Chapters of a Revamped Tome

Chapters

Equestria Girls Revamp: Pre-Summit Talks
Equestria Girls Revamp: Views on Diplomacy
Equestria Girls Revamp: (Not So) False Alarm
Equestria Girls Revamp: Race for the Mirror
Equestria Girls Revamp: Surprises And Apologies

Equestria Girls Revamp: Pre-Summit Talks

The Crystal Empire, October 12th, Year 1372 of the Equestrian Era, shortly after Princess Twilight Sparkle's arrival to the Crystal Empire for her first Princess Summit

Even before she had been crowned, it had never been within her character to curse.

Not that her family was particularly squeamish about it, like some others in Canterlot were even as they learned to exchange more venom than could be spewed by a mere dirty word. Nevertheless, her older relatives and her mentors had still made it a point to teach her basic manners and proper respect - something that she had already learned many families in the so-called nobility actually didn’t take care to impart.

Yet as she felt her face crash into the solid barrel of the amber Pegasus guard in the row to her right, no thanks to how distracted she had been by how different the Crystal Castle felt after her recent growth in stature, a certain curse ran through her mind, though it thankfully didn’t threaten to fly out of her mouth.

Dang it! Princess Twilight Sparkle thought, even as she mentally put herself together from her collision.

So much for a good start to her tenure, not to mention the Princess Summit! She hadn’t even made it to the end of the red carpet and she was already making mistakes! What a…

A faint blur of movement caught her eyes before her self-scolding could continue.

Though his posture remained as formal as it had before, the guard's eyes had shifted just enough to meet hers, and a slight, but visible smile curled his lips, something that Twilight could only describe as a feeling of comfort emanating from his expression.

It was something she had never seen any guard doing at the other princesses, and if she had to guess, it would be considered a breach of etiquette at best and terrible lack of discipline at worst. And yet, as she saw his reassuring expression, her building nerves seemed to leave in the wake of the slight sigh that flowed out of her, to the point she even found herself returning the guard's smile.

The next instant, the guard’s expression melted fully into the stoicism often displayed by his counterparts in Equestria - perhaps fitting in a sense, given how his golden armor marked him as a member of Princess Celestia’s Solar Division - and he raised his right foreleg.

“Her Highness, Princess Twilight Sparkle!” he announced, sounding every bit as official and respectful as the guards she had heard announcing the other princesses.

Unlike a few she had already encountered, she could hear that the sentiments were genuine.

After sparing him a smile for a moment longer, Twilight stepped forward, meeting Cadence as she trotted towards her. Out of reflex, she started leaning down for the beginning of their ladybugs dance, then froze just as she did so.

This was an upcoming official affair, not a reunion between sisters-in-law. It might be better to keep a minimum of formality.

Cadence seemed to agree, given she kept making her way without breaking stride, but a warm smile remained on her face as she embraced her with her left foreleg and her left wing.

"It’s good to see you, Twilight," she said.

Twilight tried to raise her wing to return the hug, but it remained rigid like wood, the joints protesting at the attempted movement, as they did most of the times she tried to use them even after she’d had them for two weeks. How she had been able to make a grand flight at the end of her coronation parade, she'd never know.

"It’s good to see you too," Twilight replied, choosing to briefly nestle into Cadence's embrace, instead. "All of you," she added, turning her gaze to meet the other two alicorns as she and Cadence ended their somewhat one-sided hug and backed away from each other.

"Likewise, Twilight Sparkle," Princess Luna replied with an official nod that was nevertheless joined by a warm smile.

"Very much so," Princess Celestia added, her smile also warm. "I hope you all had a pleasant journey.”

Behind Twilight, her six friends gave various replies of agreement, while Twilight herself only nodded with a smile. Then, almost before finishing, she tried to discreetly sweep her eyes around the room. The trip had been pleasant enough, and she was happy to see her fellow princesses, but there was somepony else she wanted to see, one whose absence she had noticed since she’d arrived at the train station and he hadn’t been there to meet her. Granted, she should have seen him already if he had been in the throne room, and she had already expected him to not be here after what he’d told her at her coronation, especially given he hadn't sent her any messages about a change in plans. But still, no harm in looking for him one more time.

“Something the matter, Twilight?” Princess Celestia asked, her warmth replaced with concern.

Finishing her look around the room, Twilight tilted her head up to the taller alicorn.

"Is Shining Armor not here?”

Realizing how blunt she had sounded, not to mention how weird the question might seem given the upcoming event, she added, “I know he told me he likely wouldn't be able to be here, and that this is a Princess Summit anyway, but…”

She trailed off, unsure of how to properly explain herself, but the other three princesses seemed to understand based on their sympathetic looks.

"Unfortunately, he really couldn’t stay," Cadence explained. "He tried to find a way around it, but he and Reg just couldn’t reschedule their diplomatic meeting with the Yaks."

Before Twilight could react to that statement in any way, a barely audible growl that nevertheless was filled with anger rose up from somewhere to her right and behind her. The next instant, a sudden burst of cough rose up from the Pegasus who had announced her presence. Twilight cast a sideways glance at him, her right eyebrow rising as he raised his left wing to cover his mouth.

"My apologies, Your Highnesses," he replied while he folded his wing back into place. "Must have been a random itch.”

"Apologies accepted, Lieutenant," Princess Celestia replied, even as she looked less at him and more at somewhere behind Twilight - by her calculations, to the Crystal Pony standing three guards to the left of the Pegasus.

Sneaking a glance behind her, Twilight saw that the guard standing at the exact spot she had guessed was looking to the ground in shame, yet with the hint of a scowl on his face, his lips pursed like he wanted to growl in anger once more.

“I understand,” Twilight chose to pipe in before things could escalate further. “I do wish I could see him before I leave, but I know that may not be possible.”

At least there she could be honest. Between Shining Armor’s various deployments when he had been in the guard and all the rescheduled lessons because of Princess Celestia’s royal duties, having to postpone or cancel things was something Twilight was used to, even if she hadn’t learned to like it over the years.

"If all goes like planned, Shining Armor will be back before the Summit ends," Princess Celestia added with a comforting smile. "And likely, it will. He went with the best pony for the job after all."

And isn’t that still a surprise sometimes. Twilight couldn’t help but think.

She held back that remark, though. It would be unbecoming of a princess.

"Very well then," she said instead, trying to push down her disappointment. "Where do we begin?"

“For now, I think that some sleep will be a good start,” Princess Celestia replied. “While it is true we have much to go over during the Summit, it is not enough that it can’t wait until tomorrow. You and your friends need to rest.”

Twilight willed her expression to stay neutral, rather than puzzled like she wanted to make it. While she did appreciate Princess Celestia’s thoughtfulness and care, what was the point of having her show up at the palace, have her arrival announced by a trumpet fanfare and a royal guard, and then be sent off to sleep so quickly?

As if it had been waiting for that exact thought, tiredness surged within her, building up in her mouth to be released in a yawn, not at all unlike on the various nights she had tried to insist that she wasn’t tired even as Princess Celestia gently urged to put her books down and go to sleep.

Unlike on some of those nights, she managed to squeeze her lips together just in time to repress the yawn, but Princess Celestia’s eyes still twinkled fondly at her shift in expression, before she tilted her head slightly so that her gaze would encompass all the others.

“Follow me, please,” she said as she walked past Twilight and her friends. “I will show you to your rooms.”

Now standing ahead of Twilight, her six friends followed the Princess of the Sun, chattering excitedly about the upcoming events and their plans for the stay in the Crystal Empire.

Unsure of how to contribute there, and feeling earlier doubts and fears starting to fill her mind, Twilight did her best to look calm and collected as she followed them.

Author's Note

So... this is my first entry for this series. I hope you liked it. :)

The original My Little Pony: Equestria Girls, as written by Megan McCarthy and directed by Jayson Thiessen, had what I understand was a polarizing reception at the time, for more reasons than the attempt at an 'official High School AU'. I won't be including many revamps for this particular entry in the official franchise, but this won't be the last one.

The references to Shining Armor's whereabouts are adapted from the Friends Forever IDW comic series, most specifically Issue 26 as written by Jeremy Whitley and drawn by Tony Fleecs. Those who know the official entry will know it took place much later in the series' timeline, but I adapted it for this AU so that it happened earlier in time, both because the Princess Summit provided a reason for all four princesses to not be available and because I personally felt it made more sense for the Crystal Empire to make contact with the Yaks before Equestria, seeing as they are closer to Yakyakistan.

And yes, this also means I just tipped off who 'Reg' is.

As for Flash Sentry's augmented role, that is purely a personal taste element. While I do fully think that the official creators had every right to not have Flash and Twilight as an official couple, I personally happen to like the ship and its variants (though most prominently the version with both pony selves), even as I admit it lacks much proper development in canon. Hopefully fellow Flashlight fans like my take on it so far (what little of it there is) and will keep liking it as I show more of it.

Equestria Girls Revamp: Views on Diplomacy

Standing at his designated spot, Lieutenant Flash Sentry followed the retreating group with his gaze. Most of them were now engaged in lively conversation about all sorts of things related to their upcoming stay in the Crystal Empire as they followed Princess Celestia, but Princess Twilight was silent, and though her head remained high and the beat to her step firm and regular, he could see the concern clouding her gaze.

Flash didn’t fault her. He doubted he’d ever know the first thing about being a royal, but he could relate to her on two fronts. For one, he had personal experience of what it was like to have new duties with no prior practical experience and a lot of expectations on his shoulders, and even was dealing with a new set of those at the moment, after becoming part of the small Equestrian unit assigned to the Crystal Empire until their guard was in better shape. For another, Flash also knew what it was like to have family members who did potentially dangerous work and were away often, also knew what it was like to worry about their safety until they were back home.

I only hope the rumors about the Yaks will be of the groundless sort. Flash couldn't help but muse. Because if they’re not…

He let his sentence hang there, even in thought, but it was already enough for his mind to paint a picture that wasn’t pretty in the slightest.

Like she had heard him think, the concern Princess Twilight was feeling seemed to grow, her composed expression faltering and her head dropping just a bit. Despite his efforts to keep his own composed look, Flash turned his head slightly, concern flaring through him, the forced stoicism on his face faltering.

