Despite more than one night of rest missed, I couldn’t force myself to drift into semi-conscious slumber, not with Rainbow’s warning echoing through my head. Obviously, any further conversation with her wasn’t an option. Nor was there anything I could, or wished to, discuss with the girls who kept company with Tin Flower, warming at the orb of alicorn magic, nodding from drowsiness, yet kept awake by adrenaline. And if Trixie had anything to say to me, she wasn’t showing it, skulking in the shadows instead, making it difficult to simply find her. So, with Princess Luna still dreamwalking, I sat by her side. Watching the moon crawl across the black sky and basking in the glow of her magic, I surrendered to my thoughts.

It would be a lie to say that I wasn’t mad at Rainbow, that I wasn’t scared of her even. But I had to admit that her words, albeit spoken with unnecessary harshness, bore more than just a tiny grain of truth in them. If Trixie was correct when she spoke to me of the Crown, then no matter its nature, it played a pivotal role in running Canterlot. For example, running the healthcare infrastructure. And if the entirety of the Crown consisted solely of changelings, as Rainbow said, then putting Princess Luna in command right now would leave Canterlot without the whole governmental apparatus, paralyzing the crucial population support structures. Not to mention that the Royal Guard would cease to exist, and they seemed to be the only force preventing any aggressive faction in the city from escalating things into an open conflict, starting with the TCE. The more I thought about it, the more I understood Rainbow’s vehement attitude towards Princess Luna reclaiming her throne, even though I couldn’t approve of it.

However, I still couldn’t agree with the idea that Princess Luna should abdicate the throne. Queen Chrysalis and her ‘Crown’ were crucial to the city’s survival, but if the last five centuries had proven anything, she couldn’t make ponydom prosper. Equestria needed a real ruler, one that would make it progress, not just postpone the disaster indefinitely. Princess Luna was an alicorn, a creature representing all the pony races, meant to rule by birthright. How could a being capable of moving celestial bodies, a guardian of an entire arcane realm, a goddess by definition, not be given the mantle of leader and protector of all those living in the moonlight?

All those objections were worth nothing against a pair of guns attached to a pony who cared only about her own opinion, no matter how right or wrong it could be. I witnessed the death of a goddess once before, and I would do anything to never see it happen again. To prevent that, I basically had to tell Princess Luna that she couldn’t be herself. More than that – I had to tell her she couldn’t fix her failure, I had to deny her redemption.

That was something where I was starting to agree with Rainbow, actually, but of course I wasn’t reacting in the same way. Princess Luna’s mental health wasn’t in the best state, I had to admit that. And I couldn’t not feel guilty about it. Surely, after Princess Celestia was killed, I had my own problems. But if I had the help of my friends, who did Princess Luna have? She was left alone, and her wounds were much deeper than mine. For me Princess Celestia was a teacher, a second mother at best… a dream. For Princess Luna she was a sister, the only family that would survive the passage of time. I should have reached out to her back then; I was her closest friend after all. The pulsing skeletal statue full of anguish and regret by whose side I sat was partially my fault. But I was still here, I had gotten a second chance at many things and helping Princess Luna might be one of them.

However, none of those ruminations brought me even remotely close to understanding what I would say to the Princess of the Night for her to relinquish her claim to the throne, to give it up to the enemy she had been hunting for five long centuries.

So, devoured by my struggle to come up with the right words, I failed to notice the magic on the tip of her majestic alicorn horn flaring once more to hide the moon beyond the horizon and invite the sun into the sky instead. Frozen in the realization that I wasn’t ready, I sat acutely aware that the pony by my side was a statue no more as she watched the sunrise with me. Thousands of possible conversation openers swarmed inside my head, but it was as if the microphone in my throat had died.

“I am sorry,” Princess Luna whispered so quietly that I thought it was just wind at first. Again, I was silent, but this time I simply had no idea what to say. That it wasn’t her fault? That she shouldn’t be worrying?

In a just as quiet and sorrowful voice Princess Luna continued, not waiting for my reaction, “I’ve visited many dreams of ponies this night.” Her voice shook, gaining a slightly terrified note. “I thought it was only nightmares at first, but then I came to the realization that it was what Canterlot has become in my absence.” Princess Luna's mistake was understandable, since those were my thoughts exactly – I couldn’t disagree that Canterlot was nothing but somepony’s horrible dream these days. “I saw the fears of ponies, I saw the future looming over the city, and I cannot help but feel I am too late. But I…“ she trailed off.

I still wasn’t sure if I should speak, nor again what to tell Princess Luna. She mirrored some of my thoughts as I was discovering the harsh reality of the world as it was now. At least she was lucky to see it all via dreams and not by directly confronting each and every horror like I did. The pause began to stretch for a while as the Princess struggled to find the right words. I finally found what to say and opened my mouth, but she spoke again, in a much more sure voice this time:

“I am familiar with the change, I am familiar with being unfamiliar.” There was a barely noticeable mirthless chuckle as Princess Luna said that, followed by a deep breath taken before she went on in a more bitter tone, “When I first stepped onto these rocks, I had yet to learn all the intricacies of the world I had returned to after my exile. This time, ponydom has taken an even greater leap.”

I watched Princess Luna intently, a dark muzzle with pinched features pointed towards the dawn, a somber gaze looking beyond it into the river of time, taking the past and future in at once. She didn’t pay attention to me, or at least wasn’t showing that, giving the impression she was talking to herself. Still, I didn’t dare to interrupt her.

“In those dreams I saw the new government – the Crown, who, thanks to you, I know is secretly run by the queen of changelings.” I tensed, preparing for the worst. “They are neither benevolent rulers nor malevolent ones. But they do their job and it would be unwise to bring more calamity and chaos to the city than it already suffers. I can’t storm the Sky Palace where they reside and retake the throne by force.”

I was barely able to prevent myself from letting out a huge sigh of relief. The conversation was far from its end, but it already sounded promising. Of course Princess Luna wasn’t dumb and she could perfectly understand how precarious the balance of forces was in Canterlot. It was a reasonable attitude, but it didn’t fully reveal her intents.

“Princess Luna, what are you going to do?” I asked, hoping that her monologue was over and I didn’t interrupt her and appear disrespectful.

The Princess finally looked at me with eyes full of deep thought and returned to watching the rising sun.

“Canterlot needs help, and though my knowledge is limited, my power is not,” Princess Luna said after a while. In a less certain tone she added, “Who knows, maybe my name will stir something in the hearts of ponies when the need arises.” It sounded like she wasn’t really sure how she was going to help, but before I could linger on that thought, she spoke once again, this time in a much more positive voice. “And I thought we agreed a long time ago that you don’t have to call me Princess.”

Glancing at Prin… Luna in confusion I was met with a soft smile and eyes twinkling with merriment. It was when an almost forgotten memory surfaced – my last Nightmare Night in Ponyville, and the last in general for that matter. An event that took place even before the war, something that happened ages ago indeed.

However, as sudden as that change in Luna’s demeanor was, just as rapidly her face darkened, a sorrowful expression settling on it.

“Nor do I think I have any right to be called a Princess anytime soon, not after I abandoned my country for so long,“ Luna sadly whispered, grimacing as if from pain. ”Queen Chrysalis bested me, she won the war we had and conquered Canterlot, even though barely anypony knows that. If I want to prove that the lives of ponies still matter to me, I will surrender to her, at least for now,” she said in a hard voice with grim determination in her eyes.

It was so unexpected that I barely paid attention to the fact that Luna had basically done my job for me – renounced her regal right. I was more concerned about her plan.

