Luna stood in the market square of Valley Dale and beheld the town around her. The fires had long been put out, and the rubble had been dragged away, but the town was still a hollow shell of itself. Scorched ruins lay in the place of once illustrious businesses and beloved homes. The vibrantly painted exteriors of the remaining buildings had been permanently stained grey with soot and ash. Only charred tatters remained of colourful flags, canopies and shade sails that once littered the streets and allowed the town to show off its proud textile and dye-works industries.

Now that the period of mourning had subsided and the ponies of Valley Dale were left to piece their lives back together, it only highlighted the stark contrast between this new “normal” and the town that she had seen just a few weeks earlier. Ponies no longer walked with a spring in their step, hushed and solemn whispers replaced the cheerful gossip and conversation in the market and foals no longer played the streets.

The way that they treated Luna as she prepared for her second departure was also noticeably different from the first. Before they treated her as a passing celebrity. The parade thrown in her honour was more so an excuse to party by bored ponies that didn't have anything more interesting going on in their lives and wanted to indulge in festivities.

Now, there was a far deeper reverence to how they beheld her. Without cheers, without decorative ribbons, without parades, the looks of sincere gratitude ponies gave her as she passed told Luna her actions in saving the town from Las Pegasus and potentially sacrificing herself to ensure the long-term prosperity of Valley Dale was worth more to them than a million trivial magic shows.

She had positively impacted their lives in a matter that none of them would ever forget. It reaffirmed to Luna that the path she had taken was the right one. She had done more good here in the past few weeks than she had done in years while on the throne. She might have hated the very sight of Lieutenant Swift Guile's smug face and would no doubt hate having to obediently receive marching orders from Lord Pale Scepter, but for the ponies of Valley Dale, she will endure.

A familiar set of hoof steps behind her caught Luna’s attention. She turned her head to see her new apprentice walk up to her. She wore her long, electric blue mane in a high ponytail and carried a set of saddlebags draped over her back. The filly wore an expression of determination.

The former princess let out a sigh. If a powerful noble had sought out her aide, then it would no doubt be for a difficult and dangerous task. She had wanted Windy to stay behind in Valley Dale while she embarked on the Lord Duke's mission. However, the young pegasus did not entertain the idea for even a moment.

“Coming with me, are you?” Luna asked rhetorically.

The filly walked up to the disguised alicorn and stopped by her side. “I am.” She stated as though it were an immutable fact.

“And if I went without you? Left you here so that we may resume your training when I return?” Luna pressed further but she knew that she wouldn't change Windy's mind.

The filly merely raised an eyebrow with a deadpan expression as though the former princess already knew the answer to her question.

“You'd just follow me on your own initiative, wouldn't you?” Windy’s lips curled into a cheeky smirk in reply.

Luna sighed even deeper. As naturally talented and full of potential as the young pegasus was, the former princess didn't think that she was ready to brave the trials that they were likely about to embark on. This world did not give many second chances to bold and reckless youths who felt like they had something to prove.

Luna could tell that, beneath her cavalier mask of determination, Windy had been deeply shaken by the raid on her home and the death of her mother. Any pony would be in her position. However, the filly's response to sever all connections to her home and charge into a dangerous world headfirst was a concerning one.

She would have much preferred that Windy stay home with friends and relatives to process her grief. Although, as much as she wished it wasn't the case, the young pegasus was a free agent. As an orphaned filly close enough to her age of majority to be effectively emancipated, no pony had the ability to stop her if she wanted to leave and Luna knew full well that Windy would most certainly leave if the alicorn tried to tether her down to Valley Dale.

The young pegasus was determined to break her shackles and seek her destiny out in the world. If Luna didn't take her with her, then Windy would probably get herself in all sorts of trouble, perhaps even killed. So as much as Luna didn't like it, she had to take Windy with her immediately.

The disguised alicorn started to walk towards the assembled convoy of soldiers that were preparing to set off back to Fillydelphia. “Come along then.” Luna wearily called to Windy over her shoulder.

The soldiers were readying their equipment, fastening down their supplies and making whatever last-minute preparations they needed. A quartet of large earth ponies stood ready, harnesses strapped tightly across their broad chests in front of the luxurious carriage, while Luna’s trailer sat just behind.

The former princess considered leaving the trailer behind in Valley Dale or hiding it in the nearby woods but it was too risky. Lieutenant Guile's underlings would seize it at the first available opportunity to learn more about her. Even if they didn't, Celestia would no doubt take an interest in what has happened to her and if her ponies started poking around, then it would lead directly back to Luna as no other pony could have possibly acquired Starswirl's trailer.

It wasn't an ideal solution and might open her up to more scrutiny by Pale Scepter and his minions but she wasn't ready to let it out of her sight. The privacy it offered her and Windy would also be a welcome luxury on their upcoming quest.

The Lieutenant stood near a gaggle of his soldiers. He tilted his head back taking a swig from a glass flask. The faint, luminescent blue glow of the liquid inside told Luna that it was a healing potion. Indeed, Guile looked a lot better than yesterday; the swelling around his jaw and orbital bone had already begun to considerably lessen.

It was a pity, Luna would have loved to see him suffer longer. However, as a high-ranking officer in the Royal Guard, Guile had access to the bleeding edge of magical medicine.

As the pegasus officer noticed the approach of the disguised alicorn and her apprentice, he offloaded the empty flask onto what looked like the company medic and walked over to speak to her.

“Ready to depart?” He inquired with a grin that displayed some of his not quite fully healed teeth. “You've just about spent enough time dawdling.”

