back of the other one, causing a nasty pile-up. Armored or not, the kind of impact they'd just had was not good for the one that had just become a Squished Bronetransporter Sandwich...

"Um... Yeah, they just crashed."

"And now, Solomon is probably at ten."

With that, they retreated. In the western area, they'd stopped in time and pulled back, the damaged BTR evacuated. Ranger had slipped back up to check where the enemy were, and everything was falling back to regroup. The Thunderbank had been exhausted.

We had rushed out, quickly managing to pull the damaged BTR into our lines, and we even managed to recover the stricken tank. The crew had been tied up... and met their Goddess face to face. The five of them had been untied... and were back in the tank, on our side.

...I'll admit, even though one of our Princesses was the ancient boogiemare we told our kids about so they stayed inside at night until my little sister and my friends converted her back to good...I did not see that coming...

"Hey, know what that reminds me of?" Cadence then said.

"...I think so," I agreed.

"Yep! Wololo! Wololo!"

"...What?"

"Um, Era of Empires, the strategy game? The Priestpony, she converts units to your side... She makes that noise and... You were thinking of something else weren't you..."

"...I was but you've got a point."

Natasha gave a chuckle.

"Surprised? Nothing hurts more than finding out you were a bad guy, or makes you more...how do you say? 'Clopped off' than finding out you're a bad guy because of a lie. They just found out from the mouth of a Goddess the Hooviets say doesn't exist without Makarov's little voice in their heads but we can all feel in our hearts. A lot of us were the same way."

As for the pilots of the helicopter we'd captured, they were mercs, so all seeing Mother Deer did was tell them 'the Hooviets were idiots.' However, Dima seemed to have his own way to speak their language.

"I recommend you join us."

"And why would we do that?"

"Why is Solomon trying to destroy this village?"

"To shut up some witnesses."

"And what are you?"

"...Good point..."

"Shining here saw it first hand how Solomon repays his mercenaries."

"I saw him wipe out an entire pack of Diamond Dogs because some of them worked for him and knew too much. Don't believe me? I've got an entire squad that was there."

The Griffin gulped at that.

"You fight on Solomon's side, he will kill you, you fight on our side, maybe you die, but you still have a chance of living till tomorrow."

And that's how we got a few mercs on our team. Well, that, and Mother Deer telling them where to find a nice mine in the area. Self preservation and a bigger paycheck mean a lot to that sort of mercenary.

All in all, it was refreshing to see some enemies join our side after all the killing.

Ellis and some Moose had actually repaired the BTR in less than half an hour. We'd pinched all the ammo from it, including a few stray guns... the so-called Avtomat Pistolet-Pulemyot Makarova 41/47's. Automatic Machine Pistol of Makarov. The 41/47 seemed to be utterly meaningless as the bullets seemed to be 7.62 millimeters in caliber.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Makarov has a gun named after him?)

Yeah. One that deer have trouble even using due to the recoil (remember what I said happened when Audience tried to shoot a non-auto gun?). And it seemed he'd equipped them all with seventy-five round drum magazines. While admittedly it looked cool and had about twice the capacity of the 'banana' magazines, they kept jamming, changed the center of gravity (quite important when you're using magic to operate it), they took up as much weight as four thirty-round magazines and... Overall, were somewhat awesome but impractical for general issue without extensive training (conscripts got about five minutes)...

Says a lot about Makarov, doesn't it?

As for me, well, I'm afraid I'd just sat and tried to rest a bit. Cadence had heard of a spell to ease a headache, but at Garnet's advice, had refrained from trying anything. She hadn't learned it properly, after all, so it could have just made it worse. Instead I just had some tea. I'd weakened the shield for now so that let me feel the pressure lift too...

"Sir, I've got Helicopters... Looks like nine of the ones from before and two bigger ones...They're regrouped on the ground too. I count nine eight-wheel BTRs but it looks like they're bringing up five other smaller vehicles. No tanks, though... I think they're making a push, they must know they're running out of time. Ten minutes to they arrive, I think," Ranger reported, putting it right back on.

"Thanks for the heads up. Alright, everyone, they're coming again, this time with helicopters," I said into the radios, trying not to curse as I stood back up.

"Why is he putting THIS much effort into destroying this village?" Cadence asked. "It seems like a waste..."

"Because Solomon is petty," Dima answered. I seconded him.

On cue, they came. We'd moved to positions, we'd put the civilians safe and Cadence was singing to boost morale. Mother Deer seemed to be doing something which mostly seemed for the benefit of the deer.

The drone of the helicopter rotors came from the north. Ranger had dropped back down, and we had been told they were going to hit us focused on one spot. The helicopters fired rockets and guns as they neared, probing to try and find our shields' weakpoints...

...but aiming downwards at our ground troops. Cadence's singing had been doing something else: Helping hide the P-10's coming from above from any enemy scans.

Our airships fired rocket torpedoes from maximum ranges, the heavy rockets built to damage full-blown warships roaring down. Our ground weapons opened fire, our operational heavy machine guns reaching out into the skies where the helicopters flew. The tank joined in the machine guns and even the main guns firing off (I heard a bit of deer cussing over the radio at the realization their own tank was now firing at them). Our Unicorns took some pot shots as well, all in all making the sky a very unpleasant place for the horde of helicopters. The nine hounds seemed to be giving cover to the larger ones.

One of them lost all power and spun into the ground. Another set off a torpedo with the rotors, causing that helicopter to spiral out of control and slam into a tree in a ball of flame, but they just kept coming, firing all they had at the shields - and some of them now carried tesla coils, arcing lightning out almost as powerful as Thunderchild could make it. I groaned with all the firepower hitting my shield, feeling like it was right down my horn, but... Cadence, not breaking her singing, placed a hoof on my back. It was reassuring...

And then the two slightly bigger helicopters began to hover at the edge of town, dropping ropes from the rear doors.

"...Spetsnaz transport helicopters. The Columbians call them Hips. Solomon must have something special planned," Dima growled.

Deer began to descend, clinging to the ropes with their magic to slow their falls; nearly a whole platoon of Spetsnaz dropping before us. Our guns began to try and sweep down onto the hovering copters but their attendant Hounds moved to absorb the fire. One exploded, but the casualties meant nothing as a barrage of grenades and bullets pounded the shield... including many smoke grenades. At the edges, from within cover, some of our troops fired back out: one unicorn was dismayed to see his stun bolts bounce off the armored deer advancing; and it seemed the bullets and bows weren't really phasing them all that much. Only a couple of the Hooviet Special Forces fell, their advance making use of what cover they could and the smoke obscuring what vision we had.They ran up to the edge, threw little bags down before dashing away, and I braced for another headache.

The satchel charges stung badly. They'd also kicked up so much dust and dirt outside the shield it threw up a massive smokescreen. The P-10s above now couldn't see properly,and didn't dare fire in case they hit my shield.

The dust settled soon enough... and to our confusion, roaring down the main street was an artillery rocket launcher vehicle, with two four-wheel BTRs giving it covering fire: apparently those were used to carry spare rockets for the vehicles. The BTRs were mostly parking at the edge, their troops jumping out and firing rockets, grenades, and guns at us. Conscripts and mercenaries seemed to make up the bulk of the Hooviet force, about half of them non-Deer. The transports fired their big guns too, but I noticed the mercenaries seemed to all be in the middle, where cover was sparse and our firepower could concentrate. It would appear Makarov would rather save money on the paychecks than waste even conscripts.

"I thought the artillery crews were out of ammo?" Dima wondered, a note of worry in his voice.

And then the rocket launcher vehicle fell in the hole... becoming a bridge. Another drove over it a second later, slowing a little. The tank turned, fired... but the powerful anti-dragon rounds just tore through the metal, hitting nothing important, and kept going. Still, that one was going to be a weaker bridge to drive over, maybe... but it could still let them drive over.

The P-10s were now circling and firing on the assembling mass of enemies beyond town, and they just kept hitting my shield with everything even as we shot back. Soon, the P-10s were out of ammo and had to come in to land beside us: we quickly moved some civilians in them, since they were well armored. During this, the Hooviets began to pull back, away from our fire: half their BTRs were ablaze. They seemed to realize they could just hang back and pelt the shield with grenades and wild shots from a distance.

Even the Mercenaries had drawn back, after efforts by a group of zebra mercenaries to try lobbing some kind of potions at my shield went wrong. The potions had clearly meant to be some kind of noxious fumes given they all had their faces covered with masks, and it seemed a couple of Griffins with them had hoped to blow it through the shield. Fat chance. I was holding out that as well, making it all just dissipate at the edges harmlessly.

But there was one last surprise in store. Down the main road, now bridged by the two deliberately-crashed rocket launcher vehicles, a single BTR came, the four-wheeler type. The tank had been firing high explosive at the enemy troops, so the guns were slow to turn and fire again. It was coming full speed... and I knew what it was. Since it had been carrying rockets for the artillery launchers, it couldn't be full of troops, they had to have filled it with explosives. A whole transport...

"Take that BTR out!" I shouted.

The tank gun spun slowly, the BTR seemed to move immensely fast, nearing the first bridge....

And then Dima raised his horncannon at the approaching vehicle and fired. A laser. The red beam shot out the distance in an instant, hitting the BTR, making it explode a good thirty meters from the edge.

As I'd guessed, it was full of explosives, must have been another couple of tons. Even at thirty meters it was still throwing a huge amount of punishment into my shield. Given what was left of the village on that side was levelled, if it had hit head on, we'd all have...

It hurt like my head had been crushed to the size of a walnut. I might have yelled in pain, I'm not sure, but I was seeing black spots and stars, and my efforts to mute the noise of the blast failed. But it had been closer to the Hooviets than they'd planned, so they were probably worse off than me...

...Or so I think. All I was aware of for a bit was the stink of gunpowder and smoke heavy in the air. By the time I could see and hear again, I was aware only of worried looks, Garnet examining me, and the feeling of my shields so weak.

"...-aptain, are you okay? Can you hear me?"

"Y-yeah... What happened?"

"The bomb went off... It's flattened the other side of town. The Hooviets... what's left of them... they pulled back. But you're not doing well..."

I could taste copper and iron...

"...Is something coming out of my nose?"

"Yes, sir, blood. You've got a severe nosebleed, and other symptoms of magic overload..."

"Is he all right?" Cadence asked.

"The Hooviets fell back?"

"Yes."

"...Your gun shoots lasers, Dima?"

"Yes, it does."

"...Can I have one?"

"No. You're a poor enough shot with a crossbow."

"Darn it...Nopony on this side hurt?"

"...No one other than you, Sir," Garnet reminded me.

"The Princess is okay?"

"I'm fine, but..."

"...Then I'm all right," I tried to give a fake laugh... but even that hurt.

"Oh, this is gonna hurt in the morning... Hurts now, actually, ha... ugh..."

...So this is how Gag felt when he told a joke...

"Just rest, Sir, not long 'til we're relieved, we're in contact with the Falcon and Mother Deer's ship is coming too... Where did you say the Svobada was? And am I saying that right..." Thunderchild said.

"The Svoboda is actually twenty minutes away... She is only forty miles out. Your Falcon is seventy, however, she should arrive to provide cover as we finish loading."

"...How'd we get in touch with them at that kind of range?" I wondered.

"Me, I, er.. I was singing and I think I woke up every songbird in the hemisphere. A lot of them went to pass on the message..." Cadence said, almost embarrassed. I didn't bother asking how they'd pass it on...

"...What about that warbler of yours?"

"Cheep!"

"...Oh, hi. Didn't see you there..."

"Shining? Look, I... I want to apologize again, for sneaking along with you... I shouldn't have went behind your back like tha-"

"Princess... It's okay. You already said sorry."

And besides... without her, we'd never have stood a chance. A couple of the Rebels seemed to chuckle at us in a fashion that reminded me a bit too much of the Hoofmaidens.

The airship had arrived. The Svoboda was a little smaller than one of our Corvettes, but it wasn't as heavily armed. It was basically a civilian ship with a small gun deck, suspended from a helium balloon. They had regular engines fitted though so in an emergency it'd stay up without it.

We'd pulled out of the town center to the fields, so the airship had more space to land and let everyone on. The civilians were almost all on board, they'd began loading all the vehicles but the BTRs with the most ammo left and their shiny new tank, Falcon would be here in ten minutes. And maybe then I could get some proper rest, instead of just sitting down in the dirt.

...I was sure Falcon should have arrived by now, though!

"...Dima, we may have a problem," One of the Deer shouted a few minutes later.

"...I heard it too... Check to see if any radios are working..."

"What's wrong?" Cadence wondered.

"It seems our radios are giving off a signal we've heard before... it's a sound that sometimes..."

"We're being jammed now, Dima!"

"...Sometimes comes before we get jammed. They're coming again!"

I tried not to groan as I stood, and put some more power into my shield again.

"Captain, don't overstretch yourself, you..." Garnet began.

"My shield is the only thing stopping them getting in here and starting to kill us," I snapped a little too harshly.

"...Yes, Sir. But... Be careful with your magic, Sir."

However, instead of vehicles nearing, there was a flash of light in the middle of the town, outside my shield. We saw four black shapes. With a pair of borrowed night vision goggles (I was spreading my magic thin as is) I recognized them as like the black being I'd seen with Makarov back in Columbia the night we first ran into him.

"...Those are unnatural creations," Mother Deer hissed on seeing them.

They made a clanking, whirring noise as they neared.

"What the heck are they?" Thunderchild wondered.

Chitzkoi growled at them, standing by his mistress, who was raising her rifle. Natasha took a shot at one. Sparks flew from the head she hit, but it seemed unfazed. A few other bursts of fire did nothing at first, and then the creatures began to charge at immense speed.

"They're creations of Solomon... He took Earth Ponies and... he claims to have enhanced them... but in truth, he merged them with twisted technology. The ponies were used to enhance the machine that he built," Dima said, aiming his horncannon at one.

"...Cyborgs?!" Gag said. Normally I'd tell him to stop talking science fiction, but given the day we'd had...

"Made from... ponies?" Somepony else said, sounding as revolted as we all were.

Dima did not answer, but instead fired another red beam... and we saw clearly, each of the shapes had an energy shield of some kind. And there was a fifth shape behind them, tall with a unicorn horn... and wings.

"...An alicorn?! But that..." Cadence half-shouted, until we realized...

The wings looked mechanical. The eyes glowed red. The whole 'alicorn' seemed to be partly machine in nature. Even the horn was a golden metal, standing out against the dull gray steel body that was built like barding. It was another android.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Uh, the proper term is cybor-)

"Is there nothing he will not pervert the image of for his sick games?" Natasha snarled.

How did Makarov even MAKE these things? Tartarus, if ponies could make prosthetic wings like that, we probably would have for the ponies whose wings had been crippled in a crash! Or for unicorns who'd cracked horns from magic backlash or the like! It...it just wasn't possible, how was...oh yeah, Imagination Demon...and I'm a weirdness magnet...

Zangief took the last rocket launcher on hoof and fired at them, but they effortlessly dodged it and kept going.

The four Earth Ponydroids were now upon us, and slammed into my shield. Their hooves began battering it, slamming down... and then they simply held. They began unleashing Earth Pony seismic magic right into my shield, trying to cause it to tremble and shatter like the soil during an earthquake. The ground shook... but I had to hold firm... if I didn't shield the area, they could just rush onto the ship, or that fake alicorn could unleash whatever Tartarus Makarov had given it.

I felt my nose begin bleeding again, and then one of the Ponydroids burst into flames.

"They're... They're overloading..." Cadence said. I realized she had wrapped a wing around me.

Everypony else had actually been stumbling off their hooves. The only reason I'd only not fallen was because she'd moved to steady me. Moose and Earth Ponies, plus Mother Deer, were helping everyone else get onto the ship where the vibrations weren't a problem: after all, it was floating a few feet off the ground,and as earth-magic users they were able to resist better...

"Captain, Princess, just run onto the ship, we have a shield generator here, it isn't powerful enough to protect much more than the ship, but it should hold them off until the other ship arrives!" Mother Deer yelled.

A second, and a third, of the 'droids were on fire now. The first was sparking, falling apart (I saw what looked like burning fur underneath the armor, and quickly averted my eyes), and the tremors were weakening...

"I can hold it... They're shaking themselves apart... We need to keep that fake Alicorn out..." It hadn't made a move yet. It was waiting for its grunts to do the dirty work.

"Shining... I agree, but... I don't like seeing you hurt yourself like this," Cadence said softly to me.

"...No choice..."

The other two exploded at that, and I wanted to cheer as it seemed to bounce feedback into the last of them, making it burst into flames...

And then it unleashed so much energy as it exploded I fell, and so did my shield. The ground shook so violently we were tossed upwards a few feet, even the Earth Ponies, Moose, and Cadence. I groaned in pain as I hit, heard Cadence issue her own protest as she seemed to stumble on landing... and then I saw the Alicorn-Android charging right at us, horn glowing...

I threw up another shield, just it time. It unleashed a blast...it had been aimed at me and Cadence. Now that I only had two ponies to shield, it was certainly a little easier than a whole ship or the entire town.

The robot slammed into us, screeching in rage, not expecting to meet resistance. It must have been planning to just keep charging. Then, it just stood there, horn glowing and aimed skywards.

"What the hay is it doing?" Cadence wondered.

The answer came, and it wasn't welcome. It had been acting as a beacon.

Makarov teleported in, right in front of us. No, sorry, teleporting would be what a normal pony would to. In this case it was more like a rift in the sky had opened and a red-colored meteor slammed down in a series of large explosions. We all saw him standing there as the dust cleared. And I think the Alicorn Android started playing music befitting of a Con Mane villain.

Natasha, ace sniper she was, instantly made a shot at Makarov's head...which he dodged by simply tilting his head to the side. At that point, I noticed Thunderchild had disappeared again. A couple seconds later, a lightning bolt crashing down directly at Makarov alerted me to his actual position...

Makarov chuckled, and turned his head so the lightning struck his horns before throwing his head in Natasha's direction. Natasha just barely jumped in time to avoid the redirected lightning bolt, blowing up the cover she'd hidden behind.

"Tisk, tisk, did you really expect that to work twice?" Makarov asked casually, pulling a huge, gold plated horncannon from nowhere and aiming it without even looking. Thunderchild thankfully evaded, but the cloud exploded.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): But that's scientifically impossible!)

Tell him that!

Makarov's horns glowed and he proceeded to surround every cloud in sight in a red barrier. Not one single shield, mind you, but DOZENS of small shields! The Pegasi and Griffins who touched them were forced to glide to the ground, their magic shorted out.

"Now that that's out of the way," he stated, finally looking towards us.

"Princess! Captain! What a surprise to see you here!"

"I..."

"I could say the same to you, General-Admiral," Cadence cut me off.

The Cervicorn smirked. He wasn't even bothering with that fake charisma trick of his yet.

"And it would appear that the kitty-kat Princess has grown claws! I find it strange you should be so... defiant at this time. I have won, and I am just waiting to savor the true moment of..."

"We kicked your flank so hard I'm surprised that vomit-stain you call a cutie mark hasn't fallen off!" Cadence shot back. She'd had that glazed over look in her eye for just a moment, but it then shattered into anger.

His eyes narrowed. I noticed the 'vomit-stain' had a few new additions, including a lightning bolt of some kind...

"...And I suppose yours is much better, a worthless rock in the shape of an icon of a meaningless emotion? You aren't even supposed to exist, you know! You're nothing but a meaningless concept, at least the Sun and Moon serve a purpose. Harmony? Peace? What rot! There can only be order, not harmony! Order enforced by fear and power, not foolish notions of peace and love peddled by a winged whore!"

"Hey, watch it..." I tried to say, but Makarov was now back to full smugness.

"Yes, nothing but a worthless little whore... And a powerless one, to boot! But I can give you worth AND power! You can become my concubine..."

"...You haven't even bought me dinner first, you odious little pile of dragon fewmets."

Makarov snarled and seemed to put all his focus on Cadence. "Don't defy me you worthless doll! That's all you are! A doll-"

Cadence shook her head, I think throwing off Makarov's attempt to get in her head. "You think I'm powerless?" she said, looking uncertain for a moment. Then her gaze fell on all the destruction and death surrounding us and she got the most serious look I'd ever seen her have. "...Everyone...Concentrate on each other, on your bonds with each other."

"Princ-"

"On each other! Trust me!"

I sighed and focused. I concentrated on Thunderchild, Garnet, Gag, Ellis, and Audience. And on Cadence to. On how much they meant to me. What they meant to me. We might have been troopers, but...I know this will sound corny, but we're a family. We'd die for one another.

"Like that's going to do anything!" Makarov yelled.

At that point, Cadence began to glow the same color as the gem in her Cutie Mark, seeming to draw a similar colored light from all of us, including the rebels. Yeah, Makarov was wrong for once.

Cadence then rose into the air, her mane and tail becoming translucent energy that seemed to trace invisible lines between everything as it moved. And her eyes were also glowing...look, I'm not a poet, all I know is the Princess I was supposed to be guarding just got a power up from the combined bonds of the entire group and it was badflank.

Makarov didn't seem impressed, in fact he seemed excited by the challenge.

"Ha! You believe this impresses me! I am stronger than the pathetic bonds between these peons!"

Cadence didn't even flinch. "No. You. Are. Not!"

Makarov blinked in confusion. "You might as well just give up! You are no match for me and my cyborg! What are you going to do? Bleed on me? Sing a song?"

Cadence seemed to glare a hole through Makarov. "Maybe I will sing."

I don't know where the musical accompaniment came from (goddess of music after all), but Cadence began to do just that.

"You claim that peace and love are worthless things.
But you shall not harm another here today.
I will not allow evil to have its way!
You will not harm any underneath my wings!"

As she sung, the soundwaves were actually visible. And honestly looked like they freaking hurt when Makarov got hit with them and was sent back a few feet. The Alicorn Android made an attempt to interfere, but Cadence restrained it with a magically generated music staff before it could react.

"Allow me to show you the power harmony does possess.
A heart as black as night cannot see
The strength that now flows through me!
And that is why on this day you shall not know success."

Makarov was ripped off his hooves and sent flying rather hard to the ground. He snarled, got back to his feet, and began charging up that spell he'd blasted me off the roof with, but seemed to have trouble even forming it.

Cadence replied by creating a spell seal in front of her I'd never seen before. It was a rainbow of colors with the seal from the Elements of Harmony at its center, a music staff in place of runes. Makarov's attack seemed to BURN away on contact.

"You who are made from the stolen hearts of beings
Have no right to declare what should not be
In your place a shadow is all I see.
AND YOU WILL NOT HARM ANY UNDER MY WINGS!"

The last verse was accompanied by the tempo picking up, along with the sound waves that beat away at Makarov, Cadence using the Royal Canterlot Voice to boost the final line and give it enough force to dig a respectable trench in the ground with Makarov's face.

To say everyone was in awe was an understatement. There was applause in response as Cadence floated back down to the ground and reverted back to her normal appearance.

"Princess... I'm in awe..."

...But it was about all I could manage. I was pretty tired.

"T-thanks... but I'm not even sure where that really came from...especially that bit where I started singing about 'shadows' and 'stolen hearts?'"

Makarov began to pick himself up, only for one of the Deer to have walked around us. The General-Admiral looked up.

Dima looked back down, horncannon aimed.

"You!"

"Me."

I swear it was blood when Dima fired first fired... it was red. But the fluid that sprayed from Makarov's neck when "his" head came off was now black, like oil, and there were sparks spraying...

"Another robot?!" Cadence gasped.

Dima now aimed his gun at the alicorn, but it let out a horrendous mechanical screech, and with a burst of energy, it activated a shield, casting off Cadence's binds. It was identical to Makarov's death-dome, but it hurled Dima away... and trapped me and Cadence. She cried out as the spell seemed to disrupt whatever power she'd been drawing on, and the fake-Alicorn levelled its horn and charged right at Cadence...

...Not on my watch.

I rammed into the charging beast, rolling head over hooves as I threw it back. Magic wasn't going to work, but this thing seemed to want to try and charge Cadence.

"Cadence, are you okay?!"

"...It feels like all my magic is being drained..." She groaned, as the Cybercorn stood again.

"Hey, focus on me, rustbucket!" I kicked it in the side, throwing it against the wall of the dome.

Now it turned towards me, and spread its wings... very sharp wings.

"...Ah. That could be a problem."

"Captain! My weapon!" Dima shouted at the edge of the dome. He'd dropped his gun and it was in here with us.

I blinked, looking over to see his horncannon laying on the ground from when he'd been thrown away. I picked it up in my mouth. Firing a gun with your mouth is NOT easy...firing it in an energy absorbing dome is pointless. "Not working!"

"Pivot the handle!" he shouted, as Cadence still struggled to try and stand.

I had to duck under the Cybercorn's literal blade-wing swings before doing as he said...and finding the gun turning into a red bladed sword. "It turns into a sword?!"

"Look out!"

I just managed to use the sword to parry a wing-swing that could have given me a very close shave. The creature span and I kicked out at it again, but it swung a wing down and slashed a gash across my rear flank armor. It was a glancing blow that didn't cut me, but it seemed to ignore the armor like it was made of paper.

I tried to swing the blade, fighting the fact my own fatigue had started to remind me it was there, and struggling against the rather unpleasant fact my nose had burst again, so holding the sword was getting a bit harder. The wings came up to parry, but I noticed there seemed to be a line, a connection to the body or something, at the base of the wings. I decided that it was worth a try.

Jumping back, I let the alicorn charge, taking a swing. I ducked under, swung the blade, and with a shower of sparks and oil, took it off. The creature screeched in fury, the removed wing spewing out a strange blue, glowing fluid. It must have been some kind of mana-paste that allowed the metal wing to be moved without any pistons, servos, or muscles.

My victory was short-lived. It span and kicked me in the side, hurling me into Cadence. It was lucky she was presently wearing barding herself, because having a fully-armored stallion bounce off you would be considerably more painful otherwise.

"Gha!"

"S-sorry about that, Cadence..." I apologized as I tried to stand. I'd dropped the sword, and the alicorn... now seemed focused on Cadence, even more dazed since I'd accidentally squashed her.

The horn levelled again, and it began running. I jumped in front of it, ignoring the pain I had pretty much everywhere. I managed to hit the wingless side using the sword with my counter-charge, and it now span around, trying to get its wing around... but I saw the base of the horn seemed to have the same line as the wing, a faint blue glow there.

I rammed it, forcing it to leap back. It levelled the horn at me now, and charged.

Time seemed to slow then. For some reason, in my head... that dream of the broken doll...

...The horn. Maybe the horn could come off.

As it charged I span around, and kicked with every scrap of strength I could muster, hitting the robot's obscene false horn. With a clang and a ping, the horn snapped off, the dome faded, and it fell... the mechanical screams began to distort, and real screams were there as well, the robot thrashing so much that it began cracking and popping. Vents of oil and blood shot out, and I could hear it literally break its own back as it thrashed.

And then it stopped. Practically folded in half... And it let out a sob...It wasn't just some robot like I'd seen it as, it was a pony...

I looked around at the remains of the Earth Pony Borgs and saw the bits of bone and fur remaining. Even with pony biology, it was nigh impossible not to vomit at this sight, but somehow I managed not to.

No... she let out a sob. The pony that Makarov had did this to, was back... and now dying.

"Vaty... Where is Vaty... My sister, where did they take her..."

She wanted her sister...

Mother Deer neared, placing a hoof on the head of the former cyborg, stroking it gently. The robotic eyes flickered on and off... the red glow looking like it was blinking. Dima had picked up his sword again, and was looking down with a strangely blank expression contrasting to Mother Deer's sadness.

"Yablokovodka.... Child, I am sorry. I am so sorry for what has happened to you. I wish I could undo it all and tell you your sister would be safe... but it is beyond my power. But your suffering is at an end. You are free... and a better life awaits on the other side..."

"...Mother... Mother Deer? You are... You are real?"

"Yes, child. I am here. As is your own mother. She and your father are waiting."

"Mother... Father... But the General... He killed them... Where is Vaty?"

"She cannot be with you yet. We will free your twin. You will be reunited. But for now, child... rest..."

The eyes blinked, and there was a small sound, barely audible, but there, as the pony, Yablokovodka, left this world.

"...I..." I began. I felt horrible, not just because of the pain all across my body from the physical and magical exertions... but because for a second or two after the horn had come off I'd felt good... about killing something...

"You did not kill her, Shining. You freed her. Makarov had killed her, trapped her soul in her body and used it as a weapon. According to our spies, he has done this three more times. He searched the empire for ponies that met his needs, powerful ponies. The strongest unicorn, the strongest pegasus, and the strongest earth pony... but the Earth Ponies, were twins, both with even potential and strength. Yablokovodka and Saharnoj Vaty...."

"What did their names mean?" Cadence wondered.

"Apple Vodka and Cotton Candy..." I answered.

I looked at the body before us. A poor mare whose life was stolen from her. Who'd been made into a weapon...it made me sick.

"Somewhat correct. Your translation of Yablokovodka is literal... the nearest Equestrian equivalent would actually be something like Applejack, I believe."

The image of the orange earth pony, Ellis's cousin, Twilight's friend...

...The body before us had green fur visible through the shattered armor. Ellis gave a sigh of relief. That brief moment of horror was gone as soon as it had came.

Then another came. Cadence thought it too.

"...He looked for the strongest ponies in the Empire... If he'd looked beyond the empire, then..."

I think me and Ellis had the same look of horror on our faces at the implication.

"He did not seek only power though. I feel he chose his victims more for their names and the irony connected to them. The unicorn victim he found was a poor soul named Lunabaleta... Moon Ballet literally, but again, the closest Equestrian name would be Moondancer. And his Pegasus was Puzyri, or Bubbles. Once upon a time, many eons ago... four poor souls with the same names were victims of one like him. But they were saved from their transformation. The Shadow of Chernobull...Makarov did not have the mercy to even allow such a possibility. We can only free them."

"Their NAMES?" Cadence gasped in horror as realization hit her, "He chose what ponies to... to, to, make monsters out of based on their NAMES?! Like they were... like they were... like they were dolls."

Mother Deer nodded grimly. "That's all anyone is to Makarov. To him, all things are toys for him to play with...or food for his insatiable hunger."

I snorted hot air out my nose (and probably a bit of blood as well given how many times it had been bleeding all night).

"Well...I'm out of mercy for him," I stated, looking around the village...all the destruction, all the death, all the pain, Tartarus, he'd even put his own troops in harms way again and again, and didn't care. "...I will never forgive him for this."

The rest of my troops and Cadence looked a bit surprised...but gradually seconded my statement with a dead serious nod. The Deer seemed confused at how serious a reaction that garnered. To a deer I admit, it probably sounded strange, but to an Equestrian or Neighponese pony? Forgiveness was a virtue to us, it was something ingrained into our culture. Even if we didn't forget, we valued the ability to forgive. I'd forgiven the tank drivers, as a country we'd forgiven Princess Luna, and I'd forgiven Dima for threatening my little sister. But we would never forgive Makarov for what he'd done that day. And when an Equestrian or Neighponese says that, we mean it.

"Mercy is for the weak." Another mechanical voice sounded out.

"...Solomon. I shouldn't be surprised..." Dima sighed, in the middle of pouring a water bottle onto his sword to clean it up.

"What the... Where is he?!"

"His copy is talking. That robot... I imagine he has a surprise for us..."

"Well, how about no? Kind of done with surprises..." I said, trying not to sound too whiny.

"You get no choice, dog."

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Hey! That's racist to Diamond Dogs!)

I don't think he cares.

"No choice but surrender. I have ordered my final reserves to move into place, and I am watching from afar! Surrender to my Typhoon Attack Ships and my Akula Corvette, or they will destroy you utterly! It would be a shame to spill the blood of such a... powerful and useful pair of potential allies..."

"Surrender?!" Cadence snarled. I noticed she was drawing in some more energy to recharge, probably not a bad idea, I would've done the same thing if my magic ran on Bonds, Harmony, and Music. Lucky Alicorns.

"Yes, Surrender! You can be by my side still, Princess... We can even keep your little toy-doll. After all, I will be busy, you will need something to entertain you when I am away... It is either you surrender, or the ships destroy you as you lie wounded from the explosion that is about to happen..."

I was readying a shield, realising what he was saying the body was about to do, but Cadence got there first.

"Surrender and explode this, you perverted psycho!"

And she simply lifted the smoking Makarov-Copy and hurled it out of the village. It slammed down, almost half a mile away.

A few seconds of silence until Dima spoke.

"...I kind of expected it to..."

Then it exploded. Honestly I'd expected a bigger boom considering how big they'd gotten today...

"There we go. Solomon was never a good comedian, no sense of timing."

"Is there some sort of military book of quips? The Art of One-Liners?" Cadence sighed.

"The Snark of War, actually..." I managed to offer. "Someone named 'Sunny Days' wrote it."

"Ok...what about that mana surge thing?"

"He needed his cyborg Alicorn to create it, with her...defeated, he can't perform it," Kamarov said, looking over the corpse and producing the device in question. "And besides, he's out of time to complete his chain of disruptions."

"Of course, he was probably bluffing about the ships, I mean, surely we'd have detected them..." Cadence said. She seemed to be getting tired, guess what she just did was a bit much for a young Alicorn. She also seemed a bit more shaken than I expected...

"...Er, no one's been scanning for the past half hour, Princess. But I'll try speak to the bridge of the ship and... Shit!, we're still being jammed, of course! They've been jamming the radio detection too..."

Cadence blinked.

"Falcon is being jammed as well. The songbirds there say it's close though, and... Uh oh. Those hooviet ships are..."

She glanced north. The moonlight shone down, and across the sky, four shapes. About ten miles off...

"...Very close."

"Mother Deer! Please board the ship, we see ships approaching from both sides!" A deer running towards us screamed.

"Both sides?!"

I looked into the sky behind us, pulling on the borrowed night vision goggles... and I saw three more looming shapes coming from the south. Smaller shapes in front of them...

"Wait... Shining, those shapes, look!"

"...That's not possible though."

Two of the smaller shapes were almost upon us, and tore overhead. Up this close, I could see them clearly.

Small, boxy little things, with protruding wings. Smaller than most light airships. SF-1 Ordnance Carriers. Ace and The Lord Flashheart.

They drew closer to the enemy ships still bearing down on us, closing the distance in under thirty seconds, and began firing from a mile away. Hails of rockets zoomed out, aiming at the largest ship, and with a blossom of flame, our radios then gave a dull buzz, and sprang back to life.

"Sorry we're late, Princess, Captain, but Falcon met some friends on the way here..." Ace said.

The Hooviet ships had halted in disarray now, the jamming gone. The smaller ones, still many times larger than even our patrol craft, were buzzing to try and chase down the two SF-1 Orcas, two P-10s swept in. The ones we'd brought had been around the other side of the ship, waiting to go back onto Falcon.

Now the four Equestrian light airships were concentrating on one small ship at a time, the Typhoons. They would cause a few hits, evade return fire, and then keep harassing. But the Akula was launching two helicopters while our Airships had been distracted by one Typhoon deploying the emergency balloon and starting to drift down to earth.

The SF-1s moved to engage... and showed just how effective they were against the less nimble Hooviet aircraft by blowing the rotors off one, making it simply fall back onto the deck of the Akula. The other of the two helicopters soon found out the hard way another reason their type of aircraft was considered dangerous to use as several bolts of lightning from our Cavalry struck their metal tail rotors. The result was said helicopters spinning out of control when those tail-rotors became damaged.

"Permission to take-off is denied, chaps!" The Lord Flashheart taunted.

The support Hooviet Cavalry quickly discovered low quality mercenaries generally were no match for trained Pegasus and Griffin troopers in a dogfight. The few that even had tried to emerge from the four Hooviet ships soon found themselves being hit from all sides by Equestrians, their own airships too slow to properly engage our troopers.

A couple of the mercenaries made a go at us while the fights were going on. Deer couldn't fly, but they could certainly jump. Which Nikolai quickly did once they got close enough, leaping up and tackling one of the Griffins out of the air, knocking their gun clear. Said Griffin pulled out some daggers. Nikolai gave a smirk and produced his swords in his telekinesis. What followed next was a bit too hard for my eye to follow, but there was a flurry of blades (Nikolai also making use of his antlers) ending with the Griffin's daggers in a blade lock and knocked out cold with a headbutt.

One of the other mercs made it through our fire, but Zangief managed to smash his gun away with his antlers. The merc responded by punching Zangief in the face. Said Griffin apparently did not know that Moose had incredibly tough skulls with thick skin covering it. While he was busy cradling his now broken claw, Zangief didn't even flinch, in fact he just looked puzzled...and then sent his attacker flying a good 10 feet into the side of the ship with his antlers.

I hadn't believed it seeing the three shapes. We'd expected Falcon.

But we had not expected Invincible and Dreadnought to be there too. Floating five hundred meters above Svoboda, Commander Shepard's ship turned a broadside towards the Hooviets.

I never thought I'd say it, but thank the Princesses I attract improbable situations!

"Unknown hostile airships, this is Commander Shepard of the Equestrian Royal Guard Air Navy. You are conducting acts of violence and piracy against peaceful innocents. Under the terms of international law and the rights of self-defence, I am authorized to use any force required to halt your criminal acts. You have thirty seconds to turn your ships around."

The Hooviets, regrouping from their failed efforts to defend against the now-retreating Light Airships and Air Cavalry, did not seem inclined. If anything, they seemed to want to charge in...

"Ten seconds"

They were now picking up speed again. The two corvettes faced directly towards the enemy, rocket torpedo bays aimed.

"So be it. All ships, fire."

With a tremendous roar, full volleys ripped out. Streaks of rockets and shells flew into the three Hooviet Ships. One Typhoon simply seemed to vanish. The other deployed the balloon, and the Akula just seemed to shudder... but as it began to deploy the balloon, it had also fired six rocket torpedoes forward, aimed at Invincible...

Or so they must have hoped, but the balloon threw their aim off. They fired into the ground, which I suppose at least got rid of some of the trees they were about to land on.

"...I think it's time we all got out of here," I noted.

Author's Note

Soundtrack Recommendations By LZ

The Hooviets Charge
Battleground of the Bear,Tim Wynn, Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3
Helicopter Assault
Retreat and Reville,Lorne Balfe, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Advancing Cyborgs
Sleepers, Awake!, Ben Foster and Murray Gold, Torchwood (BBC Original Television Soundtrack)
Makarov’s Descent
You Know My Name, Chris Cornell, Casino Royale.
Fight with the Cybercorn
Rules of Nature, Jamie Christopherson, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
”Sorry we’re late, Princess”
Dogfight,Jack Wall, Call of Duty Black Ops II

Cover Image By Kendell2

episode 127 (Shining Armor): ouY slliK tahT llaF ehT toN-Not The Fall That Kills You Part 2

episode 128 (Shining Armor): ouY slliK tahT llaF ehT toN-Not The Fall That Kills You Part 3

Pony POV Series
Shining Armor Arc
Chapter 15 Part 3 of 3
ouY slliK tahT llaF ehT toN-Not The Fall That Kills You
By LZ and Kendell2
Edited by Alex Warlorn and Louis.

We went onto the Invincible instead. Shepard and her officers were there to greet us.

"Princess, everypony is aboard, and we're heading out to sea..." Shepard began.

"Wait, what about everypony back at the embassy?!"

"...They're already aboard. We're leaving the country tonight," Bond said.

"What happened? Are we being expelled from the country?" Thunderchild asked.

"...Um, we did kind of just have a big fight..." Cadence muttered, perhaps letting all that had transpired (in short, a lot) sink in. On top of that, I think she was still recovering from that whole supercharge thing she did, so she probably had more to deal with than most of us. I couldn't help thinking she just seemed...afraid. Not of anything that was happening but...of something else...

"Not as such. After you left, that government official returned... he told us the Prime Minister had just lost a vote of no-confidence, and his newly appointed successor then passed a resolution condemning the actions of 'terrorists and bandits' in the countryside and declaring a state of war. As a result, they were asking all non-essential foreign diplomats to leave... including us."

"...That was all democratic, legal, and keeps us safe, right?" I asked.

"Yes," Bond nodded.

"And everypony is back on the ships safely, all our stuff as well?"

"Everything is all back in the cabins where they belong but the civilians are waiting on Enterprise for us to meet back up with them.."

"And we haven't started a war with the Hooviets and neither have the Nambutuans?"

"Nope. They weren't legally identified as Hooviets, after all. Complex matter, but in short... Afraid we can't complain either. Makarov wasn't here, neither were we. And Makarov can't try to spin this back on us either, since he's already on thin ice internationally."

"Well, good to know the Columbians don't get an excuse to start a fight..." I noted.

"And the mission was an overall success. On top of that, we stopped Makarov from setting off the last mana surge, got most of the villagers to safety, and according to Mother Deer, destroyed one of his four cyborg alicorns," Audience interjected.

"Fake cyborg Alicorns...Or is that cyborg fake alicorns?" asked Gag.

"I think the latter, since they're actually cyborgs but not really Alicorns," Thunderchild replied.

"...And freed a poor pony from a fate worse than death," I added.

We took a moment of silence for the poor girl.

"...Elephant in the living room, sir, but may Ah ask what's stoppin' Makarov from makin' more of those fake cyborg-"

"Cyborg fake Alicorns."

"Fine, what's stoppin' him from making more cyborg fake Alicorns?"

"Probably the same thing that stopped him from making more than four in the first place," Bond replied.

In my opinion, that would be Makarov's gigantic ego wanting to give himself 'elite' bodyguards.

"Captain Sparkle, can I ask you come with me? There's someone coming over from the other ship we've met who wishes speak with you..."

"Commander, he should really be heading for the sickbay, he overloaded on magic tonight," Garnet cut in.

"...Look, I'm..."

"Sickbay. Now. Your visitor can go meet you there, then you can get some rest, Shining! Lance-Corporal Gag, Private Chambers, make sure the Captain gets there safely," Cadence ordered.

"...Yes, Princess," I conceded. Garnet and Gag then began escorting me away. I was grateful I was so tired I could hardly stay standing...

I looked around the infirmary, which was thankfully empty of patients, in spite of the gigantic battle we'd just had...

"... MakE nO mistakE, I wilL finD yoU"

I snapped up, looking around the room.

".YoU shalL bE blankeD ouT .ExistencE shalL bE restoreD tO itS propeR statE"

Where was Cadence?! She sent me here! She had to know I'm here!

".I wilL finD yoU .entropY musT bE opposeD"

"C-Cadence knows I'm here! You can't get me!"

".NonE escapE thE wolF"

I jolted awake, panting.

"You alright sir?" asked Gag, looking down at me.

I was on a cot in the infirmary. It was just a dream...thank Celestia...

"Y-yeah...just drifted off...hard day..."

Garnet nodded. "I'm surprised you have any mana left, let alone that you're still conscious."

Nodding, I took a look around again. No Wolf...just the doctor on his way in, and an Air Naval Cavalrypony on the way out...

...I thought for a second something had been odd about him, like I'd seen him before or something was wrong with his barding but it must have just been fatigue on my part.

The ship's doctor wasn't somepony I'd actually met yet. The last time I'd needed a medic, the SAS supplied Watsun (nurses had given out the shots). I was actually a little surprised to discover this doctor was a Donkey, a fairly old one at that. But somehow he looked like he knew his stuff.

"Hello, Doctor Ulshade. The Captain's got a bit of magic overload, as well a few bruises...."

"...He didn't get kicked there again did he?"

"Uh, no, everywhere but there," I tried.

I don't want to know the excuse the cover up in Columbia gave for that one.

"No, Doctor, but our main concern is the mana-damage from the overloads. His nose has been bleeding quite a bit, though it's not bled for all that long so far, just off and on..."

Garnet began her medical-speak.

"...Gag? Can you translate?" I whispered.

"Sorry, Captain, it's like technobabble or unicorn magic speeches. I understand the words, just don't comprehend."

"Ah..."

"...Trying to learn though."

"Of course you are..." I nodded.

As I was being examined by the very enthusiastic donkey, though a different kind of enthusiasm from Minuette back in Columbia , a group of Air Naval Cavalry entered. Behind them, Mother Deer and Dima.

"Hello again," I said, not waving. I was having trouble keeping awake, honestly.

"Hello. May I ask everyone but the Captain and Dima to leave?"

"It's all right," I told the ponies and one donkey present.

When the coast was clear, Mother Deer spoke.

"Captain... We wanted to speak with you tonight for another reason but time to speak these words never really came amongst all the chaos. I'd hoped we would have more time before Makarov attacked... But he often dashes the hopes of Gods."

"His very existence seems to be proof of that," Dima noted.

"What is it you want to talk about?" I asked.

"You did a great service to both Equestria and the Roedina this evening, so I first want to thank you for that. But I also need to tell you... None of this should have happened."

"I... kind of know that. Makarov shouldn't be here, shouldn't be allowed to run rampant... But how is it I'm the only one who can stop him according to Reznov?"

"Viktor never had a chance to tell you, did he?" Dima noted.

"No, the.. Someone interrupted..."

"The Wolf. As Reznov told you, our name for it is the Stalker. Unfortunately, merely being associated with the Mother of All Deer means that... for our paradoxical existences, we have no scent to it."

I blinked, surprised he'd been so casual.

"Paradoxical..."

"Many of us should be dead, Captain. Only the Mother saved us from death. Solomon once gave me orders, told me I was an important part of his plans... but he wanted me dead, as an excuse to launch a war. I was warned, I evaded my death... by faking it."

"But the problem is, that was not Dima's death or true fate. Makarov has changed things."

"...What exactly is Makarov? Reznov said a lot of things, but...he never really got to explain in detail. Just that Makarov is some kind of imagination demon set loose from Pandora's Box, but that's still pretty vague."

Mother Deer sighed. "Demon isn't quite the correct term, but it is fitting enough. Makarov...the Shadow of Chernobull, was an experiment. Pandora is the Concept of Imagination, in the same way Cadenza is the Concept of Harmony and Music. So naturally, Pandora has innumerable ideas. As with any experiment...hers can go wrong. The Shadow was an attempt by her to create what amounted to a being of pure imagination, something that was her own, a being of stories that could function outside of fiction without losing its fantastic traits. A story in the mortal world...It went wrong.

"When she tried to let it loose in the Realm of Legends, a world she made as part of her realm where only things of story-telling dwell, it began hijacking the stories, twisting them to focus on IT. It didn't even have a name yet, it simply stole one from the bits and pieces around it. Pandora had no choice but to deem it a failed experiment and put it with all her failed experiments that were too dangerous to simply allow to dwell in her realm peacefully; in her Box."

"The Hooviets Imagination Engine...Even from my own prison, I heard the pain it caused Pandora. It tore into her realm, into her. Imagine being hooked up to a generator that tore away at your very being to make power, and you can imagine the agony it caused Pandora."

I shuddered. Even if I didn't know this Pandora, I felt sorry for her.

"This normally would have ended when the Engine and Chernobull exploded, and Pandora's Box should have remained closed...but there was a surge of some sort. Something changed. I can't be sure what it is, it may have been you, it may have been Cadence, but what's for certain is that this surge combined with this unintentional assault on the Realm of Imagination released the Shadow from its prison, and set it loose upon the world."

"...So now that it's free, it's trying to make this world into its story?"

I felt...something. I can't say sympathy, because by this point, Makarov had gone way past the point I could feel sorry for him. But the idea of something trying to finally have a story after it was denied it for so long...It may have been pity, it might have been fear. I don't know...

"Yes, many entities are that way. The Realm of Oblivion is full of such beings. But the difference is that unlike them, the entity released from Pandora's Box has the power to bend the universe to its whims. At present, Solomon is not powerful enough to influence a full fledged god. That's why Cadenza was capable of defeating him after briefly regaining her full strength. But if his plan succeeds, he will be."

"So Makarov is basically a storybook character who's taken over another story?"

Mother Deer nodded. "Yes, he has rewritten history, altered lives, and stolen the places in existence reserved for others... but not forever. There is going back. For all the horror he has caused, there is still a glimmer of hope that we can undo it."

"...You mean there's some kind of way to throw it all out?"

"Not so much. Think of it as... Think of it as a sketch, drawn in pencils. The artist has a vision in mind, but allows the drawing to guide his pencil as it's being created, let it decide what it is truly about. But the drawing shouldn't be able to change what's already been drawn, should it? When the ink is applied there can be no corrections made. If you want to introduce a new element, the only choice is to add it to a blank spot on the drawing, or make a second drawing with the new element included in it. But imagine if another artist, a less experienced one, not only took over, but sought to make himself the subject of the sketch. That is the Shadow of Chernobull. Makarov has caused a new sketch to be drawn, over what should have been inked. He strives to ink in his new world, solidify this time and this place. This timeline, everything in the past twenty-five years is in flux... It shouldn't be."

That last part cut through how tired I was. I was struggling to follow, but that had me focused.

"...Reznov said the... He said the Wolf saw me as wrong. Am I something that shouldn't be? I'm twenty-five..."

"I don't truly know why The Stalker chases you, Captain. I fear only a Pony Goddess can be privy to that truth. I advise you ask one of them. But I am afraid you are the only thing that stands any chance of letting the sketch that is wrong be rubbed out and the correct one inked," Mother Deer said.

"How? Do I have to kill him? Because I'm in flux, I can break the timeline or something?"

"...No. Ending his 'life' would not undo the evil he has wrought. Besides, the act of killing him would be a difficult feat, anyway. You saw what he did with Dima's coup de grace earlier. He's evaded mortal blows and assassination attempts many times with copies. It's as if he knows they're coming. He can be killed in theory, you have a better chance than most... But to undo his actions, he must be erased while his sketch is still in pencil."

I gasped at the implication.

"Reznov said Makarov would die by my hoof or I'd lead the Wolf to him. So I need to somehow lure the wolf to him and get it to see he's a threat?"

"Yes, basically..."

"How? It was thrown away by his dome!"

"...If Makarov is injured, his powers weaken. Things he doesn't expect weaken his strength. So if you can annoy him enough, make him angry enough, and hurt him.... Maybe the Stalker will pick up his scent."

"And if it picks up mine too? Can you protect me?"

Mother Deer sighed.

"My apologies, Shining... But there's nothing I can do. If I protect you and say I will, you become useless. You need to earn the protection of another Goddess once all this is done. I cannot even protect you when the timelines fix... for any protection I give would make you part of nature backwards and forwards, even into branching timelines that should not have happened. To put it simply: all the efforts would be undone, and Makarov's evil would return."

I sighed. Of course.

"If it gets me... What happens?"

"You cease. And all else you've done in your life will be undone."

I pondered this for a few moments. It was difficult to take in, but one thing came to my mind.

"...So it's maybe my existence... My life... that might be the price of stopping Makarov's plans?"

"That is, regrettably, the truth. While you could try to kill Makarov, and indeed have the best chance of succeeding, that would only end his evil now. If you lure the Stalker to him, and it destroys him, then his evil will come undone, the lights he has stole will be returned to those who rightly own them."

I looked to Dima. "...What happens to you?"

"I will have the life I would have had if Solomon never was."

"And you have no idea what that will be?"

"Correct. I could have a better life, or I could die in the years following the Hooviet Empire's collapse, which should have happened twenty years ago. All I know is that this life will have never been. I won't be this Dima, I may not even be."

"...And all the rebels feel the same way?"

"Yes. But do not decide based on our choices. It is yours to make."

"...So that's the purpose I have, is it. Reznov said I had to be here for a purpose..."

"I don't know, Shining. Only a Pony Goddess could tell. All I can tell you is... It looks like the purpose you will serve was a purpose planned by a pony goddess. One I don't seem to know of, possibly one that is yet to be. I know it's a lot to ask. But I am afraid you're the only one that can undo this. "

"...'I choose to place myself in harm's way so that those who cannot defend themselves are defended. Though service is a heavy cost, For Equestria, I pay it gladly.' I swore an oath to another Goddess already, Mother Deer. If I have to serve like this..."

...if I had to be utterly erased... To save thousands, maybe millions... to save the correct way things should have been going. I wouldn't be remembered. Twiley and my parents wouldn't mourn me. No place in the hall of heroes for me. I'd be forgotten, erased because the nature of the deed meant no one would ever know.

"...If I have to end like this..."

...Nopony else would suffer. Even my death, it wouldn't cause any suffering. Twiley would forget me right away. Nopony would shed tears, they'd never know I existed.

I'd wanted to be remembered. I told Reznov that.

"...Would anyone remember me?" I asked. Selfish maybe, but...

"I would. Princess Celestia would. And... Cadenza would. Some others out there may have sensitivity to changes..."

Somepony would still mourn me... I'd still hurt her if I was gone... But I would save others. Someone would remember my name, know I'd succeeded.

She wouldn't. You'd just be gone, and she'd think she was mad... She'd have no idea what you'd done... But what choice was there?

Hurt somepony I cared for... or risk every single living being on the planet suffering in some hellish wrong-timeline reigned over by an insane power-hungry lunatic who defied all logic and reason in pursuit of yet more strength and power for himself?

...It was a paradox of a choice. Tough for me as a person to make. But for the Greater Good, the true greater good of all the world... It was almost easy.

"...I'll do what I have to do," I said.

Author's Note

Story Arc written by LZ0291 http://lz0291.deviantart.com/

Shining Armor is given a two year tour of the world to be the captain of Princess Cadence's body guard. Yeah. That's all. That's everything Yep. Nothing what so ever else. *AJ's Liar face*

Mother Deer spells out for Shining Armor what exactly "Makarov" is.

"Time is an ocean in a storm."

This storyline runs PARALLEL to the events in the Dark World storyline narrative wise.

And since the story is posted on my account and not his, he feels he's not being given credit for his hard work! So how about you tell him you like it? http://lz0291.deviantart.com/

Previous Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Shining-Armor-15-Part-2-397445811

Next Chapter:

First Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Fluttershy-FlutterCruel-Pearls-260092460

MLP: FiM is copyright of Hasbro

Soundtrack Recommendations
Conversation in Sickbay
All That Is Good, Tyler Bates, Watchmen

Cover Image By Kendell2

episode 128 (Shining Armor): ouY slliK tahT llaF ehT toN-Not The Fall That Kills You Part 3

Episode 129: SPECIAL EPISODE, "Sapphire Shores Healing Pony POV"

My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic
Reharmonized Ponies POV Series
"Sapphire Shores"
By Kendell2 and Alex Warlorn

Good afternoon ladies and gentlestallions! This is Sapphire Shores coming ta you live from our cap-pit-tal city of Canterlot! How do you do? Fine how are you? How ya come on? Pretty good sure as you're born! I've got the hottest jams and the coolest gems! So get ready for a seeensational explosion!

That's the script for my next tour's opening spiel. Did I write it myself? Of course I did darling, Sapphire Shores ain't nopony's mouthpiece! I'm involved in my concerts choreography and special effects like nopony's business, but it sure is my business sweetie and enough golden records ta make a side of flapjacks says I do it well! Surprised? I just like ta add a personal touch ta my shows.

So what brings you darlings here? Wanna talk about my new single? Or the foal hospital in Canterlot I helped fund? Charity works, gets ya great publicity and great social credit among the rich and famous! Not that I need either. Ponies in Neighpon know my face! And I've got foals in Zebrafrica wearing t-shirts with my face on it! Got them for free of course. How do I feel about the foals themselves? Okay, I don't like braggin' about it (some ponies might get the wrong idea), but it was my idea, not my PR department's, when I gave those free tickets ta the amusement park ta those orphans...no I've got family, pretty big one really. But... ya know, it's a scary thought not ta have anypony alongside you, ta be all alone. Trust me, a foalhood is a horrible thing ta lose, and I don't want ta see anypony lose theirs.

Huh. Ya want ta talk about that day? The day Equestria got unzipped like Blueblood's pants? Blueblood doesn't wear pants? Trust me honey, that's the least crazy thing ya could talk about that day. Do we really have ta talk about it? Might help? Look honey I already... alright, if you really think so.

I had a biiiig show planned baby, it was a year since Princess Luna was back on the throne and bat ponies were dancin' in Canterlot again (I actually hired a few for a remake of my music video Chiller!), and who better than the pony of pop ta entertain Canterlot's great and not so great. Guest of honor was still recovering so it wasn't as big as everypony thought it was gonna be, but when I put on a show, I put on a show hun!

Unfortunately, crazy weather got my concert canceled, or so I thought. Didn't know what was goin' on at first. Raining chocolate milk and cotton candy clouds? Thought some pegasus just had a sweet sense of humor. Though I didn't quite understand why it canceled the concert, it was indoors...Then some guards started telling us performers ta keep the citizens entertained and the castle was on lockdown (typical emergency situation procedures, stay out of the streets and indoors where it's safer) and they wanted ta make sure there wasn't a panic if possible. Apparently something about discord being unleashed, well, this crazy weather looked more like freakiness than fightin'. I don't think they ever got the chance ta tell Octavia about it, she'd been playin' at the time and once that girl gets in her groove, she don't like ta be interrupted. I know how that is.

So there I was, sitting there, listenin' ta her do her thing, waiting for my number ta come up. I like Octavia's music; it's definitely got a LOT of heart in it. And it's nice ta see another big name who doesn't let the spotlight make 'em a snob. And I had plenty around me, good and bad, least I didn't have ta deal with Princess Celestia's pet royal idiot today. It's bad enough the tabloids are saying we're dating. NO I HAVEN'T EVER BEEN MOUNTED BY HIM! Uh...could you cross out that last part? Foals might end up reading this.

Me and the Prince? Oh we've met. I actually saw him once when he was a foal in Canterlot, in that fancy ivory chariot of his with his fancy servants, he had a hoof mark on his face, crying. Spoiled colt must have talked back ta his parents.

Him as a stallion? I've met 'em a bijillion times! We travel the same social circles after all.

He's blindly loyal ta his 'Auntie' and obeys her without question. Heard tell that a tiny circle of Aristocrats had suggested ta him once ta be the figurehead of a movement ta remove Princess Celestia from power and put it in the hands of the herd (meaning themselves, at the time the Princess was trying ta give the common ponies more freedoms, something those aristocrats didn't like). He ran straight ta 'Auntie' and told her everything. And as a showmare, I can appreciate that he can have the IQ of a squash, and with no respect for anypony not nobility, and STILL have a reputation as a lady's mare ta anypony who hasn't met'em. Let it never be said the Princess lets anything go ta waste, only she would realize the pony everypony else but the tabloids hate was a perfect diplomat able ta say nice things ta creatures you hate the guts of. And he's actually a decent navigator, been ta a party on one of his ships and he definitely knows how ta plot out a cruise.

No I haven't dated 'em, if my producers ever demand I get a coltfriend, I've got plenty of other stallions I'd rather choose from.

Right near me is Hoity Toity...we've talked. He's also how I found my newest line of outfits! He's a bit hard ta peg down ta be honest. He's not a bad guy, but he can be positively brutal when critiquing a bad outfit. But unlike a lot of Canterlot ponies, he doesn't change his opinion based on what's hot and what's not, or stick by it no matter how wrong it's being proved. You have a bad showing your first time, he'll tear ya ta shreds, but if your next one's brilliant? Honey, he'll let ya know it. Gotta respect that in a stallion, and a critic. His positive review of Miss Rarity was how I got my collection of jewel studded outfit for my last tour! I respect critics, but some of 'em like that art critic Praiser Pan can be a bit too harsh sometimes, and a lot of them go with trends. Hoity Toity goes with what he thinks.

There were a few other ponies around too, not all of 'em big names. Some where just high society types enjoying the show, but a few of 'em were just civilians visiting the city who hadn't been able ta head back home when the festivities were canceled. I don't think they knew exactly what was going on, but the weird weather was enough ta scare some ponies even without some kind of other craziness having the guards on high alert.

That's when I heard some crying from nearby.

I looked over ta see a little Earth Pony filly just sittin' all by her lonesome and crying her eyes out. I took a look around, nopony else was payin' her any mind. Did they just not see her? Well, what pony in their right mind wouldn't do something about this?

"Hey there, filly," I said, trotting over to her. "Where's your parents?"

"I...I don't know..." she muttered, giving a whimper. She was a little blank flank, white mane, and beige coat. "I'm lost..."

I frowned. Poor little filly. "Well how about we do something about that, sweetie? I'll help ya find your parents."

"T-Thank you..."

She looked up at me. And that's when I noticed; her eyes were red. It was weird. Not that she had red eyes, lots of ponies have 'em like Vinyl Scratch (nice girl, sure knows how ta throw a party). There was just something a little weird about them. But then again, lots of ponies were weird, kind of ta be expected when we're all different.

She gave a big gasp. "You're Sapphire Shores!"

I gave a smile. "The one and only, you a fan?"

"Yeah! Your music is awesome! I listen to it all the time! We were actually here to see you!"

"Well, glad ta hear it, hon. I'll be up soon, but we gotta let Octavia finish her number. Girl puts her heart into her music."

"Oh, that's ok, her music is...okay..." I think the filly liked Octavia's music a little more than she let on, nice ta see she was being so polite about it.

"Well, while she's finishing up, let's go take a look around for your parents, little lady. What's your name?"

"Oh, it's Eris." Odd name, but can't say it wasn't pretty.

"Alright, Eris, let's go see if we can find your parents, what are their names?"

"Oh, their names are Phobia and Void."

Family had weird names. But still, started trotting around looking for these two. "What do they look like?"

She looked a tad annoyed for some reason. "Oh...They're hard to miss. Dad has broken wings and mom's horn is broken...there was a...carriage accident."

"Say no more, sweetie," I replied. I wasn't about ta make a foal dig up bad memories, and that was more than enough. "Got any siblings who we could look for?"

"I had five, two colts and two fillies...But one of my brothers is gone...Well...two of 'em, but mama says we aren't allowed to talk about the other one..."

I decided not ta ask about that one. "Lots of siblings huh? I have quite a few too. What are they like?"

"Big brother is kinda lazy and rebellious, big sister messes things up a lot but is really nice and sweet and creative, and bigger sister is kinda scary and has a stone hoof!"

I blinked. "Stone hoof?"

"Cockatrice." She seemed ta shudder a bit at that.

"Ah, got it. Well, she should be hard ta miss...Had a rough life, haven't yah darlin'?"

"Yeah...it's been really hard. My parents raised me since I was really, really little to be part of the family business."

That made me feel a little uncomfortable for some reason...

"Really?...Well, my parents raised me ta be a singer."

"And yer a really great one!"

"Thanks dear."

"So why don't you have a singing cutie mark? Like a pretty microphone or a little birdie or somethin'?"

"Oh. That's complicated dearie."

"Oh really? Tell me! Tell me! Did you lose it in a fire? Did you fall in a pile of erasers? Did you give it to a blank flank who didn't have one? Oh! Did you lose your memory? I heard that could happen!"

"I just, never got one."

"Never got one?" the filly blinked. "That can happen?"

"Well...yes. It doesn't happen often though..." I explained. Yes, I think everypony knows by now, I'm an adult blank flank. For a while, my producers had me hide it. Thought it wouldn't look good for a popstar ta be a blank. Well, it never really mattered ta me honestly...at the time, but I went along with it since, well, producers and all that (hadn't started ta take more control of myself at the time). Ta be honest I think producers are scarier than Nightmare Moon sometimes. But I sure showed them when the tabloids got ahold of it. I just rolled with it, since like I said, I hadn't really been bothered by it at the time and turns out the idea of an adult blank flank not caring about being blank boosted my appeal! Who'd have thought?

"Why did you never get a Cutie Mark?"

"I..." I hadn't really thought of it. I'd just never had one, that was it. I just hadn't thought why, just knew I didn't. "I don't know..."

The filly just looked up at me curiously. "How do you not know?"

"I just...don't..."

"Then how are you so good at singing if it's not your Mark?"

"Well...I guess I'm just that good," I replied. And it was true, or so I thought. Being outed as a blank flank impressed ponies because I didn't have singing as my talent. Ta them, that just made me more impressive. "Lots of ponies think so."

"Are you sure that they do? I'd be afraid they just liked laughing at me."

I blinked. "Well...I..."

"I mean foals laugh at blank flanks all the time, so why wouldn't ponies laugh at a grown up one?"

"Well," I looked back at my blank flank. "Ponies learn as they get older not ta say such mean things ta each other."

"So they learn to lie to each other?"

"Oh no no, not like that, you should really discuss this with your parents dear."

"Oh well, I think not having a cutie mark kinda cool!"

I looked back at her, cocking my head. "Pardon?"

"Well stuffy old adults always want to grow up! You're still kinda a kid! I think that's really cool!"

I admit it; I am a bit of a kid at heart. I don't mean I throw a tantrum if I don't get my way, but I just tend ta relate ta kids better than adults for some reason. I never was sure why...

"T-Thanks..."

"I mean who wants to be a grown up? It's a lot more fun being a kid!"

"Hehe...I guess it is, isn't it?"

"And you don't have a Cutie Mark, so you can be anything you want to be, right? That's what everypony says!"

"Yeah, that's right. And I want ta be a popstar, I'm good at it." I parroted like I had been taught since I was small.

"And adults are nothing but a bunch of control freaks!"

"Yeah-wait, what?"

"My parents are always telling me what to do, what to be. Who wants to be a mean old control freak when you can be a nice little filly?"

"Well...I wouldn't say that..."

"They want me to be what they wanted me to be, never what I wanted to be. Well what if I don't want to be 'creativity consultant?' Or to do it there way?"

"...Well...I..." Why was this hard? Why couldn't I think of good answer? I kept trying, but my mind just kept drawing a blank.

"I don't want to be their puppet..."

"Well...I'm sure you don't have ta be..."

"...Then why are you?"

I jumped. "W-What?"

"You said that you were raised to be a singer, so why did you do it?"

I felt my heart skip a beat. "Well...I like it...It's what I'm good at."

"Are you sure?"

"Well...I have fun doing it. I like it...I'm good at it."

"Are you sure? Or do you just think you are?"

"Of course I'm sure! I'm the best! Ponies don't waste bits like the price on my tickets!" I realized I was blowing up at a foal. "Uh, sorry."

"No, you shouldn't be." Eris smiled. "When you're upset, it's because something wrong happened right? Why should you be sorry about being angry then? Why should you hide your anger? Why should you keep from feeling what you naturally feel because others tell you to? Because those with authority tell you to? Because adults tell you to? What good are adults exactly? They argue, tell others what THEY think they should do, always think they're right, never listen to others, never admit they're wrong, always hide away their real feelings, never say what they mean, and lie all the time.

"Who's to say they're always right? Don't ponies say 'change is good?' Doesn't that prove the 'old ways' aren't always best? After all, think about it. Your parents ignored you until they heard you sing. They didn't want to give you attention until you were USEFUL to them! Then they put you on the fast track to super stardom without once asking if it was what YOU wanted! All the dresses and costumes you were made to wear, when you wanted to go around naked instead? Having to struggle to gain control over what you did on stage piece by piece by the hard way? Because the adults only wanted your voice, not you? They paid attention to your voice, not you. What good are adults then? What love has ANY adult actually ever shown you?

"...Not like foals. Isn't it always been foals who have cared about you? That care what you have to say instead of barking orders? You have every RIGHT to be angry, to be who you WANT to be! Not who everypony is saying you SHOULD be! Isn't that right Sapphire?" I was beginning to feel dizzy as I looked into Eris' eyes.

"Who wants to be all old and mean? Why can't we just be kids forever? Wouldn't it be great to be like Pony Pan? Be a little foal forever and ever? No rules, no adults telling you what to do? No silly Cutie Mark telling you what you can and can't be? Wouldn't that be just lovely? So why don't you take my hand, and come off to Never Never Land?"

I looked around at all the adults. None of them caring about Eris being lost and alone. None of them caring for anypony except themselves. Letting a little filly wonder around when some craziness had half of Canterlot shut down.

-.hack//GU Vol. 2 Avatar Battle - Innis-

Who in their right minds would ever want ta be one of them? Who would ever want ta grow up ta be like them?

NOT ME! THAT'S WHO!

I DON'T WANT ANYTHING TA DO WITH ADULTS! EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER!!! Being a foal is the best! Who cares about adults?

I want ta do WHAT I WANT TA DO! ME! ME! ME!

ALL ADULTS DID WAS BULLY AND SCOLD!

I ripped off the clothes I was wearing. I hate them! Why should I wear clothes at all? Because adults want me to? That's not a reason at all! I'm naked and free! Some adults gasp and stare, but I don't care! Big bullies, what I care what anyone thinks of me?!

I kick an adult who gets too close and knock the table behind her over. I'll make whatever mess I want, where I want, how I want!

STUPID ADULTS! LIES! LIES! LIES! LIES! LYING ABOUT ME! LYING ABOUT EVERYTHING!

I kick and scream, I am wild, I am free, I don't need ta listen ta anyone!

Some adults were acting weird, but that's how they always acted. Some were eating their own clothes. Others were now in diapers acting like toddlers. Other giggled ta themselves running into walls and knocking over tables, and putting them back up ta smash them this time. One of the adults was screaming her head off begging the noise ta stop as she covered her ears on stage. Who cared about her? Adults always did things that made no sense.

Guards walked by now looking like clockwork ponies, new toys. Maybe I'd play with them later.

Look at me! Look at me you stupid adults! Stop ignoring me! You're always ignoring me! Look at me! Stop laughing! Stop fighting! Stop shouting! Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! I'm right here! Why won't any of you ever look at me?!

I HATE ALL OF YOU! Adults! Look at me! You never look at me!

I was like that for hours. Days? I don't know.

I felt myself spinning my wheels. Hating everypony but at the same time wanting their attention. I was miserable, and didn't give a buck that everypony else around me was miserable too.

Then the light of the rainbow washed over me, and it all came back ta me. I stopped caring about me me me and remembered who I was...

Everypony was okay, nopony was hurt, everything was fixed and repaired, and everything was just how it should have been right? We were saved from madness and misery. We had every reason ta celebrate.

Hoity Toity hid in the bathroom. Octavia tried ta rip her own ears off, then ran and locked herself away somewhere. I went ta my guest room and cried ta myself. It's funny, I dreamed of a purple earth pony foal with a raggy doll who sung me this kind little lullaby. That made me feel better.

It helped me pull myself together enough that I could attend the celebration of Equestria being saved from certain disaster because of the Princess' apprentice, a weather captain, a clown, a farmer, a veterinarian, and the maker of one of my best costume sets.

I don't think the tabloids really noticed when I chose ta take a vacation or get professional help. Discord, (capital D, as in a name, a MONSTER), had made everypony in Equestria crazy, miserable, hateful, or all three...lucky me. I didn't bother trying ta figure out what sick games Discord did ta them.

I looked at my blank flank. Eris had said that no Cutie Mark meant I didn't have ta be anything. Ponies said a blank flank could be anything they wanted. But what about a grown up blank flank? What kind of adult didn't have a cutie mark? What kind of mare knew so little about herself that the mirror ta her soul showed nothing?

I suppose I should be happy that the tabloid ponies all had their own problems and weren't in a position ta really takes pictures of anypony.

I talked with Doctor Freudian Excuse (once the poor stallion had been pulled out of his funk) about my problems, and in meantime, Jewel Tide was acting as my stand in.

Jewel Tide? Oh, Jewelry is a nice unicorn, friendly, good voice, good luck, knows her poise and her manners, fun ta be around. And she's my body double and good at it, her special talent is acting. She always wears a hat ta hide her horn, and wears makeup ta make sure her own cutie mark doesn't show. She says we're both from bloodlines of sea ponies who became ponies who walked on land, and that's why our hooves get pruney, but I'm not into all that mythical mumbo jumbo. Well, used ta. Kinda hard not ta get a little rattled when something like Discord showed his ugly head, particularly considering some eggheads are saying he's the Great Destroyer from some old Griffin myths. Still, Eris was flesh and blood there right in front of me, sea ponies? No proof of them. But I respect her beliefs, and she respects mine.

Me and her got along well. She's been alongside me since before news of not havin' a cutie mark went public, and she had to wear a sticker over her own.

Naturally, we had ta get ta know each other pretty well ta start with. Well, more she had ta get ta know me and I wanted ta get ta know her. After all, if I had ta trust her ta be me, I wanted ta know who I was trusting with it. We hit it off and became quick friends...almost sisters...I had lots of siblings, but...when your parents are raising you ta be a foal star and you become one, you don't have a lot of time ta bond with your siblings. Even when they worked with me, most of the time it was business and they went their own ways. Me and Jewelry...we actually got ta spend time together and bond in ways I wish my sibs and I had been able to...

She was also now being me a lot more than she normally was, while I tried ta work out my own problems, and get back that "always-on" confidence I was legendary for, that was part of my public image.

But for Jewel Tide, that meant more work, and lots of it. Singing on stage? Had ta be me, Jewel Tide's got good pipes, but she's an actress, not a professional singer. Any pony can sing, but you gotta be fantastic ta make a living at it. But normally me and her split my other appearances, now, I was busy trying ta get better so I could do the ones I HAD ta do...and Jewelry was left picking up the slack.

Scented candles (blech, never liked the dang things, but thought it was worth a shot), sounds of the ocean, rock gardening, self-confidence mantras, I gave them all a try. But they all kept missing the mark, and I didn't know what the mark was!

I managed ta drag myself on stage a few times for some command performances, my sponsors and my producers were not going to wait forever. But I'd simply take a longer break afterwards. I was able ta put on my pretty face and pretty voice, and my fans cheered; they couldn't tell I was hurting inside, not when the mask was intact. Maybe none of them loved me after all.

They loved Jewel Tide when they saw her, when they thought she was me. So what if she was a good actress instead of a great singer? She could slip into my horseshoes and lip-sync my songs, and no pony would ever ever notice. What was the point of me?

So I retreated more, spending more time at my estate, curled up in bed, ignoring calls that I needed. I let the accountants pay the bills. Nopony would notice.

So yeah, I sat there feelin' sorry myself a good long while you can imagine. Then came the banging on my fancy bedroom door.

"Sapphire! Open this door!" Said my own voice.

Huh? What? Was I dreaming?

I wandered ta my door. I pulled it open with my mouth, and got knocked on the head for my trouble. "OW!" That woke me up. "Jewel Tide?"

"Hello Sapphire." My look alike said, who wasn't wearing a hat. She also didn't look happy. "Get dressed, we need to talk."

That surprised me, it wasn't really like her. She slammed a door into my head and didn't even seem ta notice she'd hit me. Jewelry's a sweet girl, it wasn't like her not ta hurt someone and not care.

In a paranoid moment I made sure her coloring hadn't grayed out, she wasn't discorded. I didn't ask her ta leave the room; we're ponies for crying out loud, we're not THAT radical that we think our bodies are something ta be ashamed of!

She watched me coldly. It was actually scary ta see her like this. Like something had become very wrong with the world.

We went ta my living room that was bigger than most houses, and sat on my giant white couches. On the way we walked past...I'll confess, a room full of comic books, a room full of Leg-goes, and another full of stuffed animals. It was a ...habit of mine. I had been looking for Never Never Land long before I met Eris.

"So...how are things Jewelry?" I asked.

"Oh not so bad Shoreline, I mean, what could possibly be bothering me? I mean, when was the last time we saw each other? When's the last time we talked? Do you remember?"

I gave it a long bit of thought. Thinking about it. When had been the last time we'd actually sat down and talked? "...No, I don't, sorry..."

"I remember. It was the morning before that chaotic tyrant got free."

"Jewelry, did ya notice there's some kinda class touring the grounds today?" I asked, looking out the window. Nothing had seemed out of the ordinary.

"Yes, I think they're from Ponyville, or that's what the guards said."

"Think they'll come ta our concert later? Always a joy ta see a smile on their faces."

Jewel Tide nodded. "Yeah...Hey, can you tell our producers I need a different type of makeup?" she asked, looking back ta her Cutie Mark. "I think I'm allergic to this new kind they've been giving me."

"Sure thing, Jewelry, I'll do it right after the show."

Jewel Tide turned and showed her flank. At first I thought her fur had become red around her Cutie Mark...then I realized it wasn't her fur, it was her SKIN.

"When did you tell the producer?"

... "I...I don't remember."

"When were you going to?"

"I...I forgot..."

"And where have I been all this time?"

I sunk ta my flank. It was like Luna's moon fell from orbit. "You...you were being me..."

She'd told me she was allergic ta the makeup, and not only had I completely forgotten about it...I'd made her be out there wearing it all this time. I hadn't even thought about it...What kind of friend was I?

"And where have you been?"

"H-Here...trying ta get better...Jewelry...I'm sorry...I..."

"Yeah, sorry. You're sorry. I stopped taking the makeup OFF because I'd just have to put it back on again before my skin got time to breathe! I've been working my flank off! I'm supposed to be the one to give YOU breaks, but where's mine?! The two or three times you've been on stage?! I haven't even had time to go to a therapist! And why?! Because I've been trying to give you time to heal! But you can't even find time to tell our producer about my allergy!"

I backed away a little. I...I hadn't even thought about that. I'd never seen Jewel so angry...and I honestly couldn't blame her.

"I tried telling the producer myself, you know what happened?! They didn't BUCKING LISTEN TO ME!"

I could only stare. Jewel Tide never cusses. Ever.

"They're busy trying to heal themselves while still keeping their shows going! I'm just the double! They CAN'T make time for me! But you could've done something!"

I just sat there and let her give me the chewing out I felt I had coming.

"But it isn't just me, Shoreline! Think about your fans! Equestria is HURT, they NEED somepony to make them smile again! And it's what you're GOOD at! You've been so wrapped up in your own problems that you haven't even thought about anypony else's! Or let them in to help YOU!"

We just sat there for a moment, staring at each other. Help...me? After all that, she...she still cared?

"How do you expect to get better doing this all by yourself?" she asked, still seeming angry...but it seemed ta have cooled a little.

"...I'm trying..." was all I could say.

"Yeah, desperate enough to try anything. You hate scented candles, but you've got so many burning right now this place smells like a perfume shop caught fire," she said, floating one of the many candles over ta demonstrate, accidentally getting a big whiff of it herself. "Ugh! Peeyew! What is this candle anyway?!" she asked, putting a hoof tight over her nose.

I took a look at the label and...well, couldn't help blushing. "Uh...Scent of Sulfur..." I must've worn my nose out trying so many different candles ta not smell that.

She just stared in disbelief at me. "This candle is meant for dragons. You didn't even make sure you were getting the right candles for ponies?"

Two things crossed my mind. One, the question of why a little novelty store had scented candles for dragons anyway (would later find out it was stocking up for the Dragon Migration later this year, apparently some places like putting out candles like that ta make dragons more comfortable), and two, the realization that I was not only desperate, I might have been more distracted than I thought. It turned out I'd grabbed candles for Griffins, Deer, and even Minotaurs as well.

Now, don't get me wrong I'm not saying they have bad taste, but a lot of things that smell good ta one species stink ta high heavens ta another. Learned that lesson with my concerts; when we have a Griffin crowd, we tend ta mix something that smelled good ta them into the smoke effects, normally something meat related. It gets Griffins pumped, but tends ta make most ponies feel sick ta their stomachs (there's some herbal stuff I put under my nose ta mask the smell, nose plugs would mess with my singing and would be pretty rude). I shudder ta think what we'll have for my Dragon migration concert (yes, we're going ta have one of those, Dragons like music too).

Point was, not only had I grabbed candles that outright reeked ta a pony's nose, I'd been burnin' 'em without even realizing it. What kinda state had I been in where that was even possible?

"And I checked, you stopped visiting your therapist regularly. Shoreline what is WRONG with you?"

"I'm still seein' 'em."

"Not nearly as often as he suggested you do!"

"How would you even know that?!"

"Actually I was just guessing until three seconds ago. I KNOW that you haven't left the house in way too long, and no doctor has been visiting you."

"You've been stalking me?" I covered my mouth realizing what I just said.

"SHORELINE! Wake up! The entire crew is talking about you being holed up here."

"I just...didn't like how he was digging past what Eris did. He said that Eris stabbed me where it hurt, like it did ta everypony. And that I was burying stuff deep."

"Shoreline, that's his job. He's supposed to help you dig out the roots of how the chaos demon hurt you!"

"Jewelry, do I act like a foal?"

"..." I knew that look.

"I'm sorry."

"Shoreline, it's not that. But...remember after we first met?"

I managed a smile at that. "The other doubles could match my voice, but you were the only one who could match my style."

"You insisted on giving me a tour of the house so I'd know you better. Pony Ranger posters instead of fancy paintings? The latest Magical Filly manega?... I hadn't done any of that in a couple of years. I had fun."

"But-"

"But I did think you were a big filly trying to get her foalhood back after being made to spend it in recording studios and on stage."

"That's what my psychologist said."

"You should listen to him."

"So I'm immature?"

"I never said that. Collecting toys and watching Pony Rangers doesn't make you immature, it makes you a foal at heart. I like that about you Shoreline! You're fun to be around! I'm talking about something else. Shoreline what do you think you're going to do with just hiding yourself more? If those quick fix methods worked, do you think there would BE psychologists? Also, seriously Shoreline, leaving candles burning all over the house while you're in bed? That's dangerous."

"I'm sorry Jewelry. I wasn't thinking."

Awkward silence. My new hot single. Order now and you'll get uncomfortable stillness free!

Nothing but the distant crashing of the ocean waves was heard. Jewel Tide turned off the record player.

"This place is a mess."

"I gave the maid, cook, and gardener some vacation time." I was kinda glad for their sake, considerin' the place had ta smell bad at just about every species on the planet.

"What does your family think about all of this?"

"They're doing fine."

"That isn't what I asked."

"I tell them I just want ta be alone right now. I'm sure I'll...I'll just be back in the saddle after I let myself recharge for a while."

Mom had taken a lot of convincin'. For some reason she'd seemed more worried about me than I'd ever seen her. She kept lookin' at me like she wanted ta say she was sorry but didn't know how...

"Stop it, Shoreline, just stop it. You're hurting yourself, and you're hurting me. I...you think I LIKE being here?"

My heart froze. "What?"

"I'm here for you! Every time I look at you, every time I look in a mirror while dressed as your double, every time I have to pretend to be you and respond to YOUR name..." She shivered. "It's like for a little while, that I cease to exist. That I'm covered up, like a censored picture."

I watched her...saw the pain on her face. And for the first time since Day of Chaos, I stopped caring about how hurt I was.

"...Jewelry, let's not make this about me for a moment and make it about you."

She gave a gasp. "Shoreline?"

"You're hurtin' too. I want ta help if I can."

"You don't have to force myself on you. You're not a doctor."

"Now whose buryin' herself?"

"Heh...alright Shoreline."

"Jewelry, seriously, you don't need ta tell me, but what did Eris DO ta you?"

"...He made me you."

"What?" I whispered.

She shuddered a bit more. "He made me a copy of you. A real copy. I don't know if I had my Cutie Mark, I just never looked. MY HORN WAS GONE! It was like I couldn't acknowledge the possibility I could have one at all. Just like I couldn't acknowledge my name wasn't Sapphire Shores. I...I couldn't think my name! I had all my memories, I remembered my foalhood, I remembered being hired to be your double. But MY NAME was rubbed out! I HAD TO introduce myself as Sapphire Shores to anypony I talked to! Not that there were many ponies to talk to as the world kept getting crazier and crazier! I went to MY room, and found my face taken out of the pictures, with the rest of me still there, my journal was still where it was supposed to be, but my name was rubbed out with everything else still there!" She almost cried. "When the rainbow fixed everything, I couldn't stand wearing a hat. But I had to anyway! Unlike you, I don't get to decide when my vacation time is!"

I didn't know how ta respond for a second. I didn't know what ta say...so I just hugged her. Yeah yeah, call me sappy, but Jewelry was my best friend...one of the few friends I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I had.

She hugged me back. And it was like a dam burst.

"Jewelry I'm sorry! I'm just so sorry. I'm so so sorry! It's just, when I hit it big, I felt so cut off from my brothers and sisters, I didn't have time for them, so I always thought you and me? We could be sisters a little. I know that's selfish but that's how I saw us! I'm ramblin', I know! But Jewelry! Please! If I had known, I promise I'd have done something different! I promise! I know that doesn't change anything but I'm so so sorry!"

We were silent for a few minutes. I think I'd started crying and maybe she did too.

"It's okay Shoreline," she said, like she was worried I needed permission, "You're not being foalish, adults cry too."

"I know. My dad, when the pegasi got him down from the pole he was clutching ta for dear life, he was sobbing...the monster reversed gravity on him...dad says Eris said 'I'll figure out how ta have fun with you later, just remember, don't look up! Or is that down? Bye!' Mom says he can't bear ta look at the sky right now."

"Why didn't you ask what that chaos demon did to me before?"

"I thought it would have been rude to make you remember something that horrible, but then I saw how much it was hurting you and thought maybe it'd help. Not sure if it was the right thing to do... You said it yourself, I'm not doctor."

"No...you're a singer, who's made more ponies happy than you can guess at."

"The mess of make-up and stage lights and costumes made them happy, if they recorded my voice and you lip-sync..."

"You silly filly!" Jewel Tide snapped, sad and agitated and warm all at the same time. "Don't you get it? That's the point! Ponies sing from the heart. Ponies connected at the heart can sing together, even if they can't hear each other's words or are worlds apart. When you sing, what you're singing IS your soul, your heart out among them. Your singing is you showing your heart, your singing IS your cutie mark. So why do you THINK ponies love your singing so much? The costumes? The dancing? It's you. YOUR voice, not mine, your heart, your soul. I spent an entire summer trying to get a singing cutie mark, like my mother had. Then I went to a play, I memorized all the lines and body language from that first time. I repeated the entire play from memory for my family and friends, they loved it, and I loved that I was able to make mom smile. That's when my cutie mark came to me. Didn't you realize all those ponies LOVE your music?"

"Duh! Of course they do! Ticket sales don't lie!"

"That's not what I mean Shoreline. Did you ever stop during a show, and see them? Them all cheering for you."

"Lots of times."

"Did you ever, stop to think why? What kept bring them back? Again and again? Why have you been popular ever since you were foal? Shoreline, how many stars have you seen come and go? How many were just lip-syncing mouthpieces? How many had -gimmicks- to try and hide their average singing? How many were puppets who just did what the producers and crew told them to?"

Told them to... That's right. I always managed my own costumes, my own choreography, I wrote my own songs. I decided where my bits went. I CHOSE ta help foals who fate wasn't kind ta a day of happiness and a chance at making something of themselves. Heck, it was my idea ta get Rarity ta be my designer that time, not Stage Light's. I never once consulted 'em. Did that a good bit ta be honest...

How stupid could I be ta fall for Eris' bait and switch? Sure, I love attention, it's a thrill, I love it when I know I'm thought about and talked about with other ponies. Annoying stalking photographers. Mobbing strangers. Fictional tabloid stories. They were signs that I was somepony! That my music reached more ponies than I could count! That I brightened their day just a tiny bit, thanks ta me! That I could bring some joy into their lives when they needed me! And I loved all of it! And...and if I had it over again?

I'd still choose ta sing. I'd still choose the spotlight, the intrusive paparazzi, the frustrating nights when I couldn't come up with a new single, the charity concerts scheduled ten minutes before the meeting I was at ended (that was a good thing), the letters from stallions wanting me ta be the mother of their foals, the nights playing Harmony: The Gathering with Jewel Tide, the stage crew and back-up dancers, after a good practice performance, the looks on my parents faces as I gave them that new house as a Mother's Day gift. The little orphans giving a big grin when I take the stage before their big bright eyes.

If I had it over again, I'd still choose this life. This wasn't the me my folks wanted me ta be, this was me.

Ugh. My flanks were tingling, was Jewel Tide's rash catching?

Jewelry looked at my butt. She gasped, her eyes wide. "Shoreline...you might want to take a look on your flanks." The rash must be worse than I thought, I looked.

Oh. My. Cel-est-ia.

Light blue clam shell with a tiny wave under it, dark blue eight sided jewel in the center. It was mine. And I could swear I had seen it somewhere before, like in a dream, where wishes always came true and everypony were friends.

"Shoreline...you did it...it's yours...you..."

I hugged her tight and LAUGHED. "OH JEWELRY! I love the smiles on the ponies faces, and Celestia knows, Equestria NEEDED smiles, and bad! I've been givin' 'em smiles my entire life, why should I let 'em down when they need me the most? I've been so busy worrying about myself, I'd forgotten what made me happiest and what would help me and everypony else more than anything. Doing what I do best and being seeensational! Eris might be a lawn ornament again, but until everypony is their happy smiling selves again, he still has the last laugh. And I don't know about you, but I think that maniac has laughed enough, it's our turn ta laugh again!"

Jewel Tide kissed me on the cheek. "...Welcome back Shoreline."

A long overdue cutie mark (buck those who say 'they come when they come'), doesn't cure a hurt heart, but it did help me get my head back on straight. I went back ta therapy, and I STAYED on it this time, until the doc said I was ready again. But I also made sure ta get back ta my public appearances so Jewelry had her chance ta see her own doctors, and made darn sure ta trot up ta the producers and tell 'em Jewelry needed different make up.

Did I get rid of the filly stuff? Hehe, no way. There ain't anything wrong with being a foal at heart, so long as you remember ta be a grown up in mind. That's part of who I am too.

I decided ta check up on some ponies who were...well, not friends...oh what the hay; I cared about 'em, we get along, so they're my friends. Hoity Toity was recovering, but had ta spend a bit of time in the hospital, turned out banging your head against the wall enough times can give even a hard headed (I mean that literally) pony a concussion. I visited him and told him if he wanted ta talk, I was all ears. Think that's the first time that stallion has had somepony reach out ta him like that. Not a lot of ponies think critics have feelings.

I checked on Octavia and surprise surprise, she'd gotten the same idea as I'd had. Realized how her music made ponies feel, that it could help 'em heal. Said the music of healing hearts was the best she'd ever played. And sweetie, I think I agree with her. Hope between me and her, we can put a lot of smiles back on Equestrian faces.

I checked up on Miss Rarity Belle. Couldn't convince her me and Blueblood was just tabloids spiel, but nopony's perfect. Girl was still a bowl full of jelly around me, but she seemed ta have gotten a fancy smancy couch for whenever she fainted. Go figure. Girl was doing a lot better than I thought she'd be (Ponyville had gotten hit the hardest by old Eris). I told her she should get professional help all the same, but she told me she had her own little therapy session going on already.

Her little sister was hanging around too, sweet girl. Little filly fainted, woke up, asked me questions spitfire for a minute and a half straight, then fainted again. Rarity promised ta tell her little sister that she hadn't dreamed it. I doubt her school friends will believe 'er though. Heh. I suggested Miss Rarity get Sweetie a little couch of her own too ta faint, then she told me it wasn't a couch, it was a chaise longue, who knew?

My mom and dad were happy ta see me again. Dad was doin' a lot better now, he could at least look at the sky now. Mom?...Let's just say I wasn't the only one who Eris used my foal stardom as a torture tool against. Mom apologized over and over again for not realizing how hard it must've been on me, but I forgave her. After all, you don't get your Cutie Mark for something you hate.

My siblings? If I went through them all, we'd be here all day, but just know I checked in on all of 'em and help 'em if I need ta.

My fans were happy ta have me singing again, that was for sure. Oh? My cutie mark? The designers threw a fit over have ta remake the t-shirts and dolls, until I pointed out the bundle they could make on cutie mark stickers and washable tattoos, and NEW merchandise, and jewelry based on my cutie mark. I turned me finally getting my mark into a message of hope, that if an adult Blank Flank could get a Cutie Mark, nothing was impossible. Not only did I believe it, but it's what Equestria needed ta hear at the time. They needed hope.

I also released a new surprise song for my relief tour across Equestria (I insisted it be a free one. Producers went with it for PR, but eh, just doing their jobs). And I think it's what everypony needed ta hear ta set them free. I knew it did me! Jewel Tide was in the audience, front row seat, with her cutie mark and horn showing, and wearing a different mane style than mine, ponies brushed her off as a cosplayer, go figure. One of my back up dancers even invented a new step called the Navigator when I was in Ponyville as part of one of the local celebrations. Wish I could figure out which one, so I could give'em huge bonus!

Oh! My song? Oh, it went a little something like this!

"Come gather under the sun
Learn to believe again, and
Enjoy a good long run!
Just reach out and help a friend!
Sit back and let me reach out to you!
Listen to my words, I know they're trrrruuuue!

This isn't just make believe!
This is hope for another day!
My words aren't here to deceive!
They're here to show you the way!
They're here to reach out to all of you!
Listen to my words, you know they're true!

I'm not a naive foal
Feelin' the way I do.
Making you smile is my role
That's why I'm saying to you;
Ya can see the silver linin's
So long as you keep on tryin'!

So come on everypony, try
To hope for brighter tomorrows!
Broken wings can mend and fly!
So how about we all follow?!
Just take the hoof reached right out to you
And fly again with your friends true blue!

So just let your friends reach out to you!
Listen to their words; you know they're true-ue-ue!"

Author's Note

Sapphire Shores The Pony Of Pop, always on, always the charmer, she is something else. But she's a pony like everypony else too. And Discord didn't pick favorites. What did she endure on the day of Discord? And how she she climb out of the darkness?

This story is a throw back to the classic style of the Pony POV Series before it got all cosmic and epicy. I hope you all enjoy it.

Previous Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Shining-Armor-15-Part-3-401412586

Next Chapter:

First Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Fluttershy-FlutterCruel-Pearls-260092460

The Pony POV Series Trope Page is feeling neglected. You can help keep it up to date! So many characters and so little description on the 'minor' ones. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries

Check out the recursive fanfiction and fanart of the Pony POV Series! http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/journal/MLP-FiM-Pony-POV-Series-Fanfiction-and-Fanart-274110361 Many of it approved by me as canon.

Did anyone else know about us now being on Fan Labor Wiki? CHECK IT OUT!
http://mlpfanart.wikia.com/wiki/Pony_POV_Series_Season_Zero:_Discorded_Ponies
http://mlpfanart.wikia.com/wiki/Pony_POV_Series_Season_One:_Reharmonization

The ending song is a pony parody of Pollyanna from the Mother/Earthbound series.
Edited In Story Lyrics By Kendell2

MLP:FiM: Copyright Hasbro

Cover Image http://raikoh-illust.deviantart.com/art/Singer-363978818 belongs to the following:
Nostalbyte http://nostalbyte.deviantart.com/ Used with is permission
Raioh-Illust http://raikoh-illust.deviantart.com/

Episode 129: SPECIAL EPISODE, "Sapphire Shores Healing Pony POV"

Episode 130: (Shining Armor) "potS nedduS ehT s'tI-Its The Sudden Stop" Part 1

My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic
Pony POV Series
Shining Armor Chapter 16 Part 1
"potS nedduS ehT s'tI-Its The Sudden Stop"
Written by Kendell2 and lz0291
Edited by Alex Warlorn and Louis

"My Little Ponies, you can calm down now," Princess Celestia stated cheerfully as another guard carefully filled her tea cup.

Meanwhile, a dragon around who towered over us filled a cup for the Dragon-Queen, who towered over him. Yes, calm down, this was a perfect time to be calm, why wouldn't I be? Oh Celestia she's looking at me.

"Yes, little ponies, Celestia strives not to harm any of our children, and a dragon would do nothing to a friend they do not desire for themselves. We would not think of harming her children unprovoked," said the central head of the Mother of All Dragons.

Got it, unprovoked, I'll just sit here doing, nothing and let the two goddesses chat, and try not to insult the dragon queen's taste in perfume by gagging on the eggy stench of sulfur...

"So, the Hooviets were lying. I assumed as much," Celestia remarked. "That Empire was built on lies. I mean, I am willing to bend the truth if I absolutely must, but Equestria is built on trust, friendship, and truth for good reason."

Tiamat's heads nodded. "Yes, we agree completely. Never been fond of falsehoods ourselves, after all, a dragon who cannot claim his deeds is giving something up, and dragons are not welcoming of such things."

"Still, that was a rather outrageous lie...By the way, nice use of my sun for a dramatic entrance, Tiamat, one of the most impressive I've seen."

"Thank you, Celestia. Still, let us not give those warmongering conquers their due. Now about the migration path..."

"Yes, back to that. Ponyville's Mayor has agreed to allow the migration to pass by, which is a fairly nice route. The area is quite lovely that time of year as well. It also has several areas rich in gems around it that are presently not in use. It'd also bring tourism to the town, which would be very helpful to some of my little ponies."

"And to ours as well, Everfree is already home to several of our children, and our ambassadors agree with you that it is a beautiful area. Very near the mountains, correct?"

"Yes, there are several mountain ranges in that area, plenty of places to roost."

"Sounds lovely, Celestia. It is always a pleasure to peacefully discuss matters, you've made things much more welcome for our children worldwide and we are appreciative of this kindness."

"All life is valuable, my dear friend, and peace benefits many. And besides, you are my old friend, I would desire nothing happen to you I do not desire returned."

All of Tiamat's heads nodded and both briefly took sips of their tea. I swear, one drop from the Dragon Queen's cup would have drowned me. But what a way to go...

"So, Celestia, how is Spike the Seventh doing with your apprentice?"

Weird dream again...But hey, even after the whole 'epic battle with my archenemy in another country where I witnessed...bad things', it was good to have a dream that was only slightly terrifying.

The treaty with Dragonkind was essentially what Princess Celestia and Queen Tiamat said it was; dragonkind would be friendly to Equestrians, and not harm us unprovoked and vice versa. Tiamat didn't expect us to aid in a war the dragons were involved in (those were rare anyway...the one with the Hooviets was the only one to ever happen that I was aware of), mainly out of pride. Dragons were a proud people, they didn't want to need our help. But Tiamat would come to Celestia's aid if need be, because Celestia was her friend...That said, I don't think Celestia would ask unless she had no choice for the same reason Tiamat would come.

Still, can't say it isn't refreshing to know Dragons and Ponies have something in common.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Yeah, pretty cool, huh?)

Yeah, though I can't help wondering something about it...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): What?)

What dragons add to their tea. I doubt it's milk and a teaspoon of sugar.

I looked around the sickbay, trying to figure out where exactly I was for a moment. And realized I'd slept there and thankfully not walked in my sleep.

"Cheep!"

"Oh...hello, tiny bird..."

"Cheep!"

"...Cadence wanted you to keep an eye on me for her, huh?"

"Cheep!"

"...Thanks...I'm having a conversation with a warbler, this is officially weird."

The bird nodded. "...Cheep cheep."

"What do you mean 'you know'?"

"Cheep cheep, cheep," it replied, pointing at me.

"Hey!"

"AHHHHHH!"

I was disturbed on my way to go get my armor after being discharged from the sickbay (read: insisted I was fine and signed myself out) by the sound of four familiar voices screaming at the top of their lungs.

"Cadence!"

Despite still being sore, I took off down the hallway at full speed and practically busted down the door. Yes, I had good reason to be paranoid now! Makarov wanted her to be his concubine! Whatever the hay that means!

"What's going on?!" I asked...and then saw Twinkle Shine with a huge bug of some sort struggling in her telekinesis.

"What is that?!" I yelled, as she continued wrestling the bug.

Cadence shivered, reasonably disturbed. "She was doing my mane and that was in it!"

Twinkle Shine started fighting it into a box.

"Those three were right! We didn't wash your mane last night after it apparently went all energy...y, and something from the jungle must've evolved in it!" Twinkleshine called as she finally managed to trap it in it inside.

Cadence blinked in confusion...then facehoofed.

"Auntie Celestia warned me that might happen and to check my mane when we were in forests!"

I just started at the scene before me. Cadence had just had a mutated insect pulled out of her mane and the soreness from yesterday was starting to register again now that my adrenaline rush was gone...

"...Just another day in my life."

The Royal Pet Handler was summoned to try and figure out what it was, but the troopers that had shown up were kept around in case the bug got out.

"Huh, well it's only about twenty percent larger than normal... Though it does seem to be a tad smarter than the average insect," She said.

"...What? And how can you tell whether it's SMARTER?" Twinkle Shine demanded.

I peeked over to see the insect get a leg through and manage to start opening the box. A trooper promptly put a book on top to keep it trapped.

"I second her observation," I replied.

"Do you maybe want to keep it as a pet, Your Highness?"

"NO! Er, I mean, no thank you. Is it dangerous and where did it come from?" Cadence said.

"It's quite harmless really, it mainly eats flies. As for where it's from, well, they're native to the forest, normal ones aren't that much smaller, they're quite common and love getting in mares' manes. Oddly not male manes though, it seems to be either hormonal differences or possibly even differing shampoos."

"Uh, I have to go..." Garnet said.

She and every other female Guard that had been on the mission took off, some already checking their manes.

"Oh...Well, at least somepony knows what it is," I noted.

"Could be worse, you could have gone in the rivers, there's apparently a small type of fish that swims up a male equine's..."

"Er, ma'am... that's enough, I think I know where it goes and I'd rather not think about it."

"Ah, yes, I hear you did have quite a nosebleed last night as it is."

"....Nose?"

With that out of the way, we got on with business - I got my correct barding, and we had a lot to catch up on even if my head still throbbed a bit.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): What happened to the giant bug?)

Cadence said something about letting the scientists look at it.

Bond soon arrived to explain things. Before the breakfast that had been sent for, annoyingly, so I wasn't getting to enjoy morning tea in a moment of peace, but I had a job to do.

"Alright, so..."

"Are you sure you're feeling well enough, Shining?" Cadence then asked again.

"Yes, Princess, I'm well enough to discuss these matters."

"To be honest I've looked a lot worse some mornings than the Captain. Mostly self inflicted with salt and alcohol of course," Bond noted.

"That said I think we should try keep it brief, I think it's best for everypony we get up to date as soon as possible," Minuette resumed.

"...Agreed, there's a lot to do today I imagine," I replied.

She sighed, and looked at a diary.

"...You could say the schedule is full, except the one I had is null and void with all the moving onto ships and stuff last night..."

I knew that look. It was the look Twilight normally got when a sudden change of schedule threw her entire checklist out, normally resulting in her spending the night in a bookfort making a new one... it was actually kind of adorable. On Twilight, not Minuette.

"Alright, then. Quick summary of events. We've been asked to leave the country along with many other diplomats and civilians. At present our flotilla is escorting three other civilian ships that requested or were assigned to our escort by local Air Traffic Control. The Svoboda, which is flying a Latverian flag, a Santa Mayan-flagged freighter called Solar Blessings, and a Neighverlands-registered ship called the Kono."

"...Is that important?" I wondered.

Bond gave me a look.

"...Probably not to you. Look up the term 'flags of convenience' when you find time," He snapped.

"Lieutenant Commander, is that necessary?" Cadence said.

"...My apologies, but it's been a long night for me as well."

"No problem, keep going," I said.

I had to sympathize even before he revealed the real reason: I assumed I'd given him a heck of a lot of extra work, including the whole 'explain to the Griffins why we need to pay them for their rockets we fired while also maintaining a cover story to avoid an international incident' thing...

"To clarify, it's just the Latverian and Santa Mayan flags are among those sometimes used by foreign ships to conceal questionable actions. Kono is a bit suspect for other reasons, but it isn't a threat."

"Alright. I gather that we're actually going to pass the civilian ships off to friendly forces to escort them?" Cadence asked.

"Yes, we've got a Neighponese group, Third Cruiser Squadron. They were apparently on the way to Brayzil, escorting a ship carrying the Neighponese National... Um, okay, apparently taking about half a dozen of their national teams to Brayzil for two tournaments, three friendlies, and a challenge trophy. And one royal.

"We might come back to that, keep going," I said, fearful that every time I got myself examined by a doctor it summoned the party princess...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Don't worry, back home if you get hurt at least the party pony you might summon is a friend of Twilight.)

...Sweet Celestia, there's TWO of them?!

"So yes, they'll be escorting all the civilians to safety and we've got them aware that the Svoboda needs looking after. Now, there's the matter of Maasailand. We can't enter early as we were being given a very rare honor even being asked to reach the capital, but we should be allowed to visit their diplomatic island south of Montauk early."

"...Wait, they don't let diplomats in normally?" Minuette asked.

"They're very isolationist. I've heard some stories about why... but the main point is I suppose is that we're spending a day or two with... other diplomats... before we actually meet our hosts and are back on schedule?" I asked.

I hoped the change of schedules she didn't have to write would cheer Minuette up...Or maybe she was looking forward to writing them. With ponies like her and Twiley, it's hard to tell sometimes.

"Well, we've got a fair bit to attend to here but we don't have to worry about any viability assessments for use of lethal force. I checked, and if we can get the agreement of a Princess, then this matter is signed off as a valid threat to innocent life necessitating all means without restriction."

"All but done: quill or rubber stamp?" Cadence replied.

"Quill would be preferable, Your Highness. Um, Captain, about Lance-Corporal..."

"I don't believe he ever fired his bow at all last night," I cut Minuette off.

Turned out he'd fired it once, and it was an explosive arrowhead aimed down the barrel of an enemy BTR's gun when he realized it was just big enough. Show-off. But anyway...

"The basics are we don't need to have another inquest or fifty then. That's good, they were insanely stressful," Cadence nodded.

"We will be assessing troopers of course, they did see some nasty things last night. I already checked Ellis, Captain, he's alright," Bond quickly said as my eyes had widened.

"...What about everypony else?"

"Generally speaking, everyone just seems angry at the Hooviets for doing what they did. Good news is the only ones from ours that used any potentially lethal force all seem to be doing okay as well. We'll keep assessments but..."

"What about me? I... I killed that fake alicorn," I said.

To my surprise, Minuette didn't gasp. Somehow that made me feel even more uneasy.

"...Mother Deer explained this. You simply freed her. Ask any vet. Sometimes all you can do is end suffering..."

I didn't ask him to clarify which meaning of vet he meant. Bond's career meant he had certainly ran into his fair share of soldiers. Given how generally humorless he could be I had my suspicions about his second job as well at times...

"...You did her a service, Shining. Mother Deer assures us you've saved her."

"We're here to talk if you need us anyway," Cadence added.

"Finally, the last matter, and... I'm sorry but this might be part of why I'm so cranky. We've been given word by the Kunduan government... We will have permission to search for the Defiant when we reach their territory."

"I see..." Cadence said sympathetically.

"...So what do we do for now?" Minuette wondered a few moments later.

"I think we should maybe have the Princess speak to the troops involved last night, make sure she's supportive of them. Her encouragement could be helpful. And of course the fact she fought with them will probably be a morale booster," I suggested.

"Good idea. Oh... There's another matter I need to ask. We're presently carrying most of the bodies we recovered last night while our engineers and medics are making an area on the Svoboda able to safely store and preserve cadavers on the trip... but there's one body that Mother Deer asks if perhaps we could bury at sea ourselves this evening."

"...We can do that. I would like to attend," Cadence said.

"...I'd like to attend as well. It's the least I can do," I added.

The rest of the day was a sort of organized chaos, or a disorganised harmony, maybe. Troopers spoke to counsellors, The Princess gave a speech, we received a letter from Celestia...

"...Uh oh. Somepony else open it..."

Gag volunteered.

"...She says that the SEALS reported no problems in Ponyville at all last night and they think the deer are out of the area. She's still going to leave a few of them in town just in case."

"Phew!"

She then facehoofed.

"...Auntie won't know the rebels aren't a problem."

"I still think it's a good idea to keep security up, all the same," I was quick to say.

"Oh, certainly, but, I think I need to contact Auntie about last night... I could use her advice actually..."

Something seemed to be bothering her still...

"What's wrong? Is this about Makarov?"

"No, it's just..."

I looked to the others. "Mind giving us a moment alone?"

Despite snickering Hoofmaidens, we were soon alone.

"Now, what is it?"

Cadence gave a sigh.

"...Shining...you know how I started saying things when I was fighting Makarov? How I said things I have no idea what they mean?" she asked, looking vulnerable and almost frightened.

"...I don't know why I said it, but it felt like I was close to opening a door... to unlocking something inside of me..." Cadence looked up at me with fearful eyes.

"Shining...I'm scared if I do that again I'm not going to come back. That....I'll stop being me...I don't understand it...I'm just scared..."

To say I was speechless is an understatement...I had no idea what to say. What could I say? So I just hugged her. Yes, I knew the Hoofmaidens would break out in song if they knew I did, but Cadence wasn't just a Princess. We'd known each other since we were teens...I didn't care if she was a Princess or an Alicorn, she was somepony I cared about and that's all that mattered to me...

"...I'll do my best to make it so you don't have to again."

Cadence didn't reply...she just let me comfort her for awhile until she was ready to move on with the day. I also convinced her to go to some counseling herself. She had been in the first real battle she'd ever been in in her entire life, so yes, I was worried about her.

Evening came, and Invincible flew a little lower down over the ocean. In the lower hangar, a small group stood by the open door. Four Air Naval Cavalry unicorns, muskets at the ready. Four Earth Pony ANC to bear the casket over the edge of the ship. Dima, Natasha, Mother Deer, Myself, Cadence, and Commander Shepard. There were also the five former Hooviets from the tank along with a few prisoners from the battle who Mother Deer had converted in the meantime (they'd mainly been staying on the Svoboda under strict watch), along with a few extra guard keeping an eye on them.

Shepard had said the Rebels checked out, so no one really questioned them being aboard. Plus, well, we're ponies, we're kinda accepting like that. Unfortunately, with the Hooviets around, we had to keep Mother Deer secret from the Deer over on the Enterprise for their own safety.

Normally, we try to bury Earth Ponies in the soil. Unicorns and Pegasi are more inclined to cremation and scattering ashes, but we had no time to find land, and the cybernetic technology simply couldn't be risked for recovery. Burial at sea was the only pragmatic and acceptable option.

It was also a remarkably brief ceremony. The first funeral I'd attended seemed to last forever... but then, I was about five at the time. A later one only seemed short because I forgot so much of it, yet long, because all I'd done was try not to stare at the casket the whole time.

As for why other ceremonies had been long... family and friends spoke. Yablokovodka had lost them all. We couldn't say much. Mother Deer gave her blessings to the body and the spirit. The former Hooviets had said apologies for being a part of what had happened to her. That was all there was to it.

Shepard, as the ship's captain, oversaw the actual ceremony portion.

"Mother Earth, you gave us this life to walk your surface with us, and matters prevent us directly returning her to your embrace. We entrust her body to the sea that it may bring her to you, as her spirit has returned to the sky,"

The four muskets gave a crack as they fired. One musket for each goddess. Celestia, Cadence, Luna, and Mother Deer. The Earth Ponies lifted the casket up and gently led it to the edge.

"Thank you for allowing us to give her rest, Princess," Mother Deer then said.

"It was the right thing," Cadence replied.

"I would also like to thank you again for all your other help, and for saving the villagers of Segis. We are taking them to safety, the Neighponese will help lead us to a land where they can find a safe haven... I sent an avatar of myself to speak with a leader I felt would be receptive."

"...You spoke with Auntie?"

"Yes, in a manner of speaking."

"H-how much does Aunt Celly know about..."

"Your Aunt Celestia knows only that I have contacted Equestria for aid for souls in need. Your Aunt Luna, however, was rather startled... It seems this was her first night conducting court since her return, and she had been expecting something less eventful than another Goddess seeking an audience."

"That must have been, uh... What is Princess Luna like?" I wondered.

Mother Deer pondered this.

"I think the term that applies to my... relative at the moment is 'a fish out of water,' Is that right?"

"Um, Possibly."

"Certainly, she is a little different from when I last saw her a thousand years ago, though she has an advantage in that she is regaining power faster. After all, her people simply need see the moon to understand one of her main concepts. Whereas mine have the understanding of my concept strangled by the Hooviets."

"Um, Mother Deer, how is Aunt Luna related to you?"

"It is rather complicated. I fear if I delved into details, it might be... counterproductive. To say the least. You've already had to face enough cosmic revelations recently. Explaining my relationship to Luna fully would require knowing more about the universe than most would be comfortable or even things we don't understand. Just know that you and I are family, Cadence."

After that, we simply had to wait the rest of the flight to the Diplomatic Island south of Montauk, in Maasailand. I'd tried to rest up a bit in my cabin, but I'd already read all the books on the ship...

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): All of them?)

...That looked good.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Oh.)

So I decided to finally try writing down the ideas I had for a novel. I risked the radio...

"Please, nothing about Hooviets, wolves, or fish that swim up your nose..."

"Talk with your mouth full, Bite the hand that feeds you..."

"...Yeah, that works."

I wrote for a little while, none of the songs being all that ominous or spooky. Most of them seemed to be rather crazy songs. Parodies, comedy songs, that sort of thing... Yet my writing just didn't seem to be working. And the lingering pain wasn't helping much towards me being able to think...

"...Now a slightly odd request for seven PM, 'Hush Now, Quiet Now'. Hope you've got permission to be looking for an early night, Sailor, and everyone else is warned not to fall asleep at your posts..."

I sighed, putting my head down and trying to think...

"It looks like you're writing a sci-fi piece of invasion literature leaning towards realistic science and magic, would you like help?" The Paperclip said.

"...Buh?!"

It was just a paperclip, with a face on it. The same face as...

"...Weren't you in my dream the other night? You threw a doll at me!"

"Yeah, my brother said 'hit him over the head with the tip', I thought that was kind of silly, but it worked!" The Paperclip said.

"You mean it gave me... the idea on what to do with Yablo.. the cyborg?"

"No, you got annoyed by it enough to remember it and use it productively."

"I don't...quite understand..."

"Good!" she said cheerily. I just sighed in annoyance.

"Look, who are you? Why are you a paperclip? Why are you in my room? And why am I only now just realizing I must be dreaming again?!"

"Hm, good questions. My answer to all of them is: because it's funny."

"Even who are you?"

"...Yes."

I sighed.

"Look...I'm not sure what to do here, at all."

"I know, that's why I'm here to help! It's my job, actually! Scifi epic and the like, following in your mother's hoofsteps but making them all stalliony instead of secretly plotting that very odd book like your sister plans... Honestly, why only fifty shades?"

"Huh?"

"Nothing. Seems to be the fashionable one's fault anyway... So, you need ideas. What do you have?"

"...I'm sorry, but honestly the idea of a paperclip giving me help seems oddly annoying."

She sighed.

"That happens a lot. How about the dog?"

"NO!"

"Fine..."

With a ping, she resumed her... I suppose regular... form. Only for some reason wearing what looked like a pretty good RoboGuard cosplay. And staying tiny and on my desk.

"Alright, now, most writers try to write what they know, or research the heck out of the subject first, or they just make it all up and then annoy some people because they got it wrong. Or go the middle ground and then use research to make it up, like making whole alien worlds similar but different, changing a few things here and there.."

"That sounds like you're listing all writers."

"In the end, yes. It's about imagination really. Sometimes imaginations work better restricted, others need to be free. But when you have no imagination and go completely free it's just messy. Overpowered mary-sues, main characters getting sidelined, characters being one dimensional author stand-ins, they just follow cliches and copy other stories instead of being inspired by them. That sort of thing," she smiled.

I sighed.

"...Okay, so, what. I write what I know? Things I've seen, people I know?"

"Yeah! Like, right now you wanna figure out your aliens. They're aliens, but flying saucers are a bit cliché, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Think of the sky..."

I tried to think of the sky...

"Chirp?" The Warbler said.

"Um... Hi again."

My...advisor gave a chuckle. "Think of the sky-sky. Truth is out there, secret files, coverups, Ponies in Black..." For some reason that music from the opening of those 'X-Folders' radio dramas started playing as she said that.

"Black triangles!" I shouted.

"Good, good!"

"...That could be their main attack craft, like an SF-1 but with... Lightning guns? No, maybe they'd be energy bolts... ball lightning?"

"Yeah, now what about the ground?"

"...They'd use something more advanced than us. Beyond our magic and technology as we know it but still possible... Some kind of advanced tank?"

"Normal tanks are boring for aliens, try something special," my visitor said.

"...walking tanks that can just be dropped from the sky. Tough legs to carry their weight and resist damage, some kind of technology making them have low ground pressure, lower than tanks..."

I thought of the most obvious answer, my solution for almost everything.

"...Maybe shields. Protect them from fire, protect them being dropped, lift them off the ground a little to reduce their ground weight..."

"Good!"

"...On two legs. But not all that big, maybe no taller than a tank standing all the way up. They don't need more than one pilot, or they could even be remote... or... robots..."

She clapped her hands, strangely each clap sounding like a different fantasy soundtrack playing. "Great! You'd be stunned how many quadrupeds jump to eight instead of drop to two! That's actually a pretty rare idea you had! Of course, three is kind of common, but funny because we both know why that's impractical, so not really good for a serious story like you want, better for a parody... And lots of ponies forget tall targets can't hide too good..."

"Yeah... Those seem like decent ideas..." I mused.

"Yep. Glad I helped, but somepony's at the door!"

"Um... what's that knocking?"

"The Door. I just said!" She said, her voice fading as I....

"Brghflzlkpm...." Seemed to be the sound I made as I woke.

"Captain? If you're falling asleep at your desk maybe you'd better go to bed," Thunderchild advised.

"I wasn't asleep, I was just... Considering some ideas..."

Even as I replied I was trying to write them down. Thunderchild knew better than to look at them.

"Yeah, that novel of yours... Maybe you'd better consider them in bed?"

"Do you have something to say?" I sighed, my headache waking up as well.

"Princess Cadenza asked me to check up on you."

"...And you did, so unless you've got any suggestions for my novel, can I get some peace, please?"

"Actually, I do have one suggestion... The hero should be a handsome pegasus, with a beautiful yellow marefriend..."

"Do you have a serious suggestion?"

"I was serious."

"Then goodnight, Sergeant, please let me spend the rest of the evening in peace trying to write."

He left eventually, and I pondered the... dream... I'd had. Why did I keep imagining about a weird creature like that giving me advice? I thought back about the statue in Canterlot...what was it called? Dracon-something...

Still, Thunderchild had a point. I was pretty tired. It'd only been a day since I'd used more mana than I thought I had... again. On cue the headache ramped itself up a little at the base of my horn. I switched the radio off, put my notes away, and retired for the night.

We soon reached Maasailand, where the Neighponese flotilla was waiting to give me a different kind of headache as my mana-overuse one left. Our three civilian ships were duly passed into the care of elements from that flotilla, and went on their way as we moved to the diplomatic island. The remainder of the flotilla was waiting there a couple of days (it seemed Euphie had her own Minuette who'd put a few extra days on the timetable in case of delays, or, in this case, a sudden stop to say hello to Equestrians and lead civilians out of a minor crisis zone).

The island seemed normal enough. The various permanent embassies were all fairly large, and a number of dockyards gave berths for less permanent embassies based on ships. Not many nations had built permanent structures. Equestria was one of the few that had, but mainly to provide a separate dockyard for a number of smaller nations to use. The Neighponese Flotilla had borrowed it. The actual embassy was little more than a Guard barracks and some offices, plus a small meeting room where the occasional host diplomat would meet our ambassador.

We were not planning on staying there. We were supposed to be given the rare honor of actually being invited into Maasailand, to their capital. We were the first in decades, the first since the rise of The Brotherhood fifty years ago.

The Brotherhood of the Scorpion had apparently launched a counter-coup the eve of an effort by pro-Hooviet forces to launch their own. Little was known about the actual event, but what was clear, was that the Brotherhood had been around for a long time before they'd emerged from the shadows. Possibly even centuries.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): An ancient conspiracy?! Your weirdness magnet strikes again!)

That's not the half of it. Since then, they'd fallen silent. Their diplomats were all recalled, and the few foreign diplomats present in their country were relocated to the island in the south, near the city of Montauk.

Montauk was all we could see of Maasailand from here, and it was hard to miss. It looked like some kind of nightmare castle, a black wall fifty meters high at the edge of the coast, towers like scorpion tails curled out at regular intervals, and emblems of a scorpion tail inside a triangle. At night it got worse, because there was just an eerie red glow from the whole city, the tips of the scorpion tails glowing, the emblems shining red.

It wasn't hard to believe some of the stories. Most of the stories said that the Brotherhood were a mad cult awaiting their messiah. In one, the messiah was supposedly a 'very bald' being. They would wage war against 'The Eagle' to control the world when he came to them. Other stories claimed they were awaiting 'the Shadow-King' returning, and then they would do the control the world thing. Another, that they awaited a dark Queen, which may have been proven false as Nightmare Moon was already taken care of. A dozen other stories were out there.

The general fear though, one I somewhat shared, was that these guys were the next biggest problem to the world at large after the Hooviets. Particularly since they'd managed to out-coup the Hooviets. That Shadow-King thing also had me fearing they would see Makarov as their Messiah.

They'd been hiding for decades. This couldn't bode well, surely...

Then again, maybe the Hooviets and this Brotherhood would get into a fight and keep Makarov occupied so I could sneak up on him to lure the Wolf or something...Oh who was I kidding? I WISH I was that lucky.

"...Certainly like their scorpions," Twinkle Shine noted as we watched from the deck.

"Yes, it's, er... very..." Cadence seemed to struggle to describe it.

"It reminds me of Maredor in that book with the magic ring. But more evil looking," Gag said bluntly.

We then found ourselves called to the bridge... out a window, because the deck was actually forward of it. Saved time, I guess. We went up and a junior officer was on the radio.

"Princess, Imperial Princess Euphie has contacted us and-...yes, it is Princess Cadence...Uh...well, she says 'Hello, Cadence-sempai!'"

Cadence chuckled.

"She says that-yes, she's happy to hear from you-she wants to-ugh, she say-"

"Just patch me through directly," the Princess replied.

I didn't understand much of the conversation, since Cadence spoke in Neighponese. But she hung up and smiled. "Euphie-chan says that they're not letting her have parties on her own ships due to security concerns. Their hangars are all full of something called Umidoris..."

"Seagulls, a Neighponese type of Light Patrol airship. Their transports are called Ospreys or Misagos, and they call their SF-1 equivalent the Type-0 right now as it's meant to be experimental," Hornblower cut in.

"Oh, that's too bad..." I said, secretly rather happy there wouldn't be a Neighponese Princess Party for me to get pulled into.

"So I offered to let her come and throw a party in our hangar. It is almost Gag's birthday, and since his special talent is languages, it might be pretty fun."

"...Great..." I replied. When I was out of sight promptly slammed my head into a wall.

I had to at least admit the idea of a party meant something to calm everypony down, even if it wasn't quite my scene. I'd tried to decline as many of them as I reasonably could each week. But this one, I pretty much had to attend. Gag was... had been the rookie of the squad, after all. He'd made Lance-Corporal just less than a year after moving into active Guard duties. Not too surprising though, he'd been a Private in training for a year before that. So yeah, I didn't have much choice but to celebrate.

"...The Umpire is puzzled when the Manehattan Regiment walks up and dumps two buckets of sand and one of cement into a field. 'What's that for?' He asks. 'Captain wanted a mortar attack on this field.'," Gag explained to the rest of the squad and a couple of Neighponese Uniformed Shinobi.

It got a few chuckles for once. Garnet had been encouraging him to try going for shorter jokes. 'Four Night Guards walk into a bar - this is why flashlights are useful' was pretty good, I thought.

"Enjoying yourself, Running?"

"Yeah, Sir. Seems that the Princesses working together can make a pretty good party," he said.

"It helps they had a heck of a lot of party supplies for some reason. Saves some for our next few," Thunderchild added.

The Uniformed Shinobi simply nodded, and said something.

"He says 'Euphie-sama felt it was vital such large stocks were needed. She almost felt they were more required than patrol craft...'"

"Fortunately, even Imperial Princesses can't overrule common sense," a mare in a green turtleneck noted as she neared. She looked familiar...

"Have I seen you before?" I decided to be direct.

"Maybe. How many princesses have you met from Neighpon?"

"Just the one. And a Prince, but that didn't end well..."

"Then you've not seen me before," She grinned. Well, at least I didn't accidentally clop off another foreign noble.

"...Yuffie-Sempai, please stop teasing everypony with that," Shosa Suzaku sighed. He had approached with Cadence and Euphie.

"It's true though, but Dad's only a Daimyo, so I'm much lower ranked than Euphie-Sama. But I'm a Ninja. Are you a ninja, Euphie-Sama?"

"...No," The senior Neighponese princess pouted.

"It's easier to just think of me as a ninja, an awesome, beautiful..."

"...Supremely arrogant and embarrassing..." Suzaka and Taichi said in synchronization.

"...and now slightly annoyed Kunochi. You guys both suck."

Ok, I have to admit, I'm kind of with her on this one; being a Ninja Princess is pretty cool...maybe I should try working one into my novel.

"Captain Sparkle, Cadenza-Chan tells me you don't seem to like to sing," Euphie then cut in.

"Er, not quite true, I just... Don't have much enthusiasm for it," I tried.

"That's a shame given who you bodyguard. Suzaku sings. Even Taichi sings..."

Somepony muttered something in Neighponese nearby, that Gag translated as 'and every time he did mother thought the cat was being strangled...' which was unfortunate as I went on to say:

"Truth be told... I don't think I have a good singing voice. It sounds like...."

"A cat being strangled, Sir?" Gag offered.

"Yes!"

The Neighponese party seemed to chuckle at this, for reasons that are now clear to you but were not clear to me. Cheeky bugger.

"I find that hard to believe, really. You've seemed okay those few times on the trip, and you weren't a bad singer when we were foals..." Cadence then said.

"I think you should try when the karaoke starts!" Euphie then proclaimed.

"...Do I have to?"

"Well, it's your choice, really..." Cadence noted.

"I'd rather not," I admitted.

"Ooh, maybe you should duet with somepony then?" Twinkle Shine then offered. She showed up so fast I thought she teleported but the ship's wards prevented internal teleporting...and I don't know if she even knows how to teleport.

"Hm, yes, somepony skilled at singing to help you keep rhythm..." Suzaku noted...

"Indeed, a stronger singer to hold you up on the areas you falter," Taichi nodded.

Yes, even the darn Samurai and Ninjas were in on it! At least the Ninja Princess wasn't in on it yet.

"Ooh! Why not Cadenza-Chan! You could try a duet!"

Faced with this, and with my mana still a little low, I was practically defenseless...

"...Okay, I might sing, but I'll probably wait until near the end of the party. And I'm not sure about a duet, either," I tried.

"Fair enough, just give it a go either way, Shining," Cadence smiled.

I was really hoping maybe more ponies wanted to sing first, and I could maybe enjoy some others that sang badly before I went up to embarrass myself.

Fat chance. Cadence had a go first, and again, everypony else seemed to get a boost after it... Sunset and Ranger were probably the most impressive.

"You're all I need, to set me free, and this fire will guide you home..."

Still, that reminded me a duet was a bad idea.

"I think I'll just be put down for singing myself," I said to Minuette, taking names for ponies wanting to sing.

"Okay, Captain. I'll just let the Princess know, she'll probably sing one more time to end the night. I'll have you sing before her, will I?"

"Sure..."

I just told her to pick any old song. I'd ruin it anyway.

Then the trap was sprung.

"Whoops, I put you both down for the same song!"

"...Seriously, Minny?"

"Just an admin error, but, well, we are a little short on time..."

Coming from the pony almost as compulsive as Twilight, that made me suspicious.

The groan Cadence gave made it clear she wasn't involved in this.

"I just don't sing, then," I said.

"...Look, Shining, I don't think this song is a duet, so it wouldn't be too awkward. Besides, you're worried about not singing, those two did have a point. I can help you... Please?" Cadence said.

"...Okay."

And so I wound up having a duet with Princess Cadenza for the first time in about fifteen years.

"He stares out the window, blank as a canvas, made up in the sunlight of swirling smoke and ash..."

It wasn't a duet, but it somehow felt like I was singing about myself in the third person... And I don't think I was as bad as I feared I would be, though I'm pretty sure the applause was mostly for Cadence. The Hoofmaidens all said me and Cadence's singing complimented each other perfectly, but knowing them...

The bottom line was... I wound up feeling pretty relaxed all round when it was over. Guess sometimes you just need to face your fears. Speaking of which, onto what was considered the second scariest country on the planet.

The next evening, after we'd had another day to somewhat wind down and prepare, we were facing fear again. Cadence, Sunset, Minuette, Myself, and Commander Shepard waited at the table in the embassy's meeting room. Audience and Ellis stood by the doors outside, Thunderchild, and Garnet stood behind the five of us, and Gag was on hoof to translate just in case. We were trying to look as impressive as we could. We'd put Cadence in the middle, the two officers flanking her, and a hoofmaiden either side of us, trying to draw as much attention to our Alicorn as possible.

"The Emissary has arrived and is presently on his way," a messenger reported.

"...Officer you, Petty Thank," Cadence said. We didn't comment, and silence fell again.

"...I wish he'd told us what species to expect at least. For all we know it could be a giant scorpion," she then said.

"Please relax, Princess, I'm sure that things aren't too bad..." Sunset tried.

"Besides, the giant scorpion wouldn't be the emissary, it'd probably their leader," Gag commented.

That joke might have actually been funny...if we weren't all afraid it was true.

Everypony else in the room had actually heard the stories. It didn't help that the sun had began to set in the west, making the ruddy glow of Montauk in the windows facing north more and more ominous every passing minute.

Then they came. Audience and Ellis opened the doors, entered... and were followed by a group of half a dozen Zebra, all in black insect-like armor with flowing red capes. Each of them wore false scorpion tails, and all wore creepy gas-masks with glowing red eye-covers, including a third rounded glowing spot in the middle that made it look like they had three eyes. On their chests, a blood-red triangle with a black hoofprint in the middle.

Two of them shuffled our troopers off to the side to flank the door, my Lance-Corporals deferring to our hosts. The other four formed a line behind the single seat The Emissary would sit in.

And then he entered. A bald Donkey, with a goatee beard. He wore a black leather trenchcoat edged with red lines, the leather hopefully either from non-sapient cows, or at least purchased legally as part of some Cow funeral rights... but with the stories, well, who knows. He lacked any markings other than a badge of the red triangle with a black hoofprint on either side of the collar of his coat.

He was easily the most intimidating donkey I had ever seen, despite not looking much. Maybe it was the way most donkeys that lost their manes wore a wig, but here was this guy, not caring one bit...

"In the name of KANE, I bring you greetings, Princess Cadenza. May the Magic of Peace bring good tidings to your house. I am Inquisitor-Cardinal Vectron of the Black Hoof of KANE's Peace Cadre, and I am here to discuss your entry to the People's Chosen and Holy Peaceful Realm of Maasailand."

Oh horseapples, I thought. Putting peaceful in the title of your nation rarely ended well... and this talk of magic of peace did not sound good. And he had a name and title about a sentence long! That's never a good sign!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Spike's full name is Kenbroath Gillspotten Heathspike the Seventh.)

Well, he's a baby dragon - he's too cute to be evil!

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): And technically, yours is Captain Shining Armor Sparkle, Commander of the Bodyguard of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza Equestria. Well, Captain Shining Armor Sparkle of Canterlot, Officer of the First Harmony Regiment, of the Twentieth Harmony Brigade, of the Third Division, of the Equestrian Royal Guard, Commander of the Bodyguard of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza Equestria to use all your possible titles and affiliations.)

Erk. I might be evil.

(Interviewer's notes (Earth Pony): Hey, at least ya can brag ya gotta fancier-sounding title than Mr. Azure Raven!)

...YES!

"My greetings and thanks to you, Inquisitor-Cardinal, for meeting with us. On behalf of the Principality of Equestria I extend a hoof of peace and friendship and hope that our discussions will be peaceful, harmonious, and productive," Cadence said back.

"It seems KANE smiles upon us this evening, Princess Cadenza. In a meeting with the Pontiffs of the Brotherhood, The Right Paw of KANE, Seth, has decreed that we are to open our borders to the emissaries of the Principality of Equestria. The power of KANE be with you."

Phew! That had been fairly simple...

"However, before we open the borders we must ask you these questions of your intentions and abilities..."

Uh oh.

"One... What... Is your name?"

"Princess Mi Amore Cadenza Equestria."

"What... is your favourite color?"

"Purple. But, er, I think Red is lovely too..."

He nodded. Had that worked?

"And finally, what... is your quest?"

"I am on a diplomatic mission to spread harmony, peace, and goodwill to the world, extending the Hoof of Equestrian Friendship."

He looked very intrigued at this.

"Most interesting, you are also followers of KANE even from beyond the borders of the marked?"

"I, er, I'm afraid you may need to clarify, Inquisitor-Cardinal... Who is KANE?"

"KANE is not who, but what, Princess. KANE is Kindness And Nonviolence Everywhere. It is the goal of Maasailand, of the Brotherhood. It is the ideal the Peace Cadre, the Clerical and Peacekeeper Arm of the Brotherhood, preserve! Until the day the Messiah comes to us, we wait isolated, for the day the Messiah comes is the day we shall open our borders and spread out, taking the Magic of Peace to the whole world, preaching the ideals of KANE in the name of our God-or-Goddess!"

He looked fanatical. Deranged. Oh Sweet Celestia they were going to kill us all in a few years if their Messiah showed up!

Cadence kept her cool externally at least.

"...God OR Goddess?"

"Yes. Our Messiah will show us who we should place faith in. We will be shown which God-or-Goddess fits our needs, we shall worship their name, and we shall spread their word and their will. The Ideals of KANE need a god or goddess that is...fitting. Promoting and representing.... non-disorder. I am unsure how to phrase it..."

"...Harmony?" I offered.

The word appeared entirely alien to him. He consulted his troops, and then Gag offered his aid. They all seemed rather pleased.

"Why, yes! Harmony... Harmony seems a fitting word. It would appear to in fact mean exactly what KANE means in our native language."

"I wondered why you kept saying Harmony," Gag grinned.

"Pray tell, by KANE... By Harmony's Blessing, do you maybe know a God or Goddess that promotes Harmony, Captain Sparkle?"

"...Mi Amore Cadenza?" I said hesitantly. "In fact she's literally the Alicorn of Harmony."

One of the soldiers at the door fainted.

"Could it be? The prophecy says that The Messiah, who shows us our patron and lets our people travel to preach our ideals at last, will see the truth of his duty in the presence of white horses, and then the Messiah shall lead us to the shining prosperity! Captain, please, answer these questions three!"

...Oh Celestia, I think I just accidentally made these Zebra think I was their messiah. And given my luck, I probably was!

"One... can you count?"

Yes...

"Are you male?"

Yes... Oh Horseapples...

"Four..."

I was so nervous I couldn't help myself.

"What happened to three?!"

Another soldier fainted.

"Excellent! Now there are but four more questions!"

One, is my coat color natural? Yes. Two, was I still male? Yes. Three...

"Is your sister Purple?"

"...What the... Y-yes, she is..."

Thunderchild managed to break his shock long enough to add his two bits.

"She's also the Element of Magic, leader of the Elements of Harmony-OW!" And be kicked by Garnet for his trouble.

Another soldier fainted on each question answered. The one left was wobbling.

"Finally, Captain Shining Armor Sparkle, for one million pounds..."

"Eh?"

"It Is Written That The Question Must Be Phrased Like This," he clarified, then continued.

Celestia, are you serious? No, really, I was beginning to think this was Celestia's doing! It was definitely something she'd do! If they also had a hymn about their God being bigger....

"...Are you the Messiah?"

I thought about this.

"...Um... yes?"

I hoped I'd got it right...

The soldiers un-fainted and Vectron looked glum.

"Blast. The true Messiah would only know their divine role by not knowing it was their true role. A false positive would believe they were and in the process disqualify themselves from being the Messiah."

"Um, I'm sorry..." I said, secretly glad I'd called it.

"No, no, not your fault, Captain, the Magic of Peace moves in strange ways. It would seem it is another who shall show us our God or Goddess. But thank you for playing!"

"...Um, I had fun?" I presumed 'It Was Written That He Had To Say That' or something.

"Er, Inquisitor-Cardinal, may I ask a few questions about Maasailand?" Cadence asked.

"Certainly. We may not be certain if you will be our God-or-Goddess, but you're still a Goddess we can agree with. And you very well still could be our God-or-Goddess. Only the Messiah knows for sure."

"Tell me something... The black and the scorpions, all the red lights... What do they symbolize?"

"They are a symbol of peace, and the red light is the light of love and peace that we shine for all the world to see as they pass, that they know we are peaceful and seek to leave us be for the moment!"

"I... I see, it's just it actually looks a little intimidating to most of us."

"...It does?"

"Yes."

"It does not fill you with feelings of peace and goodwill?"

"Not really, but, er, it's really just a small cultural difference. Now we know, it's much less intimidating! And my Auntie loves red, just look at the sunrise and sunset!"

He nodded.

"...Indeed. Truth be told, your peaceful words confused me when I had saw the aggressive colors of the armor your peacekeepers wear."

"Gold is intimidating in your culture?"

"Very much so. We gave away all our surplus as soon as The Brotherhood brought peace to the nation. 'Take this gold in the name of peace, that we shall avoid violence,' we said, and though they were fearful to accept it, our neighbors kindly took the fearful burden unto themselves that we might isolate ourselves in peace."

...They probably thought that the Maasailanders were trying to buy them off or bribe spies. When guys dressed in black with ominous red glows and scorpion tails everywhere say 'shut up and take my money' you take the money. Especially with the bit they said at the end.

It actually started making sense though. In Zhongguo, white was considered a color of death...still there's cultural differences and then there's just plain weird!

For an apparently mad cult-led dictatorship it was... nice. Bit too much black and red everywhere maybe and every light being red at night meant I tripped over things a lot, but it was probably the most friendly slightly-insane place I'd been to since that time I went to Ponyville and Draco Island.

...Still, all that red light and black backgrounds did cast worrying shadows. And there was one small incident that caused some alarm.

"And this is area of the Temple is known as The Back Seat, where the Manticore of Peace and Happiness has his nest! In fact, it is feeding time, would anypony like to feed him?" Brother Marcion, our guide, said as he showed us the Temple of Nod in the city of, er, Nod.

"F-feed... AAAAAAARGH!" Sunset bolted.

"...Goodness, I didn't know any of you knew his name. Is she away to get his tofu? He's a vegetarian, you see."

"...He's called Aaargh?!" Cadence wondered even as I sent Gag and Thunderchild to catch our fleeing Hoofmaiden.

"Yes, it means 'most peaceful, fluffy, and adorable' in our language."

Aaargh was indeed a Manticore, though apparently Maasailand Manticores are a lot more docile and friendly than their Equestrian cousins. Turns out the scorpion tails just help them roost, like bats with lion bodies, and are used by the manticores to 'talk' to each other (wonder what happens if one of them talks in their sleep...). They were also not much bigger than a medium-sized dog...For once the place we visited was weird BEFORE I got there. I wondered how long my good luck was going to hold out before the universe remembered it hated my guts.

Much of the time was spent with our two cultures genuinely sharing and learning about each other: We were almost sad to have to leave, especially since the next place was the first Hooviet Ally on the list.

Djelibeybi, formerly the Kingdom Of, and presently People's Greater Good Of, was where the Hooviets got a hoofhold in Zebrafrica. Fifty years ago, their Pharaoh began to try and terraform the southern deserts, driving them back... and starting a civil war as the desert nomads feared their way of life would be destroyed. It drew in other nations, including pre-Brotherhood Maasailand on the side of the Pharaoh (resulting in their Hooviet-backed coup that was then toppled by the Brotherhood). End results, tens of thousands dead, the desert nomads split away into two new nations along lines of tribal similarities and shared customs with Hooviet backing, and two (technically three) governments were toppled.

It was here we learned of some small problems at home: News from Equestria had began to mention a possible problem in the borders of the Buffalo Lands, with a few diplomats and military spokesponies denying concerns that there was a risk of a fight. They stated that the disputes were at a local level between settlers and tribes, and would be resolved without the intervention of central government.

The other problem was that a certain yellow Pegasus was apparently now a fashion model. Despite all the crazy things that have happened to me, I honestly didn't see that one coming.

"But Sir, it's more important now than ever that you let me write to her before somepony else tries to woo her based only on her fame and looks! Princess, surely you understand?!"

"...I think I agree with Shining, Thunderchild, if you're serious this is creepy and if you're joking you're taking it too far..."

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Aww, you don't believe in love at first sight?)

Considering Thunderchild not only likes to think of himself as a casanova and was still doing plenty of 'window shopping', as well as the fact he'd never her seen her outside a picture, I had my doubts. Also, I was concerned how Miss Fluttershy would react to getting a love letter from a member of the Guard she'd never even met. Well, probably another one given the whole fashion model thing. Still, having to explain to Twiley 'I let my Sergeant ask your friend out' was a level of awkward I didn't really want to risk entering.

Our week there in the actual nation was quite simply uneventful, even though they were in a celebratory mood. An internal insurgency, the Children of the Sphinx, had been put down recently.

They were apparently a pro-Monarchy group that wanted to stop the Government destroying the habitat of the Desert Sphinx, their national animal. They had even opposed the Pharaoh, as painful as it had been, but stood with him when the war broke out.

The government said it had ended with a peacefully-agreed surrender and amnesty: we even 'met' some 'former Rebel' leaders who were to be offered places as advisors to the government to ensure that a peaceful solution in the name of the Greater Good could be found to the worries the Children of the Sphinx had. The Government now claimed it had always been about land worries and poor local government, blaming a number of scapegoat local councillors and 'arresting' them for peaceful trial.

Bond's investigations seemed to indicate otherwise, as did information from Mother Deer's agents. We'd met actors instead of real leaders, half the arrested local councillors and town leaders were also actors, the rest were simply undesirables the main government wanted rid of. Old records and propaganda statements he obtained showed the government had accused the Children of the Sphinx of being all sorts of things. Terrorists without a cause, anti-peace forces, opponents of the Greater Good, people seeking to hoof power to foreigners. They even once claimed that an ancient conspiracy backed them once, accusing Princess Celestia and various spiritual orders and world leaders of being a sinister conspiracy bent on world conquest.

As for putting down the insurgency? Hooviet forces had been involved, and apparently, always close to leylines. It seemed Makarov managed to kill some villages after all. Still, given Makarov wasn't some supreme overlord of creation, we still threw a wrench in his works and saved one village...just wish we could've saved them all.

We had to grin and bear festivities that celebrated the murders of countless innocents and pretended it had all been peaceful. We had to smile and be polite to people who threw barbed insults our way. We were glad to leave. Cadence had to quietly and politely explain to her entourage that kicking up a stink over it wouldn't change anything, especially to Twinkle Shine.

...Why was it the place that was outwardly peaceful and happy was scarier than the place with the scary animal motif, ominous red lights, and terrifying sounding creatures that were actually friendly and hospitable? Again?!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Well, Princess Luna was around a thousand years ago, and so was Tiamat and probably the Brotherhood, and we know Celestia probably inspired the Order of the Talon...)

And now it all makes sense...

To Be Continued

Author's Note

Story Arc written by LZ0291 http://lz0291.deviantart.com/ Please tell him what you think of the chapter.

Shining Armor is given a two year tour of the world to be the captain of Princess Cadence's body guard. Yeah. That's all. That's everything Yep. Nothing what so ever else. *AJ's Liar face*

"Time is an ocean in a storm."

This storyline runs PARALLEL to the events in the Dark World storyline narrative wise.

Previous Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Shining-Armor-15-Part-3-401412586

Next Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Shining-Armor-16-Part-2-406270535

First Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Fluttershy-FlutterCruel-Pearls-260092460

Bonus Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Healing-Pony-POV-Sapphire-Shores-402867230

MLP: FiM is copyright of Hasbro

MUSIC RECS
= Part 1 =
Inspirational Dream
Dare To Be Stupid, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Dare To Be Stupid
X-Folders
X-Files Theme, Mark Snow, The X-Files
Ranger and Sunset's Duet
Guide You Home (I Would Die for You), Gabriel Mann and Rebecca Kneubuhl, Legend of Spyro Dawn of the Dragon
Cadence and Shining's Unplanned Duet
The Ballad of Jerimiah Peacekeeper, Poets of the Fall, Temple of Thought (Shining Armor's Theme)

Cover Image By Kendell2

Episode 130: (Shining Armor) "potS nedduS ehT s'tI-Its The Sudden Stop" Part 1

Episode 131: (Shining Armor) "potS nedduS ehT s'tI-Its The Sudden Stop" Part 2

My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic
Pony POV Series
Shining Armor Chapter 16 Part 2
"potS nedduS ehT s'tI-Its The Sudden Stop"
Written by Kendell2 and lz0291
Edited by Alex Warlorn and Louis

"Look, all I was saying was a friend of mine said their great aunt saw it with her own eyes."

I gave a blink, walking in during regular guard duty at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns to find my teenaged sister arguing with a Lance Corporal.

"Then why has nopony ever gotten proof of them?!" Twilight retorted.

"Uh... What's going on?" I asked, looking at the two in confusion.

"Oh, hello, BBBFF, I was just telling this trooper that Sass Squash is just a myth!"

The Lance-Corporal saluted.

"Yes, Sir, and I'm trying to point out that-wait, BBBFF?"

"Big Brother Best Friend Forever," me and Twiley said at the same time.

"Oh...um... Sorry, but, he really DOES exist."

I blinked.

"Sass Squash? That weird bipedal thing that's supposed to run around switching things with squashes?" I asked.

Twilight nodded.

"You agree with me, right? It doesn't make any sense!"

"I don't know, Twiley, you know how many new species scientists discover every day, and what's in Everfree," I rubbed the back of my head.

"Ok, valid point, but why would a group with a pony-level intellect want to stay out of contact?"

"What about Bahamut? He's smart too, but we only know he isn't just a myth because Tiamat proved it."

Twilight gave a nervous look.

"...Good point."

"Twiley, you need to stop being so critical. Remember the Zebra?" I chuckled.

I stifled a grin as my little sister blushed.

"I was just a filly!"

"Maybe he exists, maybe he doesn't, but you know what definitely does?" I rubbed her mane.

"What?"

"Advanced Teleportation Class." Yes, I knew her class schedule, what good big brother guarding the very place his little sister goes to school wouldn't?

Twilight's eyes went wide.

"Oh Celestia! I'm going to be late! " She gave me a quick hug and was gone.

I chuckled, then turned to the Lance-Corporal.

"For the record, I think he's real, just Twilight takes debates way too seriously."

"Yeah, sounds like it. Good to know I'm not the only one who thinks so, Sir!" He gave a chuckle.

