New Blood

“Big Bwudda!”

The first thing I found upon entering the Lord Protector’s manor was a purple and green blur running towards me, slamming into me with surprising strength. It was enough to knock me off of my feet. Spike clung to my legs, and I could hear him sniffling and whimpering. I grabbed him and pulled him into a tight hug. “Hello, Spike,” I greeted happily, stroking his spines lovingly.

“Where did you go?” Spike asked, tears of worry streaming down his face. “I was scawed…”

My heart broke at that. He was my brother; species difference be damned! I hugged him closer. “I’m home, now,” I said. “I’m home.”

As Spike clung to me, another figure approached. Buttercup stood before me, her own eyes brimming with tears, although these were tears of relief. “It’s so good to see you again, Your Highness,” she said.

“It’s good to be seen by you,” I replied with a small smile. A smile which quickly faded as I gestured back to Zecora and Cadance. “These two need a bath and some food.”

“I can see to that, your Highness,” a new voice, also female, said from behind Buttercup. The holstaur maid stepped back to reveal a slender but older pegasus maid. She was light blue with a pale green mane and tail and pink eyes. By her clothes, I guessed she was the head maid of the house. She came up and looked at the two, frowned in concern, then turned and clapped. Two younger pony maids, these ones earth ponies, appeared moments later. “Have a bath run for these two and set aside food for them,” she ordered. “They will probably not be able to eat at the table, so have somepony prepare rooms for them.”

The two bowed then walked up and gently took both fillies before quickly and carefully heading further into the manor. Zecora looked back at me with worry, but I gave her a reassuring nod and she seemed to relax.

When they had left, I looked up at Buttercup. “Are the others okay?” I asked. “None of them disappeared too, I hope?”

Buttercup shook her head. “No, Your Highness,” she said. “The other children are fine. Anna is especially anxious to see you again, so I think you should expect her to be extra clingy with you when you get back to Canterlot.”

I smiled a bit. Anna Belle didn’t seem to stand too much on ceremony with me, but that I could understand since she was not only around my age but was also one of my closest friends. And her hug…they felt magical. “I’ll endure it,” I joked.

At that moment another pony appeared, and this one had to be the Captain Strongheart that I was told about. He was older than Swift Thrust, but still looked like he was a force to be reckoned with. A unicorn stallion, he had cream white fur, long black mane and tail, and piercing light blue eyes. His cutie mark, emblazoned on his shoulder plates, was of a heart that had a sword in front of it. He bowed to me and Aunt Celestia. “Your Highnesses,” he greeted, “I came as soon as I was notified of your presence. What can I do for you?”

“You’re Captain Strongheart, correct?” I asked before my aunt could say anything.

He looked at me, and to his credit, my youth didn’t seem to faze him at all. “I am, Your Highness,” he said.

“Captain, you may start to become busy in the next few days if not sooner,” I explained.

That caught his attention and his expression turned grave. “Is there going to be an invasion?” he asked.

I exchanged a very brief look with Viridian before looking back at him. “There is a likely chance of that, yes,” I said. “I trust Ponyshire has magical barrier crystals on its walls?”

“Are we going to be attacked by aerial assault?” Strongheart asked.

“Eutherians,” I said. “They very well may make an appearance here in the next day or so, or even sooner. It will likely come from the Everfree Forest, but we can’t be too sure.”

The captain stiffened at that, then looked at Swift. “Sir Swift, inform the guardhouses and the gatehouses to prepare for a possible aerial and shadow walking assault from eutherian hostile forces,” he ordered. “I will likely have more information for you at a later time.”

The younger pegasus pressed his fist to his chest, as did his squire. “At once, Captain!” He bowed to me and Aunt Celestia briefly before turning and heading back out with Steel.

At that moment, another pony entered the foyer, only this one was shorter than the head maid, and was an older and portly unicorn stallion. He was tan with a graying mane and tail, both of which had to have been light brown when he was in his prime. His eyes were a deep brown, but even though he was old, he didn’t look like some of the sycophant nobles I’d had around me trying to gain my favor. He walked with a limp and supported himself with a cane. “So,” the stallion said, “you’re the prince everypony was talking about a few years ago.”