“But what if she decides to kill you?” I asked worriedly, remembering my fears from before.

“I would be already dead, wouldn’t I?” Luna chuckled with a wry smile. “I know it must sound strange that I’m willing to yield myself as a prisoner to the Swarm…” Her voice trailed off momentarily and she let out a deep sigh before speaking again. “I’m not blind and I can see where fighting Chrysalis has brought me. The sacrifices I made for my vengeance weren’t worth it.” In a surprising gesture she put a hoof on my shoulder, “It doesn’t mean my sister’s death will be forgotten. If Chrysalis has any shred of honor, she will answer for her crimes in a fair trial, once it is all over, for I am afraid Celestia’s life wasn’t the only one she has taken. But no more hunts, that I can promise.”

“And if she refuses?” I highly doubted she would accept.

It took some time for Luna to come up with an answer, but eventually I felt her grip on my shoulder tighten.

“It is not the place for a changeling to rule ponies, sooner or later she will have to step down.” Locking her slitted eyes on me, she said in an icy tone, “Justice will be served.”

A strained silence followed those menacing words of the former Princess.

Technically our conversation could be deemed successful, though I didn’t have to put any effort into it for that to happen, which made it feel deceptively easy. Luna no longer saw herself as a Princess, at least for now. She didn’t state explicitly that her claim to the throne was fully abandoned, but I expected her not to raise that issue until the situation in Canterlot was stabilized and until Chrysalis voluntarily stepped down. The good question here was the span of the changeling queen’s life. On one hoof she wasn’t an alicorn, on another she was a dark mage feeding on love – who knew how it affected her longevity? Anyhow, my concern about Rainbow straight out shooting Luna down before we even started our journey back was gone. I hadn’t fulfilled all of Rainbow’s demands; I didn't want to start persuading Luna to give up on her plans for the distant future. Rainbow wouldn’t know about that, and, frankly, while I could understand the reason why Luna shouldn’t be a ruler right now, I supported the idea of her claiming back her right in the future.

Despite the sun not hiding behind the distant mountain peaks marking the end of the Badlands’ vast valley anymore, Luna and I were the only ones awake. The girls were taking their well needed rest after crossing the desert; Rainbow was too far away to see if she was asleep or not; and Trixie was nowhere to be seen at all, though I could feel her presence if I concentrated hard enough. So, deciding that all of them deserved some rest (while I could miss it one more time), we indulged in small talk started by Luna when she once again wondered aloud about my state of existence. “How did you become a spirit bound to that, eh, impractical set of armor?” Luna asked, letting me know she was aware I was a pony no longer but was still in the dark about how I existed. I spent the next hour and a half filling her in on my misadventures and some concepts she had missed or didn’t quite understand during her dreamwalking session.

Luna’s reaction varied greatly depending on the subject. She was rather sympathetic when it came to a very shortened version of my recent life, but her demeanor became very reserved as I was telling her about equinoids. It was apparent Luna couldn’t decide what to think about the artificial lifeforms, so I decided not to include my knowledge of the Machine Goddess or my own thoughts on that matter. Still, her interest was vivid, and with great curiosity she asked questions about the many marvels of modern technology, some I couldn’t answer, unfortunately.

Again, her response to my companions differed greatly as I described who they were and how I met them. Wire and Flower almost made her tear up – it was widely known Luna had a soft spot for young ones. I carefully omitted mentioning that the relationship between Flower and me was yet to be decided, and I also chose to be silent about Wire’s aspirations. Delight became a source of mild amusement for Luna – in her memory, prostitution was still a fresh practice, legally allowed before her exile to the moon, though she knew her sister’s latest stance on that and, I learned to my shock, didn’t support it.

At first I wanted to avoid mentioning Trixie at all even though it might have caused some awkward questions later. I was torn between the rightful desire to tell Luna all of the truth about Trixie’s past, and indecision to hold that back out of gratitude. After all, Trixie had helped me more than once, and her heart seemed to be in the right place most of the time. However, as I was trying to make a decision on that matter, the silence was broken by Luna, who spoke in a hesitant yet curious tone:

“One of your companions…” her voice momentarily trailed off only to be heard again, but this time laden with nostalgia. “She uses a very peculiar kind of magic. I would say: familiar.”

It seemed like luck wasn’t on my side and I had to explain the situation right now. “About that…” I stammered, since it was apparent Luna knew exactly what kind of magic Trixie used. I fumbled with the words, trying to find a way to explain how I ended up travelling not with just any dark mage, but with somepony who used magic based on Luna’s unique skills, not to mention Trixie’s lack of physical body. “You see…”

I stopped myself in time because I saw Luna’s eyes become transfixed on the horizon, her mind anywhere but here with me. Without a change of expression she began to talk, recalling a memory of days gone very long ago:

“I remember Sombra when he wasn’t a king, but a wandering scholar. It was many decades after Harmony was created, but not too many.” My eyes widened slightly. The events Luna was recalling happened not just ‘long ago’. It was when the written history of ponydom began, even before the Exodus took place. “Starswirl was gone by then, and a lot of ambitious and skilled ponies tried to follow his steps, desiring to make just as significant breakthroughs in magic, something that had yet to be fully understood.” I perked up hearing the name of my favourite historical figure and even felt a little shame, since when I was a filly I had the very same aspirations – to become a mage who would create dozens of new spells or discover a whole new way to wield arcane energies (within the limits of Harmony, of course).

“He came to me wishing to learn the art of dreamwalking,” Luna continued, suddenly frowning deeply. “I recall how I laughed at him – it isn’t just mere knowledge that allows me to enter the Dreamrealm, but the power granted to me by Harmony. Still, that young unicorn was insistent, and deciding to amuse myself I taught him what I knew.”

Luna paused for a few moments, finally tearing her eyes from the sunrise but only to stare at her own hooves. I shuddered as a pair of ghastly eyes surfaced inside her mane and lifelessly observed me before becoming lost in that tumultuous ink again.

“Unsurprisingly, he couldn’t use it,” Luna mirthlessly chuckled. Then she grimaced. “Surprisingly, he gave me some insights into how I could hone my skills and the different ways they can be applied. Knowledge I would deeply regret in time.”

An uneasy silence settled between us. I instantly realized what knowledge Luna was talking about. The dark secrets which allowed her to eclipse the sun and turn into Nightmare Moon. Probably the same which allowed her to look like she did now.

“Trixie regrets it too,” I quietly commented. It seemed like anypony who learned something from King Sombra was bound to meet that fate: a life full of remorse. I might have been willing to reevaluate the definition of dark magic and the ethics of its application, but I would always consider the Ebony Warlock one of the most vile creatures that ever lived in this world.

“She was part of Sombra’s elite, wasn’t she?” Luna asked turning to look in the direction of that cold spot in the magic tapestry I could sense as well, though Trixie herself was still nowhere to be seen.

“Yes, the Coven.” It wasn’t hard to guess. After all, where else could anypony learn such things? Other than leather-bound books. Sadly, the fact that Luna didn’t know the name of the infamous organization showed how little she cared for the Great War, though I decided not to linger on that thought. “But she claims she has changed,” I added with a scoff.

“You sound like you don’t believe her, Twilight.”

“I’m not so sure myself,” I muttered.

Luna tried to sound sympathetic, but all I could hear was an accusation. Trixie was nothing but helpful from what I told Luna, but I didn’t treat her according to that. Since I had met Trixie in the Deep Tunnels she never showed any signs of being a bad pony. Sure, she was a living shadow, which was very ominous and eerie, but she didn’t act evil, quite the opposite in fact. However, I couldn’t know who she was once, save for one old sound recording and the stories she told me herself. Nor did I know her long enough to draw any concrete conclusions.

