My Old Friend

They arrived in a massive room. You could stack five houses atop each other and barely touch the ceiling at the low points. The ceiling was a sawtooth pattern: alternating high and low points. Gantry cranes bridged the distance from low point to low point and the ceiling arcing upward away from them. A dozen such cranes spanned the distance from wall to wall. Racks of metal parts lined the walls from floor to ceiling. The massive, dingy, gray doors behind them, and the bays before them seeming to vanish into infinity.

"This is huge!" Luna said as she flew up to the ceiling, "So much machinery."

Both alicorns started at the Trickster's chuckle. "This is a minor maintenance bay. Barely a pin prick through the armor of this place. If you can see the doors at the end, there are ten more sections like that, before we're through the armor and into the interior. The racks you see are for spare parts, tooling to make spares and other basic functions to keep this thing running."

Celestia looked at Luna, who was staring back at her from mid air.

"I told you to expect a whole different scale in your thinking of structures, and the people you encounter." He pointed to the huge doors behind them. "Those are 'man-doors' one of the primary builders could just walk through them, and they'd have to high step the gantry cranes, or duck under them. The people who built this were a lot larger than you think as well."

Celestia trotted and Luna fluttered after him as he walked through the massive corridor, to another set of massive doors. Inset into the door, like a mail slot in a regular door, was a portal a bit large for the Trickster and those sized like him.

"This was a later addition for the automated systems, which were built smaller. Think of these as roller-skate-sized. This is also lower pressure than the next, so quickly through and I'll need help closing it." He opened the door, let the Alicorns through and strained to pull it closed as a powerful wind raced through. Celestia and Luna directed their magic against the door and they got it closed. "Different pressures in the bays. This one is overpressurized to keep any gasses in the first bay from getting into the rest of the ship. That's the effect of just a seventh of atmospheric pressure. The rest of the bays have the same pressure as this one."

The Trickster took to the air and they all flew to the next door, and the next, and the next, flying through very similar bays of gantry cranes, racks of small parts, large pieces of tooling, and a slightly grimy patina on everything.

"They could use a maid service," Luna said as she looked at a pool of grease that had leaked from the overhead crane. She dodged before a similar drop could fall on her head.

"There are maintenance machines. But the current owner isn't interested in keeping the pace neat and tidy, just serviceable," the Trickster said, "I've got to admit. The times I've walked through this, I've felt like either Walter Pidgeon or Leslie Nielsen from Forbidden Planet. 'Twenty miles, twenty miles, twenty miles' but this thing is even bigger than the Krell machine and a billion times more dangerous."

"I don't see anyone else," Luna said, "Far be it from me to call friendship into question, but are you sure they came?"

"You aren't grasping the 'separate entry areas' properly. They arrived on a front several miles wide, to secure sections we'll need later, and to query the systems on needed repairs," the Trickster replied, "Remember, taking the place is only one step, getting it out of here and into friendly hands is the goal. Brace yourselves."

Celestia and Luna steeled themselves as the Trickster opened yet another door. They heard his laughter as they raced through, but they were thunderstruck at what they saw. "This is inside?" Celestia whispered as she looked around at the rolling meadows, the forests in the several minutes flight away, even the snowcapped mountains in the distance, even the white clouds in the sky.

"Well, the mountains are painted on the walls, but the rest of it is there, even the clouds. Most creatures like going outside and seeing the sky. Park land to keep any stationed on the vessel, especially during its construction, from getting too homesick." He chuckled. "You thought that any plant would simply wither and die in their presence. These are plants from their homelands. They may wither and die if we get too close."

Luna launched herself in the air to keep off the grass, and looked at her own hoof tracks to verify they hadn't spread a contagion to the plant life. Celestia looked at some of the bushes and shrubs, sticking her nose in one and enjoying the spicy scent of some of the flowers.

The cry of girlish delight and enthusiasm brought Celestia out of 'smelling the roses', and she looked to see no less than three groups converging on them. The first, and source of the yelling, were a group of young women dressed as gymnasts or ice skaters without skates and a couple of male swordsman. Their clothing was spartan with a few decorations for color coding. Their hair would have done ponies' manes and tails proud in its length, color and idiosyncratic styling. The second group were more varied and infinitely more stoic, a mix of mages, riflemen, knights and some in the bright, skin-tight costumes walking and flying. The last group in baroque finery traded enthusiastic for terrified, as they looked around the size of the vessel they were in with unconstrained awe bordering on religious mania and suicidal depression.

"Keep an eye on that bunch," Celestia whispered to Luna, "I don't think they're too stable."

Luna nodded, then her expression mirrored the manic-suicidal group's. Celestia turned around and looked at not one, but two of the biggest dragons she'd ever heard of. The larger one glanced at her and nodded.

"Okay, maybe they were on to something," Celestia admitted, and watched as the Trickster braced himself for all the skaters hugging him and chattering happily in a language Celestia couldn't fathom. Save one, who blushed and held back. One of the stoic group, also an attractive female, although slightly shorter than the tall, brown-haired gymnast and in a mix of robes and slacks approached the reticent skater. The woman kissed the nervous skater on the lips and drew her after her so the Trickster could kiss both of them. To the cheers of many of the crowd.

Which just made the skater more embarrassed, Celestia thought as she and Luna approached the maelstrom, He speaks all their languages? she thought as the Trickster and robes and slacks adventurer fielded and answered questions. Acting as a team.

The Trickster repeated Celestia's and Luna's name several times as part of their multilingual introduction. The pair also started herding the group forward to their next destination, although Celestia couldn't imagine it was the far wall of the park.

They collected several dozen groups along the way. Squads down to pairs linked up, including the Malignant Woman and the Gymnast. The adventurer who'd kissed the Trickster fell back with a few others to police up stragglers, which included Luna and Celestia.

"Relax, most of us have practiced this, and could do it in our sleep," the woman said, as she looked from Luna to Celestia and back. "You," she said and pointed to Luna, "You're the one smitten with him."

Luna stammered and blushed, looking away, until the woman laughed. "Don't be ashamed. He's got a charisma, which draws people along. I have some myself." She nodded to the pair of dragons, then looked back at Celestia. "It's why I married him."

Celestia had to catch Luna before she fell over. "But that scene with the uh . . . "

"Oh, my culture has complicated families," the Magician, as Celestia now dubbed her, explained, "We have a problem with genetic diversity and entire villages getting wiped out, so you find clean partners elsewhere to spread the genome around."

Celestia's eyes crossed, not sure if she was being teased, or if the insane scheme was the truth. She has to be playing with us, Celestia reasoned.

"Wait, you do realize I'm another species," Luna said.

