The door was struck once again. A crack appeared on its surface from this latest hit, the force of it almost breaking it open. Twilight gave the lock a cursory glance. It wouldn’t hold out against another one.

Violent crashes, roars of rage, and grunts of pain had been coming from the other side for some time now. Twilight had cast a new silencing spell, but being this close to the entrance meant she was inside of the spell’s outer radius she had set it up.

“Do you think we should go in and stop them now?” Twilight asked Applejack.

Luna’s voice thundered from inside the locked room. “I will bucking murder you!”

Applejack sat down. “Let’s wait a tiny bit more ah say. Ah think they still got some more anger to work out.”

Another minute passed with the sounds of fighting continuing undiminished. Twilight kept looking back at the half broken door.

“Give it a rest, sugarcube. They’ll be out when they are all done and ready.”

Twilight shook her head. She kept trying and failing to wrap her mind around what was currently happening. “I just… I can’t believe they are hurting each other like that. I thought they were friends. Now it sounds like they are-”

“Trying to kill each other?” Applejack asked.

Twilight nodded. She heard Raegdan shout in pain, followed by a resounding slap. Was Raegdan really hitting Luna in there? For real? She would never expect something like that from him, not in a thousand years.

“If it helps,” Applejack tried to soothe her worries, “Ah don’t think they are doing this to hurt the other.”

Twilight’s response was a look of pure skepticism at this denial of reality.

“No, really,” Applejack said. The continuous thumping of metal against stone inside was making a real good argument against her in Twilight’s opinion. “Ah really think they are just trying to push the other to hurt themselves.” Luna screamed in pain. “Ok, not trying, they sound like they succeed just fine.”

“Why, Applejack? Why would they do that to themselves?” The only saving grace in all this was the fact that they forewent their usual practice of heading straight to the guard training hall and kicking everypony’s flank there. Applejack managed to keep them in that room and tell them to work out their issues some other way. Not that this was much better, but at least nopony else would get hurt.

Applejack shrugged. “Self-retribution, Ah guess. The way they see it, they really messed up. So now, they are punishing themselves.”

“By beating each other up?”

“What, this really surprises ya? Ah don’t think they are the kind that would punish themselves by cutting off dessert.” Applejack pointed towards the room where the aforementioned mutual destruction was taking place.

“Raegdan never used violence for punishment-”

“Against you and Spike?” asked Applejack. “Sugarcube, of course he wouldn’t. He loves ya and Spike to pieces and would never even consider to willfully hurt the two of ya. But Luna and he don’t hold themselves up to the same standards. Those two believe they deserve what they are getting right now. At least, that’s what ah think,” Applejack speculated.

Twilight was aghast at the thought.

“Raegdan and Luna don’t deserve anything like this!”

“Ah know, sugarcube,” Applejack agreed. “Nopony does. But you are the one who told us that Raegdan himself is the first to speak up against himself as to how he has some “little problems”, right? Ah think Luna is the same. Those two have been cast out of the exact same mold. Ah’m sorry Twilight, but from what ah’ve seen violence is in their blood. So ah think that this here is the reason they don’t really speak up in their defense when they get hurt or when ponies tried to kill them. If they get hurt enough, then for ‘em it means the debt’s all settled and nothing else needs to be said or done.” Applejack frowned as she thought more of what she just said. “This might actually be part of the problem. Who knows what they might believe they’re free to do because of what they’ve been through…” Applejack lost herself in thought.

“You seem to understand the two of them much better than I do,” Twilight complained. “Raegdan practically raised me and I never thought of that.”

Applejack shook her head as if waking up. “Eh, they’re like foals in a way sometimes. Ya know, like how Applebloom used to think I was against her when she was younger and lashed out at me. Same old tricks work on ‘em too. This here kind’s the same. Make a little filly choose between getting grounded or getting a smack for being in trouble, they’ll choose the smack every time.”

Twilight sat next to Applejack, leaning her back against the wall. “So, what you are saying is that this is their way of-”

“Right now? They are admitting they goofed.”

Raegdan’s pained howl from inside halted Applejack’s explanation. “I’ll rip off your wings for that!” he cried out.

“Are you ok, Twily? Look, you shouldn’t worry, they are not gonna kill-”

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this…” Twilight whispered angrily.

Applejack didn’t answer. Twilight couldn’t see her, not with the way she had her forelegs around her head, but she could take a good guess at her expression. “We were supposed to have a good time. Like we used to. When I was at my parent’s home, the day before yesterday, I was making all those plans. We would go to the tournament and have fun, with Raegdan at the seats with us, not watching him… kill and hurt ponies. We would go to Donut Joe’s, maybe go camping, we would listen to Raegdan’s stories, we would have fun with him, with nopony in danger of getting poisoned! And maybe… maybe I could get him to come to Ponyville with us, and we could show him around. Show him my library, take him to Sugarcube Corner, your farm, Rarity’s boutique, Fluttershy’s animals, Rainbow could put up a show for all of us…” Twilight was almost shouting over the combat’s din.

“I’m sorry, sugarcube. That’s the hand we were dealt. But hey, it can still happen! We are here now, helping them. If it all ends well-”

Applejack’s hopeful speculation was once again interrupted, this time by the door’s failure to endure the latest assault. Pieces of wood exploded everywhere as a dark blue Alicorn crashed through the door and onto the floor.

Luna picked herself up and shook her head harshly. Her magic grabbed a splinter that had gone through her wing and savagely pulled it out, spraying blood on the floor. She spat on the ground, a thick glob of saliva and blood, and turned towards the room’s entrance. Her gritted teeth were red, her coat and hoofs were splashed with specks of blood, and even with her dark coloring Applejack and Twilight could see the bruises forming on her.

Raegdan stumbled out. His armor was beaten up and blood was flowing from beneath his helmet. His hands and boots had a few red splotches on them. One of the large pauldrons had been ripped off. Twilight noticed the bleeding, deep bite on his upper arm. It looked like Luna had almost ripped a piece off.

“Is that all you got, Luna? I thought you said you know how to fight. Come on, oh mighty Alicorn, or are you afraid of getting your ass kicked some more?” he wheezed angrily. He was completely exhausted. Twilight had never seen Raegdan put so much effort in the simple act of standing up except that first time she ever saw him. His breathing was harsh and Twilight believed she could hear a wet gurgle in it. His arms were shaking and he was swaying as he stood.

