The Infestation of Equiss Prime

by Jest

First published 18th of August, 2018

The queen of blades has launched her newest weapon, a ship designed to infest an entire planet in secret. Unfortunatly for her, this ship vanished after launch and crash landed on a distant world filled with colorful ponies.

Far, far away from the Equiss system, the queen of blades is readying the launch of her newest weapon. A ship designed to infest an entire planet in secret, readying it for the eventual zerg invasion and softening up even the hardest target, Korhal. Unfortunately for the queen of blades, the untested zerg biotechnology is more difficult to master then she thought and the infestation ship vanishes after launch.

Untold eons later Twilight Sparkle is preparing for her entrance exam for Celestia's school for gifted unicorns only to stop when she sees a star fall into her new treehouse. The young pony sets out in the middle of a storm, intent on seeing this fallen star for herself.

What she finds inside will change not only her destiny but the destiny of all on Equiss prime.

_{Make sure to check out the sister story to this one.
Trigger warning, parasites. Starcraft Crossover!
Updates twice a month!
The story so far!}

Curiosity

A nameless zerg queen sat motionless at what would amount as a helm of her ship. All around her the flesh walls of her ship pulsed in shared anxiety, its relatively small size easily dwarfed by the leviathan that was nearby. The Queen of Blades had chosen this moment to test the nameless queen’s new capabilities and the zerg couldn't help but feel a strange sense of nervousness assault her mind.

Organs the queen did not have names for had been grown within her body, granting her new abilities beyond those usually associated with queens. Her abilities to infest, to spread her parasites and dominate a population were now unparalleled by the other queens. Though she didn't understand why, she had also been given the ability to remain dormant, enabling her parasites to remain undetected within the population for an indefinite period. She could even force herself and those zerg in her proximity to enter a sort of suspended animation, though it was suggested she not use this ability to the potential damage that extended suspended animation posed on zerg physiology. The queen hadn’t truly understand the point of dormancy as aggressive expansion had been the zerg way for years.

Her queen had been quick to show the confused underqueen the projections of such a virulent plague of infection which satiated the upstart. The queen of blade’s visions filled the nameless queen with pleasure, for she would be tasked with the infestation and domination of an entire planet of terrans. Their bodies and essence were weak, but with the ability to enable her infested to use terran technology, they would serve her well. With their service the glory of conquest would be all hers and with that victory, she would be elevated far beyond the ranks of a mere queen. No longer would she serve under the broodmothers, but become their equal or even their greater!

Even with this promise of power and ascension, the nameless queen’s anxiety was still palpable.

For her enhanced coordination and infestation were not the only gifts she had been given.

Deep within her experimental miniature leviathan ship pounded something strange and powerful. The queen of blades had abandoned her use of wormholes to transport the many minor ships of the swarm, preferring to launch from the safety of the leviathans but she had not forgotten the useful ability. This great writhing mass of flesh and unknown liquid pulsed with a dark light, imitating a small part of the queen of blade’s vast power. When in range of their queen, it would be capable of tapping into a part of her immense psionic potential and could send the small ship across the vast reaches of the darkness of space in an instant.

But, it was the first, and though tested, she was the first queen to ever ‘pilot’ such a craft.

The first of what the queen of blade’s hoped was many and this ‘dark organ’, as it was called, was the first thing that had ever instilled true fear into the nameless queen.

The raw power that the organ pulsed with dwarfed even the nameless queen’s and though it lacked sentience, it still exerted a pressure that pushed at the back of the queen’s mind. The queen glanced over her shoulder, her eyes scanning the hundreds of rows of parasites that sat nestled in their chrysalises. As her gaze ran over the many suspended creatures, a cruel facsimile of a smile crossed the queen’s face and the parasites writhed in shared pleasure.

The queen of blades had confidence in her, had confidence in the dark organ, thus the nameless queen had confidence in those same things.

With doubt gone and anxiety wiped from her mind, the zerg faced forward, waiting patiently for the order to engage and begin her infestation of the terran world of Korhal.

Her patience was rewarded quicker than the nameless queen had dared hope as she felt the will of her queen flow through her very being, causing her to pulse with energy. Her mandibles clacked together excitedly and the zerg waited eagerly for direction.

Commence preparations and ready the dark organ. For the swarm! the queen of blade’s psionic voice boomed within the lesser queen’s mind.

For the swarm! she cried in triumph.

Her ship pulsed around her, the joy she felt echoing through the zerg ship and the many parasites that hung at the ready.

With a mental command the ship began to move, its relatively small, but not insignificant length twisting through the darkness of space, quickly reaching the desired speed. When the queen was sure that her vessel was ready she extended her mind deep into the dark organ. The pressure in her mind doubled and the organ initially resisted the queen’s order to move, its undirected will pressing back.

However, it was quickly overwhelmed by the psychic might and will of the nameless queen, bending to her desire. With the dark organ once more willing to follow the queen’s demands, she pressed her will deeper, inputting the necessary commands to ensure they would arrive within the atmosphere of their target planet and under any radar that would detect them. It would be tricky, as something this precise had never been attempted before, but she trusted her queen’s orders and knew she would ensure success.

The organ pulsed with baleful energy, as if it were angry that it had received orders. Reluctantly it allowed the nameless queen to input her orders and with a flare of sickly orange light it pulsed, beginning the first steps of its preparations. Great liquid filled sacks twisted and contorted, the deep organelles of the dark organ, filling with energy.

The queen sat silent, her mind combing through the operations of her ship and the dark organ, double and triple checking that her orders were being followed. The queen of blades had been insistent, her orders absolute and the queen refused to fail in her mission. With the independence granted to her by her specialization, the queen relentlessly ran over every check she could think of.

Orange light suddenly poured through the ship, seeping through the flesh bulkheads and casting the chrysalises in an eerie light. The organ pounded in the distance, its pressure growing by the second. Still the queen sat silent, her mandibles clacking nervously as she poured over the organ’s preparations. When everything was as the queen of blades had commanded, she opened the mental connection once more.

We are ready, my queen!

Good, now activate the organ! Infest the terran fools! the queen of blades commanded.

For the swarm! the nameless queen cried back.

The queen pushed her mind into the organ, activating the massive build of sickly energy that poured through the miniature leviathan. The organ pulsed one last time before the built up energy exploded outward in a massive wave of orange that engulfed the ship completely, obscuring it from view. The nameless queen felt her entire being and the bodies of her ship and parasites crushed to a single infinitesimally small point, only to bounce back an instant later.

The queen’s senses spread through her ship and poured outwards, expecting to find the world of Korhal just beyond, only to find… nothing.

No atmosphere, no cities, no vegetation, no planet, just nothing.

Only the distant swirl of galaxies and stars met the queen’s enhanced senses of her and her ship. My queen, something is wrong! she called out, recalling the mental connection they had mere moments ago.

Only to find that connection was gone, and with it, the guiding will of her queen and the constant voice of the greater swarm. The thousandfold voices of the nameless zerg that the unnamed queen had known since the moment of her birth were utterly silent. In her desire to see the planet she had not noticed the hive mind’s absence but now, now it was unbearable.

She had been elevated to a position below the broodmothers and though she knew her new mental prowess could keep her brood in line, it was not something she had been truly prepared for. White hot panic surged through the queen’s body and her muscles twisted and contorted as her mind ran circles around itself. Her mind expanded outward, through the ship and her parasitic brood, searching for damage.

As her mind brushed across the dark organ, she stopped, the organ felt distant, its pressure gone. As the queen’s will searched for its presence, she felt the shattered remnants of the organ. The pressure had been too great and its massive bloated sack of twisted orange energy had ruptured, destroying vast sections of the small ship.

The queen tried to reign in their propulsion, hoping that she could stop her forward momentum. Only to find that part of her ship unresponsive, the damage too severe, rendering the entire organic propulsion system inoperable. The queen gripped her head tightly, shutting off the agony coming from the damaged ship. With a mental command the ship detached its sense of feeling from the damaged section, cutting itself off from the damaged propulsion system and a good third of the ship’s bulk.

With no way to stop their forward momentum, the queen extended her senses outward once more, searching the stars and galaxies she felt through the ship’s exterior, looking for some hint of familiarity. As the queen’s search continued, so did her dread.

The stars were like nothing the queen had seen, and the rudimentary course calculation that had been pressed into her mind could find no viable solutions or even somewhat familiar star clusters.

Alone, the queen stared on for several minutes, desperately searching for anything that might signal the way back to her queen and the swarm. Her limbs fell slack, her jaw hanging open, for there was nothing. No psionic signatures, no familiar galaxies, nothing that could indicate the queen’s or the swarm’s location.

Old instincts bubbled to the surface of the queen’s mind, forcing down the well of panic and the primal urge to return to a more feral state. She had her independence, she had her mission, perhaps she was merely further out than planned. Despite the impossibility of such an occurrence, the queen chose to believe it, chose to continue on, hoping against hope that Korhal would soon appear before her.

It would take days, months, perhaps even years but she could not give up, not while there was still a chance. The queen found the dormancy protocols implanted with her mind and hesitantly ran a mental digit over the protocol.

She would need to shut down everything, not only the ship, or the parasites, but her very mind, if they were going to have a chance of reaching her target before the ship was forced to consume itself. Not just the ship, not just the parasites, but every single biological function would need to cease utterly. Only then would the nameless queen even have a tiny glimmer of hope that they would survive long enough to reach their destination.

Her instincts screamed at her to stop, to do anything other than damning her and her parasites to a slow, inevitable end but with no other options, she was forced to ignore those instincts. She knew the protocols would damage not only the ship, but the genetic makeup of her parasites and even herself. As they were never intended to be used for long and activating them indefinitely had risks that the queen had hoped she'd never have to consider, yet here she was, her digit placed over the mental button that would send the order.

With a mental shift, the protocols activated and the ship began to still, its occupants falling silent as their mental voices were put into a deep, dreamless sleep. The queen sat on the now still mound, that connected her to the ship, her mandibles clacking nervously as she glanced around the now silent hull of her dormant ship. Behind her she could feel her parasites cease their anxious twitching, some of which she knew would never wake again.

What had she done wrong? The question hung in the queen’s mind for what felt like hours, silently staring out into the darkness of her ship. Until finally she was forced to admit that she must join her children, and soon. The queen consoled herself with the knowledge that when significant gravity tugged at the ship once more, it would reactivate, and hopefully reawaken the queen, if she were still alive, that is.

The protocols were reluctantly activated once more, and several of the queen’s new organs shifted inside her as they were forced into use for the very first time. Her senses dulled, her mind began to grow distant all the while the queen looked out over her children, what amounted to a frown pressed firmly against her face. Her world grew dimmer and dimmer until all that was left was one final thought.

I will fulfill your mission, my queen, for the swarm… With that, the last of her mental energy was depleted and the queen fell still, her body falling into a heap, her now closed eyes still looking out over her payload of parasites.

As the drifting energy dissipated, the queen of blades leaned forward in her flagship leviathan, gazing out through the empty expanse of space. Her powerful mind searched as her more mundane senses did as well, only to come to the same disappointing conclusion.

She is gone, the queen of blades lamented. Not only from our position, but from the swarm entirely.

Instantly the queen directed her will towards the one creature she knew that would have an inkling as to what had happened. Abathur, the swarm’s psionic presence extends to Korhal, correct?

The zerg spinner twitched suddenly, nearly overwhelmed by the unexpected pressure of his queen’s emotions. Subject queen of blade’s influence spreads throughout the Korpulo sector, Korhal included.

The queen rocked back on her heels. Did she defect? No, that is impossible. Then where is she?

Her eyes gazed out into the endless cozmos, searching in vain for any sign of her wayward underqueen. “Where did you go?” Kerrigan whispered.

Years, centuries, millennia, time beyond counting passed through the wayward zerg queen and her ship. There was no one left aboard to recount the endless pass of aeons as the dark void of the great beyond slipped past the craft until time itself seemed to forget the zerg ship’s existence.

