Not expecting to hear that, Artemis’s eyes widened.

Seeing this, Twilight nuzzled him. “Spike’s only that protective over certain ponies. His Family.” After a moment, she continued “In case you haven’t guessed, you don’t mess with a dragon’s family.”

“I-isn’t-” Artemis stammered

“My mother also a part of his family?” Twilight finished

Artemis nodded

“Yes” Twilight answered “When it’s between family members, he’ll defend whoever he believes is right.”

W-wow Sundance said softly

Artemis was too stunned to reply

“We know why Cadance reacted that way.” Twilight commented “As for Shiny . . . I’m pretty sure you earned his respect, not because you’re an alicorn, but because of the way you protected me from Dahlia’s attack.”

Shining Armor nodded “My wife, daughter and sister are all alicorns, so the fact that you’re one as well doesn’t faze me. However, during that attack, you did something that caught my attention. You did what I would have done and put yourself in between my sister and the attack before placing your shield over her. That would have been impressive enough, but then I saw that you had only put your shield around Twilight. You were so focused on keeping Twilight safe, that you didn’t worry about protecting yourself. That’s when you earned my respect.”

Stunned, Sundance stammered I-is he always like this?

Yes Twilight replied, after a moment’s thought, she decided to elaborate. You told me that Dad prefers to focus on defense, but Shiny’s specialty . . . well, I know I told you that it’s shields, but that’s not entirely accurate. His specialty is actually defensive magic, he just prefers shields.

Curious, Sundance took a closer look at Shining Armor. His Soul Mark is a six pointed star on a shield . . . That certainly explains a few things.

Twilight had to stop herself from nodding. In fact, he’s the only one who can cast his most powerful shield. It’s not as powerful as Dad’s barrier, or the shield I saw Celestia use in your memory, but it’s the strongest one ever created by a unicorn.

Anyway, as I’m sure you’ve guessed, Shiny takes the whole “Protective Big Brother” thing very seriously. Artemis wasn’t trying to impress anyone when he protected me from Dahlia’s attack, but that’s how he earned my brother’s respect.

W-wow Sundance breathed

Artemis stared at him for a moment before Twilight nuzzled him.

When he looked at her, Twilight continued “Dad’s reaction doesn’t surprise me because called you his son. He doesn’t like it when his children are hurt, by anyone. I’m not sure what he said to my mother but, if he felt that it couldn’t be said around other ponies . . . trust me, you don’t want to know what it was . . . we’ll just leave it at that.”

I’m certainly not complaining but, while Night Light’s reaction doesn’t surprise you, it does surprise me. Sundance remarked

Why? Twilight asked, curious I mean, you and Dad have done the same thing with me.

It makes sense for your father and myself because that’s the way things were done when we were alive. Sundance explained I wasn’t expecting to see it done now because, well, it’s been fifteen hundred years.

I see. Twilight turned to her mother “That just leaves you, Mother.” She shook her head “Cadance was right, I was furious. There was only one reason that I didn’t want an answer to my question yesterday . . . I thought that going after Artemis was more important than yelling at you.”

Smiling, Celestia nuzzled her little sister “I’m very glad you did. I have no doubt that you’re the only one who could have calmed him down.”

Leaning close to Celestia, Twilight whispered “I can’t take all of the credit for that. I’ll explain how she did it later, but Mom helped.”

Celestia nodded while Twilight turned back to Velvet.

Meanwhile, Cadance had been watching her little sister and uncle carefully. Something’s different about their behavior, I just can’t put my hoof on it. Suddenly, when Twilight turned to face Velvet, she saw something sparkle at the base of her little sister’s horn. Her eyes widened I-it can’t be . . . Without thinking, she used her magic to part Twilight’s mane. Seeing the ring, she squealed in delight.

Hearing this, everyone looked at her before following her gaze, gasping when they saw the ring on Twilight’s horn.

Instantly understanding what was going on, Twilight yelled. “Cadance!”

Immediately realizing what she’d done, Cadance fixed her little sister’s mane. Unfortunately, the damage had already been done.

Seeing the expressions on the faces of everypony in the room, except for Celestia and Artemis, Twilight sighed. “I said we had an announcement to make, remember?”

Eyes wide, everypony nodded

“This isn’t how I wanted to reveal it,” Twilight said, glaring at Cadance “but now you know what it is.”

Unfazed by her sister’s anger, Cadance pulled Twilight into a hug. “When did he ask you?”

Cadance is always like this when she gets excited. Twilight told Sundance She’s not going to let me go, or think about anything else, until I answer her questions.

That’s alright. Sundance giggled I’d also like to know what happened.

Well, you’re about to get your answer. Twilight replied “Last night”

“Were you in the castle?” Cadance asked

Twilight shook her head

Smiling, Cadance pressed further “Where did it happen?”

“On a cloud, as high in the Night Sky as possible, so that it felt like we were among the stars.” Twilight answered

Everyone gasped

After thinking for a moment, Sundance gasped again. Both of you love the stars, so that was perfect!

Celestia nuzzled her brother “That’s why you wanted to take her on a night flight, isn’t it?”

“Yes, sister.” Chuckling, Artemis returned his sister’s nuzzle before walking over to Cadance and Twilight. “Cadance, while I’m glad you’re happy, I think Twilight and I would both appreciate it if you’d allow her to breathe.”

Confused, everyone turned to Cadance, and gasped when they saw that Twilight’s face was starting to turn blue. They watched as Artemis used his magic to gently pry his fiancé from Cadance’s very tight hug and set her next to him.

Panting slightly, Twilight nuzzled Artemis “Thanks, Artemis.”

Artemis simply smiled and returned her nuzzle.

Night Light had a strange expression on his face. “The wedding isn’t next week, is it?”

“No!” Artemis and Twilight exclaimed

Everyone else, including Sundance, laughed.

“Good” Night Light replied, sighing in relief “I was afraid you were going to follow your brother’s example.”

Shining Armor blushed “I’m never going to live that down, am I?”

Of course, this made everyone laugh harder.

When she was sure everyone could hear her, Twilight replied. “We haven’t even thought about a date yet. Besides, we have to tell the girls.”

After a few minutes of silence, the room erupted with cheers. Bewildered, Twilight and Artemis turned to each other.

After a moment, she asked “Delayed reaction?”

“Apparently” He responded, shrugging

Sundance laughed, more at her children’s comments than everyone else’s reactions.

Shaking their heads, Twilight and Artemis turned back to the rest of their family. Eventually, the cheers died down.

“Congratulations!” Celestia giggled

“This is great!” Shining Armor yelled, pulling his sister into a hug. Releasing her, he did the same to Artemis, much to his surprise.

Cadance nuzzled Twilight “Who are you going to ask to marry you?”

