The Fate Of Equestria Book 2: Elementery Quest

Jet stepped out into the hallway, brightly lit by a series of electric powered chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The hallway stretched off in both directions, a couple corridors branching off here and there. A long red and gold carpet ran the length of the hallway, laying atop the off white marble tile floor. He headed to the left, making for the throne room to meet Luna. Along the walls of the hallways hung a variety of refurbished and brand new paintings, depicting both old and new moments and ponies from the history of the royal family, all surrounded by decorative gold frames. A few small tables with colorful house plants sat atop them further decorated the halls. It wasn't a far journey from the bedroom to the throne room. Being Luna's old room, it was positioned fairly close. Taking only a couple turns through the halls, he was already at the throne room doors.

They were huge and had been constructed from steel. Emblazoned with a carving of a spectral looking alicorn watching over the new version of Canterlot. Two guards were posted outside of the huge doors, standing at attention and dressed in the same nanite armor that had become the standard nowadays. Having Luna as the sole leader now, their armor was emblazoned with a large silver crescent moon stretched across the chest of the mostly dark blue armor. They had fairly thick short swords sheathed at their waists and large steel shields strapped to their forearms, depicting the same crescent moon as their armor. He gave the guards a nod before stepping towards the door. They returned the nod and moved to pushed the doors open.

Jet stepped inside, the doors creaking closed behind him. The throne sat at the far end of the room atop a small set of steps, a long dark blue carpet running down from it to the door. The room was mostly the same as it had been before. A long hallway-esque room with a series of columns on either side, several stained glass windows lined the walls on either side between the columns, and a few large chandeliers hung from above. The biggest differences from the old throne room were the newly knit tapestries that sported a large silver crescent moon on a dark blue background and the throne itself. Where there had once been a pair of marble hewn thrones, now sat a single large chair. It was hewn from some of the leftover crystal from Sombra's empire. When Jet had asked why she made her throne from that crystal, she had told him, 'It is a show of dominance to seat one's rear on something so closely related to one's enemy'.

Making his way across the lengthy rug towards the throne. He saw Luna glide in through one of the windows, obviously having returned from her nightly patrol of the city. She was adorned in a flowing dress that was decorated with a near perfect replica of the starry night sky, the constellations even seeming to shift and change with the light. Her old standard black crown sat atop her flowing mane. The three prongs of it still shiny and new from being refurbished.

The sun was shining in through the window behind her as it peaked over the horizon slowly. She took her seat upon the crystal throne and sat upright and proper. Seeing that it was only Jet in the room, she heaved a sigh of exhaustion and slouched back into the throne. Jet ascended the small staircase and gave the standard bow to his superior. She looked up at him with an unamused look, bags heavy under her eyes.

"Really? We have been over this, Jet. Those sorts of formalities feel wrong given everything that happened." She said, sitting up slightly to get more comfortable.

"I know and I'm sorry. It's more muscle memory and subconscious instinct than anything. Especially this damn early in the morning when I'm still barely conscious…" He replied with a light chuckle.

"That is fair, I suppose. We may have to see they you are enrolled in some form of re-education program. Perhaps brainwashing or hypnosis?" She said, propping an elbow on one of the armrests and leaning her head onto her hand.

"Oh, ha ha. Very funny. You saw what happened to the last brain washing sociopath we had around here, right?" He retorted with a smirk.

"Hm, that is a very fair rebuttal. With your track record, brain washing might not even work on you anyway." She replied with a small giggle.

"That's not a bad theory. Might have to talk to Sunblast about testing that one." He said, tapping his chin in thought.

"Yes, that would prove to be an interesting experiment. But, that can be saved for a future time. As for the present, shall we adjourn for our usual cup of coffee and game of chess in the gardens?" She asked, standing and stretching, causing her joints to snap and crack like autumnal tree branches.

"Sure, I mean it is part of your schedule, your highness." He replied, pulling out the notebook he had picked up from his nightstand.

Being her advisor, he did actually have her royal schedule that she had planned and approved. He flipped it open to the current day and helped it aloft for her to see. First thing listed on each day was 'morning coffee and small talk with advisor'. It was written in her own neatly cursive handwriting, printed in dark blue ink of course.

