After a moment of silence, Vela asked, “Anyone else got anymore dumb ideas?”

“That’s… not a bad idea actually.”

Everyone at the table froze at the sound of that voice. It sounded as weak as the pony that said it. Ataxia kicked back from the table and ran around to confront the idiots that let the speaker get out of bed. “What are you doing up‽”

Everypony who wasn’t already facing the stairs turned around and gasped at the sight of a tall, lavender alicorn with a rainbow mane hobbling down the stairs. Although she was aided by more than three doctors, they could all tell the physical act of walking down the stairs had drained everything from her.

“Night? what are you doing up?” Rainbow asked as she practically threw her chair back and ran to her daughter.

“I’ll teleport her back to bed,” Dayspring Gleam said.

“Please, don’t. I’m so sick of being in bed. Let me, let me…” Shimmering Night fell down on the ground, exhausted.

“YOU BUCKING IDIOTS!” Ataxia shouted at the three doctors. “I LEAVE THE ROOM FOR ONE BREAKFAST AND YOU MORONS LET HER OUT OF BED‽”

“Princess, she ordered us to,” the lead doctor stated, already expecting this conversation.

Fourteen of those assembled were gathered around. Despite her protests, Dayspring Gleam did indeed use his magic. He lifted his little sister off the ground and teleported several pillows underneath her. With care only an older brother could show, he gently placed her down, even going as far as to make sure the pillows were nice and warm before they came into contact with her fur.

Shimmering Night looked at him with gratitude on her face.

“You know this is something mother would totally do, right?” Dayspring asked.

Night chuckled as she looked up at Rainbow. The cyan mare just shrugged her shoulders in agreement.

“Night, why did you come down here like this?” Twilight asked.

“I… I… I wanted to see you all again, before…” Tears started to fall from her eyes.

“We visit you every day,” Radiant said.

“No, I wanted to see you all happy again. Talking, like a family. Not… not with pity or sadness in your eyes. I want more memories of you guys as the family I remember, not crying over me.”

Every single instinct in Ataxia’s body wanted to jump on her, to squeeze her, and hug her, and never let her go again. She had to fight against it. With her condition, and the pregnancy, it would be the worst possible thing to do. Even still, nothing she did could fight off the tears that fell. “Night, we haven’t given up hope. Y-you can’t either.”

The dying alicorn cocked a smile at her wife, but it was one that conveyed anything but hope. It was one more of… amusement at false hope.

“What did you mean?” Nighttide asked.

“What?” Rainbow turned.

“You said it wasn’t a bad idea, what did you mean?”

“I—” Night’s words were cut off when Starlight couldn’t help herself anymore. The blue mare cuddled up to her mom and held her tightly, exactly what Ataxia wished she had done. Shimmering Night nuzzled her daughter with her muzzle, feeling the mare sobbing quietly to herself.

It was then she noticed that someone was missing. “Where’s Ana?”

Ataxia turned back to the table, already knowing right where her daughter would be. Ana was sitting at the table, quietly eating her breakfast and ignoring them all. “Ana, why don’t you come over here?” Ataxia asked.

“I’m hungry,” Ana said.

Rainbow was about to lose her cool at that, but Twilight chipped in before she did. “Ana, don’t you want to come say hi to your mom?”

“She’s not my mom,” Ana said under her breath.

“What was that?” Nighttide asked.

She was the wrong mare to ask that question, but she was the only one that heard what Ana had said.

“SHE”S NOT MY MOM!” Ana screamed and teleported away.

“That little…” Ataxia growled with anger.

“I’ll go get her,” Dayspring Gleam said.

“No,” Night whispered. “She just needs time, she’ll…”

“What she needs is a good beating, not time,” Nighttide muttered quietly.

Taz nuzzled into her side. “She doesn’t mean it; she’s always been so sweet, it’s just… hard for her right now.”

“Taz, she’s going to lose her mother, and she—”

The look on Taz’s face told Nighttide to not continue with that statement. She—sometimes—forgot that Shimmering Night was Taz’s sister as well as Ana’s mother.

When Taz looked back at his sister, Ataxia had cuddled up to her free side, pressing their coats together. The mare longingly looked like she’d have given anything at that moment to wrap a wing around Night. Sadly, unicorns just didn’t have that appendage.

Twilight laid down right in front of Night to look her daughter in the face as she spoke. “What did you mean, Night? It’s not in our ability to resurrect a dead god and simply ask for his son’s name. Without that we’d be stuck trying every single name in existence.”

“No, you’re right, we can’t do that. Either of those two things,” Night said with a small smile. “But, do you remember eight months ago? It… it came back to me when Ataxia just spoke, there is a way we can find out Red’s real name, and if mom’s right and concepts of power do mean more for gods, we can use it against him.”

“What?” Aurora asked. “What happened eight months ago?”

Twilight thought about it for a while, trying to remember those events. So much happened, too much to sort through it all. “I…”

“With Luna,” Night added, hoping to see that look again on Twilight's face.

“Gods I hate the pronoun game, just spill it!” Rainbow said.

Night ignored her, she wanted to see that look again on her mom’s face, the same one she’d have when she solved a riddle. That was the other thing she wanted to come down here for.

“THE SPHINX!” Twilight shouted with joy as her wings shot back and her eyes went wide. “You’re saying we can use the sphinx to find Red’s real name!”

There it is, Shimmering Night managed a smile at the site of her mom so happy one more time.

“What’s a sphinx?” Nighttide asked.

“A sphinx is a creature with a body of a cat and wings of a great bird.” Taz filled her in.

“But… how in the hay can such a creature know my father’s true name?”