After endless years spent drifting by momentum alone, something changed.

Gravity began to tug at the ship, and not the distant gravity of some stellar object or passing by debris, but the insistent tug of something large, and close.

Instinct flared within the depths of the ship, slowly awakening to feel the tug of gravity pull harder upon it. It pushed its mind toward the queen’s, only to find it unresponsive. It was still whole, and sapient, having not been lost to the ravages of time or the insistent tug of an urge to become feral, but only walled off somehow. With no ability to move, or any direction from local queen, the ship was left to its more base instincts of survival and more importantly, mission success.

In its rudimentary comprehension, it knew that the mission depended upon reaching a planet, releasing the parasites and landing somewhere safe, away from civilization so as to allow their queen to hide and guide the infestation.

The tug of gravity became more insistent and the ship knew time was drawing short. Whatever this object was, it was directly in front of the craft. With no propulsion and no way of guiding their momentum, there was little it could do other than wait for the opportune moment to release the parasites and wait for further instructions.

Gravity asserted its dominance, its slow acceleration now increasing at a drastic pace. The ship was barely able to measure the new speeds it had achieved due to the damage and it was only dimly aware of a smaller, less gravity dense object that whizzed past the ship. The ship had barely enough ability left to glance at the object, registering it as a small moon with craters in the shape of the head of a horse. A strange tug seemed to pull the ship, making it jerk upward and adjusting its course into one that wouldn't see the ship plow straight into the planet.

The insignificant consciousness of the ship had barely managed to register this strange shift in gravity as within seconds it could feel its exterior begin to burn as it breached the atmosphere. Heat extended across the entirety of the ship, wreathing the entire thing in a bright red and orange flame. The ship was never grown for such a task, its entire reason for existence was to come in quickly and silently within an atmosphere after all and this brutal punishment was damaging its already crippled capabilities, reducing its resources even more.

Despite the punishment, and the ravages of time, the bulkhead held out against the worst of the atmospheric burn, only barely managing to keep the ship in one piece as it hurtled towards the planet. Seconds flew by and soon enough they breached the lower atmosphere, the curvature of the vast world coming into view and the resistance of several atmospheres bled off.

Green plant life, blue oceans, wide expanses of white tundra and orange dessert and a small patch of dark clouds spread out below the craft. Sensory organs flared deep within the ship, analyzing and finding the most suitable place for their landing while also extending the primitive rudders and tentacles that would have served as mooring and breaching points. Haphazard and desperate, the attempt was only mildly successful, with the rubbery extensions burning off in seconds and only barely managing to guide the craft into a more suitable trajectory and towards a mountain and a vast woodland beyond it that would hide the zerg well.

As the last of the ship’s extensions burned off its exterior, it reached deep within itself and prepped the passages that would guide the parasites towards the planet below. Of the nearly five hundred drop pods a paltry nine were operational, the ship, if it was capable of feeling annoyance would have lamented the loss. With its instincts screaming at it, the ship released eight of the pods randomly across the surface, unable to tell where they landed unless it took away from its attempt to find a proper landing location.

All at once its sensory organs began pulsating rapidly, warning the ship of something large looming ahead of it. The ship forced the last of the stuck drop pods through the opening just in time to drop the pod into the swirl of rain clouds and wrench itself to the right with the few limbs it had left, narrowly dodging a massive outcropping of rock that stuck randomly from the center of the landmass and almost directly in its way.

The desperate maneuver was only a partial success however and a great chunk of the ship was forced to scrape across the exposed rock, shearing off great sections of the zerg ship and sending it careening away from the vast wooded area it had chosen and towards a massive wasteland that spread for hundreds of miles.

The ship could do nothing but wait until mere seconds later it crashed into an enormous dune, bleeding off some of the massive kinetic energy it carried behind it. A second dune was right behind the first, its massive size blown asunder as the ship crashed through it, sending a second plume of sand hundreds of metres into the air.

The next time the ship crashed into the earth it dug a deep furrow into the ground, nearly a kilometre long. With a good chunk of its energy now bled away thanks to the large sand dunes, the ship managed to survive, with enormous but not irreparable damage.

Stillness overcame the ship and in the darkness a mind finally awoke, her senses spreading outwards with a single thought coming to the forefront of her thoughts. It's about damned time.

Minutes ago, above the planet’s surface a single equine stood motionless on the moon’s surface. Its body was the size of an average horse, its fur a soft teal, its eyes were large and a horn grew from its head while a pair of wings extended from its back. The soft teal of its coat extended down its barrel and towards its hindquarters where it became muddied by a deeper blue that in turn had white crescent moon emblazoned on it.

Its eyes narrowed, though they remained closed in deep concentration.

The creature’s mind focused to a razor point, seeking out the strange sensation that had disturbed it. When it was finally able to reach the distant yet familiar feeling, she recoiled in shock, stumbling backward across the empty expanse of grey rock.

What is that? she mouthed soundlessly, her eyes opening and staring upwards towards the infinite dark.

The sensation was not unlike the dream world that she had been shut off from for centuries, and yet it was different. Whomever was dreaming was experiencing what felt like the most terrible nightmare that the equine had ever felt. Adding to the strangeness of it all was the fact that this dream was not from any creature the equine knew of. For it did not have the taste of any of the numerous races that dreamt upon Equestria’s surface, instead having a strange, almost slimy presence that made the equine wish for a bath.

The dream was completely alien and filled utterly with such absolute panic and shame that the mare couldn't help but feel a sympathetic pang of the same emotions.

As the dreaming entity drew closer, a dark speck that the equine had passed off as an asteroid began to grow in the night sky. Seconds turned into minutes and as the dream came more and more into focus, so did the speck.

The equine’s eyes fluttered open once more, abandoning her attempts to gather more than the passing glimpse at the alien dream. Instantly she noticed that the speck was growing closer by the second as it barrelled toward the planet below with growing speed. It was larger than any asteroid that Luna had ever seen and its massive size lacked the oblong shape of any space rock she had studied. Whatever it was, it was coming in too fast and from its current angle it would impact Equestria with devastating consequences. Luna knew instantly that if this object was as dense as an asteroid, the destruction it would reek would be unparalleled.

Suddenly a presence she had not felt in over nine hundred years suddenly bubbled to the surface, a solitary thought emerging from her mind. This world is mine!

A dark cascade of rippling unlight coursed over the equine’s body, instantly changing it. The dark imitation of the former equine stood on shaky hooves, her already bright horn doubling in intensity. Her fur was darker, her pupils slitted and fangs jutted out from her tensed jaw. Magic surged up through the moon, as both the original equine and the darker creature, that now stood in her place, agreed upon something for the first time in nine centuries.

The shape had grown massive in the night’s sky and with a tug, it shifted slightly, pulling it closer to the moon and guiding it on a less direct path with the planet below. The bright glow of magic flickered out and the creature tumbled to the grey ground, sending a small plume of dust upwards. She would have panted if there was air to breathe, she would have sought out the refreshing taste of water to quench her sudden thirst if only that were possible.

Instead she lay there, the darkness bleeding away to reveal the smaller, blue equine that had first seen the object and felt the strange touch of the alien dream.

What was that? she mouthed.

Thousands of kilometres below a filly sat motionless, peering intently out her bedroom window. Beneath her, mere metres away was the tree house her brother and father had made for her, its oak boards currently being pounded relentlessly by the rain. The filly wanted to sit inside its walls and listen to the rain, but her mother had forbidden her, on fear of catching a cold only a few days before the big exam.

The filly had reluctantly agreed, remembering the scourning she had received after she had tried to sneak out the first time. “Twilight Sparkle! You better not be doing what I think you are doing!” her mother had yelled, much to the filly’s dismay.

She sighed, rolling onto her back and staring up at the grey clouds above and pushing the painful memory from her mind. “Pony feathers,” she cursed.

Twilight continued to stare upward into the sky, for several minutes, wondering what she could do to salvage her evening before her mother inevitably tucked her in a matter of hours. She blinked, a flash of orange catching her attention. She watched in stunned silence as the orange shape blew through the cloud cover and careened right towards her. The filly leapt up, staring intently at the object.

The orange light had faded, leaving only a dull purple cylindrical object that was barely visible against the backdrop of the storm, which rocketed toward her. Wait, not toward her, towards her backyard and her brand new-

CRASH!

The object flew right through the open window of her tree house and crashed into the interior of the small wooden structure. The filly blinked, wide eyed at the bizarre sight she had just witnessed. Instantly her curiosity took control of her and before she could think twice she had thrown open her window and leapt onto the branch that extended towards her bedroom.

With a fearlessness that would make Daring Do green with envy, the filly leapt towards her tree house. Her tiny hooves gripped the windowsill of the tree fort as her back hooves scampered to find purchase. Leveraging what little strength the unicorn had, she pulled herself up and into the tree house proper, landing with a thud that made her wince.

The filly’s eyes flitted this way and that, searching for the object that had fallen from the sky. Yet there didn't seem to be anything there, with only the cracked boards just under the window on the other side of the tree house as evidence that she hadn't been seeing things.

The filly crept closer, edging her way towards the small divot in the center of the room. Remembering her lessons, she lit her horn, using the light spell her father had taught her. With the room now lit up, she looked down, into the divot and the bizarre sight it held.

A small pile of dark green mucus and shards of what looked like purple glass lay in the center. Twilight reached out and brushed a hoof across one of the shards, only to pull her limb back and sniff the green goo that stuck to her. The smell reminded her of a hospital almost, like that funny gunk that nurses and doctors used on their hooves, but not quite. She watched in wonder as the mucus and glass seemed to bleed away, breaking down further and further until the wind simply blew them away.

A sudden click was all the warning she got before something heavy landed on her head, knocking her to the ground. A scream instantly filled her throat, but instead of life-giving oxygen her lungs were filled with orange gas, killing the scream before it had a chance to be loosed. The filly struggled to stand, her head instantly swimming as her eyes rolled around in their sockets. With a heavy thump she fell back to the ground, completely unconscious in a matter of moments.

The thing on her head shifted, its tiny, insectoid limbs carrying it over the filly’s cranium. Its feelers brushed against the hard keratin of the filly’s horn, causing it to stop. It wrapped several of its tiny feelers across the hard surface before retracting and ignoring the strange outgrowth. The long, spindly parasite crawled across the filly’s face before settling over her closed mouth.

Two long, more dexterous feelers extended from the central mass of the creature, reaching forward and prying the filly’s lips apart. The many legs of the creature pushed its nearly foot long exterior forward, pressing its body into the filly’s mouth and down her throat. The journey was difficult and the parasite was forced to shift and adapt its body when it realized it may accidentally choke its host to death before it could even infest it.

Inch after inch of the large parasite disappeared into the filly’s mouth, its bulk causing the filly’s neck to bulge as the creature descended into the filly’s stomach. After several minutes of painfully slow progress, the last few inches of the creature’s bulbous purple body disappeared into the filly’s mouth, gently closing her jaw behind her before descending completely into her gullet. Now secure in its new home, the parasite pressed itself into a tight ball, activating the process that would repair its damaged genetic material while further infesting its new host.

The bulging, shifting weight within the filly’s stomach slowly settled, melding further and further with its new host until the bulge was gone and the creature had integrated almost completely into its host. Now, it waited, biding its time until its host took in additional nutrients, which it would use to further its infestation and eventually, its spread.

Twilight Velvet banged her hoof on the door of her daughter’s room for the second time in as many minutes. “Twilight Sparkle, open the door this instant!”

When no response came she reached for the handle. “I’m coming in!”

Still no response.

The mother pushed her way into the room. “Why didn't you answer… me?” She looked around the room to find hide nor hair of her daughter. Only the deafening crack of distant thunder greeted the aged mare.

“Twilight?” The mare ran over to the closet and threw it open, half expecting her daughter to leap out and yell ‘gotcha!’ at the top of her lungs.

But no filly emerged.

