Chapter 11: Discord’s Traveling Puppet Show?

Grunting softly as he moves down the currently dark corridor of Canterlot Castle, Prose cannot help but wonder why exactly he has been summoned to the other side of the Castle, especially this early in the morning.

Stopping and leaning against a pillar, Prose sighs and he lifts his cloak and checks to make sure he hasn’t reopened his wound. Finding no red stains on his side, Prose closes his eyes and does his best to catch his breath.

“Are you alright?” Foxfire asks from his left, causing Prose to open his eyes and smile. “Should I go find a medic?”

“No, I’ll be fine,” Prose grunts as he stops leaning on the wall and starts forward again. “This scratch might slow me down, but it is hardly worthy of concern. I’ve had worse.”

“I wish you wouldn’t say that,” Foxfire sighs as she takes her place beside her husband.

“You asked me this morning, when the servant came and woke us up, to never lie to you,” Prose says solemnly. “And I promised that I wouldn’t, thus why I said that, and thus why you are coming with me to this meeting.”

“I know,” Foxfire concedes, stopping for a moment to run a hoof over the collar of Prose’s uniform. “It’s… just a lot to get used to.”

Stopping and looking to his wife, then to a nearby mostly intact window, Prose studies his reflection. He lingers longest on the dark purple uniform with black accents he is wearing under his backup tactical vest. He had debated putting this on, but the servant who had knocked on the door said that two of the three waiting for him were wearing the same type of flight suit he had been, and with his out of commission he had opted to wear this outfit as it would identify him to whoever it was waiting.

Plus, his non-marked flight suit was currently occupied by the love of his life, and he wasn’t about to tell Foxfire she can take it off.

“Yes, it is,” Prose comments as he looks away from the window and continues forward. “But, I have faith in you, dear heart. You are, if nothing else, a smart and talented mare, and if you do not wish for me to lie, then I will not spare you the details.” His tone then turns serious and he looks to Foxfire from the corner of one eye. “Also, and this is very important, but while we are in there you are not to speak unless spoken to, am I understood?”

“Wh…?” Foxfire starts to ask, but is stopped as Prose extends a wing and turns to look at her with a deadpan expression.

“Because, I don’t know who we’re meeting, all the servant said was that they were wearing flight suits like mine. There are two groups who wear that flight suit, with very subtle differences, and if it’s not my friends then you have to let me talk our way out.” He gets closer, their muzzles almost touching. “Now, am I clear?”

“Yes,” Foxfire whispers, her eyes wide.

“Good,” Prose sighs as he turns and starts down the hallway once more. He hates talking to his wife like this, and if he could he would avoid it altogether, but he can’t and he has to keep her safe. Their foals need at least one parent, and the odds are with the profession he is in it won’t be him if things go south.

The two continue down the hallway in silence, save for the sound of their hooves against the polished stone floor and the occasional servant or guard making their pre-dawn rounds. At one point, glimpsed distantly through a shattered window, Prose swears he can see an old unicorn sitting on a balcony, his eyes turned towards the distant point which the sun will soon rise from. And then, they are at a pair of large double doors leading to the currently empty wing of the castle that houses foreign heads of state, a pair of marines standing on both sides of the door.

Stopping in front of the door, Prose takes a moment to compose himself and slip into the mindset he uses when he is working as a member of the Shadowbolts. As he does so, he pulls himself up, holds his head higher as his smile fades and the ever-present laughter in his eyes gives way to a dark, distant and serious expression that makes Foxfire take a few steps to the side and stare at her husband as if he were a live snake. Likewise, the marines shuffle uncomfortably as Prose looks to them, his lips turning down slightly into an almost invisible frown.

“I was summoned?” Prose asks, his tone lacking any of it’s previous warmth.

“Yes, sir,” one of the marines says curtly, motioning to the door. “Please, go inside.”

Nodding, Prose starts forward, the guards instinctively shuffling aside as he draws close. With one final glance to his wife, and a hoof to his lips to remind her to stay silent, Prose pushes open one of the doors, which swings inward on well-oiled hinges, and enters with Foxfire close on his tail.

Once past the doors, Prose surveys the room and is surprised to find it occupied by two ponies he had not thought to see so soon, and a third that explained the presence of the marines.

“It is good to see you again, Epic Prose,” Dee-Seven states calmly from where she is standing in the center of the room beside the other two occupants. “I am to understand you are acquainted with Hawk and Tank?” she motions to the two beside her.

“I am,” Prose answers curtly before looking over his shoulder. “Dear, close the door please.” As Foxfire does that, Prose crosses the room and stops in front of Tank, a massive stallion wearing a Shadowbolt flight suit minus the hood. He smiles down at Prose, who lets the warmth return slightly to his features as he smiles back. “It’s good to see you again, Tank.”

“Heh, heh, heh,” chuckles Tank, catching Prose in a bear hug.

Walking up next to Prose and Tank, Foxfire looks up at him with wide eyes before looking to her husband who nods to her. “H-hello again, Tank. You’re.. Uhm… looking well?”

“Yes, he is,” Prose agrees as he returns the hug. “I heard from some of the naval ponies that there was a fire in the direction of JSS HQ?” He looks between Tank and Hawk as he lets go of Tank. “You two wouldn’t happen to know what that was about, would you?”

“Well, you know what they say, Prose,” quips Hawk. “You reap what you sow, and Janus spread around a lot of flames and death here. We felt it was high time for a bit of reaping. In my opinion, after what they put Tank and Dee through, it’s long overdue.”

“Agreed,” Prose sighs as he sits down with a wince. “If not for the fact I was injured beating some sense into the Archduke, I would have flown out there to see what was going on.” He rubs his side slightly and smiles weakly. “I’m going to get an earful if we ever find Patch and she sees my flight suit.”

“My analysis of your flight suit indicated it was made of a polymer that should not have torn in the way it did,” Dee interjects. “I suspect this ‘Patch’ is the one who makes your suits? She will be angered at its damage?”

“Basically, Prose was lazy and didn’t get the damn thing replaced when he should have,” snorts Hawk.

“What does he mean?” Foxfire asks, aiming a concerned look at her husband.

“Flight suits like the one you’re wearing,” Prose starts, poking his wife with a wing, “are made out of a kind of material that does not tear or break, at least until it degrades. Typically, it takes four or five years for it to reach that point, at which time it’s basically better used for napkins than armor… mine was five years old… last year.”

“And you just ignored it?” Foxfire states, narrowing her eyes. “Why?”

