Thanks to Pete's sealing spell the group slept well into the middle of the next day, causing both ladies to be shocked. Pinkie was normally up fairly early, and was still the first one awake that day, finding it was nearly noon. Luna came next about an hour later, and Pete moments after. He released the spell on the door that had kept others from disturbing their much needed rest and they proceeded like any other day. Pete showered quickly, as the ladies liked to take more time with their hygiene, and waited with Pinkie while Luna cleaned up. He had found just cuddling with the pink mare some how calmed his nerves, an odd effect considering how hyper she normally acted.

When Luna exited the bathroom, fully cleaned and in a new dress, she and Pete exited the captain's room and made for the throne room. They were more than a little shocked to find that Celestia was on the throne, her horn glowing and a dozen quills moving at once on different pages. A few of the pompous ponies that had rejected Luna's new human form were sitting around the dais, evidently waiting on the paper work Celestia was working on. Pete had other ideas, however, stepping quickly between the ponies and up to the throne.

As Celestia sat shocked at his unannounced arrival, she lost her magic grip on the pages and the human snatched them out of the air and began reading. Some of the gentry behind him raised loud objections, but he ignored them. After reading all of the proposals he stepped back down and handed less than half back to their proposers. The rest he ripped into shreds and frowned. He then quickly ran down the exact reasons why what they proposed was stupid, namely that most of them insisted on the dismantlement of the three guard forces that had risen in the fictional nations. Without giving them any chance to deflect, argue back, explain, or even speak, he tore into every single argument, then dismissed them.

With the gentry slowly walking away, Pete turned to Celestia. The alicorn sat stone still, her mouth agape. Pete sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair then shook his head. The princess knew better than to get surrounded and brow beaten like that. Incredibly it was Luna that spoke first.

“Sister! What are you doing?” Luna shouted as she approached the dais.

“I've been away too long,” Celestia said, her voice sad, “When you didn't show up this morning I figured it was time to return.”

“That's my fault,” Pete interjected, “With all the stuff that Luna's been doing lately I figured she needed more rest. So I put a seal on the door.”

Celestia smiled, “You really worry about her, don't you?”

“Yeah, I do. I would even if we weren't together. She's doing me a huge favor in the background here, and it almost looks like it's killing her.”

Luna blushed, but her tone stayed chastising. “I'm fine Pete, if this was too much I would let you know.”

“Still,” Celestia said, her voice lowering to a near whisper, “You have been looking faint lately. I suggest taking the day off, sister. Rest. I'm sure it won't be too long and our errant soul here will find the remainder of his friends.”

“And allow you to be surrounded yet again?”

Celestia grinned, “I believe that's why we have the Captain here.”

There wasn't much the couple could say against the idea, Luna was tired, Pete was a captain, and Celestia had a point. So Captain Powell sat through another day of court sessions, listening to several absurd ideas, intermingled with actually good suggestions, and the occasional piece of news. The news was mostly about his impromptu disbanding of the three mini nations that had sprung up.

Celestia had stuck to the Captain's guns on that topic and the word had gotten around. Sunstreak had, allegedly, removed her crown with dignity and put up no harsh words or attempts to remain in power. News came in late that day of Mud Hole's reaction. Apparently, the usually calm earth pony tossed her crown into the distance, hopped out of her carriage, and rolled around in the nearest patch of dirt, with utter disregard to her royal garb. This caused both Pete and Celestia to take a five minute break that consisted of them laughing for several minutes, and breathing for a few before returning to work.

Work itself was nothing major. With the Dread Captain once more by the side of a monarch every proposal was passed by his own eyes as well as a princess' before given consideration. Many of the gentry were upset at this, thinking that with Luna off the throne they no longer needed to deal with the infamous captain. Little were they aware that Celestia had done everything but tell Pete she was over her issues with him. The Princess of the Sun had spent the night before reading Star Swirl's diary cover to cover, and in the process had finally accepted his leaving. She hated that Pete had come back, but the wound, as it were, was now essentially closed.