"I've seen stranger things, somepony should tell him most ponies would prefer sweets to squashes though," I gave a nod.

He laughed with me. I was starting to like this guy.

"Yeah, if it can actually talk."

"I wonder if it can-Oh! Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself!"

"Lieutenant, I'm in your platoon."

I tried to think, which Lance-Corporal was this? There were only eleven to pick from,and only six pegasi. Unfortunately, even Guards had trouble recognizing each other when we were new faces.

"...Ah, er... Well... Is it Lance-Corporal Eastwind?"

The trooper smirked as he shook his head.

"It's alright sir, you've only had this command what, two days?"

"...Haven't even had a chance to select a command element," I noted.

"I'm Thunderchild, remember?"

"Oh yeah! Didn't you ask to be put on guard duty for the cheerleaders at the next cloudball game held in Canterlot?"

"Heh, yeah... Uh, have you had any time to confirm that request at all?"

Once more, I found myself awakened by my alarm clock. That had been how me and Thunderchild had spoken to each other properly for the first time. As for the Sass Squash, given my sister saved the world from an 'old pony's tale', I was even more sure he existed.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Dare I ask why?)

We'll see if you don't believe if you wake up one morning to find the glass of water on your nightstand replaced with a squash.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):...How do we know you won't sneak in and swap it yourself?)

I'm not that stealthy, and I don't know where you live.

Bangalla was a Hooviet Allied nation, landlocked in the central East Zebrafrican desert basin. Nearly half the country's population were nomads with most of the few settlements built around oases, moisture farms, or in the Scorpion Mountains to the south. It's actually rather rich in resources, which unfortunately meant it gave the Hooviets another advantage. Their alliance started after the Hooviets interfered during the Djelibeybi Civil War.

They also had a somewhat uncertain relationship with Maasailand. No one is really certain what it was. Except us now, since well, the Maasailanders told us. Apparently, Maasailand supplied their surplus food and water in exchange for peace (to have an excess when others may need it was not keeping with their ideals), at least that's what Maasailand intended. Bangalla thought that the deal was 'accept our surplus or die,' much as those 'bribed' with the gold had been afraid.

I think this is one case where we're just going to leave Maasailand in the dark, it was probably in their best interests that they scared the Bangallans.

As we lacked a formal embassy, we had to largely remain on the ships, but there was an alleged schedule for when civilians could tour and sample the country. Much to Minuette's annoyance, all our routes, even those for us formal diplomats, were being 'suggested' by the government. I will admit, we had a bit more freedom than I expected, but I think we were all looking over our shoulders most of the time. And I think we were right to, I know we were being spied on.

Dima said so, when he showed up to give us some information. I was a little surprised he found me so easily, but then I remembered A) I attracted all things weird, and B) the Rebels knew I was the only one capable of defeating Makarov. We'd thought he was a Zebra at first, coming under a disguise that Mother Deer's blessings granted him. And, I know Deer do shed them, but I still winced when we learned he'd shaved off his antlers to help hide better. His Winter Antlers had only been starting to grow really.

He brought other information with him, which, to some of us, was no less unsettling.

"The Defiant... This narrows it down to a small area. We can find it very..."

Apparently, while Makarov had kept a lot of it under wraps, the former Hooviets whom Mother Deer had managed to convert still had some valuable intel on the Defiant's location. Unfortunately, all they knew about Makarov's endgame was it involved something big. It was as if Makarov's plans just sprung into existence the moment he implemented them. Which might be the exact case. Stupid imagination demon...

Bond wasn't much help that evening, for obvious reasons. Cold-hearted guy at times, seemingly fearless and unflappable with most other matters... he was still Equine, and he'd still lost his parents at a young age. Twenty years of his life had been spent not even knowing their final resting place, not even knowing if they'd died at all. Getting closer to an answer had to be painful.

Unlike me though, he didn't seem too open to offers of help from Cadence. He just threw down the cold persona right after it and went off to check things. Sometimes seeing Bond like that scares me. It makes me wonder what it'd be like if I hadn't recovered after... things happened.

"Mother Deer also offers my services to help keep you informed about other matters, Princess. I may be unable to follow you to Kundu, however. There are large numbers of Hooviet forces there and they will almost certainly recognize me, even disguised."

However, it wasn't all bad really, we did get to stop at a fair that was kind of enjoyable, and allegedly, had a rather popular play about Equestria. Which considering we were in Hooviet-aligned turf, should have been a big warning sign, but Cadence insisted we go in disguise to enable us to see what the Hooviets really thought of us...big mistake.

I'd go in detail, but I'm afraid if I did, my rage would get the better of me, so here's a brief summary: Celestia was a fat, overweight, incompetent moron who couldn't make a decision to save her life and sent ponies to the moon for the silliest of things. Cadence was a ditz who had no idea how to do anything for herself and talked like a valley filly. Luna was blatantly evil and it seemed they just took all the Nightmare Moon stories and went with them! I guess they didn't know (or more likely care) enough about her to make any other kind of insult!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Uh, here's some tea.)

Thank you...And of course, Makarov was portrayed like perfection incarnate who managed to...ugh, let's just say that Makarov got what the real one wanted and Twinkle Shine had to be restrained...and I almost let her loose after seeing what they portrayed Twiley as. Cadence just sat there with a serene look on her face though.

The strangest part though was me. I was portrayed as a hyper-competent, superstrong and in all ways the ONLY competent character who wasn't a Hooviet...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Huh, I didn't see that coming.)

...So Makarov looked even more badflank when he beat the stuffing out of me and killed me - twice. Yeah, the play brought me back to life just to let Makarov kill me again.

Did I mention that Makarov was portrayed as the good guy here?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): I thought you said this was a highlight.)

Oh, it was what came after the play.

Twinkle Shine got ready to make a scene, but Cadence stopped her with a wing.

As the play ended, Cadence ordered everyone to shed our disguises before the lights came back on and teleported the the costumes away to make it appear we'd just been there the whole time. And when they came on and Cadence stood up things got so quiet you could hear a pin drop. In fact Gag dropped one, just to make sure.

Naturally the actors were quaking in their hooves upon realizing the diplomatic party of the country they'd just spent about two and a half hours (yeah, it was that long) blatantly insulting was sitting in the audience.

Cadence trotted to the stage (it was the time when you could chat with the actors) in a ladylike fashion that let her look perfectly serene while still moving slow enough to give us time to watch the actors sweat and squirm. And oh, it was worth it.

She thoughtfully put a hoof to her chin and looked around the stage. She then gave a chuckle. "Good job."

"G-Good j-job, Princess C-Candenza-I mean Candelza, I mean..." asked the play version of Makarov - who I will admit, was probably genuinely better looking and considerably more pleasant to be around than the real one.

Cadence nodded, giving a good natured chuckle, further clarifying that the actress who had portrayed her in the play had nothing on her.

"Yes, it was an excellent parody. Aunt Celestia always says its a virtue to be able to laugh at oneself, and you've done a great job of making me do just that."

At this point, Cadence gave one of those looks that to outsiders looks perfectly happy, but anyone in eye contact knew she was royally clopped off. This left the actors with two options: A) correct her that it was a serious play and make the Hooviet Empire look like the egotistical jerks they really were, or B) say she's right and let everypony see it as the propaganda it really was, but manage to save face and possibly even attract a bigger audience since Cadence approved of it as a parody.

"Clopped if they do, clopped if they don't," Thunderchild whispered.

The actors laughed nervously.

"Uh... yes, parody, that's correct, very nice of you to say so Princess Cardenza-I mean Miss Cedenza-I mean..."

"And your songs were wonderfully written, you have a great singing voice," Cadence continued in a genuinely praising tone, causing the actor to blush slightly. "Though you may want to tighten the tent a bit, it's messing up the acoustics and makes it a bit difficult to hear your singing, which is a shame. And the lighting is a little off, it doesn't light the stage properly."

So after that, we left the play. Cadence had not only managed to get a little payback for them insulting our country and her family, but netted some good PR. We even rode some rides, saw some funny clowns. It was actually kind of fun, considering we were in a Hooviet allied country.

Speaking of which, considering this was really one of the few moments I had to talk peacefully with Dima, I decided to check one other thing.

"Hey, Dima?" I asked, taking a look around to make sure we weren't being watched. Well, that closely.

"Yes, Captain?"

"Uh, remember that thing you told me back when we met that... the Great Deer told you to do, all the time?"

"Oh, yes, that. Yes, I remember, Captain."

".Are you still doing it? Like right now?"

He gave a laugh.

"Yes, actually. All the time does mean all the time."

The play was enjoyably amusing. Surely one of the Empire's finest loyal playwrights must've written it...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): He does.)

"All things considered, it's rather annoying to be honest, but useful, and can sometimes be amusing," Dima stated.

And that answered that. I was pretty impressed actually, considering how difficult that had to be to keep up.

"Hey! Look Shining, it's a fortuneteller!" said Cadence, pointing at a tent reading with a sign with 'Fortune Teller' written on it.

"Uh, Cadence, I'm not sure that's a good idea..."

"Oh don't worry, Shining, it's just for fun."

So we went into the tent. The mare in question had a deck of tarot cards as her Cutie Mark. Cadence went first...and things started getting weird...

"What the?!" asked the mare, looking down at three Temperance Cards. All of which strangely had pictures looking a lot like Cadence on them. "But that doesn't make any sense!"

Cadence blinked in confusion. "Well, Queen Tiamat does call me 'the 14th, Concept of Temperance..."

"But there's only one Temperance card in a deck!"

"So... what does it mean?" asked Twinkle Shine.

"I... I guess just that she's Temperance! I don't know!"

Some of the others took a turn, but nothing too weird came up for anyone else...well, except Minuette's.

"The Devil: in the past you have been controlled by an idea or habit. It stopped you from growing and lead you down a bad path..."

Yeah, I figured at that point this was going to be horseapples. Minuette? Having been some sort of addict? She's one of the nicest mares I know, she had a breakdown knowing someone ELSE killed someone, how could she have been a bad guy?

"The High Priestess," the fortuneteller continued, flipping the next card for Minuette.

"It represents secrets. Perhaps you are keeping one, perhaps one is being kept from you. Perhaps you are keeping one from yourself."

Well... she didn't know who her real parents were.

Minuette reacted before the teller on the last one.

"DEATH?!"

"No, that's good, it means 'transition, change', that a metamorphosis or a deep personal change in store for your future. Generally a good thing."

Sunset said she'd rather NOT know her future, while Twinkle Shine said she'd make her own destiny. Dima, still in disguise (we were in a Hooviet nation after all), took a turn next.

"The Magician. It is reversed, which normally means a manipulator who guided your actions, but did not have your best intentions in mind. Someone used you in the past."

Normally, I wouldn't take much stock in that, but the look on his face when she said that...

"The Chariot: you are in conflict with an external force, there are obstacles in your path that will require great willpower to overcome. You have great loyalty, faith, and motivation. You are willing to win no matter what the odds... but you are also ruthless in your pursuit of it."

Okay, admittedly, that one made perfect sense...

"...The Hanged Stallion. It is a complicated card. It can mean many things...but when I see it with the Chariot, I believe, in your case, it is pointing towards sacrifice. Becoming a martyr, putting others and a higher cause above yourself...you will perform a great sacrifice for a greater good."

Dima gave a smile I couldn't quite figure out, but it seemed...accepting.

"...And it is one I am sure I'll gladly make when it comes."

I'll admit...that did scare me a bit. Dima was already resolved to sacrifice his current life for Makarov to never have existed...

Then I came up. To be honest, I was expecting the worst...instead, things got weird.

We all looked in shock at the three blank cards sitting in front of me. "...W-what does that mean?"

"I...I don't know! There aren't even any blank cards in a Tarot deck!"

I staggered a little. Yes, it scared me! There are two monsters out to erase my existence or EAT IT, what else am I supposed to read it as except nonexistence... no past, present, or future to predict...

Cadence noticed how afraid I was.

"Maybe we should leave..."

A couple of days later, it was the country we were leaving. The only fallout from Cadence's review of the play was that the state media struggled to stay on party line and just settled for 'diplomats entertained by play.' At least those that bothered reporting at all.

"Something wrong, Lieutenant?"

I turned. Colonel Audience had apparently noticed me staring off into space.

"Not really, Sir, it's just... I'm still not really sure I deserve what's happening tomorrow."

"Well, some of the other officers were pretty sure it should have been a GGH not a GDSM..." He joked.

'Guard Gallantry Horseshoe? Distinguished Service Medal? I never won any medals...

"That's not what I mean, Sir, it's just... I didn't really do all that much. I just did what I was supposed to do," I frowned.

"Really, now? I don't think stopping a rogue tank single-hoofedly is 'just what you were supposed to do,' Shining."

"It was only one Deer inside, Colonel. He wasn't even part of any militia, he'd just stolen it from a depot."

'Militias? What tank?'

"Did you know that before you jumped in front of it and trapped it inside a shield?"

"...No, Sir."

"The turret had started moving to aim at one of the tents. You think that jumping in front of it with a shield when it first fired before you trapped it was what you were 'supposed' to do?"

"Sir. I earned my cutie mark for protecting those in need. Why am I getting a medal just for doing what I'm supposed to be good at?"

"Well, I agreed to the call to award it because you did what you were supposed to do.. You used your talents exactly as you should, you were the right pony in the right place at the right time. Don't feel unworthy or guilty about it."

"I can't really help it, Sir. I..."

"Look, I know maybe it brings back memories and you might be seeing similarities. But tell me, would your uncle feel you didn't deserve it?"

"...No, Sir, I don't think he would."

"So why do you? Look, it's not uncommon. I bet about a quarter of the troopers getting medals tomorrow have doubts..."

"There's only four of us getting awarded."

"Well, I win the bet then? Point is, you think you just did what you were meant to. The others getting awarded, they feel the same. They're not feeling guilty. They're proud."

He sighed.

"Look, this situation is a messy business all round, really. Deer still haven't quite let go of the caste-lines that were drawn here, and the weather going feral doesn't help, but the Germanes and us have helped calm the tensions down from all-out violence.."

He looked at me directly now.

"Shining, I personally asked you to come because I thought you'd be a good asset to accomplishing that mission. I felt you were being wasted in the admin jobs you kept volunteering for. I felt I owed it to a good pony, a good soldier, and a good friend that I didn't let his death ruin your life and your career, to share the faith he had in you. And by Celestia, you've proved we were right to have faith in you. Does that justify the medal to you?"

"...Yes, Sir."

"Good. Besides, the Princess loves rewarding ponies for jobs well done. She'd probably be visiting to congratulate everypony on a job well done even if four of you hadn't earned medals."

"Is it really wise to allow the Princess to visit this area, Sir? I mean, there's still risks..."

"Much riskier to tell her 'it's too dangerous.' There always is with Princesses. Believe me on that, Lieutenant."

That was what I got for hoping I'd reach Jumanji without any more weird dreams.Still, it reminded me of the fight with the Hooviets back at the village. I'd never really thought about the where. Oh, I knew the name of the village (Dima had naturally told us), but during the battle, I wasn't thinking about that. All I was thinking about was someone who needed my help. I wasn't thinking 'Segis needs me,' it was 'they need me.' I guess that's how all us guards are: we don't see the race, species, or place, we see someone who needs us.

Whether it was just a dream or not, the Brigadier was right about one thing: it doesn't matter the context, all that matters to a guard is that we help when we're needed.

It was another mostly-desert state, but the culture here was more inclined to be friendly by default as they played a lot of board games: the various tribes generally settled disputes as well as conducted negotiations over a game of something or other. Each tribe had their own tribal game.

I was banned from playing if we encountered games like Darts or Tiddlywinks, at my own request.

They were also surprisingly up-front and open about why they were Hooviet allies.

"Because of their strength, their strength that let us defy the distant Pharaoh, their strength that let them recover from an invasion by Dragons. We do not want to be seen as weak again. We do not want distant governments controlling our every action," their President said without even being asked.

Nopony told them the irony of being aligned with the Hooviets in the name of preserving their own independence. I also didn't tell them by all rights the Hooviets should have fallen, but for a mad reality warping imagination-demon leading them. Or that by all accounts the Hooviets had been the aggressors in the war with the Dragons, not the other way around.

In addition, some of the civilians had began getting a little antsy. Again, we lacked an embassy, and again. the routes were heavily 'suggested'.

Still, at least it distracting to see all the different tribal games. Some were simple chess-like strategy games, others were... a bit dangerous.

"...Card games while falling down a sand dune?!" Cadence exclaimed.

Garnet looked oddly hopeful.

"Yes, Princess, the tribe has tried to switch it to playing on less dangerous surfaces but traditionalists insist on playing by the original rules."

"How does that even work?"

"From the looks of things, it doesn't," I noted as two players began rolling down,though I guess it had to work somehow for it to have caught on at all.

I much preferred the next tribe along, their tribal game seemed centered around drawing straws, then having to say the color of any band on the straw if there was one - and you lost, because the objective was to stay quiet about there being any color on the straws at all. I didn't really get specifics on how you actually played it, but it was entertaining to watch.

Equestria actually had a similar game where the objective was just staying quiet longer than the other pony. It actually got taken surprisingly seriously. There's even a national championship...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Wait, that actually exists?)

Yeah, Celestia normally judges. It's actually surprisingly intense, particularly the lengths players go to try and get the other to speak, and Celestia seems to have more fun there than the Gala...

Some of the other games were still pretty crazy though. One tribe had hedgehog racing - and for some reason that involved dying the hedgehogs blue.

In other parts of the country, Dima helped out considerably, able to pose as a Hooviet to get zebra to speak more openly. He and Bond let us discover the citizens largely did trust the Hooviets, and that the only concerns were mainly aimed at their own president. We were of course taking a risk using him, but as he pointed out, the worst they could really do to us was a scandal in public.

Even Solomon couldn't openly attack diplomats, even ones that were caught linked to mild espionage. Plus, he reminded us that technically, he wasn't listed as anything more than a civilian tourist with our group, meaning we could claim we had no idea he was a rebel or performing said espionage. Naturally, throwing him under the wheels was the last thing anyone wanted to do.

Unfortunately, as briefly as he'd been tagging along with us to pass information from Mother Deer, Dima found himself recalled to the rebels before we went to Buranda.

"Be careful, Dima. It's been fun having you around," I said, the two of us making sure we'd lost any and all spies before he parted ways from us.

"Honestly, I enjoyed it myself, but duty calls. I can only be as careful as circumstances permit, Captain. You know how it is. But I don't plan on dying before Solomon if I can help it," He nodded back.

"I see. Well, good luck, and hopefully see you again someday."

"Likewise, Captain. Take care of yourself too. Remember what you'll have to do some day..."

I have to admit I was concerned he might have been about to do something foolish, and honestly expected I'd never see him again after that. But at the same time, I kind of wished he hadn't reminded me of that as his parting words...

I could barely stop thinking about 'what I had to do' throughout Buranda. Less than two weeks left in Zebrafrica. One week to the point when we could search for the Defiant and now Bond had grown almost useless. Even with the difficulties he had getting information, he clearly wasn't reacting well at all.

About all I can tell you is, there were lots of trees - apart from the settlements and farms cleared away, almost the entire country was rainforest, and had apparently been almost all trees before the pro-technology, pro-Hooviet government now in charge had started demolishing all the house-trees in favor of 'modern' and 'flexible' designs that didn't suffer from the neighbor's roots growing into yours.

I had the impression the place would have been far more characterful forty years ago. Don't get me wrong, progress can be good, and new technology is wonderful... but changes need a reason, especially if the original was fine as it was. The only reason I saw here was the Government wanted to sell as much timber and minerals as they could to line their own saddlebags. With more restraint and obvious benefit to the citizens, well...

Twinkle Shine's dismay at what the damp air did to everyone's manes was slightly amusing though. Commander Shepard had assured her the ships were environmentally-controlled, magically, so the air inside wouldn't be damp... as long as the portholes stayed shut in your room.

Not so amusing was the second-last night, being told we could commence the search for our lost airship almost right away after we crossed the border. I felt it was rather suspicious the way they'd told us this so quickly...

I'd just left the office to fetch some lunch. Administrative work in the Community Service Initiative Corps might not have been what I'd planned for when I joined up... but it had seemed better when the reality of the situation I'd enlisted into became clear. But I couldn't just quit...

...And now Colonel Audience was asking my help specifically, to join a peacekeeping mission heading out this weekend.

As I walked towards the part of the city where the various eateries could be found, I overheard two Roedinian voices, coming from a pair of Earth ponies.

"Are we reading the map wrong?"

"I was sure the museum was this way..."

One of them had a green coat and red mane, a cutie mark of a bottle with an apple on it. The other had a stick of white cotton candy for a cutie mark on her dark red coat, her white mane oddly enough combed straight rather than allowed to resemble her cutie mark.

"May I help you?" I asked, hoping that my Roedinian was good enough not to upset them.

"Ah, you are a Militiapony?" The Red One said.

"No, Yaba, they are Guards here, not Police."

"Technically, we can serve as both at times, though it is more we have little need for a dedicated police force..." I didn't bother trying to explain the nature of the Community Service Initiative or STARS.

'That phrase again...'

"Ah, my apologies, officer. My sister and I are tourists, here from the Roedina. My sister is Cotton Candy, and I am Apple Vodka..."

'Saharnoj Vaty and Yablokovodka... No, that makes no sense. How could I ever have met them, how could tourists ever visit Canterlot from the Roedina? It was part of the Hooviet Empire.'

"Good question, Kiddo."

I blinked as if waking, but... I was in Canterlot. In my quarters. The room looked just as it had been the day of my promotion, bar it being dark. Only the open door and the moon outside casting any light. Everything neat, no barding on my armor stand, even the cheese sandwich wrapper in the trash can beside my writing desk. Most of this had been brought with me, was in the ship cabin. But I wasn't alone. I sat in bed and at the door, silhouetted by the light...

"...Uncle? But..."

"You ask that everytime, Shiny. Aren't I dead? Yeah. You saw it happen, kiddo. But things are changing. There's a lot at risk here..."

"I know, Mother Deer and... But you... Why am I dreaming about you now?"

"First, you've had this dream a lot. You just don't seem to remember it. And second... It might not be a dream."

He walked in, lighting the lantern as he came. A hole in his barding on the front-left side, a cone of jagged wood from a shaft sticking out. Out his upper right, the spearhead, wet blood still on the tip...

"Coke, take him away from here. Control, we need a medic here, fast, Guardspony down, repeat, Guardspony down..."

"No, no! I have to help him, let me help, please, please..."

"This can't be real."

"Can't it? You think me talking to you is impossible? Even after you met Reznov? You met me there again, didn't you? Well, not me. What could have been me."

"I... I'm sorry! I hesitated, I was scared, I never wanted..."

"Shh. Be quiet, kiddo. I know all that. You think I hate you? Shiny, I had and have no reason to do anything but love you. You're my nephew. My sister's son, my best friend's son. You're a great Big Brother Best Friend Forever to Twilight. You've become a fine Officer. You can be much more in the future, but... your future is about saving other futures for now. That wolf. What happens if he gets you?"

"...Makarov wins."

"Right now, yeah. Makarov has no one to stop him. Without you but with him, know what happens? I'm not dead when I was. But there's going to be a war, one that would make the old Griffon Wars look like a food fight. Your buddy Captive, he'd be feared as The White Death by the Hooviets for killing so many of them in the battles from Stalliongrad to Braystol, where they finally get him with artillery, over a thousand arrows and bullets to skulls later. Thunderchild would take out a battleship by luring it into a massive Thundercloud and focusing all the energy inside. I'd die defending Seaddle. My daughter would die in the Siege of Canterlot three years later."

"Your... daughter? But you never married, Uncle..."

"Never met her mom in these timelines."

"But...a cousin, what was...could she have been like?"

"Ask me yourself," asked a voice.

It was a female Guardspony, but barely recognizable as such. Rather than white or grey coated like Guard unicorns, she remained natural-coated. Her barding was chipped, damaged, but otherwise as well-repaired as it could be. She walked in to stand beside my uncle.

"I'm Athena, by the way, named after my Mom. She was a Pegasus. Technically, I'm your cousin but we never managed to co-exist, either in that war timeline, or in my own..."

I felt a chill. I hoped it was just my dream fooling me, but...

"Are you... The wolf said 'her light', did I..."

"No. Cause and Effect, though. Every action has a reaction. Where you're around, I can't be, because of the way things change. Two lines where you exist. Two lines where I exist."

"But I stop you from even being born!"

She looked right at me. I realized one eye was glass.

"Yeah, but right now, I still die fighting a war."

"What do you mean?"

"Kiddo, dying is easy. Hay, I pulled it off, right?"

Athena and I gave him a look each. Weird dream-sweet-celestia-I-hoped-it-was-a-dream or not, there were some things you just had to do.

"...The point stands, okay?"

"Phrasing, Sergeant," Athena pointed at the spear.

"What I am trying to say remains valid. And I'm technically your dad!"

"You're an alternative version of him, my dad became a Major in my timelines."

"Oh yeah."

"Alright, so Wolf gets me now, Makarov becomes some unstoppable tyrant?"

"Short answer? More or less. He becomes strong enough to overpower about anything you know of and bend the world to his whim. Makarov is getting closer to being that powerful in this timeline," Uncle warned me.

"That's insane. That's absurd. Sounds like Makarov, all right."

"Captain Sparkle, this is your choice. There are a few timelines that your fight with Makarov could create. In two of them, Makarov starts his war somehow. In the one without Makarov but with you, the world is a nice peaceful place where the Hooviets imploded years ago. Which one of them sounds best to you?"

"Isn't there one where you can both exist too?"

"Not an option, Kiddo. We're already past that fork in the road, the choices that I could have made or you could have made or anyone could have made to let that happen have already been set in ink, and the Wolf isn't interested in washing just them away. You or us. You, or everyone."

"What if I can't beat Makarov?"

"Either the Wolf erases you after you die, or Makarov eats you, remember?"

"Oh, and I can't just... and I never thought I'd say this, kill Makarov, right? I need to lure the Wolf to him to undo him"

"Right, kiddo. Killing Makarov might stop him from hurting the future, but the tumor he left in reality? That will be inked. Bad stuff that he caused stays caused."

I groaned.

"And I can't just say this is my imagination in overdrive."

"Oh, you'd know if that happened again, you remember the last two times well enough," Athena noted.

"It could be real. But I'll never be able to know, will I?"

They shared a look.

"Probably not," Uncle said.

"Dang."

For once, I didn't seem to have been sleepwalking, but I was bolt upright and staring at the door. It also wasn't that far from the alarm clock going off, anyway.

I'm not sure if that was a good thing given what I'd dreamt of. Or that we were about to commence the search for the Defiant in less than three hours when we crossed into Kundu.

Enterprise was to wait at the border, the civilians there, while the warships searched. The as-yet unnamed Warbler was left with Minuette, so Cadence could keep an eye on them. I think she left it there specifically since the Hoofmaiden had seemed shaken when I last saw her.

"I just feel like something terrible is going to... has been happening. Like, I don't know how to explain it... like the world is hurt and only I can feel it," she told me, taking a look at her fob watch for a moment.

I noticed she was tapping her hoof on the table next to her, not really seeming to notice it but, it reminded me of the heartbeat she'd described from her dreams, I think it was the same rhythm.

"I'm scared..."

I wanted to know more, but other than offering what comfort I could. I couldn't push the issue without letting her know more than she needed. But I did make sure Sunset and Twinkleshine knew where she was so they could be there for her.

Cadence had insisted on being present on the Invincible, before you ask.

"The area we're able to search is wide, but thanks to Mother Deer we've got a location narrowed to less than fifty kilometers square. However, we're fairly sure they're going to be watching us somehow, so we're going to search near that location and work towards it. If all goes well, we'll be scanning the right area after lunch," Hornblower explained the plan.

"And if it goes wrong?" I had to ask.

"Twenty years from now, somepony might be searching for OUR graves," Bond noted.

"Wait. Maybe I can try have some songbirds help out..." Cadence offered.

"When we reach the right area, Princess. I don't imagine they'll know you can do that trick yet," Shepard agreed.

And so, we set off.

Three ships, dozens of Pegasi, light airships with unicorns scanning. It spoke volumes of how much ground we had to cover that Defiant's location could have taken weeks to find even if we had double our resources. Without narrowing the area down, we'd have wasted the day.

I feared that the area narrowed down however meant that our location was also narrowed down.

As it turned out, it took less than twenty minutes after we started searching the right area. The local songbirds did help out a bit, but it was an Air Naval Cavalry pegasus that made the find.

"Invincible, this is Search Alpha-Six. I have a possible magic signal here, and looks like some wreckage..."

It sat half-buried by the forest, lying at an angle almost on her side. The closest to a clearing we could get was a rocky outcrop half a mile away, dropping us off to near the ship (landing directly on it was a bad idea at the moment, until we checked it for safety). Cadence insisted, once more, that she come.

"What we find inside might not be pleasant, Princess," Bond warned, though I imagine he was also reminding himself.

"I know, but they were serving Equestria when this happened. I owe it to them to be here."

"And you will be, on this ship until we've cleared it," Shepard cut in.

Getting close, we saw a hole had been torn in the lower deck, where the hangars would be on modern ships (Defiant had originally been built before Light Airships really became popular. A refit converted a small cargo bay to carry some.)

"...Lower cargo bay. The upper bay was converted for light airships," Hornblower noted.

"Alright, scan it for stability, see if we can land pegasi on the upper deck."

Some Air Navy unicorns began the task, but one soon frowned.

"Lieutenant Commander Hornblower, it seems the upper decks are still sealed by the anti-boarding wards."

"What?! After twenty years? Impossible. It should be impossible to even activate them, the wards we use to block the upper decks now can't be active longer than a month!"

I had a sudden horrible thought. I scanned it myself, and my worry was confirmed.

"It's not to hold anyone out, it's holding something in!"

I cast my own spell just in time, surrounding the areas where the shields lay and other major exits, making it all airtight, just as a pink gas began to flow out of the open wound on the side, I presume in reaction to the scanning spells.

"...Poison gas. Someone's been here before us."

Thank Celestia the ship was close enough for me to put a shield up...

"We should go," I said.

"Shining, we need to search the ship somehow! We can't just walk away now..." Cadence began.

"Princess, it's a trap. We need to go, now."

"No! If we're quick we can at least look through the ship. Twenty minutes, that's all. Skies are clear, any threats will be on the radio and magic scans long before they can reach us, and we can start running if there's a threat!" Bond said.

"...Lieutenant Commander, I know this is hard, but we can't search, this is..."

"Shining! We owe Lieutenant-Commander Bond and all the others who lost somepony on this ship answers. We owe the ponies that are probably still on the ship answers! If not to them, then to their families," Cadence almost snapped.

"This is a trap! And you want to walk into it?!" I shouted back.

She stared me in the eyes.

"...We can get away before anything goes wrong. The songbirds will warn me, the ships can use their radio ranging, Ranger can go high and scan for miles."

"Fine. But it'll be on record that I did not agree with taking this risk."

"We'd need to survive for you to do that. You're more confident than you think, Sparkle," Bond sniped.

"And before any team that goes in, we scan that gas first, and I shield them as they go. Even those hazard suits can be torn or this gas might be corrosive."

"Sensible precaution..." Cadence said calmly.

"...Look, I didn't want to argue. But surely you both see the obvious problem?"

"And we had an obvious solution, Shining," Cadence began, but Hornblower raised a hoof.

"Look, Captain, Princess... The debate is over, and the more time we spend talking the less time we have to search, or indeed, retreat."

I was outvoted, it seemed. Even Shepard decided that the risks were mitigated.

The gas, however, did not bring good news when scanned. A Science Officer gave us the word.

"It seems the pink smoke is just meant to impede vision. The actual gas is colorless, but not odorless. It seems it may be containing Dragon's Bane, among other things. It's safe for the suits, but..."

"...But Dragon's Bane is meant to be extinct. Seems somedeer grew more," Bond sighed.

Of course I was the only pony present who knew enough about what was really going on to know this was a bad sign and Makarov must still be getting stronger. Restoring Dragon's Bane wasn't just defying history, it was defying Queen Tiamat, a Goddess, who'd had it eradicated from existence.

"If we can, recovering a canister of the gas and finding out how it is deployed could be useful to prove we were here," Hornblower mused.

"We're not going out of our way. Twenty minutes," I said, pulling my suit on.

Though I will admit, having the proof needed to cause Makarov to have a tantrum by revealing his illegal chemical weapons to the world was very tempting.

These ones were designed to go on over barding in emergencies, but they made us all look like giant lemons on legs...

We began searching, our entry hole was near Engineering, and the first sign of the crew was not pleasant.

"...The horn. It's been removed," The Science Officer noted as we found a skeletal corpse.

"There's no form of ID on these bodies either," Bond sighed.

"Yeah. All we'll ever tell is the ranks if their uniforms are still in decent enough shape."

We kept searching. It became evident looking at the engine rooms that someone had targeted this area to bring the ship down, and from the side hidden away from our sight mostly. Damage towards the front indicated a hard impact. It was likely the balloon had been shot away or simply never deployed because it would be shot. From above, it certainly looked like the line of trees behind were younger and lower down, the ship having gouged a trench as it crashed. It seemed likely many of the crew and passengers would have died on impact.

The gun deck was a mess. The impact had thrown the artillery all over the place and from the look of it, a few barrels of power had went off. Many of the skeletons there had suffered serious damage pre-mortem... smashed by literal loose cannons.

Somehow the magazine hadn't gone up, seemingly because a few unicorns had gone in there to try and use magic to stop it. Had the magazine exploded we'd have much less of a ship to search... but it hadn't been carrying a full load for a fight. It had been a diplomatic ship.

In a ready room on the gun deck, a stopped clock we found indicated the attack had come at night. Burn marks from what seemed to be grenades also indicated the Hooviets had entered while there had been survivors. Sure enough, Bond reported evidence of bullet wounds on some bodies we found as we made our way to the cabin deck.

The cabins revealed more de-horned bodies, and the belongings of civilians had been scattered - by impact or searches. In one room we found a... Smartypants doll. We never found a foal skeleton anywhere near it. Somehow, that made it more disturbing...

Even worse, we found that someone had patched a hole back up, that seemed to have been cut into the roof of a cabin with magic or very focused explosives. We'd found a few bodies with empty crossbows near the armory, and stains without matching bodies down their line of fire. The Deer hadn't had it ALL their own way, at least.

"Definitely getting a picture of what happened. Hit by rocket torpedoes or kamikaze flyers up high, balloons shot out when the engines were out... stress damage all around the ship from impact. They boarded, killed anyone else left..." Bond muttered.

"Certainly seems that way, Commander," The Science Officer agreed.

Eventually, we reached the bridge. Disturbingly we'd actually followed a trail of blood smeared on the deck from the cabins towards it...

There were various bodies scattered around. But by the Captain's chair, there were two skeletal figures embracing. One had a Captain's uniform. The other seemed to have been wearing a dress. The mare was lying over the stallion's form.

"...Manes? Are you okay?" Hornblower put a hoof on his colleague's back.

"...Yes. I'm fine. I got my answer," He said... back to acting as cold as he could ever be, then walking away.

The Science Officer was quiet as he spoke to us.

"There seem to be bullet wounds in her chest, fatal, but not right away. My guess is, she either crawled over from elsewhere on the bridge, maybe somewhere else on the ship..."

I recalled the trail of blood. We'd found it starting near the captain's cabin.

"There's not much else to see here. Maybe we can try find the canisters releasing this gas," Bond spoke up, startling us into action.

We did find it. There was a folder beside the canisters, six in total, each marked with something in Roedinian. Hornblower and I inspected them, as Bond checked the folder.

I looked closer.

"There's no way these things are twenty years old, there's barely even a layer of dust on them. I don't like this one bit."

"Smert' Drakonov. Death to Dragons," Somepony translated the writing on the canisters aloud.

"And everything else too, it seems," Hornblower added.

The folders did not have nice pictures. They showed the gory details. Literally. It seemed the gas was a blister agent, causing huge damage to exposed skin. Regular gas masks would be no good, making this dangerous for use around your own troops.

"...Seems there might be more like this. This is talking about 'Novichok' weapons - Newcomers. The Hooviets wanted to make new weapons,especially anti-Dragon ones. We knew they'd tried Chlorine and Sulfur Mustard, they're listed here as Novi-One and Novi-Three. Looks like they made at least four other gas weapons," Bond noted.

"What was Two?"

"I might be getting the chemical name wrong here but the formula looks like it would be called dichloroformaldoxime. They refer to it as CX for some reason. They found it would be ineffective against dragons... but it's basically lethal itching gas, it seems.

"Four is something they call VX, the V means Victory. Then there's this SD gas... but both of them are not good for battlefield use because they affect exposed skin, it notes. Six... Novi-Six is apparently a black smoke derived from Novi-Five. It doesn't affect exposed skin but it corrodes dragon scales and chokes the respiratory systems of almost everything. As long as you have a gas mask you can use it safely."

I looked around, at the ship we were in, the skeletal remains, and the son two of the dead left behind. The Defiant went down twenty years back. The Hooviets were supposed to have collapsed twenty-five years ago.

I looked down at the folders. There was a reason this gas, the weapons described in that folder were feared and hated. Those kinds of weapons were illegal by international law. Flamethrowers, Medusa rockets? Those were considered controversial due to the suffering they caused. These kind of weapons? They were outright banned, often the moment what they could do was discovered. Twenty-five years ago, the Hooviets should have collapsed, stopping their weapons development long before they created these.

"These things never should have existed," I muttered. Everyone around me looked suitably horrified.

I wasn't exaggerating. They never should have existed. The Defiant never should have been downed. Bond's parents never should have died. Legends say that Pandora's Box held all the evils of the world. I don't know about that, but the devil that the Hooviets had let out of it was more than enough...

"...There are maps here. It looks like there are sites marked around the world for Novi-Five and Novi-Six... most of the Six ones are easy to reach, it says they're to be... ground deployed? Five is air and..."

Bond flipped over to a separate map.

"...They've marked Ponyville as a Novi-Six target."

"What?!"

I took a look, and my fears were confirmed. On the next page, Draco Island was marked to be blanketed with Novi-Five from the air.

"Makarov's telling us he plans to gas every dragon on the planet. Including Spike."

And since the gas affected non-dragons....

"Or, he already has," Hornblower then voiced the thought I tried to ignore.

"We're getting out of here. Commander, this is Bond, we need you to contact Canterlot immediately, we've found...."

"Bond - We've got incoming. They only just appeared on all our scans, they're all aroun-"

"Indeed, we are all around. Hello, everypony. It's me, of course! "

Makarov. He'd trapped us better than we'd thought. How had he snuck past Cadence? Was he powerful enough for that already? How had he become that powerful? But the question was, why? Why lure us here? Why set up all this for us to find? Did he hate me that much?

"I hope you enjoyed the light reading, Commander Bond, Captain Sparkle. Don't worry, I haven't done it... yet. But I will eventually. In ten minutes I will move in accept your surrenders. But I am a fair General-Admiral and am willing to make a deal. My terms are: Shining Armor Sparkle and his squad, handed over. In return? I let you all live. After all, when I complete my plans, I will be inviting many of you to the wedding!"

"What wedding?" Bond asked.

"Why, the wedding of the Supreme Emperor of the Hooviet World Dominion to the last surviving Alicorn. Of course, you could fight, but you would lose and many of you would die. Six ponies is not a great loss, not when so many shall soon die. Losing six is no loss. But soon, losing six hundred will be a significant portion of your species..."

I was about to try and reply, but somepony got there first.

"I'll NEVER marry you, Makarov! Not even if you kill everything else on the planet! And I am not handing over my friends to you! Not one of them! We're going to fight you..."

"Hmm? Well, I'll let you think, or let the noble Captain think. Assuming either of you are capable of thinking. But if you wish to fight, well... I can always just stick with a harem or something. And kill you all. It'd be so boring that way though."

No... I couldn't let this happen.

"Makarov. This is Shining Armor Sparkle. If I give myself to you... will you leave my friends out of it?"

"Wha... Shining, no! Don't do thi-"

Makarov cut her off.

"All or nothing, Sparkle. I want you to suffer. I need your squad too. Each of them insult me by existing. The sniper-unicorn who only kills if he must - pathetic! The little thundercloud? Thinks he's so tough. Your coward bomb-pony? An inbred hick from a racist family of dirt-munchers! And those two little sickening lovebirds? A healer-whore and a translator who can't tell a joke to save himself!"

That's why he lured us here.This was all a trap to make us all suffer.

"How about this for a joke: General-Admiral Solomon Makarov! HA HA HA HA! It's funny because it's so pathetic!"

"Gag! You're not helping!"

"Everypony just shut up! Makarov? You want me. I'll give up, just..."

"Get it through your thick horned skull. All. Or. Nothing. I get all, or you become nothing."

"But..."

"Sir? If... If it helps, Sir - Shining - We're with ya. Six is better than all of us," Ellis said.

"It... It doesn't..." I muttered.

"You have eight minutes left now. Tell me your choice, or your shipmates and Princess will soon have no escape. And if I am careful I may just have to take her by force...Oh, and Captain, I'm prepared for your little shields this time, I have bastic-tipped projectiles and plenty of them this round."

...He'd won. He'd bucking won.

But maybe if I was lucky, this could be it. I could maybe attract the wolf. Let him take me right up face to face with him. Maybe then, I'd end him, and me.

It was all I had left.

"If my squad agrees, I... accept your terms," I said.

"NO! SHINING, DON'T! EVERYPONY DON'T DO THIS! I ORDER YOU-"

"Terms accepted. There will be a corridor to exit for the three ships to the north-west. They may proceed to Tripleneigh. We won't invade there for at least a day. You six will wait atop the Defiant. I shall arrive personally when your ships are clear. You have my word - I am not an unfair leader."

Cadence had kept screaming but I think Commander Shepard had to invoke her rights as Ship Captain to be the supreme authority on-board, and order the Princess be taken off the radios. I half-expected some sort of Alicorn god-event, but hoped she didn't try it. Makarov was possibly strong enough to kill her now - And I didn't want to risk her.

I knew what I had to do. And so did my squad... my friends.

Gag and Garnet sat together. The rest of us just waited.

"Kinda weird, ain't it. Six in a command squad. Six ponies saved the world a few months back..." Ellis noted.

"Yeah. Guess it is." Audience agreed.

"If we'd been the Elements, whad'ya reckon we'd all 'a been?"

"Is this really all you can think of, Ellis?" Thunderchild asked, but not harshly.

"Don't seem right to talk about Heath right now. Half them stories, ah... kinda embellished them. Hay, you should hear the ones she says about me."

"I'm afraid I don't think that we'd be able to find all six elements in this squad, guys. We've got five for Loyalty already," I said.

"Six, Sir."

We were silent for a few moments again, and all we could do was wait.

Eventually, Makarov arrived. His helicopters swooped in, and he simply teleported in front of us as Spetsnaz roped down to point guns. Somewhere, absurdly overheroic music was playing.

I think Makarov made it a point to show off his Cutie Mark. I noticed it'd gotten a lot more complex since I'd last saw it.

"Well, well, well. Misfit Actual. A thorn in my side for too long, and now, I can lance you!"

"You remove a thorn, you lance a boi-AAH."

He'd ran over and backhoofed Garnet in a flash. Ellis and Thunderchild held Gag back.

"I see you are all as insolent as your Captain and Sergeant. 'Equestrian wit,' my arse! You are nothing but impudent little foalish fools. From your arrogant Captain who should long since have been crushed under my hooves.To your Sergeant, Thunderchild, who should have died facing the tripods - Your very name was your destiny!"

"Uh, what? My dad's name is Thunderstorm, my mother was Rolling Thunder, and I was born during a thunderstorm. What the hay are you on about?"

Makarov was annoyed.

"Impudent dog!" He bounced up and down.

"Oh, not going to hit me as well?"

"Sarge, don't," Garnet tried, but failed. Makarov spun and kicked him in the face.

"Yes. And that was for the insult, this is for Columbia," Makarov gave him a kick in the ribs, then hammered him in the back, driving him to the ground. His horns crackled with electricity.

And Thunderchild spent about five minutes screaming as he was shocked, all the while we were held at gunpoint until the psycho finally stopped.

"I believe that was enough for now. Well, maybe one MORE," he stated, kicking Thunderchild in the groin as he struggled to get up, leaving him curled up in a ball in agony.

"I still need you alive, for the time being," He finally turned his attention back to us.

"Any other protests and I beat you all. Any funny shield business by you, Sparkle, I beat them all. Or maybe I can be a little more imaginative," he stated, looking at the others.

It wasn't a smug look like when he was threatening me back in Columbia, it was a hungry look. I never thought I'd wish to see that smug smirk back on his face.

"And any attacks, I beat you all. Where was I? Ah, yes, the Apple. An inbred little hick from a filthy little hovel of a town, from a racist and homophobic clan! It is a shame to make a widow of one of your cousins this early, but this is war!"

He sized Ellis up, smirking.

"No response?"

Nothing.

"No anger?"

Silence.

"Will you say something or are you just a complete retard?!"

"Eeenope."

"Good, you can talk!"I

Makarov then punched him.

"Ya hit like a kitten."

Makarov kicked him harder.

"And Little Miss Medical Encyclopedia. Tell me, what bones are broken in your snout?"

"None."

"Correct, because you have broken ribs."

Once more he kicked. Gag was furious.

"And now the translator. The rookie. They never laughed at your jokes, yet you keep making them. Just the squad joke already. Always the one suffering the painful mishaps, the bad luck... And now you finally find somepony that actually likes you and you're powerless to help her. Does that make you angry?"

"Yes."

"You maybe wish to fight me?"

"...You'd win."

"Pha. Smarter than you look. But, you are to blame of course. You taunted me earlier. Extend your wing, please."

Gag did nothing.

"Extend it or I break her jaw."

He extended it, folding all but a central feather slightly inwards. Pegasi call it 'giving the feather'.

Makarov understood, though, and chortled.

"That's the spirit!"

He then yanked that gargantuan gold gun from his barding. It seemed to have become even more gaudy since last time, and I noticed that the grip portion seemed built for a Minotaur. Heck, it'd look big even if a Minotaur held it!

"Now, this is a very special weapon; The Desert Deer. It is the most powerful type of pistol in the world, firing thirteen millimetre bullets, and I have the ONLY one! Note the detailing, the Hooviet symbols in pure platinum, the grips made of ivory, the gold plating! It is a work of ART!"

He held the work of at point blank at the base of Gag's wing, and fired.

"AAGH!"

"RUNNING!"

"It's funny because it's so pathetic. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Let that teach you not to make fun of me, or make prank calls to my mercenaries. You can treat him if you like, band-aid wench, but you'll find my Desert Deer Pistol has all but blown the wing off. Nothing more than tendons holding it on."

He looked now at me again. Glaring back just seemed to amuse him and anger me more.

"So, Captain. Surely you were expecting a lupine intrusion at this point?"

"...What?"

He smirked.

"Oh, it was planned out. A nice plan too, but unfortunately, I'm taking you to my flagship directly after this..." he said, emphasizing the last part as if he wanted everypony in the surrounding area to know it.

"And that little birdy telling Cadence everything..."

He pulled the gun again, firing off at a distant tree.

"Well, it kept you-know-who at bay. Should have told her not to watch."

I just lunged at him, screaming incoherently. There was a rain of hooves and rifle-butts, and blackness. When I came to a moment later, I saw everypony else had suffered for my leap, getting a beating of their own - or maybe they'd tried to join in.

"Sparkle, one more time, I will let you all live in agony as long as I can, beating you for insolence as your mothers' should have. Now, are you all going to cease your insults and slanders, or must I beat you all again? Do you all surrender?"

I looked at my squad, all floored and groaning. Gag's wound was still bleeding heavily, and everypony else had a list of small cuts and bruises.

"We... surrender..." I wheezed.

"Excellent. Now, load the five spares into the helicopter, and give Sparkle another beating! But keep him alive!"

More hooves and rifle-butts, then...

Author's Note

FREAKIN' DEVIANTART!!! This chapter should have been up days ago! But it wouldn't accept it even though the story file WAS below 64K (in theory at least it seems)! We may be uploading a google.doc version full of stuff that got cut out of this version (maybe, don't hold us to it). In the mean time, enjoy the material that got cut from this chapter below.

Story Arc written by LZ0291 http://lz0291.deviantart.com/ Please tell him what you think of the chapter.

Shining Armor is given a two year tour of the world to be the captain of Princess Cadence's body guard. Yeah. That's all. That's everything Yep. Nothing what so ever else. *AJ's Liar face*

"Time is an ocean in a storm."

This storyline runs PARALLEL to the events in the Dark World storyline narrative wise.

Previous Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Shining-Armor-16-Part-1-405676861

Next Chapter:

First Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Fluttershy-FlutterCruel-Pearls-260092460

Bonus Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Healing-Pony-POV-Sapphire-Shores-402867230

MLP: FiM is copyright of Hasbro

Sound Track Recs:

"Good Question, Kiddo"
Born Unto Trouble, Bill Elm and Woody Jackson, Red Dead Redemption
"We began searching"
Nixon's Walk, Michael Kamen, Band of Brothers (Based on Dido's Lament/When I Am Laid In Earth, Henry Purcell, Dido and Aeneas)
'смерть драконов'
Ordinance, Lorne Balfe, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2
Makarov's Victory
Coup De Grace, Lorne Balfe, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Cover Image By Kendell2

= Directors Cut Scenes =

= Colonel Audience Dream Full Version =

"Something wrong, Lieutenant?"

I turned. Colonel Audience had apparently noticed me staring off into space.

"Not really, Sir, it's just... I'm still not really sure I deserve what's happening tomorrow."

"Well, some of the other officers were pretty sure it should have been a GGH not a GDSM..." He joked.

'Guard Gallantry Horseshoe? Distinguished Service Medal? I never won any medals...

"That's not what I mean, Sir, it's just... I didn't really do all that much. I just did what I was supposed to do," I frowned.

"Really, now? I don't think stopping a rogue tank single-hoofedly is 'just what you were supposed to do,' Shining."

"It was only one Deer inside, Colonel. He wasn't even part of any militia, he'd just stolen it from a depot."

'Militias? What tank?'

"Did you know that before you jumped in front of it and trapped it inside a shield?"

"...No, Sir."

"It had rolled up to a large group of Guards and Civilians at the field hospital, and it was apparently impervious to the only cannon in the area, and the turret had started moving to aim at one of the tents. You think that jumping in front of it with a shield when it first fired before you trapped it was what you were 'supposed' to do? Completely immobilizing the tank, holding sixty tons and two hundred horsepower from moving more than an inch? That's just another day at the office for you, soldier?"

"Sir. I earned my cutie mark for protecting those in need. Why am I getting a medal just for doing what I'm supposed to be good at?"

"Well, I agreed to the call to award it because you did what you were supposed to do and did what you were good at, if that helps. Lieutenant Sharpe was particularly impressed. Shining, you did well. You used your talents exactly as you should, you were the right pony in the right place at the right time. That's pretty much how anypony EARNS rewards, regardless. Do what you're meant to do, be in the right place at the right time. Don't feel unworthy or guilty about it."

"I can't really help it, Sir. I..."

"Look, I know maybe it brings back memories and you might be seeing similarities. But tell me, would your uncle feel you didn't deserve it?"

"...No, Sir, I don't think he would."

"So why do you? Look, it's not uncommon. I bet about a quarter of the troopers getting medals tomorrow have doubts..."

"There's only four of us getting awarded."

"Well, I win the bet then? Point is, you think you just did what you were meant to. The others getting awarded, you think those three from the Eighty-Second thought they were meant to do something else other than stop that out-of-control rainstorm? Their orders were to scout it out and return to get help. It was too late for that when they did arrive. Had they followed what the orders said they should have done there'd have been another village underwater..."

He sighed.

"Look, this situation is a messy business all round, really. We're still struggling to regain full control of the weather here, but the Germanes and us have helped calm the tensions down from all-out violence. All because one egotistical landowner had his workers start diverting rainclouds to get a bit of sun! Nearly started a civil war! Deer still haven't quite let go of the caste-lines that were drawn here."

He looked at me directly now.

"Shining, if you hadn't stopped that tank, it'd be a lot more than just those civilians and you Guards that would have been killed or injured. The driver was a Moose, and some of the Reindeer are still sore from the initial violence. We're meant to be here to keep the peace and protect people. I personally asked you to come because I thought you'd be a good asset to accomplishing that mission. I felt you were being wasted in the admin jobs you kept volunteering for. I felt I owed it to a good pony, a good soldier, and a good friend that I didn't let his death ruin your life and your career, to share the faith he had in you. And by Celestia, you've proved we were right to have faith in you. Does that justify the medal to you?"

"...Yes, Sir."

"Good. Besides, Princess Celestia loves rewarding ponies for jobs well done. She'd probably be visiting to congratulate everypony on a job well done even if four of you hadn't earned medals."

"Is it really wise to allow the Princess to visit this area, Sir? I mean, there's still risks..."

"Much riskier to tell her 'it's too dangerous.' There always is with Princesses. Believe me on that, Lieutenant. Anyway, I came over to ask if you wanted to be interviewed for the papers. Some reporter, Sunny Days.Wanting to try to speak to the troopers being given awards, can't fob her off, Princess Celestia thinks it'll be a good idea..."

'...Wait, what? I've never met...'

= Misfit Actual Sings =

Facing the Bullets Take 1
Blood Brothers, Manowar, Gods of War
Facing the Bullets Take 2
Dawn, Poets of the Fall, Carnival of Rust

We were silent for a few moments again until Thunderchild began singing.

"When the world, turns you away..."

"A friend will not say no." Ellis then cut in.

"...There is strength that we all have," Garnet.

"It's not the strength we show." Gag.

"...I don't know this one," Audience promptly shot the mood in the head.

Still, we thought it was funny. We who are about to die will laugh at anything...

"Dang it, Captive!" Thunderchild was still chuckling.

"And Garnet's a girl, so she'd have to be a blood sister," Ellis pointed out another flaw.

"Alright, how about we figure out one we all know? Like, anypony know 'all fer the love 'o sunshine', that good?" Ellis offered.

"I don't know it," I had to admit.

"Wait. What about that one on the record Minuette keeps playing?" Audience offered.

I thought for a second he'd meant...

"You mean the piano-one that starts off 'when darkness is no less'?" Gag offered.

"Yeah, I think it's called Dawn."

"I think I know it, Ranger and Sunset sang it a few weeks back."

Everypony else seemed to know it. I remembered it after they tried to start.

"We got one," Garnet smiled.

"Don't mourn what is gone, greet the dawn, and I will be standing by your side, together we'll face the turning tide..."

Episode 131: (Shining Armor) "potS nedduS ehT s'tI-Its The Sudden Stop" Part 2

Episode 132 (Shining Armor) Cervicorn POV Series Makarov The True and Ultimate Truth of True Events Starring, Directed and Edited and Produced By General-Admiral Solomon Azure Raven Makarov

~~Pony~~ Cervicorn POV Series
Makarov Arc
The True and Ultimate Truth of True Events
Starring, Directed and Edited and Produced By General-Admiral Solomon Azure Raven Makarov

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Hey, give that back! We haven't even got past the title and you've got at least three things wrong!)

No, you have got it backwards: it is you idiots that have been wrong the ENTIRE TIME! You should be thankful I am finally able to correct your screw ups! And now for a true introduction! Ah, but I shall require fitting music, that describes me and is a suitable backing force for my triumphant introduction!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): 'Asshole' by Denis Leary?)

Fool, I am not a donkey! Aha, the national anthem, of course! The Hooviet March! You shall play this song as I enter!

Our Hooviet Empire subjugates the whole world
Like a gigantic Bear from the West
The ponies wander aimlessly, without any cause,
Yet the Hooviet Deer's on the hunt...

I am General-Admiral Solomon Azure Raven Makarov, Hero of the Hooviet Empire, Grand Marshall and Supreme Commander of the Imperial Armed Forces, and soon, Premier of the Empire and of All the World! Conqueror of All Nations, Defeater of the Gods and Destroyer of the Alicorns! The few of you who do not know of my glory and my fame - I am here to educate you.

And not before time! You have wasted months following the lies of the Equestrian propaganda machine. Now, the truth shall be free to... freely... be free!

The truth began thirty years ago, following our victory against the Dragons. We had suffered severe losses in our triumph, of course, and the Hooviet Council decided that they needed to create the perfect generals to ensure that the already-perfect army was to be led by the best - for even the best trained officer could make mistakes when handed power. No, what was needed was the perfect blend of fighter and leader, built, born, bred and trained for the role.

And the project was a success! Combining the magical strengths of otherwise inferior Unicorns with the natural leadership and other superior talents of the Roe Deer, the Zontik Biomagical Research Bureau's project codenamed "Les Enfants Splendide" created thirty superior soldiers. The greatest amongst them - Me! The project was a hundred percent successful, yet with I, it was a hundred and fifty percent successful!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Fascinating...)

But of course. Why, you should have been talking to me from the start. This whole story should only ever speak to its hero, General-Admiral Makarov!

Pony POV Series
Shining Armor Arc
Chapter 16.5
The Story of Makarov

Ha, I am not surprised Solomon is lying already. Of course, some are obvious, but others require context. He's correct the Hooviet leadership wanted supersoldiers... but they were desperate. They wanted generals powerful enough to rule by power and fear. And yes, they were dumb enough to think they could control them.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Wait, what happened to the 'think like a Hooviet' thing?)

Mother Deer told us you three were safe and we could drop it for this.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Oh...Continue.)

It's my understanding you know what should have happened. But for what did happen, well, it's close in all but the parts that matter. Solomon was telling the truth when he said the Zontik Bureau led the project for supersoldiers. He declines to mention that the projects were all centralised at Chernobull to ensure each was easy for them to inspect all at once.

Yes, I'm serious. They put their eggs in one basket out of sheer laziness. Supersoldiers, superweapons, advanced conventional weapons. No wonder spies were all over it. And Mother Deer help them if the supersoldiers HAD rebelled right there. The project was not "the splendid children" as he claims. It was officially just Project Hybrid. It had less flattering nicknames amongst the research teams. The terrible children, the abominations, the mistakes.

And even with him trying to claim otherwise, the project only bore thirty of a hundred. Their forced hybrids included species other than unicorns, even an attempt at a true Father Deer. That went wrong of course. Let's just say that it had too many of a lot of things, including bullet holes and dead bodies, but excluding things like sapience and sanity.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Well, at least it's dead, I was afraid he'd make Shining have to fight it...)

And that was really the best result they should have had with the technology and magic that exists - even using surrogates like they did should have failed. They should have got nothing trying for lab-grown hybrids. There's only one method around that can successfully create hybrids right now.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): An' what is it?)

Sexual intercourse, of course. Though personally I've yet to even see a unicorn remotely attractive enough to consider the prospect. And the natural method, as well as probably being much simpler, messier, and more fun for both involved, won't result in a super soldier any more than a Hippogriff or a Virgacorn is a supersoldier.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Is it also the case that such cross-species relationships are prohibited?)

Yes. Violently so. He'll gloat about it at some point I'm sure.

The project, however, had other faults. They killed any females, and the non-Cervicorns all had severe genetic instabilities and died before the age of ten. And the ones they did have, well, they didn't end well either.

Oh, and one last thing about his lies there: He isn't a donkey, but he is a jackass.

...And that is how I won the national science fair aged three!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): That makes even less sense to us and we heard the story.)

What?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Nothing. Continue, Your Generalness? We'd really rather hear of your military... exploits, if we're honest.)

Excellent, you wish to hear the fun parts! As you will know, the Mosroe Hooviet Military Academy is the finest training establishment on the planet, and you will also know I am the youngest graduate! I left with a university-level education aged just sixteen! When Shining Armor was sixteen, he was a mere cadet! I trained longer and harder than any other soldier on the planet to reach where I was, four years of intense training, and ten years of self-education before that!

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): But six years of official training... That's impressive!)

Okay, let's see, officers in Equestria technically train from age twelve, graduate at eighteen as officers. Six years. Oh, and other nations prefer officers with college or university educations so that counts technically. He's talking confirmable nonsense, as usual.

And Mosroe Hooviet is... Well, it's not exactly great compared to foreign academies. Too much by-the-book obedience was encouraged. Too much study of the previous tactics and planning to reuse them. The High Command wanted to encourage yes-bucks who stayed in line because then it was easy to take care of tall poppies, and easy to pluck out whichever officer they wanted to pretend to mentor and groom as a future colonel.

Indeed, it is most impressive. But this was just the start of a glittering career! Promoted straight to Captain-Lieutenant as part of Spetznaz, where I served with distinction for a year, until the sabotage disrupted the peace!

Feel honored! The information I am about to provide you with is highly classified! You should be most grateful I am willing to disclose it to you wretches!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Oh thank you, your Generalness, for the exclusive information.)

Equestrian and Columbian propaganda says Chernobull exploded by our own folly, but the truth is that glorious facility was sabotaged! As the great Hooviet Empire was at the height of its progress, other nations looked upon us with envious eyes and sought to ruin our prosperity!

Chernobull tragically exploded, killing a great many noble scientists and soldiers! I cannot tell you the unspeakable sorrow I felt seeing the symbol of hope to our brave Empire destroyed before my eyes! But I bravely persevered and went about rescuing the personale!

But this blow to the glorious Empire would not go unpunished! The insidious perpetrators were discovered to be hiding in Krakozhia.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Let me guess, by you?)

Of course! I discovered one of the terrorists fleeing the scene of the crime! I bravely captured him with my barehooves, even though he had a stolen Rhino Tank and interrogated him to get him to reveal the true location of the masterminds of this insidious plot!

We nobly mobilized our counter offensive and launched our invasion of Krakozhia. The campaign was hard fought and bloody, but in the end we were victorious, in no small part thanks to my efforts. Sadly, ten of my brave fellow hybrids fell in the act, but their sacrifice was not in vain and preserved the Greater Good! In the end, my exploits earned my promotion to Major-Captain!

Naturally we showed the Krakozhians mercy. Ungrateful swine responded with constant terrorist attacks and rebellions. But what would you expect from a bunch of savages?

About the only truth Solomon told there was that Chernobull exploded. To start, the majority of the Hooviet Empire didn't even know that Chernobull existed, which naturally makes it quite difficult for it to be a symbol of anything. And most of the surviving Hybrids in this line were rather unhappy with how they were treated there. I imagine that they secretly cheering to see the place where they'd spent much of their lives experimented on go up in flames.

As for ponies dying, he is telling the truth, naturally, but Solomon was more focused on looking heroic than actually acting the part. Not to mention the deer at Chernobull who are worse than dead because of the thing that would become him.

The Terrorists? Do I even need to answer that? Chernobull was desperately performing dangerous experiments involving unstable generators and enough munitions to fight a couple wars. It was a wonder it hadn't exploded sooner. I imagine the 'terrorist' was either one of the numerous spies that had infiltrated Chernobull or sprung into existence because Solomon needed a 'villain' to capture.

The real reason Krakozhia was invaded is quite simple: good old Hooviet imperialism. "Our Hooviet Empire subjugates the whole world" isn't a boast, it's a goal, and the explosion of Chernobull was merely their excuse to restart their conquests.

As for Solomon's 'noble war,' calling it a 'conflict' is being too generous. A massacre is the correct term. Solomon didn't lead a special forces team, he lead a death squad. True, ten of his fellow hybrids were killed and the Krakozhians did try to fight back, but in all likelihood, Solomon himself was responsible for their deaths. After all, Solomon wanted to be special, how could he be if there were others supposedly just like him?

Mercy? I would laugh if it weren't such a cruel joke. The Krakozhians were conquered, subjected, and made into scapegoats. Anything that went wrong could be blamed on the 'known terrorists.' Mercy isn't in Solomon's vocabulary.

And that is how I became Mr. Hooviet Empire for the fifth consecutive time!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): I wish we could unsee those pictures of you in tights...)

Yes, they could have done a much better job capturing my stunning body. But it is hard to capture perfection, after all.

Now we move to my glorious rise to power truly beginning! At aged eighteen I was made head of a security detail as we began rising from the ashes of Chernobull. There I met my mentor, the distingished Lieutenant-General Yevgeny Borisovitch Volgin. The Lieutenant-General was at the forefront of our weapons development programs. It was he who inspired my wonderful Shagohods, though I naturally immensely improved on his designs. I learned much from him, including my incredible mastery of thunder!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Then why didn't you use it when Thunderchild fried you in Columbia?)

That was another of my amazing robots, my designers merely forgot to install the lightning redirector! It is their fault and they have been properly punished!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Then why didn't it short circuit and explode if a gun could shoot the head off-)

Silence! You are ruining my train of thought, wretch!

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Please continue, General-Admiral. You were talking about your mentor.)

Gladly. Volgin rightfully believed our weapons development should be at the forefront of the Hooviet Empire's efforts, as did Major-General Admiral Dragovich and Colonel-Captain Kravcehnko, two smug and arrogant officers. They believed they were smarter than me, or Volgin! Perish the thought! Their ideas were all absurd and pointless things, but they believed they were the future of the Hooviet Empire. Needless to say, myself and Volgin outshined them, as we rightfully should!

This would eventually push them to desperation, and they perished from their own arrogance when their dangerous inventions backfired upon them.

Mr. Hooviet Empire? Sadly, that actually happened. Don't forget, Solomon can make others admire him despite all logic and say 'I am stronger than you' to anyone not protected from his power. If you think the pictures are bad, you should see the calender photos.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Which month?)

All of them.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): ...Even the swimsuit pictures?)

Unfortunately.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): This is why everypony should just go around naked!)

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): ...His ego is the size of the Hooviet Empire.)

You're only realizing this now? As for the rest, he is naturally lying about Columbia, or at least when it happened it was truly him and now it wasn't. Volgin was indeed Solomon's 'mentor' as he put it, but Volgin was an insane lunatic while Dragovich and Kravcehnko were rather sensible bucks. Well, as sensible as two Hooviet officials attempting to build weapons of mass destruction could be. Their ideas were more practical and made more sense than Volgin's. They included poison gas.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): You mean...)

Yes, Solomon stole their ideas and made them even more heinous. I said they were more practical, not that they were less vicious. Volgin inspired Solomon's tripods in name only, his own version was a massive tank that used screw propulsion. This means in place of treads, it has two large screws that revolved to make it move forwards. This turned out to be considerably less practical than simple treads, particularly with the massive weapons it was equipped with.

As for the 'accident' that claimed their lives, they perished when their gas weapons sprung a leak during a demonstration, killing not only them but either killing or injuring many others, including several of his fellow hybrids. Considering he desired their plans to be his own, you can assume what truly happened.

...and that is how I became a the youngest Sambo Uchitel in history!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): We'll take your word for it. We don't know much about Sambo...and you probably know even less.)

What was that?

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Nothing.)

I began taking part in covert operations. Infernal terrorists such as those who Shining Armor had allied with were a thorn in the Empire's side even back then! My early missions were tracking down and destroying these dogs wherever such evils may hide, with a one hundred percent success rate! But there was no time to celebrate, as the terrorists launched an all or nothing assault, this time on our own facility! But thankfully, I was head of the guard detail this time! The attack was stopped in it's tracks by my brilliance! I was even able to work alongside with Dragovich and Kravchenko during the onslaught!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Uh. Weren't they dead?)

No you, fools! They were not dead yet!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Well it sounded lik-)

Now, where was I?! Oh yes! I was rewarded for humbly and nobly putting aside our differences and working together to save the facility!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Do you have a thesaurus?)

No, why do you ask?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): You're running out of new words to call yourself awesome with.)

Ah! Good point. There can never be enough words for that purpose!

After that victory, I began to hunt down the last remnants of the terrorists. In the process, I uncovered a nest of monsters - Insectoid freaks who dared masquerade as a normal species! Though weak, they had a good intelligence network. They did not pose very much of a threat, reliant mostly on a single powerful leader for their strength. Still, with our main threat in disarray, I expended some small resources on them. They were not worth a full-scale assault, but I had to root out their spies around the world and remove them: effortless even with the few resources I spared!

We then launched a raid to draw out their Queen, who I defeated personally. We suffered heavy casualties as their army began to beat themselves against us. This was the plan, for it had all been a feint: My small force reduced to myself and a few survivors allowed our gas weapons to be deployed unimpeded, the monsters too distracted by the thought of their decimated ranks overpowering us in revenge to notice they were already dead!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Ugh... Uh, I mean, excuse me for a moment...)

I take it Solomon is becoming annoying.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): How'd you tell?)

It appears you've been beating your head against a wall recently. Solomon tends to have that effect on anyone who can see through his spell.

Solomon's claim of becoming a Sambo Uchitel anywhere near his teen years would be an impossibility for anyone else. Sambo ranking revolves around competition, not just training. For example, to become a Grand Master, one rank below that, he would need to be a multiple time world champion. And a Uchitel? You need to train others in Sambo to at least a Grand Master rank.

As for the 'terrorists,' those existed, but they weren't us, they were Drumstrang rebels. The Hooviets are tyrants, it is only natural for rebellions to rise up. Sadly, Solomon tells the truth that he tried crushing the rebellions. While he couldn't permanently stamp out all rebellion (in part thanks to Mother Deer's protection to groups such as us), at the time there was little to stop him. All that could be done was inconvenience him until Captain Sparkle entered the picture. As he did when I shot him, any actual attempt to kill Solomon only hit a robotic version of himself, if they get that far.

The second terrorist attack also happened, but 'working' with those two consisted of 'mentally force them to bow to his orders so he can look amazing.'

A nest of monsters? Well, he did test a lot of gas weapons back then, but the ones he used the first time lingered too long. Whatever was there, the area was sealed off. We tried to examine the area but it was like the ground itself leaked poisons. Our scouts had to leave.

My guess is he actually botched his test, killed dozens of his own troops, and pretended they were alien monsters to make the higher-ups thank him. All with a place where they can't get any evidence because he's poisoned it. But if there was something there I imagine he probably absorbed their Queen if she existed - he'd not pass up a chance like that. And he probably gassed his own troops all the same. Why leave witnesses?

(Interviewer’s Notes (Unicorn): Except it makes absolutely no sense. Not from reality nor from himself. If they really were something he had made up, he would have spent forever listening to himself speak about how they were clearly a danger to the world and he had valiantly obliterated such an ‘evil threat.’ He spoke of them like a triviality, an after thought, something that wasn’t worth even a full paragraph of his time. In other words, something that wasn’t related to him. He spoke about it like it was some brush-off fact, something tacked on, or something he had wanted to be just ‘tacked on,’ rather than a part of his narrative. It would be something he WANTED to be trivialized. The question is why?)

Maybe you should ask why he kept it hidden if it was such a success.

Anyway, we were discussing my awesomeness...

(Interviewer’s Notes (Unicorn): Excuse me, General-Admiral, but the event with the nest of monsters, may I ask why you did not publicise it? It just seems strange such a success isn't better known.)

Alas, such is the nature of heroism and the covert world that we must descend into in the name of protecting the greater good! Those creatures had a vast intelligence network, and though we were confident we had wiped them out, it was for the benefit of the greater good the matter remained hidden. We recovered the intelligence their Queen gathered... You might say, I consolidated it into my own. A more public revelation of the events would diminish our victory - and some of the weaker minded fools in the world may have objected. But they were dangerous, every last one! Removing them silently was a boon to the world, letting us use their treacherously stolen information for a noble cause!

(Interviewer’s Notes (Pegasus): But surely there were civilians.... )

Nonsense, there were no true civilians. Just agents not on any mission at the time! They all died! In battle, or assassinated, or gassed! Every soldier was slain by me and my forces! Every spy eliminated! Every one of their reserves, your so-called civilians, was gassed.

"It's so sad," Bon Bon said.

"Yes so sad," Lyra replied. "That Moth had to die from gas."

~~"What gas?! Lyra! Bon Bon! I'm right here!" Moth shouted at them, waving her hooves in front of them. It was like she was invisible.~~

"Wish I could hear her voice again," Bon Bon sighed.

~~"You can hear me! I'm right here! Bon Bon! Can't you feel me?!" Moth tried to touch her sister, but it was like Moth was smoke. It had been a normal day in Ponyville, the three of them had been out shopping for supplies to Bon Bon's candy shop to try and give some competition to the Cakes when suddenly everypony she tried to talk to began speaking about her in third person that she was dead!~~

~~Moth was worried she was dead. She felt her pulse, she felt hot, cold, scared. If this was death, then where was Queen Rosedust to welcome her into joining the collective-mind of the eternal swarm? Or why wasn't she standing before the Queens of old in judgement for her life's contribution to the hive?~~

Bon-Bon and Lyra went back to their cooking, having no idea why they had suddenly brought up Moth's death tragic death by gas. Gas? What gas? What gas had ever been- Moth died from gas! - yes, Moth died from gas. It was so sad.

~~Moth cried. No one could hear her.~~

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): But, this didn't happen before.)

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): It's happening now... He says they all died, they all died... Even the ones that weren't there, or weren't found by his spies.)

How does 'my incomprehensible intellect' sound?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Peachy, now please move on.)

Gladly. The civil war in Kundu soon erupted once again and the Hooviet Empire was happy intervene. I served with distinguished service and we managed to buy peace where all others failed! Only the glorious Hooviet Empire could perform such an amazing feat!

It was in no small part due to my amazing talents as a leader and my combat skills that saw much use in quelling such a long, bloody war! I was unstoppable on the battlefield! None could match my incredible fighting skills! Any who challenged me were crushed beneath my hooves!

But my diplomatic skills were even more important, as this was undeniably a peace keeping mission. With my brilliance, the Hooviet Empire soon secured not only peace, but the favor of the Kundu government!

'Incomprehensible intellect?' Well, his thought process is certainly impossible to comprehend, but that's more due to it coming from dozens of stolen consciencenesses than actually being intelligent.

Kundu? The Columbians and Equestrians actually had peacekeeping efforts well in hoof at the time, the Hooviets were the ones who set off tensions again to begin with, and Solomon himself was right at front of it.

While there would still have been violence without Solomon, it is quite likely that the war would've ended far earlier without his existence. Not only that, thanks to Hooviet intervention, the the New World Order party came to power in the end.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): And they literally tore the democratic government to pieces?)

Correct, how did you know?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): A pony in Shining's group lost some penpals there.)

Ah, I see. Minority control parties are weakened and splitered into no threat to the government. And any threatening opposing faction springs up outside the government begins growing powerful and unifying force? They make them a scapegoat for the lesser groups to tear apart and keep their hooves clean.

But as for his diplomatic skills? Well, he DID stop the war...when it suited him. As you can assume, Solomon could've used his powers to stop it at any time. I assume he stopped it because only being involved in one or two conflicts in his entire career wouldn't be 'illustrious' enough for his ego.

...and that how to properly remove a unicorn's horn to use as a power supply.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): T-Thanks...Please, move on...)

Hehe, what is wrong? You appear to have seen a ghost. Or are you jealous your inferior race lacks the same utility to my regime?

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Its nothing General, please stop allowing us to distract the readers from your greatness.)

Ah, yes, must not allow that, can we? It was not long until a dragon, bitter at his species loss to us, dared launch an onslaught on Hooviet soil!

In accordance with her treaties, Queen Tiamat had no choice but to allow me to lead a group to repel the rogue beast! Our Mammoth Tanks were yet to be field tested so I had no choice but to lead an outgunned force against insurmountable odds! Taking on a moving mountain of flesh and bone with weapons that could do little more than tickle the titan! But in the end, my brilliant tactics and immense power forced the beast into retreat! I personally dealt the final blow with a beam of pure magic that it could do nothing against!

However, I did spare the dumb beast's life. An act of unheard of mercy to such an enemy. Especially when I was the sole survivor on my side of the battle!

I don't blame you for being so disturbed, the process is quite horrifying to witness.

As for the dragon, that did happen and Tiamat's treaty does state that if her children attack unprovoked, the target may defend themselves. But I imagine the dragon either didn't previously exist or was being influenced by Solomon's powers. I assume you already know that the dragons won the original war, correct?

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Shining explained it pretty well!)

Good. So I don't need to go over the details. But the point is a Dragon wouldn't be bitter over a war they won. Though I can't say one might not be upset at having lost a family member or friend die in the war. Still it is unlikely one would have attacked the Hooviets that long after the war. Especially after Tiamat already declared the war was done.

As for him being the one to repel the dragon, that is partly true. Solomon did lead the group into the battle, but his 'tactics' consisted of sending his entire force at the dragon head on and allowing them to both wear it down and be wiped out so he could end the battle himself and take all the credit as his own.

Also, the Mammoth Tanks could likely have been made available easily, but it wouldn't make Makarov look as impressive if he didn't do it personally, could he?

It is about this time that Dragovich and Kravchenko met their untimely ends by their own irresponsible experiments. Sadly it also cut the careers and lives of many of my fellow hybrids who were maimed by the accident as well. I was able to put aside my rivarly to humbly attend their funerals and deliver a stirring speech.

Though I will admit that it was not entirely their fault. We discovered sinister spies from Ruritania were involved in sabotage of the experiment! There I commanded the 667th Shock Fleet-Army in yet another stunning campaign!

But tragically, more and more of my fellow hybrids met their demise at the hooves of insidious Ponisan assassins! But they could not harm ME! Seven of them tried at once but did not so much as draw blood! I crushed them with the effort you would crush a fly and left them broken on a battlefield!

For my valor and amazing exploits, I was promoted to Colonel-Captain after the war!

Unfortunately, with the deaths of so many of my fellow hybrids, only two remained! Myself and the only other cervicorn that ever managed to come close to my greatness, Yeretik!

But sadly, not everydeer can handle greatness! Yeretik grew power hungry, violent, and bitter as my star rose brighter and brighter! He joined in a group of terrorists in an attempt to undermine the Hooviet Government!

His treachery was only discovered when we were both Lieutenant Colonel-Captain and the stage was set for a spectacular showdown!

He begain by striking down my entire squad with one devastating spell! But I had no time to mourn their death! Even with their blood running freely at my hooves, I tried to plead with the only one who came close to resembling my perfection! But sadly, they fell on deaf ears and we clashed fiercely, devastating the surrounding area with our almighty power!

But in the end, I stood victorious and ran Yeretik through with my antlars! I did recieve minor burns in the struggle, but it is to be expected when two mighty foes meet!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Having a few singe marks doesn't mean you're not a Mare-ty Stu...)

What was that?

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Nothing...Continue)

Volgin remained my mentor throughout all of this, becoming Supreme Marshal of the Hooviet Empire, but it was not to last. He was tragically taken from me. He died of a sudden heart attack shortly after retiring and bequeething the position of Supreme Marshal! On orders from Father Deer, he was given a full state funeral with honors, organized by me of course. I even presided over the event myself.

We covered Dragovich and Kravchenko earlier, to my knowledge he hasn't changed that story from what I've already stated. I'm honestly impressed he actually got the date correct instead of moving their deaths back in time to make up for his slip up.

As for Ruritania, it was much the same story as Krakozhia: making the target of their expansionist ideology a scapegoat for a product of Hooviet stupidity or Solomon's manipulations to justify their invasion.

The assassins? Well, they COULD have been real, the Hooviets were never exactly popular world wide. But Ponisa always denied involvement. But considering Solomon wanted to be unique and can bend reality to his whims, you can guess what I think actually happened.

Yeretik? There is a name I haven't heard in a long time. Yeretik was indeed the last surviving hybrid after Solomon, but he wasn't a terrorist anymore than I was. He was my predecessor so to speak. He did have Mother Deer's blessing to protect himself from Solomon's control, but Captain Sparkle is still the only one who stands a chance of defeating Solomon in a fight. Yeretik was a good buck, but he wasn't able to stop Solomon.

As for Volgin's heart attack and speedy burial: Solomon can't be the big guy on top with someone above him, now can he?

And that's the process by which my Alicorn Cyborgs were created...My, you three look a little sick to your stomachs. Did I disturb you?

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): A-A little...)

Too bad. Now that I have told you my past, it is time I tell you what is coming nex-

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Actually, if you don't mind, could you tell us about your family a little? You haven't told us much about them.)

Oh yes, my loving family! Forgive me, it is all so very tragic!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): What? That you have to admit an 'inferior unicorn' is your mother?)

No. I was conceived via in-vitro fertilization! The unicorn was little more than my egg doner! And even then, it was a SUPERIOR inferior unicorn!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): ...Please excuse me for a second. I'm going to step into the hallway and scream.)

Ah, overcome by my brilliance, that happens all the time. Now where was I? Oh yes. My TRUE mother was a noble Roe Deer, as was my father! My father was also a great member of the Hooviet armed forces and descendant of the royal house of Makarov!! It is only natural that to breed a great leader you choose one to be the father! As for my mother, she was a brilliant scientist and one of the Hooviet Empire's tactical minds! On both sides I am filled with noble blood of great Hooviets!

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Technically speaking, you don't have any of your mother's genes, since your egg came from a unicorn and not her.)

SILENCE! Do not mock my glorious mother!

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): I wasn't, I was only saying that-)

My mother fell ill and died a few years later, before I could even know her! Tragically cut down by illness! I cannot tell you the tragedy I felt when she passed away!

But I was not alone any longer! My younger brother was born shortly before our mother's unfortunate demise! We grew closer and closer to both one another and our father. I could have been a vain and selfish deer and blamed him for our mother's death on him, but I am humble Cervicorn who would never think to do such a thing!

My brother was the result of another Hooviet Project: Selective Breeding! He became a true soldier as he grew older! He was fiercely loyal to the Hooviet Empire! A true patriot! And while not nearly as smart as me, a brilliant tactical mind. He was a wonderful right hoof to my intellect. He would become an agent of the GRU later in life.

I loved my brother dearly and he idolized me! I was his hero! As I should be! I was a fantistic older brother! No one could ask for a better one than me!

Sadly, shortly after Ruritania, our family lost another member in our father. His only regret is that he did not fall in glorious battle!

It was not the last tragedy our family would suffer! While infiltrating Yeretik's insidious band, he was sadly discovered and murdered! I personally avenged his death by executing his murderers with my own two hooves!

It was no easy task to move on! I had lost all the family I had ever known. You cannot imagine the suffering I experienced! It was the most horrible thing you could ever imagine! You my tears were like rivers! But I moved on and continued to rise like the star I have always been!

So that's the story he's using now?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Now?)

Yes, he has around thirty five at last count. Number ten is actually somewhat tolerable.

(Interviewers Notes (Earth Pony): What is it?)

It involves dragons, a lost treasure, and three helicopters. Or five helicopters, depends on his mood.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): How so?)

In the one with three helicopters he's outnumbered and looks more impressive.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Wait...didn't his parents die in separate places?)

Not in Solomon's imagination most of the time. The one I remember most is claiming Equestrians murdered them. The actual story is that he needed a tragic back story for sympathy, so he had them both covertly murdered.

(Interviewers Notes (Unicorn): He...he murdered his own parents?)

You're right to be horrified, but don't forget that the thing that calls itself Solomon was just using them to progress its own 'story.' They meant nothing to it, no more than a child's toys mean to them.

Their names were Rasputin and Anastasia Makarov, and they were more or less as he said they were, but Anastasia wasn't given the credit her intelligence deserved. The Hooviets are patriarchal, so to his credit, Solomon has given her more credit than history actually did.

As for his brother...I am afraid that is classified information, even for you. But I will say this much. That isn't how he died.

So, now it is time to find out how this story will end.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): You don't know that.)

Hehe, but I do. Because there is no other way for it TO end. My incredible brilliance can not be defeated! My army cannot fall! My great warship Daedalus is invincible! The world will be mine! All mine!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Drop the act, 'Makarov.' We know everything about what you really are.)

Really? Hehe...Then I guess I can indulge you a little.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Uh...did he always have sharp teeth?)

I am about to write MY ending for this story. Tell me, what is the one thing that stands in my way right now?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Shining Armor.)

Exactly. And soon, even he will not be able to resist me! And he will play his role perfectly. No more delusions of being the hero. He will be MY villain, my final foe! And when he lays bleeding and crushed to death beneath my hooves, this story will be mine, now and forever!

Now...this conversation has made me a little hungry. Please excuse me while I go get a...bite to eat.

Author's Note

"Greeting comrade! The owner of this web account is currently wallowing in his own worthlessness, insignificance, and triviality to the cosmos, and that his thoughts and words hold no value to anyone, and that all he can do is alienate everyshadow around him again and again, and again, and again, and again. And his actions have only value as a faceless nameless cog, oh I'm sorry, how very rude of me! You all came here to read about ME of course! How could I be so ignorant! My apologizes! Shadows are who write forwards that are longer than the character are such wretched creatures. But it doesn't matter now.

I am the main character of this story! Everything has been a built up to about me! Like John Galt in Atlas Shrugged, or Orested of Live-A-Live I have now become the center of the plot! Behold! My greatness! I am the knight of the greater good! I am he who shall break the world and bend it to my ideal. Though endless toil and strife I have climbed to the top of my class, against prejudices against my hybrid status I become the greatest of our glorious empire, through tragic losses, through humble beginnings, and one heroic but difficult battle after another, I've fogught, and fought, and kept on fighting! but I am more than a general, I am an engineer, a composer, a dancer, a musician, a historian, a scientist, a level 400 black-belt, and a level 30-mage, and a anbu-elite ninja, I have a stronger and wider perception of magic than any pony! I can counter-act the stare reducing it's users to frothing at the mouth vegetables, I can negate the use of the Element of Harmony with a stern 'No!' I can reverse an anti-magic binding place on myself to everyone in room and tell Celestia just how she is the PICTURE of incompetence, inability to learn from her mistake, and refusal to accept her own imperfection and failures! I am the Cervicorn! I am how the world shall change! I will be the one to teach them how blind and arrogant they've been! And all will love my rightfully earned greatness unlike the Alicorns who had everything handed to them! GLORY TO FATHER DEER! GLORY TO THE HOOVIET EMPIRE! GLORY TO ME!"

Story Arc written by LZ0291 lz0291.deviantart.com/ With help from Kendell2 Cover image by Kendell2

Episode 132 (Shining Armor) Cervicorn POV Series Makarov The True and Ultimate Truth of True Events Starring, Directed and Edited and Produced By General-Admiral Solomon Azure Raven Makarov

Episode 133 (Shining Armor): At The End Act One: Doomsday?

17 At The End
Act One: Doomsday?

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn):Then...here we are.)

What?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):...You mean you're not just waking up and thinking this was a dream?)

No...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):Horseapples...And you can question who we are?)

Yes...Why shouldn't I?

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn):..That complicates things...)

What's going on?!

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony):We've caught up. Ya told us everythin' that happened up ta now.)

But...You've been listening to me all this time, here! That can't have just happened. If it did what...

...What happened next? I don't remember what happened next.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Because it's about to happen. That's what we're here to try and find out.)

Aren't we on the ship? I had to leave the room twice! I borrowed a Game Colt!

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn):The mind is powerful, Shining. Time can be slowed or sped up.)

...So I'm dead or dying and the last thing I'm imagining is this? My life before my eyes except in interview format...Bucking figures I wouldn't evendie normally. It's meant to just be 'pop - dead- oblivion' but no, I get interviewed in my mind by three ponies I just invented for no apparent reason?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):Well, this could have gone a lot better...)

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony):Ya ain't dead, ya ain't dyin', and ya didn't make us up!)

That's exactly what I'd expect imaginary ponies to say.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):Look, logic's good but use different logic! Is it so hard to accept you're out cold or something? So hard to accept that you're being interviewed for real the only time we can really get to you at the moment?)

Alright, I'll humor me. Where do I claim you came from?

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony):Um, if we say it might...change things.)

Figures. Shining Armor, you bucking plothole, why are you doing this to yourself?

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): But we can say that we're not imaginary, we're not ghosts, this is not a dying dream...the best way I can describe us is-)

(Interviewers Notes (Earth Pony):Yah know how in stories there'll be a little alicorn on somepony's shoulder tellin' 'em tah do the right thing?)

Yes...

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony):That's pretty much us. Except kinda mixed with the Watchers from Marevel.)

...Okay, admittedly, that's not the strangest thing to ever happen to me.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn):Your timeline, your existence, is in flux. Unstable. There's a version of you about a year or two from now that might not even be you. That version is like say a sketch, and you are inking your way to him. He is you but he doesn't have all your memories. We came back from then to now because, this is the only place on your timeline we found where you seem to be properly inked in, from the night you were promoted to now, and inking backwards as you came. Some of the things you've been talking about didn't happen as far as we knew, and we don't know why.)

...What?

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn):It's like a trench. It's being filled with water from the middle, and it's flowing both ways. But there's a blockage here, and so the other end doesn't flood there's a block on the other side, about five years in your past. Everything else is still incomplete, not filled. And at any time someone could just fill the whole trench in.)

...I think I get what you're trying to say but why is it flowing faster backwards than forwards?

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn):It's just a metaphor.)

Okay, so...You're not normal ponies at least. Figured. Can you tell me what's really happening or should happen then?

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony):...We can't. We thought we knew how it all shoulda went but the first you we checked with seemed wrong. Unfinished...We kept lookin' and then we found this big mess in the timeline and realized we'd been lookin' somewhere still bein' built.)

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): But even if we really knew what was happening or what should happen we can't tell you. If you knew you might wind up changing things and causing them to go wrong. Like all mortals, you're still making choices that are leading into the future and affecting the future. If we tell you a future that we think should happen, you could either try to avoid the future we told you, or try to complete it, preoccupying yourself so much with the end result, you don't focus on the present.)

What does it matter? Surely if I flub it in one timeline you can go into another.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn):Clever, but no. You're the only Shining Armor that's being completed in timelines we can access. The rest of the time there is no Shining Armor or you're just a placeholder on the timeline waiting for a complete you to catch up. The future-you, he's almost entirely for the moment because he only exists in that moment technically. You exist in the past and present, but not yet the future...And we need to be certain. We move up and down the trench and try nudge things in the 'right' direction, but we can't control the future.)

...This is hurting my head more than the rifle butts. Unless it is the rifle butts actually.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony):Hopefully yer wakin' up.)

What now though, are you guys gonna be in my head the whole way?

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn):We'll try to stay with you through this. You helped us get through our darker moments.)

Huh?

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn):After this, we don't know. Maybe this will be it and you'll be you in the future once the Shadow of Chernobull never was. No wolf, no Makarov, your place cemented.)

Why am I even in flux in the first place. Ugh!

Okay, feeling pain, means I'm alive for now...You three there?

(Interviewer's Notes (All):Yes.)

Okay, uh, my eyes don't seem to be opening at the moment. No, hang on, there's a bag on my head.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):Hey, but can you put that in past tense?)

...I've got a bucking bag on my head, every bit of my body hurts, and you want past tense for things I only realized half a bucking second ago?!

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Please?)

Gha, how am I even seeing puppy dog eyes, you're in my head and there's a bag on it!

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn):The mind's eye and mind's ear can see and hear at different speeds to the body.)

Fine, fine. Why can't this be present tense anyway?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Because we're sorta half a second into your physical future, existing just outside normal time in order to-)

...Wait, that theory is actually true? Blinkersvitch Limitation Effect, any means of observing the past without physically being there means...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Okay, how about it's easier for us to write down that way?)

...Works for me.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn):Also, Blinkersvitch is about temporal paradoxes preventing you crossing your own timestream and it has to a limited extent been disproven because mild interactions are possible - his original theory was they were completely impossible, but normally they create stable time loops and-)

Yeah, yeah, what theory was I thinking of then?

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony):Colteshav's Second Theory. First is better known as Narrative Casuality, Second is sometimes called Narrative Accident and Emergency.)

...Casuality, there's an I!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):It's just a pun! Half the cities on the planet are named after puns, so deal with it!)

Yeah, but this time stuff is already confusing.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):Shining, stop thinking about the timey wimey stuff.)

But I-

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):Timelines get confusing for us, do yourself a favor and stop thinking about it before your head explodes.)

Feels like it already has...Okay, so, right, you guys are half a second in the fut...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus, Unicorn, Earth Pony):WE'RE WRITING IT DOWN, THAT'S WHY IT'S PAST TENSE!)

...But that isn't even true.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus, Unicorn, Earth Pony):IT'S TRUE ENOUGH STOP THINKING ABOUT IT.)

Sheesh, fine, fine, you're writing it down and that's why even though I only just got kicked in the stomach there I have to say I was kicked instead of GHA.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony):Existence Eater, whole world in danger! Ring any bells?)

I just got kicked in the stomach, darn it!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):Good, past tense, now you're getting it!)

You mean I got it surely?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):We can use present tense talking to you.)

Okay, fine. I just started to wake up when someone rudely kicked me in the stomach while I was arguing in my head with three ponies who apparently need to write it down so it actually happened or something. Couldn't you guys not write it down, make it not happen?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):We never said us writing it down meant it happened!)

Oh, so-

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):I mean, it technically does mean that but how'd you realize it?! Oh, and us not writing it down won't help, sorry.)

...Was talking with you always this confusing?

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn):Normally, ponies don't notice us being there as strange. It's not in their context to be able to question it, but...for the same reason the Wolf is after you, you can.)

Okay. Wait, if this is all happening in my head in half a second could I talk to you guys like it was a pause menu and I can think?!

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn):Maybe, but if you speak to us and pause to think time might get bored and keep going. After all you're kind of...different from most ponies in a temporal sense. You can talk to us, but, er, it won't really slow things in reality down for you to think but it won't distract you either, this is kind of half a second in the future so all you can really do is-)

You mean you're writing it down?

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn):Look, what I mean is you can't use us as a time out because everything you think at us already happened and if you try to stop and think whatever you're trying to think about is still happening so unless you have time in the real world all we'll do is record you thinking about thinking and that won't go anywhere unless you in the real world can actually complete the thought process to begin with!)

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): NOW I'M CONFUSED!)

...I should probably stop asking questions and focus on saving the world.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):Good idea. Only took you twenty minutes.)

Half a second.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn):Focus on stopping the Apocalypse!)

I groaned, not feeling very happy. My head felt sore, not just because of the beating, and I'd just been kicked to wake me up all the way instead of the half-daze I'd slipped into.

I winced as light flooded my eyes. As my eyes adjusted I winced again, Makarov was staring right at me. It seemed it was just me and him in the back of a rather cramped helicopter. I also had a necklace on, and my barding was gone. I presumed the necklace was why I felt completely empty of any ability to use mana....

...Where was everypony else?

"...I preferred the bag, but maybe you could try wearing it," I said.

Getting him angry's still a good idea, right?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):Can't hurt, he's said he won't kill ya, yet, he might hit you. It might still weaken him though.)

"I'd hit you for that but the bag won't fit over my magnificent antlers. I'm already amazed it fit over your massive head. I'm surprised that despite your devotion to your minions you keep endangering them with this combative approach to our discussions. And with Gag now dewinged...the medic is skilled even though she herself is a bit sore from the beating she received. He is in good hooves, but alas, she only has her hooves...and the power of love. I think he may be in trouble."

He then hit me anyway.

"...Saw...that...coming," I wheezed.

"Of course you did, I took the bag off your head!"

"...'S a metaphor."

"No, it's a bag!"

Sweet Celestia, he'd already sampled my sarcasm!

"I can be witty and sarcastic too, Sparkle. I don't need any part of you or your idiot friends for that. I've met many with such...talents as you in that area. But none with your shield potential. Seeing your full strength back at the village in Nambutu, that has made me sure I have selected a perfect candidate for my nemesis! All good heroes need a nemesis, to defeat utterly!"

"...So why'd you decided to become a monster instead? You were blank slate when they let you out of Pandora's Box right? You could've become anything, why a monster?"

He seemed back to normal rage now, jumping up and down before using his antlers to slap me.

He opened his mouth to say something, but he seemed to keep coming up with blanks. I think he finally settled on 'rage quit and move on'. "...As I was saying, every hero needs a nemesis, and I honestly expected a little more from you, Sparkle."

"Little more what?"

"A little more fight! You surrendered so easily...because your patsies were at risk! You could have won there and then but like all villains you let a weakness take you, you stopped to do something foolish rather than take your shot at victory!"

"Do you even listen to yourself? You don't even have any clue what's really happening!"

He chuckled.

"Oh, but I do. Reality, pesky reality... Or should I say stupid dog. You considered the risks, the risks of reality. Had I just killed you, your thugs would be dead, but that's not satisfyingly heroic. I am to be a ruler, loved by all, not just some common killer that swats away a minor threat. My victory must be over a powerful force, like you!"

"The killer in Whinny 4 was more original than you, Makarov, at least she actually looked like a good guy before her plan was revealed. Let's see, you slaughtered a village, I helped save it, you turned innocent ponies into cyborgs, I freed one...Hehe," I actually laughed.

Makarov snarled. "What is so funny?"

"...You don't know how to be a hero at all, do you? You seriously don't realize how much of a villain you act like, do you?"

He then smiled.

"It's all in the name of the Greater Good in the end. That is my heroism. All I do is for the benefit of which most needs it...Me. I am the Greater Good! I have kept the dream of the Hooviets alive and I am now their dream. I am virtually a god in my own right, and I will first free the mortal world of the shackles of the old gods, then I will defeat them myself. The creators will live long enough to see their own creations kill them but be powerless to stop me. Reality has limits...And I can undo those limits. You have a full strength and I will stop it. I will change reality to fit my whims, not the other way around!"

"Really? Reality doesn't work the way you want it to? Welcome to the club," I sighed. I was beginning to think his answer to every argument was 'give overly dramatic speech that I saw in a movie.'

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):Given he's essentially a shadow whose only imagination is stolen from others, are you that surprised?)

Not really, I'm half expecting to see him start eating film reels for more material.

He just grinned.

"How about a demonstration, how reality thwarts my true greatness?"

He opened the door of the helicopter, a side panel. I'd been too low down to see out any of the small windows, but now I could see the helicopters were skirting around a battle about ten miles away.

Hooviet warships had locked antlers with an allied fleet, and losing. I saw a Columbian Reaper class broadsiding a smaller Hooviet vessel.

"You're getting your flank kicked. Don't worry, you're a General even with all your ships gone."

"That is not my demonstration, but you're right, that is not going as I desire. Still, those ships, this damage, it makes the victory sweeter. Observe. You see my pair of Battlecruisers, the Kirov classes. They should have been able to swarm over the frigates and start harassing the main enemy line as we charged instead of being halted, but the Columbians and the Ponsians blocked their advance with their infernal light airships. My Typhoon-class Destroyers were overwhelmed by the Neighponese Gojira-class Cruisers having free reign as a result. They weren't supposed to use tactics, they were meant to sail up and die as we simply advanced!"

"...I'm sorry, I don't understand fleet engagements," I said honestly.

All I knew was, every explosion and cloud of smoke was probably half a dozen souls snuffed out. There seemed to be dozens of large airships slugging it out, a disorganized melee, but apparently there was some sort of strategy at play...by the Allied forces. Their ships seemed better spaced even to me. The Hooviet plan apparently had been to just charge in madly.

Select all, attack one unit, like a bad RTS player not caring about the 'unit lost' chime never stopping because he's still selecting parts of his tank rush rather than micromanage a smaller force. I knew nothing about air-fights, and yet a guy with Admiral in his job title seemed to know even less.

"Still, your helicopters don't seem to do well. Kind of worrying, the allies break through they'll shoot us down-"

"Oh, but some of them are going to break through."

"W-what?!"

I'd been joking!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):You probably shouldn't have said that joke out loud around the parasite who steals ideas from anything he can get his hooves on and makes it real.)

...If I wasn't still tied up, I'd have face hooved.

"Fear not. Not only are these Hind helicopters far superior to the Hound or Hip you watch in the battle before you, but my plan is - I will beat the enemy light airships with my bare hooves!" He cracked his neck and gave that smug smirk of his.

"That's utterly-"

"Kirov reporting! General-Admiral, some of the light airships harassing us have broken off! Our diversion has failed!"

"You did your duty well. Die with honor, Kirov! I shall deal with your mistake!"

"Th-thank you, General-Admiral! You all heard him, we will not fail a second time!"

"...Madness," I said, watching a wing of SF-1 airships zooming towards us, skimming the treetops to attack us from below.

"General-Admiral, should we break formation, we have incoming!" Another helicopter asked.

"No. We shall keep on our course. We were delayed by our detour enough. I shall deal with these flies."

"But General-Admiral-"

"I said I shall deal with them. We will not retreat."

I could almost feel him bending the pilots to his will, forcing them to obey even though it made no sense.

"Now watch, my nemesis!"

And he jumped out of the helicopter.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):When'd he grow wings?)

He didn't (surprisingly), he just jumped...and drew his gun, a rocket launcher, and a huge katana. The Columbian airships began firing rockets at the helicopters and he just shot them all down! They fired volley guns at him as he fell, he swung his sword and deflected every shot, before he landed on one and kicked it! It crumbled below him, but he used it to jump back into the air somehow. He fired the rocket, throwing the tube away even as another SF-1 exploded, before he just blazed his gun away at a third, about a dozen shots making it just hover for a second then disintegrate in a fireball.

Then it got crazier. As he fell, he landed on a fourth SF-1, stabbing his sword into the cockpit. He ripped the roof off, pulled the dead pilot out, then stole it in mid-air. He swung it towards the others, firing rockets into their backs, killing the other four with ease.

Then a dragon appeared out of nowhere. He jumped out, onto the roof and using his telekinesis to control the airship, flying right at the dragon. He fired his gun, the dragon actually recoiling from the hits. Then he jumped off, the airship slamming into the dragon's face. He swung his katana so fast it was like a hundred blurs at once, kicked off the dragon's back, and landed back in the helicopter, crouching down...as behind him the dragon began falling apart. A single drop of blood fell from his katana. Then the dragon just exploded. No spark, no bomb, it just blew up.

I was lost for words for a second.

"...What the buck was that?! That's impossible!"

Makarov smirked.

"Yes. Now watch."

I kept staring, the falling airship wrecks slamming into the trees behind us, clouds of smoke...vanishing away. The cloud the dragon left behind vanished too.

"You see, fate knew I could not do that. So it undid it. That infernal Psoglov, the creature the rebels call the Stalker. I must either focus on an event to keep it, or he devours it."

He tapped his chin. "It's almost interesting, truthfully. In the Hooviet Empire, a civilization that is no longer supposed to be, while fate is still there, it is less strict, it lets me get away with more...but in Ponyville..."

I snarled. He laughed.

"Oh, yes, I did try to get your little sister here to join us, sent a squad of soldiers a few times."

He just watched me. No matter how much it angered me, I decided that I wasn't going to let him see me squirm.

"...But the Psoglov seems quite protective of that place. The moment my troops stepped hoof there, the Psoglov would erase their guns and make them pacifists. I suppose the Shadows favor you ponies, don't they? Can't have Deer and guns in a 'sweet, little idyllic town' like Ponyville."

I remembered what Dima had say about having to 'play by the rules' in Ponyville. I guess this is what he meant.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn):It's hard to explain, but essentially...the timeline has split off from the roots for you before everypony else. Until that link breaks, Ponyville is bound to it, more strongly than you and Makarov are.)

That's somewhat unnerving.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):Hence why you're not supposed to be like this, ponies aren't SUPPOSED to need to worry about this sorta thing. It's not meant to be in their context to be capable of worrying about it, because when the timeline begins diverging, the Wolf and reality are supposed to become more lenient about what can and can't happen...but it hasn't yet.)

...Still creepy, but I guess there's a good reason for it...Now back to Makarov monologuing...By the way, thank you for giving me something to listen to other than his annoying evil gloating!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):Welcome.)

"...But it cannot affect me. I was made by a god-"

"Uh, yeah, I already knew that, and you presumably knew I did...so you saying that part had no point...AND YOU'RE STILL INSANE!"

"-And I am soon to be ruler of the reality it guards. And it will not eat you either, when I have won. I want the world to remember you as the villain of the story, Shining Armor."

He laughed again.

"And what better way to ensure my victory is great than to let you know what my plans are? With you powerless to stop me!"

"That's not eve...Yeah, sure, go ahead."

Not that it mattered, he didn't seem to register anything that meant 'your idea is stupid, crazy, and/or impossible' so he probably would've just kept going.

"Soon we will arrive in a place my powers can reach full potential. From there, I will await the time for all my units to be in place. A war has begun already, here. Allied forces attacking. It will pass the time until fate catches up to my desires. But the first step will be the Novi gas. Every dragon on the planet will be killed like the overgrown insects they are."

My blood ran cold.

"All bar one. Something better is planned for him. But not yet! Step two will be the world attacking the Hooviet Empire! In our hour of need our brave forces shall turn the tide and drive into the lands of the aggressors instead, for we have forty million troopers, over ninety thousand heavy tanks and over ten thousand Mammoth tanks!"

He was claiming the Hooviets had ten times the forces I thought were estimated.

"Then the ultimate betrayal. The alicorns will fire their powers at us...even at their own allies...and I will have no choice but to use the Empire's secret weapon, built for just such an event!"

"You're insane, the Princesses would never use their power to harm anypony!"

"Nightmare Moon? Or shall we ask Celestia and Luna about their old friend Discord? Maybe even ask them about the Shadow King? Or what of the many that Celestia manipulated, like you and your sister? The two stallions she merged into one mare, killing them both? Or what of how she does not use her godlike powers to stop tragedy?"

"...She doesn't have that kind of power."

"Pha! Less than fourteen weeks ago she allowed one of your sister's friends to racially abuse a hapless Griffin who did no more than be a Griffin! She drove the poor creature to madness...and to join the ranks of the Marines who my forces are slaughtering in my city. She will die, and all because a racist pony abused her!"

"Horseapples. Princess Celestia wouldn't 'allow' that even if it really happened. You have to be leaving something out here."

"And she allowed your sister to humiliate a hapless performer, rendering the poor mare homeless..."

"Now you're just making it up."

"...And last month, your sister had a petrifying encounter with a Cockatrice. Soon after her and her friends battled Diamond Dogs. Before that she sent them to negotiate with a Dragon. And right now one of her precious elements of harmony is a model, against her will! And yet Celestia does not bat an eyelid, did not even know of the cockatrice and diamond dogs until your sister sent a letter about those events! So many insane choices and ignorance of what she should see!"

"...Look, the only thing you made up there that even remotely is a bit questionable is the dragon, and I'm sure there's a reason for it. I heard there was something wrong in the Buffalo Lands, maybe any other negotiators were busy there, or Twilight was closest, she is Celestia's personal envoy, so she's a logical choice. Plus, any attack unless your dragon was intentionally threatening Equestrian citizens is in violation of our treaty with Queen Tiamat. And you know what? That's exactly why she sent them, Equestrian Guards might have been taken as hostile, a group of civilians led by Celestia's personal apprentice would just be...well, seen as six civilians who aren't a threat and thus he's more willing to listen."

Can you three at least tell me if I'm right about him taking things completely out of context?

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn):Yes, in part thanks to Makarov having already twisted reality so much, can't explain them all, but for example, your sister went completely out of her way not to humiliate the performer and only did so to save said performer from an Ursa Minor that'd gotten disturbed.)

What?!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):She handled the situation intelligently and used magic to sing it to sleep and return it to its cave without harming a hair on its head or hers.)

...That might also help explain the dragon thing then. Sounds like she'd already proven she could handle things like that peacefully...Starting to think somepony OTHER than Celestia made the suggestion maybe. Makarov seems to have forgotten there's more than just Celestia in charge and she's not able to see and micromanage EVERYTHING!

"Pfft, nonsense. It's CLEARLY Celestia's foolishness!"

"Nonsense? From the guy who just accused fate of screwing him over by injecting logic and common sense into it! So you're not just insane, you're a freaking hypocrite!"

He smacked me in the stomach again.

"Well, I know one pony who must think Celestia is turning a blind eye to things right now: Cadence."

"?! What the hay are you on about now?"

He opened a bag, pulling out a scroll, grinning.

"Ah, here comes a fresh attempt!"

A new scroll appeared before him.

"Let's see 'Auntie, please respond! I've sent so many letters, Makarov keeps shooting at my songbirds, I need your help, please listen!' it says...Hm, why, it seems Celestia is ignoring her."

"You're stealing the bucking letters out of the manastream when she's sends them!"

He pretended to be shocked.

"Oh, you mean these aren't just copies like intercepting radio messages?! Oh dear. I had thought they were still going! How else would the allies have launched their attack? To divert my course from us reaching the Daedalus?!"

"Well, let's see, you explicitly told us your plan just so you could capture me for your own sadistic kicks instead of launching an ambush, so I'm assuming you told them yourself."

"Ooh, that's a bingo!" He sneered. "Of course I told them. I've always told them. Unit Metal were only present because I had told them. I armed the Dogs and told them how to die! I let you take the train and told Chekov how he was to die also. I even ensured that items of lesser importance were lost to 'Marauder Shields' and he eliminated four very treacherous little mercenaries in the process. I even allowed you and that time-traveling lunatic to think you won when you found junk. Useless things, a mere communications device? If I needed it I would have had troops waiting for the arrival. And the village? All a test to see your true power so I can counter it!"

"Blah, blah, blah, 'everything that has transpired has done so according to my design'. Do you have a speech prepared for every situation? And face facts, you can LOSE. I didn't die when you wanted me to, so you're lying and said it all went according to plan! You outright SAID you didn't expect me to be there - I heard you on the radio!"

"Ha! I-"

"'Knew you'd be listening so I pretended it surprised me', then why did you act like a little kid throwing a temper tantrum?"

"Simple, because-"

"'I wanted you to underestimate me so I'd have the element of surprise.' See, it's not that hard to spout horseapples, especially when you're full of them, like you."

"I see. Apparently we are done for the moment. You should sleep for the rest of the flight. I will wake you when we rendezvous with the Daedalus."

"I'm not sleeping, thanks, not tired."

"You have no choice in the matter," He smirked, then...

Darn it, he kicked me unconscious again. All these head injuries can't be good.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Don't worry, I'm sure he can 'precisely measure his blows' so he can knock you out without seriously hurting you, he's not about to let his 'nemesis' die from a little old concussion.)

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony):That, or yer thick skull is gonna stop the blows!)

HEY!

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn):That and ponies in general have exceptionally thick skulls for various reasons...though head injuries never seem to cause as much damage as they probably should.)

...Why should we question that again? And can I enjoy being unconscious for a bit?

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn):Er...Sure?)

Thank y-

I woke up being dragged down some lovely corridors on Makarov's flying gold brick. Such tasteful red glows and grey walls. I still had the nice little anti-magic necklace too.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn):You seem to be acting kind of casual about all this at points. Just like the scrapyard in Columbia.)

Probably because it's either I'm sarcastic and try joke away all this horseapples or I just start screaming in terror like I really want to. I'm bucking terrified right now, okay? These corridors, they're the same, EXACT BUCKING SAME, as that nightmare I had back in Zamunda! And that's on TOP of the fact an insane cosmic horror is trying to take over the world and I have no BUCKING IDEA where my friends are! So don't get on my back if I'm trying to keep my mind off the fact I'm totally bucked!

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn):Shining, I didn't mean it like that, I...)

...Neither did I...let's just keep going and hope I can stay sane long enough to figure something out...Anyway, Makarov was his chipper self.

"Ah, you awaken, right on time! Another triumph of my skill, able to knock you out only as long as needed AND prevent serious injury!"

I started to think he'd absorbed a few donkeys too, the guy could be a real smart ass.

"Welcome to the Daedalus, the largest and most powerful warship in existence! Ten thousand tons of Bastic armor that absorbs the enemy attack!"

Bastium doesn't work that way, it absorbs sunlight. If you use it as armor, it's basically self-destructing, like a theory Ellis had one time that tanks could have layers of explosives on them to blow up rockets that hit them rather than the rockets blowing up the armor.

"...Over a thousand guns, four hangars filled with Hind helicopters, lower cargo bays that can deploy an entire tank regiment! It can reach a height of fourteen thousand meters!"

And a ship this huge probably shouldn't even be in the air at all. Tartarus, at a few thousand meters below that, the air starts getting much too thin to even support a pegasus, let alone a how-many-ton flying brick! Those Jumbajet myths are REALLY pushing it as it is. Not to mention all this bastium probably cost HUNDREDS of billions of bits. Seriously, the stuff needs a unicorn to synthesis it for four hours, non-stop, in a pitch black room with no light, not even their own horn can glow.

Enough to coat a regular arrow with a bastic plate over a steel head costs almost as much as the entire crossbow. It's worth something like four times the value of gold. He probably should have bankrupted the Hooviet Empire just making the armor of his ship in their post-war state.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn):And of course enough ammo for that many guns would either require an energy source so huge or so many cannonballs that it'd take more room to carry it than it'd be practical for the guns to be protecting.)

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony):Not if they used several modified bags of holding.)

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Don't help!)/Don't help!

"And we are on our way to the city of Mufasa, where the main thrust of the allied attack was directed! That battle we passed was an attempt to intercept us, blocked by the sacrifice of half my fleet in the theatre, but exacting a heavy toll on the enemy ships. Alas, their numbers were too great...but the Daedalus is truly invincible. The enemy shall be crushed when we arrive..."

We finally reached what I presumed was the bridge. And it was huge, possibly bigger than a hangar. It didn't even have windows, but instead, giant screens, playing the battle out before us. The whole thing also overlooked a giant blue sphere suspended by a white forcefield.

And it was also well lit enough for me to see properly as I was forced to kneel before a throne-like chair that sat facing all the screens, and the giant blue orb. Makarov sat down, and I saw he'd changed clothes...somehow, which is odd considering I thought I was watching him the entire time.

Before, he'd worn a green sort of combat uniform, but with lots of belts, zippers, and pouches that seemed to serve no purpose. Now, he was wearing an all black suit of spiked armor, with a red cape, massive spiked silver pauldrons, and a crown that seemed to have been shaped specifically just to rest in between his antlers. It had massive fire rubies upon it.

On closer inspection, some of the spikes were in fact unicorn horns. I wouldn't be surprised if the cape and cloth was made of ponyhide...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus, Earth Pony, Unicorn):...)

What's wrong? I mean I know this is sick and wrong, but-

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Believe me, you don't want to know.)

"Welcome, Captain Sparkle! You soon shall witness my final victory over you and your forces! Your brain-dead stooges are all being sent to my main fortress south of the city in preparation. You shall see them when the war is over and you are all on the gallows, amongst the ruins of Canterlot!" He gloated, then he began singing...

Let's go back to war and violence
I'm so bored with peace and silence.
Nightmares and dreams filled with fear.
All your dreams, by me they're now run!
Let darkness find it's sad ways;
Let's go back to good old bad days!
No more foalish acts of kindness!
Cadence and the world will be mine!

Years from now, no one will bother
To remember the times of wonder!
Because all of it will be mine!
It will all be mine!

I have a plan; it includes you
But, Shining Armor, just enjoy the view...

...Sorry, I zoned out there. I don't even think Cadence could have made it bearable. Heck, I think he stole it straight from that musical Quest for Canterlot! How uncreative do you have to be to rip off a song from a bad musical? Fortunately, he went on to repeat what he'd just said without singing it.

"Yes, even now my tripods march and my three remaining Cyborg Alicorns are slaughtering the first wave. They started with Ponsian and Neighponese troops, the Columbians keeping my ships engaged to not halt their landing. Local forces, my allies, utterly useless. I've let them be crushed to fool the enemy into thinking they have the upper hoof. I even threw my lesser forces at them, build up their egos then deflate them. The Columbian second wave will not matter. They are merely coming to die."

One giant screen, the largest of all, flickered to life. He forced me to turn and look at it.

It showed a city, looking much like Tripleneigh with more influence from giant grey concrete cubes the Hooviets loved. It appeared that the older architecture had been getting torn down before the battle came to wreck the rest of it, but many portions of the city had open squares around tall towers, seemingly a sort of semaphore/town cryer system.The city itself to be spilt around the bay of a natural harbor formed from an estuary. The north seemed to be the bulk of the city, and the main battle. It looked like the allies had been fighting for hours already. Sandbag piles and concertina wire were strewn everywhere, the locals having been prepared for an attack.

The south was a smaller portion of the conurbation, apparently all but cut off already as the bridges over the largest river were all collapsed bar one. Small bridges in the south had been lost too, a rail bridge in the southern portion apparently a major objective - allied troops were pinned down near it, having apparently destroyed most other bridges. The Hooviets weren't going to destroy any more and lose their route across, especially not the rail bridge since it was their only means of getting tanks across apparently. The main bulk of southern forces were Columbian Marines, trying to reach the scattered groups of small units.

A small hilled area sat a few miles south of the water's edge, the urban sprawl growing thinner around that area. None of the fighting had reached there. There seemed to be a castle there but the angle I saw didn't show anything clearly.

I tried not to think how many civilians had been slaughtered in the crossfire or how many troops had died on both sides already. An unnatural disaster was taking place.

"Here we see the north bay of Mufasa city! Note the shipwrecks in the bay, they quickly overwhelmed the local navy.And if I had to guess, in total thousands of civilians were killed, many as they tried to flee or as they tried to cower in basements. Many still hide, making every structure potentially full of innocents..."

I winced. He noticed and smirked.

"Yes, seems your heroic allies have little regard for collateral damage by hiding in buildings where civilians may lurk! But this is war."

It seemed to me Hooviet troops were the ones being less than careful. They were the ones levelling everything....

"Next my own counterattack moved to strand their troops but my fleet in the area was lost in the battle, to the Columbian counter. They think they have air supremacy even as they struggle to take the ground..."

"Just as you planned..." I sighed.

"Correct. Now, we zoom in..."

The scene shifted to what looked like an area that once had influence from Prance, but now was mostly rubble. A dozen tripods stalked the shattered buildings, firing tesla coils and death rays. However, Makarov grew angry at seeing something.

A type of Neighponese vehicle called a Kagami seemed to be causing serious damage. It was basically a tank-like vehicle with no turret, but instead had a giant enchanted mirror designed to bounce magic off of it, focus it, aim it, and enhance it. Apparently, death rays bounced off it as well. One such beam fired at it had been captured by the Kagami's crew, and aimed right back at the tripods.

Another three of them had suddenly discovered being on three legs was bad when they had their legs ran out from under them by a charging Ponsian troop carrier, followed by shots from a Neighponese tank.

"Your tripods don't seem to be very balanced. They could use support...An extra leg might be a good start," I taunted.

To my surprise, as he growled, the glowing blue orb seemed to flicker.

"Nothing but luck, and infernal fate letting them disobey the order to die! Soon, they will be crushed. Conventional forces will swamp them and the tripods shall cut them like a surgeon removing cancer!"

I watched the tripods fire away, slicing apart entire buildings just to be able to walk past.

"...I think that surgeon is heading for a malpractice suit," I noted, trying my hardest not to think of those innocent civilians cowering in the buildings...

The orb flickered again. Had he installed mood lighting?!

"Watch, dog! Watch as what I say comes to pass!"

My heart sank on behalf of the allied forces. Four Mammoth Tanks I swore weren't there a few minutes ago. Even Makarov understood the value in a house-sized mass of buck you. Backing them up, twelve Rhinos and about four platoons of Airborne Landing Forces, the Hooviet's volunteer airship cavalry - well on par with the outnumbered Neighponese and Ponsian forces. The allies seemed to have at most about seven actual tanks, closer in scale to the Rhinos. Their other vehicles and troops didn't seem equipped to handle this. But they held their ground.

Despite being utterly doomed, utterly overwhelmed, with no hope of survival, they held their ground. I'd heard of many suicidal last stands, of defiance in the face of certain death. And now I had to watch as in less than five minutes the vastly superior Hooviets overwhelmed the small allied group.

I managed to get one minor act of solace from what I'd had to see. Even his forces winning so effectively and brutally enraged Makarov, because his precious Tripods barely had a chance to do anything - his conventional forces he had so much disdain for had been more than enough. Only one Rhino had been lost in the attack and a hoof-ful of Hooviet ground troops.

"Seems...seems the old ways are sometimes the best," I tried, but my heart wasn't really in it.

I felt sick just saying it. To annoy Makarov, I knew I was basically making light of over a hundred Allied deaths...But I felt I had to keep him angry. It might be the only way to weaken him...the only thing I could do to give them a chance at all...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):Just shows you have a heart, unlike him. And remember, there still might be a chance to stop this from ever happening.)

The orb almost dimmed rather than flicker.

"Nonsense! Look here. Conscripts armed only with Mosey-Neighgant Slingshot rifles are engaging a Columbian force half their size in the south bay of the city!"

I wished I hadn't. Even Hooviets being pointlessly slaughtered is revolting, especially just conscripts. Just poor kids forced into the army...ordered to die by an uncaring monster.

He zoomed in on the Marines, apparently clearing the way ahead for three tank destroyers. Most had single-barreled weapons that seemed to load by moving the barrel open and inserting a paper cartridge, like the guns I'd been shown back in Columbia on a larger scale and with only a single barrel. A few had shorter, double-barreled versions - Assault troopers.

I realized they were all firing shotguns. The conscripts were massed together, charging as a mass. The Columbians just had to volley fire shotguns and even with their wide spread they were cutting them down. The slingshot rifles were slower to fire, a lot weaker, and a lot less likely to hit even if you were trained. The Griffins had the edge here.

Makarov made the strange screen focus on their lines as the clouds of smoke from their volley cleared away. I recognized some of the ones with shorter barreled shotguns.

"Your friends from Columbia! Unit Metal...Still slaughtering my troops, I see."

"That you put there just to die! I'd say you were a soulless, sick, sadistic bucker...but that would require you could have a soul of your own to begin with, wouldn't it?" The orb went dim for a moment.

"...And look at this young Griffiness. Why, however did she get into the Marines? Watch, she isn't even firing at times. She must have been raised in Equestria..."

"I don't even know who that is!" I snapped, but I noticed some others weren't firing either. Truth be told I had no idea who he meant, at least five of them were female.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):Why?)

I guess they were conserving and staggering their shots. The ones not firing could fire while the others reloaded rather than have too many shots at once. He kept watching even as a set of Airborne troopers, with better guns, charged in and were still beaten back.

Then he shifted back north. The Columbians were split in two, it seemed, the main thrust heading north, and about a quarter south. Why...

"The majority here seek to aid the Ponsians and Neighponese. Some pesky special forces went south, I surrounded them. Most of them hold, to be played with, but they are trapped as surely as their comrades in...the north..."

The screen showed wings of SF-1s, Griffins, and Pegasi swoop over a veritable army of Tripods and smaller Tankettes. Hails of rockets from them all devastated the Hooviets, the Tripods often just falling over as the ground below them was torn up. Pegasi and Griffins even swarmed a Mammoth Tank, landing on top and tossing a satchel charge in the hatch. A hapless trio of the helicopters Makarov had called Hinds swooped in firing, but were chased off, one of them trailing smoke from a hard rocket hit.

The blue orb flickered and pulsed before he spoke, sounding cheerful.

"Well, we are nearing the area, and I tire of these little skirmishes. It is time to unleash the next phase!"

The screen shifted to look at the hills in the south, where it became clear there was a fortress built into the mountainside. Hard to see from the air, but apparently it was the expanded fortifications of a large castle keep atop the hill, with a number of odd-looking towers. A winding road led to the keep but there seemed to be a number of spots that could have concealed hidden fortifications covering good ambush points. There were also a few drawbridges and small guard posts.

"This is the south of the city. The allies ignored it for I placed my main forces north around decoy bunkers, and they took my bait. This fortress contains the two weapons that shall win the battle. First, the Iron Curtain. Now we are within the thirty mile radius, it can be activated..."

The screen showed a tower in the castle glow red, then a giant red dome was formed around the area. The feel of apocalypse was complete, now everything glowed red. The sun was setting, but the red glow seemed to be from the shield itself.

The shield went a good bit further than we were before, meaning whatever he did, he could've done it earlier and blocked out the attackers totally, sparing all those lives. Of course then, he'd not get his dramatic battle and be a 'war hero'.

"And now, my power is total. The curtain not only seals in the Allied troops and seals out newcomers, but it seals out fate from asserting itself!"

My heart sank. He'd blocked the wolf out...How could I hope to defeat him, not when he was clearly in the right! Why had I ever...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):Snap out of it!)

"It weakens all magic, except within specially protected areas -the fortress and this ship. I drew the idea from you, blocking everything out with your shields, and merged it with my death dome locking everything in.I have planned well, for if I was exposed to the power, well, I'd lose some of my own for a few hours. A downside to drawing so much from so many sources..."

So many sources...he stole from...he was gifted...he stole...So much power, why am I...I have to...

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn):Captain, please!)

"But my second weapon...I call it Icarus, or Project Skyfall. When active, it will make all those Griffins and Pegasi flapping about, those airships incoming to try and counter us as we near, all of them will drop like stones. Thirty thousand troops and sailors...counting the Hooviet airships in range, of course, as they'll fall too. We won't, we are shielded, and helicopters work on different power sources."

He then smiled, and another scroll appeared.

"Ah, it is my fiancee! Sending more letters to her tyrant aunt. 'Please, Auntie, I beg you, please just reply! You have to know this war has started, but Shining and his squad were captured by Makarov, you have to do something, he's going to kill millions...' Hm, why does she not just use all her powers? She had an impressive showing in the village. Ah, there is more 'I know I have power myself but...I'm afraid. I don't know how to use it and when I try to think of using it I keep imagining I hurt innocent ponies. Makarov will use my friends against me...' Pha, she is as weak as you, clinging to friends..."

Yes, we were...both...no, she's not weak...she's...

(Interviewers Notes (Unicorn):They only get through to hurt you, Shining! He's twisting the words. Cadence isn't weak, she's afraid, and she can't reach Celestia! You're the only one that can stop her being scared, Shining...)

"Surely you see you have lost? Just say the words, three little words. 'I surrender, Solomon'. Not hard."

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony):Shiney, Cadence is counting on you! Twilight is! You can't give up! If you quit now, then they all die!)

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):What would they tell you right now?! Would they want you to give up to Makarov?! Cadence keeps sending letters because she hasn't given up hope! If she'd given up hope she wouldn't have sent any at all!)

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn):You're their final hope, Shining! You can't give up on them! You know they won't give up on you!)

"Three words? Sure. Go fuck yourself."

The orb shut down for a second. Hooviets in the room shivered with fear. I just held Makarov's angry gaze.

"...So be it. Watch as I cleanse the skies! Your defiance will plummet with them!"

At this, a tower at the rear of the compound began to glow, pulsing, getting faster each beat. Had it been there before? The screen zoomed out, showing the distant pulsing further and further away...and on the way, the first victim was a Hooviet ship floating near the fortress. It had been pouring smoke from a number of battle scars, but suddenly, it just dropped down, a full kilometer into the city below, where it exploded in a cloud of smoke.

The pulsing effect seemed to spread. A wave of death. A flight of pegasi, Hooviet ones, plummeted. The Griffins they'd been moving to engage fell soon after.

Then the wave began to hit the bulk of the air battle. First a number of light airships just started dropping, and some griffins and pegasi too, falling thousands of meters into the harbor bay below. Then an entire destroyer just dropped like a rock. Then much of the fleet.

The wave spread out, rains of airships, pegasi and griffins in the wake. Then from above us, thumping.

"Oh, did I forget to say, they were trying to attack our ship too? To no avail, they couldn't hurt us. Their shots bounced off like...Well, like plummeting pegasi and griffins."

Every single thump and thud I heard was somepony or somegriffin dying right above me. I heard far too many to count...

"That doesn't make sense, they should be able to glide even without magic! The airships have emergency balloons for just such events as losing engine power, or glide wings on the smaller ones!"

He just laughed.

"Logic? Logic is out the door when I say it is, Shining. Inside my Iron Curtain, I am GOD! And yet somehow you seem to resist the truth. You are as crushed as the pegasi that rained down on us moments ago!"

His cackles were like cracks in a dam. I was as angry as I thought possible and I felt like I was about to somehow go even further...

"Well, we'll soon crush the ground forces! The Daedalus is unstoppable. But since that won't convince you you've lost, what about this? That blue orb you think is some kind of mood light, want to know what it truly is? I call it the Rift Generator. It's a paradox engine. A perfected version of the imagination engine that was being made at Chernobull. I can use it to create paradoxes anywhere on the planet. Of course if you'd listened to my song, you'd already know that! Observe my targets!"

His screen appeared.

"My first wave...Intended to be the attacks of the Alicorns! They will be struck by beams from the sun and the moon. I estimate...forty million dead in the blink of an eye."

I looked. Trotkyo, Marelin, Hayris, Liberty City, Tehrein, Neighjing, and....

"...Mosroe is on that map."

His own capital.

"Of course! Mosroe has to be targeted. It makes sense Celestia would strike us too, for we are powerful. It also removes the pesky government that sometimes try to disagree. This war she started...trying to assert her dominion over all ponykind and wipe out non-ponies. She even will gas the dragons, her allies...what treachery! By the way, the dragon attacks are commencing right now. Should we watch one of them? The one near Doma in Zhongguo will be most entertaining!"

The screen focused on a mountainside near a town, presumably Doma. From within a large cloud, a small Hooviet ship emerged, spraying the mountain with black smoke. The screen focused on a cave, the smoke flowing in. The dragon within, young looking by the size of his small hoard, looked puzzled...then roared in agony as his scales began to melt. Then his roaring broke down into sputters and coughs. He flailed around, wheezing even as parts began falling off of him...

More cracks...All I could think about was how much I wanted this to stop...How I'd been forced to watch someone die and how much I hated watching it again.

"Let's take a look downwind, shall we?"

I didn't want to, but Makarov gave me no choice. The smoke had drifted in, and the ponies in the streets were gasping and coughing. They didn't suffer the same fate as the dragon, their bodies remained somewhat intact when they fell...apart from the violent convulsions. I heard bones snap as the ponies writhed around. Foam and blood leaked from their snouts.

"So...How are you now? Still defiant? Well, there are plenty more Dragons out there. I've started in Equrope and Neighsia, closest to home. When the war truly begins, the gas will be unleashed at other sites."

Memories began flashing in my mind...Memories of watching somepony die...

"But of course...I have had to test my other delivery method. Airships cannot get everywhere, not without pesky Pegasi and radios detecting them, though much of southern Equestria and the Buffalo lands will be fair game. A sizable fleet must be kept in reserve for the attack on Draco Island, the final blow of the Second Draco-Hooviet war! They will then move towards Equestria, outnumbering your pitiful navy five to one. Feeling defiant still?"

"No..."

Makarov smirked. "That's more like it. Let's see how my delivery test worked, the Everfree Forest near a small town in Equestria!"

I saw the edge of Everfree Forest, over the tops of some apple trees. A puzzled gray wall-eyed pegasus mailmare watched the distant smoke rising, a few miles into the forest, but blowing the other direction.

"Applejack, blue you blow if be forest biz supposed to blue that?"

"...Shucks, sugarcube, ah ain't sure anythin' that place does follows things like 'supposed to', darn place does what it wants..."

"Pity, seems Rainblow Smash has the wind going the wrong direction. I'd so have loved seeing it drift into the edges of town just a little...But maybe we should start the paradox on a small scale!" He gave a smirk, I swore he had fangs for a moment.

The screen now focused on...Twiley.

"No..."

A unicorn impaled by a spear flashed in my mind, and the cracks continued growing. Something building inside me...

She was just sitting in the library, talking with a yellow pegasus and a white unicorn. Spike was bringing in a tray of tea.

"Oh yes, I know you're still clinging to the hope that fate will save her. I'm afraid not, my nemesis. You see, with the war I have begun, fate is already beginning to diverge. Now, I just need to attack the right target to split our world away from the Heart World, and along with it another rule holding me back. Sure, I could just wait for my attack on Canterlot and Princess Celestia, that would do the job nicely, but this seemed like a much more entertaining way to severe our tie to the Heart World...Hm, now what paradox to unleash? A swarm of snakes? She does so hate snakes..."

"Celestia help us...Sergeant? Cadet? What happened...here...Oh buck..."

"Please, help him, he's hurt, he got hurt because..."

"Or maybe we can plop a cockatrice in there! She did not enjoy her encounter..."

"No..."

The cures work by waking you up. If I'm awake already how do I wake up again!?

"I understand she is prone to building bookforts at the mere mention of the creatures. But maybe...Maybe a diamond dog, with a spear?"

Advancing, knife drawn...

"You next, small pony! Cut you open..."

Anger, fear, anger, fear, anger fear anger fearangerfearangerangerangeranger...

"...No...Not. Again!"

He yelped in surprise as my horn glowed and the anti-magic necklace shattered. I threw a shield around the device, around the advancing Diamond Dog's upper body, and I began to collapse it, squeezing. Metal groaned bone cracked and arcs of energy lines of blood began leaking from it.

"...How are you..." He looked confused.

"...You thought you knew my limits, Makarov. You thought wrong. Even I don't know them...Never dared even try...Because the last time I wasn't in full control somepony close to me had already died and I crushed a Diamond Dog to death before I even knew I was casting the spell."

I felt like the dam had burst and the pressure was a relief to be released. But it wasn't like that. I'd just opened a floodgate. I was in control.

(Interviewer's Note (Earth Pony):Go Shining! You can do it!)

Makarov did not seem too puzzled any more. He smirked.

"...Power, eh? Well, certainly, you are strong. But I am stronger no matter what! Even if I don't know your limits there must be one somewhere! I can win this battle...my machine will be good as new, just you watch!"

He seemed a lot less certain a second later.

"N-no! That's impossible, you can't do that! I forbid it! Stop it, STOP IT!"

"Why should I?"

"...I can give you power! You almost had it. Maasailand, their messiah, it should have been you! You could have had an army...You could have tried to stand in my way!"

I smirked. I noticed that a Hooviet soldier had tried to shoot me a moment ago but my shield had deflected it. He was hitting it with his rifle, the rest all watching transfixed. I turned and hit him with a ball of energy, stunning him.

"Yeah, well, you predicted your own defeat. Here it is."

"It was made only to overcome the lies of a prophecy and look all the better! I am meant to crush YOU! You are nothing, you are an insect, a bug, nothing but...nothing but a false little lie shoved into here! You're nothing! Nothing! I will crush you, wait and see!"

Empty talk, sounding scared too. Still, Makarov's powers did seem to be causing the machine to try and repair.

I wasn't letting that happen.

"Hey, you say this ship has a shield against the Iron Curtain? Was it really such a good idea to tell me that? It's my speciality, I can drop it like that"

And so I did...and though I still felt power coursing through me, some of it seemed to drain. Makarov however screeched in fear, as my power overcame his, and the machine was now at my mercy.

I had none. The orb cracked. So did Makarov, in a manner of speaking.

"NOOOOO! MY MACHINE!"

As it sparked and crackled, the various sailors and soldiers had it. They fled, screaming. Makarov just stared, transfixed on his broken toy. Some of them remained, but many seemed to be looking at the doors rather than trying to help their leader.

"....Your turn now."

I turned to face him. He wasn't going to be able to claim this one was all part of his plan...

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn):NO!)

Author's Note

Story Arc written by LZ0291 lz0291.deviantart.com/

Shining Armor is given a two year tour of the world to be the captain of Princess Cadence's body guard. Yeah. That's all. That's everything Yep. Nothing what so ever else. *AJ's Liar face*

"Time is an ocean in a storm."

This storyline runs PARALLEL to the events in the Dark World storyline narrative wise.

Previous Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/#/art/Pony-POV-Series-Shining-Armor-16-5-Makarov-414278757

Next Chapter:

First Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Fluttershy-FlutterCruel-Pearls-260092460

MLP: FiM is copyright of Hasbro

Image By Kendell2

Soundtrack Recommendations
Makarov Versus Airships,/u]
Apocalypse,Steve Jablonsky and Trevor Morris, Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars
The Daedalus
The Underground Laboratory, Masami Ueda/Shusaku Uchiyama/Shun Nishigaki, Resident Evil 2
Tripods Versus Allied Forces
Maelstrom,Steve Jablonsky and Trevor Morris, Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars
Four Mammoth Tanks
Choir of Destruction, Doyle W. Donehoo, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II
Activating Skyfall
Icarus, Michael McCann, Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Makarov's Song
Ruber,[Gary Oldman], [Quest For Camelot]
Breaking Point
Prepared To Do Anything, David Arnold and Michael Price, Sherlock (Series Two) [seek alternate]

Episode 133 (Shining Armor): At The End Act One: Doomsday?

Episode 134 (Shining Armor) At The End Act Two: Fighting Back

17 At The End
Act 2:Fighting Back
Written by LZ

"Hey! Stop it! Squishy bad!" yelled a voice.

I blinked, turning to see a serpent-like chimera with a horse's head. Well, it was her shape formed from the energy from the destroyed sphere.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):Wow, it still feels weird to be glad for a Draconequus throwing in a monkey wrench!)

She's good news? Finally!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):Especially since her arrival stopped you from killing what you need to feed to the Wolf.)

...Point taken...

She looked at Makarov. "And hello, junior, I'm very disappointed in you. You were supposed to be a being of pure imagination, but all you've turned into is a cliche monster; a bad ripoff of D___t...At least he thought he was helping mortals instead of himself. You're nothing but a boring Mare-ty Stu wrecking everyone else's stories for attention."

"W-well, you should not even be here! My Iron Curtain blocks even CONCEPTS from entering without my consent! You should be unable to-"

"Pft, you gave me a backdoor, dummy. A malfunctioning Imagination Engine let you OUT of my box to begin with, you thought I wouldn't be able to do the same? Would have worked if you'd used the idea about bouncing lasers off the moon ya know!"

"You'll pay for such insolence!" He pulled his huge gun and fired.

-and it promptly jammed.

"Oops, silly you. Like pebbles in the ocean. You imagined it would never jam or need reloading, but, you also forgot to imagine how it worked other than bang!"

"What's wrong with that!? Whose going to spend hours thinking about how something works instead of cheering for the hero blasting the baddies?!"

"Oh, there's nothing wrong with it when it's the right genre or story:after all who cares how the Pony Rangers' blasters work? You're the one who insists on spending an hour describing every aspect of your evil plan and toys then changing how they work on a whim. Is that gun even the same one you used last time?...Poor Gag."

"Yes! It's my amazing Desert Deer Pistol!"

"Well, doesn't look like it."

After snarling in rage, I noticed the gun indeed barely resembled the one from the Defiant. The only thing that was the same was it was still a hoofcannon and could feed a dragon for a year.

Makarov kept trying to fire his gun until she got annoyed, grabbed his gun, and ate it.

"Did I forget to give you a brain?...Oh yeah, I did, sorry junior. Still, trying to use imagination against the Fairy Tale Theater's Director is about as smart as trying to drown an ocean."

She then turned to me.

"Anyway, I'm going to give you some help."

"Are ya gonna blow him up?"

"No silly, I can't win this FOR you, my big sis, Strife, said I can only even the odds for the allies and you. She's Conflict so she takes this seriously. I'm only allowed to fix this because my family hate him and I'm fixing my own mess. My brother hated the Hooviets BEFORE he got out of my Box. Oh, and I can't bring the Wolf here because it's not my creation."

"Okay, what ARE you gonna do?"

"Glad you asked! Time to help end one disturbance by creating another disturbance!" she snapped her fingers. At the point of her snap, a swirling blue and white vortex formed and spread out in all directions washing over the ship in a wave. While the ship lurched a little, nothing seemed to change.

Makarov smirked. "Ha! You did nothing! Even you cannot defy my wi-"

"Wait for it..."

An explosion rocked the ship.

"There we go."

Makarov was less pleased as more explosions shook the ship. Some seemed to be from the machinery not liking me smashing the Paradox Engine if the nearby smell of burning airship was anything.

"What did you do?!" He screamed.

"Triggered a disaster for any story: Plot holes catching up!"

The sound of exploding bastic plates signaled to me that the armor was acting as it was actually supposed to, and VERY loudly.

Now part of the control room was on fire. Well, more on fire than I'd already made it by smashing the Paradox Engine. And given I felt like I was in a dropping elevator with the floor feeling at an angle, I'm assuming the actual weight of this ship and me smashing the Paradox Engine weren't doing it any favors. Speaking of which, the room started shutting down and parts of machinery that had been connected to the Engine began exploding and bursting into flames for no apparent reason.

"You can abandon ship now, everydeer. Not you, son..." she said cheerfully...then dead serious with anger at the last part.

They took the hint.

"I would not abandon ship if the next explosion caused the backup engines to fail!"

There was then a massive explosion, that almost threw us off our feet.

"What the hay was that?" I wondered.

"It was not you?"

"Hey, don't look at me, you're the one who tempted fate, Nameless!" the...Draconequus you called it shrugged.

We both gave her confused looks.

"Seriously, you shouldn't do that, especially if you have as much bad karma as Nameless does. Why do you think so many baddies end up falling off conveniently placed cliffs?"

"Ah."

I blinked.

"Where did he go?!"

"Oh, crud. Yeah, um, looks like he lied, and now that the ship is losing power he's running."

"WHAT?!"

"I'm actually as surprised too. Who'd have thought he was smart enough to actually have backup engines incase someone destroyed the only power source he actually mentioned and set off the plot hole that the ship was still flying without it? But he didn't have backup backup engines incase those exploded from the strain, so there's that."

"Where'd he go?!"

A voice then rang out from a doorway. It was a red coated Deer.

"The General-Admiral will reach safety! I, Commissar Kukov, will stop you from harming-"

His head vanished in a pink mist. I stared in disgusted shock for a moment before a voice broken me from it.

"Hello Captain, looked like you could use a hoof."

I looked to a nearby gantry. Two Deer coming down the stairs, one carrying a large sniper rifle with a smoking barrel, another carrying a silver horncannon with a lion motif.

"Dima?! Natasha?! It's good to see you, but was it really necessary to..." I pointed at what remained of the Commissar, a little uncertain how to phrase it.

Natasha nodded.

"They almost seem to grow on trees. Makarov's gone through about twelve of them since last time."

I blinked and the rest of Commissar's body dissolved into a pink mist, uniform and all, like it had never been there.

"Ooh, the cavalry's here! Wait, are they still cavalry if they're deer? Eh, hooves, not feet, so I guess," said the only other entity in the room.

I suddenly wondered how to explain the glowing blue shape that I didn't quite know about myself.

"Um, this is, er..."

"Pandora, Mother Deer warned us she'd be here." Dima sighed.

"Hey! I'm trying to fix my mess! Concepts can make amends, you know!"

"Pandora?!"

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):You're just now figuring that out?)

Busy saving the world!

"Just as long as you don't call me Pandora the Explorer there's nothing wrong with the name." She grinned.

"...I don't get it," I noted.

Dima spoke up to get us back on topic.

"Solomon will inevitably start a total war even with his big plan ruined, but Mother Deer informed us that Queen Tiamat and Bahamut are presently launching a counterattack on the Hooviets outside the curtain. They should be able to reassert fate so long as we keep Solomon from starting new attacks."

Pandora snapped her fingers and one of the screens came to life. To say the Mother and Father of All Dragons were royally clopped off at an attempted genocide of their spawn would be the understatement of the century. Queen Tiamat's five heads turned a Hooviet warship into a rain of molten slag, while a titanic platinum dragon called down a tornado to annihilate another. Their immense roars were both terrifying, and yet, I could hear the sheer sorrow in them. To them, the dragons weren't just subjects...they were their children:and how many had been slaughtered today? Imagining it made me just as furious as the two Dragon Gods.

I noticed on another screen, another of Makarov's fleets suddenly being blasted with an intense solar beam from above, blowing several ships to bits. I couldn't help but smile seeing Princess Celestia against her embodiment...then be slightly terrified as I saw just how incredibly ticked off she looked. I'd seen Celestia upset, but this was downright furious. As if she was saying 'I'm going to kill you' with her eyes. It was maybe a little bit wrong to see that look in her eyes.

She engulfed herself in a massive sphere of solar plasma and tore straight through a line of Hooviet ships. The Equestrian fleet was on the scene shortly, aiding our Goddess in defending our home-they must have already been nearby when Celestia had located a Hooviet fleet.

As she spun around, the engines for two Hooviet ships in the rear apparently meant to mop up melted away to nothing before the ships were caught in Celestia's telekinesis that could raise the sun and landed them safely on the ground if not gently, the guns were smelted into the deck.

"SURRENDER," the Royal Canterlot Voice ordered.

"Oh, if you wanna know how Celestia's in the game, I can do a replay!"

The screen now showed the caption 'FIVE MINUTES AGO' as Celestia received two scrolls one after the other. The first was from the HHS Selene, declaring it had encountered and destroyed a hostile Hooviet ship invading Equestria's airspace. She seemed alarmed. The second...was one of Cadence's scrolls, and that seemed to make her furious. She sat a few seconds, then declared:

"Have a general order issued to all Guards, mobilize immediately. We have a large Hooviet fleet on the prowl in the south, seeking to attack the Dragons of the Buffalo Lands."

Then she then wrote down a concerned letter to Cadence and sent it. The next second her fury returned and she teleported away.

"And Selene in action:"

The Alicorn-class ship was looming over a much smaller Hooviet ship, the Akula-class that Makarov had used last time in the Nambutuan village. Presumably the Akula had refused to surrender. A spread of a dozen rocket torpedoes slammed into it, smashing the Hooviet ship into fragments.

"And that's why no one likes Marey Sues; if they don't have an author twisting the rules for them, they're kinda pathetic," Pandora gave a grin.

I was happy for two reasons: One, I now had reason to believe the world was going to be saved, and two, Cadence knew her Aunt was taking action and could have a little peace.

"Maybe we should be getting one thing: Out of here? Solomon ran to the hangars, we can catch him rather than waste time with all this!" Natasha noted.

"Good idea," I noted.

"I imagine he needs to go to a different hangar from where he planned though!" Pandora chuckled.

Dima nodded, pointing up at a screen.

"Only two hangars aren't on fire, that says. The one the way we just came, where our other troopers are waiting, and the one all the way at the other end."

"Wait, he'll be after a helicopter, I have another idea-we get one of our own!" I grinned.

I also noted there seemed to be an armory near the hangar we were heading for. I felt naked without barding, in more ways than one. Now that I was coming down from overpowering Makarov, I could feel the drain. My shields would be weakened. I just hoped I'd find something that would help whatever shields I could still use. I'd like that 'three times lighter and six times stronger' armor I was sure was in a storehouse in Equestria somewhere. Too bad it wasn't a FPS where exactly what you need is in every armory.