The mare closed the closet door and looked out over to the windowsill that was now soaking wet, a small pool of water gathering on the bench in front of it and leaking down onto the floor. She trotted over to it, extending a hoof to close the slightly open window only to stop, a flash of lightning in the distance illuminating something inside the tree house that lay at the end of a branch that extended all the way to the window. “Oh no,” she muttered.

In a flash the mare had leaped down the stairs and sprinted towards the backyard, ignoring the odd look her husband gave her. “What's going on! Honey?” he called after her.

The mare ran on, bursting into the backyard and sprinting over to the tree house and leaping up the ladder. The thin wood strained under her weight but still managed to hold her, allowing her to slip inside the narrow opening into the tree house. There, lying in the center of the tiny room was her darling filly, lying in a small divot in the centre of the tree house.

“Twilight!” The mare bent down, crawling over to her filly whose only movement was the slow rhythmic motion of her chest rising and falling.

She extended her hooves, turning the filly over and searching for any signs of injury. Other than a thin matt of green and purple slime that stuck to the side of her body, Twilight Velvet couldn't find anything out of the ordinary. Brushing aside the strange slimy substance, the mare watched as it disintegrated almost instantly after being exposed to air.

“Oh, my sweet little girl, what happened?” Twilight Velvet pressed the filly tight against her chest, tears streaming down her face.

“Mom?” a small, weak voice asked.

The elder mare stared down into the twin orbs of her daughter’s magenta eyes. “What happened? Are you hurt?”

The filly blinked, a hoof going to her stomach. “My tummy is all rumbly.”

The mare shook her head slowly, panic slowly draining from her limbs. “You scaried me half to death, young filly! What in Equestria possessed you to come out here in the rain, you could have gotten sick!”

The filly blinked owlishly, her eyes gazing off into the distance. “I don't know…”

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Harmony

Twilight Sparkle shivered intensely, clutching the loose blankets that surrounded her, whimpering pathetically. “S-s-so c-c-c-c-cold,” she muttered through chattering teeth.

Her mother grimaced, placing a foreleg on the filly’s head, only to recoil. “She's burning up! What do we do?”

“I don't know. Her fever hasn't cracked a hundred yet, this might just be a bad cold,” her father lamented.

“I’ve never seen a cold this bad in my entire life!” the mare exclaimed, gesturing to the shaking filly who had cast aside all her blankets only to grab them a few seconds later.

“We will keep an eye on her, if it gets any worse, we will bring her to the hospital. Alright?”

The mare glanced down at her shaking child and slowly nodded. “Alright, but I will be checking on her constantly and if that temperature gets even a degree worse we are out of here, mister!”

Night Light smiled and nuzzled his wife. “Of course, my dear. I have to get some work done but after that I’ll come back down to watch her.”

Twilight Velvet planted a quick kiss on her husband’s cheek. “Alright.”

The male smiled and planted a kiss on the mare’s cheek as well. “She’ll be fine, Twilight is a tough filly. This won't keep her down for long.”

“I hope you are right, dear.”

Night Light turned and departed, slipping the door shut behind him, leaving Velvet alone with her child and her worries.

The filly squirmed under the blankets, clutching her stomach before suddenly belching loud enough to make her mother blink in shock. “You should have done that when your father was here, he would have been impressed.”

The filly tried to laugh, only to wince and clutch her stomach again. “Owie.”

“Where does it hurt?” The mare leaned down, lifting the filly’s hoof from her stomach and inspecting the normal, purple fur beneath.

“My tummy is rumbly again,” the filly whined before gripping her stomach with her forehooves.

“Alright, stay right there, I’m going to go grab the tummy-I mean stomach medicine.” The mare gently ran her hoof through the filly’s sweat stained hair before getting up and trotting towards the bathroom.

Twilight Sparkle doubled over and whimpered, her magic sparking randomly and sending small jets of sparks into the air, leaving tiny scorch marks on her pillow. The filly pulled the blankets over body, which had once more grown incredibly cold in an instant.

Inside the filly’s body the zerg parasite twisted and writhed, its form assaulted by unseen forces. Its expansion had been a simple task up until this point, growing larger and wrapping itself around the filly’s internal organs, preparing its host body for its eventual maturation into a true infested. That was until it tried to tap into several strange, fibrous strands that stretched through the filly’s body.

The parasite didn't know what to do with the strange extensions and had tried to infest them, believing them to be another set of veins it simply hadn't found. The second it had tried though, the parasite’s very being, and that of its host were suddenly filled with intense agony, their nervous systems too tightly intertwined to distinguish who was truly in pain.

Unknown to the zerg parasite, it had tried to tap into the filly’s Lambda system, which stored and moved mana throughout the young filly’s body and her magic did not appreciate intruders. Like all of the body’s systems, her mana network had its own defences, only this line of defence was not something the primitive zerg parasite knew how to undermine. Every attempt had left the parasite shocked and confused and in that confusion it had franticly cut off the source of this strange system, pinching off the point where it connected to the filly’s brain and retreating, hoping that would solve it. Yet even hours after it had cut off this strange system. it and its host still felt the after affects of its defence.

The filly breathed heavily, the worst of the cold abating for a moment, only to not be replaced by a sudden hot flash. The filly uncurled slightly, warily looking down at her traitorous stomach.

“I got the medicine, does it still hurt?” Twilight Velvet asked, walking into the filly’s room with a bottle and spoon held aloft in her magic.

The filly shook her head. “It stopped.” She winced, feeling another pang of pain. “Nevermind.”

The older mare shook her head and knelt close to the filly’s bed, medicine already filling the spoon. “Can you sit up for me?”

The filly nodded, slowly rising into a sitting position before opening her mouth. “Good girl. Now, it won't taste very good, but don't spit it out, okay?”

The filly nodded and the older mare placed the spoon in the filly’s mouth, who swallowed the medicine dutifully, only gagging once before swallowing and falling back to bed. “Thank you, mommy.”

The mare smiled gently, running her hoof through the filly’s tangled mane. “Are you sure you are alright to go to the exam tomorrow? I’m sure we can talk to the judges and get you another day…”

Twilight’s enormous eyes shot open suddenly. “No! You can't!”

“You are in no state to undergo the rigorous testing procedures of Celestia’s school.” The mare shook her head. “You can hardly move for Celestia’s sake.”

The filly jumped into a standing position. “Nuh uh!” she announced proudly, only to topple forward, landing on her snout. “Oof,” she muttered into the pillow.

Her mother shook her head. “That's good that you still have energy, but it's that stomach ache that worries me. Colds don't do that Twilight, this might be serious.”

“But dad said if I got better I could go!” the filly cried indignantly.

“Yes, well your father is a bit too much of an optimist.”

“What if I really do get better?” the filly asked with wide, sparkling eyes.

The mare sighed. “I suppose if you are all better by tomorrow morning, don't have a fever and don't have any more tummy rumbles, then you can go.” The mare held up a warning hoof. “But if you lie to me just to go to the exam, you are going to be in huge trouble missy, ya got that?”

The filly grinned weakly and nodded. “Yes mommy.”

“Good.” She sighed. “Now I’m going to make you some more toast, if you can hold that down I might let you have some stew before you go to bed.”

The filly licked her lips. “Okie dokie!”

The mare gave her one long parting glance before getting up and walking over to the door. “You just lay there and try not to move too much, mommy will read you a story when she gets back.”

The filly nodded enthusiastically, and the mare reluctantly turned and left, the sound of her hooves disappearing down the hall.

The filly turned down and glared at her traitorous belly. “You better not throw this up or we won't get any stew!”

Her stomach gurgled a little in response, making the filly’s glare harshen even more.

The judging room was filled with the soft glow of the morning light, illuminating a nervous filly in the center of the room, four judges sitting at the back, at the highest point of the lecture hall and two nervous parents looking on from the sidelines. The mother’s brow was creased with worry and she watched her filly shift nervously from hoof to hoof as she waited for the exam to start.

“Are you sure she's alright, dear? She was still running a bit of a temperature,” Twilight Velvet lamented.

Her husband sighed and rolled his eyes. “We went over this dear. The worst of her symptoms are gone, I even scried her room when she was alone and she didn't clutch her stomach anymore. Whatever she had is fading quickly, why I’d wager by this afternoon it will be gone completely.”

“You’re right, of course I just…”

Her husband draped a hoof over shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. “It's alright, I was scared too, but she just wanted to play in her new tree house. I’m sure it was just a cold or something.”

“I guess, but if it comes back we are taking her straight to the hospital.”

The stallion chuckled. “Yes dear.”

The two ponies turned back to the center of the room where their filly waited nervously, glancing from the judges to the door. Suddenly the double doors at the end of the room clattered open, revealing a cart filled with hay, on top of which a small purple orb sat nestled in the center. The light brown earth pony stallion pushing the cart nodded once to the filly before smirking and walking backwards out the room.

The filly blinked, glancing around to the front of the cart where a simple diagram of a hatching egg was displayed. She blinked, glancing from the diagram to the egg and back again.

An aged yellow unicorn mare with a poofy faded purple mane coughed into her hoof, drawing the attention of the filly. “Well, Miss Sparkle?”

The filly glanced at the egg, and laughed nervously.

As if that were the cue all four judges magically raised their clipboards and began furiously scribbling at their sheets. The sound of four identical pencils all scratching away made Twilight gulp, a bead of sweat dripping down her face.

The same unicorn mare from before frowned. “Well, Miss Sparkle?” she repeated, nodding towards the egg.

The judge at the end of the row coughed dryly, sparing a glance at the now nervous parents.

The filly turned back to the egg and took a few hesitant steps back before lowering her horn and willing everything she had into the organ. Power seemed to surge at her call only to falter before it reached her horn, stymied by some unseen force holding her mana at bay. The filly grunted with exertion, tiny sparks beginning to shoot from her horn, only to make it a mere inches before disappearing.

She looked up at the egg with wide hopeful eyes, expecting to see some sort of change, only to find nothing. The filly clamped her mouth shut once more, and strained every muscle she had, pointing her horn squarely at the centre of the egg. Again the power seemed to course through her, only to reach the base of her horn and sputter weakly, turning into another pathetic shower of sparks.

One of the older stallions with a greying mane yawned loudly and the yellow mare from before glanced at her watch. “We don't have all day,” she pointed out dryly.

The filly’s eyes grew wide and she looked back at the egg, her mind running a million miles a minute as she tried to figure out how exactly she was supposed to do to hatch this egg. In all her studies she had yet to find some manner of hatching spell, or even anything close. Not like it mattered, as for some reason her magic refused to obey her call, turning the already limited power she had into little more than a trickle.

She sprinted to the other side of the egg, trying a strange pose she had seen in an ancient history book. Again her magic didn't come and again her desperation increased. Running back over to the other side she struck another wild pose, this one she had seen in a Daring Do book, hoping it would help her magic. When the egg didn't react she ran back over, straining her horn once more and hoping the different angle would somehow help.

Nothing.

She leapt up onto the cart, wrapping her hooves about the egg and peering intently at the top, trying to pour magic back into her horn and getting rewarded by yet another small shower of sparks.

Nothing

She leapt back down and stood on her back hooves, pointing her forehooves at the egg as her muscles strained. She pulled back her forehooves and tried again, only to slump in defeat when nothing happened. In hindsight, she really hadn't expected the power of Celestia to compel the egg to hatch, but she didn't have any other leads.

She sprinted back around the other side of the egg and squinted her eyes, pushing everything she had into mustering every ounce of power she could bring to bear. Muscles coiled and strained and the filly’s cheeks puffed out as her face grew red. She gritted her teeth and leaned forward, putting everything she had into this blast of pure magic.

Nothing.

With a resounding flop she fell to the floor, hooves splayed in all directions and her breathing coming in short raspy bursts. On the sidelines her parents shared a worried look, her mother gulping nervously and glancing up at the judges who were furiously writing away at their clipboards.

The filly slowly picked herself off the floor and plunked into a sitting position. She glanced one last time at the judges and sighed, a tear beginning to form at the edge of her eye. “I’m sorry I wasted your time.”