Luna was in a better condition, but even she was reaching her limits. Twilight could see her legs were trembling, threatening to give out under her. But this taunting spurred her on. Luna’s wings exploded outwards and with a mighty beat she launched herself at Raegdan, forelegs stretched forward.

Raegdan didn’t try to dodge or block. He probably no longer had the strength to do so. They both disappeared from their view and they heard the clang as Raegdan was crushed against the opposite wall further inside.

Twilight got up. She was going in there and putting a stop to this. If they kept on, one of them would end up in serious trouble. Raegdan, probably. Luna was going easy on him, foregoing the use of her magic against him. But he was already drained, both of blood and energy. He had slept for only four hours, he was very possibly anemic, and his wounds never got the chance to heal. His side and arm might be bleeding under his armor.

If they didn’t stop them, Luna could kill Raegdan any minute now.

Inside, Luna was on top of Raegdan, the biped sprawled on the floor. She was riding on his chest and hitting his armored head, her strikes whipping it off from one side to the other.

"Stop! Stop, Luna, you are going to kill him. That's enough!" Twilight shouted.

Neither of them paid her any attention.

Raegdan brought his left hand forward, blocking Luna's last hit. He grunted as her hoof impacted on the wound under his bracer. His right hand punched her straight on the muzzle and rocked her off him.

Twilight kept trying to get them to hear her, to stop. She was ignored.

With Luna off him, Raegdan managed to drunkenly get back on his knees before Luna jumped him again. He managed to grab her, twist around, and throw her on the ground behind him. Luna retaliated with a kick of her back leg, hitting Raegdan’s stomach.

Raegdan got knocked back a bit but quickly regained his footing and managed to stay up. As Luna got up to her legs, Raegdan bent and grabbed the same leg she hit him with. Luna barely had time to grit her teeth at him before he spinned her around and threw her on a wall.

Falling down on his knees again, Twilight could hear him gasping. She moved in front of him. She heard him spitting inside his helmet and saw the red tinted liquid dribble down from the edge of his helmet.

“Raegdan, Luna, stop! That’s enough. You are hurting your-”

Raegdan pushed her to the side. The next second an enraged Luna was back on top of him. They wrestled on the ground, trading hits. Raegdan ignored Luna’s strikes at his torso, grabbed her head from the sides, and headbutted her right on her muzzle with his armored forehead. A few drops of blood from Luna’s shattered nose almost landed on Twilight. Luna fell down.

Raegdan got up to his feet again and tried to repeat his previous throw. Luna was prepared for him now though and as soon as he got close enough she kicked up with her hind leg, nailing Raegdan right between his legs with a mighty clang.

“Oh, you… little… bitch…” he whimpered as he fell down on his hands and knees. “Padding… definitely need better padding…” he whispered in a higher pitch than normal.

“Not so “cocky” now, are we? Let me return the favor now that I got you down on your knees,” Luna snarled and pulled off his helmet. There were small, dried rivers of blood coming from the top of his head and mouth. He looked terrible. And it was going to get worse apparently.

Luna headbutted him with a vicious snarl. Raegdan fell down on his back again. His arms started scrambling around slowly, feeling their way as if he was blind.

“Oh, that felt good,” Luna moaned almost sensually. “Let’s have seconds, shall w- ungh!” Raegdan dropped the act. As soon as Luna gloated over him his right fist launched upwards from below. Raegdan grunted in pain as his fist landed with a thud on Luna’s jaw. Twilight remembered his broken fingers. If he kept this up, he would never heal at this rate.

Luna blinked once and then slowly lost her balance, slumping on the floor.

Raegdan had turned the tables on her. He got on his knees above her as she lay on her back, dazed. He brought his hands together, the two fists side by side and raised his arms above his head, ready to bring them down on her.

Applejack's voice piped up, full of amusement. "Whoah nelly, now this thing right here is getting pretty suggestive, ain't it?"

The unexpected comment brought an instant pause to the two fighters. Raegdan and Luna both looked downwards, Twilight noticing what Applejack meant. The way Raegdan was positioned in between Luna's legs as she lay there was as if-

It was something that was going to haunt her nights. She closed her eyes. Maybe they could go back to beating each other senseless, please?

Raegdan and Luna didn't share Twilight’s opinion. A drop trickled down from Raegdan’s forehead and fell on Luna’s belly. They both snorted as they looked at each other. Soon their loud laughter was filling the room. Raegdan let himself fall to the side, next to Luna, both of them laughing like crazy. It took a while for their insanity to peter off.

Raegdan half groaned, half laughed. "Oh hell, it still feels like I’m going to throw up."

"Was it that good for you too?" Luna asked him, still chuckling.

Raegdan barked in laughter again. He slowly and painfully pushed himself up to half sit on the floor and reached for his helmet.

"You dislocated my left shoulder," he complained to Luna.

Luna got up to her wobbling hoofs. "I believe you did the same to my right hind leg afterwards. Here, give me your arm." She got a hold of Raegdan's offered left arm. With a twist and a push she put it back in place with an audible crunching sound. Raegdan hissed in pain.

"Your turn," he groaned.

Luna lied back down. Raegdan got hold of her leg and traced the connection at her flank with his fingers to find the leg’s socket.

"Getting a little frisky, aren’t we?" she said, amused. Celestia only knew where she found the strength for that. Twilight noticed how Luna forced herself to breathe through her mouth. "Your adopted daughter and her friend are watching, but if that’s what you are into nowadays..."

"Don't make me laugh again. It hurts," he said with a chuckle. He suddenly thrusted her leg towards her body and another pop sounded in the room. Luna, to her credit, barely made a peep. Twilight and Applejack cringed quite a bit in her place.

"Raegdan, how are your stitches?" Twilight asked. What they did was extremely stupid. Pinkie Pie was not out of danger yet. She would need Raegdan's unique brand of aid again, and here he was, bleeding himself out on the floor. How would he be able to donate even a drop more if he kept on? How would Pinkie fare without his nullifying blood?

What would happen to him if he fell into shock from blood loss?

"Surprisingly, I think they are ok. Everything feels whole down there."

"So," Applejack said, "y'all settled then? Done fighting each other?"

“I can’t believe we got played like that.” Raegdan fell back on the floor and lied down.

