“I thought I was going to die.”
“Impossible. You were never alone.”
Captain Kirk and Captain Spock, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.

Canterlot Palace, Equestria-Harmonia. 9th May, Year 3 Era Harmonia.

It was amazing how long it felt like it had actually been since Luna had stood on Equestrian soil. What had been a matter of mere hours felt like it had been literal years.

It was her Night Guard awaiting her in the throne room when the portal receded from her vision. For a moment, Luna stood on the paving tiles and simply basked in the feeling that seemed almost to resonate in the air. She took a deep inward breath, suddenly feeling energised in a way she hadn’t realised she was lacking.

I’m home, she thought. I’m really home.

Her sister wasn’t there, of course. It had been decided that having Celestia be there to meet them right away would have been… impolitic. And the last thing they could afford was to be impolitic right now – fighting alongside the humans might have earned them good will, but Luna and Celestia were both conscious that their new allies had been fighting an enemy that was fundamentally identical to Equestria in far too many ways.

And yet, different as well, Luna thought solemnly. But how different… that, we have yet to determine.

“Well, we didn’t incinerate or turn into mindlessly grinning fake ponies,” came the voice of Durant Gagnier from next to her. “So that’s a start, I suppose.”

She turned to see Bauer smacking Gagnier in the arm, though he looked no less surprised than his comrade did.

“Shut up, idioten.”

“You have arrived safely, both of you,” Luna said with a smile, ignoring their brief bickering.

“That we have,” Bauer said, still scowling at Gagnier. He looked to Luna. “So where is -”

“Stephan! Durant!”

Alexander Reiner’s voice cut through the hallway, the human appearing at the end of the hall, Lyra Heartstrings behind him.

“Alex?” Bauer said, his eyes wide as he saw his comrade. “Gottverdammt! You’re alive! You’re really alive! And…”

Bauer’s smile faded as he saw Heartstrings, whose eyes were fixed on the two humans with an expression that Luna could only describe as ‘wonder’.

And why not? Luna thought grimly. To them, she must be almost as a ghost, resurrected from their past.

“I shall leave you all be to talk,” she said after a moment. “I must speak with my sister.”

“Yeah,” Bauer said, nodding without looking at her. “That’s… a good idea.”

Luna inclined her head and trotted away, passing Reiner and Heartstrings. The last thing she heard before the door to the throne room closed was a loud curse from Gagnier.

“Merde!”

Lyra Heartstrings couldn’t believe her eyes. Standing in front of her was not one, but two full-sized humans. The first one who had spoken wore silver, sturdy looking armour marked with several symbols Lyra didn’t recognise. He had blonde hair, and across his back was slung a long sword. The second human wore the same sort of fatigues Alex had worn, although his were far less damaged than Alex’s had been. He had darker air, ashen skin, and was scared across his cheek. Grey eyes were starin at Lyra with disbelief.

Why wouldn’t he be surprised to see you? Lyra thought to herself. You’re dead in his world, remember?

“Lyra Heartstrings,” this man said in a heavily accented voice. “What the actual fuck, Alex?!”

Lyra winced, but Alex put a hand on her shoulder protectively.

“Guys, this is the Lyra from this world,” he said. He looked down at Lyra. “Lyra, these are my colleagues. Major Stephan Bauer,” he pointed to the armoured man, “and Major Durant Gagnier.”

The man in fatigues threw an ironic salute in Lyra’s direction. “Ma’am.”

“Stephan and Durant are both with UNAC, seconded from their respective national armies,” Alex said. “They’re the men on the ground with our defences in the city of Boston.”

“Speak for yourself, Reiner, I’m the man in the fuckoff huge mech,” Gagnier said.

Alex laughed, but it was a tired one.

“How… how is everything?” he asked after a moment. There was something almost desperately in his tone.

“Well, it’s…” Stephan Bauer began, but he paused as more figures emerged from the portal.

Four Unicorns carrying a large stretcher in the magic fields trotted out of the portal, looking more than a little shell-shocked at the sight.

“Hells,” one of them swore. “This really is it, isn’t it?”

But Lyra couldn’t think of a way to answer them, for her attention was drawn to the figure on the stretcher. It was an alabaster Alicorn, rainbow hair hanging lankly, purple eyes open and staring blankly. One wing was missing from her body, but Lyra would have recognised her easily even without it.

Celestia, she thought, her blood running cold.

“Is that the fucking Queen?!” Alex said from next to her, taking a step toward the stretcher in disbelief.

“It… no,” Stephan Bauer said quietly. “It’s a clone.”

“A clone?” Alex repeated. “What the… how? Why?”

“She’s been using it whenever she deals with Earth, apparently,” Gagnier said quietly. “Made with something called a Mirror Pool.”

“A Mirror Pool?” Lyra repeated, looking at Gagnier. “Pinkie Pie used that a little while ago – ended up making a few dozen copies of herself. You’re saying this is one of those copies?”