“That would be me,” I confirmed.

The older stallion didn’t even hesitate. He got on one knee, albeit a bit slower than most, then lowered his head. “Your Highness, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said. “ I am Lord Protector Fancy Feet. I do apologize for not being able to attend the announcement of your rise to royalty or your cute-ceañera. I’m afraid I have become less able to travel in my old age.”

I chuckled softly. “No need to apologize,” I said. “I wouldn’t have wanted anyone to jeopardize their health for me.”

“You’re far too kind, Your Highness,” he said as he was helped back to his feet by the head maid. “Please follow me to the dining room. I will have my maids set aside places at the table for everypony here.” He looked at the head maid. “Make sure that it’s done.”

“At once, Milord,” the head maid said before she turned and pointed at two other nearby maids. “We have seven extra guests,” she said, “so see to it that they are given a place at the table. Two extra foals and three extra adults.” She gestured to the four eutherians behind me and Shadow, who was still protectively by my side.

Captain Strongheart was the first to notice the blade strapped to my side. He paused and looked at it. “Your Highness,” he began with confusion, “I was told that you disappeared in Canterlot, correct?”

Unbidden, I put a hand on the hilt of Crescent Moon. “You’re looking at this, are you not?” I asked, patting Crescent Moon gently.

Cease thy actions at once! We are not an animal to be fawned over! Crescent shouted.

The captain nodded. “It is a powerful blade. I can tell. May I see it?”

I shook my head. “I’m afraid not,” I said. “This is a…let’s just call her a family heirloom.”

Celestia, who was by my side, looked down at where the captain was looking and her eyes widened in alarm. “That’s…it can’t be…” She looked at me, eyes narrowing. “Where did you find that?”

I held up my free hand. “I’ll tell you everything, I promise.” I then turned back to Viridian, then raised my arm. “Allow me to escort you,” I said.

To my amusement, the young princess actually blushed as she walked up and interlocked her arm with mine. “Quite the gentlecolt,” she said.

Celestia didn’t look too happy at this, but I knew it wasn’t implicit racism against eutherians, but instead it was the fact that she was an unknown and possibly a danger to me. Still, I gave my aunt a reassuring nod as we made our way down the hall towards the dining hall.

Said hall was quite large for a house of this size, I noted the moment we entered. There was a fireplace at the opposite end of the doorway entrance along with two long rectangular windows on either side which let light from outside stream in. There were two doors opposite each other on the longer walls and a large chandelier hanging from the ceiling which was lit with glowing warm white crystals. The table itself was made of thick wood and had a dark wine red tablecloth with a purple table runner down the middle that was decorated with inlaid gold patterns. On each end of the table runner were gold tassels which hung down either end.

As was tradition, Aunt Celestia took the spot at the head of the table which was normally the place where the Lord Protector would sit. I sat to her right with Shadow taking the seat to the left of me and Spike sitting on my lap, not wanting to leave my side. The Lord Protector sat to my aunt’s left and everyone else slowly found a seat. Misty was seated next to Viridian who was sitting to the left of Shadow. Gloom and Twilit stood behind Viridian as her guards until Princess Celestia turned to them, then gestured to two chairs next to Misty. “Please sit,” she encouraged. They reluctantly did so.

After we were all seated, the Lord Protector turned to the mead maid, who was still standing behind her. Buttercup was standing behind me and Celestia at the moment. “Go see if the meal is ready,” he ordered the pegasus head maid.

“Yes, Milord,” she said before she swiftly turned and headed through one of the doors. Upon opening said door, I could hear the brief sound of pots and pans being jostled and the sound of a surly male voice calling out orders. I had to hold in a laugh as it sounded very similar to what I heard anytime I visited the Canterlot royal kitchens. After a half minute, she came back in. “The head cook says it will be another five minutes, Milord.”

“Excellent,” the Lord Protector said with a clap of his hands before he turned to me and Celestia. “Our chef is one of the finest in the kingdom, if not the world, if I may be so bold as to boast about his skills. All his dishes are always quite delicious.”