“We underestimated the Solar Commander,” Luna said. “His response was as genius as it was ruthless.”

“You almost sound like you admire him for it,” Twilight noted.

“Nah,” Raegdan denied the notion, “but you gotta admit a brilliant move when you see it. Learn from it.”

“And what did y’all learn from it?” Applejack asked.

Raegdan shrugged. “Next time, challenge him directly on a one versus one duel? Let’s see Steadfast think his way out of my hands tearing his throat out.” He breathed hard and fast as he lay down.

“So you are sayin’ y’all learnt horseapples.”

“I learned that I am not as half as smart as I thought. How did I let that slip by me? “Her Sun’s Holy name”. I screwed up.” Raegdan panted.

Luna was examining Raegdan as she lay next to him. “Do you feel ok, Raegdan?”

“How can he feel ok?” Twilight asked, scandalized. “Look at him!”

“I… I’m fine, little one,” he said, trying to alleviate Twilight’s concerns. “I just… I’m having trouble getting my breath back.”

“Are you feeling too tired?” Luna asked.

Raegdan thought over the question before answering. “Way more than I should be.”

“I knew it!” Twilight shouted in exasperation. “You are anemic. Tell me, Raegdan, Luna. Are the two of you trying to kill yourselves?”

They were insane! Twilight was certain. They had truly lost it. Instead of acting even a little pensive, a little regretful, anything, they started laughing their flanks off again. Their eyes were actually watering for Celestia’s sake!

She felt a little guilty for using that expression, but habits like these were hard to give up.

"I feel much better and relaxed now," Luna let them know. "Come, Raegdan, let's go to our rooms, treat our wounds, and rest up. Twilight, Applejack, we will be back later tonight to continue with Pinkie Pie's treatment."

"Uh, shouldn't you two get those wounds checked out first?" Applejack asked.

“Raegdan, this is serious. You are not well. In all probability you are not even fit to keep helping Pinkie the way you are,” Twilight told him.

"We are fine," Raegdan insisted. "Just a bunch of bruises," he said while using a handkerchief Twilight passed to him to staunch the blood flow from his bitten shoulder. “Let me worry about myself, little one. I’ve been through far, far worse.” He graced Twilight with a smile. “What I want you to do is find out when little pink is going to be ok to move around again. I’m going to take you, and all your friends, out to Donut Joe’s to celebrate when we can get her out of there. My treat.”

“Did… did you…” Twilight stuttered. He didn’t hear her complaining outside, did he?

“It’s amazing how much your senses sharpen when someone is doing her best to bite a piece off you,” he said while he buckled the pauldron back in place. Luna blushed. “See you later, little one.”

“I hope if someone did something up there, they didn’t mess with the bathroom. I’m not in the mood to die again while preparing the bathtub…” Raegdan’s chuckles trailed off as they left. Twilight made her decision.

“Raegdan!” she called out. “Wait.”

The pair paused at the door. “Yeah, little one?”

Twilight turned to Applejack. “Applejack, do you mind if you escort Luna to her chambers on your own? I need to have a talk with dad.” It was time she did. There were things she needed to clear up. “I will bring him there when we are done.”

“Wait,” Raegdan said in confusion. “Since when do we need chaperones?”

“Ah think you’ve personally needed one since you were born, but we will have to make do with this now,” Applejack told him as she made her way to Luna’s side. “After you, Princess.”

Luna did not move. “Raegdan?”

“I will be right there, Luna. Just don’t go inside until I’m there to check up the rooms. You know the drill.”

“I insist that I am the one who takes the risk for once. We should set a rotation, as I’ve told you before.” Luna sounded exhausted.

“I agree.” Luna smiled slightly to hear him say that. “But there’s this little thing that’s bothering me… oh, of course, how could I forget? I’m officially your guard now. So, no. You will wait for me.” Luna’s smile was gone again. She turned around and left with a huff, Applejack rushing behind her.

Raegdan made his way to a chair that was thrown aside and put it back in it’s place. “Have a seat, little one. We should make this quick. Luna will wait for me only so long before she starts searching herself.” He leaned against the wall and let himself slip down to the floor slowly.

“What was the deal with Leaf Stream? Why did you do that?” Twilight asked. Their reasoning was beyond them. They trusted almost nopony but then they do this?

Raegdan gave a small laugh. Twilight would feel insulted but… she didn’t think he was laughing at her.

“We need a clue, little one. Something to follow. Leaf Stream is someone who has an extremely good reason to want us dead and we just gave her a way to get close enough to do us in.”

Oh, this was getting ridiculous. Raegdan was suicidal. That was the only answer because the one he just offered made no sense.

“Ah, little one. So innocent.” He reached for Twilight and pinched her cheek. “Whoever wants us dead, at least one of them, will try to recruit her. The bait is just too good. Now, we just need to be patient and wait for Leaf Stream to make her attempt. Then, we will question her and we will have our guy. Risky, but it’s all we got for now.”

Twilight understood now. It was a dirty trick in her opinion. “You are setting up Leaf Stream. You don’t care at all. She is just a pawn to sacrifice, isn’t she? You just gave her the matches and now you wait for her to get burned.” Twilight tried to put all the loathing she felt about this plan in her voice. Leaf Stream did not deserve this, not after what Twilight saw in her room.

Raegdan lost his smile. “Look, little one. When I thought up this plan… you are right, I did not care. Let her burn. That’s what I would say an hour before. But… she really impressed me in there, you know?” Raegdan pleaded for Twilight to understand his reasoning. “I hope she will decide to take a chance with us. Maybe she will come forward and reveal any conspiracy they try to lure her into. I really hope she does.”

“And if she doesn’t?” Twilight asked.

“You must not forget one important thing, Twilight. No matter how Luna acts, no matter how little use of her title we make, she is still a princess. Her safety, her life, comes first. Everything else comes second. Leaf Stream has the chance to do the right thing, or the wrong thing. I will act accordingly.”

“This is not fair to her, Raegdan. She is no position to make the right choice in her state.”

“Life's not fair. If it was, I would not be a homeless mur…” his voice trailed off, tinged with anger. “It’s not fair, Twilight. That’s life.”

“It doesn’t have to be!” Twilight contested his reality. “If the world isn’t fair then it’s your job to make it so!”

“...what?”