"Yes, yes. I am aware of the schedule, royal advisor. You do not need to remind me." She said, rolling her eyes playfully.

He stuffed the notebook back into his pocket as Luna moved to walk past the throne and behind it. Her horn lit up as the large flowing at the very back of the throne room parted. They revealed a set of wide multi paneled glass doors. Luna pushed them open out into the castle gardens. They had once again become lush and green, thanks to the help of both the rain and the few ponies left who had green thumbs. Jet followed along as she led the way to their spot of the usual decorative metal tea table with matching seats. The pair sat across from one another, the chairs scraping lightly against the stone flooring as they readjusted the chairs to better suit themselves.

Luna's horn flashed briefly, the familiar slightly burnt smell of a teleportation spell hung in the air as a moderately sized chess board appeared on the table between them. A small cart carrying a pair of ceramic mugs and small cake plates. It was also topped with a bowl sugar cubes, a decanter of cream, a steaming pot of coffee, and a plate of some kind of crescent rolls. Luna grabbed a cup and tossed a couple cubes of sugar into it, pouring the steaming coffee on top of it. Stirring the coffee until the cubes dissolved, she tilted some creamer from the decanter and into her cup. Giving it another stir, she grabbed a crescent roll and sat back, leaving Jet to his own now. He quickly made his coffee and sat back as well.

"What should be our topic of discussion this morning?" Luna asked, taking it upon herself to choose the ivory side of the board and make the first move.

"Well, anything new I should know about as advisor?" He asked, gently blowing on his mug and idly pushing a piece across the board.

"Nothing really comes to mind. We have still yet to receive any word from the other kingdoms around us, which makes me worry about what is taking place there." She replied, making a move and already snatching away one of his pieces.

"Hm, maybe that requires investigation? I'll put on my list. Anything else?" He asked, his hand idly sliding another piece along the board.

"I did receive word from both Appaloosa and Manehattan late last night." She said, slipping one of her pieces out after a moment of thought.

"Oh? How's Applejack and Pinkie doing?" He asked, sipping his coffee and sliding another piece and managing to off one of hers in the process.

"The repairs to both cities have gone almost as well as they have here. Applejack sent us a barrel of their finest cider for the wine cellar and Pinkie… She sent a glitterbomb…" She replied, making her move slowly.

"Yeah, that sounds about right. But hey, can't pass on the Apple Family Cider, y'know?" He replied, sliding his queen over beside the pawns from the beginning.

"That is true, those Apple's always did make great cider." She agreed, moving her knight in to take his queen.

"Any word from girls? They've been off on their own little adventure since we finished Canterlot like a month back." He said, taking barely a second to to think about his move before making it.

"Not physically, no. But I did manage to catch Scootaloo's dream last night before I went on patrol." She replied, making a quick move and taking one of his pieces.

"That's good. How're they doing?" He asked, not really caring about the lost piece as he made his next move.

"She said they were doing well, a little homesick already, but they're having fun." She said with a smile, taking a moment before making her next move.

"Glad to hear it. After everything they went through, they deserve to have some fun." He replied, downing the rest of his coffee and making another move.

"I wholeheartedly agree, they are still young and do not need the mental stress that is older ponies go through." She joked, taking care with her next move.

"I hate to seem rude, but the sun's getting pretty high. It's about time for your morning nap so you can function the rest of the day." He said, making his final move and standing up.

"Yes, I suppose it is. There is however, one more thing I have been putting off speaking with you about." She replied, taking a moment to stare at the chess board before standing as well.

"What is it?" He asked, giving his knuckles several small cracks and pops.

"Solaris." She stated, knowing he'd understand.

"Oh… Uh, what about it?" He replied with a nervous chuckle.

"The obvious, Jet Stream. How in Equestria did you pull it free from that stone?" She asked, Jet unable to tell if it was rhetorical or not.

"I… I don't really know how to answer that." He stated, confused.

"Allow me to rephrase then, what compelled you to do so? I know that you are aware of the spell placed on it that only allows members of her bloodline to wield it." She retorted, scratching her head as she tried to understand.

"I did know about the spell, but something told me to grab it." He stated, not really wanting to relive anything from before a few months ago.