“Luna… Luna said that sphinx know the answer of any question asked of them,” Shimmering Night said.

“That sphinx must have been a Tartarus escapee,” Twilight said. “Probably the last of its kind.”

“But why wouldn’t Red just use the sphinx to find his name, seems like it’d be a lot easier than resurrecting Tartarus?” Flash asked.

“Sphinx were—are—supposed to be incredibly crafty, if this one is the last of its kind, then it’ll have done a superb job in hiding its presence. And you’re right, according to the legends, they know the answer of any question asked of them, but they only tell you that information if you can answer three riddles. Do so and you can know anything you want to know, fail, and you’re dead,” Dayspring Gleam stated.

“The riddles are supposed to be incredibly hard too,” Twilight added.

“And Luna answered these riddles?” Blaze asked.

Night shook her head. “No, the sphinx was trying to warn her I think. The riddle she gave Luna was about… well, her.” At that, she pointed over to Nighttide.

“Me?” Nighttide asked.

“It seemed like she was trying to tell Luna she had a daughter,” Ataxia stated. “Of course it was done in such a cryptic manner one has to wonder why it even bothered.”

“It may have been all it could do,” Dayspring said. “I don’t think they can volunteer information straight out even if they want to.”

“We should go find it!” Ataxia said all too enthusiastically.

Twilight rubbed her ears to try and get the ringing out, “Ataxia, we don’t even know if this will work.”

“You got a better idea, mom?” Dayspring asked.

“Well—”

“Twi, it’s been almost six months, I know these dumb things are due to fall off any day now, but I seriously doubt they will in time. The Lunar solstice is coming up soon and if I were a betting pony I’d say that’s exactly what he’s been waiting for,” Rainbow said looking down at the stone attached to her hoof. “This is our chance to finally get one step ahead of him.”

“Yeah, but where would we even find this sphinx? Can we even answer its questions? And if we do, will we even be able to use it against Red?”

“I say it’s worth a shot,” Ataxia stated.

“What made you so gung-ho all of a sudden?” Aurora asked.

“A chance to get revenge on the one that hurt my wife and your asking my motives?” Ataxia said with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah, but, the riddles?” Twilight asked.

Ataxia facehooved. “Look, Dayspring is the strongest magic user in the land right now. You and him are two of the smartest ponies in the world. And if you’re worried we might need even more strength, I’ll go to.”

“What about Night?” Aurora asked. “You’re just going to leave your wife here without you?”

“It’s fine,” Night said. “Ataxia’s just been a pain in my ass anyway.” She gave an amused smile.

In truth, Night wanted Ataxia to go, the mare needed to feel like she was doing something. Sitting around, not being able to do anything, it was driving Ataxia mad.

“I’ll go too,” Radiant added. “I’ve yet to meet a living thing that can withstand my blades.”

Ataxia felt a nervous tick in her jaw when he said those words. Memories of having her muzzle—literally—cut off by the unicorn were never that pleasant.

“Guys, c’mon, this isn’t a plan, this is just…”

“Twi, you have any other thoughts? Anything else we can go off of?” Rainbow asked.

“A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week,” Radiant said with a smile as he quoted his favorite historical figure.

Twilight cocked an eyebrow at him. “Yes, but this isn’t a good plan.”

“Can I go?” Starlight asked.

Ataxia cuffed her over the head with a hoof. “No, I want you to look out after everyone with your Aunt Aurora.”

“Who said I’m not going?” Aurora said in a huff.

“We need someone to stay behind and look out for the kids, and our sister,” Dayspring said.

She was about to bring up Rainbow but then bit her lip. If Twilight was going, Rainbow was going too; that was just a fact of life.

“Who said we needed to be looked out for?” Taz asked, put out.

“You’re fourteen, kid,” Rainbow said.

“Nighttide’s almost five hundred years old!” Taz replied.

“In a sixteen year-old’s body,” Dayspring stated.

“And if Red picks now to come back to claim her…”

“I’d love to see him try,” Vela said as she spun Siros’s Vengeance in her claw.

“And it’s not like I’m helpless,” Nighttide cut in. “I know ways to keep him busy, and you’d do well not to underestimate my power.”

“We’re not, but the point is none of you are mature enough to leave by yourselves, and—”

“I’m just this young because of Timespire!” Nighttide cried out, making Taz quickly shake his head, directing his power to her before she could burst out. He knew from experience how bad that could get.

“And we need you all to be on the lookout to protect Shimmering Night as well,” Dayspring Gleam finished.

“Yeah, I can’t exactly…” Shimmering Night tried to stand, only to collapse. “Well, I don’t think I could fight off an ant right now.”

“It’s not that bad,” Taz whispered to Nighttide, lightly rubbing his coat against hers. “We’ll be here together, and I can think of a lot better things to do right now than arguing about your power.”

When Taz rubbed his coat against her’s, Nighttide felt like she might literally start to float in the air at the contact. She sighed when he pulled away. “Okay, I understand, I guess.”

“Between you, Taz, Vela, and Aurora, I’d pity anyone that dared attack this place while we were gone,” Rainbow said as she ran her hoof through Nighttide’s sky-blue mane.

Nighttide smiled a bit. “I think I would too. Especially if they try to hurt Taz.” Her voice went cold, venom clearly dripping from it. “I’d rip them apart,” she growled the last part.

Flash gulped as he saw a look in her eye. “There, problem settled. We leave Aurora, Night, and the kids here, everyone else goes and tracks down this sphinx,” Ataxia stated.

“If you call me a kid again, I might show you how small you are compared to me,” Nighttide cursed slightly, just before Taz sighed and pulled her in for a kiss.