“When you need food, you don’t just whine that you starve and that that’s how the world is. You farm the land. You work hard and you make a difference. And if enough ponies help, you can have enough food to feed the whole world,” Twilight finished her short speech with a strike of her hoof on her chair. Raegdan was looking at her with wide eyes.

“That… that sounds like something your friend Applejack would say. Did she say that?”

“Princess Celestia told me that actually. Justice and fairness do not exist out in the world. They exist in the heart and we make them real through our actions. Princess Celestia told me that the world is not fair herself. She is not blind, Raegdan. But Princess Celestia, unlike you, is trying to do something about that instead of giving up.” Twilight smiled at him.

Raegdan kept his face down. “Celestia is… exceptional. I’ve never met someone like her, anywhere. I thought that… I believed that someone like her was just a dream, a fairy tale. I wish there were more like her. But there are not, Twilight. There is only just one of her. This is a war she can’t win.”

“It doesn’t mean she will stop trying,” Twilight told him. “Or that we shouldn’t help.”

Raegdan silently looked at his helmet for some time before putting it on and standing up. “Go down swinging, eh? That I can relate to.” He clapped his hands together. “What do you want me to do then?” Twilight got up and they started moving towards the exit together.

“I want you to give Leaf Stream a chance. Ask her if anyone came to her before she does something rushed.”

“I think that’s stupid. Fine. I will do that, if she says yes. Happy?”

“Close enough,” Twilight answered.

Raegdan stopped her before going out the doorway. “Twilight? You know I am trying to do my best, right?”

“I know you do, dad. I just think you can do much better.”

“Hmm,” he hummed unconvinced and strode out. Twilight believed she could make him change his tune. He could do better. She had seen it first hoof. She thought back to Leaf Stream. Something had stirred him in there. Both him and Luna.

Perhaps, for all their talk about accepting the world as not being fair, something in them still fought against it. They reached out for Leaf Stream in their own, strange way, but they did for a little while. If Twilight and the girls kept close to them, kept pushing them to be better-

“You killed my daddy.”

Twilight pulled herself out of her daydreaming. They had been on their way out of the medical wing, towards Luna’s tower. In their path stood a little earth pony filly. Her coat was light green, almost yellow, and her short mane was the same shade of yellow gold that Applejack’s hair was. She was tiny. She couldn’t have been more than eight years old at best. She was sitting on her rump, staring up at the armored figure of Raegdan with no trace of fear.

Only an intense sadness.

It would have been an image that made you scared for the little filly. Raegdan, in his dark armor, was intimidating at the best of times. Now, he was battered and covered in red streaks, looking battleworn. He was a bloodstained black tower, standing over a defenseless foal.

The filly was safe however. For you could plainly see from the way he stood that if there was somepony who felt fear it was not her.

Twilight walked forward. “Are you lost, little filly? My name is Twilight Sparkle. Where is your mother? What are you doing here alone?”

The foal did not even glance at her. She only had eyes for the frozen figure in front of her. “My mommy had to talk with a doctor here.” She pointed at Raegdan with her little hoof, accusing him. “You killed my daddy!”

She started crying suddenly, her large eyes filling with fat tears. Twilight could barely watch as they flowed slowly down her cheeks. “Why? He was the best daddy in the world! Why did you do that? Why did you kill my dad?”

“Twilight… Twilight, do something…” Raegdan whispered pleadingly.

Twilight shook her head and stepped aside. The message was clear. Raegdan had to do this on his own. Twilight would stay near, but for the filly’s sake. His stance bellied the betrayal he felt.

Raegdan went down on his knees, in front of the unflinching filly. Twilight knew why he was so shaken now. The conversations she had with her friends, the differing viewpoints and opinions, let her understand some things about him more clearly now. Twilight and Spike used to believe that Raegdan was a mountain that had taken a living shape. Not anymore.

Now, as he knelt before that orphan filly, one that he could not send away in fear or run away from, Twilight noticed Raegdan’s confidence slip. He was afraid and at a loss. He gently reached out for the crying filly but quickly pulled his hand back as if it was burned.

His helmet turned to Twilight, silently begging for help. Twilight waited, unresponsive.

“What is your name, little girl?” he asked.

“Morning Dew,” she choked in response. She was looking up at Raegdan again, this time with amazement. Raegdan’s gentle, soothing tone, the one he used on a distressed young Twilight, coming out of that dark helmet was something unexpected.

“Morning Dew,” he repeated. “I am Raegdan. I’m… sorry.”

“If you are sorry, why did you… I want my dad back!” Morning Dew shouted. “Why did you kill my dad?” Twilight hated herself a little at that moment. This little filly did not deserve this. Morning Dew did not deserve losing her father, nor Twilight allowing her to go through this. The filly was looking for an answer she could easily understand where there was none.

“He- because… I…” Raegdan was stuttering, trying to come up with an answer. Twilight kept quiet. What she was doing was harsh to both of them, but it needed to be done. Raegdan needed to come face to face with the consequences of his actions, no matter whether he was in the right or not.

Raegdan’s shoulders straightened and with a ferocious snarl he rose up in a fast, smooth action. His right hand took hold of the hammer on his side. Morning Dew stepped back in surprise.

“He wouldn’t- he can’t be…” she thought. Twilight’s horn lit up. If he made the slightest move against Morning Dew she was ready to stop him.

Raegdan’s voice became gruff and threatening. “I killed him because he got in my way. I crushed him because he wanted to save his friend. I took him from you because he stopped me!”

“I don’t like heroes, little Morning Dew!”

Twilight worked her jaw, making sure it was still in place. What in the name of stupid was he saying?

“You… you are evil!” Morning Dew sobbed, pointing at her father’s killer with her hoof.

“That’s the point! Why else would I kill your dad? I enjoyed it.” Raegdan’s fist tightened on the hammer’s handle, the material of his glove screeching audibly in the silence.

A terrified cry came from the end of the hall. A tan unicorn mare ran towards them and quickly dragged Morning Glory to her in her telekinesis. “Please,” she sobbed, “don’t hurt my daughter, not my daughter!” she screamed. Morning Dew’s mother retreated from Raegdan’s presence, seeking refuge against the threshold of a closed door.

“Then maybe you should keep her closer to you!” Raegdan snarled, waving his hammer threateningly.