“Sort of,” Gagnier answered, meeting her eyes for a moment before looking away. He looked to Alex, as though steadfastly ignoring Lyra. “She was controlling it herself. Even felt its pain, she said, though she didn’t fucking act like it.”

Alex frowned from next to Lyra, his eyes still fixed on the clone. He turned to one of the Night Guards.

“If you could take this to… to wherever you would normally keep an injured prisoner,” he asked quietly. “And… let Princess Celestia know?”

The Night Guardspony nodded, before motioning to his comrades. They moved to take the stretcher from the Unicorns, who seemed glad to be rid of it.

“Sir,” the lead of these Unicorns said, “do you still need us here, or…?”

“Head back,” Alex said quietly. “Tell ‘em… tell ‘em more are coming back shortly.”

“Yes, sir,” the Unicorn said, throwing Alex a salute. His eyes glanced at Lyra, and for a moment there was something in his eyes that Lyra didn’t recognise – not just recognition, but something closer to… awe? And then he and his comrades turned and marched back through the portal.

For a long moment, there was silence between Lyra and the three humans, and she took the opportunity to look them over a little closer. The armour that Stephan Bauer wore was pitted and damaged, with scratches and dents that spoke of hard wear and tear. The other man’s attire was cleaner, save for a handful of tiny rips, but both men looked haggard and exhausted.

Like Alex did when he first came here, she thought sadly.

“You fought her,” Alex said to Gagnier and Bauer after a moment. “Didn’t you?”

“For a given value of ‘fighting’,” Bauer said quietly. “We didn’t do much.”

“I didn’t know any pony – any being – could fight an Alicorn,” Lyra said, looking at the two of them with wide eyes. “It’s… I don’t think it’s ever been done.”

“It hasn’t with us, either,” Bauer replied with a mirthless smile. “Until this thing. And it took your Princess Luna, along with Galatea, Discord, and every weapon we could muster, just to bring it down to Earth. She was… it was a game to her. She was playing with her food.”

“But it’s still alive, somehow?” Alex asked, taking another hesitant step towards it. “How is that even possible? How did you capture it?”

“She abandoned it,” Bauer said quietly. “Just up and left it to rot. I don’t even think it has a mind anymore. Just makes guttural noises now and then and stares blankly.”

“That doesn’t make sense,” Lyra muttered under her breath.

Alex turned to look at her, as did the other two humans, and she suddenly felt acutely aware of their staring.

“It’s just… the things Pinkie Pie made were… weird,” she said from next to Alex, trying not to feel too self-conscious. “But they were… I guess, they were ‘real’. They talked, they had personalities… well, they had her personality, but it was like the more she copied herself, the less there was.”

“That’s not exactly reassuring,” Gagnier said, looking at her with a frown before looking to where the clone was being carted out of the room. “If this thing wakes up from its catatonia, you’re saying it’ll have the Queen’s personality?”

Lyra swallowed. “I’m not saying anything, Mr Gagnier. I’m telling you what I know about… about what you've brought. There’s a difference.”

Gagnier turned his head slowly, looking down at Lyra with wide eyes. Next to him, Bauer chuckled.

“The Lyra Heartstrings we had on our world was always good at holding her own around men like us, Durant,” he said. “Looks like this one’s got that skill down pat, too.”

“Well, I guess I’m going to need it,” Lyra said, looking at Bauer next, her expression resolute. “I’m going to your world, after all.”

That left everyone silent. Finally, Bauer spoke.

“Scheisse.”

When Luna reached Celestia’s quarters, she found her sister was not there. But there was somepony who she was glad to see.

Twilight Sparkle was speaking with a Guardspony, an expression of consternation on her face.

“Princess Luna!” she said upon seeing Luna. “You’re back!”

“I am at that,” Luna replied. “And you are here, and safe, Twilight, which gladdens me more than I can say.”

Twilight frowned. “Did something happen?”

“A great many things,” Luna replied, “but I will speak of them soon, no doubt. For now, I am seeking my sister.”

“As I was just explaining to Ms Sparkle, your highness,” the Guardspony said, “the Princess – Princess Celestia, I should say – left a few minutes ago. She was just here after speaking with Professors Trotsworth and Nexus.”

“Oh?” Luna asked. “On what topic?”

“Runes,” Twilight answered for the Guardspony. “The Professors have been working on the topic for a few days now.”

“Indeed?” Luna asked.

“Yes, your highness,” Twilight said, smiling. “Professor Nexus brought back some interesting notes from his trip with the zebra historical council, and I found a few notes in one of the latest research papers connecting the various Horse glyphs to the same connected root runic language.”

“‘Connected root runic language’?” Luna repeated, frowning. “I wasn’t aware there was one.”

“Well, apparently there is,” Twilight replied eagerly. “We are starting to think that wherever those runes come from, it might be a hint towards whatever Lyra’s other self was doing. These are the same runes that were on Alexander Reiner’s body, so they must have some significance.”