He’d breached protocol enough already, and he knew he might be in trouble by doing so even though he was serving under the kind and compassionate rulers that the Alicorn Princesses were, but still, the same part of Flash that had thought it best to give Princess Twilight a reassuring smile when she bumped into him wanted to soothe her concerns once more.

Again like she had heard him think - or perhaps sensed his gaze - Princess Twilight turned her head slightly, her left eye falling on him.

According to his training at the academy, the proper thing for him to do would be shifting back to his proper demeanor and act like nothing had happened until Princess Twilight turned her attention away.

Instead, like he had done before, Flash gave her the most reassuring smile he could.

Don’t worry, Princess Twilight. He tried to say with his expression. Everything will be fine.

At first, Princess Twilight stared at him like she was trying to decipher scrawl on a paper. Then, like before, she returned his smile, the turmoil within her temporarily put at bay.

For a few seconds, the two of them kept their gazes locked, before Princess Twilight turned back ahead in an unusually slow manner, like she was trying to make the moment last. Only when she was fully facing forward did she follow the rest of the group again, her gait speeding up to close the gap between them.

Flash resumed his proper stance, but he kept looking at the Princess out of the corner of his eye. Although he had yet to join her friends’ excited chatter, her movements were looser and less heavy, as if her concern had been a physical burden she had at least partially discarded. Even as he kept his composed look, Flash couldn’t help but smile inside.

“I saw that,” a familiar voice spoke, barely an instant after the exiting group had crossed the doorway.

Turning towards the sound, Flash saw Princess Cadence regarding him, a faintly amused look on her face. Were he a civilian, he might have been able to smile, but being a guard, he knew he’d pushed his luck enough already, not to mention that Princess Cadence, while not as skilled as her older aunt in that respect, was also fairly decent at pulling a bait and switch, and for all he knew, she might be building up to one just now. She didn’t tend to do so when things were serious, but it was better not to take chances.

“What exactly did you mean you see, Your Highness?” Flash opted to ask instead.

“All of it,” Princess Cadence replied.

Saying so, she turned away and looked down to the row of guards to his left, her eyes narrowing the slightest fraction, and yet just enough to make her intimidating.

“Both from you and from Sergeant Jargoon,” she added, her change in voice matching the one in her expression. “Would you care to explain why you made that angry growl which Lieutenant Flash Sentry tried to cover up for your sake?”

Princess Cadence blinked after she spoke, her eyes flickering to Flash - perhaps worried she had recalled his name wrong and wanting to try and check that through his reaction. But the bulk of Flash’s attention was held by Jargoon, whose body was now flaring so bright that he looked like a bulb about to go out, his lips again pursed in a clear attempt at repressing another angry growl, despite the ashamed look that pulled at his face.

Then, his sparkles dimmer, Jargoon turned to face Princess Cadence and let out a long breath, all anger gone from his expression as he lowered his head.

“My apologies, Your Highness. I was out of line.”

“I would have to agree,” Princess Cadence replied, her voice slightly softer. “But that’s not the point. Is there anything about your feelings that you wish to share?”

Jargoon’s face twitched like he was trying to hold back another scowl.

“Nothing that will make an important difference.”

“Why do you not let my niece decide?” a deep voice interjected from Flash’s right.

Risking a glance towards the sound, Flash saw that Princess Luna’s eyes had narrowed as well, the undulating of her mane through the air seemingly slower and more deliberate like a snake about to strike, her wings fully spread open.

To his credit, Jargoon did not actually flinch at the view, but his whole body trembled like he had barely stopped himself from doing so, doubt clouding his expression. Still, his voice was firm and his ears were held up when he spoke again, looking Princess Cadence in the eyes.

“All I have to say is that my thoughts on your idea of diplomatic ties with the Yaks remain the same, Your Highness,” he said.

Princess Cadence’s eyes narrowed further, and so did Princess Luna’s, her pupils and irises coated over with the inner light that seemed to be starting to glow within her gaze.

Jargoon must have realized how wrong his words sounded, for he added, “I will point out the following: it’s nothing against you. I’m fully aware that if Princess Amore were here, odds are she would want to forgive and build more peaceful relations herself.”

Princess Luna’s expression remained unchanged, but the glow in her eyes faded.

Perhaps encouraged by that, Jargoon scowled as he added, “And I’d be thinking it was just as bad an idea if she was the one who had it. I won’t do anything to get in the way of that goal, but I think any attempt at making peace with those barbarians is useless, and I am all too sure I will say that I warned you within days once we’re getting ready for war with them.”

Princess Luna’s eyes narrowed another fraction. Though the glow in them didn’t return, this time Jargoon actually flinched, his ears dropping and his left hind leg rising like he was about to take a step back. Surprisingly, however, Princess Cadence’s expression softened at the explanation.

“I’m well aware the effort may not be successful,” Princess Cadence said. “And I know of the bad history that the Yaks have with the Crystal Empire. But I feel we should at least try. If the Yaks remain unwilling to be our friends, it will be up to them, but I’d rather they not try to start a war before we at least offer them our hoof in friendship.” Her eyes narrowed again, and for the first time since she started talking, her wings spread open also. “And to make one thing clear, I do not approve of judging whole races or nations based on the actions of individual members who died centuries before the present day.”

Jargoon opened his mouth, and his tongue even started moving in an indication that it was about to position itself into an uttered sound, but nothing came out. Whatever the reason, it seemed Jargoon had come to the conclusion that outright arguing with his Princess would be a bad idea.

“You’re all dismissed,” Princess Cadence added, her expression and voice gentler again, but still with an official-sounding edge, even as she folded her wings.

As one, all the guards in both rows saluted, the Crystal Ponies with their right hooves, and Flash Sentry with his right wing. Then, moving with what seemed like a slight haste to their step, the Crystal Pony guards headed out of the throne room.

Flash lingered behind, glancing at Princess Cadence to see if she would be turning her focus to him again. Perhaps it was stupid given she had included him in her dismissal, but all the same, part of him wanted to wait. Although she had yet to address him specifically, she had claimed to have seen everything he did. That presumably included his interactions with Princess Twilight. If she had anything to clear up, it might be better to do so now.

A few seconds went by. Princess Cadence didn’t address him.

However, now that the three of them were alone, Princess Luna had turned her focus to him. Her eyes were still narrowed and her wings were still spread open, but this time had a probing look to them, as if she was mentally asking herself a number of possible questions and coming to a potential list of conclusions.

Flash waited again, this time to see if Princess Luna would be the one saying something.

Another moment of silence went by. Flash started to turn towards the door.

“Lieutenant.”

Flash froze, his eyes widening as he heard the voice addressing him. He might have been ready to be addressed by her a second before, but somehow, the idea of her doing so after he already expected her not to was enough to throw him off, and the fact she was the Royal he had known for the least amount of time didn’t help things.

All the same, he turned to face the Princess of the Night as she stepped up to him, her wings now folded, and her face calm and free of anger, but still stern.

“Would you care to explain why you tried to conceal Sergeant Jargoon’s displeasure at the idea of diplomacy with the Yaks?” Princess Luna asked.

Flash opened his mouth to reply, but the words seemed to catch in his throat, only a brief, faint hum coming out before he closed it again.

On an instinctual level, he knew why he had done what he did, but knowing his motives and being capable of putting them into words was not the same thing. Especially when he had to do so before Princess Luna, who not only was the Princess he knew the least well, but also had been away from the world for a millennium and had only been back for a little over two years. While she was a quick study, and her core values and ideals had never been a source of friction with her sister or with anypony else - except some politicians and nobleponies who were either backwards as everything or very averse to the Magic of Friendship - Flash couldn’t help but think he would be less nervous if he had to explain himself before Princess Celestia or Princess Cadence.

But turning away was not an option.

Looking Princess Luna in the eye, Flash took a deep breath, and explained, “I felt it might be better to try to spare Sergeant Jargoon from potentially serious consequences for the time being. Not because I agree with him, whatever the reasons for his stance, but because I thought it would be better if a fellow guard, temporary as he may be, explained to him why holding grudges and being dead set on war, even against a past enemy, is not a good idea.”

Princess Luna curled her right eyebrow.

“If Sergeant Jargoon were still here, he might reply that that’s easier said than done,” she remarked.

Flash nodded.

“I know, Your Highness. But if I may, that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t get done.”

And he’d know what he was talking about. After all, he’d already been through an assignment that had involved him dealing with old school bullies of his’, and had managed to remain professional enough to only use the necessary force to stop their crime even as the old grudges threatened to creep up and the sorry bastards itched for a fight.

“I’m not a foal,” he added. “I know the incoming diplomatic mission can fail. And I certainly am not trying to back out from my duty should a war break out. I made a vow to defend Equestria, and I will keep it. But being ready and willing to fight in the face of conflict is not the same thing as wanting a conflict to exist, or not wanting to try for a peaceful solution first.”

The moment he finished, Flash lowered his ears, wishing he was a unicorn so he could create some magical impact to mentally kick himself. Hearing him talk, one would think he was explaining himself to somepony who believed that the guards were bloodthirsty sociopaths who joined the ranks just so they could have an outlet for their murderous urges. He wouldn’t be foolish enough to deny that a few of those popped up here and there despite the psych evaluations each recruit had to pass, but that behavior was not encouraged in the least, and if he was to become one of such guards himself, it would be the greatest shame of his life.

All the more because I was a bit too close to that at one point. He couldn’t help but think, mentally thanking Fausticorn for the friends who had helped him see the light before he slipped too far into the dark.

Princess Luna’s voice broke through his thoughts.

“Why do you think we sent a group for a diplomatic mission in the first place?” she asked, the right corner of her mouth curling upwards.

Against his will, Flash let out a relieved sigh, which was soon joined by a few chuckles.

“Point taken, Your Highness.”

Princess Luna’s half-smile broadened slightly, the probing look in her face now replaced by an almost pleased one, like she had just decided Flash had passed some sort of examination.

The next instant, Princess Cadence stepped up beside her aunt.

“Neither of us thinks you had bad intentions,” the younger alicorn said. “And there is no harm in wanting to explain to your fellow guards why you feel something they’re doing is wrong, or in helping them overcome grudges, or in assisting them in any other way if you feel they need help. But if Sergeant Jargoon ends up proving that his grudges consume him too deeply for him to be trusted with his place in the guard, it will be on him. And trying to conceal the fact he may not be worthy of the trust we’re placing can be a danger in its own right.”