“There were reasons, which I will share with you when, and if, Princess Twilight or Luna give me leave to.” Prose answers bluntly, holding up a hoof to forestall the backlash. “No, that isn’t a lie, but as a Shadowbolt I am under a contract which Luna holds, and I cannot break it under my oath as a Shadowbolt.”

“Oh for fuck’s sake, the damn Shadowbolts blasted Canterlot to hell, and this is your wife we’re talking about,” groans Hawk in frustration. “Just tell her-”

Tank promptly sits on Hawk, frowning at the stallion.

“Thank you, Tank,” Prose sighs, putting a hoof to his head. “Look, Hawk, I don’t want to hide behind the Code, I really don’t. But I just pulled one of Nightshade’s mysterious benefactor's ‘gifts’ off of the Archduke last night. In fact, I’m going to be speaking to Princess Twilight as soon as we’re done here.” He then takes a deep breath and claps his hooves together. “So. Why did you have me woken up this early?”

“Your friends discovered something while they taught Janus a lesson,” Dee speaks up. “I think it is best if they inform you of what they found, however.”

At this, Tank looks up, confused momentarily.

“The foals, you big lug,” grunts Hawk from beneath the large stallion.

Tank grins sheepishly, before lifting a massive wing. Tucked beneath the wing, a grey foal with brilliant purple eyes blinks as the light of the room disorients him slightly. An identification number is marked on his flank. The foal shrinks in fear at the new ponies before Tank rests a hoof on the colt’s shoulder.

“Fff- Family,” grunts Tank.

Without missing a beat, Prose’s face splits into a warm fatherly smile as he extends a hoof. “I won’t hurt you, little one, you are safe here.” He looks to Tank for a brief moment, before looking back to the foal. “Like your large guardian here said, we’re family.”

The foal looks up, staring silently at Prose. He then lunges forward, catching the stallion in a desperate hug, tears streaming down his small face.

Wrapping his arms around the foal, Prose gently rubs his back and returns the hug without reservation. “It’s alright, nopony will ever hurt you again.” He looks to Hawk and asks softly. “How many?”

“Over a hundred walking around,” reports Hawk in a hushed tone, having freed himself from beneath Tank. “One thousand or so still in growth tubes.”

“I see,” Prose sighs. “If Dee is here, then I suspect you’ve talked to at least Voyager’s Captain, and that the ones who are walking are here in this wing of the Castle.” He continues to hold onto the foal in his arms. “What is being done with the growth tubes? Have they been evacuated somewhere secure? I trust Captain Noire, but those foals don’t deserve to be in the hooves of the Equestrian Military.”

“Rat’s off making a deal with Crystal Rose,” explains Hawk. “You remember her, right? Cloak’s squee-”

At this, Tank promptly shifts as if to sit on Hawk again, glaring.

“Cloak’s mare,” corrects Hawk, shooting a dirty look at Tank.

“She is the head of one of the Seaddle Crime families, right?” Prose asks.

“She’s the head of pretty much all the crime families,” explains Hawk. “Anything that happens in that town goes through her. Thankfully, she’s been as benevolent as Sunbutt herself, though a bit more present, as of late.”

“Right, well that takes care of that,” Prose nods before looking down at the foal. “We’re going to need to give the ones here a checkup, there’s no telling what JSS has done, but I don’t think we can take them to what’s left of Canterlot General.” He looks to Foxfire, and nods to the door. “Dear, I hate to do this, but I need you to go track down Fluttershy, tell her that I need her, and possibly Ember if she isn’t busy, to come here. Tell them the truth, but don’t tell anypony else what you’ve seen.”

“O-okay,” Foxfire starts, her eyes locked on the foal in her husband’s arms. “I… I can do that.” She stands up to leave, but Prose calls after her.

“And I want you to stay here with them when they do the checkup. You’re a mother, and… Fluttershy is good with foals, but with how many there are…?”

“I’ll stay,” Foxfire says softly before continuing to the door, and then vanishing out of it.

“Right,” Prose sighs as he rests the bottom of his head on top of the foal’s. “Tank, Hawk, I can stay with the foals until my wife comes back with Dame Fluttershy if you two need to report back.” He then folds his ears back against his head and furrows his brow. “And… if you do need to report back, I-I need you to tell Descent that I think there is an active cell of Nightshade’s agents in Canterlot. One of them gave at least Blueblood one of the crystals, for whatever reason, and I’m worried there might be more. I am going to ask Princess Twilight to let Daring, the Guards, and I sniff them out and put a stop to their activity before they can make Canterlot erupt in violence again.”

“Do you need the Rat Pack to stick around?” asks Hawk. “There isn’t a whole lot going on back at the Nimbus.”

“I don’t know yet,” Prose concedes. “I’d feel better if you all were close by. But I can’t ask you guys to stop guarding the Wonderbolts, wherever they are, in favor of helping me find a few rogue elements of the intelligence network.” He looks to Hawk and frowns. “You know how important Soarin is, I heard the whispers when I did visit the fortress. Kayn Ost wants Soarin, and from what I’ve heard, from what I witnessed myself the first time that beast of a cannon they’ve strapped to the Cirrus fired, Soarin is the King in this deadly game of chess and I’m simply hunting the pawns.”

“Well, let us know if you need to call in a Rook, buddy,” Hawk replied.

“When I find them, you can better believe I will call you guys in,” Prose chuckles hollowly. “And together we can remind them the cost of breaking the oath… and for taking the lives of civilians.”

“Rat will enjoy that,” mutters Hawk, turning slightly to Dee-Seven. “Dee, I know you probably already know the information, but I found something while in JSS headquarters.”

The stallion pulls out a folder with several papers in it.

“Your complete file, no black ink in it whatsoever,” explains Hawk. “It’s got everything here, your parents’ names, your home town, even your real name… Honestly, I think it’s a rather pretty name. ‘Anise Wreath’. It suits you.”

“...This is unnecessary,” states Dee, glancing away uncomfortably.

“...Sorry,” apologizes Hawk. “I just… felt you should know. I’ll be going, then. Thanks for helping the foals, Dee.”

And without another word, the stallion takes to the skies, vanishing into the night. Tank glances after his partner, ready to take off, but a slight whimper stops him. The foal from before is watching the large pegasus, staring as though he doesn’t want to be left behind. Tank approaches the foal and kneels next to him, comforting the young one.

Looking to the foal, then to Tank, Prose releases the foal and steps over to sit next to Dee. “If you need a minute, Tank, I am sure Hawk won’t mind.”

