A Mercenary's Ending

Chapters

1: Consequences
5: Welcome To Maretime Bay
24 The Great Escape
41: Scout
2: Three Years Later
3: The Mercenary
4: The Attack
6: Where The Shadows Lie
7: Reflections Of The Past
8: Rescue
9: Convergence
10: A Sudden New Contract
11: A Brand New Day
12: In The Hall Of The Mountain Queen
13: The Best Laid Plans...
14: ...Often Go Awry
15: Trail Of Bread Crumbs
16: Suspicions
17: New Plans
18: The Search Begins
19: Confrontations
20: New Discovery(s)
21: History in Motion
22: Results
23: Opportunities
25: Tensions Mount
26: Conference
27: Revelation
28: The Winterwall
29: Heroes Return
30: Heroes Breakfast
31: Alicorn(s) Fury
32: Dubiety
33: A Town Called Canterlot
34: The First
35: Confessions
36: Dodge City
37: A Long-Awaited Meeting
38: Testimony
39: Confrontations
40: Discussions
42: Revival
43: The Royal Mausoleum

1: Consequences

Princess Celestia sat on her throne, looking down at the various piece of paper in front of her and trying to make sense of the contents within them. For this paper was a coroner’s report. A report on a specific individual who she had only spent a hooffull of days with, but who had made a great impression on her. That individual was Jason Wright, a human who had appeared some three years prior in Canterlot and had an audience with her and Luna. She never would have known about Jason’s death had it not been for Applejack Apple, Element of Honesty.

The report told of a gruesome story for the poor human soul. Suicide. Something that was almost impossible in this land of peace and harmony. However, that wasn’t the worst of it. The coroner admitted that he was no expert on a human’s biology, but his skin was peppered with scars from various objects hitting him and even scars from a lightning strike that ran from his head down to his toes. She knew he didn’t have the same magical protection from lightning that her little ponies had, but she had assumed that Twilight, her former faithful student, would easily be able to make said connection and warn her friends not to harm him.

How wrong that assumption was, it seemed. Not only did he have a scar from being struck by lightning along with a blind eye, but there were multiple scars in the shape of hooves that battered his body and deep gashes that looked worryingly recent. He was malnourished at his time of death, and there was more evidence that the ponies of Ponyville, the so-called friendliest place in Equestria, had rejected this human and forced him to live in a dark and dismal cave in the dreaded Everfree. For three whole years, if her investigative team’s report was accurate, which she didn’t doubt, he had endured this torment.

She looked at the pictures of the body taken by the coroner and had to resist the urge to vomit. When she’d met Jason, he was a spry younger human with dark brown hair, light brown eyes, and a smile on his lips and heart. He’d looked healthy, and despite being an omnivore he reassured her that he wouldn’t eat any sort of meat that could talk or think. The pictures she had showed someone with a more skeletal appearance. Sunken eyes, hollow cheekbones, multiple scars, more than half of which were hoof shaped, half of his hair missing and the other half gray, and signs of broken bones that had poorly healed.

Celestia began shedding tears as she read the report from her investigative team. Apparently, all of this started when her student, Twilight Sparkle, had rejected Jason. This, in turn, led the entire town to not only refuse to help him, but it also caused many in the town to actively try and chase him out of town. And the ponies who should have helped him, those who were supposed to represent the Elements of Harmony, had turned their backs on him. In fact, the lightning scar came from the ever so impulsive Rainbow Dash while the oldest of the hoof scars came from Applejack. Fluttershy had rejected him out of complete fear of him, Rarity had chased him out of her shop, and Pinkie Pie had apparently never even once tried to meet the new human or even throw him a party. While the rest of the town were no better, she expected so much more from the Bearers. Too late, she realized that while the Tenets of Harmony were to be idealized, the Bearers themselves were flawed, more so than she’d realized.

With this realization, Celestia wondered if there were more patterns like this throughout her nation. Digging deeper had revealed some disturbing facts about her ponies that left her appalled. There were reports, buried deeply so as not to even reach her, of ponies being mistrustful and even hateful towards other species. Zecora was the first example that she’d discovered. While the zebra shamaness wasn’t as cruelly mistreated as Jason, she was still feared until her student and her friends had cleared things up. Apparently, the same courtesy wasn’t given to Jason.

Celestia also looked into the young Spike, and findings regarding him were even more horrifying. Spike was less of a friend to Twilight now and more of an indentured servant. He was forced to clean the castle where Twilight now lived, had no friends of his own his own age, and was apparently taken advantage of by the so-called Element of Generosity due to his feelings of love towards her.

She put the papers down again, leaning back in her throne and looking up at the ceiling. A sudden wave of guilt washed over her. Was she any better? She had never once thought to check on the young human. She’d never even sent a letter to Twilight asking about him and how he was faring in the three years since she’d sent him there. She’d only given him a day’s worth of bits for a night in an inn. This was just as much her failure as it was theirs. Her assumptions had led to the destruction of someone who only wanted to make friends in this world.

With this horrific realization, she put the papers in a neat pile, asked Raven Inkwell to organize them for her, then told her guards she was off to Ponyville. However, before she could even leave the throne room, a green mist formed in front of her. A scroll appeared and Celestia caught it in her magic. Noting the seal was marked URGENT, she broke said seal and opened it.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Something terrible has happened! The Castle of Friendship has locked me and everypony else in town out of it! We can’t get in no matter how hard we try! Please come and help!

Your Faithful Student,

Twilight Sparkle

As she read this, her sadness turned into rage, rage that she hadn’t felt in centuries. Blinding hot rage that apparently woke her sister as the dark blue mare appeared in a flash beside her, still wearing her sleepwear. “Sister? What has transpired? What ails you?” Luna asked with a yawn.

Celestia forced herself to calm down, then looked with sorrow at her younger sister. “Remember Jason Wright?”

Luna brightened a bit. “That lovely human who came to us three years ago? Yes, I remember. Why? Is he coming to visit?”

Celestia shook her head darkly. “He…won’t be able to visit us or anyone ever again,” she said, her voice catching in her throat. “He’s…dead.”

Luna’s smile faded instantly, and she stared unbelieving at her sister. “You lie…” she said.

Celestia shook her head. “No…it’s true.” She pointed to the papers that Raven was still organizing. “It’s all in there.”

Luna locked on to the papers, and soon she’d grabbed them in her magic, looking over the reports with her own eyes. Celestia sat on the pristine marble floors of her throne room, tears of sorrow mixed with regret pouring from her eyes. She could feel the rising anger from her sister as she read everything. When she returned, the utter rage she felt from Luna was on par with her anger as Nightmare Moon. No, it far surpassed it. Celestia looked up and her normally pale face would have gone even paler. The utter hatred in her eyes was visible as a dark aura surrounded the lunar alicorn. “How…?” her voice was trembling in righteous fury, “how could those six mares…who freed me from my nightmare…have caused the death of an innocent creature?!”

“We can find out together,” Celestia said, holding up Twilight’s letter which Luna grabbed and scanned quickly. “That may somehow be related.”

“There’s no doubt about that,” Luna growled, grinding her teeth in rage as she raised her horn. “Come, sister, we shall hear their pitiful excuses before they are punished!”

Normally, Celestia would have contradicted her sister’s words, but she was beginning to see Twilight and her friends in a new light. She had failed Twilight. She had failed her ponies. She realized in that moment then that the unification of Equestria all those years ago had only taken the hatred and fear the three tribes once had for one another and redirected it outwards. It might not have been as evident, but this blatant example of Jason’s death due to years of abuse and hatred had to not only be dealt with, but it should inspire change. She realized that a thousand years of peace didn’t mean there was true harmony in her lands. She would work to ensure that not only did Jason’s memory not go quietly into that good night, but that it would be the inspiration for change.

Twilight Sparkle paced in front of the Castle of Friendship, trying not to hyperventilate as she waited for a response from Princess Celestia. Her friends surrounded her, trying to calm her down. All save for Applejack, who sat apart from the rest and dug at the ground with her hoof. Lately, the farmmare had not been wearing her traditional Stetson, and it had worried Twilight until this new issue cropped up.

“Darling, you need to pull yourself together,” Rarity said in a reassuring tone, “everything’ll be alright, just you wait.”

“Yeah!” Pinkie said, “I bet when the princess gets here, she’ll be able to solve this issue lickety split!”

“Chin up, Twilight!” Rainbow encouraged.

“My animal friends told me that there’s nothing evil looking inside,” Fluttershy said in an attempt to be helpful.

However, Twilight was stuck in her own thoughts. She paced back and forth, eyes wide with worry. Nearby, Starlight Glimmer and Spike both stood and watched Twilight slowly descend into worry and fear. The former looked down at the latter. “Does she normally get like this when she’s stressed?” Starlight had only recently come into town after her time traveling debacle with Twilight and was still learning the ropes about how things worked in this town.

Spike huffed and nodded. “You’ll get used to it,” he said, leaning against a nearby bench with his arms crossed.

“You deal with this often?” Starlight asked.

“More often than you’d think,” Spike sighed as he looked back at the castle. “Still, I hope we can figure this out. I’ve got some comics in there that I’d hate to lose. They cost a lot.”

Starlight reached over and gently rubbed Spike’s back as nearby, Fluttershy looked at Applejack. “Um…Applejack? Are you okay?”

Applejack jumped at being addressed, then looked up at the pegasus. “Uh, not really,” she said.

“Worried about the castle too, huh?” Rainbow asked with a nod that was probably supposed to be understanding. “Me too.”

“It ain’t that,” Applejack said, “it’s…something else.”

“What is it?” Fluttershy asked.

Applejack then did something nopony else there who knew her well enough expected. She wrapped herself up tightly, pulling on her mane to cover her face. “Ah don’t wanna talk ‘bout it none right now.”

Before anyone else could say anything, the sound of teleportation magic was heard nearby. Princess Celestia stood tall and looked down at the ponies before her. However, Princess Luna was also there, and both had looks of anger on their faces, causing everypony else to recoil in shock.

All except Twilight Sparkle, who ran over to the princesses with a look of relief. “Thank goodness you’ve come!” she said, sounding much less stressed as she pointed to the castle. “I don’t know what happened! I was reading in the library and Spike was cleaning when we were suddenly outside and unable to-”

“Be silent, Twilight Sparkle,” Princess Celestia said, and the tone coming from her muzzle was like that of living ice.

Twilight’s ears splayed down against her face and she backed away, a look of fear and confusion on her face. “Puh-Princess, what-?”

“I said be silent!” the princess repeated with more force, spreading her wings apart majestically as she glared down with anger and disappointment clear on her face. There was silence now as her gaze focused on each of the other five. When her eyes lay on Starlight and Spike, her features softened and she gave them a nod. “Young Spike, Miss Starlight Glimmer, would you please join my sister for a moment? She has something she needs to tell you.”

Confused, Spike and Starlight did as they were told, following a stern looking Luna away from the rest of them. Twilight gave Princess Celestia a pleading look before opening her mouth to speak again. However, a glare from the princess silenced her as she looked at the six mares in front of her. “Three years,” she began. “Three years you ponies ignored, tormented, abused, beat and starved an innocent being. What do you have to say for yourselves?”

Twilight looked completely shocked by this, as did four other ponies. However, it was Applejack who spoke. She looked up and removed her hair from her eyes. Everypony could see how bloodshot they really were now. They saw the bags under her eyes and the tearstains on her cheeks. She looked truly remorseful as she spoke out. “Ah can’t lie. We ain’t got an excuse.”

“You’re damned right you don’t!” Celestia shouted, startling even Applejack. Hearing the princess swear was practically unheard of, but she continued. “You are the reason behind the death of someone! You may not have directly done it, but your actions drove someone who only wanted to be your friends to SUICIDE!” She used her own Royal Canterlot Voice to emphasize that last word, sending them all sprawling.

Twilight was the first to recover and speak, looking up at Celestia with confusion in her eyes. “What…do you mean?” she asked.

“I’m talking about the human I sent down here three years ago!” Celestia said in rage. “I’m talking about Jason Wright! I’m talking about how the six of you were the leaders of the charge in the abuse of a defenseless being! I’m talking about how you sent him to live in a damp cave in the middle of the Everfree! Lost, alone, cold, and hungry! He was forced to scavenge because nobody here was generous, kind, honest, loyal, or even strove to make Jason smile!” She looked at the five mares whose elements they represented with a disapproving angry glare, causing each of them to shrink back.

Twilight looked stunned at this. This had to be a joke, right? There was no way that the actions she took against that human for the betterment of Ponyville had such dire consequences! She began to breath heavily, feeling another panic attack. She shook her head, denying it as she said, “That’s not true…it can’t be…”

“Would you all like to see the body!?” Celestia shouted. “Do you want to see the scars that you all inflicted on him! The lightning scars, the hoofprints from being bucked mercilessly, the way his skin sagged off of his bones from lack of food! Perhaps that should be part of your punishment for what you did to him!”

“W-We were protecting Ponyville from a threat!” Rainbow shouted, although she didn’t look so confident.

Celestia was right in Rainbow’s face, nose to nose with her. “What threat, Miss Dash? What sort of threat did he pose to you?! To Ponyville!? What gives you the right to become cruel to someone and disguise it as loyalty?!” She then turned to Fluttershy, who was now crying openly. “Where was your kindness when Jason needed it the most?!” Next, she turned to Rarity. “Where was your generosity when Jason could have used it in his darkest hours!?” She moved to Applejack. “Where was your so-called Apple hospitality when Jason was forced to steal from you, only for you to chase him off, buck him in the chest to break his ribs or to send your mutt after him to tear his skin off!?” Next, she moved onto Pinkie Pie, whose mane and tail was completely flat and her smile gone. “And you completely avoided him altogether, when a bit of laughter would have done him good! Instead, he hung himself!” Lastly, she turned to Twilight Sparkle, who was still completely shocked and unmoving. “And as for you, my faithful student,” and she spat the words out as if they were repugnant to her, “you forgot the earliest lesson you learned!” With that, she slammed a scroll down on the ground in front of the purple alicorn, who picked it up with shaky magic.

As Twilight read, her eyes widened and she broke. She looked down with tears in her eyes as she repeated over and over again, “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, please forgive me, please forgive me, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry…”

The others approached warily at the parchment now lying on the ground. As they read, their spirits crumbled.

Dear Princess Celestia,

My friends and I all learned an important lesson this week: Never judge a book by its cover. Someone may look unusual, or funny, or scary. But you have to look past that and learn who they are inside. Real friends don't care what your "cover" is; it's the contents of a pony that count. And a good friend, like a good book, is something that will last forever.

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle

“Tell me, so-called Princess of Friendship,” Celestia said as she picked the scroll up with her magic, “what was it about Jason that made him different from Miss Zecora? Was it because Zecora was shaped like a pony? Was it because Zecora is an herbivore like us? Tell me what it is about Jason that made you shove him aside like garbage!”

Twilight, however, was still lost in her own thoughts, rocking back and forth as she repeated the same phrases over and over again. An apology and pleading for forgiveness. The others didn’t look any better. Pinkie Pie had a mad look in her eye as she was beginning to gather sticks and moss to make a human figure, calling it Jason. Rarity was simply sitting on the ground, tears pouring from them. Fluttershy was collapsed in a heap, sobbing profusely. Applejack was simply staring at the ground, her mane even more unkempt and falling around her. Rainbow was no longer flying now, just staring out towards the Everfree.

Suddenly, however, Twilight stopped. She looked up a hopeful expression on her face. “Wait…we can fix this!” she said with a somewhat mad grin, a grin that resembled what she looked like during the Want It Need It incident some years prior. She looked around wildly. “Where’s Starlight!? She finished Star Swirl’s time travel spell! Maybe she can-!”

“No, I can’t use it anymore,” Starlight said as she returned alone. Luna was in the distance holding a clearly despondent Spike.

Twilight saw Spike crying and stood. “Spike?! What’s wrong?!”

She moved to run to him, but was blocked by a magical wall. Starlight stepped in front of her, then to the surprise of everypony there sans Celestia, the unicorn shoved her teacher back hard with her hoof. “You don’t deserve to see him, child abuser!” Starlight growled.

“Ch-Child abuser…?” Twilight asked, her mane coming more undone.

“Princess Luna told us all about how you’ve relegated Spike to the sidelines!” Starlight snapped. “He has to clean the castle?! You’re a princess now, Twilight! You have the money to hire ponies for that! Instead, you call Spike, who’s been there for you longer than anypony else here save the Princess, ONLY your Number One Assistant! He’s only a child! He should be in school, making friends with others his own age, not acting as your slave!”

Twilight collapsed onto her haunches again. “B-But he likes-”

“And as for YOU, Rarity!” Starlight snapped, looking at the still crying unicorn mare, “We all know that Spike here has feelings for you, but what have you done? You use him as a pin cushion and free labor! You take advantage of his feelings to get work out of him!” She spun and looked at the others. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you all have done that one way or another, relegating him to the side.” She looked back at Twilight. “As of today, Twilight Sparkle, I wash my hooves of you, as in I am no longer your student. You claim to be the Princess of Friendship, but if you can’t even treat your oldest companion like a real friend or even a sibling, then you’ve failed.” With that, she turned and trotted away, walking back to Luna and Spike with her head held high.

Twilight fell to her side, holding her head in her hooves. Her mouth was moving as if she was speaking, but nothing came out. The princess had watched this all with a dispassionate glare. When nopony else spoke, she stood taller. “You asked me to come here to fix the issue with getting into the castle, Miss Sparkle. The truth of the matter is, that since the Tree of Harmony was the one who made the castle for you, it now rejects you as a Bearer.” She lifted her horn and six stone objects appeared in the air. All of them bore a remarkable resemblance to the Elements they had received all those moons ago. The detail on them was so precise, but there was one small detail that everypony noticed.

The gems on them had all been blackened. All corrupted and unusable. The six mares, upon seeing this, fell further back into themselves. Pinkie lost more of her color, Rarity’s mane and tail lost their lovely curls, Applejack’s head was now practically covered in her blond mane, and judging from the slight rhythmic trembling she must have been crying, Fluttershy was completely sobbing and wailing now, Rainbow Dash was looking at the ground in anger, although at who or what remained to be seen but if the tears were any indication, it was self-loathing, and Twilight was babbling nonsense.

“The Elements of Harmony have completely rejected you, and for good reason,” Celestia said. “While Jason was alive, it seemed as if they may have held out hope you’d come to your senses like you did with Zecora, but when your actions caused his suicide, they deemed you beyond unworthy of ever reclaiming these again.” She teleported them away and looked down at them. “Now then, for your punishments. Twilight Sparkle, you are hereby stripped of your title as a princess and all privileges that affords you, including your servants which you never even thought to utilize and instead forced it all on Spike. And speaking of, I am taking him into my custody instead. You were clearly not ready to raise him.”

Twilight briefly came out of her madness and pleaded, “No! Please Princess! I can fix this! I can make things right with Spi-!”

“I have spoken,” Celestia said firmly. She then turned to Rainbow Dash. “As for you, Rainbow Dash, I hereby remove you from the Wonderbolts effective immediately. All of your accolades and medals will be revoked and your record wiped. It will be as if you never joined.”

Rainbow closed her eyes, her wings hanging limply by her side as she cried a bit, gritting her teeth and bucking the air in frustration. Celestia turned to Applejack. “Applejack Apple, my first thought was to revoke my land grant to your family for your heinous actions against Jason, but that would be cruel to the food production in this town. Since you were the only pony there when he killed himself and witnessed it, I don’t need to further punish you. Instead, you will live with what you’ve done.”

“Understood,” Applejack said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Celestia turned to Pinkie Pie. “I believe the same punishment can go for you, Pinkamena Diane Pie,” Celestia said. “Your actions against Jason, while not violent, contributed greatly to his suffering. You will have to live with that.”

As Pinkie blubbered in shame, Celestia turned to Rarity. “Rarity, I am revoking your business license effective immediately. You will never be allowed to own a business ever again. You will simply be another run of the mill seamstress with no business to call your own.”

Rarity was bawling now, holding onto Fluttershy, but Celestia simply ignored her as she turned last to Fluttershy. “As for you, Fluttershy, your veterinarian license issued to you by Twilight is hereby null and void. You will no longer be allowed to help those poor innocent creatures in need ever again, just like you failed to help Jason.”

Celestia took a few steps back, spreading her wings and looking at the gathered crowd of ponies who were watching this in confusion. She glared at them, then turned back at the six. “But I’m not finished here yet. Everything that this town has done to Jason and any other creatures who are not ponies will be revealed and shown to the rest of Equestria publicly. Your failures will be broadcast for all to see. All of your accolades as the former Bearers will be destroyed and publicly burned. You will simply become six ponies who failed their mandate.”

Before she could continue, a new male voice called out, “It is unfortunate that I have awoken to see such a state.” Everypony turned to see a glowing transparent version of Jason Wright standing nearby. He looked like a blue apparition with his frame encased in a slightly brighter blue light. His expression was neutral and he had his arms crossed. This apparition still bore the wounds, scars, and gaunt figure of the dead human. His one good eye scanned the crowd of ponies, then looked down at the former bearers. In a calm and serene tone, the apparition said, “You six and the rest of this town have corrupted my tenets and have cast out a creature who was once a kind and happy man. Your princess is correct that you had the chance to change your ways while he still lived, but you threw him away like refuse. Out of sight, out of mind as the human saying goes. You are not only no longer worthy to be bearers of harmony, but do not deserve the castle that bears the title of friendship.”

The apparition turned next to Celestia, and the monarch shrank back in fear, but tried not to show it. The materialization of Harmony that took Jason’s form simply shook his head in utter disappointment, saying absolutely nothing. For Celestia, however, it was like an arrow to the heart. He then turned and held out his hand towards the crystal castle. It began to glow slightly, then shake and tremble before suddenly bursting into blue hot flames. Everypony watched in disbelief as the crystal walls and towers of the Castle of Friendship began to whither away into ash, disappearing into nothingness. The six ponies and the rest of the town could only watch in horror as the once majestic structure crumbled into nothing more than dust until nothing remained of it save for a black scar on the land in the shape of its foundation. The soul of Harmony turned to Celestia, walked up to her, and snapped his fingers. A box appeared next to Celestia, all bearing a number of items inside. “Give these to the only two creatures who lived in that castle who did nothing to Jason: Starlight Glimmer and Spike the Dragon. They will not suffer for the sins of others.”

Celestia nodded as the apparition turned to the crowd. In a mighty voice, he spoke: “Your town is unworthy to even exist! However, as I rarely take direct action, I will do nothing. This town will fall on its own, not by my hand. May this be a harsh lesson not just to Ponyville but to all of Equestria: Harmony and friendship are not to be hoarded! They are to be spread everywhere, even to races you fear and loathe! And you are not to force change, but to allow others to explore their own means of achieving harmony and friendship. Farewell!” And with that, the apparition brightened and vanished in a white flash.

Two years later, and things had gone vastly downhill for the once peaceful and happy town of Ponyville. When the news about all of the atrocious acts taken against Jason Wright were publicly shown to the rest of Equestria, not just in the papers but in a countrywide magical broadcast and later that year a book detailing every single detail, Ponyville became a pariah among the nation. It went from being called Friendliest Town in Equestria to Cruelest Tartarus-hole in Equestria. Nopony wanted anything to do with the town, and it quickly began losing tourists.

Ponies from Ponyville quickly began to pack and leave, but even their reputation as former Ponyvillians preceded them. They were treated poorly by other ponies in other towns. This led to civil unrest among the populace, so much so that Celestia had to take action. She created a coastal town rather secluded from the rest of Equestria known as Maretime Bay. There, the ponies who were fleeing Ponyville could live in some semblance of peace, away from the prying eyes of the rest of the kingdom.

As for the former bearers, once news of their cruelty reached Equestrian ears, they all began going their separate ways. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy both went back to Cloudsdale, living in their parents’ houses and avoiding contact with everypony save for their parents. Said parents did their best to help, but even Rainbow Dash’s parents couldn’t just dismiss what they did. They were rarely seen after that.

A despondent Pinkie Pie returned to her home on the rock farm. Her family was as loving as they could be, after the lectures, of course. Even Maud had a few words to say, not to mention the wall of words that came from Marble. However, they made it clear that they said this out of the hopes that Pinkie would become a better pony because of it.

Rarity, much like the others, began to return to her parents’ house, but since they were part of the problem in Ponyville, they had to move to Maretime Bay when the town began shutting down. She was never seen much after that, either.

Applejack was the only pony whose family didn’t leave. Despite everything, their farm still provided an essential service to the nation. However, their workload became harder since the entire town of Ponyville had been deserted. Every day, Applejack had to look at the once vibrant town and could only remember what had been. Not only that, but the tree where Jason committed suicide in was never touched by her or her family. Instead, it grew more and more wild, its apples falling and never being eaten by anypony else.

As for Twilight, she spent those two years in a mental facility. The alicorn couldn’t accept what had happened to Jason, insisting that he was still alive and that she was learning so much about his world. She described events that hadn’t happened, such as Pinkie Pie’s party for Jason, how the town had gotten to accept him as a friend to ponies, and even began talking about Spike being more and more included in the events of her fictitious day to day life. The doctors and nurses worked around the clock to help heal her mind and help her accept what had happened. When she finally accepted what she’d done, she quickly followed through on the other stages of grief until she accepted that her actions had caused the suicide of an innocent being.

When she was released, she was moved to Maretime Bay, living in the town’s lighthouse and tending to it as the new lighthouse keeper. The doctor’s thought that her keeping busy would keep her from regressing into her manic state, something that she was prone to do during her recovery process. She learned quickly how to do chores and such on her own. Since she still had her alicorn magic, she discovered that it was super easy, barely an inconvenience. She regretted the treatment she gave Spike more and more with each passing day.

The most outrage came from the Crystal Empire, especially when news of how their hero Spike had been treated by Twilight and her friends reached their ears. He was welcomed by Princess Cadance and Shining with open hooves, and the latter tried his best to make things right with the little brother he’d always had but never really acknowledged.

Spike went between Canterlot and the Crystal Empire, though, as Princess Celestia and Luna were also hoping to build a good relationship with him, which he was a bit reluctant to accept at first, but soon he saw the two as family as well. He quickly let go of his feelings for Rarity when he learned of what she’d done to Jason. He was sent to school in the Crystal Empire and made some new friends his own age. He even developed a crush on a filly there. Funnily enough, she was the complete opposite of Rarity.

The news of the death of Jason Wright by suicide along with the cause spread not along all of Equestria, but outside it as well. There had never been so much tension between Equestria and other nations, especially when news of how certain Ponyvillians treated other races.

The news even reached the lawless city Thornfall located deep within the Badlands just outside of Equestria. Specifically, it reached the ears of an individual in a darkened corner building. He was sitting at a desk, reading over several job requests he’d received when the door burst open. Quickly, he pulled his hood over his face so as not to be seen, although his partner hadn’t informed him that there was anyone coming by today.

He was just slipping his gloves on when his partner, an abyssinian male named Tobias, came bursting in. He was about one year younger than the individual and had fur as black as night save for a small spot of white on his forehead. His yellow eyes were wide with alarm as he rushed in, catching his breath. He was wearing a black coat and had a pair of daggers attached to the belt wrapped around his waist.

The figure at the desk sighed, and looking at him through the darkened hood that obscured his features, he said, “Toby, you know better than to come bursting in.”

“S-Sorry, G,” Tobias panted, “b-but there’s news!”

“What is it?” he asked, leaning back.

Tobias grabbed a glass of water that was on the desk, gulping it all down as he continued to catch his breath. “I managed to snag this from some new ponies I saw in town.” He pulled out a newspaper from his pocket and slid it onto the table. The figure looked down at it, then back at Tobias, who turned the paper over and pointed. “It’s an article from one of those Equestrian newspapers,” he explained. “Apparently, you weren’t the first to come here after all.”

The figure looked at the paper, then reached up to his hood. He slid it off, revealing a young-looking human male with long brown wavy hair, light blue eyes, and a couple of scars on said face, including a cut that went from above his eye to below it, the result of an encounter with a goblin assassin that had nearly killed him had it not been for Tobias’ timely rescue. He reached down and grabbed the newspaper, reading the article aloud.

“Today marks the five year anniversary of the suicide of one Jason Wright, the first human to traverse the expanse of worlds from his to ours. His tale is one well known to all ponies today. He wished to befriend ponykind but instead was the victim of the cruelty of ponies from the now infamous town of Ponyville. He was chased out of the town, tormented, abused, starved, and rejected by those ponies who were said to be the Bearers of Harmony alongside their entire town. Now, he is dead, a tragic tale of failure and loss.

“Two years ago, Princesses Celestia and Luna established this day as the Day of Remembrance. We don’t just remember Jason’s tragedy, but we hold this day in high regard because it reminds us that the Tenets of Harmony are for all races all across the world, not just here in our kingdom. May we never forget that despite everything we claim to hold dear, we are flawed. We must rise above these flaws if we are to become better ponies.”

Tobias looked down at the human in front of her, leaning down and looking at him curiously. “So…what do we do, G?” he asked.

“What do we do?” he repeated, raising an eyebrow. “We do what we always do.” He looked at the papers scattered on his desk, then reached down and grabbed one, picked it up, and showed it to him. “We work to survive.”

Tobias looked at it, then chuckled. “Excellent choice,” he said as he put his hood over his head. “So, Gregory, when do you want to start this job?”

Gregory Eugene Graystone, twenty nine year old human male, reached down and retrieved a face mask sitting on the desk. “You know what they say, Toby,” he said as he placed it over his face and touched something on the side. Instantly, the mask began to expand, covering his entire face until his human features were hidden. When it was covered, the eyepieces began glowing a light blue and two vertical lines of light light light appeared on the voice modulator. He stood and grabbed two large serrated blades which he strapped to his belt. As he put his hood over his head, he spoke. “There’s no time like the present.” As he spoke, the line on his modulator brightened and dimmed to match his voice. Not only that, but his own voice changed completely. It was deeper and more menacing, enough to intimidate those around him.

Tobias chuckled and grabbed his own bag. “Lead on, Gregory.”

“That’s not my name,” the now disguised human reminded Tobias.

Tobias rolled his eyes and nodded. “Fine, fine. Lead on…Revan.”

With that, Tobias followed his human friend and companion, the mysterious mercenary named Revan, out into the crime filled city. The mercenary party Shadow Dawn had work to do.

Author's Note

I decided to take a different approach with another iteration of Gregory in the Endingverse. No powers this time. I'm also gonna try writing him not as some unstoppable hero, but with flaws. This started out as a oneshot but has developed into a story already three chapters long. Let's see how this goes.

5: Welcome To Maretime Bay

Sunset’s first glimpse of Maretime Bay was met with mixed feelings from her. For one thing, she could appreciate that, despite being only a couple of years old, the town had a more modern day look, unlike the backwater dump that had been Ponyville. The buildings didn’t have the plainly outdated and dangerous thatched roofing that seemed to be all the rage in most towns. The town was less colorful than other places in Equestria. Sure, there were some buildings that had some color, but for the most part they were muted. There was a large factory being built on a small hill overlooking the town, although for what purpose she couldn’t guess.

Secondly, she could appreciate just how orderly it was. This town was apparently planned out, and had a very good aesthetic. Ponyville didn’t have that. Instead, it was more haphazard, and emergency services would have a harder time reaching their destinations in a town such as that. At least here, the roads were smooth and well-marked.

On the other hoof, Sunset could hardly accept that these sadists and country hicks even deserved a city of their own. What they’d done was a crime that deserved time in the deepest, darkest dungeons of Canterlot, and in the case of the Inhumane Six as they had become known throughout Equestria, Tartarus. If nothing else, they shouldn’t be allowed to be around each other where they could propagate their hate, xenophobia, and speciesism.

She looked back at their group. Their clients were down to two carts of what they could recover from the attack more than two days ago. At least since then there had been no more attacks despite Hunter’s warnings, but with Revan and Big Mac both injured, Sunset and Tobias had to pick up the slack on watch. The two other stallions in the Apple group had even joined in on the watch.

Mango, their new tagalong, was pulling both carts, each of which also carried the injured members of their party. Revan was in the front carriage and Big Mac the back one. Both acted as their lookouts during the day, while at the same time not speaking much. Camps had been shared after that fateful attack.

Sunset quickly grew to learn from Tobias that the group that had attacked them, Bad Squad, had poorly mistreated Mango and used his love to destroy in their jobs. He might not have been a smart pony, only speaking in fragmented sentences and referring to himself in the third person, but Mango had cried and apologized over and over again once Tobias had calmly explained what he’d done. In fact, it had been his idea to pull the carriages to act as penance for his actions.

Surprisingly, it had been the normally silent Revan who’d taken Mango aside most nights to have conversations with the massive stallion. The dark green colored unicorn with the dim red and orange striped mane and tail always seemed to look better after one of these talks, especially when he’d been given a mango to eat. When Sunset asked about him, Tobias could only say that he knew little about the stallion, only that he had a very hard life growing up on a farm before he ran away and was found by Bad Squad some years ago.

She was brought out of her reverie by the sound of flapping. Looking up, she saw an approaching pegasus. Golden came flying over just then and landed in front of the group. She’d gone down to the town ahead of them to find a contact who would show them to their destination. When she landed, she walked up to Applejack. “She’s coming soon,” she said, “but we might have to wait a few minutes. She said she had to, and I quote, ‘…freshen up a bit.’”

Applejack snorted and whinnied a bit. “Sounds like her, alright,” she said before turning back. “Alright, everypony, let’s take a breather.”

As everyone stopped and either took out some food or water to tide them over, Sunset saw Revan slowly climb over his seat on the carriage, landing heavily on his feet before walking over to Mango. The large stallion saw him coming and smiled. “Mask friend! Mask friend feeling better?” When Revan touched his injuries and nodded a bit, Mango looked relieved. “Good. Mango happy. Not like seeing mask friend hurt.”

Sunset walked over to the two. “You sure you’re feeling alright?” she asked, catching the attention of the masked biped and the massive stallion. “I know Tobias said magic isn’t effective on you as much as it would be for others, but I do know a few spells and I’m more powerful than your average unicorn.”

Revan stared at her, the glowing sky blue lights on his mask making it look like he wasn’t blinking. Mango put a surprisingly gentle hoof on Revan’s back. “Mango want friend with no ouchies. Please?” His deep orange eyes looked at Revan pleadingly.

Revan looked back at Mango, then back at Sunset. “The clothes stay on,” was all he said.

She was a bit frustrated by this, but could work with it. She nodded in agreement and raised her horn. Two areas of his arm where the injuries were located became illuminated by her magic, and at once she realized that this would not be as easy as she thought. She felt that the magic touch on the creature’s skin was being drained into him, like he was some sort of magical sink that pulled the magic down the metaphorical drain that were his injuries. She increased the magic around the wounds, focusing all of her energy into trying to activate and speed up his body’s normal healing process.

She felt like there was some success, but without being able to see his skin, scales, fur, or whatever he had, she couldn’t make that determination. Still, the more she cast, the more magic seemed to seep into him. It was as if he was some kind of magic black hole, letting not even light escape. That thought got a chuckle out of her. Perhaps Black Hole would be a good handle for him, not Revan, whatever that meant.

After a few minutes, she stopped casting, looking up at Revan. “How’s that feel?” she asked.

Revan reached over and gently squeezed one of the injured areas. He turned back to her and nodded. “Better,” he said.

Sunset sat on her haunches, suddenly exhausted. She didn’t realize how draining even those healing spells had been on her. She hadn’t been too magically drained ever since she’d left Canterlot, but this Revan was not a normal creature to heal by any means.

“Mask friend not hurt now?” Mango asked. “We can play later?”

Revan looked back. “It still hurts a bit,” he said, “so we probably won’t be able to play. Ask Tobias.”

Mango’s ears flattened like an upset foal. “Mango want to stay with mask friend. Want to play.”

“Another time, I promise,” Revan said.

Everyone heard the sound of an approaching pony just then, so their attention was turned to a white unicorn mare with deep purple mane and tail. Sunset scowled. She knew this face well. The former Bearer of Generosity who had scorned her duties had arrived. She watched as Applejack hesitantly approached. The two looked at each other for a while before the farm mare spoke up. “Howdy, Rarity. Nice tah see yah again.”

Rarity looked at them, then at the rest. To Sunset’s eyes, she looked a far cry from the images of the former fashionista she saw in the newspapers. Her mane wasn’t as well kept as it appeared to have been from the press photographs of her, as she had her mane tied back. Her tail wasn’t curled as much and was a lot straighter. Her eyes looked a lot less lively, but there were no bags under them. She turned back to Applejack and spoke. “It’s nice to see you too, Applejack,” she said, “but who are these newcomers with you?”

“We brought a couple cousins of ours tah help us move,” Applejack replied.

“Yes, I remember them from your last family reunion in…in Ponyville,” she said, “but I meant the other three.”

Applejack hesitated, but it was Tobias who spoke first. “Hello there, miss,” he said with a polite bow and a smile. “Name’s Tobias. Your family hired us to protect them during this trip.”

Rarity made a face at this, then turned back to Applejack. “Are these…mercenaries?”

Applejack nodded. “Ah know what yer thinkin’ sugarcube, but-”

“Surely you can’t be serious!” the unicorn exclaimed. “Mercenaries would sell their soul to Thanatos if it meant they could make a quick bit! How do you know they won’t betray you even now!?”

“They saved our lives when we were attacked by another group of mercenaries,” Applejack explained with a stern frown, “and it’s attitudes like yours that put us where we are now, Rarity.”

Rarity fell back a bit, ears flat against her face. “You were attacked…?” she asked in shock.

“And we’re lucky we all weren’t killed,” Merry said.

“These three saved us, and one of them even got injured protecting us,” Pippin added.

Rarity looked at the three with what Sunset assumed was a newfound respect, albeit begrudgingly. “I see,” was all she said before turning back to Applejack. “Well, why don’t you and you…companions…follow me? I’ll show you to that farmland I saw.”

“Alright, everypony! Time tah mosey on along!” Applejack called out.

Tobias returned to where Revan was and gently pushed him into the carriage. “We’re almost there,” he said, “so rest. We’ll help them unpack before anything.”

Revan nodded and made his way back to the carriage, climbing in as the group headed into the new town. Sunset trotted beside the cart, looking around but keeping a constant vigilant eye on the one called Rarity. She didn’t particularly care for how she acted towards her and the two other mercenaries. She reminded Sunset of one of those self-important ponies from Canterlot, ponies she absolutely despised. They always looked down on those they deemed lesser than themselves, and they didn’t care about the common pony. She’d read about how it used to be when she’d been Celestia’s student. The nobility had fallen far from grace.

“Boy, howdy,” Applejack said as she looked at the large stretch of land before her, “this oughta do us more than just fine!”

Stretched out before them, near the easternmost edge of Maretime Bay, sat a veritable treasure trove of prime farmland just waiting to be tilled. The grasslands they stood in looked fertile, and to Applejack’s keen senses, felt and smelled fertile. It stretched out far, not as far as Sweet Apple Acres, but it was more than enough for some orchards to be planted, along with other crops as well. The breeze that came from the ocean was something she might need to get used to, but she felt like in the coming years the familiar farm smells would overpower the faintly salty breeze.

Granny Smith slowly walked up beside Applejack looked down at the tired family matriarch as she scanned the area around them. Nopony spoke as she looked around, then to Applejack’s relief, she slowly nodded. “We can build our new farmhouse right near that patch of brush there,” she said, then turned and pointed in another direction. “The farm can be there,” she added, pointing to a flat spot to their right.

Applejack could somewhat see what she was trying to do. She was trying to recreate the look of Sweet Apple Acres. Not that she could blame the older mare, of course. She was itching to do the same thing. If Granny hadn’t made some excellent choices in placement, she might have argued, but where she’d pointed were actually perfect locations for the future barn and farmhouse.

Nearby, Applejack looked over and saw Rarity standing and glancing with some suspicion at Tobias, Revan, Mango, and Sunset. The burly earth pony was talking with a smile to Revan, who she saw was replying in short sentences. Tobias had told her a bit about Mango’s story and it broke her heart to hear that ponies could be so cruel. Of course, she had to remind herself of her own shortcomings. A part of her wondered if she could ask this Mango to work in helping to build as a farmhoof, but upon seeing how happy he seemed to be with this Revan creature, she dismissed the idea.

That was, until Tobias walked up and unhitched the large pony from the cart and spoke with him. Mango’s smile faded and he looked a bit uncertain, looking around the area before glancing over at the Apple family, all of whom were exploring their new land. When he turned to Revan, the masked biped only nodded. Tobias then turned towards Applejack, leading Mango towards her. The massive stallion looked nervous as Tobias said, “Pardon the intrusion, everyone, but would you be interested in a proposition?”

“What kind of proposition?” Granny Smith, who hadn’t left Applejack’s side, asked as she too turned to face the cat.

Tobias nodded politely to her. “Pardon me, ma’am, but I think I might have a solution that helps everyone here.” He turned to Mango. “See, Mango Wrecker here grew up on a farm as well. He’s strong, dependable, and I’m pretty sure he can till a field a lot faster than anyone you have. He might not speak with full sentences, but he’s smart.”

“Mango sorry he destroyed your things,” the pony in question said with regret. “Mango wants to work off debt and help here. Please?”

Applejack was a bit surprised by this. This stallion was bigger than Big Mac, and he was on the bigger side of stallions that she’d seen in her life. Still, she couldn’t ignore the look of regret on his face. They could use all the ponypower they could get, and despite Merry, Pippin, Golden and Blue planning on moving here to become permanent members of the farm when things were settled down, that still wouldn’t be enough. When they’d started to expand Sweet Apple Acres all those years ago, they’d had the help of many other ponies in their extended family, but since they’d been cut off, Applejack was more willing to acknowledge that a stallion like this Mango would be useful.

Granny, however, didn’t look too trusting of the burly stallion. “And just why should we trust yeh, eh? Yah done destroyed nearly everythin’ we owned, and yer nothin’ but a mercenary.”

“Granny, that’s a similar attitude to what got us in trouble with Jason,” Applejack said. “Besides, we need the help.”

“Mango not smart, but Mango good listener,” Mango said. “Mango knows farm life.”

“But then why were yeh part of a mercenary group?” Granny asked, eyes narrowed at the stallion.

“Granny!” Applejack admonished.

“Mango only pawn in game of life,” Mango said in an oddly sage way.

Granny looked at the large pony with confusion. “Beg yer pardon?”

“Ma’am, let me explain,” Tobias said, stepping forward. “Mango is a good pony, but he can easily be led astray. That’s one of his flaws. The other flaw is he loves to destroy things. It’s something of a stress relief for him. I don’t know much about his foalhood, but from what I know it wasn’t a good one. He just needs a healthier outlet for his impulses.” He gestured to a large forest on the edge of the grasslands. “He could easily buck down plenty of those trees for your new house and barn and even pull up the trees to help expand your farmland.”

Granny frowned, but slowly began to nod before she looked at Mango. “Ah’ll be keepin’ an eye on yah, sonny boy,” she said, pointing a hoof at him, “but yer okay tuh stay here. Fer now.”

Mango’s eyes lit up with joy and he nodded. “Mango will work hard!” he said as he jumped up and landed heavily, causing everyone to stumble back at the sheer force of his jump. He noticed this and looked sheepish. “Sorry,” he said.

Applejack gave a small smile. “Come on, partner,” she said to Mango, “why dontcha help us unpack everything we got left? Then we can git tah work gettin’ the wood fer the new farmhouse.”

The sun was just beginning its descent towards the west. Tobias, Sunset and Revan were walking through the town of Maretime Bay. They’d gotten their necessary signature from the Apple family and had departed. Tobias had offered to help get things set up before they left for no extra charge, but Granny Smith had simply thanked them for their offer before saying that the Apples would take care of their own. Mango would be there with them as a hired hoof as his massive strength would help.

With nothing more to do and having been paid, not to mention the amount of money they’d liberated from Bad Squad, the mercenary group walked through the streets. Tobias caught something nearby, a bakery of sorts, and decided to stop in to get something for the group as a means of celebrating a job well done.

As Sunset and Revan waited outside, the powerful unicorn looked up at her companion, noticing that Revan was leaning against a wall and observing the brand-new town. His arms were crossed and even in the bright summer sun the blue glow from his mask’s eyes was still clearly visible. She slowly walked up to stand beside him, looking around at the new town.

She’d seen the town from the hill where their clients were now setting up shop. She had to admit, Maretime Bay was, in its own way, impressive. Seeing things from below only reinforced the fact.Still, while the town here was new and looked bright, the attitudes of the ponies around her told a different story. Sure, on the surface they seemed to act like most friendly ponies did, but Sunset had a very unique ability: the ability to be more aware of the emotions of those around her. She knew she was an Empath.

She’d always had this talent, and it had led to her being ostracized when she was much younger. It had led to her cutting herself off from making any friends, especially during the time when she’d been Celestia’s student. And this ability let her see something that others might not have picked up on, that being that there was an underlying darkness in Maretime Bay. A negativity that almost oozed from them.

She frowned. She knew most of, if not all, of these ponies were from that blasted town of Ponyville, shunted off to the side so as not to cause trouble for the rest of the kingdom. Sure, her old teacher might have said she was doing this to ‘protect her little ponies from each other’ but she was wise to what Celestia was all about. Any real threat was always put out of sight and out of mind.

Unsure why she did so, she spoke. “Lovely town. Leagues better than Thornfall.” She waited for an answer, looking at Revan, but all he did was stare back down at the town. He may have had a reaction under that mask of his, but she’d never know. That mask hid everything. Revan seemed to be able to hide his emotional state from her empathic ability better than anyone she’d known. The mask certainly helped with that, but his lack of reaction gave her nothing. She turned back and continued. “The perfect little hideaway for psychopaths and murderers.” When there was still no response, she gave Revan a curious look. “You really don’t talk much, do you?”

Revan finally spoke. “Only when needed,” the voice from his mask said.

“Aha! But you didn’t need to talk right then, did you?” she asked, pointing a hoof at him, “You could have just nodded or ignored me. Besides, I know you talk more than you have with me.”

Revan turned his head to her, and Sunset inwardly smiled triumphantly. She didn’t need to see his face to know he probably had a confused expression on whatever face he had underneath. Pressing her advantage, she said, “I heard you talking with Tobias a couple hours before the attack.”

Revan stood in silence for a bit, before he said, “He’s earned my full trust. You haven’t.” He then turned back to looking at the town.

This stung Sunset’s pride, but her years in the world taught her to look between the lines of what others said a lot, looking for the hidden meaning. “Okay, I suppose that’s a fair point,” she conceded, “I mean, you don’t know me yet. But surely helping to defeat those other mercenaries gained some trust?”

“There’s a difference between defending a client and wailing on some thugs,” Revan retorted.

Sunset scowled at that. “What’s that supposed to mean?!”

“I saw you fight those two unicorns,” he replied. He turned and faced her completely, arms crossed as he looked down at her. She didn’t need to be an expert in bipedal body language to know he was disappointed.“You strike me as a powerful unicorn but you toyed with them. As mercenaries, Shadow Dawn works to get the job done as quickly and efficiently as possible. You prolonged your fight. We don’t get paid by the hour. The sooner we get our jobs done, the sooner we can find another and earn more money.”

Sunset felt her ears being splayed back against her head. Was she being scolded like she was some foal!? She felt the hot sting of humiliating anger rising from within her before she turned back to the town, taking a few deep breaths of slightly salty sea air to help her calm down. “Noted…” she said through clenched teeth.

The infuriating thing was, Revan was right. She had been toying with the four eyed pony and his friend. It had been a chance to stretch her magical abilities in combat and she had thoroughly enjoyed herself while she took them down. She had to admit, she knew little about mercenary work, but the fact that they were paid for each job they took made his words make sense. They weren’t working eight-hour days and earning bits every hour. They lived from job to job, so from a certain point of view, it made sense to finish a job quickly so they could go to the next one. Especially a party like this one which never betrayed their clients like other mercenaries were known to do.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a new pair of hoofsteps began approaching them. Sunset looked down the street and her eyes went wide before narrowing at the certain purple alicorn who’d stopped nearby, breathing heavily from apparent exertion. She looked around, then locked eyes with Sunset. “Ah, um, excuse me,” Twilight Sparkle said in between big gulps of air, “but did you see a number of earth ponies coming through here? One of them would be orange with some apples for a cutie mark?”

Before Sunset could give her a snippy remark, Revan spoke. “Over there,” he said. Sunset turned to see he was pointing towards the hill.

Twilight jumped at the voice, turning to look at Revan. A look of uncertainty and fear passed over her face, but she just nodded. “Th-Thank you, sir,” she said before turning and walking past them.

She didn’t get far, though, as a group of eight ponies spotted her, a unicorn mare and seven stallions, three unicorns, two pegasi and two earth ponies. Their scowls were plainly obvious as one of them spat on the ground in front of where Twilight was about to step. “Bitch,” one stallion snarled.

Sunset watched as Twilight paused, looking down at the spittle on the ground. She then walked over it before the mare spat on her cheek. “This town doesn’t need you, cunt,” the young mare said with venom in her voice.

Sunset watched this go down with some amusement and vindication. She absolutely loathed Twilight Sparkle, former Princess of Friendship, and a twisted part of her was amused by what she was seeing. However, that amusement was quickly replaced by disgust when one of the larger ponies approached and struck Twilight in the eye, sending her sprawling. The pony who did so was a larger earth pony, so the strike would have definitely hurt. “Go back to that lighthouse and away from town,” the pony said, “we don’t want you here!”

Twilight simply stood up, no fight in her eyes as she hung her head low. Her ears were pinned down by her side. “I’m sorry…” she whimpered, tears in her eyes.

“Sorry doesn’t bring back your torture experiment, now does it?” the mare said before looking back at the stallions. “Show her what we mean, boys.”

The stallions moved closer to Twilight, who didn’t move. Some of them cracked their necks and they all were about to strike when a shadow moved past Sunset. A familiar metal pole hit the ground, blocking the hoof of the pony who had thrown the first strike. A metallic clang rang out and the stallions jumped back, holding his hoof in pain. He looked up at the masked figure of Revan, who was staring at the stallion with those blue glowing eyes of his. “Stay out of this fight, stranger,” one of the stallions said, staring at the hooded figure.

Sunset watched with some curiosity as Revan didn’t move, the metal pole standing between them and the now confused looking Twilight, who was looking up at Revan. The mare of the group, a unicorn, stepped forward, horn beginning to ignite. “This isn’t your place,” she snapped, aiming her horn at him. “Get out of the way, now.”

“W-What are you doing?” Sunset heard Twilight asking in alarm.

Sunset was thrown back into a memory. She remembered being stranded in the Badlands with no water left and no food. She thought she would be able to cross the hot sands, but had used up all of her food and supplies in a few days. If it hadn’t been for Revan and Tobias, she’d have died out there.

She was brought back to the present when Tobias said, “What’s going on out here?”

The ponies turned and they frowned when they saw the abyssinian walking up, a box of donuts in his claws. “Don’t you get involved too, cat,” the mare, clearly the leader of this group of ponies, snapped.

Tobias raised an eyebrow, then looked at the situation. Looking at Revan, he sighed. “Couldn’t help but get involved in helping the helpless, eh?” he asked as he carefully set the box down on the ground. Quickly, he drew a pair of rapiers that were attached to his hip. The sound rang in the air as he leaped up and landed beside Revan with the grace and agility of a feline. He stood to the side, leaving himself as less of a target as he held out one arm towards them while the other moved behind his back, pointing in the same direction as the first rapier, a form that Sunset had never seen before.

The stallions, six of them, began encircling the two. The masked figure just stood there, hand on his metal staff unmoving. Tobias stood beside him, looking at their opponents. Twilight looked flabbergasted at what was happening, looking up at the two defending her. “Please…don’t do this, you two…I’m not worth it.”

“You’re right, you’re not,” the mare said before suddenly teleporting beside Twilight and bucking her hard. This sent the alicorn into a wall hard enough that she fell to the ground unconscious. The mare who’d attacked raised a hoof at the abyssinian and the masked Revan. “Get them!”

All seven stallions moved in at this, eyes full of rage and hatred. One of them, a unicorn, leaped at Revan, but the larger biped twirled his metal staff, bringing it crashing down on the stallion’s head. The stallion went down hard, completely unconscious. This caught the others off guard, making it easier for Tobias to use the back of one of his rapiers to strike another blow on the back of another stallion’s head, this one the earth pony who’d struck Twilight. He too went down with a heavy thud.

Sunset watched in stunned silence as the other unicorn stallion lowered his horn and fired a blast of magic directly at the masked Revan. Revan was quick to react as he lifted his metal staff in a defensive position. The magic struck the staff and then…nothing. It was as if the staff was absorbing the magic. The stallion had only a moment to look in shock before Revan twirled his staff with an expert flourish before striking the still glowing horn. Sunset winced at that as the stallion went down, holding his horn and screaming in agony.

She watched as the two pegasi leaped into the air out of the range of Tobias’ rapiers and Revan’s staff. Something inside of Sunset stirred, and before she could even think of consequences of her actions, she raised her horn and caught the two pegasi in her magic, bringing them both slamming into the ground with a heavy THUD, knocking the wind out of them.

Looking over at Tobias, she saw that he was dancing deftly around the remaining earth pony stallion, leaping up and landing strike after strike on the stallion, leaving very shallow cuts on his fur. It looked to Sunset as if Tobias was aiming not to kill but to subdue.

Sunset turned to Revan, seeing if she could help him, but he looked to be holding his own against the remaining unicorn, albeit barely. He was being pushed back by a more powerful magic blast that was being absorbed by the staff yet again. The stallion ceased his magical blast before swiftly leaping towards Revan, who took the brunt of the sudden attack in his stomach, sending him sprawling onto the ground, his staff flying out of his hand. With another blast, Revan was sent into the side of a building before slumping down, barely moving.

Sunset reacted with hostility, firing off a blast of her own magic at the unicorn stallion. He must not have been expecting it since he was flung into several empty barrels, causing them to shatter. This did knock the stallion out, but when she turned to face the mare, she was gone. Instead, she’d somehow gotten over to where Revan was, lifting him up in her magic and snarling at the remaining two. “That’s enough!”

Tobias, having just struck the earth pony with his sword and knocking said pony out, held out his swords towards the mare while Sunset lowered her head, her horn ignited. The mare, however, didn’t react. Instead, a small bit of her magic wrapped around Revan’s wrists, moving them behind his back. Revan twitched a bit and he began to thrash about. Sunset was about to fire her own magic but Tobias placed a claw on her withers. “Easy now,” he said, “no need for any more violence.”

“Shut up, cat!” the mare bellowed, moving the arms back further, causing Revan to move around further.

Tobias dropped his rapiers and raised his arms. “No need to go further. We surrender.”

Sunset looked up at Tobias incredulously. She knew she could take this mare out with a flash, but when she saw the mare’s spell, she realized that if she tried anything, the mare could snap Revan’s arms out of a reflex of sorts once her magic struck the mare. With an angry snort, she stood and deignited her horn. With that, she felt herself being pushed into the ground. Next to her, Tobias was pushed down by the now recovered larger earth pony stallion. The two pegasi she’d brought down were the ones holding her down.

The mare smirked in triumph, causing rage to build within Sunset. She knew she was stronger than this pathetic pony, but she had the upper hoof in this situation and with Revan in danger, any move could cause this clearly violent mare to cause further pain to Revan. She watched as the mare brought the masked figure down, forcing him to his knees. “Now then, let’s see just what kind of freak we have underneath that mask of yours, huh?”

Tobias’ eyes went wide and he struggled against his captor. “No! Don’t!”

The mare turned and looked with a smirk at Tobias. “And just why should I listen to you?”

“His face…can’t be seen,” Tobias said. “It’s too dangerous to be seen! Anyone who looks into his real eyes will be turned to stone!”

The mare stared silently at Tobias before throwing her head back and laughing hard. “The gorgon is an old mare’s tale,” she said with derision, “and besides, where are his snakes?” She turned and her magic enveloped Revan’s mask, only to vanish and seem to seep into the mask. “The buck…?”

“Don’t remove his mask!” Tobias shouted in a more desperate tone.

“I wonder what secrets you’re hiding under that mask of yours?” the mare said, ignoring the abyssinian. She turned to the second earth pony stallion who was just coming to. “You! Pull this mask off for me!”

The earth pony shook his head swiftly, blinking a few times before walking up and placing both hooves on either side of Revan’s mask. He pulled, but nothing seemed to give. With a grunt, he tried again but failed. A third attempt sent him sprawling back as he lost the grip on the mask.

“Pathetic,” she growled as she reached out with her magic once more, trying to tear it off. Once again, though, the magic seeped into the mask. Enraged, the pony let him go, then turned and bucked the figure square in the chest. This sent Revan flying into a wall that led down an alley.

“Revan!” Tobias shouted in terror as he tried his best to break free, but the ponies were too strong for him.

The mare trotted over to the alley and looked in. Her horn began glowing, and Sunset saw the telltale signs of dark magic begin forming around her horns and eyes. “This is for-”

A loud CRACK rang out, and the mare’s horn shattered. She screamed in pain as she rolled around, the empty spot on her forehead that was her horn bleeding all over the ground. Sunset felt the grip on her loosen. Using this opportunity, she created a magic shield around her that flung the two pegasi off of her before she blasted the earth pony off of Tobias.

The abyssinian wasted no time in picking up his rapiers and rushing towards the alley. He looked in and his eyes widened in horror. He ran into said alley. Sunset stood and looked around, seeing that there were some local town guards finally showing their worthless flanks. One of them looked at the bleeding and now unconscious mare, then back at Sunset. “What happened here?”

“Um…these seven here attacked this pony and her friends,” Twilight, who had only come back to consciousness just a few moments before, stepped forward and gestured to Sunset. “They were trying to defend me and these seven attacked.”

The guard looked at the mare who was now being tended to by a corpspony. Shaking his head, he said, “These ponies have been nothing but trouble since the day they moved here. Looks like trouble finally caught up with them.”

At that moment, Tobias came out from the alley, holding the still masked Revan. There may have been no fur or scales showing from the masked being, but the way he hung showed that he was seriously injured. Twilight looked over and her eyes shot open in horror. “Is he okay?” she asked Tobias.

“No,” he said, “he’s been injured by ponies. Again.” Tobias sounded bitter at the accusation before he took a deep breath and exhaled.

“One of our corsponies can have a look at him,” the guard said.

Tobias shook his head fervently. “No. He can’t be seen by anyone. He doesn’t like showing anyone but me his face. Besides, magical means of healing don’t work on him as effectively as they would you or me.”

The guard frowned at this. “I see.”

“We’ll need to stay the night somewhere,” Tobias said, turning to the guard. “Does this town have an inn?”

“Not yet,” the guard said.

“Um…you could stay with me for the night,” Twilight said, raising a hesitant hoof. “I live in the town lighthouse and there are a couple spare rooms where you could sleep.”

Sunset bristled at this. She didn’t like to be beholden to this fraudulent ex-princess. Still, she was the newbie in this group, so she had to defer to the other two. Looking up at Tobias, she saw to her dismay that he was looking down at Twilight with a thoughtful expression on his face. After a few seconds, he sighed and nodded. “Do you have a bath that can fit us? I may need to do some sort of work on Revan and I’ll need a place to lay him down and wash him.”

Twilight nodded before turning to the guards. “I’ll take them to my house.”

The guard frowned at his, but nodded before turning to Tobias and Revan. “I realize I can’t ask you to stay and give your testimony against this attack,” he said, looking at the ponies who were now being arrested, “but I hope that we can talk to you later about this incident.”

“No promises,” Tobias said. “After all, we have to get back to our home and get another job as soon as possible.”

“Understood.” The guard then turned to the others. “Get them to the hospital, but under guard!”

As the guards continued cleaning up the mess, Sunset looked at the nervous looking purple alicorn. She was looking up in the direction of the Apple farm, but then turned back to the group. “I’ll show you to the house.” With that, she turned and began walking down the street, heading up towards the edge of town.

Sunset followed, keeping a close eye on Revan and Tobias. The former was limping slightly but being held up by the abyssinian. She sighed and walked beside the two. This wasn’t how she expected her return to Equestria to go.

The nurse looked down at the now hornless unicorn mare lying on the bed. A half hour ago, the local town guards had brought this mare in along with the shattered remains of her horn in the hopes that the doctors could use the reconstitution spell to put it back together. However, every time they tried, the pieces of the horn would always lose their cohesion several seconds later. It was as if the magic holding the horn together would vanish, leaving nothing but the discarded pieces of the horn. Even when they tried to put the horn itself back together, the same thing happened. If the doctors couldn’t do something soon, this pony would never have a horn again.

Currently, the pieces of the horn were being kept inside a bucket of ice and the broken horn, after being cleaned and wrapped up, was being kept cold with an ice pack. The other stallions who’d been brought in were being treated for some less severe injuries, although one of them had cuts that weren’t able to be healed by the standard magic healing spells. The other injuries, while minor, were in a sense unusual. It took a bit more magic to heal them than other similar injuries.

The nurse left the room to grab something. She headed to a storage closet to grab more gauze when she overheard two doctors talking. She paused and listened in, recognizing the voices of doctors Charlie Horse and Neck Brace.

“…you sure about that? The description of that third creature that they attacked sounds like…you know…” Dr. Brace said.

“Look, I’ve been around a bit more than most ponies,” Doctor Horse said, “and there is no intelligent creature in the world with five talons or appendages on each claw or paw. Dragons have four talons, abyssinians have four, hippogriffs have four, you see my point? This creature had five on each. Sounds familiar?”

“Not rea-” Doctor Brace paused and there was a pregnant silence between the two. “You don’t think…”

“I don’t know to be honest,” Doctor Horse said, “but if this creature is one, it would make sense why he would hide his entire body. After what happened to the first one, wouldn’t you be cautious?”

“I suppose that makes sense,” Doctor Brace said, “I mean, the whole world knows what this town did to Jason, so if another human did show up, he’d know about it more than likely.”

The nurse’s ears perked up at this. Was she hearing right? Was one of the victims of the assault really…a human…? She listened closer, but the voices faded away as the doctors turned a corner. She waited for a bit before she grabbed the gauze and trotted down the hall back to the medical ward. As she did so, she looked down at the bottom of her left hoof. A single black spot was tattooed onto the bottom. She smirked as she put it back down.

She would need to report this. Perhaps in time, they could determine whether or not this mystery creature was another human. Because, if so, they could move things along much faster. Especially since human bodies had absolutely no magic, the use of a living human would be…interesting.

Her superior had to be notified of this immediately. Her majesty would definitely be quite intrigued. It could throw a wrench into her plans for Equestria, after all…

24 The Great Escape

“Why are we doing this again?” Sunset asked with frustration as she and Tobias snuck through the empty streets of the underground city that they’d found themselves in a few hours ago. “We’re risking being exposed.”

Tobias shook his head. “No, we’re getting a better chance of us getting out of here. These eagles he talked about are big enough to carry us out of here.”

“Through where?” Sunset asked. “That cavern we came through is too small for birds the size Gregory mentioned.”

“He also mentioned that the eagles know a way through the caves that can lead outside,” Tobias reminded her.

Sunset nodded. “And can these eagles be trusted?”

Tobias paused at that. “I don’t know,” he said, “but if they are Majesty’s prisoners, they could-someone’s coming!”

The two hid down a darkened alley, their tails brushing away their dusty footprints to hide their tracks. A group of the strange ponies that Sunset couldn’t identify walked past, shining a light down the alley and muttering something unintelligible to each other. When they were out of sight, Tobias stood again. “We’re almost there.”

Sunset followed close behind, although they ran into three more patrols. Their arrival had apparently been badly or perfectly timed, if what Gregory had told them was accurate. Now instead of false intruders, these strange winged ponies were searching for real intruders, although they weren’t the ones who had caused the trouble earlier. She was questioning just why Gregory had risked everything because he’d heard bird calls, but decided that she had more important things to worry about. Like this insane hastily put together plan. “It just seems like we’re wasting time going together,” she said. “Even that Thorax went off on his own mission.”

“We always stick together as a team,” Tobias explained in a patient tone that Sunset recognized as a tone similar to one that basically sounded like a parent explaining something to a young child, something that infuriated her, but one that she had to put aside. “No splitting up unless it’s absolutely necessary. Besides, these eagles know a way out of here that Majesty doesn’t. These ponies know that one entrance we came through.”

Sunset quietly sighed as they ducked down another alley to avoid another group of strange pony guards passed them. She hated to admit it, but despite being able to survive on her own ever since she left Canterlot, she knew there was more to learn, especially about survival and even more especially about how mercenaries worked. “Fine, fine,” she muttered in frustration under her breath.

It took them another ten to fifteen minutes to weave through the streets until they reached the rounded domed building where the eagles were supposedly being held. Sunset helped Tobias to quietly open the door, which led into darkness. When the door was nearly closed behind them, Tobias pulled out the flashlight that Gregory had given him and shone it around. Just as the human had said, a massive crystal in the ceiling began to glow.

Her jaw dropped when she saw the large flock of massive eagles standing and moving around. They seemed startled by the light, but when they saw the two newcomers, they scowled. One of them, the one Sunset knew from Gregory’s description seemed to be the leader or speaker for these eagles, stepped forward, fluffing his chest out and ruffling his feathers in a menacing manner. “Who are you?” he demanded.

Tobias raised his claws quickly. “We’re friends of the human you met,” he said, “we came to help you escape.”

The eagle narrowed his eyes at the abyssinian. “Is that so?” he asked. “How can we believe you?”

Tobias swiftly pulled out a small piece of metal from his pocket, an unfolded paperclip that Gregory had given to Tobias. Sunset had one as well just in case the paperclip that he’d given to the eagles stopped working. “He gave me this,” Tobias said, “and I’m sure you know by now nobody in this world can bend this metal like he can.” To emphasize his point, he attempted to bend it, using all of his strength. Nothing happened, and he held it up for the eagles to see again. “See what I mean?”

The eagle scrutinized the unbent paperclip thoroughly, and he took so long that Sunset grew impatient. “We’re not Majesty’s damned lackeys or spies,” the unicorn hissed, “but her flunkies are searching the city for intruders. If you don’t want to be recaptured, take this opportunity while those inept guards are distracted.”

The eagle bristled at this, but another eagle, a slightly smaller one, stepped forward. “At ease,” the eagle, this one a younger sounding male, spoke to the leader, before then turning to the two. “Are we to assume that the human and goblin we met earlier will want help escaping with us?”

“Yes, but we have a plan that needs to be timed perfectly,” Tobias said.

“And what is this plan?” the first eagle, having recovered, asked with a frown.

Tobias smirked. “Okay, so here’s the deal…”

Thorax silently flew through the underground castle, homing in on the feeling of his former queen. He had to be careful, however, since the halls were almost crawling with guards who were apparently on high alert. He called it apparent because they weren’t as skilled as the Canterlot Royal Guard.

In his bee disguise, he carried the small piece of metal that the human had given him as best as he could in one of his temporary legs as he flew high above the din, making his way closer and closer towards the source of where he felt his queen. He had been away for so long ever since the failed invasion of Canterlot that he wasn’t sure of his own senses, but even if he didn’t agree with his former queen’s actions, he couldn’t ignore the suffering and fear that he felt from Chrysalis.

The hallways of this underground castle wound around and around so often that Thorax was afraid he had gotten lost a few times, but eventually he found a set of double doors that led into another room. Unfortunately, the doors were closed and there were guards at the door guarding it. Thorax could feel that his former queen was beyond these doors, but couldn’t find a way through.

He landed on a small sconce near the ceiling to quiet the buzz of his temporary bee wings to both think and look around. The hallway he was in was larger than the others as well as being well-lit with sconces of glowing crystals. As he looked around, he heard the two strange pony guards begin to talk. One turned to the other. “Why are we guarding this place again? Nobody’s inside.”

“Lord Spyke’s orders,” the second guard, an older gruffer one replied.

“I know,” the younger one said, “but it doesn’t make sense. These doors are impossible for anyone but our queen to open.”

“We were given orders,” the second guard said with a frown, “and we’ll obey them.”

Thorax almost chuckled. The second guard partly reminded him of Pharynx, his older brother. Part of him wondered what had become of his brother. They were never close, but that didn’t mean Thorax didn’t care about him.

The two guards continued their conversation with the first pony saying, “We should be out looking for these intruders. They probably came to capture the queen’s guests.”

“All the more reason for us to stay here,” the second guard said. “Think, young pony. If an intruder did want to capture the guests, they might not stop there. They might try to do something to her majesty.”

“Then shouldn’t we be guarding her personal room-?”

“Be quiet!” the second guard hissed angrily, “or do you want everyone else to know about her majesty being indisposed?”

The first pony looked chastened. “Sorry, sir,” he said.

While this was happening, Thorax was walking down the walls, heading to the ground. It would take him a while, but he wouldn’t make any noise while doing it. He doubted a bug could even make their way this far into the Winterland. It would make them suspicious, he knew. So, he continued crawling down the wall, still holding the small piece of metal that the human had called a paperclip.

By the time he’d reached the ground, the two had fallen back into silence. He quietly walked towards the door and was delighted to see that there was room underneath the door for his bee form to squeeze through. However, before he could approach, the older guard stiffened. “Hear that?” he asked.

The second guard was on alert and swiveling his ears around. “Hear what?” he asked his companion.

The strange pony looked at the ground, scrutinizing the stone walkway with a careful eye. Thorax fell back onto his stealth training, which he hated at the time, and activated a cloaking defense. Unlike his unusually blue transformation fire, he simply faded from visible sight. Of course, this meant he couldn’t move until he felt he was safe, because even when invisible, if he moved he would drop stealth.

Only, the metal piece in his grasp didn’t vanish. He began to panic as the piece of metal was supposed to vanish with him, just like anything else he would carry when he activated his cloak. He waved one of his legs in front of it, and was relieved to see that his body could hide it. So, he quietly placed the metal down, then sat on top of it, reengaging stealth just in time for the pony to look in his direction. Thorax waited quietly, barely breathing.

Finally, the older pony shook his head. “I heard something scraping against the stone,” he said, “but there’s nothing I can see.”

“I didn’t hear anything,” the younger guard replied.

“Your ears haven’t opened yet,” the older guard said, “and your eyes haven’t opened yet either.”

“Then why am I here?” the younger pony asked.

“Because Lord Spyke ordered it,” the older guard said. He pulled out a flask from a belt around his waist and drank it.

Thorax didn’t move for a breathless five minutes. Finally, when he was certain that he was safe, he slowly picked up the paperclip and continued walking towards the wall next to the door. It was a tense few minutes, but he eventually reached the wall and began walking along it towards the door.

When he passed under the door, he almost breathed a sigh of relief, but pushed down the urge quickly. He moved away from the door as quickly and quietly as he could, then when he was confident he couldn’t be heard, he flew up, still in his bee disguise. The piece of metal in his grasp was growing heavier with each passing moment, but he had to try what the human Gregory suggested.

In front of him was a painting. A painting of his queen. He hovered in front of it, his multi-faceted eyes taking in the view before him with shock and horror. Chrysalis was running away from a massive monstrous bipedal creature who was reaching down to grab at her. The hand was almost around her torso, and there was a look of panic and pleading in Chrysalis’ face. She was racing towards the viewer, wings spread wide and front legs outstretched forward as if she was taking a desperate leap.

Despite everything he’d been through in the past couple of years since the failed invasion of Canterlot, he felt a pang of sympathy for his former queen. She actually looked a bit worse than when he had last seen her. There were several new holes in her carapace and she looked a lot leaner than before. Slowly, he approached the painting, feeling his control over the bee transformation slowly slipping. If he moved too fast, the control could slip. If this didn’t work, he would have to leave. He would have to abandon her…

No, he thought with determination. He would take the painting with him if he needed to. He would surrender himself to the pony princess if it meant that Chrysalis could be freed from whatever nightmare she was experiencing in that enchanted painting. He slowly made his way closer, and when the piece of metal was close enough, he touched the piece of metal to the painting frame.

Nothing happened.

No! Please do something! Thorax inwardly shouted as he touched the frame again and again. He grew increasingly desperate, but no matter how hard or how long he touched the painting frame, nothing happened. He felt any lingering hope he had to save his queen slipping away. He lowered himself onto the ground after five agonizing minutes, staring up at the painting with despair. His despair turned to frustration, then to anger, and finally in a fit of rage he flung the metal with all of his remaining strength towards the painting. It stuck into the part of the painting which depicted the monstrous bipedal creature.

Despite the fact that bees didn’t cry, Thorax really wanted to. The sorrow he felt was almost inconsolable. He didn’t hate his former queen. He was angry at her for what she had done to their hive, but he never wanted this for her, and he suspected that noling, not even his brother Pharynx, would have wanted this. He lowered his head in regret. He’d failed.

That was when he heard the sound of paper rustling. Slowly, he looked up and saw that the painting itself was starting to ripple. No, he realized, the painting paper wasn’t rustling. The scene was beginning to move slowly. Or rather, more quickly than it had been before. The piece of metal that had stuck into the canvas seemed to affect the scene itself.

By sheer happenstance, it had pierced the chest of the bipedal creature that was chasing Chrysalis, and this seemed to affect the creature. It was pulling its hand back, and there was blood falling from a fresh wound, the location of which was the chest of the creature. Chrysalis was moving slowly now, flying in desperation forward. The scene sped up more, and Thorax could now hear a low rumbling sound coming from the painting. The rumbling increased in pitch until it became clear he was hearing a scream. Chrysalis’ screaming.

Dropping his disguise in a burst of blue fire, he rushed up and reached up to touch the painting with his magic. To his delight, he found that he could reach through the threshold between painting and reality. As the scene began to look like reality more and more as the painting façade fell away, the scene took shape. He heard Chrysalis screaming at its proper pitch now along with the roar of pain from the monster.

Taking a leap of faith, he reached through and with his blue magic, grasped his queen. Focusing his remaining love reserves, he pulled her towards him. As his magic drained fast, he watched as Chrysalis moved forward towards the threshold until her head began poking through the painting itself. She had a look of panic and confusion on her face until she saw Thorax. “You?!” The changeling queen looked confused now. “What are you doing here?!”

Thorax didn’t answer. He couldn’t. The bipedal monster had finally wrapped its hand around Chrysalis’ barrel. The changeling queen’s eyes widened and she turned to see what was happening. Her fear returned and she raised her horn, which began to glow a bright sickly green as she fired magic blasts at the creature. Unlike the magic she possessed at the wedding, Thorax briefly noted that her magic was much weaker here. “Release me!” she screeched.

Unfortunately, this caught the attention of the guards outside, who burst in and took in the scene with stunned expressions on their faces. The older one recovered quickly and aimed a nasty looking curved sword at Thorax, blue sparks of electricity surrounding the blade. “What are you doing in here?!” he demanded.

“Shit,” Thorax swore, showing how desperate he was as he pretty much never swore. He looked back at Chrysalis briefly, who was still locked in a fierce battle of her own with the painting monster. He looked back to the guards, and noticed that the younger one was running back towards the open door while the older one was charging at him. Thorax knew what the younger one was doing. He was going to sound an intruder alert. If that happened, the massive dragon that Gregory had described would be after them, and he knew he was not able to fight a dragon, especially an ancient one. So, he made a decision.

He released Chrysalis, then blasted magic at the fleeing pony. It caught him and sent him sprawling. Using his magic, he grabbed the soldier’s weapon and brought it to him while at the same time he shifted into a bipedal form, the first on his mind. That being the black clothing clad human Gregory.

Using his new hands, he caught the sword which was sparking with electricity as he stared down the older pony. Thankfully, his transformation into a human caught the pony off guard. Thorax acted on this and slammed the hilt of his blade down onto the pony’s head. He must have used too much force, because the pony collapsed immediately, crumpling up and falling unconscious.

Dropping the sword and his disguise, he turned back to the painting, only to see that Chrysalis had been pulled back in. He reached back in and began pulling once more onto Chrysalis. However, unlike before, he experienced heavy resistance as he tried to save her.

Thinking fast, he called out, “Transform into a dragon!”

“Why?!” Chrysalis shouted back.

“Do it!” Thorax shouted.

Surprise formed on her face, but she did just as Thorax said. He grabbed the sword he’d been using and flung it through. She caught it in her new claw and brought it down onto the hand. The creature roared in pain and its grip on Chrysalis loosened enough for her to transform into a smaller dragon. She flew out of his grasp and flew back towards the threshold.

Thorax then remembered the piece of metal. Rushing forward, he grasped it with his teeth and pulled it out just as Chrysalis’ head poked out of the painting. Only to stop as the creature wrapped its hand around Chrysalis’ legs. “This foul creature!” she hissed in anger as she kicked back at the bipedal monster with her legs, even breathing a small flame at it.

He thrust the sword forward. “Grab it!” Thorax shouted, stunned that the sword would even go into the painting.

Chrysalis didn’t hesitate. She grabbed the sword where it was floating and stabbed it at the hand surrounding her. The hand reflexively released her, and she took the opportunity to fly forward. However, another hand reached down and grasped her dragon tail, sending her sprawling and sending the sword out of her claws and through the painting threshold onto the floor beside Thorax. However, her face had since reached said threshold and was pushing forward, one claw around the picture frame.

Unable to throw her a new sword in time, he wrapped his magic around her and began a tug of war with the monster, using Chrysalis as the rope. He pulled harder, and Chrysalis hissed in pain as more of her body began to balloon out of the painting. As he continued pulling, he reached down and drew next on his life force to sustain his magic. Chrysalis must have seen this, because she glared at him and hissed, “Foolish drone! Stop that at once! You’ll only hurt yourself!”

He ignored her order, continuing to draw on his life force. Soon, his efforts were rewarded as she fully popped through the painting. She fell to the floor and would have made a sound had he not slowly lowered her down. He was about to collapse when he looked up at the painting. The creature was now running towards the threshold with heavy but quick strides towards the threshold between painting and reality.

Summoning every last bit of strength he had left in a last great effort, he ran forward, or hobbled in his current state, and sent a blast of magic through the threshold, but he apparently need not have bothered. Chrysalis pulled him back from the fruitless gesture just in time to see the painting’s remaining inhabitant slow down, the roar fading away as its pitch lowered. He collapsed to the ground, barely conscious.

He struggled to stay awake, though, despite feeling the nearly overwhelming desire to pass out. His nose was bleeding heavily, covering the stone floor with a small pool of blood. He was about to give in when he felt new strength returning to him. A pink mist surrounded him and he felt his nose stop bleeding. Slowly, he stood only to see Chrysalis, her mouth open as whatever love she had was being passed to him. “Ch…Chrysalis…what…?” He fell into a coughing fit.

Shut up for a bit, the queen said through her telepathic link with the former drone.

He slowly stood, his strength continuing to return. He saw a new hole beginning to appear in Chrysalis’ carapace, and he panicked. “Stop!” he hissed in fear, “I’m fine now!”

Don’t lie to me, Thorax, Chrysalis replied, you are still very weak.

“I‘ll be fine,” he insisted as he tried to close her mouth. “There’s no time for that. It’s time to leave!”

Chrysalis glared at him, but with apparent reluctance she closed her mouth. Then immediately opened it to speak. “You were foolish to try anything by utilizing your life force,” she said in a scolding manner. “You likely would have died!”

Thorax might have been being scolded, but he could hear the tremble of worry in Chrysalis’ voice. “You can yell at me later,” he said, “but we need to get out of here and fast. This escape attempt has a few other steps and I need to debrief you along the way.” Chrysalis looked stunned by this, but to her credit she didn’t say anything other than to nod. “Thanks. Now, we need to get out of here.” He rushed over to the younger pony and grabbed his sword after transforming into a duplicate of Gregory.

Chrysalis, who had shifted once more into her dragon form, grabbed the other sword and ran forward, looking through the door quickly, taking in the dark hallway. “What’s the plan?” she asked as they began to pull the unconscious guards into the throne room, hiding them in a smaller closet in the corner.

“First, we should transform into these two,” Thorax said as he changed into the younger pony before stripping him of his armor and projecting the voice profile of the older pony into Chrysalis’ head through the telepathic link.

To her credit, Chrysalis didn’t hesitate. Her green flames surrounded her and she transformed into the perfect duplicate of the older pony stallion. “What kind of ponies are these?” she asked, looking down at her strange wings as she began to change into the older pony’s guard uniform.

“No idea,” Thorax said.

“So what’s this plan of yours,” Chrysalis asked as they walked out of the closet, closing the door behind them and heading towards the still open door.

“It’s not my plan,” Thorax clarified as he and Chrysalis closed the doors to the throne room and began walking down the halls. “It’s the human’s plan.”

Chrysalis’ eyes widened. “Then I didn’t dream it up,” she muttered. “I did see a human.” She was silent for a couple of seconds as the two walked down the halls as if they belonged there. She was also utilizing her unique ability as a changeling queen to sift through the mind of the pony she had taken the form of. An ability she had not utilized as well as she should have during the invasion, Thorax mused.

Chrysalis quickly recovered, then looked at Thorax. “Very well. What is this human’s plan?”

“You’re cutting it awfully close, don’t you think?” Dengal whispered into Gregory’s ear as the two were escorted down the hallways towards Majesty’s room.

Gregory ignored her words as he instead just gave her pinkie finger a graze with his own. He put on the appearance of calm as if he wasn’t planning an escape from this underground prison, but inside he was stressing about the ways that this impromptu operation could go wrong. Tobias and Sunset could be captured. Thorax could fail in his own mission and be captured and interrogated by Majesty when she truly woke up, his and Dengal’s part in this plan could fail completely, or if everything did go right for them, the eagles could either refuse to help or not be able to carry his car with them.

Gregory hated the idea of his car being left behind, and not because it had sentimental value to him, but rather he didn’t want Majesty or any of the creatures on her side to study the components and develop magic resistant weapons that they could use against Equestria or the world. Which was why part of his plan hinged on the eagles agreeing to carry the car away with them. It might be resistant to magic, but if Tobias could pull on it and push it, then eagles could definitely lift it. Of course, if they couldn’t lift it or the exit from the cave system was too small to fit the car, he had emptied everything of value to him and set it all in his sturdiest backpack, including solar panels, a charging port, his laptop, all his external storage drives, his phone, and a few other knick-knacks.

Gregory looked down at the nox guard next to him, quieting his voice and asking, “She still isn’t awake yet?”

The nox guard shook his head sadly. “She has shown signs of waking, but she always falls back asleep soon after.”

Gregory frowned and stroked his chin, making an effort to look like he was thinking. All of his instincts were screaming at him to put on the mask he had hidden inside his pack that he had slung across his back, but he held back. “I can see why you’re worried,” he said. “Still, she’s a powerful alicorn. I’m sure she’ll wake up soon.”

The nox seemed to relax at that. “I hope so.”

They walked in silence for a bit until they reached a closed set of double doors guarded by two guards, an older and a newer one. The older one stepped forward and looked at the leader of the group of nox. “What brings you to her majesty’s bedchambers?” His voice was gruff and a bit surly. “Her majesty is not to be disturbed.”

The leader, a larger nox stallion, stepped forward. “Her majesty’s guests are here to visit and Mr. Graystone here says he might have a way to wake our queen.”

The nox guard walked forward, examining the human with a discerning eye. A discerning green eye. “You’d better know what you’re doing, human,” the guard said as he turned to nod at the younger guard. “Unlock the doors. Let them in.”

Gregory and Dengal waited as the younger guard opened the doors and let them into the room. Gregory had expected something majestic and befitting of royalty when they entered. What he got instead was a small bedroom with a single occupancy bed. The bedroom was smaller than his, which surprised him. He wondered briefly if Majesty had temporarily given him her room.

And there, lying on her back, her mane moving in the ethereal wind, lay Majesty. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing peacefully, as if she was asleep.

“What are you planning to do?” the older pony guard asked as he and the younger one walked in, closing the doors behind them and leaving the other guards outside to keep watch.

Gregory walked up and looked at Majesty carefully. Dengal, on the other hand, got to work with her part of the plan. She began looking around the room, carefully searching for something without making it look like she was looking for something. “What could have caused her to not come back on time just from teleporting all of my non-magical stuff here from the Badlands?” he wondered aloud. Of course, he wasn’t stupid and could make a guess. If she had to teleport him in a different way than objects native to Erda, which he was not, then it made sense that her magic would be strained despite her having seemingly endless reserves of magic. What he couldn’t explain was why she had torn his mask off, but he could speculate on that when everybody was safe.

“Seeing as your magic signature is nothing at all,” the older guard said, his eyes glowing green as he said it, “then I suspect teleporting you drained her more than she expected.”

“Yeah, I suppose so,” Gregory said as he reached down to his belt, making sure that the remaining knockout gas pellets were attached. He lowered his bag to the floor and opened it, rummaging around as if looking for something. “It has to be in here somewhere…where did I-?”

“Got them, Gregory,” Dengal said.

Gregory looked up to see the gorgeous goblin woman holding up a pair of familiar looking pistols, their holster, a pair of black knives, and a metal pole. He nodded, then turned to the two guards. “Cover your noses,” he ordered as he quickly reached into his bag, pulled out his mask, and for the first time in what felt like years, slipped it onto his face.

The comforting sensation of the mask form fitting his face along with the cooling sensation he felt as whatever internal advanced mechanisms helped keep his head at the optimum temperature. There was darkness, then the eyepieces activated, showing him a crystal clear view of his surroundings, the light enhancing properties of the mask making the bedroom, once dark to his eyes, looked as bright as day.

Without missing a beat, he grabbed three of the small pellets on his belt, brought them up in his gloved hand, and crushed them. Smoke billowed out from them, and he waved them close to where Majesty was lying. She breathed them in without so much as a WTF, and he heard her breathing become deeper and a lot more regular.

He looked over at the three creatures in the room. Dengal had a face mask over her nose along with her mouth over it. The two guards, having reverted to their normal changeling forms, had a small glowing sphere around their muzzles. This was the first time he was seeing Chrysalis in person, and he had to admit, she was quite a sight to behold. Part of him finally could see just what some of the Chrysalis fanboys back on Earth saw in her. Dengal quickly handed him his weapons, which he attached to his belt. Turning to Chrysalis and Thorax, he said, “You two ready?” It felt good to hear the voice modulator in his mask make his words sound more menacing.

“Since this plan was thought up by a filthy monkey, not really,” Chrysalis retorted.

He knew that she meant it as more of an insult, but despite the situation, he almost snorted. He was reminded of a long running science fiction book series he was a fan of and was tempted to start calling her Skippy, but decided against it, at least for the moment. The gas in the room was vanishing as he gestured to the door. “Time to go,” he said.

“What about the guards outside?” Thorax asked.

“I’ll deal with them,” Gregory said, reaching down and grabbing the metal pole. “Get ready to open the door for me.” Reaching into his bag, he pulled out something he was surprised that Majesty hadn’t taken from him: a walkie-talkie. He held down the transmitter three times quickly, then waited. A heart stopping thirty seconds later, he received a reply in the for of a small click from the speaker. Turning the walkie-talkie off, he stuffed it back into the bag, slung said bag over his shoulder and secured it. “Three…two…one…now,” he said softly, throwing his hood over his head.

The two changelings slowly opened the door, revealing the four guards who had escorted him and Dengal to the room. They turned to see what was going on, and their eyes widened as they saw a glowing pair of blue eyes rushing towards them silently. He brought up the metal pole and struck the nearest pony on the head. The stallion went rigid and collapsed. Twirling around, he brought the metal pole down on the back of the head of another nox guard. Before he could turn to the third guard, two blasts of magic struck them, one a bright green and the other a bright blue. This sent the two remaining ponies flying into the wall before they slumped down into unconsciousness.

Gregory turned to see Thorax and Chrysalis with their heads down a bit, their horns still glowing slightly. “Thanks,” he said, “now it’s time to go.” He turned and began sprinting down the hall, but not before he handed his metal pole to Dengal before drawing his two black knives. “Give ‘em hell just in case,” he said to his close goblin friend as they continued running.

Just as they were about to turn a corner, an ear-piercing screech like what Hollywood faked as a bald eagle call echoed through the halls. Gregory’s mask protected his ears, the two changelings covered their ears with their magic, and Dengal, to her credit, pushed through although her pointed ears were pinned back like cat ears. The nox ponies that they ran past, on the other hand, were now writhing on the ground in pain as they tried to cover their ears. The screech repeated and doubled, and there were rumbles as the building shook. The plan was working flawlessly. Almost too flawlessly, Gregory realized. A part of him worried that Majesty was letting him escape, but it was a bit late now to be thinking about that.

As they approached the hallway where his bedroom was, he saw that some sections of the roof, which were once intact, were now destroyed and showing the inky darkness of the outside. Several of the doors to the rooms were open and he could hear the grunts and a few screams of the ponies inside. When he opened the door to his room, he saw that the roof was completely gone. Rubble filled the area and everything was destroyed. Part of him was a bit upset that the bed was gone as it was the most comfortable bed he’d ever experienced, but he set that aside.

Standing to the side of the car in the middle of the room, the massive golden eagle who he had spoken to earlier was looking incredulously at the rusted and ruined machine. Looking back at Gregory, he spoke. “You want us to carry this out of here with us? Why?”

“Long story short, I don’t want Majesty to have it,” he said, and that was the truth, the most important reason in his mind. Sure, it held sentimental value to him, but if that was the only case, he would have just left it. Sentiment had no place in an escape. “Can you or one of the others carry it through whatever passage you mentioned?”

The eagle looked at it carefully, then nodded. He let loose a bird call instead of a screech, and a smaller eagle flew in. “Carry this carriage out of here,” he ordered.

To Gregory’s surprise and relief, the eagle grabbed it by its claws and lifted off into the darkness of the cavern above.

“My two friends,” Gregory said, “are they-?”

“Already heading out,” the eagle said. He then looked past at the other three. “Two changelings?”

“They’re going to need help flying out,” Dengal quickly said. “They look pretty weak.”

The eagle sighed, then made another bird call. Three other eagles flew down. Chrysalis looked over at the goblin woman with indignation. “I am a queen,” she growled, “I don’t-”

“Yeah, yeah, blah, blah, blah,” Gregory replied, and he saw Dengal snickering at the absurdity of his words coming out of the voice modulator. He grabbed Chrysalis by the back of the neck and shoved her forward. “You can bitch and moan later, but right now you’re too weak to do anything but be a passenger, so move your ass!”

Chrysalis gave Gregory a glare, but didn’t argue as she exchanged a look with Thorax shortly afterwards. She sighed. “Fine, I guess I can-”

“God, why are all the female villains not only sexy, but stubborn?” Gregory let his inner thoughts out, something he sometimes did when he was stressed. He had gotten better at it over the two years he’d been on Erda, but this situation was incredibly stressful. “Move your ass!”

Chrysalis’ dark cheeks darkened and she sputtered out some incomprehensible words, but before she could say anything, Thorax pushed Chrysalis away. Nearby, Dengal looked more amused by the completely embarrassed changeling queen as she turned to make her way over to one of the eagles.

Soon, the three were flying away, leaving Gregory and the lead eagle. “Are you ready, human?” the eagle asked as he lowered himself.

Gregory quickly buttoned up his overcoat, put on a pair of warm gloves that had grips, secured his pistols, knives and bag, then climbed onto the back of the eagle. “I am, and my name is Gregory Graystone,” he said, “but for the time being, could you call me by my cover name Revan?”

The eagle stood straighter and fluffed his wings. “Revan…alright. Again, I would tell you my name, but I don’t-”

“Gwaihir,” Gregory quickly replied. “Your new name is Gwaihir.”

The eagle, now named, paused briefly. “Gwaihir…I like it. It’s a noble name.” Looking back, Gwaihir gave Gregory a nod. “Hold on tightly, Revan. It’s time to fly.”

Gregory reached down, grabbing the feathers on Gwaihir’s back, then felt his stomach drop from beneath him as the two soared up into the darkness.

The mask’s advanced abilities brightened the cave again, and he saw that the group of eagles were flying towards the entrance to Sanctuary, only he saw that there was a larger hole near the ceiling which had a small patch of light coming through. He narrowed his eyes at the entrance, watching as it approached quickly. As they flew through the passage, Gregory heard the screeching call again. When the two passed through into Sanctuary, the mask dimmed his view automatically to account for the glowing crystal on the ceiling. He watched as the eagles moved towards a large hole in the wall. They were passing through it, and to Gregory the exit hole looked remarkably large when compared to the massive hole in the wall.

Gregory risked a look below. Sanctuary looked so small, and the inhabitants looked even smaller. He thought he saw them looking up at the eagles thanks to the enhanced vision the mask gave him.

As Gwaihir flew towards the cavern, he let loose a shriek. To Gregory’s surprise, the cavern entrance seemed to shrink. Gwaihir sped up and flew through the closing entrance. Gregory risked another look behind and saw the cave close up behind them, shutting out the light. The mask brightened the view around him, showing a gem studded cave system that the eagles seemed to be able to maneuver with incredible ease.

As they continued flying, Gregory saw a dim light approaching. Two seconds later, they flew through a cave exit and shot into the air above a vast snowy plain. The entire flock of eagles screeched in unison as they turned and began heading in another direction, heading towards a large wall made of ice.

The Winterwall, Gregory thought. He took one last look back down at the cave where they’d exited, only to see nothing but snow. Turning back, he breathed a sigh of relief. Or rather, half relief. He felt like his escape was too easy.

Empress Cadance stood on the balcony of her and her husband’s bedroom, looking over Crystalia with a small smile. No matter how many times she looked at it from her balcony, the city which was the capital of the empire was beautiful. It was exactly as her ancestor, Princess Amore, described in her diary all those centuries ago before she was defeated by Sombra. Nothing had really changed save for the many upgrades to modern technology that had been imported from Equestria before she cut diplomatic ties with her former nation.

The crystal ponies below were going about their daily lives, completely oblivious to the danger that their southern country neighbor was experiencing at the hooves of a powerful and unknown alicorn. Part of her wondered if this alicorn was the only one that was hiding in the world for so long.

“Mom? Are you in here?”

Cadance turned to see Spike walking in, looking around until he saw her. She smiled at him and turned away from the balcony, walking into the bedroom. “Spike, what are you doing here?” she asked. “Isn’t it time for your training session with your father?”

“Dad’s busy strengthening the city’s defenses in case that alicorn does something,” the young dragon prince said as he sat on the edge of Cadance and Shining’s bed.

He sighed, and Cadance recognized that particular sigh. Spike was troubled about something. She walked over, sat on the bed, and put a wing around her son. “Is something wrong, Spike?” she asked gingerly, suspecting that she knew.

She was right. Spike threw up his claws and made an exasperated noise. “I remember everything so clearly,” he muttered. “It’s hard to believe that the memories were fake.”

Cadance pulled him closer and kissed his forehead lovingly. “Whatever happened,” she said, “you’re back now, and your father and I will make sure that you’re kept safe and secure.”

He shivered a bit and leaned into Cadance. “I just feel so…violated…” he said with a trembling voice.

Cadance frowned. Spike had already experienced enough hardships in his life, and she hoped that being away from Equestria would let him had a foalhood, or hatchlinghood in his case. She hugged him tightly. “She won’t be able to hurt you again,” she repeated reassuringly. “I promise, and so does your dad.”

Spike clung to her tightly, and Cadance heard him sniffling. She had to remind herself that he might be a teenager now, but he was still young and needed to be a hatchling. He was a good big brother to Flurry Heart, and he tried to be mature and be a good prince, but he needed down time too just like adults did, probably more so for him since despite being well-loved by the crystal ponies, he was the only dragon here. Cadance had been speaking to Dragon Lord Ember in secret, hoping to begin some sort of exchange program between their two nations and bring some dragons around Spike’s age around.

Ember had mentioned a dragon who was a few years older than Spike named Smolder and how she was one of the nicer dragons around, by their standards at least. She hoped that sometime soon that this Smolder would come visit and help to teach not just Spike about dragons, but to help teach Cadance, Shining, and Flurry. All three of them were worried in their own way. Flurry might still have been young, but she was bright and knew that something was wrong with her beloved big brother.

A part of Cadance saw a little bit of Twilight Sparkle in Flurry. Both loved their older brothers immensely. Just like Shining, Spike was protective of and loved Flurry back like a big brother should. Cadance had watched Twilight grow up, and she saw the similarities forming, and it warmed her heart to see it. Shining saw it too, and he encouraged it, giving some examples to Spike about what he did that worked and what he failed to do that he regretted, especially in regards to his and Spike’s relationship. Whereas Spike saw Twilight as an older sister, Shining was more like a father figure, especially since Twilight’s parents weren’t that present for Spike during his time at the Sparkle residence.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden knock at her door. Coming out of her reverie, she looked up at the Crystal Guard at the door. “Yes?” she asked, and Spike turned around to face the guard as well.

“Your highnesses, my apologies,” the guard said with a bow, “but some scouts on the walls have just reported seeing a group of massive birds flying from the north directly our way.”

“Birds?” Cadance asked curiously as she and Spike broke the hug and stood. “What kind of birds?”

“Well, that’s the thing,” the guard said, sounding a bit confused now, “they look like golden eagles, but their size is…well, it’s impossible.”

“Impossible how?” Cadance asked.

The guard looked a bit uncomfortable to be reporting this, but he did it anyway. “Your highness…the scouts reported that they saw somecreatures riding on their backs.”

Ten minutes later, Cadance, Shining, Spike, and even Flurry Heart, who had noticed the commotion and joined despite the rest of her family’s protests, were standing on the wall surrounding the city. The wall itself was a new addition to the city, built quickly and sturdily over the two years after Cadance cut ties with Equestria. The family were taking turns looking through powerful spyglasses that the scouts used. Cadance was the first to spot a familiar form on the back of one of the eagles. “That’s Tobias, the abyssinian!” she shouted.

“I see Sunset Shimmer,” Spike said, “but I don’t recognize the other two. One’s a…I don’t know what race that is. Gray skin, bipedal, red eyes, black hair…”

“That’s a goblin,” Shining explained. “They’re a nomadic species. I don’t know who-CHRYSALIS!”

Cadance froze. Where had the changeling queen come from? she wondered. The last time she had heard anything about the changeling, she was back in her hive in the Badlands, but that information was only about six months old. She turned and caught a glimpse of the queen, clinging to the back of an eagle. To her shock, Chrysalis looked even thinner and sicklier than before. Despite her colored history with the changeling, a small sliver of concern passed through her. She lowered the spyglass and passed it off to Flurry Heart without a second thought. “What in Crystalia happened to her…?” she wondered.

The group watched as the specks of black turned into gray bird shaped objects, then dark red and gray birds as their colors became more visible. The group watched as the eagles all landed near the massive gates. The creatures on the backs of the eagles all dismounted, and one eagle even let go of a strange cart-shaped object. The group all looked up at where Cadance, Shining, Flurry, Spike, and several Crystal Guards stood. One of them, a masked biped with the eyepieces glowing blue, waved their arms, and in a booming voice called out, “EMPRESS CADANCE! WE MEAN NO HARM! WE SEEK AID FOR FORMER PRISONERS OF THE OLD QUEEN MAJESTY!”

Cadance looked down at the biped, wondering if this was the human that Tobias had been so keen on rescuing. She spread her wings, and before her husband, her children, or her guards could object, she flew down and landed opposite of the masked figure. Looking at the figure, who spoke with a male voice, she said, “Are you the human that Tobias was hoping to rescue?”

The masked figure remained still for a bit. Then, he reached his hand up to his hood, removed it, then placed his fingers on the face of the mask. He pulled, there was a hiss, and the mask came off, revealing the face below. The face of a human. “Empress,” he said in a more normal sounding male voice, “I know your history with Chrysalis here, but she has endured too much to be any threat to you. And besides, these eagles need a place to rest before they move on. And my group and I need to talk with the princesses of Equestria.” He paused, then took a deep breath. “Please,” he added, a hint of desperation creeping into his voice, “it’s important.”

Cadance looked at the human’s face. She was by no means an expert, and even though she couldn’t sense any magic from him, it seemed as if fear was a universal between worlds. She slowly nodded. “Very well,” she said, “come on in. All of you.” She directed the last words to everycreature, but was glaring daggers at Chrysalis, who seemed too weak to retort. Turning to the Crystal Guards on the walls, she called out, “Open the gates and let them in!”

As the massive crystalline gates opened and the group of former prisoners walked in while the eagles flew up, looking for a place to roost presumably, Cadance let out a deep sigh. What had she gotten herself and potentially her kingdom involved with?

Majesty’s eyes fluttered open as she returned to consciousness. Her head was foggy from the effort of teleporting Gregory’s vehicle to the castle. Her first impression of returning to consciousness was a sweet smell. Then she heard what sounded like panicked muffled voices behind her door. She tried to move, but found that she was incredibly weak at the moment.

“Your majesty, don’t move,” a feminine voice, her personal doctor, said as a lithess female named Bella Keeneye came into view. “You were gassed.”

That caught Majesty’s attention. “…Gassed…?” she croaked out. “What-?” She fell into a coughing fit.

Bella helped Majesty sit up, then helped her drink a tall clay mug of cool water. “Easy now,” the lithess said, “drink slowly. That knockout gas can cause dry mouth and throat.”

“What…happened…?” Majesty asked after she finished the first mug, her throat still feeling parched.

Bella filled the mug with more water and began helping Majesty drink some more. “A lot’s happened while you were recovering, your majesty,” she said, “but first you should-”

Majesty pushed the mug away, spilling some onto her personal sheets, the same ones that her deceased husband had made for her. “Tell me what happened,” she ordered.

Majesty regretted even asking. The escape of the Great Eagles was a major issue, but what caught her completely off guard was that Gregory and Dengal had escaped with them, and they had taken Gregory’s vehicle with them. She sat in stunned silence as Bella told her what they knew and about how the eagles had destroyed a decent portion of the residential wing, presumably as retaliation for being held for so long.

“Your majesty?” Majesty was slowly becoming aware of Bella’s concerned tone as she finished processing what she’d just learned about Gregory’s escape. “Are you alright?”

Majesty looked over at Bella. “Huh? Oh!” She shook her head quickly. “Sorry. Guess I’m still trying to wake up. Is the damage that bad?”

“Some of the unicorns and a couple other lithess are working to repair the damage,” Bella replied, “and plenty of ponies from Sanctuary are letting some displaced nox stay with them until their rooms are repaired. The attack seemed to be directed only at the castle.”

“At least they didn’t attack any of the other buildings,” Majesty said. She tested her magic and found that she had her telekinesis back in control. “Bella, I’ll be alright to pour my own water.”

“You should still rest for at least another day,” Bella said. “I’ll keep you informed on what’s happening.”

“Spyke can do that,” Majesty said. “Where is he?”

“He’s been helping the rebuilding process,” Bella said.

“Where was he during the escape?” Majesty asked.

“He was searching in the other caves for signs of intruder’s escape,” Bella explained, “and by the time he came back the eagles and the guests were gone. He’s been running himself ragged, trying to fix everything.”

Majesty felt bad for Spyke. He tended to take failure very hard, especially since he blamed himself for Majesty being captured and tortured by the demon horde at the end of the Tartarus War. She never blamed him, especially since he, too, had been captured and tormented when he was just a young dragon, barely an adult and having hatched his wings during the war. “I’d like to be alone for a while to think about this,” Majesty said.

“Of course, your majesty,” Bella said, putting the clay pitcher and mug on one of her end tables. “If you need me, I’ll be by your side.”

“Thank you,” Majesty said as she watched her personal doctor leave. She slowly turned away from the door, looking down at the ancient bedsheets. The ones she had recovered from Dream Castle and restored after her ascension. After she…

Memories of what happened on the last day of her captivity among the demons flooded into her mind. She heard the screams of agony, none of them her own. The screams that were not her own. She heard the angry words she spoke as she flew over her captors, their screams cut off as they-

She dropped the mug she was bringing over. It fell and shattered, spilling the contents onto the floor. Grabbing a pillow, she buried her face into it and screamed loudly, wailing as she remembered everything she did once more. She kept on apologizing, shouting “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” over and over again.

Then she thought about Gregory. She thought about how he had been mistreated by modern day ponies, and despite her offering him protection he had escaped. Her sorrow increased and she wailed. More guilt and shame filled her as she wept for the next two solid hours.

When she couldn’t cry anymore and when her eyes were burning, she slowly reconstituted the clay mug, poured herself a cup, and swallowed in one gulp. Then, she lay back down, hoping to get some rest like Bella wanted. She had work to do. She had so, so much work to do…so, so much…

She fell asleep quickly.

41: Scout

“As I understand the mercenary creed, it goes ‘High risk, high reward,’ is that correct?” Celestia said the next morning as she, Luna, the Williams siblings, and all of the members of Gregory’s group sat around a large breakfast table in town hall the next morning.

“Correct.” Gregory looked levelly at the ancient alicorn, “and if we do join in helping, Shadow Dawn will not be holding back when it comes to our fee.” He gestured to the ceiling. “Windigos were not on my bingo card this year,” he said, “and if what I know about them is true, then they are some of the deadliest monsters in the world. So if we do decide to help defeat them, wherever they are, the risk had better be damned well worth it for me and my team.”

“How much will you require in compensation?” Luna asked.

“One million,” he said, “each. So six million.”

Celestia didn't react, but inside she was stunned. The crown could definitely afford that much easily, but she had never heard of any mercenary charging such an amount for a job. She looked at the group before her. “Six million bits in total?” she asked to confirm.

“No,” he said, “six million Pantheran gold marks.”

Now Celestia’s control over herself slipped ever so slightly. Six million marks was worth more in Panthera than six million bits were, because as loathe as she was to admit it, the Pantheran economy was stronger than even Equestria’s. One mark equaled four to five bits depending. That made it seventy four to thirty million bits worth of money. Again, the treasury could definitely accomplish that with ease since there were plenty of actual marks in the Canterlot Vault buried deep in the side of the mountain. “I take it you would prefer the payment to be made in marks instead of bits?” Celestia asked.

“Correct,” Gregory said.

“We’re gonna be risking our lives for this,” Tobias added, putting a finger on the table to emphasize his point, “so the risk needs to be worth it.”

“A million marks will be more than enough to help build a place for me and my hive,” Chrysalis muttered in agreement.

Celestia still couldn’t believe that Chrysalis was actually working with Shadow Dawn. She wasn’t sure if the changeling queen had actually joined them or if it was some sort of temporary alliance. Not to mention that the changeling had acted a bit unusually around Gregory at times. “We can more than accommodate that request,” Celestia said, “but when would you like to be paid? Half now and half later? All upfront? After the job is considered done?”

“Half now and half upon confirmed completion,” Gregory said as he turned to Tobias. “You’re up.”

The abyssinian reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a scroll which he slid across the table. “A standard mercenary contract form,” he said. “Travel cost and food costs are to be compensated at the conclusion of the contract with proper documentation, access to half of the reward now, and promise on our part not to betray the contract even if we are offered more to betray it, all of the standard stuff our group promises. Feel free to look it over.”

Celestia and Luna opened the scroll and read over the contract. It looked simple enough, although it seemed as if the language was written so as not to hurt either side. Megan sat up straighter. “May I see that contract?” she asked.

As Celestia slid it over, Gregory raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t know you were a lawyer,” he said.

“I’m not,” she said as she looked over the paper, “it’s just for my peace of mind.”

Gregory shrugged. “Whatever works for you.”

After a few minutes of the Williams siblings reading it over, Megan returned it to Celestia. She and Luna re-read it once more, then nodded. “These terms are acceptable,” Celestia said. In fact, they were more than reasonable. Part of her had half expected Shadow Dawn to ask for more, but if their plans to live in Panthera were accurate, they would never have to work again with a million marks. “However, this part that you left unwritten states that we should both agree on an observer, one who is fair and unbiased. Did you have someone in mind?”

“Do you?” Gregory retorted. “We don’t normally use an observer because most of our jobs were in the lawless Badlands. It needs to be someone who isn’t touched by nonpony hatred.”

Celestia frowned. The contract stipulated that, as this was a job coming from the crown, the group wanted assurances that they would be paid, but that in return they would offer assurances that they were taking their job seriously and that they had earned the reward. So, they had added in a clause that insisted on an observer to make sure that both sides of the equation kept their end of the contract. She thought for a while, but only one option came to her mind. She tried to dismiss it, but it kept coming up. Finally, she looked up at the group. “Instead of one, why not more than one?” she asked.

Gregory’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Are you absolutely sure about them, Your Highness?” he asked.

“I can think of a few of that group who would be more than willing to take up the task,” Luna said, seeming to catch on to what her sister was implying. “One in particular is intelligent enough to know many of not just the kingdom wide laws but even local laws in major cities and some minor towns.”

Celestia saw Dengal put a hand on Gregory’s elbow and watched as Starfall walked up behind his chair, arms behind her back. Everyone else was on alert, as well, including Chrysalis. Inwardly, she was glad that Gregory had surrounded himself with people who would look after him, love him, and keep him safe. Gregory leaned forward, stroking the stubble of the beard he had clearly not yet shaved. He looked at his companions. “Your thoughts?”

“I think it’s a good idea,” Tobias replied. “I believe at least two of them would be more than willing to help, considering everything.”

“As much as I hate to agree with the cat here, I do,” Sunset snarked with a small grin, “although I must say that if towns see us with them, they may treat us worse because of who they are. But that’s the only caveat.”

“If you wish, we could provide you with a small guard detachment to make sure things don’t get out of hoof,” Celestia offered.

Gregory shook his head. “You need all the manpower you have for more important things,” he said, “and besides, Shadow Dawn was a strong group even before Sunset, Starfall, and Dengal joined. And with them plus our temporary sexy member Chrysalis here, we’re a powerhouse.”

Chrysalis’s cheeks went darker at that, and the now reformed looking changeling glared at him. “Stop that,” she hissed, but the blush told Celestia a different story.

Gregory snorted and looked at her. “Make me,” he said before blowing a kiss her way. His expression turned serious again as he turned away from the ever increasingly flustered changeling queen. “You do realize, of course, that we can’t sign this contract until we discuss this with the ponies you have in mind, correct?”

“I figured as much,” Celestia agreed. “Is that an issue?”

“No,” Tobias was the one to reply instead, “but it will mean we have to go back to Maretime Bay.”

“I should have brought my swimsuit,” Celestia heard Molly muttering to herself.

“Then let us finish our meal posthaste,” Luna said. “We do not wish to hinder your independent investigation any further.”

“And if the ponies you have in mind refuse to sign?” Gregory asked.

“Then we can amend the contract and you can get rid of the observer clause.” Celestia said.

This caught all of Shadow Dawn off guard. Gregory, however, leaned forward. “Are you sure?” he asked. “That’s an awfully big risk.”

“From what I’ve seen of you so far, you are not like the nasty stereotypes that are associated with mercenaries,” Celestia said. “I see that you have a code of honor that I respect. I am willing to put my trust in you if the ponies I have in mind are not willing to be your observers.”

“You are taking a big risk,” Gregory repeated, “but if it so happens that none of those ponies will be our observers, we will not break our oath.” He took the scroll back and rolled it up, handing it over to Tobias who stuffed it back into his coat, “In that case, let’s leave after breakfast.”

Twilight took a sip of her drink as she looked across the table that she had extended for the first time since moving into her lighthouse home. Five other ponies sat at the table, awkwardly eating the meal that Twilight and Maple had cooked for the lunch that Twilight had invited them over for. In front of them were several dishes, such as a macaroni salad, a regular salad, sliced peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, hay fries, rice, soup, a casserole, and more. To drink, she had brewed a large pot of tea, bought a large glass jar of Energyade, a sports drink brand that she’d grown quite fond of in the past year, and ice water. She had no idea why she’d made so much, but she suspected that it was another way to distract herself.

In the year since she’d been discharged from the Canterlot medical institution, she had attempted a few ways to expand her mind, one of which had been cooking. Maple Leaf, being an expert, was her instructor and helped her through the awkward stages she went through when almost everything Twilight made burned or was severely undercooked. After a while, however, she had grown confident in simpler dishes that she could eat regularly. Maple had made more complicated dishes with Twilight’s help, and the former encouraged it since it at least got Twilight moving when she wasn’t tending to the lighthouse.

She cleared her throat slightly, feeling the tense atmosphere around the room as she looked at her former friends. They weren’t complaining as they ate, and even Rainbow was chewing with what Twilight thought was an appreciative attitude, but she was never good at reading ponies so it could have been an act for all she knew. Her next words reflected her insecurity. “Sorry if the food isn’t up to anypony’s standards,” she said.

Rarity replied quickly, waving a hoof and giving Twilight a reassuring smile. “Nonsense, darling,” she said, “why, truth be told, I am pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable the dishes are. No offense.”

Twilight snorted and whinneyed a bit. “None taken,” she replied. “I know I was a terrible cook before.”

“Not as terrible as Sweetie Belle’s cooking was,” Rarity shuddered.

“Did that young filly really burn juice?” Applejack asked.

Rarity shuddered. “That filly burned everything somehow,” she said.

“How they hay did she do that?” Rainbow asked.

“Elysium knows,” Rarity replied, “but she’s definitely been getting better. Much better, actually.”

“That’s good,” Fluttershy said. “I love cooking. It’s relaxing.”

“Eh, I normally either just eat at the restaurant where I work or eat what my parents make,” Rainbow said.

“And before that?” Twilight asked without thinking. When she saw Rainbow flinch, she realized she’d stepped into uncomfortable territory. “S-Sorry, forget I asked,” she amended quickly.

“I went out or got delivery,” Rainbow explained after a few tense moments of silence. “Cooking just ain’t my thing, really. I can make really simple things like sandwiches, although nopony can make my favorite meal like Mom can.”

“Yah mean that potato salad abomination?” Applejack asked, but Twilight could hear the slight teasing behind the words.

“Just because your diet is apple everything doesn’t mean you can diss my favorite foods,” Rainbow shot back, but unlike before Twilight could tell that she was teasing right back.

“The food is very good, Twilight,” Pinkie said with a warm smile.

“Remind me tah come by sometime and teach yah some apple recipes,” Applejack chuckled.

“Well, since you’ll be growing apple trees soon, that sounds like a great idea,” Twilight said.

“And you’re sure there’s no cider you could have brought here?” Rainbow asked hopefully.

“We ran out of our cider and zap apple cider this past spring,” Applejack explained.

“Awww,” Rainbow said sadly.

“We’ll at least have zap apple cider this year,” Applejack replied.

“If you want, I can try and figure out if there’s a way to duplicate the effects of zap apple tree growth on other apple trees,” Twilight said in an attempt to be helpful.

“Ah think we can spare a few seeds fer ya,” Applejack said, “but ah’ll have tah ask Granny ‘bout it.”

“That’s fine,” Twilight said. She felt a bit of the old excitement she felt whenever she experimented with her magic and spells resurging inside her. Having something else to focus on when she wasn’t working or doing house chores sounded like it would be fun. Her mind hadn’t been really exercised in a while, and she wanted to change that.

“…You know,” Rainbow said after a few moments of silence, “I heard that the weather team here is hiring. Ocean weather teams are apparently different than other weather teams, and I do have weather experience.”

“That’s interesting,” Fluttershy said, “because I was thinking about moving here and starting a garden to help with food.”

That caught Applejack’s attention. “Yah wanna make another farm?” she asked. “Ah never thought ya tah be the type.”

“I’ve been growing my own vegetable garden for the past year,” Fluttershy said, “and it’s really a rewarding job. Angel’s helped me a lot.”

“That mean old rabbit’s still kicking?” Rainbow asked with a chuckle.

“He’s become a lot calmer,” Fluttershy said defensively.

“Maybe he and Tank will be buddies now,” Rainbow said.

Twilight noticed the sad smile on Applejack’s face, then remembered how her own dog Winona had passed away. She could relate, as Owlicious had vanished shortly after her institutionalization. “Applejack, if this conversation is making you uncomfortable-”

“Now don’t y’all be censorin’ yerselves on mah account,” Applejack interrupted her. “Winona lived a good and long life. Sure, ah’m sad about her bein’ gone, but h’m holdin onto the memories and rememberin’ the good times.”

Silence fell around the table, until Rainbow spoke up. “Are you…going to get another pet?”

Applejack shrugged. “Maybe,” she said. “Ah dunno much ‘bout that new forest near our new land, though. Twi? Is it dangerous?”

“From what little I know, it’s nowhere near as dangerous as the Everfree,” Twilight mused. “Only standard forest ones from all I’ve heard.”

“What’s it called?” Pinkie asked.

“They’re calling it Bridlewood for now,” Twilight said. “It’s full of magic and of large crystals.”

“It sounds like a fascinating place, from what the customers at my parents’ shop have said,” Rarity added. “I haven’t set hoof in it yet, though.”

Twilight was about to say something, but just then something washed over her. It was a familiar feeling, one she’d felt just recently, but one she couldn’t put her hoof on. Everypony else seemed to notice it as well and looked at each other in confusion. “What in tarnation-?” Applejack asked, but then a bright rainbow mist washed through the room, passing through them and filling them with a familiar sense of warmth and comfort.

“Rainbow of Light,” Pinkie muttered.

“But if that’s the case, then that means-” Twilight’s thoughts were cut off by the sounds of a distant Great Eagle shrieking. She got to her feet and galloped to the back door. Throwing it open, she rushed out and looked up. A large group of eagles were circling above the town, with a large wave of rainbow light emanating from one of the circling birds. Twilight inhaled deeply, enjoying the feeling while it lasted. It was almost like the Rainbow was a more concentrated version of the Elements of Harmony.

Soon, the light stopped, and the eagles turned and began making their way towards the large grassy plain near Twilight’s house. The six ponies watched as all of the eagles landed. She was a bit surprised to see that Princesses Celestia and Luna were riding together on one, but decided to ask later. The Williams siblings were also there, as was Gregory and his team plus a human like pony with a strange pair of butterfly-like wings who seemed to stick close to Gregory, who was removing his mask.

Twilight and the others walked down the hill on which the lighthouse sat and headed towards the group. As they approached, Twilight heard Celestia talking to Luna. “Being flown is certainly a different experience than actually flying.”

“What are you talking about, sister?” Luna asked. “You have been flown in a flying chariot before.”

“Even that’s not the same,” Celestia replied before turning to the eagle they had flown on. “Thank you, Anairë.”

“Of course, Your Grace,” the eagle, clearly female, replied.

“I do wish we could be called that instead of ‘Your Highness’ again,” Luna said after she, too, thanked the eagle.

“Maybe after everything is taken care of, we can,” Celestia said before turning to see the former Elements approaching. “Hello, everypony,” she said. “Sorry to drop in unannounced, but there’s something urgent we need to discuss with you.”

Gregory watched the six ponies as they huddled around the paper that Tobias had provided for them. He was seated between Chrysalis and Dengal, the former being in her natural form instead of an anthro form. Celestia and Luna sat nearby and Tobias sat next to Dengal. Starfall stood behind Gregory like she was watching over him. Sunset sat next to Chrysalis and was watching the proceedings with a neutral expression. All that could be heard at the moment were the hushed whispers of the Mane Six. Judging from the smell and the fully set kitchen table he had seen earlier, Gregory guessed that they had arrived while they had been in the middle of a group lunch. He felt a bit bad about it and hadn’t objected when Celestia offered to postpone the conversation, but Twilight and the others had insisted.

He took a sip of the Energyade that Twilight had provided for him. It tasted a lot like Gatorade in his opinion, something that he hadn’t expected to find in this world, but now that he knew about it, he knew one thing he’d be buying en masse before he and Shadow Dawn left for Panthera.

His attention came back to the present as Twilight and the others broke apart and turned back to the group. “So, if I understand this right,” Twilight began, “you’re asking one or all of us to join in and observe how Shadow Dawn acts during their mission?”

“That is the basic idea, yes,” Celestia said. “This is their idea, not ours.”

“Think of it as an olive branch we’ve extended,” Gregory said before he realized that nobody there would get the reference. “Basically, quality control, a way for you to ensure that we are sticking to our end of the contract. It’s something that mercs do sometimes.”

“But…what if the other side doesn’t uphold their end?” Fluttershy asked.

“The contract is legally binding in every nation,” Tobias explained. “Mercenaries are exempt from some of the local and national laws due to their line of work.”

“Mercs have been around for millennia,” Dengal added.

“It’s one reason why they are hated in Equestria,” Sunset added. “Not the main reason, but one of the reasons.”

Twilight exchanged a look with the others, and they went right back to talking amongst themselves. He felt Dengal’s hand resting on his thigh, giving it a gentle and reassuring squeeze. Even Chrysalis seemed to move very slightly closer, although that could have been his imagination.

Eventually, the six came back, contract floating in Twilight’s purple magic. “Is time of the essence here?” she asked.

“We’d rather have an answer sooner rather than later,” Gregory said.

“Well, could we talk about it and give you an answer tomorrow?” Twilight asked.

Gregory exchanged glances with the others. It wasn’t exactly what he’d hoped for, but it was something he could live with. Everyone else nodded in approval, so Gregory turned back. “Tomorrow by noon,” he said.

Gregory lay in the bed next to Dengal, the white sheet the only thing covering his naked lower half as the curvaceous goblin woman traced her finger up his chest in a swirl. Unlike before, Gregory and the rest had to find rooms in the local inn and tavern. The first thing that everyone noticed was that there were no more humans, at least not that he had seen. Instead, he’d seen anthro and normal ponies walking around. He had received some looks of shock from some ponies, but for the most part they seemed to be involved in their own confusion at the apparent sudden change in their forms thanks to a certain ancient rainbow artifact.

The innkeeper had plenty of rooms for them and had promised a complimentary breakfast. The princesses had stayed behind in Twilight’s lighthouse.

Gregory snapped out of his post sex reverie when Dengal nibbled on his earlobe. He inhaled sharply, more in surprise than anything. Goblin teeth were a little bit sharper than human teeth, with more pronounced canines. “Denny….” he moaned softly, using the nickname that he only ever used for her in private conversations.

She smirked, her red eyes glowing in the dark. “My strong, handsome human lover, so sensitive to a little old goblin like me,” she purred as she slowly straddled him. The sheets fell off of her to reveal her bare and naked body.

Gregory couldn’t help but stare. Even in the dim candlelight, her body rivaled, nay, surpassed, many models on Earth. She may have been around his age, but she was still youthful. Slender, fit, an hourglass figure, no hair anywhere except her head (a rarity for goblins), and more. He watched as she brushed her long black hair behind her pointed ears. “You like what you see, baby?”

“I always do,” he replied honestly.

She giggled, then leaned down and pressed her body against him, lying her head on his chest. More specifically, her ear was lying where his heart was. Reaching around, she grabbed one of his hands and intertwined it with her own. Goblins seemed to tend to run warmer than humans, and her warm hand intertwined with his cooler one. “How are you feeling about tomorrow?” she asked gently.

Gregory shrugged slightly. “Nervous,” he admitted. “How about you?”

She squeezed his hand tighter for a bit, then relaxed. “This is my first mission as a mercenary with you,” she said. “I know it’s a dangerous one, but as long as I’m by your side, I know we can do anything.”

Gregory smiled instinctively. She sounded so cliché, but at the moment he didn’t care. It warmed his heart to hear her saying those things. With that, he regained some of his strength. He reached down with his free hand and took a handful of her ass in it. “Good.”

He squeezed. She yelped and looked up at him, biting her lower lip. “You are going to pay for that,” she said dangerously as she sat up, quickly grabbed his wrists and pinned him to the bed. “My turn.” She reached down and yanked the sheet off…

The morning summer sun shone in through the window and hit Tobias’ eyes. He opened one of them, scanning the room as he quickly came to full alertness. He made a “Mrrrp!” sound as he got on all fours and arched his back in a feline stretch. He stretched out his arms as he arched his behind in the air, then stretched his legs out.

After he’d made his feline ancestors proud with his catlike wake up routine, he took a brief shower. Not every part of his routine would be catlike, of course. Abyssinians weren’t scared of water like the stereotypes for cats made them out to be, plus he didn’t lick himself clean. Not in public, at any rate. He’d done it a lot more while living in the Badlands, but it had made him appreciate water a whole lot more.

When he stepped out of the room after drying and getting dressed, he saw that Chrysalis was also leaving her private room. She was holding a glowing sphere in her magic which showed a three dimensional image of another changeling in it. “I’ll be returning to Canterlot very soon,” she was saying to the changeling, “so keep things in shape until I return.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the changeling on the other end replied. “Is there anything else you want us to do? Anything to prepare for your return?”

“Prepare tents for me and six others just in case,” Chrysalis said. “They might not be used, but it’s best to be sure.”

“At once, Your Majesty.” With that, the glowing sphere vanished with a pop and Chrysalis stood alone in the inn’s hallway.

Tobias chuckled. “Why not six?” he asked in a teasing tone.

She looked over her shoulder at him and frowned. “I did my math correctly,” she replied haughtily. “Me, Gregory and Dengal in one, you, Sunset Shimmer, Frostfall, and the Williams siblings.”

“Oh no, I know you did your math right,” he said, “but what if those two finall ask you to join in?”

She froze, considering, Then, her cheeks went bright red, which was much easier to see on her new transformed body. “You cad,” she said in embarrassment.

“Hey, I know Dengal, and she only teases people she really likes,” he said, remembering the times when she had teased not only Gregory but him, although whenever she teased him it was friendly banter. He liked Dengal. She was a strong woman with a deep sense of duty and empathy. The latter probably had to do with how she was kicked out of her goblin village for her…‘deformities.’

“He is already in a relationship, and I’m a queen,” she replied.

Tobias frowned. “If this is a difference in stations thing, do you think either of them care?”

Chrysalis glowered at him, her pale blue cheeks darkening once more. Tobias had to hide a smirk. Gregory was right. This one was a tsundere. “It’s not that,” she snapped. “From what little I learned about humans from the one named Megan, they are monogamous.”

“I’ve been around a human far longer than you have,” Tobias said, “and that’s not true. Humans can be polyamorous and polygamous. In fact, monogamy is a more recent development for humanity.”

That seemed to catch her attention, and she was about to reply when another door opened. Gregory and Dengal, both dressed, stepped out of the room. They looked freshly washed and their clothes did look much cleaner than before. The inn did have a laundry service which they had utilized the day before. Some of Gregory’s clothes couldn’t be washed normally, though, but he hadn’t seemed to mind. Tobias raised a claw. “Hey, you two sleep okay?”

The new couple exchanged a knowing look, grins forming on their lips before they turned back. “Like a pair of lovers on a warm summer’s night,” Gregory said.

Chrysalis rolled her eyes, then turned to walk down the hall towards the stairs. “Sickeningly sweet love,” she muttered.

“What’s her deal?” Dengal asked as the three best friends followed a short distance behind.

“Jealous, I think,” Tobias said. “I think your teasing is getting to her.”

Gregory and Dengal exchanged looks. “Should we stop?” Dengal asked.

“If I didn’t know any better, I think she’s jealous,” Tobias said, “but I’m no love expert.”

“Oh, she’s jealous, all right,” a fourth voice said from behind them. Turning, the bipedals all saw Sunset Shimmer walking down the hall, brushing her mane gently. Tobias noted that she looked more like her My Little Pony counterpart here than she had before. A shower always seemed to do wonders. “I’m an empath, remember?” she added. “I might not be able to feel emotions like a changeling, but I’m good at reading them.”

The couple looked at each other, then nodded. “Excuse us for a moment,” Gregory said as she and Dengal rushed after the changeling queen.

“Having you on our team will be just as useful as the U.S.S. Enterprise having Deanna Troi on it as a counselor,” Tobias mused as he and Sunset followed after the two at a leisurely pace.

“Who and where?” Sunset asked.

“Never mind, it’s a reference to another Earth fictional show,” Tobias replied.

When the two got down to the main floor, they saw that not only were Chrysalis, Gregory, and Dengal downstairs, but the Williams siblings were there along with the royal sisters and the Mane Six. Tobias saw a few other ponies there, but for the most part their group was the vast majority. There were a few pony waitresses walking back and forth, taking orders or delivering food. Tobias and Sunset sat down and were instantly given a menu and complimentary morning coffee. The delicious bitter smell was enough to rouse even the sleepiest of customers, but Tobias drank anyway.

After a while, and after the two had ordered and received their food, they were eating in silence when Gregory waved at them to join. Starfall had since come down, apologizing profusely for being the last one awake and had joined Tobias and Sunset after the latter explained that Gregory, Dengal, and Chrysalis were having a private discussion. One which ended after Gregory waved the other three over. “You done with your discussion?” Tobias asked, holding back any teasing until he got the emotional lay of the land.

“We’ve reached an understanding,” Gregory agreed, “and we’ll talk about it later, when Chrysalis feels comfortable with it.”

Tobias turned and saw that the changeling queen’s face was flushed, now. He bit back his teasing again even harder and simply nodded. “Of course.”

As they were eating, one of the remaining normal ponies, a pegasus, came walking in from the outside, shivering. Tobias recognized her as Derpy Hooves, or whatever her real name was. She walked up and asked for some hot coffee and muffins. That confirmed it for Tobias. “It’s cold up in the sky today,” she announced, presumably a bit louder than she’d meant to.

This caught the attention of the princesses and the other pegasi in the room. Curiously, it also caught Chrysalis’ attention and that caught Dengal’s and Gregory’s attention, which in turn caught Tobias’ attention. He decided to listen in. The innkeeper, an earth pony named Golden Sheaf, looked at Derpy. “Isn’t it always colder in the sky?”

“No, not like this,” Derpy said in the voice that Tobias recognized from the donkey wedding episode.

“In what way do you mean, young one?” Luna spoke up from her seat.

Derpy turned and her lopsided eyes went wide when she saw who was speaking to her. “Oh, hi Princess!” she said with a welcoming smile and a wave of her hoof.

“Greetings, young mare,” Luna said, seemingly nonplussed by Derpy’s lack of royal acknowledgment. “Pray tell, what did you mean by what you said earlier?”

“Huh? Oh!” Derpy took the mug of coffee and drank it before exhaling. “It’s cold in the sky. Not summer cold, either. Autumn cold, I think.”

“Perhaps because you’re near the coast instead of in Ponyville?” Gregory spoke up.

Derpy’s eyes landed on him and her eyes went wider. She put the mug down, got off of her stool, and hesitantly approached Gregory. It wasn’t hesitation out of fear, Tobias realized, but one which meant she was unsure of how he might react to her. “Are you…a real human, like Mr. Jason was?” she asked hesitantly.

“I am,” Gregory acknowledged.

“Are you the masked creature who stopped other ponies from hurting Twilight?” she asked.

“Tobias helped, too,” Gregory said, gesturing to the abyssinian.

Derpy made her way to his booth, put her hooves up on his lap, and focused on him. Tobias was in view so he could see how her wall eyes began focusing on him. She was clearly making an effort, and eventually she finished. “I’m sorry…” she muttered.

The dining hall was silent as this encounter continued. Dengal looked like she was on the defensive, but Tobias wasn’t too worried. Clearly, Majesty thought that Derpy, or whatever her name was, hadn’t done anything to deserve becoming a human shaped pony. Gregory reached out, then put a hand on Derpy’s blonde mane. “Why? It’s not your fault.”

She seemed surprised by his words, but as he scratched behind her ear, her eyes closed and her tail began swishing. She seemed to move into the scratching. Nobody moved or spoke for a while, and then Gregory released her. She stood back down on her hooves, whispered, “Thank you,” and made her way back to her stool.

The silence was a bit more pronounced now, until Celestia broke it. She turned to Rainbow Dash. “Rainbow, you’re an expert on weather,” she said, “could you go up and see what the temperature is?”

“Of course,” Rainbow said as she got up and dashed out of the room.

With that, the conversations from before resumed, albeit a bit more quietly. A few of the bipedal ponies even approached Gregory and gave their own apologies, but he just shrugged since what they had done to Jason was between them and their conscience, not him. He said it a bit less callously than that, of course.

Rainbow came back in several minutes later, shivering. “I-It is cold up there,” she reported. “Colder than-”

The windows all exploded inward at that moment, and the door was thrown off of its hinges, blasting into the room and knocking over a table. The air that shot in was bitingly cold. Reacting fast, Tobias rushed out of the inn, following behind some of the others who were closer to the door.

The air was even colder outside, and the sky, despite it being sunny, seemed to have a wintery gray tint to it. Ponies, bipedal or otherwise, were looking around in fear and confusion. “What the tartarus is going on??” Dengal shouted over the sound of the increasing wind.

Nobody answered, because at that moment, a small cloud began to form right in front of the sun. Mist rose from the ocean to feed the cloud, and soon it had become large enough to block out sunlight for the entire town, and it was still growing.

Then, they heard the screech.

It penetrated the clouds with an ear piercing sound. Everyone covered their ears except Gregory who put his strangely futuristic mask on. The blue eyes glowed to life and he scanned the sky.

The screech ended, and something with a ghostly white hue pierced through the center of the swirling cloud. Something with a horse shape.

“WINDIGO!” Gregory shouted, but it was too late. A blast of icy blue lightning shot out of the windigo’s mouth, striking buildings, the ground…and Dengal.

The goblin didn’t scream, didn’t move, didn’t even react. Tobias thought that the lightning had missed her, but when she fell, he knew something was wrong. She wasn’t going limp. In fact, she was as stiff as a board. He lunged for her, catching her before she hit the ground, but nearly dropped her when he felt how cold her body was.

No, he realized, it wasn’t her body. It was the thin layer of nearly invisible ice that had formed around her. He gently laid her down, then looked over at Gregory. He couldn’t see the expression on the human’s face due to the mask, but he could tell just from the body language that he was pissed. Gregory then turned to Sunset. “Can you shoot that fucking monster out of the sky??”

Sunset looked up at the windigo and narrowed her eyes. “Maybe! It’s a bit far!”

“Do it!” he shouted, grabbing the lightsabers on his belt and ignited them both. “You’ll pay for that, you fucking bastard,” he snarled before he turned to Sunset, who seemed to be charging her horn. “What are you waiting for? Do-!”

Sunset shot out a beam of white hot plasma that struck the windigo square in the face. It reeled from the attack and looked around, then spotted them. It screeched again, louder this time, and began descending. Gregory held up both blades, their hum barely audible in the wind and the snow which had begun to fall. “Come and get some, you gelding bastard,” he snarled.

The windigo screeched again, and this time Tobias feared that his eardrum might burst, but Gregory stood firm. The massive creature landed in front of Gregory, towering over him and everyone else there. In fact, the creature looked like it was two to three stories high. It looked down at the masked human with an emotionless look.

Then it screeched again as Gregory swung the two blades directly through its front legs. Only this screech sounded more like that of surprise and pain than anything. It reared up, its ethereal hooves having vanished, then it fell onto its back, flailing about. Gregory wasted no time. He jumped up, slashing at the creature with speed and aggression, screaming his rage and fury but, just as Tobias had taught him, channeling that anger into his strikes. The creature flailed even more, but despite being thrown to the ground a few times, Gregory didn’t let up. He got back to his feet and would continue cutting at the creature, slashing it and making it ‘bleed’, which seemed to be some sort of cold mist. Despite that, however, it seemed to quickly regenerate.

Suddenly, the creature stopped moving entirely, its eyes wide. Tobias saw that Gregory had stabbed into its chest, piercing a large glowing spherical piece of ice. The wind ceased immediately, the clouds stopped moving, and the snow began to stop. The sphere cracked once, twice, three times, and then with a light more brilliant than the sun, it exploded, sending pieces of ice scattering across the road. Everyone, including Gregory, was blown back. The massive creature vanished in an explosion of cold mist.

Gregory stood back up and watched, holding his still ignited lightsabers as the windigo’s body slowly disintegrated, leaving nothing but a small glowing orb, which was slowly beginning to dim. The lightsabers deignited and he rushed over to where Dengal was. He removed his helmet and set them down next to his hastily discarded lightsabers and looked at her, his face sweaty but full of worry. “Dengal? Dengal!?”

Thankfully, after her magical blast, Sunset had not been idle. She had been working to melt the ice around Dengal’s mouth, and had managed to open a small portion. Tobias came rushing up after he recovered. He knelt next to Dengal and took off his black coat, wrapping it around the frozen goblin. He turned to the innkeeper. “We need a hot bath! Now!”

Golden Sheaf nodded and rushed back inside to do just that. Sunset was sitting nearby, breathing heavily. “That ice…was too hard to be normal ice,” she panted.

“You did well, Sunset,” Celestia said as she stepped forward.

Just then, the clouds above began to break, revealing the sun once more. Tobias looked up and saw that a rainbow streak was breaking them apart at breakneck speeds. He looked down at Gregory. “Is she breathing?” he asked.

Gregory nodded. “Barely, but she’s breathing,” he said.

Tobias looked at Dengal’s eyes. They were closed, thankfully. Sunset got back up and began casting another spell, this one surrounding the goblin. “The ice isn’t as hard anymore,” she said before the ice began to crack.

After a tense minute, the ice around her head shattered, and the goblin gasped, eyes flying open. “Gah!” she exclaimed, looking around wildly, “what happened?!”

“A windigo’s lightning struck you,” Gregory explained soothingly. “You were frozen.”

“I-I s-s-see,” she replied, her teeth starting to chatter. She looked around once more, then reached her hand out. “Gregory…where is everybody?”

Tobias felt, rather than saw, Gregory’s expression fall. “I’m right in front of you,” he replied.

She reached out and touched Gregory’s face. “Gregory…?”

“What is it?” he asked tenderly as he cradled her in his arms.

Her next words sent a shiver of fear through Tobias’ heart. “Why c-can’t I s-see anyth-thing?”

“Cold flash blindness is usually only temporary,” Celestia explained several hours later after Dengal had been warmed up and been sent to bed after the local doctor had come to examine her. Other than her blindness, which she figured would be healed in a day or two with time and rest, she seemed okay. Goblins were a resilient species. “She’ll be alright, I promise.”

Gregory was sitting in a chair in Twilight’s living room, looking down at the floor, fists clenched and teeth gritted. Everyone else was sitting as well, faces grim. The reports they had gotten showed that, while nopony in town had died, a few had gotten pretty close after having been struck by that same lightning. Property had also been damaged, water pipes had burst which had caused water damage to several buildings, and there’d even been a small fire, caused when an electric plug had been splashed by some of that water. All in all, things could have been worse.

The human took in a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. Tobias, who was seated next to him, put an arm around him, and the human seemed to welcome it. He looked up then, glancing at Twilight. “Have you made a decision regarding the contract yet?” he asked, his voice hard as stone.

Twilight, who looked exhausted just like her friends, straightened up. Everyone, except Dengal and Gregory, had gone through the town helping where they could. Gregory was too shaken by everything to leave Dengal’s side and had been tending to her until she had fallen asleep. She exchanged a look with the others. One of the properties which had been struck, unfortunately, was Rarity’s parents own shop. Rarity was furious about it. “Darling,” she began with a deeper voice full of rage, “forgive my language, but let’s go and kill those damned monsters!”

Celestia raised an eyebrow at the vulgar language, but seeing as her family’s business had been half destroyed and her parents nearly killed, she couldn’t blame Rarity for feeling this way. Twilight didn’t even seem to register the use of foul language as she spoke. “We’ll come with you,” she said.

Several minutes later, Celestia was picking up a quill pen with her magic, dipped it in an inkwell, and signing the mercenary document. Luna did the same, then the six ponies who were to be observers signed it. Then the paper was slid back over to the members of Shadow Dawn. Gregory pulled out a strange looking device which Celestia realized was a pen of some sort, signed it hastily, then handed the pen to Tobias. He signed, then Sunset, then Starfall, and finally Chrysalis. When the changeling gave the pen back to Gregory, the human looked back at Celestia. “Now then,” he said, “since this is now official, I would like to ask where you intend to start.”

“That is a question I had as well,” Luna agreed. One of the caveats stipulated in the contract was that the mercenary group worked independently and under no orders but their own. The contract did give leeway when it came to figuring out details from their clients, and there were promises in there which ensured that they would follow Equestrian federal laws to a point.

Celestia could see the rage boiling up inside Gregory, and it took all of her inner strength not to walk over and hug him tightly. The windigos had attacked and hurt his girlfriend, and she knew that he wanted them to pay. Megan, who was sitting next to him, put a hand on his shoulder. Gregory looked over, and his face relaxed with a seeming great deal of effort. He took a deep breath, then exhaled. “We need information on the windigos,” he said, “and what better place to start researching than in a library?” He turned to Twilight and grinned, although there was no humor in that look. “We’re going to Canterlot.”

2: Three Years Later

Spike walked down the halls of the Crystal Palace. Rather, it was Prince Spike of the Crystal Empire who strolled down the hallway back towards his room. Unlike three years ago, he had grown quite well thanks to some additions to his diet that they’d imported straight from the Dragon Lands, mostly roc meat which he learned was not only quite common back in the Dragon Lands, but was also extremely delicious when roasted and seasoned well. He’d sprouted his wings finally, which had been quite an ordeal, and he was now taller than even Cadance, his new adopted mother. He wasn’t too muscular, but his friend Dragon Lord Ember told him that the muscles would come if he trained well.

In fact, that was where he’d just come from. He’d come from the arena where Shining Armor had been personally training him in several combat arts. It had been a challenge considering both of them had different body types, but it was a fun learning experience for both. Shining had managed to adapt and teach him several ways to fight. With his wings, Spike was even more formidable, and Shining had one of the guards in the palace, a pegasus named Flash Sentry, train with him in aerial maneuvers and combat. Even with three years of training under his proverbial belt, Spike knew he was still no match for the brother he’d longed to have for so long, and who he now had, even if technically Shining was his adopted dad. Still, he was able to hold his own fairly well.

As he turned the corner, he saw a couple of crystal guards walking down the hall with the six-year-old Flurry Heart. She was walking with a couple of her friends from school. When she saw Spike, her wings fluttered excitedly and she jumped into his arms. “Big brother!” she said happily. For a six-year-old, she actually could talk relatively well.

Spike’s heart warmed at this and the sixteen-year-old dragon held his little sister in his arms. “Hey, Flurs,” he said, calling her by the nickname he’d given her a while ago.

She hugged him for a bit, then he heard her sniffing. “Eeew, you’re all sweaty,” she said, waving her hoof in front of her nose like she was trying to get rid of the stench as she flew out of his grip.

Spike rolled his eyes. “I just got done training with dad,” he said, “and I was about to go shower. Where were you all going?”

“Mom said we could go out for some ice cream and scones!” Flurry said excitedly. “Do you wanna come after you shower?”

Spike chuckled and shook his head. “Hmmm, as nice as that sounds, I’m actually gonna take a nap. Dad’s training made me really tired today. Buy me a cornet, would you?” He reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out some crystal bits which he gave to Flurry.

“Chocolate filled?” she asked.

He chuckled. “You know me well, little sister,” he said, ruffling her mane. “You and your friends have a good time, and I’ll see you at dinner.”

“Okay!” With that, the group of fillies and the guards walked past him, the guards giving Spike a friendly nod as they did so.

Spike went back to his room and unlocked his door, stepping inside. He quickly walked through the regal looking bedroom towards his bathroom. The shower water felt amazing on his scales, especially when he turned the temperature up to scalding hot. At least, scalding hot for ponies. When he finished, he walked over to his bed, collapsed into it, and turned around, staring up at the crystal ceiling above him.

The room he was granted by his new adopted parents was nearly three times bigger than his old one in the former Castle of Friendship. His bed was a king-sized bed, which he felt was too big for him but Cadance insisted, saying that he would grow into it. He had three large arched windows looking out onto the city of Crystalia, a balcony with two chairs, a large fireplace and a couple chairs there, a desk, a large closet full of his new clothes, a second storage closet for any miscellaneous belongings he had, a few wall mounts for the various weapons he’d been granted by the best Crystalia blacksmith, and shelves for all of his comics and other awards.

As he turned over to stare at the ceiling, something from his storage closet fell over, creating a sound of shattering glass. He stood with a groan and walked over to see what had fallen. He turned the light on and walked in, initially finding nothing as he walked through. Soon, however, he saw a small brown picture frame sitting on the ground near the back. He reached down and picked it up, staring at the picture with a sense of sadness and betrayal.

The picture was one taken during their first week in the Golden Oaks Library all those years ago. He was standing next to Twilight, both of them all smiles as they stood in the main area. He remembered that Twilight had insisted on them taking a picture ‘…for the future.’

When they’d lived in Golden Oaks, he’d only stored his copy away, but after the destruction of the library, he’d placed it on the nightstand next to his bed, prominently on display. It had been luckily locked away in a strong chest that had mostly survived. Every day, before he got up to take care of the myriad of chores needed in the castle, he’d look back at the picture of his younger self, missing his younger days and trying to gain strength from those memories.

When he’d been there that fateful day three years ago after hearing about what she’d done to Jason Wright, a being he’d never even heard of let alone met, his emotions got the better of him and he blurted out all that he’d been holding in against Twilight. Princess Luna, bless her soul, had been there listening, calmly reassuring him that he would be alright. He had sensed a profound sadness and anger, but the latter wasn’t directed at him. Starlight had been there to comfort him as well, even helping him move into his new room before he returned the favor by helping her move in with Sunburst.

He looked at the picture frame a bit more closely now, as there was something different about it. He quickly realized that the glass protecting the picture had a crack in it, one that split right between him and Twilight, separating them. There was a part of him that wondered just how Twilight and her former friends were doing. He didn’t consider them even former friends because he felt that they didn’t treat him as such. Still, they’d been in his life for years, so he couldn’t help but be a bit curious. Last he’d heard, Twilight had been in some sort of insane asylum for two years before being released and shipped off to Maretime Bay. Rarity apparently lived there too. As for the others, Rainbow and Fluttershy had been living in Cloudsdale until about a year ago when they both decided to move to a small settlement near Maretime Bay called Zephyr Heights, Pinkie was on her rock farm, and Applejack was the only one of the former Elements who still lived in Ponyville, working on her farm with her family.

He sighed, putting the picture back up on the shelf face down so it wouldn’t fall so easily again. He turned away, walking back out of the darkened closet of old, forgotten memories, back into the large room full of a bright new future.

He sat on the ground in front of a large window facing the mountains of the Frozen North, closing them and entering a state of meditation. Zecora had moved up to the Crystal Empire with Spike and Starlight, setting up an apothecary shop in Crystalia while using some neighboring forests outside the city for ingredients. She’d helped him through some of his darker moments in the adjustment period, including teaching him about meditation techniques that could help calm the mind.

Slowly, over the course of ten to fifteen minutes, he felt the negativity leaving him once more. The memories would never leave him, but he could move past them and learn from them. As a winged dragon teen prince, he now had some responsibilities to those ponies in the empire, and he couldn’t let the past dictate his actions. These ponies were a lot closer to Harmony than the ponies he’d known, and his status as hero notwithstanding, the crystal ponies clearly enjoyed his company and were always kind to him.

Feeling much more relieved, he stood and went back to bed, crawling under the covers as he did so. He sighed contentedly and closed his eyes. Aside from one brief hiccup, today had been a good day. As he fell asleep, he wondered if he could try once more to convince Cadance to let him join the local adventurer’s guild despite being adopted royalty. With thoughts of adventure with a party in the ever-expanding borders of the northern empire filling his mind, he fell asleep, smiling happily at the thought.

Twilight Sparkle was walking around the house she’d been living in for the past year after having been released from her two-year stint in a mental hospital. She was using her magic to clean the lighthouse mirrors, something she did daily. With lighthouse mirrors, one had to be extremely careful when cleaning as one scratch could affect the effectiveness of the amount of light given off by the crystal lantern. As she rinsed off the rag in the nearby sink, she looked out at her new home.

Maretime Bay was a beautiful new town, and it was just on the borders of the slight Equestrian expansion into what had once been called the Undiscovered Lands. Since almost all of its citizens were former Ponyvillians, most were earth ponies. Her lighthouse was separated from it by a small canyon formed from years of erosion by a river that flowed in from the west. A large natural bridge made of earth linked Maretime Bay to her new home, and she would occasionally go into town for supplies.

Today just so happened to be one of those dreaded days, and Twilight was stalling as long as she could just so she wouldn’t have to see the faces of the ponies who she had personally failed. She didn’t want to see the glares from ponies who were now relegated to a town separated from the rest of Equestria so as to ensure they wouldn’t be harmed by other ponies.

Still, while she had finally accepted that her foalish and cruel actions had caused the death of someone who’d only wanted to be her friend, she had to endure the constant reminding glares of ponies who she’d once considered to be her close townsponies. She’d never liked being constantly reminded of her failures, and even Rarity had given her looks of pure hate she’d never expected from one of her former best friends. That is, whenever she actually saw her former friend.

Finishing up her cleaning, she teleported everything to the kitchen along with herself. Draining both soapy and rinsing buckets, she cleaned them up then placed them back into storage before she went to her room. It was smaller than her old one, but it was still enough for her. It was also the only place in the house that wasn’t exactly clean. By the time she’d finish her day, she hardly had time to clean it, which caused her even more guilt as Spike’s room back in her former home in the Castle of Friendship was more often than not a mess. She had always scolded him for it, but now she understood why.

With a heavy heart, she decided to continue putting off her going into town and actually put some effort into cleaning her room. She spent the next couple of hours cleaning, dusting, vacuuming, organizing, and washing her sheets. Finally, her room was organized and cleaned. She lay on her freshly made bed, sighing and closing her eyes as she rested briefly before she left. She missed her friends. She missed her family. She missed Spike, the little brother she’d never acknowledged. She wanted to make things right, but there were some things she now realized she could never take back.

There was a knock on her bedroom door, causing her to jump. She looked at it, then sighed. It was most likely the nurse that the Canterlot mental hospital had assigned to keep an eye on her, Nurse Maple Leaf. She lived in a smaller house next to the lighthouse, so Twilight didn’t see her too much. Initially, Twilight had been resentful of her presence, but Maple Leaf had grown on her as a nice constant in her life. She was the only pony who didn’t treat her like Tartarus. “Come in, Nurse Maple,” she said tiredly.

Maple Leaf, a unicorn mare about ten years older than Twilight, opened the door and walked inside. She was a dark brown mare with some white spots scattered on her stomach along with green eyes and a group of three maple leaves for a cutie mark. She was wearing her typical nurse’s hat and a nurse’s gown. In her green magic she held a pencil and a clipboard. “Good afternoon, love,” she said in a kindly Trottingham accent, “and how are we doing today? Better, I hope?”

“Yeah, I’d say so,” Twilight said as she sat up in her bed.

Maple looked around the room and nodded. “I see you cleaned the room up. Is it time to go into town already?”

Twilight’s ears fell. “Is it that obvious?”

“You do tend to do a lot more around the lighthouse whenever you need to go into town for supplies, love,” Maple said with a knowing look.

Twilight sighed and nodded as she slowly got out of bed and stood. “I know…I need to go to town, but it gets harder every time.”

“You do realize I can go if it gets too hard,” Maple said. “You don’t have to go alone, either. I can come with you.”

Twilight shook her head stubbornly. “No, the doctors told me I needed to face my demons straight on,” she said, “and I need to do that alone.”

Maple nodded and wrote something down on her pad as she replied, “just know that I’ll be here for you if you need a helping hoof. I’m here for the long haul.”

Twilight gave her a grateful smile. “I appreciate that, Maple, but I’ll be alright. Is there anything I can get for you while I’m in town?”

Maple shook her head. “Oh no, you don’t have to spend your money on me, dear,” she said, “I know you don’t earn too much from your job.”

“Please, it’s the least I can do,” Twilight insisted.

Maple looked a bit uncertain, but when Twilight continued to ask, she finally said, “Well…I’ve been craving chocolate mint chip cookies from Crumble Nation. They’re my absolute favorite.”

Twilight inwardly winced. That was where Rarity’s parents worked, along with Rarity herself. She went there sometimes, but not often. It still hurt to be there and get ignored by her once close fashionista friend. Still, she’d offered, and it was the least she could do. “Does one dozen cookies sound okay?” she asked.

“Yes, thank you, love,” Maple said.

“Alright, then I’ll get those last so they’re fresh,” she said, of course hiding the real reason for wanting to go last.

“See you when you come back, Twilight,” Maple said.

“Yeah…see you later…”

With a heavy heart, she grabbed her coin purse, put her saddlebags on, went out to the back of the lighthouse, hitched herself up to the cart she took into town, and began plodding down the road…

“Mom, Dad, I’m gonna go and play with Scootaloo at her house for a bit,” Rarity heard Sweetie Belle say from the kitchen where she was helping her mother make another batch of cookies for the small cookie business they’d opened in Maretime Bay, Crumble Nation.

“Sounds good, sweetie,” Cookie Crumbles said, “tell her aunts I said hello.”

“Will do!” Rarity heard Sweetie galloping out of the door.

Cookie came back into the kitchen and looked at her older daughter. Giving her a smile, she said, “Is the next batch ready, pumpkin?”

Wiping sweat from her brow, Rarity walked over to the oven and looked in. “Not yet,” she said, “probably another…three minutes.”

Over the past years, she’d been living with her family. Since she was unable to own any business again, she’d been forced to find another job. She’d tried leaving Maretime Bay, holding some jobs for a few months, including working in a small smoothie shop, but ponies eventually figured out that she worked there and would refuse to go to said places unless she wasn’t there. So, she was forced to return to Maretime Bay and got a job at her parents’ cookie shop. It wasn’t the busiest, considering everypony in Maretime Bay knew who worked in the kitchen, but the cookies were good enough for repeat customers. Hondo was the one who took orders so nopony would have to see Rarity.

“Thanks, hun,” Cookie said as she went back to her mixing bowl to mix the next batch of cookies.

Rarity walked over and began to wash the dishes used during the last batch. She inhaled deeply, then sighed. She was a seamstress…she shouldn’t have to work in a cookie shop…but what could she do? She couldn’t own a business ever again thanks to what happened three years ago. She was simply going through the motions of living now. Whenever she had time off, she would try her best to keep her seamstress skills sharp, but most of the time she would grow frustrated which would devolve into her going out, buying a bottle of wine from the local winery, and drinking her sorrows away until she went to sleep. The cycle would then start again.

She heard someone walking into the shop, and when she heard the voice of the pony who greeted her father, she scowled. It was Twilight. “C-Can I have two dozen original chocolate chip cookies and a dozen chocolate mint chip cookies?”

“Sure, that’ll be seventeen bits,” Rarity heard her father say. There was the sound of bits being placed on a counter and then her father said, “I’ll box those up for you right away.”

“Thanks…” Rarity could hear the uncertainty and sadness in Twilight’s tone. She couldn’t help herself, she began moving closer to the door while Hondo began boxing up the cookies for Twilight. There was silence for a bit before Twilight spoke again. “S-So…how’ve things been here?”

Hondo didn’t reply right away, but when he did, his voice was neutral but not hostile, something Rarity knew was a customer service tone. “Pretty good, all things considered.”

“Is the business doing okay?”

“Fairly well.”

“Good.” There was silence for a little bit before Twilight asked, “A-And how’s Rarity doing?”

“As well as could be expected,” Hondo said.

“Th-That’s good, I’m glad,” Twilight said.

Rarity gritted her teeth. How dare Twilight say such things!? It was her initial actions against Jason Wright that had led her to falling so far! She lost everything! She continued listening as Twilight continued, “Would you…tell her I stopped by and said hi? Oh, and that she’s welcome to drop by for tea anytime.”

“You know she won’t come,” Hondo said with a heavy sigh as the sound of something being placed on the counter caught Rarity’s attention. The boxes of cookies must have been finished.

“I-I know,” Twilight said sadly, “but please?”

Hondo was silent for a bit, then said, “I’ll let her know, Miss Sparkle.”

“Thank you,” Twilight’s voice sounded a bit relieved, “and thank you for the cookies.”

“No problem. Have a good afternoon,” Hondo replied.

When she heard the door to the shop open and close, Rarity put down the pot she’d been cleaning and trotted hesitantly out to the front of the shop. It was small, with a few tables for waiting ponies. They’d almost gotten a larger building, but they didn’t have the funds for it, so they decided on a grab and go/delivery model. It worked, but it meant they had to hire a delivery pony. Said pony was off on a delivery at the moment.

Rarity walked over to the window and watched the cart that Twilight was pulling take a left at the crossroads as she headed back to her lighthouse. Rarity knew that Twilight always made this place her last stop whenever she came into town, and the barrels of food and other supplies in the back of the cart only confirmed it. “Tsk,” she said as she turned back and strutted back towards the kitchen.

“Pumpkin, maybe it’s time you actually go visit her,” she heard her father say from his spot behind the counter.

Rarity stopped, then turned to her father. “Father dear,” she said with a stone-cold tone, “she’s the initial reason why we lost everything. If she hadn’t rejected that human-”

“You would have acted the same way,” her mother interrupted her. When Rarity turned to face her mother, she saw the indigo-colored unicorn mare scowling at her. “You know that’s true.”

Rarity scowled. They’d had this discussion many times throughout the years. Rarity knew that she’d made a mistake by turning Jason away, but she told herself that she did it to not only protect her little sister from the Everfree Monster as he was called for those three years, but because if Twilight had turned her away, then she must have had a good reason. After all, she had trusted Twilight and if she’d turned Jason away, there had to be a good explanation. “I admit, I may have been a bit…apprehensive, but if Twilight hadn’t-”

“Don’t try and hide from your own actions, young filly,” Hondo said.

“We aren’t,” Cookie added.

“We were part of a few crowds who chased Jason out of Ponyville.” Hondo said with his ears laid back.

“We’ve lost our friends, our self-respect, and our old home because of our own actions,” Cookie concluded, “not the actions of others. You’re a grown mare. You need to take responsibility for what you did, no matter how painful.”

“And hiding away from the world and especially from Twilight isn’t going to help you or her heal from this,” Hondo finished.

“And you don’t see the hypocrisy of Twilight doing the same thing??” Rarity demanded to know.

“We’re not her parents,” Hondo said patiently,

“We’re yours,” Cookie concluded, “and while we’re worried about her, she’s a grown mare.”

“So am I!” Rarity shot back.

