Both me and Ribbon awoke to the ground trembling violently, and without a second thought, we teleported upstairs, where Scootaloo and Gary followed us outside. The sight that occurred will forever be etched in my memory.

On the other side of the Everfree, a massive bolt of energy came crashing down from nowhere, causing several vertical blades of an energy so full of murderous intent that it could be felt from here, to erupt from the ground. Ribbon and Scootaloo simply stared, shocked by absurd level of power need to perform something like that. I believe I spoke for both of them when I voiced my mind.

"Holy. Goddamn. Shit."

That snapped Ribbon out of her stupor. "What could do that?"

"I swear I've seen that before, back in my gamer days, but where...?" Feeling something gripping my leg like a vice, I notice Scootaloo clamped onto me, shivering in fright.

"I-i-is it o-over...? I-i-i'm scared..." coaxing her off my rear leg, I pulled her up to my chest in a one legged hug, somewhat rattled myself. Scootaloo seemed to sense my fear, and wrapped her forelegs around me, whimpering into my neck.

I took a few moments to calm myself down, and wrapped a wing around the filly's quivering form, even as Twilight showed up, panicking.

"What the buck was that!?"

"Thats what I'm trying to remember... I know I've seen it somewhere before..." and I feel like I'm woefully unprepared for whatever caused it. Because if it gets through me... Ribbon and Scootaloo won't stand a chance...

"I might need to rush order your new rifle."

"Rifle?" Awww crap, Twilights interested.

"Nothing!" Twilight actually bought Ribbons attempt at a cover up! How gullible can you get?

"I'm surprised more ponies aren't freaking out..." idle chitchat while I converse with Ribbon. -We're gonna need to learn to defend ourselves if theres something like that out there. Attacking like a lunatic can only get you so far...-

'Luna and Celestia can probably teach you how to fight, and while you're in Canterlot I can work on the rifle.'

Twilight had apparently finished running some calculations in her head, and gasped. "Whatever did THAT must've done more damage the Discords plunder vines."

"Wait, Discord made those things?! Ohhh... when I get my hooves on the bugger..." If I weren't holding Scootaloo right now, I'd be wringing his imaginary neck...

"Apparently he planted them right before he was turned to stone a thousand years ago." Motioning to Gary with my free wing, I wait for him to come over, and lightly set Scootaloo on his back, where she begins gripping him tightly.

"They were supposed to grow a year after being turned to stone, but the tree of harmony kept them from growing until it got too weak, me and the girls had to give back the elements to he... oh, buck." No shit Twi, we just lost our super weapon when there is something obscenely powerful running around Equestria, good job... I applied hoof directly to forehead, unable to believe my luck.

"That means we actually have to fight what ever did that, huh?" The look Ribbon gives me just confirms my fears... I am now the first line of defense...

"Yeah, and I'm gonna need to learn how to actually fight, not just attack like a rabid animal..." I'm a quadruped now, whatever fighting styles I may have learnt are invalid. "Twi, do you know anyone who can teach me to properly defend myself?"

"Well, I guess I can teach you some more magic." This, is why I respect her, she not only has the drive to learn, but to TEACH as well.

'Uhh... between me and her, I think we can adapt some of the techniques in those 'fighting games' you've played.'

-That... might just work.-

"How good are you with magic now?" And back to Twi.

"Uh... not much more than teleportation, telekinesis, and the occasional force blast, oh, and the sleep spell."

"So you haven't learned anything new? Then how's your control?"

"My control sucks, I just put as much power into the spell as possible." ev

"Then we'll work with a few ice spells and while we're at it, we'll work on your control."

Ribbon, sensing an opening, took the moment to butt in, so she could bug out. "I guess I'll go work on the uh, thing."

Twilight turned to face me again. "Is right now good?"

I slowly nod. "Very well." With a flash of lavender, Twilight deposited us in her library. Looking around, I decided to skip any pleasantries. "So, where shall we begin?”

Twilight quickly pulls out five or so books, quickly looking over their titles. "I'd say we start with the basics, but if there's a new villain we'll skip it." She seems to stop and think for a moment, before resuming. "Anatomy, so I can teach you better healing spells, basic and advanced magic theory."