Out of nowhere a massive explosion rocked the entire school, making the filly cringe and instinctively light her horn, her body readying its flight or flight response. Her magic doubled unexpectedly, growing from the small sputter to a raging river of power, her horn glowing brightly. As the rumbling continued her horn’s light grew and grew until the filly realized what was happening. She quickly put her head down and aimed her horn squarely at the egg, releasing the massive build up of energy that had managed to slip past whatever had been holding her back.

The beam connected with the egg with an explosion of light, leaving behind the shattered remnants of the egg’s shell. Within the crumpled bits of shell, a floating dragon the size of a foal uncurled and extended its forearms, yawning and smacking its lips. It floated there in mid air, blinking owlishly at the filly in childlike wonder.

The filly only had a second to witness the dragon’s adorableness before her magic surged once more, making her cry out in panic. Her body levitated off the ground, held aloft by the filly’s own errant magic, her horn growing brighter by the second.

With a tremendous flash of light, the energy exploded outward, rippling over the room and its inhabitants. The power lingered over the forms of the judges, picking them up and surrounding them in the filly’s dull purple magic. The sphere holding them bulged and twisted before a tendril of magic extended from the blob and reached toward the filly’s parents. The magic gripped them, lifting them into the air like the judges, only to falter when the two ponies spontaneously turned into a pair of potted plants.

With the magic having nowhere else to go, it leapt across the room, hitting the baby dragon like a lightning bolt and causing his body to glow brightly. The baby’s body twisted for a second before suddenly exploding with growth, its tiny limbs and hoof sized head were gone in an instant, replaced by a two story tall quadruped dragon whose upper body had burst through the roof.

The dragon blinked, a tiny smile on its lips as it looked around from its new vantage point, catching the eye of a certain passing alicorn.

Inside, the filly writhed in unrestrained panic, blinding white light filling her eyes and spilling out into the world. Great surges of raw magic arced throughout the room, shooting out of the windows and slipping through the cracks of the wooden roof and up into the sky.

Time seemed to slow and the filly’s mind was suddenly invaded by the sound of a voice whispering something the filly could barely hear. It was a strange, chittering, almost insect-like voice that sounded like it was coming from somewhere on the other side of Canter Mountain. The voice spoke in a language the filly couldn't understand, but after a moment it began chittering excitedly, its voice raising a few octaves. The filly felt a tug at the back of her mind, only for it to immediately falter. The voice grew confused, asking what sounded like questions. Then the voice was gone, vanishing just as suddenly as it had appeared.

Twilight Sparkle could feel her magic pouring through her in amounts she had never felt before, and despite her best efforts to stop the veritable flood of power, nothing seemed to work. She grunted, twisting her limbs in a vain effort to get the magic to stop. Suddenly, amidst the panic and terror that filled her, a hoof touched her shoulder.

It was gentle, but stern, commanding the filly’s attention.

The filly blinked, not noticing that with every blink the light changed from a pure white to a strange, sickly yellow. The blinding light that surrounded her faded as the filly truly saw the towering shape of a white alicorn looming over her.

The alicorn herself felt strangely unnerved by the orange light still emanating from the filly’s eyes, but wrote it off as a simple magical accident from the filly’s recent flare. She nodded, giving the filly a small, confident smile.

The filly couldn't help but smile back, the aura surrounding her slowly fading until all at once it disappeared entirely. As the magic vanished, the judges suddenly fell to the ground, her parents becoming ponies once more. Her father stared at his hooves in shock while her mother shook herself vigorously, trying to shake some unseen thing off her back.

Finally, the giant baby dragon flashed with a surge of magenta light before returning once more to its tiny, adorable form. It blinked, looking around the wreckage of the cart that had carried its egg before pulling its tiny spade-like tail up and into its mouth, sucking softly at the scale-y appendage.

The filly winced under the gaze of the princess, looking up at the damage she had accidentally wrought on the roof, avoiding the gaze of the alicorn whom was still staring at her with what looked like a mixture of pride and confusion.

Celestia shrugged off the persistent presence of the orange light still pouring from the filly’s eyes, merely thankful it was little more than a soft glow now. The light’s existence was hardly the strangest thing to happen to a pony who underwent a flare of that magnitude after all. “Twilight Sparkle-”

“I’m so sorry, I didn't mean to put a hole in the roof, I’ll fix it! I promise!”

The alicorn chuckled, shaking her head. “You have a very special gift. I don't think I’ve ever come across a unicorn with your raw ability.”

The filly’s jaw hung open. “Whuh?”

The alicorn tittered at the adorably shocked expression on the filly’s face. “But you need to learn to tame these abilities through focused study.”

“Whuh?” the filly muttered.

The alicorn pressed a hoof to her chest. “Twilight Sparkle, I would like to make you my own personal protege,” she gestured her hoof outards, toward the the school, “here at my School for Gifted Unicorns like you.”

“Whuh!” the filly exclaimed, her jaw somehow hanging open even more.

“Well?” the alicorn asked.

The filly blinked, turning back to her confused and slightly concerned parents. Upon meeting their filly’s strange gaze they instantly lit up, her father nodding her head enthusiastically while her mother danced on her back hooves, pumping a hoof into the air. Both parents doing their best to stow the fear that lingered in their hearts when they looked into their filly’s eyes.

The filly spun back around, all her coiled energy suddenly exploding out of her hooves and launching her into the air. “YEESS!” she squealed, jumping into the air with all her might.

“Two things first, Twilight,” the alicorn added.

The filly’s large eyes grew even bigger. “More?” She gasped.

The alicorn shook her head and pointed towards the filly’s flank that was now adorned by a six pointed orange star with five other yellow stars surrounding it and small white points poking out behind the main star.

The filly gasped, twisting around to get a better view at her flank. “My cutie mark!”

Twilight Sparkle leapt into the air. “YES YES YES YES YES!” the filly repeated as she continued to bounce around the alicorn.

After the second round around the princess, Celestia shook her head and laughed. “There is one last thing, Twilight.”

The filly stopped, dread suddenly filling her huge, featureless orange eyes. “What else?”

The alicorn pointed to her eyes. “I think you may have had a slight misspell during your little flare.”

“Whuh?” she muttered before turning towards the nearby window and blinking owlishly.

Her mother coughed awkwardly. “What exactly does that mean, Your Majesty?”

The alicorn shrugged. “Probably just a miscast having to do with the color orange, which would explain why her cutie mark clashes so oddly with her coat. Nothing to worry about. I’ll just have her checked up. Just in case, sometimes odd things happen during flares.”

The filly’s father gulped and glanced over to his daughter, who was staring in childlike wonder at her glowing orange eyes. “Nothing serious, I hope?”

“I’ll be honest. There's a chance, which is why I want to get her checked out. But while she was hopping about, I cast a quick scan and found that she isn't in any pain.” She smiled confidently at the parents. “I’ve seen this a dozen of times. It might be nothing, or it might be small like she didn't like the white light and wanted it gone, only to accidentally turn it this odd yellowy orange color.”

The parents sighed in relief, watching as their filly stopped making faces at her reflection and turned back around. “Does this mean I can shoot laser beams out of my eyes?”

Celestia blinked, caught off guard by the innocent question. “Not likely, but well see.” She winked at the filly who squealed in delight, and hopped around, making ray gun noises as she squinted at random things throughout the room.

“Come now, Twilight, we should go test to see if those flashlights on your face are able to shoot lasers,” the alicorn said while barely holding back a giggle.

The filly stopped squinting at the blackboard and trying to will lasers from her eyes. “But what about my mom and dad?”

“Oh, it will only take a minute. They can wait for you right here if they would like?” Celestia offered.

The pair exchanged a look before nodding. “Of course, Your Majesty,” Night Light offered.

Twilight Velvet smiled at her filly. “Now, you make sure to do everything Princess Celestia tells you, okay? And no shooting lasers without her permission.”

“Daww.” The filly kicked the ground. “Oookay,” she lamented.

The alicorn chuckled and turned to the door. “Come now, Twilight. It's not far from here.”

The filly giggled and ran after the alicorn. “Do you really think I have laser vision?”

The alicorn tried to hold back a laugh as the pair walked down the hall, her response and the rest of the conversation obscured by the sound of their hoofsteps echoing into the distance.

The alicorn and filly had not returned to the parents in the few minutes Celestia had first said, in fact they had not returned for so long that the princess had been forced to tell the parents to return home and await word. That was two days ago.

Celestia stood silently before the one way mirror, watching the filly on the other side of the window read one of the many books that grew in piles around her on her hospital bed. This area of Canterlot general hadn't seen use in decades, having last housed a pair of ponies that they believed had come down with cutie pox. Only to discover that they were simply using an illusion spell to scare the populace in an attempt to sell them the ‘cure’, which turned out to be a horseradish colored pink.

Since then, the observational containment rooms had been left unused, gathering dust in the nearly forgotten dangerous epidemiology wing. Celestia made a note of changing the name of the wing, it sounded far too intimidating for a simple set of rooms designed to contain and study ponies in isolation.

The filly flipped a page, having not bothered to open the blinds on her window more than an inch or two, due to the glowing yellow light emitting from her eyes that enabled her to read in near darkness. She continued to read, only to yawn suddenly, her mouth opening wide and revealing a small set of canines hidden amidst the flat molars that ponies were supposed to have. The filly smacked her lips and went back to reading, eagerly delving into the complex magical formula book that Celestia had given her as ‘homework’.

The alicorn glanced to her right, where x-rays of the filly’s barrel, which showed a spiralling growth of foreign matter coiled tightly around the filly’s spinal column and extending into most parts of her body and even brain. The alicorn’s jaw clenched and she slowly shook her head, going back to watching the filly as she continued to read.

This strange parasite was truly insidious, binding itself to not only most of the filly’s internal organs, but also her spine, brain stem and frontal cortex. Removal was outright impossible and worse still, it seemed to have changed more than just the filly’s orange glowing eyes and new, sharper teeth. The unicorn foal now had several new organs, an expanded stomach and several other minor anomalies that Celestia and her doctors had been unable to determine the purpose of.

Stranger still was the fact that despite watching and monitoring the parasite for several days, it had shown no changes. The filly’s parents had mentioned that she had been sick the day before, meaning the parasite might only have had twenty four hours to grow. In that time, it had apparently winded its way throughout the filly’s entire body and yet, since then, it had not showed any changes whatsoever.

Had it reached maturity that quickly? What was the purpose of remaining dormant? Was it a parasite at all or some new strange infection or disease? Was this filly just some sort of mutant? Celestia rolled her eyes at her own line of questions. Mutating randomly during a flare wasn't unheard of, but it was always random, with the worst such event being a mare growing an extra leg out the side of her barrel. Even still, the limb had not been complete, being mere fat, skin and bone without any sort of muscle or nerves.

This was on an entirely different level.

Celestia could not even begin to figure out what exactly happened to this filly, as the changes were so extensive and numerous that it would take years to truly figure out. Worse yet, the parasite didn't seem entirely dormant and the single, early attempt made to extract a sample had ended poorly.

As if the filly was remembering the same thing, she reached out and scratched her bandaged stomach, tugging at the gauze that bound most of her midsection.

The alicorn shook her head and went back through the mental list of things she knew about parasites. First, they would infest their prey, then usually reproduce or change their host in order to attract their next host. Celestia remembered studying the strange parasite that made snail’s eye stalks grow to ludicrous sizes and forced them to climb to the highest point available. All in an attempt to attract a bird from which the parasite could finish its life cycle.

Yet ponies were almost outside the food chain, they subsisted entirely on plants, nothing preyed on them and almost all known parasites had died off or been weeded out over the centuries. There was simply nothing left that hunted ponies, there existed only a very rare few predators that were even alive to this day that had tasted pony flesh and most of those were ancient dragons who preyed upon the modern pony’s distant ancestor.