What I told them was that I needed some kind of armor just in case. We hadn't much time for me to explain the ins and outs as we moved. When I said that, Pandora seemed to give a smirk.

"We can raid that armory like you want. By the way, Shining?" Dima said.

"Yeah?"

"Next time, cripple the ship when we're closer to the escape hangar, we'll probably be hitting the water before we' take off."

An exploding control panel confirmed that was a good idea.

At that, Pandora's energy form began to flicker.

"Oh, sorry, Dad says I gotta go. Not that I could've followed you out of the ship anyway, given how this Avatar works."

"Oh well, thanks for the help," I replied.

"Well, I made this mess sort of, only right I try clean up. Plus all I did was suspend Nameless' 'I'm immune to plot holes' license for a bit, you did the rest! Good job!...Please put Nameless out of his misery...Anyway, toodles!"

And with that, Pandora's energy form fell apart and she was gone. And it finally hit me how bucking weird that was.

We'd reached the armory. Locked, naturally.

"Well, I guess we need to use our imaginations on how to open it," I noted.

"Well, that, or-" Dima began.

I turned and bucked the door in.

"I could use a key."

"It's not like it's our door anyway Dima," Natasha noted, and we walked in.

"Alright, lets see, I need something other than my bare coat for armor."

"Good grief, even Equestrian males take ages to pick their clothes?!" Natasha groaned.

"It needs to actually fit me, half this stuff looks built for Deer frames!" I shot back. The only thing that seemed to fit me looked like one of Makarov's spare ugly tacky uniforms.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony):Besides, how long does it take ta pick which Maresenal shirt ta wear?)

"Wait, what's this?"

I found a note on a locker. "'Dear Shining, I was able to give you a couple presents! Check these lockers! Pandora.'"

Oh, that explained the smile.

I turned back to the lockers and yanked one open, to find a suit of barding that looked custom made for me, as well as a large scutum-style shield. In fact the armor...looked to be exactly like what I'd been imagining. Instead of metal, it was all a material about three times lighter and six times stronger than the regular armor. It was also a sort of dark purple camouflage pattern in three shades for some reason.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn):Actually, that might work quite well in the city, everything is crimson tinted just now because of the Iron Curtain, so that shade of purple will blend fairly well. It won't be perfect though.)

As for the shield, it wasn't just a chunk of armor plating. It had a small, transparent window to see through. Makarov said my magic would be weaker, so this kind of shield would make a good stopgap. It felt a little heavier than I expected in my telekinesis but that was probably part of weakened magic.

I also found another note with the armor. "'Hope you liked it! I made it right from your imagination! Though since you didn't think of a color, I just went with a color you thought someone would like.'"

I wished I'd imagined a faceplate to hide the quick blush I developed. Er, don't write that!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):Too late, sorry!)

"'And don't worry about Gag! I can't give him a cyborg wing but Nameless was more right than he knew when he said he was in good hooves. Y'see, little secret? He let fate in to defy the concept, he's also trying to show love is weak so he's letting her in too! Venus is giving Garnet a little help, shall we say?'"

I couldn't help smiling at that.

"Good thing she made him such an arrogant, self-obsessed egotist," Natasha remarked.

"'He made himself that. Good luck! Pandora Ate Typhon'...Atë? Weird name."

"Can we go now?" Dima sighed as I finished up.

"Wait, take a gun, Captai-"

I checked the nearby guns. Machine Guns, Shotguns. Teamkilling waiting to happen with my aim.

"Nope. Let's just go. I've got my weapon of choice already," I said, placing the shield on my back.

The Hangar was indeed rebel controlled now. They'd captured a Hind, and the Hooviets had given up and just rushed for the life-balloons. All the other helicopters were ablaze. The ship was going down anyway, but better safe than sorry. Didn't make the sudden smell of blazing helicopter hitting my nostrils smell any better.

A rebel was holding two of Makarov's machine guns aimed at the door as we entered. Seeing us he tossed one back in the helicopter and put the other on his back, grinning and spoke up.

"Bojemoi, tak fioletovyy...Er, I mean, nice armor, Captain."

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony):What'd he say?)

It translates loosely to 'Goddess, so much purple.'

"Nikolai, wasn't it?" I replied, ignoring him.

He nodded. Zangief and Kamarov were both there too. It seemed the Musk deer was in the cockpit, and the Moose was moving to sit beside him.

"Can you fly this thing?" I asked Kamarov.

"No, but Zangief can."

"I was selected for experimental farming, use helicopters to plant crops. I learn fly helicopters, this helicopter actually much simpler with co-pilot to fire weapons."

"Uh, plant crops?"

"Yes. Blow crater in ground, drop seeds in holes. Did not work well. But fun."

"I hope the ponies of Savvaneigh never hear of that farming method," I noted.

Needless to say, I wasn't too happy that we were taking off in a helicopter. They were known as a death machine for a good reason.

We took off, and I could now see what my weakening Makarov and summoning the Goddess of Imagination had done. While still outnumbered and outgunned, the lack of strategy on the Hooviet's part was 'zurg rush' and Makarov's tripods were back to being as impractical as they'd been before Makarov had turned godmod on. Some more rebels firing at the ship were also damaging it as much as they SHOULD with its armor.

At the other end of the crashing golden brick, a half dozen helicopters emerged. True to form, Makarov had managed to pick one that was gold-plated, but seemed to be a lot slower than it should. Scratch that, it was exactly as slow as it really should be.

"All that weight, looks like reality bit him in the arse again," Nikolai chuckled.

The allies began firing at the Helicopters with what anti-aircraft stuff they had left, but not ours (which admittedly confused me) or Makarov's. Makarov seemed to get a small boost, speeding up even as the allies finished off that hanger and the other helicopters. He swung down towards the southern part of the city, the lightest fighting.

"After him! Shoot him down!" Dima shouted.

Zangief swung the helicopter to chase.

"No! He can't die, Dima, I need to-"

"Shining, we shoot him down, he has to walk. You think he'll die in the crash? Even weakened, he's always able to cheat death. We can go ahead, land, rescue your friends, disable the curtain and throw the bastard to the Stalker before he can regain enough strength to cheat more!"

It seemed a good point.

"Fire at will."

Rockets and bullets just missed the enemy Hind, which flew low amongst the buildings.

"Damn, we can't shoot rockets, we might hit structures with civilians hiding in them," Natasha groaned.

"Keep chasing him, machine guns only. That'll keep collateral damage down," Nikolai suggested.

"Perhaps Shining should shoot, since Solomon's power doesn't effect him?" asked Zangief.

"Uh, then I KNOW there'll be collateral damage. Keep going," I replied.

He then reached an open square, and his helicopter span around on the spot to face us. He was flying it personally. I knew because he flew right at us, firing rockets and guns.

"Evasive!"

We dodged him, but now circling high, he pointed his nose down at the ground. We'd neared a fight between some ground forces, Columbians slugging it out with Tankettes and conscripts.

"Is he going to shoot at the Columbians?" I wondered.

Then he shot own side.

"Keep firing, use rockets-" Dima suggested, as I realized his plan.

"Wait, no, it's a trick, the Columbians think he's on their side!"

Dang it! Why did Makarov suddenly grow a brain? Probably ate his co-pilot or something.

As if to prove the point, our shots at Makarov were met with hails of rockets and shots from the ground. I tried to shield us, but it seemed my weakened magic wasn't enough. I had to drop the shield and let our tail rotor take a hit or risk running out of mana when I really needed it.

"Droppings, I have lost control...I can aim for square...Captain, please keep Columbians from doing more damage!" Zangief grunted, battling with the telekinesis and hoof based controls.

"Can't we radio them?!"

"Uh...we left our radios, Makarov listened in on them." Dima admitted.

They'd stopped firing anyway though. Small comfort as we crashed. I instead managed to shield us from that, but it still hurt. Zangief managed to keep it from flipping over, but we had went into the base of one of the semaphore towers. We didn't seem to have damaged it as much as it damaged our ride.

"Everycreature okay?" Zangief asked.

"...We're good," Dima reported, as we began climb out. We moved away from the helicopter wreck swiftly, in case something aboard was unstable-a good idea with Hooviet technology. A better idea with Hooviet technology built by Makarov.

"Now what?" I groaned.

"Hopefully, the Columbians are more friendly up close?" Kamarov said.

"Freeze!"

We turned to see a squad of Griffins in tan fatigues aiming weapons at us.

"Does not look like it," Zangief sighed.

I readied myself. Could I block all these shots? Would using my physical shield make them open fire?

"Hold fire!" A voice cried out, from another side. It sounded a little...radio-like.

A second group of Griffins, this time now carrying a mix of weapons. Stolen Hooviet guns, clockwork and spring powered bows...and wearing patchy grey-blue fatigues and a mix of equipment that looked a little more high-techy than the basic Marines brown webbing and saddlebags.

"...Sandgriff?" Dima realized first.

"You guys know each other...Of course, you're rebels, they're black ops," I realized. I was thankful Makarov was weakened, if not I was sure there'd be friendly fire involved.

"Dima? What are you doing here who is the unicorn in purple armor with?" Sandgriff wondered, his team approaching but still aiming weapons.

"Uh...Well, some arseholes shot down our ride...While ignoring the gold plated helicopter that no one in their right mind would steal..." Dima tried to say, giving a rather flat look.

"Be nice to the Griffins with guns, darn it!" I couldn't help but shout over him.

I didn't want our own allies to shoot us! I didn't want anybody to shoot us!

"...Droppings, I figured it was odd," Truck sighed.

"It's alright, it wasn't completely your fault," I remarked. Knowing Makarov, it probably wasn't.

"Alright, so...wait, Captain Sparkle? We thought you were being held in that fortress," Sandgriff said.

"Makarov threatened my little sister, so I blew it up," I said, dead seriously.

"...The completely intact fortress to the south?"

"Uh, sorry, it was a big ship, I forgot it was a ship."

"Eh, easy mistake, it was pretty much a flying fortress," Natasha stated.

"It's still bad flank I blew it up, right?"

"Blew what up?" Frost wondered.

"The giant golden flying brick he had back in Columbia, how did you not see it?! The thing was gigantic!"

"Uh, Captain, we were all kind of looking south at some Hooviets and stuff." A female griffin in the group of Marines said. Her accent sounded like it had an Equestrian tinge.

At that point, Makarov's ship had finished crashing, and exploded in a gigantic fireball in the distance behind us. With a huge, red mushroom-shaped cloud and what sounded like the wailing of tortured souls. What in Tartarus was that thing running on?!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):My guess? Nonsense mixed with Horseapples.)

"I guess that was it. How did you do that?" Frost pondered.

I at least was receiving pretty impressed looks now. Hey! After the day I've had, it felt good to be seen as a badflank.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony):Hehe, it was pretty cool.)

"Makarov tried to force me to watch him killing my sister, so I destroyed his superweapon. Well, one of them."

"Technically two, if you count the ship," Dima shrugged.

"...What superweapo...Look, everygriff just drop the guns and we'll go talk back with the others, this is just confusing," Sandgriff sighed.

There was as much silence as you got in a battlefield for a moment. The rumbles of cannonfire and explosions, the rattle of Hooviet small arms...All under a crimson glow and with the stench of smoke and sulfur everywhere. It felt like we were in Tartarus.

"Let's just go," I suggested.

We filled them in, they filled us in. We regrouped at what seemed to be a bank. It made sense, the upper structure was hardened, and a number of civilians were locked into the even stronger vault in the basement. Frankly it seemed to be the safest place for miles so we left them in there-it was well ventilated.

Outside, the ememy had stolen sandbags and concertina wire from the locals. They'd been trying to set up barricades apparently, but the Marines overran them here. The bank also had a short semaphore tower of its own and commanded a good view of the main road, wide open but a bit clogged by wrecked vehicles about fifty meters down. The Rebels, myself, and Unit Metal were in what had been the manager's office, studying a map.

It turned out that Sandgriff and his team had been pinned in here for the last four hours. The Marines had just managed to relieve them, a small group of Riflegriffs supported by three M-5 Spectre Tank Destroyers. One had been damaged badly in the tracks, and they were taking the ammo and as many spare parts from it as they could fit in the other two. All in all, we only had about eleven surviving and uninjured Special Forces, about thirty marines, and two tank destroyers.

Their plan was, that another group was coming to us, having rescued some nearby Neighponese forces, and we would all push up to start rescuing other pinned-down Special Forces units while the wounded and dead were taken back to another area being kept secure. We would then all head for the prison, which seemed to also have the controls for Makarov's anti-flying weapon. I was sure we'd see more sandbag and wire barricades ahead, though the Special Forces had been trying to capture as many of the fortified areas as possible.

Dima and I didn't like how slow it all seemed it would go even if things went perfectly, but it was all we could do. On the bright side, Makarov apparently had decided to go and shoot at the larger Northern forces rather than head straight for safety where he could recharge. I guessed he hoped we'd be too weak to win until he could stop us himself, letting him snatch victory at his most desperate moment.

The allied forces had actually sent in their elite troops to try and sneak into the Fortress, but Makarov had pinned them down. That many of them had held for hours spoke both of their skill, and Makarov's likely desire to come later and kill them all personally.

"So, the Neighponese were to the east nearest the landing zone the bulk of the force hit, so that's where the Hooviets hit them hardest. What were the losses in the main force?" Dima asked.

"Pretty heavy. We're gonna have to split off troops to guard the wounded around the beachhead, we can't bring them...and we can only hope our guys up north can swing down to reinforce us somehow. There's still ONE bridge over the River Mufa."

"Well, if it's any motivator, Makarov's been weakened for now and Queen Tiamat, Bahamut, Princess Celestia, and at least the Equestrian fleet are kicking Hooviet flank outside the Curtain thanks to Makarov's Paradox Engine going ka-put. They might even be able to undo some of his actions," I said. "And the Daedalus has been destroyed, so we won't have a giant ship firing at us from the sky the whole time."

"I still don't quite follow all that stuff you said, but I guess that's good," Sandgriff said.

"And from what we're able to see, Solomon's gold-plated helicopter is as practical as it looks, And it seems he is having difficulty controlling it without a co-pilot," Natasha added.

My eyes widened.

"He really did eat his co-pilot, didn't he?!"

"Most likely," Dima nodded.

"Uh, is this some kinda deer-y metaphor? Cos I thought you guys were herbivores," Grinch wondered.

"It's a long story. Longer than that one I told you about the big ship," I said. "Let's just say Makarov isn't a herbivore."

Yes, I know that isn't entirely accurate, but I wasn't Makarov's PR agent and he's still a pony eating monster.

"But that doesn't mean we've won. If we don't finish him off, Solomon could still recover enough to shake off what...destroying his Paradox Engine did to him, and put us right back to square one," Dima reminded us.

And sadly, he was right. We only had a prayer right now because Makarov's power had been drained. If he recharged, I didn't know if we'd have another chance to stop him.

"...Where are all the officers, by the way?" Nikolai wondered.

Sandgriff sighed.

"Most of the officers are hurt or dead. Our forces got hit pretty hard, like I said. Our plan isn't all that great. First everything they can spare from the strongpoint we've set up at the landing zone went to save the Neighponese, but they sent these Marines and some Tank Destroyers here when we had some trouble-"

He meant a smoking series of BTRs and Tankettes we'd seen on the way

"-And the bad part is most of our Marines are fresh out of basic. Hay, we got a Cloudsdale just two weeks out of basic who had to be brought along!"

"A Cloudsdale?" I wondered.

"Nickname for an Equestrian-born recruit. You know her, maybe? She's called Gilda."

I vaguely recalled the name...Griffen's cousin was Gil-something...

"I don't think so. Wait, can somepony fetch her, I think I need to ask her something."

"Sure, I'll go get her," Truck offered.

I looked at the map. The Neighponese hopefully being rescued as we spoke were half a mile away, and a mile south, Ponsians. Another mile south-west of that, more Columbians at a place marked as a small railway station, and ANBU holding a bridge a mile down the line from that. Many other bridges were crossed off, objectives accomplished, but the allies were now all over the place, and often quite distant from any bridges. How had the Special Forces become so scattered? Makarov must surely have forced them into this. Thankfully, he was weakened now so whatever twisted 'story' he had written for them wouldn't come to pass...if we were quick.

"Well, we'll go outside for now, need to try police as much ammo as we can," Frost noted.

"We'll try salvage what we can from the Helicopter and where the Hooviets were, can we borrow some griffens to help?" Dima offered.

Soon enough, I was pretty much alone. I sighed-The Columbians had brought a stove, but the crazy Griffins only brought Mud...er, Coffee. It was better than nothing, so I'd taken some of it. Griffin rations were not exactly all that great. Meat wrapped in flatbread made up half their menu items. The pony-friendly ones they brought were just haybread and onions. Why can't it be nice magic-sealed cheese?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):At least you're getting some food. You're better off than when you woke up.)

Yeah, but I was carrying some chocolate in my barding! Good Equestrian chocolate, with actual sugar in it instead of this weird stuff the Columbians love! I bet Makarov ate it just to spite me! He's petty like that!

...Look, I was just griping because I had nothing better to do. Glider-

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn):Gilda.)

-hadn't shown up yet. And honestly, the bird-seed energy bar thingies aren't half bad. Bit dry though.

A few moments later, Gilda entered. She looked a little confused, or nervous.

"Uh, Sergeant Truck said you wanted to speak to me, Sir?"

"Yes. You're Equestrian, right? Or you were raised there?"

"...Born and raised there, Sir. My dad is Columbian though."

"When did you join the Marines?" I asked. I was trying not to sound like I was interrogating, but she still seemed on edge and I was a superior officer so it was difficult to avoid being intimidating.

"Thirteen weeks ago, Sir. I...had to leave Equestria. I was...There didn't seem to be anything there for me."

"Was somepony racially abusive to you?"

"What?!"

"Was somepony racially abusive to you in Ponyville?"

"Wha...I was in Ponyville when I...Look, how'd you even know that? And why are you saying it was something racial?!" She looked bewildered.

"I'm a Royal Guard, information was...passed onto me," I said.

"Wha...Whoa, wait, is this about the apple?" She looked openly fearful now.

"...What apple?"

"Uh, nothing, nothing...Okay, I stole an apple, all right?! And I was kinda rough but that's not really a crime...the jerk thing, not the apple, that...sort of is a crime and Royal Guards are police..."

"...Look, it's not about any apple, a darn bag of the things costs three bits, one apple is barely worth half a bit! You'd get a caution at worst. Please tell me you did not flee Equestria over a bucking apple!"

"Um...No. I had a fight with a friend...Pretty much my only real friend. All the other griffins and pegasi I knew had went to Columbia or joined the Guard or went away to do weather jobs for private companies but I was kinda...I kinda thought I liked Equestria. Then I realized it was kinda lame but now I think about it I was kinda lame. Uh, this make any sense?"

"Alright, so. You were not racially abused by your friend, not driven out of Equestria...And I also assume you don't have some particular reason to dislike Equestria, like a traumatic childhood?"

"Well I had the flight instructor from Tartarus but...Look, um, Sir, this is kinda weird, you seem to know a lot about me. Why are you asking all this?"

"...I was told by Makarov that you'd been chased into the Marines by one of my sister's friends. I just wanted to be sure he was talking horseapples."

She sighed.

"He is. I got teased for being a Griffin only in flight school, same ways foals are teased about blank-flanks, most were too scared of me to tease me by the time I got thrown out for a dozen too many fights. Dash and one of our classmates she saved the world with got bullied too, you don't see them being antisocial jerks. But no, I didn't get hit with racism when I grew up, if anything I was the one who let my chickhood turn ME into a racist. I left Equestria because I'm a bucking idiot who keeps alienating everypony who was being NICE to her, and couldn't admit it was her fault...How'd Makarov know all that? Cos, uh, to be honest I'm kinda more scared a genocidal nutball with a few antlers loose knows about me than I am about a unicorn. No offense."

I was thankful Makarov was weakened, I didn't like the idea of her realizing she was 'wrong' and rewritten to be thinking my sister and her friends were racists.

"He seems to know a lot of things he shouldn't. That's why I have to stop him."

"You have to stop him? Cool, that's why you got the special armor...Uh, I mean...I kinda guess you're like some kind of hitpony or problem solver guy?"

"Not quite. I was just a bodyguard for a Princess and somehow Makarov wound up deciding I was his nemesis."

"Oh, so what's with the armor?"

"Found it. Didn't have my own," I shortened it down.

"Ah. It'd be cooler in black. About...fifteen percent."

"...Fifteen percent cooler?"

"Hey, me and Dash invented the coolness percentage scale! We-" She stopped suddenly.

"Was Dash your friend?"

I presumed Rainbow Dash-meaning this was a friend of my sister's friend. And therefore someone presumably close to a member of the Elements of Harmony. I couldn't help but suspect Makarov had some petty little game in mind dragging her here. Of course, I couldn't quite let Gilda know I knew her friend's name exactly. She was already twitchy enough.

Besides, telling her an existence eating cosmic horror probably dragged her here...I doubted that was going to calm her down any!

"...Yeah. Dang it, I've been such a bucking idiot. We'd been friends for years, we did all sorta stuff together...Hay, even that Junior Speedsters stuff, the song was lame but it was a fun lame with her! Then I went to Columbia and...I feel like I'm a pony sometimes. I say hay, dang, buck, plothole, and horseapples, but all the others say hell, damn, cloaca, and shit or droppings. Still say buck unless they're talking to Deer...I don't get that..."

"Male deer are bucks, so it's not an insult to them. I did it about half an hour ago. It felt good."

"I guess I'll keep that in mind but...Look, I joined because I thought Equestria was lame, and...Being a Marine isn't bad, it's just that I kinda...made the choice without all the facts."

"Okay. So, summing it up, no racial abuse, no mistreatment as a child...just a dumb set of choices on your part?"

"Sort of. I kinda like the Marines even if it's different. Well, until today. I...I don't think I like actually shooting at people. They're shooting back and all, but...I just kinda froze the first time and only fired when I jumped at the noises beside me. I don't think ten weeks is enough training..."

"It's not, in the Guard we'd train you for a year. And you'd actually be a Private within ten weeks and getting full pay the rest of the year. My rookie had...has...two years experience..."

"Did he get hurt?"

"Yeah. He lost a wing, Makarov blew it off."

"Dang. That...that sucks hard. I mean, this thing Makarov has stopping us flying, we can get rid of that, but..."

I just nodded, and hoped that I could save Gag's wing...along with the countless lives lost from Makarov's insane scheme.

"So, um...I might not actually want to do it but can you ever transfer into the Royal Guard from the Marines?" She then asked.

"If you stay alive then finish the minimum two years we'd probably make you a Lance-Corporal once we gave you some additional training for a few months," I said honestly.

After all, if I screwed this up? His changes would stick. And I couldn't really tell her 'hopefully things will change when I feed him to a wolf', she'd probably still join the Marines with him gone. I doubt he influenced events in Ponyville somehow.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):Makarov's been around since he was 'born,' twisting the world every second of it, it's hard to tell what he's influenced.)

Point.

Also, I guess whatever jerk tendencies she had were either trained out of her, or she was freaked out by the battle. Did you guys ever meet her?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):Um...sort of. She really does seem pretty de-jerkified here.)

Alright...

"Yo, heads up, we got incoming Hooviets! Looks like Airborne Landing Forces again," a Marine suddenly shouted.

We both rushed out of the room.

I assumed there must have been snipers in the bank's tower already, as Natasha was down here. The rebels had all come back, having recovered what they could from the helicopter just as the Hooviets had started to come towards us. There were a few barricades made from desks and other junk outside, and the tank destroyers sat parked around each other, their crews still fixing the engine of one with spares from the immobile one.

"We've got three tankettes, T-31's like Makarov threw at us in Columbia.-"

I didn't correct Sandgriff on that one.

"-Seem to all be the Tesla coil variant, which is good, because rockets and flamethrowers would be much less fun than a million volts. Then there's about forty Airborne troopers coming at us on hoof," He finished.

"Not a serious attack, Sarge. Seems more like they're probing us." Somegriff offered.

"Yeah, well, we don't have much choice but to shoot back. Save the TD shells, Tankettes should pop with light rockets."

"Sandgriff, what can I do?" I asked.

"Oh, uh...Well, I guess you're kind of in command since you're the only officer."

"I have no idea how to command Marines!"

"Good, neither do I, I'm Army," he retorted.

"I wouldn't worry about it, Captain, most Marine officers don't command so much as take credit," A Marine Sergeant grinned.

"Fine, I'll try shield things."

"The Tank Destroyers are priority, we can't risk them immobilizing the other two or destroying them," Frost reminded me.

I had no idea how strong a shield I could produce, and it seemed I wasn't going to get much stronger than the average kind of shield a unicorn could produce on a good day. Still, given my magic was supposed to be weakened...

...It wasn't going to be enough. All I could do was try protect the vehicles and watch, a good distance from everyone else.

The Tankettes were first. Down the street, wrecked Hooviet BTRs provided some cover, but also something of a blockade. They just began arcing electricity towards us, and a few light rockets were fired back from the rooftops-I presumed the Griffins had climbed up with flight disabled.

One of them exploded, but their electricity began shooting the roofs. An agonized scream came from one and a second later a smoking marine's body plummeted down to the street. That seemed to discourage any further rockets from up there.

The Hooviet cavalry were now charging, the Marines being kept in cover by the tankettes firing their shock-weapons alongside some wild machine gun fire. The Hooviets rushed forward, firing their weapons without aiming, to try keep our heads down.

Dima then popped up from his cover and blasted at a tankette, obliterating it and some nearby Airborne. They then all halted, exchanging fire from about forty meters away rather than trying to close the distance:their last tankette was now in a spot where it was almost impossible to hit but the coil on the top was able to blindly fire at us.

Still, we were shooting back, clouds of acrid smoke erupting with roars from our lines. The Marines apparently had two kinds of shells for their shotguns: Ones loaded with small buckshot, or a larger single ball. They had different colors of cardboard casing. Right now, they seemed to be firing at will, and the stink of charcoal, sulfur, and metal was getting worse. Making a heck of a noise too, as well as putting a lot of smoke in the air.

I tried to find some way to help. Then I spotted it, atop one of the buildings. It looked like a water tower, and maybe right above the last tesla coil.

"What the hell are you doing?" A Tank Destroyer crewpony wondered from behind the one with the broken engine as I began blasting shield balls towards the tower.

"Trying to hit the water tower! If I shout or we start using rockets the tankette might move away!"

"...Oh, okay. Maybe actually hitting it will help."

"Look, I'm a bad shot."

"I can see that."

I eventually hit home, and sure enough, the tower buckled...in the wrong direction. And failed to fall even then.

"HORSEAPPLES!"

"That went wrong," The Tank Crewpony noted.

"At least I'm helping!" I snapped.

"So are we, don't you hear that little phut-phut nose from Sledgehammer?"

I looked at the unbroken Tank Destroyer, and it seemed to be firing something like a rapid-fire paintball gun.

"Pneumatic volley gun, works off a pressurized can inside. Ours vented though, we gotta fix the engine to repressurize it. Just a simple air pump," He explained.

"Oh. Sorry, I don't know how your stuff all works."

"Ya might wanna get a crash course when the shootin' stops."

"That'd probably actually be more dangerous for my side than the ene-"

At that point, there was a metallic screech as the water tower finally collapsed, a crack spraying water into the street below but most fell onto the roof...then cascaded back off the edge right as the tesla coil was charging, causing a very bright flash and a bang. The falling water apparently also managed to spread out and conduct some of the shock around the area, as a few of the Hooviets looked rather shocked. It was a weak shock, but they still all fell down for a moment. The unaffected ones kept firing, even as the still-shaking tankette crew abandoned their tiny tank, but it was clear they weren't sticking around long. They were starting to pull out.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn):Ah, so you knew it wouldn't be lethal!)

I wasn't really too concerned either way to be honest. I was willing to risk the lives of the deer trying to kill me on this occasion. I just got lucky this time and didn't actually kill them.

And no, it's not because I know if all goes well, Makarov will have never existed and I'd never have killed them. I'm not that heartless as to say 'they're just copies and don't matter.' But there was too much at stake to worry about nonlethal force right now.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony):We're proud of you for that, Shining.)

Me and the Crewpony stared for a few seconds.

"I meant to do that."

"...I think I'll believe you, it'll be more fun that way," He admitted.

"Alright! They're running!"

There were celebratory whoops and yells from the Columbians, and a shout to cease fire. One of their Marksgriffs with a scoped Pneumatic Rifle, stood up and began to take shots at the retreating Hooviets despite this.

"I said hold your fire!" Sandgriff reminded him.

Then the airgunner stumbled down, just as the report of a very loud gunshot echoed down the road. I swore I saw a hole the size of a hoof in his torso as he dropped.

"Sniper! Take cover!"

Everyone took the hint. The airgunner had fallen out of concealment, and was trying to crawl back in. Another Marine reached over to pull him in, only for that Marine to be hit right in the head. Even as I and the wounded airgunner looked on in horror, a third shot finished the wounded marine off.

"You get in cover too, Captain, that's a pretty big gun firing at us!" Someone yelled, shaking me from my surprise...right as a fourth round hit my shield.

It hit hard, but didn't go through. I took cover anyway, it felt like it was hitting with enough force for a few shots to maybe collapse my shield, the weakening of my magic taking a toll on my power.

"This is a talented sniper...I think they're in the semaphore tower," Natasha shouted.

I took a quick look. Amongst the rising smoke I could see the distant tower we'd crashed at, in the direction the Hooviets had came. How was he shooting with all that smoke obscuring his vision?

Frost wondered that as well. Half a second after that the barricade beside him exploded, a huge round slamming through and just missing him.

"Sweet spirits, that's not a sniper, that's a damned cannon!"

"Indeed, probably a twenty-millimeter anti-tank rifle. A Norsupyssy from Whinnyland," The doe sniper said as if that meant something.

Judging by the fact a hail of shots began slamming into the barricades, it could repeat fire.

"Everyone get back in the bank!" Sandgriff yelled.

It seemed running targets were harder to hit, but a marine was still hit in the leg...It was practically taken off. The rest of us made it back (the Tank Destroyer crews fled as well:the part about 'anti-tank rifle' hadn't escaped them. Luckily, the immobile one partly shielded the rest.

"...Natasha, we'll go to the tower in the bank and start firing, draw him away, you go to the street and snipe," Dima said, but I was quick to cut in.

"Wait, Makarov probably expects that! I can try go out and use shields to draw some fire, someone else can try. Think about it, Natasha uses a souped up sniper rifle that fires bigger rounds, what are the odds of another talented sniper showing up with a souped up sniper rifle that we've never heard of? He wants a sniper to fight a sniper!"

"We have heard of it, it's from Whinnyland? Near Norneigh?" Grinch pointed out.

"Um, I kind of forgot to say but the one I thought it was...it's a single-shot rifle, like Sasha. It really is just a sort of small cannon that fires really big bullets," Natasha admitted.

"See?" I felt that proved my point.

"Good point, but no one else can really hit the tower. Rockets don't have range and my gun's energy isn't enough to be accurate or powerful enough at that distance," He reminded me his weapon of choice was as handicapped as mine. The look of worry on his face told me he felt the same way as I did about this:it wasn't good. If Makarov had gotten enough strength back to make this guy, we might be in trouble.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Or Mr. Hooviet Empire made him before you weakened him.)

I hope you're right...wait, Mr. Hooviet Empire?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):Trust me, you don't want to know.)

"Well we need to think of something, if we let Natasha fight him alone, then Makarov gets exactly what he probably ma-...trained this guy for."

"Uh...Maybe someone can try spot what part of the tower he's on, a tank gunner can shoot a high explosive at him?" Gilda offered.

"...Okay, someone give me binoculars then," I said.

Myself and a tank crewpony prepared to go out.

"Alright, he'll start shooting at me, throw the smoke grenade, I'll try and shield you as well while he's got me in his sights."

I was weakening my own shield but it was all I had.

"On three..."

I ran out, and the smoke grenade followed near the tank. Nothing happened for a second, then, as I began checking the tower...

...at the very top, just through the rising smoke, I saw the glint of a scope.

Attached to a bucking great cannon machine gun so big the operator had to sit behind it!

"...GET BACK INSIDE, IT'S NOT A SNIPER RIFLE AT ALL!"

To prove my point, a hail of massive bullets began tearing up the street around me. We were back inside but my shield took a few hits.

"Oh, it's an anti-aircraft cannon! Right!" Natasha said almost happy to have figured it out.

"An anti-aircraft cannon. Being used to snipe. See, told you it was Makarov's doing."

"Well, now what?" Nikolai asked.

"...I've no ide...what the buck was that?!"

There had been the sound of a rather loud, rather close bang as I spoke. I took a look out the door carefully, and saw the tower seemed to...have collapsed. Taking the artillery-sniper with it.

"What the..."

Then a horn honked.

"Yo, whoever owns them Spectres, can ya gettem ta move the dang things, I gotta tank ta drive here!" An Equestrian accent shouted from the turret of a Columbian Tank.

"Um...drive around? There's space on that side." I said, a little surprised.

"Oh no, baby, there's a crater there, crack in the pavement, that's bad karma. Negative waves, ya dig?"

"Just drive the damn tank forward, Oddball!" The tank behind him shouted.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): OH MY GOSH A TALKING TANK! D: )

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):That's not what he meant and if I'm not allowed to do it neither are you! ]:( )

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn):Ahem...Continue, Shining?)

Okay, the tank COMMANDER shouted. Behind that, another tank, some tracked troop carriers, and what looked like...A Rhino tank and a couple of six-wheeled BTRs. Riding on top, some Deer.

"Oh, don't worry about them, they're on our side, say they're rebels."

"Dima? I think some of your friends are here." I shouted back into the bank.

It turned out that some of the other rebels had joined the main Columbian force. They helped boost numbers both at the strongpoint that was being held to protect the wounded, and also helped out with the flying column.

We now had three tanks, M-4 Predators, named Oddball, Shearmane, and Padding, after their commanders:All ponies, as it happened, but they had mostly Griffin crews. They joined our working Tank Destroyers, apparently called Sledgehammer and War Pig (just cool names, their commanders admitted), and the Rebel tank, apparently now dubbed Liberty.

We'd lost eight marines and members of Unit Metal killed or wounded in the battle. One of the BTRs rushed the wounded back to where the majority of medical aid could be found, but the extra troops that had arrived were a dozen Neighponese ANBU (nopony I knew), and there were about twenty more rebels plus three six-wheeled BTRs. And a full company of Marines.

Four platoons, each with three rifle sections of ten and an assault section of ten armed with the shorter double-barreled shotguns, plus two heavy weapons teams of five per platoon. Snipers and rocket launchers mostly.

I felt pretty confident we'd be able to get to the prison and the fortress after all!

"Time to get this show on the road!" I grinned to Sandgriff.

"Yup. Oh, by the way...seems you're still in charge, the Marines tell me their officer is back at the strongpoint helping as a medic."

"Darn. I hoped somegriff who knew what they were doing could take over."

"Don't worry, Captain, I'm sure they all know what they're doing," Dima noted.

"The tanks all appear to have loudspeakers on them. Our tank reports that they played rock music while charging forward at some tankettes they encountered," Kamarov told us.

"Okay, scratch that."

We moved out, a few outriders scouting ahead, but we were mostly using our radios very weak, and nothing more than quick updates rather than plans. Hopefully, even if someone could listen in, they'd not hear anything.

I rode sitting on the roof of Oddball's tank. It was in the lead, so I figured I should shield it.

"So, uh, Oddball...You sound Equestrian..." I asked the Pegasus.

"Yup, Manehattan," He noted.

"Why'd you go to the Columbians?"

He patted the tank with a hoof.

"No offense, Captain, but Royal Guard get less peaceful equipment."

"...Peaceful?"

"Sure! Just sit inside the tank a while, hear the hum of the engine and raindrops off the roof. It is a most righteous and zen-like experience."

"It can level a building! Which you just DID!"

"Even Celestia has to kick a little flank from time to time," He grinned.

Great. Two other Equestrians and instead of making me feel a little at home by having someone to relate to better, I had a hippy nutcase in a tank and a Griffin who probably still thought I wanted to arrest her over an apple in the middle of a war zone.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):At least Gilda's sane.)

True.

Thankfully, we met no surprises other than having to take the long route around a crashed Hooviet airship as we sped towards the Ponsian special forces. They'd taken one of the city's semaphore towers and had been pinned down. There had apparently only been twelve of them, and they'd kept using the tower to report back to the bank. They'd been silent for the last half hour.

"Moonlight!" One of the scouts shouted.

"Selene!" Someone in the tower yelled back.

That was our countersign.

However, it seemed that help wasn't something they'd needed. They'd just ran out of oil for their semaphore lanterns. They'd given the rest to the Hooviet troops trying to get into the tower. Smoke from some of that was still lingering.

Twelve Griffins with silver masks emerged-Ponsia had the largest Griffin population outside the Griffin Lands, larger than even Equestria's Griffin population. Heck, larger than some GRIFFIN nations! The Ponsian Immortals had sent all-griffins here to aid the Columbians. The bulk of the non-griffins in Triana had apparently all went to the border to kick flank there.

And judging by all the Hooviets lying around with composite bow bolts in them, and the incendiary-bombed BTRs, flank would certainly be getting kicked there.

"...I knew they were called Immortals but that's just absurd," Sandgriff griped.

I wasn't sure how much of it was skill and how much of it was Makarov still being weak and incapable of making his ridiculous plans work, but they were badflank, and they were on our side. Twelve Griffins with composite bows and two Shamshir sabres each...Should be helpful.

Sadly, they'd blocked most of the roads with wrecks. We had to clear them.

At least we'd gotten a break in the battle to catch our breath. In my case, rather literally. Having little experience with gunpowder weapons meant I wasn't used to the stink of gunsmoke-the burning oil wasn't much better. Not to mention the smell of burnt fl...the bodies...ugh, let's just say just thinking about that made my stomach churn. To say I wasn't enjoying this experience was an understatement.

"Okay, who we picking up next once the route is clear?" Oddball wondered.

"The nearest group is the Direct Operations Group unit of your navy, holed up in a train station they captured," Arash, the leader of the Immortals said.

Sadly, he was only a Sergeant in equivalent rank.

"DOG, huh? Woof woof!" Oddball grinned, startling me.

"...Is there any way to contact the other units without radio?" Sandgriff wondered.

"They were sending light transmissions at us, but it was one way as the enemy were reading. If we tried to communicate it often resulted in gunfire our way so we kept it short."

"Got any crazy ideas, Captain?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Why are you asking me?"

"Because you saved my tail in Columbia with one."

"...Valid point. And I guess Commander Boreale's lessons on unexpected changes from the academy might...what?"

Frost was staring at me.

"Boreale?! That explains a lot. Derper's Drift with crazy additions...Like alien invasions."

"I had no idea he was so infamous," I muttered, then got on with it.

I looked at the tower and wondered how to stop the enemy seeing the light of semaphore.

"I think I can try something. Audience tried to teach me a special horn-light spell, it's a really focused beam of light. I'll go up, and if the enemy spot it and shoot, well, I can shield myself."

"Oh, that reminds me. At the top of the towers there are odd crates, they seem built so only cloven hooves can open them. Certainly we can't get them open," An Immortal said.

"...Well, neither can we," Sandgriff noted.

"Oh deer, what shall we do," Dima sighed.

"...Was that a pun?"

"I was trying to be sarca...Oh, damn it, I picked the wrong phrase for that one!"

"Well, you were kind of sarcastic. Why were you trying anyway?"

"Been trying to get in the habit of it, you said it was good for annoying Solomon."

He climbed up with me. It was a tall tower. I'd left my riot shield behind, since it was pretty bulky.

"...What way should the other guys be?" I wondered, scanning with my own borrowed binoculars.

The crimson sky had grown even darker-it was sunset, it still stank of smoke, and the battle was still making a lot of noise. I looked out over the city, fires dotting the sprawl. Tripods fighting it out with the allies. The tower seemed to be going forever, giving me plenty of time to watch...and think about...things I'd rather not be thinking about. Well, at least if I survived this I'd have plenty of material for my book...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):How is it going by the way?)

Well, I added mass drivers for the walkers, it was an idea Ellis had. He said he and his buddy once built a big thing out of coiled magnets then accidentally shot through the barn wall...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):And I thought Apple Bloom and her friends could cause trouble looking for cutie marks. Who was this buddy?)

Er...the buddy was...Well, it was me and it wasn't a barn. It was two barns. Five miles away.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Ponyville is lucky you and Twilight don't have a little sibling, or the CMC might have blown up the place by now!)

We'd been trying to build a cider still for Captain Sharpe! He'd wanted to try homebrewing.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):You accidentally turned a cider still into a mass driver. Why are you stealing enemy weapons again?!)

I've no idea what the heck we did and we were both too scared to try again.

I also gave them homing missiles. It's a scary story Thunderchild tried to tell me, about a Pegasus urban myth. Things called SAM, rockets that chased you...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):Sounds scary...)

A lot of Pegasi are scared of it surprisingly, which is why I picked them.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): 'Course most pegasi were slower when those were around.)

What?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):Nothing!)

"I think the allied troops are down that way somewhere, shout if you see them," He pointed, and went to look for the crates.

Thanks for giving me somepony to talk to, I'd probably have gone crazy by now.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):Welcome Shinin'.)

I then spotted them. A group of Griffins seemed to be bunkered down in a train station at the edge of the city.

"Got them! I'll see if I can send a message."

I shone the light from my horn, spelling out moonlight in horse code, and watched it blink on the wall. A griffin inside had ducked behind cover at first. Then a Deer seemed to pop out and examine it as I repeated.

Had I just spoken to the wrong group? Dima was looking with me now, and he was worried too.

The Deer looked in my direction, then began aiming a flashlight back.

"selene"

"r u dog?" I replied.

"hu u?"

"cptn sparkle, have friends with, we coming your position in twenty-thirty mins approx"

"sprkle?"

There was a pause.

"herd u captured"

"explain when meet. hu in command?"

"lt. comm mason. we hav some nbu. jonin leader called taichi"

It was like a reunion! I hoped the next friends I met were my squad.

"they had to give up at bridge, retreated, but it still intact"

"That's bad news, but we can deal with that," Dima noted as I explained.

"True."

I said bye, and told them I'd see them soon.

"Any luck with those crates?" I asked.

"Can't seem to find them. Give me a hoof a minute then we'll just go back down."

It turned out they'd been below a table. Dima opened one. They looked a lot like bigger Hooviet versions of the Columbian's disposable rockets, odd because the Hooviets preferred reloadable launchers.

"...Rocket launchers? At the top of a tower?"

I was reminded of Half-Life 2, and how every crate of rockets meant a boss fight...Surely Makarov wasn't that cliche? They also looked very strange for rocket launchers.

Then we heard the roar of helicopter blades.

"Hello, Captain Sparkle! Hello, Brother! I've come back out to play after my little nap!"

And he is that cliche...

"Great. He went to his fortress, recharged, and now he's come out to kill us. Did he set all this up?!"

"Well, this is a pretty tall tower, I mean, all our guys down below can't really help, it's a perfect spot for him," Dima noted, then frowned.

"...How tall was it when we came up?"

"About twenty floors?" I wondered.

I looked at a convenient floor plan of the tower...saying we were on the seventieth floor!

"IT WASN'T THAT TALL A MINUTE AGO!" We both shouted.

"Ugh, how did I not see it...Mother Deer taught us to think clearly, to see his changes when he did them. I'm sorry, if I'd paid attention I'd have realized," Dima confessed.

"Not like it would have made a difference, we'd just have realized something was wrong a minute earlier."

"The good news is, he can't be back to full strength, otherwise he'd not use the helicopter."

"Yeah, well, we pretty much have to fight him, because otherwise he'll just collapse the tower with us in it," I sighed.

"Well, grab some rockets. He'll probably want to monologue for a bit."

"Brilliant, I think I'll just jump off."

"Uh, Shining, that's a bad idea."

"I'm not sure it is, actually, I don't want that plothole calling me brother."

Dima looked nervous.

"Uh...I think he was talking to me, Shining. I don't call him Makarov because...My last name isn't Makayovsky. It's..."

"...You're his half-brother?!"

"I was. He tried to kill me then I learned he was the one that killed our parents. I used to trust him...He was my brother, the only family I had, and all that time I was just another pawn. Another character in his story. No one matters to him...And I learned that. Him betraying me and my parents, it's not even on the list of the worst things he's done."

Dima's entire life had been spent as just a character in Makarov's script, a part of a poorly written tragic backstory for an egotistical cosmic horror. Makarov had stolen a lot of stories, a lot of lives...but he'd written most of Dima's and stolen the chance for him to write it himself.

"Come out, Captain! Come out, my traitor brother! Or do you seek to hide away still, like you hid after you escaped my revenge the first time?"

"We'd better go out...He'll get annoyed enough to start shooting soon." Dima sighed.

"I'm not sure I want to, I think he's about to give us a load of horseapples. Bet you ten bits he claims you killed his parents."

"...He used to claim it was Equestrians, so he might blame you."

"At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to claim he was my father, it's about the only 'villain tries to break you by talking' cliche he hasn't gotten to yet."

At least I knew he wasn't calling me his brother.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):Well, we don't know who he says his unicorn mother is yet...)

DON'T GIVE HIM IDEAS!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):What if we told you it was too late?)

...I'd have a number of disturbing mental images I hope deleting Makarov will make me forget...

"Let's just go face the music then. Maybe he'll kill us and I won't have to figure out how the hell to get a hold of ten bits...how many rubles is that, a hundred and fifty?"

"Yeah, but let's keep talking and ignoring his banter while we fight him, it'll clop him off."

A stream of bullets then cut through the wall nearby.

"I think a little too clopped off for comfort," Dima sighed.

This was not going to be easy.

Author's Note

Story Arc written by LZ0291 lz0291.deviantart.com/
Kendell2 helped write this chapter before he left the arc, and he imparted some of LZ's MAJOR wishes concerning this chapter.
This chapter also JUST BARELY fits within the limits, I had to edit it down.

Shining Armor is given a two year tour of the world to be the captain of Princess Cadence's body guard. Yeah. That's all. That's everything Yep. Nothing what so ever else. *AJ's Liar face*

"Time is an ocean in a storm."

This storyline runs PARALLEL to the events in the Dark World storyline narrative wise.

Please help the trope http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries and recap pages. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/PonyPOVSeries

Previous Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Shining-Armor-17-1-415160561

Next Chapter:

First Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Fluttershy-FlutterCruel-Pearls-260092460

MLP: FiM is copyright of Hasbro

Image By Kendell2
[SOUNDTRACK NOTES FOR THESE PARTS ONLY]

Soundtrack Recommendations (Act 2)
[Scenename]
[song],[artist], [album/source]

Counterattack
Striker Eureka,Ramin Djwadi, Pacific Rim
Helicopter Chase
Helicopter Chase, John Murphy, 28 Weeks Later
Firebombing London, John Murphy, 28 Weeks Later

Episode 134 (Shining Armor) At The End Act Two: Fighting Back

Episode 135 (Shining Armor) At The End Act Three: Face the Enemy

17 At The End
Act 3: Face the Enemy

So basically, just us two, with a pile of conveniently-placed rockets, and Makarov circling in a heavily armed copter.

This was going to end well, I knew it. I wished I'd brought my riot shield after all, it might have at least helped stop a couple extra hits.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): At least he's not fully powered.)

I wish that made me more confident.

"And there is the pair of rats scurrying from shelter! It is unfortunate you should be so high up in this tower, for it shall be a long descent into Tartarus for you both!"

His helicopter swooped up in front of us. Either he'd eaten more pilots or he'd spent a little more of his fate-ignoring powers on making it fly better.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): And his threat was actually menacing that time!)

That may be scarier than the threat!

Then the helicopter started playing over-dramatic music.

"I thought you wanted a showcase of your skills, Makarov! Hardly seems all that skilled to use another flying gold brick to win," I shouted, even as a small part of my mind kept trying to warn me not to annoy the lunatic in the flying death machine.

"And this is one! You have the means to potentially defeat me..."

And I was wracking my brains for an alternative to it.

I scanned the area. The roof of this tower had been fairly wide to accommodate a lot of room to move the mirrors and semaphore paddles, and seemed to have a few more big metal crates scattered around. We had limited cover. The central portion was a glass dome where a large lantern had been, until it had been used as a makeshift firebomb.

"There's nothing but the rockets here," I noted.

"And I bet that we need dozens of rockets to even dent his gold plating," Dima said.

"Seems to be all we have."

"Yes, try to plan. It won't help you and my so-called 'brother'. Though it disgusts me that one such as you shares any lineage with someone as flawless as I, you murderer."

"Murderer? One, who did he kill? Two, have you paid attention to your life so far?!"

"Why, he killed many fine servants of the Hooviet Empire...Including our parents!"

"YES! I just won ten bits!"

"...What?!"

"I never agreed to the bet..."

"Darn."

"You dare trivialize my tragedy!?"

"What tragedy? You killed your parents," I shot back.

The helicopter wobbled for a second as he roared in anger.

"Impudent dog! I shall start you on your long fall to Tartarus!"

He then opened fire with the machine guns, strafing over us. We dived, both of us shielded by my magic for now.

"You used that one!" Dima noted as we both fired a rocket each.

Mine naturally missed, but Dima's exploded with a small flash. It didn't seem to do much. Mine that missed also seemed to explode.

"You also overuse impudent! I'd say by now your impudent is impotent!"

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): The sad part? We know he has a thesaurus, you'd think he'd use it.)

"Recycling is good for the environment! Like compost, which is what you soon shall be!" He screamed as he spun back around.

"Compost is made of plants, idiot!"

Makarov then pulled out a dictionary, "Compost noun, decayed organic material used as a plant fertilizer. Origin late Middle Equestrian : from Old French "composte" from-"

We had rockets ready. Sadly, I was too close to Dima's rocket tube-rear when he fired, and my shield took the backblast. It threw the deer off his feet, and made me yelp: We missed, and the subsequent volley from Makarov's guns once he recovered from being shot at mid monolog really put the hurt on my shields.

"Watch the backblast!" Dima shouted.

"We don't use these things much in Equestria!"

This naturally amused jerky.

"A lover's tiff? Oh, very clumsy, Sparkle, standing too close to your new coltfriend!"

And now we can check 'being politically incorrect' off the villain cliche checklist.

(Interviewer's Note (Pegasus): Got it.)

You're actually keeping a list?

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Yep!)

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): It gives us something to do while he's monologging.)

"...You're really stooping to that?" Dima sighed.

"There's not anything wrong with single-gender relationships," I noted. "Equestrians are a pretty accepting lot in general."

"Actually I think he's more trying for the inter-racial thing...But, uh, no offense, Captain, but I kind of don't have any interest in that sort of thing, with any gender or species."

"Pity, if I was a mare you'd be kinda cute I bet," I played it for all it was worth.

"UGH, I was JOKING you sick pair of interspecies degenerate."

"While he's angry, shoot him!" I shouted.

Dima and I both managed to hit him! Not only did we hit him but it seemed to do damage while he was in the middle of his temper-tantrum diatribe!

"GRAAAGH!"

He swooped down out of our sight, but also unable to attack us.

"Somehow I'm not shocked he's a racist hypocrite. And he still thinks he's a good guy?"

"Indeed, the way he's been almost flirtatious with you...Really not the kind of thing he should say," Dima noted.

"Uh, the hypocrite bit I meant was him being half-unicorn," I clarified. "But thank you so much for that mental image and the therapy that will likely come with it."

"Oh. Right. Sometimes I forget he's half-deer, half-unicorn, I just remember he's a hundred percent scumbag."

Makarov then swooped back up, a bit further back, and shouted again.

"You think you may have a plan, well, plan this!"

He then reminded us the helicopter had rockets too, firing a massive volley of them.

"...Oh horseapples," I said.

I managed to block us from being harmed by them, but our secondary cover, including the crates, were torn to shreds. The roof itself also fell in at a few places.

"Let me hear you insult that!"

...Oh well, it would be rude to deny his request.

"How did you miss?!"

We took that tantrum as a chance to fire. He dodged, further away now and able to predict our fire better. He strafed us with the machine gun again then dived back out of our sight.

"Damn, this isn't going to work after all. He's onto us," Dima growled, even as he readied another launcher. Our stray shots seemed to pop in the distance after five seconds or so.

"Yeah, we need to think of something else. I don't suppose there's any parachutes or a glider up here or something?"

"He'd just shoot us down. If we could only just get by that armor."

"We'll need bigger guns...got any embarrassing stories of him as a colt...fawn...whatever he was?"

Dima just gave me a certain look.

"Oh right, he's a fate bending, self obsessed cosmic horror...Hey, these rockets explode when they miss still, right? I mean if they don't hit anything?"

"Yes, why?"

"...I think I have an idea."

"What kind of idea?"

"A crazy one."

"What's new there?"

This was going to hurt a lot though. Especially if it didn't work.

"The trouble is I need to conserve magic. Maybe you should take cover down below..."

Dima did not seem pleased by this. Strange, if I'd been offered a way to hide from the angry nutter in the machine gun and rocket armed giant golden brick while someone else took a shot, I'd be a lot happier.

"...Fine, but shout me back up as soon as you've tried this, I'm not running away!"

"I hope not, he'll probably just shoot the tower to shreds if we're both not visible," I noted.

Dima had just dropped down one of the hoofy new holes Makarov had made, when the moron of the hour flew back into sight.

"Hm, has my brother fled? It does not surprise me, he was always a coward. Questioning the need to kill all the unicorns on his first mission."

"Sounds more like he had principles, but that's probably rare amongst Hooviets anyway!"

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): GAH!)

What?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Try your plan first! I'll tell you while he's throwing a tantrum!)

I tried my plan. I fired the rocket...and having made the calculations ahead of time, trying my best to think of moving the object to the right spot, I teleported it away.

With a shield stopping the rocket from leaving the tube. A bright flash inside the rear windows told me I had sent it the right direction.

"What?! How did you-"

The resulting explosion coming from inside seemed to tear out the side of the troop bay, rip off one of the wings his weapons were mounted on, but sadly seemed to not hurt the cockpit much. It did severely affect the flight patterns though.

"GHAAA! CURSE YOU, YOU WRETCHED VERMIN! I WILL GRIND YOU TO DUST!"

He apparently planned to do this with rockets...but I seemed to have got lucky. The remaining launcher wasn't firing.

"Dima, I think it worked." I grinned. In fact, I swear for a second the helicopter flickered. It's a good thing I'm in a near death situation or that would never have work.

Now, what was it about Makarov?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): When we interviewed him he praised his brother as some kind of amazing paragon of a warrior second only to himself just so when Dima 'died' it'd be more tragic! Now he's saying he was a coward?! Can't this idiot just bucking keep his backstory straight?!)

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Sorry, we actually interviewed Makarov and his stupidity really got on her nerves.)

You interviewed him? You have my sympathies.

"YOU...YOU CHEATING LITTLE SON OF A WHORE! I will make sure that when I sift the remains of Ponyville, I will find your sister's horn AND USE IT TO PICK MY NOSE! I will find your parents' horns and use them to light the way to the bathroom on the Daedalus II! I will dig up your uncle's corpse-"

"-Seriously? That's the best threat to my family you could think of? I mean I know it should clop me off, but it's hard to take that seriously."

"He's really mad. That's the second flying toy of his you broke from the inside," Dima noted, as it seemed the machine gun was also failing to fire. And even the music started breaking up.

"So that's how it is. Wretched junk has failed me...I will simply slice you both to ribbons!"

He then angled the nose down and flew towards us.

"...Is he completely nuts?!" I wondered. Then again, if he wasn't already, I'd probably annoyed the sanity out of him by now...and proud of it.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Thank you! It's about time somepony gave him a taste of his own medicine!)

"Yes, we've been over this, now shut up and jump down to the level below!"

We did that, hearing Makarov shout an incoherent scream of rage, then the wrenching sound of the rotors hitting the stones. Somehow they tore more roof away, and accidentally must have thrown some debris into the engine intakes or otherwise broke it, cause black smoke began spraying from the rotors.

"Cursed wretches! That was not supposed to happen...Come on, fly, you are meant to fly no matter what...THIS IS NOT OVER, SPARKLE! I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE!" He yelled as his helicopter began to spin out of control.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): No self-destruct?)

Thankfully no.

"He's about to crash in that park, that small pond," Dima noted.

"Yeah. If we can get down to the others we might be able to catch up with..."

...the tower was still seventy floors tall.

"Horseapples. We've got a long climb..."

It was at this point, four Immortals and four Marines toting a mix of heavy weapons burst into the room...well, what was left of it.

"...We ran all that way up...for nothing?" A Marine griped.

"Well, you could help us carry the rest of these rockets and you can watch Makarov crash into that lake throwing a tantrum," I offered.

They looked at the pile of rockets in the crate.

"...I think we will do the latter for the moment," An Immortal noted, then gasped for air.

We'd lost about fifteen of the thirty minutes I'd told Dai Mason we'd take. Still, Makarov had to walk home or call for rescue (knowing him, he'd do the former out of pride) and probably burned up some of his power in the fight, so maybe we could exploit the extra time.

I rode in one of the Columbian troop carriers. I didn't want to hang onto a tank while I was trying to recharge a little. That fight had harmed my mana a lot. Fortunately, someone had smiled upon me and decided to make the birdseed energy bars have mild mana-restorative qualities.

"This won't please him much, I expect he'll throw bigger guns at us. I hope those new rockets are good against Mammoth Tanks..." Sandgriff noted grimly.

"Hopefully we won't have to find out," I tried.

"I doubt it," Frost noted, fiddling with the scope on a captured Hooviet machine gun, one of the APPMa's that we'd first met way back in Columbia.

"Well hopefully since me and Dima are his designated nemesis...es...his ego won't let him stand to see anything but him actually succeed in killing us, so that might help keep anything too powerful off us..." Which I assumed was why the guns missed us when we chased him out of his destroyed ship.

Dima looked grim. "Yes, but you'd be surprised what you can live through."

I gulped at that.

"...Valid point."

Suddenly, we heard a bang, and the vehicle stopped.

"Bail out, we're under fire!"

"I knew all this traveling without getting shot at was too good to be true!" Grinch complained.

"Oh, so that helicopter didn't count?!" I complained back.

"Wasn't shooting at me, dude! No offense."

We'd exited to a withering and random hail of fire, seemingly muskets and grenades, from the three-floor-apartments around us. They seemed to be conscripts judging by the simple equipment. A couple marines had been wounded, but they were still fit enough to swear at their wounds. Oddly, the windows of most of the structures around us were filling up with smoke.

"Sneaky, they're using smoke grenades to help conceal their own smoke from firing!" One noted.

"...This isn't right, Sergeant Sandgriff, since when did conscripts use tricks like this?" Gilda noted.

"She's got a point, this might be cover for something else," Dima noted.

Natasha was scanning the roofs, then raised her rifle, firing in the direction of a smaller building at the end of the road that apparently didn't have anyone shooting from it...Just as I felt something slam into my chest and knock me off my feet.

"CRUDE! Captain, you okay?!"

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Shining! Are yah ok?!)

"Yeah...Gha, this armor works...sort of..." I groaned.

It was going to bruise, but at least I wasn't dead and it somehow hadn't broken any bones. A normal hit at that angle had a good chance of breaking my shoulders...Or going right through me out the...other...

"You sure you're okay there? Looks like they're pulling back."

The tanks had pointed their guns at the smoke-filled buildings, and a few explosions later there wasn't much firing. However, one building had less smoke, but a hail of automatic fire was coming from it. It was too close to rear elements of our column that were now pinned down, and it was sheer luck a rocket fired bounced off the armor of a troop carrier. The BTRs were adding machine gun fire to the Columbian volleys aimed at that structure as I saw a group forming up to try and enter the building. Before I could even try to shield them, they were charging.

One of our assault units went, in the Immortals at their back, twelve double-barreled assault shotguns and twelve pairs of curved sabers at the ready: not yet drawn so they could sprint with all four limbs. Hails of automatic weapons fire raked at them, the rest of the group tried to provide cover fire over their heads even as the assault squad threw smoke grenades ahead of themselves. One of the Immortals took a hit and stayed down as they all rushed in, while a pair of the Assault marines stumbled but seemed to still be with us just as they disappeared into the smoke and the firing from our lines ceased.

Bright flashes inside came from grenades thrown by the attackers, and the last report of the battle was a set of dull booms from inside the structure.

"Assault team, report," Sandgriff requested.

"We've taken the objective, minimal casualties, two of ours wounded inside and two outside. The Immortals tell us their guy's a goner back outside," A Marine reported.

Someone checked the Immortal: He had indeed been killed instantly.

"Were they Spetsnaz using the conscripts as a diversion?" I wondered.

Sandgriff asked what they'd found.

"They seem to be locals. All the ones in here were unicorns, griffins, and pegasi."

Other squads had gone to clear the buildings the tanks had blown partly up. They reported they'd found Zebras: the muskets had been a type commonly used by equines without horns or wings in the past. They were planted in the ground in a monopod and a flintlock trigger was pulled with the mouth. They functioned more like small artillery in practice than the kind of small arms in use now: Most Earth Pony or Zebras used airguns if they used ranged weapons at all, because if they sound cumbersome there, try firing one! And have a drink handy because the powder tastes HORRIBLE. Nose plugs are also recommended.

"Some local troops joining in...Weird, most of them had been stuck in across the bay," Truck mused.

"I want to check out that building, those ones there were obviously better armed."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. The armor took the hit, I want to try find what it took..."

"He dropped it when I shot him..." Natasha noted.

She sounded a little embarrassed, maybe because the other sniper had fired first.

He'd dropped as well. He was on the ground, having fallen from the roof. He was a local unicorn, and apparently part of an elite group of skirmishers I didn't catch the name of.

The scope on his sniper rifle, a Hooviet Dragonoff, was badly damaged. Not from the fall, though. He had a large hole where his eye had been.

"...Did you shoot him through his scope?!" I asked Natasha.

"I didn't mean it, he moved..." She shifted nervously.

Thankfully, we didn't run into any other surprises until we reached the others...Sadly, we ran into surprises the minute we did.

The buildings had started to get shorter. We could see the looming hills ahead and the orange glow of the northern battle better now...though almost everything was still stained in a faint crimson light by the Iron Curtain. We stopped in what seemed to be the middle of some buildings under construction.

"Why are we stopping now?" I wondered.

"Outriders reporting there's a lot of activity up ahead at the city limits. They've got a runner coming back to us," Truck reported.

We waited, and sure enough, the runner came...with a Navy trooper in tow.

"Captain Sparkle, Commander Mason has to fall back. We've got Mammoth Tanks incoming."

My heart stopped. Mammoth Tanks. Plural. One was bad, two was terrible. Three, we were dead. Considering Father Deer had been a myth, I was praying Hooviet propaganda had been at least a little overblown..

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Fighting an existence-eater who can bring the impossible to life.)

BUCK!

"How many?"

"Two, supported by Tankettes and hoof soldiers. They're approaching the rail bridge, we think we have about ten minutes till they cross."

Ok, so we weren't dead, but we're going to have to fight against two tanks' who's schematics actually say 'designed to kill everything.' That was not sarcasm, they literally say that. Except in Roedinian.

I quickly consulted a map, noting the Hooviets would be coming down the railway line, and apparently we were two hundred meters from our allies. Not a huge distance in peacetime but in a warzone a meter can feel like a mile.

"I think we can ambush them," Sandgriff noted.

"We've got six armored vehicles of our own, after all...Yeah, maybe we can manage this," I lied.

Oddball, Shearmane, and Padding, our M-4 Medium Tanks. Liberty, our Rhino Heavy Tank. War Pig and Sledgehammer, our M-5 Tank Destroyers.

I ran to get back on Oddball's tank.

"Can your tank destroy enemy tanks?" I asked.

"Nope!" He said all too cheerfully.

"Okay, the...Nope?!"

"Nope. Not from the front. Too tough there, We might get lucky but the main gun on this ain't really designed to pop big tanks, and we carried more HE to clear buildings today."

"But it shoots the same shells as the Tank Destroyers!" I protested: I'd remembered that fact!

"Yeah, but we got shorter barrels, less velocity. Gotta go in from the sides."

I was kind of annoyed to hear that for one other reason; if I wasn't still weakened by the Iron Curtain, then I might have actually been able to form a shield to act as a barrel extension to compensate for that.

"So, what, the Tank Destroyers need to take them head on?"

"That or we gotta figure out a way to hit 'em from the rear, or use our own Rhino," he noted.

"Yeah, sure, let's send a Hooviet tank up from the other direction, that'll stop our guys shooting it!"

"We could repaint it really quick or figure out a way to disguise it as a tree."

I looked at the rebel Rhino. True, it was green and the other Hooviet ones were gray but colors were not too easy to tell apart. It also looked very much like the other idea was no good.

"I don't think that tank would fit into the forest. Besides, I imagine the Hooviets will recognize it's the wrong tank."

"Wait, the tanks you're on about, are they perhaps Mammoth Tanks?" Oddball's driver wondered.

"...Yes."

"Well, now the good news is I was wrong to say we need to go in from the sides. We pretty much gotta go in the rear and hope we get a mobility kill!" The Driver began giggling nervously.

Oddball just sighed.

"Don't mind him, Sir, he's just a negative fella...Completely right, of course, but a negative fella."

"So, on a scale of one to ten, we're completely screwed?" Sandgriff groaned.

"...Not quite. The tracks of the Mammoth Tank are a major weakness. If we use Tank Destroyers to flank at least one we can try to immobilize it - and light anti-tank may be able to damage tracks. If we can immobilize one or both we can swarm the turret, but we'll sustain heavy casualties," Dima began.

"That's not an option," I said quickly.

"...Sir, we might have to lose some or lose all. Either we fight, or we retreat and that's it. We can't stop," A Marine Sergeant reminded me.

"I've destroyed two superweapons today, if I can do that surely we can take out two Mammoths!" I replied, frantically.

"Captain, you were inside his flagship," said Dima. "You attacked its heart, where its the weakest. Unless we could get you inside one of the Mammoths, that's not going to happen."

"Horseapples, this really is the only way, isn't it?" I sighed. I'll admit it...I'd been trying to tell myself there was another way as much as them.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Just teleport a BOMB inside the bucking thing! Like you did with the mini-flying gold brick!)

Those monsters are built with anti-teleport fields, and teleport isn't a talent I can do on command normally.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): So much for the proud belief teleporting requires a mountain of conscious calculations.)

If I could tell you how I did it, I'd gladly tell you!

I'd been taught that someday I'd need to think of a plan, or rely on a plan, where the troopers I was certain to kill were under my command. I'd paid attention, but it had seemed like something I'd never really do, honestly. I wasn't truly prepared for it, but then again, no one was. So far most plans we'd enacted had risk, of course, and we'd sustained losses. But this was different. The plan couldn't minimize risk or have ways to counter the main threat to our lives because we were simply out of options.

"...Okay, but we need to be able to prepare for this going wrong too," I said after a moment.

"Actually, I gotta idea for us, Captain," Oddball smirked. "It's crazy, but if it works, might cut down the casualties."

Sandgriff sighed. "Is there any other kind of plan?"

We'd left many of the vehicles and a fair few troopers behind. A few of our faster vehicles, Rebel BTRs, had raced up. Outriders had went ahead to ensure no friendly fire - those BTRs were carrying most of our anti-armor capabilities such as they were. Trying to flank around to get the rail from the side, we'd sent the tanks, with a small escort of outriders in case they met any resistance. They had a route that seemed to be mostly covered from sight from the tracks, and we had radios ready for short communications. Hopefully, they'd be in position and so would our cavalry anti-tank screen.

The rest of us went on hoof, following the BTRs. Our plan was, our high capacity transports would wait - and if we had to fall back we'd fall back in them rather than risk the Hooviets destroying them closer to the station.

We reached it, finding that the DOG had started to get anyone without heavy weapons ready to move with their wounded. Lieutenant Commander Dai Mason greeted me without much in the way of pleasantries, but then again, Mammoth Tanks. Taichi was also rather abrupt, which was good enough for me because spending ages saying 'hello' would just lead us to say 'goodbye' to life...

"Captain, I'm sending my wounded back to your vehicles to get them out of here. Runners explained the plan...Seems about the best we'll get."

"It might give us a little more time to think," I admitted.

"Assuming it works. I assume there's a reason the guy is called Oddball?" Taichi then butt in.

"I, er, I don't really know him too well..." I admitted, as every nearby Marine began nodding. "The other Ninjas seem to think it'll work!"

"Never said I didn't, but we have a saying in Neighpan: toranu tanuki no kawa zan'you, 'don't count the skins of badgers you haven't caught'..."

Weird saying for a pony, yes, but I got the point.

I climbed up a stairway that led over the tracks. From here, I could see a fair bit. The bridge, lit by nearby fires. A road bridge beside it collapsed - Taichi and his troops had blown it up before capturing the adjacent rail bridge. And the looming shape of tanks about half a mile from the bridge, trundling along, easy to see even in the gloomy light the nightvision scopes showed that far off because houses didn't move. Usually.

Below, we had sandbags and automatic airgun nests on the platforms, as well as a couple of small captured local cannons, better than nothing. A signal box concealed another anti-tank nest within, a pile of rockets and some griffins hiding in there.

We waited. We received signals from our troops, set up along the probable Hooviet route, saying they were ready. We had to hope the tanks were ready too - their spot was hidden from us too. All we needed to do was wait...

"Looks like...One of the Mammoths has stopped to hold the bridge, the other is crossing. They're sending a screen of Tankettes in first," Mason sighed.

"Okay, we planned for that. The AT we have at the station can handle them," I hoped.

Sure enough, six Tankettes raced down the tracks, three rocket and three tesla variants firing their weapons in our direction. They were wild shots, not really aimed at anything, but as our rockets shot back we still sustained a few casualties. They moved fast, but not fast enough, as our rocket fire took out three. Unfortunately, they'd been covering a fourth pair that raced up with flamethrowers.

"Someone take those things out!" Mason yelled into his radio as they zoomed right into the middle of the tracks.

Rockets slammed down around them, and one was hit. It span out and detonated in a huge fireball...which began to rain down all around the area. Some of our troops had to abandon areas, or were hit by raining flames.

The other was almost right below us, and if it fired it would start incinerating the troopers crewing our main defenses. A cannon shot span past it, and it was nearly in range.

I threw a shield around it, cursing. I'd hoped to spare as much mana as possible, but now I had to trap this tankette. And it needed a big shield. It began firing, then screeched to a halt as the flames fell down an invisible wall.

It tried to reverse. I quickly collapsed the shield inwards, only for a rocket to slam into the tankette while it was trapped. I'd set this shield to let shots in, so the vehicle detonated. I stopped a rain of fire this time, but I couldn't hold it forever. After a few moments I had to let the smoke start rising - and it was in just the right spot to help obscure our vision of the bridge. Holding all the smoke was just going to let it start blocking the troops on the ground. Mason was more worried about the nearer tank.

"Alright, looks like the Mammoth is rolling now...I see a few troopers around it. Hope the tanks are ready."

A moment later the Mammoth was heading down the tracks and in easy sight. It would probably fire any minute. There was a curve in the tracks a few hundred meters off, blocking clear line of sight. A two-floor building just after a level crossing meant the tank had to come around to get a clear shot on the station.

Then a thick cloud of grey smoke popped up around it, followed by a volley of shells slamming into it. We heard the clangs, saw some flashes inside the smoke, then a plume of flame...

"I think we got it!" Someone cheered on the radio.

"Heads up, the hoof troopers are still coming!" Mason yelled.

As they came out of the smoke, the Hooviet conscripts were firing their spring-powered rifles wildly. A few better equipped Airborne troops ran with them, not firing. Pellets rained harmlessly down around us or fell short.

We waited to they were closer and opened fire. The Airborne troopers, as expected, took cover as the conscripts kept charging, a Commissar at their backs.

"Natasha, red head!" Someone shouted.

A loud crack later, there was no Commissar, and the conscripts began to falter in the face of the heavy casualties. The Airborne troopers began to retreat...

And the world exploded. Something had ripped through a half dozen buildings between the cloud of smoke and the signal box beside our vantage point. The signal box was ripped apart, and one of the rockets must have detonated, for the whole thing went up.

And the shells kept going, ripping down part of the station building, collapsing it onto one of our cannons.

"Sweet Celestia, the Mammoth Tank...It's still alive!"

It had just shot through about a dozen different structures and the damn shells hadn't even stopped after it hit the station!

And it got worse. I saw the smoke shift...and the Mammoth began to emerge. We'd managed to do some damage to the armor, but not enough to matter.

"Tanks, you didn't stop it, open fire again!"

It was at that point, I saw a Rhino turret fly into the air on a tail of flames off where our tanks had been...Then I heard exchanges of tank fire.

"Sir, we gotta problem, there's four Rhinos behind it! They're shootin' at us, they knocked out Shearmane, Liberty's got a track out, but it got one!" Someone reported.

A few rockets fired at the Mammoth but bounced off. It kept on advancing, the machine guns firing and keeping heads down. I noted with some shock that it didn't seem to care there were a fair few dead or wounded conscripts in the way as it drove along.

The Mammoth fired again, breaking me out of that sight. This time, it was high explosive shells. The station building pretty much vanished in the huge cloud of dust and flame.

"We need to retreat!" Mason growled.

"...Start falling back. I have an idea."

Mason began moving, pausing for second seeing I wasn't moving myself.

"I need line of sight, get down from here and run!"

I was trying to block the machine-gun fire as much as I could, but the tank was onto me. The turret was swinging my direction.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Oh, gonna use a shield around yourself to draw fire? That's nuts!)

More than you might think. If it fires AT at me I'm dead, if it's high explosive it'd collapse the shield if it was around me.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): What?! RUN!)

My shield wasn't around me though. It was two small orbs just at the end of the tank gun barrels. Enough to detonate the shells inside the barrels...

But still causing me a brief and painful headache that was literally blinding for a second. But when the pain began to fade, the tank guns were trashed, blown open at the end like banana peels...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Shining...THAT WAS BUCKING INSANE! You could've been killed!)

Thank Celestia it was, otherwise it'd probably have never worked.

"...Did that do it?!" Someone wondered.

Then the rocket pods on the back began to fire, just as the Conscripts and Airborne began to rush past it again.

"Damn it, FIRE AT WILL!" Mason yelled, and the battle began again.

I tried to block the incoming rockets, but there were too many. I couldn't stop them all...so a few of them slammed down around us, and my shield failed.

Then someone shouted out. Not all of the rockets were explosive...

"Gas!"

I panicked for a second, throwing a shield around myself as I pulled on my own gas mask. I looked up to see black smoke pouring out of where the rockets had hit...the one that they could use with gas masks around their own troops.

...But not all of us were fast enough. I saw some Marines that had been near the smoke rockets choking and gasping. And the Conscripts attacking us had been in the area of effect too.

The Airborne had masks on already. The Conscripts and our troopers died, or in our case, scrabbled to pull masks on instead of fight.

I was watching people die again...

There were still more rockets, and I was not happy now. I threw shields in the way of the tubes, not big ones - fairly weak. But the next volleys exploded in the launchers.

I then turned attention to the machine guns. I blocked them off too, and with a few pops, they exploded open as well.

Everyone around me seemed to be in awe.

"...Captain...Remind me never to make you mad..." Mason said.

The tank seemed almost surprised for a second, and just started driving right at us. Even though the Airborne troopers had began to pull back...

"Spirits, does this damn thing ever give up?!" Frost groaned.

Then a Rhino tore through a building behind it, and swung the turret to aim point-blank at the rear of the larger tank. A green Rhino.

There was one loud bang, and in a ball of flame, the Mammoth vanished.

We waited.

The blazing wreck began to shift.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): You have GOT to be kidding me!)

"It's just our Rhino moving it aside, guys, don't worry!" I shouted.

Sure enough, our Rhino rolled up. Hatches closed to avoid still-lingering black smoke, I radioed it.

"Thought you lost a track?"

"We lied. Shearmane was taken out, but Liberty only pretended to be immobile, tricked the other two Rhinos into letting the TDs hit 'em, but Liberty lost their radio," Oddball replied for them.

"I am beginning to like this pony," Dima chuckled.

"Enemy tanks gone?"

"Yep. And we just met the Airborne stags, they ain't happy..."

I couldn't hear the automatic airguns on the tanks. But I could hear machine guns.

"Um, Oddball...there were four Rhinos..."

"I know."

"Well, you told me about three, what about...SWEET CELESTIA!"

A gray Rhino began to push past the Mammoth wreck.

"Ya see it?"

"YOU LET IT GET PAST?!"

The hatch on the turret opened and a gas-masked pony emerged with a megaphone.

"Of course I did, Sir, I'm in it!"

We all just stared in shock for a few moments...

"...I don't like him so much now," Dima sighed, as the other tanks trundled past.

I could swear the vehicles, thirty to forty ton metal death machines, looked embarrassed...

The tanks and tank destroyers took up positions around what remained of the station, and we looked towards the bridge. I blocked some smoke off for a minute, and we could see the looming shape of the other Mammoth.

Unfortunately the captured Rhino was our only fully operational Rhino now - Liberty's main guns had been damaged by the point-blank shooting. They'd rejigged the crews - Liberty could operate with four now it was down to machine-guns (three of Dima's deer took over), and Shearmane's driver had survived unharmed, but the only other survivor was the badly-wounded tank commander, Shermane himself. Oddball had hopped into the new Rhino to help the driver get it, and Shermane, back to us. We'd rushed him off in a BTR back to where most of our medics were, along with the other troopers.

Liberty's crew was in the new tank, but we were still down a tank in practice. The green Rhino was only good for anti-cavalry now.

We sadly didn't have many wounded, but plenty dead. I was startled to learn Gilda's entire squad bar herself hadn't got their gas masks on in time. Three of them had survived, but the other two were gone.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): You don't think...)

I wouldn't put it past Makarov to have some sick game for her.

Many others had suffered from the gas even after getting masks on. They'd breathed some in first. Not enough to kill them, but it seemed to have caused their windpipes to swell up, and their eyes begin to bleed. The only real solace was that we'd taken the Mammoth out with fewer casualties than we'd estimated.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Shining...are you alright?)

...Yeah...I'm just scared...we suffered this much damage taking out one Mammoth and we still have another one...I'm just hoping we can do this...

"Alright, one Mammoth down, one to go. Other than getting Captain Sparkle clopped off again, anyone have any ideas?" Sandgriff said.

"...It's moving onto the bridge," Mason reported.

"Great..."

"Wait, where the hell...It's not got a turret."

I looked over with a night vision scope too. I saw some deer hop out of the vehicle and something begin pushing up and down, like a piston. It had stopped just at the edge of the bridge.

Dima took Mason's scope to look, and cursed.

"Damn it, that's a M.A.D tank, not a Mammoth!" Dima cursed.

"A what?"

"Mutually Assured Destruction. It causes a localized earthquake using a huge seismic generator. It was intended to collapse dragon lairs around them, but it's so powerful it shakes the vehicle apart too - they used a mammoth chassis because the generator is huge. It'll probably shake apart everything for a few hundred meters around it. The riverbank may landslip, and the bridge'll collapse..." Mason sighed.

"So...The bridge is out?" Frost sighed.

There was a loud rumble, and we felt the ground shake slightly. In the distance, as predicted, the MAD tank fell apart. So did the bridge's supports, and the riverbanks began to collapse too. The wrecked M.A.D tank began falling into the river as well, the pile of twisted metal and rubble from the bridge a taunting message saying we were stuck.

At least on the bright side, we hadn't lost a ton more lives fighting a second Mammoth.

"...Sandgriff, Frost, Taichi...I'm going to go take a look at the damage," I sighed.

"We might be able to get ourselves across if we swim, but the tanks are all stuck. And it's a long walk to that rear entrance."

"Let's just go check. Dima, you come too."

We looked at the scene. The bridge wasn't all the way down after all. The side supports had fallen, and the central span was cracked. But anything crossing, even a pony, might make it fall. Bridges were designed to take a lot of punishment, including earthquakes, but the M.A.D. Tank had still made it a death trap. Still, at least Makarov had underestimated the durability of the bridge, or was just too weakened.

"What if you could hold it up?" Frost wondered.

"What can we hold it up with though?" Taichi wondered.

I then became aware of something.

"...Why are you all looking at me?"

Ten minutes later, I had a new headache and had run out of profanities to spout. Including Roedinian ones much to the Rebels amusement. The Rhinos sat on the wrong side of the river with me.

Everything else was across, bar a few Columbian Troop Carriers that were back at the station ready to take the wounded to the main Columbian force - Or rather, where a force of Columbians were already guarding plenty of wounded to the point they were pretty much stuck. But the bridge had given way, or rather, my shields couldn't handle the heavy Hooviet tanks, and the bridge had began to crumble below our recently-captured Rhino. And I didn't feel like I should keep trying and expending energy I didn't have.

"We could try going upriver," Liberty's commander suggested.

"No. Just head back to the station, the convoy with the wounded won't have left yet. Join them and escort them," I said.

None of us wanted our wounded stuck with a small defense group, we couldn't bring them, and we couldn't just leave them undefended. Even with the bridge destroyed, there were still helicopters and Makarov's tripods to worry about. We'd been planning to send them back to our lines when we'd reached this bridge anyway. Just now it meant the defenders back there would have more firepower...

We would have less though. In total, our force was down to two tanks, two tank destroyers, and a collection of troop carriers and BTRs that carried about a company-sized force.

Finally, we were heading for the hills, going towards the rear depot of Makarov's hill-fortress...and hopefully, if Mason was right, I'd find at least some of my friends there.

I hoped they weren't in any worse condition by now, but Makarov probably wasn't the most merciful of prison wardens. I was praying Makarov's detours (including his little walk after his helicopter crashed) had kept him from having time to focus on them. I feared the worst but hoped for the best.

However, even as we were riding, we had a diversion. We'd put all the outriders back in vehicles and a six-wheel BTR was scouting. I was in an eight-wheel BTR with Unit Metal, the rebels, and riding on the roof (the Hooviet tactic of desant, riding on the roof when there was no room inside or no troop capacity normally), some Marines, including Gilda the Equestrian and what remained of her squad.

"I don't think we need to worry about the Hooviets counter-attacking us, or seeing us," Nikolai said.

The area around the base was strangely sparse, only a few tripods and Helicopters, who seemed to be guarding the front route to the base and presently fighting with some of our other allies, not all around the base as one would assume.

"Why would his base only be guarded by that many troops?" asked Sandgriff, looking the situation over. "Smells like a trap."

I thought it was too for a moment...then I realized something. "Wait, Makarov's weakened!"

"Uh, yeah, what about it?" Gilda asked.

"Makarov was expecting to have unlimited resources at his command, but..." How did I explain this without sounding insane? Oh screw it, the situation was already insane.

"Without his powers at full strength, he can't replace all of his weapons we've been destroying quick enough to fortify his base," I explained.

"...I'll take your word for it, since everything is insane right now, it's as good an explanation as any."

"True, but he could also be setting us up for his 'grand finale,'" said Dima. "The climax of his story would require us to infiltrate his base."

"Let's just hope it's the former," I said. I noticed a few tripods seemed to pop into existence to support their allies, meaning Makarov was growing stronger...we didn't have much time.

We managed to get around the base towards the depot without problem. Maybe we'd get there without getting shot at.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): You sure?)

Oh come on, it's not tha-GODDESSES!

I managed to put up a shield in time to deflect an energy beam fired directly at us. I looked up to see one of Makarov's cyborg Alicorns flying above us.

"We need to take her out before she gets Solomon's entire army on us!" Dima alerted, taking out his gun and firing several times at the fake Alicorn who managed to dodge as we opened fire. I had to deflect several more shots from its beam. Several of our troops took rocket launchers and fired, missing too.

Then it seemed to glow blue...and I swore I saw it recoil in surprise for a second as the rockets that just missed it began to veer back down. Some kind of magnetism-based power that had just backfired.

The cyborg vanished in a cloud of flame and smoke. It may have been too much to hope the Fake Alicorn had been destroyed. It certainly didn't seem to re-appear...in fact I had to shield us from a rain of burning metal, circuits, and...ugh...I don't want to think about it.

All I know is we just stared at it for a few moments in shocked silence.

"What an idiot," Dima muttered.

"Makarov probably programmed them not to think things through all that well," I offered, but even I was stunned it had managed to do that...

"...Which one did it look like?"

I thought back to it.

"...The horn looked natural...ish...I think the...unicorn..." At that point, the previous cyborg's death flashed in my mind.

Dima nodded. "...May Lunabaleta finally be at peace..."

I could only nod and be silent for a few moments. At least this PROVED he wasn't recharged, or his prized victim wouldn't have been taken down that anti-climatically.

We came to a halt about 300 meters from the depot, using a hill to hide ourselves. Beyond it, we were fairly sure we'd be shot at, or trot on mines.

The depot was a set of rail lines, with a road leading in. Watchtowers, sandbags, and fences of razorwire marked the boundary. At the other end of the depot, the bunker that supposedly held the controls for Skyfall...and also the prison.

"...What idiot puts the controls for his superweapon in the prison?!" Gilda asked.

"There's two infinite things, Solomon's cruelty, and his inability to think things through," Dima quipped.

"Or it's a useful supply of power..." Dai reminded us.

I hoped it was poor planning skills rather than the prisoners as a source of power. In the hillside, there was an entrance to the barracks.

"About our only option with the vehicles is to send them around on the rail line there," Mason pointed a hoof.

"Seems good. Assault groups with a few Marines and the spec-ops all move over the hill and mountain, we start pinning down the defenders?" Sandgriff wondered.

"Yeah, I think cavalry over the hills with me shielding, and tanks with some of the others down the road while we're distracting them. We'll hit them, get into the Skyfall command bunker, disable it, then we clear out the anti-air..." I said.

"And messengers fly back to get reinforcements to come in behind us," Dima grinned.

"Sounds like a plan. We hit em hard, we get the prisoners, get the guns, get Skyfall. Woo, we're gonna need a checklist for all this stuff." Oddball mused.

The mention of checklists had me thinking...

"In short guys, if it's Hooviet, blow the Tartarus out of it. If it's anti-air, blow the Tartarus out of it. Rescue the prisoners, then with Skyfall and the prison itself, what do we do?"

"Blow the Tartarus out of it twice for good measure," Gilda suggested.

"Sounds good. Oh, and we need to pin down that barracks, stop anyone coming out but make sure we can still get in."

"Sounds like a job for my little tank," Oddball noted.

"And we need to leave Makarov to me once we're inside," I warned.

"Yep. What he said," Dima backed me up.

"...Honestly still not sure I can believe what you said but you called dibs," Mason nodded.

"Then let's go," Sandgriff said.

I nodded. "...And if any of us don't make it out of this, it's been an honor everycreature."

We all saluted one another one last time. Some Marines talon-bumped.

"Now, let's do this. For Eques-...For the Prince-...Dang it, I don't know any country-neutral battlecries..."

"Screw it, we'll shout something loud when we're charging instead of whispering it out here," Dima noted.

"Like what, 'aaaaargh'?" Frost wondered.

"Everyone just figures it out at the time."

"Why don't we let the bad guys keep 'aargh'?" A Marine Sergeant suggested.

"Just move out already!" Mason said.

We finally charged the compound. As expected, we were met with Hooviet troops...who quickly found out Makarov wasn't the only one who could be one step ahead of the enemy. Sniper shots rang out and those enemies who weren't mowed down quickly had to take cover. The tower gunners prepared to fire...and considering the results, I'm assuming Natasha took care of them.

"Alright, gunners down!" I called, providing some shields to cover our unicorns.

Despite the Iron Curtain, they still managed to get a scanning spell up and check for mines. They gave the go ahead and charged forwards with the Marines, dropping flares to mark a path.

"Alright, go go!" Sandgriff called, the Columbians moving in. I covered them from Hooviet machine guns, letting them get close enough to put their shotguns to good use.

Suddenly, I saw a Hooviet sniper fall off a roof. Our shinobi had apparently managed to sneak up and take out the Hooviet snipers on a roof nearby before a shot could be fired. They then took up the sniper rifles that'd been dropped and provided more cover.

"Showoffs..." I muttered.

Suddenly, amongst the cracks and rattles of gunfire, we heard music.

"Hush now, quiet now..."

Then the sound of a needle scratching.

"Oops, wrong record..." was faintly heard.

"...What the hell are those tanker nutballs doing now?!" Sandgriff wondered.

"All aboard, ha ha ha ha!"

"And here I thought Makarov was the only one who did that..." I muttered, watching our tanks (Oddball's being the source of the music) begin moving up the tracks towards us and began firing at the towers. Admittedly, the music did seem to startle the enemy fairly well.

After a few towers were destroyed, some rocket launchers fired at our tanks, but a quick shield spell from me managed to protect them long enough for Zangief to pick up one of our rocket launchers and fire back at one of the remaining guard towers, blowing it up. "...Was that necessary?"

The moose nodded. "Why let them keep high ground?"

I couldn't argue with that logic as he picked up the second rocket launcher he'd been carrying and blew up the other guard tower.

With that taken care of, me and Dima motioned our tanks forwards to the rail line and we continued our push to the halfway point, using rail cars for cover.

Looking over the situation, I thought occurred to me. "...Zangief, Dima, help me out here!"

Using what telekinesis (and in Zangief's case brute strength as well) we had, we managed to send a rail car flying down the rails...crashing into the rail car being used by some Hooviet troops for cover. Our ninja snipers took them out at that point.

"Looks like we've taken the area," I stated, looking around.

Dima nodded, motioning the tanks forwards to cover the barracks. "Now we take the offense."

So, getting together with the Griffin Assault Marines, Unit Metal, Shinobi, and half of the Immortals we prepared to charge...

"Wait a second!"

Then the music changed.

"...You've got the Touch!"

"...Well...at least the dramatic music is for us this time..." I said, then cleared my throat. "Now, let's do this! For Equestria and the Princesses!"

"For the Mother's Land and Freedom!"

"For Neighpon and the Empresses!"

And we finally took the offensive and charged the prison. The Hooviets on the walls quickly found themselves being pinned down by the other half of the Immortals' arrows and some snipers, and what shots they managed getting blocked by my forcefields or my riot shield.

"The door's going to be locked," I pointed out, hoping someone would have a solution.

Zangief had one. And another rocket launcher.

"What door?" the rebel moose stated one fiery explosion later.

"...I think you're going to like Ellis."

With the troopers on the wall pinned down and the door blown up (I didn't want to think about the deer guarding it, I didn't have TIME to think about that), we were able to get in fairly quickly. It took a few moments for the guards to mobilize (they'd naturally not seen this coming), and lucky for me, the first one I encountered came out of a door a few feet in front of me startled and terrified.

So I bashed him in the face with my shield and knocked him out.

But mostly, I used my shields for their intended purposes and guarded everyone else. The Shinobi did a good job of sneaking up on corners and nailing guards with stun grenades, regular grenades, or using martial arts, before we had to deal with them.

It was bedlam once we actually got involved in the actual all out fight. Knives, revolvers, swords. I mostly just covered ponies or bashed deer over the head with my shield until we got to a point where there was a fork in the hallway, so to speak.

"The control room is this way," said Dima, looking one direction.

"And the cells are this way," I said.

Yes, I know, shutting down Skyfall was important, it was vital to ending this nightmare...but...

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): You want to make sure your squad are ok.)

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): There's nothing wrong with wanting your friends safe.)

Dima put a hoof on my shoulder. "Save your comrades, we'll handle Skyfall."

Deer and Ponies are both herd animals after all.

I gave a slow nod. "Be careful, Dima."

"Same to you, my friend. Kamarov, I have a feeling he'll need your help."

We shook hooves and parted ways. Yes, I was going to the prison area with only the medic, but that was why this was a just plain stupid design choice; the guards had to choose between 'protect superweapon instrumental to our victory' or 'guard the enemy troops', and well, the guards who we hadn't taken down were probably mostly guarding Skyfall if they were smarter than Makarov.

"Sir!" called a voice. Gilda came rushing up next to me. "...Look...I know I'm the rookie here, but can't have the only other Equestrian around here dying, can I?"

"...Alright, but I'm point." Truth be told, I was happy to have another Equestrian to back me up.

I had to bash a few guards over the head or nail them with a stun spell, or let Kamarov take them down. Gilda didn't do much firing with that shotgun of hers, but she did do well in physical combat, considering Griffins did have lion-like strength.

"Dang it!" I exclaimed as we came to a fork in the road. "Now what?"

Gilda gave a sniff down each hallway. "That way."

"...How do you know?" Kamarov asked.

"I smell ponies that way...well, pony blood. I've smelled enough of it today..." she explained, reminding us that Griffins were a predatory species that used to hunt ponies.

"That was probably Gag." And that reminded me why I was so clopped off at Makarov.

We finally made it to the cell block...which of course was guarded. But like I assumed, most of the guards were busy guarding Skyfall.

OH HORSEAPPLES!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): What?!)

Oh...s-sorry, I thought it was the Wolf...which in retrospect might have been a good thing since I could lead it to Makarov...It was actually what looked like a heavily modified cyborg Diamond Dog standing there...I never thought having to fight a cyborg Diamond Dog would be a relief...or that I'd have to fight one period! Why is that even a thing?!

"Is it just meh, or did yah hear explosions out there?"

"A war's going on right now, Ellis, there's going to be explosions."

"But Ah mean there was a big explosion like it was right outside."

"Ellis? Thunderchild?"

I charged in and glared at the troops. "Out of my way!" I sent a shield out in a shockwave, slamming into the guards and launching them across the room into the walls.

(Interviewer's Note (Pegasus): Wow! Where'd that come from?!)

The power of friendship I guess, which in this world makes perfect sense!

The cyborg managed to get back up and slashed at me several times, forcing me to block with my shield, which thankfully worked.

"Captain!" called Gilda, throwing me a knife, which while not exactly the best weapon was better than nothing and let me parry some blows. Kamarov opened fire on it with his gun, but its armor withstood it. And-

OH CELESTIA! IT HAS A CHAINSAW!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): What?!)

It started cutting through my riot shield with a bucking CHAINSAW that popped out of its back! Who equips a cyborg diamond dog with a chainsaw?!

Gilda charged up and blew the chainsaw off with a point-blank shotgun blast. It turned and pounced on her. Kamarov opened fire, managing to hit an eye and cause it to rear up. I leapt on it's now exposed back and smashed my damaged shield into its back repeatedly. It finally threw me off and tried to dive at Gilda...only for her to blast it point blank in the chest with her now reloaded shotgun, managing to actually drive it back. It swung at her but only managed to cut the barrel of her shotgun.

I took advantage of the hole in its chest and charged forwards, driving my horn into the hole. It gave a yelp of surprise moments before I discharged a Gravity Buster point blank into its chest.

The result was me being covered in oil (I HOPE it was oil) and the cyborg slamming into a cell door with enough force to dent it inward, then crumpling to the ground, apparently dead...or shut down...not sure if there was enough Diamond Dog left to count as dying...

Ok...a chainsaw wielding cyborg diamond dog just tried to kill me...what's left on the 'list of cliche things Makarov can try to kill me with'?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): falling, in your dreams, the kitchen sink, and a forklift.)

I panted staring at the situation before turning to Gilda. "Thanks..." I offered her a hoof and pulled her up.

"W-welcome..."

"You did pretty good," I complimented and gave her a pat on the back.

"Ok, Ah know that wasn't in mah head!"

I found the door the voices came from, which surprisingly wasn't the one I blew the cyborg into. "Ellis! Is that you?!" I called.

"...Captain?! Is that you?!" Thunderchild's voice asked.

I formed a shield sphere in the lock and expanded it, shattering the lock before kicking the door open.

"Guys!" I called, running in. My blood boiled when I saw them battered and bruised, and I saw red when I saw the bandaged stump where Gag's wing once was. But they weren't twisted into mini-boss monsters like a little me inside had been scared of.

They, however, were staring at me in shock. "...Captain?" Ellis asked, staring at me like I was a mirage. "This ain't one of Makarov's tricks?"

"No. I'm here, Ellis," I said, giving him a smile.

"But...how did you...when did...Makarov said he had you in his ship! How'd you get out?!"

"He blew it up," Kamarov stated, patting me on the back.

Thunderchild's jaw dropped. "You...blew up his ship?"

"Yeah, he threatened Twiley."

My senior NCO blinked. "...Note to self; never threaten your little sister."

"But...how did you get here?" asked Audience, limping over.

"By kicking everyone's flanks that got in my way."

I took a few trots back to allow them to walk out and see the results of my little roaring rampage of rescue. "...So you did..." Audience stated, staring at the cyborg I'd left embedded in a cell door.

"Wow...didn't know you had it in you."

I turned to look at Running Gag as he spoke. His characteristic lightheartedness was still there...but I could see the hurt in his eyes. My eyes went to his stump. "Gag...I...I'm sorry..."

"Hey, you weren't the one who shot it off," he replied, looking back at his severed wing. "...If you want to make me feel better, you can kick that bucker's flank."

I looked at him for a moment, then nodded. "It's on my list already..." I WISHED I could tell him I knew a way to get his wing back, but I didn't want to get his hopes up in case plan B was needed.

"We're behind you," Audience said, looking me in the eye. The others didn't even need a moment to think about it. They just nodded.

I couldn't help smiling. "Thanks guys...But looks like you could use some patching up first."

Garnet finally came forwards. Her eyes were bloodshot and red. I could tell this had been hard on her. "Sir, I managed to patch everypony up as best I could, but...I didn't have many supplies."

I looked over everypony. "...Given what you had to work with, I think you had a good job."

Kamarov stepped forwards. "Perhaps I can be of assistance," he said, pulling out his supplies.

I'll give them both this; getting five beat up ponies back to fighting shape isn't easy. They did it. Kamarov knew some Deer magic that helped Gag recover from the blood loss and now that Garnet had medical supplies and another set of hooves, everypony was at least back in fighting shape. Given Makarov had beaten the Tartarus out of all five of them, blown off Gag's wing, and Thunderchild had been tortured, just getting them standing would be impressive.

Gilda just stood aside, staring at Gag's amputated wing.

"So, sir, what's the situation?" Ellis asked.

"Long story short, I blew up Makarov's flagship, Princess Celestia and the Dragon Gods are kicking Hooviet flank worldwide but if we don't finish things Makarov might be able to reclaim his advantage, I got all the special forces I could find, blew up his helicopter with Dima, stormed the place, took the barracks, stormed the prison, the others are taking out his Skyfall weapon, and we're finally on the offensive."

Ellis stared at me. "Sir, yah can tell us if there's something else."

Apple Family honesty. "It's kind of crazy..."

Gag chuckled, and boy did that feel good. "Sir, look around. This was already crazy!"

I finally laughed at one of Gag's jokes. "When I blew up Makarov's flagship, the remains of his superweapon formed into that Imagination Spirit from the ruins Audience's mom was excavating who temporarily took away Makarov's 'I'm immune to plot holes' license and Makarov is currently weakened from me destroying said superweapon so we have a chance."

"...What did her wingspread look like?" asked Thunderchild.

"Uh...one was a swan the other was a...butterfly I think. They were pretty average sized though."

"Eh, sounds like about a five for size but an eight for uniqueness."

I blinked. "...You're not shocked?"

"Sir, yer a weirdness magnet, we're used tah this by now," Ellis stated.

"Uh...ok...I'll take yer word for it..." Gilda admitted.

"Oh! Guys, this is Gilda, she's with the Columbians," I introduced. "Gilda, this is my squad."

Did they accept her? We're Equestrians, what do you think?

Garnet gave the fallen cyborg one sad look, and put two bits on his chest to pay his way across the river.

With that out of the way, we hurried to the nearest armory (which, given this was designed by Makarov, was about two feet from the prison) to stock up.

...You have got to be bucking kidding me...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): What?)

We found more of the armor Pandora had made me in the armory!

"How did..." I asked, looking at the armor.

"What is it, sir?" asked Ellis, looking at it.

"Remember the Imagination Goddess? She made me the armor I'm wearing...but why is there more of it here?!"

Garnet blinked, looking down at the armor and shield. "...I'm not sure...The Hooviets don't seem to have it...Did anything...she say anything about it?"

"Just that she made it from my imagination...and I now I remember: I imagined it like in a videogame..." I facehoofed. "Which means I could have replaced my shield at any armory this entire bucking time!"

"Well, best not look a gift horse in the mouth," Garnet stated.

A few minutes later, we all suited up (including Gilda, who upgraded - even grabbing a Hooviet Shotgun that seemed to have some kind of pump-style mechanism to replace hers that was now broken). Fortunately, there were crossbows there (not sure if they were already there or if Pandora did that too) and two riot shields, one of which Audience took and the other I took to replace mine.

Gilda also got the bright idea to pick up some ammo reloads for our other allies trying to take the Skyfall chamber.

"Ready for some payback, everypony?" I asked, putting my hoof in the middle of us.

Thunderchild was first to put his hoof in. Followed by Audience, Garnet, Ellis, and Gag. Gilda even included her claw.

"For Equestria!"

As we headed down the hall to see if we could help destroy Skyfall, Dima and the other squad was outside the room taking cover.

"Dima?"

"We ran into a problem..." Dima blinked, looking us over. "...Where did..."

"Pandora stocked the armories with them, what's the problem?" I asked.

"Cyborg Alicorn and a few other borgs are guarding the controls," Sandgriff reported.

Dima looked at me. "Shining...It's Saharnoj Vaty..."

My blood ran cold. "...Yablokovodka's sister."

Author's Note

Story Arc written by LZ0291 lz0291.deviantart.com/ as was this chapter.

This chapter also JUST BARELY fits within the limits, I had to edit it down.

Shining Armor is given a two year tour of the world to be the captain of Princess Cadence's body guard. Yeah. That's all. That's everything Yep. Nothing what so ever else. AJ's Liar face

"Time is an ocean in a storm."

This storyline runs PARALLEL to the events in the Dark World storyline narrative wise.

Please help the trope http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries and recap pages. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/PonyPOVSeries

Previous Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Shining-Armor-17-2-416783812

Next Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Shining-Armor-17-Part-4-418403321

First Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Fluttershy-FlutterCruel-Pearls-260092460

MLP: FiM is copyright of Hasbro

Image By Kendell2

Soundtrack Recommendations by Alex Warlorn (Act 3)

Assault on the prison
Hundred Puppets Blade Attack from Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 2

SA and his ponies escaping the prison cells
One Lone Prayer From Persona 2: Innocent Sin

LZ's Music Suggestions
Makarov's Helicopter Battle
Something Secret Steers Us, Kelly Bailey, Half-Life 2
Ambushed On The Way
Hell's Gate, Sean Murray, Call of Duty: World at War
Mammoth Tank Battle
Face The Enemy 1, Frank Klepaci, Command and Conquer: Red Alert
Oddball's Wrong Song
Hush Now, Quiet Now, Daniel Ingram, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.
Oddball's Right Song
Crazy Train, Ozzy Osbourne, Blizzard of Ozz
Wait A Minute!
The Touch, Stan Bush, Transfomers: The Movie
Attack on the Prison/Battle with the Cyborg Diamond Dog
Dog Attack, Sean Murray, Call of Duty: World at War
SA and Squad Escape The Prison
Ready For Battle, Michael McCann, XCOM: Enemy Unknown

Episode 135 (Shining Armor) At The End Act Three: Face the Enemy

Episode 136 (Shining Armor) At The End Act Four: Onwards and Upwards

17 At The End
Act Four: Onwards and Upwards

I admit it, I wasn't excited for this fight...well, even more so compared to any other fight, considering I'm a pacifistic pony who dislikes the very idea of killing. I became a guard to protect, not to destroy.

But a part of me wanted to do it...if for no other reason but to free Cotton Candy's soul.

"Well, we've got more numbers now, but how are we going to stop this crazy thing?!" Sandgriff asked.

"Don't worry, with the Captain here, we can beat it," Thunderchild remarked. "He beat one before."

"...Dima, mind doing the swordfighting this time?"

"If you will do the shield work."

We nodded to each other. "Think the rest of you can handle the other cyborgs?"

"Don't worry, sir," said Ellis, giving a smirk. "We've got this and...is that a rocket launcher?"

Zangief gave a slightly too proud smirk. "Yes."

"Told you you'd like him."

We scouted the room, and saw the Fake Alicorn built around a poor Earth Pony stood with a pair of cyborgs. One was an Earth Pony like we saw before and the other was a Pegasus cyborg.

"The Earth Pony borg has a flamethrower, the Pegasus has tesla coils," Sandgriff reported. "We tried the rocket launcher, but all three are too fast for it. Grenades stunned them but can't seem to cut through the armor."

"...I think I've got an idea for how to take out the Pegasus," Thunderchild said, rubbing his chin. "But I need some help."

Ellis and Zangief were looking over a rocket launcher and planning something. "We've got an idea to deal with the Earth Pony Borg, sir."

"Mason, I know it's asking a lot-" I said.

"You've managed to blow up Makarov's flagship, fight your way all the way over here, free your squad from behind enemy lines, just today, Captain. You're either insanely lucky, or you know what you're doing. Go for it."

"Do what Thunderchild and Ellis have in mind. Leave Cotton Candy up to me and Dima."

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): You trust Thunderchild to lead a group?)

The Pegasus borg is a stallion, so I know he's not going to get distracted by the windspan.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Well...I guess that's a good reason.)

And he's my number two for a reason. I trust him. He's a pegasus, we're his storm, he knows how to direct the lightning.

Cover fire was launched, distracting two other borgs and letting me and Dima charge forwards to confront the Fake Alicorn.

"Uh, I don't suppose we can count on you to incompetently destroy yourself seconds into the fight in a brief and convenient show of irony too?"

She took off a pair of sickles, slashing at us.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): I'll take that as a no.)

It was worth a shot!

I blocked with one my riot shield (enforced by my magic), allowing Dima to do a slash of his own which was blocked by the other sickle.

We traded blows for a few moments, with me using the shield to cover us while Dima countered with his own blade.

This went well...until she combined her sickles into some kind of scissor weapon. "Oh Horseapples!"

Energy crackled through the scissors and she sliced my shield right in half!

"Not again!"

Thankfully, this allowed Dima to slash the weak point of her wing, severing it. Unfortunately, since she couldn't fly, this didn't help much.

Now, instead of blocking with a sturdy riot shield, I was stuck having to put up rapid little shields trying to cover us. And my armor didn't do much against her and I got a few cuts.

Dima managed to get a slash on its horn, but it didn't come off like I'd hoped it would...it did seem to disorientate her. Why does Makarov keep adapting?!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Perhaps Pandora gave you a hint to deal with her.)

A hint?

Dima screamed as he was slashed across the shoulder and kicked down. I pulled what was left of my riot shield up and blocked her sickles and she forced it down. Pandora...what did...

'Y'see, little secret? He let fate in to defy the concept, he's also trying to show love is weak so he's letting her in too!'

Of course!

"Saharnoj Vaty! Remember Yablokovodka!" I yelled in Roedinian.

She kept forcing down on my shields.

"Saharnoj Vaty! Remember your sister! You love her! You and her don't want this, do you?! You're not killers! What would she tell you if she was here right now?" She actually stopped applying as much force and seemed to be struggling against her own body. 'Seemed to?' She was!

"Your sister wanted to be free! She loves you! She didn't want to do this! Neither do you! If Makarov wins, then your own people and everypony else will be under his hooves forever! Do you want that?! Would Yabloovodka want that?! Would your family want this?! Fight it!"

" . . . there . . ."

She spoke! A voice scratching its way through wires.

"THIS IS STILL YOUR BODY! You have a choice!"

" . . . there-is-nothing . . . to-fight-with."

She forced me back further. "What about your sister's memory?! What about her wanting you free?! What about her dying wish being for you to finally be free?! When she was freed, you were the FIRST thing she asked about! She wants you to be free! Fight Makarov for Yablokovodka! Be free so she can rest in peace!"

" . . . there . . . is . . .no . . . freedom . . ."

She forced me almost on top of Dima.

"Makarov is weakened right now! If there was EVER a time you could be free, now's the time! Your sister IS free! Lunabaleta IS free! You can be too! If you can't free yourself for you, do it for Yablokovodka! Do it for your sister!"

I felt the force lessen a bit.

"Yablokovodka..."

"That's right! You love her, don't you?! You want her spirit to finally be able to rest in peace, right?!"

I felt the sickles tremble.

"Y-Yes, I do..."

"And that's never going to happen if you let Makarov win! Do you want that?!"

The sickles fell to the ground and she staggered back, holding her head. "N-no...I...I don't!"

"What?!" asked Makarov's voice from the cyborg's body. "Stop it! This is not possible!"

I took a moment to do a check on the others. The troops had managed to distract the Earth Pony borg long enough to let Zangief get close and hold it in place with his brute strength and telekinesis. From the looks of things, the hose feeding fuel to its flamethrower had been punctured by one of Audience's crossbow bolts. Ellis ran up and threw a couple grenades connected by a cord around its hind leg, directly at the joint.

They took cover quickly, allowing the grenades to detonate and blow its leg off. Zangief picked up his rocket launcher before it could fully recover and fired, blowing it to bits.

The Pegasus Borg still couldn't fly, but was doing a good job of sending lightning flying. With all magic weakened, most Pegasi wouldn't be able to use weather manipulation period. Thunderchild wasn't just any Pegasus. He showed his ability by using his wings (Gag using his remaining wing to help him out) to manipulate the lightning with a great deal of effort. Nikolai dashed in while it was occupied by them and drove one of his his Shashka swords into the gap in the armor under its neck, impaling it through the chest. He jumped back, letting Thunderchild and Gag redirect the lightning right into the sword, electrocuting it.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus):...Ok, Thunderchild was the right choice...)

Cotton Candy continued to struggle. "Get out of my head!"

"Keep fighting him, Saharnoj Vaty! Don't let him control you!" I told her.

"I can't!" She looked towards the Skyfall controls.

"Captain! There's more troops on their way! I think a couple more cyborgs!" called Sandgriff from a different door into the room than the one we entered through. Had it been there when we came in?

"Horseapples! We don't have time for this!"

"...Get out of here!" Saharnoj Vaty yelled, looking at the Skyfall controls.

"What?"

"What?! No! You can't do that!" Makarov's voice yelled.

"Self-destruct sequence initiated," a computer voice announced from Saharnoj Vaty's body.

"Don't!" I shouted, if she had control of herself, couldn't she be helped somehow?!

She looked me right in the eye.

"This unit . . . I can't fight master . . . him forever! Go! Send Makarov straight to Hell!...My sister is waiting for me..."

"Unit will self-destruct in 10 seconds."

"Stop! I order you!"

"...Horseapples! Run!" I yelled as Saharnoj Vaty reached the controls.

"Thank you Sir Armor...Yablokovodka, I'm coming..."

We all dashed out of the room and a few seconds later, a massive explosion tore through the room, taking Skyfall's controls with it.

'Thanks, Saharonji Vaty...I hope you're with your sister now...' I recited mentally during the moment of silence that followed. I was so close. I really can't save any of them can I?

(Interviewer's Notes(Unicorn): I'm sorry Shining...You've saved their souls, trust us, that can be much harder.)

I guess your right...I just wish she could've beaten him.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): She did: she proved her and her sister's love was stronger than he was.)

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): And that's the very definition of beating a Mare-y Sue: proving something they think is right dead wrong.)

Hehe...I guess you're right.

"...Did it work?" asked Audience.

We heard a new strange considerably more massive explosion from the distance.

"ARRRRRRRRRAGH!" came from the distance. The echo was the only thing that suggested the distance. I swear I heard a bit of...something roaring in it...something not quite equine.

"Did you hear that?" I asked.

"I felt that..." Thunderchild shuddered.

Dima chuckled as Kamarov and Garnet patched up his shoulder.

"Solomon is quite angry, that's a good sign."

We were outside the prison complex again, there hadn't been anything left inside to pay respects to the other two cyborg victims besides ashes. With Skyfall down, messengers were flying north to try and bring whatever troops were spare down ASAP. Hopefully they'd get here before Makarov recovered from having one of his prized cyborgs rebel and blow up his superweapon.

Sandgriff and the other Griffins were glad to be in the air again...Thunderchild was a bit more hesitant to fly.

"Gag...are you going to be ok?" he asked. The rest of us came up to him too.

Gag looked back at his severed wing. "Yeah...I mean it's...I...I can handle it..."

Seeing Gag of all ponies down like that...it just felt wrong.

Garnet nuzzled him. "I promise, I'll stay with you through this."

The rest of us followed suit, but I knew unless Makarov was deleted, Gag would never be the same again.

Even with the knowledge we had reinforcements coming we couldn't just hold our position, not all of us.

"Okay, I guess now we're advancing on that main barracks, looks like there might be an entrance to the main building there," Dai noted as we left.

The main barracks was partly built into the hillside, a looming grey block about a hundred meters from where we were mostly set up. It was covered with bullet holes and shell damage from our tanks blasting at snipers, but the main doors were sealed: We wanted it kept that way until we could knock. Or rather, now that we had him back, Ellis and a few of the Special Forces demolitions guys were going to knock.

Most of the Marines had switched to recovered Hooviet weapons for ease of use. The assault Marines had swapped to the pump-action shotguns they'd grabbed from the armories, and it had turned out a few crates lying in the depot here supplied more shotguns and shells for a few others, as well as some more riot shields (but no more armor). Some Hooviet grenades were going to be handy too. I wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth when we need every edge we could get, but after all the death I'd seen today, I hoped all these weapons vanished with the monster.

"That's gonna be a hornet's nest in there. Kinda glad these tanks don't fit."

"You keep the outside secure and stop surprises behind us, Oddball. I think leaving about one in five of the fit and the wounded as a rearguard-"

"-seems good. Everytrooper going in have a shotgun or plenty of ammo, and grenades," Dima nodded.

In the end we left most of the long range shooters outside: long-barreled support gun versions of the Hooviet APPMa's, the DOG snipers, and piles of rockets and ammo for them. Some of the Immortals stayed outside with most of the remaining arrows (we Equestrians still aren't used to guns after all) the remainder took the short-barreled shotguns now spare from the assault Marines swapping to Hooviet weapons to go along with their swords. The marines that had the improved armor we'd found all came with the assault element. And of course, me and my squad went in.

"We're gonna kick some flank up close in there!" A Marine noted.

"...Yeah, but they'll have this kinda stuff too," Gilda then burst his bubble.

"These riot shields are going to be important. We're not in the safe zone for full strength magic yet... and we can't just fly over anyway. Too much AA past here," A Sergeant noted.

"...Shield guys, we're on point," I declared, and we formed up. Audience and myself, plus a few unicorns the allied forces supplied. Taichi had pinched one, as well as two APPMa's.

"Hoping to clear out a whole room yourself, Jonin?" Dai joked.

"If I can," he said and I was pretty sure he meant it.

I shielded the explosives team with my magic: We were planning to blow the door out completely then advance. There was a short exchange of fire as some of the windows of the barracks tried to shoot out, but I think that they'd already been pushed away from the windows mostly.

The demolitions team rushed back a few moments later. They'd slapped pretty much everything that went bang they could find on there (I silently thanked Cotton Candy that her sacrifice had saved some of our explosives).

"Alright, five, four, three, two, one... FIRE IN THE HOLE!"

There was another immense explosion... then a huge rumble of falling concrete.

They'd taken the front off the building.

"...You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!" I found myself yelling in surprise. Ellis always goes for overkill.

"Never mind, charge in!" Dai shouted, and we advanced.

The large explosion had done plenty to suppress the troopers firing out the windows. And as we ran through the clearing dust, we discovered something.

"...The doors are still standing. How the heck is that even possible?!" Gag protested.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): That's...a very good question...)

"Go through the new door!" Garnet pointed out.

And it turned out we'd even blown up the walls BEHIND the door, making the main entrance it was guarding accessible.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): And that just raises further questions!)

I've just stopped questioning how things are possible anymore, makes it easier to stay sane.

Unfortunately it seemed this main entrance hall was still somewhat fortified even with most of the front wall gone. Hails of bullets ripped out at us, and my shields weren't strong enough to stop some. A couple of Marines fell down, though one tripped on another who was wounded.

However, most of us had wings we could now use: And had used them to try and head for the upper floors. This area was two floors with an access tunnel leading to the main area, meaning it was a guardhouse/loading area of sorts rather than part of the main facility. And we were now able to access almost all of it since we'd accidentally removed the walls. It appeared that supplies were loaded off of the trains then taken by small carts into the main compound here. The doors were too narrow to fit the tanks, and in the kind of confined quarters we'd likely encounter I doubted any room they had would last long.

The VDV troopers were well trained compared to the conscripts. The fact they'd held this barracks instead of storming out to be cut down was a sign they had their eye on the bigger picture - or reinforcements (or Makarov was too busy having a tantrum to force them to do so). But they had no room to fall back, and we simply began clearing what was left. I led a group consisting of Misfit (minus Audience, he was helping others with his own shield) and a few borrowed Marines into a room that turned out to be an office, empty of occupants.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Why is Audience on shield duty again? I thought he was a sniper.)

He is, but he's also a unicorn, which means he can hold the riot shield I'd sadly neglected to imagine a way for Earth Ponies and Pegasi to properly hold. It's not his thing, but we needed shield guys more than snipers right now. Elsewhere, Sandgriff and Unit Metal had found the small mini-armory at this gatehouse, overwhelming the troops there that had been trying to move out a large machine gun.

We didn't have it all our own way. At the end of one corridor they'd managed to set up one of the machine guns behind steel plate. A Navy DOG trooper grabbed a fallen APPMa with a grenade launcher to fire back. The griffin got her shot off- but in return was hit by their fire.

We finally ran into something: A Deer in a red uniform near a strange plunger box, just as Dima's group burst in another door.

"Ah, it is-"

Ellis had ran up and kicked him in the face before any of us had actually spotted the commissar. Gilda then had to shoot him when he tried to raise his gun, with our weapons already pointed at him!

"Do any of those guys live?!" A Marine wondered.

"Most of them don't seem to last long," Dima noted.

"...Sir, can ah go check something real quick? Ah'll be careful..." Ellis requested. He was looking at wires coming out of the plunger box.

"...Sure. Someone go with him," I said.

Kamarov and Zangief went off with him, as did a couple of Marines.

Eventually, clearing out more and more rooms that were just storage lockers or bunkrooms, we assembled by the larger doors which led into the main base. A team kept it covered while we made sure everywhere was clear.

"...Any more explosives?" Dai wondered. It was a fairly sturdy door.

"Uh, 'bout that, Lieutenant Commander... Ya know how we blew the front off?" Ellis began as he and his mini-group came back.

"Hard to miss..."

"...This is why."

He then produced a stick of white putty.

"The Hooviets call it Blasting Putty. It's a sort of explosive you can mold. Ah think they were trying to set up their own supplies of the stuff at the front to get us when we came in, but... their trigger guy must've been startled and set it off when the bomb detonated."

He then spat it out, letting one of the Griffins carry it. "Blech! Also tastes nasty!"

"...So we kinda lucked out," Sandgriff noted.

"That would probably have flattened us, my shields or not," I realized.

"Seems like maybe not everyone is down with the whole 'let Captain Sparkle live long enough to fight Makarov' thing?" Frost noted.

We had to wait while the explosives experts looked for enough putty to try breaching the door, trying to use small amounts on the hinges and lock to keep the bang as low-key as possible. I noticed Gilda was shaking a little looking where the commissar used to be.

"...You okay?"

"H-huh? Yeah, it's just.... that was kinda... the first time I'm sure I actually shot somecreature like this."

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): ?! But she'd been fighting before you even landed, and she was fighting all the way there! Surely she fired her gun before?)

Yes... but it was usually volley fire or into something clearly not quite alive any more. She hadn't been able to see the results up close many times, and especially never had any downtime to dwell on it. She might not have actually seen the face of the one she killed. Believe me, it's not easy. Killing isn't something that should be easy...

"He was raising a weapon. He could easily have killed your comrades. If we had been quicker off the mark, we would have done it," Dima noted.

"The fact you can still feel bad about it is a good thing. For a start, you're still Griffine. Second, you're still alive to feel guilty, right?" Frost suggested. I gave a nod to second it.

"Plus most Commissars are total... Cloaca, is it?"

"Well, uh, I'm more used to saying plothole or flankhole myself but I get it," Gilda nodded.

"Okay, we're ready to breach! Just hope we got enough, these doors look pretty tough...." Ellis shouted.

Everyone got ready, standing back to charge, checking weapons, and in my case, shielding the two griffins ready to throw stun grenades that were standing barely five meters from the bomb-rigged door. Some of the Griffins also took time to eat a little from their rations, apparently all the...all the blood around was setting off their prey drive, though most seem to have it completely under control.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Are you afraid?)

Of the Griffins? No way. Griffins aren't slaves to their instincts. I have instincts to run from half the things we've run into on this tour, but I don't listen to them...except the Wolf. Even the Dragons fight their hoarding instinct when they're around pony mines due to their treaty. So no, I'm not afraid of them at all. Especially since I've got a REAL dangerous predator to deal with.

With another set of bangs and some thrown stun grenades as the doors fell down, the fighting began again....

It became quickly apparent that the Hooviets had actually planned ahead. This was actually just an entrance to a long set of tunnels before it reached the barracks - Making me suspect the apparent weak spot was a feint.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Or Makarov is putting things in your way so he can gloat that it was a feint 'all along'.)

I was trying to hope everything ahead of us was like that when we got here. Still, Makarov seemed to be getting smarter the longer this was going. That DID scare me.

As expected we'd burst into a loading tunnel. Small carriages on rails (which broke off diagonally every hundred meters or so - complete with a perfect machine gun nest overlooking each turn) and a low ceiling that would have stopped our tanks, scattered crates and barrels, and from the look of things, plenty of little branching corridors likely leading to boiler rooms, offices, armories and a swimming pool.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Um, what?)

Seriously, third tunnel on the left says Swimming Pool. Why do the bad guys get a swimming pool and we don't? Stupid imagination monster.

Of course, sign-reading was difficult as the inhabitants were shooting at us. More VDV troopers firing, the various shields we had stopping most of the fire. All these explosions in confined spaces were really giving me a headache.

Taichi's blasted 'two guns' approach wasn't very helpful either, especially when he stood right behind me and fired over my head.

I moaned. "Why can't more of you use nice quiet weapons like Captive..."

No creature heard me over all the gunfire as we kept advancing down this straight area of tunnel, forced to break off and clear the side corridors in groups as well. The maze of crates and barrels was our best approach, as the Hooviets clear lines of sight down the tracks didn't help us much even if we could see them. Even worse was those machine gun nests, the access to them was only through a door the machine-guns had covered: No going through the side corridors to get in the other side.

"How long is this tunnel anyway?" I shouted, as a rocket launcher volley was hurled at the nest.

"I think we'll be going at least fifteen hundred meters beyond this. This tunnel system looks a lot like some I saw back when I was still with the Hooviets," Dima replied.

"Yeah, you'll get a hundred meters straight like this with crates and junk, with offshoots to ventilation systems and stuff, then it'll be zig-zaggy areas with no cover, just straight tunnels with machine guns and grenade launchers pointing down. Need to get past about four nests before you reach another straight, and there's a blast door splitting it in half. That part should be two hundred meters," Nikolai noted.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Guess the Hooviets REALLY don't want people attacking through their supply tunnels.)

"...Why'd no one warn me there's six separate charges against machine gun nests with no cover?!"

"We did! Outside, before we came in, remember?!" Sandgriff yelled over the volley fire on the nest at the end of the straight portion. My eyes went wide as what REALLY happened hit me.

"Nikolai, think clearly, like Mother Deer showed you, we had seen this place before on the map, this was a straight access tunnel. Now it's a Stalin-pattern standard defensive access tunnel. Solomon's used his powers again," Dima warned.

"Damn, you're right. Sandgriff, we didn't actually tell the Captain. Solomon has changed the rules."

"...That's not very reassuring to be honest," The Griffin noted.

"Horseapples. We'll probably find a giant robot in the next area without any cover in it!"

"I'll save some rocket launchers," replied Zangief.

The machine-gun nest fell silent after our rockets were followed up by sniping, and we reached the first 'zig', which was mercifully short and lacked a nest. Scouting ahead, and looking around the corner, some of us confirmed there was indeed another nest now down a hundred meters straight of the tunnel with no cover.

"Okay, best we can do here is shield snipers and heavy weapons to pour fire on them, and that's your job, Shining," Dai noted.

"I'm not entirely sure I can hold a shield long against all that fire," I admitted.

"...Best we got."

If it hadn't been terrifying, it would have been monotonous. Basically I shielded a few volunteers to go out, and start trying to pick off the machine gunners: Difficult shots even for our snipers thanks to the distances and the small areas visible behind the metal shields each gun had. Meanwhile, rocket launchers tried to move down behind shields (mine or riot shields) to have a better chance of hitting the nests rather than having the rocket spin out or even get shot down (in these tight corridors there was only so much room in the air for rockets and bullets as crazy as that might sound).

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): What if they blew up rockets while ya launched 'em?!)

The Columbian and Neighponese rockets were just very big arrows with rockets on their back meant to punch through armor. The Hooviet ones seemed to focus their explosion. As long as none of the rockets were high-explosive for hitting troops in the open or attacking fortifications we weren't at risk of them being too dangerous if that happened. Sadly, all our rockets really did was punch holes into the nests and that didn't always stop them firing since most of the explosion (if there was one) got absorbed by the concrete. And the troopers firing were mostly managing to fight through being deafened or stunned by any shockwaves.

"A flamethrower would be useful. Or incendiary rockets," Dima noted.

He'd tried his magic gun out: it barely had power to tickle the concrete at this distance thanks to the magic-weakening field. Still, I was sure we were closer to the 'safe haven' unaffected by the Iron Curtain.

We'd lost people making this assault, but I hadn't been able to stop and find out how many. We'd left small groups as rearguards with the fallen as we went, taking them back to the main stretch. After all, Oddball's tanks and the regular marines held our backs and reinforcements were hopefully coming.

I had to tell myself that these losses were needed. Remind myself of what they'd told me in the academy, that in any real crisis the risk was that someone on my side would die or be badly hurt, and we couldn't stop things going badly every time. And I needed to push the pain of losses aside to later, because otherwise more would die if I made mistake dwelling on it.

...But then I realized I'd never know the names of those I'd sent into death or serious injury, or their faces. This wasn't my Guard, my company or platoon. I was just leading it through chance. True, the other officers and NCOs were using their initiative but they had been deferring to me if they had time to discuss matters.

A part of me kept telling me that I could get Makarov's erased and none of them would have died...but another part of me kept telling me if I did that, if I wrote them off like that I'd be making a horrible mistake. I listened to that part.

The last zig-zag nest was eliminated, after what felt like about an hour of trying to push past each one, but it had really only taken us about fifteen minutes. There was time for our surprise...

"...It looks way too quiet," Dima noted.

Things can't LOOK quiet."

"Not now Captive."

Scouts had been using a sort of periscope to check around the corners and not alert the enemy as much, and as I looked through it, I agreed. There were plenty of piles of crates and barrels, and a fair few near us for cover: but no sign of guards.

"Ellis, you look through it, do we have enough blasting putty left to get past that door?"

I held it up for him, and he quickly shook his head.

"Way too thick, Sir. We'd need a lot of explosives and unless we could focus it all into one spot, we'd risk taking the roof down too."

"Shining-san, I have an idea," Taichi then offered.

The Shinobi had snuck out: they'd not been able to sneak down the corridors using their skills as the risk of detection without cover was too great. But here they could dash into cover and use their genjutsu for short spells. Apparently the longer they kept it up if they got close, the target saw through it, hence the run being a risk before.

The stealth they used was part careful movement, part camouflage, and part genjutsu. If someone looked right at you long enough they'd probably see through you unless it was your talent. But the tricks for it varied from species to species, and each Shinobi clan taught their own separate ways. Equestrian Guard stealthy movement had to cover a generic one-size trick: Shinobi and their clans could specialize.

That said, Gag had used some Shinobi guidebooks to try figure out the best techniques for himself, his linguistic talents helping him understand it a little better since apparently things could be lost in translation. He'd managed to help teach Audience to improve his own stealth, useful for a sniper (though Gag was still better at it). Given his current...condition, it helped make up for his...handicap keeping him grounded...

I reluctantly let them both try sneak out to take up a sniping spot they'd noticed. I couldn't shield them, it would interfere with the mild genjutsus...

"They'll be okay..." I told myself as much as I reassured Garnet.

"I know, Sir, it's just... While we were in the cells, he kept trying to hide in plain sight. Like he didn't want any of us to see him either. The guards kept seeing through it though, they'd all been better equipped until about half an hour before you came, and they didn't really seem too bothered to count us after that."

The Shinobi darted from cover to cover, Audience and Gag now well hidden behind some crates. Their plan had been simple enough. They'd look ahead rather than scan and risk alerting the enemy, then they'd come back... after planting a few exploding notes and the remaining putty. We could then, behind my shields and the riot shields, rush out with that diversion (hopefully also putting a few bigger threats out of commission) and reach cover.

Even if the radios were able to work properly (the structure interfered) they'd have been listening for them. And letting the Shinobi try and be amongst the enemy when we had to charge would be disastrous for friendly fire reasons.

Unfortunately, there were a lot of side tunnels in this area and the Shinobi would certainly be spotted trying to enter them. All they could do was scout the main areas.

"Why do all the plans we get forced into using involve charging an ambush," Thunderchild sighed.

"I think I know why," Nikolai mused.

Natasha was quietly fuming. Audience had pinched the best sniping spot being able to sneak out. She wasn't all that good at being stealthy moving - Hooviet troops just trained to try avoid being spotted rather than try to trick anyone watching.

The Shinobi came back, almost so stealthy we didn't see them for a few seconds after they rounded the corner.

"We're ready... The bad news is there seem to be a lot of Spetsnaz out there," Taichi noted.

"How many?" Dai wondered.

"...All of them, I think."

"Oh horseapp-"

"Oh, and they had like ten Tankettes hiding behind crates at the far end, flamethrowers, tesla coils, and rocket versions."

"What?!" I hissed.

"I said had, Shining," He grinned.

"...Everyone get ready then," I said, not feeling all that reassured at all.

Some explosions later, we charged. As expected, the Spetsnaz weren't completely in disarray, but it had been enough to let us reach cover. We spotted a Commissar that had jumped out to start inspiring his troops.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot!" One of the Shinobi yelled, and quickly made some hoof signs.

"Hooviet Soldiers! You will stand your ground in the face of these cowardly -"

Then he exploded.

"...Was that really necessary?!" A surprisingly large number of people said with me.

"Psyops, the enemy should be-"

"Look, a Commissar exploding probably gave THEM a morale boost too!" Nikolai groaned.

"Ah... Wait, what?"

"Commissars are cloaca," All nearby Hooviet rebels and some Griffins said.

"Still a bit excessive," I muttered even as hails of bullets bounced off my shields.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): How did he even plant that explosive in the first place?!)

Admittedly, the fact he could and we have no idea how he did shows he was a good ninja. Even if he wasn't entirely right about the outcome of it.

"Move up! We're pushing them back!" Someone shouted.

"Wait a second, the tunnels, make sure we clear them!" I tried to yell.

I noticed a group of Marines bounding forwards to cover, and not looking to the right... where an open side corridor was right there. They didn't react.

"CLEAR THE DAMN SIDE CORRIDORS FIRST!" Dima yelled as he rushed out towards them, readying his magic blaster.

It was too late though. Gilda had heard us both and turned her head in that direction but whatever she was about to say was cut off by her having to dive down to the ground to avoid the hail of bullets. A number of the marines standing between her and the Hooviets were cut down before they even realized what hit them, and Dima wasn't able to stop himself landing in the line of fire. And I had been too slow to boost the shields around them all.

I tried to put them back up but it was too late. I was too late. Dima was firing his blaster, and some of the Marines there had managed to turn their fire at the enemy, but I was too late.

Dima had almost fallen, but his head was still up and he was firing. And something snapped in Gilda.

"YOU FRIGGIN' JERKS!" she roared.

She began firing her shotgun from her prone position, but then stood on her hind legs and began just blasting it down the corridor. The other marines beside her that were still up followed, though not all had pump-actions. Still, they were putting immense fire down now that I wasn't failing them...

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Shining, you said yourself you couldn't dwell on it! It's not your fault, battles are unpredictable! Makarov probably WANTS you to feel that way.)

"Come on, with me!" Dima shouted, getting up and leading some Rebels, Immortals and Assault Marines down the corridor as more moved to check the ones that had been ambushed. Gilda and many of the other marines not downed dashed after the group Dima had taken.

He'd pretty much managed to save most of them. I thought he'd been hit but maybe not...

"Clear those side corridors out!" Thunderchild yelled out, so loud even the Spetsnaz probably heard him.

We pushed down, thankful the huge doors at the end meant no machine gun nest here. Just two either side of the door, and it seemed that one of the tankettes had been somewhat intact with one key part. The flamethrower on one tank that had been blown open seemed unharmed, but the twisted wreckage around it had it stuck from being turned around without a lot of power.

Zangief had power. He turned the flames onto the machine guns, and down one more corridor we had yet to clear. I shielded some troops who went in past the flames from the burning fuel, then tried to smother it to ease their return.

When they came back, it was all over here. Just the door to get past, and the wounded to check...the dead to mourn however we could.

I turned towards Dima as he emerged from his own corridor.

"Dima, do you have any ideas on how to-" I began, then he collapsed.

I rushed over, shouting for a medic. Garnet had been checking the wounded marines by the door as it was, and she bolted over since they were all stable... or dead.

"Dima, what's wrong?!" Kamarov had ran over

"...Had to take the hits. No other choice, all of them had started aiming right at her..." He said.

"What are you talking about?" Thunderchild wondered.

"...Me. When I dived down, all the Hooviets down the corridor had began aiming at me. They weren't firing on all of us, they'd been all aiming at me..." Gilda said.

"That's nuts, they just opened fire, they weren't after you, Private!" A Marine Sergeant said.

"They weren't, Solomon was! She's Equestrian. She's not part of Shining's squad. He wanted him to think he'd failed the only other Equestrian here, but not kill anyone he doesn't want for himself... It's how he thinks. It's all part of his script..."

I heard Garnet gasp. "That explains why none of the Marines were hit center of mass...All in the legs, lower chest, or stomach...the Hooviets were aiming down..."

That's when I noticed Dima's wound. It wasn't center of mass like it WOULD have been had they been aiming level. It was lower on his body as if...as if they'd been aiming down when he'd been hit. Towards the Griffin who'd dove to the floor.

"How the Griffin Hell..."
"It's true, Makarov's changes to fate can be seen with Mother Deer's blessings, or if you're...well, Shining Armor. I managed to feel the change in their directives... They definitely all wanted her dead. Solomon's script," Natasha cut in.

"Script?"

"We went over it, Sergeant," Sandgriff reminded.

I watched Garnet and Kamarov trying to get to Dima's wounds. Blood was pooling below him.

"...But why me? I still don't get it, I'm just a grunt! One Marine! I haven't even done anything all that cool, I just... I did what everyone else did! Except some of them died and I didn't and now-"

"Gilda... Calm down... Solomon's ways are... petty, always something petty..."

"Rainbow Dash," I realized, taking my eyes off the medics, stopping wondering what difference it could have made if Dima had been wearing this improved armor...

"W-what?! How'd-"

"The Elements of Harmony. Mak... Solomon is petty. Anything to hurt enemies indirectly. And he'd surely see Equestria-saving heroines as enemies."

"That's crazy! How would he even KNOW about Dash?! How do YOU know?!"

"My sister is one of the Elements. I'm sorry, Gilda... I think you might only be here because Solomon wanted something with multiple uses. Something to taunt me with, something to hurt other possible enemies with."

"To his sick mind, you were perfect," Dima wheezed.

"Dima, stop talking, save your strength! This bleeding just won't stop." Kamarov said, sounding shaken.

"...Then don't try."

"Dima, we can help!" Garnet protested.

"Help me do what? Lie wounded back here for Solomon to come and finish off?... No, this was... this was how it wasn't meant to be... and that's what annoys Solomon..."

"You're going to bleed out just to try and piss him off by going off his script?!" I shouted.

"Yeah... You know how much... he hates people not doing what he wanted them. You said it yourself; we're his arch nemeses, his ego won't allow him to tolerate anyone but him killing either of us. If I die here, I don't just go off his script a little bit like Saharnoj Vaty did. If I die here, then his planned climax where we both die by his hooves can't happen."

"Well, yeah, but it'd piss him off more if you help me kick his flank, right?!"

"Captain... Shining... I'm already doing that. And if you take my weapon... that'll annoy him too...I want you to burn my body as well - don't allow him to make me one of his twisted monsters..."

"I won't need to. You can stand up and annoy him with it yourself! We need you here, Dima, your friends need you!" I protested.

"...They need you, now, Shining. And you need my weapon...Solomon has controlled my life since I was born, dominated it...written it...please let me take back the quill and write how my story ends."

"Hey, uh, there's one of the guys that surrendered here says he's a medic, he can help... Least I think that's what he said, he doesn't speak Equestrian," A Marine came over to offer.

A Hooviet was held at gunpoint by two rebels.

"...We didn't have anyone surrender to us during the fight," Natasha noted.

"That is absurd! Of course some of us surrendered!" The Hooviet said.

Something felt odd about his pattern of speech...

"...You speak Equestrian after all?" Gag wondered.

"No, she spoke Roedinian, why would I speak Equestrian?"

"Captive, Donnez-moi votre arc," Gag said.

"Wait, wha-"

Audience held his crossbow out, and ...

"This is for my wing."

....with his remaining wing, Gag pulled the trigger. The arrow went right into the Hooviet's eye with a spurt of blood...

"Idi na khuy, Makarov," Gag said with a blank expression.

"WHAT THE-"

"It was another of Makarov's robots, it sounded just like him," Gag pointed out.

Sure enough, it was oil now. Not blood. There were sparks from where the bolt was sticking out the other side...
And then we heard another roar of rage.

"Heh... Thank you for that, Running... Thank you..." Dima said, and then looked at me.

"Shining...I envy you..."

"Huh? For what?"

"...I'm what I am because Solomon chose most of my life for me...I was a murderer, I've killed innocent creatures...you protect ponies because it is what you want...I don't want to be a killer in the next world...but if I were like you? A protector?...A guardian...I wouldn't mind...choosing that story to live...I hope it's the one I will choose..."

I remembered my dream, of our meeting we were supposed to have. "...I think you will be..."

He just gave me a smile and...

...He was gone. Defying M... defying Solomon, no Nameless with his own end.

(Interviewer's Notes (Uncorn): Not Solomon?)

Solomon means 'wise king', there's nothing wise or kingly about him! Azure Raven works too. It's as pompous and STUPID as he is!!!

Silence fell in our small circle. It was as if the other noises around us had been muted, and now all we heard was the crackle of the flames and the voices of allied troops tending to other wounded, searching for more ammo and weapons....

Then it was broken for a moment by a scream of rage so powerful that the entire base quaked. In fact, I swear the base flickered like an illusion spell being disrupted as the scream became an unearthly, inequine roar... for a moment all my memories of Makarov as how I'd seen him fizzled revealing a haphazard mishmash of something... then the silence returned.

"...Moon sent," I sighed.

"Mother Deer will watch over him," Natasha said.

I turned to Zangief. "...Mind doing the honors?"

The big moose nodded slowly and got the flamethrower again, lighting Dima's body aflame.

More silence except for the crackling flames, but then it was Sandgriff who broke it. It was as much mourning as we could afford, and probably more than we should have taken, all things considered...

"What do we do now? We gotta get that door down somehow."

"Agreed... Dima would not want us to stop and mourn, not even for him..." Kamarov sighed.

I looked at it, then at the lion themed horncannon I now had.

"...I guess all we can do is search for..."

My eyes fell on some scattered parts from a crate, and the tesla coils.

"...Anypony know where Ellis is?"

"Looking for explosives or something else to cut through the doors, why?" Thunderchild asked.

"Remember when we tried to build that cider still for Captain Sharpe?"

"...Oh sweet Celestia," He turned pale.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Good trick for a pony with white fur....)

"...C-Cider still?!" Kamarov wondered.

"Look, if it works, it'll really piss Solomon off. Dima would have loved it. Besides, does that door look a bit like a barn to you guys?"

"[size= 0.5] Mommy..." Thunderchild whimpered.

The Columbians looked at the device me and Ellis had managed to create like it was a bomb...which I can't blame them for. We'd put it about fifty meters from the door, building a crude device to try and fire a chunk of metal about thirty kilograms at the middle of the door.

We'd used a whole bunch of conveniently placed tesla coils and power packs. Our device overall was pretty big - and even with as much help as we could get to move things around it took us awhile. Still it was convenient how things Ellis noted we needed kept showing up...

At least it gave us time to make sure Dima's body had burned completely...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): And what would those things you needed be?)

Sorry, that information is too dangerous for mortal eyes.

"...So you two made this when you were younger?" Sandgriff asked.

"Yes, and got building homemade cider stills put on the 'banned from the premises' list," Thunderchild added.

"...In Equestria?" Gilda asked, blinking. While we were more disciplined, we were also a bit more relaxed when it came to individual comforts and the like in the military compared to Columbia...

"Yep," Ellis added as we put the finishing touches. "Alright...ready...Ah think."

We all took cover in the tunnels and I set off the thing with my magic.

"FIRE IN THE HOLE!" I yelled, making sure everyone knew.

Three things happened, all the metal in the room near the device jolted from magnetism, and there was a brief flash at the end of the device: I checked with Twilight the last time we did this and it turned out that was plasma being formed in the wake of the projectile, as well as apparently also interacting with magic to cause the slight rainbow-corona that flashed out from the flames.

Second, a hole about six meters wide was blown into the doors ahead of us... and presumably anything on the other side was about to have a bad day.

Third, most of the parts we used in the machine exploded.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Shining, you'll eventually meet three, possibly four little fillies Spike's friends, with one of which is Ellis' cousin, swear you'll NEVER tell them about the cider still mass driver. EVER!)

Uh...okay...I swear.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Good, they caused enough trouble with a minecart and a flux capacitor, I'm afraid to see what they'd do with a cider still mass driver...or will have caused...That incident was hard enough to understand when less time travel was involved.)

Less time travel?!

(Interviewer's Note (Unicorn): Just focus on saving the world!)

On my order we rushed into the room....an empty room.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): What?)

Well there were a ton of crates, but no Hooviets or anything else for that matter. Well, except a trolley, but it and the crate on it took the brunt of the impact. It may have gone through it too but I'm not really sure. We were too busy checking for ambushes...but nothing.

The Marines carefully looked around the room with guns ready, taking things slow to make sure there weren't any Hooviets laying in waiting spying on us. The Shinobi looked for spying devices or spells. There were none of either.

Ellis even checked for bombs, but there was none to find.

"I don't like the looks of this, Sir," said Garnet, looking around. "All those Hooviet machine gun nests and then...nothing? It doesn't make any sense..."

"Maybe our knock on the door scared 'em off," Ellis chimed in. "Ah'm scared just thinkin' about what it must've looked like comin' at 'em from this side."

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): So what do you think happened?)

My guess was Solomon wanted to speed his final duel with me...or, hopefully, Dima...Dima's death had managed to do what Dima wanted it to and clopped him off so badly he's forgotten about his own army.

We moved forwards, keeping an eye out for an ambush or the like. But still nothing. The nests at the zig zags were completely abandoned.

"Ok, this really smells fishy," said Sandriff, looking around. "I know Makarov isn't exactly the sharpest talon on a claw, but even he isn't this dumb."

I was just waiting for Nameless to show up having transformed into some kind of giant monster after having eaten all his men.

Finally we got to what looked like the main Armory. And that just made this a bit more suspicious.

"Uh...I might be the rookie here, but even I know leaving your main armory unguarded isn't smart," Gilda remarked.

Then we heard an engine and...oh, you have to be bucking kidding me!

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): What is it?)

A freaking forklift came swinging around the corner and tried to run us down! We had to jump out of the way. A group of Spetsnaz came out of nowhere and opened fire, forcing us to not only dodge fire, but to make matters worse, the forklift swung back around and tried to crush me with the crate it was carrying. Since I was covering the others with my shields, I had to jump out of the way.

So while the others were engaged in a firefight with the Spetsnaz, I was busy trying to not get impaled by a forklift.

Thankfully, Ellis supported me by throwing a grenade under its wheels. The explosion naturally blew out the tires. With it going out of control, I dodged one last time and the forklift crashed into a wall. As its pilot tried to bail out, I quickly shot him with a stun spell.

The others were trying to take out the Spetsnaz. While Audience was the only Black Thistle member of my team, Thunderchild was still able to do some damage manipulating lightning from some electric coils on the walls...which seemed to only be there for decoration...Thank you Nameless and your obsession with fulfilling every single villain cliche in the book.

Audience picked out a spot and had Gag cover him and act as a spotter. The Hooviets' cover didn't help him or Natasha much.

Zangief's trusty rocket launcher wasn't much use in an armory where it could set off the ammo. So he alternated between gunfire, or if he could, beating the horseapples out of anydeer he could get in close combat. Seriously, I had to dodge a few Hooviets who he threw through the air. One of which was another Commissar...who ended up landing on one of the electric coils. Seriously? Does Nameless make those guys just so they can die?

Nikolai did well with those swords of his. I might have been good with a sword, but he was a trained swordmaster. And most of the Hooviet soldiers apparently didn't have his training either. Once things got into a melee, the Hooviets didn't stand a chance.

Sadly, it wasn't a complete flawless victory on our part...we had a number of wounded, some of which were taken out of the fight...there may have been a few dead, I'm not sure. Ugly's scheme wasn't the only thing spiraling into madness.

After we managed to clear the room of hostiles, we decided to check over the armory to see what we could find. There weren't any more of the armory, though there wasn't anymore of the armor, I did find another replacement riot shield and the others were at least able to find fresh ammo.