“Shut up and spare the rough talk for later,” he whispered with a smile.

“I’m pretty much outvoted here, aren't I?” Twilight asked.

“Eeyup,” everypony else said at the exact same time.

“Sigh, fine, but we’re not going in half-cocked, again.” The last look was directed at Ataxia, who, for some reason, instigated this rather crazy plan. “Dayspring Gleam, and Rainbow, let’s get to the library and do some research on what to expect, and the best ways to hunt down a sphinx. Ataxia, you Aurora, and Radiant take the kids—and Nighttide—and run them through some training drills so if something does happen while we’re gone, they can at least defend themselves until help arrives.”

“Hey!” Nighttide shouted.

“Who do you think she’s calling ‘help’,” Taz said as he kissed her on the cheek.

“Yes that means you too, Nighttide. You might be strong, but fighting in a unit is different than fighting solo,” Radiant replied.

“I don’t need that stuff. You forgot that my shadows can’t be trained like you think. I’ll watch. And if you beg to differ, we can do it right here and now, my powers against yours. Everything allowed.” She smiled evilly.

“You won’t train with me?” Taz asked with wide puppy-dog eyes.

“That’s more than just unfair,” Nighttide said. But Taz didn’t stop. “Taz… no. I can’t fight the usual way, I use my shadows!”

“Who says you can’t use the shadows? They are you after all, and I love you.” Taz smiled, still with his expression set in stone.

“And besides, Nighttide, if you and Taz train through a few maneuvers, you could have it where Taz strips Red of his powers right before you strike. You could be the one to stop your father before he could so much as touch Taz,” Dayspring Gleam said with a smile.

“I know you’re playing me,” Nighttide said with a raised eyebrow.

“Am I wrong?” Dayspring asked.

“No.”

“Glad that’s settled,” Rainbow said.

“Can I train too?” Dayspring asked as he grabbed at his sister’s claw.

“NO!” Vela said, then kicked herself when she saw the look of hurt on his face. “You train with me,” she quickly added.

“What about… my… my sister?” Starlight asked.

“She needs to be involved too,” Twilight added with a no-nonsense tone.

“Mom,” Shimmering Night said as she looked up.

“I know she’s pissed, and that this is not going to help things, but this goes beyond personal feelings. Dayspring, Taz, and I will go talk to Ana.”

“Taz?” Nighttide asked.

“Yes, I think Taz might help calm her down. I’m sorry Nighttide, but if you went…”

“Yeah… I know,” Nighttide said with a frown. She and Ana had never gotten along since the first day they met, and over the last five years, that had evolved into straight up hatred.

“Okay, let’s go have that conversation before we get to the library. Radiant if you want to, take everyone else to the courtyard with Ataxia to start their training?” Twilight asked.

“Shouldn’t I go and talk to my daughter?” Ataxia asked.

“You, in a sensitive situation when feelings are on the line?” Rainbow asked.

“Fair point.”

“You want me to make sure she can’t teleport away, don’t you?” Taz asked.

Twilight shook her head. “No, I just want you to be a friendly face.”

Dayspring Gleam paused as everypony started to move away, As Aurora and the foals went to the courtyard, everyone else gathered up to talk to Ana, as soon as they knew where she went that is. He concentrated on the young mare’s energy. Feeling out where she had teleported. “She’s in her room.”

“Original,” Taz said.

“Please, be gentle with her,” Shimmering Night stated, “she’s always been such a good girl, it’s just…”

Dayspring ran his muzzle next to his sister’s. “We’ll reach her, don’t worry.”

“Ready to go back to your room?” Rainbow asked.

Night sighed. “Yeah, can’t say it wasn’t a nice change of pace though.”

Dayspring kissed her forehead before powering his horn. In a second, she was back on her own bed. He then turned to the three doctors that had stood off to the side of the room. “If that happens again…” His eyes went green when he said those words, a punctuation on his comment.

All three of them audibly gulped and ran up the stairs back to Night’s room.

Rainbow watched with a grin as Twilight, Dayspring, and Taz followed them up the stairs. She was grateful not to be joining them, talking feelings and girly stuff with Ana was not high on her to-do list. But then she sighed when she realized that she had to go to the library to do… research.

“It’ll be okay, Rainbow.” Nighttide said as she saw the look of distraught on Rainbow’s face.

“Rainbow, if you want to go help the kids train, that’s fine,” Twilight said with a smile as she followed the rest of her group up the stairs.

“LOVE YOU, TWI!” Rainbow shouted up after her.

Twi grinned at that as she walked up the stairs behind Taz and Dayspring. Together, the group walked up the stairs and down the hallway to Ana’s room. Her smile faded when they got closer.

“Ana, you in there?” Dayspring asked from the outside of the door.

“Go away!”

“Ana, we just want to talk. There’s nopony that wants to force you to do anything you don’t want to do,” he tried again.

“Oh yeah? Then why do you all side up with our enemy, with the mare that stole Taz from me? Why are you all against me?” she cried.

“Ana… I’m sorry, but you know what I told you,” Taz sighed. “Please, let us talk.”

“...”

“Is that a yes?” Taz asked as he held his ear to the door.

“...”

He turned to his mom. “I think it’s the closest thing we’ll get to a yes,” Taz stated.

Twilight nodded at Dayspring who powered his horn and opened the door to Ana and Starlight’s room. It was pitch black inside, with only the light from the hallway for illumination. Starlight’s side was nice and clean, her bed well kept, her floor nice and picked up, and even a few star stickers up on the ceilings.

Ana’s side was the exact opposite. It looked like the mare hadn’t cleaned up her room in over six months. Clothes and sheets were strewn everywhere. The mare herself was laying on her bed, her head buried in her hooves.