“You’re certainly not acting like it right now,” Cookie said sternly.

Rarity looked at both of them, then looked down at the ground. She felt humiliated, like a foal who was being scolded by her parents. She pawed at the ground, frowning. She hated the fact that her parents were right, and as she acknowledged it, the pit in her stomach returned. The pit she didn’t want to feel. She growled and shook her head before walking away from her parents. She swallowed the bile in her throat and walked back to the kitchen. She’d be buying two bottles of wine tonight, she knew. At least it was the weekend…

“Dashie, are you hungry?” the voice of Rainbow Dash’s mother called from behind her bedroom door. “I made your favorite. Pasta and potato sandwich on sourdough.”

Rainbow was lying on her bed, staring up at the cloud ceiling above her. There was an apple of hard cider in her wing, nearly gone. It was her last bottle of Apple family cider, but it was enough to dull the pain for the moment. She sighed and looked at the closed door. “Just…leave it outside the door, mom,” she said as she drank the last of the cider.

“A…Alright, sweetie,” she said. Rainbow could hear the plate being set on a table that her parents had set just outside her room. “Did you have a hard day at work?”

Rainbow scowled. With her being drummed out of the Wonderbolts with a dishonorable discharge, she’d been forced to get a job at one of Cloudsdale’s restaurants as a server at least until a year ago. When she and her family had moved to a new pegasus settlement called Zephyr Heights, they’d been able to move their house there, setting it on the ground for the first time. She then got a job at the local tavern and inn. The pay wasn’t great and her coworkers didn’t exactly treat her with any kindness. They all knew who she was and what she’d done, so a part of her couldn’t blame them for how they treated her, but it was still tough. The customers were just as bad, leaving her measly tips or none at all. Today, she’d even had a young filly point at her and call her a bad pony. “It was the same as before.”

“I’m sorry, hun,” her mom said, “you don’t deserve that treatment.”

Pretty sure I do, Rainbow thought to herself as she put the bottle on the nightstand next to her foalhood bed. “I’m fine, Mom.”

“Okay…” her mom said uncertainly. “We’re here if you need anything, alright?”

“Thanks, Mom.”

Rainbow listened to her mom’s hoofsteps walking down the hall after a couple more seconds of silence. She turned over on her bed, sighing as she covered herself with her blanket. She hated what her life had become. She had lost everything, and there were days when she slipped and blamed that human for what happened, but while she knew she wasn’t too smart, she knew enough to know this was her fault. Sure, she couldn’t take all the blame, but her punishments were caused by her own actions.

Initially she had blamed Jason, but as time went on, and after a couple confrontations from her former number one fan and sister, she took time to self-reflect and realized that this was all on her. She’d permanently scarred and blinded someone. She’d caused the death of someone. No, she’d driven someone to suicide. The very thought made her shiver.

She didn’t want to eat, but her stomach betrayed her. Eating was another reminder of what she’d denied to Jason. She’d struck him when he’d been stealing from the Apple orchard, and had just left him to die. Still, she couldn’t just ignore the calling of her stomach. She stood, trudged over to the door, and opened it. Her mouth watered at the sight of her favorite dish.

She brought it over to her desk and placed it down, sitting at her desk. As she ate the sandwich and drank the water she’d been given, she felt tears begin falling. She looked over towards the door that led to the trophy room her parents had once held for her. She’d gone through and removed each and every award, destroying them in a fit of rage one day. That had been the day that she stopped blaming Jason and began acknowledging that she’d been the one in the wrong.

She ate the rest of her meal in silence, holding back her tears.

Fluttershy wiped her brow with a wing as she looked up at the late summer sun. Angel stood beside her, busily digging at the ground to get to some of the carrots she’d planted in her garden. Above her, the new pegasus settlement of Zephyr Heights stood on a large mountainside. It was a mix of different houses that had been moved from Cloudsdale to this new colony town, but she saw construction on a ledge for what she assumed was a cloud creation facility. Ever since Equestria expanded into the Undiscovered Lands, they’d found plentiful resources, and having a new source of clouds was a good thing for the rest of Equestria.

She looked down at her garden and nodded in satisfaction. Since she didn’t have a way to treat animals, and since animals knew what she’d done and avoided her except for Angel, she decided to pass her time by growing a garden. It kept her mind off of everything else around her, and more importantly, keeping away from the city and on this patch of wild land she’d converted to a garden helped her avoid the judgmental stares of the other pegasi in the new town.

Her parents had been taking care of her needs thanks to their retirement fund. Not only that, but they had been selling any excess produce that her garden produced during harvest and giving all the proceeds to her. The harvest that was coming this year seemed like it would be early and plentiful. She smiled a bit despite herself. She may not have gotten to work with animals again thanks to them knowing her crimes, but she did find surprising enjoyment in the hard work of growing edible roots and vegetables. She stretched and spread her wings, letting the cool breeze from the wind cool her fur. She looked down at Angel, who had just dug up a carrot and was brushing the dirt off. “That looks good, Angel,” she said.

Angel looked up at her, a pleading look in his eyes. “Can I?” he asked.

She looked at the carrot. It was a big one, and she knew that if he ate that big of a piece, she wouldn’t be able to give him any dinner. She reached down with her wings and took it from him. “You can eat it for dinner tonight,” she promised, placing it in a small nearby bucket which had some other freshly picked fruits and vegetables that she was going to contribute to tonight’s dinner.

The rabbit looked a little upset, but nodded in understanding as he hopped around, sniffing at the ground and at the plants. “They smell ready,” he said, “all except the potatoes.”

Fluttershy picked up her watering can and began sprinkling the water around the garden. “By the end of the week they should be ready for harvesting,” she said, “so let’s wait until then.”

Angel nodded and continued helping. Angel was old in terms of how long rabbits lived, but he still acted like the same young bunny she’d saved eight years ago. She could tell by the voice she heard thanks to her special talent that he was reaching the end of his natural lifespan. He’d matured greatly in the three years that had passed since she’d lost everything. He’d lost his attitude, at least for the most part, and had been instrumental in helping her out of her funk. She’d spent weeks after the event crying in her bed while also being tormented by guilty conscience nightmares of Jason hanging from a tree. She’d never seen it, but the ghastly sight of it in her mind’s eye kept her from sleeping well.

Oddly enough, it was her little brother Zephyr who’d been the catalyst to help her snap out of it. He hadn’t been happy to hear that his big sister, a mare he said he’d looked up to, had ignored someone who had been in need. She had listened as he had called her out on her own failings over the years, something he’d never done before. He talked about how he had been bullied in school only for her to not be there to help, which hurt to hear. He then compared it to what she’d done to Jason and explained that he himself had once had a few darker thoughts about his own self-worth. He reminded her about the time he’d gone to live in the woods and how at his darkest moments he actually HAD considered it. However, she’d been there to bring him out of it. He asked her where she was when Jason had such dark thoughts.

This broke Fluttershy and as the still shouting Zephyr had been pulled out of the room by their parents, she’d broken down even harder. She’d been inconsolable for days until she’d taken stock of herself. Her brother’s words may have been harsh, but they’d been right. She had failed her mandate as a former Element of Kindness. It took her a bit more time, but she accepted that what had happened, had happened. She resolved never to forget it and to learn from it. She promised herself that she would become a better pony because of it.

That didn’t stop the looks that came her way, however. While her own self-loathing during her reflective period had been worse than the looks she got from other ponies, it still hurt her a lot. It was because of this that she decided to take up a hobby on the ground, this time gardening. It had brought her peace of mind.

From behind her, she heard the flapping of pegasi wings as somepony landed nearby. She turned around, half expecting to see her mother since she had a flower garden several yards away. Instead, she saw the last pony she’d expected to see. Her brother stood nearby, a watering can in his hoof. He looked at her with an acknowledging nod. “Fluttershy.”

“Zephyr? What are you doing here?” Fluttershy asked.

He frowned a bit. “What? I can’t come by to see my parents now?” he asked with a bit of a scowl.

Fluttershy’s ears drooped. “N-No, of course you can,” she stammered, quickly trying to course correct.

“Besides, it’s nice having my name associated with this place, dontcha think?” he asked as he looked nonchalantly at his hoof.

“Ah, well, I…” she stammered.

His scowl softened and he let out a sigh, putting his hoof back down. “Truth be told, I was on vacation and decided to drop in and see how you all were doing.” He began watering their mother’s flower garden. “Mom and Dad look good in their retirement. And…well, you look a bit better than the last time we…spoke.”

The silence between siblings was awkward. The sound of watering cans being poured onto plants mixed with the mountain breeze was the only sound heard. As one, the two turned to each other to speak. “Fluttershy, listen-/Zephyr, I’m-”

The two siblings froze, then slowly Zephyr gestured towards Fluttershy. She took a deep breath and said, “Zephyr, I’m so sorry for not being the big sister you deserved growing up. I should have been there more for you, especially when you were being bullied. I know what being bullied is like, and I should have known better. I should have been better to Jason, too…but I wasn’t…”

Zephyr took this in, looking at her with a collected expression. Fluttershy had never seen him so mature before and she wondered just how the last nearly three years had treated him. His mane style had changed and looked a bit more mature, plus his accent sounded a bit more refined. She knew from what her parents told her that he lived in Manehattan working at a prestigious mane stylist shop, and he did have a slight Manehattan accent.

“Fluttershy, I’ll be honest,” he finally said, “A part of me is still upset about what you did or actually didn’t do. Still, I suppose it’s to be expected. You were always like that and always had a difficult time changing.” He sighed again. “Despite that, I was so proud when you became an Element of Harmony. I looked up to you even more and I wanted to be more like you. You had what I didn’t. A steady job you loved, friends, the adoration of the ponies, and more. But when I heard what you didn’t do for that human, I was completely upset. What I said to you that day may have been my true feelings on the matter, but I didn’t…well, my new girlfriend told me I didn’t do a good job explaining myself. I acted on impulse, like I always do. I’m not apologizing for the intent behind my words, but I am apologizing for how I expressed them.”

Fluttershy was completely stunned. This seemed to not be the same brother she knew. He seemed a bit more well-spoken than the pony she’d grown up with. Still, a part of her soared. Truth be told, she missed him. She didn’t have any friends anymore except for Angel, and having someone in her life like Zephyr was better than having nopony. “I…I’m still sorry for what I did,” she said, unable to help herself.

“I know,” Zephyr acknowledged, “and I’m willing to try and bring that brother-sister bond back, or even build a new one. Just…don’t expect it to happen overnight.”

“Of course,” Fluttershy acknowledged. Unable to help herself any longer, the emotions of this brief but hard conversation getting to the emotional pegasus, she dropped her watering can, galloped over to her brother and flung her forelegs around him. “I missed you,” she whispered as she hugged him tightly, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Zephyr didn’t react for a bit, but after a few moments, Fluttershy’s heart soared when she felt Zephyr returning the hug. The two remained like that, Fluttershy letting her emotions out through her tears. Finally, when she was finished, she broke the hug, stepping back and wiping what remained with her towel. “Th-Thank you, Zephyr,” she said gratefully, “and I want to rebuild that sibling bond we hardly had.”

“Glad to hear it,” Zephyr said, and for the first time since coming here, he smiled a bit. “I miss my favorite big sister.”

Fluttershy couldn’t help herself at that moment. She grinned slightly and said, “Apparently not enough to let me know you have a girlfriend.”

Zephyr actually blushed at that. “Y-Yeah, well, we’ve only been dating for a month, and it’s a bit harder than any other relationship I know of.”

“Who is she?” Fluttershy asked.

“You remember that foalhood crush I had back when you and Rainbow were in flight camp?” he asked a bit sheepishly.

Fluttershy couldn’t believe it. Sure, she knew about this crush, but in her younger age she figured it’d never go anywhere. Besides, she was always scared of said individual. “No way…you and GILDA?!”

He smirked. “Didn’t think your little brother had enough game to snag that cute hen, did you?”

“Well, she just-I don’t-HOW?!” Fluttershy was completely flabbergasted.

He chuckled. “Believe it or not, she came into the place where I worked a few months ago. Nopony else was available, so I decided to help her. Of course, I screwed it up according to her and she squawked at me and chewed me out. I guess I’ve been living in Manehattan enough to learn when to bite back at customers who are being completely rude, so I shouted back at her, telling her that if she didn’t like it, she was free to go somewhere else. Guess that got her attention because she looked back in the mirror, muttered something about it not being too bad and paid before storming out. She came back often and always asked for me. She always would claim she didn’t care for it, then I would tell her to go somewhere else if she didn’t like it. She asked me out about a month and a half ago and two weeks after that we became official. Guess she liked my backbone or something.”

Fluttershy was flabbergasted. She’d always assumed that he would be going after her first and now former friend Rainbow Dash, but she guessed that he was turned off by her actions of cruelty. “I-I don’t know what to say…”

“How about ‘Congratulations’?” Zephyr said with a snarky tone.

Fluttershy looked a bit abashed but then quickly nodded. “O-Of course I’m happy for you,” she said, “it’s just…I didn’t expect you two to end up together.”

“Eh, neither did I, but I guess I needed somepony, or somegryphon, to help me get over my other crush.”

Fluttershy’s ears went down a bit. She hesitantly walked over and placed her hoof on Zephyr’s back. “She’s taken things a lot harder than I did…”

“What she did was barbaric, Flutters,” Zephyr said, “blinding a magicless being with a lightning strike and then leaving without doing anything?” He sighed, then shook his head. “I don’t want to talk about Rainbow Dash right now.” He looked at her. “What about you? How’s your love life going?”

She was a bit taken aback by this. “What do you mean?” she asked.

“Don’t try and lie to me, big sis,” he said, a small smirk forming on his face, “I mean you and Discord.”

His smirk slowly vanished when Fluttershy looked at the ground, her wings falling from their normal place at her side. “Ever since…that day…I haven’t seen him. I’ve tried to reach out to him, but I get no response to my letters. I don’t know what he’s doing.”

Zephyr was the one now who put his hoof on her back. “Eh, don’t worry about it too much,” he said, “you were always too good for him.”

Fluttershy understood that he was trying to cheer her up, and while she appreciated the sentiment, he’d gone about saying it wrong. She gave him a slight glare. “He was my friend, Zephyr. I just want to make sure he’s alright.”

“Th-That came out wrong,” Zephyr said, trying to backpedal. “I just meant that-”

“I know you meant well, but I can choose my own friends,” Fluttershy said, putting her hoof down literally and figuratively, “just like you can choose your own marefriend.”

“Henfriend,” he corrected her, but then he looked a bit sheepish. “Well, I suppose I’ve got some work of my own to do, eh?”

“We both do,” Fluttershy said before turning, giving her brother a smile, and hugging him. He hugged her back.

The two siblings held each other for a while before they both heard an excited tittering from nearby. They both pulled apart in embarrassment only to see their mother, Posey Shy, standing there with the biggest smile on her face. “It’s so nice to see you two getting along again,” the older quieter mare said. “Are you two hungry? I’m making both your favorites.”

The siblings looked at each other, then turned and smiled. “I’m ready,” Fluttershy said.

“Me too,” Zephyr said.

“Then let’s go home,” Posey said. “Dinner’s getting cold.”

Fluttershy gathered up her belongings, then called Angel back to her. Together, the three pegasi and single rabbit flew back up to have the first family meal the family have had in years.

Pinkamena Diane Pie bucked at yet another rock, watching as it began to crack open. Inside, she was satisfied to see yet another large geode full of precious ore and gems that they could sell to the nearby town of Rock Ridge. Business had been fairly good for the Pie Rock Farm despite those ponies in town learning about one of their family members having contributed, however slightly, to the suicide of an innocent being.

She brushed her completely straight mane away from her eyes, wiping sweat away as she inhaled and exhaled deeply before grabbing her water bottle and taking a few deep gulps of water before pouring some over herself to help cool her body off. She shuddered in relief as the cooling water eased the heat of the afternoon sun. Looking around the farm, she saw that her progress was still a bit slower than her sisters today. She was less than halfway done with her stretch of land.

She heard somepony walking up behind her, so she turned and to her surprise Marble was standing there. One of her eyes was hiding behind her striped gray mane while her visible purple eye looked at her sister with concern. She looked at the piece. “You…doing okay?” Marble asked in her normal soft and quiet tone.

Pinkamena looked back at the land, then back at her younger sister. “Yeah…I’m alright,” she said. “Just taking a little break is all.”

Marble walked up and looked at the portion of the farm where she’d been working. Looking back at her older sister, she said, “You won’t…be done…before night…”

“I’m getting better,” Pinkamena said, “and I’ll be done before you know it,” she added with a small smile, hoping that it would reassure her sister of the lie she’d just told.

Marble looked around once more, then looked back at her sister. Without another word, Marble walked over to the next row of rocks and began tapping at them. Pinkamena took a few seconds to recover from what she was seeing before she trotted over. “Marble, I’ll be fine, I-”

“No, you really won’t,” Marble replied in a much louder voice than before. Her hesitation whenever she normally spoke vanished and she looked up at Pinkamena. “Pinkie, you’ve been slipping lately. Even mom’s noticed. Every time this time of year, you get a bit…distracted.”

Pinkamena paused and looked down at the ground, a wave of various emotions washing over her. She looked down. “I…guess you’re right,” she admitted.

Marble’s voice grew soft again as she walked back over to Pinkamena. “It’s…the anniversary…isn’t it…?”

Pinkamena nodded solemnly. She dug at the ground with her hoof, then sighed heavily. “I keep thinking about what I could have done differently,” she said. “I shouldn’t have listened to Twi-to Twi-to her…” A brief scowl came on her face before fading. “I didn’t…”

Marble stomped on the ground, catching Pinkamena’s attention. “You’ve been doing this for three years,” she said with a frown, “isn’t it time to start moving forward?”

“How can I forget what I didn’t do for Jason-?”

Marble held up a hoof. “I didn’t say forget, did I?”

“Jeez, are you two old maids gonna talk or get back to work?” the harsh tone of Limestone Pie said as she walked up, wiping her brow with a slightly dirty towel. She turned to Pinkamena. “She’s not wrong, you know? You’ve been moping for the past week. Everypony knows.”

“If it’s…that much trouble…you know dad or mom would…let you take…time off,” Marble added.

Pinkamena shook her head. “That would leave the farm short…”

“We handled things before you came back well enough,” Limestone said with a scowl, “but you’re just dragging yourself down along with the rest of us.”

“That’s not completely fair,” the monotone voice of Maud said as she too walked up. She looked at Pinkamena with her normal half-lidded expression. “Pinkie, we can take care of things here. There’s nothing wrong with you taking time off.”

Pinkamena looked down, sitting on her haunches in the dusty farmland and trying to hold back tears. “I have to help…” she insisted.

“And you…are helping…by not…helping,” Marble explained.

“You’re are sister, and we love you,” Limestone said, “nothing will change that.”

“But you need to accept that what happened to Jason happened,” Maud said. “Yes, other ponies had a hoof in what happened, but you need to learn from it and move forward.”

“Don’t…forget…” Marble concluded.

Pinkamena looked at her three sisters. Her eyes were full of tears, and she began to quietly sob. Marble was the first to embrace her. Maud was next, and then Limestone joined in reluctantly, lightly patting the pink pony on the head. They stayed like that for a while until Pinkamena broke the hug. “I think…I’d like that,” she said. “Maybe I’ll go to that new town where Twilight and Rarity are. I want to check on them.”

Limestone scoffed at that, but Marble and Maud simply nodded. “Go tell mom and dad,” Maud said, “we can finish up your section.”

Pinkamena nodded as she turned and walked back to the farmhouse. She still felt the massive weight of her guilt, but there was something in her that was starting to take shape. Hope.

Unnoticed by her, a single strand of her mane curled ever so slightly.

Applejack stood on the porch of her house, looking over at what remained of her family’s apple farm. She sighed in dismay at what she saw. Nearly three years ago, the outermost parts of the massive multiacre orchard had caught some sort of rot that they couldn’t cure. They’d burned the trees that had caught it, but that had only slowed things down. It was too early for apple bucking, so they couldn’t harvest anything and at the rate the rot was spreading they would barely be able to get a quarter of the harvest at best. The worst of the rot had struck in the past year, taking hundreds of trees per month. It was the worst possible thing to happen to their family.

She saw Big Mac come slowly walking over from the northeastern portion of the fields. She didn’t need to hear what he had to say to know. His expression said it all. However, she still walked up to her big brother and asked, “Did any make it?”

Big Mac spat the hay out of his mouth and said, “None.”

Applejack’s heart fell. Their livelihood for over a hundred years was dying and nopony could do anything about it. They barely had the funds to ask for an expert from Canterlot to come and help. Tree Bark, a botanist, had come in, looked over the rot, and explained that there was nothing that he could think of that could be done. He’d apparently never seen this rot before.

Granny had called it “Retribution from above,” and there were times that Applejack couldn’t blame her for thinking that. After all, the rot had started sometime after Jason Wright’s death and burial in the highest honor in Canterlot. Ironically, it had started around the tree which he’d used to hang himself with. Applejack turned and looked back inside the house where she saw Granny sitting at the table. She looked back at Big Mac. “What are we gonna do, Big Mac? We can’t stop this rot, and ah doubt we’ll git anything to harvest when apple buckin’ rolls ‘round.”

Big Mac looked with sorrow at his little sister. “Only one thing to do,” he said.

Applejack watched him walk past her and straight through the front door into the kitchen. She knew how hard this upcoming decision would be for him, but she knew he was right. She followed him inside, where he heard Granny ask, “Well, youngin’? What’s the scoop?”

“Granny…” Big Mac’s voice caught in his throat, and he took a few seconds to compose himself. Applejack’s heart went out to her big brother and she put a reassuring hoof on his back. He looked back at her, then nodded gratefully. He turned back to Granny Smith. “Granny,” he began in a stronger tone, “I think we should leave.”

There was silence for a few moments until Apple Bloom came slowly walking into the room, a look of sorrow on her face as she said, “L-Leave…?”

Granny Smith, however, wasn’t having it. She glared at Big Mac and said, “Ah ain’t leavin’ this farm fer nothin’! It’s been mah home fer years, ever since ah was a youngun!”

“Ah don’t like it any more than you do, Granny,” Applejack said, taking a step forward, “but look out at our orchard!” She gestured out of the window at the farm. More than half of their former orchard was gone, having needed to be burned in an effort to stave off the strange rot that had taken hold of it. Applejack knew that with the loss of the apple harvest, including their zapp apple grove, their potential future profits would not manage to break even. “We gotta face facts. It’s time the Apples mosey on out of this place.”

Granny Smith sat stubbornly at the head of the kitchen table, glaring out the window. “Ah’ve lived here fer over a hundred years,” she said, “and ah ain’t givin’ up ‘till the last.”

“Will yah quit being as stubborn as a mule and face reality!?” Applejack shouted, stomping her hoof on the table and causing a new crack to form in it. Nearby, Apple Bloom and Big Macintosh jumped at her temper. “We ain’t gonna be able tah plant anythin’ in time fer next spring! And what if the new trees catch the rot?! We’ll be right back where we started!”

Everypony in the room could see Granny’s bottom lip beginning to tremble, although the angry, stubborn look in her eyes didn’t leave. “Are yah just suggestin’ we give up and throw away everythin’ mah mammy and pappy built up here?” she asked in a quieter tone.

“Yah think ah like the idea?” Applejack asked in a calmer tone, “Ah was born here, Granny, and ah’ve lived mah entire life here. Ah don’t like it none, but we can’t be foalish about it.” She reached down and picked up a piece of stationary, holding it up. “A couple days ago, ah got a letter from Rarity. She told me they got some mighty good prime farmland up in Maretime Bay. It ain’t as big as what we’ve got here, but we can more than make do with it.”

“But how are we gonna get there, sis?” Apple Bloom asked nervously. “Nopony will help us move. They hate us.”

“Nah, sugarcube, they hate me,” Applejack said, looking over at the nearby hat rack. For the past three years, ever since Jason had died, she had refused to wear her signature Stetson. She knew her own parents would be ashamed of her, so she didn’t feel worthy of it, “but that shouldn’t stop ya. Ah can leave and find mah own way. If ponies knew ah ain’t around, they may be inclined tah-”

“Now you wait just a cotton pickin’ minute there,” Granny said with a glare. She got up and trotted over to a surprised Applejack. She placed a hoof on her chest and pushed her against the wall until Applejack was standing on her back legs. “Yah dun harmed that poor human, yes, but you’ve been punishin’ yerself fer three years. Ah’ve seen the look in yer eyes. If’n yah could go back, would yah do things any differently?”

“Granny, ah…of course ah would!” Applejack said, tears in her eyes. “Ah’d invite him tah meet the family, give him a job and a roof over his head! Ah’ve seen that cave he lived in, and it ain’t fit fer anypony tah live in! Anycreature, even!”

“Listen, sweetie, what’s done is done,” Granny Smith said. “We’re all tah blame fer what happened tah our beloved town. Not just you. Besides, we’re yer family, and yer the only family ah have left.”

Applejack looked down with shame in her eyes. Most of the rest of the Apple family, upon hearing what had happened to Jason, had effectively distanced themselves from the Ponyville branch, including her cousin Braeburn. Some had come to visit for brief stints, but not many. She was grateful for said visits, but they were few and far between. Applejack’s tears fell slightly, and she said, “Ah’m so sorry…ah failed y’all…”

“Everypony failed, hun,” Granny said, “not just you.” She backed away, then turned with a heavy sigh to Big Mac. “Ah don’t like tah admit when ah’m wrong, but yer right. We can’t stay here. We’ve gotta go.” She then turned to look at the others. “But we’re gonna need help.”

“Ah may have a way we can git some help,” Applejack said, “but yah ain’t gonna like it.”

“…What is it…?” Granny asked.

Applejack inhaled, then sighed as she said, “Mercenaries.”

Granny snapped to attention. “Ah ain’t about tah let some money hungry creatures handlin’ all our belongings or payin’ fer services that’s untrustworthy!”

“At this point, ah can’t see any other choice, Granny,” Applejack said. “Ah doubt the princess will send anypony tah help us! She don’t want nothin’ tah do with us! Besides, we don’t have the ponypower needed tah help. Even if we got in touch with the family that still talks tah us, there’s nowhere near enough ponies.”

Granny scowled, but after a while she deflated. “Ah see…” she said. “We’ll use that as a last resort. If we can’t muster up enough help, we’ll…hire a mercenary or two.”

3: The Mercenary

The streets of Thornfall were busy as per the usual. Creatures from all different sorts of life were walking around the local marketplaces, mostly the various outcasts of societies from around the entire world. Abyssinians, gryphons, dragons, yaks, diamond dogs, goblins, rogue changelings and many other races called this hodgepodge of a town their home. As it was located in the Badlands, the city was a haven for crime, and there were many various crime families who called Thornfall their home.

Through the crowds, a pony with a hood covering her head made her way through the streets, eyes peeled. She was a unicorn, and because there was a market for unicorn horns here, she knew that she couldn’t let her horn be seen. She was trailing a black abyssinian male through the crowd at a safe distance so she wouldn’t be spotted. She’d been spying on him for a while, knowing he was a part of a two-team mercenary group called Shadow Dawn.

She knew how good they were, and while they weren’t the very best mercenary group thanks to their small size, one thing about them made them stand apart from the rest: when they took a job on, no amount of money could cause them to change sides. She respected that in her own way, and she wanted in. However, she had only ever seen this member of the team, an abyssinian named Tobias. The other member, a mysterious individual named Revan, always eluded her. She’d heard about Revan, but could never find him.

It was why she was following Tobias. She hoped that he would eventually lead her to wherever Revan was. She’d been at it for days and so far, Tobias had only gone to his small run down shared apartment complex, the market for food, and the seedy mercenary guild building near the center of town. She’d tried sneaking in after hours and searched through their mismatched files to find Revan, but there had been very little in said files. All she found was that Revan could only be reached through Tobias.

She had some hope today, however. Using a small scrying spell that she’d developed that circumvented the mercenary guild’s magical defenses, she’d seen Tobias speaking to the guild master, a fat pig faced goblin. He’d handed Tobias a piece of paper, explaining that the job on it was something Revan had specifically asked for. She thought she heard something about expanding their business as a guild up north, but that seemed a bit far-fetched. She knew Equestria didn’t normally employ mercenaries as it was considered a dirty profession in the so-called land of harmony and friendship. Since mercenaries only worked for money, the consensus among Equestrians were that they were untrustworthy, which is what made this Shadow Dawn team stand out more.

When Tobias came to side road, he stopped and leaned against an old building. She saw him take out a large brown stick of sorts, only to realize moments later that he was lighting a cigar. He let out several puffs of it. The unicorn mare watched from a safe distance, never taking her eyes off of him. However, when a small group of variously shaped goblins passed between them, he suddenly vanished.

Alarmed, she ran through the crowd, making her way through the various creatures towards the alley where he’d been leaning. She couldn’t lose him! Not today! She had to force her way through several groups of creatures who shouted angrily at her. All sense of stealth was gone. She needed to find this abyssinian immediately!

The alley was dark, with fabrics stretching between the buildings on either side to protect anyone walking through them from the heat of the desert sun. It stank of garbage and dirty water, something rare in the Badlands save for the one week a year where it poured nonstop. She pulled her cowl over her muzzle to block out the smell and pulled her goggles over her eyes. She touched the side of them with her hoof and the alley brightened. Said goggles had been enchanted by her to enhance her vision in this place, something she knew she could use to convince this Shadow Dawn mercenary team to let her join.

She crept through the alley, all of her senses on alert. Her goggles glowed a slight cyan, just like her eyes. She looked around, the enchanted goggles over her eyes enhancing her vision. She could see nothing, however things were too quiet in this alley.

She continued looking around, searching in every nook and cranny that she could find. The alley had no exit, and she wasn’t sure if the abyssinian could have climbed up the walls that quickly. However, her question was answered about five minutes later when she felt something sharp being pressed against the back of her neck. Even through her hood she could tell this was a dangerous blade. She froze and waited. Finally, a voice spoke. “You’ve been a busy little unicorn, haven’t you?”

She didn’t move, instead she only waited until the voice spoke again. He did a few moments later. With a sigh, the voice said, “What do you want? Why have you been following me?”

Without making any sudden moves, she simply replied, “I’ve been trying to find your companion.”

The abyssinian scoffed. “My companion doesn’t like to be disturbed unless it’s important.”

“This is important,” the mare said. “I want to join Shadow Dawn.”

That seemed to catch the abyssinian off guard, because he went silent for a few seconds before saying, “And just why would we want you in our ranks? We’ve been doing quite well on our own.”

“I’m a powerful unicorn,” she explained, “I have skills in magic that most don’t have. I’ve traveled the world longer than Shadow Dawn’s been around. I’ve made some good allies around the world that could be useful to you.”

“But why would you want to join us?” Tobias asked. “What’s your angle? Everybody’s got one.”

The mare frowned. “Do I need a reason to join a new and upcoming mercenary party? I’ve just said I can be of big help to you.”

“We don’t go traveling the world,” Tobias said, “we don’t make enough talons here to move-”

From out of nowhere a large bag of coins appeared, landing on the ground with a loud jingle. Tobias paused and the mare took the opportunity to speak. “In that bag are several large amounts of money from all over the world, along with some rare gems that’ll fetch a hefty price. With this, you can move your operation somewhere else. Maybe even start your own mercenary group and keep all the profits instead of having to give up half the reward to the guild.”

There was silence for another few seconds before a distorted, almost mechanical sounding voice said from the shadows ahead of her, “So, you think you can just bribe your way into the Shadow Dawn?” As the mare looked towards the source of the voice, a pair of glowing sky-blue eyes appeared. A hooded bipedal figure stepped out of the shadows, approaching slowly as his footsteps echoed through the alley. “You think just because you offer us money you’re automatically accepted into the group? Many have come before you wanting in, and we turned them away for less. What makes you so special? Make your case.”

The mare then understood why Revan was feared. The mask on his face was terrifying to look at. The glowing eyes elicited no emotion and unlike hers, the mask’s eyes faced forward like those of an apex predator. The two glowing vertical lines on what had to be the voice modulator only brightened and dimmed with each word he spoke. The clothes he wore were all black as were his boots. He even had his claws covered, although a part of her noticed that there were five of them, something she hadn’t seen in many bipedal races with claws. She couldn’t even hear him breathe, but she knew he was judging from the way his chest moved up and down.

The mare looked up at Revan, showing no fear as she said, “It’s hard to speak freely with a pussycat aiming his blade at my neck.” Revan looked over at where Tobias stood and slowly nodded. When the mare felt the blade be removed from the back of her neck, she sighed in relief before removing her hood, goggles, and cowl. She knew if she wanted to earn their trust, she had to show them who she was. Her vivid crimson and bright yellow mane popped out and her fierce cyan eyes locked onto the masked figure that was Revan. “My name is Sunset Shimmer,” she explained. “I was once the student of Princess Celestia until I left Canterlot when I was thirteen. I’ve spent years exploring the world, making a living and connections all over the world, including places you’ve probably never even heard of.”

“You’re not answering my question,” Revan said.

“If this is supposed to impress us, it’s not,” Tobias added, stepping to stand beside Revan. “Titles like student to a princess mean nothing here.”

“Of course they don’t,” Sunset agreed with fire in her eyes, “but I know I can be of use!”

“I’m sure you can be,” Revan said, “but what do you want out of this? That’s what we want to know.”

Sunset looked at Revan and Tobias, and a smirk formed on her face. “Fine, you want the truth? I want to join to repay what you did for me a few months ago. I hate owing favors to anybody, and I like to repay debts.”

Both continued to look down at the pony mare in front of them, but she didn’t back down. Tobias spoke. “Wait…I remember you now.” He turned to Revan, who didn’t take his gaze off of Sunset, at least if the lack of motion from him was any indication. “She’s that unicorn we found almost dying out in the Badlands a few months ago, remember?”

Revan didn’t say anything for a bit. Instead, he only continued to look at Sunset, who continued glaring at the menacing figure. After a few seconds of silence, he slowly nodded. “You don’t owe us anything.”

“We did the right thing by bringing you to someplace that would help,” Tobias added. “You were beaten up pretty badly, and that brand you got is the brand of the Blue Dragons. You should consider yourself lucky that they just beat you up and didn’t rob you.”

Sunset snorted. “They took all my talons, but the other money they called fake and useless out here.”

“Not surprising,” Tobias said as he crossed his arms. “Talons are the only currency they accept out here, and the Blue Dragons only have business out here. Your money is useless here.”

“But not in the rest of the world,” she replied. “I have Equestrian bits, Gryphonian claws, Dragon Lands coins, and more. There’s enough from each to build a business.”

“Equestria won’t see us as legitimate,” Revan said.

“And the other nations don’t exactly need mercenary work, nor could they afford it most of the time,” Tobias added.

“So don’t use the word mercenary!” Sunset said, starting to sound desperate, “You could be a business with multiple areas of expertise!”

“And just why would ponies want to hire us?” Tobias asked with a growl.“We’re not exactly what they would consider hirable. Just ask Jason. Oh wait…”

Sunset’s scowl returned in full force. “Those ponies are fools,” she said, “but I guarantee that if you have me with you, they’ll be more likely to hire you for work!”

“I don’t know…” Tobias said, scratching his chin thoughtfully. “Revan?”

Revan looked down at her, arms slowly crossed. The strange masked creature and pony mare stared at each other for a long while before he said, “Very well, we’ll have a trial run.”

“Trial run?” Sunset tilted her head in confusion.

“It just means you’ll come with us on an assignment,” Tobias explained. “The profits will be split three ways, but I will warn you, it won’t be much. It’s a job from the guild, and they take a piece of the action before we get anything. The job will be something simple and it will give us time to know you better.” Sunset felt a bit relieved to hear it, until she heard Tobias say, “I have just the job, too.” He brought out a piece of dirty paper from his coat pocket and gave it to Revan. “It’s the kind of job you asked the boss for specifically.” Revan looked down at the paper, then turned and looked at Tobias, who simply chuckled and shrugged. “Even he was surprised that it came in!”

“What kind of job?” Sunset asked, feeling a bit worried now.

Tobias and Revan turned their attention back to her. “It’s an escort job,” the abyssinian explained, holding the paper out for her to see. “The pay isn’t too much, but it’s the perfect job for this little test of ours. It’s also in Equestria.”

Sunset read the paper, and her stomach dropped. The client party was the Apple family. She despised all of Ponyville for what they did because during her travels around the world she’d seen and had even experienced the same sort of treatment from other races and had a great deal of sympathy for what Jason had done. She always thought so highly of her race, but to know that they were capable of such xenophobia and hatred made her stomach crawl. And to hear that they were going to be helping the family of one of Jason’s most constant abusers made her stomach turn. She looked up at Revan and Tobias. “W-Why would either of you want to take this job? And for that matter, how did it get all the way down here?”

“You know the clients,” Tobias said, “and I’m going to assume that nobody, or should I say nopony, wants to help them. Seems as if they’re getting desperate if they’re reaching out for outside help. But here’s the thing you should know about us.” He leaned down, his yellow eyes now completely serious as he looked into Sunset’s eyes. “Once we sign a contract for a job, we never betray the clients. Most mercenaries will sell their soul to the highest bidder, even during the middle of a mission, but we don’t. We either fulfill the job or are released from it from our clients.”

Sunset nodded in understanding. It was one reason why she wanted to join them after she’d heard more and more details about their exploits around the Badlands and in other lands nearby. “I won’t betray any clients we have,” she promised, “but I don’t have to like the jobs. Especially this one.”

Tobias grinned and smacked her on the back, laughing. “That’s the spirit! Now, we leave in an hour. Pack up whatever you need and meet us at the north gate. We’ll need to walk to the nearest Equestrian town to catch a train. That is, if they’ll let us on.”

“I’ll be there, and I can help get us on a train,” Sunset said before she turned and galloped away back to the inn where she’d been staying to gather all of her belongings. She would prove herself worthy of being a part of the Shadow Dawn team! She could do this!

Tobias watched the unicorn galloping away down the darkened alley, turning when she reached the street and vanishing into the crowd of various creatures. He turned to the masked human beside him. “She certainly has a flare for the dramatic. Like you.”

Gregory reached up and grasped the mask. There was a hiss and then he pulled it off, revealing his face. He looked over at his companion. “How so?”

“Oh, the whole glowing eyes thing with her goggles,” Tobias grinned. “Similar color, too.”

Gregory simply nodded and looked back at the end of the alleyway. “I just wonder if she’ll be like all the others,” he said, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes.

“It takes a lot to survive in the Badlands,” Tobias said. “You should know better than anyone.”

Gregory turned back to Tobias, the two business partners and friends locking eyes for a bit. Gregory then smiled ever so slightly. “You’ll never let me live that down, will you?”

“You were drinking dirty water out of that vehicle of yours when I found you!” Tobias said, “and all of your food was gone! Honestly, I’ve never seen someone so unprepared for the Badlands.”

“It’s not like I intended to drive there,” Gregory said with a frown.

Tobias made a “Tch!” noise and then looked back at the entrance to the alley. Several second later, he looked back at Gregory. “Is that really the mare you told me about and showed me on that device of yours?” he asked. Gregory nodded. “So…why is she still here? Shouldn’t she be in the other human world you told me about?”

“Either history played out differently here than in the show,” Gregory replied, “or the human world or Star Swirl’s mirror doesn’t exist here. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that she will be coming with us on our next job.”

Tobias clapped his paws together, rubbing them. “This is going to be one of the more fun adventures we’ve had, eh G?”

“If you say so,” Gregory replied.

“Hey, at least there’s less of a chance of you being knocked around again,” Tobias said in a teasing manner.

“That hasn’t happened in a while,” Gregory replied giving Tobias a sideways glance.

“Only because the jobs we’ve taken haven’t been as dangerous as before,” Tobias said. “Just use those guns you brought with you. Dengal said she could make those bullets of yours if she had access to one.”

Gregory shook his head. “They’re too advanced for her,” he said, “and besides, she’s already working on making guns of her own.”

“You know that goblin blacksmith girl has the hots for you, right?” Tobias asked as they began making their way back to their office.

Gregory put his mask back on, the hiss audible as the black coverings hid his human features. The glowing eyes returned and the distorted voice of Revan replied, “She doesn’t know the real me.”

“Hey, you said she was attractive by human standards,” Tobias said, “so why not give her a chance?”

Gregory didn’t reply, instead he walked out into the main street, pulling his black hood over his head. Tobias only sighed, following his companion into the crowd. Sometimes, his companion was a bit too serious for his taste, but he was still a good man deep underneath that hardened exterior. Still, the abyssinian smiled. He anticipated that this next journey would be fun.

“Ah wanna thank y’all fer comin’ and helpin’ with all of the packin’,” Applejack said to the three members of the Apple family who had come and helped pack things up for their inevitable move.

Albemarle Pippin, Merry Way, Blue Pearmain and Golden Russet, two earth pony stallions and two pegasus and unicorn mare twins respectfully, sat nearby with mugs of some of the last of the zapp apple cider in their hooves, drinking to quench their thirst. Merry was married to Blue and was the best friend of Ablemarle Pippin, who normally went by Pippin or simply Pip. Pippin nodded and raised his mug. “Glad to help,” he said in a deep voice.

“You’re still family, even if the others don’t want to see it,” Blue added. Her husband nodded in solidarity.

“We’re just sorry that you have to leave this place behind,” Golden added, looking around sadly. “I’ve had a lot of good memories here.”

Applejack looked around and sighed. In the time since she’d managed to get a request sent off to anypony willing to help, two weeks had passed. It had only been three days before when the only three extended Apple family members who still talked to them had arrived. The house was all boarded up and empty. The normally bright red paint of the house and barn was peeling, there were no more barn animals around as they’d been sold off to help pay for farming supplies. Their cow and sheep herds had gone to other farms around the kingdom when the family couldn’t afford to feed them.

The rot had only taken hold of more trees by that time. Not knowing how it spread, the family didn’t want to uproot any trees for replanting just in case the rot spread through the roots, so they sadly had to burn the entire orchard. That had been one of the darkest days for Applejack. Not the darkest, but one of them. Nobody had really spoken that day, and the smoke had apparently reached Canterlot according to the newspaper they received the next day. Apple Bloom had cried openly, and so had Big Mac, the strongest and toughest stallion Applejack knew. She knew she would cry, but she hadn’t expected any tears from Big Mac. She hoped, however, that with the destruction of the trees that the rot wouldn’t spread anywhere else.

Applejack raised the mug of cider in the air. “A toast. To family. May the memories we made never die.”

Everyone raised their mugs in solidarity and drank. The rainbow colored liquid tasted as sweet as ever. They all drained their mugs and set them down on the carriage nearby. While Big Mac collected them and rinsed them out with a nearby water pump, Merry spoke up. “So,” he said, “Granny tells me that y’all are hiring some mercenaries to keep an eye on us.”

Applejack felt herself tense up. She immediately turned to the dark orange stallion. “We wanted tah keep ourselves safe,” she said quickly, “it ain’t safe fer us out there anymore, especially since-”

“We’re not judging what you’re doing,” Pippin said, “after all, this new Maretime Bay isn’t exactly close to friendly territory.”

“Isn’t it near the Undiscovered Lands?” Merry asked.

Applejack nodded. “It’ll take us a while to get there by carriage,” she said, “unless we can get a train ride to the nearest station, but the train doesn’t stop in Ponyville no more.”

“Hence the need for mercenaries?” Golden asked.

Applejack nodded. “Sure nuff.”

“But what if somepony pays them off to just abandon us?” Blue asked. “I hear that’s what they do in the Badlands.”

“We’ll just have to hope tah high heaven that they won’t or that we don’t run into somepony who’ll wanna rob us,” Applejack said. “Now come on. Let’s make sure everythin’s all ship shape and ready tah go. Check to see we didn’t miss anythin’ either.”

At that, everypony scattered off, looking around the farmhouse and the barn to make sure things were in order for whoever would be using this place after they were gone. They had to sell it well below market value because of the rot and the damage to the house. About a half hour later, everypony was back, a few of them having found boxes and other random items that they had missed in their last sweep.

As they were tightening down the caravan and covering their belongings with tarps and blankets, Apple Bloom suddenly paused, her ears perking up. Applejack noticed this and walked over to her. “Apple Bloom? Everythin’ alright?”

“Somepony’s comin’ up the road,” Apple Bloom whispered, pointing to the east.

Everypony turned in the direction she was pointing. Sure enough, in the distance they saw three individuals walking up. One of them looked like a pony, but with the hood on, nopony could be sure. The other two were taller, bipedal. One looked like a cat, while the third was dressed in all black, their features obscured by a hood. Everypony watched as they grew closer. The features of the catlike creature became visible first, since the others were wearing hoods over their heads. He had black fur with a white patch on the forehead. He had black hair as well which was cut short and he had yellow eyes.

The pony’s features were visible next. The pony appeared to be a mare, probably a unicorn if Applejack wasn’t mistaken. She wore a black cowl over her muzzle along with a pair of goggles that hid her eyes. Applejack thought she saw some orange fur on the unicorn’s legs, but since said unicorn was wearing a cloak, that’s all she could see. Applejack couldn’t even see her cutie mark.

The third individual, however, made her pause. They were a little bit taller than the bipedal cat, wearing black garments that covered any fur they may have had. They had a couple of knives attached to their belt and he was holding a large metal pole, but it was the mask over their head that frightened her. It was terrifying, to say the least. Applejack felt Apple Bloom pressing her, and she could hardly blame the poor teenage filly.

When she looked down at the creature’s claws, she paused again. She’d never seen anycreature with more than four claws before. This creature had five claws, or fingers. She couldn’t see any talons on them, but then again this individual had gloves on. She wondered how hot they must be in there.

“Hello there, everyone,” the cat being said with a wave. Judging by the voice, the cat was a male. “We received a request for an escort mission for…” here he took out a folded piece of paper from the long coat he wore and opened it, “one hundred and fifty bits.” He folded the paper and slipped it back in his pocket. “Are we in the right place?”

Everypony else was silent, all looking at Applejack. This was her show, after all. She straightened and despite the fear of the masked creature beside this cat, she stepped forward. “That’s us,” she said.

“Ah, excellent!” the cat said as he took a step forward. “We’re Shadow Dawn, the mercenary party who will be picking up your job request. Now, I understand this will take a few days?”

“Ah’d say about three, maybe four days if the weather holds,” Applejack replied.

“I’m sure it’ll hold,” the cat said, “after all, it is summer still.”

“Ah suppose so,” Applejack said.

“Excellent!” The catlike creature clapped his claws together. “Now, before we get underway, there’s the small matter of some paperwork-”

“Just a moment there, young fella!” Granny Smith interrupted him with a scowl. She stamped forward and looked the cat straight in the eyes. “Ah hope yer not hopin’ tah gouge us out like them stories about yer kind say! We ain’t easily taken in, yah know!”

“I suggest you not make such hasty assumptions, old mare,” the pony (now confirmed to be a mare based on her tone alone) beside the cat said with a bite in her tone, “or did you forget that it was assumptions that led to the death of one Jason Wright?”

The third individual simply held up their hand for silence, turning to the mare rather sharply. This caused the mare to flinch. They then turned back to the cat and the two exchanged a look. The cat looked back down with his ears pinned back slightly, an abashed look on his face. “Ah, I know mercenaries have a bad reputation here,” he said, “but we’re not quite like them. Shadow Dawn honors our contracts and doesn’t break them. If Princess Celestia herself were to offer us all the bits she had, we’d refuse. It’s the principal of the thing.”

Granny stepped back, her own face a bit abashed. “Ah see,” was all she said in a diminished tone.

The cat then turned to Applejack, holding up some new papers. “We just have a few papers for you to look over and sign. They’re standard requirements for a job like this. It lists off all of our requirements. Payment up front, a signature at the end of our job to signify that the job was completed, things like that. Take as much time as you need to read them over.”

Applejack took the papers and began reading them. She was soon surrounded by several other members of her family as they too read over the contracts. Nothing about it seemed nefarious to her, but she knew that Merry was probably the most likely to catch something since he was the smartest one she knew there. He had grown up training to be a small-town politician before he married Blue and became a farmer with her. When he gave her an approving nod, Applejack looked back at the three. “Who do yah need signin’ this?”

“Whoever sent out the request,” the cat said. He reached into his coat pocket and brought out a black pen. “Need this?”

“Thanks,” she said as she took the pen in her mouth and began signing where she needed to. When she was done, she gave the pen back, along with the papers. She then trotted over to one of the carriages, grabbed a brown bag and brought it over to them. “Here yah are,” she said as she dropped it into the cat’s outstretched paw.

The cat put the bag in a pack he had over his shoulder. “Great!” he said. “Now, the only thing left to do is get you to your destination and then have you sign off on that. Now,” he clapped his paws together and looked around, “are you ready to get underway, or do you need more time?”

“Ah think we’re ready,” Applejack said, “but yah know, it’d help an awful lot if we knew yer names.”

“How rude of us!” the cat said with a self-deprecating smile. “My name’s Tobias, and this pony is a new member of our team named Sunset Shimmer, a pretty powerful unicorn.”

“Well, it’s nice tah meet y’all,” Applejack said, “but what about yer other friend there?” She gestured to the hooded and masked figure beside them. “Don’t he ever talk?”

Tobias looked back, then smiled and turned back to Applejack. “That’s Revan,” he said, “and he does talk, but not all the time. I’m sure you’ll hear him talking sometime on this trip. But we should really get a move on! Train won’t wait on us forever.”

That caught Applejack’s attention. She turned to Tobias. “Train?”

“Thank our pony companion here for that,” he said, gesturing down to the hooded and cloaked mare. “She managed to…convince…the train to stop here for the next twenty minutes. That was ten minutes ago.”

“It’ll get us to the White Tail station before nightfall,” the pony named Sunset said, “so I suggest you get moving.”

Surprised at this new development, Applejack wasted no time running up to her cart and hitching herself up to it. “Let’s get a move on, everypony!”

Princess Celestia was sitting in her room later that night after the sun had gone down, looking over the latest reports from the nurse she’d asked to be assigned to her former faithful student Twilight. Despite her immense disappointment in the young mare, she still had a hoof in raising her from a filly to an adult and thought of her like a pseudo daughter. Just as she had with her previous student before their argument and before she fled the palace all those years ago. She was pleased to learn that Twilight had been doing a bit better, but was disheartened to hear that she hardly ever left her lighthouse unless it was absolutely necessary.

“Perhaps it was a mistake sending all of Ponyville’s residents to one place,” she muttered to herself.

“Perhaps it was,” a familiar male voice said. One which sent chills down Celestia’s spine as she jumped up. “Hello there, Princess, did you miss me?”

“Discord,” she growled, “you cretin, show yourself!”

In front of her, a zipper appeared in midair. It moved down, and out stepped the lord of chaos himself. He zipped the space behind him back up, leaving nothing behind. His smile was as infuriating as ever. However, something about him was different. There was a black patch over his left eye. “Cretin, you say?” he asked, placing his paw on his chest. “Why Tia, that hurts! You’re breaking my heart!” He held out his claw, and in it a heart appeared that shattered, leaving red pieces of glass on the floor.

Celestia stood, stomping on one of the larger pieces and storming up to the draconequus. She grabbed him with her hoof and shoved him against the wall. “Leave!” she snapped.

He vanished and appeared sitting in her bed, reading a newspaper with a pair of black rimmed glasses on. “Somepony’s testy,” he said with an amused tone.

Celestia whirled around and aimed her horn at him. “Leave,” she growled, “or I’ll make you leave.” Her horn began to glow for effect.

Discord tossed the papers away, turning them into little birds which flew out of the window and evaporated into nothingness. He slowly stood, paw and claw raised. His smile was gone, and a serious look appeared on his face. “Okay, I see you’re in no mood for jokes,” he said as he snapped and two chairs appeared. He sat in one and pointed towards the other.

The seriousness of the draconequus threw Celestia off, but she didn’t move or let her guard down. “What are you up to?” she asked suspiciously.

“I swear, I’m not up to anything,” he said, “I simply came to talk. It’s been too long and things are certainly chaotic around her.”

That sent her alarm bells off and she narrowed her eyes at him. “Was Jason Wright’s death because of you?” she snarled angrily.

“Heavens, no,” Discord said, looking honestly appalled. “I didn’t even know he existed until I learned about his death. I couldn’t even detect his body with my magic even after his…untimely death. Besides, death isn’t really my style. My kind of chaos doesn’t kill. That’s a line I refuse to cross. You know that. After all, back all those years ago, did I ever once kill any of your little ponies?”

“Still, you could have influenced my little ponies like you did during your first escape,” Celestia snapped.

“No, I didn’t do anything in regards to Jason Wright and his treatment,” Discord said with a frown, “that was all you and your ponies.” He gestured to the seat and then snapped again. A small tea table appeared between the chairs with a very fancy looking tea set sitting on it. “No tricks, I promise,” he said.

Still wary of this strange behavior, Celestia nevertheless approached and scanned the tea with her magic. Everything about it seemed normal, but she knew better than to trust Discord’s magic. However, she strangely didn’t sense any deception from him, which was normal when it came to him. At least, up until Fluttershy helped reform him several years before. “And why should I trust you?” she asked.

“Your point is well taken,” Discord said, “but once more ask yourself this: has my chaos ever caused the death of anycreature? Even in my reign, did it? Even a suicide?”

Celestia’s frown deepened. She knew he was right. Discord’s type of chaos would never lead to the death of anypony. She sighed. “Okay…I get it.”

“Good!” he said, and with a wave of his paw the chairs and tea vanished. He gestured then to the balcony. “Would you care to join me outside?”

Celestia looked at the now standing draconequus, then slowly nodded. The two made their way to Celestia’s private balcony, where Discord took a seat in one of the chairs there. Celestia did the same, and the two looked out at the beautiful cliffside metropolis that was Canterlot. The stars were out in full force, and not even the lights of the city below could dim their magnificence. That was how Celestia had her balcony situated. She loved looking at her sister’s night. The moon wasn’t up yet, as it was waning.

The two sat in silence for a bit. Then, Discord said, “Be honest, Celestia, how are things going in Equestria these days? I’ve been…avoiding it lately.”

Celestia sighed. “Not too good,” she said. “Ever since the world learned of Jason Wright and his abysmal treatment at the hooves of my ponies, other nations are at my doorstep demanding I do something about the various ways nonponies are being treated in my kingdom. I’ve hardly had a day off to recover from this.”

“You were the one who had that book written, you know,” he chided her, “so this chaos is your fault, not mine.”

She rubbed her forehead with her hoof. “I wasn’t going to just hide this, you know? I knew the consequences and accepted them.”

“Other versions of you would have simply swept this under the rug,” Discord said, “or even just not punished those involved.”

She groaned. She knew about the many various versions of Equestria thanks to him and it always made her head hurt. “I’m not them, am I?”

Discord shook his head. “No, you’re not,” he said, “but you did bring this on yourself.”

“I’m already reminded about this every day,” she groaned, “I don’t need it from you.”

“Alright, alright, lips sealed,” he said before zipping his mouth shut with a literal zipper.

She looked over at him. “What are you here for, Discord? Here to mock me?”

He shook his head. “Nnmm mmmmt mmmt mmmll!” he said. Celestia sighed and unzipped his mouth with her magic. “No, not at all,” he repeated.

“Then why are you here?” she asked.

“To do something I rarely do,” he said, “and that’s bring you news about something that concerns you.”

She turned to him, scrutinizing him. “And that would be…?”

Discord leaned back in his seat, looking up at the sky. “It involves a certain orange unicorn mare and her two traveling companions.”

“Orange unicorn ma-?” Celestia paused, eyes wide in alarm as she shot up out of her seat. “Sunset Shimmer?! You’ve seen Sunset Shimmer!?” She was practically shouting in complete shock.

Discord put both his pinkies in his ears and moved them back and forth, a squeaking noise coming from them as he did so. “Anypony ever told you that you shout really, really loud?” he asked with a frown.

She was immediately in Discord’s face. “Where is she?! Don’t hide anything from me!”

Discord backed away, then gave Celestia a saucy grin. “So close,” he said, “if anypony saw us like this, they’d think you were interested in little old me.”

Celestia’s face went red, either with anger or embarrassment she didn’t know. Still, she backed off and tried to calm down. “Fine, you have my attention now,” she said, sitting back in her chair. “What about Sunset do you have to tell me?”

“Well, she’s finally back in Equestria, for one,” Discord said.

“Where?” Celestia asked with a growl.

“She’s traveling with a couple of mercenaries from the Badlands,” Discord said. “One of those mercenaries is…quite the character, I must say. You’ll find him quite fascinating, I’m sure.”

“Where. Is. Sunset?” Celestia asked, putting deliberate emphasis on each word.

Discord’s infuriating smirk returned. “Now, if I told you that, there would be no fun in it,” he said.

“This isn’t a game, Discord!” Celestia bellowed, “I need to find her immediately!”

His smile faded again. “I’m well aware that this isn’t a game,” he said in a once more surprisingly serious tone, “but I’ve only been allowed to tell you what I’ve already told you.”

Celestia’s eyes were wide as saucers at that. “‘Allowed’?” she repeated. “You mean to tell me that-”

“I do,” Discord said with a nod.

“Does it have to do with-?”

“I can’t tell you why.”

Celestia grew increasingly frustrated. “I hate you,” she said.

Discord nodded. “I know, and now is one of the few times I wish I could help, but I’m being forced to stay out of this one. I can’t use my magic to interfere in Equestrian affairs anymore.”

Celestia deflated. She hated when this happened, because it always meant a huge headache for her in the end. She could already feel it coming on as she nodded. “And of course it just to happens to happen when my country is in its own chaotic state…”

Discord stood and stretched. “For what it’s worth, Tia, I’m sorry,” he said, and to Celestia it sounded like a genuine apology.

“…Not your fault…” Celestia murmured as she herself stood. “I should really get back to work…”

“You should really get some rest,” Discord said as he began to fade, “after all, you’re gonna need it.”

“I can’t afford to rest right now,” she said, although her trudging body slowly made its way towards her bed without her even knowing.

“You’ll need all the rest you can manage,” Discord’s fading voice said, “so sleep, and good luck…”

With that, Discord’s body vanished, as did his chaotic presence. Celestia, growing more and more exhausted with each step, collapsed into bed. The blankets moved of their own accord, covering her as the ancient alicorn mare quickly fell into a deep sleep.

4: The Attack

It had only been a half day since the group of ponies and their mercenary escorts had left the farm and they were already halfway to their destination. The train that the mercenary group had promised the ponies had indeed been at the old Ponyville train station waiting for them. The train’s conductor, one who Applejack knew, wasn’t too thrilled with having to make a stop, but when he saw the pony who called herself Sunset Shimmer, Applejack saw a hint of fear in his eyes as he allowed the Apples to leave their carriages in their cargo car. Since the train itself was only half full, that meant that the Apples and their hired help could make themselves comfortable in one of the emptier cars.

Not much was said during that time. Some of them took the opportunity to sleep. They’d worked hard packing up the last of the family’s belongings during the first half of the morning, and seeing as though they hadn’t expected to make it so far in so short a time, they decided to recover their strength.

Applejack was one of these ponies. The stresses of packing up and moving had taken a massive toll on her. She dozed on and off in her seat, being jolted awake a few times by a jostling of the car they were in whenever the train hit some sort of bump on its westerly journey. During their last hour before they arrived at White Forest Junction, however, she was awake. She felt a bit more rested, but with the sun nearing the western horizon, she knew that they wouldn’t get very far once they disembarked, so they would need to set up camp.

Which was where they were now. After getting off at White Forest Junction, they only had a half hour of daylight left, which didn’t give them much time to find a campsite where they could set up for the night. Luckily, they found a large clearing near a large stream where the group set up a camp. By the time the sun was well below the horizon, they had a fire going and some stew boiling over said fire, a carrot and potato stew with various herbs and spices and tomato sauce mixed in with some water to thin it out.

While they ate, however, Applejack kept stealing glances at the smaller, secondary camp some ways away where the three mercenaries had set up their own camp. They had a fire of their own, but no stew pot boiling over it. Instead, it looked like they had some food already prepared and were quietly eating, or at least two of them were. She noticed that the silent masked Revan hadn’t removed his mask.

Feeling a little bad about how they’d been less than hospitable during their first encounter, she filled up three extra bowls halfway with some soup and made her way over to the second campfire, each bowl being balanced on a piece of wood. Tobias looked up when she arrived. “Hello, there,” he said with a polite nod, “is there something I can do for you?”

Applejack shook her head and passed the impromptu platter with steaming soup over to him. “Ah thought y’all could use somethin’ a bit more fillin’ that whatever it is yer eatin’,” she said, “as thanks fer gettin’ us on that train and fer keepin’ watch over us.”

Tobias took the piece of wood carefully and inhaled the scent of the steaming bowls. “Oh damn,” he said with a chuckle, “this stew smells absolutely amazing. Thank you very much!”

“Shoot, it ain’t nothin’,” Applejack said as she watched Tobias pass the other bowls out to the other two. “Just tryin’ tah be a good host.”

She thought she heard the unicorn named Sunset scoff at this, but it was Tobias who spoke next. “Well, this’ll definitely send us to bed with full stomachs tonight instead of our normal hard tack. Thank you again.”

“Yes…thanks,” Sunset added, although Applejack couldn’t hear any sort of gratitude in her voice.

When the silent third member called Revan looked up, Applejack froze. The glowing sky blue eyes of his mask were locked onto her. It was a terrifying few moments before Revan simply nodded at her. Applejack felt a bit of her fear of this Revan ebb away. He may have been a silent member, but it seemed as if he was grateful. She decided to speak up. “Yah really don’t talk much, do ya, stranger?”

Tobias looked up, a little apprehension in his face. The pony, who was now not wearing her cowl, goggles and hood, looked up, a small piece of bread in her magic. They both turned to Revan. The mysterious figure seemed to be looking at Applejack, but without being able to see a face, it was hard to tell. The blue glowing eyes on the mask simply looked at her. Finally, she heard the voice of this mysterious Revan for the first time. “Only when necessary.”

She was taken aback by the voice. It was deep and had what she could only describe as an artificial tone to it. She was, frankly, even more intimidated by this creature than before. Still, she knew that she’d rather have him on her side than as an enemy. She slowly nodded. “Kinda like mah brother. He’s a stallion of few words.”Revan’s head tilted slightly, looking towards the fire where the Apples all sat. He then turned his head back to Applejack, slowly nodding in response. She knew that while he wasn’t a pony, she knew that type of nod. “Ah, well,” she stammered out, “ah’ll leave y’all tah eatin’. Hope y’all enjoy the soup.”

“We will,” Tobias said with a smile, “and thanks again!”

Applejack smiled, turned, and walked back to their camp. As she did so, she couldn’t help but look back one more time. There was something about Revan that she couldn’t put her hoof on. It was eating at her, but she couldn’t understand why. Shaking her head, she turned back and made her way back to camp.

The fires were both dim now as everyone in both camps were asleep. The sky above was clear of any clouds and the only noises to be heard were the sounds of wind through nearby trees along with some occasional nighttime animal noises. Sunset was out on watch, using her enchanted goggles to enhance her vision. Everything around her was brighter, and with the lack of a moon until later that night it helped her spot any movement and focus on it. She’d volunteered for first watch because one, she wanted to get a feel for how guard duty went, and two, she didn’t want to be in the middle or at the end. First shift, in her mind, was always the easiest shift.

As she patrolled both campsites, she heard whispering coming from the two singular tents that Tobias and Revan both shared. Curious, she slowly crept back up to see if she could hear anything. She caught the tail end of Tobias saying something. “-things being as they are, we may become targets, especially with this being the family of a former Harmony Bearer.”

She listened, and to her surprise the voice that replied was not the same as the voice from the mask. It sounded more, well, normal. “Equestria has become a more dangerous place in the past three years,” the new voice said. Sunset noted that the voice was indeed male, although unlike the voice she’d heard coming from the mask, this one lacked the menacing edge. It was still deadly serious, however. “Did the Guild Master have anything to say?”

“You know the answer to that,” Tobias said.

“Yeah, suppose so,” Revan, or so she assumed, replied. “The next couple of days are going to be a bit rough.”

“At least we got halfway there already,” Tobias said, “so that’s a plus.”

“True,” Revan said, “but we’re on the edge of former Equestrian soil. It’s still just as lawless as the Badlands.”

“I’ve heard the rumors,” Tobias said. “You ready to face ponies again?”

Revan was silent for a bit, then his voice replied, “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Good. I have the splints and medical supplies ready just in case,” Tobias said with a chuckle.

A chuckle which Revan didn’t join in on. As Tobias went quiet, Revan said, “My shift is in a few hours. I’m going to sleep.”

“Sure thing,” Tobias said, “goodnight.”

“Night,” Revan said, and with that, there was silence again.

This left Sunset with several questions about what she’d just heard. As she walked away to go back to her patrol. The most intriguing thing she had heard about was that this Revan had faced ponies in the past. She wasn’t sure why Tobias had phrased it that way, but it piqued her interest. She decided that she’d try and get some more information at a later date. She just had to be patient. So, she resumed her watch, keeping her thoughts in the back of her mind and her attention on the here and now.

The waning moon above shone its dim silvery light on the sleeping ponies below. It reflected off of the serene lake which was disturbed by a slight breeze, leaving ripples on the surface. The noises of nocturnal animals were remote. An owl hooted nearby, a group of wild wolves howled in the distance, and a few branches were snapped by the careless hoof of a pony who wasn’t looking where he was going.

“Hush!” one of the other ponies in the small group hissed back at the first pony, “or do you want to wake up the whole world with that racket!”

“Sorry,” the first pony said a bit loudly.

“Quiet!” another pony whispered.

“Sir, we’re almost there,” another pony said.

“Alright, everypony, put your stealth game on,” the apparent leader of the group said. He pulled on a chain in his hoof before looking back. “Mango, come.”

The pony attached to the chain, an extremely burly but rather dim earth pony stallion named Mango Wrecker, came forward, looking nervously at the whip on the belt of the leader. “What Mango gonna do?” Mango asked.

“Sit down,” the leader said, and the burly pony did so. The pony in charge, a unicorn stallion named Dirty Hunter, who preferred to go by Hunter, walked over to the edge of the small valley, looking down with the rest of the group of bandits and thugs. Below, the camp lay still, unsuspecting. Hunter grinned and turned back to the others. “Just like you predicted, Ace.”

Ace Hole, the unicorn stallion strategist of the group, pushed his glasses up as he looked down at the camp. “We shouldn’t be too hasty,” he whispered, “for all we know, they’ve asked somepony to protect them.”

“Pff, with their reputation who’d come to their rescue,” Hunter said with a smirk.

Oneshot, their expert pegasus bowstallion, came up and looked down. His eyesight was better than most ponies and he scanned the area below. “I don’t see anypony on any sort of patrol,” he whispered.

“We should get the lay of the land first,” Ace said.

“Yes,” Hunter agreed before he motioned for his group to fan out. He stayed beside Mango, looking down at the camp as Ace, Oneshot, and a mysterious former earth pony soldier in the Royal Guard who only called himself ‘Echo’ walked on the edge, looking down at the peaceful, unsuspecting looking camp. He looked around at the others in their group, looking for signs that there might be some sort of lookout. He thought it foolish for anypony out this far not to set up a lookout, but these were Ponyvillians, after all. Ignorant fools who had disgraced themselves.

Oneshot got Hunter’s attention with a wave of his wing. Hunter looked over and read the hoof signals that they’d come up with to communicate over large distances. Doing a quick translation, Hunter gathered that there was some sort of lookout, but there was only one that he could see. A unicorn, and a mare at that. Hunter grinned. Once they were done with those last Ponyvillians, they’d have another to have fun with. Unicorns were always the most fun to break.

He waited a bit to see if anypony else found another lookout, although he trusted Oneshot’s abilities. There was none. Eventually, the other three returned to their initial lookout point. “Report,” Hunter said.

“Two encampments,” Oneshot said. “The main one is to the north and the smaller one is to the south. Main one has a few carriages sitting right out in the open. Smaller one is probably where there are other lookouts or escorts.”

“Judging by the number of tracks we saw,” the elusive Echo said, “there are eight ponies in that bigger camp. If that unicorn is one of the escort group, then that group consists of three.”

“And those other tracks?” Hunter asked.

Echo shook his head. “One’s feline, but the other one is wearing some sort of boot. I’ve never seen one like that before. Still, it’s likely from the strides taken that the owner of those boots is bipedal.”

“We go smash now?” Mango asked.

“Hush, Mango,” Hunter said, giving the chain one harsh pull which made the bigger pony hiss in pain. “We’ll smash them soon.” Hunter turned back to the others. “An abyssinian, probably. Anypony here tangled with one of their kind?” A cursory glance informed him that they hadn’t. “Me neither, so we should be careful. If the third creature isn’t leaving any tracks, maybe it’s another abyssinian who likes wearing boots. From what I know about them, they’re incredibly flexible and tough to beat in a fight. But that’s why we have Mango here.”

“So, take out the escort first?” Oneshot asked.

Ace once more adjusted his glasses. “I’d advise that we move towards the main camp first. I watched the unicorn lookout. She has a pattern she follows and if we time it right, we can have those Ponyvillians all where we want them. Then we get the biggest payday the guild’s ever seen.”

Hunter grinned. “Okay, we have a few hours before daylight, and I’d like this done quickly. Time to strategize.”

Applejack woke up with a jolt, sitting up in her cot and panting heavily. She’d had yet another one of her night terrors regarding Jason Wright. They were always the same: she’d see his lifeless hanging corpse on the apple tree of her once beautiful orchard after hearing the sickening crunch of his neck being snapped. She would feel the same feeling of nausea as the dream, more detailed than any other, revealed every inch of his scarred and deformed body to her. The lightning strike scar made by Rainbow Dash, the multiple buck scars on his chest, arms, and sides, one prominent scar made by her, the bite marks made by her sadly now deceased dog Winnona (who had died after eating an apple tainted with the rot some months prior), the gaunt form caused from lack of food, his tattered and graying head of long wild hair, and the lifeless eyes which stared into her soul.

The night terrors had come less and less as time went on, but she still had them, and they all ended the same way. The lifeless corpse would come back to life, snap the rope away, and begin walking towards Applejack, who was frozen in place and unable to move. The boney hands of the now dead human would reach up, grab her by the throat, and with his one good eye, would stare at her, not saying a word, but instead choking her. And just as she felt the life go out of her, it would be her on the hanging noose instead of Jason, who would simply look at her with a mixture of rage and sadness. That was when she would be able to move and try and escape, trying also to call out apology after apology, but she would be unable to do so. The dream version of Jason would just turn and walk away, not helping her in the slightest, just like she’d never helped him.

And then, Applejack and the entire tree she hung from would fall into a pit, heading towards an eternal pit of flames. This was when she would wake up most times, although other nights she’d wake up earlier.

Applejack slowly moved to the side, putting her hooves on the ground beside her cot. She couldn’t see much, but in the dim moonlight that came from above, she knew it must be early morning. She took time to calm down, taking a few quiet deep breaths so as not to wake the ponies in the other tents around her. She slowly made her way over to where she remembered her canteen being placed. She swallowed a few sips, which helped her stomach settle. She didn’t want to hurl anything extra up because she knew she’d need the strength, especially if they were to build a brand new home once they got to Maretime Bay.

She turned and was about to open the tent flap to let some fresh air in when a shadow fell across the tent. She paused, looking at the hulking pony figure that stood on what looked like a distant hill. The outline wasn’t too clear, but even she knew that nopony in their group had a figure like this. Not even that unicorn mare who was with the mercenary group.

When a second pony figure emerged and spread a pair of wings, she knew they weren’t part of her group. Especially since she saw that the pegasus pony held a bow and arrow in their hooves. Panicking, Applejack ran out and looked in the distance to see two ponies. The one with a bow and arrow had a flaming arrow pointed directly at the camp. So, she did the only thing she knew how to do in that moment. She alerted the camp.

“Bandits!” she shouted as she ran along the encampment, screaming the words over and over again. However, she didn’t get too far before there was an explosion behind her, sending her sprawling onto her back. She groaned and sat up, looking back to see one of the carriages full of belongings decimated and catching fire quickly. “No!” she shouted in agony as she quickly got back on her hooves and tried to rush forward to put out the fire. However, another explosion rocked the ground and struck the second carriage, causing more of their belongings to be destroyed.

By this time, the others in camp were awake and running out, dazed and confused by what was happening. When Granny Smith saw the burning wreckage that was once their belongings, she screamed in utter agony, further shattering Applejack’s heart.

A blast of orange magic from further up the hill caught Applejack’s attention, and a third explosion rocked the night, only this explosion was in midair, illuminating the area around them and scattering small pieces of whatever was being shot at them all around. Now fully awake, Applejack went into defensive mode, looking for anything she could use as a weapon to defend her family. She spotted an older iron frying pan that she grabbed, holding it up as she tried to get a sense of what was happening.

Because of the fire caused by whatever their attackers had launched at them, she couldn’t see into the darkness too much, but she did hear blasts of magic being fired and what sounded like the hooves of a massive bull charging towards them. Three stallions, her brother, Merry, and Pippin, ran past her towards a hulking beast that was making its way towards them at high speed. The burly creature was tackled by all three stallions, but Applejack watched them all be thrown back. “Mango smash!” the deep voice of the creature, which Applejack now saw to be a massive earth pony stallion, shouted in hat could only be described as excitement as he bucked the three stallions away like they were nothing but ragdolls.

Golden and Blue were pulling Granny Smith and Apple Bloom away from the camp, the former fighting to get away from Golden and Apple Bloom only crying in sadness and confusion. Applejack gripped her pan, rage building inside her as she launched herself at the stallion, bringing the pan down to try and knock him out.

Unfortunately, it seemed as if this stallion’s head was made of solid rock because her attack only served to make the rampaging stallion even more excited. He stomped past them, and Applejack heard somepony cry out in pain along with the snapping of a bone. Applejack looked around, and to her dismay saw Big Mac holding one of his forelegs with the other. It was bent back at an angle that was unnatural. She ran up to him while Merry and Pippin ran over to the rampaging maniac who was tearing their camp apart. “Big Mac!” she shouted.

Big Mac looked up at her, his deep green eyes full of pain, but not the pain of his broken leg. It was the pain of failure, something she knew all too well just by looking in the mirror every morning. “I’ll be fine,” he grunted as from behind them they both heard the sound of magic being shot at somepony. “Go!” And with that, he shoved her off. “Protect our kin!”

Knowing that there wasn’t much she could do, she turned and ran back into the fray, her pan in hoof as she saw the large earth pony start to get up. Golden was once more charging her horn, aiming it down at the massive pony, but before she could do anything a blast of magic struck her, sending her sprawling.

Blue launched into the air, quickly scanning the skies before she was struck with some sort of net, bringing her down. However, Golden’s magic struck the net and caused it to evaporate.

Applejack continued her attack on the massive stallion, Merry and Pippin trying their best to hold him down, but it was as if nothing could hold back this rampaging beast. He simply stomped through their campgrounds, destroying everything in his path. Applejack tried striking him in the head again and again, but it didn’t work, and soon her pan shattered, sending metal everywhere. She resorted to using her hooves, but the raging hulk was unable to be stopped.

That was, until he stopped himself. The sudden halt sent the three ponies on his back flying off, landing right beside a familiar face. Tobias looked down at the three, a serious look on his own face. “Stop the fires,” he said as he stepped between the pony and Applejack, “and leave Mango to me.”

The stallion saw Tobias and waved. “Hi, Tob!”

“You know ‘im?!” Applejack asked in an accusing tone.

“No time to explain, just go,” Tobias ordered before launching himself at the hulking beast. “Come on, Mango, time to play!”

For a few moments, Applejack watched as the he seemed to dance around the hulking creature. The stallion apparently named Mango tried to grab at Tobias, but the way he was doing it made it seem that he thought this was some sort of game. Still, the cat was leading Mango away from the camp towards the lake, so that was a plus.

Pippin caught her attention and pulled her away. She grabbed a blanket and began putting the flames out as best as she could, but something about it was off. The fire wasn’t going out like normal fires would, and even the buckets of water from the lake that Merry would bring to help douse it didn’t seem to be working as well. There was also a foul smell from the fire itself.

A figure was suddenly thrown onto the ground nearby, and a grunt could be heard from said figure. Applejack turned to see a unicorn slowly getting to their feet, only to be blasted away with another shot of orange magic. Sunset Shimmer, the unicorn mercenary, stepped forward, horn lit up and ready to go. “You made a big mistake attacking me, little stallion,” she said with a smirk. “I’ll lay you out just like I laid out your four eyed companion!”

“Nnng,” the stallion, a dark brown unicorn wearing a red bandana, stood and glared at the orange unicorn. “Just because you’re with Shadow Dawn and that freak Revan doesn’t mean shit,” he spat, aiming his horn at Sunset and firing a blast, which the mare deflected with a dim orange magic shield. “That bastard isn’t worth being a mercenary-”

He was silenced by a powerful blast of magic again, only this one froze the unicorn in ice. Sunset looked down at the stallion with a look of disdain. “Nopony cares what you think,” she spat.

The ice began to crack, which caused Sunset to arch an eyebrow. Applejack and the two stallions had barely enough time to duck as the ice exploded, revealing a very angry unicorn. “How dare you?! Is there no honor among mercenaries anymore?!” He fired a blast at Sunset, but this time she was flung back, unable to deflect it with her magic. She was sent flying, tumbling across the ground like a ragdoll before coming to a halt and standing again, only for the unicorn to buck her in the chest. A blast of magic from Sunset caught the attacker on the side of the face, however, and caused him to fall to the side, screaming in pain.

Applejack turned away, going back to trying to stop the fires. The magic blasts from nearby seemed to grow more distant. The fires, thanks to both Merry and Pippin dousing the flames with water now, were slowly but surely being put out. Just as the first fire was being extinguished, something crashed into the second fire. Applejack turned and saw two ponies, an earth pony with a sword in his hoof and a pegasus with a bow and arrow, slowly approaching the flames. Applejack turned and saw, to her astonishment, a figure rising out of said flames.

It was Revan, and in his claws he held a deadly looking black blade along with a small black circular shield. There were a few arrows sticking out of the shield, but Applejack also noticed that there was an arrow in his shoulder. She watched as he reached up, snapped the majority of it out of him and tossed the broken piece of wood aside before he used his blade to cut through the other arrows stuck in his shield. The pegasus frowned and took aim again. “I never liked you, Revan,” he spat. When the figure, who had slowly walked out of the flames, didn’t respond, he growled and aimed at him.

Revan was instantly on the defensive, holding his shield up in anticipation. The glowing blue eyes of his mask were still terrifying to look at despite Applejack knowing that he had been injured. When the pegasus let loose his arrow, Revan reflected instantly, catching it in his shield. However, he wasn’t fast enough to block the second arrow that the pegasus let loose. Time slowed as Applejack watched in horror while the arrow sped for Revan’s mask.

Upon impact, the arrow simply shattered, exploding into shards. This seemed to catch both ponies off guard, which Revan used to his advantage. He ran towards the two ponies, weapon at the ready. The two ponies quickly recovered and while the pegasus took to the skies, the larger earth pony rushed towards Revan. The earth pony took a swing at the strange masked figure with his sword. Revan deflected it, then bashed at the pony’s muzzle with the hilt of his blade, sending the pony sprawling.

An arrow suddenly appeared right in Revan’s shield arm, causing the masked figure to look up just in time to deflect another arrow with his shield. This gave the earth pony a chance to attack, but before he could a blast of orange magic caught him in the head, sending the pony sprawling into unconsciousness. Applejack looked towards the source to see Sunset nodding at Revan before going back to face her own opponent.

Revan quickly cut off both ends of the arrow that were in his arm and faced the pegasus pony again. The pony reached into his quiver, only to find he had no more arrows, so instead, he sped down, crashing into Revan hoof first. The two tumbled over each other onto the ground, grappling at each other with their hooves and claws.

Once again, Applejack didn’t have time to watch as the fight was leading away from the fire. The others had joined now. Granny was tending to Big Mac’s broken foreleg while Golden was trying to use her magic to drag water through the air towards the fire. Blue was flying back and forth from the water to the second fire with buckets as fast as she could. With the extra help the fire was quickly being put out.

When the last of the flames were put out, there was darkness. With her eyes not used to the dark yet, Applejack looked around wildly, only seeing shadows. Two unicorns were still fighting, but that fight quickly ended with a cry from the unicorn stallion as Sunset knocked him out. Tobias was still flipping and jumping over the large stallion, avoiding strike after strike. And the only form of light from the third fight, the one between Revan and the pegasus, was the glowing mask of the strange being.

Revan was quickly brought to the ground, the two tumbling around until Applejack saw the pegasus reach down and apparently pull the head off of Revan. However, when he looked down at the figure, he froze. “No way…you’re one of them!” He then chuckled darkly as he tossed the mask aside, then brought his hoof down onto Revan’s head. Applejack heard Revan grunting in pain as the hoof struck him. Revan raised his arms and deflected more and more hoof strikes. With a snarl, the pegasus raised a hoof to strike. “I’ll end your race here and-”

BANG!

A loud explosion rang out. The pegasus froze, hoof still in midair. For a few agonizing seconds, nothing could be heard. Even Tobias and the pony named Mango stopped, turning to see what was happening. Then, the pegasus began falling. Revan reached up and shoved the pegasus to the side, slowly sitting up, covering his face with his hood and retrieving the mask. He placed it over his face again, and Applejack could hear a strange hiss from it. In the dark, Applejack saw him place an object on his belt, a gleam of metal from it reflecting in the moonlight.

Tobias and Mango were instantly by Revan’s side. Tobias was the first to speak. “Did you use-?”

“Yes,” was all that Revan said before taking a step, stumbling a bit.

“Mask friend okay?” Mango asked in what sounded like concern.

Sunset appeared and cast a large orb of light in the air, illuminating the four. When Tobias saw the two arrows in Revan’s shoulder and arm, his eyes went wide. “Mango, help me carry him!” he ordered.

Mango knelt down and Tobias helped Revan onto the back of the massive stallion. Applejack couldn’t wait any longer. She had to know just what was going on. She galloped up and got Tobias’ attention. “What in tarnation is happenin’ here? Who are these ponies?”

Tobias turned back to her. “I don’t have time to discuss it,” he said with severity, “but when I’m done healing Revan, I’ll let you know.”

“I know a few healing spells,” Sunset said, coming forward.

He then turned to Sunset. “Magic doesn’t affect him like it does us,” he explained, “he needs non-magical means of healing. Come on, Mango.”

With that, the large pony stallion, Tobias, and Revan all headed back to their camp.

When morning came, the extent of the damage done to the caravan was revealed in full. Nearly three-fourths of the belongings of the Apple family had been destroyed. Valuable heirlooms, old silverware, some clothes, and even a good number of farming tools were destroyed by the fire. Thankfully, most of the food wasn’t destroyed along with their bits, so they would still be able to use both when building their new farm and barn. Still, many of the reserve apple seeds had been destroyed as well, so they would have to start small. There were a few zapp apple seeds that were spared, so they could at least get something going.

Tobias was busily tending to his friend’s wounds, having already pulled the shafts out of both injuries and having sewn them both up. He looked down at his now unconscious partner, seeing how Gregory was wincing in pain at everything he did even in his sleep. He’d given Gregory a potion made to help ease pain and to keep him unconscious, but with how this human’s body reacted to potions or any form of magic, the effects were greatly diminished. Revan’s face was heavily bruised, but with the zebra salve he had applied to Gregory’s face, he hoped that the swelling would go down. He looked down at his friend’s belt and sighed. “I wish you could have found another way to deal with Oneshot than killing him,” Tobias said sadly, “but he knew the risks as much as we did…”

He finished changing the wounds, then made his way outside where three of the remaining four members of Bad Squad, a group of mercenaries from the mercenary guild in Thornfall, were tied and disarmed, being looked after by their newest member Sunset Shimmer. Hunter, Echo, and Ace were looking up at Tobias with a scowl as he approached. Mango was not tied up because Tobias knew that Mango was only being abused by these other ponies just so they could use his strength. He walked up in front of the three and drew one of the rapiers at his side, aiming it at Hunter’s neck. “Give me a good reason why I shouldn’t just kill you now,” he demanded.

Hunter spat at the ground. “Don’t give me that empty threat,” he growled, “it’s not our fault we were hired to take these ponies. We take jobs, same as you.”

Sunset glared at them, raising her horn which began to glow. “And just who hired you?” she demanded.

Hunter looked at her. “You must be new,” he said with a grin, “because no mercenary gives away secrets like that. We do have a sense of honor.”

“You have no honor,” Tobias said in a threatening tone, pointing the tip of his blade against Hunter’s neck. “You sold your own parents out to make a quick bit.”

“And I’d do it again too,” Hunter bragged, seeming unconcerned with the tip of the rapier against his throat.

Tobias slowly removed his blade from Hunter’s neck, instead placing it against Ace’s neck instead. “How many others were hired to chase these ponies, and by whom?” he knew Hunter and Ace were brothers, the last of their family, and while Hunter and Ace may have betrayed their parents, he knew that Hunter would do nearly anything to protect his little brother.

Hunter’s smirk faded immediately and he struggled against his restraints, but Sunset kept him in place with her magic. “Just try it, I dare you,” she said, “and that pegasus we killed won’t be the only casualty.”

Tobias inwardly winced at this. Sunset was a powerful unicorn, that much was clear, but her attitude was very atypical of any pony he knew of here. She had the hints of a Canterlot accent in her voice, so if she was from there, he wondered just what had happened to make her actually threaten death to someone. Then again, he had to remind himself that the ponies of Ponyville had woken up and chosen violence against the only other human besides his companion to enter this world, so he had to concede that ponies were not the perfect society they portrayed themselves as to the world. Not only that, but the ponies that Gregory had met upon his arrival had been equally as cruel and violent towards him, chasing him out of Dodge City without a second’s hesitation.

“Our new team member’s words aside,” he said, throwing Sunset a warning glare before turning back to Hunter, “I suggest you start talking. We’ve been hired to protect the family whose belongings you so callously destroyed, and if the boss was stupid enough to approve a job that conflicts with ours, heads will roll. Starting with your dear little brother.” He pressed the tip of his sword against Ace’s neck deeper, enough to cause a cut to open.

Hunter’s scowl deepened, but soon he snorted in a very equine manner before saying, “In my saddlebags.”

Sunset walked over and lifted the saddlebags with her magic. She dumped all of the contents out, which revealed a number of different weapons, tools, a large bag of what sounded like coins, and a piece of parchment paper. A very fancy looking scroll which she unraveled and read silently. She apparently had to take a double take, reading the words more carefully before she floated the scroll over to Tobias. “Somepony really didn’t want those ponies reaching Maretime Bay,” she said.

Tobias read the scroll carefully.

To whom it may concern,

It has come to the attention of our group that the former Element of Honesty and her family are leaving their abode. We will be paying handsomely in advance to ensure that they do not reach their destination. Dead or alive it doesn’t matter to us. The first half of your payment is enclosed below, and we will pay the second half upon completion.

SHADOWS WILL FALL

Tobias raised an eyebrow, then both shot up in alarm and realization. He turned back to the three remaining members of Bad Squad. “You won’t die,” he said as he stuffed the scroll into his pocket, “but that money of yours won’t be going back to Thornfall with you.” With several precise slashes, the ropes binding them together were cut. He then removed the two magic suppression rings on Hunter’s and Ace’s horns. As Sunset lifted the bag of money off of the ground, Tobias kicked the bag over to them. “Get out of here.”

“We won’t be the only ones after them, you know?” Hunter said as he lifted his bag and belongings away, “so don’t expect the next few days on the road to be easy.” With that, the three remaining ponies grabbed the wrapped-up body of their dead companion, which Echo placed on his back, and began galloping away, heading up and over the hill.

Sunset approached Tobias afterwards, giving him the bag of bits which he took. It was hefty, and he placed it in his bag to show to his friend Gregory later. “Any idea who hired those morons?” she asked.

Tobias knew all too well. He’d heard about them somewhere, but couldn’t quite recall where he’d heard about them at the moment. Still, just the thought of who these folks were sent shivers down his spine. He looked at Sunset. “Tell the clients they need to pack up everything double time. We have to get moving now.”

As he walked back into Gregory’s tent, he saw that his friend was already awake, wincing as he sat up and looked at the wounds on his shield arm. When he saw Tobias’ expression, Gregory stiffened. “Toby, what’s wrong?” he asked, wincing more as he spoke. Tobias handed the paper to Gregory, who read it over. He read it, then looked back at Tobias with a worried look, his face pale, although whether that was from the blood loss, fear, or both, Tobias couldn’t say. “Why would they be interested in the Apple family?”

“I don’t know,” Tobias said, “but we need to get moving.”

Gregory nodded, grabbed his mask, and placed it over his head, the standard hiss of air heard as it was sealed. “Then let’s move.”

With that, they struck camp. Their mission now had a sense of urgency, but Shadow Dawn never broke a contract, even if someone was after their charges. It was their creed, their mantra, their promise, to be a better breed of mercenary.

6: Where The Shadows Lie

“So…here we are…” Twilight said, gesturing forward to the large lighthouse in front of them. Looking back at her newfound guests, she saw that the one in the mask and all black clothes was still leaning on the abyssinian, only now he seemed a bit weaker. Not that she could tell just by looking, but by the way the masked being slumped against his companion, it seemed like she was right.

The abyssinian didn’t look around too much as his attention was focused on his masked partner. In a distracted tone, he asked, “Where’s the bathroom?”

Twilight quickly showed him the larger first level bathroom. He thanked her, then closed and locked the door. Twilight could hear the worried tone of the abyssinian from inside and the discarding of clothes. She moved away and looked back to the pony member of the group. They’d been in such a hurry to get to Twilight’s house that she hadn’t had the time to get their names. “So…can I get you something to drink? I have water, milk, some remnants of apple cider from when I used to-”

“Water will do,” the orange unicorn said with a sharp edge to her voice as she looked at the living room before walking over to the nearby couch.

Twilight, now used to harsh tones used by ponies when speaking towards her, simply nodded and went into the kitchen, grabbed four glasses, filled a pitcher full of water, then levitated them all out, placing them on the coffee table before pouring water into two of them. She levitated one over to the unicorn, who took it without a word and began drinking while looking out of the window.

“…I never really introduced myself,” Twilight said, feeling a bit awkward due to the silence. At one point, she had no issues with silence, but now there was always a part of her that craved some sort of interaction with other ponies. The nurse was alright, but she wanted more. “My name is-”

“I know who you are, former Sovereign of Friendship,” the unicorn said with a hint of hostility in her tone before she took a breath and looked back to face Twilight. “The whole world knows who you are.”

Twilight’s ears crashed against her head. Sometimes she forgot that she and her former friends had been ousted by her former teacher and the Princess of Equestria. Her name had become infamous throughout Equestria and synonymous with failure. Not only that, but being called a former Sovereign instead of a Princess hurt even more somehow. It was the first time she’d ever been called that. “R-Right…I should have remembered that.”

The unicorn looked at Twilight with a scowl before she let out a small sigh. “Sunset Shimmer. That’s my name.”

Twilight nodded at her, giving the unicorn her best smile while sipping her water. “If my magic senses haven’t been dulled, then I must say that you feel like a powerful unicorn, Sunset,” she said.

“I know I am,” Sunset said as she swallowed half of the contents of the glass before putting it down.

Twilight slightly bit her lower lip, wondering what else to talk about. She took a deep breath. “Thank you…for earlier…you three didn’t have to jump in and save me.”

“Believe me, if it were up to me, I wouldn’t have,” Sunset said, “but Revan stepped in and when Tobias joined him, I figured I would need to get involved as well.”

“Revan…is that the masked biped with you?” Twilight asked.

“And Tobias is the abyssinian,” Sunset said.

Twilight nodded. “Well, thank you for trying to defend me, even if you didn’t want to.”

Sunset’s jaw clenched and she muttered, “Don’t mention it…ever…”

At that moment, the front door opened. Twilight turned to see the nurse walking in with her normal smile on her face. She looked over at Twilight and waved. “Good afternoon, Miss Sparkle,” she greeted, “and how are you doing-?” She paused when she saw Sunset Shimmer. “Oh! Hello! I was unaware we had guests.”

“It was a bit sudden,” Twilight admitted, “but she and her companions needed a place to stay for the night.”

“Hi, nurse,” Sunset said before nodding at the older pony.

The nurse had a surprised look on her face. “Well, this is unlike you, Miss Sparkle,” she said before looking around. “Where are the others?”

“One of them got injured in an incident in town,” Twilight briefly explained, “so they’re in the bathroom with the other one being treated for some injuries.”

The nurse’s smile vanished and she looked at the locked door. “Why didn’t you say so?!” She galloped to the door and knocked on it. “Hello? I heard one of you got hurt? I’m a nurse, so I can help.”

The voice of Tobias came through the door. “Thanks for the offer, but I can handle things here.”

“I’m well trained in helping heal ponies,” the nurse insisted.

“We’re not ponies,” Tobias replied before they heard a grunting noise and Tobias saying, “Easy, easy…”

“I can still help,” the nurse said, sounding more worried now.

“Nurse, leave them be,” Twilight said. “It sounds like Tobias has things handled.”

The nurse looked unsure, but slowly nodded. “Well, alright, but I’m always here if you need help. Do you need medical supplies?”

There was silence for a few seconds, then Tobias said, “Some bandages and maybe something to sterilize wounds would be useful, please.”

The nurse’s eyes widened and she nodded. “I’ll be right back!” So saying, she galloped out of the room, heading down a nearby hallway.

“Who’s the pony in the nurse getup?” Sunset asked with some amusement in her voice.

Twilight’s ears fell back against her head once more as she turned back to Sunet. “She’s…my personal nurse…” she explained.

“To keep you from going insane again?” Sunset asked with a small smirk. When Twilight nodded, Sunset chuckled. “I see old Sunny hasn’t changed. She’s still coddling you, her former ‘faithful student’.” She made air quotes with her hooves.

Twilight’s eyebrows show up in confusion. “Princesss Celestia ‘hasn’t changed’? What do you mean?”

Sunset’s smile faded into a scowl. “That’s none of your damned business,” she snapped.

Twilight recoiled at the sudden hostility and cursing, but calmed herself. “Sorry,” she said.

Sunset scoffed at this, and there were a few more seconds of silence, broken only by the nurse coming back and giving what Tobias had requested to the abyssinian. She then asked the two in the living room if she could get them anything, but Sunset just shook her head and Twilight did as well. She then left the room, leaving it in more awkward silence. A few minutes passed by and eventually Sunset sighed. “So…from sovereign to lighthouse keeper.” She looked around. “Still looks like you’re doing good.”

Twilight shrugged a bit. “It keeps me busy,” she said, “and it’s a necessary job.”

“Can’t imagine many ships come by here at all,” Sunset said, looking out of the window that faced the ocean.

“A hooffull do pass by, we do get ships coming in every now and then,” Twilight explained.

“That’s surprising,” Sunset said, still looking at the ocean.

“Yeah…well most of what they bring is shipped to Zephyr Heights,” Twilight said.

“Never heard of it,” Sunset said, a small hint of curiosity in her voice.

“It’s a new pegasus settlement close to us,” Twilight said, “a Cloudsdale colony. They live on the cliffside.”

Sunset looked a bit more curious now. “A cliffside settlement. That’s not something you see in Equestria every day.”

Twilight heard the sarcasm dripping from her voice and nodded. “Yes…true.” She didn’t want to antagonize this pony any more than she apparently already had just by existing. She tried desperately to change the subject, and she thought back to Sunset’s display of magic. “I have to say, you seem to be a very powerful mage. It’s rare to see ponies who have that kind of skill.”

Sunset smirked. “I’ve only grown stronger since I left Equestria,” she said haughtily. Twilight didn’t like this as it reminded her of how prideful Trixie had been before, but she let the unicorn continue, especially since unlike Trixie, this unicorn could clearly back her claims up. “There are secrets of magic all across the world that have been lost to time. I’ve found a few of them and mastered their spells. I’ve even heard rumors of ancient pony relics from even before the Dark Age of Ponydom.”

Twilight tilted her head, ears perked forward. “Before?”

Sunset chuckled in amusement. “You didn’t learn about the times before we were pulled apart? The times when we lived in some semblance of harmony before the Dark Age? You never heard about the ancient Dream Valley? The Six Wands of the Six Princesses? Tambelon?”

Twilight shook her head. “I never saw anything about it during my studies when I was Princess Celestia’s student.”

Sunset scoffed. “Typical. You probably never even heard about the mythical Megan Williams, then.”

Twilight’s ears perked up. “May Gan Williams?”

Sunset shook her head. “Megan Williams.”

Twilight said the name a few times, eventually wrapping her tongue around the strange sounding name. “Can you…tell me more?”

Sunset snorted a bit, then shrugged. “Eh, sure. Got nothing better to do.”

“What’s going on out here?”

The two turned to see Tobias walking out with Revan leaning slightly against the abyssinian. Revan didn’t look any different, but Twilight suspected that the bandages were underneath his clothes. She stood up. “How are you two doing?”

Tobias gave a small smile. “We’re alright. I just had a few scrapes and bruises, but Revan here took a bigger beating than I did.”

“I can cast that healing spell again if you like,” Sunset offered.

Tobias looked at Revan with a confused expression. “Again?”

Revan looked at him and nodded. “She cast a spell that did help a bit.”

“It’s just draining for me, but I can manage,” Sunset said.

“I know some healing spells, too,” Twilight spoke up. “It’s my fault you got hurt, so if you’re okay with it, then I can try and help.”

“Revan’s body doesn’t react the way you’d think when magic is cast on him,” Tobias explained as he led Revan to an open spot on the couch where he sat the masked figure down.

“It did feel strange, but he said it helped,” Sunset said.

“I have a lot of magic reserves, so I can help too,” Twilight added. This earned her a glare from Sunset, but she didn’t care. All she wanted to do was help the being who had defended her when nopony else had done so in a long while.

Tobias looked at the unicorn and alicorn duo, then back at Revan, who nodded. “Well…alright.”

Twilight and Sunset began casting a healing spell on Revan, and Twilight could immediately tell that Revan was no ordinary creature. The magic she was pouring into him seemed to vanish and drain into him. Still, she continued pouring her magic into him and as she did so, Revan slowly sat up and began flexing his arms and legs. He touched a few spots on his arms and even gently touched the side of his head. When Twilight couldn’t keep going, she stopped, as did Sunset. Looking up, Twilight asked, “Did…that help?”

Revan stood and walked around the room, lifting his legs and rolling his arms a bit before he turned. “Yes. Thank you.”

Twilight felt relief wash over her as Revan sat back down. She then gestured to the two empty glasses on the table. “Here’s some water for you, if you’d like some.”

Tobias nodded and poured a glass before offering it to Revan, who simply shook his head and said, “I’m alright, thank you.”

“So, what exactly were you two talking about before we came out here?” Tobias asked before taking a sip of the water.

“I was just about to inform this former sovereign about Megan Williams,” Sunset said with a smirk.

Twilight winced, but also saw Revan apparently react to this. He looked over at Sunset and spoke. “You know about her?”

Sunset’s gaze shot over to Revan. “You know about her?!”

“Bits and pieces,” Revan said, “but tell me what you know.”

Twilight turned to Sunset, her curiosity piqued once more. Sunset still looked a bit stunned by Revan’s apparent knowledge of this strange Megan Williams, but she cleared her throat. “So, I don’t know too much about her,” she began, “but the books I found on her all say something similar. According to ancient myths and legends, she and her brother Daniel Williams and her sister Molly Williams came to our world many thousands of years ago from a distant land. Back then, apparently the sun and moon moved on their own and the ponies lived in some large valley in a semblance of harmony.”

“Dream Valley.”

Everyone looked at Revan, but none more so than Sunset, who looked shocked. “How did you know?”

“Continue.”

No one spoke for a bit before Sunset cleared her throat. “Well, anyway, these three siblings were summoned many times to help deal with issues before the Dark Age of Ponydom.”

“What kind of issues?” Tobias asked.

Sunset paused and thought for a bit. “I didn’t get too far into the book before I put it down. I wasn’t interested in ancient pony history at the time. I did see a drawing somepony made of them, though.”

“What did they look like?” Twilight asked, her curiosity starting to get the better of her.

Sunset smirked, then raised her horn. A large mist rose from her horn and created an image of a dimly lit page of a book. To Twilight’s shock, there were three bipedal figures there. Three human figures. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Revan lean forward, his head turned upwards to look at the magical display. Twilight’s eyes were wide as saucers as she took in the well drawn image of the three humans. She had no means of judging their ages, but with the depictions of several other ponies standing and smiling next to the three (including one that looks a lot like Applejack) she figured that the depictions were accurate. They looked about as old as Jason Wright had been, as they towered over the ponies below. Oddly enough, there was a small dragon there who looked somewhat similar to Spike, albeit with lighter pink scales instead of the darker purple her Spike had.

“Firefly, Applejack, Twilight, Bow Tie, Spike, Megan, Daniel, and Molly.” Everyone turned to Revan who was now standing and facing the image with his arms crossed as he looked it over.

“The book didn’t mention the names of those ponies and that dragon,” Sunset said, “so how do you know their names?” Revan simply looked at Sunset, the bright glow of his glowing eyes seeming to stare into Sunset’s soul. Twilight saw Sunset shiver very slightly as she added, “That’s for you to know, eh? Fine.”

“So…does this mean that Jason Wright wasn’t the first human to come to our world?” Tobias asked.

“Seems that way,” Sunset said as she dispelled the image, although Twilight noted that she was still looking suspiciously at Revan, at least for a few more seconds. She turned back to Twilight. “Guess three humans got along well with our ancestors, so I wonder why the first human to visit us in thousands of years was forced to kill himself to escape the pain and suffering you inflicted on him, hmm?”

Twilight’s ears drooped again as the immense guilt of her actions and subsequent inaction mounted up against her once again. She barely heard the scolding tone of Tobias as she looked down at the glass of water in her magical grip, the ice inside having melted already. She jumped a bit when she felt a warm and tender paw on her back. Looking up, she saw Tobias looking down at her with a somewhat sad smile. “Sorry about Sunset,” he said. “She tends to be…opinionated.”

Looking around, Twilight noticed that Sunset was now gone, leaving only her and the other two mercenaries. She put the glass down on the coffee table and sighed. “She’s not wrong…I messed up big time.”

“That doesn’t excuse her words, or what happened to you earlier,” Tobias said as he grabbed the box of donuts he’d carried with him earlier along with Revan. He opened it up and placed it on the table. “A thank you for letting us stay here.”

Twilight shook her head. “It’s really nothing,” she said, “if anything, you deserve a place to stay after helping me when you didn’t need to. And speaking of, I do have a couple of spare rooms where you can stay. I’ll show you to them.” With that, she headed upstairs, leading them to the few spare rooms that were in the house.

Celestia rubbed her eyes as she looked at the jumble of letters in front of her, trying to make sense of the dancing words on the scrolls in front of her on the desk. The sun had long since set, leaving the night sky crystal clear thanks to the nightly weather crew dispersing clouds above the capital of the kingdom.

She couldn’t even remember just what she was reading over, but she thought it was something to do with the crop yield from Appleloosa being lower than it ever had been. With Sweet Apple Acres becoming defunct from the unusual disease that had struck the entire farm, the other farms around the southern part of Equestria had to step up, at least for a while. Not only that, but Celestia feared that they may have to dip into the royal granaries to keep food costs down so that they wouldn’t have to export food from elsewhere around the world, especially since the other nations had begun to look on the nation with unfavorable eyes.

There was a flash of bright blue light, and her sister was there. She wore her standard regalia and had a frown on her muzzle. “Sister, are you still up?” she asked with a concerned tone, “I believe it’s long past time for you to retire.”

“I was going to retire, but then the events with Jason happened, and-”

“I meant retire for the night,” Luna corrected her.

Celestia felt her cheeks get warm. “Oh, that.” She looked at her paperwork. “I was just about to…” she yawned at this, then cleared her throat, “…finishing up.”

Luna looked over her shoulder at the paperwork that Celestia was looking over. “Now, I admit I’m still a thousand years out of touch when it comes to certain aspects of ruling, but I don’t think that Apple is spelled with a Z.”

Celestia looked at the paperwork again, then sighed when she saw the spelling error. Quickly fixing it with her magic, she continued on. “Did you come to say something, sister?” Celestia asked, growing a bit annoyed now.

“Yes. I’m putting you to bed.” Luna raised her horn and the stacks of paper in front of Celestia vanished in a flash.

Celestia turned and gave her sister a glare. “I wasn’t done!”

“You’re done for tonight,” Luna said sternly. “Now get to bed.”

“Don’t tell me what to do,” Celestia said hotly, “you’re not Mother!”

“You’ve been sleeping poorly for weeks now, and it’s starting to show,” Luna said without a hint of fear. “It’s beginning to affect you. You’re getting up later than normal, you’ve missed raising the sun a number of times meaning I’ve had to do it, you’ve started losing your temper more according to Prince Blueblood and some other nobleponies, and more.”

Celestia quickly stood and stared down at her sister. She was growing furious now. First Discord comes and tells her the news about Sunset and now this?! She tried to cool herself down, but with only partial success. “Luna,” she began through gritted teeth, “this kingdom is on the decline. I’m trying my best to keep things from ripping apart at the seams. I have too much to do, and the only pony I trust to help me is you!”

Luna shook her head. “There are other ponies around who can aid you,” she said, “but you’ve gotten too hooves-on in the past two years. Has the death of Jason Wright affected you so much that you are unable to trust anypony?”

“Three years, Luna, three damned years!” Celestia shouted before standing and pacing the bedroom. “There were guards in the town, the mayor could have reported it to me, even my former student ignored him and didn’t mention a word of this! I know you would have told me everything, but all of Ponyville just ignored and abused him without my knowing!” She collapsed onto her bed and screamed into a pillow before sitting back up. “It started with me. I trusted my little ponies too much. I thought they were better…”

“Not everypony is like Ponyville,” Luna said, slowly approaching the solar princess with a softer expression. “There are many good ponies out there. Some are even in our court. Look at Lord Fancy Pants and his wife Lady Fleur De Lis. Lady Noblesse Oblige, too. Those three are some of the amazing nobles who have done so much good for Equestria, and they’re not alone. You’re taking too much on, and you’re losing sleep because of it.”

Celestia paused a bit. She didn’t want to admit it, but she knew her sister was right. While she did trust Luna to be there for her, she still had lost one thousand years of experience thanks to being trapped in the moon. Luna had proven herself over and over again, and Celestia was grateful for it. Still, she thought about what Luna was saying. Luna sat there patiently while Celestia thought. Minutes passed.

At that moment, a chiropteran pony, otherwise known as a bat pony, stepped from out of the corner of the room where the shadows lay. Her sudden appearance made Celestia’s heart leap out of her chest and she nearly jumped but caught herself. She put a hoof to her chest and looked at the chiropteran mare. “Misty Dawnfire, if I’m not mistaken.”

The chiropteran nodded quickly. “You got it right on the first try this time, Princess,” she said, sounding impressed. She turned to Luna and bowed respectfully. “Greetings, your Highness.”

“Greetings, Miss Dawnfire,” Luna said. “What brings you to our sister’s royal chambers so late at night?”

“Apologies for the late arrival, Princess,” she said to Celestia, “but I have a report from some of our agents in the field, one from Dodge City and the other from Maretime Bay. I felt neither could wait.”

Celestia’s ears swiveled forward as she directed her full attention to the chiropteran agent. “What do you have to report?” she asked.

Misty cleared her throat and faced both princesses. “From what the agent in Dodge City has been able to gather, there was an unusual incident in that town a couple or so years ago. They couldn’t get a clear year number. A strange bipedal creature tried to enter the town but the ponies there, led by one Cherry Jubilee, chased the creature out of town a number of times despite said creature claiming to not mean any harm and just wanting to both be friends and to be trying to find his way to Ponyville. The last time, the creature fled south.”

Celestia’s ears dropped at this. It was just another example of her ponies and their increasing intolerance for anything other than themselves. However, something in Misty’s explanation caught Luna’s attention. “Bipedal, you say?” Luna asked. "What manner of creature was it? Dragon? Abyssinian? Goblin?”

Misty shook her head. “Judging from the description, it sounds like this creature may have been a human.”

Celestia’s eyes went wide in alarm and she stood up. “A human?!”

“When was this incident??” Luna asked, now fully on alert.

“Sounds like it happened shortly after Jason’s suicide,” Misty said, “but the agent in the field had conflicting reports. Still, they all agree on the description. Pale pink-ish skin, five digits on the hands, forward facing eyes and somewhat of a gorilla-ish appearance by some. The ones who did speak about it said that it wasn’t Jason, but the features were similar. They believed the human was male, though.”

Celestia’s heart began to race. Another human in their world? What could have happened to him? She mentally pulled up a map of Dodge City and its surroundings. If this human, were it a human, were chased away and headed south, he would have headed directly to the Badlands, a lawless piece of desert where Equestria had no jurisdiction. She inhaled deeply. “Have you dispatched anypony to Thornfall?”

“Already done, Princess,” Misty said. “Several of our undercover ponies are flying there now.”

Celestia nodded. Thornfall was the only city out in that deadly desert. There were no other settlements out there except for farms that collected clouds from the sky to provide water for the city. These moisture farmers, as they called themselves, were usually pegasi or griffons, had several farms all over the Badlands where they brought clouds down near the ground where they made the clouds rain into large troughs of land. The majority of this water was then redirected to Thornfall while they kept the rest for themselves.

Clearing her throat, Celestia looked back at Misty. “Does your undercover operative know what to do if they make contact with this creature, if it is indeed a human?”

“The Wright Protocol, yes Princess,” Misty said.

“Good,” Celestia said with relief. “What’s the other news?”

“Our agent in Maretime Bay reported that the Apple family from Ponyville made it there safe and sound with the help of a group of mercenaries,” Misty said. “They did seem to have some trouble on the road, but other than that they seem to be settling in well.”

Celestia nodded. She would send out an official to offer aid from the kingdom to help pay for anything they might need to help them rebuild. “Good to hear.”

“There was something else of note from that town,” Misty said.

Celestia’s relief turned to concern when she saw Misty’s uncertain expression. “What is it?”

“Twilight Sparkle was assaulted by a group of several ponies,” Misty said.

Celestia shot out of her seat. “Assaulted?!”

“Is she okay?” Luna asked in a calmer demeanor.

“From what we know, she made it out relatively unscathed,” Misty said, “but a few other creatures stepped into the fight to defend her. A unicorn mare, an abyssinian male, and a masked figure. Apparently, those three were the mercenaries that escorted the Apple family from Ponyville to Maretime Bay.”

Celestia was relieved to hear that Twilight was alright. Despite everything, she still did care for her former student. It had hurt to see her in that mental institution for those two years, but she needed the help. “I see. Is there anything else?”

“The pony of the group matched the description of a pony of interest you gave us a few years ago,” Misty said. “One Sunset Shimmer.”

Celestia felt her knees go weak. Whether it was from how tired she was or from shock or even a mixture of both she couldn’t say, but then she thought back to what the eyepatch wearing Discord had told her earlier. Oddly enough, she focused on the words Discord had said about one of Sunset’s new companions instead of her. Why did they stick out to her? She shook her head clear of these thoughts. “Have our pony in the field there keep an eye on her. When she leaves, try and keep tabs on her.” She hated doing this, but she was worried about Sunset. If this pony was Sunset, Celestia wanted to make sure that her former student was kept safe. Sunset might hate her for this, but at the moment, Celestia could live with it. She’d rather have Sunset alive and hating her than harmed.

“As you command, Princess,” Misty said.

“Is there anything else you have for us?” Luna asked.

“A hospital report and a guard incident report from Maretime Bay,” Misty said, reaching into a saddlebag and pulling out a folder. “It’s about the leader of the ponies who led the assault on Sparkle.”

Celestia took it and read it over, Luna standing next to her and reading alongside her. Celestia’s brow furling further with each sentence she read. For a unicorn to lose a horn at such a young age was truly horrible, but modern day medicine had progressed far enough so that if doctors were quick enough, a horn or any other severed limb could be replaced without permanent damage. However, this was an unusual report to say the least. If whatever weapon had been used on this unicorn was used again, it could spell certain disaster.

Fortunately, it seemed as if this weapon was used in self-defense by one of the mercenaries, at least according to the witness reports she saw from the guard report. She put the papers on her desk. “Thank you, Misty. Was there anything else?”

“No, Princess,” Misty said.

“Then you’re dismissed.”

“Thank you, Princess.” With that, the chiropteran bowed respectfully to the princesses and slid back into the shadows, disappearing as their kind tended to do. Celestia leaned back in her chair and rubbed her eyes with her hooves. Things were happening at a rapid pace, and she didn’t like it.

Luna looked over the papers and then raised her horn. They all disappeared in an instant before she turned to Celestia. “I will begin dealing with this issue this very night,” Luna said, “so you go to sleep.”

Celestia, too tired to argue with her sister anymore as their earlier brief fight had taken a lot out of her, simply nodded and collapsed onto her bed. She felt a sheet being pulled over her before she too passed out.

The northern mountains beyond the Crystal Empire were devoid of any habitation. Not even during the summer months did the sunlight melt the snow at the bottom of the mountains. Ancient glaciers covered these mountains, growing every year. One particular glacier had formed much faster than the rest, having created a massive dome of ice over a vast valley below. Over the centuries, the massive dome of ice was covered by snowfall after snowfall until the valley was covered in nothing but darkness.

However, even within said darkness there was light. A single cave existed with a pair of stone doors that led down into a vast but empty cavernous city. The dark icy blue light that came from the ceiling above illuminated the ancient city below. A city inhabited by nopony for over two thousand years.

In one corner of the ancient city were signs of recent habitation. A ruddy warm light came from inside and smoke came from the recently refurbished mansion’s chimney. It was towards this mansion that Obscura flew, her dark wings buzzing behind her as the mare landed quietly in front of the door. Two burly stallion guards saw her and quietly opened the doors for her. Instantly she heard tortured female screams. She smirked as she walked through the recently cleaned hideout into the main area where she saw two other stallions, their wings buzzing and creating a gust of localized wind that was pulling a certain changeling queen’s legs in different directions. Standing on a dais nearby was a tall, elegant mare who had her features covered by a pure white hooded cloak.

As Obscura walked in, she heard Chrysalis shout out, “Please! No more! I can’t take it!”

“Then you will tell us what you had planned for Equestria,” one of the interrogators demanded.

Chrysalis was sobbing by this point, and Obscura saw that she looked thinner than before she left to talk with her Maretime Bay contact. “I-I swear we weren’t planning anything!” she whimpered.

“That’s a filthy lie, you worthless insect,” the other interrogator growled, rearing up and smashing his hoof into her exoskeleton, breaking it and exposing the dark green blood within. Chrysalis’ eyes went wide and she went limp, clearly overstimulated. She wasn’t knocked out, but she was lying there in excruciating pain.

“Now why did the two of you do that?” the hooded mare asked in a soft voice. She didn’t sound mad. Instead, she sounded like a disappointed mother who was about to scold her foals. “You went too far.”

The two stallions quickly bowed. “Forgive us, your majesty,” one of them said regretfully.

The mare waved a hoof. “Never mind that. She’s clearly in no mood to talk anymore. Stand aside.” As the mare stood, the stallions stepped away, as did Obscura. Obscura knew her queen well enough that she could tell when the golden shoe wearing mare would be using her incredible magic. She watched as underneath the white hood a bright pale purple magical glow began to be seen. She waited to hear their majesty speak. And speak she did.

“Thy heart is cruel,
“and you’re a fool
“to challenge our future throne.”

“Thy punishment thus,
“no need for a fuss,
“as art you shall atone.”

Chrysalis tried to move, but was unable to as the magic surrounded her. She was lifted up into the air and moved towards a blank canvas hanging on the wall. She tried to beg and plead for her life, but nothing seemed to sway the hooded mare as Chrysalis sank into the canvas. There was a flash of light as she completely vanished, only to be replaced by an oil painting of a terrified looking Chrysalis, both hooves pressing against the painting as if trying to break free. However, she was now trapped forever in a painting, unable to move.

The tall, elegant and cloaked mare then turned her attention to Obscura. “And which one of my dear ponies are you, young one?”

“Obscura, your majesty,” the young gray mare said with a bow and a buzz of her black wings.

From beneath the hood, the elegant mare chuckled warmly. “Ah yes, I remember you. The Maretime Bay branch. I wasn’t expecting a report from you for another week. Is something wrong?”

“I received a communique from our contact,” Obscura reported, reaching into a small saddlebag on her back and pulling out a clean white folded note.

The note was taken up in a pale purple aura and unfolded before being brought closer to their queen. She read the node and then softly folded it back before turning back to sit in her throne, the golden coated shoes ringing out melodiously through the empty halls. When she sat down, she leaned back and removed her hood and cloak, revealing the horn and wings of their queen. Her dark purple eyes looked thoughtful as her blue striped mane and tail blew in the ethereal wind behind her. “This is most interesting…I have not seen one since the time…of…” Turning to Obscura, she asked, “Have you confirmed this sighting yourself?”

“Yes, your majesty,” Obscura said. “The human, if indeed it is a human, has been taken in by former princess Twilight Sparkle.”

“‘If it is a human’? What do you mean?” the alicorn asked.

“Your majesty, this bipedal creature is covered in black clothes and wears a mask unlike anything I’ve ever seen,” Obscura reported. “His entire body is covered so we can’t get a good look. He has five digits on each appendage, though.”

“Then he’s a human,” the alicorn said. She stood and walked over to a massive mirror hanging on a nearby wall.

“What are your orders, my queen?” Obscura asked.

The alicorn held up her hoof, then reached out to touch the sides of the mirror. In a tender voice she began to chant once again.

“Oh, magic mirror of mystique
“reveal the truth to me.
“A view of Maretime Bay I seek;
“a human I wish to see.”

The darkened mirror’s surface began to softly glow, then swirling clouds swarmed around the reflection. The scene on its surface shifted to reveal a room at night. There were two figures sitting on the edge of a bed. One was clearly an abyssinian with black fur, and the other was a hooded figure wearing nothing but black. A mask lay on a nearby table, but the mirror was unable to see the face of the hooded being.

“G, is there any reason why you continue to act like that?” the abyssinian asked. “The mysterious act is getting a bit old.”

The figure seemed to sigh, then reached up with a gloved hand and removed the hood, revealing a familiar type of face. By now, everypony in Equestria knew what Jason Wright looked like due to his features being drawn by artists, and while this human wasn’t quite the same, the features were identifiable. This human had a few scars on his pale face, light blue eyes, long brown hair that was damp from sweat, and a tired but stern expression on his face. “If I don’t use that mask, I’d have been killed long ago,” the human replied.

“G, it’s not the mask that makes you,” the abyssinian said in a reassuring tone. “You’re a good mercenary on your own without using that mask.”

“I’m not ready to give up the mask,” the human simply known as ‘G’ replied, “and I’m a mediocre mercenary at best. Besides, the mask makes people fear me. It gets the job done a lot easier.”

“Is this because of that comment I made about you being knocked around a lot?” the abyssinian asked. “Don’t forget, you saved me during our mission to-”

“That mission was mostly me stumbling around looking for that fucking relic that was dust in the end,” the human replied in a testy tone, “and as I recall, I stumbled into more traps than was necessary.”

“Nobody’s good during their first few jobs,” the abyssinian said in a reassuring tone, “and besides, you were still recovering from dehydration and being chased out of Equestria by those ponies.”

That caught Obscura’s attention, and it also seemed to catch the attention of the queen. He was chased out of Equestria? What for? Was he dangerous? Was it their fear? She was curious to learn more so she continued to listen. The human spoke again. “The fact still stands that I’m not the best mercenary. We’re barely making ends meet as it is, and we’re about to lose our home.”

“Then let’s go somewhere else,” Tobias suggested.

“And do what? I’m an unknown here, and people fear that which they don’t understand.” The human sounded resigned to his fate. “I’m weaker than even the weakest earth pony and the little bits of fighting I do know haven’t done me much good lately. Shit, you saw what those ponies did to me earlier. Took me to the cleaners.”

The abyssinian made a “Tsk” sound before saying, “Sounds like you’re giving up.”

“I’m just facing facts, Toby,” the human said, “ponies and other races won’t accept me for who or what I am. That incident when you brought me to the guild saw to that.”

“I accepted you,” the abyssinian named Toby said.

“I believe the first words out of your mouth were ‘Damn, what shithole did you crawl out of?’”

“And I apologized for that,” Toby said in exasperation.

“And then there was that hornless unicorn deserter who stopped my heart,” the human said. “And let’s not forget the earth pony who almost shattered my ribcages, and then there was Cherry Jubilee and her squad of haters-!”

“G, come on!” Toby said. “Yes, I know Dodge City chased you out, but it was just one town. Are you holding that against the entire nation?” Obscura watched Toby scoot over, pushing the mask behind them as he put a comforting paw on the human’s shoulder. “You’re my best friend, G, but I’m worried. You’ve been like this for years.”

The human was silent for a bit. Then, after about a half minute, he said, “I know…it’s hard not to see the positive light when you’re stuck in the Badlands.”

“I have those days too, but we’re luckier than most,” Toby said kindly. “We at least get consistent jobs, we have enough food, we have a place to live that keeps out most of the sand.”

The human sighed. “I hate sand. It’s course and irritating and it gets everywhere,” he muttered.

“Imagine having fur like me, G,” Tobias said. “And you’re really not as bad as all that. You’ve become a decent fighter. You have decent muscle now and you’ve caught the basics of Cat-Fu. Come on, turn that frown upside down?” He reached over and gave one side of the human’s cheek a pinch, pulling his lip up to emulate a smile.

The human chuckled a little bit. “I know you’re trying to cheer me up a bit, and I appreciate the effort, but it’ll take a lot more than just a single conversation to make up for what I’m feeling.”

“Well, you aren’t getting rid of me so easily,” Toby said. “Just…try?”

The human sighed deeply, then said, “I make no promises.”

At that, their queen lowered herself down. The mirror began to swirl and returned to its darkened state. The queen turned, looking a bit saddened. “There is little to no kindness left in Equestria, it would seem,” she said sorrowfully. “Harmony has given way to cruelty and hatred. My dear ponies have fallen from grace. They must be shown the way.” She then turned to Obscura. “My dear, rest here tonight. In the morning, come to me. I will write a message to your contact in Maretime Bay and you will deliver it.”

“As you command, your majesty,” Obscura said.

“And remember, my dear pony, the shadows will fall…”

“…before the dawn of the age of majesty,” Obscura finished the mantra.

The queen gave her a loving smile, then nodded. “Now off to sleep. Soon, Equestria will shine brightly again.”

Obscura smiled, then turned to head to her room in the mansion. She couldn’t wait for their time to come. The queen and her loyal ponies would rise and lead Equestria into an age of peace and prosperity.

7: Reflections Of The Past

Apple Bloom was sitting on the floor of a brand new tree house that her two friends had made a year ago while the three of them played Go Fetch, one of their favorite card games. She was super excited to have a proper sleepover with her two friends. Writing letters to them was nice and all, but she was super happy that the three of them would be together again. Not only that, but now they could play at the beach whenever they wanted!

“Scootaloo, do you have any princesses?” Sweetie Belle asked, holding her cards in her magical aura.

“Mmm…nope. Go Fetch.” As Sweetie Belle picked up another card and scowled at the results, Scootaloo turned to Apple Bloom. “So, when’s that farm gonna be finished?”

Apple Bloom shrugged. “Dunno. Granny didn’t say much about it when I asked. We got a few ponies who are gonna help us build, though.”

“I wonder if my aunts will let me help,” Scootaloo wondered, her wings buzzing behind her as she hovered off the ground. “I can kinda fly a bit, now, so I can be the awesomest scout ever!”

“I’ve been getting better with my magic, so I could help too,” Sweetie Belle said. “School’s out for the summer anyway, so I can come help.”

Apple Bloom looked at the two. Even after two years apart, it seemed as if nothing had changed between the three teenage fillies. “I can ask Granny tomorrow,” she said.

“Cool!” Scootaloo’s wings didn’t so much buzz anymore as they did a sort of half buzz/flapping thing, at least that’s how Apple Bloom could best describe it. She’d been surprised at how much her friends had grown in their two years apart.

Apple Bloom looked up at the newly built tree house. “I still can’t believe ya replicated the old clubhouse,” she said.

“It took the two of us a long time,” Scootaloo said, “but I never imagined we’d be back together, so it was well worth the extra effort!”

“How’s things going with you?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Neither of us heard anything.”

Apple Bloom’s ear dropped a bit. “Haah…well, remember I told ya that we lost our farm back in Ponyville, right?”

“That seriously sucks,” Scootaloo said. “Sweetie Belle, got any fours?”

“Why didn’t your family leave when things got bad?” Sweetie asked as she levitated a card to Scootaloo, who took it and placed a pair of fours on the ground in front of her.

“Granny thought we could fix things,” Apple Bloom said as she shuffled the cards in her hooves. “She can be as stubborn as a mule-ah, I mean, she can be pretty damn stubborn.”

Scootaloo’s eyes widened. “‘Damn’? Wow, Bloom, two years away and you turn into a potty mouth.” She grinned at her friend.

Apple Bloom looked a bit sheepish. “Sorry ‘bout that,” she said.

“Hey, we’re all teenagers here,” Sweetie Belle said. “We can all swear if we fucking want.”

The other Crusaders looked at their unicorn friend in more shock than before. “Sweet Celestia, Sweetie Belle,” Scootaloo said.

“I’ve heard Rarity say worse,” Sweetie Belle said, “believe me.”

The three looked at each other, then they all burst out laughing. It felt good to be together and laughing again. It may have been only two years, but to the three of them it felt like a lifetime and like no time had passed at the same time. Apple Bloom had missed so much. Scootaloo’s late blooming but first flight, a small concert in Maretime Bay where Sweetie Belle had sung a sad ballad, the tragedy of Winona’s passing, and so much more.

As their game of Go Fetch continued, Apple Bloom smiled sadly. She’d done a lot of growing up in the past couple of years. Her relationship with her sister had soured, but they were beginning to make amends. They weren’t as close as they had been, but things were starting to heal. As she’d matured, she also went through the rigors of puberty, something that she had her family’s support through.

After the game ended, the three had turned the lantern off and had gotten into their cots. As they lay there in the darkness, Scootaloo spoke up. “Apple Bloom, you never told us who those three were who came with you and your family. I saw a unicorn, but who were the other two?”

“Oh…well, Applejack hired them to help us git from Ponyville to here,” Apple Bloom explained. “I can’t really remember their names right now, though. I think the unicorn was, um…Sunset something or other?”

“That masked creature was scary looking,” Sweetie Belle said.

“They saved us when we were attacked,” Apple Bloom said.

“Oh,” Scootaloo said. “Well, that’s good.”

Apple Bloom nodded as she yawned. “Big Mac got his leg broken, but he’ll be right as rain soon,” she said.

“I still can’t picture Big Mac being hurt like that,” Sweetie Belle said. “I used to have a small crush on him, and he always looked invincible to me.”

THAT was a major surprise to Apple Bloom. She sat up and looked at her friend. “You have a crush on my brother??”

“Had, Apple Bloom. Had. I don’t anymore.”

Apple Bloom slowly lay back down. “I never knew…”

“Me neither,” Scootaloo said. “Got any crushes now?”

Sweetie paused a bit, and in the dark, Apple Bloom though she saw a hint of darkness coming onto Sweetie’s cheeks. She grinned. “Sweetie has a crush on someponyyyyy~!” she giggled.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ve got a crush,” she said.

“Who is it??” Scootaloo asked. Apple Bloom could practically hear the grin on the young pegasus’ face.

“Yeah…I'm not telling you,” Sweetie said before yawning.

“Aww, come on!” Scootaloo begged.

“Not a chance.”

“Why don’t we git some sleep?” Apple Bloom suggested. While she too wanted to know which colt had caught Sweetie’s eye, she was exhausted from the long day of walking and just wanted to pass out.

“Good idea,” Sweetie said as she covered herself with the covers.

“I won’t forget about this,” Scootaloo said with what sounded like a pout as she pulled the blanket over her body.

Apple Bloom giggled a bit as she closed her eyes. It felt nice to be back with her friends. She’d had her family back on the farm, but for the past two years she’d never been with anypony her own age. No cousins dropped by anymore, the other foals in Ponyville were gone, and she felt alone. She’d sent letters to her old friends, and that helped, but she always felt tired at the end of the day back on her old farm, so she hardly had the strength to write more regularly. At the very least, now she could talk to them much more often. She could go back to school now, something she never thought she’d miss.

As she fell asleep with her friends, she failed to hear a rustling noise just outside their window.

“Get out of here, monster!”

“We won’t let you hurt our foals!”

Gregory looked at the gathered crowd of ponies in front of him, looking surprised at the unusual hostility and fear coming from them. He stood next to his car which he’d driven to the edge of the town. His hands were raised in confusion as he said, “Please listen, I’m not here to cause any trouble,” he said, “I just want-”

A rotten apple struck the side of his head as he stumbled back and fell onto his butt. He brought his hand up, holding the place where the apple had exploded more in surprise than pain. He looked around and saw a larger stallion giving him a wicked glare. “We said git, now!” the stallion shouted.

“I just want directions to get to-” Gregory began, but he was interrupted by a blast of magic to the face, sending him sprawling. Fortunately, his hand was on his car, which seemed to absorb most of the magic somehow, but it didn’t stop the pain. There were rocks thrown next, which pelted his face. He could hear the shouts of the ponies as well as feel the rocks opening up some deep cuts on his face.

Left with no other choice, and his eyes brimming with tears of confusion, he managed to get into his car, start it up, and drive away. Fortunately, he had packed enough liquids to last a while, although that wasn’t why he’d packed his sodas and sports drinks. He drove into the desert to the west, and when he was far enough away from the ponies of whatever town that was, he stopped and tended his wounds.

“Why? Why did they do that?” he asked as he used his first aid kit to bandage himself up. He knew the cuts from those rocks would leave scars, but he was more concerned with them getting infected in this desert. Once he had cleaned and disinfected said injuries, he continued driving. He was still a bit in shock.

There was a noise on top of his car and he looked up to see the roof being torn off with ease. He looked at the horrifying eyes of Daybreaker. Terror coursed through his body as he heard her say, “You are not welcome in the land of harmony. You will not taint the land of my little ponies or any land in this world!” She raised her horn. Gregory screamed-

-and shot up out of bed, a scream about to erupt from his mouth. He was panting heavily as he put his hand on his chest, trying to calm down from the nightmare he’d had regularly for the past two years. The thirty two year old human man named Gregory Eugene Graystone grabbed a glass of water that was by the side of his bed and downed it before he got up and went to a basin of water in his room. He splashed his face with some of said water and looked at his reflection in the mirror. There were several scars that lined his face and exposed chest. Some were from his initial introduction to ponykind while others came from later wounds he received from various jobs he and Tobias had taken.

He sighed and went back to bed, lying down and looking up at the ceiling. His thoughts wandered back to the dream and the events of the past. Aside from the attack from Daybreaker, it had been completely accurate. He had fled Dodge City in shock after his first couple of times trying to get into town to ask for help.

Shock which had turned to anger. Anger not just at the ponies who’d assaulted him without a reason but mostly anger at himself. He’d realized that he’d been a complete fool to believe that he could just waltz into a town of ponies and be instantly accepted. He’d been so naïve. As he’d driven through the sands of whatever desert this was, he’d thought back to the circumstances that brought him to Equestria.

Back on Earth, his life had been shit. He had been mistreated by his work, had a cheating girlfriend who gaslit him until she finally dumped him, and was chronically depressed. It had been his discovery of My Little Pony that had pushed him to find a new job elsewhere and seek a counselor.

Still, depression doesn’t just go away, and one night he was curiously browsing the Dark Web when he found something interesting. He wasn’t looking for anything illegal, but he was there because he wanted to see what they had there. When he discovered a place called EnterYourFantasies.onion, he was intrigued by what it could be, so he read the contents. To his surprise, it was an instruction manual on how to reach the worlds of fiction.

Normally, he would have dismissed it as something a crackpot would write, but for some reason he couldn’t stop reading it. There were even video testimonials showing people putting cameras through the portals they’d made. This included glimpses of Coruscant, the bridge of a famous Federation starship, Middle Earth, Dune, Wonderland, Hogwarts, Zion from The Matrix,and even places like Skyrim and Baldur’s Gate.

He printed out everything he could right then, reading it over and over. He even downloaded the videos as well. He just couldn’t tell if what he saw was incredible CGI or real, but he loved seeing them. The instructions on how to do it seemed absurdly simple. When he went back to the page the next day, however, it was gone.

Still, with the printouts, he decided it might be a good excuse to go out for a weekend and get some exercise. He brought along a bike camera, a fishing rod, all the necessary items needed to perform the ritual or spell or whatever it was, and a laptop that could connect via Bluetooth to the camera. If something did happen, he wanted proof.

As a test, he’d tried creating a connection to Ponyville, following the absurdly simple instructions to the letter. To his surprise, when he’d put his camera through the air, he saw the camera vanish. And through view he saw on his screen, he’d seen that it had actually worked. The town on the other side looked much more realistic than he’d anticipated, since he’d been expecting it to look like a cartoon, but the town hall in the distance was unmistakable, as was the Castle of Friendship in the distance.

Having confirmed that things would work, he began fantasizing about leaving this world. It wasn’t like he had anything keeping him on Earth. His parents were dead to him and he hadn’t spoken to them since he was kicked out at eighteen after graduating high school. He’d been forced to couch surf and get odd jobs until he saved enough for an apartment. He had no real friends, mostly because he’d been awkward all his life. His girlfriend, or his ex, had been a backstabbing cheating bitch.

As Gregory lay in the bed in the Maretime Bay’s lighthouse, he remembered back to when he’d dreamed and fantasized about going to other worlds for weeks after his discovery until he decided to plan for it. Even during the planning and organizing of supplies, there was a big part of him that wasn’t sure if he wanted to do this or not. He kept telling himself that it was just something to do to keep his mind occupied.

That didn’t mean he was stupid. He knew Equestria was a dangerous place and with his lack of magic he had to defend himself. So, he’d utilized this newfound obsession to take some basic self-defense courses while legally purchasing a few firearms and plentiful ammo to replace as well as long blades for if and when his bullets inevitably ran out. He’d purchased some MRE’s as well as some of his favorite snacks that he could share with the ponies.

When the time came, and after all his insane preparations were complete, he’d opened a portal to Equestria and drove his car, packed full of supplies, through the portal. Instead of ending up in Ponyville, he’d ended up in front of a town with a sign indicating that it was Dodge City. That was when he’d encountered the ponies who’d chased him out of town.

Thinking back on it, he realized he was not a well man during those times despite his regular counseling sessions. He didn’t tell his counselor everything which he knew he should have. He had all of these delusions that he berated himself for in this moment. Delusions of instantly being accepted by ponies. Sure, he knew about their treatment of Zecora, and that should have been a strong clue. Not only that, but the way they described dragons should have been another strong indicator. He was an utter fool for coming here, and he needed to come to grips with his negative tendencies, alter them, rechannel them into something else.

For a few days, Gregory had driven around the desert, looking for any sign of civilization that might just take him in, but as his gasoline supply depleted and his MREs and supply of water and other liquids began to be depleted, he began to lose hope. Finally, he was unable to start his car again, so he dug in, making a base camp around his car as he tried to go searching on foot. Weeks passed by, and soon he was rationing his remaining liquids. Nothing he did seemed to work. He tried burning his garbage to make some smoke that might signal anyone. Hell, he would have welcomed being found by Chrysalis at that point.

However, it wasn’t Chrysalis that found him. Instead, it was a black furred abyssinian male who helped him come back to life, as Gregory had been steadily losing strength out in the hot desert. Tobias had been a Godsend to him, and had even single handedly pulled his car towards the only city in the Badlands: Thornfall.

As Tobias helped bring Gregory back to full strength, the abyssinian explained that he was a part of a guild of mercenaries who took jobs in this lawless country and abroad in other nations aside from Equestria, as mercenary work was frowned upon by the ponies. They accepted anyone into their ranks, but in this place, strength ruled. If you weren’t strong, you died.

Gregory, with a newfound sense of purpose, decided that when he was better, that he would become a mercenary. He had some training, but he was no fool. He knew that he wouldn’t be much of a match for others around him thanks to his complete lack of magic. Tobias had informed him about that a few days after he’d arrived in the abyssinian’s small home.

A soft knock at the door caught his attention. He shot up and almost spoke up when he remembered that he wasn’t in their home base. He waited to hear who it was, and when said individual spoke, he relaxed. “G, you awake?”

Gregory breathed out softly before he stood and unlocked the door before stepping aside and snapping his fingers twice, a signal they’d made to indicate that Tobias could enter. The abyssinian came in quickly, shutting and locking the door before he turned back to the human. The abyssinian looked him in the eyes, then sighed and shook his head. “Another Daybreaker nightmare?” he asked. Gregory nodded silently. Tobias sighed and reached out, putting a paw on his shoulder. “You realize that you could stop these nightmares if you took some of that potion from Zirco.”

Gregory shook his head. “I’ve seen how it affects others, and I’d rather not become an addict,” he said silently as he walked over and sat on the edge of his bed.

Tobias came over and sat next to him, putting an arm around him. Unlike human male relationships, abyssinians were more like cats in how they showed that they cared for those close to them. Gregory felt the paw on his arm begin kneeding him. He’d long gotten used to the ways that Tobias had to cheer someone up, and in a sense, he liked it. It helped him relax, especially when his friend purred. Looking over at the black furred catlike being, Gregory gave him a grateful nod. “I’ll be alright.”

Tobias shook his head. “No, you won’t be. G, I’ve been thinking long and hard about this for a few months now, and I’ve been saving up my share of our loot, at least all I can spare, and I think it’s high time that we get out of the mercenary game. You and me. We can go to Panthera and start a new life. I might not have any family anymore, but I think you’d enjoy the country. It’s beautiful. Wide grasslands, old growth forests, snowcapped mountains, beautiful rivers, clean towns and cities and the best catnip around.”

Gregory snorted. “Catnip doesn’t affect me like it does you, you know,” he reminded his only close companion in the world.

“The food, then,” Tobias said. “It’s a meat lovers paradise! And you could introduce some human meal ideas there, like pizza and burgers! Believe me, abyssinians would welcome you there, even more if I’m there to vouch for you?”

Gregory frowned at that. “Are you saying that abyssinians are as wary as ponies are?”

“G, come on, not everyone is as bad as the ponies you met,” Tobias said. “Remember when you told me about your world’s cats? Well, we can be like that. A lot of us can be somewhat standoffish until we get to know you. I’m an exception, and I know other abyssinians are like me too.”

“What’s stopped you from going back to Panthera?” Gregory asked.

“Money, mostly,” Tobias admitted, “but with the money we got from the Bad Squad, we could get out of Thornfall much sooner. Maybe in another month or two. We could even take that derelict vehicle of yours with us!”

Gregory looked at how excited his companion was. Tobias’ eyes seemed to light up whenever he talked about his home continent, and the tales Gregory had heard about it always intrigued him. It sounded like one of those medieval isekai worlds, especially when Tobias told him about the Adventurer Guild organization there. A nerdy part of him loved the idea of becoming an adventurer like in anime and manga, but since they spent a lot of their money solely on surviving in Thornfall, he’d put those thoughts in the back of his head. Reality was a harsh mistress. There was no time to dream. Still, part of him wanted to dream. “You’d willingly pull that car again? The tires are pretty flat now, the battery’s long dead, and it’s just a lump of junk.”

“A lump of junk from Earth,” Tobias corrected. “I’d hate to see something from your world just be abandoned.” He gave Gregory a warm understanding smile. “Don’t think I don’t know about the times you’ve just sat in there for hours on end.”

Gregory had no idea that Tobias knew about those times. During some times when he was feeling especially homesick, he would sit inside the car that was parked on the side of their building. He ignored the heat and was grateful that he had handcranked windows. He would sit and listen to his music or audiobooks or read from his ebook readers just to make the pain of homesickness lessen a bit. He’d even fallen asleep inside a number of times. Even if none of the items he brought from Earth would be able to be used for their intended purposes, he was glad he had them.

“You sure?” Gregory asked. “That hunk of metal weighs a ton.”

“I managed it just fine last time, thank you very much,” Tobias replied while flipping Gregory off, something hard to do since he had only four talons as opposed to Gregory’s five fingers. His face then relaxed and he continued. “So, what do you say, G? After we save up enough, why don’t we go back to Panthera? You wouldn’t need to wear all of that depressing black or that mask, either. Fuck it, we could even go register at the Adventurer’s Guild just like in those animes you showed me.” Tobias looked at Gregory expectantly, his tail swishing slightly in anticipation.

Gregory sighed and flipped him off as well, a very small smile forming on his face. Embracing thirty years of urges, Gregory reached up and began scratching behind Tobias’ left ear. The abyssinian closed his eyes and seemed to relax, purring ever so slightly. Gregory smirked a bit at this. Tobias was the only one he knew who would allow this, but only in private. The nightmare from before faded away and he slowly nodded. “I gotta admit, that sounds nice,” he said, “but I’ll need some time to think about it.”

“Mmm…yeah, that sounds-right there, G, please-sounds good to me.” Tobias stretched and then played his head on Gregory’s lap, purring a bit.

Gregory shook his head in disbelief, continuing to stroke the bipedal cat’s head. He remembered back to when Tobias had first shown this kind of affection to him. It had freaked and weirded him out at first, but when Tobias and a couple other abyssinian mercenaries from Thornfall explained that it was a way that they showed friendship to those they held close, he’d slowly begun accepting the display. He even welcomed it, especially in times like this. “Thanks, Toby,” he said gratefully.

Tobias’ tail curled up slightly and he nodded. “You’re my friend, G. I hate seeing you like this.”

Gregory felt himself relaxing thanks to his companion’s efforts. Even if he was worried about opening himself up too much to Tobias, just the fact that the abyssinian hadn’t pushed him too much meant the world to him. He yawned and looked at the wall clock. It was just past two in the morning. “Jesus, it’s still super early,” he muttered. “We should try and get back to sleep. We’ll need our strength for when we head back tomorrow.”

Tobias nodded and he slowly sat up, stretching and making a “MRRP” sound. “Part of me wishes we could at least explore this place,” Tobias said with a hint of disappointment. “After all, we’re in Sunny Starscout’s future house, for crying out loud!”

Gregory smirked again. “No shit,” he said. “Still, you know that time is money. Come on, let’s get some sleep.”

Tobias smiled and patted Gregory on the back. “Sure thing, bud. See ya in the morning, okay?” With that, he gave the human a reassuring smile, then watched as his companion left the room, closing the door firmly behind him. When Gregory had locked it, he crawled back into the admittedly most comfortable bed he’d ever slept in since his arrival in this world. He closed his eyes, trying to imagine a future as not some hated mercenary, but as an adventurer. He felt something then that he hadn’t felt in a long time.

Hope.

Twilight woke earlier than normal thanks in part to her alarm clock going off. Groaning, she almost turned it off before her sleep addled brain began to clear and the events of the previous day resurfaced. Quickly, she sat up and went to her mirror, brushing her mane to look at least somewhat presentable for her guests. She rushed downstairs and began making breakfast. She knew she didn’t have any meat products for her abyssinian guest, but she did have eggs, a plentiful source of protein that hopefully would suffice. She also prepared some toast and waffles with butter and syrup. She knew she wasn’t the best cook, but she had learned how to at least make these easily enough, Modern appliances were convenient.

Tobias was the first to come down, humming something to himself as he walked into the kitchen. When he saw the food on the table, his eyes widened. “Whoa, that looks incredible,” he said.

“I-I hope you like it,” Twilight said nervously. I didn’t have any meat and I didn’t know what your friend eats, so I made something that everycreature could eat.”

“No no, this is more than alright,” Tobias said reassuringly. “Although, I have to apologize, but Revan won’t be joining us. He doesn’t eat with anyone but me. Do you mind if I fix him a plate before coming back down?”

Twilight was a bit concerned by this, but nodded. “Of course,” she said.

Tobias thanked her, then put a moderate amount of each piece of food on a plate before heading back upstairs. When he came back down, he sat at the table and plated up some breakfast for himself. Twilight noticed that he’d taken a smaller portion, so she said, “You don’t have to hold back. I just went shopping, so I’m alright.”

“Are you sure?” Tobias asked. When Twilight confirmed it, he smiled and took a healthy helping.

As the abyssinian ate, Twilight felt her curiosity rising. Over the course of the past year, she had been reading more about foreign lands after realizing that was part of what had fueled her actions against Jason: her own ignorance. She’d used any spare money she could set aside to order books that detailed other nations. She wanted to ask about Panthera, but she felt her nervousness rising. She was so lost in thought that she didn’t notice that Sunset Shimmer had entered and plated herself up some breakfast. When she finally mustered the courage to talk, she noticed Sunset. “Ah, Sunset Shimmer. Good morning.”

The unicorn, who had a messy mane, gave Twilight a glare before going back to eating her meal. “Got any coffee?” she asked.

Twilight immediately stood. “I’ll brew a pot right away,” she said, heading to the kitchen cabinet where she found her supply of coffee. While she didn’t drink it often, sometimes she had to stomach the bitter liquid to help wake up.

As she was preparing a pot, Maple Leaf came in, all bright and cheery. “Good morning, everypony-I mean everycreature,” she said, looking apologetically at Tobias.

Tobias smiled and waved a dismissive paw. “Honest mistake,” he said. “I normally just say everyone or everybody. A little trick I learned from Revan.”

“Was he the creature that you were treating yesterday?” Maple asked with a concerned look. “How’s he doing?”

“It is, and he’s doing better thanks to Twilight and Sunset casting a healing spell on him,” Tobias said.

“I’m glad to hear,” the nurse said, “but where is he?”

“He’s a private person,” Tobias said, “and prefers to eat in solitude.”

“So he doesn’t have to wear that mask of his?” Sunset asked.

“Heh, you’re right about that,” Tobias said before taking a bite of egg and swallowing it down with some orange juice.

“Well, on another topic, please forgive me for not introducing myself yesterday,” the nurse said. “I’m Maple Leaf. I live in a smaller house on the property.”

Tobias nodded and said, “My name’s Tobias. This is Sunset Shimmer, a recent companion we brought on board, and the one I was treating yesterday is named Revan.”

“So, you’ve got medical knowledge, huh?” Sunset asked Maple.

“That’s right,” Maple replied.

“Let me guess: Sunbutt sent you here to make sure that failed princess didn’t go over the deep end and take a nosedive into the ocean-”

“SUNSET!” Tobias swiped his paw at the back of the unicorn’s head, smacking it hard with an angry expression on his face. “We’re guests in this house! We may be mercenaries, but show some damned manners!”

There was silence for a bit as the coffee maker was the only noise heard. Nobody spoke, the tension in the air rising with each passing minute. Finally, the sound was broken by the sound of heavy footsteps coming down the stairs. Revan, now back in his full black outfit, stepped into the room. Looking around, he finally focused on Tobias. “What happened?”

“I’ll tell you later,” Tobias said, shooting a glance towards Sunset.

Revan nodded, then looked at Twilight, although it was hard to tell with the eyes being part of the mask. “Where should I put these?”

“T-The sink,” she stammered. He nodded and did so before sitting down at the table next to Sunset, his hands folded patiently in front of him. The silence returned until the coffee maker was finished brewing and the others ate silently. One could cut the tension in the room with a knife as Twilight got up, poured coffee for Sunset and placed it on the table. As the unicorn took the coffee without a word, Twilight decided to break the unbearable silence and change the subject. “Um, Tobias? This might sound like a random and strange question, but what’s your homeland like?”

Tobias paused briefly, then swallowed what was in his mouth before facing her. He wiped his mouth clean before speaking. “Panthera is a remarkable place, from what I remember of it and from what little news we receive in Thornfall. It’s pretty prosperous, and while it’s not as technologically advanced as Equestria might be, it’s still a peaceful place.”

She’d heard similar stories before, but was curious to know more. “I wish I could visit sometime, but I doubt I could afford it,” she said.

Tobias gave a wistful smile as he looked up at the ceiling. “Well, it’s pretty different from Equestria as far as I’ve seen, but in other ways it’s similar. It’s a kingdom like Equestria. The Highclaw family has ruled over the kingdom for about…three hundred years or so. They took the throne away in a revolution against the Nighthunter Dynasty.”

“They don’t sound pleasant,” Maple said. “The Nighthunter ones, I mean.”

“They really weren’t,” Tobias explained. “They were cruel to the common folk and charged an absurd amount in taxes to them. The Highclaws were a minor noble family who rose up and took the throne, executing all of the guilty Nighthunter family members while sparing those too young to know better.”

Twilight shuddered. She knew that executions had been done away with in Equestria about a hundred years after Nightmare Moon, but the fact that another nation had done it only six hundred years later was disconcerting. She frowned and pushed through her own prejudices once more. “That sounds like it was a dark time,” she said.

“It was,” Tobias said, “but it was bound to happen. Those who are in power are always afraid to lose it. Thankfully, the Highclaw Dynasty is much better.”

Twilight thought back to the one time she’d seen two visiting abyssinian dignitaries from Panthera. She was only twelve at that point and had been carrying Spike to lunch when she’d spotted the large cats walking on two legs instead of four like normal cats. They were flanking the Princess, who had a warm smile on her face while speaking to the dignitaries. She later learned that one was the Crown Prince of Panther while the other was the Prince’s younger sister. Both had been in their teens when they visited, so they were already full grown adults now. “I’ve heard that,” Twilight said.

There was a knock at the door just then, a rather heavy one at that. Twilight looked at the door with confusion, as nopony visited her at all save for Maple, but the nurse was comfortable enough to just walk in, not that Twilight minded. “Wonder who’s at the door this early?” Maple asked.

“I’ll go see,” Twilight said as she got up and walked over to the door.

When she opened it, her eyes widened as she saw one of the town guards, a unicorn stallion, standing at the door with a serious look in his eyes. Without preamble or greeting, the guard spoke up. “Miss Sparkle, there’s been a foalnapping. Have you seen or heard anything about three foals named Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, or Scootaloo?”

Discord sat in his house, a floating screen in front of him. He watched from the perspective of one of the current creatures in Shadow Dawn as they ate breakfast in Twilight’s new lighthouse home. He sighed, reaching his claw up to the eyepatch he now wore, touching it gently and wincing a bit as he lowered his claw. He felt something that he hadn’t felt before: helplessness. Thanks to being kept out of current Equestria affairs, all he was able to do was watch. It pained him, but after the one who kept him away explained their reasoning, he had to reluctantly agree with it.

As he continued watching, he felt a presence entering the room, despite there being nobody actually there. Discord waved his paw, dismissing the screen. “What do you want, now?” he asked.

Androgynous but sweet giggling filled the room, echoing as if the voice came from a deep cavern. “It would seem as if you found a way around my rules,” a voice said in that same androgynous voice.

Discord tensed. He knew the owner of the voice would have figured him out eventually, but not this quickly. Knowing he was caught, he said, “You didn’t think I’d just sit back and do nothing, did you?”

“Be at ease, my dear Discord,” the voice said, “I will allow this to continue. After all, it was foreseen. But be forewarned, the actions you took will have personal consequences for you.”

Discord waved his paw dismissively. “It’s not like you did anything when he showed up.”

“You know I do not work in such a manner.”

“Bull. Shit,” Discord snapped back, standing and looking up at the ceiling. “You know I could fix this issue with a snap of my fingers, so why not let me?!”

“I have already informed you of my reasons,” the voice said in a stern, matter-of-fact tone. “Your devotion to changing yourself for the better as of late is most reassuring, and I do welcome it, but they are not as devoted as you.”

“I know some are!” Discord snapped. “I’ve seen it!”

“I am aware, but they changed far too late,” the voice said in a disappointed tone. “And yet, others have not changed despite everything.” There was silence for a few seconds before the voice began again. “You know why I have asked you to stay away. However, I will allow you this concession of looking in on them until I deem otherwise.”

Discord gritted his teeth, but knew he could do nothing in this situation. The owner of the voice was powerful, more so than he ever could be. “Haven’t they suffered enough?” he asked, a hint of worry in his voice now.

“The time will soon come when their greatest trial will commence,” the voice said, “and neither one of us must interfere. It must be their choice and theirs alone without outside interference.” There was a pause, then the voice’s tone softened. “I know your fondness for them, but you cannot interfere in this. It is a critical step in their growth. Either they will succeed or they will fail.”

Discord did something he never thought he’d ever do again. He snapped and a cigarette appeared in his paw, already lit. He took a big drag of it and let the nicotine soothe him. As he exhaled, he said, “I hate you.”

“I am fond of you too, my old friend. For what it may be worth, I am sorry that this must happen.”

Discord’s anger disappeared. He couldn’t be angry at the owner of the voice. Deep down, he knew they were right. He couldn’t baby them in this instance. They fucked around and found out, as the human saying went. He stroked his goatee. “No, don’t be sorry. I know why you’re doing it.” Discord took another drag and let it out a little while later. “I’m just glad I was able to do something for…” he drifted off.

“Yes,” the voice said with a warmth to it now, “that was quite a clever ploy to save him, and you did well on that front. Now then, I must bid you farewell.”

As the voice vanished, Discord felt a slight breeze through his goatee, which then straightened out to become a bit more well-kept. He sighed. “I hate when you do that…” he said as he grabbed at the goatee, fixing it to his liking once again. Once more, he reached up to the patch on his eye, touching it before standing, walking over to a mirror, and removing it. The eye was gone, replaced by a swirling black void with a bit of white mixed in. He put the eyepatch back on. “Worth it,” he said as he went back to his lounge chair, sitting down and looking back at the screen. He took another drag and watched the scene before him unfold. Things were about to take a turn for Maretime Bay and all of Equestria, and all he could do was watch.

Far away, in another part of the world magic mirror activated once more, and the alicorn stood alone, watching the same scene that Discord was watching unfold before her. The alicorn could sense that someone else was watching with her, but even with her increased magical power, she couldn’t locate the source. However, the once great ruler of ponykind and the once most magical of all ponies wasn’t focused on that. Instead, she was focused on three foals sleeping on cots in a treehouse. She knew of these three from her contacts in the city, but what looked to be about to happen was not something that was part of her plans.

She watched the solitary mare approaching them, a wild look in said mare’s eyes. Shaking her head, the queen looked into the darkness behind her throne, a place forbidden to the ponies under her protection and command. “Equestria has fallen so far,” she said sadly. “What say you, my old companion?”

There was silence for a bit, then there was the sound of massive rustling from beyond. A pair of glowing green reptilian eyes appeared and a green flame emerged from the shadows, illuminating an ancient but still quite powerful dragon for a brief moment. A deep, rumbling voice spoke. “Yes, your majesty.”

The alicorn smiled warmly. “Now now, there’s no need for such formalities. We’re friends, you and I.”

“As you say,” the dragon replied before retreating further back into the shadows.

She turned back as the crazed looking mare approached the treehouse. “Yes…friends…”

Author's Note

Sorry for the delay. I've been trying to get these chapters out on a weekly basis, and I'm considering doing it on Saturdays now instead of Thursday. So next time, hopefully the next chapter will be out on Saturday instead of Thursday.

8: Rescue

Twilight’s world was turned upside down in that moment. She had heard what the guard had said, but could barely comprehend it. Her mind was racing a million miles a minute as she tried to process what had just been revealed to her. Eventually, she managed to croak out, “C-Could you repeat that?”

The guard nodded and said, “Three young foals have been foalnapped. Their parents and legal guardians have received no ransom note and no demands. Have you heard anything that might be pertinent to the search?”

This snapped Twilight back into action. “No, sir, I haven’t,” she said, “but I could help with the search.”

“This is a matter for the guard, miss Sparkle,” the guard said.

“Do any of your guards know about tracking spells?” Twilight asked, feeling antsy now and wanting to help. There were things in her past that she wanted to make up for, and her treatment of the CMC during the Gabby Gums incident was one of them.

The guard’s professional demeanor faltered a bit and a look of uncertainty passed over his face. “Well, nopony in our regiment knows anything of that sort, but-”

“I know a tracking spell that can find them!” Twilight took a step forward. “Let me help!”

The guard took on a stern expression. “With all due respect, miss, you’re not a princess anymore. You’re a civilian.”

“I can still help with tracking them before they get hurt!”

The guard continued staring back at Twilight, his stern glare being returned by her determined and frantic one. The stare down was interrupted when a voice asked, “What if you hired us to help?”

Twilight looked behind her to see a smirking Sunset Shimmer now standing there, looking at Twilight. The guard looked at her and asked, “And who are you?”

“Who I am isn’t important,” she said, “but what is important is that we’re not civilians. My comrades and I are a mercenary group who will gladly help…for the right price.”

Twilight saw Tobias quickly rushing up to Sunset’s side. From behind, the masked Revan stood a few steps away, arms behind his back as he watched the current proceedings. The guard frowned. “Mercenaries…I thought those were illegal.”

Sunset shook her head. “According to the Royal Guard Bylaws as set down by Princess Celestia Solaris over nine hundred years ago, ‘In times of duress, outside assistance may be procured.’ We’re outside assistance, and we’d be willing to help for the right price.”

“I don’t have the authority to make that decision,” the guard said, and Twilight could see that he was tensing up at the sight of the abyssinian and masked figure.

“Then take us to someone with the authority,” Sunset declared. “We can help, and there’s no time to waste. I know the same tracking spell as our disgraced princess here, and-” She was immediately stopped when someone came up behind her and smacked her on the back of the head. “Ow!”

“Behave yourself,” Revan snapped, looking down at her.

Tobias took the lead and stepped forward, inclining his head to the guard. “My companion’s harsh words aside, she’s right. We can track down the kidnapper and help deal with them.”