Princess Luna nodded at her niece’s words, the gesture somehow enhanced by her etherially flowing mane.

Flash did his best not to look down. He understood the perils in keeping such deeds unreported, and should the time come, he’d like to think he would have enough moral viber to not let any guard get away with serious misdemeanors or something worse, even as he also disagreed with tattling being a primary measure and (especially) with snitches who lived only to rat out others in glee of the punishments they would get. But Jargoon’s action had been one with potentially dangerous consequences, the kind of thing Flash would rather fellow guards didn’t go through, at least not without trying to help them with their troubles.

Ultimately, the best he could say was that he had been trying to help, even if that didn’t mean an earnest attempt meant the desired results or that he was any less responsible for the results of his deeds.

“I understand,” Princess Cadence said, like she had read his mind. “Choosing between one’s duty and what’s right can be difficult. And knowing what either thing is can be difficult as well. Sometimes the choice is clear cut, but sometimes… it is less so.”

Well there’s an understatement. Flash couldn’t help but think.

When he had been a colt, everything seemed so clear cut. The good guys were the good guys, the bad guys were the bad guys, the good guys defeated the bad guys, and that was it. But as an adult, he knew it was not so simple. When one looked far enough back, and learned enough about everything that came before and what both sides had endured, the line could be much harder to draw. Choices could still be clear cut, like in the case of Sombra’s tyranny over the Crystal Empire, or Chrysalis’ attack on Canterlot, or the ponies who would have commited a hate crime on a baby dragon during the last Dragon Migration if Flash himself hadn't stopped them, but even then, that could be a bad sign in its own right. Clear cut choices of that sort implied fighting back against monsters, both completely literal and more metaphorical, entities or individuals with no motives but sheer greed or sadism or thirst for destruction, who were far less likely to choose to back out of a conflict, and could have the power to cause a lot of suffering before they were stopped. In short, scenarios that tended to cause the most suffering.

Which category the Yaks or their ruler fit was an unanswered question, given how little was known about them even in the Crystal Empire, but whatever it was, war with them would be bad. Maybe it would be necessary to fight back if they were the ones starting it, but it would still be bad.

One could only hope Princess Celestia had been right in her choice for ambassador, and that the Yaks themselves wouldn't be as unreasonable as rumors painted them.

“You’re dismissed, Lieutenant.”

This time, Princess Cadence’s voice was the one snapping him out of his thoughts.

Blinking to regain his bearings, Flash saw both princesses looking at him, their faces calm, but with a stony appearance that suggested they were trying not to let any impatience show. He must have been lost in his thoughts for longer than he thought.

No sense in wasting more of their time then.

Briefly reassuming his stoic look, Flash made one last wing salute to the two princesses, and turned to walk out of the throne room, letting his conversation with the princesses travel farther into the back of his mind, and trying not to let his concern over what could come fill the space that was vacated.

Author's Note

So... once more, I hope you liked the chapter.

The insight into Flash Sentry was, I admit, entirely a matter of personal taste, as while I do like the canon version of the character and the concept of Flashlight as a ship, I agree with the notion that neither had much development in canon. As for his added interaction with Twilight... well... that is entirely borne out of my preference for the version of the ship with both pony selves, in a way that hopefully helps to add enough of a foundation to make the start to their feelings more established. I offer my apologies in advance to those who prefer human Flash Sentry with the pony Twilight, and can only say you still like this take on the relationship with their pony selves should you read more of it.

Regarding the various conversations about the Yaks and war in general, and how they sadly are all too relevant when it comes to the situation the world is currently going through, that is ultimately a momentous case of an unfortunate coincidence on my part. I decided to still post it because of its unfortunate relevance to the situation the world is currently going through, but I acknowledge it may not be easier to handle to more sensitive readers.

The character of Princess Amore is referenced from various expanded media elements, such as Sombra's FIENDShip is Magic Volume and the Siege of the Crystal Empire Arc in the IDW comics, although her exact characterization may be a bit different from those works once I get around to showing her.

The reference to Fausticorn as a deity is, to my knowledge, a standard element of fanon, although my exact lore regarding her will be different from what seems to be the average interpretation.

The references to the Yaks having a bad past with the Crystal Empire are, as far as I can tell, my own idea (though others may have certainly gone there also and I simply don't know yet) and more background on it will be given in future entries.

And finally, the reference to Princess Luna having been around for a bit over two years, rather than the less than one year that is implied by the series' official canon, is a deliberate change I chose to make for the sake of both a timeline I felt made more sense and to provide a proper explanation for a certain plot element. I will be clearer on this point once I get to a planned entry focusing on Sunset Shimmer.

Equestria Girls Revamp: (Not So) False Alarm

The Crystal Empire, October 13th, Year 1372 of the Equestrian Era, not long after midnight…

Once upon a time, it had been kept in a secret vault built by Star Swirl the Bearded, where it remained until it was discovered by the wizard’s last student, Faustus Blueblood.

Later, after Princess Celestia and Princess Luna officially took the Equestrian throne, it was moved onto a specially designed vault in Canterlot Castle, where it could both be protected and kept away from other magical artifacts.

Eventually, it was transferred to the throne room in Canterlot Castle, where it remained under the near-constant protection of rotating guard units, being put back in its vault only when there weren’t available guards to protect it.

And then, after the Crystal Empire returned and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza took the throne she got by right of succession, it was moved to an isolated room in the Crystal Castle, to be watched over by the newest Crystal Princess.

Exactly what was so special about it, Lieutenant Veaceslav had never known. He had stood guard by it more than once, and talked to others who had done the same, but it had always seemed an ordinary mirror.

Yet as he had been sitting on top of the Crystal Castle, keeping a bird’s eye watch of the surrounding area, a cloud of light-gray magic aura had floated up to him and exploded into a hornwritten note that suggested that the mirror had just done something it wasn’t supposed to.

“We need you at the Mirror’s Room. Come quick.”

Some might call it vague, but Veaceslav had understood all that mattered. And thanks to his race’s ability for ultrasonic calls, it had been easy to call for a quick emergency relief from one of the other vespertilians patrolling the sky while he answered the summons.

The ‘we’, Veaceslav realized as he approached the Mirror’s Room, had been two familiar guards, both of which would be recognizable even if he only had a pony’s ordinary night vision rather than a vespertilian’s cat-sharp one. The white-maned unicorn mare with a sandy coat, clad in the familiar lunar armor, was Even Tide, a good friend since his early days in the Lunar Division. The goldenrod crystal pony stallion with dark blue mane, wearing the Crystal Guard’s silver armor, was Captain Smeriglio, the oldest Crystal Guard on active duty and technically still its leader even though Prince Shining Armor ranked above him and did most of the commanding duties. Both were standing in front of the open door to the room keeping the so-called Crystal Mirror, the artifact itself standing behind them, at the far end of the room. Both looked anxious to see him, which Veaceslav could tell both from their expressions and from the smell they were releasing. What he couldn’t tell was why.

Nothing like the present to find out. He thought as he landed, folding his bat-like wings.

“What happened? Why do you need me?”

Her lips curling into a smirk, Even Tide chuckled.

“Straight to the point, as always,” she quipped.

Veaceslav merely shrugged. He was a vespertilian of few words, even if he wasn’t as quiet as he’d heard the Bearer of Honesty’s brother was.

Her smirk fading, Even Tide rolled her eyes and turned to Captain Smeriglio.

“Could you please explain, Captain?” she asked. “You’re the one who actually saw it.”

The native guard’s captain blinked slowly, first once, then twice, like he was making sure he visualized the whole scene thoroughly first.

Veaceslav only looked on, but Even Tide’s face tensed, like she was having trouble repressing visible puzzlement.

“I’m not entirely sure I saw anything, as I already told Lieutenant Even Tide,” Captain Smeriglio ended up replying, the usual raspy edge to his voice slightly deeper. “That said, what happened seemed serious enough to merit a better look.” He took a breath. “I was at my post, and I thought I heard something behind me. I turned around, and I could swear I saw a fading white light through the keyholes." Stepping aside, Smeriglio halfway turned and glanced at the mirror before looking back at Veaceslav. "I opened the door for a closer look, but I saw nothing other than the mirror, looking as ordinary as it always did.”

Veaceslav blinked. While inherently magical according to the unicorns that had guarded it, the Crystal Mirror had never been known to cast lights of any color. However, most of the Guard agreed that if it needed protection, it had to be special in some way. Perhaps he’d be about to find out why.

“For safety’s sake, I kept an eye out while I waited for another guard, and when Lieutenant Even Tide arrived, we searched the room together,” Captain Smeriglio carried on. “We found no one hiding, and I know for a fact that no one teleported out, so if anything did happen, it must have been due to the mirror itself, although Lieutenant Even Tide assured me she can’t detect any anomalies in it.”

Veaceslav nodded, more to acknowledge that he’d heard and understood the explanation than for any other reason. But more than that, he had also realized why he had been called.

“I take it you still want me to take a closer examination,” he offered.

“From the little I learned about Vespertilians so far, I’d wager its best,” Smeriglio replied.

Again, Veaceslav nodded.

“I’m on it, Captain.”

|||||||

Even before he finished replying, Veaceslav had already spread his wings again, the view alone enough to make Smeriglio suppress a shiver.

Then, barely an instant after he finished speaking, he took off with a mighty flap, moving through the room in a series of loops and dives and turns and rises, his flaps and flight speed slower than a pegasus’, but each beat and general movement so silent that it was like looking at a scene from one of those ‘movies’ that had been invented during the Crystal Empire’s absence with the sound switched off. The only sound Veaceslav made was a loud sniff from time to time, akin to a wolf trying to catch a prey animal’s scent.

Smeriglio tried his best not to shake. Lieutenant Veaceslav seemed like a decent pony - well, more like a decent batpony, if one used the alternate name for his race - but seeing him flying still gave Smeriglio the creeps, as he had heard young Spike saying once. Between his utterly silent flight and the general similarities between Vespertilians and Sombra - especially when Sombra had been a youth - it was far too much like looking at a ghost. The cat-like glow on the vespertilian’s eyes and the way his tufted ears would flick about while he took whiffs of the air didn’t help matters.

You’ve only got yourself to thank for that. He thought. If there was anything here in the first place, you’re the one who was too slow to catch it before it hid. And you know he’s the best for the task he’s performing. Now behave like a grown pony and get a grip.

