This better be important. You were told only to reach out if there was a serious problem!

There is. Somegriff wants to use unconventional torture methods on the filly, ones I am against using.

Ya see, it’s a pretty quick way of breaking her. It ain’t permanent, and it would improve the morale of the whole team. Since the commander said no, I wanted to ask you–

I don’t care what you do! As long as it isn’t permanent and you don’t kill her, break her however you see fit!

B-But–

No buts! This is the task we’ve given you! If you don’t like it, then leave!

“Welcome to the Grand Equestria Pony Summit!” Luna announced to the gathered crowd of representatives. Cheers echoed through the hall as they cheered for the princesses on stage. For one princess, however, time moved at a crawl.

Somnia had recently foregone wasting such opportunities in front of sizeable crowds to examine each attendant. She could memorize their cutie mark, coat color, mane color, and quirks within a mere second of spotting them. Her breathing was steady as she grazed her vision over the crowd, operating with slow precision to give the illusion she wasn’t zoned out. One effect of the most recent catalyst included making sleep obsolete. Her mind and body were hers, and nopony was going to take them away from her ever again. Even so, sleeping and eating still was nice to do, especially since her dreams could still hold useful information.

Within the crowd there were three thestrals, additions her mother made to the usual invites. Hollow Shades, Texcocoa, and Luna Maria all sent representatives, the largest centralized thestral settlements with some form of leadership. Somnia had spent the better part of the previous day, which amounted to about two hours, to memorize the names and cities of every pony in attendance, but it still would take her time to put names to ponies. Or griffon, in one case.

It was still all pointless in the grand scheme of things. Their lives were temporary, they would be forgotten as soon as they passed from common memory of the current living. And yet, they all sought to make a difference. It was their purpose in life, and worth more than all the bits in the world. Her pointless actions meant something to these ponies, that they knew a princess would learn about each of them and their struggles. And within their satisfaction, Somnia found her own.

“You delegates have traveled far and wide to represent your cities as we seek to celebrate and learn from all the unique places that make up our wonderful land of Equestria.” Celestia continued. “At tonight’s welcome reception, Princess Cadance will dedicate this beautiful friendship statue made up of gemstones from each of your home cities.”

She floated the tarp off the statue next to the stage to reveal it in all its splendor. Somnia traced her eyes along it, her mind wandering off to a distant memory.

“Sombra!” Her mother yelled out, scratching her head. “I know you’re in here somewhere! There’s only so many places you can hide!”

“You’ll never find me!” Somnia misdirected her voice to another area, turning around only for a flash to appear right in front of her.

“Nice try, but you’ll have to try harder next time.” Her mother picked her up in her magic and brought her through the grand hallways of the tower. She carried her daughter to a particular room, entering and locking the door with a magical seal before moving to the table with her daughter. “You need to learn about the different territories and creatures of the Harmonic Empire. One day, this will be important.”

“Now I’d like to turn things over to the one who organized the summit, Princess Twilight Sparkle!” Celestia stepped to the side to allow Twilight to step up. Much of the tasks Somnia dealt with while her mother slept, at least what she could do without communicating with other ponies. They had spoken about Somnia assuming some of the administrative work for her mother while she was pregnant to manage the stress and to teach her how to deal with those things on her own.

“Thank you, everypony. With delegates from over fifty cities attending three days of conferences, receptions, and meetings, this is the largest Grand Equestria Pony Summit yet! And let me tell you, putting it all together was quite the task, one I couldn’t have done alone. We’re so excited to have you here and to learn more about life all across this great land of ours!” The crowd cheered while Spike tugged Twilight’s tail. “And now my faithful assistant Spike would like to say a few words.”

“Um, hello, everypony! I’m here to help any way I can. So if there’s anything I can do for any of you–“ Somepony in the crowd cut Spike off.

“We love you, Princess Twilight!” “We love all the princesses!”

The crowd cheered while Somnia picked out a particular sample from the unintelligible mess. “Long may the queen reign!” Her vision checked how each pony present reacted, judging their intent with a careful eye. While a few were hollering with enthusiasm, most gave measured responses. There were ponies that only added their voice to the crowd in a limited capacity, going along with the flow rather than for genuine praise.

“I guess everypony loves a princess. Hmph.” Spike huffed, Somnia going over to him.

“It’s not as glamorous as it seems. See these ponies,” she motioned to the crowd while maintaining her gentle smile and quiet voice with Spike so nopony except those on the stage could hear over the cheers, “they will say anything to get on our good side. You may see adoration. We see manipulation. It’s a simple truth of rulership.”

“Indeed, it is.” Celestia said down to them with a hushed tone. They all went off stage for the subsequent follow-up meetings, a few representatives holding them up. While Somnia went with Luna for the border cities conference, Spike left to head back to the room. In a way, she felt bad for Spike. He gets overshadowed by everypony around him. She considered what Celestia had said in the restricted section of the Canterlot Library. It would give Spike purpose, it would give him prestige, and he would feel important.

Somnia continued to trot along with Luna until they entered a large meeting hall which some delegates had already entered, each shaking hooves with the princesses who took their places at the front of the crowd. First up, Count Greenfields from Saddleways, Macintosh Hills.

The filly half listened to the talk, the other half focusing on whispers behind her. Defensive deployment seemed to be hotly contested. Some ponies to her back-left were discussing naval expansion being a better use of resources, and her back-right agreement with the count. The back-middle was different, considering the actual danger posed by the cyclopes compared to the northern border and Army of Featherburg.

“We need to sure-up Equestria against threats within our borders! As long as the cyclopes present an existential threat to southern Equestria, we will never be safe!” He finished his speech to a modest amount of clops.

Next up was the representative from Trottingham and the Griffish Isles, the singular griffon in attendance. She got up onto the stage and looked over the crowd, her eyes settling on Somnia. “Hello, everypony. You’ve all heard about the armies from the Kingdom of Featherburg gathering across the sea from the Griffish Isles. We are near completely undefended in the north. We barely have enough creatures to fend off a few thousand, let alone the full strength of their military, a-and we’ve been having extreme difficulty in explaining the situation this far south.