The guard looked at Tobias, then after a few moments he sighed. “I can’t make that decision, but my sergeant can. Come with me.”

“Give us some time to collect our things and we’ll be right out,” Tobias said, and in a single motion, he and Revan moved as one to the stairs. Sunset followed close behind.

The guard watched them go and shook his head. “Mercenaries…we don’t need their scum…”

“They saved me yesterday from being attacked,” Twilight said quickly in their defense.

The guard looked a bit taken aback by this. “So, you’re the mare that got attacked by those group of hooligans yesterday.” She nodded in response. “I had no idea.”

A few minutes later, the three came back down, now all geared up and ready to go. “We’re ready, sir,” Tobias said.

The guard nodded. “I can’t believe I’m doing this…alright, follow me.” With that, he turned and began trotting down the path.

Twilight wasn’t sure why, but on an impulse, she decided she would tag along. She quickly told Maple what she was doing before she rushed out of the house after the four. The guard didn’t say anything about her tagging along, so the five of them walked down the street, and quickly they reached the guardhouse near the center of town next to the town hall, the only building that was modeled nearly identically to the one in Ponyville. They entered, and the guard told the group to wait while he got the sergeant. Sunset sat in one of the lobby chairs while Twilight did the same. Tobias and Revan stood nearby as the chairs here wouldn’t fit them.

Eventually, an older, surly looking unicorn stallion with light lime colored fur and pale blue mane and tail stepped out of the room where the guard had entered. He looked over at the four and scowled. “Alright, which one of youse is da leader of dis here mercenary group?” he asked in a semi-thick Manehattan accent.

Twilight watched as Tobias gently put a paw on Revan’s back, pushing the masked being forward. “This is our leader, sergeant,” Tobias said. “Revan.”

The sergeant looked up at Revan with a stern expression, looking him up and down before he said, “And what can youse do to help us?”

Tobias turned and pointed to Sunset. “She can use a tracking spell to find them.”

“My guard tells me youse like teh get paid fer yer services,” the sergeant said. “Why shoulds we? Youse mercenaries are as dishonest as dey come.”

“Why you little piece of-” Sunset began, but when Revan held up a hand, she stopped.

Tobias then looked the sergeant and took a step forward, his expression hardening. “Let me ask you something. Have you ever been unable to have a guaranteed meal? Have you ever had to ration your own food to the point of malnutrition? Being in the Guard, I expect you could get paid by just sitting on your rears and doing nothing. Our time is precious to us. The longer we’re without work, the more we have to spread our money thin. We’re offering a service for a price, and it would seem you’d ignore a means of finding these foals just because you look down on mercenaries. Or is it because, like Jason Wright, two of us are not ponies?”

The sergeant’s score turned into pure rage. “How dare youse accuse me of being like these Ponyville rats?!”

“We have expenses to pay, same as you!” Tobias snapped back, tail puffed behind him as he took another step forward. To her surprise, Twilight saw the sergeant take a step back. Tobias pointed a finger at him in an accusing manner. “You can hate us all you want, but we don’t want any harm falling to those foals! Our rates are not as high as you might think!” He pulled out a piece of paper from a pocket on his coat, slamming it down on the desk and causing a crack to form on the wooden surface. “See??”

The sergeant hesitantly took the paper and looked over it. He pursed his lips, then looked up at Tobias. “And does your silent leader agree wid dis?”

Revan then stepped forward, his heavy boot ringing out as he stepped beside Tobias. “Fifty bits for an emergency hiring fee, no refunds on that, two hundred to get the job done, paid out half now, half upon completion. Any expenses we incur are also paid for. And the Shadow Dawn group guarantees that until the contract is complete, we won’t betray our employers. Even if one of your princesses offered us all the power and wealth in the world to stop, we wouldn’t.”

Twilight thought about it, and could actually see things from their point of view. Mercenaries did odd jobs; that’s how they lived, after all. In a way, the stereotype about mercenaries ditching other clients for a bigger paycheck made sense. Which is what made Revan’s last sentence so jarring to her.

She decided to speak up for them. Standing, she walked over and stood next to the two. “These three saved me from assault yesterday,” she reminded the sergeant, “and they didn’t ask for anything in return. Why not take a chance? I failed to do that with Jason, and Ponyville did too. Why not be better than we were?” Truthfully, she was playing on the guard’s belief that they were better followers of Harmony than she was.

“And this way, if it is a trap, why risk your own guard?” Tobias mentioned. “From what I’ve seen, you’re spread thin enough as it is. Not enough of a budget to bring in fresh meat?” He grinned slightly at this.

Time passed as the sergeant seemed lost in thought. A half minute later, the sergeant nodded. “Fine, we’ll hire youse teh help.”

Tobias nodded and presented the paper to the sergeant. “Just sign here, and we’ll start. One hundred and fifty bits upfront. If we fail, you get the hundred back and you don’t have to pay us the two hundred.”

The sergeant mumbled something under his breath, and picked up a pen.

Sunset sat at the bottom of the now destroyed tree house, focusing her magic. Nearby, she heard the angry country accent of Applejack muttering something while the posh accent of Rarity was also speaking with worry. Aside from them, a single pegasus guard, her fellow mercenaries and Twilight were waiting silently. Sunset continued to search, looking through the magic left behind by the foalnapper to try and lock onto its current location.

Whoever had come here, however, must have been earth ponies because their magical presences were always the weakest out of all the tribes. She’d always struggled with them, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t succeed here. She was stronger now, her ambition to be better driving her to reach new highs in her personal magic training.

In a while, she had something. A small strand of hair had been left behind, and she locked onto it. Picking it up with her magic, she wrapped it around her horn’s grooves and concentrated. Instantly, the presence of the individual was found. She opened her eyes and stood. “Found them.”

“Where??” Rarity asked.

Sunset turned with a scowl towards the unworthy former element bearer. Still, she realized she had to behave here or risk losing the new money they’d be getting. “North,” was all she said as she got up and trotted away, heading in said direction.

Her two new companions swiftly took up positions beside her on either side. Sunset was surprised at how swift Revan was, especially when he was wearing such thick clothes for a warm early summer morning. He seemed light on his feet and used his surroundings to his advantage quite well. Of course, Tobias was much lighter and moved much swifter. She could see that Revan received his movements from Tobias, probably as some sort of training.

The group ran through the streets of Maretime Bay, making their way down the large boardwalk. Sunset almost ran into a smoothie stand at one point because she was so focused on following the source of her tracking spell. Once she was close enough to the general location, she pointed towards a large building that loomed over the town. “There. They’re in that unfinished building there.”

“What in tarnation is that building?” Applejack asked.

“Canterlogic,” Twilight explained. “A few ponies are trying to make Maretime Bay more profitable by creating a startup business by combining their resources. I think Filthy Rich has been funding most of it-”

“We can get lessons later!” Tobias interrupted as he looked over at Revan. “I’ll scout ahead!” With that, his speed increased and he leaped onto the tops of the houses and buildings, running deftly on the rooftops while making his way towards Canterlogic.

“My, isn’t he limber?” Rarity pondered.

“He’s an abyssinian, what did you expect?” Sunset snapped back.

“Enough,” Revan chided her sternly.

Soon they approached a chain link fence that surrounded the Canterlogic building. Sunset now realized that this was meant to be some sort of factory, but for what she had no clue. The gates had been busted open with a broken chain lock on the ground. Tobias was waiting nearby, arms behind his back. In a quiet voice he said, “Someone is in there, and they’re talking constantly.”

“Constantly? What about?” Revan asked.

“Sounds like they’re rambling on and on,” Tobias said.

Sunset watched as Revan looked back at the others who’d come with them. She did as well, trying to see what he was seeing. So far, she only saw a ragtag group of ponies, such as Applejack, Rarity, Twilight, and the mercenary group. “Did you get a good look at the kidnapper?” he asked

“Earth pony mare, older, pink fur, frazzled purple mane and tail, with a diamond ring for a cutie mark,” Tobias quickly said.

“That sounds like Spoiled Milk!” Applejack said.

“Who’s that?” Tobias asked.

“She’s the ex-wife of Filthy Rich,” Twilight explained.

“Why in the world would she foalnap our sisters?” Rarity asked, an angry expression forming on her face.

“We’ve had some trouble with her,” the mare guard, a dark brown furred and black maned pegasus named Quick Pace, finally spoke up. “We’ve had been investigating her for possible drug use. Rut or Bronco, we can’t be sure.”

That elicited a reaction from the other ponies, specifically various looks of horror and disgust. Tobias, however, simply nodded. “If my knowledge of pony narcotics is any indication, it sounds a lot like she took Bronco. She had dilated pupils, was talking nonsense, and she was pacing back and forth.”

“Did ya see our kin?” Applejack asked.

“No, but I thought I heard someone crying, and it sounded like children,” Tobias replied.

“It sounds like she’ll be hard to reason with,” Revan said in a thoughtful tone.

Twilight nodded. “If she’s on Bronco, she’ll be behaving erratically and she won’t be able to think too much.”

“She couldn’t have acted alone,” Quick Pace said.

“I didn’t see anyone else, but they could be hiding,” Tobias said. “There’s a lot of wooden boxes in there and other places to easily hide.”

“Hired help?” Rarity asked, giving a sideways glance towards Tobias and Revan.

“She did get a nice settlement in the divorce, I heard,” Quick said.

Tobias had ignored the look Rarity had given them and was instead looking at Revan. “You got any ideas, boss?”

Revan was looking at the unfinished Canterlogic building, and while Sunset couldn’t see his face, she guessed that he looked thoughtful underneath that mask. After a bit, he spoke. “If this Spoiled Milk is indeed inside and high on some sort of drugs, we can’t go in weapon’s blazing.” He turned quickly to Sunset and pointed at her. “Sunset, do you have a spell that can detect living beings?”

Sunset nodded, a bit surprised that Revan had spoken to her. “I do, but at this range I might not be able to tell if it’s a sapient being or a sentient one, only if it had some sort of pulse.”

“There shouldn’t be animals on the premises,” Twilight said. “I saw some animal repellent stakes just outside the perimeter.”

“Use the spell, Sunset,” he ordered briskly.

Sunset bristled a bit at the tone of his order, but complied, turning towards the building, closing her eyes, then casting a spell that expanded to the unfinished building and several meters beyond. Immediately, she could detect several heartbeats. Three were together in a basement, which was probably the foalnapped fillies. Their heart rates were elevated. One had a dangerously high heart rate, and she figured that was the pony called Spoiled Milk. However, there were eight other heartbeats inside the facility. Their heartbeats were a lot steadier. Two of them were in close proximity to the three elevated heart rates.

She opened her eyes and turned back to Revan. “Twelve total,” she reported. “The three fillies I believe are in the basement area of the building. I believe Spoiled is in there, but she’s got six others working with her. They’re scattered throughout the building. Two are near the fillies.”

Revan nodded as he absorbed this information. “You can’t tell what the status of the fillies is from here?” he asked.

“They have a bit of an elevated heart rate. That’s all I know.”

“They’re probably scared shitless,” Tobias muttered.

“What’s their specific location?” Quick asked.

“Northwestern side,” Sunset replied.

“Shouldn’t we be bustin’ in there and gettin’ our kin back now?” Applejack asked with a scowl.

“We can’t risk the fillies in there,” Quick said. “If this mare’s right and there are two ponies standing guard over the fillies, the moment we ‘bust in’, they could harm the hostages.”

“Stay back and let us handle things,” Revan said sternly to the family members of the foalnapped teens.

“You cannot simply expect us to stand by and do nothing while those three are held prisoner by somepony!” Rarity exclaimed testily.

“That’s exactly what I expect you to do,” Revan replied in a calm tone, although with his mask distorting his voice it was a bit harder to tell.

“You’re a civilian, ma’am,” Tobias explained further, “so if you interfered, you could put your family members in danger. We and the guards here can handle this. The guards are professionals, and we’re experienced mercenaries.”

Rarity was about to say something, but Applejack pulled her back. “Let ‘em be, sugarcube. They’re right.”

Sunset inwardly smirked a bit before she turned back to Revan and Tobias. “Anyone got a plan?”

Revan and Tobias glanced at each other before the latter picked up a stick and began quickly drawing something in the dirt. Sunset quickly realized that he was drawing an outline of the building. When he was finished, he offered the stick to Sunset. “Where’d you detect the other heartbeats?”

Sunset took the stick and quickly drew circles where she’d detected the heart rates. “The fillies and two others were in a lower part of the building like I said, right here,” she further explained while she drew a larger circle around the northwestern portion.

“There is a set of stairs in that general direction,” Quick said.

“Tobias, think you can sneak over in that direction and take out the guards before getting to the fillies?” Revan asked.

Tobias grinned, showing his sharp feline teeth which made Sunset shiver. They were the teeth of a predator about to go on the hunt. “Consider it done.”

“What are we gonna do?” Sunset asked.

“We go in stealthily and distract the hired help,” Revan explained. “We give Tobias enough time to get the fillies to safety.”

“I’ll go with him,” Quick said, stepping forward. “I’m well trained in hoof-to-hoof self defense and can disarm an opponent easily.”

“Good, always nice to have backup,” Tobias said, flashing a grin to the mare.

Revan nodded, then turned to Sunset. “Limits of teleportation magic, go,” he said authoritatively.

Sunset straightened almost automatically as his tone reminded her somewhat of Celestia’s when she addressed the guards back in Canterlot. “Line of sight only for places I’ve never seen before,” she began, “and I can’t teleport where objects already are.”

“Matter can’t occupy the same space, logical,” Revan said. “How fast is your casting time?”

Instead of telling him, Sunset decided to show off and teleported a few feet away, then a few yards away, then into the air, then back to her original position before she began falling. “That answer your question?”

Revan stared at her, then she heard him sighing. “You wasted precious magic to show off,” he said in a disappointed tone.

Sunset’s pride was instantly hurt by this. She got defensive. “My magic doesn’t run out as fast as your average unicorn, thank you very much,” she said. “I can last a long time!”

“We’ll discuss your theatrics later,” he said. “Now then, while the guards are trying to negotiate with the perps, you and I should go, find the six on the main level, and take them out of commission. And Sunset?”

Sunset, still a bit bitter by being lectured on someone who knew less about magic than she did, looked at him begrudgingly. “What?”

“Lethal force is authorized only if needed.”

That made Sunset’s stomach turn and she fought not to lose her breakfast. She kept her face stony, however, and simply nodded. She’d never taken a life in all of her travels around the world, as she had relied on her magic to subjugate anyone she met without killing. Still, she could only assume that, like Tobias, Revan was a predator species underneath that mask and those thick clothes. “Right,” was all she could say.

“Do you really need to do something so vile?” Rarity asked, having clearly overheard the conversation.

Sunset heard a shift in Revan’s voice, and she didn’t need to be an empath to understand what the tone meant. He was angry. “Kidnappers or anyone working for them will receive no mercy from me. Especially those who are stupid enough to be on drugs. They’re cowards who hide behind the innocent.” He reached down to his belt where Sunset saw him putting his claws around a strange looking metal device that she guessed was a weapon. “I won’t try to kill them, but if there’s no other choice, I won’t hesitate.”

Sunset shivered. She could tell that, aside from that pony from a few nights ago, he had taken his share of lives. Living out in the Badlands, it was kill or be killed. Sunset had learned that for most of the world it was the same. Equestria, for all its flaws, was a rare oasis of peace, even if that peace came at the expense of underpaid nonpony workers and undercurrents of xenophobia and speciesism. She took a deep breath and steeled herself. She could do this if needed. “Understood,” she said, and she was dismayed to hear her own voice shake slightly.

“Tobias, you and Quick move out,” Revan ordered as he pointed to Sunset. “You’re with me. Applejack, Twilight, and Rarity, you stay back.”

“Ah don’t like stayin’ back, but alright,” Applejack conceded.

With that, Sunset and Revan split apart from the group while Quick and Tobias went towards the other side of the building. As the former two approached the building, Sunset looked at Revan. “Just so you know, my detection spell is still active, but I can’t cast anything else while I’m doing it right now.”

“You cast and lead me to them, and I’ll knock them out,” Revan quickly replied.

She nodded and the two continued forward. She was once again surprised by how stealthy that Revan was. He wasn’t as good as Tobias, who had appeared to vanish into some nearby brush, but he had good control over how much noise he made, which was very little. A part of her wondered if the mask he wore had something to do with it, seeing as it was the only part of him she could somewhat detect with her magic.

As they walked towards a side door which hadn’t yet been attached, Sunset began hearing an echoing voice coming from the interior of the building, and she knew right away that whoever this Spoiled Milk was, she was definitely on Bronco. She knew the effects of the narcotic, and a lack of a filter was one of them.

“…coming, I know they are, but they won’t find the foals, oh no, no no no. They should be made to suffer like me. I hate them all, hate them all, hate them all! Hush, can’t let them find me, so shut up, mouth! Gah!”

The voice continued to mutter random nonsense after that, but it allowed the two to enter. Just as Tobias had said, there was only one pony visible, and she looked crazed as she walked back and forth on an upper walkway that looked freshly constructed. Despite the crazed look, the mare had a haughty manner about her, looking down her nasty looking nose often at the stacks of full pallets that had boxes piled high on each, creating a maze in whatever warehouse this place was currently.

Sunset took the lead, moving quickly out of sight beneath Spoiled’s high ground. She still had the heartbeat spell on passive casting, and the others with Spoiled weren’t moving, at least not yet. She led Revan quietly into the shadows and waited for him to join, which he did quickly enough. The two then began moving quietly down towards the first location.

The first creature they found was actually a dark green but burly earth pony stallion with a frightening visage. Or it would have been frightening to Sunset if it hadn’t been for her experience in the world. The monstrous Sandworms in the southern deserts near Klugetown were scarier. Thankfully, this pony was looking away from them, so all it took to subdue him was for Revan to remove the strange metallic weapon from his belt and bring it crashing down onto the pony’s head. With a moan, the pony slumped forward, being caught by Revan before he put the pony down.

“I seeee yoooouuu,” the crazed voice of Spoiled Milk came from above, which prompted Revan and Sunset to press themselves against the pallets. They listened as Spoiled continued. “I see eeeeveryyyythiiiing. Hee hee hee. One…two…three…four…five…and six is probably in the bathroom again, that stupid brute.”

Sunset relaxed a bit, although this meant that the other five were in sight of Spoiled. Drugged or not, she could still alert the others here to their presence. If that happened, they’d be in for the fight of their lives if the other five converged on their position.

After the mare’s voice became quieter, the two moved again, approaching a second target. This target was a dark pinkish red pegasus mare who was floating in the air with a bored expression on her face. She passed the two slowly, which gave Revan the opportunity to bring his metal weapon down onto the mare’s head. Once more, he caught her and set her down out of sight before the two slipped into another spot between a pair of large pallets.

They managed to take out a unicorn stallion before Spoiled’s voice came crying out, “Look at that! Some little insects have flown into my little web! They’re here!”

In the distance, a pegasus stallion suddenly flew into the air towards what Sunset realized was a small cloud. He stepped onto it, quickly looked around, and spotted Sunset and Revan. He shouted out a warning, and two pairs of hoofsteps began galloping towards them. The pegasus leaped up on his cloud and came down. A bolt of lightning came out of it, right down towards Revan.

Not needing to cast the detection spell anymore, Sunset dropped it and brought up a shield around the two, causing the bolt to shoot off elsewhere. It struck a window and it exploded in a shower of glass and bits of the metal frame.

Two other ponies came around a corner, one a unicorn mare with a powerful magical presence and an earth pony mare who looked strong. Sunset saw Revan draw out the other weapon from his belt, but before he could do anything with it, another bolt of lightning impacted Sunset’s shield along with a blast of powerful offensive magic from the unicorn.

Left with no options, the two began moving back towards a place where they wouldn’t be in sight of the pegasus and his aerial attacks. The unicorn continued her assault against Sunset’s shield while the earth pony mare jumped at the shield, impacting it hard. All she got for her troubles was her being thrown back. That didn’t seem to affect her in the slightest, though, as she got back up and began to bash heavily at the domed shield.

Sunset was a powerful magic user, that much she knew, but even she had her limits. Three powerful assaults, one from above, was quickly beginning to drain her. Inwardly, she cursed herself for having shown off to Revan earlier. She tried to figure out a way to teleport her and Revan without hurting either of them, but when she remembered how her healing spell had left her feeling even more drained than normal, she knew that wasn’t an option.

“You poor, simple fools!” Spoiled said with a cackle. “Thinking you could defeat me! ME!”

Sunset’s mind raced, looking for any options she could think of. Her eyes darted about while Revan stood there, both weapons in his claws as he simply stood there, his hood now removed to reveal that the mask he wore covered his entire head. He wasn’t moving, which infuriated her, but her frustration turned to confusion when he said, “Open the shield and let me out.”

She looked at him incredulously. “What? Are you insane!?”

“Don’t argue. Do it. And cover your ears when I’m out.”

The tone of Revan’s voice was somehow calm and collected, although she thought she could detect a hint of tension in it. She hesitated for a second, but nodded. A hole appeared in her shield near the back where there was the least chance of being attacked. Revan dove out and Sunset brought the shield back up just in time to avoid a bolt of electricity from another lightning bolt that would have entered the shield had it not been open.

She had barely covered her ears with her hooves when a loud familiar sound rang out. The lightning suddenly stopped and she heard somepony cry out, followed closely by something crashing into a pallet. The earth pony and unicorn briefly stopped and looked back.

Sunset took the opportunity to drop her shield and fire a blast of offensive magic at the earth pony, as she was the closer threat. Her magic enveloped the mare, causing her to yelp briefly before falling unconscious.

However, that yelp had alerted the unicorn, who faced them again. Sunset tried raising her shield again, but part of the enemy unicorn’s blast caught her and sent her sprawling back into her own shield. Her loss of concentration made her drop the shield. Dazed and confused, she moaned as she tried to get up, the impact having knocked the wind out of her. Another explosion rang out and the unicorn screamed in pain.

When she came back fully to her senses, she looked and saw that the unicorn was writhing in pain on the ground, holding her head in her forehooves. Her horn was gone, and Sunset could see blood and bits of horn scattered on the ground. Revan walked past her and made his way to a set of stairs.

Only to stop and aim his weapon up. In a dark voice, he growled, “Let the filly go.”

“Ah ah ah, not gonna happen, you monster,” Spoiled said with what sounded like insane laughter.

Sunset quietly got up and tried making her way to a spot where she could get a teleportation spell off, but the sound of a whimpering filly made her pause. “M-Mommy…why…?” the filly’s voice asked.

Sunset saw Revan’s normally glowing blue eyes turn a menacing red, as did the glowing lights around where she suspected his mouth was. “You monster,” he growled.

“I’m no monster!” she shouted, sounding angry now.

“Mommy, you’re hurting me!” the filly cried out.

Sunset couldn’t believe that anypony could have fallen so low. A part of her wondered if pony civilization was even worth saving at this point. She was quickly running through her options when three other mares came barreling into the unfinished building, looking up in horror at whatever Spoiled was doing. Sunset gritted her teeth as Twilight, Rarity, and Applejack all looked slack jawed at the pony above. “Sweet Celestia…” Twilight muttered, eyes full of disbelief.

“Ahaha! Here they are! The architects of my demise!” Spoiled said.

Sunset quickly walked out and moved in front of the three ponies. Here, she got a good view of the scene before her, and she understood what was going on. Spoiled had a knife against the neck of a pink teenage earth pony filly with a tiara on her head. She looked completely terrified and her eyes were bloodshot from crying. Sunset turned and whispered, “Get out of here, damn it!”

Twilight, however, ignored her and raised both her hooves, standing on her back legs. “Spoiled, please…you don’t have to do this…”

Sunset looked more closely at the mare, and saw just how far gone she was. Her mane, which had probably at one point been rather well kept, was drenched in sweat, her pupils were shrunken, her eyes bloodshot, and she had a crazed expression on her face. “Look who’s talking, you complete and utter failure!”

“Let the filly go,” Revan demanded.

Sunset was about to attempt a teleportation spell up there when she saw a sight that nearly made her sigh in relief. Tobias had jumped up from a spot behind the walkway where Spoiled held her daughter captive and was sneaking towards them. She also saw Quick moving three filles away, a unicorn, a pegasus and an earth pony. Spoiled looked at the masked creature before her. “I know what you are, freak,” she giggled. “My eyes are opened now! I can see so much more!”

Sunset saw Revan’s hand clench a bit as he raised the weapon higher. “Don’t make me use this,” he said darkly, the color of the eyes on his mask becoming a more menacing red.

She didn’t seem to care as she was laughing. “Take that ridiculous thing off,” she said with a smug tone. “Do it, or she dies!” With that, she pressed the knife to the filly’s neck, drawing a bit of blood.

Slowly, Revan lowered the weapon. He put it back on his belt and slowly began to move his hand towards the front of his mask. Spoiled’s expression turned almost gleeful, and it was due to this distraction that led Tobias to silently land behind her with a nimble leap before he kicked the hoof that was holding the blade away, sending it falling to the ground below. Spoiled turned in shock only to receive a fist to the face, dropping her like a sack of potatoes. He quickly knelt and picked up the trembling teenager filly along with the now unconscious mare, quickly leaping over the railing and landing expertly in front of them, a smile on his lips. “Anyone expecting a delivery of a crazy mare and an innocent filly?” he asked, gently placing the filly down while nonchalantly tossing the unconscious mare to the ground unceremoniously.

As Applejack and Rarity ran up to their sisters, Quick walked up and looked at the unconscious Spoiled. Kneeling down, she opened one eye, then opened Spoiled’s mouth. She slowly stood back up and nodded. “Yep. She took Bronco.”

Sunset looked over at the four foals and two older mare family members. She saw the pegasus standing near the pink earth pony filly, trying to comfort her in some way, or perhaps it was that both of them were trying to find comfort in each other. She felt something on the back of her head, and when she looked up, she saw Revan looking down at her. His eyes and mouthpiece were back to glowing blue. “You did well,” he said.

Sunset stood proudly and nodded. “Of course,” she said.

Revan didn’t reply, but instead he turned to Tobias and nodded at the abyssinian. “Good job to you too,” he said.

“Thanks,” Tobias said.

“Abuse of a foal
from a mare with no soul,
your judgement day is nigh.”

“For what you consume
“shall become your tomb
“as a tree may you see with new eyes.”

As the sound of the echoing voice faded away only to be replaced with the casting of magic, Revan removed the weapons from his belt, looking for the source of said magic while Tobias drew the rapiers on his side and Sunset and Twilight both ignited their horns. However, the sound of magic being cast came not from the unicorn and alicorn, but instead came from the unconscious Spoiled. Everyone turned and watched as she was engulfed in a strange glowing white light. Sunset watched in horror as the pony began morphing. The transformation quickly woke the mare who began screaming in utter agony and fear.

The transformation started at her back legs, which quickly began to turn into a pair of strange rootlike appendages. Spoiled tried to run, but seemed to be unable to do so, now rooted firmly in place to the concrete floor. She screamed for help, but the transformation only increased, until finally her scream was cut out when it engulfed her entirely, leaving a small oddly shaped tree in place of what had once been a living, breathing mare.

Nobody spoke for a bit, everyone too stunned to speak up. What eventually broke the silence was Revan taking a step forward, looking down at the new tree with roots and trunk breaking through the concrete. He looked at it, then Sunset watched as he looked up at the ceiling. “It couldn’t be her…”

“Revan, what do you mean?” Tobias asked, placing a paw on Revan’s shoulder. The moment he did, though, Tobias’ tail began to puff. “Revan?! You’re shaking!”

“It’s her…it’s Queen Majesty…” was all that Revan said. The way he said it sent shivers down Sunset’s spine. Because the tone of Revan’s voice was one of fear.

While looking through the mirror, the alicorn raised an eyebrow. She’d been watching the scene at the new building in Maretime Bay, mostly curious to see what kind of creature a human was. No doubt he had some skill, and his weapons were something to behold, but she doubted that he was any threat to her.

But then he’d mentioned her ancient name. The name from when she’d been a unicorn princess long before her ascension, then subsequent capture and imprisonment in stone by an enemy even she hadn’t been able to defeat at the time. She leaned forward and looked at the mask more closely now, something about it feeling familiar. She tilted her head and scowled. Everything about him was unreadable by even her most powerful detection spells, but the face mask that he wore was different. It was as if only the surface of the mask was covered in the same material as his clothes.

“So…it’s your doing…” she said in an uncharacteristically angry tone, her horn beginning to glow. “You were wise to hide from me, my old foe…” She collected herself and faced the mirror again, focusing closer on the human, a smile crossed her lips. Queen Majesty, the former queen of Ponyland and denizen of Dream Castle in Dream Valley touched the mirror serenely. “You’re hiding something…and I’ll find out what it is. My dear human boy…”

9: Convergence

Spike sat in the Crystal Palace’s library at a couch while reading a book from a thousand years ago. Perhaps it was because he’d grown up surrounded by books, but ever since being separated from Twilight, he’d actually naturally progressed from reading only comic books to reading other types of books. Of course, the adopted prince only really enjoyed fiction stories, but there were hundreds of those in the library.

A part of him found it completely ironic that he found a love of reading only after he had been separated from Twilight. Of course, he knew he would never be the bookworm that Twilight was, but having found another hobby aside from comics and O&O to fill his time when he wasn’t training or getting a more formalized education was rather nice.

Currently, he was reading a series called The Dark Star Saga which was a high fantasy story that followed a crystal pony rogue who found himself in the middle of a royal dispute between two small fictional kingdoms in another world. There was mystery, intrigue, a magic system that was unlike that of the real world’s own, and new races that didn’t fit the mold of the real world. The characters felt real, even the villains of the story, and the settings were all described so vividly that Spike could see them in his mind’s eye.

He was on book two and was deep in reading it when he felt a weight on his lap. Looking down, he saw his adopted younger sister Flurry Heart sitting on his lap facing him with wide happy eyes. He lowered his book and gave her a curious expression. “And just what are you up to, young filly?”

“Beware princesses bearing gifts,” the young filly said in the appropriately quiet tone for a library while simultaneously holding up a small but warm cornet with chocolate filling.

Spike rolled his eyes and quickly swiped it before the librarian saw it. “You know better than to bring food in here,” he said before quickly stuffing it in his mouth, enjoying the freshly baked snack.

“Is that why you’re stuffing your face now, big brother?” she asked coyly but innocently.

“Hush,” he said before reaching down and scratching her head with his claws, swallowing the pastry down with his flask of water, the only concession that the librarian had given on her no food and drink policy. He put his flask away and looked at Flurry. “Why aren’t you with your friends?”

‘They’re all going home because it’s late,” she pouted as she settled more into his lap, nuzzling against him. “Can you read something to me?”

Spike looked up and saw that the sun had already set. He hadn’t realized it had gotten so late. “Not in here, but we can find a book or two to take to your room,” he said softly as he put a bookmark in his own book.

“Why not in here?” Flurry asked with a bigger pout as he stood and picked her up.

“Miss Amethyst wouldn’t let us,” he reminded her, referring to the librarian Amethyst Mark.

Flurry made a raspberry as she spread her wings to hover beside Spike as he began walking towards the children’s section of the library. “That old hag?” she asked while making a face.

“You know what Mom said: her library, her rules,” Spike gently reminded her. Whenever he spent time with his new adopted sister, he always felt the urge to be more mature than he was used to, and that made him feel good about himself but at the same time nervous. He didn’t want to be a bad example for her, after all.

“She’s an old fuddy-duddy,” Flurry said.

“Now where did you hear that?” he asked quietly as he picked out a few books that looked interesting.

“Daddy,” was her simple reply.

Spike rolled his eyes in amusement. Shining Armor, his new adopted dad, always had something to say about things. It certainly sounded like him. “Of course,” he said as he began heading to the exit.

“What books did you get?” Flurry asked, now in her normal tone as they left the library to head to Flurry’s room. He yawned and stretched, arching his back and hearing some of his vertebrae pop. “You’re an old guy like daddy!” Flurry exclaimed with a giggle.

“I’m not that old,” he protested as the two turned to face a large set of stairs. He spread his wings and began flying up them with Flurry by his side keeping pace.

“You’re older than me!” she said with a triumphant smirk.

“Of course I am,” he replied as he set down on the landing above.

“That makes you old like Daddy!”

“I’m not that old,” a familiar voice said from behind them.

Flurry and Spike turned to see Shining Armor and Empress Cadance standing there with smiles on their faces. Flurry smiled and flew over towards them, catching her mother in a big hug. “Mommy, Daddy!”

Shining put a tender hoof on Flurry’s back, rubbing it up and down. Cadance smiled and wrapped her wings around Flurry. “Hello, sweetie,” she said tenderly. “You going off to bed?”

“Big brother’s gonna read to me!” Flurry exclaimed happily.

“Is that right?” Shining turned to Spike and smiled wider. “What sort of interesting books did you find?”

Spike shrugged. “Just these.” He held the books up for the couple to see.

“Good choices for bedtime stories,” Shining said.

“Wanna come listen to Spike read??” Flurry asked in an excitement that belied the lateness of the hour. “He does some funny voices!”

“Funny voices? Really?” Cadance looked at Spike with a wry grin.

Spike, feeling embarrassed, shot back, “Hey, I learned from the best foalsitter around. Who was it who did all those funny voices for me and…” he faded out, the memory of Twilight at that age throwing a damper on his good mood. He took a deep breath and plastered a smile he suspected Pinkie would immediately know was fake and continued. “‘You must pay the rent!’ ‘But I cawn’t pay the rent!’ ‘I’ll pay the rent!’ ‘My hero! Mwah mwah mwah!’ Sound familiar?”

Flurry was beside herself laughing, Shining was trying to hold back a laugh, and Cadance was looking rather embarrassed. “It wasn’t that exaggerated,” she said.

Feeling better now, a more genuine smile came over Spike’s face. “Nope. I toned it down.”

Cadance’s cheeks went redder as Shining’s attempts to hold back his laughter completely failed. Spike had his arms crossed triumphantly as he gave Cadance a look that asked ‘What now?’

The moment was disturbed by a crystal pony quickly trotting up to the royal couple with a scroll in his mouth. He pulled it out and passed it to Cadance. “Your Majesty, we just received this report from Canterlot.”

That caught Spike’s attention. Canterlot didn’t send them much anymore since his adopted mother had cut off most trading agreements with the kingdom of Equestria. He was old enough now that he was figuring out some of the political aspects of his parents’ jobs as rulers of the Crystal Empire, and that was one of the first things he’d learned about from some of his talks with his new parents. He approached the two of them as they looked at the report. Without asking them what it was, he spread his wings and hovered in between them as he read over their shoulders.

What he read startled him. Apparently, there had been a couple of incidents in Maretime Bay, the new town Celestia had built for the former citizens of Ponyville. The first had been an attack on his former caretaker, and he used that term loosely now. As he read the report, he learned that apparently she had been ostracized by the ponies of that town for her actions, which didn’t surprise him too much now, but learning that ponies would try and attack her was a step he had no idea they’d take. She’d apparently been saved by a group of mercenaries.

The second incident was a kidnapping of four familiar fillies by a drug crazed Spoiled Milk, who was then mysteriously turned into a tree by a strange disembodied voice that spoke in rhyme. One of the mercenaries had identified the voice as belonging to somepony named Queen Majesty. The report came from the two princesses themselves, asking if they could look at their historical books and try and find anything about a Queen Majesty. They were unable to get anything out of the mercenary, as he had immediately left the scene.

“Mommy? Daddy? Big brother? Is something wrong?” Flurry asked, looking at the report as well.

Cadance quickly rolled the scroll up and smiled at Flurry. “Nothing that you need to worry about, sweetie,” she said with what Spike knew was a forced smile. She then turned to Spike. “Would you take your sister to bed?”

Spike nodded and landed, walking up and gently leading the still hovering Flurry. “Come on, sis. Let’s get you to sleep.”

As the two made their way to Flurry’s room, she landed on his back, hugging him from behind. “Spikey? Is something wrong? Mommy and Daddy didn’t look happy.”

He smiled up at her and stroked her mane. “It’s nothing, Flurs. Nothing you need to worry about at all.”

“She definitely didn’t believe me when I said that,” Spike said as he sat with his adopted parents a few hours later. They were in the private conference room where Cadance and her imperial advisors met every so often, the report from Canterlot being projected onto the wall so the three could look at the report.

Cadance reached over with her wing and gave Spike a gentle caress. “Flurry’s a lot smarter than we give her credit for, sometimes. She gets that from your father and me.”

Shining smiled a bit and nodded. “Still,” he said, “thanks for trying not to worry her. She’s still too young to be worrying about things like this.”

Spike nodded, then refocused his attention towards the projected report, leaning forward. “What are your thoughts on it?” he asked, directing the question towards the two.

Cadance removed her wing from Spike and looked at the message with a thoughtful expression on her face. “I don’t know anything about this Queen Majesty, but what I do know is that the Crystal Empire has a restricted section of ancient scrolls dating back to at least five hundred years before the founding of the empire itself. And the Crystal Empire is older than Equestria, relatively speaking. I’m going to have our best experts scour the section for any mention of Queen Majesty.”

Spike looked at his new adopted parents. “One doesn’t get raised, as it were, by one Twilight Sparkle and walk away with nothing,” he said. “I’ve been frequenting the library here enough that I know the sections. I also can pick up on things in a new library relatively quickly. I’d like to help look for information on this Queen Majesty, if the information exists in this restricted section.”

“Absolutely not…is what I’d like to say,”Cadance said with a heavy sigh, “but you’re officially our son, and that makes you a prince.”

Shining nodded and gave Spike’s spines a ruffle before he said, “This search won’t interfere with your normal studies and training, however. We’ll have others looking in the section as well, but you’re more than welcome to help, especially since the restricted section is massive.”

“It’s bigger than Canterlot’s,” Cadance explained as she got up and walked up to Spike. She gave him an affectionate nuzzle. “No, it’s getting late. When you’re all finished with tomorrow’s studies and training, come see me and I’ll send somepony with you to lead you to the library.”

Spike nodded, giving his new mother a kiss on the cheek, then hugged his father before he yawned. “See you all in the morning,” he said.

Pinkamena lay in her bed after another long, hard day of work. It had been yet another successful haul that she’d been able to help her family with finding. They’d begun to move some rocks from the south field up to the western one, an activity she remembered long from her time before moving to Ponyville.

Despite her earlier words a couple days ago about going to see her old friends, she decided to hold off for at least another week until she had helped with the rock migration. One she was satisfied with that being accomplished, then she’d told her parents that she’d be going away for a couple of weeks, maybe a month. They’d agreed.

During the past few days, the hope of seeing and hopefully seeing some change in her old friends kept her spirits up more so than she’d been the past couple of years. A bit of spring had come into her mane and tail, but instead of the normal curls, there were waves in her once completely straight mane and tail.

She brushed her wet mane aside and sighed contentedly. It had taken her body a month or two to get back into shape, but now her body didn’t ache after a long, hard day of work. Most of her pudge had been replaced by muscle. She had also cut out a good portion of sweets from her diet, not that she didn’t eat sweets, but they weren’t the main part of her diet now.

She turned over slightly, seeing a somewhat dust-covered photograph in a frame sitting on the table next to her bed, the lamp illuminating the subjects. Pinkie sighed and reached over, picking it up and looking at it. It was one taken in front of Twilight’s former castle before its destruction. She was there with her five former best friends, all smiling at the camera. Pinkie herself was jumping in said photo with a wide beaming smile as well. She blew the dust off of it, remembering the day that they’d taken this photo. A wave of nostalgia washed over her, then the guilt returned, especially since this was taken while Jason Wright was still alive and living a horrible life in the cave.

A cave she’d visited when she left Ponyville to go back home. Sighing, she set the picture back down and silently apologized once more to Jason, even if he couldn’t hear her. “I wish I could have given you a nice big party-” she began, before her body began shaking.

She sat upright instantly. Her Pinkie Sense hadn’t activated in years, and a part of her had been relieved when it failed. It hadn’t helped her in sensing Jason’s sadness. It hadn’t done her any good, at least in her current opinion. That part of her felt normal, for once. It was a nice comforting feeling to have that normalcy. But this Pinkie Sense was what her former self might have called a super-ultra-mega big doozy. A doozy that happened to be coming from the direction of a town she knew as Maretime Bay.

She sat up, wide eyed. The doozy she felt was something that she’d only felt once or twice before. And for both times, they involved Jason Wright. But since Jason was already dead and buried in high honor at Canterlot, it couldn’t have anything to do with him.

Slowly, she lowered herself back down onto the bed and closed her eyes. She focused inwards, using her recent years of experience of meditation that she had learned from Marble to concentrate on the feelings from this doozy. She’d never tried this before, mostly because her Pinkie Sense hadn’t activated since she’d arrived back home. She dug up the old, painful memories of the two times she felt the doozy, comparing them to what she’d just experienced.

And immediately noticed a subtle difference between what she’d just felt and the ones she felt before.

Confused, she tried thinking and feeling just what those differences could be. There were so many sensations to sift through, but after about ten minutes of peaceful meditation, she managed to pinpoint the feelings that were different. If she were to try and explain it to anypony else, it would be utter nonsense, but she understood the implications.

If she was right, then one very strong possibility was that there was another human in Equestria.

With that thought, she pulled the covers up and covered her face. What could she do about it now? Should she even-?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock at her door. “Pinkie…dinner’s almost…done…” Marble soft and tender voice called from beyond the door.

Pinkie’s appetite had vanished when the realization of the possibility of another human in Equestria had popped into the forefront of her mind. “I’m too tired tonight,” she lied, inwardly wincing. She hated lying, but she mostly wanted to be alone.

The part of her that didn’t want to be alone was grateful when her younger sister slowly opened the door and shut it behind her. When they were alone, Marble’s normally straight mane and tail became more full of volume. It didn’t become curly like that of the former Pinkie Pie, but it still looked a lot fuller. Marble’s voice became a bit stronger as she came up and sat next to her sister. “What’s wrong?” she asked, putting a tender hoof on Pinkamena’s mane and running said hoof through it.

Pinkamena knew what this was. Every Pie had a strange Sense of sorts. Marble’s own Marble Sense was one that relied heavily on empathy, so much so that when Pinkie had asked Twilight about it once, the alicorn had suggested that Marble might be an empath, a rarity among ponies, and almost impossible with earth ponies, but not unheard of.

Pinkamena sighed and explained what she’d felt a few moments ago. Marble listened intently, her normally shy eyes focused solely on Pinkamena. When she’d finished, Marble nodded. “If you want to leave now, mother and father wouldn’t mind, I know it.”

It always amazed Pinkamena whenever she heard Marble speak in such an eloquent tone. It rarely happened, and part of Pinkamena blamed herself for it because of her always speaking over or for the normally quiet and demure Marble. She was right, of course, and Pinkamena knew it. Pinkamena knew that, despite her parents both being more traditional and strict, they understood their foals very well. Even Pinkamena who’d been away from home for so long. Still, she hesitated. “But with father’s laminitis, and mother being busy around the house-”

“They will understand, Pinkie,” Marble said, a warm smile on her face as she sat and put a hoof over Pinkamena’s. “They’ll be fine when we leave.”

Pinkamena started to nod absently before it finally registered as to what Marble had said. “Wait a moment…‘we’?”

Marble nodded and her mane somewhat deflated. “I’m…coming…” she said in her normal cadence.

Pinkamena shot out of bed, alarmed. Marble rarely left the farm because it was her comfort zone. She was a lot like Fluttershy, only with the shy part turned up to an eleven. “B-But what about the farm?!”

“Mother and Father…said it was okay…when I mentioned it…” she replied, and a small smile appeared on her face. “I’m not…as strong as Limestone…or Maud…but you…need somepony…to come…with you…”

Pinkamena was completely blown away by this revelation. Marble was the last pony she expected to voluntarily leave the farm for anything, but to hear that she was willing to accompany Pinkamena was both a shock and, to her surprise, a big relief. Pinkamena had been dreading going through the wilderness alone.

Still, she had to be sure. “But what about you? You never leave the farm. Aren’t you scared?”

“Terrified,” Marble said without any hesitation, but then her mane puffed up a bit. Her more tender demeanor returned. “But I don’t want you going alone. That’s what my Marble Sense is saying.”

Pinkamena’s eyes began to water and she looked away, a bit embarrassed to let Marble, her younger sister, see her older sister crying. “I…sniff…thank you, Marble…”

Marble’s hoof ran through Pinkamena’s still damp mane. “You’re welcome…Pinkie.”

Pinkamena smiled a bit. She’d given up that cheery name when she’d come back, and the others had respected her wishes to call her that. Still, it felt good to hear that old moniker referred to her. She sat up and sniffed loudly, wiping her eyes then blowing her nose. “Right, let’s tell Mother and Father and then get packing.”

“No way, you’re lying…you and GILDA?!”

Rainbow Dash sat with her parents in the Shy household’s dining room eating a dinner that the two families got together for every month. Today, though, there was a surprise guest that Rainbow hadn’t expected. Zephyr had answered the door, but to Rainbow’s shock hadn’t immediately started hitting on her. And now she knew why.

“Guess she knew a good thing when she saw it,” Zephyr said with a triumphant smirk. This earned him a light smack on the back of his head from Fluttershy along with an admonishing glare. “Okay, yeah, that was a bit much,” he admitted sheepishly, “but yes, Dash. I got together with Gilda. It’s been a whirlwind and a challenge, but I’ve really been enjoying it.”

Curious now, and since curiosity was temporarily banishing her own self loathing, she leaned forward. “How’d you score that birdbrain?”

“Funny you should ask,” he said, and he regaled her with the story of how he’d done her feathers, and their banter, then their getting together. Rainbow inwardly chuckled. That was Gilda, alright. It made sense. She was always a hothead. Then again, was Rainbow any better?

“Well, congratulations,” Rainbow said, and she did mean it. She might have been turned off by Fluttershy’s brother, but she never wanted to see him really hurt. And it seemed as if he was happy. In fact, she was a bit jealous. Not because she had feelings for Zephyr, but because he had begun to move on from something big whereas she was still stuck. “Why didn’t you bring her with you to meet the family?”

“I asked, but she said-well, she had other plans for this week,” Zephyr said, hesitating a bit, then correcting himself. “I actually want to bring my family to Manehattan sometime to meet her if possible.”

Rainbow had an inkling as to why he had hesitated. If Gilda knew about this monthly dinner, she would want to avoid Rainbow herself. Not that she could blame her former friend. She pushed down the ache in her heart and nodded. “Well, I hope things go better than when…well, when she came to Ponyville…”

“She told me about that,” Zephyr said, “and she does feel bad about it. She does want to apologize to my sister for that.”

“Zeph, I told you already, I forgave her for it long ago,” Fluttershy said.

“It’s a pride thing for her,” Zephyr explained. “Her pride was tarnished, so she needs to restore it by acknowledging her wrongs. And yes, she’s doing this even though she knows what happened two years ago.” He shot a sideways glance towards Rainbow, who flinched slightly.

“You said you wouldn’t mention two years ago,” Posey said with a frown.

“I won’t mention it after this,” Zephyr promised.

Silence filled the table as they ate. After a bit, Rainbow looked at Posey. “You make a mean lasagna, Mrs. Shy.”

“Can I get the recipe?” Windy asked hopefully.

Posey smiled. “I’ll write it down for you later before the night is over.” She looked over at Rainbow then. “Dear, would you care to stay the night here?”

That came as a surprise to Rainbow. She hadn’t stayed over with Fluttershy since they were foals. She turned to her parents, but the looks on their faces only confirmed that they would be okay with it. She turned back to Fluttershy, who was giving her a small smile. Zephyr was just eating, not getting involved in the conversation. Whether he cared or not about her staying, she couldn’t tell. Still, she looked back at Posey. “If you’re okay with me staying, then I’d be down for it.”

Gentle Breeze smiled at that. “We can set something up in Fluttershy’s room. If that’s alright with you, dear,” he added, turning to his daughter.

“Perfectly alright, daddy,” Fluttershy said.

“I still can’t get over that Zephyr and Gilda got together,” Rainbow was saying later that night as she lay in a comfortable cot the Shys had set up in Fluttershy’s room after dinner. The sun had since gone down and the room was in complete darkness save for a scented candle on a nightstand next to Fluttershy’s bed.

Next to her, Rainbow heard Fluttershy giggling. “They would be a unique couple, but I don’t remember ever seeing Zeph so happy.”

Rainbow looked over at her former friend. There had been tension between them since they had laid down. It was as if they were both avoiding something, something that was perfectly obvious to Rainbow, but something she was nervous to bring up. So, instead of tackling it, she continued. “Zeph? I’ve never heard you call him that.” She chuckled a bit.

Fluttershy turned over and faced Rainbow. “It’s an old foalhood nickname he used to hate, but one he only ever lets me use.”

“Ah,” Rainbow nodded. “Well, it sounds like you two are closer than ever.”

Fluttershy nodded, and the two slipped into silence. The floral scent of the pink candle on the nightstand was actually very pleasant, and after her long shift at her job that day, was just what the doctor ordered for a hopeful peaceful sleep free of dreams. Dreams that had haunted her for the past two years. At the thought of those dreams, her mood fell. Fluttershy must have noticed because her smile faded as well. “Dashie? You okay?”

Rainbow winced inwardly at being called by her old nickname. “Well, it’s just…I might not sleep well tonight. I haven’t been this week, and if I do, I have nightmares.”

“About Jason Wright?”

There it was. Out in the open. Just where Rainbow didn’t want it. The memory of that human pained her. Not because she hated him for anything, but because in her dreams she always saw him as he had been after she’d struck him with lightning all those years ago: a collapsed and twitching biped lying in the middle of Ponyville’s streets. A twitching being who would look up at her with a look of sadness, rage, then hatred.

She sighed. “And other things, but yeah…”

Fluttershy closed her eyes as she took in a shaky breath, then looked back at Rainbow. “Same here,” she whispered softly, “and it’s starting to drive me crazy. Mommy and Daddy can’t fully understand what I’m going though. Why do you think I asked my parents to ask you to stay?”

Rainbow’s eyes shot open at that. “What?” she asked.

Fluttershy sat up and leaned against the wall behind her, prompting Rainbow to do the same. The latter saw that the shy pegasus was psyching herself up for a serious conversation as it was obvious by her slightly twitching tail and regular focused breathing. Finally, Fluttershy turned to Rainbow. “Do you regret what we did to him?”

”Every damned day,” Rainbow said without hesitation. The profanity made Fluttershy wince, but now that Rainbow had spoken, she realized that she wouldn’t be able to stop. “All I can see in my dreams is him suffering because of me, and do you know what I did? I laughed because I, the Element of Loyalty and the defender of Ponyville, got a bullseye on the big bad monster. And my coworkers aren’t any help. I try to work to get my mind off of things, but they all know about the cruel pegasus mare who struck a magicless human in cold blood and don’t ever let me forget!” Tears began to form in her eyes, something she hated, but not something she could avoid now. “I can’t escape it!”

She felt a warm presence wrapping a pair of soft wings around her, and before she knew it, Rainbow was lying in Fluttershy’s bed next to her. She could feel that her friend was trembling as well. “I-I know…” she said with a whimper. “I keep seeing him all beaten up and hungry at my door, but I can’t even move to help. He stands there and begs me for help, but I-I just stand there like a coward…then he just walks away…”

Rainbow had never heard Fluttershy sounding so broken before. All through dinner, it had sounded like her friend was starting to get better, but Rainbow should have known better. Fluttershy took things rather personally when she messed things up, and in this case it was a major screw up. It made sense that she would hide her guilt beneath her new gardening habit and her old pet Angel, who was lying in a pet bed on the other nightstand next to Fluttershy’s bed. With trembling hooves, she wrapped her friend up in a hug as the two quietly sobbed.

After they finished crying and after cleaning their noses and eyes, Fluttershy looked at her old friend. “Hey…um…I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and…I’d like to try visiting Maretime Bay. Would…would you like to come with me?”

That caught Rainbow off guard. She knew that Rarity and Twilight both lived in that new coastal town, so the thought of going there to see them had briefly crossed her mind, but she was too angry at them and herself and ashamed to face them without risking blowing up at them. “You…want to visit Rarity and Twilight?”

“And Applejack,” Fluttershy added.

”Applejack?” Now Rainbow was even more confused. Last thing she knew was that her former rival and friend was still in Ponyville providing Equestria with her family’s goods.

“I got a letter from her yesterday saying that her farm was going under and that she was going to move to Maretime Bay with her family,” Fluttershy said. “It was postmarked a week ago, so she’s already in Maretime Bay by now.”

That was another blow to Rainbow. She didn’t think that AJ, of all ponies, would pack up and leave. There had to be more to it, and she mentioned it. Fluttershy nodded. “Yes, well, she said that the orchard was dying.”

Rainbow wasn’t sure how many more gut punches she could take. She curled up, feeling upset on AJ’s behalf despite their friendship being over. That farm had been her life, her family’s life, for over a hundred years. She took a few moments to gather her thoughts. “So…when are you going?”

“Probably…sometime tomorrow,” she said. “Zephyr’s going to come with me. It’s not that far away if we fly.”

Rainbow slowly uncurled herself, her mind racing. She wasn’t sure if she really wanted to go, but her old loyal self was starting to tug on her heartstrings, pulling her to go with her oldest friend. She took a deep breath, then made the biggest decision of her life, or so it felt.

“I thought you had a job,” Zephyr said to Rainbow after she appeared at the Shy household with a saddlebag packed with what she would need for a trip to another town. “Won’t they miss you?”

Rainbow shrugged. “I told them I was taking some emergency personal time,” she lied. In truth, she’d gone into her old job and, after calling out each of her coworkers on their faults which was a bit relieving for her, she’d unceremoniously quit and gone back home to pack quickly. She thought she’d done a pretty bang up job on calling the others at her old job out on their horse dung, and she felt a lot more free than she had in months, maybe even years. There were still the other emotions she had yet to sort out regarding some other more sensitive matters, but for the moment she felt pretty damned good, if she said so herself.

“Oh dear, I hope they didn’t keep you long,” Fluttershy said, but Rainbow knew that Fluttershy wasn’t fooled. She knew Rainbow had lied.

“Nah,” Rainbow said with a wave of her hoof. “I’m ready to go whenever you are.”

Fluttershy looked with a hint of suspicion at Rainbow, which the latter knew meant that there was a lecture coming later. She was used to that, but still wasn’t looking forward to it.

Tobias watched as his human friend walked quickly back to the future house of Sunny Starscout. He was keeping pace with Gregory after they’d quickly vacated the guard station after being paid without so much as a thank you. That wasn’t like him. Gregory might have been what a human might call a hard ass, but he at least was polite up to a point, especially with a client. The fact that he’d dispensed with that told Tobias that something was wrong.

Behind the two, Sunset and Twilight both were trotting along fast, trying to keep up with the longer strides of the taller bipeds. Sunset rushed up beside Tobias and looked up at him. “Hey, what’s up with our fearless leader?”

Tobias shook his head. He had no idea, but if he had to guess, it had something to do with how he reacted to the disembodied voice and what had happened to Spoiled Milk. He’d never heard of anyone named Queen Majesty. The only queens he knew about were Queen Chrysalis, who’d been missing for the past several months according to the rumor mill, Queen Nala IV of the Highclaw Dynasty from Panthera, and Queen Katherina VII of the Proudpaws Clan in Caninia, but that was it. “Not sure,” he replied, “but I’ve never seen him so…agitated.” He didn’t say afraid because he couldn’t see under Gregory’s mask. “I can only guess.”

Sunset sighed. “I can’t even guess…that damned mask…”

The four entered the house, but Gregory didn’t stop, instead heading upstairs. Tobias told Sunset that it would be a good idea to start packing up to leave, and he went after Gregory. When he entered the room where Gregory had slept the night before, he saw that his friend was packing in a rushed but methodical manner. Tobias knew that Gregory never unpacked anything much whenever they stopped, even during an extended stay somewhere. Quick in and out was one of the mottos of every mercenary. He closed the door and stood in front of it, blocking Gregory from leaving. “G,” he said calmly, “what’s going on? Who’s Queen Majesty?”

Gregory turned and faced Tobias. The abyssinian noted that despite not showing an ounce of skin, Gregory’s body was tense. “I can’t tell you that. She’s probably watching us with magic right now.”

Tobias raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure? Is this something from the My Litt-?”

Gregory was across the room and covering Tobias’ mouth. “Don’t talk about that!” he hissed.

Tobias’ eyes were wide now, Gregory’s gloved hand still over his mouth. Something was really wrong if he was acting this way, but he knew his friend well enough when to leave well enough alone for the moment. He slowly nodded, and when Gregory removed his hand, he said, “So, we’re leaving then?”

“Get packed,” was Gregory’s only response.

Knowing an order when he heard it, Tobias quickly left the room and went back to his room, not bothering to be neat while putting things in his bag. When he left his room, Gregory was already making his way downstairs with a quick but determined gait, only to freeze when he saw something downstairs. Concerned, Tobias rushed over and looked over the railing, only to pause as well.Sunset was downstairs, saddlebags ready and facing the open door which Twilight was standing in front of. Just outside the door, stood the very last person anyone expected to see.

Princess Celestia.

10: A Sudden New Contract

Sunset stared with wide eyes at the surprise guest to Twilight’s house. Behind the princess were a group of pony guards, none of which she knew, but they were certainly younger than she was. Celestia had locked eyes with Sunset and had a somewhat relieved look in her eyes as she took a step inside, walking right past a flabbergasted Twilight Sparkle. “Sunset…I’m so glad you’re safe.”

Sunset took a step back from Celestia, which made the alabaster alicorn pause. Before Celestia could say anything, Sunset spoke. “How’d you know I was here?” she asked through clenched teeth.

Celestia stopped in her tracks and then did something unexpected. She sat on the ground right where she was standing. “I received a report via pegasus about the attack on Twilight here,” she said, turning to Twilight. “I’m glad to see you’re not hurt,” she said, giving Twilight a small smile.

Twilight smiled back a bit nervously. “Ehehe, thanks.”

Celestia nodded, then turned back to Sunset. “I’ve been told you joined a group of mercenaries.” She gestured behind Sunset. “Are these them?”

Before Sunset could respond, Tobias stepped up to stand to her left. “My name’s Tobias, and this is our leader Revan. We’re a mercenary group named Shadow Dawn.” Sunset noted that he had a serious tone and expression on his face.

Sunset felt the looming but now familiar menacing presence of Revan on her right. Celestia looked at the two with a look of curiosity and confusion before she nodded. “I see. It’s nice to meet you two.”

“Your Highness, mercenaries can’t be trusted,” one of the guards, a unicorn who wore lieutenant stripes, said as he stepped forward and moved to protect the princess. “Look at how armed they are, and I don’t even know what kind of creature the one with the mask is.”

“Stand down, lieutenant,” Celestia said swiftly, “these two are not our enemies unless you make a move on them.” The lieutenant stiffened, clearly not happy with the order, but complied and stepped back. Celestia turned to Sunset again. “Sunset, I-”

“Save it, Celestia,” Sunset snapped back, trying her best not to unload everything at her former teacher. “I’m not your little pet project anymore. I’m not the pony you manipulated into becoming the Element of Magic.” She gave Twilight a withering look before turning back to the princess. “I’m my own pony, and I will find my own path.”

Celestia’s expression changed and she looked down at the carpet. “I never intended for you to be a pet project-”

“Tell that to the little experiment of yours over by the door,” Sunset snarled back angrily, pointing towards Twilight, who flinched.

Tobias stepped forward and put a paw on Sunset’s back. “Hey, don’t let your anger guide you to do something you’ll regret later. Don’t let your emotions influence you. Do you want to be like other ponies like that?”

Sunset snapped her head up at the abyssinian, anger showing clearly on her face. “Don’t butt in like you know what happened to me!” she shouted angrily.

Tobias stood his ground, however, and continued. “No, I don’t know what happened, and it’s not my business, but you’re a part of Shadow Dawn. We do not act rashly.”

Sunset took in a deep breath, years of repressed anger and emotions bubbling to the surface. However, before she could get another word in, a gloved hand gently but firmly pulled her back. She looked quickly up at Revan, but thanks to his mask, she couldn’t read his expression or even guess at his emotional state. He did, however, give her a single, quick, but meaningful pat on her withers before he turned back to face down the Princess without so much as a word. Sunset felt appreciation welling up in her for his support of her as she took a deep breath to calm her emotions. She might not have liked to hear it from Tobias, but he was right. She was falling into the same folly that the ponies of Ponyville did with Jason Wright. She looked up to face Celestia. “I don’t know what you hoped to accomplish by coming here,” she said evenly, “but I won’t be coming back as your student.”

Celestia looked hurt by this, but she nodded. “I didn’t expect you to,” she replied, “but I couldn’t let you leave without at least talking to you and expressing how sorry I am for what I did.”

“And just what is it you’re apologizing for?” Sunset asked with a hint of distrust.

Celestia gave her an apologetic look. “I didn’t make an effort to reach out to you as I should have,” she began, “and I failed to see just how you were growing. Our last conversation was one I deeply regret. If I could go back, I’d be a lot more understanding. I pushed you away from me, and I am so very sorry for it. I’m very sorry for everything I did. I’ll understand if you don’t want to forgive me, but I had to come and say this to you.”

Sunset didn’t react to this. Inside, she was rather shocked to hear that Celestia was actually acknowledging some of her faults. Still, part of her wanted to lash out. What about her dismissal of Sunset’s talents? What about whenever Celestia tried to force Sunset to make friends when she never wanted to make any because they always inevitably disappointed? She stood up straighter, closed her eyes, and inhaled deeply. “I’m surprised that you came all this way just to say that,” Sunset replied before opening her eyes. “That’s a lot of effort for an apology, even if half-assed.” She’d heard that expression from Revan at one point.

Celestia raised an eyebrow at the expression curiously, but said nothing. She simply replied, “You’re worth the effort, my former student,” she said softly. Slowly, Celestia stood. “I want to make things up to you however I can. I could provide you with a large number of bits and even a homestead somewhere quiet where you could live comfortably-”

“And there’s the other horseshoe drop,” Sunset said, disappointment dripping from her tone. “You want to keep me trapped in Equestria under your auspicious gaze, just like you did with the inhabitants of this pathetic, unworthy town!” She was about to go on, but Revan’s hand reappeared on her withers. She paused a bit, remembering what Tobias said once more. She calmed herself once more. “I’m a free pony, Celestia, and I’ll live life as I please. Let me ask: aside from diplomatic missions, have you ever, and I mean ever, gone out into the rest of the world? Have you seen the squalor and crime you ignore in Thornfall and Klugetown? Have you met with the tyrannical Storm King’s forces? Have you seen how far the gryphons have fallen from grace? Do you even know what the reality is for the others out in the world? How other species suffer because of your complacency?”

“How dare you speak to her Highness that way??” The lieutenant, clearly unable to hold back anymore, stepped forward with a magical aura around the hilt of his sword. However, Revan and Tobias both stepped up, the latter with his rapiers drawn and the former with his two strange miniature cannon weapons aimed at his head.

“Lieutenant, stand down now!” Celestia added. “You’re only escalating the situation!”

Sunset, while appreciative of the efforts of her new compatriots, stepped between them. She faced the lieutenant boldly. “Blind loyalty will only lead to blindness. Look at Jason Wright. What did Loyalty do to him?” Celestia and Twilight both stiffened at that, and this further emboldened Sunset. “Loyalty must be earned, especially to her royal sunnyness here.” She couldn’t help but throw in an insult, no matter how foalish it felt in the moment.

“That was too far, Sunset,” Tobias said.

She knew it was, but she couldn’t help it in the moment. Still, she regained focus and faced Celestia. “Why not use that money you were apparently saving for me and put it to work in helping ponies here who actually might want the help? And who are worthy, although that’ll be a difficult task. From what I’ve seen here, no pony in Equestria is worthy. None of the ones I’ve met seem to want to learn anything. The best of them, and I use that term loosely, only seem to wallow in their own self-pity.” She gave a quick look to Twilight, who looked away with shame. Feeling emotionally and mentally drained, she sighed. “If that was all you wanted to talk about, then we’re done here. We’ve got to head back to Thornfall for another job.”

“Actually, there were a few other things I wanted to talk with you about,” Celestia said, “and it has to do with the reports I received about the attack on Twilight and the transformation of one Spoiled Milk.”

“Witness statements?” Tobias asked as he finally sheathed his swords. Celestia nodded. “One of the guards was there, along with a few others. They saw and heard what we did, so I don’t see why we need to be here.”

“Because it seems one of you has information vital to the investigation,” Celestia said, and with that she looked at Revan. “What do you know?”

Revan, who had put his miniature cannons back, stood still. Sunset had heard the tone of his voice when he mentioned someone named Queen Majesty. He then seemed to take on a relaxed tone. Holding out a hand, he spoke. “We don’t give away this kind of information away for free,” he said. “How much will you pay us?”

The lieutenant snarled at this, and several other guards also seemed to take interest in what this masked figure had said. “You dare to demand money, you filthy mercenary!?”

“Lieutenant, leave this house right now,” Celestia said with a tone that Sunset had never heard from her before. A menacing tone full of threats of retribution. It even made her shudder in fear. “You are not helping anything.”

“You’re Highness, I must object-!”

“LEAVE!” Celestia bellowed before turning to the other guards. “Set up a perimeter around the house until I leave, is that understood?”

They nodded and quickly left, some amusingly with their tails between their legs like a dog after being scolded. That caused Sunset to snort a bit. When they’d left the house, Twilight shut the door and asked with a nervous tone, “C-Can I make you some tea, Princess?”

“No, but thank you for offering,” Celestia said with a soft smile. She then turned to Revan. “How much are you charging?”

“Five hundred bits, all upfront,” he said with a neutral tone.

Sunset was shocked that he’d asked for so much, but was even more shocked when Celestia nodded, raised her horn, and cast some magic which teleported a brown sack onto the ground in front of them. “Will this do?” she asked.

Revan didn’t move, but Tobias did. He swiftly picked it up and opened it. A cursory glance seemed to satisfy the abyssinian and he nodded at Revan. The masked biped then looked down at Sunset. “Anti-scrying spells, are there any?” Confused, she nodded. He then turned to Celestia. “You, Sunset, and Twilight cast a simultaneous anti-scrying spell, your most powerful one. I don’t want any prying eyes and ears seeing or hearing this conversation.”

The three named ponies exchanged looks before as one they all raised their horns. Three glowing shields surrounded the small group. As they moved to sit at the couches in the room, the shield moved with them. When they all sat, Revan folded his hands. “My information on Queen Majesty is limited at most,” he began, “but she was a unicorn who was once known as the most magical of all ponies. She ruled over them from Dream Castle in Dream Valley located in Ponyland. Her pet dragon Spyke lived with her in the castle. She was a benevolent leader but her methods of punishing those who threatened her ponies were rather…harsh. She would cast rhyming spells on those who did harm to her subjects, turning them into trees or some fitting punishment. However, the stories become more convoluted from here.” He leaned forward. “She and her pet dragon vanished from Ponyland before the arrival of Megan Williams and her siblings, humans who traveled to this world to help in times of need. The legends I’ve read about has led me to believe that something happened to her when the flutter ponies vanished.”

“Wait, humans were here on Equus?” Celestia asked in alarm.

“Here on Erda, yes,” Revan replied, using what Sunset now knew was the original name of this world. “That’s another story for another time. Somehow, she’s back and can cast spells from a distance. I will not be caught up in her shenanigans.”

Celestia looked at Revan with a curious expression now, then nodded in understanding. “I understand,” she said. “Thank you for telling me these things. Is there any other pertinent information you can relay to me? I can pay extra.”

Revan looked down a bit, then after a few moments shook his head. “Off the top of my head, I can’t think of anything. Only that she has, or had in the past, a magic scrying mirror that could see anywhere she wanted. Clearly, she was using it to punish Spoiled Milk for what she did, and since Spoiled was using drugs, she turned that mare into a tree. You’d probably call it a poetic punishment for her.”

Celestia’s expression hardened at that, but she simply nodded. “Cruel is what I’d call it,” she said, “but I suppose that’s one way of looking at it.” Looking up at Revan, she added, “Is there anything else?” Slowly, Revan shook his head. “Alright, thank you for telling me.” Raising her horn, she lowered her shield. Sunset and Twilight did the same.

“Is there anything else we can do for you?” Tobias asked.

“As a matter of fact, just one more thing, please,” Celestia said. “Before you leave, would you tell us, in your own words, what happened during the attack on Twilight and during your attempt to save the four fillies who Spoiled foalnapped?”

“So,” Tobias said about a day later as the members of Shadow Dawn had left town the afternoon before to head back to Thornfall, “you were once a student of the Equestrian Princess?” He gave Sunset a curious look. The question had been on his mind for the entire day, and he couldn’t hold his curiosity back.

Sunset looked up at Tobias, and he could tell that she didn’t want to talk about this. Still, while he knew a bit about her past thanks to Gregory showing him the Equestria Girls money grab, he had his reasons for pushing a bit. “Years ago,” she said, “it was so many years ago.”

“And you didn’t feel the need to tell us?” Tobias asked with a slight frown.

“It wasn’t pertinent,” she explained.

Tobias shook his head. “Wrong, my little pony,” he said, “it’s very pertinent. You saw just how pertinent it was back there. Your old teacher came to try and get you back.”

“I thought the mercenary guild didn’t care about who joined a guild,” Sunset snapped back.

“If we’d gone anywhere else aside from Equestria, we wouldn’t have cared,” Tobias pressed. “We’re not expecting your whole damned life story, but you could have at least given us a bit of a warning.”

“Well, you know now, happy?” Sunset asked, clearly growing more aggravated.

Tobias was about to reply when he felt the gloved hand of his friend on his shoulder. He looked over at the ‘Revan’ mask as Gregory gave his shoulder a squeeze. Tobias relaxed. “Yeah, for now,” he said in a warning tone.

“We’ll be on the road for a few more days,” Gregory said, “so let’s try not to tear each other up. Let’s just get as far away from Equestria as possible.”

“Hey, Revan, do you think that job in Panthera is still up on the board?” Tobias asked. Gregory just shrugged. There had been multiple requests from Panthera for a mercenary group to do a job in the abyssinian kingdom, and it had been upgraded a few times with increased payouts. The pay was good, but the job was the most dangerous one on the board. “If it is still there, should we take it?” As far as he knew, the Panthera job was the one that was farthest away from Equestria.

“Sure,” he said simply.

The fact that he’d instantly replied sent up alarm bells in Tobias’ mind. Gregory wasn’t one to take big jobs like that, he knew, so if he was this quick about it meant he was more afraid than Tobias thought. He hoped to get some information about it out of Gregory later that night. Figuring that his closest friend wanted to change the subject, Tobias decided to turn to a lighter subject. “I seriously didn’t expect you to make the princess pay for that information.”

That caught Sunset’s attention as well, and she fell back to walk closer to the two bipeds. “The look on that lieutenant’s face was priceless,” she smirked.

“That’s not quite what I meant,” Tobias said.

“What did you mean?” Sunset asked.

“Giving away information is a…tricky thing for the guild,” Tobias explained. “Obviously, we don’t give away information on our clients while we’re on a job, but it’s also implied that we don’t do it after the job is done. Still, some of the more disreputable mercenaries will sell out past clients for the right price, as I’m sure you know. Those are partly where the rumors about mercenaries come from. Giving out random information like what Revan did is a bit on the edge of acceptable behavior, but we won’t likely get punished for it by the guild. Especially since he wrung some really good coin out of the Equestrian government. If news of that gets around, our standing in the guild shoots up and the guild master will probably get us some more high paying jobs.”

“Damn,” Sunset said, sounding clearly impressed.

“We’re not telling anyone,” Gregory said firmly.

“What you’re saying now and what you told me earlier don’t add up,” Sunset said. “You said time is money, but you don’t want to increase your likelihood of getting better jobs.”

“The higher a job, the higher the risk involved,” Tobias explained. “With the money we’ve made now, we can easily pay off some of our debts so we’re in the black again.”

“Then what about that job in Panthera you mentioned?” Sunset asked.

“That’s a unique job that anyone can take, regardless of experience,” Tobias continued to explain, “and it has no time limit to complete. As a bonus, it takes us away from Equestria. Apparently, some shit is about to go down.”

Sunset seemed to understand this as she nodded. “I see,” she replied.

The three continued walking for hours, sometimes pulling out some of the small snacks they’d purchased in Maretime Bay before leaving to keep their strength up. They would also occasionally stop by a body of water where they refilled their canteens. Sunset knew a spell that sterilized and cleaned the water so no harmful diseases would be transferred, and Tobias enjoyed the taste of fresh water for the first time on the road. The water from Twilight’s house was clean enough, but there was a taste to it that he couldn’t readily identify. Lead, perhaps, he wasn’t sure.

It was about a half hour before they were going to stop that they came upon a campsite in a clearing of trees on the barely worn road. They’d seen the campfire smoke long before they saw the camp itself. Going around the mid-sized forest would only take them a day and a half out of their way, so they had no choice but to go through said forest. Tobias remembered this forest from their initial trek here, and it had a clearing just big enough for a campsite, which was where they found two earth ponies sitting around a campfire.

Tobias, the stealthiest among them, had scouted ahead and spotted them. Two mares, one a light gray with a straight darker mane and tail and the other a faded pink with a darker faded pink mane and tail. He immediately recognized the two from his viewing of the My Little Pony show. It was Pinkie and Marble Pie. Both were sitting on some rocks that had been dragged around the fire and were apparently boiling some delicious smelling stew of some kind. They were talking quietly but even Tobias’ ears couldn’t pick it up.

When he got back to the place where Sunset and Gregory were waiting, he gave his report. “It’s Pinkie Pie and another mare I don’t recognize,” he half lied. He knew he could get away with recognizing Pinkie since her face and cutie mark were well known, but he couldn’t get away with recognizing the latter.

“Can we go around them?” Sunset asked, clearly not wanting to see any new faces.

“Not unless we want to take an extra day getting back to Thornfall,” Tobias said. “Besides, there’s space there for both of us to have a camp, and the forest is free of dangerous creatures.” He paused, part of him wondering how he knew that, but shoved it aside as he continued. “We can’t avoid them. Time is money for a mercenary, you know that.”

Sunset gave an exasperated sigh, but simply nodded and said, “Fine.”

Pinkamena ate the carrot stew carefully, savoring the rather delicious and nutritious food that Marble had made as she stared into the bowl. The two of them had made excellent time ever since leaving their farm, better than most other travelers thanks to taking some shortcuts that Pinkie had felt out using her own methods that even she couldn’t explain. Methods that had once been more prevalent in her happier days. They were about a day/day and a half away from Maretime Bay.

Marble, on the other hoof, was keeping a close eye on her older sister. During their journey, the younger sister had stayed close to Pinkamena’s side, keeping her focused, helping her set up and strike camps, making sure Pinkamena ate three times a day, even if lunches were something simple like a hay and oat sandwich with lettuce and tomato. Pinkamena had helped with her part of the striking of camp and making breakfast and dinner, such as gathering firewood or cutting vegetables that their parents had packed for dinners and lunches, but for the most part Marble was doing the lion’s share.

“Great soup,” Pinkamena had to admit. The ingredients were simple, but Marble was always the best cook among them. Pinkamena may have been good when it came to desserts, but Marble was amazing when it came to normal food. She’d learned a lot from their mother in that regard.

“Thank you,” Marble said with a soft smile before wiping her muzzle with a small towel that she placed down on her lower legs before facing Pinkamena more fully. Her mane and tail fluffed slightly as she entered her Marble Sense persona. “Pinkie, you’ve been extra quiet today. Something on your mind?”

In truth, something had, but Pinkamena had been actively trying to suppress it, not wanting to think about it. Now that Marble had brought it up, she had to say something or risk going insane. She nodded. “Yeah. My Pinkie Sense is going haywire today.”

Marble looked concerned. “What are you sensing?” she asked.

“That’s just it: I don’t know,” Pinkamena said, a hint of frustration in her voice. “It’s super vague, but it’s only increasing as we get closer to Maretime Bay.” Her body jerked a bit for a brief moment before stopping. “See?”

Marble nodded, her concerned frown deepening. She actually looked like she was in deep thought. “Pinkie,” she began, “have you meditated on it?"

Pinkamena sighed. "Yeah, but it hasn't been helping as much lately," she said. "I don't know if I'm doing something wrong."

Marble nodded. “That happened to me a few times, and I just needed to change how I approached it. You haven't done that as far as I know. Finish eating, and I can teach you,” Marble said. “It works better for me with less physical distractions, and an empty stomach for you is a major one.”

Pinkamena gave a half smile at this, looking down at her leaner frame. Even now, after her grief had begun to subside after leaving Ponyville behind, her returning appetite had been bigger than the rest of her family’s own. She nodded and began shoveling healthy helpings of the carrot stew into her mouth, chewing gratefully on the softened carrots and celery.

She was just ladling out a second helping when a disturbance from the eastern part of the glade caught their attention. The two quickly turned, Marble standing with fear in her eyes and Pinkamena standing to her full height and moving to protect her younger sister. However, instead of some monster from the forest, three new figures emerged from the path that led to the exit of the forest. One of them was a pony, and that made Pinkamena breathe a sigh of relief, only for guilt to rush to the surface. The other two were bipedal, one being a black furred abyssinian while the other was a creature with a menacing looking mask who wore all black.

It was the abyssinian who spoke first. Raising his paw, he gave the sisters a friendly looking grin. “Howdy, folks,” he said with a friendly tone, “didn’t mean to startle you. We’re just passing through on our way back to our home.”

Pinkamena knew her sister didn’t do well with strangers, so she spoke up first. “Hello there,” she said.

The abyssinian smiled wider at her. “Hope it’s okay if we set up a camp somewhere nearby. This place is the safest spot for miles around and this forest has no monsters in it, so it’s perfect for us.”

Pinkamena looked behind her to see what her sister might have been thinking, but saw that Marble was looking at the group with wide eyes. Not eyes of fear, but eyes of shock. Worried, the dull pink furred mare nudged her sister. “Marble?”

“Hmm??” Marble came out of whatever trance she’d been in, looking at her sister with confusion.

“They’re asking if they can stay in the grove with us,” Pinkamena repeated.

“If you’re not comfortable with us being here, we can move on,” the abyssinian said. “There’s at least a half hour of day left.”

Marble looked back at them, and Pinkamena followed her gaze. Marble seemed to be looking between the hooded pony and the menacing looking masked biped. She took a deep breath, then looked back up at Pinkamena. “Mmhmm,” she nodded.

The abyssinian clapped his paws together. “Perfect, thank you! We’ll stay out of your hair as best as we can.” And with that, the group moved away towards a patch of flat ground near the edge of the grove, but one with a small hole in the forest canopy that gave a view of the sky.

Marble and Pinkamena resumed eating, now hearing the sounds of a nearby campsite being set up. Pinkamena could hear two voices speaking quietly: the abyssinian and the hooded pony. The masked creature with the glowing eyes in his mask said nothing, but did help.

Pinkamena didn’t watch, considering it rude. For the majority of the time their new neighbors set up camp, she just ate in silence, keeping her head down. At one point, however, she reached across to get a few more ladlefulls of soup when she noticed that Marble’s mane and tail had reached a level of fullness she’d never seen before. It wasn’t like the fluffy mane and tail of Pinkie Pie, but instead hers had locks of waves in them. More waves than anything Pinkie or Pinkamena had ever seen. Not only that, but when Pinkamena looked at Marble, she saw that her sister was staring intently at the group. More specifically, she seemed to be staring at the masked figure. “Marble?” Pinkamena asked in concern. When she didn’t respond right away, Pinkamena grew more worried and gently nudged her sister.

This caused her to jump, spilling a bit of her stew on the ground. “Ah, um, yes?” Marble asked.

“Are you alright?” Pinkamena asked. “You were staring at our guests.”

Marble didn’t respond right away. Instead, she looked down at her stew with a contemplative look. After a bit, she looked back over at the masked figure. “My Marble Sense is going wild,” she said softly so that only the two could hear. “That creature over there, whoever he or she is, is setting it off.”

That shocked Pinkamena. Her sister’s own Sense had never gone wild, at least not that Marble had ever said. She joined her sister in looking at the masked figure. Currently, he was lifting some rocks to create a fire pit while the other two were setting up a pair of tents. She wondered why this figure was wearing all black and never showing any of its…fur? Scales? Anything underneath. Was this creature hiding their identity as a species for some reason?

Marble looked back at the stew, then back at the group. “Pinkie, we packed extra bowls, right?”

Guessing her intentions and not faulting her for it, Pinkamena reached into one side of her saddlebag and pulled out three bowls. “Got them right here.”

Marble quickly took them and began filling them up with the steaming stew. Once she was done, she grabbed the cutting board she’d brought, placed the bowls on them, and began carrying them over.

Pinkamena was even more stunned than before. Marble was being incredibly bold. Still, she noticed that some of the waves in Marble’s mane began to straighten as she walked up to the group. Ever the protective older sister, Pinkamena quickly put her stew down and went to beside Marble towards the group.

The pony was the first to notice them. Underneath the hood, she gave a snort. “What do you want?” she asked evenly.

“Um, we wanted…to offer you some…of our dinner…” Marble said before Pinkamena could say anything. She was back to her hesitant speaking habit, but the fact that she’d spoken first was still a shock to Pinkamena.

The abyssinian came up to the group, a wide friendly smile on his face. “Really? That’s very thoughtful of you, but are you sure we wouldn’t be taking anything from you?”

Pinkamena spoke up now. “No, we’re not too far from our destination and we’re planning on staying for a while,” she explained.

The abyssinian looked over at the masked figure, who had stopped what they were doing and looking at them. The figure nodded, then went back to creating a fire pit. The abyssinian looked back and reached down to grab two of the bowls. “Well, if you’re offering, we’d be more than grateful to accept,” he said.

The hooded pony then revealed herself to be a unicorn when the third bowl lifted off of the board. “Where are you going?” she asked. “Let me guess: you’re going to Maretime Bay to talk to your former friends, Laughter?”

Pinkamena’s expression fell a bit. She knew her cutie mark was well-known throughout Equestria, and the way this unicorn mare was talking to her, it was clear she wasn’t a big fan. To her even further surprise, Marble stepped in front of her, the straightness of her mane becoming wavy again. “As a matter of fact, yes we are,” she said in a much more audible tone than her previous sentence to the newcomers.

That seemed to surprise the two and the abyssinian came up and put a paw on the unicorn’s back. “Go help with the firepit,” he said, “you’re not helping anything here with your attitude.” As the unicorn walked away, the abyssinian knelt in front of Marble. “I’m sorry for my companion’s behavior,” he continued. “She’s what you might call an acquired taste. All business, as it were.” He put a paw on his chest. “My name’s Tobias. We’re just passing through on our way back to where we live.”

Pinkamena nodded. “She’s not wrong, though,” she said. “My sister and I are on our way to Maretime Bay to visit our old friends there.”

“We were just there for a job,” Tobias explained. “We saw three of your old friends there, and they seemed to be doing alright.”

That caught Pinkamena off guard a bit. “A job? What kind of job?” she asked.

“An escort mission,” Tobias replied. “We were guarding and escorting a family moving there.”

“Mercenaries…” Marble said softly.

Tobias nodded. “Yes, miss. We’re mercenaries. We’re heading home now.”

She wasn’t sure why, but Pinkamena asked anyway. “Were you escorting somepony we might know? Somepony from Ponyville?”

“We were escorting a family from Ponyville, yes,” Tobias replied.

“The Apple family…” Marble said.

“That’s right, miss,” Tobias replied.

Marble looked back at Pinkamena. “They had to leave…?”

“Guess their land was more honest about their daughter’s cruelty than they were,” the unicorn scoffed.

At that, the masked figure threw down the stone they were carrying, stormed over to the mare, and grabbed at her cloak. “You. Me. Talk. Now.” The voice the sisters heard was menacing and deep, but also clearly male. He dragged the unicorn away with surprising speed into the forest surrounding the canopy.

Tobias watched them go, then turned back to the two sisters. “I don’t know too much about the reason behind their leaving,” he said with an apologetic shrug, “but what little I did see of their old home was of dying or dead crops. The entire town didn’t have a single blade of grass in it.”

Pinkamena looked down at the ground, slowly nodding. “Makes sense…” she said.

“Thank you…for telling us,” Marble said gratefully.

“You’re very welcome, miss,” Tobias said.

“Do we…owe you anything…for that information?” Marble asked.

Tobias shook his head. “Nope, that’s not sensitive information. We may be mercenaries, but we’d like to try and be as honest as we can be. The more honest we are, the more our clients would trust us and the more likely we’ll get repeat business.”

Marble and Pinkamena nodded. “Understood,” Marble said. She looked up at Pinkamena, then back at Tobias. “Could you…excuse us…for a…bit?”

“I’m not going anywhere,” he said as he pulled out a wooden spoon from his pack, sat on the ground against a tree, and began to eat the still steaming stew that the Pie sisters had given them.

Marble walked away, followed closely by a very confused Pinkamena. “Marble, what’s going on?”

Marble looked up at her sister. “I don’t know,” she admitted, “but something in my Marble Sense is telling me that I can’t be too far away from that masked creature.”

“But doesn’t he scare you?”

“He terrifies me,” Marble agreed, “but I can’t explain how my sense works.”

“None of us can,” Pinkamena said.

“How many bits do you have?” Marble asked.

“Um…maybe fifty,” Pinkamena said. Then, the implications of Marble’s question hit her. “No, you’re not-”

Marble, however, was not listening. Instead, she rushed back to Tobias, who was now being rejoined by the masked figure and the pony, the latter of whom was now no longer wearing the hood and had the look of a scolded foal on her face. “Um…Mr. Tobias…if we…wanted to hire…you to…escort us to…Maretime Bay…what would that cost us?”

The unicorn mare’s eyes widened at that. “We just left,” she groaned. This earned her a smack to the back of her head by the masked creature.

“You want to hire us to escort you to Maretime Bay?” Tobias asked, as if to confirm.

“Mmhmm,” Marble nodded.

The three mercenaries exchanged a few glances, then the masked creature spoke. “Excuse us.”

As the three walked away to speak in hushed tones, Pinkamena pulled Marble back. “Marb,” she said, using her sister’s nickname, “I don’t want to sound cruel, but how can we be sure we can trust these three? We don’t know anything about them.”

Marble nodded. “I understand, but do you trust me?” Pinkamena nodded. “Then trust that I’m doing the right thing. Also, was Tobias’ smile fake?”

“Huh?” Pinkamena was confused now.

Marble gave a small smile. “You claimed to be an expert on smiles. Was Tobias’ smile a fake one?”

Understanding dawned for Pinkamena, and she shook her head. To tell the truth, Tobias seemed very genuine in his smile. She knew from experience that anytime anyone lied, their smile was always off. Tobias’ was sincere. She immediately felt bad for making assumptions, realizing that she’d done the same things that her former friends had done with Jason. The same thing that she’d done too. She sighed. “I wonder if I’ll ever grow up.”

Marble gave her sister a reassuring smile and put a hoof on her back. “You’re getting better,” she said. She then hugged her sister close.

Pinkamena smiled a bit, then hugged Marble back for a number of seconds before breaking the hug. “I guess having a couple of escorts won’t be so bad,” she admitted. “But do you think we can afford to hire them? I know mercenaries need to be paid.”

“I brought a bunch of bits to be safe,” Marble said before reaching into her mane and pulling out a money purse.

Pinkamena’s eyes went wide. “Where did you learn how to do that??” she asked incredulously.

“From watching you,” Marble said with a triumphant smirk as she began walking back towards the three who were approaching them.

“So, we’ve discussed it,” Tobias said when they reconvened, “and if you’re willing to pay twenty-five bits upfront and seventy five upon completion of the escort request, we’d be more than willing to accommodate you.”

Pinkamena was a bit surprised by how cheap it was. The unicorn then spoke up. “The price is reduced because it’s a short request.”

“Do we have a deal?” Tobias asked.

The sisters looked at each other for a few seconds. Then, Pinkamena turned and nodded, reaching her hoof out automatically. “Yes,” she said.

Tobias reached over, wrapped his surprisingly soft paws around her hoof, and shook.

The former Queen Majesty sat in the bathtub that her new subjects, the nox ponies, had recently refurbished for her. The hot water felt good on her ancient yet youthful fur. The steam filled the private bathing area. She needed it after the infuriating day that she’d had.

Somehow, that human had known about her when nobody else in the world should have. And when he was explaining things to that foal pretender Celestia, he’d been smart, or paranoid, enough to have her and the two other ponies there put anti-scrying spells in place which had blocked her mirror’s view of the conversation. If it had only been one of them, it would have been easy for her to break through, but with three, even her powerful magic mirror couldn’t see.

In front of her was a floating smaller version of her mirror. She was focusing on the interior of a tent where Tobias as she now knew his name to be sat with the human, who’s mask was off again. A small lantern was lit between them, barely illuminating the two. The human, who was apparently named Revan, had a blanket pulled over his head like a hood to hide any shadows the lantern might show of his face on the tent fabric.

“I thought you really wanted to get out of Equestria,” Tobias was saying.

“Believe me, I do,” Revan replied in a whisper, “but a job’s a job, and we’re getting paid well.”

Tobias nodded in understanding. “I guess so,” he said, “but those two made it from their home to here without incident.”

“Pinkie is also a former Element,” Revan said, “which means she’s a target. You know that we need all the money we can get. If they didn’t want to hire us, I’d have agreed with Sunset and said no, but we’re in the red.”

“Okay, okay, you’ve made your point,” Tobias said. “I agree, but I just hope this doesn’t come back to bite us in the ass.” Majesty was confused as to why this action would bite a donkey, but she continued listening in.

“Me too,” Revan said as he lay down in bed. “Come on, let’s get some sleep. We can at least get a full night’s rest thanks to Sunset putting up a magic barrier.”

“Not so fast, G,” Tobias said, still sitting up and looking down at the human. “You have another question you need to answer.”

“What?” Revan sounded tired, and his eyes were already closed, the face mask on his forehead.

Out with it,” Tobias said with a frown, “how do you know about that Queen Majesty?”

Majesty sat up in her tub, curious to see what would be revealed here. However, Revan shook his head. “Someone could be watching us,” he said, “and I won’t risk that information falling into the wrong hands, hooves, or other appendages.”

“I’m not taking no for an answer this time, G,” Tobias said sternly. “Don’t you trust me?”

“You’re the only one I do trust,” Revan replied, “but neither of us can cast an anti-scrying spell.”

Tobias considered this, then slowly nodded. “Fine…fine…Does it have to do with Emelpi?”

Majesty tilted her head. What in Erda was Emelpi? Revan took a deep breath, then reached over, forming his hand into a fist. He gently pushed it against Tobias’ chest, then removed it before grabbing the lantern. “Goodnight, Toby,” he said, blowing out the lantern before pulling the blankets over him, covering his eyes with a sleep mask.

The mirror was covered in complete darkness now, but Majesty could still hear things from the mirror itself. The last voice she heard was the sound of Tobias saying in a disappointed voice, “Goodnight.”

Majesty raised her horn and teleported the smaller mirror back to her personal quarters, sinking lower into the water and letting the warm liquid soothe her ancient frame. Whoever this Revan was, he knew things about her that nobody should. That could not stand. Magic didn’t emanate from him like it did anything else on Erda. The only other source of that sort of anti-magic field came from the gravesite of Jason Wright. She suspected that a direct magical move on him wouldn’t work because of this.

So, she needed to think of indirect ways to get to this human and figure out what he knew about her.

11: A Brand New Day

“Thank you for these, sergeant,” Princess Celestia said, holding up the reports that they’d made on the two incidents that had taken place in Maretime Bay. She’d been given copies which she planned on reading when she got back to the place where she’d be staying for the night.

“Ain’t no problem, yer ‘ighness,” the sergeant said in his thick Manehattan accent. “I ain’t never seen or ‘eard anything like it. That mare might ‘ave been a foal abuser, but nopony enacts justice without my say so ‘round ‘ea.”

Celestia nodded. She’d seen the tree that had once been one of her ponies. She knew of Spoiled Milk by reputation. She’d actually never met the mare, but judging by that reputation, there was no way she’d like her. “I’ll be sending some investigators and some of our more prominent mages here to help,” she said.

The sergeant winced a bit, but at the same time looked grateful. Celestia knew that small town guards didn’t like their territory being encroached upon, but she also was now more aware that the town needed more guards as the current ones were made only of volunteers who appeared overworked. “Much appreciated,” the sergeant said.

“Anything else you can think of to tell me?” Celestia asked.

The sergeant thought about it, then shook his head. “Nothin’ I can think of,” he said.

“Then I’ll take my leave,” Celestia said. “If you think of anything, come see me. I’m going to be in town for another day or two and I’m staying at the lighthouse.”

“With Purple Book Horse, eh?” The sergeant snorted a bit under his breath before returning to his version of a professional frown. “Understood, yer ‘ighness.”

Celestia didn’t react to that nickname for Twilight, or to anything else the sergeant said. “See you later, sergeant.” With that, she walked out, flanked by two guards, both of which were pegasi.

When she reached the outdoors, she spread her wings. She would normally bring her carriage with her, but she wanted to actually fly and get some exercise in. Years of living like a princess had made her soft, physically as well as in other areas of her life. Without a word, she spread her wings and flew up into the air, followed close by four pegasi guards, the other two having positioned themselves just outside the guardhouse doors when they’d arrived. The wind felt good in Celestia’s face, and she enjoyed the salty breeze wafting in from the ocean to the west. A part of her wished that she could have come here for a long overdue vacation with her sister. The two of them loved swimming, and the summer sun was nice and warm. However, business came before pleasure, so she turned to the northeast towards a ledge where she spotted a group of ponies in tents striking camp. She knew from her information that this was where the recently dislodged Apple family was now setting up their new farm.

As she flew, her mind wandered, which it tended to do whenever she flew on her own. The information that the masked creature she now knew to be named Revan was terrifying, to say the least. It was also incredibly upsetting to know that humans had once visited their world and had been instrumental in aiding ancient ponies, at least according to what Twilight had said when repeating an earlier conversation that she’d apparently had with Sunset. She had no idea why, but Revan felt in a way familiar to her. It was nearly on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn’t figure out why.

Slow down, Celestia, she thought to herself as she reeled her thoughts in, let’s look at the facts. She proceeded to do so, then imagined Revan in her mind’s eye. Bipedal, masked, wearing nothing to indicate what species he was, voice being modulated by some sort of magical means-

She stopped, eyes wide. Magic…there had been absolutely no magic that had emanated from Revan aside from that mask. Not only that, she realized further, but he had five digits on his claws-no, his hands. She tried to figure out why she hadn’t realized it before, but got nothing.

“Your Highness? Is everything alright?” One of the guards had flown close to her and was speaking with a worried tone in his voice.

Startled from her sudden realization, she nodded. “Ah, I’m alright,” she said. Instinct told her to send a couple of guards after the mercenary and his team, but she shook her head. He wasn’t a citizen of her nation, just like Jason wasn’t due to her gross negligence until she granted it to him posthumously, so it was not her place to go after the only other human who had apparently slipped through her detection for who knows how long.

She hung her head in shame. She hated herself for what had happened to the now deceased human and had tried to make up for it after his death not only by her punishing those responsible, but by placing Jason to rest in the Royal Mausoleum in the highest of honors. She would visit his grave on the anniversary of his death and even other times to speak to the statue of the poor human. It never helped her overwhelming sense of guilt. Still, that first part of her wanted to go and provide Revan and his companions with a life that was better than Jason ever had and that Revan apparently was living. Thornfall, which was where the only mercenary guild branch on the continent existed to her knowledge, was a crime infested town full of a hodgepodge of different races. It was rife with crime and only the strongest could live there.

A stray thought passed through her mind. Thornfall was located in the Badlands, and one of the towns in Equestria that was close to that area was Dodge City. She remembered the report on how the citizens had thrown a ‘monster’ out in a rather atypically cruel way. Her heart sank when she considered the possibility that the monster the report spoke of could have been the only other human on Equus, at least as far as she knew. Had her ponies learned nothing? And now that this mysterious Queen Majesty had made her presence known and could apparently cast magic from afar, would she strike somewhere else? Would she strike Dodge City?

Her meandering came to a halt as she automatically landed on the grassy field where the Apple family were now staying, only to be greeted by the biggest and strongest stallion she’d ever seen. “Hi!” the stallion greeted with a wide friendly grin.

“Um, hello there,” Celestia said dumbly before recovering herself. “What’s your name?”

“Mango’s name is Mango!” the burly stallion replied.

As her guards landed on either side of her, Celestia nodded. “Nice to meet you, Mango. Are you a member of the Apple family?”

“Mango not part of family,” he said, “but Mango is helping Apple family after bad pony friends made Mango attack Apple family.” His ears flattened and a look of guilt seemed to wash over him.

Celestia could sense that there was a bigger story here, but she also could sense that this Mango, while he might be a bit simpler, was a good pony at heart. “Don’t look so down, my little pony,” she said with a reassuring smile. “I’m sure whatever you did in the past can be forgiven.”

“Mango hopes so,” the big pony said with a bit of despondency before he brightened. “What does pretty tall pony need? Mango go get smaller pretty orange pony?”

Celestia smiled more warmly now, a hint of red in her cheeks at Mango’s compliment. “Well, yes please,” she said, figuring that this Mango was referring to Applejack.

Mango nodded and rushed off, his massive hooves thundering across the grassy plain towards a hole being dug in the ground. Celestia waited patiently until Mango stopped and spoke to somepony in the hole and pointed in her direction. Instantly, an orange pony with a blonde mane and tail appeared and rushed over towards Celestia. When she stopped, the earth pony was out of breath. “Yer…hah…Highness…” she said, “We wasn’t…expectin’…company…”

“I’m in town on other business,” the alabaster alicorn said, “and when I heard that your family had moved here, I decided to come and visit.”

Applejack nodded and opened a flask hanging by a strap over her shoulder. She gulped down water then took in another couple deep breaths. “Well, uh, ah’d offer ya somethin’, but we ain’t got much else after the attack.”

Celestia’s ears perked up. “What attack?”

Applejack then launched into an explanation of her and her family’s trip from Ponyville to Maretime Bay. Celestia wasn’t surprised to know that they’d hired the mercenary group that had left earlier that day, but it was worrying to hear about another group of mercenaries that had been hired to attack the Apple family. She also heard Applejack’s side of the story in regards to her sister’s foalnapping by Spoiled Milk and her accomplices.

“That is quite a harrowing experience,” Celestia said. “How are Big Mac and young Apple Bloom holding up?”

“Big Mac should be right as rain soon,” Applejack said, “but Apple Bloom? She ain’t been sayin’ much since she came back yesterday.”

Celestia frowned in concern. “May I speak with her?” she asked.

Applejack shrugged. “You can try, ah guess, but she ain’t talked to Granny or me or anypony else here since comin’ back.” With that, she turned and led Celestia and her guards to the cluster of tents. When they reached a bigger one, Applejack pointed. “She’s restin’ in there,” she said. “Please be gentle. She ain’t eaten much.”

Celestia nodded, thanked Applejack for her help, then ordered her guards to stay outside. As the four pegasi stationed themselves around the tent, Celestia poked her head inside and looked around. The tent was apparently being used as a living area, with cots lined up on either side of the tent flap entrance and personal belongings sitting next to each cot. The only one not neatly made held a red and yellow figure who was turned away from the tent flap.

Celestia stepped in and gently approached. As she did so, the figure stirred. “I told ya, Granny, I ain’t that hungry right now,” a tired sounding voice said as the owner of said voice pulled the blanket further up.

Celestia was about to reply before stopping. She raised her horn and a small lollipop that she’d brought for herself appeared floating above the young filly. “Not even for a sour apple lollipop?”

Apple Bloom shot out of the cot and looked towards Celestia. “P-Princess?!” she exclaimed in surprise.

Celestia lowered the light green lollipop down on the covers and sat down next to the cot. “Hello, my little one,” she said softly, noting how haggard the filly’s appearance was and trying not to wince with worry. “How are you doing today?”

Apple Bloom slowly pulled the covers off of her and sat up, the look of shock never leaving her face. “I-I-what are you doin’ here?” was all that she could ask.

Celestia continued to smile, although inwardly her worry for the young filly grew. Being foalnapped must have affected her deeply, especially if she saw what happened to Spoiled Milk. She knew she had to go about this delicately. “I came by to check up on you and a few other ponies yesterday,” she said honestly. “I heard that you got hurt.”

Apple Bloom looked down at her body, then back up at Celestia. “I didn’t get hurt,” she said with some confusion.

“Not outside, but inside,” Celestia said, pointing to the spot where a pony’s heart was on her own barrel.

“Oh…OH,” Apple Bloom said with recognition in her tone. “You mean with Diamond’s mom?” Surprised that Apple Bloom was willing to talk about it already, Celestia plunged ahead and nodded. “I told Granny and AJ that I’m fine,” she added with a hint of frustration. “I’m just tired from the trip, is all.”

Celestia inwardly frowned. Apple Bloom was apparently in semi-denial about the entire ordeal. She hated doing this to a filly, but she had to help her through her trauma. “Sweetie,” the princess said softly, “I’m sure you’re tired from the trip, but you got into some trouble that could have hurt you.”

“I knew AJ would come save me,” Apple Bloom said with confidence.

“I’m sure she would have,” Celestia agreed.

“And she did come help save me!” Apple Bloom announced.

“Yes, she did,” Celestia agreed again before she decided to change the subject. “My little pony, I’ve heard that you haven’t really been speaking to the rest of your family lately.”

“Like I said, I’m just tired from the trip,” Apple Bloom defended.

“But not tired enough to spend a night with your friends?” Celestia asked.

That caught Apple Bloom off guard a bit, and Celestia could see that she was scrambling to come up with a defense to that question. “W-Well, they’re my friends,” she said, “and I haven’t seen ‘em in years.”

Celestia knew that she’d pushed a bit too far, so she backed up. “Of course, that makes sense,” she said. “Well, I hope that you catch up on your rest. Enjoy the lollipop.”

“Thank you kindly, Princess.” Apple Bloom gave her a smile, then opened up the lollipop and began sucking on it. Her eyes widened. “Sour apple?”

Celestia smiled back and nodded. “It’s one of my favorite flavors. Do you like it?”

Apple Bloom didn’t respond right away. She continued sucking on it, then tears began streaming down her cheeks. Her bottom lip began to quiver and she dropped the lollipop. Celestia grabbed it in her magic and set it down so it wouldn’t get dirty. Walking up, she lowered herself and wrapped the young filly in her wings as she hugged the young teenage earth pony. Apple Bloom began to sob, her body trembling as she buried her snout into Celestia’s barrel.

Applejack came rushing in a few moments later and saw what was going on. She tentatively approached. “Apple Bloom?” she asked with a hesitant tone.

“Be at ease, Applejack,” Celestia said as she gently passed the crying filly over to the older mare, “she’s just beginning the process of healing.”

Applejack and Apple Bloom clung to each other, the younger one crying more openly while the older one only shed a couple of tears while remaining stoic. As Celestia left the tent to leave the siblings in peace, she saw Granny Smith sitting in an old rocking chair nearby. The chair was on a hastily built small patio sitting on the grass. Celestia remembered the first time over a hundred years ago when she’d met the young Granny Smith. Walking over, she sat next to the elder earth pony. The two sat in silence, watching as a few ponies in the distance were working to dig up a part of the plot of land for a new house.

Granny didn’t seem to notice her presence at all until she finally spoke up. “So, what brings yah by our new home?”

Celestia didn’t move, instead watched as the burly Mango kicked down a tree in the nearby woods with surprising ease. “Well, I wanted to personally investigate a couple of incidents that happened here,” she said.

“Mmhmm,” was all that the elder mare said. The two didn’t say anything for a bit longer before Granny added, “Ah know that’s a load of hooey.”

Celestia was stunned by this. It was extremely rare for anypony to talk back to her like that. Not even her advisors spoke to her like that. “What makes you say that?” she asked.

“Ah may be a young’un compared tah yah, but ah ain’t a fool, now,” Granny said. “Ah kin tell when somepony’s lyin’ through their teeth.”

Celestia smirked a bit, then giggled. “Heh, well, I did come to investigate, but I came for another reason, too,” she said.

“Ah’m guessin’ it has tah do with Sunset?”

Celestia raised an eyebrow. “Well, yes,” she said with confusion. “How did you know?”

“Ah remember a time when that mare came down tah Ponyville with ya durin’ one Summer Sun Celebration,” Granny said. “Yah called her yer ‘Shinin’ Star’. She loved playin’ with Big Mac on the farm. Ah think that Big Mac actually had a bit of a crush on her back then, but he must have fergotten her. And she fergot us, too.”

Celestia thought back. She remembered that time. It was when Sunset was about five or so. She did remember how excited Sunset was to go exploring an actual farm. She and Big Mac, who’d been maybe about six or seven at the time as she recalled, had become close friends rather fast, so much so that Sunset was crying when they had to go back to Canterlot. Sunset eventually forgot about that trip, however, and Celestia foolishly never really told her about it. Now she wish that she had. “That was my fault,” Celestia admitted. “I should have told Sunset about it. It may have helped in the end.”

“What in tarnation happened tah that filly?” Granny asked. “She was so…”

“She’s angry at me,” Celestia said. “I wronged her years ago, and she left Canterlot one night after a terrible fight we had. I’ve wanted to make things right with her for years, but she left Equestria and I could never find her until now.”

The two sat in silence for a bit, a slight breeze flowing through their manes as they watched the few ponies continue to work on digging up the sight of the new house. Once more, Granny spoke. “And yah didn’t tell her ‘bout that visit why?”

Celestia once more flinched at the words. Granny’s tone wasn’t accusatory or angry, simply emanating a detached curiosity. That hurt a lot more than she expected. “There’s really no excuse for me not telling her,” she said.

“Darn tootin’ there ain’t,” Granny said. “Ah remember mah son and daughter-in-law tellin’ Big Mac about the, and ah quote, ‘…cute fiery unicorn filly yah played with all over the farm’. He don’t remember it none, of course, but he knew ‘bout Sunset. He just never said nothin’ since she was actin’ like that.”

Celestia nodded and bowed her head in shame. She was so lost in thought that she didn’t hear the distant sound of a teleportation spell. However, she heard the distinctive shout of a mare. Looking up, she saw a group of creatures standing on the edge of the new property line. One of them, a faded pink mare with straight mane and tail, galloped towards the tent. Celestia recognized her as the former Element of Laughter. She looked a lot leaner than she had before. Looking back to the others, she saw a gray earth pony mare who was speaking to…the abyssinian mercenary from the day before?

She stood up in confusion. Why had he returned? she wondered to herself. No, why had they returned? She noted that Revan and Sunset were standing nearby, although the latter had her hood down and looked tired. Celestia could tell just by looking that Sunset had just expended a lot of magic. Worried for her former student, she stood and rushed over. “Sunset?? Are you alright??”

Sunset froze and looked up at Celestia in shock. Shock which quickly was replaced with a frown. “What are you doing up here?” she asked.

“Investigating what happened here in detail,” Celestia explained.

Sunset didn’t respond right away, but simply nodded after a few moments. “I see,” she said.

Celestia thought back to the brief conversation she had with Granny, and decided that she had to tell Sunset about it. “Sunset, could I speak with you in private for a bit?” she asked. “I want to tell you something.”

Sunset looked a bit hesitant, but finally slowly nodded. The two walked away from the other group to find a place where they could talk without being overheard. All the while, she felt the blue eyes of Revan on her. This, she knew, was going to be extremely painful.

Sunset couldn’t believe what she had just heard. She couldn’t even process it. She’d visited the Apple family farm when she was barely five years old?? She’d gotten close with the red stallion for a day and then had been upset when she had to leave? That wasn’t the worst part, though. Celestia hadn’t even told her about it, much less taken her back! She didn’t know why it bothered her so much, because in all honesty it shouldn’t have, but it did.

She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, trying very hard not to let her anger resurface, but it was next to impossible. If Celestia had hidden this part of her foalhood from her, what else had she hidden?

“And…you kept this from me, why?” she asked through clenched teeth.

Celestia, to her credit, didn’t flinch. Instead, she lowered her head. “I don’t have any excuse for that,” she said, her voice even containing a hint of a tremble, which caused Sunset to feel a sense of satisfaction.

Still, she had to be the bigger mare and not act the way she had been acting, which Revan had called her out on yesterday as being foalish, or childish in his terms. Sunset exhaled. “I didn’t ask for an excuse, I asked for an explanation,” she said.

Celestia’s ears went back and she slowly raised her head. “Truthfully…I believe it was partially because I semi-forgot about it and perhaps because I thought you’d forgotten.”

That stung despite Sunset trying hard not to let it. Closing her eyes again, she tried to think back to her earliest memories as a young foal. The sight of the farm had not elicited any sort of memories from her when she’d seen it a few days ago, but now she really concentrated.

Flashes. A bright freshly painted red barn. A cute red colt. An orange toddler filly. Celestia talking with two adult ponies Sunset didn’t know, one of which was wearing a brown southern hat, whatever they were called. Her and the red colt running through the massive apple trees. Tasting the best apple she’d ever had after the red colt kicked it off the tree with nothing but his brute strength.

She opened her eyes in shock. There was nothing to be heard save for the trees rustling in the wind and the digging ponies. She turned sharply towards where the red stallion who’d been injured was sitting and recovering. Narrowing her eyes, she picked up familiar features she hadn’t noticed before. The shade of red. The hay brown color of his mane and tail. Even the yolk that he wasn’t wearing but was sitting next to him she remembered having seen in her memories, but not on the colt.

“You remember, don’t you?” Celestia asked hesitantly.

“What do you think?” Sunset snapped before she could stop herself. She turned back sharply to look at Celestia. “I’m pretty sure that stallion over there was my first foalhood crush. And you promised that we’d go back down to visit that next year.” She was glaring at Celestia now, and in her hurt, a tear fell from her eye.

Celestia’s eyes widened, and she took a step forward. “Sunset, I’m so sorry-”

“Yeah, sorry now,” Sunset said through gritted teeth as she stepped away from Celestia. “I just…” she stopped and turned away. “I need to be alone.” So saying, she turned and walked swiftly away, not wanting anypony to see her crying.

She nearly ran towards the edge of the forest, teeth clenched so hard she was tasting blood. At one point, she thought she saw the red stallion watching her. When she reached the edge of the treeline, she went a few steps into the forest before collapsing into a pile of moss, shouting angrily into it as the tears finally began to flow. She hit the ground hard with everything she had, screaming into the moss so the sound wouldn’t carry. In those moments, all the anger, the self-loathing, the shame, the hurt, everything came flooding to the surface. It was overwhelming.

She wasn’t sure how long she had been screaming and crying, but a part of her was aware of someone enveloping her in a firm, welcoming hug. She was too focused on her emotions to register it. The moss was replaced by a warm body covered in clothes. She clung to the figure without a second thought, unaware that she was doing it in the moment.

When she finally did register what she was doing and what was being done to her, she quickly pushed away from whoever was holding her. To her complete shock, she found herself looking into the glowing blue mask eyes of Revan. He was kneeling in the underbrush, his arms slowly falling to his side. She stared at him in shock, unable to speak. Her mouth opened and closed several times, trying to think of something to say, but her brain was locked.

It was Revan who spoke, the glowing blue part of his mask where a mouth would be brightening with each syllable. “Feeling better?”

She wiped her eyes, sniffing in the snot that had escaped her nostrils. Revan reached into a pocket and gave her a black hoofkerchief. She took it without a word, blowing her nose before giving it back to him. He took it, folded it, and placed it back in the same pocket. “I-I don’t know,” she said honestly, the memory of everything still a bit jumbled. The most confusing memory was that Revan, the apparently stoic leader of their band of mercenaries, had actually held her. She couldn’t fully process what he had done or even why.

“Do you need more time?” he asked.

Sunset sniffed again, then shook her head as she wiped the remainder of her tears with her hoof. “No, I should…should be okay to leave,” she said.

“Very well,” Revan said as he stood to his full height. “Let’s move.”

Marble watched from a distance as the strange masked figure known as Revan came walking out of the treeline followed by a slowly plodding Sunset. Marble’s empathic senses were in overdrive as she saw the latter’s emotional state to be one of sorrow, shock, and thankfully somewhat diminished rage. She knew right away that she and Sunset were very similar in one regard: they were both empaths.

Marble wasn’t a fool. She knew she was different from her siblings from a very young age. She always seemed to have a sense of how others were feeling. When she first started going to the school in Rock Ridge, she hadn’t been as reclusive as she was now. She wanted to make a couple of friends, but at the time she had no idea how to properly utilize her unique gifts. She got herself picked on and teased by other foals very quickly. It had traumatized her so much that her parents had pulled her out of school so she could be homeschooled. She’d never quite recovered from the cruelness of young foals, but in recent years she’d begun working on herself more.

She decided to approach her, taking a deep breath and walking over before her brain could stop her. She felt some strands of her mane beginning to fluff up slightly. The first one to spot her approaching was the masked creature named Revan. He was the only one she couldn’t get a read on, although she thought he’d seemed a bit more caring in the way he walked after Sunset. He cocked his head slightly, but said nothing. Sunset, however, did notice her. Her face twisted into a scowl, but a scowl of embarrassment more than anything else. “What?” she asked, clearly feeling the embarrassment.

Marble could tell she’d been crying due to the tearstains on her face. She looked at Revan. “Excuse me…may I speak to Miss Sunset?”

Revan looked back at Sunset, then back at her. “I’ll leave you two along.” So saying, he walked away back towards where Tobias stood.

The two ponies stood near each other, neither of them saying anything. Marble was working on how to begin the conversation when Sunset spoke. “What do you want?”

Marble’s mane deflated slightly, but pressed onward, her heart beating heavily. “Well, since…you won’t be around…for long…I wanted to see how you were doing…”

Sunset looked at her incredulously, then opened her mouth sharply. However, she looked past Marble, then seemed to think better of what she was initially going to say. “Well, what’s there to say?” she asked. “I’ve been through tartarus these past few days, and I just learned that my teacher was-” She stopped and put her hoof to her muzzle before looking at Marble in shock. “You’re…”

Marble sat down on her haunches and nodded slowly before brushing her mane behind her ears so both of her eyes were visible. “I’m like you.”

Sunset’s eyes were as wide as saucers, and a hint of fear crept into her expression before she backed away. “Stay away,” she said, stumbling back and falling onto her own haunches.

Marble didn’t move, instead continued looking at Sunset with a placid expression. “Sunset…I’m not…your enemy…” she said, “and you know…I can’t lie…to you…just like you can’t…lie to me…”

Sunset slowly began to calm down, but she still didn’t move from where she was. She didn’t say anything for a while. Finally, she looked down, avoiding the gaze of her fellow empath. “I…I don’t want to talk about what’s wrong,” she finally said.

“Take…your time…” Marble said. “It doesn’t…have to be…me…” She stood up and stretched, her mane beginning to fluff up again. “We just met, so I don’t expect you to talk to me,” she said, “but you should already know what holding things in does to us.”

Sunset nodded with a bitter edge. “We lash out…or we become reclusive.” Finally looking up, she said, “Which one are you?”

Marble gave a small smile. “Take a guess.”

Sunset looked at Marble, then smirked. “Introvert.”

Marble nodded. “I’ve been starting to work on that,” she said.

“So you wanted to talk to me to…what, say that I should work on my own issues?” Sunset asked.

“I only wanted to see how you were doing,” Marble said. “It’s not my place to tell you what to do.”

Sunset made a scoffing noise, but didn’t refute her words. “Well, as much as I have found this brief conversation interesting, to say the least, I really need to go. We’re on a deadline to get out of Equestria.”

Marble nodded and watched as Sunset stood and trotted away. She would probably never see her fellow empath again, but she did hope the best for her.

“Revan, may I speak with you privately before you leave?”

Revan, who had been standing next to Tobias while Sunset was speaking to a mare Celestia didn’t recognize, looked up at the alicorn princess. “It needs to be quick,” he said. “We’re leaving as soon as possible.”

“I promise it won’t be long,” Celestia said.

Revan turned and looked at Tobias, who nodded at him with a smile. Revan then turned back and gestured towards another section of the forest surrounding the new sight of the Apple family home. Celestia fully intended for this to be a brief conversation. Had she had more time, she would have made it a longer one, but she saw how terrified Revan was despite not having seen his face through the mask.

Once they were in the thick foliage of the trees and away from sight, Celestia put up a powerful magical barrier that could protect them not only from being heard, but could protect them from scrying spells of any kind. She then looked at Revan with a saddened expression. “Revan, I am so sorry for what happened to you.”

Revan didn’t reply right away, and when he did, he asked, “What do you mean?”

“Dodge City.”

Celestia might not have been able to see Revan’s expression, but the way his body stiffened told her everything she needed to know. He straightened up and crossed his arms. “What are you planning, princess?” There was a bitter edge to his tone.

Celestia shook her head. “Revan, I already failed one human. I don’t intend on failing another. I have no authority over you and can’t force you to stay where I can try and protect you. That would be something I won’t ever do to a sapient being who’s done nothing wrong.” She gave him a sad smile. “I just want to let you know that if you ever need help, I will be there to offer aid in any way I can.” She raised her horn and a small candle appeared in midair. She lowered it towards him. “Write a message and burn it with the flames of this candle, and it will come straight to me if you ever need help.”

Revan looked at the candle, then back at Celestia. Slowly, he reached out and took the candle in his grasp. When he touched it, Celestia felt a very slight drain on her magic, as if the masked human in front of her was made of some kind of anti-magical substance. As he slipped it into the pocket of his black coat, he inclined his head. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“And I won’t tell anyp-anybody-that you’re a human,” she added, guessing that was why he wore the mask. He nodded silently and was about to turn away when she stepped forward. “Before you go, I have a request.”

He looked over his shoulder back at her. “What is it?” he asked.

“You can refuse if you want,” she prefaced, “but could I see your real face?” He froze, slowly turning to look back at her with his arms still crossed. “Don’t worry, the shield I put up is blocking anyone from looking in at us from outside, if that’s what you’re concerned about.”

Revan didn’t speak for a while, and the passing silence only increased the tension around them. Finally, he shook his head. “Perhaps…another time.”

She was disappointed, but nodded in understanding. “Of course,” she said as she finally lowered the shield around them. “Sorry for taking up your time. Thank you for all you’ve done to help us.”

“You’re wel-”

“Behind the mask is where you hide
“the truth of your descent.
“But what of you will now betide
“when from your face it’s rent?”

Suddenly, a bright purple glow surrounded the mask around Revan’s face. He reached up to try and stop it, but he was lifted up into the air by the mask. Celestia tried to use her own magic to pull Revan away, but the moment her magic touched the foreign magic, she was flung back, hitting a tree. Dazed and confused from the impact, she tried to stand to help, but the impact on her head was still messing with her senses. She heard what sounded like hissing, then the sound of a body hitting the ground.

She shook her head clear of all the dizziness and rushed over to where she’d heard the sound. Revan lay there, only now he was maskless. He was slowly getting up, groaning as he did so. She saw his feature for the first time, and she was shocked to see that, like Jason, he too was scarred. His hair was long and sweaty, he had a bit of stubble coming in, but his eye were what stood out. They were a bright blue, and when he looked around, they were full of fear. He looked up at Celestia. “Help…”

“A welcome guest you’ll be in my home,
“so don’t you worry or fret.
“For too long, you have been made to roam
“and with me, you won’t be beset.”

A blast of magic came from a sliver of light and hit Celestia, once more sending her flying back. She watched helplessly as Revan was pulled back, being encased in purple magic, and vanished into the sliver of light, vanishing in another flash.

Gregory was lying on a large stone floor and staring up at a domed ceiling where a chandelier apparently hung. A bright light at his feet was quickly vanishing, but before he could get up and do anything about it, the light vanished.

He swiftly got to his feet and looked around, grabbing the pistols at his sides and undoing the safeties on both of them. His heart was racing. He knew about Majesty from the MLP book from the 80s, and what he learned about her in this world, which wasn’t much, didn’t fill him with confidence that she was good.

He was standing in what looked like an empty throne room, with the space behind said throne shrouded in darkness. It was also warm. He looked around, doing his best to keep his wits about him. He didn’t let panic set in, focused on taking in all of his surroundings, and did his best to keep a cool head.

“Greetings, Gregory,” a feminine voice said in a soothing tone. Gregory tried to find where it was coming from, but he couldn’t determine its origin. He remained silent, keeping his senses alert. “Please forgive me for frightening you,” the voice said, “that was not my intention.” Gregory remained silent, still unable to determine where in this throne room the owner of the voice was. “Oh dear, I didn’t mean to scare you so badly,” the voice said once more. “I think perhaps some rest will do you some good. Perhaps when you are awake, we can have a calm conversation. After what you’ve been through in this world, you deserve a peaceful sleep.”

Gregory heard the hissing of air coming from all around him, and he began to feel extremely sleepy. He tightened his grip on his two pistols as best as he could, but he felt the floor coming up towards him as his legs gave out beneath him. He was unconscious before he hit the floor.

12: In The Hall Of The Mountain Queen

When Gregory opened his eyes, he first felt comfort unlike anything he’d experienced in the two years since he'd entered Erda. Not even his bed in Thornfall could compare, although that was actually more of a cot than anything else. The next thing he noticed was the pleasant scents around him. When he opened his eyes, he saw that he was resting comfortably in an actual bed, with soft pillows and an actual mattress.

Groaning, he sat up, trying to remember just what had happened to him beforehand. A lot of it was a blur. Rubbing his eyes, he looked down first at himself. His normal clothes were no longer on his person. Instead, he was wearing a light gray long sleeved shirt along with a pair of thin, brown pants. Hastily looking around the room, he noticed that his clothes were neatly folded on a nearby cushioned chair, as were his boots. All of them looked like they’d been cleaned quite well.

Pulling aside the blankets, he slowly stood, feeling a bit unsteady and a bit tired still. He held onto one of the bedposts as he surveyed the room. It was a rather extravagant room, if he was honest. The dark blue carpet was soft and comfortable, there was a nice fire in the fireplace across from his bed, there were bright white candles lit on the end tables on either side of his bed alongside the candelabra on the mantle. There was a window to the left of the bed which had a pair of floral-patterned shades. No light came through said window, though.

As he moved out from his bead unsteadily, making his way towards the chair where his clothes were, more light came from above. Looking up, he saw a chandelier with glowing crystals as the lights. He saw more of the room’s details as the light continued to brighten. There was a walk-in closet where a few clothes hung, all looking like they were made for humans. He saw an opened door which looked like it led to a bathroom. There was a closed door on the right of the bed, which Gregory reasoned was the entrance to this room. Next to the door, sitting on a small pedestal, was a pair of ornate looking shoes that looked like they had been made for humans again.

When he finally reached the chair that held his clothes, he gingerly picked them up and examined them. They had indeed been cleaned, judging from the lack of dirt or stains on them. There were even stains that had been on some of the clothes for months that had been cleaned and removed. They all also smelled fresh, like flowers. He began to get undressed, noticing that he was currently wearing no undergarments underneath the pants he wore.

As he slowly got changed, memories of what had happened began to resurface. The return to Maretime Bay, him comforting Sunset, his brief conversation with Celestia, then his teleportation to wherever this was by Majesty.

When he remembered this, his blood ran cold and adrenaline shot through him. Queen Majesty…she’d kidnapped him and drugged him for God knew what reason. Silently, he cursed his foolish, idiotic decision to take the Pie sisters’ job offer. He had gone against his better judgment and just gone back into the den of lions.

Although, he thought as he put the now soft black long-sleeved shirt back over his head, I suppose it was only a matter of time before what little luck I had ran out. As he continued thinking, he patted down his pockets, remembering the candle that Celestia had given to him mere moments before his abduction. To his dismay, the only thing in his pockets was nothing. To his further dismay, his weapons, the two pistols and his knives, had also been confiscated. The only things he had in his pockets was a white scarf he carried around with him and a pair of sunglasses. He collapsed into the now empty chair, facing down onto the dark blue carpet before him.

As he tried to restart his brain, which was still somewhat fogged up by whatever drug had knocked him out (if the hissing sound he heard was any indication), there was a gentle knock at the door. Instinctively, he went for the holster at his belt, only to remember that he had no holster or gun. He let out a quiet sigh and stood. Majesty had him, so he mused that he was practically powerless to do anything about it at the moment. Best to play it safe and gather intel. He brushed himself and called out in a shaky voice, “Who is it?”

From behind the door, he heard the muffled voice of a younger woman. “Are you decent, sir?” she asked with some degree of hesitation.

“Yes,” Gregory replied.

“May I come in, then?”

Seeing as how he had no other choice, he nodded before realizing dumbly that whoever was behind the door couldn’t see him. “Sure.”

The door opened and a dark green pony mare appeared. At first glance, she looked like an unusual earth pony dressed in a pony version of a maid uniform, but as she entered, Gregory noticed that this pony had wings. Only, these weren’t pegasi wings. Instead, these had a bit more of an insectoid appearance to them. Like a dark green pair of butterfly wings. Is she half changeling? Gregory thought as the maid came in, carrying a tray with what looked like some sort of steaming porridge in a bowl and a glass of water next to it. There was also a juicy red apple there as well as a smaller bowl of a white substance.

No, those aren’t changeling wings, Gregory noted. He’d seen a couple changelings in Thornfall, and their wings weren’t anything like that. He watched her carefully as the clearly nervous mare put the tray down on a nearby desk. Turning, she did what could only be considered a curtsy towards him. “Compliments of our queen,” she said, gesturing towards the tray.

Gregory hesitantly approached, looking at the tray of food suspiciously. The white substance in the small bowl could possibly have been sugar, because the bowl looked like an old styled sugar bowl. The porridge looked and smelled an awful lot like oatmeal, and the apple certainly looked tempting. The water was crystal clear, and there were even a couple of ice cubes in it.

Turning to the strange butterfly pony, he narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously. “What is all this?” he asked, not sure whether they would try to put something in his food or not. He doubted it was poison, however, because if this Queen Majesty wanted him dead, she could easily have done so earlier. That didn’t rule out the possibility of a drug that could make him more pliable to interrogation, however.

“O-Oatmeal, an apple, and ice water, sir,” the pony said a bit nervously and with some confusion.

Gregory looked back at the meal, not wanting to eat or even touch anything. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been unconscious, but he was hungry, meaning he’d been out for at least a few hours. “I’m not hungry,” he lied as he stepped away from it.

“Her-Her majesty insists that you eat something,” the pony said with some worry. Probably self-worry, he thought.

“I’m not hungry,” he repeated stubbornly. His mind was racing, however. He knew he could only go a handful of days without water, and his canteen had been part of his belongings that had been confiscated from him.

“I-If the food i-isn’t to your liking, I c-can ask our cook t-to make something else,” she stammered.

“I’m not hungry,” he said once more, crossing his arms and giving her a look of disdain to emphasize his point.

“Understood, sir,” she said as she quickly picked up the tray and retreated. “I’ll let her majesty know,” she added before quickly opening the door and stepping through.

Gregory peeked through the door and for the briefest of moments he saw two larger ponies of a similar species to the maid standing on either side of said door. The door quickly shut, however, and he heard the distinctive sound of hooves quickly moving away.

Gregory ran a hand over his face, then decided to do some exploring. He first went to the bathroom, seeing that it had what looked like an iron tub, a toilet that looked like a Japanese squat toilet, and a sink. He tried the faucet, and to his delight and confusion, water came out of it. Clean water. He grabbed a small glass and filled it up, looking at it with curiosity and suspicion. He had no idea if even this water was tampered with, but while he could survive for a while without food, water was a necessity.

Putting the glass down on one side of the faucet, he walked over to a smaller window in the bathroom, pulling the curtains open. It was pitch black outside, and his eyes had to adjust to the darkness as he cupped his hands against the window, blocking the light from the bathroom’s own chandelier.

A few minutes later, he began seeing the outlines of an abandoned looking city with an arched rock ceiling high above. This led him to conclude that, wherever he was, he was underground. Most of the buildings were dark, but there were a handful near his window that were dimly lit with fires. He even thought he saw smoke stacks coming out from chimneys.

How the hell do they ventilate? he thought, wondering if that could be a means for him to escape. He quickly dismissed that idea, however, since the likely places for ventilation for carbon monoxide, if ponies even knew about that, would be high above in the rock ceiling.

Slowly, he backed away from the window and looked back at the room, his eyes once more adjusting to the light. His mind began to wander, wondering now what Majesty wanted with him. All he knew about her was from the My Little Pony UK comics from the 80s along with a few brief stories about her he’d learned from his mercenary travels. He had no idea what her voice sounded like but he didn’t know of any other pony who cast rhyming spells like that. Or who punished those she deemed as wrongdoers with such ironic punishments.

He was scared. Probably more scared than he had been in his life. He at least knew that Celestia and Luna were halfway decent ponies, if the candle the former had given him was any indication. He swallowed bile as he slowly walked into the other main room and collapsed into the chair again.

While sitting in the chair, he looked at the room in more detail now, noting how clean it was. The room even had a pleasant enough smell, some sort of floral scent. Gregory wasn’t sure, mostly because the only smell he knew was the dust from Thornfall. Most of the time, his face was covered in the weirdly futuristic mask he wore. The one that Tobias had found and given to him years ago. The one that filtered out nasty smells, enhanced his vision, modulated his voice to hide his identity, and more.

He reached up and ran a hand through his hair, which he hadn’t cut in the entire time since he’d gotten to Erda. It had become overgrown now, although he did his best to maintain it and wash it whenever he could with his dwindling supply of Earth shampoo and conditioner. Most of the time, however, he just ran some precious water through it to get the sweat, dirt and grime out of it.

Now, however, it felt like someone had washed it because its normal smell was gone, replaced with what might have been some sort of fruit scent. His skin was also clean, and his mouth also felt fresh. He shuddered, holding himself as it slowly dawned on him that he must have been washed while he was out. The very thought of someone seeing him naked filled him with revulsion. So much so that he had to get up quickly and run to the bathroom again, puking up what little remained in his stomach into the sink.

As he was rinsing his mouth out with water, making sure not to let any go down his throat, there was a solid knocking at the door. A male voice called in, “You’ve been summoned.”

Gregory spat out the remaining water in his mouth, then reached into his pocket for his white scarf. He almost wrapped it around his mouth and nose, but Majesty already knew what he looked like and was likely watching him at the moment. Instead, he tied the scarf around his neck like a necktie, put on his boots, realized with delight that the steel tips were still in them, and walked up to the door. “I’m here and ready,” he said with resignation as he put his hood over his head.

The two guards who were outside his door were larger and muscular ponies of the same race as the mare who had attempted to bring him food. Both had darker fur tones, but there was color there. He didn’t say anything more to them, and neither of them made conversation with him.

The halls they walked through were ornate and well-lit with torches on either side and candelabras above. There were ancient murals on the walls, most of which depicted ponies of the three tribes interacting with what looked like sea ponies and another type of pony which could fly but which had different types of wings from either the pegasi or whichever type of pony the guards and maid had been.

A part of him wanted to know what this meant, but he pushed those thoughts down. He had to focus more on the inevitable encounter with Majesty and on a way of getting out of this castle and back to the surface. He did his best to memorize the layout of the route to wherever he was going, but the ornate hallways all looked similar, the only discrepancy being the differences in either murals, tapestries, or the patterns on the walls.

The guards, as he assumed they were, led him to a set of golden double doors which opened as they approached. The guards stopped and took station on either side of the door. Left with no other choice, Gregory stepped through and the doors closed behind him, leaving him alone in the massive room.

The room he was in was obviously a throne room, judging from the raised dais and the empty chair on it, but there was no Majesty to be seen. He looked around, keeping his eyes peeled. The room was rather ornate, with statues of ponies on either side, paintings of noble looking ponies of every race, and even what he thought were stained glass windows lining the walls, each depicting some event. In a way, it reminded him of what Canterlot’s throne room looked like in the show, albeit older.

With nothing really to do, he wandered around each wall, looking at the pieces of ancient art. He didn’t know what the events being depicted were, but he guessed they had some sort of significance to pony history, or even prehistory. There were depictions of pony warriors, most being pegasi, coronations of unicorns for the most part, battles, forging of alliances, and more.

One painting, however, stood out to him as he approached it several minutes after entering the room. The painting stood out because the image on the screen was of a character he knew well from the show. Chrysalis. She had a look of sheer terror plastered on her face, her hooves pressed against the painting like she was actually on the other side of it, trying to get out. Her mouth was open, and he even saw what looked like tear stains on her chitin coated cheeks. In the background, Gregory saw a massive foot that was raised, as if to stomp down on her. A human foot.

As he stared at the painting for a few minutes, he noticed something odd about it. Not only was it the most realistic portrait he’d seen, but now Chrysalis’ eyes seemed to have shifted. Her wings had moved as well, and it appeared as if she was starting to look down at Gregory. He could even see a glimmer in her eyes: one of perhaps hope?

“She makes a magnificent art piece, does she not?” a gentle sounding feminine voice said seemingly from everywhere.

Gregory froze for a brief moment before forcing himself to relax. He couldn’t be too stiff. It would restrict his movements. He simply put his hands in his pockets so the tremble in them wouldn’t show. Taking on a look of detachment, he shrugged. “If you like moving portraits, you might as well watch Harry Potter,” he said.

There was a melodious giggling that came from the walls, and then the voice said, “I take it that is something only a human from your world and time would know about.”

The statue was then illuminated a bit more slightly from behind. Gregory turned and saw a mirror directly in front of the throne. There were swirling clouds forming on its surface. Stepping away from the painting of Chrysalis, but not before giving her a helpless gaze, he looked at the swirling mirror. Its frame was of solid gold, and the mirror itself was oval shaped, not like the more rectangular shape he knew of from a page in the British MLP comics. He stepped out onto the middle of the throne room floor, watching the swirling blue clouds on the enchanted mirror.

“Come closer,” the voice said, “it does not bite, and neither do I.”

Gregory almost replied with a snarky remark about her using her maybe not biting, but instead using her rhyming spells and magic to give ironic punishments to those she considered enemies or wrongdoers, but held his tongue. He slowly began approaching the mirror, which began to clear, and the image on the mirror showed a magnificent light pink castle with blue turrets. It was situated in the middle of a seemingly endless valley surrounded by picturesque snowcapped mountains. The castle was enormous and quite pristine, with flags on the turrets blowing in a static wind. There were many towers and a wall surrounding said castle.

As he stepped up the last step and looked through the mirror, he noted that the image beyond of said castle was altering itself to become more like a three-dimensional projection. Almost as if he was looking through a window instead of a mirror. He stepped from side to side slowly and saw the image beyond shift as such. He looked more closely at the massive castle before him. It had a large drawbridge despite there not being a moat there. There was also a large waterfall near the castle, and the mist from it cast a permanent rainbow over the castle. Were he not in danger, Gregory could appreciate its beauty and splendor.

“Magnificent, isn’t it?” the voice said, only now it sounded like it came from behind him. Slowly, Gregory turned, and saw a tall, slender, and an actually sad looking pony walking up the stairs. Judging from the cutie mark of several stars, her mane and fur color, and the long, sharpened horn, this had to be the former Queen Majesty. Only, instead of being a unicorn like she was in the British comics, she had a pair of wings. Alicorn wings. Not only that, but her mane and tail were flowing in the very same way that Celestia’s had. She, like most ponies, didn’t wear much. There were four golden horseshoes on her hooves, a golden peytral around her neck and a gold tiara on her head which itself was studded with diamonds that seemed to glow with the light of stars.

He stepped aside so she could stand on the landing as well. He knew he had to play nice here. She wasn’t known as the most magical of ponies in the comics for nothing. When she joined him on the landing, he noted that she was a head taller than Celestia, and despite her youthful appearance, he got the sense that she was ancient. Which made sense if she was the same Majesty from the comics.

Turning back to the mirror, he nodded silently in agreement he looked back at what he now suspected was the real Dream Castle.She smiled. “It was my home and the home of many of my dear ponies for so long.” With a wave of her horn, the image on the screen began to move. The waterfall began to roar to life with an actual audible sound, a nearby river flowed serenely, clouds began to move, flags on the turrets began to fly in the wind, and more.

Before he could register what was happening, the mirror had lifted off of the ground and passed over both of them. Now he could actually feel the breeze on his face, and his loathes rustled in the wind. He could feel the sun and he had to remove his hood, letting his hair down. Looking back, he saw that the mirror was still there. He looked at her questioningly, and she gave him an amused smile. “This is one of my memories, my dear Gregory. Don’t be alarmed. We haven’t traveled through time and space.”

That didn’t make him feel any better, but he didn’t say anything as a new sound caught his attention. The sound of voices from the nearby river. Turning, he saw a group of ponies laughing and playing in the water. When Majesty turned to walk towards them, Gregory saw no choice but to follow her, so he walked up beside her, feeling the grassy terrain beneath his boots brushing over his legs.

When they reached the river where there was a cliff, he heard voices. “Look out, Twilight, here I goooo!”

Looking up, Gregory saw an earth pony jumping from the cliff to the other side, nearly missing another pony on the shores.

“Now it’s my turn!” the voice of a younger pony shouted. Looking up again, Gregory saw a pony without a cutie mark jumping over the falls, closing her eyes and beginning to fall. Out of nowhere, a pegasus flew and caught the filly before said filly could hit the shore. “Awww, I could’a made it,” the filly said.

Realizing what he was seeing, Gregory looked up and almost mouthed the words that Twilight was saying as she closed her eyes. “I wish…I wish…I wish…” The sound of magic being cast could be heard, her horn lit up, and she vanished in a flash of light, appearing on the shore behind a blue earth pony with pink mane and yellow ribbons.

“I’m going for the double inside out loop!” a voice called out from their right.

“But it’s dangerous, Firefly!” another voice called out.

“Danger is my life, Medley!” the apparition of Firefly called out.

As Firefly flew around rather recklessly, so much so that Gregory guessed that Rainbow Dash would be proud, Medley, now joined by Twilight and the smaller earth pony filly, watched in horror as Firefly came barreling down at them. “Firefly, look out!” Medley shouted as the brash pegasus barreled through them, heading towards an apple orchard where an earth pony was bucking apples.

When she saw Firefly flying fast towards her, the earth pony, who Gregory knew had to be Applejack, tried to rush out of the way, only to be caught in the collision, spreading squashed apples everywhere, their juices dripping all over both ponies. Everyone began laughing innocently at the ridiculous sight of Firefly with a basket on her head. “Applesauce, anyone?” Applejack asked with a wry smile.

That was when the canon he knew was shattered. “My dear ponies, whatever did you do to yourselves?” a familiar amused voice said from behind them.

Everyone, including Gregory and Majesty, turned to see who it was. A younger Majesty, with no wings and no flowing mane, stepped forward, her presence practically radiating regality. Everyone bowed to her, and the younger Majesty looked down on them with what Gregory guessed was a genuine smile. “Raise your heads, my dears,” she said before raising her horn and twirling it. Firefly, who by now had the basket removed thanks to help from Medley, along with Applejack, were now both clean of apple juices. The smashed apples were restored to their former state and placed back into the basket. She put a hoof to her mouth and tittered in amusement. “Firefly, are you being reckless again?” she asked with a twinkle in her eyes.

Firefly looked sheepish and nodded. “Yes, your majesty,” she said.

The younger Majesty now giggled, then walked up and put a hoof on Firefly’s back. “Be more careful next time, alright?” she said warmly before stepping back and turning to Twilight, who was now sitting next to the gray filly who’s name Gregory couldn’t remember. “Twilight, I saw your teleporting spell just now. That is quite impressive,” she said to the bright pink unicorn.

Twilight smiled proudly and gave the younger Majesty a grateful smile. “Thank you, your majesty!”

Majesty then looked down at the young gray earth pony filly. “And you, Ember, you’re a brave filly for trying to jump, but you could have been hurt. Make sure you’re extra careful, alright?”

Ember slowly nodded, looking chastened. “Y-Yes, your majesty,” she said, sounding like a scolded child.

The younger Majesty chuckled. “No need to be afraid, my dear filly,” she said kindly, “I only wish for you to remain safe, but I won’t discourage you from having fun. Remember, dear one, in Ponyland, you are under my protection.”

Ember looked up, smiling a bit. “Thank you, your majesty,” she said, the tremor having gone out of her voice.

Majesty chuckled, then turned to the other gathered ponies. “I have an announcement to make. I will be leaving Dream Castle for a week to travel to Flutter Valley. There appears to be some sort of dispute over there that I would like to help settle.” Gregory noted that this didn’t seem to bother the ponies, although some had a look that Gregory read as ‘Not again’.

The alicorn Majesty raised her horn, and the scene shifted. The sun moved in its arc, and it was now early evening. Ponies were still frolicking, and Ember was lying next to Twilight on the shores. “This is a memory I recovered from young Twilight,” the older Majesty explained.

Ember watched as a yellow butterfly flew past her, then said, “Twilight, will I ever fly like Firefly or Medley?”

Twilight chuckled. “No, Ember. Not all little ponies can fly.”

“Will I jump far like Bow Tie or disappear like you can?” Ember asked, nuzzling up to Twilight.

“Ember, you’ll grow up to be your own special little pony,” Twilight said as she nuzzled Ember back.

Clouds suddenly appeared. Gregory and the alicorn Majesty watched as Dream Valley was raided and two ponies were captured by Scorpan and the stratadons. Gregory looked over to Majesty, and saw that she was shedding angry tears. Looking over to Gregory, he saw what appeared to be true sorrow. “I was not there for my dear ponies,” she said.

The scene shifted again, and now they were standing in a dark and dismal looking hallway. Scorpan was walking down the corridor with a bright pink dragon with green spines talking to him. Gregory simply watched as a darker version of the events of Rescue at Midnight Castle played out before him. Some major differences did pop out, such as Megan not being a pre-teen, but a twenty-year-old college student living at home to save living expenses. Majesty switched between memories, playing the story out like it was some sort of play.

The event at the end, however, was interrupted by the arrival of Queen Majesty. Scorpan had just been turned back into a human prince, something that further surprised Gregory. Majesty had greeted the prince as an old friend, warmly embracing him before she turned a sharp gaze at Tirac, who had actually survived his brush with the Rainbow of Light. She strode up, eyes full of rage. “You have dared to harm my dear ponies,” she said darkly, “and you even took a filly! For that, you shall be severely punished!” Raising her horn, it began to glow.

“As once thee turned our ponies to brutes,
“so shall thee be transformed.
“For trying our ponies lives to uproot
“as a snake, thou shalt be scorned.”

The centaur screamed in rage as magic surrounded him. Soon, Tirac had been changed into a harmless but angry looking green garden snake. Megan walked up and picked the snake up by the tail. It tried to bite her, but since it was nothing but a harmless garden snake, its bites did nothing. The young adult held it up. “Looks like he won’t be flying anywhere anytime soon,” she said with a smirk as she dropped the now snake Tirac. The ponies around, along with the human prince and young baby dragon Spyke, all laughed at that as Tirac slithered away.

The scene faded, and suddenly they were standing just in front of the mirror. Majesty turned away, gazing at a certain statue that Gregory had somehow missed. Walking up, she put a hoof on the pedestal. Gregory looked closer and saw that it was a stone statue of three humans, one of which was clearly Megan. The carver had given her a heart shaped necklace, clearly the Rainbow of Light. As he joined her, she spoke. “You humans are remarkable creatures. My dear ponies and I owe yours for our very existence, but how do we repay you? With a knife in the back!”

She whirled on him, a look of anger on her face which slowly disappeared only to be replaced with contrition. “For that, I cannot apologize enough. The current ponies here have fallen far because of their so-called growth. They achieved harmony, yes, but the inward hostility was only redirected outwards.” She began pacing back and forth, clearly upset. “Equestria may have treaties with other nations, but only because thanks to Discord’s ancient meddling with the natural order of things, two alicorns had to be uplifted to move the world, and in their hubris they became rulers of Equestria.”

Gregory didn’t respond. He knew better than to interrupt someone as powerful as her. She took a deep breath and sighed, her mane and tail movements slowing down to their natural flow. “I must give her credit,” she continued, “Celestia had managed to keep her little ponies safe for a long time. But she has become complacent and unwilling to look past hers and her own ponies failures. Luna is no better, although to her credit, she is not as far removed as Celestia.”

Majesty stood up straighter and faced him once more. “I, however, am neither of those fools. They treat their subjects like foals, afraid of hurting their feelings. Daniel Williams once told me a human saying: spare the rod, spoil the child. Celestia and Luna have not disciplined their ponies enough. In fact, there is a place I am aware of that has escaped punishment for their crimes.” Raising her horn again, a purple swirling vortex appeared in front of her. Turning to Gregory, she motioned him to come forward. “I am unable to teleport you by normal means, so we must use this.”

Gregory walked forward and looked at the vortex warily, but he couldn’t see any reason for Majesty to want him dead after going to the trouble of bringing him to wherever here was. Jason could be harmed by lightning, and if she wanted him dead, she could have killed him with a deadly bolt of lightning. Taking a silent breath, he grabbed his hood and was about to put it over his head when Majesty said “No, leave your hood off. Where we are going, you won’t need to hide your face.” Gregory didn’t argue, instead dropping his hands to his side. She gestured for him to go through first, so he steeled himself and did just that.

The passage was instantaneous, and he went from being in a darkened throne chamber to a bright sunlit day just outside of a small town. A pony town. A very familiar looking pony town. Dodge City, he thought with fear. Not fear of the ponies in town, although there was some there, but more so it was fear for them.

“I knew you would recognize it,” Majesty said, walking out of the portal to stand beside him. “Come, follow me.”

Left with no choice, Gregory walked beside her as they both entered the town. It was just as he remembered it, a frontier town with plenty of structures that reminded him of the American West. Just as before, ponies were walking down the streets, talking to each other and generally enjoying the warm summer day. Gregory felt himself growing warm already. His mysterious high-tech mask that Majesty had torn off of him had kept him cool despite being layered, and he was missing it already, but he pushed those useless thoughts aside. Best to focus on what I can control, he thought, which at the moment wasn’t much.

They were just starting to enter the town when a pony stallion wearing a Stetson looked over and spotted the newcomers. His eyes widened in fear and he gasped. This caught the attention of a couple of mares nearby and they both looked up, eyes widening as well. The two walked through the main street of town, earning looks of terror from the ponies, who by now were going quiet.

When they reached the middle of town, Majesty suddenly stopped and looked up. Gregory followed her gaze, only to see four chiropterans pulling a magnificent dark blue chariot. Sitting in it was none other than Princess Luna herself. Majesty stood tall and proud as Luna landed in the square, quickly dismounting and facing Majesty. “Hello, there,” Majesty said, giving Luna a disapproving look.

Luna paused when she saw Majesty, but her eyes widened when she saw Gregory. “What in Equestria…?” She then turned to Majesty. “Who are you? What do you wish of this town?”

Majesty’s eyes narrowed. “To do what you and your failure of a sister cannot: punish the guilty for their crimes.”

“We shall not allow thee to harm our little ponies,” Luna said with gritted teeth, raising her horn threateningly.

“They were my dear ponies before you or your sister were even a twinkle in your parents’ eyes,” Majesty retorted, bringing up her own horn. “Your time and that of your sister will come, but not yet.” From her horn, a massive purple shield began to form, moving outwards and passing over other ponies. However, it hit Luna and her entourage, sending them flying out of the town. Ignoring Luna now, Majesty turned and faced the crowd of petrified ponies who were watching. “I take it everybody here remembers this human.” She gestured to Gregory. “The one you all cruelly chased out of town into a desert to die when all he wanted to do was to befriend you. Does that sound familiar to you ponies?”

The ponies looked to each other, terror plastered on their faces. As they did this, Luna was blasting at the purple shield with her magic. “Whoever you are, don’t take justice into your hooves!” she shouted.

Majesty looked up at Luna, her gaze now cold and steely. “I have seen your so-called justice, Luna,” she said darkly, “and it is quite clear to me that you need a refresher. I want to protect my ponies too, but they have rejected everything that made us a truly harmonious race.” She looked down at the townsponies. “This harmony you claim exists is a false imitation of the one during my reign. And I intend to show you what happens to ponies who abuse other species, especially a human to whom we owe our very existence!”

As Majesty was raising her horn, the various ponies in town began to panic and tried to escape the barrier, but it didn’t work. Some even bucked at the shield, which only served to injure them. Once they realized they couldn’t escape, they began begging for mercy and apologizing to Gregory over and over.

For Gregory, this was too much. He dared to act, reaching over and putting a hand on Majesty’s shoulder. “Don’t do this, please,” he said, finally daring to speak.

She paused what she was doing, looking back at him, and giving him a warm smile. “I knew you could speak,” she said, “and I won’t stop. How else will they learn?”

Gregory was suddenly surrounded by a bright purple shield. He watched helplessly as Majesty resumed raising her horn. As Luna tried to break through the shield, Gregory could only watch in horror as Majesty began to chant.

“You ponies have all lost your sight,
“your hearts have turned as dark as night,
“so now I will open your eyes.”

“You think you can hide your inner disdain,
“but now it’s time that you became
“the monster that you so despise.”

Gregory had to shield his eyes from the bright light that surrounded the town but soon had to cover his ears from the mixture of the intense sound of magic being cast along with the screams of terror that he knew would haunt his dreams for years. He fell to his knees, eyes tightly shut and hands covering his ears as the noise and light increased until it suddenly all stopped. Slowly, he opened his eyes and removed his hands from his ears before shakily standing and looking around. The shield around him was gone now, and the town was covered in mist. The shield around the town was also gone, as he heard the flapping of wings landing nearby and Luna’s voice calling out, “What hast you done??”

Gregory turned to begin to run, but Majesty appeared beside him, giving him a look of worry, although said look only sent shivers down Gregory’s spine. “I do apologize for the noise and light,” she said as she turned and gazed into the mist with a look of disgust on her face, “but this took much more magic than usual. Here, let me clear the mist.”

As she waved her horn, the mist cleared, revealing the town once more. Along with many collapsed forms lying on the ground. Some were starting to come to and sitting up, looking around in confusion. However, instead of ponies, Gregory saw that every single pony in town had been transformed into stratadons.

Luna was looking around in horror at the scene before her. She turned slowly to face Majesty, her eyes becoming slitted and her canines sharpening. “Release them from this curse!” she demanded as the first transformed pony began crying out in alarm and fear which only sounded like monstrous roaring.

“A curse?” Majesty repeated as she cast the portal spell again. “These ponies nearly caused the death of Gregory here. I merely turned their inner ugliness inside out so that everybody could see it. This is a blessing more than a curse. Knowing you, nothing of substance would have been done to punish their crimes. No, you would have pushed them aside as the embarrassment that they are, just like your oh-so kind sister pushed Ponyville aside. You and your sister had years to make ‘your little ponies’ understand, but little has changed. But things will change. The shadows will fall before the dawn of the age of majesty.” With that, the portal fast approached her and Gregory, passing through them, but not before Gregory gave Luna a plaintive look and mouthed one word to her. He had seen her expression begin to change before she vanished, along with the rest of the town.

Luna watched them go, still in shock at what had just happened. She had come to Dodge City to discover what had happened in town, but had instead met an alicorn she didn’t know along with a human who was apparently captive of said alicorn. Now, she and her entourage of four chiropterans were surrounded by ponies who had been changed to some unusual race of creatures she’d never seen before. Creatures who were now in distress.

Turning to her entourage, she pointed to the fastest chiropteran. “Fly back to Canterlot with all haste and bring reinforcements from the Lunar Guard,” she ordered. “As for the rest of you, with me. We must calm these ponies.”

As the chiropterans followed orders, Luna’s mind went back to the human she’d just seen. She was no expert on human emotional expressions, but if she had to guess, the look on his face was a mix of fear, sorrow, and grim determination. He had given her a solitary glance as the mystery alicorn had moved the portal through them. One word.

“Help.”

13: The Best Laid Plans...

The meeting room in the town square was silent, the large number of ponies along with the singular anxious looking abyssinian all unsure of what to say. It had been about a day since Revan, now revealed to be a human, had been abducted by this mysterious Majesty. Not only that, but according to Luna, who had arrived a few hours ago, the town of Dodge City had been visited by a previously unknown alicorn and a human. The former had used powerful magic to turn the entire population of adult ponies into a reptilian race that Luna, who had made the report, had not seen before. Physically, the transformed ponies were fine, but they were unable to speak, instead making roaring and whimpering noises. Also, it seemed as if they now were required to eat meat, something that revolted the transformed ponies initially, but when a few of the reptilians in town nearly died from sudden malnutrition, they were forced to eat the meat they were provided.

In the day since Revan had been abducted, several new ponies made their way into town, including Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, a gray earth pony mare named Marble Pie who was Pinkie Pie’s younger sister, and a green pegasus stallion named Zephyr Breeze who Fluttershy identified as her younger brother. They were part of the group in the room, which consisted of the former Elements of Harmony, Tobias, Sunset Shimer, Princess Celestia, and now Princess Luna, who had just given the report about the attack on Dodge City, even providing a visual of the attack.

No one spoke for a good long while, as they were trying to digest what to say. Finally, though, Sunset spoke up. “What were you doing in Dodge City?”

Luna bristled at the younger pony’s tone, but a sharp look from Celestia calmed the lunar Princess. “A report from one of my guards came about an incident that was never reported to the capital.”

“The attack on Revan,” Tobias stated.

Luna nodded somberly. “It would seem that way. There were ponies in town who weren’t converted, specifically the foals there, and they told of a monster that their parents chased out of town some years ago. A few saw this ‘monster’ and when I showed them what I just showed you, they positively identified the human you just saw as the ‘monster’.”

“Why didn’t the town report this the moment they learned about Jason Wright’s death?” Celestia asked.

“Anypony who would know have been turned into those creatures,” Luna said, “because I did ask some foals, but they were unable to give an answer.”

“They were probably still in shock from losing their parents,” Zephyr commented somberly.

“Correct, Mr. Breeze,” Luna said.

Celestia felt a harsh glare on her, but by this point she’d begun to grow used to Sunset’s withering gazes. She cut off Sunset’s inevitable tirade by turning to her with a stalwart expression. “I was never made aware of this incident,” she said more harshly than she meant to.

Sunset flinched at this, but her glare diminished and she looked around the table. “If this Majesty is as old as Revan says, she must have met the humans who saved ponykind all those years ago.” She refocused her glare onto Twilight. “Failure.”

“Sunset Shimmer,” Celestia snapped, “this is not a productive use of our time. If you have the mental capacity to call us out on our failures, you have the capacity to think of a way to combat this Majesty.”

As Sunset glared back at her, but went silent in apparent thought, another voice spoke up. “That might not be possible,” Tobias said, “because she can apparently see anywhere she wants.”

“That’s why my sister and I have placed anti-scrying spells around this place, and why we’ll be doing the same thing for any meetings going forward,” Celestia said. “What we’ve discussed here can’t be discussed anywhere. Not even to anypony you are close to.”

“Um, Princess, why are you asking for our help now?” Rainbow Dash asked, raising a hoof with a confused look on her face. “We’re not the Elements anymore.”

“Even if you’re not Elements anymore,” Celestia began, “being one leaves a mark on your soul. It did so with my sister and I, and it will with you. There may be something that you can do, but first we must determine where Revan has been taken.”

“Is that really his name?” Applejack asked suddenly, turning to Tobias.

“Is that really important right now?” Tobias asked with a hint of defensiveness.

“No, it isn’t,” Celestia interjected before the earth pony mare could respond, “but what is important is that she has taken him for some reason. Her plans are a mystery to us, and so we need as much information on her as we can find. I have already sent my best researchers to certain areas of Canterlot’s library to find more information on her.”

“Okay, so why us? Why gather us again?” Rainbow repeated. “I mean, I’m a waitress now, Princess,” Rainbow continued with a hint of self-loathing in her voice. “I’m out of practice when it comes to flying or fighting anything.”

“We ain’t exactly qualified tah do anythin’ useful,” Applejack said, “just like when yah tricked us into becomin’ the Elements in the first place.” She looked bitter at that.

Out of the corner of her eyes, Celestia saw Sunset stifle a smirk. Ignoring it, she stood tall. “I mention this because combined, you may be able to use the remnants of the Elements inside you to pinpoint Revan’s location. I gave him a candle that works similarly to how Spike’s fire breath works. Unfortunately, it’s likely that Majesty has taken it from him, but I believe there may be a way to find it.”

“What if Majesty destroyed it?” Sunset suggested. “Or tossed it to the other side of Equestria?”

“If she did the either, she wouldn’t be able to hide the magical blast signal either would create,” Celestia explained.

“What if she had somebody take it far away manually?” Sunset countered.

“If that was done, the candle emits a magical signature can be tracked,” Celestia admitted, “but not by me.”

“If not by you, then whom?” Tobias asked, looking incredulous.

Celestia took a deep breath. “If enhanced by what little connection you six still have with the Elements, it can be tracked by the one who’s magic breath I based it off of.”

Twilight’s eyes widened in realization. “Spike…” she whispered.

Celestia nodded. “Prince Spike can track the magical signature with his own abilities,” she explained, “and I hope that we can all ask for his help in tracking him, or at least track where the candle might be.”

“How would that be helpful?” Tobias asked.

To Celestia’s surprise, it was Sunset who answered. “Teleportation magic has its limits,” she explained, “because the range is not infinite. Even Celestia can only teleport a short distance, maybe a few miles at least.”

Celestia nodded. “Correct.”

“We shouldn’t put credence in that belief, sister,” Luna said. “This alicorn is much more powerful than anypony, or anycreature, I’ve ever faced. I felt her aura, and it was enormous. The shield she placed around Dodge City was impenetrable, and I put everything behind shattering it.”

“Still, there’s no harm in trying,” Celestia said. “I would have tried to track him because his lack of a magic signature is unique, but I can’t detect it anywhere in my range. I’m hoping that if we find that, then perhaps I or somepony else here can track Revan’s location. I seriously doubt that he would be far away from Majesty.”