“Ana,” Twilight said.

“...”

“Ana, please turn around and look at me,” Taz stated.

She spun on the bed, her face looked, in a word, hurt. Notably though, there were no tears. “You’re all here to yell at me for what I said?”

“No, Ana, we’re not going to yell at you,” Twilight said sadly.

“Then, what do you want?”

Dayspring spoke next. “There’s a possible lead, but before we can investigate, we need to know you all will be able to handle yourself while we’re gone. We want you all to train a little under Ataxia and Radiant before we go.”

“Is she there?”

“She is always at my side,” Taz said, before realizing it was the wrong thing to say.

“Then I won’t, and I have nothing more to say!” Ana scowled before turning again.

“Ana, Nighttide is not your enemy, she’s kind and sweet and car—” Taz tried to reason with her.

“She’s the enemy! Of us all!” Ana yelled. “She put you under her magic, and now you’re her puppet, don’t you see it, Taz?” She wore a sad smile now. “We were destined for each other, but she stole you with her acting.”

Dayspring walked up to her and placed a hoof on Ana’s shoulder. “You know, there was a time I told him the exact same thing.”

“W-what?” Ana said, wide eyed.

Dayspring nodded, sadly. “I did, I first—officially—met Taz when he was five. I met Nighttide on the same day. During our first encounter, she flat out threatened me, called me a hypocrite, and told me not to interfere.”

“Really?” Taz asked.

“Why do you think I told you to stay away from her?” Dayspring told his brother.

“S-so you know she’s bad too!” Ana shouted.

Dayspring closed his eyes and turned to the young mare. “No, I was wrong.”

Ana’s jaw dropped.

“Ana, Nighttide’s lived a life in living hell for four hundred years. She’s experienced the worst that one can do to a living being, on both ends. Yet, that mare downstairs is somehow… a sweetheart.”

“She’s got to you too!”

Twilight stepped up. “Ana, Taz can cancel out magic, you know that right?”

“Well, yeah.”

“So how could Nighttide possibly have him under her thrall? How could she have anyone under her thrall if magic doesn’t work on him?”

“Well… I—”

“I’m not asking you to like her, Ana. I’m just asking you to be in the same room with her. Can you do that?” Taz asked. “For me?”

Ana glared at him.

“We’re going to hunt down this lead, that means it’ll be up to all of you to watch each other’s backs, yours and Taz’s sisters. And yes, that includes your mom,” Twilight said.

“I’m not apologizing to her.”

Dayspring jumped up on the bed. “Ana, I know more than anyone how life can change in the blink of an eye. This hate you carry for Nighttide, and for your own mom, it’ll consume you; it’ll haunt you forever if you let it. If you miss these last moments you have with her, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”

When he said those words, Twilight and Taz both looked down at their hooves. One was on the verge of losing her daughter, the other, his sister, and they both knew it.

“I…”

“Ana, I’m sorry. I’m sorry I don’t feel the same way for you that you do for me. My own experience with love has been… rough, to say the least. I know what it feels like to love someone that didn’t love me back. I know the depths of depression it can drive you to, and what I almost did when it happened to me. But, because of it, I was able to move on, I was able to find the one I was meant to be with. If you did the same, I know that’ll happen to you too.” Taz tried to plead with her.

“You’re the one I was meant to be with,” Ana whispered under her breath.

“But you can’t know that if all you do is focus on me. It took me a long time to understand who I was meant to be with,” Taz replied as gentle as he could.

Ana sat up on the bed, her hind hooves hanging off, her front two fiddling with each other as she stared at them. Dayspring sat next to her and ran his hoof up and down her back. “We’re going to try and find a way to put an end to this once and for all, a final trump card if you will. But we’re not leaving all of you unless we know you can take care of yourselves and look out for each other. We’re not asking you to suddenly become BFFs with Nighttide, or to forgive your mom overnight, we’re just asking you to look out for everyone, and to let them look out of for you. We won’t leave unless we know you’ll all be alright in our absence.”

Ana cocked her head slightly as she thought about it. “I… fine.”

“You’ll do it?” Taz asked.

She looked up at him and smiled. “For you.” At those words, she got off the bed.

“They’re all in the courtyard,” Twilight stated. Ana nodded and left the room.

When she was around the corner and gone, Taz looked up to his mom and brother. “Why do I have a feeling this isn’t over?”

Dayspring chuckled. “Fact of life, little brother. For every two ponies that get together, there’s one pony hurt on the sidelines. It’s just worse this time because she’s forced to live with it in front of her muzzle day in and day out.”

“Maybe me and Nighttide could… tone it down a little?”

Twilight’s grin became very noticeable, only for her eldest son to kill it.

“No, that’ll just make it worse, it’d be like you’re trying to hide it or something. Now get going, I’m sure Nighttide will be missing you in the courtyard for your portion of the training.”

Twilight and Dayspring watched as Taz made his way out of the room and turned right to head to the courtyard. As soon as the stallion was out of earshot, Dayspring turned to his mom and said, “I saw that.”

“What?” Twilight said definitively.

“That look of joy and disappointment in your eyes. Don’t try and deny it, mom.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Oh please, I know it puts you off, but after growing up in that house seeing you and Rainbow together, do you really think he’d somehow tone it down?”

“That was on Rainbow!”

Dayspring laughed. “Oh please, how about the time you two fucked in the janitor’s closet to the diplomatic mission to the diamond dogs?”

“Again, Rainbow…”

“Don’t let me go into detail on the really nasty ones,” Dayspring warned.