“She helped you,” Luna began, echoing my thoughts and making me wince slightly, “and led you here even though she couldn’t know what I would do to her.”

That last part made me cast a wary glance at Luna.

“Are you going to punish her?” Luna might not have much knowledge about the Coven’s crimes, but she surely knew the nature of Trixie’s magic and the influence inherited from their founder.

Raising her eyebrow in surprise, Luna replied with a question of her own, “For what?”

“She is a war criminal. A traitor.” Had Luna noticed that second shadow? “A murderer.”

“The point of punishment is not to make a nocent suffer, but to make them understand that they were wrong. And if you said Trixie regrets her decisions then there is no need to bring more misery into her life.” Seeing disappointment on my face she added with a frown on her own, “Having no real physical body for many centuries should have been enough from a formal point of view anyway.”

Though Luna did sound right, I still had trouble agreeing with her. If Trixie truly regretted her decisions, why wouldn’t she relinquish that stolen shadow from her grasp? It was obvious that poor pony or whatever was left of her was held against her will.

Back at Dodge City I decided to leave Trixie’s judgement to Luna, and here we were. It still wasn’t my place, but it didn’t feel like it was Luna’s either. She was either lost in reverie, recalling the distant past, or she simply didn’t care enough. It was obvious the horrors inflicted on ponykind by the Coven went unnoticed by her. Maybe if she saw the whole picture, she wouldn’t be so lenient.

“I can see that your friend, Rainbow Dash, has conquered the river of time as well,” Luna jerked me out of my own musings with a question both unexpected and undesirable. Discussing Trixie was a delicate matter, but Rainbow Dash was a whole other level, not to mention that it was a volatile situation which had a chance to escalate into a physical confrontation. Considering the opposing forces, its outcome would be devastating.

“Yes,” I levelly answered while frantically thinking about how should I present the situation to Luna.

“I expected you to sound happy about this.” Despite me trying to keep a straight face, I couldn’t help but let it contort with displeasure. I expected myself to be happy as well, and I was, at first. But then I realized how much Rainbow had changed. We had our disagreements even before the fateful accident, and I hoped we would still be able to come to an understanding. But after the last two confrontations I wasn’t sure there was, or could be, friendship between us. Pouring salt on the wound, Luna asked, “Or did something happen during the short time you had since the reunion?”

Did Luna need to know that the former bearer of the Element of Loyalty was more than ready to kill her? But she needed to know she must tread lightly and be cautious in her choice of words and actions near Rainbow Dash even though she shouldn’t have any problem with Luna’s agenda anymore.

“She is a captain of the Royal Guard now,” I stated, hoping that it would be enough for Luna to understand to whom Rainbow’s loyalty lay.

“Ah, I see.” To my discontent Luna accompanied that with a wise nod usually reserved for situations where one doesn’t care in the slightest but is bound to react somehow. “I suppose that is quite an unexpected turn of events. But considering everything we know and do not, I believe she must have done the right thing.”

“She joined Chrysalis’ forces!” I hissed casting a cautious look in Rainbow’s direction. The armor clad mare sat gazing at the dawn quite a distance from us. She was probably asleep, but if she was not, I hoped she couldn’t hear this conversation anyway.

“Rainbow Dash is the Bearer of the Element of Loyalty and a loyal soldier,” Luna calmly retorted. “The decisions she made must have been hard, but for the best.”

“And what if she is to carry out orders that go against my or your will?” I snapped back. For Luna it would sound like a general question, but I had some concrete examples in my head.

Luna let out a deep sigh and tore her eyes from the sunrise to grace me with a sympathetic look which more than slightly clashed with the eyes of Nightmare Moon. “I know it must be not easy for you, Twilight, but try to understand: the war with Sombra is long over and it was won even though the price was too great. The war we had with the Swarm is over as well, but it didn’t end in our favor.” I opened my mouth to retort, but Luna raised her hoof signifying she had more to say. “When you are defeated, you are rarely in a position to negotiate, and it is unwise to try and fight back.”

I shut my mouth and frowned. For a mare who had lost that much, if not in both at least in one war, Luna was way too eager to give up. Overall, she seemed to be strangely at peace with some things that disturbed me deeply like Trixie’s past or Rainbow’s present. However, there wasn’t much I could do in this situation, other than maybe rely mostly on myself in this huge mess.

Seeing my discontent, Luna quietly said, raising her eyebrows in a bit of a conspiratorial way, “At least for now.”

That made me smile – whatever Luna had in mind, she wasn’t throwing in the towel, at least not as much as I imagined. Though she implied that I might need a lot of patience.

It seemed like our chat had to come to an end: everypony was beginning to wake up, or appearing from where she was hiding in the case of Trixie. Slumbering huddled together on the rocky ground was a poor substitute for proper sleep and it was quite apparent on Wire and Delight’s faces. But I was more worried about their medical condition. Luna’s anesthetic spell hadn’t solved the problem, and we needed to return to the city as soon as possible, which was now my primary concern. I still hadn’t talked to Rainbow about this, and right now seemed like the best time, or, rather, the issue couldn’t be avoided any longer since we had reached our ‘objective’. However, I wasn’t going to approach that matter until I checked on Tin Flower, who I could see stirring in her bedding.

By the time I came to Flower, she was already on her hooves, blinking groggily and talking quietly with Wire in a hoarse voice. Delight sat nearby, flexing her wing with a pained grimace – it didn’t look like she was going to fly until her wounds were fully treated. As I was getting closer to them, I slowed down. Delight’s words were still fresh in my mind, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to treat Flower the same anymore, not without thinking about how she would perceive my every action. However, my decision to remain indecisive was still in force. I would treat her like my friend, no more and no less.

“How do you feel?” I asked Flower when I finally stood behind her back.

That prompted the filly to whip her head around in a motion too sudden for her body, judging by how she winced. Yet her face melted into a smile as she saw me. Feeling awkward, I consciously mirrored her expression.

“Like I could kill for a TCE ration,” Flower grumbled jokingly, reminding me of one more compelling reason to head back to Canterlot. Though the fact she was feeling hungry and being able to jest about it were good signs, I still believed she should have a medical examination along with Del and Wire. I didn’t doubt Luna’s medical skills, but I couldn’t forget how heavily Flower was bleeding in Dodge City.

“I guess that’s how the Princess looks. I should thank her, shouldn’t I?” Flower spoke again trying to look over my shoulder to see Luna. In the corner of my eye I saw Wire wrinkle her nose as her friend mentioned Luna’s, well, former title.

“Can’t see why not,” I commented with an approving nod, glad that at least Flower wasn’t going to break Luna’s heart. “Though you don’t have to call her Princess – she doesn’t like that.” I saw Del giving me a sidelong glance, I suspected that she might have overheard the not-so-quiet conversation I had with Rainbow. Even if she knew the true reasons behind that remark, she refrained from any questions or comments.

“I should probably start by thanking you, Twilight,” Tin Flower said wrapping her hooves around my neck. I returned the hug but only after a slight pause. My eyes met Del’s and I knew she noticed my momentary hesitation. I couldn’t tell by her expression, but I could guess she was judging me. I should have told her I was waiting for this mess to be resolved before making any big decisions. Now she must have been thinking I was playing with the filly’s feelings.