“Don’t let Brother go,” whimpers the foal softly.

Tank kneels down to the foal. “Sss- Safe now,” groans Tank. “Fff- Family. Ww- Will be back.”

The foal visibly relaxes from Tank’s reassurance, allowing the giant to take to the skies after his comrade.

---

Sitting in one of the large conference rooms in the Castle and sipping tea, Prose stares out the window and regards the once beautiful city of Canterlot. Through the numb detachment that comes with him being in his Shadowbolt persona, Prose muses darkly that in a way the state of the city is in part his fault. He, like so many of his fellow Shadowbolts, had followed Nightshade without question until her insanity had been proven. Sure, he had stayed distant, had done all he could to stay out of the fight that had been brewing between the Wonderbolts and the ponies he considered his extended family. But, he had still provided intelligence on Wonderbolt movements, had passed along scraps and tidbits provided in passing by Daring when they had gossiped over tea.

He had helped plan the attack in Canterlot that had led to Dash and Soarin’s abduction. Even if it was just through providing the information that Rapidfire was unhappy with his lot, a fact anypony could have seen, Prose can’t help but feel dirty. Dash was a loyal friend to so many in Ponyville, even if she was a prankster and a layabout at times, she would never betray the trust of her friends.

Shaking his head and taking another sip of his tea, Prose pushes the dark thoughts from his mind. They are the past, and he can dwell on them later when the situation allows for him to rest. Right now, he needs to focus on the meeting that is about to be held.

Putting his tea aside, he pulls out an ornate pocket watch, his initials worked into the lid, and flips it open to check the time. Finding it to be mid-morning, Prose closes the watch and picks his tea up again right as the door to the room clicks and opens to admit one of the ponies he has been waiting for.

“Archduke Shiro,” Prose says loud enough to be heard by the alicorn. “I hope you’re settling into your new title gracefully?”

.

“As gracefully as can be done,” Shiro replies as he closes the door. “I fear I do not know your name, though, outside of passing conversation. Seeing as you know mine…?”

“Ah, yes, please forgive me,” Prose sighs as he turns around, gesturing with one wing to the teapot on the table. “My name is Epic Prose, I am a Renegade who specializes in infiltration, information gathering, and covert operations. I am also perhaps the first pony outside of Daring’s expedition to learn of you, Lord Shiro Hoshi of Equus.”

“I see,” Shiro states calmly, as he goes to the table and eyes the teapot.

Noting Shiro’s hesitation, Prose refills his cup from the pot and sits at the table with a small smile. “Daring told me you were a stallion of few words, but I hope you will be free with them when the meeting starts, for there is much to discuss, and almost all of it troubles me.”

“We shall see,” Shiro shrugs as he pours himself a cup of tea, taking the first sip as he sits down. “This is quite good. Is it from the local tea shop I keep hearing about?”

“It is,” Prose smirks, turning his eyes to the door as it once more opens to admit Twilight and an elderly unicorn. “However, we can talk about that later, as it seems the rest have appeared.”

“Sorry we’re late, Prose,” Twilight remarks breathlessly. “I got caught up talking to Star Swirl and…”

“And you lost track of time,” Prose finishes for her, waving a hoof with a chuckle. “Twilight, I’ve known you for over a year now, and I would expect nothing less from you considering your fillyhood hero all but fell into your lap last night.”

“You’re not going to argue that I’m not real, or a pretender?” Star Swirl asks, raising an eyebrow.

“No, truth be told I don’t care,” Prose answers seriously. “But evidence suggests you are the real deal, and I’ve got too many years of listening to Daring explain fantastic truths to dismiss you.” He then sighs and reaches into a pocket on his uniform. “It is also not the subject of this meeting, as much as I wish it were.” He pulls out the broken pink shards of a crystal, still faintly glowing, and places it on the table.

“Where did you get that?” Star Swirl growls.

“Off of the Archduke currently residing in the dungeon,” Prose answers curtly. “The sheer fact he had it raises too many red flags with me, and your reaction only reinforces them.”

“It would explain why everyone says he was acting oddly,” Shiro muses, his eyes locked on the crystal. “It feels unnatural, and vile.”

“What is it?” Twilight asks, coming around the table to get close to the shards.

“Something I swore I’d never get close to,” Prose says softly as he takes another sip of his tea. “Nightshade, the Captain of the Shadowbolts, gave crystals like these out to those under her command. They’re gifts from a mysterious benefactor whom I and the rest of the Shadowbolt Intelligence Network have never been able to identify.” He gestures with a wing towards Star Swirl and Shiro. “However, after hearing your reactions, and the stories Daring has passed on from what you told her, they are more than simple gifts, aren’t they?”

“You are right, Renegade,” Shiro agrees, clutching his tea mug between his hooves. “They are a thing Star Swirl and I hoped never to see again.” He looks to his fellow Equus pony, his gaze filled with regret. “But I do not recognize which Vice it belongs to. Do you, old friend?”

“Pain.” Star Swirl whispers, his eyes locked upon the crystals as if through sheer force of will he can destroy them. “I saw all the magic of the vices during the war, and this one never came into existence as Hope was still strong.” He shakes his head, the bells on his hat jingling. “But it is not created naturally, or as naturally as any of that vile magic can be created. No, this is the work of some master spellcrafter, artificially created by extracting the magic from…”

“From what?” Prose asks, raising an eyebrow.

“From ponies who are experiencing it,” Star Swirl sighs. “Whoever is creating these crystals is truly evil, for I know of no way to artificially create the magic of a vice save for tormenting ponies until the vice manifests.”

“These things have always made me feel uncomfortable, but to think they have been created in such a manner,” Prose muses absently, his eyes wandering to Twilight who is staring at the crystals with rapt attention. “Twilight, do you have anything to add?”

“Hmm?” Twilight hums, her eyes still locked on the crystals. “No… No I have nothing to add.”

“Princess, I think perhaps you should take a few steps back,” Star Swirl says slowly as he makes his way around the table towards Twilight.

“No, I think I like it right here…” Twilight says softly, slowly getting closer to the crystals. “I think I’d like to touch them, though…”

“Prose, get her away from them!” Shiro says sharply, standing up and powering up his horn.

Without hesitation, Prose puts his tea down and quickly turns and grabs Twilight, pushing her backwards as she lets out a loud growl and tries to fight Prose off to get back to the crystals which have started to glow brighter.