“Alright, alright.” Twilight sighed. “I just can’t help but being curious about them. I mean, Nighttide isn’t a pony in common sense…”

“Please don’t tell me you wonder what her shadows could do,” Dayspring frowned.

“What? No! I would never think of such a thing.” Twilight blushed furiously.

“Rainbow?”

“Rainbow…”

Dayspring chuckled, and then broke out into full on laughter as the two walked out of the girl’s room and to the library. He paused when they made the stairs and hugged Twilight.

“What was that for?” Twilight asked.

“Nothing, it’s just… good to be back.”

Twilight smiled and hugged him back. Six months ago, had somepony told her this moment would exist, that she would, once again, have her oldest son back in her hooves, she’d have had them institutionalized. But now that it was a reality, she found that she could only cry. It was too much, too real for words to even begin to describe.

“I love you, Dayspring,” Twilight said as she held him tighter.

“I love you too, mom.”

Taz was almost bowled over when he got to the courtyard. “You butthead, keeping me waiting like that!” Nighttide said as she ran up and began to rub up against his coat.

“Sorry, sorry, didn’t meant to keep you waiting,” Taz said with a smile at her.

“Well, now that the prince of tardiness has finally arrived, we can began in earnest,” Aurora replied with a casual chuckle at the two.

“Mmhmm, can’t keep my mare waiting after all,” Taz hummed.

“Okay, Romeo, how about you two start then by showing us some basics?” Aurora asked playfully.

Nighttide and Taz both blushed and looked down, not saying a word. Aurora waited for them, then broke out into full laughter.

“Alright, alright, I think it is up to me and Radiant to show you some tricks,” she said as her laughter died down to some giggles.

“Trixs are for kids!” Ataxia chipped in. “I say we test them against a real opponent!”

“Well then, kid,” Radiant chuckled. “Show us some.”

“Okay,” Ataxia sauntered up, smiling. “You two versus me. And let's make it interesting… Hmm…” She started to look around to all the gathered foals.

“Ataxia, what are you doing?” Aurora asked. “We’re supposed to be teaching them how to work as a group.”

“Hey, real combat can’t be taught in the classroom, only on a battlefield.”

“Night wouldn’t welcome what you’re doing,” Radiant added.

Ataxia potently ignored him. If she were going to leave the kids to look after her wife, she’d make damn sure they could handle anything. Her eyes went wide as she spotted Starlight. “Starlight will be the bait, Starlight, stand over to the corner.”

“What are you doing?” Aurora asked again, only to suddenly find her muzzle full of gum, so much she wasn’t able to keep talking as she started to spit it out.

Starlight looked unsure, but she obeyed her mother nevertheless.

“Okay, I’ll represent the attacker, it’s Taz’s and Nighttide’s job to prevent me from reaching Starlight. Starlight, you do nothing to defend yourself.”

“You’re serious?” Nighttide asked with a grin. “I could stop you without Taz.”

“Can you?” Ataxia said with a grin.

“Of course,” Nighttide replied smugly, “My shadows could catch you blindfolded.”

Taz giggled as Ataxia pawed her right forehoof on the ground. “Well, then here I come.”

Ataxia’s plan was simple. Look out for the two kids and use her experience to avoid them and reach Starlight. Easy peasy. After a brief moment, her eyes went wide as Nighttide rushed forward, shadows emerging from her body as she growled and tackled Ataxia.

“What in the name of!” Ataxia shouted, just to be bowled back, knocked several hooves away from Starlight now.

Ataxia picked herself off the dirt, somewhat laughing.

“I told you not to underestimate me,” Nighttide said with a grin. “For four hundred years I lived on the moon with Red, Mindsink, Timespire, and Nightmare Moon. Four hundred years I learned everything there is to know about fighting, combat, and looking out for yourself.”

“AHH!!!”

A scream from behind them caused Nighttide to turn around. The plants around Starlight had come to life and were chomping down on the mare’s limbs even as they spoke. It was disturbing, but for play, as none of the plants actually had teeth.

“That’s cheating and you know it,” Nighttide growled. “But two can play that game!”

Before Ataxia could react, Nighttide’s shadow split into six different tentacles, half of them attacked the plants currently enjoying a Starlight snack, the other half turned and chased Ataxia, who yelped and tried to avoid them. It was a race against the shadows, words that became true to themselves.

Taz could see that Nighttide was angry about the little game, and the small cheat Ataxia used. He couldn’t feel her power like some of the others, but he didn’t need to; experience with the mare had taught him what to look out for. Her tentacles basically ripped the plants apart, freeing Starlight, before the other three attacked Ataxia, wrapping around her hindhooves and letting her kiss the dirt muzzle first.

“Nighttide…” Taz mumbled, but the mare was caught in her actions.

The shadows pulled Ataxia up from the ground and threw her back, hard enough to fly over half the distance of the whole field and meet the ground, hard.

“Nighttide, that’s enough. Please!” Taz whispered, rubbing his coat gently against hers.

Nighttide looked at him, anger in her eyes, but it died down as soon as her eyes drowned in Taz’s. Before she could react, Taz planted his lips on hers, firmly kissing her, causing Nighttide’s shadow to disappear.

“I’m sorry,” Nighttide choked as they broke.

Aurora returned to the ground with a rather… shocked Ataxia held in her hooves.

Radiant walked up between them. “Well, that was something.”

“I-I didn’t… I mean… I…”

“She’s a loose cannon,” Ana said snarkily.

“Ataxia just pressed her buttons with her little trick,” Taz frowned.

“So you defend her for everything now?” Ana cried. “If she vowed to kill us all, what would you say? ‘Oh sorry, but it was your fault, you basically begged for it?’”

“Don’t push it, kid,” Nighttide growled, but Taz stopped her.

