Canterlot Castle:

Blood stained the halls of the castle, the bodies of Sentries both allied to this Equestria and allied to Dai-Shocker’s legions littering the hallways, glass windows and art sculptures destroyed by magic blasts and weapons fire.

Galaxy was currently prying his Dino Saber out of a Samurai Sentry he’d pinned to the wall, slamming the blade right through the soldier’s heart, and he grimaced in disgust as he saw the blood staining the blade, for the first time in ages none of it looking particularly appetizing to him even as the Sentry slumped to the floor.

“De către mama mistică…” Galaxy muttered in his own tongue, as behind him two Kurokage Shin troopers canceled their transformations and removed their Energy Lockseeds from their belts revealing themselves to be Lieutenants Rumble Spear and Iron Phalanx of his personal legion.

“Something wrong, Captain?” Rumble Spear asked, as he rested his Kagematsu Shin on his back, placing a dark-furred hand on Galaxy’s shoulder pad in support. Creepy as the thestral was, he was still Rumble’s captain and to be quite honest something sounded… wrong with Galaxy. He couldn’t quite put his finger on what, but there was that trace of uncertainty in Galaxy’s tone.

“Can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think I’ve lost the taste for bloodshed,” Galaxy remarked, and both Rumble and Phalanx blinked in surprise and shared a look. For years, Galaxy had been one of the most brutal ponies in the guard, seemingly reveling in the battle and now, hearing him saying he’d lost the taste for a good fight was… shocking to say the least.

“Captain, are you sure you’re alright?” Rumble pressed. When he was just a private, serving under Celestia he’d heard rumors of Galaxy and his ruthlessness, and as he progressed through the ranks he saw they were more than just simple rumors. During the Changing Invasion of Canterlot at the Royal Wedding, he’d seen Galaxy rip Changings apart limb from limb with whatever he could pick up, be it a gardener’s shovel or a fallen soldier’s blade.

Galaxy chuckled darkly. “Ask yourself, Rumble Spear, have I ever been alright? Does anyone who takes glory in murdering -Even if only in self-defense- and taking apart lives for a living even sound like an alright person to you? My father, bless his soul, had a saying. It went, if the time ever comes when the death of a single individual fails to move us then we have lost our way as ponies. So what does that have to say about me, someone who’s never been moved by the death of hundreds, via by my own hand or someone else’s? You know that old song right? Through the Valley?”

“Yes, yes I do,” Rumble replied, before reciting the opening lines from it. “I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. And I'll fear no evil because I'm blind to it all. And my mind and my gun they comfort me, because I know I'll kill my enemies when they come… That piece, right? Comes from an old human book, the Bible no?”

“Exactly. Not sure which copy, but one version of the piece ends with: And I walk beside the still waters, and they restore my soul. But I know when I die my soul is damned. I’m damned, we’re all damned. We’re murderers,” Galaxy replied, laughing darkly to himself once more. “It’s never been the prospect of dying in combat that’s frightened me, no, but it’s what comes after. Neither of you are probably religious, and I’m fine with that, we all have our ways of coping after all but I know just from what I’ve done already with all the killing and the bloodshed, I’ve already earned eternal damnation. Because Mystic Mother damnit, I enjoyed it. I relished in combat. No normal pony of any species should like that sort of thing… should they?” he asked, his voice breaking. “I don’t know why it’s happened to me now of all times, this was just a random invasion that seemed to serve no purpose. Why it didn’t happen when Lord Drakkon invaded is beyond me, maybe my age is finally catching up to me. I’m slowing down, growing older. Hell, probably going to get picked off sooner or later by some lucky snot-nosed brat.”

“If I may speak freely?” Rumble asked, with Galaxy nodding and giving a soft grunt and a gesture for Rumble Spear to continue. And so he did. “Maybe it’s because it’s no longer yourself you’re looking after,” the pony remarked. “I mean, you’re engaged to be married now right? It’s hardly any big secret. For years you’ve been fighting only for yourself, but now you’ve got a husband-to-be waiting at home. Maybe you’re not afraid of the Mystic Mother, but what he thinks of you, your husband. You’re scared of his judgment, not our Goddess’s.”

Galaxy chuckled. “Perhaps you’re right. Different as we may be like night and day really, Sunburst has always been my softer side. The one who’s always kept me from going just that little bit too far, from stepping over the line,” he remarked, before looking at Rumble’s Pinecone Energy Lockseed. “Mind if I…?”