"Basic theory would be an acceptable starting point, I presume?"

"Yes, read through those and we'll work on ice magic and your control."

"You want me to take these home and read them, correct?"

"Yeah, just bring them back when you're done."

Giving her a nod of confirmation, I grabbed the books in my levitation, and walked back home to meet up with Ribbon. It was a rather uneventful walk, and when I got there, I was curious as to how far Ribbon had gotten on the rifle.

Yawning, I realized I was still actually rather tired, after last nights events and getting woken up early. Opening the door, I suppressed a second yawn, and after smacking my lips, let the door shut behind me. Setting the books Twilight gave me down on the kitchen table, I walked to the bedroom.

Noticing Ribbon, in her pegasus form, apparently trying to sleep, I plopped myself onto the bed beside her. "Hey Ribbon, you-" A loud yawn escapes from me. "-still tired as well?"

"From last night, yeah. Being on top is exhausting."

I wrap a hoof around Ribbon, pulling her closer to me, before manipulating my mane over my eyes, in an attempt to block out the sunlight filtering into room. "You know Ribbon, if it weren't for you, I probably would have lost it a long time ago..."

"I'd say you would have found somepony. but you never did, you found someling instead." I chuckled at that.

"And it took me slamming my head into the floor to get you to stop panicking and listen to what I was trying to say."

"Hey, I thought you were going to eat me, I wasn't panicking without reason. And at the time I thought ponies were an enemy."

"And look at you now... your a Queen, you've united ponies and changelings and you have a violently protective Night Terror as a lover."

"Lets not forget about the egg that'll be hatching soon."

I actually stop as what Ribbon said registers. "Wha... oh, right, I keep forgetting you're more insectriod than mammalian in nature."

"Not sure how you could forget." She chuckles. "... What do you think she'll be like?"

"I have no clue, but she will be cute, thats for sure."

"Of course she'll be cute, she'll be a Proto-queen."

"Do you think any other hives will come out of hiding?"

"They might, eventually. I'd like to think they will, but I also know they won't agree to Celestia's conditions for moving into Equestria. If they want to."

This piqued my interest. "What conditions?"

"I gave my crown to Celestia, mostly a superficial thing, I'm still a Queen."

"In other words you only handle internal issues, correct?"

"Yeah, she handles the law and I keep changelings out of her day court."

I giggled, before pulling Ribbon up against me, her back touching my belly, and draped a wing over her. "Well it just means you get to spend more time with me, my little cuddlebug."

She hums, content with the feeling of my warm body. "And I have no need for a court, I can do it all remotely via the hivemind."

I hummed in agreement, before shifting my head so it was against the back of hers, feeling at peace.

"You used to be warmer, I have noticed you trying to push the others away."

I knew she was going to ask me this sooner or later... "I-I just... When you and Scootaloo pass away, the sorrow will be unbearable. I-" Despite my efforts to remain calm, I felt my breath hitch, and my body start to tremble. "I d-dont want to lose you, or Scootaloo... Adding other friends to the list of ponies who will fade in the sands of time, is just too much for me to bear..." I pull Ribbon in even tighter, like she could vanish at a moments notice. "I-I-I d-don't want y-you to g-g-go..." Tears began to form, regardless of how hard I tried to hold them back.

I could feel Ribbon pat one of the legs wrapped around her body reassuringly. "It'll be ok. When Scoots passes, I'll be here, and when the others pass, I'll still be here." I could feel her shifting around, trying to turn and face me, but my grip left her no wiggle room, she eventually gave up on that course of action, and resumes patting my leg in an attempt to comfort me. "I'll be here, grieving for our lose, and so will Twilight now. You won't be alone."

I slowly curled myself around Ribbon, until she was completely hidden from the outside world by either my body, the wing still draped over her, the bed, or my mane being manipulated to cover her face, her warmth comforting me. All that I could manage to say without bursting into tears was a soft "Thank you..."

"I'll be around for a long time. Now try and get some sleep." Smiling, I did just that, basking in the warmth coming from her.