Perhaps this was some ancient parasite meant to be eventually consumed by a dragon? The alicorn had never heard of such a thing, but right now she was open to any possibility, no matter how improbable.

Unless this was its goal.

She sighed and shook her head. She had no idea where to start, or how. Silently the alicorn watched as the filly read, her mind whirling with ideas, but nothing substantial.

A knock on the door shocked the alicorn from her thoughts.

“Come in,” she commanded.

A small, thin unicorn doctor with a silver coat and grey mane slipped inside and smiled at the alicorn. “You are looking well this evening, Your Majesty.”

Celestia smiled faintly. “And you are as kind as ever, Silver Scalpel.”

The doctor rolled her eyes. “Please, just call me Silver.”

“As you say then, Silver. Any more news on our patient?”

The doctor shifted nervously, her near permanent smile falling from her face. “No… unfortunately.”

“And the tests?”

“All negative.”

Celestia furrowed her brow. “Then the parasite is not transmittable.”

“It does not seem like it, Your Majesty.”

“Strange…”

“Quite.” The doctor coughed into her hoof. “If I may be so bold to ask you a personal question.”

Celestia turned to the smaller mare. “Of course.”

“Are you still going to take her on as your student?” The doctor scratched her neck. “It's all she ever talks about.”

“Afflicted though she may be, Twilight seems to be entirely herself and that doesn't seem like its going to change any time soon.”

The doctor sighed. “Oh, thank goodness.”

“I will just need to find her a permanent physician, one who can devote their time to studying this… parasite, and determining more of its origins and true nature.” She turned to the doctor suddenly, an intense look in the alicorn’s eyes. “Do you know somepony who might fit the bill?”

The mare pressed her hoof into the tiled floor, turning it awkwardly and avoiding the alicorn’s gaze. “Well… I was thinking of going back for my second masters and this would make for an interesting case study of entirely unheard of afflictions.”

The alicorn raised her eyebrow. “That doesn't sound secret.”

“I mean I wouldn't be able to get my second master’s until you eventually decide to declassify this…” she added, a slight hopeful expression spreading across her face.

“When we cure her, you will have your published study, and if even half of our guesses are true, likely another master’s degree to hang on your wall.”

The doctor let out a muffled squeal of delight. “You won't regret this, Your Majesty!”

“I will send you more information on this unique position in the coming days. Also, do you happen to know a good psychologist by chance?”

Silver blinked. “Why would you need a psychologist?”

“Whatever this parasite is, it has infiltrated her frontal lobe. Though no changes have been discovered, that may not always be the case. Having somepony familiar with Twilight Sparkle’s personality and habits would be able to detect any sudden changes. This pony would be able to monitor the more cerebral changes the parasite may have.”

Silver nodded thoughtfully. “I know this kinda sounds like nepotism, but my marefriend just completed her study at the Royal Manehattan Institute of Psychology.”

Celestia chuckled, looking down at the blushing mare who withered under the look. “I will check out her credentials. This will be a long posting, if my instincts are right, this may mean signing up for a decade or more of monitoring and secrecy. Are you sure that's something you two could commit to?”

Silver Scalpel nodded. “You can count on us, Your Majesty!”

“You don't have the job yet, but I will look at both you and your marefriend’s…”

“Oh uh, Velvet Touch.”

“...Velvet Touch’s resume and determine if you are right for this unique position.”

“Will I have to share lab space, or?”

“If selected, you will have an entire lab to yourself as well as assistants and whatever else you require, but more about that later.”

The two fell into comfortable silence, with Silver Scalpel grinning like a mad mare, her mind awhirl with possibilities, while Celestia stared grimly at the filly behind the glass.

She had put down her book and turned to the window, staring mournfully out over Canterlot, her thoughts surely going out to the family she had not seen in several days.

“You may go, Silver. I will be in contact with you soon about the position, one way or another.”

The doctor bowed low. “Thank you for this opportunity, Your Majesty.”

The alicorn merely nodded.

After waiting a few seconds, Celestia turned to the door that led to the filly’s room and after casting a few protection charms on her person, turned the handle and stepped into the room beyond, ready to give the filly the good news.

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Moving Day

Twilight Sparkle was a patient filly, that came with a caveat of course, as she was only patient in comparison of someone her age and only when it came to certain things. For example, if a new book was coming in the mail, she would sit at the window sill, waiting for the mail pony every day, but after the mail pony passed her by, she forgot about it until the next day. If that book did not arrive the day it was supposed to though... she was liable to start harassing the mail delivery mare. Basically, if things went according to plan, she was fine, if not, well, she did things like this.

The filly ran down the list of things she had to pack for the fourth time. “What about my old textbooks, are they in there?”

Her father sighed, and lifted the flap of a box next to him, making a half-hearted attempt at peering inside. “Yes dear,” he droned.

The filly struck that off the list. “And what about my clothes?”

Her mother sighed as well, patting a box to her right. “Yes Twilight.”

“But mom, you didn't even look! What if it's not there!” the filly whined.

“It was in there a few minutes ago, why wouldn't it be there anymore?” Twilight Velvet asked, hoping to appeal to the filly’s logical side.

“B-but!”

Night Light stepped forward, putting a hoof on the filly’s withers. “Deep breaths, little star,” he gently reminded.

A spike of anger rose inside the filly but the calm expression on her father’s face seemed to help and she reluctantly took a deep, slow breath.

Twilight Velvet took a step forward, kneeling down to the filly’s height. “Better?”

The filly nodded glumly. “Good,” her father said, rubbing her back.

“Maybe we should just finish the checklist one last time?” Twilight offered weakly.

Her father suppressed an intense desire to roll his eyes and continued to rub her back. “It's all there Twilight. Trust us.”

Her mother smiled faintly. “What's bothering you, sweety? Did you forget to use the bathroom again?”

“M-mom!” the filly cried, shame burning hot on her cheeks.

The older mare merely giggled, shrugging her shoulders. “It wouldn't be the first time you forgot about it.”

“I was ten!”

Her father stifled his own laughter and shot his wife an unamused expression. “And now you are twelve, that's not exactly a long time, you know.”

“It's like forever, dad! That's like two whole years!” The filly shrugged off her father’s hoof and stomped over to the window, peering out at the road beyond, her glowing eyes reflecting on the glass. “I just wish Shining was here,” she whispered.

Twilight Velvet sighed and gently picked up her child in the glow of her magic, bringing the sad filly into a tight hug. “He would, if he could.”

Night Light shifted beside them, shooting the filly a wane smile. “It's the only day for tryouts though and you wouldn't want him to give up his place on the team, would you?”

“No,” Twilight muttered sadly.

“Exactly, besides, he is going to be there tonight, remember?” her father offered.

The filly’s features lit up slightly and she smiled a little. “Yeah…”

“How is your stomach treating you Twilight, no more rashes?” her mother asked, concern slipping into her voice.

Twilight blushed and shook her head. “No, it's gone.”

“Thank goodness, those bandages were just dreadful,” her mother remarked.

When the filly’s mood refused to lift, Twilight Velvet set the filly on her own hooves and picked up her chin, forcing their eyes to meet. “What is wrong, my little star?”

The filly mumbled, kicking a spot on the floor.

“What was that, dear?” her father asked.

“I’m leaving all of you…” she whispered to the floor.

Both parents sighed and moved to wrap their filly in another squishy hug. “You aren't going far, and you will be back home every weekend.”

Her mother nodded. “And we will be coming to see you every night after you done with your studies, remember?”

“Only for the first few weeks,” the filly muttered back, scowling at the wooden floor.

“You know I can't take that much time off work and Shining Armor is going to have his own homework by then,” her father offered. “We will see you every chance we get, won't we honey?”

Her mother nodded. “Absolutely.”

The filly looked up, concern evident in her pupilless orange eyes. “Why is everypony afraid of me, and why do you have to wear those charms all the time? Princess Celestia said I can't actually shoot lasers out of my eyes.”

The pair exchanged a brief look, with Twilight Velvet being the loser in their brief standoff. “It's just a… precaution, we don't want anyone to get sick like you did,” she offered.

Her father lifted the small charm he wore about his neck. “It won't be around for much longer, remember what Celestia said?”

The filly grumbled, but reluctantly repeated it, “‘You might still be contagious.’”

“Exactly.” He smiled. “It's not so bad though. You don't even have to go back to the hospital anymore.”

“I still missed a week of school,” she muttered.

Her mother chuckled, ruffling her mane. “You got a whole week of reading whatever you wanted, surely it wasn't that bad?”

For the first time a faint smile crept onto Twilight’s face. “It was kind of nice. Princess Celestia gave me so many new books to read.”

“Exactly.” Her father stood up. “So why don't we start bringing your boxes to the curb and I’m sure the carriage will be here in no time. Okay?”

Twilight smiled a little wider and hopped up as well, followed closely by her mother. “Sounds good!”

Her mother nodded, grabbing a few boxes in her magic while her husband and daughter did the same. “Are you sure you can handle all that, Twilight?” her mother asked, gesturing towards the straining filly carrying as much as her parents did combined.

Twilight forced the grimace from her face, and smiled up at her mother. “I’m fine.”

Her father shook his head and opened the door, subtly snatching a few boxes from her aura while pushing her out into the front yard. “Let's get going, you don't want to dump all your stuff across the house, now do you?”

Twilight Velvet smiled appreciatively at her husband, making her way behind the filly and bringing their train of boxes out onto the front yard.

In short order they had managed to bring the entire load of boxes, which encompassed nearly everything the filly owned, save for a few back up pairs of clothes and a few books she wanted to be kept at home. Just in case she needed something to read, wouldn't want to have to make an emergency run to the library after all.

The small mountain of boxes, and a few bags and suitcases were piled near the curb, arranged neatly by a very particular little filly who quickly organized everything just the way she liked it. “There,” she announced, taking a step back from the now perfectly ordered piles of stuff.

“Just in time too, look!” her father called out, pointing up the street.

Twilight’s heart leapt into her throat and she spun around, following her father’s hoof up to where she saw several guards trotting towards her, a pair of earth ponies hooked up to a large carriage behind them. “Wow,” she muttered, her eyes going wide at the sight.

Three pegasus guards trotted out front, occasionally taking to the air and zipping over head before returning to their position. Behind them a unicorn guard scanned the skies and streets around them, watching everything with a steely gaze. The two earth ponies bringing up the rear were no less impressive, wearing the same gold armor as the rest of their comrades. All had the same white fur and mane, and all appeared to be male, but Twilight knew that was just a part of their glamor and the truth might be very different than that.

The group came trotting up to the family, the lead pegasus had a grim look on his face and a large rune glowing faintly on his chest. “I assume you are the Sparkle family?” he asked in a gruff tone, hardly sparing a glance at the filly and speaking directly to the parents standing just behind her.

“Err, yes. Is everything alright?” Night Light asked nervously, looking out over the rather extensive military presence.

The guard nodded. “Everything is fine.” He turned and made a few quick gestures with his hooves.

The rest of his guard nodded, with the pegasi launching into the air and taking higher positions while the unicorn entered the carriage that was getting turned around.

Twilight Velvet didn't seem quite as concerned, though she was drawn to the glowing rune on the guard’s chest. “What exactly is that rune?”

The guard’s eyes narrowed. “For our protection, I assure you.”

The mother frowned, stowing away her concern for now and glancing down at her now quite excited young filly who was positively bouncing with excitement.

“Mister guard, are we going to the castle right away?” Twilight asked, her glowing eyes going wide with youthful exuberance.

The guard looked down at her, a flash of disgust pacing through his features. “Yes, is this everything?” he asked, quickly turning from the filly and pointing to the collected stuff that sat on the curb.

The filly nodded. “Yup! That's all my stuff except a few clothes and some books and my-”

“Excellent,” he interrupted, turning to one of the guards hovering just overhead. “Get Bright Shield and start loading everything.”

The pegasus in the sky saluted before swooping down and grabbing a box from the pile.