"What could have possibly made you think it was worth risking being incinerated by the heat of the sun itself?" She asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"No, I mean, something LITERALLY told me to grab the sword. It was a deep and bone chilling voice that seemed to come from within my own mind. It was seriously freaky." He explained with shrug.

"Deep bone chilling voice… Could it be…? He always did know more than he let on…" She mumbled to herself.

"Uh, Luna? He who?" He asked, confused again.

"Hm? Oh, not important right now. Though, you did remind me. I have an assignment for you to attend to while I nap." She replied, seeming to almost forget he was there.

"What is this assignment?" He asked, putting on his best formal voice.

"I need you to check on the memorials down in old Ponyville, and take Moonshadow with you." She replied with a tone of certainty.

"Um, okay? May I ask why?" He asked curiously.

"Not this time, no. You will just have to trust me on this." She replied, shaking her head.

"Alright. I'm off to do that then. Wish me luck, I guess." He said with a nod, turning to head back inside.

"I do not believe you need luck, Jet." She said to herself, staring down at the chess board.

Without even realizing it, he had gotten her into a checkmate before they had stopped playing. She smiled to herself, knowing she made the right choices with her picks for her royal cabinet. She took her time finishing her coffee and crescent roll, reveling in this simple feeling of having a friend to just talk and have a coffee with. She sat for a while, just enjoying the sunrise and the warm spring breeze. Once she was finished, she fixed everything back into place. Teleporting the chess board back to its home as a pony dressed in maid's attire came out to grab the cart. Not recognizing the pony, she stopped for a moment on her way back inside. Turning back to look, it hit her and she smiled to herself a little.

"You do not need to hide yourself here, Thorax. You are just as welcome in my royal court as any other who helped us be rid of Sombra. Also, you look adorable in that maid outfit." Luna said with a giggle.

"O-Oh, thank you Princess Luna…" He replied, face red as changed to his normal changeling appearance.

She left him with another giggle, heading back in through the glass doors. Proceeding through the throne room, she made her way through the hallway and towards what had been Celestia's room before. It was closed off by a large golden door, still bearing Celestia's blazing sun sigil. The sigil have her a variable buffet of mixed emotions. Remorse for her lost sister as well as happiness that she was in a better place now, hatred for herself that stemmed from running off that day and leaving Celestia alone but also joy that she had saw her death avenged. She threw open the doors and walked inside, shutting them behind her. The interior was modest, much like her old room that she had given to Jet and Rainbow.

Shedding her dress and tossing it into the hamper in the corner, leaving her in just a set of black lingerie. Her horn lit up as her crown floated over to her bedside table. She flopped onto the bed face first into the pillow, groaning loudly into the pillow and rolleing over. She rubbed her eyes with her hands and sighed deeply.

"Dear Gods above, Tia. How did you ever run do this during my absence on the moon? This is beyond stressful." She said quietly to herself, looking to a small framed portrait of the two of them on her bedside table.

She heaved another sigh and pulled the soft plush blanket up over herself. She tossed and turned for a long while before her mind calmed enough for her to slowly drift off into a dreamless sleep, just the way she preferred. She spent most of her night helping others with their dreams, she became more exhausted at just the thought of having one of her own lately.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

Jet made his way through the halls, towards the castle entrance. Passing various guards as they changed shifts for the day. He was passing by the room containing Sunblast's lab when the door burst open suddenly. Jet was hit with the door head-on, being knocked backwards and onto his rear. He hit the tan marble floor with a soft 'thump', looking up in a slightly dazed stupor from the sudden hit. The door swung back shut, Sunblast peeking around the front of it. He spotted Jet and his eyes widened, having realized what had happened. Shutting the door back behind him, he moved over and helped Jet back to his feet.

"Shit, I'm sorry Jet. Are you alright?" Sunblast asked in a hurried voice.

"Pfft, Sombra couldn't stop me. If a wooden door manages to, go ahead and make that door the emperor of the entire Earth. Anyway, where you off to in such a hurry this early?" Jet replied with a laugh.

"That's fair, and I'm heading out to meet Discord for breakfast. He said he had something to discuss with me, but wanted it to be informal. How about you? You're usually having coffee with Luna right about now, right?" Sunblast stated with a shrug.