We moved forwards, fighting more Hooviets as we went along until we came to a courtyard.

"It seems Makarov's keep is up ahead," Natasha stated, lookinh up ahead

"What makes you say that?"

She pointed to an ominous spike covered tower. It also was playing its own background music. "That's the only place on the compound dramatic enough for him to tolerate living in."

"...Point taken," I said as lightning flashed around the citadel. Seriously, who could live there except Azure Raven?

At that point, we realized the obvious and took cover as more Spetsnaz flooded into the courtyard...and that wasn't all.

The fourth and last of the Alicorn cyborgs arrived on the scene. Not only did she have a cybernetic horn, she had two pairs of cybernetic wings.

"Puzyri..." I muttered, moments before having to block the spear she had as she drove it at me with her telekinesis.

Then it hit me: Skyfall being destroyed meant that the Alicorn Cyborg could fly now too. And did so before firing down lightning at us. Or more specifically...

I had to shield Gilda from far more lightning bolts than it should have sent her direction. "Gilda, stick behind me! Looks like Solomon still wants you dead."

"Uh, then shouldn't I stay away from you?"

"He's not about to let another nemesis die to one of his minion-" Then a number of lightning bolts were fired directly at me, forcing me to dodge. "...Ok, maybe not..."

"Shining Armor..." screamed Azure Raven's voice emanating from the cyborg. And here came the evil monologue of evil.

"You and your men are going to die by my hooves...slowly...painfully...And that Equestrian Griffin is going to bleed out on the ground, just like I planned...Now...PREPARE TO SUFFER!!!" he yelled, and it was actually frightening that time...Something had changed.

"...or he's assumed remote control of her to kill me that way. Point is, he's trying to kill you and I'm not letting him do it, so get over here NOW!"

She couldn't argue with that and got behind me, covering my back and letting me cover hers. I also figured keeping us together would let the others worry about the Hooviets instead of the cyborg Fake Alicorn.

One of the Marines tried to take on Nameless head on. He naturally got swiftly overpowered.

"Not today!" I yelled, putting a barrier up to block the spear right as Nameless prepared to finish the Marine off, then used my telekinesis to launch Dima's sword forwards, striking Solomon in the chest and driving her...him...back before pulling it back to my side while the Marine fell back.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Did you learn that on Pony Rangers?)

No, using swords in telekinetic combat is different than using it in your mouth. I didn't exactly throw it so much as do a trust over a longer distance. Still leaves me a bit more vulnerable, but considering my bad aim, it was the only attack I could be sure would connect with my target.

Gilda shot behind me and took out some Hooviets to cover me. I took the opportunity to try my attack again before Nameless could recover, aiming at the base of her...his cybernetic horn...and it didn't work.

"Horseapples! Azure Raven got smarter!"

"No...I got more hungry...Hehe..."

Ok, why is he suddenly genuinely threatening?!

I had to dodge (pulling Gilda along with me) as her spear turned into a whip which she...he...ok, I'm going to just use she because the body's a girl! She swung at me. I then shielded Gilda from some bullets and watched Nameless fly back up, then diving at me, trying to slash me with the wings. I was barely able to block with the sword and blast her point blank with a gravity buster. That dented her armor and drove her back.

"The old weak points aren't working anymore! And Pandora's not here to give me another hint to beat her!"

Gilda forced an attempted flank attack by a Commissar into cover with her shotgun. "Well then think of something! We have to take her out!"

I had to block another barrage of lightning with my shield, this time having a much harder time doing it. Thunderchild hurried over and managed to redirect it away. But I noticed even he struggled a great deal to accomplish just that.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Let me guess, it hit the Comissar?)

Probably, but I didn't have time to check!

I looked around, trying to find anything to use...Ah!

"Ellis! Audience!" I called, thankfully them having been close to me in the firefight.

"Yes sir?"

I pointed to an AA gun nearby. "I need you to take the Shinobi and capture that AA Gun, it's about the only thing I see that might be able to take out the Fake Alicorn," I explained.

The two gave me nod and headed off to do so.

"Gilda, how's your lightning manipulation?" I asked, shielding us with Thunderchild's help from another onslaught of lightning.

Gilda offered her own lightning manipulation to help Thunderchild finally send a blast of lightning back at Nameless. It blasted her backwards, but somehow only managed to singe her armor instead of critically damage her.

Nameless thrust her spear at me and actually succeeded in getting past my shield and barely missed me. She pulled it back, but I managed to close my shield around it and hold it back...unfortunately, she was holding it in telekinesis and managed to trust it back at me.

"GAH!"

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): SHINY!)

Don't worry, I'm ok, it just cut my leg. I had to let go and she pulled it back.

"I have finally drawn your blood..." Nameless said, licking my blood off the spear tip.

She charged up lightning into her spear and tried to throw it at us...

Just in time for an onslaught of Anti-Aircraft fire to strike her. I wasn't sure exactly what it was firing. Maybe it was the same thing as Sasha fired or maybe they were something stronger (given this was Solomon, I'm fairly certain it is the latter), but whatever it was it cut through her armor like a hot knife through butter.

Caught off guard, Nameless was too surprised to evade the onslaught ripping through her and crashed to the ground a few seconds later, her armor in tatters and her wings and horn torn to bits.

I trotted over to her, looking down as her eyes flickered. "I-I'm...s-sorry..." It was a female voice, no longer Azure Raven's.

"...All is forgiven, Puzyri...rest in peace..."

"Would have liked . . . to fly on my own . . . with these new wings . . .just once." And with that, she shut down and her soul flew free.

Author's Note

Story Arc written by LZ0291 lz0291.deviantart.com/ as was this chapter.

Shining Armor is given a two year tour of the world to be the captain of Princess Cadence's body guard. Yeah. That's all. That's everything Yep. Nothing what so ever else. *AJ's Liar face*

"Time is an ocean in a storm."

This storyline runs PARALLEL to the events in the Dark World storyline narrative wise.

Please help the trope http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries and recap pages. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/PonyPOVSeries (please?)

Previous Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Shining-Armor-17-3-417847184

Next Chapter:

First Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Fluttershy-FlutterCruel-Pearls-260092460

MLP: FiM is copyright of Hasbro

Image by Kendell2 http://kendell2.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Shining-Armor-vs-Makarov-418176949

Group Music Suggestions For This Part

Dima's death
And Ever We Fight On, ,Killzone 3

Last Cyborg Fight
Cynder Boss (With Chorus) The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning OST
Majestic Wings Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance

LZ's music suggestions.

Act 4
Battle Over Skyfall
Burst, Sean Murray, Call of Duty: World at War
Aftermath
Colosseo, KCE Sound Team Japan, Metal Gear Solid
Storming The Barracks
Take Down, Todd Haberman, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
Fighting Through Tunnels
Extraction Point, Lorne Balfe, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Dima's Death
And Ever We Fight On, Joris De Man, Killzone 3
The Mass Driver
Warsaw Theme, Adapted by Johan Skugge & Jukka Rintamaki, produced by Rami, Battlefield 4
Puzyri/Nameless Battle
Penultimatum, Kelly Bailey, Half-Life 2: Episode 1

Episode 136 (Shining Armor) At The End Act Four: Onwards and Upwards

Episode 137: (Shining Armor): At the End Act Five: Come Undone

17 At The End
Act Five: Come Undone

"What's the plan now, Shining?" Mason asked.

"...I think we need to split up. This citadel looks pretty big. I'll take some volunteers and head for Ma...Solomon, you and the rest start wrecking the rest of the place?"

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Is splitting up while facing the reality bending cosmic horror a good idea?)

Normally, no, but considering from what we'd seen Dima burning his brother's script royally clopped him off and KEPT him clopped off, I was more willing to risk it.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): So he really took the General-Admiral's script off the rails huh?)

Yep. I'm sure he'd be proud of it.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Yeah, nopony likes it when characters throw the story off the way they want it to go.)

"Yeah, see if we can't take out any more anti-air they've got around here and signal any reinforcements we've got to move in. Who you taking?"

It was fairly easy. I wanted the Immortals and ANBU's abilities of hellraising by brute force and stealth respectively to be employed, and the Neighsian black-ops troopers seemed very enthusiastic at this prospect. Mason's DOG's had all stocked up on explosives (did Ellis? Do you have to ask?) in the armory. Unit Metal and the Rebels, plus Misfit and a hoof-full of regular marines and three interviewers' talking to me in my head made up my little spearhead.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Thanks for counting us.)

Thanks for giving me a distraction from the utter insanity around me and Azure Raven's monologs.

"Alright, everyone...Good luck, and hope to see you all soon," I said, as we charged in.

Predictably, it was a firefight almost every step of the way. Conscripts had been thrown towards us with muskets and spring-powered airguns in massed volleys, even a few volley guns set up in the way, but we overcame the first hurdle in a few brutal moments as we burst into the main hall of this strange castle of Azure Raven's. The firing lines of conscripts had poor cover for the conscripts to hide from us on the balconies facing the open hall below - and we had my shield, strong enough right now to resist their volleys. We had the luxury of not needing to aim either, just pointing and shooting, there was a viable wall of them above us, even I could hit something with my stun spells.

We split apart, the various units heading off separate ways. Nikolai pointed us in the direction he felt was most likely the route to the command centre. Of course, knowing the Shadow of Chernobull, it was probably the most cliche route we could find.

It felt like it. Rows and rows of grey corridors with seemingly endless hordes of Airborne troopers popping up, throwing grenades...but I could feel my magic power coming back. Not all the way yet, which was a good sign since hopefully, it meant Nameless was still not to full power.

Where exactly was the limit of his safe zone? Maybe he'd accidentally shrunk it down...or maybe he'd tried to have a limited area allow for full power. Like around the Curtain itself. A perfect place for him to 'triumph' over me...

Well, I wasn't going to let that happen anytime soon. I was able to shield against virtually anything getting thrown at us, and the various other groups were built around the riot shields we'd grabbed in the armory.

Of course, I was a riot shield again. I still carried one in case (hopefully it wouldn't get cut in half again), but nothing was getting by my magic in the first place. Some Conscripts had tried using some rocket launchers on us - but had failed to have their friends behind them clear the backblast.

I was glad I'd had a shield back when I'd accidentally been in the path of Dima's backblast on top of the tower. One of the conscripts had been right behind the tube firing. It had been fairly quick for him. Another had only been glanced by the blast, and he had still been yelling as we had to go past.

Garnet looked back as we moved past him, looking a little sorrowful. "I know he's a deer but I can't help feeling sorry for him..."

Gag put his remaining wing on his back. "That just shows you have a heart."

We're Equestrians, even if they're the enemy, we don't like seeing anything suffer. According to international law, wounded captives were to be treated with the same care as your own wounded. But the problem was we barely had time for our own wounded, let alone stop for an enemy. That didn't stop Garnet from trying.

"Garnet, stop," I ordered in my most commander like voice possible.

"But he's-"

"The more time we waste the more dangerous our real enemy gets. I'm sorry."

Garnet looked at me without emotion. "Understood. Sir."

"...I don't like it anymore than you do, but if Solomon regains his full power, he'll start killing everyone...you weren't on his ship, I saw what he's capable of. He's already killed thousands if not millions of people today...if we don't stop him, he'll do that again...I'm sorry..."

Garnet said nothing. I knew by international law she had every right to want to and I felt guilty for having to leave someone to suffer. I wish we'd had time to talk this out more or help him, but we hadn't even had time to stop. I know Gag went to talk to her, but I don't know what he said.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Shining...do you think maybe Nameless set that up just to hurt Garnet? And you through her?)

...I wouldn't doubt it. If he did, it's just another reason I want to send that maniac to oblivion where he belongs. For both her and that conscript's sakes...I'm ashamed to say it, but I hate him for everything he's done.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): It isn't a sin to hate that which is evil, Shining.)

"They should have been falling back, Conscripts don't have this sort of morale," Frost noted.

"We're going the right way then," Thunderchild assumed.

"Nikolai, what do you think?" I whispered.

The deer looked it over. "Definitely Solomon's doing. They want to retreat, but he's not letting them," he whispered to me.

I looked slowly at the Conscripts. "I'm sorry." I whispered. Sadly I didn't have time to apologize to every hoofed-creature we had to put down to build our stairs of dead bodies to climb our way to our only real enemy. I wished more than anything we could break that tyrant's hold on them, but we didn't have anything to break his spell.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): I'm not even sure the memory spell would work...all they've got are the memories of the Shadow's story.)

So they're just like Dima, characters in Solomon's demented story...just they can't escape.

We entered into a large hall that had a door to the outside - on the roof. There was also a large hole in the ground for a cargo elevator: It seemed Nameless liked to take the helicopter straight down into his bunker. Hope the sick buck enjoyed taking the scenic route after we blew his up.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Assuming he didn't teleport thanks to an anti-anti-magic shielding device.)

No more giving him ideas!

He'd made sure we felt welcome though. On the gantries and balconies of the room, a hail of fire from Airborne troopers. The largest concentration of them around another elevator that was for passengers, but was already on the way up...Likely full of those pony-borgs, but hopefully not another Faux-Alicorn...Both for ours AND the sake of whatever poor soul would be stuck in that armor.

The Hooviets had been clustered together though, behind overturned barrels and crates. The Marines and Unit Metal threw a few grenades their way, and we'd soon cleared the room.

"Whatever's coming, be ready for it," I warned.

Everyone was checking their weapons, and in a few cases, taking spare ammo off the enemy. Distasteful, but we weren't in much of a position to ignore the chances. Those automatic weapons went through ammo like Prince Blueblood went through mane shampoo.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Using far too much and it'd probably be better to use in smaller bursts for the same effective outcome?)

Exactly.

The elevator arrived...and the doors opened to reveal a Commissar holding a white flag, beside a box of gas masks.

Remarkably, no one shot him.

"Greetings, Commander Sparkle. The Supreme Commander has sent me to discuss surrender..."

"Oh, let me guess, I'm meant to assume it's yours, it's actually mine, we have a bit of banter then you pull that sword and try to cut my head off or something because Solomon's caused my shield magic to dispel at just that second or something daft like that?"

"...No, he did it three seconds ago," The Commissar said, drawing and swinging. Nikolai was there first, throwing his blade in the way.

"That's fine, still got a sword master who's better than you," I replied...before about half a dozen rifles emptied into the red-coated Deer.

"Let's find another way down, someone made an awful mess in this lift," Natasha noted.

"...But I could have stunned him," I said staring in disgust.

"Then what?"

"...Well, we could've locked him in a closet..."

"There isn't one present."

"Tie him up with his own coat, glue his antlers to the floor, something! I'd like to spare at least ONE of these stags." No way in Tartarus was going to be happy seeing them popped off if there was even a chance they weren't just mindless automatons. This one didn't didn't dissolve into nothing.

"I wish I could be so compassionate as you, Captain, but I can't."

"I know..." I replied, trying not to show pity in my voice. Dima, Natasha, Zangief, all of them...They're good deer. They've had to fight all their lives because of that monster the Hooviets let out of Pandora's Box.

"...But it would clop off Solomon, since I get the feeling he sends these guys to die."

"I agree," I replied, glad I wasn't the ONLY one who felt that way.

"Well, those of us with wings can always go down the cargo elevator, we'll regroup as soon as we hit bottom." Sandgriff pointed out. Gag said nothing.

"And the rest of us, Staff Sergeant?" Nikolai wondered.

"...The Griffins can go and maybe surprise the bad guys. The rest of us will go down the way Makarov expects," Thunderchild suggested.

"We'll need a few volunteers though," Audience noted. Us six plus about eleven Rebels...Unit Metal had seven troopers and about eighteen Marines were with us.

"I'm going with the Captain," Frost said.

"Same, " Gilda offered. After all, Nameless wanted her dead where I couldn't save her, and he'd likely do all he could if she was in the other group.

A couple more Marines joined our group, about evening the numbers.

"Looks like it'll take about forty seconds to get to the bottom. You guys go cause a diversion in thirty," I shouted as the doors slammed shut, and we began the descent.

"Or he'll make the lift drop down," Gag noted.

"Yes, thanks for reminding me, Running..."

Our elevator stopped in a hall that in terms of width, was pretty much identical to the one above, but the ceiling was quite lower. The cargo elevator was also in place here rather than a hole in the floor - the hole was instead in the roof.

We were puzzled to only see the Griffins taking up position around the cargo elevator. The whole room was empty. Just bare plaster walls, and two large double doors at the end.

"Sir, look, the walls are a different color at spots, like there's fake..." Audience began, but thunderclaps of explosions proved him right.

They had been built into giant directional landmines. The air filled with shrapnel and black smoke...making me thankful I had reinforced the shields around everyone the second the doors opened.

"Gas masks on!" I shouted, realizing what that black smoke could be. If Nameless dropped my shields with direct interference or changed it so they weren't air tight...

...I hadn't picked up a gas mask, thinking 'Azure Raven' wouldn't risk a gas attack if his surviving arch-enemy could die in the process. Still, better safe than sorry for the others.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Or he brings you back to life in a cool new cyborg body making you fight even more epic.)

What did I say about giving him idea?!

"Can't see a thing in this stuff," someone complained.

Then a shadow jumped from the smoke, holding a shotgun. Audience stunned it, only for bursts of shooting to erupt all around. I noted one shot get alarmingly close to Gag when it slammed into the wall beside him...where it should have stopped on the shield a moment before.

"Our side cease fire! If we fire wildly, we'll hit each other! You guys stay there, we'll come to you." I was pretty sure we had just attacked each other.

"We got shields!" A Marine tried to remind me from the distance.

"Yeah, and you can shoot through them because you're on my side!"

(Interviewers Notes (Pegasus): Shining, you idiot!)

Look, I had them set up the right way, Nameless had changed the rules! Us firing at each other should have stopped the rounds, it only allowed friendly outgoing. He'd switched friendly fire back on...How was he getting so much smarter?

"...Scratch that, Sir. We'll run to you!" Sandgriff yelled, and there was more shooting...but the opposite way from us.

"Okay, that works..."

Now regrouped, the smoke didn't plan on dissipating.

"I think we might need to prepare to get up close and personal in here," I warned, as we formed into small groups.

"Advance slow, check your fire. If you're gonna shoot someone make sure they're deer!" Frost warned.

His fellow elevator passengers gave him a look - I could tell without checking.

"...Rephrase that?" Zangief asked.

"...If they're cloaca deer."

We picked through the cloud of gas, mostly going behind me and Zangief as we carried riot shields to block frontal attack attempts, with some of us going to the wings to fire down those edges when there were them and force the enemy back where they had no risk of friendly fire. I wasn't sure where the enemy came from...my guess is Makarov's flanks.

The double doors opened, and we encountered a wall of riot shields coming towards us from the smoke in the next room. It cleared the air: it seemed there were fans whirring. But the wall was also firing at us.

"Clop this," I sighed, and began firing gravity balls. As expected it knocked enemy riot shields back.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Hey you actually hit something!)

My companions threw grenades in the gaps I made. Maybe I had it wrong thinking Nameless was getting smarter...

"Go now!" I ordered as the last of the Spetsnaz shield-team fell.

As one group, we charged through the double doors. Which led to another set of doors behind that one. Nameless loved his doors almost as much as he loved himself it seemed. Another set. And another behind that. None of them were locked, and none of them were really fancy. I was reminded of video games that used this trick to hiding loading screens.

Finally, we'd found the bastard after way too many doors. The room was like an arena, stairs leading down to a lower level, with huge screens on the far end, perched amongst glass panels. On the upper floor, machines and tables, with Spetsnaz troopers taking cover behind them. But behind the screens and glass in the chamber beyond this one: the red glow of the Iron Curtain: it was a giant red orb giving off arcs of energy into a number of focusing towers...

He was in the middle of the room down below, facing the screens from the middle of a platform that had small stairs up: and what I hoped was a door leading to the Iron Curtain room. He'd abandoned that crazy spiked armor suit for a more sensible (by comparison) green uniform coated in medals, with a white leather holster for a huge new horncannon and a sword. And yes, his uniform had epaulettes with big stars made from fire rubies, almost as many as his new toy.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Does this guy have one personal weapon that wouldn't feed a dragon for a year?!)

Around him, a large number of oddly empty machine control panels and screens...and judging by the technician walking toward him as if in a trance, he'd been getting ideas from his workforce.

"Hold fire! Let them get comfortable...and let me have a little...idea or two," Nameless chuckled darkly as his own troops simply aimed.

"...Make sure it makes sense where you go," I warned as my side began to spread out.

Gilda considered that, it seemed, because she stuck right beside me. The rest of my squad did as well.

We all watched as the technician got nearer...

Azure Raven gave a grin more akin to a manticore about to devour its prey than a deer, revealing he now had pointed fangs as his eyes glowed...no, became bright white, like he was hollow...I don't know what to call it! He grabbed the poor technician by the shoulders, his hooves became shadows that wrapped around his target like snakes or tentacles, the deer looked to be let out of the trance enough to start screaming.

Solomon got larger, bulging, like there were things moving under his skin.

Solomon's opened his mouth with an inequine roar and white lines like spider legs of the same bright light that composed his eyes erupted out, piercing the...the technician's head. There was no gore...this seemed...worse...

The poor deer turned into a literal shadow of himself, a star floating in the head, now in the grasp of Solomon's light. Solomon's muzzle opened up too wide, sucking the light into his gaping jaws. But he didn't stop THERE...He pulled in the shadow that was left of the deer and started...started tearing him apart like a rabid animal! He didn't...he didn't EAT it, he...he just tore it to shreds!

The worst part was...I felt like just the THOUGHT of this technician being there...that he even existed...it seemed like someone was tearing it from my mind with each rip! What what? Claws? Fangs? Spikes?

I felt bits of my brain shut down as I tried to process what was doing this to the poor deer, like a foal's leg jerking away from a hot coal. Sweet Celestia what did I just see?!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Calm down, Shining! You need to keep your head!)

S-Sorry...Thanks...I needed that...Just when I thought seeing someone die was the worst thing I could see...

...Azure Raven reverted back to his hybrid form and...he just took out a napkin and dabbed his muzzle.

"They always taste so much better when they're terrified. Fear is kind of like salt, adds a lot of flavor," he remarked, staring right at me. I wasn't sure if it was a change in him or what I'd just seen, but suddenly his eyes seemed a lot more frightening.

Most of the Griffins and my troops didn't react. Gilda and the rebels however seemed to be disturbed, the rookie Marine visibly trembling.

"Gilda, take the mask off and breathe," I warned her.

"...What's wrong?" Garnet wondered.

"It...None of you saw that?!"

"They don't remember it. Solomon doesn't bother to let them, Mother Deer doesn't protect them from his changes," Kamarov said.

"Remember what?" Gag asked.

Natasha gave him a dead serious look. "You do not want to know."

I looked at the screens behind Nameless and blocking a full view of the Iron Curtain's chamber.

"...Getting other ideas from the screens, Solomon?" I asked. If he started talking, I could taunt him...

"Attempting to! But other fates have been...less satisfying than my snacks," He sneered.

On one screen, there was a row of strange-looking tan colored tanks trundling along, each with a swooping eagle logo on the side. Beside it, the odd image of very big ponies ridden by bipedal creatures brandishing sabers. And beside that, strange gray flying machines with wings in an x-formation in space, firing bolts of...I assumed some kind of magic or some energy weapon.

There was a video of Twilight wearing a skin tight yellow costume. For some reason I couldn't help being AFRAID just looking at her. Not as in she looked evil, it was just like she had an aura of fear around her. She was using a glowing magic ring to fight an army of zombie ponies with her friends who were each wearing a different color.

Gilda blinked. "Is that me?"

The other Gilda had the same color of ring as Rainbow Dash. And very angry at the zombies.

Another screen showed who four of Twilight's friend (minus Rainbow Dash), facing against a line of completely identical ponies without cutie marks, no expression, blank lifeless colors, empty eyes, and marching like robots. Then one's eyes glowed and spoke in an echoing voice.

"Assuming direct control."

The pony's body almost burned as it quick grew larger along with getting wings and a horn, looking at the four mares now with intent and purpose. The heroes suddenly looking much more worried.

Looking to another screen, I saw an image of Princess Luna (I assumed, I'd never seen her in person, but it fit the description) talking with Celestia, who looked about Cadence's size with a pink mane! The two were at some kind of welcome back party in Celestia's honor...

"Wait a minute..." Ellis said, looking at one of the screens. I followed his gaze and found a screen showing what I assumed was Nightmare Moon's defeat. But instead of my sister, an orange Earth Pony was leading the Bearers, a big red stallion among them. "T-That's AJ and Big Mac!"

"Yes...I've taken looks at lots of places. Other worlds were decent fighting places, but versions of this world...Boring for good ideas for fighting, but they seem like places that could be...livened up..."

"Planning to try run away somehow?"

"Well, why stop at one world? For I will take this one shortly. This is just a setback. I will kill you, then I will win this battle, and I will win my war! A true hero overcomes the darkest hour!" he said smugly.

"You couldn't take over an empty island without making a farce of it, Nameless! You've lost."

"IT IS YOU WHO HAVE LOST!" He snapped, the screens flickering. I could tell despite the facade of composure, he was still angry.

"...You just will not admit it, follow your fate as you should! That bird beside you, she should have died in agony! ALONE! You know why, Gilda?! Because the watching-shadows themselves hate you, despise you! You are their villain and I would be a hero for giving you the agony you deserve for what you did!"

"...She stole an apple and was a jerk. That deserves death?"

"To watching-shadows? Of course! You ponies won't take care of jerks and douchebags properly, so why not me? Why, I bet you'd probably even listen to me if I were to beg for mercy!"

"...You really don't know ponies at all," I retorted.

"Liar. Why not try kill me now? Crush me...like you did that Diamond Dog? What had it done, Shining? It had merely defended itself."

"It had killed a guard. I defended myself!"

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Shining, he's getting the better of you, keep control!)

"And you wretches can shut up and take notes. Don't think I didn't see you speaking to him to add his lies to my story! I allowed you to think I didn't know!"

He knows you're there?!

(Interviewer's Notes (Makarov): I knew they were there the whole time! Maybe when I win, we can have another chat...and thank you, for your attempts to encourage him have all been part of my plans!)

(Interviewer's Notes (Makarov): For the record, they all panicked...Come now, Shining, why not talk a little...)

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): LOOK OUT!)

...When had he dropped my shields?! I got them back up in time though...right?

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Just in time. Keep talking to us while we try keep him out and get full control back here!)

Okay! Nameless' guys opened fire...My guys are...were returning fire back but Nameless was shielding them, and he was not pleased at his little attack there failing.

"HOW DARE YOU!" He jumped up and down. "AND CEASE TALKING IN PAST TENSE!"

"Everything happens in the past really, Nameless. Eight minutes for light to reach the planet from the sun - if Celestia made it into a smiley face we'd need to wait eight minutes to see it!" I noted.

"...I always found that theory kinda cool, sorta means we see the past but we all live in the future I think," Gilda noted.

"Technically those are ancient theories, most modern measurements put Celestia's sun closer," Audience said.

"I ain't got no darn clue what yer on about but can we please shoot the bad guy or somethin'?!"

"Why, Ellis, you were so squeamish before, yet now you're so bloodthirsty," Solomon tutted.

"Ah just want this dang things over already!!" He snapped back.

"We can't breach ugly's shields," Frost cursed.

"I can!"

I made Nameless' shields drop, like I did his flag ship's. He gawped, letting his troops take the brunt of our fire for a moment before he had a tantrum and dropped my shields for a second.

We had a back and forth, but the Hooviets were the ones less confident. I was able to put shields up almost right as he took them down. Our allies were able to exploit the Cervicorn not reacting as fast he wanted to be to force the Hooviets into cover or take them out, and on a couple occasions getting grenades next to them, just before Makarov put a shield around them - both ones they threw and ones we'd thrown.

(Interviewers' Notes(All): He CARES about them?)

I think he realized he's running low. And if he wanted a final duel with ME he needed SOMEONE to hold everycreature else off.

"I don't follow your rules, Nameless, and if you made it so magic works at full here, then mines does too! It's like the Doctor said, isn't it? About the Shadow only able to take the shape it can cast? You can't cast mine, can you? You have to guess, and I threw all your guessing out the window! Now, about that mercy you wanted..."

"I WON'T NEED YOUR MERCY, YOU WILL BEG FOR MINE - AND I HAVE NONE!" He screeched, making screens explode, and his shields drop without my input.

"Misfit and Gilda on me, everyone else clear house!" I shouted and charged straight at Solomon, weilding Dima's sword. He flinched even as the gunfire seemed to intensify.

(Interviewers Notes (Earth Pony): Great job, Shiny, we got full control back!)

...but threw up a shield around himself again. I slammed into his field in the one I had surrounding our charge, hurling him back towards the door to the Iron Curtain chamber. He scrambled to his hooves, and Audience raised his bow while Gilda readied her shotgun...

"Hold fire!"

This was enough for him to open the door and run through.

(Interviewers Notes (Pegasus): After him!)

I was working on it!

"Good luck, Captain!" called Natasha, giving me a salute as she and the other Rebels helped fight the Hooviets.

I saluted back as we headed through the doors. I hoped next time we saw each other would be in the world without Azure Raven.

Sadly, I'd got something wrong, the Iron Curtain wasn't right behind Nameless - it was a huge machine, held inside a huge domed structure a good hundred meters away across a metal walkway. It was . . . a long way down.

He also tried to ram us off it by charging with his own shield around himself. I charged back harder, making him roll all the way ranting along the walkway. He dropped a few medals. Audience picked one up and discovered it was the Order of Makarov Seventh Class...

"Great, the machine is inside a separate chamber. He'll lock the door behind us..." I sighed as we chased his (amusingly) rolling form.

Thunderchild blinked. "Why would he do that? His guys are in the other room too."

"Because he's obsessed with making this some kind of 'duel to the death' between us. We're going to walk in there, the doors will lock, then some kind of dramatic music is going to start up, just like the boss of a video game!"

"Really? Yah think he'd do that?" Ellis frowned.

"He got me and Dima stuck on a rooftop and provided us with rocket launchers JUST so we could end up having a fight with him out of Half-Life."

"...Point taken..."

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Thought that was Call of Cutie?)

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Wasn't it from Metal Pony Solid?)

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Maybe it was Hyphen Filter...Or Equestria in Conflict...Or Unmapped 2 - Amongst Thieves...Or...)

I get it, I get it, there's a million fights with helicopters in a million games, you know what I'm saying! Also a few of those were grenade launchers.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Far too many war games...)

Nameless had come to a stop, standing in front of the doors, smirking.

"Come catch me!" He jumped backwards, doors opening as he did so, then teleporting himself to stand a few dozen meters back, on a gantry.

"I'm really starting to hate this bucker," Gilda sighed.

"Welcome to the club," Gag replied.

"...Guys..." I said, looking to the others. "If we all don't make it out of this for one reason or another? I'm proud to know you guys and it's been an honor."

They all gave me a smile and nodded.

"Alright, let's end this! For Equestria!"

"For Equestria!"

The Iron Curtain's chamber was as vast inside as it looked out. A maze of metal gantries overhead, and concrete on the lower level. The curtain itself was a giant metal ball...and I presumed the pit below was leading right to a leyline to feed the energies. If Nameless was even TRYING to make a rational explanation for this thing anymore.

He drew his huge horncannon and his sword. His new one was a gargantuan revolver, just as gaudy as before, with golden plating and diamond grips. At the same time, of course, the doors slammed shut behind us and locked with a loud clunk.

"Told you," I sighed.

"Now, Captain...our final battle! And as you brought distractions, I need to get rid of the-"

Audience had fired and shot the horncannon out of the air. It span away down the absurdly deep pit.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Fifty bits says he's planning for you to die falling down it.)

...Then I'm staying away from it.

Nameless was not happy.

"Every time...Every time you wretches ruin my script! You vermin, you scum, you insignificant bit-parts! How dare you all interfere, get in my way! There were to be no Marines left alive, you should have all been broken wrecks tortured to insanity but you cheated, Shining, you and that wretched half-brother of mine!"

"We aim to misbehave," Audience shrugged as he reloaded.

Solomon snarled, giving another scream of fury...this one even devolving into that roar of his. "Him I understand! He's my perfect nemesis BECAUSE he can defy me! The Rebels have Mother Deer's blessings to protect them! But what do you have?! WHAT IS IT THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DEFY ME?!" he bellowed, his voice for a moment sounding like a legion.

I noticed my troopers' eyes glaze over for a moment...then the look shattered and they shook their heads to clear them.

"Us? Let each other down? That's an even bigger joke than you are, Makarov!" Gag spat, sharing a nuzzle with Garnet.

"We're a team, and we're family, that's why, nothing more, nothing less," Audience said, simply. The others nodded and got close to me.

Hehe, Nameless shot himself in the hoof again; who said romance is the only kind of love?

"I see." Solomon's eye twitched. There was something freaky about how rational he sounded. "I understand. They are under your protection Sparkle. Yes, you six are like one pony. Not much point in a victory over Sparkle without crushing you five little mooks. But there was meant to be one more here. Dima. He defied my script and died early, and for what? A lame griffin rookie marine! Not even a decent rank, all that she was good for was wasted by her living this long!"

"Oh, what, you got a moment of glory stolen from you? You think I wanted him to die instead of me?!" Gilda shot back.

"Probably, you are a complete jerk. Still, if the Misfits are needed as a full set with Sparkle and you didn't really want to be here...Maybe you should leave?"

With that, before I realized it, he'd drawn two of the earlier horncannons, the supposedly unique Desert Deer pistol. One was gold, the other silver. Audience fired again, but Nameless had wised up.

And both the guns had been aimed right at Gilda when he fired. She flew back into the doors with a grunt, she didn't get back up...

"That'll have to do. Wretch. No sad backstory, no abusive father, just a bully with a little chickhood teasing...what a lame antagonist!"

"You didn't drop my shield around her!" I protested in shock.

"Oh, come on, she was a rulebreaker, can't let hackers play on the server! Now how about you actually try and..."

I drew Dima's sword-gun, and tried my hoof at the gun setting.

I missed, but I think Solomon got my point.

"...Good, that's made you want to play," Nameless smirked and dramatic music with choir chanting began playing in the background. Strangely the music was coming from OUR direction. What was the song? One Winged Alicorn?

"What do you think? Fitting music for my greatest nemesis?"

"Wait...The music is for us?!" Thunderchild asked.

"The final battle always has the boss' theme playing, does it not?"

"Oh, go buck yerself ya murderin' sack o' horseapples!" Ellis snarled.

Captive, being pragmatic and rightfully clopped off, opted to shoot straight for Azure Raven's horn right off the bat.

The arrow BOUNCED OFF.

"Ha! I have spent years building up my horns and skull to resist crossbow bolts!"

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): ARGH!)

Stop somehow beating your head against a wall in my head!

"Now, let's do this!" He cackled and jumped down, firing his pistols at Garnet when she had been moving towards Gilda.

"Try to dodge!" I yelled, not trusting him to ignore my shields again.

Audience managed to shoot one out of his grasp, and Thunderchild raced over to kick it off the edge. I parried as Solomon swung his sword, a huge katana, trying to decapitate my Sergeant. I was glad he still seemed weakened from Dima's sacrifice or they'd probably not stood a chance.

Garnet and Ellis both had a go at kicking him, but he swung his own rear hooves to parry them and kick them back. Gag tried to charge in, but I had to swing the blade to cut the horncannon that had been swinging towards his other wing, and Gag rolled to the side to dodge the follow-up katana swing. Thunderchild then came in from the other side with a wingblade ready, only for Nameless to draw a shorter blade.

I feared for a second Nameless would just slice through, but it seemed he wasn't using that cliche yet.

"Thunderchild, for buck's sake don't hit swords with your wing!" I reminded him.

"Sorry, I sent a lightning shock through the blade, should have fried the jerk!"

"Ha! My hilt is made of rubber!"

"Actually at the speed some samurai-pegasus can open their wings it enables them to bisect their opponent's sword WITH a wingblade," said Audience.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Shining! Remember his weakness!)

"And how do you carry all these weapons anyway?!"

Audience helpfully shot the shorter sword, letting Thunderchild snatch it in his mouth.

"Ugh, what's this hilt made of..." He complained.

"Leather, REAL leather, from a pony!"

Thunderchild spat it out at the sick bucker.

"Thanks for my sword back!"

"You're half pony! Why would a HERO have a sword made from his own kind, you sick buck?!" I yelled. "And you said it was rubber!"

He snarled as swung both his swords together like scissors, but Thunderchild flew up and kicked him in the face, just as I swung the blade in below.

Only to glance off some kind of body armor below the medals. A few more self-awarded bits of gold fell down.

"No matter, I'll just give myself more medals later," Nameless cackled. He began to charge energy into his antlers for his destructive spell, but I forced him to switch to teleporting as I fired a hail of Rapid Gravity Ball spells. I might suck at aiming, but when I'm shooting a rain of small shield spheres at him, I don't need to be Captive-level accurate. I could practically hear the Brigadier reminding me 'five rounds rapid' from a few meters away.

Audience fired his bow again, sending the katana spinning off into the pit as Nameless reappeared, looking quite angry at having his spell interrupted.. Nameless threw the shorter one at him. Audience dodged, but did get a cut on the shoulder. Thankfully, it wasn't crippling.

"Enough of this little skirmish, let's get real," Nameless giggled, and produced two more guns.

We all rolled out of his way as his twin weapons spat lead at us. Oddly, these were just regular, not even precious-metal-plated guns. Just boxy black things with long straight magazines in the grip, throwing out more bullets a second than an entire army armed with the kind of guns that were supposed to exist right now!

We took evasive action, and I managed to protect us a good bit, but I heard Thunderchild give a grunt.

"You ok?!" I called.

"Yeah, my armor stopped most of it! Might be bleeding a little, but I'm fine!"

Just to be safe, I covered them and let Garnet get to him. Nameless threw his empty guns away and teleported back a bit with the distraction, to another gantry.

"Round two, and things get hotter!"

From nowhere, he pulled two big box-things, looking like four rocket launcher tubes stuck together...because that's what they were! He began firing incendiary rockets at us, causing patches of fire to spread around the room, limiting our room to move.

"Are you bucking insane?!" yelled Garnet as we dodged another explosion. She gave a scream.

"Garnet, what happened?"

"Hip got caught in the fire, sir," she reported, cringing as she checked herself over, then said something to Gag I didn't hear.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Probably telling him she's okay.)

Gag's relief suggested that. I was just relieved she hadn't been set on fire.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Shining, you're not the ONLY one with Classic Equestrian Wit here!)

Good idea!

"Everypony, troll him!" I called to the others as we were busy trying not to die, trying not to let the psychotic deer hear.

"Uh sir, I don't think nows a good time!" Thunderchild called, trying not to get lit on fire.

"Trust me! It's his kryptonite! Insulting and undermining him weakens his powers!"

"Alright, you're the boss!"

"What's wrong Suckomon?! Can't hit anything that's not point blank?!" Gag called. I heard some venom in his tone.

As groanworthy as the pun was, Thunderchild flew up and kicked one launcher away as Azure Raven was busy snarling in rage, dodging a rocket aimed right at him, only for Nameless to just smack him with the other launcher like a club. Audience used the moment to hit the last rocket in that launcher with an arrow...and in a sheet of flame, it exploded.

"Thanks for those exploding arrowheads, Ellis," He shouted loudly.

"Got a little somethin' else actually...Here's the pitch, ya son of a bitch!"

Ellis had pulled a grenade, and kicked it right at Nameless as he emerged from the flames as dramatically as he was capable of. He batted it off away with his remaining sword.

"Home run?"

And then I noticed something.

"Buck! Hit the deck!" I yelled as Nameless had charged up that destructive spell of his WHILE in the fire.

We jumped out of the way as it barely missed and blew a gigantic hole in the wall behind us.

"Still missed!" Thunderchild called.

As the smoke cleared, I noticed a rather furious Solomon had charged Garnet with his sword...

Another exploding arrow then smashed the blade. Nameless sighed and glared at us as Garnet fell back.

"I don't break your toys, Lance-Corporal...Maybe I should?"

He then pulled out a sleek black rifle with a curved waffle-patterned magazine behind the trigger, and maybe a scope on the top. He fired a short burst, and took Audience's crossbow apart with the volley.

"Let's see you throw arrows at me now, you wre-"

Gag had pinched an arrow with his wing, and hurled it right at Nameless. Amazingly, he had managed to throw it right into the scope. It got stuck, true, but still...

"How the Tartarus did you do that?!" I asked, staring in blank shock.

"Um, kind of an accident..." Gag blinked.

"Like you, then! Your parents should have sued the contraceptive manufacturers!"

"Even if that was true at least he was actually born!" I taunted, firing the sword-gun (and missing).

Audience's concussive horn bolts fired at the gun Nameless had, however, did not miss.

"Unicorn, you stupid featherbrain, the bow is just easier to use for accuracy!"

He tried to pull out a huge revolver that seemed to fire off one grenade, but Audience shot the launcher out of Solomon's grasp, the shell detonating harmlessly as everypony dodged.

"Ha! Gag's got better aim on accident than you do on purpose!" Thunderchild quipped.

"By accident Thunderchild, it's by accident," Audience corrected.

"Mine's got a better beat!"

"It's grammatically incorrect!"

Two massive automatic shotguns suffered the same fate, spiraling away from the insane Cervicorn.

"Oh, screw this!" Azure Raven yelled, eyes becoming slitted like a dragon as he pulled out a new weapon from nowhere...

...An actual cannon. Like a bigger version of that multiple barreled thing back in Columbia, but held only by his horns.

"I am sick of you five being here!"

It began firing even faster than the twin guns from before. To make things worse, he proceeded to start shooting lightning from his horn and antlers in all directions, making taking cover even harder, apparently deciding that that if his aim was being affected by his anger, to not NEED to aim.

"And I'm sick of your shields, Sparkle!"

With a pop, he did dispel them. I threw them back up just in time.

I could barely see Azure Raven, the huge tongue of flame his gun spat out blinding me if I looked up there, and I was busy keeping the shields up...Only to then be kicked in the face as the gun fell silent.

"SURPRISE, WRETCH!" Azure Raven cackled as even in the red glow of the Iron Curtain, a new red aura formed around me and the enemy.

The Death Dome. A deep, somber, but menacing music began playing.

"And now the hero's music plays as he claims victory."

"Captain!" Someone yelled.

"He is trapped, and you get to watch him die. I will let you know how he will die... like the technician from before..."

My friends were all around me and ugly, and I saw looks of horror pass over their faces as he made them remember.

"He's helpless...And I'm done playing around. First him, then you five...Oh, but this is going to taste so good...Captain, rejoice, you will be the first in twenty-five years to witness me in ALL MY GLORY!"

He grinned, sharp teeth now visible and his eyes becoming that unearthly whitelight. His skin started to tear like a cheap costume. With an unholy roar, a mass of shadows began to erupt from the holes in his guise as I got to my hooves. I looked up into its 'eyes' staring at me like I was a gazelle in the claws of a dragon, its form seeming to be a vaguely equine shaped mass of wailing shadows that towered above me.

I couldn't make out details because they kept CHANGING! One moment one leg was a pony's, the next it was a griffin's, then it was a dragon's! It had wings or horns, then it didn't! I swear for a second it looked like it had a dragonfly's wings! I swear the shadows composing it were LOOKING at me! My brain feels like it's about to snap in two just looking at it!

"For the glory of the Hooviet Empire and Father Deer!"

"No...stop! I don't want to be part of a monster!"

"We must recover! The Empire must not fall!"

"Kill me please! I beg you!"

"I hope she likes the gift I got her."

They weren't Solomon's voice. It was like a chorus coming from inside him!

"NOW. BECOME A PART OF ME!"

Opening its maw, bathing the area in white light as it descended on me...

Only for a shout to distract us all.

"Hey, butthead...what happens...if I do...this?"

We all looked at the door. Gilda had managed to grab the fallen revolver grenade launcher. There wasn't a record scratch, but maybe there should have been.

She was aiming right at the Iron Curtain's orb, blood dripping from her beak.

Solomon's shadows recoiled in on themselves, as he screamed.

"YOU...YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN DEAD! NO! NO!"

"...I thought your hits didn't look fatal with this special armor," Garnet taunted.

Gilda, as usual, refused to follow his script. She fired every grenade, slamming into the orb, throwing cracks all over it.

Nameless screeched in rage, extending the reach of his dome but now encasing Gilda. The dome slammed into the others and threw them into the walls. I WISH I'd had time to make sure they were okay. He teleported over, back in his Cervicorn form, drawing a knife from his hyperspace arsenal.

I charged after him, but Azure Raven was two fast and Gilda staggered onto her paws, bleeding profusely from her wounds. With her last ounce of strength, it seemed, she was defying him, as she dodged his swing, grabbing his knife and jabbing it into his back. Seemed Nameless' rage was effecting his fighting ability.

He cursed, lashing out with antlers, only for Gilda to rake her talons down his leg. He cried out, kicking her away into the Death Dome's wall, then chasing down. She dodged to his left and tried to draw her own knife to stab him in the chest, but a hoof knocked it away and then smashed across her beak.

She promptly punched him on the snout.

"...WRETCH! Now you die," he screamed, lowering his horn and stabbing her in the chest, antlers going into her front legs, impaling them.

"NO!" I yelled, but it's like I was running it slow-motion.

Gripping her in his telekinesis to keep her stuck, he shook her a little, and threw her away. She let out a short gasp, but she was too far gone now to even scream.

"Nothing smart to say now, huh?! Let's hear you scream in agony like you should have!" He screeched even as her blood dripped from his horn and antlers.

"Buck...you," She hissed instead. She was gone.

I kicked him in the head for that, while he was too busy staring at her corpse in rage.

"Nameless! You've lost, you insane piece of horseapples! Look at what she did to your curtain!"

The orb was cracking even more, red energy spilling from it.

He stared, wide-eyed from beneath the crimson mask of blood. Gilda's blood.

"No...No, it has to fix..."

The cracks refused to heal. He tried to drop his death dome...

"What?!"

"Nice try, Nameless, but...this one is mine now. Blocking all your magic too."

He screamed and tried to kick at me. I dodged, and with my return blow, smashed one of his antlers with a buck. He screeched in pain and stumbled on his hooves, wailing in pain.

"Not so tough when you're so clopped off you can't say 'I'm a black belt,' are you?" I asked. "Your cheating just failed!"

He looked at me wide 'with what passed for his eyes'. The wound on his head seems to glow. "F-f-failed? I...we...i aM NoT A fAiLuRe!"

An image faded like a movie reel flashed through my head.

An Alicorn Princess, with sparkling eyes, sparkling mane, sparkling coat, sparkling crown, sparkling regalia that was covered in rainbow jewels, a cutie mark showing a castle, a crown, daisies, diamonds, rubies, a happy cat face, a sun and moon, and had a completely different mark on on her other flank, a heart tattoo on her face.

She was pulled down in chains, one being held by a muscular human in a toga, another chain held by a giant human dressed like a logger, a sword was struck through her tail, held by a knight wearing a crown, and a whip around her neck held by Daring Do? There were others but I didn't pay attention.

They were in a castle with a roof higher than any I'd seen in Canterlot that looked like it had been the scene of huge battle, her muzzle was stained with...light, like the kind I had seen taken out of that poor deer, she was surrounded by lifeless shadows all with holes in their chests, traces of light staining the edges. Looking closer, the land outside the throne room seemed...drained or twisted. Corrupted. I can't describe it honestly. It just felt...like stolen dreams. I know that sounds corny, but it's how it FELT. The group struggled to keep her down and all looked wounded and worn, like they'd been through the fight of their lives.

I saw her, Pandora, slowly walking towards the princess, a sad, pained look on her face. She looked younger. She was holding a little open black keepsake box with gold trim in her limbs, covered in locks. The princess looked in terror.

"WHY?!" The princess screeched, her beautiful voice fracturing and echoing. "I LOVE THESE STORIES! I JUST WANTED TO BE A PART OF THEM! I JUST WANTED EVERYONE TO LOVE ME TOO! I JUST WANTED TO FIX EVERYTHING! I WAS MAKING EVERYTHING BETTER! MOTHER!"

"No, you couldn't settle for just a part. You wanted them to be ABOUT you," Pandora replied, like a mother talking to their child who was on the other side of prison bars. "You wanted to be the main character of EVERYONE'S story instead of just yours. You weren't helping stories that were 'broken', you changed stories the way you wanted them to go. You didn't see other creature's stories, you just saw stories without you in them."

"So what? I'm the archetype of the perfect pony, the perfect princess, I should be in every story! They should all be about me! They should all go the way I want! Everyone should love me!!!!" She snarled, revealing now pointed fangs.

Pandora looked shocked for a moment. "...No...You've made yourself into a mockery of a dream. You have no substance, no depth, no shading, no identity. All you are is your power. Any characters who contradicts you has to be in the wrong. You have to be always in the right, always have the moral high ground, always the one with the sharpest insight, always the one with the most power. You don't care about the story at all. All you care about is being the center of attention. You're not a hero. You're empty. I'm sorry, for failing you."

Pandora approached the Princess. "Return to your proper places," the Imagination Goddess said, pressing a warted hand to the Princess' chest, causing both to glow with magic. Countless stars spewed out of the princess' mouth. She was getting smaller, less detailed.

"I HATE YOU! NO ONE RESPECTS ME! I DESERVE EVERYTHING!!! You cheat! Everyone love me! Love me! I am the hero! I should decide how the story should be! You villains! I hero! Love...me ..." The lights floated into the shadows, solidifying into super heroes, knights, wizards, and foals. The chains hit the floor. A child's scribble was sucked into the tiny box which sealed itself and everything went black.

I gasped and I dropped the hijacked dome as...voices began to come from nowhere...

"Kill him now!"

"Just end him!"

"What the hay..." I wondered.

The others stood beside me.

"Do you all hear that?" I asked. I didn't ask if any of them had just seen what I had just seen.

"Yeah, like dozens of voices..." Thunderchild whispered.

"What do we do now?" Ellis said.

I drew the sword-gun, back into a sword.

"Audience, shoot the orb."

He complied. Nameless let out another scream of denial, but seemed too enraged to do anything about it.

And then, the orb shattered like glass, a wave of red energy throwing all of us into the walls. Somehow, I stayed conscious, but I saw Solomon hadn't flown with us. He was trying to hover off the ground in the wash of energy...Like he was growing his antler back.

He dropped down. I glanced at the squad, all of them having trouble getting back up, but alive...

"You...You little worms...You little ponies!"

I climbed to my hooves as fast as I could, drawing Dima's sword.

"Get up, guys..."

His teeth were stuck as fangs, and his antlers were sharpened. Suddenly, one black feathered wing erupted out of his back.

"...Great, forgot about that cliche," I complained to nopony since my friends were out of it. The benefits and curses of a thick skull...

"It is no cliche, you wretched spawn of a foul goddess...It is godhood. For I am a god! I am the true Father Deer! I always WAS a god and shall forever BE a god! I will take up arms against the pantheon of failures and I shall enforce my will...across all their timelines...across all their wretched worlds!" he announced as his skin turned blood red and black armor formed.

"Uh yeah, you might want to look behind you," I warned as his transformation continued.

"Behind me? Pha! That is the past, and I control the past! He who controls the past commands the future, He who commands the future, conquers the past!" He said in a voice like a dozen roars together.

"...No, physically behind you. In the wreck of your destroyed superweapon...Well, your latest destroyed superweapon."

He actually turned rather than assuming it was a trick.

"Oh. You."

There, welcome for the first time ever, was the black nothingness of that wolf. It looked at me for a moment...then sniffed and slowly turned towards Nameless with a snarl.

"...yoU havE defileD mucH oF creatioN ,failurE oF pandorA"

"Failure?! You are the failure, little cleaner! You let this little horseapple here live!" He pointed at me.

".yoU interfereD witH mY tasK .protecteD thE infectioN .yoU madE mE faiL"

"Oh, and his singing whore goddess didn't help?! You cannot defy a god, little Psoglov! AND I AM A GOD!" Five more black wings erupted from his back and he began to grow larger, now a head larger than Celestia.

"...nO goD. yoU arE noT A goD .yoU arE aN invadeR .nO merE infectioN .yoU havE defieD youR concepT tO bE herE"

"Oh, shut up you bastard son of a nag and just erase this pain in the- AAARGH!"

I took my chance, diving at the lunatic and pinning him.

"NOW! JUST TAKE US BOTH!" I yelled at the black nothingness.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): NO!)

It's the only way! Solomon might have swung the wolf to his side!

"GET OFF ME WRETCH!" Solomon kicked me off, and away from the wolf.

He then span and kicked it. The wolf recoiled from the blow!

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): ...Aw rocks.)

Another sword came from nowhere, a blue-glowing curved blade.

"Little son of a cripple, if the dog will not obey a master, it is put down! This is the Water Blade, designed specifically to destroy you, as you know!"

Solomon swung it at the wolf...who simply ate the sword.

".yoU seeM tO bE confuseD witH someonE elsE"

And it leapt right at him. Nameless tried to kick again, but nothing happened. The wolf simply swiped, slicing three glowing red lines across his gaudy cutie mark...causing it to start melting.

"N-NO! YOU CANNOT!"

A Death Dome appeared around the wolf. That did seem to trap it, it 'tested' the spell and seemed annoyed when it didn't cease to exist at its touch, ".cheateR" for now, but each swipe caused cracks in the dome as Nameless tried to back away, bleeding lights from his wound...

The lights slowly floated up and seemed to look right at me...Then I remembered the technician being eaten...

"End it!" the voices called as more began to bleed out of him.

I looked at Nameless, who seemed to be getting weaker and weaker. I noticed parts of his melting Cutie Mark beginning to fade away.

He was trying desperately to grab the lights or otherwise stop them from escaping his body.

"No! If you leave I won't be me anymore! I'll lose all I am! Get back inside!" he yelled, trying to swallow the lights, but they just kept bleeding out.

"Solomon, not wise, and no king, your 'name' is an insult," I said simply as he kept backing away. He turned, looking fearful. I noticed some of his features were beginning to become more plain as well.

"Sparkle...You can make a second new Death Dome, trap that wolf! You have to stop it or it will claim you too! I beg you!" Each slash from the Wolf made Nameless cringe, like the feedback alone was hurting him.

"Oh, now you need my mercy? Bad news. I can't make your Death Dome at all. I just figured out how to take control of them. Your spell is impossible and now the wolf knows it."

"W-well, you can add more power to the dome, take control of it, hold it back! I can...I can give you anything, Sparkle! Money, mares, I could burn down White Hoof Lane!"

"How, exactly? You've lost. You power is literally bleeding out of you."

"I...I tried to make you powerful already! I altered Maasailand's prophecy for you and you wasted it! You could have had an army as their Messiah!" Aspects of his voice began to disappear as well.

"Of pacifists?"

He sneered.

"Well, you're a complete little wimp anyway who always goes pretending to be non-lethal, might as well give you an army in your image!"

I turned around and kicked him in a flash.

"You mistake avoiding conflict for pacifism, 'Azure Raven'. We ponies love peace...but when push comes to shove..."

I gave him another kick as he scrambled back to his hooves.

"...We can fight. And if you didn't notice...I killed your Alicorn Cyborgs because I was freeing them. I didn't object to my allies killing when they had to. I just choose not to kill directly because I know I can avoid it."

He had tried to flee the weakening dome where the Wolf was almost free. It wasn't even attacking anymore, it was just waiting like a hungry manticore, watching the dome weaken as Nameless did. He was starting to flicker, like a glitching video game.

He then looked at me. "...you c-could have let your squad kill me when...when I fled my control room...they wouldn't be hurt, and I wouldn't have this blood on my hooves...You failed to save your Uncle, he died because of you. Hehe...you don't know how much strength I have left...maybe I could use every ounce of it to destroy your little friends over there, destroy myself and take everything with me...you don't know, do you? Maybe...maybe I could even use it to make a Diamond Dog...with a spear appear in a certain lavender unicorn's living room...one of the lights I still have inside it to give it an independent existence...you don't know, and you don't care do you? Hehe...you are weak..."

I narrowed my eyes, seeing red other than the blood on his face. "I don't kill the helpless...But now, I'll to make an exception."

I loved the fear in his eyes as I put a dome of my own around him and began to collapse it inwards...

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): SHINING, STOP! You don't want to do this!)

Yes I bucking do. It's more mercy than the sick bucker deserves. Nothingness is too good for him! The sound of his bones crushing is gonna be music. Now either get out of my head or shut your cave! The guilty must be punished! My only regret is that I can only do it once!!!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Would it be what everypony he's killed and hurt deserves? To be locked in the fates HE wrote for them?)

Distracted, I released the dome. I looked at his fearful eyes as he stumbled back, tripping over-

...Gilda.

I looked at him. "Was that you?"

"W-what?" Nameless stammered. He looked like he didn't know WHAT he was thinking anymore, let alone able to mind manipulate me.

Buck...That psycho-me was all me, wasn't it?

"I wanted to make an exception...but I guess the wolf saw you first,"I said, picking him up in the shield and merging it into the dome, which I then dispelled.
"Besides, you're not worth it. You never were...and you never will be."

He tried to run, but the wolf pounced upon him. Solomon's kicks didn't even make it flinch now, and every swipe drew constellations of lights. I noticed it went straight for his wings first, slashing them and causing them to fall apart.

"H-help me you fool, it wants you next!" Solomon wailed, sounding more pitiful than ever.

His voice had began to crack, like a radio or speaker that was malfunctioning.

I just watched without comment, blank-faced.

"You...You lunatic! You fool...He's coming when I am...When I am gone! I could have stopped him, if I had the power. And you?...You won't last a minute the second it finishes me! Then HE rises...Your cousin from...from...where we aren't...dies...without...without meaning." He kept having to stop as he spoke, like he was looking for words that should be obvious.

I shut him out, turned away, and walked back to my squad. Gag's wing had started bleeding again, it seemed. The others were still groggy, but Garnet was trying to help him.

"...Sir? Is it over?" She asked.

I glanced back. Nameless had kicked the wolf off, trying to crawl away...but his hind legs had vanished, trailing light behind him. His eyes had stopped being eyes -they were now just the bright lights they'd become when he transformed before. As for his appearance; if I hadn't known he was 'Makarov', I wouldn't even of recognized him without the traits he'd stolen from others. He wasn't a child's scribble, he was still some...THING. A Shadow.

The lights floated over to me as they left him.

"Thank you..." each whispered. I gave them a simple nod back as I replied to my medic.

Nameless had stopped running, it looked at the Wolf like a cornered animal and emitted an echoing roar. It lunged at the Wolf, biting and clawing at it as the Wolf returned in kind. Even though its blows weren't even fazing the Wolf, they hurt the Shadow instead, like a sand castle against a tidal wave, the Shadow kept trying to fight back and defy its fate.

"Nearly. Everything'll be okay in a minute or two. You'll all be fine soon..."

"Don't feel fine, Sir...Mah dang head feels like it's been smashed open..." Ellis groaned. He'd got himself a nasty head wound somewhere, but it seemed Garnet had got to him already.

"Trust me, buddy, you'll be fine," I said, watching the Wolf overpower its foe, grab Nameless' neck, and bite down.

And with that, the thing that called itself Solomon Azure Raven Makarov burst into the last few lights, vanishing. The Wolf turned to look right at me as the Death Dome just disappeared.

"Well, come on, then. I did my job. Start fixing things!"

Everything began to glow white around me, and the wolf just looked at me.

".timE .iT iS buT A matteR of timE .thE timelinE shalL bE restoreD fullY"

"...And my friends? They're not going to just be erased from existence or something?"

".nO .theY belonG .I onlY erasE thaT whicH shoulD havE neveR beeN, noT whaT shoulD bE .theiR shadowS wilL bE healeD .theiR lightS wilL forgeT whaT neveR happeneD tO begiN witH"

I looked down and noticed they'd become shadows with lights floating inside them, one each. Their wounds healed. Gag...Gag's wing was growing back. When it was done, the shadows were sucked into the lights and they all flew off in the same direction.

".theY returN tO wherE theY arE supposeD tO bE"

I looked at myself and saw I was a shadow too, or turning to one...What color is my light?

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Purple.)

Hehe. Shoulda known.

"And Dima? The Rebels?"

".thE samE .theiR fateS' arE beinG repaireD .deatH wilL returN dimA"

"And Twilight?"

".shE iS finE"

A shadow of nothingness that had nothing more to do right now about the Shadow of Chernobull...But there was still me.

And then there was nothing at all...

Then there was everything, and everypony.

Cadence........

Author's Note

Story Arc written by LZ0291 lz0291.deviantart.com/ as was this chapter.

Shining Armor is given a two year tour of the world to be the captain of Princess Cadence's body guard. Yeah. That's all. That's everything Yep. Nothing what so ever else. *AJ's Liar face*

"Time is an ocean in a storm."

This storyline runs PARALLEL to the events in the Dark World storyline narrative wise.

Please help the trope http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries and recap pages. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/PonyPOVSeries (please?)

Previous Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Shining-Armor-17-Part-4-418403321

Next Chapter:

First Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Fluttershy-FlutterCruel-Pearls-260092460

MLP: FiM is copyright of Hasbro

Image by Kendell2 http://kendell2.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Shining-Armor-vs-Makarov-418176949

Group Music Suggestions For This Part

Makarov's cliche form.
= One winged Angel = Final Fantasy VII

Breaking Makarov's games before and after his transformations
The Wonderful 101 Music - EV22 Intertwined - Wonderful 101
Makarov's Fate
= Bleach: Hell Chapter OST- Cometh The Hour (Part A_Opus1) =,Shirō Sagisu, Bleach

world restored, not erased)
= "Each and All" = Rin Oikawa
album : Take Your Way"
LZ's music references

"What's the plan?"
A Demon's Fate, Within Temptation, The Unforgiving
Battle at the Bottom of the Elevator Shaft
Onwards, Lorne Balfe, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
We Found The Bastard
Solomon's Theme, Johan Skugge & Jukka Rintamäki, Battlefield 3
Makarov's Pick for Final Battle Theme
One Winged Angel,Nobuo Uematsu, Final Fantasy VII
Possible Final Battle Themes If You'd Rather Defy Nameless
The Darkness of Eternity,Nobuo Uematsu, Final Fantasy IX
Battlefield, Instrumental Core Music, inspired by Battlefield Theme by Joel Eriksson, Johan Skugge & Jukka Rintamäki.
Gilda Defies Nameless
A God King Bleeds, Tyler Bates, 300
Orb Shattered Like Glass
The Wolf, Tyler Bates, 300
The Finale
Dead Reckoning, Clint Mansell, Smokin' Aces
2013 Dec 15: Added a bit of quipping between Thunderchild and Audience

Episode 137: (Shining Armor): At the End Act Five: Come Undone

Episode 138: (Shining Armor): dnaL railimaF A nI regnartS-Stranger In A Familiar Land Part 1

Pony POV Series
"Shining Armor"
Part 18.1
dnaL railimaF A nI regnartS-Stranger In A Familiar Land

It was like waking up. The white light had faded, and I was in a room... One I'd both never seen and knew somehow to be the embassy in... Hakuna Matata, the capital of Kundu...

The alarm was another radio, tuned into our flotilla's station.

"-my hero through it all. I thank you for the moments of your life, and never giving up on me..."

This wasn't was right. I'd been in a northern city port, not the capital on the lake in the middle...

...It had worked? He was gone and so was all he'd done? The world was as it should be?

I touched my chest. The bruising from the sniper round I'd taken wasn't there, I felt good as new. I didn't feel tired or sore like I'd just been through Tartarus on Equestria.

...Where was everypony?

An answer burst in the door a moment later.

"Shining, are you alright?!" Cadence practically yelled.

"I, uh... Y-yes, I'm fine, why?"

"You and the rest of your squad were..."

Oh horseapples, does she...

"Princess, what's wrong?!" Sunset asked as she arrived, Twinkle Shine and an oddly disturbed looking Minuette arriving in tow.

The noise was also attracting attention from Guards. I felt like I was looking at a mirror to a certain event involving an existence erasing Wolf, a chase scene, and an empty airship...

"...Um... I thought... Makarov had..."

Oh buck!

"Who?" Twinkle Shine asked.

Cadence looked around my room in confusion, as I tried not to catch her gaze. Her eyes landed on the map I'd hung on the wall, the gift from Twiley...

"...Shining, that map."

"Yeah, Twilight gave it to me, I know it's not the regulation one but-"

"No, where the hay is the Hooviet Empire?!" She shouted, causing a gasp from Minuette.

I examined it... And the largest nation on the planet wasn't there any more! Well, okay, it sort of was, but now it was clearly marked 'Roedina' and a few other smaller nations.

"...Princess, the Hooviet Empire collapsed twenty years ago," A guard said.

"I... I know, Captive, I... I could have sworn..."

"Everypony-"

Griffen cleared his throat.

"Everycreature, could I perhaps have a minute alone with the Princess? And no smart remarks..."

"Wasn't planning on it," Twinkle Shine lied.

"Or musical numbers."

"Aww..."

Everyone shuffled off, but the door remained open. I quietly put a shield up to stop noises from escaping. Or any songs from getting in.

"Okay, Princess, I think this might be a long story..." I began, only for Minuette to poke her head around the door again. I resisted the urge to face hoof at me forgetting to lock the door on top of the shields.

"Er... Can I stay? I... I think I know what you're both talking about..."

We both stared at her in confusion for a few seconds, and then, it got complicated.

"You remember too, Minny?!" Cadence asked.

"The... Makarov capturing everypony, yes. I remembered we were all... You were so afraid, Princess, and so were we! But now we're in Kundu, we've been here all week, but yesterday I remember we just arrived and..."

"But why? Why only us three?"

"It's a long story, like I said," I spoke up.

I kept it to the basics. Azure Raven had been an alteration to time, some cosmic horror the Hooviets had accidentally unleashed, had been feeding off the existences of others, and we were probably remembering a world from before his damages were repaired. Except, something told me not to mention the wolf... If I placed too much worry on her, too much faith in her, she'd fear for me every moment... and when she feared for me, the Wolf came. So I...adjusted things a bit.

If she was afraid all the time... and if it really was still after me... If it GOT me, she'd still remember me, and she felt she failed to protect me...

"So when his machine broke down, his changes all undid themselves including his own existence? That... That makes a lot of sense, somehow," Minuette shivered.

"Yeah, apparently, the accident at Chernobull that let him in, had to stay open, and he'd opened a new gap to try alter reality, but me closing both...undid him," I lied about what had now never happened.

"...Why aren't you calling him Makarov anymore?" Cadence wondered. I realized she'd never heard me call the late General-Admiral anything else.

"It, uh," I stumbled on that one, recalling Dima and the other rebels.

Would they be in different lives now? Would I ever see any of them again? And what of my own squad, of all those I'd encountered, everything that had happened...

I suddenly had thoughts of... different events. We'd still met The Doctor. I'd still had a chase in Columbia... but not with Hooviets.

"...It was someone I met, they called him that, but I... I suppose I never met him now..."

A bar in Caledonia, a Deer officer of the Guard...

"...Maybe I did, I'm not sure. Um, what else do you know has changed, because I'm getting a little..."

"Whatsh all the noishe up here about?"

The Ambassador entered, a cup of coffee held in his telekinesis.

"Admiral Bond, the Princess was just... Admiral Bond?!"

Getting ready quickly, we wound up having a fairly awkward breakfast where Cadence explained a (slightly falsified) story to... Rear Admiral Sir Saltire Bond (Ret.), the Laird of Skyfall and his wife, Lady Monique Delacroix-Bond. Who looked a lot better than when I'd last saw them...

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Is that really appropriate?)

Ahh! You're still here?!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Yes. We had to find you again, but we're still here. Don't worry, Nameless' been obliterated and reabsorbed by Pandora, to our knowledge everything SHOULD be fine. We're just going to keep being support while you catch up to the present.)

Oh...ok...Is it weird I can still know you're there?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): No, because you remember us being there, our glamour doesn't work on you. It's the nature of how we work.)

Really?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): As close as we can really put it. Do you want to spend ten minutes discussing timey whimey stuff and giving yourself a headache again or just accept it and move on?)

...Just accept it. Do I need to fill you in on what you missed?

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): No, I set it to autorecord before the temporal reset.)

You can do that?

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Yeah, but we don't like to because then we can't be the Good Alicorn on pony's shoulders!)

I guess that makes about as much sense as anything else.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Wait, if you didn't think we were here why were you still thinking in past tense?)

I...don't know...I think thinking in it so long broke my brain...

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Could you please answer my original question?)

Maybe that joke about Mrs. Bonds appearance was in bad taste, but, they were very welcome physical changes to what had been. The Defiant hadn't crashed here twenty years ago, it had helped Equestria have decent relations with nearly all factions in the civil war that had been kept in stalemate by Columbian peacekeepers - and was ultimately ended six years ago by Defiant leading an Equestrian force in to replace the Columbians after peace talks reached that agreement for ceasefire because Azure Raven and the Hooviets weren't there to disrupt it.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Bond's parents, and all the others on the Defiant, and all those the Defiant saved are alive because of you, Shining. You should be proud of yourself.)

...I wasn't on the Defiant leading the mission...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): But you saved their lives so they could.)

I guess I did...Just doing my duty for the Princesses and Equestria.

There are still only three, right? Azure Raven didn't eat a fourth Princess representing cliches or being annoying did he?

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Yes, there are still only three. And glad to see you still have your Equestrian Wit.)

Good. Learning about Luna had been a big enough shock.

The Admiral proudly wore his Campaign Medal and his Harmony Horseshoe. Another surprise had been when I was getting ready. I'd found my own campaign medals for peacekeeping - in Kundu and a place called Chernarus. I'd also found a Guard Distinguished Service Medal I'd apparently earned in the latter location. I'd had no medals of my own at all before.

"...I said you seem rather interested in my father's Harmony Horseshoe, Captain. Wanting one?" Commander Bond was... teasing me?!

I turned to face him and is that a Con Mane book in front of him?! And is he grinning?! This is just unsettling.

"N-no, Commander, just... You seem, er, rather cheerful..."

"Well, it's just, to be honest it's a little amusing the Princess had such a rather odd dream."

"W-well, it rather unsettled her so I'm not so sure it..."

"Pfft, you're so humorless, Captain," Manes shrugged and went back to his book.

...Knowing what he'd have been like if Azure Raven was still around, that one really stung.

"I had the impression you didn't like those books..." I spoke up.

"Nonshenshe. Manesh can't get enough of them. Shure, he'sh worked enough with real epshionage typesh in the Shecret Intelligence Shervice and UNIT to know it'sh all make-believe but that'sh what'sh sho fun, right, Shon?" Admiral Bond answered for his shon. Er, son.

"Pretty much."

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): So he's not some sorta scary super-serious spy guy any more?)

Oh, he's still SIS and probably every bit as badflank as he was before, it's just he's not quite so serious any more and the real one uses more amusing gadgets now apparently...And I'm assuming the 'is no longer an orphan' thing helped.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Oh, good, Celestia finally got her prank-based espionage agency...)

What?

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Nothing, continue.)

Kundu was... Well, it was now the last leg of our trip, and it turned out we'd arrived just the night before. Triana, you see, was reunited... so we'd visited the whole place.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): So what else changed?)

Well, Cadence and Minuette wanted to discuss that with me, actually.

"Okay, so, that thing in Columbia first... That was all Nightmare Moon cultists after me?"

"I think so..." I said as Minuette checked her diary.

"Yeah, uh... You managed to announce she'd been defeated to the President without him interfering and it had become major news by lunchtime, except it turned out... Uh, Captain can you try to find a report, actually, this one got messy..."

I recalled it too. Cadence frowned. We fetched a report, which confirmed the three of us hadn't jointly gone nuts.

It seemed the NMM cult had been angry and wanted revenge on Celestia for attacking their mistress. There had been quite a few groups like them across Griffin lands (a fair few Griffins impressed by Nightmare Moon - oddly enough mostly lower-classes given she killed a lot of kings and princes...), but this small group was openly a cult, having barely been tolerated by the government because of freedom of expression laws, and the fact the leaders had the money to afford lawsuits if anyone dared to snoop in on them -especially the press. Despite their own introduction package saying if their queen fell they had to kill the other Alicorns themselves to bring her back.

They'd sent a threat to us the night we arrived. They claimed they were among us without identifying themselves... and yes, poor Sunset was mistaken for a spy still. I suppose it was good to know she and Ranger were still together, but...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Say, how come this cult never showed up before?)

...Well, given their leader had a golden skull for a cutie mark and had been a famous actor, that maybe give a hint why the Hooviets replaced them before? I guess the Hooviets had to get their compulsion to make it blatantly obvious they were evil from somewhere.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Actually, the Hooviet March was unchanged.)

Okay, then I guess the Hooviets are where Azure Raven got his compulsion to make it blatantly obvious he was evil.

Meanwhile, Cadence's first foray outside Equestria had attracted the attention of another group, Maasailand. The Brotherhood had sent an Inquisitor to covertly try and see if maybe she was the right Goddess for them (at least, so we now knew - it had been added to the report I fetched later).

The NMM cult hired a local gang to perform the hit. Their escape plan had been to draw any chasing troops into an ambush, like before: but there had been no riot as a cover. In truth they were trying to cause a diversion for their own attack.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): So no tripods this time?)

Thank Celestia no tripods this time! But instead, what happened was this. The Diamond Dog woke me up like before but when fleeing? Slammed head-first into the lost Inquisitor. He then screamed at seeing what to him looked like some kind of assassin (or at the very least another assassin considerably more intimidating looking than himself), was convinced he'd been set up as a decoy, and ran.

We chased, and Audience didn't shoot a gunner dead this time. Ellis subdued the whole gang pretty much himself when they tried to ambush us - they didn't have such fancy weapons this time.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): So all the Diamond Dogs lived?)

Yes, filly, they all lived.

And then the Cultists tried to attack us and our prisoners before the Police arrived, instead of going for the embassy since it was now on lockdown. They'd managed to source pretty good magical armor and had some high level unicorn mages skilled in dark magic. Audience was forced to cripple a cultist unicorn for life, shoot him right in the base of his horn, shattering it and damaging the magic center of his brain, one that had been carrying an automatic airgun (though one considerably less advanced than the Hooviets' had), when he'd began firing on the police on top of his dark magic spells and I had been recovering from a pretty nasty dark magic spell that had almost gone through my shield. Despite what science fiction and Makarov claim, magic can be just as dangerous as technology.

Thunderchild managed to stop that guy. Audience couldn't stun him, and even when he tried an arrow, it was eaten by his black magic shields. A bolt of lightning disrupted that.

The fallout from that had been considerably messier in another sense than the previous timeline though (even though no riot equaled less property damage and deaths), no cover-up... Just a very angry reaction from the press and Princess Luna, while happy she HAD followers, making it quite clear she wouldn't tolerate criminal acts in her name. Other denominations following the basic principles were happy to shift to simply worshipping Luna instead, except some in Knossos who insisted the real Nightmare Moon was meant to be coming back in TEN thousand years, and that it had always been Luna.

Sure, the ink was still wet on their parchments proclaiming that it had always been that time... but nopony minded as long as they didn't try to set fire to anything. I was informed Luna's reaction to that was 'a head desk so powerful it broke the table in front of her and cracked the floor under it.' Or that's the rumor at least.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Don't worry, Luna sets them straight on the next Nightmare Night.)

Good to know. We'd went to the Roedinian Embassy and looking at it from where we were now... it had been very odd. For starters, all the 'we kicked the dragon's flanks' and 'war is glorious' decorations were replaced with a lot of nature imagery that was a VERY welcome improvement.

Ambassador Reznov had heard of me, but I, er... had only heard of him as Ambassador. At least now I get why he was so amused by that (assuming he still has weird psychic powers)... and now I get why he said Mother Deer thanked me and wished me luck.

His bodyguard, a fanatically loyal Federal Protective Service Lieutenant named Chekov was in hindsight also 'familiar', but unaware that in the other timeline, he'd been a Commissar that shot himself... for no good reason, really. This time, he'd been regarding a Columbian Navy officer, a Lieutenant Commander Dai Mason, and his father, Colonel Alex Mason, with some suspicion, even though the elder Mason was close friends with the Ambassador...

Still, it took a certain kind of loyalty to your charge and your appointed task to be ready to suspect virtually anyone of being a spy or a threat until proven otherwise - even a Princess. Yes, he did seem to give Cadence a look-over as if to confirm she WASN'T a spy. The head of the Embassy's platoon of guard troopers, a certain Captain Nikolai Romanov, assured us the protective officer who he technically outranked was merely dedicated to the job rather than truly paranoid of everyone.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Sounds like someone else I know when he was a colt.)

Yeah, I suppose...wait, how did you-

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): There were two other ponies present and we're interviewers.)

Oh...yeah...right. Yeah, I guess me and Chekov actually did have a bit in common. He was dedicated to protecting his charge, I was dedicated to Twiley...I think Reznov is in good hooves.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): And Nikolai? What about him?)

Guy seemed a lot happier with himself. He was still a great swordsbuck (or at least that's what Reznov said about him), but now I think it was more out of dedication to the art than needing to fight for survival all his life. And yes, it felt bucking good to see one of the Rebels when their lives didn't revolve around saving creation from something Horsecraft probably couldn't cook up.

"And in Zebrawa, no Marauder Shields?"

Minuette flicked though.

"No. But, uh... Those really arrogant Airborne guards... they're part of the Harmony Guard now."

I groaned as I realized that a lot had changed... and I would need to try make sense of two different setups to the Guard over the next few days...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Think of how Minuette feels, having to work with two conflicting schedules, one of which involved an evil empire that no longer exists.)

At least she ENJOYS schedules.

I tried to think of the next big incident.

"Did Paisneigh Buddies actually beat us still?!" Cadence gasped.

"...They did. Celestia help us but that one still happened," I sighed. Me and Cadence promptly slammed our heads into a nearby wall.

Next, Minuette was nervous as we discussed the Doctor.

"Wait, uh, I just realized..." Cadence nodded towards the perch in her room, where the warbler was presently sitting.

"We met him when we met the Doctor," I sighed.

"Why haven't I named him yet?"

Our meeting with The Doctor had in fact been Equestria providing him and a local UNIT team some assistance... UNIT being an Equestrian-backed international peacekeeping force, the Unified International Taskforce. And it had in fact replaced events in the village in Nambutu.

"Does that mean..." Cadence looked at a box with a book on it, and was about to open it.

"NO! No, Princess, the bug is still in there!"

"WHY?! And why the heck did we keep it?!"

"...I think the scientists on Enterprise were arguing over studying it and you held onto it until they figured out what they were going to do?" I recalled.

But yes, The Doctor and UNIT. We'd had to face another blasted eldritch abomination! Why can I still say that after we got rid of the last one?!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): What about Order 1954? Doesn't it exist for stuff like this?)

Well yeah, sorta (though most aren't THAT big of a threat, and Nightmare Moon and Makarov are probably the only world threatening ones I'm aware of), just I thought they'd stop gravitating towards me!

It had been possessing villagers and fed on fear. It had made them paranoid, and they had began to be violent towards outsiders. UNIT had went in at the Doctor's request, and we had joined him. Gag's language talents let us figure out how to defeat it - a stone tablet had the idea of the demon written on it, letting us know the weaknesses. He also managed to devise lyrics for Cadence to sing that the possessed villagers (and some Nambutuan troopers from the UNIT contingent) would hear her and the creature would lose power as they were calmed, driving it out and letting The Doctor defeat it with mirrors. Given Gag had to figure out the language of the creature too from the stone tablet we found, it was no mean feat...

So yes, he was promoted for that of course (Ellis and Audience still got promoted in Columbia). And Garnet still gave him his kiss, which was nice. Yeah, she and Gag are still a couple, Gag still got a concussion slipping in water. Only this time it involved avoiding taking him to a new Roedinian biotechnology called 'Scan-Cats', these cats trained and magically conditioned to pick up certain injuries or illnesses that scan spells have trouble detecting. They still hate Gag. In fact, I think they hate him worse than normal cats. My guess is they react to the same unfortunate condition that causes him to think he's capable of telling jokes.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Wait...then what about the bug? Didn't Cadence need to power up for it to mutate in her mane?)

The Doctor mentioned that his method would only temporarily defeat the creature. Cadence was clopped off seeing what it'd done and didn't want to see it happen again, so she powered up and combined her magic song with the mirrors to turn it into an echo chamber. Between the two, it was defeated for good.

Oh, and there was one other weird thing...

"Splendid job! You're still a wonderful companion, Shiney, though I still don't think the universe would survive us regularly traveling together. Oh! And before I forget, great job dealing with that Imagination Eater!"

"What?"

"Oh, I'm sure you'll figure it out sooner or later."

Of course, Past Me hadn't known what the heck he was talking about...Who is that guy?

Also, Buranda, while having still cut down a lot of their rainforest BEFORE the Hooviets imploded, were more environmentally conscious and now, with Equestrian and Roedinian aid, performing reforestation efforts. I was right, the country was a lot more characterful with more house-trees, and looking to be on its way to being a pretty nice place to live.

It was recalling Maasailand that was the shocker really. Not only did the revelation about the Inquisitor back in Columbia take us by surprise, but it turned out... we had found their chosen one after all.

Are you a donkey, are you bald, do you have a goatee beard, and have you met a goddess that may fit the bill, Vectron asked.

My replies were no, no, no, yes, and...

"...You can answer yes to all those questions yourself though."

And of course, the prophecy said their chosen one will see the truth of his duty in the presence of white horses...

"...Hehe, that was actually kind of funny, his face when he realized it, and all his friends started fainting..." Cadence giggled.

"And all the Maasailanders planning to go around preaching about you!" Minuette laughed.

"Don't forget the bit when they said they'd avoid Equestria and one of them said 'hear hear, by Vectron's beard' and he just said 'oh dear, they're swearing on my bodyparts already...'. He just looked so bewildered!...Though admittedly, I can relate. Kinda never get used to 'by Cadence's mane.'"

"And then they gave you the 'Crown of Peace and Happiness.'" Minuette pointed out.

We all looked over to the crown, which was pitch black with blood rubies and scorpions embedded inside it, and lots of spikes. According to Cadence it was actually incredibly comfortable though.

A good laugh later, we had mostly recalled it all properly... and then they asked what happened with me, as I'd only skimmed before.

So I tried to explain in more detail. I omitted the Wolf of course, but instead, I claimed I'd thrown him into the machine.

"You...you erased him yourself?" asked Minuette, looking a bit scared.

"...'Solomon' was never supposed to exist, he was bending the world to his whims, devouring other's lives, literally...you weren't under the Iron Curtain...there were thousands, if not millions of deaths in there...And not a one of them was supposed to have ever happened. Him being undone was the only way to fix the damage he'd caused..." I won't say I wasn't glad Nameless had been destroyed...but that doesn't mean the things he almost drove me to won't haunt me.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): As I said before, it is not a sin to hate that which is evil, but it IS a sin to let that hatred become an unending grudge. That it still haunts you shows you didn't make that mistake.)

Thank you.

"...It was for the best, Shining," Cadence said gently.

I was about to make a request as Minuette them spoke again.

"What puzzles me though is... Why us? Cadence is an Alicorn, so I can understand her, but why me and the Captain?" Minuette fretted.

I had been about to ask to have the false memories of the time that never was erased. Cadence would give me clinical permission, there's no doubt about that...she'd seen it too.

Seeing so much death, seeing Gag get his wing blown off, Thunderchild tortured, the others beaten, memories of wars that never were...and none of it had ever happened, why should I remember it? I wouldn't be dishonoring deaths, they'd never happened at all. Why torture myself with this? Why remember suffering that never happened? A maniac that never existed? Why not have them taken away and live my life the way it was supposed to be? And wouldn't it be the best revenge possible on Azure Raven if that egomaniac was forgotten?

...But without Nameless, without all that, I wouldn't be the pony I am now. This new strength I can use to protect everypony would still be sealed away. I wouldn't remember seeing them stand up for me, like I know they still would...and Cadence and Minuette would have one less pony to confide in, they'd be even more alone.

And even if it never happened to us... it had happened to them, hadn't it? It was for the best maybe that someone remembered them, even if it was just three ponies...

...it was all I wanted myself, wasn't it? To be remembered. How could I ever ask to forget all those Ponsians, Neighponese, Columbians, even the Kunduans and Hooviets who had all died back there? They were probably alive now, but... they died there. Had that timeline continued as if Solomon had perished? Had it been remade into this one? I'd probably never know.

I couldn't forget. There was too much to remember.

"...I don't know, Minny, but I... I'm glad you both remember it too. I thought I was going mad this morning..." Cadence admitted, suddenly drawing us both into a hug.

"...Minuette, you sing about this and I'll let that bug loose," I warned.

The hug was broken up.

"Maybe you could both ask Auntie if she has any clue. She might even remember some of it herself after all."

"A good idea, Princess... We are heading back towards Equestria for a short while after this?"

"Er, should be. Let everypony see their families and stuff..." Minuette said.

As I was leaving a few moments later, Cadence halted us.

"Shining... I just realized, even without Makarov around, you looked over your shoulder a lot... Why was that?"

"...I'm cautious," I said.

We were going to be leaving Kundu behind, with good memories for most of us. Marelowe, who had spoken of of horrors in the timeline that never was... had met his cousins here. They had lived. The war had never got so horrendous. The Hooviets had collapsed when they were supposed to, so they never forced the Columbian Peacekeepers to withdraw, though as I said before, they'd only stopped the civil war getting brutal and paved the way for the eventual Equestrian intervention that took over to finally end it.

And we had been here to celebrate the re-election of the President of Kundu, and his second inauguration. Equestria had helped ensure democracy had came back to Kundu, and it was fitting we'd been here.

We'd started and ended on inaugurations too, I realized. If only we'd attended a wedding in Buranda...

I surveyed the city. A lot of the new buildings were Equestrian designs, naturally. I also scanned our honor guard that was forming up: Mostly old Equestrian ships that we'd given to the Kunduans to restore their Air Navy.

I was on the top deck of the Invincible, watching the last of our civilians boarding. Cadence and some of the others with wings were having quick flights. Including Gag to my delight, (though of course we couldn't tell him WHY the idea of him flying with two wings pleased me so much).

They weren't going far, so I had little worry about unwelcome interlopers at the moment. Cadence also seemed to want to keep me in eyesight anyway right now, after what Nameless had/hadn't done...

Other than a few Royal Marines milling around I was the only Guard on deck. Yes, the Air Naval Cavalry had become Royal Marines at some point in this timeline - seemingly about fifteen years back, which if I remembered right, had been when they had failed to get their name changed in the timeline that never was. A fair amount of things were going to confuse me in the coming weeks and days, I reminded myself for the hundredth time.

"...Captain, can I ask something?" Minuette said as she neared.

"Sure. What is it?"

She seemed to hesitate. "...Are you upset?"

"Huh? Why?"

"...You saved the world from Makarov, and a lot of ponies, deer, and griffins are alive right now because of you..."

I blushed. "I guess, but why would I be upset?"

"...No one remembers but me and Cadence...you did all that, you saved the world, but...Gag will never know he has two wings because of you...Bond doesn't know he's still got his parents because of you... Roedina and all the deer tribes will never know they're not still under the Hooviets because of you...Doesn't that bother you?"

"We're told that sometimes we might be heroes and no one but us will know. It's what being a Guard is about...Want to know something?"

"...What?"

"When I found out I could make it so Azure Raven never existed...that all those he hurt or killed would be alright...I was willing to ride with him into Oblivion if that's what it took to do it."

"...I guess it's like they say. Character is what you are in the dark."

I gave a slow nod.

"Yeah...I guess you're right...now, what's your other question?"

"Huh?"

"I can tell you've still got something on your mind. Considering me and Cadence are the only two ponies who can understand what you might be going through, go ahead and ask."

"...Remember you said about your uncle's medal?"

I nodded... our last conversation on the deck had been on that subject in both timelines.

"Yeah..."

"It's just... Your uncle was called Cool Sun, wasn't he?"

"How'd you learn his name?" I asked gently.

"It... Captain, I... I can remember meeting him."

"Before he died?"

"No. Captain... I can remember... three timelines now... This one, the one we spoke about... And one where your uncle was around instead of you. He was Major Cool Sun Sparkle, and he was leading the bodyguard..."

"I... I can't explain that one, Minuette," I said even as my spine turned to ice.

"Oh. Do you have a cousin called Athena though?"

"...No," I said, somehow not managing to scream in terror.

How was she able to know about...

"Okay... Umm... I'm sorry if that was worrying but Cadence... Cadence doesn't remember it either but she does remember your uncle. I'm sorry, Captain."

There was silence.

"Minuette, have you ever contemplated having the memories magically removed?"

"The ones about your uncle?" She misinterpreted. In fairness, I had been vague.

"No, all of the ones that never were. I considered it, but... I think Cadence needs me to remember at the very least...and if no one remembers what happened, it never really happened. And I don't think those versions of everypony deserve to be totally forgotten. If we remember...at least someone can honor them..."

"O-oh. Well, actually, I had considered getting them removed..." She looked at her fob watch again...this time she seemed scared of it for some reason. Also, it looked like it had a dent in it.

"But... I think you're right. We need to remember it, and Cadence does need us. More than she'll admit," The hoofmaiden sighed. "And if we forgot, she'd be alone. And forgetting isn't an option for her, the normal memory erasing spells don't affect Alicorns..."

"Okay. We're on the same page then. So you'll keep those other memories of my uncle?"

She nodded.

"If... If it's okay with you."

"...Yeah. Actually... Can you tell me what things were like some time?"

What happened that scared me?...

I was alone in my room after Makarov's war started...I was so afraid. I was afraid for reasons I don't think I can honestly explain properly. It just felt the world was in PAIN. Like something was unraveling it and trying to sow it back together like some kind of patchwork monster. I don't know how else to describe it. Thousands or millions were dying and suffering, everypony was mourning and talking about them, but I seemed to be the only one who felt this...

Twinkleshine and Sunset were with the Princess, they decided I needed rest, but I couldn't GET any rest. I felt like everything was literally falling to pieces around me.

I just curled up in a ball crying, tapping my hoof on the floor...tapping that heart beat I think...then I heard it...a stallion's voice...

"Open it..."

I looked to my watch. I...I saw symbols on it that I'd never seen before. They made sense to me...

"What?"

"Open it, and summon me and receive my majesty!"

"W-Why?" Did I think I'd gone insane? Yes, of COURSE I thought I'd gone insane. The world was screaming in agony, doomsday was happening, and I was talking to a watch. What else would I think was happening?!

"Accept me and I can stop this. We can stop this!"

"Stop this...stop Makarov?"

"Yes, exactly. It'll be quite simple really. Someon-somepony like him is no match for us, if you release me!"

"A-And Cadence? Twinkleshine? Sunset? Shining? They'll be safe?"

"Yes yes, they won't have to worry about the idiot anymore. Not at all. No pony will ever have to worry about him ever again."

I took the watch in my telekinesis and ran my hoof over it carefully.

I heard voices. Talk about regenerations and time vortexes and...I don't know what else. I couldn't hear it clearly.

I felt power...so much power...so much intelligence...and I heard a heart beat...I felt like I could outsmart and end Makarov all on my own. Like nothing in the world could stop me.

But I felt a darkness...no, it was something I didn't feel that scared me so much. I didn't feel empathy. I didn't feel compassion. I just felt power lust. Desire. For a moment I felt like I didn't feel me.

I hesitated to press down with my hoof and pop open the watch.

"What are you waiting for? Open it! We can take down that fool together!"

I listened to the voices...or were they memories? I couldn't tell. But I listened closer.

"Sorry. Sorry, I have this effect, people just get obsessed. Is it the smile? Is it the aftershave? Is it the capacity to laugh at myself? I don't know; it's crazy!"

"Shall we decimate them? That sounds good, nice word, decimate. Remove one tenth of the population!"

"And the best part is he isn't dead long, I get to kill him again!"

"The drum beat... the drums are coming closer... and closer."

"THAT IS NOT MY NAME! 'The Professor' was an invention. So perfect a disguise that I forgot who I am. "

"I. Am. The. Master!"

I recoiled back from the watch like a foal away from a hot stove. I looked at it like it was a knife I'd just almost slit my wrists with. I don't know WHY I felt that way, but...I felt like I'd just come within a button press of throwing away who I was for good.

"What are you doing? Open it!"

"N-no..."

"I SAID OPEN IT!"

"I said NO! I'm me! I'm not you!"

"You ARE me! And you'll never escape it! Stop running and accept me! Accept me and destroy that fool!"

"No! I'm. Not!"

"You're an invention! You're my way to escape! You have no existence of your own! You're us lacking memories! This body is mine. You're our house sitter. Now it's time to return it to us! Or would you rather that ugly mismash pretending it's a deer have its way with us and your friends? Because believe me, it will."

"And what? Let YOU do that?"

"Hahaha!"

"What is it?"

"You're so cute thinking I'm the worst thing you could be letting into the world. Believe me, my dear, there are much much worst beasts in this world. There was a thing called a Dalek, ever heard of it? No? Be glad you didn't. Oh! And the Weeping Angels, or are they called Weeping Alicorns here? Whatever they're called here, trust me when I say they'd make me look like a kitten! Besides I love a good sense of order, and these ponies love harmony. It's a match made in Heaven!"

"...What about empathy? Or kindness? How do you feel about those?"

"Different folks, different strokes, and if your friends matter so much to you, wouldn't you do anything for them?" He was right. "And order is something your crave. Ask yourself, no pretenses, no context, isn't it something you desire?" The watch was right.

"And you know what happens if that fool isn't stopped? A number of things, all of which are horrible. Let's see, option A) he takes over the world and twists it to be a horribly written story all about him. Option B) He twists time so much that the Reapers wake up and start eating everything, surprised they haven't already, but believe me, you do NOT want to see those! Option C) A time crash. Time twisted into such a knot that the only way the whole timeline doesn't go kablooy is if someone cuts off a part of it, about 25 years back, and erases everything inside. Now, my dear, you don't want any of that, do you?"

The watch was right, I didn't. The watch was offering me power to stop all that, and I realized, it was power I wanted. Power that...in some ways, I NEEDED right now.

"Yes. Yes. That feeling for power. That need for power. That is the real you! Embrace it!"

"You're right, I will do anything for my friends. I do want order. I don't want any of that to happen...I do want the power..."

"Then open it! Open it and summon me! Accept my majesty!"

"But..."

"But what?"

"But if I open it...if I release you...I'll stop being me, won't I?"

"Why does that matter?"

"My friends would lose me forever. I'd be replaced by a monster who I can't trust to still be their friend. I can feel it. A darkness...You have no heart."

"So? Maybe this situation calls for somepony without a heart."

"You're right, maybe it does. But how could I ever trust my friends with somepony with no heart? You're right, I'll do anything for my friends. And that includes NEVER becoming you."

"You still don't get it. I am you."

"No, you're not me. I'm Twinkleshine and Sunset's friend. I'm Cadence's Hoofmaiden and friend. I'm a healer. I love oral hygene. I love scheduling this trip."

"YOU EQUINE FOOL! You are ME! You are the MASTER!"

"No. I. Am. Minuette. Colgate!" I yelled and threw the watch across the room, letting it hit my pillow hard enough to knock both off the bed. I panted, just staring at it. The markings were gone. The voices had stopped...Had it all be a hallucination? Had the stress of living through the end of the world just drove me insane? Had I just spent the last who knew how long arguing with a pocket watch?

"Minny?" asked a voice.

I turned to see Twinkleshine opening the door. "Twinkleshine?"

"Is something wrong? Other than, well, everything that was ALREADY wrong?"

I looked at the watch, laying where it'd landed. It wasn't talking to me, it wasn't floating, it wasn't turning into some kind of monster trying to possess my body.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): What?)

The world was ending and I'd just spent like fifteen minutes arguing with a pocket watch. I wasn't out-ruling anything.

"N-no. Did you hear anything?"

"You yelling. It was kinda hard to hear through the door though."

"Just my voice?"

"Yeah..."

I looked back to the watch. "Yeah, I'm fine..."

"Minny! Twinkleshine!" yelled Sunset, running in.

"Sunset, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong! Cadence got a letter back from Princess Celestia!"

And well...that was it...I still don't know if it was real or not...Considering I'd just been through a living Tartarus, I could have just gone insane for a moment. Can you blame me if I did?

Why didn't I just chuck it out the window?...It always comes back...I've tried to get rid of it before and it ALWAYS comes back.

Not long after that, our Flotilla took off, heading for home. We passed by the former Defiant and another Type-42, the former Daring. They had been renamed the KNS Friendship and Harmony.

They gave us a farewell party cannon salute, bringing our trip to Kundu, and Zebrafrica, to a close.

We were, for a week or so, going home. Solomon was gone, his world had never been. I was writing it down myself, and yes, I was trying to use some of it as ideas for my story. I felt it was only right to pay some tribute to those events by sharing them covertly.

...But the Wolf still flashed through my head. My fear that telling Cadence could make her afraid all the time. My fear it could be anywhere.

I would ask Princess Celestia about why I remembered, and maybe, if I could, I would risk asking her about the wolf. Was it gone? Had destroying the Shadow of Chernobull 'fixed' me?

Somehow it felt like it had really only just all begun. And when Bond informed me the MoD had sent confirmation of troop rotations I'd not recalled hearing about before for a few seconds, that feeling was confirmed.

The trip home however, wasn't going to be swift. It would take four days to reach Canterlot. So I could try catch up a little at least. It was odd. The Invincible, her crew, and everyone were still themselves but...I felt like I was missing a lot. Like I'd come back from a long tour of duty and things had changed...I guess in some ways, that's what happened...

"You seem a little distracted, Sir," Thunderchild noted as I looked at the group of Air Navy Deer again while on the Entertainment/Mess Deck.

There were quite a few of them on board now... or, had been a few on board and I was only just remembering it, I guess. And quite a few in the Guard as a whole. Reindeer, Roe Deer, Musk Deer, Red Deer, Green Deer-

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): What?!)

Hehe, just joking. There were Moose though, and they did sometimes call themselves Green Deer owing to their more agrarian leanings. Combined with our Sika scientists we had all the non-hybrid deer species that actually existed represented.

"Just a little... Well, not sure how to put it. The transfers and promotions, just seems a little..."

"It is a little higher than usual all at the one time, Sir, but the nature of the mission means we do need to rotate troopers out. Plus, there are higher roles beckoning..."

"If this is another attempt to be smug you've made Staff Sergeant, it's not going to work."

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Wait, what?)

Yes, Thunderchild is Staff Sergeant. He's been a Sergeant for two years, so he got promoted. He was going to be promoted anyway, but the whole 'kidnapped by Azure Raven' thing happened in the old...wrong...the timeline with the Existence Eater in it! Also, even though apparently the Harmony Guard was an actual two-division force, the whole Guard was undergoing slightly improved career progression thanks to a very large reorganization...

Night Guard, Harmony Guard, amending the Solar Guard, new technology and tactics for Peacekeeping... In general, I was going to have a ton to catch up on. One thing that had really hit me soon, was weapons tech was now decades 'out of date' from what I was used to, while medical was now decades ahead of it's time.

"I mean my fellow Sergeants getting their own promotions too. Pity Reinolds is taking Alleyne, she's one of the better combat mages we have..."

"We're not planning on combat, Sergeant."

"Still, quite a party planned for all these promotions. Fair few new confirmations of promotion orders as well, time in grade and meritorious conduct mostly. Garnet will be glad Gag only outranked her for a few weeks," He continued.

"He still technically has seniority."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Militarily speaking, of course," I corrected.

"Shame we've no idea who'll be getting assigned. Odd they let you select from volunteers for the mission before but the replacements are from high command's choices."

"You want consistency, Thunderchild, join the catering corps."

"Cupcakes with the consistency of a brick, you mean?"

We both shared a laugh at that. And then we were kind of silent for a bit. I thought about what had transpired. What if I'd never rescued Thunderchild and the others from Azure Raven? If he'd gotten what he'd wanted and already killed them? It sent a chill down my spine just thinking about it.

We looked out into the distance and saw a flash of lightning near the horizon. No thunder reached our ears.

"...Hehe, they call that heat lightning."

I blinked. "But it's not that hot right now."

Thunderchild chuckled. I suddenly felt a little like a fish who'd taken bait.

"Nah, you're thinking of dry lightning, lightning when it's not raining. Heat lightning is just lightning you can't hear because it's so far away. Sound doesn't make it to your ears."

"...Wow...did not know that..."

"Not a lot of ponies do, even a lot of pegasi." He gave a smug smirk, evidently proud of himself.

"...And how do you?" I'd known lightning was Thunderchild's thing, never really thought about how much he knew about it.

"Hehe, went to school for it. Cloudsdale, School for Gifted Pegasi."

"Wait...what?" I asked, staring at him. I'd known Thunderchild for a while, he was a close friend, but Ellis was the one who normally told old stories when the group got together.

"Got my Degree in Weather there too."

"Really? I had no idea..."

In retrospect, I was surprised it hadn't hit me before now, since Thunderchild was probably one of the best lightning manipulators I'd ever seen, but it was just...well, he's Thunderchild!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Didn't seem like the book smart type?)

Exactly. Not saying he's dumb, just I guess I figured I had him pegged...

"You bet. Got my certificate too...just only like to flaunt it if I see a brainy mare with a sweet pair wings..." Thunderchild gave a smirk.

"Or want to brag to your superior officer?"

"Yep. I can brag about Lightning all the time. I can even manipulate the fungus batteries..."

Garnet sighed from a few tables over. Meanwhile, I perked my ears at what he'd said.

"No you can't, Sarge, we've been through this, the magic and electricity don't match up. It's very unlikely a pegasus could manipulate the earth magic powering the fungus fully in the first place, and bioelectricity is barely anything like normal electricity, so you'd barely be able to get a spark even with it."

Something occurred to me.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): That the implosion of the Hooviet Empire resulted in the Deer's biotechnology progressing and branching out?)

No...well, yes, but something else.

It occurred to me I didn't really know my squad... my friends... quite as well as I thought. We were close, I KNEW that, but I didn't know a lot about them...

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Well, ya got like four days!)

First I wanted to check up that fungus thing though...

Okay, maybe I did know some of them pretty well since I thought Ellis and Audience could explain it and I was right. Plus, they didn't have much else to add about themselves after all...

"Deer scientists refined an existing fungus that held magical energy down into three elemental versions with selective breeding..."

"Cultivatin'."

"...Breeding is still valid, Corporal,"

"Yeah, except legally, 'cos the Farm and Agriculture Guild decided ta say that instead. Too smutty, they said," Ellis clarified, making Audience nod as if he'd remembered something.

"When was that?" I wondered.

"Four hundred years ago," They both replied.

"Oh. But this fungus is fairly new?"

"Yeah, about three years. It's not exactly cheap stuff right now, guess the flotilla lucked out in gettin' so much of it. Audience's ma had some back at the dig which is why he knows a bit about it... Kinda surprised ya didn't know this already though, Sir."

"Uh...yeah, probably should've. But Twilight is the one who's into science and stuff and I guess she forgot to mention it..."

Of course my new memories of Twilight giving me one of her lectures on this exact subject chooses to emerge AFTER I needed it! And I may or may not have zoned out in my own flashback, which I didn't know was even possible!

"And it - BBBFF, are you listening? This is a really fascinating discovery and it could have great implications for all sorts of things! The fungus offers a number of advantages over the existing mana batteries! They don't need a unicorn to recharge them and the ice and heat versions will be great for cooling and heating... uh, obviously... but still!"

"Uh...Sir?"

I blinked, finding Ellis staring at me. "...Yes?"

"Yah kinda zoned out there, yah ok?"

"Yeah! No problem. Just had a flashback."

"Borin' one?"

"Yeah, kinda. Or a flashback to being bored, not sure which...Uh...so, you were saying?"

"Yeah, right. Well, the heat ones generate heat tah keep themselves warm, but they bred it so it generates enough to warm everythin' around it too. The ice ones-"

"Generate ice?"

"Nah, they absorb heat, which kinda causes ice tah generate itself. They're pretty useful for a lotta things, like keepin' scientists cool in the desert."

So yeah, apparently the deer had added their biotechnology to the mix now, which was making things at least a bit more ecofriendly. The Dragons didn't mind, more Dragon Wine for them.

Learning about the biotechnology from the Roedinians was actually pretty interesting, and made me wonder about some other stuff.

"Garnet?"

"Yes sir?" our medic asked as I found her in the sickbay, signing some papers for a restock of medical supplies. Which now seemed a little more...well, not exactly 'high tech', considering it involved Deer magic, but there was now a small fungus garden that seemed to be being tended to by a Musk Deer doe.

"I was talking to Ellis about the Roedinian biotechnology..."

"Thought you seemed interested when Thunderchild mentioned it."

I gave a nod.

"I was wondering if there's any medical advances they created?"

"Oh, well there's this one right here," she replied, pointing to the fungus garden.

"What is it?"

"Olga would know a bit better than me. Olga, mind telling the captain about the fungus?"

The doe, who I remembered now was an Air Navy Nurse, turned to me.

"The fungus does a few things. It helps control the humidity of the room if controlled properly through magic, which is important for a medical ward. It also is useful for making certain medicines, which we can make right here in the ward, helping cut down on the amount of medicine we have to carry."

"The Roedinian's biotech has also made hip replacements and the like more affordable and practical, among other advancements... Though by affordable, it's still not something you can get on National Health Insurance unless it's an emergency," Garnet explained as she finished the papers.

I gave a nod...then thought.

"Well, I'm supposed to meet Gag for lunch, he would've come here, but well..." she explained, giving a look to one of the scan cats that was walking around. Admittedly they were kind of adorable.

"Yeah, I got it..." Seriously, why do cats hate Gag so much?

"Hey...mind if I join you two? I mean unless it's a date..."

"Captain, if we were going on a date, there's a lot more romantic places than the mess hall, even on a ship. And sure."

Author's Note

Story Arc written by LZ0291 lz0291.deviantart.com/

Shining Armor is given a two year tour of the world to be the captain of Princess Cadence's body guard. Yeah. That's all. That's everything Yep. Nothing what so ever else. *AJ's Liar face*

"Time is an ocean in a storm."

This storyline runs PARALLEL to the events in the Dark World storyline narrative wise.

Please help the trope http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries and recap pages. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/PonyPOVSeries (please?)

Previous Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Shining-Armor-17-Part-5-OF-5-419858748

Next Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Shining-Armor-18-Part-2-of-2-421223693

First Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Fluttershy-FlutterCruel-Pearls-260092460

MLP: FiM is copyright of Hasbro

Image by Kendell2

Episode 138: (Shining Armor): dnaL railimaF A nI regnartS-Stranger In A Familiar Land Part 1

Episode 139: (Shining Armor): dnaL railimaF A nI regnartS-Stranger In A Familiar Land Part 2

Pony POV Series
"Shining Armor"
Chapter 18 2 of 2

It was when we reached the mess, I almost made quite a mess of it. Gag was waiting, with the Hoofmaidens suspiciously close by. Sunset gave me a strange look.

"So, uh, Captain, is there any particular reason you wanted to join us?" Garnet asked, having presumably started to think something was up.

"Not really, just want to try get to know you better."

I didn't need the glare Gag gave me to tell me I'd chosen my words poorly.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Smooth.)

"I mean the both of you, I really don't know a huge amount..."

"And besides, Shining already has Cadence, you've got nothing to worry about, Gag," called Twinkle Shine.

Garnet and Gag gave a chuckle as I attempted to hide my blushing.

"Look, about all I really know is Gag's from Manechester, has two siblings, cats hate him, scan-cats hate him MORE, and he thankfully supports City not United so it could have been worse. And that's with him in my squad about a year, so I think it's easier I just try get to know both of you better at once."

"Ah. So, we're not getting transferred when we get back then?" Gag said.

"Wha... No. Why'd you think that?"

"I didn't, I was joking, Sir."

"...Could you maybe call me Shining for now?"

"...Okay, Shining For Now," Garnet nodded.

She and her coltfriend then high-hoofed at that. Admittedly that wasn't a bad joke.

"Uh, Si... Shining, what about Cutie Mark Stories? That's a pretty good icebreaker..." Gag tried.

"Not with non-ponies it isn't," I noted.

"But we're all ponies."

"Point..." I then recalled the hoofmaidens being nearby.

"Mine isn't really all that interesting though, all I did was protect somepony from bullies."

"Probably better to get a decent group together for that," Garnet said.

"True. So, uh, I don't really know much about Manechester and Esto Gaza. Never heard either of you say much..." Only reason that I really knew about Garnet's hometown was from her file.

"Well, Esto Gaza's a mining town really -like Canterlot used to be," Garnet began.

"Canterlot used to have mines?" Gag wondered.

"Yes, but we're not talking about Canterlot's old mines. I couldn't tell you much about them anyway."

I've heard three or four stories about the history of the mines, and one had words like 'unicorn supremacy, earth pony slaves' in it.

All I knew for sure was the catacombs and the last mines were now sealed off entirely. They'd been mined for natural gemstones used in anti-teleport wards on ships, but now, we had a more effective method of making those wards thanks to Roedinian technology. I actually recall them sealing up the entrance in Bahamut's Rest when I was a foal... Or now I do, at least. If you'd asked me a week ago I'd have told you they still mined in there. And that was just the tunnels from recent times, considering how ancient the place is there were probably even more.

Still couldn't tell you why my neighborhood was named after the king of the dragons though. Dates back to at least the time of the three tribes and like a lot of Canterlot areas, might have been a small village swallowed up when the city began to emerge, my family's lived in the area a long time, but I can't tell you why it's called that. We don't even have a giant comfy chair in the area or anything.

"I could probably tell you more about them than most Canterlot ponies anyway, Captain. It was a dual type mine operation, mana-infusion and natural dig. Canterlot stopped mana infusions twenty years ago, and mothballed the last shaft digging up natural gems five years ago, though my dad heard stories the Air Navy kept a shaft active beyond that for a while to stock up on something. But that's just recent, there's stories of mining going back to the time of the three tribes. For every known shaft there there's probably ten or twenty no creature has seen in hundreds if not thousands of years."

"Er, sure. What's Esto Gaza like then, is it both types?"

"All five types of ore recovery or growing actually. Conventional rock farming above ground where we use manastreams to naturally infuse ore seeds to grow ores and rocks, tower farming where we build up artificial hills or towers to reach higher-up manastreams, regular surface mining and shaft mining as well. There's two kinds of shaft mine, infusion and natural. Infusion is that there's a manastream down there that can be manipulated to grow ores, natural is there's just the ores down there. Canterlot didn't do any of the surface recovery methods in recorded history, it was all shaft mines legally speaking - even if the cave is natural it's still a shaft mine legally."

"Let me guess, for safety regulations?"

"Yup. Anyway, we also have rhubarb farms where we grow 'em in big sheds using only candlelight. But most of the town is miners. Ponies, Diamond Dogs, heck, we even have a few big caves in the hill for any dragons that want to come do a little work. The dragon migrations usually pass over every couple of years so it's nice to keep them welcome. Works out in both directions really. We get some 'heavy machinery' for a bit, the Dragons get an easy meal compared to having to find and dig up unused gem caches while moving through Equestria."

"Do Dragons like rhubarb?"

"Yes, actually. Well, they like the leaves."

"Do they grow anything else like that?" Gag wondered.

"Actually, the mayor wondered if apples could be grown by candlelight, so he asked the apple farmers over in Wabznasm, a village a few miles away."

"What'd they say?"

"...Ha ha ha ha ha eeenope. Though I've heard Luna's planning to try implementing some low light plants she was in the process of breeding...one thousand years ago. As for what else we got up to in town, well, when we weren't annoying ponies in Wabznasm, we held dances a lot..."

"I guess that's why you're such a good dancer?" Gag cut in.

"Yup. We did all sorts of dancing really, not just the traditional Long Sword dances."

"Oh, that dance where you jump over swords on the ground?"

"No, a dance where the dancers use swords. It actually encouraged lots of ponies in town to try fencing and stuff for cutie marks... Uh, kinda hard to describe without seeing it..."

"It's like an Earth Pony version of that trick we saw in Zamunda from what I've heard," Gag said.

"...With more blood loss amongst amateurs."

"Ah, so, uh, I suppose that sort of thing encouraged you to become a medic?"

"Er, no, my friend broke his leg. But then I noticed how often ponies seemed to get injured in town. Mining accidents, sword dance and fencing accidents, eggball and hoofball accidents, cricket accidents..."

In fairness it's not easy to hold onto a paddle bat with just your mouth. Even for Earth Ponies, who can only use things like that with their mouths and thus need to be good at it. Baseball was a bit easier, since the bats had a pummel to make them a bit easier. Surprisingly that was actually a unicorn sport, which surprised a lot of ponies.

I'd probably not do too bad hitting the ball but the aiming bit's the trouble. I'm pretty good using a sword with my mouth, I figure. I was trained by the Guard to use my mouth as well in case, but the lesson that I got first that stuck was being told I could use one in my mouth and lots with my telekinesis by my uncle. Tell me what colt wouldn't be encouraged by that? At least two swords? Maybe even more? Kick-flank!

(Interviewer's Note (Unicorn): Wooden swords I hope.)

Yeah, with my uncle, at least. Of course, he was really trying to teach me how to fight without my horn without freaking me out by pointing out I could lose my horn or have magic sealed ... And I guess in training my poor aim encouraged me to train more swordfighting. It came in handy I suppose, even if training didn't include Existence Vampires.

"But yeah. I'm an only child and my parents aren't too rich. Easiest way for me to become a certified medical worker was joining the Guard, so I figured what the heck, maybe I could even become a doctor if they thought I was a good enough medic. Then I could go back home, work in the hospital or a GP practice... Maybe even find somepony to take home with me..." She grinned at Gag, who blushed in response.

There were quiet squees from nearby hoofmaidens. It was refreshing that they weren't for me for once.

"...Would your parents like me?"

"Well, you're from Lancantershire but I'm sure they'd not hold that disability against you. You're not that much into cricket anyway... And most of the Diamond Dogs in town will like how you hate Manechester United at least."

Most Diamond Dogs that followed Hoofball supported Leads United, since Leads is widely regarded as a Diamond Dog city. It's no surprise that the mining-heavy county of Yokeshire has so many Diamond Dogs when you think about it.

"So, Gag, you got any fun stories about Manechester? Other than having two crap Hoofball teams..."

"Captain, we've won more HA Cups and Premiership titles than you in the past five years even if the Gunners have a better overall record. But I guess it's my turn. Manechester... Well, you know how it attracts a lot of immigrant workers, right?"

"Yeah. I think you said your parents had something to do with trade unions?"

"Yeah, sort of. Dad was trying to organize better classes to teach new workers Equestrian. But the Chancellor of Lancanter refused to allocate funds, so he decided to try to get volunteers to teach them as well as try learn some languages himself. Long stories short, he met my mother and caught the eye of the union higher-ups."

"So your dad became a union leader and your mother led the classes?" Garnet asked.

"Yeah. But we lived on the ground so I knew lots of Deer, Diamond Dogs, Zebra, all sorts."

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Wait, it sounds like his talent would have been useful back home, how come he's with you?)

"Sorry to interrupt, Running, and no offense, but why'd you join the guard? Your talent sounds like it would have been useful back home."

"Nepotism. My parents were worried any job I'd get, everypony'd think they were behind it. Plus, I kinda wanted to go see things outside Manechester and, well, my parents encouraged me to do what I wanted, not try to follow the jobs they had."

Well, at least that means he might be open to the idea of living in Esto Gaza when he ends his enlistment.

"But Manechester's pretty cool. We've got a public transport system to rival Liberty City, but we used the underground canals for public transport as well as trams on street level. I used to get a Canalbus out to Manford Thirty-Sixborough to go get flying lessons: Everywhere close to my house was either the weather factory or airship flight paths, and my grandparents lived there. I'm not a great flyer really but flying reminds me of my grandparents. Any time I went out to Manford Grandma'd buy me a comic book, and she got me into Manega when I found my special talent. Granda had been in the Guard himself, he'd been a scout and he kinda taught me how to sneak around as well as fly carefully..."

"Reminds you? They're... not with you any more?"

"Yeah, they moved to Haywaii."

"Oh. I kind of thought..."

"Yeah, grandpa Letter won the lottery and used his funds to achieve his two dreams. Be able to move to Haywaii, and to send a telegram to every member of the House of Lord Senators calling them all jerks a thousand times."

"That was him? Running, when I was a junior lieutenant I did Ministry of Defense Post Office Sorting. After his anonymous telegrams came in, Sunny Days reported on it, and not a day later somepony signing as 'Princess Case' started sending... Wait... Celestia Ama... GHAAA!"

Grandpa Gag, you gave her a damned idea!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): What did she do this time?)

She sent them all copies of that article, as well as a fair few copies of other embarrassing articles to some of them. As a result ponies thought that it was open season to send rude things to royals and government officials, and I had to sort Prince Blueblood's mail for a week until the craze died down. Including his usual fan mail that generally went unopened for the sanity of all involved. Sometimes I think Celestia should be the ponyification of trolldom instead of the sun...

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth): Trolls are really friendly once you get past their toughie outside.)

Anyway, we moved on.

"Couch and Overly Long... Eh, I don't think I can be fair about them at all. I love them to bits but they could be a real pain in the flank. They'll be even worse right now I bet, they'll be thinking about cutie marks. You know how it is, I bet."

"Not really, Twilight was oddly not too fussed about her cutie mark until she actually got it. I hear from...sources there's three extremely determined fillies in Ponyville though..."

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Perhaps you should let them know about those two when you meet them.)

Why?! I thought you made them out as walking disaster areas!

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Yes...but admittedly their friendship has done them a lot of good and will do others a lot of good, Shining. Far more good than the damage they could cause. So...it admittedly might not be the worst idea to give them the chance to make a Manechester branch and have some pen pals assuming those two don't have their Cutie Marks by then.)

Gotcha, I'll try to remember that.

"Oh, yeah, speaking of Manega do you do anything else like that?" I knew he did doujinshi, but never really got to know exactly what it was about.

"Yeah, I don't have a title for it yet, but I'm doing this doujinshi. It's kinda based on the whole thing with your sister and her friends..."

"Wait...what?"

"Don't worry, it's not a Sailor Luna type deal. Kinda more like Masked Bug Rider, with each of them transforming into an armored superhero, but only one at a time, each a different form. Problem is, I still need some big baddie for it. Princess Luna probably wouldn't be happy if I used her anymore."

"You could have a Neo-Hooviet super soldier villain who creates cyborgs for them to fight," I suggested. My new memories told me Deer in general hated the Hooviets enough seeing one get their flank kicked would probably go well. And besides, letting Gag blow up Nameless in manega form felt oddly karmic. And not like Masked Bug Rider hasn't had some freaky bad guys. If Azure Raven had actually existed as a person, they'd probably have based a villain off of him with almost no changes.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Monstrous, evil, created abominations against nature in his lab to try and take over the world, over the top hammy, gives a ton of monologs every five seconds, and turned into a monster right before being defeated...yeah, only thing missing is he didn't explode dramatically upon defeat.)

"Hehe, I like how you think sir!"

Gag showed me the concept art he had so far and surprisingly, it was pretty good stuff. I hadn't known Gag was artistic. I had to give him some tips on Twiley's personality, but admitted it was a tad outdated given recent events and told him to ask Cadence.

"Gag, is this kick move even anatomically possible?" Garnet asked, pointing to a picture of what I think was Twilight's friend...Rarity? I think kicking a monster in the face. It looked cool, but a real unicorn would've broken her leg trying it.

"No, but that's kinda the point, if it's physically possible, foals might imitate it."

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): For Celestia's sake let him do it! The CMC don't need more dangerous physically possible stuff to learn how to do!)

Don't worry, I encouraged that sort of stance. I did tell him from Twiley's letters to Cadence that Rarity's outfit needed to be a tad more fashion savvy, given she was a fashionista. Made me wonder if the kick fit her...

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): More than you know. She's also a talented martial artist.)

What?!

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Long story, but she is probably the most skilled fighter in the group, Applejack and Rainbow are good brawlers while she's more skill than strength.)

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): RD has studied martial arts too you know.)

Wow...learn something new every day.

About the only thing I never learned in the conversation had been where he'd decided bad jokes were the best way to make friends...

I wondered if maybe there were some different books in the library - We had a few nights to home still, and well, I'd been looking for a book... I recalled looking for a book that had been out at least... Gha, this two sets of memories thing is confusing, I remember reading all the interesting looking books too!

"Hey, Captive," I said, seeing Audience browsing as well.

"Afternoon, Sir," He nodded.

I quickly glanced at the ones he was checking... Defence of Derper's Drift, Starship Ponies...

"The Modern Peacekeeper, by Colonel Observant Audience and Lieutenant-Colonel Matrix?"

"Yes, sir. Fairly influential book..."

"Of course it is, they call Colonel Matrix 'The Commando' for forming Special Forces and you call The Brigadier 'dad'! So what's it like having an influential writer for a parent?" I joked.

"You'd know, Sir, what with your mother's books being big in Roedina..."

"Wait..."

"And the first one is supposed to be getting popular back home, of course."

"Wha... First one? But th..."

Oh no... It can't be.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Oh horseapples...)

"The sequel is back in stock, Sir, I recall you saying you hadn't read it...."

"I was avoiding it!"

"Ah, good, Minuette owes me twenty bits then."

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Say, what's the sequel about?)

I, uh, I'm not su- Oh this is ridiculous, the escape shuttle landed on an alien planet? Where they found a lost colony that just so happened to have even more unattached stallions after they didn't have a chance to confess to each other at the end of the last one?!

"Still, it's a better setting than the one she wrote about a prince falling in love with the commander of his spearmaidens," I sighed, not sure if that'd existed before or not.

Hang on...

"I thought Spearmaidens was a brand of chewing gum," Thunderchild said.

"GHA! Where'd you come from?! And if you answer about a mummy and a daddy pegasus I am going to throw the book at you!"

"...Which book, Sir?"

"All of the books!"

"Oh. Even the Roedinian literature? There are some big books there..."

I took a glance at that section. It had expanded considerably since I last looked, which made sense, I guess. More books going back and forth, more deer who would've been forced into a certain job for the 'Greater Good' were instead able to express themselves as writers, and since the Hooviet Empire had collapsed, so had the Hooviets censorship machine... Hence a large number of political allegories, stories about collapsing empires, and one that I hadn't read before called 'Good Bye Father Deer'. And a lot of noir thrillers, hard sci-fi, and a lot of nature-themed books.

Oh, and 'Daring Do and the Empire of the Crystal Skull' now had the Hooviets as the villains instead of the fictional baddies it had before. I guess the author didn't have to worry about irritating the easily offended dictatorship in this timeline. I think it's actually an improvement, if only because seeing Daring Do kick Hooviet flank was rather cathartic.Terrible book though. Too bad the new timeline didn't erase that Con Mane/Daring Do crossover or make it bearable...

Anyway, I'd found a book, so I retreated in case it turned out Dad had written a so-bad-it's-good political thriller or something.

I'd found myself invited to play tennis the next day. It seemed a few courts were being set up in the lower hangar. It wasn't really a game I was good at, but Ace had asked me to play, as had a few others. Cadence had been considering popping down.

I decided to go down while they were readying the courts. Unlike some ponies I didn't bother trying to put on a white shirt or that weird frilly belty thing mares wear.

(Interviewer's Note (Unicorn): It's called a skirt.)

Really? All I know is Cadence has one she doesn't get to wear that often.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Really? How does she look in it?)

SC-1D female, pink with tricolored purple-pink-cream mane, about a meter tall and a meter long, wearing a scart.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Huh?!)

(Interviewer's Note (Unicorn): Skirt. And did you just give a radio suspect or pony of interest description?!)

Yep. Species Classification One-D. Why do we have that? I just described why. Ask her sometime about her sneaking out of the castle when she was a filly. And tell her I was told in training. Thanks, Commander Boreale... You nutter.

Sneaking out of the cast.... How did he know?!

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Commander Boreale told him in the academy, apparently. There's an entire radio code to warn about an alicorn as a suspect pony, Cadence.)

The guard really had a separate code just so they didn't have to say 'alicorn' over the radios? Wow, I knew they tried to plan ahead or amend things to plan if it happened again, but that seems... I only snuck out once in a while!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): It gets worse, we looked up the codes. SC-1 is pony, 2 is Griffin, 3 is diamond dog, hybrids are stuff like 1-2 for Hippogriffs and so on, but there's all sorts of mythological creatures on the code list too. SC-10 is humans, SC-14 is Sass Squash, SC-23 is just 'you'll know it when you see one' and SC-24 is Santa Hooves...)

Surely he'd be classed as a Reindeer? And wait, SC-10 is human? But SC-1D written down might look like... Oh. That explains all those 'human sightings' when I was a filly. Drat.

But there's over 24 codes and various sub-codes at times?! I'm glad I'm not a Guard, that just seems needlessly complicated to remember it all.

So anyway, not that I'm skirting the issue or anything but we should... Oh, skirt, as in covering, right, I get it now!

(Interviewers Notes (Pegasus): Do I need to tell you the irony in what you just said?)

No. And please don't tell the Hoofmaidens of this conversation, I dread them confusing me with some other odd garment, like trousers or something... So, I came down to find the courts seemed to have been marked out already, tape lines on the hangar floor. Ace, however, was moving a strange little green cube into the middle rather than setting up nets. Before you ask why he was setting it up, well, as a senior flight crew officer, this was technically his hangar to command. And he refused to order anypony to set up the court for him.

"Morning, Sparks! You're here early... And you do know it's tennis, right?" He pointed at my Marsenal shirt.

"Last time I wore barding at a racquet event it was because Ellis was trying exploding baseball..."

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): That's a thing?!)

Unfortunately yes. Moose seem to like it though.

"Er, surely the nets should go up?"

"Nope. I'm putting the turf down first," He said, then frowned.

"Or am I... Spanners, how's this work if you're a pegasus?"

His Unicorn co-pilot shrugged from where she was setting up a court of her own to play against a flight crew mechanic.

"Your wing, Ace."

"Ah, yes. Haven't figured these out yet. If they were airships..."

He touched the cube with his wing... and it began to spread out inside the tape-marked lines.

"What on..."

"Come on, Sparks, you've seen the artificial turf before. It's not that surprising. Best thing the Roedinians ever exported if you ask me, after all the new medicine, the vodka, and the suicidal novelists. Now we can set up the net..."

I lost the short round we played, of course. But judging by all the snickering you knew that, yes?

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Yup, sorry, it's just ya were... Ya weren't kidding when ya said it weren't your game.)

Better at tennis than I am at archery. Anyway, it was at this point Cadence and the hoofmaidens arrived.

"Say, Sparks, what about a doubles match? You and the Princess on one side, me and Spanners on the other?"

"Well, uh... I'm not sure..."

"Good morning, Gentlecolts!" Cadence said cheerfully.

"Good morning, Your Highness. We've just finished on this court, and I was wondering if you might be interested in a little challenge, ma'am," Ace spoke before I could halt him.

"Challenge?"

"Yes, a doubles match: Myself and Spanners versus yourself and Captain Sparkle."

She pondered this even as I saw the hoofmaidens get those expressions.

"Minny, what rhymes with tennis?"

"Tennis match, hatch. We can use that."

"That could be interesting," Cadence nodded.

"Er, Princess, I'm not a great player..." I tried to say.

"I think you should try it!" Minuette stuck her oar in.

"Hm, well, I do better in team games really so maybe I'll balance you out?"

Drat. Harmony goddess.

"You, uh, haven't had a warm-up round yourself, and it'll leave the hoofmaidens a player short..."

"My coltfriend will be down shortly, we were actually one over already," Sunset helpfully explained.

I think it was Prince Blueblood's great-grandfather who once said 'Buck. Buck! Buck, buck, buck and buck! Buck, buck and bugger! Bugger, bugger, buggerty buggerty buggerty, buck, buck, plot! Balls! Balls, buck, bucketty, horseapples, horseapples, buck, and udders!'

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): D: )

It's a quotation. But they had planned this, hadn't they...

"So, Sparks, any other excuses to avoid helping a Princess lose or are you up for it?"

I sighed.

"Fine..."

"Nice shirt, by the way, Captain..." Cadence then quickly noted.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Quick, compliment her skirt! )

She's not wearing a skirt! Besides, this is giving the hoofmaidens a veritable arsenal as it is!

Naturally, Cadence did better than me, but we did actually make a good team. And I made the game point...wait...I just made the game point?!

I just stared at the ball for a second. Ok, admittedly, I'd won games before, but still!

"We won!" yelled Cadence in excitement. She hugged me and, caught up in the excitement, I returned it...then we both realized what had just happened and quickly separated, blushing so much no fur color could hide it.

"Well...good game..." said Cadence, clearing her throat.

"Y-yeah...likewise," I replied, not even wanting to look at the Hoofmaidens. Unfortunately, they had already started a song so cheesy I think a mouse would've been full for a week.

Ace just smirked.

"Yes, good game. You and the Captain make a good partnership, Princess."

I held the groan in.

"Well, I'm afraid I have a few things to do, so I'll be going now," I lied. I didn't try for a specific situation, I was afraid I'd say I'd have to go feed my radio or something.

"That's a shame, Captain, you and the Princess could have played Sunset and Ranger," Twinkle Shine tried (and failed) to look innocent.

"Got a little to go check up on myself actually," Ace also lied.

Seriously, with all these liars around here there must a harp shortage back in Equestria.

Ace was of course, following me for no good reason, which is to say, to tease me.

"So, Sparks, everypony's noticed it but you know me, I'm blunt. Not as blunt as Lord Flashheart..."

"I think he's more of a bludgeon," I agreed.

Admittedly, that was me being polite. He was more like getting hit in the face with a water balloon filled with skunk spray; hits hard, makes you nauseous, and no matter how hard you try, you can't make it go away.

"...but yeah, you and the Princess. You ought to at least take a shot."

"Oh, sure, I'll miss and everything will be awkward. And why are we talking in so many metaphors today?"

"You know what I mean, Shining. It's obvious you both get along, and you're good enough friends to realize if it can't go further you can go back," He continued.

"She's also a Princess, an Alicorn, my Commanding Officer, as well as a very good friend of my sister and I don't want to risk losing because I was daft enough to give in to whatever madness possesses everypony about this whole thing!"

I'd raised my voice enough to get a look from a Marine, but Ace was as cool as always.

"Fair points, Shining. But tell me this: Do they really matter to you? No, don't tell me, actually. Why not ask yourself? Think it all through. Remember that quote, if you know neither yourself or your opponent, you will lose in every battle."

"That's about war, Ace."

"And all is fair in love and war. Just try to think about it honestly, Shining. Regretting not trying things can be worse than trying and failing sometimes," He said, and left me to head for my cabin in peace.

"So you're Spike huh?" I said looking over the baby dragon sucking it's tail. My sister had just became the our Princess' personal student, she turned our parents into plants for a few seconds, and I was talking to a baby dragon. It was official my life was just plain freaking weird. Trust me, past me, it'll only get weirder...

The dragon looked up at me innocently, so much cuter than when he was crying his lungs out. Sort of like how Twiley used to be, then again mom and dad said Twiley was a little too quite for a baby sometimes.

"Yeah! His full name is Kenbroath Gillspotten Heathspike VII! He's being raised by The Princess! But I'm the one who feeds him, make sure he doesn't get hurt, talk to him about stuff, and uh . . . clean him up," Twiley, admitted the last part meekly and giving a cute little 'yuck!' face.

"Sounds like you're the one doing the raising," I smiled and gave her mane a gently rubbing. "Smarty Pants jealous yet?"

"Uh, no she isn't." Twiley blushed a little. HEH! So cute! "And the Princess is raising him, she said so to the school staff when they asked if it was safe for me too. Right after she told me that I had to make sure Spike grew up to a good dragon and that he could always trust me to look out for him and that this was part of being her personal student! And she's always ready nearby to help if something bad happens."

Yeah. Sounds like raising to me, with grandma supervision. Then I remembered, some animals imprinted on the first creature they saw and thought it had to be their mother. Were dragons the same? Did Spike see Twilight first? Maybe Twiley was the only one who could raise Spike if that was the case. But who knew anything about dragons? You'd think us having a treaty with the Queen of the Dragons would've changed that.

Twiley took the moment to snuggle Spike . . . and wouldn't ya know? Twiley had a tiny tinny little magic surge, her last one really, most outgrow them by her age, but my sister, heh, her body always had more mana than it knew what to do with. And she was holding Spike at the time, and later I'd be told that Spike's magic signatures had imprinted on Twiley . . . Long story short. Spike did what he wouldn't be doing until YEARS later . . . and his belch of flames engulfed me. . . and my uniform was now on Princess Celestia's tea table. Some mares walking by giggled at me as I curled my tail between my legs.

I heard Twiley crying in her bedroom, they didn't sound like tears of joy over getting her cutie mark.

I opened the door, and saw her crying on her bed hugging Smarty Pants for dear life, I trotted next to her. "Twiley, what's wrong?"

She look up at me, red eyed, hiccuping and a runny nose. "Some...some of the grownups said...they said I'm a monster. They said somepony should lock me up so I can't hurt anypony...I-I turned mommy and daddy into plants and made that cute little baby dragon into a monster...maybe they're right..." She didn't stop crying.

Twiley, I never imagined . . . no I wasn't scared of her when I heard she turned mom and dad for a minute into plants. I thought it was weird, not terrifying. She was Twiley, she was always Twiley. She'd never hurt ponies, just cause. We all make mistakes, I knew The Princess would help her get a grip on all her extra magic. I was honestly more scared for her than of her.

And ... I knew where she was coming from. My magic? My shields? When I was a colt, when the grown ups didn't think I was listening, they talk with my parents, saying my magic was too powerful. That I could put a shield around a pony's head and suffocate them, or put a force field inside a pony and expand it, or a hundred other horrible things. That was stupid and dad told them so. I think one or two of those ponies who kept pushing ended up being introduced to his hoof. Sure my magic was really strong. But my magic was to protect ponies, not hurt them.

I hugged her. "Twiley, you're not a monster, Princess Celestia wouldn't have accepted you as her student if she thought you were, she'll make sure everything will be okay...and so will I."

She look up to me again with tears still in her eyes. "R-really? You promise, BBBFF?"

I gives her a smile. "Yeah, promise. Don't worry about a thing, Twiley, I've got yer back. I've always been there for you and I'm always going to be."

She looked at me more, at least she'd know I wasn't scared of her... "...O-okay...Thank you, BBBFF...And I'll have yours if you need it too, okay?"

"Okay. Happy to know I can count on you too Twiley."

The letter was from Twiley, you wouldn't have guessed from the horn writing that it was done by a filly. I wonder how her entrance examine went. I heard some of the guards say they saw a dragon rise out of the castle then vanish, what kind of crazy wizards are they letting into that school? I hope Twiley wasn't there when it happened.

I had wanted to be there for her, I really did. But my training regiment conflicted with the timing and it was every bit as strict as one would expect it to be. Just getting out of it wasn't an option.

I opened it up, my jaw dropped. The first page was only one sentence and a photograph held in place by a paperclip.

It was a photo of Twiley . . . grinning ear to ear next to the Princess. On her flanks was a star surrounded by little ones. But that wasn't made my jaw drop.

There was a card Twiley was magically holding. Written in elegant high-equestrian with crayons were the words 'New Personal Student!'

BBBFF! Guess what?!

My thoughts were as followed:

Twiley! You got your cutie mark! Congrats little sister!!!

Wait...What?!

Faint making a goat noise.

Upon awakening get the first break I could and gallop home to give my little sister the biggest hug I possibly could.

So here I was, my first day at the guard academy. I'd been accepted and was on my way to becoming a royal guard, Uncle Cool Sun would be delighted, but I wasn't doing this to impress family, I wanted to protect ponies the same way I had protected and looked after Twiley.

I was seated with four other stallions, all Earth Ponies. One was had a cream colored coat with a brown mane, with three horseshoes as his cutie mark, he introduced himself as Caramel and was from Ponyville. He showed us a picture of a pretty blue pegasus mare and was about to tell us her name when,

"Don't, just don't," Said the blue earth pony with a dark blue mane and two musical notes as she cutie mark.

"Why? She's a nice girl," Caramel said looking a the pretty picture.

"Don't you know what HAPPENS to Guards who talk about their girl friends? They're the ones who always get blown up or eaten by the monster first!"

"I thought it was the guards who ponies knew the most about that didn't get eaten," Caramel said unsure.

"It's a little less likely to get eaten by monsters when ponies know your name, mine's Note Worthy. Wanna be friends? The more ponies who know us, the less likely we're gonna be eaten."

"Guys, that's all just a myth," Said a brown stallion with a faded hay colored mane that needed a good combing (Celestia was very lax when it came to mane style in her guard), his cutie mark was a banjo. "There aren't no proof that's how it works."

"No no no, seriously, it does, I know ponies who research this sort of thing."

"You guys make it sound like guards get eaten by monsters everyday," I said jumping in, "My uncle is in the guard, he never mentions stuff like that."

"Of course they woudn't," Note Worthy said.

"Why are you even in the guard then?" Caremel asked.

"Erm, kinda a family thing."

"Your dad's a guard?"

"No, he just thinks being a Royal Guard will do me some good."

"So is your family Guards a lot? I'm Banjo by the way."

"Shining Armor." We shook hooves. "And no, just my uncle mostly. You?"

"Naw. Family was sure surprised when I did though."

"My family has ponies in the guard," said the last pony I was sharing this ride with, a beige stallion with a dark almost black mane, his cutie mark was a cherry. "Though we have plenty of other members in the cherry business. Call me Cherry Fizzy, or Cherry Coke, I can go by either."

"Nice to meet you Cherry Coke," I said happily, after all, I didn't know who I was going to be bunking with, so I might as well be on good terms with everypony. "So . . . nice to meet you all fellow new recruits, uh, any of you play Oubliettes and Ogres?"

Caramel blinked at me, "You're into engineering? Can I see some of your designs?"

Banjo rose an eyebrow but shrugged, "So you're into ogers? Well, whatever floats your boat."

Half-Note politely shook his head, "Sorry, I'm not really into that whole crop and bridle stuff."

Cheery Coke coughed and blushed, "Uh . .. I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh no no," I said, "It's nothing like that, it's just a game, you play with dice and-"

Cherry Coke covered my mouth, "Can I speak to you privately for a second?"

The others looked at us funny, we were almost at the academy by the looks of things, and would let off and meet the other new cadets for this year. In other words we didn't have much for 'privately' but Cherry Coke managed. He whispered, "Look Shining, if you want anypony to take you seriously, you better get into stallionly like hoofball or polo, and get into it fast unless you want to be seen as a weirdo."

"I was seen as pretty weird in high school." I whispered back. "In fact weird seems to follow me..." Great, I even attracted weirdness in high school...

"This isn't high school. This is the Guard Academy, and unless you want to be seen as a clown they'll brush under the rug, you need to fit in."

"How'd you know? This is your first time here too isn't it?"

"I told you I have family in the Guard."

"So do I, and my uncle never found anything wrong with my hobby."

"But he's not playing it. I had . . . a relative who introduced me to O&O, and he never got a promotion in his life. Trust me, if word gets around you play that game, ponies aren't going to think you're guard material."

"If I wasn't guard material I wouldn't be here."

"And you'll stay material unless you keep your stuff in the closet! I love the game too, level 19th thief/assassin, but there are just some things you don't discuss in front of others. I won't give his name, but a stallion got investigated and his career ruined all because they mistake his game chatting for an actual scheme to attack the Princess. So please get into hoofball or polo and learn to love it!"

"What was that about dice? And assassin?" Note Worthy asked.

"Nothing." I said, sighing, "Just a novel I'm writing. So any of you guys seen last week's hoofball game?" The captain of Canterlot Acadamy's Polo team had been my school's jerk jock, Buck Withers, if I had to pick one, it wouldn't be that one.

"TEN HUT!" Bellowed an 'assertive' and 'take charge' voice a few minutes later, and so my first day began.

"Well guys, this is it," I said, already wearing my uniform, taking one last look at the room the four of us used for our Oubliettes and Ogres game.

"You know I'm going to go nuts trying to find a player as good as you, and rework my storyline with you gone." Graffer said in a friendly tone and straight face.

"You could always play him yourself," I grinned.

"No. Way. Running a world for you guys is hard enough without having to run you too," my fellow unicorn said frowning.

I shrugged, "Was worth a shot."

Graffer's life was this game, the red eight sided dice on his flank marked it as his special talent after all.

"You know my pegasus had a crush on your paladin, she'll be sure to write a fairwell poem for me." Poindexster said adjusting his glasses.

"I know it'll be nice," I said.

"Seriously, we'll miss having you around Shining." Poindexster said, "But don't worry, I'm sure my robot-player can fill in the mean time."

"You're joking!" Said 8-Bit, the gray pegasus spread his wings, his cutie mark might have been a Space Invader, but that didn't stop from enjoying other games. You know. I never realized how much he and Thunderlane look alike. Thunderchild insists he and Thunderlane aren't related, but 8-Bit on the other hoof doesn't have a similar name and looks a lot like Thunderlane, this makes my head hurt.

"The last time we used that thing when Shining had a cold, it burned down the orphanage, stole our magic items when it was on watch, used my character as a shield when it set off that 'wall of blow darts' trap, started two fights with the trolls we were supposed to be negotiating with, blew the party's gold on an enchanted sword only SA's character could use, and it refused to chip in for the pizza and ate all the cheesy puffs!"

"I've worked out the bugs I swear!"

"Of-course-those-were-all-natural-20s. You're-being-a-killer-DM. That-fruit-seller-was-clearly-armed-and-dangerous."

"It's still not the WORST player I've ever had," said our orange and white unicorn with his nice curly green mane. "Shining, seriously, you've been a good friend. You didn't show up just for the game, you showed up for us, and you showed up outside of the game! It wasn't just about the game. I just want to say thank you for that. It means a lot to me. I'm happy you loved my world of course, but I'm even happy that I can have you as a friend. Heh, and just think, you'll be able to wear that cool armor in real life and no one will bat an eyelash." Too bad that part didn't work out so well. Too bad Cadence has a taste for purple armor.

"Hey Shining," Said 8-Bit.

"Yes?"

"Yes?"

"When my family moved to Canterlot from Cloudsdale, my little sister had to leave her friends behind. She cried when she told them goodbye. But when, years later, I brought them up, she didn't even remember their names. All she really remembered was when Cadence foalsat her."

We had tried to introduce Twiley to 8-Bit's sister to socialize her a little, but Twiley couldn't have cared less about her would-be playmate and kept her muzzle buried in her book the entire time she was there.

"My point is Shining," 8-Bit continued, "Please don't forget about us. Ponies change, the world changes, ponies drift apart and make new friends. But please, don't forget us."

I gave 8-Bit a hug, "Don't worry about it! I won't! I could never forget you guys." I grinned. "No matter how hard I tried!" I teased.

"And as if I could ever forget about any of you!" 8-Bit laughed. "That uniform makes you look like a bellcolt by the way."

"HA! You'll change your tune once you see me in my set of armor! You'll just WISH you'd look as good in it!"

"I'll stick to dangers and monster on games screens thank you." 8-Bit said clamly.

"Shining, just don't go doing something crazy in that suit of armor," said Graffer, "There are no resurrect spells in real life."

"His sister would probably invent one if anything happened to him."

"Not funny Poindexster!" We all said together.

"Sorry." The earth pony shrunk a little.

"So Shining, just be careful, great to see you want to be a real hero in real life, but just promise you won't do anything stupid trying to be one."

"Trust me Graffer, I'm a defenser, not an attacker, mine is shield magic remember? I'm joining to help ponies, not beat monsters up."

"Heh, you're the same in or out of game. Go get'em paladin." We bro-hoofed.

"Oh Shining Armor, before you go-"

"For the last time Poindexster, I don't think my little sister needs a robot-friend."

"No no no, this is completely different. Here ya go!" He pulled out a big book from under the table and placed on top, resulting in a hug shaking. I paled and looked at the title. "The Equestrian Guard Completely And Total Unabridged Rule Book?"

"Oh and this one too."

He gave me a much smaller book titled: ''How to Get Promoted In the Equestrian Guard For Foals'

"Gee thanks," I said flatly.

"A good friend always thinks about their friend's future!" Poindexster said proudly.

"Hey. You're gonna miss your ride Shining," said Graffer looking at the clock.

"Alright. See ya guys. And don't worry, I won't forget ya, I know you won't forget me."

I was our family's doorway. I'd been standing here maybe a little long. I was ready to leave, really, I was. I had told my family how much I loved much last night, really I did, we told each other how everything would be okay and everypony needs to leave the nest sometime! My parents were fine with that now, and so I was. No, really we were!

We had hugged each other good bye, mom had given me a great goodbye kiss, dad had given me a few encouraging words and a hug of his own. They gave me some last minute advice on how to take care of myself they might have forgotten to give me during my foalhood and adolescent years. I smiled. I had been looking forward to this for a long time, and the day was finally here! It was time to be my own stallion at last!

But something was holding me back.

"Twiley, please drop the force field."

And I mean that literally.

"NO!"

I canceled it out with a forcefield of my own. Instantly a wall of tightly packed stuffed animals and books blocked my path instead.

"See? Smarty Pants want you to stay!"

"Twiley, I'm going to miss the airship, and I already have a stop I need to make on the way."

"I don't care. You should just stay here with me."

"Now you listening here young lady-" Dad began. Twiley growled at him, making him back off. "-you listen to your mother."

I don't know if dad was afraid of Twilight's magic...or just disappointing his daughter. I think both were equally terrifying to him.

Mom glared at him as he pushed her to the front line. Mom looked at Twiley. "Now Twilight dear, your big brother has some important things to do at the academy. And he's not going to be gone forever. He'll visit us, he'll be back before you know it."

"Then he should just stay here!"

Mom sighed. Then said more strenly. "Twilight Sparkle. You stop this nonsense. You're being selfish."