“If his sister’s skills are any indication, then I believe it,” Celestia said with a small chuckle.

I smiled a bit as well. One thing I did know about the Lord Protector was that he hired Sauté Brown, a unicorn stallion chef who was the much older brother of Blanch Brown, one of the best cooks in Canterlot’s royal kitchens. Both were from the vassal state of Prance, and as such had a distinct accent. In fact, it was Blanch who had helped me to make a couple of the ‘new’ recipes, including baguettes, which had become extra popular in Prance. Blanch had actually told me about Sauté a couple of times when she was helping me try to create (or recreate to be truthful) new dishes. The two of them had something of a rivalry when it came to cooking, but I could tell they were close. She would always go to Ponyshire to spend important holidays with her family who lived down there. “How is Chef Sauté doing?” I asked.

Lord Fancy Feet gave a small smile. “He is doing well,” he said. “His wife is expecting triplets in the coming days, though, so he may be a bit more gruff with anypony who irritates him.”

“Please extend our congratulations to him,” Aunt Celestia said.

“I will, Your Highness,” Lord Fancy Feet said.

Aunt Celestia smiled, but then her smile faded slightly as she turned to Viridian. “Now then,” she said, “as my nephew says, let’s address the elephant in the room. Who are you and your companions, young filly?”

That was too much for Misty, it seemed, because the older eutherian slammed her palm on the table and stood, her chair falling back as she glared at Celestia. “She is no mere filly, Solar Tyrant!” she shouted, little bits of spittle flying from her mouth. “You’re speaking to Princess Viridian Nightfallen, the First Princess of Silver Sanctum!”

“Peace, Misty!” Viridian ordered with a glare before she pointed over at Spike, who was burying his face into my chest and trembling with fear. “You’re scaring the young dragon over there!”

“If you harm my little brother again, I will have you in chains and in the deepest dungeons of Canterlot and throw away the key,” I added darkly, glaring at her.

Viridian turned back to me, her hands raised in a placating gesture. “Now then, Your Highness, let’s not do anything rash,” she said before she looked at Spike. “What’s the young dragon’s name?”

“Spike,” I replied.

Viridian stood, walked over to me and Spike, and put a tender hand on his head. I tensed up, but her smile was an apologetic one. “I’m sorry for my handmaiden’s words and tone, little dragon prince,” she said soothingly. “Please forgive her. She’s zealous and protective.”

I put my own hand on Spike’s head. “I won’t let the mean older lady hurt you,” I promised in an equally soothing tone, but with a glare towards Misty.

Gloom looked over at Misty. “Miss, we’re not in Silver Sanctum anymore,” she said, “so perhaps it would behoove us to behave like proper guests?”

“She’s right,” Twilit said, “so sit down before you get us thrown into the dungeons.”

Misty’s face was red with embarrassment and anger, but she eventually did grab her chair and sat down, mumbling an apology under her breath.

Once everyone was settled down, Aunt Celestia leaned forward and looked at Viridian who was still doing her best to comfort Spike. “I have never heard of Silver Sanctum,” she said. “What is it?”

Viridian looked up at Celestia. “It’s an underground city for the outcast eutherians who sided with Nightmare Moon during her revolution,” she explained.

Aunt Celestia’s eyes widened a bit. She then turned to me. “Is that where you were?” she asked.

“It’s where that hole led and it’s where I was imprisoned by their queen,” I explained. “Me, Princess Zecora, and young Mi Amore Cadenza.”+

Celestia didn’t react to that name, despite me telling her about the future alicorn Princess of Love. She leaned back and scowled. “That hole that opened couldn’t have led to an underground city under Canterlot,” she said. “All that’s under Canterlot is an abandoned mineshaft, and that’s all been explored.”

“Your Highness,” Viridian said, looking up at my aunt with a serious expression, “Silver Sanctum can only be reached through the Tenebra, just like how my entourage and I got here along with His Highness Prince Blueblood and those with him.”

“But that begs the question as to how they got to this Silver Sanctum in the first place,” Celestia pondered.