“Indeed?” Luna said. She nodded. “Well, carry on with the research, Twilight. I must still speak with Celestia, however.”

“I think she was heading for the cells, your highness,” the Guardspony said. “Something about a prisoner?”

Luna nodded, a frown settling onto her face. “I see. I think I know who she means.”

“You want to come back to our world?” Stephan Bauer said after a moment.

Lyra nodded. “That’s right. I…” She took a deep breath. “I know it might be dangerous -”

“Might be dangerous?!” Gagnier cut her off, his eyes widening in something resembling complete horror. “Might be – look, we’re – I – Alex, you can’t be okay with this?!”

Lyra looked up at Alex. His expression was grim, but resolute, his jaw set. He glanced down at her, and nodded, before looking back at Gagnier.

“Lyra believes she has to seek out her other self’s journals and finish what she started,” he said after a moment. “And if she goes, I’m going with her. I have to help… to make right what all of us have done wrong in Lyra’s absence.”

“But… but she’s a civilian,” Bauer said quietly. “Alex, be reasonable, our world… we don’t need more people there who need to be protected. We can barely protect the ones we have as it is.”

“If my journals have any hint of what’s happened to the other Equestria, you’ll need me in order to interpret them,” Lyra said hotly. “I get that it’s dangerous. Really, I do. I’ve seen…”

She paused, her jaw clacking shut.

“You’ve seen?” Gagnier repeated. “What have you seen, exactly?”

“She’s been in my head,” Alex said quietly. “She and the Element bearers of this world. They had to learn the truth of what was happening on Earth.”

“They’ve been in your head?” Gagnier yelled. “The fuck, Alex?! We’ve had laws against that for years!”

“We were trying to learn the truth, to find out just what had happened to Alex,” Lyra said quietly. “And now we know. We know… not everything, but enough to know we can’t stand by and do nothing.”

Bauer and Gagnier quieted down. Gagnier still didn’t look happy, but he wasn’t saying anything, so that was a positive.

“So,” Alex said after a minute. “Since I’m going to be going home, I’m going to need one of you to take my place here.”

Gagnier blinked, a new scowl settling on his face, and Bauer looked confused.

“Take your place?” he said. “What doing?”

“Celestia – this Celestia – called a meeting,” Alex replied, folding his arms. “Summoning every leader on Equus to Canterlot. I think the gist of it is, she’s going to ask all of them to help us.”

“All of them?!” Stephan repeated. “That… that’s…”

Lyra frowned. “But that’s good, isn’t it?”

“It’d be fucking unbelievable,” Gagnier said dully. “In our universe, Celestia signed a nonaggression pact with most of the nations of Equus after the destruction of Adlaborn.” He laughed hollowly. “And you can imagine, after she and her armies wrecked the incarnation of Santa Claus, none of the other races wanted a piece of that.”

Lyra pursed her lips, before looking up at Alex. He nodded.

“We’ve been alone in our fight,” he said quietly. “Oh, there’s always been mercenaries or the occasional Good Samaritan from those races who wanted to come help, but nothing major. No fleets from the Griffons, no Meks from the Kirin. Nothing.”

“Meanwhile her foreign legions get volunteers to fucking spare,” Gagnier muttered.

“So where do we come in?” Stephan asked before Lyra could question Gagnier about ‘foreign legions’. “With this meeting?”

“If I’m going, you stay,” Alex replied. “That simple.”

“You expect me, of all people, to stay here and play diplomat?” Gagnier asked flatly. “Seriously, Alex?”

Alex just laughed. “No – just Stephan. I’d rather you didn’t start a war with another Equestria, Durant.”

Gagnier laughed too, a loud, almost chilling thing. Bauer, on the other hand, looked shocked.

“I… I don’t know,” he said after a moment. “I don't know if I can do it. Be here, with… with them.” He frowned. “And what about… what about when Trixie comes back?”

Alex shook his head.

“I need level heads,” he said, “and I need soldiers, people who’ll tell the truth and not varnish it up in propaganda. I need to tell these people what we have and what we need, not diplomats who’ll sex it up for the cameras and exaggerate the worst of it.” He scowled. “God knows it shouldn’t need to be exaggerated that much.”

Stephan paused for a moment, before nodding grimly.

“Alright, sir,” he said. “I’ll do my best.”

Alex put a hand on Stephan’s armoured shoulder. “I know you will, Stephan. I trust you to see this done.”

“And you’ll be going back?” Gagnier asked Alex. “Just to help Lyra, or…?”

“Lyra’s going to need all the help she can get,” Alex said with a nod. He looked down at Lyra. “Not that I don’t think you can handle yourself, but -”

“No, I understand,” Lyra said, smiling nervously. “Whole new world, I’d be a bit dumb to want to go there alone without anybeing who knew what they were doing.”

Alex shrugged. “Well, you won’t be alone. I promise you that.”