“So, when we are heading back?” Red Wire asked impatiently. Considering that she refused Luna’s help, her wounded eye must have gotten worse over the night, judging by the filly’s uncomfortable expression. However, it wasn’t that which caught my attention. It sounded like she expected to be dropped off at the Edge. While I couldn’t deny the possibility of that, I expected them to still be considered witnesses, ‘valuable assets’,and thus be taken to the Sky Palace with me and Luna.

As if Rainbow heard us, despite standing quite a distance away (that moment I began to suspect that her suit was enhancing her hearing, which made me wonder how much of my conversation with Luna she could have heard as well), she began to trot toward us. At the same moment, Luna headed in our direction as well, with Trixie in tow.

“The convoy is going to be here by approximately sunset,” Rainbow loudly stated as soon as our entire company could hear her. As if she read my mind she added, “There have been unexpected delays, so it embarked from the Sky Palace only an hour ago.” That explained why it would take so long, since I expected them to be halfway here already, but left open the question of what was happening in Canterlot in our absence.

“We can’t wait so long, the young one here needs immediate help!” Luna suddenly and indignantly objected, referring to Wire. A muscle twitched on Rainbow’s face, but it was so brief I thought I imagined it. The filly in question grimaced in discontent but said nothing.

“What is your suggestion, then?” Rainbow said in a perfectly neutral tone. If she was displeased with the situation (I was sure she was), nothing in her voice or expression betrayed it.

I looked at Luna, curious as to what she had in mind. I had seen the blistering speed Rainbow could reach with her armor, but even at that pace, it would take her hours to cover the distance between here and Canterlot. And we needed a vehicle, which was probably the reason why the convoy couldn’t arrive faster.

“I can teleport us,” Luna simply said, either oblivious to the negative reactions or ignoring them. However, she almost imperceptibly stammered on the word ‘us’ as if not sure if she should refer to herself in conjunction with the others.

More than one pair of brows shot up, including my own. I had no doubts about Luna’s power. After all, I, an undead mechanical unicorn, was able to warp basically the same group of ponies across a great distance (though it was more of an exceptional case than something common). But we were talking about a distance greater than a week’s worth of relentless march, not to mention that she had no image of the final destination (I wasn’t sure the Sky Palace from dreams counted).

As if feeling my confusion, she promptly clarified, “I’m going to do a series of short jumps, but I’m sure it is possible and much faster.” Towering above us, she was shifting her gaze between each of us, but mainly looking at Rainbow and me expectantly.

While I was all for it – waiting for the convoy would leave us for the entire day without food and delay much needed medical help – it wasn’t my decision to make, unfortunately. And knowing Rainbow’s disposition towards the ‘expendable civilians’, I didn’t hold much hope.

For some time Rainbow Dash stared to the north through the rocky pass, where Canterlot was supposed to be, her forehead creased with a deep frown. Finally she turned back to us, “That would save us time and put us at less risk – escorting a flying transport is as good as putting a target on our backs. I only need to make some arrangements and we are good to go.”

With that, Rainbow spoke again, her lips moving rigidly, but this time no sound came from her. It took me a moment to realize that she was talking with somepony or somechangeling without including any of us in that conversation, thanks to her helmet. It took another moment for a question to appear in my mind: how many times had she consulted with her command in our presence? Also, I was now pretty sure that Queen Chrysalis had heard all our talks.

Anyhow, Rainbow finished her short call and nodded to Pri… Luna. It would take me some time to stop thinking of her that way, though I should be careful to not let my proverbial tongue slip in the presence of Rainbow.

Luna nodded back and breaking into a measured trot headed to the pass between the crags, expecting us to follow her. Due to her long alicorn legs, that ‘measured’ trot resulted in her waiting for us to catch up as she sat before the sandy expanse, surveying the horizon with her huge mane whipping in the wind like an ominous banner.

She turned to meet us, spreading her tattered wings with ruffled, uneven feathers which seemed to have not received preening for ages (which was, in fact, true, but at least they lacked membranes like Nightmare Moon’s wings had), and motioned, “Come closer, my little ponies.” The way she referred to us almost made me cringe, so alien it sounded coming from a mare with her ghastly appearance. I hated to admit it, but only her sister could pull that vocative off.

As we huddled closer under the shadow of her plumage, I could read uncertainty on the faces of my companions – none of them had experienced teleportation before. Actually they had, basically hours ago… but that didn’t go so well. Even Trixie, a mare I expected to be familiar with the procedure, looked concerned.

Luna’s horn flashed almost blindingly bright, and without warning the world violently lurched, for a split second becoming dark, only for the scenery to suddenly change, disorienting me.

The first thing that met me after I regained my senses was the sound of retching. When I turned my head around I was met with the sight of Tin Flower attempting to empty her stomach as she leaned on me with her metal hoof. I couldn’t tell if she was lucky she had nothing there to begin with.

Red Wire was swaying on her hooves and heaving, but winning the battle with her digestive system. Del managed even better, though judging by the green hue of her face, she wasn’t spared. Trixie was battling with her shadow once again, making everypony take a step away from her and Luna shoot her a wary look. Rainbow and I seemed to be the only ones unaffected by the jump, Luna herself not taken into account, obviously. However, it was expected, teleportation often needs getting used to, except...

“That wasn’t a teleportation spell, was it?” I asked in a low voice addressing Luna, for I felt it wasn’t something my companions needed to hear right now. I could write it off as a side effect of the distance being longer than I normally tried to skip or the sheer amount of power used, but there wasn’t supposed to be a moment of darkness, much less stars seen during it. Nor could I remember Luna’s magic aura being white unless she called for the moon to help.

“No, indeed. It was a trick I learned from the night sky,” Luna answered, not bothering to lower her voice like I did, even sounding a bit proud. “But it is absolutely safe, I assure you.”

Tin Flower grumbled something at my side, the only words I could discern were obscenities. Luna raised her brow in a display of bemusement and I hoped her hearing wasn’t better than mine.

Luna flared her wings up, silently signifying that were about to be transported again and we came closer. Again, for a moment too brief I was met with that I now believed was space, only to be yanked out of it into the just as desolate desert. The sight that met my eyes could have made oil freeze in my tubes if that was possible.

We had ended up on the edge of a vast sinkhole, a former stone quarry, according to Rainbow’s words. It was a vast indentation in the rocky soil, a dry crumbled stone bowl of enormous proportion stretched in front of us, exposing the ulcerous womb of the land to the sky. Half an hour away from us, Dodge City was perched on the rim of an abandoned mine, looking insidiously normal. The only thing betraying its wretched nature was that boiling mirage above the caved-in rooftops, which I knew now was reality failing to hold itself together, shifting incessantly.

Luna regarded the Junction with a very concerned look, yet said nothing. I didn’t have the time to fully describe to her how wrong and terrifying that place was, but if my laconic descriptions didn’t make the point, Flower’s magic injury must have served as sufficient proof.

Either Luna made the last jump more merciful, or the girls were quickly getting used to those jumps – it didn’t take them long to recover this time. A pair of great feathery appendages eclipsed the sun and we readily hid in their shadow – everypony was eager to get away from this place.

The jump brought us to the middle of nowhere with the tiny dark spot of Dodge City on the horizon being the only thing standing out of the desert’s monotony. That made me guess that Luna was warping us as far as she could see, taking into account how sharp her alicorn sight was. At this pace we would be in Canterlot in less than half a dozen jumps.

Luna allowed us as much time to come round as it took me to come to that conclusion. Like two standards of night her wings shot up, inviting us closer. Her horn became a beacon of moonlight, and once again we witnessed the void between the stars, even if for the briefest of moments.