I was in a void, floating aimlessly, when I heard a scream… MY scream, coming from below me… looking down, I saw a haunting sight… I was standing over the corpse of Ribbon, glaring at some unseen monstrosity…

that was when the other me spoke. “You killed her… y͠ou ̀m̧o̴nster͟.̵..” I watched, horrified, as this other me’s eyes glowed an ominsly intense white, and shadows begun coating its being, an aura of dark energy wisping off its body. “Y͠͏ou̶̧͟ ̢d̶͢o̡̕ ͞n͞o̶͡ţ̡ ͜k̕n̕͡o̸̶w̴ w̸̸h̶a̴҉t̵̴ ̵y͏̷͟o҉ú̀ h̶͘͞á͜͝v̧e ͟d̸o̷ń͡e̡.̶͢.̶̀.͟͞” its jaw seemed to open wider then physically possiable, revealing row upon row of razer sharp teeth. “Ì͘҉ ̡̀͠͡w̸̵̧͢i҉͡l͝҉҉̨̛l̷̷͝͝ ̀͜͢d̸̢e̵̷ş̷͝t̷͢͟͡ŕ̛o҉̢y̛͞͞ ҉̨̨y̶͞ớ̶̧u̡͘͢͡!̛́” the entire void was filled with a light somehow darker than the void itself…

I awoke to the sound of a cute sneeze, leaving my still half asleep and horrified brain confused. “Huh!? Oh, morning Ribbon.” Finding myself still tightly curled around Ribbon, a smile slowly crept across my face, relieved she was still there, while I tried not to think of the contents of my dream.

"Morning. I got to meet Maria, she's quite the voyeur." of course she wo- waitaminute…

"wait, so it WASN'T a near death experience?!"

"I blame you being a spirit, linking you soul to me, and letting me see dead ponies in my dreams." I felt a stab of terror at that, but managed to suppress it before Ribbon noticed, judging by her lack of reaction.

"At least things never get boring around here."

"Thats true. And I'm going to have to make sure to put on a good show next time if she's watching."

My cheeks light up like a stoplight, and I squeaked in fright, realizing Maria saw just how crazy we got.

"Oh ho ho, did I find something that embarresses you? Maybe I should set up camera too?"

"Please don't... Pinkie would probably figure out Celestia likes watching that kind of thing, and show it to her..."

"Fine, I still have the picture anyway." She starts trying to wiggle out of my grip. "Come on, can't stay in bed all day."

"Don't care, too soft and cuddly." that was a lie, I was absolutely terrified, fearing she might disappear at any moment.

She kept struggling, however. "Come on, I have to work on your rifle." Please stay… I need you...

I slowly trace a single hoof across her stomach, trying to convince her to stay. “But you’re so fluffy and tense, stay a while, and relax…” she seems to enjoy it, as she stops struggling and relaxes, a dopey grin on her face.

"Can't. resist. alluring. voice. Ohhh, fine, just a little longer." We just layed there, content, for several minutes, while I managed to regain my composure, before Ribbon tried to wiggle free of my grip again, and I relented, albit reluctantly. "Ok, I'm going to work on the rifle and see if my shipment came in yet. But first, there's someling I want you to meet, so come on out of bed. She'll be out in a few hours."

wait… come out in a few hours… didn't we talk about the egg before we went to sleep? "You don't mean..."

"Mhmm. Back at the hive, few more hours." oh, yesyesyesyesyesyes, I am so hyped, so, so, SO HYPED. I could feel a grin of ungodly proportions slowly make its way onto my face, as Ribbon laughed nervously. "You might want to be careful around her if you're going to be this happy."

Deep breaths Chitsuki, deep breaths… Reigning in my excitement, I clambered out of the bed, and proceeded to stretch my back and numerous joints. “How fast can we get there?”

"I don't want you using too much magic yet since… yesterdays incident... So I can teleport us, still a little iffy at long range though. Or, I think we have time to just fly there.”

“Eh, I could use the exercise... Flying it is." Ribbon give me a quick nod, and with a flash of fire, her mane and coat are no longer scruffy and ragged.