Lyra smiled again. “Thanks. I appreciate that.”

“It’s going to be hard for you, seeing our world,” Bauer cautioned. His expression was grim. “It’s been a long war.”

“Alex’s made that clear,” Lyra replied honestly. “And that’s why I have to go. If I can do anything – anything – about what’s happening in your world… isn’t that almost like my duty?”

For a moment, there was silence, almost as though there was nothing any of the humans could say to that. Finally, Gagnier laughed.

“Ma’am,” he said, “can I just say, I fucking like your attitude?”

Alex laughed, and then Lyra laughed too. And for a moment, everything felt right with the world. It couldn’t last, of course, but it was nice to have that for a moment.

And that, Lyra thought, is what I’m fighting for.

The prisoner was throwing a ball against a wall when Luna reached the cells a few minutes later. She didn’t look up as Luna approached, not even to acknowledge her presence.

“Your highness,” one of the Guardsponies said. “Your sister was here a few minutes ago, but one of your Night Guard summoned her to the infirmary on a matter of urgency. Something about another prisoner?”

Luna had a pretty good guess which prisoner the Guardspony was referring to. But to her interest, the word ‘prisoner’ had caught their current guest’s attention: she had tilted her head slightly, listening in.

“Thank you, Guardspony,” Luna finally said.

She stepped forward, now looking at their current prisoner with narrowed eyes: Redheart – the Imperial Redheart, the one who had come to this world alongside Alexander Reiner.

The mare did not look up, and Luna took a moment to just stare at her. She had seen the ponies of the Empire, now: seen their broken bodies, at least. She wondered for a moment if all of them were as partitioned as Twilight Sparkle had been, trapped within their own minds in a foggy dream.

“My sister came to see you,” Luna finally said.

Redheart turned her head, catching her ball one last time and not throwing it again. “She did.”

“Did you speak of anything of note?”

A shrug. “Not really.”

“Somehow, I find that difficult to believe.”

“She asked how I was.” Redheart snorted derisively. “Kind hearted as always. Like stepping back into yesterday. It’s a pity her kind-heartedness may be the end of her.”

“Do not threaten my sister, cur,” Luna hissed.

“I’m not,” Redheart replied quietly. “But helping the humans is a path with only one end.”

Luna scowled. “This from one who saved her enemy’s life.”

There: a twitch, one of pain almost. “That was…”

“It was what, Redheart?” Luna asked. “I have heard talk of your world’s ‘Geas’, keeping your warriors in check. I find it hard to believe it allowed you this.”

“Have you really,” Redheart said dully. “How nice for you.”

“You disobeyed it,” Luna continued.

“I did,” Redheart said. She scowled. “Damn thing. I didn’t need it. The Geas was never needed.” Her expression softened. “Not for us.”

“‘Us’?” Luna repeated, frowning. “Who is ‘us’, exactly?”

“The faithful.” Redheart paused. “There were some of us… the chosen few, those who saw the battles of the Obsidian War and swore we were Celestia’s forever. She saved us all.” Her expression took on a wistful quality. “She personally healed Captain Dune after he was caught in a Composer Crystal – I suppose they called him ‘Captain Cactus’ after that, poor bucker.”

This had absolutely no context for Luna. But she did remember something of the Composer Crystals – Sombra had used them to magically convert living matter such as plants, small animals, and even living ponies into more magically conductive crystal for his weapons and spells.

There was a reason the area surrounding the Crystal Empire had been tundra.

Redheart wasn’t done, however. “She fixed Lightning Dust’s wing after it was torn off by brainwashed Crystal Ponies in Berserker Armor. She even saved what was left of the Eighth at the battle of the Tower of Stars, single handedly held off the whole damn horde of shadows Sombra summoned.” She laughed aloud. “There’s an irony. So many of us died to save that stupid black phallus in the middle of nowhere, and then years later she sent us back there with the Angel to burn it down.” Her expression softened. “We left as heroes. We returned as conquerors.”

Luna frowned, feeling almost sympathetic. “Your world has suffered greatly.”

“It was the price we paid for complacency,” Redheart retorted. “You think the peace you have is eternal, Princess Luna? That couldn’t be further from the truth.” She sighed. “We saw the worst the universe could throw at us. Even the weapons the humans have can’t compare to the Tainted Empire’s war machine, his campaign’s of conquest and slaughter.”

“Sombra was defeated here without a war,” Luna said quietly. “He cannot lead any campaign of conquest here, or anywhere, ever again.”

There, the twitch again. Redheart looked away from Luna, her expression unreadable.

“If there’s nothing else, Princess,” she said after a moment.

“I’m curious about one thing,” Luna said. “In this war your people fought against Sombra. Where was I? You speak of my sister’s deeds, but I cannot imagine I was silent on the matter.”