“Please, please. She is just a little filly, please, she is all I have left, please…” Morning Dew was pushed behind her mother’s body as she tried to shield her child in any way possible.

Raegdan didn’t answer. He slowly holstered his hammer back into the little loop on his belt. He made his way down the hallway, passing them by in quick, long steps. The terrified mother was cradling her daughter, head turned away from Raegdan and crying, begging mercy for her daughter all the while.

Twilight saw Raegdan turn at the first available corner. She ran after him, leaving the crying pair behind. She caught up to him easily. Once he was gone from the sight of the two mares he used the wall as a support and almost limped as he made his way to Luna’s tower.

Twilight ran behind him, rose up on her legs, and hit him on the small of his back, making Raegdan grunt. “Why did you say those horrible things to her?” Twilight shouted. She had never felt angrier at Raegdan. “She is just a child!”

“What was I supposed to say?” Raegdan was gasping and out of breath inside his helmet. His voice was full of bitterness and anger. “That her father died and left her because a bunch of morons decided to have a dick measuring contest? That his corpse was used as a stepping stone in a series of escalating, idiotic “plans”? I took enough from that child. Let her believe that her dad died as a hero, fighting against an evil villain, at the very least. He did so, after all. God knows that if the world really was fair then I should be the one who died yesterday, not him!”

“Come on, Raegdan… that’s not true!” Twilight’s anger evaporated by that kind of talk. It brought to mind the contents of Princess Celestia’s latest letter.

“Better that she hate me and want me dead instead of telling her that her dad left her alone in this motherfucking, stupid, unfair existence for no real reason!” he growled. ”Fucking hell, I owe Celestia an apology, don’t I? I’ve been letting her clean up after my shit for so long…” He stopped walking to regain his vented breath. Twilight was shocked. She had never heard him swear in Equestrian as much as he did today in all her years combined. Raegdan punched the wall, hissing in pain and cradling his broken fingers.

“What the hell am I doing?” he whispered to no one. “I should just grab Luna and run. We are mad to even try something like this. We are truly mad. We are going to destroy everything. We can’t do this.”

Twilight shushed him soothingly. “Dad, it’s ok. Me and my friends are here now. We are going to help you. Everything will be alright. We are here for you.”

Raegdan pulled Twilight into his arms. “Little one, if you knew, if all of you knew what we did before, what we…”

“It wouldn’t change a thing, Raegdan. Why are you so afraid? Why won’t you talk to us?” Twilight tried to plead with him once more.

Raegdan didn’t answer. Twilight was ready to accept this as another one of those moments when he ignored her questions, when he answered in a low voice.

“We love you, little one. We don’t want you to hate us.”

About an hour before…

“Luna, Raegdan, are you sure you don’t want to reconsider this? I really, really, really, don’t think Leaf Stream will want to see either of you,” Twilight tried to plead with them. That pegasus just had her flight taken away from her. The last thing she needed was to see the persons responsible standing in her room.

Luna was amused by the whole scenario. “I believe the way in which she will regret our visit the most is the lack of weapons in her hooves.”

“Oh, yeah, thanks for reminding me.” Raegdan unsheathed the two daggers from his belt and hid them behind his boots. He removed his hammer and laid it against the wall. “Temptation removed,” he announced.

A part of Twilight wondered for whom.

Raegdan grasped the door’s handle. Applejack slapped his hand off it. “How about y’all let us go in first? Ya know, prepare her and all?” she whispered.

Raegdan and Luna exchanged a look. They both shrugged and took two seats next to the door. Twilight hoped that this had a chance of working out.

If she only knew what they were hoping to achieve by this. She would be more certain of herself if she had less doubts about if she wanted this to work out.

Applejack opened the door and went inside. Twilight heard her saying “Howdy” to the room’s occupant. So much for getting out of this by finding her asleep.

She followed Applejack inside.

The mare looked… destroyed. She was lying on her stomach so that she didn’t put any weight on the remains of her wings. The doctors had amputated them. There was nothing but short stubs on her back now. Leaf Stream’s eyes were puffy and red and she was heavily bruised. The desolate mare was still not done mourning the loss of her body parts. Twilight thought of Rainbow Dash and her love of flying. If Leaf Stream was anything like her, she probably never would.

“I know you,” the bedridden mare choked. Her voice was hoarse. “You were there yesterday, talking with that thing that took my wings. What are you doing here?”

Twilight froze. What were they doing here? What could they offer to this mare? They didn’t know her. They were not her friends and she doubted she would want them to be.

“We are just, uh, visiting,” Applejack said.

Twilight latched on the usual pleasantries to get them through. “Yes, we thought you might want to see a friendly face.”

“No, thanks,” Leaf Stream said petulant. “I had enough of “friendly faces” for today.”

“How about a couple of unfriendly ones?”

Oh, no. Oh, no! They couldn’t even give them a single minute? Raegdan and Luna marched inside, no care in the world as they hunted around for a seat. Luna sat at a chair near the door while Raegdan pulled a stool right next to the bed. He was actually going to sit right next to her bed!

Leaf Stream let out a hateful hissing sound as soon as she saw them. Her stubs twitched. Twilight was certain that if she still had wings, she would have spread them out aggressively. Somepony owed Twilight a drink. She bet right when she said Leaf Stream would not be happy.

“You! You, you, you, you… you ruined me!”

Raegdan’s covered head was turned towards Leaf Stream’s back. “Why did they cut them off? I didn’t do that good of a job, did I?” Oh Celestia, he was going to be cruel to her. Twilight hoped that was something that just slipped and not the reason he was here.

Leaf Stream’s eyes started watering. “Oh, yes you did, you bucking monster!” She gulped, visibly reining in her emotions to speak. “You shattered my bones to pieces and they sliced through every muscle and tendon. There was nothing left to heal. You took away my life!”

“So dramatic. You are the most talkative dead person I’ve ever seen then. What is this?” Raegdan was pointing at a short leash that kept one of Leaf Stream’s hind legs tied to the bed.

“Why did they restrain you?” Twilight asked curious.

“I’m a pegasus with no wings,” Leaf Stream said bitterly. “Of course they tied me down. It’s standard procedure. Most pegasi that have something like this happen to them look for someplace high to jump from so they can feel the sky one last time.”

“They are not trusting you not to do the same, then?” Applejack asked.

“No, because they caught me crawling my way up to a balcony this morning.”