"No! You're being selfish! You're letting him go! And BBBFF! You said we were gonna be pals forever! You can't leave me!" She looked pleadingly at me. Scared.

The wall was reinforced by a book fort that I suddenly found myself the prisoner of. Twiley grinned at me. "See big brother? You don't need to go anywhere! You can just stay here and be the guard for my castle! I'm gonna be a princess someday! So you can just be my royal guard instead!"

I knelt down as much as I could inside the book fort. "But I'm not a royal guard yet. And I'm not going to ever be one if I'm just kept here. I need to go and learn how to be a royal guard. There are some things you can't learn from books Twiley." Uh-oh.

"That's a lie!" Tiwley snapped back. "Mom and dad say it's bad to tell lies, right?" She glanced at them.

"He's not lying sweetheart."

Twiley's eyes widened. "But--but--... "

I sighed. "Twiley . . ." I tried to figure out how to word this to her, Twiley was smart, she acted so adult sometimes, but as the saying goes, 'it's the foals who act the most adult who are the most childish.' "What if I kept you from going to the library because it was far away, and it meant I wouldn't see you for a while? Would it be fair for me to keep you here because I didn't want you to go? Would it be selfish for mom and dad to help you go to the library if I wasn't letting you?"

Twiley startled, "But-I DON'T WANT YOU TO GO AWAY!"

"I know Twiley." I nuzzled her from inside my book prison. "But you want to get into Princess Celestia's school for gifted unicorns don't you?"

She brightened. "Yes! I know I am!"

"And . . . you know you'll be living in the castle if you're accepted right?"

She looked unsure. "Uh . . . yes?" She hadn't thought about it much.

"Then maybe we'll meet each other at the castle, that's where lots of Guards are right? And when we're both finished, let's both meet back here. Promise? Because I'd never ever, stop you from going to the castle Twiley, not because I don't love you, but because I know you have your heart set on it. And you know I have my heart set on this right?"

"R-right." She sniffled a little.

"And if I stay here, I won't accomplish my dreams, just like you wouldn't if I forced you to stay here."

Twiley meekly nodded.

"So please Princess Twiley, will you let your royal guard become a proper Guard for your highness?"

"Y-yes." Tiwley whimpered and the book fort opened and the plush army parted ways.

"That's a brave filly," I hugged her. Mom and dad did the same. Everypony gave me a a extra hug and kissed. "Bye Twiley, I promise we'll each other."

"A-alright B-BBFF!" She waved along with Smarty Pants.

"I won't say makes us proud, because I know you will!" Dad smiled.

"Go going before I decided to keep you here myself," mom said.

I grinned, waved, blew a kiss to the family I loved so much, two for my little sister, and followed mom's advice. Hopefully I still had time to give one last goodbye to my friend.

At least my ceiling hadn't changed. Graffer, 8-Bit, 'Gizmo', when was the last time I saw them? When was the last time I had even thought of them? When was the last time I thought about being a paladin in Graffer's fantasy world?

After becoming Cadence's bodyguard, becoming the Captain of an entire new branch of the Guard, finally getting to spend time with Cadence again after too many years away, saving the world, bonding with my squad mates . . . and really getting into hoofball. I could almost imagine Graffer crying like a baby at the sight of me geeking out over hoofball memorabilia. I didn't have much time to think about much else besides my own story. I know Graffer would approve of that last bit at least. Maybe we should compare notes?

I hadn't even bought the 4th and 5th edition Oubliettes and Ogres guidebooks. It really had been a long time.

'Gizmo' (he had changed his name), last I checked was in Ponyville, but 8-Bit and Graffer were still in Canterlot. I had to make a point to see them next chance I got.

So I take it these dreams have been my life filling in backwards?

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Uh...what makes you say that?)

Because you said I was in the middle filling in both ways, and I keep dreaming about my past. I'm not Twilight, but I'm smarter than I look...I like to think so at least.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): I'm not entirely sure, considering you're still very usual as far as...entities like you are. But that might be a good guess.)

Alright, and thank you.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): For what?)

For not making me live that night over again, thank you. The night Uncle Cool Sun died. The night my mistakes cost somepony I loved their life, my little sister the uncle she loved like I did, my parents a brother, and now I know stopped an good mare from meeting her husband, and stopped an innocent filly from ever being born, and any family she might have had.

The night I lost control. The night I used my magic for the exact opposite of what it was meant for and everything I believed it to be. The night I ended the life of another thinking creature for the first time. Thank you.

(Interviewer's Notes Unicorn: (Don't fixate on how things might have gone Shining, down that road lies the Nightmares.)

Don't worry, I know that, trust me, I don't know if you have any control over what I dream about or not, but thank you. After everything I've endured . . . I'd probably just endure it anyway. But thank you. I just want to protect Cadence, be with my family, and be a good leader to my guardmates. Thank you. Thanks for letting me dream about some good times instead!

Mom and dad are right, you can look back on those embarrassing times and laugh.

Graffer, Cherry Coke, Spike, Twiley, thank you so much for making sure I have happy memories to look back on.

I'm happy to know past me, erm, further past me is handling himself. But what about my the present and future? Or rather 'less far back in the past me' and 'present me'? My friend's and family's? Cadence's?

It was an odd feeling to be honest. After spending months paranoid of an unseen evil out for my very existence...it seemed it was all over the second Nameless met his demise.

One minute I was fighting a war that made the Griffin Wars look like a pie fight, surrounded by death and destruction, struggling with everything I had to stop a mad stallion from plunging the world into a never ending nightmare. The next Nameless had never even existed, the Hooviets had imploded twenty years ago. Wars and conflicts had either never happened or were greatly reduced in scope and death toll. No Hooviets meant they weren't around to stir the pot and keep wars going that would've ended earlier. Yes, the Hooviet collapse had caused the areas it had controlled and influenced to destabilize, but Equestria and Columbia, among others had been able to help stopping it from turning into a long bloody civil war it could've been. And WOULD have been if Azure Raven had been around.

The world I'd lived in before wasn't exactly at war, but there was that constant fear of the Hooviets hanging over it, the wars they'd instigated and the fear they'd do it again at any moment. And it was just...gone. A cold war was replaced with peacekeeping efforts leading to a more stable and peaceful world. Tartarus, Mosroe was previously a stop that had me on pins and needles, dreading when we got there even before I'd made an enemy of their most senior soldier. Now I was looking forwards to it, if only to see Mother Deer when her children weren't murdering each other and suffering under a tyrannical empire. If you'd told me that a few weeks ago, I'd have told you you were crazy.

I felt like we were going to have smooth sailing from here on out. That I didn't have to worry. Maybe I could finally stop looking over my shoulder and enjoy the trip. Maybe this would just be a simple diplomatic tour from here on out.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Remember what you said about thinking about things like that?)

Darn it!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Hehe, just pulling your leg, Shining...)

Author's Note

Story Arc written by LZ0291 lz0291.deviantart.com/

Shining Armor is given a two year tour of the world to be the captain of Princess Cadence's body guard. Yeah. That's all. That's everything Yep. Nothing what so ever else. *AJ's Liar face*

"Time is an ocean in a storm."

This storyline runs PARALLEL to the events in the Dark World storyline narrative wise.

Please help the trope http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries and recap pages. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/PonyPOVSeries (please?)

Previous Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Shining-Armor-18-1-420887217

Next Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Shining-Armor-Chapter-Smilie-421744485

First Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Fluttershy-FlutterCruel-Pearls-260092460

MLP: FiM is copyright of Hasbro

Image by Kendell2

Episode 139: (Shining Armor): dnaL railimaF A nI regnartS-Stranger In A Familiar Land Part 2

Episode 140: (Shining Armor) Smilie :-)

Pony POV Series
"Shining Armor"
Chapter Smilie :-)
inuK oN okeN !nezustoT - Totsuzen! Neko No Kuni
Chapter By Alex Warlorn

Time to let the spell wards down and for another batch of letters, magic messages, news updates, and everything else. And no monsters after my head to worry about! Okay my little sister was now responsible for protecting the world from evil with a bunch of magic jewelry and had defeated an insane lunar goddess, that hadn't changed, but at least I knew there weren't black ops groups following her every move like a bug in a jar now.

Then Cadence was called to the message room, again. At least this time Twinkle Shine caught the brush before Cadence arrived. Her Lark meanwhile had taken up guard duty for the giant bug until we could give to the wizards in Canterlot to fuss over.

As her bodyguard, of course I was in tow.

Shepard looked awkward. "Uh, maybe you should just read it Princess."

For once Cadence didn't read out loud, but her jaw dropped all the same, "We're to make stops where?"

"Well, you read the-"

"I read it. I just don't believe it....Isn't the letter supposed to vanish now? Isn't that how illusion magic works?"

"Not all illusion magic works that way," I said, Twiley loved to explain things so much it was impossible to not pick up some things.

Commander Shepard said "Well, we're in the area, and it is on our route anyway, so the princess imagined we could hug two friends with one hoof."

"Don't you mean kill two birds with one stone?" Minuette asked.

"Minuette! Why would you ever want to do such a thing?"

"...just a Griffin expression your highness," Minuette defended meekly.

"So, where are we stopping?" I couldn't read through Cadence's head, oh right, x-ray vision spell! My bad! Let's see, my jaw dropped. "Where?!"

"That's what I said Shining," Cadence said. "And you could have just asked! I don't like ponies reading over my shoulder, let alone through my HEAD!"

"Sorry..."

"So it seems we'll be making brief visits to the Cat Kingdom, and the site of Friendship Gardens."

"Where is that even on the map?" Cadenced asked looking a convenient world map. "I don't even see it."

"Most don't even print it, wait, let me get you a magnifying glass your highness!" Sunset offered.

A minute later we were crowded around to make out a tiny dot on the side of the Everfree Forest opposite Ponyville....Seeing it through a magnifying glass it never hit me how diverse and numerous the nasty 'surprises' in Everfree were, monsters were only tip of the iceberg.

Many armies had tried to conquer the puny insignificant kingdom of the cats, just so they could have the easy win under their belts. They had all run away screaming, or taken up knitting. It was also known as Cat Land, Felinonia, and Snuggle Wuggly Land and 'We, 'symbol of a heart', 'symbol of the globe.''

As for Friendship Gardens. It existed on the borders of Equestria, or it used to. It actually dated to back before the pre-classical era. It used to be thought to be fiction given the fantastic stories that were told about it. Having been rediscovered, it was now a historical site, complete with a supposed 'reconstruction' but how they'd have a clue what it looked like was beyond me. Then there were the ponies who thought it was a big hoax that somepony forgot to pull the plug on.

So we're going to a place populated by excessively adorable talking cats who hug everything that moves and a place that supposedly was pulled out of a fantasy story...At least my weirdness magnetism is attracting some PLEASANT bizarre circumstances now!

"The good news is that the Princess doesn't want us to stay there long. It's merely a brief appearance as a token of good will for both." Shepard said holding a second already opened scroll.

Thank goodness, we ALL just wanted to bucking get back to Equesria, to CANTERLOT already! It felt like I hadn't laid eyes on mom and dad since never! It felt like a cheat.

Cadence read copy of the letter a little closer, "But why would Auntie want to land via pegasi, rather than dock one of the airships?"

"I guess Your Highness, that either the cat tribe don't have an air dock, or she feels it would give your visit a more personal touch."

"Well, at least we aren't expected to stay long."

Contrary to what you might have been told, traveling by air over Everfree didn't mean you were traveling safely, rogue dragons, manticores, and by far the worst, wild weather!! It didn't like listening to Pegasi, and could react violently if they tried.

At least the cat tribe was on the -edge- of Everfree Forest...which itself was much larger than it let on. That forest held secrets and mysteries that in my humble opinion are best left where they lay.

Maybe I shouldn't have read Call of Ponythulu, I thought after dealing with the real thing, a made up horror from beyond would be funny.

Gag wasn't handling the idea well though. Garnet reassured him that the Cats were among the least violent beings in existence, but given we had yet to encounter a cat species that didn't hunger for his blood, he wasn't too happy about going to a kingdom full of them.

As the ship neared the cat kingdom, we got a knock on the windows. And found a dozen or more cats holding brightly colored party balloons and waving at us happily as our ship past.

"But how do they get back down?" Minuette asked.

"Who cares when they're this cute!" Twinkle Shine smiled.

As we finished passing, the cats POPPED their own balloons and fell! We all gasped in horror, until...

"Did they just BOUNCE?!" Cadence asked.

"Either they're made out of rubber, or they have trampolines hidden under there," Audience suggested.

"I wouldn't dismiss either theory," I said. Given my luck, I actually thought the former was the more plausible.

Cadence insisted on carrying her two groundbound hoofmaidens herself, with her magic, "Don't worry, I don't even need to focus on it, it'll last until you safely touch the ground."

Minuette and Twinkle Shine looked at each other and put their faith in their goddess.

Running Gag wasn't missing a chance to carry Garnet around like a majestic steed. Thunderchild would haul Audience to the ground, and Sunset would carry Ellis.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Uh, is that a good idea?)

Sunset is stronger than she looks. Circus performers need to be.

"I'll get Ranger to carry me down."

"Don't be silly Shining!" Cadence cheered. "I'll carry you down! I don't need my back to work my magic!"

I blushed. "What?"

"You sure say that a lot." She smiled.

"And you don't?" I blurted back and covered my mouth, "I mean, Your Highness, are you sure that's safe?"

"Don't worry Shining, you'd be surprised how much the different magics of the three tribes compliment each other. Leave it to me."

"Right! Nothing might go wrong!" Thunderchild said.

"That's 'nothing will go wrong,'" Audience said.

"Don't be daft, everypony knows it's when you say that things do go wrong."

"Can't argue with that," I said.

"If you insist, I guess I could let Twinkleshine ride on my back to conserve mana..." Cadence pondered.

"PLEASE RIDE ON HER BACK!" begged Twinkleshine, and I didn't hear an ounce of romantic undertones in her voice.

Being, well, me, I couldn't bare to leaving Twinkleshine to deal with her weird phobia of riding on Cadence's back if I could help. My name isn't just a nickname...

As per Princess Celestia's instructions, the cargo bay doors opened wide, the group consisting of only Cadence and her hoofmaidens, and Misfit Actual. Apparently the reason was to avoid the cats getting too worked up as having so many 'new friends' showing up at once. The cat kingdom right below us.

"Are those...giant spinning brightly colored floating rings?" Cadence asked looking down.

"Well, what else could they be besides giant spinning brightly colored floating rings?" Thunderchild observed.

"They sure are NICE giant spinning brightly colored floating rings," Gag said.

"But why! Why are there giant spinning brightly colored floating rings?" I asked.

"Don't question WHY there are giant spinning brightly colored floating rings, it shall not change the giant spinning brightly colored floating rings are there," Our circus mare declared.

"Well, they're waiting for us." Said Cadence seeing the giant 'Welcome!' crowd picture on the ground below. "Time to mount me Shining Armor."

We both looked at each in silence blankly before Cadence said, "I walked into that one didn't I?"

"Yes," all three hoof maidens echoed.

Well, maybe it wasn't too late to get Ranger to carry me down. Looking her over, could she really handle two mares with her magic and a stallion on her back in a glide?...Then again, the cats were already waiting for us, and and Cadence had already said it was alright and I'd rather not Twinkleshine have a panic attack before we even arrive. I would be safe on her gracefully arching back, climbing on her strong smooth flanks, her elegant wings spread out alongside me, her wonderful mane whipping in my face as we flew from the heavens to earth, where we were touching wearing nothing at all, nothing at all. Wait! I trotted back. "Maybe this isn't such a good idea!"

"Oh don't be so silly Shining." She grabbed with her magic and landed me the short distance onto her nice back.

= Main Menu - Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games Music =

The pegasus lined up along the edge of the cargo bay doors with their cargo, and braced themselves. "Aren't we supposed to fly in a formation?!" I yelped.

"Shining! As your commanding officer," Cadence said, "You have to learn to LET LOOSE!" Cadence leapt off the edge, the others following right behind.

= 'Blast Away! I -Gummi Ship' Kingdom Hearts I- =

The giant spinning brightly colored floating rings twinkled and made a jingle as we flew through them. They seemed to be in a patterns, and without needing to be told to, the princess and the pegasi flew through them, Sunset doing loop-de-loops even with an Earth pony on her back, Gag was zig-zagging through them, and Cadence was having her hoof maidens go through the holes on her sides. Then Thunderchild clipped his wings on one! Oh no! Wait...huh? There was a buzzing noise as the ring darkened, but Thunderchild was perfectly fine, did his wing fly THROUGH the ring like it was an illusion?

I began to laugh, and just enjoyed the wind wipe around me as Cadence carried me, the rings brightening up behind as we got closer and closer to the ground...Excitement replaced fear and thrill replaced worry! I kept laughed!

Sunset did a barrel roll and a corkscrew roll as she flew along, showing why she was Cadence's personal messenger pegasus.

We began to hear the cheers of the cats below, and just before we would have broken out of the dive, a jet of water broke our fall for us, and sent us all landing onto a giant pillow.

We were surrounded by cats on all sides who cheered at our landing. Who landed first? Heh! Who cares? That was actually pretty fun.

"WELCOME! WELCOME! WELCOME!" The signed they waved in front of us said. Gag look paralyzed. The guy might have been a trained soldier, but I imagined he'd had nightmares like this. Multiple times.

Then a cat who didn't really look any different from the rest broke off from the circle and hugged Cadence. Hey! I mean, they could have fleas or something!

"Mew! Mewmewmew! Mew Mew! Mew! Mew-meeew-MEW!" He then pointed at each of the pegasi, "Mew mew. MEW-mew-mew-mew-MEW! MEW MEW!" Then pointed at Cadence. "Mew-mew-mew-mew-mew-mew-mew-mew-mew-mew-mew-mew!"

We all looked at Gag.

"Uh...I think the deadly beasts, I mean, our hosts says Sunset got the most points, Thunderchild lost some points from that mistake he made, I came in second, and erm, Princess you got disqualified for cheating."

"CHEATING?!" Cadence's spread her wings.

"Well, you using the hoofmaidens to score more rings is against the rules."

"Mew-mew-mew-mew-mew." A small army of cats carried over a very larger trampoline.

"But," Gag said, still holding onto Garnet, "They said you can try again for a better score."

Cadence look one look at me. "Come along Shining."

Good feeling gone.

Several replays later, Twinkle Shine was looking at all the cat's houses and shops with twinkles in her eyes, "I've died and gone to Elysium!" She declared looking at everything and anything. "Please tell me we're staying a very long time Princess!"

"We're staying one afternoon."

"That's not fair." Twinkle Shine lamented and was hugged on all sides by sympathetic kitty cats at once and was offered some cake. So was I. It was so delicious and moist.

"Keep them away me," Gag whimpered at all the smiling fuzzy faces.

"Running, you're our translator! You can't just hide behind me!" Garnet said, she was right, they surrounded him on all sides.

"I can sure try!"

They cat all looked at each other, then one pointed a claw at the sky, "MEW MEW MEW!" Then they all turned around, covered their eyes, and began, "Mew....Mew.... "

"Uh, said 'hide and seek.'" Gag said, "Anditwouldbeundiplomaticformetounindulgethem!"

He flew into one of the houses.

"My hero," Garnet deadpanned.

The cats finished counting and looked around.

"He went-" Garnet began to point but the cats frowned at her and shook their heads, no cheating.

They then began to look under tables, potted plants, then one popped out of Cadence's mane!

"He's not in there," Cadence said politely. The cat hopped out, politely shook her hoof, and ran off. "At least it wasn't a-" the cat ran back and handed her a hairbrush it'd apparently found in her mane before running off again. "I...How..."

"Now you know how I feel about the soap boxes."

The cats eventually surrounded the house Gag had hid in, and as silently as plush toys on pillows, snuck inside. They came out in a crowd a minuet later, carrying Running Gag, who was snoring, and hugging one a teddy, or one of the tribe, it was hard to tell.

"He was scared out of his wits and now he fall asleep." Garnet sighed. Then looked at me, "PLEASE don't punish him Sir!"

I smiled. "Don't worry about it, I think this might be good for him!"

I noticed Captive Audience was looking...unsure. Almost distraught! Kind of like Twiley when she was forced to finally comprehend Zebras existed. I was surprised when Minuette got to him before I, Cadence or the cats could.

"What's wrong Captive?" Minuette asked.

"I... I ...I just don't get it! They have a castle, but they don't seem to have any royalty! They live near the Everfree Forest but I can't find any defenses but the monsters just leave them alone! They have shops but I can't see what they're using for currency! I can't figure out their logistics or economics at all! I don't understand it! It's all so, unorderly!"

Minuette gave him a pat on the back. "I know how you feel."

Audience was not expecting to hear that! "I, no offense, I thought you were going to tell me to just enjoy this for what it is."

"Well, that too, maybe, but that isn't what's bothering you. You like things being orderly, logical, practical..." She hugged him. "I'm the same way. I hate it when things follow rules I don't get, or rules I'm not used to. But Captive, there are rules, there are just rules we're not used to. You can't expect to figure all the nuances of an isolated non-equine culture in one afternoon. We're here as honored guests. It all makes sense to them, or they wouldn't have been able to build all this and feed themselves. And..." She broke the hug, sat back and laughed. "Ponies. Griffins think we're crazy for letting the Everfree Forest just be. Some thinks we're denying everypony their free-will because of cutie marks."

"That's not how cutie marks work."

"We know that, but from what little they've heard? Symbols on your butt that appear to tell you what to do with your life? If that's what you heard, wouldn't you think the same things too? And just imagine it sounds to the Deer after all that 'Greater Good' Horseapples the Hooviets forced on them twenty-five years ago. Not to mention how many think we're 'pansies' for putting so much emphasis on love. They weren't raised on the notion friendship and love can literally end an ice age...Audience, we don't get all this. But they do, and that's what counts. I'm sure our rules would seem as confusing and convoluted to them. If we had more time I'm sure they'd love to explain everything to you."

Audience nuzzled her. "Thank you Miss Colgate."

"Welcome Mr. Audience." She nuzzled back.

Cadence and I both looked, then looked at each other, then looked again. Twinkle Shine meanwhile dropped the pice of pink cake with too many sparkles onto the ground. The cats happily handed her a waste basket, broom, and dust pan, apparently the cats believed in cleaning up your messes.

Ellis happily tried some of the candy apples they offered, then as politely as possible began to explain how they could improve their methods.

His branch of the family might have been focused on what to do with the -wood- of apples trees, but he still knew a good deal about apples themselves! And the cats seemed almost too happy to accept it.

Oh and Sunset? She still got the most points on the first go, so she was given a medal for doing such a great job, apparently all her circus tricks gave her bonus points.

The band's unapologetically cheerful melodies couldn't have cared less if they sounded sappy, cheesy, corny, or mushy, in fact I'm pretty sure that's what the pictographs represented on their scoring cards for their top ten!

Thunderchild for his part looked with wide eyed shock, sounding cowed, "How, that's a lightning guitar, how are they making lightning guitar music sound so... pretty?!" And indeed it was, I wondered if it was being powered by the all static electrisity the cats hugging each other had to produce.

"Now now Thunderchild, just enjoy the happy music while it lasts!" Twinkle Shine patted him on the head before getting to dancing to the music zealously. I wondered if Ellis was going to have to hogtie her and we'd have to carry her back to the airship kicking and screaming.

Though to be honest, for once I was happy to attract weird stuff. At least this was enjoyably weird and not crazy weird or 'something weird is trying to murder me.'

I did not want to go into the building that looked like a church. At all. I made a point not to insult, belittle, or trivialize other creatures' gods, and I already had my goddess I was interested in worshipping...Cadence insisted.

The inside was nice enough, nice stain glass windows depicting scenes I really didn't get, and with lots of pink and hearts everywhere.

I think both me and Cadence were bewildered of the statue at the alter.

"It's...an Alicorn?" Cadence whispered.

This confused me for sure, I was sure these cats would worship Bastet or somedeity like that.

Instead there was an Alicorn statue, depicting as dancing like a party animal, wearing the typical Alicorn regalia, but also wearing a party hat and a lampshade as a skirt. Her cutie was a big happy balloon surrounded by confetti, her mane...I don't know how to describe it other than it looked, poofy, like somepony had tried to render a filly's drawing as three dimensional stone.

The cat present (wearing a scarf with balloons on it and nothing else), politely waved at us and bow, "Mew-mew."

We looked at the inscription on the base, of course it would be in pictographs.

We looked at each other, "Do we wake up Running Gag to translate?"

"Hey what do you think her wingspan is?"

"What are you even doing here Thunderchild?!"

"Wanted some time away from the band music?"

"I never thought I'd hear you say THOSE words."

"Neither did I. So you think they'd let me measure the length of the wings if I was willing to convert?"

The little cat happily handed Thunderchild a little pamphlet pop-up book.

"If you do," Cadence said, "I'll ask Auntie to decree you never come within a hundred miles of Fluttershy!"

"...dangit."

"Can I sign up then?"

"Running Gag?! Okay! I assume Thunderchild got in here due to a 'wing length radar', but what you?!"

"Well, I came in here hoping for sanctuary, the goddess ain't that bad though."

"Can't you actually ask the cat about her?"

"Oh sure!" A few minutes later and a lot meowing, Running Gag said, "Okay, Princess Thelia, they say they're just keeping house for her, she doesn't exist yet. But once she does she'll have retroactively existed. Then she'll have taught the most vicious and violent creatures in existence -I KNEW IT!- the ways of the lost age of dreams. Remember to smile. Be happy. And don't worry so much if you're in a role and think more about if it's what'll makes you happy, you two."

"Gag!"

"I'm seriously, that's what the inscription says."

If the statue winked at me, I swear I'm running away from this place screaming.

"If she's GOING to exist, doesn't that mean she HAS TO exist already? I mean, these cats sure seem nice as it is."

"Mew."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude sir."

"Don't be quick to presume princess."

I groaned. "Okay, I'll bite, what are YOU doing here Mineutte?"

"I saw everypony else coming here and I was curious."

"Oh."

"As I was saying, hyper-dimensional beings and concepts of reality, exist outside of time and space. There is nothing to say her advent is a fixed point in time. If Princess Thelia comes into existence, she does, if she doesn't, the cat kingdom will likely be very different and we'll have skipped this entire part of the trip to avoid them."

We all looked at her funny.

"Did you get any of that?" Thunderchild asked Running Gag.

"She was speaking Equestrian but I swear she was speaking another language!"

"The future isn't written in stone, once you KNOW of a prediction, it can change what'll happen."

I was done with this time-space horseapples. Even if given the last few months and my current existence what Minuette said actually kinda made sense! "Fine. Whatever. Let's move on. And Running Gag put that down!" Now Running Gag was reading the pop-up book!

"Hey, Equestria welcomes all faiths."

"For a goddess who doesn't exist yet?!"

"That's not stopping the cats!"

"But she, they, time-ball!" Where was Doctor Livingstone where I needed him?

Our final major event in the cat kingdom was a tour through the castle. Though 'fun house' might have been a better name for it.

The place was crazy. Mineutte acted like a filly in a candy store as she observed us walking on the ceiling...or was that wall? And so many stairs seriously, who needed this many stairs? Don't ask me how the cats managed to navigate it all. Minuette held Audience's hoof through it all. Running Gag and Thunderchild try to fly through the giant room of stairs...big mistake.

"Which way's up again?"

"This way!"

"No that way!"

"Omph! Get your flank out of my face!"

"I think that might your flank."

And of course the hall of doors...

"Hello! Would you like some tea?" PONYTHULU in his bathrobe offered us.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Hi Ponythulu!)

He gurgled "Hi" back to the Earth Pony filly in my head...I don't want to know, it doesn't surprise me anymore.

"Hi! You haven't seen a sapphire statue around here have you?" Daring Do politely asked us.

"Oh! Sorry! I thought I locked that door," Pandora apologized as she pulled it shut. She then opened it and gave me a thumbs up before going back inside.

"Remember! Dial your own phone number to request your greatest desire at the low low cost of your dreams!" Offered the teenager colt in the black and white jester costume.

"Not the flying ponies again!" A bearded human in a sailor outfit with a green parrot exclaimed as he slammed the door shut on HIS side of a confusing side ways castle. "Yo Joe! Nobody's gonna get this cameo," said the parrot.

I blinked, looking at myself looking through the door, looking at myself looking through the door, looking at myself looking through the door continuing to infinity.

A purple dog with black spots on his back opened the door and screamed at the top of his lungs looking at us. He then blinked as one of the cats handed him a cake. He growled a thank you and closed the door.

"Hi!" waved a blue-eyed pink earth pony mare with a blond mane in a black robe holding a scythe, "Just take the second door on the third floor and remember to walk backwards through the left hallway if you want out, if you were looking for the bathroom-"

Suffice to say, it was crazy, weird, and completely nuts!

But...I wouldn't want to not have it. It was fun, unexpected, exciting, I had no idea what was going to happen next, and I really felt I could just let myself go.

It was sunset, about time to go, but the cats treated us to some great fireworks. We all just sat on the grass and watched the beautiful lights in the sky. Yes I sat next to Cadence, I'm her bodyguard, yes she folded her wing around me, it might have gotten a little cold, yes we leaned against each other, share body heat. She nuzzled me, I didn't resist.

"Please please, can't we stay just a little bit longer?" Twinkle Shine asked on her knees looking up at her princess.

"Twinkle Shine, you know we're expected back in Canterlot, and we already have another stop along the way. We could only stay here as long as we have."

"But it's so great here!" She said almost fanatically.

"We can come back in the future."

"Promise?"

Cadence gave her a soft nuzzle, "I Promise." And that was all that needed to be said. Cadence kept her promises. A promise was a gift, and Cadence didn't give fake gifts. I've never known her to betray the trust of anypony I've ever known.

Twinkle Shine got up and looked at the cat tribe and said, "Thank you, all of you...Gag, can you tell me how to say goodbye and thank you in their language?"

"Uh, sure, but it's a little weird."

"I'll go for it."

"Well, don't say I didn't warn you." He whispered in her ear.

"Alright." Twinkle Shine then began to say 'meow' while doing a little dance.

"Is that dance really necessary?" I asked.

"Dancing is PART of their language, like honey bees."

The cat tribe looked impressed Twinkle Shine said goodbye in their tongue and Cadence seemed ashamed she hadn't thought to do the same. Either way, we shook paws with her hosts, and Gag managed to do so without fainting, and then...we had to carry the large collection of Cakes they had given us as a parting gift back to the ship. Also, apparently Cadence had instruction that some of them were to be placed in storage and saved for Princess Celestia. Finally, something NORMAL!

Next stop! Friendship Gardens!

+++

You have no idea how wonderful it was to have nothing weird or nasty happen to me for a change! Our tribe to Friendship Gardens couldn't have been MORE relaxing!

No weather gremlins, no portals to other worlds, no demons from Tartarus, no alien mushrooms taking over ponies' brains, no absurd oversized conspiracies, it was wonderful, so so so wonderful!!!

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): What about us?)

You're not weird...anymore.

I saw Minuette and Audience discussing philosophy, but nothing truly insane...

Okay, some of the Guards, whose names I shall not release, tried to get a bite out of the cakes set aside for Princess Celestia, but they were all just let off with a warning since no harm was done.

Thunderchild was collecting more snippets of info about Fluttershy, trying to find out her likes and dislikes and what she expected out of a stallion (that last part was mysteriously missing from any source he somehow had access to: he was worried for a bit about something, but double checking his sources relieved his unknown fear).

Cadence still didn't name her Lark (we had just taken to calling it Lark for now), and the big bug kept thinking of more ingenious ways to get out of its box.

At least Cadence didn't seem to be abusing her own personal feathered spy network she apparently had exclusive access to.

Garnet and Running Gag, Ranger and Sunset, went on a double date on ship. A part of me was worried Ranger and Audience were going to be indoctrinated into the dark plans of that trio of witches who called themselves Cadence's hoofmaidens.

AND IT ALL FELT SO NICELY AND BEAUTIFULLY BUCKING NORMAL!

And Cadence was right, I did need to let myself go a little, after what happened, maybe I needed to let myself go some. I saved the world after all, and gone through a Tartarus none remembers but Cadence and Minuette and me. I won't say the world OWED me anything, I took an oath as a guard to protect the princess and her ponies and did exactly that. But maybe some relaxation was what the doctor ordered.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): You deserve it Shining.)

Life isn't about you deserve, but I'll be happy to take what's given! A couple of the stallions noted I was acting a lot more, 'chipper' but let them! Ha ha!

...Then came our few hours we had to endure at Friendship Garden before we were finally home in Equestria and Canterlot! True we had the other half of the tour to deal with after that, but it would be so great to finally be home again!!! True, all the places we had visited were fantastic and new, but I think I had gotten kinda sick of it, not of the new ponies, but just, of the constant uprooting, and relocation, I think I NEEDED to get a chance to remember where home was. Like I said, it felt like never since I had been there.

There wasn't a giant party waiting for us at Friendship Gardens. The place was all in all, not quite as colorful as I had heard the age of Myths, and the Golden Age, would be, even if a lot of it was still just stones, and a few rebuilt houses in an approximation of what the archaeologists THOUGHT they would be.

Naturally, Audience was simply more interested than I was, Ellis was more interested than I was, since Friendship Gardens was half a hyper simplistic farm and a handful of houses.

It was all info from the Golden Age and Age of Myths, so there was no telling what was fact or fiction, at least there was no mention of humans, in most accounts. Humans were like aliens in modern pony science fiction, or zombies in video games, they had to be in absolutely everything.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Actually it's looking fairly accurate so far.)

How would you-oh, right, time traveling interviewers...You guys would kill as archaeologists...

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): We don't do this for our gain...though we will have helped somepony make archaeological discoveries on the subject in the future.)

Sounds cool, can't wait to see it when I get there.

It wasn't quite a full-on farm with how it was built, and it wasn't quite big enough to be a town. If this place really was the real deal, I wondered if it was a three thousand year old tourist trap.

Except of course,

"So you see, there used to be a floating castle here, connected via a rainbow bridge to Friendship Gardens." I don't get why it was called 'gardens': this place barely counts as a farmstead. "We don't know what magic was used to keep it afloat, but it might been part of a self-sustaining mana network with six other such buildings, since similar magic distribution runes have been found another castle which was far more intact from the few expedition made who were willing to brave the Everfree Forest, which suggested indeed that five other castles used to exist.

"The castle did not simply fall from the sky when the magic network was destroyed or fell, it was blast to pieces, from the remains of the stone suggest from the inside. We don't know if this was sabotage, or an accident. The resulting magic blast is felt in the pattern of mana in the land even today. From what has been recovered, it's clear Friendship Garden was intended as a joint effort between the three tribes, meant to symbolize their unity before they indeed became the three tribes that are known in history. And--"

I tuned the guide out. I was a little ashamed really. After hearing elongated lectures about the history of so many countries and lands, even the history of my own now felt tiring and tedious. Your home's history is something you should be proud of.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): You're right. But even though they were somewhat correct, they only know half the story.)

And you know the rest?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Yes, but you can learn of part of it in time along with everypony else.)

Troll...

I stayed with Cadence, she endured the 'official tour' before being allowed to explore on her own for a precious short time.

"I think Auntie sent me here just so she could say 'Princess Cadence was here', to encourage ponies to come here."

"That's not a bad thing is it?" Audience of course would be the one to ask that question.

We did find something a little more alive than the tour guide. It was a plaque.

Let it be known to all who happen upon this place. Friendship Gardens was created as proof that ponies of different breeds can and should work together to build something greater than ourselves. We did not build this place for wealth or fame or to be remembered. But I thinks place should be. Foals who had been traumatized or hurt by the world were brought here, and were taught again how to live and to enjoy life. But in the end, all of them had to leave, grow-up to cross over the rainbow into Ponyland, to be with the rest of the world. Even after the world ended, we continued as long as we were able. Please remember our names. Please remember this place. Remember what we did our best for. We were supposed to be like friends to me, but in a way we became like mothers to each of them. Showing them different paths to happiness. Even when the world ended, we continue to help things be bright as possible, if only so these foals we protected, could restore the world where we couldn't.

Morning Glory - The Game Master
Sundance - The Explorer
Sweet Berry - The Baker
Ivy - The Fashiontina
Lightheart - The Joker

The plaque was copied from a message found in one of the mason stones (there were actually a few coins included that the experts at first thought were about how profitable Friendship Gardens had been...until a few scraps of journals found revealed instead they were put there as tokens of blessing upon the place for when it was BUILT. the 'coins' weren't even coins! They were pendants.).

After reading that, Cadence visited the farm again, actually EXPLORING Friendship Garden. Apparently with their combined magical knowledge, the ponies here had created pizzas, lollipops, and cupcakes that all GREW OUT OF THE GROUND, they require protection from crows that lived in the areas, and they were still junk-food, but it was something ponies were STILL trying to recreate. Too bad none of the seeds from those projects had survived.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Maybe they're just buried somewhere for safe keeping. It wouldn't be the first species of plant life found to have seeds hidden somewhere.)

That's a nice thought. I wonder if they could grow cups of tea...

There was a farmhouse where the foals slept, along with an exercise area, there was a wind mill or a tower, the historians weren't sure. There had been Lightheart's game cottage that was connected to Sweet Berry's kitchen, it was interesting to note there was only one the remains of bed found, though the other could have just rotted away. Lightheart's collage also had machines that reminded me of the 'DVD Player' that Nameless had pulled from another universe and the Doctor had identified, along with several video game and controllers and a 'TeeVee.' Most ponies couldn't believe this place was real when it was unearthed. Including me.

Sundance's Dance Studio had what had only recently been identified as a jukebox, which might have been where the 'hoax' rumors came from, in spite of been thousands of years old!

Morning Glory's school house and Ivy's beauty salon.

These ponies had LIVED. And they had lived their lives for the foals of strangers. These ponies had been Equestrian even if the country itself didn't exist yet. Wasn't love what Equestria was supposed to be founded on in the first place?

I wonder if any of them had any family, but from what the letter itself said, it was likely they had had many foals who owed them their lives and who they had raised with love and care. What else did you need to be called a mother?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Shining, I can tell you one thing: this place has ties to your family too.)

Really?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Yeah, it's a long story, ask Twilight about it in two years, I'm sure she'll love to hear about it)

I think I will...thanks.

"Cadence?" I noticed she was...crying?

"I've been here before. I don't remember when, I don't remember how, but I've been here before. I was hurt and alone, I was looking for a friend, everything was lost, but they helped all the same. They were all wonderful ponies. And history just swept them aside, they were just forgotten. Their biography books they each wrote lost." She shook her head, "I'm sorry Shining, I don't know what I'm saying."

"Another world?" I whispered.

"No... another 'me'."

Cadence gave each of the houses her blessing as the Alicorn of music, and a few nearby graves. But...she didn't seem sad about that.

"It means somepony loved them enough about them to bury them, to provide them tomb stones, and to give them a proper farewell. Morning Glory, Sundance, Sweet Berry, Ivy, Lightheart, rest in peace."

It was beyond any definition of weird, but at least it wasn't a nasty weird. It was like Cadence was saying goodbye to some old friends.

"Cadence...when...when we, er, fought the abomination. You said were scared of what you were turning into, that you'd lose yourself, I hate bringing it up, I'm sorry but...do you feel that same way here?"

"...No. Not really. Not quite. I don't think so at least. It all felt so, natural, memories that I had that I had forgotten I had had. Maybe I was so scared of that time, because it felt like I was a drop in front of an ocean. Here...I don't what it is, they're just feelings, ideas, but I know they're mine. And I don't want them gone. Sort of like all the good times we've had that we don't want to forget."

When it was time to leave, Cadence immediately had a painting commissioned of five ponies that she gave in incredible detail, and had ordered when done that it be shipped to Friendship Gardens as a personal gift from the Princess of Harmony. Cadence only told me, "It was what felt right Shining."

And that was it. No more delays. No more surprises. It was time at last for Canterlot herself.

.... . .

And just my bucking luck.

Twiley and Spike were in bucking Appleloosa giving Ellis' cousin company while they translated a new tree there!!!

Ellis wasn't that surprised, "Cousin Applejack is always tellin' me NOT to mention in front of Bloomberg about any of his 'brothers' that we chopped down for food. They treat those trees like part of the family."

Of all the bucking luck. We beheld the beautiful spires of Canterlot herself, flying over Ponyville, and Twiley and her friends weren't even here to say hello to us!!!

We were welcomed back for our short stop in Canterlot to little fan fair and that was just fine with Cadence and really fine with me!

The vast majority of guard and crew were given the day off and did whatever they pleased in Canterlot, happy to be back in the heart of pony civilization, a chance to catch up on the latest style and entertainment, and more importantly, to catch up on friends and family.

There were so many ponies to see, and talk with, we didn't know where to begin!

But I knew where I wanted to begin. If my own sister and 'nephew/little brother' wasn't here for me to meet and greet me, then there was one pair of unicorns I wanted to see and Cadence was more than happy to come with me.

Princess Luna was sleeping during the day, and we happened to arrive after Princess Celestia has risen the sun and the night princess was now in bed. So Cadence didn't have to worry about a conflict of priorities.

Yes she came. She wanted to come. There was never any question if she wanted to come. She LOVED Twiley more than any other foal she had ever foalsat for. And she was good friends with my parents.

Bahamut's Rest. It's only been about a year, but already I was feeling like a stranger here, like my family had just moved here, that I had just moved here. I really had been spending way too long on board the Invincible, I glanced at Candence, but at least the company's been good.

Of course I knew the way there! They hadn't remade the streets! Canterlot was still a city of walking ponies, with everything meant to be in walking distance of each other, with stuff built upwards more than wider, that's what happens when your capital city is sat on the side of a mountain.

I also had the feeling that without the Hooviets military build up to inspire the need to prepare for a clash of the titans, and defending against 'kill everything tanks', a stallion selling what looked to be clockwork foals, and a book talking about ways to constantly magically heat steam after it had left the boiler, where before it had talked about the newest developed tank, I was beginning to wonder in what other ways technology and magic had gone without Nameless' technology based war machine on the prowl for investors to worry about.

Twenty years without a political or military supreme evil to spur on weapon designs and the machines needed to carry them. Columbia had caused some, but the scare over them hadn't lasted that long before everyone realized they were nice griffs perfectly willing to co-exist with the rest of the world. The Brotherhood of the Scorpion had been a scare, but there were no signs of them developing big super weapons to conquer the world with and it gradually became 'let's just keep one eye on them'.

Most important, with the advent of newer and better magically enhanced steam engines -that didn't exist for me until a while ago-, automobiles and light-airships, had not only not developed at the same rate, but in different directions. They weren't developed as primarily war machines because simply put, with newer magical developments and lack of wars to actually be used in, their advantages were better used elsewhere.

Never having any natural fliers of their own (except for one tribe of reindeer said to live in secret at the north pole, but they were supposedly such pacifists that they could only be touched by good will), Hooviet propaganda had gone of its way to belittle, minimize, and outright trivialize how effective pegasi were...or how fast, or how maneuverable AT those speeds. Flight accidents were played up, top speeds were cut by a percentage, while the Sonic Rainboom had been big news when it happened, it was doubtful a deer in the empire had ever even heard of it. Or they'd swap reports with griffins, who, while with bigger wing spans, couldn't match a pegasi in a high speed turn on average (there was no such thing as the master race after all, there were some pegasi who were less agile than most griffins and some griffins who were more agile than most pegasi). Of course they also played down the physical strength edge Griffins generally had over most types of pony and deer minus Moose and Earth Ponies.

To the average Hooviet citizen, the idea of a pegasus fighting a one deer airship was clearly suicide, a clumsy, barely able to fly winged horse against a sleek and brilliant piece of Hooviet superiority. The Hooviets didn't embrace the Deer's natural nature magic, so they tried to stamp out the idea magic could beat their super science in any way.

Except things weren't quite so one sided. Airships were technology, pegasi and griffins had magic. And magic wasn't stagnate as the Hooviets tried to make it out to be. In fact, in the correct timeline, it seemed magic and technology had progressed at a much more even rate than the old one. Thunderchild showed off a technique called a 'thunder grenade' that consisted of making a snowball sized cloud, electrifying it with pegasi magic, and using it as a regular grenade. It was specifically designed to be thrown into and destroy airship engines from the inside. But naturally, some engines had been developed with covers to make this less effective, resulting in advances in the thunder grenade until the arms race seemed to fade out when people realized a war wasn't coming and things might be better spent elsewhere. The same thing had happened with a technique I apparently invented for using shield magic to destroy tank turrets. Airships weren't limited by species, could carry more, and had hull for protection while pegasi were faster, smaller targets, more agile, and literally one with the wind.

The fact was, magic and technology seemed more like EQUALS than one steamrolling the other. In fact, without Nameless, it seemed more likely the two would've been in an arms race rather than Hooviet super science steamrolling everything, but that'd have been far too fair for Azure Raven's story. And what most seemed to have discovered is magic and science work best together rather than opposed to each other. Why is Cadence giggling?

Oh. Might have something to do with the trail of soapboxes behind me. Didn't think they could get that big.

Nameless, had he made that propaganda a reality?... If he could change fate so an entire empire didn't implode when it was supposed already, could he have made another piece of Hooivet propaganda a reality? If Nameless could do that, why not make Celestia the embodiment of evil that the Hooviets told their people she was?...I thought of the goddess of the sun I had seen in that battle, pressed past her breaking point, destroying entire ships in her fury...Maybe Nameless hadn't been suicidal.

(Interviewer's Notes(Pegasus): ENOUGH ALREADY! Enough about the stupid deer who were supposed to be stupid vikings anyway, not stupid naturalists or stupid imperialists but Lauren Faust left the show first.)

What did you say?

(Interviewer's Notes(All): NOTHING!)

(Interviewer's Notes(Earth Pony): Please Shining, we're here about you FAMILY.)

Right. Thanks. All the years I spend with-

(Interviewer's Notes(Earth Pony): Your family!)

Sorry. Sorry. I won't do it again. I promise.

Oh right. Cadence is with me. She was wearing the brown cloak and hood that Princesses seem to love to wear when going incognito. I was surprised at first, after so much with her, it had just become natural being at her side. Personally I think she was over reacting, Cadence would turn heads sure, but it wasn't like she was going to be mobbed or something. Would you try to mob a goddess? And as for mugging, the guard was really good at keeping that at almost nothing anyway, but the last attempt to do it only succeeded because Celestia was bored and pitied them...that incident was headache inducing. For me, not the Princess. In fact she had to remind herself getting hit in the back of the head with a frying pan was actually supposed to hurt just to play along.

Cadence walked these streets with calm and control, she knew Canterlot like the back of her hoof.

D'oh! I had been in such a rush to see them, I realized I hadn't even sent a message ahead of time, I couldn't even be sure they were home. Well, dad was an astronomer, and mom was a writer, so dad worked mostly at night and mom worked at home...so it wasn't that impossible that I'd catch them.

Well, here it goes, knockity-knock-knock. And nearly grind my teeth into dust waiting for a agonizing few seconds. The door clicks and finally opens.

"...Hey dad."

Dad just stared at me for a few seconds. What did I expect? I had been to war. But I couldn't have changed that much right?

"Uh, you remember Cadence right?" I awkwardly gestured to my princess.

"Cadence?" Dad repeated looking a bit closer, "It's been years, we heard from Celestia that you were on a world tour. It's wonderful to see you again. I wish Twilight was here to see you, but she's moved to Ponyville and is out on a trip for a .... Did you hear she saved the world?" dad asked in that 'I'm so proud of her' tone.

And no, I wasn't jealous I'd never hear him brag that I saved the world. I've never been jealous of Twiley...except when she got the last piece of cake at the table, but it was normally my favorite.

"It's alright Mr. Sparkle, I know already, and I'm very proud of her," Cadence smiled and nodded, "we came here to visit you and your wife. Shining Armor's been dying to see you since we made port."

"Shining Armor?" Dad looked at me again without recognition, blinked and asked, "Shinny is that really you?"

"Come on dad, it's only been a year, I don't look that different."

"Right, sorry boy," dad nodded rigorously, "Mom and I weren't expecting you at all! Let alone you and Cadence, so you two finally ready to start your happily ever after?"

"DAD! Not you too!" I blushed red.

"Don't 'not you too' me young stallion. If you two were anymore made for each other you'd have come in a box set. Remember son? You've lived up to your name more than I ever dreamed. You always used to fantasize about the princess you'd marry and live with her in a castle."

"That was then, this is now." I knew my inner child was already happily married to my imaginary Princess in Pandora's wacky dimension, why ruin his happily ever after by amending my fantasies?

"Yes, now your princess isn't imaginary, and she's someone you've known for years, is intelligent, beautiful, sane-"

"Uh, can we talk about this inside please?" Cadence asked.

"Oh, right, of course!"

Next minute we were sitting in the living room. Mom's notes were everywhere, but dad did a good job of keeping them under control, it didn't reach this level until Twiley and I had both moved out.

Twiley is such a OCD bibliophile, I'm surprised she left any books when she moved out. Well, mom has dad to keep her grounded, Twiley has Spike, and...I look at Cadence.

Dad left us in the living room and went to get mom, giving us some surprise 'alone' time. That was when it hit me. Cadence. You agreed to see my parents before yours...I'm your bodyguard, I go where you go. But you choose to visit my parents first. You really do care. Okay, I already knew that, but here, no politics, no armies, no economics, no monsters, just us and our loved ones. Cadence, thank you. I-

Dad came in leading mom, "Dear, what are you talking-" She laid eyes on me. We stared at each other for a while before she blinked and said, "My baby's come home."

For once I didn't complain about my mom's words. "Thought I'd drop in and say hi."

"I'm very happy you have," she whispered, "Now still, and let your mother get a good look at you."

It was a little humiliating how mom examined every inch of my face, like she was memorizing every tiny detail, then gave the same treatment to my cutie mark. Then she just hugged me like she hadn't given me a hug in her life. Contrary to cliche, I wasn't suffocating under mom's loving grip. She flicked her ear against my chest and pressed against me, it took me a minute to realize she was memorizing my heart-beat.

"Yes my Shining Armor, it's wonderful to have you home."

I wondered how to explain to mom that I wasn't staying in Equestria any time soon.

So I decided to avoid it for the moment.

"So, how are you doing, mom?" I asked. "I uh...heard your book is getting popular."

Mom smiled. "Yes, quite. It was already a hit in Roedina though. Now I've got producers wanting another sequel. I'm working out the lay out but it should be a hit."

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Youch! Watch the screaming in your head! We're in here!)

"That's...nice...I'm writing a novel of my own now..."

"Oh you are!? One of my babies is following in my hoofsteps! I'm so proud of you! I can give you many tips! So what genre are you aiming for? What scoop? Have you thought about a publisher? This better not be more of that Pony Rangers fanfiction! Or is a fantasy setting like your O&O things?"

"It's an alien invasion story, actually," I replied. Admittedly, I was annoyed I'd had to rethink a lot of my ideas due to still having spent my life in a world influenced by an insane reality bending Mare-ty Stu. "So I guess science fiction. I might try fantasy in another novel."

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Why not give it a fantasy vs science fiction theme?)

That could work, don't remember many stories like that.

"That sounds nice dear." Mom nodded. "It might be interesting to read a fantasy novel that doesn't have humans in it."

"No humans, mom, I've got plenty of inspiration for things that aren't humans. Like this guy who's lead through his adventure by three spirits acting as his advisers that only he can hear."

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): I'm not sure if that was serious or sarcasm directed at us.)

"That sounds quite interesting, I know I'd read it...So are you and Cadence finally. . ." Dad gave big 'x' signs towards mom. "Met Princess Luna yet? She's so cute! So meek and humble! I actually saw her the night she came back into Canterlot!"

"Uh, no we haven't, actually. She's sleeping right now apparently," I replied. "Apparently the Princess of the Night is nocturnal."

"I'm pretty sure everyone in Canterlot knows that by now," Dad said hoping to get back into the discussion.

"Dear, do you remember how you got so embroiled in your work that you forgot you were in love with me in high school and we had to start from scratch?"

"That didn't happen!"

"Really? I was sure it happened with SOMEstallion we know."

Huh? Who were they talking about? "So mom, how's Twiley been?"

Both my parents faces fell. Mom said, "We don't know, she hasn't had Spike send us so much as a postcard since moving to Ponyville.... I-it's like we ceased to exist for her."

Great going Blunder Armor. And Twiley, how could you?

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Shining, I'm not saying it was right of her, but I will say this: your sister has been through a lot since you left Canterlot. She's had to move to an entirely new place and get settled in...and now has five tried and true friends, something she'd never experienced before. It's possible she may have allowed herself to get...drunk on that feeling, as we often do when first experiencing something new and exciting.)

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Not saying she was right to do that in any way, but don't think she's suddenly forgotten her family, alright?)

Me? Think my sister could be heartless? Never. Now how do I say that to my parents and end this episode, of my life, on a happy note?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): You ever make a similar mistake?)

Uh, no? I've always been a devoted brother and son!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): How many years did you not send Cadence one letter while at the Guard Academy after graduating from Canterlot Academy?)

Uh, I didn't know where to send it?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): You've been to her home AND you could have just sent it to the castle and they'd have forwarded it to her!)

Oh. Right.

"Uh...look, I'm sure Twiley is just caught up in finally having friends. It was awhile before I ever got to sending Cadence a letter while in Guard Academy, even if we were friends. I just got so caught up in finally reaching my dream, I let it slip my memory to remember one of my best friends. Twiley has five friends she's getting to know and spend time with after spending her life with her nose in a book, she might just be revved up about it, you know Twiley gets."

Both my parents hugged me. "Thank you dear, I needed to hear that," Mom said.

"Wonderful to have you with us, son," dad said. Then Cadence hugged me.

"So...finally making up for lost time?"

"Me being besides you has nothing to do with balancing things like a checkbook."

"So just duty then?"

"Never."

"Good." She folded her wings around me and gave me a soft nuzzle.

I'd rather SKIP the tearful goodbye when I told my loving parents we wouldn't be in Canterlot for long thank you very much! We also had a visit to Cadence's parents to make, and then Cadence could finally meet her aunt. Me? Call me crazy, I somehow felt more whole leaving home than when I arrived. And I was looking forwards to the future.

Author's Note

Story Arc written by LZ0291 lz0291.deviantart.com/
This chapter was written by me, Alex Warlorn.

Shining Armor is given a two year tour of the world to be the captain of Princess Cadence's body guard. Yeah. That's all. That's everything Yep. Nothing what so ever else. *AJ's Liar face*

"Time is an ocean in a storm."

This storyline runs PARALLEL to the events in the Dark World storyline narrative wise.

Please help the trope http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries
And recap pages. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/PonyPOVSeries (please?)

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Episode 140: (Shining Armor) Smilie :-)

Episode 141: (Shining Armor) diasnU tfeL retteB erA yllaeR...-...Really Are Better Left Unsaid

Pony POV Series
"Shining Armor"
Chapter 19 Second 2
diasnU tfeL retteB erA yllaeR...-...Really Are Better Left Unsaid

Were Cadence's parents happy to see her? What do you think? They were Depressed? It was hugs and kisses all around! No! Cadence did NOT introduce me as her coltfriend! Besides it's not like I haven't met her parents before . . . So it did take them a bit to recognize me, it had been years after all.

Bright Blood and Blue Song have always been good and decent unicorns. No, they didn't try to pair me off with Cadence, it was almost a relaxing change of pace! They were also a refreshing change from the typical stuffy nobility, ponies all too often scared to express their real feelings in favor of what was popular. Seriously, how could Blueblood be related to them?

It had been a long while since I had last seen them, but they were as polite and welcoming as ever. Bright Blood gave off more magic than the average unicorn, he'd say his magic increased right when Cadence was born. Blue Song had medicals scars along the underside of her lower body that they never spoke about. Since they weren't my family, I didn't push to know.

I stayed politely in the background for most of the stay, I let Cadence's parents hug and kiss her, telling her how much they loved her and missed her, and Cadence returning the favor. No crazy antics, no insane quirks, in its own way it was weird how normal Cadence's family was compared to the rest of the nobility.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Don't be so surprised, your family has 'noble blood' too remember? Your family is as much nobility as they are. Direct descendant if Twilight The First ring a bell?)

Oh, right, heheh. Well, who is to say whether that's real or not? It's all from the age of myths.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): So is Cadence and Blueblood's family being related to Celestia, but no pony argues that.)

Fine. Point taken.

Cadence recounted our trip, well, the version without ugly buckling.

Bright Blood spoke to me saying, "Sounds like you experienced a lot of frisson with Cadence, I trust you never had a Mondegreen during one of her songs?"

"Uh."

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Pst, Shining, it just means 'exciting' and 'misheard the lyrics'.)

Thanks!

"Yes! And of course not."

"Excellent, you're a perfect traveling companion and protector for our little filly."

"Thank you." What? There's nothing implying about that.

The good thing about Cadence visiting home being low key meant the spirit of music didn't have any charity concerts to attend, and she could spend her time with her family.

It felt good, Cadence's family just felt good. I they aren't really perfect, nopony is, but they were loving to Cadence and nice to me, I won't say they treated me like part of the family they did treat me like a good friend they could trust protecting their foal. It was also kinda strange to hear somepony other than Cadence call Princess Celestia and Princess Luna 'Auntie.'

Blue Song talked about a few new sonnets she had released or were working on, and Bright Blood mentioned the investments in new medical procedures he had made. You didn't think Cadence's parents were rich ponies with no day job did you? Even Blueblood has a job as a diplomat and cartographer, and is a surprisingly good at it.

Cadence and her mother, they had a duet... it was magical. You don't get another way to describe it, it was magical. Not magical like how Twiley's spells are, but a magical all its own. I had heard Cadence since before, but even I was spellbound. I was SAD when the song ended, but I was happy to have heard something so wonderful.

Cadence's parents took her not being home long a lot better than mine. Cadence didn't have to have her dad physically pry her sobbing mother off her. Cadence and her parents shared nuzzled and well wishes.

What surprised me, and I was surprised that I was surprised, that Cadence gave hellos and exchanges with the hired help (my family doesn't have servants).

This is Cadence, of course she and her family wouldn't treat the hire help like they were... er, servants? Okay, that sounds dumb, her family made FRIENDS with them.

Yes we had dinner there, I'll admit I felt VERY awkward being there, Cadence had to order me to sit down and eat with her family. Then it felt a lot more natural to be there once I stopped worrying about it.

Sunsets in Canterlot are to die for, I dare you to find a city in Equestria or anywhere else with a more wonderful sunrise or sunset. That much hadn't changed and I'm happy for that.

"Evening Sam."

"Night, Ralph."

No! I did not yell like a little filly and hide behind Cadence when I first saw the night guard ponies! Maybe I felt an claim or two, maybe I stared like a rude idiot, but no cowering or filly noises!

Apparently like their princess, they were nocturnal. I saw an entire bar full of them, even the bartender, except for one griffin, and an off duty day guard playing cards with a bat-pony mare.

Okay, maybe it did make me a little while to realize that they weren't wearing costumes till one stretched her wings. At least I didn't say anything stupid and kept my trap shut.

There was never a question if Cadence would see Princess Luna, or if Princess Luna would see Cadence.

Princess Luna wasn't holding court yet (doctor's orders), but she was perfectly happy to receive visitors.

It turns out there was actually a wing set aside in the castle for Princess Luna since her banishment. It looked the same as the rest of the castle, though the paintings, tapestries, and sculptures weren't in Princess Celestia's tastes.

The two night guards flanking either side of Princess Luna's stood at perfect attention, ready for anything that might try to harm the returned princess of the night. A bat-winged pegasus and a unicorn. There was something similar about them . . .

"S-Sharpe?! H-Harper?"

Dangit! I didn't say their ranks! What were their ranks now? Where they same from before reality was fixed? Did they get new ranks now? I can't tell their ranks from their armor! Dangit! Well this threw out all the 'half-dragon' jokes about Harper out the window, he was just as big as a bat pony as he was a pegasus!

"YES! WE HAVE BEEN TRANSMUTED BY THE DIVINE GRACE OF HER NIGHTESTY INTO HER LOYAL MINIONS OF THE DARK! HER WISH IS OUR COMMAND! NONE SHALL OPPOSE HER!" They bellowed.

Cadence paled. "Uh, good for you."

"Sorry Princess Cadence," Sharpe apologized, "The code of conduct for the Night Guard hasn't been updated in a thousand years, we're still shufflin' through the rule book."

"The laws on the books declared Her Nightjesty and Princess Celestia have equal control of the guard, and for it be divided equally between them," Harper continued.

"So you were transferred?" I asked.

"Actually, we volunteered. What Her Nightjesty was offering appealed to me," said Harper.

"I was more just curious myself lad, I wanted to learn more about Her Nightjesty," Sharpe confessed.

As I found out later, Princess Luna had been encouraged by her sister to make new members in her half (in name or otherwise) of the guard voluntary at first to see how many ponies would willingly come to 'swell in her night' and the Night Princess was pleasantly surprised by the turnout. And when some tabloids tried to paint her as tricking ponies into becoming 'monsters', massive additions to our hoofbooks dictating in detail that would make Twilight blush what becoming a Night Guard entailed.

"Her Nightjesty of Dreams And Nightmares Princess Luna Nyx Selena Equestria is awaits you Princess Cadence." Harper bowed and the doors swung outward.

Cadence trotted through, the doors began to swing close behind her in front of me, before they could close all the way they were caught by Cadence's magic. "Whua?" I gasped at nearly getting my face slammed.

"Only the Princess may see her Nightjesty."

"Shining Armor goes where I go, he's the captain of my guard and my protector."

"Her Nightjesty said family only."

"Shining Armor is coming in with me."

Sharpe and Harper looked at each other, I saw gears turning their bat-eared heads. "I'll stay out here Cadence."

"Oh don't be such a baby." Cadence said without any humor in her voice and magically grabbed my armor and pulled me in, the doors slammed shut behind me.

Can we please skip me describing Princess Luna's room? Please? And I thought the Hearth's Warming Eve story could be scary. It wasn't some Nightmare Night haunted house. It was dark with a huge window for a view of the moon, and I swear the shadows were looking at me. I just stepped in and it was already affecting my brain! I could swear for a moment I saw her petting a windigo! I was just getting addled, yes, that was it, just a little addled. There was no Windigo and the eyes everywhere were just decorations, they weren't staring at me...I'm going to stop before I get to the really scary stuff...

Cadence . . . she couldn't care less, or if she was scared too, she didn't show it. She was only interested in the pony at the center of it all who looked to be at that age between filly and mare.

She was barely any bigger than your average mare, her mane was sky blue, and her coat was a tad darker, cyan eyes, and her cutie mark was a crescent moon inside a black splotch. She's so small. That thought repeating in my mind looking at the supreme ruler of the night returned to Equestria. My brain tried to overlay the 'Great Destroyer' who'd stormed Griffin castles and slaughtered all present over the being in front of me. When that failed, it tried laying the Nightmare Night legends over her and it fit even less.

I didn't say anything, I didn't dare say anything, I felt everything as tense as a wire trap. I breathed as silently as I could, I felt a square peg in a round hole. Neither of them wanted to say the first word. Their eyes were locked, like two pieces of a puzzle.

But...I couldn't help feeling like I'd seen that look in Luna's eye somewhere...It reminded me of my parents when they'd seen me return home mixed with how Cadence's looked when she realized I was okay after Nameless' demise. That's...really the only way I can describe that look... Or maybe I was just projecting looking for something I could recognize: worried, scared, concerned, unsure, or maybe a mix.

Princess Luna looked like she was readying herself to speak, but Cadene beat her to the punch.

"Aunt Luna, why are you crying?"

"Oh...it tis nothing, dear niece...It hath just been so long since our eyes have beheld yet another of our own race at all...let alone a new one..."

Cadence, she had picked up it before I even noticed, Princess Luna was crying. Had she been crying all this time?

"I . . . I'm Princess Mi Amore Cadenza Aunt Luna, it's, it's a pleasure to meet you Aunt Luna." She bowed to her young senior, "Please call me Cadence."

Princess Luna shuddered. "C-Cadence then. We are happy to meet ye Cadence. Ye . . . ye look completely beautiful dear, absolutely adorable."

Adorable? Cadence? Cadence hadn't been adorable since grade-school. Cadence was gorgeous. Er...don't write that...

"Thank you Aunt Luna," Cadence replied bowing and inching closer to Luna.

Princess Luna looked epically and wide eyed at Cadence, and then hugged her, neck, wings, forelegs. "Tis wonderful to see ye our Cadence! Ye art are a blessing! We aren't truly overjoyed to lay eyes upon ye! Thank ye my niece! Tis wonderful for ye to be here!"

Cadence was surprised, but she wasn't shocked, she quickly returned the hug. I'm not an expert at interior decorating, but their pink and blue looked great together and I forgot about the creepiness around them. I swear I saw them shine like a pair of bright lights in the dark.

I did the intelligent thing and never said a word. Cadence and Luna just sat down on Luna's bed like a couple of girls and began to chat with each other, Luna slowly opened up to Cadence, smiling, relaxed . . . happy. The things they talked about, they were little nothings, and it couldn't have felt better for her I think than to just talk about nothings.

Changes in the last thousand years in mane style, saddles, music, oh yeah, they talked about music a lot.

"Jazz, rocks and rolling, we dare say we can not believe such things are called 'music.' "

"I'll admit, it's different, but classical was new in its day."

"...Thou art correct, our niece. Tis merely something we must get accustomed to. Does not mean we have to love it."

It was strange. Luna for a moment sounded almost apologetic...like somepony who'd stepped in somepony else's territory. Which, given I still have a habit of accidentally insulting foreign dignitaries, I could relate to.

"It's fine, Auntie, I know you didn't mean it that way."

Okay...I guess this is just one of those Alicorn things mortals don'-

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Cadence IS Music.)

Oh...Okay, that makes sense...

"And those mares with their manes full of jewels, completely garish."

"That one I won't argue, Auntie."

"From what we remember, Twilight's friend Rarity would agree."

"You've met them, right Auntie? What are they like?"

Okay, now I was listening.

"Well...in a way. Only as Nightmare Moon and at this delightful party afterwards. But they surely do represent the Elements of Harmony wonderfully...And they were willing to charge into a room to protect her from...my corrupted self..."

My, not our...I might have been reading to deeply into that...But still, it made me smile to hear. It takes a true friend to rush headlong into a room to save somepony from an insane lunar goddess who was supposed to eat foals.

"I see...Sorry, just...Twilight was always so antisocial, I kinda wanted to know more about the ponies who managed to break through her shell and get to be her friends."

Luna blinked. "She was antisocial? We art sincerely surprised."

"What?!" me and Cadence said at once.

I blinked. "Um...sorry...continue..."

"We would never had guessed that seeing her declare them her friends and how each represented their Element...This new information for us."

Then Princess Luna began grilling Cadence for information about Twiley, Cadence was a little uncomfortable with how lively and active Princess Luna became after her meek demeanor before. Finally Cadence threw me under the carriage.

"Ask him! He's Twilight Sparkle's big brother!"

. . . The booming Canterlot Voice echoed throughout the room. Cadence stuffed her ears with a pillow. So many question, so many questions, so many questions, about everything, and anything about Twiley, I didn't know whether to feel like a spy or a snitch.

Finally it ended, after hours and hours, it finally ended, I had completely forgotten about the creepy. She finally let me and Cadence go, I staggered out drunkenly. Cadence and Luna gave each other a hug and nuzzle goodnight, or rather good day. As the door closed behind us, Cadence whispered to me.

"THANK YOU Shining! You have the whole day off tomorrow. Sleep through it, go to the theater, whatever you want, thank you!" She nuzzled me. I was too worn out to argue.

Overall, meeting the Princess of the Night had been a good bit like Maasailand...I wonder how any visit she takes there would go...

I was more than happy to go to my old room, apparently still set aside for me, and still where it belonged. Cadence went to her room at the castle. It was so wonderful just to sleep

I actually forgot to set the radio. So I was woken up by Celestia's bright sun instead. It felt weird to not wake up to music after so long. Honestly incomplete, I was tempted to go back to bed and set the alarm again, but time waits for no pony.

If this was my day to do what I wanted, then what I wanted was answers. The problem was I wasn't quite sure even what the questions where. But there was one pony I knew was my biggest chance of being able to give me both.

"Captain Shining Armor Sparkle, I would like to make an appointment with her royal highness, Princess Celestia. For today."

Princess Celestia's secretary smiled and nodded, "If you insist on meeting her today sir, you could just wait in line with the others for a one on one meeting if you have something to discuss with her personally or have a dispute you wish to resolve out of court."

I took one look at the ponies waiting in line, and almost made a face.

"It's official business for Equestria at large."

"What shall I put down for it?"

I whispered to her. "The attack of the Nightmare Moon Cult in Columbia, a fear eating monster infestation in Zebrafrica, Cadence's new status as the patron goddess of Maasailand, and a how to handle the transfer of a giant mutant bug to the ownership of Equestria's mages."

Okay. So maybe some of that didn't exactly need me to explain things directly to Princess Celestia, and a lot of it was already resolved, but it was a good enough group of reasons the the secretary nodded and got me an appointment, not right away like I hoped, but later that afternoon. If I told her my real reason, she'd think I was crazy, and if I pulled the 'it's top secret' card, it might actually make things MORE complicated.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Shining, are you sure this is what you want?)

. . . Yes. It is. Unless the voices in my head feel like sharing stuff I'm sure they know.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): We can't, it would be cheating.)

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): We can't give you answers, only questions. Otherwise we cross a line. We're only outsiders here. And this is still your present, so any answers we could give you may be changed by a choice you make.)

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): And we don't want you to be unhappy!)

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): What you will learn cannot be unlearned, and what you learn, will not grant you happiness. You already know plenty of unpleasant cosmic truths that mortals simply should not know, keeping yourself in the dark about more may be the best thing you can do.)

Life isn't JUST about happiness, it's about responsibility and learning too! I have to know. Thanks, I forgot how much you like to give hugs.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): It's the ponies that like them, that makes me give them. And Shining, if . . . if this is what you really want, okay.)

If I had to wait, I wasn't going to just sit on my hooves. There were a couple of ponies I wanted to check up on in the mean time.

Finding them was almost shamefully easy. Truth be told I really hadn't given them much thought since the old days. Gizmo was in Ponyville, and I didn't have time for the train ride to and from Ponyville, and I going via pegasi chariot would still leave me with no idea where in town to even start looking for him.

That left Graffer and 8-Bit. I considered bringing other Misfits to introduce them to each other, but . . . some part of me felt like I was trying to mix oil and water. Maybe I was being stupid. Or maybe I just no idea how they were going to react to seeing me and I didn't want to throw in a bunch of wild card.

Contrast and parallels enhance one another, and this held true with my discovery. Graffer and 8-Bit as it turned out has set up shop right next to each other.

On one side was a modest video arcade, repairing, selling, hosting, and apparently occasionally making cabinet style games. Not being in the traditional style of Canterlot, it and its sibling store were on the edge of the city in what politely qualified as the city's 'niche market.' It apparently catered to foals who wanted an afternoon escape from the rigid rules of the upper class.

The other one was closer to normal Canterlot style, with stylized font in big bold letters declares its intended business and like its sibling had a large window front showing off the various dice, miniatures, resource books, and a million other things those who loved O&O just had to buy (I bet mine are still in my old bedroom closet). Credit where its due, Graffer sold more than O&O, he had strategic board games, and Journey Finder. Okay, so maybe bringing Audience wouldn't have been so bad, since he's into some strategy board games.

Two stored owned by two friends of mine . . . I'm not going to get stuck in the middle of a conflicting styles plot and convince them to join together into one big mega-store am I?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): After saying that? No way.)

Oh right, the world likes to play with me, and there's no point to that sort of things if you see it coming. So there's no way it WILL happen now that I'm actually expecting it, but if I think that it won't happen now that means it will and happen and-UGH! Headache.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Don't take it personally, fate gives headaches to the best of us, just the way she is. Sometimes I wonder how she doesn't give herself headaches.)

. . . No disclaimer?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): No disclaimer.)

Who to visit first? Flip a bit? Oh who was I kidding? Inside 8-Bit's arcade I go!

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Yay! Can I play some games?)

Uh...you're in my head...

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Oh.)

The noise of a video arcade, each one is unique, each one alive, and each is noisy in its own quant way. I was tempted to play a game of Dragon's Den, but it felt awkward knowing Spike, and I was there for other things.

8-Bit was behind the counter, working on a circuit board, he had become a little rounded, but he was hardly pudgy. 8-Bit always had a nack for playing video games, there were even a couple framed pictured on the wall noting video game competitions he had won. Along with a few 8-bit games of his own design with one or two being considered 'cult classics.'

"Hey Eighter!" I said getting his attention.

"Hello sir, welcome to the best and only video arcade in Canterlot, we have more games per square hoof than some places have in square miles!"

"Eighter, it's me, Shining Armor!"

" . . . Sorry dude, where have we met again?"

"EIGHTER! Shining Armor! Canterlot Acadamy? O&O? I was a paladin! Our little sisters had one play date!"

8-Bit looked at me without recognition, then his eyes widened, then blinked a few times and shook his head, "Ugh! I-! Oh right. Right! Shining! Sorry! It's been so long!"

I hadn't thought of him in years. What right do I have to complain it took him a bit to remember me?

"Yeah I know, I thought I check up on you guys and just see how you're doing. Uh, you and Graffer aren't fighting each other are you? Fighting over who parents spends money for their foals on?"

8-Bit laughed. "Naw! You'd be surprised! O&O is a long term investment. Here we, as in me and the games, offer instant satisfaction! Plus, different folks, different strokes. It's not like we go outside and try to pull customers into our stores, that's a fast way to LOSE customers. You have to be crazy to be in this business, but neither of us is that crazy."

"Ah."

"Besides, we had a little joint project a while ago." He pointed at an arcade machine of 'Oubliettes and Ogres.'

"How did you get the rights to THAT?!"

"Graffer knows some ponies in the industry now, and called in a few favors, promised I could do a good job. The game's scenario is actually based on some of our old home-brew adventures."

"How come I don't get any royalties for that then?"

"Technically everything we did was a joint effort, we even sent some parts to Ponyville for Gizmo to work on them. The company turned around however and said they were too expensive to mass produce so only a few got made. And reality be told? It as a labor of love. There weren't any royalties to share. But as a thank you, consider yourself to have perpetual unlimited quarter, and if the thing ever does turn a profit outside of my store, I'll send ya a letter . . . you still at that guard place?"

"Here, let me write down my room's address, and my family's." And yeah, there was a blue-hair unicorn paladin as one of the player characters in that game. NO! I did not play it. Okay. Maybe a few times. For old time's sake. Even if I already knew the plot twists.

I thanked 8-Bit, and told him I'd be traveling soon, and he regretted not hiring extra help after all. Otherwise he could have visited Graffer with me, he was tempted to close the arcade just to visit Graffer with me except he didn't want to face a horde of angry foals for cutting their fun time short.

I can't say I wasn't disappointed.

Then he decided he didn't want to miss a chance for us to hang MORE and told me he'd be along as he let the foals finish their games.

Next came Graffer's store, I was surprised when I noticed some of the modules had his by-line on them. I really have been out of the loop for a while with O&O.

The place, was really clean, had plenty of dice, books, paint kits for figurines, the place made me think Graffer had all in all done really well with himself.

I brushed shoulders with a gamer who had just made his purchase and walked out.

"Welcome to Canterlot's best O&O store! Name's Graffer, how can I help you?"

"Hey Graffer, long time no see?" I made a slight smile.

He looked at me, I can't pin down how to describe how he looked at me, but it was bloody familiar.

I felt a tiny bit sick inside. Like there was something I wasn't noticing that I really should have. Something unpleasant. Some odd faded truth that my mind's eyes was turned a blind eye to! Does that even make sense?

Can't I just have one normal happy day? Is that so much to ask? Really?

After too long, Graffer blinked and said, "Of course I do bud!"

" . . . but you didn't until a second ago?"

"Well, it HAS been a long time bro'."

"Yeah. It has."

"So what brings the captain of the royal guard to my humble shack?"

"You know-?!"

"Dude, I read the newspaper."

My opinion of Equestria's reporters wasn't exactly the highest, why do you think tabloids are so popular?

"Oh, okay. I just came in to see how you were doing. I already visited 8-Bit, and he seemed fine." Like 8-Bit, Graffer hadn't changed that much, a little extra weight, but he wasn't some blob like you see in every gamer cliche.

"I see him practically every day, but great to hear a second opinion, so can I get you anything?"

"Sorry, I just came to visit. And I don't think any of my squad or unit are really into O&O."

"Have you asked them?"

"Not really."

"Then how do you know?"

"Also, I'm putting my creative energies into writing my first novel."

"PLEASE tell me it's not going to be like your mothers books!" Graffer gasped and covered mouth with his hooves. "Oh Shinner! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! I'm sorry! I take it back! Your mother's books-"

"Are the most humiliating thing I've ever read. I agree with you. And I promise, they are NOT going to be like my mother's books!"

"Oh . . . okay . . . she kinda tried to get a boardgame adaptation made... and the books are getting popular enough it's actually being considered..."

Please cover your ears I'm about to scream in my head.

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Thanks for warning us that time...)

"...so, high fantasy?"

"Uh, no, science fiction."

"Oh." Graffer tried to hide his disappointment, and did so very well, he was a Dungeon Master after all, "Soft science fiction?"

"Actually, it's sort of in the middle."

"Alright, I'm not writing it, so I don't have a right to complain. But here's some advice, writing a story isn't like writing a O&O campaign, get too boggled down in the technical details, your readers will end up skipping pages."

"Advice from experience?"

"Maybe."

"Ah. Though I am thinking of writing a fantasy story afterwards, or making it kinda a fantasy versus science-fiction type deal that's actually balanced rather than one side steamrolling the other."

"Really? Now that could be interesting, most lean one way or the other. It'd definitely have widespread appeal."

"Thanks. IF it's a success, then I know who to call about a board game adaptation."

He gave a smile. "I'd love to take you up on that."

Then 8-Bit stepped in, "Hey guys, wanna order out pizza?"

No. We didn't run an adventure while we were there, it wouldn't have felt right without Gizmo, and as fun as a simple one-off adventure would have been, I was way too rusty and didn't want to embarrass myself, or my character. It was good pizza though. Graffer occasionally asked me questions about the guard, nothing sensitive or deep, just enough to give his games a touch of realism. Which I find kinda weird trying to make a fantasy realistic, but I was writing science fiction, so I wasn't going to question his methods.

I did buy a new O&O hoofbook so I could catch up a little so if we DID get the chance I wouldn't humiliate myself. That and I'd forgotten how fun it could be.

8-Bit said he had a cousin who had joined the guard and if I had seen them, I said nothing, after a flock of identical 'not-related' pegasi, knowing my luck (as normal), 8-Bit's cousin would turn out to be a hippogriff who didn't look a thing like like his sister or him. She was doing well by the way.

(Interviewer's Notes(Pegasus): I didn't know three pegasi made a flock.)

Shut up.

So yes, I had fun, and for an hour or two, I completely forgot my troubles, I almost forgot my appointment with Princess Celestia too. I bid my old friends a quick good luck and fair-well, hugs and bro-hoofs, and off to meet my destiny I go.

I was getting a nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach, but I had come too far to turn back now, whatever the answers were, I wouldn't back down.

I had been in Canterlot castle more times than I can count, but everything felt tense as I made my way to Princess Celestia's throne room. The guards let me in without fuss.

I hadn't seen Princess Celestia since I left Canterlot, but she looked the same, she always did, she was as old as Equestria, likely older, and as eternal and ageless as the sun.

"Welcome Captain Shining Armor Sparkle of the Royal Guard, welcome," The Princess said formally, then said politely and warm. "Please come in and sit down my little pony we have . . . apparently a lot to discuss."

I gave my pretense of a debriefing. The cult battle in Columbia, the fear-monster from beyond, Maasailand now worshipping Cadence, the big bug being given to Canterlot's 'experts' to look over (no they weren't going to vivisect it, what gave you that awful idea?). But how much of it had Celestia likely already heard in the official reports? But she pretended that it was somehow new news to her.

I saw the look in her eyes, Princess Celestia was waiting for something, and if you could read any expression from Princess Celestia other than her impish smile, it meant she wanted you to see it.

"Very good Shining Armor, shall we now discuss why you're really here?"

I sulked, "Was it really that obvious?"

"You are a thousand years too young to bluff me, little pony. So please, Shining, talk to me."

It was about now that I realized the guards and staff in the throne room had left, leaving us completely alone, Princess Celestia had ordered them away with a look.

"I want to know the truth."

"No the sky isn't an illusion over a dead universe, no the moon isn't made of cheese, yes Granny Apple Smith is over a hundred years old, yes there is an afterlife, your family is descendant from ponies of Paradise Estate, my charisma is not in my regalia, I did not use mind control on Luna to make her Nightmare Moon, yes I did banish her to the moon for bringing about eternal night, I was absolutely miserable afterwards, no I did not start the 'eating foals' myth nor did I encourage it, yes Blueblood IS related to me distantly, I am better at chess than Luna, the rainbow of darkness and the rainbow of light both came from-"

"Wait, wait, wait, princess! That isn't the truth I wanted to know!"

"Well then . . ." Princess Celestia said dignified, "You should have been more precise, there are many truths."

I sighed. "How precise do I need to be?"

"I am not a genie trying to trick you, Shining Armor. Tell me what truth you wish to know my little pony, but whether you'll be able to understand or accept that truth, will be completely up to you."

I steeled myself. "I understand."

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Shining, we all just want you to know, you're the best big brother in the whole wide world, and nothing is ever going to change that.)

I, er . . . thank you.

"So ask me Shining Armor, what truth are you looking for?"

"Princess, do you remember how reality completely changed a short while ago? And history itself was rewritten, where the world I remember was where war was an inevitability? Where Equestria herself was more focused on mechanical progress and training Guards from foalhood?"

"It was not nearly as bleak as you are putting it Shining, Equestria maintained her dignity and my ponies I believe more than not kept the love in their hearts that make us special as a people."

"So you do remember."

"Yes. I remember the harm that was done to my ponies by an empire that wasn't supposed to exist, and the fire and thunder I brought down upon them and I was reminded how much destruction I am capable of, and even that, wasn't how much death I could truly bring to the world if I let myself."

I shuddered at that gruesome idea.

"Princess Celestia. I need to know-"

"No Shining Armor, you want to know, whatever you learn now is your own choice."

"I understand, but Princess, I'm sure it's going to drive me crazy me if I don't have some answers."

"It's the answer that might drive you crazy."

"I'm willing to take the risk."

"Then speak, my little pony."

"Cadence, you, and I'm betting Princess Luna, remember the world when that freakazoid messed up everything. I get that, goddesses, but why me? Why was I immune or at least resist to that thing's fake charisma? Why could I see the changes he made to everything, after meeting him, but I never noticed any crazy chances in the world before that if he's been around so long and screwing everything up? And Princess, why am I in the past moving towards the future? And why the bloody Tartarus was the big bad ghost wolf monster after me?!"

I didn't even consider that she might not know, she is Princess Celestia.

" . . . Because you are unique."

"Everypony is unique!"

"But you are . . . more unique."

"Tell me! You said you would!"

Princess Celestia she was . . . she was . . . she was crying?! Since when did Princess Celestia cry?!

"My little pony . . ." She wept. "You . . . you were never supposed to exist, Shining Armor."

I didn't hear that right.

"What?"

"When I said your name appeared on my desk the day you were promoted, I spoke literally. Your name simply appeared on the list of Guards being promoted that day before my eyes. Before that day when you woke up, the day of your promotion, the day my student left for Ponyville . . . Twilight Sparkle never had a big brother, your parents never had a son. There had never been a stallion named Shining Armor Sparkle, you did not exist. Shining, I AM SO SORRY!!!"

I fell on my flank. I don't remember crying, but I felt tears on my face.

"That . . . that's why I'm 'filling in at both ends', I'm... I'm having to make my past at the same time as my future . . . that's . . . that's why the wolf was -is?- after me . . . That's-" My heart turned to ice.

"-That's why Twiley, Spike, my parents, didn't recognize me at first."

Then the worst came. The looks all those I loved had as they suddenly 'remembered' me. When I remembered that thing, and the tantrum it threw when I didn't recognize it. Me. The pony who didn't exist, but was now the captain of a brand new branch of the guard, bodyguard to the most beautiful of Equestria's three princesses, the big brother to Princess Celestia's personal student who saved the world, the one whose shield magic knew no equal, the one with the tragic back-story of being the reason his uncle was dead and his cousin didn't exist.

"Princess, am I like ~~Solomon Azure Raven Makarov~~, am I like ~~Nameless?~~"

"NO! YOU ARE NOT! You are nothing like him! Could be nothing like him! YOU ARE NOT EMPTY!!!

I was startled at her words.

"Every choice you have made, has been yours, every accomplishment you have achieved has been your own, you've made mistakes, you've been selfish and kind, you've been wrong in ways you didn't want to be proven wrong, those who think differently than you haven't groveled at your hooves or been smashed under them for thinking differently than you. There are meaningful things you stink at. Your friends have SAVED YOU from danger, not just the other way around. You could not overpower me with self-righteous anger and give a damning judgmental tirade that serves no purpose other than to vent the anger some forces-that-create feel towards me. The world hasn't twisted back upon itself to prove you always right, ponies don't suddenly act wrong so you can always be the center of attention. You have not blindly jumped to the right conclusion when a wrong answer was more logical. You were born privileged, but no more than other ponies who fate was kind to. And before you ask, the light within you . . . is not . . . is not Althena's. Or any mortal pony's who could have lived.

"Pandora's spawn twisted the world to suit it, to always be right when it wanted to be, you have lived, changed, grown, been the fool, the hero, the idiot, and the wise-stallion."

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Shining Armor, please forgive us.)

It's alright. What Princess Celestia says, it . . . it makes a lot of sense.

"How... How did you know who or what that thing was?"

She smiled, and walked off her throne, folded her wings around me and nuzzled me. You have no idea how wonderful it is to be hugged by Princess Celestia.

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Yes I do.)

"You are Twilight Sparkle's brother, still willing to ask questions and not losing track of it all in the grander scheme. I didn't know truly, before the world was repaired, but due to my nature, when the world healed, it gave me a brief glimpse into things, I focused on why and how it was happening. It gave me many answers regarding the beast you helped the slaying of. Makarov slipped through the cracks because he was made by Pandora. The Wolf's is made not to interfere with creations of concepts, so it must have glitched until you exposed Makarov's tumor to it. But any other entity like Makarov? It would be devoured in a heart beat. The Wolf's PURPOSE is to erase things such as him."

"So...if it's still after me, I've got to deal with something designed to EAT things like the guy I spent MONTHS trying to beat for breakfast?"

"The wolf is a law of nature Shining Armor, like gravity, it is outside my authority, my presence, Cadence's, or Luna's, protects you as a loophole, but I cannot command it. It was MADE that way to prevent . . . uncompromising concepts from using the wolf to erase parts of reality that made no harm, but offended them somehow."

"You've got to know a way to deal with it."

"Nothing like this has ever happened before Shining Armor."

"Has anypony ever gotten away from that thing?"

"I will not say. Only know it is relentless, if it still senses you are a wrongness in reality, it will hunt you forever as long as it sees you as such. And I cannot tell for certain if it still does or not. It is not within my command. I cannot tell you what it is currently doing any more than Cadence could tell you what's happening on the surface of my sun. However, you are free to stay in Canterlot, protected by my and Luna's presence, I shall ask Cadence to do the same if you wish."

" . . . No."

"Shining Armor."

"It's my duty to stay at Cadence's side and protect her and guard her, regardless of the risk to myself, I won't change my tune just cause of the wolf. And . . . after all the insane and crazy things I've seen? Maybe I'll find a way to get the wolf off my tail, or maybe if I live in the world enough, I can PROVE that stupid wolf wrong and that I AM a part of the world!!!"

Celestia smiled at me, and gave a laugh of delight, "Twilight the First's sparkle carries down through her line to you and your sister. You refuse to believe anything is truly impossible, and though you take different roads, and recognize the boulders that are mightier than you are, you do not turn you back on your path, and will move forward as long as the smallest shred of hope remains. I am proud of you my little pony, and no matter what happens, I WILL remember you!"

" . . . Princess Celestia, I need to ask one thing."

"Yes Shining Armor?"

"If I'm erased by the wolf, if I cease to exist, please, erase Cadence's memories of me."

"WHAT?"

"I don't want her tortured! I don't want her to spend her whole life miserable because she 'failed' to protect me when it's my job to protect her. . . I don't want her to spend the rest of her life lamenting that she's the only one who remembers me. That she remembers somepony who was her best friend who's just . . .never was. I don't want her to suffer like that! Please. Promise me!"

" . . . If you fade from reality, you have my word I shall ease Cadence's suffering. That is all I can promise, no more, no less."

"Thank you princess. Thank you."

We just stayed that way, Celestia holding me, except for when mother held me when I was small, I had never felt so safe. And I finding the courage to face the world.

"What's that book you're reading, dear?" Mom asked.

"Oh! It's science fiction. It's about a pony who finds out he and others on board are all clones of the same pony to crew the space ship, and having to learn they're all real ponies."

"That's a very good lesson, son. I personally prefer that style than the stories that have the clones treated like extra lives like in those video games your friend likes."

"Not all games are like that mom, Graffer makes some great games with deep story in them."

"Is that so? Maybe I should sit in sometime."

"Oh no, no, mom! That's perfect fine!"

Mom laughed. "Heh. I can take a hint dear, I know young stallions need their space. Remember a story doesn't have to be real to be truth."

"Shining, it's almost time for my next appointment." Celestia whispered.

"Oh! Right! Yes Princess!" I broke out of the hug and shook the cobwebs from my sleep head.

"Do you have any other questions, Shining Armor? You have about ten minutes."

I gave it some thought...then turned and looked at the stained glass windows in the chamber. I saw a new one, depicting Twiley and her friends defeating Nightmare Moon. I couldn't help but smile seeing it.

Then I noticed the other windows...something depicted in them. "When I was fighting that thing...I met Pandora...she looked a lot like...that," I said, pointing to the chimera. "I...I can't help wondering...what is the connection? That Draconequus has all these images, there's even a statue in the garden...but I've never heard of it..."

Celestia gave a sigh and walked over. "That Draconequus is her brother, Discord."

"Brother? The one who hated the Hooviets even before Nameless?"

"No, that would be Anarchy, the Spirit of Revolution and Freedom, their elder brother. Discord is the Spirit of Chaos...he is as different from Pandora as Makarov was. Discord is the black sheep of the Draconequi, do not so much as think of Pandora as being anything like him."

I looked at the depiction of him holding ponies over flames on puppet strings. "...I can see why...What did he do?"

"...He is the other Great Destroyer from Griffin Myth. The worse one. Over four thousand years ago he conquered the world and plunged it into neverending chaos and suffering for a thousand years until my sister and I first used the Elements of Harmony to seal him away in stone until the end of days. While he is the embodiment of Chaos, this had nothing to do with his concept...he did it because he enjoyed it. It was all a sadistic game to him"

I gulped. "...Must have been pretty horrible..." I said, hearing the venom in Celestia's tone as she spoke of him. "Why have I never heard of him?"

"Because Discord had family...mortal family...mortals who, if people knew of their connection to him...their memory would be tainted...and because I felt Equestria deserved to forget the never ending Tartarus he inflicted on it so it could move on...and...well, what do you think hurt an egomaniac like him worse? That he lost or that he would be forgotten?"

I nodded. It was an easy answer. Also made me feel a little more satisfied about Nameless' demise. "That makes sense...now what did he do to make it personal?"

Celestia gave a bittersweet look. "...Am I really so transparent?"

"I've seen you angry...I've seen you sad...but when you talk about him, it's the first time I've ever heard you hate...He had to have done something to make it not just taking down a tyrant...or else you'd have hated the Hooviets instead of saving a cruiser."

Celestia nodded. "He murdered my aunt...and my mortal mother. They both died protecting me...I believe my aunt was trying to give me a chance I squandered to defeat him in my terror...and my mortal mother was buying me and Luna a chance to escape..."

It was my turn to be the comforter. "...I know how you feel...Cool Sun gave his life for mine...it's a hurt that never goes away. And seeing someone try to kill those you love...that's a feeling Nameless made me feel again and again...So I know why you hate Discord, Princess...And how much what he did must have hurt you."

Celestia put a wing over me. "...Thank you, Shining...I truly needed that...it's been so long since I've heard such kindness from one of my little ponies..."

"...You give kindness so much, I think it's only fair I return it..."

"And for that, you have my gratitude."

We just stood there for a bit...then I heard a knock on the door. "That would be my next appointment..."

"Oh! Right...It was . . . it was good to see you and . . . and thank you, for telling me the truth."

"And I'm proud of you my little pony, for being so strong. I've known ponies who'd break from that. But you march onward. I love you, my little pony."

"I love you too, Princess Celestia." I bowed, we were ponies, we knew how many types of love there were and there were all wonderful.

+++

I took one last trot around Canterlot. Wanting to see all classic beauty before it was time to see the world again with Cadence.

After what I had heard, I still wanted to just see Canterlot and everything it had to offer. The arts, the music, the drama, the fine eats, what pony could ask for more?

Near one of the many public gates around Canterlot, I spotted a park bench, and laid down for a spell. I just wanted to take in the sounds, the smells, the sights, the ponies in pretty clothes walking by, ponies chatting, go here and there, all with someplace to be, somewhere they belonged.

I saw the trees and flowers outside one of the gates, the chirping birds, the grass, the blue sky . . . I was drawn to it like a bee to honey.

I just wanted a moment, just a moment, only a moment was all I needed. Just to take it all in.

There were a pair of ponies on a blanket having a picnic some ways away, happily chatting. I couldn't hear what they were saying. . . .

Why was the world looking gray? The ponies I saw, they had stopped moving. The wind, the grass, all of it just, stopped.

".nO morE gameS"

= Prince of Persia-Warrior Within soundtrack- "Escape the Dahaka" =

I turned my head so quickly I almost broke my neck. I saw it, a shadowy patch of nothing shaped like a wolf, its eyes focused on me, growling. And it was between me and the gate back into Canterlot.

"No. This makes no sense! Makarov's history! Less than history! You have nothing against me now! Go away!"

" . . . awaY, insertioN, thE wolF takeS yoU"

The wolf marched deliberately and steadily towards me, was it bigger or smaller than I last saw it? The shadowy mass left no paw prints, and my hoof prints vanished behind it. It kept coming closer, and closer, letting out a low growl.

YES I RAN! RAN! RAN! RAN!

The beast snarled and chased after me, there was a tree I zig zagged around, but the wolf vanished into nothing before it hit it, and appeared again with the tree now behind it, never breaking stride as it chased after me.

"WHY! LEAVE ME ALONE!!!"

".heR lighT musT bE returneD"

I telekinetically grabbed some stones and threw them at it, the first one knocked it off kilter for a moment, the rest were erased from ever having existed as soon as they hit, leaving no effect on the wolf.

It leaped at me, I duck flat on my belly as it sailed over head, I wonder how many mane hairs I now no longer remembered having.

The beast didn't a spin in midair and somehow managed to land squarely on all fours glaring straight at me.

Hey! Any tips? Hello? Guys? GUYS?! Don't bail on me now! Dangit! Oh no.

Now I felt completely alone. I didn't realize how the voices in my head were actually a little comforting. Oh what the buck! Run like Tartarus!

I raced for a nearby cliff, the wolf being the wolf followed without hesitation, then I magically grabbed the grass and dirt under it TOSSED IT AND THE WOLF OVER THE CLIFF! I was stupid enough to look down and saw the wolf, RACING UP THE CLIFF IGNORING GRAVITY!
Why does it get to ignore gravity?! Why doesn't anypony call it out for cheating?!

I ran like a mad stallion, my heart was going to burst, my legs were on fire, my mane whipped about my head, like my ancestors had against natural predators eons ago!

I wanted to live! I wanted to exist! I wanted to be!

The gates back into Canterlot! I HAD TO MAKE IT!

The wolf leapt down from the top of the wall, in front of me looking not the least bit amused. Hadn't it been behind me?!

I had to get back into Canterlot! Back in Celestia's graces! Come on! I HAD TO LIVE!

I teleported . . .

Suddenly the wolf was behind me . . . the gates were around me, I took one trot inside the city, the wolf leapt towards me, I felt its icy fangs around ~~my neck~~ . . . and fell on. . .

I woke up on the bench. My heat racing a hundred miles an hour. I didn't look outside the gate to see if what happened was still there, I didn't look around to see if anypony had seen anything, I just trotted back to Cadence, my heart somehow not exploding and my breaking slowly going back to normal. My body was covered in sweat. Some ponies looked at me worried, but assumed I had to be a jogger or something, after all, I'd be calling for help if I needed it right?

+++

A portal opened, and a beautiful, perfect shining golden wolf entered the world of these ponies, blind to their own abilities and true nature of magic and their own world. But she was here on a mission. And she would carry it out even if the royal sisters were too stupid and nearsighted to help. But she could enlighten them. That was the right thing to do. She had a duty, she was-

".aN insulT tO wolveS-"

A wolf made of blank nothingness came down on top of the golden wolf, who promptly never existed as the blank wolf negated its protect magic by mere contact and broke the golden wolf's neck. The blank wolf carried out its duty, erasing any traces of the alien presence.

+++

I didn't tell Cadence at what I saw. Or what happened. Or what I discussed with Celestia. I simply told her that I was happy to have her as a real good friend, and there were no hard feeling for last night, and that I had near-death dream that afternoon (I had no idea if I lived that whole horror fest or not! Considering what we'd just discussed, I'm not discounting fear induced hallucinations) that made me have some extra appreciation for life, and had seen some good friends that maybe I could introduce her to some time.

"I'm happy to hear you enjoyed your day off Shining."

I thought about it. Nearly got erased from existence. Found that my 'right to exist' license may in fact still be in the mail. Saw my old friends again and hung out. Got some quality bonding time with Celestia.

"Yes, I did enjoy it."

"Good to know," she nuzzled me, I nuzzled her back. I looked at each of the faces of my Squad, and the rest of Misfit Actual I remembered from the first timeline personally to be part of Misfit. I memorized all of them as best I could, from close personal friends to acquaintances.

We had the rest of the world to visit after all, and we'd be doing it together.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Great to hear it!)

You're back!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Miss us?)

What happened to you girls?!

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): We had... complications. It took us a while to find you again.)

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): I'm happy you're alright Shining!)

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Yeah, don't scare us like that, we care about you too ya know!)

Okay, okay, sorry, no sniffing the flowers when it may or may not reasonably cause an existence eating wolf to start chasing me.

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): Promise?)

I promise to do my best!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Don't expect any less from you, Shining!)

Hey! Didn't know you were into hugs too!

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Hey I'm just . . . I'm just happy to see you're okay too ya know? Don't go getting yourself erased from time and space or I'll never forgive you.)

Heheh! You got that from a book didn't you?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): . . . Maybe . . . and what if I did! It's still truth! Seriously, look after yourself Shining, there are lots of ponies who care a ton about you, not just us!)

I know, I know, I know! Don't need to run it into the ground. :-)

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): :-) )

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): When in Roam! :-D )

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Just this once. :-) So Shining, I suppose this shows that you're still determined to live and see the journey through to the end?)

Was there ever any doubt?

(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): Not from this pony!)

Happy to hear I have three fine cheerleaders to lead me on!

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): Cheeleaders?!)

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony): Yeah! Cheer! Go Shining! Shine on! Shine your light with all your might! )

Just kidding! You girls have been a big help too. In spite of being nothing more than ghosts in my head.

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): It's our business to stay out of the limelight Shining. This isn't our story. It's yours.)

Wrong.

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): Excuse me?)

(Shining Armor's Notes): It's everypony's!)

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): . . . . . . HA HA! YOU DID IT SHINING! THAT'S THE RIGHT ANSWER!)

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony): Yippie!!! )

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): Congrats Shiny.)

Do I win a prize?

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): Naw. Unless you count speaking an epiphany a prize.)

Heh. Was hoping for a million bits.

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): Shining!)

Just kidding! So the Invincible takes off . . . you know I never thought how overconfident that name sounded until now, oh well, hasn't proven wrong yet! And hopefully it wouldn't have any chances to be proven wrong from on.

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): Indeed.)

Amen to that. Amen to that. Cadence and I enjoy the view from the deck, leaning on the rails, Garnet and Running Gag, Ranger and Sunset, and surprisingly Mineutte and Audience, are doing much the same, seeing the beautiful sunset over Equestria. Happy to know a new dawn was waiting for us. And who am I kidding? The night was pretty too after all, and we had the stars to guide. Can I say it? Please?

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): Go right ahead dear.)

"Set a course, second star to the right, straight on till morning," I said to anypony who cared to listen. (Thank goodness none of the navigation crew! I'd rather not fly into any mountains.)

"Fine by me," Cadence said and wrapped one wing around me, as we watched Luna's stars come out.

Author's Note

Story Arc written by LZ0291 lz0291.deviantart.com/
This chapter was written by me, Alex Warlorn, and meets LZ's approval to the best of my knowledge.

Shining Armor is given a two year tour of the world to be the captain of Princess Cadence's body guard. Yeah. That's all. That's everything Yep. Nothing what so ever else. *AJ's Liar face*

Previous Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Shining-Armor-Chapter-Smilie-421744485

Next Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Shining-Armor-chapter-20-423960322

First Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Fluttershy-FlutterCruel-Pearls-260092460

"Time is an ocean in a storm."

This storyline runs PARALLEL to the events in the Dark World storyline narrative wise.

Image by Atomic Chincilla http://atomic-chinchilla.deviantart.com/art/Commission-Shining-Who-430481392

Please help the trope http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries
And recap pages. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/PonyPOVSeries (please?)

Check out the recursive fanfiction and fanart of the Pony POV Series! http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/journal/MLP-FiM-PonyPOVSeriesFanworks-audio-adaption-2013-349281264 Many of it approved by me as canon.

Be sure to join our Group for a TON of recursive works, many a part of optional canon!!! http://mlp-pony-pov-series.deviantart.com/

AND! Be sure to check season zero and season one's fanlabor pages! PLEASE! THey need lots of work! As does our recap page on TVTropes! Please! Help people who are new to the series get caught up with updating the recap page!!
http://mlpfanart.wikia.com/wiki/Pony_POV_Series_Season_Zero:_Discorded_Ponies
http://mlpfanart.wikia.com/wiki/Pony_POV_Series_Season_One:_Reharmonization

MLP: FiM is copyright of Hasbro

Episode 141: (Shining Armor) diasnU tfeL retteB erA yllaeR...-...Really Are Better Left Unsaid

Episode 142: (shining Armor) "ssenippaH sihT !iH iH iH - Hi Hi Hi! This Happiness"

Pony POV Series
"Shining Armor
Chapter 20
ssenippaH sihT !iH iH iH - Hi Hi Hi! This Happiness

Three Months Later

I still can't believe you got the notes for Draco Island burned.

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony): Sooorrrrry, it was an accident with the spirit dragons.)

Considering I can't step five hooves without accidentally offending a foreign noble, I understand. So now what?

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): I'll be able to reconstruct them later, maybe.)

When I saw the mountain, I knew Queen Tiamat's castle was inside the mountain, I didn't know her home WAS the mountain! Or that she dramatically destroys in a display of power every time she has to travel abroad and then the earth dragons have to rebuild it around her.

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): Well, giant metal doors big enough for a mountain sized five headed Goddess aren't easy to come by, especially considering how rare Dragon blacksmiths are. And even then most just use their own shed skins instead of metal.)

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): And Dragons aren't known for being humble, subtle, thrifty, or group thinking.)

Yeah, those dragons showed more teamwork than I'm used to hearing dragons having, namely, none. The Hooviets' fall was about the only time dragons with Queen Tiamat leading them have ever really worked together, the history books mention attempted alliances between dragons that ended in infighting before they actually did anything.

Honestly, forgive me, but I'm HAPPY dragons aren't known for working together, I'm honestly worried what would happen if Queen Tiamat ever chose to simply claim the world as hers on a whim. I'm not saying if she WOULD, I'm saying if she DID.

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): That, is not a pleasant thought. Thankfully Queen Tiamat's authority doesn't extend that far beyond her own presence. Getting every dragon alive to help conquer the world would be hard enough, but actually KEEPING IT? Dragons would break down into carving out pieces for themselves and squabbling before the week was out. Bahamut is respected and can move faster and is more versatile and more mobile, but he doesn't quite have as much weight as his wife figuratively and literally.)

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): I thought we were finally done with these soapbox spawning expositions.)

Fat chance.

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): Dangit.)

I hadn't heard of so many dragons together except for the great dragon migration as I'd seen on that island. And so many different shapes and sizes... The place smelled of sulfur everywhere, the island was surrounded by towering jagged rocks, with waves constantly crashing against the shore, the sky blocked out so it was always darkish even during the daytime. And gold and jewels scattered around the place just so Queen Tiamat can flaunt how little they mean to her (though from a dragon standpoint, I suppose that was her showing how much she cared about her children). I'm honestly surprised the volcano isn't active. Even if Tiamat lives in a lava pool.

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): I imagine she has an agreement with the lava demons.)

WHO!?

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): Oh, just some beasties who live a hundred or so miles beneath the surface of the planet, along with their neighbors the Ice Orcs, they haven't visited the surface in eons and the surface hasn't visited them, and they're both perfectly happy with that. A dragon was in part responsible for ending their feud, along with pony princesses. They haven't caused trouble for anypony since the defeat of their king Lavan by the aforementioned princesses.)

I'm not even surprised anymore.

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): It honestly isn't any weirder than anything that's happened with your sister. In fact Lavan was more or less on par with Nightmare Moon's threat to the planet.)

Please tell me my sister isn't going to have to deal with him when he escapes from some kind of imprisonment.

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): No, Lavan was killed by having his own attack reflected back at him by the Pony Princesses.)

Oh...Well, at least he can't come back...

Sunset finally stopped hiding under her bed by the end of the visit. What was that one head of Queen Tiamat's talking about with Minuette?

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): It was personal Shining Armor. That's all I can say.)

Sigh. Makes me wish my life wasn't so crazy so I could have to involve myself more with my friends' craziness.

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony): Oh! So you consider Minuette a friend now? Tee-hee!)

...Yeah. Heh. I guess I do!

Ellis was sure to get as many pictures as he could to show his family, trespassers on Draco Island normally end up dinner. And the environment isn't very welcoming to anything that wasn't a dragon, even if it was considered a Dragon paradise. Draco Island had few visitors as it was for obvious reasons, but there were loggings maintained and the smaller and younger dragons to receive the few who came that had earned Queen Tiamat's respect. The lodgings held a lot of Hooviet War relics. Some of Mother Deer's children were present on the island to discuss buying them back: I think they wanted to trade what was left of the old Hooviet Mammoth Tank fleet for some of it (well, the prototypes anyway, considering the Hooviets had still been developing them when they imploded). I wonder what Mother Deer did to make Tiamat willing to listen to the offer. Her respect isn't the easiest thing to earn...

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): Tiamat's a Goddess. Mother Deer helped you cause the empire dedicated to the genocide of her children to have imploded on schedule.)

Oh...That might explain why my logging had a miniature hoard in it that I was told to take with me when I left.

At least Queen Tiamat was as polite as I remember, in fact come to think about it she seemed to actually respect me, which makes sense now. And I got to see some Weather Wyrms, which are a rare sight, guess there were more of them present than normal since Bahamut was out doing one of his routine checks on his dragons instead of monitoring the island's weather. That orange one was really friendly, what was her name? Whimsy?

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): Close enough...)

You know something I don't, don't you?

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): And are better off not knowing. Just know she's a sweetheart who we hope Spike will have the chance to actually meet someday.)

I'll take your word for it. But you're right about her being sweet though... by dragon standards at least.

Speaking of Spike, Tiamat asked Cadence how he was doing and seemed to speak highly of him...any particular reason that might be?

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): You could say Spike is kinda noble blood...)

What?!

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): The Spikes have been Ponyland's hero's since Spike the First. The dragon who helped defeat Lavan and make peace between the Lava Demons and Ice Orcs? That was one of Spike's ancestors.)

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): And remember the Discord guy the Princess mentioned? Some of Spike's ancestors helped the Princesses fight against him during his reign.)

And Spike doesn't know?!

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): He will by the time the tour is over, that's WHY we're allowed to tell you about it. Twilight tells him herself when he needs it the most.)

Oh...Wow...Hehe. Spike may not be blood, but that doesn't mean I can't be proud to hear that.

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): You weren't proud of him being about the only Dragon on the planet to be able to use magic?)

...Hehe, I guess I definitely should be.

Next came the country I had been both looking forward to and dreading. The Divine Empire Of the Rising Sun, though that title is really just for show, they mostly just call it Neighpon.

The Empress and her line have claimed to be great-to-the-nth grandchildren of 'Queen Princess Celestia' for centuries, or as some call her in Neighpon 'Amaterasu', after one of their own sun goddesses who Celestia refuses to confirm or deny is her or not. Princess Celestia herself has also refused to confirm or deny any blood relation, though it has caused some sparks between them and the Bluebloods about being 'more divine' than Blueblood's family. Trust me, the Neighponese are as big on family as Equestrians are on friendship!

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony): So Princess Euphie considers herself Cadence's cousin?)

...I hadn't really thought about that. Explains some things...

With that new bit of confusion, we approached Trotkyo Bay, with Commander Hornblower...

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony): Commander Shepard was promoted to Captain and given command of the destroyer HHS Everfree Forest back in Fenwick, by the way!)

I've already said it about a dozen times: the Air Navy prefer to call it a Defender, even if it's basically the same type of ship as everyone else's Destroyers. Now can I finish what I was saying please?!

...Commander Hornblower inviting the Princess and her friends (he used those words, by the way) to the bridge to see it.

And talk about impressive! It was just after sunset and there were lights everywhere. The Rainbow Bridge from the mainland to the island of Teleport Town, where there was more light from the huge ferris wheel at Primary Village, and of course, dominating the skyline despite not being the tallest tower any more thanks to the Cloudtree, the Trotkyo Tower lit like a giant aluminium hearth's warming tree.

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): ...It's made of steel.)

All I know is it gets destroyed in just about everything Dracozilla is in.

Even at this time of night the skies and seas around the city were packed. Ferries and cargoships in air and water, pegasi moving tomorrow's scheduled rainfall into place. Tourships and traditional yakatabune boats were bobbing on the waves and floating below balloons. Hornblower and Audience were theoretically in their elements with so many things to point at and give interesting facts about, but it became quickly clear to us all: So was Gag...

"The word means 'home style boat', because they're decorated inside like an upper class home. They were originally the pleasure boats of the nobility, with the airborne versions seen as a huge status symbol a few hundred years ago, because they either needed a lot of pegasi and chariot metal to haul it, or a lot of unicorns to distill helium for the balloons. These days there are still some used by nobles and the rich but they're mostly used as tourist ships and floating restaurants - and Garnet, we're going out for dinner some night on one by the way..."

"Ooh, I've got some perfect lyrics for that!" Twinkle Shine grinned in a way that made me shiver. Gag didn't even seem to hear her as he began to gush about the Rainbow Bridge.

Everypony else was still a little surprised that Gag of all ponies was doing this. Even Garnet almost missed being told about her coltfriend's plans for a romantic date with her. Should have guessed the guy writing a Manega would know a ton about Neighpon.

"By the way, Princess, should we be concerned that Empress Haruhi wants to see us before we go to the embassy?" I asked.

"I shouldn't think so. I imagine she just wants to say hello before our formal welcoming tomorrow morning. The Neighponese are extremely polite. Besides, our embassy is actually within the palace grounds itself technically - everypony else is across the other side of the park and the river except Lancre."

"Where's Lancre's embassy?"

"It's a post box inside our embassy's mail sorting room," Cadence said as Garnet finally realized what Gag had said about the date and glomped him.

Considering how boring sorting duty could be, I imagine the workers were rather happy to have someone to talk to assuming everypony spoke Equestrian.

"Huh. So a bit cramped then. Where do they hold dinners?"

"Either a restaurant at the riverside or the Kantucky Fried Carrots near the train station. When I was here with Auntie Celestia as a filly we were both annoyed the Lancre Ambassador invited us to the former..."

"A fast food place? Really?"

"It's a country so small if they sent out enough ambassadors and diplomats to staff missions in even half of the world they'd have a quarter of the population abroad. It's smaller than some Equestrian cities..."

"But still, really? A fried carrot place?"

"It's nice enough stuff, Shining."

We then noticed that the rest of the bridge was silent.

"...The Imperial Yacht is approaching us, Your Highness," Hornblower presumably repeated himself.

"Ah, yes, thank you... Er, we'll just go and... meet the Empress..." Cadence nodded.

"So, Princess, may we enquire into the conversation?" Twinkle Shine said with one of those looks as we left the command bridge.

"Dining arrangements at other embassies," I said swiftly.

"Hm... I can use it anyway..."

Well, at least it was confirmation they were making some of it up completely, right?

One advantage of another airship coming up to meet us was that we just had to walk a gangplank over while it floated beside us. True, four of us could have flown over and if you got him drunk enough Ellis would have jumped over for a bet (as could most of our deer), but a gangplank was just such a simple way to get across. No hopping into another smaller airship to go to a bigger one. Cutting out the middle-airship, if you will.

Just as long as you don't look down.

The Imperial yacht was interesting. Much like the kind of yacht Blueblood flies, it looked like a sailing ship floating - held below a large balloon. The yacht was a little bigger than the Wind Fish but a little bit smaller than one of our Corvettes (for the sake of the Empress not demanding her shipper builders make her a bigger yacht, we kept this to ourselves). The top deck had a small structure at the front for the bridge, but most of the top deck was an ornamental garden, with the entrance below decks held within a small structure resembling a traditional neighponese house.

The Empress waited for us, flanked by two Samurai and her husband, Crown Prince Kyon.

"Welcome aboard my yacht, Cadenza. None of that bowing just now, this is just to say hello, there's plenty of time to bow tomorrow!" The Empress said quickly.

"Thank you, Empress..."

Not that the two of them really needed to worry about respect, considering they were technically equal ranked.

I have to admit, Empress Haruhi wasn't quite what I expected from previous encounters with Neighponese royals. Okay, maybe the cheerful exuberance bit wasn't a shock given her niece Euphie, but she seemed to prefer to be informal where possible, particularly by Neighpon standards. By Equestrian standards, she wore a dress that was a simple enough design that clearly wasn't just everyday wear, but nothing about the blue-coated and brown-maned unicorn mare really indicated royalty. She wore a rather discreet tiara, and had her mane in a ponytail - yellow ribbons in both mane and actual tail, by the way.

"Just bring all your friends aboard and we can have a chat below decks, I'm having tea with the ambassador of Minotauria."

Tea being offered within a minute of arriving? I was sold, I loved this place already!

As it turned out, tea was actually a rather big thing in Neighpon. They had an entire ceremony called sadō dedicated to serving tea. Naturally, the Empress prefered the informal version as opposed to the much more formal chaji.

I took a quick glance around once below decks. Sidiros, the Minotaurian ambassador, nodded a greeting, whilst trying not to look silly holding a tiny teacup in his huge hands. The two samurai stayed above deck, leaving only a few ponies in sailor suits and some highly visible and blatantly obvious ninja standing around. Meaning they clearly weren't all that good ninja if even I could tell they were ninja . . . Makes me wonder if any of them actually ARE ninja or are just a distraction.

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): They seemed to do a good job being stealthy in Nameless' war.)

Good point...guess maybe they don't both hiding too much from their allies...and last time I asked one about it I ended up somehow talking to a log for ten minutes without knowing it...

"So, Cadenza, since we probably won't have much time tomorrow, how has your trip around the world been so far?" The Empress asked once tea had been poured.

"It's been rather... hectic at times. I'm sure Euphie will have told you about Columbia..."

"Yes, quite a mess. Still, your Captain of the Guard did his duty, I'm told," The Empress smiled at me.

"Er, yes, Your Imperial Majesty..."

"Zebrafrica was lovely though, apart from that bit with the... monster-thingy," Cadence went on, giving me a quick nervous glance.

"Thankfully it's been far quieter since, back in Equestria, visiting our nearest neighbours, visiting Oceaneighia and Draco Island...Surprisingly Draco Island was pretty polite and calm."

"Did you see any drop bears in Austneighlia?"

"Drop cats," I said without thinking. Gag shuddered.

Some of them had parachutes.

"Ah, I see. A shame, they're quite adorable huggy little things, they're a subspecies of Koala. We used to have a couple in the royal menagerie here but they hugged the tiger. It was rather annoyed and for their own safety given tigers can climb trees, well, we had to remove them..."

Gag looked very nervous now, what with tigers being big cats. With claws that gave him a lot more to worry about than cat scratch fever.

"A prudent move, Empress... Er, wait, why is there a tiger?"

"Still, moving on, I'd like to check with you if you would be able to accept an invitation to a formal dinner tomorrow evening? I know it's a few days ahead of the planned schedule..."

Minuette already had her notebook out.

"...But Princess Euphie wishes to announce something. Just checking informally now so I know if I should ask during tomorrow's formal meeting..."

"I don't think that would be a problem, would it, Minuette?"

"...Well, er, we were going to be at the Minotaurian embass... oh," She gave the ambassador an embarrassed look.

The Minotaur grinned, and spoke.

"Ambassador Sidiros was wondering when you'd figure it out. We would have no objections to rescheduling our plans, Your Highness, as we have also been invited..."

"Excellent, so that's all fine then! Are there any questions?" The Empress asked.

"Yes, should we congratulate Princess Euphie and Shosa Suzaku on their engagement after they formally announce it or if we see them?" Cadence wondered.

"Was it really that obvious?" The Empress smirked.

Bloody impossible to miss, if you ask me. Anypony could tell those two were going to hook up, apart from them.

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): ...Shining, I honestly am at a loss for words right now.)

Huh? I don't get it.

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): Never mind. Its just something anypony but you would get really...)

Anyway, the rest of the ride-slash-tea party was spent on some idle chatter between the Empress, Ambassador, and Cadence. I just enjoyed the tea and pondered the possible ninjas.

It was weird too. I swear I heard something chuckling at me the entire visit but never saw anything...

"What the Tartarus?!"

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): What happened?)

Need milk! Hold on!

Gah... I was just brushing my teeth and it tastes like somepony filled the tube with hot sauce!...In fact, that's exactly what happened, what the Tartarus?!

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): Did you lock your door?)

I'm the guy who SECURES places for a living, what do you think?

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): Okay, so who would have the ability to get in your room while you were gone?)

No pony who'd prank me!...There it is again!

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): What?)

The laughing! Something is laughing at me!...huh, it stopped.

(Freind's Notes (Pegasus): Are you okay?)

Yeah, it was just hot sauce. A bit embarrassing, considering I had to run to the nearest refrigerator and get some milk...

(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): So just a prank?)

Yeah, I guess...Still weird though.

I just reported the prank to the others and it turned out I wasn't the only one who'd been pranked.

"What?" I asked.

"Someone filled mah closet with oranges," Ellis reported. "Not that it's too annoyin', but it's still kinda weird..."

Audience had a foam dart stuck to his forehead. And a few stuck to other parts of his front. "I just opened my closet and got hit by like twenty darts."

Gag looked at me, several doodles on his face. "I don't even know when this happened!"

Cadence blinked. "Who here would just start pranking everypony?"

We heard that laughing again...and turned to see a large white fox with seven tails sitting on a nearby shelf. It giggled again and hopped down, offering Cadence a flower.

"Uh...thank you..." she said, taking the flower...which promptly shot her in the face with an illogically long stream of water.

The weird fox laughed and vanished into thin air.

"...I think we found our prankster..."

"It's a Kitsune," Gag said, blinking.

"A what?"

Gag's knowledge of Kitsunes wasn't perfect, so he got some research to double check. "Kitsunes are a kind of Neighponese spirits. They're big pranksters who love playing jokes at the expense of mortals," he explained. "Each tail is supposed to represent a hundred years of its life and the more tails it has the stronger it is."

"That would explain how it's doing all of this..." I said, noting our anti teleportation wards and magic locks didn't seem to affect it.

"Be glad it's only got seven," Gag remarked. "Nine's the max. They're powerful, but most of them are good guys and do harmless pranks."

"Okay," said Cadence as Twinkleshine fixed her wet mane. "So what do we do about it?"

"According to the Neighponese, nothing," said Bond, approaching. "In fact, they're a bit jealous we have one as our guest."

"What?! Why?! It's pranking us!" I asked, reasonably annoyed.

"According to them, it's good luck and will ward off evil spirits as long as it's here," he explained. "Ones like ours are apparently sometimes guardian spirits."

"And also," Gag said, finally washing off the marker. "White ones are supposed to serve Inari, the Neighponese God or Goddess of Good Fortune, Fertility, and/or Agriculture."

"Uh...which is it?"

"It's not clear. In fact it's not clear if it's one God or as many as FIVE...Her and Queen Tiamat might be siblings."

I'm not sure if that was a joke or not.

"Point is, the Neighponese believe the kind we've got here are servants of one of their gods. So they're sacred here," Bond reported.

"So it's free to do whatever the Tartarus it wants?!" Twinkle Shine asked horrified.

"To be fair," Cadence said. "In parts of Ponasia cows are sacred for religious reasons and allowed to do more or less anything they want to, though obviously they need to keep up with the image of being holy, so I can see where they're coming from..."

"That and apparently, the Kitsune won't do anything too terrible," Bond continued. "The benevolent ones stick to light hearted pranks except for threats to the ones they're protecting."

Minuette said, "Give me a while and maybe I can research a spell to trap it two seconds into the future, where it'll still be here, and won't accidentally blow-up the embassy while playing with fireworks or something."

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony): Do you think the kitsune would be fun to play with?)

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): DON'T LET HER DO IT!!!)

"I don't think that's a good idea," I said. "It might not work on a powerful spirit, and if it does, it's going to be royally clopped off when it gets out."

"Since when can you research a spell like that Minuette?" Sunset asked.

"Oh . . . it was just an idea, I didn't think it through, never mind." She blushed.

"And considering we're ruled by three Goddesses and are supposed to meet a total of three on this trip, we shouldn't scoff at the possibility of Inari existing and accidentally tick her...him...it...them...Inari off by being mean to one of Inari's servants."

Do I have to worry about that?

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): I don't know of an Inari specifically, but there is a Goddess of Fortune and Fate...and she DOES have a sense of humor, so it's possible.)

Fate is probably annoyed enough at me for my whole weirdness thing, so I don't want to annoy her further.

"On top of that, like the Commander said," Gag interjected. "One's like this are considered good luck, particularly if they're protecting a 'samurai', IE ponies protecting nobility, like us, and are supposed to keep us safe from evil spirits, so having one around is something the Neighponese think is a sign of fortune smiling on us and us having Inari's favor."

"Which of course means we'll look like a bunch of ungrateful jerks if we try to get rid of it. And if mythology is true, and given our luck with running into stuff, having it here is lucky," Cadence added, giving a sigh. "Well, it's not hurting anypony, and it's in our best interests to keep it around, so I guess it can stay for now..."

At that point a bucket of water fell on my head and the Kitsune laughed. Thank Celestia we would be leaving the embassy for a good bit...

I just hope it doesn't hitch a ride on the airship, I'd hate to see what would happen if one got to Equestria...

++++

Meanwhile in the future:

A black five tailed kitsune crawled chuckled to itself, and crawled out of the packaging of sake that Berry Punch had ordered from Neighpon, slipping out ready to prank all of Ponyville on a level that would make Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie blush.

It ran away from the apple farm screaming, and jumped into a crate and labeled it express to neighpon (which happened to be carried a good deal to the airship by Derpy on one of her more 'derp' days).

The CMC looked at each other, in red and white dresses, with Applebloom wearing two candles on her head, and Scootaloo holding a stick with lots of little paper pieces on the end.

"Cutie Mark Crusader Mikos! Yay! . . . Dang, no cutie mark!"

"Can I have those dresses back?" Silver Spoon asked.

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): I think Equestria might be too crazy even for them...)

What makes you say that?

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): Cider still mass driver.)

...Point taken.

Seeing as Neighpon had a pretty big night life, Cadence decided we should visit the city at night while we didn't have anything huge on the schedule (considering our meetings weren't till tomorrow)...and we didn't want to have to deal with our...house guest at the embassy.

"These are what are called hostess bars. Basically, you pay to talk with a girl while you eat and drink," Gag explained.

"So..." Thunderchild said thoughtfully.

"NOT like that. It's actually more 'talk about your problems with someone paid to listen unjudgementally," Gag continued.

I blinked. "Really? That...actually sounds like something I'd expect in Equestria..."

Thunderchild of course, "Well, I'm certain I have lots and lots of problems I could talk about it."

"So much for Fluttershy being your true love eh?" Cadence said flatly.

"Actually I was thinking of going for that one." He pointed at a bar with a ink drawing of Fluttershy in a flower dress, and a couple mares cosplaying as her.

We all jaw dropped. "But...how? Why?" I asked. "She stopped being a model months ago!"

"Apparently Fluttershy's stint as a model made her REALLY big in Neighpon," Gag stated after chatting with one of the mares. "They consider her 'honorary Neighponese.'"

Does she know about this?!

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): To our knowledge...maybe...Let us check.)

Meanwhile in the future.

"Mom, we're still getting fanmail from Neighpon," Fluttercruel said, looking at it. "At least I think it's fanmail, since...well, I don't speak Neighponese, but it has hearts on it."

"I know..." Fluttershy said, a blush on their face and trying to hide behind their own mane. "But at least if you're a model they'll like you..."

"They like you BECAUSE you're a wallflower! At least I think that's what Moe means!"

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): She does...and reacts about how you'd expect.)

Unsure of how to react?

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony): Yeah, she will be blushing and trying to hide in her own mane.)

Figures...Ugh, why is even my mental image of her doing that adorable?

"Shining! Look! Neighponese covers of Sapphire Shore's latest single." Trust the goddess of music to notice something like that.

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): Doesn't surprise me, they based a video game commercial off her Chiller music video...)

That doesn't surprise me either, considering how weird Neighponese commercials in general are...

Looking at the price tag, I wondered if they upped the prices when they saw Canterlot Royalty coming, or this stuff was always this pricy.

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): Did remember you convert the currency?)

Oh...It's still pretty dang expensive in bits though.

I glanced inside a video arcade . . . there was one of Graffer's Oubliettes and Ogres arcade machines in the corner. And . . . "The Legend Of Cadence?!"

"Oh yeah...I forgot I gave them permission to use my likeness..." Cadence blushed.

"Uh, sir," said Gag after talking with the store owner. "The owner wants to know if you'd mind helping promote the game, actually...he says you look just like the main character..."

Huh? . . . WHY is the main character a unicorn stallion with a blue mane?!

Twinkleshine and Minuette whistled innocently.

Foals started asking for my autograph thinking I was him!

I looked into their hopeful innocent eyes, and then I looked into Cadence's hopeful innocent eyes. Sigh. I asked Gag for the name (in Equestrian, since most of the foals didn't seem to speak it) and began to write my scrawl on little bits of paper they gave me. I lost track of how long I stayed there. Turns out Cadence was giving autographs to the little foals too while there. Then again, she had more than a little experience when it came to little ponies.

I'm happy we got out of there before we were made to dress up in costume and pose for photos or I had to have a mock battle with a guy dressed up as the game's villain. Though the owner of the shop DID give us a free copy of the game for helping out.

"Why do I have to be the one to drag this big thing back to the ship?!" Thunderchild asked luging the video game cabinet behind us.

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): Oh, right, it was an arcade...)

Yeah, plus the ship didn't have a fancy video game console or anything, just the arcade. Those were still rather new. and expensive. Do they catch on?

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony): Yep. Big time.)

Actually looking forwards to that...

Mineutte looked agitated at us being behind schedule, but Cadene couldn't have looked happier!

"Brings back good memories doesn't it Shining?" She folded a wing around me.

"I don't recall ever saving you from Tirek over a glowing magic triangle. I am pretty good with a sword though..."

" . . . I mean foal sitting with Twilight."

"Oh! Right! Sorry! Now that you mention it . . . it does."

Thanks to Minuette I think we were able to avoid the less polite parts of town.

"Hey! These guys claim they have a real seapony on display in the back!" Gag claimed to one store.

"Really?" Asked Twinkle Shine interested.

"A horse and a fish sewed together, Ah'll bet," said Ellis. " . . . Anypony hear 'shoo-be doo?' "

We all shook our heads.

"Must be hearin' things."

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): Did you go see it?)

No. Why would we? Seaponies don't exist...Wait...why did you sound so hopeful just then?

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): ...No reason...)

...I'm probably better off not asking...

Anyway, Cadence was kinda in her element because music and dance clubs were huge in Neighpon. I guess considering this was the place that invented karaoke...Which of course meant there were zero laws against spontaneous musical numbers. Even if I had no idea what a few of the songs we encountered meant since they were in Neighponese. Gag got in on one of them, turns out he can sing just as good in other languages as he could in Equestrian, possibly better. Speaking of which, I was hoping that we wouldn't be doing any singing at the music clubs, but of course, the Karaoke projectors had reels in Equetrian and other languages due to the tourist trade. And possibly because we were in town...

And of course, some of the club owners couldn't resist asking the Alicorn of MUSIC sing if they could...and Cadence, being Cadence, was happy to do it. And, while Cadence did have some basic Japanese knowledge, it turns out Alicorn of Music means she...well, her SPEECH in a language might not be perfect, her SINGING in it certainly was.

"Kawashita yakusoku wasurenai yo
Me wo toji tashikameru
Oshiyoseta yami furiharatte susumu yo..."

I blinked when she came back down off the stage. "How did you do that?"

"I just...can...kinda like how Gag can speak any language..."

"So you know what you just sang?"

"Not the words...not all the words. But I know the feeling of the song. What it's MEANING is. Music comes from the heart and that's what I feel."

Gag, naturally, decided to get up on stage and sing. To Garnet. In Neighponese. Flawlessly.

"Akaku somaru keshiki ni watashi wa utau
Kometa omoi subete ga tsutawara nakatta toshite mo
Dare no koe de mo naku watashi ga hibikaseru
Mune no oku ni umareta ne iro de
Kimi ga yonda koe ni kotaeru yo!"

Garnet didn't understand it, neither did I, but if I didn't know Gag was Equestrian, I'd probably have thought he was a native speaker...And even if she didn't understand the words, Garnet cried a little and gave him a kiss.

"He didn't have to do it in Neighponese..." I admitted to Cadence.

"Languages are his special talent...what better way to speak from the heart than with the talent at his core?" she asked, giving a warm smile. "And what Gag's heart was saying was 'I love you, Garnet.'"

After the music clubs, we ended up stopping at a toy store as well on the Hoofmaiden's request, though Gag was interested in looking for stuff for Manega he was into. Turns out the Neighponese generally got really high quality toys compared to Equestrian stuff. I was kinda jealous. I wish I'd gotten some of these toys when I was a colt.

They also had really nice plush toys of the Princesses...including one of Luna already. And having seen the real ones, they managed to capture them well...even Luna's cuteness.

Candence did gush over hers, I don't blame her, it was adorable...dang it, I just said that, didn't I?

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): Yep.)

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony): I bought one!)

I can see that in my head...wait...how is that possible?! You're in my head!

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): Do you want to question it or just enjoy having an adorable filly hugging a Cadence plushy in your head?)

...The latter.

And of course, some more Legend of Cadence toys meant more me being mistaken for a video game character.

There was also a lot of Masked Bug Rider stuff, which was apparently one of Japan's biggest characters, like our Super Stallion. Though apparently the current theme was mages and dragons or something.

There was Pony Rangers stuff...er...okay, whatever the Neighponese version is. But the mega ponyzord looked a lot more epic.

"This manega's called Penumbra Magical Filly Madoka, it sure looks like it'll be super cheerful," Said Gag attracting his 'apprentice' Twinkle Shine in all things sparkly and pretty.

"Aww! Look at the little cat...bunny...thing. It's so cute!" Twinkle Shine exclaimed.

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): For the record, he's dead wrong. ESPECIALLY about the cat-bunny thing!)

I thought that cat-bunny thing looked completely trustworthy...good thing it's not real.
++++

"Howdy, Ah've never seen a creature like ya before," said Applebloom to the strange creature that had entered the CMC's club house.

'Hello, would you like to make a contract with me and become magical fillies?' Asked the white cat-bunny with a fire ruby in its forehead.

"I already have! Look!" Scootaloo exclaimed, showing a strange gem she now possessed. "And he made it so I could fly!"

Then a shadow shaped like a wolf came down that the fillies didn't seem to notice clutched Scootaloo's soul gem, undoing the transformation of the filly's soul by the foreign-universe entity and returning it to its proper seat inside the young pegasus, erasing the contract from existence.

'We both oppose entropy, and neither for our own gain, your actions are illogical.'

".yoU extenD creation'S dayS onlY tO filL iT witH morE sufferinG thaN fatE haS decreeD "

'Incorrect. Hope and despair are harvested in equal amounts. And the amounts of lives that are allowed to be due to their sacrifice extending the life of the universe and the happiness they experience is several times the despair of less than 0.1% of the universe's population who are our contractees.'

".fatE gavE ponieS thE righT tO choosE theiR owN pathS .noT yoU"

'That is why it is a contract. Not a conscription. Their wishes are their own.'

".youR contractS disrupT fatE .youR witcheS disrupT realitY .thiS iS noT youR worlD !begonE"

Then the came down on the white rabbit-cat, and ate it, and it had never existed, severing the race of 'fairies' connection to this universe.

The CMC looked at each other confused, feeling light headed, then fate resumed its natural course.

+++

We left and headed onwards...but we ended up having to wait on the Hoofmaidens as they bought something but wanted to keep it secret.

"What were you buying in there?" asked Cadence.

"Shopping for Hearts and Hooves Day!"

""Where have you three been?"

"Getting you a Hearts and Hooves Day gift."

"...In a toy store?"

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): Didn't you say they had really good Cadence plushies in there?)

...Horseapples...

++++

Early in the morning, we visited one of the local temples as part of the tour, Cadence was supposed to give her blessing to the place.

"So many statues," I said. Really, with so many loving pranks by our 'guardian' I had blanked out during part of this morning's briefing from interrupted sleep.

There were so many statues of ponies, all in prayer posture, dressed up in ceremonial clothes, some dating back centuries. All the features were chiseled to be so calm, so serene.

"Please do not call them statues," said the miko mare whose name I had missed. "They take great offense to being treated like they no longer ponies."

"Huh?" I asked, trying to shake the sleep from my head.

She looked a bit insulted herself. "We are in the presence of my grandparents and great-grandparents and great-great-grandparents, please do not be rude." She said sternly.

I looked at the statues of ponies, and dimly began to realize the truth, and saw Cadence looking worried at me. And then, I made a scene, I had heard about this, I had read about this, but I had never SEEN this!

"HOW can you reward ponies after a lifetime of devotion with THIS?"

" . . . Shining" Cadence hissed.

"Their devotion is WHY they do this. They're like this so they'll never STOP meditating on what they did while they were flesh and blood. Every moment is spent on those ideals. And yes, some have requested it be reversed, so they could share the enlightenment they had and confirm their resolutions to us before returning to their meditation. They CHOSE this reward."

"That still doesn't . . . wait . . . request?"

"They do not scream, and they have a mouth. The combined spiritual strength of those who undergo Sokushinbutsu protects this place from defilers. They have become one with these grounds. We have unicorns who know telepathy magic who speak with them regularly, they are the most senior members of our order, not prisoners. They are free to end their vigile if they wish. And even without them, they still make their wishes known on their own more often than not. We concede to their majority will on all vital matters. "

I saw a smaller, black kitsune two tails, sneak up to one of the statue with a lighter, giggled to itself and tried to set one of the stone monk's robes on fire . . . instead the two tailed kitsune's tail tips caught on fire and he ran away yelping.

Then it came back with a big sledge hammer and tried to knock the stone monk's block off . . . and the two-tailed kitsune got a big bump on the head when it struck the stone pony who wasn't damaged in the least. Then the black kitsune left and didn't come back.

"It's making themselves an eternal memorial. So they and their beliefs, their teachings, will never be forgotten." The miko finished.

I have to admit...I couldn't argue with THAT reason...

I spent about an hour apologizing, and explained my sister had had a run in with a cockatrice that kinda affected my views on it (Twiley had naturally sent Cadence a letter about it, so the fact ~~Azure Raven~~ had told me or events involving deer in a timeline that had never been didn't need known), but thankfully the miko mare proved very forgiving, saying even the stone monks themselves understood my position and forgave me. Literally, one of the telepaths let me hear them do so. I wouldn't be a good pony if I didn't oppose what I thought was ponies being kept on display to feed some sick addiction they had developed.

"Anypony here from before Nightmare Moon?" Cadence asked.

"A couple, but none were in Equestria during those events. We actually have historians come from all over the world to speak with the monks through our mediums or those who chose to end their vigil. Needless to say, those who wish to revise history have tried to destroy this place more than once. Or those of us who speak for them. Thus the Komainu at the gate."

"Komainu?"

She pointed to the 'statue' at the gates resembling a mix between a lion and dog and whistled, causing it to turn slightly and look at us with ruby eyes.

"They're creatures that serve as guardians for sacred places throughout Neighpon."

At that point I noticed the black kitsune (as I found out, the small black ones weren't the sacred kind) was presently running for its life from the other of the pair of creatures, the stone guardian returning to its place once it was sure the kitsune wasn't coming back.

And that Gag was cowering behind us at the sight of them.

What did I ask the stone monks privately when I got the chance? What do you think?

'We do not know of anypony who has escaped what destroys ~~those who infect and try to twist the world to their whims~~. But we do not know that it is impossible. Nor have we known any who has lasted as long as you if it does seek you still. You have already set a precedent. Ponsia holds the most tales of the Kuroi Ookami. Maybe you'll find a truth there to change your fate. Above everything, win or lose, even in your final moments, do not give into despair.'

I think the most relaxing thing we got to do that entire visit to Neighpon was Princess Euphie and Shosa Suzaku invited us to a Kyūdō contest. I took note of the highly visible ninjas . . . until I realized we had one extra royal guard.

Taichi 'introduced me' to a ninja name Cicada, pegasus, grayish white, glasses, his cutie mark was vague featureless mask. I remembered now him being in Columbia. His special talent was apparently master of disguise, Euphie apparently had him disguise himself as a houseplant as a prank during the fateful night we didn't meet ~~Nameless~~. He had also once apparently been disguised as a Hearth Warming Tree, a mailbox, a Gesha mare, and a filly scout.

"But is he as good without the element of surprise?" Cadence asked.

"Back from the bathroom guys, hey, who is this handsome fiend?" Thunderchild asked the other Thunderchild who just walked into the room.

We looked from one pony to the other, trying to find any difference.

"Oh come on, can't you guys tell it's me? School for gifted pegasi here."

"Are you from another universe? Is Fluttershy my girl friend there? Does she have bigger wings?" Asked the newly arrived Thunderchild.

Cadence asked the first Thunderchild, "When did you switch places with him?"

"I/he didn't," Said the gray pegasus simultaneously with me now standing directly behind Cadence instead of the newly arrived Thunderchild. I instantly had a shield between him and her, paranoid? Call me what you want. And yes, I remembered Thunderchild had gone to that school, but that was the sort of fact you could READ UP ON, so don't blame Cadence for falling for it.

It took us a few seconds to remember Thunderchild hadn't gone to the little colts' room.

(Friend's Notes' (Pegasus): How'd you forget THAT?)

Cicada instead of waiting for one of the guards to leave, he presented the idea that Thunderchild had gone the bathroom and had come back. Everything was so casual, it wasn't something we thought about.

And yes, I imagine Thunderchild might have been a little upset at being the butt of this joke. But we all had a laugh before it was done.

"You should be more careful princess-sama, those who seek to cause trouble do not play fair, and will not politely follow the scenario you invent for their actions. Ninja always slip through the cracks, whether they be of the senses or of the mind." Cicada bowed. "And never trust anypony who tries to make you fall in love with them for the sake of falling in love with them."

And yes. We considered that relaxing. A ninja playing dress up and pointing out us getting caught with our saddles down was relaxing. So was the archery tournament. What surprised me was how many of the archers were sika deer. Apparently their tribe had immigrated to Nieghpon to escape being turned into slaves of the hooviets like all the other deer tribes, and had assimilated into the neighponese. They were generally respected for their spiritual abilities. Their tribe had a long tradition with the bow in all shapes and sizes and had come to dominate the sport in Neighpon I got from Gag.

"Would either of you like to try?" Princess Euphie asked.

If I tried, I was likely to shoot myself in the back of the head. The hoof maidens were insulted that they weren't asked, but this time Twinkle Shine didn't cause a scene. The others just stayed quiet. Cadence . . . she wasn't bad, she wasn't the best, but she sure wasn't bad. At least she could hit the general area of the target.

(Friend's Notes' (Earth Pony): Like Cupid firing arrows of love at pony's hearts. You don't always fall in love with who you think you will.)

Who's Cupid?

(Friend's Notes' (Earth Pony): Never mind.)

Audience naturally tried his hoof, and took it rather well that he got beaten by a few of the Sika Deer. After all, it wasn't the type of bow he was used to while they'd been training in it all their lives.

= 'My Silver Garden' Madoka Magica The Movie III The Rebellion =

I'll never know what possessed me to say 'yes' to coming along to that stupid hedge maze, the rock gardens were a lot more appealing and held the sense of order and calm I really wanted. But I was Cadence's bodyguard, not the other way around, regardless of deadly ghost dogs. Sadly the only ones who agreed with me about the rock gardens was Audience and Garnet.

Uh...why do you seem uneasy?

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Don't worry about it for now...)

Princess Euphie, being Princess Euphie, insisted on making a game out of it. Having now met the Empress, I was beginning to wonder if her attitude was neighponese genetic trait among royalty.

She wouldn't say what was at the center of the maze, only that a prize there . . .

Looking at that hedge maze entrance . . . there was a cold feeling at the pit of my stomach. My legs felt glued to the ground, my body didn't want to go in there. I had this horrible feeling of being misdirected, manipulated, alone, cornered, surrounded on all sides, nothing making sense, of losing those dear.

I didn't care what Twinkle Shine and the rest said anymore! There was no way in Tartarus I was going into that maze alone and it might as well be Cadence! I wouldn't set hoof in that maze solo if you tried to hog tied me and dragged me in!

Cadence didn't complain of course.

"This maze doesn't act on its own does it? I mean, it doesn't change shape or have any NASTY surprises in it does it?" I asked.

Princess Euphie looked shocked. "Of course it doesn't. It's just a hedge maze. It's not enchanted. A pegasus could over it no problem."

Gag and Thunderchild smirked.

I looked at my guardmates, having this horrible feeling that they wouldn't be themselves when they came out if they went in there. I shook it off. This was insane. I was acting like a colt! I was being scared of something I didn't know what I was being scared of!

"Right! Let's do this!" I said boldly!

So following by my example we all entered the maze in pairs. The maze wasn't that big, or that complex, it was intended as entertainment or simply spiritual reflection, not to confusing invading armies or thieves.

Of course we bumped into each other a lot, and made plenty of wrongs turns. And for whatever reason, I kept holding my breathing, a fantasy of Audience saying 'Screw the rules!', Twinkle Shine loving things dirty, or Garnet liking seeing ponies hurt. None of that even remotely happened. And I told myself I was just being an idiot.

By blind dumb luck, Cadence and I got to the center first. It wasn't anything too over the top. Just some statues of some Alicorns. Ones I hadn't seen before. Neither had Cadence.

"But there's something almost, familiar about them."

There was also a statue of Pandora, which thankfully did NOT wink at me. I'd been having my fill of deities who didn't sing better than me, didn't have pink fur, and weren't the best foalsitter in Equestria. That wasn't a hyperbole, she won a contest.

There were at least two statues I did recognized marked 'Amaterasu' and 'Tsukuyomi'...though the second one was a stallion for some reason, but otherwise looked like Luna...

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): Interactions with the spirit plain aren't always crystal clear...)

"Where's the prize?" Though I was expecting more a prank given our host.

Cadence then giggled, pointing. I noticed in the middle of the clearing was...one of the Cadence plushies with a little sign pinned to it reading 'Prize'. I gave a blink, then looked back at the statues and noticed the Celestia and Luna plushies set at the bases of their statues with prize signs as well.

"Admittedly that is adorable...and kinda makes sense."

I trotted over to the Luna one. "I wonder what Luna thinks of this..."

"We do not know whether to feel adored or trivialized and commercialized," Luna said, looking at the tiny plush version of herself her sister had gotten her. "Or completely disgusted."

"Children seem to really to adore them, sister. You've actually outsold mine with them in Neighpon." She didn't want to add Sailor Luna might have had to do with that.

"This is gonna make Twinkle Shine and the others feel redundant," I said under my breath. Thanks Celestia...

The Alicorn statues, along with the statues of creatures like Pandora, were actually a little creepy, I could almost feel them looking down on me in judgement. Like I was out of place somehow. Cadence on the other hoof, couldn't have looked more like she belonged . . . in fact . . .

"Cadence, doesn't this statue look a little like you?"

Cadence trotted up to it. "I guess it does..Benzaiten?"

I leaned back and touched one of the Alicorn statues, I didn't see which one.

".dO noT toucH heR beauty'S likenesS"

I stood straight on all fours and looked around. Nothing. I felt my fear of this place rising back up in my gullet. It was getting worse.

I looked at the statues, happy not to see any wolves, then my eye laid sight on one of the creatures like Pandora. It reminded me of . . . of something something horrible. It wasn't Nameless. It had a completely insane look in its eyes, and a grin like a shark. It was almost leaning towards me.

This was wrong! What was wrong with me?!

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): Shining, just stay calm!)

I hate this maze. I hate this statue. Get them away. Get me away.

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony): Shiney we're right here!)

"Shining, what's wrong?" Cadence noticed something wrong with me.