Damn it! Twilight cursed I was hoping she wouldn’t ask that! At least, not yet! Knowing that Sundance was going to ask, she explained. There are only two ponies who conduct marriage ceremonies. Celestia and Cadance. Unfortunately, given their relationships to Artemis and I, I’m sure both of them want to do it.

You’re right, Sundance replied that does pose a problem.

Wait. Both want to do it . . . Twilight gasped That’s it! It’s perfect!

What? Sundance asked, confused

“Both of you” Twilight replied

Celestia and Cadance looked at each other before turning back to Twilight. “What?”

Artemis nuzzled Twilight “It sounds like you have an idea.”

She nodded “I know this has never been done before, but I think both of you should do it together. You can alternate lines or something.”

Understanding where Twilight was going with this, Artemis explained “There’s no way we can chose between the two of you. Therefore, the best way to do this is to have both of you conduct the ceremony together.” Hopefully, this won’t offend either of them.

Everyone gasped

Sundance laughed You’re right. That is perfect, Twilight!

Celestia and Cadance looked at each other again before turning back to Twilight. This time, they smiled.

“That’s a great idea, Twily!” Cadance squealed

Celestia nuzzled her younger siblings. “It may be a little unusual, but Cadance’s right. It’s a great idea.”

Twilight sighed in relief “Good. I’m glad that’s settled.”

Flurry flew over, landed on Twilight’s back and nuzzled her.

After returning her nuzzle, Twilight glanced at Artemis. Seeing him smile and nod, she commented “I think we just found our Flower Girl.”

Flurry squealed “Yay!” Suddenly, she paused and tilted her head. “What’s that?”

Everyone laughed

When it died down, Cadance nuzzled her daughter. “I’ll show you what to do later, Flurry.”

“Okay, Mommy!” Flurry replied, flying over and sitting her mother’s back.

As soon as Flurry left Twilight’s back, Spike jumped onto it. Before he could say anything, Twilight glanced back at him “Best Drake”

At the same time, Artemis said “Ring Bearer”

Looking at each other, Twilight and Artemis said “Both”

Grinning, Spike nodded while everyone else laughed.

Twilight tilted her head “We should ask the girls to do the same thing they did for Cadance and Shiny’s wedding for ours.” She paused, and shuddered, before continuing. “Well, except for the part where we had to fight off the changeling invasion.”

“Good idea” Artemis replied “That’ll take care of the food, cake, decorations, music and clothes.”

Celestia laughed “It hasn’t even been a day, and you’ve already got nearly everything planned.”

“The only things you still have to decide on are the date, time, and location.” Cadance said thoughtfully

“We can figure out the date and location later, but I think we already know the time.” Twilight responded, nuzzling Artemis

Artemis smiled “It will be at night.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Celestia asked

Everyone looked at Night Light and Velvet, wondering why neither of them had said anything. Velvet and Night Light didn’t notice this because they were still laughing. Eventually, the calmed enough to speak.

“Finally!” Night Light said, grinning “I was starting to think Twilight would never get married.”

“I know” Velvet replied, smiling “For the longest time, she wasn’t interested in relationships at all.” She shook her head “In fact, I was beginning to worry that we wouldn’t live long enough to see both of our children get married.”

Celestia, Artemis, and Sundance gasped.

Instantly knowing what must be going through their minds, Twilight froze. Oh no

Hearing the gasps, Cadance, Shining Armor, Flurry, Spike, Night Light and Velvet looked at them. Everyone stopped when they saw the expressions on the faces, and tears in the eyes, of Celestia and Artemis.

Taking a deep breath, Twilight turned to her niece and whispered. “Flurry, why don’t you take Artemis to your room? He’s sad right now, so I need you to help him feel better. When he’s happy again, you can play with him.” She nuzzled the little filly. “Do you think you can do that?”

“Yes, Auntie Twily” Flurry answered, nodding “Come on, Uncle Art!” Without waiting for a response, she lit her horn. She and Artemis disappeared in a flash of golden light.

Leaning closer to Cadance, Twilight quietly asked “Can you take Celestia somewhere for a while? I need to talk to my mother.”

Clearly confused, Cadance nodded

Seeing her sister’s expression, Twilight whispered “Think about it this way, their parents . . .”

Eyes widening, Cadance finished softly “didn’t live long enough to see either of their children get married! You’re right, I bet that’s why they’re upset!”

Twilight reluctantly nodded

Nuzzling her little sister, Cadance replied “I’ll take care of Aunt Celestia.” She paused “Don’t be too hard on Velvet, I’m sure she just wasn’t thinking.”

“That’s the problem” Twilight replied, growling slightly

Cadance sighed “I know” Seeing her sister’s expression, and her body shake with anger, she sighed again. “Before you start yelling, cast a stronger soundproofing spell around the room, please.”

Twilight glanced at her mother “I’ll take her somewhere else and cast a stronger soundproofing spell around that room.”

Nodding to her little sister, Cadance teleported herself and Celestia to the room she shared with Shining Armor.

Twilight levitated Spike onto Shining Armor’s back. “Please stay with Shiny.”

Spike nodded “Um, Twi? Why were Artemis and Princess Celestia so upset? She just said . . .”

“That she didn’t think she and Dad would live long enough to see both of their children get married.” Twilight finished, gritting her teeth. Not in the mood for a lengthy explanation, she said “Celestia and Artemis’ parents died before either of them had even found special someponies, let alone gotten married, remember? Hearing what my mother just said . . . How do you think that makes them feel?”

Everyone gasped, turning to Velvet.

Velvet was horrified I-I just-!

“I-I understand” Spike slowly responded

Twilight turned to Night Light “I’m going to borrow Mother for a while.”

Night Light had been expecting his daughter to say that, so he just nodded.

Twilight teleported herself and Velvet to the room she shared with Artemis. Once they arrived, she cast the most powerful soundproofing spell she knew around the room. That done, she turned her attention to Sundance, wincing when she realized that it sounded like her mother was crying again. Mom, I don’t expect a response. I’m just apologizing in advance. I’m about to deal with my mother, and I’m not going to be quiet. I also want to make sure you know that none of what I’m about to say applies to you in any way.

Sundance tried to say that it was alright, or at least that she understood, but the words wouldn’t come out.

Taking a deep breath, and finding that it didn’t help, Twilight turned around to see her mother watching her nervously. As an added precaution, she surrounded both of them in a barrier and attached another soundproofing spell to that. Then she opened her mouth.

In the stars, Sundance and Midnight Armor’s stars were so dim that they could barely be seen. In fact, the only reason Star Swirl could see them was that both of them were flickering slightly.