This time we didn’t warp into another part of the empty desert’s heart. Well, in fact we did, but not quite. Small metal debris, twisted and singed, littered the dark, sooty shell crater. A patch of caked blood on disturbed sand. It took me a few seconds to realize I was looking at what remained from our wreckage. The bodies, both of griffins and Trixie were gone along with the cart. That made me wonder who got there first: the Crown or the Pink Butterflies.

Before proceeding with the next teleportation, Luna left our group and approached the hole in the stone torn by explosives. I saw her stare at it with a frown, her gaze then shifting to the almost black stain peppered with stuck feathers quivering in the breeze. She knew about the Pink Butterflies, she saw them in the dreams and I had completed her knowledge with my own. But dreams were dreams, vague reflections of reality in the subconscious of ponies, and those fresh scars of war going on in Canterlot were as real as they could be.

Luna returned to us with a grim expression plastered on her face and just as silently as before obscured the view mere moments before warping us closer to the nightmares of Canterlot.

We materialized on a patch of wilted grass. It wasn’t much, but I was glad to see any vegetation and variety after witnessing how barren the desert was and learning how the Badlands had earned their name. Luna looked around as usual, taking in the surroundings and casting a squinted look at the horizon, memorizing our next destination. This time she hesitated for a moment and simultaneously Rainbow came closer to her, making me tense in worry.

It was Luna who spoke first. “I can see a bridge in the distance, I’m not sure I can jump beyond it. Is it safe to approach?”

While describing our journey to the Badlands I omitted the part about the hostile squatters on the bridge, so she had no idea, but she could probably see it was overgrown with squalid homes. I supposed Rainbow was about to warn her, but I also had a bad feeling that there was something more to it.

“Negative,” came the brisk answer from Rainbow before I could intervene. It was swiftly followed by a question that sounded more like an order, “Can you drop us half a kilometer from it?”

Luna carefully nodded and, glancing in the bridge’s direction again to gauge the distance, opened up her wings. Not wanting to break her concentration, I remained silent. The fact that I didn’t really know what was going on also left me mute – I didn’t really want to jump to any accusations and compromise the delicate balance between Luna, Rainbow and me.

As expected, we appeared at the asked distance from the bridge, give or take a dozen meters. Rainbow immediately split from out group, taking a few steps towards the bridge. My proverbial heart skipped a beat as I heard her shoulder-mounted cannons come to life with their trademark sinister hum. I instantly knew what she was planning to do.

“Hold position,” Rainbow threw over her shoulder and crouched ready to rocket into the sky.

Wasting no time I dashed to her side, calling her hoping to prevent the take off, “Wait!” And though I guessed already, I still asked, “What are you going to do?”

Rainbow paused. Still in a low stance, she turned her head to regard me with a passionless gaze and curtly replied, “Serve justice.” Though I expected her to soar into the sky after that, she hesitated for some reason.

I frowned momentarily, but not only because I wasn’t approving of Rainbow’s course of action – it was making no sense. She was on a mission, and dealing with the squatters was a distraction not requiring immediate attention. She must have been mad at them for setting us up, but she wasn’t letting her emotions dictate her actions, rather the opposite. She could deal with it later or send other Royal Guards. For all I knew she could have sent a group here already if she wanted.

“What is this all about?” came Luna’s worried voice from behind me as she grew curious of what was distracting us from jumping to the next point.

That moment, I realized Luna was the reason why Rainbow wasn’t already murdering the bridge’s population. There was a gleam in Rainbow’s eyes, the cold calculating clarity of somepony who was preparing for combat. But massacring defenseless villagers had nothing to do with it. We didn’t stop here because Rainbow wanted to punish the bridge inhabitants; she couldn’t care any less for them. It was bait. A test if Luna would intervene. Despite her orders, Rainbow’s corrupted loyalty was demanding she eliminate the former Princess. But she couldn’t do it without good reason. So if Luna stood in Rainbow’s way, if she tried to obstruct the so-called justice, she wasn’t coming to Canterlot alive. It made little sense to dispose of an ‘asset’ so ‘valuable’ over an issue so insignificant in comparison, but apparently it was enough for Rainbow’s twisted logic.

“The ponies on that bridge illegally settled on it. They knowingly provided false information resulting in putting government representatives and our operation at risk. There is a high possibility they then disclosed said operation to terrorists, resulting in an armed assault,” Rainbow barked each sentence in a harsh tone, but not because she was angry – her face resembled stone with only her mouth moving – those words couldn’t be said in any other way. “That is treason and attempted murder followed by multiple minor offenses. Their sentence is death,” she grimly finished.

“What!?” Luna exploded in indignation, her eyes growing wide with shock, “There are dozens of ponies in that village! Including children!” she yelled at Rainbow pointing with her hoof in the bridge’s direction.

I barely looked at Luna. My eyes were transfixed on Rainbow’s guns, their barrels becoming aimed at the alicorn’s head. I knew Luna wouldn’t be expecting the shot as much as I knew she wouldn’t survive it either. I had barely seen those cannons in action, but I had seen the damage they caused to both flesh and metal; their firepower was tremendous.

Rainbow had a point, those squatters had tried to kill us more than once. They deserved to answer for their actions. I didn’t forget how close Flower came to death, and the wounds Del and Wire still bore were proof. But it wasn’t right to just wipe out that settlement. The point of justice was in redemption, not vengeance. They didn’t deserve to die.

With a wave of desperation and hopelessness I understood with perfect clarity that the fate of those ponies wasn’t what was to be decided right now. They were as good as dead, there was nothing Luna or I could do about it. It was Rainbow Dash trying Luna for being guilty in princesshood, and the penalty for such a transgression stood the same: death.

If I didn’t want that to happen right before me, I had to side with Rainbow and prove her point to Luna, though I was sure Rainbow herself was aware how wrong it all was. It didn’t matter to her if I had to sacrifice my morals, it didn’t matter if those ponies would die. All she was interested in was to determine if Luna was a hazard. Rainbow was more of a machine than any equinoid I had ever met, and I had to mimic her way.

I quickly stood between Luna and Rainbow, hoping that my value as an asset was greater than Luna being a threat in Rainbow’s eyes. Frantically gathering my thoughts, I whipped my head to the former Princess. “There are no foals at that bridge.” It could be true – I saw none there, but that didn’t mean anything. I had to weigh foals’ lives against the life of the last alicorn. I didn’t want to think if it was a fair exchange, but my decision had to be made. With a heavy heart I continued to weave lies to convince Luna that it was the right thing to do. “They are armed and were going to open fire at us when we first came here. They sent us to Dodge City!”

Mention of that vile place swayed Luna’s conviction a little – she saw how catastrophic the results were herself. But I could still see a righteous fire burning in her eyes. Pointing her hoof at Rainbow she boomed in an angry tone, almost in the Royal Canterlot voice, “You pass sentence upon citizens-”

“They are not,” Rainbow rudely interrupted her, making me wonder if she was agitating Luna on purpose. For her they didn’t even count as part of Equestria anymore. Even if they were citizens… Flower, Del and Wire were citizens as well, but that didn’t stop Rainbow from deeming them expendable. Once again that terrifying parallel appeared in my mind – for Rainbow, ponies were nothing more than numbers for a calculator.

“Even if they are not,” Luna continued with a frown, not allowing that display of disrespect to get to her, “who are you to bring a verdict?”

It was taking me everything to keep myself as passionless as Rainbow. It was a spectacle, we both knew, and only Luna was taking it seriously. The problem was that as long as she wasn’t playing along she was going to win the argument. And die.