Once court was over, Celestia dismissing those remaining near sunset and canceling Luna's night court, Pete exited through the large double doors and into the main foray. His first stop would be the kitchen to see how Pinkie's day had been, then to check up on Luna. Half way to the kitchen, however, he bumped into Sunstreak. The white pony was no longer in a gown, and her blond mane was slightly mussy from flight. The two locked eyes and stood for a moment, both unsure of what to say.

Pete had just caused her sudden dethronement after all, and Sunstreak wasn't sure what to say about that. She wasn't resentful, but wouldn't most expect her to be? Shouldn't she? It was a cushy job after all. The former princess realized why it had happened though, it was illegal, she got it. Eventually she just settled for a smile. A simple gesture to say 'no hard feelings.' Pete gave a slight nod and a smile back.

The two went their separate ways, Pete to check on Pinkie, and Sunstreak to her room. The former princess found it slightly off to not have guards around her door, though she admitted they were a nuisance and she was glad to be rid of them. Like Mud Hole, Sunstreak was not really princess material. Only her former teacher's lessons made her successful, and then just barely. It had been difficult to pretend to be regal at all times, but she'd made due. In truth, the princess was more of a tomboy, easily irked and quick to draw lines. It was a side she only shown in private, and only to those she trusted, a total of four ponies in all of Equestria.

Once she was safely locked in her room, Sunstreak let out a long, tired sigh, and half sunk to the floor. The white pegasus slowly walked over to the wall mounted, full body mirror and looked herself over. She'd had practice pretending to be calm and demure, but the stress of her “companion” was making things worse. Ever since the night of the gala she had been holding her back, and more than once Sunstreak had almost slipped. Just in the hallway, caught unaware, had almost been enough. Looking in the mirror she could almost see the mare's reflection on her own face.

“Just what are you doing,” her own voice croaked out, under the control of her unwanted guest.

“I just need time,” Sunstreak muttered, wrestling for control. “I NEED more time!”

“It's not like it kills you! You'll be back on your hooves in no time!”

“That's not the point!” Sunstreak gasped for air, as if her vocal chords were choking her from this duel of voices. “If you come back now … he won't care. You're who he's looking for! If you come back now...”

“What gives,” the voice pleaded, “You hardly even know him!”

“The memories go both ways, Rainbow Dash,” Sunstreak said, smirking, “I can see everything.”

“HEY! That's private!”

The blond pegasus scowled at her own reflection, “And my memories aren't?! You saw me at my lowest point, half dead at the orphanage, and in exchange, I saw you at your peak. I know all about him. His reckless abandon when it comes to his sense of justice, how loyal he is to his friends and lovers, the way he hides his emotions behind that Discord may care smirk. I've seen him at his lowest too, from your point of view, and I've seen him soar. I also know how his birthday in the middle of summer off puts him, so he tells everypony he was born in winter. I know that even though he placed it close to Hearth's Warming Day he was always fine to get a single present for one or the other, but Pinkie always threw him his own party, and never skimped on gifts.” She smiled now, “And I know how she felt, and how you felt about her.”

“Shut up!”

“You didn't mind it, you secretly wanted it. You always felt a little spark of attraction for that fluffy pink mare, but he changed that. Still, if she'd joined up, you wouldn't have complained... much. So why not make room for one more?”

“Why not let me out now, THEN try and herd him?!” Rainbow shouted, though it did no real good, it made her feel better.

“As I said, he's liable to disappear with you all when he finds you. I can't let him do that before I have my chance. I just can't...”

“Why not?”

Sunstreak looked at her reflection, “Because unlike you I relate to how he felt. I've seen his world, the one that he forsook for you. I know what he told you, how he hated it there, felt like an outcast amongst his own kind. … I know how he felt.”

The presence of Rainbow Dash faded from the former princess' mind and she sighed with relief. One more day, that was all she needed. Tonight and tomorrow, all she wanted. She knew she could get him to love her. After all, his wife had reincarnated into her, and he loved her enough to rip apart the afterlife.

Pete had checked on both of his ladies, finding Pinkie practically teaching the cooking staff the correct way to bake sweets, and Luna looking much better after resting for the day. Assured that things were going well, he retired to his usual perch atop the castle's Eastern wall. The wall was always abandoned around sunset, the guards patrolled the wall rather than stood in singular positions. The climb up was short, but Pete was shocked when he arrived. Sitting in his usual spot was a white pegasus, Sunstreak. The former princess turned, noticing the captain's arrival, then gave him a small nod. Curious, Pete stepped forward, taking a spot a foot away from the pegasus.