"Credit where it's due Princess. Your games are fun nonsense," I heard Ellis say from the entrance to the center.

"Well, what fun is there in always making sense?"

I was running before I knew I was. WHAT THE BUCK!? WHY THE TARTARUS had that set me off like that?! I bit my tongue and skidded to a halt.

I calmed down. It was just a hedge maze. Plants put in a row. There was nothing evil or creepy about it. And the statues were just statues. What had come over me? I really had acted like a foal. I had to apologize to Cadence.

. . . But first I had to get back to the center, again. At least I knew the way this time. Hopefully.

And then the world took on a faded tone.

"What is it going to take for me to be rid of you?!" I exasperated.

"... jusT comE tO mE .returN tO nothinG"

It wasn't in front or behind like I thought it would be, it was, besides me! I backtrotted as the wolf came through the hedge wall like a ghost, pouncing where I had just been.

"I'm not hurting anyone! I'm not like Nameless! Why are you after me?"

".becausE yoU arE noT meanT tO bE"

"How am I hurting the world?! What harm is me being here doing?!"

".yoU dO noT belonG herE .yoU havE whaT iS noT yourS. youR existencE twistS fatE .thiS iS sacreD .yoU arE aN invasivE presencE herE !begonE"

I galloped. I madly made twists and turns of the hedge maze. It heard its snarling and howls behind me. The wolf didn't even bother with the hedge wall, it simply kept going through them not leaving a trace. It was going to corner me. No matter which way I ran, I heard it right behind me. Then in front of me. I back pedaled as it leapt out of the wall, in front of me. I took a turn, it moved as the crow files. I created a force field and plowed through the hedge walls, the wolf politely fixed them up as it followed.

You there?! Not again! The wolf vanished and reappeared near me again, its claws just missing my flank, I had no desire to be an adult blank flank. Why am I thinking about that?!

".I wilL neveR losE youR scenT, insertioN .nonE escapE thE WolF"

Every direction I turned, the ghost beast was already waiting for me. Closing in, closer, and closer, and closer.

This . . . this was just a hedge maze. It was just a glorified game board. What the buck said I had to play by the rules?! Dangit! Why can I never teleport when I try to?! Or is it stopping me somehow?!

"I helped you stop Nameless! Doesn't that earn me anything?!"

".I aM noT biaS .I dO noT possesS favoritisM .alL distortionS arE equaL tO mE"

At least it's honest... Come on Shining! Outcheat the stupid dog! You know it can be surprised! Surprise it! Think crazy! It's what you're good at.

I sprung off a wall and jumped right over it's head and landed on top of the edge of the walls! It didn't seem to see that coming and had to change direction, giving me at least a few more hoofsteps between us. I ran on top of the edges and used my force fields to give myself some more stable hoofing. The wolf climbed the walls like they were ground and began to leap after me, getting closer. This next part was going to be hurt. I created a force field right behind me and expanded it right onto me, knocking me clear off the hedges, and sailing me back into the center of the maze. Yep. That hurt.

"Where'd you come from?" Thunderchild asked surprised. Where was Cadence? Wasn't she here? I saw the wolf on top of the hedge wall.

"Shining!" Cadence came back into the center of the maze galloping. Yep. The wolf was gone in the blink of an eye. The world was back to normal. As usual. "Where were you? When you went running I went looking for you! I was beginning to think you'd gone back to the Embassy."

I got up and nuzzled her, feeling sore and not carrying about snickering hoofmaidens. "Sorry. I honestly don't know what came over me. I think after . . . what happened in Zebrafrica, I just had a bad flashback to crazy mazes and nonsense places, the statues of the mix and match beasties I think made me think of ~~something~~ nasty."

Thunderchild gave a nod. "Oh, I remember, that fear monster scared you pretty good back there..."

I'd forgotten that, actually. While nearly getting possessed by fear based cosmic horror was terrifying, ~~Nameless~~ had it beat. I was just glad I had an excuse...

Cadence just gave a serious and concerned nod. "...Okay, just please be careful..."

Garnet nodded. "She's right, sir, PTSD isn't something to fool around with. If you need someone to talk to, we'll be there for you."

The others nodded with her. Hehe...glad that hasn't changed...

Our other pink princess nodded her head lowly, "I deeply apologize, I did not mean for my game to cause such bad memories to spring up. I truly and completely apologize! I only wanted you two to have some fun together. Please don't hate me."

"Did she just get hotter?" Thunderchild asked. Ellis kicked him.

I gave a small smile. I had forgotten: in Neighpon, like in Equestrian, forgiveness was a virtue. "It's okay, Princess. Most of the statues are actually cool, just...one was kinda scary..." I said, letting my eyes fall on the statue. I still couldn't put my hoof on why it felt so familiar.

"Oh! Yes, that one has always scared me too! Auntie says it's a bad spirit and it's good I'm scared of him!"

I nodded. "So..." I said, admittedly feeling sorry I'd made the young princess guilty with my freak out. "Anything else we could do while we're here?"

Yes, I'd just gotten chased by the Wolf, but Cadence was with me and I'm a sucker for puppydog eyes. Besides...the only thing I can think of that might stop the Wolf is if I finish filling in my life to the present. If I spend all that time worrying about the Wolf, then I've got no life PERIOD.

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): That is very wise of you, Shining. I'm sorry we lost you again. It seems the Wolf is causing us problems too.)

I understand. You've been with me through all this, I know you wouldn't leave me high and dry on purpose.

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): Really?)

Yes. You're my friends after all.

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony): Thank you, Shiny.)

You're welcome, filly.

"Wait...what happened?" I asked, watching a couple ponies who looked like they'd been covered in glue and feathers, among other things, be lead away by cops as we finally arrived back.

"We're not sure exactly, but these guys were up to no good. We think they're just robbers trying to make a quick buck off Cadence's stuff," Bond explained. "Tried to sneak into the Princess' quarters and had knives. However, our...guest took care of them..."

The Kitsune sat on top of the police cart and giggled, waving to the thugs.

Cadence blinked. "I guess it WAS being our guardian after all..."

The Kitsune vanished into thin air.

"Ugh, sure did a number on 'em," Ellis muttered, putting a hoof over his nose. They smelt horrible too, I don't WANT To know why.

"We stepped up security and searched the ship, but everything seems perfectly fine," Bond said.

"Uh, Princess, maybe I should sleep closer tonight,"

The hoofmaidens smirked widely.

"So I can keep an eye on you, maybe keep a shield around the room if needed."

The smiled wider...somehow.

"Alright. Even with the Kitsune around, probably the best idea."

I gave a nod and lead the way back in...and a bucket of water dumped on my head as I opened the door, followed by more Kitsune snickering.

"Ugh!" we all exclaimed as the Princess and her hoofmaidens scrambled out of their room, the horrid odor of a stinkbomb filling the hallway the last day of our trip. After pranking everypony at the embassy the other few...

The Kitsune was much more sitting nearby snickering, somehow having a gasmask on.

"Okay, admittedly, that prank was actually classic..." Gag groaned as he joined us, a hoof over his muzzle (same with all of us).

The Kitsune then spoke. "Kono yōna mōretsu ni atsui hidearu koto no tame mōshiwakearimasenga, watashi wa kanojo no kōtei heika ni modoru mae ni, hainōto de gaishutsu shitai to kangaete imashita."

Unfortunately it was Neighponese. "Uh, Gag, translation?"

"It said it wanted to part ways on a high note before it returns to...Imperial Majesty?!"

"What?"

The Kitsune snickered and said something else. "Watashi wa kanojo no hōmon no ma ni kōgō Haruhi no fune ni atta. Watashi wa Neighpon daizaichū, kanojo no yūjin o hogo suru koto ni shimashita. Kanojo no hogo-sha ga, kanojo wa kekkyoku, nani no mendō o hogo suru tame ni, sore wa watashi no gimudearu."

"It says it was with the Empress on her ship when she visited and decided to protect her owner's friends during their stay..."

"So we've had the Empress' PET onboard this whole time?!"

"Apparently."

"Anata ga mitsukeru no ni jūbun'na jikan ga kakatta, lover boy."

Okay, I don't even know what it said, but it still made me blush!

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): What is it with royals and having trolls for pets?!)

Philomena and the Kitsune would get along swimmingly...

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony): But they aren't trolls, they're way too small.)

Cadence sighed. "So THAT'S what the Empress meant when she asked where her pet had gotten to at the dinner..."

Anyway, the Empress picked up her pet and, after it dumped ANOTHER water bucket on my head, we parted ways and were out of Neighpon.

"Anypony wanna try on the kimonos the Empress gave us as going away presents?" Twinkle Shine asked.

I didn't agree because I wanted to see Cadence in one.

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): Never said you did.)

Darn it!

Author's Note

Story Arc written by LZ0291 lz0291.deviantart.com/
This chapter was written by me (Alex Warlorn) and LZ.

Shining Armor is given a two year tour of the world to be the captain of Princess Cadence's body guard. Yeah. That's all. That's everything Yep. Nothing what so ever else. *AJ's Liar face*

Previous Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Shining-Armor-19-Part-2-of-2-422513873

Next Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Light-World-38-The-Connection-425052184

First Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Fluttershy-FlutterCruel-Pearls-260092460

"Time is an ocean in a storm."

This storyline runs PARALLEL to the events in the Dark World storyline narrative wise.

Image by Kendell2

Please help the trope http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries
And recap pages. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/PonyPOVSeries (please?)

Check out the recursive fanfiction and fanart of the Pony POV Series! http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/journal/MLP-FiM-PonyPOVSeriesFanworks-audio-adaption-2013-349281264 Many of it approved by me as canon.

Be sure to join our Group for a TON of recursive works, many a part of optional canon!!! http://mlp-pony-pov-series.deviantart.com/

AND! Be sure to check season zero and season one's fanlabor pages! PLEASE! THey need lots of work! As does our recap page on TVTropes! Please! Help people who are new to the series get caught up with updating the recap page!!
http://mlpfanart.wikia.com/wiki/Pony_POV_Series_Season_Zero:_Discorded_Ponies
http://mlpfanart.wikia.com/wiki/Pony_POV_Series_Season_One:_Reharmonization

MLP: FiM is copyright of Hasbro

Episode 142: (shining Armor) "ssenippaH sihT !iH iH iH - Hi Hi Hi! This Happiness"

Author's Note

Pinkie Pie looked at the camera and smiled and waved, "Hi everypony! By the time most of you are reading this, it'll be the author's birthday! This thing got written some time back before July last year! So yeah, she's been waiting a long time to be posted! We could have waited even longer, but since it's the author's birthday, he wants to feel he's made some kind of progress since his LAST birthday! He's now been working on this for THREE YEARS! Whoa! I really really really really really really really really really REEEEEALLLY hope you enjoy this! It's finally time! Yes time! For the truth of how Dark World and the Shining Armor story line are connected! So here we are! Let's all have a big cheer! For the pony pov series! And for everypony! AND in particular for Louis and all his hard work on the adaption! Here we go everypony!"

This chapter has been over a year in the making. And is the combination of a bajillion notes I made on the way to get there. *crosses himself* And then it waited over six months to be published. Let's say a prayer together, and let's hope you all are happy with what you find. Seriously, I just want you all to enjoy this. I've spent a lot of time on dark world, a lot than it was supposed to. But it turned out epic, powerful, and still had room for heart and humor like pony fics SHOULD HAVE. And it accomplished what I set out for. A pony world so dark, and STILL turn it back into a sugar bowel ideal fairy tale world that doesn't have to make flawless sense. My personal defiance to all those grim dark fics out there, and all those grim dark tumblrs that have the mane six as psychos.

So yeah, to all of those out there saying the Pony POV Series is a 'Dark fic' I've got news, it is a DEFIANCE of dark fic! Just like Puella Magi disguised itself as a sugary standard cookie cutter sweet little magical girls anime and revealed itself as a cosmic horror story with references to Goethe's Faust. This fic disguises itself as a generic cookie cutter grim dark horror blob, and reveals it is anything BUT!!!!

I hope I accomplished that somehow. I like to think I did at least.

And Louis, thank you for EVERYTHING. Along with Ken, my fellow writer and editor for Dark World. Things would have been very different without their help. And ItsFromPeople, your reviews make me strong. You all helped with dark world greatly, and make it's transformation into light world a beauty to see! Thank you!

I'm a nervous wreck. I'm almost scared to actually hit the submit button! I hope you really do all like this. I'm so freaky nervous. A million things could go wrong. But if the majority of you managed to enjoy it, maybe this is too soon, maybe this isn't soon enough.

I'm like Clover. I'm scared to pieces of choices without black and white answers. Maybe that's why I connect with her more than any of the other MLPTs characters. And I appreciate having good luck.

But the Pony POV SEries wouldn't exist without you, the readers, you guys are the story's everything. thank you. So much. Thank you. This is the ultimate and final part of the dark world. I hope you all enjoy it.

From even the darkest and blackest of worlds, hope can STILL appear!

Dang it, still scared.

*looks at time* 11, DANG IT! Living is trying!

Previous Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Shining-Armor-chapter-20-423960322

Next Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Shining-Armor-chapter-21-1-of-2-426340161

First Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Fluttershy-FlutterCruel-Pearls-260092460

The Pony POV Series Trope Page is feeling neglected. Only you can help keep it up to date! Not to mention the recap page needs some work and can really help keep the story straight if you'll contribute to it tropers! http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries

Check out the recursive fanfiction and fanart of the Pony POV Series! http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/journal/MLP-FiM-PonyPOVSeriesFanworks-audio-adaption-2013-349281264 Many of it approved by me as canon.

Be sure to join our Group for a TON of recursive works, many a part of optional canon!!! http://mlp-pony-pov-series.deviantart.com/

AND! Be sure to check season zero and season one's fanlabor pages! PLEASE! THey need lots of work! As does our recap page on TVTropes! Please! Help people who are new to the series get caught up with updating the recap page!!
http://mlpfanart.wikia.com/wiki/Pony_POV_Series_Season_Zero:_Discorded_Ponies
http://mlpfanart.wikia.com/wiki/Pony_POV_Series_Season_One:_Reharmonization

Cover art by http://morningstar-1337.deviantart.com/art/AstralLight-Twilight-Sparkle-359902134

MLP FIM: Copyright Hasbro

Episode 143: (Light World) The Connection (took long enough)

Pony POV Series "Light World" Alicorn Ascension
My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic
Chapter 38
"The Connection"
By Alex Warlorn
Edited by Louis and Kendell2

There was only one thing left to do. Nyrtholotrot is bound by his word not to step beyond his sphere of authority. It had taken me just under an infinity, but there was now just one thing left to do. And it daunted me (a Concept of reality) it scared me, it belittled me, it filled me doubt. I hesitated. This was what parts of me had wanted from the beginning (and what parts of me had fought against). I knew this wasn't the same as Nightmare Eclipse. I knew this was different from what she did. But, "I want to do this...but...I don't know if I should. I'm...I'm scared."

"AND WHY IS THAT, MY DAUGHTER?" A white filly, appearing as a pegasus, fluttered next to me. So many new '1's exist where had been '0's in creation's great equation in the space she flapped her wings. She flapped till she was eye level with me. Blue eyes that showed an infinite sky/ocean/place, I looked at her and was staring down eternity.

"I'm scared I'd be no different than how Nightmare Paradox, how I was, if I do this...I'm afraid this'll be selfish."

"WHY DO YOU WISH TO? WHAT IS YOUR REASON?"

I watched as several lights emerged from her. She nuzzled them with tender care and allowed them to go be conceived, watching them go with a look akin to a mother watching her foal move out of the house.

"Because...Rainbow Dash had a point: there are ponies who never got to live out their lives because of Discord's rule...But I don't want to sacrifice one world for another...I guess I want BOTH worlds to be able to live. So ponies can achieve their happy ending a thousand years early and a thousand years of meaningless suffering had been stopped in its tracks, getting to exist alongside the road where ponies scraped and clawed through those thousand years to have their happily ever after."

"AND WHY DOES THAT SCARE YOU, MY DAUGHTER? YOU HAVE ALREADY OPENED SO MANY PATHS ALREADY."

"I'm scared I'd be no different than how Nightmare Paradox was. Eating my cake and having it too. I'm scared of becoming her all over again. I'm changing my own timeline to create a twin for it!"

"PART OF THE DUTY YOU'VE TAKEN UPON YOURSELF IS TO GUIDE MORTALS ALONG THE PATH THAT IS BEST FOR ALL INVOLVED AS ROTA FORTUNA CAN PROVIDE YOU. BUT NEVER ONCE DID YOU TAKE DIRECT CONTROL OF THEM. NOT JUST BECAUSE YOU KNEW IT WAS AGAINST THE RULES OF THE WORLD, BUT BECAUSE YOU KNEW IT WAS WRONG. IT IS NOT YOUR NATURE. AS A NIGHTMARE YOU DIDN'T CARE WHO WAS HARMED FOR YOUR VISION. BUT NOW YOU WORRY ABOUT OVERSTEPPING YOUR BOUNDS EVEN IF IT IS WHAT YOU DESIRE."

"...Some of the Watchers think I've already overstepped my boundaries..."

"AND SOME BELIEVE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE IS GREAT AND WONDERFUL."

"...But who's right?"

"YOU HAVE DONE MUCH, AMICITIA. WHO IS TO SAY THAT WHAT IS RIGHT IN ONE INSTANCE IS CORRECT IN ALL INSTANCES? OR VICE VERSA? AND WHO IS TO SAY THAT THERE MUST ALWAYS BE A RIGHT AND WRONG IN EVERY DISCUSSION? CANNOT EVIL CONFLICT WITH EVIL AND GOOD CONFLICT WITH GOOD? WHY THEN CANNOT RIGHT CONFLICT WITH RIGHT? IS THE CIVILIAN WHO PRAISES A MASK PONY FOR SAVING THEIR LIFE ANYMORE WRONG THAN A GUARD WHO SAYS THE PONY BROKE THE LAW BY BEING A VIGILANTE? OR ARE BOTH RIGHT TO SEE HER AS THEY DO? WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS TO DO WHAT YOU THINK IS RIGHT."

"...I don't know...no, I know what to do to make the change happen. But not precisely how to do it. I know I won't get a second chance."

"YOU ARE SCARED OF THAT AS WELL."

"Yes I'm scared. If it doesn't work, and if it does work. I don't know if this is a price that can be undone, or if it's right to undo it even if it could be."

"FOREVER IS FOREVER EVEN WHEN DIVIDED. DO NOT BE AFRAID. YOU SHALL NOT BECOME LESS, IF ANYTHING, YOU WILL BECOME MORE.

"DO YOU FEAR FOR THE EFFECT YOUR CHOICE WILL HAVE ON THE MORTAL REALM?"

"...Yes...I do, Mother."

"GOOD. HAVOC WAS CORRECT WHEN HE SAID FEAR IS NOT SIMPLY A MIND DESTROYER. IN THE PROPER AMOUNTS, IN THE PROPER PLACES, IT MAKES US QUESTION OUR ACTIONS AND MAKE SURE WE KNOW WHAT WE ARE DOING IS RIGHT. DO NOT LET THIS FEAR RULE YOU, BUT ALSO DO NOT PRETEND IT HAS NO MEANING. FEAR THE POSSIBILITY YOU COULD BE DOING WRONG, LISTEN TO IT AND USE IT TO ENSURE YOU HAVE SEEN HOW YOUR ACTIONS MIGHT EFFECT OTHERS BEFORE YOU PERFORM THEM. BUT DO NOT LET IT CONSUME YOU COMPLETELY AND BLOCK OUT REASON. FEAR WITHOUT REASON AND REASON WITHOUT FEAR ARE BOTH DANGEROUS THINGS. AND IN WHAT YOU SEEK TO DO, DOING EITHER IS A MISTAKE YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO MAKE WHEN SO MUCH RELIES ON YOU BEING RIGHT."

"I understand...Mother, what must I do?"

"YOU'VE BEEN A GUIDE AND A LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS. NOW, YOU MUST BE A SURGEON. AND LIKE A SURGEON, CHOOSE WELL WHERE YOU MAKE YOUR CUTS. YOU ARE NOT A RESEARHCER PERFORMING AN EXPERIMENT, YOU ARE A DOCTOR TRYING HER BEST TO LET LIFE THRIVE."

"I think I know what to do... Thank you mom."

I left her and travel up and down my branch, my own river of fate.

There is one truth Ah'll accept. The truth hurts. The truth is cruel. And Ah won't be part of somethin' dat awful again! Sweet little lies are so much kinder.

Equestia is gonna shatter into a million pieces! Just you DARE try and say there's anything funny about that!

Be generous to yourself, care for yourself, love yourself, because you're the one that deserves it the most.

To embody kindness is to be a stepping stone, to embody cruelty, is to be the stepper. I've been kind for far too long, it's time to be cruel.

Before I made a choice between you guys and Gilda, and now I've made a choice between Cloudsdale and you. Guys, for what it's worth, I'm sorry.

The Average and Invisible Trixie. I'm not anything special, I'm not anything. I'm nothing. Who cares for a unicorn that's the same as any other?

I've always thought I knew so much, but I see I've understood so little. I'm so confused. But maybe the confusion is better if understanding is so horrid? Everything is darker now. I feel cold but I'm not afraid. Why is my coat turning gray?

I looked closely, at every possible place in the timeline at every possible event, looking for the best way to do this.

I tried to nudge things, knowing the violent reprisal brute forcing things would bring. I may be a Concept, but I don't have a 'do anything I like' license. As much as I CAN change...the moment I try to change something the rules say cannot be changed, the universe itself will enforce them. Concepts have rules for a reason, and they're not always self enforced. With beings like Morning Star and D___t being capable of existing there had to be a law keeper. And if I step over the line, it will wake up.

There is no one event to change, but there is one pony to change. Myself. Discord destroyed me by turning my friends into horrid strangers. Spike couldn't save me, not when he was faced with Discord, poor little dragon, I'm sorry Spike. I...I finally UNDERSTAND Spike. I understand why protecting Rarity, protecting me, and being able to, meant so much to you as we fought against Discord, the Valeyard, Rancor, Cruelty, and Eclipse. You were trying to be better than how you were before too.

This would be different from all the 'resets' I did as Nightmare Paradox. This would be creating, not unmaking. This wasn't tearing down Libra's art gallery, it was adding a new wing. Perhaps this what the Those-Who-Decide wanted all along.

This left the last resort, no, this was the only resort right from the start. This won't take a simple ripple like the one Rancor created. This'll need a complete and total shockwave. I was always a stubborn little unicorn. Magic is scared, but I can't ask this of anypony else. All that I was, all I am, and all that I shall become.

Time travel itself is completely different from reality revision. In reality revision, you aren't changing the past, you're changing everything, what you erase becomes 'never was' and what you create 'always was.' Rather like the birth and death of Concepts really.

It's also different from my guidance to give ponies a dose of compassion and sanity. There I was just giving gently nudges; reaching my own hooves into things, had a habit of creating unforeseen consequences. This might as well, the ponies of this reality I'd create, everything that would become of them lay on my shoulders.

But when it comes to this, gently nudges are not enough. Even stopping the Crusaders' fight in front of Discord's statue would do nothing but delay his awakening, if their fight awakened him in the first place rather than being caused by it or even merely sped it up.

And there were many factors involved, such as Discord's brute force brainwashing. Even if I did succeed in helping my friends beat his games, then there might end up being five daughters of Discord like Fluttercruel, and potentially an irrational and angry Discord. As it was, his silver tongue was as dangerous a weapon as his magic, his words rooted their way into my friends' minds deeply.

Reminding Celestia to check on Discord's imprisonment wouldn't work because they'd lost track of his statue and I had no way to prove the one in the courtyard was him through the means I had without crossing the line.

And since I was Twilight Sparkle, altering my own past is something that I couldn't do directly if it hadn't already happened. Concepts are immune to paradoxes, the mortal pony I started out as opposed the other major arcana isn't. Particularly when I was creating a new timeline where it was entirely possible she wasn't going to become me PERIOD.

The only way to change the timeline is to introduce something new, a new light, into fate (like Rancor and Dark World) whose existence will ripple through it. The problem is the moment they do change fate they gain their own fate they can not cheat because they are now involved in events.

Only those who existed OUTSIDE of a timeline can introduce new elements. Otherwise all you get is a causality loop. And even then fate will eventually violently reject any attempts to change things you make unless those elements are assimilated by the timeline and accepted as part of itself rather than a foreign element.

Think of it like a drawing. Once it's drawn, the only ways to add something to it are to either erase what has already been drawn or to draw it again with the new aspect added.

I had asked Eremo to run the infinite calculations needed. He also helped me hammer out the details of what I intended to do. I'd had a good idea of it, but having a second opinion was always welcome.

I may be an egghead, but a sizable chunk of my ego was shed when I was reborn and I accepted the Alicorn of Knowledge was more intelligent than I was and this was too important for there to be any mistakes. The spell would do exactly what I want it to, but so did the Wish Come True Spell do exactly what it was made to do. Magic can work perfectly as intended and still cause trouble if you don't check the facts thoroughly.

But that was all in my past, long before I came to this moment. It was time to end all this confusion, no more effect then cause, time for the greatest spell I had ever done.

= "Each And All" - [livetune] =

"Amicitia! Twilight!"

I turn my head. "Cadence?"

"I...I wasn't sure I'd be here in time, well, relative time but--, Twilight, I'm SORRY I couldn't tell you what was going to happen! But it needed to happen, for you... and for me. But that doesn't, that doesn't mean, that it was--"

I sighed. "I know big sister. What needs to happened, did happen. That doesn't mean either of us liked it. And you certainly weren't just fighting for yourself. Even at your worst in that fight, you were never once ENJOYING IT! Unlike when I was Nightmare Eclipse. That's the difference. You fought for others, I stopped doing that as Nightmare Eclipse long ago. You were NOT cold blooded and you were NOT a murderer! You were NOT evil! And you were NOT psychotic! You were fighting for those you loved! You had an objective and a purpose and NEVER forgot who and why you were fighting for or against! I can never say that about myself."

"Rota Fortuna's will be done. We can move along them, but we aren't immune to her threads."

"Don't say that about our sister like she's some sort of puppet master. If there's anypony who actually can't escape their fate it's her. It's...it's rather silly when you think about it. It took me living the life of a pegasus who spent years of her life in a mad house for believing in ponies below the clouds, who saw the world DESTROYED by magic (twice in a way) and helping stop those abusing you for their own ends, for me to realize magic wasn't more wicked than good." Cadence made a short laugh. "Come on Twilight, admit it, it is a little funny."

"... Magic, I was just the TOOL Cadence, ponies' own decisions brought Libra, the world, to that fate. And it was the magic of friendship that enabled that world to LIVE through its true darkest hour."

"And it was the magic of friendship, that helped me save Patch when she needed saving the most." She nuzzled me, "Thank you Amicitia."

I nuzzled back. "Welcome Cadenza, Brightglow. I was Clover, and Patch was my friend too don't forget."

"I just wanted to share that with you. For you to know that I do, and will always love you little sister. And I hope you can still love me somehow."

"I'll always love you too big sister! That will never change! No matter what happens!"

"Thank you Twilight Sparkle The Alicorn, Amicitia, The Concept of Magic, my sister. You have my blessing. Do what your heart and mind both say needs to be done." We kissed, touched out horns against each other, feeling each other's concept.

"...One last time?" I asked. "For old times sake?"

She gave a warm. "One last time."

"Sunshine, Sunshine,
Ladybugs awake!
Clap your hooves,
And do a little shake!"

Cadence made sure to be a safe distance from what was about to happen.

I called upon the magic within me, myself within myself, I called all magic in creation, all of myself in creation. I drew myself within myself I pulled myself within myself. I am myself, I am all of myself. I do not rule all magic. I am all magic. I shine brighter than I ever have across the heavens, not visible to mortal senses or the divine within mortal existence for I am still outside of it. All of me.

I spread out my wings and left my horn up high, and strike the most regal, royal, and holiest pose imaginable.

"Dear Princess Celestia, this will be my atonement. Look upon this moment my wonderful teacher. This shall be what lights darkness, a chance for everypony to be happy. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle."

Then I blow myself up. Twice.

+

"Did it work?" A little filly, an adult mare, and an old lady all said at the same time.

The three took a moment to look at each other. It was like looking at a mirror.

"I would say it did," Observed Half-Light Dusk.

"Well this is interesting," Half-Light Noon said looking at her wings and testing them out, feeling as natural as when she fought Ender Dash.

"I see me! I see me! I see me!" Half-Light Dawn giggled as she hopped around the other two like a hyperactive frog, thinking of when she had played with Apple Pie.

"Ditto kiddo," Half-Light Noon said looking at the filly, then at the old mare and bleached, "I didn't realize how I looked with wrinkles."

"And I didn't realize how tactless I can be," Half-Light Dusk said calmly without a hint of spite.

"Just bein' honest."

"Same."

"I can give myself horsey rides! I can take myself to the fair! THIS IS SO COOL!" Dawn shouted happily hopping from the pegasus to the old unicorn.

"Glad you think so," Noon said sounding...

"Regretful?" Dusk asked. "I believe we can feel that again now."

"Don't bet on it," Noon responded.

"Did ya know talking to yourself is a sign of bein' weird?" Dawn asked eagerly and helpfully.

The pegasus sighed, "Oh yeah, this is gonna take a lot of gettin' used to."

"Don't worry, shouldn't be that awful. We've always considered ourselves wonderful company yes?" Dusk, the spirit of happy conclusions, asked.

"I recall everypony found us boring company half the time."

"I'm not boring!" Dawn protested.

"I promise you aren't, kiddo." The Pegasus ruffled the filly's mane lovingly.

"I bet Applebloom and her friends won't think I'm no fun to play with now!" Dawn, the spirit of happy beginnings, cheered.

"Heh. I almost want to see what these wings can do compared to Rainbow Dash," Said the spirit of happy journeys.

The earth pony filly eagerly looked at anything and everything. "Heeeeeey! Loooookie!" She pointed at one 'thing' in particular.

"And there we go," The old unicorn said calmly.

"Heh, yeah, I guess so," Said Noon, sounding warm. She flapped her wings over to where Dawn pointed. Dusk simply teleported.

"He's a beaut'," Noon commented.

"So what's his name?! What's his name?!" Dawn asked looking at the old unicorn.

"He doesn't have one yet," Noon said.

"...you can name him," said Dusk.

"I-I can?! YES-YES-YES-YES-YES!!! Whoa-kay!"

"Should we be the ones to name'em?"

"We're the only ones who can."

"That so?" Noon gently knocked him on the head a few times to no response.

"Please don't do that," Dusk said. "He'll wake up with a headache."

"Just seeing if he makes a hollow sound like on TV."

"You know better than to trust TV--and now you have her doing it!"

"Swaaweee!" Dawn apologized meekly.

"Stand on one forehoof," Noon said to the stallion. He obeyed without question balancing perfectly.

"Would you stop?" Dusk asked calmly.

"Hey! Big brother! Little sister! Why shouldn't I have a little fun?" Noon defended.

"We're all the same age!" Dusk said. Then saw the stallion now balancing on a ball. "And careful!"

"Now give me a piggyback ride please!" Dawn cheered. The white stallion obediently picked her up and put her on his shoulders and he trotted in a circle.

Dusk breathed in deep. "So have you thought of a name for him?"

"King Sparker?"

"Think harder," the pegasus said flatly.

"Okay." Dawn said not picking anything negative from the words, "Hmmmm...Hey! He's already got his cutie mark!"

"How's THAT work?" Noon exclaimed.

"Simple, the same reason we all do."

"Huh?" Noon looked at her own flank then at the Earth Pony and Unicorn. "Well, whaddya know."

Dusk assumed her lecture pose, "While we all share traits and elements, we each exemplify different ones of those trait. He, exemplifies our desire to protect and keep safe our loved-ones and friends. The part that'll never abandon them, never betray them, will always come through for them, will always look after them."

"What? So that makes us heartless monsters?" Noon raised an eyebrow insulted.

Dawn looked like she was going to cry.

"I said exemplify, not exclusively contain. We four are different from lights born directly from Fauna Luster."

Dawn perked up. "Okay! I got a name! Hey! Your name is Shining Armor!"

"My name is Shining Armor," he repeated.

"Shining Armor Sparkle!" Noon added.

He grimaced, "My name is Shining Armor Sparkle."

"Hey," Dawn said.

"Just being thorough." Noon shrugged, she looked him over again. "Will he remember any of this?"

"No. Because he has never existed before. After he is grafted into the timeline, his existence will take root and spread retroactive through the time stream. Right now he is basically an existence with no context. An archetype. A seed with no soil. Like a character sketch without a story. He has traits but no past or motives yet."

"Then I'll give'em some," Noon said assertively and put a hoof on his, (taller) shoulders.

"Please keep them direct and to the point."

"Keep Twilight Sparkle safe, keep your little sister happy, protect her from the dark monsters under her bed, be there for her even when she thinks she doesn't need anypony, please look after her, don't let her seal herself up completely, and let her see that being with other ponies isn't so bad. And always let her have the slice of-"

"Noon!" Dusk actually seemed angry.

"JUST KIDDING!"

"Keep her safe, keep her happy, protect her from the dark monsters under her bed, be there for her even when she thinks she doesn't need anypony, please look after her, let her see that being with other ponies isn't so bad. And always take the last slice of cake before she does."

"Hey! That's not what you said!" Dawn said.

Noon laughed. "I LIKE this guy!"

"It would seen your incomplete instructions forced him to fill in the blanks. Now please stop fooling around with him."

Noon fluttered her wings a little. "Alright, alright, just having some fun, like family does, it's not like I'd add anything nasty to him."

Dusk smiled and nodded. "I know, I know. It would be illogical for you to, since it would be illogical for me."

Half-Noon wing hugged him. Dawn hugged his legs. Dusk nuzzled him. He was as still as a toy without batteries.

"So...what'll he do?" Dawn asked.

"In a world where Twilight Sparkle was an only child, she succumbed to despair FAST and COMPLETELY on Discord's Day of Chaos. Twilight's bonding with the other Element Bearers represented her FIRST-EVER real experience with friendship."

"HEY! What about Spike!?" Dawn protested.

"Spike was, a special case. The point is that when Discord warped her friends, her heart was crushed UTTERLY, so that not even all her 'letters to Celesta' which Spike belched up could bring her back to her old self. On the other hoof...in a world where Twilight Sparkle has Shining Armor for a brother, she'll have had SOME experience with friendship already, even on a familial level. Thus, the letters will work on her," said the unicorn.

"So...he'll give Twilight the strength to resist Discord for just a little bit longer? For Luna to do her thing?"

"Yes. That is why he exists."

"What does he do after that?" Noon asked, not liking the idea of him being just, dismissed afterward.

"That's his own choice," Dusk said.

"So he'll just appear in everypony's memories?" Dawn asked.

"Not precisely. He will be going forward and backwards in time. As he interacts with others, he will go backwards into their pasts and interact with them there as well."

Noon's wings and ears wilted. "We are so not going to be on speaking terms with Rota Fortuna for a while... Can we trust him to help Twilight?"

"He's the parts of us we can trust the most to."

"Alrighty then." Noon nuzzled him, "Good luck big guy. You've got a big job of ahead of you: convince an anti-social bookworm who sees friendship as the world's biggest waste of time to warm up just a tiny little bit. Can you do it?"

"Mission. Accepted," he replied in a robotic monotone.

Noon pointed at him, "He's not gonna be this way after he gets memories and forms bonds with others and does some growth is he?"

"No. He's already beginning to develop his own persona. But right now he has nothing to animate his freedom of will yet. He's had no experiences to shape a personality beyond what Amicitia gave him unlike us who have her memories."

"Good. I remember...being a soulless robot is not good at all." She nuzzled him again, "Shining Armor, I wish you well. I hope things work out for you. Protect her, give her heart the little coaxing and kick in the flanks it needs. I know you can do it."

"Thank you."

"Let's have you take a nap now." Dusk touched her horn with his. He closed his eyes and slumped over like a sack of potatoes.

"Ick! Heavy ain't he?" Noon said pushing him up.

"Aren't we so lucky to have a big strong big brother to look after us?" Dawn said.

"Yeah heh, I guess we do. Okay Shining Armor, let's send ya home."

Shining Armor twitched in his sleep as they began to carry him into mortal existence.

"Is big brother okay?" Dawn asked as she helped carry him.

"He's dreaming," Dusk said. "After we introduce him to this timeline, he'll cascade, the same as any existence. Right now, between existence and outside existence, he's seeing various versions of himself that are out there, as other versions of us do the same as we're doing. Inserting him into the universe, it'll spread all the way straight back to the heart world."

"That'll royally tick off some continuity concerned Shadows-Who-Watch something fierce when he pops out of nowhere," Noon said. "Seriously, they'll hate the lack of foreshadowing."

"A price we'll have to pay," Dusk said. "Besides, the Shadows-Who-Make must approve for him to exist in the Heart World, which he does."

"Or he existed there first and this is how our big brother in our little branch multiverse came to be," Noon remarked.

"...I'm beginning to remember why the multiverse falls under 'things ponies were not meant to comprehend...'"

"Wait!" Dawn said. "If either of those are the case, then couldn't he have existed but been erased and that's why Discord won?"

Dusk sighed. "No, that is an impossibility. Eremo double and triple checked and neither in our timeline nor any of its branches has a Shining Armor existed before this moment. If Shining were erased, even by Entropy, then Shining Armor would exist in at least ONE of our branches because only our version would cease. Nightmare Eclipse was a unique case in that she bonded every version of herself to her, meaning she robbed herself of any other fates but the one she experienced. For everycreature else, each version on a different branch will meet with a different Fate that is the sum of all their choices."

"Oh...Hey look! A timeline where he helps Cadence and Anasi defeat Discord!"

Dusk sighed while Noon just chuckled.

+

"So of all the points in time and space, why are we inserting him HERE?" Noon whispered. Dawn was wearing a cliche burglar costume. Noon was dressed like a kabuki theater ninja.

Dusk spoke, "One; this is right before Nightmare Moon is freed from her prison sentence, so Celestia's senses, Discord's, and others of their power level are all focused elsewhere. So this makes it easier for us to get him in undetected. Two, due to his presence being inserted at this time, it'll create a strong wave, this should effect Twilight's mind set just before she leaves if things go as they should. Three, this room's close enough to Twilight so time will adjust so they've been able to interact and will be able to interact."

"Should have put him in Ponyville then."

"Twilight will CLING to him if he's in Ponyville with her, she needs to make FRIENDS, and having Shining Armor with them on their quest-"

"...Will weaken the flames that their fire-forged friendship was born from. Got it. So, Ursa Minor in the living room, why not insert him at birth?"

"One, he's already a stallion, we can't change how he's born as, no more than we can change our ages. Second it would be rather illogical for him to have the traits he was given by Amicitia at birth, and some might be buried in his lifetime.

And third, because if we did that, we couldn't ensure he'd live until Twilight is born, let alone that they'd have time to form a bond." Dusk seemed clearly disturbed by that thought, as were the others.

"Ok, so why HERE?"

Dawn spoke up sounding proud of herself, "MY IDEA! He's a knight in shining armor! So he's gotta be a royal guard! And protect princesses like Nanny Caddey! Good thing they had this barren empty room, well, not so barren for much longer after time and space do their thing!"

"Please tell me we never called Cadence that."

"We didn't. We seem to be developing different personas as well."

"Thank goodness."

"But she's right, having him be here, reality will do the rest, in this moment of time, he is defined as 'royal guard, this is his bedroom, he is Twilight Sparkle's elder brother.' Everything after will grow from that. And considering his spirit came from the instinct to protect others, he'll hopefully be happy as a guard." Dusk gave a warm smile back to Shining.

"There ya go," Noon whispered, "Tucked in bed, nice and tight. Goodnight, big brother." Noon kissed him on the forehead. "Happy birthday."

Dawn kissed on the cheek, "Night night!"

Dusk kissed him on the other one. "See you around, we hope. Do your best."

They left.

+

The existence graft took hold. Spreading and growing, becoming one with the timeline and integrated as a part of it. And--

+

And finally Rainbow Dash...she wouldn't leave us...but she did. It doesn't make sense! Nothing makes sense! Confusion tears through my, my mind like a, like a maelstrom! This has to be a dream, an illusion, an alternate reality or something!

I was crying in my bed room, not long after I'd earned my Cutie Mark. What had I done? Mom, dad, what had I done?!

I heard the door open. "Twiley, what's wrong?"

I look up to see Shiny looking down at me worriedly. "Some...some of the grownups said...they said I'm a monster. They said somepony should lock me up so I can't hurt anypony...I-I turned mommy and daddy into plants and made that cute little baby dragon into a monster...maybe they're right..." I couldn't stop crying...was I really a monster like they said?

He hugged me. "Twiley, you're not a monster, Princess Celestia wouldn't have accepted you as her student if she thought you were, she'll make sure everything will be okay...and so will I."

I look up to him with tears still in my eyes. "R-really? You promise, BBBFF?"

He gives me a smile. "Yeah, promise. Don't worry about a thing, Twiley, I've got yer back. I've always been there for you and I'm always going to be."

I looked up at him. He wasn't afraid of me... "...O-okay...Thank you, BBBFF...And I'll have yours if you need it too, okay?"

"Okay. Happy to know I can count on you too Twiley."

NO! This is real! It's crazy as heck but it's real! There are still ponies counting on me! On us! My parents, my brother, my friends, they all NEED ME! I can't let them down! Come on girls! Snap out of it! AJ startles at my reaction and goes over to Rarity's 'diamond' instead of me. What was she about to say?

"Girls, why are you all acting like this?" I asked my friends who ignored me like I wasn't there. Pinkie Pie continued to blow up at Fluttershy who just meaninglessly teased her. AJ and Rarity were now in a brawl.

"We need to stick together," I, the sane unicorn pleaded.

Discord laughed at my friends at each other's throats, "It's just too entertaining."

I couldn't take it. He said this was a game right? Aren't games supposed to have rules?! "Stop it, Discord. You're not playing fair."

Spike lay pathetically on the floor, looking to be in outright agony.

"Can't...move. The princess...has been sending these...since I came back upstairs." He involuntary breathed green flames, spawning a scroll. "Make it stop!" He begged.

I curiously looked at the mess of papers and unfurled some, wait a minute. "These are all the letters I've written to the princess since I've lived in Ponyville. But why would she send them back?"
+

"What's this?" I heard Discord say as he finally noticed the spell reaching completion, too late for him to stop it or escape. "No..."

I opened my now glowing eyes to see the dumbstruck Draconequus frozen in shock on his throne as the rainbow was let loose. It's over, the nightmare is over...everypony, mom, dad, Spike, BBBFF, we did it!

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

+

= Puella Magi Madoka Magica "Colorful" =

"ANNNNND KAAAAAAA-SPLIT!!!!!" Half-Noon Noon laughed, danced, and flew as the Elements of Harmony in the center of Ponyville turned Discord back into the statue existence he had endured for a couple thousand years, and looked to be seeing to endure it for a few thousand years more.

"THEY DID IT! THEY DID IT!" Dawn danced as well. The three standing on a convenient hill overlooking Ponyville.

Half-Light Dusk said slowly breathing out in relief, "Yes...they did..." Dusk did a quick check to make sure. "And our original timeline is still in place. The split was a success... thank Mother and Father...and Shining Armor."

"Captain Shining Armor, actually," said Noon.

Dusk blinked. "Captain?"

She nodded. "He was promoted the day Nightmare Moon escaped from what I found out, seems quite happy too. Oh!" Noon stopped and produced and small crayon drawing, "And I also found this, I think it's rather telling of how our brother's past has been shaping out."

Half-Light Dusk looked, and if she wasn't immortal, might have had a heart attack, "He's got a crush on Cadence?!"

"Why would he crush her?!" Dawn asked confused.

"She means he likes her," Noon said.

"Oh! I like her too! So I have a crush on her too!"

"Erm, not quite the same, I'll explain it to ya later. So Dusk, didn't see that one coming did ya?"

"No I did not. Life is defined by both choices and surprises."

Noon smirked, "Welcome to the wonderful world of contradictions. And hey, maybe this Twilight will get Cadance as a sister too."

"I got to play with Celly while she was a filly in the castle, did either of you?" Dawn asked randomly.

"No I did not and neither did she," Dusk said, "Now let's get started. We have a lot of work ahead of us."

"WORK?!" The two younger ponies said.

"Our job here is far from done. We have several ponies now suffering from the mental and emotional damage Discord did to them, not the least of which includes Celestia herself, psychologists whose JOB it is to help ponies with invisible scars, Twilight and her friends. We traveled along so many branches, across and up and down, are we simply going to stop here?"

"No way," Noon said simply.

"Nope," Dusk shook her head.

"Good, then as I said, let's get started, we have some very traumatized psychologists who need our help first, but right after, we have somepony else we need to speak to."

"So we're not glued at the hip or anything are we? Not being able to exist away from each other for a certain length of time or distance or anything like that?"

"I do not think so. We are free to act and think and feel independently after all. Even if we by virtue, came from the same soul as Shining. It's just the lion's share of the blast was devoted to creating him, while we were somewhat...secondary products. We are in totally unknown territory. There possibly wasn't enough left after creating him to make each of us like him."

"You sure about that? I don't feel like a split personality."

"We're not. Nor are we simply aspects or avatars. We are a unique phenomena."

"Phantomina? We're ghosts?" Dawn asked suddenly being scared.

"No. We're something special," Noon translated.

"Oh! Okay! Being special is great!"

"Also," Dusk said, "We still have our ability to see through, and travel up and down the time stream, within reason given we are currently IN IT instead of outside of it. And we can manifest mentally or physically, depending on which circumstance will better serve."

"I know that part already," Noon said.

"Me too!" Dawn nodded.

"Well, now that we've helped Princess Celestia, Doctor Freudian Excuse, Dr. Head Scratcher, poor Doctor Hoof Wave, and the hospital staff. We have somepony else who I think has much to speak about."

"But you said our cover story as interviewers was not to be allowed in until a few weeks later," Noon said.

"That is how Mayor Mare perceives us. And what Celestia's official word will say."

"So who?"

"Fluttershy."

Dawn asked the common sense question, "Wouldn't we just scare her really bad if we showed up in the middle of the night to talk to her or began speaking in her head?"

"Don't worry, this one, we'll be experiencing WITH her."

"And it was done. Fluttershy's horrible nightmare was over, as was the nightmare of every pony that lived in Ponyville. Most only confided in their loved ones what they had done after Discord had turned them stark raving mad. With the status quo fully restored and repaired, not a single pony wanted to so much as dwell on that horrific day (technically several). Big Macintosh for example wouldn't say what happened, but he seemed very uncomfortable around the Apple family's pet dog.

"There was however one purple pony with a screwball cutie mark who was dragged away in a straightjacket mumbling how "The world finally made sense, it's not fair."

"The erratic behaviour of the sun and moon had led some to think that even the Princesses themselves had been driven insane by Discord like the ponies in Ponyville and Canterlot. Though Twilight insisted this was impossible due to Celestia being the one to awaken Twilight from her own darkness, others were not so sure.

"Fluttershy didn't care. She and her friends were themselves again, the land was healed, the ponies were healed, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna and harmony itself were now the law in Equestria again, and Discord was sealed away again, hopefully this time kept in a better holding place.

After attending what had to be one of the biggest parties Pinkie Pie had ever thrown in her life, and leaving so late it was almost early, Fluttershy walked half asleep to her cottage near the edge of Everfree Forest. Most ponies found it a contradiction such a timid (others said cowardly) pony could endure being right next to the most deadly place in Equestia. For Fluttershy it was simple logic, in that it was where the most life that needed her help lived."

Facing the fractured mirror.

"Do you remember how pearls are formed? They start out as a tiny bit of sand inside the oyster. It's not pleasant for the oyster, but eventually that tiny bit of sand becomes a beautiful pearl. You just had a bad parent. But I promise to help you."

"I don't need your help Flutterface!"

"It's funny how the fillies who need the most help are the ones who say they don't...but it's late, dear, and we should both be off to bed...

"Hush now, quiet now
It's time to lay your sleepy head"

"No. No you can't just sing me to..."

Fluttershy yawned.

"Hush now, quiet now
It's time to go to bed"

Fluttershy walked away from the mirror, and began to walk up the stairs to bed, feeling drowsy.

"Drifting off to sleep
The exciting day behind you"

She lazily pushed the door to her bedroom open as she practically fell onto the bed, barely avoiding sleeping on her wings.

"Drifting off to sleep
Let the joy of dream land find you"

She turned her head towards a little mirror by her bed. "I won't, I'm stronger than..." she yawned, "You, you can't do..."

"Hush now, Quiet now
Lay your, sleepy head
Hush now, Quiet now
It's time to go to bed."

Fluttershy's eyes fluttered closed.

"You're right, you are going to be with me from now on. So I'm going to have to make sure you don't get yourself into any trouble young lady...Don't worry, I'll be there for you."

And she slept, and dreamed.

***

(Interviewer's Notes Half-Light Dawn: Whao, did she really just put Fluttercruel to sleep? Cool.)

(Interviewer's Notes Half-Light Noon: I always knew she was made of sterner stuff than she let herself be.)

(Interviewer's Notes Half-Light Dusk: I do believe there is great hope for all the souls of this world.)

Pony POV Series "Light World" Junction Point
My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic
Chapter 38
True Title:
Reharmonized Ponies Prologue

Return To The World Of Light

Don't forget.
Always, somewhere,
somepony is fighting for you.
As long as you remember them,
you're not alone.

Episode 143: (Light World) The Connection (took long enough)

Episode 144: (Shining Armor): sdaorssorC-Crossroads

Pony POV Series
Shining Armor
Chapter 21 Part One
sdaorssorC-Crossroads

Three Months Later - Between Mega-Stratus and Mexicolt

"... Some stay dry and others feel the pain ... "

Soft pianos? How is that meant to work as an alarm clock song?

Ugh, well, I've got to get up... Pretty cold in here...

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony): ...Shining, it's nearly twenty-five degrees celsius. You complained last night the air conditioning in your cabin wasn't doing much to cool the place down!)

I was hot last night though. Seems to be working now...

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): You turned it off.)

You sure? I'd better check... Ow...

Okay, that's weird, my legs don't want to work. Can't seem to get back up.

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony): Shiny!)

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): I think you should shout for help.)

If you insist...

"Bleeurgh."

...Didn't work. I'll try standing again, that's easy, foals can do that before they talk... I was a foal once, I learned to walk before I could speak! I'm more experienced walking than talking, stands to reason I should be able to stand, right?

Oh, that one was loud, it'll leave a bruise. Hey, wait a minute, Lance-Corporal Jenkins, you're meant to knock before you burst in here asking if I'm all right!

"Sir? Captain, can you hear me?"

Sure...

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): Tell her, not us!)

"I am telling her!"

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): This is bad...)

"What's bad?"

"Horseapples, he's way out of it... Trip Wire, radio sick bay, I think we need to take him there."

Sick bay? I feel fine, I'm just... really cold... can't stand up and... who's Trip Wire? Who is that guy?

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): Private Trip Wire.)

"Oh, a new guy, I never remember the new guys... Wait, yeah I do..."

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): He's been here six months, Shining!)

"Well, we never mentioned him before!"

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): He was the only witness to that, er, thing... on Cadence's birthday a few months back...)

"Oh. Right. Trip Wire..."

Oh, hi, Garnet... Hey, Jenkins, I've been talking to you, why are you saying it's like I'm speaking to someone else? "I mean you guys saw me talking to her, right? Why is she confused about this?"

"Darn, we're not going to be able to ask him what's up then," Garnet sighed.

I said. I feel cold and can't stand up, and I'm getting a little annoyed nopony is listening to me.

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): Shining, whatever is going on, trust me when I say you're really not well right now. Just try not to talk, you're confusing everypony else and wasting energy...)

"But if I don't talk how do I tell them I'm fine apart from the whole cold and can't stand up thing?"

"Cold, with this fever... Misfit Actual-Six to Sickbay, prepare for a patient running a high fever."

Why does nopony knock, now those two Air Navy ponies just barged in here with a stretcher... Oh, good morning, Princess... Are you okay, you look worried...

"...I'm not sure, Your Highness, we need to take him to sickbay either way... No, that's not a... Your Highness... Cadence, please, if you follow him to sickbay all you'll do is distract the medics, I'm sorry!"

Garnet, that's the Princess you're talking to! Hey, Minuette, don't back her up, that's insubordination from both of you! Let her do what she wants!

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): Shining, they're right, please trust us...)

"But they're being rude to..."

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): Shining, please, just try to rest!)

"I only just woke up though... Hey, how'd we get to sick bay so fast?"

"I see what you mean, Lance-Corporal Chambers... Well, we'd better try and figure out what's up with him. Petty Officer Apothecary, please log that Captain Sparkle was admitted to sickbay on..."

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): ....The date...)

"Hey, it's almost a year since we first left Equestria!"

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): He's sick today, of all days... With what's happening tomorrow...)

"Aren't we meant to head back soon for troop rotations and stuff?"

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony): M-maybe it's a coincidence?)

"I wanna see my little sister again...."

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): Rota Fortuna wouldn't be so cruel... but he would.)

"Hey, you guys there?"

"We're here, Captain. You'll be okay..."

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): We're here too. We're not leaving you, not at a time like this...)

"Good... Uh, I kinda feel... tired again... I guess I'm not working today, maybe I should just go back to bed, tell Cadence I'm not feeling so good."

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony): We'll tell her...and we'll be with her through this...)

"...How can Pegasi stand this?" I groaned.

"It's pretty tame, Sir. The Lord Flashheart hasn't even tried to fly the airship upside-down yet," Thunderchild said back.

The glares from the other Earth Ponies and Unicorns in our transport made it clear I wasn't alone in not wanting to give our insane pilot ideas.

"Oh, come on, chaps, you need to be a bit less wimpy back there! Why, it's possible some day you might need this kind of flying if someone on the ground is shooting bolts of magic or rockets up at you! And what about flying in a thunderstorm?" Our pilot shouted back at us.

"There was me thinking the Special Tactics And Rescue Service did more rescuing than special tactics..." Another pony groaned.

"Only statistically, we're meant to be an emergency unit and all..."

Twenty years of existence and only one documented case where they fired so much as a stun spell at anypony, and far more cases of rescues from accidents and other emergencies made STARS seem like it had been a good choice. My mind told me that the chance to help and protect Equestrians in Equestria wasn't to be passed up. Lord Flashheart giving us the introduction to light airship-riding (they were only just starting to be used outside the Air Navy and special purpose groups got them first) made my stomach protest that choice. I hadn't felt this ill since...

"...Hadn't felt this ill since I was a foal..."

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): That... was NOT in the right order... that doesn't... make any sense.)

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony): Oh no.)

"Mrow," The scan-cat said.

"Alright, keep trying. No luck yet with the scan-cat, Doctor Ulshade."

"And the blood sample isn't turning up anything yet either. "

I blinked...

"Wh-what's going on... Where am I?"

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): Sickbay, you're ill.)

I figured... Garnet's saying as much...

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony): Oh good, yer replyin' ta us not them!)

What do you mean?

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): For a while there you said your replies out loud to everypony, and told us the replies to them.)

Uh oh....

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): They dismissed it as just fever delirium, don't worry!)

"Sir, are you back with us?"

"I... I guess... just confused with..."

"Can you describe what's happening, Sir?"

"My head's killing me, my neck feels stiff, my stomach feels like it's spinning, and I feel really cold and sweaty... What's happening?"

Why are these lights so bright?

"We're not sure. Where's your headache?"

"Feels like it's near the base of my horn..."

"Is the light in the room too bright?"

"A little.. Hurts my eyes..."

The scan-cat looked at my head as Ulshade came over, at least, I think it's him, I can't keep my eyes open long...

"Mrrr..."

"Aha... Captain, can you stop directing magic to your horn?" The donkey doctor asked.

"I'm not directing any magic there..."

"I thought you'd say that. Garnet, could you fetch me a saline-girders injection and sedatives?"

"Wait, how can salt be useful?" I wondered.

"It drains magic to cause the drunken feeling, Captain, and the Girders will drain it from the salt to give it back to you. If you're sedated at the same time it'll reduce the magic you're subconsciously directing to your horn, it's interfering with the scan cat. All we need to do is disrupt the flow briefly."

"Okay... I kind of still feel tired anyway..."

"I'm afraid that for now you won't be out long, I'm not sure any heavier sedation is a good idea until we get a scan," Ulshade said, as Garnet came back. I noticed how worried she looked.

I hate needles...

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): They need to do it to figure out what's wrong to help you.)

Yeah, I suppose so... Ow, that stings...

"Yo, S-Dawg, you gonna have to make sure your flow is tight, you dig?"

"Yea... What? Thunderchild, what the heck are you on about?"

I looked at him. He had a baseball cap on backwards, and also wore a gold chain.

"And why are you dressed like that?"

"DJ Maka-ROV called you out, dude, y'all gotta kick his flank in a rap battle!"

...Oh good, this one's got to be a hallucination, not a flashback or a flash-side or a vision or the like. Whatever the buck is in that IV it's far too strong.

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): ...It was just one injection and there wasn't much sedative in it.)

Uh oh. You mean this might actually be something my mind is coming up with by itself?

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): Or it's another universe after all... S-Dawg...)

I hope that doesn't catch on. Ever. In any universe.

I could hear voices speaking near the door...

"-Only for a few minutes when I'm done, Princess. Now he's awake we really should try to get as much done as we can," I heard Ulshade say.

"What exactly are you going to do?" Cadence asked.

"Well, prepare the intravenous solutions to start fighting the infection."

Oh good, they figured out what's wrong with me! Er, what is wrong with me?

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): Ulshade should tell you. We can't go to the future and read your medical reports until after you get there in your present.)

"Hello again, Doctor..."

"How are you feeling, Captain?"

"Pretty much the same, really. Did you figure out what's wrong?"

"Yes, we did. I was concerned it might have been some form of meningitis, but the scancat didn't indicate inflammation anywhere but near the base of your horn. It normally would affect your-"

"...Uh, I'm pretty sure I actually showed up for the vaccination against that," I realized.

"I see. Wait, what do you mean, showed up?"

"I, uh... kind of avoided a few vaccinations as a foal..."

Ulshade gave me a look like I was a complete idiot.

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony): And ya are, vaccinations are important!)

"Mom figured it out and arranged me to get all the ones I missed though! ...That wasn't fun."

"Then we've got a small puzzle here, Captain. You see, we've actually caught your infection only just about to start - what you're having is an allergic reaction to the bacteria..."

"Is it Horn Rot?!"

"No, it is not Horn Rot! And it's not Lupus either! Why does everypony assume it's one of those two?!"

"Uh, Doctor, it is a form of Lupus now, it was reclassified," A Nurse pointed out.

"...What the hay is Lupus?"

"Oh, right, sorry, the nurse is right. Basically it's a case where your own immune system has began attacking healthy cells near an infection because of an allergic reaction, and your mana is confusing your immune system. Mana-induced lupus is the technical term. However, you should have been given a booster about seven years ago to prevent this, but your records are somewhat incomplete."

"Huh?"

"The, er, period of time where you were being treated for post-traumatic stress, Sir. The vaccination booster should have fallen under that period but it seems that since the documents were a separate file, that period is missing, as is your medical history prior to the age of about fourteen, and all we have is a note that you're scheduled to get a booster in three years," Garnet explained.

"And nopony in Canterlot seems to have a clue where they are. Hay, it took them a while to even realize who we were talking about! Someone in admin really botched it," Ulshade grumbled.

"...Everypony else's medical history is in order, right?"

"We're checking that as a precaution. Bearing in mind what happened with Sunset back in Columbia, Flight Lieutenant Rimmer already ordered a check of the rest of the documentation."

"Okay, then. It's probably just my typical weirdness magnetism...Wait, did you say a bacterial infection? I had something like this when I was a foal..."

"Which we'd have no idea about because of the missing records. Do you recall the name of your foalhood illness?"

"Disco... lukey-something..."

"Discordian Luketo-phagocytosis, the old name for what you have now. Basically your white blood cells, instead of fighting the presently mild infection, are eating each other and anything else nearby. Before you ask, they renamed it to stop doctors being so bloody happy about getting a case of Lupus..."

Medics are weird.

"...And basically, you should have already had a vaccination against this bacteria. If you had it as a foal you should probably have been given the vaccine as part of your treatment. Evidently you missed the booster."

"At least it's a known disease, with my luck I was worried it was some kind of weird ancient illness no pony knows about that would require some kind of weird quest to save my life."

"I'd say you had a vivid imagination, but Garnet felt the same way, said it wouldn't surprise her if you had Cutie Pox..."

Huh? What's that?

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): Ask Ellis in a couple months.)

...I should be grateful I'm getting who I'm talking to right now...

"So... What's the treatment?"

"Antibacterial fluids, mana-suppressants, and sedation. We put you in a medically-induced coma, keep mana low with suppressants, and that should allow the antibacterials to start working. That ought to prevent further white blood cell corruption, meaning they'll join in fighting the infection, and you ought to be feeling much better by the time you wake up."

"So it's nothing serious. Weird, it nearly killed me as a foal..."

"Captain, it is potentially serious. Your allergic reaction affects only one in twenty unicorns. But if you hadn't exhibited that allergy, the main infection would have commenced without notice until it posed a risk. That would probably have been fatal, over fifty percent mortality. And had the allergic reaction been allowed to continue you were facing a second stage with a seventy-five percent chance of death, twenty percent chance of serious brain damage, or a five percent chance of a full recovery."

So basically it saved me from something I might never have spotted as a foal or right now, but if it got worse it stood good odds of killing or crippling me. I hate viruses..

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): Bacteria and your own immune system, actually, and you realize you were lucky to survive as a foal in the first place?!)

I'm just glad my habit of attracting unlikely and bizarre situations actually benefited me for a change...

"Mixed bag, then," I tried to joke.

"Quite. Which is also what your intravenous treatment will be. But before we start the Princess wants to see you..."

He shouted her in, and Cadence entered trailed by Minuette.

"Hello, Shining, are you feeling better?"

"Well, I'm not unconscious right now and I'm not delirious..."

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony): And yer replyin' to the right ponies!)

That too.

"You gave everypony a bit of a scare there," Cadence noted.

"Did they think it might have been infectious?"

"No, dummy, we were all worried about you!"

"Er, sorry, but at least it's not a huge problem. As far as I can tell I'll be back on duty by the time we reach Mexicolt," I shrugged.

"Only because it was caught early, and you did kind of accidentally cause us to not trust the documents we have," Minuette cut in.

"Yeah, about that, surely we should have figured out I had missing files before? I've been here twice..."

The Princess and the Hoofmaiden shared a look.

"Uh, not in this timeline, Shining... You weren't injured in Columbia or Zebrafrica," Cadence reminded me. "You did get hit by some black magic in the fight with the cultists, but you recovered before we even got back to the Embassy."

"Oh. Right, that kind of makes sense now..."

Too bad that didn't spare me the embarrassment of Minuette examining my bruised stallionhood since she still remembers...

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): What about the missing files in Canterlot?)

...I've got suspicions. I think it might be lupine. Or just my past hasn't filled in all the way to those moments...kinda hoping it's the latter...

"Anyway, just making sure you're all right, Shining. I imagine Doctor Ulshade will chase us out..."

"You're a Princess though, you can stay if you like."

"Not really, same thing as with ship captains. In here he outranks everypony if he has to," Minuette reminded me.

"Oh. Well then, see you tomorrow or whenever I get out of my induced coma. I guess..."

And with that they left, and the medical staff brought an IV tree... All these needles, like a pine tree...

"What should happen is that you may be aware of what's going on vaguely every few hours while we replace the sedatives, but you probably won't remember it. If you do and it's strange, don't worry too much, this is powerful stuff," Ulshade warned.

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): Uh oh, are we gonna see some weird dreams?)

Uh... Maybe. You can leave if you want...

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): What we said before still stands.)

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony): Or we can get popcorn!)

...Can I have some weird mental popcorn?

My mane was wild and spiky, I was wearing an orange gi with a turtle logo on it and, -what the buck happened to my tail?!-, it's just a stump!

"Son-Shining Armor!" Shouted a stallion with a hair style that resembled a artichoke, "Go ahead and dodge this next attack if you want! But either way this whole planet is going up in smooooooke!!!!"

"WHAT?!"

The other unicorn stallion floated up into the air, and charged up his horn and kept charging, and kept charging, uh-oh.

"Garlic-Gun Fire!"

GARLIC-gun? Is he serious-he's serious! A giant purple laser beam was headed straight for me! Oh! I had been charging up too!

"Kaaaaaameeeee-kaaaaameee-kamehameha!" Wait! I know this neighponese word! I think! ... Turtle. Surf. Deconstruction? I fired a giant white beam from my horn. The two attacks clashed into each other. Now it just came down to whose magic could outmuscle the other. Wait. "Kaio-ken! Times Four!" WHAO! What kind of crazy out of nowhere move was ... well, short angry seems to be on a one way ticket to the upper atmosphere now ... So that worked out.

"...so you see, that's why weird is relative," Pandora explained, us sitting in her weird maze, drinking tea. And you guys are here.

"I see...this is really good tea," I said, drinking some.

"Thanks, it's my own special blend, it tastes different to everypony who drinks it," she explained, drinking some herself.

My Pegasus friend was racing Daring Doo nearby...In general, this was actually the most relaxing but also insane thing to happen to me in awhile...

"Want to visit your Paladin while you're here? He kinda misses you."

"I can do that?"

"Gaffer's entire O&O world is here. It's down that extra dimensional hallway five minutes, then go down the inverted staircase and through the door with you and your friend's faces on it.."

"-ly guys, it's nothing too serious now it's been caught. He should recover before we reach land again."

"Just being friends, Garnet. Though I think Gag's here to see somepony other than the Captain..."

"Yes, of course, Captive, he's clearly here to see Doctor Ulshade(!)"

"At least you lot only showed up once, I gotta put the scancats in their cages just to let Gag in here, and they still hiss their heads off at him. The Princess or one of her hoofmaidens seem to be popping along every ten minutes..."

"Yeah, well, Doc, we all gotta funny feelin' Her Highness is bein' a little more than just a friend if ya get mah meaning...."

"About the only two that haven't actually spotted it are them - and that's despite how blasted obvious it is. Still, I've got a hundred bits in the pool on them figuring it out in a year. And there we go, another fifty mils of his IV. That ought to keep him out another little while..."

"When I was on sedatives I had some pretty weird dreams... I thought I was an octopus, I wondered where my other two limbs had gone when I woke up."

"When were you on sedatives, Sarge?"

"When I was learning to fly, I fought the wall. The wall won."

"Dusky?" I asked my little brother, he had figured out how to teleport, and gone crazy teleporting every which way laughing himself silly, until he teleported on top of a tree branch, which instantly broke, and Dusky forgot how to teleport in his panic attack as the little colt hit the ground and skinned his knees.

"Gleam'!" He cried pressing against me. None of his legs looked broken, I put a force field around them just in case.

"Dusk Shine!" Dad and mom came out to the backyard, seeing Dusky hurt.

"Gleaming Shield!" Dad snapped, the faded violet stallion did not look happy, "You were supposed to watching your little brother! How did this happen young lady?!"

I whimpered under his gaze.

"It ... it ... it was my fault," Dusky said through his tears, "Don't blame Gleam' please."

"There there, there's my brave little stallion," Mom said, the blue mare magically lifting him up. "Don't worry dear, he'll be okay." She nuzzled my little brother.

"You may kiss the bride."

Am I the bride? No? Thank Celestia!

Okay. Whose the lucky mare?

Hey! Why isn't it Cadence?!

I mean, who is this and why am I marrying her?!

Wait. Didn't I date her once? What the buck happened that I ended up marrying her? Where's Cadence? Why is she standing next to Blueblood? Oh right, cousins. Never mind.

"I've already had dinner, Doctor. How is he?"

"Out cold, probably having some strange dreams, stable, nothing to worry about."

"Well, yes, but..."

"Princess, with all due respect I doubt he would be pleased to learn you'd made yourself ill worrying about him."

"I'm an Alicorn, we don't get ill easily!"

"Very true, you're going to quite a lot of effort, ma'am."

"Garnet, is snarking part of basic training or something?"

"Yes, Princess."

"Really wish the whole guard didn't follow a standard manual, I think I'd want to change that one for Harmony Guards..."

"Wait...what?!"

"I'm Twilight the First time displaced from several thousand years ago," Mom explained, seeming frightened.

"...Cool!"

"...Really? I expected more shock."

"I'm a weirdness magnet, this probably explains more stuff than it confuses..."

"Minty, did you paint the town green again?" I asked my sister, looking around the town.

"Yeah!" she announced. "What do you think, Shiny?"

"...If it makes you happy it makes me happy, sis..."

"Yeah! I have the best big sister ever!"

AGAIN with me being a mare?!

"Nurse, just change the IV..."

"B-but we've gone to yellow alert!"

"The sun and moon keep rising and setting every five minutes and somehow a box of parasprites got into the mail, I think that justifies it. Change the IV bags and get some rest. Assuming they've put the bloody shotguns away..."

"Yes, Doctor... Um, bags?"

"Yes, prep a new bag and change the IV. You really are out of it, aren't you? I've heading to the bridge. I expect you to be in your quarters long before I'm back."

Some noise as a few doors opened and closed, hoofsteps neared.

"...seven parts manasupressant? I thought it was two..."

It is two...

"That's a seven. But all the standard bags are two... Oh! That's why I have to prep a new bag!"

Wait, no, you're making a mistake...

"There we go, Captain... At least somepony on board is going to get some decent rest I suppose..."

Oh horseapples...

"Shining! Stop! It's me! Twiley!" My worthless collection of insecurities of a little sister pathetically begged. "This isn't you! You don't want to do this!!!"

"Yes I do!" I boomed. "I do as Nightmare Moon commands me to! There is no SHINING Armor, only BLACKENED Armor! And her night shall last forever!"

I charged up my horn, ready to crush this opposer to Nightmare Moon's little into-

(Dreamer's Notes: STOP IT! Please! NO! That's it Twiley! Keep him off balance!)

"Give up you little coward! You've always been afraid!"

"Yes ... I have ... I've been afraid of hurting everypony around me, mom, dad you ... afraid to lose control, but if I don't stop being afraid." Her eyes turned white. "Then there won't BE an Equestria to begin with!"

+++

"Patrols are easy but boring... Though you're lucky, when you're an officer you don't have to patrol a small area, you'll get to walk around the whole place your platoon is guarding checking on them," my uncle explained.

"How is that lucky? Instead of seeing the same place all night I see everywhere all night?"

"You'll change your tune by the end of tonight, kiddo... Or should that be Kiddet? Get it, 'cos you're a Cadet and..."

"I'm not sure if I should remind you I'll outrank you someday or if I should just point out Mom would hit you for a bad joke like that," I sighed.

"Eh, better than patrols. Nothing ever happens on patrol, every night is the same when it's me and Corporal Bourne doing thi-"

As we turned a corner, a window was open.

"Hang on, this shouldn't be open... Control, this is Three-Two, we've found an open window on the ground floor west corridor..."

I could appreciate the allegedly portable radios meant that we didn't need to split up or leave somepony there to tell the other guards, but, they added so much weight to the armor, not to mention they were bulky... couldn't they made the bloody things any smaller? Maybe that's why they didn't let us Cadets carry any. Still, for something that used to be carried on carts and need a unicorn to power it, maybe I should be thankful they got them this small and had batteries now.

"Roger, close it and search the area."

"Alright, Shining, listen to me and follow what I say exactly, okay? We're to search the area. There's probably not an intruder, someone just forgot to close this window. But we still need to-"

A clanging noise came from nearby. My uncle was rushing towards it. I followed, and we found a decorative suit of barding had been scattered over the floor. Two Diamond Dogs stood beside it, one with a crossbow, the other with a spear.

"Freeze! Drop your weapons!" Uncle shouted, and the bow-dog began to move. A quick blast of stun magic later and he was down, but the spear-dog was running.

"Bourne, after him, do not engage without backup! Control, this is Three-One, intruder alert, have stunned and am restraining one suspect, Guardspony in pursuit of second... Horseapples, Shining, wait!"

I didn't hear him. Why didn't I listen?

I was chasing the dog, too busy with adrenaline to be afraid or even think straight. If I'd had a radio I would hear the general alert being sounded, but confused about where the suspects were. I'd hear that they weren't sure what direction we were going. If we'd had radios on the same frequency as the gardens we'd have heard the guards out there being told about the window.

The radio network was confused, sending teams the wrong directions. Only two ponies even had the suspect's locations and my uncle couldn't stop to radio in for long or he'd lose sight of me and the dog.

Poor communication kills.

And aborts cousins apparently.

I'd followed him into the statue gardens, and he'd used the cover and the shadows here to lose me. I became all too aware of just how much trouble I was in, carrying only a baton and any spell I could use. And then realized I'd entered a dead end.

"Horseapples," I squeaked, turning around, and seeing the dog about thirty feet away in the moonlight.

And he was rushing right at me. I couldn't think, I was frozen in fear... Cowardice, nothing but cowardice...

And then as I was expecting to feel the spear ram through me there was a popping noise and a grunt. Something warm splashed on my face, and the Diamond Dog was rolling away. The spear was sticking out through my uncle, I realized it was blood, my uncle's blood and...

The dog growled and drew a blade. It was advancing, knife drawn...

"You next, small pony! Cut you open..." He cackled.

Anger, fear, anger, fear, anger fear anger fearangerfearangerangerangeranger...

Something inside me snapped.

"No," I seethed. The diamond dog gave a yelp.

I was angry now, and he was afraid. He'd dropped his knife, and I watched as his glee switched to terror. I watched him pound frantically at the shield I didn't know why, in that second, why he'd changed so fast. I didn't even realize my horn was glowing, didn't even see my shield halfway around him, and then it collapsed inwards... For a second there was just a reddening sphere, barely a yelp which was drowned out by the sound of cracking bones splintering. His legs fell down limply, I stared at...at what was let out of my shield when I released it, and then what had happened hit me.

What had I done? Sweet Celestia, what had I done?!

"Uncle, are you all right?!"

Two others arrived to see a half a diamond dog, a bleeding Guardspony, and a Cadet covered in blood.

"Celestia help us... Sergeant? Cadet? What happened...here...Oh buck..."

"Please, help him, he's hurt, he got hurt because..."

"Coke, take him away from here. Control, we need a medic here, fast, Guardspony down, repeat, Guardspony down..."

I realized what Sergeant Sharpe was saying as Cherry Coke began to pull me away.

"No, no! I have to help him, let me help, please, please..."

Two more ponies arrived, Corporal Bourne and Major Audience.

"Sharpe, Bourne, I'll try help Cool Sun, take the cadets away," The Major ordered.

I'd been able to struggle against Cherry myself, but the two adult ponies quickly managed to drag me off, taking me past two arriving medics...

But my uncle was dead before they reached him.

I was sitting at the old gaming table with Gaffer, Poindexter, and 8-Bit. We were traveling the Lost Forest between Puddleton and the Forbidden Castle, in other words, we were ripe for a random encounter before we got the real adventure's front gates. Gaffer was a fair Oubliette Overlord, but like any game master, there was no way to know how much he was really letting the dice fall where they may, and when he was fudging results to steer things along. But Gaffer wasn't one to ever really railroad us, except for that giant ancient red dragon that appeared when we took the left fork in the road that had us running all the way back to town, but Gaffer swears up and down it was purely from the random encounter table.

I wish Twiley could sit in on more of our sessions, her sorcerer brought some much needed magic to our adventure party.

"So what do you think? Haunted castle? Vampires? Orcs? All three?" Poindexter said.

"Don't give Gaffer ideas please," 8-Bit replied.

"Don't worry guys, you know Gaffer wouldn't throw anything at us he thought we couldn't handle," I said.

"Yeah. Have some more faith in me guys."

"Giant ancient red dragon," said 8-Bit.

"I said I was sorry. I kept rolling 100s for the encounter table."

I am so happy they changed that in the new rulebook.

Into the forest we go. Listen to Gaffer's flavor text, listen to the tense rolling of Gaffer's dice. Of course we can't act on outside character knowledge, but we can say how we're traveling through dangerous woods and therefore we would logically be on guard.

"SUDDENLY YOU ENCOUNTER-"

"Drawing sword!" "Drawing axe!" "Draw lute!"

"-a fluffy white rabbit."

"Very funny ha ha," 8-Bit said.

"The dice fall where they may."

"Careful, it's might be a shape shifter, or a huge monster using a lure shaped like a fluffy white rabbit," Warned Poindexter. For the record, there IS a monster like that in the expanded first edition rule books, but it hasn't been updated to the version of the rules we're using, I hope.

"Guys, I swear, it's just a rabbit."

Well, that's a relief. Let's hope we can get to the actual adventure now without any nasty surprises... It's not supposed to jinx it if I don't say it out loud right?

"Now let's hope we can get to the actual adventure without any nasty surprises."

Horseapples.

"Why did you say that out loud?!"

"..."

Facehoofs all around in our party, in AND out of character.

Gaffer started, his body went limp for a second, and then he stared at us like we were empty space.

"Shining Armor's Paladin encounters a wolf," He said emotionlessly.

What?

"You don't mean we encounter a wolf?" Poindexter asked.

"It is Shining Armor who encounters the wolf."

"But we're right next to him right?" 8-Bit asked.

"Yes. But is Shining Armor who encounters the wolf." Then took out a playing-piece from behind his Oubliette Overlord screen, a black, transparent plastic figurine of a snarling wolf.

"I don't recognize that monster from the rule book! I'm using bardic lore!" Even if it was a home brew of Gaffer's Poindexter's bard should turn up something. "HA! I rolled a Nineteen! And with my bonuses, that should tell me-"

The blank wolf.
It follows you. Everywhere.
Every step you take, it takes another.
It follows your path, hunts down your actions.

Blank wolf, tireless hunter.
Blank wolf, perfect tracker.
Blank wolf, never stopping, never resting.

Not white for white is a color.
Not an animal for animals hunt for only for food.

The blank wolf, never tiring, never resting, never stopping.

Blank wolf. Always following. Always hunting.
It never tires. It never falters. It never yields.

It follows you. Without beginning, and without mercy.

Blank wolf. It is not blank, nor a wolf. But no name fits it better.

"Sweet Celestia what did I just say?" Poindexster looked at us, 8-Bit and me were freaked out. "Did either of you guys write it down?" We shook our heads. "Rats." I'm not complaining.

Gaffer didn't seem to notice, his voice was still empty.

"The entire world turns gray around Shining Armor, the world falls silent. The wolf looks upon you with contempt and distain, like your very existence is an intrusion upon continuity and must be obliterated for the good of all."

"Hey there's no need to get insulting with 'em," 8-Bit said and was ignored.

I don't know why but I just felt SCARED. It's hard describe, but it was like instinct. Like something deep down inside me screaming run.

"My paladins runs!"

"HEY STUPID! Don't you know you never split the party!? You want to get mangled by that thing one-on-one? It's a homebrew, you don't know what it can do!" 8-Bit shook me.

"Solo actions do often result in character death without us able to retrieve the body for resurrection," Poindexter pointed out.

"I'm running away!"

"Gaffer, me and Poindexter holding SA to keep him from facing that thing solo!"

"Neither of you can see or hear or remember there is a Shining Armor right now."

"WHAT?! That's stupid! What did Shining do to earn a freakin' grudge monster?" 8-Bit protested.

"If it's effecting our minds, then we get a saving throw! Spell or Polymorph?"

"P-polymorph since it is... technically changing existence." Gaffer grunted out. "But you'd need to roll a twenty-one on a twenty sided-"

"And since Shining Armor is our deep personal companion, and since my bard harbor deeps feelings for him, she should get a bonus!" Poindexter said rule-lawyering like there was no tomorrow.

"R-roll," Gaffer said.

"Stupid barbarian low saves."

"My bard makes it! She tells 8-Bit to grapple what I'm grappling, since I'm interacting with Shining Armor, that should be enough for him to figure out what exactly I'm doing!"

"A-a-allowed," Gaffer gasped out.

"GUYS! Seriously! Let me get away!"

"Away WHERE? We're in the middle of freakin' nowhere! You think your paladin in heavy armor that outrun a ghost wolf thing?"

"... Point."

"Can we see the wolf?" 8-Bit asked.

"No."

Poindexter said, "My bard asks Shining Armor what's scaring him exactly, and to point it!"

"I attack where he's point with my trusty axe!"

"You have no idea what you're attacking!"

"I'll take the penalty for attacking an invisible monster."

Gaffer grumbled. "Roll to attack.... Roll for damage."

"OH YEAH!"

"The... wolf is surprised that you attacked it, and that you hurt it, it is... stunned for one round."

"Singing a song of battle focus here!"

"I take a full round attack at the wolf!"

"... Your attack does nothing. And your axe ceases to exist. Or having ever existed."

"WHAT?! Only good once?! That's freakin' cheating! I'm gonna report this to the O&O Better Gaming Bureau!"

Something seemed off. Griefer was normally not a killer game master...it makes not sense.

"If 8-Bit never had his axe... wouldn't he have logically brought along another weapon? Otherwise it would be a paradox." Poindexter was in top form.

Gaffer growled. "Yes yes, you have, a iron club-"

"Hey! It's my weapon I would have chosen, and I say I'd have spent the money on a spiked mace instead."

Gaffer said some things unprintable. "Now full around attack!"

"... hit. Roll for damage."

"Don't forget the bonuses from my song."

"I won't."

"... All hit. Roll for damage."

8-Bit smiled as the dice rolled high.

"This time the wolf isn't so much surprised as clearly very angry! It eats your mace and-"

"I didn't hear any grapple check rolling." Now 8-Bit was getting in on the act.

The wolf successfully grappled anyway, and that was apparently enough for it to eat 8-Bit's new spiked mace.

"Now you have a butter knife."

"But-"

"A butter knife!"

"Fine! I charge it with the butter knife going for an eye!"

The wolf easily dodges you and leaps over you for it's true target! Shining Armor! You see oblivion itself awaiting you! The empty-outlines of the erased and never-were await you to join them!"

"I TOSS MYSELF IN FRONT OF MY BELOVED PALADIN!"

We all stared at Poindexter. "I mean, she does, she uses herself as a sacrifice to the Blank Wolf, maybe if it erases her, it'll have what it wants, and leave her paladin alone, and if not, she can keep him company in the outerplane of Oblivion."

"... you can't do that."

"Why not? It's within her alignment. And it's been established that she deeply cares for the party's paladin, and-"

"My paladin would never accept somepony sacrificing themselves for him!" I heard myself said, and I totally agreed with it.

"Well, too bad, she's gonna!"

"... but she can't..."

"And why not Gaffer?"

"She... she can't-"

"Give me a reason or let her do it!"

"... The wolf is completely shocked by your actions, its claw accidentally dig into you, and you feel freezing nothingness touch you within, you cry out and fall backwards. .The wolS iS ,befuddleD ,confuseD anD unsurE whaT tO dO nexT iT theN lickS youR woundS healinG theM instantY anD iN thE winK oF aN eyE iT iS gonE... Uuuuuuuuuuuugh." Gaffer laid his head down on the table. "Celestia, what hit me? Guys... What was in that cider last night? Seriously, I feel like a troll danced on my head."

"Cave or forest?" Poindexter asked.

"Cave, definitely cave."

"So... we get experience from all that right?" 8-Bit prodded.

"From what?"

"The big custom super-monster you threw at us from nowhere!"

"Oh, oh right. I'll figure out the numbers at the end of the session."

"Do we even get any loot from that?"

"It's a mysterious, creepy creature from beyond, did you expect it to carry gold pieces?"

"Gelatinous cubes do. And they're just geometric slime."

"8-Bit," I said before Poindexter could, "They carry gold, because they can't digest it, and the adventurers the cube ate before had gold."

"Oh right."

"Besides, we didn't kill it, it fled. So it probably didn't leave any loot."

"Can you guys me a minute? I need a bit of a break here."

"Sorry things didn't go to script?" 8-Bit smirked.

"I don't think it was my script," Gaffer said, looking just plain confused.

"Say what?" I asked.

"Never mind! So you finally arrive at the castle gates."

At that point we noticed the Blank Wolf piece had just vanished. We never did find it again.

"...Seven parts manasuppressant?! Celestia have mercy. I know everypony is saying it's a day of chaos but this is just taking the biscuit!"

"How bad is that?"

"...Very. If his mana is that suppressed and his other doseages are that reduced, well..."

"Well what, Doctor?!"

"...His odds of survival just swapped from nine to one, to one to nine. We swapped the sedatives and changed doses to try counter it, but..."

"Oh. Who are you again?"

"I am the great general-admiral-"

"Blah, blah, can we hurry this up? You're boring me. How could my sister come up with something as boring as you?"

"HOW DARE YOU!"

"Double-dog-dare for the bonus round and maybe I'll get a brand new car!"

"Your arrogance and ignorance disgust me!"

"Hey! Don't steal my lines! Though I would say 'not really holding my attention' more than 'disgust', I mean, dance a jig, sing a song, do something."

"I am not your court jester!"

"Yes sadly I already have a mare reserved for that position. Though your over the top and 'my way or the highway' attitude is rather adorable, nephew."

"ENOUGH!" Death rays shoot from the Cervacorn's eyes, hitting the draconequus head center.

"OOH! YOU GOT ME!" He pulled out a little daisy and spun for a bit, "Oh woe is me! I have been defeated! How horrible! I could never hope to win against you!" He fall on the ground, a tomb stone appearing behind his head.

"And THAT is what happens to morons who are blind to facing and obviously superior enemy!"

Then the draconequus took the head stone and hit the Cervacorn over the head with it. "Ooops! Sorry! Must have forgotten to record that damage on my character sheet! Too bad!"

Disintegration rays, followed by heat vision, ice vision, laser vision, and petrification vision all fired at once from the Cervacorn who grew a third eye just for the occasion. "Ice and stone are your weakness! You could have never defeated me. A fitting end for such a fool."

Then the draconequus he hit turned into a wooden log.

"Wha-?" The Cervacorn bare had time to say before a giant silver platter covering fell on top of him.

"Now that was a piece of cake." The draconequus laughed, and range the cover with a ladle like a gong. He recovered the cover reveal a Cervacorn shaped cake. "You look good enough to eat... but where's the fun in that?"

He then cut the cake into four pieces, and tossed them into four funnels, connected to four live sized equine shaped molds like a 'make your own action figure' kit.

Taking a giant spatula he opened the molds, and popped out the contents. The four equines looked at each other and the draconequus totally confused.

"Hello my four horsemen of the apocalypse! I'm your daddy!...And kinda your uncle! I'm your daddy-uncle!"

"Let me ask an honest question, Shining. Do you think your Uncle would blame you?"

"I... I don't think he would...."

"You said it yourself that he acted to protect you, Shining. Nopony blames you for what happened. It was an event beyond any control. Has anypony blamed you?"

"N-no..."

The magic lie detector gave a beep.

"...Nopony but myself," I clarified, and the beep stopped.

"Do you continue to blame yourself?"

I wasn't sure how to phrase it.

"I... I do... and I don't. I can't really decide."

"That's understandable, Shining. You won't recover from this right away, but it is promising that you're challenging your self-blame. Feeling remorse and grief at what happened is natural, as is to feel guilt, but you understand you weren't to blame, and that Cool Sun died to protect you. It can be hard to overcome the obstacles of grief and guilt. But you're a strong young stallion and I'm confident you can get through this."

I wondered if a nod would set off the detector.

"Doubt is only natural, my little pony. Grief like this is a long road to travel. But you have others with you. Friends and family. They will support your choices, as will I."

I made eye contact with Princess Celestia for the first time I remembered in the sessions without immediately glancing away. I'd been afraid of her eyes, expecting blame, excepting some sign to remind me of what I had... hadn't... done.

But as always, all I would have ever seen was compassion, understanding, love, and support. If I'd looked at my parents, at Twiley, at my friends, at the other guards and officers... I'd have seen it there as well. So why did I see it in every mirror?

"I... I think I'll complete my training and serve the minimum tour of duty, Your Highness," I said.

"That may be for the best. You have worked long and hard to become a Guard officer and you have mentioned your uncle's pride in your efforts. But please don't make the choice on the expectations of others. You are your own pony, Shining. If you wish to cease training now, continue for four years as an officer, or beyond that minimum, that is your choice. I regard your present choice as the best as it is flexible. If you feel you cannot continue you can always seek an early discharge on medical grounds if you see fit. But if you resign now or tie yourself to a minimum, you may regret it later."

"I... I can't just quit. Even if I failed my talent I signed up for at least four years..."

"Hello Sergeant Cool Sun," said the pretty pink Earth pony in front of the unicorn. Hadn't he been impaled by a spear a minute ago? How had he ended up from his patrol route to... whatever this white void was? The teenage mare in front of him was wearing a big black hooded shroud and carrying a scythe. She also had a blond mane and pretty blue eyes. She also wore a wedding ring. "It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Starlight. I'll be your guide this evening."

"Okay. First, nice to meet you Miss Starlight. But where am I? Is my nephew, I mean the guard I was with okay?"

"Shining Armor is unharmed. You don't need to worry about him. He can take care of himself, and he has friends who can look after him when he can't. And you don't need to be professional if you don't want to be, feel free to call him your nephew."

"Well, thank you for the compliment, but where am I?"

"... This part is never easy. I'm sorry." She put a hoof on his shoulder. "You didn't survive being impaled by that spear Cool Sun... you died."

"This... is a coma dream right? From the blood loss?"

"Have you ever seen me before? And would a pony like you imagine an angel of death having such a cute face -if I dare so say myself-? And wouldn't you imagine something more interesting than an empty white void?"

"I don't believe in you."

Nothing happened.

"Did you expect that to actually work? If I exist, then why would tell me I don't exist, cause me to not exist?"

"... Well, if I was imagining you. So... that's it huh?"

He looked down at his uniform and saw a new medal. 'A Lunar Horseshoe? When did I earn that?'

He also noticed another one that he didn't recognize at all but the name seemed to still be in his mind. It looked like a pair of angelic wings with an amethyst gem in the center. 'Pensilis' Blessings? Who the hay is Pensilis?'

"I'm afraid so." Starlight decided to leave out that Cool Sun had not been on her list of ponies who she was supposed to be greeting into the next world today. "But don't worry about your nephew. Thanks to your sacrifice, he's fine and he's going to go on to do great things!"

"I'd NEVER doubt it, not for a second, but how can you be so sure?"

"The way your nephew lives... unique." Suddenly they were in a collage office library with a nice warm fire...Just missing the Diamond Dog who'd killed him arriving and being swallowed whole by Havoc. "Sit down please, this'll take a while to explain and Pensilis and the Father are waiting to meet you."

"An honest mistake, that's all it was."

"Doesn't matter to her, does it? She's the one who made it. "

"Nopony blames her. If anything I should have done it before I went to the bridge. This has been a rotten day..."

"It's meant to be all over back home, Doctor. The Elements won."

"Yeah. But we're not out of the woods here yet, are we..."

I was surrounded by strange-feeling trees, the air smelt funny, and the sky above felt threatening - and not just because of the helicopters buzzing around. And this voice calling herself 'Firefly One', claiming she knew I was a unicorn pony, how could I trust her?

...It felt like there wasn't any magic around. It felt like I wasn't talking to a pony or a griffin or...

"It doesn't matter if you trust me, Captain, because right now, you're a white-coated pony, in golden and metallic purple armor, in a green forest, at night with a full moon and low cloud cover. The bad guys aren't going to have trouble spotting you," a female voice said in my radio.

"...They have night vision?"

"Very likely, but we found you first. You have three options. Wait for and trust our backup, trust what directions we give you to get you to safety to wait for our guys, or run around like a headless chicken and find yourself in a lab with electrodes up your nose if you're lucky."

"How is that lucky?!"

"There are worse places they can go. Now, you gonna wait on our ground team out in the open or follow my directions to get a place to hide?"

"Where do I need to go?"

"Head to your northeast, along the stream. That area is clear and the two helis are looking the other way right now - they'll not want to get much closer to the base, especially with me around. Follow the stream, dodge any patrols heading along and you'll reach the edge of a farm with apple orchards. They'll not get too close to private property. You'll be heading to the smaller ranch to the west. And don't fall in the damn well like the last pony who visited..."

"Huh?"

"Nothing. When you get to the ranch, hide in the barn. TJ won't mind, don't spook him though, he's old. Also, don't try talking to him, trust me on that one."

I went down to the stream, noting that it was in a small enough valley to give decent shadows to hide in... if I wasn't white-coated and so on.

"Keep going, you're clear. No traffic on the roads...

I reached the ranch, seeing a covered well near a blue barn. I cautiously took a look down the well...

"Hey! I told you, don't fall down the well. Go to the barn. And close the door behind you."

I did as told, and was rather surprised to find a fairly large brown stallion inside. He looked very strange, tall and lanky with very small eyes, but mindful of instructions not to spook him or try and talk to him, I just closed the door and sat down. He ignored me back.

"Second Lieutenant Sparkle, isn't it?" The Sergeant said.

"Y-Yes, sir...geant, sergeant... "

He didn't comment on the slip-up

"Welcome to Border Security. Was much explained to you, Sir?"

"There was a guidebook, but it seemed a little... out of date," I admitted.

It referred to a number of griffin kingdoms that had ceased to exist, for instance...

"Yeah, you'll find that, Lieutenant. Border Security is largely civilian run by the Home Office and the Treasury these days - passport control, customs and excise. I have to say I'm a little surprised to get a rookie though, sir. You're only just graduated, yes?"

"Yes, Sergeant. Why is it surprising?"

"Well, border security at Canterlot Aerodrome for Guards is normally a position retiring guards and officers look for. Our last section commander was a Major with ten weeks to retirement. You're the first officer who'll not retire before the end of your six month assignment."

"I see. Well, I volunteered for the role as..." it seemed a secure job where I'd just stamp passports for six months then they'd let me sit in an admin role for the next three years "...it seemed like it offered useful experience."

"True, sir, very true, though most seeking a permanent admin role in the service try to go for embassy or main CSI assignments. All we really do here is double-check what civilian workers do sometimes, stamp the odd passport through if there's a discrepancy, and pretty much just stand guard. Most of the troopers won't be here too long, Sir."

"I understand. How long are you staying, Sergeant?"

"What time is it?"

"Half past seven."

"Then I'm staying about eleven hours though we've got lunch break at one. Still, should be enough time to get you up to speed on the job, Sir."

"Only eleven hours?"

"No, I mean before lunch. It's a quiet and simple job, Sir."

I heard a growl, but my eyes wouldn't open.

"...vulnerablE, abberatioN. nO trickS tO defenD yoU noW. returN heR lighT..."

No... no, that's not... I don't... I can't go now. I can't...

"...Who?"

"What do you mean, who?! He's your only patient!"

"Ah, I... I'm s-sorry, Princess, we're just... confused..."

"...I know, I'm sorry. This isn't a good day for anypony..."

A growl of frustration.

"...yoU cheaT fatE agaiN. buT nonE escapE thE wolF..."
"The good news is, he's improving, but the bad news is he's showing signs of heavier fever again. We've done all we can, it's up to him now."

"Then he'll be fine. Shining doesn't give up that easily."

My legs feel as skinny as sticks, my hooves feel bigger than my head. My hide felt so rough and dry under my fur. I could feel my brain inside my skull. My bed is too hot. The air is too cold. I try to get up, I fall back down, mom hefts me back into bed. The shadows on my curtain. They're moving. They're waiting for me to go to sleep. My curtains are really ghosts waiting for me to sleep. Spiders under my bed. They'll crawl up, wrap me up, and drag me back under the bed. The shadows want to eat me! Outside. There are lizard ponies in disguise outside. But are which? Is mom one? Dad. Where are you? The stars are going to fall out of the sky and hit the house! Why is everything so hot and so cold at the same time? Cockatrice! It's waiting outside my door! H-help me. My teddy. You're not with them too are you?! My blankets. Are they trying to cook me? He-he-halp-help! I'm melting. Why won't the pain stop?

I hear noises. Soft noises. The soft noises are warm. The soft noises are warm and gentle. The soft noises are warm and gentle make me feel safe. The soft noises are warm and gentle make me feel safe, but I can't understand what they are saying. No. Wait. They're singing.

posey is a pony with a pretty garden
tootsie is a lollipop girl
cherries jubilee makes rainbow garlands
bow tie loves ribbons and curls

applejack is such a silly pony
she's doing everything that she should not
and if there's lots and lots of strawberry ice cream
then lickety split will eats up all you got

cause they are
my little ponies, they're happy and gay
and they wave to their friends as they pass on their way
with a clippety clop and a hip hip hooray
i'm so happy with my little ponies
so happy with my little ponies
my little ponies

Yes. Because I'm her little pony... I'm their little pony...

And I dream of ponies who are happy for the sake of being happy, of little bug ponies who are helpful for the sake of being helpful, and fish-ponies who sing for the sake of singing. And all of them, don't want anything from, except my friendship.

"Shining... Shining can you -er me? Shining -or? Mother's right here."

I open my eyes, everything is so bright and blurry. There was a silhouette in front of me, it was... "M-mom?"

"It's me sweetie."

"W-what happened?"

"What do you remember?"

"Just, singing."

"Ah. That would be what you'd remember... your fever broke last night dear. We were worried- can you see me?"

"Yes."

"Wonderful! We were worried you might have gone blind from the fever, or blind, or both, but- but you're okay! Oh my beautiful and bright Shining Armor you're okay. I was so scared..." Mom gave me the world's biggest hug. "My little pony. I... I need to tell everypony you're alright."

"Mom. Can you please, not go? Just for a little while?"

"Alright Shining, just for a little while..."

I blinked my eyes as I awoke.

Soft singing? How is that meant to work as an alarm clock song?

Ugh, don't want to get up... it's warm and comfortable here..

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony): You're back!)

Where was I? Wait, where am... Oh. Sickbay. I got worse didn't I? They actually did mess up my meds and almost kill me?

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): Yes Shining...but it wasn't entirely their fault...)

Cadence must have been worried...

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): Why not ask her? That singing isn't an alarm clock...)

Oh. Sitting by my bed, singing.

"Uh, hello, Princess..."

I regretted speaking for a second as she stopped singing.

"You're awake!" She said, hugging me.

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony): Ah didn't get that song she was singin', never heard it before...)

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): He's a little busy, heh...)

"So, uh, I guess you were worried..."

"Worried sick, between you and... It's been a bad day, Shining."

Something else happened...

"Shining, there was an incident back home. A creature called a draconequus escaped and began causing chaos across Equestria, and it even sent trick packages to us and a few embassies around the world... Parasprites, postcards that... made everypony that saw them go mad and grey. But we were lucky. I could cure everypony, and well, once I got rid of the postcards and we convinced the marines to put the shotguns away I managed to round up the parasprites too. But the radios just kept playing strange messages..."

Discord.

"Has... Has Princess Celestia stopped it?"

"No, Shining, it was Twiley and her friends. The Elements of Harmony. I knew before everypony else, I felt it."

It's a good thing I felt tired and I was already lying down, because I would have shouted and/or fainted otherwise...

"...This is a long story isn't it? Me being sick and what Twiley did?"

She nodded.

"...Start with what happened back home."

And so Cadence explained to me what had happened on what was already dubbed 'the day of chaos'...

Author's Note

Story Arc written by LZ0291 lz0291.deviantart.com/
This chapter was written by me (Alex Warlorn) and LZ.

Shining Armor is given a two year tour of the world to be the captain of Princess Cadence's body guard. Yeah. That's all. That's everything Yep. Nothing what so ever else. *AJ's Liar face*

Previous http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Light-World-38-The-Connection-425052184

Next Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Shining-Armor-No-More-Script-426815828

First Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Fluttershy-FlutterCruel-Pearls-260092460

"Time is an ocean in a storm."

This storyline runs PARALLEL to the events in the Dark World storyline narrative wise.

Please help the trope http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries
And recap pages. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/PonyPOVSeries (please?)

Check out the recursive fanfiction and fanart of the Pony POV Series! http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/journal/MLP-FiM-PonyPOVSeriesFanworks-audio-adaption-2013-349281264 Many of it approved by me as canon.

Be sure to join our Group for a TON of recursive works, many a part of optional canon!!! http://mlp-pony-pov-series.deviantart.com/

AND! Be sure to check season zero and season one's fanlabor pages! PLEASE! THey need lots of work! As does our recap page on TVTropes! Please! Help people who are new to the series get caught up with updating the recap page!!
http://mlpfanart.wikia.com/wiki/Pony_POV_Series_Season_Zero:_Discorded_Ponies
http://mlpfanart.wikia.com/wiki/Pony_POV_Series_Season_One:_Reharmonization

MLP: FiM is copyright of Hasbro

Cover Image By Mksfan14 http://mksfan14.deviantart.com/art/CadencexShining-Armor-In-Sickness-and-in-Health-335518967

LYRICS ARE FROM "7 SONGS AND A STORY" OF MLP G1 FAME! It's where AJ's famous whose a silly pony? song came from! So check it out on youtube already!!

Soundtrack Reccommendations
Not An Alarm Clock Song...
Chocolate Rain, Tay Zonday
Patrol Is Easy
Sarge's Theme, Mark Thomas, Dog Soldiers
"Shining Armor's Paladin encounters a wolf"
No Ordinary Enemy, Mark Thomas, Dog Soldiers
Hello Sergeant Cool Sun
The Death of Vladimir, Johan Skugge & Jukka Rintamaki, Battlefield 3

Episode 144: (Shining Armor): sdaorssorC-Crossroads

Episode 145: (Shining Armor): No More Script

Pony POV Series
Shining Armor
Chapter 21 Part Two
tpircS eroM oN-No More Script

Cadence did indeed fill me in on what happened, both on ship and back at home. Neither was fun, and both were completely insane. I don't WANT TO think about or talk about what happened to Twiley when I wasn't there to help her or protect her. It was horrible enough hearing about it. I was just happy she was herself again.

Needless to say Ellis was dismayed when he learned what happened to his great-aunt and cousins. Not to mention what that thing did to my parents. And Cadence's parents. And everypony's parents, it's like the psychopath had been everywhere! My only comfort is the monster is back where he belongs... too bad the wolf can't eat him too! ~~Nameless~~ messed up the world to make himself look good, this guy was messing up the world to mess up the world! No point! No reason!

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): It's worse than that, Shining. Discord did what he did for fun.)

PLEASE tell me he gets the 'and I must scream' type of petrification and not the 'peaceful zen' type.

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): He gets the zen type, but to HIM, to the embodiment of chaos, it's ALSO the former because clarity and peace are his antithesis.)

Good. Then I can at least rest knowing he got what he deserved and the nightmare is over.

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): And you don't know how proud I am that you can settle for that.)

Thanks...after ~~Nameless~~, I'm proud of me too.

There was one thing I needed to ask.

"How many casualties?"

"... Zero reported so far. From what the reports said, Discord wanted ponies suffering, not dying. But there were many close calls. Lots of ponies in the hospital. But none dead."

That was one big relief, I'd had my fill of armageddons. In fact if there's another apocalypse armageddon I'm outta here!

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): That was terrible.)

I don't why I asked, but I did, "What was on the postcard?"

"... a photograph of Twilight and the other Elements of Harmony... acting insane...well, her friends, Twilight was...broken...walking away broken."

I didn't need to hear that.

"It had written on it, 'Wish I could see the looks on your faces.' I felt almost like it was addressing me. I felt strange looking at it, but I didn't go insane like everypony else."

"T-the squad, what happened with them? Your Hoofmaidens? Are they all okay?"

"They're okay now... I think we're going to need some major down time for everypony... Ellis was talking like a robot, saying everything like facts and figures... and he didn't care what happened to Applejack at all. Thunderchild was scared out of his wits by any mare he saw, talked about how cute tiny wings were, and we had to save his records and guitar after he threw them overboard saying how he liked classical music now, I found him hiding under his bed before I cured him. Audience was ranting and raving how 'rules were for fools.' Garnet said she thought it was -funny- seeing the ponies get hurt. And Running Gag... his joke, HIS JOKES WERE FUNNY!"

"Truly the end times."

"And he didn't care what happened to Garnet.... Twinkle Shine was making everything dirty. Sunset was saying she hated the circus and we never paid any attention to her. And Minuette, she locked herself in the hoof maiden's room and refused to come out, we heard her arguing with herself."

"How did you help them?"

"It was a spell of mine meant to restore damaged bonds, I used it to help Garnet remember her feelings for Gag, but instead it completely cured her insanity. I actually used a song over the speakers to help stop the spread of the chaos onboard... I had to get past Hornblower... "

"How was he acting?"

"He kept talking about 'assuming direct control' and that 'the mission had gotten a lot more complicated' that we were fighting 'reapers' and kept claiming he was Shepard. He said I was likely 'Indoctrinated' like everypony else onboard. The insane part is that I could SEE his responses in front of him from a wheel menu, and he took forever to respond to anything I said, thankfully that let me cure him and then the rest of the ship."

"...And let me guess, the doctors got nailed too?"

"Yes...I'd hate to know what the monster would have done to you...or made me do to anypony else."

"Sorry I wasn't there to help Cadence."

"Don't be, you have no control over getting sick like that or driven mad doctors nearly killing you."

"I said I was sorry I couldn't help, I didn't say I blamed myself for it. Sounds like you saved the ship."

"Thank you Shining." She nuzzled me.

Personally? I was scared of what the draconequus would have made me do!

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony): Don't worry Shining, we're not letting that nasty old Discord get his claws on you.)

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): Over our dead bodies!)

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): We promise Shining, we'll never let him touch you.)

+++

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): Hello Cadence, you look distracted.)

It's nothing, it's just, being surrounded by madness for a day... It reminded me. I hadn't intended to use my magic to cure Garnet of Discord's geass, only help remind her that she loved Gag. Because the last time I had used it to try and cure somepony's sickness of the mind, it had completely backfired. I was scared the same thing would happen. But I couldn't do nothing to help my friends. Especially since, as far as I knew at the time, I was the only pony who could.

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): What are you talking about?)

Oh. Shining didn't tell you did he? I don't blame him. I wouldn't want to talk about that place, or what happened either. It was back in Canterlot, the day after I had ordered him to take day off as a reward for being my shield with Auntie Luna.

The entire visit had been intended as a breather for all ponies involved, I think, no I'm as sure as Auntie's day that she remembers the way the world was before it was healed too. It explains why she randomly ordered us to visit two places that amounted to vacation spots.

So I was surprised when Sunset found me, "I've been looking for you all day Princess!"

"What's the matter Sunset?"

"I have an urgent note for you, it was supposed to be given to you at first opportunity once you were in Canterlot, but with the holiday we've all been taking, you not on a schedule for one day-"

"Sunset, what is the note?"

It wasn't a new war or some ancient evil... It was a request from a stallion in Ponyville. This stallion was, according to the letter, part of one of the founding families of Ponyville, and a highly respected and honorable business pony. That wasn't the part that got my attention. It read that he had made the same request of both my Aunties and both turned him down. I was his last hope. I wasn't keen on doing something both of my older, wiser, and stronger aunts had chosen not to do, but it mentioned how my magic, based on harmony, music, and temperance, was indeed the greatest hope he could cling to, for the sake of his beloved wife, who had been struck down by a crippling mental illness that had left her a danger to herself and those around her.

I was impressed. I was a princess. More than that, Auntie Celestia has groomed my image as the princess of the people. The one they could approach and trust when Celestia's image got to be too much for some to approach her. Whenever I had held court, I was bombarded by personal disputes, including many by composers and musicians. My aunties MUST HAVE given this letter priority, it was the only thing that made sense! I don't care how official this stallion could make his position sound.

"Sunset, I'll take this request, get Shining, looks like we'll be visiting Ponyville with or without Twilight Sparkle there. And send a reply to Mr. Filthy Rich, tell him that the princess of music will be on her way to visit him immediately."

"Yes Princess!"

Dear Shining seemed reluctant to leave Canterlot, it was his first time home since we started our world tour, and the first time since the world was restored to what it should have been...I honestly didn't mind knowing that Hooviets should have never lasted as long as they did, that reality as I knew it was a falsehood, and that ~~Makarov~~ didn't really exist, it gave me renewed faith in the world. The parts of reality I loved had been all very real.

I was at least able to make the visit a little more enjoyable for him by telling him we'd at least be able to see where Twilight lived now.

Filthy Rich requested we visit him while his daughter was at school, and we were able to comply. I think a part of him wanted his daughter to come home to her mother being herself again. Filthy Rich had asked 'for help, any help' in curing his wife. He, I, and Shining, entered the mental hospital on the far edge of Ponyville, effectively hidden from sight. A friend of his, a retired guard I remembered named Silver Axe, also accompanied Filthy for moral support. We met with Dr. Freudian Excuse, who explained to us in more clinical detail Mrs. Golden Tiara's illness, or 'Screwball' as the orderlies liked to call her.

That place. They treated the ponies there equinely from what I could tell. They weren't harmed or put on display as mad ponies once were, being pushed aside to stay out of society's way and kept like zoo animals. They were treated as patients, ill and in need of help. I'm proud of my little ponies for that.

But it didn't change the behavior of the patients, seeing things only they could, some acting like beasts, others lost in their own world. And then more who acted perfectly rational, and then burst into destructive manias. It was horrifying there to see ponies' minds reduced to this broken mess. Part of me...felt more scared than it should have, like it remembered being in their place. Begging the doctors to believe me, that I wasn't insane. Needing REAL therapy once they saw I wasn't so mad after after all. And the world ending the day I was finally going to reunite with my friend. ...It was like at the Friendship Gardens...only this time it scared me...

Shining Armor actually began sweating bullets when one of the patients 'Barking Mad' as she was nicknamed, began howling like a wolf. I almost did too.

I gave explicit instructions to everypony involved that my presence there or in Ponyville wasn't to be publicized and kept private. This was a family matter between ponies, this poor mare didn't deserve to be turned into a spectacle. Miss Golden Tiara was thankfully in one of her passive phases and responded positively to seeing me, but in particular her husband. But the way he looked at her, it was like he didn't recognize her as his wife. Considering what she had done to be put in here... I can't say if he was truly coldhearted or not, but if his wife was responsible for her own actions, she wouldn't be in here.

I cast the spell that restored the bonds between ponies between the two of them. For a beautiful, wonderful brief moment it worked. But then Golden Tiara's lucidity faded like a castle in the surf. Then I used the memory spell. The same one I'd dared to use on Garnet on the ship during the day of chaos with madness spreading among the crew.

Golden Tiara remembered... but it didn't cure her sickness. Snarling like a wild beast she attacked me with reckless abandon, she somehow kept her experience as a melee fighter in spite of her mania. I was thankful for being an Alicorn, or I might have left the hospital in a neckbrace. The orderlies descended on her like vultures, Shining contained her in a force field that ended any further chances for violence, the force field was made to bend or give where she tried to strike it to keep her from hurting herself. She had remembered what she had done to her daughter, but it had challenged her mania so completely, she had attacked me out of pure reaction. By the time she calmed down, she had simply buried the memory again under chains and black padlocks.

The doctors said in good conscience they would NOT allow me to try again on her as long as they were in charge of this hospital.

I asked of both Filthy Rich and of his wife, "Please," I, a princess, lowered my head and wings, "forgive me, for failing you."

Mr. Rich accepted my apology, and thanked me for at least trying, which he said was more than than my auntie had done. I was too shocked to argue his attitude, the spells I had been so proud of and had always been trusty to me before, had failed. It seemed even my magic wasn't strong enough to heal her sickness. It wasn't fair. I was an Alicorn of Harmony, what was the point of me if I couldn't even bring harmony to the mind of one mare whose family missed her?

I was relieved to leave that hospital.

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): For what it's worth, Filthy still holds you in high regard for trying to help. He swears on your name.)

I wish I could say I deserved it.

Shining kept me company in my room that night, just being near me, I needed somepony close. I had an irrational fear that I'd fall asleep, and wake up in a mental ward myself, my entire life having been a delusion. At least I knew Shining was real. Shining didn't think it was odd, my maidens didn't joke. They simply gave me the company and kindness I needed. I had never been so relieved to wake up in my royal cabin.

++++

... three months after the day of chaos...

You talked with the rest of the crew didn't you? That's how so many of those who got infected by chaos managed to pull themselves together and get through what happened.

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): It's part of our responsibility Shining, as much as being captain of the royal guard is yours.)

Thanks...and Twiley and her friends?

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): We're helping them right now.)

Huh?

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): Our past selves. We can't interact with them, but right now they're helping Twilight and her friends, and everypony else they can.)

Wow...talk about a busy life...

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): But we couldn't do EVERYTHING for ALL them, even tweaking time and space, there's still only three of us.)

Don't you mean six?

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): No, you're a special case. We can't just spam temporal duplicates, the more we interact with the world the more we bend the rules. We're only really allowed to do this because this is your present relative to ours. There's a reason why Celestia sent you professional help, what she could spare.)

I know the ship counselor has been working overtime these last three months. I still think the doctor I talked to in Mexicolt was a quack. I do not have obsessive fixations on Twiley to shield her from the world and need to learn to let her be her own mare.

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): We never said you did. And we never agreed with him Shining.)

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): He was right about you being oblivious to your own feelings though.)

Well... what do three weird voices in my head know about me being crazy.

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony): Thank you for not mentioning us.)

No problem. Besides, having three ponies in my head isn't the most insane thing that's happened to me. Mexicolt's not the first place I'd expect us to enjoy ourselves. But at least everything has worked out for the best. Minuette and Audience are now dating. We met two more Commander Shepards: you're right, the world does have a lot of them.

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): Well, Commander Shepard's universe is in a uniquely high level of quantum flux, so there are many versions of him/her, so when our world was used as a reward for his spirit...)

What?

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): Please forget we said anything Shining.)

Already have, believe me. But seriously, Mexicolt was a surprisingly nice place. The food was great, but a bit spicy for my case. You will NOT believe this next part, not at all! Oh who am I kidding? Of course you won't be surprised. The two of them have been keeping to just the two of them in their off hours so much that it was inevitable. Sorry, I just have to keep building the dramatic tension.

Ranger and Sunset are now engaged. Yep. Why haven't they married on the ship you ask? Well, I imagine they want to make sure what they're feeling isn't just Sunset liking Ranger for trying to save her life when she got mistaken for a spy. And on a more practical note, Sunset wants Ranger to meet her family first before the wedding.

"You know, seeing Ranger and Sunset together," I spotted Twinkle Shine and Minuette gossiping, "I'm starting to think you and I are going to find Mr. Right before Captain Thick gets a clue."

"That or the universe will die of old age first."

"Are you saying I can't find a coltfriend?"

"Of course not. I'm just saying both happening first are becoming real possibilities."

It was strange, the maidens weren't playing their games as much, but it more like they were disappointed in me, not because I wasn't playing along with their games, but... like I was hurting somepony's feelings.

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony): Shining... )

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): You still don't remember.)

Remember what?

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): So Shining! Please! How is our wonderful trip around the world going?)

The continent of Merdia was thankfully quiet like most of the rest of Gryffinia, which if I recall you didn't really bother covering in detail because nothing much happened until I got sick. How is it you guys decide what's important to share and what isn't?

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): We're here for it all and we figure out the stuff that's most important to look into. We still keep the notes... )

Except when spirit dragons eat them. Really, the two eastern continents were pretty similar: A few nations was some unease, mostly the Griffons due to them being a bit more traditional and isolationist. The majority however were polite and welcoming, like the Griffins of Knossos and the like. About our biggest problems there was the amount of love for Luna, and the occasional small protest by (thankfully much more harmless) Nightmare Moon supporters.

Merdia was like that with Ponies, Donkeys, and Diamond Dogs. A few where there was a little tension, most were welcoming and polite. We had a few issues with local politics/devotion to Luna, Celestia, and to Cadence's surprise a large amount of respect for her in Santa Priscia. We sometimes had the NMM support occasionally replaced by or even accompanied by a hoof-full of radicals in some places, especially former World Greater Good Alliance nations.

In both continents we visited lands with some tensions between each other: Dalmasca/Rozaria and the Avian Empire, Maguadora and Santa Maya. We went to places where at least one pony found something to go nuts over - Ellis had steam engines in Lindblum much like he'd went nuts in train-and-cart obsessed Sodor, Garnet obsessed over the rock farming in Brayzil. Gag loved the diversity in Mega-Stratus, Thunderchild was impressed by weather control in Tropico, and so on.

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): How about you, what did you obsess over?)

Come on, in Merdia? There was hoofball everywhere! The only continents to have even reached the final of the Hoofball World Cup are Merdia, Equrope, and Equestriana, only eight nations have ever won it - and the three of them from Merdia were pretty much right after each other on the trip, Brayzil (Five times), Maguadora, and San Marcos (twice each)...

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony): Since yer gonna need to get it outta yer system where else has won it?)

Italiponia four times, Germaney three times, and one time each for Hisponia, Prance, Canterlot and Sto Plains. Yes, I know, Canterlot and the Sto Plains are in Equestria, but remember we have five different hoofball regions, Sto Plains is the third largest in terms of teams. Caledonia is second for teams and third for size, but West Coast and Deserts is largest for size, smallest for teams. Central or Canterlot region is biggest in teams and population. Last one is Emerald Isle before you ask.

But yeah, similar enough. Peaceful enough. The only fly in the ointment was Discord, but things being calm in Merdia helped recovery on top of our week's extra stay in Mexicolt. Sure, there was that other incident but, uh, we learned about that when it was over, and unlike Discord no one outside Equestria saw anything untoward with the exception of some buffalo...

Our last stop in Merdia was Caruba, a nation mostly populated by Diamond Dogs, Donkeys, and Earth Ponies. We were scheduled to arrive in Cuidad Caruba near lunch, so Hornblower had called some of us to have a meeting about their scheduled rainy season.

"We've been warned the Carubans have brought their rainy season forward a week. This means they'll be starting it tomorrow, unfortunately, so we may need to adjust plans for weather..." Bond began.

"Why'd they bring it forward?" Twinkle Shine wondered as Minuette grabbed her schedules to make changes.

"The way weather control normally works is reliant on the manastreams in the air, and they've been somewhat disrupted by recent events. That has knock-on effects on the weather. Mana flowing out of an area increases air pressure, flowing in lowers it. Low pressure causes storms. However, if two currents collide it starts a large buildup, a mana-eddy, and they can be bad because they reach a high enough amount of low pressure it sparks off wild weather. There's one forming over the capital right now, and if they don't start small storms under pegasus control now, they'll get a big storm you can't tame..." Thunderchild explained, then looked annoyed that everypony was still surprised to hear such things from him.

"It's actually a little worse, Staff Sergeant, they have eddies forming at four coastal locations as well," Hornblower noted.

"Wow, that's bad. Any one of those failing and starting a storm, well, that'll push out mana into the other eddies and spark a chain reaction... They need small storms to draw out the mana gently and rebalance the pressures in areas."

"So basically they make smaller storms in lots of places instead of risking huge ones they can't stop, like firebreaks?" Cadence wondered.

"Close enough I suppose. They need to be very precise though with this many eddies, anypony remember The Big Whoop?" Hornblower asked.

"I was about thirteen when it happened, studied it in school for my degree..." Thunderchild said.

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): Didn't Thunderlane do a dissertation on the Big Whoop for his degree?)

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): Yes, far too many weather ponies in Ponyville use it as a setup for terrible jokes. Not Rainbow Dash though, hers was on the Big Deal....)

"That was a very similar event to what could happen here. Eddies became too powerful and developed into storms. We Equestrians were lucky, we had a lot of Pegasi on hoof and even our Air Navy ships able to bleed off pressure with the engines, but there were still floods, fallen trees, and other accidents. I was on the HHS Candycane, I saw the Lollipop crash... This kind of weather event isn't to be taken lightly. It's possible we may be asked to lend volunteers from our ship's companies and from your bodyguard, Princess."

HHS Lollipop, a Treat-class frigate they built by conversion from an old sailing vessel. Lost control south of Manehattan in the storm, the ship's Captain, Rock Crunch, had his crew abandon ship and personally steered it down rather than let it hit the city. In fact, six of the last ten awarded Lunar Horseshoes were given out during the Big Whoop. It was a pretty nasty storm.

And now Hornblower was telling us Caruba risked having one worse, because they didn't have as many pegasi.

After so much wonderful R&R, we were potentially about to be in the middle of the storm of the century...I have the weirdest life...

"Hopefully though we'll just have to worry about a bit of rain and some higher winds than we had expected, just need to get raincoats and umbrellas out," Bond added.

"Well, Princess, you do have that nice floral-pattern raincoat..." Twinkle Shine suddenly spoke up.

"Maybe it would be easier for Captain Sparkle to hold an umbrella for her?" Sunset giggled.

"We'll figure out what we do about the rain later, for now we need to figure out, er, what we're doing about the rain," Cadence confused everypony.

"I mean, what will we be doing to assist the Carubans in controlling the weather?"

"We're asking for volunteers with weather magic experience from the four ships, and as a precaution we're going to have the two corvettes landed while Invincible and Enterprise remain on standby so they can provide help with their engines if something goes really wrong. The Embassy guard is already reduced, most of their pegasi have volunteered to assist..." Hornblower responded.

"I'll ask for volunteers amongst my platoon," I added.

"Good. Well, I think we're as prepared as we can be."

With that, Commander Hornblower broke up the meeting, letting the Hoofmaidens scheme - Except one.

"Staff Sergeant, what did Commander Hornblower mean about the engines?" Sunset wondered.

"Ah, it's not very well known. Your weather control stuff was just high-school level, right?"

She nodded.

"Well, the engines on some airships have a lot of power, and they basically use weather magic to fly anyway. High power engines can be used to interfere with manastream, either pumping out or drawing in some energy. It does stop the engine from keeping the ship in the air though, so only larger ships with at least two engines do it," Thunderchild explained.

"Wait, if there are machines that can control weather, won't that put pegasi out of a job?!" Twinkle Shine realized.

"Not at all, doing that with the engines for too long causes damage. Plus it's just not cost-efficient. The engines need to be airborne to be in the mana stream and one engine costs as much as a whole weather team's pay for five years," Audience finally made the world feel sensible by being the one with the facts.

"Plus, engines suck at weather control. Even ones they build to observe and manipulate it specifically, like the one on Enterprise. If you use an engine to power a ship it's like twelve hundred horsepower for the ones aboard this one, but using it to try control weather you only get four hundred wingpower!" Thunderchild smirked.

"An' wingpower is the same as ground horsepower. Decades 'afore we even expect to be able ta cause anythin' more than slight adjustments to air pressure, an' they think it's pretty much impossible ta control weather without weather magic," Ellis agreed.

"Okay, so everything's fine then. Phew!" Twinkle Shine said.

"Easy for you to say, you don't need to reconsider the risk of rain for planning out a new itinerary..." Minuette grumbled.

"I could give you a hoof," Audience offered.

"We'd all best get prepared. Thunderchild, let's go find any volunteers we've got... Guessing you're first in line?"

"Yes, Sir!"

Who was it said 'if some darn thing can go wrong, that darn thing will pick the worst possible time to go wrong because that darn thing is a darn thing'? Because some darn thing has just gone wrong!

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): Weather out of control?)

Very big yes. Some slip-up at the capital, some of the small storms were too big! Now there's a risk they'll merge and trigger the storm over the city, and they can't recall any of the weather ponies from the coastal eddies. I don't know all the details and I might not understand it right, but they were saying earlier making a big storm was bad right?

Guess what the plan is now that they've made their little storms too big?

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): Oh crud... Look, it might sound crazy but...)

That's what Thunderchild is saying.

"...Run it by me again. Big storm bad, so they make little storms. Those are too big, and risk causing a huge storm beyond control. So their plan is to make bigger storms?!"

"It might sound crazy, Shining, but..."

See, told you that was what he was saying.

"...it's like this. Two paths, one marked certain death, the other the same but it's a question mark at the end. So it's like 'certain death' and 'certain death?', the question mark makes all the difference!"

"That is the least reassuring analogy I have ever heard since Twiley explained that being hit by a dragon's breath isn't like 'boiling away water, but burning away gas because you vaporize'."

"Okay, it's more like one direction, you'll be pelted with bricks for sure, but another, it's only bricks about three quarters of the time."

"No chance versus slim chance then. Okay, great..."

We were in the hangar waiting on the weather volunteers, which had now shifted to 'every pegasus and griffin we had to help the Carubans stop having an Extremely Big Whoop right over their capital city. Casualty estimates for this going wrong were horrifying. We'd gone from 'happy R&R' to 'save an entire city from the perfect storm.'

And it turned out that, with things currently out of the frying pan and hurtling towards the fire, even I counted as 'weather capable' since I could use shields and cast them on others. It could help if there was a heavy thundercloud risk, though it did mean I had to go outside in a light airship in what was already gale-force bad weather.

To my surprise, a number of civilians began to enter, mostly from Cadence's extended entourage but including Cadence herself, and Sunset.

"Princess, what..."

"We need all the ponies we can get, right? We're all helping too. And besides, it's my JOB as a Princess to protect innocents who need me, and that doesn't stop when we leave Equestria's borders."

I considered arguing, noting she included herself, but since when have I been able to talk her out of anything?

"...Fine, but have you ran this past Hornblower?"

A few moments later, she had, and the Earth Pony Commander had enlisted Ace to try and understand if it was safe.

"Shouldn't be too bad if we pair up a civvy with at least two military ponies, I suppose. Even if the civvies have experience before anypony protests, and we could use the help. Six wings are better than four, after all..."

"The Princess will have to remain aboard the light airship though," I quickly said.

Like hay I was going to let her get killed by a darn storm!

"Good idea. Actually, if she could sing over the radios..." Spanners noted.

"Maybe Garnet should be on the airship too with some other medics, in case... Minuette's already airsick just in this weather though," Sunset wondered.

Our medic agreed but I knew that like me, she had reservations about flying in this weather, even if we were going to be onboard a vehicle rather than out there ourselves.

We also received word that Celestia had tried to call in an old favor from Queen Tiamat and get some Weather Wyrms to help out the situation, but unfortunately the nearest ones were too far away to arrive in time and Bahamut was still checking up on all their children after Discord and couldn't be reached. We had all the help we could get.

Cadence soon got everyone's attention with the Royal Canterlot voice, explaining the plan. Sunset paired up with Ranger and Lance-Corporal Bendis. Adding Air Navy crew to it, plus our civvies, we were only able to give about two hundred extra wings total. But it meant the Carubans could divert some ponies and griffins to other places

We were heading towards an area south of the city, where the idea was we would make a storm, and drive it onto the plains. There it would hopefully start feeding off the dangerous buildups and balance out the pressure.

My place was to be on the light airship that was our flying emergency tent/musical morale booster, and use shields if we needed them. The experienced troops and weather manipulators gave quick pointers to the less-knowledgeable volunteers. We waited by the airship for our pilots.

"I hope we have sane pilots," I muttered.

Thankfully, we did: Ace was going outside himself with his own wings, and The Lord Flashheart didn't trust himself with cargo airships. It turned out the three ponies that did board were Pilot Officer Level-Headed, Pilot Officer Smooth Sailing, and Airpony First Class Dasher, the crew chief.

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): Reindeer?)

Reindeer. Smart idea, really, they have weather magic too.

"Olive over on Falcon is going to help with the emergency search-and-rescue team they're assembling," Dasher told us.

"Olive?" Garnet wondered.

"The other reindeer," Cadence clarified.

"Baw, bug and hum!"

"...Gag, shouldn't you be getting ready with your team?" I sighed.

"Er, yes, sir, but, uh... Just wanted to..."

"I'll be fine, Running. Just be careful yourself, all right?"

He nodded as his marefriend gave him a nuzzle through the open side door.

"Are they always like that, Captain?" Dasher asked.

"Pretty much."

"How did they stop Big Whoop eventually?"

"Captain Guybrush Tripwool!" I said.

"Dear, I'm pretty sure his name was Guybrush Threepwood IX I think."

"Huh?" Dasher wondered.

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): Wait, did Cadence just...?)

"Didn't his ancestor discover the secret of Monkey Island?" Garnet interrupted.

"What is the secret of Monkey Island?" Dasher asked.

Garnet began, "Oh that's easy, it's-"

Confusion was halted by an announcement.

"All hooves, this is Lieutenant Commander Bond. We are nearing the storm zone. Weather teams prepare for takeoff, shipboard crew to action stations. The ship is at red alert, I repeat, this ship is at red alert..."

"Good luck with changing the bulbs, Kryten..." Smooth Sailing noted.

Moments later, we were heading into the maelstrom...

I wish I could be there with them, but magical wings aren't a spell a normal unicorn can cast, and they're as fragile as glass.

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony): You could just use your force field as stepping stones and a wind shield.)

I don't think that's a safe idea. And putting myself in harms way might need someone to risk their lives saving me...and you should know how I feel about THAT.

"That's not good, that river down there is already swollen. There's going to be flooding no matter what," Dasher said.

I looked out the window, seeing the two larger airships shifting to their positions, and our swarm of pegasi encountering the Carubans that were staying in the area to help us build the storm. They had a few light airships of their own, but they were being used to hold a single-engined Corvette in the sky. It looked like a seriously dangerous setup to me, but they were desperate and I don't blame them. As a result, the Protectora was held aloft by Neighponese-built Type-0 Rocket Carriers and Prench-built Dauphin transports.

Even from here I could see rainclouds over the city, and the looming black shapes of other storms threatening to form in the distance. It was bad enough up here in the sky, but if this went wrong, that city getting a soaking right now would be a lot worse off. It did not look built for big storms. Hundreds of thousands living there, few decent places for storm shelter.

Not to mention the risk the storm could become larger still and swamp most of the country. If that happened, all we could do is let it run the course and help in the aftermath. We were here as diplomats, and if this went wrong we'd be staying as equinitarian assistance for a while. Not too mention the projected death toll.

A few pegasi began to push rainclouds together, the thunder-specialists amongst them tackling any that looked risky. As we circled and wind howled, the weather teams began to assemble a massive block of rain. I could actually feel the amount of mana in the streams in my horn.

And we could see other clouds starting to flow in by themselves. The teams rushed out to make sure they weren't going to turn the whole thing into a thunderhead. Cadence and Dasher used their own weather magic to gently guide a few clouds around, our reindeer issuing warnings over the radio about suspect clouds - aboard the light airship, we were protected from the howling wind drowning us out, so teams outside had no chance of warning each other properly without use of hoof and wing signals, or small magic pulses. It meant she had to keep interrupting Cadence's song, but still...

I found myself useful after fifteen minutes, putting shields around a group tackling a large bank of thunderclouds trying to join our main cloud. With my help they could handle the numbers, bursting them to release the lighting within, and then pushing the new rainclouds into place.

"Weather Teams, this is Invincible, prepare to move the cloud towards the plains, southeast. Stand by..."

"That's the easy bit over, now we move this cloud without it collapsing," Dasher said worried.

I gave the ad-hoc Caruban weather control platform a glance. It wasn't on fire, which was a good sign, but we'd seen that being hauled by sky-tugs, it simply wasn't fast or agile.

"We can't even know if everypony is okay out there, can we?" Garnet fretted.

"If anypony needs a medic they're meant to knock on the door."

"Assuming they can still fly..."

"Gag will be fine, Garnet. He might not be good with weather but he's careful. Besides, he knows if he gets himself killed you'll murder him," I tried to reassure her. And myself.

"Yeah, I just hope everypony else out there knows they need to come back too..."

All three of our airborne engines moved around in a triangle, or rather, our two moved and the Caruban floating island drifted carefully to move. Slowly the push began, circling teams watching out for further clouds and dealing with them by type.

I looked back at the city, and saw the beams of sunlight breaking through cloud over it. It was already working!

"I wonder if Celestia can see through clouds?" I found myself saying for no apparent reason.

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): If she's looking that direction, sure. As long as some sunlight gets through.)

Suddenly, there was a knock at the side door. One brief bout of cursing, and it was opened and closed.

"Jenkins, what's wrong?"

"Sir, Sergeant Thunderchild told me to have you warn everypony there seems to be some ball lightning on the loose out there."

"That's all we need... that means every thundercloud out there might shoot out a ball!"

I didn't understand it, but if the weather experts were worried, we had to give the warning. I managed to arrange a private channel with Audience back on board Invincible while he looked it up. Jenkins was already back outside.

"Ball Lighting is usually formed when the lightning adheres to a small mana-eddy, but other formation routes are known. Basic issue though is that it seems to almost have a mind of its own, and it's completely unpredictable. Pegasi have swore ones they've tried to block or catch have anticipated their moves and dodged them, usually going for the largest source of metal nearby, or most intense source of magic, or just bashing into the head and stomach of a random pegasi like it was having a hoof-fight with them. Harper swore he heard one giggle as it stuck him in the rear. It might phase through the wall of an airship and float down the corridor, it might go right through a cloud house - or it might go nuts and bounce off everything, or blow a hole in the airship...or a Pegasus... The one saving grace is that they don't live for long."

"Wait, metal and..."

I threw a shield around our airship.

"Has anypony warned the Carubans? Their airships are sitting ducks for this stuff..." Cadence realised.

And that was when some hit us. My shield took it, but there was a distressing amount of sparks from the radio Dasher and Cadence had been operating.

"Are we okay?!" I shouted to the pilots.

"...The engines are fine, but some of the instruments are shot. Good thing that shield was up, without it we'd have been in big trouble. Captain, I think we need to land and get onto another Firefly, this one is gonna need some repairs," Level Headed calmly reported.

"No! Shining, we need to get closer to the Carubans, if ball lighting starts hitting them unshielded..."

My mind's eye pictured some of their light-airship tugs exploding as lighting bounced off them, causing the corvette they held aloft to be at the mercy of gravity - Over a hundred Caruban skysailors plummeting to the ground, deploying their emergency balloon useless as the wind would rip it open...

"Dang it. You're right... Take us close to them."

We moved over, seeing the Caruban corvette. Dasher tried to get her radio to work.

"Protectora, Protectora, this is Stormwatch, be advised there is a ball lightning threat, advise engaging your engines to move to a safe distance. If you are receiving please respond with a green signal flare, over."

"Will they even understand Equestrian?" Garnet fretted, no doubt wishing her coltfriend was here for multiple reasons.

Another knock on the roof. Of course, the music had stopped!

Ranger, Sunset and Bendis all dropped into the airship. We explained the situation fast.

"Dang. Bendis had our radio, but, uh..."

The Lance-Corporal looked a little frazzled. Garnet was checking him over.

I sighed and looked out the window as Dasher repeated her message in the vain hope it was working somehow. Ranger and Sunset went back outside, heading towards the Carubans to try and warn them face to face and let them know I was going to shield them: Sudden glowing around your ship in weather like this can cause panic...

"Hey, wait, there's a flare!" Cadence said, and sure enough, there was a glow...

...slamming into one of the light airships.

I pushed my magic to shield around the Carubans, the ball starting to slam off shields before vanishing. The one it had hit hard began to wobble, and a gout of flame spat out from an engine. I saw Sunset and Ranger flap their wings and race on as fast as they could. The stricken airship was thankfully one of the single-crewed rocket carriers, meaning only one life at risk, and not much loss of power to the whole sum keeping the Protectora aloft.

And then it tumbled downwards, the shield around it bouncing off the shielded ship below. It held in place, and our two pegasi were already there, helping the pilot get out from the cockpit. A shape was guided to the deck below.

"They got the pilot..." Cadence breathed a sigh of relief.

I released a breath I didn't know I'd been holding myself.

OH BUCK.

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): What?!)

A lightning ball just came out of a cloud, the light airship just exploded, somepony was hit by debris! It dropped my shields, I can't see them properly and... gha, that feedback... Am I seeing spots or is there a lot of lightning?

Oh hay, that feedback, I can't hear the wind....

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): Shining!)

...Cadence is screaming.

I couldn't see it. I couldn't stop it. The ball lightning disrupted my mana for a few seconds, and that's all it needed for this to all go so wrong.

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): Shining...)

Ranger had been hit by some of the debris and fell. Sunset had seen him fall, the Caruban pilot had been forced to only watch, and so had Cadence.

Sunset dived after him, dodging the falling debris like nothing according to the Caruban pilot, grabbing him in mid-air, she did an loop-de-loop to cause two ball lighting to crash into each other, the performance of her life to save Ranger's. She flew straight through a hole in one large piece of debris in the split second opening she had. To save the stallion she loved more than anything. She twirled and spun in the air not wasting a single motion, moving with the wind. She was the skill and grace of her family. She was laying her life on the line to save his.

...And then there was a lighting bolt right into her back. It arches from pieces of metal debris around her, and through her again, and again. Like a spider's web, no chance to catch it, no chance to redirect it, no chance to grab it, no chance to block it, not blind sided from every direction at once.

Seconds. That's all it took. One second we breathed sighs of relief and then five seconds later, we'd lost them.

We're sure they didn't suffer, at least. We can't know how much or if the lightning went past a pegasus' natural resistance to being fatally electrocuted instead of knocking her out (not that it matter immediately after). The best guess was the mana surges supercharged it or there was just too much hitting her at once, but if they were alive they weren't conscious when the next part happened...

Celestia, how did this happen.

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony): Shiny...I'm so sorry...)

Thanks, filly...They saved the pilot at least. We stopped the storm at least. But why doesn't that make it feel any better? They saved that Caruban earth pony. They helped save hundreds or thousands of lives from a bigger storm.

So why does it still feel like we paid far too high a price?

...Can you tell me one thing? If...If I didn't exist...

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): No, your existence did not cause this. If anything, your existence bought them time that Cool Sun and Athena couldn't have, Shining...This timeline was kinder to them than the one where you don't exist. That is all I can tell you.)

Thanks...I wish that made it feel better too.

The Carubans thank us for what we did, and they understand why we're leaving already. We're taking them home. It shouldn't have been this way. It's not supposed to happen like this. They were... When we got back Sunset was going to take Ranger to her parents, we were going to Prance next, it was obvious what they planned to do.

I'm sorry guys. I think I need to go talk to Cadence alone. See how her and Minuette and Twinkle Shine are. I hope you don't mind.

"Is... 'S is buckin' horseapples," Running sobs.

"I know..."

It doesn't feel like I ever want to let go, of Gag... of our friends.

Nothing we could do... I'm a medic. I want to be a doctor. I know that I can't save them all, but... I just can't help but think there was something. I should have warned them to be careful or something...Maybe if I was a pegasus I could've caught them and saved them before they...

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Don't blame yourself. You know it's nopony's fault.)

Yeah. Doesn't change the fact I'm here hugging my drunk coltfriend for dear life while we're crying our eyes out...or that two of our friends are never coming home...

"Bendis hasn't spoken a word since the accident, Sarge."

"I know. Nothing we can do, Captive. He's quite normally..."

We're doing what we can, but we can't force it on those of us suffering most. The Princess, The Captain, The Hoofmaidens, The Platoon... Heck, even the guys that accused Sunset of being a spy! Ranger and Sunset and them, they became friends after it. They joked they introduced the two of them...

Buck. Cadence is gonna have to write the letter to Sunset's parents isn't she?

(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): A senior officer and NCO are taking it to them.)

"Ya know, fellas, this is like the first time ever Ah regret havin' Apple family resistance ta salt. 'Cos Ah bucking wish Ah could get blitzed and wake up and it's all just some dang nightmare," Ellis sighed.

"Don't we all."

There are a HUNDRED ways you could have saved them if you accepted my knowledge and wisdom!

Shut up.

Those who do nothing to stop something are the same as those who cause it to happen!

Shut up!

I have sought to bring order to a universe with none! THIS IS THE PRICE your world pays for rejecting order! Except THEY paid it, not you! How does that feel?

I SAID SHUT UP!

Does your precious identity and moral integrity feel so important now?! Perhaps those two appreciate it!

SHUTUP!SHUTUP!SHUTUP!

You can't hold me foreveeeeee-

I shut the fob watch in the trunk, knowing if I throw it overboard it'll just wind up in my dress pocket somehow. I went out... to talk with Audience. I needed somepony who knew how to deal with somepony they cared about dying before their eyes. Maybe I should have gone to Shining... no, Cadence needs him right now more than I do. Audience, how do you endure what you have to see, without losing your heart? HIS memories, he reveled in death. He has no heart. He's soaked in blood and feels no remorse at all. This settled more than anything, that I was not him.

"Audience? Can we talk for a while?"

"Yes, Minuette, you can take as many whiles as you wish."

An empty bed. Three clean beds. No, two clean beds and another bed that won't be slept in by its owner ever again. I had a friend who became a garbage pony, that argued being dirty was the natural way for places to be where ponies lived. I felt cleaning however took effort for a place that you lived. When no one lives there, there is nopony to clean anything, dust settles, mold grows, rust spreads, it's us ponies who make there be a 'clean' to begin with.

Sunset, I just wish I could get a chance to see your acrobatics one last time. Maybe see you actually perform some of your family tricks with them some day. You and Ranger. Well... maybe... maybe it's a good thing you went together? You don't have to live without each other now... right? That's... a kindness right? Sunset I'm so sorry. You didn't even get your wedding day. That isn't fair. That's not fair at all. No, it's not unfair...

"It's a cheat!" I snapped.

I broke down crying. Minuette had Audience. Cadence had Shining. Ranger and Sunset had had each other. Now? Suddenly, I feel alone. I wish Lemon Hearts, or Lyra, Moondancer, heck, Amethyst Star were here. I did the only thing I could think of, and began writing some long long letters, I didn't care if we'd be back in Equestria soon, I needed to trap these thoughts and feelings on paper while I still could.

Dear Twinkleshine

I'm so sorry Twinkle. I can't imagine how you feel right now. I wish I could be there for you and Minuette right now. Like friends should be. I know Lemon Hearts feels the same way. I...I just don't know what else I can say. I'm here for you if you need me, I promise I am. I promise if you need me, just send another letter and we can talk some more.

I'm sorry I can't be there.

Moondancer.

I am a princess. I am a goddess. I am music. I am harmony. But I still can't bring back the dead. Sunset... and Ranger... Is this what it means? Is this what I'm destined for? To just say goodbye? Again, and again? Mom? Dad? Minuette? Twinkle Shine? Spitfire? Euphie? Twilight? Dear Shining? Just to get to know them, learn to love, and then just to have to say goodbye?

Auntie Celestia, Auntie Luna, how do you endure it? Shining please, don't leave me too soon!

We missed Twiley and her friends again. This time, of all things, they were in Dodge Junction. What was with frontier towns and them keeping me from seeing my sister? Ellis told me it turned out Applejack, after expecting to bring home the gold in Canterlot's National Rodeo, had earned more ribbons than any other pony there, but not one first place, and so had ran off to earn the money she had promised to bring home the old fashioned way. Her friends came and had brought her home anyway. No, they didn't need to search for Applejack, she left an address, she TOLD THEM why she wasn't coming home, and uh, no Rarity and Pinkie Pie didn't get lost alone in the desert, what makes you say all that?

...But I guess maybe it's for the best the first time in so long that Twiley would see me and Cadence would be with us...in this condition. It'd be selfish to come looking to her to be our shoulder to cry on at a time like this...but that doesn't change how much I wish I could see her.

It's crazy. After ~~Nameless~~ was gone, I thought we were done with this. It thought this wasn't supposed to happen. Ponies die, that's life, but this, it was so bucking MEANINGLESS! We could have saved everypony without anypony dying! We could have but we didn't! This wasn't some sick 'either/or' trap, this was a disaster that hit us out of nowhere... And Sunset and Ranger were the only ones to die. Why couldn't Sunset be alive at least?! It's the boyfriend who dies in story, not his girlfriend too!

The worst part? There's nopony to blame. Nopony to hate. Nopony to punish. Nopony to take out our anger on. Sometimes I think ponies think of fate just so they can have somepony to blame. Should I blame a mindless thunder storm? Should I try and figure out some complex conspiracy theory on how Discord's escape caused this? Should I blame dancing bits of electricity less intelligent than parasprites? Should I try to figure out some crazy butterfly affect that lays all the blame on me for just existing?

Ranger's family (what little he had) came from Cloudsdale, Sunset's came from where their circus had been at the time, I didn't ask. All I know is that Celestia ordered a private squad of pegasi who had been bred to be faster than fast (who had apparently help carry Twiley to Hoofington to help one of Discord's victims) bring them both to Canterlot as soon as possible.

There was a conflict with Ranger and Sunset's families, Ranger's father wanted his body cremated to dust as was tradition with pegasi, while Sunset's family wanted him buried alongside Sunset, which made Ranger's family wonder why they were following the 'earth pony' tradition of burying the dead (these days days there were unicorns and pegasi who buried their dead and there were earth ponies now who preferred cremation). They took it Celestia. She shocked everypony by having their remains placed in the royal catacombs with the bones of Equestria's greatest heroes. She even commissioned a statue for the two of them! Ranger was given the Lunar Horseshoe, and Sunset the Solar Horseshoe.

"Not all ponies who give their lives for others do so in battle, these two ponies gave their lives saving countless others, and they shall be remembered as such!"

And that settled that. And I agreed. Their sacrifice was going to be remembered. They would be remembered. That at least made us feel better. That their sacrifice would never be forgotten.

Minuette and Twinkle Shine said how they had both met Sunset when they came to work for Cadence. And they had been happy to meet her, how she was a wall flower sometimes, but in the air that uncertain melted away. Cadence said how she'd never have a messenger, or a friend like Sunset ever again. Then Running Gag and Ellis said their piece, Ranger's diligence, and how he had always wanted to be a hero.

I was shocked when I saw the same pink pony I remember popping up at every one of our weekly birthday parties, in a mourning gown all but covering her, I couldn't see her whole face. This time she didn't vanish like a fairy when I got close. "What are you doing here?" I whispered.

She looked at me. There was no clown here. She was sobbing, her voice distorted. "... I... I'm sorry for your loss. They were both wonderful ponies. I wish I had gotten to know them better. I'm sorry. I'm really really sorry. You've all gones through so much, you don't deserve to go through more. This was all so stupid! I... please just be happy for them here, since they can't be!"