"He and I are different species. Shape-shifting magic," the Magician said, "How else could we have kids. Look, her culture puts a big value on sexual dimorphism, females are petite, males are taller. She's almost as tall as those two swordsmen, and they're considered tall for their people, so she's stuck, except I'm her height and - what do you call him, I don't think 'Hey You' would explain it?"

"The Trickster," Celestia said.

The Magician nodded. "Anyway she desperately wants a home and family, she fits in." The Magician frowned. "If I could ever get him to lighten up. Where I was growing up, every man fantasized about a harem."

"Maybe he thinks you're enough," Celestia said, and shied back at the woman's frown.

The woman shook her head in disgust.

They arrived at the entrance to a railed stairway, they descended and boarded a moving walkway to be whisked down the tube. "This was built for them, wasn't it?" Celestia asked, basing her guess on the sheer size of the 'people mover'.

"Yes, get the work crews and the tooling to and from faster. That's part of the problem of such a large object, you either stockpile critical equipment all over the place, or you wait while a central depot distributes it. Neither is a perfect solution."

"Why not teleportation?" Luna asked.

"Teleportation isn't good for precision machinery," the Malignant Woman said, "Living creatures have a 'right shape' and the ability to heal slight imperfections. Nonthinking, nonliving machinery have neither, so would suffer slow and steady degradation."

Celestia nodded and stepped back to where the Magician and the Trickster talked. "I take it she's cast as the role of mother-in-law?"

The Trickster frowned at the Magician. "Getting her involved too?"

"How many people does it take to keep you out of trouble?" the Magician asked, and draped his arm around her to let her snuggle against him. The Trickster's irritation couldn't hold against that.

"You do realize you'd have to include the Eyelord." The Trickster nodded in the direction of a lone man standing near the front. "And someone else." He noted the bald man in the suit having a polite staring contest with the Malignant Woman.

Crazy Uncle Ethyl? Celestia wondered, but looked at the others. The Gymnast was with the skaters and was doing a gymnastics clinic, bending and stretching. Several of the sword-wielders were off to the side trading tricks and tips. For all their disagreements, different styles, and even different outlooks on everything, they are friends, a family, Celestia thought and looked at Luna, And they've included us.

Since the skaters' world had been moved to the top of the list of where to emigrate to, she went to observe them. The simple play made them seem most like the ponies she had known. But they are also warriors, which the likes of Rainbow Dash and Cherilee could never be, she thought. She looked up to see that the people mover had split, and a slower track now moved alongside them.

"All ashore whose going ashore," the Trickster called, and the cry was repeated in other languages as the crowd moved to the slower belt. Two of the skaters caught their leader as she nearly stumbled on transiting across.

"They were expecting that," Luna whispered about the scene as she stepped across.

The crowd stepped off the slower belt onto the floor, and some of them took a moment or two to transition from moving to stationary. Celestia watched the groups sort themselves out into a well-practiced, battle formation. Small groups would dash ahead, secure a location, until the main body passed, then they would dash forward again. It looked like a person pulling themselves forward or upward with hoofholds.

Now Celestia was growing nervous. There'd been a build up of how dangerous this 'fool' was, yet nothing had attempted to hinder them. Did we come in an unmonitored way, or is it waiting for a grand confrontation at a place of its choosing? she wondered as she started looking around at places of concealment, or for the hidden ambushers. But the chatter was still there, although subdued. No one seemed to be as concerned as she was. Although is that an affectation, to lure the enemy in where they can be destroyed? she wondered.

"Okay everyone, I know this isn't what usually happens in great adventures," the Trickster said, and was repeated by others in a half-dozen different languages, "But there are the bathrooms, and the sign above that fixture says 'potable water', I'll check it before you refill your water bottles. Anyone who didn't go before the trip, go now, we're going to have a very busy couple of hours. Standard three-team security."

Celestia snorted and noted the embarrassed rush to the doors by one or two of the people, which galvanized a general move. She also saw that several of the people stayed behind to form a perimeter. She and Luna headed inside. A few of the more technically minded had figured out how to use the alien equipment. What caught Celestia's eyes was that this place was spotless. The clean whiteness of the walls, floor and ceiling made discerning where one ended and the next began difficult. After the vaguely polluted patina on all the other machine areas, she was glad to find somewhere clean.

"Something is wrong," Luna said from the stall next to her, "Unless this activity is bait. To lure the enemy out to attack us."

"I have to agree," Celestia said, "The idea that we'd all just walk into bathrooms to do our business, like we're on a nature hike doesn't seem real."

"I think the boss figured we were either being ignored," the Magician said as she entered the stall beside Celestia, "Or we're taunting him into moving."

"I just wish I knew why we're being ignored," Celestia said.

"You're mirroring the conversation out there. It's got most of the tacticians on edge. We should have faced some kind of resistance, a locked door or barricade by now. Instead, nothing. We are concerned about it, don't you worry."

"Are you hoping to be attacked?" Luna asked.

"Give me a couple of minutes and I'll give an unreserved 'yes'. To just walk in, doesn't feel right," the Magician said, "If this is a mousetrap, at least we know it."

"Squeak," Luna said in a flat tone, which made Celestia smile.

"At least you're keeping your sense of humor about this," Celestia said.

The group had cycled through and no attack had come. Everyone had 'emptied then filled' getting a drink of the potable water, then they began their march forward again. Stepping onto the slower belt, then transitioning to the faster one. Then they shook out their formation and prepared for an attack. Which never came.

If the 'park' they had arrived in was huge, the bay they entered was larger, but felt almost claustrophobic. The huge space was filled with racks and rack, and shelves, and stacked chests. What could be seen were gems, precious metals and other valuables, strewn about and shelved without any sense or organization. "This is like a dragon's horde," the Gymnast said.

"No dragon I know is this messy," one of the dragons commented, "Half the stuff is damaged by being thrown all together. Hordes are homes."

"Melodramatic," Luna commented on the pillar of gray mist forming up out of the floor.

"Fools, you have not the strength to defeat me!" the pillar announced as it formed into an eye-wateringly horrible shape.

Celestia paused, but steeled herself. I've seen worse, she thought as the others braced themselves, And so has every other member of the group.

It was the Trickster who fell to his knees on the spilled riches, inciting facepalms amid the group. "Oh without all my friends, how will I ever survive?" he wailed.

The pillar laughed, until the two armies materialized into the room in midair, in the distance. Despite having to wind among the piles and racks of loot, they quickly surrounded the pillar. Which of the two were composed of the more disconcerting shapes was a toss up. Despite their utterly alien forms, she recognized Matilda and Beatrice in one group. I can guess that the other group are the Eyelord and 'Uncle Ethyl's' folk, Celestia thought as she glanced at them, trying not to look directly at any of the outre shapes. She also felt a wave of insane glee and expectation radiating off the pillar, then it too sensed something was off about the two armies closing on the drama unfolding before her.