“Majesty does seem to be protective of him,” Luna agreed. “She even said we as ponies owe our existence to humans.”

That seemed to affect the mood in the room. All six former Elements of Harmony lowered their heads. Celestia herself even felt a hint of shame rising, and for the first time since she’d quickly formed that magical candle to give to Revan, she wondered if she’d done the right thing by the human or had simply done something to ease her own feelings on the matter. Shaking her head, she put these feelings aside for a later time, but she promised that she’d focus on them later.

“So, now we know for sure that we owe our existence to the humans, huh?” Sunset asked, before turning to Celestia with a cocked head, a false curious expression on her face. “I wonder why it was, then, that one of their species lies dead and the other is now held captive by an enemy of Equestria?”

“Our sister has only ever done what she deemed best for our little ponies,” Luna said, swiftly coming to her defense, which Celestia felt appreciation for.

“And that includes sending Jason down to Ponyville with only enough money for a single night in an inn and nothing else?” Sunset asked, which further shattered Celestia’s spirit. “Where’s the harmony in that? Where was the letter of introduction to the former Princess of Friendship?” Twilight lowered her head even further. “Where were the extra supplies, like clothes? Humans need clothes to survive, unlike us ponies.” Rarity now lowered her head. “Where was the welcome that he obviously was hoping for?” Pinkie lowered her head. “No hospitality at all, hmm. Why do we continue to intentionally forget out past or push it to the side in the vain hope that it won’t happen again?”

Something further inside Celestia snapped, and she whirled on Sunset angrily now. “What do you want to hear, huh?! I'm not perfect?? Well, you’re hearing it now! I’m so far from perfect that it’s not funny!!! I’ve made some deadly mistakes, and in Jason’s case it caused his death! His blood is on my hooves, and I don’t want another human’s death on my conscience!” She slammed her hoof on the table, cracking it with the force. “I have constant nightmares about him hanging lifelessly from that apple tree!” This made Applejack flinch before she, too, lowered his head.

Celestia wasn’t done, though. She felt all that she had buried come screaming to the surface. “I constantly have nightmares or visions about Jason’s abuse in Ponyville while I sat by and did nothing because I both forgot about him and because I trusted my little ponies to be better than they were!” Every former member of the Elements flinched now before those who hadn’t before now lowered their heads in shame. “I constantly see his pale, bloated face in my dreams, begging me to answer why? Why had I sent him into a den of lions?!”

“Sister…” Luna said, eyes bulging with shock.

Celestia still wasn’t finished. “I have other failings on my conscience, too! Tirek! Sombra! Chrysalis! Even Discord before his reformation! I can’t do anything for Jason now save to remember him and honor him!”

“You really think that’s what he would have wanted to be?” Sunset asked, and to Celestia’s surprise, there wasn’t any anger in her tone, just genuine curiosity and a question. For a brief moment, Celestia imagined that she saw the little filly in the small classroom where Celestia would tutor her. The tone of her question was similar to the one she had when she’d thought long and hard about how to phrase a question in the right way. Sunset continued. “I don’t know much about how a human thinks, but if I were him, I’d just want something quiet. He committed suicide to escape the pain and suffering he endured. I don’t think he’d enjoy being used like this.”

Celestia almost stepped back. Sunset had been so matter-of-fact about it, no anger or any kind of accusation behind it. She was just stating facts. Facts as she saw them, anyway. Celestia sat down, looking down at the table and beginning to wonder if she’d made the right decision in memorializing Jason’s day of death. Or whether she should have done anything differently. Her wings fell, and her tail did as well. She lowered her head farther, and stamped her hoof on the ground in frustration. Her entire regal persona had been broken, and once more, it had been Sunset who had done it.

Marble Pie then spoke up. She looked at Sunset. “Is this what I should expect from myself when I’m as old as you? As a fellow empath, I’m ashamed to share the same abilities as a coldhearted mare as you.” Her tone was cool and collected, but her eyes burned with a fierce determination. Also, her mane and tail were now full of waves while not losing its natural style.

Sunset returned Marble’s gaze with one of her own, one of pure rage now. Sunset’s mane was starting to bristle and move like it was in a wind of its own, and the temperature in the room was rising. “You don’t know me,” she said through clenched teeth.

“I know you’re a scared little filly eagerly seeking somepony’s approval and now that they aren’t giving it to you, you’re acting out,” Marble replied sharply.

Sunset stood tall and menacingly as she slowly stalked over to Marble, who didn’t move. “Don’t talk like you know what tartarus I’ve been through,” she snarled, pointing a hoof at Marble.

“You’re right, I don’t know what you’ve been through,” Marble said, “and there are points in your argument that are valid. However, this is neither the time or the place to deliberately attempt to use your empath abilities to further break everyone in here.”

Sunset flinched, a look of shock on her face. Shock which was quickly replaced by anger. She stood and raised her horn, vanishing in a twinkle of golden light. Celestia watched her go, shaking her head. She couldn’t leave Sunset alone in this moment, so she turned to Luna, who gave her a nod. Celestia raised her own horn and quickly teleported to the general vicinity where Sunset was. Celestia found herself standing on a sandy beach looking west at the ocean. Sunset was standing on the beach, looking over the surf. Celestia could see how tense and angry she was. Steeling herself, because she knew that this was a conversation years in the making, she approached her former student.

As she approached, Sunset sat on the sand, not saying a word. Celestia joined her, enjoying the feel of the salty breeze on her fur. She had not been to the ocean in a long time, and this brought back many happy memories for her. Princess Platinum and her husband Centurion Hurricane used to bring them along with her own foals to the beach that would eventually become the shores of Manehattan. Sometimes Chancellor Puddinghead would take them to where he lived which would eventually become Baltimare. There were even times when her and Luna’s magic teacher would take them to beaches for outdoor lessons.

The two sat there for a number of minutes, not saying anything. Celestia knew that Sunset was practically ready to burst, and she didn’t want to set her off further. Not at first. As they sat there, however, Celestia slowly began to realize that perhaps this was what Sunset needed: a chance to vent at her. So, she bit the arrowhead and plunged forward. After casting an anti-scrying spell, she looked down at Sunset. “Sunset Shimmer, please tell me what’s on your mind.”

Sunset didn’t respond right away. After a bit, however, she shook her head. “You really want to know?” she asked without even looking at her former teacher.

“I do,” Celestia replied.

Sunset stood sharply, walked over in front of Celestia, and glared at her. Her eyes were ablaze with fury, and her mane and tail once again started moving in a similar manner to Celestia’s own. “You threw me out like I was nothing!” she began, her voice trembling in rage. “You kept on pushing me to do something I never wanted to do, and the moment I tried to make you proud, you threw me aside and replaced me with that flank kisser!”

Celestia wanted to say something, but held herself back, wanting Sunset to keep going. Which she did. “You held me at hoof’s length away from you, always telling me I could do better! All I wanted was for you to say ‘Good job’, but nooo! Nothing I did was EVER good enough for you, was it?! Sometimes, I wish you had just left me to die in that alley!”

Celestia couldn’t remain silent about that. “I couldn’t just do that-”

“You did it with Jason!” Sunset interrupted her. “Your neglect might as well have been the leading cause of his death!”

Celestia flinched at that, and sighed. “Yes, I did, and yes you’re right.” Celestia could only guess why Sunset was so fixated on Jason, mostly because Sunset wasn’t in the country during Jason’s remaining three years there.

“I thought the world of you,” Sunset said, glaring at her with angry tears now. “I thought you knew harmony…I thought…” She turned away, sniffing.

Celestia was on the brink of tears now as well as she sat next to Sunset. “Like I said earlier, I’m nowhere near perfect,” she said, “and I know I did you wrong by what I said and did to you. I shouldn’t have kicked you out. I realized that the next morning, but by then it was way too late. You were gone before I could apologize and rescind my orders. I had no idea you saw me as distant. I’m sorry I gave you that impression, Sunset. I loved-no, I still love you dearly, and I’m so sorry I never showed it.”

Once more there was silence between both mares. Celestia resisted every urge within her to pull Sunset into a tight embrace, knowing that her wayward former student wouldn’t appreciate it in her current state. Instead, she decided to continue. “I know what I’m about to say won’t ever make up for any of the time lost between us, but I am very proud of you and of the mare you have become.”

Sunset snapped her head up, a look of incredulity on her face. “How can you say that? I’ve been nothing but insulting to you!”

Celestia nodded in agreement. “Yes, but do you know how many ponies I’ve known throughout my life who have always agreed with me in my presence and then attempted to act against me based off their own
beliefs? Even Twilight would alter her actions if it meant pleasing me.” She chuckled a bit. “It is quite refreshing to know a mare who will, as the saying goes, call me out on my horseshit.”

Sunset’s eyes widened in surprise at that, then she snickered, even neighing a bit. “Never expected you would be the type to swear,” she said between laughter.

Celestia tittered a bit, putting a hoof to her mouth. “I have been tempted to use such language many times, but my view on it is that using such language frequently makes it lose its seriousness, and I prefer to make my words count. In this case, it seems fitting.” Her smile faded and she looked down at Sunset once more. “I offer no excuse for my actions this many years ago. I acted rashly and foolishly, and lost a great student. One of my greatest.”

“And yet, you replaced me,” Sunset said, her own smile fading to be replaced with a bitter scowl.

Celestia shook her head. “I was always hopeful you would return or I would hear news of you. I did send messengers after you to try and relay my wish to apologize to you in pony, but you were rather…elusive. You were always a master of masking your magical presence. I never even knew you were back in Equestria until Discord told me.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Why would that creature care?” she asked.

“I’m unsure myself,” Celestia admitted, “but I’m glad he did. I’ve missed you so much. A day hardly goes by when I don’t think about you. And yes, before you say anything, even that isn’t an excuse for what I did with you or even with Jason before his death.”

Sunset let loose a breath, then looked back over at the surf that was lazily crashing against the sandy beach. After a bit, she spoke, and it sounded like she was forcing the words out. “That day…I know I…acted rashly, just wanting to impress you…and when you cast me out, all I could think about was revenge. I hated you for years, but one lesson I’ve learned in my travels is that love’s opposite isn’t hatred, but indifference. I…this is hard for me to say, but…I never hated you. I was, and still am, angry at you for what happened with me and Jason.”

Curiosity burned within Celestia, so she asked the question. “Aside from the obvious, why are you upset with me over my lack of actions concerning Jason?”

Sunset took in a deep breath. “When I heard the story, I could empathize with his situation. He and I were similar in some ways. Sent away from Canterlot with hardly anything to survive on, hardly thought about during the years, and have seen the lowest that ponies can become, only for me I’ve seen it outside of Equestrian borders.” She snorted in derision. “You wouldn’t believe some of the insane cults out there.” Looking back up at Celestia, she continued. “Then, when Jason killed himself, you used his death to teach a lesson to ponies, a lesson they should never have had to learn because they should have already known it. Harmony shouldn’t be limited to the pony races, but should be shared with others, and not just through Equestria. I don’t know what possessed Twilight to ignore Jason and his abuse, but I’ve learned more about humans in my travels. They aren’t so dissimilar from us. There are good ones, like Megan, Daniel, and Molly Williams, but there are also evil humans like the witch mother Hydia and her daughters who unleashed a manifestation of the Smooze onto Ponyland and nearly succeeded in destroying Dream Valley and Dream Castle. I don’t know where we ponies got this idea that we are the superior race of Harmony, but that, as you would say, is horseshit. We are no better than other races, and now some evil pony who is clearly extremely powerful is punishing those she believes have broken Harmony. It’s very likely she will come to Maretime Bay or even Zephyr Heights to enact some of her brand of justice.”

Celestia nodded. “Which is why my sister and I are here today, to stop her.”

“Celestia, Revan was scared of her,” Sunset reminded her, “and he
doesn’t strike me as the type to be scared of much. Then again, I haven’t known
him long, but if he was afraid of Majesty and not of you, and if he was begging
Luna for help, then she isn’t to be trifled with.”

Celestia nodded once more. “That is why I will be asking you to go to the Crystal Empire with the others and find Revan so you can return him to us, and reunite him with his strange mask. Majesty took it from him for some unknown reason, so it must be dangerous for Revan to have.”

“Me??” Sunset looked at Celestia wide eyed. “Why me?!”

“In case Majesty defeats my sister and I, you are one of the most powerful and experienced ponies around,” Celestia said. “You clearly have more battle experience, or should I say more recent experience.”

“You’re expecting too much from me, again,” Sunset growled under her breath. “I may be good, but Majesty can teleport a magicless human, something I can’t do and I’m pretty sure you can’t do.”

Celestia shook her head. “She didn’t teleport him in the traditional sense,” she said. “She seemed to create a portal and make it pass through him in Dodge City. I doubt she could traditionally teleport him away.”

“That just proves that she’s smart,” Sunset said disparagingly.

“She is smart, yes,” Celestia said, “but intelligence and power doesn’t make one wise. She is as much a pony as you or me. Eventually, she’ll make a mistake, and when she does, we must be prepared to make a move on her to capitalize on it and rescue Revan.”

The two sat in silence for a bit more. Finally, Sunset looked back at Celestia. “I still am angry at you, and can’t really forgive what you did to me, but I do promise to reign myself in for the sake of saving Revan and trying to stop Majesty. I make no promises on being able to succeed in either, though. And I also make no promises in staying to patch things up here.”

“Victory is never assured,” Celestia said as she stood. “Still, I’m glad that you have decided to help.”

“He’s a member of Shadow Dawn,” Sunset said as the two stood and began heading back to town, “and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that we never leave anyone behind. No one.”

Majesty watched as the fuzzy image of the meeting cleared up once the anti-scrying spells the royal sisters had cast were lifted. How they had learned about her ability to see everywhere was a puzzle to be sorted out later, she knew. She stood before her mirror, then looked back at one of her golden horseshoes. She smiled at the ancient artifacts made of mystical starlight. Raising the back right horseshoe, she activated the needed magic, then let it be channeled through her horn. Turning, she focused on the mind of the least likely creature to have any magical defenses to their mind: the friend of her human royal guest.

Closing her eyes, she concentrated. As the ancient Argyte magic flowed through her long before its inevitable destruction, the abyssinian’s thoughts became clear. However, his thoughts were incredibly hard to search through and rather unusual. They didn’t make sense at all, which frustrated the alicorn. So, she chose instead to focus on another, this time the green pegasus stallion. Fortunately, his thoughts were much easier to read. She sifted through the more recent memories and eventually came to the memories of the past meeting. When she had organized and understood what was happening, she opened her eyes and lowered her back right hoof. She stepped past the mirror, looking into the darkness behind her. “My friend,” she called into the darkness before her, “I have need of your help.”

Two glowing purple eyes appeared from the darkness, and the deep, resonating voice of her friend spoke. “What can I do, your majesty?” he asked.

“It appears that Phase Mimic will now be in play,” she explained.

The pair of eyes rose up as their owners stood. The sound of the ancient castle’s foundations creaked beneath her oldest companion’s claws. “I understand,” the voice said.

Majesty gave the ancient creature a saddened expression. “I am sorry that it has come to this,” she said.

The eyes blinked, then her companion shook his head. “You are all that remains of my past,” the voice said, “and would have died if it hadn’t been for you. I owe you.”

Majesty gave the ancient creature shadowed in darkness a warm smile. “Then prepare yourself. This will not be too pleasant.”

”I am prepared,” the voice replied.

Majesty lifted her horn, which began to brighten as the magic spell she had in her arsenal was charged up. Focusing everything she had into this spell, her horn blazed with light, enveloping the creature before her. Finally, the spell was complete, and Majesty lowered her horn. She was tired now, but knew that she had succeeded. Taking a breath, she looked into the darkness. “I hope that did not harm you.”

“Not at all,” a younger sounding voice said from the shadows as a pair of footsteps approached.

The pair of purple eyes now glowed an emerald green, and as the figure stepped into the light of the throne room, Majesty smiled. It was like going back in time somewhat, although her companion’s scales were now purple instead of the bright pink they had once been, and his wings were smaller. Majesty reached up and put a gentle hoof on her companion’s shoulder. “Oh, Spyke,” she said with a reminiscent tone, “it’s good to see you like this again.”

Spyke looked down at himself, then stretched. “It feels strange to be in this body again after so long,” he said in the voice of the other, “but I agree. It feels…nostalgic.”

Majesty chuckled with mirth, then gently lead her companion away from the darkness where he mostly resided in his old age, “Are you ready for the task ahead?” she asked for confirmation.

Spyke nodded. “I am prepared,” he repeated.

She turned to the mirror, which woke once more. The mists cleared, now to reveal a regal looking bedroom with a sleeping dragon under its covers. “How fortuitous,” she said with a chuckle, “I was afraid that we would need to wait until night time. Here we go.” With that, she lifted her horn once more. “Swap, swap, off you pop,” Majesty chanted before her spell was cast. The sleeping dragon in the bed vanished, and the dragon next to her also vanished, appearing in the room. He raised his fist and put it on his chest before he began his mission.

Majesty lowered her horn and the view of the brightly lit bedroom vanished. She walked over and sat on her throne to rest for a few moments. A smirk appeared on her face as she said, “I hope my guest is enjoying his new roommate.”

Gregory was slowly sipping on the water bottle that Majesty had returned to him when she noticed that he wasn’t drinking anything locally. She had assured him that she hadn’t poisoned the water or food, but he had no reason to suspect she hadn’t placed some sort of drug in those foods or drinks to make him more compliant or something, so she had given him his water bottle, which was metal, back. The water bottle was, thankfully, full, and the water helped parch his thirst. Of course, this was only a brief respite. He doubted he would be able to hold out for long, and he was not going to drink his own urine to survive. No, soon he would be forced to accept food and water from his captor.

He held a book in his lap as he was sitting near his fireplace, which had a warm fire in it. The book was written in a bit more fanciful lettering, similar to Edwardian Script font, but it was legible. It was titled Pony Legends and History. He knew the title from a G1 series of episodes called The Golden Horseshoes, and he was currently reading said story. Just like in the G1 episodes, the four horseshoes were made in the land of Argyte of mystical starlight. Each one possessed magical powers, such as the ability to create special clouds on which she and others could hover, the ability to create a great amount of light, the ability to show the future, and the ability to read the minds of others. The special unicorn who had originally owned them was, as he guessed, Majesty herself.

Something disturbing that he learned during his reading of this story was that Argyte was a former home of ponies far to the east of Ponyland which was besieged by demons in its final days. Argyte was destroyed by many various kinds of demons, and Majesty had apparently been the last remaining member of the Argyte royal family to survive the fighting. Majesty herself, barely a teenager at the time, took up mantle of leadership when the rest of her family were killed by the demons, and in a last ditch effort to escape the oncoming demons, who had killed thousands of ponies. Using her immense magical power, which was supplemented by the power of the long lost Crown of Argyte, she created a magical whirlwind that took every remaining pony from that land away. In the chaos that followed, Majesty saved her ponies, but had lost her horseshoes.

He put the book down, trying to think about how Majesty could have gotten her hooves on them again, especially if Mimic had needed them to be revived. Majesty must have still been around during the time of those events, so he figured that it was Majesty who needed the help of Megan and her pony friends. That left the question of how long the time was between the events of each episode of the G1 show. If they could even be considered canon as they were aired, considering the events of Rescue at Midnight Castle had Majesty with them in real life.

In truth, Gregory had nothing else to do but to think about the events of the past and how they related to the present. Like how Majesty had earned her wings as an alicorn if she was as evil as Opaline. There must have been some good in her at some point, which made even more sense considering that she was acting in a manner that in her mind was just. A small part of Gregory could see her point of view. From what he had heard about Equestria, the ponies who lived there were a proud race, basking in their blessings and quite powerful thanks to their unique connections to the world’s magic. They did base their society on the Tenets of Harmony, but that only seemed to apply to the three main races of ponies. For other races, it was a hit or miss. Even the chiropteran ponies were seen as outcasts by the three main races. And the reaction of ponies to humans in this day and age was certainly telling.

He guessed that in a way, Majesty still loved the ponies and was acting as a more disciplinarian, but even so, he couldn’t just ignore the fact that she seemed to be playing the part of Old Testament Yahweh with the extreme measures. She explained after coming back that she’d left the foals alone as they were, in her opinion, innocent of their parents’ crimes, but had Luna not been there, it may have turned out disastrous for the foals, especially any newborns. Part of him hoped that Majesty wasn’t that cruel and had known that Luna was there, but he couldn’t rule it out, either.

As Gregory was about to go back to reading the story, trying to put those miserable thoughts aside, he heard the telltale sign of a magical teleportation coming from nearby. Assuming it was another attempt by Majesty to give him something to eat, he looked over at the table, only to see that it remained undisturbed. Frowning, he stood, high on alert now as he scoured the room to see what was added or subtracted.

When he saw the new addition, his heartbeat went into overdrive, but he steadied himself quickly as he slowly approached his bed. Underneath the covers, a brand new lump had appeared. And it was snoring heavily. He couldn’t see what or who it could be, but it was too small to be Majesty. He seriously doubted that she might attempt to make him go to bed with one of the nox ponies as Majesty’s servants were called, so the situation was completely flabbergasting to him. And in this world, anything unknown could hurt or kill him.

Hesitantly, he approached the snoring form, noting that whoever or whatever was underneath sounded young, and was possibly bipedal judging from the outline. Reaching towards the head of the bed, he grabbed the sheets covering the figure, then slowly began pulling the covers down.

The first thing he saw was a green horn, which put him even more on alert, but then he saw a few more horns and a purple head. Then he saw some green ears on the side of said head, and he stumbled backwards, eyes wide. Spike?!

Author's Note

So, in order to distinguish between both Spikes, you probably have noticed how the spelling has been changed. The older Spike will now be spelled as Spyke. I've made the necessary revisions in previous chapters.

14: ...Often Go Awry

The head, and presumably the rest of the body, belonged to Spike.

As if by magic, the dragon stirred and in a somewhat familiar, but deeper adolescent voice, said, “Mmm…not now, Mom, can’t somepony else watch Flurry today…?”

Flurry? Gregory looked at Spike with confusion. He had no idea what Spike was up to since Jason’s death, but as he hadn’t seen the young drake with Twilight in Maretime Bay, he assumed that he was somewhere else. From what he’d just heard, it sounded as if someone had adopted him and he was close to Flurry Heart. Meaning that he had been in the Crystal Empire at some point. And judging by the clothes he’s wearing, he’s doing well-wait, clothes?? Gregory was even more confused, as Spike was wearing what looked like old style pajamas.

Spike continued to stir and Gregory stepped back, letting go of the blanket as he got a respectful distance away. Spike’s stirring continued, then slowed as a sparkle of magic suddenly surrounded him. He smiled in his sleep as he pulled the covers back up and fell back into a deeper sleep. Gregory watched, unsure what to make of what he had just seen. Spike looked so peaceful and happy in his sleep.

He sat back down in his chair, trying to come to grips with what had just happened when there was a knock at the door. “My dear Gregory? It’s Majesty. May I enter? Are you decent?”

Gregory nearly jumped when Majesty spoke. He calmed himself, then slowly stood, walked over to the door, and undid the latch. Not that he figured it would do him any good, of course, but it helped him. He opened the door and saw Majesty standing there with a warm smile. “I hope I didn’t startle you,” she said. “May I come in?”

Gregory didn’t reply, instead just stepped aside and let her enter. She nodded in acknowledgment and walked in, taking in the room before looking at the bed. She chuckled. “He looks peaceful, doesn’t he?” she asked, looking up at Gregory, who simply nodded. She smiled more, then turned to Spike. “He is dreaming happy dreams, and is in an enchanted sleep that will do him no harm. I never intentionally put young ones in harm’s way. They are so innocent, and this one here has lived such a hard life already that he deserves all the happiness he’s gotten.” She walked over and gently stroked Spike’s spines before turning back to Gregory. “Did you know that Spike here has been adopted by the rulers of the Crystal Empire as a prince? He has been living a very good life.”

Gregory took a seat back in the chair, watching Majesty as she tucked Spike in further. If he was living such a good life, he thought, then why kidnap him? Unless he would interfere in her plans. The only reason he could think of to kidnap Spike would be because of his dragon fire. If so, it made perfect sense for her to keep him asleep. Majesty turned to him when she was finished. “My dear Gregory,” she said, “I didn’t just come here to check on your new and temporary roommate. It has come to my attention that you haven’t been eating anything we’ve provided for you lately.” She approached, a look of concern on her face. “I hope you realize I would never poison you or mess with your meals in any way. You're my honored guest, just as Spike here is.”

He remained calm, but his internal fear and somewhat growing paranoia kept him on edge. He took in a breath before he finally spoke. “You’ll forgive me for not immediately trusting that you haven’t altered the food you sent me.”

Majesty shook her head, looking genuinely hurt. “I don’t want you dead,” she said, “and I would never put anything untoward in your food. If you’re afraid of me putting something into the meal that could affect you, then be at ease. That would be serious assault, and would make me no better than the ponies who assaulted you and Jason and other nonpony races.”

Gregory pursed his lips. He had been living on edge for so long that he had foolishly not considered the fact that anyone other than Tobias would care about him. Life in Thornfall was a kill or be killed mentality for him. He forced himself to relax, admitting to himself that her words did make sense. Still, one nagging question remained. “Then why did you leave foals alone in Dodge City?” he asked.

Majesty sighed. “My dear Gregory, I knew that Luna and several of her guards were going there before we left,” she said. “I would never intentionally leave them unable to fend for themselves. As much as I dislike her, Luna has several redeeming qualities. She does care for ponies, and would never abandon young ones. Children are more innocent than adults, for they have not yet been taught the mistakes of their parents. Even if she hadn’t been going there, I would have left some full-grown ponies there to tend to the foals.”

Once more, a bit of relief washed over Gregory. He’d been letting his fear dictate his thoughts, and that, he knew from the years of being on Erda, was counterproductive. Majesty continued. “I’ll have Spike moved to another room before long, but I didn’t just come by to see him. I wanted to invite you to dine with me for lunch.”

Gregory was immediately on guard again, but saw an opportunity here. She seemed to be protective of him, having placed him in a gilded cage wherever this was, and if he was smart about it, he could press her for information. Of course, she could do the same to him, but he promised himself he’d be careful. Even so, he was worried now about Spike. Looking to the young dragon, he asked, “Will he be alright in enchanted sleep?”

Majesty nodded. “Yes. He is in no danger of muscle atrophy, starvation, dehydration, or anything like that. And before you ask, I would not use any sort of mind control or suggestion magic on anyone, especially a hatchling like him. He has suffered under ponies until recently too.” She turned to him. “So, will you come to a midday meal with me?”

Gregory stood, looking at eye level at Majesty before nodding. “I accept your invitation,” he said, his paranoia telling him that it was a mandatory invitation. He squashed that thought as it was counterproductive. “What time is it?”

“At twelve,” she said, looking at the clock on the wall which read three minutes past eleven. She then looked at his clothes and looked concerned. “Would you like a change of clothes? I have already had some of my nox ponies create several articles of clothing for you that will fit if you wish.”

He looked down at the only articles of earth clothing he had on him at the moment. He knew that, like him, they had properties that seemed to aid in his protection, and he wasn’t really willing to give that up just yet. Still, he figured he could at least try and look presentable with these clothes. They were still relatively clean. “Thank you for the offer,” he said, “but I would prefer to stay in my own clothes for now.”

Majesty nodded. “I understand. I will have the nox bring the clothes here before dinner just in case you would like to wear something else. We will gladly wash your clothes whenever you need them washed. I will also send someone to escort you to the dining hall when it’s time.” She then looked at his face, which was sporting some stubble that was a couple days old now. “Would you also like a shaving kit? I do know that older human males sometimes prefer to be clean shaven.”

“Well, if you have such a kit, then yes please,” Gregory nodded. “I would appreciate that,” he said.

“It shall be done. I will have our cooks prepare something I believe a human would enjoy, seeing as your kind are omnivores,” Majesty promised. “And with that, I will bid you farewell for now.” She walked over to where Spike lay, raised her horn, and in an instant, both of them teleported away, leaving Gregory alone.

About forty minutes later, Gregory was facing the mirror in his private bathroom and looking at himself. Once more, he tried straightening his shirt of all the wrinkles and brushed his pants off. He would be leaving many of his outer clothes behind, settling for his pants, the black long sleeved shirt he wore, and a dark purple vest that had actually been provided to him by a nox pony servant earlier. He may have been a mercenary, but even he knew that there was a time and a place for all black. The dark purple vest gave him the look of someone going to a more official dinner, and despite his fear and wariness of Majesty, he wanted to at least look presentable.

He ran his hand over the top of his hair, which he had just washed and combed back, tying it back into a ponytail as it had grown that long during his time on Erda. He’d even done his best to shave using the shaving kit that the nox pony servant had brought for him. It was a lot like the ones he used in Thornfall, but the blade itself was a lot nicer than those in his home city, so he needed to be careful. Still, it did feel nice to be clean shaven after a couple days of itchy stubble.

Opening a pocket on the vest pocket of said vest, Gregory placed his handkerchief inside, making it look as presentable as he could. Not seeing anything else that needed to be done, he walked back out into the main living area of his room, sat, picked up the book he had been reading before, and resumed reading while he waited for someone to call him to lunch, which came about five minutes later with the arrival of the same nox pony he had seen upon his arrival here. He learned her name was Starfall and she had been assigned to be his personal maid/aide if he ever decided to go out of his room when Majesty was busy. “M-Mr. Gregory, sir,” she said with a hint of nervousness that he’d grown to get used to with her, “her majesty asked me to bring you to the dining room for the midday meal.”

Gregory nodded and stood, straightening his clothes out once more before nodding. “I’m ready,” he said.

Starfall nodded and led him out of the room, where he was immediately flanked by the two nox pony stallion guards. Majesty had said they were for his protection, but even he could tell that was a flimsy lie. They led him down several dimly lit corridors until they reached a set of double doors, which were also manned by two ponies in armor. Said ponies opened the doors, revealing a surprisingly well-lit room that had a large elongated table with several chairs surrounding it in the center of the room. A brightly lit chandelier illuminated everything in the room, and there was a roaring fire in a massive fireplace. Gregory noted that the nox ponies had to cover their eyes with their darkened butterfly wings as they retreated.

Sitting at one end of the table was Majesty, front hooves on the table in what Gregory would consider a polite pose. She stood and pushed her chair out, making her way over towards him. To his surprise, she was actually wearing what he could only describe as a formal dress, a light blue ensemble. It was simple, but elegant in said simplicity. Her mane was also tied up with a fashionable white bow. She looked him up and down as she approached, then gave a nod of approval. “I believe the phrase is ‘You clean up nicely’?” she questioned.

Despite his fear of her, he couldn’t help but smile a bit at the compliment. He had hardly ever heard anyone back on Earth say anything like that to him, and nobody here would likely say it. He nodded in appreciation. “You used that phrase correctly,” he said. “Right back at you.”

She actually blushed a little bit at that before straightening and smiling. “Please come with me,” she said. “I’ve had another place set up for the two of us. This table is nice for dining, but it’s too big and impersonal.” She gestured to a table he hadn’t seen before, one situated near one of the two windows in the room, a bay window which had its curtains shut. A table with Majesty’s mirror stood between said table and the bay window.

The table itself was circular and made of sturdy wood. He even thought he saw a rainbow sheen on the top of it when it was looked at from a certain angle. The chairs themselves were made of the same type of wood, but were also cushioned so they were comfortable to sit in and had armrests. An unlit candelabra stood in the center of the table and there were two of the chairs sitting on either side of the table so the occupants were facing each other. Each place had already been set with fancy-looking dinnerware that looked too good to eat off of, at least to Gregory’s eyes. In fact, they looked somewhat familiar to him as they approached, but he said nothing.

Not wanting to be rude to his host, he watched which chair she approached, then moved in front of her, pulling said chair out for her. This seemed to surprise Majesty, but she nodded and accepted the chivalry as she took the seat. In return, she pulled out his chair with her magic and he sat down after pushing her chair in. Part of him did this because he wanted to play into her human reverence and another part did it because of his fear. As he sat, she pulled the chair in to a comfortable position, then used her magic to light the candelabra.

When he sat down, she picked up a golden bell with a red handle that was at her place. Gregory noticed that he had one near his dinnerware as well but said nothing. From another door, a pony quickly entered. However, Gregory noted that this one was an actual earth pony, and not a nox pony like he’d seen before. The pony approached and gave both the alicorn and the human a surprisingly warm smile. “Howdy, folks!” he said in a slightly southern accent, “I’m your chef today!” He then turned to Gregory. “It’s an honor to meet a member of the species who saved ours so long ago.” He inclined his head in respect.

This human reverence thing is a bit unnerving, Gregory thought, but didn’t say as he nodded. “Nice to meet you too, Chef…?” He trailed off, hoping that the earth pony would finish the sentence.

He didn’t disappoint. “You can call me Stir Fry,” he said with a smile. “And you also don’t need to worry about your meal, sir and madam. I can assure you that it’s being made to the finest of specifications.” Directing his attention to Gregory, he added, “The lady here has told me you’re an omnivore, so I just wanted to assure you that I can prepare something for you that should fit your palate. For you, I have decided on a piece of auroch meat roasted over an open grill to perfection.” He then turned to Majesty. “And for the lady, a roasted root vegetable and goat cheese filo tart.” He then addressed both of them. “For sides, even if it seems a bid pedestrian, we will be having baked potatoes with melted butter, chives and sour cream. There will be a garden salad for both of you as well. As for what to drink, aside from the clearest water this side of the Maressissippi we have a rare chateau wine bottle from the former fields of one Grape Vine.”

Majesty nodded in approval. “Thank you, Chef Fry,” she said, “that all sounds incredibly delicious.”

“I will bring out some freshly baked bread rolls and some butter for you to start,” the earth pony said as he bowed and rushed back through the door he’d come through before, leaving the alicorn and human alone.

Gregory was looking after the earth pony chef, wondering why he was here. Majesty must have seen the confusion on his face because she said, “Chef Fry is not the only pony who is not a nox among the Shadowfall. There are many from Equestria who became disenchanted with the current state of affairs over the years, and even more so when Ponyville’s actions against Jason Wright came to light.” She gestured to the still closed window. “Nocturne is full of them, but they tend to live in a separate cavern.”

That caught Gregory’s attention. He turned back to her with a raised eyebrow. “Why? Isn’t that counterintuitive to your cause?” He wasn’t entirely sure what her actual cause was, but he could make some guesses.

“Oh, they live in a brighter cavern next to this one because the nox can’t deal very well with bright light,” Majesty explained. “The nox used to be able to handle being in the sunlight just like any other pony race, but a group of them were forced underground during the last days of peace in Ponyland before the Sundering. They changed into the nox over the centuries.”

“Changed? From what?” Gregory asked, although he was beginning to suspect he knew.

“They were once a race of beautiful and glorious ponies known as flutter ponies,” Majesty replied. She turned to the mirror, which began to glow and clear to reveal a beautiful flowery valley. There were pleasant looking homes and cottages scattered throughout, and in the center was a massive monument with a golden glowing stone situated on top. The view showed a few of the aforementioned flutter ponies flying around, smiling and laughing and talking with each other. “This is Flutter Valley before the Sundering,” Majesty explained. “It was hidden from other races and ruled by Queen Rosedust. They were a kind and peaceful race.”

Gregory couldn’t help but admire the beauty and simplicity of the view before him. What little he had seen from the memories of Majesty and other ponies showed that ponies in Ponyland lived a simpler life than ponies in the modern day. He tried not to be mesmerized by the view, but it looked less like a mirror and more like a portal which he could walk though. He looked back at Majesty, who was actually looking at him instead of the view. She had what looked like an expectant look on her face. He nodded as he looked back. “They look peaceful,” he said.

“They were,” she said, a wistful tone in her voice, “but they were also not to be underestimated, because they had the power of Utter Flutter.” The scene changed and Gregory saw a large number of the flutter ponies flying in formation, buzzing their wings at a massive dark mass that looked like black slime. A black slime with a pair of blazing red eyes full of hatred. And sailing on the slime was a small sailing ship with three human figures in them.

Gregory realized he was seeing the ending of the original My Little Pony movie as it actually happened. To his shock, the three witches on the boat were actually quite attractive by human standards, as well as appearing quite young. So young, in fact, that he knew he would never have been able to guess which was the mother unless he looked at the clothes. Also unlike what happened in the movie, the number of flutter ponies were much larger than it was in the movie. “This happened during a time when Hydia and her witch daughters attempted to cover Ponyland in a vicious entity called the Smooze,” she said. “At the time, I was caught in its initial attack and unable to escape, but thanks to them and the Rainbow of Light, my ponies were saved, and we ceded part of our lands to the Grundles to help them restore their own lands.”

The scene shifted again, this time in front of a massive building. Majesty stood there, smiling widely at everyone there, which included a number of ponies, a gnome looking being that Gregory assumed was the Moochick, a large rabbit standing next to the Moochick, a group of multicolored furry creatures that Gregory guessed were the bushwoolies, a taller flutter pony mare who looked like Rosedust, various animals, and three young humans, which included a young adult human woman dressed in farmer’s clothing, a college aged looking man with a baseball cap, and a teenage looking girl with pink overalls and pigtails. Their fashion sense screamed mid-80’s at Gregory.

The unicorn Majesty on the screen was looking at a small group of humanoid beings as she spoke. “King Griund of the grundle race, my dear ponies and other friends and I are grateful for your help in these past few days. You have shown yourselves to be friendly, resourceful, and with the potential of being amazing neighbors. You are brave and kind and strong, and it grieves me that such a marvelous race has lost your kingdom.” The younger Majesty did look pained by this, but then her expression brightened. “As thanks for your assistance in this near tragedy, I will gladly cede a portion of Ponyland to you to help you restore your kingdom to its former glory. There are many places in our kingdom which are uninhabited where you can rebuild.”

The taller grundle had tears of joy in his eyes as he approached and reached out a claw to Majesty. Majesty placed her hoof in his claw and he closed it around her hoof, leaning down to kiss it gently. “The grundles and I are eternally in your debt,” he said.

Majesty giggled softly. “Consider the debt repaid for your actions in helping to restore Dream Castle,” she said as she knelt down to be eye to eye with the grundle king. “You and your people will be our friends for as long as time exists.”

The scene shifted again, only to now show Majesty standing alone on the lip of what looked like a volcanic crater. She was looking down at the crater, a look of anger spread across her face as she raised her horn, lifting something up. The view moved to show what Majesty was lifting: a large mass with angry red eyes and three terrified looking women who were shouting out apologies that even Gregory could tell were false.

Majesty turned and looked at the smooze first, her eyes ablaze with anger and determination as she aimed her horn at it. The horn began to glow as she spoke:

“No longer shall thee our lives upend,
“no longer shall thee tower.
“If being evil is all thee intend,
“then thou shalt be good as a shower.”

The smooze began to twist and writhe, its eyes vanishing as it lifted up into the air. Its black form began to shiver and expand, turning its gelatinous form into that of a beautiful cloud which spread across the skies. Rain began to fall, but a gentle rain which began to fall steadily around Majesty and the three witches. The dismal looking Volcano of Gloom began to transform, with beautiful flower, grass, and even trees beginning to grow on its slopes. Snow fell onto where the tree line formed, and eventually the volcano and the surrounding landscape became a majestic and beautiful mountain.

As the newly transformed rainshower moved away, revealing the sun again as it cast a natural rainbow onto the eastern sky, Majesty turned her focus to the terrified looking witches. “You have brought nothing but sorrow and misery to my dear ponies and their friends,” she snarled angrily, “and I have ignored you for far too long. It is long past time I dealt with you on a more permanent level. But first, drop those disguises at once!”

Hydia was the first to do so, and her human forms shifted until she was a green skinned humanoid with pointed ears. The other two did the same, and their features also changed to fit this. They still had their feminine beauty, strangely enough, but their eyes were all a glowing red just like the smooze’s had been. Eyes full of fear mixed with hatred. Before they had a chance to speak, Majesty spoke again, her horn blazing with light.

“Thy sins are quite vast,
“and forgiveness is past,
“for to live as evil beings you insist.”

“Your powers we sever,
“both now and forever,
“for as mortals thou shalt now exist.”

Majesty’s magic swelled around the three witches, and they screamed in terror as dark mist rose from their bodies, dispersing into the air and being dissolved by the still falling rain. Any raindrop that passed through the mist changed into a colorful looking bubble which floated serenely away, and anytime one popped, orbs of light fell from it and hit the ground, dissolving and creating more greenery. Soon all of the blackened mist was gone, and Majesty opened some sort of portal. On the other side was an island. It looked big enough and had a large lake in the middle, plenty of trees full of fruits, and white sandy beaches. “Be grateful for my mercy in not turning you into an animal like I have done with Tirac,” she said darkly as the three headed towards the portal. “This island is in the middle of the ocean, with no hope of rescue in sight for any of you. Now begone!”

The three were thrown screaming into the ocean, landing none too gently, but not enough to actually harm them. As they swam to shore, the portal vanished, and Majesty looked down at the now verdant valley surrounding the former Volcano of Gloom. She smiled. “I think perhaps the grundles might enjoy living here,” she said.

The scene faded away, and Gregory turned to look at the current Majesty. She smiled at him. “The grundles gladly started living in the former realm of Hydia and her witch daughters,” she said, “and in that entire valley. They called it New Grundalia. They had a lovely architectural sense.”

Just then, the doors to what Gregory guessed was the kitchen opened and a couple unicorns came out, carrying large plates of food out using their magic. They placed them down and bowed before a third pony, this one a pegasus, brought out two wine glasses and a wine bottle, which he poured for the two of them.

Gregory was surprised to see that his meal looked like a perfectly seared steak. It even smelled like it. There were seasonings on it that made it smell absolutely divine, better than anything he’d had in Thornfall. Hell, this has to be better than MREs, he thought.

Majesty’s own food looked and smelled delicious as well, and she smiled warmly at Gregory when he looked over. “I take it from your reaction that the smell of your auroch is appealing?”

He nodded. “Consider me impressed that a pony would even be able to cook a meat dish so well,” he said.

“Chef Stir Fry is, or was, from Canterlot Castle, and they do need to know how to make meat dishes for visiting dignitaries,” Majesty explained.

Gregory nodded in understanding. He wanted to dig in and stuff himself despite his caution, but he refrained as the wait staff finished setting things up. When they left and it was just him and Majesty alone again, he continued to wait, unsure whether or not Majesty had some sort of pre-meal tradition. However, when he saw her lift a fork and begin using it, he decided it was safe. He dug in, and the first bite of auroch steak exploded in his mouth with plenty of juice and flavor, and he had to really hold himself back from just digging in out of hunger. It had been too long since he’d had any steak.

After he swallowed the heavenly first bite, Majesty leaned forward. “I take it that your meal is more than satisfactory.”

“That’s putting it mildly,” he said, then caught himself as he realized his guard was slowly being lowered. “My compliments and thanks to the chef.”

“I will pass on the missive,” she said with a warm chuckle before taking another bite of her meal. When she swallowed that, she picked up the wine glass. “A toast, my dear Gregory. To true harmony.”

Gregory picked up the wine glass at his side almost without thinking, but hesitated only for a moment. His fear returned a bit, but he suppressed it as he raised his glass. “To peace and justice,” he added.

She smirked at that, and clinked his glass with her own.

“I’m happy that you’ve eaten something,” Majesty said an hour later as she was walking with Gregory back to his room. “You look much better already.”

“Thank you,” he said as they turned the corner of the corridor where his door was. Gregory felt much better. He hadn’t felt so full in years, having learned that food wouldn’t be a luxury he could afford to pass up. He had only eaten until satisfied for the two years he’d been in Thornfall, if he even got that much. He had to dip into his earth food reserves a few times when things had gotten severe, but the meal he’d just had was unlike anything he’d had before, and that included the dinner at Twilight’s house. Part of him wanted to just go back to his room and collapse into a food coma, but another part was concerned that he’d be sick from the shock to his system.

When they reached his room, Majesty opened the door and let Gregory go first. He walked in and collapsed into the chair next to the fireplace, exhaling deeply. Majesty giggled as she walked in and closed the door. “Are you tired?” she asked.

“A bit,” he admitted.

“Would you be too tired to accompany me for something later today?” she asked again.

Alarm bells went off in his mind as he lifted his head to look at her. “Later when? And where are you going?”

She chuckled. “I’ll be leaving in about three hours,” she said, “and as for where, well that’s a surprise. Would you be interested in accompanying me?”

Gregory felt like he was going to be sick now. He wasn’t sure why, but he felt like she would be taking him somewhere he didn’t want to be going or to observe something. He thought back to Dodge City and how Majesty had punished that town. There was a stubborn part of him that thought she’d gone too far, but after learning she had planned for there to be adults there to take care of the foals, his thoughts had settled. Then there was the part of him that felt some sense of satisfaction at seeing those ponies get some comeuppance for what they did to him two years ago. The conflict within him was starting to brew, and he wasn’t sure which part of him he wanted to win.

Feeling like there wasn’t much of a choice, he sat up. He wasn’t tired anymore now. “If you want me to come with you somewhere, then do I have a choice?”

Majesty smiled. “Of course you do,” she said in a reassuring tone. “I could see how distressed you were last time we went anywhere, but let me ask you this: didn’t you feel some sense of satisfaction or peace when I enacted justice for you?”

Gregory instantly remembered the aforementioned feelings he’d experienced that day. The vindication he’d felt at those ponies turning into monsters. He hadn’t realized just how much the actions of those ponies had affected him. The savage part of him absolutely loved what had happened. He’d suppressed it when Majesty had informed him that the foals were left alone, but it had resurfaced when she revealed that she would never have done anything like that if nobody else was there to take care of the foals. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, organizing his thoughts carefully before he replied, but all he could manage was a slow nod and a quiet, “Yes.”

Majesty smiled wider and walked up, putting a wing around him. “This next bit of justice I’m about to enact has to do with a fellow human.”

Gregory’s eyes went wide. “Jason Wright…” he muttered.

Majesty nodded. “Exactly. I’m planning a nice little visit to Maretime Bay. Would you like to tag along?”

Celestia and Luna both were sitting in the main hall of Maretime Bay, eyes closed, horns lit, and mouths moving silently as they cast an ancient spell they both knew that would place a powerful shield around the coastal town. The former Elements of Harmony and the others who had been in that meeting had already left town on a cargo train heading to Vanhoover where they would be getting a passenger train to the Crystal Empire’s capital. A number of Solar and Lunar guards had arrived an hour later to patrol the town in case of an invasion.

Slowly the two opened their eyes. The shield had been cast around the town. In the sunlight, it would shimmer like a bath bubble, but it was so much stronger than that. Celestia knew that Sunset and Twilight would not be able to break the shield, and even she and her sister would have difficulty with that. Even if Majesty knew the disarming spell, it would take time to break it from the outside and nopony could break through with a teleportation spell of any kind.

“That was exhausting, sister,” Luna said as she stood, her legs shaking a bit from the strain of having to expend so much magic. Fortunately, they had time to replenish their magic stores.

“Yes, but at least our little ponies are safe for the time being,” Celestia said as she stood and stretched. She shook her head and snorted in a very undignified manner. “Nnng…that feels good,” she said as she stretched her wings.

Luna was doing the same and she headed to the front door out into the summer air. “A walk will do us good, sister,” she commented as she pushed it open to let the light in. “It may also help you recover your magic faster.”

“Good idea,” Celestia said as she joined her sister and walked out into the streets of the newly built town.

The two walked down the streets, both flanked by their own guards, Celestia by her Solar Guard and Luna by her Lunar Guard. Most ponies they passed in the street didn’t even acknowledge them, and those that did were none too pleased to see them, or so it seemed. A few did bow reverently, but for the most part the relocated ponies ignored or shot angry and spiteful glances at the diarchs. It hurt Celestia further to see the looks on their faces, but she knew she deserved it. At the time, she had thought she was doing the right thing by creating a new place for the former citizens of Ponyville to live, but now she was beginning to realize that she had simply pushed the problem aside so she didn’t have to do anything about it.

“Your mind is troubled, sister,” Luna said softly as she walked up to trot alongside Celestia. “What ails you? Is it the looks from the citizenry here?”

“That’s part of it,” Celestia said, “but there’s more.”

Luna nodded, seeming to consider something. Then, a small smile formed on her face. “Why don’t we go down and speak on the beach?”

Ten minutes later, the two were actually standing on a newly built boardwalk overlooking the western oceans that led to lands unknown. The salty breeze blew through their manes as the guards stood at the entrance to the boardwalk, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. Some were even in the air. The shield shimmered above them but other than that it was practically invisible and wouldn’t harm anypony or any plants or animals. Celestia sat heavily on the wooden boardwalk, looking out at the endless water before her. All she really wanted to do at that moment was dive in and float there, letting the beautifully blue water move her around until she felt better.

Luna sat next to her and put a wing around Celestia’s back. “What is wrong?” she asked.

Celestia let her guard down and turned to her sister, a somber look on her face. “I’m starting to question my very actions through the years,” she said. “Mostly me passing problems off to others.”

“Delegation, you mean?” Luna asked.

“Yes and no,” Celestia said. “I know there is a time and place for delegation, but I’m talking about how I treat other issues. Discord’s reformation, Tirek’s punishment, Jason Wright, Ponyville’s relocation here, and more.”

Luna looked a bit unsure what to say. Still, to her credit, she did try. “Well, you are a busy mare,” she said, “so I think some of those could be forgiven-”

“No, I’ve pushed problems onto ponies who weren’t ready,” Celestia said, recalling how Applejack had called her out on her actions in that meeting in regards to the former Elements of Harmony. “And I pushed others away when I shouldn’t have. Like Jason.”

Luna once more tried to keep her sister grounded. “We’re not perfect, sister. What we need to do is learn from these mistakes.”

“I hate that word when it comes to what I did,” Celestia said. “It simply can’t capture what I’ve done, or rather not done.”

“I believe egregious and unforgivable sin would be perfect for how to describe your actions, Celestia,” a new voice said from behind them. The sisters both stood and turned, only to come face to face with an alicorn taller even than Celestia. The new alicorn was alone currently with her wings spread majestically and a serene smile on her face. “Hello, there,” she said.

“Majesty,” Celestia said, eyes wide in alarm. How had she gotten through the shield so quickly. It hadn’t even been thirty minutes!

“How did you get through the shield??” Luna demanded to know, horn lowered and one of her forehooves stamping at the ground in a threatening tone.

Majesty looked around at the air, then chuckled. “That old thing? Have you ever wondered who invented that magical spell?”

Celestia’s heart sank at the realization. “You…” she stated.

“Correct,” Majesty said as she suddenly shot into the air, dodging a blast from Luna’s horn. “Well, aren’t you a feisty young filly?”

“You assaulted a town of ponies and transformed them in front of their foals into monsters!” Luna snapped as she too leaped into the air after Majesty.

“Who are the real monsters?” Majesty asked as Celestia flew up after her sister, not wanting things to spiral out of control. “Would it be the ponies who viciously threw an innocent creature out of town, or the leaders of the nation where these monstrous ponies live in peace while the innocent creature they chased out live a life of misery?”

Luna chased Majesty towards the beach, which was where they spotted a lone bipedal figure watching all of this go down. Celestia saw the figure and recognized who it was immediately. “Revan!”

Revan looked up at her, and Celestia saw something in his eyes that hadn’t been there before: conflict. She turned and tried to fly down to where the human was, but before she was even within thirty or so feet from him, she slammed into a shield, one much more powerful than the one around Maretime Bay. She slid down the shield’s perimeter, landed on the ground and turned to see that Majesty was still easily evading Luna’s magical blasts. Even the guards were becoming involved, drawing their weapons if they were pegasi or chiroptera or firing off offensive magical blasts if they were unicorns. Earth ponies tried to use bows and arrows or spears to get to Majesty, but she made evading every attack on her look easy.

Finally, however, she spread her wings wide and shouted, “Enough!” A blast of magical wind seemed to come from her wings, and for a brief moment Celestia saw that she had a second set of wings, these ones looking more like butterfly wings than her winged alicorn wings. The wind had a shimmering sound to it, but it also was powerful enough that it made it impossible for her or anypony else to move.

From behind her, Celestia heard Revan mutter, “Utter Flutter…”

The guards in the air and Luna fell down, crashing into the sand dunes hard, but not enough to hurt. Majesty gently landed, then covered the guards and princesses with personal shields. The two princesses rose into the air inside their shields while Majesty released the shield surrounding Revan. Walking up to the human, she stopped, then turned back to the now floating alicorn sisters. The inside of the shield Celestia was in was slippery. Luna’s was apparently equally so because both alicorns were sprawled out in an undignified manner. Both tried calling out to Majesty, but something about the shields surrounding them kept them from being heard, because when Celestia saw Luna opening her mouth and appearing to shout something without sound, she realized the same was probably true of her own shield, so she stopped shouting.

Majesty and Revan both walked down the larger street of Maretime Bay towards the center, ponies watching with fear and confusion but when they saw Revan, all of their faces went pale. Celestia and Luna both watched helplessly as they were carried to the center of town. When they reached the spot, Majesty lowered the shields and let them land on the ground, allowing the diarchs to stand again. “What foul plan dost thou have for this town, cretin!?” Luna demanded, which told Celestia that the sound block on said shields was now gone.

Majesty turned, facing the irate lunar princess with a serene look on her face. “These ponies have not faced the true consequences of their actions against one Jason Wright,” she stated before turning to Celestia. “As nobody has done anything truly substantial to rectify this, I will act on behalf of the deceased and provide true justice.”

Celestia’s heart sank once more and she tried to break out of the shield, but it became quickly clear that the interior was still too slippery. Instead, she turned to the gathering crowd of ponies and shouted, “Run! Get out of here!”

Majesty could only chuckle at this as she raised a horn, firing a blast of magic into the shield which shimmered with blazing white light, blocking out the sunlight and making it seem as if the entire town was now surrounded by a pure white void. She then spread her wings and began to fly up into the air, looking down at the ponies below who were still frozen in fear. “You caused the suffering of an innocent human who simply wished to befriend ponies he admired,” she said, sounding more disappointed now than angry, “and forced him to live in the most dangerous forest since the Shadow Forest. He lived on scraps and garbage for three years before he took his own life. You saw him as a monster, and for no reason other than he was different than you. It would seem harmony has not truly touched you.”

She spread her wings wide, and her form began to glow as she began to chant.

“Because all of you forsook harmony,
“my judgment of you is this:
“in the form of your monster you’ll see
“how far you souls are in the abyss.”

“Your horns, and your wings, and magic as well
“will no longer be your aid.
“A new form you’ll take, and in them you must dwell,
“for friendship you all have betrayed.”

A blast of light shot from her horn and struck the shield. At first, nothing happened. Then, bright orbs of light began falling down from the sky like rain. It passed through everything, sinking into the ground. Ponies were panicking now as they tried to gallop away, but something was now holding them in place. Celestia and Luna watched helplessly as almost every pony remained frozen, only a number of younger foals and a couple of adult ponies watching in stunned horror as the form of the ponies caught began to glow brightly. The sounds of their screaming were all of fear and not of pain, but their forms were so bright that not even Celestia, who was immune to the effects of staring into the sun, had to shield her eyes.

Finally, the light died down, and there was silence. Celestia removed her wings from her eyes and looked around, only to go slack jawed at what she saw. Almost every pony in the square were gone, replaced with the naked forms of…humans. Humans of varying shapes and sizes, all the same pale color as Gregory and Jason were. The ponies who hadn’t been transformed stood in horror at the scene before them. The foals looked stunned, and some were beginning to cry, one even calling out for her mama even though said foal had been in the forehooves of one of the transformed ponies.

Celestia turned to watch as Majesty descended, landing next to Revan who was covering his eyes with a hand. “Is something the matter?” she asked Revan, then moments later she answered the question. “Ah, yes. They are naked, and humans wear clothing as a matter of necessity since they don’t have fur.” She gently turned Revan away. “Please forgive me, I forgot about that aspect of humanity for a bit.”

“Revan!” Celestia called out. The human flinched, then turned, the conflict in his eyes clearly visible. One of his fists was closed tightly. “We will rescue you! That’s a promise!”

Revan took in a shaky breath, then turned away from Celestia. Majesty put a wing around Revan’s back, and a portal appeared out of nowhere. The two walked through, and vanished.

15: Trail Of Bread Crumbs

“It’s nice to see you again after so long, dear,” Cookie Crumbles said to Big Mac as she and her husband sat around the large picnic blanket that they and the Apples were sharing. The summer day was nice and warm, and the food laid out on plates looked delectable. She and her husband had brought plenty of cookies for everypony to share along with some salad and some sandwiches. The Apples had provided several of their own signature dishes, including a barrel of their apple cider and apple fritters.

“Um, eeyup,” Big Mac said with a nervous but friendly smile.

“I see you’ve expanded your family a little bit,” Cookie said, gesturing to the four ponies sitting nearby.

Golden Russet, the unicorn, spoke up. “Well, I’ve heard good things about your cookies, Mrs. Crumbles,” she said, “and I can smell them from here.”

“Call me Cookie,” the older mare chuckled.

“And who’s this strong looking fellow here?” Hondo asked, gesturing to a burly earth pony stallion.

“Me Mango,” the large stallion said with a friendly grin. He pointed to a small platter of sandwiches that looked a bit smushed. “Try peanut butter and mango jam sandwich. It’s Mango’s secret recipe!”

“I believe I will,” Hondo said with a smile as he reached down.

“So, how was the trip here from Ponyville?” Cookie asked Granny Smith. “I take it from Big Mac’s cast that it wasn’t too easy?”

“Darn tootin’ it wasn’t easy,” Granny huffed. “Some fingle fangles group of ponies tried tuh ambush us on the way here! Poor Big Mac here got hurt tryin’ tuh save us ‘n our property, but we beat ‘em off.”

“With the help of our escorts,” Pippin reminded her.

Granny sniffed. “Yeah, yeah, ah remember,” she said.

“You had escorts?” Hondo asked before taking a bite of the sandwich he’d just picked up.

“A group of three mercenaries that Applejack insisted that we hire,” Merry explained. “They defended us from the mercenary group that attacked us.”

“Why would anypony attack you?” Cookie asked in shock.

“We don’t know,” Pippin said. “Still, we’re grateful to be alive here.” He nuzzled his wife, Blue Pearmain, who nuzzled him back.

“I can only imagine,” Hondo said in astonishment.

“So, what are your plans for this plot of land?” Cookie asked.

“Why, we’re gonna rebuild our farm, of course!” Granny said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“But different,” Big Mac added.

Cookie and Hondo looked at each other, then turned to Big Mac. “Different how?” Hondo asked.

Big Mac took in a deep breath. “Well, we’ll definitely be growin’ lots of apple trees, that’s fer sure,” he began, “but I’m tryin’ to convince Granny that we need to plant more than just that.” He gestured to the town. “I don’t know how the ponies down there are gettin’ their food yet, but I reckon it ain’t local.”

“You’re mostly right,” Cookie explained. “Golden Harvest has started a small farm again but it’s not as big as her old one. Some houses have vegetable gardens. Hay, we have one out back behind our shop. But we still have to get a lot of our food imported.”

Big Mac shook his head and sighed, looking at Granny. “See what I mean, Granny? We gotta diversify. I’m not sayin’ we stop growin’ apples, but we can’t live on them alone.”

Granny scowled at this, but Pippin spoke up next. “Granny, he has a point. Even AJ said something similar before she left.”

“Alright, alright, ah git it,” she sighed, “ah’ll…think about how tah do that.”

Big Mac stood, walked carefully over to his grandmother, sat next to her, and put his good forehoof around her back. “I know it ain’t ideal, Granny,” he said softly, “but we’ll still be Apples.”

She looked up at her grandson, then a hint of a smile formed on her muzzle. She nuzzled him and closed her eyes. “Ah guess so-”

Suddenly, a large white light came from behind the group, startling them all. Everypony, including the nearby playing foals, covered their eyes as they heard the sound of magic being cast. The sound increased a bit, and then they heard a female voice speak.

“Because all of you forsook harmony,
“my judgment of you is this:
“in the form of your monster you’ll see
“how far you souls are in the abyss.”

“Your horns, and your wings, and magic as well
“will no longer be your aid.
“A new form you’ll take, and in them you must dwell,
“for friendship you all have betrayed.”

The light brightened a bit, then vanished. Everypony slowly opened their eyes, rubbing it as they looked around in confusion. “What in tarnation just happened?” Granny asked.

“That was the voice we heard!” Apple Bloom said as she galloped over with the other CMCs.

“Yeah!” Sweetie Belle agreed.

“What voice?” Cookie asked, sounding worried.

“The voice that turned Spoiled Milk into a tree,” Scootaloo explained.

That silenced everypony at the picnic table as they turned back towards Maretime Bay. “So…what did she do now?” Merry asked.

“I’ll go have a look,” Blue said, spreading her wings and flying fast towards the coastal city. Everypony waited anxiously for her to return, fear coursing through their veins. Cookie and Hondo hugged the now trembling Sweetie Belle, Big Mac and Granny huddled around Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo simply watched the skies above Maretime Bay, waiting anxiously for her fellow pegasus to return.

After about five minutes, Blue did return, but the look on her face was one of shock. Her husband ran up to her and actually caught her, holding the mare close. She clung to him tightly, expression unchanged. Nopony moved as Pippin held her tightly, not saying a word. Eventually, she broke the hug and faced the group. “I…I have no…I don’t…”

“Take your time,” Pippin said softly, rubbing her back.

It took her a few tries, but eventually she spoke. “Almost all the ponies in town…they’ve turned into…into humans…”

A stunned silence followed that announcement. Nopony knew what to say or do.

Sunset sat in a booth on the passenger train, looking out of the passing Unicorn Range as the train made its way through it. The other ponies were sitting a bit away from her, not that she cared of course. Tobias was sitting opposite her, a worried look on his face. She’d even seen him biting his nails occasionally. She could understand his fears, because a part of her shared them. She had gotten to know Revan at least a little bit, and now that she knew he was a human, which before she only slightly suspected could be true, she wanted to find a way to save him even more.

As she watched the local flora pass by, she had much time to reflect on the events of the past few days, specifically the words spoken at the meeting at the Maretime Bay meeting hall.

She went over what that other empath had told her. Sunset could probably forgive a bit of her words. Marble might not have had enough information, but from what Sunset had seen, and she had to admit she didn’t have much information either, she’d seen enough to suspect that almost all ponies hadn’t learned jack shit from the Jason Wright event, a turn of phrase she’d heard from Tobias, who had heard it from Revan.

Still, Sunset might have been selfish with her own words, but she would not apologize for reminding them again of their failures. It seemed that some of them, especially that marshmallow of a pony Rarity, had learned absolutely nothing from her experiences. She knew that ponies tended to take multiple times to have a lesson learned, and a part of her, a small part, wondered if Majesty was partly right in her punishments of ponies. It seemed to make a point instead of Celestia’s own sort of punishments.

She shook her head free of these thoughts, needing her brain power to focus more on trying to save Revan from Majesty. They would be in Crystalian territory in a few hours, so she had plenty of time to think of something. She would have time to think more about the recent past events when there was time.

She looked up at Tobias, who was once more biting on a nail. She could sense and see his anxiety and fear. Reaching over, she gently kicked his leg. He jumped and looked over at her, eyes wide. “Huh?”

“We’ll find and get him back, don’t worry,” Sunset said in what she hoped was a reassuring tone.

Tobias nodded, but the tension on his face didn’t ease. Instead, he leaned on his elbow and resumed looking out of the window. “Yeah…” he said.

Sunset thought that he could use a distraction, so she decided to try and get him to think about more pleasant memories of his time as friends with Revan. “Hey, you and Revan seem really close,” she began.

“Because we are,” Tobias said, and Sunset could hear the slight tremor in his voice.

She gave him a small smile. “How did you two meet?”

Tobias didn’t respond right away, and Sunset wondered if her empathic abilities had failed her. She was about to retract the question until Tobias spoke. “We met two years ago in the Badlands.” He turned and looked down at the mask that Revan had worn. Picking up the now darkened mask, he looked at it and a wistful smile appeared on his face. “I was just returning from a job that had me going out to a small cave to retrieve this for a client when I found a small encampment.”

Sunset’s eyes went wide. “You’re the one who found that mask?” Ever since they’d gotten on the cargo train in Maretime Bay, she had been examining the mask, trying to determine what sort of magic it used, but she couldn’t detect anything from it. Any magical scans seemed to be bounced back right at her.

Tobias nodded, caressing the mask before putting it back down on the chair beside him. “Yeah, I did.”

“Then how did Revan get it?” Sunset asked.

Tobias smiled a bit more. “I’ll get to that,” he said. “As I was saying, I found an encampment where I found Revan. He was extremely low on water and hadn’t eaten a thing in days. Not to mention that he smelled like he hadn’t washed in a long time.” He chuckled a bit. “In fact, my big mouth commented on that first thing when the smell hit me.”

Sunset smiled a bit at that. “That makes sense, considering how nasty the Badlands are.”

Tobias nodded. “Well, he had been living in a vehicle that had gotten stuck in a sand drift and was half out of fuel. I helped dig it out and pushed it back onto the road. I shared some of my food and water with him and after a night of rest, he was strong enough to drive that vehicle back to Thornfall.”

“His vehicle didn’t need anyone pulling it?” Sunset asked, fascinated.

“It would have taken a lot of power to drag that car of his,” Tobias commented. “It’s made of metal for the most part, and magic won’t work on it.”

Sunset had noticed that Revan emitted a distinct lack of a magical aura, but the mask or helmet he wore felt distinctly different. There was a lack of magic from it, but Sunset could sense that it was a different type of lack, which made sense considering what Celestia had said regarding Revan’s abduction. If Majesty could grab it, then it had to be different than anything Revan owned that Sunset couldn’t grasp.

Realizing she was getting off topic, she nodded. “What happened next?”

Tobias chuckled a bit. “Well, turns out that when I got back to the guild hall, that there never was a order to retrieve that mask. Nobody knows how it got there and how it disappeared, but the mission wasn’t a total loss. See, the mercenary guild has a rule that if someone brings in a new member, both the recruiter and the new member receive talons from the guild treasury. It’s not too much but it’s enough to get a new mercenary started. Since I had no use for the mask, I gave it to G-to Revan.”

Sunset noted the slip, but didn’t press it. “How come?”

He sighed. “Revan didn’t want to have his identity known since he’d been cast out of Dodge City. Besides, the mask perfectly adjusted to fit him and helped keep him cool in the desert environment.” He chuckled. “He doesn’t like the heat too much.”

“So why does he wear so much clothing?” Sunset asked.

“For the same reason he wore the mask,” Tobias explained. “To hide his identity as a human.”

Sunset nodded. She knew that now. “I mean why does he wear so much if he hates the heat?”

“Well, like I said, this mask helps keep him cool,” Tobias said, patting the mask gently. “I don’t know how, but it works.”

Once more, Sunset realized she was getting off the subject. “So, after Revan registered for the guild, did you two become a team right away?”

“Not right away,” he said. “He needed more time to recover, so I let him stay at my place until he was back to normal. I went out on more local jobs because he had some initial problems with others in the city if he went out.” He chuckled dryly. “I barely made my payments that month, but it was worth it. Revan did his best not to be a bother by eating what little food he had with him to not strain my food budget, and we became good friends from that. Underneath that gruff exterior he has a good, if wounded, heart.”

Sunset nodded in agreement. “How did you form your group?”

His wistful smile returned. “Well, after I barely made my payments, Revan decided it was time he began pitching in for the payments, so we went out on a better paying mission all the way to Klugetown. We took another job to get there, which was escorting a Saddle Arabian caravan there. We did that not only to earn more money but also because Revan’s vehicle wouldn’t be able to make the trip. On the way, I learned he had some self defense training but not nearly enough to be useful, so I began teaching him some abyssinian martial arts. It did help us when we completed the second mission, although just barely. He had to use one of his weapons to bring the target down.”

“You went on an assassin mission?” Sunset asked, alarmed.

“No, no, no,” Tobias quickly said, “it was a capture mission, but the target was slippery so Revan used his long range weapon to injure the target. The client was extra pleased that the target’s injuries would need to heal naturally so they gave us a bonus.”

Sunset nodded in understanding and a bit of relief. “And you two have been living together since then?”

Tobias smiled. “Yes,” he said. “We both began to earn more money and about three months later we moved into a larger place that could fit us.” He chuckled. “I say a larger place, but it’s still plenty cramped. Not only that, but the payments are higher than my old place. And before you ask, there was next to no room in my old space for the two of us and I didn’t like the idea of him living on his own at the time.”

Sunset let out a sigh. She could again understand that feeling. “And you two have been surviving out there ever since?”

“Yes,” was Tobias’ simple reply. A faraway look came over his face as he looked out of the window. They entered a tunnel, leaving the coach in a bit of darkness save for the few lights.

Sunset was never good at trying to cheer anyone up, mostly because she’d had little experience in receiving said reassurances, even from Celestia. Still, she knew she had to try at least. “I…I don’t know much about this Spike,” she said, “but I do know that Celestia isn’t a liar when it comes to these things. If she says Spike can help us, then he can.”

Tobias’ expression didn’t change much. The two continued sitting in silence until they left the short tunnel. Sighing, he turned back to her and gave a weak smile. “I really hope so,” he said. “Our luck as of late has been shitty.”

Twilight watched as the train came around a corner into view of the Crystal Empire’s capital. Despite the seriousness of the situation, she still marveled at the beauty of the ancient city, the city that was older than Canterlot itself. The gleaming houses and the tower itself which housed the Empress shone in the late afternoon sunlight.

As the train approached the station, she looked back at her former friends. She was sitting next to Fluttershy, who in turn was next to her brother Zephyr Breeze. The two had been having a quiet but animated conversation. On the few occasions she had looked over, the smile on both of their faces seemed to radiate a familial warmth she hadn’t felt in years. It made her miss her parents, her BBBFF, and Spike.

Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash sat in another booth, but unlike Fluttershy and Zephyr, they had not said a single word. Pinkie had been there and had tried to start up a conversation, but none of them had been too keen on the matter, so Pinkie had meandered through the car, sometimes talking with Twilight (which she welcomed), or talking with Tobias and Sunset, or sitting next to Marble Pie, who had remained silent through the whole trip and had sat alone.

The train began to slow, and she saw a number of crystal ponies on the platform in guard armor. She was confused as to what was going on, but when one of them spotted her and nudged his partner, she guessed that somehow Cadance knew about their arrival. Maybe Princess Celestia sent a message to Spike, she pondered as she got up.

Sunset was by her side instantly, her hood and cloak up and a frown on her face. “They don’t look friendly,” she said.

“Those guards are unusually…armed for a station here,” Tobias added, walking up next to Sunset, Revan’s mask in his glaws.

Twilight’s heart began to race, but she tried not to let it show. “Um, Princess Celestia probably sent a message ahead to let Spike know we’re coming,” she explained.

“If that were the case, why aren’t your brother or your sister-in-law here personally?” Sunset asked. “And why are they armed?”

“To provide an escort for us, of course,” Rarity explained.

“And Cada-Princess Cadanza is an Empress, so she can’t drop everything to see us,” Twilight said. “Shining is Emperor Consort and captain of the Imperial Guard. Those are valid reasons why he can’t be here.”

“Stay sharp, everyone,” Tobias said, “we can’t be too careful here.”

Twilight nodded, then grabbed her luggage. “Come on, everypony,” she said, “let’s go.”

The others grabbed their things and headed to their car’s exit. When they were on the platform a few moments later, the guards swiftly approached them. “Twilight Sparkle?” one of them, clearly the leader, asked with a stern expression.

“Yes, that’s me,” Twilight said, giving what she hoped was her best smile.

The guard didn’t return it. “I’m Sergeant Lapis Lazuli. I’ve been ordered by Prince Spike to escort you and your party to the Imperial Palace.” The guard looked at the gathered group, counted them, then nodded. “I see the message was right in the number of creatures accompanying you. Prince Spike received a message from your princesses about your arrival and wants to know why you’re here.”

“We’re here to ask for his help finding someone,” Rainbow blurted out before Twilight could speak. “Apparently, only he can find this guy.”

The guards, the group of ponies and one abyssinian began walking down the street. The guards took their luggage for them. The more they walked, the uneasier that Twilight felt. She knew what having an escort should feel like, and this felt different. She reasoned, though, that since they were more infamous than famous now, this could be for their protection, but even that felt hollow. “Um, yes,” Twilight said. “Someone went missing, and we were going to ask him to help us find them.”

“I see,” the sergeant said, and Twilight could tell that he wasn’t too convinced. “I will let his Highness know about this when I inform him of your arrival.” He then went silent as he led them down the streets.

Twilight, seeing that there wouldn’t be any conversations forthcoming, began looking around at the city. Not too much about it had changed since it first returned all those years ago, although she did notice a massive crystal statue of a taller and leaner version of Spike standing in a busy intersection. He wore royal looking robes and a small crown while holding a depiction of the Crystal Heart.

That wasn’t all she noticed, however. She could almost feel herself drowning in the amount of glares she and her companions were receiving. She had to force herself to remain calm as she continued walking, focusing on the ancient city’s architecture instead of its inhabitants. The Crystal Empire had severed all ties with Equestria soon after Spike arrived, and she guessed that the crystal ponies knew of her and her former friends’ abysmal treatment of Spike over the years. If so, it made sense that they might strongly dislike her. Not only was he their hero, but now he was a prince of the empire. One last thing she noticed was that the guards were leading them down a path that they hadn’t taken to the palace before, but it wasn’t on the top of her mind, so she didn’t think anything of it.

Soon, the massive tower of the Crystal Palace loomed before them. They were escorted up a large set of stairs into the palace proper and led up several flights of stairs until they came to a large room with a large table with chairs around it. There were glasses of water at each place, enough for each of them plus one more at the head. “The prince bade me bring you here. He will be with you momentarily.”

“Thank you, sergeant,” she said gratefully as everypony else entered and went to claim a chair. The guards returned their luggage, and soon they left the room, closing the door behind them. Twilight was definitely exhausted and thirsty, so she, along with everypony else, took a seat and drank some water beginning their waiting game.

“You and you, stand guard at this door and protect our guests,” Sergeant Lapis ordered two of his best guardsponies. “I will report to his Highness about their arrival. As for the rest of you,” he added as he turned to the others, “resume your normal duties until further notice.”

The guards all saluted, hoof to chest, then the two he had selected stood at attention on either side of the door while the rest of those under his command turned and marched back towards the stairs. Sergeant Lapis Lazuli watched them go, then turned and made his way to the set of stairs that led to the royal chambers.

As he walked up the stairs, he began to think. His Highness had received a missive from Equestrian royalty sometime that morning, and had ordered the sergeant, who was the leader of the prince’s personal guard detail, to escort them to the palace by an alternate route and to not inform the other Imperials. When he had asked why, Prince Spike had simply smiled and informed him that he wanted to deal with this on his own to prove to himself and his family that he could handle himself in a situation like this. Plus, he still had some strong feelings about them and wanted to know what they needed him to do.

He eventually reached Prince Spike’s bedroom and made his presence known by knocking. He heard his prince call out, “Enter.” When he did so, he saw that Spike was sitting at his desk, pen in claw as he wrote in a journal. He turned and nodded at Lapis. “Sergeant, I take it your mission was a success?”

He nodded and bowed. “Your guests are all waiting for you in the meeting hall, your Highness.”

Prince Spike nodded. “I will be there shortly. You have guards posted at the doors?”

“Two of my best,” he confirmed.

The prince nodded, then put the quill down. “You’ve done well, Sergeant. Keep our guests safe until my arrival.”

Lapis bowed in acknowledgment. “I will, your Highness. Will there be anything else?”

“No,” Prince Spike informed him, “go about your daily duties in the interim.”

Lapis bowed. “It will be done,” he said before he slowly walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Spyke watched the crystal pony guard leaving, and a small bemused smile formed on his lips. In all of his time before the Slumber, he had never once heard of these fascinating crystal ponies. He stood and brushed the clothes of his counterpart to get any wrinkles out before walking over to the mirror and staring at his reflection. The face of his counterpart looked back at him, and his smile became wistful. This reminded him of his days back in Dream Valley, acting as Majesty’s assistant and helping out his pony friends in the blissful utopia that was Ponyland.

His features now might not exactly match his when he was a baby dragon, but they were close enough to bring the memories of the past back to the forefront of his mind. His old friends, the human siblings who rescued them time and time again, the Moochick and his fellow dwarves, Prince Phylius and the elves of the Sylvan Realm on the borders of Ponyland, the Grundles and their mountain realm, the bushwoolies, and so much more. It seemed as if there was more interaction between ponykind and other races back then. Part of him wondered just what had changed after the Slumber. When had ponies fallen to a shadow of their former selves?

His train of thought was interrupted by a soothing female voice. “Spyke, my dear friend, I am connecting Spike’s dream to your mind now,” Majesty’s soft but disembodied voice said.

He turned around, but when he saw nobody else in the room, he bowed his head reverently. “Thank you, your Majesty. I will continue to pose as their prince until you summon me back.”

Majesty chuckled. “I know you will, my dear friend. Act as close to the young Spike as you can, and rely on the mental link.”

“As you command, your Majesty,” he said with a bow.

Her presence vanished from the room, and at the same time he felt it, a pinprick in his head. He picked up the scroll that had come from Spike and that his Queen had sent to Spyke. Looking it over as if reviewing it, he walked over to where Spike’s royal regalia sat. Putting on his golden circlet studded with the finest gems and putting his signet ring on his finger, he walked out of his room, heading down to the guest quarters where he spotted the doors where the sergeant had placed them. Taking a breath like Spike might, he nodded at the two guards before he said, “Open it.”

The guards did so, and Spyke strode in, looking at the ponies in the room one at a time. They were all frozen in shock at what their apparently former servant had grown into. The purple Twilight was the first to speak. She was sitting on the edge of one of the beds with a glass of the beverage in her magic. Standing, she put it down and gave Spyke a nervous smile. “Um…hello, Spike,” she said hesitantly.

He gave her a stiff nod. The mental link made it somewhat easier for Spyke to imitate the younger sleeping dragon. “Hello, Twilight Sparkle,” he said, keeping his voice calm and collected while letting a hint of bitterness seep through. He held up the scroll. “I got Princess Celestia’s scroll earlier today. You all came here because you need to use me again?”

That got a reaction from six of the ponies in the room. Three others were standing apart from the six ponies who used to be the Bearers of Harmony while an abyssinian kept an eye on Spyke. A suspicious eye. Spyke could tell from years of experience that look came from a place of worry. Worry for a friend.

“T-That’s not it at all,” Twilight said, clearly trying to salvage the situation.

“Then what is it, then?” Spyke asked, turning back to focus his attention on Twilight.

“Um, Spike,” the quiet pegasus called Fluttershy said as she stepped forward.

Spyke turned and almost smiled. Fluttershy might have been a pegasus, but she reminded him so much of Dream Castle’s earth pony gardener Posey. The two of them had gotten along quite well, and she’d taught him much about how to grow the plants in the garden, some of which were sadly not around on this new continent. “What is it, Fluttershy?” he asked, hiding his nostalgia behind a frown.

“Um, well…someone’s been foalnapped,” she began, “and the princesses are anxious to find him.”

“He’s another human,” Twilight spoke up.

Despite already knowing this, Spyke’s eyes widened in ‘surprise’. “Another human?” he asked in a shocked tone. He looked around, spotted a chair at a desk, then grabbed it, pulling it out, then sitting on it and facing Twilight. “Tell me everything,” he insisted.

Clearly a bit shocked by ‘Spike’s’ change in tone, Twilight took a seat herself on the bed, looking back at Spyke before launching into the explanation. She told about how a human mercenary had arrived in Maretime Bay with Applejack and her family, and how he had left quickly with his two partners, but then had come back after escorting Pinkie Pie and her sister Marble Pie to Maretime Bay for extra money. Applejack, Pinkie and Marble corroborated this story as Twilight told it. So did the one called Sunset. The abyssinian, however, didn’t say a word, instead, he just kept on staring at Spyke with those eyes full of mistrust.

Eventually, Twilight told of how Majesty had taken the human, who she still knew as Revan, away. Spyke nodded in understanding. “And you think I can help you find this Revan human?” he asked. “How?”

“Princess Celestia said that if we combine the little magic we have left from our contact with the elements with your fire magic, then we have a good chance of finding his location through an item he carries,” Twilight explained.

“What kind of item?” Spyke asked.

“A candle that he has based off of your fire magic,” Twilight replied.

He frowned. “I see,” he said. “Well, if that’s all you want from me, then fine.”

“That-That’s not all we came here for,” Twilight said, now nervous again.

“Maybe, and maybe not,” he said, “but you’re obviously in a hurry.” Spyke took on a concerned look now as he put a claw to his chin, stroking it gently. “Did the princess say how we were going to do this?”

Right on cue, Spyke heard the soft voice of his queen almost whispering a short but disembodied spell. “You all shall see how you wish things to be.”

At once, their eyes began glowing a light blue, and everyone stiffened before Spyke felt the spell take hold of him as well. The scene returned to normal, showing that Twilight was now raising her horn and picking up a scroll from her nearby pack. “Here,” she said. “The princess gave me this before we left.”

Spyke took the scroll and looked it over. He read it carefully, then slowly rolled it back up. He looked at them all, then sighed. “This doesn’t mean I forgive anything,” he said, “but if another human is in danger from another pony, then I’ll help. After that, though, I won’t have anything more to say to you.”

Twilight nodded, looking somber at that. “I figured that,” she said. “We’ll leave after this.”

Spyke inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. If she had insisted on seeing her brother and his family, he knew he wouldn’t have the opportunity to refuse without seeming suspicious. Part of him wondered if this was his queen’s doing, but he dismissed it as she never took complete control of a mind. Even now, when in the real world he, Spike, and these ponies were in a trance of sorts, all of their actions were their own of a sort. “Then let’s get to it,” he said as he looked at the six ponies.

The aforementioned ponies walked up around him, sitting on the ground in a circle around him. They took each other’s’ hooves, closing their eyes as they concentrated. Twilight’s horn began to glow softly, then her mane began to softly move, much like Queen Majesty’s did. After a bit, a small rainbow light came seeping out of their bodies, moving up to him.

On cue, he breathed out some fire, and to his bemusement, it was green unlike his own. The fire was gentle and surrounded the small puff of rainbow light before it shot out of the room. Closing his eyes, he saw in his mind’s eye as the rainbow and fire shot southeast, passing over the gryphon lands, then flying through unoccupied valleys, mountains, forests, lakes and more until it reached a familiar sight that tugged at Spyke’s heartstrings. A large ruin of a massive castle, one of pink walls and purple turrets. One that had been reclaimed by nature over thousands of years, but one still recognizable to him.

The false vision zoomed in, heading beneath the exposed castle’s halls and doorways until it found a closed doorway. The door opened and the rainbow and fire went down a flight of wide winding steps until it passed through an archway into a large area. The vision became blurry as they saw their quarry, the small candle sitting on a table, while next to it they all caught a glimpse of a human figure sleeping on a bed.

The vision ceased, and everyone opened their eyes. They looked at each other, Spyke feigning confusion just like the rest. The other two ponies were still watching these proceedings with anxiety on their faces. “What in Equestria was that castle?” Rarity spoke first.

“I don’t know,” Twilight said, “but it looked ancient.”

“It’s really far away, everypony,” Rainbow said, “so what do we tell the princesses?”

“We tell ‘em what we saw here,” Applejack replied simply. “We ain’t exactly qualified for any kind of search an’ rescue mission, after all.”

“Spike, could you send a message to the princesses?” Twilight asked.

He took a deep breath, then sighed in exasperation. “Only because this is an emergency,” he said as he stood. “I’ll get a message written and sent off as soon as I can.”

Twilight gave him a grateful smile, then to Spyke’s surprise, she walked up and wrapped him in a sudden hug. He stood there, not sure what to do, and he wondered if this was how Spike would react or if this was his own reaction. “Thank you,” Twilight whispered before quickly breaking away. “Ah, um…sorry.”

Spyke slowly brushed his clothes and cleared his throat. “S-Sure,” he said. It had been so long since any singular pony had hugged him, and even if this was a false projection, it had felt so real and warm. It reminded him of how the Twilight he knew back in Dream Castle, the one who had become one of the most powerful mages in the castle, had been so kind to him. Spyke felt the spell lift again, and a soft shudder passed through him. The projection was over. “Alright,” he said, trying to regain his composure, “well, since there’s nothing else, I’ll send that letter. My guards can escort you back to the train station.”

“Thank yah kindly fer yer help, Spike,” Applejack said with a smile.

“Yes, thanks a bunch, little guy,” Rainbow said, “although I guess now you’re not so little anymore. Gotta say, I like your new wings.”

He chuckled dryly. “Yeah, you would be interested in that.” He walked over to the door and knocked on it.

“Your Highness?” one of the pony guards said as they opened the door. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes,” Spyke said. “Tell Sergeant Lapis to escort our guests back to the train station. Their task here is done.”

“It will be done, your Highness,” the guard said.

Spyke turned back once more to the others. “I wish you and whoever goes to that castle luck in finding this Revan.”

“So do we, Spike,” Twilight said as she grabbed her bags along with her fellow ponies.

Spyke looked at the ponies in the room one by one, then lastly looked at the abyssinian. It was only then that Spyke noticed that the felinoid was holding a mask. A very familiar looking mask. He almost frowned, but simply nodded as he walked past.

Once they were on their way, Spyke made his way back to his counterpart’s bedroom. He addressed the guards, saying, “I will be taking a brief nap before the evening meal. Don’t disturb me unless it’s an emergency.”

The guards saluted, and Spyke entered the room, shutting the door again. He almost locked it, but remembered at the last minute that his counterpart didn’t do that. Instead, he closed the blinds to the room, then stood near the desk and waited. A few minutes later, there was a flash of light from the bed, and Spike appeared there. He was still sleeping, breathing peacefully.

Spyke walked over to the younger drake, looking down at him with a wistful smile. Reaching down, he spoke. “Cherish these moments of your youth. They won’t come again. Rest well…my son.”

And with that, he was teleported away, back to his queen.

16: Suspicions

Gregory, escorted by his personal guards/jailers and with his personal maid Starfall by his side, walked down the streets of the ancient and darkened underground city where the nox ponies lived. Earlier, Majesty had suggested that he take a walk to the other cavern where the former Equestrian ponies lived. She suggested this because, in her words, she “…knows surface dwellers need some sunlight, or a facsimile at least…”

Despite having been to the surface a few times since arriving, once in a memory and twice in reality, part of him admitted that he hadn’t gotten a good long exposure to any kind of sunlight for years, having constantly lived in hiding either in his mask or inside the apartment he shared with Tobias.

Even so, there was a little bit of light in this cavern to get some view of the buildings around him. The buildings here, he noted, looked like the kind that might have appeared in ancient historical sites, such as those in Mesopotamia. Some were half destroyed by a rising stalagmite, while others looked like they had been actually destroyed by some kind of violence. Still others were still erect and many of those had dim light coming from it. He even imagined that he saw the light from the torches that his nox guards held reflecting off of pairs of eyes that followed him. He’d seen that before from his maid. Her eyes reflected light similar to that of a nocturnal animal, which in hindsight made sense.

They took a turn, and Gregory saw a slight crack in the cave wall. From that cave, he saw a slight golden light emanating from it. The guards and maid had to cover their eyes with their dark batlike wings, but Gregory didn’t have to do that. He pointed at it, then looked down at his maid. “Is that the place I was told about?” he asked.

The maid nodded, still averting her eyes. “Yes, Sir Gregory,” she said as she reached down into her saddlebags and pulled out a pair of goggles which she put over her eyes.

The other nox pony guards did as well, placing them over their eyes. Gregory quickly realized that these were basically sunglasses, which made sense considering. He turned and walked down with the guards and Starfall. They went through the deformity in the wall, walking through an uneven tunnel that he had to duck down in several times in order not to hit the ceiling, which was worrying considering he was only 5’7”, or 170 cm, tall. The light that came from the other end continued to increase until they exited the tunnel.

His eyes had to adjust to the sudden light, but when they did, he almost lost his composure as he stared in awe at the sight before him.

Were it not for the cavern walls, ceiling, and the bright glowing orb hanging from said ceiling, he would have guessed that he was on the surface. The cavern itself had a large grassy valley full of small but lovely houses with a river running through it. There was an actual forest near the small village and he thought he could see inside clouds in a corner of the cave where rain was falling.

And there were ponies everywhere, all looking genuinely happy. Not just that, but he caught glimpses of other races intermingled with the various members of the three tribes. Gryphons, dragons, and even a hippogriff or two were either engaged in animated conversation with their fellow inhabitants or were playing some innocent looking game.

As a breeze from somewhere brushed against him, a nearby group of three foals galloped past followed by two hippogriff youths. One of the ponies looked over and came to a screeching halt when they saw Gregory. The other four noticed this and slowed to look at Gregory as well. All of them looked at him in awe. One of them, the first one who had spotted him, an earth pony foal with deep red fur, black mane and tail, and deep blue eyes, stepped forward. “Are you…really a human?” The voice sounded like it belonged to a filly.

Gregory slowly nodded. Another foal, this one a sky blue pegasus with light yellow mane and tail and orange eyes, stepped forward and lifted into the air. Suddenly, Gregory found that the pegasus was almost touching noses with him, eyes wide with curiosity as the foal…sniffed him? One of the guards moved to remove the foal, but Gregory held up a hand to stop him. When the foal moved away and landed right in front of him, they said, “You smell nice,” in a voice that made it clear this foal was a colt.

A unicorn foal with light pink and blue striped fur, purple mane and tail, and yellow eyes, stepped forward as well. “Are you really the queen’s guest?” The voice was a bit deeper, but it still belonged to a filly.

Gregory instantly was on guard, but didn’t let it show as he faced the unicorn filly. “I am,” he replied.

One of the hippogriffs walked up to him. This one was a deep green with a dark brown mane and tail and heterochromic eyes which were blue and light evergreen. “Hello, mister human sir,” the hippogriff, clearly a young boy, said as he held out his claw towards him in a clear handshake gesture. The other four, including the other hippogriff who looked identical to the first but with brown coat, deep green mane and tail, and reversed heterochrome eyes, watched this in anticipation.

Gregory, not sure what to do other than shake the young hippogriff’s claw, knelt down and did just that. His hand was obviously bigger than the young one’s claw, but the grip was definitely no joke. The hippogriff boy’s eyes widened as Gregory shook his claw. Unable to help himself, Gregory gave the youth a small smile. “Hello to you too, young hippogriff,” he said.

As one, the other four shot forward, offering their own appendages to be shaken as well. Starfall and the two guards watched from nearby as Gregory exchanged handshakes with all five youths. When he had finished, he looked up to see a small gathering of adults and other children approaching. This included, to his surprise, a young tabby colored abyssinian who was wearing what looked a lot like a magician’s wardrobe, only this abyssinian looked female. She strode forward and gave him a warm and welcoming smile, extending her paw. “I’m Katherine Silverpaws,” she said in a kind tone, “and welcome to Sanctuary.”

He shook her paw, and instantly realized that he missed his own abyssinian friend so very much. He held back his emotions as he nodded at her. “Thank you, Miss Silverpaws,” he said after he broke the handshake.

Katherine chuckled, then turned to the continuing gathered crowd. “Everybody, go about your day, and let’s not crowd our guest,” she said. She turned back to him. “He is to be one of the guests of honor at our feast tonight, after all.”

With that, the crowd dispersed, some looking disappointed that, presumably, they wouldn’t get to speak to the human. Gregory felt a sense of relief wash over him as he nodded at Silver. “Thanks,” he said, “and guest of honor?”

“No need to thank me,” Katherine replied. “The queen sent me a message earlier saying that you were coming and that you had endured terrible hardships, so she asked me to give you a tour and keep the others from being too much of a bother. And yes, Queen Majesty is coming to pay us a visit this evening, and whenever she does, we throw her a welcome feast as thanks for all she’s done for us. You being here has doubled the excitement because you are the queen’s honored guest.”

Gregory almost snorted at the terrible hardships line, thinking it ironic that part of those hardships had been because of her, but he set it aside. He also shuddered a bit at the praise he was getting. Didn’t these people know that humans weren’t all that perfect? He knew now that there had been native humans to this world, if the human form Scorpan took in G1 was any indication. Surely, he mused, Majesty has heard the good and bad? “I appreciate that, and I’m honored that I am invited as a guest of honor” he said, unsure of what else to say.

She smiled at him, then fell into step beside him as they walked towards the village. Gregory pushed down how uncomfortable he felt and instead took the time to take the architecture of the underground village in, and found that while it may have looked simplistic, it was deceptively so. The houses and other buildings had power and apparently running water, judging from the group of children playing through a sprinkler in one of the yards. There were plenty of gardens in the yards as well, and he noted that some ponies were watering and tending to them.

That got him to thinking, and since he figured that these ponies and other creatures were loyal to Majesty, he decided to try and get some information. “I have to say,” he said in an appreciative tone, hands on hips as he looked around, “this Sanctuary is a beautiful place. It must have taken a lot of work to build and even more to maintain.”

Katherine smiled and nodded eagerly. “It was a lot of work, and it would have taken ten to fifteen years to bring it to fruition. But,” and here she held up a paw. To Gregory’s surprise, a magical aura began forming around it, “our Queen provided me and my fellow lithess with witchweed potion.”

“Lithess?” Gregory repeated the unfamiliar word with confusion.

Katherine gestured to herself. “I’m a lithess,” she explained. “You’ve no doubt heard of abyssinians, correct?” After Gregory nodded, Katherine continued. “We are a, well, you might call us a precursor to them. Unlike abyssinians, we can wield magic. One that’s not the same as those of unicorns, but still powerful, even more so if enhanced by witchweed.”

Gregory immediately remembered the G1 special Escape from Catrina, and wondered if Catrina was a lithess. He nodded at this explanation. “I know an abyssinian,” he said, “and he says no one in Panthera can use magic.”

Katherine nodded sadly. “Many ages ago, we were hunted down for being witches and burned at the stake,” she said sorrowfully.

Gregory shook his head. “Tobias would never do such a thing,” he said.

“I don’t doubt it, Mr. Gregory,” Katherine agreed, “but this was back in a time when the nation of Panthera was not yet formed and abyssinians were more fearful than today.”

“How many lithess are left?” Gregory asked, almost afraid to know.

Katherine looked out at the town sadly. “There are about a hundred and twenty here, myself included, but we are all females. That’s one reason why we were hunted by the abyssinians: we were a threat to their patriarchal society. We still may be.”

Despite the circumstances, Gregory felt for her. Having a female only population of magic wielding lithess would definitely tip the scales of power in Panthera, skewing the dynamic towards the females. Leaders, out of fear of losing their power, might strike at the lithess. “I wish you could meet my friend,” he said. “We may be a mercenary team, but he is my best friend and very understanding.”

“If destiny wills it, I would be honored to meet this abyssinian you speak so highly of,” Katherine replied with a smile. “Now, though, let’s cast away sad tales of the past. I have much to show you.”

And much to show she did. The town of Sanctuary was a lovely paradise. He was surprised that there were more non-ponies than he had initially seen living in this town. In fact, according to Katherine, the total population of non-ponies were about equal to the population of ponies, including chiropterans, although those batlike ponies lived in the neighboring ancient city of Nocturne with the nox.

He was deeply surprised that in the span of only a few years they had managed to find a large number of inhabitants for Sanctuary and Nocturne, and this was when he heard about something called the Slumber. When he asked about it, Katherine seemed surprised. “Our queen hasn’t told you?”

“No,” Gregory slowly replied, suspicious now.

Katherine became quiet for a bit, stroking her chin thoughtfully. “Well, it’s not for me to say,” she said. “It’s best that you hear it from her or from Lord Spyke.”

Gregory nodded slowly, promising himself he would ask Majesty about it, or even Spyke. Perhaps after this feast he was attending.

The tour continued, and he saw that there were a few houses placed in the underground woods similar to Zecora’s and Twilight’s former home in Ponyville. When asked, Katherine explained that these were a special kind of tree called a houseoak. They could be grown and used as housing with the proper use of magic. Majesty herself had helped to grow these tree houses with her vast reservoir of magic. A part of Gregory wondered if earth pony magic could activate it, especially when she described how Majesty’s hoof had glowed a bright green during the growth of these houseoaks.

He saw gryphons, dragons, hippogriffs, yaks, changelings who had apparently gone through the reformation process, and he even saw ten zebras who were sitting in a large fairy ring in a sort of meditation. Strangely, he saw no races from G1 there. No bushwoolies, no gnomes, none of those elf-like humanoids from that episode with the prince and baby ponies, none of them. The only exception were the lithess, but he barely counted them because they were precursors to the abyssinians.

When he asked why these creatures were here, Katherine explained, “All of the ponies here are either outcasts from the conformist Equestrians or they have seen the inner corruption of their fellow ponies and want a better life, one where they can be free of their prejudices and fears. As for the other creatures, they’re here because they believe in Majesty’s vision for a better world.”

Now we’re getting somewhere, Gregory thought. “True harmony through the world?”

“More specifically, through Equestria first,” Katherine replied. “Don’t get me wrong, she has a soft spot for her dear ponies, but she does care about those of us not from her own race. She’s working to open the eyes of Equestria and bring about change. The shadows will fall before the age of majesty.”

Now Gregory knew that the mysterious group scattered throughout Equestria in recent years was Majesty’s doing, he knew he had to play it cool and smart, although truth be told, it felt hopeless the more he learned of her overwhelming power. Not to mention, she was much older than he was and even older than the princesses.

Putting that aside for a moment, he looked back at the town. “That’s rather…ambitious,” he said. “Ponies are rather resistant to change, though, and they might not accept your queen.”

Katherine nodded. “Our queen understands this, and assures us that she has planned for that.”

“And what about the Equestrian government or its military?” Gregory asked.

“She has her plans,” Katherine repeated.

That made him inwardly frown. If she was right, then Majesty had thought of everything. Deciding to think about it at another time, he looked back at her. “Well, what else is there to see here?”

Katherine smiled at him. “Well, would you like to see our orchards?”

“There was definitely something off about our visit there,” Tobias said as the group gathered around him in the train on their way to Canterlot.

“Spike didn’t seem all that different,” Twilight replied, sounding confused. “He wasn’t acting like how I remember, but who can blame him? Especially after what we did to him.”

Tobias shook his head, not giving any of the former Elements time to feel guilty. “It was too fast,” he began, “and it so happens to lead us to Queen Majesty’s former castle?”

“Doesn’t that make sense?” Zephyr asked.

“About as much sense as it would be for someone like Opaline to live in her ancient castle,” Tobias muttered, remembering the villain from the possible future of Equestria.

“Who?” Twilight asked.

“Never mind,” Tobias said, waving his paw dismissively. “My point is, Majesty isn’t a fool. Would she really be working from the shadows from Dream Castle?”

“It’s not so far-fetched,” Sunset replied, but she also looked unsure. “I mean, who would suspect that an enemy would work from their old haunt?”

“That should be the first place someone searches for an ancient enemy,” Tobias countered.

“Tobias, nopony knew who this Majesty was until Revan told Twilight about her,” Rarity reminded him.

“I knew a bit,” Sunset replied, “but yes, to the general public, an alicorn named Majesty isn’t something taught in the school system.”

“How did you learn about her?” Rainbow asked.

“Sneaking into Canterlot Library’s restricted archive,” Sunset replied. “Multiple times.”

That caught Twilight’s attention. “There’s a…restricted archive?” She sounded almost breathless.

“Then why didn’t the princesses know?” Applejack asked.

“Psh,” Sunset waved a hoof dismissively. “Why would they care? Looking at the past isn’t something ponies like doing unless it’s to look at their glorious past, like Hearth’s Warming Eve. They don’t care to learn about stuff like their failures, trying to instead brush them under a rug and forget about them.”

“She’s got a point,” Applejack said sadly.

“Not to mention that Celestia is the physical embodiment of this,” Sunset continued. “She tried to push this incident under the rug by moving Ponyville to a part of the kingdom where she didn’t have to look down at the failure of a town every day and remember her own failings.”

“Should she have arrested all of us??” Rarity asked with a scowl.

“Yes,” was Sunset’s simple response. “You all committed abuse of an innocent human and caused him to kill himself.”

“You don’t sugarcoat things,” Applejack observed.

“That’s not my style,” Sunset replied, “and you don’t deserve to have your sins sanitized. Constantly reminders need to be said or else you’ll shove it down to try and forget it.”

“We’re getting off topic,” Tobias interrupted. “Listen, I’m not saying that what we were able to get from that message was wrong, but it was, shall we say, convenient.”

“Are you saying we shouldn’t report it?” Marble asked softly.

Tobias shook his head. “No, we should report it just in case it is the truth, but-” he stopped, then looked down at the mask in his lap. Slowly, he lifted it up and looked at the faceplate, a contemplative look on his face. “Part of me really thinks this is far from over. I can’t explain it.”

This was just one of many things he couldn’t explain about himself. He had recently been questioning things about his past that seemed off. His kittenhood in Panthera was hazy at best despite fellow abyssinians having clearer memories. He always seemed to have better instincts than other abyssinians and if he ignored these nagging feelings, something bad would happen. It had happened before his best friend was abducted by Majesty, it had happened when there had been dangers in their previous missions, and any time he acted on them, things went miraculously well for him and Gregory, but when he ignored them, things went terribly.

He took another breath as he put the mask down in his lap. “Sunset, we’re getting off at the next stop,” he said.

To her credit, Sunset didn’t question it. Twilight, however, did. “What’s going on?” she asked.

He almost replied, but remembered that Majesty knew things without having to be there. “Best you don’t know,” he replied. “Suffice to say, I’m following a hunch.”

“The entire town turned into WHAT?!” Twilight practically screeched in alarm as she and her friends stood on the platform at the Maretime Bay train station.

In front of them, the exhausted Princesses Celestia and Luna both stood, ears drooped and bags under their eyes. “Not the entire town,” Celestia corrected, “anypony under the age of around twelve or thirteen wasn’t changed. The city guards weren’t and a number of adults weren’t transformed.”

“Fear not, Miss Applejack and Miss Rarity,” Luna added, “your families were not one of the transformed.”

As Rarity and Applejack relaxed, Fluttershy stepped forward. “Um…were all the ponies transformed from Ponyville?” she asked.

Luna nodded, looking surprised at her observation. “Correct, Miss Fluttershy. Very few ponies from Ponyville were left untouched by Majesty.”

Twilight was sitting on the ground, deep in thought now. An entire village of ponies, turned into humans. It was truly an ironic punishment, especially for the town who abused one human for the sole crime of being, well, human. Looking up, she spoke her thoughts aloud. “The adults from Ponyville who weren’t changed: did they have any interaction with Jason before his…?” She paused, unable to say the word.

“No, they didn’t,” Celestia said, “and one pony told us that she had actually given Jason a few muffins when he had been hiding from one of the mobs chasing him.”

Twilight looked up. She hadn’t known that fact. “Then…why didn’t this pony leave and find another place to go instead of in Maretime Bay?” she asked. “Or any of those ponies?”

“You would have to find them and ask them yourself,” Celestia said.

“We had little time to query the mare,” Luna said, “as we had to return here and send relief to that town.”

“Please tell us that you have some good news in regard to Revan,” Celestia pleaded.

Twilight nodded. “He’s being held across the continent, past Gryphonstone, in a place that Tobias mentioned was once called Dream Castle.”

Celestia and Luna looked at each other in dismay, then nodded slowly. “Unfortunately,” Celestia said, “we can’t spare many of our guards for a search and rescue mission.”

“There have been some disturbances among the ponies throughout the kingdom these past few months,” Luna added. “Small disturbances, but enough that we have had to scatter the Royal Guard and Lunar Guard as peacekeeping forces to help settle them.”

“Still,” Celestia mused, “we can send some guards from both factions out that way.” She turned to Luna. “Chiropterans and pegasi?”

“I know just the chiropterans to send,” Luna nodded.

“And I know just the right pegasi,” Celestia added. The two turned back to the seven ponies before them, Zephyr having gone back home to his girlfriend Gilda. “Thank you for telling us all this,” Celestia added, “but where are Sunset and Tobias?”

“They disembarked early,” Rarity explained. “Tobias said he was following a hunch. His words.”

The princesses nodded. “You six may stay here tonight before returning to your homes tomorrow,” Luna said. “We will be sending some emergency supplies to Maretime Bay tomorrow. I think you all can stay in Twilight’s old castle bedroom.”

Twilight and the others bowed gratefully before they left. As they left the throne room, Rainbow Dash flew over the eight, a thoughtful look on. “Hey, about what the princesses just said about disturbances…I’ve heard about them at my job.”

“Oh dear, are they that bad?” Fluttershy asked, sounding nervous.

“Well, from what I’ve heard from customers, it started about…maybe a year ago?” Rainbow patted her chin with her right hoof. “The first thing I heard about was some fight between ponies in a small town about what harmony meant. I think that’s what it was, I wasn’t really listening that hard.”

“Ah haven’t heard much ‘bout this sorta thing,” Applejack said.

“Because you were hiding in Sweet Apple Acres for the past two years,” Rainbow retorted, suddenly sounding bitter.

“Ah weren’t hidin’ none!” Applejack replied defensively. “Ah was workin’ the farm tah provide fer mah family and fer Equestria!”

“Oh yes, because Equestria runs on Apples,” Rainbow mocked. “You were safe in your hidey hole while the rest of us were ostracized more than anypony else!”

Applejack snorted angrily and lowered her head to face Rainbow. “What are yah sayin’? Am ah the one who shot lightnin’ at somecreature who had no magic!?”

Rainbow lowered in the air a bit, clearly stung by that remark, but instead landed and lowered her own head threateningly to face Applejack. “And whose dead dog tore into a defenseless creature’s flesh on their orders? Hmmm…”

That did it. Applejack reared up, whinneyed, and shot at Rainbow, slamming her hoof into the side of Rainbow’s face. The speed was enough that it caught the pegasus off guard, sending her slamming into a wall hard. “Yah think ah don’t know what ah did?!” Applejack bellowed, tears welling in her eyes. “Ah have tah live with that every day! Ah had tah see that same tree where he hung! Ah had tah watch mah dog die! You got tah leave!”

Rainbow stood up, shook her mane, and was about to launch at Applejack when the two were encased in magic. Twilight stepped forward, her own eyes threatening to break out in tears. “Girls…that’s enough,” she said in a completely broken tone. “W-We’re all to blame for what happened…”

“Pointing hooves won’t bring Jason Wright back,” Marble said as she stepped forward to stand beside Twilight. “You all should never forget what happened. Think of it as…the most important friendship lesson you have ever learned.”

Pinkie walked up and put a hoof around Marble, looking at the two ponies who were still encased in the magic of the former princess of friendship. “We all…we all fucked up,” she said, stunning the other ponies around them. “We can’t put blame on anypony else but ourselves for what happened. We can’t…”

Rainbow and Applejack looked at each other, a chastened look on their faces. Twilight slowly released them, and they stood in the middle of the hallway, looking anywhere but at their former friends. Twilight sniffed, then said, “Come on, everypony. Let’s get settled in for the night…” With that, she turned to head to her old room.

“Twilight and her old friends were here and you didn’t tell us?” Spike’s mom asked, looking down at Spike with a frown.

Spike was sitting at the dinner table with his sister and parents as they ate a lovely meal of lasagna, salad, and sweet tea to drink. He looked up at his mom and nodded. “I just wanted to try and prove to myself and to you that I could take care of things as a prince without needing to go to you,” he said honestly. And that had been the truth.

Over the course of the past few days, he had felt a bit odd, but that feeling was slowly going away. He had chalked it up to his personal feelings for the day of remembrance that Equestria now observed, although he hadn’t felt quite the same last year.

His dad looked over at him, then back at Cadance. “Cady, he wants to be more independent,” he said in Spike’s defense, “I know what it’s like at his age.”

Cadance still wasn’t having it, until Flurry spoke up. “Um…but didn’t Aunt Twilight hurt big brother?”

Cadance had to stop at that, looking back at her daughter with a shocked expression. “Where did you hear that?” she asked, giving Spike another disapproving look.

“My friends told me,” Flurry said.

Cadance seemed to relax a bit at that, then she took a deep breath and faced Spike again. “I wish you’d told us when they came,” she said, “you shouldn’t have had to be alone with them, especially since they came here just to ask for help.”

“Like I said, I wanted to take care of this on my own without help,” Spike repeated, although as he said that, it felt a bit strange. He remembered talking to the ponies and abyssinian clear as day, but there was something that he couldn’t put his talon on about that meeting. Shrugging, he brushed it aside, putting it up to nerves at meeting the six ponies who he once thought of as friends. “I-I wanted to prove myself to you and me.”

Cadance softened, got up, and walked over to Spike, leaning down to nuzzle him before wrapping him in her wings and forehooves and kissing his forehead. “You don’t have anything to prove to me, Spike,” she said softly, rubbing his back reassuringly. “You’re my son, and I love you so much.” She released him and smiled warmly down at him. “You didn’t have to face them on your own to prove anything. You’re a brave, strong, and smart dragon.”

“And you’re really getting better in combat,” Shining added with a proud smile. “Soon, you’ll be able to maybe beat me, but don’t count on me going easy on you.” He gave Spike a knowing smirk.

Spike returned it, then spread his wings. “I’ll beat you someday, dad,” he replied, and everyone laughed at that before returning to dinner.

Later that night, Spike was standing on the balcony in his room that overlooked Crystalia. He reminisced about his life. It had certainly been one wild ride for him and he wasn’t even eighteen yet. Growing up in Canterlot, he’d always felt somewhat isolated from the others in his so-called family. Twilight’s parents were polite enough, but never showed him the love he wanted. Twilight had done some of that at first, but then he became relegated to an assistant, then practically an unpaid servant. Shining…well, he was Shining, he mused with a chuckle. A bit absent minded sometimes, but he was the one who actually treated Spike well. He’d been making up for his own failings with his training of Spike and doing father/son things with him, something that Night Light had done with Shining but never with Spike.

Cadance was the closest thing he had to a mother at this point. She had been there for some of his early breakdowns, had comforted him, sung him to sleep, and in general gave him the motherly love and affection that he so desperately craved.

Being in the Empire was the best thing that could have happened to him, and he couldn’t be happier. Still, though, ever since a few days ago, something had felt off about his day to day life. He’d felt tired, and not physically, but mentally. The feeling was gone now, but for the past couple of days it had been there.

He sighed and shook his head, looking up at the stars that were just beginning to come out as the sun went down. Being so far north, the Empire experienced longer nights than most of the rest of the continent. He didn’t mind. He had begun developing an appreciation for the night sky, and had even gotten a telescope for his birthday this past year so that he could use it at night. He’d gotten some modern day stargazing books imported from Equestria and had loved every minute of reading them and using them.

He watched as more and more stars filled the darkening sky. That is, until he heard the sound of somepony teleporting into his room behind him. Whirling around, immediately on the defense, he launched himself at the intruders without hesitation, just as his dad had taught him. However, he was caught in midair by an orange magic glow. When he saw who the intruders were, his eyebrows shot up. “What…what are you two doing back?” he asked.

The abyssinian stepped forward, looking closely at Spike, then gave the orange unicorn a nod. The unicorn lowered Spike back down and released him. “Sorry to come in unannounced,” the abyssinian said, “but we were hoping to speak to your parents about something.”

“About what?” Spike asked, looking at the two suspiciously.

“About what exactly happened when we were last here.”

17: New Plans

Author's Note

I'm going to be out of town next week, so I probably won't have as much time to work on the next chapter. I might skip the scheduled upload next Saturday altogether, but I might get things figured out, we'll see. The Renewed Ending one will release, however.

17: New Plans

Maretime Bay was in chaos. And not the kind that Discord himself would enjoy. At least, if what Fluttershy knew of him was any indication. She hadn’t spoken with him in years, so it was hard to say though. They had exchanged letters on occasion, but ever since the incident with Jason, he had stopped coming over.

Fluttershy and her former friends walked through the town, looking at the brand new humans who had once been ponies. Unlike their past selves, these ponies had similar skin colors, a sort of very subtle pinkish-white color. Their hair colors ranged from black to blonde with various shades of brown in between and even some ginger and red scattered around. Their eyes were mostly various shades of brown with some blues scattered among them.

Because they no longer had fur, most of the new humans now had to wear something around not just their bodies, but around their new feet. At the moment, almost everypony-no, everyhuman, she reminded herself- had either a towel or blanket around their figures. Those who didn’t had absolutely no cutie mark, although Fluttershy did notice that there was body hair covering certain parts of their new anatomy.

It was almost funny, too, to see many of them crawling on all fours with some of them trying to stand on two legs like Jason and Revan did. It would have been funny had it not been for the looks on their faces. True despair and hopelessness.

There were some ponies in the streets, lending their aid to the new humans as they tried to learn how to navigate in their new bodies. Most of them were members of the city watch and there were even a few fillies and colts standing next to some older humans, saddened and worried looks on their faces as they looked up at the humans who were probably their parents. She saw Diamond Tiara standing next to a slightly darker skinned human male with graying hair as she spoke to him in a surprisingly calm tone. The human gave Diamond a weary smile then awkwardly wrapped his new arms around the filly, who hugged back with a smile, tears falling down their face. Seeing that gave Fluttershy hope that the other new humans would persevere.

Those hopes were dashed when they looked down an alley where two city watch ponies were speaking to a human who, to Fluttershy’s and the rest of the pony’s horror, held a knife to her neck. She was sitting against a wall, angry and bitter tears streaming down her face.

Applejack acted before anypony else could. Launching forward at almost desperate speed, she launched herself at the surprised human female. Applejack knocked the knife from the human’s hand, and everyone else heard a crunch as bones were broken. She skidded to a halt as the pony guards tackled the human who was holding a now mangled hand in agony.

Applejack walked back, head hung low in shame. Pinkie tried to comfort her, but the orange earth pony shrugged the pink one off harshly. “Ah just broke her…claws or whatever they’re called,” she said bitterly.

“Fingers, and it was much better than the alternative,” Twilight said weakly, and Fluttershy could hear just how pathetic it sounded.

Applejack shot her an angry look, but then her face fell. “Let’s just keep goin’,” she muttered.

Fluttershy walked over to Applejack’s side, saying nothing. There was nothing she could say. They had just gotten a brutal reminder that human bodies were weaker than pony bodies. Unknown at the time, their thoughts all focused on one human in particular. If Majesty suddenly became hostile towards Revan, what could happen to him?

Walking back to the place where Applejack’s home was located, they saw more of the same. Foals walking next to older humans or arguing with each other about something. Half of the humans in town were wearing nothing, and those were hugging their bodies and sweating, their skin glistening in the summer sunlight.

As they turned another corner that led to a street heading to the new farm location, Fluttershy recognized a couple of ponies who were helping some humans along. Derpy and Time Turner were both trying her best to be a steady help to a pair of human females. Vinyl Scratch was walking next to a human female with long black hair and a gray blanket with a cello on it wrapped around her body, letting said human use her back to steady her gait.

As they approached the latter, the black haired human female landed on her posterior after taking a tumble. She slammed her hand on the ground in frustration. “Bollocks!” she said in anger and despair.

“Deep breaths, Tavi,” Vinyl said reassuringly. “You’ll get it.”

“I hate this!” The pony turned human looked back at Vinyl. “I’m a freak of nature.”

Fluttershy watched as Vinyl removed her glasses, revealing her purple eyes which were now giving the human female a stern look. “And was Jason a freak, hmm? Octavia Melody, you’re my best friend, but you need to get it through your head that everyhuman in town caused an innocent creature to kill himself.”

“Everythin’ alright over here?” Applejack asked as the former Elements walked up to the other two.

Vinyl saw them coming and put her glasses back on. The now human Octavia gave them all a glare, but Vinyl spoke before she could. “Just trying to help my friend here relearn how to walk.”

“Has this been happening everywhere?” Twilight asked.

Vinyl gave a tired nod. “Oh yeah,” the DJ said with a sigh, “Everyhuman has been trying to learn to walk again. There’ve been a few scrapes, but the doctors are also mostly still learning how to use their new bodies, so treatment has been slow.”

“Surely not all the doctors here have been changed?” Rarity asked in alarm.

“I think maybe one didn’t get transformed, but I could be wrong,” Vinyl said.

“This is all your faults,” Octavia hissed at the six angrily.

“Tavi!” Vinyl sharply turned to her friend and smacked the human with her tail on her now exposed rump. “That’s enough! You joined in on the mobs plenty of times without them telling you to do anything!”

“But-!”

“No fucking buts!” Vinyl snapped back, causing the new human to recoil in shock at the foul language. “Everypony who participated in those mobs is guilty, not just these six! I am growing sick and tired of you blaming everypony else for your actions!”

Octavia sat down on the road, clinging to her blanket as tears formed in her eyes. “But…but…”

The six watched as Vinyl walked slowly over to the new human, putting a hoof on her chest where Fluttershy had noted a pair of human…teats?…were located. “No buts,” she repeated without swearing. “Seriously, an innocent creature committed suicide because of the ponies in this town, you included. I’ve had to listen to plenty of ponies in Maretime Bay speak ill of the dead, and it makes me sick. I only ever met the human a few times, and I tried to help him, but he was always running from a crowd. Ones with you in them.”

Fluttershy was surprised. She had heard that some ponies from Ponyville hadn’t been changed. It made sense that those ponies either disapproved of Jason’s treatment or, like Vinyl, had actively tried their best to help him. Still, it sickened her that those numbers had been few and far between. She had even seen the three flower mares sitting in front of their stands, not even speaking as they stared hopelessly at their wilting flowers.

Octavia had tears in her new human eyes as she was scolded by the normally happy-go-lucky DJ. Fluttershy knew that she had put her career on hold because she didn’t want to leave her roommate alone. “I-I-He-”

“Don’t try and excuse your behavior, Octavia Melody,” Vinyl interrupted with a scowl. “You acted more like a cruel beast than what everypony in town called Jason.” She sighed and shook her head. “If only I’d acted better back then…”

Fluttershy both saw Octavia wince and saw the guilt in Vinyl’s expression. She wondered if ponies who thought like her had similar feelings of guilt at having not acted. Still, the fact that Vinyl, Time Turner, and Derpy were three of the adult ponies spared from Majesty’s punishment was telling. She wondered who else was spared. Octavia collapsed to all fours, the blanket around her falling off to reveal her now naked form. “Vinyl…I…I’m sorry…”

“It’s not me you should be apologizing to,” Vinyl replied as she lifted the blanket back up to wrap around Octavia, “and you know it.”

Octavia sat on the ground, wrapping herself up in the blanket as best as she could, sniffing as tears fell from her eyes. She nodded slowly, then looked down at her new hands. “I…you’re right…but I can’t…can’t ever do that…”

“No you can’t,” Vinyl said in a slightly less harsher tone than before, “but you can learn. And you can also look on the bright side. Find something positive about this.”

“What possible thing could be positive about this?” Octavia asked bitterly.

“With those new fingers of yours, your ability to play the cello could become much better.”

Octavia was looking at her new hands, then Fluttershy saw a twinkling in her eyes. A twinkling of inspiration. She looked back at Vinyl, a look of guilt on her face replacing the inspiration. “You’re right…about everything. I’ve been deluding myself. I didn’t want to…to face the truth…so I’ll try to do that now.”

Vinyl’s smile returned and she walked up beside her friend. “Come on,” she said, “The doctors are still trying to determine what is safe for your new body to eat, and they wanted to do some more scans on willing ponies-I mean, willing humans’ bodies.”

Octavia nodded in agreement and stood. She faced the former friends and said, “Sorry about my outburst at you.”

“Don’t be,” Twilight said softly, “it is our fault this happened. I was the first to act negatively against Jason, and that spread. I started this.”

Vinyl looked at the six, then sighed. “My advice to Tavi applies to you six too. Learn.” And with that, she walked off, leading Octavia down the street.

Fluttershy watched them go. Vinyl’s words had struck a chord with her. She had done her best to move on from her past, but she realized in that moment that she had only done what she did best: run.

The other ponies around her had some similar revelations.

Twilight realized in that moment that her initial denial of Jason was due to her own ignorance. Not only that, but it was due to ingrained fears in her pony psyche. The resolve to save Revan became all the stronger, not because she wanted to learn more about humans from him, but because she did not want to make the same mistakes she made with Jason again.

Rarity looked back at her behavior over the past two years, realizing that she was running away from her own actions and placing blame where it wasn’t meant to be placed. She’d also been drowning her sorrows in alcohol, something she knew from stories her parents told that both of their grandparents did, leading to poor foalhoods for their parents as her grandparents had been drunk most of the time. She resolved that, as of now, she would take more of an inward look at herself and become a better pony.

Rainbow Dash’s guilt only doubled in that moment, and she looked back at her wings then down at her hooves. She had used them to torment an innocent being. Her wings fluttered slightly. Her brashness had gotten her into trouble so many times in the past. She resolved to learn how to be a better pony, to think about her actions and to try and make her actions right in any way she could.

Applejack was currently seeing the swinging and gaunt body of Jason Wright hanging from the tree in her old orchard. She lowered her head, trying not to cry but crying plentifully on the inside. Her nightmares had haunted her for two years. She’d tried to forget, but that only made things worse as her conscience subconsciously made her suffer more. She had finally fully understood its message. Be better.

Pinkie Pie’s thoughts were a jumble. Part of her was glad that ponies were learning from this new tragedy that had befallen them, but on the other hoof, she knew things were far from over. She had done her own self-reflection and had done her own growth in the past two years. Her resolve only doubled after viewing the interaction between former pony and current pony. She’d hidden away for too long. She was not an Element of Harmony anymore, but she decided that it was long past time to share her experiences and to try and help Equestria evolve to become better.

“Well, it’s about time you six learned that lesson,” a familiar male voice said from behind them. Everypony turned in shock to see the shimmering transparent blue form of Discord standing in the street, arms crossed as he stared at them. Unliks his normal appearance, Discord was wearing some strange garments. He had a light tan tunic with a dark brown belt around his waist. A strange metallic object hung from the belt. He wore lighter brown boots and a flowing dark brown robe over the tunic. He also had a hood over his head which he removed slowly. “Hello, there,” he added in what sounded like a Trottingham accent.

“Discord…?” Twilight said as she moved away from the floating apparition.

“Hey, what happened to everypony?” Rainbow asked. “Why aren’t they moving?”

Everypony looked around and saw that Rainbow was correct. The world around them seemed to have frozen in time. There was even a bird flying through the air that wasn’t moving. Twilight looked back at Discord. “Is this your doing?” she asked.

He took a dramatic bow, making the robes he wore flutter slightly. “Guilty as charged,” he said with a smirk, a smirk which quickly faded. “It’s the only way to keep certain people from looking at this conversation.”

“Where…where have you been!?” Fluttershy bellowed, angry tears suddenly streaming down her cheeks. “You could have stopped this! You could have-”

“And you could have extended a kind hoof to a certain human,” Discord reminded Fluttershy sharply. Fluttershy paused and backed away, looking ashamed now.

“Why are you here?” Rarity asked through clenched teeth.

The transparent image of Discord flickered. He looked around as if searching for somepony out of fear, but seeming to see no one, he turned back to the group. “I don’t have a lot of time,” Discord said in a serious tone. “You want to save that Revan guy, right?”

“Sure would be nice if we could, but we’ve kinda got our hooves full here already,” Applejack commented, gesturing to the humanified town.

Discord looked around, then whistled. “Yeah, that does suck,” he said, “but you’re not gonna do any good there. A lot of ponies-er, humans I mean-are not gonna accept help from you six especially.”

“He’s right about that,” Rainbow said with an angry self-loathing scowl.

“Discord, we’re not the Elements anymore,” Twilight reminded the apparition of Discord. “Hay, I’m not even a princess. What in Equestria can we do?”

“It’s not what in Equestria you can do, but what out of Equestria you can do.” Discord reached into the robe pocket and pulled out something. The six ponies saw in his paw that he held a heart shaped locket attached to a golden chain. There were ancient looking runic writings on the locket, although part of the locket itself looked like it had been chipped off. “You recognize this?” he asked.

Twilight shook her head, as did the others. “What is it?” she asked.

Discord groaned and facepalmed. “Freaking ponies, man…listen.” He gave them a serious look. “You need to find this object along with another object sitting right next to it. Bring it to Revan as fast as you can.”

“And where will we find this locket?” Twilight asked.

“And what other object?” Rainbow asked skeptically.

“You’ll know when you see the second one,” he replied quickly. “I can’t tell you what it is, unfortunately.” He looked quickly behind him as if seeing something. “Shit!” He turned back to the six ponies as he quickly added, “Listen carefully, you need to go to-!”

The image quickly winked out and the six ponies found themselves suddenly walking down the street again. As one, they paused and looked at each other in shock. The memory of the conversation with Discord was still fresh. Not only that, but something else had happened the moment that Discord vanished. As soon as he’d vanished, it was like a spell over them was lifted. None of them talked about it, but ever since they had been granted the Elements, they had felt something inside of them. It was one part exhilarating and one part exhausting. They felt like normal ponies again, and it was both freeing and depressing.

Five of the ponies turned to Twilight instinctively. No words were said between them. None needed to be. Twilight, regardless of her status as a normal pony, had always been their leader. She was smart, well read, and was actually a decent tactician if she put her mind to it. She looked at the other five. With a determined look in her eyes, she said, “Come on, everypony. Back to my house. We have work to do.”

Discord sat in his home, listening to Harmony berating him and chiding him. “They cannot have any more information to help them!” the androgynous and true voice of his old frenemy hissed. They were pissed, something that rarely happened.

Discord ignored them as he picked up the remote control, and turned on the TV in his house to view the outside world. “Mmhmm, that’s great, dear,” he muttered, having only partly heard what Harmony had said.

The TV turned off and a glowing rainbow glow appeared in front of Discord. “Did you just blow me off?!” they asked in anger.

“I was watching that,” Discord muttered, a bit peeved that Harmony had interrupted the show.

“Focus on me, you fool!” Harmony said.

Discord turned his full attention to Harmony. “What do you want from me, huh? I don’t want to see Equestria completely destroyed! I happen to know ponies there who’d be affected!”

“Sending them after an artifact was not your call to make,” Harmony replied in disappointment. “They had to come to that realization themselves.”

“Bitch, please,” Discord said as he glared at Harmony, “they wouldn’t have been going there anyway. You know it.”

Harmony inhaled then exhaled, something Discord knew was only something they did for his benefit and the benefit of others. Their form changed, becoming one of an ex-girlfriend that Discord had long since destroyed. ‘Cosmos’ spoke now, and ‘her’ voice didn’t echo like Harmony’s did. “You may have destroyed Equestria regardless.”

“That’s not the point of what’s happening, though, is it?” Discord asked, unfazed by Harmony’s imitation of the long-dead Embodiment of Malice. Unlike how the humans on Earth had written her story in their My Little Pony comics, he had been much more resolute in destroying her instead of just turning her into a constellation. “This is a final test for the ponies, right?”

‘Cosmos’ could only sigh as she sat on the couch next to Discord. She then transformed into ‘Jason Wright’, the form Harmony normally took to speak to mortals now. “No nation lasts forever,” ‘Jason’ said. “There is always hope for reform, but it must come from within.”

“It can also come from without,” Discord argued. “You’ve seen how those six are starting to learn their lesson after two years.”

“And yet, most of Equestria has not,” ‘Jason’ replied tiredly.

“You know what your problem is?” Discord asked. “You favor those ponies just a bit more than other races.”

“Is that the pot calling the kettle black?” ‘Jason’ replied while turning to Discord with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah, yeah, I only really messed with ponies back when I was a younger idiot,” he said. “My point is, you and I are two sides of a coin. We can’t just become beholden to one race on Erda. I’ve been spreading little bits of chaos around the world.”

‘Jason’ nodded. “And I have been doing the same with harmony. Because between the two of us-”

Discord and Harmony both spoke the next words in unison. “There is Balance.”

Discord gave Harmony a wry smile. Harmony finally smiled back, but it was brief before he said, “Do anything like that again, and our first millennia long fight will be like two children playing. I will not go easy on you like I did last time.”

Discord raised his claw and paw. “I won’t,” he promised, and he intended to keep said promise. After all, he had given the ponies a fighting chance against Majesty. While he couldn’t fault the alicorn for her own feelings on the state of Equestria, he knew there were still good ponies out there. They didn’t deserve whatever Majesty had planned.

With that thought, he picked up the remote and turned the TV back on.

The massive light above Sanctuary had switched to a dim silvery light that perfectly emulated the moon. Not only that, but there were now glowing crystals visible that could easily be mistaken for stars had the false moonlight not illuminated the cave ceiling. The town’s lights were all on now, and there were even some fires going.

Gregory sat on a flat stone, looking over the town while eating a roasted red jungle fowl leg, the ancestor of the chicken. He held a mug of a somewhat sweet berry alcoholic drink as he sat alone overlooking the town as night ‘fell’. He had attended the banquet that the townsfolk had thrown, and Majesty had indeed joined them. He’d kept his eye on the ancient alicorn as she surprisingly let loose after getting into the spirit of things. There were skits performed, some artists displayed some pieces for the honored guests, musicians performed songs, mostly about the past and their hopes for a future Equestria full of love and harmony for all and not just for ponies, and plenty of food and drink was to be had.

Gregory hadn’t been sure if it was okay for him to enjoy himself or not. He felt guilty for enjoying himself even a little because his friend was still out there, probably still looking for him. Still, he found himself enjoying some of his time there. He took another bite of the roast leg then took a large swig of the alcohol. He felt so low. Part of him thought that Tobias would understand but he still couldn’t help but beat himself up about it. He knew getting drunk and drowning his sorrows in food and alcohol was fruitless, but he couldn’t think of anything else to do at the moment.

He had no magic. He couldn’t think of a means to escape this place. He didn’t even have his weapons that gave him an edge in this world or his mask. He was completely lost. So lost, in fact, that he didn’t notice a massive head lying down next to him. Only when the ancient dragon Spyke spoke did he finally notice. “I watched you from afar,” the massive dragon spoke. “You didn’t seem happy during the feast.”

Gregory looked over at the dragon. Spyke hadn’t been at the party despite being invited. Instead, he had laid down on the edge, watching as the feast went on. He’d walked through the cave entrance in a smaller form on Majesty’s back before she transformed him back to his normal size. Gregory pursed his lips, wary of this being some sort of trap. Still, he responded. “It’s nothing important,” he said as he took another bite of the roasted leg.

“I hope you realize that her majesty only has the best intentions in mind for Equestria,” Spyke commented. Lifting up, he reached down to something hanging around his neck. Touching it, he began to shrink until he was about Gregory’s height. He sat on the stone next to him, and in a younger sounding voice, said, “She doesn’t want to harm the innocent.”

“And I get that,” Gregory said harshly, because he did. Unlike other villains, she at least had a conscience and was acting more like a judge, jury, and executioner of the guilty than anything else. Still, he felt the conflict inside him. Was she right for enacting her own justice without going through any legal processes? Absolutely not! But would those legal processes actually work? Clearly, very little had changed in Equestria since Jason’s suicide. Only a holiday? That was a fruitless gesture. Day of Remembrance?! What was this, their own 9/11?? Bullshit!

He felt his hand clenching around his food and drink, so he forced himself to relax. He finished off the chicken, downed another large gulp of his drink, then set both bone and mug down to wipe his face and hands. “I get it,” he said, trying not to sound as harsh, “but there’s something that’s been bothering me for a bit now. If Majesty is so devoted to returning to a time of true harmony, why not just…create her own kingdom? Why do anything to Equestria? Surely there are more ponies and other creatures in the world that feel the same way as everyone here.”

Spyke didn’t respond right away. Instead, he stared back out at the town. “You might not believe me,” he said, “but I have suggested something similar. She rejected the idea as a future one. All she wants is to see her dear ponies change their ways. She wants to see them be reformed. Creating her own kingdom would be like running away. She’s been away for far too long. As have I.”

That caught Gregory’s attention. He turned to Spyke. “Running? She ran from something?”

Spyke slowly shook his head. “No, but she believes we did. Well, from a certain point of view, we did. It was something we couldn’t have planned for, though.”

“What happened?” Gregory asked, now interested. Anything that he could use against Majesty would be good.

Unfortunately, Spyke wasn’t stupid enough to fall for a simple trick like that. He shook his head. “That’s not something either of us will share,” he said stoically.

Gregory knew when to back off, but he placed the information in his back pocket for the time being. “Of course,” he said in an understanding tone. The two were silent as they looked at the town below about to go to sleep. After a good while, Gregory decided it was time to speak again. Changing the subject, he said, “What was it like back then?”

“Back when?” Spyke asked.

“Back in Ponyland,” Gregory clarified. “During the times when Megan and her siblings came.”

Spyke got a wistful look in his eyes. “There was a time,” he said, “when Megan, the ponies, and even I, got caught up in dangers after dangers. At times, it felt like things happened almost once a week. Dark human wizards, the time we visited the elves and newborn ponies were foalnapped and used as entertainment for a spoiled brat, the return of Tambelon and our first meeting with Grogar, among other adventures.”

“Dark human wizards?” Gregory muttered. That was news to him. He had only ever seen the human Scorpan had turned into in the first special.

Spyke nodded. “I hope you didn’t think that her majesty thinks all humans are good creatures. She knows about humanity’s dual nature. In that way, humans and ponies are similar.”

“Then why does she treat me so well?” Gregory was confused now. The more he learned, the more he grew conflicted about his captor.

“She has looked at your life here,” Spyke explained. “Nothing invasive,” he added quickly when Gregory gave him a worried look. “She simply saw how you lived in Thornfall, saw into the past when you were thrown out of Dodge City, saw when that pathetic Tempest nearly killed you, and other times.”

“Nice to know she cared then,” Gregory said darkly.

“She only saw those incidents by viewing the past,” Spyke replied. “She didn’t know you existed until recently. You don’t…register to magic.”

Gregory relaxed a bit. He knew that being from another world, he didn’t have any magic, so nobody with magic would be able to detect him. He’d used that to his advantage a few times when he’d been dealing with magical creatures who could detect whatever magical aura other creatures gave off. “I see,” was all he said.

Spyke sighed deeply. “Her majesty should be telling you this all in time, I’m sure. For now, though, I can reassure you that she doesn’t intend to harm you or any other innocent creature in any way.”

But what if she crosses that line? Gregory thought, but didn’t speak his thoughts aloud. He reached down and finally grasped his drink after what felt like hours. He downed the rest, letting the soothing alcoholic beverage warm his insides. He needed another drink.

Majesty watched as Spyke, in his temporary smaller version, helped a clearly inebriated Gregory through the halls. Gregory wasn’t full on drunk, being pretty coherent, but his motor skills were clearly inhibited until he slept it off. She walked beside the two, giving the human a smirk. “You’re feeling it, I assume,” she stated with a small chuckle.

Gregory gave her a nod. “Ayuh,” he said. “Dat’s some good wine or whatever.”

“It’s called Rosewine,” she replied. “If you’d like, I can provide you with a bottle of it for your room.”

“Nah, dat’s alright,” he said with a bit of a slur to his tone. He stood up straighter, only to sway slightly. “Yep…Imma feel this in the morning…”

“Feel what in the morning?” Majesty asked.

“Hangover,” was Gregory’s simple reply.

Majesty nodded. She had heard it called by another name from her neighboring human kingdom. Humans were unique in that after getting drunk, they tended to get headaches the next morning if they didn’t drink something else. “I’ll have someone bring you some water to help prevent that from happening.”

“Dat would be nice, thanks,” Gregory said as they walked into his room. Spyke helped him to the chair where he sat. “Thanks, little dude,” he said with a thumbs up gesture, something Majesty had seen only from Megan and her siblings.

Spyke returned the gesture before he walked over to the pitcher of water and glass on the desk. As he poured the water for Gregory, Majesty sat in front of him on the floor, looking with a small smile at Gregory. “Did you enjoy the feast?” she asked.

“Food was good, wine was delicious, entertainment was good too,” he replied as Spyke gave him a glass of water, which he downed greedily before placing it down on the small end table next to his chair. “Ah, that was good.”

While Spyke refilled the glass, Majesty continued. “You seemed distracted for a while. Was there something on your mind?”

“Lots on my mind,” Gregory replied, “but it’s just the normal stuff. Missing my friend, worried about paying rent on my place, worried about them finding my stuff and destroying priceless things I can’t replace. That sort of shit.”

As Gregory downed a second glass, Majesty thought about what he’d just said. She did feel some remorse for having to separate him and the abyssinian, and hoped to someday reunite the two. They clearly had a close bond. However, something else that Gregory had said piqued her interest.

Thornfall was a hive of scum and villainy, but in a way, it had somewhat welcomed him. Sure, many of their citizens were backstabbing and greedy criminals, but there were creatures there who cared for him. She gave him a warm smile. “Do you mind if I ask you about Thornfall? If it’s not too painful?”

Gregory shrugged, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. Majesty noticed that he was growing a beard. It was only stubble now, but in her mind, it made him look rugged and handsome. “Sure,” he said, “Whatcha wanna know?”

She smiled warmly. “Whatever you want to share,” she said. “What’s the food like? The people? The culture? Anything you would like to talk about with someone.”

He leaned back, looking up at the ceiling with an expression that she guessed was contemplative. “Hmm,” was all he said at first. He stroked his chin, then finally said, “It’s like Mos Eisley.”

Her eyebrows shot up. She understood that reference. She’d learned it from Daniel. “From that Star Wars story?” she asked.

He looked at her sharply. “How the fuck did you know about that?” He sounded suspicious.

“Relax,” she said in her best reassuring tone. “I heard about it from Megan’s younger brother.”

He relaxed at that. “Oh. Yeah, that makes sense. Well, it’s like that city. A hive of scum and villainy. Still, there are some halfway decent folks there.”

She nodded. “I understand.” She made a mental note to examine the city outside Equestria’s borders more closely now. “Tell me more.”

Gregory talked, and Majesty listened. He was clearly fairly lucid, because he was careful not to reveal certain things. And as she listened, her mind was whirling. New plans were being added to her own. And it was time to act.

18: The Search Begins

Cadance looked carefully at the two beings before her. One she didn’t know, but the other she remembered from her time as a filly back in Canterlot. Sunset Shimmer stood before her next to an abyssinian mercenary. The two had managed to bypass all of the hardest security that had been set up not just by her husband but by other crystal ponies under his command. What she knew of abyssinians was very little, but what she remembered of Sunset was enough to make her develop an instant dislike for the mare. And she hardly ever disliked anypony.

“Sunset Shimmer,” Cadance said with a frown.

“Nice to see you haven’t changed, Cad,” Sunset said with a smirk. “Still have that stick so far up your behind you taste oak?”

The abyssinian beside her, named Tobias, swatted her in the side with a not so gentle tail flick before he turned back to Cadance. “Listen, we don’t have a lot of time. Some time ago, Prince Spike received some visitors in the form of his former companions and us.” He gestured to himself and Sunset. “We were hoping to locate a certain individual. A human who’s been kidnapped by an ancient alicorn.”

Cadance raised both eyebrows in alarm, as did Shining and Spike who were sitting on either side of her. Flurry was in Spike’s lap, one of her favorite places to be. She leaned back. “Go on,” she said, her attention focused more on Tobias.

Tobias nodded. “He cast a spell that was supposed to help us locate our human companion, and it seemed to work. But something about this feels wrong to me.”

“What feels wrong?” Cadance asked.

Tobias sighed. “That’s just it. I’m not sure, but I know that whenever I’ve ignored this bad feeling before, it always turns out to be true that something bad happened. I need to make sure. And besides, the spell apparently lead us to an ancient home of the pony who kidnapped my friend. That is far too obvious for someone as intelligent as Majesty.”

“Not only that,” Sunset said, “but I performed a deep magical scan on Spike, and-”

“You did WHAT!?” Shining bellowed, standing up and glaring down at Sunset.

“Dad, I gave permission,” Spike said, leaning over.

Cadance turned to face Spike. “Spike, do you know how invasive-?”

“Twilight Sparkle told me about them a while ago,” Spike interrupted. “If something happened to affect the spell I helped cast, I’d like to know.”

Cadance reached out a wing to separate Shining from the two guests before her throne. “What did you find?”

“Nothing,” Sunset said, “and that’s the thing. There was a sign that the spell was cast perfectly through Spike’s body. But it’s too perfect.”

Cadance frowned. She wasn’t as much of an expert on magic as Twilight or Sunset, as she was born a pegasus. Still she had a basic knowledge of how spellcasting worked and what Sunset said brought up a memory from one of her times foalsitting Twilight. “Explain,” she said.

Sunset nodded. “In short, every single sapient creature on Erda has magic inside them. Scratch that, every creature has magic. Ponies are the only race that we know of who have the most control over the magic of Erda. Every time a unicorn casts a spell on something, it leaves traces of said magic onto whatever the spell was cast on which has a harmless half life of about three days. There are definitely traces of magic inside of Spike, but for some reason, the rate of decay is very slightly off. Off by about five or ten minutes.”

Cadance’s eyes widened, as did Shining’s. She knew that Sunset was a magical prodigy like Twilight was, but being able to detect a magic half life decay being off by that little was almost unheard of. Even Twilight never had that ability, even when she was an alicorn. “So, you’re saying what, that the spell was cast later than you think it was cast?”

“Most definitely,” Sunset said. “Tobias and I distinctly remember looking at the clock on the wall in the room where the spell was cast. When I cast the deep scan on Spike, the magic decay was off. Not only that, but there was no sign of any varied resonance. The spell was ‘cast’, as it were, by the former elements. There should be six signatures, and while there are, they have slightly less corruption in their decay.”

Cadance knew about that much. When magic inside something decayed, it was also slightly corrupted. This didn’t harm the object or creature in any way, and would normally be expelled after one or two trips to the washroom, but the rate of corruption was always the same. “How much is your definition of slightly less corruption?”

“Slightly less than 0.1 percent,” Sunset replied.

It was Spike’s turn to be confused. “But…isn’t that within acceptable limits?”

Sunset shook her head. “No, the acceptable limit is 0.01 percent in either direction. Trust me, I’ve been studying magic a lot since I left Canterlot. Magic might not seem like it has rules, but these are definitely non-negotiable.”

Cadance was floored. She knew that no normal pony could detect that sort of variance in corruption. “What does this mean?” she asked cautiously.

“The magic in Spike’s body was most likely cast sometime after the actual event,” Sunset said. “And there’s something else that’s puzzling.”

“What is it?” Cadance didn’t like where else this was going.

“We asked Spike what he had been doing for the past seven days, and the evidence in the magical scan of his body’s physical stare supports his claims up until a couple days ago. He said he had undergone a rigorous training session, but his body shows that while he did have that, it he amount of sweat he produced and the amount of muscle developed was only about…a quarter of what should be expected from the training session he endured. And the amount of food in his digestive system suggests a more liquid diet than what he described as having eaten in the ast couple days.”

Cadance was no longer floored. She was flabbergasted. Where had Sunset learned about these sort of things? “Is there anything else?”

Sunset didn’t respond. Instead, she lifted up a small clear bag and floated it over to Cadance, who caught it in her magic. “Look at that.”

Cadance looked at the bag. It looked empty, but it was Flurry who spotted it first. “Small rock, mom.”

Cadance looked closer, then spotted it. A small piece of rock in one corner of the bag. Frowning, she looked back at Sunset. “What does this have to do with your deep scan?”

“Tobias found that rock nestled in one of Spike’s spines,” Sunset explained. “That rock is not from around here. Well no, that’s not quite accurate. It was from around here before Crystalia returned.”

“I’m not quite getting it,” Cadance said.

Sunset sighed. “Short story. The Crystal Plains were where I came first after I left Canterlot. I spent a while here before Crystalia returned. I learned about the magical properties of the rocks here. You know how trees have rings around them for each year they age? That rock is older than anything around the palace.”

“Couldn’t he have gotten it when he left the city limits, though?” Shining asked.

“Good question,” Sunset said, “but no. That rock came from deep underground. Underground and far north from here.”

“In the Crystal Mountains?” Spike asked with trepidation.

Sunset shook her head. “Beyond that. Far beyond the Frozen North. Just beyond the Winterwall.”

Cadance’s eyes shot open wide. The Winterwall was a vast sheet of ice that seemed to have formed into what to many looked like a wall beyond the mountain chain of which Mt. Everhoof was a part. Beyond the Crystal Mountains and even the Yaket Range were the Winterlands, a harsh environment of ice and snow covering land that hadn’t seen the sun in thousands of years. Beyond the Winterwall were more mountains, only these were covered in glaciers that grew yearly. “You went to the Winterlands?” Cadance asked.

“Briefly,” Sunset said, “and I found some actual pieces of rock that were nearly identical to this one. If you can’t trust me, that’s fine. I actually hoped to find someone else here who could help with finding the information, and he’s a good source of information.”

Cadance leaned forward. “And who’s that?” she asked.

Sunset chuckled. “You’d know him as your royal crystaller, but I know him differently. My younger brother, Sunburst.”

Starlight Glimmer was leaning against her coltfriend Sunburst as the two read one of the newer books that the latter had brought from the library. Of course, by new, that meant the book was extremely old, having been lost to time for a thousand years. Still, the spell cast upon Crystalia had preserved the ancient book so that it only looked maybe a few years old. It was a book about one of the various lost cities of the Empire itself, Quartzus. Crystalia was all that remained of the Crystal Empire, although there were modern day efforts to reclaim their lost borders now that the Empire had severed all ties with Equestria. Many crystal pony explorers who had fled from their towns and cities long ago thanks to Sombra were going to the locations of their old towns in the mountains and seeing if anything there could be restored. So far, only a couple locations seemed reasonable enough, and that included Quartzus.

She snuggled closer to Sunburst and nuzzled his barrel, catching him off guard as he looked down at her. “S-Starlight?” he asked nervously.

Starlight giggled, then leaned up and gave his cheek an affectionate lick. “This is nice,” she whispered, nuzzling his cheek.

Sunburst was frozen in nervousness which only made Starlight giggle more. It had taken time for her to finally get through to her dense friend, but when she did, she upped her teasing of him, finding it extremely adorable. Of course, she knew the more she teased him, the better that their nights would be. She never knew Sunburst was that repressed. “Ah, yes it is,” he said, finally regaining some composure as he gave her a smile that sent her over the moon.

“More so because our other herd member is gone entertaining foals for the day,” Starlight chuckled. She was fine with Trixie, a pony she’d met before her journey from Equestria to the Crystal Empire and had instantly bonded in friendship over, and loved being friends and herdmates with her, but she could be a hoofful at times, so getting her out of the house to have Sunburst to herself from time to time was nice. She was really surprised that Sunburst and Trixie had gotten along pretty much right away, too. She guessed it had to do with how their spellcasting abilities upon their first meeting was a bit lacking.

“Trixie can be a bit much at times,” Sunburst admitted, “but I love you both. I never thought I’d be so lucky to have even one marefriend, let alone be in a herd.”

Starlight reached across and booped her coltfriend on the nose admonishingly. Sunburst had his faults, to be sure, and one of them was him being too harsh on himself. “None of that,” she said. “Trixie and I don’t like it when you talk bad about yourself. You’re more than worthy of love. Besides, there are several…advantages…to being in a herd with two sexy mares,” she added whilst giving her nervous colfriend a ‘come hither’ look while leaning in closer.

Sunburst, now a little bit more experienced, still fell onto his back as Starlight pushed him down, locking lips with him as the two melted into the embrace of the other. She pressed herself against him, heart racing in anticipation as she felt one of his hooves reaching down to her-

KNOCK KNOCK-KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK! KNOCK KNOCK!

And just like that, the moment was ruined. The two broke apart from the kiss, sharing a look of disappointment, although Sunburst’s was mixed with curiosity. “That’s…definitely not Trixie,” he said as Starlight climbed off of him.

“You think?!” Starlight said with a huff. Noticing the look of confusion and nervousness on Sunburst’s face, she softened. “I’m sorry, Sunburst. I haven’t had time with you alone in a long time.”

Sunburst stood and put a reassuring hoof around her neck. “I know, I feel the same. I promise I’ll make more time for you, but there’s something very familiar about that knock that tells me not to ignore it.”

It was Starlight’s turn now to be curious. “What do you mean?” she asked.

“I don’t really remember, but I think I might if I answer the door,” he said apologetically. “Together, actually.”

Starlight smiled, then walked over and leaned against him briefly. “Together.”

The two headed to the door, where Sunburst straightened, then opened it. And when Starlight saw the look of utter shock on her coltfriend’s face, she knew something was off, because the pony standing at the door looked remarkably similar to Sunburst. The mare was older than either of them, that was clear, but the resemblance between the two was uncanny. A few seconds later, Starlight remembered her, and her jaw dropped too. “Sunset Shimmer…?”

Sunset looked between the two, then raised an eyebrow with a wry grin. “Well, well, well, I always knew the two of you would end up together,” she said with a chuckle. “Hello, little brother, and you too, Starlight.”

Sunburst quickly recovered, then looked down at Sunset with a frown. He might have been the younger one, but he was now taller than Sunset and used that to his advantage. “What do you want, big sister?” he asked.

Sunset backed off, a false look of hurt on her face. “What, can’t a long-lost sister come back to see her family?”

“Not after what the princess said you did,” Sunburst retorted.

Sunset’s expression darkened. “Whatever Sunbutt told you is most likely a lie. She cast me out without so much as hearing an explanation as to why I was in the restricted section. But I didn’t come here to rehash old wounds. I wasn’t lying when I said I wanted to see you again, but you’re smarter than me in some areas.”

That admission caught Starlight off guard. From what little she remembered of Sunset, she was rather prideful in her abilities as a unicorn. Of course, that was when she and Sunburst were barely five or so and Sunset was about seven or eight. It caught Sunburst off guard as well. “Um…what?” he asked.

Sunset sighed. “Look, you probably remember me as a brash know-it-all, and I do know a lot, but I don’t know much about this place. This location.” She raised her horn and lifted up a clear bag with her magic. “Inside this bag is a small rock and I need your help determining the location. I’ve narrowed it down to somewhere beyond the Winterwall, but that’s as far as I’ve gotten.”

“And why do you need my help with that?” Sunburst asked with trepidation.

That was when Princess Cadance stepped forward from where she and a few others had been standing behind Sunset. It wasn’t that they were hidden, but it was just that Sunburst and Starlight had been so focused on the impossibility of Sunset Shimmer being there that they just hadn’t noticed the others. “It has to do with something that happened here a day ago,” she explained. “Twilight and her former friends came by to ask Prince Spike for help, but there are some inconsistencies with the story Prince Spike gave along with Sunset and her companion who was there before.”

A black abyssinian male stepped forward, looking at Sunburst. “If Sunset Shimmer is right, and you can help, I’m begging for it. A friend of mine is in danger. A human friend of mine,” he clarified.

Starlight’s jaw dropped in utter shock. The only human she knew about was dead and she didn’t even know about his existence until much later. She’d actually missed him a couple times when he’d come into town. She had been studying magic in the castle library when he’d come and hadn’t even noticed that Jason had been chased out rather brutally both times. “Another human…?” she muttered.

Sunburst took the bag in his magic and looked at it. He then looked back at Sunset after a while. “You determined where this tiny piece of rock was from so precisely?” he asked.

Sunset nodded. “Yes, but not precisely enough. Can you help us?”

Sunburst looked at Starlight, almost as if asking permission. Starlight simply shrugged. “Can’t hurt to try. You’ve got the brains, and I can use what spells you have.”

Sunset looked at her curiously. “Really? You?”

A bit taken aback by what sounded like an accusation, Starlight whirled on Sunset. “Hey, you’re talking to a mare who’s taken away an entire village’s worth of cutie marks, traveled through time to change history just to get back at Twilight and her friends, and who helped reconstitute the Crystal Heart. I’m good at magic, thank you.” She displayed her cutie mark for Sunset to see.

Sunset seemed flabbergasted by this, whistling. “Wow…for real?” She sounded genuinely impressed. “Not bad, sister. Not bad.”

“You don’t get to call me sister,” Starlight reminded Sunset.

“Fine, fine,” Sunset said before turning to Sunburst. “Can you help us?”

Sunburst slowly nodded, then stepped aside. “Come on in, everyone,” he said. “This might take a little while.” He then turned to Starlight. “Could you search in section T?”

“On it, sweetie,” she said, giving a salute before rushing over to said section.

It didn’t take as long as Starlight thought, because about ten minutes later Sunburst shouted out in triumph as he brought out a book. Everyone gathered around the main table as he placed it down. “Detection magic according to Magus Pathfinder,” he said as he opened the book to begin searching. Quickly, he determined where the spell was, then slid the book over to Starlight. “Right here,” he pointed to a section, “even at my current level, I can’t cast it without seriously hurting myself.”

Starlight read quickly over the spell, and to her dismay realized that she could barely do it alone. So, she looked over at Sunset. Swallowing the bile in her throat, she said, “I’ll need your help for this.”

Sunset quickly walked over, then her eyes widened when she read the spell. “I couldn’t even do that…but yes. Together, we can do it.” She looked over at Starlight and nodded. “On your signal.”

“Stand back, everyone,” Sunburst said. “They need space.”

As everyone else in the room backed away, Sunset and Starlight stood on opposite sides of the table. Starlight took the piece of rubble out of the bag and placed it on the table. She then looked at Sunset, and with a nod, the two began chanting in Old Ponish. The spell immediately began to take effect, draining Starlight of her magic. The same looked like it could be said of Sunset, but the two continued concentrating. Their magic blended around the small pebble which began rising into the air. It began glowing as the two continued chanting the same phrases over and over. The magic continued to grow and Starlight felt the drain on her system increase. The sound of the magic became deafening, but she continued to concentrate.

Closing her eyes at the appropriate time, the last of the magic that left her body entered her eyes which opened. Only now she saw not the inside of their home, but a vast landscape of ice and snow covered mountains. And a massive structure that looked like a naturally formed dome. There were several around it, but her eyes were focused solely on that one. There wasn’t anything distinguishing it from the other domes, but she couldn’t look away.

The spell ended, and she began to collapse, only to be caught in the comforting and warm magic of her coltfriend, who lifted her to the nearby couch. She lay there, breathing in deeply while Sunburst put a cold damp towel over her horn to help cool it. Eventually, she was strong enough to sit up, only to see Sunset was next to her, looking at the small pebble contemplatively. When Starlight sat up, Sunset looked over at her. “Do you remember what you saw too?” she asked.

Starlight nodded, then projected the image her brief vision had displayed. Everyone in the room gathered around, looking at the static image. Sunset cast a similar spell, and the image became much clearer. Quickly, the abyssinian pointed at the image. “There. See that black patch? That’s not on the other domes.”

Sunset narrowed her eyes at the image, then nodded. “Could be some sort of entrance,” she said, “but Majesty wouldn’t make things that obvious.”

“Sunburst, are there any historical records of habitation up that far?” Empress Cadance asked.

“I haven’t read through the geology books in the main library yet, so I don’t know,” Sunburst said. “I mean, it’s possible that if there was habitation up beyond the Winterwall that they might have something like the Crystal Heart to keep the snow and ice away.”

“I was up there somehow?” Prince Spike, who had been silent the whole time, asked as he approached the image being projected.

“Unless you can think of another way that a rock from that area arrived here,” Sunset replied.

“The winds come from up north,” the Empress said, “so it’s possible that it came from that.”

“Yes,” Sunset conceded, “but it’s less likely that a piece of rock just so happened to get lodged into the prince’s spines. Not to mention the other evidence. And yes, I know it’s circumstantial, but I don’t think Tobias here will want to leave any stone unturned, so to speak.”

The abyssinian stepped forward. “Sunset and I can go searching,” he explained. “If Majesty is holding my friend in that dome, I want to find him and save him.”

The Empress nodded. “I could send a detachment of Crystal Guards-”

“No,” Tobias said. “Majesty will more than likely suspect that. Besides, she hasn’t acted against Sunset or me yet. Either she doesn’t know we’re here or she does know and doesn’t consider us a threat. Sunset has been casting a constant dampening spell around the two of us, so it could be the former.”

“Let’s assume it’s the latter,” Sunset said.

“So why go?” Empress Cadance asked.

Starlight saw Tobias stiffen. “He’s. My. Friend. He’s one of the only ones I have. I don’t want to lose him. I don’t want any harm coming to him. Even if Majesty is treating him like a king, it’s still a gilded cage.”

The Empress nodded. “I see your point, but I don’t feel right with just you two going-”

“Nobody else can go,” Sunset interrupted. “I can barely keep this stealth field going and had to drop it to cast that spell. Either way, Tobias and I are members of Shadow Dawn, and even if I’m a new member, Tobias has told me that nobody in this group is left behind.” She looked at Sunburst. “Little brother-no, Sunburst…” She took a deep breath, then walked over and wrapped him up in a hug, surprising Starlight and clearly startling Sunburst. “Thank you for your help,” she said, breaking the hug. “I promise I’ll come back and see you when this is all over. And I’d like to see Mom and Dad, too.”

Sunburst stiffened at that. “Dad…Dad’s gone, Sunset,” he said.

Sunset’s eyes began to water. “I…fuck…” she muttered, looking down and wiping her eyes. “Is Mom okay…?”

“Yes,” he said. “She’s keeping busy…”

After a bit of an awkward silence, she straightened. “When I come back and when this is over, I want to see her again. And you.” She then turned to Starlight. “And you too. I know there’s a lot we need to talk about.”

“No kidding,” Sunburst said through slightly clenched teeth.

Sunset sighed. “I’ll see you later, I promise.”

Minutes later, Sunburst and Starlight were alone, both collapsed onto the couch, the former out of emotional exhaustion and the latter slight magical exhaustion. She snuggled up as best as she could to her stallion. He snuggled back. “That…was exhausting,” Sunburst said.