“I think I can decide on my own what to do and what not. Right now, and forevermore, I trust her with all of my heart,” Taz said. “If you can’t understand that, I doubt you ever will and that is something I feel sorry for. I feel sorry that I didn’t push you into another direction while I still could.”

“ENOUGH!” Ataxia shouted with a magically conjured bullhorn, one that rang around the courtyard and caused everyone to put their hooves over their ears. “Now that I have you attention,” she stated as the bullhorn faded to nothing. “Nighttide, you lost.”

“You CHEATED!” she shouted.

“Do you expect your enemies to fight fair? Are you honestly telling me that Red, or Timespire, Or Nightmare Moon are going to fight fair if they attack?” Ataxia stated.

“You changed the plants directly at her side! That’s not dirty, that’s outright… I don’t even want to spell the word for it but, I’d kick your flank one-on-one!” Nighttide yelled.

“Then bring it!” Ataxia scowled.

“NO!” Taz shouted, jumping between the two mares.

“Why not?” both asked.

Taz looked at Ataxia. “Please, don’t take it personally. I know her power. I know everything about her down to her deepest secret. Right now, without your transformation, she would kill you, she would rip you apart.” he turned to Nighttide. “I know that you want to roam with your shadows freely in a fight, but we are allies here, friends. Don’t kill anypony,” Taz whispered, nuzzling her gently.

“I think… this was a fine lesson,” Radiant said as he stepped up, hoping to defuse the two hotheads. “The reason we’re doing this as a group, Nighttide, is not because we somehow doubt your individual strength in a one-on-one matchup, but because we’re trying to stress that this is not a one-on-one battle. Our enemies don’t have to defeat us to win, they simply have to achieve their objective.”

Nighttide scowled, but said nothing.

“In this, Starlight was Shimmering Night, if this had been real, they would’ve killed her, regardless if you whooped their flanks or not.”

“I’d have gotten them,” she growled.

“Yes, but Taz’s sister would be dead.”

She paused at that.

“Your coltfriend, the love of your life, would have to live knowing the mare he loved was so egotistical, she let his sister die.”

“You do realize you’re digging yourself a hole?” Nighttide snorted. “If our enemies can use the same strategy Ataxia did and change the plants behind our backs, we’ll all fail and die. Where’s your logic in that?”

Taz tried to scold her, but he did it wrong. He slapped her on her flank, just to realize a second later HOW he had tried to scold her.

Nighttide yelped, then turned to him. “Did… did you just‽”

“Uhm… sorry?” Taz smiled nervously.

Nighttide walked up to him, Taz trying to go back as quick as he could. He knew how it would end, and he had no intention at all to let it end like that in front of everypony, not again anyway.

“Nighttide, be reasonable, not here!” he whispered as she caught up, pressing her muzzle against his.

“Too bucking late,” she whispered huskily.

“Nighttide… please! I’ll do everything you want tonight, just… behave now!” Taz tried to reason with her.

With reluctance, a lot of reluctance, she pulled back. The glare she gave him would have made most stallions weep for joy. “Promise?”

“Pinkie promise,” Taz stammered.

Nighttide pushed him into a kiss, one that cut off Taz’s breath as her tongue quickly followed. He knew better than to slack off and attack back, their kiss soon evolved into a heated battle.

“Nighttide brings up a good point though, how do you defend against what you don’t know is coming?” Radiant asked. “Let’s run another test. This time… Ana, you and Starlight defend against Ataxia. Vela you can play—”

The glare the hippogriff gave him made Radiant rethink his plans. “I mean, Vela, you and Starlight defend Ataxia’s attacks. Ana, you play the target.”

Vela nodded once as she helped little Day down from off her back. She and Starlight took the field, Ana moved over to where Starlight used to sit, Ataxia went back to her spot.

Vela moved over and whispered something unintelligible into Starlight’s ear; with a nod, the mare replied and moved back to her sister. Vela pulled out Siros’s Vengeance and spun it around.

“Vela, honey, remember, this is just practice, don’t chop off any limbs,” Aurora reminded her.

Vela nodded her comprehension to her mother, but her understanding… that was something nopony was quite sure of.

“And, go!” Ataxia shouted as she ran around several pillars.

Vela simply eyeballed the mare, watching her movements with a warrior’s grace.

Starlight, stood back with her sister, eyes unmoving as she took in the whole battlefield all at once. She heard Ana practically yelp when the same trick was used again. With casual ease, she turned and blasted the plants with her horn.

Exactly as Ataxia planned. The mare leapt out, and she now had a clear line of fire at Starlight.

One that was broken when Siros’s Vengeance cut the ground right in front of her. Ataxia let out a very un-Ataxia like eep as she darted back into the foliage.

“See there, they’re looking out after each other. Their objective is to guard Ana, not to defeat Ataxia,” Taz whispered into Nighttide’s ear.

“But Vela could beat her, easily,” Nighttide replied as she watched another attack get repulsed.

“But that's not the point. Did you ever play the game Treasure of Dronor in your life?” Taz asked.

“No, what’s that?”

“It’s a game where one pony stands against a group of others. You could call him the villain. He tries to touch them all to get their treasure and turn them into statues. He has to fight alone, but the others can team up, defending and distracting him, but not beating him. This is kinda the same,” Taz explained.

“So we have to team up against a mighty foe to help everypony instead of just one of us getting him down at the cost of the others?”

“Right,” Taz smiled, nuzzling her lovingly.

“Vela! Watch out!” Flash yelled out as the two lovers were talking to each other.