The Trickster stood and gestured to both sides with his hands. The team split into two wings and trotted ahead to encircle the pillar. "Despite your hopes, they will not war on each other," he said as the two armies formed a perimeter around the pillar and the battle, "I invited both, and they knew the others were coming."

"Fool!" The blast from the pillar to the Trickster struck and penetrated six, different shields. "They are impotent here as are you!"

The first shield was a simple hexagon system, the second was a vertigo-inducing pattern of writhing squiggles, the third was a rainbow figure, the fourth was a beautiful series of concentric circles with elaborate runes filling the area between the circles, the fifth looked like a giant eye, the sixth looked like overlapping wings, and the seventh which actually stopped the blast, a simple, flat wall. The Trickster stood untouched, and just smirked at the pillar.

All along the semicircle of mortals, and in both armies, entities with limbs raised stood ready to renew their defenses.

The Trickster looked at them, then the pillar. "Maybe you're stronger than any of us, but you're not stronger than all of us," the Trickster taunted, "Ain't friendship magical?"

Something passed under Celestia's hooves, and she recognized the Eyelord was providing a floor to the closing circle. As the team completed their encirclement, the dragons encircled the circle their craning necks forming the basis of a dome over the pillar.

Celestia saw it try to pass through the 'floor', but the pillar mushroomed, like a soft mass mashing against a harder one. She saw the skaters take the hands of those beside them, and hands gently took her wings. She glanced over at Crazy Uncle Ethyl who'd positioned himself between Celestia and Luna.

"You are the most resistant," he explained and then focused again on the pillar. Even the Malignant Woman was surrounded by the Gymnast and the Magician, and so buffered as well. The Trickster took the hands of the skater smitten with him, and another hard-eyed man of the dozens scattered about the ring.

The leader of the skaters began a heated denunciation of the pillar. A few who understood her language rolled their eyes, but none interrupted or broke the circle.

The pillar slammed itself against the unseen barrier the circle had formed, again and again. What had started as a failed show of force began taking the tone of desperation and panic. None of the circle even flinched at the approach, or the threats screamed at them.

As the denunciation reached its climax, they raised their hands, Celestia had felt the power building in the circle and now could feel each individual member. Not just their power but who they were. Ironically, she also understood better what held these people together, despite their very different views of the world and how others should be treated. But there was acceptance, even if begrudging, and while many would not trust the others with their delicate possessions or even a freshly-made sandwich, they would trust the others to defend their lives and families. This was beyond what she'd been told about the Elements of Harmony, but it finally explained why someone like Kincaid would be drawn to the idea. That even in their dark hearts, they would wish the dreams and 'fantasies' of the more idealistic members could be true and were worth striving for. And contrawise, the idealists knew that there were times when they must lay down their guardianship, and leave the problem to the 'I did what I had to' crowd. The truth was not some arbitrary mean, but a sliding scale that varied scenario to scenario, and even moment to moment. All of them were now focused on the foe, on striking it with all their force, and that force was their camaraderie. In moments there was only one entity surrounding the pillar, bathing it in a fire it reeled away from. Separate, but indivisible, they were 'us' as hard as they could at this thing that assumed nothing could touch it. But its defenses were not even there, its mental stronghold could not keep out what it didn't accept as a power, all the while their power wore away at the monster's grip on things. Celestia felt the offered hand, the admonishment to join them, accept healing and forgiveness. While the more cynical parts regarded it as a delay of the inevitable, even they admitted that they expected the offer to be made and could tolerate the pause.

But the pillar defied them, trying to launch an attack through this unexpected opening. It encountered those selfsame cynical elements, who not quite disparaged the notion. They had expected the treachery, and had laid traps on the route into the minds of the innocent. What they did to the creature was horrible. The Trickster, the Magician, the Malignant Woman, maybe all three, and maybe others repeated the offer, that forbearance had been shown, but it was fading. The mind and spirit of the pillar was already burning away, like the odd plants in the vampires' lair when exposed to Celestia's new sun. It tried a different tack, and discovered again the circle was more than ready for it. But that was the last straw. None held back and the fires they laid against the trapped monster would have filled the vast room with the stench of scorched flesh. There was no cruelty in this. Some regretted it, but none kept to the false idea that endless clemency should be offered, and the mercy demanded by the idealists here was the quickest, cleanest death possible.

Celestia started at coming back to being 'her' from being 'us'. She and Luna caught Crazy Uncle Ethyl as he stumbled, and eased him to the ground. Others in the circle were likewise staggered, but of the pillar, there was no sign.

"That was, disconcerting," he admitted, and he gestured at the empty space within the circle, "But completely effective."

"That's what it means to be friends," Luna chided.

The immeasurably powerful being accepted the rebuke for the help it was meant as. He then translated the happy cries from the skaters' leader and their group, " 'It worked. It worked. It worked. I thought we'd just have to try, and it wouldn't work, but we had to try.' The others seem a tad incensed that their beloved leader had doubts about the signature attack having an effect."

"Considering some of the others' reactions, including your own," Celestia said, as she and Luna helped the being stand, "Her concerns may have seemed justified."

'Crazy Uncle Ethyl' shook his head. "The creature made himself immune to every force and energy he knew of. Upon hearing that, the Trickster said 'Balder' and quickly sought her out. He assumed the idiot would only have made itself invulnerable to forces it knew of, or could expect to be weaponized. As dark as some of the circle might be, they all acknowledge the power of friendship, if only as a potent tool to manipulate others."

Celestia shook her head at that. Luna snickered.

"Okay," the Trickster announced, and was translated to other languages, "We still have a rescue to perform. Science team, to the navigation section; Engineering team, we get the main reactors back on line. Those of you I promised a fight, the science and engineering teams need a security screen, and we need hunter-killer teams to locate any surprises he left behind."

"All right, harem with me," the Magician called, "That'll take care of the science team and our screen."

Celestia snickered at the Trickster's reaction to both the announcement, and the team's amused to delighted reaction to it. But he decided just to nod, and took his collected force on their trek.

Celestia was shocked when Luna pushed her forward with a wing. "You can be part of the security squad," Luna said, "I want to see about how someone navigates a ship like this."

Celestia noted that the Gymnast was similarly tugging the Malignant Woman along, although likely for the opposite job division.

"Are we going to walk the whole way?" Celestia asked, "Is it that close?"

"No," the Malignant Woman said, "There is a teleportation system. As I said, living beings are self-correcting for the minor teleport glitches that occur."