"Yeah, that sounds like him. Unfortunately we had to cut our coffee short this morning. She gave me an assignment to check up on the memorial in old Ponyville." Jet replied casually.

Since they were both headed in the same direction, towards the castle gates, they decided to walk and talk. Having some friendly banter between friends, something that had been rare for them lately with their new busier lives as part of Luna's Royal Court.

"Sounds very important and exciting." Sunblast said, stifling a laugh.

"Hey, laugh all you want, but she seemed pretty certain I'd be able to find some kind of answers there." Jet retorted, giving Sunblast a playful punch in the shoulder.

"Answers are always good. Hopefully these answers don't lead to more questions." Sunblast replied with a smile.

"Yeah, same here. I'm so tired of each answer I get from somewhere only leaving me with more questions. I just want to know who I really am…" Jet said with a sigh.

"Whether you get that answer or not, I already know who you are." Sunblast retorted smugly.

"Oh yeah? And what's that?" Jet asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You're a damn great friend, that's what." Sunblast replied, returning the shoulder punch from earlier.

"Oh, shut up. You are so fucking gay." Jet said, trying in vain to keep from smiling.

"Me? Gay? Sir, are you just now realizing this?" Sunblast retorted jokingly.

"Hardy har har. Don't you have somewhere to go gay up?" Jet teased, fully smiling now.

"Hm, not until two. But, I should be going to meet Discord." Sunblast replied, pretending to check a planner while laughing.

"You're hilarious." Jet retorted with a mock serious expression, noticing they'd reached the gates.

"Aren't I though? Seriously though, I should probably head to meet Discord before he decides to just poof me there himself." Sunblast said, half jokingly.

"Yeah, he would definitely do that too. Tell that magical asshole I said hey, will ya?" Jet asked as Sunblast turned to leave.

"Sure thing. Catch you later, Jet." Sunblast replied before heading off into town towards the shopping district.

With that, Jet was left to his own devices once more. He gave his limbs a long stretch before heading off in the opposite direction from Sunblast. Through the residential district, past the newly built brown brick homes, and towards a park that overlooked Ponyville. It was a small rectangle, about the size of a hoofball field with a large black wrought iron fence surrounding it. Inside the park itself was just a couple benches, an artsy fountain, some sparse patches of colorful flowers, and a few sets of binoculars along the overlook. A waist high wall ran the length of the overlook, acting as a guard against any potential curious foals from falling over. It wasn't a big fancy park, but it was still a park nonetheless. Jet passed under the black metal archway that acted as the entrance between the run of wrought iron around it.

He walked along the thing paved trail leading through the park, coming up on the overlook. He stopped in front of one of the sets of binoculars. Fiddling around in his pocket, he produced a call golden coin. Popping it into the coin slot of the binoculars, he leaned in and looked through it. It took a moment for the image to focus, but when it did, he was greeted by an incredible view of the still recovering landscape. The rolling hills of Ponyville were speckled with patches of green and brown where the foliage was still regrowing. The Everfree Forest, now fully overgrown again, was back to the vibrant multi-shaded green mass of tangled vines and weeds that everyone was used to. Off in the distance, he could see the slightly crumbled peak of the remains from Sombra's black palace. Further along the horizon, he could make out a thick layer of black smoke hovering in the air, the telltale sign of the Dragonlands.

Satisfied with taking in the view, he heaved another sigh before spreading his wings. The mechanical appendages squeaked ever so slightly as they extended out to his sides, the smooth metal feathers gleaming in the sunlight. Leaning across the wall of the overlook, looking straight down as he prepared to take off. It was a very long way down. The opposite side of the wall dropped off to a sheer cliff face that led to a series of broken shards of rock laying in wait at the bottom. He'd been flying nearly his entire life and never really gotten altitude sick, but something about this view made his stomach churn uncomfortably. Steeling himself against the feeling, he took a few steps backwards before sprinting towards the wall. He leapt over it and dove headlong downwards over the edge, wings tucked against his back once more.