I’m not going to bother asking them if they’re alright, because it’s clear that they’re not. Nor am I going to say that “It’ll be alright”, or something like that, because . . . well, I don’t think it ever will be. Star Swirl was torn from his thoughts by a shout that echoed among the stars.

“What were you thinking?!”

Startled, Star Swirl turned his attention to what was going on in the Crystal Empire and gasped when he saw a very angry lavender alicorn. “W-wow. S-she’s even scarier than Artemis.”

Sundance and Midnight Armor’s attention had also been drawn by their daughter’s voice. They heard Star Swirl’s comment and, unable to stop themselves, laughed softly.

Star Swirl turned to them. “H-how was that funny?” I'm not complaining, mainly because I thought it would be several hours before I heard them laugh. Even so, that wasn’t supposed to be funny.

Flickering, Midnight Armor chuckled softly “That’s not why we’re laughing.”

“What?” Star Swirl asked I hope they’re going to explain that.

“Twilight is more of an academic than a fighter.” Sundance explained, giggling quietly “Yes, she’s very powerful, but she only fights when she needs to. As far as I can tell, she’d rather have her nose buried in a book.”

“That’s the impression I got from her as well.” Star Swirl responded, briefly brightening “It’s also why seeing her this angry scares me.”

Surprised, Midnight Armor and Sundance laughed again.

I still don’t understand why that’s so funny, but at least they’re laughing. Flickering, Star Swirl turned his attention to what was going on in the Crystal Empire.

Wondering how their daughter was going to handle the situation, Sundance and Midnight Armor did the same.

In the Crystal Empire, Artemis and Flurry appeared in her room. Surprised, Artemis looked around before turning to his grandniece. “Why did you bring us here, Flurry?”

Landing on his back, Flurry nuzzled him. “Auntie Twily said you’re sad and I have to help you feel better.” Jumping into the air, she excitedly flapped her wings a few times before landing on his back again. “She said I can play with you when you’re happy again!”

Artemis’ eyes widened Twilight . . .

She knows that you’re fond of foals, Artemis. Besides, it’s been a long time since you’ve spent any quality time with this little one.

Before either of them could say anything else, Flurry pushed Artemis onto a pile of cushions and snuggled close to his side.

Smiling, he draped a wing over his grandniece and pulled her into a hug. Laying his head on a nearby cushion, he closed his eyes and allowed himself to relax. At least, he tried to. He lifted his head again when he felt the castle shake slightly. Instantly knowing what caused it, he shook his head. I don’t think Twilight was this angry when Blaze tried to kill me.

Feeling the same thing, Flurry shivered “W-why is Auntie Twily so mad?”

She can tell that Twilight's the one who did that? Shaking his head again, Artemis nuzzled her “Your grandmother accidentally said something that made your Aunt Celestia and me sad.”

“But Daddy said that Grandma said mean things to you.” She said, confused

“She did that too.” Artemis answered softly, wincing slightly “That’s why Twilight is angry.” Seeing his grandniece’s expression, he nuzzled her again. “Don’t worry, she’s not angry with you.”

Flurry nodded, obviously thinking about something. “Mommy said Auntie Twily is p- . . . pre-”

He laughed softly “Pregnant”

“Yeah!” She said, nodding again “What’s-”

Laughing harder, he explained “It means she has a baby growing in her tummy. She’s going to be a mommy soon.”

Flurry’s eyes lit up “Auntie Twily’s gonna have a baby?”

Artemis nodded

“Yay!” She shouted.

Still laughing, he hugged her tighter.

Suddenly quite serious, especially for a two year old, she looked up at him. “Can I play with the baby? Please?”

Laughing much harder, he answered “Our baby has to grow some more, so it isn’t ready to play yet. After it’s born, you can play with him or her.”

Squealing in delight, she nuzzled him. “Thank you!”

Cadance’s teleportation spell put her and Celestia in the middle of the room she shared with her husband. She walked over to their bed and lay down.

Surprised, Celestia looked around the room, before slowly turning to her niece. “Why are we here?”

“You can thank Twilight for that.” Cadance answered, smiling at her aunt. “When Velvet said . . . that . . . Twilight told Flurry to take Uncle Artemis to her room and asked me to take you somewhere.”

Celestia gasped W-what?!

“I’m fairly certain she intends to speak to Velvet but,” Cadance continued “before she said anything to her mother, she made sure that neither of you would be able to hear her.”

Before either of them could say anything else, they felt the castle shake slightly.

“She’s doing something with her mother,” Celestia commented “but talking isn’t it.” Thank you, Twilight.

“You’re right.” Cadance replied, shaking her head “Anyway, join me, please.” When Celestia had settled next to her on the bed, she laughed. “The last time we did this, it was the opposite.”

Celestia smiled “If I recall correctly, you’d had a bad day at school. I knew you were going to foal sit Twilight that night, so I told you that you should head to the Sparkle house early.” She laughed softly “Playing with Twilight always made you happy, so I was planning to have her help you.”

“But I didn’t want Twilight to see me upset.” Cadance continued “So I asked you to help me instead.”

Celestia giggled “I still can’t believe it took me over two hours to get you to smile.” She shook her head “Later that night, I really heard it from most of the nobles.”

“Why?” Cadance asked, confused

“They’d asked for a private audience with me.” Celestia explained “When I saw how upset you were, I postponed it. They were offended because I’d dared to spend my time with a filly instead of them.” She shook her head again “Their petition wasn’t even important. They just had a disagreement with the architects about the design for the stage for the Summer Sun Celebration.”

Cadance blinked “They demanded to see you because they were upset about that?!”

Laughing, Celestia nodded “The petition was a demand that I change it. When I told them “No”, they spent the next four and a half hours trying to convince me otherwise. Regardless, I wouldn’t hear of it.”

“Why not?” Cadance asked, curious

Celestia hugged her niece “The stage design for that year was actually something that you’d come up with for an art project in school. When I saw your teachers for a “Parent-Teacher Conference”, they showed me what you’d done.” She smiled “I liked your design, so I told the architects to use it for the stage that year.”

Cadance just stared at her aunt, mouth open, for several minutes. When she could speak again, she stammered “I-I didn’t know about that.” She paused “What did the nobles want to change?”

Celestia tilted her head, trying to remember exactly what their complaint had been. A few minutes later, she replied “They thought the stage should be a solid gold sun. Naturally, I wasn’t going to allow that.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about this?” Cadance asked, confused

“If I recall correctly, you were in one of your phases.” Celestia answered slowly “At the time, you rarely spoke to me. The strange part was that you weren’t rude about it. Whenever I tried to talk to you, you’d apologize and tell me that you were “too busy”.”