And just like that. She was gone.

After we sealed the casket, and gathered for our final farewell (I saw pink appearing here and there saying she was sorry to everypony). I was shocked when Twinkle Shine grabbed me and dragged me off into a hallway. I didn't say it, but the black dress she was wearing made her normal bright colors look downright ghostly!

"Ranger and Sunset got engaged but didn't even get their happily ever after! But at least they were together and knew it!"

"Twinkle Shine... are you okay?" She'd been crying of course.

"You... you... you idiot!" She snarled. "Can't you just realize you're in love?! Cadence has! You're the bravest stallion she knows! You're what makes her happy! She fears for you every time you risk yourself for her! You'd die for her! You'd kill for her! You'd suffer for her! Her approval is what makes you happy! Just BEING with her makes you happy! Can't you just realize you're in love already!?"

She was crying again. "I... I can't stand it... ponies aren't supposed to hide or be ashamed of their feelings... So please! Stop it! Just stop! Just confusing loving for duty!"

She trotted off, still crying, I was speechless. And I saw it. It At the end of the hall. IT was looking at me, it was... it snorted at me, and moved off. I shook my head. Had I really seen it? If so, why did it leave? Did it not want to make Cadence hurt more by taking me from her too? Is it that smart?

By stupid blind luck, the Invincible was due for crew rotation. Some of the crew were rotated for other duties, and new ponies put in their place to take up the mantle, others felt after what happened, that they had been away from Equestria for too long and requested reassignment.

Whatever happened next, we'd face it, whatever life threw at us, we'd take it. We had to. That was how life worked. Even if we lost two of our friends, two of our family, we still had the rest of the world to see, Cadence had a duty, and I would be besides her to help each hoof-step of the way.

The insertion who held the stolen light could hold off for another day. There were greater priorities.

Imagination's wayward spawn had left holes for vermin to sneak in before it was dealt with, distracting the wolf from its duty and allowing them to take root where it'd have snuffed them out early on.

Blasted things. Immature those-who-make, thinking themselves true creators, when they were still unwittingly just making unchallengeable mouth-pieces for themselves or invincible titans to become their hero without bothering to create their own world.

Some went further, and did not even bother to create their own pony! These creatures in their own way were the worst. They would possess an already existing pony, remove all their 'flaws' or 'weaknesses' and turn them into bloated 'perfect' beings who could never be meaningfully wrong or meaningfully lose or EVER suffer humiliation or be talked down to without revenge. It pounced upon the third shapeless one that had tried to possess Music in her sealed away state and a second one that had tried to possess Night in her weakened state.

It had already devoured ones that had tried to infest each of The Elements of Harmony's chosen, their immediate friends, some of their enemies, and Canterlot and Ponyville locals. They were almost as disgusting as the ones who'd infest ponies merely to turn them into parodies Chaos would be proud of. The wolf took pride in devouring them all. And as long as it was in Canterlot, it stopped by Chaos' statue prison, lifted up its hind leg, and left its own opinion on the concept before continuing its purpose.

"Hello Sunset... Hello Ranger... my name is Starlight. It's a pleasure to meet both of you. I welcome you both... Come, you have wedding preparations to arrange do you not? I have friends who would be delight to help you. They have experience with weddings. Love Herself shall perform the ceremony if you wish it... "

"...Princess and the others...are they..."

"They're fine. They survived. Don't worry, you will see them again some day. And the pilot who your sacrifice saved survived as well."

"But...I never got to introduce Ranger to my parents..."

"And yet they wanted you to be together. They demanded you be laid to rest together."

Sunset gave a sad smile. "Thanks...mom and dad..."

"And Ranger...you both were given a hero's funeral by Princess Celestia herself. Your sacrifice will always be remembered."

Ranger smiled lightly. "Thank you...Why tell us all this?"

"It's my job as an angel of death to help the souls of good ponies pass on peacefully. Letting you know your last wishes were fulfilled is part of that duty."

"...Thank you, Miss Starlight..."

"Welcome little pony. Now come, and finally have the wedding your deserve to have."

The lovers intertwined their wings and trotted off to finally have their big day.

Author's Note

Story Arc written by LZ0291 lz0291.deviantart.com/
This chapter was written by me (Alex Warlorn) and (mostly) LZ.

Shining Armor is given a two year tour of the world to be the captain of Princess Cadence's body guard. Yeah. That's all. That's everything Yep. Nothing what so ever else. *AJ's Liar face*

Previous: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Shining-Armor-chapter-21-1-of-2-426340161

Next Chapter: alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Shining-Armor-No-More-Script-426815828

First Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Fluttershy-FlutterCruel-Pearls-260092460

"Time is an ocean in a storm."

This storyline runs PARALLEL to the events in the Dark World storyline narrative wise.

Please help the trope http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries
And recap pages. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/PonyPOVSeries (please?)

Check out the recursive fanfiction and fanart of the Pony POV Series! http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/journal/MLP-FiM-PonyPOVSeriesFanworks-audio-adaption-2013-349281264 Many of it approved by me as canon.

Be sure to join our Group for a TON of recursive works, many a part of optional canon!!! http://mlp-pony-pov-series.deviantart.com/

AND! Be sure to check season zero and season one's fanlabor pages! PLEASE! THey need lots of work! As does our recap page on TVTropes! Please! Help people who are new to the series get caught up with updating the recap page!!
http://mlpfanart.wikia.com/wiki/Pony_POV_Series_Season_Zero:_Discorded_Ponies
http://mlpfanart.wikia.com/wiki/Pony_POV_Series_Season_One:_Reharmonization

MLP: FiM is copyright of Hasbro

Cover Image By Atomic Chincilla http://atomic-chinchilla.deviantart.com/art/Commission-Shining-Who-430481392

Soundtrack Recommendations
Into The Maelstrom
The World Looks To The Skies, Ben Foster, Torchwood: Children of Earth
Ball Lightning
Retreat And Reveille, Lorne Balfe, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Aftermath
Requiem For The Fallen, Ben Foster, Torchwood: Children of Earth
Funeral
Life Among The Distant Stars, Murray Gold, Doctor Who Series 4
Ranger and Sunset's Duet
Guide You Home (I Would Die for You), Gabriel Mann and Rebecca Kneubuhl, Legend of Spyro Dawn of the Dragon

Episode 145: (Shining Armor): No More Script

Episode 146: (Shining Armor): emiT fO sdnaS-Sands Of Time

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic
Pony POV Series
"Shining Armor"
Chapter 22
emiT fO sdnaS-Sands Of Time

Three Months later
Six Months Since The Day Of Chaos
A Year And a Half Since Princess Luna's Return

(Friend's Notes(Earth Pony): Hey! I finally found all our old notes from The Day Of Innocence!)

Oh right. Then. All we got in the mail that day were stuffed animals, video-games, candy, and comic books. Not that many were complaining.

(Friend's Notes(Pegasus): Be happy we can hitch ourselves to your position in the timestream, or you'd have been dealing with our regressed selves then.)

Fluttershy's possessed self got you too!?

(Friend's Notes(Earth Pony): It wasn't so bad, I had two sisters I could play with all day. You guys could have probably all done with a day of innocence yourselves.)

And leave Cadence all alone to foal-sit that many foals at once for a day? I pray I'm never that cruel. Of course, I think Thunderchild now gets the newsletter from the cult that's sprung up around Twilight's friend. At least they act more on peace and love than Nightmare Moon.

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): Fluttershy wouldn't LET them act on anything else.)

Element of Kindness I guess, makes sense.

Even if I worried about Twilight, it honestly is almost reassuring she has the whole 'attract weird situations' thing too, since then at least I know it was a family thing and not just me.

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): Took you long enough to figure out. Your ancestor is Twilight the First, your sister is the student of a sun goddess and Element of Magic, Spike's a member of an ancient, respected dragon family, and your family spawns soapboxes whenever they give lectures.)

What about mom and dad?

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): They gave birth to you and Twilight.)

Oh...

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): And your mom's books.)

Right.

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony): And that one time with the silver tea pot.)

Yeah that was...I don't even know what that was about...

Cadence hasn't chosen a new hoofmaiden yet. Running Gag has pretty much taken over Sunset's job of being Cadence's messenger with rotating shifts with Thunderchild. Cadence has promised to hire a new hoofmaiden for the position when we get back in Canterlot, but I think Running Gag feels a bit better being able to fill in for a fallen friend. He took it hard...we all did.

One of our transfers on board ship who was selected to fill in Ranger's spot in his squad was a pegasus Lance-Corporal named Carpenter Bee. I didn't remember him from the old timeline, so he might have been one of Makarov's victims either directly or otherwise. He seemed eager to learn about me and Cadence, but otherwise didn't seem to socialize much. Apparently relatives of his, Honey Bee and Killer Bee, served under chief of the security services, Long Haul, while another, Bumblebee, was part of the day guard proper.

At Cadence's personal request, we set up a memorial wall for Sunset and Ranger inside the Invincible. I only pray I never need to see a single name ever added to it

(Friend's Notes(Unicorn): Shining, we understand how you more than you could possibly imagine.)

Whoever it was, they were somepony very dear to you weren't they?

(Friend's Notes(Unicorn): More than you can know.)

And you didn't see it coming either?

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): No...not at all.)

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): ...One of them...she died because of us...It was just a stupid accident...one stupid mistake and next thing we knew she was dying...)

...I know how that feels too.

While I was in Canterlot I did stop with mom, dad, Cherry Coke and the others, and with Gaffer and 8-Bit, when I got the chance...without Twilight there I needed someone to talk to. They were all there for me, like family and friends should be. I think Cadence talked to her parents too.

Twinkle Shine has barely spoken to me since, since we left Canterlot. She sticks with Minuette with the loyalty of a guard dog and the eyes of a hawk, she's more than happy to give Minuette and Audience their space though. What Twinkle Shine said to me?

(Friend's Notes(Pegasus): You are not going to say you went three months without thinking about it without giving yourself a brain tumor.)

No, I've thought about it.

Ranger and Sunset...they never got to get married, Ranger never got to meet her parents...And it was so sudden, just like that, and they were gone. That's how quick it can happen some times...Like with my uncle...He never got to meet Athena's mother in our timeline.

Death doesn't wait for your big day or even for you to meet Mrs. Right.

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): That's the hardest part of Death's job, Shining.)

I don't blame him...her...it...whatever gender it is.

Point is...if Twinkle Shine's right...every day it doesn't happen is a day risking it never happening at all...or Mr. Wrong coming along and stealing her away...But...

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): But?)

But what if I'm not Mr. Right? What if someone else is supposed to be? I was never supposed to exist. what if I'd be stealing her from her Mr. Perfect? I saw too much of ~~you-know-who~~ butting into other pony's stories.

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn):...)

No 'you're wrong, Shining?'

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): It's...hard to explain, Shining. There are many paths life and fate may take. In two separate lines, Applejack met two DIFFERENT loving husbands and had children, in yet another she married them both at some point in her life or another and was happy and faithful with them both. In our line, she never met either of them. She doesn't even have a coltfriend.)

That's all well a good for her...but Applejack is SUPPOSED to be here.

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): That doesn't change the fact that for two very similar Applejacks, Mr. Right wasn't the same pony.)

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): I'd tell you all's fair in love and war, but you're too much of a nice guy accept that reality.)

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony): But Shining, you're Candy's white knight. It's a perfect happily ever after!)

Ponies shouldn't fall in love because 'fate says so.' Nopony likes it when two ponies fall in love with no foreshadowing, and without any development beforehoof. It makes it feel like they only love each other because the AUTHOR says they are, rather than anything they do together! Have fun together. Enjoy the same hoofball games. Both get annoyed at Gag's jokes. Comfort each other when you lose a friend. Feel better just by being around that person. Caring about whether they're happy or not.

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): It's the wolf isn't it?)

Yes it's the wolf! If Cadence and I are in love and we touch each other's hearts, and the wolf makes me go poof, what about Cadence?! Even if Celestia DOES erase her memories of me, -and I don't know if she could or would, you don't think I don't know use of semantics when I see it after all the politics I've been around?- will Cadence's feelings somehow stay behind? Either way, if I'm gone, and she can never have me, and a perfectly decent, considerate, and unrelentingly nice stallion comes along who just wants her to be happy, would she never give him the time of day, simply because she refuses to be happy with anyone but me who never existed? What right do I have?

...That's why I'm happy that we're on Ponsia's doorstep. The monks back in Neighpon said if I could find an answer that could help, it was here. It's all or nothing now. Either I find my answer here. Or I spend the rest of my life being within the influence of a Princess. I won't tell Cadence things that'll just cause her pain if I'm just going to go poof right after telling her! If I can change my fate, then ...Well ...Who can say? ...Gonna get some sleep first. You know ...I think I've gotten used to dreaming my past as it happens ...Well, night.

+++

I'll admit, it's stupid. But a part of me can't help but feel I failed, that we all failed Twilight Sparkle and Princess Celestia somehow. Me, Minuette, Moondancer, Lemon Hearts, we'd been trying for years to get Twilight out of her shell. While Spike certainly warmed up to us, (Moon Dancer feels maybe a little too much), Twilight kept us all at hoof length. Those books were about the only company she had besides her brother and Spike twenty-four-seven.

I once gave those dorks who were harassing Twilight over those 'Molestia' tabloid stories a piece of my mind and a few good licks. We still never became true friends.

And when she's sent off to Ponyville, after the dust settles, we learn that Twilight had to make friends to save the world. Five of them. Anti-social Twilight. We had been trying to reach her, and in the space of one danger filled night, five country ponies manage to do what we, Celestia's students, had been trying for years. What the hay is wrong with us? Were we trying too hard? Were we not trying hard enough?

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): You didn't have the advantage of being complete strangers who followed her into battle with the Goddess of the Moon.)

I know, but still! They did in a day what we've been trying for years? Come on!

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): You were...handicapped by being her classmates. She may have believed you were trying to get on her good side with Celestia. By following her into danger, her friends proved they weren't. An opportunity you didn't have.)

...I guess that makes sense. Doesn't mean it doesn't stink though.

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): But you HAVE been following her favorite foalsitter and BBBFF into danger time and again, proving your loyalty to them extends beyond your job.)

Yeah...I suppose. Maybe when I get home I can try again. I would like to be her friend someday...

+++

I spoke with Auntie in private after the funeral. She wasn't surprised to see me, and she knew what I wanted to talk about.

"I knew we'd talk about this one day my little pony. A part of me is surprised that we have been able to last as long as we have without you coming to see me with these needles on your hearts. I almost feared I would soon have to speak to you about it whether you came to me first or not."

" ...Ranger and Sunset. Auntie I know ponies die, I know ponies die in wars, I know the risks guards, that everypony takes risks when they lay their lives on the line for others, I know that. But ... after learning the world I lived in before had been twisted by ~~that monster~~, and seeing the world as a more peaceful, saner place ...I thought the worst was all behind me. But, Ranger and Sunset's deaths, they were so meaningless, they had already saved that pilot, they didn't need to die to stop that storm. They weren't fighting weather gremlins. There was no monster here. There was no point to it!"

" ...death is always pointless my little pony, that is the point."

"Then all the guards who died in wars died pointless death?!"

"Cadence, that is not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?!"

" ...There is always more a pony could have done if they had lived longer. Regardless of what some ponies think, there is always somepony somewhere who is saddened when they die."

"Then why have death at all?!"

" ...Spiritually, it's because this world is just one step in the journey. Scientifically, it's a fundamental law that everything in this universe eventually ends. And without that law in place, reality would twist and spiral into an inequine shape where life would cease to be life. While a soul's memory is infinite, the physical brain isn't. It has a maximum it is capable of holding. And..."

She looked at me sadly. "Imagine if somepony found themselves bound and left at the bottom of the ocean. Or were crippled with a horrible disease that wracked their body with unending pain. Or simply their bodies wore out and are breaking down. For these poor souls, they greet Death with a smile. That is the benevolence of this law, my niece: it allows suffering to end..."

I shuddered. I imagined...those poor dragons exposed to that maniac's poison gas. Or the pegasi and griffins who Shining saw fall from the sky. What if they hadn't been able to die? The thought made my blood run cold.

"...Sadly, like every rule, there are exceptions that slip through: that is the beauty of immortality."

"Auntie, what are you saying?"

" ...I knew I'd have to spell this out for you eventually Cadence, it is my responsibility. Cadence, how old do you think I am? And how much longer do you think I am going to go on living?"

"I ...I'm not sure, the history books and legends all say you're at least a thousand years old. But what does this have to do with anything?"

"I do not wish to hurt you worse than you've already been hurt Cadence, and otherwise I'd wait a few more years or until you had made your choice of who to love, but circumstances have forced me that you be at least informed of the truth. I despise having to twist the knife, but you might be forced to face reality sooner than later."

"Auntie what are you getting at? What does this have to do with Ranger and Sunset?"

"Their deaths, are how deaths normally are, random, sudden, swift, an unforeseen. You must learn to treasure the lives of those around you while you can, because you don't know when you will be separated from them. Or you will begin to see their lives only as flowers that bloom and die in a day, and cease to see them as ponies. That is something you must NEVER do. Because Cadence..." Auntie looked like she was about to cry almost. "...Alicorns are immortal."

I see in shock. I had known that. I had always known that. I mean, Auntie had been around for so long it only made sense but ...but ...but ...I had never ...I never ...she was CELESTIA ...she was the everlasting sun! She was as old as the sky! This was ...I couldn't be ...but ..."Auntie, please tell me ...PLEASE ...there is a way around this ...please?"

"Cadence, you can not change what you are. You can MASK it, but you can't CHANGE it. You are music Cadence, you as everlasting as the concept of melody and song in ponies' hearts. Your life, will not simply wink out when the one you care for the most moves on."

Shining Armor.

"So, even if nothing happens to them, Twinkle Shine, Minuette, Spitfire, all the ponies I know ...I'll still have to . . . watch them just grow old and ...while I stay whole?"

"I am sorry Cadence. It is what I have endured. It is a reality your Aunt Luna will soon have to face as well I fear, when she opens up to ponies, and realizes they won't be around forever, while she will be.... I've had to watch many students, many loved ones ...many ponies whom I shared love with ...simply move onto the next world while I remain a prisoner of this world. It will always be painful Cadence, but believe me when I say, if you try to shut you heart, it'll be a hundred time worse."

" ...Auntie, have you ever been in love?"

"Yes."

"Did you lose him too?"

" ...yes I did. And it was more painful than you can imagine. I've in fact loved more than once Cadence. And they are each special to me. In a way, I had to watch my first love die twice. We are ponies Cadence, our hearts are special, there is always more room, any pony who says there is no room in their heart is a liar. Cadence, I am sorry I have had to tell you this, on today of all days ...but unless you understand the full truth of your grief, it will devour you ...the unfairness of death, a long long time ago, once consumed me."

"Would a world without death, really be so awful?"

" ...Maybe, maybe not, for creatures who were born to die, death is a part of their lives. To appreciate life is to appreciate death. And above everything, remember this Cadence, death is not oblivion. It is only a step in a journey."

"A journey I can't join somepony with."

"We are different. Whether we like it-" Auntie sighed, "-or not. I am sorry I have had to tell you this, so you might not do something reckless, as those with wounded hearts tend to do, but please, I beg you, do not be afraid to open your heart to others because of this ...you will not be happier for it. Trust me when I say that."

"...But Cadence...for what comfort it is...You will never forget them. Your memory, even if the brain is physical, is eternal. Alicorns can never forget because our power, our Concept, IS us. Sometimes this is a horrible curse, as you may find it when it comes to that damaged world...But it can also be the greatest blessing we have. Your memories of them will ALWAYS be yours to treasure. The fog of ages can never rob you of their memory. So please, treasure those memories forever my niece."

I thanked Auntie for her time, we spoke formal partings, and I left her company ...I had a lot to think about. Shining Armor. Everypony. I think a part of me is afraid.

+++

What did Queen Tiamat's head speak to me about? It wasn't about how to organize her treasure horde by age, weight, and karat value.

"We see, we never thought we would lay eyes on yet another of your kind."

"I don't know what you mean your highness."

"Do not play games with me, pony, you stink of those who crowned themselves lords of time in their arrogance. And the scent of death trails behind you like a wedding gown."

"I am not him."

" ...Interesting ...So this is how it is. Most interesting. Do not presume too much little lady of clocks. Your thread of fate and his are one and the same. As long as he exists, your future is delicate. It is the nature of the seal upon his essence, it shall stay with you forever, temping you, speaking to you, wearing you down, you will be drawn back to it like a moth to a flame, and it will haunt you like your own shadow."

"I can hold him."

"Can you now, governess of stopwatches, and quarter hours?"

"I have those who care about me, and who I care about. I won't let myself vanish, solely so he can bring suffering to them. I know what he can do. I'm never letting him free."

"He holds power you do not, baronesses of time tables and calendars, he holds knowledge and wisdom you do not, suzerain of hourglasses. Your heart still carries his craving for order, and the power to bring about that order."

" ...Can ...can you destroy it?"

"If we could, we would eat it, and you where you stand, regess of half-past noon. But the watch carries with it a design and drive of its own open or not, it will twist fate so an unwitting vessel will find it, and open it just enough to return to you. The only reason we do not consume you to be reborn and digested over and over in our stomach is our truce with Celestia. And we do not wish to get food poisoning. Clockwork princess."

I shuddered with how Tiamat said, she hadn't been joking, Celestia's protection WAS the only thing keeping me alive where I stood. And knowing the monster that was locked in my watch...I couldn't blame her.

" ...are you saying I'm doomed?"

" ...Hmmmmm.... Not so much as another in your party is. You're more 'inevitably ill-fated' than doomed."

"So no but yes? Queen Tiamat, please...I don't want to become him again...But I don't want to die...I want to protect everypony I care about from him. They're...my hoard and I want to keep them safe."

I didn't dare DEMAND she tell me what I want to know.

She actually SMILED at that.

"Such determination to protect what's yours. Many would have run the moment we threatened to devour them. How adorable. Well, there's a chance your experiences and personality MIGHT affect his nature and outlook on life, resulting in seeing the evil he has done for what it is and seek repentance, but I wouldn't bet on it. Though there is the logical possibility your stronger spiritual and emotional bonds to others than yourself, and your strength of heart and will, might lead you to absorbing him instead of the other way around, as in this world, unlike the one he hails from, such things do have great power ...Though either is a gamble. Know this, your prisoner? As long as he exists, he shall shadow you."

+++

Another day, another day of high school. Okay, check, do I have all of my books with me?
History of Equestria Senior Edition, check.
Classic Flugelhorn Marches and Tangos, blech, sadly yeah.
Advanced Placement Calculus, the answer is yes.
Composition, check.
Royal Guard Cadet Program, mega check!

Have my friends with me? Check. Now, just get to class.

Back in my high school days huh? Well, at least everything looks to be normal for once. Heh, creepy mutt must have trouble finding me among all the other weirdos in high school!

Then one of my friends trips 'accidentally' thanks to the captain of the Canterlot Academy polo-team, and down we go into a dog pile.

It's stunning to see how that jerk Buck Withers matured, or that he married one of Cadence's old circle. His wife must have nagged him into a gentlestallion.

How did I end up on the bottom of the pile? Ugh. You guys are heavier than you look! Off off!

"Oh here, let me help you up."

Wait. I know that voice. But that's-

I looked up into the eyes of an angel. I could even see her halo. Though that might have been the overhead lamps. She was cute, pretty, beautiful, and drop dead gorgeous. She was so cool, she was so hot. She was so amazing, so was so spectacular! Young me! Stop with the 2-D descriptions! There's so much more to her than that! Stop using so many words to describe what you can sum up! She was a vision. That's better. She was so cute with that mane and tail bow. Okay, she is. And her mane cut is pretty bonny too. The way she smiled warmly at me, the pleasantness in her pretty purple eyes ...Sweet Celestia was I really this corny? She's my princess! I've found the mare who's going to be my Very Special Somepony! Wait! What?!

Why hadn't I noticed it before? We'd seen each other before, she foalsits Twiley? Oh well, doesn't matter! All that matters is she's an angel!

I got told later Princess Celestia, to make sure Cadence didn't turn out a spoil brat like some of her relatives, on top of having Cadence foalsit, also had her parents make Cadence attend Canterlot Academy instead of a fancy private school. Of all the royal commands Princess Celestia had made, this one made me wish she was elected just so I could vote for her! Hold on a second! I couldn't have-

And we're going to live happily ever after, and live in a pretty crystal castle- Okay now I'm delusional. Am I imagining that in crayon?! OH COME ON! I'm not that bad an artist!

Princess Cadence ...I'm going to make you Princess Cadence my Very Special Somepony.

Hey! You can't MAKE her yours you dumbbell! She isn't some prize you can win! Don't you care about how Cadence feels about it you idiot?! Wake up Shining Armor! Wake up right now!

I woke up, before the alarm. I turned off the radio before I had to endure whatever weirdo ironic song I was going to get stuck this time.

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony): Caaaaan, yooooou feeel, the loooove toooonight-)

Cut it out!

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): Rest well Shining?)

That memory, it ...it couldn't have been real.

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): Oh it was real alright.)

But I couldn't have ...

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony): You couldn't have had a crush on Cadence on sight, then, after not seeing her for years, working so hard to achieve your dreams of becoming a royal guard, not seeing your old friends for years and making new friends and new hobbies, forgotten about it in the rush of everything. Only to fall in love with her all over again?)

NO! How the Tartarus could my feelings for her have ever been so bucking SHALLOW?! All that me talked about almost was her looks! He didn't weather Cadence would find him attractive or not! HE decided he and Cadence were going to be together?! That's stupid! Where does Cadence's feelings come into that equation!?

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): ... Shining. Calm down. Breath. Stop. Think. Don't give yourself a heart attack. and get off that soapbox.)

Oh. Sorry. Dang it, it's going to be hard to get this out of my bedroom.

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): Shining, there is a reason that ponies take not of their appearances, because it's what everypony sees first. Cadence is open about who she is on the inside. Kind. Loving. Considerate. Mature. She shines that light wherever she goes.)

But I saw her as some... perfect image, like she was something I could own.

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): No. You didn't. You simply had a high ideal of what it meant to be someone and what it meant to fall in love.)

Are you listening to me? That me was so, superficial.

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): First, he wasn't, he simply had a very addled brain from suffering from suddenly being in love. Second, everything starts somewhere, flowers start from seeds. Ponies get to know each other, they learn about each other, they find their common ground, their find each other's virtues and how they compliment each other. Buck saw Cadence being with him as natural simply because he was a top athlete, like it was his RIGHT to have her. You? ...You'd get to know her, you'd get to understand her little by little. Isn't that what you've done this last year and a half? Getting to know her? Heck, you'd already known her fairly well by then.)

But why didn't I fall in love with her when she came to foalsit Twilight?! Or on our trips together?! Why did I fall in love THEN if it wasn't just with her looks?

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): Who were you with when you'd seen her before that?)

Twiley...

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): And who have you ALWAYS put first? Who is the one pony who when she's around, was always your priority to protect and make sure she was as happy as possible?)

...Twiley...

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): Isn't it possible that when Twilight was there, you were more concerned about her well being? That you wanted to make sure Cadence was a good foalsitter to her your mind didn't process it? And when you saw her for the first time WITHOUT Twilight being present, without having her to concern yourself over and devote yourself to as much as Applejack devotes herself to her family, it finally clicked because for once you were able to solely on Cadence without any distractions?)

...I guess that made sense...Okay, why are YOU on a soapbox now?

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): Not important, what IS important is even if what you had before could be called a crush, can you really say what you feel for Cadence is just a crush, or do you think what you feel is just duty?)

...No, I can't say it's just a crush....

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): Now look outside your window.)

...Dawn.

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): Every morning is a new day. What matters right now is what you feel about Cadence, and why you feel those things now. Remember that Shining Armor.)

Right. Thanks. Okay Ponsia. Princess Cadence and company are here. Let's find out what truth is waiting for me.

++++

The wolf stood atop the Invincible, the beast looking at the rising sun over the city.

".yoU shalL neveR leavE thiS lanD alivE ,shininG armoR"

+++

We'd gone through much of Equrope, from Prance with wounds from our losses still raw, to the mostly Diamond Dog nation of Latveria (where despite being called Von Doom, President Dr. Von Doom was a surprisingly nice guy).

We'd been at so many places and that dream just reminds me of how many of them were romantic places for some reason. The Eyeful Tower in Hayris, the Battenburg Gate in Marelin, The Leaning Tower of Pizza, The Neigh Camp in Marecelona...

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): One of those things is not like the other, Shining, Neigh Camp is a stadium, that's not remotely romantic.)

It is if you're both Hoofball fans! Anyway, all those places, I... I had thought of trying to confess my feelings but, well, I said the problems with that.

Ponsia, the gate to maneland Neighsia. A nation that had long been a major power. A place steeped in history, myth and legend. A place of knowledge and wisdom. A place where so many tales start or end.

All of it was reflected by our welcoming committee, a guard of honor provided by the Ponsian Republican Navy. A corridor of ships, leading us to the aerodrome. It gave me memories of Columbia, for without Makarov around the Columbians gave the more extensive and honorable military welcome to us instead.

Clearly, the Ponsians had wanted to one-up their Griffin allies. They'd given us a larger greeting, Hornblower noting four battleships, two different types of cruiser, various destroyers... An impressive number and an impressive show. The Ponsian ships also looked rather impressive - the Ponsian ships I'd seen before were the same sort of iron-clad of any airship, but these ones, befitting their nature as apparently ships meant to stay in the homeland, were a little more ornate: They had been painted to give the appearance of wooden hulls, and thanks to decorative sails and oars, resembled ancient triremes. And of course, they flew flags: The largest sail on each ship was our flag, they flew their own flag from the second-largest, and each ship flew a few standards, Cadence's royal standard and their own various fleet/ship colors.

Even with the standards and the faux-ancient ship look, it was a much more muted and appealing appearance than slapping tons of gold all over your already over-bulky flying brick!

"No submarines in the sand at least," Gag noted, reinforcing my deja-vu.

"It's a great reflection of trust to see this many ships greet us, Your Highness, for the Ponsians have been downsizing their forces and re-tooling towards a mostly Peacekeeping and Equinitarian role for their expeditionary forces. What we see here is the bulk of their defensive forces here to meet us," Hornblower revealed.

"Following our lead. The Immortals are some of the finest troops in the world, and train for some of the best less-lethal combat around. But I kinda want to see their archery skills..." Audience mused.

I reflected back on the Immortals I'd met, in the wrong timeline, and when I had been a member of the Special Tactics And Rescue Service meeting a group of them in Equestria to exchange tactics and training methods. They'd been impressive warriors in the fight, excellent peace officers training with us... and pretty good paintballers. They could give Audience a heck of a fun archery contest, for sure.

Speaking of ranged weaponry, the Ponsians were also firing salutes of confetti, which seemed to rain down like diamond dust. It was a type of magical paper that seemed to burn like a small sparkler but was cold to the touch: It wouldn't start fires or leave a whole load of paper behind to sweep up, as Twinkle Shine happily noted. We'd been finding streamers on the top deck for weeks after the griffins of Eagleland got a bit trigger-happy with their party cannons.

"A lot of history here... weight of time on these lands," Minuette sounded almost nervous.

"And a great deal to look forward to. We're here as diplomats, and I think we should do our best to appreciate as much as we can of Ponsia," Cadence announced.

Cadence spoke animatedly of all that had been born in Ponsia: the sport of Polo (yes, I'm aware of the irony!), possibly the game of Chess, the true birthplace of flying carpets even if the idea was more closely associated with the Arabrayian Penninsula to the south, origin of backgammon, numerous contributions to music including inventions leading to the modern guitar, the first ever cultivation of spinach...

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony): Eeyuck!)

...invention of ice cream and cookies...

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony): Yay!)

...the first hospitals, many medical innovations, even the earliest refrigerators, air conditioning, postal services and staplers! No wonder they had a serious claim to be the cradle of civilisation, though they do stress that doesn't mean 'cradle of ponykind'.

Everypony was looking forward to that. But I was looking for answers, and I found myself staring past what everypony else was watching. Beyond the corridor of ships and the skyline of Tehrein we could see the desert, the Dasht-e Zamaan.

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): The Desert of Time?)

Yep.

+++

It used to be I compared capitals to Canterlot, then it became I compared them to other cities. And now in Tehrein any comparison I make leads back to Canterlot like it's in a circle.

The view from the embassy window... heck, my room alone seems to reflect what Ponsia wants to be. To be mindful of the past but look open on the future. Everything in here seems to be styled like ancient Achemanedian equivalents in appearance, but the wide windows are obviously modern double-glazing. The twin swords over the fireplace look real but are just models. And the fireplace is actually a facade over the environmental control engine, a little magitek gizmo that combines some of the Roedinian biotechnology with older Ponsian wards and engineering tricks - it even makes fake flames or snowfall depending on how you set it up!

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): And you have no idea how it works?)

Nope, not even touching it, I have a problem with it, I'm asking a Ponsian or one of the Embassy guards...Knowing my luck I'd probably find some way to accidentally blow it up.

The magical tea-kettle is appreciated though. Might need to get one myself...

Anyway, with such wide windows I had a good view of the city. It was clear that they'd tried to maintain their identity. Cloudscrapers in most other cities would be spires of steel and glass, but here, they looked like taller versions of the ancient buildings near them. The outer appearance of age with the inner advantages of the new, and the city trying to avoid the architectural mishmash so many other capitals had for their skylines...

Which was why it kept reminding me of Canterlot, where the Conserve Canterlot's Beauty Committee tried to keep strict architectural styles and conventions, but at the same time it reminded me of other cities as they clearly had no problems with newer techniques and advances: One construction site I could see looked pretty much like any other, they had cranes and other modern mechanical devices, steel scaffolding and cement mixers - but the final building would resemble the centuries-old Central Bank headquarters beside it.

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): That's the beauty of more modern civilizations, they've managed to find a balance. The new and the old, magic and technology. These are things that are at their strongest when working together in balance.)

Someone needs to tell the CCBC that. Thank goodness they aren't allowed to regulate the appearances of building interiors or the actual construction methods used or we'd be stuck hauling blocks of marble everywhere with horrible wallpaper. Seriously, they think you slap up some cream with flower patterned bordering, chuck a plant in there and that's the whole room tied together!

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): You are painting them in foalish extremes. As some of them do you, thinking you want to turn Canterlot into another Stalliongrad. There is a difference between wanting to keep things in a particular style and smog free, and wanting to take construction methods back to the age of the three tribes. And they've elected Princess Luna their new chairpony.)

Oh.

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): Er... You seem to know something about interior design.)

Quite a lot actually, there was the basic Decorations and Wallpaper course in training and when I was in STARS we got a crash course in repairing fire damage on the assumption we might someday cause some. Oh, and a lot of books about it in the ship library. Not as many as there are on ropes though...I should know, by now I think I've read almost the entire library. And not a thing on the Wolf.

I needed to find Minuette though, check up on the schedule. Maybe I was lucky and we'd visit somewhere along the way where I could look for anything about the Wolf. Otherwise, well, I've no idea what I can do.

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony): Maybe there's a library in the embassy!)

Not likely, they just stock them with Equestrian books and anyway, there's a perfectly good local library across the stre....

Hang on.

+++

"Minuette, have you got a minute?"

She sighed.

"Never heard that one before."

"Sorry, I'm not joking, I just want to check if there's an hour or so open in the schedule any time soon, I'm wanting to go across the street and check for something in the library."

The hoofmaiden stared at me. Twinkle Shine seemed to be pondering as well.

"...When did you take your brother's place, Twilight?"

"Ha ha. I'm just wanting to do some research into something."

"You're sure you're not purple?"

"Well, we've not got anything scheduled this evening before dinner, so I guess we could go over later," Minuette said.

"Okay. Wait, we?"

"Of course, you'll need help with the research..." The Hoofmaidens grinned.

"I think perhaps you're thinking of something else, I'm looking into something I heard about Ponsia."

"Oh. Then we can ask if Cadence wants to go!"

That could actually work out in my favor. No risk of getting so far away from Cadence wolfy might pop up, and the cover story is already there!

Plus, it was a library, so they couldn't exactly easily burst into song.

+++

First there was a fairly standard lunch to welcome us to Ponsia, me standing around quietly while there were a few hours of quiet diplomacy. Nothing you haven't heard before, except it was in Ponsian and about Ponsia rather than, say, Germane and about Prance.

My head began to droop, when Minuette helpfully floated me some glasses with my eyes painted on them. "No," I said reluctantly, "That's rude."

Minuette calmly pointed to the number of ponsians wearing similar glasses. One of the guard leaned in and whispered.

"It's not rude, in fact we think it's rude you have to stay awake. The Foreign Minister is a bit... sleep-inducing. I mean, we Immortals have these face masks, you just see a silver smiling face, no idea if we're awake or not!"

Well, when in Roam, or Ponsia.

+++

So what memory is this now? Wow! I'm so cute! ... I'm a blank flank? Wow, I have gone pretty far back now. Where's, there's Twiley! Reading as always. Count on that. She was almost reading before she could speak, okay, not really, but sure felt like it! It's a great day outside! Blue sky! Barely a cloud. Bright and sunny. Gentle wind. Green grass, tall trees, nice flowers, a great day at the park, and our parents trusting me to look after Twiley.

I'm reading a comic.

"A hero doesn't first punish evil! A true hero first protects the innocent!" Declared the first Captain Equestria to his successor who had gotten a little too eager in beating up the bad guys and protecting Equestria from 'outside' threats.

"Captain Equestria? Don't you know how dated those are? You should read a real comic, like Ghost Flyer!"

Buck Withers. This idiot again? I mean, I've run into this jerk before Canterlot Academy? At least if I got back further I won't have to see this moron again. Still has that self entitled 'B' cutie mark.

"Didn't he sell his soul to Tirek to get revenge on the biker gang that sacrificed him to Tirek?" I asked.

"He did it to avenge his wife! And then was freed from his contract from Tirek by converting to the church of Celestia!" Flank Thrasher, Buck's right hoof colt. Yellow coat and orange maned earth pony, his cutie mark is a band-aid with a color burst behind it. Does he still play polo? Or he a sports doctor now?

"Would you colts stop arguing? I'm trying to read!" Twiley called at us.

Buck never did like being told what to do, especially from a filly, and Flank follows him like a shadow. "Don't you know fillies like you shouldn't be reading big books like this. You should stick to sticker books and playing with dollies!"

"Me and Smarty Pants read together!" Twiley proudly showed her doll. Big mistake.

Wait a minute, I ... I know how this goes! Twiley? My cutie mark, I earned it protecting Twiley? Why would I ever call Twiley "someone"?! Okay. Hold the phone. There is NO WAY in Bucking Tartarus I'd forget about the most important bucking moment in my foalhood! I call foul!

Predictably. The jerks acted like jerks, and grabbed Twiley's doll from her telekensis, and held it in their mouths. I hope it doesn't give Twiley jerk-germs and makes her a jerk forever.

"Hey! Give 'er back!"

"Nuh-uh!" Buck said a mouth full of doll.

Then Flank put himself between Twiley and buck. Making her unable to eyeball her doll and try to pull it back with her magic. Not that her magic grip could match Buck's earth pony strength back then.

The worst part is, I owe that jerk not only for giving me a black knight to protect Twiley against, and earn my cutie mark, but I also owe the jerk for unwittingly setting me and Cadence together when he tripped me up!

"Cut it out you guys!" I said reminding the two that I was still there, and just because I was a unicorn, didn't make me a physical weakling. I pushed my way between them, I think my horn scared them a bit that I was gonna poke their eye out or something. Or my 'clopped off big brother' look did that. I grabbed Smarty Pants with my own mouth, tasting Buck's spit, and placing it calmly in front of Twiley.

Buck and Flank weren't expecting their toys to fight back, and Buck's ego wasn't as big as it was going to get in his later years.

"Jerks, can't take a joke or ponies having different tastes than them, let's go Flank."

"Right, Buck."

Well, that's settles that. And, wait-

"Twiley! What are you doing? Get down from there!" Twiley had begun to climb the tree she'd been under, and had managed against the odds to get on one of the branches.

No.

"I'm fine! Nopony's gonna bother me from way up here! See? Safe and sound!" She bounced a few times to prove its strength. Except...

That branch! It's going to... Twiley!

The branch breaks, my little sister falls, she cries out. I don't think, I act, a magenta colored force field forms around her, like a rubber ball, and she lands with a bounce, not a bruise on her. The force field bounces a bit more, and her cries turn into shouts of having fun!

"Yeah! You saved me big brother! You saved my book too! And Smarty Pants!"

I gently dissolve the force field, and give her a nuzzle as my heart finally stops racing, she nuzzles back, anything for my little sister, don't worry, I've got your back. I was happy I was able to protect her.

Wait a sec, the tree, in the branches, from the fall, that bird nest, it's going to ...not on my watch. One quick forcefield, and got it, no scrambled eggs today, there ya go Mr. and Mrs. Bird. Happy to protect your eggs. ...Protect.

It's not just Twiley.

Protect my sister, protecting a couple of bird eggs... Everypony. I'll protect where I can, and how I can, I'll be the white knight who shields them! There's a sparkle on my flanks. I know what it is.

"Big brother! You got yer cutie mark!"

"Yeah, thanks Twiley!" I gave her a hug.

+++

I woke up, listened to the rest of the speech without hearing a word, and we were on our way. So ... I guess that's what they mean, I hadn't dreamed about getting my cutie mark yet ... so it hadn't happened yet. No ... No wonder I couldn't give my friends any details about it... . I wonder if I won't have any baby pictures until I get that ... ick. Never mind. Back on track saving myself from oblivion.

Cadence however was being nosy, er, curious, as we made our way back to the embassy from that.

"So what is it that's so urgent you need to get to a library?"

"It's not urgent, it's just this seems to be the earliest chance," I dodged. I mean answered.

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): Too late.)

"Okay, nice try to dodge the real question..."

Gha!

"...but what is it really?" She smirked.

"It's just a... mythological creature from Ponsia I heard about that sounds interesting, but I've never really found any other references. I just want to see if maybe the library here has something."

"Is it Takam, the King of Goats? We're pretty sure that's actually just Grogar."

"No, and isn't that what they say about every legendary goat? Anyway, it's a wolf."

I can't believe I just said that so bluntly. I also can't believe she didn't realize.

"A wolf? Strange, you don't seem like much of a dog pony. You jump every time something barks. Dogs, honey badgers, parrots..."

"It was a parakeet, Princess. I think. Uh... Hey, anypony remember if it was a parrot or a parakeet back in Triana?" Gag tried to clarify.

"Yes, it's a sort of... shadowy wolf. Like it's meant to be a sort of blank space of nothingness."

"...A blank space shaped like a wolf?" Cadence looked oddly concerned by this for a moment.... Oh, horseapples, she saw it at least once! I'd forgotten she could remember that!

I almost missed the openly startled look a Ponsian Guardspony had upon overhearing our conversation. Almost. If he'd been an Immortal he might have got away with it.

"Excuse me, Private, but do you maybe know something about the myth I'm talking about? I understand it's a little vague..." I began, but he feigned ignorance.

"Armand, answer him," his colleague cut in.

"Oh, er, sorry, your Captainness, I wasn't really listening to what you were saying..."

"Ah, sorry. Well, it's basically a story I heard about a sort of ghostly blank wolf," I said.

Yep, the way his eyes widened was a giveaway.

"The Zamaan Gorg! Ahhhhh!" And he ran away screaming, leaving his outline in a nearby closed door.

(Friend's Notes (All): ....)

Come on, I had to use that joke once!

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus):So what really happened?)

"The Zamaan Gorg!" He fainted.

"Erm, sorry for that," his friend said prompting him up. Then he said seriously, "You want to learn of the Shen Gorg?"

"The what now? In low Equestrian please."

"'Time wolf' or 'wolf of the sands.' "

"That means shadowy black wolf of nothing? Yes."

"Why do you wish to know of it?"

"Just... heard about it, want to know more," I claimed.

"Look into material on the Ancient City of Taghdir. Some legends of the events there reference a similar being," he said, and we moved on.

"We're visiting that, actually, at the end of the week. The ruined city has a small town built near it called Vardanak Asb," Minuette noted a few moments later.

"...Uh, that town name, Vardanak Asb, it's a Ponsian equivalent of Ponyville. Means 'small city of horses' more or less."

"But it's not a literal thing?" Twinkle Shine asked.

"...I dunno, it's beside the Biaabaan Sea, is that littoral?"

"Dang it, Gag, you know what I mean! And littoral refers to the actual water."

+++

Some time later, we were in the library. I'd found a few books on Taghdir.

It had, as far as I can tell, been the old capital of the old Empire of Ponsia. Their Emperor had made his seat here, at the edge of the desert and the shores of the desert sea, so that he held domain over all four elements: The earth of the sand, the water of the lake, the air of the shamals, and the fire of the desert sun. It was this power, the Empire claimed, gave their ruler access to the fifth element, the quintessence.

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): Pfft, everypony knows the fifth element is surprise!)

Anyway, that was one book. Another told me that emperors down the ages used wisdom and the knowledge left by their forefathers. Another still told me that the site was chosen as it represented a means to all three terrains, earth, sky, and sea. What I'm saying is, there's a lot of conflicting myths. And not a lot about wolves.

Except in the story of Maredonius, and unusually it was recorded by a Minotaur Oracle. Maredonius was the most successful general of the Empire, taking the crowns and tiaras of two dozen tribal leaders and monarchs. She had never fought a campaign longer than a month. She was sent to invade Labyrinthia, and quickly realized it was a suicide mission. She was given poor supplies, empty promises of reinforcements - and she knew this as she had overseen the construction of garrisons across the empire. She knew Minotaur lands were hard to reach.

She went all the same, but sought to consult an oracle. She then returned home, entering the palace and confronting the emperor with the accusation he had sent her to die, imperiling Ponsia so that he would be rid of a rival. The Immortals swore oaths to Ponsia, not the Emperor. They sided with her.

It claimed the emperor was shocked at this, and frantically consulted a strange parchment that only Maredonius saw before a shadowy wolf leapt in and snatched it. What others saw was that he began screaming and wailing, and the immortals detained him. The Emperor had betrayed the empire, the nobles deemed, and thus the empire was no more. In his stead they elected a Supreme Vizier, Maredonius, who led the nation that became the Republic of Ponsia I'm currently snoring my cutie mark off in because these books are pretty dull reading... I mean, seriously, you overthrow a mad emperor and all you do is throw him in the sea? When his name means 'great swimmer'? Zzzz.....

+++

Okay. I'm no longer surprised by these. Let's see what I'm dreaming about this time. I'm at home? Okay. Works. Lots and lots of books? Yep. And ... Oh I know what this is.

"Twiley, what is this?"

"This is my book fort, with me and Smarty Pants!"

It was kind of impressive, I swear the titles were stacked in alphabetical order. But it was poorly timed, her foalsitter was meant to be here soon. Mom and Dad had gone in to work this morning, and the plan was that I would wait for the foalsitter before I went over to my friends house. Except his mother had come over to tell me he was grounded, so I was going to have to stay with Twiley and the Foalsitter.

I was okay with that. I wanted to make sure I could trust her... Whoa, wait a minute, paranoid younger overprotective big brother me, it's Cadence, a Princess!

Princess or not, I had to be sure Twiley was safe with her. I know not to make assumptions but I've heard stories about how bratty Prince Blueblood is supposed to be, and if there's even a slim chance that she's not giving my Little Sister Best Friend Forever one hundred and ten percent of her attention and care... I can't take that risk, Alicorn or not!

I was shaken from my mental assertions by a knock at the door... What was I doing, I was going to be making sure an ALICORN was safe to have around my sister?! One of only two on the planet, Princess Celestia's niece, I must be nuts!

...but Twiley... Ponies see her preferring to be alone with books and Smarty Pants and think she's weird. Cadence has foalsat her for three weeks and it's meant to be going well but I have to be sure.

I looked outside, in case it was somepony different, like a door-to-door salesmane, a burglar, or worse, that Minotaur she'd accused of being two ponies in a costume. Thank goodness it was better than whatsername's theory they were humans with fake legs...

Instead it was either an alicorn, or a pegasus with a fake horn, or a unicorn with it's Cadence you idiotic young me, open the bloody door a fake pair of... Uh, I should open the door.

She seemed to be startled, good! I mean bad, bad! Scaring a princess is bad! Be polite but cautious, remember what Uncle Cool Sun said! Don't break eye contact and run... Wait, no, that's tigers. I think...

"H-Hello, um, I'm Cadence, I'm here to foalsit Twilight?" She said first.

Alright, be polite, be cautious, and... Aaagh, mouth! Are you speaking without consulting me?!

"Good morning, Cadence. My name is Shining Armor, I'm Twilight's brother. Please come in."

Oh horseapples, what did I just... Oh, that's not too bad... Don't ask about anything weird, she's here for Twilight, and you're here because your idiot friend set fire to the bathroom and got grounded. And to make sure you can trust the cute Princess! Who Twiley is clearly happy to see... And, okay, that is the strangest greeting I have ever seen that didn't involve a fedora and a plate of noodles...

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony): Wait, what?)

Long story...

Hold on, I thought you guys couldn't speak to me in my dreams, or have you before? I can't remember. Wait . . . why am I in Twiley's book fort?

(Friend's Notes (Pegasus): You're not. You skimmed through so many books, you built your own while you were at it.)

Me? A book fort? Please never tell Twiley!

(Friend's Notes (Unicorn): You have our word.)

"...but basically it was... Huh?"

"You fell asleep, Shining. I thought you found this mythical beast interesting?" Cadence teased.

"Uh, yes... but, I've not found much referencing it."

"It is time we were heading back. Supper should be ready and we've got a long day tomorrow."

"...How long?"

Minuette produced a list.

"In the morning we're going to the Ministry of Agriculture to discuss imports of Apples, and then we're heading over to the Mining and Smithing Guild to finalize the contracts for Chip-Hammer Rockfarms contract to gold-farm near Damavand, and then..."

Judging by the look on Cadence's face she was thinking the same thing as me, 'Make it stop! Make it stop!'

"It's a pity we're in the center of the country. I went to the coast on vacation with my family once, I kinda want to visit it again," Audience noted.

"Why would you want to go back to Karkand when you could visit someplace new?" Garnet wondered.

"Nostalgia. And they have a rock-skimming competition every saturday at the beach."

"Captive, let's just go back to the embassy... Also if y'all were paying attention to the news there's a strike at Karkand, some sort of labor dispute with the local council. Dang Groucho-Marxism... Nearly as bad as Laurel-Hardiests..."

"Says the Stoogean," The bad-joke-spewing son of two Groucho-Marxist trade unionists shot back.

Couldn't I fend for my existence without dealing with the idiocies of politics? That's Cadence's job! I was told if there was a clue to me getting fido off my back it would be here, so I have to find it!

We left the library, though one of the librarians seemed about ready to throw the book at Gag and Ellis for their brief ideological debate.

(Friend's Notes (Earth Pony: Which book?)

Pretty sure we did this bit back in Zebrafrica, let's just go back to the embassy, I'm hungry.

+++

"Happy birthday Twilight!" We said together, as she opened her present, revealing the Smarty Pants doll with the notebook and quill. The idea was to lure fillies into wanting to learn more via the doll as the bait and switch. With us, it was the opposite, the note pad and quill being the bait for the doll. With everything Twiley was learning, mom and dad thought maybe she needed something to encourage her imagination too. The good news was, her other toys didn't get jealous of the new arrival and kidnap Twiley forcing Smarty Pants to go on an epic quest to save her.

"I . . . I see . . . pony run. Peg-pegasi fly with their wings. Unickcorn do majik with their horns. And Earth Ponies touch earth's heart with their hooves." I heard Twilight reading her first book. But then she looked at mom. "But the earth is a big rock that the sun goes around, how can it have a heart?"

Mom nuzzled her. "There's more to a heart than that kind of heart dear."

"I don't understand."

"Do you want to?"

"Yes momma."

Twiley. She was never scared of the dark, she'd only look to the stars, and smile, which made actually getting her to go to bed a problem.

"Twiley! Time to go to bed!" Mom and dad were talking with friends of theirs and had left me in charge of getting her to bed tonight.

"Naw! I wanna watch the moon rise!"

"Dad and mom want you to bed now, you really should."

"Don't wanna."

"Mom and dad do, and I do. And you really should!"

Magic surge! She turned my mane pink!

She giggled at me. I made a dive at her, magic surge, she teleported and I bumped into her bed! Ouch! Now I need to get my horn unstuck. Dad must have come in to see what was wrong cause.

"Shining . . . don't move a muscle."

"Why?"

"She's in your mane."

"And?"

"She's sleeping . . . "

"But what about me?"

"I'll get you a blanket and pillow."

Well, that explains the times she hid in it when I went through the stage of refusing to cut it. At least mom and dad only asked a couple times to change Twiley's diapers.

+++

A whole week... and nothing. That was it, one book referenced it! Anypony else I asked looked nervous and denied everything.

Vardanak Asb was the last day, tomorrow we were leaving for Mesotrotamia. It was now or never, possibly in more ways than one. Taghdir's ruins sat beside the intact and newer structures, like a before and after of sorts. The modern town gave some clue what the old ruins might have been like back in the day, but the ruins were a little more impressive, a huge arena-like bowl in the middle and so many different temple-like structures it was like a maze.

But there had to be something. First we were visiting a temple dedicated... to fate? Or at least a goddess of fate. Mamitu or something, she apparently also blessed newborn foals.

There actually some parents here with their babies for her blessing. It was a circular hanging garden built on top of a thin hill, almost a tower. There was a raised stone path leading right to it with lanterns (not lit right now of course). I didn't see any aqueduct, maybe it was fed by a spring?

Minuette mentioned how they were a half dozen self-cotradicting myths and urban legends surrounding the place that seemed half-tourist board and half-too many games of tele-scroll. A riddle nopony could solve. An guardian nopony could defeat. An always right oracle. A sword waiting for the 'chosen one.' A secret underground tournament to determine 'the world's strongest.' A lost tribe waiting for the Eus Yram (whatever that was). And of course all whispered by 'mysterious old stallions' and the nebulous 'they.' She didn't sound impressed by any of them.

(Friends' Notes (Unicorn): There is something about all that . . .)

Two large brass plaques sat either side of the main gate leading to the garden's interior. I felt drawn to them, like a magnet. Like they were meant for me. Like I said to read them. That they had to be read by me.

(Friends' Notes: Shining!)

"Blank wolf, tireless hunter.
Blank wolf, perfect tracker.
Blank wolf, never stopping, never resting.

Not white for white is a color.
Not an animal for animals hunt for only for food.

The blank wolf, never tiring, never resting, never stopping.

Blank wolf, erasing my footsteps in the snow, cleansing any memory of me from the world. Make it as though I never was.

Blank wolf, I leave marks here, I leave marks there, I try to adjust the flow of things in some way, somehow. But the blank wolf passes over them. And then there is nothing. Blank wolf.

No matter what I made it is forgotten. No matter what I contribute it is erased. No matter what I say it is muted. The blank wolf makes sure of that.

I manage to forget about it sometimes, I just pretend it's not there, just beyond my vision, just beyond my senses. It is the blank wolf.

Blank wolf always hunting. Always stalking.Never ceasing. Never tiring. Blank wolf.

Blank wolf. I leave these words. And then the blank wolf will cross here too. And they will be forgotten. As if I had never wrote them. Blank.

Blank Wolf.

Where it steps past my foot falls, my foot prints vanish.

Where it passes where I've left my mark, it is as if it was never there.

I leave memories of myself where I've been with others, when it passes, I am not remembered.

Everything I make unmade. Everything I do undone. Everything I know made meaningless. Everything I learn made empty. Blank.

Blank wolf. I leave these words. And then the blank wolf will cross here too. And they will be forgotten. As if I had never wrote them. Blank.

Blank Wolf. " I read. I blinked, why the heck had I read all that out loud?

"Wait, why is this written in Equestrian."

"What is sir?"

"What's on these plaques next to the gate!"

"Captain . . . there's nothing written on those plaques," Ellis said.

(Friend Unicorn: It's a trap!)

The world turned faded for a moment, no way! No! Cadence was right here! She was looking at me. How could-

"Shining! Above you!" Cadence said looking up but no pony else seeing.

"!noW ,leT uS begiN ouR finaL hunT"

A dark shape came down on top of ~~me, I~~ felt its claws ~~along my back~~ no, please. ... I feel, the pain ~~that isn't pain~~. ~~I~~ can't, Twiley, mom, Gaffer, Thunderchild . . . Cadence . . . No, can't . . . ~~black~~ness. "Cadence ~~I~~ . . . "

TO BECONCLUDED

Author's Note

Story Arc written by LZ0291 lz0291.deviantart.com/
This chapter was written by me (Alex Warlorn) and LZ.

Shining Armor is given a two year tour of the world to be the captain of Princess Cadence's body guard. Yeah. That's all. That's everything Yep. Nothing what so ever else. *AJ's Liar face*

Previous: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Shining-Armor-No-More-Script-426815828

Next Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Shining-Armor-The-Final-Page-429469827

First Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Fluttershy-FlutterCruel-Pearls-260092460

"Time is an ocean in a storm."

This storyline runs PARALLEL to the events in the Dark World storyline narrative wise.

Please help the trope http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries
And recap pages. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/PonyPOVSeries (please?)

Check out the recursive fanfiction and fanart of the Pony POV Series! http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/journal/MLP-FiM-PonyPOVSeriesFanworks-audio-adaption-2013-349281264 Many of it approved by me as canon.

Be sure to join our Group for a TON of recursive works, many a part of optional canon!!! http://mlp-pony-pov-series.deviantart.com/

AND! Be sure to check season zero and season one's fanlabor pages! PLEASE! THey need lots of work! As does our recap page on TVTropes! Please! Help people who are new to the series get caught up with updating the recap page!!
http://mlpfanart.wikia.com/wiki/Pony_POV_Series_Season_Zero:_Discorded_Ponies
http://mlpfanart.wikia.com/wiki/Pony_POV_Series_Season_One:_Reharmonization

MLP: FiM is copyright of Hasbro

Cover Image By LZ

Song for the ending of this chapter:
"Devil Survivor 2 The Animation ED Full - BE" by Song Riders

Episode 146: (Shining Armor): emiT fO sdnaS-Sands Of Time

Episode 147: (Shining Armor? (who?)) Final Page

~~My Little Pony Friendship is Magic~~
~~Pony POV Series~~
~~"Shining Armor"~~
~~Chapter 23~~
~~The Last Page~~

Dust to Dust?

"Uncle Cool Sun! I'm bored..."

"I know, Kiddo, but it shouldn't be too much longer."

Uncle wasn't paying attention to me. He was still wearing his guard uniform.

"Uncle Cool Sun, why does momma have to be there when my little brother gets here?"

Uncle jumped. "Uh...well...you see...the...um..." He rubbed his head. Why does he look so nervous? "Well...uh...you see, Kiddo, when Celestia brings him, one of us has to be there so she knows who to give him too."

"I thought it was a magic mirror and that's why Daddy had to be here too."

"Oh! Well, you see they already did that and Celestia has to bring him to your momma after he comes out of the mirror back in Canterlot."

Who are they trying to fool? Everypony knows the stork brings foals! My baby brother isn't even here yet and he's already hogging momma and daddy! And Uncle Cool Sun is paying more attention to him than me too!

When he comes they're not going to pay any attention to me at all!

I huffed and crossed my hooves...Then I heard crying. Was that my little brother? Why is he crying? Is he hurt? I...I know I didn't want him taking all the attention, but I didn't want anything bad to happen to him!

"Uncle, what's going on?"

"I think your brother is here, Shining," Uncle said. He looked so nervous and worried! Was my little brother okay?

A few seconds later one of the grown ups came out of the room.

"Is Starlight okay? Is the foal okay?" Uncle Cool Sun asked.

I looked up at her worriedly.

"They're fine," the nurse smiled. "You can see them now."

We walked in. Daddy was standing next to Momma. She looked so tired. Why did she look so tired? How hard was it to get a foal from the stork? And why does daddy act like his hoof hurts?

Uncle nuzzled momma and looked at a little bundled thing next to momma.

"Momma...is my baby brother okay?"

Momma chuckled. "They're fine, Shiny...but I'm afraid you didn't get a little brother. You got a little sister."

Little sister?! I thought I was getting a brother!

Momma unwrapped the little thing and...

She's so little...I'm not a big pony and she looks so tiny to me...

Uncle Cool Sun smirked. "Cute little sprite, isn't she?"

"Shining, this is your baby sister."

I got close to her. I didn't expect her to be so little...

"She smells funny..."

"Well...that's because she just arrived. Babies...kinda smell funny when they first get here."

The little filly looked up at me with those tiny eyes.

I blinked. We just kinda stared at each other for a bit. I...I didn't know what to say to her...I...I just didn't think she'd be so tinny tiny...She looks so fragile...I'm almost afraid to touch her.

"Um...h-hi...I'm S-Shining Armor, your big brother..." I said, it was all I could think to say.

She cocked her head and stared at me...Okay, I guess that's kinda cute...

She booped me on the nose lightly with her hoof and giggled and made...baby sounds...I guess.

She reached out for me and I got a little closer as she grabbed my nose.

"I think she likes you, Shining," daddy said, smiling.

I blinked, looking at the tinny tiny pony hugging my nose. She was smiling at me. She just seemed...happy. My tiny...cute...fragile little sister liked me. She was happy to see me.

I nuzzled her. "I...I think I like her too..."

Why did I think something so tiny would be a threat to me? She was so tiny...anything could hurt her...Everything could hurt her...Someone needed to keep her safe...

"Momma...what's her name?"

Momma and daddy blinked. "Uh...we were kind of expecting a colt too..." daddy said.

"...How about Twilight, honey?" momma asked. "The name runs in my family. And you got to name Shining."

I smiled to my baby sister, who gave a yawn. "Twilight..."

+++

Mom sure had gotten fat lately. Mom and dad already told me how my little brother was coming soon, and it would take eleven months. Why was that? Couldn't dad just look in the magic mirror and out he'd come?

And whenever mommy wanted something, mommy was going to get it! It didn't matter what I wanted to do, or where I was, or what was promised, if mommy wanted it, it happened. Daddy is saying how I need to help too. But I was in the middle of playing swords with Gaffer when daddy called me in to be with mom when he went to get something.

And mom's been acting really really weird. First she's really angry at daddy, then she wants to snuggle with him, then she acts super friendly with other ponies visit, and then she cries, but says nothing wrong.

And I don't get why daddy had to get up in the middle of the night and go out and buy tofu, I thought mom hated tofu. Then she wanted scrambled eggs mixed with cheese, then mixed with nuts, then mixed with peaches, then mixed with cheese, nuts, and peaches. I'm sure there was as much eggs as there was other stuff.

"Daaaaddy, why I do to do all this stuff?" I asked.

"...Because when we were waiting for you, I had to go through this alone, now that you're here, you can help too."

Huh? Mommy was like this waiting for me? Why? Did she want me that bad?

"Where are my truffles?! Don't you love me anymore Moonlight?! Shining! Don't leave mommy all alone!"

Daddy breathed in and sighed. "And you were worth every second of it."

+++

"Son, we have something we need to tell you," said dad, sitting next to mom on the couch. We were sitting in the living room. Why? What was going on? Maybe they were getting me that new Captain Equestria action figure I wanted!

"You're going to be a big brother! We have a new baby on the way!" Mom said.

Huh?

"Honey! I wanted to coast into it."

"Dear, we if let you 'coast us into it' we'd have been here all day. So yes son, we're going to have a new addition to our herd next year."

I stared blankly. So...mom and dad were going to use the magic mirror again? So wait...this meant...

"I'm gonna have a little brother!" I jumped for joy. "This is gonna be soooooo coool! Ooh, we can play hoofball and hide and seek and build a treehouse and i can share my GG Joe toys with him and we can hide under vases together!"

"...You could do all that with a sister as well," dad said.

"Except the vases, the neighbors thought we were haunted the last time!" Mom added.

+++

"What I'm saying is that he's too powerful. He's well past the age for random magic surges. But the level of mana he's holding is greater than that of colts a year older than him. It's just not natural."

"Is...is his magic too much for his body to handle?" Mom asked worried.

"Huh? No no, his body is handling the level of mana just fine, that isn't the point."

"You say my son isn't in danger, but that isn't the point?" Mom asked.

"What I'm saying is," the doctor said, "His magic is too powerful for a foal his age to have. I can see it, why can't you? The colt is dangerous."

I held in my gasp from my hiding place.

"Dangerous?" Dad whispered.

"Yes, dangerous! He could put an airtight shield around somepony's head, or create a force field INSIDE a pony and expand it, or say if he got mad at somepony, he could simply crush another foal with one. I live in this neighborhood with my foals. If he got into an argument with them, he could put up a forcefield when one was crossing the street and they'd then get hit by a carriage! Who could stop him? You? Foals with power are DANGEROUS! He's a walking time bomb! PLEASE, If you really love him, if you don't want him to do something that he'll always regret that will snowball him into something worse, you need to have his horn shielded or severed from his magic center."

"WHY YOU!" Mom snapped. "My son isn't like that at all! How can you be a parent yourself and say that? Why I oughta-"

Somepony punched some other pony hard. I snuck a peek, it hadn't been mom, it was dad?

"Get out." Dad said calmly. "That is stupid. My son would never do anything like that. Ever. It's not in his nature. It's not who he is. His magic shields others! It doesn't hurt them! You say my son is special and that makes him a monster? That I should mutilate my son just because you're afraid of him? Get out!"

The stallion he had punched was picked by his wife. She growled at mom and dad. "That is assault! I am telling the guards!"

"And this is harassment!"

"It's not harassment to worry about my family!"

"Then it's not assault to protect mine!"

"We'll see who the guards agree with!"

Dad left ahead of mom, she found me behind the couch. "...Shiney? Have you been?...During that?...I'm sorry you had to hear all those horrible thing about you."

"Are...are they true?" I think I sniffled. "Am I a bad pony?"

She hugged me close and nuzzled me, "No. Not in the least! And I don't want you ever think you are young stallion...You are a sweet, kind, and loving little colt, who I am so proud to be the mother of. Don't ever think that, my little pony. Repeat after me, you're not a bad pony."

"I'm...I'm not a bad pony."

"That's a good colt." She kissed me below my horn. "And I know, you're special, and that is never a bad thing. Be proud Shining, you have magic that lets you protect others. And that makes you-"

"A knight in shining armor?"

"...heh, yes dear, it does."

The next day, some guards (but not uncle Cool Sun) were at front door for some reason, and dad said he had to go spend a week at a special vacation spot that was super secret and couldn't tell me about.

A week later he came back looking, really ruffled. The first thing he said to mommy when he got back, "Worth it."

+++

In the backyard, six colts were tackling a huge moral dilemma. How could six ponies play a game with only one set of goals painted on the far fence? We'd voted for hoofball (myself, my fellow unicorn Crono, Pit, our pegasus neighbour, and Leon, an earth pony from down the street voting for. Gaffer was against, and Poindexter wasn't voting as usual. A suggestion of baseball was met with 'no, just no' and nervous looks in my direction) but we hadn't really thought it through.

"So Gaffer goes in the goal and the rest of us try to score past him?" Pit said. His cutie mark would be a winged bow, but we were all too young to have earned them - or even be all that worried about them for that matter.

"Uh, no..."

"But Gaffer always goes in goal!" Leon protested. His cutie mark would be a silver cross.

"Yeah but that's when there's more of us and we're in the park."

"Soooo, why don't we go ta the park?"

"We can't go too far from the house, my mom and dad are doing work."

"What about your uncle?"

"He's away to join the Guard, 'member?"

"I could go in goal..." Poindexter spoke up.

Chrono, who would go on to earn a half-clock-face cutie mark, shook his head. He didn't talk much, so I decided to elaborate on why Poindexter wasn't a good keeper.

"Nah, you're too slow for a goalie. I could go in goals too but everypony says I'm a better striker..."

"That's kind of weird now that I think about it, aren't earth ponies like Poindexter meant to be strong and unicorns like Shining meant to be smart?" Leon mused.

"Well, yeah, but...Hey!"

"There's nothing WRONG with it, it's just I think you guys swapped or something, you got some of his earth pony stuff and he got your brains."

"Whatever. And anyway it's not important who goes in goal 'cos no one is going in goal, we all are if we can stop the ball!"

"Well what are we gonna do?"

"Anypony near the goal gets to stop it."

"Huh? But then how do we stop a foul ball?"

"Um...You can only use your hooves to stop it in the air...if you're behind the edge of the shed!"

"...That sounds dumb, we should just do shootouts with Gaffer in goal."

"If we do that we all have to take a turn, it's not fair Gaffer's always in goal!"

"Maybe we should just play with toy soldiers..." Gaffer whined.

"We voted for Hoofball, we're gonna play Hoofball!" Pit said.

We tried to play but as always seems to happen trying to keep a ball lower to the ground and not going over fences, within ten minutes it had gone into the neighbors. At least it didn't go through the window this time.

"Oh shoot...Last one to hit it gets it."

That had been me. Maybe I'd be lucky and it would be at the park getting a walk...

The fence wasn't that tall though. I climbed over it easily enough, and there was the ball, lying in the middle of the garden.

"Found it!" I reported as I kicked it back over. I was still learning to do my magic so my telekinesis wasn't so good yet.

Clearly it was away, it would be rushing out the second the ball landed if...

"Woof!"

"AAAAH!"

I bolted for the fence, trying to climb back over. I switched to plan B and jumped right over it.

"Whoa, did he spot you?" Pit asked.

"Yes, he spotted me!"

"Uh, Shining, if you can jump it, what about-" Poindexter began, only for a shape to descend from the sky.

"Agh! Max, get off, I wasn't coming to play, I just wanted my ball!" I protested as the neighbor's dog slobbered all over me.

+++

"The knights of olden days wore gleaming shining armor of silver, except Lady Bluebelle, who did have hers done in pink with yellow polka-dots, and Sir Fluffy Kitten who did have his painted like a tiger. Many wore silver barding as part of their strict code of cavalry..."

"That's 'chivalry', kiddo, but not bad! It's at least related to knights..."

"Cool Sun, don't correct him!"

"You corrected me, sis!"

"Yeah, but you're my little brother, I was supposed to correct you! Keep going, Shining."

"Uh, okay...their strict code of cav...chivalry...which also had them act in a noble way, such as defending the honor of the innocent and righting wrongs. They would joust in tournaments and fight dragons and evildoers to protect the land..."

I can't quite say how myths and legends of knights became a foalhood favorite of mine(!). Something just seemed interesting to a foal called 'Shining Armor' about ponies in shiny silver armor trotting around in the olden days fighting off bad guys...

"That's very good, Shining!" My mother smiled.

"Are there real knights around today? Like the Guards, are they knights even if they wear gold?" I asked.

"Well, kiddo...Sorta. Most of the Guards these days are kind of like knights but not the old kind in some ways. They still defend the innocent and protect the land, but there's no jousting..."

"So old knights aren't around any more?"

"Well, there are Guard regiments called the Heavy Cavalry and the Cataphracts. Lord Commander The Prince Ultramarine founded the first regiment like it over a thousand years ago and went to the chaotic lands of Equorpe to restore harmony. I guess the Pegasus Legion kind of counts but their armor isn't all that shiny..."

"So are you gonna be a cattyfract?"

"No, I'm joining the Canterlot Guards when I enlist, kiddo. Cataphracts don't really guard things most of the time, they train to fight if there's ever a really big problem. They're meant to charge in to help other guards if there's something wrong."

"So...they guard guards?" I wondered.

"Sort of. Plus they're called heavy cavalry for a reason..."

"They're all fat?"

"Uh, no, they wear barding that weighs...a lot. Like remember how heavy that bag of flour you helped your mom carry was? It's more than ten bags of flour."

I did the math. More than ten bags of flour? That could mean it weighed up to eleven!

"Wow, thats heavy...Is there lighter armor?"

+++

The big clay pots were so big! But there wasn't anything in them. What did papa and mama call them again? Bases? Cases? Vases? But we had pots in the kitchen with nothing in them most of the time, why weren't they called vases?

I looked in them to see there was any treasure once, but all I did was break one, mom spanked me a lot for that, said something about it being really old. But that couldn't happen again right? No way. The other pot broke totally by accident. What's the difference?

Besides, this time I'll be inside the pot on the floor already.

This old pot makes a much better mobile cave! It's so dark in here, it's like it actually goes on forever in here. A dark little spot that actually is better on the inside than the outside. Maybe there are bats and spiders? On second thought, maybe not. Maybe he was in a tank. Or a digging machine. Or a...what that thing in that 'sight-friction' book called again? A sub-marine!

Off I go, exploring the deep dark, unexplored darkness, who knew what was waiting for me? What treasures and wonders are waiting to be found! It's so safe and snuggly inside here.... Actually it's a little cold but it's okay! Oof! I wonder if I just came into contact with some ancient ruins. Maybe I'll meet some seaponies!

"..why is that vase moving around the floor?! YOU HAVE A GHOST AAAAAH!"

We have ghosts? Oops. My submarine is gone! Mama is holding it in her magic.

"...Shining?"

"Yes mama?"

"You just made Mrs Buttercups think we're haunted."

"Cool!"

"..."

"I mean, uh, sorry..."

+++

Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh. Where am I? Who am I? I am Shining Armor. What am I? I am a unicorn. How am I? In a lot of freakin' pain. It feels like my soul hurts. Where am I again? In a big heap of trouble.

And my back feels colder than ice and but burns like it's on fire.

Maybe all of that was just one big stupid contrived nightmare? Come on alarm clock! I'll never hate what music you play ever again! Let me know that was all just a nightmare!

...

Blagh! Hey! What! Did I fall asleep in a haystack? Hey! Hey you guys! Don't just stand there! There was a stallion in that cart of hay you just dumped out, don't ignore him! And why is everything so faded and gray? The wolf! No...it's...I don't see anywhere. What the hay is going on?

How can I feel so heavy and yet so hollow at the same time? Come on! Are you guys deaf? Can't you see me? Can't you feel me?

Why are you looking around? I'm right in front of you.

"Stupid pegasi wind pranks."

Pegasus? Wind prank? Come on!

~~"It is no use dear...they can't hear or see you, they can't hear or see nothing."~~

"Oh! You can see me?! Who...who are you?" She was faded, transparent, like a colored shadow.

~~"I am no one. I am nothing. Who I was, was F______n F___t handsome."~~

"Hold on I think you're getting a little bit too friendly there! What do you mean 'was?' "

~~"I was an avatar of a lovely draconequus trapped in the shape of a unicorn who went from universe to universe, providing wares and services for anypony willing to pay the price."~~

"You were a cursed shop owner."

~~"It wasn't me who was cursed. Just most of my wares! Ha ha! Then that bucking eraser had to say some horse apples about me being a corruptive influence who didn't belong here and destroying the lives of innocent ponies! They knew what they were getting! It's not my fault they didn't read the fine print!"~~

"So you were a sadistic nutcase, great."

~~"I wouldn't say sadistic so much as...morally challenged. So who were you, you studly piece o' stallion?"~~

"Personal space! And I AM Shining Armor!"

~~"... You can still say your name. I've never met a shadow of existence who can do that before."~~

"A what?"

~~"That's what you are you stupid moronic idiot. You're an echo. A hoofprint. A flare on the back of somepony's eyes after the camera flash. You're not even dead, you're where dead people would go if they could die. You're nothing."~~

"I am NOT nothing! I think! I feel! I exist!"

~~"And have feelings too. A double-freak. And if you exist, try convincing them. And once you give up on getting back to Miss Harmony, give me a call."~~

The shadow of a bright yellow earth pony with a red mane with a mexicolt accent slipped out of nowhere next to me. EEP! ~~"Welcome to the family senor! You're right now, how do you say, the borderland, lots and lots of those pursued by the vacío lobo come here expecting a cheat, instead they find the end of the road."~~

"Is that what happened to you Miss..."

~~Fiesta Flare was the name of the pony who once existed, our new brother. And no, my entire universe was erased! Because it was deemed a failure, and she was judged to be not worthy to enter the 'fixed' version..."~~

"I'm sorry." A part of me felt like she was familiar.

~~"I don't mind. I don't mind anything. I don't 'I' either. Don't is really all I really 'do'! Haha!..."~~ She grinned at me. ~~"We are nothing. Nothing doesn't have different parts. All that is nothing, is one nothing. We are you, and you are us!~~"

"NO WAY!" I snarled.

"Hey, don't make a scene weirdo."

"You can see me?"

"See who?"

"Me?"

He shrugged me off and went back to ignoring me.

~~"Jolly interesting."~~ A white earth mare with a blue eyes, and...yellow, purple, and dark purple mane and tale, geeze. Her cutie mark I think was a magnifying glass and a puzzle piece.

~~"It seems that you've managed to hold onto your light of existence. Otherwise you should have faded into Her Nothingness' Oblivion. Might also explain why more and more of us can observe here, when normally, we can not escape the nothingness, FOR WE ARE THE NOTHING. Ugh!...If you still hold your light of existence...your fate isn't' sealed. Jolly strange though, Black-Jack never just leaves a job half done, but it must have backed off for some jolly reason. Maybe your jolly love is jolly still wanting you to jolly exist, and is jolly chaining you to reality. Perhap-"~~

~~"Don't go saying things you should go saying senorita."~~

"Who are you Miss?"

~~"...My name, was Puzzlemint. My birthday was in october, my favorite color was yellow, like the sunshine. My favorite flower was lillies, my favorite hobby was puzzle solving. And assuming the wolf doesn't finish what it started on you, and assuming your light doesn't end up escaping your shadow from the wound the wolf inflicted upon you, there is a real possibility that-"~~

~~"Don't go telling things you shouldn't."~~ A purple pegasus shadow, her cutie mark was a large classic five white pointed star with a magenta one inside and some spiral sparkles. ~~"More to the nothingness, means more company, means more of us, means that meaningless existence ends sooner, all is forgotten, all fades to dust, and the dust to nothing, why encourage anything? Songs fade. Melodies are forgotten. Dreams go POOF into the ether. Sacrifices are for naught."~~

I looked at her. A part of me felt like I was looking at a fun house mirror of somepony I once knew...No, like something had just left behind a bitter echo of them.

Puzzlement looked at me closer. ~~"You should be happy~~ Bright Eyes ~~already finished D__t off or __ come after you in a second, your light is special...~~"

"D__t?"

"~~It's not important, what is,~~ Captain Shining Armor ~~is as long as you have your light, you have hope, if-"~~

~~"Starsong Melody is warning you senorita."~~

~~"-Find~~ Cadence! ~~She's looking for you! She won't leave this city until she finds you! It doesn't matter if your friends say you don't exist! Your actions haven't truly faded! They're just disconnected for now! Not yet! Be reunited with her, and I surmise you can jolly be saved!"~~

"Wait! You mean my friends don't remember me right now?"

~~"The closer you get to her, the more 'real' you become again, if you can embrace you,~~ I ~~think you can be freed!~~"

~~"Big mistake sister."~~ They fell on top of her.

~~"Get his light! I WANT IT!"~~

~~"No me!"~~

~~"Me!"~~

"Shining!~~Run!~~"

"I can't just leave-"

~~"I don't exist! They'll kill you!"~~

"October birthday, lilies favorite flower. I won't forget." I ran.

~~"Don't let him-"~~ Then they screamed and vanished from wherever they came from.

IT appeared in front of me, which made me guess I was running in the right direction.

".I tolD yoU thiS woulD bE ouR finaL hunT"

Oddly. I felt this strange calm instead of fear for once. "What kept you? My predecessors said it's not like you to take a break in the middle of business."

".fivE rumoreD crystaL skullS thaT feeD ofF mentaL energY tO poweR aN alieN spacE shiP underneatH ponyvillE .anD A stallioN witH sunglasseS whO wanteD theiR drilL tO piercE tartaruS sO theY coulD havE A 'bonuS supeR bosS' fighT"

"I've got you pinned. It would have taken you no time to finish me off. You're making excuses."

".yoU arE ,A paradoX withiN A paradoX inserT .youR immediatE erasurE woulD brinG abouT A worlD ,I...havE nO...DESIRE...foR ,I saW iT .thE wolF haS neveR beeN awakE thiS lonG .thE wolF shoulD havE nO desireS ,theY arE thE patH oF thE canceR .safetY measureS haD tO bE madE .noW perhapS onE meanT tO exisT shalL adverT thaT worlD"

"If me being around stops a world even YOU don't want. Can't you just let me go?! We both want the world safe and I don't have anything against you!"

".nO .yoU arE aN infectioN .yoU arE A contaminatioN froM A goddesS noT oF thiS timelinE .anotheR worlD noW misseS A goddesS becausE oF youR existencE .yoU twisT mindS anD memorieS anD fateS witH youR presencE .desireS arE whaT separatE thE wolF froM thE cancerS !iF thE wolF giveS iN tO desirE iT wilL BECOME A CANCER !noW disrupT thE timelinE nO furtheR"

"Catch me if you can!"

I threw the hay cart on him and ran like Tartarus. Hey, I'm not Twiley, but I can move my force fields just fine, and they can hold plenty! Besides, the wolf fixed up the cart before chasing after me.

I galloped PAST the wolf, in the direction the wolf wasn't wanting me to go.

".theN sO bE iT .iT iS mY fatE"

I plowed past ponies, getting responses ranging from angry shouts at me in ponsian to looking around confused, I sadly didn't have time to worry about giving bumps and bruises, and no it's not just because I knew the wolf would fix it up or since I was kinda between existing and not existing they'd probably forget me the moment I was out of sight.

I hadn't been kidding when I said the different temples made this place like a maze! I just had vague direction of where Cadence MIGHT be - and the streets were crowded.

Then...I don't believe it. The wolf, it, it began to sing! I got the gut feeling it was singing to me, because I wouldn't be around for much longer. Forget that! On second thought, REMEMBER that!

"The frozen wind blowing,
Broken lines across the land.
The crumbling world,
in their minds are all that stand.
Just like the buffalo
following a herd.
They try to justify
all that has occurred"

I plowed through the doors of a temple, with statues of creatures like Pandora on one side, and statues of various Alicorns on the other. The wolf, actually nodded to one as it chased me. A priest made a holy sign as I ran past. If that was a blessing, I take what I can get!

"I know what I've been told
The hearts of ponies can't be controlled"

The streets work totally to his advantage! I need to get where he can't come through a wall behind me! Wait! What was Miss Huggie's idea? I created a series of force fields, using them as stairs, and go onto the series of flat roof tops! Come on! A bright pink and probably frantic Alicorn princess in a desert city shouldn't be that hard to spot!

"Heat of the desert,
the scent fills my breath.
Without a compass
The hunter knows no disgrace."

I ran from rooftop to rooftop, trying to spot Cadence, very much and literally my savior. The wolf ran up a wall and followed me. Against the odds I finally managed a teleport across two buildings far apart. Guess the wolf didn't count on me NOT being cornered. "HA!" I called back to it.

"Out of the ashes
The Alicorn Rises Still
Freedom calls
For all those who resist chaos' will!"

And it leapt the distance in a single bound. Did I know it could do that? We've done this so many times! Runrunrun! Find the needle in a haystack! Where was a magnet when you needed one?

"Here I am,
Dirty and thankless
I need to heed all instructions"

Wolf...Was there, resignation in its voice there for a moment? I kept using my force fields for ad-hoc bridges. I still had the best view from up here. And the hedge maze has taught me that walls weren't an obstacle for the wolf.

"On my own
Invisible hunter!"

Hear ya pal. ugh! Don't empathize with the horror from beyond trying to delete you...I twisted the hearts and minds of those I met just by existing the wolf said. Princess Celestia said I wasn't supposed to exist. Would it be simpler to just give up? My last chance was a booby trap. Was I doomed to just stay within line of sight of Cadence forever? Would that still even work? Was Canterlot the only place safe for me? What kind of life was that? I...

I felt something else reaching for me. It was cold beyond cold, but...peaceful...quiet...

No! I'm sorry! Cadence. I didn't want her to know! But...what if she tortures herself anyway? What if her asking herself if I did hurts her just as much? Dangit! Did that sound arrogant. But, if I'm going to cease to exist...I want to make as much a finale of it as I can!

You know, I'm almost SAD that Twinkle Shine might not ever know she finally got the message across. Cadence, I'll find you!

"I fight for harmony
in a forgotten place.
Fulfill my duty
then vanish without a trace"

Like any other soldier.

You know it's crazy. I don't think I can hate the big ugly nasty monster ghost wolf. I hate this horseapples. I hate I forgot that I already fell in love once with Cadence. I hate thinking of the friends I neglected. I hate the bigger horseapples I had to go through that nearly nopony else remembers (like pretty much any soldier in almost every war). I hate it's trying to make me go poof when CADENCE will still remember a stallion who never existed.

"I deserve no thanks
For all those I erase
Nothingness calls
To all bending creation to their will."

I might not hate it but I'm not going to let it EAT ME! Hey, dangit, where'd he go? I-it leapt out of my own shadow and shattered my force field! Down I go! Agh!

"I am the left wing of fate!"

UGH! Everything a blur. My leg broken? No, but it sure still hurts! Get up Shining! You can't give up, you can't! Get up! Force field time - only one chance to use it like this. Gotta make it count. Gotta see if you can kill a ghost.

"REAPER! STOP!"

Minuette? Ugh. Is she, holding her fob watch? I've...never seen her look so serious, she was sad when Sunset and Ranger died but...this look...She's actually scaring me a little.

Wait. She can see this thing? Does she remember me?

The wolf is looking at Minuette, like it doesn't have a clue what to make of her.

"Shining Armor, I'm happy to see you're alright. Except Cadence, everypony else has forgotten you. They think Cadence and I have been out in the sun too long. Thankfully she was able to pull rank and pretty much DEMANDED as their commanding officer to break schedule, and I...I complied by tearing it up, and say we now had a free day. Shining, Cadence is looking for you, she believes you still exist. She told me she'd be looking in the Taghdir ruins for you while I searched the city. The others seemed to forget we had even told them to look for a white unicorn stallion with a shield cutie mark the moment they were out of earshot," She said.

All this time, the wolf's eyes weren't on me. They were on Minuette. I should have run. But there was no way in Tartarus I was throwing somepony else under the bus for my sake.

"...yoU"

"Yes. Me Reaper. Shining. Run for the ruins. She'll be there. Believe you'll find her. She believes she'll find you there. Makes that belief come true, and make yourself come true."

"What about you?!"

"I'll keep the Reaper busy. I'll trade as much time as I can for you."

"Buck that, you think Cadence is going to be LESS sad that you vanish instead?!"

What was this? Why would the wolf have any interest in Minuette? It had never shown any interest in her before! Or had she been escaping it just like I had all this time?...Maybe keeping this all bottled up hadn't been such a flawless idea after all.

"This isn't open for debate Shining, I have what the wolf wants, that it can't find later! Just run! Consider that an order from our princess! Go to her!"

"You're insane if you think I'm just-"

"I'll be fine! I'm sure of it."

"You suck at lying."

"I'm just rusty. I've taken a vow for our princess too, and she needs you more than me."

"And what about Twinkle Shine? You want to leave her without another friend?"

"She'll be okay, I'll be okay!"

The wolf growled annoyed.

"If you don't go Shining, it'll take me in a second, and then take you, and it'll all be for nothing! Trust me, it isn't me it wants...I hope. "

"Minuette-"

"Bucking go, you bucking idiot!"

+++

Shining Armor finally ran for it. Good boy. That left me alone with the Reaper. And lots of ponies trying not to look at me for screaming at thin-air or some faceless nopony.

Shining. If this Reaper has been after you...I can understand why you've been so dead set against telling Cadence the truth...It's the same reason I don't think I could take the next step with Audience so long as there's a chance someday this monster in my watch will take over...

".surrendeR tO thE wolF ,criminaL"

"I have what you want Reaper. I have what you want I bet more than anything. The one who has corrupted and endangered the universe so many times, an alien to this universe, a infection...the one who shouldn't even be in this world, who has twisted the minds and fates of so many. All wrapped up in one little package and unable to do a thing to protect himself. Now you can end that threat."

Come now, I'm indestructible. The whole universe knows that.

"Not anymore. In fact, you never were."

You fool! You can't exist without me! You'll erase yourself!

"Scared? I'm not."

Poor liar!

"You're right. I'm terrified. But if it keeps you from hurting anypony again..."

"Haha! Funny joke! You had me going for a minute!"

I prepared my telekinesis.

"You're actually doing it?! You're insane! No! Sorry! You're a very smart pony! Not insane and not a fool!"

"...Use my name."

"Minuette, stop! I'll swear on any god you like I'll never hurt anyone again! I'll even swear on Her and nothing has ever broken their word to Her! I'll never hurt anypony again! I swear it!"

"I know you won't. And you won't have to worry about the drums ever again. And you know why?"

"You can't do this. You can't do this! IT'S NOT FAIR!"

"Because I'm stopping the drums - forever!"

"You idiot, you'll destroy yourself too! Think of your friends and family!"

"I am...Doctor, I'm sorry for everything..."

"NO!"

I tossed the fob watch into the Reaper's waiting jaws, and then-

+++

A brown earth pony with a hour glass cutie mark stopped what he was doing, stood still, and felt it in the air. "Sweet Gallifrey, ~~he's~~ gone. What? ~~The Master~~ is really gone? I can't say ~~his~~ name? Blast it...Guess ~~he~~ really is gone."

~~The Master~~ could not return, would not return, and was impossible to return, because one that hadn't existed in the first place couldn't 'return' from nothing.

++++

Minuette, whatever happens, please be safe! I never want another pony to die for me ever again.

Run to the ruins.

Run for my life. No, run for my EXISTENCE!

Run to Cadence.

Run. Run. Run.

...I've been running...for so long...from that thing...it feels like...I've been running from it...my entire life...like I...I wish I could rest...just a...just...just a tiny rest...just a little...rest...

Me wake up. Sun not out. It dark. It scary. Me scared. Where Mama? Me cry. Nopony come. Why no pony come? Do ma-ma not love me now? Mama! Mama!

Me turns and cry in crib. Crib rock. Rocking make me think of ma-ma. Where ma-ma? Please ma-ma! Please come! Ma-ma!

Big black shape cover crib. Big black doggie. Big black doggie scary...Mama! Save me help me Mama! Big black dog staring down at me. Me can't get away! Me try to crawl. Me too small! Mamaaaa!

Scary dog lean in crib! It have big teeth - Mama!

".therE waS nowherE yoU coulD ruN froM mE"

((((SHINING!)))

I'm awake! Agh, sweet Celestia, that nightmare...except it wasn't a nightmare. It's not just hunting me here. It's hunting me there too...at this rate it'll.

Loving Celestia.

Mom.

That thing. It'll be waiting for me, on the day I'm born. Day? Who the buck am I kidding? That thing is no mindless animal or brain-dead robot. It'll be waiting for me the moment the doctor cuts the umbilical cord.

My...my first dream of my past...of my life...it was in reverse. Does that mean the day I'll be born will be in reverse too?

I can't defend myself anymore. No pony there can defend me anymore. Celestia won't know I was being born. Nightmare Moon wouldn't care. It won't listen to Pandora even if she would know. As for Cadence...

Next time I fall asleep just might be the last time.

Cadence. I have to go to her now! Buck it! Buck everything! I have to tell her now! Buck it yes I love her! I love her! I loved her, forget about now I loved her, then fell in love with her all over again! How much more in love can you get?!

She's my sunshine and I want to be her sunshine! Her, Twilight, Spike, our parents! I want us all to be one big family, and to have our own family. We'll see our foals fly over Canterlot and with horns of their own...

I want to live! I want to be!

Cadence, don't stop believing, I'm coming...

I hear a howling. The sun is beginning to set.

Ugh, I wish I had a second to catch my breath.

"Then take it, we'll carry you, Shining."

"It's the least we can do for the world's best big brother, Shiney!"

"Ugh. Have you put on weight in the last year and a half or somethin' Shine? I'd fly you or have wrinkles teleport you if I thought it wouldn't be a bigger flag to wolfie!"

Wait, what. You three? Wait. How...how are you here? You're just voices in my head. Right? How are you carrying me? Isn't...isn't that breaking the rules? I thought you weren't supposed t...supposed to help like this...

"Shining, right now your existence is on the edge of the cliff, it could fall into the abyss never to return, or return to solid ground. You life is hovering between 'yes' and 'no'. We can move through the air, and help balance you back."

But only one of you have wings.

"Shiney, a way past cool hero once said 'even without wings, I can still fly!' "

"...I'm sorry Shine. This is the best we can help now. When the wolf took a bite out of you, we lost track of you again. It's been keeping us from sensing you, and basically locked us out, it took us this long to find our way back to you. I'm sorry. We should have been able to do more for you. You're our responsibility."

"I'm my own responsibility. It's my life."

"We're a herd Shine, we're each other's responsibility. And you've been there for us more than you know, it's only right we return the favor. But if wolfie comes at you again, we can't hoofs-on meddle. We're visitors. It isn't. Lookin' at it one way, we're the alien otherworldly abominations, and the wolf is a natural mundane part of the world."

You guys have helped me more than once. Thank you.

"You're welcome Shiney!"

"Shining, if we do not speak again after this is all over. I wish you know. I couldn't be more proud of you. You are a white knight in shining armor."

Thank you. Heh. I think you're making me blush.

"Oh, Shine, you're so modest."

What I care about is protecting my family, friends, Princess, and country. You think I care about some fancy medal or statues?

"Sometimes Shining, the medals and statues, aren't about you, they're about who you'll inspire with them."

"Heh, you better make Cadence happy, Shine."

"I KNOW you'll make Cadence happy Shining."

"You and Candy will be the best Shiney!"

"Just kidding, I know you'll make'er happy too Shine!"

"Hey, she hasn't said yes yet. Save it for then!"

"Shining, before things go on, we want you to know our names. You have a right to know."

"Your names? You have names?"

"What made so you sure we didn't Shine? The name's Half-Light Noon."

"And I'm Half-Light Dawn, Shiney!"

"And my name Shining, is Half-Light Dusk."

"Dawn, Noon, Dusk, again, thanks for all your help."

"We're here, Shining."

The center of the Taghdir ruins. It still reminds me of an arena. Maybe it was one. There's no ceiling. There are a few plants scattered here and there, I don't know if they were weeds or not. There are murals on every section of wall. One has a golden Alicorn giving horns to a centaur. Another shows a draconequus...a familiar draconequus tearing the wing off an Alicorn. And a big one shows a tiny Alicorn going up against a giant snake. If there's a story here, I don't get it.

Cadence. Where is she? These ruins are still big. She could be anywhere!

"Shiney, sing to her."

"What? I don't care how good the echo here is, it's not going to cover-"

"Shine, she's the idea of music. And what she's thinking about right now more than anything is you! You don't think that's isn't going to get her attention?"

"But I don't sing."

"Yes you do Shiney."

"I sing awful!"

"Shine, right now isn't the time to worry if you're ready for the theater! Sing for Cadence's Sake, literally! Sing that you love her!"

"What?! Shouldn't-"

"Love is the strongest of bonds Shining and it's literally magic in our universe! You don't have time! And you need to remind reality of your bond to Cadence!"

"...Alright, and girls, thank you."

Every time I stop and stumble
in doubt and darkness
I close my eyes and think back to you.

We made a vow, a promise,
To carry onward,
We'll see it through.

The most beautiful voice in the world answered.

When I was young, the sky shone clear and bright and blue,
And I smiled through every day, knowing that all my dreams would come true.

Now that I've grown, that sky fades dark and disappears
And the future I once dreamed dissolves
before my doubts and fears.

I saw her!

Then you came to me,
Took me by the hoof,
And the strength you shared helped me to rise and stand.

We trotted towards each other. Nothing else mattered.

Let the clocks tick by,
Let the days fade away,
'Cause I've found the path my heart will
walk today.

Now my heart's alive, and racing
Towards the future,
There's no doubt that
Could dare hold me back.

I'm gonna fly on forward into that blue sky, bound-less and bright.

We still pray and hope
That one day we'll be together
I'll fight onward
And see you again, my friend.

I won't stop until the end,
I won't give in.
When I was young, my friends were always by my side,
If I faltered, they would hold me tight,
push my wor-ries a-side.

The years go by while I fade further
day by day.
Now there's none left to see me, and all alone
I fall and pray.

Then your voice resounds,
Shining like a light
And in har-mon-y our song endures the night.

Though the mount-ains fall,
Though the world fade to dust,
Still in you I've found a strength that I can trust

Can you see me now? I'm racing
Into that blue sky,
Free and faster than ever before

Over the walls
and boundaries of this dark labyrinth
Into the light

With your help my hope is rising,
it's overflowing
Now, I'm nothing, but when I'm with you I fly.

We can make it through this night,
If we con-nect.

Here we stand: here among the ruins,
No path to guide us onward.

We nuzzled each other.

Still I smile and face the day;
With you I'll find my way.

I don't know what it was. But I felt alive again. Whole again. Complete again. Like something torn open was mended.

Now my heart's alive, and racing
Towards the future,
I didn't hesitate.

There's no doubt that
Could dare hold me back.

We're gonna fly on forward into that blue sky, bound-less and bright.

We still pray and hope
That one day we'll be together.

This was where I wanted to be. With her.

We'll fight onward

And see them again, our friends.

And I couldn't argue with that. The grayness started to fade away, the colors coming back to everything.

We won't stop until the end,
We won't give in.

To-mor-row's look-ing bright...

To-mor-row's...look-ing briiiiiiiiiighhhht...

"You're alive, you're real, you're here! Shining, I don't care how long we're together, but I want it to be every moment it can be! Please, promise me you'll never go away again!"

"I'll sure as Pony Heaven try not to, you just promise the same!"

"I'm not going anywhere, please, just don't go away for a good while yet."

"I'll try my hardest. Cadence I'm so sorry, I didn't want you to worry, I didn't want you hurt!"

"I'll take the hurt, I've decided! Here and now, I'll take the hurt! If we can be together while we can, then that's enough for me."

"...Cadence, I..." I started, trying to put into words what I wanted to say.

"...Remember when we were little and went camping together?"

"...Heh, do I. You saved me from getting skunked, ditz I was."

"Hehe, yeah...and when we went to the museum? And I somehow got those foam darts on the ROOF?"

. "I don't even know how that was possible, you were aiming too low!" She laughed.

We shared a laugh. Thinking about old times...but I was leading into the new.

"Cadence...do you think sometime...we could do stuff together like that again? But...just you and me?"

Cadence blushed, I'm pretty sure I was blushing too.

"Shining...the Hoofmaidens..."

"I'll sing the cheesy love song with them this time," I said with a smile.

She let out a small gasp.

"Shining, do you-"

I kissed her, on the lips. There wasn't anything more that needed to be said. She folded her wings around me and returned the kiss. It was our perfect moment.

".musiC caN noT protecT yoU herE ,thE sandS oF timE themselveS declarE youR existenceE wronG insertioN ,shininG armoR"

The kiss broke, and Cadence pulled back her wings. She looked at the beast.

"S-Shining! What is that thing? I think, I've seen it before..."

No more lies.

"It's the Blank Wolf in the poem. Remember how I said ~~Azure Raven's~~ machine did ___ in? I lied. I destroyed the machine. It was keeping THAT away from ___. It's job is to erase from history anything that doesn't belong in the world and mucks it up. Like ___."

".anD yoU"

"What?! Shining isn't like that monster!"

".yoU neveR thoughT A perfecT whitE knighT strangE, musiC?"

"Shining isn't perfect. He's wonderful. But his has the most awful aim anypony has ever seen, he takes everything too seriously, I have to help him not be by the book when it isn't the point, he keeps things bottled up that he shouldn't, he can be a smartplot sometimes, and he has a six foot wall of horseapples between himself and his real feelings."

"HEY!"

"I'm trying to make an argument Shining!"

"Cadence," I breathed in deep, "It's not going to work. Some kooky twist in the universe literally popped me into the world in the middle of my life. I wasn't on time and spaces blueprint. I literally got snuck in by something after the building already finished and everypony else moved in. I literally came into being on the day of I got promoted. It's just doing its job. I...I'm on its hit-list for a reason. It's what killed the jackass. It's the only reason everything the monster did was undone. Mother Deer called it a guardian spirit of the timeline."

The beast was slowly advancing to us in the center of the arena, no, to me.

"I'm not supposed to be here," I sighed.

"No, you're right here in front of me! I almost lost you forever today, again! I'm a goddess, and I declare, that you are suppose to be there!" She turned to the beast and used the Royal Canterlot Voice

"So GO AWAY!"

It did not seem impressed.

".musiC doeS noT decidE whaT iS anD whaT iS noT supposeD tO bE ,thaT iS anotheR...anD herE ,heR authoritY surpasseS yourS harmonY .I aM mY dutY ...regardlesS oF anY desirE .thiS exchangE iS oveR"

The wolf moved like black lightning straight towards me, this time with no intention of stopping until I never existed. I couldn't move, my body froze. I couldn't use my magic, it was like my horn was just for show. I was just a drawing to be whited out...

"NO!"

Cadence tried to hold it with her magic, but it was immune a moment later, and in that moment, it's claws and fangs aimed for my heart.

The claws made contact with flesh, drawing blood.

Cadence cried in pain, the wolf stumbled back, confused and horrified. Cadence panted, bleeding from the claw marks on her chest, from claws that had gone through her peytral like it wasn't even there. I could move again, I felt my magic again.

"CADENCE! I'm supposed to protect you!" I protested

"I'm sorry, dear. I couldn't do nothing."

The wolf was whining and growling like it was in pain. It writhed on the arena floor, contorting its body before forcing itself back, it backpedaled from Cadence. The blood on its claws crackled like lightning and spread. The wolf shook its head, like its skull was about to split in two.

"N-o-O...C-a-N N-o-T B-u-T H-a-v-E, none are above the rules. Violation. Violations must be punished." The wolf howled in torment.

Then...like a shroud had been torn from it, the black smoky nothing was ripped away. There was a white wolf, the size of a stallion, its golden eyes staring daggers right at me.

"But I will redeem myself," It growled, its voice lacking the ghostly tone it always had before.

"No more words."

If it looked like a being of flesh and blood now, maybe I could beat it like one! I formed a forcefield around and - it dodged the forcefield? How is that possible?! I tried again with similar results and it side stepped my stun spells the same, leaving an after-image as it dodged so fast.

Then it took the offensive, tensing ready for a leap. I thought I was ready, instead Cadence's magic pulled out me of the way. It was a blur, in an instant there was a straight line of claw marks from where the wolf had been right through where I had been, to the arena walls where it landed on all fours, creating cracks and a dust cloud.

Then it did it again. And again. And again. Even with Cadence's magic and using herself as a shield, it was getting me, glancing blows off my sides, the arena floor now a spider web of its claw trails. Wait. It was always doing it in a perfectly straight line. And it always uses the arena walls as a stopper. It can't steer or stop itself...

It's dodging my forcefields, which means it has reason to. It zooms again, I create a small square one just above the ground, and several thick ones ahead of the little one. The wolf trips on the small one and crashes through my several forcefields. It skids across the ground, bleeding.

It gets up and growls, and jumps into the floor! Okay maybe it's not a mundane giant wolf now after all. But I at least managed to hurt it. I see the wolf shaped shadow split into several smaller ones, it leapt out of the ground and-just an illusion? Agh, that one wasn't! Maybe only one is real- Gha! Nope...

"Shining! Enough!"

Cadence stamped on the ground with Earth Pony strength, cracking and unevening the ancient treasure, the wolves all leapt out of the ground at once, all right at once. I created a shield around myself they smashed through, but it gave me time to avoid being mauled from all sides. The wolves fused back into one. It still had the same injuries as before.

It came at me with fangs and four sets of claws, somersaulting over Cadence. I created the most intense forcefields I could concentrated around my horn and front hooves, and was able to keep its claws on my forcefields until I had a moment of focus to slam its head into the ground. Instead of being dizzy it snarled and leapt at my exposed underbelly.

An intense wave of sound hit in the side before it could cut me open, that left my own ears ringing as it roll around the ground, this time dizzy for real.

I 'dropped' a cube of my forcefield magic on top of it. It then began PUSHING it back up, before my spell finally broke. Ugh. Gonna feel that later. I slammed two force fields into its opposite sides, and dispersed the field a moment later. I might have heard bones crack.

It grabbed one of the broken floor slabs in its mouth and threw it at me fast enough to take my head off. Cadence caught it with her magic and it used it while it was in midair like a springboard to come down on top of me - weighing me down and trying to get at my neck! I proved Earth ponies weren't the only ones strong in the legs by jumping up and landing on my back with the wolf between me and the ground.

Now it kicked me off! I nearly busted my head on the broken stones around. It tensed for another charge at me, I magically grabbed one of the broken stones and brought in front of me. Its own speed led to it impaling itself on the shard. It pulled it out and swung it at me. Cadence grabbed me and took to the air. The wolf leapt at a wall, and then straight at us, leaping impossibly high into the air despite being impaled on a stone. Cadence opened her mouth, and combined her music magic with the Royal Canterlot Voice...Completely disoriented, the wolf fell like a stone, and fell with an earthquaking thud on the sharp rocks below.

Cadence and I landed on the edge of the arena...and the wolf rolled onto its paws and began to limp towards us! Dragging one leg, with breathing loud and labored.. And it was bleeding heavily, movement just making it all worse.

"Stop it, you're hurting yourself, you can't win this," Cadence asked.

"She's right...just stay down..." I pleaded. No matter how much trouble it'd caused me, it was still a living thing...And it was just doing its duty.

"No choice, to the bitter end, must...protect...her." The wolf fell inches from me. It slowly turned its eyes towards one of the statues. I swear it had tears in its eyes. And then it wasn't breathing. As I watched, parts of it turned into bits of light that floated away, until nothing remained.

We stood there in silence. It was gone. The wolf was gone. It was over. I was safe. I was alive. I existed.

I gave a small salute. Even if it'd been my enemy, it'd still just been doing its duty. It wasn't some abomination, this wasn't a personal petty vendetta. It was just like me, a soldier doing its duty.

Then we hugged each other, neither wanting to let go. And I asked. Then and there.

"Cadence."

"Yes dear?"

"Will you...will you marry me?"

"?!" She looked at me in surprise.

Oh no, I said it too soon! Way too soon...stupid, stupid!

"...I...Yes I will! I've been waiting for you to ask! Let's have it be a Canterlot wedding!"

"That...that sound nice." Dangit. You think I'd be rested up with all the naps I've taken today. But...I was just so tired.

"Everypony! They're over here!"

Minuette! She's okay?! Thank goodness...She was with the squad, Twinkle Shine, and a group of Ponsian.

I also realized the damage from the fight was still here, and Cadence realized it too.

"Oh...fudge. We made a bit of a mess here..."

Thunderchild blinked, surveying all the damage

"What the heck were you guys even doing?"

"Um, it's a long story..." I began.

"I, uh, I explained what was going on, you guys did this fighting off the...Right?" Minuette said. That confirmed to me that this wasn't a copy of Minuette...it was our Minuette.

...Girls, you still there?

(Friend's Notes (Dawn): Yep Shiny! We're here! Way to go!)

Glad. Did...Did I just kill our timeline's only defense against things like ~~Nameless~~?

(Friend's Notes (Dusk): No, Shining. Think of this as the book being reprinted so it can accept a new chapter. You and the timeline are both safe. Rest easy.)

Good to know. That means I can actually enjoy being safe.

"Worry not, Princess, you should have seen what your aunt did," One of the Ponsians said.

"...Aunt Celestia?!" Cadence said in surprise.

"No, Luna. This is a very old city after all..."

"Oh..."

I listened as the group spoke, not feeling like speaking too much. There were a million things I wanted to say to Cadence, a million things I wanted to do. After this long journey, after being in fear for so long... now I can rest, without being afraid of shadows.

Author's Note

This chapter was written by me (Alex Warlorn) and LZ.

~~Shining Armor is given a two year tour of the world to be the captain of Princess Cadence's body guard. Yeah. That's all. That's everything Yep. Nothing what so ever else. *AJ's Liar face*~~
".maY yoU leavE nO tracE oR memorY wheN yoU arE gonE"

Nothing more to say. Here we go. This is the finale. Please enjoy the show. It's been a long long long journey, but here at last is the climax.

Previous: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Shining-Armor-22-Sands-Of-Time-428080860

Next Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Shining-Armor-Epilogue-Back-Cover-429513867

First Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Fluttershy-FlutterCruel-Pearls-260092460

"Time is an ocean in a storm."

This storyline runs PARALLEL to the events in the Dark World storyline narrative wise.

Please help the trope http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries
And recap pages. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/PonyPOVSeries (please?)

Check out the recursive fanfiction and fanart of the Pony POV Series! http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/journal/MLP-FiM-PonyPOVSeriesFanworks-audio-adaption-2013-349281264 Many of it approved by me as canon.

Be sure to join our Group for a TON of recursive works, many a part of optional canon!!! http://mlp-pony-pov-series.deviantart.com/

AND! Be sure to check season zero and season one's fanlabor pages! PLEASE! THey need lots of work! As does our recap page on TVTropes! Please! Help people who are new to the series get caught up with updating the recap page!!
http://mlpfanart.wikia.com/wiki/Pony_POV_Series_Season_Zero:_Discorded_Ponies
http://mlpfanart.wikia.com/wiki/Pony_POV_Series_Season_One:_Reharmonization

MLP: FiM is copyright of Hasbro

Soundtrack Recommendations
Waking Up
I Stand Alone, Brian Tyler, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3
Minuette's Theme
Four Knocks, Murray Gold, Doctor Who Series 4 -The Specials
musiC caN noT protecT yoU herE
I Stand Alone, Godsmack, Faceless
Wolf Battle Climax
All Is Well, Brian Tyler, Bubba Ho-Tep
"End Credits" song
Dawn, Poets of the Fall, Carnival of Rust

Image by Blueeyesneko, used with permission. http://blueeyesneko.deviantart.com/art/Princess-Cadence-and-Shining-Armor-298083837

The song of course is a duet version of Connect from Madoka Magica

Episode 147: (Shining Armor? (who?)) Final Page

Episode 148: (Shining Armor): Back Page

Pony POV Series
Shining Armor
Epilogue: Dawn
Three Months Later

It still feels like a new world every day...Waking up every morning knowing that there's not going to be a wolf chasing me was good, knowing that I was engaged to marry the most wonderful pony on the planet was even better!

True, it wasn't officially announced, though we had informed our parents and Cadence's aunts. Twinkle Shine and Minuette also made sure the press were aware we were now at least an official couple. It was keeping the papers nice and busy as they chased up every sort of rumor they could - both our own media and the world's media. We'd had to detain about a dozen Columbian tabloid reporters trying to breach embassy security since Mesotrotamia...And about five times that number of Equestrian ones!

The right things stayed the same and the right things had changed. Minuette had been both pleased and surprised to discover that she was now no longer adopted - but had a slight conundrum in that she now technically remembered three different timelines and apparently wasn't sure how the Wolf's actions would 'effect somepony like her' (she said we were better off not knowing, and I believed her). Still, her parents were now her biological parents.

There was also the fact her and Audience began dating seriously. Honestly, I think we missed an opportunity to have needled her on the 'just friends' thing but there's always Twinkle Shine if she starts hanging around with somepony a lot...

We did have one official announcement within the flotilla - Gag had proposed to Garnet just this morning. Probably not quite the birthday present she'd been expecting but she certainly didn't seem to be complaining about it!

Tomorrow morning, we'd arrive in Mosroe. A year and a half ago this had been hostile land, and I had expected the worst. Now, and for the past twenty years thanks to the mess that is alternative timelines, it was the land of friends of Equestria and a friend of ours. And Mother Deer was a friend of mine and Cadence's, assuming she remembered like I expected.

Tonight, though, it was just a bloody big country to cross. I was on the deck of Invincible, getting some air, enjoying the setting sun, and looking at the city of Tselinoyarsk some ten miles away from us. It was nice to see some visible signs of what had changed, partly thanks to us ensuring the timeline was fixed. A few helicopters were buzzing around some farms nearby, but they were carrying reindeer to help move some clouds away. I'm pretty sure some of the shapes ploughing the distant fields were old tanks converted to tractors.

In fact the only sign of the once-vast military forces in Roedina that was still armed had been passing by a fort this morning and a Kasatka-class Corvette that had said hello by radio just after lunchtime - I don't think we got within twenty miles of it. It had been reduced to about a tenth of the post-Dragon War Hooviet forces and in recent years had been shifting heavily towards peacekeeping and equinitarian...sorry, cervitarian duties.

It seemed fitting. Here was another peaceful nation that had once lived in fear with so much to look forward to, and here was me. Feeling peaceful and knowing there was much ahead for me even as our trip around the world had only about twelve more weeks left.

"Shining?"

I turned to see Cadence behind me - my princess, my friend, my fiancee.

"Hello, Cadence. Just enjoying the view...It's got a bit better though, something really pretty just showed up," I grinned.

"You're still pretty bad at that and I still don't care," She grinned back.

"Care to join me or am I needed for something?"

"Well, the birthday-slash-engagement party is starting shortly in the auxiliary hangar and I'm not planning on going alone. But we've got a bit of time before that."

We stood together for a short while until Cadence spoke again.

"When do you think we should officially announce it? I think the girls are about ready to explode keeping it a secret..."

"Well, I was thinking, it's the Grand Galloping Gala later this week, and the Roedinians celebrate the Spring Equinox as well, right?"

Traditionally, Spring Equinox saw Deer couples announce their engagements. Despite the best efforts of the previous regime the tradition had held strong.

"Aha, good idea...We announce it here, Auntie can announce it there? I think Mother Deer would be pleased if we announced we were engaged as part of the celebrations."

"We'll need to tell the important ponies first though. Anyway, would you do me the honor of accompanying me to the party, Princess?"

"I asked you earlier!"

"Ah, you merely said you weren't planning on going alone, for all I know you could have hoped to invite Thunderchild!" I smirked.

"Fine, fine, I'll go with you if you insist, Captain..." She mock-rolled her eyes.

We made our way back below decks.

"A lot's changed on this trip..." Cadence noted, as we nodded at a Royal Marine saying good evening.

"Yeah...Most for the better, but..." I thought of Sunset and Ranger.

"They'd want us to be happy, Shining. I know they're together themselves. They're going to be with us when we get married, even if we weren't able to get to their wedding," Cadence read my thoughts.

"Yeah. Everypony is with us and we're with each other. That's one thing that hasn't changed."

We shared a quick nuzzle and kiss, before we entered the party - together.

+++

I'm told that as the Gala was drawing to a close, Luna and Celestia had been planning to make a speech anyway. It seems that they'd been about to praise the actions of a fair few ponies in recent times, though one of the groups they were praising had declined to attend the Gala that year as, well, the last time Twiley and her friends were there it went a bit wrong apparently. Celestia let Luna handle it - it appeared the Alicorn of the Night was better at annoucements, or at least, she had more fun doing them.

"Finally, we are pleased this evening to proclaim an additional acknowledgement of most happy news - our niece, Mi Amore Cadenza Equestria, has announced her engagement to Captain Shining Armor Sparkle of the Harmony Guards regiment!"

Obviously I wasn't there in Canterlot, but I was present as Mother Deer's Spring Equinox speech reached the important part...

"...It gives me great pleasure today to also announce that two friends of the Roedina, and two ponies that I am proud to call my personal friends, are engaged to be married - Princess Cadenza Equestria, Daughter of Blue Song, and Captain Shining Armor Sparkle, Son of Moonshine Sparkle."

The applause of the Roedinian crowd, and the applause of our own ponies (even if Gag hadn't been able to translate since he was drowned out in applause and distracted by a nuzzley Garnet) sealed it as official. And somehow made it all feel that little bit more real, to start getting the letters of congratulations.

I was somewhat taken aback that Blueblood of all ponies seemed to be the one making the most blatant 'if you hurt her I hurt you' overtures in his letter, and even more taken aback that his letter wa co-signed by his marefriend...Perhaps there was another royal wedding in store a couple of years from now? Regardless, it was a bit surprising.

Of course, our parents knew, but they sent letters anyway. I could practically see Dad going overboard about his little boy getting married...yes, Dad, not Mom. Mom lets him handle the emotional outbursts by mutual consent of the whole family. Mom's probably going to put her emotional outbursts into writing her next novel like most authors do. I might actually read that one.

Perhaps it was just the volume of letters, but in amongst it all, we failed to notice that Twilight hadn't sent us a letter. We figured maybe it had been lost in the post (I'm pretty sure she may not actually know how to operate a stamp thanks to Spike), or we'd just misplaced it in the pile.

"It's probably not a problem. She'll know we're getting married surely, it's gotta be headline news back home," I reassured Cadence when we realised this.

Remember what I said about thinking about things like that?

+++

Huh? What's this dream? Where is this? This place looks familiar! Mom? Dad? Is that her wedding dress?! Dad's carrying her across the threshold? They're nuzzling each other and going up to the bedroom. That calendar on the table...This is...this is their honeymoon? But...how? If what I'm seeing is real, I'm not scheduled to be born until eleven months later from this point in time!

Wait... Eleven months...?

"Ready, darling?"

"Are YOU ready, my sweet?"

Oh nooooooooo!

(Friend's Notes (Dawn): And it's done. He's concrete. His beginning is set in stone.)

(Friend's Notes (Noon): So is his present.)

(Friend's Notes (Dusk): And the future is finally waiting for him to catch up to it like it should have all along.)

(Friend's Notes (Dawn): So when we see him in our 'today' it'll be his today too!)

(Friend's Notes (Noon): So...now what?)

(Friend's Notes (Dusk): There exists a saying that comes from the Second Age, when ponies were influenced by humans. For want of a nail, the shoe was lost;
For want of a shoe, the horse was lost;
For want of a horse, the rider was lost;
For want of a rider, the message was lost;
For want of the message, the battle was lost;
For want of a battle, the kingdom was lost,
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.

This saying fits the world, our actions perfectly. One life, one action in that life, can make all the difference in the world. A brother born or not being born. A Princess being in the castle one day or in Cloudsdale for a flying competition. A little filly choosing to sleep in or get up and watch out the window. A pegasus deciding to play a prank on her friend who'd had nightmares to cheer them up instead of sleeping soundly in bed. This is why each life, each choice is so important. From here on out, his choices will branch out and continue to effect the world.)

(Friend's Notes (Dawn): Hehe, you sound like momma.)

Dusk blinked, looking down at the soapbox she was now on and blushed.

(Friend's Notes (Dusk): ...Remind me to make sure I don't forget that when we leave.)

(Friend's Notes (Noon): So, by the time he gets to our present, he'll just be living his life?)

(Friend's Notes (Dusk): Yes. There's no such thing as a side character. Even if the camera is no longer on him, his story will continue, just like all of us.)

(Friend's Notes (Dawn): Everycreature is the hero of their own story.)

(Friend's Notes (Noon): Truer words were never spoken...I guess this is goodbye for now. We've got to get back to where we left, or else time might not like that so much.)

(Friend's Notes (Dawn): I'll miss Shiny...)

(Friend's Notes (Dusk): So will I, sister, but I'm sure our paths will cross again. This is only goodbye for now.)

(Friend's Notes (Noon): Yeah...And big sis?)

(Friend's Notes (Dusk): Yes?)

(Friend's Notes (Noon): Don't forget the soapbox.)

Dusk blushed again.

Dawn kissed her sleeping big brother on the forehead.

(Friend's Notes (Dawn): Goodbye, Shiny. Your beginning is there now, and happy as can be...You made grandma really happy, be proud of that.)

Noon smirked and kissed him on the cheek.

(Friend's Notes (Noon): Shine, be careful. Take every day one step at a time. Don't be like grandma and obsess over the future or like some people who keep asking 'what if' and are so focused on the past, they forget the present.)

Dusk gave Shining a gentle nuzzle and kissed him on the other cheek.

(Friend's Notes (Dusk): For now, Shining, rest and enjoy the future you've earned.. For now your story is over. But a character's life isn't over just because the camera isn't on them. Enjoy your time out off-screen, if anyone has earned it, it's you.)

(Friend's Notes (All): Goodbye, B.B.B.F.F. We'll see you in the future.)

~Fin

Author's Note

This chapter was written by me (Alex Warlorn) and LZ. AND! The last scene was given a look over BY LOUIS!!!!!

Here it is folks. The epilogue. Gives a round of applauds to LZ for all his hard work. The story is FINISHED! You've been a wonderful audience. I hope you keep on reading!

Previous: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Shining-Armor-The-Final-Page-429469827

Next Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Prince-Blueblood-Reach-For-The-Stars-Part-1-430322706

First Chapter: http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art/Pony-POV-Series-Fluttershy-FlutterCruel-Pearls-260092460

"Time is an ocean in a storm."

This storyline runs PARALLEL to the events in the Dark World storyline narrative wise.

Please help the trope http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries
And recap pages. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/PonyPOVSeries (please?)

Check out the recursive fanfiction and fanart of the Pony POV Series! http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/journal/MLP-FiM-PonyPOVSeriesFanworks-audio-adaption-2013-349281264 Many of it approved by me as canon.

Be sure to join our Group for a TON of recursive works, many a part of optional canon!!! http://mlp-pony-pov-series.deviantart.com/

AND! Be sure to check season zero and season one's fanlabor pages! PLEASE! THey need lots of work! As does our recap page on TVTropes! Please! Help people who are new to the series get caught up with updating the recap page!!
http://mlpfanart.wikia.com/wiki/Pony_POV_Series_Season_Zero:_Discorded_Ponies
http://mlpfanart.wikia.com/wiki/Pony_POV_Series_Season_One:_Reharmonization

MLP: FiM is copyright of Hasbro

Image by Blueeyesneko, used with permission. http://blueeyesneko.deviantart.com/art/Princess-Cadence-and-Shining-Armor-298083837

SEEE YOU GUYS FOR SEASON 7!!!!!

Episode 148: (Shining Armor): Back Page

Author's Note

A quasi-sequel of sorts to Cadence's story regarding a sibling she longs to forget.
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/371672/mistakes-of-the-goddess-of-music

Written by Richforce.

Drabble: An Eye for Beauty By Richforce

Libra wanted to get this over with quickly. Not because she feared she'd be trapped in Havoc, he had been too gracious a host, but she didn't want to keep her husband waiting. She heard sobbing, not unexpected given where she was, but it somehow sounded out of place.

It seemed almost innocent.

She climbed up Havoc's throne and saw it, the most beautiful alicorn colt she ever saw, only the mother and father of all could be greater. As she trotted closer the colt's colors seemed to shift moment to moment, first he was like gold and fire, the next he shone like a rainbow, the moment after that he seemed like diamond and after that he looked so plain yet the best possible kind of plain. The tormented souls below all craned and got trampled just to get a glimpse of this beautiful thing.

"Adonis?" Libra asked somehow knowing at least part of his name. "Why are you crying, why are you here?"

Adonis looking like a starry night looked back into her eyes. "He didn't want me anymore. He said I was subjective and what's subjective isn't perfect."

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Libra recalled. "So you aren't perfect, that doesn't mean you aren't beauty." She said beginning to realize what was going on.

The jeweled coated Alicorn looked away. "He called me an imperfection forced upon him by mother and father, that my imperfection was the only reason he failed. He said next time he won't make a perfect world, he will BE a perfect world. He cut me out, he says he never wants to see me again."

Libra looked at the crystalline prison. The form of the concept that occupied it had become a twisted reflection of what was within his nonexistent heart, there was no hiding what he was anymore. "He won't. Come now I'm going to take you home."

"Won't Mother and Father be mad?"

Libra coved Adonis with her wing. "I think most of all they will be so happy that all that was good about someone they loved is coming home."

Morning Star spoke from his prison. "Take that tumor, that virus and go!"

Libra ignored him and turned back to Adonis. "It's time now, come together with me.

Libra folded her wing over Adonis for a second, when she lifted it the colt had vanished. But he was not gone, she could feel him within her, happier than he had been for so long now. The eyes of the aspect of the physical world had shone for a moment, reflecting the ever shifting nature of beauty. She thanked Havoc for his hospitality and then left, after all she had to introduce her friends and family to her new incarnation.

Drabble: An Eye for Beauty By Richforce

tiny Interlude, Discord, Odyne, and Her

During one of the endless cycles....

Discord said sitting on her throne made of cups of yogurt filled with pudding and Winnie The Pooh plushies wearing 'Legend of Cadenza' shirts. "Oh Fluttercruel, I've been thinking, maybe this 'torture ponies to death', ISN'T - " Discord was going to say 'not the best use of your talents' and 'what you're meant to do'... but time glitched.

Nightmare Eclipse in Discord's mind spoke, "Now now Discord, don't go messing with the recordings."

"-something-" "-you've-" "-been doing-" "-enough of." Moments of Discord's life slammed together.

Fluttercruel nodded eagerly. "Okay Master! I'll be sure to do it MORE to make you happy!"

Nightmare Eclipse in Discord's mind said, "Have to keep things in character after all."

Episode 67: (Dark World) History Lesson By Seaponies

"Once upon a time the world was ruled by rigid order and the law obsessed Alicorns, who had rules for everything and anything, to how ponies walked to how they breathed. They were jealous of us sea ponies and our music, for it was the one thing they could not create in their cold mechanical hearts. Their slaves questioned their almightiness if their masters could not produce music as beautiful as the sea-ponies.

"They debated between sending us to the moon, or drying up our ocean with the power of the sun they had enslaved. Finally they chose to curse us into big ugly hairy horned monsters called buffalo, while at the same time ensuring we would drown in our own ocean.

"But Master Discord, who loved our music, saved us by making the grim choice to remove our ocean so we, and our songs, might live. But he could not undo the curse the Alicorns had placed on us as long as the so-called 'Elements of Harmony' still functioned, named so to disguise their true purpose of imposing unyielding order upon innocent ponies."

"What did Alicorns look like?" Ask Waterflower.

Aqua-Marine grimaced. "They were absurd monsters, with Virgacorn horns, hippogriff wings, and the bodies of Earth ponies but all stretched out."

Waterflower belched. "They sound ugly."

"They were. But they insisted they were beautiful, and all that was beautiful was therefore ugly. But Master Discord fought against the massive army of Alicorns and single handedly and restored the Elements to their true forms and was able to break the curse. He granted us our new ocean floating in the sky, safe from those who would still seek us harm and ensuring the ground below was also another layer of defense from those who would destroy us in jealousy of our music. And that is why we constantly produce new songs in tribute to Master Discord."

The seaponies all cheered and clapped their flippers and fins. An ocean of snowflakes, no two alike. Some resembling sea-horses, others with countless fins, octopi, some looking like dolphins, but all beautiful, all innocent, all cheering Aqua-Marine's recount of their origins.

Random foals stuck their heads out of the water on the side to watch the cotton candy clouds fly by, sticking their tongues out for a quick taste of chocolate rain. Others floated on the surface lazily watching the sun and moon switch positions. While others watched ponies on the ground far below listen to their singing.

Their ocean in the sky, the mighty floating body of water Master had given them that would never be taken away from them by the Alicorns.

Little-Ocean-Heart and Sea Apple hugged each other smiling as their daughter Waterflower did loop-de-loops out the bottom of their ocean with reversed gravity pulling her back in without fail.

Episode 70: (Dark World) Darkest Hour

Pony POV Series
"Dark World" Part Three
By Alex Warlorn
DARKEST HOUR
(WARNING! Dark!)

"Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake, clap your hooves, and do a little shake!"

Tragedy never understood why Queen Mi Amore Cadenza Equestria Avalon always said that nonsense whenever she saw her. She didn't turn her flank to her like the first time that left herself open. It seemed vaguely familiar, but the Master told her never to think about it, so she simply...didn't.

Avalon, the kingdom of the changelings that stood for five hundred years, burned. The white trees and their golden leaves crackled in the flames, the green grass becoming a carpet of ashes, and the flowers of love cinders in the air.

"Please Twilight Sparkle, isn't there anything left of the real you at all?"

"There is no such thing as a 'true self', Your Majesty." Twilight said the other five in formation around the unicorn.

"Alright then. We were the closest thing we had to sisters! I'll wake you up, I swear it."

"Less chatting, more killing!" Fluttercruel leapt at the Alicorn, with blades on her hooves and wings.

Three Spikes rammed into her from different angles, claws and fangs flying, knocking back the element of chaos. Traitor Dash caught her and placed her down, TD staining her forelegs red.

The real Spike, hovering in the air a mile off, gasped slightly through his muzzle-straps at the sight. Master Discord shifted his weight on top of him watching the whole scene through opera glasses while eating nachos. "Curs, don't they know blind-siding someone is only fair when my little Princess does it?"

The changelings shifted to their true forms, their white coats gleaming in the flames of what had five hundred years ago been the much smaller Everfree Forest until the Goddess of Harmony had bent its wild magics it to her will.

"I told you all to evacuate, Sting," Queen Cadence said lowly, more like a mother questioning her child than a ruler reprimanding a subject.

"Everyone else is safe, Your Majesty."

"You should obey your Queen's orders without hesitation or question," Twilight admonished the changelings.

"We love our Queen and we won't abandon her!" Said one of the other changelings, bending her butterfly wings and lowering herself to the ground snorting. "Not even to you!"

"Especially to you!" Said the last one narrowing her true blue eye.

"We love her more than the sun and the moon," all three mares voiced together.

"Come on." Traitor Dash almost begged, "We've smashed the Sun Heart Stone-thingie or whatever-" "-mineminemineminemine-" Went Rarigreed. "-You've got nothing left, Avalon no longer exists. Just leave Queen Cadence and save yourselves."

"Morons! The changeling Queen isn't just a queen, she's Mother to all changelings!" Sting snapped.

"As long as Queen Cadence lives, Avalon lives!"

"No, Morning Glow," The Queen said, "As long as any of you live, Avalon lives. You can accept love from others instead of just taking the love I've given you, like your predecessors. You've grown into something better. You can make a new Avalon, a better one, to live in with the peoples you'll protect."

"That's the most gloomy and dark thing Ah've ever heard," Liarjack whispered.

"Sounds like the same changeling-parasites to me!" Angry Pie snapped, "After five hundred years they're still the same emotion suckers!"

"YOU NAG, YOU-" Began Sting before Cadence interrupted her calmly. The flames continues to burn, the immortals not caring about the smoke and the changelings enduring it. The flaming meteor-showers Discord had sent down on the land immune to his magic had been endless and a fire put out started by one, only encourage five more to rain down.

"There is a difference between parasites and symbiotes. I think you once understood that." Queen Cadence said, every word, every second, a delay on these once-pony-monsters beginning to hunt down her subjects. She looked to Twilight sadly. "Have you really stopped learning, Twilight? You used to love it so."

"I am learning only what what I need to learn."

Cadence looked disappointed. "That fact saddens me greatly."

"Look! You held out against Discord of five frikkin' centuries! You gave ponies somewhere they could hide in exchange just for loving your subjects! But it's over now! Just submit to Maser and I'm sure he'll be merciful!"

Discord put on his sunglasses and called out with his megaphone, "Nope! Definitely gonna torture her horribly if she gives up! Sorry Dashie!"

Traitor Dash's face fell.

Twilight Tragedy said, "If you had simply replaced your heart with the stone, it would have been in the safest place imaginable."

"I'd have to have given up a part of myself that I am not willing to surrender for that. You've replaced your hearts with the Elements of Chaos, and it's cost you everything you were."

Liarjack hid her eyes behind her hat and Traitor Dash looked down in despair and self-loathing.

"These changelings will devolve back into the sociopaths they were before you. You have accomplished exactly nothing in five hundred years. From nothing, to nothing, creation and destruction evens out to zero." Tragedy said calmly.

"If you believe that, then I'm sorry Twilight," Queen Cadence said softly.

"DON'T LISTEN TO THEM YOUR MAJESTY! WE'LL NEVER BE THE MONSTERS OUR ANCESTORS WERE!"

"Your ancestors were slaves Lady Bug, not monsters. Never confuse this."

"You saved us."

"I merely gave your ancestors the second chance everypony deserves."

+++

Cadence looked down at Chrysalis. "Why?"

The love within the Changeling Queen spent, she slowly broke apart into tiny black ash as her body tried to starve off the end by consuming itself. Chrysalis stood and faced her eye to eye even as cracks appeared in her legs.

Her voice was hoarse as she spoke,
"Since dawn of memory we have cowered in the shadows of history.
Feeding on you cattle and retreating like criminals into the dark."

Her wings dissolved into dust.

"Our nests hidden like some unholy shame.
Our own history forgotten.
Our true faces forever masked.
We tire of this hollow existence.
WE DESERVE A NATION OF OUR OWN!"

One of Chrysalis' legs broke off and shattered when it hit the ground. Chrysalis glanced at it in a moment of fear but glared defiantly at the Alicorn to the end. Chrysalis' royal guard lay already broken around them.

"...Your eyes. Why are they different?"

"What?!" Those were the Alicorn's last words to her-?!

"The paintings of the previous queens in the hallway had the same eyes as the rest of your swarm. Why are yours different?"

"Heh!" A fang broke off. "I wish I knew myself, cattle. But I know one thing, those fat slugs were never family of mine."

"You're all alone."

"Clop off cattle. I won't die with your pity!" By now the only thing holding her body together was the Queen's own will power. Cadence involuntarily felt impressed.

"Discord has left the world with love nearly non-existent. And what love there is your people can not reach to sustain yourselves. . . I came here hoping for help." Cadence's eyes widened. "You attacked me to kill you!"

"I was first hoping I could dominate you. Maybe you could have fed the entire swarm yourself, made us powerful enough to put an end to the mad monster and take Equestria for our own. But better death in battle than crumbling into dust while ruling a dead shadow kingdom of dying tribes... I leave it all to you little pony." Chrysalis laughed that then turned into a hacking cough as her chest cracked and began to collapse. She lunged at Cadence, the Alicorn braced herself, but was stunned when Chrysalis embraced her. A flash of light, and the Changeling Queen's body was ashes on her coat.

And Cadence's eyes shrunk to pin pricks as she suddenly remembered another life, a realm beyond this one, of Celestia and Luna, not her aunts, but her sisters, and two forces that had been her Parents before the ones she knew and loved who had been taken by Discord. Draconequi. A war beyond wars. Hugging Rota Fortuna as the goddess of fate cried over her torn off wing obtained as an enemy captive. Justitia's mask of the iron hearted warrior cracked from tears as the Justice Alicorn carried Currus' Chariot behind her, her brother forcing his portfolio, his very being, into her rather than have Havoc devour him.

The Alicorn dropped her barriers surrounding the entrances to the 'royal chamber' (a hastily set up room furnished for their Queen). The changelings swarmed in, stopping in awe at the goddess before them, sensing something strange about her, familiar.

She spoke in the Royal Canterlot Voice, for the first time she could remember,
"I AM FOURTEENTH MI AMORE CADENZA EQUESTRIA. CONCEPT OF MUSIC AND HARMONY. PRINCESS OF BINDS AND JOY! QUEEN CHRYSALIS KIPEPEO LINSILA AVALON IS DEAD. WHAT SAY YOU?"

The black insect creatures looked at each other. Confused compound eyes looking into confused compound eyes. Horns meant for stabbing not magic dulled and cracked. Finally they bowed and hissed in their own language. "'Long Live The Queen Of The Changelings. Long Live Queen Cadence.' "

"And long live you all. Accept the love of your Queen." Light shined from her horn.

++++

"For the first time ever, your people were given what they always had to take. I just gave them a chance to become more than what they were. To evolve. I couldn't be more proud."

Cadence looked at Twilight. "You believe that creation and destruction balances everything to zero, but others believe destruction is the chance for a fresh start from zero. A second chance to rebuild what was lost into something better than it was before, like a Phoenix beginning it's new life from the ashes of its old body. If you're really holding the other side of Magic shouldn't you know that better than anypony?"

"THIS IS BORING!" Angry Pie hissed.

"MORE THAN THAT IT'S STUPID! WHY AREN'T WE KILLING HER ALREADY? ARE WE WAITING UNTIL WE'RE FIGHTING IN A FIELD OF ASHES?!" Fluttercruel snapped.

"Let them have their melodrama young mare," Discord called out downing a two liter bottle of soda at once. "I brought plenty of video tape!"

Cadence gritted her teeth.

"Lady Bug, Morning Glow, Sting, assume my form."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" They echoed and were engulfed in blue flames.

"Wow this is gonna be an original fight," Liarjack declared.

"You think I can't pick up tells from decoys?" Rarigreed asked drolly sounding insulted.

"My subjects, what am I to you?"

Sting shouted in Cadence's voice, "You are the light in our darkness!"

Morning Glow said, "You liberated us from slavery."

Lady Bug whispered, "You're our mother. All of us."

"Lady Bug... from this day forth, your name is Princess Mi Amore Cadenza Equestria Avalon."

"WHAT?" Morning Glow and Sting said together then looked at their swarm mate in awe. Her horn glowed briefly blue, then the aura shattered and turned to yellow.

Spike blinked a mile away, "Wha-?" Dragon brain need reboot.

Discord lowered his sunglasses and narrowed his eyes, "What's this now?"

Tragedy kept her mouth shut in confusion.

"HUH-?! Did she just give away--Ow! My head hurts!" Rarigreed held her skull.

"Did she just-" Traitor Dash stared.

Angry Pie felt nothing.

Fluttercruel narrowed her eyes.

"Well that doesn't make a lick of sense," Liarjack said.

"Your Majesty! Why are you-" Lady Bug began.

"The changelings will need a new queen no matter how this battle turns out. Sting, Morning Glow, take your Princess and insure she escapes here unharmed."

In visible pain, the two other changelings said, "Y-Yes, Y-Your Majesty."

"NO!" Lady Bug cried.

"That's a command from your Mother."

Lady Bug lowered her head, "Yes, Your Majesty."

"I am not the Majesty, that is your position now. Don't worry Lady Bug. Even if you won't be able to see me, I promise I will always be walking alongside you. Now go!"

Morning Glow and Sting took the Princess and vanished in a swirl of blue flames (though the ones surrounding the Princess were yellow), to who knows where, knowing better than to risk flying away and become tempting targets.

"Let me go you moron!" Fluttercruel back-hoofed TD, "They had their backs exposed!"

"Master didn't say 'attack' yet."

"HE SAID ATTACK AFTER HE RAINED FIERY DEATH DOWN ON THIS LOSER NEVER NEVER FOREST, LOSER!"

Liarjack was meanwhile also holding Angry Pie back as well, LJ's broken eye socket would regenerate quickly enough.

"Don't worry!" Discord called out, "I have all the cameras in place now for the bloopers reels, the DVD release, and the making-of! Now my young mare: kill'er."

"'BOUT BLOODY TIME!" Fluttercruel flew sidesways.

"Well Ah guess the rest of us can just can just hang-"

"And the rest of you too!"

"AT! LAST!" Angry Pie roared and charged head on.

"Harmony," Cadence whispered, her banter to Discord lost under the assault of six fighters with five hundred years experience.

"A darling regalia with matching horseshoes! Mine! And diamond dust! All the diamonddust!" She actually gave herself a short rub in the ashes as she charged at Cadence, still carrying the remains of the artifact with her telekinesis.

Twilight Tragedy never understood why while Rarigreed saw rocks as precious gems, that she still saw regular gold and jewels still as gold and jewels after all.

'What are you waiting for, my little Liarjack?'

'Ah've got no reason to fight anythin', you've got nothin' left to take from me. Ah'm nothin'.'

'Is that so? What do you think will happen if Cadence reawakens Rarigreed and my Twilight's memories? Care to guess? The awful full truth of the awful things they've done... Realizing the monsters they've become. Or do you want that? If you do, maybe I'll just do it right now-'

'-Ah'm goin' Master.'

'Good pony.'

Traitor Dash fidgeted, the last to move.

'You know Dashie, there's a small chance that if you sit out this fight your group might lose, and well, maybe I need to find six OTHER emotionally crippled or insane ponies to be my gofers instead, maybe some of those hippogriffs will make better holders than you. After your friends are disposed of, and I finish violating the minds of some OTHER innocent ponies into-'

'And if Cadence beats you too?'

'Then so goes my magic, and Sky Ocean and all the sea ponies in it fall and go-'

Traitor Dash moved like a streak of light towards Cadence in a zigzag pattern, tears briefly in her eyes.

"Twilight, I am so sorry," Queen Cadence whispered.

"Ponies of chaos
Ponies of chaos
The world is in your hooves,"

Angry Pie, in a blur, punched down on Cadence's head, but she connected with the forest ground instead, kicking up a cloud of ash and cinders, obscuring her vision and leaving her standing in an impact crater. She shook her head, the queen's words resonating in her head, making her feel dizzy.

"WHERE IS SHE-?!" POW!

Before the dust even cleared a hoof stomped on her from above, leaving her in a pony-shaped impression in the ground.

"So much for that sixth sense of yours I heard about!

"Please remember." Cadence touched her horn to Angry Pie's head. The gray and red mare screamed like an animal. Her eyes became lifeless dots as her body fell over sideways, rigid, her face frozen in a hateful howl as drool slowly came out of her mouth. Even her limp rearleg held its pose.

"Wind of Blades!"

A flurry of grip-less edge weapons whistled through the air at the queen as she countered with a powerful wind of her own, knocking them off course.

"But I will fight until the end.
Ponies of chaos
Discord of chaos
I won't follow your commands,
But I will fight and I will stand."

Fluttercruel felt the words resonate in her ears, breaking her concentration and allowing Cadence to dive through the opening right at the yellow Pegasus. Cadence drew upon magic based purely upon her Concept and managed to stab her horn into Fluttercruel's shoulder as she continued to sing.

"When discord falls,
Pain is all,
The Ponies of chaos
will leave behind,
but I will fight."

As Fluttercruel shook her head to clear it, the rainbow colored light spread, leaving cold lifeless stone in its wake.

"DAMMIT!" Fluttercruel snarled, and with her other forehoof she shattered her stone shoulder and foreleg and dropped as Cadence flew over her, her horn now holding nothing. Fluttercruel hissed as bones and muscle grew as fast as they could to replaced the petrified parts of her body.

Discord gritted his teeth at the sight.

Tragedy teleported next to the completely stiff Angry Pie and touched her horn to Angry's chest. Blue electric sparks like those the color of Pinkie Pie's old element of Harmony spread over the angry mare, who blinked and drew in a breath, then stood up and instinctively punched the nearest thing near her, which was Twilight. "Thank you!" Angry Pie spat out.

"You are welcome," Twilight answered emotionlessly.

Traitor Dash created a Sonic Darkboom sending the ashes out in a sphere as the burning trees were knocked off their roots, many grateful to be put out of their misery while the rest silently cheered the Alicorn on.

Cadence magically caught Traitor Dash with a barrier spell and telekinesis, magically enhanced her wings to buffer air, and was pushed through the air flying backwards from the force of TD's head on impact.

"Our love is lost,
beauty and light,
have vanished from
garden of delight.
The dreams are gone,
the last hour has come,
madness is our the kingdom."

Finally she managed to throw Traitor Dash above her as her enchanted song broke the Pegasus' focus for the moment she needed. The two became zipping lines in the sky above the burning trees.

A flash of blue flame, and Morning Glow appeared and shouted, "I'm sorry Your Majesty! I couldn't just-" A purple beam of light destroyed one of her wings from nowhere and she began to fall. "Your Majesty!"

Cadence created a flash of white light blinding TD and dove for her subject, who turned into Liarjack, who used both her back legs to buck the Alicorn in the snout hard, cracking bones and drawing blood, knocking Cadence back. LJ fell the ground with a thud creating a plume of ash as she fell on top of a burn tree that scorched the skin off her back.

"Thanks for the teleport Twilight." LJ coughed out, her spine stitching itself back together.

"You are welcome."

TD recovered her sight and Sonic Darkboomed Cadence in the back sending both down into the ground below, which created yet another crater. Before the first specks of ash hit the dirt a cyan pegasus came screaming out of the debris, while being carried on the point of a massive beam of light blue magic that made her a dot in the sky. She began to fall straight down, blubbering like a baby, mumbling apologies to long dead ponies.

Cadence brought up a barrier from all sides even before she sensed the swarm of fireballs coming from one direction with another fleet of edged weapons from the other. Within seconds pieces of wood flying at twice the speed of bullets hammered into her shield from yet another direction.

"GRAAAAH!" Angry Pie, ignoring what attacks accidentally hit her, leapt on top of Cadence's omi-barrier and began to kick, punch, and most of all head-bang against it causing the ground under Cadence's hooves to shake.

Liarjack meanwhile, made a beeline for Traitor Dash and leapt towards her and caught her before she crashed. She knew TD would just regenerate, but that was besides the point. She hesitated for a moment, looking back to the battle with a mix of emotions... As TD blubbered Liarjack whispered, "It's alright, it's fine, everythin's just fine, nothing's bad, nothin's wrong, nothin' hurts, nothin' is wrong, ya ain't got no reason to cry, yer a big tough pony, it's alright." Liarjack stroked TD's mane as she shuddered from the horrible, horrible TRUTH Cadence's magic had hit her with.

"Ponies of chaos
Ponies of chaos
The world is in your hooves,
But I will fight until the end.
Ponies of chaos

Discord of Chaos
I won't follow your commands,
But I will fight and I will stand."

Cadence had no intention of staying pinned down and forced her magic into the ground, using the ashes as fertile soil . She grew several trees from forgotten nuts in the ground, silently apologizing for using them this way as they bravely gave up their brief lives to absorb damage. A growing branch impaled Angry Pie while the magical music distracted the Earth Pony. The mare hissed and snarled as it grew, pushing her away from the top of the barrier. She broke it off before it grow much inside her and ripped it bloodily out of her. She landed on her able rearleg and hissed to herself, gasping for breath and waiting for her lungs to start working again as the massive wound tried to close itself.