“I know,” she said.

He pulled her closer to him protectively. “I don’t know what to think anymore. Princess Celestia said she had left without warning, but clearly there’s something more that she’s not told me or Mom or there’s something Sunset isn’t telling.”

“When whatever they’re doing is over, we’ll talk with them, I promise,” Starlight said.

Just then, the door burst open and Trixie walked in, wearing her normal magical attire. “The Great and Powerful Trrrrixie has returned!” she announced before bringing in some large bags from what looked like the grocery store. “And she comes bearing food!” When she noticed the two sitting on the couch, her attitude changed to some concern. “Hey, what gives? You two look like you’ve gone three rounds with a Bugbear.”

Starlight chuckled weakly. “That’s one way of putting it,” she said.

“We just had a run in with a pony neither of us have seen in years,” Sunburst said.

Trixie was instantly by their side. She had her own faults, but her caring about those she cared about was not one of them. “Will you guys be okay?” she asked.

“After some rest, sure,” Starlight said.

“Well…why don’t I make us something simple for lunch?” Trixie asked. “I can make us some hay and lettuce on rye with mayo and mustard.”

Starlight and Sunburst both chuckled. Trixie wasn’t the best cook out there, but she did make really good sandwiches. “That sounds perfect. Thanks Trix,” Sunburst said.

Trixie walked over and planted a deep but loving kiss on Sunburst’s lips, before walking over and hugging her herdmate. “You two rest.”

As Trixie began making the sandwiches, Starlight snuggled closer to her coltfriend. The warmth of his body against hers along with the steadiness of his breathing caused her to fall asleep.

Dengal the goblin blacksmith swore at yet another failure. The assortment of metal and wood parts sat in front of her, taunting her for her consistent failings at replicating the object Revan had called a pistol. He’d very reluctantly let her borrow one of his magic nullifying weapons, and while she knew she couldn’t replicate the metal’s unique properties, she was so sure that she could replicate the weapon’s other properties. After all, it was an advanced form of crossbow. Right?

Turns out, she had much more to learn. She had taken detailed notes on how she had taken the pistol apart and how she put it back together because she wanted to prove to Revan that she could be trusted. Still, that and some of the outlines that Revan had provided of other models of pistols from his original home had only frustrated her more.

Dengal was an outcast from goblin tribes because of her appearance being far from the standard of beauty of goblins. Like all goblins, she had gray skin, a rarity in the world as most other species had fur, feathers, or scales. Her hair, something nearly unheard of in a goblin, was straight and jet black although currently it was tied behind her back in what she learned was called a ponytail. Her eyes were a pale red and her ears were pointed. She had some muscles like other goblins, but unlike other females, hers didn’t seem to be displayed as much. She was a little more on the slender side. Her nose wasn’t turned up like other goblins, instead being a little bit more…human, at least if that photograph of Jason Wright in the newspaper was any indication. Like most other goblins, though, she had red tattoos on her arms indicating her accomplishments, which in her case had to do with her blacksmithing abilities. She also had a nose ring, something that her people did often when they became of age. She wore a pair of sturdy boots, black pants, a long-sleeved dark crimson shirt, a pair of leather brown gloves and a black leather apron around her front section to protect herself from the sparks.

Dengal used to let her unusual appearance get to her, but lately that hadn’t been the case as she’d started to, as Revan would say, not give a fuck. She didn’t care that other goblins saw her as ugly. She was a damned good blacksmith, and she took pride in her work. She loved taking older swords and knives and making them better than new. Crafting arrowheads for bows and arrows along with crossbows was challenging, but she relished in the work. Now, though, she longed for the simplicity of those crafts.

“What the fuck am I missing?” she muttered, slipping into using a word that Revan had used often enough. “I was so sure…” She went back to her notes and looked them over once more. She’d created the metal shells and the gunpowder to specifications. She’d been trying to replicate an older model of pistol that Revan had shown her called a flintlock pistol. It wasn’t as advanced as Revan’s own weapons, but it was the only version of a pistol that he felt comfortable showing her. She didn’t want to argue, and took it as one of her biggest challenges.

The door to the smithy opened and another goblin walked in. This one was heavier and older than Dengal. “Dengal, are you still working on this foolish endeavor?” the mercenary guild’s master asked as he leaned against the door.

“It’s not a foolish endeavor,” Dengal seethed angrily. “I’m making progress.”

The guild master made a coughing noise and hocked a nasty mouthful of phlegm on the floor, something that made Dengal angrier. “I’m probably going to have to start docking your pay for working with our equipment and in the smithy,” he said. He made his voice sound reluctant, but Dengal wasn’t a fool. She knew he was relishing this.

Still, she wasn’t about to give up without a fight. “I call bullshit on that one,” she retorted. “I’m working on my own time with my own materials and my own tools. ANd you know I keep this place better kept than your previous moronic blacksmith.” The guild master scowled at this jab at the former blacksmith, who had been his cousin. Nepotism at its finest, she thought.

“Don’t get smart with me, Dengal,” he growled. “You’re lucky I took you in after your clan kicked you out.”

“How long are you gonna lie and hold that over my head when it was you who bribed the chieftain to kick me out?” Dengal replied.

The guild master looked at Dengal with wide eyes. “How on Erda-?”

“I may be ugly by goblin standards, but I’m not an idiot,” she retorted with a scowl. “Did you seriously think you’d get into my pants by saving me?”

The guild master’s eyes darkened. “Had I known how you looked, I wouldn’t have bothered,” he replied as he stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. “Then again,” he added with an evil smile forming on his face, “perhaps I can get my money’s worth finally.”

Bengal didn’t move, only took in her surroundings. She had her hammer which she could use if he tried anything stupid. However, despite him being rather rotund, he was massively strong and quick. Everyone in Thornfall had to be to survive. It was one reason she’d fallen for the masked Revan. He was clearly outmatched by almost everycreature in this city, but he didn’t let that stop him. “Try it, I dare you,” she said, showing her sharpened teeth.

He took a few steps forward, cracking his neck. At this distance, she could smell the scent of his rotten breath and it almost made her gag. She knew it was a smell all goblins loved, but she hated it immediately. He was about to reach out to grab her neck when a disembodied voice spoke.

“You seek to harm a friend of my guest.
“Now that I can’t permit.
“As once this one you did detest
“so now you’ll be treated like shit.”

The guild master stumbled back in alarm as a bright light surrounded him. He looked at his claws which were now morphing into something else. Hooves, Dengal noted. Cloven hooves. The hooves of a real pig.

She watched in stunned silence as the guild master’s screams turned into the squealing of a full blown pig. He ran around the smithy in a panic, stumbling over his own new hooves as he tried to look for an exit.

The door then burst open, revealing a tall pure white pony with a flowing mane of sky blue along with light purple eyes. She had a large horn and a pair of majestic wings which were spread. Her cutie mark consisted of seven glittering blue flowers. An alicorn, Dengal realized. She then watched in part awe and fear as the pony stepped aside to let the new pig run out, its squeals vanishing as it fled. The pony gave an amused chuckle then turned to Dengal. “Forgive me for startling you,” she said in the same voice as the one from before.

“Um, it’s alright,” she said, still reeling from what had just happened. “Thanks for that,” she added when she recovered her wits.

The pony, who Dengal now saw was an alicorn, chuckled with mirth as she stepped inside. “Injustice is something I cannot stand,” she replied as she looked around the room. She nodded in approval. “Quite the clean smithy you have here, Miss Dengal.”

“I-I do like things clean,” she said, a bit thrown off guard by how this alicorn knew her name. “Did you…want me to make something for you?”

“Oh no, but thank you for the kind offer,” the alicorn said. “I simply stopped by to see that justice was taken against those who harmed a guest of mine.”

“Oh, well, that’s good?” Dengal watched as the pony stopped to face her. “Can I do anything else then for you?”

The pony smiled. “I have come to understand that you’re a friend of my guest. You know him as Revan.”

She was immediately on guard. Grabbing her nearest weapon, an ax, she held it up. “What have you done to my friend?” she asked with a snarl.

The pony merely chuckled melodically. “Never fear, young Dengal. He is quite safe with me. Safer than he was in this town or within Equestria.”

“Prove it,” Dengal snapped, baring her sharp teeth in a menacing manner.

“Of course,” the pony said as she raised her horn. “Say hello to him for me, would you?”

With a flash, Dengal’s smith vanished from around her. Her ax was no longer in her claws. She was standing in a massive dimly lit room. The brightest source of light came from a large mirror which looked to be displaying something. Sitting in a chair staring at the mirror. The figure turned when Dengal appeared.

Dengal locked eyes with the creature. She knew just what it was, seeing as the entire world now knew what a human looked like. She wasn’t sure what to say, until the figure stood. Dengal immediately recognized the clothes. Her jaw dropped. “Revan…”

The human nodded. “Yes,” he said.

She didn’t hesitate. Running up to him, she flung her arms around him. Normally she wouldn’t act so vulnerable, but at that moment she didn’t care. The being she cared about deeply was safe, at least physically. She felt Revan stiffen a bit, but that quickly vanished as he hugged her back tightly. “I’m so glad you’re alright,” Dengal said. She suddenly became aware that she was dirty and sweaty. Pushing away, she looked down in embarrassment.

“Dengal? What is it?” Revan sounded genuinely worried about her.

“I’m all sweaty,” she said, “and I know other creatures find us goblins to smell bad-”

He chuckled and waved his hand. “You smell like a fresh spring day after a rain,” he explained. “It’s a lovely smell.”

Dengal felt her gray cheeks growing warm before she focused more on the moment. She walked up to him, looking him all over. “You’re really alright? That pony didn’t hurt you in any way?”

Revan shook his head. Dengal couldn’t help but admire how handsome his real face was. She’d always had strange tastes when it came to males, and she didn’t care. “Majesty’s been treating me very well,” he said, “you know, for a prisoner.”

Dengal’s eyes shot open wider. “You’re a prisoner!?” She seethed now as she looked around. “When I see that pony again-”

“Don’t do anything rash, Dengal,” Revan said quickly, walking up to put his two hands on her shoulders. “Majesty is an extremely powerful alicorn. She turned an entire village of ponies into humans and another smaller town into animals long extinct. She can see pretty much everything, too. See?”

He turned her to face the mirror, which Dengal now saw showed an image of Thornfall. The image was following the alicorn mare from before as she strode through town without a care. Dengal felt Revan tense up. That told Dengal enough to know that her human friend was at the very least apprehensive of this pony. She looked up at him. “Revan, who is she?”

Revan took a breath. “An ancient queen who once ruled over ponykind over a thousand years ago,” he explained.

“Why are you worried about her?” she asked.

Revan sighed. “She’s taking the law into her own hands-or should I say hooves. Not only that, but she does have me trapped here away from Tobias.”

Dengal winced. Tobias was one of the few guild members who she could get along with well. He never treated her and her ‘deformities’ badly. She had even been born, like Revan, with ten talons on her claws instead of eight, five on each claw. “I’m sure Tobias is working hard to find you,” she said reassuringly.

Revan gave her a small smile before looking back at what Majesty was doing in Thornfall. The two watched as she seemed to punish the more corrupt gangs in the city by giving them ironic punishments according to their most heinous crimes. However, she did actually seem to reward the few good creatures in that city. Dengal saw her giving a poor refugee family a large number of money from the corrupt gangs before giving them a house. She also gave a number of good hearted adults and all of the orphans a place to stay.

What she did next, though, shocked Dengal. She flew over to the edge of the city where the desert of the Badlands were. She lifted both her forelegs into the air, rearing like a pony would do if they were scared. Her two front hooves began to glow a light beautiful green. Dengal saw Revan tensing a bit, and as Majesty planted her hooves on the ground, a wave of green magic spread over the desert. At first, nothing happened. Finally, though, the view on the mirror zoomed out, revealing green that was beginning to grow out of the desert sands.

Minutes passed and the two watched as the entirety of the Badlands were turned from a lifeless desert into a lush verdant valley full of grasslands, forests, and other plants. Majesty didn’t stop there, though. She flew to the western area of the Badlands and used her magic to create a large depresssion in the earth before she flew around to some higher rocks and mountains in the east. There, she stared up at a large cliff. A small stream was trickling out of it, but not even enough to make a small pool. She struck twice at the rocks which shattered, unleashing a massive torrent of water out of the new cliffside hole. The water ran down and began flowing into what was obviously once a riverbed, It would take time for the river to reach the new depression, but judging from what she’d seen, the depression had another outer riverbank that would lead out to the borders.

“Guess you can’t call that the Badlands after this,” Revan muttered.

Dengal couldn’t help it. She giggled at his attempt at humor. She then looked up at him. “Revan…are you really going to be okay?”

“I’m doing alright so far,” he said, “but as for if I’ll ever be okay?” He turned to her. “With this world’s history on humans in modern times, what do you think?”

She grabbed his hand, holding it tightly. Now that he wasn’t wearing gloves, she felt his skin for the first time. It was warm and a little coarse, but her hands were worse. It made her feel briefly self-conscious. “Revan,” she began, “I didn’t want to have to…admit this until the time is right, but…I don’t care if you’re a human or not. You’re a good guy. And I love you.”

Revan looked down, and for the briefest of moments, Dengal wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing. Revan inhaled, then looked at her. “Gregory.”

She looked confused. “What?”

“That’s my real name. Gregory.”

Dengal felt her heart swell. This might not be what she’d hoped he would say, but the fact that he was sharing his real name with her felt like a huge leap forward. “Gregory…Gregory…” she repeated it a few times to get the feel for the word. “I like that name.”

Gregory gave her a small smile. “Thank you. I’ve also known about your feeling for me, and before you say anything, I never acted on them because-”

She put her index talon to his lips, effectively silencing him. “I don’t care why you didn’t,” she said. “I’m just grateful I could tell you.” She leaned in and laid her head on his chest. “I’m willing to wait until you make a decision regardless, but I know that I’ll have to wait.”

Gregory didn’t move for a few moments. Then, he hugged her back. “Right now, you and Tobias are the closet friends I have in the world. I’m so glad to see you again, don’t get me wrong, but I want to see him again, and I want to get out of here. When I do, I’m probably leaving the mercenary business for good.”

“With Thornfall how it is now, I’m probably going to leave too,” Dengal said. “And I’ll come with you and Tobias.”

He gave her a larger smile. “I wouldn’t trust anyone else to deal with polishing and sharpening my knives,” he said.

“We’ll get out of here, I promise,” she said, putting her claws over his hand in a reassuring gesture. “And when this all blows over, I am going to use the money I have saved up and treat you to a feast. I don’t want to hear a no. You deserve it.”

Gregory gave her a wry grin. “Did you just ask me out on a date, you sly goblin you?”

Her gray cheeks went a bit red, but then she straightened and looked at him. “Yes and no. When this is over and you and Tobias are safe, I want to treat you to some good food and some good company. And not just you alone, although I do want that. I want there to be a time where you, me, and Tobias spend time enjoying a meal together. He’s a good guy, and I know how dearly you cherish that friendship.”

He nodded with a grateful smile. “Let’s just get out of this situation first,” he said as he put his hands in his pockets. His smile faded and he sighed. “I’m glad you’re here, because I don’t know a way out.”

At that moment, the mirror warped and Majesty stepped out. She looked utterly exhausted as she stumbled forward. Acting on instinct, Gregory and Dengal reached out to grab her, supporting her before they both realized what they had done. However, it was too late to do anything about it as Majesty stepped forward and gave the two an appreciative nod. “Thank you.” She then turned to Dengal. “Young goblin, you are more than free to go back if you wish.”

Dengal felt her inner goblin rage form. How dare this pony abduct the human that she loved?? She was about to tell Majesty just where she could shove her words but a hand on her shoulder stopped her. Dengal felt the warmth of his skin on hers for the first time, and she briefly froze. She took a couple of breaths before coming to a decision. “I’m not going anywhere,” she said. “You’ve left me nowhere to go to anyway.” She gestured to Thornfall as it was being displayed on the mirror, showing it to be in chaos.

Majesty raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?” she asked, sounding a little surprised.

Dengal remembered what Gregory had said about Majesty, but in that moment she didn’t care. “Someone needs to be here for him,” she replied.

Majesty’s smile returned, only this time it was a knowing one. “Then you are free to stay as my guest too.” She then turned to Gregory. “I have procured a special surprise for you. It’s in your new guest quarters.”

“My new quarters?” he repeated, sounding confused.

“I couldn’t fit everything in your old room,” she explained. “I will have Starfall and your guards escort you and your friend here to your new room.”

Dengal watched as Majesty stomped her hoof on the ground. Three ponies of a kind she didn’t know came rushing to her. The alicorn gave her orders, and soon Dengal was being escorted along with Gregory down the halls. Dengal noted that this place, wherever it was, had to be ancient based on the architecture. She saw a few ancient weapons on the walls which piqued her interest briefly, but then she focused more on the task at claw. She looked over at Gregory and saw that he was stiff and alert. He was alert a bit before, but now it was as if his senses were on overdrive. She reached down and put her claws in his hand, intermingling hers with his fingers. He looked down at her and gave her a silent thanks.

When they came to a set of double doors, the strange winged pony named Starfall opened it, revealing a massive room. But that was not what caught the attention of the human and goblin pair. Because sitting in the middle of the enormous bedroom stood all of Gregory’s personal objects from Thornfall.

19: Confrontations

Rainbow Dash felt sore. She hadn’t had a good morning workout in a long time, having been neglectful of her flying abilities and skills for two years. She landed in front of Twilight’s lighthouse in the early hours of the morning, cracking her neck and stretching her wings, which also popped. Sweat poured down her brow as she walked towards the door that led to Twilight’s new house. Nearby, she saw that Fluttershy was awake early as well, a watering can in her wings as she tended to some of the half dead plants around Twilight’s house. “Hey, Shy,” Rainbow greeted her oldest friend with a half-hearted and tired smile.

Fluttershy looked up and smiled back. “Good morning,” she said before walking up and pointing at her watering can, then back at Rainbow. “Want something to cool you off?”

Rainbow nodded and lowered her head. She felt the cool water from the can pour over her. It felt amazing, but she also knew a shower would too. “Thanks,” she said. As she shook off the excess water, she asked, “Is Twilight still sleeping?”

Fluttershy nodded as she went back to watering the plants. “She was up more than half the night,” she said, “so try not to wake her.”

“I won’t,” Rainbow said as she slowly walked into the house where she, Pinkie and Fluttershy were all staying. Rarity and Applejack were with their own families and would be stopping by around eight in the morning, packed and ready for a long journey. She looked into the living room and saw that, just like before, Twilight was lying on the couch surrounded by books and papers. She looked worried even in sleep.

Rainbow quickly and quietly flew upstairs to take a shower. The water washed away all of the sweat and dirt she’d gotten from her morning fly. It also soothed some of her aches, but not all of them. She finished up, dried, then quietly flew downstairs because she could smell the unmistakable scent of breakfast. Opening the kitchen door, she saw Pinkie at the stove, making pancakes and hay bacon on the stove. There were freshly cut fruits on the table, such as oranges, apples, and bananas. There was also a platter of freshly made scrambled eggs and another platter of toast along with a stick of room temperature butter. She grabbed half of a banana, some scrambled eggs, and one slice of toast

The two didn’t speak as one ate and the other simply made breakfast. Soon, they heard the noise of somepony jumping up in the next room, a bang, a yelp of pain, and then Twilight coming in, rubbing her head and moaning. Rainbow watched her come in and sit at the table. “Ow…” she groaned.

“You okay there?” Rainbow asked.

Twilight frowned. “I got up too fast and slipped. I hit my head on the table.”

Pinkie was immediately next to her with a blue cold compress pack from the freezer. “Here you are,” she said softly.

“Thanks, Pinkie,” Twilight said as she pressed it to her head.

Rainbow gave her a small smile. “Some wake up call, huh?” she said, trying to lighten the mood.

It didn’t work. Twilight could only nod as she picked up a piece of toast with her magic and ate it absently. “Mmhmm,” was all she said, crumbs on her lips and on the table in front of her.

Fluttershy came in at that point and noticed Twilight had a few stray hairs in her mane. She quickly fixed it, then said, “I hope you didn’t overdo it again.”

Twilight gave a small half-smile. “I tried, but with the entirety of Equestria on the line, it’s hard not to-” she yawned and covered her mouth with her hoof, “-hard not to go overboard.” She stretched and rolled her neck. “Nnng, I do have a sore neck.”

“I got it,” Rainbow said, quickly walking over to her. She grabbed the sides of her head then moved her neck quickly from side to side. There was an audible crack, a yelp from Twilight, then a sigh of relief. “There we go,” she said before going back to her breakfast.

Twilight rubbed her neck and stretched again. “Wow, that’s amazing, Rainbow. Where’d you learn that?”

Rainbow’s ears involuntarily flattened, but she answered. “I learned it from one of the Wonderbolts when I was in the Reserves.”

Twilight’s ears flattened as well. “I-I’m sorry,” Twilight stammered out, “I-I didn’t mean to-”

“Save it, Twilight,” Rainbow interrupted her, raising a hoof. “It’s my own damn fault for what happened.”

The mood in the room was tense as Twilight simply sat there, looking at her half eaten toast while Rainbow ate. Finally, the alicorn grabbed some scrambled eggs and began eating again. Pinkie brought the pancakes and hay bacon to the table after she’d finished. She sat next to Rainbow and grabbed two pancakes along with some hay bacon. Fluttershy sat close to Twilight, eating an orange thoughtfully.

“So…” Pinkie finally began, “do you have any idea what we do next? Discord did seem to think we should be involved.”

Twilight swallowed her food with some orange juice and exhaled slowly. “I think…we should go to where the spell said we should go,” she said.

“Huh?” Rainbow put down her plate and gave Twilight a deadpan stare. “Why? Aren’t some of the Princess’ guards going there?”

“Yes, but they don’t know what we know,” Twilight explained. “They might see that locket and whatever else Discord left for Revan and just ignore them as something unimportant.”

“Good point,” Rainbow admitted.

“How long do you think it’ll take to get there?” Fluttershy asked.

“Maybe…a few days?” Twilight said uncertainly. “That vision we saw showed that the castle ruins were southeast and past the gryphon lands. We may have to walk or fly a lot of the way.”

“Do you still have your balloon?” Pinkie asked.

“I haven’t checked it to see if it’s in flying condition in months,” Twilight said, “but I do have it. I’ll have a look later today.”

Rainbow nodded. “I’ll help,” she said.

“Thanks, Dash,” Twilight replied.

Nopony said much else during that breakfast. Not even when Applejack and Rarity joined them did anypony talk save for some greetings. The nurse came in at one point, greeted them all kindly, spoke briefly to Twilight about something, then gave her some medication which Twilight took without question. When asked, she said they were anxiety and depression medication.

That had shocked the group, and there was a brief Q&A session where they learned just how bad Twilight’s first year in that mental hospital had really been. When anypony mentioned mental hospitals, they automatically thought of padded walls, nice doctors talking to you in foalvoice, peaceful gardens where there were meditation spots to help calm the mind, and such. However, from Twilight mentioned her time there, she spoke of it more like a horror story.

The doctors and nurses were less pleasant than she was expecting, with some exceptions. The food was bland and tasteless, and while the rooms were padded, they were of a harder padding than pillows. She was on medications some of the time, mostly while the doctors and nurses tried to find a mix that would help the deranged and hallucinating alicorn.

She was later told that it was a miracle that she came back to reality so quickly, and even more so that she was released. Apparently, Princess Celestia had learned of the poor conditions at the hospital and had not only gotten a mostly functional Twilight out of there, but had diverted more funding towards mental institutions to help alleviate their own struggles.

This had left a pall on the group, having learned just how badly things had gotten for one of their own. Nobody spoke after that until Twilight downed the last of her orange juice and announced that she would be getting out the balloon from storage. Rainbow immediately joined her, as had Applejack. Rarity had left to go bring her things for an extended journey while Pinkie and Fluttershy stayed behind to tidy up breakfast and to clean the lighthouse. Marble hadn’t been there, instead having stayed up at the Apple’s new place tending to the injured Big Mac and helping around the new farmstead where she could. Zephyr had already left to go back to his home in Manehattan and to his henfriend.

A half hour later, Twilight, Applejack and Rainbow Dash had pulled out the balloon and Twilight was using her magic to search for any holes that might have formed. Rainbow and Applejack were keeping the envelope taut to make it easier. As they were doing this, Applejack decided to attempt to diffuse the tension that had grown after their earlier conversation. Clearing her throat, she looked at Twilight. “Ah, um, so Twilight, have yah read any good books lately?” Even she winced at how lame that sounded.

That didn’t seem to affect Twilight’s mood, because without even looking up, she replied. “A few decent books, actually,” she replied. “Actually, a lot about myths and supposed histories of ponykind before all three tribes were separated.”

That caught both of their attention, and one look at Rainbow showed that the prismatic pegasus was thinking similarly to her. It was Rainbow who spoke. “Um…what kind of myths and histories?” she asked.

“Things about humans and other supposed fictional races, like elves, gnomes, and goblins,” Twilight replied.

“Ah’ve never heard of the last two,” Applejack admitted.

“Not surprised,” Twilight said as she hovered towards another patch of the envelope. “They’re very obscure and aren’t mentioned much in common literature. They’re all bipedal creatures like humans, but with different subtle features. There’s a lot less about them than there is about humans and their last king.”

“Um…last king?” Applejack didn’t like the sound of that.

Twilight nodded without looking up. “There are two paragraphs on humans in an obscure supposed history on the earlier days of ponykind where humans teamed up with the elf and gnome races to fight off some major threat to protect the continent. It sounded like a demon attack from Tartarus, but the original source was missing several pages so all I read was that this alliance of humans, elves, and gnomes fought against this threat in the first paragraph. Then the last shorter paragraph described how the enemy pretty much eliminated the human race and their allies before turning their attention to ponies. But the result of that encounter was also lost.”

“Well, if this did happen, then we won, right?” Rainbow asked.

“I don’t know about that, Rainbow,” Twilight said.

“How come?” Rainbow asked.

“If my calculations are right, that was the beginning of the darker times in our history,” Twilight said. “You know, the way that we think of the time before Hearth’s Warming and the founding of Equestria?”

To ponies, that time was known as the Dark Age, and it had lasted for hundreds of years as far as they knew. Still, something made Applejack pause. She had listened to Twilight earlier when she had described three humans who had helped ponykind during the time of Majesty’s supposed rule over ponies. “Wait, are ya sayin’ that there were more humans here than those three siblings? Megan an’ the others?”

Twilight nodded again. “I haven’t found anything about Megan and her brother and sister, but there was apparently an entire kingdom of humans,” she said.

“So then how did you know about humans when Jason-um…” Rainbow caught herself when Applejack shot her a glare. “What? It’s just a question!”

“Not the best one tah talk about,” Applejack hissed.

Twilight waved a hoof. She had frozen when Jason’s name was mentioned. Even in death, his name cast a pall on them. “N-No, it’s a valid question,” she replied. “There’s obscure myths about them that I read when I was Princess Celestia’s student in Canterlot. It described them as bloodthirsty monsters who kill indiscriminately and who eat sapient species like cows and goats.”

That caught the attention of the two, who looked horrified at this revelation. Still, Applejack forced herself to calm down. “W-Was that why-?”

“Partly,” Twilight interrupted. “It was my knee-jerk reaction to any species that wasn’t a pony that caused…what happened. I later learned from Princess Celestia that there are other species of cows and goats that are not sapient and are older than the ones we know, all outside Equestria.” She landed on the grass and lowered her head. “I thought I was better, but apparently not…”

Applejack and Rainbow exchanged a look. Twilight was starting to ramble a bit, and that was a bad sign. “Twi,” Applejack said, using the long unused nicknamed they used for her, “we all share responsibility for what happened. Ah broke his ribs without even givin’ the feller a chance.”

“And I…struck him with lightning,” Rainbow admitted, although it sounded painful for her to admit. “You’re not alone, Twilight. We all screwed up big time with Jason.”

Twilight looked at her friends. There were bags under her eyes from the lack of sleep, and there were tears in her eyes. “I should have been better…” she said softly.

“Now now, you three, none of that talk,” a Manehattan accented voice said from nearby. Maple Leaf was standing there, with Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Rarity standing behind her. In her magic she held a platter with glasses of ice water on them which she offered to the three mares. The other three already had their own. “Remember what we’ve talked about, Twilight. You can’t change the past, but the future? That’s always in motion, and you can make changes to become a better pony.” She looked at the other five. “That applies to all of you too.” There was no judgment in her tone, only kindness and understanding.

The six exchanged looks. All except Rarity. Applejack figured that Rainbow would be the most sore at what happened and how she was punished by Princess Celestia for her actions, but it was mostly Rarity who had been stubbornly holding onto her anger, or so it seemed. Having had enough, Applejack walked up to Rarity. “What’s got yer mane in a tuffle?” She used a phrase that her granny used, a tuffle being some made up word that Granny used.

Rarity looked up sharply. “My mane is not in a tuffle, thank you,” she replied quickly.

“Then what’s up with you?” Rainbow asked. “You act like the entire world is against you.”

Rarity scowled at the ground. “I work and live with my parents now. I’m a grown mare, and my life’s work is gone! All because…”

“If ya say because of Jason Wright, then shut the fuck up about it right now!” Applejack snapped, stamping the ground with her hoof. Everypony gaped at her. She never swore, none of them really did. She stalked slowly towards Rarity, who had a look of fear in her eyes as Applejack continued speaking. “Take your licks like a foal like the rest of us! Yah got yerself into this, just like the rest o’ us! Yer lucky! Yah got a roof over yer head! Yah got a job! There are other ponies who would consider themselves lucky tah have whatcha got! AND YAH GOT YER PARENTS!”

Rarity was now in a defensive position, lying down with her ears pressed back as Applejack loomed over her menacingly. Her mouth was hanging open and her bottom lip trembling. She tried to get out something, but all that she could say was, “I…buh…”

“That what ah thought,” Applejack snarled before she turned away, purposely slapping Rarity’s face with her tail like a whip, causing the white furred mare to yelp in surprise. “If all yer gonna do is sulk, git out o’ here!” Brushing dirt into Rarity’s face with her back legs, she walked back to the deflated envelope, she looked over at Twilight. “How much more do yah need tah do?”

Gregory sat on the large couch, staring at his long dead car and the wooden crates that contained everything that he’d brought from Earth. Books, pieces of technology, clothes, and other miscellaneous objects that held personal value to him had all been stored in them. Dengal sat next to him, her presence comforting to him as he continued staring at them, wondering just what in the ever-loving hell Majesty had done this for. The only reason he could think of was that she wanted him to feel…maybe not indebted to her, but more inclined to take her side in her crusade or whatever she was doing.

He felt Dengal put her claws in his hand, her five fingered appendages intertwining with hand perfectly. Looking over at her, she was giving him a soft smile. “Talon for your thoughts?” she asked in the soothing tone he’d only ever heard her use with him.

Whenever she had smiled at him, he had been wearing the mask, so she could not see the silent smiles that always crept onto his lips. She was one of two people in the world who could make him smile. He did so now, and he saw her eyes widen in shock. “You ready to go bankrupt, then?” he asked.

She put her claw in front of her mouth and giggled softly. “We’ve got plenty of time,” she said before her smile faded and she put her other claw on top of his hand, sandwiching said hand between her claws. “I know I’m not as close with you as you are with Tobias, but you know how I feel about you, and that won’t ever change. But first and foremost, you’re my friend. You’ve been staring at those boxes and your car for a while. Are you okay?”

He took a breath and exhaled. “This…whole situation…there’s so much I don’t know, and that bothers me. I hate not knowing things when I go into an operation.”

“This isn’t an operation,” she reminded him.

“Mistress of the obvious over here,” he quipped before he could stop himself.

To her credit, she laughed softly. “Sorry,” she said with a smile.

Once more, he smiled back before he continued. “I get that she has semi-noble motives, trying to return Equestria to a state of true harmony, but good intentions are the surest path to hell.”

“Hell?”

“Tartarus.”

“Oh. OH!” She nodded in understanding.

“The only problem is, Majesty is incredibly powerful and seems to be able to counter anything thrown in her way,” Gregory said. “It seems like she could easily defeat the Equestrian princesses if she wanted.” He pointed to his belongings. “I can somewhat get her motivation, but her actions with me seem to be because she thinks humans are the saviors of ponykind.”

“If you think I refer to only Megan and her siblings, then perhaps you should read this,” a tired sounding voice said from the door. Her horn was lit and there was a thin old looking folder in her magic which she placed on a nearby desk.

Gregory and Dengal turned to face Majesty who was standing in the doorway. He had never seen her so tired, and that confused him. Standing, he faced her. “What is that?” he asked.

Majesty slowly walked over and practically collapsed onto the couch. Dengal quickly vacated the couch, standing next to Gregory in a protective gesture. “Erda once had a native population of humans,” she explained, although her tone seemed slurred like she was drunk. He didn’t smell alcohol or anything like that, though. “They’re gone now, as far as I know. That little books talks about an invasion of the demons of Tartarus to attempt to conquer the surface.”

He looked at the folder on the desk, then back at the former queen. “Okay…”

She chuckled tiredly. “You’re thinking that I’m treating you so well because I idolize your species because of what you’ve done for my species. I’m no fool, Gregory. Every race has their positives and negatives. I’ve seen things that humans have done that sickens me, but I have also seen how they’ve risen above those sick and twisted urges to be some of the kindest and most understanding species I know. Your species is unique among others, even when compared to the old elves who look so similar to you.”

Gregory frowned, then took a step closer. “I don’t understand. Why are you being nice to me-?”

“Because you deserve it after the tartarus you’ve gone through,” she interrupted, giving him a quick and angry glare, but the anger didn’t seem to be directed at him. “Your first encounter with my dear ponies was disastrous! Jason’s experiences were even worse! I saw his first interaction with the princesses, and even they showed an instinctive fear towards him. At least they are old enough to know a little bit better than to judge, but apparently the majority of ponies in that nation have become too complacent and too corrupt.”

The door opened and Spyke stuck his head in. “Hey, is her majesty-ah, she is.” He walked over to where Majesty was slumped. “Come, it’s time to rest,” Spyke said as he lifted the larger alicorn up with surprising ease. Gregory had to remember that this version of Spyke was not his true size.

When Majesty was gone, Dengal looked at the folder on the desk. “From what you told me about Majesty and from my interaction with her, her acting like that was not what I expected. Was she drunk?”

“No, but she did look like it,” Gregory said as he walked over and picked up the folder. Opening it, he noticed that there were a few pages inside and that they were old and handwritten. The first page was a title page. “Last Days of Humanity. Well, that’s not ominous,” he said with a roll of his eyes as he walked over to the couch to sit down. As Dengal took a seat right next to him and just as he was about to turn the page, he paused. “Wait a moment…this isn’t something I should be doing,” he said. “We should be focusing on getting out of here!”

Dengal put a claw on his shoulder. “Gregory, right now I don’t know if there’s anything we can do. I don’t know what time it is outside, but we can’t do anything much right now. We’re just one human and goblin without any weapons between us. You also just said you don’t have enough information.” She tapped on the pages. “Maybe this can help?”

“How will that help?” Gregory asked.

“If nothing else, taking your mind off the problem for a bit can be helpful,” Dengal said. “I find that when I’m having trouble with a problem, taking a walk, reading a book, or doing anything other than focusing on the problem helps to refresh my mind and sometimes I get an idea that comes to me during those times.”

Gregory nodded slowly. “Yeah…I guess that’s a good idea,” he said. Turning back to the papers, he reached down to turn the page, only to feel a warmth on his side. Looking over, he saw that Dengal was closer to him, looking curiously at the papers. “Ah shit, sorry.” He moved the folder so she could see it better.

She didn’t move. Instead, only her head moved to rest on his shoulder. “Sorry,” she said, “I’m tired from what happened…today…” she yawned and covered her mouth with her left claw. “Do you want me to move?”

He almost shrugged, then remembered where her head was. Instead, he shook his head. “Nah, you’re fine there.” He looked back down at the page. “Okay, let’s see…‘My name is Frosty Shivers’. Hah, like that spell. ‘I bore witness to the fall of our once greatest allies and the capture and imprisonment of our queen along with the banishment of the flutter ponies.’”

“Whoa,” Dengal muttered in awe. “That’s a lot to digest. What are flutter ponies?”

Gregory took a deep breath. It was going to be a long session.

My name is Frosty Shivers. I bore witness to the fall of our once greatest allies and the capture and imprisonment of our queen along with the banishment of the flutter ponies and the scattering of our races to the west of our once beloved Ponyland. I will not record all of my experiences here, as I am trembling as I write this. I have been going back and forth from writing as those of us who remain flee our former lands. My thoughts are all jumbled, but I know that if I do not write this all completely down, I will regret it.

It started ten years ago when Megan the Fair, Daniel the Brave, and Molly the Kind, visited our lands for the final time. Fortunately, unlike most other times when they visited, there was no immediate danger that brought them to Dream Castle. Queen Majesty welcomed them with open hooves, but they bore grave news for us. In their own world, they were moving away from their farm to one far away. They would never be able to see us ever again. In fact, this was so serious that the siblings even brought their patriarch and matriarch with them for the first time. Thomas and Jane were their names.

The feast we gave to them was one of special magnificence. I have never seen or heard of the like, and this happened when I was but a foal of ten. I can still remember the sights, the smells, the tastes, and the many ponies there. I even remember partaking in a game of what the humans referred to as tag. I even managed to tag Lady Molly. The day of celebration turned into a week, the first week of April as it happened. Our Queen declared that week to be one of remembrance for all of the aid that the siblings had rendered to Ponyland.

Before they left, Lady Megan stood and spoke to us all. She told us that she was proud to know us and to have given us her help. She would never forget us, she said. She even told us that she wished humans where she was from could be as friendly and accepting as we were. Many tears of joy and sadness were shed that last day.

Before they were flown back, she returned the Rainbow of Light to us, presenting it to our Queen. However, she instead insisted it go to her only daughter Princess Mimic, as she had been given possession of the Golden Horseshoes of Argyte. From that day onward, the princess wore the artifact with pride and swore that when it was her turn to rule, she would use the artifact in the defense of ponykind.

Our sorrow lingered at the loss of one of our most beloved allies from beyond the rainbow, but we forged forward upon our Queen’s urging. Life went on until a year after the siblings left. We received a visit from Prince Chethan, who years ago was turned into Scorpan and forced to work for our ancient enemy Tirac. He informed our queen that there were stirrings from the Blackened Mountains in the east. Two of the mountains had been rumbling and smoking, and what was worse was that the howls of unusual creatures had been heard from the smoking mountains.

Our queen acted and sent scouts to the mountains to see what might have been there, but they found nothing. Still, she took the words of the prince seriously and proposed an alliance between Ponyland and the human kingdom. Such an alliance came in the form of an arranged marriage between our queen and the prince, something that brought us great joy as Prince Chethan was much beloved by our kind for his kindness and the love he especially showed to the young ward Spyke.

The wedding was the most extravagant one we had in Ponyland. Everyone was there, even the Moochick made his presence known. The wedding celebration lasted for three full days, and humans and ponies intermingled much during that time. Friendships were forged and much joy was had in that time.

After the wedding, Queen Majesty left us for six months, leaving Princess Mimic and Royal Mage Twilight in charge. We missed our queen dearly, but the princes and mage were quite good at ruling. She came back to us after six months and stayed with us for six more months. That was the bargain that was struck between our two, now one, kingdom. Six months in the human areas and six months in the pony areas. For the next five years, ponies and humans began to mingle and move to the other territories, and we exchanged much between us.

Seven years after Megan the Fair and her siblings left us, the rumblings from the mountains began to increase. We ponies, unlike humans, had no standing army, so we became afraid. Our new human allies, however, swore to protect us from any threat. They reached out to the Sylvan Realm and the elves responded to the call, sending their own forces to the Blackened Mountains to patrol it. The gnomes forged armor and weapons for each side, as they were not warriors. Some brave ponies even volunteered to fight despite our Queen and new King saying that we need not do so.

I was one of those volunteers. I had control over cold magic and could freeze anything within a certain distance of myself. We trained with the human knights and soldiers, seeing just how cruel the world could be outside of our own lands. At first, they were gentle with us, but we were determined to prove to our allies that we could fight to defend our friends. So, they showed us how to properly fight. It opened our eyes, and we were forever changed, at least those of us who volunteered.

That was when the demons began their attacks on our borders.

It started small, with raids on farmlands and the abduction of farm animals. Then it escalated to the killing of farmers and small patrols on the borders. King Chethan assembled every fighting man to the front lines to defend us from the increasing violent attacks. The demon armies then came bursting forth from the Hades Doors leading to the most feared realm of all times. Tartarus had been unleashed.

We held the demon hordes back for a year. I saw the utter horrors of war from both sides, as I was captured during one point in the war. The demons were relentless and cruel in their torture of prisoners. I was one of the ones who escaped after a daring rescue attempt made by some humans from my battalion. What the demons did will forever haunt me. I still suffer from the nightmares, and no dreamwalker can help those of us who were in that war.

In the last four months of the war, King Chethan ordered that the population who were not soldiers or knight retreat and flee from our homelands. Thus began the mass exodus of both humans and ponies. However, it was too late for many of our allies. The demons unleashed a deadly disease that turned those it touched into enemies that our soldiers were forced to kill. Nobody was unaffected, and thus the Scattering began.

The soldiers remained behind, protecting those who fled. Our lands burned, our plants died from the same disease, and rivers quite literally ran red with the blood of all. Finally, King Chethan ordered the pony soldiers to retreat and protect the fleeing ponies who could not protect themselves. The humans, elvs, gnomes, bushwoolies, and grundles would remain behind to hold the demons back. Many among us, including myself, protested, but he gave the order. Our queen was also forced to flee, but did so reluctantly, as during the war her daughter was killed by the demons and she wished to make the enemy pay for their crimes.

As we fled, the pony parts of our battalion were ambushed by a large group of demons. We fought as mightily as we could, but many of us died protecting our queen. At some point, however, she turned and began to indiscriminately slaughter the demons. It was one of the most horrific things we had seen. We all knew our queen to not ever take a life, instead coming up with punishments that were fitting for those who had committed crimes against us and our allies. To see her kill was heart breaking.

Unfortunately, she was somehow captured by the demons she missed. As she was being bound up in magical restraining chains, she turned to those of us who remained. Raising her horn, she lit it up and spoke.

“Live and protect those who cannot be protected.”

And with that, she used all of her remaining magic to teleport those of us still alive to the last caravan of fleeing ponies. We wanted to go back to where she had been and rescue her as she was our queen, but she had given us a command, and as she was-no, is-our queen, we must abide by it.

We have been wandering west towards a large rocky and somewhat snowy terrain. We hope to find a location where we may be able to set up a new home, although we long for our old one. Dream Castle has fallen. Our allies are likely long dead, and we are all that remains.

I had thought that I was finished writing this, but something new has come to my ears. We who were once full of happiness and joy for a brighter future have begun moving down a darker path. It is disheartening to see, and while my fellow soldiers and I will attempt to bring the spirits of our charges up, they look to us not with hope, but with fear, anger, and hatred. They blame us for being forced to abandon all we’ve held dear.

I have even heard grumblings that this tragedy is to be blamed on the other races of the alliance, specifically humanity. We soldiers have done our best to quell these rumors, but nobody wishes to listen to us. They view us as tainted by war.

I…I want to go home…

20: New Discovery(s)

The ruins of Dream Castle looked exactly as they had in the vision the six mares had seen in Crystalia. A pink castle ruin with purple turrets. Nature had nearly reclaimed most of it, but there were still portions of it that were visible. In its prime, Twilight Sparkle had no doubt that this ruin had been even more magnificent than even the modern day Canterlot. It was massive, she realized, and could potentially house many hundreds of ponies.

She also saw the ruins of another massive structure covered in foliage nearby. It was a large structure on a nearby hill that seemed out of place. It had a somewhat more modern look to it despite the antiquity of it. It also had a strange magical signature coming from it. It looked more like a mansion than a castle.

The walls surrounding both castle and mansion had long degraded, but the beauty of the valley before them could not be understated. To the six ponies, it felt almost nostalgic, like coming back to their foalhood home after not being there for a lifetime. There was a large waterfall nearby, the spray of which cast a beautiful double rainbow around the small lake and river that it was a part of.

Unlike the vision, however, the group of Celestia’s Solar Guards and Luna’s Lunar Guards camped at the entrance to what had once been a massive drawbridge were new. Twilight pulled on the ripcord of their balloon to make them descend. Nopony spoke as they drank in the view of the ancient ruin.

Not until Pinkie spoke just as they landed. “This…is beautiful…” she whispered, the faintest hint of a smile on her face.

“Ah have tah agree, sugarcube,” Applejack whispered back.

Twilight could immediately understand why the two earth ponies would be whispering. This place had a certain aura about it that seemed to make it a revered location. As she was opening the basket’s door so that everypony could disembark, a group of Solar Guards approached. The one in the lead was a pegasus lieutenant judging by the color of the plumes on his helmet. He spoke the moment he was in speaking distance. “We were told to expect you and your companions, Miss Sparkle,” the stallion said in a slightly Trottingham accent. “I’m Lieutenant Sundance Spirit.”

Twilight nodded at the lieutenant. “Thank you, lieutenant,” she said. “When did you and your soldiers arrive?”

“The Solar Guards arrived a day ago,” Sundance explained, “but the Lunar Guards arrived a half day before we did. We’ve been searching for the human that you six reported as being here, but so far all we’ve found is nothing. It doesn’t look like anypony’s been living in this place for centuries.”

Twilight pursed her lips thoughtfully. “I’m guessing you haven’t searched everywhere yet?” she asked.

“Correct, Miss Sparkle,” the lieutenant said. “We can’t even detect the lack of magic that’s typical of a human, if Jason Wright’s own lack of signature is any indication.”

Twilight’s ears pinned back at the mention of her greatest failure, but she nodded again. “Could Majesty have him hidden in some secret chamber somewhere?” she asked. “And what about that old mansion up on that hill?”

“We’re still searching,” Sundance explained, “but so far we can’t detect any hidden entrances or any magic here.”

Twilight stroked her chin. That would make their search for that strange heart-shaped locket harder. She looked at the stallion, raising her horn and making a small projection from her memories. The gold chain and red heart-shaped locket appeared in midair. “Have any of your soldiers seen anything like this in there?” she asked.

Lieutenant Sundance leaned forward, examining the floating representation of a locket carefully. “No, Miss Sparkle,” he said with a shake of his head, “at least, none of my soldiers have. The castle does have some artifacts remaining, but most of what’s been left behind are…” he trailed off, clearly a bit uncomfortable at the topic.

“What is it?” Twilight asked, not sure she wanted to know but now knowing she had to know.

The stallion sighed. “There are bones in the castle,” he explained. “Pony bones.”

That made Twilight feel sick to her stomach. The small gasp from her former friends told her she wasn’t the only one. “I-I see,” she said, her voice trembling.

“There was a great battle here long ago,” one of the other guards, a unicorn stallion, said. “The ambient magic left behind is a mixture of pony and magic I’ve never felt before.” He shuddered and looked at the ground.

“Is this artifact significant to the human?” the lieutenant asked, pointing at the still projected locket.

“His name is Revan,” Twilight replied somewhat defensively before she calmed herself and nodded. “And yes, we think so. We’re here to help.”

The lieutenant looked at her thoughtfully. “You still possess the magic of an alicorn, correct?” When Twilight nodded, a small smile formed on his face. “We’ve found a few doors we cannot open, not even with our strongest unicorns casting their best spells to open them.”

Twilight perked up and stood taller. She knew she wasn’t a princess anymore, but she felt a small surge of that princessly authority return for a brief moment as she said, “Lead the way and I’ll have a look at them.”

The first set of doors needed to be opened by putting a horn through a hole several feet above the ground, which she did with ease. Upon the door rumbling open, they found a number of broken artifacts, along with desiccated corpses of ponies, most huddled in corners protecting-

The sight of foal bones and the smell of death from the ancient room did make Twilight and several of her former friends lose their breakfast in the halls outside before they could even go in. Applejack and Rainbow were green, Rarity had fainted, and Fluttershy was a bubbling mess who was being comforted by a silent Pinkie Pie.

That wasn’t the only thing they saw, however. Five massive horned bipedal corpses lay near the middle of the room, surrounding one armored bipedal corpse. A human corpse which looked like he or she had been stabbed multiple times. The human corpse was wearing armor and held a sword covered in rust in its hand.

Twilight, despite the rising nausea, was immediately aware that these human corpses did not possess the same magical nullifying signature unlike Jason’s or Revan’s. Their bodies might have been unrecognizable now, but their armor was still intact, showing ancient markings on their breastplates. Markings that had the distinctive cutie mark of Majesty on it complimented by an open palmed human hand.

“What do yah suppose that means, Twi?” Applejack whispered as the Solar and Lunar Guards continued their search for anything useful in the room while simultaneously gathering the remains of the ponies and humans in the room to be buried respectfully later.

“I…” she was speechless. Humans had been here, and from what it looked like, they had been protecting the ponies from whatever the horned creature had been. Despite the gruesome nature of the scene, it looked like death had been instantaneous, so she took some solace in that they didn’t suffer long. “I don’t know…”

“Miss Sparkle, could you come help open another door?” one of the Lunar Guards called out from the entrance.

“Y-Yeah,” she said as she turned away, holding back fresh tears. Tears not just for the dead here, but tears of shame and guilt over her actions back in Ponyville once more.

The next two doors didn’t have any corpses in them thankfully, but neither did they have anything else that either group were looking for. Had this been any other situation, Twilight may have been overjoyed by the archaeological discovery of the ages, but while she did suggest that the guards be careful, that wasn’t her main concern.

The third chamber opened to a set of large stairs that led down. Upon Twilight entering the stairwell, scones on the wall lit up with a dim yellow glow, flickering like flames. The staircase led down to another set of double doors which she opened.

It was a mausoleum. There were stone platform that resembled coffins, each with ancient writing on them. Twilight guessed it had their names and possibly dates of life in whatever calendar they used. However, one raised platform stood out as it was lifted on a small dais and had white light being poured onto it from a hole leading towards a mirror that let sunlight in. Everypony approached, and to their surprise, the writing on stone slab covering the body had not only ancient writing, but modern Equish.

HERE LIES PRINCESS MIMIC, DAUGHTER OF QUEEN MAJESTY

BELOVED PRINCESS, DAUGHTER, AND FRIEND

SHE WAS A SHINING LIGHT IN OUR DARKEST HOURS AND FOUGHT TO PROTECT OUR ALLIANCE AND HER SUBJECTS

SHE WILL BE MISSED DEARLY

The six ponies lowered their heads, and Applejack even removed her Stetson in solidarity. None of them knew this Princess Mimic, but even if she was the daughter of their current enemy, nopony dared disrespect her final resting place.

After they had paid their respects, they left. Twilight closed the door behind them after making sure there were no other hidden doors inside. The six continued their search, spending the next seven hours exploring the massive castle interior. They found nothing but a ruined castle and the signs of destruction and death everywhere. They found other human corpses with more of the strange horned bipedal creatures surrounding them. Clearly these humans were defending ponies, because in a few of these places were pony bodies.

Twilight was emotionally drained after this, and all she wanted to do was curl up in her bed and not move for the next few days and cry. She felt herself nearly tearing up a few times. Pinkie and Fluttershy were not so lucky, and even Rarity was somber, even calling the human corpses they found gallant and noble for their sacrifice.

They were just about to leave and set up a camp for the night when a chiropteran guard came flying towards them. “Miss Sparkle,” he said, “we found a hidden doorway that needs alicorn magic to open. Would you mind helping us open it?”

Exhausted and not really wanting to see any more death and evidence of her folly, she nevertheless nodded. “Take me there,” she said softly.

As the six were led down a set of stairs into the bowels of the ruin, Rainbow spoke up for the first time in a while. “Does…does anyone else find it strange that…that nopony in Equestria knows about this battle here? I mean…” she trailed off, clearly trying to think of the right words.

“One pony probably knows,” Pinkie said softly, “and she’s out there punishing bad ponies.”

That made everyone pause to think. If this was a part of their ancient past, and if Majesty was once a part of said past, she would more than likely know about this place and what happened here. Twilight looked back at her former friends. “I don’t know how this place was forgotten,” she admitted, “but I will be reporting this to the princesses. We’re not archaeologists and we’re not qualified to study this place. Hopefully, we can learn more about what happened here and learn from it.”

Everypony nodded in silent agreement, even Rarity, who hadn’t been looking up at what had once been a magnificent castle to admire its former glory like she had at the Castle of the Two Sisters years ago. A few minutes later, they reached the bottom of the stairs where they were led to an empty chamber where a number of Lunar Guards stood. A number of rocks had been pulled away from a door which had obviously been covered by the ceiling above caving in, and they saw the hole for an alicorn horn in the wall.

When Twilight opened it and lit up her horn to illuminate the interior, she expected there to be more bodies, but instead, there was another beam of light that shone down from holes in the ceiling that landed perfectly on a stone pedestal in the center of the room. Surrounding the beam of light and the pedestal were three statues. Three statues of humans. All three statues stood in a circle, their hands clasped, eyes closed as they had their heads raised to the heavens. One of them was male, which meant that the other two were likely female.

The light from the hole in the ceiling illuminated the two objects sitting on the pedestal. Twilight’s heart nearly skipped a beat when she saw the first object. It was a pristine red locket with a golden chain. Just like the one the image of Discord showed, there was a small chip in it just where it had appeared in the projection.

The other object confused her. It was a strange looking metallic cylindrical object that seemed to emit an otherworldly energy or aura. She approached the two and picked the locket up first. It didn’t look like anything special, and she could feel no great magic from it. She couldn’t open it, so she simply slipped it into her pack. The metal cylindrical object was heavier than it looked, but she slipped it into her pack.

Before she left, she looked at the names inscribed on the plaques below the foot of the statues. Each one bore a name that, like Princess Mimic’s tomb, was in unreadable ancient Ponish and modern Equish. The modern Equish ones told their names. Megan Williams. Daniel Williams. Molly Williams.

Nopony spoke as the six walked slowly back up to their now deflated balloon. The sun was setting in the west, so they couldn’t return to Equestria until the next morning. After a somber silent meal and as they were lying in their tents for the night, Applejack sat up in her sleeping bag and, turning to Twilight’s tent, spoke up. “Whatcha reckon we do now, Twi?”

Twilight didn’t respond. She couldn’t. Mostly because she had no idea what to do next. Discord said that they needed to get these two items to Revan, but how could they do that if they didn’t know where he was? She inhaled and exhaled deeply before responding. Finally, she responded with the only answer she had at that moment. “I…have no idea.”

It was that sobering thought that filled all of their minds as they fell into fitful, restless slumber.

Sunset pulled a white cloak around her as it whipped in the northern winds. Even in the summertime, the northern lands beyond the borders of the Crystal Empire were always covered in snow and ice. She considered herself lucky that the skies were clear that day as they trudged through the snow.

Ahead of her, Tobias forged ahead, driven with purpose to find his friend. Sunset had a hard time keeping up with him and would have used her magic to teleport over to him were it not for the fact that Majesty might sense it and locate them. He was wrapped up in thick white furs himself. Both had gotten them in the Crystal Empire as a way to hide themselves just in case they found where Majesty was hiding and she had some sort of lookout.

At one point, Tobias stopped and sat on an ancient tree stump which had probably fallen hundreds, if not thousands, of years ago. She joined him shortly after, seeing that he was eating some dried animal meat sticks. She sat on the fallen log next to the stump and pulled out some flatbread to eat while at the same time sipping on her canteen. Normally, she would take along an enchanted thermos full of hot soup along, but as that used up magic, they couldn’t take that risk. So, it was dried meat products for Tobias and flatbread for both of them.

They both did have a thermos full of soup that had been developed by, of all ponies, Sunset’s younger brother Sunburst. It was currently a one time use object. It used chemical reactions to heat up the contents of the inside instead of magic. They were saving that for a snowy day or for a return trip.

“Do you know how big this land is?” Sunset finally asked after she was halfway through her bread.

Tobias looked at her, and she saw weariness in his eyes. She could sense how emotionally drained he was, but above it all, she could see the fear and worry for his friend dripping off of him. “I…don’t care how big this place is,” he said. “I’m finding my friend.”

“Hey, I never said you shouldn’t,” Sunset said, “but this land is big. It may have been inhabited by some race centuries ago, but any sign of civilization was erased long ago.”

“We will find Gregory,” he said with determination.

Sunset had learned the name of their human companion on their first day. She nodded. “We’ll do our best,” she promised.

After that, they ate in silence for about ten more minutes, then stood and continued walking further north. As night began to fall, Sunset randomly looked up at the sky, expecting to see a vast array of stars. What she didn’t expect to see were various ribbons of green and purple light moving slowly across the sky. She paused as the sun finally set beneath the horizon and the colors of the ribbons of light became the best source of light around.

Tobias looked up briefly, then continued onward. “Come on, let’s not let this light go to waste,” he said.

She tore her view away from the unusual sight and rushed after him. “Tobias, come on, we need to rest. We’re both exhausted, cold, and hungry. We need to get some sleep.”

“I’m not tired,” Tobias lied.

“Yes you are,” Sunset chided him. “I’ve seen you almost fall over. If you didn’t have that staff you would have fallen. If we’re both too tired, we’re probably going to miss something, and even those pretty lights aren’t bright enough to see anything.”

Tobias growled angrily, then stomped his foot into the snow, hissing in rage. “Damn you,” he seethed as he took off his pack and dug into it, bringing out a shovel and slamming it into the thick snow. “Damn you,” he repeated as he began to dig out a place where he could lie down without the wind chilling him.

She dug out her own shovel and, without magic, dug deep using only her hooves. She finished her ditch only five minutes after Tobias did, then pulled out her sleeping bag which had been given to her by Empress Cadance. They were both made for cold snowy nights like this, and the moment she snuggled in with some more of the flatbread, she felt nice and warm. She had to adjust a bit but after a while she had a perfect little hole.

She pulled the sleeping bag’s hood over her head and looked up at the night sky. She had never seen anything so beautiful in all her life during the night. She did love a good starry night sky, but this was something altogether new to her. A part of her couldn’t wait to figure out just what these strange but mesmerizing lights were.

A constant shuffling in the hole next to her distracted her, so she decided then and there that Tobias needed to talk. She turned her head to face him despite them both being in snow ditches. “Hey, Tobias? You awake?”

There wasn’t a response right away, but after a few seconds she heard him grunting a “Mmm yes,” in response.

“We should talk,” she said in a serious tone.

“What about?” He sounded grumpy.

She took a moment to inhale and collect her thoughts. She then replied, “I understand that you and Gregory have a solid friendship, and that’s great, but I think you’re letting your emotions get in the way of some of the facts of this mission.”

“What, like how big these northern wastes are and how we’re unlikely to find that spot that we saw in that vision?” Tobias sounded bitter. “Don’t you dare remind me. And don’t you fucking dare tell me to give up!”

“I wouldn’t be out here if I thought we should give up,” Sunset replied, “but I’m saying that we should seriously face the facts that we might not be able to find wherever Majesty took Gregory. For all we know, this could be another false trail.”

“Yes, I know,” he muttered, “but what else can we do?”

“Majesty is extremely powerful,” Sunset said, “and most likely even more so than the Equestrian princesses combined, so we can’t fight her head on. We need to be smarter than her. That’s why I’ve not used any magic to mask our presence or any magic at all. She has some means to see anywhere in the world, but she can’t be omnipresent. She will not likely be searching in this place even if she led us here.”

“You’re a wellspring of confidence,” he muttered.

“I’m being realistic,” she said. “I truly hope that we find Gregory out here. Even if Majesty has been treating him like a king or something, a gilded cage is still a cage, but we should keep in mind that we might never find him here.”

“Again, I already know that,” Tobias growled, suddenly appearing over her pit, his eyes glowing a very brief yellow glow with red irises glow that vanished. “What’s your damned point?”

“We can’t search the entire wastes, and we haven’t even reached the Winterwall yet.”

“We’re about a day out,” he said, “so there’s still hope.”

“I agree, but what if we find something else there instead of that domed area?”

“Then we walk up and down the northern edge of the Winterwall,” he said.

“That will take days, if not weeks,” Sunset reminded him, “and we can’t go on for too long without food when we run out. There might be meat out here for you to eat, but I can’t eat anything like that or I’ll get seriously sick and slow you down. It will also drain my magic temporarily until any meat is out of my system.”

“We have enough food for two weeks including the trip back,” Tobias insisted as he returned to his sleeping area. “We can last that long.”

“And if we find nothing?” Sunset asked.

There was silence, and then a heavy sigh. “We return to the Crystal Empire to resupply.”

“We may need to ask for help in searching,” Sunset said. “I know you said we shouldn’t, but we may not have much of a choice.”

There was another pregnant pause, then Tobias replied, “If we have no other choice, then yes.”

Sunset nodded, then said, “Okay, then it’s settled.” She pulled the hood of her sleeping bag over her eyes. “Sleep well.”

Several hours later, she woke up with a start. The bright shimmering ribbons and curtains of light in the sky were still there, having only shifted positions from when she’d fallen asleep. She lay still, knowing that she didn’t wake for no reason. She slept well anywhere, but if something was wrong, she almost always fell asleep. She quietly pulled her ears out of her sleeping bag and swiveled them, trying to listen for anything.

For five minutes of intense listening, all she heard was the wind passing by overhead. Like most winds, it increased and decreased in intensity. Just when she was about to pull her cold ears back into her sleeping bag, she heard it. A slight crunch in the snow nearby. It sounded like a hoof stepping into the snow, but there was another noise she heard. A hissing noise.

Slowly, she crawled out of her sleeping bag, all the while hearing the sound of crunching in snow and hissing grow louder. She crouched on all fours, waiting for the noise to pop up again. When it did, she launched herself up out of the snow and aimed her horn at the source of the sound. To her surprise, Tobias had launched himself up from his pit and had drawn both of his rapiers, aiming them directly at the source of the noise.

In the light of the northern sky lights, she saw a quadruped creature with slightly glowing vivid opal eyes similar to those of a pony. They widened in alarm as the creature stepped back and raised their two front hooves. “Please don’t hurt me,” the creature said in a pleading, male voice.

“Who are you, changeling?” Tobias asked. In the light, Sunset now saw that this was a changeling drone, although his eye color was slightly different than others she had seen.

“Th-Thorax,” the changeling replied weakly. Sunset noticed a look of surprise appear on Tobias’ face. “I-I wasn’t going to hurt you, I promise!”

“Then what were you going to do?” Sunset asked, her horn still lowered and ready to fire off a blast of magic if the changeling made any sudden moves.

“I-I felt a lot of l-love here, and I hav-haven’t eaten in s-s-so long,” Thorax said with a trembling tone. His eyelids narrowed and he hissed, but then backed away quickly, then to Sunset’s surprise, buried his face into the snow and screamed before coming back up. “S-Sorry! I c-can’t help-p it…”

Tobias looked over at Sunset, and she looked back at him. There was something unusual about this changeling. Not only were his eyes a different color, but he was apologizing. He also looked weak from hunger. Tobias reached into his pit and pulled out a small meat stick. “Can you eat normal food?” he asked.

Thorax looked at it, then back at Tobias. “I-I can, but it-it’s more l-like a snack,” he said.

“Then take this,” Tobias said, holding the stick out.

Thorax raised a horn, and a brilliant green glow came from it. He took the stick and ate it quickly. “D-Do you have w-water?” he asked hopefully. Tobias gave him a sip from his canteen. “Th-thank you,” he said. “S-Snow doesn’t h-help t-too much.”

“Agreed,” Tobias said.

“Wh-Why haven’t you s-started a fire?” Thorax asked, looking around.

“We don’t want to be seen,” Tobias said, quickly pulling out a blanket to give to Thorax, who accepted it gratefully. “What are you doing out here?”

Thorax wrapped the blanket around himself gratefully and seemed to immediately relax. Sunset noted that the blanket he had was one that Tobias had been using in his sleeping bag. “I…was part of the invasion of Canterlot years ago,” he said after a few false starts, “and when we were flung away by that blast of love, I was separated from the others and flung here. I tried living in the Crystal Empire, but that was almost impossible. I go in to eat any ambient love I can find occasionally, but I live mostly in a cave system nearby.”

That caught Sunset’s attention. “A cave system? Where is it?”

“Back that way,” Thorax said, pointing to a small mountain range.

“Shit, you flew out that far because you sensed love?” Tobias asked incredulously. “You must be very sensitive to sensing emotions. The changelings I’ve met weren’t that keen.”

Thorax looked confused. “You’ve met other changelings besides me? I thought our Queen’s hive was the only one left.”

“I live in Thornfall,” Tobias explained.

Thorax’s eyes widened in understanding and he nodded. “I see.” He looked back at his cave, then back at the two of them. “Would you two like to come back to the cave with me? It’s a bit warmer there.”

Sunset looked at Tobias, who gave her a questioning look. She knew what he wanted to know, and to her surprise, this Thorax seemed genuine. She nodded, and Tobias relaxed a bit before turning to Thorax. “It will take us some time to pack up, so it might be better if we wait until morning,” he said. “Your offer is very generous, though.”

“I can carry you,” Thorax offered, then before either of them could object, he turned to the side, and in a flash of green flame, transformed into a massive dragon with dark bluish scales. He looked down, then lowered himself so that they could climb onto his back.

It took Sunset and Tobias a few minutes to pack up everything, and ten minutes after they left, they found themselves in a large but warmer cave. The two immediately set up their sleeping bags again. Tobias shared a few more bits of food with Thorax and let him keep the blanket for the night after seeing that he slept in a pile of what looked like discarded rags. Tobias even started a small fire near them which helped warm them all.

After the two were set up again and curled up in their sleeping bags, Thorax curled up in the blanket nearby, then looked over at them. “What are you two doing out here, and why do you not want to be seen?”

Sunset spoke this time. “That’s our business for now,” she said, “but we need to be stealthy to accomplish our mission.”

“Maybe you can be of some help,” Tobias added. “We’re looking for something beyond the Winterwall. Ever made it as far north as the Winterwall?”

“Once or twice,” Thorax replied.

“Recently?” Tobias asked, and to Sunset’s confusion, not only had the abyssinian slipped into what sounded like a Trottingham accent, but she could sense some amusement.

“No, not recently,” Thorax said, “why?”

“We’re looking for a group of dome shaped hills,” Tobias said. “Have you seen any?”

Thorax didn’t respond right away, but when he did, Sunset saw hope soaring in Tobias’ expression. “Yes, I saw a group of hills shaped like domes. I stay away from them.”

“Why’s that?” Sunset asked.

“Because,” Thorax replied with a shudder of fear, “those cave systems are haunted.”

“You’re saying that because Majesty teleported all of my things here, she’s going to be bedridden for the next four days?” Gregory asked to confirm, looking up at the large and ancient dragon who lay behind the throne room in the main hall of the lair where he was being held. Beside him, Dengal stood, remaining close. That brought him some comfort since the unusual goblin was a welcome presence that helped keep him in check.

Spyke nodded. “Your belongings were very difficult to move, so she used more magic than she would have had to otherwise,” he explained in a patient tone.

“I see,” Gregory said. He had hoped to speak with her more about the papers he and Dengal had read earlier, but it seemed like that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon. He decided to try another tactic. He held up the papers for Spyke to see. “Since we’ve got nothing better to do, we’d like to learn more about this war against demons. What happened to Majesty after she was captured? Why haven’t the demons struck again after so long? A lot of things don’t add up with the information in these papers.”

“I can answer the second of your questions,” Spyke said. “The demons are all gone. Extinct. I won’t tell you how, because it’s not my place. My queen can tell you.”

The way Spyke said that made Gregory pause in alarm. He didn’t want to think about the possibilities as to what Majesty might have done to the demons who killed her human husband and slaughtered humans, elves, gnomes, and pony soldiers in the last battle. A creature blinded by grief, anger and hatred might do some unspeakable things, but he knew he had to know. Still, he couldn’t ask now. “Then I’ll ask her about it,” he said, “but I still need more information. Is there any place with more history like this?”

Spyke nodded. “Queen Majesty said that you could read anything in the library.” He then looked at Dengal and frowned. “The goblin female, on the other claw-”

“She comes with me,” Gregory said, “that’s non-negotiable.”

Spyke looked a bit shocked by the interruption, and for a few moments there was silence. He then began to shrink into a smaller form. Straightening, he looked at Gregory. “Very well,” he said. “Follow me.”

Gregory followed Spyke as the ancient dragon led them down a set of ancient stairs. Dengal stayed close beside him, reaching down and grabbing his hand with her claws. He gratefully squeezed back, smiling a bit because it felt nice to hold a five fingered appendage again. Neither of them spoke as they found themselves standing in a short hallway in front of an iron door. Spyke pulled it open and breathed out a small breath of fire which lit a torch. He grabbed it and turned to the two. “Wait here.” With that, he turned and flew into the darkness.

As Spyke flew around and began lighting torches on distant walls, Dengal leaned in. “What are you planning on doing?” she asked in a very quiet whisper. “With that Majesty down, shouldn’t we try and escape from here?”

“That’s part of what I’m doing,” Gregory replied in a whisper of his own. Since she had pointed ears, he could barely speak and he knew she’d hear her. “Part of a good escape plan is having good information. We now know where the library is, so that’s a plus, but we also could learn something more down here that Majesty might not want us to know.”

“Then why would she or Spyke let us down here?” Dengal asked.

“Because she might think that any information we find down here will be purely academic,” Gregory explained, “but it could still help us in ways even she can’t think of. She’s a smart pony, but she isn’t omniscient. There may be something she missed, and that means something we can capitalize on.”

Dengal nodded. “Got it.” She frowned then. “I never liked academic reading…”

“Act like your life depends on what you learn,” Gregory replied, “because it does,”

The two of them went silent, standing next to each other as they held each others’ hand/claw. Two or so minutes later, Spyke had lit all of the torches, illuminating a surprisingly large room with about a dozen shelves of books and some wall shelves that held artifacts behind glass. When he returned, he looked at them. “Don’t leave the library without someone escorting you,” he said. “I will have your escort come to watch and help you after I leave. Don’t touch the cases because they are able to stun you.”

“Sure, that’s fine,” Gregory agreed.

As soon as Spyke left, he closed the door behind him and locked it. Gregory looked around, wondering where to start. Dengal’s attention was captured immediately by one of the artifacts in the glass cases, and she migrated towards it. “What on Erda…?” she muttered.

“What is it?” Gregory asked, following her.

She reached the glass case and pointed in, being careful not to touch the glass. “That pair of swords there…the designs on the scabbard are ones I’ve never seen before.”

Gregory joined her and looked at them curiously. There were strange letters carved into the scabbards. The swords themselves looked brand new, as did the scabbards. He couldn’t read the letters or even identify them. “Neither have I,” he said. He touched her arm. “Come on, let’s get to studying.”

She pulled her eyes away from the display, only to point at something else that Gregory had somehow missed. “Gregory! Look!” she exclaimed, pointing at an object in the corner of the room.

Gregory looked, and his eyes widened. He was seeing a display of armor, specifically human-styled armor. It had a medieval look to it, but what he noticed right away was that there were carvings on the breastplate. Carvings that matched the writing on the scabbards of the swords they had just been observing. He turned back to the swords. “Human swords…” he muttered.

“Those swords aren’t like any I’ve seen before either,” she said.

“They look like any normal sword to me,” Gregory said.

Dengal shook her head. “No, the blades are…patterned. I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

Gregory walked back to the swords, which were halfway out of their scabbards. His eyebrows shot up in recognition. “I have. Back in my world, this was known as Damascus steel.”

“Damascus steel…” She muttered the phrase a few times, rolling the words around in her mouth. “I see. I wonder if I can recreate it…?”

“Another time,” Gregory said. “We have work to do.”

He and Dengal spent several hours in the library reading anything they could get their hands or claws on, and after that time Dengal found something that gave them more insight into Majesty: her husband’s old journal.

Journal of King Chethan, the last King of Lantea

Entry 156:

I never thought that I would be married to Queen Majesty of all creatures. But as I lie next to her in our marriage bed after our wedding, I see her sleeping peacefully. She looks so happy right now. Relaxed and calm. I hope she’s having good dreams. After three days of celebration, she deserves the rest.

Still, while this marriage might have been one to solidify our alliance, I’m glad that I married her. She is one of my closest friends, and it was because of her ponies that the otherworld humans rescued me from remaining as Scorpan. She is an amazing mare, and I’m fortunate to have her as my wife.

I just stroked her mane, and it feels so soft. There’s also a floral scent to it. I saw her smile when I touched her. She must be having a good dream. I wonder if it’s about Dream Valley. Her valley is so beautiful that part of me is tempted to live here without a care in the world like her pony subjects have. Although, I guess they’re my subjects now, just like humans are hers now. Sadly, tomorrow is when we head back home for six months. I hope she will be okay during that time.

Got to go. She woke up and has a look in her eyes-

I’m sore. Going to sleep now.

Entry 167:

Majesty and I have returned to Dream Valley. Our bedroom is ready and I unpacked a few hours ago. I’m alone, as my wife is off dealing with some disputes regarding her ponies. She told me she’d handle it.

My stepdaughter Mimic is beside me. She is a lovely young mare who takes after her mother and will most likely turn heads someday. Whoever she ends up with will be a very lucky stallion. I am just sorry I could never meet her sire. Maj tells me he was a marvelous stallion, strong and an amazing father. I only hope I can be half the father to Mimic that he was.

I would do anything to protect my new family.

I feel my eyelids becoming heavy. I will sleep now.

Entry 204:

Maj and I had to go try and help settle a dispute between the elves and the dragons. The Dragon Lord claimed that the elves had encroached on their territory, and the elves claimed that the dragons had burned down a section of the Sylvan Realm. Prince Phylius joined us to help figure out what had happened.

We couldn’t reach any conclusions initially, because it appeared as if both sides were telling the truth, but Majesty used her vast wellspring of magic and, along with the help of her student Twilight, determined that both events had been fabricated. Humans do not have pony magic, so I always love seeing my beloved wife use her magic. It’s a privilege I never take for granted. They are truly a blessed race in our world.

Despite Majesty being so powerful and even with Twilight’s help, they couldn’t find who was behind it. Tensions were high until Prince Phylius and I both stepped forward and calmed both sides. I won’t recall the speeches here because they’re recorded in the Annals of the Kings and Queens of Ponyland somewhere.

Maj was proud of me, and I of her. She is sleeping next to me now in our camp before we return to Dream Castle. I know that look in her eyes, and I look forward to going home.

Entry 321:

Maj and I are back in Lantea. I think she’s gotten used to living in Thyule finally. She goes out many times a month during our stays here and interacts with her new human subjects, getting to know how they think and their own thoughts. She always comes back home with new ideas that she believes would help bring our two races closer together. She is always thinking towards the future, and it warms my heart to hear her talk about the future of our lands.

But something has been bothering me lately. For the past few days, I’ve been feeling odd. Not sick, it’s more like there’s some nagging feeling inside me that there’s something wrong. But that just doesn’t make sense. Lantea and Ponyland are safe. So is the Sylvan Realm and the distant Dragon Lands are even at tentative peace with us. The grundles new underground kingdom is flourishing and creating many marvelous things.

So why am I feeling like something’s wrong? Or no, that’s not quite right. It feels like something is coming.

Entry 482:

This can’t be a coincidence.

Seven years to the day since Megan the Fair and her siblings left our world for the final time, the Blackened Mountains to the east of Lantea began rumbling even more. Eagle rider scouts flew back and reported that there is smoke rising from several of the peaks of that range.

The feeling I’ve felt for a while came back in full force when the scouts gave their reports. Even Maj shuddered in fear. Were I not her husband, I wouldn’t have noticed it. I have sent Eagle rider messengers to the Sylvan Realm to get their help in patrolling the mountains.

I sincerely hope that this is only a natural phenomenon.

Entry 498:

Demons.

Demons of a kind I haven’t seen before have begun to emerge from the mountains and have launched raids on our borders. Already, we have received reports of several farmer families perishing to these raiding parties. Maj and I have ordered our impromptu army of men, elves, and ponies to begin mobilizing. I don’t know what they want, but I will not be caught unprepared again!

Entry 524:

The Hades Gates to Tartarus have been opened. Cerberi have poured forth and many other monstrous demons have begun their assault on our border towns. Hundreds have perished already. They are strong, but I will not let them take our lands from us!

Entry 591:

We have held the demon army at the Lybeal Stronghold for the past few weeks. They outnumber us five to one, but we are holding them off as best as we can. The gnome weapons and armor have arrived for all of us and we have been putting them to good use. We have called to the dragons for aid, but they have not come. Another group of demons have attacked them too, it seems. Their Dragon Lord has been slain.

Scouts report that more waves of the enemy have poured from the Hades Gates. It’s as if all of Tartarus is being unleashed. What I don’t understand is why. Why attack now?

Entry 645:

My stepdaughter is dead.

I can barely write this as I-

I failed to protect my daughter. I can’t face Maj now.

I will make them pay!

Entry 671:

Something has happened to the flutter ponies. All of them have disappeared, and even those in our alliance army are gone. One moment they were there, and the next thing they were gone. Nobody knows what happened. Many have reported that the flutter ponies they were speaking to or observing simply fell down, screamed, and then vanished.

Entry 687:

The enemy has struck us with a disease that no doubt their foul witches and warlocks crafted for us. Any affected become as hoards of the undead, attacking and slaughtering former friends and allies without mercy. I have had to slay many who I once called friends.

I still refuse to give up. Until we are all gone, there is hope, and I must cling to that hope or go insane.

Entry 714:

It is with a heavy heart that I have ordered the civilian populations of Lantea and Ponyland to flee their homes. The onslaught of demons has been unrelenting. We can barely hold them back. It’s a miracle we are still around and that I’m still alive. If only I had died with my men earlier…

No, that is unbecoming of a King of Lantea. Of a King of Man. I will fight until I can fight no more. We will safeguard the ponies, humans, elves, gnomes, grundles, booshwoolies, and every other race that we can. We have lost our homeland. Even Thyule will eventually fall to the hordes of the enemy.

No more.

Entry 715:

This will be my last entry, and I will hide it in the ancient catacombs beneath our city. I have sent Maj away to be free to restart pony civilization to the west. The plague has not touched them, it seems, so I do not want to expose them just in case.

The hordes of demons have surrounded Thyule. They will attack at dawn. I will launch our surprise at the same time. I only regret being so far from the mare that I love so dearly, but that regret is quelled knowing that she is safe with her dear ponies.

Maj, if you somehow find this, know this: please do not mourn overlong for me. Keep watch over your dear ponies and make sure you and yours prosper in peace and harmony. I love you all.

21: History in Motion

Princess Celestia sat in the breakfast nook of the castle looking down at her midday meal of vegetable soup tiredly. The past few days since coming back from Maretime Bay had been nothing short of exhausting for her. Equestrian newspapers had caught wind of the stories about an ancient alicorn causing havoc at Dodge City and Maretime Bay, the latter gaining more precedent as most everypony in town had been changed into a human. She had to make several statements to the common pony to quell their fears, because ponies tended to panic at trouble.

She stirred her cooling soup, not really feeling hungry at the moment. Majesty hadn’t done anything since her actions at Maretime Bay, at least as far as she knew. For all her experience dealing with threats to Equestria in the past, Majesty wasn’t one she could fight head on due to her massive power and ability to seemingly see everywhere. Not to mention that she had been receiving disturbing reports of ponies either declaring their agreement with Majesty before disappearing or quietly agreeing with some of what she did and forming groups who demanded some great change to Equestria. Most, if not all, of the nonpony residents of Equestria were also calling for change since they had been quietly oppressed by ponies, specifically those of higher social standing like the nobility.

The worst part for Celestia was that she couldn’t blame many of these ponies for agreeing with Majesty’s motives. She acknowledged that she’d grown lax in her rule, and that now led to the current situation growing quickly out of control. There were peaceful protests happening in smaller towns but as this movement spread, it would inevitably lead to more chaos worthy of Discord. She blamed herself for it, and wanted to make changes like they wanted, but at the moment her focus was trying to save Equestria from Majesty and her judgements, or attacks.

She was just about to force herself to take a spoonful of soup to keep up her strength when a pegasus came flying in through a window rather fast. He looked exhausted and was panting heavily, sweat pouring from his mane. Celestia looked at the pegasus in alarm, recognizing the uniform on him as belonging to a courier. “Soldier, is everything okay?” she asked, putting her spoon down and quickly pouring the courier a tall glass of water.

He drank greedily, then gasped and reached into his pack to pull out a letter. “Apologies for interrupting your meal, your Highness,” he said when he regained his breath, “but Princess Luna bade me return to you with a message.”

Celestia quickly took the scroll, broke the seal, and opened the letter. As she read its contents, her eyes went wide. “That’s impossible…” she whispered as she looked at the messenger. “Can you confirm this?”

It was standard practice for couriers to have been eyewitnesses to certain events reported by letter. It was no different in this case. The courier nodded. “I witnessed it with my own eyes, your Highness. I’m sorry that I couldn’t come any sooner, but Princess Luna ordered all pegasi and chiropterans to scour the Badlands to confirm everything.”

“And…all of it?” Celestia asked.

“We saw forests, grasslands, a large lake, almost a small sea…it’s fertile, your Highness,” the courier said. “There’s not a hint of a desert there anymore.”

“And…Thornfall?” Celestia asked, with some more hesitation this time. “What happened to it? Did you see what my sister wrote about?”

“Yes, your Highness,” the courier acknowledged. “Princess Luna spoke to several survivors of whatever Majesty did here. Most of the town’s population were criminals, including several ponies who have been on the run from the law. Some were changed into animals, others had what they’d done to others done unto them, and much more. She said she listed everything in the letter.” The courier looked sick at the memory of whatever he’d seen before taking another gulp of water. “Your Highness…I’ve never seen so much chaos.”

Celestia sat back heavily in her chair, the scroll falling to the ground. Majesty had struck again, only this time she had hit Thornfall. Just as the courier had said, Luna had meticulously gathered as much information as she could. There were survivors that Majesty had seemingly rewarded by taking a note from the actions of Robin Hood and his Merry Stallions from Trottingham legend. Now she wondered, belatedly, if there was some truth about that hooded stallion. “Thank you for bringing me this information. Go ahead and rest before you return to my sister. I’ll have a letter for you by that time.”

The courier gave a silent but grateful nod before he walked tiredly out of the room, leaving Celestia alone once more. She looked down at the letter once more, then down at her light lunch. She’d completely lost her appetite now. She put the scroll down and put her head in her hooves, shuddering as she sighed. She didn’t know what to do anymore.

Several hours later, after hearing more ponies in her Day Court which she honestly was only half listening to, she was granted a brief reprieve by a message from the ponies scouring the Restricted Archives in Canterlot’s library, asking her to come and look at something that they’d found that could be helpful. The alabaster alicorn had cut short the rest of her day and rushed over to the archives, where she was met by one of the main researchers, an earth pony stallion named Abstract Thinking. He preferred to go by Trac, and was one of the best researchers in Canterlot due to his unique way of thinking. “Mr. Trac,” she began, “you found something?”

The stallion was in his early twenties, with dark red fur, dark mauve mane and tail, and light blue eyes that were hidden behind a pair of large black rimmed glasses. He pushed the glasses up with his hoof. “Come with me, please,” he said in a surprisingly deep voice that belied his appearance. He turned and walked with Celestia falling into step beside him. “We found ancient stone tablets that date from the very beginning of the Age of Disharmony. We’re having some difficulty reading them, but we’re making slow progress.”

“What have you found so far?” Celestia asked.

“We know the author of these stone tablets, or a rough guess,” he began. “The author used an archaic form of Old Polish that we’ve never really seen before. Their name is something like Evenfall, or Dusk, or-”

“Twilight,” Celestia interrupted him.

Abstract nodded. “Correct,” he said. “They were apparently a mare, judging by the female use of the archaic version of ‘I’.”

“What else have you learned?” Celestia asked.

“Nothing much so far,” Abstract admitted. “We’re hesitant to use a translation matrix on the stones because they’re so ancient the spell might make them crumble and we could lose something in translation.”

That made Celestia pause and think. She knew only of a few ponies who could cast a translation matrix spell. She was one of them, but she wasn’t sure that her skill matched that of another. Unfortunately, that pony had suffered greatly due to the actions of her daughter two years ago and had not spoken to Celestia since. Still, Celestia knew they might need Twilight Velvet’s help. “There may be somepony who can help,” she said. “Show me the tablet.”

Several minutes later, Celestia was looking at a large and ancient looking tablet made out of what was most likely clay. She saw that it was heavily worn, likely by some kind of erosion. They looked like it had been broken from a larger structure, because parts of the writing at the top and bottom were cut off. It was also too thick to be a normal tablet.

When she asked, Abstract said that it was likely that this tablet was actually part of a larger structure, perhaps a monument, as according to the brief notes about it, the tablet had been discovered in the middle of a field of what was now a sunken plateau where there had once been a land bridge connecting the continent of Equestria to the continent directly east of them. One of the plateaus that had been sunk during a great battle between ponies before the founding of Equestria.

She took in the faded lettering on the stone, noting that the other three sides had a few marks on them. Abstract noted that the notes said the side with writing on it was found buried slightly in the dirt, meaning that the other side of whatever monument this had belonged to most likely had been exposed to rain and the other elements for many years, eroding the other sides.

She could read only a few words, one of them being the name of the author, as it was on the very bottom of the tablet itself. Abstract was right, the author had a name like Twilight, but that was the only name she saw. The other words she could somewhat recognize were words like ‘I’ or simple verbs. Her Old Ponish language skills had grown rusty over her tenure as Princess of Equestria, and she decided that she needed to brush up on them in her spare time.

“Is there anything you can tell me about the contents?” Celestia asked, turning back to Abstract.

He shook his head, then looked at the other researchers who also didn’t look hopeful. “Like I said,” he began, “this is a form of Old Ponish that I don’t know. It’s archaic, and there are markings on some of the letters that none of us can make sense of.”

Celestia nodded in understanding. “I can see that now,” she said as she lowered her horn to better illuminate the writing. “Can you tell how old it is?”

“That we can do,” Abstract said. “Judging from the decay of magic from the writing, we’ve estimated this tablet to be between two to two and a half thousand years old. Perhaps older. Our oldest test shows that the stone could have been touched by magic over three thousand years ago.”

Celestia nearly stumbled back in shock. She and Luna, both having been born in the old alicorn city of Skyros, were both around eleven hundred years old or so, having been born during the initial stages of Equestria. She even had the original flag for the nation hanging near her bed. If this stone was from the time of Majesty, then it was definitely as old as Abstract was saying. “Can you narrow the age down?” Celestia asked.

“Not without cracking the stone open and looking inside,” Abstract admitted with a frown. “There’s more magic inside this stone than outside. We think this stone was formed to be part of a monument, although to what, we don’t know.”

Celestia nodded, then she heard the sound of hoofsteps approaching from the door. Turning, she saw two guards escorting a familiar older pony mare in. Said mare looked quite different than the last time Celestia had seen her. She was once like Celestia, a thrill-seeker, only she had the freedom to actually do those stunts. Now, however, that love of life had disappeared. She had more wrinkles on her face now than before, worry lines and a despondent look that reached to her entire body language. Celestia doubted that her husband had been any better. “You summoned me, your Highness?” She sounded slightly bitter.

“I did,” Celestia said, skipping any pleasantries as she stepped aside. “Can you cast a translation matrix spell on this stone tablet?”

Twilight Velvet walked up to the stone and looked at it with a discerning eye. After a few minutes, she nodded. “I think I can,” she said as she raised a horn. A double moderate purple and brilliant cerise warbling glow of magic surrounded the stone. Celestia knew that Twilight Velvet was an anomaly in the unicorn community, possessing duel magical glows that swiftly switched between colors. Above the stone, a magical rendition of the stone appeared, but instead of words forming like normal translation matrix spells, an image formed. The image of an elderly unicorn mare with a pink coat of fur, a white mane with a purple streak through it, and purple eyes. On her tail, there was a blue ribbon attached to it. She had a cutie mark of seven purple stars on her flanks. There was a small crown on her head, more of a circlet than anything. The eyes had a weary look to them, and a sadness embedded there. However, when she spoke, there was a strength to her voice.

“If you are seeing this, then I have failed in my mission to keep the past from repeating itself. My name is Twilight, and I am the last unicorn, or pony rather, who remembers the Tartarus War.

“Ponykind once lived in harmony and friendship with the other races and kingdoms surrounding Ponyland. The Sylvan Realm of the Elves, the gnome kingdom of Thurim, the Grundle Mountain Realm, the ancient Dragon Lands, and even most importantly, the human kingdom of Lantea.

“I have raised this monument in order that the history of these kingdoms who sacrificed themselves for our survival remain known to us. I have tried to record as much of the history as I can within the crystals within this monument, but if those fail to be maintained by future generations, then I have to record the highlights here.

“Ponyland was once a prosperous and peaceful nation ruled by Queen Majesty, our protector and greatest monarch. She protected us from invading forces who would have seen us destroyed. We were protected in the last years by not only her, but by the Williams siblings from the world of Earth, Megan, Daniel, and Molly. We had to say goodbye to them in our last days before the wars began.

After the Hades Gates began showing signs of opening again and letting the demons out, Queen Majesty and Prince Chethan of Lantea were married, the humans, elves, gnomes, booshwoolies, and grundles began to assemble an army to keep an eye on the volcanic activity of the Blackened Mountains. For years, nothing happened, until the Hades Gates opened and the demons of Tartarus came forward. Some ponies did join in the fighting, and their names, those who died and those who survived, are carved onto this stone pillar to be remembered for all time.

“I have constructed this monument because I have failed my Queen. The unicorn tribe elected me to be the new Queen of the ponies, but the other two tribes have rejected my rule and have gone their own way, creating nations of their own. I tried to restore the harmony among us, but I am not like Queen Majesty, and I will not force ponies to follow me.

“I have since noticed that there has been a change among many ponies. There is anger and bitterness growing among them, starting with the older generation who, like me, still remember Ponyland. They have grown to have a deep-seated distrust of other races, something I have tried and failed to prevent. Even my own three daughters have this hatred despite my stories. It doesn’t help that the demon sickness affected a group of pegasi and turned them into the now sadly hated chiropterans, and I also suspect that the sickness has affected many others in subtler ways.

“To any watching this, please know that I am sorry for everything. I failed to protect my queen when she was taken by the demon horde. I failed to maintain harmony and peace between our now three tribes. I failed to see the signs of dissension before it was too late. This failure is my bane, which is why I am naming this monument Twilight’s Bane. I…I have lost so much, but I will make sure that the future generations will not endure the losses I have gone through.

“I hope that one day, ponies will recover from this and once more create a nation of harmony and peace while maintaining good relationships with other races. My biggest regret is that so many other races were wiped out to protect us. We should have done more…I only hope this message, this monument, and my final breath will open up the eyes of future generations. Farewell. I go to join those who I have lost.”

The image of this ancient pony queen paused, then stood stalwart. She raised a horn, which began to glow. Not only that, but her body also began glowing until it vanished, leaving only the image of a patch of grass with four hoofmarks in them. The image itself then vanished, only to be replaced with a small message in glowing white that read: I, Queen Twilight, hereby list the names of all ponies who fought to defend not only their fellow pony, but their fellow equal creatures.

The white letters continued to appear, listing name after name of ponies who apparently fought in some ancient war before the pony Dark Ages. Everypony in the room stared in utter shock at the names that appeared. Even after the white letters stopped forming, they were in shock. Finally, however, they heard somepony collapsing. Everypony turned as one to see Twilight Velvet on her knees, looking with tears in her eyes at the names hovering in the air. “Are you alright?” Celestia asked with concern.

Twilight Velvet looked slowly back at the princess. “I…I don’t know…” she said through tears. “Something…something feels strange inside me…” And with that, she went limp, still breathing, but clearly unconscious.

Celestia acted quickly, turning to the guards in the room, and ordered, “Get her to the castle medical wing immediately!”

As the guards quickly but carefully took Twilight Velvet away, she ordered some more guards to inform her husband about this incident as well, then when they were gone, she turned back to the stone. The names were still hovering there, and some of the team members were writing down the names while another one, who Celestia knew was a unicorn mare named Eidetic Memory, was furiously writing down what the image of Queen Twilight had said. Abstract was still staring at the names before he turned back to the princess. “Your Highness, what should we do?”

Celestia frowned in consideration. “We will not hide this from the public, but we also need more information on what this Queen Twilight mentioned. Keep on searching here, but also gather a group you trust to search the ruins of the old unicorn city back east.”

“Your Highness, that’s barely within our borders,” Abstract reminded her, “and not to mention that it’s on the borders of bugbear territory.”

“I will have Solar and Lunar guards accompany you,” Celestia promised. “Have you found anything else here?”

Abstract shook his head. “Nothing that seems to relate to this Majesty alicorn,” he said.

“Expand your search based off of the new information here,” Celestia said.

“I finished writing down the speech,” Eidetic said, holding up a scroll with her magic.

“It will be done, your Highness,” Abstract said.

Tobias followed the rogue changeling through the cold stone caverns through the mountains, his coat wrapped tightly around him as the light of the torch in his claw barely illuminated the walls around the three. Not that his eyes needed that much light, of course. Sunset stayed close behind, a glowing torch in her own grasp. Their new guide, Thorax, had changed into an abyssinian himself with a dark blue color scheme. He too held a torch.

The caverns they were passing through had definitely not seen the sun probably ever and were wide while also feeling ancient. They looked completely natural, but Tobias thought he saw some signs that they had been carved ages ago. Not that it mattered to him. All that mattered was that Thorax had promised that these tunnels led to the Winterwall and beyond.

The group hadn’t been saying anything since they began their journey early the previous morning. Their guide, by virtue of being a changeling, was still weak from lack of true nourishment, and despite Tobias knowing what he knew from him and Gregory watching the My Little Pony show, he doubted that Thorax sharing love would work since he was alone. Much to his consternation, they had to rest more often than he would have liked during the past couple of days. There had been times when Tobias had even carried Thorax and let him feed slightly on his love for Gregory. It wasn’t romantic love, of course, but to a changeling, that hardly mattered. Love was the most nutritious of all emotions.

Ahead of them, Thorax stumbled over a small rock, putting his claw onto the wall to steady himself. Tobias was by his side instantly, a feeling of dread coming over him. “You need rest,” he stated.

Thorax shook his head, standing back up. “I’m okay,” he said weakly. “I can go on.”

“Change into something small,” Tobias ordered, pointing to the breast pocket on his coat, “I’ll carry you for a while.”

Thorax looked pained, clearly feeling guilty, but nodded in agreement, changing into a small creature Thorax said was called a breezie. His voice was much higher pitched than it normally was, but he could still speak. He flew into Tobias’ coat pocket once the abyssinian had grabbed the second torch. “Keep going straight until you come to a split in the caves,” Thorax said in his tired sounding higher pitched squeaky voice, “and take the cavern with an X above it.”

“Wish I could do that,” Sunset muttered as Tobias picked up the pace.

“Well, we can’t,” Tobias chided her as the two continued down the pathway.

A half hour passed, and Tobias noticed that Thorax had fallen asleep, curled up still in a breezie form inside his breast pocket. They hadn’t yet found the split in the cave system yet, so he figured that Thorax had earned a little rest. He brought forth some of the love he bore for his best friend along with the older love for his home country Panthera for the sleeping changeling to feed on and regain strength from. He felt Thorax stir in his pocket and a small pink mist emanated from Tobias, heading into the pocket. Thorax sighed in contentment.

“That’ll never cease to look weird to me,” Sunset said with a dry chuckle.

“There’s a lot that’s weird to me,” Tobias retorted, sounding angrier than he meant to.

Sunset sighed. “Tobias, there’s something that’s been bothering me. How does Gregory know more about Majesty and early ony history than I do? Did you two find something on your jobs since he came from Earth?”

Tobias had shared a few things about Gregory that he felt his friend would forgive him for revealing. In his defense, he had been tired and had hoped that by telling an increasingly inquisitive Sunset something, it would shut her up. “Not quite,” he deflected.

She seemed to immediately pick up on the deflection. “Where, then?”

“Now’s not the time,” Tobias retorted.

“We’ve got nothing to do but walk,” Sunset replied with a surprisingly patient tone.

“I’ve already revealed too much as it is,” Tobias snapped back, “and I’ve sworn to keep my lips sealed on the matter.”

Sunset didn’t say anything for a while. Then she asked, “What’s Panthera like?”

That question caught Tobias off guard because it was completely unexpected. “It’s…well, it’s home,” he began. “It’s a kingdom about the same size as Equestria. There’s a number of different climates there. Up north, there’s the Minosian Forests, then below that the Kern Wetlands. To the west we have the Zelia Plains. To the east across the Fane Mountains there’s the Valisa Desert where the mighty sandworms live. The southern part is where most of our population lives and it’s the largest part. The Xylier River splits off from the Fane Mountains where it originates and keeps the vast majority of the south well watered.”

Sunset nodded. “I knew all that already,” she said. “I studied a geography map of your continent when I was Celestia’s student. What I was asking is your personal experience on it.”

Tobias thought back. His memories about his home continent were fragmented. His nostalgia for his homeland was real, and he thought back harder. He remembered bits and pieces of his younger self walking through cities full of his kind. He remembered the smells of roasting meat and other delectable staples of his culture as they assaulted his younger nostrils. “It’s been so long,” he said, “and my memory of it is fading. When this is over, I’m taking Gregory there and away from all of this. There’s an adventurers guild association there and I plan on joining. I think Gregory would like the upgrade in job security.”

Sunset didn’t say anything for a while. “I had heard about that guild,” she said. “What’s the difference between being an adventurer and a mercenary? There doesn’t seem to be any significant difference that I can see.”

“Adventurers get a wider variety of jobs,” Tobias explained. “You can get a job collecting ingredients for potions, looking for lost pets, helping a short staffed store, or going to kill monsters that are threatening other smaller towns. They may be odd jobs, but there are more jobs there than in Thornfall.”

“Do you think they’ll accept two former mercenaries?” Sunset asked.

“I’m sure that won’t be too big of an issue,” Tobias said, although part of him was worried that their reputation as mercenaries would be discovered. Even in Panthera, mercenaries didn’t have a very good reputation. Still, life in Panthera was loads better than in Thornfall. He wondered just why on Erda he’d even left his home. The more he thought about it, the less sense it made to him why he would leave his homeland.

“What about me?” Sunset asked. “Would they accept a pony?”

Tobias looked back, a bit surprised. He had assumed that Sunset had visited his continent. Of course, that was a stupid assumption because his continent was located west of Equestria across the ocean which the Equestrians called the Luna Ocean but which the Abyssinians called the Ametrine Ocean. “I don’t remember ever seeing a pony there,” he admitted, “but I think they’d accept you. Especially in the guild. A magic wielding pony would be a valuable member and highly sought after.”

She snorted at that. “That’s not surprising.”

“Are you asking to come with us?” Tobias asked.

She shrugged. “I’ve visited all over Equestria, Mt. Aris, Gryphonia, the Dragon Lands, and even visited with the kirin’s hidden grove. That was quite the trip,” she added with a chuckle. “Abyssinia sounds like a really interesting place to visit. Especially from what I’ve read.”

Tobias nodded. “You’d have to give up some of your technological advantages.”

“I’m very used to that,” Sunset said.

“Still, it’s a big decision.”

“I know.”

The two went silent for a bit until they reached the cavern that Thorax had described. And unlike the rest of the caves, this looked completely artificial.

Thorax flew out of Tobias’ pocket and transformed back into his normal form. There was a fearful expression on his face as he approached the stone doorway with a large X burned into it with what Tobias assumed was magic. “It can’t be…” he said in alarm.

Tobias’ claw went instantly to one of his rapiers. “What is it?” he asked.

“I smell…my former queen from this doorway,” he muttered.

“Chrysalis?” Tobias asked. “What’s she doing here?” From his own My Little Pony knowledge, a lot of which he could probably throw out of the window, Chrysalis had likely been going around in the shadows looking for revenge.

“I don’t know,” Thorax replied. “The smell is faint, and it smells like…she was afraid.”

“You think Majesty found her and captured her?” Sunset asked.

“If she deemed Chrysalis a threat to Equestria, I’m sure she did,” Tobias replied.

“Shit,” Sunset swore. “What do we do now?”

“This changes nothing,” Tobias said. “Actually, this could help us more. Gregory is likely in the same place where Chrysalis is. We follow the smell.”

Thorax looked uncertain, but nodded. “Follow me,” he said. He then turned and trotted down the path with what looked like renewed purpose.

Hold on, Gregory, Tobias thought. We’re coming.

It had been three and a half days since Majesty had come back from her trip to Thornfall. She was still recovering from what Gregory now understood was her effort to transport all of his belongings to the underground city. He’d even visited her quarters, much to Spyke’s frustration. It wasn’t out of concern, but more so he wanted to confirm what had been told to him.

Aside from that, eating, sleeping, and doing exercises with Dengal to keep himself fit, the two read as much as they could in the library. The knowledge that the prince who had once been Scorpan had married Majesty was new information, but most else of what he learned was pretty much accurate, although the rule of the seven princesses with their seven wands took place even before Majesty was born. Most of what they learned was stuff that Gregory had known from the G1 show. To even his surprise, he found a lot of official documents related to Ponyland’s politics, which were a lot simpler than he expected, mostly because Ponyland was a verdant valley that provided for them plenty of fruits and vegetables. The ponies lived either in cottages in Dream Valley or in Dream Castle and seemed to live a more innocent and simplistic lifestyle.

It seemed that the royal family dealt with the more serious tasks of keeping Ponyland safe. Flutter Valley was its own nation it seemed, and the seaponies, unlike the hippogriffs, were a separate species who lived in southern ocean of the continent. And speaking of the continent, Gregory had found an ancient map of the lands where ponies, humans, elves, gnomes and other races lived. It was hand drawn by a mapmaker named Eirian. The map was well drawn and showed locations of cities, towns, roads, kingdom borders, forests, landmarks, and more. In truth, it reminded Gregory of the map of Middle Earth, albeit with more detail. It confused him at first that he could read it, but Spyke informed him that the map itself was a replica drawn by one of the lithess. There were other copies, he was told, and Spyke said he could keep that copy, so he did.

However, the information he learned, while intriguing, didn’t help him get any more information on Majesty’s own reasons for her actions against Equestria. On the surface, it just seemed like she had some sort of misguided sense of justice, but Gregory couldn’t help but feel that there was something more to it, especially after he learned that Chethan had lured a large force of the demon’s army into a trap, then detonated what was called the Elysium Flames that wiped Lantea’s capital city off of the map, leaving not even a trace of the city behind. He knew he was missing something, but he couldn’t find anything.

It was the beginning of another day. Gregory was lying in his new massive bed, staring up at the canopy above him. He was tired despite getting a solid eight hours according to his winding pocketwatch. The bed was four times as big as a traditional king sized bed, giving him and Dengal, who insisted on staying with him, plenty of space to sleep. She was just drying after taking a morning shower. When she came out, she walked over and sat on the edge of the bed on his side. “Gregory, you don’t look too good,” she said.

He nodded. “I’m so fucking lost right now,” he admitted. “Something about Majesty’s methods just strike me as odd the more I learn. If she really wanted to fix things, she could take the natives of Sanctuary and move somewhere, like the Undiscovered West. She could create a new kingdom there and instill her tenets of harmony and peace or whatever she wants. No, I am missing something.”

“Are you sure she isn’t telling the truth?” Dengal asked. “Are you sure she isn’t just hoping to reform her ‘dear ponies’?” She rolled her eyes at the term, since it was so close to how Celestia used the term my little ponies when she referred to her subjects. She reached down and placed her claw in his hand. “I still can’t believe that in your world, you view ours as some form of children’s entertainment.”

Gregory nodded. Since Majesty was unconscious, he had booted up his laptop and shown her the first two episodes of Friendship is Magic. He didn’t know when he would get another chance, so he had to be careful. “I know.”

There was a knock at the door, and he heard Starfall calling out, “Mr. Gregory? Miss Dengal? Breakfast is here.”

Gregory nodded as he sat up. “Come in,” he said.

Starfall quickly entered, wheeling a tray with various dishes on it. One was a large plate of delectable smelling bacon and sausage. Another was a salad, while yet another was scrambled eggs. There were a few pieces of toast as well. There were two large pitchers, one with orange juice and the other full of ice water. There were two empty glasses on the tray as well. The nox pony mare had gotten more used to Gregory and was less nervous, but was still somewhat wary of Dengal the newcomer. Still, she was professional, and Gregory had to admire that about her. He liked the mare, and hoped that, whatever happened, she would be safe. “Are you two planning on looking in the library again?”

“Unless we think of something else,” Gregory replied.

“How has your time in the library been?” Starfall asked.

“A learning experience,” Gregory replied truthfully, but didn’t elaborate. She was still a servant of Majesty, after all, and would probably report whatever useful information was said here back to the alicorn when she inevitably woke up.

“Glad to hear it,” Starfall said with a gentle smile.

“It’s almost been four days since Majesty collapsed,” Dengal said, “is she showing signs of waking up?”

Starfall looked a bit more nervously at the odd goblin girl. “Not yet,” she said, “but the doctors say she’s slowly getting her magic back and should be back soon.”

Gregory nodded. If circumstances had been different, he would have taken Dengal and a few of his belongings and run to escape, but that was fruitless and he knew it. He didn’t know where to go, and didn’t have any way to explore the city-

Holy shit, he thought to himself.

He stood quickly from the bed, almost too quickly because Starfall jumped back in alarm. “M-Mr. Gregory?” she asked.

Realizing his mistake, he quickly covered by doing a few jumping jacks. “Sorry, just needed to get the blood flowing,” he lied smoothly before stopping and stretching his legs. The bed he was in was extremely comfortable. Almost too comfortable, if he was honest with himself. “Oh, by the way, could you ask Spyke if he could swing by? I wanted to ask him something.”

“Oh, of course,” Starfall nodded. “I’ll go right away.” With that, she turned and rushed out of the room to fulfill Gregory’s request.

When the door was closed and the two began putting breakfast on their plates, Dengal leaned over and whispered. “What are you going to ask Spyke about?”

Gregory grinned. “Oh, nothing too special,” he said, “we’re just going to get a long overdue tour of this ancient city.”

22: Results

The streets of Manehattan were nearly empty, something that never happened. It wasn’t known as the City that Never Sleeps for nothing. Even during the night there were ponies out and about. It was one of the busiest port cities on the eastern coast, or it had been. Ever since the death of a single human, trade between nations had slowed considerably. Of course, that had only impacted about half of the businesses in Manehattan. The other half dealt with domestic trade between other east coast towns like Baltimare. Many other businesses had begun filling the voids let by the drops in foreign imports, or had been trying to. There had only been partial success in that area.

The reason that the city was so empty was due to the fact that the mayor had declared a state of emergency for the city. The attacks by a mysterious alicorn on Dodge City and on the new town of Maretime Bay had by now become public knowledge. Not only that, though, but there had been a number of ponies who had begun to express distaste for the way the majority of ponies treated nonponies. After all, it had become public knowledge that the mystery alicorn had dealt with towns which had bad reputations for being unwelcoming to foreign species, and sometimes even foreign ponies, especially chiropterans.

Manehattan was so big that most ponies there were more ambivalent to the presence of other species in their town. They had grown desensitized to the idea of seeing races like gryphons, dragons, and even the occasional zebra or two along with others. There had even been a couple sections of the city, the Broncs and Dragontown where the majority of the businesses catered to species other than ponies. The latter was now deserted as most of the inhabitants had left to go back to their homelands, while the former was still a bit more occupied, but by poorer ponies more than nonponies.

Mayor Rocky Road, an earth pony stallion with brown, black, and white patched fur, light brown mane and tail, and gray eyes, sat in his office looking over his daily paperwork and reports. The most prominent report was the one from the police chief who had reported that a group of ponies who had been giving peaceful protests about equal rights for all species in Equestria had been attacked by another group of ponies, mostly middle aged ones. The group of ponies that were attacked were mostly younger adults who were, in their own words, ‘…begging for significant change so we can represent a true harmonious society.’ They had taken the conversion of two towns full of ponies into other species as a sign that some higher power was displeased with the current state of affairs.

Rocky put the report down and grabbed the coffee mug. The coffee had since gone cool. Frustrated, he stood and walked to the outer office where his secretary, a pegasus named Phantasia Dreams, was typing away on the typewriter. Phantasia was a light pink pegasus with bright green mane and tail along with dark periwinkle eyes. She wore a white dress shirt and a black formal skirt. When she heard Rocky come out, she nodded at him. “Mr. Mayor,” she said.

“Just getting some more coffee,” he said, lifting the mug as he walked over to the small counter where the coffee machine sat.

“I could have done that for you,” she commented.

“Nah, I needed to stretch my legs anyway,” the mayor replied as he dumped the cold coffee down the drain and poured a new piping hot mug. He put in some creamer and a bit of honey, the latter being something he’d learned from his time on his family’s quarry from his father. “Busy day today,” he said dryly as he took a sip of the coffee, enjoying the taste.

Phantasia snorted in amusement. “Sure is, sir,” she replied with a slight hint of amusement. “Busy, busy, busy.” To emphasize her point, she typed something on her typewriter a bit louder than normal. She paused, leaned back, and stretched before grabbing for her own coffee, which the mayor noted was still steaming and black as could be. Phantasia liked her coffee black.

Rocky picked up one of the remaining muffins that Phantasia always brought in for the staff. Currently, there were plenty of muffins left because a majority of his staff were working from home, sending their own paperwork to the office by carriers. The biggest reason Rocky was in the office was because he wanted to show the ponies that he was working hard to keep them as safe as he could from any kind of invasion by a rogue alicorn. However, ever since rumors of the alicorn having performed some nasty attack on the hive of scum and villainy known as Thornfall way out in the Badlands, there had been nothing. It had been nearly four days since that city had been attacked. Many ponies were anxious and needed reassurance.

Rocky put his mug down and looked out of the window of the official mayor’s office building. He caught the tail end of a taxi cart driving past the walkway leading up to the building. The skyscrapers that surrounded the office building rose high into the sky, but most of the windows were dark. He saw only a hoofful of lights on. The skies were clear, with the sunlight reflecting off of some of the skyscraper windows. “It’s like we’re all in some kind of pandemic again,” he muttered, “or some post-apocalyptic world.”

“If it was a pandemic, we’d be wearing masks,” Phantasia replied, “but yeah.”

Rocky nodded as he turned back to his younger secretary. “What do you suppose this alicorn is trying to accomplish? And could this new group of younger ponies, the…uh…what’re they called…?”

“True Harmonists,” Phantasia replied.

“Yeah, those ponies. Could they be related to this alicorn?”

Phantasia shrugged. “If I knew that, I’d probably be awarded a million bits or something,” she said.

Rocky snorted. “I’m sure the crown would award anypony with information,” he remarked.

“I’m not sure if there is any relationship between the two,” Phantasia replied.

“The timing is a bit suspect, though,” Rocky said thoughtfully.

“I mean, yeah,” Phantasia said as she stood to stretch her hind legs. “It is a biiiig coincidence.”

“At least they’re being peaceful so far,” Rocky said with relief, “although those counter-protesters are a pain in the rump.”

“More than that,” Phantasia said, “they’re proving the protestors’ point.”

Rocky chuckled. He knew Phantasia leaned more towards the more progressive protestor’s viewpoint. To a certain extent, he agreed. The treatment of nonponies in Equestria had gotten worse over the decades, but even before he was born they weren’t treated well. He knew the procedures to make foreigners into citizens, and the rules for nonponies were a lot stricter than they were for foreign ponies. There was some rationale for these distinctions, of course, but when he’d looked over them once more to familiarize himself with them, it just seemed silly. Still, he was the mayor, and it was part of his job to make sure the city was kept safe. “I know,” he agreed. “At least it hasn’t gotten too violent.”

“Yet,” Phantasia said with a frown. There had been small skirmishes, but nothing too serious yet. All instigated by the more conservative counter-protestors.

“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” Rocky said softly, hoping and even praying to Mother Erda that things wouldn’t get too heated. He decided to steer the conversation away from the current depressing topic. “Did your folks make it out of the city okay last weekend?”

Phantasia’s eyes softened and she nodded. “They’re settling into Glenville very well,” she said. “The ponies there are all really nice and not like most of those throughout Equestria. I helped them move there, and it’s a nice hidden valley. Of course, if you don’t mind most of the ponies having Trotland accents,” she added with a chuckle.

“Aye dinna mind a Trotland accent, lassie,” he said in his pitifully pathetic Trotland accent.

She snorted and began to chortle. “Don’t make me snort coffee out my nose, sir,” she said between laughs.

“Sorry,” he said, slipping back into his native accent. “I’m glad they’re doing alright. I hear Glenville is a sheep town?”

“The ponies and sheep there have a profitable relationship,” Phantasia said with a nod. “The sheep’s wool is some of the best around, and the ponies there are some excellent clothing makers. They mostly do everything by hoof.”

“I own a Glenville sweater,” Rocky said. “It was expensive, but it’s my favorite sweater. I hope your parents fit in there and find a great way to put their skills to use.”

“Don’t worry about that, sir,” Phantasia replied. “They’ll be opening a new bed and breakfast soon enough, although I suspect it’ll be more about breakfast than bed,” she added with a chuckle.

“One of these days, I’ll visit that town,” he said, “maybe in a couple years when I’m not in office anymore.”

“Sir, my parents like you,” Phantasia said, “and I’m sure they’d love to see you again sooner than that.”

“Well, until things settle down, I can’t,” Rocky said, belatedly kicking himself for inadvertently bringing the subject back to the topic he’d been hoping to avoid. “But someday, yes. I’d like to go to Glenville. Maybe I can buy some more clothes there. My sweater is getting a bit old and worn, so perhaps I can get it repaired there and buy some more.”

She was about to reply, when a pegasus came walking through the outer office door. He was a younger messenger, and judging by how the young stallion was panting, he had come here in a hurry. Rocky vaguely recognized him as Hurried Tone, one of Manehattan’s fastest couriers. “Mr…hah…mayor sir…” he panted, completely out of breath.

“Easy there,” Rocky said as he quickly poured the stallion a glass of water. “Drink this.”

The pegasus downed not one, not two, but three glasses of water before he could calm down enough to speak. “Message from the Broncs, sir,” he said, referring to a poorer part of Manehattan, “there’s been an attack.”

“Shit…” Rocky slipped into his natural affinity for cursing, a rarity among ponies, and something he normally kept in check. “What happened?”

Hurried and Phantasia both had their ears down at the cursing, but that didn’t stop Hurried from making his report. According to him, there had been a peaceful protest led by one of the more prominent branch members of the True Harmonists named Peaches ‘n Cream when a group of the conservative counter protestors, who called themselves True Keepers of Equestria, or simply Keepers, began heckling Peaches. The earth pony was undeterred and kept on giving her speech until she was struck by a large rock which gave her a gash that sent her immediately to a hospital. This caused the Harmonists and Keepers to get into a brawl, with the latter attacking the Harmonists harshly. The local police and even the guard had gotten involved and had made a mass arrest, most being Keepers, although a few of the more rambunctious Harmonists had been arrested as well. More than one pony was in the hospital, most being Harmonists who had defended their own.

Rocky could feel a massive headache coming on as he quickly finished his coffee. His stomach twisted into knots. “I swear to Mother Erda,” he muttered, before turning to Hurried. “Nopony’s died, have they?”

“None of the injuries are fatal, Mr. Mayor,” the pegasus said.

“That’s good at least,” he said in relief. “The Manhattan Times is gonna have a field day with this one,” he said, the headache only increasing in intensity as he imagined what the older and more conservative newspaper would say and how it might twist the incident in their favor. “Is there anything else?”

“Not that I know of, sir,” Hurried said.

“I need you to go back and bring me as much information as you are able,” Rocky said. “I have a feeling I’ll be getting on the radio later today to give a statement about this attack.”

Hurried gave a salute, then flew away before Rocky could say anything. Rocky watched from the window as Hurried went through the dedicated balcony reserved for pegasus couriers and flew away, heading towards the hospital. He put a hoof to his temple, trying to massage the ever increasing headache. He was so lost in thought about what he would have to say when he would address the public that he didn’t notice Phantasia walking next to him, standing in solidarity next to her boss. When he finally did notice her, it was because she placed a small but damp and cold towel against his forehead. “Thanks,” he said, pressing the towel hard against his head.

“You gonna be okay, sir?” she asked.

“No,” he sighed as he stepped away from the window and turned back to his office. “I’ll be in my office. If any of the newspapers call, tell them our office has no official statement yet but will in the coming hours.”

“Yes sir,” she said as she returned to her desk, where coincidentally the phone was just beginning to ring.

Rocky closed the door to his office, then sat down, grabbed a paper and a pencil. This was going to be a long day…

The mournful stratadon lay its-no, her-head into the lap of her mother. The elder earth pony mare, Golden Jubilee, stroked her daughter, who had once been Cherry Jubilee, as the large reptilian shed a few tears. “Let it all out, my little filly,” Golden said.

The stratadon that had once been her daughter opened her mouth to speak, but all that came out were mournful growls. Even though Golden knew that her daughter’s personality was still there, hearing a predatorial growl still made the older pony nervous. She pushed down her natural instinct to flee. Her daughter needed her comfort now, more than ever.

It had been a long week since the mysterious alicorn had appeared and did this to most of the town excluding foals and a few ponies, and the town had been quarantined by the Equestrian Guard, with food having to be delivered by courier services. Now that the majority of the town needed meat to survive healthily, fish and other seafood had been delivered to the town. There were a few holdouts who refused to eat anything and had tried to stick to their old pony diets. Those holdouts had all sadly died. It had taken all of Golden’s strength to force her daughter not to become one of the dead.

“Everything will be okay,” Golden assured her daughter, hoping to soothe Cherry’s broken heart. “The one who did this will be found and this transformation will be reversed, you’ll see. Just hang in there.”

Golden thought back to that day where the mystery alicorn had appeared, but focused on something else. The black clad human who had been with her. She knew what a human was, but the fact that this creature looked familiar to her had bugged her until Princess Luna made an announcement to the town regarding him. Then Golden remembered the day two years ago where the vast majority of the town had chased out what they had described as a monster in a growling machine. Now it was clear that her daughter had led a mob to chase Erda’s second human out of town into the neighboring Badlands where he would have surely died.

Cherry made a mournful noise and covered her eyes with her claws. Golden continued comforting her. After a bit, Cherry reached out, grasped a large piece of paper and a piece of large graphite that all of the newly transformed ponies used to communicate. I hate this, Cherry wrote, I’m nothing but a monster!

“You’re not a monster,” Golden chided her daughter gently, “you’re still you.”

Cherry growled in frustration, and replied But I am a monster! I have to eat meat and can’t even talk!

“Dragons and gryphons eat meat,” Golden reminded her, “does that make them monsters?” Golden actually had known a couple of dragons in her time, and despite the nasty stereotypes about them, the two young adult dragons she’d met had actually challenged her perceptions on other species. She’d met a few other races who had passed through their town over the years, including a few gryphons, diamond dogs, and an abyssinian or two.

They can talk!

“The ability to speak does not make one intelligent,” Golden replied, using a mantra that she had learned from a wandering pony mage. “Cherry, listen to me. This alicorn who did this to you could have done a lot worse. She could have killed you. She could have changed you into a small insect, or into stone. Remember what Princess Luna said? Apparently, this alicorn was punishing the guilty who chased that other human out of town.”

Cherry lowered her head. I was just protecting the town, she hesitantly wrote.

“I wasn’t there when it happened, but was that human hostile?” Golden asked. Instead of writing anything, Cherry sniffed, a tear forming in her eyes as she shook her head. “Then why are you giving that excuse?”

I don’t know! We couldn’t take that chance!

Golden shook her head in disappointment. “Cherry Jubilee, I love you, I really do, but you chased out someone who didn’t act like he wanted to hurt anypony in town. You didn’t give him a chance to explain. Now, I’ll be here to offer you support in this trying time, but despite me agreeing that this alicorn went too far, you should take this as a lesson. You and the others are still alive. You’re still yourselves!”

Cherry looked down, and even though Golden couldn’t really read the body language of her daughter too well, the look in her eyes was one she knew well. A scolded foal who had learned her lesson. She grabbed the piece of graphite. How can I say sorry to the human? Cherry asked, looking at her mother with a pleading look in her eyes.

Golden inwardly smiled. Her daughter could learn her lesson when she needed to, and that encouraged the older mare. “I think if you meet him, a simple ‘I’m sorry’ is a good start-”

She was cut off when Cherry began to glow the same color she and the others in town had when they had transformed. Cherry began to make confused noises, then they turned to fearful ones. She fell onto the ground and the light surrounding her. Golden covered her eyes as the light became overwhelming. The roars of her daughter quickly turned to screams. Screams in Cherry’s old voice. The sound of magic quickly overwhelmed the screams until both were instantly cut off. At the same time, the light vanished. When she looked back, Golden gasped in shock.

Her daughter had transformed again, but not back into a pony. Instead, a pale bipedal creature lay on the ground with dark brown hair that had some lighter brown streaks through it. She was lying on her back, eyes clenched shut and body trembling. She looked like a human, but since Golden didn’t know what a human mare looked like, she wasn’t sure. Still, the features were unmistakable.

Cherry opened her eyes, and the moment Golden saw the green orbs, she knew this was her daughter. “Ow…” Cherry moaned, “my body hurts…”

“Don’t move too much, honey,” Golden said, ignoring the shock that her daughter was talking again, “I’ll get you some water. Don’t open your eyes, either.”

“Okay…” Cherry said. When Golden returned with a glass of water in her hoof, she lifted her daughter to a sitting position and leaned her against the nearby couch before lifting the glass to her lips. “Open up and drink,” she said.

Cherry did so, swallowing the entire glass. Golden refilled the glass, and Cherry downed it as well. After the third one, Cherry nodded. “That’s enough, thanks mom.”

“Of course, dear,” Golden said. “Is the pain going away?”

“Yeah…” Cherry said. “I’m just tired now. Just like last time.”

“Well, when the pain goes away, I’ll help you to bed so you can rest, okay?” Golden reassured her

“What do I look like?” Cherry asked. “I know I’m not a pony still. There’s two large weights on my upper body.” She pointed her head down to the two large lumps on her upper body, which looked like teats of some sort.

Golden debated whether or not it was a good idea to tell her daughter about her new form in her current state of mind. She decided that Cherry needed rest. “You need to sleep first,” Golden insisted. “I’ll tell you when you’re rested, okay?”

“Is it that bad?” Cherry sounded fearful now.

“You can talk, and you’re alive,” Golden said, “focus on that.”

Cherry shivered and seemingly by instinct wrapped her two new arms around her midsection. “At least I’m not a mon-…whatever I was,” she corrected.

“Stratadon,” Golden replied as she picked up a blanket and wrapped it around Cherry. “Here, you don’t have fur right now.”

Cherry let her mother wrap her in the blanket. “That blanket feels…scratchy,” she said as she wriggled underneath it.

“You have skin instead of fur,” Golden said. “Hold on, and I’ll get you onto your bed.”

It took about ten minutes of careful maneuvering, but eventually Cherry was carefully draped over Golden’s back. Golden noted that Cherry, despite being taller than her old form, was lighter. Eventually, Cherry was lying down in her bed, which she noted would have to be extended since Cherry barely fit in it, all the while, the new human had trusted her mother not to open her eyes. When she was in bed and covered up, she finally opened her eyes and looked around. “This is…weird,” she said, blinking a bit. “Whatever I am now, I can’t see as much as I can normally, but the colors are…enhanced? Clearer? Not as faded? And things look a lot crisper.” She turned to Golden. “You can tell me now. I can take it.”

“You really should rest-” Golden began.

“Mom, please,”

Golden took a deep breath. “You’re…I think you’re a human mare now.”

Instead of the fearful look on her face that Golden was expecting, Cherry threw back her head and actually laughed. “Of course I am,” she said after a while, moving her new hand to examine it. “I wish I had my fur color as a skin color, but I guess that’d be too much to ask for.” She let her hand fall to her side and looked over at Golden. “I don’t know what humans eat,” she admitted as she ran her tongue over her new teeth, “but I doubt they can eat hay. Can I have some cherries when I wake up?”

“I’ll bake a cherry pie for you,” Golden promised, reaching up and putting her hoof in Cherry’s new hand, causing her daughter to clench around it with her new fingers.

“Thanks…” Cherry said tiredly as she closed her eyes, her grip going slack as she immediately fell asleep.

Golden closed the curtains to the room to let her rest in peace, then walked to the kitchen to get started on making the cherry pie. However, five minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Pausing her preparations, she walked to the door and opened it, finding one of the guards left behind by Princess Luna. She knew the guard as Sergeant Wild Ace, a pegasus in charge of the small contingent left behind. He was young but serious, a light orange pegasus with yellow tipped wings and dark green mane and tail. His cutie mark was a stylized cloud with wind blowing from it. “Sergeant? Is something wrong?”

“I’m not sure yet,” Wild said. “Did something happen here recently?”

Golden briefly considered lying, but figured that was futile, so she nodded. “My daughter changed form into something else a few minutes ago,” she said. “Before you come in,” she added quickly before Wild could take another step, “she’s asleep and I don’t want her to be disturbed. Remember what happened when the town fell asleep last time”

Wild Ace nodded, and Golden saw a very slight shudder run down the stallion’s back. “What did she change into?” he asked.

Again, she knew it would be stupid to lie, but she decided to push it a bit. “I think she became a human mare, or female or whatever they’re called,” Golden said, sounding unsure, “but I don’t know what they look like.”

“A human…” Wild said thoughtfully. “I see.”

She looked past him. The town looked like it had for the past few days, quiet and almost deserted. “Has something happened?” she asked the pegasus.

“This is the fifth transformation in the past few hours,” Wild explained. “The other four stratadons changed into humans.”

“Only five?” Golden was confused. “Why?”

“We’re not sure,” Wild admitted. “What was she doing when she transformed, or did you see it?”

“We were talking about recent events,” Golden replied.

“Anything specific?” Golden relayed the conversation to the sergeant. He listened and nodded, then when she finished, he let out a deep breath. “Interesting…”

“Sergeant? What’s going on?” Golden asked.

“I don’t know for sure,” he replied, “I’m not much of a magic expert. We did receive a report that the alicorn made a move on Maretime Bay, transforming many of those ponies into humans flat out.”

That shocked Golden. “Not stratadons?” she asked.

“Nope,” Wild said, “just transformed almost all of the adults there into humans.”

Golden took in this information with even more confusion. “I see,” was all she could say. “So why are five ponies now humans?”

“We have a theory, but we need to confirm it,” Wild said. “Is your daughter okay otherwise? She can talk now?”

“Aside from probably needing some clothes to cover her new skin, she’s sleeping peacefully like I said,” Golden said.

“Good,” Wild said. “If that’s the case, do you think we can relocate the hay she’s been using to the others?”

Golden nodded. Since stratadons were larger than even humans, beds were impractical, so unfortunately they had to sleep outside on beds of hay. It wasn’t ideal but there wasn’t much else that could be done until some more permanent solution could be figured out. “Go ahead. She can fit in her old bed.”

“So can the others,” Wild said. “Thank you. If you think of anything that might be helpful to the situation, please let me or somepony else know.”

“Of course, sergeant,” Golden said.

Wild gave her a smile, but Golden could see just how tired the poor young stallion was. “See you later, Ms. Jubilee,” he said as he gave her a slight bow.

“See you,” Golden said as the two went their separate ways.

In the Maretime Bay town hall, a large number of ponies turned humans sat on the ground, each of them wearing some hastily made clothing. Without their fur, the new humans had to wear something to cover their extremities. They were not the best, but since it was summer, they didn’t need much. They also needed some sort of foot covering because their new feet were more sensitive to the roads. Already there had been injuries thanks to their inexperience with their new bodies, there hadn’t been anything too serious.

Standing next to a pony guard who was there to provide support should she fall, former mayor of Ponyville Ivory Scroll stood at an impromptu podium, looking over the large crowd of humans and the few ponies remaining. She wasn’t really the mayor of the town anymore, but in the emergency that had struck their town, she had stepped up to try and use her talent to figure out next steps in their lives, especially if this was a permanent change.

“Hello, everypony,” Ivory said, her hands gripping the sides of the podium tightly, “I know you didn’t quite expect to see me again, and I understand that. I’m not here to pretend to be a mayor, but I’m here to try and help keep everypony from panicking too much.”

When nopony spoke, Ivory breathed a sigh of relief and brushed her now naturally silver hair back with her hand. “I won’t lie, this will take a long time to adjust to, especially if it’s permanent, but things will have to change.”

“And why should we listen to you?” a random voice called out. “You were involved in chasing that human away, too!”

Ivory looked down in shame. She had been one of the first to turn Jason Wright away two years ago when he had come to her office to find a job. It was one of her biggest mistakes, and it was one she could never apologize to him for. “I won’t ever deny that,” she said, looking back out at the crowd. “I rejected a creature in need when I should have helped him.”

“This is all those damned Element’s fault!” another voice shouted angrily. “They chased him out first!”

“No, it’s that former princess of friendships’ fault!” yet another voice shouted in rage.

“Everypony please-” Ivory held up her hands to try and get the crowd’s attention.

“If they didn’t hurt the human, we wouldn’t be here!”

“That lighthouse hermit should have known better!”

Normally, in a situation like this, Ivory would have felt helpless, but something inside her ignited. She felt anger unlike anything she had felt before bubble up. Bringing up her hand, she seemed to instinctively ball it into a fist. Walking down to the human who had started the argument, she brought her new fist back and slammed it right into the male human’s face. Not only did this send him sprawling, but it got the attention of the others. The room was silent as an incredibly furious Ivory Scroll panted heavily. Her mane-hair-was a bit out of place, her eyes wide, heart beating, and her teeth clenched. “Shut. The. Fuck. UP!” she bellowed, reaching down and grabbing the shirt that the human male wore. She brought him up and moved him towards another wall, slamming him against it. “We ALL caused this! All of us who became human CAUSED HIM TO COMMIT SUICIDE!”

The human male, who she couldn’t remember, had his eyes wide in stunned silence. His mouth was hung open and there was a look of fear in his eyes. When he did get his voice back, he stammered out, “B-But they started-”

“If you dare say they started it, then go back to kindergarten, you son of a whorse!” Ivory growled, throwing the human male down hard and standing over him in what felt menacing. “It doesn’t matter who started it! We continued it, and that makes us worse! It means we couldn’t think for ourselves! It means we were fools!” She brought up a foot, making as if to stomp on the human, who flinched. For a few tense seconds, there was silence. Finally, she lowered her leg, strode back over to the podium, and looked at the crowd. “Now then, are you all going to stop acting like a bunch of foals and put the blame on everypony else but yourselves, or are you-GAH!”

Ivory stopped and fell to her knees, holding her head as she felt something within her change again. When she had become a human, she felt her natural earth pony ability vanish. Sure, there was the fact that she had some new senses and could see differently than she had before in a few good ways, but she felt powerless. There was something missing from her senses ever since she woke up as a human female.

She heard the sound of magic being cast, and a part of her tried to figure out where it was coming from. It took her a few seconds to realize it was coming from her. The sound increased and she put her hands to her new unexpressive ears, trying to block out the sound. It worked for a brief moment before the sound grew louder. Finally, when she was afraid that her eardrums would burst, the sound cut out. Slowly, she removed her hands from her ears, nervously opening her eyes.

“Miss Scroll, are you alright?” the member of the Royal Guard asked, approaching her carefully.

“Yes, I think so,” she said, sticking one finger in her ear in an attempt to get the ringing to subside. It quickly went away and she shakily stood. “What on Erda just happened? Did I transform?”

“Not that I can see,” the guard said. “You still look the same.”

That’s strange, Ivory thought. She thought for a brief moment that she felt some of her earth pony magic return to her-

She froze. It wasn’t a temporary feeling. Aside from her new human body, her connection to the earth was back. She looked down, then grabbed the podium, lifted a leg, and brought it down towards the ground. The ground around her foot cracked like it would had she been a pony. She looked back at the guard. “I still look the same, you said?”

“Yes, Ms. Scroll,” the guard said.

She nodded, suddenly feeling tired. “I’m going to…go home and rest,” she said before turning to the crowd. “Sorry for leaving early. Just…think about what I said. You all know I’m right. Start admitting it to yourselves.” With that, she turned and left the building, helped by another Royal Guard.

It took her a little while longer than usual to get home because of how increasingly tired she was feeling, but eventually she walked into her new house and collapsed into bed, barely having enough energy to pull the covers over her body before she passed out into a dreamless sleep.

23: Opportunities

A half hour later after Gregory had requested to receive a tour of the dark city beneath the ground, he and Dengal were being escorted not only by Frostfall, but by his two guards around the city. Spyke had been reluctant to let them explore, but finally agreed as long as they were given a guide. He had pulled Frostfall aside and spoken to her, pointing at a paper that the two both assumed was likely a map of the ancient underground city. Gregory was a bit frustrated at first, until it dawned on him that they were likely hiding something from him. Or a few things for that matter.

When Gregory asked about Majesty, since it had been almost four days, Spyke replied that she had been showing signs of waking up soon, but then had gone back to deep sleep. Spyke guessed that she’d be asleep for a half day or more, and even when she woke, she’d be weak for another day. Gregory nodded at that, thanked Spyke for letting them explore the city, and then let Frostfall and his still unnamed guards show him and Dengal around. Gregory had retrieved one of his flashlights from his belongings, a hand cranked LED one, and was using it to help him and Dengal see the buildings. Frostfall even gave them some context behind them.

“This city,” she was saying at one point in response to one of Dengal’s questions, “and several other ones in this cave system were inhabited for thousands of years by a race that her majesty calls the landvættir, or the landwights.”

“What did they look like?” Gregory asked.

“Is there a statue or a drawing we can see?” Dengal further asked.

When Starfall showed them an ancient statue that stood in a city square, Gregory was surprised to see a humanoid figure standing on what had obviously once been a fountain, but the water had long since vanished. The figure was female, having a human face and two deerlike horns. She held a stone in one hand and a small tree in the other. She was scantily clothed, wearing a wrap of leaves around her breasts and a skirt of a larger leaf around her torso. Her hair looked remarkably like willow tree branches falling all about her. On the podium she stood on was ancient faded writing. “She looks more like a dryad than anything,” Gregory said.

“What’s a dryad?” Starfall asked, sounding intrigued.

“A mythical creature from my world,” Gregory explained. “They lived in trees and tended to nature.” He looked at the statue, which was in remarkably good shape considering its apparent age. “Where did these landvættir go? What happened to them?”

“Nopony knows,” Starfall said. “Her majesty said that they kept back the frozen north and that this land was once beautiful with trees, lakes, grasslands, and more.”

“I see,” Gregory muttered to himself. The more he learned about this world, the more he wondered if it was some sort of post-apocalyptic society with all of the presumably extinct races.

They continued the tour, seeing more depictions of the landvættir, including a couple color paintings that showed them as having dark green skin. He saw a drawing of two landvættir children, a boy and girl, standing near an arched cave, and he was briefly reminded of the Green Children of Woolpit myth. He doubted they were related, though.

The writing in the city was also intriguing to him. It had a flowing script that had some hint of Nordic text to it. Starfall explained that not even Majesty could use a translation spell on it as the runes resisted magic. A few linguists from Sanctuary had been studying the runes and were hopeful they could break the language barrier, according to the nox pony.

At one point, they came to a stone depiction of a tree in the exact center of town. The tree was more like a pillar that reached up to the cave’s ceiling, which was shaped like a massive tree when Gregory’s flashlight played over it. It was like the town was being protected from the outer cold by the stone tree’s branches. In a way, Gregory was reminded of the Together Trees from G5. There was a stone door carved into the tree which was part of the pillar itself and not an actual door. To satiate his curiosity, Gregory even tried to open it, as did Dengal. Nothing.

It was when they passed by a large building that Gregory heard something. Starfall had been talking about said building as being presumably some kind of community gathering place judging by the circle mosaic in the center of the massive domed building. There was a pause in the conversation, and that’s when he heard a muffled bird call coming from the building. A bird call, and then a small voice calling out “…Help…”

Gregory wasn’t the only one to hear it. Gregory saw Dengal’s ears twitch slightly. “What was that?” She looked around, trying to locate the source of the noise.

“What was what?” Starfall asked, sounding a bit confused with a hint of worry in her voice.

“I just heard a bird call,” Dengal explained. She walked over to stand next to Gregory and looked up at the sky. “Gregory, shine your light up.”

He did so, scanning the ceiling while looking for the bird. He felt Dengal’s claw brush his pinkie finger, pulling it gently with her thumb and foreclaw-No, damn it! They’re more like hands than other goblin claws, so that’s what I’m calling them! he thought absently as he continued scanning the ceiling. She pulled his pinkie, pointing it back towards the domed building. He flexed his pinkie in response. “Do birds come in here?” Gregory asked.

Starfall let out what Gregory assumed as an involuntary sigh of what sounded like relief. “It’s rare, but it does happen,” the nox replied.

As if by providence, Gregory’s light did shine on a small bird that was in the cavern. It moved when the light shone on it, flying away from the light whenever it was shone on the creature. Gregory moved the light away. “Huh, guess we’re just lucky then,” he said.

Dengal giggled, and Gregory found her giggle to be incredibly cute. He only knew her tough blacksmith exterior until recently. He felt honored to see her feminine and tender side. He knew better than to treat her like some helpless woman, though. She could likely bench press him despite her not looking like she had muscle. She then looked back at the domed building. “So, is there a reason why we can’t look inside this building?” she asked. Gregory knew then that she had heard the voice calling for help, too.

“W-Well, Queen Majesty doesn’t want the inside to be disturbed,” Starfall explained. “It’s an ancient building that has been preserved much better than any other building in the city.”

“Really? Does she know how that was done?” Dengal asked.

Starfall considered. “If she knows, I don’t have any information on that,” she replied. “It’s an ancient city, after all, and maybe she visited here long ago.”

Gregory put his hands in his pockets, but slowly began to feel around his belt. To his complete shock, some of his mercenary equipment had not been taken from him. That included flash flares, small balls that, when hitting the ground or being stomped on, would ignite and create massive light flares that could temporarily blind an opponent by emitting bright pulses of light. Some even emitted high pitched whistling sounds that Gregory couldn’t hear, but that some other species could, including abyssinians, diamond dogs, and chiropteran ponies, to name a few. The ones on his belt, hidden in plain sight and masquerading as belt decorations, were those types. He waited for the right moment, while Dengal asked again, “Have you seen the inside?” She began maneuvering so that the massive building was between them and the castle. Gregory walked close behind.

Starfall froze. It was the briefest of brief moments, but it was there. To her credit, she recovered quickly and nodded, following the two while the guards walked with them. “It’s beautiful,” she replied with a smile. “I’m not sure how to properly describe it. There are mosaics on the walls depicting what I’m guessing are some historical events important to the landvættir. There’s a glowing yellow crystal at the top of the ceiling that looks like the sun, and the floor has even more-”

The moment they were out of sight of the castle, Gregory released a small flash flare, letting it run down his leg. They jumped briefly into the air then landed on the ground. Immediately, bright pulses of chemically created light erupted from the ground. The three nox covered their eyes with their wings, stumbling back. While they were in shock and pain, Gregory closed his eyes and shouted, “The fuck is that?!”

At the same time, Dengal tossed something from her pocket which landed in front of the three nox. There was another flash, then a brief puff of green smoke rose up from the flare. The moment the three nox inhaled it, they collapsed. When they were down, Gregory stomped on the flash flare, covering it with his boot and stomping it out. At the same time, Dengal was moving back to where they had seen a closed door on the side of the domed structure. He followed, keeping an eye in the direction of the ancient underground castle. Despite them being behind the building, Gregory suspected someone had to have seen that, and if they wanted to sell their story of not knowing where the flares had come from, they needed to be quick.

Of course, nothing was that easy. Dengal and Gregory found that the door was incredibly heavy. With two of them pushing, it took them a few precious minutes to get it open. They both squeezed in and looked around, Gregory flashing his light around. The moment the flashlight illuminated the ceiling, it began glowing with a warm white light, illuminating the entire area. They pulled the three nox ponies in and lay the down gently on the ground inside the building before looking around.

Starfall hadn’t been lying about how magnificent the interior was. There were mosaics on the wall with green skinned humanoids on them in a style that looked almost ancient Egyptian in how they were put together. What she hadn’t mentioned were the number of massive birds that looked like golden eagles all nestled in the room, their eyes all locked on the two intruders. Gregory stared at the seven birds, birds big enough that he and Dengal could ride on their backs with ease. “What in the world…?” he muttered.

One of the eagles stood up taller, spreading its wings, and in a deep voice, it spoke. “And just who are you two? And who are they?” It was a male voice, that much was certain. The massive bird sounded tired, but there was still authority there.

Gregory’s brain locked up instantly. He knew he’d heard a bird call, but had never expected them to find a small number of eagles living here. Dengal, for her part, recovered first. She raised her hands. “We’re as much prisoners here as you are,” she said, showing that she was unarmed, “And these three were our escorts to see the city.”

Gregory quickly copied her movements and nodded in agreement. “If Majesty has had you imprisoned here, then we’re in a similar boat.”

The large eagle locked eyes with Gregory, looking at him with keen and intelligent eyes. He wasn’t sure, but there seemed to be wisdom of ages behind those golden eyes of his. The eagle lowered his head to get a closer look at Gregory, who made a great effort to stand his ground. “Human…” he finally said with surprise. “I was told your kind were long gone.”

“This world’s humans might be gone, but I’m not from this world,” Gregory explained.

“Yes, that I can see,” the eagle replied as he stood back up and ruffled its wings. “What brings you and your goblin companion here?”

“We heard a bird call coming from here,” Dengal explained, “and our escorts here seemed to be hiding something about this building. We also heard someone calling for help.”

“Didn’t that come from one of you?” Gregory added.

The eagles looked at each other, tilting their heads in a way that indicated that they were confused. He’d seen gryphons look similarly, so it wasn’t hard to see the similarities. The first eagle, apparently the spokesperson for the group, turned back. “We didn’t speak, and you couldn’t have heard any voice from one of us. This building was enchanted so no noise could escape from it.”

That confused Gregory, who knew what he’d heard. Dengal also looked confused. “We did hear someone call for help and a bird call,” the gobliness said.

“Then it wasn’t from us,” the eagle said. He then looked past the two at the unconscious nox. “What happened to them?”

“We temporarily knocked them out and we came in here,” Gregory explained, “but I never expected this. Why are you here? Why did Majesty imprison you?”

The eagle scowled. “We are a threat to her power,” the eagle replied, “or so she says.”

“Why?” Dengal asked.

“That is not something we have an answer for,” the eagle said. The eagle made a noise that sounded like soft laughter. “If you were hoping to free us and ask us to aid in your escape, I’m afraid you’re out of luck.” The eagle raised his leg, showing a gold chain attached to a gold manacle wrapped around his leg. “These are enchanted and cannot be broken with any normal magic.”

Gregory cursed under his breath. “Nothing’s ever easy,” he muttered. “How in the world did you come in here? Did Majesty teleport you in?”

The eagle shook his head. “There are large caverns that even she doesn’t know about. If we were free, we could fly there and to the outside.”

“Who has the keys?” Gregory asked.

“The head guard Iron Grip,” the eagle replied, “and Spyke.”

Gregory frowned. He had heard of Iron Grip but had never seen the nox pony guard. “What does it look like?”

“It’s the only gold key on the chain he carries around,” the eagle said.

“Understood,” he said.

“Hey, I can hear wings flapping,” Dengal said hurriedly as she began to quickly carry the three nox out of the room again.

Gregory looked back at the eagle who he’d been speaking with. “Listen, mister…um…”

“I don’t have a name,” the eagle said. “None of us do.”

Gregory didn’t have time to ponder that. “Well, my friend and I are going to try and escape from here at some point, and if we can, we’ll come and free you all as well.” The eagle didn’t look convinced, so Gregory added, “I know you don’t believe me, and I understand that. We’re going to try, and that’s all I can say.”

“I sincerely hope you succeed,” the eagle said, “because escape from these manacles is impossible for us.” The eagle held up the offending piece of metal to emphasize his point.

Gregory then almost smacked himself. He had a potential solution to the problem. Over a year ago, he and Tobias had taken a job as treasure hunters. There had been a cache of supposed ancient weapons buried by a legendary pirate somewhere in the Badlands before it had become the desert it was-or rather, the desert it had been before Majesty terraformed it into a lush paradise. They had found a door buried in the side of a cliff, and the lock had only opened after Gregory had touched it with one of his pistols. He guessed that because his metallic objects came from a world without magic, contact with enchantments disrupted the spell, although future experiments showed it only worked sometimes. “Can I try something?” Gregory asked.

“Nothing can break this enchantment,” the eagle emphasized.

“We need to go!” Dengal whispered loudly.

“Give me a little bit,” Gregory said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a paper clip that he’d brought with him. “Can I just try?”

The eagle sighed, or it sounded like a sigh. “Very well.”

Gregory quickly walked up to the manacle, knelt, and touched metal to metal. Nothing happened. Undeterred, he began bending the small wire-like piece of metal then stuck it into the keyhole. To his delight, there was a slight shattering sound, then magic seemed to evaporate from the manacle as it came undone. The eagle looked down with what Gregory guessed was surprise. “What magic is this?” he asked.

“No time to explain,” Gregory said, holding the small piece of metal out. “We’ll have to close the door behind us again, but you can use this to free the others. Just stick it into the keyhole of each manacle.”

The eagle acted quickly, grabbing the paper clip with surprising dexterity in its talons. “Go,” he said, “we can handle our own.”

Gregory rushed out and together he and Dengal closed the door behind them. Dengal had already put the ponies down while at the same time wiping away any footprints that led to the door to the eagle’s prison. She wiped away Gregory’s footsteps, then returned to look at the unconscious guards next to Gregory. “What now?” the gobliness asked.

Gregory looked at where Dengal had put the nox. “Now, we try to wake them,” Gregory said.

Dengal nodded and picked up the metal pieces from the knockout pellets, then walked over to one of the guards. “Up and at ‘em, cowboy,” she said with a country-ish accent.

Gregory almost chuckled at Dengal’s amusing words before he knelt next to Starfall. He put on a face of concern as he began to gently shake the nox maid. “Miss Starfall? Hey, Miss Starfall? You okay?” The nox pony began to stir, but didn’t do anything else. He began acting a bit more frantic and shook her a little more forcefully. For any normal creature, the knockout pellets would keep them out for about a half hour, and nowhere near that amount of time had passed. Still, he had to put up the pretense of trying.

Above him, he heard the sound of massive wings flapping. Nox. He and Dengal looked up to see a large nox pony guard along with a few other nox guards flying down. The nox pony Gregory saw was burly and full of muscle, while also wearing a helmet that was different from the other guards’ helmets. He was also a head taller than the other ponies. He landed and looked around, a grim expression on his face. “What happened here?” he asked, giving Gregory a pointed look.

“I’m not sure,” Gregory lied smoothly, looking around as if he expected something to happen, “we were talking about this building here when there was a flash of light and some sort of gas, and then these three collapsed. We moved them away from the area and we’ve been trying to get them awake ever since.”

The burly nox looked at Starfall and the two guards. There was a frown on his face as he turned to the guards. “Take them to the doctor to be treated and examined,” he ordered. Gregory and Dengal backed away as the other nox ponies grabbed the unconscious ones and flew away. The nox guard captain watched the guards leave then turned to Gregory and Dengal slowly. “I’m Captain Iron Grip. Are you two alright?” he asked slowly.

Gregory missed his mask all the more now, but he had practiced his own lying in the time he’d been on Erda. He leaned against the domed building that housed the eagle prisoners and let out a sigh. “Yeah,” he muttered, “that was…an experience.” He was still a mercenary, after all, so he had to act like it didn’t bother him too much, which was easy to fake. Well, except for his concern for Starfall. That had been genuine since he had a soft spot for his personal maid. She was competent, seemed to genuinely care about his wellbeing, and was a generally sweet pony to boot. Plus, she had some cute quirks that he liked. He hoped that when this was all over and if they escaped and helped defeat Majesty that the young nox pony would be alright.

Iron Grip nodded, then turned to the other guards still around. “Secure the area and search for intruders,” he ordered, then pointed to two guards. “You and you. Escort the guests of her majesty back to the palace.”

“Yes sir!” the other guards saluted and scattered in a disciplined manner save for the two who walked up to Gregory and Dengal, flanking them. Iron Grip turned to them. “Please let them guide you back to your room. The city is under lockdown until we find the intruders.”

Gregory looked around with his cautious wariness that he’d adopted as a mercenary. “Who could it be?” he asked.

“That’s what we’ll be looking for,” Iron Grip said. “Now, head back to the castle. Please.”

Gregory nodded, able to hear the ordering tone in Iron Grip’s voice. He and Dengal turned back towards the palace. He reached down and subtly touched Dengal’s pinkie finger. She briefly intertwined it with his before the two separated their fingers. There was silence among the group as they were led back to their room. It was a tense walk, which made sense.

Finally, the guards dropped them off and the two were alone. Gregory walked over to the chair and collapsed into it, exhaling heavily. “That was…fun,” he said, giving Dengal a brief knowing look. “Think they’ll be okay?”

Dengal, to her credit, seemed to get the intent behind the look as she sat down on the chair opposite his. “They’ll be fine,” she said. “They were just knocked out by whatever happened.”

Gregory nodded, leaning forward and putting on a pensive look. “Still, an intruder. I wonder if it’s a group of thugs who got lucky.”

“Now that’s not a very polite way to refer to your rescuers,” a familiar voice said from the bathroom door.

Dengal and Gregory both rose quickly, on the defensive as they faced the door. There, leaning against the door frame, an amused grin on his face, was Tobias. “Toby!” Gregory exclaimed in a quiet voice. He ran over and threw his arms around his friend, who did the same in kind. “I am so happy to see you!”

Tobias grinned and patted Gregory on the back before rubbing his head against Gregory’s cheek. “Hope you and Denny’s here haven’t been up to anything naughty while you’ve been gone,” he said as he broke the hug.

“H-Hey!” Dengal burst out, not being as loud as Gregory had been. This earned her a simultaneous “SHH!” from the abyssinian and human. “Sorry,” she said with a chagrined tone.

“So, this is what you look like under that mask,” another familiar voice said from the bathroom. Gregory looked past Tobias and saw Sunset who was giving his face an appraised look. She held out her hoof and wiggled it back and forth. “Not as ugly as I thought.”

“We’re not that close that you can use insult humor on me,” Gregory replied sternly before breaking out into a small smile. “Not yet, at least. Good to see you, Sunset.”

Sunset scowled at him, then a small smile formed on her face. “Good to see you’re still in one piece,” she said.

Then, Gregory received a surprise. A third pony, a nox pony stallion, appeared from behind the door. He had a nervous look in his eyes as he waved a hoof. “H-Hello, Mister Gregory,” a familiar voice said.

Gregory stared at the pony for a bit before looking back at Tobias. “Who’s that?” he asked, although he suspected that he knew already.

Tobias confirmed it by giving him a wink. “He helped us sneak into this underground city,” he explained. “His name’s Thorax, and he’s a changeling formerly from Chrysalis’ hive.”

Gregory nodded, then looked at the disguised changeling. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Mr. Thorax,” he said, reaching out a hand towards him. Thorax hesitated, then reached out and the two exchanged a hand/hoofshake. “What brings you here, though?”

“Um…I sensed my queen here,” he explained.

“Gregory, we can talk about things later,” Tobias said. “We can get you out of here right now.”

Gregory shook his head. “Not yet,” he said. “There’s something you need to do. Sit down, everyone. We need to come up with a plan.”

25: Tensions Mount

It had been only a year since Twilight had been in Canterlot, her last day there being the day she was released from the psychiatric hospital. Two years since she had really visited the place, since during her last year in the city she hadn’t been in her right mind. She looked around as she and the other five mares were escorted through the streets by the guards who had returned from the ruins of the pink castle that had apparently once held special significance to ponies of old. Beside her, lieutenant Sundance Spirit kept his eyes alert, scanning the ponies on the roads and looking for trouble.

Twilight had been gone for only a year, but to her eyes, it might as well have been a lifetime. Not just for her, but for the ponies of Canterlot. The mood in the city seemed different. The tension in the air was palpable, and there were definitely fewer ponies out than should have been out in the middle of the day, and those who were out looked more on alert than before. Some were doing their business while looking up at the sky often, looks of fear on their faces. Twilight immediately understood what and who they were fearing. Majesty.

On the trip back from the east, Sundance and several other ponies of the guard who had chosen to come back with her told her that tensions in Equestria seemed to be growing, and that included tensions between ponies and non-ponies, much to Twilight’s shock and shame. There had apparently been incidents where ponies in cities like Manehattan had been both jeered at and defended by ponies, the latter belonging to a growing movement that was spreading throughout Equestria. Not only that, but smaller towns had outright kicked non-ponies out. Twilight knew that eventually, if nothing could be done to stop Majesty, she would move on the inhabitants of those towns and pass some punishment on them.

But more importantly, it showed Twilight that nopony had learned from the example that was Jason Wright. Nopony had learned to be any better. No, that wasn’t quite true, she admitted to herself. There were definitely good ponies out there as was evident by those who defended nonponies in Equestria. Although that might not have been enough, especially since as a former Princess of Equestria she had studied as much of the laws as she could in her initial first few weeks. She had skimmed over citizenship laws for nonponies, and they had been draconian at best, but she hadn’t paid too much attention at the time, believing that the deal that nonponies were given by the government was amazing. Now she recalled them, and it made her sick to know just how unfair those laws were to nonponies. Even ponies who were born outside of Equestria were given what she now saw as preferential treatment.

If things didn’t change, Majesty would sweep over the entire nation, punishing those ponies as she saw fit. There was a part of Twilight that couldn’t blame her. Equestria’s fate seemed to be sealed. But the other part of her couldn’t just give up. She had to do something. What if her parents were punished and turned into something else? Sure, it wouldn’t affect how Twilight felt about them, but it would definitely affect her parents. She couldn’t watch her parents fall into the same despair that she’d seen from the ponies turned humans in Maretime Bay.

She came back to reality, vaguely aware that somepony was gently poking her side. Turning, she saw a concerned looking Pinkie Pie looking at her. “You alright?” the earth pony mare asked.

“Oh…yeah. Sorry. I’m just lost in thought.” Twilight tried to give her old friend a reassuring smile, but it felt hollow from her.

“Canterlot is certainly different from when I was here last,” Rarity observed, looking at the shops they were passing by, a majority of which were closed with a few boarded up. “Lieutenant Spirit, what’s been happening here?”

The stallion sighed. “Things have been quickly going downhill ever since the first attack by the alicorn,” he explained. “Not to mention that this new group calling themselves True Harmonists have been forming protests about the state of affairs in our nation.”

“True Harmonists?” Twilight hadn’t heard of them, but that wasn’t surprising since she hardly left her lighthouse.

“Yes,” Sundance replied. “They’ve been around for a couple of years now, but recently they’ve been making more public statements, passing out fliers, organizing protests, and things like that.”

“What kind of protests?” Fluttershy asked.

“No need to worry,” Sundance replied, “so far they’ve all been peaceful. Peaceful on their part, I mean. A day or so ago, there was an attack in Manehattan. The True Harmonists were at a peaceful protest when some older ponies attacked them and sent a few of them to the hospital. Thankfully there were no deaths, but some of the Harmonists were seriously injured.”

Twilight felt sick again. She felt the same rising panic that she had felt that day so long ago when she had learned from Celestia that it was her own actions that led to Jason’s-

She couldn’t say the word, it was too much. She took several deep breaths, relying on the exercises that her nurse back in Maretime Bay had taught her, and soon she was back in control of her emotions. She looked up at Sundance, who was talking to Applejack. The mare had apparently asked something, and he was answering. “…far as I know,” he was saying, shrugging. “There have been a few other incidents through the kingdom, but nothing as violent as this.”

“Equestria’s being torn apart at the seams,” Rarity muttered in shock.

“Maybe it should be…” Rainbow Dash said with a downcast expression.

“Rainbow Dash! How could you even suggest such a thing!?” Rarity squealed in surprise.

Rainbow looked up at her former friend, a glare in her own eyes. “Face the facts, Rarity. Ponies are almost beyond saving at this point.”

Twilight joined in as the others gaped at Rainbow. This was something that none of them expected from the formerly brash pegasus. “What do you mean?” Fluttershy asked softly, her voice indicating that she wanted to understand her former friend’s point of view.

“We had our run,” Rainbow said, “and it wasn’t even a good one. We just…we aimed our negativity outward instead of at each other. United against the rest of the world. What the tartarus kind of unity is that?” She looked up at the others. “Maybe that alicorn Majesty has some kind of point and we need to be punished for everything.”

“Mutilating ponies isn’t punishment,” Rarity argued. “It’s torture.”

“Ah dunno…” Applejack muttered, having remained silent up until that point. She looked over at Rainbow. “We made Jason feel like the ponies in Maretime Bay feel now. Ah hurt ‘im bad.”

“I did too…” Rainbow said with a tone of despair. “Maybe…maybe we deserve this. Maybe this is karma.”

“Listen to yourselves…” Twilight said, “you’re already giving up? You two are always the last to give up.” She trying to muster herself to give them hope when she didn’t feel any hope at all.

“You never spoke to us ever since that day,” Rainbow said with an icy tone that struck Twilight to her core, “so what the tartarus do you know?”

