Verve

The Princess - a little worse for wear, finally limped her way up the final set of cracked, broken steps. Her right wing dragging partially over the floor, Pumpkin doing her best to help support it. The little witch had retrieved her hat - once again looking sharp under her orange brim.

“Tia!” Arin called, stumbling up from Vee’s side - catching the Princess in his arms with a flash of healing magic. Tempest was quick to follow along, scooping up Pumpkin in a gentle nuzzle. Umbra, rightly confused - stared alongside the giant of a Seraph, wondering exactly what the buck was going on.

“Please. Somepony, anypony. Explain. Why is Arin carrying Vapor Cloud’s sword? Tempest - are you infatuated with Vee’s baker? What exactly have I stumbled upon?”

“D’ohoho! There’s lots to explain, Spooky-fry! But also, lots to do. We’ve got an airship to steal. Hey Giant-fry! How’s about some grand theft airship?” The Purple clopped her hooves together, always ready to break the law when the Fuzz weren’t about.

“There is no need to steal, purple horse. I have key.” He dug around his side pouch, withdrawing a massive, seven prong trident of an ignition handle. “I am known to never lose; both things and battles. But this word… ‘Giant-fry’. It is a good one, you call me? Yes?”

“I call everything a fry, ‘Fry! Especially things I like,” she hummed, withdrawing a wing to preen. He laughed, clapping his knee with a massive palm.

“I like this purple horse! Yes, I will be ‘Giant-fry’. Come, little one - I want you to tell me many things as I show you camp! You fight bravely, and I would like to know more about Equestria. The quick one speaks many good things about this land, and I hardly see much! Only the edge, which makes me fearful.” He offered a massive hand to the lithe pegasus, who ho-hummed. Placing her hoof in his grasp, he lifted her up with ease - settling her on his massive shoulders.

Vee tested the muscles beneath with her hooves, considering the angle of her rest… and judged it… A wonderful spot to preen and neigh.

“Hmhm! Well it all started back before I drank coffee as a young smol…” she began, as the giant Seraph led her away through the ruins of the town.

“Can… Arin, do you… should we trust him?” Celestia asked, absolutely bewildered to what’s going on. Much like Umbra, who was simply lost.

“Well, he has the key to the ship, and could probably snap all of our necks with a flick of his wrist. So… probably.” The Knight shrugged, Tempest swelling with pride as she settled Pumpkin to the floor.

“Princess Celestia? I think I need to write one of those… childish friendship letters, Twilight would go on about. Or something.” The Commander smirked. “After all, I convinced him to join our cause.”

This left a very shocked Princess silent, as she weighed the words of the Commander. She couldn’t be serious, could she?

“Well Tempest, normally I would be giddy to hear this - but quite frankly, I don’t believe you. Not until you tell me how.” Celestia was quick to shoot her down, much to the mirth of the chipped horn Unicorn.

“Am I simply not valuable? I demand answers, as well - yet none offer me fulfilment. Am I not speaking clearly? Anypony?” Umbra continued, clearing her throat. “And please, please tell me we have time for a meal.”

Arin was quick to set up on the nearby campfire - skinning the hares he trapped and chopping some local mushrooms for a heavenly stew. Luckily, the White Tail spices gifted to them were plentiful compared to the rations - and soon, he had a broth boiling for the hungry dark mare.

“So to sum things up, Nightmare Moon has Canterlot - the White Tail Deer’s plane is destabilizing from the Lunar magic, I fell in love with Arin, Tempest also found love through Pumpkin, we’ve all become great friends - if not family, and finally… we explored the unexplored, and delved into the unknown wildlands of the far west to save you,” the Princess hummed, tugging her wing tightly around Arin’s shoulder. He couldn’t help but blush - scratching the back of his head with a chuckle. Celestia wasn’t even shy about it, was she? It all happened so fast, he hardly had a chance to get a word in edgewise.

“I… see. And you chose to waste all of the world’s valuable time… to save me.” Umbra blinked. Her heart felt heavy in her chest… did they really think she was that special? But another lump fit there, too - did Arin even feel the same way about her?...

“O-Of course! We couldn’t leave a friend behind!” Pumpkin chimed, much to the delight of the Princess.

“Indeed. On top of this, we knew if there was one pony capable of orchestrating Nightmare Moon’s defeat, it would be you, Umbra. Not Arin, not me - not just Twilight and her friends. You are the key to saving Equestria.” The Princess’s eyes settled across Umbra’s mildly shocked gaze - the entire party locking their sight on her, as if waiting for her to give a speech. To prove their point, that this entire journey - every step - had a purpose.