Easier said than done. Instinctive reactions weren’t always the easiest to ignore, and the toll Sombra’s rule had taken on him hadn’t helped there.

But that was inconsequential. He was a sapient being still in full possession of his mental faculties, and a trained soldier. He might be old, but he was still sound and strong enough to not let phobias or similar things get the best of him.

The unease creeping through him gave it a good try, though, one that only grew more valiant as time passed. Rather than taking just two or three flights around the room, Veaceslav did at least seven complete flights through the whole room, always flicking his ears, always with the same focused, glowing-eyed gaze, always sniffing, always silent as a shadow. No wonder Equestria had feared Nightmare Moon’s army so much when vespertilians had made up the bulk of its forces. A mass attack from them in the night was bound to lead to a high level of casualties.

Finally, Veaceslav turned around and landed before him, his landing as silent as his flight and take off despite the metal hoofguards he wore. Years on the guard allowed Smeriglio to keep his cool, but inwardly, he couldn’t help a relieved sigh as the unease protesting within him finally settled down.

“As far as smells go, I can’t be sure if this room had visitors it shouldn’t have,” Veaceslav said. “Unfortunately, I’m not yet familiar enough with the scents of everyone in the Crystal Castle to identify them all. However, I know for a fact I don’t hear anyone breathing other than the three of us. And if someone was hiding here, I’d hear them.”

Beside Smeriglio, Even Tide gave a fierce nod, as if to reinforce her comrade’s words and convey her trust in them. Smeriglio gave a calm nod in return. He might never have seen a ‘batpony’ before the Crystal Empire had been thrown into the future, but he’d already learned that sharp hearing was a trait they had in common with bats, despite not being related to them. If he wasn’t hearing anything, there really was nothing here to hear.

“My mistake then,” Smeriglio said. “I apologize.”

I guess I really was hearing things. He inwardly added.

If that was the case, it was just another sign that he really was getting too old to be on active duty.

His heart sank, enough so that the sparkles on his coat almost went down and made the reaction visible. Relief flickered through him at realizing he had kept enough of a grip to avoid that, but it barely eased the sting of seeing yet more evidence of his age.

Veaceslav’s gasp brought him back to reality.

“Maybe it wasn’t a mistake,” he said, his eyes wide. “Maybe there is actually someone here with us, using some spell that not only conceals them from view, but also masks their smell and the sound of their breathing!”

Smeriglio gasped. He hadn’t thought of that. And given how versatile unicorn magic could be, that was a real possibility. Granted, no unicorn he knew had been able to do that, but the Crystal Empire had always had a low unicorn population, even before Sombra’s rule. Bar a few unexpected occurrences, the most notable of which still was Princess Amore’s bond with the Crystal Heart, new discoveries on unicorn magic had been at a standstill for a long time, even before Sombra’s takeover took its toll on the unicorn population. And many things could change in the almost twelve centuries the Crystal Empire had been away. Perhaps that kind of spell had been discovered since.

“There isn’t any such spell,” Even Tide put in. “I’m sure of it.”

Both his and Veaceslav’s gazes fell on her.

“I remember a question about that in a test we took at the academy,” she added, her voice cool, confident. “The right answer to it was that such a spell doesn’t exist.” She paused, as if to make sure the information sunk into them both, before she went on. “And speaking as a unicorn, I understand why. That kind of spell would not only be very difficult by itself, both in terms of complexity and raw power, but in this particular case whoever cast it would need to be constantly moving around, given how thoroughly we searched the room, and they would also have needed to keep at it for a very long time while being focused on dodging us. I don’t see that happening.”

Veaceslav said nothing, but his calm face was enough to say he agreed.

Smeriglio’s forehead creased. Even Tide sounded like she was telling the truth, or at least, that she believed such. And she was a good pony to believe it. According to Prince Shining Armor, each of the few Equestrian guards that had been sent to the Crystal Empire had been picked both for the strength of their character and for being above average in their race’s skills. If she said that with such a confident tone, she had to be sure of what she said. And it was true that the scenario she had described seemed highly implausible.

But Smeriglio in turn was sure that he had heard something in the room. He might be getting old, but his senses were still sharp enough that he’d heard it, and his reflexes were still fast enough that when he turned around he had seen a hint of a fading light through the keyholes. It had lasted just an instant, but he was sure it had been there. And he knew for a fact no one had teleported out - he knew enough magic to know that all forms of magical teleportation were noisy in some way, and he hadn’t heard anything. If someone had been in the room, they had to still be inside.

But I might just be wrong. He thought.

His heart sank again, so much so that this time he felt the sparkles on his coat dimming. If he was wrong, that could mean he had been even more affected by age and Sombra’s rule than he had thought. And in turn, that meant that the moment enough new guards were trained, he’d be sent into retirement and just spend the rest of his days wasting away sooner rather than later.

Not that it wasn’t going to happen soon anyway, but he’d rather do a good job in the few months or years he had left, and perhaps be able to squeeze out a bit more usefulness before his purpose ended.

I still can. He told himself. After all, Even Tide may also be the one who’s wrong.

True. She could. Even if the possibility she had described seemed practically impossible, she had acknowledged it. Perhaps whoever was hiding was simply exceptional enough to meet the necessary requirements.

But how could they be sure? It wasn’t like they could afford to wait for hours until whoever was hiding revealed themselves. If the guard was more numerous, that would be an option, but even with the small Equestrian reinforcement, they were far too thinly spread to devote full guard duty to a single room for so long, especially now that some of the Equestrian reinforcement and a few of the native guards had gone off to Yakyakistan on Prince Shining Armor’s expedition. They had to find another way to check.

And I think I know how. Smeriglio thought, an idea instantly forming, like it had only needed his realization to come about.

“Very well,” he told the other two guards. “Let’s consider this settled.”

|||||||

Hearing Captain Smeriglio’s command, Even Tide narrowed her eyes.

Not because of the order, but because of the way he had given it. Despite his words and his calm tone, he remained tense, like he was gathering himself for something. It was subtle enough for the average civilian and maybe even many guards to not notice it, but she did and, from the way his eyes also narrowed, so did Veaceslav.

Still, both simply nodded and turned around, walking out of the room, the Captain to her left and Veaceslav to her right.

And as they did, for some reason, Even Tide couldn’t help but feel like she had been put on somepony’s sights, like a pair of eyes was intently watching them all.

As sneakily as she could, she snuck a glance behind them, trying to see if somepony had been hiding in the room after all and had taken their turned backs as a chance to drop whatever spell they were using.

There was nothing or no one. The only things in the empty room were the three of them and the Crystal Mirror. Though then again, perhaps whoever was in the room was playing it safe for now and keeping the cloaking spell up.

You’re being paranoid. She told herself as she crossed the doorway. There’s nopony here but the three of you.

Well, the two of them, she corrected herself, given that Veaceslav, despite his physical appearance and one of the names for his race, was not even an equine, much less a pony.

But the basic point was still the same. They had been the only ones in the room. And now none of them was even there, for they had all exited ahead of her.

Bringing her magic forth, Even Tide seized both sides of the double door in her light-gray aura and pushed them in, the two panels clicking together as the door shut. Retracting her magic, she turned around to stand at her post - and then her eyes fell on Captain Smeriglio as he gestured towards the end of the hallway with his head.

“Come here, both of you!” he whispered, the sound barely audible - except maybe to a vespertilian - and yet as filled with urgency as an order shouted during a battle, a feeling reinforced by the alarm in his eyes.

Forcing her confusion down, Even Tide conjured a beam of light from her horn and cast it before her as she followed the Captain and her comrade to the end of the corridor.

A set of golden armor gleamed from around the corner as they got to their destination. Turning her eyes to the pony’s face, she saw Flash Sentry standing at his post, casting them a confused sideways look.

Sparing a brief nod to acknowledge him, Even Tide turned back to Captain Smeriglio - and then started as she met his stern gaze.

“Turn your horn off,” he whispered. “And you, fly back to the room and peep through the keyhole,” he added as he turned to Veaceslav. “Make sure you’re hovering at a height that won’t show your hooves through the gap between the door and the floor. Stay there until I tell you to come back, and keep both eyes and both ears out.”

Veaceslav immediately flew back to the door with all the quietude of a shadow, his eyes put to both keyholes as he hovered before them.

Even Tide understood. If there really happened to be somepony inside the room and they had somehow dodged all the attempts at finding them, said pony would drop their guard now that the three of them seemed to have left. True, she had been the one saying how low the odds of somepony being there were, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

A light shiver prickled up her neck. Casting her eyes back, she saw Flash casting her another sideways look, the confusion in his gaze now giving way to attentiveness. He soon turned forward to watch his designated area, but his eye soon flicked back to her and Smeriglio, as focused as it could be at that angle.

Unsure of what else to do, Even Tide shrugged and turned her focus back to Veaceslav. Nothing about the way he hovered suggested that he was seeing anything he shouldn’t, but Captain Smeriglio simply looked on attentively, barely blinking, like any moment could be precious in catching a suspicious sign.

But time crawled on, and the only thing they could see was Veaceslav hovering there, his wings almost hypnotic as they constantly flapped to keep him in place. It was almost enough to give her the urge to yawn.

Had she not been trained to fight it, it might have gone beyond the urge.

It didn’t, though, even as time kept creeping by and Veaceslav hovered on without any change in his flaps or overall body posture, other than a few brief sags which suggested he was getting sick of peeping into an empty room. But Captain Smeriglio remained alert, nothing about him suggesting he’d be calling the vespertilian off.

Five minutes went by like that.

Five more followed.

Concern started to settle in her chest. Even with lowered standards to admit more recruits, a slightly quicker training period, and a small Equestrial reinforcement, the Crystal Empire’s guard force was still below its ideal size. The three of them wasting so much time with a seemingly empty room might have an impact on safety elsewhere.

But the Captain remained at attention, his face still as stern as before. Even Tide waited.

Then, about fifteen minutes after they had closed the door, Captain Smeriglio finally relaxed.

“Come back, Lieutenant!” he whispered.

A pony wouldn’t have heard such a call at that distance, but Veaceslav didn’t even ask him to repeat before turning around and flying towards them again. As he landed, Even Tide noticed that his usually stoic face had a hint of relief, a feeling only reinforced by him stretching his wings before folding them again.