The wind beat against his face ferociously, the force of it causing his eyes to water. He dove for a good minute before finally unfurling his wings and pulling up. The wind caught under his wings and forced him back upwards a good bit, like a parachute being unraveled. He gained some more height before heading off towards the memorial in Ponyville. The spires loomed on the horizon like a set of claws sticking up from the Earth itself. His thruster powered wings carried him quickly towards the massive stone monument. He landed a few yards away from the memorial, a place that would've been the town square.

All around him, there were lighter green spots of grass on the ground that were nearly perfectly geometrically shaped. They were all that remained of the town that had once stood here. Along with building the memorial, during the rebuilding efforts, they had opted to just tear down the ruined remains of the town and let nature reclaim the land. Trudging through the shin high grass, he made his way to the nearly trimmed path around the memorial. He stepped up onto the massive concrete rectangle that acted as the foundation for the whole memorial. The huge slabs of white marble stretched above him several feet, the golden cursive of the names carved into them glowed slightly in the warm sunlight.

Jet proceeded through the center of the slabs, towards the spires that represented the princesses. As he approached them, a sudden chill ran up his spine. He looked around to see if there was anything that could cause it, but only saw the empty space of the concrete foundation and the few benches around the area. With a shrug, he turned his attention back to the princesses' memorials. The tall marble spires loomed over him ominously, the golden sigils up above him gleaming brightly in the sun. He approached the base of the spires, running a hand over the center most one, the one emblazoned with the blazing sun. Remembering what Luna had said, he summoned Moonshadow. He waited for something magical or secret to happen.

"So… What now Luna?" He asked idly, thinking aloud.

"Well, now we can speak formally." A familiar icy voice said from behind him.

Jet reflexively jumped and spun, pointing Moonshadow threateningly. When he turned around, he saw an ethereal figure standing there. A large stallion unicorn, adorned in thick silver armor that featured a helmet with long horns atop it. All around him, a tint seemed to grace the air. A crescent moon was emblazoned across the entirety of his chest. From under the helmet, the only thing Jet could make out was a pair of bright icy blue eyes.

"Your voice, I know you. You were there the day I fought Sombra." Jet said, slowly lowering Moonshadow.

"Indeed I was." The ghostly figure agreed.

"Who… Or what are you? And how the hell did you talk to me in my mind?" Jet asked curiously.

"I am known as Frost Bite, the spirit of the weapon you hold now. As for the speaking through your mind, it is one of the abilities I possess and the Royal Arm possess." He replied.

"Uh huh, can I get a more thorough explanation of how that works exactly? I haven't heard Bright Heart in my head." Jet said, cocking an eyebrow.

"Well as you already know we Royal Spirits, and by extension the Royal Arm itself, possess unique and powerful abilities. The ones you outright see, the elemental attributes attached to each of us or the specific enchantment abilities, are the offensive ones. What you may not know, is that each of us also possess a passive ability as well." Frost said with a thoughtful tone.

"Passive abilities, huh? Elaborate, if you don't mind. I wanna learn all I can about weilding you guys." Jet said, stroking his chin in thought.

"For myself it is the ability to telepathically communicate and fight independently from my wielder even when not in use, Bright Heart has the ability to produce shields of her own accord without being in use. As for my sister and the other, you will have to ask them once you meet them." Frost replied in a half serious tone.

"Alright, that's fair. Any idea when I'll meet them?" Jet asked.

"I do not have the answer to that. They will reveal themselves when they feel the time is right. Until then, do not forget to use the weapons should you come into combat." Frost replied stoically.

"Gotcha. I'm guessing you already know why we're out here then?" Jet questioned.

"Of course, Jet. Listen carefully, I will tell you what needs to be done." Frost stated with a nod.

"Right, explain away." Jet responded, returning the nod.

"You will need to lodge the hilt of Moonshadow into the ground in front of Celestia's monolith, with the blade facing the monolith. Once that is done, you must sit in front of it and attempt to meditate." Frost explained slowly.

"Alright. Can I ask what this is going to do?" Jet asked, tilting his head slightly to one side.

"Certainly. As you no doubt already know, the runic symbol on the bottom of the hilt can temporarily sever a soul from its body. Well, it can also act as a sort of signal tower that allows for communication with the souls of the deceased. The meditation part of it is a way of focusing the mind in order to enter the realm of souls via astral projection. You will also need to mentally picture the one you wish to commune with." Frost went on explaining.