“I… I would not have the faintest idea on how to approach the Nightmare,” Umbra eventually broke her stun with a whisper. Arin cocked an eyebrow at that, taking his chance to speak.

“And you really think that matters? I think we all knew that. This entire trip was much the same. None of us knew what we were doing. We were a disorganized mess; a gaggle of idiots, held together by a common cause. Saving you. Celestia and Tempest fought on leadership, Vee and Pumpkin nearly abandoned us. By the Feathers, I rode this bucking bull of an emotional struggle from start to finish - trying my best to keep hope alive, and not be a worthless tag-a-long, and all I’ve got to show for it is dozens of leagues of distance and a few tended wounds.”

“To be entirely fair, Arin, you did save our lives multiple times. Without your healing abilities, I would have passed - along with Vee, and your lover.” Tempest sighed, slipping down to rest her chest on the floor. Despite the dust and gravel caught between her Winter Iron Armor, she seemed none-too worse for wear, affectionate nuzzles from the little witch tending to her wounds more so than any magic could. At some point during this conversation, Oarkin and Vee returned, to rest by the fire. The Purple tossing a quick pot of coffee onto the flame to boil alongside the stew, Oarkin settling a massive satchel of retrieved goods by the wayside.

“Umbra, Nightmare Moon is an emotional monster. Her weaknesses are Harmony - which we currently don’t have on our side - and banishment. If anypony is more capable of the latter, it’s you. Though this second option may put Luna’s life at risk, it’s our only choice at the moment. We have to put an end to this madness, because if we don’t - there is nothing we can do to save Equestria, my ponies, my friends. I love her to the ends of Equis, but…”

The Princess sighed; “Fate has other plans in mind. As it stands, without Twilight and her company - there is no way to rip Luna from Nightmare Moon’s clutches. We already know that anypony within her sphere of influence is at immediate risk of falling under her control, as she attempted the very same thing with Arin on the moon. With Luna’s power, this goes without question - a massive dream spell channeled through the spreading Lunar Magic could easily sway an unaware populace. And if those that didn’t submit - it’s very likely Nightmare Moon had them executed, if they had no purpose. Or worse.”

This was foreboding news for the party. Princess Celestia was willing to sacrifice her very own Sister to save Equestria… like she had done a thousand and six years prior. But this time, it wasn’t the Lunar Princess who caused this - rather the demented side of her that survived every attempt to end the foul thing. Like a parasite, it struck in the dark - and latched on endlessly to the pony who tried so hard to rid it.

“Princess,” Umbra glared, staring right through the Ruler with unrestrained contempt, “How dare you even consider Luna beyond saving. Beyond hope. Too far gone for the light. Look me in the eye, remember who I am, and tell me - she is a monster without redemption within her.”

The Princess didn’t cower at Umbra’s words, nor did she attempt to fight them. But her silence was enough for Umbra to stand on her tired legs - and approach the morning mare with burning passion.

“For years beyond my ageless eyes, I sat in the cold snow of the bitter frostbourne wilds - and I revelled in my demons. Listening to the wails of the Umbrum’s voices coursing through my soul, my being - tempting me to kill, to maim. To murder. Through your victory, and my loss - I was cast to the snow, the cold, the harsh chill. And there, I seized a gift from my kind - one which further suppressed the light. The amulet that I sense among us - the Alicorn Amulet.”

Her emerald eyes glared right through the resting Seraph, who froze on the spot. “...Really?” Arin whispered, shocked at the very thought.

“It is quite obvious who the proper owner is. It is literally color coordinated with my old armor, made of the same Shadow Iron, and fitted with a Blood Diamond, a hue I honed in my deadly eyes at the time. I used its power to cast the Crystal Empire into the Shadowfell, so that I might regain my form and strike once more, when the time was right.”

Umbra’s horn twinkled and plucked the shattered amulet from Arin’s bag, who did little to resist. “I was shocked to see Twilight had found it among the world, as at one point - I stripped it from my neck in a fit of rage, and tossed it into the snow to be abandoned. It was a tool of great power, but one of obedience to the dark voices of the Umbrum, after all. An explorer must have happened upon it, when searching for the lost Empire. I didn’t need a crutch to assert my rule, my legacy after my failure. I would seize the day, and claim dominance over the world - alone.

“And it was in this mind, a faint voice spoke. A question, an idea - a light in the dark. For a thousand years, it whispered in the distance - prodding my resolve. Seeking a crack in my stony armor, in which to spearhead into my heart. And after my second loss, Princess - that crack was our very own Knight before us. Sir Arin. My friend.”

Umbra turned again to face the bewildered Seraph, who at her beckoning - stood to his feet. She offered a hoof to his hand, tilting her head up an inch to meet his eyes once he took it.