Recalling that period of her life, Cadance lowered her head, softly replying. “Oh”

Celestia nuzzled her niece before continuing. “As you might imagine, I was rather surprised when you suddenly wanted to talk to me. Regardless, I certainly wasn’t going to say “No”. Instead, I decided that the nobles could wait.”

A few minutes later, Cadance whispered “Thank you”

Smiling, Celestia pulled her niece into a hug. “You’re welcome.”

In the room that Twilight and Artemis shared, Twilight had just turned to face her mother. Of the many questions that were running through her head, she chose the one that would get her in the least amount of trouble. I’m not sure why I care about that right now. Oh well.

“What were you thinking?!”

Velvet stammered “I-I didn’t know it would upset them like that.”

“How could you not think that comment would upset them?!” Twilight demanded “Two nights ago, when we told everyone about what happened to their parents, you saw how upset they were when Shiny read that book out loud!”

Velvet opened her mouth, closed it and looked down at the floor.

“Cadance told me not to be too hard on you because you probably just didn’t think before you spoke.” Twilight stated, glaring at her mother “That’s the only reason I’m going to drop the topic.”

Sighing in relief, Velvet nodded and turned towards the door. I really have to thank her later.

Twilight’s glare didn’t lighten at all. In fact, it deepened. “I said I’m going to drop that topic, Mother, but I never said we were done. I’m sure you can guess the next topic.”

Audibly gulping, and turning back to her daughter, Velvet nodded again. “Y-you want to talk about what I said to Artemis.”

“That’s right.” Twilight responded “As you know, I heard the reasons you gave everyone else. We’ll start with the first two . . . Artemis was taken over by Nightmare forces and Night’s presence in his body.”

Velvet nodded “Even though you freed him four years ago, he was taken over again a few weeks ago! That means it could happen again! He’s far too dangerous for you to be around, especially now that you’re pregnant!”

Growling, Twilight replied “Did Night kill anypony?! Did he hurt anypony?! The answer to both questions is “No”. Night took over Artemis’ body because he was angry about what Blueblood was doing. They share Artemis’ body, so the only way Night could have done anything about it was to take control.” She glared at her mother “Did you know that I didn’t need to use the Elements of Harmony to stop him?”

“That’s the rumor going around, but I don’t believe it.” Velvet answered “If you didn’t use the Elements of Harmony, what did you use?”

“Nothing!” Twilight replied “I asked him to release Artemis!”

Velvet gasped “What?! H-he did as you asked?!”

Twilight nodded “Without a struggle. For the thousandth time, Mother, both of them have been purified. In fact, he protected me! Both of them did! Don’t you think that says something about their intentions?!”

Reluctantly, Velvet nodded

Seeing this, Twilight continued “As for the part about me being pregnant . . . Whose foal do you think I’m carrying?! Do you really think I’m not going to let the father of my foal anywhere near me?! And don’t you dare say “Yes”!”

Velvet glanced at her daughter’s stomach before looking her in the eye again. “There’s still the problem you have with holding down food. You can’t tell me that that’s nothing.”

Twilight rolled her eyes “How many times did you tell me stories about the morning sickness you had when you were pregnant with me? I’m not sure because I never bothered to count them. You’d point out a specific dish and complain that I never let you eat it because you always threw it up. When I apologized, you’d laugh, pat the top of my head and tell me that “it wasn’t a problem”.” She narrowed her eyes. “So, you’re telling me that it wasn’t a problem when you had morning sickness, but it is now that I have it? And it’s somehow Artemis’ fault?!”

Velvet’s eyes widened “I-”

Twilight cut her mother off. “None of the reasons you’ve given us are the real reason you’re acting like this and both of us know it.” Her glare returned “Now then, Why are you treating Artemis like this?!”

Looking down, Velvet muttered something about how he stole her little girl.

“Seriously?!” Twilight asked, staring at her mother in disbelief. “We’re back to that?!”

Velvet’s head snapped up “W-what?!”

“I’m not a “little girl” anymore! I’m twenty-one years old!” Twilight angrily replied “You were younger than I am when you had Shiny!”

“Y-you’re right.” Velvet replied, sighing “I-it’s just that I missed . . . everything!”

“That’s not true!” Twilight snapped, barely maintaining control of her temper. “I was eight when Celestia took me on as her student! You’re the one who asked her if I could move into the castle because it wasn’t safe for me to walk to and from my lessons on my own. You and Dad visited all of the time, especially when I was younger! It’s true that I don’t see you as often as I used to, but that’s not Artemis’ fault!”

“Yes, it is!” Velvet insisted “You moved to Ponyville to get the Elements so you could defeat him!”

“No, it’s not!” Twilight shouted “I traveled to Ponyville to make friends and get the Elements of Harmony! The girls and I needed the Elements so we could defeat Night-Terror Knight . . . we didn’t fight Artemis at all! After that, Celestia asked me if I was coming back to Canterlot, but I chose to stay in Ponyville with my friends! Artemis had nothing to do with it because, at the time, I’d barely spent five minutes anywhere near him!”

Velvet gasped “I-”

Twilight interrupted her mother “I’m the one you’re really angry at, but you don’t want to blame me for my actions. Instead, you’re focusing your anger on Artemis!”

Velvet gasped again “T-that’s not-!”

Twilight’s glare deepened “That’s exactly what you’re doing and you need to stop!”

In the stars, Sundance, Midnight Armor and Star Swirl sat in stunned silence.

When Sundance finally spoke, it was a hushed “W-wow”

“Agreed” Midnight Armor quietly replied “Twilight took the three reasons Twilight Velvet gave everyone, which sounded valid, and tore them apart. Then she found the real reason behind Twilight Velvet’s actions.”

“And figured out that Twilight Velvet’s been redirecting the anger she’s probably built up over the years.” Star Swirl commented “Hearing about the danger that her daughter is currently facing must have been too much for her to handle, so now she’s lashing out . . . at an innocent pony.”

Before anything else could be said, they noticed Twilight suddenly lift her head.

In the Crystal Empire, Twilight felt familiar magic building and suddenly raised her head.

Velvet raised an eyebrow “Is something wrong?”

“Celestia’s about to teleport both of us to her.” Twilight responded, closing her eyes “You might want to close your eyes. I know from experience that, if you don’t, you’ll be seeing spots for the rest of the day.”

Velvet quickly did as her daughter suggested. A flash of sunlight later, they found themselves back in the living room.

Celestia, Artemis, Cadance, Shining Armor, Flurry, Spike and Night Light looked over when Twilight and Velvet appeared in the center of the room. Before anyone could ask, Twilight showed everyone the argument that she’d had with her mother.

When her memory had finished playing, everyone stared at Velvet.

Velvet didn’t say anything. Instead, to avoid their gazes, she looked at the floor.