“Report?” Captain Smeriglio requested.

His wings twitching before he stood at attention, Veaceslav replied, “I’m absolutely sure of it. I saw nothing in the room.”

Silence ruled for the next moments, enough so that even her lass sharp hearing could pick up hints of their breathing.

Then, Captain Smeriglio sighed.

“My apologies, both of you,” he said. “It sounds like it really was my mistake.”

His head actually dropped as he made the admission, the wrinkles on his face suddenly more visible even in the darkness, his sparkles again dimming. Even Tide parted her lips at the view, her eyes widening. For an instant, the whole ordeal seemed to have actually made Captain Smeriglio age significantly for the minutes it had lasted.

Before anyone could offer any attempt at sympathy, however, Smeriglio straightened himself, his expression stern once more, though the sparkles on his coat were still duller than usual.

“Now let’s really consider this settled. Back on your designated duties, both of you.”

After saluting to the Captain, both Veaceslav and Even Tide did just that, the former taking off and flying down the corridor and the latter trotting back to the door she was meant to be guarding.

Here’s to some hours of boring but important duty. She thought as she settled in, all her senses alert for anything unusual. And may they be boring hours indeed.

Less than a minute after Even Tide had that thought, an advanced cloaking spell was dropped and a unicorn mare in a black cloak unveiled herself in the Mirror’s Room.

Author's Note

Well... honestly, this was a bit of a tricky chapter to write, and even now I'm not entirely sure I struck the right balance.

The effectiveness of the Equestrian guards seems to be a bit of a running joke among the fanbase, and well... while I can't claim to be an expert on military, I think that, modesty aside, I've heard enough of the common criticisms to understand at least some of the reasons why they're called ineffective.

This chapter was an attempt at showing the guards being more competent, while still making an understandable mistake (which they kind of have to make, because otherwise, the whole plot of Equestria Girls would need to change, and that's not what I'm trying to go for in this particular universe).

On another matter... as it concerns the batponies - or, as I refer to them, vespertilians - I know they are most commonly referred to as 'thestrals', which from what I understand is due to M.A. Larson using that term for Luna's guards in the Luna Eclipsed script. I've also seen 'noctral' and 'threshal', and there may be other designations for them that I haven't seen. However, given my general ideas for batponies, I thought I should go with a different name. I will explain my reasons better in a blog post later on, but to make one thing clear right now, I'm not calling my take better or worse than anyone else's. I'm simply saying that I feel it's different enough that I felt it would be more appropriate to give the batponies a different 'other name' as well.

As for the descriptions of where the Crystal Room was kept, I know they are different from what Luna describes, but I don't feel it made much sense that it was 'literally always' kept in the Canterlot throne room, especially given that it would pose a great risk of someone stumbling through it at the wrong time, so as per this universe, it had more resting places, so to speak.

On one last point... I will give more details later on, once he plays a more promiment role, but to give credit where credit is due from the get-go, Faustus Blueblood is in a sense my 'personal G4 version' of a certain G1 character. I will specify which one once more direct references to him are made.

Thank you to all who took the time to read this. As always, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. :)

Equestria Girls Revamp: Race for the Mirror

Were she in a deeper sleep, she might have slept through it.

But as it was, her wings and the other changes to her body still had her getting used to herself on many levels, and a secondary effect from that was her sleep being light and fitful. Although it had been getting better over the last two weeks, it was still far from the same as before.

So as she heard the loud thump mixed with the startled yelp that rose up right by Spike’s sleeping basket, her eyes opened and she sat up, her eyes bleary and her mind foggy, but alert enough for her to look at where the sound had come from - and see her crown peeking from a pannier strapped to the flank of a strange pony covered in a black cloak.

The view snapped her awake faster than icy water.

“THIEF!” she and Spike shouted at the same time.

“Shoot!” the unicorn muttered loud enough to show she was a mare before teleporting out of the room in a flash of turquoise light and the signature popping snap.

The sound repeated itself right outside the door as Twilight dashed off to it and opened it with her magic so fast it broke the bolt and tore off the lock while the door flew open.

Twilight’s heart jumped at the damage while the broken lock clattered to the floor. Then her heart jumped again as she saw the unicorn mare running off with her element.

“Thief!” she shouted again as she dashed off after her with Spike in tow. “She’s got my crown!”

“Catch that thief!” she heard Spike shouting behind her as he did his best to keep up.

A series of doors opened beside her as her friends poked their heads out of their rooms. Twilight willed her legs to work faster. They only slowed as her subconscious screamed in fear of their new strength. She instead summoned her magic and teleported out of her spot and before the mare.

“Stop!” she shouted with her wings spread and her horn blazing so hard it lit the whole hallway.

Under her hood, the unicorn mare’s eyes widened in fear as she slowed. The feeling echoed within Twilight. She was much more powerful now. If she wasn’t careful, she might destroy her.

Her magic fizzled out even as the unicorn sped up again and charged straight into her. Twilight summoned a shield. The unicorn again teleported away. This time, her cloak stayed behind as it fell over her barrier. Her heart froze for an instant before she put the shield down and wrapped the cloak in a bundle.

As the garment folded she saw her friends racing towards her with identical determined looks on their faces.

Turquoise glitter crept in from behind at the corner of her eyes.

“Everypony, watch out!” Spike suddenly shouted before a dull thump conveyed he’d thrown himself onto the floor.

Twilight’s eyes barely had time to widen before the turquoise glitter filled the whole hallway. An alarmed gasp shot out of her at the view. The next instant, her mind started to fog.

Reminded of her lessons, she held her breath and put her hoof to her mouth and nose, but her other three legs still swayed. Her breath then flew from her lungs as she felt what seemed like a giant hoof slamming into her back and flew forward under its force, knocking her friends down like bowling pins, her back burning from the bruise that had formed there.

Her eyes stinging from the sudden sleepiness, Twilight caught one last glimpse of the unicorn’s triumphant sneer and the ecstatic look on her turquoise eyes before she turned around and again dashed down the hallway.

Alarm pushed through her drowsiness as she forced herself to her hooves. A faint tick of claws behind her told her Spike had held his breath on time and was now standing up as well. The faint snorts of the others’ regular breathing were the only other sounds in the vicinity.

Her mind pointed out that it was a mere Lulling Spell, and even if it wasn’t undone her friends would wake up on their own in a few hours.

Her heart still clenched from concern.

Her mind screamed that the intruder was getting away with Equestria’s most important means of defense.

“Take care of the others, Spike!” she commanded, some vague corner of her mind remarking she sounded far too much like Shining Armor. “I have to catch her.”

|||||||

I did it! She thought, her chest about to burst from happiness even as she raced towards her destination. After so long, I finally did it!

Memories of the waiting and anger and forced patience and the plotting flared in her mind, but they only made her joy soar higher. She had done it! She had gotten her hooves on the Element of Magic! Now all she needed was to take the final step, and she’d show all of Equestria what she was worth!

Faint hoofbeats rose up behind her. Her heart skipped a beat at the sound.

Right. Don’t start chanting victory too soon.

The palace in the Crystal Empire might be understaffed compared to Equestria, but it was better not to take any chances, especially when Twilight Sparkle had somehow become an alicorn since she’d last heard of her.

Magic burst through her and she vanished in a burst of turquoise aura, vanishing an instant later back in the room the mirror had been in.

And straight into the face of another obstacle.

“Halt! In the name of Equestria!”

The shout came from a pegasus solar guard standing before the mirror on his rear hooves with his wings spread open.

Despite herself, she froze. That voice was deeper and older-sounding than she remembered from the other side of the mirror, but it was still familiar.

The pegasus flapped his wings. A whistle cut through the room. A yelp flew from her throat even as she summoned her magic and shot up like a rocket, her aura shining around her as a burst of concentrated wind cut the air below her and slammed into the closed double door. A thrum boomed as the pegasus also shot towards her in a split second, a trail of various shades of blue behind him. Her heart jumped. She summoned a shield. The Pegasus grunted as he slammed into it and bounced off. His wings spread open to slow the ricochet while she lost focus on the spell she’d been using to float due to his impact.

Her shield burst apart as she landed. A grunt flew from her mouth. Apparently even her eidetic memory had its limits when it came to her control of her pony body and her magic.

Golden and amber flashed in the ceiling as the pegasus regained his bearings. Again she summoned her magic and a jet of turquoise glitter flew from her horn. The pegasus put one hoof before his nose and mouth and charged at her.

Her shield again burst around her body. This time the pegasus swerved left and flew in a half-circle around the room before charging at her again. She dropped her shield and the right pouch on her pannier glowed as two objects wrapped in her aura shot from it. The pegasus’ wings again snapped to either side of him as he halted. Even in the midst of his stopping he leaned left to dodge one of the stones she threw and shot his right hind leg forward to return the other one.

She jumped left to dodge it even as her horn shone again and a triumphant grin spread across her face on cue with the glow on her pannier’s left pouch.

Her prize shot into the mirror the next instant.

The pegasus’ eyes widened as he rushed towards it with his front hooves stretched forward. His hoofguards sent a sharp ring through the room upon falling onto the crown. A shrill screech then followed as the object slipped through his hooves. Her grin widened while the pegasus’ gasped and the Element of Magic flew through the mirror.

|||||||

On the other side of the mirror…

Light flashed in the corner of her eye just as she was starting to head back.

Her heart leaping, she whirled around and raised her arms like she was being held at gunpoint, ready to beg for mercy and plead her cause when whoever caught her asked her to explain her presence so far after hours.

But no voice made itself heard other than the chirping crickets’, and no light shone by other than the headlights of the cars passing in the street. Everything was just as it had been moments ago.

Except for a spot on a patch of grass right by the base of the statue, glittering under the almost full moon.

Whatever it was, some stray beam of moonlight must have hit it and sent a reflection towards her eyes.

But what was it?

Her curiosity peeking through her fear, she lowered her arms and tiptoed forward, fixated on her destination. Her eyes widened as she saw what had caught her attention.

That’s the Fall Formal’s crown! She thought. What’s it doing here?

And why had it taken her that long to notice it? She had been here for at least ten minutes, catching some fresh air while she took a break. To only see it now seemed… weird.

Then again, she just might not have been paying enough attention.