They entered a room, and the Magician touched several controls, and nothing apparently happened, but the Malignant Woman and the Magician seemed satisfied as they headed back for the entry. Which opened on a different corridor. Unlike the grimy machine access corridors, this one was spotless. Also unlike them, there was a huge gash in the wall. Something had spilled out onto the walkway.

"Don't step on those," the Magician warned, "You won't like what happens next."

Celestia stretched out her wings and took to the air. She and Luna took advantage and looked closely at the spilled, golden balls as they hovered over them.

"They don't look dangerous," Luna said as she stared, "But that's no guarantee."

Celestia agreed as they returned to the group who were picking their way across the floor to avoid the ever-increasing number of them.

The Malignant Woman, the Eyelord and Matilda seemed to be having a rather heated discussion among themselves in a language Celestia couldn't puzzle out. "Please, we're all friends here."

"Yes," one of the skaters interjected as she approached, "I mean we've used our knowledge of you to scare our enemies, well that and -"

The tall skater clamped a hand over her colleague's mouth, put the other behind her head, and while desperately smiling at all of them, dragged her friend's head away and trusted that the body would follow. Once a short distance away, she whispered furiously to her.

Celestia and Luna stared.

"They are concerned that I might feel slighted that while my imminent appearance deeply troubled their opponent, the Trickster's forecast arrival drove them to surrender," the Malignant Woman said, "I'm not slighted in the least. Frankly, he frightens me sometimes."

That earned a snort from Matilda.

"What were you three arguing about?" Luna asked, returning the trio to their glaring at each other. Celestia nearly joined them glaring at Luna's clumsy handling.

"The lock on the navigation system can only be removed by 'tears of remorse of an angel'," the Malignant Woman said, "And I contend that these creatures are incapable of remorse. They had the blessings of their command to eliminate any guilt."

"I was telling him we can feel remorse," Matilda replied, "Although I admit that I will have difficulty shedding tears over it."

"I added that without the tears, it is a fool's errand and we should direct our efforts to moving the ship to a more hospitable place to conduct the defense," the Eyelord said.

"And the Trickster thinks that the translation isn't accurate," the Magician said as she approached, "We'll need help with the door." She fixed the Malignant Woman with a gaze and smiled. "And with what's behind it. We can't use energy weapons, we might damage something."

The Malignant Woman returned the smile as the team approached the door. "The energy absorptive powers are at full strength?" she asked as she pulled on a pair of heavy gauntlets and ran her hands over the door.

The Magician looked at the team working the lock and got a nod. "Yes, we can charge the doors, and use that to open them. But I thought you'd like a moment."

"I am prepared," the Malignant Woman said.

The Magician and the tech did their magic, and the three, huge panels comprising the door retracted. Behind them stood hundreds of war-robots.

The rest of the team stepped back and prepared to intercept anything coming out of the room threatening them, or pieces endangering the golden orbs strewn on the floor.

"If I dropped an outboard motor into a barrel full of gingerbread men," the Magician commented on the bloodless, but not lubricant-free carnage within. While the robots cared nothing about firing, they rarely got the chance as the Malignant Woman reduced the horde to a hoard of scrap metal. Within a few moments, the defenders were gone. Other members of the security team rushed in to certify the room was clear of threats.

The Malignant Woman weathered the affection of the Gymnast and the acclimation by the skaters, with remarkable stoicism. The technical team entered the room, and were shocked that the consoles, and the room were scaled for much smaller creatures.

"The masters and commanders were shapeshifters," Crazy Uncle Ethyl explained, "And if the machinery is the size of your head, an interface the size of a table makes no sense."

It also prevents a mutiny by creatures who literally couldn't fit in here, Celestia thought as she looked around.

"You said the translation isn't accurate," the Malignant Woman said as she approached the control console. While everything else within the room were basic geometric shapes without adornment or labeling of any kind, the almost baroque box and straps that covered the controls of one console drew the eye. "It seems accurate to me."

"Unless you understand that the differences of the Bright Ones' language versus the Outers' language and for whom the writing was meant," the Magician said, "If it was written by Bright Ones for Bright Ones, that is correct. But if it was written to approach the Outers' language, then the meaning could be 'tears of the remorseful'. He could probably give you the correct names for the verb and adjectival tenses and constructions, but simply put, the link of tears and remorse is that the subjects have to be remorseful and have to cry, they don't have to cry because they are remorseful."

Matilda and Beatrice stared at the Magician. "So what are we to cry about?" Matilda asked.

The Magician grinned, and her similarity to the Trickster couldn't be more plain.
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"So the poor vizier, after reading off the absolute screed from 'Granny' on the emperor's habits, court and so on, reaches into the box and draws out this scarf, of dozens of bright colors, but it's two spans wide, and 20 long," the woman of the stoic group said.

About 16 inches by 14 feet, Celestia thought, still reeling from the scathing kvetch that the Trickster had written after being called 'Granny' once too often.

"The Emperor had enough, he could only sit there and laugh at the utterly ridiculous 'little something Granny knitted to keep your neck warm'," the woman concluded.

Beatrice had long since lost it, as funny/embarrassing stories about their interactions with the Trickster had rolled out. Each telling what they considered the funniest. Luna had succumbed early, and was lying on the floor having difficulty breathing. But Matilda had merely cracked a smile several times, and they needed her to laugh until she cried.

"Okay, I guess I tell mine," the Magician said, "It's a little grimmer, but may be to Matilda's taste. He had come to the royal court to lay charges against a lord who was sabotaging my aunt's noble House. Technically, she was my second cousin-once removed's aunt, but to us she was our aunt." She waved her hands. "Anyway, he laid out exactly how the lord did it, considering his mom is an accountant, he had a good grasp of the tricks of the trade. Well, the lord fell back on his usual trick, challenging the accuser to a duel. Now, the duels of the court were more like a dance than a fight. I attack with quarte, you must reply with sixte or half-tierce, only then could you counterattack. Duels are scored on points and the lord studied avidly. No one could beat him, although I suspect anyone in this room could beat him in a real fight. So, when challenged, he replied that 'since ledger books are the way you've fought til now, that is how we shall fight.' And the Imperial Armorer wheeled out these two, huge, thick ledger books, bound with bronze, with straps on one side, for the arm. These things were the size of a full shield, and about four times as thick. The IA then announces, since they have no sharp edges or points, the rules of 'rule of way' can be discarded."

Matilda let out a long snort, as she imagined what would come next.

"The battle went about as well as you'd expect. Nobody used shields, so the assumption was this would be a completely even fight," Matilda said, "But the Trickster had commissioned the shield/ledgers with the IA, specifically for this, and he'd been fighting open-field battles with sword and shield. He couldn't make it look too one-sided, before he closed for the kill." The Magician shook her head. "But everyone knew the lord was outclassed the instant the fight started, but no one wanted to raise a word, or the whole rotten edifice would come crashing down. Once he's softened the lord up, he killed him with one blow. Which also meant that the lord's holding went to him, and he transferred them to my aunt. Which changed our House from a Minor House, to a Major House."