Twilight frowned, turning to her mother for support, who in turn tried to smile back as reassuringly as possible. “Why don't you come stand over here Twilight, don't want to get in the way, right?”

The filly shook her head and trotted over beside her mother who laid a leg over her shoulders.

Together the family watched in silence as the carriage pulled up and the guards all began loading Twilight’s things onto the carriage, but not before they passed by the unicorn who cast a quick spell on every box that passed. “What are they doing, mommy?” Twilight asked, turning her glowing orange orbs up at her mother.

“They are just checking, right dear?” she asked, turning to her husband for help.

“Right, gotta make sure you aren't sneaking in chocolate.”

The filly’s brow furrowed and she looked up at her father with confusion in her eyes. “Why chocolate?”

“Princess Celestia is on a diet, remember? They probably know you are her new student and they don't want her getting anymore chocolate and ruining her diet,” he said, adding a wink at the end that made Twilight giggle.

“Right.” She nodded, turning back to the carriage with a sly grin on her face.

Twilight Velvet shot Night Light a glare, to which he just shrugged, his wife merely sighed, rolling her eyes. I guess that is a decent enough excuse, she thought to herself.

They didn't have to wait long, as the guards moved quickly, stacking the boxes on top of the carriage and covering, then made them vanish with a short invisibility spell. Twilight turned, realizing what that meant. She looked up at her mother, the fear in her eyes barely held at bay by the excitement coursing through her.

Twilight Velvet didn't hesitate, hoisting her child up into a tight hug that Night Light quickly joined. “You’ll always be our little star.”

“Never forget that,” her father added.

The filly sniffed, giving her parents one last squeeze. “I won't.”

Reluctantly the trio parted, allowing Twilight to wipe the tears from her face and look over at the impatient guard standing at the curb and tapping his hoof. “Are you ready?” he asked gruffly.

The filly nodded, and her parents took a step back, watching her go.

Twilight stepped up into the carriage, only barely noticing the bright blue rune that glowed upon the roof. She was too busy, and hopped up onto one of the seats, allowing her to see out the window to where her parents stood nervously.

“Make sure to remember your manners around the princess!” her mother called, through misty eyes.

“Don't worry, we’ll come visit tonight once Shining Armor is back from practice!” her father added, subtly elbowing his wife.

Knowing her family was still close helped a lot and Twilight wiped away her tears, flashing her family a confident smile. “Can we go out for donuts later?”

Night Light chuckled. “Of course we can! You can even have your favorite.”

Twilight felt her grin more genuine and she waved as the carriage lurched, beginning her journey to the castle and her new life. The filly leaned out the window, waving at her parents until they were long out of sight and only settled back into her seat when they had turned down a side road and she could no longer pretend that her parents could still see her.

With a sad sort of smile, Twilight Sparkle sat in her seat, wondering what the future had in store for her.

The ride to the castle was quiet and uneventful, with Twilight settling in and watching as the city passed her by. Eventually they made their way to the castle, something Twilight had never seen this up close before and she hung out the side of the carriage, gawking at the sheer majesty of the numerous spiralling towers of alabaster stone. So caught up was the filly in her sightseeing that she nearly fell out the side of the window when they finally came to a screeching halt just before a side gate around the right side of the castle.

The filly was quickly herded inside, with the guard merely telling her that her things will be in her room before she even gets there. Trusting that the adult knew what he was doing, Twilight wandered over to the side entrance where a slightly aged brown earth pony mare stood with a clipboard and a frown.

She hadn't been rude neccessarily, but she had been terse, giving Twilight a brief, if a little too brief, tour of the castle before finally entering the royal suites, and passing by Celestia’s apartment. Twilight had paused to gawk at the massive golden doors that dominated the hall, reaching much taller than the other doors and absolutely filled with an intricate carving detailing a scene from history that Twilight had never seen before.

That had earned her a glare, and a sharp rebuke for dawdling, but Twilight didn't care, standing near that piece of history and art was well worth a pinched ear.

After that she was shown to her room, where all of her stuff was indeed waiting. Twilight had begun to ask if the mare was going to help her, only for the terse older mare to announce that she would be back in an hour to help Celestia test her general knowledge.

That had perked Twilight up, and the unicorn couldn't help but grin as she thought of the alicorn, even if that happiness was a little marred by the realization that she was being tested already. Even still, it was a test from Princess Celestia herself, this was special!

The filly had hurried to unpack her bags and boxes, stretching her telekinesis to its limit as she floated her toys and books into place. It was only halfway through the unpacking phase that she realized just how truly magnificent the room was.

The pile of stuffed animals she had been holding fell to the ground as she realized that she had been about to arrange them on an absolutely massive four poster bed. Her jaw fell open as she rubbed the incredibly soft sheets. Her attention was slowly brought away from the bed as she realized that the luxury didn't end there.

The large door that entered into her room was big enough to allow a minotaur easy entry, and numerous locking mechanisms both mundane and magical dotted the side of the door, with a small note posted beside them indicating they were only for emergencies. Next to the door was a hat and coat rack, a mirror and a closet large enough to fit everything she owned inside, complete even with a large shoe rack. Twilight scrunched her nose at the sight, unsure if she'd ever use such a thing.

She continued her inspection, noting that four enormous bookcases dominated the entire side of her room. She could easily fit her entire collection on two rows of the five row book case with space to spare. The filly’s jaw hung open as she ran a hoof over the finely polished oak furniture designed solely to hold books. The shelves even had small golden book ends designed to look like setting suns set out randomly in case she needed them. Twilight shook her head, tearing her eyes away from the minute details that seemed to cover every inch of the intricate bookcases.

Turning away, Twilight noted a large semi-circular alcove that was dominated by enormous windows and a small bench that served as the perfect reading nook. “Wow,” Twilight muttered, making her way over and staring out the window.

The view was amazing to say the least and Twilight quickly lost track of time, staring out over Canterlot. She eventually gave up looking for her house and hopped down from the bench, shaking her head slowly. “What did I do to deserve this?” she whispered.

When the empty room didn't answer, she turned to the next section, noting that it seemed to be a sitting area, complete with a table, piles of pillows, and a heat rune at the centre that could be used to keep food or tea warm while entertaining guests. Next to that was a small kitchenette, and an island, dominated by enormous windows that filled almost the entire wall of the room.

Twilight turned to her right, towards where she knew the bathroom was. The filly walked inside and flicked on the light, only for her to jaw to fall once more, the bathroom, far from being ornate was still amazingly detailed, with each tile being a different tiny scene of some kind before blending in with a soft blue about mid way up the wall that reminded Twilight of well, twilight. The tub was entirely disconnected from the wall, a series of crystals along the wall next to it, obviously connecting to the spells necessary to fill and drain it of water. The sink was a little high, forcing her to hop up onto her hind legs, but she had no trouble reaching the taps, and there was even a perfect spot for her toothbrush.

Shaking her head, Twilight turned back around, turning off the light as she left, something telling her she would need to set aside a few minutes just to figure out everything the bathroom could do.

Walking back into her room, the filly got a running start and leapt up onto the bed and lay on her back, just staring up at the ceiling. She shook her head slowly, a small smile spreading across her face. Even the ceiling was touched with luxury but not so much as to drift into the realm of garishness. It was stuccoed in such a way to create many valleys and peaks, that hid many small sparkling objects that resembled stars. Twilight made a note of looking up at the ceiling when it was dark out as she had no doubt it would be even more amazing then.

A knock on the door took her out of her reverie and she only then realized how much much time had passed without her brushing up on any of her past subjects. “Oh uh, just a sec!” she called, jumping off the bed and sprinting over to the book cases and tearing books out almost at random.

Fiction flew over her shoulder and gathered in small piles behind her, while all non-fiction was piled before her. The knock returned, this time louder, a voice yelling from behind the door, “Twilight Sparkle, what are you doing?”

Twilight groaned, noticing that it was that cranky old earth pony from last time. “Just give me five minutes! I haven't even studied yet!”

The filly silently cursed herself for having set aside the joyous task of organizing her collection for later. Just as she reached the end of the line and all the books were off her shelf, the door cracked open, admitting an annoyed-looking mare still clutching her clipboard to her chest. “What on earth are you doing, child?” she scoffed, looking out over the semi-organized mess Twilight had created in her haste to find all her old textbooks from school.

“Uh, studying?” Twilight answered weakly.

The older mare tsked and trotted over to the table and sat down, placing her clipboard on the table. “Come, sit. We have much to go over and not much time to do so.”

The filly frowned and gestured to her pile of non-fiction. “B-but I-”

“No buts, don't worry, this isn't a real test. You can't fail.”

Twilight sighed and sat down across from the mare, frowning at her. “Where is Celestia?”

“Princess Celestia is unfortunately busy, something more important came up and she asked me to go on without her. Now then, if you are ready?” she asked, looking out over the sharp rim of her glasses at the filly.

Twilight gulped and nodded. “Yes, miss…”

“Pots, you may call me Miss Pots.”

“Err yes, Miss Pots.”

The older mare nodded, flipping over the first sheet. “First, how much do you remember from magic kindergarten?”

Twilight groaned, this was going to be a long day.

Celestia trotted past the las security station in the long and ill-used hallway that was her top secret wing. Much like the quarantine wing of the hospital, this area had not been in use for years and Celestia made a note of getting some more trustworthy maids down here as though it had been cleaned, the alicorn could still see dust and dirt just out of sight. Evidently someone had grown lazy when it came to the maintenance of this particular wing.

She couldn't really blame them though, it had been years since she had walked these halls after all.

Putting that thought from her mind, she turned towards one of the many doors that lined the hall and stopped seemingly at random. The entire hall was black, featureless as were the doors, with only a small silver panel next to the door.

Summoning her magic, the alicorn pressed her levitation field against the square, after a second of silence, the square turned gold and the door clicked several times. Waiting patiently, Celestia stood as the door clicked, rattled, then finally, after a deep rumble, clicked one last time.

Taking the handle in her magic, the alicorn opened the door and walked into the next room which was just large enough for a small group of ponies to stand in comfortably. Across from her was another featureless door devoid of handle or silver square, while to her right was large tinted window with a silver rune next to it.

“Ahh, welcome to the lab, Princess, just give me a second to hit the... oh wait. I guess I should ask for the password,” a staticy voice muttered from the rune.

Celestia chuckled. “Yes, no matter who I appear to be, you should always ask for the password.”

“Sorry about that.” The stallion cleared his throat. “What is the password?”

“Sheep Skin.”

“Right, go on in.” The door across from her buzzed, cracking open slightly. “Bit morbid of a password don't ya- of course I turned it off, oh wait.” The voice clicked off, drawing another chuckle from Celestia and she made a note to remind that particular guard that he might have to review security procedures again as he had forgotten the decontamination procedures.

Celestia cast her own decontamination spell on herself and pushed aside such thoughts for now. With that done, the alicorn strode into the room, taking a moment to survey her surroundings.

All around, her hoof picked researches were busy unpacking various boxes, assembling work stations and generally getting everything ready. A few paused to nod respectfully to the princess while a few others stopped what they were doing to bow low to the monarch. “As you were.” She muttered, her eyes glazing over the wide laboratory.

A few quarantine rooms were already set up along the edges of the lab while a series of offices were on the far side of the room. Everywhere she looked, she was met by bright white surfaces, everything from floor to ceiling, and even the ponies were the same sterile white, just as it should be.

The alicorn made a second note to come down here to check on the scientists in more detail, for now she was here for one and one purpose only. Noticing the familiar silver fur of the doctor inside one of the offices, Celestia trotted over and knocked politely on the door.

“Just a sec!” the young voice called, before grunting. “Come on, you darn thing, get out of the- oof.”

Celestia rolled her eyes and waited for Silver Scalpel to call her in, which thankfully didn't take long. “Come in!” she called.

The alicorn pushed open the door and stepped inside, shutting it firmly behind her. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

The doctor blushed slightly. “Sorry about that, Your Majesty, just had a bit of a fight with the stapler.”