“Sure,” Rumble said, tossing the padlock-themed device to his Captain. “If I may inquire, why are you so interested in it? You’ve already got powers of your own. And I don’t think there’s any brand of magic in the world that could fuse Helheim and Ranger Powers.”

Galaxy chuckled again, but this time a lighter, softer laugh. “Oh, is that what you think? Hardly. I’m hardly looking to fuse any powers any time soon, you both saw what that did to Drakkon. No, I’m just impressed by the both of you, you wear these well. Never thought I’d say that about a pinecone, but it’s true. Still leaves me to wonder, why did this,” Galaxy asked, lifting the Graphite Energem from his neck. “Ever choose to bond with me? I mean, I’m hardly the last person on Equus that’s got any shred of nobility. Might as well toss it to Blueblood for crying ou-”

Phalanx then did something he thought he or anyone else would ever do, and that was punch Galaxy across the face with a powerful right hook. “Oh, just wake up why don’t you?” Rumble shouted, and Galaxy staggered, eyes blinking in shock. Rumble’s eyes were wide as well. It was then Phalanx realized what’d he done and he began profusely apologizing. “I’m… I’m sorry Captain, I don’t know what came-”

It was then he heard Galaxy laughing, and once he’d stopped he said: “Please do continue Lieutenant. I’m actually interested in what you have to say.”

“O-Okay then,” Phalanx stuttered out, not sure what this was leading up to. “I’m just saying, wake up. That’s all you need to do. You’ve obviously got something in you that led that ‘Energem’ to choose you. The Morphin’ Grid never has seemed to be wrong yet has it? I mean, you’d defend Canterlot or any of Equestria’s other cities to your last breath, right?”

“Yes, I would,” Galaxy answered.

“Then that’s why it chose you, for your steadfast loyalty if nothing else,” Phalanx said with Rumble nodding along, and Galaxy smirked.

“When did you two squirts grow so smart when I wasn’t looking?” he asked. “Seems the student’s become the master in this case.”

“Hey, we only had the best to teach us right?” Rumble asked, and Galaxy smiled.

“Yeah, that you did. Now, let’s get this place cleaned up, we’ve got guests from Yakyakistan or however the hell you pronounce it coming to the castle in a few days, and I highly doubt they want blood and bodies all over the place eh?”

Meanwhile, in Celestia’s personal quarters, the Princess of the Sun found herself sitting on her bed, her head in her hands with her sister beside her. Luna’s arm was around her older sister’s shoulders in a comforting motion.

“Where… where did I go so wrong, in that universe, with that Twilight?” Celestia asked her sister. “I… I could have helped. If Twilight and Spike exist in that universe, chances are me along with that Twilight’s friends existed. Where were they?” Celestia sniffled, letting her mask as the perfect all-knowing Princess of the Sun drop around one of the few ponies she trusted enough.

She fought back her gag reflex, just seeing what Twilight did to those girls made her stomach churn. Infusing them with powers, turning them inside out to suited her perverted desires. Sure, their strength, reflexes, and endurance was increased but at what cost? The worst part was, from what she would tell, they had actively volunteered for it. What kind of world, Celestia had to wonder, would make girls like that with their whole lives ahead of them want to sign up for a madmare’s experiments? Finally, she could fight it back no longer, and with a great heave, the Princess of the Sun retched throwing up all over her carpet.

“Do… do you think I was even there for her?” Celestia asked her sister not caring for her loss of composure. “In any fashion? Hell, for all I know my counterpart was just as twisted as she was, actually encouraging her to continue with those… experiments.”

“You said this world was technologically advanced, yes?” Luna asked, setting her teacup down. “From the description you gave me, it seems like the world Midnight came from falls under the category of ‘Cyber-punk’,”

“You’ve been reading up on popular speculative fiction, it seems dear sister of mine,” Celestia observed. “And it’s Twilight, not Midnight. I still hold the belief that my student can be saved,”

“A pleasing thought. And as for my reading, well there’s little else to do around here half the time,” Luna noted. “I mean, we all have to have our hobbies. Dream-walking, although it pleases me to help others with their nightmares, is a duty and nothing else. I need something to occupy my time. I’m even thinking of taking up writing, might help me get my Equus back up to speed and into modern day ways of thought. But that’s beside the point,” Luna sighed, before getting back on topic. “It seems in that world, from what you told me that corporations ruled that universe like most works of Cyberpunk fiction seem to say they do. Mid-I’m sorry, Twilight, may have been indoctrinated into one of these companies and fell into their line of thinking, losing her morals somewhere along the line. What’s that old saying? The road to hell is paved with good intentions? Maybe she had plans to make sure nobody else would die via a gunman or something, but her ideals got twisted. We both know what that’s like do we not?”