I-I want to tell you we’re scared. We don’t want their armies coming to Equestria. We want to stay in Equestria, a-and we would kindly ask you all to support additional E.U.P. placements in northern Equestria so that we aren’t–“

“This isn’t the place for making demands!” One member of the crowd yelled out. “We all got our own problems to deal with!”

A few murmurs came from behind the princesses, one of which Somnia could pick out. “We wouldn’t be in this position if it wasn’t for that filly.” As she bit her lip, she knew deep down they were right. The Kingdom of Featherburg was only there because of the magical bursts from her.

“Why shouldn’t we be making demands? Our concerns aren’t being taken seriously, unlike the central cities and towns of Equestria! They talk economics and social issues while we are fighting against all sorts of aggressors! Count Greenfields was right, the cyclopes need to be dealt with!”

“My grandma lives in Silver Shoals. I don’t want to think what will happen if they attack.”

“We got thestrals all along our flank! What will we do if they rebel? How would we support a fight against the cyclopes?”

“You think you got it bad? Changelings are always crossing the border! We need a bigger navy in the Lunar Sea!”

“Forget the changelings. Those griffons are a real problem! Celestial Sea or bust!”

“Somnia.” Luna leaned down to her. “We need to speak to them directly.”

She nodded, both princesses getting up to go onto the stage with the Griffish Isle speaker while the crowd argued among themselves. Luna thanked her before addressing the crowd. “Please! We mustn’t turn in on ourselves like this! I agree with all of you, the E.U.P. needs to be expanded in order to protect Equestria against an ever worsening world. I’ve personally seen the Army of Featherburg, and I admit we are currently out of position to deal with them should they attack the Griffish Isles.”

“We need action! For Equestria!” a pony from the crowd yelled out.

“I one-hundred percent agree. The E.U.P. needs more soldiers, we need more ships, and we need to focus our efforts away from already secure territories to ones where our defenses are lacking.”

“We wouldn’t be in this mess if it wasn’t for her!” A mare from the crowd yelled out, pointing at Somnia. “She’s the reason we’re in such dire circumstances!”

“Do not blame this on Princess Somnia–“

“Just ‘princess’? Didn’t Princess Twilight say she was going to become queen?” Another pony yelled out, the crowd getting a bit more riled up.

“It’s like Hollow Shades all over again.” Somnia whispered to Luna. “We need to do something, not just say it.”

“But we can't do anything on such short notice without triggering a diplomatic incident.” Luna replied to her, making sure the microphone was out of transmission range.

“There is an option, but I’m going to need a mountain to destroy and several representatives of neighboring kingdoms. And I need my mom.”

“Destroy a mountain? But how?”

“I made something in case another Tirek shows up. Only my mom can use it, and we only have the one, but I think we can spin this in our favor to make other creatures think twice about attacking us.”

“If you know what you’re doing, I’ll find you a mountain.” Luna turned back to the crowd. “Everypony! We would like to announce that the E.U.P. is planning to demonstrate a new form of weapon within the coming months. This new revolutionary form of weaponry will show the other nations of our world that we are not as defenseless as we seem. Should any of you wish to be present, please leave a note with Princess Twilight to refer it to me.”

A few grumbles came from the ponies in the crowd, but they all quieted down with the declaration. Somnia sighed, knowing that this would be the start of a long couple of days.

Sitting next to Celestia, Somnia took a moment to close her eyes and retreat into her thoughts. This was supposed to be her last conference of the day before retreating to her room. Cadance, Celestia, and herself were all present and ready to listen to the talk on the state of Vanhoover’s confidence in the princesses, with Manehattan countering. While most of the meetings she had attended were light, often about local economics or minor social issues, there were many that ended up with worrisome arguments.

“How’s your day been?” Celestia leaned down, whispering to the filly and petting her mane.

“It’s been bad.” Somnia opened up her eyes and stared into Celestia’s. “The mere fact we’re here to listen to a major city’s lack of confidence in our rule is bad.”

Celestia frowned. “I understand their frustration, but at our next Princess Summit, we can figure something out to restore confidence. These meetings and conferences aren’t a complete loss.”

“Ladies and gentlecolts.” The Vanhoover representative spoke up from the stage, turning all eyes toward her. “Thank you all for coming to this discussion between myself and my colleague from Manehattan. I would like to say before we start, I do not represent the official position of the city council or Vanhoover at large. I am merely relaying the concerns of a majority of citizens.”

“And I’m not just here to counter their remarks on our wonderful leaders. I wanna set my friend straight about her feelin’s on the princesses.” The accented stallion across the stage from her added.

“With that out of the way, I shall begin with my opening remarks.” The earth pony mare cleared their throat. With a sigh, Somnia watched on disinterested by the dialogue as the two argued back and forth about what the princesses can do, should do, and did. It was all so dull. They brought up things from hundreds or even a thousand years ago to support their points, both seeming to be historically illiterate to the true state of what happened back in those days, be it by cynical refusal to accept that Celestia and Luna are different nowadays or blind loyalty born from a thousand years of propaganda. Rubbing her eyes, she turned up as the representative from Vanhoover mentioned her name.

“Then why is it that whenever Princess Somnia does something, she’s given a pass like it’s perfectly acceptable? She hasn’t even had a coronation yet! If I didn’t know better, I would say the princesses are biased toward her because she is a close family member. It is nepotism, just like with many of the lords and counts of Canterlot!”

“Excuse me, but that is uncalled for!” Fancy Pants said offended from next to Cadance. “The aristocracy of Canterlot isn’t as corrupt as many ponies believe it to be.”

“I have to agree with my friend here. Princess Somnia has thrown a bit of a wrench in things around Equestria.” The Manehattan representative looked to Celestia. “It ain’t normal for a princess to pop outta nowhere and be immediately given such authority. Hay, even when Princess Cadance came around, she didn’t really do much except attend social events, let alone give a militaristic speech in front of a bunch of angry ponies.”