It made no difference, she decided as she picked up the crown and pushed herself to her feet, jogging back inside. She’d hold onto the crown for the time being, and make sure to return it first thing in the morning.

|||||||

Back in the Crystal Empire…

Fear exploded through Flash as the mirror’s surface finished rippling, the last beams of light it cast shining on his face. The Element of Magic had escaped him! With it gone…

Hoofbeats rose behind him. His mind snapped into focus as he whirled around. The intruder was charging towards him, an opaque magic sphere on her horn. A grim look settled back on his face as he kicked his hind legs back.

The mare's eyes widened as she summoned a barrier. His hooves hit it just before it finished forming and popped it like a balloon. She yelped and stumbled back on her hooves, then gasped as he whirled around and tackled her out of the air, wrapping his forelegs around her barrel and pressing her to the floor.

“Freeze!” he shouted while he pressed his right hoof to her face and fished into a small pouch on his armor with his wing.

A magic-suppressing ring came up held between his primaries. His wing dashed to her horn.

Her eyes wide, her horn blazed and her shield burst around her again. Flash gasped as he was torn from her and flew through the air. The ring flew from his grasp. His mind screamed from effort while he flapped his wings to halt his forced flight.

Then a turquoise aura erupted around his body and he felt himself freeze.

No! He thought.

Fear stabbed at him. He pushed it away and pushed as hard as he could against her magical grip. Each of his limbs was frozen like it was inside stone. He tried to open his mouth to scream as loud as he could. His mouth failed to even move enough for him to open it. Fear stabbed at him again as he mentally kicked himself. To think he'd decided it would be best to wait for her at the point of escape than to waste time getting backup that would be too thinly spread…

Maybe that way she would simply have escaped faster, but still, now he was at her mercy.

A sort of squirming emptiness churned in the pit of his stomach. Taking the deepest breath he could with his face paralyzed, Flash turned his focus to the intruder, getting a good look at her for the first time.

He was so taken aback he tried to gasp at the view, and though her paralyzing spell stopped him from doing that, it had no effect on the shock rushing through him.

If her features were anything to go by, she was surprisingly young, possibly not even of age by totiracial standards. She likely was of age by the standards of Unicorns, as their racial age of majority was reached at fifteen - compared to sixteen for Pegasi and seventeen for Earth Ponies - but even by generous estimates, he wouldn’t peg her as older than eighteen, which was the agreed-upon age of majority for all pony races, as well as for races of all sapient beings in Equestria. Yet the look of victory blazing on her face, only further enhanced by her wide grin, was as unsettling as the looks Flash had seen in the faces of some criminals he had faced. The only difference was that those tended to cower fairly quickly the moment they lost their advantage, and none had ever had him at their mercy like this.

The churning in the pit of his stomach increased, his veins twisting like they had come to life. Clenching his jaw to force the feeling down, Flash narrowed his eyes and looked straight into hers, his face hardening. If she was going to kill him, he wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of cowering before his impending death. It might be too small a thing in this situation, but he'd been the sort who would not go gentle from a young age.

A shrill snap of breaking crystal rose up from the door. The unicorn mare’s eyes widened and she tossed Flash towards the sound like he was a ragdoll. Flash swerved forward at a 90 degrees angle even as he opened his wings to stop his course.

The door flew open before him.

Princess Twilight charged in.

Twin shouts flew from them both as they tried to force themselves to halt.

Twin grunts followed as they crashed into one another and crumpled into a tangled mess of legs and wings.

“'Bye, Princess!” he heard the unicorn shout even as more hoofbeats rose up, her voice on the deep side for her apparent age but still with a youthful undercurrent.

His breath catching, Flash turned to the mirror a moment before she dove into it like the Element of Magic had, likely that much closer to carrying out whatever nefarious plot she had in mind.

|||||||

Her heart leaping, Twilight somehow slipped away from the pegasus like she was made of liquid and flew towards the mirror.

A train in shades of blue whirled by her side before the pegasus floated in front of her with his wings open and his forelegs spread apart.

“Princess, don’t!” he shouted.

Twilight halted in midair in alarm - then realized she was flying and her wings flailed through the air like cumbersome flaps, her hooves wobbling like thrown dice as she fell onto the floor. her head and torso tilted forward, a hair's breadth away from sending her into the crystal floor face-first. The pegasus guard rushed forward and put his left leg to her barrel while wrapping his wing over her.

As her hooves settled, he again stepped back, both standing at attention and yet tense like he was ready to jump in her path again.

“I’m sorry for stopping you, Your Highness, but you can’t follow her like that,” the pegasus explained. “I know she took your crown, but if you simply rush after her, you may run into an ambush!”

A knot seemed to squeeze her heart to half its width. She hadn’t thought of that. Her only goal had been getting her hooves on the now missing Element of Magic before it was used for any evil plot… but if she simply went and did it now, assuming the guard was right…

Twilight shook like a slab of jelly, her mind suddenly filled with a swirling mess of pictures that were both too unclear to make out any detail and yet conveyed utter terror from a glimpse alone. She had no idea of what lay beyond that mirror, but she had read enough adventure stories, and also read and lived through enough real adventures, to know that villains having armies of underlings were a thing, even if there were important differences between reality and fiction.

True, now that she was an alicorn, she was much more difficult to subdue - it had been the only reason she hadn’t fallen under the Lulling Spell that the intruder had used even though she had inhaled some of its magic - but difficult didn’t mean impossible. This unicorn had already fared well against her on her own. Who knew how it might be in a place she knew better with help from a potential army of underlings.

Unfortunately, the Element of Magic was still gone, and getting it back was still needed. They’d have to take that chance, and sooner rather than later.

“I understand,” Twilight managed to say. “But we can’t just stay here! We have to catch her and fast!”

The pegasus guard nodded, his face setting into a stern frown. His mouth opened like he was about to say something, but no sound came before a series of loud hoofbeats caught their attention.

Both she and the pegasus turned to the open doorway right on time to see Princess Celestia come running from around the corner, her eyes wide in fear as she gained ground in long strides, her white coat shining in the corridor, somehow looking all the more vivid due to the fact she wasn’t wearing her regalia.

“What happened, Twilight?” Princess Celestia shouted as she burst into the room and put both front hooves to her shoulders. “Spike sent me a note that there was an intruder in the castle! Are you alright? Are you hurt?”

Her heart clenched at the view. While Twilight knew Princess Celestia well enough to be sure that she was a pony like all others in many ways, there was still something off at seeing her display emotion in such a raw manner. She always seemed so calm, so in control... to see such a variance from that was almost like seeing a variance from the sun's movement in the sky. Twilight knew this particular variance only meant that the princess cared about her, unlike what some of the nastier gossipers in Canterlot said, but still, seeing her distressed was not pleasant, especially when the distress was partly due to Twilight herself. After all, if she had already gotten her new magic under control, neither the intruder nor the Element of Magic would have gotten away.

“I’m fine, Princess Celestia,” she forced herself to reply. “I’m a bit bruised, but that’s it. There really was an intruder in the castle, but whoever she was, she didn’t hurt me too much.”

Princess Celestia let out a small sigh at the words, her hooves leaving Twilight’s shoulders while her wing moved forward to briefly rest on the back of her head. Twilight tried to give her a reassuring smile, but she felt it coming out more like a grimace due to the way her stomach started to squirm.

She had to break the bad news now, and she could only imagine how poorly they would be received.

By some miracle - or maybe because Princess Celestia’s wing on her head conveyed enough of a feeling of reassurance - she managed to say what she needed to.

“Unfortunately, the intruder took my crown and escaped through that mirror. Me and him..." she gestured to the pegasus guard as she mentioned him "... tried to catch her, but she was too much for us.”

Her heart tightened at the words. The news that she had lost the Element of Magic had to be one of the worst news Twilight had given Princess Celestia, if not the very worst. Whether concealed by her comforting demeanor or laid bare before her eyes, massive disappointment was bound to come.

Horror started to creep up through Twilight as she saw the shift in her mentor's expression.

There was no shade of disappointment or reproach, but this reaction had to be even worse. Princess Celestia's eyes had widened far more than Twilight thought possible, yet her pupils shrank to worrisome levels, her lips parting while her white coat actually seemed to blanche further in the darkness. Even her mane and tail seemed to flow through the air at a slightly slower speed, like their weight had increased all of a sudden. Her wing slipped from Twilight’s head, but it seemed to hang limply on the floor rather than fold itself alongside the other one.

Twilight’s breath hitched. She hadn’t expected her mentor to react well, but this… this was scarier than any disappointment somehow. Even when Discord had broken out of his confinement, Princess Celestia hadn't looked this unsettled, like she had seen somepony rising from the grave.

“Princess?” she managed to squeak out. “What’s the matter?”

Princess Celestia blinked, her eyes back to normal - a view that drew a relieved sigh from Twilight - but her coat still paler than its natural shade, and her mane and tail still less fluid. To further add to the shock, she reached forward with both wings and set them on Twilight’s flanks.

“Was this unicorn mare a bit younger than you? With peach-golden fur and turquoise eyes? Red and yellow mane and tail? A yellow and red sun for a cutie mark?”

Each word was spoken in utter disbelief, yet somehow hope shone in her eyes, like she both knew she should be wrong and yet wanted nothing but to be right. A shiver of dread flowed through Twilight. This had been far from an exact description, but it had been detailed enough that one would guess she had seen the intruder.

“Yes, Princess Celestia,” Twilight replied. “Why? Do you know her? Who is she?”

Utter shock filled the older alicorn's eyes. Twilight’s earlier comparison, of her looking like she had seen somepony rising from the grave, flashed through her mind. Somehow, it looked even truer than the first time she thought of it.

After a few seconds, Princess Celestia let out a long sigh, her mane and tail again flowing like they normally did as she finished, her posture straightening up.

Still, her voice was thick with unmistakable sadness as she answered Twilight’s questions.

“That mare was Sunset Shimmer. The last student I had before I started teaching you. And the tale of what happened to her is a sad one indeed.”

Author's Note

So... here is another chapter.

I will say from the get-go that I didn't have any actual problems with the action scene as it was in the source material, given its rating. However, I thought that adding to it would be good to show Sunset's skill in magic, as well as to further show how Twilight is still coming to terms with being an alicorn. The general element of her being afraid of using her magic and having some control issues with it is part of my attempts at integrating how alicorns are more powerful than unicorns, as I feel it would make sense for Twilight to have noticed the difference and have problems with control early on, the same way she had troubles flying.