"If Moonshadow is the signal tower and the meditation the phone, then why did I have to come all the way here to do this?" Jet asked curiously.

"If we did this just anywhere, there's no telling what spirit we would make contact with. To contact a specific spirit, you need something that represents the spirit itself. Think of the monolith as the phone number we need in order to make the call." Frost replied thoughtfully.

"So essentially doing it without a catalyst is like dialing a random number in the phone book?" Jet asked again.

"Precisely. Luna was right, you are a brilliant young stallion." Frost replied in a pleased tone.

"Anything else I should know?" Jet asked once more.

"Just a couple. The first thing to keep in mind is that time moves differently in the spirit realm than it does in the physical. What feels like mere minutes in there, could potentially be hours out here. The other thing to keep in mind is that no matter what you see or hear while in there, do not lose focus on the intended spirit. Even with the proper set up, you could quite literally lose your mind to the spirit realm, which would leave your body a mere husk. There are spirits in there that would love the opportunity to try to trick you into leaving your body open. Their intent is to steal your body so that they may live once again, whether it be for unfinished business or evil intentions." Frost wanted him thoroughly.

"Don't stray and keep time inside to a minimum, got it." Jet replied, making mental note of all that.

"Very good. With that, I shall leave you to it. Good luck and I hope you find the answers you seek Jet Stream." Frost said before vanishing with a nod.

"Alright, let's do this and hope for some actual answers for once." Jet said to himself.

Approaching the very base of the blazing sun monolith, Jet held Moonshadow tightly in his hand. He gave it a twirl between his fingers before slamming the hilt into the ground at his feet, the blade pointing at the white marble spire. It embedded into the concrete with a soft thud. As it embedded itself into the ground, a ring of bright blue runes very briefly flashed around the hilt before fading out of sight. With a nod to himself, he got down onto his knees. Kneeling with his legs folded under himself and sitting back on his heels. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, focusing his mind on a mental image of Celestia.

Settling on an image of her dressed in her gala attire, the last time he had seen her genuinely happy and not worrying over something. She stood tall and regal, a long white gown flowing down to the ground from a set of thin shoulder straps. A thick golden bangle hung from each of her wrists and a tiny thin chain wrapped around her neck. Her golden three pronged crown sat atop her head, the large purple gem in the center gleaming slightly. The multi-colored wisps of her hair flowing as in a nonexistent breeze like it always had. There was always an odd motherly aura about her, and his mental image of her was no different. He sat there trying to meditate for what seemed like ages, only the fleeting mental picture of Celestia to occupy his senses. Starting to get anxious, he shifted on his heels and groaned.

"Damn it, I guess this isn't going to wo…" Jet started to say, cutting himself off after opening his eyes.

He expecting see the memorial still in front of him, but instead was greeted by a much different view. The view of the memorial was now replaced by a strange Northern Light looking void, nothing but empty space all around him. Standing up and taking a few steps, he found that his boots splashed against the ground. It seemed to be covered by a thin layer of some kind of water. Even though he'd been kneeling in the water like substance, his legs were still bone dry. He looked around for a sign of anything at all, but it was just the Northern Lights looking void in all directions.

"Hello?!" Jet called out into the void.

His voice echoed off of the nothingness he was surrounded by. Worry crept into his mind as he began to think that something had gone wrong with the connection. As he started to take a few more steps forward, a small orb of light appeared several feet in front of him. It started from up above him, gliding down effortlessly until it was about eyes level with him. It hovered in place for a few moments before suddenly flashing and briefly blinding him. When his eyes cleared and his sight returned, he gasped at what he saw. Before him was the ethereal form of Celestia, just as he'd pictured in his mind. Her wings splayed behind her as she hovered in the air. He was too stunned, by the fact that it worked, to say anything. Even with all the magic they had at their disposal, he never imagined that communication with the dead was possible. She landed, her wings furling up onto her back as her feet caused soft ripples in the watery surface of the ground.

"Hello again, Jet. After Sombra fell, I figured it would only be a matter of time before we had this interaction." Celestia said with a warm smile.