Twilight swallowed to moisten her dry throat. This mare needed help. Where were her family? Her friends? If she was left alone…

Raegdan was no longer at his place. He had lowered himself in a weird pose, balancing on the tip of his feet, next to Luna and exchanging whispers with her. They were both staring at Leaf Stream in a calculating fashion.

After a minute, Raegdan got up and reclaimed his place. Luna moved her chair and joined him by Leaf Stream’s bedside.

When Leaf Stream calmed herself and started glaring at Raegdan he removed his helmet and smiled at her, catching her by surprise. “You know, at first I thought you would be afraid when we came in. But you are not, are you? You are furious, the cold kind of anger, but not afraid. I’m definitely impressed.”

“We both are,” Luna nodded along.

“You destroyed my life!” Leaf Stream shouted. “You took everything from me!”

“Well, not everything”, Raegdan said. His smile left him. “You are alive, aren’t you?”

“Alive to do what, monster?”

“Anything you want, I guess.” Raegdan shrugged. “You could use it to take another shot at me if you want. I advise against it, but it’s an option. So you lost your wings. The other guy lost his life. The unicorn… what happened to him anyway?”

“Coma,” Leaf Stream growled.

“See?” Raegdan was smiling at the furious pegasus again. “In comparison, you are doing great.” He pointed at her with his finger, almost touching her muzzle with it. He quickly pulled it back with a chuckle when she tried to bite it. Luna smiled.

Twilight moved to put a stop to this. “That’s enough. We didn’t come here so you could taunt this poor mare. I… I honestly expected better from both of you.”

“This bucking monster would not-”

“We are not taunting her, we are being serious.” He turned back to Leaf Stream. “I bet you think you are standing at the bottom right now. You are not. I know because I have been in that abyss, I threw myself into it, and you, little girl, are nowhere near to even seeing that pit. You are angry at me? Good! Use that if you have to.” He leaned forward, bringing his face right up to her own. “Show the petty monster that even if it tried its best, it did not manage to break you. Take that leap if you think you are nothing but trash. Just remember, while you get closer, and closer to the ground, that sound will not be the wind rushing by your ears.” He flicked her ear gently. “That will be me laughing.”

Leaf Stream just looked at him. Raegdan was probably the last pony she would have expected to come and give her a pep talk. Or what he thought passed as one.

Luna offered her own piece. “You did not join the Guard because it was a simple job. You obviously pushed yourself to be the best you can be. You would not be selected into the Solar Guard otherwise. You fought for it. Are you going to give up now, Leaf Stream? Will our victory over you be the complete annihilation of your body and spirit?”

Leaf Stream growled. “I can’t bucking believe this is happening to me. Are you two serious? Why in the Sun’s Holy name are you even here?”

“A good question,” Raegdan said as he scooted a bit closer to her, making her try to inch away from him, “We are here because we have something to offer you.”

“You? Like what?”

Luna answered her. “A new duty. How would you like to join the Lunar Guard?”

Silence reigned. Twilight tried to shut her open mouth. It felt almost impossible. Applejack and Leaf Stream faced the same problem. Luna had her usual “I am bored” expression. Raegdan waited patiently for Leaf Stream to answer.

“The stories are true. You two are really bucking insane,” she whispered. “You cannot be serious…”

“We are deadly serious,” he chuckled. “So, should I put you down as a yes?”

Leaf Stream exploded. “If you think that I am going to betray Princess Celestia, just because I am no longer a Solar Guard, to join the freaking Nightmare and her murderous pet, then-”

The rest of her sentence choked on her lips as Raegdan’s hand grabbed her throat, fast as a snake, and squeezed. He pulled her closer, bringing her face to face with him. Twilight stepped forward, ready to stop him before Luna’s horn lit and felt the Alicorn’s magic gently pushing her back.

“You will show respect to Princess Luna. She is your ruler, half of the Diarchy, and if you show such blatant disrespect to her in front of me again I will give you a hint of what really awaits in the abyss. Do you understand me, little girl?” Leaf Stream nodded. Her eyes betrayed her fear. Twilight could understand her change in behaviour. Raegdan’s former cheer was gone and replaced with ice. His every word was calm and meant to be taken as honest truth.

He let her go and she gasped for air. “You do not have to answer now on whether you want to join or not. The offer will stand until you are ready to give us a definitive answer. I don’t care if you have wings or not. I don’t care if you love Celestia more, hell I applaud you. What I care about is if you can do your duty, and obey orders. Do right by us and we will do right by you.”

“After doing this to me, you want me to just… work for you? And what the hay would you even need from a crippled pegasus? I can’t fly anymore! This is nothing but a cruel joke!”

Raegdan waved off her life changing injury. “So what? One third of the population can fly. There’s no shortage of pegasi. But how many can stand having the person who tore them apart next to them the very next day and not lose their sh- senses? I’ll take that kind of courage every time over flying or some precious “talent”,” Raegdan said the last word sarcastically.

He leaned close to her again. “We are not Princess Celestia’s enemies, whatever idiocy you guys think. I demand proper respect to both princesses.” His brow furrowed in puzzlement.

“What do you mean you are not a Solar Guard anymore?”

“I- I got discharged,” she said.

“What?” Raegdan was disturbed at this. “Already? Just like that?” he demanded.

Leaf Stream gulped. “I- I lost my wings. What use is a crippled pegasus that can’t fly as a guard? Commander Steadfast promised me a full pension, even if I was still an initiate rank, but they had no use for me any more. I got that much at least.”

“Just because you lost your wings doesn’t mean you are no long- wait. Wait, wait, wait.” Raegdan got up. He was angry. Very angry.

“Twilight, what got into him?” Applejack whispered to her.

“I don’t know,” she answered. She really didn’t. What upset him that much?

“You were an initiate?” he asked, spit flying from his mouth.

“Yes,” Leaf Stream asked. She had started shivering. Twilight moved to Raegdan’s side and pushed him to move further away. He was scaring her. It was just yesterday when… when he did that to her.

Twilight looked at the bandaged stumps again. “Raegdan did that,” she thought. He didn’t need to do that, but he still did it anyway.

“And the other two?”

“Same,” Leaf Stream answered. Some of her confidence returned with Raegdan’s threatening presence further away. “I think Sergeant Heavy Hoof would become a full member soon. He was a Solar Guard for two years, a year longer than me and Lightning Array.”