Sunset's brief fight with Flash Sentry is, admittedly, a means both to try to show Flash's competence as a guard both in physical and mental terms and to enable a bit more of an interaction between him and Twilight at this point in time. I acknowledge it may be getting a bit on the 'laying it on thick' end, but I promise that Twilight's interactions with the pony Flash before her return from the human world will soon end. Hopefully he struck a right balance between believably competent and still fallible.

On one last note, I tried my best to show this battle simply as a guard trying to stop a criminal regardless of gender, but all the same, I apologize if this instance of violence from basically a man on a woman came across as unsettling or unduly forceful in any way.

The detail of Sunset having eidetic memory is taken from her having the same skill in EchoWing's Quiververse, and is used with permission.

As for the details of it being nighttime in the human world when the crown shows up there, and what is said about Sunset Shimmer being a bit younger than Twilight even though she's officially a bit older than her (at least according to TV Tropes), both of those are changes that I made in my attempts at making a timeline that I feel makes sense, as well as other factors. More on Sunset's relative age to Twilight, as well as my reasons for it, will be explained in the next chapter and its note. An explanation of what Fluttershy is doing on school grounds so far after hours will also come, but that one I can't promise when.

Thank you for reading the chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. :)

Equestria Girls Revamp: Surprises And Apologies

Over the years, Twilight Sparkle had been confused by some things that Princess Celestia had told her, whether when answering questions or teaching her something, on occasion to the point where a single answered question led to more coming up.

The answer to the question about the intruder’s identity was another such occurrence, and also one that brought up many questions, ranging from when exactly this Sunset Shimmer’s lessons had started and ended to why would Princess Celestia bring that mirror to the Crystal Empire with so little protection when she knew that an evil pony could step through it.

But as she regarded her mentor, Twilight felt the urge to voice her questions fade. Princess Celestia had already slipped back into her composed bearing, but the very visible emotion that still lingered in her eyes drove away all thoughts of drilling her for questions for the time being.

Behind her, the pegasus guard had also entered the typical stoic, stony stance and expression that Royal Guards almost always assumed. Yet his’ seemed less so than the average guard’s, minor twitches rippling all over his body, and urgency occasionally flashing in his eyes despite his earlier words about how they couldn’t recklessly pursue Sunset.

To be fair, the mindsets weren’t incompatible. Him wanting to think before acting didn’t mean he thought they should tarry. And Twilight agreed with that point. The longer they waited, the longer Sunset Shimmer would have to use the Element of Magic in whatever plot she had. She agreed with his earlier judgment that they couldn’t just rush after her, but she also agreed that they’d better do it quickly.

A faint moan spread through the room, almost like a noise of assent to her thoughts, if not for the drowsiness that seemed to weigh it down.

The ears of everypony in the room shot up, right as a sigh followed from the same general direction. Twilight looked around for the source, but the guard seemed to know what it was, judging by the alarmed look that burst across his face, visible to her only for an instant before he turned around and ran towards the mirror. Or more specifically, to the gap between the mirror and the wall, into which he reached with his right foreleg. Another sigh followed; then, the foreleg of another pony took the pegasus guard’s hoof as he helped them up.

“Are you alright, Even Tide?” he asked as he gently helped the other guard - a sandy-coated white-tailed unicorn mare clad in the Lunar Division’s dark gray armor - out of the space she had clearl been shoved into.

“I think so,” the mare replied, her eyelids heavy and her voice slurred. “But that was a strong Lulling Spell. Whoever did it surely…”

Her sentence trailed off as an alarmed look exploded on her features, all hints of drowsiness gone from her expression.

“There’s an intruder in the castle!” she shouted. “I was standing guard at my post when I suddenly felt a Lulling Spell hit me! I tried my best to fight it, but it was too strong, and next thing I know I woke up behind the mirror! We must start searching before…”

Even Tide trailed off as the pegasus’ face fell, her expression then melting into one of wide-eyed fear as her eyes caught Twilight and Princess Celestia.

“Your Highnesses?” she murmured, her voice thick with apprehensiveness. “What happened?”

The pegasus’ eyes twitched like he had just fought not to avert them. Twilight started opening her mouth to reply, but the sound faded as if her mouth had been covered by a thick cloth, her heart starting to pound.

What was the protocol in these situations? How should a Princess let one of her guards know that they had, no matter how nicely one put it, failed their duty? Lying couldn’t be an option, but she wanted both Even Tide and the pegasus to understand that she knew they had done their best!

Should she channel Princess Celestia’s bearing?

No. She thought. That wouldn’t work with her. She was too young for it to look appropriate, and despite the slight growth in her stature, still so small that it would look ridiculous if it was directed at anycreature bigger or older than Spike.

But simply being her true self might not cut it either, especially when her true self, for how close she had become with her friends and how open she was with those she genuinely knew and cared for, still managed to be so awkward with most strangers.

A spot of white shifted behind her; Princess Celestia had now fully assumed her usual bearing in public, her face the picture of calm and comfort it conveyed whenever Twilight showed her exam results that she feared were below acceptable and her appearance as composed as ever despite the fact she still didn’t have her regalia on.

Yet the memories of how scared she had been when running up to the Mirror’s Room and how shocked she had been when learning of Sunset Shimmer’s presence were enough to spur Twilight into trying to help. She knew without attending any Princess Summit that being a princess did not entail simply standing around looking pretty and being adored, and Princess Celestia had been there for her in many bad moments. The least she could do was try to return the favor, whether Princess Celestia had already truly recovered or not.

“What happened?” Even Tide insisted. “Did the intruder escape?”

There was another moment of silence. Then, Twilight turned to face the mare and answered.

“I’m sorry, Lieutenant. The intruder escaped. And much to our collective horror, she took my crown.”

She tried to speak in the calmest voice she could, but the answer still tasted painfully empty. And worse, the other mare’s eyes widened in shock upon hearing the response, before slowly filling with borderline horror, no doubt at the realization that Equestria’s current most important means of defense was gone.

Twilight couldn’t fault her. After all the times the Elements of Harmony had helped them in the past, to suddenly have them removed from her… it was chilling. If Discord decided that friendship wasn’t for him after all, or if Chrysalis and her army broke out of their prison while Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were out on some diplomatic visit, or if some other threat that even the two of them couldn’t deal with showed up, they would all be in very big trouble.

At least this had happened in the Crystal Empire rather than in Equestria. Although Twilight didn’t know all the details of their history, she knew that the Elements of Harmony had only been discovered after Sombra’s banishment, and any ties the Crystal Ponies had to them after their return were from mere knowledge of facts rather than the emotional ties forged by the fact the Elements had been used to liberate them from a threat. They might be nervous if news came out, but if word about that spread in Equestria, the nation would be flooded with the same panic that seemed to be filling the unicorn mare.

To her credit, though, Even Tide dragged herself out of the feeling and, assuming a solemn look, seized her helmet in her silvery aura and took it off, baring her short white mane.

“My deepest apologies, Your Highnesses,” she said, her muzzle almost to the ground.

“From me as well,” the pegasus added as he took off his own helmet and tucked it under his left wing, exposing his blue mane shaved into a buzz cut as he made an equally deep bow.

Both kept their eyes locked on the polished crystal that made up the floor, seemingly unable to turn them up. Silence intense enough to hear a buzzing fly filled the room.

Then, Celestia stepped forward, the sound of her hoofbeats blaring in the silence.

“Do not feel bad, either of you,” she soothed. “Even as a filly, Sunset Shimmer would have given some guards a run for their bits. That would only hold even truer now that she’s an adult.”

Both guards stood in response, slipping or levitating their helmets back on, but the same downcast look remained on their faces. Twilight could relate. Even if one had tried their best, the feeling of failing was not pleasant, especially with something so important. Among other occasions, she had learned so herself on her first visit to the Crystal Empire, and unlike her, the guards wouldn’t be given any later consolation of knowing they had passed on the ordeal after all.

Princess Celestia’s voice, still calm but now more official, brought her from her thoughts.

“Lieutenant Flash Sentry, please help Lieutenant Even Tide to the infirmary so she can finish recovering and be checked for further lesions, whether physical or thaumic. And while you’re there get yourself examined for those as well.”

Neither guard moved. More than that, both kept looking at Princess Celestia like they expected more.

The Sun Princess’ eyes lit up in realization before she added, “I will be giving you further instructions later, but for now, I ask you both to do your best to ensure nopony else knows that the Element of Magic was stolen, at least for the time being.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” the pegasus and the unicorn replied in unison as both bowed again.

Twilight noticed that Flash Sentry had a faint grimace on his face, perhaps from either the idea of going to the infirmary or the idea of having to engage in a cover up, but all the same, he supported Even Tide with his left wing as the two of them walked out of the room, directing her a concerned look as she lifted her hooves in heavy, slow steps.

“I hope you both get well soon,” Twilight wished as they passed between her and Princess Celestia.

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Even Tide replied, barely looking at her, her voice tense like she was trying not to lower it to a mumble.

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Flash Sentry also replied.

Unlike Even Tide, however, he looked at her when he spoke, and while his voice was far from chipper, it still seemed to hold a faint note of joy, as if her taking the time to address them and the tone she had addressed them in was enough to make him feel better.

Like he had done to her in the throne room, Twilight did her best to give him a reassuring look.

It’s alright. She tried to say with her eyes alone. It’s not your fault that Sunset Shimmer escaped with the Element of Magic. And I know you did your best when trying to stop her.

And she did. She had heard the last of their fight as she approached, and she could tell he had lasted a while. Besides, even if he had been the one who failed to catch the crown, she had also been the one who hadn’t warded its case well enough and also the one who hadn’t been enough in control of her alicorn magic to reliably subdue Sunset Shimmer.

She couldn’t tell if he got the full letter of her silent message, but he seemed to get the gist of it, for his eyes remained locked on hers as he kept helping Even Tide out of the door, and the smile stayed on his lips.

For some unknown reason, Twilight felt butterflies fluttering in her stomach, as matching metaphorical sparks seemed to flow from one to the other.

Then the spell broke and he turned back forward, and Twilight felt like dope-slapping herself.

Don’t be stupid! She told herself. You’ve just been turned into a Princess, an important meeting will have to be postponed, and something Equestria may rely on has just vanished. You have no time for these things!