“You were not,” Redheart said shortly. “But your deeds were retroactively removed. The blow that was your treason far outweighed the nobility of your service.” She turned to glare at Luna. “They’re all dead, now. Your Night Guard. They’re dead and what’s left of them scattered to the winds, running to Earth, to the Griffons, to anybeing that would take them.” She had a look that was somewhere between sadness and satisfaction on her face. “That was the cost of your treason.”

Luna swallowed, but she knew Redheart was trying to upset her.

“I see,” was all she said. “Then no. There is nothing else. Enjoy your captivity, Redheart.”

She turned and strode off, not even speaking to the Guardspony as she trotted away from the cells and headed for the infirmary.

When Twilight returned to the Palace Library, she found Professors Nexus and Trotsworth speaking with Pinkie Pie. Although ‘speaking’ might have been a little bit of an overstatement: Pinkie was talking, Spell Nexus was listening intently, and Trotsworth had the wide-eyed, surprised expression of one who had never dealt with Pinkie Pie before.

“… now the trick, with a normal ‘eight-or-nine-thousand-birthdays-at-once’ party, is that usually there’s eight or nine thousand ponies, griffons, or other beings floating around for you to run the party for,” Pinkie was saying, her tone deadly serious. “This is going to be completely different of course, because first it’s one mare, so instead of having to give eight or nine thousand ponies, griffons, or other beings each a single party experience, we somehow have to cram eight-or-nine thousand party experiences into one super-duper, humongous party experience.”

“Sounds fun,” Applejack commented idly. She wasn’t even pretending to flick through the book she was meant to be researching. None of the others looked like they were getting anywhere either – Rainbow Dash wasn’t even reading, merely standing behind Fluttershy and looking around idly. Rarity seemed more engrossed, but even she didn’t look happy.

“Fun?” Pinkie repeated. “Fun?! It’s going to be a nightmare! I have less than a month to plan a party that would need at least eighteen months to plan! Seventeen if I use food for every kind of stomach...”

“Why not delay it by a year and take the year to plan?” Rarity said from one corner of the room. “If it’s going to be an ‘eight-or-nine-thousand-parties-in-one party’, what difference does one more party’s worth make?”

“What difference?” Pinkie asked. “Are you serious right now, Rarity? We’ve been friends for how long? Three years, four years? And you still don’t get just how much work goes into even one party’s worth of party experience?!”

“I’m so sorry I asked,” Rarity muttered to Applejack, who smiled sympathetically. Pinkie being stressed about parties was nothing new, after all.

“One party can be a logistical and fun-ratio-balancing nightmare all on its own! Now imagine one party that combines eight or nine thousand of them!” Pinkie continued. She ran a hoof through her mane, her eyes wide, and yet there was a certain joyful mania to her energy. “We’re talking kitchen sinks, damn the torpedoes, wormsign the likes of which even God has never seen. It’s big!”

Spell Nexus and Trotsworth exchanged a look.

“And,” Spell Nexus coughed. “Forgive me, Ms Pie, but… why would we need to know about this?”

“Because I need help!” Pinkie replied exasperatedly. “I mean, you did hear the part about having less than a month to plan a party that needs two years of planning, right? I can’t handle it all on my own!”

A moment of silence followed, before Pinkie rolled her eyes.

“We don’t have time for an author-mandated moment of silence!” she said urgently, looking at the ceiling. “This is serious!”

“Ms Pie,” Trotsworth said after a moment more (“which we don’t have time for!” Pinkie snapped at the ceiling. “Stop writing filler!”), “while I’m well aware of the gravity of such a task and am willing to support in any way possible… we’re both professors of magic. Not of parties.”

Pinkie rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I know. But between the difficulty, the timeframe, and the fact that I still have to plan a ‘welcome to Equestria’ series of parties for the Concordat, it’s going to take magic to prepare Galatea's party properly. Like, we’re gonna have to write whole new books of magic just to make this work!”

“I’m sure Twilight’ll love that,” Rainbow Dash said from the corner of the room. “Speakin’ of, hey Twi.”

“Hey, girls,” Twilight said. She looked to the Professors. “Professor Nexus, Professor Trotsworth.”

“Twilight!” Trotsworth said, a little too happily. “Wonderful to see you. How goes your research?”

“Oh, it goes,” Twilight said, chuckling. “But, uh, it sounds like you're doing some important research of your own.”

“It is certainly a unique field of study,” Spell Nexus said evenly. “Something neither of us had ever thought of…” His voice trailed off in contemplation before he turned to his colleague, “Ms Pie might be onto something, Trotsworth. Maybe her magic might be worth documenting and studying.”

Trotsworth’s eyes widened slightly, and his smile became a little more fixed.

“Well, you’re the Headmaster, old colt.” He slapped his colleague on the shoulder. “I’m sure you’ll have fun with that.” He turned back to Twilight, his smile fading. “In the meantime -”

“In the meantime,” Spell Nexus interrupted, “we’ve had some news from the Horses of Saddle Arabia.”