“Yes, we do…” Celestia whispered. “I… I for a moment was ready to execute Twilight where she stood, test how immortal she really was. Did I ever tell you that? Summon Daybreaker to my side and melt her where she stood, render her nothing to ash,”

Luna snorted. “I talked to young Twilight Sparkle -our Twilight Sparkle- about her claims, and it seems she was not making idle boasts. Even if you left nothing of her, she would simply reappear out of thin air as if nothing happened,”

“But the fact remained, I was all too ready to do it, even for just a moment not caring if it wouldn’t have worked or not. Luna, do you think she still remains? I truly believe she still does.”

“I assume you mean Solar Flare?” Luna asked, and Celestia nodded in return.

“Yes, exactly. What are your thoughts on the matter? Am I simply imagining Solar Flare still being with me, or is she really there just waiting for her moment to seize my body once more. Just sitting there in one of the dark corners of my mind biding her time till I’m just too weak to fight her off?”

Luna glanced down at her drink before looking at Celestia again. “Do you wish to know a secret, sister? One I have been keeping since my return,”

Celestia looked hesitant, but nodded all the same.

“Nightmare Moon is not gone,” Reaching a hand up, Luna tapped a pair of fingers against her temple. “She still remains here, preserved in a corner of my mind. I... have a plan for her... as it were.”

“Yes?” Celestia asked.

“I wish to give her a full, true life,” Luna placed her hands on her stomach. “As my daughter.”

Celestia gaped, and after a few minutes her mouth opened and closed making the Princess of the Sun do a remarkable impression of a fish but no words came out. Eventually, she did regain the gift of speech, however.

“...Luna, please tell me her dear sister has finally taken leave of her senses and she didn’t just hear what she thought she just did?” Celestia asked. “You aren’t serious… right? You do know how crazy that sounds, even for you! I… I mean, how do you even plan to pull this off, for starters?” she exclaimed.

“That’s for me to worry about,” Luna said, a smile growing across her face. “My point is, both Solar Flare and Nightmare Moon are the worst parts of us, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t deserve a second chance. If she is still in there, I can help you learn to do as I am doing.”

Celestia nickered. “That’s not exactly reassuring, you know that right?” she asked. “Maybe there’s some truth to the old nature vs nurture argument, who’s to say?”

“Did you know, Wyatt and Twilight have a son?” Luna asked, leaning back in her seat. “Not by blood of course. When they defeated their King Sombra, he was reduced to a child, one I am told is a loving, well-adjusted foal.”

“I suppose, that would be proof that the argument is sound in some aspects. Sure, I suppose some may balk given it’s an alternate universe’s Sombra but that’s likely to come from certain nobles whom neither of us care to listen to anyhow!” Celestia remarked, and Luna bit back a laugh knowing exactly the ones she meant.

Luna shook her head, unable to stop smiling. “Wyatt told me something in the brief time that we spoke that inspired my little plan; it doesn’t matter your origins, if you were born in the shadow or the light. You don’t have to be what your beginnings say you are.”

“No, I was born a mutant, despised by nature. A genetic anomaly that by law, never should have happened and yet look what transpired. An entirely new species was created. Sure, we had a few bumps in the road along the way -perhaps putting it mildly as I tend to do at times- but we became something more than what society said we were to be. Luna, a question if you will?”

“Of course.” she nodded, looking at her sister.

“How should we break it to Equus, about the true levels of our powers? About how we’re not gods, and how we don’t raise the heavens as we always told them?” Celestia asked.

“I... do not know.” Luna shook her head, letting out a long sigh. “There was... something else. While Wyatt was here, Twilight asked him about the Displaced and those that he had encountered. There was one that caught my eye. It’s been in the back of my mind, nagging at me like a parasprite. There is someone out there who can reorder reality with a thought,” She gazed down into her cup, staring at her reflection. “Could you imagine what he could do here? Undo all the wrongs we’ve committed, erase Solar Flare, bring humanity back. To have that much power, to just think and have it be so... Am I breaking, sister? Is the state of our world so bad that I’d rather see it tossed aside than improved?”