“You were the light of hope that ripped me from that dark place. Had you not joined me, I would not have thought to consider friendship at all. I would have sought allies among the dark, other ill creatures tempted by fate to rule this realm. And I would have fallen to my old roots without your bidding. Arin, you are the light of my life. And I love you. I cherish you. I would do anything to protect you.”

At this point, he was a blushing mess. Just like Celestia, she was completely shameless to speak her heart. The Sun Princess, on the other hoof, shot a faint glare of jealousy at the dark Unicorn, who continued unabashed.

She spoke now to him, letting her feelings glow.

“Had you not tempted my understanding of the world, and pushed me - challenged me not by the blade, but by the heart and mind. I would have used you to buy my freedom, and slinked off to the shaded dark to sulk. And through you, I found hope in none other than the ill-fated Princess Luna. She told me that deep down, there was a spark of light - to hold onto it would give me the strength to fend the shadows off, and change my fate. And it did. And I did. I changed my destiny because I refused to submit to my worse half.”

She bowed her head, closing her eyes to clear her usually constructive thoughts. All of this came from the soul, the heart - and she didn’t need her mind to correct it.

“I know that deep down in that twisting Nightmare, the light of Luna still shines. The light of friendship. Of hope. And it will not yield to the rambling shadows, no matter how loud or rampant they are. Just like… me.” She turned to face Celestia again, who stared with curiosity at what she was claiming.

“I will not banish Luna to whatever demented hell you wish, Princess. I refuse. You are too quick to surrender to fear, to the dark - and this is a flaw you must correct. A leader you are, but spineless you have been. The Nightmare will not waver to cowards. And neither will I.”

Celestia’s hoof pressed to her aching heart, as Umbra muttered the truest words ever spoken to her. She… had a point. She had been a coward. Fearful. She fled in the face of adversity, and was quick to choose the path of least resistance. The whims of Nobles were often met with little challenge, the blades of dark forces rarely deflected. She thought herself a kind ruler, but perhaps that kindness… gave way to weakness.

Once again, Umbra squeezed Arin’s hand in her hoof. “There is another way - one you will not consider, as you have been too quick to claim your losses.”

Her eyes returned to settle in Arin’s own, and she described what she saw inside; “Hope. The demented dreams of the Nightmare may rule the minds of ponies now, but the light of hope still shines beneath the surface. As long as you keep hope, and fan its flames - it will grow, and overwhelm the most dire of dark.”

“The ponies. Your subjects, Princess. They can all still be saved. Turned back to the light. Of accomplishing that, I am not sure - not yet. But I have hope for a world I have come to love, and I refuse to submit to fate. We will save your student, Princess. Twilight Sparkle, my once mortal enemy - her friends, they will stand by our side once more. And with their strength, we will rear upon the hill of victory.”

The speech left the gathered crowd in silence. Even Tempest, the stalwart Commander - was left filled with pride. A song of light filled their hearts, as she drew her hooves together - and gave a rousing applause. Pumpkin was quick to join, followed by Vee - who quietly clapped her wings together. Oarkin, the mountain of a Seraph he was - did much the same, laughing in delight of the warmth filling the party. Arin seized Umbra in a tight hug; putting into words the very soul of their journey, their fight; hope.

The only pony who didn’t clop her hooves together was Celestia, who locked her eyes to the floor in shame, hiding her magenta irises beneath her pink mane.

Of all of the ponies to give up so quickly, she never thought it was her. What was wrong with her? How could she think of abandoning her Sister - the pony who needed her most right now - so carelessly? Was it the moon? The torture?

No. It was her. She looked into herself, and felt disgusted. She had never been strong in the face of adversity. And now, it showed. And this wasn’t the first time Umbra had to rip her out of the hole she was in - back during the Seraph Siege of Canterlot, she froze after their first battle. It took a stronger will than hers to break her out, and in some way - that same emotion carried on to now.

But in other ways, Umbra was wrong. She still stood on her legs, and fought to the last - the challenges behind her showed this. When Nightmare Moon first came, six years prior - she submitted, yes, but that was with the hope of Twilight ending her curse. When Cadence and Shining’s wedding was crashed by changelings - she stood up to Chrysalis, and cast her light upon her. She may have failed to save Canterlot, but the hope was still there. When Discord and his chaos returned, she had no way of breaking his hold over Equestria - but she knew somepony that did, and sent every friendship letter to remind her of that. Tirek was too powerful for her to best, but with Twilight and her friends…

“Umbra, you’re wrong.” Celestia stood - not with anger or pride, but with a revelation. “Not entirely, but you’re wrong. I am a coward. A fool. And a spineless Princess, often left rotting in a cell or swinging in a cocoon. But I am not without hope. Even in the darkest of night, I knew the most brilliant dawn lay ahead of me. I have accepted the worst, so that I may one day see the best.