Twilight’s eyes widened. “We have?”

“Apparently a few members of one of their noble houses will be coming to represent their people at the Concordat,” Trotsworth said softly. “I know the family’s reputation – they’re experts.”

“That's good,” Twilight said softly, smiling in something that might have been relief. “Have we gotten any further in the meantime?”

“Eenope,” Applejack said, shoving her book roughly away from her. “I get that this stuff is important, Twi, really. But I don’t have the head for it, and I guarantee, nopony else here – ‘part from the two Professors – does neither.”

“I must admit, despite the obvious artistic similarities between different runic languages, I’m a long way from being able to make anything useful out either,” Rarity said quietly.

“We haven’t found much either,” Rainbow Dash said.

“You kept reading Pegasus historical stuff instead,” Fluttershy pointed out.

Dash just rolled her eyes. “Of course I was. Pegasus history’s old, Fluttershy, maybe old enough to know what’s what!”

“Except it wasn’t,” Rarity cut in, looking faintly amused.

Twilight nodded, sighing. “It was a long shot, girls. Maybe once the Horse experts arrive, we’ll make more headway.”

“Indeed,” Trotsworth said quietly. “So far, about the only interesting thing we’ve been able to roughly translate is some of the runic inscriptions found at the site Spell Nexus was at.”

“Oh?” Twilight asked.

“Nothing too useful, I’m afraid,” Spell Nexus said quietly. “It wasn’t even an inscription – it was graffiti.”

“Graffiti,” Twilight said flatly.

Spell Nexus smiled. “Graffiti can tell you more than you’d think. This particular graffiti was carved in a younger form of the same language that the runes ruins – heh, runes ruins,” he chuckled, before shaking his head. “As I was saying, it was written in the same language. A nasty carving, comparatively – it’s a miracle it survived the ages.”

“And what did it say?” Twilight asked.

“Something about, ‘a thousand curses on the Fallen One’s name, may he never wake again’,” Spell Nexus said. “Along with some remarks about said being’s anatomy that are… perhaps best left in the past.”

Something clicked in the back of Twilight’s memory. “‘The Fallen One’?”

“That’s right,” Trotsworth said sagely. “The Fallen One is a myth of course, and nothing is really known about what he, she, it – whatever it was – did to earn the moniker. It’s assumed that the destruction of the Draconic Order was laid at its proverbial feet. Or it might have been a name for the early Changeling Queens.”

“I dunno,” Rainbow Dash said. “How many ancient pony legends have turned out to be true at this point?”

Catching Twilight’s sudden change in expression, Pinkie frowned at her.

“You okay, Twilight?” she asked quietly.

Twilight frowned, shaking her head. “I think… I think I’ve heard the name before.”

Celestia was stepping out of the infirmary when Luna finally reached it, a haunted expression on her face. Luna had a pretty good guess as to what exactly had called for such an expression.

“Sister,” she said.

Celestia’s eyes widened and a bright smile broke out across her face upon seeing Luna. In a flash she was hugging her sister tightly.

“Luna!” she said softly. “I’m so glad to see you! Your messages were so…”

“I know,” Luna said quietly. “I’m sorry we could not go into greater depth.”

“No matter,” Celestia said quietly. “You’re here now. That’s what’s important.” She took a deep breath. “The Concordat has begun to arrive. Actually, most of them arrived yesterday. We now only await the Horses, and possibly the Dragons, should they see fit to send anydragon to speak with us.”

“Or should the Concordia have chosen one to be their leader,” Luna pointed out. “For the majority of nations, leaders are clear. For the Dragons… is it even clear whether there’s a nation of them, anymore?

Celestia shook her head. “No such fortune, I fear. But regardless, we have assembled the Concordat, and we will make clear the stakes.”

Luna nodded. “We can only hope they all see why we must fight.”

Celestia laughed hollowly.

“‘Why we must fight’…” she murmured. “Now there, perhaps, I fear they will be unable to see it as I do. How could they?” Her empty smile faded into a disconcerted frown. “Sister… how could anypony see it as we two do? How could anybeing see it as we have, as a horror so personal as to beggar belief? We…” She closed her eyes. “We are tied to this in a way none of them are.”

Luna nodded. “Perhaps they are not tied to it. Perhaps this is fruitless, and we will stand alone alongside the humans. But I know that it would bear no fruit to not try.” She gave what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “Whereas in the trying, we may find ourselves pleasantly surprised.”

“Spell Nexus was very excited to hear that the Horses are sending some delegates who happen to be scholars in their runic magic,” Celestia said idly. “I don’t know if Twilight mentioned -”

“A connection between the alternate Lyra Heartstrings and the runes Alexander Reiner is inscribed with,” Luna finished. “She did. The Horses have insight?”

“The language of those runes was split across many cultures,” Celestia repeated. “Though curiously enough, our own language is not among them.”

“Indeed?” Luna said, frowning. “That is odd.”