“May I speak to your concerns?” Celestia asked both of the representatives. The Manehattan one nodded with a grateful grin, but the Vanhoover one didn’t. Based on her emotions from Somnia’s point-of-view, she took offense to it.

“Princess Somnia is being treated different because she wished to be treated different. While it is true for all to see that she is still very young, she is also mature beyond her years. I’ve reviewed a very well researched budget proposal from her about constructing an electrical grid across the entire nation. While it wasn’t to my standards, it was one that gave me second thoughts about her position as a Princess of Equestria.”

She nodded to Cadance. “And Princess Cadance didn’t wish to be involved with much of the large tasks that came with running Equestria. After coronating her as Princess of the Crystal Empire in the wake of its return, she changed her attitude in that regard.”

“That still doesn’t answer my concern about how fast you let her influence the nation. We barely even know about her and she’s already got a personal guard, making promises left-and-right!” The Vanhoover representative pointed out.

“We have mentioned this in the press conferences previously–“ Celestia turned down to Somnia as the filly put her hoof on her leg. “Princess Somnia would like to address that one.”

“You want to know why they gave me authority so quick?” The filly spoke up, back straightened and head held high. “It’s because I’m not an ordinary pony. I’m the Grand Councilor of Harmony, a direct daughter of the Ascended themself–“

“Again with this religious nonsense! We’re not a theocracy like some backwater griffon kingdom! I don’t care if you are a ‘Grand Councilor’ of sugar, spice, and everything nice! I want to know why we should trust that you can help run the nation at such a young age!” The representative glared at her. “Tell us the real reason you are a princess. We all know the stories of the other four alicorns, so what about you? How did you earn your princesshood?”

The filly got up from her chair and hopped straight up onto the stage, shocking the representative at the single leap. Somnia turned back to the crowd. “You don’t believe my faith is true. I understand that. But even you must admit that what I have done in such a short time has been well beyond what can be considered ordinary by other foals my age. I was born an alicorn, my mom was a princess of the Harmonic Empire, and I was granted the title by birthright. The only thing which gave the royal family legitimacy was Excalion and the archimage’s selection–“

“And who are these ponies, anyway? You keep talking about them, but we don’t have any proof they exist!”

Somnia glanced up to the pillar Excalion was on, her wing motioning that she would not get involved. “With the Equestria Games of 689 in Tall Tale, Excalion stopped the griffon attack against Princess Celestia after she informed the guard of their movements. In 827, Excalion beached the yeti from the southern Lunar Sea after she destroyed their ship masts, giving time for the Equestrian Royal Guard to move into position to defend the coastline against their raid. She IS real, and she has helped Equestria longer than anypony has lived, including the regal sisters.”

“That’s just baseless speculation! Those were so long ago that even if she helped, how would we even be able to tell?” The representative countered. Somnia considered what else she could do, but both Grar and Excalion didn’t want to get involved. There was no other choice but to force them to believe her.

Somnia, are you sure you know what you’re doing? Grar asked within her mind.

I’m sure there is no good way out of this that doesn’t involve my magic. They won’t believe me unless I do something drastic like back in Hollow Shades, but I don’t want to.

“Princess Celestia, Princess Cadance, you gotta admit that this is going too far. Why can’t you just tell us the truth?”

“Because the truth is too much for you right now!” Celestia snapped back. “We expect the ponies of Equestria to trust that the princesses know what’s in their best interests, as we have for a thousand years. Somnia is a solution to an old problem, one which has no other solution. Her disappearance marked the end of tens-of-thousands of years of prosperity, and her reemergence has marked the beginning of a new era for all ponies. It may not seem like it right now, but she is the best hope we have against the threats facing our nation.”

“I’m still having a hard time believing that.” The mare narrowed her eyes at the regal sister. “I’ve spoken with many of the nobles here in Canterlot, and they all say the same thing: She’s a public menace that does whatever she feels like. Here in Equestria, we have laws! Why isn’t she bound to the same restrictions that you are?”

“You want the truth?” Somnia turned on the mare. “Do you really want to know the truth?”

“I want you to give us a reason to trust you!”

“Fine!” Somnia turned to the crowd, about to extend her wings, when Twilight opened the door on the other side of the room. “Mom?”

“Somnia, can I have a word with you?” The Princess of Friendship called out for her, the crowd turning to face her. The filly hopped down from the stage and cantered over, much to the smugness of the representative on the stage.

“See! She has nothing! It’s all been another big lie!” The representative added while Somnia trotted from the room with her mother, growling to herself.

The two went down the hallway before talking. “Som...” Twilight leaned down to hug her daughter. “I’m so sorry about all of this. This entire summit has been a mess. I hoped to bring ponies together, not drive them apart.”

“What happened with you?”

“I was in the meeting about thestral reintegration. It...” She shook her head, fighting back tears. “They wouldn’t listen, they didn’t want to listen. There was that one representative from the Griffish Isles. They shouted her down after agreeing with Hollow Shades.” Twilight let out a shaky sigh. “I-I don’t know what to do. Everything’s gone to Tartarus. Equestria was a land of peace and harmony, but now...”

The filly sunk into her mother’s embrace. Nearly every meeting today had the same theme: The age of peace and unanimous cooperation Celestia supposedly brought about was over. The cycle of society was returning to hard times, as Grar taught her so long ago.

“Mom.” Somnia pushed a bit from her so that she could stare into her mother’s eyes. “It may get hard from here on out. But I promise: One day, it will be harmonious again.”

From down the hallway, Luna approached with a freshly brewed cup of coffee in her magic, sipping disinterestedly, while the doors nearest to them opened and Cadance walked out shaking her head. Both princesses stopped at Twilight and Somnia, both possessing frowns of the defeated.

“I can’t believe this is Equestria.” Cadance sighed. “They demand an explanation, but anything we give isn’t good enough.” The Crystal City representative left the meeting room and galloped over to the group.

“I’m so sorry about all of this, princess.” She apologized. “I-I didn’t know the others would be–“

“It’s alright, Shiver, I know.” Cadance placed a comforting hoof on the mare’s shoulder. “Please give me a few minutes with the others. I’ll be over for the scientific discoveries conference shortly.”