“I am the captain of the Royal Guard, the second in command officer in Equestria, responsible for its security and peace,” Rainbow snapped back as if Luna should know that already. In a voice too cold she added, “I am judge, jury and executioner.”

Luna wrinkled her nose in a momentary hesitation and quickly came up with a counterargument, “You have authority to dispense judgment only during wartime, then. Those ponies deserve a civilian trial.”

Luna stood correct. But that was the problem, she couldn’t be if she wanted to live. Did she realize it wasn’t the lives of those ponies at stake right now? I didn’t explicitly tell Luna that Rainbow was ready to kill her, I had faith in Rainbow and myself. I suspected that if I revealed Rainbow’s true intentions, Luna would strike first, and I didn’t want to lose Rainbow even though I couldn’t recognize her anymore, especially right now.

“Do you want that trial to be conducted by Queen Chrysalis?” I quickly came with a retort, trying not to sound like I was opposing Luna, but acting as a neutral arbiter, which I was not. “And even with our forces combined we cannot possibly apprehend those criminals.”

Our eyes locked in a silent battle – Luna’s, burning with fulmination, disbelief and disappointment, and mine, glowing artificial mirrors which could barely reflect my heart in them. But I hoped, I prayed Luna would see in those pieces of glass alight with neon the truth I couldn’t speak out loud.

Finally, she did. I saw the slitted irises expand in comprehension followed by immense hurt. Luna was no fool. I could see she finally understood that if she tried to start redeeming herself after all she had done, if she tried to do a just thing, she was going to die for it.

“It doesn’t have to be done right now, does it?” Luna objected much more weakly, still looking me in the eyes, her voice breaking. “Surely they are not an issue that must be dealt with as soon as possible,” she added lifelessly. Now everypony was an actor here.

“But they are,” I replied in a hollow voice. We both just had to pretend until some logical conclusion that we didn’t care for the villagers. I continued to drone, “The Royal Guard already has problems in Canterlot demanding their attention. Who knows how many ponies will be killed at sight or sent to a sure and horrible death before those squatters are finally dealt with?”

Luna wanted to surrender to Queen Chrysalis, but before that she had to surrender her crown and heart to the empty angel of blind justice Rainbow Dash had become. That was the price to enter the heavenly temple perched above the city. And she wasn’t the only one paying it.

“Fine then,” Luna said in a trembling voice, but it became somewhat mocking after she took a shuddering breath, “do as you deem right, Captain Dash.”

Rainbow gave me a long unreadable look I returned with contempt. She didn’t seem to care. As she crouched low, the turbine of her suit hummed and a moment later she rocketed into the sky leaving a cloud of disturbed dust and dry glass hovering in the air.

Scowling, Luna turned away from the bridge and from me, but not fast enough to hide the tears streaming down her cheeks.

My eyes locked on the miserable settlement clinging to the old bridge. How many ponies lived there? A dozen? Two? More? They weren’t completely sane, they weren’t innocent either. In truth, they weren’t much different from the mare by my side trying to hide sobs. Yet I traded their lives without hesitation, and the worst part was that if I happened to end up in the same situation again, I would make the same choice.

Rainbow temporarily became lost from sight beyond the curtain of leaden clouds drifting from the city. But not for long – soon she appeared right above the bridge, falling into a breakneck nose-dive. The roar of the magic engine that encased her in that suit forever reached my hearing, a bone-chilling howl of enchanted armor in truth empty inside save for a shrivelled husk of a pony. Fast as lightning, two shining tears dropped from her silhouette only a split second later to make the bridge bloom with fiery flowers of immolating death.

Despite the distance between us and the burning village, I could clearly hear the screams of dying ponies on the wind, and it took only a few minutes for the gusts to start bringing the ashes and smell of char as well.

Rainbow was darting back and forth like an angry wasp, disappearing into the crumbling ruins to light them up with the malignant shine of her weapons’ blasts, sending splinters and torn flesh flying into the churning black waters below. The air was split with the resounding cracks of rifles thundering above the agonizing dirge of the settlement convulsing in futile self-defense.

Frozen like a statue, unable to avert my eyes from the sight, I gazed at the blazing village. I could see the remote flames reflected on my body where the paint peeled off, making me appear as if I was smouldering, eaten by the flames raging inside me. As the bridge and its inhabitants were turning to ash, I could feel a part of me fading away as well.

The massacre felt like it lasted for hours if not days, but in reality less than twenty minutes passed before the only sound filling the air was the restrained sniffling coming from the midnight-black alicorn. The Royal Guard was efficient in its job.

The bridge was no longer aglow, it just belched thin columns of smoke – driftwood burnt out quickly and only the charred bodies continued to be slowly eaten by flames. After one final lap around the smoldering ruins Rainbow headed back to us. The inertia of her landing was turned into a measured trot, making her appear not as a soldier who just wiped a settlement, but as a mare on a morning jog. Rainbow stopped a few lengths away from me and Luna, far enough to show she was aware she wasn’t welcome in our company right now, but close enough to remind us with her presence that she was ready to move on to the next destination.

Swirling my head around, I caught sight of the girls huddled together, remembering them for the first time since we ended up here. They looked scared, terrified even, in the case of Delight. For Wire and Flower it was just another display of the Crown’s violence, but as frightening as it was, it also must have been confusing, at least the scene that took place before. Delight, who overheard my talk with Rainbow right after we found Luna, knew exactly what unfolded before her.

If Trixie had something to say about that, she remained silent. Overall, after we had met Luna she was very quiet and I couldn’t help but think that it wasn’t what she was expecting to find.

My gaze settled on Luna. Her face was a mask of many emotions, a bitter helplessness the most prominent of them. Her slitted eyes were narrowed to the ground, blazing with a dark fury, though I couldn’t tell at whom it might be directed – herself or Rainbow, both options were equally possible.

I moved closer to Luna and she spared me a pained glance before turning back to look at Rainbow with an expression not full of hate, but simply deeply disappointed. She held it for a few moments before lifelessly raising her wings. Everypony shuffled under her shadow, their heads low. Only Rainbow acted like nothing happened, her face as dispassionate as ever. Luna fixed her eyes in the distance, and as I followed them I saw the short peak of Rambling Rock Ridge which would serve as one of the final points on our journey to Canterlot. The alicorn’s horn glowed with the light of stars, and the world momentarily faded away.

The moment I appeared above the abandoned mines, my face was hit by a gust of wind carrying rain. Though, it wasn’t much of a rain, but a drizzle that made moisture hang in the air. On the top of that crag, winds ran freely, hurtling those tiny drops around in waves. The problem was in the water gathering on the surface of my eyes, obscuring my vision. I was wiping it away wondering if there was some other way to deal with that issue when I heard a choking sound. Turning my head around, trying to determine from who it was coming I saw nothing wrong – the girls seemed to be alright. Then my eyes fell on Luna.

With wide eyes she was staring into the distance, her lower jaw trembling as if she was witnessing something horrible beyond comprehension. I looked in that direction and instantly understood – she saw Canterlot.

It was one thing to see the reflection of that city in the Dreamrealm, where it was hard to tell truth from imagination, where everything was processed through the dreamer’s mind. And Luna had hardly witnessed the whole picture. In a bitter irony I realized that she was in the same place I was not so long ago, even not that far from the physical location. Unfortunately, she seemed to take it as well as I did.

