Recovery

Yes this chapter is mostly just character development, get over it

Shepard sat at the table of the housing complex that Pinkie had created for them, directly across from him sat Anderson, on Anderson’s left sat Legion, on his right sat Thane. The rest of Shepard’s crew was in attendance but none of them were sitting at the table. This meeting was primarily between Shepard and his formerly fallen friends, and the rest of the crew knew it.

“So how many of my friends who died are here in Equestria?” Shepard asked Anderson quietly.

“Mordin, Miranda, and Kaidan are here along with the three of us Shepard, if there are any others we don’t know about them.” Anderson said.

“Why didn’t you come to me sooner, we could have saved a lot of time running around in circles if you had just come and found me immediately?” Shepard asked Anderson his face was set in a slight grimace.

“Because Shepard we had a plan, we were going to keep helping you mysteriously until it was prudent to reveal ourselves. Unfortunately the Illusive Man stepped up his game plan and the only way to keep you alive was for us to reveal ourselves.” Anderson told Shepard apologetically.

“I understand, I just wish it hadn’t been necessary.” Shepard said rubbing a hoof through his hair “I don’t really like being manipulated.” Anderson nodded, the sense of vast importance had passed and the rest of the crew came over to reintroduce themselves to the new arrivals.

“Legion, why do you have a blue flashlight as your cutimark?” Ash asked Legion with a large smile on her face, Legion stared at her.

“Because it is there, why is yours a book?” Legion replied simply Ash raised an eyebrow this was going to be interesting.

***

Dash was looking for Fluttershy everywhere, she’d checked in the med area that Lyra had set up, she’d checked in Twilight’s library, now she only had one place left to look. She alighted outside of Fluttershy’s house noiselessly, and noticed that the front lawn was covered in small graves. Each grave was decorated with a tiny tombstone displaying an image of the creature that had been buried underneath it. From in the house she heard the sound of soft crying, steeling herself for whatever she would find Dash opened the door and stepped inside the small house. Angel was patrolling the main room apparently thrown out of his mistress’s room, he saluted Dash and went back to looking out for trouble, Dash returned the salute and slowly flew up the stairs till she was right outside of Fluttershy’s door. Dash knocked but didn’t get an answer although the crying continued, without hesitating a moment longer Dash entered the room.

Lying on her bed was Fluttershy; her mane was messy and in a state of terrible disarray, her eyes were red and puffy from crying. When she saw Dash she buried her head in her pillow and cried.

“Go away! I know you hate me now you don’t have to rub it in anymore!” Dash was confounded.

“Fluttershy what are you talking about?” Dash asked softly doing her best not to frighten her marefriend.

“I said go away Dashie! I’m a monster who doesn’t deserve to live and I don’t need you around to taunt me!” Dash’s head was spinning, what was Fluttershy talking about? Inside her head she heard Shika sigh before she said She’s guilty about the fact that she killed that man in vengeance, and now she thinks that you think that she’s a bloodthirsty monster, really Dash it’s obvious.Dash nodded in understanding. Thanks Shika she said in her mind before turning back to Fluttershy.

“Fluttershy I’m not mad at you, and I’m not afraid that you’re a blood thirsty monster, you’re perfect the just the way you are.” Fluttershy looked up from her pillow and sniffled.

“Really Dashie?” she asked in a voice that broke Dash’s heart.

“Of course Fluttershy I’ll always love you, and the fact that you’re an incredible swordsmare just makes you twenty percent more awesome.” Dash told her marefriend as she sat down next to her and wrapped her for legs around Fluttershy.

“But…but I’ve been transformed into a remorseless killer?” Fluttershy stuttered.

“Fluttershy you’re currently sitting on your bed crying your eyes out because you killed a heartless killer in an awesome way, I don’t think that you’re remorseless. Which reminds me, where did you learn how to sword fight?” Dash asked awe in her voice, Fluttershy stopped crying and looked at Dash.

“Well it’s always been a hobby, but being a Paladin apparently made me much better at it then I’ve ever been before. What are we going to do now Dash?”

“That’s up to you Fluttershy, although, we are already on your bed…”

***

“Twilight is it just me or have we not had an actual chance to talk to each other since Shepard came to town?” Spike asked Twilight as he helped her mop caked blood off of the floor of the library.

“I know what you mean Spike, it seems that I just can’t have conversations with all of my friends anymore, once this war is over I’ll have the chance to reconnect with everypony.”

“So where’s Celestia? I know that she’s around here somewhere and I need to talk to her about how to raise Peewee, the guys getting big.” Spike said as the phoenix alighted on his shoulder before sneezing out a small jet of flame.

“Be careful with him please Spike, the last thing I need to have happen to me is to come home to find a smoking crater where my house used to be.” Twilight told spike before she ran a hoof over the phoenix’s head.

“Don’t worry Twilight he knows about that sort of thing, it’s mostly stuff about life cycles and main food source that I’m worried about. He doesn’t like his bird feed anymore and I need to know if he eats primarily meat.” Spike said scratching the bird under his chin.

“I’ll see what she says Spike, now I have to get going AJ said something about a meeting with Rarity and I don’t want to be late.” Twilight sped out the door leaving Spike behind absently scratching Peewee.

Twilight met her friends outside of Sugarcube Corner and they began to walk towards AJ’s farm.

“So what happened to you during the battle AJ, the last thing that we heard was that you were bringing the rest of your family to Lyra’s command center?” Twilight asked her orange friend.

“We were on our way in when Celestia swept through, she sent two guards to make sure that we got to the command center safely. Other than that nothin important happened.”