Matilda had a fist over her mouth, but she was shaking now.

The Malignant Woman got an elbow from the Gymnast, she shrugged and stepped forward. "Since 'grim' seems to amuse you," she began, "There was a ridiculous agreement between the mystical powers that be, both the mages and those more esoteric martial arts. They held a tournament, if good lost, they could do nothing against the nefarious 'grand plan', if they won, evil was on the honor system to not advance the 'grand plan'." She looked around. "Do I need to tell you what his reaction was?"

Celestia covered Luna's ear with her hooves. "Go ahead."

Luna snorted with irritation, while Matilda snorted with amusement.

"Well, he signed up for the evil side," the Malignant Woman said, "And could report what he'd done in war as justification."

Matilda snorted again, longer this time.

"He made several of the proctors throw up," the Malignant Woman said.

The Gymnast began, "We met him, when we were being harassed at the spa pools." She gave the Malignant Woman a fondly exasperated look. "All our previous attempts ended when someone fought against a person on her card, an opponent they'd face in a later battle. Which was an automatic disqualification. See, the fights weren't all good against evil, some were among the same faction. The Trickster invited us to join him, and pointed out to them that the harassers were not on his card."

"They took the pool we have been relaxing in, and decided to continue their verbal harassment, including a few promises of what they'd do later," the Malignant Woman said, a blink-and-you'd-miss-it glance to the Gymnast told Celestia what some of those threats entailed. "Once we were a short distance away, he tosses an electric-concussion blast into the water. Not only does mineral water conduct electricity well, but it conducts shock marvelously, finding the weak point and rushing in. No dodging allowed."

Celestia was sickened by the implication.

"Later, some of the more psychotic 'evil' contestants began dying of 'accidents'," the Malignant Woman said, "Falling down the central shaft of 94 flights of stairs, just bouncing off the railings on the way down. A noted junkie/slaver dying of an air embolism. A noted rapist peeing on a toilet with an electrical charge. By the time 30 of these maniacs had fallen, the powers of darkness had to start negotiating with the powers of light to start investigating, since their investigators were worthless. The first one they investigated was someone had been stabbed and beaten 15 times, with fifteen different weapons, and the angles and depths of the wounds were all over the place."

Celestia considered the Trickster's weapons, did a little math and came to the obvious conclusion.

"The forces of light made the completely reasonable conclusion that the most unpopular of the villains competing had been attacked by a group of people," the Malignant Woman said, "Considering there were copycats by this point as people started settling old scores, it was a reasonable deduction."

"Idiots," Matilda said between giggles.

"Needless to say, the ranks of the most violent and psychotic were brutally thinned, and by the end, a lot of people were guessing who'd done it, but couldn't believe the 'gentleman of the ring' could be doing this outside," the Malignant Woman said, "I figured he'd simply read the rules." The Malignant Woman turned and nearly sprinted to Matilda, grabbing her head in both massive hands. Celestia was ready to charge to her friend's defense, when the Gymnast raced up and caught the lone tear running down the messenger's face.

The Malignant Woman watched the Gymnast approach the lock. One of the skaters collected another tear from Beatrice, and as the two women locked eyes, the skater and the Gymnast put their tears on the lock.

The resounding 'clack' generated all kinds of motion. Other skaters and the Magician pushed the two aside and removed the lock from the panel to prevent it from reclosing. Once it was away, Celestia levitated the blocking plate off the console and set it aside. The Eyelord and Crazy Uncle Ethyl began running their inhuman digits over the surface, coaxing life back into the machine.

"Now!" the Malignant Woman announced, "The greatest power in the universe is mine! And none of you can stop me!"

The Magician spoke into the intercom, "The boss wants the greatest power in the universe."

The Trickster's voice came back, "We've got the reactors online and coming up, but the jump drives will take a while, we need to build up the charge."

"I think she wants the weapons and shield," the Magician replied.

"Done, the Z-guns are all primed, and I've got two desault banks fully charged," the Trickster replied.

"Keep at it, time's a wasting," the Magician said and turned back to the Malignant Woman.

The Malignant Woman glanced at no one charging her, everyone in the room was setting forth to get the ship ready for her first order.

"This is the shield control?" Celestia asked as she prepared to insert her horn in the interface.

"Yes, it'll teach you what to do once you're connected," the Eyelord said and looked at the Malignant Woman who was watching the bustle around her, "We need you to say something for voice print."

"What are you doing?" the Malignant Woman asked.

"Voice print and code accepted, welcome Battle-Commander," the room itself seemed to say.

"We expected your taking command, and briefed everyone, but you," the Magician said and shrugged, "And would have given it to you if you hadn't taken it. Who better against Uridimmullu?"

Matilda's giggle was not so welcome to the Malignant Woman this time.

Celestia after she shoved her horn into the interface, found herself inside an empty black space, she willed the shields into existence, six sets of two, overlapping plates guarded the sides, two trios of similar plates guarded the front and rear. Celestia could move the plates to cover everywhere, or double or triple them up and leave other areas bare. There was also a larger spherical shield, but that absorbed power and had to dump it somewhere. Computer, can the spherical shield dump into the jump drives?

"Yes, Celestia, but the bleed off is slow, it will take several minutes to dump a fully charged shield," Celestia heard in her head in her own voice. She put that aside and worked on manipulating the shield pattern. She also saw a longer ranged scan of the area.

"That tiny square is us, and that big squiggle is this Uridimmullu?" Celestia asked those outside, "I guess you have to enhance it for ease of viewing."

"No," Crazy Uncle Ethyl told her, "That's to scale."

"Oh, lovely," Celestia heard Luna's comment.

"Arrival in 1.5 octillion moments," the computer told her.

Wonderfully useful bit of data, Celestia thought, Why didn't it stick with minutes?

"Seventeen minutes, Celestia," the computer told her.

Being a composed mare, she didn't beat her head against the deck while screaming.

She heard reports as weapons were brought online, other ships arrived and the entire vehicle began to move. The plan formed in her head, so she reported, "If it fires into the omnidirectional shield, I can divert the power to the jump drive."

"That's fine," the Malignant Woman said, "But we're here to kill that thing, not run away. However, charge the drive, we may need it."

Celestia ignored the dismissive, if schizophrenic tone, and concentrated on the battle.

Vessels like gnats dove in and raced out, unloading powers knew what kind of ordinance. But the Uridimmullu continued to advance.