“So what is the situation in the humans’ world?” Celestia asked after a moment.

There was a long pause as Luna tried to think of the best way to answer that question.

“I… cannot think of a better word than ‘hellish’,” she finally replied, keeping her tone as even as she could.

The blunt way in which she said it must have surprised Celestia, for she turned slowly to look at her, eyebrows furrowed.

“I’m almost hesitant to ask,” Celestia said after a moment.

Luna sighed. “The city we were in was in ruins. The Solar Empire’s forces made a push as we were there. It was… brutal. Not unlike the wars of our youth, though the humans’ weapons are more reminiscent of the devices the Kirin or the Griffons use. Technology.”

“And this push was led by… that,” Celestia said, turning her head to look back to the infirmary.

Luna’s expression softened. She had not had the misfortune of seeing the condition of her other self, nor would she if what the Queen had said was true. But Celestia… she must now have seen the Mirror Pool doppelgänger. How strange must that be for her?

“She controlled the thing utterly,” Luna said after a moment. “I have no idea how – it seems to me to be far more powerful magic than I have encountered before.”

“Seconded,” Celestia said, nodding. “I have… we have seen many powerful magicks in our time, but to control something remotely in such a manner…” She shook her head. “Why did you bring it here?”

“In the hope of learning something,” Luna replied, “or perhaps healing it. What little we know of the pool suggests the creatures it spawns have their own life, stunted and limited as it may be.” She sighed. “Discarded tool it might be… but it is alive. And we do not know how responsible for itself it is.”

“No, we do not,” Celestia frowned. “But it is a risk.”

“There are many risks in war,” Luna retorted, “and if this is a risk it is one of compassion. That is our strength.”

Celestia smiled. “Compassion is our strength. Yes.” Her smile faded. “I wonder if remembering that will be the hardest part of this war.”

“Perhaps,” Luna said. “But then again, they are us, sister. A twisted form of us.” She smiled sadly. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned very well over the course of the last three years, it’s that if you cannot have compassion for yourself, who can you?”

“Perhaps,” Celestia said quietly. She took a deep breath. “There is some being here you ought to speak with, by the way.”

Luna frowned. “Who?”

“Papa,” Celestia said at once.

Luna’s eyes widened, and she smiled properly and widely for the first time in what felt like days.

“He’s here? Really?” she asked. “I… I must speak with him! We must!”

“Come on, then,” Celestia said, smiling, and turning to go.

Then she paused for a moment, and Luna’s smile faded.

“What is it, ‘Tia?” she asked.

“We need to ask him about Galatea,” Celestia replied, not meeting Luna’s eyes. “He knew about her, Little Moon, he always has.”

Luna frowned. “He… he did?”

“She said as much,” Celestia said sadly. “That he knew, that he might have mentioned her.”

“But he never did,” Luna pointed out.

“I know,” Celestia said, and she narrowed her eyes. “And, honestly, I want to know why.”

“Heard it before?” Trotsworth repeated. “Where?”

“That’s just it,” Twilight said quietly, meeting her old Professor’s eyes. “It’s been such a busy few days that I can’t recall from the top of my head.”

“It is a theory that pops up in the odd book,” Spell Nexus said evenly. “Hardly unheard of in academic circles, such as the ones you frequented.”

“Even so,” Twilight said, “it feels more familiar than just something I read in a book.” She shook her head. “Maybe if I wrote to Spike?”

“That might be a good idea,” Trotsworth said.

“I’ve got a better one,” Fluttershy said quietly. At Twilight’s expression of confusion, she gave a small, sheepish smile. “Why don’t some of us head back to Ponyville? We can ask him directly.”

Twilight turned to look at her. “Are you sure?”

Fluttershy gave an apologetic shrug. “We’ve not been able to find anything useful here. As it is we’re just in the way.”

“I don’t know about that,” Rarity said, “but I think that at the very least resting at home will be good for us all.” She met Twilight’s eyes. “Including you, Twilight.”

Twilight shook her head. “I can’t. I have to be here when the Concordat starts.”

“And I have to be here to run the parties!” Pinkie added.

“Well, how about this,” Applejack said. “Say we’ll go home for a couple of days,” she motioned to herself, Rarity and the two Pegasi, “rest ourselves up, and then come back and get back to it once them Horse folks come and give us more information to work off of. Sound fair?”

Twilight nodded. “Sounds fair to me.”

“Ooh, can you bring back some party supplies?” Pinkie asked. “I really, really need party supplies.”

Applejack rolled her eyes, but gave a good-natured laugh all the same. “Sure, sugarcube. Why not?”

“Alright,” Twilight said, smiling. “Maybe pop in on Bon Bon for Lyra, see if she wants to pass on any message?”

“We should probably ask Lyra if she wants to pass a message on for Bon Bon,” Rarity said with a nod. “Seems only fair.”

Twilight nodded. “Alright, then. I think she was still with Alexander Reiner.”