Once the mare left, Luna spoke. “All of this because my damn sister didn’t want to listen to me.”

“She ran the nation alone for a thousand years, I’m sure the thestrals–“ Twilight stopped as Luna shook her head.

“I’m talking about Somnia.” The Princess of the Night turned to the filly. “I told her to leave you be, to let you live a normal life for a few more years, but she wanted nothing more than to get you prepared for rulership. And look what it’s brought: division, confusion, and fear. It was too much change for Equestria too soon, and now we all have to face it together.”

“Luna? What exactly is a Grand Councilor?” Cadance asked uncertain. “After all this time, I still don’t understand what they are or why you think they are important.”

“Something far more complicated than I could reasonably explain.” The regal sister nodded with clear disappointment. “I have many regrets about what my sister and I have done, Somnia. I can only hope you can forgive me for not seeing the true severity of our errors sooner.”

“Maybe.” The filly lightly smiled to Luna. “One day, I’ll forgive you. And I know you’ll earn that redemption, because you’ve already made the first step.”

Twilight turned to the equally confused Cadance, receiving a shrug. The four princesses made their way back toward the main hall, stopping in front of the statue. From what Somnia had learned, each stone was a city or town, each enchanted to connect to the statue in only one way. Removing one that wasn’t an end piece would cause the entire thing to collapse. Only together would it be whole.

“This statue was meant to serve as a reminder that we all play our part in making Equestria what it is.” Cadance ruminated. “That no matter how big or how small, their contribution to our great nation is important. I remember when I was growing up, our town exported mana crystals from the mines to be processed one town over. They would supply different parts of Equestria with lights and magical devices. Mom and dad worked in the mines for ten hours every day just to make enough to live.” She cast her vision over to Luna, eyes shimmering. “Has it always been like this? How have I never seen it before?”

“Each of us is out-of-touch with the everyday concerns of ponies. I grew up as royalty, only seeing the truth of how things were for a brief time before being roped back into my duties.” Luna answered, turning to the purple alicorn. “Twilight Sparkle, my sister took you on as a student from a very young age. Your parents themselves were well-off comparatively, separated from the issues plaguing certain parts of Canterlot. Ponyville itself is one of the more profitable towns in Equestria, and has a social support system which works based on community, rather than the institutions of Canterlot.”

“Excalicorn was different.” Somnia spoke, her eyes moving along the different gemstones. “While we had institutions to help ponies out, we also trusted them with a great degree of personal responsibility. Often friends or family would intervene when somepony needed help, but in a city of millions, there were always those who slipped through the cracks. The rest of the continent wasn’t as nice. They divided themselves by what kind of pony they were, and it was only after mom and dad got together did that change. I never really saw just how bad it got except in my dreams.”

All societies have their dividers, their failures. Grar added. The greatest failure of my homeworld came from the lack of care. While we lived in a utopia beyond your wildest imagination, it was all an act. Beneath it all, we were empty. I had a friend which threw themselves into a gravitational singularity if only to feel something, and another who ended it all by being contained within stasis until the end of everything. Technology doesn’t give you fulfillment, a lesson we never learned. Equestria isn’t like that. Equestria has a heart. But this statue is heartless.

Each of the ponies continued to stare at the statue for another few minutes in silence. Cadance leaned her head onto Luna’s shoulder and Twilight put a wing around Somnia in the meantime, each content to bubble in their own thoughts. Eventually, Luna gave a deep sigh.

“This is what my mother meant by family is everything. No matter how bad things may look, no matter how painful life may be, as long as you have family, you will suffer through it together until the bitter end.”

“Ponies look for a cause to believe in.” Twilight continued. “I saw it in Starlight’s Village, and live it in Ponyville. It’s their friends and family, those they can trust to Tartarus and back.” She smiled down at her daughter. “That’s what gives them fulfillment. With purpose, they are at home anywhere. That’s the real magic. To me, it’s friendship, and it can be many things to different ponies.”

“One of the seven tenants of ‘The Cyclical Truth’.” Celestia said from behind them, getting their attention. Only a few representatives were with her: The Griffish Isles, Hollow Shades, Vanhoover, and Ponyville. Each one looked like they were also thinking about what they said.

“That’s why you care so much about Somnia, isn’t it?” Twilight stared into her mentor’s eyes. “You believe she will bring purpose to others.”

“I don’t just believe it.” The regal sister walked up to the other side of Somnia and laid her wings over both sets of alicorns. “I know it. My mother waited thousands of years to see that glimmer of hope return, to see her fillyhood friend, to fill the gap left behind by millennia of apathy. I’ve tried my best these past thousand years, but I can only do so much. She’s the solution to the problem we’ve been having for so long. What Excalicorn had that Equestria couldn’t even dream of having. Something to believe in that is both solid and true.”

Somnia swallowed, looking back up to the statue. Grar, Fae, Excalion, and the ponies of Hollow Shades all depended on her to be their undying beacon. In the sense of her magical prowess, it would become literal after another catalyst or two. She had read some letters to her mom from Hollow Shades. They psychologically saw her as the embodiment of hope, and it wouldn’t be until her powers developed further that she could reasonably give ponies that hope merely by existing. Ultimately, it was what the Grand Councilors of old gave to their respective societies.

It was never about power or money, or anything tangible. It was that path forward that was always available to them. They could choose to ignore it. They could do anything with their life and always know that there was a way for them to reach fulfillment. Hope in the darkest times, peace against the chaotic forces.

But for Celestia, she wasn’t a beacon. She was a tool. And the emotion behind the words told the story more than she ever would.

With a quick trot over to the door, Somnia opened it and hugged the knocker. “Dad!”

“Hey, kiddo.” He kissed her head, looking up to see Twilight sitting at the desk on the other side of the room, scribbling away. “Your mom busy?”

“Not right now!” The filly trotted back in to let him and Nightwind enter the suite. He walked over to the desk to see what she was writing, peeking over her shoulder until she finally paid attention to his presence. Once she put the black feathered quill into its ink well, she turned to look at him, biting her lip.

“Hey.”