“I didn’t see anything after I woke up that looked like the Tenebra,” I said. “Perhaps it was a magical portal of some sort. A natural one between Canterlot and the cave we found ourselves in.” If that one episode of Equestria Girls was correct, natural portals between worlds did happen. I did know that Star Swirl had made a mirror portal similar to the one in the show, though.

Celestia nodded. “Perhaps.” She turned to Viridian. “What is Silver Sanctum like?”

“I can show you, actually,” I said as I held up my hand and cast a spell I had recently mastered, a memory recall one. Above the table, a large magical projection appeared, showing the view that I had seen of Silver Sanctum from the crevice where Zecora and I had slipped through.

Viridian looked at the projection not with surprise, but with longing. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” she asked.

Celestia was looking at the projection with a frown. “Those purple stones,” she said, “what are those called?”

“Moonstone,” Viridian said. “It’s quite common down there. It provides us with light, warmth, and fresh air.”

“You don’t have any plants down there?” I asked.

“We do,” Viridian explained as she slowly began to return to her seat after seeing that Spike had calmed down in my arms, “but we don’t have many. We do have a garden in the palace, but a lot of those plants glow with multiple colors.”

Celestia leaned back, thumb and forefinger on her chin as if in deep thought. “Moonstone…glowing plants…impossibly big city…”

“Is something coming to your mind, auntie?” I asked.

Aunt Celestia didn’t reply right away. However, when she did, her eyes were wide. “How could I have forgotten?” she muttered.

That didn’t sound good. “Auntie?” I asked.

She shook herself and looked down at me. “Sorry, I was just lost in a memory,” she said as she reached over and put a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “Suffice to say, I know where this Silver Sanctum is, now.”

The eutherians from Silver Sanctum stiffened a bit at her tone. Because the way Celestia said it was full of anger. Viridian spoke up. “Your Highness, please don’t hurt the innocents in Silver Sanctum if you do find a way there,” she pleaded. “Many of the eutherians there are only guilty of being angry at you. Many just want to live their lives without the persecution they fear they would face here.”

Aunt Celestia slowly turned to Viridian, and when their eyes locked, the former’s eyes softened. “I will not do any harm to any of the citizens of Silver Sanctum who are innocent in the false imprisonment of my nephew. Princess Zecora, and young Miss Cadenza,” she promised, “but whoever did imprison my nephew and the others will pay.”

Viridian looked a bit uncomfortable, but slowly nodded. “My sister, Queen Dawn Star,” she said. “She’s the one who threw them in the dungeons. And there may be other Equestrians who are imprisoned, too. I cannot be sure of that, however.”

“I understand,” Aunt Celestia said, “and thank you for telling me this.”

“These eutherians…are you absolutely sure they are the ones who you believe will invade?” Captain Strongheart asked. He had been remarkably silent during the conversation.

“Yes,” I said, “so there shouldn’t be any sort of shadows around the town’s outer walls.”

“We have preparations against shadow walkers,” he said.

At that moment, the door to the kitchen opened and a few pony maids came in with platters full of delicious smelling food. Celestia looked around the table. “For now, though, let’s try not to think about such things and eat. I’m sure my nephew will tell us about the escape afterwards, right?”

I looked up at her, nodding. “I will. But first, I’m starving. I haven’t eaten a good meal in a while.”

“Then let us enjoy the delicious food prepared for us,” Fancy Feet said. And with that, everyone at the table was served and we dug in.

“The pegasus filly has a fever,” the town healer said some time before sunset after giving everyone who had come with me to the house a brief examination. “The zebra filly is in better health now, although she wants her family and friends at the moment. As for the eutherians, as far as I can tell, they’re all healthy.”

“And my nephew?” Aunt Celestia asked, looking down at me.

I was standing just outside of Cadance’s room with Spike sitting on my shoulders as he sucked on his tail, a nervous habit he had yet to break. I had just woken up from a long nap that I had taken after breakfast. Rather, I had slept from ten in the morning until a half hour before sunset. I had been woken when the healer had come to check on me briefly. The healer looked at me and smiled. “Oh, don’t worry about him,” he said, “he’s as healthy as a horse, as he said while I was examining him.”