Twilight bit her lip. “I-I know, but-”

“Yah weren’t there when that plague destroyed a hundred years of mah family’s farm,” Appejack said with an equal amount of bitterness, “mah family’s legacy. Yah weren’t there when ponies hired by other ponies attacked us when we were movin’ tah Maretime Bay. When they broke Big Mac’s leg…”

“You weren’t there when the ponies in Zephyr Heights mocked me constantly, when they hit me with rocks and sticks, calling me a fraud, a tormentor, a-” She turned away, her bottom lip quivering, “-a lightning obsessed murderer…”

“Yah spent so much time in that hospital and when yah got out, the princess gave yah a cushy job at a lighthouse,” Applejack snapped at her.

“I-It’s an important job,” Twilight began lamely.

“Horseshit,” Rainbow said, stomping her hoof on the ground in anger. “You light an oversized candle every night. Big deal. I could do that. Fluttershy could do that.”

Twilight wasn’t sure what was worse, what her former friends were saying or how they were saying it. Even in her darkest times she was cared for more than the others. She could understand Celestia’s anger at them two years ago. She could understand their punishment, and she had grown to accept that. But now she realized that perhaps she alone hadn’t been punished enough. Her ears lowered and she looked at her front hooves, silence reigning the street. Even the locals were watching. “Are you…suggesting I got off easy?”

“Yah spent all that time in that loony bin, getting cared for, fed, and then when you’re all better the princess gives yah a simple, ‘important’ job,” Applejack said, making quotation marks with her front hooves at the word important.

“And she probably gave Rarity’s parents that bakery,” Rainbow spat out with a glare at the white unicorn, who flinched back.

Rarity tried to defend herself. “N-No, she didn’t-”

“As Rainbow said earlier, horseshit,” Applejack growled. “It’s probably because yah both got those.” She reached up and smacked Twilight’s horn.

Twilight flinched back, wincing in pain. “Wh-What-?”

“Yeah…yeah!” Rainbow said in a mocking tone now. “You used to tell us stories about Celestia’s School for Gifted…oh, what was it, Applejack? Can you remind this stupid pegasus?”

“Unicorns,” Applejack sneered. “And who lives up here most? Unicorns. Who are most of the nobleponies? Unicorns. Who got to be the Captain of the Royal Guard? Yer brother, a unicorn. Can yah spell nepotism?”

“I didn’t even know you knew that word,” Rainbow snorted.

This earned her a glare from Applejack. “I ain’t as dumb as you hoity-toity airbrains think us mudslinger ponies are,” she said darkly.

Twilight couldn’t believe what was happening, but at the same time she could believe it. She might not have ever left her house except for groceries, but she had heard from her nurse about the situation in Maretime Bay. The ponies who once lived in Ponyville might have lived together, but before their untimely transformation into humans, they were segregating themselves by race. The only exceptions to that were the foals who didn’t care enough about racial differences to care. Why would they? Fillies and colts were remarkably resilient, and even if they missed Ponyville, they lived by the ocean now and it was summer, which meant swimming, sandcastles, sunbathing and more.

“Airbrain? How dare you?” Rainbow was trembling with barely repressed rage. “At least you had a home longer than I did! I had to sell my cloudominium and then it was taken apart to make extra clouds! You got to stay a farmer! I had to become a damned waitress!”

“Boo hoo for you!” Applejack roared back. “You still have your parent! We couldn’t bring mine!”

That was it. Rainbow’s hoof shot out and slammed into Applejack’s muzzle, sending the earth pony sprawling onto the cobblestone road. Standing up, the orange mare spat out a glob of blood and spit before screaming and charging at Rainbow, catching her on one of her wings. There was the sound of snapping bones and Rainbow screamed in agony. “DAMN YOU!”

“MAKE ME!”

The two were immediately at each other’s throats, and Twilight could tell they were not holding back.

Neither did the guards. Two of them, unicorns, fired stunning spells at the two, catching them instantly and making them go limp. Twilight looked away, and was only then conscious of the sounds of crying. Looking back, she saw Fluttershy curled up, her wings covering her face. Pinkie looked even more miserable and hopeless than she had before, and she looked even grayer. Rarity was sitting on her haunches looking at the ground, a stunned expression on her face.

Twilight’s head was spinning. Things were falling apart between them, although she supposed that was inevitable. Still, they had both made a few good points. She knew her family had lived in relative comfort in Canterlot with the stallions of her family having served, many with distinction, in the Royal Guard for centuries. She was beginning to wonder if the princess had done that on purpose for some reason.

She felt a twinge of anger at that. Anger that was poorly timed because at that moment she heard the familiar voice of the princess calling out, “What is going on here?”

Twilight’s anger burned hotter than she thought possible and she whirled on her former mentor. The princess hadn’t changed too much, but Twilight thought she saw a few extra bags under her eyes. Bags which she ignored as she took a slow step forward, unaware that her mane and tail were starting to move on their own. “You…” she said, her voice low and growling.

To her credit, Celestia didn’t move, but Twilight was satisfied to see a brief look of confusion and shock on her face. “Twilight, what-?”

“You nepotist,” she growled angrily. The guards moved to intercept her but Celestia waved them off as she began to back away. “Did you put all of my ancestors into the Royal Guard for some reason?”

Celestia looked even more confused. “Twilight, what-?”

“And why is it that your school only focuses on gifted unicorns instead of gifted ponies altogether?” Twilight continued, her mane and tail moving faster, almost like a flame. She had never felt so angry or betrayed in her life, and she was tired of holding back.

“Twilight, please calm down-”

“And let’s not forget that almost all of the nobility are unicorns,” Twilight said, her voice being raised more, “and that unicorns were the only pony race that had a noble line before the founding of Equestria. Why did we become a monarchy? Why didn’t we do something different?”

“It was-”

“And why…the…FUCK…haven’t you done anything about the inequality between the pony clans, or more importantly, about the differences in treatment between ponies and nonponies in Equestria!?” She was shaking now. Unknownst to her, her tail and mane were now ablaze, much like they had been when she had erupted in anger during her first encounter with Pinkie Sense. There were shouts of alarm and demands from the guards to back down or they would act. Her fur was cream white, her eyes were red, and her mane and tail were an orange blaze. “WHY IS EQUESTRIA SO BROKEN BECAUSE OF YOUR FOOLISH INACTION!?” she bellowed in a voice that rivaled the Royal Canterlot Voice. “YOU’RE NOT EQUESTRIA’S MOMMY! STOP ACTING LIKE IT!”

Celestia was so stunned that she didn’t expect what happened next. Twilight blasted magic at the princess, something that nopony who knew her expected her to do. It was a blast of blood red magic, magic that could easily have either seriously injured or killed anypony. However, mere inches from impact, a purple aura surrounded the princess and pulled her directly out of the way. The blast of magic flew into the sky, but was intercepted by another blast of magic, this one the color of moderate cobalt blue.

Twilight turned to see who dared interfere with her actions, only to be stunned into silence when she saw her own mother standing there. She looked drained and weary. Twilight faltered. “Mom…?”

She then felt something hit her in the chest. Turning, she saw Luna next to her still stunned older sister, her horn smoking from the discharge of magic. Twilight felt herself growing weaker, but not weak enough that she couldn’t do anything. She screamed in defiance and charged her horn, but Luna was faster. Another stun bolt, and Twilight collapsed, her last memory was of her mother weeping.

Princess Celestia had canceled everything after Twilight and her former friends had arrived in a very…disturbing manner. She was sitting in the castle’s hospital wing near three occupied beds. Three of the former Elements of Harmony lay there, sleeping off the stun bolts that had been used against them. The other three were in three castle rooms, none of them having the strength to speak to each other or even at all. They were all completely exhausted. Twilight Velvet was by her daughter’s bed, holding her hoof and stroking it.

Luna was dealing with the Day Court so Celestia could be here. She had never before seen Twilight get so angry. It had scared Celestia, mostly because the younger alicorn had taken on a form similar to…to her Daybreaker form.

Celestia knew that she had a form like Luna had Nightmare Moon. Every alicorn had something like that. Cadance even had one named Heartbreaker, which thankfully had never activated. Sure, there had once been other alicorns who had shown wicked tendencies before, like Opaline Arcana, but the others were sadly dead from a plague that wiped out Skyros. And then there was Majesty, an apparently ascended alicorn who was older than any other alicorns she knew of.

Apparently, Twilight had her own dark form, and that broke Celestia’s heart even more than when she was punishing her and her friends. She had to do it because it was the right thing to do and nopony, not even a former princess, were above the law, but it still broke her heart in many ways. Now, though, seeing her former student losing control to anger hurt. Not because of the danger to her young mind, but because each and every word Twilight spoke was true.

She was no better than the ponies who had tormented and caused the death of Jason Wright.

Of course, she had always blamed herself for his death. She had done nothing to check in on him. She had trusted in the wrong ponies. In that sense, she was no better. But now Twilight had opened her eyes even further to her own failings. The nobles, her school, the laws surrounding nonponies, the latter of which she was more aware of and had been attempting to change for the past few years but with fewer results than she’d hoped for thanks in part to the nobles pushing back.

It was her turn to be angry, not just at the nobles, but at herself. She had failed so much in trying to change things for the better the way she had been doing things. Twilight was right. She wasn’t Equestria’s mother. She was a princess, the highest authoritative figure in the kingdom, or one of two. She was no figurehead.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a groaning noise from a nearby bed where Rainbow Dash was beginning to stir. One of the nursing staff was quickly by her side. A pegasus nurse. After Celestia had heard about the argument and about how it had devolved into racial insults, she decided that for the moment each of their nurses would be of a corresponding race to the patient. She had been receiving reports that mentioned a few incidents between the three pony clans, and she feared that the moment newspapers reported on the incident a few hours ago, those tensions would only increase. Not to mention the True Harmonists. They might not have intended to stir up trouble of their own, but their very existence was causing more conservative ponies to act up.

“Easy, Miss Dash,” the pegasus nurse said, “lie back and take slow, easy breaths.”

“…Thirsty…” Rainbow Dash croaked.

The nurse nodded and grabbed a glass on the nearby table, lifting it up to Rainbow’s lips. “Open,” she instructed.

Rainbow did so, and the nurse helped the prismatic pegasus take a drink. After a while, Rainbow was helped to a sitting position. That was when she saw where she was and who was with her. She looked down at Applejack and frowned. “Is she okay?” she asked the earth pony nurse at her side.

The second nurse nodded. “She’s just sleeping.”

Rainbow then noticed Twilight in a bed and her eyes widened in surprise. “What happened to her?” she asked.

Twilight Velvet, who was standing in as her daughter’s nurse, looked up tiredly. “She had to be stunned too…”

“Huh? What for?”

“She attacked me,” Celestia spoke up, her voice sounding as tired as Twilight Velvet looked.

Rainbow looked over at the princess in shock. “She did…what?”

“She fired magic at me that could have seriously hurt or killed any normal pony,” Celestia clarified.

Rainbow looked back at Twilight with eyes wide as saucers. “I don’t believe it…” she muttered. She turned back to Celestia. “Is she having a…what’s that hospital word where your brain injury opens up again? Begins with an R, I think. Recapse? Reclapse?”

“A relapse,” Celestia said, “and I don’t know. I hope not. She’s suffered enough as it is.”

“Why did she do it?” Rainbow asked.

Before Celestia could reply, she heard a groaning noise. Both she and Rainbow Dash turned to see Applejack stirring in her bed. They watched as Applejack’s earth pony nurse gave her a potion to help her wake up. Apparently, Applejack had been stunned by two blasts unlike Rainbow, so she would need more than just water to recover, but she would be back to full health quickly enough. “Whu…what in tarnation happened?” she groaned as the nurse helped her into a sitting position.

“You and Miss Dash were fighting and the guards stunned you so you wouldn’t hurt each other.”

Applejack looked over and saw Celestia. Her eyes narrowed. “Tryin’ tah keep us earth ponies down, ah see,” she growled.

“And trying to keep us pegasi grounded,” Rainbow added with her own anger.

This wasn’t going the way Celestia had hoped. She had flashbacks to her early days as a princess, when the three tribes were bickering on how to run things. The nation might have united the tribes in theory, but that didn’t mean prejudices changed overnight. They had needed to change in that time, and she and Luna had worked tirelessly alongside their magic teacher and the old Pillars to make sure the change was set into motion. She cursed her younger self for not being more alert about the change’s negative side effects.

Before Celestia could speak again, the universe silenced her by waking up Twilight. Unlike Rainbow Dash and Applejack. Twilight shot up out of bed, eyes wide as she took in ragged breaths. Twilight’s mother was there instantly, putting her forelegs around her daughter. “Hush now, Twilight, I’m here. Take calm, deep breaths.”

Twilight’s eyes darted around the room, then locked onto Celestia. Her own eyes widened, then narrowed. “You…” she growled, but that made her fall into a coughing fit.

Twilight Velvet immediately helped her swallow some water to clear her throat. Unlike Applejack. Twilight Sparkle’s alicorn physiology would help her to recover from two stun blasts from Luna much better. “Just relax for a bit,” Velvet encouraged her daughter.

At that moment, Luna walked in, flanked by two of her personal chiropteran guards. “I came as soon as I heard that they were waking up,” Luna said as she joined her sister.

Celestia nodded slowly, barely acknowledging her sister’s presence. “Thanks,” she muttered, her head lowering.

Celestia felt somepony nudging her side. “Sister…”

The alabaster alicorn looked over at the dark blue alicorn of the night, finally fully registering that Luna was there. “I’m sorry,” she said, “I’ve got a lot on my mind.”

“Such as?” Luna prodded.

Celestia’s anger returned, and her mane and tail moved a bit faster, much like Twilight’s had when she experienced her rage filled moment. “My failings are piling up, sister,” she said, loudly enough that everypony in the room could hear it, “and I, for one, am growing tired of it. I hate that it took this Majesty to fully open my eyes to the sickness that is spread across our kingdom. It should have opened further with Jason’s suicide, but it didn’t. I am the damn princess, not the mother of this kingdom!” She slammed her hoof down on the ground, causing cracks to appear in the floor itself. She looked over at Twilight. “Your attack on me aside, you were right, young Twilight. This kingdom is unbalanced. We might have lasted for centuries, but that doesn’t mean that we have made any sort of progress when it comes to our own internal and external policies.”

“Ah’ll be darned…” Applejack muttered.

Ignoring that, Celestia continued. “I hope it isn’t too late to create change before Majesty strikes again. Her actions are too far, but her points…well, they’re well made. So far, she has only punished those she deems guilty, and by and large she did target those who have either escaped punishment or were not punished enough, at least in her opinion. I plan on trying to speak with her.”

“That might not be as easy as you make it out to be, sister,” Luna said. “She strikes me as a fanatic. Someone a lot like Opaline. She might pretend to listen but be plotting.”

“I have to believe she is not that far gone yet,” Celestia said, “but if she is…when I will fight her myself.”

Luna’s eyes bulged, and so did the others in the room. “Sister…the last time you truly fought anyone-”

“I created the Badlands, I know,” Celestia said.

“Excuse me, truly fought?!” Twilight shrieked in rage. “You mean you could have defeated other villains instead of having me and the girls do it?! WE NEARLY DIED SEVERAL TIMES!”

“Twilight, please calm down,” Velvet said, trying to push her daughter back into bed.

Twilight, however, wasn’t to be deterred. She shoved her mother off, sending her sprawling, before the young alicorn jumped up and glared daggers at Celestia. “You once told me,” she said in a deadly tone, “that a princess cares for their subjects. That a princess should put their lives on the line for them. When have you ever done that? For real?”

“Twilight Sparkle!” Her mother’s shout caused the younger alicorn to jump and turn to her mother in shock. Velvet looked angry, almost as angry as young Twilight. “Before you make any sort of accusation against someone, what is the one thing you should do? You are a smart mare, but you are letting your anger get in the way of your rationale. Even the princess has a right to speak in her defense.” She then turned and gave Celestia a warning glare. “Even if there’s not much she could say.”

That stung the alicorn a bit, but she nodded and thanked Twilight Velvet. “I should probably speak to the others as well,” she said.

“Guards, call the other former Elements to meet us in here at once,” Luna ordered.

“At once, your highness,” her guards said as the two chiropterans flew away, vanishing into a dark shadow.

Five minutes later, the other three were in the room, sitting near the beds of the first three. The nurses were gone now as the information the princess was about to share was secret. Celestia didn’t miss that Pinkie Pie was next to Applejack. Rarity next to Twilight, and Fluttershy next to Rainbow Dash. When the doors were shut and windows closed, Celestia stood. She was facing her failures head on from then on, and it had to start with her failings regarding these six.

Clearing her throat, she faced Twilight first. “Twilight Sparkle, you’re right. If I had wanted to defeat the enemies we have faced, I could most likely easily have done so. I don’t let anypony else know this, but because I have a thousand years more of experience than Luna, I am much more powerful than she is. Even back before I banished her, I was marginally more powerful. My power, however, comes with great responsibilities. My magic even back before Luna’s banishment was too powerful for me to use. I used it once in a moment of heartbreak and anger. The Badlands were once a flourishing and verdant valley full of life and beauty. My sister and I had a retreat home there where we could spend a week a year on the lake that once existed there. One year, an army of rogue diamond dogs invaded and began terrorizing the local inhabitants. My sister and I didn’t know about it until the dogs had raped and massacred every single pony in that valley.”

The room began growing warm and Celestia’s mane and tail moved like a flame. She continued with a trembling voice. “I was…so angry…so vengeful…that I flew there and wiped out every. Single. One. Of. Those. FUCKING! DOGS!” A blast of heat emanated from her before she took a few deep breaths. Luna walked over and put a comforting wing over Celestia’s back. “I have raised the sun and moon for a thousand years. The power I have inside me can destroy this entire world if I let all of it out at once. I can control how much I let out to an extent, but not enough to be able to defeat what we’ve faced. I also didn’t show my true abilities because if I did that, other nations would fear us.”

“They hate us now,” Twilight said with a scowl.

Celestia nodded. “I know…and I will work to change that…by fixing the mess of a kingdom we live in.”

“I’ll believe that when I see it,” Rainbow muttered.

“You make a fair point, Miss Dash,” Celestia said. “Actions speak louder than words, or so the saying goes.”

“This doesn’t change anything,” Twilight snapped. “You could have trained to learn more control over your magic. If you’re as powerful as you’re claiming, then the enemy alicorn has to be much more powerful, and she has control.”

Celestia nodded in agreement. “She is much more powerful than any of the alicorns I know. I could feel the magic radiating off of her. Even if the four other alicorns in the world attacked her, we’d be no match. That’s why I’m going to attempt to defeat her another way. By changing Equestria for the better.”

Before anypony could say anything else, a swirling green mist formed in the air above Celestia’s head. In a flash of bright green light, a scroll appeared in front of Celestia, which she caught with her magic. Looking at the seal, she saw that it was from Cadance of all ponies. Surprised, she broke the wax and opened it, reading it carefully. “Thank Harmony…he’s safe now.”

“Who is safe, sister?” Luna asked, trying to get a peak at the letter herself.

“The human who Majesty captured,” Celestia said.

That caught the attention of everypony else in the room, even the formerly stunned ponies. “What does the letter say?” Twilight Sparkle asked.

Celestia cleared her throat. “To her Royal Highnesses Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. I bid you a fair greeting. As of one hour ago, we are hosting a human in our care who says he has met both of you. He has requested that I write to you in the hopes to meet, as he has information about a certain alicorn that you may find useful. He also says that currently said alicorn is temporarily out of commission but that will not last for long. Please come directly to Crystalia as soon as possible. Cordially, Empress Cadance the First.”

The room was silent as everypony there digested the letter’s contents. It didn’t take Celestia long to decide what to do. She stood, turned to Luna, and was about to say something when Luna’s feather ruffled. “I am coming too,” the younger alicorn said.

Celestia opened her mouth to object, then closed it. She had no right to deny her sister this, especially since Luna had wanted to officially meet with the human at some point. Luna had been particularly taken with Jason Wright the first time around, especially since he had complimented her so naturally. Celestia had warned her sister that Revan had suffered in his own way since arriving on Erda, but that didn’t stop Luna from wanting to at least meet him once. “Go pack, then,” she said.

Luna nodded, then teleported away.

“There’s no way we’re not coming,” Twilight said, sitting up with a more determined look on her face now.

Celestia shook her head. “Twilight, you need to rest-”

“We have something we need to give to him,” Twilight interrupted her. “Something Discord said we should do.”

That caught Celestia’s attention. “Discord, where has he-?”

“Don’t know, don’t care,” Twilight said, “but he’s doing more to help than you are, so we’re going and that’s that.”

Celestia couldn’t argue. She nodded and turned to Twilight Velvet. “Your own research into your family history may be important. Would you and your husband like to accompany us?”

Twilight Velvet winced a bit, but nodded slowly. “I’ll go fetch him.”

“No need,” Celestia replied. “I’ll send somepony to get him. For now, tend to your daughter. I have to pack myself. We leave in half an hour.”

26: Conference

Gregory stood on the balcony of the room he had been given by the Empress while looking out at the city of Crystalia below. He was wearing his mask not only to hide his identity again but to use its advanced eyesight to look over the city with more clarity than his natural eyesight would be. He watched the crystal ponies as they went about their daily lives, although he did see a few ponies that seemed to be talking about the arrival of the large eagles who had set up a temporary roost on the outskirts of the city where they could rest. It had been almost half a day since they had arrived in the Crystal Empire’s capital, and Gregory had been given access to a bath and some good food. He hadn’t been terribly mistreated by Majesty aside from being held against his will, but it felt good to eat and bathe in a free environment, especially in an environment where he could actually see the sun ad sky.

They don’t know they’re close to danger, Gregory thought as he heard the door to his room open. Turning, he saw Chrysalis, Thorax, Dengal, Sunset, and Tobias all standing there. All three of them looked much better after food and bathing as well, especially the latter two who had been scouring the icy north looking for him without any access to a bath or shower. That had been the first thing Gregory teased Tobias about when they were settled. It felt good to tease him after their time apart.

“Take that ridiculous thing off,” Tobias said with a knowing grin.

Gregory smirked, then reached up and pulled the mask off, revealing his face. Immediately, Tobias walked towards him and flung his arms around his human friend. Gregory returned the hug, unable to stop smiling. “At least you got the stink off,” he said, unable to keep from teasing his friend.

This earned him a playful shove and a grin from the abyssinian as the two broke the hug. However, he was enveloped in another hug, this one from Dengal, who held him close. Gregory felt her melt into the embrace as he returned the favor. “We’re out,” he said with a smile, “and we’ll be going home soon.”

“That’s actually what we came here to talk about,” Tobias said.

Gregory looked up at his friend and saw that his smile was now fading. Dengal wasn’t letting go, so Gregory held her close as he asked, “What do you mean?”

“He means that the Badlands aren’t the same as they were before,” Chrysalis explained.

“Right…and is that a problem?” Gregory asked, a bit confused.

“It’s been…you would call it terraformed?” Tobias asked to clarify.

“Yeah, that seems about right,” he said as he walked over to his bed and sat down. Dengal sat close to him, only half letting go as she leaned against him while he ran his hand through her raven black hair absent-mindedly. “At least now we won’t be tracking sand into the house.”

“Gregory, you don’t understand,” Tobias said. “Majesty did that with her magic. All of it. The terraforming, punishing the creatures there that she saw as evil, all that stuff. Her reach is continent-wide.”

Gregory felt realization pass over him and he nodded. “You’re saying we should just leave this continent and find somewhere else to live?” he asked. “Like when you mentioned moving to Panthera?”

“Exactly!” Tobias exclaimed with a vigorous nod. “She might be able to see us there, but we wouldn’t be in any danger, at least not that I can see.”

“He means that Majesty wouldn’t have any sort of care for the abyssinians,” Dengal said softly into Gregory’s ear.

“She’d just ignore Panthera and the kingdom there?” Gregory asked.

“Precisely,” Tobias said.

Gregory thought on this. In a way, it made sense. He had grown tired of living not just in a desert, but in a place where he had to hide his face behind the mask currently in his lap. He looked down at the mask, lifting it up and staring at it with a contemplative look. He liked the mask for what it could offer him in terms of what he did for his mercenary work. He’d still use it, but not having to need to wear it all the time when in public would be nice. He lowered it and looked at Tobias. “You think that the abyssinians would welcome me? I’m not exactly one of them.”

“Pff, the abyssinians are a lot more welcoming than us ponies,” Sunset said with a snort. “I visited a few of their libraries a few years ago and the abyssinians there were welcoming enough. Some were a bit gruff, but they didn’t strike me with lightning, buck me in the chest, or chase me out of town to live in a cave.”

Chrysalis shook her head. “It doesn’t surprise me that ponies would do such a thing. My mother tried to negotiate with ponies for a place to live but was rejected and cast out rather harshly.”

“That’s why you attacked Cadance’s and Shining Armor’s wedding?” Gregory asked.

Chrysalis’ eyes widened. “How did you know that?”

“Secret for now,” Gregory quickly said. Chrysalis didn’t seem to like that, but she wisely kept her mouth shut on the matter. “Did you have something you needed to talk to me about?” Gregory asked.

Chrysalis pursed her lips and suddenly looked nervous, something that Gregory didn’t expect from the changeling queen. She didn’t speak for a few moments, then she let out a quick, “I want to bring the changelings there.”

Gregory’s surprised seemed to be dwarfed only by Tobias’ own shock. He was the one who spoke first. “Sunset is right that we are a bit more welcoming in our own way to outsiders, but there is a limit.”

“I had days in that painting to think about things,” Chrysalis explained, “and I also had time to remember what my mother wanted. Metamorpha, the former queen of our hive and my mother, was always more diplomatically inclined than I was, than I am,” she corrected. “The old hive we had in the Badlands was destroyed by Majesty, but the changelings are still alive. I can hear them now. They want a place to call their own.” She turned to Tobias. “There has to be land where we can set up a hive.”

“I’m not the king,” Tobias argued, “so I can’t just say you can do anything on Panthera.”

“I am not going back into that painting again,” Chrysalis said with a tremor of fear in her voice. “The feeling of fear never left me. It was agony!”

“Maybe you’ll know how your former victims feel now,” Sunset snarked.

“Enough,” Gregory said to Sunset before turning back to Chrysalis. “You realize we can’t promise you anything. You’ll probably have to make your case before someone pretty high up in their government.”

“My changelings are more important to me than my life,” Chrysalis said, “and I would do anything for them.”

“Tell that to the ones who were injured or killed in your invasion of Canterlot,” Sunset snarked.

Chrysalis looked angry at this, but simply blow out a breath. “Fine, you have a point. I acted poorly then and was only seeking revenge against the ponies who rejected us so long ago. Like I said, I had time to think when I was stuck in that painting. I know why Majesty put me in there, and I want to be as far away from her as I can and to also show that I’m not a threat.”

“Why would that matter?” Gregory asked.

“I’ve been in contact with my drones, and one of them was near a place known as Dodge City,” Chrysalis said. “He told me that a few of the ponies who were transformed into monsters have become humans after they…I guess the term would be repented? Understood their actions? Something like that. My changeling told me the new humans are all feeling a sense of regret at something they did in the past.”

“Does that mean this Majesty believes in redemption?” Thorax, who had been quiet the entire time, asked.

“Her M.O. seems to indicate she believes what she’s doing is for the betterment of ponies,” Gregory said. “She didn’t punish the ponies in Maretime Bay who either didn’t have a hand in Jason’s suicide or who were too young.”

There was a knock at the door. Instinctively, Gregory pulled his mask towards his face, but Dengal grabbed his wrist. He looked down at the beautiful goblin woman, who shook her head. “Not this time,” she whispered. “You’re safe here, I’m sure of that.”

Gregory hesitated, looking back at his mask, then slowly lowered it. “What is it?” he called out.

“Empress Cadance requests the presence of you and your companions, sir,” a voice said from behind the door. “The Equestrian convoy is here.”

Spike walked down the halls of his new home towards the meeting room. In his arms he carried a number of ancient scrolls that he and a number of crystal pony historians had dug up related to Majesty and/or ancient pony history. As he walked, he felt the all too familiar rising of anxiety coming to him, the same type he felt whenever he thought about Twilight and her former friends. If his mom was right and he hadn’t been here when they’d visited within the past week, then this would be the true first time that he had seen them. Still, the memory of having seen them lay fresh in his mind.

Then again, he reasoned, the last time they had been here, he hadn’t been this nervous. Was that because of whatever magic had affected him, he wondered. Whatever memories had been planted in him certainly felt like his. Whoever had replaced him had acted remarkably like him, albeit with some kind of regal air about them, something Spike never really had.

Spike felt a gentle wing pressing against his leg as he walked. Looking down, he saw his sister Flurry looking up at him with concern in her moderate teal eyes. He paused in the hallway and smiled at her. “I’ll be alright,” he said. When Flurry had somehow learned about Spike’s apparent abduction and temporary replacement, she had hardly left his side. He would sometimes find her curled in his lap while he and the crystal pony researchers were in the archives, sleeping or reading some of his old comics, something he had gotten her interested in when she was old enough to read.

“Are you sure?” Flurry asked. “You don’t need to go there, do you? You can just drop off those papers and then we can go play.”

Spike smiled warmly. She may have been young, but she showed signs of being one of the nicer ponies. She still didn’t have a cutie mark, of course, but she didn’t care as much as the CMC.

Just the thought of those three fillies brought up the image of Sweetie Belle in his mind. He wondered what she was up to nowadays. He thought about asking Rarity about it, but decided against it.

Spike returned to the present as he looked down at his sister. “I’m the prince, Flur,” he said, “so I need to be there to explain what we’ve found. It’s my duty.”

“But why not send one of those old ponies instead?” Flurry asked. “Do you really need to do it?”

Spike paused, then lowered down to look at Flurry eye to eye. “You like playing chess, right?” he asked.

Flurry looked confused, but nodded. “Yeah.” She smiled a bit. “I like beating daddy.”

Spike snorted. Flurry was actually a chess prodigy and Shining never held back against her lately. She would always win. “There’s something I’ve learned when it comes to being a prince. If the king doesn’t lead, who will follow? If I just let others step forward for me, that makes me a bad leader.”

Flurry’s eyes widened a bit at that, and she seemed to take those words to heart as Spike stood back up. Spreading her large wings, she flew up beside him. “I’m coming with you,” she said resolutely.

Spike almost wanted to argue, but he knew she had caught him in his own words. Chess prodigy indeed, he thought. “That’s fine with me,” he said as he resumed his walk.

The two entered the meeting room a few minutes later to find their parents already sitting down at the head of the table. Near them sat the guests who had appeared from the north. Spike had never seen a human being up close before, but looking at the being dressed all in black named Gregory Graystone, he wondered just what in the world Twilight and the others had feared about him. He didn’t know why Jason Wright had been rejected simply because of his species. Then he remembered Zecora, and part of it made sense.

The two changelings at the table were more of a cause for worry for him, but he noted that there were two guards standing near the insect-like equines. He also saw an abyssinian sitting on one side of their human guest, but on the other side sat a green-skinned female who had features that resembled humans. Instantly he knew that the female was a goblin, but unlike any goblin description he had read about before.

His mom was the first to speak as Spike walked in. “Hello, son,” she greeted him, then turned to Flurry. “Daughter, dear,” she added with an equally warm smile.

“Are you planning on staying, Flurry?” his dad asked.

“I wanna stay,” Flurry affirmed. She looked around the room. “Where are they?” She said that last sentence with a hint of anger and frustration in her tone.

Their mom put a wing around Flurry. “Easy there, sweetie,” she said, “they’re here. They’re being shown the way here.”

Spike took a seat in the chair next to his father, who was looking at the young dragon with a warm smile. “Quite a haul you got there,” he teased.

Spike rolled his eyes. It was, in fact, not a big haul. He only had two ancient books and three scrolls, which he was currently organizing. “It’s all we could find on Majesty and her associates,” Spike said, “and that includes an ancient dragon companion of hers.”

“A dragon?” The goblin female sat up, and to Spike’s surprise, she had a voice he hadn’t expected from a goblin. Feminine. Beautiful. “Was this dragon described as having pink and grayish scales, dark green talons and spines, and purple eyes?”

Spike’s eyes shot open wide. “Um…yes, but how did you know?” he asked.

The goblin was about to reply when his mom spoke up. “We can talk about that later,” she said. “I can hear the others coming.”

A few seconds later, the doors opened and Spike laid his eyes on the ponies he once thought of as friends and, in the case of a purple alicorn, family. What he didn’t expect to see were Twilight’s and his dad’s parents along with the others, which included Twilight, her former friends, and both Equestrian princesses. The mood in the room shifted to a tense one. The six former Elements of Harmony all looked around, then locked eyes on the human in the room. Twilight’s eyes bulged out of their sockets the most, it seemed. Spike glanced at the human to see what it was she may have been staring at since only the human’s head was visible. It was possibly some slight scarring on the face, he realized.

Gregory, however, seemed to find the stares a bit uncomfortable. He turned to stare at them. “See something you dislike?” he asked with a glare.

That made the ponies all look away, various looks of shame on their faces. His mom, however, spoke up. “Mr. Graystone, I know you may know the history of…your predecessor,” she said, “but please do not antagonize my fellow guests while in my halls. When we’re finished here, I have already promised to have you escorted back to your home.”

“Apologies,” the human said as he turned away from the ponies.

Celestia spoke next after a few brief moments of tense and awkward silence. “Empress Cadance, it is nice to see you again,” the ancient alicorn said.

“Greetings to you as well, Princess Celestia.” His mom greeted Celestia with a cool and professional manner.

Spike could see the hurt that briefly washed over the alabaster princess of the sun before continuing. “Thank you for meeting with us on such short notice.”

“It would appear that Equestria has awakened a sleeping giant,” his mom replied, “and this ancient alicorn may very well be a threat to my empire. I had little choice in the matter. Please sit, and I will bring in some refreshments before we begin.”

The ponies all sat down and began to organize themselves, Spike noting that Twilight didn’t sit anywhere near Celestia. He noted that the memory he had of the six seemed accurate, so he focused on two other ponies he once considered family. Night Light and Twilight Velvet looked much older than when he’d last seen them. Velvet’s eyes were red, either from crying or from not enough sleep he couldn’t tell. She was thinner, too, and there were a few more wrinkles on her than he remembered.

Night Light had some new gray in his mane and tail, and there were a few more wrinkles on his face. He wasn’t old by any means, but whatever had happened to him over the past two years had obviously taken its toll on him.

Celestia and Luna remained physically unchanged, but Spike had been taking classes on pony body language from his mom and some of the teachers in the palace. They hid it remarkably well, but Spike had a better knack for reading emotions than most ponies now. Both alicorns were tired. Maybe not so much physically as mentally. It showed in their eyes. Things on their homefront must have been harder than normal.

When everyone was seated and ready to begin, Spike watched his mom-no, Empress Cadance-straighten and look over the miscellaneous gathered creatures around the table. “Thank you all for coming,” she said in a tone that reminded Spike a bit of Celestia, but with more authority behind the tone. This was the tone of an empress. “I won’t be long, but we all face a crisis. An unknown threat from the ancient past has arisen and we here may have the information needed to neutralize said threat.” She scanned the table again. “I see that you have the most here, Princess Celestia. I have also heard a little bit from the mercenary group and…the changelings.” She said that part with some disgust, but seemed to shake it off. “We here possibly have the least amount to share. We will begin sharing first.”

“Understood and accepted,” Celestia said with a nod.

Cadance nodded, then turned to Spike. Her regal persona briefly faltered and she nodded at him, a small smile on her face. “Prince Spike, please begin.”

Spike nodded and opened the books and scrolls. “As you know,” he began, “the crystal ponies formed the Crystal Empire over two thousand years ago. Their land stretched farther than it is today, going as far as the Winterwall. They were united long before Equestria was formed. According to what I found here in these documents, sometime after the founding of the Empire, the crystal ponies accepted some refugees of each race from some sort of terrible war. We couldn’t find out the details of this war, only what an aging pegasus told those they met.”

Spike picked up the first bit of information, an ancient scroll that contained writing from an even older tablet. “I quote: ‘Thus is came to pass in the thirty fifth year of Emperor Jade’s rule that unto us came three tribes of ponykin foreign to us from across the waters, and among them one of their great and aging warriors named was Firefly, a pegasus of great renown and skill. She described an ancient and fierce war that her kind were embroiled in, them and their allies, races also unknown to us. They were named the humans, the elves, the gnomes, the grundles, and the bushwoolies. This alliance stood tall against an enemy more deadly than any known to Erda. Demons from Tartarus had spewed forth from a dark and cursed gate. These five races stood not only beside the ponies in defense of their homes and their citizens, but protected them in the waning days of the war, even unto their own demise, saving the ponies. Unfortunately, the ancient land of the ponies was long destroyed, but a remnant of three pony tribes survived and were cast out from their homeland. In the retreat, the pony’s unicorn queen was taken by the demons, as was this aging warrior and several other ponies. The demons, unable to capture more of the fleeing ponies, were ruthless to those that they captured as they swarmed over the former lands of the alliance. This led to the demon leaders tormenting the ponies captured in many vile ways until only the queen and Firefly were left. One night, their queen forced the bars of their prison open and bade Firefly to escape and head west after the remnant. Firefly did so, but sometime later she saw a number of falling stars strike the demon's land along with a brilliant red flash on the eastern horizon. Firefly searched in vain for her queen, but the unicorn was never seen again. Firefly also saw that the lands that had once been verdant and beautiful were now scorched and dead, with the demons she saw having been wiped out. She fled after a long search, eventually finding her own tribes and living there for a time before leaving after she saw what they were becoming.’”

When Spike was finished, a silence overwhelmed the crowd. Even the human Gregory had a stunned and shocked look on his face. To his further confusion, though, Celestia had a look of both shock and understanding. “She…she lost control like I did…” Celestia muttered.

That caught the attention of Cadance, who locked eyes with the older alicorn. “How so?” she asked, “and don’t say it’s not relevant because it may well be.”

So, Celestia revealed to the group what had happened to the Badlands before Luna was banished to the moon. She described how she had lost control and allowed her anger to destroy a large rogue group of diamond dogs who had invaded the once beautiful land that would become the Badlands. She described what she had done to those diamond dogs, then went silent to allow everyone to digest this bit of news. If the unicorn queen, presumably Majesty before her ascension, was capable of what the scroll’s contents said, then in her alicorn state, she was even more of a threat. Presumably, Spike mused, she could take action directly, but instead she was taking some other sort of action.

“What…what else have you found, Spike?” Even Cadance seemed to be having trouble keeping her composure after hearing this.

“That was the biggest piece of news we found so far,” Spike said as he opened the books and the other scroll. “There are several independent accounts from ponies of this same era that describe a bright orange glow in the east that lasted for a few days. There is a brief mention of a dark cloud which produced red rain. There were also a few accounts of a harsh few years where summers were milder than normal and many crops failed. Some summers never even came.”

“A miniature ice age…” Twilight said. When everyone turned to her, the purple alicorn cleared her throat. “There have been incidents in Erda’s past where a geological incident like the eruption of a volcano sends up enough debris into the atmosphere to cause the sun’s light to be reflected back into space. The less sunlight the surface receives, the colder it gets. The most recent miniature ice age was…actually around a couple thousand years ago according to modern research into Equestria’s geological past, long before ponies found and colonized it.”

“Only instead of the eruption of a volcano, this nuclear winter was caused by something akin to a meteorite impact,” Gregory spoke softly. “An artificially induced one, no less.”

Nobody spoke for a good couple of minutes as they digested this. Spike wasn’t as smart as Twilight, but he had heard her rambling on once or twice about ancient volcanoes that could erupt and cause weather changes. He had truthfully tuned her out during those rants, but he had retained bits and pieces. Finally, the abyssinian spoke. “Prince Spike, you said you found something about a dragon companion?”

Spike nodded and turned the pages in one of the older books. “Where did I see…aha! Here it is. This entry here describes something else that some of the pony refugees relayed to the crystal ponies. Apparently, one of the refugees who fled alongside the ponies was a young dragon who had yet to molt. He was described as having dark green spines, bright pink scales, and purple eyes. He had been close to their old queen and her family, but was forced to flee despite wanting to fight. The ponies once treated him well, but according to these records, they began to mistreat him. It got so bad that he eventually left to go to the ancient Dragon Lands with a couple of ponies escorting him.”

“Spyke,” the goblin Dengal said.

Thinking she was talking to him, he turned to her. “Yes?”

“No, this dragon sounds like Spyke,” Dengal said. “He’s an ancient dragon who lives down in those caves with Majesty and the others. Your names might be similar, but he spells his name with a Y instead of an I.”

“What others are you talking about?” Celestia asked.

“Before we get to that,” Cadance said, “let’s let my son finish his reports.”

“Thank you, mom, but that’s all the others and I have found so far,” Spike said.

“Thank you,” Cadance said with a motherly smile before it faded and she turned to the others. “Who wishes to go next?”

To Spike’s surprise, Twilight Velvet spoke up. She stood, then lifted a small stone from her bag, setting it down on the table. “We’ve just found an ancient recording from a pony princess who very well may have started the unicorn line of royalty,” she said. “There’s an old tablet in Canterlot’s Restricted Archives with a magically imprinted message buried within the crystal matrices.” Upon the blank looks she received from a few of the creatures around the table, she swallowed. “Maybe it’s better if we show you.”

She raised her horn, which lit up. The small stone also lit up, and a transparent image of a unicorn appeared. “If you are seeing this, then I have failed in my mission to keep the past from repeating itself.”

The entire room watched the message. Spike was stunned at the history that was being unveiled before their eyes. The unicorn on the screen looked old, perhaps not as old as Granny Smith since this unicorn still had some of her youthful beauty left, but the eyes were of ones devoid of hope, eyes that showed exhaustion.

When the message ended, Queen Twilight’s image was replaced with a rotating floating image of a tall obelisk made of black stone. It had a message on it which read I, Queen Twilight, hereby list the names of all ponies who fought to defend not only their fellow pony, but their fellow equal creatures. The list of names was immense and was written in a language nobody there could read. Twilight Velvet spoke up after a while, gesturing to the rotating floating image. “The remnants of this rock were found in the archives. According to the notes taken, this obelisk was put in a low valley which is now part of the eastern ocean.”

“Why is this relevant?” the orange pony named Sunset Shimmer asked with a slightly bored look on her face.

“Because…I believe that my ancestor may have been this Queen Twilight,” Twilight Velvet said. Silence reigned at this revelation.

Twilight Sparkle looked at her mother, who was leaning tiredly against the still silent Night Light. “Shining and I…are descended from a queen?” she asked.

“Queen of the unicorn race during our race’s darkest era,” Velvet said softly. “It’s possible that Princess Platinum is in Queen Twilight’s line.”

“That message did say that Queen Twilight had three children,” Celestia agreed. “We only have records of one royal line from that time, but the archives are still being scoured for more information. That line currently is culminated with Prince Blueblood.”

Spike felt a shudder running through him. Twilight could be distantly related to that creep?! “How does this help us?” he heard himself asking.

“Majesty might not know about the bloodline,” Celestia said, “and since she clearly has more control over her immense magic than me and my sister, an all-out attack against her would be foolish.”

“You’re only figuring this out now?” Sunset asked. “Sheesh, Sunbutt, you created the damned Badlands! You’d think you’d be practicing to better control and expand your magic.”

“Enough, Sunset,” Gregory said, giving her a small glare, causing the flame-colored unicorn to clamp her jaw shut and lean back in her chair. The human then turned to Celestia. “She does have a point, though. Why have you not been honing your skills?”

Celestia actually looked ashamed. “I-I haven’t really had the time-”

“Pigshit,” the goblin female said angrily. “Gregory asked you a question, and you’re dodging it!”

Out of the corner of his eyes, Spike saw his mother perk up and look at the goblin. Looking back at her, the young dragon saw that she had a surprised look on her face, but it wasn’t a reaction to what was said by the goblin. Spike knew that look. She was the Princess of Love. He turned back to Dengal. Did that goblin have feelings for Gregory?

Celestia’s ears drooped. Luna looked like she wanted to reply in her own anger, but Celestia silenced her. “Sorry. That’s a bad habit of mine. I should have done more, but I’ve never been the fighting type. I’ve always relied on my plans to protect my little ponies.”

“And only them, it seems,” Sunset said under her breath.

Spike noticed a change in Celestia’s face. There was a fire there that he hadn’t ever seen before. He knew fire. He was a dragon, after all. In that moment, a wave of fear washed over him. The room’s temperature rose a few degrees. “That will very soon change,” she said in a more regal tone than Spike ever remembered hearing from her. The only comparison he could think of was Luna’s speech patterns in her earlier days back in Equestria. “I am not going to let things go on as they are. Our kingdom is on the verge of falling apart. That is something Majesty will take advantage of, not to mention the windigos.”

The mention of those ancient spirits of malice sent a chill through the room despite the rising temperatures. Everyone looked around at each other. All except for Gregory, who was looking at the table, hands folded in front of him, a look of ambivalence on his face. Eventually, Cadance spoke. “You think the windigos will return?”

“If events continue as they are now, there is no doubt that they will return,” Luna replied with certainty.

“Unless Majesty deals with them,” Gregory said.

“Do you think that she is capable of that?” Twilight Sparkle asked.

Gregory turned to her. “I’ve watched her turn an entire town of ponies into humans. I saw her turn the ponies of Dodge City into stratadons which then become humans once they begin regretting what she punished them for. Thorax saved Chrysalis here from her own punishment, which was when Majesty put Chrysalis inside of a painting, fully aware in real time, only able to move at a fraction of a snails pace while being chased by a massive monster that was coming to kill her. She turned Tirac into a snake without a second thought when she was only a unicorn queen in Ponyland. She trapped those eagles easily and the most important thing of all is she’s able to move things from my world with her magic. So yes, I have no doubt that she could beat anyone here in a fight, and even deal with the windigos in some way. She probably either already has or has plans to deal with them.”

“Wait, why would she want to deal with them?” Spike asked, confused. “I mean, they almost destroyed the ponies and-oh…is that why?” he asked as realization dawned on him.

“I think that’s only part of it,” Gregory said. He turned to Celestia. “Tell me, do ponies keep together because they really believe in peace and harmony, or is it out of a deep fear that the windigos will return if they don’t keep up the farce?”

Celestia stiffened at that. “It is no farce,” she said, her mane moving faster in response.

“In the beginning, perhaps it wasn’t,” Gregory conceded, but think about what Queen Twilight said about how ponies in Ponyland were friendly with other nations and other races. Then, after the war, they were bitter and angry.”

“Wouldn’t you be if you lost your home?” Luna asked, looking a bit miffed.

“I haven’t really had a home in the truest sense for two years,” Gregory replied, “but you’re right. Anyone would be upset at losing their home. Still, they blamed everyone when they should have blamed only the demons. Was it the fault of this alliance that Spike here read about that they had to leave? What’s more important, the land? Or the citizens?”

Everyone paused to think about that. Spike noted that there were a lot of pauses that day, and it was confusing and a bit worrying. Finally, someone spoke, and it was the last creature Spike expected. “The citizens,” Flurry Heart said softly.

“Correct, your Highness,” Gregory replied with a polite nod in the young filly’s direction. “Now, another question you should ask is why those past ponies, who had good relations with their neighbors, began to resent them even after they were protected? PTSD can only explain so much. It doesn’t explain being a jerk.” He looked around and seemed to notice the expectant looks on the faces around the table. “I’m being serious. I’m not trying to lead you all to some inevitable conclusion. I’m in the dark about this too.”

Everyone thought about it for a bit before Rainbow Dash spoke up. “Do we need to focus on this right now? I mean, the six of us went to Dream Castle to get something for you.” She pointed to Gregory.

That caught the human off guard. “Get something for me? What?”

“Before you answer that,” Celestia addressed Twilight before looking around the room, “Gregory here has a good point.” She looked at Gregory. “That is your name, correct? Your friend said so earlier.”

“My name is Gregory, yes,” the human said. “That’s not my full name, but it’ll do for now.”

“Right,” Celestia said. “Stil, you make a good point. I understand that trauma can change a pony, or anycreature, but generational hatred is excessive. And before you say anything, Sunset, that is putting it lightly.” Sunset shut her mouth, apparently about to say just that.

“Could it be possible that this demon sickness that Queen Twilight mentioned affected them like she said?” Luna asked.

“That is possible,” the abyssinian named Tobias said, “and could explain the first generation, but your three tribes lived separated and hating each other for hundreds of years after that. Not to mention all three of you excluding the chiropterans. So what happened? Why did the ponies change so drastically?”

Celestia seemed to lock onto something. She narrowed her eyes at Gregory. “Do you know something more?”

“That’s why we’re here, isn’t it?” he asked. “To exchange information? But yes, I do know more. So now it’s our turn.” He cleared his throat. “Queen Twilight mentioned that Majesty married the human king Chethan. It was initially political, a means to consolidate an alliance.”

Spike listened as Gregory recounted what he had learned from reading Chethan’s own journals, given to him by Majesty herself. Once he had described this Tartarus War in more detail thanks to the journal entries he had read. He would have brought them with him, but he both had no time and didn’t want to make Majesty even more angry at him, since she and Chethan had fallen in love, a fact that made the former Elements look down in further shame and which made Cadance smile in approval.

Everyone in the room listened as Gregory recounted more details about this war, including the fact that Chethan had made the ultimate sacrifice by detonating something called the Elysium Flames that destroyed the human capital city and a large number of the demons. Spike saw his father’s face tense up at that. Spike could guess what he was thinking. This human prince made the ultimate sacrifice for his wife and her citizens. He was probably thinking he would do the same if it meant his mom and Flurry and Spike were safe. Spike looked at his dad and nodded. He would do the same for his family now.

What shocked everyone there was the fact that in the cave system where Majesty lived there was a town full of many different creatures, including an offshoot race of abysinnians called the lithess. The way Gregory described this town called Sanctuary made it seem as if they were fanatics of some kind. Fanatics for Majesty. It was like they were a cult of Majesty, and he said so.

“Cult is a bit of a strong word to describe them, as is fanatic,” Gregory said, “I have the feeling Majesty really cares for all of them. Although…hmm…cult might be more accurate than anything else. And Sanctuary is kind of pretentious.”

“Or a warning,” Sunset muttered.

“How so?” Celestia asked.

Sunset sighed. “A sanctuary is a safe place, so that means…?” She let the question hang in the air.

“Nowhere else is safe,” Cadance said, a tremor in her voice. She turned to Gregory. “Gregory, did you see crystal ponies in Sanctuary?”

“No, none,” Gregory said, “and I was shown to pretty much everyone there. It’s a mixed species town, and everyone there seems to genuinely like each other and cooperate to live peacefully. Then again, like you mentioned, Prince Spike, it could very well be a cult. Still, I felt completely safe there, and I’ve been among cults before. They are different. The ones there were mostly the disenfranchised, outcasts, rejects of societies around the world. They may simply want a place where they can belong, and Majesty provides that for them in spades. But I’m getting off track.”

Spike watched as Gregory recounted his time with Majesty. He described how he had been taken, but not mistreated aside from not being allowed to leave. He had the impression that Majesty was, in her warped way, trying to protect him from the outside world. A.K.A. a gilded cage. When Spike heard about how he had appeared in Gregory’s former room, he felt his blood run cold. Flurry was instantly in his lap, nuzzling him to help him calm down. Gregory paused and watched Spike with some concern. When the dragon had recovered, he continued his story.

When he finished with his impromptu escape with the help of the massive eagles, everyone took yet more time to process what had just been said. Spike noted that there were several holes filled in the unfolding story about Majesty. He took out a quill pen and paper and began writing some brief notes down so he didn’t forget.

Majesty was once a unicorn and ruled over ponies in a place called Ponyland.
Majesty married a human king named Chethan.
A war broke out that involves demons from Tartarus invading.
Human-led alliance fights to keep them back, but ultimately fail, leaving ponies to be forced to leave Dream Castle and Ponyland.
During the war, demons unleash a plague that turns anyone it infects into zombies.
Majesty and some other ponies are captured and she is forced to watch them tortured and killed. In anger, she kills every demon in an unknown radius.
Other ponies manage to escape, but they are divided.
A Queen Twilight possibly starts the royal unicorn line and is related to the Sparkle family.

Spike put down his pen and leaned back. There had been so much that he had learned in the past half hour or so that he was having a hard time keeping track. He had probably missed something, and he promised himself to listen more. Especially with whatever Twilight and her former friends were about to say.

Cadance, with the apparent same thought, turned to Twilight. “What do you have to share with us?” she asked her former charge.

Twilight took a deep breath. “It started when we came back from here the first time when we met with…whoever was impersonating Spike…” She gave the young dragon prince a sorrowful look, but Spike didn’t react. She sighed and continued on. “We met with Discord…”

Several minutes later, the explanation was complete, including some descriptions of the inside of Dream Castle. It was heartbreaking to hear that Majesty had indeed lost her daughter. To Spike’s surprise, Gregory seemed to be the most intrigued, most likely because apparently Discord had requested that they retrieve some items specifically for him. He spoke slowly. “What did Discord want me to have, and why?”

“He was cut off before he could say anything much about it,” Twilight said. “He seemed insistent that you get them, though.”

“Twilight, you’re being awfully vague about these objects,” Celestia said. “What are they.”

“Here, I’ll show you.” With that, the purple alicorn reached into a satchel she had carried in, then pulled out two objects wrapped in cloth. One was small, but the other was longer and might have been a small stick. She floated them over to Gregory who took them and set them down. There was absolute silence as he unwrapped the first and smaller cloth to reveal a locket in the shape of a ruby red heart hanging from a gold chain. The look of shock on Gregory’s face was plainly visible to everyone despite nobody knowing much about human body language.

“It can’t be…” he muttered as he reached down for the latch as if to open it. At the last second, he paused, then put it down on the table on top of the cloth.

“What is that object?” Celestia asked.

“It’s called the Rainbow of Light,” Gregory explained, “and it was used by the human Megan Williams to help defend Ponyland a number of times in the past. Think of it as like the Elements of Harmony, but a bit more versatile.” He slowly pried his eyes away from the locket, turning to the elongated object. He began to open it up, and when he saw what it was, he looked at it incredulously. Turning to Twilight, he asked, “Discord sent you to get this for me?”

“No way…” Tobias said in shock as he, too, apparently recognized it. “It can’t be…”

“Do you know what it is?” Dengal asked, grasping onto Gregory’s arm with a look of concern on her face.

Gregory picked up the object with both hands, looking at it. He examined it. To Spike, it looked like a somewhat long piece of metal with different objects attached to it. It glinted in the afternoon sunlight that was streaming in through the window as he looked at the object in his hands. Spike watched as he ran his fingers over it until they stopped at something. There was a metallic click and the pole split into two. He stood up, then stood back from the table. Tobias stood immediately, but Gregory held up his hand. “No,” the human said, “stay back.”

“Gregory, you’re scaring me,” Dengal said, and her tone did sound scared.

“Hold on, I just need to see if this have a switch and-aha!” Gregory seemed to have found what he was looking for and pressed down on something.

What happened next stunned Spike and the others. Two beams of light, one blue, and one green, shot out from each of the pieces of metal with an unusual humming noise. Their light permeated the room as Gregory slowly moved them around. In response to movement, the hums changed pitch. He then brought the two beams of light together. There was a bright flash and another strange noise. When he seemed satisfied, he pressed something. The beams retreated with another unusual sound. Slowly, he returned to his seat and placed the now two pieces of metal on the table.

Immediately, Tobias grabbed one and looked at it. “Seriously…how is that possible?” he asked. “Someone tell me how in the fuck Discord got a fucking double bladed lightsaber?!”

27: Revelation

Following Tobias’ outburst, the room was silent, but only for a moment before Gregory smacked the abyssinian on the back of his head before snatching the weapon away. “Hold your tongue,” he said as he put the lightsaber down, “there is a child present.”

Tobias looked sheepish immediately before turning to Cadance. “Apologies,” he said sincerely.

Gregory nodded in approval before he looked at the double bladed weapon before him. He couldn’t blame Tobias for saying what he said, however. When he saw the lightsaber, he too had been confused as to why it was here. It was completely out of place in this world. He turned to Twilight. “Did Discord say where he got this weapon?” he asked, holding it up. “Giving out weapons doesn’t seem like his M.O.”

Twilight shook her head. “No, he didn’t say where he got it,” she said.

“Can you show us the conversation?” Celestia asked.

“From my memories?” Twilight asked. “I can.”

Gregory raised his hand quickly. “Anti-scrying spells first,” he insisted. He would take no chances even if Majesty was still unconscious.

Celestia and Luna nodded before raising their horns. To Gregory’s surprise, Shining Armor also raised his horn and cast a shield spell of his own. Gregory was momentarily confused, but then realized that since his magic was heavily defense based, it made sense. When the spells were in place, Twilight raised her horn. A screen appeared and the memory began to play.

Seeing Discord as a Jedi wasn’t surprising to Gregory. Seeing him in Obi Wan Kenobi’s Jedi robes from A New Hope was a bit confusing, though, since he wasn’t even sure how Discord knew what he looked like. Everyone else watched with the same rapt attention that he gave the screen, but at the back of his mind, a hypothesis was already forming. Could it be possible? Could Discord have used…that trick?

When the memory ended, everyone exchanged looks. What Discord had said was rather interesting. Discord had done something against the wishes of someone else, that was for sure. Gregory looked down at both the lightsaber and the Rainbow of Light. Picking up the amulet, he found the latch and opened it without thinking. He expected to see a solid rainbow moving around with that strange magic sound he remembered from the G1 show. What he got instead, however, was a flat mirror on the inside with rainbow light swirling around behind it. The magic sounded identical, but nothing came out. Slowly, he closed it and the clasp made a clink as it locked. He placed it back on the table before looking around.

“You look like you may have some idea that none of us may have,” Luna said, looking intently at him. “Is it something you wish to share?”

“The anti-scrying spells are still up, correct?” Gregory asked. When the three casters nodded, he exhaled. “I have a hypothesis, but nothing more than that.”

“Are you willing to share it?” Luna asked.

“Well, at this point, I suppose there’s no point in hiding it,” Gregory said. He felt Dengal’s hand on his, followed by Tobias’ paw on his shoulder. He looked at the two, gratitude swelling within him for their support. Nodding at them both, he turned back to the gathered assembly. “What I’m about to say here cannot go beyond this room, is that understood?”

Gregory attempted to put some warning behind his tone, and he apparently succeeded because everyone stiffened. Celestia spoke first. “Is it that drastic?” she asked.

“I don’t want certain enemies to know about it,” Gregory explained. “If you know what I mean.”

Understanding dawned on the faces of everyone. So much so that Cadance looked at Flurry Heart and said, “Flurry, sweetie, could you leave the room for now?”

Flurry pouted at her mother and was about to protest when Spike put his claw on her head. “This is important, little sis,” he said.

Out of the corner of his eye, Gregory saw Twilight’s ear droop. Flurry looked up at her apparent adopted brother, her pout still visible. “You owe me scritchies,” she said.

Gregory tried not to chuckle. Who is she, Iscream? he thought. Nah, Angel would be more like that demon bunny, he thought as Flurry spread her wings and flew out of the room.

When she was gone, everyone turned to Gregory. “So, what is it you want to talk about?” Celestia asked.

Gregory didn’t reply at first, Instead, he reached down and pulled out one of his most prized possessions in this world: a tablet. It was a bit sandy and there was a slight crack in the screen, but it was still something he held onto dearly. His hope to go to the Equestria Girls world, if such a place even existed, vanished when he was chased out of Equestria and rescued by his best friend. He turned the tablet on and everyone watched as the screen lit up. Opening it, he maneuvered to his folders and tapped on the appropriate file. He only had about a twenty percent charge, but he supplemented it with a portable power bank. One thing he’d discovered was that in this world, solar panel chargers worked much more efficiently than on Earth. “Can everyone see this screen?” he asked. When the room replied in the affirmative, he nodded. “I need to ask you not to say anything until I turn off the video.”

Gregory hit play, and the video began. Everyone watched in stunned silence as music played and the screen showed a book with a unicorn head on the cover. The book opened to show the words Once Upon A Time. That was when everyone heard Celestia’s voice start to speak. “Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria, there were two regal sisters who ruled together, and created harmony through all the land.”

Forty minutes later, once the show’s ending was over, Gregory hit pause and turned to the room. Everyone was staring at the screen in shock before he closed the laptop carefully. Tobias reached over and took it, Gregory having taught him how to handle his technology. Slowly, everyone turned to him. Gregory began the explanation. “Back in my world, back home, this is what’s known as a cartoon. It’s a children’s animated entertainment. In this case, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic as the cartoon is named, is entertainment made for little girls. It was made to teach them all about friendship and to entertain them with the adventures of the Elements of Harmony. Each adventure shows a twenty three minute snippet into the lives of Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie. There are episodes which can focus on some other characters, like the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Prince Spike, and others. Now, this show gained so much success that it gained a following not just from its target audience, but from a group of adult human men and women called Bronies and Pegasisters respectively. Millions on my homeworld watched this show and it gained a big following.” He turned to the Mane Six. “If I had to guess, I think that Jason Wright was a Brony for wanting to come here. He probably was a huge fan of you all.”

He saw the looks of guilt pass over them, but turned away from them when he heard Celestia clear her throat. “This…children’s entertainment…how did your kind create the stories? Surely they must have gotten some details wrong. After all, Nightmare Moon’s night didn’t last for only twenty minutes, but for a full week.”

“This is a children’s entertainment,” Gregory repeated, “so they had to make it with that in mind. I’m sure they got some details down differently. For example, let me ask if anyone here breaks into musical numbers randomly.”

“Nay,” Luna replied. “If you mean do ponies or other creatures break into song like young Pinkie Pie did in the entertainment you just showed us, then no.”

“I did sing that,” Pinkie said softly, “but only because it helped everypony else.”

“If I had to guess again, I think Jason came to this world because he didn’t know the full truth about it from the show,” Gregory continued. “There was an episode about how Ponyville ignored and hid from Zecora, and it did show some of the darker sides of pony society, especially near the end of the show where ponies began turning on each other and summoned, albeit unintentionally, the windigos back. But that’s not important right now. The point is, Jason and I used a secret technique a secret group on our world discovered that allowed us to travel to worlds of our fiction, although clearly this world is no fiction. Once more, this is just a guess, but if the multiverse is infinite, then every conceivable story we can come up with has a corresponding universe, maybe more.” He picked up the lightsaber, looking at it. “This weapon is from a fictional series of movies, television shows, games etc. It was used by an ancient order of mystical knights known as the Jedi Order. The fact that one exists in this world might mean that Discord used a similar method to reach into another universe to grab them, although the why is the issue.” He set it back down. “I imagine you all have questions, but I don’t think we have the time to talk about this. If Majesty knew about this, she may want to have me back even more. Because there’s another show about the adventures in Ponyland. That is how I knew about her. She was once the queen of Ponyland, as we all know, and was known as the most magical of ponies. She was once a kind ruler, but also just. Her justice was rather unique, as I’m sure Queen Chrysalis can attest to.”

Chrysalis shuddered. “She put me in a damned painting. I was nearly frozen, but I could think in normal time.”

“She turned Tirac into a snake after he was defeated by Megan and the Rainbow of Light,” Gregory said, picking up the ancient artifact. “She also laid out what you might call ironic punishments to three deadly witches who tried to destroy Ponyland.” He looked at Celestia and Luna. “In her own, twisted way, Majesty loves ‘her dear ponies’. Perhaps she is striving to return to a time when ponies lived in friendship with other races.”

“Unlike today, where we’re more insular and ignore the other races,” Sunset snarked.

Ignoring her blatant insult, Gregory continued. “Unlike other villains you have faced, like Tirek, Sombra or even Nightmare Moon, Majesty is the most dangerous one you will face. In her mind, her cause is just. She wants to see ponies become better people. And the thing is, she’s right. Up to a point.” He stood and quickly undid his shirt, displaying his chest for everyone to see. It showed a scattering of ugly looking scars. Pointing to several, he said, “This was from a blast of magic I received on my first days on Erda from a unicorn. This one from a buck in the chest from an earth pony. Most of these scars are from my time as a mercenary, but the first several ones I got from the ponies of Dodge City. And from what I’ve heard, Jason Wright received much worse in his time near Ponyville.”

As he covered himself back up, Celestia rose from her seat, as did Luna. Then, to the shock of everyone in the room, especially Gregory, both of them got on their knees and bowed to him. “We are so very sorry for the way you were treated by our subjects,” Celestia said. Gregory locked on to the fact that she hadn’t said ‘my little ponies,’ and the fact that her voice had a regal tone he had never heard from her before either in reality or from the show. “We will ensure that those who wronged you know what they did and are disciplined.”

“A double whammy, huh?” Sunset smirked, rubbing her hooves together with glee. “I wanna see that.”

Gregory looked over at Tobias, who nodded before the abyssinian reached over and smacked her upside the head with enough force to shove her head forward. “That’s enough out of you, Sunset Shimmer,” Tobias snapped.

“Ow!” She glared up at Tobias while rubbing her head. “They deserve it!”

“That’s not our call,” Gregory replied with a glare of his own. “You’re an empath. That means not only sensing emotions, but showing, oh, I don’t know, some empathy?”

“No, I tell it like it is,” Sunset said.

“Find a better way to do it, Shimmer,” he replied.

“Nnng…fine, whatever,” Sunset said.

Gregory looked back to the two princesses who were still kneeling. “Please stand up,” he said, his glare returning to his normally neutral tone. “We don’t have time for this sort of thing. Majesty is still out there, and is still a threat. If she’s smart, she’ll evacuate Sanctuary and move her location to another location.”

As the princesses rose and sat, Twilight spoke. “If Majesty and the others do evacuate, the fastest way would be through mass teleportation.”

“Is that possible?” Cadance asked. “I’m an alicorn and I can’t teleport an entire city’s worth of creatures.”

“You’re forgetting just how old Majesty really is,” Gregory said. “Even when she was a unicorn, she apparently wiped out a bunch of demons in a fit of rage. With becoming an alicorn, you get a power boost of sorts, right?”

Cadance shrugged. “I was just a pegasus when I transformed.”

“It does give a unicorn more magic than before, if my experience is any indication,” Twilight replied. “I’ve also grown a bit and my horn is longer.”

“You’ll eventually get as tall as Celestia and have a wavy mane and tail like her,” Gregory said.

Twilight’s ears flattened and she gained an angry tone. “Great…”

“Are yah sayin’ that Jason…” Applejack had to pause for a bit before continuing, “that Jason was a fan of what yah just showed us?”

“It’s very likely,” Gregory replied, “and it’s also more than likely that he came to this world from mine using the same method I did.”

“We have fans in another world…” Rainbow sounded absolutely crushed, “and we did what we did…”

Pinkie seemed to lose even more color, so much so that Gregory could barely see any pink. He ignored that as the Mane Six started to wallow in even more misery. He turned to the princesses. “I don’t know how Majesty might use this information, but I don’t think it can be anything good. Most likely, she could use it as cannon fodder for her movement in Equestria.”

“Movement in Equestria?” Cadance repeated with confusion.

“She has to be behind the recent movements calling for more equality and fair treatment of nonponies and calls for ponies to be better,” Celestia said.

“It certainly isn’t Opaline,” Gregory said as he looked at the two ancient alicorns who now looked stunned. “So, you not only have to fight an enemy who is likely more powerful than you are, but a movement that, in and of itself, is actually in the right with their message. What will you do?”

Celestia caught on to Gregory’s language choice first. “Us? Are you leaving?”

Gregory nodded, then looked at Sunset, Dengal, and Tobias. “The four of us are not really obligated in any way to help Equestria. None of us are citizens, and three of us are a mercenary group-”

“Four,” Dengal piped up.

“Four, then,” Gregory amended.

“What about what Discord sent to you specifically?” Twilight asked with wide eyes.

Gregory looked down at the Rainbow of Light before he picked it up and opened it. The inside was empty save for a mirror. Looking in, he only saw his reflection, but nothing else. He shut it with an audible CLICK before putting it back on the table. “I doubt I can use it,” he said. “The only ones I know of who have used it are in another world, and if time passes the same between worlds, they are most likely long dead.” He looked at the lightsaber on the table and picked it up. “If Discord wants me to have this, though, then I’ll gladly accept. It gives me more of a chance of survival in my job-”

“How much would you and your mercenary group want if asked to do this job?” Celestia interrupted, shocking everyone in the room.

Gregory paused, a bit confused by the question. Not what it meant, but more why she was asking Shadow Dawn to help specifically. Looking at her with an intense stare, Gregory leaned closer. “Let me ask, why are you interested in hiring us? This is a big ask.”

“I…truthfully couldn’t tell you,” Celestia said, “but I can say that if Discord wanted to give you that ancient artifact on the table, he must have had a reason.”

“He’s Discord,” Gregory said, “I believe he once said ‘Where’s the fun in making sense?’ Once a prankster, always a prankster.”

“I would not be too sure about that,” Luna said. “In his conversation with the six mares over there, he seemed more sincere.”

“So he’s good at acting, big whoop,” Sunset snarked. “I’ve met him, Celestia. He’s a pain in the flank.”

“I…think that he was sincere,” Flutttershy spoke out loud enough to be heard.

“Why would you think that, Miss Fluttershy?” Luna asked.

“I may not have seen him since the events with Jason,” Fluttershy said, “but I’ve never seen him act quite like he did during our conversation. He was always a lot less serious when he visited for tea time or when I visited him. And then there’s the fact that somepony pulled him away.”

“He also looked like that manifestation of Harmony when it spoke to us two years ago,” Twilight said.

“The Tree of Harmony spoke to you?” Gregory asked with a raised eyebrow. Twilight nodded, then raised her horn to display the memory. Gregory watched as Harmony, in the form of a beaten and malnourished human, spoke in front of the former Castle of Friendship. When the memory faded, Gregory could only nod. The tree spoke similarly to how it had in the show, with no contractions whatsoever. “They did speak to you,” he agreed, “but that doesn’t answer why Discord wants me to help you. This is a pony problem, not ours. I’m not a pony, not a citizen of Equestria, not a citizen anywhere, actually. My loyalties lie with my companions and my mercenary group. I need to think of their safety and happiness when it’s within my scope of power to do so.”

Nobody in the room spoke as they digested that fact. Gregory didn’t take his eyes off of Celestia, but he felt Dengal take his hand in hers, squeezing firmly, while simultaneously Tobias put his paw on Gregory’s shoulder in a reassuring gesture. Even Sunset reacted by adjusting Gregory’s hair. Gregory saw an emotion he never thought any pony would give to him pass over Celestia’s face: respect. “You’re right,” she said, “and I have no right to ask this of you and your group, especially not for free. I would like to hire your group to assist us. You would be given free reign to act in any way you see fit to accomplish the objective, all of your expenses would be compensated completely, and we would agree to any other stipulations.”

Gregory folded his hands and leaned forward, an eyebrow raised. “Any other stipulations, you say?”

To his surprise and even a bit of delight, Gregory saw a very slight shudder pass down Celestia’s body, but her expression never changed as she nodded. “My subjects are in danger,” she said, “and Discord seems to think that you and your group will be able to help in ways we may not be able to, if his gifts are any indication.”

Gregory didn’t reply right away. He wanted to give the illusion that he was digesting what she had said. Which he partly was. Seeing her this desperate was something he never thought he’d see, and he truthfully wasn’t sure he knew how to feel about it. Slowly, he stood. Tobias, Sunset, and Dengal all stood, and to his surprise Chrysalis and Thorax stood seconds later. “Give us time to discuss your generous offer,” he said.

“Of course,” Celestia said with a tight but polite smile.

Grabbing all of his things, he turned, then walked out of the room, followed by his companions, Chrysalis, and Thorax. They had much to discuss.

“Princess Celestia, forgive me for questioning your decision,” Cadance said moments after the group left the room, “but why would you stoop to hiring mercenaries? They can’t really be trusted.”

“It is precisely that line of thinking that caused the death of young Jason Wright,” Luna said, scowling back at her adopted niece.

Cadance felt her ears splay back. She was right, the Crystal Empress mused. With a growing fear, she wondered what else about her was all mixed up. Clearly, Celestia knew something about this mercenary group that she didn’t or she wouldn’t make such an offer. Unless Celestia was desperate, which she clearly was in danger of becoming. Still, Cadance knew that her aunt was good at covering her emotions even from herself, so it was hard for the younger alicorn to tell what the alabaster alicorn was thinking. “You’re right,” she said. “I suppose even I am capable of making such foolish assumptions. Still, why are you paying them?”

Celestia then did something Cadance didn’t expect. She smiled warmly at Cadance. “Gregory has suffered greatly since coming to our world,” she said, “and has had to live the life of a mercenary to survive. There are two reasons why I am hiring him and his group. One, I intend to give them a large sum of money, enough to live on for the rest of their lives if needed. Two, I intend to honor his hidden wish.”

“Hidden wish?” Cadance’s confusion was mirrored in everycreature else in the room save for Luna. “I’m afraid I don’t get it.”

“This way, Gregory saves face,” Celestia explained. “He is correct that he holds no loyalty to Equestria, but if we hire him and his group, they will be on our side. I could tell he was sincere about his mercenary code of honor. He and his group, unlike other mercenaries, will not betray us for a higher paycheck.”

Cadance nodded, but she could only hope that Celestia was right. Luna then spoke. “Empress Cadance, before we end this meeting, have you sent out scouts to the location of Majesty’s hideout?”

“I have sent two of our best scouts,” Cadance explained with a nod, “and hopefully they will return to us soon with news.”

“Um, not to sound rude, but why did you two join us?” Dengal asked Chrysalis as the group all gathered in Gregory’s temporary room after their exit several minutes before. “You’re not in the mercenary group.”

“Technically, you’re not an official member either, Den-Den,” Tobias said with a smirk, earning him an elbow in the chest. “Ow.”

“Any place would be better than being in that room,” Chrysalis said before making a gagging noise. “The level of hatred leveled against me made me want to wretch.”

“And who’s fault is that?” Sunset asked with a smirk. “You invaded Canterlot. Isn’t that why Majesty put you into that painting?”

Chrysalis hissed at the flame colored unicorn, but Thorax intervened. “Mother, please,” he pleaded, “we can’t go on like this. The hive still needs you, and we also need to change how we do things.”

Chrysalis growled, but sat down in a huff. “I suppose making more enemies shouldn’t be on my to-do list,” she said before looking around the crystalline room. “Yuck…too sharp for my tastes.”

“Mother, it’s better than being trapped,” Thorax said.

Dengal was beginning to like this changeling. He was a very kind soul, unlike other rogue changelings who called Thornfall their home. He was forgiving, assumably to a fault. Still, she couldn’t fault Thorax for loving his mother, even if she was an enemy to Equestria. “You’re not looking to join Shadow Dawn, are you?”

“Goblin, I am a queen,” Chrysalis said in a haughty tone. “I am the one who hires the mercenaries. I am not looking to become one.”

“Hey, merc work has its moments,” Tobias argued, glaring at the changeling queen. “We get to see the world, go on epic adventures, and in my case sometimes get the girl.” He grinned at that, then winked at Chrysalis.

She shuddered. “Filthy cat,” she scoffed.

“At least we get off our behinds and do something,” Tobias continued. “You get to sit on that uncomfortable looking magical seeping throne and look pretty.”

She glowered at him. “I have heard many pickup lines, abyssinian. Nothing you say will work on me.”

“Says the changeling who blushed when our resident human here called her sexy?” Dengal asked with a smirk of her own.

Once more, the changeling queen’s cheeks went darker. “That-That was different! He caught me in a vulnerable state!”

Dengal looked over to where Gregory was, only to see that he had collapsed onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling with a contemplative look in his eyes. Worry for the human she loved washed over her, and she moved over and lay on her side beside him. “Copper talon for your thoughts,” she said softly as she moved closer.

Gregory slowly looked over at her, and his expression seemed to soften. He sniffed the air as if smelling something before he said, “You smell nice.”

Dengal felt her cheeks burning, and her smile only widened. The moment was interrupted, but not really ruined, when Tobias came over, lying on his stomach and placing his head on Gregory’s chest, looking up at him. “I’ll double her offer,” he said.

Gregory reached down and began scratching behind Tobias’ ears. This cause the abyssinian’s tail to curl and a small purring noise began to be heard. The abyssinian relaxed and closed his eyes. Dengal found this more amusing than anything. She knew that these two had a very close bond, and abyssinians expressed their bond in a rather unique way, a way that was a lot like a cat. “Did I say the right thing in there?”

“What do you mean?” Dengal asked, reaching down to grasp Gregory’s hand with her own.

“Should I have just turned down Celestia and go back to Thornfall?” He looked at her, then at Tobias, and lastly at Sunset who was watching curiously. “We’re a team, but I unilaterally decided what to say for Shadow Dawn. I’m no leader. Even if Celestia offers us all the money in her personal coffers, should we accept?” Dengal saw uncertainty in his appearance as he looked at her, then Tobias, and finally Sunset. “Majesty is a powerhouse, but she’s also smart. Would we even be able to do anything?”

“Hey, I’m the last pony to say anything like this about Sunbutt,” Sunset said, “but in her way, she does care for her little ponies. It’s one of her greatest strengths, but it’s also a weakness in this case. She can be blind to other things. Besides, that memory that Twilight showed us seems to indicate that Discord wants you to help in some way.”

“Well, how the hell would I do that?” Gregory asked, suddenly sitting up and looking at Sunset with a frustrated expression. “I have absolutely no magic, and the rest of you together couldn’t hold a candle to her raw power. Even if we included Chrysalis and Thorax over there.” That earned him a hiss of reproach from Chrysalis, but he ignored it. “I doubt Majesty will do anything so…bold…as to invade other nations, so getting out of here and going to Panthera would be the safe and logical choice.”

That earned a snort from Tobias. Dengal looked at the abyssinian with confusion. “Tobias?”

The black furred biped sat up, looked down at Gregory, and grinned. “Gregory Graystone, when have we ever, and I mean ever, done the logical thing?

“This is different, Toby,” Gregory said as he, too, sat up, running a hand through his hair and scratching at the stubble on his face. “The odds against us are so close to impossible that-”

“Fuck the odds right in the ass,” Tobias snorted. “We’re Shadow Dawn, the most promising up and coming merc group in the guild! Come on, we defeated another merc group recently and took their money. We’ve earned plenty of money, but you know the saying of the guild.”

“High risk, high reward,” Gregory sighed as he ran a hand over his face.

Dengal hugged him from the side, leaning against his shoulder. “If you go against Majesty, please let me help,” she said. “I may be only a blacksmith, but I’m no slouch when it comes to how to fight. I will be by your side no matter what you choose.”

“That last part goes double for me,” Tobias said.

Sunset walked up and gave the other three a nod. “I was once Sunbutt’s personal student. I know I’m good with magic. Majesty probably is much more powerful than I am, but that doesn’t mean I won’t fight if we’re hired. And if you choose not to accept the job, then I will accompany you wherever you go. All of you.”

“Ugh, that mushy stuff is so…blech!” Chrysalis stuck out a tongue in disgust.

“And here I though you love bugs ate love,” Tobias replied with a raised eyebrow.

“We find more sustenance in love than other emotions,” Chrysalis explained, “but what you’re displaying is like candy to us. And I never had much of a sweet tooth.”

“That explains why you threw out those goodies that Applejack gave you in Canterlot,” Gregory replied.

Chrysalis stiffened. “How do you-? Oh, right, that thing you showed us. That is…unnerving.”

“Just don’t ask about all the porn they make about the show,” Gregory said.

Chrysalis sputtered in shock and humiliation. “PORN?!”

“We’re getting off track, here,” Sunset said, although her face was flushed as well. “Chrysalis, Thorax, you’re sticking with us for some reason. Why is that?”

Chrysalis recovered herself, then turned to Gregory. “There is an ancient tradition among my kind,” she said, “and it involves what you might call a life debt. Thanks to your plans and actions, I am now a free changeling. The debt I owe you must be repaid.”

“I didn’t know about this tradition,” Thorax said. “It wasn’t in the hive mind.”

“I never shared it because nocreature ever did anything for us,” Chrysalis spat angrily before turning back to Gregory. “I must repay my debt to you before I can return to my throne.” She turned to Thorax. “Young one, you can return to the hive despite your abandonment of it. Your actions have guaranteed you a pardon.”

Dengal watched as Thorax considered, but then he shook his head. “No, my queen,” he said, “I cannot leave.”

Chrysalis glowered at him. “And why is that?” she asked.

“I will not abandon my queen in her time of need,” he said. “And I won’t abandon my mother.”

Chrysalis looked at Thorax with a stunned expression for a few seconds before she huffed. “Very well,” she sniffed, “do as you wish, I suppose.” Still, in a brief moment, Dengal thought she saw one corner of Chrysalis’ lip curl upwards.

“So, what’s the plan…boss?” Tobias asked, a teasing tone to his voice.

Gregory sat up fully, looking at everyone in the room. “First, we should discuss it,” he said, “and when that’s done, then we plan for whatever we decide.” He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. “So, who wants to speak first?”

28: The Winterwall

“Are you seeing anything yet?!” Opal Stryker, one of two crystal ponies who had been dispatched by Empress Cadance to find the hidden realm where an ancient alicorn supposedly lived under their noses, called out to her companion, another crystal pony named Ruby Beam.

Ruby, who was standing a few meters ahead on a hill looking down over the northern part of the land, turned back. “I see the Winterwall!” she called back. “Intel that was brought back by the Empress’ guest indicates that the hidden city is beyond that!”

Opal nodded and trudged dutifully through the snow towards her companion. She had heard tales of the Winterwall that were ancient even before Crystalia was taken over by the tyrant Sombra and before their thousand years of slumber. A massive wall made of ice that could not be melted, she remembered many different myths about the wall itself. Some said that it was built by ancient crystal ponies to mark the borders of their old empire, others said it was constructed to keep something beyond the walls safe from making its way south, and still others claimed that Mother Erda had raised it to mark where creatures couldn’t go.

To Opal, the Winterwall was simply an obstacle they needed to pass. When she joined Ruby, she turned to the dark red mare and asked in a loud voice so as to be heard over the whistling winds, “Can you find a way to pass over it??”

Ruby didn’t answer right away, her pale blue eyes scanning the massive wall of ice which was also now covered with snow. Narrowing her eyes, she raised a hoof. “That black spot there,” she said, “that looks like a cave! Let’s try that way!”

Opal nodded and wrapped her cowl tighter around her, moving down and continuing to trudge through the thick northern snowdrifts. For the next hour, the two didn’t speak as the Winterwall continued to loom large before them. The wall’s size was even larger than Opal expected as one hour later, the wall didn’t look too much bigger or even closer. Yet another hour later, Opal saw that they had gotten closer, but that the wall was even taller than she had anticipated. The ancient structure was simple in its design, stretching from eastern to western horizon easily. Her thoughts wandered back to the ancient stories about this wall and she wondered, not for the first time, who built such a massive structure and how and why.

“There!” Ruby called out, pointing to a spot ahead of them.

Opal looked in the direction where Ruby was pointing but saw nothing. “What is it?!” she called back.

“It’s a cave on the side of the wall, I’m sure of it!” Ruby responded with certainty.

Opal took a second, closer look. Sure enough, a black patch was clearly visible in the wall. She hadn’t seen it because of the snow being blown across the surface of the snowy northern landscape by the harsh winds. “How far?!” Opal called.

“If we really push ourselves, maybe another hour or so!” Ruby shouted.

Opal reached over and put a hoof on the one time use teleportation crystal that the two had been provided by Emperor Consort Shining Armor. She let out a breath of relief when she felt its comforting presence. All she really wanted to do was break said crystal and let the teleportation bring them back home where she could enjoy a hot bath and a warm bed with her stallion. Still, she wasn’t a crystal guard for nothing. She had a duty to uphold and she would do so. So, she pushed forward, wiping some flakes from her goggles.

As they reached the source of the black mar against the wall, it had begun to grow dark. The two saw that what looked like some small mark was in actuality a massive gate made of clear blue ice shaped into an elaborately carved double gate. It towered over them, being much taller than the Crystal Palace. On one gate was a smaller door carved into it, enough for a pony to go through. The door was hard to open, but it eventually did so.

The instant the smaller door was opened, a blast of surprisingly warm air hit the two as well as a glimpse of utter darkness from within. Darkness that was quickly banished by ancient crystal sconces brightening the moment the two stepped inside.

They were standing inside a massive corridor, but a corridor made of not of ice, but stone. The hallway was also warmer than the outside, warm enough that Ruby and Opal were forced to remove their cowls and to tie their cloaks up around their bodies. Above them, the sconces weren’t the only source of light. At regular intervals on the ceiling were half orbs of light that were beginning to brighten.

Whoever had created this passageway had to have been advanced due to the ancient carvings on the walls. Opal couldn’t read them and had absolutely no idea what kind of language it could be. As they continued down the passageway, they took note of how the sound of their hoofsteps weren’t echoing around them. In fact, anywhere they stepped on the impossibly smooth floor, they saw warm white light which illuminated their steps. It had been a surprise to them at first, but when nothing happened after some testing with a small snowball, they concluded that any sort of pressure on the stone floor made the area glow.

As they walked down the corridor, the carvings continued, but then some drawings began to appear. And those drawings depicted familiar and unfamiliar creatures. One of the drawings showed three bipedal figures standing around a larger creature that Opal thought looked like some sort of ice demon. The shorter bipeds resembled humans, although only one matched the human she had seen in the newspaper. The other two were human-like in appearance but with subtle differences. One of them was taller, with ears that came to a point instead of the rounded edge that humans seemed to have. Unlike the human she could see in the drawing, this human-like creature had no beard along with flowing long hair. The third human-like creature was shorter and stockier than either, with a thicker and longer beard and rounded ears along with a stocking type hat. Each one held a weapon in their hands, the human holding a sword, the pointed eared human-like being holding a curved sword along with a bow and a quiver of arrows, and the diminutive human-like creature holding an battle axe along with a staff that had a crystal on it.

“Humans built this?” Ruby, who had stopped to look over the carvings with her companion, asked with confusion.

Opal shook her head. “Only one is human, I think.” She indicated the two near human figures. “These aren’t humans. But we’re wasting time here. Let’s keep going.”

They resumed their journey, keeping their eyes peeled as they walked down the ancient hallway. More carvings appeared, but neither Opal nor Ruby paused to get better looks at the descriptions. That wasn’t their job. Best to leave it to the archaeologists when they reported this back. Nopony had any idea about this discovery, and it would keep archaeologists and historians busy for years trying to decipher this.

Opal did notice one drawing that caught her eye. Everyone in Crystalia had seen the massive eagles as they had arrived from the north, so the ancient carving on the wall depicting similarly shaped birds caught her eye. When she paused to look at the drawing, she saw a number of human figures sitting on the backs of these eagles as they flew above an archway of sorts. No, not an arch, she realized. It looked like this particular carving had once been painted a multitude of colors. A rainbow, Opal realized. They were flying above a rainbow. Opal didn’t have the time to think about that, though. She filed it away for later for her full report.

Thanks in part to the warmth and the light in the passageway, the two guards began to pick up speed, remaining on high alert for any hidden surprises in the hallway itself. They found nothing out of the ordinary, and the passage never turned. The only aberration they found was a set of passages that opened up to their right and let halfway through, leading to the east and west of the Winterwall.

Opal made note of it just in case they needed to come back through, but as it turned out, it wasn’t necessary. They reached another set of massive doors identical to the ones that they had found at the entrance. They had no issues opening the small door built into the gates, only to find that a sudden snowstorm had formed just outside. With visibility dropping to near zero, the two guards decided to stay near the entrance and take a rest, waiting out the storm. Opal took the first watch, opening the door every ten minutes while Ruby lay down, eyes closed as she caught a small nap. The storm, unfortunately, raged on for the rest of the afternoon and well into the night. The two ate some of their rations before settling in for the night.

Near the end of Opal’s rest she was woken by Ruby. “Hey,” the guard said, “the storm’s breaking up. It’s almost morning. The sky is starting to brighten.”

Opal sat up, yawning and stretching before grabbing a small piece of bread along with her canteen. “Can you see anything yet?” she asked her companion.

Ruby shook her head. “It’s still too dark,” she replied, “and I can’t see well in this dark.”

“Should we wait until it gets brighter?” Opal asked.

“Not too much longer,” Ruby said, “but yes.”

A half an hour later, the sun had pierced the horizon, bathing the snow-covered wastes in an orange glow. The storm clouds were already gone in the east, the skies currently peppered with smaller clouds. In the distant west, Opal saw thicker clouds approaching, and she groaned inwardly. It looked like another storm front was on its way, so they needed to act fast before they would need to burrow down. She patted the teleportation crystal in her pack, feelings its reassuring solid weight against her hoof.

For the next few hours, the duo continued walking further north, the sun continuing to climb higher into the sky. The western storm clouds never seemed to get too much closer, although they increased in size. The two crossed several tall hills and low valleys, not seeing anything.

Finally, when Opal was about to suggest that they take a break, Ruby spotted something. A small dark patch in the snow around a large dome shaped hill. Opal saw it after several moments, but her attention was focused on the domed hill itself. To her eyes, it looked too perfect to be a naturally occurring hill. She pointed this out to Ruby.

“Yeah…you’re right,” Ruby said after a few seconds of her looking at the hill, “that is suspicious. We should tell the Empress when-get down!”

Ruby pushed Opal down into the snow before she could object. Opal coughed as some snow had gone down the wrong pipe, but with the winds picking up speed as the storm was now finally approaching, she figured nopony would be able to hear her. Once she recovered, she looked over at Ruby. “What do you see?” she asked.

Instead of replying, Ruby pointed up. Opal turned, squinting, until she saw it. A mass group of creatures flying out of the large black patch, heading straight into the air and to the east. Hovering near the entrance were two figures, a bright pink dragon with dark emerald spines, and a pure white alicorn with a blue mane.

Ruby took out her binoculars and peered through them at the two. “Oh my…that dragon looks remarkably similar to his Highness Prince Spike,” she said, “and that alicorn-oh dear…”

“Ruby, what-?”

“Get the teleportation crystal out now! We’ve been spotted!”

Opal’s training kicked in. Reaching into her pack, she pulled out the glowing blue crystal, grabbed Ruby’s outstretched hoof, and smacked the crystal against her chest, shattering the one time use item. The glow surrounded them and they suddenly found themselves tumbling through the air, falling. Thanks once again to her training, Opal wrapped herself up into a ball to do a tuck and roll.

Which wasn’t needed as she felt herself being grasped in a magical field. Looking around, she saw that the teleportation crystal had worked. She was being held in place by Emperor Consort Shining Armor, who sat in the smaller throne next to the currently empty one where Cadance normally sat. “Your Majesty,” Opal said, her breath being taken from being relocated from an insanely cold environment to the warmth of the Crystal Throne Room.

“What happened?” the Emperor Consort asked as he lowered them to the ground. He turned to some other guards. “Get them some warm blankets and warm tea immediately.”

“At once, your Majesty,” the nearest guard said before he began barking orders to some other guards, who rushed out of the room.

Even after being lowered, Shining didn’t release his magic on the two scouts. Instead, his spell switched so that it cast a warming charm on them. “Are you two alright?” he asked.

“J-Just f-f-fine,” Opal said, the shock now giving her the chills and making her shiver.

“Good. What happened?” Shining Armor asked.

“We found the site where the enemy made their base,” Ruby, who was better at hiding her shivering, replied. “They were commencing with some sort of mass evacuation.”

“Th-the enemy leader s-spot-ted us,” Opal added.

The Emperor Consort frowned at this, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “Damn,” he muttered to himself. Looking back at them, he nodded. “Good work. You can work on a full report when you’ve rested and warmed up.”

“Your Majesty, it might not be too relevant to this situation,” Ruby began, “but we found something else that might be interesting.”

The unicorn narrowed his eyes. “Go on.” As Ruby went on to describe the doorway in the Winterwall and the carvings and writing inside, his eyes widened. “Are you saying humans were involved in the construction of the Winterwall?”

“I’m no archaeologist, your Majesty,” Ruby said. She and Opal were now wrapped up in warm blankets, mugs of steaming tea in their hooves as they made their report. “The carvings depicted a human and two races that had human-like aspects as I’ve described.”

“I see,” the Emperor Consort said. “I don’t know what to make of this. My sister would be better suited for this…an archaeologist even more. It could be significant. You didn’t look at any of the other carvings too much, I take it?”

“We didn’t have the time, your Majesty,” Opal explained, her shivering having all but stopped.

“Understood, and good call,” Shining Armor replied. “When things are calm, we’ll send in a team to study this passage. Thank you for your report. Feel free to go and get some sleep before writing your full report.”

Opal and Ruby both saluted before walking towards the throne room doors. Just as they were opening the doors, Opal stopped and turned around. “Your Majesty, I just remembered something.”

Shining Armor, who was still sitting in his throne while looking out of a nearby window, refocused his attention towards Opal. “What is it?” He sounded exhausted.

“I remember seeing another carving in the walls that was curious,” Opal said. She then went on to describe the eagles flying over the rainbow with humans flying on their backs.

“Only humans?” Shining Armor asked, sounding a bit more intrigued now, “not the other two races?”

“Exactly,” Opal said. “I think the other two races were standing on the ground watching them.”

“I see.” Shining leaned back in his throne. “Try and draw these carvings when you write your full report. Now, was that all? If it is, you’re dismissed. Get some rest.”

“Yes, your Majesty, and no, there’s nothing else,” Opal replied.

“We’ll have those reports to you after we rest,” Ruby promised.

With that, the two turned, exited the throne room, and shut the door behind them.

“I am the righteous hand of God, and I am the devil that you forgot. And I told you one day you will see that I’ll be back, I guarantee, and that hell’s coming, hell’s coming, hell, hell’s coming with me.”

Gregory paused his singing to look at the bed. Despite Empress Cadance having assigned each of them a personal room, Dengal had insisted on sleeping with him like they had when they were in Majesty’s custody. Truth be told, Gregory had welcomed having her there. He likely wouldn’t have slept as well had she not been there. He’d woken up one time to her arms around his head as she held him close to her bosom. She’d told him sleepily that he’d been having a nightmare, which was true, but that particular nightmare had vanished some time before he woke up in said position. He’d fallen asleep with his head still there, and there hadn’t been any nightmares for the rest of the night.

Dengal was still asleep in the bed, breathing regularly. He paused his packing to look at her. A ghost of a smile played over his face for the briefest of moments. He considered himself lucky to have her as a companion, and her presence during his incarceration had been a Godsend. The beautiful goblin woman was unlike any others of her kind in many ways, and not just physically. It was as if she had a touch of humanity’s compassion, drive, and will to live and survive instilled in her.

Turning away, he returned to his packing, only to hear Dengal stirring in bed several minutes later. Looking back, he saw that she was sitting up, the brown t-shirt and bottom undergarments she wore to bed clinging to her curves. She rubbed sleep from her eyes before looking at Gregory and what he was doing. Instantly, she flung the covers away and jumped to her feet. “Why didn’t you wake me?” she chided him, looking a bit peeved as she quickly got to work helping to pack their meager belongings.

“You needed sleep,” Gregory argued as he resumed his own packing, which was nearly complete. “I didn’t want to wake you.”

“The faster we pack everything away, the faster we can get out of here and to Panthera,” Dengal said, “unless you’re considering taking the Princess’ offer?”

In truth, Gregory still was unsure. Celestia was probably rather wealthy, and if they succeeded in actually defeating Majesty, they’d be set for life, but their lives had been what he’d considered the night before. Could he really put his companions, new and old, in danger like that? Could he risk their safety all for the vague promise that they’d succeed with more money than they could spend in a lifetime? He couldn’t see himself or any of Shadow Dawn winning against Majesty, either in an overt fight or covert one. Besides, this wasn’t their fight. They’d just been dragged into it against their will. The ponies had laid their bed, and the ponies now had to lie in it. Gregory had to think of his companions first.

Was it selfish? That was what he had spent a while thinking about last night before Dengal insisted that he go to bed. It had been the nightmare that had helped start solidify his answer. He had been standing in Canterlot’s throne room, at least, the throne room he remembered from the show since he’d never seen the real one. Majesty sat in Celestia’s throne as she looked down at Gregory, now in a set of chains made of beautiful pink flowers. In front of him were Tobias, Dengal, Sunset, and even Chrysalis and Thorax oddly enough.

He remembered pleading for their lives to be spared if she really wanted him captive, and then, while still in his flowery chains, he had been forced to watch as Majesty had agreed before she spoke unintelligible words before casting magic on the group, turning them into marble statues. Even in his dreams, Majesty had kept her promise, but only by twisting his words against him.

That was when the nightmare had vanished, replaced by him dreaming about lying on a large cloud for a while before he woke to Dengal holding him close. His relief at seeing her there alive had almost made him start crying then and there, but he held back as Dengal stroked his hair with her hand, helping him fall right back to sleep.

“I think we should get out of this place as soon as possible,” Gregory said. “Gwaihir promised that he and his other eagles would carry us to Panthera should we choose to leave.”

Dengal looked a bit unsure. “I guess that’s faster than walking or taking a train,” she said.

“And safer, what with the civil unrest in Equestria,” Gregory reasoned.

Dengal nodded before finishing her end of packing. “So…Panthera, huh? Do you think I could open a new shop there?”

“You’d have to ask Tobias about that,” Gregory said. “He knows the place better than any of us do. Still, it sounds like a place that could use an expert blacksmith like yourself.”

Gregory saw her green cheeks get even greener as the young goblin blushed. “Flatterer,” she said with a cute giggle that caused his heart to skip a beat.

He gave her a grin back. “I mean every word,” he said as he zipped his last bag closed. “Come on, I doubt that Cadance will let us leave without some breakfast, and we should take advantage of the delicious cuisine here before we need to rely on rations.”

Dengal nodded in agreement before the two grabbed their bags and opened the door to the room, only to see Tobias standing there, fist raised as if to knock. He, too, had his bag slung over his shoulder. Behind him, Sunset stood, along with Chrysalis and Thorax. “Well, I guess I can safely say I’m not interrupting anything,” Tobias said in a teasing tone as he elbowed Gregory playfully.

Gregory rolled his eyes and gave his best male friend a light smack on the back of the head. “Behave,” he said with amusement before he turned to Sunset. “You ready to go, too?”

“Yep,” the orange unicorn said. “I’m tired of wandering. Panthera’s a really nice continent, even if it’s technologically behind Equestria. I can adjust.”

“We all can,” Gregory promised before he turned to Chrysalis and Thorax. “What about you two?”

Chrysalis huffed. “My hive was destroyed when that alicorn did whatever she did to the Badlands. The hive contacted me last night begging for my return.” She sounded haughty at that.

Gregory put a stop to that real quick. “The same hive that you used in your effort to enslave a population?”

She scowled at him. “I thought that it’s been established that the ponies are just as bad as you say we are.”

“An eye for an eye makes the world go blind,” Tobias said.

“They must really be desperate if they want you back, bug horse,” Gregory said. “Ah!” He held up a hand to forestall Chrysalis’ inevitable tirade. “What are you planning to do?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Chrysalis asked.

“If it was obvious, I wouldn’t be asking you,” Gregory retorted with a scowl before deciding to throw her off her game again. “Why are all the sexy villains so dense and stupid?”

It worked. Chrysalis sputtered and fumed, but it was Thorax who replied. “We’re going to try and set up a new hive on Panthera.”

“Whoa there, no way!” Tobias interjected before Gregory could. “Abyssinians won’t allow it, and the royal family won’t even consider a secret-”

“It won’t be secret,” Thorax interrupted, catching everyone off guard.

This included Chrysalis. “Um…what? How dare you-?”

“Go on,” Gregory said over Chrysalis’ objections, “I want to hear this.”

Ignoring Chrysalis’ muttering, Thorax explained. “We’re going to present ourselves to their government and ask them to allow us to inhabit a portion of land that they don’t use. Abyssinians don’t tend to live in mountain areas, correct?” He directed this to Tobias, who silently shook his head. “We changelings can live very well in mountain areas. We can also offer them our services.”

Chysalis was outraged at being left out. “Hold on, we can’t be beholden to-!”

“Your transformation skills would be useful in spy or combat missions,” Tobias considered.

“Ugh, why don’t you all just follow Thorax, then!?” Chrysalis snapped, throwing up her hooves.

“In the show, they did elect him king,” Gregory said. “Guess you need more than sex appeal to be a ruler,” he added with a teasing grin.

Her jaw was almost on the floor at that. It also earned him a smack on the back of the head from Dengal, despite the fact that she looked like she was stiffling a laugh of her own. “No, bad Gregory,” she said, but there was a glint in her eyes.

“My point is,” Thorax said, his own face a shade darker from secondhand embarrassment for his queen-mother, “we can’t keep living like we have before. We need to change how we interact with the world if we need to survive.”

“He’s not wrong,” Tobias acknowledged.

Chrysalis was trembling with anger, her teeth clenched. “I…hate…that you’re right…” she said. “I just don’t have to like it.”

“You’re a goddamned queen,” Gregory said, “so your duty is to your subjects. Their duty is not to you.”

“But they should follow their queen,” Chrysalis argued.

“They will if they respect you,” Gregory retorted. “Ruling with fear is a horrible way to maintain things. Celestia has her faults, glaring though they may be, but she managed to keep Equestria at peace for a thousand years because she didn’t rule with fear.”

Chrysalis was grinding her teeth as Gregory talked. He guessed that this was a bitter pill for her to swallow. Finally, she seemed to deflate. “Yeah…fine. There’s a lot of work to do now that the hive structure is gone.”

“Have Thorax help you,” Gregory encouraged. “He’s unique for a changeling. Besides, when this is all over, I can share with you a possible way that you can keep from needing to be dependent on emotions to survive. A sort of hyper-evolution, if you will. Before you ask, it’s something I saw in My Little Pony, and since that show full of sunshine and rainbows is only a stupid guideline, I don’t know if it’ll work, but if it does, great.”

There was a sudden knock at the door, and a familiar voice called out, “Mr. Graystone, are you in there still?”

“Yes, one moment,” Gregory said as he walked over and opened the door. Standing there was Emperor Consort Shining Armor and Princess Celestia. “Emperor-Consort. Princess. What can I do for you? We were just about to leave.”

“Does that mean you’re turning down our offer to hire you?” Celestia asked.

“Don’t take it personally, Princess,” Gregory said, “it’s merely the logical thing to do.” He gestured to the room at his companions and friends. “Shadow Dawn is an incredibly small mercenary group. Four current members against Majesty? It wouldn’t be a fair fight. She has that magic mirror, is powerful enough to repel you and your sister, and is incredibly versatile and smart. On our side, we have a human who has absolutely no magic whatsoever, an abyssinian and goblin who are great in a fight but who wouldn’t stand a chance, and even your former student who, while powerful, wouldn’t be able to do much.”

“Hey!” Sunset snapped back.

“Am I wrong?” Gregory asked, turning back to Sunset.

Her ears flattened and she shook her head. “Well, no, but-”

“You can dish out the harsh reality, but can’t take it?” Gregory interrupted her with a frown. That got her to shut up and she looked down. Turning back to Celestia, he continued. “My point is, if you and your sister can’t go against Majesty, how the hell do you expect us to succeed?”

“You still have those artifacts that Discord specifically asked Twilight and the others to get for you, correct?” Celestia asked, stepping forward. “That locket and light weapon.”

He put his hand on his upper chest, feeling the heart-shaped outline of the Rainbow of Light around his neck. Nobody had been able to make it work, and the brief rainbow glow that he’d seen in the locket’s mirror was now gone. “The locket I still have, but you really can have it if you want. If nothing else, then you could put it in a museum as a piece of pony ancient history.”

Celestia shook her head. “Keep the locket. Discord wanted you to have it.”

Gregory scowled at her. “If you’re attempting to guilt trip me, I swear to God-”

Celestia’s eyes widened and she quickly shook her head. “I didn’t intend for it to sound that way, I swear.”

Gregory continued scowling at her, but moved his hand away from the locket underneath his clothes. “Why are you here?” he asked.

Celestia took a breath, then exhaled. “Shining Armor has some new information we just learned from the scouts who were sent to investigate the area where you were captured. Before you say anything, I know that we have no right to ask anything of you after everything you’ve been through, but I was serious about paying your group to help. I also understand wanting to protect yourselves in this moment. Could you at least hear us out before you leave? Your revelation yesterday was certainly a shock, but you clearly know more about our world, and perhaps you could give us some advice on how to proceed next?”

Gregory felt his hands balling up into fists. No wonder she was known to many fans as a master manipulator. Well, he might not be as skilled at this, but he knew two could play at her game. “I will be charging you for any suggestion I come up with,” he said in what he hoped was a dark tone, “and if, and I can’t stress this enough, if, my group decides to let you hire us, I won’t hold back in how much I charge you. Comprende?”

Celestia nodded. “Comprendo,” she replied softly.

Gregory nodded in grim satisfaction before turning to a clearly upset Shining Armor. “What’s this new information you have?” he asked, dispensing with any politeness. He was too angry to be polite in that moment. He was also too scared. He was no hero, not after everything he’d been through to survive in the two years since his arrival on Erda. He hated himself a lot, and only his friends were any source of comfort for him, especially as of late. He was already calming down because Tobias and Dengal were by his side immediately, hand and paw on each of his shoulders.

Shining took a deep breath, clearly trying to calm himself down. “This is what we know,” he began before he filled everyone in on the new information found by the two scouts.

Despite being angry, Gregory listened patiently, his two closest friends by his side to help steady him. He began calming down as his mind began to work, listening carefully to every word Shining relayed to him. And something did catch his eye. “Back up,” Gregory said, holding a hand up to forestall any objections from the unicorn stallion, “did you say they saw a human riding an eagle above a rainbow?”

“Yes I did,” Shining said with what sounded like forced patience.

Gregory nodded. “I see.”

“Does that sound familiar to you?” Celestia asked with a hint of hope in her voice.

Gregory was sorely tempted to dash her hopes out of spite, but even he wasn’t that far gone. “Maybe…but keep going,” he said, gesturing for Shining to continue. When he heard how easily Majesty had spotted the two ponies, he felt his resolve to stay out of it do two opposing things at once. It both slipped and hardened. If Majesty could detect anyone that fast, then that fact was enough for him to stay the fuck out of this fight. She had found him once despite him not being a magical being of any kind. It also slipped because the inkling of an idea was forming in his head. He put a hand on his chin, forming the idea out in his thoughts.

If this idea was feasible, perhaps he could not only outsource the job, but be more out of Majesty’s reach than she could follow. “Where’s Gwaihir?”

“We can do this,” Gwaihir replied to Gregory’s question some ten minutes later. The massive eagle was perched in a temporary eyrie he had made for himself outside of Crystalia. The other eagles were also roosting there with a few flying around in what Gregory guessed was a guard maneuver.

“Could that be why Majesty didn’t want you free?” Gregory asked curiously.

“I don’t see why she would not want us doing something like that,” the eagle replied with confusion.

“Probably out of fear of what you could bring back,” Gregory said contemplatively. A grin formed on his face. It was a massive longshot, but this plan of his could work.

“Mr. Graystone, what idea have you come up with?” Celestia asked.

“One that, if it works, means I can get out of Majesty’s reach until and unless she is dealt with on a more permanent level,” he said, “and also one that means I could outsource the job to someone more qualified to being the damned hero, something which I’m not.” He turned to her. “If this does work, I’m still going to ask for you to pay us all well.”

Dengal reached over. “I’m coming with you, and don’t you dare say no,” she insisted.

Gregory turned to her, then sighed in resignation. “Of course you’d say that,” he muttered. “Very well.”

“I’m coming, too,” Tobias insisted.

“You’re not leaving me out of this,” Sunset added.

In that moment, he realized that he couldn’t use this idea to hide from Majesty, but it still could work as a means of outsourcing. If this idea did work, his friends would stand out too much and be in more danger than he was. He still thought the idea had some chance of working, mostly because it presented the element of surprise for the enemy. The one Element of Harmony missing, he joked to himself. “Fine, we’re all going,” he said. Looking up at Gwaihir, he asked, “How long has it been since you did it?”

“Too long,” Gwaihir said sorrowfully. “Tales are told of how our ancestors taught certain ponies this skill, but ponies have changed greatly since our time as their allies, and not for the better.” He looked at Celestia, who flinched a bit before the eagle turned his attention back to Gregory. “We owe you our lives and freedom. If this is something important to you, we will assist in any way we can.”

Gregory gave him a grateful smile, then reached his hand up. Gwaihir lowered his beak and the human touched it. “I appreciate the assist, Lord Gwaihir,” he said.

The eagle seemed surprised by the title, then smiled. “Is the name you gave me a good one?” he asked.

“In a novel series I enjoy reading, Gwaihir was the leader of a species like yours,” Gregory explained. “He was the leader of the Great Eagles in that book series, and when I saw all of you, I thought of those eagles. Noble beings, the lot of them, and you strike me as noble as well.”

“You honor me,” Gwaihir said with a warm smile which slowly turned into a serious face. “We will fly you where you wish to go, Gregory Graystone,” he promised.

“Thank you,” Gregory said before he turned to his friends. “Saddle up, everyone. Time to fly.”

29: Heroes Return

It felt like a typical farming life scene to the now twenty-seven year old Megan Williams. Sitting on the porch of her family farm in a rocking chair, a glass of lemonade in her hand as the cool late autumn breeze blew through her still very blonde hair, she watched the herd of horses she was responsible for breeding as they galloped through the fields. The crops she grew had already been harvested and sold to the local town’s businesses for a solid profit.

Sitting on a swinging bench next to her, her twenty-five year old brother Daniel Williams and her twenty-three year old sister Molly Williams both sat, also watching the scene before them as it played out in the late afternoon. Both of them had their own looks of satisfaction on their faces as they watched their family farm from their own seats. When the family had moved away from their farm seven years ago, none of them thought they’d ever see the place again since their family’s farm had not been doing well thanks to a failing crop yield. Her parents both got jobs in another state as farm hands on a larger and more profitable farm. It had been a jarring experience for the three younger Williams, but not so much that they couldn’t handle it.

After all, they had been on insane adventures at only twenty, eighteen, and sixteen years old. Being called to aid in a parallel magical world full of ponies, dragons, gnomes, elves, booshwoolies, grundles, evil witches and more was not something that the young college student at the time would ever forget. That year of college back in 1984 felt like a lifetime ago. And now? After her parents had gone into an early retirement over a year ago thanks in part to some smart planning and investing by said parents, the siblings had decided to move back to their old family farm after the family renting it from them moved away after yet another poor crop yield.

It was during the first week after moving that Megan had found a large crate hidden carefully in the barn in a hidden room that only Megan and her siblings knew about. Megan recognized it as a crate that had come from Ponyland. The note on it came from Queen Majesty and it explained that she knew about the family’s farming troubles and hoped that the contents of the crate would aid them. Inside she found four large barrels full of soil. Despite the soil being hidden for nearly ten years, it was still fresh thanks presumably in part to whatever magical properties the barrels had.

When the siblings experimented with a small garden in front of their house, they discovered that the local soil only needed a pinch in order for the plants to grow large and healthy. With excitement, the three spread the soil all around the farm while at the same time reminiscing about their adventures in Ponyland. Megan had the most stories to tell since she’d been to the world of Erda more than her siblings, but the young adults didn’t mind that much. They wondered just how their old friends were doing.

Another side effect of the Ponyland soil that none of them expected was the increased intelligence of any horse or animal that ate crops from their fields. Not only that, but the crops they ate gave the three siblings a youthful vigor that made them feel like they had when they had been in Ponyland. It helped them do their jobs on the farm and had made them even start looking younger.

“Mighty fine sunset,” Danny said, interrupting Megan’s reverie.

“Eeyup,” Megan replied as she took another sip of lemonade. “Really beautiful. Kinda like sunsets in Ponyland.”

“Those were some beautiful skies back then,” Molly chuckled as she sipped on her own lemonade. “You get the feeling something big’s gonna happen?”

Megan paused to think. The three siblings had been living and working on their farm for over a year and thanks to the gift from Majesty they had raked in a record number of profits from their crop sales with their last harvest. Enough that they could afford to get some new farming equipment and upgrade the barn and the farmhouse when the next spring came. Nothing major had happened during that time aside from the discovery of Majesty’s gift. Megan wished she could fly back one more time to thank her old friend. “I don’t think so,” Megan said. “It’s just a right darn beautiful sunset.”

“I hear that,” Daniel chuckled as he sipped on his own lemonade. “Still, Molly could be right. Tonight feels different. Almost magical.”

Megan closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. The smells of the farm entered her nostrils and filled her with nostalgic thoughts of their magical adventures. It was a bittersweet sensation for her. She never wanted to leave home six years ago, but she’d also been able to understand that their farm had been in dire straits and her parents had no choice but to leave. Still, they couldn’t sell the farm as it’d been in the Williams family for several generations so they’d rented it out. One family had lived there trying in vain to make crops grow, but to no avail. “You’re right,” Megan said as she opened her eyes and looked to the sky, “tonight does feel magical.”

“You think someone’s gonna come here from Ponyland?” Molly asked with hope.

Megan chuckled. “That would be nice, wouldn’t it? Still, I don’t think that’s too likely.”

“I guess, but it’d be nice,” Molly said wistfully. “I miss them all.”

Megan reached around her neck and grabbed the heart shaped locket she’d bought at their town’s local mall before they’d left for their new home up north. A locket that reminded her of the Rainbow of Light. Inside was a picture she had taken with a camera she’d brought with her for their last trip. An image of her and her siblings standing next to their pony friends. Majesty, Firefly, Applejack, Bow Tie, Spyke, the Moochick, Prince Chethan and more. The other two had similar lockets around their own necks. Inside, there was a picture album that had the other pictures they’d taken that day, and they had taken plenty of them. Pictures of Dream Castle, Paradise Estate, the baby ponies playing in their play area, the siblings playing with their friends, and more. “I do too,” Megan said with her hand over her locket. She stood up. “I’m gonna get some more lemonade. Daniel, Molly, you want some more?”

“Please?” Molly held up her own glass.

“I’m good for now,” Daniel said.

Smirking, Megan went inside and grabbed the pitcher from the fridge, glancing at a magnet image on the fridge which showed her, her siblings, and their first horse TJ, who was still alive and who was showing signs of not only increased vitality but intelligence. There had been times when Molly said she thought she’d heard TJ making noises like he was speaking recently, but neither she nor Daniel had heard that. They did believe her, of course.

When she returned to the porch, a soft breeze had begun blowing, sending a shiver down her spine as she handed the full glass of lemonade to Molly. She took it and sipped at the straw, sighing contentedly. “Applejack’s recipe is always the best,” she said.

“True,” Daniel said. He downed the rest of his lemonade and set it down on the table next to him. “God, today was tiring. Who knew TJ could still run that fast?”

“He has been acting a bit oddly today, hasn’t he?” Molly added. “Any idea why, Megan? He’s your horse.”

“Not at all,” she said. She’d never seen the horse acting like that at all, even when he was a young foal. “At least he’s calm now.”

As if she’d jinxed it, there was a loud neighing sound from the stables followed by a crash. Daniel looked at his sister with a frown. “You just had to jinx it, didn’t you?”

“Well, shit,” Megan sighed as she put her lemonade down on the small table next to her rocking chair and stood. “Better see what’s going-Hey! He got out!”

Molly and Daniel pointed to where Megan was pointing. Sure enough, the light brown mustang was bolting across the field, heading towards the old well. “What in tarnation is that old horse doing?” Daniel asked as he stood. “TJ! Come back here!”

The old mustang ignored Daniel’s call as he began circling the well at a brisk trot, nickering as he did so. Megan set down her lemonade and stood. “Damn it, TJ, come on now,” she called out as she walked over towards the ten year old horse. “You’ve got plenty of water, you don’t need any more from the well.”

TJ didn’t reply, only speeding up and continuing to circle the well. Daniel and Molly walked after Megan, who was focused on reining in the horse. When the siblings got there, he galloped away, now heading towards the old riding arena. He leaped over the fence and began galloping around at great speed. “Well, shit,” Molly said, mirroring her sister’s words from earlier, “what the hell’s gotten into that stallion?”

“TJ, come on back here!” Daniel pushed his Stetson down and grabbed the rope hanging on the fence. “What’s gotten into you?” He leaped over the fence and began to give chase.

Megan and Molly began to do the same, but after a few seconds, Megan stopped. Something felt off about this. Off not in a bad way, but there was a sudden shift in the air. A shift she couldn’t quite pinpoint. Amidst the shouts from her siblings and TJ’s galloping and neighing, she looked up into the sky. Nothing up there. It was a cloudless cold evening. She narrowed her eyes as she scanned the skies. Still nothing.

Until there wasn’t nothing. A small cloud formed above them, growing rapidly. Soon, she felt little drops of rain began falling, and from the cloud there was a rainbow-colored flash. From the cloud, she saw five flying figures, but these weren’t pegasi. Instead, these were eagles. This confused Megan, but she continued watching. She saw these eagles begin to circle the farm, then descend swiftly. The closer they got, the more Megan realized that these weren’t any normal sort of eagle. These eagles were massive.

The flapping of wings and the screech of one of the eagles caught the attention of her siblings, and they both exclaimed in wonder and shock at the descending birds. As they got closer, Daniel and Molly joined with Megan. “Are those eagles from Ponyland?” Molly asked with awe.

“Do you think any bird like that could exist here and not be able to be known about?” Daniel asked. “Besides, I think I can see some figures riding on their backs.”

Megan narrowed her eyes, quickly spotting what her brother had just seen. He was right. There were figures on the backs of four of the eagles. She immediately noticed that one of them was a pony. The other three were bipedal. One looked like a male of Queen Catrina’s species, the other looked vaguely human but with gray skin and glowing red eyes. The fourth was masked and wearing all black, the mask having glowing eyes. The birds continued to descend, looking for a place to land, and eventually finding that the yard in front of the farmhouse would do very well.

Megan didn’t even hesitate. She leaped over the fence and rushed at the eagles and their occupants at full speed. Behind her, she heard her siblings shouting at her to wait for them. TJ also galloped towards the eagles as their charges jumped off. Megan saw the masked creature reaching up for its mask. It removed said mask, only to reveal a human face behind it. A man, one definitely older than her. He was looking around when Megan called out a greeting. He and the other four turned to her. The man stepped forward. Megan saw now that he wore pretty much all black, and his clothes looked like they’d seen better days. He also had a couple of knives at his side along with two strange metallic objects hanging from his belt and two pistols.

When she saw the weapons, she paused in alarm. Had the human neighbors to Ponyland developed firearms? That was a worrying development if so. The man must have noticed her hesitation before he raised his hands. “We’re not here to fight,” he said. “We’re here because we’re looking for you, Megan Williams.”

Megan raised both eyebrows in shock. The humans from the neighboring country all had a strange accent to them, but this man had a clear American accent. Probably somewhere west of here, but clearly American. The humans from Lantea had what she could only describe as a British accent. Either that had shifted, or this man was from Earth. “You know me?” Megan asked.

“I’ve seen you before in a magical memory projection and in some old historical records,” the man replied. He then turned to the other two. “I take it these are you siblings, Daniel and Molly Williams?”

“Uh…” Megan said dumbly. This wasn’t going how she expected at all.

“That’s us,” Molly said.

“Who are you?” Daniel asked, looking suspiciously at the man.

“My name’s Gregory Graystone,” he said before turning to his companions. “These are my companions Tobias, Dengal, and Sunset Shimmer.” He indicated the cat creature, gray skinned humanoid and unicorn. “These eagles helped us cross between Erda and your Earth. This is their leader, Gwaihir.”

Molly’s lip cracked a half smile. “Like that eagle from Tolkien’s books?”

“Exactly,” Gregory replied.

“Gregory gave me the name,” the eagle next to Gregory said, somewhat startling Megan, and judging from the expressions on her siblings, shocked them as well.

Recovering quickly from her temporary brain lock, Megan looked at Gregory. “What’s going on in Ponyland? Is there any danger? Who’s threatening the ponies?”

Gregory sighed, then gestured to the house. “Let’s not discuss it out here,” he said as he removed the overcoat he wore and draped it over the gray skinned humanoid woman. Megan noted the amount of tenderness in the gesture along with the look of affection and gratitude that Dengal gave to the man. “It’s colder than I expected, and there’s a lot you need to know.”

Megan couldn’t even begin to comprehend all of what Gregory and his companions, who she now knew was a mercenary group called Shadow Dawn, had told her. Dream Castle destroyed, various races she knew from Erda having gone extinct or missing in a deadly war, splitting up of the tribes, the rise of xenophobia and speciesism, the death of a human who only wanted to befriend the ponies and so much more information was more than she could think about.

Not to mention the fact that her adventures had, on presumably another Earth, been broadcast as a children’s adventure and had significantly de-aged her and her siblings. That fact had completely screwed with her sense of reality. Gregory had even taken out some kind of advanced piece of technology he had called a smartphone and displayed a watered-down version of her first adventure in Ponyland, but without the inclusion of Majesty.

That was her biggest concern, however. More than two thousand years may have passed on Erda since she had been last there, but Majesty was not only still alive but had become something called an alicorn. An immortal blend of three of the pony races who possessed aspects of the three races. And she was currently a danger to the current pony nation called Equestria.

After listening to everything, Megan couldn’t think of anything to say or ask. She didn’t even know where to start. Daniel, however, having grown smarter since his time on Erda, did know what to ask. “What do you want my sister to do?”

Gregory sighed, then reached into his shirt and pulled out a very familiar looking locket. Pulling it off, he set it on the table and slid it over to Megan. “You’re the bearer of the Rainbow of Light,” he said to Megan. “This thing won’t respond to me. It could very well respond to you.”

Megan reached out with trembling hands. The Rainbow of Light looked the exact same as it had before, and she could feel the raw power from the object as she took it in her hands. Molly reached over and put her hand over Megan’s, and Daniel put his own hand on her shoulder. Slowly, she reached for the clasp and opened it. The mirror inside showed her reflection as others saw it, not like any normal mirror. The rainbow glow from beyond the mirror surrounded her form. However, before she could say anything else, the mirror morphed. The reflection of her brother appeared, also surrounded by the rainbow’s light. It morphed again, this time showing Molly surrounded by the light.

However, the last morphing showed the reflection of Gregory, but instead of the bright rainbow that surrounded him. there was a darkness surrounding him. A rainbow-colored darkness. Unlike the serious expression on the current Gregory’s face, the Gregory that the Rainbow of Light was showing her was one with a resigned expression, one that had lost all hope. It was as if the Light and Dark were merged within Gregory. She looked up at the man sitting across from her at their dinner table. She wondered just what kind of life Gregory had on Erda. Nothing good, she mused.

Help.

The word wasn’t so much heard audibly as it was ingrained into her. It was as if the Rainbow of Light was speaking to her. Slowly, she closed the locket before she straightened. “This is all a lot of information you’ve given us,” she said. “So much has changed since my siblings and I were last there. I still find it hard to believe that my friend Majesty has done what you say she’s done.”

“You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain,” Gregory said as if quoting something.

“War changes a person,” the unicorn named Sunset Shimmer said. “She’s probably suffering from a severe case of PTSD after losing her husband and her kingdom.” She raised her horn which lit up and displayed an image of a drawing in an ancient looking book. “This was something I found in the Canterlot Restricted Section several years ago. Recognize any of them?”

Megan immediately nodded. “Majesty, Applejack, Twilight, Spyke, me and my siblings…”

“Firefly, Bow Tie, Princess Mimic, Sky Dancer,” Daniel continued.

“Medley, Moondancer, Posey, Lickety-Split,” Molly added.

“They’re all there,” Megan concluded as the magical image faded. “And they’re all dead now except for Majesty and Spyke…” She looked down at the table. She knew she’d never see her old friends again, but this was much worse. Now she had to contend with the fact that one of her friends had taken a turn down a dark path. Of course, the Gregory before her had a stern look on his face. “You said the next opportunity to leave is early tomorrow morning?”

“Correct,” Gregory said. “We’ll be going back with or without you. I’d have no place here, and certainly the others with me would be captured by the government if they discovered a living, breathing unicorn, goblin, abyssinian, and magic eagles.”

Megan scoffed at this, but she couldn’t deny his claims. “Yeah…still, this is a lot to think about.”

“We understand, Miss Williams,” Tobias said with a sympathetic tone. “Nobody is going to force this on you.”

Megan nodded, then put the Rainbow of Light down before standing. “Well, since it’s still a bit early, do any of you want pizza?”

In an effort to be hospitable, Megan had ordered Domino’s Pizza from the nearby town for her guests to eat. The pizza was better than Gregory remembered, but that could be because on this Earth it was 1991 and he’d come from the year 2027. The technology in the house was, to his eyes, retro. Tonight was even the premiere of an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, but Gregory had elected to skip it, instead electing to check on Gwaihir and the other eagles to be sure they were okay. The cold didn’t seem to bother them and they said that they would be alright. The barn was big enough for them, and they could sleep while pressed up against each other, so they’d be alright.

The night sky was ablaze with stars, constellations that Gregory hadn’t seen for two years. The moon, a waxing gibbous, was the exact same as the one he’d seen on Earth. Being on any version of Earth was a joy he couldn’t readily describe, but sadly said joy was being overwhelmed by the sense of urgency and the ever increasingly building frustration of his circumstances. Were this any other circumstance, he would love to just remain on this Earth, perhaps hire on as a farmer on the Williams farm, live out his days in peace and without any sort of danger to worry about.

But he couldn’t do that. He had his friends on Erda to worry about. Tobias, Dengal, even Sunset were the ones he wanted to protect, the unicorn slowly growing on him despite her irritating attitude. If her personality change in Equestria Girls was any indication, she could become a better person, pony, whatever.

He walked around, the temperature quickly dropping as he walked around the midwestern farm property until he came to a large pile of discarded burnable garbage sitting on another part of the farm. He reached down and touched one of the lightsabers on his belt. Grabbing it, he ignited the blue blade and roared in frustration as he attacked the garbage and began destroying anything he could. Just like the elegant weapons from Star Wars, the blade sliced through everything with ease. The blade itself had a bit of weight which was good since that was the most dangerous thing he feared about the weapon. The hum and sound of lightsaber cutting through wood made him feel a little bit like Kylo Ren in the one scene from The Force Awakens, but he needed this. The frustration he felt at his situation, at Celestia, at Majesty, and at the world of Erda for spitting in his face, was almost overwhelming.

He reached down and grabbed his other lightsaber, igniting the green blade and falling into the dual wielding stance that he had learned from Tobias. “Fuck you, Erda!” he bellowed in rage. “Fuck you, Majesty! Fuck you, Celestia! Fuck you, Twilight Sparkle! Fuck you, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie fucking PIE!” He moved around the pile of discarded broken garbage, slicing through wooden furniture that had since been damaged. Megan had said that was a bonfire pile they planned to light at a later date.

After about ten minutes of this venting, Gregory was sweating despite the late autumn cold. He was also panting heavily, thirsty, and just plain tired. He de-ignited the lightsabers and collapsed onto his behind, looking at the glowing embers that the lightsaber had formed. He panted heavily, watching his breath exhale out as clouds of vapor. Falling onto his back, he held his arms outstretched, a blade in each hand. He felt his heart racing, his breath ragged as he began to calm down from his outburst.

Just as he was about to sit up, a figure appeared over him. In the moonlight, he could see that it was Megan. “Damn,” she said, “you look exhausted.”

Slowly, he sat up only for Megan to sit next to him, offering him a steaming mug of what smelled like hot cider. He took the liquid and blew on the liquid before sipping experimentally on it. “Wow, this stuff is delicious,” he said as he took another sip.

“Applejack taught me the recipe on our last day in Ponyland,” Megan said.

Gregory snorted. “I bet the Applejack in my time would love to learn about her ancestor’s recipes,” he said.

“It surprises me that there’s an Applejack where you’re from,” Megan said.

“Rainbow Dash could very well be Firefly’s descendent with how reckless she once was and how she claims that danger is her middle name,” Gregory replied before sipping on the warm liquid. “Aah…”

The two sat in silence for a bit before Megan spoke. “Do you really have a pair of lightsabers from Star Wars?” she asked, “or is that some facsimile made from magic?”

“I haven’t looked at them that extensively,” Gregory said, “but since they came from Discord, I’m going to guess they’re really from the Star Wars universe.”

“It’s still hard to believe that our adventures in Ponyland are just a girl’s cartoon on your Earth,” Megan said. “Kind of disturbing, if you ask me.”

“It’s a children’s cartoon from the eighties,” Gregory said, “so it’s not like it would show inappropriate stuff.”

“Not quite my point, but I guess you’re right,” Megan said. She reached into her pocket and Gregory saw the Rainbow of Light flash in the moonlight. “Still, I never thought I’d see this again…” She clasped it close to her chest and smiled slightly. “Reminds me of more innocent times…”

Well, if the history of this Earth is anything like the one I’m from, this is a more innocent time before the internet and social media, Gregory thought. Still, he found it fairly amazing that he was sitting next to what amounted to a living legend. A legend lost to time back in Equestria, but a legend nonetheless. The bearer of the Rainbow of Light, savior of ponykind on a number of occasions. The Megan Williams.

After a few minutes, Megan looked over at Gregory, who was now staring up at the winter night sky. “Life hasn’t been kind to you since you went to Erda, has it?”

He tensed up at the question. Her tone was one of concern. “The only good thing I’ve gotten from moving to that world is that I’ve gained some friends. Not the friends I was hoping to make, but beggars can’t be choosers.”

He felt a tender hand being placed on his shoulders. Turning, he saw the blonde woman’s piercing blue eyes looking deep into his. There was a seriousness there that put him on alert. “Gregory,” she said with a serious tone, “we talked about it, and while it is a bit disheartening to hear that ponies have changed so much for the worse, we’re going to come help. We can’t, in good conscience, just let Majesty hurt others even if she thinks she’s doing this to help ponies. Maybe us being there will help.”

He nodded. “We leave at first light,” he replied, looking up at the solitary cloud that still hovered above the house. The cloud that hadn’t disappeared since appearing earlier that afternoon.

Megan’s serious expression became one of concern, something that confused Gregory. “Are you okay?”

In this moment, Gregory remembered just how kind-hearted that the show version of Megan was. If this Megan was similar to the one in the show, then perhaps she could help calm Majesty down. He sighed. “Being kicked out for trying to befriend ponies and then living in a desert hive of scum and villainy for two years while needing to take a job with the city’s mercenary guild tends to really screw with a guy’s mind,” he said heavily.

Megan gave him an empathetic look. “I’m so sorry you went through that,” she said, and to Gregory it sounded like she meant every word. “I hope that we can help stop what’s happening with Majesty,” she added. Then, Gregory saw a look of disappointment pass over Megan’s face as she concluded with, “I also need to speak with this Celestia pony. Sounds like she’s complacent. When I knew her, Majesty was a ruler who was active and traveled throughout Ponyland regularly. Does Celestia do this?”

Gregory almost smirked, hoping he could be in the room to show that so-called master manipulator be torn down by a hero to ancient ponies, a hero who had helped save the pony race from being turned into Tirac’s personal slaves. “Celestia…she treats ‘her little ponies’ more as her children than her subjects. At least, until recently. I’m guessing she’s about to change how she rules. At least, let’s hope she does, because if she doesn’t another alicorn will rise up and try to steal all of Equestria’s magic, causing the three tribes to split up and hate each other.”

Megan looked at him with a horrified expression. “How do you know that?” she asked in a trembling tone.

“I saw it on the show,” Gregory replied. “Of course, since Twilight Sparkle won’t become the sole ruler of Equestria, that’s probably not going to happen, or if it does it will not happen in the same way.”

Megan frowned at him. “You sound like you don’t particularly care.”

Gregory sighed. “Megan, when I first came to Equestria, I was hoping that I could befriend the main characters of the show. I realize now that was a pipe dream. The real Equestria is a lot darker than the show. Honestly, I should have realized it from even before, but I was blinded. I had nothing on my Earth, and a new start in Equestria was like a dream. Life, however, seems to want to punch me in the dick. So you’ll understand if my priorities are to my friends and not a nation who has systematically discriminated against any creature who isn’t a pony and actively tortured and abused a single human enough to drive him to suicide.”

Megan looked down at the ground, then back up at Gregory. “I know you’ve lost faith, but there has to be good in ponies still. You said that there have been protests on the current state of affairs in this Equestria? That shows that there are some ponies willing to change.”

“Not soon enough for my fellow human Jason,” Gregory said, but sighed. “Maybe, but I can’t take that risk. I have absolutely no magic over there. I’m just as vulnerable as Jason was. All I can rely on are my own physical attributes and my close companions. Majesty is targeting Equestria, and I personally have no connection to the ponies there. I just want to live a life away from that continent.”

Megan looked at him for a long while, then nodded slowly. “I understand,” she said.

Gregory downed the rest of the mug of hot cider, then exhaled. “You probably think I’m being selfish for not wanting to help the ponies.”

Megan’s expression betrayed her. “Well, not quite, but-”

“Megan, I’m a mercenary,” Gregory explained. “I work for money because that’s the only job I could ever get in that world. Celestia has even tried to buy my help. Still, that doesn’t mean I’m heartless. Like I’ve said before, my first priority is to my friends. Their safety is paramount to me. Now that Majesty practically terraformed the old Badlands and turned almost all of the inhabitants of my old city into animals, I don’t have a home. Tobias has suggested we go to the kingdom of Abyssinia to start a new life. At least there, I can find work since the abyssinians are more accepting of outsiders.”

“I see,” Megan said. There was silence for a bit, then she stood up taller and put a hand on Gregory’s shoulder. “I will do my best to stop Majesty. She might have treated you like an honored guest, but she’s still acting on her own now. The fact that she’s trying to make ponies aware of their fall from grace is promising, but her methods are too extreme.”

“Promising?” Gregory paused to ponder this.

Megan explained before he could think. “There’s still good in her,” she said. “She’s just been through so much that she’s become misguided. I hope I can break through to her.” She stepped back. “Listen, I’m going to go pack.” She took the mug from Gregory. “Why don’t you come in and I’ll show you where you can sleep. We have a couple of spare bedrooms and a cot you can use to sleep on tonight.”

Gregory nodded, then began following her in. He looked up at the stars one last time, burning the image into his retinas. It was probably the last time he would ever be able to see the stars from Earth, from any Earth, so he wanted to remember them. The stars of home.

Princess Celestia stood on the balcony of her guest quarters in the Crystal Palace as she raised the sun on time. Since she was farther north than Canterlot, she had to raise the sun earlier than normal due to the spherical nature of the world and the time of year. She had a sixth sense about her on when to raise the sun no matter where she was on Equus. She yawned as the sky began brightening in the east.

Satisfied with her daily work, she looked up at the sky, but not at the horizon. Instead, she stared at the static cloud that hadn’t moved since it formed the day before when Gregory and his group had flown through on the back of the eagles. It had been an interesting sight, seeing the cloud forming as the eagles seemed to create the cloud from nothing. She wondered if there was a way for a pegasus or even an alicorn to duplicate the effect of whatever advanced magic was needed to make that cloud. If this was the same method that ancient ponies had used to cross to a human world to summon help, then pegasi had to have been able to do it at some point.

That only brought forth a fresh wave of sadness. She had learned so much about the history of ponykind and it looked like they had changed, but not for the better. That saddened her, and she knew she herself was included in that. Clearly, her race didn’t value the past as much as it should have. She wondered what other hidden secrets were buried in obscure history books and what else had been scrubbed from the common knowledge of ponies. When this crisis was over, she would actually help scour the restricted library to find ancient history that had likely been lost.

She was so lost in thought staring at the cloud above the city that she didn’t notice a yawning Luna as she joined her sister. “Nnng…did you raise the sun already?” she asked.

Celestia was startled from her reverie and looked down at her sister. “Ah…yes, I took care of it.”

“What are you doing now?” Luna asked.

“I was just taking in the cool morning air,” Celestia replied. To emphasize her point, she turned back and inhaled deeply.

Of course, Luna saw right through her horseshit. “Uh huh…and what were you really doing?”

Celestia chuckled without mirth. “I can’t hide anything from you anymore, can I?” She pointed up at the cloud with her wing. “I was staring at the cloud and thinking.”

“What about?” Luna asked.

“Our ancient history,” Celestia explained. When Luna said nothing, Celestia continued. “We had no idea that this war with Tartarus even happened. We had no idea that anypony named Majesty even existed. We didn’t know about how humans and their allies sacrificed themselves to save the remnants of our race. And how do we repay their sacrifice? By changing for the worse.” Celestia lowered her head remorsefully. “Jason might still be alive today…if I had acted differently.”

“That is a dangerous line of thinking, sister,” Luna said sternly. “You cannot keep thinking about all of the little what ifs in life. It will keep you up at night. Trust me, I’m an expert on that subject to a frightening degree.”

Celestia turned to her sister, a look of worry on her face. “You did that?”

“Not just about Jason,” Luna admitted, “but when I came back from being Nightmare Moon I was up for many nights fretting about how I could have acted differently all those years ago. That was one reason why I punished myself with the tantabus. It would show me better versions of the future sometimes, ones where we had made up a thousand years ago and expanded Equestria further than today. Hay, it even showed us making alliances with other nations. After Jason’s death, I guess there were remnants of the tantabus still inside me or it was the extreme guilt on my part for not doing more for him that I began seeing better versions of history for Jason.”

Celestia put a wing around Luna’s back, tears welling up in her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, “you shouldn’t have had to suffer like that. It wasn’t your fault. I made assumptions that Twilight and her friends would do the right and friendly thing.”

Luna leaned against her sister’s frame, letting loose a sigh. “We are never too old to learn and change,” she said tiredly.

Celestia nodded, and the two stared out of the window at the cloud. For the next few minutes, that’s all they did. Until the cloud began to flash slightly with colors of the rainbow. That caught their attention as they stood and watched. The lights flashed for several more seconds until a group of birds came flying out of the cloud. “They’re back!” Luna said excitedly, spreading her wings and flying out towards them.

“Luna, wait for me!” Celestia called out as she flew after her sister.

As they approached the five eagles, Celestia saw that each of them now held one or two passengers on their backs. The lead one, the one Gregory named Gwaihir, carried Gregory and a blonde haired human who clung to his back and buried their face into Gregory’s back while simultaneously holding onto a brown Stetson. Celestia saw two other humans flying with the abyssinian and the goblin, one with red hair and another with lighter blonde hair. In the claws of three of the eagles were carried luggage, which the eagles gently placed down onto the grass when they landed. Celestia and Luna landed a respectful distance away and walked up as the eagle’s passengers dismounted. Gregory was the first to leap off, reaching out his hand to help the blonde woman off. “Some flight, huh?” he commented. He was still wearing his mask.

“Just as terrifying as I remember it being,” the blonde human said in a clearly female voice. She looked like she had shaky legs, and as she stumbled, Gregory caught her. “Ah, thanks. I just need to sit down.”

Gregory led the human over to a large rock where the human sat. Celestia saw that this female human wore a pair of dark brown boots over blue jeans, a dark brown overcoat, an orange collared shirt, and a brown Stetson along with a pair of goggles which she hastily took off. Celestia looked at the other two humans who were also recovering from their flight. The other blonde, also clearly a female, wore light blue jeans, a pink shirt, and a dark pink sweater, blue beanie, and a pair of goggles, the latter three of which she was immediately taking off. “It’s warmer here than back home!” the female said.

The third human, male, wore dark blue jeans, a sky blue collared shirt with a white stripe through the middle, and a leather jacket along with a baseball cap that had red and white on the cap itself while the visor was blue. He too also wore a pair of goggles which he removed hastily and hung around his neck. He put his hands on his hips and was staring at Crystalia. “Well, goddamn,” he said with a whisper, “is that city made out of crystals?”

“That is correct,” the eagle he was standing next to, a female, replied.

The male human chuckled and nodded. “Radical. I bet the gnomes would go crazy for that.”

The second female turned and gawked at the city. “Wow…I wish we could explore it.”

“I’m sure that you can at some point,” Celestia said as they approached.

The two humans who had been speaking turned their attention to Celestia. “Wow…Gregory wasn’t kidding about you having wings and a horn,” the male human said. He removed his cap and inclined his head politely. “You’re Princess Celestia, right? And you’re Princess Luna?”

“Correct,” Celestia said, instantly reminded of Jason and how polite he was when they first met. “Who are you?”

“Well, I’m Daniel Williams, ma’am,” the male said, then turned to the female beside him. “This here’s my younger sister Molly, and the older woman over there is our older sister Megan.”

Celestia turned and stared at the older blonde human woman who was accepting water from Gregory. This was the human who had helped the ponies in multiple situations before the war with demons? Looking around her neck, Celestia saw that the Rainbow of Light was hanging there. Unlike before, the object now emanated magic of a kind that felt both familiar and unfamiliar. She turned back to Daniel. “It is nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too,” Daniel said, tipping his hat to the two. Celestia, now that she was focusing, could hear a somewhat southern drawl to it. Not to the same extent as the Apple family, but it was there. Daniel then leaned back, stood up, cracked his neck and hands, and said, “So, Majesty’s gone and done something heinous and you need us to come in clutch to save the day again?”

Celestia didn’t quite understand the strange lingo Daniel said, but she got the gist of it. “If you three knew her, maybe you can appeal to whatever goodness may remain inside her.”

“There is definitely still good inside her,” a female voice said. Celestia turned to see that Megan was up and had walked up to her siblings. Gregory and his group remained behind, watching with varying degrees of curiosity. “If what Gregory told us about recent events in your kingdom is true, then her intentions are still the same as they were thousands of years ago: to make sure her ponies are safe, and that includes keeping them safe from themselves. Not only that, but she wants them to presumably understand that xenophobia is not the way to go.”

Celestia’s ears went flat against her head. “Won’t you please come in for breakfast? I have a feeling there is much we should discuss about current affairs.”

Sitting on a cliff overlooking a now verdant valley, Majesty’s eyes shot open. The sun had just risen but hadn’t yet crested the mountain that surrounded the entire new valley below her. Her magic was still being recovered and would take another few hours to recover since she was surrounding the entire former Badlands in an impenetrable shield. Below was the relocated Sanctuary, sitting snugly along the coast of the reborn lake. On the other side of the lake opposite Sanctuary lay a large forest, one completely dark inside and full of glowing foliage that wouldn’t bother the nox ponies. They had already begun adjusting very well minus one extremely worried maid who was scared that her former charge hated her. She wanted to keep him safe. She’d have to help the poor maid through her trauma. To the north, she saw the former city of Thornfall, which by now was a zoo full of new animals. Those she hadn’t punished like Dengal had fled, and since some of them were able to fly, they helped those who couldn’t fly across the ocean east of the continent. She didn’t care about that too much.

She looked north as she sensed something new. No, not new. Old. A presence. A presence she hadn’t felt since…

Her eyes widened in complete shock. “Megan…” she whispered in a stunned whisper.

Behind her, the massive dragon Spyke raised his head up. “What did you say, my queen?”

“It’s nothing,” Majesty said as she spread her wings. “We’re done here. The shield is in place. Let’s go. It’s time to rebuild what was lost.” And with that, she lept off of the cliff.

30: Heroes Breakfast

They were the strangest looking procession as they made their way through the streets of Crystalia. Two alicorns, four humans, a unicorn, an abyssinian, and a goblin, with several Great Eagles flying overhead back to where they had been roosting the day before. The inhabitants of the city, those who were up already, watched in confusion as the unusual group made their way to the Crystal Palace. Megan heard her siblings whispering to each other as they looked at the crystal city around them, but she was more interested in three individuals. She walked beside one, a fellow human who had darkness and light buried deep within, both struggling for dominance. Said human walked with purpose with the goblin woman close beside him. She, along with the cat being named Tobias, were two sources of light for him. The unicorn named Sunset, on the other hand, was likely a new source of darkness for him.

That was what her swiftly returning magically attuned senses were telling her. She reached up and touched the Rainbow of Light that hung around her neck underneath her clothes. Being the named Bearer of Light gave her some special abilities. It had been some time since she’d used these abilities, but just like riding a bicycle she never forgot them. She looked surreptitiously over at the older man. Unlike her and her siblings, he had no magical protection or any magic in him whatsoever despite having lived on Erda for two of its years. Megan wondered if she could, at some point, use the Rainbow to gift him the same protections that she and her siblings had against magic. It puzzled her why Gregory alone had this lack of protection. She was beginning to understand more why he was reluctant to face Majesty, even if she had done him no physical harm. He had been her prisoner and powerless to escape until only recently.

“Megan,” Daniel said, startling the older woman, “have you ever seen or heard of a crystal pony before? I don’t remember their kind.”

Megan looked over at her brother, who along with Molly had fallen back to walk beside her. The blonde woman shook her head. “A lot has changed since we were here last,” she said softly. “Remember that Gregory said the flutter ponies are gone and so are the sea ponies, at least the sea ponies we know. This world has pretty much forgotten their history during our times here.”

The closer they came to the tower shaped palace, the more Megan’s senses felt some sort of darkness. Not the same as what she had seen surrounding Gregory in the Rainbow of Light’s mirror, but it was there. The darkness from Gregory was mostly there due to his time on Erda and felt a bit foreign to this world, just like he did. This new darkness was more magical in nature. The alicorns led the group into the palace and up the stairs towards what looked like a dining hall. And that was where Megan and her siblings met several new ponies which sparked memories inside them.

There were ten ponies sitting at the table and one small purple dragon, all waiting. One pony was a smaller alicorn, and Megan felt a somewhat radiant light emanating from her. There were three other unicorns, a fourth alicorn, two pegasi and two earth ponies sitting at the table. A couple of them looked like duplicates of ponies the siblings knew. The orange mare wearing a Stetson was a nearly dead ringer for Applejack, and an older unicorn mare who sat by an older dark blue stallion had features that reminded Megan of Majesty’s magic student Twilight.

The other ponies in the room were physically new to her, but magically there was a feeling of slight familiarity. The blue pegasus felt like Firefly, and the dull pink earth pony felt like Surprise. The other butter yellow pegasus reminded Megan of Posey as well, and she couldn’t very well ignore how the young dragon looked and felt like the baby dragon Spyke.

The moment they entered the room, Megan could feel it. There was a darkness radiating from nearly every pony in the room. There may have been a hint of magic similar to the Rainbow’s own that lingered in six of these ponies, including the purple alicorn, but there was a darkness there. It was extremely faint, and frankly it surprised Megan that nobody could feel it. Especially if the two older alicorn siblings were powerful enough to move the heavens.

There was a flutter of movement a few seconds later, and a previously unseen baby pony with alicorn features flew over to them, much to the alarm of the pink alicorn mare and the white unicorn stallion with dark purple mane and tail. The filly flew directly up to Gregory and perched on his head, closing her eyes with an expression that said she was pleased with herself. Gregory didn’t seem to notice, but Megan caught the brief moment where his body relaxed and a part of his lip curled upward.

“Mr. Graystone, I’m so sorry about my daughter,” the pink alicorn said as the group filed in and headed to one side of the table which was empty.

“It’s alright,” Gregory said as he looked up, then reached up to run a hand through the filly’s mane gently. “Children are the same everywhere.”

Megan chuckled at this, and a bit of the tension in the room dissipated. The alicorn called Celestia stood up straighter and spoke. “Fillies and gentlecolts, I’d like to introduce you to the new arrivals. These three humans, according to recent findings, aided ancient ponykind before the era where we were divided. This is Megan Williams, the bearer of the Rainbow of Light, and her two siblings, Daniel and Molly Williams.”

The pink alicorn stood and inclined her head to the new humans. “I am Empress Mi Amore Cadenza, but most call me Empress Cadance. Welcome to the Crystal Empire, everyone.”

“Please allow me to introduce everycreature else here as well,” Celestia said before turning and introducing the others there. Megan listened and did her best to keep the new names in mind. It wasn’t hard for some of them, especially the ponies named Applejack, Twilight Velvet, Twilight Sparkle, and Rainbow Dash along with the dragon they called Prince Spike.

When the introductions were completed, Megan and her siblings bowed respectfully before standing back up. “Thank you for welcoming us into your kingdom, your majesty,” Megan said.

Empress Cadance smiled at them, then began making introductions. Megan knew the names that the alicorn gave, and having watched that television show on Gregory’s advanced phone, she had guessed earlier just who six of the ponies were. It was still a little bit of a shock to know that there was an Applejack here, along with a Spike even if the latter’s name was spelled differently and the latter had wings. Megan also found it unusual that the pony she thought looked like Twilight shared the ancient mare’s name as did her own daughter, the purple alicorn. Curiouser and curiouser.

“Please sit and join us for breakfast,” Empress Cadance said, gesturing to the chairs.

None of the group who had returned from Earth had eaten, including the Williams siblings, so they all sat down, Megan making sure to sit on one side of Gregory, feeling that she needed to be near him for reasons she couldn’t identify. She was amused when he gently lifted the young filly up and placed her in his lap where he began to gently run his hand through her mane. This caused the filly to relax even more and close her eyes. Megan turned to the rest of the group before she spoke again. “Thank you for your further hospitality,” she said.

“Yeah, thanks a lot,” Daniel said with a smile.

“This city reminds me of Daegaroth,” Molly chuckled.

“Except that place was underground,” Daniel reminded her sister.

“What, pray tell, is Daegaroth?” the alicorn named Luna asked.

“The capital city of the gnomes,” Megan replied. “They’re a race of humanoids who are small and have beards.”

“So they are like dwarves,” Gregory muttered with a hint of amusement in his tone.

Megan turned and gave him a bit of a grin. “They are, or were, I suppose, a lot like the dwarves from Tolkien.”

“Delving ever deeper for gems and gold?” Gregory asked.

“Most of them, yes,” Megan said. “Some of them, like the Moochick, lived on the surface and practiced non-traditional gnome magic. They were also creators of powerful weapons for other nations.”

“Remind me to ask you if the Moochick was anything like he was in the cartoon,” Gregory said.

That caught the attention of everyone else in the dining room. The alicorn Celestia spoke up. “You told them about this cartoon entertainment from your world?”

“I did,” Gregory replied, “but since we’re all here already, we should get straight down to business. And by that, I first mean Shadow Dawn’s potential future involvement. I make no promises.”

Megan watched this with some curiosity. She could guess that this man had come full of hopes and dreams that had been shattered by his initial meeting with ponies and his subsequent life in a desert environment. While Gregory had been wailing on the bonfire pile with his lightsabers the night before, Tobias had pulled her aside and told her a bit more about Gregory’s life in the two years since his arrival in Erda, and she had been horrified by what she had been told. This world had not been a good place for him, and she had begun to suspect that him leaving was a better idea than she had initially believed.

Celestia could only nod. “I understand,” she said. “We have no right to force your help, but if you are willing to help us as a mercenary group, the Equestrian crown will gladly pay.”

“Again, that depends on why you want to hire us,” Gregory replied. “We’re only a few, and Majesty has a practical army on her side. If you can’t think of anything that is worth the risk, we’re gone.”

It was the alicorn named Luna who spoke up next. “That is one reason why we are meeting. Think of this as a strategy breakfast. We know for a fact that Majesty has abandoned her location beyond the Winterwall, but we have heard no reports so far on where she could have gone. She could have returned to her old location at Dream Castle for all we know.”

“I seriously doubt that,” Sunset Shimmer said with a shake of her head. “If I were Majesty, I’d avoid the place.”

“Why is that?” Cadance asked.

Sunset gave the Empress a glare before sighing and replying, “From what Twilight Sparkle told us before, the place is in ruins, plus the tomb of her daughter is there. It would be too painful for her to return there.”

That sent a pang of sadness through Megan. “Princess Mimic is buried there?” she asked with a strangled tone.

Twilight Sparkle nodded. “She apparently died during the war with the demons,” the alicorn said with a sorrowful tone. “Her tomb wasn’t disturbed, thankfully.”

“Small comfort for Majesty when she finds out,” Sunset said with a scowl.

Gregory turned and gave Sunset the knife hand which shut her up. Megan looked at her siblings, both of whom looked like she felt. Molly’s eyes were brimming with tears while Daniel was simply silent, looking down at the empty table. Megan had been trying to mentally prepare herself for the harsh reality that almost everyone she knew was long dead, but hearing what this Twilight Sparkle said was like a jolt through the heart. She forced her emotions down for the time being. She would mourn later.

“I can’t believe Mimic was killed in a war,” Daniel said somberly. “She was just a child when we saw her last.”

“I am truly sorry for your loss,” Celestia said in a mournful tone.

“I can understand how you feel more than most, I believe,” Luna said. “I was banished for a thousand years, and when I returned, many who I knew were long dead.”

“Gregory showed us that episode,” Molly said as she wiped her tears away with a silk handkerchief on the table. Daniel put an arm around Molly, who leaned against her brother.

Megan inwardly smiled. Daniel had grown a lot in the time since they’d last been to Ponyland. He was strong and kind. Sure, he would still tease his siblings, but Megan had seen how he had matured over the years. He knew when and where to get serious. She turned back to the group. “So,” she said, “where would Majesty go? From what I’ve heard, she has quite a following. It would be hard to hide that many people.”

“Normally, I would agree,” Celestia said, “but Majesty has a massive pool of magic she can draw from. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was able to teleport all of those she had with her to a new location.”

“That’s possible,” Sunset said, “but from what Gregory told me Majesty was recovering from teleporting all of his stuff to her underground lair.”

“Why is that, anyway?” Applejack asked. Megan stifled a smile. This Applejack had a deeper voice than the one she knew along with a country accent. “Ah mean, Twilight can teleport anything pretty easily.”

“It has to do with the nature of the objects from my world having different properties than anything else here,” Gregory explained. “It seems all objects from Earth have absolutely no magic within them. That includes humans. We’re very vulnerable to magic here along with lightning strikes, physical attacks etc. We’re naturally weaker than ponies physically.”

Megan saw the two ponies named Applejack and Rainbow Dash seem to physically recoil at that despite Gregory not even addressing them or having any hostility in his tone. The others who Megan knew were the former Elements of Harmony lowered their heads with looks of shame and guilt on their faces. A pall fell over the dining hall, one that was broken some moments later when a set of doors behind the head of the table opened and a number of the crystal ponies walked in with trays of delicious smelling food.

Once the platters were set down and everyone had grabbed a plate (Megan had opted for a simple breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast with strawberry jam, hash browns and orange juice) the conversation resumed, starting with Celestia. “Mr. Graystone, we know that Majesty holds humankind in high regard, so we were hoping that you could speak to her along with Megan, Daniel, and Molly.”

“She hardly knows me, and if she’ll listen to anyone, it’s these three,” Gregory replied, a hint of hostility in his tone this time as he narrowed his eyes at the alicorn. “Try again. What’s the real reason you’re trying to manipulate me into doing your dirty work like you do everything else?”

Megan felt the darkness within Gregory rising and she was about to try and calm him down, but instead Dengal put her own hand on the human’s shoulder, squeezing it worriedly. Gregory took in a deep breath, then exhaled. “Thanks,” he whispered to the goblin woman.

Celestia looked down at the table. “I can’t deny that I have acted like that in the past,” she said. “I can come up with excuses about all of my actions all I want, but-”

“Damn right you can, but that’d be an insanely stupid thing to do,” Megan said with sudden vehemence as she stood. She recognized immediately what was happening. Just like it had in the past when Megan was almost gripped with fear, the Rainbow of Light was lending her its strength, giving her the ability to speak with conviction. The words would be hers, and the Rainbow of Light was only giving her a deeper access to her inner strength. “Majesty may have lost her path, but one time she was a leader I could respect. She took charge and protected her dear ponies personally when she could instead of leaving it to others. Sure, my siblings and I have helped ponies in the past, and many of those times we volunteered. Majesty didn’t want us risking our lives, but I’m a stubborn bitch sometimes.” She heard Gregory snorting at that, but ignored it and continued. “Sure, Majesty did delegate some of her work, but when it came to protecting her dear ponies and punishing any enemies, she took a hands-on approach. I respect that. Playing games which is apparently your modus operandi is one of the most foolish choices I can see.”

“A leader can’t instill confidence if they hide behind everyone else,” Daniel added as he too stood and faced Celestia. Megan knew that the Rainbow was affecting him as well. “Enough of the lies and bullshit.”

“You’re a fucking princess,” Molly concluded, standing up as well. “Act like it.”

“If the king doesn’t lead, how can he expect his subordinates to follow?” Gregory muttered, although he didn’t stand. Instead, he nodded in approval at the words of the Williams siblings while still stroking the alicorn filly’s mane as she dozed in his lap, somehow managing to ignore the tension in the room.

There was a deep resounding silence in the dining hall. Nobody was eating now, and a few of the creatures who had a fork or spoon lifted put them down slowly, contemplatively. Then, Celestia did something Megan didn’t expect. She chuckled. It was a bitter sound, full of shame. “I’m starting to realize that,” she said in a regretful tone. “I know I need to change, and I am working to be more direct and channel my experience and intellect better. I have hidden behind others and delegated where I shouldn’t have. I’m going to transition to a better style of ruling. Like I was saying, I could come up with excuses, which is something I’m used to, but they would be meaningless. I pushed ponies into doing things they weren’t qualified to do.”

“Like when you sent Twilight and the others to face that sleeping dragon,” Gregory commented, “or better yet, when you gave your magic to her to defeat Tirek. I can think of a bunch of examples, but I trust the point is made.”

Megan frowned. She never liked kicking someone when they were down, but while she could see that Celestia looked upset at the mention of these events, she straightened and nodded. “I know I’m not a perfect leader, and I am trying to be better.”

“Do or do not, there is no try,” Daniel replied quickly. Megan held back a smirk. He loved using that quote whenever he could.

“Okay there, Yoda,” Tobias said with a bit of a smirk.

Daniel turned to the abyssinian. “You know Star Wars?” he asked.

“Of course,” Tobias said, “Gregory showed it to me. All the movies.”

“Sick,” Daniel said.