"You… You knew this was coming?" Jet asked, surprised.

"Of course. I'm dead, not stupid. You always were a curious one, always searching for the answers to things you didn't understand." She replied with a slightly echoing giggle.

"Yeah, well… This is different. I just want to know who I really am. There's been so many things said and I don't know what to believe." He said with a huff.

"I understand, I can shed some light on certain things but you may not like those answers." She admitted, frowning slightly.

"I don't care if I like it or not. I need these answers, I'm tired of all this confusion surrounding my own existence." He retorted, sighing deeply.

"That's understandable, Jet. You have me to blame for all of your confusion about that, honestly." She stated, her eyes trailing off to avoid looking at him.

"I mean, sure you left me with parents that aren't really my own. But that's hardly a reason to blame you for anything." He replied, giving her a smile.

"Yes, the story I told Luna… I'm sorry, Jet, but the story of your orphaning that I told Luna is a lie. I told her a falsehood to keep myself out of the limelight, as it were." She said, her voice going slightly softer.

"I… I don't follow… If that story is false, then what's the truth?" He asked, almost afraid of the answer.

"It's… Complicated, Jet…" She replied with a sigh.

"I've got the time and I'm sure I can catch on. Just please, tell me the truth. I need to know." He said pleasingly.

"Very well, but it is not a tale I am proud of. It was a long while ago and I was a foolish young mare. With Luna still being imprisoned on the moon and no way of knowing when or even if she'd return, I grew lonesome. With dating not being an option due to how busy I constantly was and not seeing any other option at the time, I sought other ways to find companionship. So, in the little spare time I had, I began to research possible ways of magically finding or creating a companion. That's when I stumbled upon Starswirl's old mirror, and the notes he had written on them. They said it could act as a doorway into other realities and separate universes entirely. I saw this as my opportunity to not only find a companion, but perhaps even another version of my sister, possibly one experiencing the same loneliness that I was." She explained, her voice tainted with shame.

"You found more than you bargained for, didn't you…?" Jet asked idly.

"In a way, but we'll get to that. Through his old notes, I learned how to use it. It needed a catalyst, something to act as the key to unlock the doorway to that other universe. I learned so much about the mirror from those old texts. Things like universal resonances, the frequency that the molecules of something from a specific universe vibrates at. Having learned of that, I decided to test the mirror. Using a strand of my own hair, I used a… Dark magic spell in order to alter the universal resonance of that strand of hair. I had no way of knowing how much I altered it or what it would lead to, but I had to know if it would work at least. I used the strand on the mirror and it actually worked, a portal to a whole new world opened up. Hiding myself in a hooded cloak to avoid detection, I stepped through it." She continued, starting to pace in place.

"What kind od world did you find?" He asked curiously.

"One that I wish I could forget. Because it was my own hair I used as a catalyst, the mirror led me to a universe where another version of myself ruled. But instead of finding someone I could level with and possibly befriend, I found a monster. It was me, but also not. Her entire demeanor was… Evil. Her eyes were black pits with blazing orange pupils and her mane was nothing but a literal flame atop her head. She seemed to have been corrupted to some degree like Luna was when she became Nightmare Moon." She went on, her pacing sending increasingly large ripples across the watery ground.

"Wait, what does any of this have to with me?" He asked, confused.

"I'm getting to that, just stay with me here. Anyway, she didn't initially notice I had come through. I overheard her talking to someone about her ultimate weapon for universal dominance. She had created the perfect weapon by kidnapping and forcefully breeding with some unfortunate powerful stallion. This weapon, her child, would be unstoppable. Nearly indestructible, immune to most magical attacks, and even more destructive than the gravitational force of the sun she controlled. A child born directly from the nightmare mist corruption would be powerful indeed. I couldn't let something like that happen, especially to an innocent child. So I did what anyone in their right mind would do, I found and rescued that child from the horrid fate that this monstrous caricature of myself had planned." She said , voice wavering as she admitted all this.

"Are you saying…" Jet started, fearing the answer.

"That child, Jet… Is, was you. You were meant to be a tool of conquest, a weapon to be aimed and fired. I took you away from that place and left you with the ones you called mother and father. I had hoped to spare you this knowledge, but you came asking and I wasn't going to lie to you." She replied, looking away from him in shame.