Coming closer to her I put my hoof on her shoulder and felt her shaking, the edge of her armor rattling against the metal of my limb. I didn’t think she even noticed me, so overwhelmed with the surreal view she was. There was nothing else I could do but be there for her in that moment, to stand by her side and observe the decaying landscape as she was dealing with the shock.

Minutes passed and Luna began to calm down, at least her she didn’t appear like she would pass out at any moment. Her body shuddered one more time and she whispered very softly, so only I could hear, “I’m so sorry. I should have never left.”

Just as quietly I replied, “Nopony could know it would be like this.” If I were asked five hundred years ago what would become of Equestria, I wouldn’t be able to even imagine the depth to which ponydom had fallen.

Apparently, our conversation wasn’t as clandestine as we wanted it to be and was taken by Rainbow as a sign to continue, judging by the sound of gravel crunching under the armor-clad hooves as she approached from behind. She evened with us and pointed towards the center of the city, saying, “See that tall building with ‘Kashmare Sewing Industries’ logo?” Luna curtly nodded after a few moments, though I couldn’t see it no matter how hard I squinted through the rain. A bit later I remembered that it wasn’t how my eyes worked. “Teleport us there, we will proceed on hoof,” Rainbow ordered.

“Why can’t we jump straight to the Sky Palace?” I asked. We made it to Canterlot much faster than it was initially planned and even though I couldn’t see that tower I was sure I was in the Inner City, but it still was some distance we had to cover.

“The Sky Palace’s protection prevents any teleportation within its limits,” Rainbow impatiently explained. In retrospect I should have expected that, it was a sensible thing to implement. “Kashmare,” she continued, “are the Crown’s allies. They won’t mind too much if we drop on the top of their building.”

For the last time we gathered under the cover of Luna’s black feathers. Her horn flashed with a slightly bluish-tinted white light as she called for the moon to lend her the power, and we appeared on the top of a roof a moment of cosmic darkness later.

All around me neon shone through the mist that drifted from the clouds hanging low, so close to us I could reach them with my magic. As I looked around I saw that we had ended up on a platform, likely a landing pad, surrounded by a vast array of radio antennas. The small crystals on the corners of the concrete octagon air-stop were lethargically blinking with an angry red. It was nestling on the edge of the roof, even overhanging a bit over the street, allowing me and others to take a look at the avenue teeming with life very far below. The girls’ wide eyes were instantly glued to it, greedily and enviously taking in the striking immaculacy of the Inner City, a ground forbidden to them.

It didn’t last for long, however. Rainbow waited only a few moments, and only because she was silently consulting with the voices in her helmet. As soon as she was done she began to briskly trot towards the entrance to the roof neighboured by dozens of humming vents. I coughed to bring the attention of the girls, who couldn’t tear their gazes from the brilliance of the city. Even Luna was looking around in admiration, captivated by the display of exquisite architecture and shining colors. As we were walking to the door left open by Rainbow, a flying carriage (moving without pegasi!) soared above our heads, making the girls follow it with amazed looks and startling Luna who ruffled her wings in response.

Inside the building we had to go down a few stairs before we ended up in a well-lit and perfectly maintained corridor of white marble. Unceremoniously, leaving dirty hoofprints on the polished floor, Rainbow marched to the panel on the wall adjacent to a set of double doors – an elevator. A surprisingly short time after she pressed the button the doors opened with a melodic ring welcoming us into the elevator’s interior.

The mirror covered walls gave me a false impression of it being bigger than it actually was, so we had to make a few tries before we all fit into the elevator. Considering that nopony could touch Trixie save for Rainbow, and Luna was subtly but actively avoiding standing by her side, it required some effort. My body unable to bend or be compressed wasn’t helping the issue. Delight ended up being tightly pressed into Luna’s side, which was driving the impressible pegasus to the edge of hysterics. Wire, being as sharp-tongued as she was, suggested that Flower shove her metal hoof up her ass if she didn’t know where to put it, which earned stern glares from both Luna and me. But, finally, Rainbow pressed a button on the panel inside the lift and we began to descend. Only halfway I realized that probably nothing was preventing us from making it in two trips. At least it took less than a minute of waiting before the doors opened, letting us spill from the cramped space.

We found ourselves right in the middle of a spacious foyer, dozens of surprised eyes pointed at us. Ponies in suits froze midway staring at us, workers in front of and behind the counters looked at us in bewilderment. Silence, save for the din of the street coming through the opened doors and a melodic yet mechanical voice unrelentingly making announcements, took reign over the luxurious vestibule.

“Move along, citizens!” Rainbow boomed menacingly and the entrance hall instantly resumed its busy life almost as if we stopped exist for those ponies. ‘Almost’ because I could see many of the ponies milling around stealing us curious and wary glances. Wasting no time Rainbow headed to the door leading to the street, leaving us to follow her.

The Inner City was so unlike any other parts of Canterlot I happened to visit. It was pristine, it was clean and it was beautiful. Rust and grime were nowhere to be seen. The ponies trotting by looked healthy and for once resembled citizens of a future city instead of thugs and vagrants. Even the rare equinoids obediently following ponies looked like they had rolled off the production line five minutes ago.

Ablaze with cyan and pink neon, gleaming towers of business centres rose to the sky like a forest of massive glass trees. Entrances, topped with sophisticated names of companies housed inside, bustled with a flow of ponies constantly walking in and out. A few stories above, pegasusless carriages darted through the colorful fog.

The wretched heart of Canterlot, a monolith of the Crown loomed above all, its sinister shadow eclipsing the sun barely visible through the dense fog. It wasn’t far away, in fact the street we were on led straight to the Sky Palace’s dark grey walls. Rainbow was already marching there.

Letting her stay a few steps ahead, I followed with Luna, Trixie and the girls in tow. The latter were looking around with wide eyes and I couldn’t blame them – after a life spent in the dirt of the Edge and the Outer City, it was a paradise. However, as much as they were captivated by our surroundings, we all didn’t go unnoticed.

It was hard to not pay attention to the gasps of ponies who saw us. I didn’t know if it was caused by the presence of the Royal Guard, but many ponies were running out of our way or just fleeing from us in panic. Fear and bewilderment weren’t the only reactions we were receiving. I could hear them commenting loudly on our haggard appearances, referring to me as a heap of scrap, Del as a whore and the girls as the Edge filth. But Luna was getting it the worst – she was called an ugly mutant. A monster.

I warned her she wasn’t likely to be recognized, and not only because of how she looked – ponies no longer remembered the Princesses. Luna trotted forward with her head low, wincing every time an anonymous voice from the crowd branded her with another humiliating affront.

Suddenly I found myself much closer to Rainbow’s armored flanks than I expected or liked. She stopped and was engaged in a furious exchange, a turn in events I missed as I was focused on the malice of the street.

I looked over her shoulder and frowned. In front of her, four policeponies stood, preventing passage due to the bulk of their blue-painted armors.

“Clear the way, this is a government operation!” Rainbow barked at them, but the policeponies didn’t flinch. I noticed how her visor was concealed with the metal plates of her armor.

Almost likewise, the policeponies’ faces were hidden behind their helmets, so only their muzzles stuck out bearing uniform sour expressions. A mare and three stallions, I noted. The mare was a unicorn along with one of the stallions, who was facing Rainbow. Though, her being a mare wasn’t the only difference: her armor was a bit bulkier with some strange protrusions all over the plates. On her flanks two spools of thick wire hung with their hooked ends fastened on her shoulders. A massive ring resided at the base of her horn with leads branching from it to the back of her neck and further.