“No, I’ve thought about going back in time, killing Solar Flare and myself in the process just so humanity could prosper. But our mistakes, they made us into the ponies we are today for better or for worse. No, it’s not a wrong thought to think, but I believe that perhaps wiping away our past would do our world no better. In fact, changing it might only make it worse off. There is a balance in the universe, I know this much. Change one thing, and something must replace it. If Solar Flare was removed from this world, something far worse may arise,” Celestia replied. “The balance must be maintained, for better or for worse. A simple snap of the fingers, changing everything with just a simple thought would not be the wisest of decisions in any manner. Imagine, what if I asked you to bring something to life, something that was never meant to live? What might happen? Would someone else have to lose their life in the process for this simple exchange? Now imagine that, happening on a reality-wide scale.”

Luna shuddered. “You are quite right sister. Perhaps it is for the best. And maybe it is for the best that we keep no secrets from our kingdom any longer. Yes, the populace must be told of our true natures.”

“Exactly. We must tell them the full truth, and no matter what happens next we will let them decide for themselves what to do. Whether to dethrone us, or let us continue our rulership. In a few days, we will address the nation, agreed?”

“Quite,” Luna smiled. “No more secrets. No more. And whatever happens, I will be there for you sister.”

“And I you.”

Ponyville:

Early that next morning, one Agent Sweetie Drops of SMILE was pacing back and forth in the main room of her and her wife’s apartment, located above their shared sweets shop. She had to tell her, tell her everything. Her involvement in SMILE, her status as Kamen Rider Joker. Everything. Keeping these secrets, in the long run, would not be beneficial to her and their relationship in the slightest.

“There’s only one way to do it,” Sweetie Drops thought. “Just tell her outright, no holding anything back.” she mused, clutching the Skull and Joker memories in her palm, along with a new one. It was a green color, marked with a C short for Cyclone.

“L-Lyra?” Bon-Bon called out with a small stutter in her voice, directing it towards the bathroom, where her wife was brushing her teeth. “Can you come here a moment? I have to tell you something.”

Not even facing down a fucking Bugbear or that Gemn loon was this nerve wracking, she thought, as Lyra emerged.

“Bonnie, you alright? And what’s this big secret?” she asked in concern, before her face broke out into a grin. “Wait, are you pregnant? Are we about to be mothers?”

“No, not that,” Bon-Bon said, as Lyra’s smile faded. Bon-Bon gestured for her wife to sit down on the couch. “Trust me, you’re going to need to sit down for this.”

“O-Okay…” Lyra nodded, now suddenly nervous for reasons she didn’t quite understand.

“There’s… things about me you need to know. Things I should have told you about right after we married. No secrets between wives, right?” Bon-Bon asked nervously.

“You’re… You’re not cheating on me with another mare are you?” Lyra whispered, fighting back tears at the thought, before grabbing Bon-Bon by the nightgown and shouting: “Please tell me it’s anything but that!” in desperation and fear shaking her.

“Of course I’m not cheating on you!” Bon-Bon shouted, her eyes going wide. “Why would you even think that!?!?”

“Well, you sit me down and then say you’ve got things to say, things you should have told me since we first got married. What else am I supposed to think?” Lyra asked, looking directly at her wife and throwing her hands up in the air in frustration. “That you’re a secret agent or something?”

“Well, she’s not wrong…” Bon-Bon thought to herself.

Lyra took notice of the small multi colored flash drives her wife clutched tightly in her right hand.

“Bonnie,” Lyra asked slowly, with a dangerous edge to her tone. “What are those?”

“They’re called Gaia Memories,” Bon-Bon started. “They’re used for-”

“Gaia what now?” Lyra asked, tilting her head. “Sounds like a drug. Please tell me you haven’t been taking drugs the whole time we’ve been married!” she shouted, before muttering to herself: “Explains a hell of a lot, like why we haven’t been with child yet even with the magical spells and everything…”

“Lyra,” Bon-Bon stated cooly. “Calm down, they’re not drugs. Far from it in fact. They’re sorta like morphers, in a sense. Just need a certain type of belt to use them.” she explained as best as she could, or at least in a way Lyra could understand it.