“NO! I need to study them!” Twilight shrieks, her horn glowing brightly as she tries to throw Prose with her magic. She is stopped by Shiro who quickly overpowers the younger alicorn’s magic with his own as he pushes her back and freezes her in place. Twilight growls and struggles against the spell holding her in place as Star Swirl comes around the table, his own horn powering up.

“Detestable things,” Star Swirl mutters as he surrounds the crystals in a small dome of his magic. A few seconds later there is a bright flash of light, and the smell of burnt wood, as Star Swirl engulfs the crystals in his own magic, quickly destroying them.

“Well, that was dramatic,” Prose chuckles, still standing in front of Twilight who is now blinking rapidly. “You alright there, Twilight?”

“Y-yeah…” Twilight says softly. “What happened?”

“Temptation,” Shiro answers. “One that stronger ponies have fallen to. But it is over now.”

“Oh… okay?” Twilight asks, blinking and looking at Shiro. “Can you let me go now?”

Shrugging, Shiro releases the magic holding Twilight and calmly sits back down to resume sipping his tea. “So, was that the only thing you wished to speak to us about, Master Renegade?”

“No, actually,” Prose coughs, slowly going back to his own seat, which had been overturned when he got up to restrain Twilight. “I was going to ask Twilight for permission to lead an investigation, an official one, into the root of the riots. With the discovery of that crystal in Blueblood’s possession, I can only believe there is a deeper cause here, perhaps connection to the Shadowbolts.”

“Permission granted,” Twilight states from where she is standing looking at the burnt patch on the table where the crystal had been. “If there are more out there, then there is no telling what could happen.” She then looks to Prose, her expression serious. “And, if you encounter Discord during the investigation, please ask him about containment. Witch was… studying one, and he made a case for the crystal she had in her possession so it wouldn’t affect her.”

Before Prose can say anything, Shiro does a spit take and Star Swirl’s face drains of color. “You’re telling me she had one?” Shiro barks, slamming his mug down on the table hard enough to crack it. “HOPE HAD ONE OF THOSE FOR HOW LONG!?”

“Uhm…” Twilight stammers, tapping her forehooves together. “Seven months… at least?” She then looks between Star Swirl and Shiro, quickly adding. “But it was contained the entire time because she kept trying to smash it!”

“Regardless, it was reckless of her to keep one!” Star Swirl states bluntly, looking at Twilight with disappointment. “These things are not to be toyed with! The powers that created them destroyed Equus! Took from me some of my closest and dearest friends!”

“I know,” Twilight sighs. “I’ve… seen the memories…” She looks down at her hooves. “But she learned a lot… like, the crystals are seeds… We weren’t sure how they’re made, but the crystals seem to be the seeds of a crystal tree, like the Tree of Harmony.”

Sighing and putting a hoof to his face, Star Swirl speaks up. “Well, this is a fine mess the Cosmos has dumped me into.” He looks to Prose, frowning. “Is there anything else you need to speak to the Princess about? Or may I take her away to speak on this most unsettling of topics?”

“There is one last topic, and it’s short,” Prose sighs. “A couple of my fellow Renegades dropped off a group of foals here in the Castle. I assume you knew about them, Twilight?”

“Yeah… Captain Noire told me that they were orphans?” Twilight replies slowly before narrowing her eyes. “Why?”

“She didn’t lie to you, they are orphans,” Prose states with a sigh. “However, they are orphans by the sheer fact that they, before the Renegades led a raid on their headquarters, were property of JSS.”

“Meaning?” Shiro asks, leaning forward. “Were they slaves? Servants?”

“Experiments, Lord Shiro,” Prose explains. “As I am to understand, many were… created artificially. I do not understand the process myself, nor do I care to. It is but one of many examples of the barbarity and malice that those monsters were capable of.” He looks to Twilight, his expression no longer friendly and actually causes Shiro to shiver slightly and bristle. “Twilight, what they have gone through would break even the toughest of ponies, and many of them are scared. I need you to declare them wards of the crown before we leave this room, so that none may lay hoof upon them ever again.”

“H-how many are there?” Twilight asks, her ears folded against her head as her friend stares her down.

“One-hundred and fifty foals.” Prose states simply. “All terrified, abused, young ponies who have done nothing wrong in their life save being born into the clutches of ponies who make my Captain look like the model of a perfect mother.”

“That many?!” Twilight exclaims, starting backwards a bit in shock. “How... “ She shakes her head for a moment before closing her eyes and nodding. “I’ll… I’ll have the papers drawn up, and they’ll be put under the protection of the crown before the day is over.”

“Good,” Prose sighs, turning his gaze away from Twilight and back to his tea. “If things go well, that number may shrink by one, my wife has… grown attached to one of the foals. I would be remiss if I denied the poor colt a home, and I could never say no to my wife.” He looks up, his expression changing to one of warmth and compassion as if a switch had been flipped. “But, that is all I needed to talk to you all about. I believe you all have places you need to be, and I shall not keep you from them.” He drains the remainder of his tea, and stands. “And if not, then I must beg my leave, for I promised to return to Foxfire and the foals as soon as this meeting concluded.” He looks to Twilight, inclining his head. “With your permission Princess?”

“You have my permission…” Twilight says slowly.

“Thank you, Princess,” Prose says warmly before bowing to Shiro and Star Swirl. “It was a pleasure meeting you both, I hope our paths cross under less serious conditions in the future.” He then departs before anypony can speak up, leaving the three remaining in the room wondering what just happened.

Twilight in particular watches Prose leave, her mind attempting to come to terms with how the quiet and compassionate stallion she had known in Ponyville could in fact be as cold and calculating as she had seen in the glare he had given her.

She decides, quite quickly, that she does not wish to know the answer.

------

Turning from the doorway, Star Swirl looks over at Shiro and Twilight, both of which are still in the room with him in the wake of the Renegade Prose’s departure. Twilight, in particular, worries him at the moment, though as her temptation by the shards of vice crystal unsettle Star Swirl to the core. He had seen one Compassion fall in his lifetime, he was not about to see another do so.

“Shiro, my old friend,” Star Swirl starts, his voice weary with the weight of the discussion he must have with Twilight. “I need to speak with our young friend alone, for what is to be discussed is for our ears only.”

Nodding, Shiro looks to Twilight, a soft smile on his face. “By your leave, Your Highness?”

“Go on, Shiro,” Twilight sighs, her ears going flat against her head. “I won’t argue with Star Swirl if he wishes to speak to me alone.”

“As well you shouldn’t,” Star Swirl stated flatly. “You should listen to your elders.” He keeps his eyes on Twilight as Shiro walks past Star Swirl and towards the door. As soon as the door closes, the old wizard sits down beside the table. “Now then, Twilight, I do not appreciate not being told that you and Hope were close to one of these crystals for as long as you were.”