Nighttide and Taz both turned to see that, somehow, Ataxia had distracted Vela long enough with a diversion to get a direct assault at the mare herself. Vela flew up into the air and went to spin the spear around, but it wasn’t going to be enough. Ataxia smiled as her stun spell flew true at the mare’s unguarded chest, only to be deflected last minute by a spell shot out from Starlight.

Vela flashed the pegasus a smile in thanks.

The smile was a mistake as Ataxia’s second blast almost struck her in the side. She avoided it with help from Starlight again and then turned in a rage to the mare herself.

Ataxia blew her a raspberry before going into hiding yet again.

Pissed, Vela flew high above the palace and spun the spear around in the air, twice.

“Oh no,” Taz said as he closed his eyes and looked inward, finding his ability. “EVERYONE DOWN!”

The mare’s attack came next. Vela had officially grown sick of this little game. With one swing of the spear she cut through the air and into the courtyard itself; her attack carrying the same destructive potential as Rainbow’s mega-rainboom from all those years ago.

It was an attack that did nothing.

When the smoke cleared, Radiant coughed several times, trying to figure out what had just happened.

Nighttide felt… strange, cut off from her power. But she was the first to figure out what had happened. “It’s over, Taz,” she whispered.

Taz opened his eyes and pulled his power back inside of him. He had cancelled out the attack of the god weapon before it had destroyed Celestia's Palace.

“Okay, umm…” Ataxia said as she got to her hooves.

“Young lady, get down here now!” Aurora shouted.

Vela gulped audibly, having no intention to face her mother now.

“Get down here or I’ll come up and get you!” Aurora screamed much louder and furious now.

It was obvious Vela was still hesitant, that is until little Day hopped on his mother’s back. With a sigh, she lowered herself out of the sky.

“Well, who won that one?” Nighttide asked.

“I think that’s what we might call… mutually assured destruction,” Taz answered.

“What in the wide wide world of Equestria is going on out here‽” Dayspring Gleam shouted from a window.

“We’re taking care of it!” Radiant said back.

Vela landed in front of her mother with a sheepish grin on her face. One that went away when Aurora's glare indicated that she was anything but happy.

“What were you thinking‽” Aurora shouted.

“I knew Taz would protect you all,” Vela stated sheepishly.

“So you were going to destroy the whole palace?”

“I-I didn’t,” the hippogriff replied.

Aurora huffed, she paced around three times before stopping in front of her daughter. When she sat back on her haunches, her son slid off of her back and she sighed, loudly. “Vela, I let you keep the spear because I thought you knew what it meant, I thought that you respected its power, but now—”

“NO!” Vela shouted, knowing where this was going. “You’re not taking it away from me!”

“You let your anger get ahold of you and almost destroyed the whole palace!”

“She didn’t mean to! It was my fault, I got in the way,” Flash said as he ran forward.

“Yeah, c’mon sis,” Taz stated as he walked forward. “You can’t take that from her.”

Vela’s brother ran to her and hugged her. She was all but crying now.

“Vela, I’m sorry, but—”

“Even Icarus misused the spear’s power at first,” Rainbow said as she walked up. Having just arrived from the kitchen, she had a plate of cookies for all the kids held in her hoof.

“Rainbow…”

“He did, I was there. I had to remind him what it meant, what the spear represented. Vela may be small, she may be an immature little brat at times, but she has his heart, his spirit. She’ll make mistakes, they all will. Heck, we all do, but she’ll learn from this if you give her a chance.”

As Aurora thought this over, Starlight turned to her sister and softly spoke in a conversation only Nighttide overheard. “This is why we can forgive Nighttide, Ana. It’s because we’re all guilty of doing something dumb once in awhile. We forgive each other because we’re all family.”

“She’s not part of our family,” Ana hissed.

“Not yet, but I think it’s just a matter of time.”

The glare Ana gave her sister could shatter glass.

“No one is asking you to like her, but you gotta accept some hard truths eventually. She’s an important part of Taz’s life now, which makes her part of our life, and yours. If you can’t be happy that they’re together, can’t you at least be happy that Taz is happy?”

Ana glanced over to see Taz and Nighttide facing Aurora in defense of Vela; they were sitting together, coats touching. “I-I could make him happy too.”

“Only by stealing him away from the mare he loves,” Starlight replied coldly.

“I-I-I—”

“It’s hard, I know it’s hard. But you’re unfairly taking it out on everypony around you, and mom.”

Ana laid down on the ground; distraught and simply wanting this conversation to come to an end. Starlight lay down next to her, their coats touching. “I love you, Ana. We all do. And yes, that includes Taz and mom, both our moms. We’re… if the worst should happen, if they don’t…” Starlight paused for a second, fighting back her own tears. “We… we may lose…”

Ana nuzzled her sister gently as she spoke. “We may lose mom...”

Starlight nodded. “Please, find some way to forgive her before that. Not for me, not for her, not for anypony else, but for yourself. Please, it’ll haunt you forever if you don’t. It’ll define who you are for the rest of your life.”

“This is my decision,” Aurora said as she glared at all the eyes directed at her.

“Of course,” Rainbow said back. “But as Twi always said, you shouldn’t make decisions without all the facts you can get.”

Aurora glared at her mom, then paused, sighing loudly, “I guess I’m overruled here?”

“Nopony…” Rainbow started, but Vela shot her an ugly glare. “I mean, no one is overruling you here, but you have to look at the facts. And I doubt that Vela will give up the spear just because you tell her.”

Vela tightened her claw around the spear, but said nothing. The conversation was turning her way and she didn’t want to do something to ruin it.

Aurora glared once more at her daughter. “Vela, I have your word that this will not happen again? Your promise?”

“Y-yes,” she stammered.