After a couple of minutes, Night Light spoke up. “How much of what our daughter said is true, Velvet?” When she didn’t say anything, he raised an eyebrow. “Based on your response, or lack of one, I’m going to assume that she got all of it right.”

Still examining the carpet, Velvet reluctantly nodded.

“I see” Night Light remarked “We’ll discuss this tonight.”

“I won’t force you to speak to your wife before you’re ready,” Celestia began, glancing at him “but the rest of us need to discuss this now.”

Night Light nodded “Of course, princess”

Nodding as well, Celestia turned to Velvet “I will not allow Twilight to take all of the responsibility, especially when you consider the fact that I’m the one who permitted her to stay in Ponyville. However, you must also take some of the responsibility for this. Ponyville isn’t that far from Canterlot, so there’s nothing stopping you from going to visit your daughter.”

Surprised, Velvet lifted her head “Y-you’re right, Princess Celestia.”

“Twilight was right when she said that Artemis had nothing to do with the decisions she made four years ago.” Celestia continued, giving Velvet a look. “She was also correct when she said that you need to stop treating him like this.”

Velvet nodded again “I understand” After hesitating for a moment, she turned to Artemis. Before she could say anything, Celestia moved to stand in between them.

Artemis raised an eyebrow W-what’s she doing now?

“You will be very careful with how you speak, and what you say, to my brother.” Celestia said, narrowing her eyes slightly

Velvet’s eyebrows rose

Seeing this, Celestia explained “Your words have hurt him far more than he’s letting on. I’m sure you can understand why I won’t allow you to do it again.”

Wincing slightly, Velvet replied “Yes, princess”

Twilight watched Celestia move to stand next to Artemis. And there’s Protective Big Sister Mode.

You’re right. Sundance commented, laughing softly when she felt Twilight’s surprise.

Twilight cautiously asked Are you alright, Mom?

I’m fine. Sundance answered

I hope you don’t expect me to believe that. Twilight replied, raising an eyebrow

After a moment of shock, Sundance giggled. Alright, that’s not entirely true. Perhaps I should have said that I will be fine. Before you ask, the same applies to your father.

Twilight was about to say something but, before she could, Velvet began to speak.

“Twilight was right when she said that I’m not really angry at Artemis.” Velvet began, sighing “There are two ponies that I’ve been angry at for years. Princess Celestia and Twilight. However, I didn’t feel that it was appropriate to be angry at either of them, so I kept quiet.”

Everyone gasped

“As for the reason,” Velvet continued “Night Light and I weren’t told that Princess Celestia was preparing our daughter to take on Night-Terror Knight. Nor were we told when she was sent to Ponyville. In fact, we didn’t find out about either of them until Princess Celestia introduced Artemis to the ponies of Canterlot. That’s when we were told about where our daughter had gone and what she had done. That’s also when we were told that Twilight had decided to move to Ponyville without permission from myself or her father.”

Celestia raised an eyebrow “If I had told you about what I was preparing your daughter for, can you honestly tell me that you wouldn’t have taken steps to prevent it?”

“No, princess” Velvet reluctantly answered “If I’d known of the danger you were planning to send my daughter into, I would have done anything I could to keep her with me.”

“I thought so.” Celestia replied “As for not consulting the two of you before allowing Twilight to move to Ponyville, I didn’t do so because she was seventeen years old. That means she was an adult who didn’t need permission from her parents.”

Night Light nodded

Sighing again, Velvet nodded as well.

Twilight cleared her throat, drawing everyone’s attention. “I didn’t tell you because, honestly, I had too many other things on my mind at the time and simply didn’t think about it.” She thought for a moment “Besides, even if I had told you about it, what would you have said?”

Velvet instantly looked offended “I-”

Knowing what his wife was going to say, Night Light gave her a look. “Don’t even think about it, Honey.”

Sighing again, Velvet finished “would have insisted that you move back home. Or at least, go back to the castle.”

Everyone laughed

“As for why I was preparing your daughter to take on Night-Terror Knight,” Celestia began “I had two reasons. Yes, part of the first reason was personal . . . I wanted my brother back.”

Artemis nuzzled his sister.

Returning his nuzzle, Celestia continued “However, the other part was that it was for the good of all of Equestria. Not only because of the danger that Night-Terror Knight would have put everyone in, but because the ponies of Equestria needed their Prince of the Night.”

Confused, Night Light asked “Didn’t you take care of the Night in Artemis’ absence?”

“To a limited extent” Celestia replied “I can raise and lower the moon and stars, but that’s all I’m able to do with my brother’s Night. Artemis is the only one who can truly take care of his moon and stars. He’s also the only one who can protect ponies while they sleep.”

“I see.” Velvet commented thoughtfully “And the second reason?”

Glancing at her little sister, Celestia laughed “I discovered that Twilight was destined to become the Bearer of the Element of Magic shortly after she moved into the castle.”

“How did you figure that out?” Cadance asked, clearly confused

Celestia turned to Twilight. “How should we explain it to them?”

Twilight laughed “Why don’t we just show them those memories?” She paused thoughtfully “You’ll have to explain why you suppressed my memory, though.”

“I have no problem with that.” Celestia replied

“In that case,” Twilight responded “because your memory comes first, you should start.”

Celestia showed everyone her memory of the night that Twilight found her crying as she looked up at her brother’s moon. Then Twilight showed everyone the dream she had after they went to sleep.

Everyone, except for Celestia and Artemis, just stared at Twilight, mouths open.

Eventually, Shining Armor stammered “Y-you repelled Night-Terror Knight . . .”

Night Light continued “b-by yourself . . .”

“W-when you were eight?!” Velvet finished, clearly incredulous

“I didn’t know that’s what I was doing at the time.” Twilight answered “Regardless, that’s what happened.”

I’m still surprised that you were able to do that. Sundance remarked

Cadance spoke slowly “I-I understand why you knew that Twily was going to be the Bearer of the Element of Magic, Aunt Celestia.” She thought for a moment. “If I had to guess, I’d say that you suppressed her memory to make sure she wouldn’t hold back against Night-Terror Knight.”

“That’s exactly why I did it.” Celestia replied “I knew that, if I didn’t, Twilight would have figured out that Artemis was trapped inside him. That means she would have held back in fear of hurting him.”

Glancing at Velvet, Celestia continued “At the time, you refused to believe that Twilight was ready to learn how to teleport. Do you honestly believe that I was going to tell you what she was destined for?” Shaking her head, she continued “I had no intention of stopping Twilight from facing Night-Terror Knight. Instead, I made sure she had the skills that she would need.”

“I see.” Night Light said, smiling “Instead of being angry at you for preparing our daughter for such danger, it seems that we should be thanking you.”

After a moment, Velvet sighed “My little girl was more grown up at eight years old than I am now.”