“So… that means you’re sorta like a Power Ranger, right?” Lyra asked, trying very hard to keep from squeeing before shouting to the whole world her wife was a superhero. In fact, she almost did had Bon-Bon not pulled her back into her seat.

“No, not a Ranger. A Kamen Rider.”

“A what now?” Lyra asked in confusion. “Sounds Neighponiese.”

“Yeah, it is. Did a bit of reading, and it means Masked really. Masked Rider. And about that secret agent theory of yours, well…”

“No way, just no friggin’ way,” Lyra muttered, and Bon-Bon smiled sheepishly.

“Surprise?” she replied. “And my name’s not Bon-Bon, it’s Sweetie Drops. I’m a agent of SMILE, organization dedicated to fighting and hunting down dangerous magical creatures and as of recently monsters as well.”

Lyra seemed, at least at first to be taking this as calmly as anyone just told their wife was living a double life could have, before all Hell broke loose.

“How real was it?” she asked hardly. “How real was any of it? How real was… us?” she asked, Lyra barely fighting back tears.

“Lyra, if you just calm down and lis-”

Bon-Bon suddenly felt a stinging slap hit her, with Lyra glaring at her wife angrily.

“Keep calm, listen? I’ve just been told my wife is not who I thought she was, routinely putting herself in danger and gallivanting around in a mask of some sort while I’m forced to question everything I ever knew about our relationship, so you do not get to tell me to calm down!” Lyra yelled, nearly on the verge of screaming. Bon-Bon grabbed her by the shoulders and looked her wife dead in the eyes.

“Come on, look at me Lyra. Just look at me,” Bon-Bon stated calmly. “Remember our wedding day? You remember that right? We said till death do us part, that still stands. Just look at me in the eyes, and tell me none of that was real.”

“It… It was real…” Lyra admitted. “But what else? I mean, who are you, Bon-Bon, confectionare extraordinaire or Sweetie Drops, agent of SMILE?”

“I’m both. To Equestria and our majesty’s secret service, I’m Sweetie Drops but when the job’s over and the monster’s six feet under, I’m the same mare you’ve known and loved for eight years. Does that make sense?” she asked.

“Can… Can I at least see you morph or whatever?” Lyra requested, wiping away the tears.

“It’s called Henshining, means transform in Neighponiese but I guess Henshin rolls off the tongue better. But…” Bon-Bon trailed off, bringing out the Lost Driver and slapping it on her waist before pressing down on the purple Gaia Memory.

“Joker!”

She then slammed it into her belt with a shout of “Henshin!” and was soon covered in a form-fitting black bodysuit that left Lyra drooling somewhat. Quickly regaining her composure, she smiled.

“So, what do you think?” Bon-Bon asked.

“I like it,” Lyra smiled, her expression turning seductive. “But I think I’d much rather like to see you with it… off.”

“What do you…?” Bon-Bon asked, tilting her head in confusion before her eyes widened. “Oh!” she exclaimed canceling the transformation just in time for Lyra to wrap her arms around her and envelop her in a deep kiss. Tongues fighting briefly for dominance, Lyra pulled away from her wife.

“Now come on, we don’t have to open up shop for another hour and a half and I think after learning my wife’s a superhero she deserves a very just reward…” Lyra trailed off, letting her negligee drop before pulling her wife back into the bedroom with a soft giggle and shutting the door.

Author's Notes:

Okay, first off, a huge thanks to Shagohad12 for playing Luna in this chapter, and writing out her responses, massive thank you man. Now yes, before any of you ask, Double willbe a thing, with Lyra and Bon-Bon as the Cyclone and Joker users. Somebody better start counting up their crimes soon... Looks at Thrax

"But I've got too many to count!"

Now, originally I wasn't a fan of the whole Nightmare Moon child thing, sorta overdone and I thought about Luna admitting to the Tantabus instead (As let's face it, stupid plot point but dream episodes are always fun as you can get away with all kinds of crazy ass shit. Already thinking of doing a dream episode just so I can get Luna as Dark Kiva) but Shagohad won me over, and I admitted perhaps having Sunset and Robert as godparents is an interesting thought, giving the child the childhood they never really had. I'm a sucker for characters with messed up psyches, what can I say? If this is done, I do want to do it in such a way so that the plot doesn't become "Aww, look at the cute little kiddy!" so your advice is appreciated.

Now as ever, your comments, thoughts and any constructive criticism you might have is welcomed.