“Hey yourself.” He gave a chuckle and pulled her into a quick hug. “Looks like the summit has been taking its toll. Been busy with the delegates?”

“Kinda.” She gave a sigh. “There’s been some unexpected things talked about the past three days, but I’m glad it’s over.”

“Unexpected how?”

“Not in the good sense. I don’t really want to get into it.” Her mouth tried ticking up, but the days still put a dampener on her mood. “Tired from the ride over?”

“It’s not even sunset. Nah, it was pretty good. Read one of those adventure novels you recommended on the way over.” He moved back out of the room, grabbing his and Nightwind’s bags to bring inside and setting them down next to the bed. “So we seeing the parents or what?”

“Um, yeah. I guess there’s still daylight to burn.” Twilight turned over to her faithful assistant, who was reading his comics in bed. “Are you coming, Spike?”

“No thanks. I’ll see them at the wedding.” He dismissively waved, too engrossed in his comic book to even turn to her. It stung Twilight a little to see him so upset, but he had been like that since the start of the summit. She’d have to follow-up after they got back.

The four briefly got ready before setting off into the city of Canterlot. They walked through the streets, a few passersby waving at them, although Twilight sparingly waved back. As they walked, she set her head down on her husband’s shoulder and closed her eyes. Compared to the summit, meeting her parents was going to be a breeze now that she had her special somepony.

The family arrived at the house about half-an-hour later, at which point Twilight disentangled herself from her husband before knocking on the door. She hoped they were home. Well, they should be, since they essentially lived off their investments.

Velvet opened the door after a minute, grinning at her daughter before casting her gaze to Duskwing. “Twilight! I-I wasn’t expecting you! Please, come in!” She stepped aside to allow the four entry. Closing the door behind them, Velvet trotted over to the stairs to yell up to her husband while the four others got comfy in the living room on the big couch. Somnia snuggled into Nightwind, the colt snuggling back to comfort his marefriend.

A minute later, Night Light came trotting down and sat on the love seat, anxiously flicking his eyes between Twilight and Duskwing while his wife made some tea.

“Sooo... how was the summit?” He finally asked.

“It went alright, I suppose.” Twilight didn’t want to tell him the truth. She herself was still coming to terms with what had happened in the last two days. The yelling, the fights, the unamused grumbles of some ponies. It wasn’t one or two of the delegates. Nearly half weren’t terribly enthusiastic to be attending. There were, of course, the pro-monarchist elements, such as the delegate from Manehattan, but there were also a few who were very vocal about their displeasure with the princessdom.

“That’s good to hear.” He nodded as Velvet returned with a steaming kettle and some cups. Once she had poured every pony a cup of tea, she took her place next to her husband and smiled widely at their daughter.

“Care to introduce us?” She asked with visible excited agitation.

Twilight sipped from her cup before answering. “Mom, dad, this is Duskwing. He’s my coltfriend, and fiance.”

“I think we’re past that.” The thestral chuckled. “I was her former husband back when Somnia was around.”

“So you’re her dad?” Night Light asked, receiving a nod from the batpony.

“Why didn’t you tell us earlier?” Velvet turned to Twilight. “It would have been nice to meet him before we had to learn about it from the newspaper.”

“We didn’t initially plan to get married.” Twilight admitted, taking another sip of her tea. Still too hot. “But Somnia let out that we were planning to marry after we had only been on one date, and then all the stuff with Tirek and the Equestria Games happened, and...” She let out a sigh. “I’m sorry I didn’t visit sooner to tell you.”

“It’s alright, Twily. As long as you’re happy, we’re happy.” Night Light reassured.

“How did you two meet?” Her mother asked, continuing to push for information as she typically did.

“Funny story that.” Duskwing put his wing around Twilight. “I actually had come to Canterlot to advocate for getting additional funding for Hollow Shades and other bat communities.”

“That didn’t leave the best impressions.” Twilight gently smiled at him. “Really, it was at the aerial competition tryouts. He was competing for Hollow Shades, I was there to cheer on Ponyville, and Somnia was there to set us up.”

“Yup!” The filly said without a single ounce of restraint.

“I read you had yelled at him. Something about trying to poison Somnia?” Night Light asked.

“I did, but what I didn’t know was that Somnia’s dad was part thestral.” Twilight giggled. “It’s a little silly looking back. I probably should have asked her why she liked to eat meat.”

“You laugh about it now, but back then I was genuinely worried that I had been setup to be arrested again.” Duskwing turned back to the parents. “Not that it would have been any more valid than the first time.”

“You were arrested?” Night Light furrowed his brow, turning to his equally concerned wife.

“Yeah, he’s a hardened criminal with all that community service he had to do after assaulting a royal guard.” Twilight rubbed her husband’s chest.

The parents gave them both a quizzical gaze, but Velvet left it be. “When was your first date? The tryouts weren’t that long ago.”

“Technically, it was supposed to be the Traders Exchange in Rainbow Falls, but it really was the royal visit to Hollow Shades.” Twilight continued. “I got to know what life was like for him and the other batponies. We talked, and after the speeches, we spent some quality time together.”

“She’s a bit of a nerd when it comes to architecture.” Duskwing smirked to his bride who rolled her eyes. “Anyway, after that we met up at the Traders Exchange for our first official date.”

“Then I wanted to talk to him at the Equestria Games, but...” She let out a sigh. “He was hurt trying to protect me. I was so worried about him. I-I didn’t know if he would live.”

“I wouldn’t die on you to raise our foal alone.” He rubbed under her wing. “Wouldn’t be a dutiful husband, now would I?”

“Twilight, and I mean no offense, Duskwing, but isn’t it too soon to get married?” Velvet asked, concerned. “It’s only been about two months since the tryouts. Seems like you may be rushing this a little.”

Twilight smiled back at her parents, laying her head on Duskwing’s shoulder, prepared for the next part. “It isn’t just that. We used to be married a long time ago, that’s true, and what few memories of back then tell us this is both right, but there’s a bit more.” She sighed, content to get this out of the way. “I’m pregnant.”