Luna didn't allow the taunt to get a rise out of her, instead choosing to coldly throw back her own. “Those potions take a lot longer to heal teeth, don't they? It seems even the finest potions cannot mend a twisted nature.”

The Lieutenant's nostrils flared in displeasure. However, the pegasus was too much of a calm and collected operator to allow the barb to truly get under his skin.

He raised an eyebrow and merely pointed his hoof at the noble carriage with a decidedly less amused expression. “Get in, we're leaving.”

Luna rolled her eyes before making her way to the carriage. Windy followed behind her and didn't waste the opportunity to sneer at the Lieutenant as she passed. Guile merely smiled with an endeared expression, the sort that one might give to a small, yapping puppy. He evidently didn't think that the teen's bark had much bite.

Luna was a little surprised. So far the Lieutenant had shown remarkable skill in reading other ponies. To figure them out and find weak points to exploit, he had managed it well enough against herself, much to her annoyance. Yet, his arrogance didn't let him see the depth of potential that Windy possessed. She idly wondered if he would later regret that underestimation.

It was a satisfying fantasy to entertain; the arrogant bully gets his comeuppance by somepony that he looked down upon. However, she wasn't sure if she wanted to encourage Windy down the path of vendetta and retribution, especially when she was so emotionally unbalanced.

The interior of the carriage was designed to impress. A hoof-carved hardwood structure with polished brass trim and decorative baubles. The bespoke upholstery was as fine as money can buy and smooth to the touch. It was spacious and complete with ample amenities such as a luxurious bed that folded out from the wall and a small wine cabinet.

Selling the carriage could probably finance a not insignificant portion of the reconstruction effort in Valley Dale. It was likely the personal vehicle of Lord Duke Pale Scepter or at least one of them, and it was certainly furnished as though it belonged to an unfathomably wealthy noble.

All in all, it was the shoddiest excuse for a carriage that Luna had ridden in within the last century.

The level of wealth that Pale Scepter had access to and the level of wealth Luna had access to when she was a Princess were two very different things. Her personal carriages that she had commissioned were one of the most disgusting displays of wealth that any pony could ever showcase.

The former princess personally disliked the immensely wasteful expenditure. However, a certain level of opulence was expected from a mare of her position and attempts early in her career to live more modestly only succeeded in making her a laughing stock among the nobility, and it became more difficult to make them take her seriously as a ruler.

Her sister had conversely embraced the opulent lifestyle that was expected of a ruler of one of the largest nations in the known world. It was a stark contrast from the Celestia that she had known during her apprenticeship under Starswirl. A resourceful and practical mare that wasn't afraid of roughing it when necessary. Perhaps she had grown a taste for the finer things in life, or perhaps the ever politically savvy alicorn merely sought to play up her image as a larger-than-life and untouchable figure who demanded respect from the nobility.

Luna didn't know. She hadn't understood the mind of her elder sister in a very long time.

The vehicle was clearly designed to impress those who were not used to such luxury and based on the slightly awestruck expression of Windy, it succeeded at least somewhat. Even though the filly had grown up more privileged than the vast majority of Valley Dale. Luna, Pale Scepter and the Wind Family could all be classified as wealthy, although that severely understated the chasm that separated the three of them.

Pale Scepter really had no idea who he was dealing with. His feeble attempts to awe her with his wealth would almost amuse Luna if she wasn't so furious about his powerplay that had strong-hoofed her.

The disguised alicorn watched out the window as the carriage and column of soldiers rolled through the town toward the exit. Ponies lined the streets to see them leave as they did during her first departure. However, they did not throw a celebratory parade this time. The citizens of Valley Dale solemnly observed their exodus like a silent vigil.

The colourful ribbons once displayed in her honour were replaced by black ones braided into every pony’s mane. The cultural meaning and exact messaging were lost on Luna, but at least a few of the soldiers that she guessed were more familiar with the town looked unsettled, almost disturbed at the display. So it was likely very profound. Windy's expressionless mask stared on at the scene with an indescribable emotion that Luna couldn't quite pin down.

She directed her attention to the broad horizon as they finally passed through the outer gates of the city. The former princess had no idea what to expect from the path laid before her.

Part of her was thrilled to finally take action and make a meaningful impact on the lives of her ponies. If she was successful, the benefits to Valley Dale and its inhabitants would be staggering.

However, part of her only felt dread. Very few things in her life hadn't turned to dust in her hooves. Her actions could easily doom the town or lead to far-reaching consequences that even she could not foresee.

She didn't allow the doubts to rule her like they once did, but they were never far from the edges of her waking mind, reminding her of all her past failures.

Author's Note

I meant to get this chapter out before Christmas but I had a bunch of family stuff get in the way.

Happy late Christmas!

A couple of things to note:

1). I got stuck on a specific scene in this chapter that took me ages to work around. I eventually cut it out though. It was a nice idea in theory but it was a major tangent that derailed the pacing of the chapter. It was about 700 or so words removed, so not a small thing. I don't know what to do with it now.

I'm thinking of eventually starting a Patreon, maybe I included "deleted/bonus scenes" as a reward. I dunno.

2). The thing with the black ribbons was supposed to be a running motif in the Valley Dale arc to demonstrate the divergent culture and community closeness in Valley Dale. Then like a dumbass, I forgot to mention in the funeral chapter that they had white ribbons in their manes, severely damaging the impact of that and this particular scene. I'll probably go edit it later.

3). Merry Christmas

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