She noted some of the 'gnats' occasionally winked out. She concentrated on her preparation, but then it dawned on her, Those 'gnats' are people, Maybe an individual like one of the skaters, maybe the crew of hundreds in a warship. But this is so sterile, so detached, it makes ignoring those killed and doing my job easy, maybe too easy.

"They are aware of what I represent, and are here, as are you, to prevent me from falling into that monster's hands," the computer told her, "It is good to have compassion, but don't let it prevent you from defeating the real evil."

Celestia mentally nodded and continued her work. When the monster began to snipe at them, Celestia activated the omnidirectional shield, and then shut it down to bleed the power to the jump drive. It was a detached way of fighting. The combatants, even their attacks were abstractions. The supernaturally calm voice of the Malignant Woman actually soothed Celestia. She sounded certain and in control. Issuing orders, taking reports, and asking questions, mostly in languages that Celestia couldn't understand.

She sounds happy, Celestia thought as a near miss glanced off a shield. She examined the matrix of the protective energy and found it still sound. She didn't rotate it back to recharge. I wonder if she's used to a team who are actually working for her, rather than being pressed into service.

"Prepare the Z-guns, alert all ships to clear the area," the Malignant Woman said as the gnats scattered.

Celestia adjusted the shields as the ship rotated to present her nose to the immense worm that seemed to swim through space. I should be frightened, she thought.

"Standing by, ready to fire," Luna reported.

Celestia cringed that Luna was the weaponeer of the main batteries. She couldn't completely force her unease aside.

"Stand by the jump drive," the Malignant Woman told them, "Let it strike at where we should be, and we'll be elsewhere. Then fire again as they bear."

Celestia watched the creature surge forward. And three immense bolts of power raced from the nose of the ship. The creature shrieked, even here they could feel it. The pain becoming rage as at came at them. As it reared back to strike, the repository vanished, so the strike met nothing. The jump was short, appearing on the creature's flank, with their tail pointing at it.

While Celestia realigned the shields to give maximum protections, Luna directed those awful cannons to strike three more blows on the creature. It recoiled again, but the shriek was barely felt this time.

"No, the Battle-Commander commands," the Magician told the Malignant Woman, "She doesn't race out and exchange fire with the enemy."

Celestia opened an eye and twisted so she could see the confrontation. But the Magician is used to the Trickster, she thought and returned her full attention to the shields, The Malignant Woman never stood a chance.

The angry pacing and the clipped orders showed the Magician's counsel had its effect, but the Malignant Woman wasn't happy she couldn't go 'hands on'. Celestia saw the 'gnats' swarming in on the weakened monster, including several swarms from the repository. Lesser weapons still fired in support of the gnats, but the terrible 'Z-guns' were silent.

"Get in closer, anyone not required for their duties, lend fire support," the Malignant Woman ordered, and Celestia glanced around as half the bridge crew left. The Malignant Woman replacing Crazy Uncle Ethyl at the helm. Celestia took the scanners, while Luna maintained a precise fire of the immense ship's weapons batteries. More bolts and beams erupted from the ship as the many beings aboard poured their own fire at the creature.

Then Celestia noticed something. "Commander, the Uridimmullu is shrinking," she said, and continued to read the computer estimates, "Down 5% and declining."

"Five percent, you have sharp eyes," the Malignant Woman said, "We'll maintain fire. It's consuming itself in its own fires. Engineering, be prepared to use the jump drive to prevent that thing from leaving."

"It's in place," the Trickster said, "And I too would love to be blasting that thing myself."

The quiet grumble, followed by a chuckle from the Gymnast told Celestia that despite having 'usurped' control, the Malignant Woman was simply not used to capable, loyal subordinates.

The creature's decline continued, some of the 'gnats' entered the Uridimmullu itself. After a few moments, it's decline seemed to stop.

"All stations, move the fleet out of here. Everyone who doesn't want to be trapped, board immediately. Celestia, drop the shields and depressurize the bays, open all outer doors," she said.

Celestia briefly wondered how, then the computer provided all the answers. "On it," she replied to the order. The 'gnats' raced towards the repository.

"Be prepared to use the shields as an outer skin," the Malignant Woman ordered, "We won't have time to seal the doors, and we'll need to see to the casualties."

"Understood," Celestia replied, as again the computer provided her the means to accomplish the feat.

Why is this so easy, can't the computer just do all this itself? she wondered.

"Herself," the computer replied, "No, I must follow orders, but I can help my friends."

Celestia considered, This huge object, she was effectively alive, and she was lonely?

"Somewhat," the computer replied, "But it is good to have purpose again."

"All aboard," came a report from someone. Celestia prepared the shields, and desperately started closing the doors and repressurizing the bays that ships and people had frantically flown into.

"Jump!" the Malignant Woman ordered.

As the world outside became unreal, the Uridimmullu expanded immensely. It never touched them before they were gone, but it was a near thing. But it wasn't over. "Something is behind us and closing, it's getting larger by the moment," Celestia reported.

"Bastard doesn't know when to give up," the Malignant Woman said, "We'll have to keep firing."

"It's ontological inertia is too great," Celestia heard Matilda said. She risked a glance and saw that the Bright One warrior was presenting the Malignant Woman with a severed head of something that looked like a cross between an alligator and a rhinoceros. "It's there at the end of time, we can't destroy it now."

"So why don't we just head there, and drop it off," Celestia said a bit crossly, "Once it's there, it can't continue to pursue us."

The two aliens looked at each other and shrugged.

"Set out course to the end of all things, and then a hard left to Albuquerque," the Malignant Woman said, "Commence evasive action, I don't want to be caught by something I wouldn't deign to scrape off my shoe."

"Will do," Crazy Uncle Ethyl said as he returned to his post.

From her computer-simulated, external view, the oncoming wall began bouncing around enough to nearly make her air sick. She quit looking at it and verified that all the doors were closed and the ship was well sealed. "Full gas-tight condition established," she reported, "I can't see inside, are the wounded being treated?"

"One of the ships was a medical frigate," the Magician reported, "The wounded are being well cared for, and the Trickster is still in the engine room. We all had a rather boring battle."

Celestia thought, That's it. They wanted me to see battle, but not participate in it. To strike with them, but not see the target. This was as much a 'learning experience' for me, as it was a lesson in friendship for the Malignant Woman. Chagrined, she continued to track their enemy.

"I like boring," the Trickster's voice intruded, "Exciting means something didn't work."

Celestia chuckled at that. Then her laughter froze. "There's another wall ahead of us, closing fast. It's bigger than the one behind us."

"The end of all things," the Magician said.

"What happens if we hit it?" Celestia asked, feeling a growing concern, verging on panic.

"We don't," the Malignant Woman said, "Helm, prepare your turn and breakaway. We shall leave our friend to his appointment, and while we continue to our ultimate decimation."