“I have, for too long, let others fight my battles for me - when I am the one who should be standing to face them. It is not out of fear, but out of hope. Because I know, I can’t face these challenges on my own. And it’s this lesson that gave us - Arin, Tempest, and I - the chance to escape Canterlot to begin with. Twilight, my faithful student and protege - let us flee at the cost of her own safety, so that we may come to rescue you. Her sacrifice has given our world another chance - to take back the night, and seize the day. We could have broken her free - but the cost would have been too great to count, as Nightmare Moon would have swiftly dealt with our efforts.

“And now, at the end of this journey… I thought all was lost. I was wrong. You showed me that. There’s still light, however faint it may be - and as you said, it only takes a fan to rouse the flames. We will take back Canterlot, free Luna, and end this disaster once and for all! And I will fight or die to make this happen.”

She puffed her chest bravely, fanning her wings before the flame. No applause this time, only a laugh from Oarkin.

“Ha! You can not steal angry horse’s words. But right you are! We will fight together! I will be a hero - a great man, of great things, and the Nightmare will be…” He scratched his beard, trying to scan the word from his second language’s dictionary. “...Defeated! Yes.”

Celestia blushed, taking her chance to feel embarrassed now. Usually, she gave the best speeches. But for an odd change of pace - Umbra beat her to it. Arin rolled his eyes - tugging her over in a wing to scratch her pink head.

“I thought it was pretty, Celestia,” Arin said. The Princess rolled her eyes, booping his nose with a muddy white hoof. But before she could correct him on her name, Pumpkin’s little voice rang out.

“It’s u-um… Tia, Arin. She wants us all to call her Tia now. Though um… I-I’m not sure about Oarkin, or Umbra.”

“I will call her Tia! Not because I want to, but because it reminds me of the wine maker from my village. She was pretty like flowers.” Oarkin yammered, Umbra rolling her eyes before speaking.

“You are still ‘Princess’ to me, Princess. But… I may one day make an attempt.”

“Oh hey! Before I forget - the stew is probably done-” Arin chirped, before a bolt of emerald aura engulfed his efforts before him.

Umbra seized the whole pot in her magic, plopping down on the floor nearby as it bubbled and cooled under a quick spell from her horn. The roiling boil came to a halt, as she lifted the ladle to her muzzle - gulping down deep drags of the lovely mushroom and rabbit stew.

“...What?” she eventually asked, staring at all of the mildly upset eyes around. “Arin has a stew debt to pay me; it is only fair that I claim it now. And I have starved for far, far too long.”

Oh yeah. She did tend to his wounds for several days, out in the Frozen North. And feed him amazing, home cooked food. But… that was three years ago. Surely she would have forgotten by now?

“Just go easy on that, you might fall ill from refeeding syndrome,” the Seraph stated, relenting.

“A risk I am willing to take,” she was quick to reply, chewing through a savory mushroom idly.

Arin sighed. Well, that’s a whole gallon of good food, gone. All of that prep and culinary talent, and none of his friends would even have a taste for their efforts.

“It is okay! I bring gifts.” Oarkin smiled, lifting the heavy bag on his left - rattling it about. “Food from my camp! Many good things from the rich ponies, though not as fresh. Maybe you can make something, King.”

He offered the massive sack to Arin, who accepted it in his much, much smaller hands. He nearly stumbled from the weight; it must have weighed around seventy heaps! Almost as much as Celestia did, before her trip to the moon.

As Arin peered into the sack, his face lit up. Hardy loaves of bread, bottles of wine, cheese, wrapped parcels of smoked beef and fish - and they did still have plenty of mushrooms on hand, too. And half a sack of White Tail herbs and spices.

“I’m not a culinary genius, but I think I can piece something together. Thanks, Oarkin. You’re a good man.”

“Ah! If you think that I am good, I will not say no. I have killed many, many men.” His happy smile didn’t even crack as he spoke this, Vee retrieving her now boiling pot of coffee with her teeth - despite the flames. Luckily, only a couple bits of her purple mane smoldered.

“Hmhm. Tall-fry, you better work fast; feathers won’t grow without meat on the bones. You know what’s at stake if you don’t.”

“My job?” He smiled, rolling his eyes.

“D’ohoho! Yes, your job. Now! Snoot me up something good for lunch while I enjoy my wall staring.”

And with that, the party rested from their battle - licking their wounds, even as in the far distance, the Lunar Magic seeped over the halfway point of the Deepwoods.