“I didn’t know it was something you’d be interested in,” Twilight protests. “How was I supposed to know what they were?”

Slamming a hoof against the table and causing Twilight to jump and close her eyes, Star Swirl raises his voice. “Horse apples! You said you saw the memories! You knew what those crystals were!”

“They were orange in my memories!” Twilight counters as she sits down. “I never saw a single pink crystal! For all we knew, it was just some strange artificial chaos magic!” Twilight then sighs and gestures with one hoof. “Besides, Witch had to put it into a containment box, otherwise she would have destroyed it outright.”

“And that wasn’t enough cause for you to destroy it?!” Star Swirl barks. “Nox’s mane, Twilight, chaos magic brings nothing but ruination onto the world! Look at Discord!” He sighs, shaking his head. “I’ve already seen one Compassion fall, I am not about to see you make the same mistakes.”

“So teach me!” Twilight pleads. “I can’t avoid a danger I know nothing about, Star Swirl! You of all ponies should know that knowledge is power.”

Sighing once more, Star Swirl nods slowly. “You are right. I cannot expect you to combat something you know little about,” he levels a piercing gaze upon Twilight, causing the young alicorn to swallow hard. “But, before I can teach you I must know what you already know about them.” He taps a hoof against the table. “Starting with how many colors you’ve come across so far? Since you are here, I shall assume the power of envy has not yet found it’s way back into the world?”

“I… I don’t know; it’s possible, but I’ve not seen any yet,” Twilight admits, doing her best to hold firm under Star Swirl’s gaze.

“And what of the other colors? Black, red, yellow?” Star Swirl inquires, his eyes never leaving Twilight.

“No, I’ve not seen any of those, nor do I even know what they represent,” Twilight admits.

“Black is the color of Death, the anthesis of Life,” Star Swirl starts, listing the colors off almost absently as if reading from a list. “Red is the color of Hate, which is Love destroyed. Yellow is the color of Fear, when Strength has fallen,” He pauses for a moment, then continues. “And you already know orange, Compassion’s failure.”

“And pink is when Hope is silenced?” Twilight asks slowly, smiling slightly as Star Swirl nods. “Well, I’ve not seen any of those colors… Though legends do state that Nightmare Moon’s magic had some yellow to it. I… didn’t see it when my friends and I fought her though; we were too busy staying alive…”

“Yet another reason I need to speak to Luna,” Star Swirl mutters before clearing his throat. “It is a blessing that none of them, save perhaps for yellow, have not appeared along with the pink crystals.”

“Yeah, we’re barely holding on with these pink ones,” Twilight chuckles, rubbing the back of her head with a hoof. “I’d hate to see what happens when they’re all loose.”

“It’s terrible,” Star Swirl whispers. Shaking his head he looks up at Twilight and frowns. “But what about your friend, Witching Hour was it? What about her attempting to smash the crystals?”

“She said they felt wrong,” Twilight says calmly. “Like every fiber of her being wanted to destroy them and wipe them from the universe.”

“It makes sense, as she is apparently Hope,” Star Swirl muses, stroking his beard. “Even if she was not yet fully recognized as such by the Cosmos, she’d still feel driven to rid the world of the vice spawned from her Virtue.”

Opening her mouth to say something, Twilight stops as the sudden sound of birds chirping fills the space between her and Star Swirl. Smiling broadly, she channels her magic and summons a looking glass from thin air, quickly holding it up in front of her face as Star Swirl stares.

“Twilight!” the voice of a mare comes from the mirror, causing Twilight to hold the thing a little farther away from her. “I just got outed to the entire corps!! I hate Diet Chaos”

“Well, did he have a reason?” Twilight asks slowly, wiggling a hoof in one ear. “Discord never does anything unless he has a reason.”

"Well…” the mare in the mirror starts. “The Shadowbolt captives have crystalline growths because of their long-term crystal use and Luna and Bliss wanted to put me in charge of finding a way to reverse it but the Captains got all skeptical of the idea…” She pauses, and growls loudly before continuing. “ And then Diet Chaos just had to drop in with his own vote in favor of the idea..."

“Diet Chaos?” Star Swirl asks slowly. “That is quite an interesting name for that detestable creature. I rather like it.”

“Twilight,” the mare starts slowly as though dreading yet another instance of being outed, “who’s with you?”

“Hm?” Twilight hums, blinking before shrugging. “Oh, it’s just Star Swirl.”

“Give him the mirror, NOW!” she shouts, making Twilight hold the mirror away from herself again.

“Okay, okay!” Twilight sighs, levitating the mirror over to Star Swirl, who takes it in his magic and turns it around to look into it.

“Huh, I’ve not seen this mirror in some time,” Star Swirl says absently as he levels it with his face. “A thousand years, at least…”

“Yeah sorry… Twy and I kinda looted your wife’s tomb… But that’s not important!” the mare insists as Star Swirl stares blankly at her, a look of recognition slowly dawning in his eyes. “Right now, I have an epidemic on my hooves, and I don’t know what I did to cure this the first time other than knock myself out for eight hours and create a pendant that somehow stops the crystals from forming in the organic tissues…”

“And what exactly seems to be the problem?” Star Swirl asks slowly. “Crystals growing in organic tissue? Epidemic?” he pauses. “And as for raiding my wife’s final resting spot. I assumed that had been the case, as I know I had Compassion’s Archive buried with her, and it currently resides in Twilight’s possession.”

“Okay…” Taking a quick breath to calm herself, the mare explains, “Pink crystals… Fake chaos magic, opposite of Hope… Bunch of pegasi have been using them for magic to attack us… We captured a fair number of them and smashed the crystals to keep them from escaping. Only now, they’re going through withdrawal symptoms and these crystal growths are forming all over their bodies.”

“Ah,” Star Swirl states. “I see. Well, I was aware of the crystals, in fact I was just finishing giving Twilight a lecture about why we do not touch them, when you contacted her.” He strokes his beard with a hoof as he thinks. “In fact, I was also slightly aware of the pegasi, at least I think I am if they are known as the ‘Shadowbolts’, as the one who met with us but a moment ago informed us of them.” He then looks at Witch, his eyes narrowing. “But, I fear I do not know how to help those afflicted with the growths. They often appeared during the fall, but I fear we did not have much time to study such things, especially in those who used the vile things the Vices gifted their followers for long periods of time.” He shakes his head. “No, I fear I would have to be there to help you.”