Night Light spit his tea out as Velvet’s jaw dropped. “B-But- when?! What?!” Night Light sputtered out.

When Velvet only covered her mouth, Twilight continued. “I’ve known for less than a week now. Nopony else knows except for Spike, but I won’t be able to keep it a secret forever. I wanted you to be the first to know, well, if Somnia hadn’t already spoiled the rest of our little family on the secret, including me.”

“Sorry?” The filly slyly shrugged.

“I-I’m going to be a grandma?” Velvet excitedly squealed. “To think, I was expecting Shining Armor to be the first!”

“Well, congratulations!” Night Light rubbed the tea off of himself. “I’m glad that you’ve found somepony you were willing to trust.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Twilight playfully squinted at her now nervous father. “Did you not trust me to get a coltfriend?”

“N-No, it’s just that I, uh, didn’t think you were looking, that’s all!” He defended.

“Well, I have one now, and we’re going to be a proper couple.” Twilight nuzzled into Duskwing’s neck. “I admit, I enjoy having somepony around to help Spike out with the chores.”

“So w-who’s this?” Night Light turned to Nightwind. “Are they also staying with you?”

“This is Nightwind.” Duskwing patted the colt’s head. “He’s my nephew. I’ve taken care of him since he was born.”

“Oh, I thought you may have adopted somepony.” Velvet turned back to her husband briefly. “Do you two know when the wedding will be?”

“Actually...” Duskwing smiled to a curious Twilight. “I was thinking closer to the end of this month. Something small, close family and friends only.”

“Hmm... I like that idea.” Twilight chimed in. “Before the pregnancy shows, and keep it personal.”

“And we’re invited?” Velvet’ sly expression told her daughter what she was really looking for.

“Of course! I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Twilight got up from the couch to hug both of her parents.

Letting out a breath onto the plate metal, Somnia saw the sigils light up briefly before fading. Since arriving back in Ponyville a few days prior, she had thrown herself into her work. The first layer of the armor was coming along much faster now that she could manipulate localized material. It still wasn’t precise enough to accomplish what she needed for the armor, but it was enough to produce the metals she was going to use in the production.

Trotting back over to the automated assembly line, she quickly checked the test item she put through it. Defect on molding. Needs adjustment in code or mold. She mused to Grar.

Does it need to be perfect? Good enough isn’t bad.

Good enough is the bare minimum. It’s not worth starting over from scratch, but I’m not happy with using it. She trotted back over to the smelter and began tearing apart the test object, tossing the metal bits back into the smelter tray. The plastics she left in the ‘waste’ bin for later recycling. The first tier of armor was practically complete, only needing a few last adjustments and assembly before being usable.

Besides the leg sleeves she made with the concealed energy pistols and watches, the armor camouflaged to the same color as the fur or feathers on the creature and to display the cutie mark on the outside. Unless you looked closely at a distance, they would just look like normal ponies, but up close, you could see the surrounding distortion. She meant it as a light layer, one capable of blocking stabs and light magical bolts against the easier-to-hit sections such as the legs or body.

She spent the next hour adjusting the code on the computer to fix the error in molding, realizing that it was the mold itself that was also a problem.

“Somnia!” Twilight called out from the front area. “Where are you at?”

“Control!” she yelled back.

Twilight trotted around the central machine over to where the filly was typing away at the computer. Within the mirror, Twilight could see a shimmer around her reflection that didn’t trail her movements. The copy smiled and waved to Twilight as she walked over to her daughter, slightly perturbing her.

“You’ve been busy.”

“Yeah.” She sighed, finishing a few last taps on the keyboard before hopping down and trotting past her mother toward the alchemy lab. “A lot of work to do.”

“Have you slept anytime recently? I don’t think I’ve seen you sleep once since I gave you that stone.”

“I’ve napped, but I don’t need sleep anymore.” She smiled over her shoulder. “I have something for you.”

“Oh?” Twilight followed along into the alchemy lab, which looked more like a professional lab from a research institute. Opening one of the five fridges, Somnia took out a tray filled with various pills and vials with liquids in them.

“I made this for you. It’ll help with the pregnancy symptoms and is beneficial for my sibling too.” She pointed to one of the marked sections. “Take the liquid in the morning and the pills at dinner. I’ve made enough for this week and can keep making this until the two-month mark.”

“And after then?” Twilight examined the tray’s contents curiously.

“After then, I need to figure out something different.” She bit her lip in thought, thinking about it for about two minutes her time which amounted to about two seconds. “Alright, I think I have a good idea what to do.”

“And you’re sure this is safe?” Twilight turned up to her daughter as she trotted over to the different equipment around the lab. “Has this been scientifically tested?”

“Does water need to be scientifically tested to make sure it’s safe if you’ve literally boiled it to purity?” She turned back to her mother. “I’ve made every precaution and Grar has done the ingredient calculus to ensure it’s safe. It’s about as harmless as eating cleaned and chopped carrots.”

“Alright, I believe you. I just don’t want my foal to be hurt, that’s all.”

“I wouldn’t dare dream of hurting them.” Somnia went back to checking different parts of the lab. “It’s meant to help with early pregnancy symptoms and increase your overall nutrition. You can get the same stuff over the counter at the pharmacy, but this is healthier and much cheaper.”

“So should I take the pills for today or...?” Twilight picked up one of the pill cups in her magic to examine it closer, wincing slightly at the sudden headache.

“No, wait until tomorrow morning to start.” She stopped was she was doing to look back at her mother. “Hmm... That’s going to be a problem, actually.”

“What’s a problem?” Twilight asked as she put the cup back down.

The filly trotted back over, checking different parts of her mother’s face. “That. You have the same condition you did back then.” She poked a specific spot on the side of Twilight’s horn.

“Ow! What are you doing?” She flinched back at the unusual pain from her horn.

“Showing you the problem.” Somnia sighed. “Your magic will need to be disabled for the pregnancy.”

“I’ve never heard of a condition requiring unicorn horns to be disabled during pregnancy.” Twilight reached up and touched the same spot, pain shooting through her horn into her skull. “I-Is it bad?”