“In the meantime, whilst you’re hard at work doing that,” Trotsworth said, “we’ll keep working on these translations.”

“Indeed,” Spell Nexus said, nodding. “And we’d best break out some of the good sherry.” He smiled ruefully. “Knowing those Horse nobles, they always want the finer things.”

Sint Erklass had always had a special guest room prepared in Canterlot Palace, a room decorated in the scarlets and greens he preferred. Entering it now, Luna felt less the joy she would have wanted, and more apprehension.

The old stag was there, watching the blue sky through a large, ornately-decorated window with a twinkle in his eyes. The weather of ‘the south’ had always made him smile, as though he enjoyed the novelty of a land where snow was not the most common weather feature. He turned as the door to his chamber creaked, and his face split into a wide grin as he saw Celestia and Luna.

“Daughters,” he said softly. “Luna…”

Luna swallowed a wave of emotion that threatened to overwhelm her. “Papa. It has been too long.”

It seemed so paltry. They had not spoken for millennia, not since before her banishment. And yet his smile only widened.

“It has,” he nodded, a tear glinting in his eyes. “You know, it warms this old heart more than modern languages have the capability to say to see you safe and happy once more, and with your sister to boot.”

“It is… it is truly wonderful to see you, papa,” Luna replied, her tone quiet, gentle. “Although I fear we will not be safe, or happy, for long.”

“So I have heard rumour of, and the call of the Concordia only confirms it,” Sint replied, nodding. “And yet still, there is the joy of right now, my daughter.”

Luna blinked, suddenly realising that her eyes were filling with water. “Papa… I missed you.”

“And I you, Little Moon,” Sint said, stepping up to her and resting his chin on the top of her head. “It truly has been too long. I am… I am so sorry I have not come before.”

Her wings came about his shoulders and gripped him tightly. “I know. I was afraid you would not. That you would not know what to say to me after I… after what I became… I let you down, Papa.”

“Luna.” Sint Erklass’ expression was serious, but the tears were in both his eyes now. He broke the hug and met her gaze. “If there has been a failure on anybeing’s part, it is my own.” He swallowed. “You should have been able to come to me. That you could not, that you did not, speaks as much of my failings as a father as anything to do with you.” His expression broke. “Can you… can you ever forgive me, my daughter?”

Luna blinked, her own eyes dripping tears onto her cheek. “There is nothing to forgive, Papa.”

Sint smiled, his own tears spilling.

“Thank you,” he finally said. “Thank you, my daughter.” He looked to Celestia, before looking back at Luna. “But I suspect you are not both here merely for we two to speak.”

Luna glanced to Celestia; her brows were furrowed, and she looked like she, too, had tears in her eyes.

“There is…” she began croakily, before swallowing. “There is a matter of which we three must speak, father.”

“So you said when I arrived,” Sint replied evenly. “What troubles you, daughter?”

Celestia wet her lips. “Galatea.”

The change in Sint’s manner was so sudden that Luna stepped back in shock. He stepped back, his eyes widening in horror at the word, and he seemed almost to shrink with age.

“She…” he whispered. “She revealed herself to you, then. You know of her.”

“We do,” Celestia said. “And we are given to understand that you have always known of her.”

Sint stayed silent for a long moment, his eyes still wide, his expression crumpling into a mask of sorrow and dread.

“I have,” he admitted after a few moments. “From the moment Faust left you three in the cave where you were found. And Galatea and I… we have spoken, intermittently, across the centuries.”

“You’ve always known that we had a sister,”Luna said quietly, “but you kept that secret?”

“I did not want to,” Sint replied, not meeting their eyes. “I hated it, in fact. Hated that Celestia was forced to face so many troubles alone, that you both were denied a relationship with another mare that shared your blood, your history.” He closed his eyes, and another tear slipped out. “But I promised her. I promised your mother. I could never betray that trust.”

Celestia and Luna exchanged glances. Luna felt a mix of emotions, none of them happy. She felt betrayed most of all: Sint Erklass had been their father. He had named them Faustdóttir in the manner of his people, raised them in the halls of the Charopolis, the City of Joy.

And yet all this time he has hidden our blood from us, she thought.

“Father,” she whispered. “Why?”

Sint did not answer for a long moment, his expression

“To answer that, Little Moon,” he finally replied, “I must return to the beginning. The day your mother left.”

Hello all 🙂 I really loved writing this chapter, but once again, I had to split it up because there’s literally so much stuff to write. Seriously, this thing had a whole bit with Sint Erklass monologuing about his past with Faust, and all sorts of other stuff that would have pushed it into “really rather long” territory, which isn’t my preference.

But at this point, I promise I will not split another chapter for a long time. Which may lead to a 10k chapter at some point, but only if I let myself get carried away 😂 The next chapter, however, should be especially fun 😁

As always, my thanks to TheIdiot, Doctor Fluffy and RoyalPsycho for their help with this chapter.