Twilight glanced at Luna. She had stood up and looked similarly angry. Raegdan and Luna exchanged a low growl. Twilight didn’t see the significance in what Leaf Stream told her, but those two were on the same -indecipherable- page.

Raegdan kept his back turned to them, taking long breaths. When he calmed down he addressed Leaf Stream again. “Well, it seems you no longer have anything tying you down then. Let me know when you decide. We can make use of you. You can still serve the princesses. Both of them. Get your life back. Maybe more. I’ll even sweeten the deal. If you join, I’ll give you a fair chance to kill me, at the time of your choosing. No consequences. Who knows? You might make it,” he shrugged.

He followed Luna as she rushed out.

Leaf Stream turned towards Twilight and Applejack. “Were they serious? They really just asked me to work for them?”

Twilight nodded.

“Are they insane?”

“Jury’s still out on that,” Applejack answered, “but for what’s it worth, ah think he really meant it. Twilight, we shouldn’t leave them on their own! Come on!”

They found them down the corridor. They had been looking for an empty room and when they found one they hurried inside. Twilight noticed two things as they followed them a few seconds afterwards. One; Luna had cast a silencing cone spell. Nopony outside could hear them. Two; Luna seemed to prefer to fume quietly. The spell was cast for Raegdan’s sake.

“He fucked us!” he was shouting while he was pacing like a madman. “He literally bent us over, and fucked us. He put one over us so thoroughly we needed to have it spelled out for us. We got fucked, Luna. We took it so far up our ass, it took us a day to regain feeling and realize what he fucking did-”

He stopped when he spotted Twilight. He raised his finger at her. “You didn’t hear that. So help me, if I ever hear you talk like that-”

“Boy, ya really are the “do as I say, not as I do” type, aren’t ya?” Applejack cut him off.

Raegdan kicked at the wall. “You don’t get what happened, do you?”

“Get what? Raegdan, what’s the matter?” Twilight asked.

Luna answered her question. Her voice was low, threatening, and trembling. “Commander Steadfast Ray took every possibility of success from us at the tournament. Nevermind the fact that he pushed me so Raegdan had to face three opponents at once. He also had him face the least trained of the Solar Guard.”

Twilight still didn’t understand their reasoning. That was good news. If Raegdan had faced better trained opponents he might not have survived the fight. Was it a pride issue? Did they really want to face the best the Solar Guard had to offer as Luna had demanded?

Luna saw straight through her. “By having Raegdan face those three he removed any chance of us gaining anything through that fight.” Raegdan behind her was pacing back and forth, muttering. Luna was half growling her words now. “Forget how we ruined our image after the fight. If Raegdan lost, the Lunar Guard would have fallen to the Solar Guards dregs, despite my challenge. If Raegdan won, then his victory would be only against the lowest of their ranks, making it meaningless, especially if he received wounds. And even if he had finished the fight in the quickest way possible-”

“Which means killing the f- initiates,” Raegdan explained.

“-then we would be branded as brutes for doing something like that to opponents that were so outmatched. As it is, we got the worst outcome possible. Raegdan killed and crippled initiates, which managed to wound him, and then... we ruined every last vestige of hope of turning this around with our own actions after the fight. No wonder nopony wants to join us as you claimed, Applejack. In the common guard’s eyes we might as well have put civilians in there to slaughter and we barely managed even that.”

“He must be laughing his ass off,” Raegdan said through gritted teeth. “It cost him nothing that he could not replace through that very same tournament and he f- put us down hard! Word will spread about the rank of those three, he will make sure of it. We were never going to get any recruits from the Royal Guard, no matter what.”

“Uhh, Shining Armor already knew they were initiates yesterday. Ah guess they all know already,” Applejack told him hesitantly.

Raegdan stared at the wall with unfocused eyes before kicking it again.

“I have a question,” Luna said. “What did she mean by “the Sun’s Holy name”? I have heard similar expressions on occasion.”

“I have no idea,” Raegdan said while sullenly kicking the wall again. “Just something they say I guess. Like “Celestia’s sake” and stuff. I don’t pay attention to that crap. I think Steadfast has some similar sayings, like a few others I’ve met. Leaf Stream probably got it from him, like a fucking bootlicker.”

“Ah think he is one of those folk that worship Princess Celestia. Leaf Stream is probably the same,” Applejack said.

Raegdan whipped around. “They do what with whom?”

Applejack spent some time explaining to Raegdan and Luna about ponies who believed that Princess Celestia was a true deity, offering some examples of ponies who sometimes took it too far. She told them how it often ran in families or villages, that a lot of ponies in some degree had that belief. Twilight scoffed at that kind of thing. Princess Celestia would probably laugh at them if she wasn’t afraid that she would insult them by doing so.

Luna was perplexed, interested, and amused. Raegdan took a seat halfway and supported his leaning head forward on his hands as he listened.

“Oh, fuck me!”

Twilight wondered if she could get a piece of soap on her hoofs and whether she could get away with it.

“Another problem, big guy?” Applejack asked him.

“You guys have divinity/beliefs/tenets. Why didn’t anyone tell me you have that?” he groaned.

“I think you mean religion,” Twilight supplied him with the proper vocabulary.

“Thank you, little one. Yes, that. You have religion. You have a religion that worships Celestia. You have a religion that worships Celestia and you have the best guard regiment under the command of a guy who has a religion that worships Celestia. A regiment that probably worships Celestia in it’s entirety.” Raegdan was leaning over just this side of hysterical as he went on.

“Where are you getting at, Raegdan?” Luna asked him with suspicion.

He took a deep breath and let out a short laugh. “Well, Luna. I got good news and bad news. Which ones do you want to hear first?”

“I’d like some good news. I haven’t had those for a while,” Luna said with dread.

“The good news is that Commander Steadfast is not behind any of the assassination attempts,” he said sarcastically.

“And the bad news?” Twilight asked.

“The moment he thinks the two of you really step out of line he will bring the whole Solar Guard on your heads?” Applejack said in Raegdan’s place.

Twilight could only stare.

“That’s not simply bad news. That’s terrible news! Raegdan?” Luna gasped.

“Ok, that was a pretty fast deduction for someone of your experiences, little apple. Care to explain how?” Raegdan asked.