Sighing heavily, Witch presses a hoof behind her left eye as it twitches. “Alright… Twilight has a copy of my notes on how I treated Arclight when I had to deal with the blasted things the first time… Just… Try to look into it? Please?” Almost as an afterthought, she quickly adds, “Oh! And please don’t tell anyone about me having wings now? It’s bad enough with just the ponies around here making a big hullabaloo about it…”

“Yes, yes, I won’t tell anypony you have wings, and I shall look into the notes,” Star Swirl agrees with a smile. “But, you must do something for me.”

Witch looks uncertain for a long moment. “Uuuuuh… O… Kay?” she responds hesitantly.

“Please tell Luna that I look forward to seeing her again, and that we need to speak soon.” Star Swirl says slowly. “If it isn’t too much trouble, that is.”

“Nnnnngh… No,” Witch grumbles, looking as though she’d just swallowed something sour. “It’s not any trouble.”

“Thank you, my dear,” Star Swirl smiles. “I shall keep you no longer, as I am sure you wish to return to your patients? Or, at the very least find some composure after… what was it you called him? ‘Diet Chaos’ revealed your wings?”

“More like Bliss wants me out of her storage closet…” Witch mutters before sighing. “Twilight, I’ll call later!”

“Okay, Witchy,” Twilight replies as Star Swirl floats the mirror back to her. As the mirror goes dark, Twilight looks over at Star Swirl, who levels his gaze back on her.

“Now, about those notes?”

-----

Slowly walking down the hallway of the Canterlot Castle, Twilight cannot help but hang her head and stare at the stone tiles beneath her hooves as she goes. That crystal had tempted her, whispered sweetly in her ear, and she had nearly taken it. If not for Star Swirl…

Shaking her head, Twilight silently chides herself, bringing her gaze from the floor and towards where she is walking. If she focuses on it, then it’ll only continue to gnaw at her, instead she should go find out more about the other thing Prose had mentioned at the meeting; the foals that Dee-Seven and some Renegade friends of Prose’s had brought to the Castle. She had known they were in the Castle prior to the meeting, but she had been told they were refugees, not experiments from the now destroyed JSS Headquarters.

She had seen the corpses of some of JSS’s Jaeger’s, and the thought of facing one in battle was something Twilight is not sure she’d ever be able to do, but she had to admit that they were the products of advanced technology and breeding, perhaps…

No. No they’re just foals, and she can’t study them like lab rats…

Stopping outside the large doors of the Castle’s theater, Twilight silently wars with herself. The part of her that wants to understand everything attempting to justify studying the foals, listing out all the things that JSS had to have done to produce soldiers on the scale they had fielded. The part of her that is Princess of Friendship, and quite possibly Compassion, argues that they’re only foals, they’ve not asked for what has happened to them. The sheer fact that she is actually thinking about this says she has a long way to go before she’s truly ready to be called Princess.

As she continues to war with herself, the sound of laughter reaches her ears, causing her to blink slowly as the sound, which had been there the entire time she’s been at the door, registers. Reaching out with her magic, she opens the door and slowly peeks around it to see what is going on inside the theater.

Inside the theater -- which had been cleared during the siege and used as an emergency aid station complete with the stage being used as a surgery due to its lights -- Twilight finds a large group of foals and a few adults all sitting on the floor and watching what appears to be a puppet show being presented on the stage. A large amount of the foals are huddled around two of the adults, who as Twilight quickly recognizes as Prose and his wife, and seem to be shying away from everypony else. The rest of the foals are all wearing capes, and seem to be the ones who are laughing.

And then she looks up at the stage, and the puppet show upon it, and her ears stand straight up.

“Discord! What the hay you doing?!” Twilight demands, taking a few steps into the room as all eyes turn to her.

“I am simply putting on a show for these poor, mistreated foals,” Discord chuckles from where he is sitting on the stage, to one side of the puppets being controlled by his magic. “I figured it was simply the friendly thing to do, and Prose had no objections.” He gestures to a pair of puppets that look like Celestia and Luna. “I was just about to start the dramatic scene where Lulu is forced to rule over the kingdom due to her sister suddenly taking ill!”

“Discord….” Twilight starts, but is cut off as Discord starts talking in a high pitched voice that sounds vaguely like Luna.

“But thou art such a better ruler than I,” Discord cries, putting the back of one paw to his head before continuing in his normal voice. “Moonbutt cried, yet alas, Celery was very sick, and could not aid her sister in ruling their kingdom!” He then leans forward and holds up a single digit. “But, all was not lost for our dear Moonbutt! No, for in her darkest hour she found she was not alone!” Waving his lion-paw, Discord brings forth three more puppets. “For Lulu found that she had allies in the form of her faithful guards, and her…” Discord pauses to cough, “hopeful student!”

As the puppets reach the area beside the Luna puppet, Twilight sits down and looks at them. She quickly realizes that they’re facsimiles of Commanders Amber Dawn and Moonlight Knight, with the third being Witching Hour.

“And so, reinforced by the devotion of her friends,” Discord continues, rolling his eyes slightly when he says ‘friends’, “Lulu quickly raised her defenses and continued to fight off the evil pegasi who threatened her kingdom.”

In front of Twilight, Prose shifts slightly as Discord mentions ‘evil pegasi’, pulling closer to his wife and likewise looking away from her. Twilight has no doubt in her mind that he feels guilty for his role, however small, in the Shadowbolts’ actions against the Wonderbolts in the past, but from the fact he has been wearing the same dress uniform in Shadowbolt colors all day, he cannot be that guilty.

“And so, Lulu continued the fight, yet she also kept her most devoted allies in the dark,” Discord continues, his eyes narrowing at the Luna puppet. “For reasons that none but her can know, she decided to keep the Wonderdolts ignorant of the true danger, and instead sought to shield them without their knowledge!” He then looks to the crowd of foals and adults who lean slightly closer at the storytelling.

“But, as with all things kept in the dark, sooner or later they must come to the light! For though Moonbutt tried her best to keep them safe, before long the evil pegasi broke through her defenses, and assaulted the Wonderdolts’ fortress!” He lifts a paw again, and the puppets all vanish to be replaced by new ones in the likeness of the Lead Squad of the Wonderbolts. Above them, however, is a host of puppets wearing dark purple, their eyes represented by pink buttons.