“You still deserve a punishment,” Aurora continued.

“What‽”

“You can sleep in your own room for a week.” Aurora scowled as everypony looked at her, shocked.

“You can’t do that! We’re family!” Vela yelled.

“It’s that or the spear, your pick.”

“You wouldn’t force me to...” Vela whimpered, looking at her brother.

“Pick.” Aurora’s tone was no-nonsense.

Vela tightened the grip around the spear, yelping as it began to grow hot in her grip.

“Easy Vela, the spear thinks you’re being threatened, loosen your grip,” Rainbow warned her, just to earn confused glares. “What? I listened when Twilight explained all the powers of that awesome thing!”

“I’ll keep the spear,” Vela mumbled.

“What was that?” Aurora asked

“I’ll keep the spear.” Vela growled louder.

“As your father told you, own your words.”

The hippogriff glared at her mother as she walked away. Then another thought crossed her head, with a glance to her left, she took one more look at Flash.

“What was that about?” Taz asked nopony in particular.

“No idea,” Nighttide replied, blushing a little.

“Okay, who’s up next?” Ataxia asked.

“Umm… let’s take a break for now and eat the cookies. Besides, I wanna play the attacker next,” Radiant said with a grin.

Little Dayspring started to chuckle, and then laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Radiant asked.

“It’s a little too late for the cookies,” he said with a grin, pointing over to where Rainbow had sat them down.

Every set of eyes turned to see Aurora scarfing them down. She looked up and blushed. “What?”

The laughter that filled the courtyard echoed throughout the palace.

After a few hours, the kids were starting to make a good account for themselves. The adults had taken turns to have them practice in odd groups, albeit they weren’t dumb enough to push their luck with Nighttide and Ana being on the same team, even they knew better than to tempt fate.

As expected, the strongest team was definitely Vela and Nighttide. When those two got together, there was little that could stand up to them. Taz proved to be a wild-card, able to work with anypony he was paired up with.

Of all of them, the twins were probably the weakest, but they made up for it with their speed, a little factoid that made Rainbow proud. After all, she had been the one to train them.

When the sun started to go down, even Ataxia was starting to get exhausted. “Okay, I think you all got the gist of it today.”

“Gist of what?” Vela asked. “All we did was play keep away.”

“Is that all?” Radiant asked. “Seems to me you all learned teamwork, working for a goal, gained a greater understanding of each other's abilities, and even made a few new friends.”

Vela looked confused until she noticed he was smiling at her and the pegasus she was standing by. Looking to her left, she saw Flash was almost touching her coat-to-coat. She jumped away, causing the white unicorn to laugh. “I don’t think he minds, Vela.”

“Yeah, well I do!” Vela protested.

She felt a little bad about seeing the hurt look on his face.

“Well, how’d it go, Radiant?” Dayspring Gleam asked as he and Twilight walked out of the entrance way.

“Well, I’ll be honest, they’re rough. I wouldn’t personally take them to war or anything—”

“Hey!” Vela, Blaze, Flash, Nighttide, and Taz shouted.

“But it’ll be enough for what we plan to,” Radiant continued. “Especially Vela, Nighttide, Starlight, and Taz, those four could stand in the front with us if things got hairy.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Flash said with a scowl on his muzzle.

Radiant laughed and ran his hoof through his son’s mane. “Relax, champ. You’ll be a superb warrior in no time. We just need to get you the right gear.”

“Can I get a weapon like Vela’s?” he asked excitedly.

“Sure, just become the ruler of an entire nation first, and then we’ll hook you up!”

Twilight hummed in thought. “It’s probably not a bad idea to at least get them something to protect themselves and others. I’ll talk with the night guard commander and see if he has anything to spare.”

“Why not from the Royal Guard?” Flash complained.

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Because I know for a fact that they’re using every bit of equipment they have right now and can’t spare anything. Plus the Night Guard have a larger amount of pegasi gear, or at least, gear that can fit one.”

“I think you’d look good in the purple of the Night Guard,” Vela whispered to him.

Flash’s ears perked up at that. “O-okay,” he stammered.

Radiant chuckled at the sudden one-eighty his son did. He turned to look at Twilight and Dayspring. “How about you, were you two successful?”

“Very much so,” Dayspring stated with a smile. “We found every bit of information on sphinxes and I’m pretty confident I have a way to track them. We can leave in the mor—”

“Now!” Ataxia shouted. “Let’s go now.”

Dayspring paused. “Ataxia… I know you’re worried about Night, but—”

“But what? I’m sorry, have you spent the last six months watching the love of your life wither away next to you? Have you seen someone you love dying next to you while you weren’t able to do a damn thing about it?”

Dayspring Gleam paused. “No... “

“Then you don’t know shit.”

“But I did hold my dead sister’s body in my hooves after shadowbeings tore into her and ate her flesh,” Dayspring countered.

Ataxia pulled back, visibly and violently struck by that. Dayspring had never, never talked about that before.

“I rushed into something then, I did something stupid, something that everypony else was made to suffer for, all because I didn’t think with a clear head. So tell me, what do you want to say about it again?”

“Fine…” Ataxia mumbled. “But we leave at first light!”

“Pinkie promise,” Dayspring Gleam said, smiling a bit.

“Alright everypony, let’s have dinner, then we’ll get a good night’s sleep before we head out in the morning,” Twilight said with a all-too chipper smile before leading the way back inside.

“I hope you’re ready for tonight, because we’re not going to sleep at all,” Nighttide huskily whispered into Taz’s ear.

Taz smiled as he watched her walk inside, her tantalizing flank was all but begging for him to give a good smack, again.

“Oh, I can’t wait.”