Everyone stared at her for a long moment before beginning to laugh.

When they’d calmed down, Velvet sighed again. “Anyway, over the years, I’d built up a rather large amount of anger. This is because of all of the other dangers Twilight had been forced to face because she bears one of the Elements of Harmony. In each case, I didn’t find out about it until after everything had been settled. However, I never said anything to Princess Celestia or Twilight. Even Night Light remained unaware of my anger.” Seeing their expressions, she said “I didn’t tell him because couldn’t bring myself to admit it, to anyone.”

Everyone nodded and waited for Velvet to continue.

“I’d gotten rather good at hiding my anger.” Velvet continued “Unfortunately, that changed two days ago. First, I found out that my daughter has been keeping secrets from me. Then I found out about the dangers that she’s currently facing.” She shrugged “It became too much. In order to keep myself sane, I had to find an outlet . . . someone to blame and focus my anger on. However, at the time, I hadn’t placed the blame on anyone yet.” Sighing again, she said “In fact, it wasn’t until Artemis spoke up yesterday morning that he . . . became the target, I guess.”

Twilight sighed “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you that I was moving to Ponyville. However, while I didn’t know it at the time, the Elements of Harmony draw a large part of their power from the strength of my friendship with the girls.” She looked her mother in the eye. “That means the girls and I have to stay near each other because, as odd as this sounds, maintaining the strength of our friendship is crucial for keeping Equestria safe.”

Velvet stared at her daughter, eyes wide

Twilight thought for a moment “As for the other dangers that we faced, we didn’t know about them ahead of time either. In fact, out of all of the times that we had to use the Elements of Harmony, I only knew about one before it actually happened. Well, a couple of days, anyway.”

“Tirek” Night Light guessed

Twilight, Celestia, Artemis and Cadance nodded

Deciding to explain this part herself, Celestia cleared her throat, drawing everyone’s attention. “We didn’t tell anypony about that. Before you ask why, let me ask you something. Do you realize how much panic it would have caused if we’d told the ponies of Equestria that a magic stealing centaur was walking among them?”

Imagining the mass hysteria an announcement like that would have caused, Velvet, Night Light, Shining Armor and Spike winced.

“I-I can understand why you decided to keep that quiet.” Velvet stammered

The four adult alicorns nodded. Glancing at Cadance’s back, everyone noticed that Flurry had fallen asleep.

Velvet turned to her daughter “So, it’s not that you were hiding things from myself and your father, it’s that you didn’t know about them ahead of time either. Is that right?”

“Yes” Twilight replied “Most of the time, these things just happen. Sometimes, Celestia discovers the danger shortly before everything erupts and sends me a letter but the girls and I are usually on our own.”

Realizing that Velvet didn’t believe her, Twilight said “For example, when I figured out that the Elements had to be returned to the Tree of Harmony, Celestia and Artemis had already been captured by Discord’s vines. That means they couldn’t have told me anything. I discovered that there was a problem when I woke up the next day and looked outside.”

“What do you mean?” Night Light asked

Twilight raised an eyebrow “How many times have you seen the sun and the moon in the sky at the same time? Then there was the fact that nopony could find either of them.”

“Oh” Night Light responded “You’re right. That must have been quite a surprise.”

Everyone else laughed

“We may not have actively used the Elements of Harmony that time,” Twilight continued “but their power was necessary to solve the problem. I just had to put them in their proper places.”

Velvet thought for a moment “What about Discord?”

“He’d already escaped.” Twilight answered “As soon as Celestia found out about it, she called the girls and I to Canterlot. If he gets serious, well as serious as he ever gets, the Elements of Harmony are the only things capable of stopping him. Because the girls and I are the only ones who can wield them . . .”

“I understand” Velvet replied, sighing “Fine. I’m still not happy that those things happened, but I understand why they did. I also understand why Night Light and I weren’t told about them until everything had been solved.”

“It’s going to keep happening.” Twilight told her mother “Unfortunately, there’s nothing that any of us can do to stop it. I hate to say it this way, but you’re just going to have to get used to it.”

Velvet gasped “Twilight!”

“If this means that I have to bear the brunt of your anger, so be it.” Twilight continued “However, I won’t allow you to blame Artemis for something that’s not his fault.”

Velvet nodded “I understand” Turning to Artemis, she bowed “I’m sorry, Artemis. They’re right. I had no business treating you like that.” Seeing Artemis open his mouth, she quickly shook her head. “I’ve been told that it’ll be awhile before you’re willing to speak to me again, and I understand why, so I don’t expect a response.”

Surprised, Artemis closed his mouth and glanced at his sister.

Equally surprised, Celestia shrugged

In the stars, Midnight Armor turned to his wife “That was interesting.”

“You’re right” Sundance replied “I don’t blame Twilight Velvet for being unhappy about the fact that that her daughter had been facing such danger without her knowledge. Or that Celestia had been preparing her for it from the start.”

“However,” Star Swirl said “she shouldn’t have handled it the way she did. If she’d just talked to someone about it, her anger wouldn’t have built up to that point.”

“Agreed” Midnight Armor replied “Additionally, she probably wouldn’t have blamed Artemis for something that he had no part of.” He thought for a moment “Regardless, I’m impressed with how Twilight handled the argument with her mother.”

“I am as well.” Star Swirl remarked “If she hadn’t done that, we wouldn't know what Twilight Velvet was really doing.”

“Or why.” Sundance commented

Briefly brightening, the three of them turned their attention back to the Crystal Empire.

In the Crystal Empire, Twilight jumped slightly when she heard Sundance’s voice.

I must say, I’m impressed with the way you handled the argument with Twilight Velvet. Your father and Star Swirl are as well.

Why? Twilight asked, surprised All I did was yell at my mother. She had to stop herself from sighing. In fact, I’ll probably get in trouble for that later.

You’d better not receive a reprimand for that. Sundance immediately responded, temper flaring slightly Especially when you consider the fact that everything you said was correct. She paused for a moment. Your father and I thought that the reasons she gave everyone sounded valid. However, you saw through them and realized that she had a different reason for her actions.

Well, Twilight said thoughtfully as I’m sure you’ve guessed, I’ve known her for a long time.

Sundance laughed

She’s able to tell when I’m hiding something from her, Twilight continued but the same applies to me. Once I realized what was going on, it was merely a matter of remembering things that she’s told me over the years and applying them to the current situation.

“Merely a matter” of remembering things that were said over the course of twenty-one years? Sundance asked skeptically I’d have no trouble believing that . . . if you hadn’t done so during an argument that didn’t even last an hour.

Twilight blushed slightly Well . . .

Sundance laughed again, harder this time.