“Shining Armor told me. Ah mean, he said that’s why the Solar Guard formed in the first place. So that after the whole Nightmare Moon thing Princess Celestia would not have to fight against her or something similar on her own.” Applejack looked at the pair that looked back at her horrified. “Y’all didn’t know?”

Luna shouted at Raegdan. “Is this true? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Raegdan shouted back defensively. “Because I didn’t know! Why didn’t Shining Armor ever tell me that?”

“Well, did ya ask him?” Applejack said.

“No!”

“Why didn’t you?” Luna demanded.

“I thought the Solar Guard was just a better trained guard regiment, not a damned crusader arm- oh, fuck me!” he cried out, his expression one of shock and fear.

“Oh, I am really going to buck you up for this, make no mistake,” Luna snarled. “What now?”

“If they think that Celestia is the goddess of the sun… of light… of good… then…” Raegdan trailed off.

“Oh, no. Don’t say it! Don’t you tell me that….” Luna growled.

Raegdan had become furious again. “Yeah. Guess who got saddled with the role of being the dark, evil one. Not just a former “villain”, but an actual goddess of evil. One that fought the good one before. One they are all expecting anytime now to turn-”

“Fuck!” Luna screamed loud enough to throw a bed against the wall.

Twilight agreed with Luna. This just became ten times more difficult. If ponies believed those things about Luna and this kind of thinking spread-

“I have no idea what to do about this. The two of you seen as goddesses… dear Hea- no, screw that. This is worse than you think, Luna. There is no reasoning with certain kinds of people, and if they believe you are evil incarnate... We need to think up on this.” He put his palm over his face. “Oh crap, they might really believe I want to kill Celestia, and I just put myself up as the poster boy for the Lunar Guard…”

Twilight sighed inwardly. Ten times, she said? Bitter experience told her she should be getting ready to make some multiplication tables.

“What I need right now is to blow off some steam! My stars, what the hay is going on anymore?” Luna shouted.

“Yeah, I feel the same.” He stared at the marks he left on the wall and the bed Luna had thrown aside. “The Royal Guard training halls are not too far away. We might be able to find a few guards there.”

“Good! We can help them stay sharp,” Luna told him through gritted teeth.

“Oh, hay no.” Applejack blocked the exit. “You two ain’t gonna start that up again. This is exactly what we talked about. You are playing right in his hooves. Y’all don’t need to tear out your own eyes by your own volition. If ya need to work your stress out, either do it some other way or find something in this room to hit. Are we clear?”

“Ouch!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

“Yep. Ouch indeed. Not a good day overall for the dastardly duo.” Applejack said.

Rarity sniffed loudly. “Applejack, please. Must you make fun of them? From the sound of it they are really trying.”

“I feel sorry for little Morning Dew. Do you- do you think we should do something about them?” Fluttershy asked.

“Judging from Leaf Stream’s situation, Commander Steadfast is probably on top of this. Though Luna might want to make sure they are ok, at least financially,” Twilight said. “Maybe she at least can make up somehow for Raegdan’s idiocy. I still can’t believe he did that, and I was right there. How about the investigation? You girls find any leads?”

“I had some thoughts,” Rarity said hesitatingly. “I’d like to believe it’s not true, but let’s face facts. A new princess in power would unbalance the political landscape in Canterlot tremendously as soon as she takes up her duties in full. Plus, from what I heard, the nobles have no love for Raegdan. More like, pure, throbbing hate. I’d love to nose around at certain places, but a lone designer from Ponyville doesn’t have the credentials to go where would be needed, no matter how glamorous I am.”

Twilight thought about it. It made sense and it was better than what they had so far. “I might know somepony who can help you. He can be your way into high society, but… you won’t like it.”

“Oh, my dear, I can handle anypony as long as it helps our friends. Can we trust your contact though?” Rarity asked.

“Yeah. He and Raegdan are in extremely good terms. He will help if it involves him.”

“Splendid. And intriguing. Who is it?”

“Let me see if I can get him first. He might not even be around,” Twilight said so she could delay the dreadful reveal as much as possible.

“The guards might be into it,” Rainbow Dash said. “Either they helped or one of them acted on his own. Shining Armor agrees with that. Boy, was he pissed. He followed Raegdan’s hints and found that some of the guards have houses in much better neighborhoods than they should with their salary.”

“So, two avenues to pursue. Three if Raegdan’s plan works out,” Twilight added loudly. “We still need to find some way to boost the way ponies see them. More than ever if Raegdan is right.”

Rarity clapped with her hooves. “Oh, oh. Pinkie and Fluttershy had some ideas about that. Fluttershy’s suggestion is lovely. We can organize some storytelling nights, like Luna alluded to. Raegdan doesn’t have to be the one to tell all the stories even though his alien tales will be the main attraction, but we can make a great theme out of them. We should try to attract some families and children especially. If we can pull off a couple of these events, make ponies more used to their presence…”

“That is a great idea! Ponies loved it today. Well done, Fluttershy.” Fluttershy blushed while Twilight made a notation on a checklist. “And Pinkie’s idea?”

“That one was a stroke a genius, darling, let me tell you. Here, I’ll let Pinkie Pie explain herself,” Rarity pointed to Pinkie Pie’s bed.

Pinkie Pie was watching as they conversed by her side. It was weird to have her normally exuberant friend stand still and silent, but Pinkie Pie was nowhere near being fine yet. When everypony’s attention turned to her, Pinkie Pie motioned to Fluttershy. “Folder A3 LR-PR.TAY, please,” she said in a tired voice. Fluttershy passed her a thick folder.

Pinkie Pie coughed gently. “My proposal for helping Luna and dad, after careful thought and consideration of all the relevant data and dangling plotlines, is this…”

Pinkie Pie opened the folder. A mass of confetti burst out along with streamers, whistling noises, and already inflated balloons that couldn’t have fit in there.

“A party!” Pinkie Pie cried with a gigantic smile!

Author's Notes:

Thanks to Requiem17 for editing!

Also, letting you guys know that I started up a new "story". By story I mean a mess of various chapters that are gonna have excerpts from Twilight's and Spike's life with Raegdan before they moved to Ponyville. The first chapter is up. Take a look if you are interested and let me know what you think, or if there's something particular you'd like to see Raegdan handle in the life of two children.

The story is here!