“If you use a lot of magic, yes.” She walked over to a high-stool and sat down to face her mother at eye-level. “I stumbled on it when researching the medications. It also means that we can’t do the weapon demonstration that Luna and I wanted to do. It would be too much magic coursing through your horn.”

“W-What’s wrong with it?” Twilight pulled up a short stool to her daughter to have a seat. “Is it dangerous?”

“Again, only if you use magic.” Somnia turned Twilight’s head slightly, checking the horn. “Unicorn-type alicorns are prone to develop this condition during pregnancy, and you are a unicorn, pegasus, and seapony mix like you probably were back then. It is a mold that forms in your horn that strengthens the more magic you use. We can treat it after you give birth, but it also means no using magic for nearly a year until it goes away.”

“No magic for a year...” Twilight took in the information, letting out a breath to handle the notion. “I-Is there anything we can do to lesson its effect? So I can at least levitate things?”

Somnia shook her head. “Even with what we had in Excalicorn, any procedure or medication risks the foal’s life or yours. Sorry, but no magic for the next year. I’ll look up the medication plan from the hard-copy drives I collected so I can reproduce it for after you give birth.”

“I-I don’t know what to say.” Twilight held her head in her hooves. “I-If I didn’t–“

“It would likely die out over time, but that may take years without using magic.” Somnia shrugged. “The doctors would have told you to stop using magic after you noticed the increased pain from casting. I’m just here to make sure we deal with it sooner than then, but one year is the minimum unless you... well, I don’t think you’d want to do anything like that.”

“I wouldn’t even dream of it.” Twilight sighed, turning back up to her. “Thanks for telling me this. Can you write some information for the doctor so that they can prescribe me a medical-grade magic canceling ring?”

“Sure.” She hopped down from her stool and trotted over to the computer to tap away, checking the other data-slates until she found the right one after searching five. A few seconds later, the machine next to the computer printed the information on a sheet of paper. She took the page back over to her planning desk to write her own translation, Twilight watching carefully from over Somnia’s shoulder.

“Is it a direct translation?”

“No, I’m paraphrasing.”

“Can you teach me your language?”

“Already working on a curriculum.”

“You really have been busy.”

“I have twenty-four hours of productivity available. I find things to do at night.” She hoofed both sheets over to Twilight, who quickly skimmed the translated sheet. A brief description of the affliction, no magic until soft spots and discoloration go away, a list of incompatible medications and ‘treatments’, Somnia will watch its progression and medicate after birth. Simple, sweet, and to the point.

“Thank you for telling me about this.” Twilight gave her daughter a hug. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“You’d get horn cramps and go see the doctor.” Her daughter shrugged a hoof, hugging her mother back. “And if you weren’t careful, your horn would blow up, sending a magical backlash directly into your brain, potentially killing you or giving permanent brain damage.”

“Okay, yeah, I can see why it’s a problem.”

“So, why did you come down here in the first place?” Somnia asked as Twilight broke off the hug.

“Oh, I came to tell you the Yakyakistan prince will arrive shortly. Don’t you want to meet them?”

Somnia shrugged indifferently, following her mother back upstairs to where the other elements had been busy setting up the entrance hall. Twilight bit her lip as she watched the door, the other elements finishing their preparations before standing next to her.

“You look nervous. There’s no reason to be nervous. Nothing to worry about. Everything’s going to be fine!” Twilight smiled at Pinkie Pie, the nervousness leaking from the faltering expression.

“Twilight, tell those butterflies in your tummy to beat it! Making new friends is always fun!” Pinkie exclaimed.

Twilight took a few deep breaths to calm down, her friends watching curiously while Somnia sat next to Rarity unamused.

“Mom, the yaks are one of the three native species of the Crystal Expanse. They value strength and tradition above all. There is literally nothing about you right now that screams either.” She deadpanned, adding to Twilight’s nervousness.

“You’re right. I need to keep calm and not panic.” She gave a nervous laugh. “Keep calm. Keep calm... AHH!” She flinched as Spike began playing the trumpet next to the doors shortly before they opened to unfurl a literal red carpet. The prince’s guards stepped forward first, moving aside for the prince himself.

“Ponies! Greetings, ponies!” The prince yelled out. Twilight was about to teleport when Somnia grabbed her leg, shaking her head. Casually walking over to the prince, Twilight donned her best attempt at a diplomat’s expression.

“Prince Rutherford, your majesty. On behalf of all of us, I welcome you to Equestria.” Twilight gave a bow.

“Me honored. Yaks hope for great friendship between ponies and yaks.” Somnia covered her ears for the oncoming assault. “Friends for a thousand moons!”

The princess rubbed her ears for a brief moment, Twilight smiling back at them. “You must be hungry after the long journey.” Spike pushed in from the side a table containing many yakky foods. “We’ve prepared a banquet of traditional yak foods.”

“Oh, no.” Somnia let loose a groan, Rarity looking at her confused.

“If things not perfect, yaks get mad. Yaks always get mad when things not perfect!” He went to the table, taking a bite before spitting it out. “This no taste like yak food! Fake pony food make yaks mad!”

He flipped the table and the three yaks began making a mess of the entrance hall while Twilight backed up to her friends.

“Is it okay to be nervous now?” Pinkie asked as they trashed more of the hall.

“Mom.” Somnia got up and trotted over to her mother. “If they hurt you or somepony in town, come get me. I’ll deal with them.” The filly walked back toward her lab while the yaks continued their rampage.

Dusty held still while Somnia arranged the plates on the armor. She needed to figure out the exact manner in which they would take the armor on and off, something that would be easy for the guards without being a structural weakness. Small locking sigils were probably still the best option.

“You almost finished back there, or are you going to keep appreciating my tail?” Dusty let out a nervous chuckle.

“Almost done.” She finished the measurements. “Back plate or no back plate? With one, you have to drop it whenever you have to pee.”

“I’ll go with a back plate. Don’t want any unwanted gazing.” Dusty shuffled on her hooves as Somnia made some more measurements closer to her marehood.