My aunt breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank Harmony,” she muttered before she looked back at the healer. “The pegasus filly…how can she heal?”

“She needs to eat light foods for the next few days to regain her strength,” the healer said. “It may take her a few months to regain her ability to fly.”

Celestia looked at the door that led to the room where Cadance was sleeping comfortably after being cleaned and treated. “Did you find any other signs of mistreatment other than lack of nutrition?” she asked. “Especially…mistreatment of that sort.”

I knew what she meant, but I pretended to play dumb as the healer shook his head. “Nothing of that sort, Your Highness, thank the goddesses.”

Aunt Celestia looked even more relieved. “Please keep an eye on her, then,” she said. “When will she and young Princess Zecora be well enough to travel to Canterlot?”

The healer frowned, considering. “Princess Zecora can travel back at any time,” he said, “but as for the young pegasus filly, I don’t know for certain. I would say perhaps a week, and even then it would need to be by carriage on the ground. I don’t think it would help her to travel by carriage by air.”

My aunt nodded. “Okay, thank you. I’ll leave you back to treating them.”

Afterwards, the two of us were walking down the halls towards the stairs that led to the front door. She looked over at me as we reached the top of the stairs. “Dear nephew, I need to speak to you alone outside.”

“No!” Spike exclaimed, holding onto my head, “I wanna stay wif big bwudda!”

Out of nowhere, Buttercup appeared, smiling down at the small dragon. “Don’t worry, little Spike,” she said as she turned to my aunt. “Your brother isn’t going anywhere. Princess Celestia won’t let anypony hurt him.”

Aunt Celestia smiled down at Spike reassuringly. “Buttercup is right,” she said. “Your big brother won’t be taken away again. I promise.”

Spike looked nervous, but allowed himself to be picked up by Buttercup. “Come on,” she said to the young drake, “I think they have a few of those new treats.”

“Donuts?” Spike asked eagerly, seeming to instantly forget his fear.

“Don’t let him eat too many,” I called out, “it’s almost time for bed.”

“I won’t, Your Highness,” Buttercup said reassuringly as the two headed down stairs.

My aunt and I watched him go, and then I smiled a bit. “Children can forget their worries at the promise of sweets so easily,” I muttered with a bemused expression.

“Bluey, you’re still a child even if you lived as an adult in a past life,” my aunt said as she put a hand on my straw blonde mane. “Now then, let’s head outside. We need to talk.”

The sun was just beginning to set, and from what I had been told, there were a number of rain showers, some heavy and with thunder, coming in through the night, but that wouldn’t start until a couple of hours after sunset. The Lord Protector’s manor sat on a hill overlooking Ponyshire. The town itself looked cozy and snug in its valley location next to the massive Everfree Forest. I could just see this place being a picturesque Christmas card back on Earth.

An evening breeze picked up and I shuddered. Instantly my aunt wrapped me up in one of her wings and pulled me close. “Let’s sit down over there,” she said, pointing over to one of the large wooden benches in a nearby garden.

As we approached, I drank in all of the details of the manor. It was surrounded by its own protective stone wall and had a personal gate that led into the village itself. Unlike other manor estates that I had learned about, this one didn’t have a moat, but there were a few watchtowers and a gatehouse next to the personal gate. To the west of the manor there lay a large field of crops that were for the personal use of Lord Fancy Feet and the staff in the manor itself. There was also the lord’s forest, a pond that was undoubtedly used in summer to cool off, and a green meadow where I saw some sheep being tended to by a few ovitaur and even a minotaur shepherd. They were being herded to the sheepfold at the moment. Near the manor house itself was a stable where I could see several horses being tended to by a few earth pony stablehands, one last check and feeding before the stables were ready for the night.

We reached the wooden bench and sat down. The setting sun was partially hidden behind a tree that was just in the line of sight of the bench at the moment. The bench also had a perfect view of the town below. I watched as ponies came and went, talking, laughing, heading home for the evening, and in the foal’s cases, still playing, especially in the village green or in front of houses in the residential areas. The marketplace just beginning to close, with outdoor stalls being closed and struck. I watched an earth pony stallion sampling a flower from a stall that was still open, chewing on it thoughtfully. That nearly made me laugh. I could eat flowers, now, and it was definitely an experience. I knew that humans could eat certain flowers, but it wasn’t done as often as it was in Equestria.