Cadence wasn't prepared for when a different colored version of her spell blasted through the trees and rocketed off her still unbroken barrier and the ground it encased below her tumbling like a bowling ball. Cadence ended the spell and did a rapid succession of random teleports to throw off her opponents.

"It's nice to see you can still learn new spells on the fly as fast as ever."

"There is no magic I can't copy," The expression less Twilight said in a tone not unlike pride.

"So, you admit you learned a spell your Master didn't tell you to learn?"

"It is what I needed to learn."

A stone pegasus flapping its wings in an imitation of actual flight telekinetically burst out of the ground and tried to tackle Cadence, who swiftly dodged it. Two more stone imitation pegasi were lifted out of the ground and came to attack her, mimicking different martial arts techniques simultaneously.

"Louis! Daniel! Paul! Show her what you've got!" Rarigreed shouted standing on top of another stone imitation pegasus as she magically raised it. She had five hundred years of practice.

But so did Cadence. She felt a flying dragon kick give her mane a close shave and stabbed a golem with her horn, hitting it with a blast of massive cold then a blast of heat a moment later the stone pegasus blasted apart.

"DANIEL!!!" Rarigreed cried out in horror. "Come back to mommy, sweeties! Mommy won't let the bad mare hurt you!"

The stone imitations of ponies made the illusion of 'flying' back to their 'mother' via Rarigreed's telekinesis.

"Why didn't you get a shot in!" Angry Pie snapped at Twilight.

"I couldn't score a hit without destroying one of Rarigreed's 'children.'"

"SO-?!"

"Do you want to be on the receiving end of an angry mother?"

"It would be you." Angry Pie growled and coughed up blood, not yet completely regenerated.

"You'll PAY FOR HURTING MY BABY DANIEL YOU NAG!" Rarigreed growled.

Cadence sighed. "'Daniel' was a puppet with your own magic! It didn't have a life, it didn't have a mind!"

"WHAT RIGHT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY WHAT ISN'T AND IS ALIVE WITCH-?! THEY'RE MINE! MINE! MINE!" Rarigreed magicked the stone pegasus she wasn't standing on to nuzzle her as she lovingly put her hooves around their necks.

Soft gray-yellow feathers gently fell around Cadence, which turned into knives, razors and switch blades as they fell. Cadence, for a moment, though they were another illusion of Liarjack's until she felt one very real knife graze her side and felt Fluttercruel's spiritual essence. The blade turned to stone when its magic touched her blood.

"NOW, TWILIGHT!" 'Cruel shouted from high above diving down.

Tragedy fired another imitation of Cadence's beam attack and Cadence teleported away. But the blade that had cut her side teleported with her and gave Fluttercruel a glaring signal to where she'd reappear. FlutterCruel drop kicked her in the cut side, the blood making the bottom of her hooves turn to stone. 'Cruel ignored it and tore more feathers out of her own wings, that quickly regenerated, the torn off ones turning into daggers and corrugated knives. The weapons turned to stone as soon as they made contact with Cadence, but Fluttercruel had plenty where they came from.

"Hunt goes on,
deep in the night,
time to pray,
down on your knees,
you can't hide from the
eternal light,
until my last
breath I will fight".

Fluttercruel grunted, shaking her head to try and clear it. Using the distraction, Cadence created a series of stormclouds above them using enhanced pegasus magic and the lightning went straight for the mess of metal weapons that 'Cruel had created and prepared to use before being stunned. She ignored the bloody stone weapons around Cadence. The gigavolts of electricity had fried her motor functions.

Cadence blasted her in the gut with magic based on harmony, turning her stomach and secondary organs to stone.

At that moment a stone imitation pegasus came between them, doing a double-inside-out loop followed by a rather majestic corkscrew that Cadence barely managed to avoid, distracted by the professional looking acrobatics. She took the time to regenerate her own wounds, making a gamble by dividing her attention further.

Fluttercruel hit the ground, the stone parts of her shattering and regenerating.

"That's it Soarin' dear! Keep her busy just a bit!" Rarigreed cheered on the collection of rocks shaped like pegasi. Her constantly glowing horn shined even more and the destroyed pile of rocks that had been 'Daniel' reshaped into an imitation of a pegasus mare with a stone replica of a fiery mane. Rarigreed magicked it to fly up to her and nuzzle her gently flapping its wings though her magic was what was lifting it up. "Go help your brother, Spitfire."

The collection of random rocks was made to nod and flew (more like threw) at the Alicorn, joining the other puppet.

Cadence was thrown off her center, not from fighting two of Rarigreed's 'children' at once, but from the sickeningly familiar maneuvers and flight styles of the stone puppets. Every nuance, every motion, was tethered to the names she had called her puppets. Realization and pity rippled through Cadence.

"Your 'children' are nothing more than replacements for those you'll never get back, aren't they?"

Cadence was startled when the puppets ceased their attack and were made to look at each other then at Rarigreed, all three for a moment seeming very shocked.

"It's not true babies! She's just saying that! Mommy loves you! Don't let up!" Rarigreed said in the most heartfelt voice Twilight remembered her ever using. "Even if you fall you'll still be with mommy!" The puppets nodded and resumed their two pronged assault.

Fluttercruel got up, having fully healed. She cupped her hooves and shouted, "HEY! Angry! How about some real double team?"

"Just remember! I might look like I'm having fun with you! But I won't be!" Angry said fully healed as well.

"Wouldn't have it any other way." Cruel grinned.

"YOUNG MARE WITHDRAW!" Discord's voice bellowed through the air. Coming from anyone else, Fluttercruel could have sworn he sounded, concerned?

"You're joking, Master!"

"THAT WASN'T A SUGGESTION!" Discord roared.

"I can take her!"

"NOW!!!"

Fluttercruel pouted, "Fine!" Fluttercruel threw a miniature blizzard of throwing stars at Cadence's face, making a hasty retreat in the added confusion.

Cadence, like any intelligent and long lived Alicorn with many enemies, had countless enchantments in place to prevent something or somepony from being teleported directly inside her, let alone a fireball being manifested directly in her lungs' air.

"Now realize, the stars they die,
darkness has fallen in paradise.
but we'll be strong, and we will fight,
against the creatures of your blight."

This was annoying for Twilight who for other such dangerous opponents could try to teleport inside her: suicide for a normal pony, but being immortal did have its advantages. So, she calculated a new strategy. No easy feat, with the Alicorn's enchanted song resonating in her ears, making it even more difficult for her to get her thoughts in order. After a moment of jumbled thought, she simply magicked up a pair of ear plugs, surprised she had not thought of that before.

Master had made Fluttercruel retreat, and Cadence telekinetically redirected the throwing stars at Rarigreed, when one of her children quickly took the blow and threw them back at their actual target.

It was only a matter of time before Cadence destroyed another of Rarigreed's 'children' and she became reckless with 'loss.'

Liarjack was still helping Traitor Dash recover from Cadence's magic attack.

Angry Pie was fully ready and could be teleported above Cadence if the Alicorn was properly distracted to make a crushing blow. Distracted by two stone imitation Wonderbolts? Yes that worked.

Sadly, that WOULD have been the case if Rarigreed didn't withdrawn her puppets at that moment.

'Louis', and 'Paul', still flanking Rarigreed riding atop their 'brother', shifted shape as Rarigreed's horn magic increased slightly for a moment, the rocks making the imitations up shifting about utill they resembled instead a Earth Pony stallion with a slick mane and a unicorn stallion with a cultured and high class mane style. They floated next to Rarigreed's ears as if they were capable of saying something.

"Yes Filthy Rich, and you too Fancy Pants, mother has trust in her children, but this bad mare might just be too much for you to handle. I can't imagine how I'm going to break the news to Tom about Daniel. No, no, no, I'll be careful. Her crown and armor will look simply lovely in the diamond room don't you agree? I knew you would! Soarin'! Spitfire! Come back to your mother!"

The stone ponies imitated flying back as Rarigreed pulled them back towards her. "Eh? Don't worry Filthy, I'll steal your wife and child from Master's collection someday."

'She's doing ALL of this with telekensis-?!' Cadence thought. 'How is that even possible? Even Twilight's reserves would be hard pressed for this!'

Cadence was pushed out of her thoughts as she sensed the fireball, the lightning spell right behind it, along with the shards of ice behind that!

"Oh no you don't, Twilight!" Cadence shouted as she redirected all three spells like a train around her, back towards their original position. Twilight teleported away before the three spells annihilated the ground where she stood.

Angry Pie came down above her, but Cadence safely caught her out of range of her three flaying hooves, holding her up by her forth limp one.

Angry Pie hissed and snarled at her like a mad animal.

"Why are you even working for Discord little pony? What do you have to gain from it?"

"I don't know and I don't care! Discord's world is the kind of world where ponies learn not to laugh at anything because they know that it could happen to them next! That'll teach them to laugh at other ponies!"

"You just contradicted yourself. You said you didn't know or care about your motive, but then you went along and gave one."

"Buck you!" Angry Pie . . . 'disconnected' her limp limb, and blood flowing, she swung from the disconnected leg with her forelegs, and rammed her head into Cadence's chest like a freight train.

"Stop this! This isn't you! Twilight would never have made friends with a bully who hated laughing!"

"You can bet your bacon it's me!"

"I don't think so-" A rock teleported next to Cadence. One first flash frozen with an ice spell, then super headed from within and teleported away a split second before it exploded. This attack forced Cadence to drop Angry Pie, who by now had regenerated a new, still non-functional fourth leg.

Pieces of part white hot, part burning cold stone struck Cadence's body like shrapnel. Cadence sensed the next teleported rock and began to fly in an unpredictable pattern, the mine field coming into being as she flew chaotically. Cadence hastily split her mind between flying madly, magically healing the damage done to her body, and back-tracking the teleportation spells to their source.

Cadence's sense drew her to a stone built Avalonian bakery alongside what had been a dirt road. Along with any other private buildings set in what been the 'peace and beauty of the Everfree' the roof now burned down.

She summoned a rainstorm low to the ground above the impact crater from Angry Pie's miss. She silently shaped a lightning cloud above the bakery whose cement blocks were vanishing one by one.

She teleported the mass of water right between the black cloud (near invisible in this smoke and fire) and where the roof had been, and less than a second later, had the lightning cloud unleash its payload!

"BWA-WA-WA-WA-WA-WA-WA-WA-WA-WA-WA-!!!" Twilight Tragedy lit up like a christmas tree. Her earplugs popped out. The lightning didn't stop as Tragedy's brain was overloaded. Finally the light show ended and Tragedy stood smoking, the remote minefield assault over. She didn't move a muscle, with a look of faint surprise and awe on her face. Then rolled her eyes in the back of her head and collapsed VERY MUCH unconscious.

Cadence looked down at Angry Pie whose bones had finished resetting.

Cadence's eyes and horns glowed, and light blue chains burst out of the ground like snakes and wrapped around Angry Pie until she was concealed like a mummy, keeping her perfectly harmoniously balanced and immobile, a peaceful and warm hymn vibrating through the chains directly into Angry Pie's brain, the mad pony mollified like any savaged beast soothed by music, probably the most calm she'd been in centuries. "Enjoy the peace you've longed for... " Cadence whispered.

Cadence looked at Discord a mile off sitting using Spike like a couch, Fluttercruel having joined him sulking as she munched a bucket of rabbit-mic-nuggets as her Master shoveled popcorn into his mouth.

Queen Cadence flew straight for him. Discord stopped feeding his face. Cadence cut the time very shortly by teleporting half way.

Discord's eyes widened and grabbed Fluttercruel and reared his arm back... So that Fluttercruel could grab Spike's tail and hold on tight as Discord swung and Fluttercruel let go, throwing the dragon right at Cadence.

Cadence had been prepared for dodging a cursing Fluttercruel, not a gasping dragon. Her altered flight path did not adjust enough and the impact sent them both crashing into the ground.

Cadence sensed Discord teleport away along with Fluttercruel.

"Now Spikey-Wikey don't go damaging her jewelry! I WANT IT!"

" . . . yesth Rarity." Spike sighed through the enchanted straps keeping his jaw closed. "I'm sorry Cadenceth."

"Not your fault Spike." Cadence said under tons of dragon flesh and teleported out from under him.

"Come on my babies! We'll fight together!" Rarigreed declare, the remains of the artifact that had empowered the changelings and Avalon along with 'Soarin', 'Spitfire' 'Filthy Rich' and 'Fancy Pants' and her 'steed' broke apart and still glowing from her magic, covered her like a winged suit of armor with emblems like the faces of Canterlot elite ponies from a thousand years ago. This armor made her twice the size of Cadence.

The dizzy and hurt Spike made no effort to aid or hinder the mad unicorn, he only looked upon her with sad eyes.

The glow never stopped, ever, each piece of rock being gripped and animated by Rarigreed's horn magic.

"How are you doing this?" Cadence asked, she doubted even Rarigreed's magic or her Element of Chaos could empower her this much.

Rarigreed spoke in a sensual voice, like the touch of each dirty rock brought nirvana,
"All that I want I take. And I want it all.
My treasures are mine. My babies are mine.
I lay claim to all that falls within my sight
To take what I want, that is my right."

Cadence admonished herself for expecting a straight answer out of the mad mare.

"Afraid?"

"Yes. But not for myself. I fear for my subjects and the uncertain future they must build for themselves, but I have faith in them, and I wasn't lying when I said no matter what I would forever walk among them and with them. I fear for you, lost in Discord's sway."

"I was blind, naive, stupid, and serving to parasprites before I was introduced to Tom. Master just gives . . . .just gives me all the best treasures."

"Your treasures are rocks, and your 'family' are puppets. Made to replace the one thing you want more than anything, but can never get back."

"DIE LIAR!!!!" Pieces of the armor flew off like bullets as Rarigreed did a tornado kick at Cadence's neck. "THEY LIVE!!!"

Cadence blocked it with a wing, the ground beneath her gave way inches deep.

The queen felt a radiant calm wash over her. "I see through each and everyone of you."

"YOU TAKE BACK WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT MY JEWELS!"

"A pony who has confused all truths for painful truths, and deception and falsehoods for mercy and the love for her friends she truly feels."

Cadence froze the stones around Rarigreed's right rear leg, shattering them.

"A pony terrified of choices and decisions, frozen in her heart in indecision, because she can recognize the value of everyone, and refuses to face the pain of losing anyone."

Rarigreed screamed and brought her front right hoof down on Cadence's head. It stopped dead when it touched the tip of her horn, and Cadence spread her light blue magic through it, canceling out Rarigreed's own telekinesis. The rocks fell to the ground lifeless.

"A pony who has felt one emotion for so long that she knows nothing else, does not want know nothing else, can know nothing else, because she has mistaken happiness for weakness, and believes the only way to not be a child is to act as a hateful child."

Rarigreed hissed and fire her 'wings' at Cadence, the small rocks as uncountable as an insect swarm. They stopped midway, half colored Cadence's shade of blue, and the other half Rarigreed's.

Alicorn and unicorn struggled, Cadence was very surprised at how much force Rarigreed had, but she was still a goddess. The rocks reversed course into Rarigreed's armor and stabbed her exposed parts. "OW! DON'T HURT MOMMY!"

"A pony so long in the darkness, she just wants it to end, so the monster given her body can bring no more misery on Equestria and she can finally enter My Father's heart."

"ENOUGH!" Rarigreed relentlessly swung her four hooves at the Alicorn, her motions a blur, screaming her lungs out in frustration.

Cadence was equally deft in her dodge and blocks of Rarigreed's onslaught. "And you, who has become so fixated on the tiny trivial trinkets around her that she can't see the real treasure staring her in the face!"

Cadence flash froze several of the stones around her, that quickly covered Rarigreed, then superheated them an instant later. The explosion was muted perfectly by the soundproof force field that Cadence created as a sphere around the pony before detonation.

Rarigreed fell, her rock armor burying her as her telekinesis stopped when she lost consciousness.

"Look after her," Cadence told Spike who nodded. Cadence teleported to Twilight's side. The little pony still unconscious. Not being naive to the danger surrounding her, she raised a force-field around herself and Twilight for their protection.

"And my little pony. Who actually taught me so much even as I taught her. So frustrated that ponies aren't as easy to read as books. A little filly who loved to learn, and loved her family, but considered friends to be excesses. A flower who had only started to bloom, and when she for the first time experienced the hurt of losing friends, it struck to her core."

Cadence touched her horn to Twilight Tragedy's head, "Please remember." A dozen tiny hearts floated around the Alicorn before flowing into the unicorn.

Twilight Sparkle blinked her eyes open and looked up at her foalhood sitter. "Cadence? I'm-" Twilight Sparkle blinked away tears, "I'm so sorry, I'm so happy, I'm so scared, I'm feeling so great to see you!"

Twilight got up and they hugged each other. "And it's wonderful to see you too Twilight!"

"All the things I did! Everything I thought-!"

"It wasn't you Twilight!"

"But it was! I didn't want to feel anything! I didn't want to think anything! I didn't want to be anything!"

"It's alright! It's alright! We can talk later! I promise! But first let's go help the others!"

"RIGHT!" Twilight nodded vigorously. "Let's end this once and for all!"

They looked into each other's eyes, smiled, and said together,
"Sunshine sunshine ladybugs awake, clap your hooves, and do a little-!"

Six black rods impaled Queen Cadence's body, the lower halves slick with blood, the first shattering her force field so the others could follow, striking the moment her focus was fully on Twilight. They skewered through her at odd angles and impeded into the ground.

Holding onto a different black rod, was an element of chaos. Discord himself, wearing a hazmat suit, held the first one that had pierced her shield.

A dragon beaten to a pulp behind a timely silencing barrier, moaned desperately trying to force his broken arms, legs, tail, and wings to move, and failing.

Rarigreed scowled like a mother looking at someone who had harmed her child. Angry Pie gave a mutant hybrid growl/sigh. Fluttercruel grinned maniacally. Discord grinned even bigger. Liarjack hid her eyes behind her hat. Traitor Dash leaned her gut against the end of the rod, her face tear stained, mortified.

"Thanks for the distraction my Twilight Tragedy," Discord said in casual praise, giving one of his deep, bone-chilling chuckles.

Twilight's eyes were huge. Her legs were shaking. The light of her horn sparked and sputtered but no spells formed in her panicked and horrified mind.

Cadence tried to light her horn, but she felt like the rods were literally feeding off her magic. "T-twilight." Cadence tasted something metallic in her mouth. She coughed and red liquid came forth. Her lungs were pierced, she no longer had the ability to sing. Breathing was ripping them apart. "D-Don't listen to him, it's not y-your fault! RUN!"

"Run where Queen Cadence? As of today. I. Own. The world! Now I can make you a platinum statue to be used as bait for an epic rescue trap for your follows that'll backfire spectacularly on me... Naw. Let's skip that."

"Master?" Three of the minions asked confused.

"As far as saviors go," He gave a sick grin, and raised her paw, a small sphere of red light appeared in his palm. He floated behind the back of her head.

Cadence quickly looked at the slaves who had spoken, "I forgive-"

"You're only second rate!" A torrent of red light rampaged forth, annihilating her flesh, leaving her blackened skeleton visible for a moment before that too was torn down past its base atoms. Her crown, horseshoes, and harness fell, tarnished and scarred.

"MINE!" Rarigreed instinctively claimed her trophies.

"DON'T YOU TOUCH-"

"Oh be quiet." Discord snapped his fingers, and Twilight's jaw fused together and her mouth vanished.

"'Bout time someone shut her up," Angry Pie said about Twilight but looking more at the spot Cadence had existed a moment before, " . . . dammit."

"I'll deal with you in a minute." Discord said simply to Twilight Sparkle.

When Discord had slew Cadence, the lower parts of her legs had been missed. Fluttercruel took one by the bone and tore into the flesh.

Twilight Sparkle's eyes quivered as her hooves were suddenly encased in cement blocks. Tears streamed more and more down her face.

Liarjack kept her hat over her face as much as she could, but turned towards Twilight. "It...It's alright, Twili'... This is all just a nightmare...you're gonna...you're gonna wake up soon..." she said, likely the most unconvincing lie she'd ever told even as she poured her heart into it.

"Heeeeeyyyy," Fluttercruel stopped and turned around slowly at Traitor Dash, "I bet you want some of this, don't you Dashie?"

"NO! No no no! Not at all! None! Y-you can, you can-" Dash looked green.

"OH COME ON NOW! DON'T BE SHY!" She tackled Dash and straddled on top of her, "Open wide!" And began to force feed her. TD vomited, she forced it down again.

"STOP IT! LEAVE HER ALONE!" An already crying Liarjack scream leaping at Fluttercruel who backhoofed her with the hoof of what she had been holding. She was hit so hard her jaw broke.

"Who asked you? Oh right! No one! So shut up!"

Dash's body went limp to Fluttercruel annoyance she had stopped squirming. One thought pulsed in her mind, 'I deserve this. I deserve this. I deserve this.'

"You know this is hard on me too Twilight," Discord put a 'sympathetic' arm around Twilight Sparkle, "I didn't even get to play with her like I did a sister of hers, Galaxia, oh I need to tell you that story sometime. It's a story of happiness and wonderful and joy for me." Twilight's entire body shook. Her eyes were bloodshot. Her thoughts falling apart before she could even form them. The mad house scene before her replaying in her brain over and over and over and over AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER!!!!

"Ooooh, don't be sad Twilight, time to wake up, or maybe go back to sleep. Hard to tell which is which anymore, isn't it? You don't need to feel anything anymore." Twilight felt the gray, Twilight did not resist the gray, Twilight welcomed the gray, Twilight embraced the gray, Twilight wanted the gray, Twilight was the gray.

++++

"And every single bit of that is totally and utterly false and not the least bit true," Liarjack declared her forehooves visibly shaking, her face hidden with her hat as best she could.

Twilight Tragedy thought over everything she had heard, and asked, "But wait, how did you know that part between Cadence and Chrysalis?"

"Maybe Ah got it out of Ah changeling Queen Cadence told and felt it added to the narrative. Maybe."

"And the thoughts of the others?"

"Maybe they went and told me cause they knew no pony would believe a liar if Ah squealed to anypony. Maybe."

"I see," Tragedy replied as the night shifted to day again. A couple mad ponies outside the castle had a one-sneaker cheese-wiz war with the prize being a lifetime supply of singing pickles in a seven-sided tupperware box with a matching Gazorninplat.

The second most victory-ful pony getting a pet Kwyjibo.

The seaponies were cheering for Team Mayonnaise while Team Felt-Tip Pen had a decent cult following. They were currently leading sideways by three Whoopers to five Jabberwocks.

A seapony colt took the chance to steal a kiss from the seapony Waterflower.

"So that's why all those changelings were willing to die to just steal some bones and where those dented pieces of armor Rarigreed keeps underneath her room's floor stones came from. And why changeling flames are yellow when they used to be blue, and some of them before that had green."

"Nope. And Ah'm not sorry in the least for tellin' ya, and . . . It's a bad thing yer not feelin' anythin' rather than feelin' sad or angry."

"I see." She did not feel any of those things. But she did feel dizzy. And hot. And her stomach muscles were making strange contractions. And her vision was slightly blurry. Her hooves were shaking when she tried to be still. What was happening to her? "Thank you Liarjack, thank you . . . I believe, I wish to rest before Master's visit to the opera."

+++++

What do I think of my six little ponies? I don't think I've ever been actually asked that before. And I can't say I've given it all that much thought either. Well, might as well go down the list right?

Hmmmm. Give me a moment to think here. This is harder than I thought.

First there's Liarjack of course, my first one. Oh, just where did I go wrong with her? What happened to the shameless, gratuitous, prolific, pathological liar who would lie through her teeth about her own accomplishments and accusing others of wrongdoings that never happened and deny having just wronged a friend TO that friend?

Instead, I get a pony who has spent the last thousand years playing nurse to the whole lot of 'em no matter how much they abuse her and just keeps on smiling and wanting to see them happy. Even her lies to Twilight are done out of love , ugh. She's gotten the mechanics down without embracing the spirit.

How could she have gone so terribly wrong? I envisioned her juggling the elements in front of Twilight beautifully asking 'What Elements?' as she begged her to hand them over.

Now she just smiles and nods at everything Rarigreed says. She's even started wearing dresses and moving like a lady she's hanging around her so much! And she acts like Replacement Fluttershy to Traitor Dash. She dares to talk back to Fluttercruel. And just stands there and takes any beating Angry Pie give her without flinching.

Ah, Angry Pie she was truly a success. I completely outdid myself! A few well placed lies and her own beautiful and majestic backwards brain did the rest.

A total success. A complete success! Maybe too much a success... I crushed her little heart! I turned her oh so serious! Maybe a little too serious. I took that little ball of fun unpredictability and randomness and turned her into a one-note lump of aimless fury that beats to death anything that gets in her way. Maoi? Regret? I'm the absurd one around here. Gods don't feel regret. It's in our job description right after 'fundamental law of the universe' and before 'born before the dawn of time.'

When I kept Lulu from vaporizing her from time and space ,I knew she was a kindred spirit. A being of randomness and disorder, just like me. She and Surprise were truly best pony. And Surprise saw pranking me as a challenge, like I would, it was so much fun. It's little wonder Pinkie absorbing her shadow yielded such a beautiful ball of chaos. Then she had to go and get involved in that Elements of non-non-sense. Why couldn't that stupid wall-eyed pegasus have gotten the job instead? I had the names picked out for our first half-dozen kids and the ideas for the cloning mirror after turning/brainwashing Mrs. Cake into the perfect Sleipnir nanny and Mr. Cake into a good and willing nurse mare (had to toss out those plans). I'd let her name our first one though. Now those rooms are filled with Rarigreed's 'children.' Maybe I should start charging her rent.

Rarigreed. Credit where credit is due, she's managed to make a joke fresh for one thousand years. She deserves a medal. In fact I'll give her one! Now where is, oh, she took that already, my bad. I could have easily created a real diamond to draw out her inner vice. Oh she's no Fluttercruel. That greed was always there. I just got her to stop denying it and embrace it like an old lover. She should thank me.

So yes, I could have given her a real diamond, but this was more funny! Except we seemed to have lost our way to the punchline. At least she's come up with plenty of new and fascinating ways to tell the joke in the meantime.

She still knows gold and jewels when she sees them, it's just rocks are everywhere, so of course she stops to pick them up. It wouldn't be very greedy if she didn't take everything of value she laid her eyes on. And she's taken the joke in directions I didn't think she could. I guess I'm just curious as to where she could possibly take it next. The 'making stone golems to be the family she can never have' thing? That was all her. What a wonderful little joke she came up with!

And next is Traitor Dash, oh oh oh oh! She has NEVER stopped being so fun! So arrogant with her 'I'll always be loyal to the princess', thinking loyalty is something that can't be broken! Oh yes I enjoyed seeing her squirm, her oath that her devotion to Celly would never end, breaking in a matter of seconds with just the right choice pushed in front of her muzzle with no neat and tidy third option to latch upon these ponies are always so blindly expecting! If she'd chosen the other choice? Well then I'd have shown her her hometown crumbling before her eyes thanks to her choice on a high depth plasma screen. Like I said, she doesn't get to eat her cake and have it too.

Her loyalty to Celly was always going to end, sooner or later, pony hell or high water would come along, and she'd have had to choose, that's how life is, those are the rules (which I'll admit I hate on principle). And after all this, SHE STILL DOESN'T GET IT! So I get to enjoy watching her squirm and break over and over and over. And she tries to cheat, and finds out the world is ready is to cheat right back! Let her find neat and tidy black and white solutions and third options wrapped up with in a pretty bow now! She spent three hundred years trying to cheat and find third options to my games, until she finally got a clue.

And it's funny, for being technically by default my -least- loyal subordinate, she's easily become my most effective with the right carrot and stick (tell that to Fluttercruel, and I'll feed you to the parasprite!). I couldn't have come up with a more unfitting name. Them's irony. I'll admit that was the one thing about Rota Fortuna I like, that Alicorn knows her irony.

Oh Twilight, Twilight, Twilight, my dear Twilight Tragedy. So smart, so devoted, so logical, even when under the sway of ultimate chaos she's still writing out spread sheets and, ugh, organizing things. I think I could remove her brain and replace it with marbles and molasses and she'd still be writing out her timetable between staring at the wall and writing meaningless mad mantras.

At least she's efficient, and proven over, and over, and over, and OVER to be a good debugger. Yes, over and over... Never ending. Nothing-nothing! Just thinking, like I said, I haven't given these much thought!

Yes, I enjoy yanking her chain, knowing it'll take less than a thought from me to restore her to her proper and discorded state no matter how many times it happens or where it happens or how it happens. It's a great joke. If you can't see that, then you're a prude.

I JUST WISH SHE'D LIGHTEN UP! She has such a delightful inner crazy to bring out, I know it's there, but instead she keeps up her 'loyal zombie like following.' I've never been able to get her true crazy come out in her, no matter how many ways I've tried. She was so fixated on order she was on the verge of falling into chaos! Meh. She's a sad and broken toy, not the cheerful and giddy maniac I knew she could have been. At least she's does an admirable job of keeping things interesting and she's fun at parties.

Derpy Hooves? Am I going to really turn her daughter back from a muffin as soon as she finishes her eight, I correct myself, seven quadrillion laps around the castle? Of course. . . . Oh come on, believe me! Cross the thing that pumps my blood, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye! Geeze! I vowed upon my family I would! And the Old Lady hates having her name taken in vain, just ask...oh that's right, you can't, he never existed...Anyway I'm just going to offer to restore her -other- daughter if she does another nine quadrillion laps around the castle, with the number being cut in half if her little unicorn promises to trot them with her mother. I'll figure the interesting details later! Having her haul around a statue would be too boring, I've tried that joke before.

After that, I think I'll crown all three my court jesters or something, strangely nopony else has asked for the job, and they've all given me some good laughs. I could use some non-insane, non-ironic clowns. For right now, she makes a good timepiece going around the castle, (not that I really need one, but it's the thought that counts).

Spikey Wikey? What about him? I've turned door-to-door salesponies into vacuum cleaners more interesting than him. He barely even makes a good straight dragon! Whenever I'm not giving him the honor of carrying my perfect bod to where I choose, when I choose, how I choose, he just sit waiting for Twilight to give him his next scrub down! I swear it's like he's just waiting to die of old age now. I've tried turning him into something else, but he always acts the exact same way. If Twilight won't enjoy crazy land, her accessory doesn't get to either it seems.

I think one of these days I'll teleport him into one of Rarigreed's rooms, kick his hoarding instinct into overdrive, and watch them go at it. They'll either end each other, or end up making out on top of the pile of rocks. Would be entertaining at least. You think Rarigreed would have MORE in common with Spike now, after all, greed runs through both their veins. Yes. I think I will do that. When's the next pancake-rain day? I'll have the Derpy compose a sonnet (equal to thirty thousand laps) just for the two of them as they fight each other or get started on a new race of mutant dragon-ponies (honestly, I'm not sure which outcome I'm hoping for more). Which do you think? Dragon Force 'Dragon's Rule' or Dance Of The Sugarplum Breezie as background music? I think I'll double the lap worth if she can mix them together perfectly with the poem. What? You're surprised I enjoy music? A Spirit of Disharmony can't have his guilty pleasures?

I missed one? Who? Oh. Fluttercruel. I try to not think of her too much as 'my' minion. Have to give her own space to find out who she is after all.

She's grown into such a fine young mare. Always ready to help me spread havoc and anarchy across the land just when you think there's no havoc or anarchy left to spread! It warms my heart.

She was always so cute when she'd crush the throats of ponies trying to appeal to 'the poor scared Fluttershy inside.' She had the most carefree look on her face when I gave her a hamster for her to toy with on her birthday. It was never seen again.

The day she first learned that trick of making her feathers into weapons, I was so proud of her! I made the biggest downpour of the most bitter chocolate rain imaginable just for her! It may or may not have drowned one or five ponies, but that's the way the ball bounces.

Now she's become a pretty young mare who cuts her way through whole towns making the most cuddly laughter. . . Though I wish she'd have more diversity. There are so many horizons she isn't even trying to explore. It saddens me to see her not opening up to all the diversity and uniqueness of chaos, I don't know where she gets it.

Ugh. It took me centuries to get her to realize that killing ends the game, and when the game ends, there's no fun left to be had, and she had so much trouble grasping that ponies aren't infinite and more importantly every pony is unique. So beautifully unique. Each with their own fears, desires, insecurities, pet peeves, phobias, manias, dark sides, vices, and so many other wonderful special things. But it felt so satisfying when she finally understood. I still need to teach her that collateral damage is only fun if it's not on purpose though.

She never wears the dresses I give her, and always wears the ones she makes herself.

Do you think I'm imposing too much on her individuality? She might be just pushing back to prove she's her own person to me. Maybe it's not just one-on-one time I need to give her. Maybe I should get more involved in what she wants to do than forcing her to get involved in what I want. Now where's my battle axe of singing plaid madness?

I'll tell her as a surprise after we've had our outing to the seapony opera. Where's my tuxedo Ponythulu sent me for my last birthday? Eh, that might be too insanity inducing for the seaponies...Hm, I really need to expand my wardrobe.

Episode 83: (Dark World) Smile

Pony POV Series
Dark World Part 14
Six Points Of Light *Smile*

Being the only ones close to Spike, he had a smaller congratulations committee for him defying every piece of lore and assumption we had about the Elements of Harmony as an adult dragon awakening as Generosity.

Spike said, "I'm just happy it didn't shrink me back down to pipsqueak size."

"I thought you were rather cute," Rarity said.

Spike's self-stature deflated.

"Not that I don't love the big, strong, handsome, magnificent dragon before me!" Rarity said quickly rubbing against him.

Spike snapped back to sitting up straight.

"And you'll always be my family to me, no matter how big you are," I added, giving him a smile and getting one in return.

"That one went without saying Twilight. Hey, Apple Pie." Spike said, looking at the little pony.

"Yes?"

" ... " This wasn't easy for a dragon to say, "Thank you. If you hadn't laughed, if you hadn't been there. None of this would be happening. Twilight would still be alone in the dark and I'd be squatting in my lair, waiting for Discord to use me as a mount again."

(She makes a wonderful catalyst doesn't she?)

"Ah just did what came naturally, yer welcome, Ah'm happy Half-Light can be happy now.

"And yah know somethin'?" the filly said, looking at the dragon several hundred times her size. "Ah've seen a lot of dragons, includin' mah ma and grandma, but Ah don't think Ah've ever seen a dragon superhero before. Ah've seen a dragon wizard before, but never a dragon superhero. Ah think you're awesome!"

Spike actually blushed a little. "Thanks..."

The six of us were gathered to begin our plans for saving the world in Apple Pie's bedroom.

"So how 'bout we get ta Discord's old homestead and show'em we rock and make'em rock? Ya know, if he doesn't just surrender." Everypony looked at her, "What? Less fightin' means less chance for you all to get hurt."

For now having the tools to save the world, there was a strange calm about us rather than the overwhelming excitement or joy I thought we'd have. Maybe we just knew that it was a little early for a group hug.

With Derpy missing, Discord was bound to know something was up by now or when he called us and we didn't come.

And while I wanted us to charge straight to Discord's castle and finish this, I wasn't about to repeat the hedge maze.

(Very wise of you.)

Yes, I figured out where I went wrong, I'd played by his rules. I don't know where the Elements had really been at the time, but I know they sure as hay weren't in the maze. In fact, they would probably HAVE been in the maze if I had gone somewhere else, or he'd have used exact words and said 'you didn't go in the maze first! So no Elements, sorry ponies!' There was no right answer because I was playing his game.

Apple Pie sat on her bed, while four of us circled on the floor, Derpy's wings folded into a tent around Dinky. Spike had politely slid up the stone slab that made up one of the bedroom walls and gently put it aside and promised to slide it back into place when we were done. This was more polite than poking a hole a through the stone wall with a finger like Spike had wanted to do, "It would give Apple Pie and her sisters a new window."

Applejack managed to conjure yet another illusion on him to hide him from the outside.

What happened in the hedge maze? I had a thousand years to learn, and I had barely even tried. Applejack however, and Rarity, were able to fill in the blanks a little. You think I was shocked? Surprised? Horrified? Ashamed? I had seen Discord as my Master break several hundred thousand ponies' minds turning their own virtues against them. We were nothing special. We were just his first victims.

Derpy frowned at us talking about how Discord broke us in front of Dinky, but Derpy needed to hear this too, and where Derpy was, so was Dinky (if she was aware, who was I kidding, Discord would never give a pony that mercy). Apple Pie didn't so much as flinch, I wonder how many of her family she'd seen driven insane. She shivered mentioning the boulder. Spike gently patted Rarity.

"Apple Pie, Spike, Derpy. I, AJ, Rarity, and our three other friends were heroes, and they were kind, loyal, and happy. But Discord turned our hearts inside out anyway. We were heroes and we fell hard. There is nothing to stop him from doing the exact same thing to you."

Spike lowered his head. Apple Pie, Apple Pie flinched.

"I'm not afraid to make a choice," Derpy whispered.

(Conceited mare.)

"Don't ever assume Discord won't use something against you, or just cheat. I'll bet just because your Elements are a part of us this time doesn't mean you can't lose your connection to it. Three of us already carry the taint of chaos, Discord can't discord what's already discorded. But you Spike, Derpy, and Apple Pie... " I wasn't sure how to say this.

(Will you not tender hoof around it-?!)

... Are you Discord? A suppressed part of him?

(NO!)

"Are you okay darlin'?" Jack asked. How was the room spinning in two directions at once like that?

"Hey I can do that with my eyes too!" Derpy said.

"Really can Ah see?" Apple Pie asked.

"I'm rust kind Crapplewack, just wait a well my brain stops ringing."

"Do you have the same problem as me Twilight? The linguisticians always said when having trouble to 'think, then speak.' " Derpy offered helpfully.

I shook my head. "Apple Pie listen carefully, Discord you know can appear as anything, and is a master manipulator. In a way it's a gift that you're willing to trust in this world, but keep your head. You trust what I'm saying because we're friends. You trust what the others say because I and AJ vouched for them. But you have to be careful. Derpy, Apple Pie, Spike, Discord uses what you love and are proud of the most against you. He'll tell the truth, he'll lie, he'll tell half-truths, anything to make you reject yourself, and your Element with it. I'm sure one or two of you already know this, but it needs to be said."

In a way, I was hoping Derpy may have already been Discorded before, considering how she acted now, because then that meant she had his taint like the three of us. Which was an advantage. And yes, I know how horrible it is when I say THAT is an advantage.

"Don't trust a word he says. I don't mean do the opposite of everything he says, he'll use that too. Even when he isn't lying, it's just so you'll do what he wants. Anything he tells you is only 'PART' of the picture! Discord only speaks to someone if he think it'll entertain him or get him something.

"Go by what you think is right, and if possible, be as spontaneous as you can be, because Discord, despite being the Spirit of Chaos, RELIES on knowing what you're going to do before you do it to manipulate you. So don't play by his rules. We made that mistake and it cost us everything. Even if you turn left where he thinks you're going to, do it in a way that makes him think you were going to turn right, maybe even think you actually DID. And if he tells you to go right, don't go left."

"Go sideways!"

"Exactly! That's right, Derpy."

"Yay! And my flight instructor said that was wrong."

Groans and sighs in total of four sounded.

"And remember this above everything, he'll either tell you what you want to hear," I looked at Rarity, "Or what you're afraid to hear." I look at Applejack. "Either will make you do what he wants. He'll tell you you're the most deserving pony in the world, that you're better than everyone, or that you've already lost, and that there was no way to win from the start. Or flipflop between them. Either of these give him what he wants. He'll make you think what's real is an illusion, or what's an illusion is reality. There's no way to know which. So keep your wits about you, more than anything, don't get caught up in what he says are the rules."

I was surprised not to see frustrated squigglies above Derpy and Apple Pie's head. What was I expecting? They had lived in this world of chaos too.

"Twilight," said Spike, looking knowing. "I know this is going to sound confusing, but I think a rule of thumb, is if Discord tries to tell you something negative about yourself is true, then accept that it's true and use it to make the trait he's trying to turn you against stand out that much more."

I gave a blink. "Explain a little, Spike." I could tell he was onto something.

"Like how I only figured out I was Generosity by seeing how my instincts made that part MORE important, not less. And like you three figured out the good sides of your Elements of Chaos."

"So what yer sayin' is we should twist his words so they work for us instead of against us," Applejack replied, knowing what twisting words could do.

Spike gave a nod.

"That does make sense," I reply, seeing his point. "That will probably make Discord mad, and, while that sounds scary, and is, an angry Discord is also a Discord who isn't thinking clearly, which might give us an advantage."

"There's also an advantage of actin' like yer buyin' his horseapples when yah really aren't," Applejack points out. "If he thinks yer seein' things his way, that gives yah an openin'."

"And, if I may ask, what is the plan?" Rarigreed asked. "We'll need one."

"Well...we've already completed four bullet points; free Spike, make it to Sweet Rock Acres, and assemble the six Elements of Harmony, and have the ability to use Elements together...to be honest, I thought that last one would be ten times harder than it actually was, but I'm not complaining," I replied.

"Bullet points?" asked Rarity, blinking.

"It's not so much a plan but a list of objectives..." I responded, a little nervously. "And not in any specific order or necessary except 'defeat Discord' being on it. I know that sounds crazy, but we're going up the personification of Chaos, who's living in a palace that shifts and changes as you travel through it, assisted by the Valeyard, who is a master planner, and at this point we are the revolution. The only way to win is to have a list of goals and make up the rest as we go along and complete our objectives as we come across them, that way no one can guess what we're going to do. Any well made plan is going to fall apart in seconds, or be figured out by our opponent."

Thankfully, that was logical enough to be accepted by the group. Derpy just politely smiled and nodded. Spike looked surprised, mumbling, "Really are New Twilight," or something under his breath. Apple Pie's head nearly made egg-beater noises. This was more complicated than 'go in there and beat up the bad guys' like on Pony Rangers, though that might be what our palace revolution was going to end up being.

Now came the hard part.

"Derpy... give Dinky to Apple Pie."

"No!"

"Derpy... the Elements aren't going to work unless we're true to them when we call upon them, but also they won't function together as one unless we all have a bond with each other. Unless you're willing to trust Apple Pie with what's most precious to you... Derpy I know you've both just met, I know this is hard, it was hard for me to trust Applejack the same day I met her to fall off a cliff so both Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash could focus on catching just me instead of both of us. It was hard to trust them all to have my back in Everfree.

"But Derpy, we have to save the world. There is no back-up chosen ones hidden away somewhere, it's just us. The bond is part of what makes a set of Elements. And losing that trust would destroy us before Discord could."

"It would be like if Pinkie Pie trusted us with looking after a cake made by her family then four of us took a bite when she wasn't looking," Rarity said.

I grimaced at where Rarity had invented such a ghastly and completely absurd scenario. I remembered how fragile Pinkie Pie was underneath all those smiles. Doing something like that to her would have killed her inside even if she wouldn't act the part.

"Derpy, trust Apple Pie with Dinky. I know this is hard, but if you want to defeat Discord and free both your children from his curses, then we'll need to trust each other, and that means you have to have trust in her. She's a true friend. She won't let anything bad happen to her."

"Ah Pinkamenia Promise yah, Miss Derpy," Apple Pie added, her normal smile in its proper place. "Cross mah heart, hope ta fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!"

Derpy's lip quivered, both her eyes focused on me, then Dinky, Pie, then Dinky again.

Derpy slowly, carefully, like Dinky was made of sand, handed the filly shaped muffin to the waiting hooves of Apple Pie.

Apple Pie opened her mouth to grab it like ANY Earth Pony, I magically held Derpy back for a split second as Apple Pie held her, not one tooth mark or drop of salvia got on Dinky. She threw her in the air and caught her on her back. Derpy broke through my hold and struck Apple Pie so hard her mouth bled. "DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH MY BABY AGAIN YOU WRETCHED HELLION!" Derpy snarled, her voice full of hate at the sniffing Earth Pony.

Apple Pie gently picked up the cursed filly with her hooves and looked into her eyes, "Howdy Dinky, Ah'm Apple Pie. Nice ta meetcha. So ya've been around for a thousand years like yer ma? What was things like back when? It's okay, ya can tell me when ya can move again. It's gonna be super soon, ya ma, and me, and Half-Light, and all of us are super-heroes. Ya know, like Captain-Equestria or Spider-Stallion? Yer mom's really nice, so Ah bet yer really nice too! But ya get to show fer yerself really soon!" Apple Pie nuzzled her. "Yer cute, really cute, even when you're a pony-muffin. I bet you'll be even cuter when yer a pony-pony. So yer a union-corn like Miss Rarigreed? That's cool."

"... Close your eyes Derpy."

She looked at me.

The look AJ gave me was not friendly. Rarity just lowered her head. I couldn't see what Spike's expression was.

"You're always going to be worried about her. She's your child. Worrying about her is why you're the Element of Loyalty, it shows you care about her. But you need to trust Apple Pie, and us. Nothing bad will happen if we can help it, Cross My heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my, my eye." Not this time, sorry, ha!

Derpy closed her eyes.

Apple Pie proceeded to make a series of funny faces at Dinky, set her down gently, then did a dance that proved that it was not her special talent, nor was singing. I was reminded of Scootaloo's singing when she was a blank-flank, and Apple Bloom's horrid attempts at physical performance. She fell backwards instead of forwards (I was ready to catch her and teleport Dinky out of the way just in case). Landing on her butt, the noise making Derpy cringe but I put a hoof on her shoulder.

"So two fillies cross the road to get to the other side, but they meet in the middle, and they ask where the other one is going. 'They can't be right, that way is the other side,' they say to each other! Eventually they ask their mother on each side which side is the other side, and they say the opposite end of the road is the other side, so eventually they figured out they must BOTH be on the other side already. They couldn't figure out why they hadn't met before if they lived on the same side of the road for so long since both were the other side. Both if both were the other side, why did they have to get to the other side they wondered? They figured therefore they crossing the road must be the long way around to the same place since both were the other side and they walked all the way around the world just to get to each other's houses, so they wondered why the long way was the short way and the short way was the long way. So they asked their mothers again and-"

Dinky couldn't speak back, but Apple Pie wasn't phased. She continued her one pony show for Dinky, the rest of us just looking on. We gasped when Apple Pie tossed her in the air once and caught her. Derpy cringed, but I kept a firm hoof on her to keep her from turning around.

Finally Derpy muscles relaxed, her wings stopped being stiff.

"Alright Apple Pie. That's enough."

"But Ah don't wanna stop. We're havin' fun."

" ... okay then. Derpy, turn around and open your eyes now."

She did. The relief from her heart when she saw her baby was unharmed vibrated off the walls. Even more so when she saw Apple Pie give Dinky a very gentle hug.

"My baby." Derpy smiled.

"Am Ah a good baby sitter Miss Hooves?"

Apple Pie hoofed Dinky back to Derpy with the same care she'd give a baby sister, who returned her to her back. "Yes, west blue car! YES YOU ARE!" Derpy was shaking a little. She had let Dinky out of her sight. And she was alright, she was all right.

Derpy nuzzled Dinky and then Apple Pie. "Thank you."

"Yer welcome."

It melted my heart. Apple Pie could form bonds so easily. It seemed with anypony. Trust came so easily to her... What if Discord had chosen to take her on a protege? Or...his princess? He always said he'd wanted to make Pinkie Pie his queen if she hadn't been Laughter... Minty was right, that was Apple Pie's strength and weakness. But that was why there was more than one Element of Harmony. We covered each other's weaknesses!

Speaking of which, I felt the urge to kick myself for even thinking Apple Pie would treat Dinky as an object instead of a filly. Her grandfather was a living statue for Cadence's sake. How could I think she'd be so dumb as to make that mistake? I felt the urge to have Spike take a letter and save it for Celestia once we set her free...maybe I will.

"Twilight." Derpy looked into my eyes, snapping me from my thoughts.

"Yes?"

"If the Elements really can fix everything, they can really fix everything Discord's broken, then ... they can fix Dinky right? You, we should test them out right? Make sure they work before hoof? Right? We can do that right please? Twilight we can, can't we? For me? For her?" Derpy pleaded, her eyes huge, tears welling up.

AJ looked at me pleadingly too.

"Can ya help her? Right now? Ya can do that fer anypony?" Apple Pie asked. What can of worms were we going to open?

Rarity, Rarigreed looked at me sternly. Mouthing the words 'When you give a parasprite a cookie.'

Spike, I looked to see him sadly looking down, unsure of what to do. Truth be told. I wasn't sure either.

(Welcome to reality, standing on your own four-hooves, sooner or later, it's something you can't hide from forever.)

I"m trying.

(You don't have time to be conflicted. As Socrates said, I am the gadfly to sting you into action when needed. You're the leader, lead.)

Admittedly, seeing if the Elements worked was one of my bullet points, but an optional one, because of all the uncertainty and risks surrounding it.

"...Apple Pie, if we do this, I don't know if we'll have the time to help any of your family too." I said to her.

"It's alright, Grandpa Rocky doesn't mind, part of being a rock Ah think, and ma and grandma Ah think ... wouldn't ... wouldn't want to change back anyway... . She asks if anypony else has been turned into a dragon yet in her letters. Could they, could they bring back Poison Apple? Magica?" I saw temptation flicker in her eyes.

"I honestly don't know. Nopony ever tried to do that before. Or if it would even work right..." I gave a shudder. I knew some reanimating spells, none of them I hoped I'd have to use again.

"Besides, if there in Pony Heaven, you wouldn't want break'em up right?" AJ said putting a hoof on her shoulder.

"Ah gotcha."

Applejack shivered, got up, and began to walk out of the room.

"Applejack?" Rarity asked first.

"If we're gonna use the Elements, now or later, there's a tiny somethin' Ah gotta do first. And, it's something Ah gotta do in private. Ah promise Ah won't be long."

"Applejack we don't have time for secrets," I said.

"Ah'm gonna pray. And it ain't proper to pray 'bout something when it's personal. Or, that's ... Ah'll be just a bit."

We all sighed. "Alright Applejack, alright."

++++

"Thank ya kindly." Ah nodded and left the stone room behind. Ah found a room that was private, it was full of empty beds, everything neat and tidy, everything evenly clean, empty, there was a flower by most of them, the ponies who used this room weren't going to mind.

'How can a pony who killed a newborn foal be worthy of the Element of Kindness?'

Ah heard the voice in Mah head, it was mine. Harsh, angry, but distant. It was me. Which is why this had ta be done.

Ah sure wish Ah did a lot more of this before, might have made things easier to figure what Ah was supposed to do. Ah always just believed in what Ah made with my own four hooves, my own hard work, Ah didn't spend a lot of time prayin' to the Princesses. They raised the sun and the moon, and that was their business.

Now Ah feel kinda ashamed seein' the sun and moon goin' crazy so long no one but us and the mythology books know it different.

Nah, it ain't 'bout the sun or the moon. Celestia, Luna ... Cadence, or however many other of them Princesses or Princes there are! Ah've been alive for a thousand years, and it feel so heavy, bein' immortal isn't what everypony who goes lookin' for it thinks it is, believe me. And Celestia put up with this for twice this long and just kept a smile on her face.

Ah bucked apples. She bucked the sun. Ah've lived a thousand years. She's endured forever. Ah seen mah family die one by one. How many bloodlines and peoples had she seen who she loved turn ta dust? Ah didn't have the right to clean her horseshoes.

Ah lied a bit there. Ah did pray, once upon a time, but it was all routine stuff, thanks for what's on the table before eatin' it, repeatin' yer prayers before goin' to bed as a filly. But, it never was personal.

Ah kindly asked Pa of Alicorns ta let the one the prayer was for hear it and sat cross eagle style and brought mah front hooves together.

"Hey, Tom Bell, Ah just want ya to know, Ah'm sorry... ya were just a colt in the body of a stallion. What happened to ya shouldn't have happened to ya. And Ah'm sorry Ah did what Ah did, if Ah could change things Ah would. Ya were a good colt, who only wanted his ma to be happy. Maybe if Ah had been smarter, more clever, not so silly, maybe Ah would have found a better way.

"Ah'm supposed to be one of the good guys again. But not a day and Ah was killin' a foal who ain't not had time to even see the sky... You, you never saw the sky, or a flower, or tasted anything, or heard music, or ... so much ... it wasn't fair. It was cruel. It was awful. And Ah'm sorry, Ah'm just so so so sorry! Maybe Ah should be apologizin' to Rarity too but, but-" Ah cried. "Ah promise Ah'll make up for it. Ah promise Ah'll pay for what Ah did. Ah should have found a better way, and Ah didn't. You were cheated kiddo. And I'm sorry..."

Ah stood up, turned around and left the room, only to bump right into Rarity, just Rarity, the tiny diamond sparklin' in her neck. "I'm sure he forgives you Applejack."

"Rarity! How-ya promis-"

"Twilight agreed not to intrude, I made no such promise, nor did I imply to. And I did not set hoof in the room while you spoke. You are the one who didn't think to close, or lock, the door."

"Ah said Ah had to do it to be private!" Ah said mah check burnin' red.

"No, you wanted it to be private. But it wasn't. The Element of Honesty knows you Appejack. It and you were one for a year. Twilight said that any garbage we're holding onto has to come out now. You don't want the others to see you pray? Fine. But you're lying when you say that's all there is to it. There's something else you want, something else you want to ask, it's burning a hole in your heart you want to ask so bad but you're scared to. A truth that you're afraid to let out."

"... How did you even follow me without the others guessing what you were doing?"

"I said I needed to use the little fillies room and I did. I never said or implied I wouldn't make detours along the way."

"And they fell for that?"

"I think they choose to. But this isn't about them. It's about you, or you think it is. But who is it really about Applejack? Tell me. Now that you've had a chance to think and feel clearly for the first time since our palace revolution began, what is it you want?"

Ah looked this way and that, no one nearby or hidin'. Ah reached down and pulled out what Ah had been scared to say.

"Rarity, d-do ya forgive me? Ya can lie to me if you want."

"No Applejack, I'm done running from ugly truths. And I honestly have not given it one thought, one way or the other. We had to escape, we had to save Derpy, we had to get your family to accept us, I had to get to know some members of your family, then Spike turned out to be the sixth of us. And Twilight talks about the bonds between us having to be genuine. I haven't had time to think about it since I gave Tom Bell his final farewell."

"And what do ya think of now? It would be more cruel if Ah tortured mahself not knowin', or too cruel to ya if I tried to trap mahself in a lie by pretending Ah knew after we worked so hard to free ya from yours."

"I thought you just said you wanted to hear a pretty lie."

"No friendship outta be built on one."

She kept an even face, "The truth is you were fighting for me and our friends, Tom was fighting for everything he knew. He was a colt, he was born knowing nothing, I gave him everything he had. But he made his own choices, the only ones he could make with what he knew. I could have told him to stop, and he'd still be alive, but I wanted him to be my knight and slay the dragon, that was his role in my fantasy. I desire to blame you and only you Applejack, for his death. To hate you so badly. But the truth is, if I had accepted reality a little bit sooner, he'd be alive, but if I had accepted reality much more quickly, I'd have never had the joy of seeing him alive. A life's fate is the responsibility of the one who brought it into the world, that is truth, it is not one meant to ever be shrugged off or to justify discarding.

"So let them balance each other. I was too scared of the truth to save him, and you were in a fight with a hero who would never surrender, and I'm sorry Applejack, but quick thinking and quick planning simply isn't your strong point. I desire to hate you Applejack, but I desire freedom from Discord more. I desire to never throw away anything that matters to me. And I can see the truth that hating you would gain me absolutely nothing."

"Alright. Ah gotcha." We nuzzled. "Ah can live with that. Friends?"

"Best friends...one more thing...I think we both have another prayer to say."

"Yeah...we do..."

We both sat down again.

"Applebloom...thank yah...Thank yah for never givin' up on mah heart and makin' good on wantin' to fix it. Yah saved meh...Ah don't know much more Ah can say..."

"Sweetie Belle...After I threw you away, you still helped me...you didn't give up on me. You stuck by me until the end...And passed it...For that...I thank you from the bottom of my heart..."

Yeah, we both knew meh meetin' with Applebloom may have just been a hallucination and Sweetie Belle may have just been Rarity's mind makin' a golem of her to help pull her out of the dark, or some kind fail safe the real Sweetie made before she went to Celestia's and Luna's Pa. But Ah decided Ah wanted to believe Applebloom hadn't given up on meh, and Rarity said all three options had support and she chose the one that made the most sense ta her.

We headed back.

Applejack and Rarity were doing their own business. No, I'm not suspicious. That's their own business. We all have our own demons to face...speaking of which.

I pulled Apple Pie aside so we could talk a little more privately. In a room with one other mare and a wall missing with a dragon peaking in. Okay, forget private. "Apple Pie...can I ask you something?"

She gave her normal smile. "Yep! What is it, Half-Light?"

"Pinkamena Promise you'll tell me the absolute truth, okay?"

"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."

I sighed, how did I say this? "...Apple Pie...how does it feel when one of your loved ones die?"

Apple Pie's ears drooped slightly. "What?"

"Apple Pie...please...I'm sorry, but you know I wouldn't ask this if there wasn't a good reason..."

I had to be sure. I had to know what her strengths and weaknesses were, so I could protect her. And I had to get any insecurities I had about her out of my head for the Elements to work.

Apple Pie nodded. "Well...it...it feels like someone stabbed me in the heart...it hurts...Ah feel somethin' missin' inside of me...then Ah try ta remember the good times we had, what they meant ta me...how much fun we had...those kind of things. It reminds me that even though they're gone, Ah've still got all their memories with me, and they'll never go away...And Guru Fido says when somepony dies, they go to Pony Heaven, and Applejack says that too...so Ah know they're in a good place now..."

Ah watched her eyes the entire time. There was a sadness in them that couldn't be faked. But also a joy that couldn't be either when she spoke of the good times.

I gave her a hug. "I'm sorry...I..."

"Nah, it's okay...Ah understand."

"Thanks...Can I ask one more question?"

"Sure. Any-"

"Never say anything when someone asks you something Apple Pie, trust me. I've seen that word exploited so many times I'm surprised its still in the language."

Apple Pie blinked, then nodded slowly. "Alright...what do yah want to know?"

"...Why did you forgive us so quickly? Why did you really? We...I killed Magica. I let Poison Apple die...How can you really forgive me so easily?"

Apple Pie simply smiled. "Because, Ah can see yah ain't the same pony yah was that day. She didn't show anything. She didn't feel guilty, she was just dead inside. Even when yah came here as an Earth Pony filly, yah didn't look like her. Yah were already changin'."

"But...how do you know it isn't a trick?"

"Because when ponies shape don't always stay the same, and when dead ponies can come back not bein' the same ponies they used ta be, yah learn ta look for the things that don't change that easy," the little filly rubbed against me. "And yah three...Ah can tell, yah ain't the same ponies yah were back in Ponyville. Ah think mah whole family can see it. Yer all are new ponies... who Ah think deserves a new chance."

I teared up a little and hugged her. "Thanks, Apple Pie...that means a lot..."

Later, there were only a thousand variable, only a thousand things to considered, only a thousand disasters that could happened.

Using the Elements could make Discord aware we had a full team again, that we were cured, and that we were a threat to drop a mountain on top of. There was also the chance that fully awakening the Elements of Harmony could destroy our Elements of Chaos and kill us after one use, leaving Equestria without the one hope it had in so long. Or both Elements together would trigger a thermo-harmony explosion. We considered all these possibilities and more.

We took a vote, each giving a logical argument for why they voted that way and assuring the rest they'd understand if they were voted down -after all, we needed our friendship to use the Elements-. You know which way Derpy voted, and you know Spike voted the way Rarity did. Ultimately it came down to me to either go with it, or have it end in a tie. I could have found some telepathy spell or something to ask Dinky what she wanted, risking to see the truth of her state of mind. But that hadn't been on the list of spells Master had wished me to learn.

I decided that we had to know if our circle was strong enough to activate the Elements, and trust in Spike, Derpy, and Apple Pie to find successors if worse came to worst.

AJ had set up the mother of all illusions to buffer our give away and went as far away from the farm house as we reasonably could so if Discord did notice, he wouldn't know Apple Pie's Clan had anything to do with it -and so we didn't accidentally blow up the house with love and tolerance-.

Derpy put Dinky in the center of our circle of friendship.

"It's okay Dinky, you'll be okay real soon," Derpy whispered, smiling, giving her one last nuzzle.

And this was the moment of truth.

"Formation."

We stood in a circle around Dinky. Rarigreed and Jack were opposite each other on the wheel, and Derpy was opposite Apple Pie, and Spike next to Rarity. Derpy looked to the sky, then to her child.

Like an echo, I focused my magic to activate the Harmony side of my Element of Magic, but this echo came back stronger, and it called out to the others.

++++

Rarity, Rarigreed, Lady Desire, all one and the same, she focused her heart and mind on the honest truth. She was greedy, she had hurt those who loved her. To grasp for everything, was the most likely course to leave her with nothing. She wanted it all, but her freedom and her friends, she wanted more than anything.

Applejack. She had given up truth believing it would prevent a self fulfilling prophecy, and she had actually walked right into it. And she had lied for a thousand years to herself and others. And somewhere along the road, she had begun to say anything as long as it decreased the pain they felt. She took any abuse, said any lie or truth, as long it eased the burden or others, stranger, foe, or friend alike.

Apple Pie. She recognized the contrariness of the world and acknowledged it. The contrariness of herself, of life, of her family and her new friends. And she couldn't help but laugh at it! She didn't once think she was better than anything she laughed at, because she knew she was rather laugh worthy herself. And if the first laugh didn't make others laugh, it had missed the point. And the most important part was a laugh could be the first step towards making a friend. Heh.

Spike. A dragon was born greedy. To amass things, to amass what belonged to them was as natural to them as salmon swimming up stream. Giving was simply something dragons didn't do. And Spike had. The elusive, said to be mythical, joy of giving rather than receiving was his. Spike, his very blood working against him, had chosen he'd rather give all of himself to be with her, to be with his friends, than for the treasures and babbles he could have. He asked himself if in his heart of hearts he was willing to give all of himself to them, he answered yes.

Derpy. She had endured hell for a thousand years for the sake of her child, she'd have endured a thousand years more for another who had judged her. And nothing had forced her to keep going, nothing had stopped her from simply walking away. And she had been willing to make the choice if it ever presented itself. She was ready to walk one path if two forced themselves on her. And she'd live with that choice. And she had never once turned back! And now she wouldn't give up on her friends, no matter what! What more was there to be said-?!

Lines of different colored light connected to each other via six points, the colors began to alternate, going faster and faster until they were a six pointed star traced with white light! Different pieces of a rainbow rose up and connected, and washed down on the muffin composed filly in the center.

+++++

Once upon a time, I was with mama, mommy, my mother. Her name was Derpy Hooves, but, some ponies also called her Ditzy Doo, in particular the rainbow pegasus. I had a big sister, -I have a big sister!- her name is Sparkler, but I only saw her on special days, when the Sister-Something Social was held in at some farm, she was willing to make a special visit just for us, and even move back to, the town we lived in before. She was a really good babysitter. She foalsat... other foals.

My mom delivered the mail, always. Not rain, nor snow, nor parasprites kept her from her appointed rounds! My sister made things shine and sparkle. I think I had friends. No no no I must have had friends. Right? It couldn't be that my mom was so special that no pony wanted to be around me. That doesn't make sense. I wish I could remember what my friends names were.

We were happy. I remember that crystal clear. Sometimes scary things happened, but I can't remember what they were, but together we were happy.

I remember the day everything went wrong. I wasn't part of a special trip to Canterlot Garden even though I wanted to go. The weather went weird. The animals went weird. The town went weird. The trees went weird. The ponies went weird. Sparkler turned into a dancing purple crystal statue, she almost hit me with a crystal hoof as she danced around, like she didn't notice anything else. Did I meet her before or after what happened? I can't remember anymore.

Then I heard somepony snap their fingers, and I felt the weight of my horn go bye-bye, and I felt something on my back. Wings. WINGS?! Wings! I have wings like mommy! I can fly now like mommy!

Mommy came home, she said horrible, horrible things to me, she told me I was adopted (that had to be a lie right?), that she didn't love me, that she never loved me, that she found me in the garbage and wished she had left me there. Those had to be lies, right? Then I suddenly felt barren inside, lifeless, broken.

I stayed like that for a long time. The sun and moon kept going up and down. All I know is that it was a long long time. I was, oh right, hungry but I was too another kind of empty to care. I wished everything but me would vanish so nothing would hurt again.

And the sun and moon kept twisting. Ponies I'm sure I knew being crazy but I didn't care, I wanted them all to vanish. I was dizzy, tired, thirsty, hungry, and dirty, I didn't care. I hoped mom vanished first.

Somepony hugged me, she felt warm, she whispered, "All will be well, just wait, I promise everything will be okay someday, just have faith, I promise. You'll all be together again and you'll be happy. Just have the courage to believe."

I dared open my eyes. I didn't see anypony. I felt whole, I felt alive. My wings were gone, my horn was back where it belonged. I was still dirty and hungry. I had to find mom. I galloped, I found her poking two violet pegasi in cages, they buzzed miserably like bees.

"Ha! Whose wing-power is measured in muffins now? Who belongs in a home now? HUH?! HUH!?" Mom laughed like a wicked-step-mother.

"Mommy!"

"What do you want brat?"

"I LOVE YOU MOMMY! THIS ISN'T YOU! MOMMY WOULDN'T DO THIS! BE YOU AGAIN PLEASE!"

"Let go you brat! I said let go! Grr! There! That wasn't enough? You want to be hit again? Okay! I said let go! Let go!"

I didn't, I hugged, I hugged her neck, she bucked and pitched trying to throw me off. I think I was poking her in the head with my horn a bit. I begged, "Please remember mommy! Remember the real you!"

There was a flash. Images of all the time she had been with me, and been with Sparkler, like the time she had taken her on her rout to teach her how hard mommy's job really was, and the time she took care of me when I was sick, she was always there for me, she didn't care how many ponies called her strange as long as we were with her, and ... and ...

"Muffin? Muffin is cat blue?"

She looked hurt too, but not like I had hurt her. Like something else was.

My eyes watered looking at mom's two-way eyes, she looked at me, she cared.

"YES MOMMY IT'S ME!"

"MARCHING BAND!" Mommy shouted and hugged her, crying as we spun around.

Everypony was crazy, we tried to find the nice Earth Pony who mom is talking to, but he tried to hit us in the head with a scepter. I wish I knew what I did to help mommy. We tried to help Sparkler, but she just ignored us. Finally we tried to go to Canterlot to get help from the Princesses. But a big furry-snake-dragon-thing found us instead.

"Well this is rather surprising ... I LOVE SURPRISES! Keeps things from being boring! Now how did you go and ruin my fun? Oh well doesn't matter, BECAUSE THAT JUST MEANS I GET TO HAVE MORE FUN WITH YOU! Now let's see ... hey! Get back here! I'm not doing talking to you!" It snapped its fingers. Mommy's wings and legs suddenly ... broke. She skidded and got a burn on her face, I fell off and skidded as well.

"Now now! That's not very polite! Running off when someone is talking, what bad manners! Especially when that someone is your esteemed President."

"Mommy!" She was so hurt. I looked at the monster, "You big bully!"

It ignored me.

Mommy looked back at it, recognition in her eyes, "Your face, you, you were the bubbles weren't you?"

It struck a proud pose putting its fingers on its chest, "I've been many things my dear, Derpy? Yes? Or Ditzy? Nice you want to join me in the 'I have many names club' but pick something a bit more classy."

"You leave Mommy alone!" I shouted at the big monster, really scared but angry too.

"Please! Please! Groove rot two kelp bus! Trove bought two see the Astronomy! Everypony, Sparkler, My muffin!"

"You've been out of the loop for a while, how long do you think you spent paying back all those ponies who laughed at you?"

"They didn't laugh! Eye cream, not that many-I'M NOT LISTENING! LA LA!"

"Pst. As if I'd give a repeat performance ... repeat, performance ...always, repeating... " It shook its head, then looked at momma. " What would you do to help your little baby fillies?"

"ANYTHING!"

"No pony ever taught you the dangers of 'anything,' did they?"

It grinned and snapped its fingers.

And ... everything changed but nothing changed again.

I don't, I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT! Can't move! Can't breath! Smelling muffins, always muffins! Birds! Pain! Mommy! Mommy! MOMMY!!!

And for a zillion bazillion forevers the birds never stopped coming. Wanting to eat me. Mama. Mommy. Mother.

She never stopped trotting with her wrong-healed legs. She never stopped talking to me. She never forgot I was a pony. I never became a thing. I always stayed her daughter. She always loved me. She always spoke to me. She never stopped telling me about things. She was always there for me. And the birds. Always the birds. But she protected me.

...

Then something finally changed. Spike the dragon (easy to remember him, only dragon in town, but I don't remember him being so big), and ... mares who mother knew. I didn't understand what was happening. She handed me to Spike. But when she came back to get me, the birds went away for good, and more things changed.

I was terrified when I first saw bird pony. I was sure she was going to eat me.

I remember! Orange Top! Ruby Pinch! I was friends with them ... I think?

So many new ponies, and so friendly. It remind me of, of, OF PONYVILLE! That was the name of our home!

They talk about trusting and momma hands me to a filly. The filly talks to me. She's so nice. She's so funny.

The adults, the ponies, talk about helping me. Help with what?

Mother puts me down on the ground, I don't see any birds in the sky. Her eyes never leave me. Then these second-cutie-marks on mommy and the others grow really bright.

Then a rainbow gives me a shower.

So, many, memories, coming back ... allatonce!

I need air. I try and fail to steady myself on my hooves, wait. I'm breathing, I can MOVE! I can feel my heartbeat! I'm alive! I'm free!

Dinky held her perfect at attention pose for a second then sprawled on the ground.

Cringing at the scrap and dust Dinky shut her eyes, not smelling muffins for the first time in forever. The sound of her heart beating was like a roar. Her body gasped for breath, the first breath she'd taken in a thousand years.

She felt a pair of wings fold around her, she opened her eyes, everything was a blur. They slowly focused on a pair of ditzy eyes looking lovingly at her.

"Ma-thor?... Pill-ease don' 'et 'his eee ah drrr-eam." Her mouth spilled out trying to remember how to speak.

Her limbs worked clumsy trying to hug her, Derpy gently guided them around her neck. The two nuzzled and their tears mixed.

"N-no honey, it's not a dream, mommy promises."

There wasn't a dry eye in the circle.

"Ain't, ain't that darlin'?"

"I want a filly too."

Spike wrapped a finger around Rarity for his version of a hug.

"C-C-Congratulations!" Apple Pie said.

Twilight said nothing, could say nothing, the relief that ran through her made her cry harder. They looked so perfect together. For a moment she could see her herself and her mother.

Dinky's colors were like their mother's, not faded. Their gray was somehow seemed more alive than the gray Discord turned ponies. It made them seem rather strange to the pale pastel colors every other pony alive had. But that was all the same for the pair, and they couldn't care less. Her nightmare was over.

"Hey Half-Light, why does the ground look all weird?" Apple Pie asked next to Twilight.

Where the Elements had touched little Dinky was a two meters circle with just dirt and grass. Apple Pie had never seen non-checkerboard ground, it was normal to her. Ponies had been adapting to Discord's twisting world for a thousand years, how much damage would the heroes cause if those changes were all undone? No. The Elements of Harmony weren't like that, they weren't destructive! There's no way they'd leave countless seaponies suddenly without gills and several miles up over the valley of spikes. The, the Elements would never do that. They restored harmony, and what harmony was changed as time went by. And Discord would keep causing misery if we did nothing. The reign of the Draconequus had to end.

"It's nothing Apple Pie, I'm sure it's nothing, don't worry about it." Applejack said before Twilight could speak.

Apple Pie smiled and nodded at once.

"HAPPY REUNION! LOVE! SMILES! HUGS! TEARS! LAUGHS! And all those good things!!" Apple Pie laughed, and Derpy and Dinky laughed through their tears.

"Laughter and tears together! It shouldn't make sense but it does! Ha-ha!" Apple Pie clapped. She danced around, striking every carnival pose she could think of until we laughed too. "Ah'm Apple Pie! Nice to meet, oh yeah we already met! Sorry-sorry!" She hopped backwards away from the scene letting mother and foal continue to hug each other for the first time in a thousand years.

Twilight could almost see the fires of love flicker and burn around the two. AJ hugged Twilight and she hugged her, Apple Pie joined in. "Mine!" Rarity hugged them too with Spike's finger still holding. They let Derpy and Dinky have their moment of sunshine.

"Mom, I'm hungry." "Muf-honey, you need a bath." "So do you." They laughed and hugged tighter! Apple Pie clapped at the contradiction.

Dinky stuffed her face until her belly ached, there wasn't much of that lovely marble cake left (Rarity glared at a meek Twilight for that one). Like her mother, she had to be reminded how to eat, which Derpy did with motherly care. Apple Computer politely hid the rock-berry muffins.

The two splashed and laughed even louder in the bathroom, Derpy having to provide the rainwater since the Apples Pies were used to dry cleaning, but that was just a bump on the road now. The entire room was soaked and covered in bubbles before they were done.

"You two doing okay in there?" Rarity asked, and opened the bathroom door only to flood the hall with suds. Bubbles rose from the surface and floated in the air from where Rarity had been buried.

"I," "hate," "baths," Rarity's words were released as the bubbles popped opened one by one.

"Yippiee!"

"Yahooo!"

"Where are you? Where are you honey?"

"Boo! Right here!"

Derpy laughed and hugged her flapping her wings making more bubbles splatter around the room.

"Mom! This is so much better than when it rained soap and water!"

Derpy suddenly faced her, a slightly disturbed look on her face, "... Honey... what do you remember?"

"Everything. You protecting me. You never stopped speaking to me. I heard ghost stories at Ruby's house where ponies who were made into statues forgot they were ponies because ponies didn't talk to them like they were ponies. I never forgot I was a pony. You saved me mom! Thank you so much." Dinky spoke with a thousand years worth of maturity. "You're my hero mom! I never stopped being a pony in my heart because I never stopped being one in your heart!"

"Thank you dear!" Derpy couldn't remember when she had been so happy, her heart felt like it was going to explode.

"Thank you? THANK YOU MOTHER!"

Spike guarding outside the bathroom window surprised AJ when he didn't give a 'gag me' motion earning himself a kick to the head. 'Guess some things do change,' AJ thought.

The Elements of Chaos (thankfully, the Elements of Harmony being used didn't seem to damage their opposite number) had expected Apple Pie to suggest a party, and were reminded she was not a party pony when she instead just wanted to play with her new friend and pouted when she was told Dinky and her mother had a lot of catching up to do. AJ ran interference and convinced Derpy to let her play pattycake for a bit with the other foal. Banana and Cream also wanted to check out this mythical 'unicorn' filly. Dinky couldn't help but feel like a celebrity.

Twilight took advantage of the play time to talk to Derpy about how Dinky had ended up that way in the first place, now that the horrible ordeal had come to an end. In retrospect it was an insensitive question. She was surprised by what she heard.

"Dinky used a memory spell on you?"

"I...I don't know if that's what it was ...But I remembered how special Dinky was to me...it was like this black fog in my head was gone...she saved me."

What truly amazed Twilight was when she took Dinky aside after Dinky's playtime. To test a theory she chose to teach Dinky the memory spell fully. It should have been impossible to teach the complex spell to a thousand year old filly in a short time. But it was like somepony had already taught her the spell and Twilight was giving her a crash refresher course.

The memory spell was based off of what Twilight had copied from Cadence's own magic. How was this possible? Dinky had barely realized she had cast a spell. 'A mysterious warm hug and kind words' made even less sense. Was it Cadence? She had been on the other side of the world. Had Dinky done on instinct as part of her special talent? Another drop of confusion to the chaotic mix.

"Dinky...remember, this spell is important, it's one of the few that can overcome discording."

Dinky nodded. "I understand...but why teach me?"

"Because you can learn it...and Discord did his best to eradicate this spell from the world. I'm not asking you to gallop around restoring ponies, that'd be reckless and cause you more trouble than good. I'm teaching you so in case something happens, the knowledge is carried on and you might teach others...and perhaps heal some of his victims if you get the opening. Understand?"

Dinky nodded, giving a serious face that looked strange on her young body. "I understand, I'll do my best not to let you down."

Derpy waited for them outside Apple Pie's bedroom looking in. Twilight stayed silent all the way back to the living room where the ponies eagerly accepted the return of the newest guest of honor.

There were times Twilight hated being the leader. She placed a hoof on Derpy's shoulder. "Derpy ... you know she has to stay here where it's safe, please? It's heavy enough bringing Apple Pie. If we bring Dinky too ... she's going to get killed, or worse ... Discord, The Valeyard, Traitor Dash, Fluttercruel, and Angry Pie aren't going to show mercy just because she's a foal. They'll go for her first because they know we'll do anything to protect her. Discord will place her and us in separate dangers to try and break your Element of Loyalty. He's already got Sparkler to use against you, we can't give him more leverage."

" ... I said I'd stay with you until the end. This isn't the end... . And ..." Derpy's lip quivered, "And it would be selfish for me to take her with us." Her wings shook. One eye looked at Twilight, another at her child. "Being loyal to more than one thing really hurts."

Twilight just nodded. AJ hugged and nuzzled Derpy, she didn't resist.

Derpy's felt her insides turn to ice at having to tell her baby this. But knew she had to break it to her sooner than later, she'd known from the moment they'd restored her. What surprised her was as Dinky blinked away tears she stood on her back hooves and crossed her front ones and bowed her head. "I understand mother," She said calmly. "Please be safe. Just come back safe. There are so many things I still want us all to do! Please, please just come back safe, please?"

Derpy looked at her in shock. So were the other Elements.

'Easy to forget it as a thousand years for her too,' Rarity thought.

"Ya can protect her?" Applejack asked Apple Computer.

"They'd have to get through every Apple and Pie alive to so much as touch her. And anyone who tries will walk away on crutches!" Banana Pie said proudly. Cream Pie, Minty, the Jacks, Rocky Jr, all gave their word as well. Cream Pie proudly patted her (unarmed) stockpile of bombs.

Apple Computer said, "Yah don't survive out here without knowin' tricks for stayin' under the radar. We'll keep her safe, don't yah worry one bit."

Applejack gave each of her relatives a hug. Apple Pie did the same. Rarity told Cheery Pie to tell Guru Fido she was honored to speak with him. Twilight hugged Cream Pie and Banana Pie as well. Twilight and Minty hesitated to touch each other again. "Good luck Twilight," She just said instead. Twilight nodded in return. Derpy and Dinky shared the longest hug in history. Spike just waited outside for everypony and Rarity. He waved the foals who had played on him fair-well.

"Have fun defeating the evil overlord!" One of them called.

"Alright girls," Twilight said as boldly as she could, "Let's go save the world."

Episode 94: -SPECIAL EPISODE- Retcon-Struction Blues

My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic
-Special Episode-
Pony POV Series
Retcon-Struction Blues
By Alex Warlorn

"Do you feel it, sister of mine?" I asked, about to go to bed as the sun began to rise. We two royals looking out over Equestria. "The Heart World has begun to pulse again."

"Yes, little sister, I have," Celestia replied calmly, looking as her sun, herself, rose in the sky.

"And what shall we do, Celly?"

"Nothing, Lulu. Our link to the Heart World is no more, remember?"

"Yes but . . . the farther a reality like ours drifts from the Heart World, it is like a planet that drifts too far from your sun. The shadows become disinterested, it loses life, grows colder, and eventually stops before it matures and would no longer need a shadow-who-makes to give it life. And those pulses, without our chain, will push our world farther and farther from the Heart World."

"Yes, Luna. I simply MUST remember to thank dear Applejack for all that."

"What?"

"It was Applejack's -choice- to face all truths, rather than run from them that shattered the bond we had with the Heart World."

"But sister! We could freeze out on our own! Time would simply stop and we'd be left in an unfinished world like the countless countless others that drift through the cold, dark void when their shadows-who-make abandoned them!"

"Don't judge all the shadows-who-make so harshly, Lulu. While it's true that some of them callously forsake their creations... not all of them leave their worlds incomplete by choice."

"That isn't the point! The point is that we'll be left with an incomplete fate, and incomplete fates literally just stop. We'd be unaware that each day has become identical to the last, and all things have become like a world of moving statues!"

"Like a half-finished movie, stuck on an endless replay." Celestia agreed.

"We must attempt at least to appease the Heart World!"

"Luna . . . have faith: our world can shine on her own and has become a Heart World of others. And do not forget: the PAST can be altered by the Heart World as much as the future."

"Of course, sister. But why bring that up?"

"Lulu, these pulses, they are related to our personal past."

My jaw opened.

"Exactly, Lulu. If Applejack had not broken the chain, it would be us who would have to sever it, to keep our past. While I do not challenge the wisdom and will and design of the Heart World, I would not trade away my memories of our mother. Surprise, Posey, they were all our friends. And while I know those versions of us who exist in the Heart World would have their own unique friends, with their own unique origins, I would not trade the friends and family WE had for anything. They are alive in our actions here and now."

I lowered my head.

Morning Star, we could all joyfully do without. Entropy, too. (Wouldn't it be the most scrumptious irony to have HER existence denied?) But never at the expense of the REST of them!

But Mimic, Galaxia... even Mother and Father! Omnipotent as Our Parents were... it was within the Heart World's power to deny THEIR existence. All my brothers and sisters dwelling in the Equilibrium!

"I completely agree, now, sister. Those memories we share are too precious to risk losing. So..."

I rose my head high, and let my voice be heard strong.

"So LET the Heart World say what it will! That is its right and its authority! But OUR mortal mother was Mimic the Unicorn of Paradise Estate, over two thousand years ago! Once upon a time there was a sweet version of Discord who was our friend and brother! There was once a war between the draconequus and Alicorns that raged across the heavens! THERE WAS AN AGE OF 'MYTHS' WHERE PONIES STRUGGLED TO SURVIVE AND DID SO WITH THE AID OF A HUMAN LASS! THEN THERE WAS THE GOLDEN AGE THAT PONIES MODELED AFTER HUMANITY AND ACCOMPLISHED MUCH! THEN CAME THE ERASED AGE OF DREAMS, THE NEVER-WAS PARADISE! AND FINALLY THE AGES PONIES ALIVE TODAY KNOW IS REAL!"

Celestia chuckled as the early morning staff looked up at the balcony in shock and awe, having only heard the final part of my speech. Oops.

"You did not need to say that last part in the Royal Canterlot Voice, Luna."

I smiled, "Perhaps, sister, but I felt it should be. And you're right, Celestia. I will not trade the past I know and have lived for anything. Let the Heart World go its path, and we'll go ours. Come what may."

++++++

"Dang," Applebloom said looking outside from the Cutie Mark Crusaders's clubhouse. "Everfree's been REALLY churnin' out the fog lately."

"Rainbow Dash told me ponies have been showing up at Fluttershy's, asking if she was back in the goddess business or somethin'," Scootaloo added. "Dash started answering for her, saying Fluttershy wanted to just move on."

Right next to Silver Spoon, Sweetie Belle stood wearing a thick sweater Rarity had insisted she wear outside or face her wrath, along with a Buffalo dreamcatcher, (also by Rarity's sisterly decree.)

Silver Spoon had to Pinkie Promise she'd drag Sweetie back home the instant she showed any signs of another attack, and enforce a timetable to keep track of Sweetie's comings and goings. The doctors and Twilight had examined Sweetie and concluded she'd suffered some intense magical feedback. From where no one knew.

Rarity had very much sent a letter to her parents about the incident. With my help.

"Well, Rarity told me that Twilight looked at the fog with her magic, and said it wasn't from Fluttershy."

"Doesn't mean the it's not from somepony else though," Silver Spoon said covered in the many sweaters her mother insisted she wear outside today.

"Now come on!" I, Spike, most awesome friend ever said. "Let's not start getting paranoid here. This is Ponyville. Everfree's always trying to hit this place with random weather, Twilight told me that's why Rainbow Dash's job as Captain of Ponyville's Weather Team pays so well."

"Really?" Scotaloo said, eyes gleaming.

"Yeah. Places like, say, Hoofington don't have to deal with random weather, ya know."

Sometimes reigning in my new friends was harder than when Twilight was having an anxiety attack. Thank goodness the doctors were helping with that mess. It meant fewer headaches for me.

"Heeeeeeey, girls!"

Speak of the unicorn.

"Oh... howdy, Twilight," Applebloom said politely.

"Hi." Scoots' wings stiffened.

"Hello." Sweetie Belle moved in front of Silver Spoon.

Silver Spoon raised an eyebrow. "Greetings, Miss Twilight Sparkle."

"Hey Twilight, what's up?" I asked.

"What? A pony needs a reason to visit her good friends?" Twilight grinned.

The charter Crusaders withered a bit under that grin and it vanished instantly. When she spoke, it was in a more slightly normal tone of voice.

"What I mean is, you girls are always hanging out, and now that you're making new friends, it'll make a great friendship report."

Silver Spoon asked, "Friendship report?"

"Oh yes! Princess Celestia, as part of my stay in Ponyville, asked me to write anything I learn about friendship! Then all of my friends were ask to, too!"

"Princess Celestia wants you to write reports about friendship?"

"Yeah she, she really takes it seriously," Sweetie Belle said lowly.

"And I'm the one who sends the letters," I said, with a bit of pride. What? I'm not selling myself short anymore. I'm a direct line to Princess Celestia, not to mention one of the only, if not THE only, Dragons in the world to know ANY magic at all. How can that NOT be cool?

The look on high class filly face said, 'Million-year-old Princess Celestia wants to learn about friendship? How can she not know about that?'

"So WHAT are you girls up to today? Anything I can do to HELP?"

"Ah was, we were gonna introduce Silver Spoon an' Twist ta each other, this evenin'."

"Well! It's nice to see you, Silver Spoon! Spike has talked about you! You remind me a little bit of him! You two seem to have such FUN together! Hey! I have an IDEA!! You and Spike should hang out a bit more together on your own."

Twilight inched closer to Silver Spoon, with an unnervingly way-too-big smile. Sweetie planted herself between the two of them.

"Oh, Sweetie Belle! I'm SO sorry! How are YOU doing? I didn't think to ASK how you were doing since I last saw you at the hospital! HOW are you doing?"

"I'm not hurting now. But Rarity's now super-worried about me. She's gotten Silver Spoon to be my escort."

Twilight's eyes widened a bit.

"Chaperon," Silver Spoon corrected.

As Silver Spoon pursed her lips with a flustered look, Twilight Sparkle cut in.

"WELL! I'm sure you'll be okay!" Twilight continued in that cringeworthy preschool-teacher perkiness. "It's not like heart magic, can can do anything TOO bad. Silver Spoon, why don't you go and enjoy some ICE CREAM at SUGARCUBE CORNER? Tell Pinkie to hoof ME the bill! You're doing such a SELFLESS job of looking after Sweetie Belle. So you DESERVE a reward."

"If you want me to leave you can just say so." The light reflected off Silver Spoon's glasses.

"Oh," Twilight stiffened and lowered herself a bit looking at the filly. "I see. Well, I just had something personal I wanted to talk with the Crusaders about."

"She is a Crusader," I said sternly. "She stays, Twilight. Same with me."

Admittedly, I was staying as much for Twilight's sake as the girls, I was starting to get worried.

"Look, Sweetie," Silver Spoon said, "I can respect when someone wants to discuss something in private. There's no need to turn this into a..."

Sweetie Belle put a hoof on her shoulder, "Silver Spoon. You don't need to go."

Silver Spoon twisted inside. Free will was a new and scary concept she was still struggling with.

"Well.... it's just I brought some gifts and I didn't think to get one for Silver Spoon or Spike so I didn't want to be rude."

Silver Spoon pawed the ground shyly. "I, uh... really don't mean to brag... but I already have more than enough toys. I'm totally fine with not getting a gift."

"And I'm family." I huffed, crossing my arms. "You can buy me something anytime. Uh, and I think it's better this dragon does without anyway."

"Oh, well," Twilight teleported a trio of wrapped packages inside the clubhouse.

The three foals eyed each other. Is it YOUR birthday today? Their faces asked.

"Come on, nothing bad's inside. See?" Twilight gingerly opened the boxes revealing a stack of comic books for Scootaloo, several music records for Sweetie Belle, and a book(of course) on basic alchemy for Applebloom.

Applebloom peered at her gift reluctantly. "Alchemy! Ah, that is, it's really nice Twili'," Applebloom glanced at the chained-up 'Do Not Open!' box in the corner.

Twilight's eyes widened. "OH! OH! It's nothing like- You and Zecora get along so well! So I thought this could help you get along with her better!! That's all! How'd you like me to help with your chores this afternoon?! I know you farm ponies always have chores!"

"Uh, Twilight?" Scootaloo began.

"OH SCOOTALOO! I hope you like those! They were just taking up space in the library's basement! NOT THAT COMICS ARE BAD! They're a legitimate artistic medium too and are completely NOT inferior to real books! Honest!" Scootaloo frowned.

Twilight grinned like a jack o'lantern... except instead of being scary, SHE was the one scared; sweating and nervous. "Do you like that kind of music, Sweetie Belle?"

"Twilight!" Applebloom said, "What is this about?"

"What is what about, Applebloom, dear?"

Applebloom stamped her hoof. "Applejack says 'Don't look a gift-horse in the mouth.' . . . But yer actin'... not good."

"Oh! . . . oh sorry." Twilight calmed down. "Was I coming on too strong? I was, wasn't I? I didn't mean to scare you. Any of you. I just wanted to make up for... for everything that happened."

"Huh?" Silver Spoon asked feeling like she had been dropped into the third act of a movie.

"Silver Spoon maybe it is for the best if you just-"

"She stays," Sweetie Belle said.

"She CHOOSES whether to stay or go," I countered.

Silver Spoon looked between me and Sweetie Belle. I think she's not used to making her own choices just yet. "In for a bit, for a pound."

Twilight lowered her head, "I just wanted to make up for what I did to you with the . . . the Want-It-Need-It-Spell."

"The what now?" Silver Spoon tilted her head.

"Huh?" Twilight looked up confused. "You don't know? But-but, half the town, how could you not..."

Silver Spoon let out a huff. "Look! If this is one of those 'Canterlot Secret' things, I'll just go! I don't want to upset your apple carts!"

"It isn't." I said quickly.

"Then tell me," The look on Silver Spoon's face didn't belong on any filly's.

I did. Twilight's nervous breakdown. Her one-day downward spiral. Her overblown paranoia about disappointing Celestia. And finally, magically manipulating the Crusaders like they were test animals. The other Cutie Mark Crusaders remained silent through the whole thing.

"Again, I ask: How can you NOT know about this, Silver Spoon?"

"Twilight," I said, "How many ponies actually talk about what happened?"

"Actually, now that you bring it up, I did hear about the town getting into some kind of strange free-for-all, and Princess Celestia broke up the fight. It was right after the day of chaos? I was still in my 'staying away from home' phase. But -- wouldn't you know it? -- seemed everypony was rather TIGHT-LIPPED on the subject. Just like with the Chaos Monster."

"Just like... the Chaos Monster." Twilight repeated glumly.

"And no wonder!" Silver Spoon continued. "Living through two separate instances of being magically brainwashed?! One right on the heels of the other?!"

"Same as... Discord..." Twilight stated, in an even smaller voice.

"Twilight, remember what the doctors said." I said, patting her reassuringly.

I looked at Silver Spoon. "Personally I think ponies were even less eager to talk about it than the day of chaos."

The Crusaders all silently nodded. Beating the hay out of each other over a doll none of them had actually wanted? Could anypony doubt that they'd want to leave such an awful memory buried? Especially since their last big fight... had been the in Royal Canterlot Statue Gardens. Somepony theorized that fight was what TRIGGERED Discord's break-out. Anypony who thought of accusing the poor fillies of this to their faces wound-up facing their big sisters' wrath first.

"So can you see why I want to make up for it?" Twilight stated.

"Twilight," I admonished, "Last I checked: the rest of Ponyvile accepted the explanation that Princess Celestia and your doctors gave: that you'd experienced a temporary mental burnout. Which you did. So of COURSE they were sympathetic: everypony in Ponyville was getting burnouts of their own!"

I frowned at her as she looked away. "They've moved on, Twilight. Why are you even bringing this up? Now, of all times?"

"Spike, be quiet!" Twilight snapped.

I was stunned silent. Twilight barely EVER talked to me like that.

"Girls," Twilight knelt on her four legs so she was on eye level with them. "No one can deny that you've made your share of mistakes. But I want you to know that I admire you."

"Why?"

"On Hearts and Hooves Day, you were mature enough to tell me what you did to Cheerilee and Big Mac after you returned the book. You didn't hide it. YOU apologized to me for Gabby Gums. Applebloom, Sweetie Belle... I apologized to your sisters for casting the Want-It Need-It Spell. But I never apologized to you for the Want-It-Need-It-Spell. So I want to say, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for using you, for hurting you, for . . . trespassing on you."

"Twili," Applebloom said, "Ah don't . . . Ah don't need a gift to hear ya say yer sorry."

"Rarity says forgiveness isn't something you buy." Sweetie Belle pushed the records back.

"Uh, I'll keep the comics as a token of your esteem." The other girls frowned at Scootaloo, who grinned guiltily and wouldn't meet their gaze. "All the same, Twilight... the whole Smartypants incident is old news. So much has happened in Ponyville since then: us messing up with Cheerilee and the school paper, Fluttershy, Iron Will, making friends with Spike and Silver Spoon... it's really NOT been on our minds."

Scootaloo looked from Applebloom to Sweetie Belle, who each nodded in agreement.

"I mean, what made you even think about it? Did something... happen?!"

All the Crusaders -- me and Silver Spoon included -- drew in a sharp breath, and leaned forward, as though we expected Twilight to reveal that the Smartypants affair was somehow tied into a recent string of gruesome murders.

"Nnnnnno." Twilight admitted. "It's nothing that's happened. It's just been, building up. It wasn't there for a long while after Gabby Gum, and wasn't there for a little while after Heart and Hooves, but . . . brushing my teeth this morning, I randomly thought of you three and, and then all the guilt came crashing down again."

Applebloom smiled at her. "Look: don't you fret about it, Twilight. We don't. In fact, right after it happened, Applejack told me to bury the hatchet. So Ah have."

"Yeah!" said Scootaloo. "I got over all that long ago, and so should you!"

" . . . Did it have to be a doll, Twilight?" Sweetie Bell whispered.

Sweetie felt her head. Her eyes weren't seeing us, she was seeing her parts disconnected, and switched with another filly's. "Did you have to choose a doll?" Sweetie Belle hugged herself and shivered in her sweater. "I was seeing Smarty Pants in my nightmares."

I put a claw on her shoulder, Silver Spoon's hoof went to the other.

A rather disgraceful look of relief washed over Twilight at the sight of Sweetie's distress. "Oh! Okay! And what can I do to make up for it?" she asked brightly.

"ENOUGH!" Everypony and me turned to look at Silver Spoon, who stomped over to the personal apprentice of Princess Celestia herself and glared.

"I don't buy this! I KNOW selfish! I've BEEN selfish! I've walked alongside selfish inside my best friend! And I know ulterior motives when I see them! I live among ponies who say one thing and mean another!"

"I'm sorry, Silver, but what are you getting at? Just how are my actions 'selfish?'"

"Your crazy unicorn spell drove more than my friends crazy! It drove half of Ponyville crazy!"

"Celestia's forgiven me for that."

"Miss Twilight," Silver Spoon bowed her head in deepest reverence, regretting what she was about to say. "I'm sorry but... Princess Celestia isn't everything!"

Gasps all around.

"Being forgiven by a head-of-state for things you did to other ponies is what they do in politics! So why not go door-to-door and apologize to EVERYPONY ELSE?"

"Because they all just wanted to move on. I'd just be reopening old wounds."

"And what do you think you're doing now?!" Silver Spoon retorted. "Everyone standing in this room has been telling you repeatedly: LET IT GO. So why AREN'T you, you obsessive, patronizing, freaky-smiling adult?!"

Twilight looked cornered and small. "You, you three girls where the targets of my stupidity, instead of just victims."

"It wasn't stupid Twilight, it was selfish," I whispered lowly.

Not low enough. "Spike." Twilight gave her tell for an urge to escape.

"Just who are you doing this for? Applebloom? Sweetie? Scootaloo?" She looked at each filly in turn, in particular Sweetie Belle. "Or yourself? Because of some sudden... GUILT ATTACK you got while brushing your teeth this morning?"

"I . . . it wasn't JUST this morning." Twilight looked sadly at the core Crusaders. "Back on Hearts and Hooves Day, I thought giving you that history book would show I trusted you, that I was sorry I used you."

"And there we go," said Silver Spoon. "This isn't about restitution or broken bonds. You want your guilt to go away!"

Applebloom said, "Silver Spoon!"

"You know Sweetie's hurting already! You knew she was past this already! But you had to open the wound and poor salt in it!"

"Hey!" I said.

"No . . ." Twilight whispered. Her eyes misted a bit. She looked in a small mirror in the clubhouse. "She's right." Twilight breathed in deep and stood, and let out a shuddering sigh. "Silver Spoon. Thank you."

The silver filly's jaw dropped.

"I think I needed that. I think I ... keep the gifts if you want, girls! Spike! I'll-I'll see you at the library!"

Twilight teleported away. The others looked at Silver Spoon. As did I; with boiling anger.

"I can see EXACTLY what a snot like Diamond Tiara saw in you as a friend," I hissed.

"HEY!" Sweetie Belle snapped.

Her ears wilted looking like I just stabbed her through the heart. "I wasn't..."

"I'll have you know that 'obsessive, patronizing, freaky-smiling social adult' SAVED you from Discord. She saved you from Nightmare Moon and Nightmare Whisper! And she'll save you again from whatever comes next!"

"I didn't mean..."

"Twilight's never had any real friends before coming to Ponyville. She's had family, she's had Princess Celestia and me, but not any friends. She's scared to death of losing them. She won't say so, she's too 'mature' for that. But the whole reason she went crazy wasn't just fear of disappointing the Princess. She was scared Celestia would separate her from her friends. Remember all those ideal worlds of Princess Gaia? Want to know what Twilight's was? All her friends moving to Canterlot with her!"

"Spike, stop." Applebloom asked.

"Spike, please..." She was beginning to cry.

I wheeled upon all four of them. "Would it have KILLED you girls to just take her dumb little presents? Accept her apologies? Let her leave with a smile?"

"Hey! Don't look at me: I'm enjoying her gift." Scootaloo said, already a quarter-way through her first comic book defensively.

"So she'd just feed the guilt until it got hungry again? Like dad?" Silver Spoon was trembling where she stood. "It never bothered me before but, but being with you guys I . . . I realized I'm sick of seeing adults buy forgiveness and apologizing for all the wrong reasons. Spike, you know what I mean? Right?"

I just fixed her with my most smoldering glare and made to shove past her, out the clubhouse, back to the library. But she bit down on my wrist. Not hard enough to draw blood, or even to hurt, just enough to hold me back.

"Please . . . don't leave me."

She spoke the words clearly and piteously, even with my arm in her mouth.

"It was killing me Spike. I'm sorry." Sweetie Belle looked at me as she hugged Silver Spoon. Silver Spoon gratefully nuzzled her.

I realized where I had seen that look on Silver Spoon's face before. It was the same look Twilight had when she thought about to or had lost her friends. Great. Wasn't I supposed to be the mature one here?

"Guys. Spike. Did you mean that? Am I still just a bully?"

"NO!" Sweetie Belle hugged her tighter. "No you're not! Why did you do that?"

"Because . . . because I didn't want to see you treated that like that. You were done with what happened but she had to dig it up. After she told me she used you first to fake a report, then to make her guilt go away with the book she should have never given you, and then trying to do the same thing again to you. I . . . I just couldn't. I felt like I was back with Tiara."

I turned to find Applebloom blocking my path.

"I'm plum sick of this stupid 'they be a jerk' 'she be a jerk back' 'ya be a jerk back-back to her' hogwash." Applebloom said. "Yer ticked and wanna cool off, Spike fer Silver blowin' off Twilight? Fine. But ya ain't tellin' Silver Spoon she's still the same bully for caring about Sweetie Belle!"

"That isn't what I meant," I said. "Twilight's always more sensitive than anypony ever gives her credit for. You hurt her."

"And hurtin' Silver Spoon makes it right?" Applebloom pointed to the crying silver filly. It all comes down. What was I doing? Beating up a bunch of foals? Who hurt Twilight! But . . . aren't I supposed to be the mature one here? What kind of example did I just make?

"No it doesn't." A filly who barely understood how to make friends, or what friends actually were, and was scared to death of losing them. Twilight said Silver was like me? I think she was off the mark.

"Silver Spoon." I said swallowing my pride and anger in one bad tasting gulp. "You're a real friend to Sweetie Belle and the others."

"Thank you."

"Silver Spoon?"

"Yes Applebloom?"

" . . . Tell us about the real Diamond Tiara."

+++++

I didn't go to any of my normal friends. I couldn't face them right now. That wasn't where I teleported. Once upon a time I said that teleporting was a lot easier once I knew a place. For other unicorns such a long-distance teleportation across time zones, based upon one single visit was impossible. I wasn't every other unicorn.

I teleported right on target and banged on a window. Why not the front door? I didn't want to get her sisters involved in something that wasn't their business. Yes. I was maybe not quite thinking clearly.

Yes. I know the chances of her being home, with her travel habits, her attitudes to being tied down, and social habits, were low. I had several spying, I mean scrying spells, capable of locating her anywhere; when she was in the little filly's room, or out on a date on some distant mountain! I had her magical aura memorized down to the last wavelength!

"Hello?" The window glowed light blue and swung out.

"TRIXIE!" I leapt through the window and tackle hugged her. I finally let go of the tears I had been holding onto.

"T-T-T-Twilight?! WHAT ARE YOU-What's wrong?! What's going-are you? TWILIGHT!"

I reluctantly broke the hug. "Great to see you too, Trixie."

"Likewise." She hugged me. "It's wonderful to finally see you again. But . . . did you have to come in like a stalker into my bedroom-?!"

I gave out a few nervous laughs. "I didn't want to stir things up with your family."

"You needn't worry. Father is at the monthly Veteran's Meeting. Mother is at a demolition site. Puck and Robin are at the Lulamoon Theater watching Lexy perform. Nyxie at a interview to get a story of hers published at mother's insistence. Pixie is at a recital with Mixie watching. And I'm just taking it easy at home."

She gave a stretch.

"Why aren't you there?"

"Do you attend every public event your brothers and sisters set-up?"

"I, I don't have any brothers or sisters."

"Really?"

"Yes. I was sure I told you."

"No I'm pretty sure you told me you didn't have any sisters. Not about brothers."

"I think it was part of why having you as my sister was part of my fantasy with Gaia's illusions. I've always wondered what it's like to have siblings. Those who are there to pick you up when you're down who are just there."

Yeah. That does sound nice. Would have logically given me some foundations for being friends with other ponies.

"I'd say they were more trouble than they're worth, but I've had to greatly reconsider that position. No matter how badly I ignored them, they were still BSBFFs."

"BSBBFs?"

"Brother Sister Best Friends Forever."

Wow! What a fun nickname for family!

"Ah. I have to remember that in case mom and dad ever have another foal."

"Hope for a colt, they're at least predictable."

Heh. That reminded me how mom and dad said the same thing sometimes.

Like . . .

Like with him.

"I don't need to imagine, I have a big brother."

"What?! You just said you didn't have one!"

"Of course I do. He's Captain of the Royal Guard."

"Then how much you've never mentioned him?!"

"He's been on a world tour. I think, maybe. It's, been forever since I thought about him."

"How do you forget your own brother?!"

"No I . . . didn't-"

"Yes you did! A second ago you were saying you didn't!" I searched my memories. She was right. She was right! "So how did you forget him?"

I...I don't know..."

"Twilight...What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost..."

I was suddenly trembling, an alien sense of dread I couldn't describe. "I...I don't know...That's what scares me, how could I forget my BBBFF?"

"Big Brother Best Friend Forever?"

"Yes! But how?!..How did I forget him?"

"...Twilight, when was the last time you saw him?"

"Before...before the Summer Sun Celebration." I couldn't believe I hadn't given him one thought since we last saw each other.

"And since then you've defeated three mad gods, made seven new friends, including myself and Fluttercruel, saved Equestria from a dragon, and had more misadventures than I can count, while, according to you, your brother has been on a world tour. There's been nothing TO remind you of him. It's not hard to imagine he slipped your mind in the heat of the moment."

But...I still wasn't completely at ease... Let him be okay...please Celestia let him be okay... "No...I guess not...Thanks, Trixie...I needed that..."

"You are quite welcome," Trixie composed herself. "So, Twilight Sparkle, what inspires you to honor Trixie with your presence?"

"I just wanted to visit?"

"Leaping through my bedroom crying and hugging me for dear life? Not to mention being so worked up you had a momentary slip of memory involving a large part of your childhood."

"Oh, hehehe! . . . "

"I was practically expecting you to declare you were in l..."

"EH...Heheheheheehhh!!!" I had never given a faker laugh. I lowered my head. "The truth is Trixie. I . . . I . . . I'M A HORRIBLE PONY!!!"

"What?!"

I let it all out. Everything. And I began crying again. I couldn't stop. I couldn't stop rambling or crying. She already knew about the Want-It-Need-It spell. She already knew the Cutie Mark Crusaders. I had to fill her in about Silver Spoon, and Diamond Tiara, and Spike's new friendships. Trixie uncharacteristically listened silently. I hiccuped a few times. I felt ashamed that one filly I barely knew was enough to stab me so deep that I couldn't stop bleeding tears. I felt ashamed I couldn't face Celestia or my friends about this when I should have been able to trust them.

"But Twilight," Trixie whispered, "Why come to me?"

"I didn't want to dump this on any of my friends!"

"So I'M NOT a friend?!"

"OTHER FRIENDS! FRIENDS IN PONYVILLE!"

"So because I live in a different town, it's okay to bare your soul out to me, because I can't ruin your image?"

"No-No-No! NOT AT ALL! NO! I just-I just, that wasn't, give me a minute! Do you have any paper?! I need to organize my thoughts! Okay! I need a check list! Ink! Paper! Quills! At least three for the check lists, and checking the checklists and-"

A bucket of water was dumped on my head and was placed besides me. I stopped.

"Stop, Twilight. Just stop."

I stared at her. At least the bucket didn't end up on my head this time.

The look on Trixie's face wasn't that of a selfish showpony seeing another pony humiliated to build up her own self esteem.

"Are you calm now?"

I nodded.

"Twilight. Trixie is very happy to see you."

"But?"

"But you're just being selfish all over again, wanting me to feel sorry for you for being selfish." She pointed at herself. "Sound familiar?"

"Yes."

"And did you stop to think how this would make me feel?"

"No, I didn't."

"And now?"

" . . . Now that I think about it? That it would make you feel like you were considered extra. After I spent so long telling you you weren't a 'spare' anything. After the dust had settled with Princess Gaia, and you finally were back together with your family, I first chose to visit you when I NEEDED to."

"And?"

"I am sorry."

"For what?"

"I'm sorry for not thinking about your feelings. I'm sorry for not thinking about what this translated to for our friendship. I should have gone to you because you know what it's like to treat your problems the wrong way and make others suffer for it. I shouldn't have smashed in here in the middle of the night like you were just waiting for me to show up with something for you to fix."

"Heh, I actually, didn't mind that part too badly. And to be honest?" she smiled kindly, while levitating a handkerchief to my eyes. "I'm not HALF as upset as I'm pretending to be."

I blinked as it dabbed at my tears. "You aren't?"

"Oh, good heavens, no. One: I'm simply enjoying the novelty of being the morally superior one for once."

My smirk quirked a bit.

"Two: It actually feels rather nice to be somepony's first choice for much of anything."

"Three: if ANYONE can be said to DESERVE a small moment of selfishness like this... it is you, Twilight. You've done so much for everypony, and me, so nobly, that I can't bring myself to be THAT angry with you. Just accept that you did wrong -- as you should have accepted with the Crusaders -- learn from your failure, know that I forgive you, and move on. Enjoy the LUXURY of being able to fail and be forgiven. After all, you may be good, but be grateful no one's holding you to The Celestial Standard of Incorruptible Virtue."

I actually shuddered at the idea of that.

"Four: at a certain point... you simply have to love your friends, warts and all."

I knew I wanted her to elaborate, but I didn't quite know how to phrase the question, so I settled for giving Trixie a inquiring sort of look.

"Let me ask this... if our entire relationship was founded solely on ADMONISHING one another, on endless PREACHING and JUDGING, instead of taking the good with the bad... would there be any room left for actual friendship?"

I choked out a laugh. "I guess not. We'd be nothing more than a pair of fault-finding nags."

"Just promise you'll leave the dramatic entrances to the One And Only Trixie from now on please?"

"I'll try."

"So what would you say you've done wrong at the heart of things?"

"I treated those I hurt, and those I wanted help from, with how they related to me not how they felt about what I had done. Princess Celestia taught me forgiving yourself is a big part of forgiveness, but I was so fixated on just making my bad feelings go away, that I didn't think about whether what caused them was already fixed or not. Or how I should have healed it or not, instead of paying compensation."

"Very good." Trixie said. Then she spread her forehooves dramatically, "Then by the Harmonious power vested in me, as an Awakened Bearer of the Element of Magic, I, the One and Only Trixie, do hereby absolve you of your sins."

I could feel my whole face crinkle up wryly.

"Go forth, to love and serve Celestia! Lead others towards the light! Donate to your local charity! Support your local theater troupe! Practice house-tree fire safety awareness at work and home! Buy my book...!"

"You wrote a book?" I said, eyes shining.

"I'm... writing a book." She replied. "Memoirs."

"I think you mentioned something about that during our fight against Gaia."

"It's a work-in-progress. I won't be revealing anything TOO confidential, of course, but let's be honest, my memoirs as the very first Second Element of Magic ought to prove a VERY lucrative story, wouldn't you say?"

"Could I read it?!" I begged. "Oh, please, please, please, PLEEEASE?"

+++

It was a quick fifteen pages; well articulated, but barely begun. I had calmed down considerably, and I did feel better. "When did you get so good at helping up ponies when they're down and leading them along to helping themselves?"

"I had a very very good teacher." Trixie nuzzled me as I finished reading. "Twilight? Can I please share a personal burden with you?"

"Yes."

"Twilight . . . I had a dream recently. I dreamed I lived in a world where Discord never preyed upon me directly. He never left me a gray broken mess."

"Doesn't sound so bad."

"In this world, I had no sisters as an excuse for . . . erm, how I acted. And Twilight, since I was never hurt by Discord, my sisters never took care of me, you never saved me. We never became friends! You were never in a position to teach me what friendship actually means. And . . . I actually became worse. Not greater, not more powerful, but crueler, greedier, more deceptive and self-serving, quicker to laugh at ponies I humiliated, no, ponies I hurt! Like I was rotting from the inside. And any brief spurt of compassion felt for me, even from Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, just dissolved in light of the ugly monster I really was. No, monsters at least are grand and mighty, I was like a disease to be cured. I don't want to see where such a black road leads. T-Twilight, we're . . . you and I . . . we're going to STAY friends aren't we?"

Trixie, she look scared, no, mortally afraid. I hugged her again, nuzzling her gently, sharing my body warmth. I whispered in her ear.

"Trixie, good CAN accidentally come from bad actions, just like bad can accidentally come from good intentions, but this doesn't make that good any less real! Trixie, the healing you've been given, you've earned, is REAL. The Trixie I'm hugging right now? This is the real Trixie for me! You're the Trixie I've gotten to know, you're the Trixie I care about! You're the One And Only Trixie remember?"

She hugged me back. "HA! Twilight, you're such a geek, always wanting to redeem ponies with just words!"

I gave her a playful nudge. "I'm a mare of action too, don't ever forget!"

"Ah, of course. Of course."

"And words Trixie, are more powerful than anypony ever gives them credit for! And Trixie . . . "

"Yes?"

"I know it's late, but can I sleep over? And can we spend the next day together? You and me?"

"I was practicing for a new show next week-"

"Please?"

"And why Twilight? Think carefully now." Trixie said in faux-cautious voice.

"A PART of me wanting to make up for treating you 'out of sight, out of mind' before. But the REST OF ME wants to hang out with my friend. I want to enjoy time with you as just friends not me trying to heal you or saving the world."

". . .I shall like that very much, Twilight."

What did we do? Not that really important. The point is that we did it together. Just a pair of ponies enjoying each other's company. I was sure to let Spike and Owlowiscious know where I was. Trixie and I toured Hoofington's art gallery, and we saw masterworks from the Earth Pony, Transition, and Unicorn dominant eras. Also several theatrical works (including the end of Pixie's recital). We ate out. We spent time with Trixie's family, when they all came home. And I got to hear Trixie sing.

"This is the self I have chosen to be

There's no charade
This is the choice
That I have made

Under the Sun
I'll walk this path I've begun

Regardless of what I
Could once have become
Of that chain I am now free.
I was once so un-unique that I felt worthless.
But now thank to you all
I know how special I really am.

I won't leave you when you need
Someone to help guide you through
The hard times that come while
We walk along together.
We did not start out on this path
But we're on it now so we should keep
Going together.
Thanks to you I'm better
Than what I would have been."

When it was time to leave, I promised to tell the others that Trixie had said hello and her warm regards to them as well. And if we all could visit Appleloosa for one friend, maybe we could all visit Hoofington too!

++++

"Twilight!"

I was back at home. All the Cutie Mark Crusaders seemed to have been waiting for me to reappear, rushing to meet me.

"Listen, about last time..." Applebloom began.

"I'm sorry for what I said," Silver Spoon said slightly forced. "I could have put it better, that's not how a lady acts."

I nuzzled her. "Just this once was okay. I'm going to do the grown up thing, and admit I was in the wrong." I looked at the girls. "This time I'm going to simply say I'm sorry for being selfish. I'm sorry, Scootaloo. I'm sorry, Sweetie Belle. I'm sorry, Applebloom." I kissed them on the foreheads. "And I apologize for making you fight each other, for cursing you, for using you. I'm the adult here. I'm supposed to know better. I'm supposed to be responsible with my magic.

YOU are fillies who have a wonderful friendship. YOU have a friendship that would have been near-impossible two thousand years ago. YOU clash and are STILL friends is proof how STRONG it is. YOUR friendship is a living, breathing thing. Not an object to be studied for a research paper. I apologize, and I hope you accept it."

"Ah do."

"Me too."

"And Sweetie Belle. I am sorry both for opening old wounds when you're already hurting, and for agitating it when it was fresh. That was not the adult thing to do. No treats, no treasures, I only hope you'll accept my special apology to you."

" . . . I will." Sweetie Belle nodded. Spike looked very relieved.

Silver Spoon stepped forward.

"Miss Twilight?"

"Yes, Silver Spoon?"

"Part of the reason why I lashed out at you, the way I did, was because I'm very used to grownups trying to buy their way into easy forgiveness. But at the same time... I know, on a very personal level, that while grownups can sometimes be stupid and tactless in the way they go about seeking to make amends... in the end, it's a cruel thing to shut your hearts against them. For all their flaws, I'm lucky that so many wonderful ponies WANT to be my friend. So Twilight... I'm going to do the same thing I did to my father, when I first realized this."

And she ran over and hugged me. She was joined by Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, Spike, and Scootaloo, in that order. Six way hug all around! And with them, I'm free too.

"This is who I am, this Is Me,
This is the self I have chosen to be

There's no charade
This is the choice
That I have made

Under the Sun I'll walk this
Path I've begun

No matter what I think
about what I've done.
Of those chains I am now free.
I was once so guilty that I had ignored
About how you would feel
When I started opening old wounds.

Won't leave you when you need
A shoulder to cry on
But I won't be the one
Who made you start crying
We did not start out on this path.
But we're on it now so we should keep
Going together.
Thanks to my friend I know
How selfish my path was."

Thank you, Trixie.

++++

"Hi, Applebloom! Hi, Twist! Welcome to Sugar Cube Corner!" Pinkie Pie cheered. "The rest of your friends are already waiting for you inside! Go on in! The table is rented just for you!"

"Applebloom, are you thure she's no'th going to-"

"Just give'er a real chance, Twist! Oh, Hi, Silver Spoon!"

"Hi, Applebloom! Nice to meet you Twist."

"We've met before."

"No, we've talked to each other before."

"Hello... Thilver. Friendly word of warning: One. Little. Crack. About my glasseth. About my lithp. Just ONE and I'll be thure to..."

"Twist, before you finish that thought, there's something I'd like to ask." The other glasses pony said.

"...What ith it?"

"If you had a choice when spending time with your friends, would you rather, brood about morality issues? Have fun with them?"

"Moral-all-itty?"

"What's good and bad."

"I'd... I'd rather have fun with them, of course."

"Good. Twist, I did a lot of wrong things to a lot of other foals. Including you. And I'm sorry."

"Huh? W...What did you thay?"

"I'm sorry. I just saw you as a filly to tease with Diamond Tiara when you didn't have a cutie mark . . . and I was just being a shallow tagalong bully. I can't apologize for Tiara. But I do apologize for myself. I knew right from wrong, and I chose wrong. I chose to stand by and let Diamond Tiara do wrong, too. I was like a doll doing whatever Diamond Tiara wanted me to, no matter who we hurt. I'm truly sorry for all of it."

"Heh ... HAHAH! Okay, girlth! Great prank! Did you get Rarity to cast an illusion or-"

"She's real." Applebloom took Twist's hoof and had her touch my shoulder.

"Tiffany CandyCane! I, Silvia Soyala, am sorry I was a bully to you!" I knelt down and lowered my head.

Twist poked me a few times. "No way. No way. Your joking, this has to be a joke, who-"

"I'm just Silver Spoon. You're friends with Applebloom. And so am I. So maybe we should give being friends a try now. You're free not to believe me. To keep hating me for all I did to you. You're right to. No skin off my muzzle. But I intend to continue staying the best of friends with Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo. We'd love you to join in our fun, but if your resentment towards me would get in the way of that, let us know now."

"No way. No way. You're joking, thith HATH to be a joke! You're NOT thorry, I won't believe you, not until I thee you apologize to every other foal in our thchool...!"

"Let me ask Twist: which do YOU THINK is a better way to apologize? Saying I'm sorry to a hundred ponies? Letting them yell at how awful I am and me saying how wrong I was? Making me cry, sitting ashamed? Actually becoming a good pony? Be friendly to everypony from now on, instead of. . . cruel?

"I want to make amends, but I want to do it by moving forward. Letting bygones be bygones instead of digging up old bones and reopening old wounds. If Pony Heaven's real, I'll wait till then for everything to be tallied up."

"Well..."

She was open, I moved in the kill! "Come on, already, Twist! Do you want to have fun with us, or not? We're FOALS for crying out loud! Let's act our age! Let's fall, skin our knees, get grass stains all over our coats, and get back up again! Let's invent a new letter that comes after Z, and petition all of Ponyville to add it to the alphabet! Let's head down to Froggy Bottom Bog and not leave until we've all caught ten frogs to take home! Let's have a beauty contest and battle of the bands with all our toys! Let's shove me in a empty barrel and roll me down a hillside!"

The others fell on their flanks at the sudden explosion from me. I didn't, I didn't care. The mere idea of doing so many foalish thing with tomboys and girlie girls! It was like a dam had burst inside me. I began to hop like I had frog's legs!

"You... want to be rolled down a hill in a BARREL?!"

"Why not? Sounds like a fun thing to try. Get me nice and dizzy! Mother means well, but I'm tired of being so busy being a 'proper lady' that I can't be a filly while I have the chance."

"But your glasses!"

" . . . I can trust a friend with them can I?"

"You? Trust somepony?"

"Not somepony, some friend. A friend of Applebloom's can be a friend of mine can't she? And we're both glasses fillies, you're not a bully, you'd never do something that mean."

Twist's eyes widened in surprise like I'd reminded her of something important she'd forgotten.

"Alright, the barrel rollin' sounds like fun!"

"Shake?"

"Shake!"

We did. Then we hugged. Cheers and claps came from every filly, baby dragon, and adult present. Applebloom looked like she'd been given an early Hearth Warming Eve's present. Sweetie was relieved. Spike grinned. Scootaloo just cheered. Pinkie Pie cried rivers for five seconds before snapping back, "It's just so beautiful!"

"Want to share a sundae before we set out?"

"Make mine peppermint!"

"I should've guessed! The rest of us have ordered."

"Us?"

"We're all friends here aren't we?"

"Whoa! Mr. Spike?! Applebloom, you didn't say-"

"Does it matter?"

"Jus'th didn't see that one coming!"

"Yeah, isn't it great?" Spike grinned.

"Tho, Thilver? What happenth when they find Diamond Tiara?"

....

....

Twist didn't know it, but her saying it that way, 'when' not 'if' made my heart feel a bit lighter. And I knew I still didn't hate Tiara. " . . . I'll tell her what I've told you. And I'll try my absolute hardest to make her friends with my other friends. Because she is my friend. And I'll finally act like one and help her remember she's just a filly too."

" . . . okay. I . . . I guess . . .that . . . does for now."

"Twist?" Silver Spoon asked.

"Yes?"

"Thank you for . . . giving me a chance."

"You're welcome."

I don't know why. But I felt a tiny bit like a pegasus who was able to fly just a little bit higher. I'm happy. I'm the Silver Spoon who exists now. This is the road of my own choosing. And this is good ice cream! That's what it means to be free.

+++

"This is who I am, this Is Me,
This is the self I have chosen to be

There's no charade
This is the choice
That I have made

Under the Sun I'll walk this
Path I've begun

Regardless of what others
May have chose for me,
Of their chains I am now free
I am forgiven of the past I once lived
I have become your friend
I choose to never leave you behind.

I won't forsake you when you need
Someone to watch out for you
I have your back and I know that
Wou will always have mine.
We did not start out on this path
But we're on it now so we should keep
Going together.
And maybe Diamond will
Walk along with us too."

+++

Dear Princess Celestia;

Today I learned an important lesson about friendship. It's one thing to feel sorry for hurting someone, for wanting to make it up to them...but its selfish to dig up the painful past just to make your own guilt go away. I've seen times where you do need to open an old wound to heal it properly...but sometimes, the wound is already healed, and it needs to be left alone. You should always think about the right way to deal with your feelings, and how they effect others, not just yourself.

Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.

Dear Princess Celestia;

Hello...Princess, you don't know us. At least we don't think you do. We learned a valuable lesson about friendship. Just because somepony did something bad in the past or that kind of pony hurt you, that doesn't mean you should shut your hearts to them. If you do that, sooner or later you'll shut your heart to the world. Ponies change, and what one pony did doesn't reflect on them all. To be a good friend means you need to be willing to forgive and move on.

TiffanyCandyCaneandSilviaSoyala(crossed out)
Twist and Silver Spoon :-)

+++

"This is who we are, this Is Us,
This are the selves we have chosen to be

There's no charade
This is the path
That we have chose

Under the Sun we'll walk this
Path we've begun."

Episode 110 (Dark World?): Fading Future Future "Third Cycle"

Episode 110 (Dark World?): Fading Future Future "Third Cycle"

... Fading Future Third Cycle
By Kendell2
My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic
Fanfiction
Pony POV Series Dark World

"Oh Twilight Tragedy, you've failed me?" asked Discord, in that sickening false compassionate tone he likes to as he set on his throne. But he almost seemed...bored...weird... "Tisk, tisk, tisk, how disappointing of you."

"I... I'm sorry, master. An older pony was there, they knew you'd send me and had a trap set. I managed to "erase" that one, sir, but I had to retreat for the time being. They laughed and said you must be slipping, letting your second-in-command walk into a trap so easily," I reply, looking up at him, bruises covering my face and upper body. I have a pleading, miserable, fearful look in my eyes, like beaten dog expecting to be punished.

Discord sighed in annoyance. "Oh did they? Well, I'll just go play with them a little, then we'll play some games when we return. And do tell Fluttercruel to get the play room ready, I'll have a few new toys for her when I return," he said, disappearing in a flash of light.

I smirk as he goes, standing up tall and wiping the blood from my mouth. Watching Liarjack for so long has made me a pretty crafty liar myself.

"Yah sure yah want me to do this, Twilight?" asked Apple Pie, the little filly staring up at me, fear in her eyes.

I nod quickly, a determination in my eyes that I had to be very careful to hide from my "master". " Yes, don't worry. I'm immortal, you can't kill me that easily, just give me everything you've got, for this to work, Discord really has to think you kicked my flanks. Don't hold back one bit!"

Apple Pie nodded with a sad sigh. "Alright, hold still..." she muttered, before turning around, taking aim with her hind legs right at my face.

Apple Pie is definitely an Apple, even if the Sweet Apple Acres is now who knows what (that changes from day to day, last I checked, it was covered in snow and on fire at the same time).

My name is Twilight Tragedy, at least that's what "Master" Discord calls me. Oh, I remember when I called him Master and believed I meant it for real, he thinks I still do. I don't know how long we've lived in this rotten dystopia of his, it's easy to lose track of time when you're immortal. But given how long it's been, it was only a matter of time until the old man slipped up and one of us got free without his knowing.

I walk down around my room, Master is out taking a ride on Spike, nothing for me to do but read up on the latest black magic he wants me to try out. As I lift up the book, something catches my eyes, a little scroll, shoved under my bed. For some reason I feel like it's calling out to me...

My horn lights up, so does the paper as I telekinetically pull it from it's hiding place. I wonder how I never noticed it... Unrolling it, I instantly notice something. It's my writing, but I don't remember writing it...Then I read what's written on it.

"Friendship Is Magic..."

Friendship is Magic? But...Tragedy is magic, that's what the master has always told me...But why don't I remember writing this? Its my writing, I had to have wrote this... Maybe the master is playing a game with me, he was in my room a few times earlier when I came in...But then why...why does it seem so familiar? Why does it sound so right?

Ok, I'm sure I found the scroll between her bed and the wall, she can't be free, not this time. Time for some fun.

(Hehe)

What?

(Oh, nothing, just how smug you are. You'll never beat me, I WILL find away to continue your punishment)

Whatever, you may have beat me a few times, but not this time. I've made sure of it.

Discord found the scroll once, but thankfully, I had the strange intuition to write a second scroll and hide it in another location, just in case Discord found it.

I head into my room, opening an old book I found in the "master's" personal collection. He gives me access to it, having his personal assassin up to snuff on all the deadliest spells is useful... And being immortal, seeing me mess up on them was a favorite pass time of his. And now, he's going to regret it... That's not the only thing he's going to regret...

I walk down the hall. Friendship is magic? Why...why does that just click? Why do I feel like it's important? Why do I feel like...like it's right? I can't ask the master, I know that...why do I know that? What's going on?

I see a dull orange Earth Pony walking past me. A thought comes to my mind. "Liarjack," I call, getting her to turn to face me.

"Yeah, Twilight?" she asked, looking at me.

"Tragedy is magic, right?" I ask, innocently as possible.

"Why of course it is, Twilight, no doubt about it!"

Funny thing about Liarjack...she lies, and even I knew it.

I know Apple Pie and her friends won't be able to hide from him, I feel a pang of guilt in my heart, but I know that if this succeeds, their sacrifice won't be in vain, I can't LET it be in vain.

I get out a clock and a calendar, as well as all of the ingredients I would need. The irony of the fact this all is going to end the same way I began it doesn't escape me. I'm just sending another message to myself...

I look over the letter once more, master is busy "rearranging" the glass menagerie that used to be Manehatten into a giant board game, which he then intends to play.

"What does it mean?" I whisper. My head feels like it's burning, like something is trying to break out inside my brain. I was curious originally...But first I asked Liarjack about that, and her answer just confirmed my suspicions that SOMETHING was up...Now I can't think of anything else...

"If I sent myself this letter...somehow...I wonder if..." I write a letter of my own.

"Friendship is Magic? What does that mean?"

I slide the letter back where I found the first one, putting a darker ribbon on it to identify it as different, just in case.

A few weeks later, I find a different colored ribbon on it...

And so it continued that way...Until I could remember it...I could remember everything...

Time magic is a tricky, risky thing, you know. If the times weren't so dire, I'd never do this, but it's not like there's a possible future WORSE that this one. Summoning as much power as I have, I concentrate on sending my thoughts back into time, another message to myself. At the one moment in time it'll matter the most.

Maybe once the world stops being kind, maybe when the world stops being playful, maybe that's when we stop too.

With Applejack -the first of my friends I formally made in Ponyville- still next to me, I look at the part of the sky Rainbow Dash flew away towards. Why did she leave us? She wouldn't without a reason. I know whatever it was it had to be important. Maybe loyalties only last until something bigger comes along. So much for the ponytail of the loyal Samurai.

Maybe friendship only lasts until the world applies just the right pressure. Is this the truth Applejack didn't want me to see?

"Friendship report 25; Pinkie Pie learned that she should always expect the best from her friends, and never assume the worst."

I give a blink of confusion. Where did that thought come from? Or...was it just a memory?... I remember... That was the day that Pinkie Pie almost went insane because she assumed we'd all abandoned her, when all we were just unable to tell her what we were really doing...I look back up as Rainbow Dash flies off...Am I doing the same? Am I just assuming the worst? Maybe she knows something I don't, just like we knew we were throwing Pinkie a surprise party and she didn't...

I look to Applejack. Just because she's been lying all this time, doesn't mean I shouldn't think this is one. She told the truth about Rainbow flying away...

Before I can sort things out, the maze walls begin to crash down around us, vanish.

The effect is immediate, new memories rush into my mind, ones that weren't there before. A sudden "epiphany" about not thinking the worst of my friends, restoring my hope just before I lost it. Calling Discord out on cheating...Him showing me my mistake, the Elements weren't in the maze. I begin to lose hope again, it's not enough. I concentrate again, powering up the spell once more.

I...I was wrong...Whatever happened to my friends...All this is...It's my fault...I-

"Wait, he doesn't play fair...If he doesn't play fair, then why should I think he ever wanted to? Even if I'd chosen right, he'd just have done whatever he did no matter where we went."

I...That's right! Discord is a cheater! It didn't matter which choice I made, there WAS no right one!... But what does it matter then? No matter what I do-

"A cheater can still be beaten. As long as I have hope, I can't give up, I can't quit just because it seems too hard. Did Fluttershy back down when that dragon was on the rampage? Did Rainbow Dash stop when she saw how far Rarity was from her during that fall? No! So what gives me the right to quit now?! If I give up now, Discord win!"

Where are all these ideas coming from?...They're right though...If I give up now, Discord DOES win. If I keep trying, he MIGHT win...And all of Equestria is counting on me...I can't afford to give up now!

More new memories, rushing to Ponyville. There they are! The Elements!...But they don't work...No, I'm giving up again!...But wait, what's this? Memories of letters rushing to me from Celestia, my own friendship letters. I see my own darkness be washed away. I see myself pinning my friends down one by one and restoring their memories, them to their old selves. I smile as one glorious memory enters my mind. The look of shock on the "master's" face as he's beaten...

I use another new spell I know on the mirror before me, causing it to distort and change to show me events happening elsewhere.

I see Discord...surrounded by dozens of ponies, many of which aren't even recognizable anymore, transformed into Celestia knows what......My new friends...I let the rage rise inside of me, feed the one thing I have left to do.

Discord laughs that stupid laugh of his, Apple Pie's throat firmly in his lion paw. "I've enjoyed this game, but I'm afraid it's time for someone else to have a turn," he said. "Fluttercruel should have a lot of fun with you, little rebel lea-" Discord screamed as Apple Pie bit down on his paw, causing him to drop the little filly. "You little brat! Ugh! Why do I never see that coming?!"

"Ah ain't goin' down without a fight!" exclaimed the little filly, jumping at Discord and attempting to buck him in the face. Discord just teleports behind her and whips her away with his tail.

"Aww, how cute! You actually think you can fight me," stated Discord with a chuckle. "That hasn't worked well for anyone else, are you certain that's a game you want to play?"

"Mimic did a pretty good job, that's why you're missin' a tooth, ain't it?"

Discord's rolled his eyes. "Oh please, that's not a surprise anymor-."

Apple Pie leapt up while Discord was distracted and bucked him right in the face. Stunned by the kick, Discord was left open to another kick to the face. Funny thing about not feeling pain a lot, it hurts a LOT more when you finally do get hurt.

Apple Pie goes for a third kick, but Discord finally teleports out of the way. "Alright, lets try this," he growled, snapping his fingers and and several huge spikes come out of the ground, but Apple Pie leaps out of the way right at him and kicks him right in the head.

I smirk, I know why he didn't just teleport away. The time change is starting to catch up with him.

Apple Pie takes advantage and gives him a quartet of kicks right to the skull. Finally, a loud crack resounds through the air.

Discord's horn went flying into the air and embedded into the ground nearby, Discord yelling out in pain. Looking close, I notice grey stone were the crack happened.

"Ahh! What the heck?! Why doesn't that ever work?!" exclaimed Discord in complete anger, holding the bleeding stump where his horn used to be.

Apple Pie chuckled. "Yeah, not bad for a little filly, huh?"

Discord snarled in complete rage, his composure dissolving into almost animalistic anger. "Oh yes, and it'll be the last thing you ever do!" he yells at the top of his lungs, fury filling every word that this mere filly had actually managed to HURT him. "You know, THIS part I always enjoy!"

You don't want to know what happened next...Just know that when the ancient unicorn Mimic managed to bust out Discord's tooth, he turned her bones to glass and slammed her into the ground at Sonic Rainboom speeds over and over again, then vaporized her body...Apple Pie's demise was no less brutal. My blood boils like fire and I let my tears flow freely...

Discord panted in fury, a murderous rage in his eyes as he stood over what was LEFT of the filly who had broken his horn, probably wondering how he'd been rendered unable to teleport...Only to notice something. Particles of light rising off the bodies of his victims, them slowly fading away. "Oh no......" he muttered, watching the bodies vanish. He then looks back at his tail and his eyes widen in shock. "No...No!" he exclaimed, fear in his eyes as he sees stone slowly but surely begin spreading across his body.

It'll take Discord far longer to make it here than before, if the effect will be as I've read it should be on him. I have a lot to do before he gets here. And to make sure he DOES get her, I cast a temporal displacement spell on the two of us, after he's as weak as I need him to be, that is. I'm going to enjoy this...But first...

First I find Liarjack, looking torn, a conflicted look on her face. I see little bits of light coming off of her, heading towards Ponyville. That's a good sign, exactly what I'd hoped would happen.

I let her rest her head on my shoulder, crying softly. "Twi...Ah didn't mean at lie...Discord told me our friendship was gonna break...Ah...Ah just couldn't stand the truth...this is all mah fault..."

"Applejack...It's ok, you don't have to lie anymore, not now, not ever again...Discord tricked you, just like he tricked all of us...Now we're all getting a second chance, even if we don't remember it...Just don't make the same mistake twice...I've already forgiven you...Me and my past self too...I remember..."

The darkness fades from her body, reverting her to her normal colors. She looks up and gives me a genuine smile. "Thanks, Twi'...Just don't go lyin' to yourself now," she said as she fades away completely. "Ah'll be seeing yah soon Ah guess..." she says as she disappears into light.

I let the bitterness towards the one making me witness this grow...But her words still stick to me.

Next was Fluttercruel, though hers was a bit strange, I'll admit. Two streams of light, separate but together rose off of them... Before I could say anything, she... They hugged me instead...

"It's alright, Twilight. Everything will be ok... But don't say we never have to be cruel again," said Fluttershy, at least I think it was.

Fluttershy's body language changed completely, to a more strong willed pony instead. "Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind, the actual cruel thing is to let a thorn fester that needs to be pulled out, no matter how much it hurts..."

She, they, smiled and faded. I don't know what to think about that one... But I feel strangely... Good...

I head to Rarigreed's room, expecting to find her in similar condition...Instead I'm greeted by "Tom" being hurled right through the door and the window behind me, followed by several other smaller rocks the poor mare was hypnotized into thinking were gems.

"Rarity?" I ask, poking my head through the window.

Rarity was throwing rocks out of windows and in all directions, tears streaming down her face. "Stupid rocks! I don't want you!" she screamed, throwing another, forcing me to dodge.

"Rarity!" I yell again, trying to get her attention.
She twirls around, looking at my face in surprise...Then wrapped her hoofs around me, sobbing her eyes out. All I can do is hug her back. I feel a burning fire inside me, directed towards the one putting her through all this misery. I feel the fire growing...I'll keep breeding it there...

"I don't want any of this Twilight!" the poor mare sobbed. "Even if they were gems, I wouldn't! The only thing I want...The only thing I want is...is...Sweetie Belle...I...I just let her slip away! All this time...I missed her whole life...Now I just want her back!" she cried, even as she began to fad away a bit.

"Rarity... You're getting another chance now... I don't have time to explain, but... You'll have a second chance, you'll have Sweetie Belle back, I promise... You're probably never going to remember this consciously... But never forget how much Sweetie Belle means to you, how important she is to you... Don't ever let your desires get between you and her ever again! Promise me Rarity that you won't!" I plead, looking her right in the eyes. "Promise me!"

Rarity's colors return as she continues fading. She gives me a smile and we hug. "I swear... I shall never go sisterless again..." she said, tears running down her face as she too fades away in my forelegs.

Next was Angry Pie, who was well...NOT Angry pie. She was presently wearing a party hat, throwing the various weapons she'd wielded against anything that had ever laughed at her out the window. Gummy, restored to his original, infant self, was sitting there, staring at his owner happily. I look around, finding her normally dank and dreary room made up like a party was happening.

Does...does she know what's happening? She looks almost more sane than I remember her, no matter what she's doing. Even BEFORE Discord got his claws in her...

"Pinkie?" I ask, confusion in my voice.

Pinkie gave a gasp and was in front of me before I could even move, smiling ear to ear, oh how I missed that smile...Once more I breed the fire inside me towards HIM for making me not see it in so long.

"Hey Twilight! Welcome to the party!" exclaimed the pink pony, placing a party hat on my head.

"P-party?" I reply, my brain trying hard to understand what's happening. Even if I remember her parties...After Applejack and Rarity, I wasn't expecting this. Even if Fluttershy was strange, she wasn't like this.

"Yeah! Our Rebirth Party! We're all gonna be brand new ponies now! If you can have a birthday party, why can't you have a rebirth party?" Pinkie exclaims, just dripping happiness.

My eyes widen. "You know?! How do you-"

"Oh! It's a long story, but this has kinda happened to me before...It's a really really REALLY long story, and I don't have time to explain now, that's why I didn't have time to invite everypony else, even though I really wanted to, but I'll make up for that, promise! But this time I understand, this is happening cause this world is REALLY bad and the new one will be how it's supposed to and everypony will be happy again!" said Pinkie, in her normal, rapid voice. "But let's party until I get reborn, ok?"

I give a small smile. I almost stop myself from laughing, before reminding myself I don't need to anymore. For the first time in Celestia knows how long, I laugh. I have fun. And so does Pinkie Pie. Even as Pinkie begins to fade, we dance and have fun as much as we can until Pinkie's fading begins to speed up.

"That was great, Twilight! I wish it could've lasted longer and I know I might not remember it this time, but that's alright! It was worth it just to see you smile again! I know you've got a lot of important things to do, just don't keep us waiting too long! I think I'm going to be throwing a big party! It'll last for three weeks! Then you cut off my coffee and I fall asleep and undergo character development!"

"I... I wouldn't miss it for the world, Pinkie," I don't care if she sounds nuts! She's her again, that's all that matters.

"Pinkie Pie Swear!"

"Alright, cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my-" I say, going through the motions...And jabbing my hoof right into my eye. Naturally, I give a scream. I could never get that part right.

Pinkie hugs me anyway. And I hug her back, watching her fade away in my hooves with a big smile.

One left, Traitor Dash. I find curled up in her room, confused and distraught. She looks up at me as I enter, her body fading like the rest, a tad more so, since I spent so long with Pinkie Pie. "Twilight... I'm sorry... I..."

"I figured that out a long time ago, Rainbow. I know what happened...I figured it out when you knew what it used to be like but still called yourself a traitor..." I say, once more using her REAL name. I pull her to her hooves and hug her. "... And I forgive you..." I reply, tears going down my own cheeks as she fades in my grasp. "... And I'm sure the me I'm going to be will forgive you too..." I see her mane slowly turn back to it's proper color as she fades away too.

And the fire in me grows. I see black spots begin to spread over my back like cancers...I'm going to make HIM pay for putting Rainbow through this...

I head into Spike's chamber, the protective spell I put on myself to keep tethered here just a bit longer is beginning to weaken, but it's got to last, I'm not done yet. There are still some things I've got to do.

I put my hoof on the massive dragon's snout, seeing bits of him fading as well. He can't speak anymore, he lost that capability when he annoyed Discord too much. All I do is lean in, resting my head on his as he fades, tears streaming down my face.

I know what's happening, I know this is for the best... I wonder why it still hurts to see my friends fade away. Why I feel guilty knowing Apple Pie and the others probably died at Discord's claws when I know the life they'll receive will be so much greater? I don't know, some things we'll never know... And I don't care, I like it, it feeds the flames inside of me, this is what I want... I want to make HIM pay for all of this!

As I walk down the path towards the place were my final act will take place, I look over, seeing Ditzy Doo, cradling Dinky, whose no longer a pony-shaped muffin but a living breathing little foal.

"Mommy missed her muffin...Mommy loves you...Mommy promises she'll never let anyone take her little muffin away ever again..." she repeats, her and her foal slowly continuing to fade, tears streaming down both their faces as they embrace and fade away into a new life.

I let my memories of the horrors Discord put that poor mare and her beloved child through feed the flames...

I find HIM crawling weakly towards his palace, his body turning to stone slowly but surely. Most of his tail is gone, faded away.

"Twilight Tragedy... What's going on?" asked Discord, fear and uncertainty in his voice. He can barely move, his power is gone. Perfect.

"Twilight Tragedy-" asked Discord, fear in his voice. He can barely move, his power is gone. Perfect.

A let my colors rush back. "It's Twilight Sparkle, Discord! And what's happening is things going back to how they're MEANT to be," I say, it feels good to call myself that. Is it wrong to enjoy seeing him like this? Maybe, but after so long, I don't care.

"But-"

"Because you slipped up, "master". Remember all those times you let me off your leash just to pull me back?" I ask, enjoying every second of this. "I wrote myself a little message during one of those times. You know what I wrote?" I ask, glaring right in these heartless eyes.

"A few of my old friendship lessons I remembered thanks your little games!" I tell him, stomping right up to his face. "That reminded me of my old friendships, how much they meant to me. And that broke your spell! This entire time I've been acting like your little pawn?" I lean in so he can see my eyes clearly and he can see how little of his taint is still in me. "I. Tricked. You."

Discord looks at me in complete disbelief. "But... But...I took precautions this time! That's... That's not possible! You can't have outsmarted me! You're just a pony!"

"Oh, it's possible, Discord!" I reply, taking a few steps back. "And here's something else that's possible, thanks to you, I found a little time spell. Enough to send back something to myself in the past. All of my friendship letters. To remind her of what she had to fight for! And guess what, Discord? She and the others beat you! That means in the timeline overwriting this one, you're a powerless statue! And that's what you're turning into now!" I state, watching stone continue to snake up his body and then fade away. "You know something else?" I ask, horn glowing brightly, tearing chunks of rock out of the earth and forming them into a massive spear. "I'm not."

"And I'm going to make you know what it's like to be hurt before we fade!" I yelled, wrapping the earth around his limbs, holding him to the ground. I aim my spear right over his head. "What it's like to be at someone's mercy!" I yell, driving it down...

Only it goes right in front of his face, shattering his remaining tooth to bits and embedding into the ground.

"Now they match..." I state with a smirk, turning, and walking away, I look back, seeing Discord stare at me in complete disbelief as he continues to fade, blood running from his shattered tooth. I wonder if what little of this he subconsciously remembers in the new timeline will ever have an effect on him. I don't care. I made my point. I hurt the thing that matters the most to him. His pride. Even in the real timeline, it'll be forever in the back of his mind that someone outsmarted him somehow and he'll never understand why. And more importantly, he'll always have a little doubt in the back of his mind... He'll always know he can lose.

I stand, looking up at the two gold and silver statues of Celestia and Luna as they, and I, begin to fade. I look over to an unmarked grave, I see light rising from it too and heading to... Ponyville? I don't have time to think about that, I look up to Celestia's statue as it fades.

"... Dear Princess Celestia..." I say, looking up as my body continues to fade away. "I learned that even when everything is hopeless, when it seems the bleakest, that's when friendship is the most important. As long as we don't forget what our friendships mean to us, there will always be hope. And as long as there's hope, there's a chance to set things right... And also, we need to remember that even if someone hurts our friends, it doesn't give us an excuse to become just like them in return. You can still stand up for your friends without acting like a monster yourself... Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle..." I say as both Princesses, restored and fading themselves, stand over me smiling. I smile back. We just stand together as everything goes white and my memories of this world fade, replaced by memories of a new one...

(No, sorry, me, but this is far from over...hehe...What next?)

++++

(Ponies lie to live, and live to lie, with or without Discord encouraging them to hide from reality, no pony wants to ever be truly honest with themselves or each other, no pony wants to face the truth and grow up, they LIKE the comfortable lies the fog gives them, they don't WANT to know the truth, they all think it's better to put in the small effort with a white lie than the real effort to actually face reality, how can any pony not see the world needs rebuilding from the ground up? Ponies need sadness and pain in order to believe their lives have any meaning, you'd have to be crazy not see the universe needs rebuilding. Ponies only give or are kind to others to make themselves feel better, so it's only selfishness under a different name, it's clear the world was broken with or without Discord. Loyalties last only until the right lie is told or the right conflict is presented. No pony can trust another, you'd have to be insane not to see the world needs to be completely remade. Compromises leads to compromising what you hold dear. And so the cycle continues, and continues, and continues, delivering justice, righteous vengeance, on the wicked. I Nightmare Purgatory, no, we Nightmare Eclipse.)