“The teats are going to be interesting to work around.” Somnia laid back on a wheelie board and rolled underneath Dusty. “Are they particularly sensitive to touch or pressure?”

“A little, but not much more than anypony else.”

Somnia began prodding them, adding to Dusty’s discomfort. “Would you be comfortable with this much pressure?”

“Y-Yeah, probably. Is it really necessary?”

“For the best protection, yes.” The filly rolled back out and faced her guard. “That was all. Thank you for coming. I would recommend teat-guards when you’re in your armor to prevent rubbing the nipple.”

“Alright.” She coughed. “I’ll, um, go get some.”

Somnia didn’t even watch Dusty disarm before returning to her design table. The underside was the least protected, designed for mobility and maneuverability over defense. Her newest design was to include flexible plastic plates to redirect projectiles so that pointy things like branches didn’t poke them underneath with impunity.

“Somnia!” Twilight came rushing in. “I need your help!”

“Did they hurt somepony?” She glanced up, disinterested.

“No, but they might! They said they’re going to declare war on us!”

Somnia chortled at the idea. “T-That’s it?”

“What?” Twilight took a physical step back. THAT wasn’t the response she expected. “W-What do you mean ‘that’s it’?!”

“Mom, they don’t have magic or technology beyond basic metallurgy. They pose next to no threat, even for the royal guard to handle.” She sighed. “But may as well stop them before they hurt themselves.”

She followed her mother back above ground, making their way toward the train station where the yaks were waiting. The sunshine was nice to feel on her face, turning the corners of her mouth up. Maybe I should take mom up on more offers to get away.

“How’s the party planning coming along?”

“I haven’t checked yet, but are you sure you can get them to reconsider staying for a bit longer?” She provided a nervous smile.

“Yeah, that’s pretty easy. Go check on the party. I’ll give them a good talking to.” She continued forward without her mother to the train station.

“Where is train? It should be here!” The prince complained as he continued to check both directions along the track.

“Delayed due to sheep migrations.” Somnia called out, getting the attention of the yaks.

“What you want, pony?”

“Just pony? Not princess?” She trotted straight up to the prince. “I challenge you to a hoof-wrestle. If I win, you stay for another couple of hours. If you win, I’ll let you go without further issue.”

“Ha! Pony thinks they can beat yak in hoof-wrestle! Good joke!” The prince laughed along with the others. “What can pony do yak can’t?”

“I could kill you where you stand.” She smirked, the yak’s mouth forming into a snarl. “What? Are you too afraid to prove that yaks are stronger than ponies?”

“You’re on, pony!” The two moved over to the train station bench and started positioning their hooves for the contest. One guard kept chuckling at the absurdity of it.

“Ready, go!” The prince put his entire might into trying to push down Somnia’s hoof, but she held firm. While defeating the prince would have been incredibly easy with her new powers, she tried to make it look like they were more evenly matched. Straining her face muscles, producing droplets of water on her forehead, giving a bit of ground occasionally. They kept at it for several minutes until the prince got tired, at which point Somnia slowly began pushing his hoof back.

The guards were watching in awe as this pony, a mere foal, was actually beating the prince. Once their hooves were close enough, Somnia made the prince’s hoof impact the bench with a gentle thud. Breathing out heavily, both contestants stared each other down.

“You... strong... pony...” Prince Rutherford breathed out.

“Not so bad... yourself.” Somnia half-laughed, half-huffed. The entire thing was for show, but it had the intended effect.

“We’ll stay... few more hours...” The prince gave a hearty laugh. “Who are you?”

“I’m... Princess Twilight’s daughter. Queen of Equestria, Somnia Temporus.” She got back up onto her hooves. “It was nice to meet you, Prince Rutherford. I hope you will give the party a chance to change your mind about going to war.”

“We’ll see.” He chuckled, getting back onto his own hooves with a smile. Somnia waved back to him as she trotted toward the town hall where the party was set to take place. With the honor-culture of the yaks, and the spirit of good competition, they were likely to hold up their end of the bargain without complaint even if the sheep migrations did not delay them.

Upon reaching the square, she could already see Pinkie Pie getting to work on setting it up as planned, Twilight nervously pacing back-and-forth.

“Hey, mom!” Somnia trotted over. “Looks like the party is going well.”

“Somnia!” She ran over and hugged her daughter. “I came to the station to see what you were doing, and–“

“I won. Don’t worry, they’re delayed anyway if it wasn’t for the bet I made with them. They’re willing to give the party a chance.”

“Thank Celes–“ She brought a hoof to her mouth, both of them giggling at the slip-up. “Thank the Ascended.” She corrected.

From the side of the party, Somnia watched as the prince gave a great hug to Pinkie Pie in celebration of a job-well-done. Today had been productive, despite the interruptions. The first tier of armor was coming along nicely, and it wouldn’t be too long until she finished them.

“When were you going to tell me?” Celestia came from the side to sit down next to her. “Twilight still hasn’t.”

“I was going to let mom tell you. Her foal, her decision.”

The regal sister blinked a few times, staring at the filly in surprise. “Twilight’s pregnant?”

“Oh.” Somnia giggled. “You meant the other thing.”

“Yes, the other thing. You and your new powers.” Celestia playfully squinted at her. “I suspected you had been holding out on me for the past few weeks. Are they slowly coming to you, or all at once?”

“I’m using something to speed it up, and it’s working.” Somnia turned up to her. “No more foalnappings for me.”

“I certainly would hope not.” Celestia turned to the incoming prince. “Did you enjoy my former student’s hospitality, Prince Rutherford?”

“Yes. Ponies now friends with yaks. Queen very strong. Didn’t know Equestria had queen.”

“She’s not queen yet, but will be one day.” Celestia petted Somnia’s mane. “I’m sure you can understand why we would give her such a responsibility.”

“You should come to Yakyakistan. Plenty of challengers!” The prince laughed, shaking hooves with the queen-to-be. “It good meeting you. May we have peace for a thousand moons!“

Author's Note

I'm a little worried about the content of this chapter. I tried cutting back on the preachy-ness of it. Please tell me if it's a little heavy and I'll make some edits.