“Did you win at least?” Celestia asked slyly.

The mare giggled. “Barely, that thing weighs more than I do, but it's never failed to do its job.”

Celestia looked over to the indeed quite massive steel stapler sitting on her desk. “Yes, a most impressive stapler if ever there was one.”

Silver rolled her eyes and pulled her chair closer. “Is there something you needed, Princess? Or are you just here to tease me some more?”

The princess sighed. “Yes, unfortunately I am, but first, how goes the unpacking?”

The doctor shrugged. “About as well as one might expect. It's going to take awhile before we get everyone settled and the schedule worked out, but everypony is eager to get started.”

“Good,” Celestia remarked, looking over the mare’s office with disinterest.

Behind her on the wall was her first doctorate, several other diplomas, a picture of her and her family and finally another picture of her and her girlfriend at what looked like a fair of some kind. “The Summer Sun Celebration,” Silver offered.

The alicorn lifted an eyebrow. “Pardon?”

“The fair, it was at Velvet’s hometown. It's where we met, actually,” Silver added.

“Ahh. I must admit I was curious.” The alicorn finished her quick inspection of the room and sat down across from the doctor, her much larger frame making the plastic chair squeak in protest. “Speaking of curiosity, how has the analysis gone so far? Surely you have been able to spare a few minutes to look over some of the data we gathered.”

The doctor squirmed in her chair slightly, gripping her hooves a little tighter. “I have taken a few minutes out of my day to give it a look but it is… difficult.”

“How so?”

Silver shook her head slowly. “We gathered boxes and boxes of data thanks to the spells you used, but we haven't had the time to really start putting things together. Don't get me wrong, those spells were a massive help, and something us mortals are simply not capable of, but we just haven't had the time yet.” She sighed, tapping her hooves together awkwardly. “From what little I have looked at… Well, let's just say it's a good thing you hired so many ponies, as this one is quite the doozy.”

The alicorn nodded slowly, reminiscing about the alicorn spells she had used to help gather said boxes of data. If only the spells could be scaled down, or perhaps if a group of unicorns got together… Celestia pushed the thought away for now, giving her head a shake.

“Fair enough, and Velvet Touch?”

“Oh uh, she's doing well, getting settled same as us.”

“Has she had the time to perform an interview with Twilight yet?”

Silver shook her head. “No, I’m afraid she insisted on canvassing her family and neighbors first, before interviewing the filly.”

“And friends, right?” Celestia asked.

The doctor sighed. “It did not appear as though she had any friends. Classmates, even study partners, but never friends it seems. They were the first Velvet contacted, and the interviews did not take too long as nopony in her class seemed to know much about her.”

The alicorn’s brow furrowed and she made a mental note to address this later. “Any other concerns that come to mind, before you begin?”

Silver paused, tapping her chin and looking off into the lab with a thoughtful expression. “No, I don't think so. I would just like to thank you again for the opportunity, I can't wait to get started.”

“I eagerly await your discoveries and in time, a cure,” Celestia added.

The doctor frowned slightly. “Hopefully…”

“Regardless, if that's all, I have a meeting to attend.”

“Oh uh, one quick question.”

Celestia paused. “Go on.”

“What uh, what happened to the dragon? What are your plans for it?” The doctor asked, a hint of nervousness creeping into her voice.

“As you know there were some complications in that regard, though I do plan on exposing it to Twilight.”

“Good thinking, maybe it will finally stop crying,” Silver added dryly.

“Quite, the bond is more powerful than first thought, and so soon no less.”

Silver tapped her chin. “I thought dragon bonds only happened after a week of contact. Or at least that's what my biology course said.”

“Normally they do… One of many mysteries around my student,” Celestia remarked.

Author's Notes:

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Ramifications

Twilight was alone in an infinite realm of absolute darkness, everywhere she turned there was simply nothing. The filly looked down at her hooves, noticing that not only could she see her body, but it also seemed to look and feel exactly as it should. She lifted a hoof up to her eyes, noticing the soft orange glow that illuminated her hoof. With a shrug, she began walking in a random direction, her luminous orange gaze inspecting her odd surroundings.

She frowned, noticing that the endless expanse was just that, endless. No matter how much she walked or in what direction, it earned her nothing but exactly the same darkness without pause or change. With a sigh she sat down on what felt like a hardwood floor and tapped her chin. “Where am I?” she pondered aloud.

“Think Twilight, what happened last?” Her face screwed up into an expression of concentration before her orange eyes suddenly snapped open. “I was in bed, which means this is a dream!”

She looked around, expecting something to happen, only for the darkness to remain unchanged. “A really boring dream,” the filly lamented.

With a shrug she focused, trying to remember what that guide to lucid dreaming had told her to do. Imagine what you wish to happen and realize that you can simply make it happen. The filly blinked, shocked that she had actually remembered the line she had been trying to think of. She pushed a little harder into her memory, finding that she was quickly able to recall the entire page that sentence had been on.

“Weird.” The pony had a good memory, but not an eidetic one. Well, until now it seemed. “Maybe it's a dream thing?” she wondered aloud.

She sighed, vaguely aware that she would normally be terrified of such empty void like this, but something about it didn't feel oppressive though, it felt almost homey, in a way. More than that, she also felt oddly warm, as if there was a blanket wrapped about her shoulders and tucked tight around her body, which helped stave off the fear and confusion.

Even the endless darkness and oppressive nature of such a void didn't seem to bother her, Twilight was simply annoyed that there was nothing there. “Well, what the hay am I supposed to do now?” Her eyes went wide and she covered her mouth with both hooves.

Only to realize that with nopony around, and this being her dream, she could swear as much as she wanted. “Hay hay hay! Pony feathers!” the filly burst into a fit of giggles, grinning like a child that had just gotten away with pilfering the entire cookie jar.

She looked around, as if her mother may burst from the darkness and stuff her mouth full of soap at any second. When such a thing didn't happen she giggled and whispered the worst word she could think of, “Shit.”

When nothing continued to not happen, she burst into another round of giggles, enjoying the fact that she could say the only swear she knew with complete impunity. “Shit shit shit!”

Another round of giggles saw her tumble to the ‘ground’ in a heap while clutching her sides.

Then a change, and the sound of strange clicking noises in the distance drew her attention, making her laughter die in her throat.

The pony jumped into a standing position, looking around the dreamspace curiously. “H-hello?” she whispered.

The chittering stopped, only to start up again a second later, this time far more excitedly.

Twilight frowned and tried to turn to the source of the clicking speech, only to find that no matter which direction she faced, it always felt as though the sound was coming from behind her. Such a sound should be scary, Twilight was vaguely aware of this fact, yet she couldn't shake the feeling that whatever creature was making the odd clicking speech was very happy.

“Is anyone there?!” she yelled, pouring power into her horn with the intent of casting a light spell.

Her immediate surroundings lit up, illuminated by the magenta light of her magic, only to reveal absolutely nothing at all. The ‘ground’ she was standing on did not seem to have any form whatsoever and the darkness quickly swallowed the light of her horn, ensuring she couldn't see for more than a few feet.

With a sigh she stopped the flow of magic and strained her ears, trying to find the source of the chittering sounds, only to find that it had stopped completely.

“Are you still there?” Twilight asked. “Mister buggy?”

The chittering returned, this time punctuated by what sounded like scratching, squelching and the odd squeak, ending with a slightly higher pitched squelch that made the entire thing sound like a question.

Twilight blinked. “Uh, I’m not sure I understand, Mister buggy… thing. Was that a question?”

The weird garbled speech was punctuated by an excited screech at the end of its sentence before babbling away in an excited, rapid fire tone.

“If you are talking, I can't understand you. Do you speak standard Equestrian? Or Prench? I know a little Prench,” Twilight offered, wincing at the confused squelch sound that followed her question.

“Hrarrghur?” the voice asked, having become strangely clearer and less nonsensical, but still complete gibberish.

“That's better, can you say pony? Poe-nee?” Twilight asked, clearly enunciating the word to ensure that she wasn't misunderstood.

Several excited squelching sounds punctated by a screech, then skitter followed the filly’s question, making her sigh in annoyance.

Then all of a sudden the voice spoke once more, this time in a strangely familiar tone. “Poe-neeee.” Granted, it was punctuated by a series of clicks and warbles, but the voice had managed to say its first Equestrian word.

“Yay! Good job! I am a pony.” The filly smiled. “My name is Twilight Sparkle, what is yours?”

The voice made more garbly noises, but it was quickly fading away, as if the being speaking was disappearing down a long tunnel. “Wait, where are you going!” Twilight called, her head turning this way and that, trying to figure out where the other being had went.

A light grabbed her attention, emerging from the darkness before her and drew closer with each passing second.

“Oh poo, I never found out her name,” Twilight remarked dryly before the light suddenly overwhelmed her.

The filly blinked owlishly, noting that she was no longer in the endless expanse of light and darkness, her room having replaced the featureless void she had been in a moment earlier. Her mouth hung open, a huge yawn causing her jaw to creak in protest. She looked up, noticing that the sun had only barely begun to crawl up the roof, indicating that it was still early. Around seven thirty if she had to guess.

“What a weird dream,” she whispered.

The filly pushed herself out of bed, landing with a thump on the cool ground. She let out another long yawn as she walked over to where her end table was in order to grab the glass of water she always left out for herself. Only for her hoof to pass through the air the glass usually occupied.

Twilight opened her eyes and looked around, only now realizing that she wasn't in her room at home, but rather the castle. “Oh yeah,” she mumbled, looking around at the much, much larger space she now occupied.

With a shrug the filly trotted over to the bathroom and pulled out a small stool that she had brought with her. With the advantage of a little height she was able to look into the mirror and thus was able to brush her teeth, provided she remembered where she put her toothbrush. “Duh.” She knocked a hoof upside her head and gently pulled on the massive ornate mirror, revealing an extra dimensional space behind that was easily large enough to fit the filly’s entire wardrobe into.

Which made it seem kinda weird that she really only stored a single cup with her toothpaste and a toothbrush in, but Twilight was sure she could think of something to help fill up that space.

With a clank the door shut and the filly smiled into the mirror, trying to find any stray bits of food that may still be stuck in her teeth. She didn't find any food, her smile slumped, but she kept her lips pulled back, her gaze glued to the pair of pronounced canines that stuck out from either side of her lips. When she closed her mouth she noticed that if she didn't take care to close her mouth perfectly they would poke out the sides of her lips, still visible.

Well that would explain some of the looks I was getting, she thought morosely.

The filly poked her right canine with a hoof, finding that it was indeed real and attached to her jaw. She closed her lips and frowned, noticing the way the twin spikes of pearly white poked out. She had been told it was part of her flare and that they might just fall out, but Twilight didn't really see the big deal. Sure, pointy teeth were for meat eaters, but the dragon she hatched was cute and he had pointy teeth and he wasn't a bad pony, err dragon, right?

She looked up to her eyes, gazing into the pupilless orange void that stared back at her. With a sigh the filly opened her lips once more and grabbed her toothbrush.

A few minutes later and she tromped out of the bathroom, tossing the door closed behind her.

As soon as all four hooves were back in her new room she felt her stomach rumble, reminding her that she had yet to eat anything today. The filly looked around the room, hoping to find something to fill the growing void in her midsection. The closest thing there was to food was a package of tea leaves that she hadn't noticed before and something about eating a bag full of dry leaves wasn't very appealing to the filly.

Remembering the words of one of the guards she had met, she walked over to the door.

If you ever need anything just ask a guard and they will be more than happy to help you.

The filly’s smile faltered somewhat when she remembered the rather gruff look that same guard had given her a second later when she asked a question.

Ultimately the filly decided to brave the potentially gruff guard once more, determined to find something to eat lest she be forced to possibly ruin her first lesson with Celestia by being too hungry to pay attention.

With a gentle tug of her magic, the orange eyed filly pulled open the door and peered outside, noticing a rather bored looking unicorn mare clad in gold armor already looking down at her. “Eep!” Twilight cried, pushing the door closed and hiding behind it.