“And so they came! In a host so vast the very sun was blotted out! The Wonderdolts stood before their foes now brought to light, and fought valiantly against them!” He then grows somber, his face forming a serious look Twilight has never seen him wear before. “But, for all their strength, for all their drive to succeed, their foes were too many.” He waves his hand, and the Wonderbolt puppets fall limply to the stage, the host of Shadowbolts slowly advancing as if to finish them.

All at once, the room grows silent as everypony present holds their breath. The memories of the battle are far too recent for many, and even those who were not present like Twilight hold their breaths in anticipation for what comes next.

Discord’s face then splits into a smile, and he winks. “But, Moonbutt had a secret weapon kept in reserve.” He looks to the audience, primarily at Prose whose ears go back against his head. “And just as the Shadowbolts were to strike the final blow, she sent in her last reserve, her Renegades.” Suddenly, the sound of a kazoo playing echoes through the room as a group of puppets swoop in and knock aside the Shadowbolts.

The sound of everypony in the room nearly drowns out the kazoo, and Twilight can’t help but chuckle nervously as she finds herself letting out her own held breath.

“But, the victory was brief, for the evil pegasi would return again, and again, until even Luna’s final reserve was nearly overwhelmed.” Discord continues as he waves his paw again and a miniature of the Shadowbolt fortress floats onto the stage, the massive cannon glowing slightly. “Yet, once more, our dear Wonderdolts proves themselves to be resourceful beyond any but myself could be. For as their foe once more descended, sure of their victory, the Wonderdolts stole it from their hooves.” He snaps his fingers and a mini-wonderbolts compound comes into existence, shortly there-after, a small pegasus stallion puppet swoops in, grabs the compound, and flies it off stage.

There is a general cheer from the CMC, and a few scattered claps from the foals gathered around Prose, and Twilight herself even finds herself clapping a bit despite herself. Discord’s antics can, at times, be horribly distracting, but in this case it had apparently worked in their favor. She continues to watch Discord, wondering what he’ll do next.

“Sadly, my dear little ponies, our story has for now run its course,” Discord sighs dramatically before smiling as the foals all groan. “Fear not, though, for when next I take the stage to continue the story I shall regale you with tales such as…” he pauses and sweeps a paw, clearing the stage of all the other puppets as a new batch appear. “Impossible rescues, dramatic battles, siblings reunited, and my personal favorite,” he levitates up a pair of puppets, one of them being Witching Hour and the other a large blue pegasus stallion. “Love found in the strangest of places,” he tips the two together as if to make them kiss. As they touch, the stallion’s wings snap out and with the sound of tearing fabric so do a pair of wings on Witch’s back. “And let me tell you, it’ll be a royal scandal, for sure.”

For a moment, Twilight isn’t quite able to comprehend what she is seeing, but when she spots Discord looking at her and giving her a knowing wink, she stands up and glares at him. However, instead of storming over to him, she sits back down and waits patiently as Prose and the other adults get up and start shepherding the foals out of the room to some other activity. As they pass her, many of the foals with Prose shying away from the strange pony, Twilight nods to Prose, but otherwise keeps her attention on Discord lounging on the stage and seemingly waiting for her.

As the last of the other ponies clear out, Twilight stomps forward until she is at the base of the stage.

“Oh, hello there Twilight,” Discord greets her as he runs a file over the claws on one hand. “I do hope you enjoyed my little show. It’s so terribly hard to make current events funny, all this tragedy and all.”

“Witch wants to keep her ascension a secret, Discord!” Twilight growls, launching right the problem at hoof. “It’s bad enough you forced her out to the rest of the Wonderbolts, and now you’ve just flaunted it to a room full of ponies!”

“Moi?” Discord asks, putting a paw against his chest. “Now, how was I supposed to know everypony’s favorite reclusive doctor was trying to keep her wings under wraps? Honestly, it’s as if you all believe me to be an omniscient, benevolent, being!” He levitates the Witching Hour puppet over to him and smiles. “I am, in fact, only omniscient, for my halo is held up by my horns! See?” He snaps his fingers and a halo appears between his horns. “Besides, her wings are quite lovely, what with the midnight blue accents. One could almost say they’re quite the gift.”

“Discord…!” Twilight growls.

“Now now, Princess, where’s your compassion!” Discord continues. “It’s not like anypony will ever believe me. Her secret is safe with me.” He then looks to Twilight. “Oh, and between you and me, my dear friend, you will have to congratulate that little ball of energy she adopted sometime in the future. He’s about to get a father.”

Sighing and putting a hoof to her face, Twilight groans. “Discord, can you be serious for once?”

“Now, where would the fun in that be,” Discord says suddenly from right beside Twilight in her ear causing her to start and look around. However, Discord is nowhere to be seen, nor are the puppets or any of the props he had used.

Suddenly, Twilight decides she needs to go organize her bookshelf, even as she kicks herself for not asking Discord about the box he had given Witchy...

-------

“My mom would be the best Princess!” Tricks exclaims, nearly launching himself into the air as they walk down the hallway towards the ‘Headquarters’ of the CMC. The rest of the CMC and a few of the adults who were at the puppet show are following, and even a few of new foals that have been following Prose are tagging along.

“Nuh-uh!” Gust replies loudly. “Luna is the best Princess!”

“But my mom baked us cookies, and came to our Hearth’s Warming pageant!” Tricks argues. “Therefore, she is the best!”

“Still, Luna is actually a Princess, Tricks,” Spark speaks up, frowning. “I mean, it’d be awesome if your mom was a Princess, but Discord is likely just messing with everypony.”

“You two are no fun,” Tricks sighs, looking over his shoulder at a couple of nearby foals. Smiling brightly, he calls back to them. “Hey, Moonshadow, Midnight, what do you think about my mom being a Princess?”

Moonshadow trips forward as the question registers, and Midnight smiles widely, opening his mouth to reply as panic spreads across his sister’s face.

“Well, I think it’s…” Midnight starts, but is quickly stopped as his sister’s magic envelops his mouth and closes it.

“I think it’s an interesting idea, Tricks, but alicorns are really rare, aren't they?” Moonshadow chuckles. “I mean, so far I’ve only seen Twilight and that really old one, Shiro, here in Canterlot! And before that I only ever saw Cadence in the Crystal Empire!”

“See, even they agree,” Gust says, poking Tricks in the side with his wing. “So, how about we talk about how to get our cutie marks? I think we’re almost at the end of our list…”

As Tricks replies, Moonshadow and Midnight fall behind, and eventually stop with Midnight giving his sister a glare until she releases his mouth.

“You didn’t need to do that,” Midnight complains, sitting down and crossing his arms. “I was just going to say it was a neat idea.”