Yes. She didn’t have time for these things. Getting the crown back was all that mattered.

And yet… she had been unable to help it. It was foolish, out of those novels that Rarity liked to read when she wasn’t reading Shadow Spade, but brief though it had already been, she hadn’t been able to help herself. She might have only had a few prior interactions with him, but so far everything seemed to be going well. He cared about her nervousness enough to want to reassure her. He saw her as an equal to the other princesses despite how little she had been one for so far. And he had looked out for her safety when she had wanted to run into the Mirror after Sunset Shimmer.

True, all added up it was little more than a show of common decency and genuine concern one should have for anypony, but considering how Equestrian society at large viewed princesses, and the general treatment she had gotten from the nobility both as Princess Celestia’s student and after her ascension, and the fact a few still seemed to see her as a ‘lesser princess’… the only thing she could say was that it still stoodm Hay, even if they were both regular ponies, these shared experiences alone might have been enough for the connection.

Don’t think about that now. She told herself. You can save that for later.

Yes. That was true. Her feelings and their origin might be valid, but there were more important things now. When all this was sorted out, if she still wanted to, she might think about Flash Sentry again.

But, she had to admit, the idea didn’t sound entirely unappealing.

|||||||

Despite the delicate situation, Celestia couldn’t help a small smile.

Of all the surprises she’d already had that night, this would be another on the list, but it would certainly qualify as the happiest one so far. It was not a total surprise, as she had caught the moments between Twilight and the guard in the throne room (both when he’d announced her arrival and when they had exchanged a look during her departure) but it was still more on the unexpected side, if in a happy way.

At any other time, this would be the occasion for some playful teasing, perhaps followed by aiding them along somewhere down the line if it turned out both had something going on, as youngsters put it. Which as far as she could tell, they did. The title of Princess of Love might belong to Cadence (even if it came from a misunderstanding of her true abilities) but Celestia had lived long enough and been around enough ponies to make such guesses with reasonable accuracy.

And it doesn’t hurt that the only serious romantic relationship you had started very similarly. An inner voice pointed out.

Celestia jerked her head like the thought was a louse or a flea to be shaken off, before she took a step towards Twilight with just a bit more vehemence than necessary. She was already thinking about too many sad things without needing to add that to the mix.

Unfortunately, her step seemed to be a bit too vehement, as Twilight jumped in place, seeming so caught up in her thoughts she had forgotten she wasn’t alone. Then, her ears dropped, she turned to Celestia, her eyes filled with shame.

“I’m sorry, Princess Celestia,” she murmured. “This is all my fault.”

Celestia subtly took a deep breath. There was more than one way in which the fault lay upon Celestia herself, and if the future wasn’t time sensitive, she would fully explain why. Unfortunately, there was no way to do that without starting a story she might not have time to tell.

“It is not, Twilight. Whatever else the guards or you can say, bringing this mirror to the Crystal Empire was my idea. I believed it was a much safer location for it on all levels. But I was wrong.”

It was the simplest thing she could say, but it was still the gist of the truth.

Hearing the answer, Twilight briefly looked up, an intrigued look on her face. It stayed there for a few seconds, but then her ears dropped, her mouth curling into a frown again.

“I’m still the one who didn’t protect my crown properly, as well as the one who failed to stop Sunset Shimmer from escaping with it.”

Celestia tried to raise her wing to put it to Twilight’s chin, but her student looked up with alarmed eyes like she was going to hit her instead.

“I promise I tried, Princess Celestia! Really I did! And I know for a fact I could have caught her if I was in full control of my new power! It’s just…” she sighed and uttered the next words like they caused her physical pain. “…my magic is so much stronger now that I got afraid I’d kill her by accident.”

Twilight sighed again as she finished her sentence. Willing her expression to stay peaceful and reassuring rather than sorrowful for her student’s ordeal, Celestia resumed lifting her wing, resting it under Twilight’s chin and raising her head slightly.

“It's alright. I understand having so much more magic all at once can be difficult to deal with.”

More cynical listeners with full knowledge of the facts might point out she didn’t understand that from personal experience when she had been born as an alicorn, but even though that was indeed the case, Celestia had seen ascended alicorns before - and more than once at that - and knew how much difficulty they could have adapting to their new magic and strength.

“Also, despite what they say about good intentions and the pathway to the Inferno, having good intentions is still better than having bad ones,” Celestia went on as she pulled back her wing and folded it. “And not wanting to kill somepony is not a bad thing. No matter how much one may think it’s the only course of action sometimes, death is the only journey none of us comes back from. We shouldn’t send anycreature on it at the drop of a hat.”

Celestia had to pause, hit by the memories of all the times she had done so over the centuries, deliberately or by accident. She still remembered them all, even those that had been centuries before. None had been a happy experience, even when she had executed monsters that would make Discord look nice on the level of sheer evil.

“Lastly, as I said, I bear more guilt for bringing the mirror here without considering that Sunset Shimmer would come through it with a plan in mind.”

Twilight finally looked up, her eyes still sad, but now with a familiar edge of inquisitiveness to them. Her throat clenched a few times, like she was trying to ensure she said the right words in the proper tone, before she spoke again.

“Why didn’t you consider it?”

Celestia’s heart sank a fraction. It was a fair doubt, and Twilight deserved to hear the truth, but answering that question implied talking about a fair few unpleasant things, which in turn involved dwelling on unpleasant memories.

Unfortunately, there was no way around that now.

Just as she had that thought, the utter quietude in the room was swept by a familiar billowing sound akin to a gust of wind blowing through thick curtains that had been closed before an open window. Twilight flinched in place, her eyes widening.

“It’s alright, Twilight,” Celestia said. “It is nothing to be worried about.”

To further convey her message, she looked up towards the ceiling. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Twilight doing the same, her scared expression fading into a calm one as she saw what Celestia had picked up.

Hovering about thirty feet before them, the familiar form of her sister floated to the floor like a feather, her wings flapping in slow, absolutely silent beats that belied the alarm replacing her normally stoic expression as she descended to Celestia’s left and faced them both head on.

“Are you well? The Bearers told me about the intruder once I spotted them in the Dreamscape! Did she hurt anypony? Did you manage to recover Twilight Sparkle’s crown?”

“We are well, Luna,” Celestia replied as her sister landed by her side, Luna visibly sighing in relief at those words. “While unfortunately Lieutenants Flash Sentry and Even Tide seem to have suffered some minor lesions, I trust they will both recover without permanent damage.” Her face almost fell as the bad news made their way up her mouth; she had to will her expression to stay on. “And also unfortunately, Sunset Shimmer escaped through the mirror with the Element of Magic.”

Luna’s eyes narrowed.

“Sunset Shimmer? That’s the name of the filly who studied under you before you took Twilight Sparkle as a student, is she not?”

Celestia nodded, at which Luna blinked slowly, puzzlement creeping into her features as she took in the information.

“But how can that be? From what you told me of her, she was the same age as the Cutie Mark Crusaders when she disappeared into that mirror for the first time, and that was over nine years ago!”

“You mean she’s eighteen?” Twilight cut in, her eyes wide once more and her wings fully spread.

Again, Celestia nodded.

“Yes, Twilight. That is indeed her age.”

For a few moments, Twilight stood still like a statue, the only sign of movement being the twitching of her wings, her mouth quaking like it did on the occasions when she had many questions coming to her mind but was trying to sort through the most important ones before actually asking any.

“But how could a filly so small survive in another world for so long?” she at last asked. “And why did she go there in the first place? Why wasn’t she studying under you any longer when you took me as a student?”

Again, Celestia took a subtle deep breath, but she could tell from the way Luna’s eyes filled with sympathy that the action had been as visible as if she had performed it outside at noon with a clear sky. Thankfully, Luna’s own reaction was subtle, but her eyes spoke volumes.

“Like I told you, it is a sad story,” Celestia explained. “And unfortunately, we do not have time for all of it. But I will tell you the most important details, including answers to your questions.”

After a pause, she added, “But first I need to make sure that we have some privacy.”

Saying so, Celestia lit up her horn, the room’s door swinging inward as it clicked shut. Then, her magic’s golden aura spread out to blanket every surface in the room, a thin film of it hanging over the floor, the walls, and the closed door, before dispelling with a faint but shrill whistle.

“You can tell your friends about this if you wish,” Celestia clarified before Twilight could ask the question she knew would come. “But I ask you to make sure to be discreet, and to tell them they should be as well. Knowledge about that mirror should be kept at a minimum.”

Twilight nodded even as she sank into her haunches, her face apprehensive but curious, like a filly about to hear a story that she knew could be sad but which she was nevertheless curious about.

Having to suppress a nostalgic smile despite the situation, Celestia took a deep breath, and got ready to dig into an old wound that had healed very poorly, despite how well she had managed to conceal the scar tissue.

Author's Note

So... I know this is kind of an annoying mix between dragging the story along and adding a few too many new details, but hopefully the balance was overall struck well enough.

Regarding the moment between Twilight and Flash... I know I may be laying their relationship on a bit too thick, and I only hope it's still not thickly enough for suspension of disbelief to be impossible. I tried my best to make their encounters plausible and for their feelings to also be, in relation to the opportunities I could find.

To clarify one detail, I know that in canon pony-Flash's hairstyle is not as I describe it from the art that is seen of him without his helmet on, but considering that the only time we see him bare-headed is in a flashback in The Last Problem (which is not canon as a whole to this AU anyway) I felt it was permissible to give him a different hairstyle. I will add that I did so for a reason that has somewhat of a meta meating, which I hope will become clear farther down the line.

As for certain details I mentioned here... readers familiar with supplementary material will likely have an idea of what I'm referring to in both instances, but I will say that the exact stories in question didn't happen exactly the same way in this AU.

Lastly... on Sunset Shimmer's age as I mention it here... I was counting on explaining everything in this chapter's note, but unfortunately, the chapter grew enough for me to divide it, so the full explanations will be given on the next one. But for now, I will explain the following: my changes to her age were both in an attempt to keep her age plausible enough for her to pass off as a high-school student once turned into a human and to prevent the underlying dynamics from becoming too squicky, so to speak (even though I acknowledge they can still be said to be pushing the envelope) while still not requiring time differences between both dimensions.

Thank you for reading the chapter. :) I hope you enjoyed it.