"So I was born to just be a weapon of war…? That's… I don't… Wow…" He replied, stunned by this revelation.

"I can only imagine how you must be feeling, Jet. I never wanted you to experience this. I had taken you that day in the hopes that freeing you from her, you would have a normal life without having to worry about any of that dreadful business. I fear in doing so, I brought about more trouble for our own universe than intended." She said solemnly.

Jet didn't respond this time, instead falling to his knees with his arms limp at his sides. His chest rising and falling sporadically.

"Jet…? I…" Celestia started to say.

"I'm just a weapon… A creation intended for conquest and destruction… And this isn't even my home…?" Jet said distantly, an unnerving grin creeping across his face.

"No! You cannot believe that! Look at all the good you did with taking down Sombra! You have saved this world, even if you do not belong here, this is still your home!" She cried out, snapping Jet back to his senses with sudden outburst.

He looked up from the ground, eyes teary and strangely shifting. His irises blue seemed to be getting darker, but Celestia chalked it up to the strange lighting of the soul realm.

"You are no longer a weapon of war, Jet. I spared you that fate and Sombra would've returned regardless. This is your home and… I am proud that in some universe, you are my son. If I had a son of my own here in this universe, I could only hope he'd be half the stallion you have turned out to be." She said reassuringly, kneeling to put one of her translucent hand on his cheek.

He shuddered from her ghostly touch. It was cold as ice as was like nothing her had ever felt before. He would best describe it as sort of like being aggressively grazed by a freezing winter breeze, but purposefully and specifically just on his cheek.

"I know that this is hard to handle and must be taking a toll on your mind, but you cannot just give up and give in to that revelation. It's not your past that defines you, Jet, it's what you do with the present that does. It doesn't matter what that monster had planned for you, what matters is that you're a hero here and now. You won a war for the right side, there's nothing that she or anybody else can do to change that now." She said, smiling warmly.

"But…" He started to protest.

"No buts, mister. I might not be your biological mom, but I'm close enough and you're not too old for a whooping." She retorted with a stifled giggle.

"Thank you, Celestia… You were right, I didn't like the answer, but I asked. I just have one more question, I guess." He replied, returning her giggle with a chuckle of his own before getting to his feet again.

"You're welcome, Jet. What is your question?" She asked, raising an eyebrow curiously.

"Who was my father?" He answered her question with his own.

"That, I don't know. I never encountered a father or heard her speak of him by name while I was in her sanctum. I'm sorry." She replied with a frown.

"That's alright, it's probably not that important anyway. Thank you again for answering my questions. I should probably get going back to the physical plane." He said, reassuring her that she'd already been of assistance.

"It was no trouble at all. Oh! Before you go, I have something for you." She said suddenly.

Her horn glowed brightly for a moment before a gold ringed compass with a gleaming silver needle appeared in her hand.

"What's this?" He asked, taking it from her and looking it over.

"Just a little something that you might find useful in the near future. No spoilers, but be wary of who you trust moving forward. Not everyone will be what they seem." She warned ominously before flashing into a ball of light again and drifting off.

"Hey, wait! What does that mean?!" He called out after her, but she was already gone.

He cursed to himself, but figured he'd better head back as there was no telling how long he'd been gone. Kneeling again, he focused his mind back on his own body. After a few minutes, he began to feel the warm breeze against his skin once more. Opening his eyes confirmed that he was back in the physical plane. He looked down to see that he still held the compass in his hands. After putting the compass into the pocket inside his armor, he stood and stretched his slightly aching limbs. Retrieving Moonshadow from its spot in the ground, he stored it back in the pocket dimension he used to keep the Royal Arms safe. As he did, the ground shook, a distant boom ringing out across the landscape. He looked up to see a pillar of smoke coming from the direction of the castle. The sun was high in the sky now, indicating he had been gone a few hours at least.

"Oh, come on! This shit again? We just got that rebuilt!" Jet yelled out towards the smoke.

He groaned to himself and took to the sky, flying off back towards New Canterlot and whatever nonsense had happened this time. Whatever it was, it was in for a good beating as Jet was already frustrated and needed to blow off some steam.