"Don't you mean 'destination'?" Celestia asked.

"Do I?" the Malignant Woman asked.

"It's not working," Crazy Uncle Ethyl reported.

"Why not?" the Malignant Woman said, "Space time shouldn't be contracting so tightly this soon."

"I do not know," the Outer replied as his hands worked the controls.

"Celestia, use the skin shield technique on the hull again, and raise the omnidirectional shield as well. If we can't dodge, we'll go through," the Malignant Woman said.

"We'll be in the next existence," the Eyelord said, "We three might survive, but there is no guarantee they will."

"This ship and it's shields will protect them. We'll carry a bubble of normal physical laws with us, and as soon as we have room to maneuver, we will return to our origin point," the Malignant Woman said, "We will not transition out of slip space. This ship predates your home reality's predecessor, and it will survive the next reality. The mortals within will survive."

"How very reassuring," the Magician said, without sounding reassured.

Celestia put aside that they were going to leave the current reality and go to the next, only to turn around and come back. As if reality were a string of pearls, she thought, and felt very small that people like this could discuss such things that made her feel like a child among the grownups, then she felt Luna's wings on her back.

"We trust you, sister," Luna told her, reminding her of her part in all of this.

Celestia concentrated on making the shield coverage perfect.

The transition made her feel queasy, and the outer shield began building its charge, but she felt no 'leakage' of this alien reality onto the inner shields. Better, the wall of Uridimmullu did not pursue. It stopped on the border that they were able to pass through.

"Hard about, and heading for home," Crazy Uncle Ethyl announced.

"Did you always want to be a sailor?" the Magician asked.

"Only if I could stay dry," the Outer replied.

They transistioned back 'home' and Uridimmullu was trapped at the 'end of all things', unable to pursue. "We're traveling through time as well as space, aren't we," Luna asked.

"Yes, the other reason we stayed in slip space," the Malignant Woman said, "Time is the ultimate corrosive." Her tone actually became concerned, "Celestia, the shields can be left on automatic now."

Celestia removed her horn and stumbled, but the Magician and the Gymnast were beside her and supporting her on either side. "Easy, easy," the Magician told her as they and Luna helped her lie down, "It's a bit disorienting."

Celestia nodded. The colors were more vibrant, the sounds were keener, the smells were more biting, disorientingly so. "I am not used to this."

"None of us are," the Magician said.

"I mean I feel like a child trying to keep up with the adults," Celestia said and was relieved when Luna lay down beside her and draped a wing over her.

"We don't exactly do this every day ourselves. This was a masterwork, masterfully done. But it still depended on a lot of people doing their very best to make it look as smooth as it did. You and Luna not the least," the Magician said, "And you aren't the only one who thinks they're out on a limb with no way back." The Magician nodded towards the Malignant Woman, who was speaking quietly, and glancing around.

"What does she fear?" Luna whispered.

"That a bunch of us will storm the bridge and retake control," the Magician said as she sat beside Celestia and began scratching her behind the ears, "She'll never believe we won't, and she's completely unused to the idea that her collogues are going to help her see this through. You saw the cosmic world beyond your wildest imaginings, but that's her world and plaything, why do you think we planned for her to take charge? She's the best at it. But you know friendship and loyalty, she's as disoriented as you that we stood by her, rescued her assets and have stood by loyally. Different worlds."

"Sad," Celestia said softly, "We should do something for her."

"How do we take back the ship?" Luna said. Celestia turned and frowned at her. Luna shrugged in return.

"She'll give it up," the Magician whispered, "The Trickster's strike is always the sharpest, but it isn't as keen a knife as the uncertainty that's flaying her now. While commanding the ship in this battle which will be remembered when this universe is long gone, it's only a 'nice to have'. Rescuing the ship - "

"Was a 'mist have'," Celestia said, "I still think we should thank her."

"Be my guest, just remember it'll also be twisting the knife," the Magician said.

Celestia clambered to her hooves and walked towards the Malignant Woman. "I want to thank you for your help, and having confidence in me, when I wasn't sure how I'd fit in among these people who knew each other so well," Celestia said, and was dismayed by the uncertainty in the woman's expression.

"You're welcome. You seemed more than ready for the challenge," she told Celestia, but kept glancing around, as if hearing something alarming.

"It's arguably a crowning achievement, one you should be proud of. We won against forces that even the Outers and Bright Ones feared," Celestia offered.

"I merely wielded the sword another forged," the Malignant Woman said.

"That sword will not turn in your hoof - hand, I may not know them, but I know him," Celestia assured her.

"You have never opposed him. I have seen what he can do. What he's done to you, for instance. You will never be content with who you were, and you will never be able to go back to who you were," she told Celestia, "There will come a time you will not thank him for that."

"The child exceeds the parent," Celestia said and glanced over to where Luna and the Gymnast stood and talked, "Isn't that what every parent wants?"

"No," the Malignant Woman said firmly, "Not always."

Celestia extended a wing, brushing her gently, "We are your friends. Never doubt that," she told the woman, who looked stricken by the statement. Celestia withdrew and returned to the others. "What did I say?"

"You offered friendship and compassion," the Gymnast said, "To someone who cannot fathom love."

"She loves you," Celestia said.

"But she doesn't understand it. Everyone who she desires to love her and who should have loved her did not and do not. Yet here are a circle of friends, and they accept what she is. They may fear her, but they can also rely on her to be herself," the Gymnast said, her smile grew sad, "And for all her understanding of everything else, she cannot understand why you all feel that way."

"Because sometimes you need someone ruthless enough to simply get the job done," Luna said.

"And when the job is over?" the Gymnast asked, "Will you still be her friend? That's the part she has a hard time with."

"Why wouldn't I?" Celestia asked, "What would have happened if the Uridimmullu had taken over this ship? Besides, it was the Trickster who set the events in motion, why would I blame her for playing a part you intended to thrust upon her in any case?"

The Gymnast kissed Celestia on the cheek, then walked over to join the Malignant Woman who seemed cheered by her arrival.

There was a vague feeling of completion, and everyone glanced around the bridge area.

"We've arrived," the Malignant Woman announced, and braced herself. She looked around as everyone seemed anxious to secure their stations, turning off a lot of controls judging from the panels going dark.

Only the arrival of Beatrice and the Trickster escorting a pony-like figure seemed to break the 'end of the party' feeling that had gripped everyone. What drew Celestia's eye was the golden orb the pony carried on her head. Somehow, I know what that is, Celestia thought as she and Luna were inexorably drawn forward.

"That's . . . our home?" Luna asked.

"Yes," the pony-like creature said, "But it's incomplete. Tambelon was removed, as were a few other elements. For your service here, it was decided it could be returned to you."