“Anyway,” Megan said, hoping to get back on track, “we need to think about how to counteract any of Majesty’s plans.” She put her hand on the Rainbow of Light, feeling its comforting presence and warmth wash over her. “Plus, I need to figure out where the darkness surrounding some of the ponies in this room are coming from.”

That caught the attention of everyone in the room. “A darkness, you say,” Luna said. “Pray, could you illuminate us all by what you mean?”

“All I know is that the Rainbow of Light is showing me some kind of faint darkness surrounding these ponies,” Megan said, gesturing to the former Elements of Harmony along with Twilight’s parents.

“Can you describe the darkness you are sensing?” Luna asked.

“Not very well,” Megan said.

“So it wasn’t just me who sensed something different,” Molly said.

That surprised Megan, who turned to her sister. “What are you seeing?”

“Um…it’s like the air around them is a bit…sick?” Molly sounded confused.

“Funny, because I was sensing a faint white aura being pressed in by darkness,” Daniel said.

That was strange, Megan mused. Each of the three were seeing something different. They had wielded the Rainbow of Light at one point or another, and that always left a mark.

The Rainbow of Light…

She looked down at the locket which she wore, an idea forming in her mind. Slowly, she pulled it off and held it up. Nobody moved or spoke as she released the latch that held the locket closed. Unlike in that episode of the cartoon which showed the Rainbow of Light’s magic moving as a solid rainbow, the real one let a bright light shine out like a floodlight, touching everything in the room and leaving absolutely no shadows.

The moment she opened the locket, she could see much more clearly what was surrounding the afflicted ponies. Not only that, but there were smaller auras surrounding other ponies in the room, even the filly who was still in Gregory’s lap without a care in the world. The sound was the same as she remembered, too, a sound of chimes that resembled a river washing over the room.

The dark auras surrounding the ponies in the room began to shift and warp, beginning to become overwhelmed by the Rainbow’s power. There was a shrieking noise, then a crunch, and then the dark auras all seemed to evaporate, looking like a mist after a fresh rainfall which vanished soon after appearing.

When all that could be heard was the sound of the Rainbow’s magic, she closed the locket, removing the light from the room. The auras surrounding the ponies were all gone, and there was something else. Every pony who it had touched was sitting there, shedding tears, all except for the filly who was smiling wider now as she dozed.

“What the he-heck just happened?” Gregory asked, catching himself as he looked down at the oblivious filly.

“The Rainbow of Light happened,” Sunset said breathlessly as she slowly sat back up. She was the pony crying the least, but one of her eyes was watering slightly. She wiped it clear as she looked around. “Sweet Harmony, I feel…I don’t know how I feel.”

“I don’t feel any different,” Tobias said.

“Same here,” Dengal said.

“I feel the same,” the young Spike added.

“Would…‘cleansed’ be the right word?” Rarity, the pony who looked like Glory but acted like Sparkler, asked as she looked at the other ponies. “I feel as if my inner being has taken a nice refreshing shower, then bathed in a hot tub.”

“‘Purified’?” Fluttershy, the pony who looked a lot like Posey, asked.

“Well, whatever happened, it seems like we’re all a bit better,” Applejack said through her own tears, gesturing to the pink earth pony version of Surprise. Frankly, it wouldn’t have surprised Megan if Pinkie Pie was some distant descendant of Surprise. “Pinkie here has her color back.”

It was true. Unlike what Megan remembered seeing in the show that Gregory had shown them, Pinkie’s mane and tail were still straight, but her faded appearance was back to a bright pink. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she blubbered incoherently.

Even the alicorns in the room were softly crying. Celestia wiped a tear away with her prehensile wings. “I feel rejuvenated and young again,” she said.

“I feel as if I can once again outrun thee in a race like I could so long ago,” Luna said with a teary-eyed smile as well.

“Hah!” Celestia smirked at that. “Then perhaps we should race when this is all over and claim the title of Sovereign Sister. I believe I still have that old wooden crown we used.”

Megan saw Shining Armor and Twilight Sparkle exchange looks. “You do a Sibling Supreme contest, too?” Twilight asked.

The door then burst open, and a strange looking equine creature stormed in. To Megan’s eyes, she looked like a pale blue alicorn, but with buglilke wings instead of feathered ones. There were buglike eltrya that reminded Megan of the shell around ladybug Her horn was curved backwards, and her eyes were a bright sky blue. Her mane and tail, both straight, were the same sky blue as her eyes. She looked simultaneously angry and terrified.

From behind her came another equine who was slightly shorter than the strange looking alicorn. Unlike the strange alicorn, this creature had dark orange antlers alongside a small curved hornlike protrusion. His fur, or no, chitin, Megan realized, was a bright green. He had dark purple wings and a tail, each with white sparkling specks embedded in them, and there were three pearl-like orbs in his chest. He was looking at the taller alicorn bug with concern. “Mother, we shouldn’t be-”

“You!” she bellowed in a trembling voice as she stormed up to Gregory, “what manner of trickery is this?!”

“Why Chryssi, this is a surprise,” Gregory said with a hint of amusement in his voice. “You’ve certainly undergone quite an unexpected and damn sexy transformation.”

“Don’t patronize me!” she said, stomping her hoof down but with a blush on her face. “You knew about this strange form from that entertainment you described but you never told me!”

“Chrysalis, he said that he would later,” Tobias said, “so calm down.”

“What happened to you?” Cadance asked curiously.

“Well,” the male beside this Chrysalis said, “I don’t know about Mother, but I was both sitting in my room-”

“Might as well be prison cells,” Chrysalis muttered.

“-in my rooms,” the male continued, “when I was surrounded by a large rainbow colored light. I felt my hunger begin to decrease, and when the light vanished, I was like this.”

“Wait, you didn’t become a pupa?” Gregory asked sounding confused.

“Despite what others might think, we are not the same as insects,” Chrysalis said with a huff. “We merely share many things with them.”

Megan looked down at the locket around her neck. “I didn’t think that the Rainbow would reach anywhere but outside the room,” she muttered.

Chrysalis turned her attention to Megan. “So this is your fault??” she shouted.

“Mother, please calm down!” the male buglike equine said.

“Be silent, Thorax!” Chrysalis said, but Megan could see a slight tremble in Chrysalis’ body and there was a tremor in her voice. “Noling will recognize me now!”

Megan watched as Gregory gently stood, placing the awake and confused filly on his lap down on the chair he had just been sitting at and walked over to Chrysalis. He put a hand on her back. When she turned back sharply to face him, she froze. Megan saw a serious expression on Gregory’s face, one that had moments ago been one of amusement. “This is the true form all changelings were meant to have,” he said. “You no longer are dependent on love to survive. Wouldn’t that be a good thing for your kind?”

She backed away from him. “This sort of change is too sudden!” Chrysalis exclaimed.

“Why did you invade Canterlot?” Gregory asked.

That seemed to give Chrysalis pause. “B-Because we were starving,” she said, “and Equestria had love to spare at the time. I couldn’t trust the rulers to hear us out.” Megan saw Celestia and Luna looking away with guilty faces.

“Thorax just said his hunger vanished,” Gregory said. “What about yours?”

“W-Well, yes,” Chrysalis confirmed, “but-”

“So what’s the problem?” Gregory interrupted. “Are you so afraid of change that you would barge in her to stir up trouble?”

“Pretty mare!” Flurry announced, flying up suddenly to hover between Chrysalis and Gregory.

The one named Chrysalis, who was apparently something called a changeling, backed away, eyes bulging wide with what looked like fear and uncertainty. Megan felt the urge to step in and help, but before she could act, Flurry flew up and landed on Chrysalis’ head, rubbing on her mane like a cat rubbing its scent onto someone else. “Soft and silky, like my sheets…” Flurry said.

Everyone was watching this with stunned silence. All except Gregory, who put a hand on Chrysalis’ head and ran a hand through her mane before bursting out laughing. “You’re right, princess!” he said, almost doubling over with laughter, “her hair is nice and silky smooth! And she doesn’t look like a block of Swiss cheese anymore!”

Megan saw Tobias and Dengal looking at Gregory with shocked expressions as he sat back down to laugh heartily. “Gregory…you’re laughing…” Dengal said, with tears streaming down her cheeks. Tears of happiness.

Gregory froze, the smile still on his face. He reached up and touched his cheek. “Huh…it’s been a while since I’ve laughed this hard if at all,” he said with a chuckle, this one dry and humorless. However, when he looked back at the pouting and blushing Chrysalis, he burst out laughing again. “Tsundere!” he shouted, smacking his knee.

Megan couldn’t help but smile. Sure, she hadn’t known Gregory for a day, but her magically attuned senses told her that he hadn’t had any happiness since coming to Erda. No, not absolutely no happiness. She saw Tobias, who was apparently Gregory’s best friend, joining the human and putting an arm around Gregory, laughing himself. “Sh-She’s to-totally a tsundere!” he said while laughing and pointing a talon at Chrysalis as he said, “She would totally say ‘I-It’s not like I like you or anything, baka!’”

That somehow made Fluttershy snort as she hid her mouth behind her hoof. The mood in the room was one of confusion for most, joy for a couple, and jocularity for two best friends. Chrysalis was fuming but her cheeks were pure red. Thorax looked like he was torn between laughing and trying to comfort the changeling he called Mother. She turned and stuck her nose up in the air, making a “Hmph!” noise, then lifting Flurry off of her head and placing her on the table before storming out, but in a rather regal way. Thorax followed Chrysalis out, but not before bowing, apologizing for Chrysalis’ actions, and yelping when Chrysalis called for him to follow.

When the door slammed, there was silence. Gregory and Tobias were still standing there, massive grins on their faces. Everyone else except for Dengal looked completely flabbergasted. Dengal was still smiling happily when she looked at Gregory. The silence was broken when Flurry said, “Awww, Miss Silky Mane left.”

That earned a snort from Cadance, who herself burst out laughing as she lifted her filly up and brought her to the older alicorn’s side, hugging her. “You are so precious,” she said.

“Mooom! Not in front of everypony!” Flurry whined.

And with that, tensions broke and everyone laughed. Even the morose looking Pinkie Pie seemed to smile. Cadance then clapped her hooves. “Okay, everyone,” she said, “why don’t we table discussions about events that are happening elsewhere and focus on at least enjoying this breakfast? We can discuss other topics later.”

And with that, everyone returned to their seats, but with a livelier mood surrounding the room, Megan believed that things would start to turn around.

How naïve she was.

Prince Blueblood sat in his aunt’s office looking over some of the paperwork he had been saddled with ever since his aunts had left to go visit the Crystal Empire on urgent business. He gritted his teeth in frustration. Ever since his aunts had left, there had been more and more incidents in many of Equestria’s major cities involving so-called peaceful protests by these True Harmonists. Peaceful protests that always seemed to end with violent attacks from opposing sides. It was a disaster, and of course his aunts had to leave when the incidents were growing more violent.

“Those damned commoners and their foolish acts of violence,” he grumbled through clenched teeth as he looked over an incident report from Baltimare regarding a mass protest which was interrupted by a forced stampede of other ponies on the other side of the political spectrum. He wanted to tear all of these reports up but that would be foolish on his part.

There was a hasty knock at the door. “Your grace! Your grace! We have a situation in the castle main courtyard!”

“Anything to get away from this paperwork,” he grumbled as he stood and straightened his cravat. He opened the door to see a guard standing there, eyes wide with fear. “What kind of situation?” he asked.

“The True Harmonists have begun a protest and they’re attracting an angry mob led by some unicorn!” the guard said.

Blueblood swore angrily. “Summon the guard to keep the mob away from the protestors!” he ordered as he made his way to the courtyard, his personal guards flanking him on either side.

“Yes, your grace!” the guard said as he galloped away.

As he and his entourage walked down the stairs towards the doors leading to the courtyard, Blueblood put on his royal demeanor. It wouldn’t do any good for the masses to see their interim prince looking angered, would it? The guards at the door opened the door, and he was immediately assaulted by the jeers and cries of ponies from below. He looked down and saw a group of younger ponies along with a few nonponies holding protest signs, pleading for better treatment of nonponies, better wages etc. Older ponies, especially nobleponies, were calling them horrendous names as they stood peacefully on the courtyard.

“What is going on out here?” he asked as he approached a pony who looked like the leader of the group.

Said leader was a younger mare with green fur, yellow mane, and several pieces of silk for a cutie mark. She spoke up. “Your grace, please forgive our intrusion,” she said with a polite bow. “My name is Silky Mane. I’m a simple silk manufacturer from the lower districts, but I and my fellow Harmonists have seen the mistreatment of others in our society who deserve what harmony has blessed us with for so many centuries.”

“I am well aware of what the True Harmonists want,” Blueblood said, “and while the public courtyard is, well, public, this protest is attracting unsavory attention. The crown would not want ponies harmed.”

“That right there!” a gryphon said with anger, “the crown is and always has been worried only about ponies!”

“Hush now,” Silky said quickly, giving the pony who had spoken out of turn a glare before turning and bowing towards Blueblood. “Please forgive him, he is one of our more rambunctious members.”

“Passion is not a crime,” Blueblood said with his regal warm smile. “Still, though, while the crown does allow this place to be open to the public for certain times during the day, the attention you are bringing could bring severe harm to some…somecreature.” He corrected himself to maintain the image that the crown did care, which it actually did.

“Are you trying to silence us?!” the same gryphon shouted.

“Not at all,” Blueblood said with authority, “the crown simply doesn’t want any kind of unnecessary violence.”

“That is the problem with the modern nobility in this day and age,” a female voice said from the main gates, “they don’t want their precious property getting dirty.”

Everyone turned to face the owner of the voice. Blueblood saw a hooded pony, one taller than most. She was a unicorn judging by the horn protruding from the hood, but the horn was curved. Blueblood saw that her fur was a bright silvery white, but that was all he could see. Not even her mane and tail were visible. The individual approached, and Blueblood’s blood ran cold for some reason. Something about this mare was terrifying. It took all of his strength not to step back. “Who are you?” he asked.

“Me?” the unicorn asked with a voice that sounded like she was smirking. “It’s a shame that my name has been lost to history,” she continued as she walked into the courtyard. Everypony else seemed to give her a wide berth and Blueblood couldn’t figure out why. Her face was hidden as she approached.

“Are you with the True Harmonists?” Blueblood asked.

“Me?” she repeated in that same self-satisfied tone as she removed her hood, revealing deep ocean blue eyes and dark blue mane. A mane that flowed just like those of his aunts. “The peaceful intentions of my dear ponies here is indeed admirable, but the crown here does nothing to stop the violence or even change anything.”

Silky Mane looked curiously at the tall unicorn with the wavy mane. “Are you on our side, miss?” she asked.

The unicorn turned and smiled warmly at Silky. “You have a good heart, my dear pony,” she said kindly, but she then turned to Blueblood with a scowl that sent shivers down his spine. “However, the nobility like him and the rabble who follow him like the sycophants that they are seem to be one major obstacle to true harmony. No, they are a big obstacle.” She flung her robe away, revealing a pair of wings. Alicorn wings.

Blueblood finally took a step back. He knew now why this newly revealed alicorn elicited that reaction from him and everypony else. The natural power of an alicorn could be subconsciously felt by others. “You’re the alicorn…the one causing so much trouble!”

The alicorn turned and smiled at him. “Trouble? I have not come to cause any trouble here today.”

“Guards! Stop her this instant!” Blueblood exclaimed. “Arrest her!”

The guards, who had just arrived, rushed at the new alicorn, but they were instantly repelled by a magic shield surrounding the alicorn. She shook her head, as if disappointed. Turning to the gathered crowd, she spoke. “Listen well, all of you!” she said with authority, one that seemed befitting of a princess or even a queen. “My name is Majesty. I was once the ruler of all ponykind back when I was a unicorn. Our once pristine land of Ponyland was a paradise of joy and happiness where not only could ponies live in peace, but other races could as well. Ponyland was allied with other races around us. There were many friendships between races. Even with the ancient humans.”

That caught the attention of everyone there, including Blueblood. Until the suicide of Jason Wright, nopony in Equestria knew what a human was, and yet this ancient alicorn claimed to have known others? Majesty took a breath and continued. “In fact, I was briefly married to a human named Chethan. He was the ruler of the human realm, and I loved him dearly.” She shed some tears, but then her expression darkened. “But then, he was taken from me. Stolen by the demons of Tartarus. He and many other races sacrificed themselves to allow your ancestors to escape the fall of Ponyland. And yet, you have all forgotten how you were saved. You grew into a xenophobic race who treats other races like garbage or lives in fear in your secure little bubbles. Your ancestors would be ashamed of you. And you!” She turned to Blueblood. “Your own ancestor, my former student of magic, would be most ashamed of you.” She then turned to the castle. “Fortunately, I am not here to cause harm to anypony today. I am only here to deliver a message to your aunts.”

Raising her horn, she cast a spell. Multiple flashes of light appeared all around empty spots of the courtyard. Blueblood saw various pony maids, nobles, and guards appearing, looking dazed and confused. Majesty raised her head high. “This castle,” she said, “has been a symbol of Equestria for many years. However, it is also a symbol of complacency, ignorance, and foolishness.”

And with that, her horn brightened and she began to chant.

“To Canterlot Castle all turn their gaze,
“a monument most dear.
“But it has long gone past its days
“and thus, must disappear.”

The castle began to shudder and rumble, as did the ground around. A bright blue shield formed between the castle and the crowd. Cracks began forming in the ground and in the shining towers and walls of the castle. The crowd who had gathered began to flee in fear, all except for Blueblood who was rooted in place in fear. His guards were trying to pull him away, but he couldn’t move. He wasn’t resisting, but he was unable to be moved.

His home, the castle where he had lived, was being destroyed in front of his eyes, and all he could do was watch in pure terror. It was in this moment where he realized that his aunts had been holding back their own power for centuries. The alicorn Majesty just stood there, placidly watching as the entire millennia old castle, which had withstood earthquakes, several attempted attacks, and many other disasters, was brought low by an alicorn. A single, ancient alicorn.

It fell. Canterlot Castle fell from the cliff, tumbling down towards the valley below. As the last tower fell out of sight, Majesty turned to Blueblood, a smile on her face. “Shadows must fall,” she said before teleporting away.

This was too much for Blueblood, and he passed out.

31: Alicorn(s) Fury

Gregory walked down the halls of the Crystal Palace next to his three friends, and he did consider Sunset a friend in that moment. She had seemed to undergo some kind of change after the Rainbow of Light did something to her. He didn’t know just what it was, but if the Rainbow was anything like the Elements of Harmony, then perhaps it had a similar effect on her to what happened in Equestria Girls. He thought it was similar because unlike then, Sunset wasn’t in tears. Of course, unlike the movie, this Sunset was in her thirties like him.

In front of the entire group, Cadance, Shining Armor and Spike were leading the group towards another room, this one a meeting/conference room. Celestia and Luna were directly behind the imperial family, the Williams siblings were behind the sisters and the former Elements of Harmony were behind Gregory’s group. Flurry Heart, who had taken an unusual shine to Gregory, was resting on his head. The mood of everyone there was more subdued, but more hopeful. Then again, Gregory didn’t feel any different. When that rainbow light washed over him, he didn’t feel anything, but the mood of the entire group was lifted, and his earlier unusual jocularity had lifted his mood considerably.

He loved teasing Chrysalis. It was incredibly satisfying to see the secret tsundere act embarrassed. She was super cute, almost kawaii. Nah, fuck that! She was kawaii as fuck!

As they walked, Gregory could hear the former Elements talking behind him. “I cannot believe I was acting like such a cad before,” Rarity was saying. “Whatever that Rainbow did to us really opened my eyes. Twilight, do you have any clues as to what that Rainbow of Light is?”

“It could be an ancient predecessor to the Elements of Harmony,” Twilight muttered. “It felt more powerful, though.”

“What do you think it did to us?” Fluttershy asked quietly.

“I don’t know,” Twilight said, “but whatever it did, I can only think it’s a good thing. I feel…it’s hard to describe, actually.”

“It’s like…that feeling you have after a nice warm bath, you know?” Rainbow Dash said. “Ah! I’m not good with describing this stuff.”

“I feel like something that was buried deep inside me was taken away,” Pinkie said, “something that was inside me my whole life. Something that was holding my old smile back. Like my true smile was unlocked.”

“Those both feel like they’re accurate,” Twilight said.

“Ah don’t know ‘bout y’all,” Applejack said, “but ah feel more refreshed than Big Mac after coffee in the mornin’.”

This seemed to catch the attention of Megan, who snorted and turned back. “Oh, Applejack, you remind me of the Applejack I knew, only without the hat and accent.”

That caught the earth pony’s attention. “Did she own an orchard, too?” she asked.

“Not quite, but she did tend to Dream Castle’s orchard,” Megan said. “She was always pretty clumsy.” She sighed and smiled a bit. “Ah, Applejack, what a silly pony.”

Gregory couldn’t help what he did after that. He smiled slightly and began to sing, “Who’s a silly pony? You’re a silly pony! Who is? You is! Applejack!”

Megan looked at him in shock, but then Daniel beside her did something Gregory didn’t expect. He sang the next verse. “Bumping into gates and knocking over fence. Who is? You is! Applejack!”

Gregory smirked and joined in. “All day long you trot around, looking at the apples on the trees. Dreaming all your pony dreams, licking lips so greedily. Who’s a silly pony?”

Megan and Molly responded with, “You’re a silly pony!”

“Who is?”

“You is!”

“Applejack!” Gregory began snapping his finger as he and the Williams siblings continued singing. “Bumping into posts and falling into trenches. Who is?”

“You is!” The Williams sisters.

“Applejack!” Gregory and Daniel.

Then, to Gregory’s surprise and delight, Tobias joined. “Watching all the rosy apples! Whoops, there goes another fence!”

Gregory smiled wide and put an arm around his friend. “Are you coming? Are you going? Why don’t you use your horse sense? Who’s a silly pony?”

“You’re a silly pony!”

“Who is?”

“You is!”

“Applejack!”

“Bumping into posts, and knocking over fences! Who is?”

”You is!”

“Applejack!”

While everyone was snapping their fingers, Gregory saw that Applejack’s face was, well, as red as an apple. Pinkie was bobbing her head slightly, a bit of fluff back in her mane. Gregory whistles the brief interlude while the Williams sister sang, “Applejack!…Applejack!”

“Soon the wind will blow a whistle, knocking apples to the ground,” Gregory sang.

“Call for Bow Tie, she will help you spread her ribbons on the ground,” Daniel and Tobias sang.

“Who’s a silly pony?”

“You’re a silly pony!”

“Who is?”

“You is!”

“Applejack!”

“Falling over logs and bumping into fences!”

“Who is?”

“You is!”

“Applejack!”

With that, the snapping stopped. Gregory looked at the small impromptu choir. Tobias and the Williams siblings all had smiles on their faces. Gregory had a small one on his face as well. Everyone else was looking at them with confused expressions on their faces. Applejack was the first one to speak. “Ah’m a…clumsy pony?”

That made the Williams siblings along with Tobias break up laughing. Gregory smirked at the earth pony mare. “The Applejack they knew a couple thousand years ago,” he clarified, “although you’ve also been a bit clumsy in your past, little miss Pear.”

She bristled at that. “Ah’m an Apple, not a Pear,” she said.

“Guess you never found your family roots, then,” Gregory replied.

That caught Applejack’s attention. “What?”

“Ask Granny Smith about it,” Gregory said, “because it’s not my place to say.”

Before anyone could reply, someone called out, “Your majesty! Your majesty!” Everyone turned to see a crystal pony mare running towards the group, eyes wide.

“What is it?” Cadance asked, and Gregory could sense that she was instantly on alert. So was he.

The pony stopped, trying to catch her breath, then she looked up at Cadance. “There’s an…emergency…broadcast in the communication room…it’s for the Equestrian Princesses!”

“What happened?” Celestia asked as they began rushing after the guard.

“Canterlot…the castle…it’s been destroyed!”

“I cannot believe it…” Luna said. “This cannot be happening. This has to be a nightmare…that’s it. I am still asleep in my bed in the Crystal Empire, and when I pinch myself I will wake.” She reached out with her magic and pinched her leg. “Ah! Okay…never mind…”

Everyone in the room watched as the emergency broadcast displayed a live view of Canterlot from the air. Gregory had never visited Canterlot, but he had seen it in the distance when he had escorted the Apple family from Ponyville’s remains. Even from such a great distance, it was majestic, especially the castle. He would even describe it as opulent. Now? While the city itself was intact, the part of the cliff where the castle had sat was now completely destroyed. Nothing remained of the castle in its former location.

The images showed that the former castle was sitting on the valley floor far below, a pile of white, purple and gold rubble. Nothing of its shape remained. Gregory could also see that the castle could never be rebuilt in the same way. Its foundations were completely gone as the cliff on which it stood had fallen away.

“Wow, Majesty really went big with this one,” Sunset said. Unlike many of her blunt statements, this one was not filled with any sarcasm. Instead, she was subdued and somber.

Gregory put a hand on her head and ran it through her mane. Sunset leaned into it. He could understand her current mood. Sunset may have left Canterlot Castle years ago, but she still spent a portion of her formative years there. Seeing it gone was certainly bringing up some emotions. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

She leaned her head against him. “It-It’s okay,” she said.

He leaned down next to Sunset and put an arm around her and she put her head on his shoulder. On the other side of her, Dengal leaned down and rubbed Sunset’s back. “No, it’s not,” she whispered to the mare. “You don’t need to hold anything in.”

Sunset closed her eyes, then brought up a hoof to wipe a tear away. “I-I don’t have time to mourn…” she whispered.

Behind, Tobias approached and stood in solidarity with the group as Sunset mourned. A voice from the broadcast began speaking. The voice was unusually calm, probably still in shock. “Attention, this is an emergency broadcast on the Erda Emergency Network. Canterlot Castle has been attacked. The one responsible is a rogue alicorn by the name of Majesty. She teleported everypony out of the castle before she destroyed it, but Majesty is on the loose and considered dangerous.”

An image of Majesty standing in a courtyard surrounded by ponies and a few no ponies appeared. “If anycreature spots this alicorn, do not antagonize her. She is incredibly powerful and dangerous. Equestria has entered a state of emergency. To repeat: attention, this is an emergency broadcaston the Erda Emergency network-”

A blast of magic shot out and there was an explosion of sparks and crystal shards that went everywhere. Acting instinctively, Gregory grabbed Flurry from off of his head and turned away, shielding her from the shards and sparks. She clung to him, whimpering in fear as Cadance and Shining came rushing up to take her from Gregory, who handed her to her parents before turning to stare at the source of the magic blast while Cadance and Shining ushered Flurry out of the room.

Celestia’s horn was actually smoking. Her eyes had become reptilian slits, her clenched teeth were showing signs of morphing into incisors. Her mane and tail were still the same color, but were also moving like flames. Intense heat was pouring off of her, and Gregory had to put his hand up to block the sudden burst of light that emanated from the ancient alicorn. “I WiLl EnD HeR PaThEtIc ExIsTeNcE!” a distorted voice, but one that was clearly Celestia’s, emanated from the morphing alicorn’s muzzle.

“Sister, please calm down!” Luna shouted in terror. “You’re letting the dark emotions take hold of you!”

“I HaVe BeEn CaLm FoR ToO LoNg!” Celestia, who looked like she was becoming either Daybreaker or Nightmare Star, replied, turning to hiss at Luna with a forked tongue. “ThAt CuNt WiLl DiE By My OwN HoOvEs!”

Gregory slowly reached down to put one hand on a pistol and another on his lightsaber, but before he could draw them to defend himself, another magical blast filled the room, forcing Gregory to look away. This magic blast came from the most unlikely of sources. Looking down, he spotted Sunset Shimmer’s horn was now also glowing. Celestia had been caught off guard and was thrown against the nearby wall, cracking the wall, but immediately causing the crystals there to begin melting. Sunset faced her former teacher, tears in her eyes, but with a determined look on her face. “Don’t you ever dare say that again!” she snapped angrily. “Killing anyone is NOT something you can come back from! It will change you permanently! Trust me! I KNOW!”

Celestia stood, rage practically billowing from her. “I HaVe KiLlEd BeFoRe,” she growled. “I CaN KiLl AgAiN!”

Celestia glared at everyone, fire in her eyes. However, before anyone else could act, a bright rainbow colored light filled the air, enveloping Celestia. She made a piercing screeching sound. Gregory turned away, shielding his eyes from the brightness. He thought he heard a kind of sizzling sound, like water being poured onto a hot iron skillet. “Calm down, Celestia,” Megan’s voice said in a serene tone. “You are letting your emotions get the better of you.” There was a click, and the sound of the Rainbow of Light vanished.

“Like they did for me over a thousand years ago,” Luna said as she boldly approached Celestia. Gregory turned to see Celestia getting to her feet, now looking normal. She was trembling, but not in rage this time. Instead, there were tears streaming down her cheeks as Luna reached her side and helped her stand. “It was my home too, sister,” Luna reminded the now weeping Celestia. “What’s important is that nopony seems to have been hurt or…lost their lives.”

As Gregory stood, he watched Celestia bury her face into her sister’s chest. In that moment, Luna looked like the older sister while Celestia looked like the younger. Sunset slowly and hesitantly stepped forward. “I grew up in that castle, pretty much,” she said, “and I have good memories from there. I had a few things there that, unless you threw them away, I won’t see again.”

Celestia shook her head slowly. “I-I put them into my personal vault…and that-that’s probably been destroyed.”

Sunset’s ears flattened, but she nodded. “I see,” she said.

Cadance, having returned with Shining but not Flurry Heart, also stepped forward, raising a hoof in a placating gesture. “I know you two are mourning the loss of your home,” she said, “but we can’t just go in and let our anger out. Acting first and thinking second is what got Jason Wright killed.”

The Mane Six lowered their heads in shame, but Twilight was the next to step forward. “C-Celestia…I grew up in the castle, too. You are not the only one who’s upset.” Tears were forming in her own eyes now as she slowly approached. “Ca-Cadance is right.”

Gregory exchanged a look with his party, the Williams siblings, and the rest of the Mane Six before he gestured to the door. This wasn’t something they had any say in, so they all slowly and quietly filed out of the room. When the door closed, Celestia, Luna, Twilight, and Cadance all were hugging each other and crying. He looked down at Sunset, who was still holding back tears of her own. “Not going to join them in there?” he asked softly as Shining Armor began leading them down the hall.

She shook her head. “It’s too early for that kind of furship,” she said somberly, wiping her eyes.

Tobias joined the two, then pulled out a handkerchief and passed it down to her. “Here you go,” he said with a sympathetic tone.

Gratefully, she took it and wiped her eyes before giving it back to Tobias. Gregory put a hand on Sunset’s head and rubbed gently. “You going to be okay?” Dengal asked as she joined the four.

Sunset sniffed, but nodded after a while. “I should be okay in a bit,” she said.

“Do you want to lie down and rest?” Gregory asked.

She shook her head vehemently. “I’ll be okay, I promise,” she reiterated, “I just need to sit down.”

“I think we all need that,” Shining said. “Come with me. There’s a sitting room nearby where we can all recover.”

A few minutes later, everyone was in a massive room full of large and plush looking couches, chairs, and ceiling to floor windows that overlooked the city. Gregory sat between Dengal and Tobias, with Sunset claiming a spot in his lap, something he made no objections to. In fact, it felt nice to have a heavy weight there. He ran his hand through her mane, helping the silently sobbing mare to calm down. Dengal was leaning against Gregory, eyes closed, and Tobias seemed to be keeping watch in an almost protective manner. Gregory almost smirked. Tobias’ feline nature was more prominent in certain highly emotional times.

He closed his eyes and put his free hand around Dengal’s shoulders, pulling her in closer. He couldn’t really deny that Dengal was important to him, just as important as Tobias was and how important Sunset was becoming to him. Her presence, to quote a movie, was soothing to him. She was tough as nails, competent, and very willing to help him, but this new tender side he saw from her was stirring feelings inside him that he was afraid to let out, at least in the beginning. He still bore some emotional scars from his last relationship, an abusive relationship he’d had back on Earth.

However, this felt different. Unlike what he thought was love for his ex, the feelings he had for Dengal felt…more pure. Almost raw. Simple, but powerful. He relaxed even more when she put her free hand on his chest, which made his heart skip a beat. Closing his eyes, he exhaled slowly, the rush of adrenaline from Celestia’s near transformation into Daybreaker or Nightmare Star wearing off, leaving him trembling slightly. He had almost pulled out his pistol or one of his lightsabers to try and get her to stand down. Thankfully, Megan thought faster.

He opened one eye and looked over at a nearby couch. Megan and her siblings were sitting there, looking equally as exhausted as he felt. He and Megan locked eyes. He had to admit, the woman in her mid twenties was very beautiful, with an inner strength that could barely be rivaled. There was also something in her eyes that he felt he was lacking: hope. Same went for Daniel and Molly. They also had some hope in their eyes, something he saw briefly before they closed their eyes to lean back. Molly leaned against Megan and Daniel put his hands behind his head, looking at the ceiling.

He looked away and at the rest of the room. The rest of the Mane Six were sitting together for a change, talking quietly. Pinkie Pie’s mane was now wavy instead of completely straight. There were quiet sobs from their corner. Shining and Spike sat next to each other, the older stallion comforting his adopted son who himself was crying slightly. Flurry Heart wasn’t there because she had been taken away by a maid when they were notified of the emergency transmission.

Gregory let his mind wander as he closed his eyes again. Only they always wandered back to Majesty. He could only guess what her plans were. Did she want to become the new ruler of Equestria? Maybe. What he knew for certain was that she wanted ponies to be better than they were. A sick version of reformation.

He paused. The group calling themselves Shadowfall…were they behind the True Harmonist movement? The same group who had hired a band of mercenaries to attack the Apple family? That didn’t seem like anything that Majesty would do. IF anything, the True Harmonists felt like something Majesty would do. Assassination didn’t feel like her MO. Besides, Applejack was no longer an Element of Harmony. Why would she be a threat to Majesty?

He felt Dengal squeezing his arm. Looking over, he looked into her lovely red eyes. “You’re tensing up,” she said. “What’s wrong?”

“Something doesn’t make sense,” he said. “It’s something I should have considered earlier.”

“What is it?” Tobias asked softly.

“Shadowfall uses the same tagline that Majesty does, Shadows Will Fall,” he explained, “but why would they try to assassinate Applejack and her family? Tobias, you still have that letter?”

The abyssinian nodded and pulled it from his jacket, giving it to Gregory who opened it and gave it to Dengal to read. She frowned as she read it then gave it back. “You think we’re dealing with two enemies?”

“It’s possible, because their attempt on Applejack’s family doesn’t make sense if Majesty was involved,” Gregory said. “Unless…”

“Unless what?” Dengal asked.

Gregory took a deep breath. “Unless…it’s some sort of splinter group.”

The hooded pony was thrown to the ground harshly by two large dragon males. The pony, a unicorn mare by the looks of things, glared through the hood at her captor. She was a dark purple mare with a silvery white mane with a light blue streak through it. Her eyes, a deep ocean color, were filled with hatred as she stared up at the alicorn before her. How had Majesty found her out?

The ancient alicorn sat at a desk in what had once been the mercenary guild master’s office. She was looking at various papers that were scattered on the desk. There were also piles of gold coins on the desk as well. One of the dragons who had captured her spoke. “Your majesty, we have brought her in as you requested.”

“Very good job, you two,” she said as she looked up and grabbed a sack. Some of the gold coins floated into the sack and she floated it over to them. “Split this among the two of you. A reward for a job well done. Now, leave us.” One dragon grabbed the sack, then both bowed and walked out of the former office, closing the door behind them and leaving the mare alone with Majesty. The instant that they were alone, Majesty put down the papers and stood. “Take that ridiculous cloak off. There’s no sense in lying to me. I already know.”

The mare raised an innocent looking eyebrow. “Know what?” she asked.

Majesty rolled her eyes in exasperation as she fired a magical blast at the cloak, burning it away and revealing the flowing mane and tail of the mare, along with the wings. “I know who you really are, Skyfire, or should I say Opaline Arcana?”

Opaline, now exposed, glared at Majesty. “How did you know?” she snarled.

“Many ponies seem to forget that I am the first alicorn,” Majesty said as she stood and walked around the desk to look down at Opaline. “I was the first to ascend before any of you were born in Skyros. I was there long before you were a twinkle in your father’s eye. You ask me how I know? I have centuries of experience. I knew what you were long ago, and I decided to give you a chance. The Shadow Chapter was under your leadership because I thought there was potential within you. I was mistaken. You are nothing more than a supremacist who believes all alicorns should be worshipped as deities.”

Opaline stood and glared up at her fellow alicorn. “And why shouldn’t we be?!” she demanded to know. “Our lifetime is eternal! Our magic is superior! We possess all the gifts of deities! Isn’t that what you want? Isn’t what you want to give all ponies your wisdom and rule over them?”

Majesty regarded Opaline with an infuriatingly disappointed gaze. “Why do you think I would have wanted the former Element of Honesty to be killed?” she asked in return.

Opaline felt a chill run down her spine. “I have no idea what-”

“Do not lie to me, scum,” Majesty snapped angrily. “Applejack Apple was no threat to any of us! She lost her Element after Jason Wright’s suicide! They all did!”

Opaline flinched. She had not seen or even heard of Majesty being this angry before. She hadn’t interacted with Majesty much, but she always struck Opaline as being a calm leader of this movement. One that Opaline hoped to take control over. Of course, that was now out of the window. Opaline began to light her horn, glaring at Majesty. “They were obstacles,” the fire alicorn growled, “and needed to be gotten out of-hnk!”

Majesty had grabbed Opaline by the throat, but not with her magic. Majesty had moved with speed that belied her age and shoved a hoof against Opaline’s throat, shoving the fire alicorn against the wall. The lack of ability to breathe caused Opaline to stop casting the spell. There was a fire in Majesty’s eyes. “I gave you a perfectly good chance despite your actions in Skyros because I believed you could become a better pony with the right guidance. However, it would seem as if you need a stern lesson.”

Opaline tried to speak, but with Majesty’s hoof to her throat, she couldn’t. She tried to move, but Majesty’s greater strength was holding her in place. A wave of fear washed over her as she struggled. She tried casting her signature fire, but something was holding her back. Something was keeping her from using magic. Majesty’s horn began to glow brighter, and Opaline felt her stomach drop. When Majesty began to rhyme, she knew it was over, but she still struggled. However, she couldn’t have anticipated what would happen next.

“You think you stand above the rest,
“but all of us are one.
“Now you, a mare incredibly blessed
“will have the blessings none.”

Opaline felt herself begin to twist unnaturally. She heard the cracking of bones, but strangely felt no pain. Majesty let Opaline go and the latter fell to all four knees, paralyzed as her body glowed and cracked. She couldn’t feel anything, which she guessed was a mercy granted by Majesty. Her body seemed to grow bigger, her features elongating. Parts of her felt constricted and others felt like they had disappeared.

After a while, the glow and cracking stopped. Weakly, she stood up, looking down at herself. Horror filled her mind as she saw that her beautiful magenta fur was gone, replaced by a chestnut colored. Her legs, once slender, were now lanky. She looked back and saw, to her further horror, that her cutie mark was gone from her flank. Her wings were gone, and so was her horn. Her eyes were brown, and her mane was a pure black as was her tail.

She had somehow been turned into a common earth pony!

Turning to Majesty, she found that somehow she was slightly taller than the placid looking alicorn. Opaline opened her mouth to say something, but instead of words, she neighed. She actually neighed! Pausing, she tried saying something else, but nothing came out but equine noises. Looking around, she spotted a large mirror in the room. Rushing up to it, she saw that her face was unrecognizable. In a panic, she reared up, neighing in terror. Turning to Majesty, she tried to demand an explanation, but nothing came out but various equine noises.

“You know,” Majesty said, “on the human world, their science has advanced more than ours. They have learned so much more about their world than we have ours. Still, modern day ponies have learned much since I ruled over Ponyland. Did you know that millions of years ago ponies as we know them didn’t exist? There were equines, of course, but they were simply animals. Dumb beasts who could not think or reason like we can now. Have you ever heard of the creature known as a horse? What am I saying? Of course you have. It’s a modern day fairy tale. Horses are thought to only be a myth, but I can assure you that they are, or rather were, real. They were real in my time, at least. The humans and elves of my time had them as companions, beasts of burden, and the like. Humans and elves loved their horses and treated them well. Sure, there were some who mistreated them, but the majority of the two races loved their horses. Humans would use them to help farm, or would ride them to send messages by courier, or to pull carriages. Elves would care for them in their forest glades, and they too would ride them when need arose or simply as a way to enjoy themselves. My point is, both races had their own way of bonding with horses. My late husband owned a horse he was proud of and who he loved like a beloved member of the family.”

Majesty paused, seeming to be lost in a memory. Opaline began having a sneaking suspicion as to what had happened to her, and it was confirmed with what Majesty said next. “Sadly, the horse population went extinct when the demons invaded. The demons left none of them alive, and as far as I know, there are none left. At least, not until now.” Majesty looked up at Opaline, but even though Opaline was now taller, she felt like Majesty was looking at her from a great height, one more metaphorical than physical. “You can no longer use your magic, can no longer fly, and can no longer even speak. Your intelligence is intact, of course. I am not cruel. You are, however, no longer superior like you believe. I do hope you learn from this experience, but I have little hope of that. Not none, just little. Take a walk in the feet of another. Perhaps you will see the error of your thinking.”

Opaline couldn’t take it anymore. She rushed towards the door, bursting through it before running downstairs into the former guild hall. Several of the new residents and a couple of old residents of Thornfall jumped out of the way of the panicking new horse. She was scared. She was angry. She had to escape Majesty, no matter what! She turned and began running north.

Majesty watched from the window of the former guild master’s office as the brand new horse mare galloped down the streets of Thornfall heading north. She lowered her head and shook it sadly. Perhaps she had been a bit too naïve to think that Opaline, an alicorn as old as Celestia and Luna, could see the bigger picture. Still, Opaline Arcana was stuck on something petty, whereas Majesty was focused on the future of her dear ponies and their relationship with the world around them.

She loved them dearly, and wanted them to be the best versions of themselves that they could be. Still, it seemed as if the current generation needed the harsh lessons. She turned away, a single tear falling from her right eye. She focused on the feeling she had sensed earlier. She sensed something. A presence she hadn’t felt since…

Her thoughts trailed off, then refocused onto the here and now, where it belonged. It was likely just wishful thinking on her part. They were long dead, after all.

Walking out of the office and down the stairs, she went to the main hall to grab a bite to eat. She waved at the creatures eating and talking there with a warm smile on her face. One that she didn’t quite feel at the moment.

She sat at a table with several creatures after grabbing some food, joining in on the conversation but not really paying attention. Her mind was elsewhere. Sure, she thought she had sensed the presence of old friends, but that was impossible. So what was happening? What was she sensing?

She pushed it down for the moment. She needed to focus on the others around the table. Her smile widened and she locked into the conversation.

32: Dubiety

Megan leaned against the window in her train cabin, looking out at the beautiful country landscape outside as it swept past them. Trees passed by in mere moments only to be replaced with new ones. The sun shone down into the cabin with the warmth of a summer day. She reached up and slightly opened her window, letting the breeze cool her. Closing her eyes, she listened to the old fashioned sounds of the steam engine that was pulling the coaches.

There wasn’t much being said in the coach. She and her siblings were sitting in the same spot, whereas Gregory’s mercenary group, along with the changeling queen named Chrysalis, sat in their own place. Gregory himself sat alone as he, too, stared out at the landscape. The alicorn sisters sat near the front of the coach, whispering to each other so softly that Megan wondered if they could read lips. The six former Elements of Harmony sat at their own benches, also whispering.

Megan closed her eyes and forced her body to relax. There wasn’t much that she or anyone else could do while they made their way south. The train they were on wasn’t going too fast, so it was likely that they wouldn’t reach their destination until long after dark. It was fortunate that they were on a private train owned by the Equestrian Crown, meaning they wouldn’t need to stop at any of the stations along the way.

She felt the train slowly turn, pushing her harder against the wall. Molly slid against her slightly before the train began moving straight again. Across from her, she heard a soft voice saying, “Sorry.”

“It’s all good, my guy,” Daniel said.

Megan opened one eye to see the fourth person who was sitting with them, the young changeling Thorax, adjusting himself as he sat up straighter. Megan hadn’t known him for very long, but she had grown a little fond of the young equine creature. He seemed so eager to be useful and also sought out friends. Sadly, with the current events playing out as they were now, there wasn’t much time for him to build a rapport with anyone.

She was about to close her eyes to get some rest when she saw his ears twitch forward slightly. She watched as his dark purple eyes focused forward. Then, a small smile formed on his face as he shook his head.

Daniel noticed this, because he leaned over and asked in a soft voice, “What is it?”

Thorax jumped a bit, startled by Daniel’s sudden appearance. “Ah, it’s my mother. I can feel her emotional state from here.”

“Is she being teased by Tobias or Gregory again?” Daniel asked.

Thorax nodded. “Looks like it’s coming from Miss Dengal this time,” he said. “Mr. Graystone is sitting alone right now.”

Megan closed her eyes with a small smile of her own as the two continued talking. She, too, had noticed the way that Gregory and Tobias would tease the newly transformed changeling queen, only for her to act embarrassed and, in Megan’s opinion, rather cute. She had even made chirping noises similar to those of crickets whenever she was extremely embarrassed, much to her apparent chagrin as this elicited more teasing.

Taking a deep breath, she thought back to the past three days after learning that a castle in a city called Canterlot had been razed by Majesty. The two sisters had wanted to immediately return, but Megan and Gregory had both argued against that. They all needed a plan, so they had spent three long and grueling days trying to think of a means to find Majesty and what needed to be done when she was found. Gwaihir and his group of eagles were asked by Gregory if they would be willing to look for Majesty, and a few volunteered to do just that, including Gwaihir himself.

In those three days, much began happening down south. For one, the number of a group known as True Harmonists had apparently doubled in size since the attack. Either that, or they had hidden their true size until that time. Something else that began happening was a mass exodus of nonponies from Equestria, something which began to stall Equestria’s economy since it quickly became clear that the nonponies were being paid less than a livable wage in various factories and other businesses around the nation. This was quite a personal blow to the Equestrian princesses, who vowed that when Majesty was defeated they would take the time to make sure these businesses were suitably punished.

The news of Canterlot Castle’s destruction had apparently been a massive blow to the entire kingdom of Equestria from what Megan had been able to gather. There were mass protests in various cities through the nation, demanding action be taken with more urgency against this ancient alicorn. True Harmonists were calling for radical change, or radical for their nation. Change in policies regarding the treatment of nonponies in their lands. Older ponies were calling for there to be a mustering of forces to search for Majesty and punish her for the destruction of the castle.

Majesty was smart, that was for sure. She was making herself look less like the bad guy and more a deliverer of justice for nonponies. And knowing the old Majesty, it was possible that she truly believed that what she was doing was beneficial.

And it was working, too. The younger generation of Equestria, specifically the True Harmonists, were calling for massive reforms, sharing stories of nonpony abuse at the hooves of ponies. Megan had been horrified to hear some of these stories from the others in the car with her. No pony she knew of from back in her time in Ponyland would ever be so callous. She agreed with the True Harmonists that change was needed, but not with her methods.

She opened her eyes, deciding that she needed some more alone time with Gregory. She excused herself and made her way down to the back of the car where Gregory was sitting, wearing his usual black garments, the futuristic mask sitting in his lap. He was leaning on his elbow, watching the trees go by, His eyes moved slightly, tracking everything easily. Megan sat across from him, placing her hands in her lap and looking out at the beautiful countryside that sprawled out before her. It amazed her that while the kingdom itself was undergoing such a crisis, nature was thriving. They were passing by a small farming town on the shores of a lake, and she thought she caught some foals playing on the beach next to the lake.

She took in a deep breath, then exhaled. “This world is beautiful, isn’t it?” she asked, glancing over at Gregory, who’s bright arctic blue eyes hadn’t glanced in her direction.

He adjusted himself a bit, then replied, “Yes. It’s a shame that this part of it is full of xenophobic ponies.”

She frowned at that. She could understand his less than stellar view of the ponies of this world despite his knowledge of them coming from a children’s television show that didn’t exist on her Earth. Still, he was being overly general, and she decided to speak in defense of them. She did, after all, see herself as a bit like a mother to the ponies regardless of their horrible actions. “Not all of them are like that, you know,” she stated.

“I know,” he said after a beat, “but none of them are in positions of authority, except maybe two, and those are big maybes at best.”

Megan inwardly sighed. She felt the call to help this man thanks to her renewed contact with the Rainbow of Light around her neck, but he wouldn’t make this easy, she knew. Two years of having to be a mercenary in a desert city that sounded like that one city from Star Wars couldn’t have been good for him. She saw one scar across one cheek, and she guessed he had more. Still, she had to try more. “I agree that the two princesses aren’t perfect, but it seems like they’re trying,” she said.

Gregory still didn’t glance her way. “A whole lot of good that did for Jason Wright, don’t you think?”

Megan lowered her eyes. Celestia and Luna had shed some further light on how they had handled Jason’s initial arrival in Equestria. She was disappointed to hear that they had sent him to Ponyville with only enough bits for one night in an inn. Only. One. Night. They both admitted that they had seriously dropped the ball and had trusted too much in Twilight Sparkle. “Gregory…surely you can’t just see that these ponies are all evil.”

“Give me more credit than that,” Gregory scoffed. “I know not all ponies are like this, but from personal experience, a majority are.”

“That’s hardly fair,” Megan said. “You told us that you only ever had dealings with one Equestrian town.”

“Again, that’s a fair point,” Gregory retorted, “but need I remind you of the movement of the True Harmonists. All of their movements have been peaceful, and a majority of them are non-ponies. The opposing side have been mostly ponies.” He exhaled. “There’s a part of me that wonders if Majesty may have the right idea, after all.”

“She is taking the law into her own hooves,” Megan argued despite seeing the argument from Majesty’s side. “Vigilantism is only ever heroic in comic books and movies.”

“Are you Majesty’s J. Jonah Jameson, now?” Gregory asked.

She couldn’t help but snort at that. “No. I don’t have the mustache for that.”

Gregory smirked, then turned to face her. “You’re cute enough as it is. You don’t need a mustache marring that lovely face of yours.”

She blushed at the compliment, but quickly regained focus. “Gregory, I can’t argue that her intentions are good. Still, Majesty is not a queen anymore despite her previous rule over Ponyland.”

“Celestia had these so-called ‘good intentions’ too,” Gregory argued, “but at least Majesty is doing something. Crime doesn’t pay, and Celestia is only doing anything now to maintain her image.” He turned away, eyes dark as he looked at the landscape. “Look out there, Megan. Look at the beautiful landscape.”

Megan did so, trying to see what Gregory was seeing. They had already passed by the town, and were now seeing several farms. “It is beautiful,” she agreed.

“Beautiful,” he began, “and built on false harmony. There is an underlying darkness there. If pushed just so, the ponies would turn on each other like they did before the founding of Equestria. Each tribe would resurrect old hatreds and prejudices without so much as a second thought. Ponies are a herd species. If one of them in a position of authority acts a certain way, say, by ignoring a human, they will all act in a similar fashion, if not worse. They are quick to judge, and their harmony they live by now is more than likely a façade to hide their inner demons.” Slowly, he turned back to her. “The ponies that you knew are not the same as the modern day ones.”

Megan was speechless. She didn’t even know what to say. Gregory here knew things about the modern day ponies that not even she could know in so short of a time. Not only that, but he had seen a television show that depicted ponies during this time. Sure, it was simplified and the real world of Erda wasn’t some simple cartoon like it was in the show he had shown her and her siblings, but he knew things. “You’ve seen this happening in the show?” she asked after a while.

Gregory leaned back. “The series finale of Friendship is Magic shows how easily a few words here and there can have the ponies turn against each other,” he said, crossing his arms. “I don’t have a very high opinion of them, with a few exceptions.” He glanced over at Sunset, who Megan could see was leaning against her bench and dozing comfortably. When she turned back to him, Gregory was not looking back out of the window as he continued. “Of course, since it was a children’s show, they all reunited after some more words. And then there’s other examples from the show about speciesism, even among ponies. Celestia has a school only for gifted unicorns. Most of Canterlot’s nobility are unicorns. They have a clearly racist organization called the Equestrian Education Association who would not have allowed nonponies to get any sort of education in Equestria. Like I said, I can see clearly where Majesty’s coming from. Now I’m torn on whether to be involved in this fight or just let her be.”

“Everything you’ve said is correct,” a new voice said from beside the bench. Megan turned sharply to see a somber looking Celestia standing there, ears flat and eyes haunted. “May I join you?”

“Of course,” Megan said as she scooted aside, giving Celestia room to sit. Gregory was still looking out of the window, barely acknowledging Celestia’s presence.

Celestia sat down and looked at Gregory. “You are correct. The kingdom is far from the paradise that it is meant to be. Even after it was newly founded, we were wary of each other, and even more so of outsiders. We have only grown worse as the centuries have gone by, and I will take responsibility for everything because it happened all under my watch. Still, ponies are not getting a just and fair trial for their actions, and Majesty is acting as a unilateral judge, jury, and executioner. Many innocent ponies could be hurt or even die in the chaos that could erupt.”

“Do you know what could have happened had you made the foolish decision to make Twilight Sparkle your replacement?” Gregory asked suddenly, quickly turning to her. He slowly stood and towered over her as he continued. “An ancient alicorn named Opaline Arcana would have returned and stirred up trouble among the ponies, and in desperation, Twilight would have removed all magic from Equestria. And all because you put a neurotic perfectionist into a position of power way before she was ready. You never even gave her the choice to become an alicorn. You forced it on her.” He sat back down, glaring daggers at Celestia. “You may have held Equestria together for a thousand years of peace, but corruption breeds under a complacent ruler. How will you be better than Majesty at dealing with the darkness coming from within?”

Celestia looked chastened by Gregory’s words and she lowered her head. “I have treated my little ponies more like a lenient mother, I see that now,” she said, “but I can’t let her act as she pleases, above the law.”

Gregory waved his hand in a circular motion. “We could sit here and argue in circles until the cows come marching home,” Gregory responded, “but the true question remains: why should I, or any of us for that matter, act against Majesty? Her methods might seem cruel, but they could also fall under tough love, something you clearly failed to give your ponies. Wasn’t it true that after Nightmare Moon’s banishment, you slunk away into a depression? While clearly understandable, this let the nobles of the time have carte blanche to act and place certain laws into place.”

Celestia flinched at that. “Yes, that was a time I wish I could return to and take back.”

“Yes, well, fortunately for you, Star Swirl’s time traveling spell is gone,” Gregory said, “but your complacency led to the current situation. Hell, it also led to Jason’s death. Who the fuck gives only a day’s worth of money and food to a man? Who the fuck just sends him away to be someone else’s problem? In fact, a lot of your modern day problems have stemmed from sending problems away because you were too lazy to do anything about it. Banishment seems to be the modus operandi here, and that works out soooo well for you. Seriously, putting monsters in Tartarus for acting on their nature? How harmonious of you.”

Megan was shocked to hear this. Majesty may have had her faults, sure, but at the very least, she dealt with crime in her kingdom effectively. She turned to Celestia. “Is that true?”

Celestia took a deep breath. “He’s correct,” she said. “Ponies nowadays have an attitude like that. If they can’t see it, they think it’s not their problem.”

“And just where the hell do you think they learned that from?” Gregory asked. “Certainly not from the damned Tooth Fairy. Equestria has too many skeletons in its proverbial closet right now.”

Celestia straightened and looked at Gregory with what Megan thought was resolve. “I intend to change that.”

“It might be too little, too late,” Gregory said. “Majesty is insanely powerful. She’s clearly moving up to some big finish. She’s openly dismantling your system of government. I’m sure that in her mind, the castle was some kind of symbol for opulence, noble greed and avarice, and such.”

“Not everything is lost,” Megan insisted, pulling out the Rainbow of Light and displaying it to both human and alicorn. “My siblings and I know Majesty. We could talk with her and try and get her to stand down. If that doesn’t work, we might need to use this, of course.”

“The Rainbow of Light…doesn’t that only work on true villains like the Elements of Harmony do?” Gregory asked.

“It also responds somewhat to the wielder’s wishes,” Megan said, “and currently that’s me.”

Gregory opened his mouth, seemed to think better of what he was going to say, then shut it again. Celestia spoke up once more. “Mr. Graystone, my little ponies have done wrong by many in our history,” she admitted, “and I agree something must be done. But what Majesty is doing is going too far.”

“Is it?” Gregory asked, turning back to Celestia. “What about that report you got from Maretime Bay? Didn’t the former mayor of Ponyville somehow get her earth pony abilities back while still staying as a human? Her strength, connection to the earth, all that? And what about one of the stratadons from Dodge City changing into a human? What do you think that means?”

In the couple of days since Gregory had escaped from Majesty’s grasp, a couple reports had come in about certain incidents from those two cities about individuals who were hit by Majesty’s punishments undergoing transformations or regaining some abilities they had lost. These reports indicated that the individuals in question had some sort of revelation, and as such moments after said revelation, they had undergone another transformation, this one slightly more positive. One thing Megan knew about Majesty was that she always left room for many punishments she placed on enemies to be lifted if they were ever truly repentant, whatever that looked like. Majesty had told her about that once shortly after Megan had witnessed a furious Majesty change Tirac.

Megan looked up at Gregory. “Gregory,” she said softly, “playing Robin Hood only works in fiction and adventure stories. This is real life, regardless of what that television show you showed us would say.”

Gregory sighed. Megan wondered if, when they inevitably faced Majesty, her fellow human would have his heart fully into opposing the alicorn. Or perhaps he would simply abandon the fight altogether. He personally had no stakes in this. Sure, he had been abducted by Majesty, and while his experience may have been one where he was treated like an honored guest, he was still kidnapped and held against his will. Who wouldn’t want to get away from that, Megan mused.

“Real life or no,” Gregory began, “neither of you are getting it.” He pointed to Celestia. “You had two years to actually get shit done after Jason Wright’s suicide, but all you really did was provide preferential treatment to your little ponies in Ponyville. Some punishment for a town of xenophobic asswipes, huh? They get to stay together to lick their metaphorical wounds and blame everyone but themselves. And then here comes Majesty, and mere days after she lays down her own punishment, one pony actually understands her own wrongdoings and is granted her magic back, if not her body.”

Celestia stiffened. “I did what I thought was right to keep other ponies from harming those from Ponyville,” she said with a scowl.

Gregory stood slowly, glaring at the alicorn princess. “A true ruler doesn’t make excuses,” he said with an even, dangerous tone, “but instead, they dispense justice no matter who the person is. Even if that person happens to be your family or a close friend.”

“What would you have me do, now?” Celestia asked in just as even a tone, her mane beginning to move faster and the carriage beginning to rapidly heat up as she looked back at Gregory. “The ponies responsible for Jason’s abuse and those who ran you out of Dodge City have gone through too much already. I don’t kick a pony when they’re down.”

“You think Majesty will stop there?” Gregory asked. “Surely, there are others in Equestria who are guilty of something similar. Perhaps a group of ponies committed a hate crime against a gryphon. Maybe there are corrupt politicians or businessponies who have clandestine business practices by hiring non-ponies for less than whatever minimum wage is here, assuming that’s a thing here. Maybe there is even a secret sex slave trade ring in your nation. And don’t try and deny the possibility. Every race, even ponies with their exalted connection to Harmony, have their dark sides. You’d think Jason’s suicide would have made you and Luna spring into action. That’s why Majesty destroyed Canterlot Castle. It’s the center of all political authority in this kingdom. If your nephew Blueblood’s brief depiction in the show and if the noble snobs who live in Canterlot are any indication of how life is at the top of Equestrian society, Majesty may go for them next. There is always corruption under a complacent leadership.”

Celestia’s mane and tail caught fire, her eyes became slits, but it was only for a brief moment before she slumped back down. “Damn it to Tartarus…you’re not wrong…despite how I want to deny it…” she muttered.

“Sister, are you well?” Luna’s calming voice came from behind her as the alicorn came rushing to Celestia’s side.

Celestia slowly stood back up and took a seat next to Megan, who had moved aside so Celestia could sit. Luna sat on the bench where Gregory had been sitting. The human sat back down next to the window, his eyes never leaving Celestia’s face. “I haven’t received such a scolding since I was a filly, and never from someone as young as you,” she said as she looked up at Gregory. “You make excellent points. Furthermore, while I am currently unaware of any criminal organizations in our kingdom, you’re right. I have been negligent. While I hope no such organizations exist, it would be prudent now to look into it.”

Luna’s eyes narrowed. “Unless Majesty gets to them first.”

Lady Tycoon, one of the biggest businessmares in Equestria, sat in the high rise office in Manehattan where her biggest business venture, Ascendal Enterprises, held its headquarters. The middle-aged unicorn mare was taller than most ponies, with a slightly slender build, dark red fur, rust colored mane and tail, the former tied back in a professional ponytail, and golden eyes. Her cutie mark was, coincidentally, of an office chair and desk. She wore a dark blue blouse and a tight black skirt. Despite her age, she looked much younger than her fifty three years would suggest thanks to modern magical procedures that helped her keep her youthful appearance and help her keep her health as well. After all, not as many would do business if the face of the company, her, was old and wrinkled with gray or white in her fur, mane, or tail.

She was looking over the quarterly reports from the average sales that the parent company, which dealt in a few different areas such as grocery, farming equipment and book printing along with a few others, had in the past three months. Comparing their sales with wages and other expenses was showing a drop in profits, a rather record one. She scowled. The last quarter before this one, they had shown some losses as well. If the projected sales decline continued until the end of this second quarter, she would have to make some hard decisions.

“Grant! Come in here!” She shouted to his personal secretary.

A younger gryphon tom came walking in, eyes nervous. “Y-Yes ma’am?” he asked.

Lady gave him an appraising look. The tom was in his early twenties (she didn’t know his actual age as that wasn’t what was really important), had dark crimson fur, a pale teal set of plumage, and brighter teal feathers. His eyes were red and his claws were a cheery orange. His plumage was longer than most and fell down his sides like hair would have. He wore a dark blue blazer over a white button down shirt with a red tie. Lady suppressed her grin at Grant’s current attire. She could enjoy that later. “Has the mail come in, yet?” she asked as she stood and walked around the desk towards him

“I-I was just about to check, ma’am,” Grant said, holding up a set of keys.

“Good tom,” Lady said, almost cooing as she stood in front of him. “I’m expecting a large envelope full of reports from the outlying offices. It should say that it’s from the Big Down franchises at the edge of our Equestrian territory. It should be here today or tomorrow. Bring it to me at once if you see it and don’t let anypony see it, understood?”

“Yes ma’am!” Grant quickly turned and vacated the office, leaving Lady alone once more, but not before the latter gave his posterior a light swat with her tail. She let a small grin escape when she heard Grant yelp slightly.

The unicorn then shut the door, blocking out most of the office noise as she looked back at the desk. Sighing, turned and walked over to her personal coffee pot, realizing too late that the pot was nearly empty. She grew frustrated at Grant’s lack of competence. She would have to…punish…him later tonight, it would seem.

Thankfully, there was some left, and she poured some into her mug, then turned back to her desk. Only to freeze as there was another pony sitting in the chair. Lady had no idea who this pony was, and just stared at her in shock.

The pony was a mare, as far as Lady could see. She had pure white fur, a brilliant blue mane with a lighter streak through it. Both mane and tail were flowing like the princesses did. Which made sense considering that Lady saw that this mare had a horn and feathers. The mare sitting in Lady’s desk was wearing a black blouse and black business skirt while wearing black rimmed glasses. She was carefully looking over the papers on Lady’s desk.

“Such a shame,” the mare said in what sounded like a sincere tone, “business is not going so well, is it Lady?”

“Who the buck are you?” Lady demanded to know, putting her mug down. Turning to the door, she shouted, “Somepony get the building security!”

“I wouldn’t bother with that, Lady Tycoon,” the unknown alicorn mare said as she stood, pushing up her glasses as she turned to face Lady. “Nobody can hear you, and nobody can enter this room unless I say so.”

“Horseshit,” Lady said as she galloped to the door, using her magic to pull on the door handle to get it open. To her horror, though, nothing happened. It was as if the door was made of stone. She tried again with her hooves. The door handle didn’t budge a single inch. A wave of fear washed over the unicorn as she turned to the mare, who stood where she had been earlier with a bemused expression. Lady was beginning to realize just who she had in her office. “Y-You’re her…the pony who destroyed Canterlot Castle…” she said in a trembling tone.

“My card,” Majesty said, bringing a small business card out of her blouse and floating it over to Lady, who shakily took it in her hooves and looked it over.

MAJESTY

THE FIRST OF HER NAME, THE UNBROKEN, QUEEN OF THE FIRST PONIES, BREAKER OF FATE, BRINGER OF TRUE HARMONY AND SLAYER OF ALL DEMONS

The card was written in a crisp, golden script. Nothing else was written on it. Lady looked up at Majesty, who still hadn’t moved. “What do you want here?” Lady asked, her professional manner returning to her, but the fear never going away.

Majesty’s expression darkened. “Let me ask, is it common practice for businessponies like you to sexually harass employees?” Her tone had become a dangerous even one. “Like I just saw you do to your hardworking secretary?”

A shiver went down Lady’s back. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she stammered. Despite years of experience hiding behind her business persona, something about this Majesty was causing her to break.

“You can’t lie to me, my dear pony,” Majesty said. “Sadly, I have seen more abuse of nonponies in this city than most other larger cities.” Majesty sounded genuinely saddened by this.

“Are you here to k-kill me?” Lady asked, her back against the door.

Majesty shook her head, which made Lady relax. But only for a bit as Majesty replied, “I don’t kill, but I do not hesitate to punish those who abuse others. You are the first.” Majesty raised her horn, and it began to glow…

Grant walked into the building’s mail room, a haunted look in his eyes. He felt so dirty. He felt like the filthiest gryphon in existence. The look of hunger in her eyes…it was growing to be too much.

He, his wife, and his daughter had left Gryphonstone to try and find a better life in Equestria after the birth of their daughter Gemma about a year ago, but had come to quickly find that the grass wasn’t greener on the other side. He had gotten a job at a rather prestigious office, but he had soon found that he wasn’t hired because of his résumé, but because he was…he was eye candy.

He was severely underpaid and overworked while being harassed not just by his new boss but by other ponies in the office. He was the only nonpony. He’d been forced to buy nice, expensive suits or risk being fired. They lived from paycheck to paycheck, not able to leave and when he tried to find other work, he ran into excuse after excuse.

His wife…his darling Gerta…she knew about what happened here, but…what could they do? Nopony would hire him, and they couldn’t hire a cubsitter…

He paused, the key in the PO box lock. The world around him became blurry, but he wiped his eyes. “Grover give me strength,” he pleaded as he pulled out the mail from the box.

“My name’s not Grover, but will I do?” a feminine voice asked from the doorway.

Grant jumped in alarm, the mail in his claws going everywhere. He turned to see a tall alicorn mare wearing a business suit standing in the doorway, a warm and kind smile on her face. He backed away in fear. “W-Who are you?” he stammered.

The alicorn raised a hoof calmly. “I’m a friend, Mr. Grant. Just a friend. A friend who can offer you, your wife, and your daughter a much better life.”

Grant then recognized her. Her image had been seen in the newspaper. His eyes widened when he realized who she was. “You’re the pony who destroyed Canterlot!” he exclaimed.

“Only the castle,” the pony clarified.

“I-I didn’t do anything, please don’t hurt my wife or daughter!” he pleaded.

The alicorn’s face saddened. “Mr. Grant, I would never in a million years lay a hoof on you, your wife, or your daughter. You have done nothing wrong.” She took a step forward, but Grant stepped back. She paused, nodded, and sat down. “Mr. Grant, you have suffered terribly at the hooves of my dear ponies, especially the cunt upstairs. But I can promise that she will never be able to hurt you or anyone else again.”

“H-How can I believe you?” Grant asked, heart pounding in his chest.

“Allow me to show you,” the alicorn said, raising her horn. In an instant, they were back in the office. “Look around you.”

Grant did so, and was stunned by what he was seeing. Almost every pony in the office, with some exceptions, were all frozen in place. All of them were statues, all except for their heads. All of the heads moved around and apparently attempting to scream, but nothing came out of them. The pony led him to his boss’ office, where he saw her sitting in her chair, all of her body made of gold except for her head. Her eyes were wide with terror and she was trying to scream something, but nothing came out. “What…what did you do?” he asked.

“I gave them a literal taste of their own medicine,” the alicorn said, pushing her glasses up again. “They all made you feel trapped and unable to speak in a metaphorical sense, so they now get a taste of how you felt.” She turned to Grant. “Abuse of any kind is not something I can stand, and the kind you endured is one of the worst. You didn’t deserve it, and neither do others. Ponies, gryphons, dragons, I don’t care who or what you are. If you are abused, those who abuse you must be punished so they learn their lesson.”

Grant couldn’t believe this. He turned to the alicorn. “I...I have nothing, now…”

“That is not true, Mr. Grant,” she replied. “I can offer you and your family safe haven. You will have plenty of food, your daughter will be cared for properly, and you will be able to make some actual friends who care about you.”

Grant latched onto the only hope he’d had since arriving in this Grover-forsaken country. “C-Can I trust you?” he asked.

“A wise question,” she replied with a sagely nod. “I can show you the land where you and your family can live in peace, joy, and harmony. If you do choose to live with us and then decide later to leave, then nobody would dream of stopping you. I would never hold anyone against their will. Here, let me show you.” She raised her horn again, and what looked like a portal appeared in front of them.

Grant collapsed onto his haunches, the emotions that he had suppressed for the past year boiling over. Before him was an idyllic valley with snow-capped mountains in the distance. There was a lake closer, and he saw the young of various creatures running around, apparently playing a game of tag. He regained his strength, stood, and stepped through the portal, feeling the warm summer sun on his back, inhaling fresh air instead of the dirty smelling air of the city or the nasty smell that came occasionally from the air conditioning. The grass beneath his claws was soft and had a slightly sweet fragrance, but not enough to be overwhelming. There were a couple of houses scattered about and he saw some older creatures of various kinds sitting, talking, laughing, and generally enjoying the company of the other.

“Is…Is this a dream?” he said, tears streaming down his cheeks.

“No, Mr. Grant,” the alicorn said as she stepped up beside him, wings spread as she looked at the vast land before them, “this is your new home. If you want it.”

He turned up to the alicorn. “I need to show my wife!”

“I can take you there,” the alicorn said as she raised her horn.

“Wait!” Grant stopped her, raising a claw.

The alicorn paused and looked quizzically at Grant. “What is it?” she asked.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

She smiled warmly. “My name is Majesty,” she said.

“Thank you…for offering this to me…Majesty…” Grant said, holding back his tears.

“You deserve the happiness that Equestria has denied you,” Majesty said. “Now then, shall we go and show your wife and daughter this land?”

“Yes, please!” Grant said happily.

Majesty nodded, raised her horn, and in a twinkling, the portal, Majesty, and Grant vanished.

33: A Town Called Canterlot

The engine whistle screeching woke Gregory up. He hadn’t even realized that he’d fallen asleep. Venting had obviously taken more out of him than he’d realized, he surmised. Sitting up, he stretched, suppressing a yawn. Looking out the window, he saw that they were pulling into a large train station with plenty of ponies standing on the platforms on either side. He saw that there were four tracks there, with a large platform in the center of them, leaving two platforms on either side. Another train was on the other side with ponies boarding in what looked like a hurry.

“Canterlot Station,” a voice said from the front of the car, and Gregory turned to see a pony in a conductor’s uniform walking down the car. “All ponies who are disembarking here please gather your belongings and exit through the nearest exit. Canterlot station.” The stallion walked past, seemingly not bothered by the fact that there were nonponies in this car.

Gregory looked around, noticing that Megan was still sitting across from him. She was asleep herself, so he reached over and gently shook her. She jolted awake, taking a quick intake of breath. “Huh, whu-?”

“We’re here,” he said.

Megan stood up, quickly running a hand through her golden hair. “Whoa…” she said as she wavered.

Gregory stood and caught her. “Stood up too fast?” he asked.

She slowly nodded as she recovered. “I’m fine, now,” she said, looking up at Gregory with a blush. “You can let go, now.”

He nodded and did so. She picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. Elsewhere in the car, Gregory saw that everyone else was quickly getting ready to depart. Chrysalis and Thorax were both now in a disguise as a unicorn mare and crystal pony stallion. He noted that they were the same disguises that they’d used in the show. He quickly reached down and grabbed his own belongings, moving to put his mask back on. Then, he hesitated. The ponies out there were about to see three other humans, so what was one more?

Shaking his head, he lowered the mask and placed it in the small bag he carried with him before joining the others heading towards the exit doors. He stepped onto the platform with Megan, Daniel, and Molly right behind him. There were many different ponies sitting at the benches and standing on the platform, waiting for anyone to exit the cars before boarding. He inwardly scowled as their eyes widened at the sight of him and his fellow humans, but kept his face neutral as they followed behind Celestia and Luna. He heard the murmurs from the ponies and caught some of their words.

“…ther human, and four of them…”

“…going to cause trouble?…”

“…princesses thinking?…”

“…what is that gray monstrosity?”

He inwardly sighed as he followed the princesses, but shot anyone who had obviously insulted Dengal a withering glare, causing them to flinch back in fear. They could insult him all they wanted, but Dengal insulting was completely off limits.

“It really is gone…” he heard Twilight say from behind him. He turned to see her staring in disbelief at the sky. He turned back and stared at the blue sky. He then spotted a few pegasi flying around, then he saw a single watchtower nearby which was still intact.

“So, where are we going now?” Megan asked curiously as the group left the station and began walking down the streets.

“There is a safehouse I had made centuries ago in case of some sort of emergency,” Celestia explained, “and it is nowhere near the…where the castle once was.”

Gregory could hear the hurt in her voice. A part of him regretted how he had spoken to her earlier, and he resolved to keep his opinions more to himself and to focus more on the present. They continued walking until they saw a group of nobles turning a corner led by a pony who was obviously Blueblood judging by the straw blonde mane and the cravat around his neck. There were several royal guards escorting them. “Aunties!” he said in greeting as he and the others strode up.

Immediately, Gregory knew he wouldn’t like this guy. He had an air of superior arrogance about him despite the situation. Celestia, however, didn’t react other than to nod at him with a small smile. “Dear nephew, it’s good to see you safe,” she said. She then turned to the leader of the guards. “Nopony has been harmed, yes?”

“No reports of any casualties as of yet, your highness,” the guard reported.

“Princess, what are we to do about this alicorn menace?” one of the other nobles asked with what sounded like nervousness. “There has been a report of another visitation in Manehattan just recently!”

Celestia’s brows furled. “And what did she do?”

“Many of the higher up employees of several major businesses were turned to stone except for their heads,” the guard explained. “Some have even lost their voices, but at the very least they can eat.”

“Were any employees unaffected?” Luna asked.

“All nonpony employees along with a few ponies,” the guard replied. “Reports are that these ponies were varying degrees of corrupt and abusive to certain members of staff.”

Celestia bristled at that. “Let me guess,” she said darkly, “all the nonponies were the targets.”

The guard was about to speak, but Blueblood interrupted. “Auntie, what are we going to do?? This Majesty has shown that she is a clear danger to the kingdom and crown!”

“To your wealth and delusions of power, you mean,” Celestia replied, startling not only the nobleponies, but nearly everyone else in the group following her and Luna. Gregory held his surprise, but even he couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow as she continued. “I didn’t hear you mention anything about the citizens of Equestria.”

Blueblood’s jaw was just as dropped as the others of his entourage. Among the confusion, three of the nobleponies stepped away. Gregory recognized two of them as Fancy Pants and Fleur De Lis, but the third, an older looking unicorn mare with a light purple coat, silvery blue mane, and sapphire eyes, was one he didn’t recognize. The three came and joined the group. “She’s correct, you know,” Fancy Pants said, looking at Blueblood and his cronies, which ironically included Jet Set, Upper Crust and Zesty Gourmand, Gregory noted. “As nobles, it is our duty to look out for the common pony-no, to the common citizen of this kingdom,” he amended. “None of you have done that. I have tried, but it’s sadly not been enough.”

Blueblood scowled at the older unicorn, and Gregory’s threat sense began to shout at him that something was about to happen. “You would do best to know your place, Viscount,” he growled.

“Nephew, do not antagonize him,” Luna scolded.

Blueblood, however, was not listening anymore. Gregory’s hand subtly went to one his lightsabers as the unicorn took a step forward towards Fancy Pants. “You always look down on the rest of us,” he snapped angrily. “Perhaps it’s time that you learn your place.”

The moment his horn began lighting up, Gregory stepped forward, igniting one of his lightsabers. It hissed to life, the green blade glowing. “Easy, now,” he said, “nobody needs to get hurt today.”

Blueblood’s eyes widened at the humming but elegant weapon. His eyes narrowed. “It’s because of creatures like you that our nation is in peril!” he screeched before he shot off a blast of magic at him.

Gregory moved fast, bringing the blade up in the hopes that it would deflect magic. Too late did he realize that blasters in Star Wars weren’t like magic, but that didn’t matter. The blast reflected off of his lightsaber with a familiar sound, moving back and striking the prince. He flew back with a scream which was instantly cut off as he struck a nearby wall, collapsing with a groan.

“ENOUGH!” Celestia bellowed as other unicorn nobles moved to attack Gregory. She raised a protective shield between the nobles and the group. “Guards, take Prince Blueblood to be treated. As for the rest of you,” and here she turned to the nobles, “go back to your homes and stay there until further notice.” She turned back to Gregory. “Are you alright?”

He nodded and deactivated his lightsaber before putting it back on his belt. “I am,” he said before he turned back to Fancy Pants, Fleur De Lis, and the third pony. “Are you three okay?”

Fancy Pants gave him a grateful smile. “Thanks to you, yes we are. My wife and I will repay you in due course.”

“Oui, as vill I,” the third pony said in a clearly French sounding accent.

“I’m glad to see you three safe,” Celestia said, then she turned to Gregory. “Thank you for protecting them.”

“They were the only nobles who were speaking any sense,” he said. “Anyway, weren’t we heading somewhere?”

As the group resumed their journey, Megan appeared by his side, a troubled look on her face. “Gregory,” she said in a whisper, “those nobles…there was darkness there.”

“What darkness?” he asked.

“The same darkness that was surrounding the other ponies before the Rainbow touched them,” she said.

He pursed his lips in confusion. “Explanation?” he asked.

“I don’t have one,” Megan admitted. “Still, I can feel it from the town.”

“It could just be the emotions of the citizens here,” Gregory reasoned, gesturing to the empty to the southwest of their position. “They just did lose an important landmark, not to mention they’re afraid that Majesty might do something to the city as well. Don’t forget, we’re standing on a massive mountain ledge.”

“Maybe…” Megan said as she reached down to finger the Rainbow of Light around her neck, perhaps some kind of nervous habit. “I don’t remember it being like this before, though.”

Gregory reached out, hesitated, then followed through by putting a hand on her shoulder. “You think using the Rainbow here will help them?”

Megan looked over at him, studying his face for a bit, then looked back towards the city. She scanned it, her blue eyes seeming to pierce through everything she saw. “I suppose it’s worth a try,” she said.

“Is what worth a try?” Celestia asked, joining them as Megan and Gregory had stopped in the middle of the road.

“Using the Rainbow here to help the ponies,” Megan replied before explaining what she was feeling.

Celestia’s eyes widened. “I see,” she said before looking around at the city. “What if I took you to one of the watchtowers overlooking the city for a better view? Would that help?”

Megan nodded. “I think that would help, yes.”

Celestia nodded. Then, to Gregory’s astonishment, she knelt down. “Climb onto my back, Miss Megan,” she said. “I can fly you there faster.”

Megan approached, then with the expertise of someone who had practiced climbing onto a horse’s back before, she clambered up. “Ready,” she said.

As Celestia stood back up, she turned to Luna who had just come back, a look o confusion on her face. “I’m heading to the west tower with Miss Megan,” she said. “There, she will use the Rainbow of Light to cleanse some sort of darkness permeating the city.”

Luna nodded. “I will continue leading the others to the safehouse,” she replied.

“We’ll be back soon,” Celestia said, spreading her wings and launching into the air.

“God, that looks like fun,” Daniel said as he watched Megan and Celestia fly away. “We couldn’t even do that back in the day. Ponies are too small.”

“The Saddle Arabians might be better to ride on if they give permission,” Tobias noted. “Remember when we flew on the backs of those two Saddle Arabian pegasi, Gregory?”

Gregory nodded. It had been a serious mission at the time where they had teamed up temporarily with a double pegasi mercenary group named Blue Twin. True to their name, the two were actually twins, each one a dark blue. They were actually rather nice to Shadow Dawn and while he hadn’t revealed his face to them as was his policy, they had seemed to show a genuine interest in him. He hoped that they were alright. “I wonder what happened to them?” he mused aloud.

“Saddle Arabian? Really?” Daniel sounded incredulous. “What is it, a knockoff of Saudi Arabia?”

“You’ll find that a lot of location names here are Earth knockoffs,” Gregory said. “I mean, we’re in Canterot. There’s a city called Manehattan, then Vanhoover, Baltimare, Las Pegasus, Fillydelphia, Neighagra Falls, Trottingham, Griffish Isles…need I go on?”

“It’s all horse puns?” Daniel asked.

“Always has been,” Gregory said, hiding a smirk at the unbidden meme reference he and Daniel had just made. “I don’t know where it all comes from, to be honest. The naming convention in this modern world is strange.”

“You’re making me feel old,” Daniel replied, “and I’m not even thirty, yet.”

“By my calendar, I’m younger than you, but physically I’m older than Megan,” Gregory said.

“I still can’t believe you came from the year 2027,” Molly said.

“Anything about the future you can tell us?” Daniel asked with a small grin.

“Maybe later,” Gregory said dismissively. He knew the world they were from was not the same as his Earth, but he didn’t want to influence things negatively. On the other hand, it wasn’t his Earth, and its future hadn’t happened yet.

At that moment, the world seemed to be bathed in a rainbow light. Everyone in the procession stopped, turning back towards the west to see the brilliant rainbow light as it washed over them. Everyone else around them seemed to bathe in it, but Gregory only looked at his hands as they turned from red, to orange, to yellow, and all the way down the color spectrum in a matter of moments, then repeat the process. It was definitely a fascinating look. He wondered if his lack of magic had something to do with it.

Even so, after a few seconds, the light stopped, and even Gregory could feel a certain change in the air. It felt lighter. He looked around. Ponies in the streets were looking at each other with confusion. A few looked their way, and when one of the adults raised a hoof in uncertain greeting, Gregory responded in kind with a nod. The uncertainty turned into a small smile before they, too, nodded, before heading on their way.

“Did that pony just greet us?” Dengal asked with confusion as they resumed their walk.

“Yes, they did,” Gregory said, just as confused as she sounded.

He paid closer attention to the ponies that they passed. Along with the normal bows of reverence to Princess Luna, he spotted several nervous waves of greeting. Tobias, Daniel and Molly were, of course, waving back with warm smiles. Gregory did wave politely back, as did a still confused Dengal. There were even some waves directed at the former Elements of Harmony, who had not said a single word since leaving the train station.

Sunset joined him and Dengal after they took a turn down a larger street. “What exactly did that Rainbow of Light do?” she asked, looking up at Gregory.

“It’s a powerful talisman from Erda’s ancient past,” Gregory mused, “so I don’t know what it could have done. The mood of everyone here seems to have shifted.”

Sunset scanned the crowd, then closed her eyes. Gregory had to remind himself that Sunset was an empath, and like Counselor Troi from Star Trek: The Next Generation, she was able to detect emotions, albeit slightly. When she opened her eyes, they were full of more confusion than before. “There’s still a great deal of sorrow here, but there’s also a little bit of guilt.”

Nearby, a group of fillies and colts ran down the street, laughing and shouting at each other with grins on their faces. As one earth pony filly passed by a cart, she tripped and tumbled into a wall. As he watched, the cart’s unicorn owner, a unicorn stallion who appeared well dressed, turned away from helping a customer and rushed over to the filly. The customer even dropped what she was getting and rushed over as well.

“I’ve never seen that happening before, either,” Sunset observed.

“Is it really that bad here?” Twilight asked. “I admit I was…sheltered here.”

Sunset, instead of her normal snarky attitude, nodded gravely. “It wasn’t always like this,” she began, “but Canterlot as it is now is a breeding house for elitism.”

“A wretched hive of scum and villainy?” Daniel asked with a hint of amusement.

“No,” Gregory corrected, “this place isn’t like Mos Eisley. This place is more like-oh, wait, you wouldn’t know that. You’re more than likely to receive honeyed words here while those same people saying those words only look for how you can benefit them.”

“So…Congress?” Molly asked.

Gregory snorted. “Sure, let’s go with that. This is the capital city of Equestria, after all. Call it…a deceptive hive of greed and corruption. At least, it was.” He turned to see Celestia returning with Megan on her back again. “With whatever your sister did with the rainbow, that might be about to change.”

“I don’t know why,” Celestia was saying after they reached the safe house some time later, “but having you ride on my back felt natural. It also really helped my back feel better. The kink that’s been forming in it these past couple of months is gone.”

“Why didn’t you get that checked out by the castle physician?” Sunset asked with a hint of concern in her voice. Twilight and Luna both echoed that sentiment silently.

Celestia gave a rueful smile. “I didn’t have the time.”

“Now I know where Twilight got part of her ‘Twilighting’ problem,” Gregory said as he sat down at one of the couches in the safe house.

The safe house itself was actually an underground bunker dug into the cliffside. It was also large enough to accommodate a large number of ponies, from what Gregory had seen. They had entered a massive metal vault door that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a nuclear bunker. It made Gregory think a bit about the Fallout: Equestria fanfiction. Currently, everyone was in a large sitting room with several chairs and couches around a fireplace. The place was carpeted and decorated with portraits of various ponies. There was a chandelier hanging from the ceiling which illuminated the room since there were no windows. It had taken them a few minutes of walking through a stone hallway to get to this room.

Twilight looked embarrassed by being called out. “Please tell me that ‘Twilighting’ isn’t a popular phrase in your world,” she pleaded.

“Oooh, that would be delicious,” Chrysalis said as she clapped her hooves, having dropped her disguise.

“You’d better behave, my sexy little nymph,” Gregory said, grinning at Chrysalis, “or perhaps you’d like some personal punishment?”

Dengal snorted at that as Chrysalis gritted her teeth in obvious embarrassment. “Oh, sh-shut up,” she stammered.

He exchanged a look with Tobias, and they both grinned. “Tsundere,” they both said simultaneously.

“I give up,” Chrysalis sighed as she slumped into a chair.

“But to answer your question, Twilight, the term ‘Twilighting’ is only really known among bronies and pegasisters,” he said as Dengal and Tobias joined him, sitting on either side of him. “

Twilight made a facepalming motion at that, and Rainbow Dash actually snorted. “Hah, a bunch of humans know about that.”

“They also know about a few of your faults, Crash,” Gregory retorted.

“Well, shit,” Rainbow said, ears flattened. It felt odd to hear any of them swearing, but if any of them would, it would be Rainbow. And perhaps Applejack if she was alone.

“Can we all please focus on the matter at hoof?” Celestia said as she sat in a larger chair, one specifically made for her. Luna took a seat next to her. “Majesty is still out there, and we still don’t know where yet.”

“But we know where she most likely will show up,” Twilight explained. “Her M.O. seems to be against crimes that ponies have taken, mostly against nonponies.”

“That might not be the case for everything,” Megan pointed out.

“What do you mean?” Celestia asked.

“Think about it,” Megan said. “We just heard about Majesty taking some action to punish ponies in corporate power. Sure, some of them were guilty of harassment of nonponies, but surely there was more there.” She took in a deep breath. “I actually met a couple of ponies who she punished back in Ponyland. They told me that while Majesty’s punishments were severe and ironic, they actually learned from said punishments and turned over a new leaf. Still, something was always left behind as a permanent reminder. Majesty’s M.O., as I understand it now, is to punish those who she deems as guilty, and so far they all seem to be guilty of some real crime. Then, she casts her magic on them to enact said punishment, but she…how to explain…it’s not like installing something…” She trailed off, trying to think.

“She implanted a condition into the punishment that would free the victim or restore some aspects of their former life to them?” Gregory suggested.

Megan snapped and pointed at him with a vigorous nod. “If those being punished truly want to turn over a new leaf, then the magic activates and rewards them.”

“Mayor Mare’s regaining of her earth pony magic while remaining a human…” Luna gasped.

“And the stratadon who couldn’t speak transforming into a human who could speak,” Gregory reminded them.

“Are you saying that if these ponies who have been punished can return to being ponies if they make an effort to be better and change?” Celestia asked.

“If that were the case, wouldn’t this Mayor Mare turn back into an earth pony?” Megan asked. She shook her head. “The two ponies who I spoke to had a permanent punishment in place to remind them of their crimes. If her M.O. hasn’t changed, and I’ve seen no indication that it has, then this Mayor Mare may remain as a human, but with her earth pony magic. Humans have no magic whatsoever.”

“In a way, that actually makes sense,” Gregory admitted, and it did. “She may have her magic back, but every time she looks into a mirror, she will be reminded of what she did.” He looked up at Celestia and Luna. “Ponies do seem to be a forgetful species, after all. You forgot about Majesty, Megan, Daniel, and Molly here. And more recently, you two forgot about Jason Wright. And the former Elements here forgot their lesson with Zecora. Having some permanent reminders makes some sense, if you think about it.”

Celestia let out a heavy sigh. “I don’t dispute that,” she admitted. “Still, I have a duty to protect my little ponies, and to punish them for any of their crimes. Majesty is overstepping her bounds.”

“With all due respect,” Gregory said, “she’s an alicorn. The moment that Twilight here was forcefully ascended, you called her a princess. Does that mean all alicorns automatically become princesses?”

Celestia’s eyes widened slightly. “That is…an unfortunate ancient law,” she said.

“One that must be changed posthaste,” Luna said. “Only those worthy of the crown should wield the power.”

“Then you might have a problem,” Sunset said.

“How so, Sunset?” Celestia asked.

With a grave expression, Sunset began her explanation. “This True Harmonist movement is more widespread than you think,” she said. “I’ve traveled all over Equestria and outside, and this movement is popping up in other nations. Gryphonstone even has a chapter which has begun to rebuild the dilapidated city.”

“Dilapidated?” Twilight asked in shock.

Sunset nodded. “Their society is in ruins since their Idol was stolen and then lost centuries ago. They don’t even have an emperor.”

“I…had no idea,” Twilight said hoarsely.

“Neither did I,” Celestia said somberly. “The only gryphons I’ve met are from the Griffish Isles, one of our vassal states.”

That would explain that French gryphon baker guy from that one Sherlock Holmes knockoff episode, Gregory thought.

“Still, True Harmonists in other nations aren’t exactly big fans of many older and more conservative ponies right now,” Sunset continued. “They are aware that this is a younger pony movement, but the movements popping up in other countries consist of creatures of all ages.”

“What does this have to do with the worthiness of the crown?” Luna asked.

“I think I see,” Celestia said. “The younger generation will see me and possibly Luna as unworthy of our titles because of our complacency.”

“Indeed,” Sunset nodded. “The True Harmonists aren’t your only problems, though. If the nobility’s hostility earlier is any indication, they could be a more immediate threat. They may even call for your abdication.”

“You may be right about that, too,” Celestia acknowledged. “This movement could very well be the trigger that releases the arrows.”

“But…you’re the princess, right?” Rainbow asked. “Isn’t your authority absolute?”

“That would be a tyranny,” Twilight explained, “and that’s not what the government system in Equestria is about.”

“There are checks and balances, aren’t there?” Gregory asked. “Like the Equestrian Education Association.”

Celestia nodded. “Even my school has to follow by its guidelines,” she said, “but that’s only a small example. The law is the ultimate check to my power. I can’t break them.”

“Oh,” Rainbow said, sinking back into her own seat and closing her mouth.

“Before we continue, though,” Luna said, “Miss Megan, perchance you can tell us what it is that you did when you and my sister temporarily departed from our group? The city felt different after you used the Rainbow of Light.”

“There was a slight darkness around the city,” she explained, “and the instincts I’ve gained from the Rainbow of Light were all but screaming at me to cleanse this darkness. So I did. I can’t tell you more than that, I’m afraid.”

“The city did feel lighter after that light touched us,” Fluttershy muttered.

“Did you see anything else aside from the light?” Twilight asked curiously.

“Wisps of a dark cloud being evaporated into nothing,” Daniel said. When everyone looked at him, he shrugged. “I’ve used it, too. I can see what it does.”

“So those who use it get special sight?” Twilight was muttering now, and Gregory could tell she was in full studious mode.

“More like enhanced senses,” Daniel said. “Even now, I can feel them returning to me.”

“Same here,” Molly added.

“You have magic of some kind?” Gregory asked.

“You could call it something like that, sure,” Megan said, “although why you don’t seem to have any is a mystery to me.”

“Probably because I didn’t come from your Earth,” Gregory said, “and because the Rainbow doesn’t react to me or seem to affect me.”

Megan frowned at this. “That’s troubling,” she said.

“We’re getting off track here,” he said. “The matter at hand now is how you are to approach not only Majesty, but approaching the True Harmonists.”

“Us?” Celestia asked. “Are you planning on leaving?”

Gregory waved a hand. “I’m just a merc, so I don’t know too much about politics, or really care. All I care about is getting paid to do a job and do it to the best of my ability. I did my job in bringing you three people who have a better chance of stopping Majesty than I do. They have the Rainbow of Light and they know Majesty personally. They have a bigger chance of talking her down from her crusade. Still, if you want the opinion of a simple merc, then lay down the law on those she’s likely to target for punishment. She may even target the nobility, especially after what happened today.”

Celestia’s eyes widened in alarm. “You’re right…you’re right!” Swiftly she stood and walked to the door. Opening it, she spoke to the two guards who were positioned outside. “Guards, send a detachment of our finest to guard the nobles at once,” she said in a calm and even voice. “They may very well be in danger.”

“Yes, your highness,” the two said as one of them galloped away to relay the orders.

“Now then,” Celestia said as she returned to her seat, “why don’t we all discuss ideas?” She raised an anti-scrying shield, as did Luna, then Twilight and Sunset. “Who’s first?”

“That damned human,” Blueblood snarled as he was tended to by one of his maids in his mansion, “when I get my hooves on him, I’ll-URK! Be careful!” he shouted as the nurse put a damp rag against one of the wounds his collision with the wall had caused.

“Sorry, my prince,” the earth pony maid said in earnest apology, “but I need to sterilize the wound or it may get infected.”

“Then be careful!” he repeated before turning away and glaring at nothing. He had never felt so humiliated in his life. He had no idea what kind of weapon that human was wielding, but he would find a way to make him pay.

He hissed in pain again, and this time his maid wasn’t spared his wrath. He launched out with his back legs, catching her in the barrel and sending her sprawling. “I told you to be careful!” he bellowed angrily as he approached, looming over the now trembling maid. He glared down at her, then stepped back. “Fetch somepony else to do it!”

“Y-Yes, my prince!” she said, standing and running out of the room.

Blueblood scoffed at the useless and nameless maid as he carefully lay on his stomach. He glared ahead, but his thoughts were elsewhere. He replayed the events in his mind over and over again, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t recall of any magical weapon like that glowing green sword the human wielded. His talent did regard magic, after all, and his aunt had made him learn all about ancient magical relics, but nothing like that sword was in any of those old dusty books.

As he was thinking, the door behind him opened silently. Blueblood scoffed at this. Whoever it was hadn’t even bothered to announce their presence. Likely one of the new hires, he reasoned. “Good, you’re here,” he said as he gestured to the largest injury. “You can start here, and be careful with it. The last maid was too rough.”

“I must admit, I’ve never been propositioned quite like that before,” a silky smooth voice said from behind him. “Sadly, though, you’re really not my type. Mine are more…unconventional than most.”

Blueblood, completely confused, turned. And froze when he saw who was standing there. His eyes widened in fear. “You…” he gasped in terror as he tried to back away.

Majesty stood there in all of her glory, smiling tenderly down at Blueblood. “Do calm yourself, young princeling,” she said as she raised her horn. “Those injuries look painful. Let me.” Her horn blazed, and Blueblood felt his pain vanishing in an instant. “There, does that feel better?”

Blueblood stood and looked over himself in astonishment. “You…healed me…but why?”

“Why not?” Majesty asked back.

Blueblood looked at the enigmatic pony with confusion. “I don’t understand,” he said. “You destroyed Canterlot Castle, but then you come to heal me?”

Majesty laughed, and Blueblood was instantly reminded of happier times, back when he was a foal. The laughter was similar to his aunt’s own. Full of warmth and happiness. Although, as Blueblood listened, he detected a hint of sorrow in said laugh. “No matter who it is, I never turn away from healing the injured,” she explained, “even if they are the vilest of the vile.”

“I…see?” Blueblood was even more confused. He wondered if she would even have healed Tirek or Chrysalis if she had encountered them. “I still don’t understand.”

“That is because decent kindness is no longer inside you,” Majesty said, her warm smile fading slowly as she shook her head in sadness. “You were raised to cherish these Tenets of Harmony that this kingdom holds dear, but avarice has taken a hold of your heart.”

Blueblood’s fear returned, but when he tried to move, he found that he couldn’t. “What…is happening…?” he said with strain in his voice.

“Unfortunately, you have been judged and found wanting,” Majesty said sadly. Her horn lit up, and she began to chant.

“You, who once treated others like dirt,
“your station, you have not earned.
“You’ve caused many to feel helpless and hurt,
“so perhaps as a foal you will learn.”

Blueblood felt his body twist and turn, and he screamed, not in agony, because he wasn’t in pain, but in terror. He heard his screams become higher pitched as the room began to grow larger. Soon, he heard the wailing of an infant. With horror, he realized that it was him.

Majesty walked slowly out of the room after lifting the now infant foal prince onto the bed and swaddling him so he didn’t harm himself. She walked past a number of maids who were rushing towards the sound of the infant crying, completely ignoring Majesty in their excitement. She walked completely out of the house and onto the street, closing her eyes as she heard the sound of many other ‘newborn’ foals. The punishment for these nobles she had a difficult time deciding, but from the new determination she had seen from Celestia, she felt that perhaps there was some slight bit of hope from the younger alicorn after all. Which was why she had decided to give the nobles a chance. However, if they continued on the path they were going down, their bodies would never age and they would become dependent on others.

There were some nobles, of course, who she had high hopes for, and she had spared them this fate. She closed her eyes and vanished.

34: The First

Discord sat in his living room, which now was emulating an IMAX theater from Gregory’s Earth. He was lounging in said theater while eating popcorn. Currently, he was watching as Celestia led a planning session in the Canterlot safe house. He had been rather surprised at the direction that events had taken and had to admit that he’d been surprised at how Gregory had acted in bringing the ancient pony heroes back. It also surprised him that the Rainbow of Light enforced the change of the changeling queen and one of her children. Events were unfolding in an interesting way, and he was here for it.

As the scene unfolded in front of him, he felt a warm presence beside him. He turned to his left to see a glowing column of light appearing. “Oh, what now?” Discord asked as he paused the movie on the screen. “I’m just watching them, surely that’s not a crime!”

“I merely came to see you,” the neutral voice said before the column shifted until it became an old human wizard with gray robes, a wizard’s hat, and a wooden staff. “I have been busy, shall we say,” ‘Gandalf’ added as he sat down next to Discord and looked at the paused screen.

Discord snorted and offered ‘Gandalf’ some popcorn, which the entity accepted. “Have you come to see how your predecessor has been faring?”

‘Gandalf’ chuckled with genuine mirth. “You do not know how apt your description is,” he said.

“I actually think I do,” Discord said as he picked up the remote and hit the REWIND button. The screen shifted to focus on the physical Tree of Harmony. The sound of a VCR rewinding could be heard and both the chaotic being and the wizard watched as the tree sat there, not moving from its spot in the cave beneath the Castle of the Two Sisters.

“I did not expect that you would use that magic that I gave you to create that device,” ‘Gandalf’ said, gesturing to the remote.

“I’m the Lord of Chaos,” Discord reminded ‘Gandalf’, “so you should always expect the unexpected.”

‘Gandalf’ chuckled, then brought out a large pipe from his robes, put the end in his mouth, lit up the pipe, and began puffing out smoke rings, filling the room with the scent of what Discord could only figure was pipeweed. He wondered if ‘Gandalf’ had gone to Middle-Earth to grab some of the genuine article, or if he’d just emulated it. Discord wondered briefly how Eru, the Ainur, or the Valar would have reacted to the presence of ‘Gandalf’ if he had showed up. “I suspect that even I will be learning new things in the coming days or weeks,” the wizard said.

Soon, the tree on the screen began to shrink, branches retreating as if they were seeing it grow in reverse. Eventually, Discord hit the PAUSE button, only to reveal seven ponies standing in the cave. A wizard stood in the middle of the group, holding up something in his hooves. Discord hit the ZOOM IN button, and the image of what was in the pony wizard’s hoof became clear.

In his hoof, the wizard held a small sliver of bright red metal. Discord hit PLAY.

Star Swirl began to move. “This seed,” he began, “will one day bear the fruit that will protect our lands from all who would dare cause trouble for the ponies who live here.” He placed it in the ground and cast magic towards it. The earth around it piled up until it was buried deep. He then backed away, smiling at his companions. “Now we know that Equestria’s future is secure. It is time we go on our next endeavor.”

“Where are we going?” Stygian asked.

“Far east,” Star Swirl explained as they began leaving the cave. “We must investigate a worrying case of…” the voices became indistinct as they left. The image zoomed in closer onto the pile of dirt. Discord and ‘Gandalf’ watched the dirt intently, only for a small glowing crystal to shoot out of the ground.

Discord hit PAUSE again, then turned back to ‘Gandalf’ with a grin. “You weren’t supposed to gain a consciousness, were you?”

‘Gandalf’ shook his head. “I awoke mere moments before I approached the former Elements of Harmony that day two years ago,” he explained. “Before that, I was a force of nature, as it were.”

Discord chuckled wryly. “You’re becoming more like me,” he said.

“I will take that as a compliment,” ‘Gandalf’ said as he began to transform again. His gray robes became a long white gown, his gray locks became a golden hued head of hair, his ears became pointed.

“Is there a reason for the Lord of the Rings motif today?” Discord asked as he now looked at ‘Galadriel’.

The now lovely elven girl giggled. “Can you blame me after you showed me the way to access those other universes? I was simply curious.”

Discord snorted in amusement. “For all your long years, you’re as excited as a child at Hearth’s Warming and Christmas,” he said.

‘Galadriel’ sat down next to Discord. “What worlds can you show me next?” she asked.

Discord laughed, then hit a button on the remote. “I found a universe with an asshole beer can and his human best friend as they fight against the rest of the galaxy to keep humanity safe,” he said. “Let’s watch the Merry Band of Pirates, shall we?”

Twilight stood at the edge of the new cliff which had once been the castle. Down below, she saw the ruins of the fallen structure along with a number of guardsponies searching through the wreckage. It was all gone, including her own old room and the books and memories held within.

A shadow briefly fell over her and she felt the brief rush of wind from the flying creature passing by over her. Looking up, she saw Gwaihir flying around the city, Gregory sitting on his back. The Great Eagle had arrived a day after the meeting in the bunker along with six others, three of each sex. He had asked that Gregory himself name the other six, and as such they were named Thorondor (who was Gwaihir’s father), Meneldor (a close friend of Gwaihir), Landroval (who was Gwaihir’s brother), Melian (who was the wife of Thorondor), Tinúviel ( who was the wife of Meneldor), and Celebrindal (who was the wife of Landroval). Gregory explained that the three names given to the eagle males were names of eagles from the same story, and the names given to the females were elf women from that story.

The Great Eagle circled overhead, then began to descend behind where she stood. Twilight looked away, careful to block the sudden dust that came up from the eagle’s massive wingspan. The ground shook slightly as the eagle landed. She looked away, watching below as the ponies continued searching. She heard the eagle walking up to stand beside her. She heard someone jumping off and landing deftly on two feet. Footsteps approached her, and still she didn’t turn to face who she knew was coming. Mostly out of lingering shame from what the Rainbow of Light had shown her and had made her feel.

The experience from the Rainbow’s light touching her that first time was not one that she wanted to feel again. For her, it had shown her the consequences of her negligence in regards not only to Jason Wright, but for Spike as well. She felt what they felt, experienced many of their darkest moments when it directly related to her actions. It also seemed to banish something that was always deep inside her. She now knew more completely the fullness of her failures. If her experience was anything to go by, she couldn’t imagine what it must have been like for Celestia or Luna.

“Quite a sight,” Gregory’s voice broke through her reverie. His voice was calm and collected. She looked up and saw that he was looking down gravely at the destruction below, his arms behind his back, mask in hand. “I would have loved to see it in its prime,” he added as he leaned back and looked up at the sky, “but that probably wouldn’t have happened.”

Twilight looked away in shame. “It…It was a beautiful castle,” she muttered.

“From what little I saw of it here and in the show, I can only imagine,” Gregory said, “although placing it on the edge of a cliff always struck me as dangerous. Even on the side of a mountain seemed like a strange choice.”

“The princess needed a higher vantage point to raise the sun,” Twilight explained, unsure why she was defending Celestia’s own decisions even now. Her blind faith in her former mentor had all but shattered when she realized that it was that faith that had led her to take foolish actions because she wanted to please her teacher.

“She has wings, doesn’t she?” Gregory asked curiously. “Why not fly up each morning to some vantage point with some pegasi guards? Having Canterlot so high up could send the wrong message. Like they’re looking down at the ponies below, and not in a good way. I’m not saying that’s what the princesses intended, but it certainly worked for the former nobles, and now Majesty seems to have made them pay for their hubris.”

Twilight nodded slowly. Majesty had struck on the same day where she and the others had arrived in Canterlot, turning almost all of the nobles into perpetual foals, unable to talk or even control certain aspects of themselves. Many former nobles had looks of humiliation on their faces as they were forced to wear diapers. They were now being taken care of by the few nobles who had not been changed along with a large number of local ponies. “Are you sympathizing with her?” Twilight asked.

“I am attempting to understand her,” Gregory said. “Power may be power, but knowledge is also power. The more we know, the better prepared we can be. Majesty hasn’t acted for three days, but all of the reports we’re receiving indicate that more people are joining the True Harmonist movement.”

Twilight knew this, of course. Celestia and Luna had begun to work tirelessly to ensure that ancient and outdated laws were revoked, which was now much easier now that the corrupt nobles who would have been able to oppose their choices were unable to do so. In fact, the princesses were preparing for a countrywide announcement that would go to all of Equestria, along with a message to Majesty. “Do you think what the princesses are doing will be enough to make Majesty stop?” Twilight asked curiously.

“The Williams siblings seem to think so,” Gregory said, “but I’m more inclined to think that she’ll only slow down, not stop. Best case scenario, she stops temporarily to see if the princesses follow through. If she isn’t satisfied, she’ll go right back to it. Ponies are already leaving Equestria, heading into the former Badlands.”

Twilight nodded somberly. Sanctuary had been located only a day ago, located on the shores of a new massive lake in the former Badlands. The report had come from a large group of disguised changelings who had fled from their former hive. To Twilight’s shock, the changelings she had seen were not the pockmarked black chitin covered equines she was used to. They had apparently undergone the same transformation that had occurred to Chrysalis and Thorax. Much of their hostility was gone, but there was still some tension between changelings and ponies.

To the surprise of many, however, the changelings seemed to strike up a fast good relationship with the Great Eagles. The plains beneath Canterlot were open and bare and it was where the changeling refugees now lived, at least until they could find a good time to head to Panthera.

Majesty had put her magic to good use, as a massive magical shield now surrounded the former desert. Nopony could enter or leave, apparently unless Majesty wished it. Long range spyglass viewing showed that the apparently multispecies city within were happy but hardworking as they begun to create and expand on the farmlands that had magically appeared there. Not only that, but many nonponies from Equestria had begun moving there, as well as many younger ponies. Everycreature there worked together in peace and harmony, at least from what the scouts reported.

“At any rate,” Gregory interrupted her thoughts, “she’s apparently too busy being Rimuru Tempest to do anything to us. This is probably a brief respite for you, nothing more.”

A flash of frustration boiled up in Twilight, only for it to dissipate as quickly as it appeared. He had no true stake in this fight, she knew, and she couldn’t blame him for that. As a mercenary, he and his party did jobs for money, and from what little she knew about him, mercenary work had been the only type of employment he had been able to find. She doubted anypony would have employed him, or if they had, he would have been criminally underpaid. “I guess that’s possible,” Twilight admitted.

Gregory turned his head to her, then his full body. “Fly with me,” he instructed her.

She raised both eyebrows in confusion. “Fly? Where?”

“You’ll see,” he said as he turned back to Gwaihir, who lowered himself to allow Gregory to climb onto his back. He then turned back to Twilight. “Climb on.”

Confused, Twilight spread her own wings. “I can fly.”

“Not as fast as Gwaihir,” Gregory said, holding out a hand. “Come on.”

Deciding to listen to Gregory, the former princess approached and extended a hoof. Gregory’s hands wrapped around it and with a strong pull, she found herself sitting behind Gregory, who had placed his mask over his face. Gwaihir turned his head back, a smile on his beak. “You may want to hold onto something,” he said.

Twilight’s natural response was to wrap her forelegs around Gregory’s waist. Before she could do anything else, the eagle shot into the air with seemingly impossible grace. She yelped in alarm, tightening her grip around Gregory while at the same time burying her face into his back. If he was uncomfortable, he didn’t mention it, likely because he was clinging to the eagle’s majestic plumage. He was also shouting in what sounded like excitement, which contrasted with Twilight’s odd fear. Her brain knew that she was safe from being hurt from a fall since she could fly, but her emotions seemed to tell her otherwise. It seemed that even now, a small portion of her thought like a unicorn.

She slowly opened her eyes and pulled back, although she didn’t loosen her grip on Gregory. And her eyes widened. Whenever she flew, she was always too concentrated on the flying aspect and not on the view. They were higher up than she’d been before, her new pegasi nature keeping her warm despite that. She looked at Gregory, suddenly noting that he wasn’t a pegasi or alicorn, and as such wasn’t immune to cold or the somewhat thinner air like she was. However, he didn’t seem to be bothered. Instead, the mask he wore seemed to be now making a breathing noise.

The eagle began slowly flying in a lazy circle, leaning slightly to the right. Twilight looked down and saw the mountain below, along with Canterlot, the valley below, the former town of Ponyville, and even some other smaller towns in that same valley. The train tracks looked like foal’s toys from this height. Despite the current situation, she was struck by how beautiful nature was around her. Equestria, for all its faults, was a physically beautiful place.

It was just a shame that its citizens ruined that beauty.

She sighed and leaned back against Gregory’s back without even thinking, watching as the mountain on which Canterlot sat grew as Gwaihir flew slowly downwards. Minutes passed, and finally they were reaching the ground near where the castle ruins now lay. When they landed, Gregory reached up and removed his mask with an audible hissing noise. Turning back, he had a somewhat amused tone as he said, “I get that I’m a comfortable pillow, but we’re down.”

Twilight immediately released him, flying up herself and landing on the grass below. “I-I’m so sorry!” She felt flustered by her familiarity with him.

Gregory waved a dismissive hand as he deftly leapt down, landing on his feet with a knee bend. He winced slightly. “God, I’m getting old,” he muttered before he placed the mask on his belt and looked behind them. “No matter how many times I’ve been here, it’s always a sad sight.”

Twilight knew what she was about to see if she turned, but she was frozen to the ground, unwilling to look. She had seen it from above, and that had been painful enough, but seeing it like this, from this close? It would be too much.

Gregory, however, didn’t seem to notice this as he approached her, then gently put a hand on her withers, leading her to turn around. She did so reluctantly, not resisting but not letting him do it easily either. Her purple eyes took in the massive pile of alabaster whitewashed stone, the purple shingles, and the gold plated towers, all smashed to rubble. Slowly, she walked up to it, ignoring the man walking beside her or the recovery crews who were going through the wreckage for anything salvageable.

She approached a large collection of objects that had been salvaged. All were standing on large pieces of plywood, but one particular pile caught her attention: a large assortment of books. She ignored the guard standing at attention nearby as she walked up to them. Noting absently that they were not organized in any fashion, not even the Dew Drop Decimal Classification, she began to organize them. Books were lifted up and placed with reverence on the ground in order of author. Within that, she organized by title and furthermore by series. She let her mind fall back into her organizational skills which she had honed over years of careful experimentation and experience.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw Gregory walk past her and pick up two books out of seemingly nowhere. She was initially irritated that somepony had interrupted her organization, but that irritation was quickly replaced by curiosity when she saw what he had picked up. One was called The Myth Of Man, a thin book she had only really skimmed, having not put any credence to the former mythos of humanity. However, it was the second book that caught her attention more. “Predictions and Prophecies…” she muttered as Gregory opened it.

“‘Elements of Harmony’…” Gregory said with a bemused expression on his face, “See ‘Mare in the Moon’, huh? So that part wasn’t fabricated.” He quickly turned the book forward. “And here we are,” he said, putting the book down on a nearby scuffed up table.

Twilight walked up and looked at the now familiar words of the article. The Mare in the Moon, myth from olden pony times. A powerful mare who wanted to rule Equestria. Defeated by the Elements of Harmony and imprisoned in the Moon. Legend has it that on the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape, and she will bring about nighttime eternal. She touched the book almost reverently. These words had started her journey on the road to discovering all of the elements and finding some of her best friends.

“I feel bad for Luna,” Gregory said, interrupting her thoughts. “Being relegated to nothing more than a footnote in history when Celestia should have really done more to honor her memory than just making a holiday to mock her.” Twilight bristled a bit, but then calmed herself. She thought back to Nightmare Night, going over the traditions, and realized that Gregory was right. “Furthermore,” he continued, “I’ve observed that even now, Luna is slightly relegated to the background. Not as much now, but it certainly seems to be similar to how it was in the show. Oh, it’s certainly not as bad, but Luna’s throne over there is still smaller than Celestia’s whereas in the Castle of the Two Sisters their thrones were equally sized.”

Twilight looked over at where Gregory was pointing. Sure enough, the former thrones of the princesses sat, half destroyed, on another piece of plywood. The ruins of Celestia’s throne were noticeably larger than Luna’s throne. Both thrones were perfectly split down the middle vertically and horizontally. She put the book down then walked up to the throne slowly. She observed the thrones carefully, and despite the dust and debris that littered each, she could see that they were exquisitely made. Luna’s was definitely newer, but at first glance was equally as well made as Celestia’s older throne.

She slowly turned to Gregory. “Why are we down here?” she asked. “Did you want me to see something?”

“I’ve noticed that you’ve avoided coming down here,” he replied calmly, hands behind his back. “Even your former friends came down here once according to the guards here and their own personal accounts. Celestia and Luna did as well, and so did your parents. You strike me as the type who avoids anything that troubles you unless there’s no other choice. That’s going to be a problem for you in the future, especially since you’re an immortal alicorn. Avoiding the issues in front of you is what led to this. You avoided facing prejudices. You avoided Jason Wright. You avoided your own failures. Frankly, I was getting sick and tired of seeing you mope around, so I decided to give you a nudge.”

Twilight flinched at the words. She didn’t avoid her troubles, did she? Surely he was wrong. He had to be. He just had to be.

It hit her like a ton of bricks. She did exactly that. She was the kind to deny her troubles and to avoid everything and everypony. That’s what she’d been doing for the past year in Maretime Bay, after all. Sure, she had faced some troubles of her own lately, but like he said, that was because there was no choice in the matter.

She stood up straighter, wings spread out behind her with determination. No more, she determined. No more! “No more,” she muttered. She leapt into the air and flew back up to Canterlot, leaving Gregory to watch her fly. She might not be a princess now or ever again, but she could still offer the world something because of what she was.

“Equestria is the land of opportunity! Of freedom! Of harmony! And yet, as a pony, I have seen very little opportunity given to our non-pony brethren! No freedom given to them! And none of the tenets of harmony extended to them!”

The earth pony speaker, a young stallion with pale orange fur, teal and pink mane and tail, and a set of gears for a cutie mark, stood at the podium in the small eastern coastal town of Gray Harbor. His name was Gear Turner, and he was the local timekeeper, a job that meant he had to make sure the town’s main clock was in sync with other clocks around the country. He was twenty three years old, incredibly intelligent, and a very kindhearted. But those who knew him well also knew him to be one who stood by his principles.

Gear surveyed the crowd, his piercing red eyes full of determination as he spoke to the gathered crowd. True Harmonists or not, they needed to hear this. He took in a deep breath before continuing in a calmer tone. “Honesty, Loyalty, Generosity, Kindness, Laughter, and the Magic of Friendship. These are the very tenets by which we are supposed to live, and yet us ponies cannot extend it to others? Why is this? What makes us better than other races? Is it our closer connection to magic? I need not remind you all that centaurs have access to magic as well. Is it our ability to control the weather? Again, gryphons can control their weather as well!” He took a breath and spoke louder to be heard by the crowd. “The many races of Erda are all equal! We are like everyone else! We hunger! We thirst! We work to provide for ourselves and our families! We sleep! We love! We feel! Our physical differences are not important! It’s what’s inside that really matters!”

“Lies!” an older sounding voice called from the crowd. Gear turned to look at the older unicorn stallion who approached. Beside him was an equally as old mare. Gear knew these two. They were both great great grandfoals of the town’s founders. Silver Bolt and Amber Song. They were both married and had a few foals of their own, and they could trace their lineage back to two of the five founding families of the town. Silver stepped forward, brushing his wing through his slicked back white mane. “We are special! We have abilities that other races can only dream of!”

“Like flying?” Gear asked calmly. “Dragons can fly. Hippogriffs can fly. Gryphons can fly. Is it our farming skills? Panthera has surpassed us in many farming techniques. Magic? Kirins can perform spells our unicorns can only dream of. So tell me how we are better?”

Amber scoffed. “We live in peace and harmony with the world, other species do not!”

“I fail to see why living differently makes any one species worthy of scorn,” Gear said calmly, noting that the couple seemed to be growing more irate with each argument. “I have met many members of different races who have passed through our town and I have made the effort to get to know them. Their cultures are so fascinating and we can learn from them.”

“Learn from monsters who only want to eat ponies?!” Silver bellowed. To Gear’s dismay, many older ponies nodded in agreement, including Gear’s own mother.

“Every race will have its bad eggs,” Gear said, “but to judge all of them based on a few negative experiences? That is the epitome of foolishness.”

“You want to see our very way of life destroyed!” Amber shouted.

“The way of life that caused the undeserved exploitation of non-pony species who came to Equestria to find a better life for themselves?” Gear asked. “The way of life that has caused hate crimes? The way of life that caused the world’s only human to commit suicide? If that is what you mean, then I will gladly fight for that sort of change so that Equestria can grow.”

“You mean be given to the dogs!” another older pony, this one a unicorn stallion, shouted.

“We have lived in stagnation for too long!” a younger mare, this one Gear’s marefriend Aura Hex, shouted above the ever increasing disgruntled opposition to the True Harmonists. Gear could see it moments too late. Lines were being drawn.

“Fillies and gentlecolts, please!” he pleaded, “let’s not let this get to blows!”

It was too late. The first stone throw came from the older pony side, striking a random younger stallion, who couldn’t be more than sixteen, directly on his horn. He screamed in pain and fell, holding his horn in agony. More rocks began to be thrown, much to Gear’s horror. He had no idea how things had come to a head so quickly. He begged and pleaded with his comrades in arms not to fight or hurt their fellow creatures, but he noticed that one of the ponies, Silver, had a small shortsword in his wings and was running towards a small family of zebras.

He didn’t even stop to think. He leaped from the podium, using his earth pony strength to vault him over the crowd. Time slowed for him. He could see the glint of the sword as it was being raised above Silver’s head. He saw the fear on the mother’s face and the two zebra foals. He saw the determination on the father’s face as he moved to protect his family.

And he felt the searing pain in his chest as he landed directly on the point of the sword. The world moved fast around them again as he and Silver tumbled onto the ground until both came to a stop. Gear looked around, feeling himself getting weaker as he lay on his side, blood seeping from the wound. He coughed up copious amounts of it as he heard the distant screams of his mother and marefriend. Everycreature else had stopped and were now staring at Gear in shock and horror.

His vision began growing dark, and he opened his mouth, trying to say something, but his lungs were filling with blood. He knew that now. He coughed up another large amount, and managed to get out, “…Don’t…fight…please…” before his vision went dark.

The city square where Gear had been speaking was silent, all except for the screams of anguish coming from Gear’s marefriend and mother as they begged him not to go while also screaming for somepony to help him. Nocreature moved, the shock was too overwhelming.

That was, until the sky suddenly darkened with menacing and glowing red storm clouds which formed out of nowhere. Everyone looked around in fear except for the marefriend and mother who didn’t seem to notice or care as they were both holding Gear’s still warm corpse.

Silver, who had woken now, looked up at the dark form that had appeared from the center of the cloud. The mane and tail of the alicorn that was now known by most of Equestria was aflame with blue hot flames, her eyes were glowing a bright and somehow menacing purple. Everyone stepped away from where she landed, and when she moved away, the spot where she had placed her hooves left a hoof shaped blue fire that didn’t die. Slowly, regally, she approached a trembling Silver and Amber, both of whom were actively pissing themselves in sheer unadulterated terror. She stopped in front of the older couple, a look of pure rage plastered on her face.

“How dare you!?” she bellowed in a incredibly loud voice. “You would dare to take the life of an innocent creature in this, the land of harmony!?”

“I-It was an accident,” Silver began blurting out as he tried to crawl away.

“He didn’t mean to do this!” Amber said in an equal amount of fear.

“SILENCE!” Majesty shrieked as she grasped the two in her magic and brought the close to her. Her eyes blazed brightly, illuminating the older couple. “You will look into my eyes!”

“W-We’re sor-!”

“Your souls are stained by the blood of the innocent!” Majesty declared with finality. “Feel their pain!”

Both of the older ponies eyes began glowing purple as well and they began screaming in utter horror. They tried to tear themselves away, but Majesty held them in her grasp so they didn’t harm each other or themselves. The very same moment that their screams stopped, the clouds above them vanished in a burst of magic that sent them all scattering across the sky. She set the ponies, now catatonic, back on the ground. She turned back to the rest of the villagers, who backed away in fear. “They will recover,” she promised before she turned to Gear’s now cool body. She lowered her head in sorrow, then approached the two grieving mares. “I grieve for your loss,” she said in an empathetic tone. Turning to the other villagers again, her expression hardened. “True Harmonists, I grieve with you for your loss today. I also invite you all to join me in Sanctuary, a place where peace and harmony are enjoyed by all creatures.”

The younger True Harmonists exchanged looks with each other, then slowly turned back. A younger filly, maybe eighteen, stepped forward. “Thank you for the offer,” she said, “but we would rather stay here for now to try and change this country.”

Majesty beamed at her with an expression that could very well be pride. “My invitation is always open, but I hope that your endeavor goes smoothly, my dear pony.” She then turned to the zebra family who had been attacked. “What about you three?” she asked. “Will you join Sanctuary? There are other zebra foals there along with children of other races with which your foals can play and there is honest work. Food and shelter is provided for all.” The zebra family didn’t even hesitate. They agreed without question.

Majesty smiled, then turned to the town again. "Tell your princesses this: I will be abstaining from any more visits like this one for some time. I have delivered my message long enough, and now it is my hope that young Celestia and young Luna will enact true change. It is also my hope that ponies and nonponies-no, that the citizens of Equestria will gather together as one under harmony's guiding light and not be split by race. Celestia is also welcome to visit me in Sanctuary. I look forward to future talks."

With that, she lifted her horn. It began to glow, and in a flash, her and the zebras vanished.

Author's Note

If you can guess the asshole beer can reference, congratulations, get yourself a juice box.

35: Confessions

It had been one week since Celestia and Luna had heard about the tragic death of Gear Turner at the hooves of the now comatose Silver Bolt and Amber Song, a pegasi and unicorn respectively. Truthfully, the news had been a massive shock all across the nation. His last words now became the rallying cry of the True Harmonists: Please don’t fight. It became a symbol of the hope for change. The news that Majesty wouldn’t be coming back to lay down her own punishment was welcome, of course, but the message delivered to Celestia herself about a meeting was troubling to the ancient monarchs.

All during that week, Celestia noticed that the former Elements had been apparently attempting to rekindle their own friendships. She had caught them reminiscing about old times, holding each other and crying while they apologized for old wrongs, and more. As for Gregory and his group of companions, which still included Chrysalis and Thorax, they seemed to be finding time to deepen their own bonds of, if not friendship, companionship.

The Williams siblings jumped from one group to another, seeming to try and be a bridge between both groups. Megan especially seemed to be involved more than most, leaving the other two to explore the city and interact with ponies. It was worrisome to Celestia that Shadow Dawn didn’t seem to want to interact with the ponies of Canterlot, but she could sympathize. She didn’t want to push them to do so, but at the very least it was encouraging to see that the mercenary group was staying in the city.

Celestia had begun to plan for a diplomatic envoy to go to the former Badlands to visit and speak with Majesty. She planned on going alone, but Luna was not having it. Neither were the Williams siblings or the former Elements of Harmony, to her surprise. Shadow Dawn hadn’t said anything, and that was alright. She would never force Gregory to travel to see his foalnapper.

Which was why it surprised her when Gregory and the rest of the group offered their services as an escort for a price. Celestia stared down at the human clad in all black with incredulity, and not for the first time wondered how hot he must have been in those clothes. It was July already, and the sun was still high in the sky. Despite the magically cooled interior of the safe house, Celestia could feel the heat from her sun pouring in through the various windows that faced south. She kept her expression placid, not allowing her shock to show, but Luna had not the same years of experience. She spoke first. “Truly? Why wouldst thou wish to traverse to see the very same mare who took thee against thy will?”

Celestia had to hide her lips from twitching. Luna always fell back onto her olden speech when she was startled or alarmed by something. “I have to agree with my sister here,” she said with a nod. “It’s not that we wouldn’t welcome your escort, but are you absolutely sure?”

“We are,” Gregory said. “We’ve discussed this at length for the past few days, and as long as you’re willing to hire us, we’ll be a part of your escort.”

“The Mercenary Guild in Thornfall might be gone,” Tobias added, “but we still need to earn our keep somehow. This is what Gregory and I know. We’re mercenaries, at least until we can become adventurers in Panthera.”

“We need capital to get us settled in when we finally get there,” Sunset concluded, “and a royal escort mission? That seems very profitable.”

It stung to hear Sunset of all ponies saying that, not because Celestia thought that Sunset was in this for the money, but because Sunset would be moving away and she wouldn’t be able to see her former student as often as she liked. Celestia hoped that this journey would allow her to rekindle her relationship with the young mare. “I understand, and I’ll gladly offer you any payment you wish for your services. Although,” and here she turned to Chrysalis and Thorax with confusion, “why are you joining them? You two have no stake in this fight, and if Majesty spots you, then she might punish you.”

Chrysalis shuddered, a hint of fear appearing on her face, but to Celestia’s shock, she relaxed when Gregory of all creatures put a gloved hand on her back. She glared at him briefly, but sighed and stood tall, her newly regenerated mane flowing in the same ethereal wind that Celestia’s and Luna’s manes flowed in, something that was new, Celestia noted. “My actions against Equestria, while born out of necessity, are not something I’m proud of now.” She looked Celestia squarely in the eyes. “At the very least, I should have sent a plea for aid first. Although I doubt it would have gotten past other ponies who read whatever letters you get.” She muttered that last part in frustration.

Celestia sighed softly. “That might have been the case then,” she said, “and while I agree that you should have sent a message asking for help, I understand that hunger mixed with desperation can cause someone to act…as you did.” She had almost said ‘irrationally’, but chose against it. “Still, I question why you would want to join in this escort mission, especially with all of the changelings arriving.”

One day after the death of Gear Turner, a large group of changeling refugees had appeared in the valley below Canterlot, near where the ruins of the castle now lay. They had also been affected by whatever metamorphosis had affected the queen and Thorax, and after their throne and hive had been destroyed thanks to the terraforming (as Gregory called it) of the Badlands, they had nowhere else to go, so they came to Chrysalis’ location. A massive refugee camp had been set up in the valley below and the changelings had been provided with what food and water could be spared on Celestia’s direct orders. Since their transformation, the changelings didn’t require the need to consume love to sustain themselves, but that had been replaced by the need to consume normal food.

Chrysalis sighed. “I’m leaving them in good hooves, and Thorax has been a great help to them.” She looked at the younger and smaller changeling with what Celestia thought was a hint of pride.

Thorax nodded. “They’re all scared and confused,” he said, “and a lot of their natural hostility is gone. I was always an outcast even among my own kind because I wanted a friend, and now that all of our hive has similar feelings, I need to try and help them.”

Celestia nodded slowly. “I see.”

“Your assistance will be greatly appreciated, of course,” Luna said, “but I cannot help but think you have ulterior motives.”

Chrysalis tensed up again, and when Dengal joined Gregory in putting a hand on her back, Celestia hid a smile. Those two seemed to enjoy teasing the changeling queen, but she could tell it was not malicious, and the way Chrysalis reacted to the raunchy jokes at her expense told her that the queen secretly liked them. “I am a queen,” she said, “and if I were to run when I have something I need to say to that self-righteous mare, I would never be able to look at my subjects again. And will you stop scratching me behind the ears!?” She glared at Gregory and Dengal. “I am not a cat!”

“You’re seriously missing out,” Tobias said with a grin. “Gregory’s headpats are the best.”

With a small smirk, Gregory reached his free hand out to give the grown abyssinian head pats, causing the catlike being to relax and purr. “Ah, the advantages of opposable digits and fingernails,” Gregory said before he turned back to Celestia and Luna. “So, do we have a deal?”

Celestia looked at her sister, who nodded imperceptibly. Nodding back, she turned. “What are you asking for in terms of payment?”

Once the agreement had been set, the group left the safehouse, which had become the temporary throne room for the princesses. Celestia leaned back in her chair and sighed. Luna noticed and gave her sister a concerned look. “Are you well, sister? Shall I call for an early recess so you may rest?”

“I’m alright,” she said softly. “Majesty may have given us a reprieve when she promised not to make a move, but that just means we need to move faster to fix what’s broken.” She sat up and hit the side of her chair angrily. “I hate feeling like a hostage in my own kingdom, damn it all!”

“Her stringent methods aside,” Luna said, “she has good points about our subjects, especially our ponies. Even with the Rainbow of Light having done whatever it did to the citizens of Canterlot, tensions are still high. The darkness buried deep within our ponies may have been cleansed, but it left scars that we need to work on healing.”

Celestia nodded. Upon further discussions with the Williams siblings, Shadow Dawn, and the former Elements, who Gregory called the Mane Six, a hypothesis was reached regarding why the Rainbow of Light had affected ponies in the capital. Whatever the demons had attempted to do to ponies in the distant past with the Tartarus War, it may have worked, if only slightly. It preyed on the negativity present in any race and amped it up very slightly. This was just conjecture, of course, but it fit the established facts.

Of course, just because the darkness within was lifted didn’t mean that ponies were changed. Much like the Elements of Harmony, the Rainbow of Light would not fundamentally change a pony or creature it touched. This didn’t excuse anything that ponies had done against other races. It didn’t excuse Jason’s death. That had been all the fault of the ponies, not the fault of some two thousand year old curse on ponykind. Even now, Celestia could feel the effects of the curse like a scar on her soul. It would take years of healing, and she suspected that during the next estrus cycle, the foals conceived would be the voice of a generation untouched by darkness, but one which saw the effects of said darkness. She planned on seeing that generation become the best of her little ponies alongside Luna.

“She has never killed anypony,” Celestia said, “and has given those she punished a means of redemption, but not without a permanent reminder of their crimes to ensure they never do anything again. Still, we have a brand new race among us to take care of. A brand new set of humans. What should we do?”

“They were once ponies, sister,” Luna said. “They may be humans now, but that does not make them any less citizens of the nation we need to reform. They will be given all manner of courtesy, but also be judged for their crimes, as will all ponies who have committed crimes against other ponies or against nonponies. Perhaps we can hire Mr. Graystone to help instruct the new humans in their new manner of life.”

“Perhaps,” Celestia pondered. “Still, would that be wise? The majority of the citizens of that town are still in denial from the reports I have gotten. Only about twenty or thirty have repented and gained their pony abilities back. They may be persecuted by those still in denial. And if a human comes to instruct them, they may feel more resentful.”

“Gregory has shown himself to be resourceful and capable,” Luna said, “so if we offer him and his mercenary party enough money, they may be able to help the humans of Maretime Bay. It could also become a symbol of future hope for our nation. Sure, these new humans were once ponies, but they have differing needs now. Clothing is mandatory, for example. So is eating meat products in order to keep healthy. They can no longer eat hay or grass. Their locomotion is new, too. There is so much they need to learn, and nocreature but perhaps Gregory can help. Perhaps even the Williams siblings, too.”

Celestia nodded somberly. “While I agree, I am concerned not just for the safety of the citizens of that town, but for Gregory and the rest of Shadow Dawn. Placing them in the same location is like mixing lamp oil and water.”

“It would behoove us to at least ask,” Luna argued.

“Of course,” Celestia replied. “Back to Majesty, though. The reports on what she did directly after Gear’s death are troubling. The way she punished those responsible does not fit her M.O. as much. Normally, she gives out punishments that are rather ironic and she rhymes, but whatever she did to the two responsible for his death has made them comatose for the moment.”

“Do you not trust her word that they will recover?” Luna asked.

“That’s not it,” Celestia said. “I have the distinct impression that Majesty is not a liar in this case. She has never once brought death to one of our little ponies, after all. She may be taking on the role of a stern teacher meting out punishment, but I truly believe that she does not wish that kind of harm on ponies.”

“That brings up a question that has been bothering me for some time, sister,” Luna said.

“What is that?” Celestia asked.

“I have not heard of any instance where a non-pony was punished for something,” Luna observed. “At least, a non-pony who lives in Equestria.”

“I did think of that,” Celestia said, “and I think that she is trying to focus on our little ponies for the moment. Many of the new reports from other towns show that crime rates have been significantly reduced.”

“That is…concerning,” Luna said. When Celestia gave her sister a shocked expression, Luna explained. “It begs the question of whether crimes have dropped out of some sort of conscience epidemic or out of fear of retribution. Doing something out of fear is not quite the same as doing something because it’s the right thing to do.”

“A good point,” Celestia said. “That could be what the True Harmonist’s goal has been. Spreading a conscience through Equestria.” She looked down at the papers at her desk and raised her stamp. “At the very least, I should thank her for taking care of the House of Lords for us. Their interference would have made things much more difficult.”

“Unless we had declared a state of emergency and activated our Emergency Powers,” Luna reminded her.

Celestia nodded somberly. She had not wanted to use those powers, ever. They had only once been activated in the entire history of Equestria, and that had resulted in the destruction that led to the creation of the Badlands. “I am just glad I didn't have to force my hoof on the matter,” she said as she lifted up one of the papers. “The remaining nobles are at the very least on our side and are expediting the implementation of these new laws.”

“At least the nobles who have been a thorn in your side received their comeuppance, do you not agree?” Luna asked, a hint of amusement in her eyes.

Despite one of said nobles being her nephew, Celestia had to agree. It had hurt to see him back as a newborn foal, but she understood why Majesty had targeted him. Blueblood was undoubtedly one of the more corrupt nobility, abusing the power of his station to profit only himself and nopony else. Celestia had acted to liquidate the assets of those ponies who had been punished once evidence of their misdeeds and crimes had been found. It didn’t escape her that the evidence had been found in a pure white box in each home. She guessed that this was Majesty’s doing.

“At least there’s that,” Celestia agreed. “We have to be cautious, though. This may very well be a trap.”

“Mayhaps so, sister,” Luna said, “but I am of the opinion that she is sincere in her offer to meet us.”

“She only mentioned me, Luna,” Celestia reminded her. “Besides, can the capital afford both rulers to meet with Majesty when there is much chaos here? You’re a remarkable princess and leader, Luna, but I am much older than you are now regardless of you being technically three years younger than you. I have a thousand years more experience. You are more than capable of running things in my absence.”

“That will not be happening,” Luna argued again. “We will both be going, and that is not up for discussion.”

Celestia sighed somberly. Her sister was as stubborn as she was. It was an annoying trait they’d gotten from their mother. “I know when I’m beaten,” she said. “Very well. Let’s discuss the specifics.”

No matter how hard she tried to understand him, and perhaps because she was unable to sense the emotions of the man, Chrysalis found Gregory Eugene Graystone a vast mystery. He seemed to possess a serious mind and knew his priorities to those he cared about, but despite that, and despite him telling her about her fate in this television show of his, he never once treated her like the ponies had. In fact, he had the annoying ability to get under her chitin, teasing her in a way that made her feel things that left her confused.

She was ancient by changeling standards. She wasn’t as old as the princesses, only having reached her nine hundred and ninety sixth birthday three months prior, but being born into the changeling queen class, she was granted a life of near immortality. At least, as far as she knew. Changeling queens ascended by only one means: assassination of the former queens which normally meant their mothers. Chrysalis, however, was born to a brood mother, a rare mutation among their kind. The brood mother had hidden Chrysalis away from former Queen Eltrya, out of fear that she would be killed.

The young nymph had been taught everything about the hive from her mother, and that had formed her opinions on the way the changelings did things. The brood mother who had laid her egg was something of a changeling extremist. Eltrya was a moderate, and most of Chrysalis’ ideas came from her mother.

Now, though, the change that had come over her physically came with a change in her thinking, at least marginally. A lot of the negativity that she had to regularly purge from her system no longer seemed to apply. It was the only explanation as to why Gregory’s teasing affected her so. The moment she thought that, however, she knew that was a lie. She had been affected by his teasing beforehoof.

She was standing on the balcony of a room in one of the city’s best inns. In fact, she had been given one of the luxury suites courtesy of the crown. They all had, something that irked her to no end. It felt insulting, but she had to admit that sleeping in a soft bed was something of a new experience to her. An enjoyable one. I will need to procure a bed such as this for the new hive, she said.

“It’s a nice day, isn’t it?” Chrysalis scowled. The only downside was that her room was right next to Gregory’s own.

Chrysalis looked over and saw the bemused expression on Gregory’s face as he held a glass of water in his hand. He was wearing his normal pants, but was also wearing a black t-shirt that had a logo over the shirt that read In-N-Out Burger. She sighed and looked up at the summer sun. “Yes, yes it is,” she admitted.

“A good time to sunbathe,” he said as he took the t-shirt off, revealing his bare upper body.

Chrysalis almost turned away, but paused when she saw the scarring on his body. She wasn’t sure why, but curiosity took over and she flew over to his balcony. “Those scars…a couple of them are from changelings, aren’t they?” She pointed to a zigzag pattern on his left pectoral muscle. “I can feel the remnants of changeling magic on that one.”

Gregory, who was now sitting on a chair and leaning back, looked down. “A changeling thought it would be funny to slash at me with a knife he created using his magic.”

“I can probably find out which of my subjects did this to you,” Chrysalis said, unsure why she was offering him this concession.

“No need,” Gregory said, “considering that I killed him.”

Chrysalis was shocked by this, and turned to face him. “You…managed to kill a changeling? I thought you had no magic?”

“Just because I have no magic doesn’t mean I can’t fight,” Gregory said, taking a sip of the water.

Chrysalis pulled her own chair from her balcony, setting it down next to Gregory and sitting down, looking at him. With his chest exposed, she saw how fit he was. She looked away when she realized she was staring. “I suppose that makes sense,” she said. There was silence between them for a while, and then she spoke again. “You confound me, Gregory Graystone.”

“I get that a lot from Tobias,” Gregory said as he leaned back and closed his eyes. “How so?”

“You have gone through two years of tartarus, but you can still find the energy to do this,” she said, gesturing to him. “And you find the energy to tease…tease me.” She felt embarrassment creep into her.

“Chryssi, I haven’t had a proper vacation in two long years,” Gregory said without looking at her. “That serious side of me you see a lot of the time? That’s one side of me. It’s a part of me that’s been on the surface for the past two years. I have time where I don’t have to be a merc. I get to breathe more easily, at least for a little while.” He looked at her with a lopsided grin. “As for teasing you, let’s just say I enjoy it. You’re too hot not to tease.”

She grew flustered and sputtered out some nonsensical words before catching herself, taking a deep breath, and looking at him as calmly as she could. “You have that unusual goblin girl, though,” she said.

“She joins in, you know?” Gregory replied, that grin still on his lips.

“N-Not the point!” Chrysalis stammered before recomposing herself. “Why me?”

His expression turned serious a bit. “When was the last time you did something fun? Something to relieve the stress of being a queen?”

Chrysalis’ immediate instinct was to say that those types of pleasures couldn’t be reserved for a queen, but despite not being able to sense his emotions, she caught on quickly to the fact that he wasn’t looking for that as a response. She shook her head slowly. “Never.”

“I know that the situation here is dangerous,” Gregory said, “but you should try and relax for a bit. Your changelings are safe, they have all undergone a change that only requires them to eat normal food, and Celestia and Luna are far too distracted to deal with you.”

Chrysalis shook her head. “I don’t have the time to just lounge around. As the queen of one of the last hives in the world, my subjects take precedence over my own happiness.”

“And therein lies the problem,” Gregory said. “Your refusal to take mental breaks is causing you to crack.” He scooted over and patted the large lounge chair. “Join me.”

Chrysalis was about to protest, when she suddenly felt a pair of new hands on her. Turning back, she saw Dengal looking down at her with an amused smile. Tobias was also behind her, leaning against the door frame with his own amused expression. “Go on, join him,” Dengal said. “He doesn’t bite. Not unless that’s what you’re into.”

Chrysalis glared at her, but there was no malice behind it. Still, she resisted only for a moment before she relented and walked over. As she did, she underwent a transformation, changing from her normal form to that of a goblin woman who matched her new coloration. A completely naked goblin woman with a similar…mutation…to Dengal. She hoped to get back at Gregory with this move as she lay down next to him. But one look at his now hungry eyes as he looked her over soon dispelled her of that. “Damn, solid ten out of ten. Dengal?”

Chrysalis was even more confused when Dengal removed her tunic, revealing something that the goblins called a bra underneath as she slid onto the lounge chair beside Chrysalis, looking over the naked body of the now goblinoid changeling queen. “Twenty points out of ten,” she said with a grin, and Chrysalis could feel inexplicable pleasure emanating from the goblin woman.

“She’s no abyssinian queen,” Tobias said, “but when compared to the human women I’ve seen in your TV shows, she’s hot.”

Chrysalis groaned, and covered herself as best as she could with her new arms. “You three…” she said with embarrassment. Tobias tossed her a small blanket, which she caught with her new hands. As she covered herself, she looked over at Gregory. “I thought you and Dengal were lovers. Why do you two tease me so much? It’s as if you’re courting me.”

“Would that be so bad?” Dengal asked. “Goblin culture allows for multiple wives that each goblin man can have. We are polygamous.”

Chrysalis paused and looked at Dengal in alarm. “You…you’re mocking me, aren’t you?” she asked.

“No, she isn’t,” Gregory said. When Chrysalis looked over at him, she saw what looked like a genuine smile on his face. “I told you about the television show that depicted this world, and about certain…art…made of you.”

“I still cannot believe anyhuman would want to make explicit art of me,” she muttered.

“That’s a rather…unfortunate aspect of the internet, I suppose,” he said with a sigh, “but that’s beside the point. What I haven’t told you is that out of all of the villains I saw in the show, I found you to be my favorite. Don’t ask me why that is, and I know how insulting that sounds, but I always suspected there was more to you than just pure evil. There’s an episode of the show that hasn’t happened in this world and probably won’t happen now where you team up with Tirek and a villainous pegasus filly. There’s a moment where you almost accept friendship. Actually, I saw two moments where you almost accepted it, but in the show, you were so blinded by the need for revenge that you didn’t act on it. From what I’ve seen of you recently, however, I’m noticing a side of you that was never shown to us. You’re not just a queen, but a mother. I’ve seen you look at Thorax with a sort of motherly pride even if you deny it yourself. You’ve made sure that the changeling fugitives are safe here. You go down there more often than you’re up here.”

He looked at her, giving her his full attention, or at least, that’s what Chrysalis thought was happening. She tried not to look at his fit physique, instead looking at his sapphire eyes. Those handsome, alluring, sapphire eyes…No! Snap out of it! “I acted to protect my subjects. I admit that my methods were extreme, but back then I saw no other way.”

“You act like a mother and a ruler at the same time, now,” Gregory said.

“Isn’t that what you accused the sun princess of?” the changeling queen asked.

“She acted more like a forgiving mother than a ruler,” Gregory said, “and you acted more like a cruel dictator before your change, but with your recent physical change, I can tell just how you’ve changed. You’re a lot more mellow, but that sternness in your green eyes hasn’t abated. At least, not that much. You are capable of much more change than before.”

In that moment, Chrysalis didn’t even understand why, but it was like she needed to hear those words. Her own mother had never once praised her, instead pushing her to her breaking point to be better, but had never once praised her. Instead, she had been talked down to. Chrysalis’ memories, which she had tried to repress, came flooding back. All of the times her cruel mother had beaten her, had called her worthless when she didn’t live up to the expectations of being a changeling queen, everything. She made a valiant effort to hide her tears, but that failed. She fell into Gregory’s arms, feeling humiliated that she was baring her soul to somehuman she’d barely known.

At the same time, it felt extremely freeing, and that was more important.

Gregory stared up at the brilliant night sky. The stars he saw were identical to the summer constellations from Earth, something he had expected since he’d heard the show version of Twilight mention the Orion constellation in a certain first season episode. The cool summer night air felt nice on his face. The breeze brushed against his face, sending an involuntarily shiver down his spine. He took in a deep breath and exhaled, tracing the familiar constellations of Sagittarius, Hercules, Ursa Major, and more. He’d always wondered just how the constellations here got their names and the history behind them, but it was not important for two years. Now, though, perhaps in an effort not to think about what was going to happen tomorrow, it was all he could think about. Not to mention why goblins were distinguished by the monikers MAN and WOMAN, a completely human distinction.

After the surprising talk with Chrysalis which had left him with a chest soaked with changeling queen tears, he had spoken with the members of his fellow party about the precautions they would take during the trip south back to the Badlands, then he’d had a late dinner before Tobias and Sunset had both turned in. Now, it was just him and Dengal, who insisted on sleeping with him. Currently, she was in the suite’s bath, washing up before bed.

He picked up one of his lightsabers from the table just inside the door, walking back out to the balcony. He ignited it, discovering that he’d grabbed the green blade this time. The glow fell all around the balcony, and he carefully swung it, making sure not to damage anything. Despite the seriousness of handling such a deadly instrument, just holding this weapon made him feel like a kid again, holding one of those white plastic tubes and swinging it around, making the humming and whooshing sound of a lightsaber and spending hours using colored markers to color in the paper tubes. He’d even taped two of those tubes together to create a double bladed ‘lightsaber’ after seeing The Phantom Menace. He would hum Duel of the Fates whenever he played with that particular lightsaber.

Of course, his parents had inevitably thrown out those plastic tubes, telling him to just grow up. He’d had to better hide his next tubes in the crawlspace of their house and he brought them out whenever they left him home alone, which they had at least done when he was ‘old enough’.

He was so entrenched in slowly swinging the blade around that he was caught off guard when he heard the ignition of a second lightsaber from behind him. He turned to see Dengal’s form illuminated by the blue blade she held. “An elegant weapon,” she said in a faux British accent, “from a more civilized age.” She came up to him, then slowly reached the blade out, touching his own. He heard the sound of the blades interlocked for a few seconds, a white light emanating from where the two blades were touching. A few seconds later, she pulled away and de-ignited it.

Gregory de-ignited his blade as well, then walked over to her, hand outstretched. “These aren’t toys,” he said.

“I saw the smile on your face when you were swinging yours around just now,” Dengal said in a teasing tone as she placed the hilt in his hand.

He blushed a bit, then sighed. “Yeah, I guess I was. Chalk it up to a missed out childhood, I suppose.”

“You ready for bed?” Dengal asked.

“Yeah, I guess so,” he said as he headed back inside, running a hand through his slightly damp hair.

As he sat on the edge of the bed, Dengal was about to get in when she paused. “You okay, Gregory?” she asked.

“Just thinking about the events of today,” he said absently.

“You mean about our decision to be an escort, or about Chrysalis?” Dengal asked.

“That, and what you said about goblins being polygamous,” he said as he turned back to her.

Dengal gave him a warm smile and crawled over to sit next to him, reaching down to take his hand. It was warm and soft despite her occupation. She apparently took great care of her hands so they didn’t become calloused. “If you’re still worried about us going on this escort mission, there’s nothing that says we have to go,” she said. “I may be a new member of Shadow Dawn, but even I know any decision we make needs to be unanimous and not pressured. I’ve known you and Tobias long enough to know you work like that.”

“This is too good of a payday to pass up,” Gregory said as he gave her hand a squeeze. “High risk, high reward. That’s the Mercenary Creed.”

Dengal nodded. “Just tell us if you’re having second thoughts and we’ll back out.”

He slowly shook his head. “I admit I am…nervous…but no more nervous than when I went out on my first job, or my second, or my fifth, or…you get the picture.”

She nodded in understanding, then scooted closer to him. “What about the stuff you mentioned with Chrysalis?”

“I just never expected her to break down like that,” he admitted. Having her cry so heavily was not something he had anticipated happening. He wasn’t sure, but it felt like she was trying to unleash a lifetime of pain in that one crying session. Thorax had appeared after several minutes, himself crying. He explained, when Chrysalis wasn’t screaming into Gregory’s chest, that the hive felt her emotional distress and were trying to relieve said stress by taking some of her hurt onto themselves, but she was denying the connection. His newfound respect for Chrysalis grew in that moment. “The changeling I saw in the show is a lot more complicated than I expected.”

“And that last part?” she pressed gently.

Gregory took a deep breath. He had to say it now or regret it forever. Turning to Dengal, he held her hand between both of his, squeezing tightly. “Dengal, I’ve known you for two years. You’ve been nothing but kind and had helped me maintain some of my weapons. I know that you’ve had feelings for me, but I guess I was just too afraid to let anyone in after my experiences. I thought I had gotten over some aspects of my past, but I guess that wasn’t the case.”

Dengal’s eyes were wide in anticipation. “Gregory…are you saying…what I think you’re saying?”

“I love you, too, Dengal,” he said, and it felt so freeing to say that. Deep down, he had probably known about his feelings for her, but he had hidden it so deep down that he had almost convinced himself he only saw her as a friend. He had friendzoned her and himself, he realized. But when she had voluntarily stayed with him while Majesty had him kidnapped, the feelings he had tried so hard to bury out of fear came roaring to the surface. “I really do.”

The beaming smile on Dengal’s face made Gregory’s own skip a beat. Without any warning, she tackled him to the bed, her naturally ruby red lips crashing into his. Gregory, having not experienced this sort of kiss even from his cheating ex, was taken off guard, his eyes widening, but when he saw the happy tears forming in her closed eyes, his heart swelled, and he closed his eyes, returning the kiss as he wrapped his arms around her.

When she broke the kiss several seconds later, seconds that had felt like blissful hours to Gregory, her red eyes were glowing with pure joy. They were also literally glowing. “Gregory…I’ve never been so happy…” she said, the ears of pure joy streaming down her cheeks.

“Me too,” Gregory said.

“And…we can talk about what I said another time,” she said, a glint in her eyes as she sat up, straddling him with another type of glint in her eyes. “I’ve waited two years, but it feels like a lifetime.”

Despite the tough exterior that he put up in public, Gregory gulped nervously. “We just bathed,” he said lamely.

“I want you right now,” she said in a now husky tone.

Gregory’s nervousness vanished as she began removing her clothes. Tomorrow they left to go into the lion’s den, so he was going to live in the present and enjoy everything he could. He grinned up at her. “Ditto.” He began hastily removing his own clothes.

For them, the night lasted forever.

36: Dodge City

Author's Note

I think I'll be taking a week off for this and my other Endingverse stories. I've been writing practically nonstop for weeks and I have a third project I'm working on, so a week off might be what the doctor ordered.

36: Dodge City

Despite the seriousness of the situation they found themselves in, Megan was actually enjoying the flight on the back of the eagle as they headed south towards the meeting with Majesty. Molly was sitting behind her, arms tightly wrapped around Megan’s torso. She and Molly were flying on the back of the eagle Gregory had given the name Tinúviel. Looking around, she saw that the others who were traveling with them were actually all seated on the backs of eagles, even those with wings. Gwaihir held Gregory, Thorondor held the two alicorn princesses, Chrysalis and Dengal were flying on Celebrindal’s back, Tobias and Daniel were on Meneldor’s back, and Landroval and Melian held three of the six Royal guards who were to be the Honor Guard of the princesses.

Megan looked behind to see the three new eagle arrivals flying behind them. It was a family unit, consisting of a husband, wife, and son. Megan was somewhat amused when, following the traditions of the naming of these eagles, Gregory gave them the names Huor, Rían, and Tuor, father, mother, and son respectively. Each of them held two of the six former Elements of Harmony.

They weren’t actually coming along for the full ride, actually. They had decided instead to head back to their hometown. Apparently a large majority of their pony population had been changed into humans by Majesty, and the pony named Twilight wanted to go back and help them adjust to their new life. Plus, she was a lighthouse keeper. The six ponies were about to depart from the main envoy.

She looked away, turning her head to face front. The goggles she wore, loaned to her courtesy of a group of ponies apparently known as the Wonderbolts, helped keep the wind out of her eyes. Her siblings also wore a pair, as did Tobias, Dengal, a few of the guards who weren’t pegasi and three of the former Elements. Pegasi, from what Megan remembered, had a sort of inner eyelid that was transparent which they used whenever they flew. It kept their eyes moist and protected. The same could apparently be said of changelings as Chrysalis didn’t need one.

They had only been flying for thirty minutes, and it was nearly time for the Elements to branch off, heading back to their hometown. Right on cue, one of the eagles screeched out a noise, which Gwaihir responded to. Thankfully, Megan and many others were wearing ear muffs to keep their ears warm. Megan turned to watch as the three newcomer eagles slowly began turning away. She could see a purple hoof waving, so she waved as well. Turning back, she saw, to her confusion, Gregory waving back as well. Of course, with him wearing that mask of his it was impossible to tell what he was feeling.

Leaning down, she raised her voice to make herself known to the female eagle on which she flew. “How long will it take us to get there, again?”

Tinúviel turned her majestic head back. “One more hour,” the Great Eagle replied. She hadn’t shouted, but Megan could hear her quite clearly. “We will be stopping at Dodge City to allow you all to rest.”

“Understood!” Megan shouted back as she sat back up. Thankfully, the back of these eagles were comfortable. Normally, they would have taken the train down to the town known as Dodge City, but it would have taken longer, and none of the ponies there could teleport them that far either, showing just how powerful Majesty really was. The only choice was flight, and the Great Eagles had been perfectly fine to lend a hand, or wing in their case, for the flight there. They would be landing at Dodge City regardless since it was on the borders of the Badlands and then they would fly the rest of the way to Thornfall. If Majesty wasn’t there, they would head to the translocated city of Sanctuary.

It would be a long flight, and she wished she had a book, or at least a Walkman cassette player to listen to music. All she could do instead was watch the scenery before her.

Gregory was sitting on Gwaihir’s back an hour later, looking down at the landscape before him. The familiar sight of the first town he’d ever visited was swiftly rising up as Gwaihir led the convoy of eagles and their charges down. He saw a number of dark green shapes moving about and flying around, obviously the stratadons, alongside a few multicolored shapes, the ponies. He had heard that there were now some humans in that town, but couldn’t spot any from his current height. He suspected, however, that Gwaihir could spot them.

He leaned forward and spoke. “Can you spot any humans down there?” he asked, his voice once again distorted thanks to the mask he wore.

Gwaihir looked briefly over his shoulder to look at Gregory. “I’ve seen three so far,” he said, “and they’re all gathered together near the edge of the town nearest the southern gates.”

“Land us near there,” Gregory instructed him.

“Of course,” Gwaihir said as he subtly adjusted his trajectory.

Several minutes later, the eagle envoy had landed. Gregory dismounted, put a gloved hand on Gwaihir’s large midsection, and patted him. “Thank you, Lord Gwaihir,” he said, giving him a title nearly automatically.

Gwaihir’s feather ruffled proudly and he stood taller. “You’re welcome, Mr. Gregory,” he said.

As the others were dismounting, Gregory reached up, then slowly removed his mask. With a hiss, it came off and he breathed in the dry air that had become so familiar to him. Of course, the landscape of sand and dry rock ended at the edge of the Badlands where a massive and dark forest now loomed. A thick cover of clouds hovered over the forest, and it seemed to be pouring down rain. Thunder could be heard booming in the distance.

He turned away from the former Badlands and made his way slowly towards the three humans. One of them turned and her eyes widened in recognition when she saw him. She was a human woman about Gregory’s age, with green eyes, curly dark brown hair with lighter brown streaks through it, a yellow hair band with cherries sewn into the fabric, a purple scarf wrapped around her neck, and some clothes that were rather simple, pants and a tank top. He recognized her too, if not by her appearance than by her headband and a tattoo on her shoulder, a pair of cherries still attached to the stem.