My thoughts came to a screeching halt when my aunt spoke. “I didn’t expect that you would find Cadance,” she said. “And as a pegasus only, no less.”

I looked up at my aunt, who still had her wing around me as she looked down at me with a small but wry smile. I shrugged. “Neither was I,” I said, “but maybe there’s a reason I found her.”

“Maybe,” my aunt said. She reached out and stroked my mane. After breakfast, I had taken a brief bath to clean up. Spike had insisted on joining me for it despite him already having had one earlier that morning, according to Buttercup. “What’s that phrase you’ve used before? Thank…God? Yes. Thank God that you’re okay.”

I chuckled a bit. “You should thank Shadow, too,” I said. “I don’t know how he got into my shadow when Zecora and I fell, but if he hadn’t, I might probably still be in that dungeon. Not only that, but we got extremely lucky during our escape.”

“I’m sure that the two of us can reward Shadow in a way that’s appropriate for his actions,” she said. Then her smile faded. “Stephen…what happened?”

I paused. She never used my Earth name unless she was extremely serious about something, and never when we were in public. “Well…a lot, to be honest,” I said. “Honestly, I’m still trying to process it.” I leaned back, putting my hand on Crescent’s pommel.

Foolish foal, Crescent said the moment I touched her, thy aunt knows about a certain action taken by thee upon the beginning of thy escape.

“Did my sister’s sword just talk with you?” Celestia asked. My eyes widened, but I simply nodded. She smiled sadly, then held out a hand to her side. There was a flash, and then a belt appeared on her side. A large sword appeared at her side. This one, unlike Crescent Moon, was mostly gold save for the dark crimson grip. The pommel was a disc that had my aunt’s cutie mark on it, and when she drew it halfway out, I saw that the blade itself was gold. There was a pink gem encrusted into the hilt near the guard, and the blade itself radiated heat.

We have not been in the presence of our sister in ages, Crescent hissed.

I looked at the massive sword. On a normal pony, it would have to be wielded with two hands, but I could tell that my aunt could use it with one hand alone. She might not have visible muscles, but as she was an alicorn, she had earth pony strength. Not only that, but I knew she regularly trained with the sword and other weapons daily. “Crescent Moon’s sister,” I muttered.

”Yes,” she said. She drew it completely and held it up. “This is Solar Flare, sister blade of Crescent Moon. I wielded her when I fought with your Aunt Luna. And she and I have lived with the guilt of fighting them.”

Not enough guilt to free our wielder, we see, Crescent said bitterly.

I glared at the sword. “If Aunt Celestia could have freed your wielder, don’t you think she would have?”

Celestia looked at the sword, then back at me. “I have tried, Crescent,” she said somberly. “I have even contemplated giving up my own immortality, but that would have only lasted a year before the spell the Elements cast would have forced her back. Please believe me, if I had the choice to bring her back now, I would.”

“Even then, it wouldn’t be an ideal situation,” I said. “She would still be Nightmare Moon. She would still try to bring about eternal night, which I must tell you would kill every living creature on the planet.”

Not so, Crescent said. Our wielder had plans to keep Equestria safe from adverse effects!

And what about the rest of the world? a new voice asked. Sister, what about the rest of the world? How would they fare?

There was a pause, and then Crescent spoke again, but this time it was in a voice of disbelief. Sol…is that really thee?

Hello, Cressie, the new voice said. This voice was deeper and older, similar to how Celestia’s voice was deeper than Luna’s. It’s been far too long since we spoke, hasn’t it?

Indeed, Crescent said. The last time we spoke to thee, we believe thy words were, ‘We shall see thee punished for this act of betrayal!’ or something to that effect.

I winced, and I saw my aunt do the same. Clearly, the two of us were somehow privy to this conversation. I heard Solar Flare sigh somberly. I regret those words, she said with what sounded like a sniff, and I regret how the two of us lost touch with one another. For what it’s worth, I’m truly sorry for everything.