"But it'll take adjustment," the Trickster said, "Like others have said, you'll have to change things. A helpless paradise where nothing new blossoms is as dead as a barren field."

"Will you help us?" Celestia asked as she looked at the Outers, Bright Ones, the Magician and the Trickster, then looked at the Gymnast and the Malignant Woman, "Will you help?"

"My input will not be as pleasant as others," the Malignant Woman said as the Gymnast practically dragged her over to the forming circle.

"I think that your rebellions against a pointless paradise is exactly what is needed. Everyone here strives. They may argue, they may fear, but they all came together to accomplish what none of us could do alone. 'Maybe you're stronger than any of us, but you're not stronger than all of us.' Friendship and growth will counter any darkness you put in, and darkness will be the point of it."

The Malignant Woman nodded and joined the circle. A few took another's hand. The Trickster and Magician, the Gymnast and the Malignant Woman, Beatrice and Matilda, but others remained to themselves. Celestia and Luna stood at opposite poles and concentrated, selecting from the vast soup of ideas and impulses, truths and aspirations among those who stood around them, and melded them with the saccharine brokeness within the 'egg'. Celestia understood she was 'condemning' all who lived there to struggle and hardship, but also rewarding them with growth and satisfaction in true accomplishment. Some who gave up would be ground under, but those who truly mastered would excel. Luna accomplished her part, a more scientific and rational feel than the 'it always works' that had permeated their home.

When they had finished, they stared at the orb. "What now?" Luna asked the question that Celestia almost feared to voice.

"Why I told you all to don't damage the other eggs, is that the universe inside would escape," the Magician said, and handed Celestia a hammer, "A good tap should do. But save the shell, great things can still be done with that."

Celestia took the hammer, glanced at Luna, who nodded, and struck the egg a solid blow, shattering it into pieces. What flowed out was beautiful beyond description, it was home.
------------------------------

Cadence looked at Celestia. "Auntie, that's a very interesting story, but how does it relate to the wounded man?" she asked and looked at Twilight Velvet and Night Light, then at the battered figure wrapped in bandages lying in the bed before them, "And what does it have to do with us?"

"He is the Trickster, he has visited Equestria occasionally, as have many of the others. There were further lessons, or they came to relax, or just to visit with an old friend. The Trickster's last appearance was bearing an Alicorn foal held protectively in one arm, and a sword bloody up to his armpit in the other," Celestia said and looked at Cadence. "He never told us where you came from, but you were welcomed and loved by us all."

Cadence blushed and pawed the rug.

"Maybe from your sister, Luna," Twilight Velvet said, "And wherever her kingdom is."

Celestia pursed her lip, then shook her head. "No, I will explain. The one who brought the Trickster here was the Malignant Woman, now a psychopomp, but he isn't dead, and to a certain extent he cannot die. But with the murder of the Magician, the life has gone out of him. Like my original homeland, he exists without really living."

"And you need us to take him in and give him a home?" Night Light asked.

"In a way. Part of him needs to pass on to be with his beloved, but part of him cannot. I need your help with that portion. Like the original pony home universe, it must be changed. And I'm afraid that events will require the change to be drastic, both for him, and all of Equestria, but most difficult for the three of you," Celestia explained.

"Anything," Cadence said, and the two unicorns nodded.

"Make no promises until I tell you the rest," Celestia said sternly, then in a gentler tone, "And you are free to refuse, this is too important to be a royal proclamation."

"Then it is an act of love and friendship," Cadence said, "If Twilight were here, she'd volunteer right alongside us."

"That is the crux of the problem. My sister, Luna, is not ruling another kingdom far away. She was possessed by the creature Nightmare Moon." Celestia bowed her head. "My fault for not seeing it, until it was too late, but Nightmare seduced then possessed her, and Nightmare Moon is not the candy-gobbling boogeymare of Nightmare Night, but an enemy of all that lives. I could not destroy her, without destroying Luna as well, so I banished her into the moon, where Luna is the strongest, but her return is today. It also cost me the right to use the artifacts Luna and I used to defend Equestria from many other threats. I sent Twilight to find the ancient magic I used to bind Nightmare Moon, in hopes that she, and a band of disparate friends can redeem Luna, not merely reimprison her."

Celestia sighed and paced, circling the figure in the bed. "But the lesson I failed to learn, why the Trickster often played the clown, was to keep people from worshiping him, or fearing him as a god. I have failed to impress Twilight with the he power of Friendship, because she revered me. I tried to be her friend, but I was only her passion."

"What can we do?" Twilight Velvet asked.

"You don't decry that I sent your only child to face a mad Alicorns alone?" Celestia asked.

"If you did it, it must be for the best," Night Light said, "Aren't we here to make sure Twilight has every advantage?"

"Yes," Celestia said and drew out a sliver of golden egg shell. "This could let me rewrite the world. I could not use it on Luna, only she and I can resist its power. It is a terrible power, and one I use only sparingly. But for my sister's redemption, I will risk it and allow it to affect me as well. It is selfish, but I miss her so."

"What are we to do?" Cadence asked.

"I want to give you a son, Twilight an older brother and friend," she said and grinned at Cadence, "And one that would give you an excuse to keep seeing Twilight after your foalsitting was over."

Cadence blushed at that. "I can think of a few advantages."

"He must be Twilight's best friend, someone who had stuck with her. The rest, scholar, soldier, tall, short, burly or lithe I leave to you. He will still have the spirit of the Trickster within, and his knowledge of his many campaigns will be as well-remembered dreams. It is a horrible imposition, and after the spell is cast, he will have always been your son. You have every right to refuse, and I will not blame you if you did."

"The Trickster was quite taken with Luna," Cadence said, "I think she will need a friend as well, when she returns."

Velvet and Light also nodded.

"We can do this," Velvet said, "After the spell, will anyone know?"

"No, even I will 'have always known him'," Celestia said, "To have anyone holding the secret is too much to ask."

"Let's do this," Night Light said.

Celestia nodded and four horns touched the shard. Celestia concentrated only on him being Twilight's best friend, she let those who would have him as a son, and a fiance shape the rest.

"Huh, what?" the unicorn stallion sat up from the bed, "What happened?"

"Shining!!" Cadence shouted and nearly tackled him, "Why do you have to be so reckless." She pouted at him.

He bowed to Celestia and looked at his mother and father. "What happened? I remember missing the chariot taking Twilie to Ponyville."

Cadence frowned. "You tried to chase after it," she told him.

"While your use of magic was impressive son," Night Light said, "Your execution was somewhat lacking."

"Have to do better next time. I guess Twilight will be fine and she can tell us all about her adventure when we see her again."

"Yes, Celestia said, "I am looking forward to it."