Twilight was about to say something else but was distracted when Artemis, with a now awake Flurry sitting on his back, walked over to her and leaned closer. Feeling his breath on her ear sent a shiver down her spine.

Seeing this, Artemis smiled before whispering “I assume you’re speaking to Mother.” When she nodded, he continued “I can’t imagine that she was any less upset about Velvet’s comment than Celestia and I were. Is she alright?”

“She was just as upset as you were, if not more so.” Twilight quietly responded “In fact, it sounded like she was crying for several minutes, but she’s feeling better now. We were talking about how I handled the argument with my mother.”

“I see” He replied “I'd like to say something about that as well, but I'll wait until tonight to say it.” Seeing her expression, he shook his head “Don’t worry, I’m not upset. Well, not with you.”

Sighing in relief, she nodded

Flurry was used to this because her parents often did the same. Therefore, she waited patiently for them to finish speaking. When it seemed like they were done, she jumped onto Twilight’s back. “Auntie Twily, guess what!”

Smiling, Twilight reached back to nuzzle her niece. “What is it, Flurry?”

Bouncing in excitement, Flurry exclaimed “Uncle Art took me to see stars! They were really pretty!”

“I bet they were.” Twilight replied “Did you know that he did that just for you?”

Clearly confused, Flurry shook her head.

“You’re not old enough to stay up that late yet.” Twilight explained “That’s why you had never seen the stars. Artemis didn’t want to make you wait until you got older, so he took you to see them.”

Squealing in delight, Flurry jumped back onto Artemis’ back and nuzzled him. “Thank you, Uncle Art!”

I’d be surprised if she wasn’t excited. Sundance commented That was a very nice present.

Smiling, Artemis reached back and returned her nuzzle. “You’re welcome, Flurry. If your parents say it’s alright, I’ll do it again in a few days.”

Flurry was about to say something, but stopped when she was suddenly lifted into the air.

Surprised, Twilight and Artemis looked around to see that everyone watching them. Even more surprising, was the fact that everyone was smiling at them. They glanced at each other before turning to Cadance as she placed her daughter on her back.

I’m glad I got to see that. It may have been with Flurry now, but that will be happening with their foal next year. Still smiling, Cadance walked forward and nuzzled Artemis. “I don’t have a problem with that.”

“I don’t either.” Shining Armor commented, moving to stand next to his wife. “Especially since it’s clear that she really enjoyed it.”

Artemis stared at them but, before he could say anything, Flurry drew everyone’s attention.

“YAY!”

While her shout wasn’t in the Royal Voice, it was pretty close.

Twilight blinked before turning to Cadance. “Y-you might want to work with her on that . . .”

Everyone else just nodded

Cadance looked just as surprised “S-she’s never done that before.”

That’s exactly what Celestia did. Sundance remarked, laughing She was almost ten years old and I’d promised to take her to the ocean for her birthday. She’d never seen the ocean before, let alone been to it, so she was extremely excited.

Twilight giggled

Hearing this, Celestia quietly asked. “What did Mother say?”

“She told me about the first time you used the Royal Voice.” Twilight whispered, giggling again when her big sister blushed.

Seeing this, Sundance giggled as well.

Cadance, Shining Armor, Celestia, Artemis and Twilight looked up when Velvet, with Spike sitting on her back, walked over to join them.

Reaching over to nuzzle Flurry, Velvet commented “Shining Armor never was that interested in the night sky. However, even from an early age, Twilight was a different story.” She laughed “It appears that this little one is more like her aunt than her father.”

Everyone else laughed as well.

Twilight was about to say something, but a flash of magic drew her attention. Surprised, she looked towards the source to see that her father was staring at her.

Noticing that he’d caught his daughter’s attention, Night Light gestured to his side.

Twilight walked over to her father. “Is something wrong, Dad?”

Night Light nodded “I don’t blame you for being angry.” He began “However, I don’t approve of the way you treated your mother.”

Twilight opened her mouth

Seeing this, Night Light shook his head. “There’s no excuse for your actions.” Seeing her expression, he shook his head again. “It doesn’t matter. You shouldn’t have yelled at your mother.”

Knowing that he wasn’t going to let her say anything for a while, Twilight didn’t bother trying. Instead, she sighed I knew I’d get in trouble for that.

Watching to Night Light settle into what promised to be a long lecture, Sundance felt her temper begin to rise. Feeling like she had to do something, she looked around the room for her older children. After a moment, she saw that Celestia and Artemis were standing off to the side, speaking quietly to each other. When Night Light turned to look out the window, she used Twilight’s magic to send a message to them.

Feeling Twilight’s surprise, she quickly said I’m sorry, Twilight. I just needed to say something to Celestia and Artemis.

Twilight had to keep herself from shaking her head because her father chose that moment to look back at her. I-it’s alright, Mom. Just . . . warn me next time, please. I almost said something out loud. If I had done that, it would not have gone well.

Hearing that, Sundance’s anger rose even further, but she forced herself not to say anything.

Meanwhile, Celestia and Artemis were quietly discussing when they should get back to their research and what they’d found so far. Their eyes widened when they saw Twilight’s magic appear in front of them. They were even more surprised, and confused, when it formed a message written in Equestria’s ancient written language.

I’m sorry to interrupt your conversation, but at least one of you needs to go help Twilight. Night Light has the nerve to reprimand her for the argument she had with Twilight Velvet. In fact, it looks like his lecture will last at least a couple of hours.

Once both of them had read the message, it faded.

Concerned, they looked around the room for a moment before seeing Twilight. She was standing on the other side of the room, facing her father, and clearly struggling to maintain control of her temper. Night Light was facing them, but focused on his daughter.

Exchanging glances, and not wanting to distract either of them by teleporting, they quietly walked closer. Still focused on his daughter, Night Light didn’t notice. Instead, he continued his lecture.

“You should have left your mother to me. Instead-”

“How would that have solved anything?” Celestia asked

Startled, Night Light looked up and noticed Celestia and Artemis standing behind his daughter. When Twilight didn’t turn to them, his eyebrows rose. I see. She knows I’m not finished yet, so she’s waiting for me to speak to them. He turned his attention back to Celestia and Artemis, about to politely ask if they’d come back in a few hours. However, seeing their expressions, he hesitated. Instead, he decided to see what they wanted. “What do you mean, Princess Celestia?”

Celestia raised an eyebrow “You didn’t know that Velvet has been bottling her anger for years.”

He opened his mouth

Seeing this, she shook her head. “If my little sister hadn’t done what she did, we wouldn’t have known about any of this.”

Artemis leaned down to nuzzle Twilight before lifting his head to look at Night Light. “Additionally, we wouldn’t have been able to address the fears that were the source of Velvet's anger.”