The other two, two other woman, wore similar outfits to the former pony who he now knew to be Cherry Jubilee. The woman was a slightly tanned human with straight brown hair and blue eyes with three horseshoes as a cutie mark on her shoulder. The other woman had short windswept blonde hair, along with a skin tone that was lighter than the second woman’s but that was darker than Cherry’s pale complexion. She had a winged cloud as a cutie mark, making it obvious to Gregory that she was once a pegasus. What was unusual was that her eyes were a light shade of purple. So, Gregory thought, the humans share some aspects of their former pony selves. He raised his hand in greeting. “Howdy, folks,” he said.

Cherry was the first to speak, her voice a nervous whisper. “H-Hello,” she said. There wasn’t so much fear in her voice as there was a nervous guilt.

He extended his hand after removing his glove. “Nice to meet you again, miss. Name’s Gregory Graystone. I trust I’m not to be chased out of town by a violent mob this time?” He asked this in a sardonic tone.

Cherry flinched, not at the hand extended, but at the question. She extended her own trembling hand to him. “No,” she said as bravely as she could as she put her own extended hand next to his.

Gregory had to hold back a laugh as she didn’t clench his hand like a real human would at the gesture. Of course she didn’t know about handshakes. Instead, he reached over, clasped her hand and with his free hand he helped guide her hand to clench his. “Here, like this,” he said. “It’s called a handshake. Humans who are greeting each other for the first time and introducing themselves do this.”

The other two women watched curiously as Cherry clenched his hand with her new one. As Gregory gave her a gentle but firm handshake, she nodded in understanding. “I see…” she said. “Um, nice to officially meet you, Greg…Gregory. My name’s Cherry Jubilee, the owner of Cherry Hill Ranch. These are two of my friends, Toffee Crunch and Swift Sure.” She indicated the brown haired and blonde haired humans respectively.

He gave them a polite nod, then a handshake as well. Toffee’s grip was stronger than Cherry’s, and Swift’s grip, while weaker, was still strong despite her slender fingers. “A pleasure,” he said, trying to hide his own rising anger behind a veneer of calm and politeness.

Cherry turned to look past him, and her eyes widened even more as she knelt down, prostrating herself. The other two women did so as well. Gregory stepped aside as the Equestrian princesses approached. “Rise, my beloved subjects,” Celestia said with a kind smile.

As the three women stood, Dengal and Tobias stepped up to stand on either side of Gregory rather protectively. Cherry was the first to stand, head lowered in not so much supplication as shame. “Your-Your Highness, I-I don’t…” she trailed off as she glanced guiltily at Gregory. “I don’t know what to say…”

“Remember what I said,” a new voice said from behind the group. Everyone turned to see an elderly earth pony mare approaching, a dark gold mare with a green and gray streaked mane and tail and a golden bunch of cherries as a cutie mark. Her cherry red eyes, while old, were still full of vigor. She turned to Cherry. “An apology goes a long way.”

Cherry swallowed, but then straightened and turned to face Gregory. Then, with a bow that a Japanese person would be proud of, she put her arms by her side and bowed to him. “I’m sorry for chasing you out two years ago!” she said in what Gregory felt was a sincere tone.

The other two women, seeing their companion acting in such a way, also turned and bowed to him in an identical way, offering their own sincere apologies. Gregory raised an eyebrow in astonishment. He had always wanted to meet Cherry Jubilee and try her cherries, but had obviously never gotten the chance. Seeing the three former mares bowing made him feel a little bit awkward despite himself. “Um…you can stand up, now, please,” he said in a lame tone.

“Please forgive me!” Cherry pleaded.

“Please stand up, this is way too awkward,” Gregory pleaded.

“Turnabout is fair play, isn’t it?” Chrysalis, who was disguised as a taller pony unicorn mare with her new color scheme, whispered in his ear with an amused tone.

He turned and looked into Chrysalis’ new azure eyes. “Bite me, sexy. Oh no, wait, you might enjoy that.”

Dengal snickered, Tobias held back a chuckle, and Chrysalis’ light blue cheeks darkened with a blush. “You are incorrigible,” she said as she walked past, giving his legs a smack with her tail as she moved to stand next to Dengal.

The moment that the three new humans stood back up, Megan, Daniel, and Molly approached. The three women looked at the siblings with confusion mixed with fear. “Hello, there,” Daniel said, raising his hand in greeting.

“General Kenobi,” Tobias whispered in a passable imitation of General Grievous.

“Not now,” Gregory said as he had to hide his own smile of amusement before stepping forward. “Cherry Jubilee, Toffee Crunch, Swift Cloud, let me introduce you to three ancient human heroes of ponykind. This is Megan Williams, the bearer of the Rainbow of Light. This is her brother Daniel Williams and her sister Molly Williams.”

The three women stared at the siblings in astonishment. “Ancient…heroes…?” Toffee asked in stunned silence.

“I have a feeling that in the next few weeks or months, some ancient history will be revealed to Equestria,” Sunset, who was now standing next to Tobias, said before turning to Celestia and Luna. “Isn’t that true?”

Celestia nodded. “Once the current crisis has been dealt with, I will have the results of our historical research known to the public.”

“I can help with that,” Megan said. “I have a diary back on my world I can bring for you to use. I wrote a lot in there about our adventures here.”

“I did too, actually,” Daniel said. “Majesty encouraged it.”

“I have a bit you can use, too,” Molly said with a sheepish smile.

“We appreciate the offer,” Luna said, “and we gladly accept.”

Cherry, however, was staring at the clothes that the real humans were wearing with great interest, especially the two younger women. Megan apparently noticed this, because she smiled and stepped forward. “I can show you some modern day designs from my world on what humans are wearing now.”

She’s gonna turn them into 90s women, Gregory said with inner amusement before he grew serious again. “Grunge and punk fashion statements aside,” he said, “we’re just passing through.”

“Hang on a moment,” Megan said as she stepped forward and brought out the Rainbow of Light from beneath her jacket. “There’s some lingering darkness here, too.”

“The same as we had and the same in Canterlot?” Celestia asked.

“I believe so,” Megan said as she pulled the pendant over her head, held it up, then opened the ancient artifact. Just as before, the sound of ancient magic could be heard and a bright rainbow colored beam of light washed over the entire town. Gregory looked away, but he could hear something like a hissing sound, similar to water hitting fire embers or a freshly wrought sword being placed in water to cool it.

When he heard the sound of the pendant closing, Gregory looked up and observed the town. To his surprise, however, what he saw first was that Swift now seemed to have a pair of translucent pegasus wings spreading from her back. It reminded him of the wings that Sunny Starscout had in G5. Cherry Jubilee also saw it, because she pointed at them. “Swift, where’d those come from?”

Swift looked behind her, then her eyes widened. “It can’t be…” She closed her eyes, then seemed to concentrate. As she did so, her wings began to flap, and she began hovering a few inches above the ground. When she opened her eyes and saw what was happening, her smile was radiant enough to light up a stadium. “I can fly again…” she said with a breathless sound of joy. She looked up, put her hands towards the sky, and shot up. She was a bit unsteady in her current human form, but eventually she seemed to get it as she began doing tricks.

Cherry and Toffee were also experiencing some kind of change. Both were on all fours, touching the ground with their hands. Cherry was crying a bit. “I can feel the magic of the earth again,” she said with a sniff.

“I’m just happy to be a human mare,” Toffee said as she picked up a pile of dust.

“What do you mean?” Dengal asked curiously.

Toffee looked up as she stood, brushing dust off of her knees. “I used to be a stallion named Caramel before Majesty changed me.”

So Caramel being a trans mare pony was true? Gregory noted, and Majesty’s spell changed her to her preferred sex? “Were you a female when you were a stratadon?”

“I think so,” Toffee said. “At least I’m a human mare.”

“Woman,” Gregory said. “The term is woman.”

Toffee looked confused. “Isn’t that what female goblins call themselves?” she asked.

Dengal stepped forward and nodded. “Yes, but that’s what goblins females call each other.”

“Really?” Megan asked, looking at Dengal with confusion. “Why?”

The reality of the question hit Gregory at the same moment it hit several of the others. Tobias spoke up first. “Goblins are shaped a lot like humans…you don’t think…?”

“Did the demons pull a Morgoth on the remnants and change them from humans to goblins?” Gregory asked, eyes wide in astonishment.

“Are you suggesting that goblins are the descendants of humanity?” Luna asked, eyes wide.

“Look at Dengal,” Gregory said, gesturing to the aforementioned goblin. “She doesn’t look anything like how a goblin woman normally looks. I’d actually go so far to say she’s more human-like in appearance than any other creature in this world.”

“But couldn’t we be the descendants of the elves?” Dengal asked, reaching up and touching her pointed ear.

“That depends on what elves called their men and women,” Gregory conceded, “but we’re getting sidetracked.”

Before anyone else could speak, a bright light began to emanate from the town. Gregory and everyone else had to avert their eyes. When the light died out, they all turned, only for them all to stare in shock at what they were seeing. Humans, dozens of them, were either lying in the streets or coming to, all completely naked.

“What the hell…?” Daniel said, jaw dropped.

“No kidding,” Molly said.

“Was that because of the Rainbow of Light?” Celestia asked, looking at the artifact that was still in Megan’s hand.

“It would have done something immediately if that were the case,” Megan said as she slipped the pendant over her neck.

“They’re finally realizing what they did,” Cherry said softly.

As Gregory scanned the throng of new humanity, he noted several differences. The cutie marks on their shoulders was one, but a bigger one was the color of the eyes. Sure, there were some that wouldn’t have been unheard of on a normal human, but there were others that weren’t. Purple, orange, yellow, and other colors of the rainbow were present in the new humans. Not to mention some of them had begun manifesting glowing wings and even glowing hands. Pegasi and unicorns, he assumed as one of the humans with glowing hands reached out and picked up a nearby rock with his telekinesis magic while a former pegasus spread her wings and flew, exposing her bare body for everyone to see.

“You’d better not be staring,” Dengal said with a teasingly menacing tone.

“What, when you have us,” Chrysalis said in an equally teasing tone.

Gregory inwardly smirked. Good, he thought, she’s starting to relax slightly. He turned and put an arm around Dengal then stepped back to put the other around Chrysalis. “You two are far sexier,” he replied without a hint of shame.

Chrysalis chirped. She actually chirped like a cricket. Dengal snorted at that. “Shut up,” Chrysalis said with a defeated tone as she smacked his side with her tail before walking away to sulk cutely.

“She is so damn adorable,” Dengal whispered.

“Yes she is, but we’re getting distracted again,” Gregory said as he turned back to face the new throngs of humanity. “Miss Jubilee, Miss Crunch, Miss Sure, these new humans need to be given something to cover up immediately. Bare skin won’t protect them very well from the elements, and they are able to sunburn more easily now.”

“Right,” Cherry said before turning to Swift Sure. “Swift, you and Toffee go and grab as many blankets as possible. I’ll see if Bobbin can get started on making custom clothes for everypony-I mean, everyhuman.”

“Everybody,” Gregory corrected her automatically.

“Oh, everybody. Understood,” Cherry said with a nod. “Let’s go, fillies.”

“Girls or ladies,” Gregory corrected again, but this time he wasn’t heard as the three ran, or in Swift’s case flew, back into town.

“This wasn’t quite what I was expecting to happen when we landed,” Celestia admitted as she approached the others.

“What should we do now, sister?” Luna asked as she joined Celestia with the others.

Celestia turned to the newly grown forest, a thoughtful look on her face. “While Majesty did promise that she would not make any moves in the near future, I don’t want to take the risk that she finds some hidden crime we have somehow missed.”

“Maybe she’ll tell you about anything she’s seen,” Megan said.

Luna and Celestia turned to the younger woman. “Do you have any idea why she would?” Luna asked.

“As a test,” Gregory said. “A test to see what you’d do to those criminals.”

Celestia nodded in immediate understanding. “I can understand that,” she said. “I don’t like it, but I can understand it. Still, as much as I want to go, I don’t know if I can just abandon this town when many of its citizens are in need.” She turned to one of the guards, who Gregory knew was a Sergeant Zip. “Sergeant, where’s the nearest town to this one?”

“That’d be Appleloosa, your highness,” the mare said, pointing her wing towards the west.

“Fly there with all possible speed and seek out any seamstresses you can find,” Luna commanded, “and have them come here posthaste.”

“At once, your highness,” Sergeant Zip said as she turned and began giving orders to her guards. Two pegasi spread their wings and shot into the sky with speed that rivaled that of the Great Eagles.

“So,” Chrysalis said as she came to stand next to Gregory, “this is the town that treated you like Ponyville treated that Jason character, huh?”

Gregory nodded. “It was featured in an episode of the show, actually,” he said as they began following Celestia and Luna into town. “This is the closest I’ve gotten to it.”

Chrysalis snorted. “Of course it’s a small town.”

“What does that mean?” Dengal asked.

“It means that if he’d landed in someplace like Manehattan, he might have stood a better chance,” Chrysalis said.

“I’m gonna say no on that one,” Dengal replied. “It may have been a lot worse, to be honest.”

Chrysalis shrugged. “Maybe, but small towns have always been a bit more…backwards thinking…at least, as far as I’ve seen during my lifetime.”

“How old are you, anyway?” Gregory asked, looking at the disguised changeling queen with curiosity.

Chrysalis looked at Gregory with a false look of horror. “Gregory Eugene Graystone,” she said in faux shock, “it’s considered impolite to ask a mare her age. Your mother should have taught you better.”

“Older then, got it,” Gregory said with a grin. “An honest to God MILF.”

“HAH!” Tobias laughed, covering his mouth with his paw.

Chrysalis’ face went red and once more she made a chirping sound. “You’re so unfair,” she muttered.

“As for my mom, fuck her,” Gregory said, his smile fading. “She and my dad were…not the best parents, shall we say?”

Chrysalis looked at him with a look that Gregory couldn’t quite identify. It wasn’t a bad look, per se, but more of a look of…understanding? She nodded. “Understood.”

As they walked through the town, Gregory wondered just when the hell had Chrysalis gotten so comfortable with them that she was willing to actually start dishing out the playful teasing. It seemed to have happened overnight. He didn’t mind it, of course, as it was a welcome surprise from her normal behavior. Of course, Gregory had some guesses as to her change of behavior.

As they walked through the town, he began noticing the nervous and guilty stares coming from the newly transformed naked humans standing in the streets. There were fillies and colts there, too, most staring at the newly naked humans with mix of nervousness, fear, and uncertainty. Megan suddenly stopped in the middle of the road, then clapped her hands loudly. “Colts and fillies! May I have your attention, please?” she shouted so she could be heard.

The group who was walking paused and turned back to face Megan with confusion. He walked up beside her. “What are you doing?” he asked curiously.

“Watch,” she replied as she knelt down to the level of the foals. “Would you all come over here for a moment, please?” She gave them a closed lipped smile. “I won’t hurt you, dears, I promise.”

The foals paused and looked at each other, unsure of what to do. That was when a few adult ponies walked up and looked down at the foals, giving them encouraging nods and saying that they would go as well. Encouraged by this, the ponies approached Megan. Her smile radiated warmth and a sort of motherly affection, which made some sense to Gregory. He remembered that in at least one MLP fan story, she was described as having a motherly love for the ponies when she and her siblings returned to Equestria.

When the foals surrounded her, Megan sat on the ground and gave them all a smile. “You know,” she began, “it’s not polite to stare at a human who isn’t wearing any clothes.”

“It’s not?” a random foal asked incredulously. “We don’t wear clothes.”

“Well, that’s because you are all born with the ability to magically hide certain areas of your bodies,” Megan explained, “but humans can’t do that. That’s why we have to wear clothes. It’s mandatory.”

“Why?” a younger voice asked.

“Two reasons, actually,” Megan said as she lifted her sleeve up and pointed at her skin. “We don’t have fur like ponies do, so we need to wear clothes to keep warm during cold days and to protect our skin from the hot sun’s rays during hot days. The second one is for a reason that I’m not sure some of you are ready to know about.”

“Modesty?” an older pony asked curiously.

Megan nodded. “Pretty much, yes.”

“What’s that mean?” a filly asked curiously.

Megan chuckled warmly, then reached over to pick the filly up and place her in her lap. Gregory watched with astonishment. Megan really was a natural with children, it seemed. “That’s something that you and your parents will talk about when you’re older,” she said sweetly before running a hand through her mane.

The filly’s eyes went wide, then they fluttered shut. “Oh wow…” she said. “That feels nice.”

Seeing this, the other foals rushed up to Megan, each begging for some head scratches of their own. Daniel and Molly slowly approached and sat on either side of Megan. The foals seemed to flock to them, eager for headpats.

“Like moths to a light,” Chrysalis said from beside Gregory as she watched.

Gregory snorted, then reached up to scratch Chrysalis’ mane. “Please, like you don’t enjoy it?” he asked.

She gave him a glare, but there was no malice behind those eyes. Instead, she chirped once more. “You’re incorrigible,” she muttered.

“And you’re sexy,” Dengal replied as she stepped over to Chrysalis’ other side and stroked her back with her own fingers.

“She is quite talented when it comes to dealing with foals,” Celestia said from beside them. Gregory looked and saw a smile crossing her lips.

“She was always good with foalsitting, as I think you call it today,” a familiar voice said from behind them.

That voice made Gregory’s blood run cold, then hot. He snatched up one of his guns and whirled around, aiming it at the head of the ancient alicorn mare who was suddenly standing behind them, an unconcerned smile on her face. Sunset, Chrysalis, Luna, and Celestia aimed their horns at the mare, Tobias drew his two swords, Dengal grabbed her hammer, and Megan and her siblings stood protectively in front of the now frightened foals. “You…” Gregory growled angrily, fighting hard to keep himself from trembling.

Majesty looked at him with a remorseful expression, her smile instantly fading. “Gregory,” she said softly, “I didn’t come here to bring you with me again. I simply came to talk with everyone here. I will not take any actions against anyone here, this I swear on the Rainbow of Light.”

“Be very wary of that oath, your majesty,” Megan said as she stepped forward to stand beside Gregory, “because it will hold you to said oath.” She reached into her shirt and brought out the Rainbow of Light, holding it up for the alicorn to see.

Majesty, who had come alone, looked at Megan with a mix of emotions on her face. Joy at seeing her, sadness at the length of time perhaps, and others which Gregory couldn’t quite identify. “Megan Williams,” she said softly, and with a trembling tone, “it’s so nice to see you again.”

“I wish I could say the same with complete honesty,” Megan said sadly. “I’ve missed you, but from what I’ve been told, you’ve changed.”

Majesty sighed somberly. “Forced immortality will do that,” she said.

“Forced?” There was a hint of concern in Megan’s voice.

“That’s…part of what I wanted to talk to you all about,” Majesty said. “I never thought I’d get the chance to see you again, but now that I have, I want to talk.” She turned to Celestia and Luna. “Would you and your party care to join us in Sanctuary? We have quite a lot we should discuss.”

37: A Long-Awaited Meeting

Megan had never felt anything so tense as the atmosphere in Dodge City’s town hall meeting room. It didn’t help much that Majesty had blacked out the windows so that a couple of the nox ponies could join, one of whom named Starfall immediately had gone to Gregory’s side to check on him. Megan noted the brief interaction, promising herself to ask Gregory about it later since the nox seemed to be very worried about him. The other nox was an older one who had dark maroon fur, dark emerald eyes, and dark gray mane and tail.

Majesty had brought two other guests, as well. Megan was on guard when she brought a lithess named Katherine Silverpaws, but when she saw the fourth guest, it took all of her self-control not to rush up and greet said guest eagerly. Young Spyke, although he was no longer young, was beside Majesty. He wasn’t as big as Gregory had described him, but he was also not as small as Megan remembered him being. He was about as tall as an average human, with a pair of wings behind him. However, the eyes were the giveaway. They held an age that no size changing spell or whatever was affecting Spyke could hide.

Majesty had brought a gift for everyone, five barrels of something she called rosewine. One was for Gregory, while the other four were for Celestia and Luna respectfully. She also brought roseberry fruits and seeds for the monarchs as well as small barrels of wine, fruit and seeds for the Williams siblings. Megan remembered roseberries from the Dream Castle garden and its surrounding private farm. Despite everything, she couldn’t wait to go and try planting the seeds back on Earth.

The delegation from the Badlands sat on one side of the table, Majesty sitting in the middle. On the other side of the table sat Celestia, Luna, Gregory, Megan, Daniel and Molly. The other members of Shadow Dawn had wanted to be there, but Gregory had talked them down. As it was, their group had one more member on their side. Celestia added that one good method of negotiation was to not make the other side feel outnumbered.

Megan sat next to Gregory, who himself was sitting next to Celestia, a placement the monarch had insisted on. Luna sat next to Celestia, and Daniel was next to Luna. Molly sat next to Daniel. Majesty, on the other hand, sat in the middle on the other side, with Spyke at her right hand side. Katherine was seated to Majesty’s left, and the two nox ponies sat on the end, with Starfall sitting as close to Gregory as possible despite being seated on the other side of the table. The light in the room came from a number of gas lamps hanging from the ceiling and candles at the table.

The table had been set with a decent assortment of food, all brought by Majesty and her group. A meatloaf that, despite the situation, made Megan’s mouth water, warm and freshly baked bread, salads, and a pot of stew that even ponies could safety eat. For their drinks, she had brought sweetened goat milk or ice water. After Celestia, Luna, and Sunset had confirmed that none of the food or drink was poisoned, they had accepted the food.

The meal was silent and tense, and Megan noted that Gregory in particular didn’t seem too hungry. Still, she observed that he did eat at least the meatloaf that had been prepared for him along with a half a bread roll and some butter. He never really took his eyes, which were full of suspicion and a slight hint of fear, off of Majesty as he ate slowly and methodically. Majesty didn’t seem to notice for a while, but when the meal was about to end, she looked over at him, her ancient purple eyes meeting his sapphire ones. “I understand that you are suspicious and…wary…of me, Mr. Graystone,” she said, and Megan detected a hint of regret in her tone, “and I am truly sorry for that. It was never my intention to cause you any mental or physical distress.”

“And yet, you did,” he snapped back, eyes flashing with repressed anger.

Instinctively, Megan reached over and put her hand on his. It had been something she’d done with her brother whenever he lost his temper in an effort to calm him down. Fortunately, it worked in Gregory’s case and he relaxed slightly. Majesty’s focus turned to her, and Megan saw an apparently genuine smile form on the ancient alicorn’s face. “Megan…I didn’t think I would ever see you again.” She dabbed at her eyes which had suddenly become full of tears. “I missed you. All of you.” She turned to Daniel and Molly. “Danny. Molly. You’ve all grown so much since I last saw you.”

“You’ve definitely grown something, too,” Daniel said sardonically, gesturing to her wings.

Majesty seemed to catch his meaning right away and she spread her white wings. “Ah yes, these,” she said with an amused tone, but Megan noted that the amusement didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Now I know how the pegasi and flutter ponies felt whenever they flew.” She flapped her wings, and Megan heard the telltale sound of the Utter Flutter coming from her wings.

“What happened to the flutter ponies?” Molly asked softly.

Majesty’s smile faded, then looked to the two nox ponies. With a surprisingly prehensile display, she pointed to Starfall and the other nox pony, a stallion named Brisk Night. “You’re looking at what they turned into,” she said, and Megan could definitely hear a sadness in her now serious tone.

“There’s a lot of history we’re missing, isn’t there?” Celestia asked.

Majesty then turned her attention to her fellow alicorn, her expression stern. “More than you could possibly imagine, princess,” she said.

Megan could practically hear the age coming from her old friend. Back in the day, she had sounded much younger and would even sometimes join in the play of the ponies of Ponyland. “What happened?” she asked in an empathetic tone. “What happened to you, Maj?” She used the old nickname that Majesty had reserved only for those close to her.

Majesty didn’t react right away, simply continued staring at Celestia. Finally, however, she looked at Megan. “Again, more than you could possibly imagine,” she said, and Megan heard a weariness in her old friend’s tone. One that spoke of age far beyond her comprehension. Celestia and Luna might have been eleven hundred years old, but from what Megan had managed to patch together, Majesty may very well have been close to or even somewhat over three thousand years old.

“I’m sorry,” Megan said softly.

“What?” Majesty’s ears flicked forward.

“I’m sorry,” Megan repeated, louder this time. She let her empathetic tone through, because she did mean it. Clearly, Majesty had been through a lot since she and the Williams siblings had last seen each other, and three thousand years was a long time.

Majesty gave a somewhat somber smile towards the woman. “Don’t be,” Majesty said. “I’ve done things I’m not proud of.”

“That doesn’t mean I can’t feel for you,” Megan said. “Same with Daniel or Molly.”

“She’s not wrong,” Daniel said, leaning toward Majesty, hands folded. “We love you, Majesty. We love Spyke, too. You two are a part of our lives in so many ways.”

Spyke sat up, his eyes wide and a small smile forming on his face. Majesty reached a wing over and put it around the ancient dragon warmly. “He is the only one from those warmer days who remembers everything. He carried me from my former captivity after I…escaped.” Megan saw the haunted look that briefly passed over her face before the serious expression returned. “However, we are getting sidetracked. We can relive old days later.” She turned to Celestia and Luna. “I believe it’s time we talked, ruler to ruler. Face to face. Mare to mare.”

“Of that, we can be agreed,” Celestia said with a nod.

Majesty returned the nod, then raised her horn. Her purple magic surrounded her horn, then a large faux leather bound book floated up and was set in front of Celestia and Luna. “Let’s start with this.”

The diarchs looked at the book, then back at Majesty. “What is this?” Celestia asked.

“A list of names of ponies who have committed crimes in Equestria,” Majesty said. “Serious crimes, with emphasis on abuse against nonponies, but not limited to those crimes. You would be surprised at the number of ponies who have gotten away with murder as the saying goes, some quite literally.”

Celestia and Luna exchanged looks of alarm before they used their own magic to open the book, flipping through the names. Their eyes widened as they read said names. Celestia spoke first. “Surely you can’t be serious,” she said.

“I am,” Majesty said, and then a wry look appeared on her face as she added, “and don’t call me Shirley.”

Megan couldn’t help herself. She snorted in amusement. Three thousand years later from Majesty’s perspective and she had not forgotten the joke from that Airplane movie that Daniel had used against her once. Daniel snickered as well as Molly. Gregory didn’t react as much, only widened his eyes in what looked like surprise. Celestia and Luna looked a bit confused, but then Luna’s eyes widened in realization. “Clever,” the dark blue alicorn commented, “but please be serious.”

Majesty shook her head with a wry smile. “If we don’t learn to laugh at ourselves, then what good are we? You were once the bearer of the Element of Laughter, were you not, Luna?”

“True,” Luna said without a hint of hesitation, “but I also know when to be serious.”

Majesty shook her head again, her smile never fading. “Very well, let’s be serious then,” she said. “What do you make of the list of names there?”

Celestia, who had quickly gone back to reading the list, sighed. “You need to realize that we need to confirm this,” she said, “and we need more than this as evidence. As of now, you’re only one source.”

“Oh, that I do understand,” Majesty said, “do what you need to in order to gather the evidence you need. I did list where you could find evidence.”

“Yes you did,” Luna said, “but how can we take your word on that?”

“Because she uses her enchanted mirror to scry everywhere,” Gregory said from beside Megan, his eyes boring a hole into Majesty’s soul.

Majesty turned slowly to Gregory and gave him a sad smile. “While that is true, and while I have used my mirror to view the crimes in question, according to modern Equestrian law, scrying spells can only go so far in a courtroom.”

“As they should be,” Celestia said. “We have to ensure the privacies of our little po-our subjects.” She corrected herself at the last minute, Megan noted. “You used that scrying spell as the only method of judging ponies.”

“Not so,” Majesty said. “Not all of them, I should clarify. For the ponies of Maretime Bay, their guilt was already on display for all the world to see. For the ponies in this town, there is evidence in the very existence and life circumstances of Gregory and in various town documents, specifically a sheriff's report about the incident of Gregory’s first attempt to make friends with ponies.” Here, she gave Gregory an apologetic look, then she continued. “What I did to the nobleponies has plenty of evidence in their own estate paperwork. Same with the business owner ponies, along with witnesses. And this one you likely don’t know about, but I had evidence against a former member of my inner circle, Opaline Arcana, who wanted to betray me and take over for her own selfish purposes.”

Gregory stiffened at the name, and Celestia and Luna both froze in alarm. Gregory was the first to speak. “Dark purple fur, silver and cyan green streaked mane, curved horn, alicorn of fire, and has a stick so far up her ass she might as well be shitting splinters?”

Majesty’s eyes widened in surprise. “Well, I knew that the other alicorns here knew about her, but how do you?” she asked.

Gregory’s face hardened. “That’s my secret,” he said.

The two looked at each other for a few tense moments before Majesty nodded. “Okay, that’s fair,” she said. She turned back to Celestia and Luna. “In fact, I’ve been keeping track of her movements since she ran. She should be here later today, if she keeps her current heading. You won’t recognize her, of course, since I turned her into a horse.” Majesty chuckled. “Listen to me, I’ve become a zebra shaman. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Back to the topic at hoof.”

“Indeed,” Celestia said, her surprise gone as she had quickly regained her royal calm. “What of your actions against the two ponies responsible for the death of Gear Turner?”

Majesty’s face turned hard with anger. “I will not tolerate that sort of action,” she said darkly, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop by ten degrees despite it being the middle of Equestrian summer. “Gear Turner was a peaceful stallion. He had his whole life ahead of him. He was young and looking to the future. Silver Bolt and Amber Song were stuck in the past. Even in his dying breath, he pleaded for no violence. Truly, he is, or was, more worthy of the title Noble than any of the sycophants who once were part of Equestrian nobility.” A look of sorrow passed over Majesty’s face. “Silver and Amber received just punishment. I didn’t take their powers, didn’t change their forms, merely made it so that they experienced the pain they caused others.”

“They have had to be committed to a care facility,” Luna said with a frown. “It may take them years to recover.”

“But they will recover, if they choose to face their guilt instead of what they’re doing now and avoiding it out of fear,” Majesty said.

There was silence again until Gregory, who must have swallowed something the wrong way, began to experience a coughing fit. Megan moved to pat him on the back, but Starfall was up from her chair first, moving to Gregory’s side, looking him over with worry in her eyes as she rubbed his back. “Are you okay?” the nox pony asked with a concerned tone.

Gregory nodded and gave the younger nox pony a smile before he reached out for his drink. Starfall grabbed it first and handed it over to the human, who took it and downed it. “Apologies,” he said.

Majesty, who had watched this interaction with curiosity, looked at Starfall. “You’ve grown quite attached to Gregory, haven’t you, my dear pony?” she asked.

Starfall looked embarrassed by this, but slowly nodded. “Y-You asked me to look after him, and I failed to make him feel welcome.”

“Don’t feel bad about that,” Megan said softly. As Starfall turned to look wide eyed at Megan, the human continued. “A guided cage,” and here she turned to Majesty, “is still a cage, no matter what.”

Majesty nodded somberly. “That was an error of judgment on my part. I wanted to keep Gregory safe, but I went about it in a rather hasty and foolish way.” She turned to Gregory with a sincerely apologetic look and inclined her head towards him. “I am truly sorry.” Gregory didn’t respond immediately, but eventually, he just nodded. Majesty then turned to Starfall. “Young Starfall, if you wish, you may enter into the service of Gregory Graystone, here.”

Gregory began to protest, but Starfall’s ears perked up, as did her body language. Her tail flicked slightly, something Megan knew had to be barely restrained anticipation. “I can?” The excitement couldn’t be hidden from her voice, however.

“If Gregory here allows it,” Majesty said.

Megan wondered if this was some sort of plan that Majesty had cooked up, but before she could speak up about her suspicions, someone else did. “How can we be sure you will not spy on her while she is with Gregory, or that she is some sort of plant?” Luna asked, eyes narrowed.

Majesty shook her head fervently. “If anyone who is a part of Sanctuary decides to leave, I give them only my hopes for a good life along with a sum of money and supplies for their solo journey,” she said. “A few have left, and I do not spy on them, as you put it. And besides, this is her choice along with Gregory’s.”

Starfall gave Gregory a hopeful expression, and Megan held back a smile. Ponies were incredibly cute when they wanted to be, and the puppy dog eyes that she was giving to Gregory would have broken any other normal man. But Gregory was no normal man, as Megan was quickly becoming quite aware of. He had shown hints of an inner playfulness with his teasing of Chrysalis and love for Dengal, but for the most part he kept his emotions in check. He was cold and calculating, with a hidden inner rage he submerged beneath false serenity. He turned to her, hands folded and placed in his lap. He looked down at her with that same stern face before he spoke after a tense minute. “We will see,” he said. “And by we, I mean Shadow Dawn.” He turned to Majesty with a hard expression. “No promises.”

Starfall looked a bit crestfallen by this, but she nodded. “I understand,” she said before slowly flying back to her seat.

“Don’t blame her for my own actions,” Majesty said. “I merely assigned her to be your personal maid. She’s the one who became quite attached to you. She was beside herself with worry and shame when you escaped. She blames herself for-”

“She shouldn’t,” Gregory said sharply, surprising Megan. Nobody interrupted Majesty back in Ponyland. “I said no promises, but if she does want to join me, she will have to convince not only me, but the rest of Shadow Dawn. We’re a team.”

Majesty looked at him with a slightly raised eyebrow, then nodded. “That’s understandable. Now then, let’s get back on topic. Or rather, get to the heart of the reason I wished to see the diarchs of Equestria.” She turned to Celestia and Luna. “I believe I have made my displeasure with modern pony society quite clear. I have seen how ponies have deteriorated in their attitudes towards other races and even to each other in certain cases. Case in point, unicorn supremacy in Canterlot. In my time as queen of Ponyland, we had very good relationships with our neighbors. Humans, elves, gnomes, dragons, grundles, and more were allies of my kingdom. Sure, some among those races were antagonistic to us, but the vast majority were friendly. I’ve seen less interspecies friendships here than I ever saw back then. And I see that nothing substantial has been done about it in the years since ponies…‘united’…” and here she made air quotations with her hooves.

“I may have some explanation for that,” Megan said as she reached into her clothes and pulled out the Rainbow of Light. “A partial one, perhaps.”

Majesty stared at the Rainbow of Light placidly. “I thought I had felt a familiar magic permeating through Canterlot when I visited that second time,” she said. “You used it there.”

“I did,” Megan said, “and I used it here, too. Just like I’m going to use it again.” Before anyone else could say anything, she opened the locket. Once more, the brilliant rainbow light shot out from it. Megan watched as Majesty closed her eyes serenely, inhaling deeply. The other three closed their eyes as well, covering them as best as they could. The sound of ancient magic permeated the room. And the two nox ponies began to glow brightly before being lifted off of the ground, their outlines so brilliant that it looked as if they were made of light. The lithess covered her head with her paws, but otherwise was unaffected.

Just like in that Disney movie Beauty and the Beast, light shot out from the hooves and wings of the two nox ponies. The light from them was briefly brighter than that from the Rainbow of Light. Then, she watched as the two ponies slowly floated down towards the table, lying down on top of it. Megan snapped the Rainbow’s latch shut and stared at the two glowing ponies. Only, they weren’t nox ponies anymore. They had become flutter ponies.

Starfall was a pale blue mare with a pure white but windswept mane. Her cutie mark remained the same, and her wings were just like those of the flutter ponies Megan remembered, translucent rainbow colored butterfly styled wings which were glittering with the magic of Utter Flutter. The stallion, who Megan didn’t know, was bright green with a light brown mane and tail. Just like Starfall’s wings, his were the same rainbow styled butterfly wings with the magic of Utter Flutter flowing through them.

Starfall was the first to open her eyes. Groaning, she looked up, and ironically, her now revealed grayish-blue eyes locked onto Gregory’s own. She blinked a few times, then took stock of her surroundings. “What happened?” she asked.

Majesty, who was looking at the two new flutter ponies with a shocked expression, slowly smiled. “I can’t believe it…you’re back to your original race…”

Starfall turned towards Majesty, eyes wide with confusion. “Your majesty?”

Majesty chuckled, then lifted her horn. A mirror formed in front of the new flutter pony. “Take a look,” she said.

Starfall looked back at herself, and her eyes widened in alarm. In a rather horselike reaction of fear, she reared up, neighed, and stumbled back. Only to step over the table onto air and fall back right into Gregory’s lap. He caught her carefully. “Whoa, there,” he said softly, “it’s alright. Calm down. You’re okay.”

Starfall looked up to Gregory, wide eyed with fear. “I’ve changed, and you’re telling me that I’m okay?!” The terror in her voice was clear enough.

Before Gregory could reply, Majesty raised her horn and twirled it. Magic sprang from it and surrounded Starfall, making her float over back to her seat. “Young Starfall,” Majesty said, “you may have changed physically, but only because of the Rainbow’s magic. You are now a flutter pony.”

“But you told us that they were extinct…” Starfall said, still trembling with fear.

“They did,” Majesty confirmed, “and they were your ancestors. I don’t know what the demons did to your ancestors, but they must have cursed them to become nox ponies, unable to look at the sun again without extreme eye protection.” She raised her horn again and moved the curtains which covered the windows, Sunlight shone in, some hitting very near Starfall. “I tried everything I knew of to break this curse, but even I couldn’t do it. I’ve tried more recently, but nothing seemed to work.”

Starfall had covered her eyes with her new wings, but that had been fruitless. She did pause, however, when she looked up at the sliver of sunlight. Megan watched as the still nervous mare slowly approached the spot of light, reaching out to try and touch it. She hesitated a few times, then with a deep breath, touched it. She held it there, eyes wide in surprise. “So warm…” was all that she said.

Majesty smiled warmly at the new flutter pony. “Sunlight is definitely one of life’s many blessings that anyone could, and should, enjoy.” She shot the other two alicorns a somber look before she turned to Megan. “Megan,” she began, “would you be willing to visit Sanctuary and free the other nox ponies? Those who want to be free of the curse, that is?”

Megan leaned back, slowly putting the Rainbow of Light away beneath her clothes again. “I’ll have to think about it,” she said, “if you don’t mind.”

“Of course,” Majesty nodded in agreement. “Anyway, back to the topic at hoof. You mentioned a partial explanation as to the ponies modern day abominable behavior towards other races?”

Megan nodded. “I’m sure you’ve seen the effects on the ponies of this town already,” she said. “When I used it here, a large majority who were stratadons turned into humans with pony magic. That was the condition you placed on their reformation, correct?”

Majesty nodded. “They will be spending time as humans once they realize their error,” she explained, “but then, they will regain more of their pony physical forms. They will be human shaped ponies. They will have hands and feet, but will also have their tails back, and their heads will be those of ponies along with their digestive systems. Like this.”

Majesty raised her horn and cast a spell which surrounded her. Her form glowed a bright purple and she seemed to grow. Her forehooves became hands, her back hooves became feet, and she grew to be about six feet tall. When she stopped glowing, she had indeed become a humanoid version of a pony. She was wearing clothes that Megan wouldn’t have found out of place at the local Renaissance Festival they went to every year. The newly humanoid pony mare leaned forward, folding her furry hands together. “I used this form quite often with my husband Chethan,” she said, a faraway look forming on her face before she refocused. “I could still eat what normal ponies ate, my magic wasn’t affected, and pegasi can still fly like this. Earth ponies will retain their strength and connection to nature. But Megan, what sort of change do you think could have affected my dear ponies?”

“Your late husband, may he rest in peace, and Frosty Shivers answered that,” Gregory replied before Megan could speak.

Majesty turned sharply to Gregory, eyes full of intrigue. “How so?” she asked.

“The demon’s created some deadly disease that turned anyone who was infected into what he called the walking dead, correct?” Gregory asked.

Majesty nodded, then her eyes slowly widened. “You think…”

“If the demon warlocks and witches, as King Chethan called them, could conjure a disease like that, then perhaps they conjured some sort of curse,” Gregory said. “A curse that has been passed from generation to generation, being diluted with every generation. It could explain why all three pony races were at each other's' throats for so long. Even in the beginning of Equestria, the tension between each race remained. Now, though, for the most part, that curse has been all but extinguished.”

“That does not excuse the modern-day society and their treatment of nonponies,” Majesty said firmly.

“No, it doesn’t,” Gregory agreed, “but it does explain it. At least partly. And what Frosty Shivers wrote about in her account explains their instinctive hatred and fear of humans. Ponies blame the humans of this world for the destruction of their original homeland. Think of it like some sort of genetic memory. Twilight Sparkle even turned Jason Wright away, knowing full well what he was.”

“But while most of Ponyville didn’t know what Jason was, Twilight Sparkle’s actions as a princess, an unworthy one at that, set an example for the rest that the creature she rejected wasn’t welcome,” Majesty concluded. “That was why all of those ponies were punished. All except the six main instigators.”

The room was silent for a moment as everyone digested the new hypothesis. Luna, however, spoke up. “Back to the topic of the changes to the ponies you made, if you can do this, then why not return them to being true ponies when you believe they have learned their lesson?”

Majesty turned to the ancient alicorn of the night, her expression now unreadable. “I love my dear ponies, Princess Luna,” she said, “and I want them to grow from their experiences. Remaining in this particular form is not meant to be a punishment of any kind. It is meant to be a reminder to be better. Ponies do tend to be forgetful, as I’m sure you’re aware.”

“But surely the trauma of being human, even temporarily, will be enough,” Celestia said, eyes narrowed at the first alicorn in existence.

“Can you be sure of that?” Majesty asked. “Can you be sure that they won’t slowly forget? I believe it was your former student who learned not to judge a book by its cover with a certain zebra mare, but then turned her back on that lesson when something non-pony shaped was involved.”

“This will cause a divide between ponies and the humanoid ponies, as you call them,” Luna argued.

“Then shouldn’t you enact some changes to make sure that the other nonpony races in Equestria are treated just as well as ponies are?” Majesty asked. “Also, they are still ponies. Surely, modern day ponies are not so foolish as to judge another pony for such a fur deep change like this, right?” She gestured to her own new form.

Celestia frowned at Majesty, and Megan realized that the latter had just made a jab at modern day ponies. However, the princess seemed to deflate a bit at this. “Surely, there had to be another way than this.”

“You both have had two years to make any kind of substantial change,” Majesty said. “Originally, I would have stayed out of it for a few more years, but things were deteriorating far too quickly. I had to act.” Her tone became earnest. “I am a strong believer in what Equestria could be, but as it stands now, Equestria is only a few years away from this.” She raised her horn and cast a spell. The blinds closed again, and a three-dimensional image appeared. This showed a pony town that could have been any town. The medieval architecture was familiar to Megan as it reminded her of what Ponyville had looked like in the cartoon.

But it wasn’t the town she focused on. It was the arguments that were being displayed. Ponies were shouting at each other. The voices began to become audible. Unicorns were insulting earth ponies, who in turn were hurling their own insults at pegasi, who in turn were calling unicorns elitist. They were ignorant of massive silvery horse shaped spirits that were swirling around overhead. Heavy snowfall began falling, and the ignorant ponies began to freeze in place, their faces eternally frozen in poses of hatred and distrust.

“The windigos…” someone said. Megan realized a few seconds later that it was Gregory.

“Correct, Gregory,” Majesty said. “They have made no moves yet, but if I didn’t make my move first, Equestria would be destroyed just like Ponyland and the other lands who fell to the demon horde. Still, my main reason is what I said it was.” Here, she locked eyes with Celestia and Luna, her eyes flashing with determination. “The reformation of ponykind.”

Author's Note

Just a copy and paste author's note from A Renewed Ending.

I'm going to try and go back and forth between my Endingverse stories and two other non-Endingverse stories each week, so this week will be the Endingverse stories and next will be two of my other stories. Variety being the spice of life and all. If that doesn't work, I'll go back to this and my other story once a week until they're done. I even have another Endingverse stories in production, but I won't do anything with that one for a while.

38: Testimony

“It feels like forever since we left here,” Rarity commented as they stepped off of their train onto the Maretime Bay train station platform. The engine, which was a dull gray unlike the pink one she Twilight was used to, waited patiently as everypony stepped off and stretched their legs.

“It has been a while since we were here,” Twilight agreed, “and I’m not looking forward to seeing what it’s like now.”

“It’s probably a mess in town,” Applejack said. “Ah’ll help anyway ah can, but mah family may need me on the new farm.”

“Don’t worry about it too much, Applejack,” Twilight reassured her, “I’ll manage somehow.”

“I can help, too,” Rarity said.

Twilight turned to her former friend. “Rarity…but-”

“Don’t say anything, Twilight,” she said, raising a hoof. “I know you’re going to protest and try and say you can do things alone, but there’s something I can do that very few ponies in town can do. I can make clothes for the new humans. It’s the least I can do. Besides, I’ll probably need to make both summer and winter clothes if this is permanent,” she added.

Twilight nodded. She had a good point. Humans apparently wore clothes, not for a fashion statement like ponies did, but because it was a necessity. They had no fur covering their skin, and certain…areas…needed to be covered. Ponies could cover their unmentionables underneath fur, but humans apparently didn’t. She had sat down with Gregory one day and had talked about that among other aspects of humanity she hadn’t even known about. Clothing being a necessity to protect against heat and cold along with being a moral aspect of their life made sense. “I’ll offer my organizational services to Town Hall and see if I can get a budget set up so that we can get you the fabric that you need,” she said. “Just remember, though, they can’t be anything extravagant.”

“Of course,” Rarity said with an understanding nod, but Twilight could see the disappointment in her eyes.

Same old Rarity, she thought as she turned to Rainbow and Fluttershy. “Why did you get off here?” she asked. “This train goes to Zephyr Heights, right?”

“We’re staying to help,” Rainbow said. “I failed miserably and did such horrible things, and I need-want-to make up for it.”

“Besides,” Fluttershy added, “we aren’t going to just leave you to manage this alone.”

Twilight snorted, a half smile forming on her face. “I thought Rainbow was Loyalty back in the day,” she said sardonically.

“We need to be more than a representative of just our former element,” Pinkie said, stepping forward. “We need to follow all of the tenets. We’re staying, like it or not.”

Twilight was overwhelmed by the outpouring of kindness and loyalty from all of the ponies here. She looked at Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Pinkie first. “There’s room at the lighthouse,” she said, “so you can stay with me there.”

“Thank you,” Pinkie said with a small smile.

“It was you guys that we saw,” a new voice said from behind them. A familiar voice. “Good to have you back, all of you.”

Twilight turned along with the others, and her eyes bulged out in shock and surprise. She honestly couldn’t believe what she was seeing at that very moment. Apparently, neither could her old friends. There, standing before the six, were two ponies, but with more human-like features. The face and mane shapes were familiar to her, and their exposed shoulders showed all-too familiar cutie marks. “Lyra? Bon Bon? Is that you?” Twilight asked.

Lyra, who was wearing simple gray pants and a white sleeveless top along with some hastily made sandals, chuckled dryly. “How do we look?” she asked as she brushed her mane aside.

“Like nothing I’ve ever seen or imagined before,” Twilight admitted, looking at the human-shaped pony in front of her. Unlike normal humans, Lyra and Bon Bon had their fur back, although it looked somewhat shorter. She had to avoid looking at the chest area as she could see the human version of teats somewhat exposed through the thin fabric of her sleeveless top. “When did this happen?”

“About a day ago,” Bon Bon replied. She was wearing a black sleeveless top and a pair of dark blue shorts.

“But…why did it happen?” Fluttershy asked, looking just as confused as the rest of the silent former Elements.

Lyra and Bon Bon turned to each other, seeming to communicate without saying a word, then nodded. Bon Bon turned back. “Two nights ago, before the two of us went to bed, we were sitting up and talking about the past.”

“Specifically, Jason,” Lyra added.

“Right,” Bon Bon said, “and we were also discussing other things that should be kept private but that were somewhat related.”

Twilight, when she was a princess, had become privy to Bon Bon’s identity as Sweetie Drops, but she didn’t show it as she nodded. “Okay…how did that change you from humans to this unusual form?” she asked.

“Well, here’s the thing,” Bon Bon said, “we’re not completely sure. Lyra has a theory, though.”

Twilight turned to Lyra. “What do you think happened?” she asked.

“Well, remember back when we were in Celestia’s school and we were being taught about the steps to lifting a curse?” Lyra asked.

“I do,” Twilight nodded. It had been one of the earlier lessons they had learned in school.

“There was a note in one of our textbooks about how certain spells, enchantments, or curses can be lifted if something inside the cursed or enchanted pony changes,” Lyra said. “Like, the caster of the enchantment or curse can lay out certain conditions for said enchantment or curse to be lifted.”

“Okay, I see where you’re going with this,” Twilight said, nodding in agreement with her former Canterlot friend, “but what proof do you have?”

“Well, did you hear about how Mayor Mare got her earth pony magic back while still remaining a human?” Lyra asked.

That caught the attention of everypony there. “How in tarnation did that happen?” Applejack asked incredulously.

“When we asked her about it, she said that she had some sort of revelation,” Bon Bon said. “Something inside her changed. She said she grew a bit as a pony, but that there was more that she felt like she needed to do.”

“Did either of you experience this…resurgence of your pony magic?” Twilight asked.

“Nope,” Lyra said, “we just woke up yesterday morning and found that we were like this/” She reached up and touched her horn with her new hands. “These fingers are pretty sensitive,” she said, holding up one finger to see that the digit was wrapped in a small bandage. “I got this when I was touching my horn, I never knew how sharp they were.”

“Oh dear,” Fluttershy said, “are you alright?”

“Oh yeah, I’m fine,” Lyra said.

“Back to the topic at hoof, though,” Bon Bon said.

“Right, sorry,” Lyra said sheepishly. “Back to our talk two nights ago. We were talking about our failures as ponies in upholding any of the tenets when it came not just to Jason, but to others like Zecora or other nonponies who passed through Ponyville who did us no harm. I’m not ashamed to admit that we were still wallowing in our own self-pity.”

Bon Bon snorted in a very ponylike way. “Some of us more than others,” she said.

Lyra gave Bon Bon a glare, but Twilight could see her eyes twinkling with amusement as well before she turned back to Twilight and the others. “We were doing some deep reflecting, I should say,” she said, “and yes, while we were throwing a pity party, our conversation was very serious.”

“What specifically did you talk about?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Well, like I said, how we failed as ponies,” Lyra said, “but then we switched topics somewhat.”

“We started talking about how we could become better ponies,” Bon Bon added.

“Right,” Lyra said. “We began asking ourselves what we could do better, and how we could train ourselves to become better. How could we not lose ourselves to our deep-seated fears and things like that.”

“And did you come up with anything?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“A good starting point,” Bon Bon said. “We needed to look at the tenets of harmony again, but also on other aspects that make a good pony.”

“Like empathy for others, acceptance of those difference than us, and to stand up not just for what we believe in, but for others and to just be good neighbors to our fellow creatures,” Lyra said. “It was a corny conversation thinking back, but it was also a good one to have.”

“Agreed,” Bon Bon said.

“Was that all you talked about?” Rarity asked, not sounding quite convinced.

“We discussed self-forgiveness for a bit,” Lyra said, “but that topic switched to basically never forgetting what we did. We even discussed asking the rest of the townsfolk to create a day where we just remember what we did. Not to wallow in misery, but as a way to never forget.”

“A reminder to always exercise the tenets of harmony,” Bon Bon added, “not just to ponies, but to all.”

“We may never forgive ourselves for what we did,” Lyra said in a somber tone, “but we can ensure that something like this never happens again as best as we can.”

“We were actually just about to ask the mayor if she could call a meeting for the town,” Bon Bon said.

“Would you six like to come?” Lyra asked.

Bon Bon frowned at this, but it wasn’t a frown of derision, which was only confirmed when she turned to Lyra. “Do you think the ponies and humans in town will want to see them?” she asked.

“Whether or not they want to see them isn’t the issue,” Lyra replied, turning back to Bon Bon with a furled brow, “but they need to be heard.” She turned back to the six. “Unless some of you still have sticks up your posteriors.” Here, she gave Rarity a glare.

The white unicorn lowered her head. “I’m not that petulant foal anymore,” she said soberly. “I know I need to take responsibility for my own crimes and betrayal of my own former element. And I would like to speak about my own abhorrent behavior.”

Lyra’s face relaxed. “Good,” she said, “because we were just about to head over when we saw you getting off and came to meet you.”

“Well, lead the way,” Twilight said.

As the two bipedal ponies turned and walked, Twilight’s analytical mind couldn’t help but observe their movements. In a way, they were extremely similar to Gregory’s. She’d watched how Spike walked over the years as well, and the two bipedal ponies in front of her did walk similarly. Heel down, then on the front, rinse, repeat. But there was something subtly different about their motion that confused Twilight. A part of her hoped that, someday, she could get to ask Gregory about it.

That was when she realized that she actually had seen something like that before. The goblin woman named Dengal had walked in an identical way. A part of her wondered if there was a difference in a walk between males and females of a bipedal or human-like species.

She was brought out of her thoughts when Lyra turned her head back to face them. “By the way, there’s a third pony that we know of who’s undergone the same transformation from human to…humony? Ponan? Humanoid pony? Anyway, somepony also changed like us.”

“Really? Who?” Rainbow asked, sounding as curious as Twilight felt.

“Octavia Melody,” Bon Bon replied.

That caught Twilight by surprise. Octavia had been one of the many ponies who participated in the mobs that chased Jason out of town, and from what she’d learned later, had been one of the crueler ponies. Still, hearing that she was now a humanoid pony was a shock to Twilight. “Did she tell you how it happened?” Rarity was the one to ask what Twilight was just about to.

“She was rather…tight lipped about the whole thing,” Bon Bon said.

“Needless to say, she’s just happy she can eat some of her favorite pony foods again,” Lyra chuckled. “I’ve never seen anypony scarf down that many hayburgers before.”

That brought further shock to the ponies. “She can eat hay again??” Twilight exclaimed. From what she knew from Gregory, humans couldn’t eat hay or some other things that ponies ate.

“She hasn’t gotten hurt like some of the other new humans who tried,” Lyra said as they turned a corner and headed down the main street towards Town Hall. “There she is now with Vinyl.”

Twilight looked past the two. Sure enough, there was a gray furred humanoid shape standing in front of Town Hall. Vinyl, who was still a normal pony, stood next to her, their height difference clearly visible. Octavia was wearing a dark blue pair of pants along with a light white sleeveless shirt. When the group was closer, the two ponies spotted them. Vinyl waved and called out, “You’re late!”

“Sorry!” Lyra called back, “we picked up some ponies who might be able to help!”

Octavia and Vinyl looked at them, and the former’s face grew briefly angry, but that gave way to self chiding, then confusion. “The former Elements?” Octavia asked in her upper Britmane accent. “Not to be rude, but how could they help?”

“Personal experience stories, for one,” Lyra explained, “and personal lessons that they may have learned.”

“Especially about the second human who was in town recently,” Bon Bon said.

Twilight wasn’t the only one who gawked at the earth pony humanoid in shock at that revelation. “How in tarnation did ya know that?” Applejack asked after a while.

“I have my sources,” Bon Bon said. “That masked mercenary who disappeared from town up near your new place had to be the other human. Most bipedal races on Erda have four digits on each claw or hand. Diamond dogs, dragons, abyssinians, and others are like that.”

“Goblins can have five digits,” Twilight argued, remembering Dengal and her five digits on each of her hands.

“That is a rarity,” Bon Bon said wryly, “and those goblins are systematically cast out from their tribes for being tainted.”

“Did that human come with you?” Octavia asked, looking past the six ponies as if searching for somepony.

“No,” Twilight said. “He and his mercenary group are somewhere else right now.”

“A shame,” Lyra said, ears flattening. “I was hoping to pick his brain about how humans live and how best they survive so we could help the other ponies around here who are humans make the best of the situation.”

“I did talk with him a few times about humans,” Twilight said, “and I’ll share that information with you.”

Lyra’s ears perked up. “We’ll sit down later,” she promised.

“Right now, though, I think it’s time to get inside and start this town meeting,” Bon Bon said as she and the other two humanoid ponies turned and walked inside, being forced to duck as they did. Twilight made a mental note of that as she and the others followed inside.

The inner chamber where town meetings were held was a lot simpler in design than the Town Hall from Ponyville, Twilight observed again. She’d only ever set hoof in this place once, and that had been when she had initially arrived in Maretime Bay. That visit had been brief because she had not wanted to stay too long, avoiding the gazes of the ponies who were there at the time. Now, though, she got a better look at it. The main hall was a rectangular affair with vaulted ceilings, a number of simple chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, lamps on sconces on the sides of the walls, and a stage at the front with a podium and several large custom built chairs sitting behind it. A couple ponies were setting up a microphone there, while most of the main floor was occupied, either with ponies in the same folding chairs, or humans sitting on cushions, presumably ones they’d brought from home.

The majority of the crowd were humans, all wearing simple clothes, either pants or shorts and sleeveless short sleeved shirts. Unlike how she had felt with Gregory, however, these humans did have a bit of magic. Not as much as a normal pony did, but enough to be detected by her own enhanced magical senses, a gift of her alicorn ascension. She did sense a hooffull of these humans who had more magic, and observed one of them using telekinesis with his new hand. Judging by the wall-eyed pegasus mare who sat beside him along with another human woman who he overheard the human male calling Rose, she guessed that he was Time Turner, Ponyville’s former resident earth pony scientist, inventor, and time keeper.

When the crowd turned and spotted the newcomers, Twilight could feel the angry stares of many of the pony-turned-human inhabitants of the town on her and her former friends. However, she was quickly distracted when a familiar face began walking up. Twilight’s eyes bulged when she saw Mayor Mare walking up to them, and just like the other three mares who were leading them, she was a humanoid pony as well.

This was an apparent surprise to the other three, who stared at the older mare in surprise. “You too?” Lyra asked softly.

Mayor Mare chuckled softly and nodded, running her new hand through her mane. “Apparently so,” she said. “It does feel nice to be able to eat some of my favorite foods again,” she added, “and to feel my full range of magic.” She looked down at her cutie mark, which was on her shoulder like those of the other three. She put a hand over it, caressing it lightly. “It’s more to have this back, too, even if it’s not in the same place.”

“You won’t hear me complaining,” Lyra said, looking down at her own golden harp cutie mark on her own shoulder.

Mayor Mare then noticed the group approaching and she frowned, more so in confusion than anything else. “Miss Sparkle? When did you and the others come back?”

“Just now,” Twilight replied, ears beginning to flatten.

Mayor Mare nodded, then looked at the others. “You’re just in time for a town meeting called by these four, then,” she said, gesturing to Lyra, Bon Bon, Vinyl, and Octavia. “I’m sure there are seats available in the back.”

“Actually, we were thinking of asking them to speak to the crowd,” Bon Bon said.

Mayor Mare’s frown deepened as she crossed her arms, seeming to consider this. “Why?” she asked.

“To give their perspective on things and to share their experiences,” Lyra said. “Mayor, look at the crowd,” she said in a lower tone, gesturing subtly to the crowd. “Everypony’s scared. Many feel like they’ve lost everything because of this transformation. Sure, some of us have magic back, but if there’s a way for anypony to change like us, that’s at least better for their current mental state than how they are now.”

“Are you saying there’s something wrong with being human?” Fluttershy asked softly, but there was an edge to it, one that Twilight had never heard from the shy pegasus.

Lyra shook her head quickly, trying to backtrack. “Not at all,” she said, “I’m sorry, that came out wrong. What I meant is that, if my hypothesis is right, and this change came from mine and Bon Bon’s realization about we were being flankholes and a true change of heart, then they will be better ponies for it, on the inside especially.” Lyra put a hand on her chest. “The outside doesn’t matter, as long as the inside is what has truly changed and evolved.”

“Who knew you could speak so eloquently?” Bon Bon said, hands on her hips with a wry grin.

Lyra blushed and elbowed her friend. “Oh stop it, you,” she said before turning to Twilight. “When this is all over, do you think that human from before would be willing to visit us and help with understanding our new bodies.”

“That is, if they’re permanent,” Octavia said as she reached down and touched one of the mounds on her upper body. “These are a pain in the back, quite literally.”

Twilight couldn’t help but blush. She knew better than most what Octavia was touching, but that could wait. “I’ll share what I know with you all later,” she promised before turning to Mayor Mare. “For now, are my friends and I permitted to stand up on stage and speak?”

Mayor Mare looked carefully at them, considering. Finally, she nodded. “If things start getting heated, though, that door on stage leads to the administrative offices and a back entrance,” she said quietly, gesturing to a small oak door at one corner of the stage.

“Understood,” Twilight said, then turned and looked at her former friends. “If any of you don’t want to talk, I doubt anypony will force you to,” she added.

“I may not be as awesome as I once was,” Rainbow said, a hint of the old brash personality coming to the surface, “hay, I’m not awesome at all right now, but I refuse to back down from facing this.”

“Ah’m with ya on that one, sugarcube,” Applejack said.

“A proper mare faces her mistakes head on,” Rarity said stalwartly, standing up taller.

“Doing the right thing is what we all need to do right now,” Pinkie Pie added.

“Regardless of how scary it is,” a somewhat nervous but determined Fluttershy finished.

Twilight smiled. It felt good to see her former friends returning back to their former selves while simultaneously having changed for the better. She turned back to the four humanoid ponies. “There you have it,” she said.

Mayor Mare nodded, then walked over to the wall where a few folding chairs were leaning. She grabbed them and with apparent ease lifted six of them up. “Then let’s go,” she said.

“Good afternoon, everyone,” Mayor Mare said about ten minutes later as she stood behind the podium, grasping the wooden structure’s sides as she faced the crowd of ponies and transformed humans before her. “Thank you for coming to this impromptu meeting. I’m sorry for calling you here on such short notice, but it’s long past time that we talk about recent events that have plagued our town.”

Twilight sat on her chair, making a conscious effort not to squirm, not because the chair was uncomfortable, but because she could practically feel the stares of the crowd on her. Behind her, Maple Leaf had joined her for some extra moral support. Twilight listened as Mayor Mare continued speaking. “I understand how many of the new humans in the crowd today feel,” she continued. “I recently was one before my more recent transformation. I know many of you have questions about this, and we will talk about it, I promise. But for now, we have a number of speakers who want to say a few words. I know many of you recognize six of them,” and here she turned and gestured towards the former Elements before turning back to the crowd, “and I know many of you harbor some resentment and anger towards them, but I need to ask that no one cause a scene. What they have to say to us is what’s more important to hear.”

Twilight could feel less than see the scowls permeating the crowd, but when nopony said anything, she relaxed slightly. She even let out a breath she didn’t know she had been holding. Mayor Mare continued. “As you may have already seen, I’m not the only pony who has undergone this sort of transformation.” She gestured to Lyra, Bon Bon and Octavia, who were sitting on the custom built chairs. Vinyl sat next to Octavia in one of the folding chairs. Mayor Mare turned back to the crowd. “Everypony on stage here will be speaking about their own experiences and even their own thoughts on recent events. Please give them your full attention and for the love of Harmony, please don’t interrupt them. I know feelings regarding some of them are strong, but please keep silent until they have all said their peace.” With that, she turned and gestured to the ponies sitting down before she turned and walked to sit down.

Nopony in their chairs moved for a while, and Twilight almost sighed in exasperation. This was why she had wanted to spent at least five minutes talking about speaking order. Still, she had been bottling up so much for years despite her time in the mental institution. She decided to take the stand first. Standing, she walked over and stood next to the podium, which had been made not for her height, but for the height of the humanoid ponies behind her. “Good afternoon, everypony,” she began, “I’m sure you know me. I’m the pony who was the first one to meet Jason Wright when he came into town. I was also the first one who turned him away.”

Her ears flattened at the memory and of her first dismissive words to him. The only words she had ever said to him, in point of fact. Still, she pressed forward. “I was once the Element of the Magic of Friendship, but because I failed to uphold that element in regards to him, I was stripped of that title and all benefits regarding it. I’m sure some of you, if not most of you, are aware of my mental breakdown after Jason’s death. I spent a year in the Canterlot Hospital for the Mentally Unwell for a year as the doctors helped me come to terms with my crimes. And they were crimes.” She stood straighter now. “I turned away an innocent creature who simply wanted to be friends with me and my former friends, along with other ponies I’m sure.”

She looked over the crowd, who were paying attention to her perfectly now. “My initial actions led to a cycle of abuse and torment that lasted for three whole years,” she said, a tremble creeping onto her lips. “Three years in which I did nothing to help. I may not have joined in the mobs that chased him out of town or beat him up, but I condoned those actions by my own lack of action against them.” She straightened further and the tremble began to fade as her voice picked up strength. “It may not look like it, but I paid a heavy price for my crimes of complacency. I lost my friends, my station as a princess, and for a time, my own mind. I lived in a delusional state for a year after Jason’s death, believing that he was alive and that everypony had finally accepted him.” She shuddered, “I still remember those delusions as if they were reality. They still give me nightmares. And even after I was discharged, the guilt and shame haunted me. It still does.”

Biting her lower lip, she took a deep breath. “Fillies and gentlecolts, recently, I met another human who has undergone his own trials and tribulations since he came to our land. Sadly, it seems that Ponyville wasn’t the only town to reject a human. I’m sure you’ve heard about how Dodge City has been visited by Majesty, the same mare who visited Maretime Bay so recently. The ponies there chased that human out of town, and the mare who turned almost everypony here into humans turned the ponies there who chased the human visitor out into a race of reptilians called stratadons. Even after it came out that Jason had ended his life, that town didn’t report that they’d done similar things to another human, hoping to sweep it under the rug. I am in no means condoning what Majesty has done, but even before her visit, you all suffered some consequence. Ponyville is a desolate ruin after over a hundred years of peaceful existence. Everypony who lived there are practically outcasts from society and we are judged even now. However, that doesn’t mean things need to stay the way they are.”

“How can that change??” a random voice shouted from the crowd. Murmurs of assent could be heard in agreement.

“We need to accept that what we did was wrong,” Twilight said simply. “I have. It took a while to accept what I did because I lived for a year in denial, but I’ve since come to terms with the consequences of my own actions. Many in town have suffered because of what we did, but that suffering doesn’t have to be the end. We need to accept that what we did isn’t anypony’s fault but our own, learn from it, and focus on being better ponies. I may no longer be the Element of the Magic of Friendship, but that doesn’t mean I can’t learn heavily from this. I will never forget what I did, and neither should I. I will never forget the consequences. And I will try my best to become a better pony.” With that, she turned, walked back, and sat down.

The crowd murmured among themselves as the next pony to stand up was Fluttershy. The crowd went silent as the shy pegasus strode boldly up to the side of the podium, looking at the crowd with a fierce determination in her eyes. “I can’t add too much to what Twilight has said,” she said, “but I can only share my own personal experience. I ignored a creature in need, betraying my former Element, the Element of Kindness. I thought I was kind, but I wasn’t when somecreature needed it more than anyone else. I abandoned the Tenets of Harmony when it came to him. My own inaction led to his death, and I still…I still struggle to reconcile with it even now. Still, I’m trying to be a better pony, kinder to others.” She sniffed, wiping a tear from her eye, then turned away as Rainbow flew over and helped her back to her seat.

The next speaker was Rainbow. She walked up, looking uncomfortable at first, but as she spoke, that went away. “I’m one of the worst ponies out there,” she began. “I purposely struck him with lightning. I saw how badly it hurt him, but in that moment I didn’t care. I thought I was being loyal to the town, but I was really just being cruel. I enjoyed hurting him. I thought I was protecting the town from a monster. But I was the real monster, and I suffered the consequence of that long before any of this began. I was stripped of my dream, and the princess was right to do so. I’ll never be a Wonderbolt again, and that much I deserve. But even so, I’m not going to let that keep me down. I’ll become a better pony because of it.”

Rarity was up next. She stood tall despite the tears in her eyes. “I chased Jason out of my boutique when generosity would have been a blessing to him. I called him a brute and many other very unladylike names. I even hurled objects at him, including some very sharp needles that stuck him. I never even considered that he could need my generosity. I only saw him as a monstrosity dirtying up my store. And even after I lost everything, I continued placing the blame onto him for what I lost. It took me longer than it should have to accept my part in all of this. As the others have said, I’m going to strive to be a better pony and never forget the harsh lessons life has taught me.”

Pinkie walked up next. “I hid from Jason whenever he came into town,” she admitted with great sorrow. “I never once offered him any sort of laughter or any other of the Tenets of Harmony. I failed in my duty as an Element of Harmony to spread laughter wherever I could, and Jason is now dead because of it and many ponies are now suffering because of it. I retreated to my farm and learned that I hadn’t really grown up. I acted like a foal a lot of the time and thought that I was a grown pony. I’ve learned more since then, and even though I’m no longer the Element of Laughter, I’m going to try and spread joy and laughter as best as I can.”

Applejack stepped forward, her ears splayed against her head as she stood next to the stand. “Ah can’t add much,” she said somberly. “Ah never once offered me or mah family’s hospitality tah Jason. He came a few times tah try an’ find a job. Ah bucked him in the ribs. Ah remember hearin’ the breakin’ bones, but ah just didn’t care. Ah thought ah was protectin’ mah family, but he never once did anythin’ tah me or mine. Ah did see him a few times grabbin’ apples off of our trees and ah sicced Winona on her, Harmony rest her soul.” A tear fell, not just at her own shame, but at the memory of Winona’s death. “Ah’ve hated mahself fer years now, but ah know how tah try an’ change mahself now. At least, ah know where tah start. It weren’t pretty tah learn how cruel ah could be, but ah have goals tah become a better pony.” With that, Applejack returned to her seat.

There was silence, and then Bon Bon stood, followed quickly by Lyra. They approached the podium and stood next to each other. Their appearance led most of the people in the room to murmur in confusion. Bon Bon held up her new hand for silence, and it eventually came. “That is the heart of the matter today,” Bon Bon began, “that we need to not only face what we did, but who we are as ponies and that we are all extremely flawed. Say what you will about Majesty’s actions, but she has at least identified the ponies who participated in the abuse hurled against Jason.” She put a hand on her chest. “I was one, Lyra here was one, and as you can see behind me, our mayor and Miss Octavia Melody.” She gestured to the crowd. “I see here that the majority of the crowd here today are humans, or at least ponies who have turned human. Quite a fitting punishment we were granted by the self-imposed queen.”

Lyra spoke next, raising her horn and using it to cast a simple telekinesis spell on a nearby glass of water. It floated up in the air inside her pale golden magical aura and into her hands. She took a sip before speaking. “Bon Bon, Miss Melody, Miss Mayor and I have regained a semblance of our pony abilities recently,” she said. “I’m sure you can see that, but I bet many of you are asking how? Believe me, I’ve asked myself that since I woke up like this, but I think the fact that Bon Bon and I stayed up late one night having a serious talk and introspection on our actions and who we are and who we want to be as ponies, or people I guess would be the politically correct term, had something to do with it. It was not a very happy conversation. In fact, I will admit tears were shed on both sides, but I believe, and this is just a belief mind you, but I believe that what happened to us is similar to what Mayor Mare experienced a while ago. She regained her earth pony magic while remaining human after working on changing herself. Then, she turned into a human-shaped version of herself. We all did, cutie mark and all.” She pointed to the cutie mark on her shoulder.

Octavia stood up and strode over. Twilight noted that, even in her current human/pony hybrid form, she moved with grace and finesse. At least, she thought that’s what she was seeing, as she had no idea if that was actually the case. “I had a similar experience two nights ago, only I was sitting up in bed reading a book called Dignity And Discrimination. For those unaware, it’s a romance story about the love between a mare and a dragon male. The couple face persecution on both sides, but the author Mercy Fields focuses more on pony prejudice. It’s not a very well known book because it was bashed by critics for, and I quote, ‘…unrealistic reactions of ponies’, which we now can say is a complete lie, now can’t we? Anyway, I was reading it and I saw examples of pony discrimination against them that sadly mirrored some of what we as a town did and some other examples I have heard of in Ponyville’s past. I realized then that I didn’t want to become like the ponies in that story. I hated seeing them plotting against the couple. I won’t spoil it but it’s a good read, and very eye opening. When I finished reading that night, I went to bed vowing to not only work on myself as a pony, or person, but to also stop blaming others for my own misdeeds. We all have that habit, and I agree with what everypony else has said here.” With that, she walked back and sat back down, Vinyl putting a reassuring hoof on her knee immediately.

“We need to look inward and face what we’ve done,” Lyra said. “Accept it. Realize that we all did what we did without it being anypony’s fault but our own, learn from it, and move forward. Without forgetting it.” She took in a deep breath, then exhaled. “I know everypony here has said virtually the same thing, but it needs to be said. We ponies tend to need to be smacked upside the head a few times before we get it. Let’s not let this time be that way, huh?” And with that, she turned, walked over with Bon Bon to their seats, and sat.

After some moments of silence, Mayor Mare stood and walked back to the podium. “I can’t add anything more to all that’s been said,” she said, “but I agree with everything that everypony here has said. I may not have participated in the mobs against Jason, but I never once offered him any sort of job that he could have used to buy anything. I reasoned that since he was being chased out that the bits would be wasted on him. I feel disgusted by those thoughts now, and that’s why I’ve worked so hard to keep this community together, offering jobs when I can to those who most need it. But anyway, I’m not going to ramble on anymore. If you all want to remain here and talk about things, the main hall will be open until seven tonight for that. And if the speakers here want to stay to talk to anypony, then please do,” she added, turning to the speakers.

Twilight straightened and stood with the others. She was about to walk down to speak to a group of inquisitive looking ponies who had been turned into humans, but she felt a hoof on her back, stopping her. She turned to see Maple looking at her. “Miss Twilight, are you sure you’re up for this?” she asked. “You haven’t really faced anypony here yet after your…release.”

A tremor of fear and nervousness flashed through her at the thought. She had always seen the looks of anger and, in some cases, hatred, on the faces of the citizens of Maretime Bay every time she’d gone into town. It always got to her, and she always went to bed crying on those nights. She almost began backing away, but stopped. No, she thought, that was what affected you in the first place, Twilight. That’s what caused you to turn Jason away.

She straightened. “I’ll be alright,” she said as she turned. She put one hoof in front of the other…

39: Confrontations

Gregory sat on a hill that overlooked Cherry Hill Ranch. Dengal sat next to him as both leaned against a single cherry tree, relaxing together. The meeting between Majesty’s group and the Equestrian group had gone in a direction neither of them had thought it would go. If what Majesty had said was correct, Gregory mused, then the return of the windigos was inevitable. He knew they’d returned at the end of the series, but that had been because of the three villains, and with one of them out of the picture in the form of a somewhat reformed sexy Chrysalis, he doubted they’d come back in the same way. Still, it wasn’t a pleasant thought, and one he didn’t want to think about at the moment.

As he sat there, relaxing with his new girlfriend, his mind wandered. In a way, he could understand Majesty’s reasoning. Could he condone it? Not really. Still, he had to admit that it felt good to see the ponies in this town getting their comeuppance. He allowed himself a small grin of satisfaction at the thought.

“Talon for your thoughts,” a familiar voice said from behind the new couple.

Gregory and Dengal turned to see the black furred abyssinian tom leaning against the tree, arms crossed and smiling. Gregory shrugged. “Just thinking about the fine line between justice and revenge and how satisfying it can be to see those who wronged you suffer,” he admitted.

Tobias laughed, then sat next to Gregory before curling up next to him, putting his paws on his legs and his chin on said paws. It always surprised Gregory how well an abyssinian could morph and look similar to a normal feline, albeit one that was the size of a lion or tiger, oh my. As Gregory began to absently scratch his friend’s head, Tobias began to purr before he responded. “A fine line indeed,” he said before his eyes fluttered shut and his purring became louder.

Dengal leaned her head against Gregory’s shoulder, and in response the human ran his hand through her black hair. He noted just how well combed it was. “Revenge is a dish best served cold, I think you said once,” she noted.

“I also said that the best revenge is living well despite everything,” Gregory added. “Still, it feels worryingly good.”

Dengal put one of her hands on his thigh and squeezed before looking up at him, her bright red eyes filled with understanding. “You’re not alone in feeling that when people get what’s coming to them,” she said.

“Still, while it may be natural, a part of me feels guilty for feeling that,” Gregory said, his expression sobering.

“Your feelings are valid,” Dengal said. “Didn’t you also say once that it’s what we do with those feelings that matter more?”

“He did say that,” Tobias said, his purr growing louder slightly as Gregory found a particularly pleasant spot to scratch.

“That’s true,” Gregory admitted, “Still, part of me just wants to leave and never look back.”

“Same here,” Tobias said. “I can’t wait to go back home…”

Gregory nodded, then leaned back and looked up at the summer sky. It was early afternoon, and the sun was beginning to head to the west. In all of his time in this world, he had never noticed anything different about sunrise or sunset. There was no sudden motion of the sun or moon, especially at sunrise or sunset. The sun looked the same here as it did back on Earth. The moon, on the other hand, was bigger in apparent appearance in the sky than the sun, and it was completely alien to Gregory’s eyes. He had a picture of Earth’s moon with him, a few in fact, including a pair of images which were in frames. Each was identical with the labels of all the features on both sides. He had hoped to give a copy to Luna, but hadn’t ever gotten the chance. Just like he’d never gotten the chance to give Celestia her gift or the gifts he’d brought for the other Mane Six, Starlight, and especially Spike. Gifts he still had, minus foodstuffs that he’d been forced to eat before he starved to death.

“Nobody would blame you for that,” Dengal said in response to Tobias’ statement about home.

“I would blame me if we did,” Gregory said before he added, “our reputation as a mercenary group with standards would go down the drain, especially if we decide to go to Abyssinia and become adventurers at their guild.”

Dengal chuckled and nodded. “I know how much this means to you,” she said, “but we’ve fulfilled our duty. If we left early, I think the princesses would understand.”

“Probably, but like I said, I’ll remember,” Gregory said.

“He’s stubborn,” Tobias spoke up, “so forget trying to convince him of that.”

Dengal nodded and pressed herself more against him, and Gregory could feel her ample bosom pressing against his side. “We just worry about you, you know?” she said.

Gregory smiled slowly, then closed his eyes and took in a deep breath before exhaling, sinking back into the tree. “I know,” he said softly.

A shadow passed over his eyes a few minutes later, and his eyes shot open only to see an unusual sight. A human woman stood there, hands behind her back and a nervous expression on her face. He recognized her as one of the women he’d seen upon their first arrival into town. “Um, I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” the woman said.

Dengal and Tobias were instantly awake, sitting up and moving protectively in front of Gregory. “What do you want?” Dengal asked, a hint of anger in her tone.

The woman raised her hand and backed away. “I-I’m not here to hurt anypon-anycreature,” she corrected herself. “I just…I wanted to apologize to him.” She gestured to Gregory.

The goblin woman and abyssinian tom relaxed, but not completely. They did move back to their former positions, all while keeping an eye on the pony turned human. Gregory looked at her. The mark on her shoulder showed two cherries still attached to a vine. Cherry Jubilee, he guessed. “What did you have to say?” he asked, doing his best to keep the tension out of his voice.

The woman looked nervous, but then steeled herself and knelt in front of him, then bowed her head low to the ground. “I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness,” she said, her voice heavy with emotion, “but I want to say how sorry I am for the awful way I treated you before. It was wrong and I should never have done what I did.” She looked up, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I-If you want to hit me or anything, I-I won’t resist.” She then offered her his chin. “I deserve it.”

For a brief moment, Gregory actually considered striking her. A part of him, a darker part, relished in the satisfaction of direct action against one of his tormentors, be they ever so brief. He had no doubt that had he stayed on the outskirts of the town like Jason had in Ponyville, he would have endured the same torment, and potentially worse. No, he thought. Hitting her like that won’t do much. Still, he found that his fist began to relax and reach up towards her, palm up. He brought his hand back, then it slapped her across her cheek. It wasn’t soft, but he had held back a bit. Cherry stumbled back, sitting on her butt and holding her now red cheek. “I think that we’re even, now,” Gregory heard himself saying. He even felt a small smirk forming on his cheek.

She looked at him, then rubbed her chin. Then, to Gregory’s surprise, she laughed. It was soft at first, but then it grew in intensity and she was soon doubling over, holding her sides. And that was when she began to glow. Gregory and the others had to hide their eyes from the glow as it surrounded the laughing human. Only a half minute later, however, the glow subsided, and where a human woman had been, an anthropomorphic earth pony mare lay, oblivious to the changes. The fact that she was Cherry Jubilee was now no longer in doubt. Her two shaded moderate crimson colored mane and tail and her pale yellow fur made that abundantly clear. Even her mane style matched the episode where she appeared.

When she finished laughing, she slowly stood back up. “I deserved that,” she said with a chuckle, apparently not noticing her physical change. She then looked down at him. “Hey, um, this may be presumptuous to ask, but would you and your companions like to come to my house for dinner tonight? It’s just me and my mother at home right now, but I could whip something delicious up.”

“Does that invitation include Sunset Shimmer and Chrysalis?” Gregory asked pointedly.

Cherry hesitated, her ear slowly lowering, and Gregory couldn’t blame her for the brief look of apprehension on her face. She didn’t know Sunset Shimmer, but everyone in Equestria knew the name Chrysalis. “I-If they wish to come, then yes,” she said. “Can changelings even eat normal food?”

“They can,” Gregory said. He’d actually once had a conversation with a changeling mercenary about that, and said mercenary had said that normal food could be consumed, but emotions were better for them, at least, in their former state. Now, however, Chrysalis and Thorax along with the changeling refugees beneath Canterlot were quickly learning that normal food was now healthy for them.

“Then I’ll prepare enough for her,” she promised.

“You know, you look good as a bipedal pony,” Dengal said, abruptly changing the subject.

Cherry looked at the goblin woman with a raised eyebrow. “What do you mean? I’m a human now, see?” She held up her hand to show the goblin, only to pause when she saw that the skin she once had was now covered with fur. “What in Celestia’s name…?” Gregory watched as she felt over her face, eyes widening as she felt her equine head. “I-I have to go!” She turned and started running, but then stopped and turned back. “Does six o’clock sound too late to you?”

Gregory looked at the windup pocket watch and noted that it was just past one. “That’s perfect,” he said with a nod.

“Good! Feel free to sample any ripe cherries you find!” With that, the older mare, for mare she was once again despite her anthropomorphic appearance, turned and began running down towards the farmhouse.

“She is quite lovely,” Gregory had to agree as Dengal and Tobias went back to relaxing against Gregory.

“If you believe that mare is lovely, then you should have seen my late daughter in this form,” a new voice said, one which sent shivers down Gregory’s back.

He stiffened, slowly sat up, then put one hand on one of the pistols at his belt before he turned to face the owner of said voice. Majesty stood there, or rather, an anthropomorphic Majesty stood there. On one side was Spyke, although he now appeared as a young teenager, and on her other side was Starfall, but to Gregory’s confusion, the new flutter pony was in an anthropomorphic form as well, her wings larger so as to match her new body. Majesty and Starfall were both wearing simpler clothing, but when compared to what the new ponies wore, they very well may have been the height of fashion. Human clothing, he surmised.

Dengal had one hand on her hammer, her red eyes glowing with anger as she glared at Majesty, and Tobias had one hand on one of his rapiers, mouth open and hissing, his fur puffed up and tail straight. “What do you want?” Dengal snarled, her teeth bared to show her elongated fangs.

Majesty didn’t react. Instead, she raised her hands. “I didn’t come here to harm anyone,” she said, “I simply came to talk.”

“What’s there to talk about?” Dengal spat angrily. “You kidnapped my boyfriend, held him against his will, and forced him to watch you punish ponies!”

To her very slight credit, Majesty’s ears flattened ever so slightly. “I regret what I did to him. Miss Dengal,” she said. “I know that words and my apologies won’t be enough, but I hope that my actions going forward will convince you of my sincerity.”

“If you’re looking for forgiveness, you’ve come to the wrong place,” Gregory said, and he was surprised at how even his tone was.

“I wasn’t expecting forgiveness,” Majesty said. “I know what I did was wrong, and I am deeply sorry for it.”

“Why are you still showing up if you know that I won’t forgive you or even want to see you?” Gregory asked.

“For a few reasons,” Majesty said. “Firstly, I came because Starfall here has something she wants to say to you.”

A bit intrigued, Gregory turned to the nervous looking flutter pony. Her eyes flitted between Gregory, his girlfriend, and his best friend. She scratched the back of one hand in a remarkably human gesture of nervousness. “Sir,” she began, and Gregory was surprised by how clear and concise her voice was, “I know you said that I needed to prove myself to you and your team if I wanted to join, but I really want to be by your side.”

“May I ask why?” Gregory asked curiously.

Starfall’s ears flattened slightly. “Sir…you remind me of…me.”

That caught everyone’s attention, except for Majesty and Spyke, of course. “How so?” Gregory asked.

“Well…” she looked away, feeling a bit uncomfortable, but Majesty rubbed her back with a hand, and the flutter pony stood taller before turning back. “Because I was a bit of an outcast when I was a nox. I was different in a way that only the nox could see. I was a bit…” she paused, seeming to search for the words, “…I don’t know the words. Disconnected, perhaps? Alone?”

Gregory wasn’t sure where this was going, but he put his free arm on his hip. “Go on,” he said.

“Well, sir,” she continued, “I knew that our circumstances were different. There are no natural born humans left in the world, and while there are nox, I always felt left out and alone.” She looked down at her flutter pony form. “Probably even more so now.”

Despite everything, Gregory felt a twinge of sympathy for the young mare. Changing into a new form couldn’t have been an easy thing to adjust to, although that begged the question as to why she was now an anthropomorphic pony. “You saw some sort of connection between us, then,” he stated.

“Yes, sir,” she affirmed.

“Was that the only reason?” Gregory asked.

Starfall shook her head. “Another reason I want to join is…I admit that it’s a bit selfish, but I have always wanted to see the world and explore.” Her eyes lit up with excitement and her wings buzzed slightly behind her. “Whenever I’ve been off duty and when I’m not eating or sleeping, I’ve spent my time reading about the outside world in the caves where Sanctuary once resided. I know reading isn’t the same as exploring it in person, but still, I want to explore.”

Gregory nearly smiled, but held it in check. Despite that, however, he found her wide eyed adventurous spirit charming. He hoped that if she ever did find a place to adventure, that her spirit wouldn’t be broken by the harsh realities of the world. “Anything else?” he asked, his curiosity starting to get the better of him.

She nodded, and her tone sobered again. “I wanted to be a part of your team and try and help you live a better life in this world. You’ve clearly had to struggle just to survive, and nobody should ever have to do that. I have years of experience as a maid, a cook, a healer, and I can, or I could I guess, see very well in the dark.”

“You still can,” Majesty interjected. “Flutter ponies always had the very best eyesight in day and at night.”

The new flutter pony breathed a sigh of relief before turning back to Gregory. “I’ll be your pack mule if I have to,” she said, eyes pleading, “but please let me come with you.”

Gregory looked at the pale blue flutter pony with a discerning eye. She certainly seemed genuine enough, but suspicion clouded his mind. “And you won’t be spying on me and sending reports back to Majesty here?” he asked

Starfall bristled. “I wouldn’t be in her majesty’s service if I came to work for you and your party,” she said, sounding a bit insulted.

“I wouldn’t have her do that,” Majesty said.

“Of course not,” Dengal said, “you’d just use your scrying spell on us.”

“I wouldn’t do that, either,” Majesty said. “I know you won’t believe that, and I wouldn’t blame you, but there are ways to deflect or even block scrying spells.”

“Would you take my word instead of my queen’s?” Spyke finally spoke up as he looked at Gregory with a serious expression.

Gregory turned to the ancient dragon in the form of a teenager or young adult. “I don’t know you all that well,” he admitted. “You took the form of Prince Spike just to stop my friends from finding me. How can I trust the word of someone who allows that sort of act?”

Spyke nodded gravely. “I know,” he said. “My queen is a mare of her word, though. Perhaps you could get that confirmation from the Williams siblings instead?”

“I think I can at least trust their word, at least better than yours at the moment,” Gregory agreed before turning back to Majesty. “Alright, if they say you won’t scry on us, I may be a bit more convinced.”

“Same with me,” Tobias replied. “If Megan or the others say that Majesty isn’t a liar, then I say bring this pony on board.”

“I can agree to that,” Dengal said.

Starfall seemed to relax greatly at that. “You won’t regret having me,” she said. “I can cook meals for herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores alike.” She smiled, and Gregory noted that despite her transformation, Starfall still had her nox fangs.

“I wouldn’t bring you on to be our traveling maid or a pack mule,” Gregory said. “You’d be an equal partner on the team. I admit, it will take a while for trust to build, but if you do work hard at it, then you’ll be a part of an amazing team.”

As Starfall smiled at that, Gregory returned his attention to Majesty. “What else were you here for?”

Spyke was the one who spoke next. “I actually wanted to speak with you and ask a favor of a rather…personal nature.”

Gregory raised an eyebrow. “What kind of personal nature?” he asked.

“The young dragon I replaced for a time when you were my queen’s…guest,” Spyke began, “the one who nearly shares my name…I understand that you spent time where he now lives and interacted with him?”

“I did, yes,” Gregory said.

“How’s he doing?” Spyke asked.

That’s an unusual question for him of all people to ask, Gregory thought. Still, a general response might not be a bad thing. “As far as I can tell, he’s happy with his new adopted family,” he said. “He has a doting mother, a devoted father, and a sister who loves having a big, strong dragon as a big brother.” In a way, the relationship he’d seen between Flurry Heart and Spike reminded him of the one that had once existed between Shining and Twilight. Flurry had even called Spike her BDBBFF, or Big Dragon Brother Best Friend Forever.

Spyke’s expression took on a bit of a pained one for a brief moment, but then he relaxed and a look of contentment appeared on his face. “Good,” he said. “I’m glad to hear that he’s living a good life. He’s eating well too, I take it? Not exclusively eating a pony diet?”

“I did see him eating meat if that’s what you’re asking,” Gregory replied.

Spyke smiled wider and inhaled deeply. “That’s all I needed to know. Thank you. Now then, if you’ll excuse me.” With that, the dragon spread his wings and flew away, heading towards the new forest.

That was weird, Gregory thought, unsure why Spyke was so concerned with another dragon who shared his name and looks and-he paused in thought, a realization passing over him. It can’t be…are they…? He watched the pink dragon who had dark green spines fly away and out of sight. They weren’t that far apart in appearance…and genetics being what they are…

He cut that thought off as something he shouldn’t dwell on before he turned back to Majesty. “Was there anything else you came here for?”

“Yes,” Majesty said, her expression sobering. “You know things. Things that not even the Williams siblings know. Things about our world that no human from Earth should know.”

“Like I said at the meeting, that is my secret,” Gregory said, his hand wrapping around his pistol.

“And I understand that,” Majesty acknowledged, “but I wasn’t lying when I said that if things don’t change in Equestria, the windigos will return. You may disagree with my methods, and I accept that, but as you humans would say, we are on the clock.” She paused to take a deep breath. “What do you know about windigos?”

“They’re equine shaped spirits who only appear during times of great hatred and strife,” Gregory said. “They create eternal winters and blizzards in their wake and their presence only exacerbates the hatred. They’re silvery white and have glowing eyes and transparent bodies.”

“They appear as equines only when they are dealing with equines,” Majesty corrected. “They have been silent as far as I can tell, but with how things are in Equestria now, I wouldn’t be surprised if they made a resurgence. The bond of friendship between all three tribes hangs by a thread. Thankfully, even after the ugly death of that poor stallion, no windigos have come. That doesn’t mean they won’t, though.”

“What point are you trying to make?” Gregory asked.

“My point, and my question, is what exactly do you know that might help this situation?” Majesty asked.

Gregory thought about his response. He wasn’t entirely sure that there was something he could add. All of what he knew from the show had either been tossed out due to Jason’s death or might not even happen. The Storm King hadn’t attacked, yet, and from what he had heard, the Storm King’s had been dealt with by someone during this early spring. He wouldn’t have been surprised if that had been Majesty’s doing. Still, the hippogriffs had begun to return to Mt. Aris. He had no idea what Cozy Glow might be up to, if she was even out there.

His show knowledge aside, there were things he had heard as a mercenary that the show hadn’t told him. For example, the fact that goblins existed in this world. They were apparently a tribal race of people who lived in scattered villages in a large forest on a continent east of Equestria. He shook his head. “All I know about windigos is what I just told you,” he said.

She nodded. “Understandable,” she said, “but you talk about them as if you believe they’re real. Nearly every other modern day creature believes them to be mythical in the modern day.”

“Not surprising,” Tobias said. “Who wants to think about the possibility of them being real?”

“I’ve heard tales of them from my old village,” Dengal said, “only we called them frost giants. They’ve apparently been responsible for the destruction of our own mythical kingdom.”

Gregory rubbed her back reassuringly before looking back up at Majesty. “If you’re looking to hire us for something, then you can forget it. I wouldn’t work for you if the two of us were the only ones on Erda to face off against all the wickedness in the world.”

“I’m not hinting at that at all,” she said. “The windigo threat is real, Mr. Graystone.” She nodded down at the two cylindrical items hanging from his belt, then at the two pistols at his belt. “With those two weapons and with the unique power I sense from those metal cylinders, we may be able to do more than stop them.”

Gregory looked down at one of the lightsabers, then unclipped it from his belt and looked at it carefully. He slowly reached out and removed a panel he’d discovered, revealing the shimmering kyber crystal inside, its blue glow bright even in the bright summer sun. Putting the panel back, he aimed it at the ancient alicorn and ignited the blade. The blue saber hissed to life, its hum familiar. To his satisfaction, Majesty actually flinched ever so slightly. “What are you suggesting?” Gregory asked softly but firmly.

Majesty stared at the blue blade of the ignited lightsaber, her eyes reflecting the light. She gave herself a shake, then looked back at Gregory. “The windigos need to go. Permanently.”

40: Discussions

It had been so long since Megan had seen stars as brilliant as the ones she was seeing at that moment. The stars were a perfect match for the ones from home, she realized. She recognized a few summer constellations, although she suspected that here some of them had different names like they had back during Ponyland’s time. She saw the Summer Triangle, with Vega, Deneb and Altair shining brightly in the heavens. Ursa Minor and Ursa Major hung in the northern sky, with Polaris finally being the northern star. Back in her time, she had seen the same constellations, but the northern star had been a duo, more specifically they had been the two ends of the Little Dipper Kochab and Pherkad.

“Time really has flown by here without us,” Megan muttered. She knew that on Earth, the northern star had changed, but to have had it change here meant that Erda was like Earth in many regards.

She sat up slowly when she heard a distant sound. A familiar one, she realized. The ignition of a lightsaber. That could only mean that Gregory was nearby. She had heard from him that he had been invited to dinner at a farm earlier that evening, something she had privately encouraged although not to his face. The man had clearly had a tough life since arriving on Erda and deserved all the breaks he could get.

Standing, she followed the sound of the distant sound of a lightsaber swinging. No, two lightsabers, she realized with increasing alarm. She began to run with some urgency, pulling out a flashlight she’d brought with her so she could see her way in the dark. She saw green and blue light coming from inside a small patch of trees and heard the sound of lightsaber swings grow ever stronger as she approached.

As she approached, she saw a single figure clad in black. Not only that, but the figure was wearing a mask with glowing blue eyes. He, because Megan figured that it had to be Gregory because of the mask, was holding what looked like a double bladed lightsaber, something that she hadn’t even considered being a possibility. He was twirling it over his head before tossing it up, grabbing it as it was twirling, and stabbing at the air.

Megan watched in awe and worry as the masked man continued doing whatever he was doing with the lightsaber staff. He grabbed it, twisted, then the two blades came apart. They began twirling as he approached an apparently dead tree. With a single scissor chop, the tree was cut, and the small tree fell down. He then stood, looking down at the tree, blades in hand. Blades that de-ignited, leaving only his glowing eyes as a marker.

Cautiously, and keeping out of range, Megan raised her flashlight and aimed it at the ground in front of Gregory. She flinched as he spun around, both blade reigniting. She raised the flashlight to her face, raising one other hand. “Don’t attack!” she shouted in a pleading tone. “It’s only me!”

The masked man didn’t move for a bit, but eventually, he lowered his blades, de-ignited them again, then approached. Megan felt a slight chill running down her spine as a pair of floating blue eyes approached. “You shouldn’t sneak up on someone like that,” he chastised her in a remarkably terrifying modulated voice before she saw him raise a hand to the mask. There was a hissing noise, then the eyes blinked out. She put the light up and saw that Gregory had just removed the mask. “I could have attacked you,” he concluded as he put the lightsabers back on his belt. “I still haven’t figured out how to put these into training mode, yet.”

“I’m sorry for startling you,” she said, wondering what the hell training mode was. “I heard you and wanted to see how you were doing. Did the dinner at Cherry Jubilee’s place go well?”

Gregory nodded as he gestured for her to join him as he left the small wooded area. “It was a delicious meal,” he said.

“And a tense atmosphere?” Megan asked gently.

He chuckled dryly at that. “Pretty much spot on,” he said.

She nodded in understanding. “I understand that,” she said. “Still, it’s a step, right?”

“Maybe,” he said with a shrug.

The two fell into silence. Megan then recalled a brief conversation she’d had with Majesty before she had finally left with Spyke back to Sanctuary in the former Badlands. She had asked Megan to talk to Gregory about her character. Megan had said she’d try, but then told Majesty that since it had been so long, she wondered just what kind of person the former queen had turned into. Majesty had taken that in stride and admitted that two thousand years of life certainly had taken their toll on her, but one thing she was not was a liar. Majesty had relayed the conversation between her and Gregory earlier that day, and it had sparked some worry in Megan.

She turned to Gregory as the two walked back towards the town. “Um, I don’t know if this is my place to talk about, but Majesty told me about the conversation you had with her earlier today.”

“She did, did she?” he asked, not so much as slowing down. “What did she say about it?”

Megan took a deep breath and exhaled. “She was hoping to convince you of her sincerity, at least that’s the impression I got.”

Megan couldn’t see him well in the dark, but something in his posture shifted. “Megan,” he said evenly, “she kidnapped me and held me against my will. Gilded cage or not, it was still a cage.”

Megan nodded. “Good intentions or not, that is a good point. Still, I heard you pointed a lightsaber at her?”

He barked out a single laugh. “Yeah, I did,” he said, sounding a bit more confident. “Let’s hope that means she won’t mess with me or my team without thinking more clearly about it, first. I didn’t ask to be saved. I didn’t want to be saved. I was going to leave Equestria when she decided, on her own initiative, that I needed rescuing from ponykind.” The more he talked, the more he seemed to stiffen, but that was hard to tell in the dark.

As they entered the outskirts of town, with lamplight lighting up the streets, Megan turned off her flashlight. “I’m not going to defend her actions.” Megan said, “but I know who she was before she became an alicorn. One thing she isn’t, or wasn’t, is a liar.”

Gregory turned to face her with a raised eyebrow. “What makes you say that?”

Megan looked over at him. “Think about it. She’s claiming to try and restore the tenets of harmony. One of those tenets is honesty. One thing I know about Majesty is that she tried to be the best leader possible. Leading by example is one of her leadership styles.”

Gregory exhaled deeply. “Who’s to say she hasn’t changed in the two thousand years since you knew her?” he asked.

“Nothing,” she admitted, “but again, in her defense, she hasn’t done anything to the innocent. Those she has punished deserved it, as far as I can tell. I don’t know about the changing ponies to human then to humanoid ponies punishment of hers, but they’re still alive and healthy. Even that one pony who murdered another was punished, but not with death. At least, that’s what I was told.”

In fact, Megan had been told about that incident by Spyke before he had left. He had said that when she’d come back from that town, Majesty had been shaken up by how cruel ponies had become. Which made sense, considering how sacred life was to ponies, at least the ponies she knew.

Gregory paused just past a lamp post, making Megan stop just underneath the lamp post. He was hidden in shadow while she was underneath the light. I hope that’s not something prophetic, she mused as she waited for Gregory to speak.

“Megan, I am a mercenary,” he said, and Megan could hear some exasperation in his tone, now, “and the leader of my band of mercs. As such, I have to think of the well being of myself and Shadow Dawn first. What Majesty does here is her business. But she involved me without my consent. She took me, good intentions or not, away from freedom.” He took a deep breath. “I know that makes me sound heartless, but I’m just being pragmatic here. I am magicless, my weapons are limited, and I am extremely vulnerable to pony magic.” He pointed north. “Do you know the gruesome details of what happened to Jason Wright during his three years living in the Everfree?”

“You did tell me a bit,” Megan said.

Gregory nodded. “It was all over the newspapers when he killed himself. Severe malnutrition to the point that he looked like a skeleton with skin. A lightning scar all the way from his head to his foot. Broken bones that didn’t heal properly. Scars from attacks from the ponies of that town. Ponies may be smaller than us, but they are much more powerful than we are! They’re stronger, faster, and they have magic that can vaporize us in an instant!”

Megan heard it in the very last word of his tirade. There was anger in what he said, yes. But something else caught her attention. It was very well hidden, but she had plenty of experience with listening to similar tirades. Fear. He was afraid. Deathly afraid.

She heard some doors opening nearby. A few heads, human and pony, poked their heads out curiously. Gregory didn’t seem to notice. “This place is too dangerous for creatures like us! We are so much more vulnerable here than I ever was back in Thornfall!”

“‘I’?” Megan pressed.

He realized just what he had said and he took a deep breath. “We,” he corrected.

Megan walked over and took his hand, pulling him into the light. Hopefully in more ways than one, she thought. “You have every right to be angry and upset,” she said, keeping the one emotion that was truly driving Gregory a secret. “You are vulnerable. My siblings and I are protected because of our contact and contract with the Rainbow of Light, but you aren’t. Jason wasn’t either. Again, I won’t defend what Majesty did because she did take you against your will. That being said,” she continued soothingly, “all I would ask is that you try and keep an open mind about this sort of thing. If not that, then think of the massive reward you’ll receive if you’re hired. Celestia or Majesty, it doesn’t matter. I’m sure Majesty knows where some old stacks of gold are located, and Celestia is the current princess. She’s probably loaded.”

“High risk, high reward is one of the mottos of a merc,” he said a bit more quietly, “but this risk may cost me and my team our lives. I can’t, in good conscience, risk them if the end result is a high likelihood of death no matter what the reward.” He sighed and stepped away back into the shadows. “I’m going to need to talk more with the others about it…goodnight, Megan. Sleep well.”

And with that, Gregory turned and began walking down the street to the small town inn where every guest had been put up for the time being. Megan watched him go, noting how his shoulders slumped a bit like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders but was trying to shrug it off as not his problem. She wrapped her thin sweater around her as a cold breeze washed over her and headed after him.

“I don’t need to taste your emotions to know that you’re not in a good mood,” Chrysalis said the moment Gregory walked into the large room where most everyone slept save for him (Gregory suffered from night terrors every so often). It was the largest bedroom in the inn, able to sleep eight.

Dengal and Tobias both walked over to Gregory as he slumped into a chair near the door. “What’s wrong, big guy?” Tobias asked, kneeling down and putting two paws on the human’s knees.

Gregory let out a deep sigh. The conversation with Megan had caused his carefully crafted mask to slip. He looked down at the mask he wore almost all the time save for recently. “I just had a very…trying conversation with Megan,” he admitted.

Starfall, who had been welcomed into the mercenary group, was still in her anthropomorphic flutter pony form and still wearing what Majesty had given her. She stood abruptly, fire in those eyes of hers. “What did she say?” she snarled, her new hands unconsciously balling into fists. “If she insulted you in any way-”

“No,” Gregory said, raising a hand to stop her. “She didn’t insult me. She just…” he looked around the room at the group. What had once been two had somehow grown to five, or possibly six if Chrysalis somehow decided she wanted to join. She had been hanging around Shadow Dawn a lot lately, and during dinner a few hours earlier she’d actually made an effort to be civil to their hosts. Her table manners were impeccable, as well.

Coming back to the present, he exhaled sharply. “So…here’s what we talked about.” And with that, he revealed what the two had discussed in their conversation. He left out no details, although he considered leaving out his slip up, but he figured Chrysalis might know he hid something and press the issue. No, best to be honest with them. Especially with Tobias and Dengal, who had earned his complete and utter trust. As for the others?

Well, Sunset had always been one of his favorite characters from Equestria Girls and despite the current iteration of her being a bit rougher around the edges, he could see her starting to soften a bit. He could see a friendship growing between them. A bond over shared experiences as wanderers and their hard lives.

Starfall? She seemed willing to try everything she could to make his, and by proxy Shadow Dawn’s, life easier. She was clearly skilled not just as a maid, if her ‘sales pitch’ to the rest of Shadow Dawn was any indication. Not to mention her new access to Utter Flutter, something that clearly none of the other nox ponies had.

Chrysalis? Well, he seriously doubted she would join his group. Which was a shame because he and Dengal clearly had started a special sort of bond with her. One of teasing her relentlessly in very saucy ways. Not to mention how her new curves just caught his and Dengal’s eyes…and the swaying of her ass as she walked…goddamn…

He finished his retelling of the conversation, and actually felt a bit better for it. Everyone in the room stared at him, then slowly began looking at each other. Even Chrysalis looked thoughtful as she sat down, running a hoof through her new mane. Or whatever it was called, he couldn’t be sure. He looked around the room, and he wasn’t afraid to admit to himself that he was desperate for them to help him reach a decision. Talking about it with Tobias always helped, but they were very similar. Now, there were more people here to talk with. That meant it would go slower, yes, but it also meant more diverse opinions.

Chrysalis was the first to speak. “Out of anycreature here, I might be the best one to speak as to what a ruler would do,” she said. She turned to Gregory. “If I were in either Majesty’s or Celestia’s position, I would probably conscript you and the others into service. But then again, I’m not as soft as someone like Celestia is, and even if I’d tried, it’s not like you’re obligated to help. You’re not a citizen of Equestria, correct?” Gregory shook his head. “Well, there you are then. But if I were to be as soft as Celestia, I don’t know if I would be trying to find a way for you and the rest of the team to help.” She pointed to the lightsabers at his side. “Those cylinders you have there. There’s a certain alien power from them that probably caught Majesty’s attention.”

Gregory nodded. What she was saying made some sense. Still, for all her flaws, he couldn’t see Celestia doing that. Majesty, on the other hand…

The cold claw of fear wrapped itself even more tightly around his heart, but he suppressed the emotion. He didn’t want to think about what she might do. He sniffed, burying the fear deeper before looking around at the others. “What does everyone else think?”

Sunset spoke next. “There’s a part of me,” she began, “that feels a bit vindicated for whatever might be coming. I won’t pretend otherwise. Still, this is my homeland, and a bigger part of me doesn’t want to see it become an icicle if what Majesty is saying about the windigos is true.”

“They do exist, that much is true,” Gregory admitted.

Starfall spoke next. “I…I’ve known her majesty for years,” she started a bit hesitantly, “and after you left, sir, she took that escape quite hard. I think she understood why you felt the need to go, but she just wished you would be safe. I don’t think it was meant as an insult on you that she wanted to keep you close and safe from any dangers.”

So close and yet so far from the truth, Gregory mused. He looked to the two people he was closest to in the world. “And you two?”

Tobias put a paw over Gregory’s hand, and it was then that the human realized that he was trembling ever so slightly. Tobias obviously noticed this due to his single pat of Gregory’s hand but didn’t say anything about it. Instead, he said, “I remember a time back in Thornfall when you rescued a small sand kitten whose mother and poor siblings had died,” he said softly. “We were between jobs, and we’d just gotten a nice sum of change, so you spent your share on keeping the kitten healthy. If you hadn’t stepped in and fed it on your own talon, he would have likely died. That sand cat is still alive out there thanks to you.”

Gregory couldn’t help but smile. He had rescued a sand kitten, raising him for a few weeks until the kitten became a sand cat. One day, the cat had come in and clawed slightly at him, but instead of wanting food, he had led Gregory to the outskirts of town where he jumped onto his shoulder, rubbed his scent all over the human, then jumped back down and began walking out. That had been the moment where Gregory knew the young cat wouldn’t be coming back. It wasn’t like the cat was a house cat. It had hurt him to have to let the cat go, but he had. Thinking about the cat brought a pang of sorrow at the loss back to him, but it also brought forth the fond memories he had of raising the little tyke. In fact, that’s what he’d named the little guy: Tyke.

Last, it was Dengal’s turn to speak. The beautiful goblin woman looked at him, her red eyes full of love and support for him, something he never knew he had wanted in his two years since he’d come to Erda. He’d never gotten it from his cheating ex, after all, and never from the parents who had simply ignored his existence most of the time. “Gregory,” she began, her soothing tone sending waves of warmth down his body, “whatever you think Shadow Dawn will do, we’ll support you one hundred percent. I hope you know that.”

“It’s hard not to miss that little caveat,” he said with a small chuckle before it faded. “Still, what are your thoughts?”

Dengal straightened, her expression sobering. “I’m a blacksmith at heart,” she said, “but I come from a warrior people. I might be ugly in their eyes, but I’m still proud to call myself a goblin. Others of my kind may look down on me, but fuck them. As long as those people who matter to me the most are by my side, the world can go fuck itself.” She looked at Tobias with a friendly smile, then back at Gregory with an even bigger smile full of warmth and love. “What matters most to me is being by your side, wherever that leads us. I won’t lie and say I can’t see both sides of the argument for and against helping against the windigos, but I know one creed of the guild. High risk, high reward. The question is, what is too big of a risk?”

Gregory looked around the room and couldn’t help but smile. He even spared one to Chrysalis, who just rolled her eyes at him. Not that he cared. He put one arm around Tobias’ shoulder and the abyssinian responded by beginning to purr, and even gave Gregory an affectionate head rub. He did the same for Dengal, and she leaned against his shoulder, smiling warmly up at him. He saw Chrysalis sniff the air briefly before shuddering a bit. “I don’t know about you all,” he said, “but I still need some more time to think. Still, I appreciate all of what you’ve said to me, and I’ll keep it all in mind. For now, though, I think we should all turn in.”

As everyone began to either get into their beds or go and prepare for bed, Dengal looked up at Gregory. “Come on,” she said, “let’s get to bed.”

Gregory’s own room was a lot smaller than the one that Dengal had just left, but she didn’t care. The bed was big enough for the two of them and then some. There was one window and a small fireplace which was obviously not lit. The window was open to let in the cool nighttime air that was cooling the room considerably. Dengal watched her tired boyfriend collapse into his bed, bury his face into the pillow. She winced as he screamed into it, something she’d noticed he did often after a long day. When he came up for air, he looked back over at her, smiling sheepishly. “Sorry.”

Dengal frowned and crossed her arms. “Babe,” she began, “I have told you over and over again that you don’t need to apologize to me for that.”

“I'm sor-I mean, point well taken,” he corrected when she gave him the stink eye.

Her face softened and she walked over to sit next to him. “You take so much onto yourself,” she chided him more gently now as she rubbed his back lovingly. “Tobias and I are always willing to help, and I’m sure that new girl Starfall would bend over backwards to help.”

He chuckled dryly. “That Starfall is definitely going to be an interesting addition,” he admitted.

“But a good one,” Dengal said. She liked Starfall. She seemed to have a good heart and loved to make others happy. Possibly even to her own detriment. That was something Dengal intended on fixing right away.

“A good one, she may be,” he said, “but she did work for Majesty.”

Dengal leaned over, cupped his cheek in her hand, turned him to face her and locked lips with him. He seemed to be caught off guard by this, but as she closed her eyes, she felt his strong arms wrapping around him. She might be physically stronger than he was, but she still liked the feeling of security she felt when she was in his arms. She pressed against him, hands running through his hair as he did the same with her.

A minute later, the two broke apart to catch their breath, panting a bit as they did so. She felt that her own face was flushed, and his was no better. He looked at her with a smile of incredulity. “Where did that come from?” he asked with a small chuckle.

“From a girlfriend who’s concerned about you,” she said sincerely.

Gregory paused, then nodded slowly. “Thank you,” he said softly. “I guess I have been a bit on edge lately.”

“There’s no shame in telling me that you’re scared,” she said, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

He looked over at her, then nodded again. “If you could consider an alicorn like Celestia a goddess, then Majesty is…an ultra goddess? I might as well be an ant when compared to her.”

She leaned against him and put her hand over his. “I understand,” she said softly. “Still, I won’t let anything happen to you or to Shadow Dawn. Nobody in that room would.”

She felt him relax, but only slightly. “I appreciate that,” he said.

She gave his hand a squeeze, then her hand began caressing his arm. “Now then,” she said, standing, walking over to the window and shutting it before she drew the blinds and turned down the light, “why don’t I help you relax even more, huh?” She walked up, purposely putting a sway in her hips before she pushed him onto his back. “Brace yourself, big boy,” she cooed, “because I’m coming in!” She reached down and began pulling her shirt off…

42: Revival

Three long days. Three excruciating days Gregory and the others had been in Canterlot sifting through the Royal College Library’s records, looking for any pertinent information on the windigos. More specifically, however, they had spent those days in the recesses of the Restricted Section in the basement below. His eyelids were drooping from the exhaustion, but copious amounts of coffee kept him going, or they had. Their efficacy had begun declining as he’d chugged the bitter beverage like water. Not to mention that he’d begun having digestive problems in the past day. Still, he couldn’t afford to stop.

It was during one of his visits to see how Dengal was doing in Canterlot Hospital where he finally collapsed. One moment he’d been walking through the hospital halls to visit his new girlfriend, and the next he was waking up, lying on his back and feeling extremely sluggish. He looked around weakly, realizing where he was. He cursed and tried to get up. There was no time for this!

His movements must have triggered some sort of alert because a nurse pony came rushing in moments later, her face a mask of worry. “Mr. Graystone, please don’t try to get up,” she pleaded, getting up and trying, gently, to push him back down.

Gregory pushed her hooves aside, but he felt his body betray him and he fell back onto the bed. “Can’t…stay here,” he said through clenched teeth. “I need to be…”

“Where you are right now, you big buffoon,” another voice said from his right.

Gregory froze, then slowly turned to see a certain gobliness sitting up in a bed next to his, glaring at him in disapproval. She had an ancient book in her hands along with glasses, which only made her look sexier with the ponytail she now sported. “Y-You’re awake…?” Gregory managed to get out.

Dengal nodded. “And I can see again,” she said.

Gregory felt a large amount of tension leave his body and he collapsed back onto his bed. Once the group had reached Canterlot, Dengal had fallen into a small coma, prompting Gregory to dive headfirst into the research. The doctor had insisted it was only temporary while the goblin’s body healed itself, but that hadn’t helped Gregory’s already darkening and hopeless mood. Despite being given a place to sleep, he only really used it to store his things and had never used it for its intended purpose. The little bits of sleep he’d actually gotten had been few and far between, scattered between increasing instances of microsleep.

He turned over to her. Her color seemed to have returned and she looked closer to her older self than before. “When…?”

“A day and a half ago,” Dengal said. “And guess what I found when I woke up? My stupid, idiotic, sweeter damned boyfriend being wheeled in here and thrashing about in his sleep, muttering something about how sleep is for the weak and that he couldn’t rest until he killed every single fucking windigo for what they did to me.”

Gregory felt the scolding in her tone and he looked down. Now that he’d had an apparent day and a half of much needed sleep, his mind was clearer than it had been in days. He felt utterly sheepish and the perfect fool. Dengal’s tone became softer, however, as she continued. “You’re an idiot sometimes, Gregory, but you’re my idiot.”

He looked up at her, finally letting the tears which had refused to fall form in his eyes. Dengal’s own eyes were glistening as he spoke. “I almost lost myself,” he admitted. “I just…I’m sorry.”

She put her hand to her lips, kissed the fingers, then blew him a kiss. “I forgive you, dear,” she said.

The nurse, who had all been but forgotten, chose that moment to clear her throat nervously. Gregory turned to her sharply, but when the pony flinched, he forced himself to calm down. “Do you know where everyone else I came with is?” he asked.

“I-I believe they’re in the Royal College,” the nurse said. “They asked to be sent for when you woke.”

“Then by all means, go fetch them please,” Gregory said as he lay back onto the surprisingly soft bedding.

The nurse nodded and swiftly left, probably eager to get out of the awkward position she’d found herself in. Dengal giggled. “My boyfriend, able to send mares running away flustered,” she teased.

“Oh, hush,” he said, turning to her. She was wearing an apparently hastily made hospital gown, and the bits of frills on the sleeves told him that it had been Rarity’s work. However, that didn’t hide the brand new scar along the left side of her neck, a jagged lightning shaped discoloration that was almost all covered by bandages. His expression sobered. “How bad was it?”

Dengal looked at the bandage, putting one hand over it. “They said I should make a full recovery,” she said, “but I’ll still have that nasty scar.” She lifted the gown, showing more bandages that went down her left side all the way to her left leg. “They say that if they hadn’t gotten me here as soon as they did, there may have been substantial nerve damage.” She flexed her left hand. “I would hate that. My hands are my life.”

“I’d have no doubt you’d have managed just fine,” Gregory said, and he meant it. Dengal was a strong woman, resourceful, tough, and able to brush off insults as easily as skin brushed off water.

Dengal chuckled, and this time there was no humor there. “They told me I’m extremely lucky,” she said. “The lightning almost struck my heart.”

Fresh anger burned up within Gregory, and his face contorted to match the glowing embers within him. He would exterminate the damned windigo race! That he swore right there by any god or gods that existed. He looked over at her. “Was that all the damage the lightning did?” he asked.

She shook her head and touched her left eye. “Vision in this eye is slightly blurrier than it was before, but the doctors say that it’ll clear up. If it doesn’t, they can provide me with corrective lenses.”

Gregory winced a bit inwardly, but outwardly he grinned. “You’d look good with a monocle,” he chuckled. “Just get yourself a mustache and you can play the sophisticated butler.” Dengal stuck her tongue out at him, causing him to sigh in relief. It did him good to see his girlfriend actually smiling. Mission accomplished, he thought.

The door burst open, and the two hospital ridden people turned. Gregory’s eyes shot wide open as a light amber skinned goblin with long red and yellow striped hair ran in, her cyan eyes blazing. She wore an orange skirt with a purple and yellow stripe going down one side, a purple shirt with Sunset Shimmer’s cutie mark on it and a black jacket that looked like it was made of leather. Her shoes were more like boots, pure black. Her ears, pointed like Dengal’s, twitched as she locked eyes with Gregory. “YOU!” Sunset Shimmer bellowed.

Gregory leaned back, confused more as to why Sunset was in a goblin form and wearing a near exact duplicate of her Equestria Girls counterparts clothing than why she was angry. He could only guess as to the latter. He raised a hand. “Surprise?” His voice sounded weaker than he’d intended and he cleared his throat. “Hi, Sunset. Love what you’ve done with your-Hrk!”

He was interrupted when Sunset grabbed him by his hospital gown and pulled him up, their noses nearly touching. Her moderate cyan eyes blazed with anger, but more importantly, with hurt and relief. “Don’t you EVER dare make the rest of us worry like that ever again, you hear me!?”

A light blue magic encased the goblin, and she was pulled away, plopped right beside Chrysalis who gave the unicorn turned goblin a disappointed look. “Not in a hospital.” She gave Sunset a stern glare before she turned back to Gregory. “She’s got a point, though. You gave them all quite a scare.”

“Like you didn’t send a couple changelings here to watch over these two,” Tobias said in a teasing tone.

Chrysalis’ cheeks went darker. “Silence,” she said threateningly.

Starfall was by Gregory’s side instantly, her eyes full of worry. “Are you alright?” she asked. “Do you need anything from me? I can ask them to fetch you something to eat.”

“Some water would be nice right about now,” he admitted.

Starfall immediately rushed to the nearby side table, pouring him a glass and bringing it closer, clearly intending to help him drink it. “Here you are,” she offered.

Gregory felt his features soften. Starfall was an eager mare and clearly hardworking. He reached up and took the glass. “I can do it myself, thanks,” he said as he took a sip of the clear liquid. It had been a while since he’d tasted fluoride in water, and it was a nostalgic taste. He drank the entire thing, then placed it down. “That helped, thanks.”

“Knock knock?” another familiar voice called out from the door as a pink haired mare poked her head in. “Can we come in?”

Gregory shrugged and gestured for them to enter. The entire Mane Six came shuffling in quietly, all wearing looks of concern, well, except for Rainbow, who had a confident look on her face as she gently nudged Fluttershy. “I told you he’d make it,” she said.

“No thanks tah yer stupidity,” Applejack chided.

Gregory was reminded instantly of Applebuck Season. “Remind you of anyone?” he asked.

Applejack’s ears twitched downwards slightly, then she nodded. “Y’all were as driven as ah’ve ever seen anypony be. Y’all was on a crusade.”

He ignored the implication of that word’s existence in a world without Christianity and nodded. “I couldn’t stop,” he admitted.

“You weren’t the only one,” Tobias said, putting his paw on Gregory’s shoulder. “I was angry, too.”

Gregory sighed heavily. “I’ve already been chewed out by one goblin and a goblin wannabe,” he said.

“You’re my best friend, Gregory,” Tobias said. “Who else gets to chew you out?” He leaned down and hugged the human, nuzzling his face in a catlike display of affection. Gregory returned the hug, still feeling a bit weak. “Don’t do anything like that again, got it?” Tobias said.

“I won’t,” he promised.

As the two broke their hug, Sunset stepped forward. “You’re lucky that you’re okay, now,” she said as she folded her arms.

“Noted, noted,” Gregory said.

Tobias reached down and pulled out something from underneath his coat. Gregory's belt, with his pistols and new lightsabers, came out and Tobias held them out. “Been keeping them warm for you,” his best friend said with a wink.

Gregory took them and looked at them carefully, then he looked up at Tobias. “You touched these, didn’t you?” he asked, pointing to the lightsabers.

Tobias looked a bit abashed, but then slowly nodded. “I was careful with them, I promise,” he said, “but come on! They’re actual lightsabers! Same sound, same effects, same everything!”

The Mane Six approached slowly, led by Twilight. “You’re feeling better, right?” the alicorn asked hopefully.

Gregory patted himself down. “No arms missing.” He lifted his sheets and looked down. “No legs missing.”

“Not even that third leg the goblin girl boasts about owning?” Chrysalis asked, a knowing grin plastered on her face.

Gregory stared at her in surprise, then he grinned. “You finally loosened up!”

“Kinda hard not to do when she and I have had some long talks the past day,” Dengal replied.

Gregory nodded and looked back at the Mane Six. “So far, seems like I’m fine.”

At that moment, Megan walked in, followed by Daniel and Molly. She was holding two ancient books in her arms, but she nearly dropped them when she saw Gregory. “You’re awake,” she almost sighed with relief.

“So they keep telling me,” Gregory said.

“Bitchin’ to see you kicking, dude,” Daniel said.

Gregory had to remind himself that Daniel was a product of the eighties and now the nineties back on his Earth, so his slang would be old. “Bitchin’ indeed,” he said before he looked at Megan. “What’s that in your hand?”

“Huh?” Megan did a double take back at her hand before she nodded. “Oh! Right! I, um, I-no, we, we think we found something.” She held up the books and set them down on the tables that hospitals use for patients, then rolled it over and put the table in front of him.

Gregory tried to sit up, but before he could, Sunset held up her hand, which glowed with her signature reddish orange magic. He felt himself be lifted up and placed in a sitting position before he could protest. “There you are,” she said while lowering her hand.

Gregory swallowed hard, then looked at her. “Don’t ever do that again,” he said.

She seemed taken aback by the harshness in Gregory’s voice before Tobias stepped in. “It makes him feel trapped,” he said.

Sunset’s cheeks went red. “Sorry, I didn’t realize,” she said.

“I know you were trying to help,” Gregory said, calming down a bit, “but please don’t do it unless it’s an emergency.”

“Noted,” Sunset said.

“And speaking of magic,” he said, “what possessed you to become a goblin?”

“These.” Sunset held up her hands and wiggled her fingers. “I find these easier when reading. Using magic to turn pages is a waste of good magic.”

“I’ve got a feeling there’s more to that, but later,” Gregory said before he turned back to Megan. “What did you find?”

“I found something about the history of the windigos,” she said.

That caught the attention of everyone there. Gregory looked at the first book, which looked remarkably similar to the book from the first episode of My Little Pony, but with a silver emblem of a horse’s head in profile instead of a unicorn’s head. He opened the book and looked at the title page. He had to be careful because the book’s pages were yellow and stained from centuries of aging. “The Ancient World And Its Creatures,” he read. He then looked at the second book, which was black with a pair of dark blood red ram horns on its cover. He opened the book to the title page and read, “The Great Deceiver.” He looked at Megan. “What do these two books have to do with each other.”

“Well, this one,” and Megan tapped the first book, talks about a bunch of different creatures that apparently existed before any sapient life existed,” Megan explained. “Leviathans, basilisk, something that’s probably this world’s version of the dinosaur species, sphinxes, harpies, even a primitive version of a centaur.”

“Centaur? You mean like Tirek?” Twilight asked.

“No, not like him,” Megan said. “These types of centaurs.” She turned the page to show a primitive drawing of said creatures, and these looked more like the traditional Greek centaur, half human and half horse. “Centaurs were the very first creatures on Erda to show signs of intelligent thought,” she explained, showing an image of said centaurs with bows and arrows hunting what looked like wild boar of some sort. Strangely, Gregory saw that a couple of them had wings and one was casting what looked like magic.

Twilight’s ears flattened. “Half human and half pony…” she muttered.

“Yes, but that’s not what we’re interested in,” Megan said, turning the page to one she had marked with a red bookmark. A page which showed three flying windigos hovering over a patch of land where a group of dragons were apparently meeting with some gryphons. “We read over everything here a couple times just to be sure. Windigos were the first spiritual creatures seen on Erda. You know what a wendigo is, right Gregory?”

“Monsters from Native American lore that ate humans, right?” Gregory asked.

“Yeah, but in this world, a wendigo was actually more like a nymph or a dryad, a protector of the natural world and the forests,” Megan explained. “I don’t think the wendigos of this world were ever monsters in the beginning. They were flesh and blood like us, but either they ascended to another plane of existence or, when they died, their souls became the windigos.”

“Souls can’t be killed,” Sunset said, “so I’m guessing the former.”

“Good point,” Megan agreed.

“Besides, I killed one,” Gregory said with some satisfaction.

Megan’s face darkened a bit, but she nodded. “You may have actually done that windigo a favor,” she said.

That caught Gregory’s attention. “A favor how?” he asked.

She turned the page, and Gregory’s body went cold when he saw a blue furred centaur with wings on his horse body casting yellow and black colored magic with his hands at a group of windigo spirits who were firing pure white magic back. “This centaur,” she said with some venom in her own voice.

“Who is it?” Twilight asked.

“Grogar,” Molly said in an equally dark tone.

“He was a centaur?” Gregory asked incredulously.

“He existed back then??” Twilight exclaimed.

“Okay, back up,” Rainbow said. “Who the hay is Grogar?”

“He’s the Father of Monsters,” Sunset explained. “He’s also known as the Great Deceiver. He was a powerful ram who ruled over the lands of Equestria long before ponies came there.”

“He also ruled over the troggles of Tambelon,” Daniel explained. “We defeated him, though.”

“He’s been defeated a number of times,” Megan said, “but this was his first defeat.”

“What the hay did he do?” Rainbow asked.

“This book doesn’t say much,” Megan said, “but it does mention that the windigos came into conflict with him not once, but twice. That’s where this book comes in.” Megan reached over and touched the one titled The Great Deceiver before turning to Daniel. “Daniel?”

Daniel stepped forward. “I found this book,” he said, “and there’s an entire chapter where it talks about Grogar’s origins.” He opened the book to the beginning where there was a more detailed image of the centaur from the first book. It showed the centaur sitting at a table looking studious and writing something on a scroll. “Grogar was actually called Chiron before his fall. He was the first centaur born with both magic and wings and was the wisest of all centaurs due to his immortality giving him time to study ancient texts.”

“An alicorn type centaur?” Gregory asked.

“Apparently,” Daniel said.

Twilight stood on her hind legs next to the side of the bed to try and get a better look. “Fascinating,” she muttered.

Gregory scooted over and patted the side of the bed that he’d vacated. “Here, get a better look,” he said.

She nodded and climbed onto the bed, getting into the ponyloaf position that a couple of years ago would have made him squeal inwardly like an MLP fanboy. She looked at Daniel. “What does Grogar have to do with the windigos now?”

Daniel sighed. “There’s a reason he’s called the Great Deceiver, apparently.” He turned the page which showed Grogar casting a spell on a cloud, only his eyes looked a bit like Sombra’s. “According to the book, he learned magic and flight techniques from many different centaur teachers before his thirst for knowledge made him begin practicing forbidden magical techniques.

“Dark magic,” Gregory said.

Daniel nodded. “Exactly.”

Twilight shook her head. “Using dark magic once or twice is manageable if you’re ready for it,” she said. “I used it in the Crystal Empire once, and I felt unclean for days afterwards. Continuous use…”

“It corrupts,” Sunset concluded with a nod. “Believe me, it really does.” She shuddered. When Gregory reached out to pat her reassuringly on the back, she looked down and gave him a small grateful smile. “Thanks.”

He nodded, then looked back at Daniel. “Keep going with your summary.”

Daniel nodded. “Well, Chiron became so corrupted that he tried disrupting some kind of balance in the world at the time and that’s when the windigos stepped in.” The next image was of Chiron being surrounded by the ethereal beings and placed in some sort of cage made of lightning. “The centaurs kicked him out of their society for his crimes and he was punished by the windigos by being imprisoned for a thousand years in Tartarus.” He turned the page, showing a centaur in a cage being guarded by two windigos. “From what I read, he managed to convince the windigo guards that he’d changed and began teaching them some of his own magic. Good magic at first, but Chiron was smart and taught them darker magic without them knowing.”

The more I hear about Chiron, the more he sounds like some sort of mix between Melkor/Morgoth and Sauron, Gregory thought. He kept those thoughts to himself, however. “These windigos became the same as the ones we know today, I take it?”

“It certainly seems that way,” Daniel said as he turned the page, showing two armies of windigos, one a darker silver and casting dark magic and the other a lighter silver casting bright white magic, fighting each other over a destroyed town covered in snow. “There was a war. This book calls it the War of Heaven.”

“Did…Did the bad windigos win?” Pinkie asked hesitantly.

“The majority of the good windigos were captured while a few escaped,” Daniel explained. “Chiron’s windigos brought the prisoners to him, and he either convinced them to join him or tortured those who wouldn’t, corrupting them either way.”

“What happened to the other windigos who escaped?” Twilight asked.

“This book explains it better than the one about Grogar,” Megan said, stepping back in and turning the page in the first book. It showed a small number of windigos standing in what looked like a cave surrounding a fire, holding hooves and casting their magic to create a heart shaped pink flame which a centaur was holding in his hands.

“The Fires of Friendship,” Twilight gasped.

Megan nodded. “This book calls it the Nessus Flame,” she said. “Nessus is the centaur here who apparently played a crucial part in casting the spell which altered the world’s magic forever.”

“World class magic?” Gregory asked. “How’d he do that?”

“This book doesn’t say,” Megan admitted.

“Neither does this one,” Daniel said, gesturing to the book about Grogar.

“Then how did Chiron become Grogar?” Twilight asked.

“This,” Daniel said, turning the page to show six centaurs, each with heart shaped lockets in their hands, firing rainbow colored magic from each at Grogar. “These six centaurs banded together and created new magic after the Nessus Flame magic spread throughout the world.”

“Those are all different Rainbows of Light?” Rarity asked curiously.

“Those were the precursors to the Rainbow of Light,” Daniel explained. “Those lockets were one time use and not only sealed Grogar away in Tartarus, but changed him into a ram.”

“Clearly that didn’t hold him, though,” Molly said bitterly.

“It wasn’t meant to,” Daniel said. “It was meant to give the centaurs and the remaining windigos enough time to come up with a permanent solution.” He gestured to the Rainbow of Light which now hung from Megan’s neck. “They managed to create this, but Chiron’s windigos discovered them before they could use the purificating effect of the new magical device on the new ram.” He shook his head.

“Those centaurs were wiped out as were a large majority of the good windigos,” Megan explained as she turned the page of her book. “Only one windigo escaped with the Rainbow of Light and she became known as the first Keeper of the Light. She hid in a deep and dark cave far up north and slept until she could give the Rainbow of Light to someone else to help finish what the windigos started.”

“So how did the RoL come into the Moochick’s possession?” Gregory asked.

Megan chuckled softly. “According to him when I asked him about it directly, he received it from a disembodied voice he heard in a cave near his home a hundred years before Firefly flew me over the rainbow. A disembodied female voice.”

Gregory sat up in his chair. “Do you think that windigo is still there?” he asked.

“If she is,” a new voice said from the doorway, “then the cave has long since been covered up.”

Everyone turned to see Majesty standing in the doorway, her expression grave. Celestia and Luna stood behind her with several guards keeping a watchful gaze on the ancient alicorn. Gregory gripped his lightsaber hilts as a fresh wave of anger mixed with fear washed over him. He calmed his expression as he asked, “Because of the war with the demons?”

She nodded, not moving to come in, instead remaining just outside of the room near the threshold. “The Moochick and Habit might have escaped, but they apparently turned back to Old Ponyland after a while. It’s possible that they went back to that cave.”

Everyone in the room exchanged glances, slowly digesting the new information. “And the reason you didn’t share this information before?” Chrysalis asked with a snarl.

“Because I didn’t know anything about what you all just discussed,” she said.

“Spying on us again, are you?” Tobias snapped.

“I have not used my scrying spell to listen in on you,” she said. “I came to tell you all something I learned from an old text I found recently, but when I asked the princesses about your whereabouts, they told me a goblin had been struck by windigo lightning.” She looked at Dengal. “I am sorry for what happened to you. May I cast my own healing spells on you?”

Dengal glared at her, but finally sighed. “My place is by Gregory’s side,” she said, “and I can’t very well do that here in bed.”

Majesty nodded, then turned to Gregory. “May I cast a healing spell on you as well?”

Gregory held back another stab of fear, but then an old saying popped into his head. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Slowly, he nodded.

Majesty raised her horn and it lit up. Magic surrounded Dengal and Gregory, and the human had to repress the urge to thrash about in a desperate ploy to escape as the feeling of claustrophobia enveloped him once more. However, he felt more strength return to him as the spell took effect. In fact, he felt better than he had in years. He felt like he was in his early twenties again. When the magic glow faded from him and his girlfriend, he looked at his hands. Nothing about them seemed different, but they felt better, as did the rest of them. After a while, he looked down underneath his sheets; he wouldn’t be showing anyone but Dengal what was underneath. His body did look much better than it had before. Some scars had even either vanished completely or had been greatly reduced. Dengal was testing her own body, and it seemed as if she, too, had regained some of her youthful vigor.

Gregory then turned to face Majesty. “You said you found something,” he said. “What is it?”

“I’ve learned the origins of goblins and of a spell we can use to track down the last windigo who is untouched by Grogar,” she said.

“So you were spying on us!” Rainbow Dash accused the older alicorn mare.

Majesty shook her head. “I and several scholars who have joined Sanctuary have been scouring the ancient repository of knowledge from our old location’s library,” she said. “I will admit that when I approached this room I heard young Megan here begin to explain her story. Celestia and Luna found me here before I entered the room.”

“So yah just stopped and decided tah play Nosy Ninny?” Applejack asked with a scowl.

“I’ll be honest,” Majesty said, and the choice of phrase by the alicorn wasn’t lost on anyone there, “I know my presence has elicited a great deal of hostility from many of you, and for that I apologize. I do also admit that what you and Daniel mentioned was something I was coming to tell you all already.” She raised her horn and cast a brief spell which materialized a single page of parchment that floated down to the bed. “This is the spell that could be used to track down the last pure windigo.”

“Is that…a page from this book?” Megan asked, holding up the book about ancient creatures. “I found a page missing from the back.”

Majesty looked at the book, then slowly nodded. “It’s been in my possession for a long time. I don’t know how I got it.” Using her magic, Majesty opened the book and put the missing page back. The tear healed itself and soon the page was as good as new. “It requires a lot of magic to cast it since it’s meant to be cast by one of the old centaurs you mentioned. I may be able to cast it.”

“…What’s your conditions for doing so?” Gregory asked, a sneaking suspicion growing inside him.

“To come with you and speak to this windigo if she’s still alive,” Majesty said. “If she’s not and all we find is a corpse, then I will leave in peace.”

“And what, pray tell, are you planning on saying to the windigo if she is still alive?” Luna asked, eyes narrowed at the older alicorn mare.

“For her help in defeating these servants of Grogar,” Majesty said. “No matter what influence dark magic might have had on them, many of the windigos now were willing participants in the pursuit of the dark arts. They must be stopped. Even those who were tortured into submission would be better off if we dealt with them permanently. It would be a blessing for them and end their suffering.”

“Is there really no way to help them?” Fluttershy asked softly.

Majesty shook her head soberly. “As far as I know, there isn’t,” she said. “Dark magic is dangerous when used, even by me.”

“Especially by you and us,” Celestia said as she stepped into the room. “The more powerful somepony is, the more susceptible they are to dark magic and its influence.”

Gregory looked around at the creatures gathered around the hospital room. The only sound they heard was the slight hum of the hospital’s air conditioning as it came in through the vents. He looked at Megan then and asked, “Thoughts?”

Megan pursed her lips and sighed. “I think we don’t have a choice,” she said. “Unless the princesses can cast that spell?”

Celestia took the book and looked over the page, Luna looking over her shoulder at the same page. Both shook their heads regretfully. “Our magical reserves aren’t big enough for that much power,” Celestia admitted.

“The windigos may also begin threatening Sanctuary despite everything I’ve done,” Majesty said. “The people I have under my protection mean too much for me to just sit back and let these ancient monsters win.” Her eyes flashed with anger briefly before she calmed down. “I ask for this one chance. Please.”

Gregory leaned back the bed and began to think. On the one hand, having a windigo, one untouched by Chiron/Grogar’s curse on their side could be a major boon. On the other hand, he still couldn’t quite trust Majesty. Once more, however, that old adage played through his head: The enemy of my enemy is my friend. He raised a finger and pointed at her. “If we do say yes, we’ll be keeping a close eye on you,” he said.

“Of course, I completely understand,” Majesty said.

Gregory relaxed very slightly, but then he gave her a small nod. “Also, thank you for healing Dengal and me.”

Majesty’s lip curled up slightly in a small smile. “You’re welcome, both of you,” she replied.

“If you’re all planning on doing this,” Celestia said, “then my sister and I can provide you with a spot where we can discuss the details.”

“And yes, we said we,” Luna said.

“I didn’t think you’d want to be kept out of the loop,” Majesty acknowledged.

Gregory looked around. He was still in nothing but a hospital gown underneath the sheets. “Then we should get going,” he said. “Would you all please leave so I can change?”

All was darkness when he awoke. All was the feeling of being encased in a warm slimy fluid as well. Something covered the diminutive creature’s mouth, something that had a tube of some sort shoved down the creature’s throat. Panic grew inside the creature’s mind and he began to thrash around, the need to breathe becoming more and more pressing. However, something held his arms and legs in place. The slimy liquid began to move down, and whatever had restrained him vanished. He reached up, grabbed the mask, and pulled. A sickening gagging noise escaped his mouth as he pulled out a long tubed mask. He began hacking up liquid, then something opened and he fell onto hands and knees, retching and coughing up whatever liquid had been in his lungs.

After a few minutes, he collapsed onto his side, breathing in the bitingly cold air around him. He tried looking around, but he was in complete darkness. He began shivering as the cold around him permeated his exposed skin. Despite that, he was aware of a few things: His hair was enormously long, and he had a massive beard. Not to mention that he couldn’t remember anything before that day. He knew how to talk, though. At least , he thought he did.

“H…Hello…?” he croaked out in a youthful male voice, which surprised him. Wait, why had it surprised him? Why did he feel like his voice shouldn’t be youthful?

He heard his voice echo, which told him that he must be in some massive room. No, he thought. I’m in a cave. He was, after all, lying on an uneven and rocky floor. He cleared his throat and felt more liquid coming up. Liquid which he spat out. “Hello?” he repeated after that. His voice sounded a bit stronger now, and it still felt wrong for him to have such a youthful voice.

You’re awake.

The voice, one which he identified as female, didn’t speak aloud, but instead in his head. “What’s…what’s going on?” he asked weakly. “Who are you? Where am I? Why is it so dark and cold?”

All will be known to you in time, the voice in his head replied as something warm and soft wrapped around him, wiping all remaining slime off of him. The blindness is temporary, old friend.

“Old…who are you?” he asked, terror creeping into his voice.

Do not be alarmed, the voice in his head said. Your memories will return in time. For now, rest and let your body recover. I will see to it that your companions are awoken.

“My…companions?” he asked.

Just rest, old friend, the voice replied soothingly.

He felt exhaustion washing over him, but one more thing came to his mind. “Who…who am I?”

The voice chuckled with mirth. Old friend, you went by many names in your time, she replied, but in your last days before your long slumber, you called yourself the Moochick.

The being, now knowing what he was called, closed his eyes and knew no more as he fell into a deep and healing sleep.

43: The Royal Mausoleum

The mausoleum where Jason Wright had been entombed hadn’t been touched when Majesty had destroyed the castle. It was the only part of the former castle that had been spared. And it was where a large group of creatures approached.

Despite knowing that it had survived, Twilight had avoided going there out of shame for her past actions. Shame and self-loathing. During her stint in Canterlot’s mental hospital, at least during her last couple months, her psychiatrist had talked a few times about getting closure for past actions. She may not get forgiveness from Jason, but she could at least try to move forward and be a better pony. Despite that, however, the way the psychiatrist had explained it made it sound like moving on was the same thing as forgetting. Maybe that was just her own overwhelming guilt, but she didn’t want to forget. It felt like a disservice to Jason. That was why she had avoided visiting his tomb.

However, upon talking to her former friends, she realized that the rest of them felt the same way. Talks with her personal nurse back in Maretime Bay had made her begin to better understand what her psychiatrist had been trying to explain to her. Despite that, however, she’d still felt the overwhelming guilt of her past actions holding her back. Not only that, but she felt unworthy to even be in his presence.

However, a few long and hard talks with her friends during the days since they’d returned to Canterlot had made her more open to the idea of paying their respects. She realized then that she’d been rude not to bet here when Jason’s body had been interred. The others had realized it as well. It disrespected his memory.

She saw the large entryway to the massive stone building which led to several levels of underground tombs set aside for famous ponies, nobles, and those of renown and paused. Her heart raced, although she wasn’t sure why. Ponies never talked too much about death. It wasn’t a taboo topic by any means, but it just wasn’t talked about much. Even the former Ponyville Cemetery was set behind a hill a bit out of sight of the rest of the town.

She felt a wing on her back and turned to see Fluttershy looking at her with worry in those greenish-blue eyes. “Are you alright?” she asked softly.

Twilight swallowed hard, the lump in her throat feeling like it was getting bigger, but steeled herself and nodded. “I’m alright,” she said in just as soft a tone.

Fluttershy wrapped her wing more tightly around the alicorn’s back as they stepped through the solid stone doors.

The first thing that Twilight noted about the mausoleum was that, unlike what her active imagination had predicted, it didn’t feel like some damp cave. Yes, it was cold inside, colder than she’d anticipated, but the air wasn’t soaked with moisture. In fact, it felt quite comfortable after they’d walked through the midsummer sun. The second thing she noted was how well-lit it was. Twilight had half expected it to be lit by candles mounted on walls. That wasn’t the case as it was brightly lit by warm white lights.

The group, which consisted of Twilight, the rest of the former Elements, Shadow Dawn, the Williams siblings, the two princesses, and even Majesty who was being flanked by several Royal Guards, walked in silence down a short empty and austere hallway towards another set of doors. Above the doors was a sign which read CANTERLOT MAUSOLEUM - REMEMBERING THOSE FOREVER AT PEACE.

I hope he’s at peace somewhere, Twilight thought as the doors silently slid open. Twilight didn’t know what came after death. That was the biggest mystery, or it had been the biggest mystery before Gregory’s big reveal about how his world viewed Erda. Being considered fictional characters on Earth was certainly a shock, and despite everything her curiosity burned. She wanted to know more, but knew she had to set those thoughts aside for the more immediate problems.

They entered a large hallway, also well lit, and they caught the first glimpse of the massive underground chamber. The passageway down to the next set of stairs that led further downward or upward looked ancient and there were open chambers on each side, each with a raised stone tomb within them. Carved into the chamber’s curved walls was a depiction of the pony buried there along with their name, date of birth, date of death, and an epitaph. This was the hall for the most recently deceased, if the dates were any indication. The latest was Duke Charming Pants, the father of Duke Fancy Pants, who had only died three years ago. Coincidently, he’d died the day before Jason had died.

The princesses led them down the hallway to the stairs. They took the stairs leading upward, which Twilight knew from one of the many books she’d read over her life would lead to a level reserved for those of high honor or of those deserving great respect.

The level they reached was a lot more grandiose than the level where they’d been. There were domed ceilings with arched pillars holding them up. The arched windows, tinted, let in light from the sun to illuminate the halls. There were chandeliers which hung from the ceiling, all of which were of the candle variety. The candles were kept eternally lit and replaced before they could burn out by the pegasi caretakers. Nopony else was there at the moment, and Twilight took the opportunity to look around.

Many of the ancient heroes of Equestria were interned here, at least those who had been found. The Pillars, after their disappearance more than a thousand years ago, had empty coffins erected in places of high honor in this hall. There were raised stone coffins, each with a meticulously carved statue atop of the raised platform. There were stone signs in front of each which held the name, dates of life and death, and a longer epitaph. There was even an empty spot in the center where, if it did happen, Princesses Celestia and Luna would be interred should anything happen.

Just beyond that, however, was a simpler raised platform with a statue of a human lying on top, eyes closed, arms crossed, and a peaceful expression on the carved lid that covers the human’s mortal remains. The clothes the statue version wore were torn and tattered, the scar that went down his left eye jagged from where he had received the lightning strike that, according to Gregory, was nearly always lethal to humans. His face was covered in a scraggly beard and his hair was long and tangled.

His epitaph was simple: HERE LIES JASON WRIGHT, FIRST HUMAN IN EQUESTRIA. MAY HIS AFTERLIFE BE KINDER TO HIM THAN HIS LIFE IN OUR WORLD WAS. The date of his death was shown, but his birthdate was left unknown, and a fresh pang of guilt gripped onto Twilight’s heart. Most epitaphs in this place were lengthy exposés on the life of those interred, but Jason’s was far too simple than he deserved.

That’s my fault, she thought bitterly. I shouldn’t have let those books get to me. I should have espoused the tenets of harmony, damn it! Twilight never swore, and rarely did it even in thought. The four letter word caught her off guard briefly before she dismissed her brief lapse as not as important as what she saw.

Something caught the sunlight from the statue. It shone into Twilight’s face and she instinctively covered her eyes before moving out of the way. She refocused her attention on the item and saw that, resting on top of the lying down statue, was a strange object she’d never seen before. It was a small fish, but not a real one. There was a hook attached to the front end and several feathers attached to the tail end. It was permanently attached to the statue by means of a small necklace of silver hung around the statue’s neck and some melted glass around the item itself. She tried to figure out what it was.

Megan, however, had also seen it, and she whispered, “A fishing lure,” in a quiet tone.

“What?” Gregory looked at where Megan was pointing and his eyes narrowed in confusion. He turned to Celestia. “Why is that there?” he whispered.

Princess Celestia didn’t reply. Instead, she turned to Applejack, who stepped forward, her Stetson held in her hoof respectfully. “Ah found it ‘round his neck when ah tried tah wake ‘im,” she whispered.

That seemed to satisfy the four humans who went back to looking back at the human. The siblings actually knelt, clasped their hands, bowed their heads, and closed their eyes. Twilight wasn’t sure what they were doing, but knew better than to actually interrupt. Gregory simply lowered his head, put his hands behind his back, and closed his eyes. Everyone else stood there while the four humans paid whatever homage they were paying to their fellow human.

When the three siblings all whispered something that sounded like “Amen,” they stood and Gregory lifted his head. He then looked at the statue of his fellow human and exhaled slowly. “Rest in peace,” he said respectfully before he stepped back to join the siblings and his mercenary group. Even Chrysalis had come, looking rather uncomfortable, but remaining silent.

Nobody moved for the longest time, unsure what to do. Despite nobody looking at her, Twilight felt like everyone was looking at her, if not with their eyes, then with their hearts. However, before she could move, Princesses Celestia and Luna stepped forward simultaneously. This obviously had startled the two because both gestured for the other to go first. Twilight suspected it had less to do with courtesy for the other and more to do with the uncertainty and even fear that she saw in both alicorns’ eyes.

However, it was Princess Celestia who finally took the plunge and stepped forward. She stood tall, the bit of fear Twilight had seen in those magenta eyes gone. She looked at the lying down statue of Jason Wright. “Jason,” she said, and Twilight could hear the trembling in that voice despite how still the owner of said voice’s body was, “you came here and put your trust in my judgement. You trusted me to send you somewhere where you would be welcomed. Instead, I failed you. I failed you miserably by not remaining in regular contact with you. I failed you by sending you away woefully underprepared. I failed you by not granting you Equestrian citizenship right away. I failed you in so many other ways, too. Wherever you are, I hope that you are enjoying the peace you so justly deserve.”

She stepped back, and Luna stepped forward, her ears drooped as she looked at the statue’s face. “We failed thee as well, Jason,” Luna’s voice wavered slightly more than Celestia’s. “It is our charge to guard the minds and psyche’s of our subjects. We failed thee in that charge. We did not aid thy continuously breaking mind and body, and for that we are deeply regretful. Thy forgiveness we may not deserve, but as our sister says, we hope that thy soul is at peace in the next life.”

She stepped back and silence filled the room once more. Twilight’s heart was pounding in her chest now. She wanted to step forward, but she was frozen. Her legs were locked in position and she could feel herself getting lightheaded. She had to do this, she reasoned, but her body wouldn’t obey her will. The silence became deafening, so much so that she failed to hear the soft clopping of hooves approaching. Only when a large pair of wings draped over her back did she realize somepony had joined her. She looked up quickly only to see Majesty’s purple eyes looking down at her own purple eyes. Her expression was reassuring, something that she didn't expect from the alicorn.

There you go again, she chided herself, judging too quickly. She tilted her head in confusion at the ancient alicorn. “What is it?” she asked.

“You’re frozen, aren’t you?” Majesty asked, a strange sense of understanding passing between the two alicorns, one young, one old beyond comprehension.

Twilight’s eyes widened. “How did-?”

Majesty gently patted Twilight’s back. “Your legs are locked,” she said, “and if you don’t relax, you’re going to pass out. I know you’re afraid, feeling immense guilt, all of that. But facing what makes you feel that way and getting things off of your chest will help you in the long run. It will hurt, don’t get me wrong, but think of it as tearing off a bandage quickly.”

Twilight nodded, then closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. Her legs relaxed, her breathing and heart rate slowed, and she reopened her eyes before she turned back to the pedestal. Slowly, she walked up, and Majesty removed her wing from the young alicorn’s back. Twilight paused a couple steps from the raised pedestal, then sat on her haunches, lowering her head in respect. After a few moments of silence, she looked up and gazed at the peaceful carved face. She’d never once seen him look like that, although she’d hardly seen him at all. “J…Jason…” she stammered out slowly, then took in another deep breath. “I was the princess of friendship, and I betrayed everything that title stood for by rejecting you. I set the worst example and treated you like less than a creature. I ignored your cries for help, I dismissed you as a monster when I was the real monster. I have been justly punished for my crimes against harmony and against you. I’m not worthy to be an alicorn.” She looked at the stone face, peaceful in eternal sleep. “I can never take back what I’ve done despite my best desires. I wish that we could have been friends.” She could feel the tears flowing freely now, but her lips had been loosed and she couldn’t stop. “I will live with these regrets for the rest of my life. I will never forget what I did, and I will keep the memory of you alive so that other ponies may learn from my mistakes. I am so sorry, I am so…so…”

She dissolved into tears as she leaned forward, pressing her forehead against the pedestal. All of her regret, self loathing, depression, all of it came bubbling to the surface. Despite having been affected by the Rainbow of Light in a positive way, that didn’t change how she felt about her past actions. She tried speaking more, but her tears and wailing kept her from doing so.

Eventually, she stood back up, wiping her eyes with her hoof. “I-I hope that, wherever you are, you’re in a better place than you ever were here,” she finished, and she meant every word of it. And with that, she stepped back, head lowered.

Applejack quickly stepped forward, her Stetson pressed against her chest as she looked at the statue of Jason. “Ah’m so sorry fer what ah done tah yah,” she said, her accent thicker than normal. “Ah hurt yah terribly, and ah wish ah hadn’t a’done it. Ah wish ah’d given yah shelter, food, a way of makin’ bits, been yer friend. Hay, ah wish ah could’ve made yah an hon’rary Apple.” The normally stoic Applejack was shedding tears, but she continued going. “Ah wish ah’d been strong ‘nuff or brave ‘nuff tah stop yah that day. Ah’m so sorry fer everythin’. Ah won’t ever fergit yah and ah’ll try and be a better mare. Rest in peace…”

She stepped back and lowered her head, sitting on her haunches as she continued to silently cry. Twilight, who had stopped crying slightly, began walking over to Applejack, but to her surprise Sunset Shimmer beat her to it. The orange unicorn mare stood beside the orange earth pony, seemingly in solidarity.

Next was Rainbow Dash. She stepped forward, ears splayed behind her head, a look of intense shame plastered on her face. She initially seemed to have trouble looking at the statue, but after a few moments she looked up, squaring her shoulders. “I almost murdered you,” the pegasus said in a hoarse whisper. “I was cruel to you when I should have extended a hoof. I was the monster, not you. All you wanted to do was become my friend, and I spat in your face. Worse, I tried to kill you multiple times. I am so sorry, Jason. I don’t deserve your forgiveness, wherever you are. I deserve to rot in the darkest pits of the true Tartarus. I just hope, like everypony else has said here, that you’re in a better place wherever you are.”

Pinkie stepped forward next. “I didn’t help you to smile in your darkest hours,” the grayish-pink mare said soberly. “I ignored you completely. I never welcomed you. I even speculated incredibly mean things about you. Things that other ponies listened to. I misled other ponies to hurt you more. I am so very sorry. So, so, so sorry…”

Fluttershy stepped forward. “I failed to be kind to you when that kindness could have helped to mend your broken heart,” the butter colored pegasus sniffled. “I turned you away for no other reason than my foalish and petulant fear. I didn’t even look twice in your direction. I hope you’re experiencing the kindness I never gave you wherever you are. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” She kept repeating this as tears fell. Rainbow walked up and put a wing around her to comfort her.

Finally, Rarity stepped forward, mascara running down her eyes. “I chased you out of my boutique like you were some common criminal or thief. You were only looking for help, and I failed to be generous. I failed my mandate to my former element. Words alone cannot express how sorry I am. I am nothing but a wretch, a bitter old hag who deserves everything she’s gotten.” She paused, then gave herself a shake. “No, this isn’t about me,” she muttered. “Jason, just like everypony else here has said, I hope that you’re happy wherever you are.”

With that, the chamber went silent. Everyone stood there silently, no one daring to move. Then, Megan began humming something. A song that Twilight didn’t recognize. The other two siblings picked up the tune. A few seconds later, Gregory opened his mouth to begin singing.

“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
“that saved a wretch like me.
“I once was lost, but now am found.
“Was blind but now I see.”

The other three stood and began to harmonize with Gregory.

“‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
“and grace my fears relieved.
“How precious did that grace appear
“the hour I first believed?”

Twilight listened carefully to the lyrics, trying to figure out why they were singing such a song. Majesty, however, came over and put a wing over her back again. “Just listen,” she whispered.

Twilight nodded, putting her curiosity aside and just listened. The humans continued singing, their voices echoing throughout the hall.

“Through many dangers, toils and snares,
“we have already come.
“‘Twas grace that brought me safe thus far
“and grace will lead me home.”

Twilight could see that this song meant something to the humans, and it warmed her heart to hear them singing this. They continued, only this time they began to join hands. The siblings at first, and then Megan reached out to Gregory. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, then nodded and took her hand.

“The Lord has promised good to me,
“His word my hope secures;
“He will my shield and portion be
“as long as life endures.”

Despite her promise to the contrary, Twilight couldn’t help but wonder if this was some sort of religious song. She once more put that aside, thinking to ask them later.

“And when this flesh and heart shall fail,
“and mortal life shall cease:
“I shall possess within the veil
“a life of joy and peace.”

The singers then went up a note as they finished their singing.

”When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
“bright shining as the sun,
“we’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
“than when we first begun.”

There was silence in the room as the echoes of the last verse died away. After a few moments, the four humans let go of each other, although Megan seemed to hold onto Gregory’s hand a bit longer than the others, Twilight observed. Gregory looked at the siblings for a few moments. He looked like he wanted to ask something, but stopped himself, then turned to the others. “Is anyone else going to…?” He trailed off, gesturing to the monument to Jason before he and the other three humans stepped back.

To Twilight’s further surprise, Majesty stepped forward. She walked up and put one wing over the stone statue of the eternally resting human. “I’m so sorry this happened,” she whispered, “but I promise to work and make the world better so that it won’t happen again. Please rest eternally wherever you are, whether that be the Elysian Fields, the Heaven that Megan has told me about, or in some afterlife where you can find happiness.”

With that, it was like something clicked in everyone. Nobody else had anything to say. It was as if a switch had been flipped within everyone, including Twilight. Everyone turned away, departing from that place. The princesses led the way out of the mausoleum, followed closely by Shadow Dawn, the Williams siblings, and finally the former Elements of Harmony. Gregory walked between Dengal and Chrysalis while the rest of Shadow Dawn followed close behind. Twilight and her former friends walked in silence behind the Williams siblings. Nobody spoke. Nobody needed to. Twilight made a silent vow to herself. She would make things right and help fix not only Equestria, but help defend the world against the windigo threat.

She owed that much not just to herself and to the world, but to Jason. Because part of that job would be helping to spread reforms wherever she could.