“So then would you kindly explain the purpose behind this meeting AJ? My sister is distraught in the wake of the battle and needs me to lend a comforting hoof?” Rarity asked AJ in impatience.

“Well ya see I’ve been thinkn that something’s a little off about Shepard, now I’m not sayin that he’s lied to us, but I still think that somethins off.” AJ said.

“What do you mean by ‘off’ AJ?” Twilight asked her friend in concern.

“Well he’s just so emotionless about all the killin that we’ve been doin lately, it’s unnatural is what it is.” Jas said, her voice lowered “He’s even turned Fluttershy in ta a coldblooded killer, there aint no way that that’s normal.” Twilight sighed.

“AJ Shepard was a soldier before he came here, so were the rest of his crew, did you miss that conversation somehow? As for Fluttershy that’s Celestia’s fault for granting her Paladinship which allows her to put most of her emotions on hold until it’s a good time to let them out, which I’m guessing is now.” Twilight told her friend in annoyance, she could have sworn that she went over all of this a while ago.

“If that’s all that this was about darling I have to get home and help Sweetie Belle.” Rarity said before she ran off towards her house, which had been magically rebuilt and cleaned after the fight.

“I still don’t know how the rest of yall can stand all the killin, I can do it, but I don’t like it.” AJ said firmly, Twilight looked at her sadly.

“None of us like it, well except probably Dash, but still it has to be done.” Twilight walked back towards Lyra’s fortifications to see if she could find Celestia.

***

“We really shouldn’t have done this here Kaidan.” Miranda said as she poured herself a glass of water.

“Don’t worry no one will know.” Kaidan replied easily looking admiringly at Miranda’s flanks.

“Except of course the ex-salarian scientist whose work you disturbed with your sex of course.” Mordin said as he walked into the room, Kaidan and Miranda both blushed. “Don’t worry I’m not mad, the sexual tension between the two of you was beginning to drive me crazy, was going to suggest that you hurry up and get it over with.” Mordin said breathlessly as he walked over and poured himself a cup of coffee, he smiled as he saw the looks on their faces and took a sip.

***

“So that was the first Cerberus assault on my domain, I think that we handled it quite well don’t you think Screwball?” Discord asked his apprentice who nodded enthusiastically

“It was fun Master; I bet they’ll think twice before trying to take control of your mind again.” She gestured at the thousands of charred, broken, melted, air blasted, chocolate coated, cotton candy smeared, bone removed, oxygen deprived, gamma irradiated, mutated, hole filled, bloodless bodies spread around on the flat plain where Discord had chosen for the battle to take place on. Discord nodded as he absentmindedly began moving the bodies over to one of the nearby volcanoes.

“I wonder how things went on Tia’s end.”

***

“Princess Celestia the battle went far better than expected, after you incinerated the large portion of their army the moment that you arrived. The rest put up just enough fight for us to take a few casualties, but other than that we got off for the most part scot free.” Arsenal told her as he looked over a status report that had come from the infirmary. Celestia sighed in relief.

“That’s good news; I was worried about how well the army would do after our rapid arrival.” Celestia said her eyes wandering around the small command center. “General Lyra I must commend you for your exemplary thinking and strategy, this is truly a job well done, and another feather in you cap.” Lyra bowed graciously.

“Thank you Princess, I would have been able to offer more assistance if there were more ponies in this town who actually know how to fight. The rest did fine but having experienced soldiers is always better than having civilians who barely know which end of a gun you hold. Even so they did alright.” Lyra told the Princess, placing a mild suggestion in her voice. Celestia laughed.

“Yes I’ll leave some of my veterans here to help you defend Ponyville, I planned on it anyways.” Lyra let out a relived sigh before she turned to Bon Bon.

“Anything new to report Commander Bon Bon?” Bon Bon shook her head

“Nothing new Ma’am, but Twilight Sparkle would like to speak with Celestia privately.” Lyra nodded and followed Bon Bon out of the tent, when they were outside of Celestia’s earshot Bon Bon whispered “How about we go over the new reports in my room General” Lyra smiled, it was a good day.

“Princess Celestia it’s good to see you again.” Twilight began.

“So what did you want to talk about Twilight?” Celestia asked skipping the formalities, Twilight caught on quickly.

“Well three things really, if you recall Spike has a phoenix of his own now, and he wants to know what to feed it.” Twilight began with the lightest subject.

“Tell him to let it hunt for itself, they always come back.” Celestia answered easily, Twilight nodded “next?”

“What really happened to Luna, and how did she get better?” Celestia looked down uncomfortably for a second before answering.

“Her mind was literally torn apart by some unknown power; I enlisted Discord’s help bringing her back from the brink of being a vegetable.” Twilight looked at her mentor in shock.

“You used Discord, but Celestia how could you after everything that he’s done?” Celestia stared at Twilight.

“Without Discord my sister would now be a pawn for the enemy to use as they pleased. I don’t like it any more than you do, but if there’s one thing that that draconequus knows about better than I do it’s minds.” Twilight thought about it before shrugging, that problem would have to wait.

“My third question is have you ever seen this book before?” she floated ‘When dealing with mysterious Enemies’ over to Celestia who looked at it before drawing in a deep apprehensive breath.

“Twilight this is a transdimensional guide book, where could you possibly have gotten this?”

“Pinkie” Twilight said simply, Celestia sighed and returned the book to Twilight.

“I should’ve guessed, keep that safe, what you hold is probably one of the most voluble magical objects in this dimension.” Twilight nodded and left, Celestia watched her student retreat into the distance before she got back to the work of planning the next phase of the operation.

Next Chapter: Interlude Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 37 Minutes