I tightened my grip on Crescent’s pommel, and that caught the lunar sword’s attention. We may not feel pain like thee, young one, she said, but relax thy grip on us.

“Sorry,” I said instinctively as I forced my hand to relax, “but I don’t think your sister wants to fight you.”

Only because she knows we would pummel her into the earth were our rightful wielder here, Crescent boasted, but I could hear some uncertainty in the ‘voice’.

Solar chuckled softly, and it was a chuckle full of a large range of emotions. Amusement, jocularity, guilt, and regret, just to name a few. You may be surprised, Solar said, but I don’t want to fight you or your wielder. My wielder and I never did.

“I made grave errors in judgement when it came to your wielder, Crescent,” Aunt Celestia said sadly, dabbing at an eye with her personal handkerchief, “and just as much so when it came to the treatment of eutherians after her banishment. I may not have participated, but I also didn’t do enough to stop them. Both have been two of my biggest regrets in my rule. All I want is to have my sister back and to fix the wrongs of the past.”

Nobody spoke for a while. Slowly, I began to feel something ease. I realized that it was the anger towards Aunt Celestia that I had felt emanating from the sword at my hip. Thy words are…ones we wish to believe, Crescent said, and we can sense that our temporary wielder believes thee, too. Still, we anticipate that it shall take us time to fully trust thee again. We trust thy understanding in this matter to be absolute.

“Trust is earned, I know,” Aunt Celestia said. “I think your temporary wielder will be able to share this with you.”

Not just him, Solar said, but now that our old line of communication is open again, I can share everything my wielder has done. I would never lie to you, sister.

Crescent paused, seeming to consider things. Then the exposed blade at my side flashed a dark blue. Understood, she said, we await thy reassurances.

Speaking of, I have something of yours, Solar said, flashing in return. Instantly, a large scabbard appeared between me and my aunt, leaning against the bench.

I felt Crescent’s mood improving greatly. Our scabbard! she exclaimed. Quickly, foal, place us in our proper resting place!

“Hold your horses,” I said as I carefully drew Crescent before placing her in the scabbard.

Just like she had done before, the scabbard shrank to fit her new smaller form. When the shrinking stopped, I placed the scabbard on my belt and rested my hand back on Crescent’s pommel. We feel more complete now than we have in ages, Crescent said the moment I touched her pommel again.

Having your scabbard back does wonders for our nonexistent skin, Solar joked. Mistress, young prince, I hope you won’t mind if the two of us temporarily shut you out so we can talk in private?

“Not at all,” my aunt said.

I removed my hand from Crescent’s pommel, and her presence seemed to go silent. In fact, both swords vanished in the same manner as Solar appeared. Despite that, though, I could tell that Crescent was still attached to me, even if the weight was gone.

The moment both swords vanished, my aunt pulled me closer. “Nephew,” she began in a worried tone once more, “did you use Crescent when…?”

Instantly, I knew what she had been hinting at earlier. While I had told the story of my impromptu adventure after breakfast, I had deliberately left out how I had killed my jailer. I didn’t want Spike hearing about that so early. He was an impressionable young dragon. Plus, I felt shame at having to kill. Maybe it was childish of me to think so because it was either him or me, but that irrational thought still lingered. I shook my head. “I used…I used a dagger I borrowed from Shadow,” I explained.

She wrapped me closer in her wings. “Tell me,” she said.

It hadn’t been an order. Hell, it hadn’t been a request. It had been a plea. A plea which tugged at my heartstrings. At that moment, I broke. All of the emotions I had been keeping buried so as not to make anyone else panic came bubbling to the surface. I buried my face into my aunt’s clothes and began to ugly sob. She sat me in her lap and stroked my back and mane with her hands as I let out all of my emotions. I tried to speak, but anytime I did, the memory of what I had done came rushing to the forefront of my mind.

A part of me was embarrassed for how I was reacting, but the vast majority of me didn’t care. I needed this. I might have been an adult mentally, but I had come from a land where I had only been a commoner in this world’s terminology. I hadn’t needed to worry about things that I needed to deal with here. I clung to her tightly, letting my tears flow.