“Its been a crazy day,” Sunstreak said casually.

“I bet,” Pete replied, just as casually.

The pair stood and watched the sky darken as the sun set behind them, the moon slowly rose in front of them, and the stars glinted into existence. Pete actually liked the Equestrian sunset better than his own. This one happened at roughly the same time every day, and was much more extravagant and noticeable. The shift was completely astounding every time due to how sudden it seemed.

“I've never met anyone like you,” Sunstreak spoke after the long pause of sunset.

“What do you mean?”

“You fought against Celestia, the most powerful being know to Equestria, if not the world, stood alone against a rebellion, saving Princess Luna, and even came back from the dead.”

Pete laughed and clasped his face with his hand, “Of course. Pick the absolute most astounding, stand out-ish things I've done. I thought this was going somewhere else.”

Sunstreak looked up at the human with pleading eyes, “The stories about the Element of Loyalty's husband were almost as many as her own. Us pegasi know much about who he was, strong and kind hearted, but quick to anger, and fierce. Did you know there's actually a sect of pegasi that view you in the same way most of us see Rainbow Dash?”

Pete cocked his eye brow in disbelief. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah,” Sunstreak nodded, “They're few, no doubt about that, but they believe that the Element of Loyalty's husband, even if records are spotty on his race at best, was a pegasus and was what out warriors should live up to.”

Pete scoffed, “Poor fools they are. I'm not the one they should be focused on in history books.”

“You tried so hard to keep hidden, didn't you?”

“Not really, I just don't think I'm the hero type. An anti hero maybe, but not an out and out 'guy kids should aspire to be' type. I do what I have to in order to keep those I care about safe, nothing more, nothing less. I just so happen to be romantic with ponies that want to keep order and justice floating around.”

“And if they weren't interested in that?”

Pete leaned forward onto the parapet, staring at the full moon in the sky. “I'd probably be considered one of Equestria's greatest monsters.”

“Pete,” a voice very familiar to the human whispered at his side.

“Good evening, Rainbow.” Pete looked to his left at Sunstreak, who sat there eyes and mouth wide

“H-how?” Sunstreak croaked.

“I had a feeling a few days ago, but you didn't do anything strange like the others so I shrugged it off.”

Sunstreak stepped forward, placing her front hooves on the parapet as well, making her head level with Pete and looking him in the eyes. “Please, please, please, I need to talk to you. Please, just a while longer.”

He calmly ran a hand through her mane, “I need her back.”

“I know, I know, but please I just-”

Sunstreak's words were cut off by a dull ache in the back of her head. Pete looked at her, a hint of sadness in his eyes. “No, you don't know,” he said, his spell slowly seeping into the former princess' mind, numbing it and lulling her to sleep.

When the spell had done its job, Pete picked up the slack body of the white pegasus and carried her into the last open room on Luna's side of the castle. He laid her down on the bed, and sent a guard after the Princess of Night. When she arrived, Pete gave her a quick run down of what had happened, and she started her work immediately. Luna was eager to be finished with this task. Once Rainbow was back in her body the ordeal was over. No more pushing her magic to the limits, no more spiritual exhaustion, just peace with her new family.

Inside the sleeping mind of Sunstreak, a dream played out. A dream she'd had since she was a filly, only this time the roles were filled. Before she dreamed of being surrounded by a group of loving silhouettes, early on they were a family. A father, mother, and a sibling or two. Now, however, it was Pete and his herd. They were under a large tree in the middle of a grassy plain, Rainbow Dash was on Pete's lap, her hooves around his neck. His arm was wrapped around Luna's shoulder, Pinkie settled between them, and Sunstreak herself was on the other side of Pete, leaning against him.

Author's Note

Putting this story in the fast lane folks! Expect more of it because we're staring down the barrel of the ending! Next chapter, Rainbow reawakens, and Fluttershy has to make a choice. Will she accept immortality with Discord, or will she chose to once more be mortal with her friends? GET ON BOARD THE HYPE TRAIN!