“Yeah, well you’ve got a big mouth and I can’t let you mess up the timeline!” Moonshadow says sternly as he looks around to see if anypony else is present. Finding none she turns to her brother and levels a glare of her own at him. “If Star Swirl were here, he’d….”

“I’d what?” The question comes from behind Moonshadow, causing the young filly to turn quickly. Finding Star Swirl himself standing there, she turns to bolt, actually jumping into the air and spreading a pair of wings, before she slams face first into an invisible barrier. “That won’t work this time, young alicorn. I’ve put up a privacy barrier; you can’t teleport, walk, or fly out of it. But nopony else can see us, so you can drop the pretenses and explain yourselves.”

“Finally!” Midnight sighs, throwing up his hooves. “I’m tired of having to pretend I don’t know anything! It’s hard!” He looks at Star Swirl. “Do you know how hard it is to pretend you’re not talking to your older brother about your mother? It’s not easy!”

“And who, pray tell, is your older brother?” Star Swirl asks, looking between Midnight and Moonshadow with narrowed eyes. “And why exactly do you have to pretend you don’t know anything?”

“Because Discord pulled us out of our time period and put us here!” Moonshadow blurts out, looking at Star Swirl. “I know we shouldn’t be here! Please send us back! Please! Discord is cutting it really close with crossing personal timelines, and Midnight’s mouth is constantly running and almost messing up the timeline! Please, you have to help us!”

“He… WHAT!?” Star Swirl growls.

“He said it would be educational,” Midnight shrugs. “And Trick Step is our older brother, though we generally consider him more of an uncle since he is so much older.”

“Of all the things that creature has done…” Star Swirl mutters as he shakes his head, the bells on his hat jingling. “And as much as I want to, I can’t send you back. All my spells and equipment were damaged or destroyed when my tower crashed.” He then stops and looks at Moonshadow. “And what do you mean ‘crossed personal timelines’?”

Moonshadow groans and puts her hooves to her face as she leans against the barrier.

“Oh, come on, Moony, it’s not that bad!” Midnight says happily.

“Not that bad!? NOT THAT BAD!?” Moonshadow responds, whipping around to face her brother. “Midnight, if Mom’s stories are true I am like… threedays away from being CONCEIVED!” She puts her hooves on his shoulders. “IT IS THAT BAD!”

“I still think you’re over-reacting,” Midnight sighs, rolling his eyes as he points to Star Swirl. “I mean, he always said that it’s really only bad if we run into our future selves! I’m not born yet, and Mom and Dad haven’t even conceived you yet.”

“Midnight….” Moonshadow moans, putting a hoof to her face. “We are the future selves we’re not supposed to meet!”

“Well… uhm…” Midnight starts, before sighing. “I’ve never been good at this stuff…” He looks to Star Swirl and smiles. “So, if you can’t send us back, can we continue to just wander around and meet all the adults we know when they’re still foals? Because it’s really fun.”

“No,” Star Swirl deadpans. “I can’t let you do that.”

“Then what are we supposed to do?” Midnight asks, clearly sad he doesn’t get to continue roaming around.

“You two are going to stay with me,” Star Swirl says with a smile. “That way, I can make sure you two don’t cause any damage to the timeline. Besides, you clearly know me, so you know I can make you stay with me if I have to, but I’d rather not.”

“Well, at least I don’t have to worry about keeping him under control now,” Moonshadow responds slowly, a blush rising on her cheeks as she smiles. “But, that doesn’t really answer the question. What are we going to do?”

“I figure I’ll take you back to the rooms Twilight has offered to let me use, and we can start assessing the damage you two may have already caused,” Star Swirl answers as his horn glows to release the barrier. “After that, if you two haven’t caused horrible damage to the timeline, we can go to the kitchen for a treat or something.”

“I knew there was a reason I liked you,” Midnight says brightly.

“Yes, I get that a lot,” Star Swirl says with a wave of his hoof. “Now, as we walk, can one of you please tell me who your parents are? Just names will be fine, I don’t want to know about the future.”

“Well, uhm…” Moonshadow starts as she rises to come stand beside Star Swirl. “Our mom is Witching Hour, and our dad is Bronze Star.”

Nodding as he starts walking, Moonshadow and Midnight beside him, Star Swirl smiles. “Good, and where are they right now?”

“With the Wonderbolts!” Midnight answers excitedly. “Somewhere in the mountains, I think.”

“I see,” Star Swirl mutters before looking at Moonshadow. “And why, my dear, are you an alicorn? I’ve not seen one so young since Celestia and Luna were fillies.”

“My mom is one,” Moonshadow replies hesitantly. “I guess I inherited it from her.”

“Is she a natural born alicorn like you? Or ascended?” Star Swirl asks plainly as they turn the corner into the guest wing of the castle.

“She earned her wings!” Midnight says proudly, holding his head high and puffing out his chest.

“Is that so?” Star Swirl chuckles. “A rare feat, but one to be proud of for sure.” He stops in front of a door, and looks to the two foals with him. “Well, this is it.” He opens the door, a simple but comfortable sitting room beyond. “Let’s get inside away from prying eyes, and you two can start from the beginning.”

“I call the couch!” Midnight says excitedly, rushing into the room and instantly jumping on the couch where he rolls onto his back and sighs comfortably. Moonshadow, however, hesitates, looking between Star Swirl and the open door as if to step inside will mean something important.

“Something wrong, little one?” Star Swirl asks, raising an eyebrow.

“N-no, sir!” Moonshadow replies automatically before stepping inside with a clear blush on her cheeks. Once inside she finds her way to a chair near the table in the room, and crawls into it to settle down and look around as if she is in a world of trouble.

Chuckling to himself, Star Swirl walks inside and closes the door, thinking to himself that if nothing else he does enjoy the company of these two foals. Whoever they are in the future to him, he can’t wait to meet them in the proper time.

Author's Notes:

So, that was chapter 11, which is a sorta feel-good chapter with the puppet show, but continues the plot along nicely I think.

Not a while lot really to talk about with it, but for those of you who read the other Expanded Wonderverse stuff, you might see a few familiar faces and plotlines ;3

Anyway, looks like Star Swirl isn't too happy with Twilight, or Luna for that matter, and I wonder what's going on with the Shadowbolt captives!

Oh, and looks like Prose also got a bunch of foals dropped in his lap, not that he is complaining, he's a dad what's a few more foals to him

I hope you enjoy the chapter, next one is going to be a real doozy, for sure!

Until next time,

~Sylvian