Celestia nuzzled her sister as well. “My brother is correct. What you’re really doing is punishing your daughter for helping her mother.”

“I won’t argue with the fact that she helped Velvet,” Night Light began “but she still shouldn’t have raised her voice at her mother.”

“If she had spoken calmly, do you really think Velvet would have listened?” She raised an eyebrow “Remember, she was doing her best to justify her anger at Artemis.”

Night Light opened his mouth, closed it and tried to think of a way to explain why his daughter needed to be punished.

Seeing this, Celestia sighed “I’d like you to think about what Velvet said to Artemis. Now imagine that her parents had said that to you. What would Velvet have done?”

Immediately knowing what his wife’s reaction would have been, Night Light’s eyes widened. However, before he could say anything, Velvet spoke up. “I probably would have attacked them. Nopony talks to the father of my children like that.”

Surprised, all four of them turned to see that everyone else was standing behind Celestia and Artemis.

Velvet nuzzled her daughter before walking over to stand next to her husband. “I understand what you’re trying to do, Night Light, but our daughter did nothing wrong. That means you shouldn’t be punishing her.” Looking at Twilight, she asked “Why don’t you go get some lunch before beginning your research for the day?”

Surprised, Twilight finally turned to look at Celestia and Artemis but, before she could say anything, Celestia teleported them to the dining room. Glancing around the room, and finding it empty, she asked “How did you know what he was doing?”

“Mother told us.” Artemis answered, smiling

Twilight blinked “What? I know she used my magic, but she just said that she needed to say something to the two of you . . . so that’s what she meant.”

Celestia, Artemis and Sundance laughed but, before they could say anything else, Cinnamon Spice walked into the dining room.

“I thought I heard voices.” She commented “I’ll be right back with you lunch, your highnesses.”

Surprised, they just looked at her.

Eventually, Artemis said “Thank you”

Laughing, Cinnamon Spice headed back into the kitchen.

Celestia, Artemis and Twilight sat down at the table.

While she waited for her food, Twilight turned her attention to her mother. I wasn’t expecting you to do that, Mom, but thank you.

You’re welcome Sundance replied I told you that you’d better not receive a reprimand for your actions and I meant it.

Confused, Twilight tilted her head B-but I-

Were just defending the pony you love. Sundance finished There’s nothing wrong with that.

Before Twilight could respond, Cinnamon Spice returned with their lunch. Not really in the mood to talk much, they ate quietly. When all three of them had finished, Celestia teleported them to her room.

In Celestia’s room, she walked over to the large table that had been brought up for them to use. Twilight and Artemis looked around for a few moments before joining her. As her siblings sat next to her, Celestia cast a soundproofing spell around the room.

“Where do you want to start?” Twilight asked Celestia

Celestia glanced at Artemis before both of them turned to her. “Aren’t you the one in charge of research? Why don’t you tell us?”

“W-what?” Twilight stammered “Who decided that? I thought we were working together.”

“You told Mother that you were going to handle the research.” Celestia replied, smiling “Besides, you’re better at it than Artemis and I are.”

“B-but-!” Twilight was about to say something else, but paused when she heard their mother’s voice.

Listen to your big sister, Twilight.

Twilight groaned “You don’t need to help her, Mom!”

Sundance laughed

Curious, Celestia nuzzled her sister “What did Mother say?”

Twilight sighed “She told me to listen to my big sister.”

Celestia and Artemis immediately began to laugh.

Twilight just stared at them. When they’d finally calmed, she shrugged “Fine.” After thinking for a moment, she asked “Is there anything in particular that you want to read, Mom?”

Sundance decided to use this as an opportunity to look into something that had been bothering her for a while. Yes. I’d like to read that scroll again.

Curious, but deciding not to ask, Twilight levitated it over and set it on the table in front of her.

Thank you Sundance replied

For several minutes, Sundance was silent. Instead, she read the spells several times, especially the second one. Then she thought over what they knew about Golden Thunder’s plan. When she finally spoke, her words weren’t directed at anypony. Something still doesn’t make sense. She spent a few minutes trying to figure out exactly what she found so strange.

Realizing that this could be important, but not wanting to distract their mother, Twilight poked Artemis and Celestia. When they looked at her, she whispered. “A few minutes ago, Mom said that something doesn’t make sense. I think she’s trying to figure out what it is.”

After thinking for a moment, Celestia quietly replied. “Mother thinks out loud sometimes, just like you do.” No wonder Golden Thunder thought Twilight might be Mother's reincarnation. They're far more alike than I initially thought. Shaking her head, she continued. “If she says anything, write it down.”

Nodding, Artemis levitated a blank scroll, a quill and some ink to Twilight. Returning the nod, Twilight took the quill in her magic and sat, prepared to write. Celestia and Artemis watched carefully.

Sure enough, a couple of minutes later, Sundance began to speak. The dragon attack must have been a diversion . . . a way to ensure that we couldn't interfere with his plan.

Not wanting to distract their mother, Twilight took her notes as quietly as she could. Celestia and Artemis moved to sit next to her, one on either side, and read over her shoulders.

Not noticing any of this, Sundance continued. This is reinforced by the fact that, when we returned sooner than he expected, Golden Thunder told us that he’d hoped to greet us as Equestria’s new king. But why would he have created such an elaborate plan?

Artemis tilted his head, quietly commenting “Good question”

Apparently not hearing her son, Sundance commented. The fact that he waited until Midnight and I were gone to launch his attack means that he didn't plan to kill us first. He had two goals when he attacked the castle . . . trapping the souls of Celestia and Artemis, and taking the throne . . . in that order. But why did he go after our children first?

Sundance thought for a few more minutes before something else occurred to her. If Golden Flash was able to fix the Spirit Reanimation Spell, it would have been easy for Celestia to do the same. Under normal circumstances, there's no way she would have helped Golden Thunder. Even so, he may have planned to force her to finish his spell for him. Unfortunately, it would have been easy for him to do that. If he'd threatened to harm Artemis’ soul . . .

Gasping softly, Celestia breathed “I would have done whatever it took to protect Artemis and he knew it! Mother’s right, I would have finished that spell!”

Sundance gasped, suddenly furious. Golden Thunder thought Celestia and Artemis would be easy targets! He wanted to kill our children, revive them and force them attack us when we returned! That’s how he planned to kill Midnight and I! And it would have worked! There’s no way we would have been able to fight, let alone kill, our children!

Thanks to Twilight, we now know that he had a way to keep our souls trapped for as long as he wanted. With the souls of four alicorns in his trap, he would have had multiple chances to take our immortality! Additionally, there wouldn’t have been anypony able to stop him from taking the throne!

Next Chapter: Chapter 58 Estimated time remaining: 17 Hours, 4 Minutes