“We have received no information about any active operations,” one of the officers snarkily retorted, a bigger stallion with a poorly shaved chin and yellow teeth. “And what kind of operation includes… one, two, three fugitives, a mutant, a custom equnoid and…” -he glanced at Trixie and wrinkled his nose in disgust- “whatever the fuck that is?”

“That is none of your business,” Rainbow snapped back at him. “Get the fuck out of my way.”

The officer looked at his colleagues, they nodded to him and he turned to face Rainbow again, “I don’t think so.” His horn became aglow with magic and a baton sharply snapped from a holder on his shoulder crackling with electricity. “A custom equinoid is a major criminal offense, and you armored clowns sure know it. That goes beyond any agreements between the TCE and the Crown,” the stallion said spitting on the ground. “Grid, ‘cute the gembucket,” he addressed the mare. “We will arrest the others.”

With worry (and a bit of fascination) I saw how the policemare’s armor lit up along with her horn, the protrusions of her armor sparkling, magic energy surging from the now shining ring through the cables. Her telekinesis picked up the hooks and she began to swish them through the air like two lassos.

I heard Rainbow’s guns turning on and to my shock, a split second later, before I expected them to become fully operational, in almost perfect unison the policeponies’ heads exploded, splattering Rainbow and me with brains, shards of bone and helmets.

I whipped my head around and spotted silhouettes hovering in the mist far above us, incredibly long guns in their hooves. I could even see the paths cut through the fog by the bullets. The snipers lingered in my sight for mere moments before disappearing into the mist without a trace.

The gunshots might have been silent, but it didn’t prevent the ponies on the streets from noticing four officers of the police become corpses. The avenue was filled with panicked shrieks. Through the clamor I heard voices coming from Rainbow’s helmet.

“The path is clear, sir.”

“Who the fuck let you shoot those treacherous dogs, sergeant?” Rainbow growled in response, either not noticing her conversation being broadcast beyond the confines of her armor or not caring. “It is a declaration of war!”

“Sir, Queen’s orders, sir,” came the calm answer in an odd buzzing voice.

I could easily imagine Rainbow scowling under her helmet, yet she remained silent. She turned to us as if wanting to say something but then looked ahead again and immediately began to canter towards the Sky Palace.

It took us no more than five minutes to reach the grey walls of the Swarm’s dwelling. Rainbow almost galloped towards it, leaving us to catch up with her, despite my objections – the girls were barely able to keep up with such a brisk pace and Wire had begun to limp again. But I could understand that we might be much safer inside now.

In the smooth surface of the Sky Palace fortress an entrance was cut, or rather it had a massive pressure-tight door embedded into it. As soon as we approached the doorway, the massive gate began to open, a slab of steel thick as a pony rising up with a loud groan. It was apparent that the entrance wasn’t used often. The door stopped opening the moment we could enter it without ducking our heads (except for Luna) and we hurried inside.

I didn’t know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. We weren’t met with an army of changelings or Queen Chrysalis herself. In fact, we were the only ones in the tunnel. Yes, it was a tunnel, no different from the first level of the Tunnels in its arched architecture. It lacked the underground’s smell, of course, and save for a little dust it was clean.

The corridor led us to an elevator, since it was a cargo lift we had no trouble fitting in this time. After we exited it, another concrete maintenance passage welcomed us. It was narrow, more like the corridor of a building, with pipes sticking out of the walls. As before, it was deserted making me wonder if it was so any other time or if all the changelings were hidden. Or maybe were waiting in an ambush.

Rainbow was navigating the passages without trouble, guiding us through a series of cramped passes and steep stairs until the grey, unplastered concrete was replaced by slightly less grey plastic tiles (they were white once, but years of accumulating dust had darkened them). Eventually we ended up in front of another elevator, again luckily roomy enough for us to not rub our sides.

The elevator’s cage was round and I noted how half of its walls opposite to the doors were made of glass. I was looking at it in confusion when suddenly a vast space opened up before my eyes – the elevator’s shaft became transparent as well!

I stared in shock at the room big enough to fit a few Canterlot skyscrapers. The Sky Palace was hollow inside! I stepped closer to the lift’s window to take a better look. Though I still couldn’t see what was below, I observed circular floors of concrete, some of them open like small streets, some just walls with windows. The thing that instantly caught my eye was the lighting. I couldn’t see a single lamp and yet the expanse inside the Palace was anything but dark. When I glanced at the very top, I was momentarily blinded by a light as bright as the sun. A moment later realization dawned on me – with the spire of the Palace being above the cloud level, they could use it to light the interior of the Palace, either directly, or more likely using a system of mirrors.

As I lowered my eyes, I saw something that made me freeze. I saw them. Changelings walking around the levels. Talking. Laughing. I even saw one of them waving its hoof to us. We weren’t just inside the Sky Palace, we were inside the Hive, inside their very home. I glanced at Luna and saw her gaze transfixed on the moving figures, but I couldn’t read her expression. I only hoped that she wouldn’t suddenly snap. I couldn’t forget the fact that she had scoured every patch of the Badlands for centuries to find and kill each and every changeling.

The elevator was rising rapidly, and very soon the shaft’s wall turned into concrete, cutting us from the view of the Hive. A minute later the lift stopped, its door silently opening in a corridor with the walls tiled with the same plastic, pristine white this time.

Taking a step from the elevator, I for the first time acutely realized where I was and who I was about to meet. I wondered if these were the last minutes of my unnatural life. I looked at Luna, seeking support, but she was too deep in her own thoughts to notice. Wire, Del and Flower looked a bit shaken and afraid, but not as shocked as I expected them to be. It was understandable, as they knew nothing about the changelings, save for them not being ponies. They were probably more afraid to meet the ruler of the city. Trixie answered at my glance with a worried expression, but I failed to guess what could possibly be on her mind right now.

Rainbow, with the plates on her visor gone to reveal the mask of no emotion that served as her face, left the elevator without hesitation and was now walking through the white corridor towards a set of double doors.

I looked at all of my companions once again, we nodded to each other (Luna included) and this time instead of walking in line we moved forward shoulder to shoulder with only Trixie trailing behind.

Rainbow had already disappeared behind the tall doors. There was nothing special about them, I noted, as we came closer. They were made of the same white plastic, with only filigree handles standing out on the perfect alabaster surface. Though the gate was extraordinarily humble, I knew that behind them was the throne room.

I grabbed the right handle with my magic and saw the other enveloped in a soft blue glow. I met Luna’s eyes but couldn’t read her expression. She silently and curtly nodded to me and I pressed on the door.

For a moment I became blinded by the sunlight pouring through the glass walls of a vast chamber. Then, against the shining, the spots in my eyes began to form into black silhouettes.

A skeletal outline with plates of armor hinged on bones – an equinoid most likely.

Near them a cutout of a large seat. Above the back of it the dark shadow of a jagged spike, a holed twisted horn. On the sides – tattered translucent wings refracting the light.

“Welcome back,” a mirthful and unexpectedly hoarse, yet still horrifyingly recognizable voice came from the throne.

Author's Notes:

Closer and closer to the finish line, though there is still a lot of work left.
Drafts for chapters 17 and 18 are ready, I'm working on chapter 19 right now and really hope to finish all the drafts by the end of September.

Aftersound Project Discord server - it's a little community dedicated to discussion of the story and whatnot. Everyone is welcome to join.
Pony Tales, a quite welcoming place dedicated to disscussing and working on many great stories (now including Aftersound). I think you may also find it interesting.

If you notice any mistakes sneaked in through the editing, let me know.
I hope you enjoyed reading this story so far.
Stay awesome.