Minutes passed, although it felt like hours. When I was finished, I sat on my aunt’s lap while she cleaned the tears and the inevitable snot from my face. My cheeks were red from not just the exertion of crying, but from a bit of embarrassment at having made my aunt’s clothing dirty. “I-I’m sorry about your clothes,” I said.

My aunt simply waved a hand dismissively and put the handkerchief away. “A little bit of damp like that never hurt any clothes permanently,” she said reassuringly.

I looked up at her, letting myself be more vulnerable. “Does…does the pain go away?”

“No,” she replied, “not completely. I pray to Harmony every day that it doesn’t, because if it did, that would stop me from being a pony in every good sense of the word. And as for your next question, it never should get easier to kill. I mourn the loss of each and every life I’ve taken. There’s a monument that only I know of where I have hand carved the names of those whose lives I’ve ended into a stone pillar. I visit it every year and read the names.”

I had a suspicion that was what she would say. Still, it didn’t make me feel any better. “I see,” I said, my voice cracking slightly.

My aunt held me closer than before, her warm embrace tender and loving. “I hoped you’d never have to endure that pain, or at the very least not have to experience it for many years yet,” she said apologetically, “but now that you have, I will do everything I can to help you heal.”

I smiled softly and leaned in closer to her tender embrace. “Thanks, auntie,” I said gratefully. “And Cadance?”

“I will bring her into the palace as well,” my aunt promised as she leaned down and gave my forehead a kiss. “Now then, I know you slept already today, but you should probably get some more sleep.”

Despite the long nap I had taken before, I yawned. “I guess I still need some extra sleep,” I nodded.

“Come on,” she said as she stood, “Lord Fancy Feet has prepared a room for you and Spike to share.”

“I think Spike would like that,” I said. “Poor guy looked so happy to see me.”

Aunt Celestia smiled sadly. “Nopony could calm him down after you disappeared.”

“Well then, let’s get him to bed before he devours too many donuts,” I said. And with that, the two of us headed inside.

I woke up early that next morning at exactly 1:14 A.M. I knew this because I looked at the slightly glowing clock on the wall in front of me. Spike was curled up next to me, clinging to me tightly as if I would disappear again. Outside, I could hear the predicted rain battering against the window. The blinds had been drawn thanks to the extra light that came from the precautions the towns guard were taking against possible eutherian invaders.

“Gotta pee,” I muttered to myself as I slowly and very gently pried Spike off of me. I cast a small dark red light spell to keep my night vision and to help me see in the dark on my way to the privy.

After I finished my business, I walked back quietly to my room and walked in. To my dismay, Spike was awake and sitting up in bed, looking around with a fearful expression on his face. When he saw me entering, he froze, but after a few seconds, recognition lit on his face. I ran over to him, sitting on the bed next to him as he crawled over and clung to me. “Where were you, Big Bwudda?” Spike asked with a trembling voice.

“Just had to use the privy, kiddo,” I said softly. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“I thought you went away again,” Spike said fearfully.

“I’m sorry,” I apologized, my heart breaking a bit for the poor traumatized dragon hatchling. “I’m not going anywhere. Now then, we should get back to sleep-”

Nay! Sleep may not come for thee at the present time! Crescent’s voice echoed sharply in my head.

I looked over at where Crescent Moon lay on a nearby table. I was surprised that she could communicate with me despite me not touching her. I kept my expression neutral and my body language relaxed as I thought The fuck are you talking about?

Dispense with thy foul tongue, child, Crescent hissed in my mind, for trouble brews just outside of this little hamlet of thine!

This time I couldn’t keep my body from stiffening, something Spike noticed. “Big Bwudda?” he asked.

“Just a moment, Spike,” I said as I stood up and walked over to the smaller sword, grabbing it by the belt and touching the scabbard. What’s going on? I demanded.

The enemy is approaching the gates sooner than anypony anticipated, Crescent said. Solar Flare hath alerted her wielder. Her tone then softened considerably. We apologize for interrupting the moment with thy adopted sibling, but time must not be wasted. Queen Dawn Star is coming.