The guard, rather than seeming annoyed, laughed at the sudden disappearance of her charge, catching the door before it could close all the way. “What is the matter, young miss? Is there something in my teeth?”

The filly blinked, this didn't seem like one of the grumpy guards from before. “Umm. No, I don't think so,” she whispered.

“Did you have something to ask me, or were you just trying to scare an old mare?” asked the guard.

“I was wondering where I can get some breakfast…” Twilight muttered.

“Do you mind if I come in?”

The filly gulped and released the hold her magic had on the door, allowing the guard to open it the rest of the way and smile down at the filly. “There we go. Now what would you like, young miss?”

“Umm... cereal? Please?” Twilight asked nervously, unable to meet the guard’s friendly gaze.

The older mare laughed and shook her head. “This is Canterlot Castle, you can have whatever you want and you choose plain old cereal?” She blew a raspberry and laughed. “You gotta think bigger!”

Twilight gasped, looking up at the guard in wonder. “Anything?”

The guard nodded. “The princess told me you can get anything you wanted so long as you don't eat just cake.” The filly’s eyes lit up both figuratively and literally, which made the guard raise an eyebrow. Now that's the strangest pair of peepers I ever saw, thought the unicorn guard.

“I want pancakes! And hay bacon and and an apple and, and orange juice!” yhe filly announced excitedly.

The old guard chuckled once more. “Is that everything, young miss?”

“Yup!”

The guard nodded. “I’ll be right back with your food, you just sit tight now, alright?”

The filly nodded. “I will, guard lady!”

“It's Silver Bulwark ,but you can just call me Bull, everyone does.” The guard threw the filly a wink and turned and left, leaving Twilight alone and excited.

Wow, she was nice. Maybe they aren't all bad, the filly thought to herself, trotting over to the small table and plopping down in her seat and levitating a book over from the shelf. With a book in one hoof and a glass of water in the other the filly looked out the nearby window, gazing out over Canterlot.

Maybe this all won't be so bad after all.

Twilight groaned, lying on her bed with her limbs splayed in all directions. The food in her belly turned, threatening to come up again, causing a second groan to spill from her lips.

“Sooo full,” she whined, painfully aware of the feeling of a half dozen pancakes, fruit bowl and several cups of orange juice rolling around in her stomach.

The guard had mentioned that the chef was so thrilled to finally be cooking for more than just Celestia that he had gone all out on her dish and Twilight couldn't just not eat it. Her parents had raised her better than that after all. Though after eating all that, she just might have to disappoint her mother if the chef kept this up for lunch.

She shook her head and heaved her body onto her side now that the gurgling and the pain had died down somewhat. A quick glance at the clock told her that she still had about twenty minutes to walk to the space that Princess Celestia had simply referred to as the magical training room. It didn't take a pony with an IQ like Twilight’s to figure out what that meant for her next lesson. Despite the excitement that built in her chest, the filly still felt a little… off. Like she had forgotten something, only she wasn't sure what.

Now that she thought about it, it felt more like that time her older brother had convinced her that fruit had feelings and she had nearly gotten scurvy because she had learned how to teleport the food out of her mouth and into a hole in the backyard. It was like she was missing something important that her body needed but wasn't getting...

But what?

She had pancakes with blueberries in them and on them, plus syrup and an entire fruit bowl with lots of orange juice! The filly shook her head, deciding that she was probably just a little homesick. The castle was nice after all, but she still missed her family intensely and all the pancakes in the world couldn't smother that feeling.

Or could they?

The filly shrugged and hopped off the bed, the grumbling in her stomach having died down enough that it at least was no longer audible. She may very well be capable of filling the void her family left behind with pancakes, but the more she thought about it, the more she was sure that she didn't want such an experiment to succeed anyway.

She trotted around the room, trying to get her stomach to settle completely before she had to leave for the first real lesson from Princess Celestia. She shrugged again and continued her slow pace, feeling the lethargy from her meal slowly lift.

With nothing else to do for the moment, she simply thought, her mind going back to the crazy events of the last few days. It had been quite the life changing week to say the least and the filly smiled as she glanced out her window. In a way that view was like a physical embodiment of those changes, which served as a bittersweet reminder of the things she gained and lost.

Sure her family was further away, but that wasn't so bad, right? They were still in the city, they would be coming to her room tonight, then in a few days she would be back home for the weekend.

Her smile faltered as she realized just how strange that entire thought process had been.

Normally she would have freaked out over being late and would have shown up for lessons at least a half hour early. Yet here she was, waiting for her stomach to settle before she left, burning valuable minutes. Even still, with the possibility of angering Celestia dawning on her, she still couldn't muster the urge to really act on that, or feel anything other than a slight agitation.

Emotional response is unneeded, we know the walk will take only two minutes at most, she thought to herself.

The cold logic of it all did wonders to assuage her nerves, but she couldn't help but wonder why she felt so different lately. She wasn't even overly bothered by the fact that her family was so far away, despite the fact that she had never left home for more than a single overnight sleepover a year ago.

She glanced down at her hooves, her thoughts wandering aimlessly until finally she gave her head a shake and trotted off towards the door. It was probably just her getting older, her mom did say she was going to start changing pretty soon. The filly was just glad that the weird hair and hormones part hadn't started yet.

The more she thought about it, the more Twilight thought that maybe staying for a few more minutes wouldn't be that bad of an idea.

The filly turned back to her bed and slung her saddlebags over her back, feeling the familiar weight of the notebook, quill, ink, extra paper, and a few other things that she may need for her first real lesson. With a nod, the filly reached her hoof up and pushed open the enormous wooden door.

Two minutes and eight seconds later, Twilight was standing in front of the doors to the magical training room, which were a pair of large iron clad sentinels that were almost as intimidating as the guard that stood next to them. The guard himself was thankfully not the kind that glared at her, nor was he the type that seemed to shrink from her gaze. Rather, he took one look at her and just seemed to shrug before turning back to his job of looking stoic.

Something that Twilight was immensely thankful for as she was beginning to dislike the way some of the guards looked at her. The thought was strange in hindsight, she was hardly even intimidated by most of them and she hadn't exactly lived here long. The filly reached up and pushed on one of the large doors, which did not so much as budge even when she threw her weight against it. She was about to light her horn and try to move the door but before her horn could light, the door opened, as if pushed by the mere force of her will.

She blinked and looked up, to notice that the guard had opened the door for her, and quickly shuffled back to his position, flashing the filly a small smile before turning away and returning once more to his silent stoicism.

“Thank you, sir,” Twilight whispered

The guard spared the filly a brief glance before nodding once more in turn, gesturing inside the room.

The filly did as she was told and scuttled inside, the heavy iron door booming closed behind her. With wide, inquisitive eyes she stared around the room, noting that it felt larger than the exterior would indicate.

“Hmm,” she muttered to herself, her gaze drawn up the walls, across the ceiling before finally back down the other side.

The walls themselves were simple white stone, with lines painted at what seemed like random angles, circles here, squares there, it all appeared deliberate but Twilight wasn't sure what any of it meant. The roof was made of the same stone, and was adorned with far less paint, with only a few dots marked here and there. The floor was marked similarly and other than a set of small unassuming wooden doors, the room was completely empty.

“Stone ceiling, feels larger on the inside…” the filly muttered to herself before tapping her hoof a few times and listening to the echoes. “Chamber seems out of place with the rest of the castle. Curious. Either the door is a subtle teleportation anchor or the room itself is an extra dimensional space,” Twilight wondered aloud, her tone becoming strangely devoid of emotion.

“Actually, it's a bit of both, I’m afraid,” announced a voice from behind her.

Twilight spun around, her eyes going wide. “Princess Celestia!” The filly stumbled into a hasty bow, nearly toppling to the ground when her bags fell forward and smacked into the back of her head.

Celestia sighed and rolled her eyes. “What did I tell you about bowing?” she asked, a hint of annoyance edging into her tone.

Twilight looked up. “To… not?”

The alicorn chuckled. “Exactly, so please rise.”

Twilight silently did as she was told, allowing her the first real look at the princess.

She seemed off to Twilight, as if she wasn't getting a good sleep, or ate something funny, or perhaps had heard one of Twilight’s father’s jokes. Beyond that her entire body seemed to glow more than usual and the longer Twilight stared, the more she realized that this was not the warm glow Twilight usually saw coming from the alicorn, but rather the golden light of spellform that clung to the monarch. She wasn't sure what the spells were or did, but they seemed complicated and powerful. Something niggled at the back of her mind, making Twilight think the largest, brightest spell was the mysterious and unheard of type of spells that were referred to as runic magic. Either way, Twilight decided that it was her job to cheer Princess Celestia up by being the best student ever!

The filly flashed the alicorn a wide smile, something that didn't quite have the effect she wanted, as the filly’s canines seemed to glint in the light, making Celestia frown slightly. “What do all those spells do?” Twilight asked happily, gesturing to the glow that enfused the princess.

Celestia smiled. “As sharp as ever I see.” The alicorn spread her wings, making the spells fan out and become more visible to the inquisitive filly. “What do you think they do?”

“Umm…” Twilight tapped her chin and strained her memory, searching for anything that resembled the strange circles and glowing symbols that floated around the alicorn’s body. “Scanning spells, and runic magic that protects against something?”

Celestia seemed about to say something, only to stop when she heard Twilight’s answer. “You are half-right, they are mostly there for our protection. They will stop harm from befalling anyone I’m in the room with.” Where did she learn about runic magic? The alicorn thought to herself.

“Ooooh,” Twilight murmured.

Celestia nodded, oddly uncomfortable by the entire interaction. “Now then, we have a good idea where your normal schooling is. But we have yet to really test your magic, which is what we will be doing today.”

“But I already got my yearly magic check up a month ago,” Twilight whined.

“That may be, but those tests have to be redone when something big happens, right?” Celestia said with a smile.

“My cutie mark!” Twilight squealed, her eyes lighting up at the realization.

Celestia was barely able to stifle a giggle at the sight of her student’s eyes glowing more intensely, the image of a mood ring coming unbidden to her mind. “Exactly. As you know a cutie mark can sometimes boost or change a pony’s magic. Especially when that pony’s special talent is magic itself. So today will be exclusively magical testing.”

“Daww.” The filly looked down at her bags, all her enthusiasm suddenly bleeding away.

Celestia raised an eyebrow. “Is something wrong?”

“I was so excited for a real lesson and now I won't be able to take any notes.” She dug through her bags, pulling out her favorite quill complete with a tiny charm shaped like a fish that was held magically in place at the end. “Mister Swimmer loves taking notes.”

Only the decades of politicking with some of the best poker faced ponies in history stopped the princess from erupting in giggles, the sheer adorableness being nearly too much to handle. “Unfortunately that's true, but if we finish early I promise to give you and Mister Swimmer something to take notes on, okay?”

The filly jumped into the air. “Yippee!” she cried, earning a small chuckle from the alicorn.

“Why don't you put your bags and Mister Swimmer by the door for now? Wouldn't want to accidentally break such a wick quill.”

Twilight’s face screwed up for a second and she looked up at Celestia in confusion. “What do you mean by wick? What does a candle have to do with anything?”

“Err...” Celestia scratched the back of her neck, blushing awkwardly. “Is that not how the youth refer to something that is neat?”

Twilight shook her head. “No, we usually say something like cool, or awesome! We also don't call ourselves ‘the youth’.”

The older mare coughed awkwardly. “Good to know. It's been a long time since I’ve taken a student, sorry if my vernacular is not up to par.”

Twilight shrugged. “No biggie.” She trotted over to the door and deposited her bags, allowing Celestia a blessed few seconds to gather her wits and reform the mask she usually wore.

“We are going to need a few things to properly do this test, so while I acquire them, please do a few warm ups to make sure your magic is acting normally,” Celestia remarked before turning towards one of the wooden doors.

The filly straightened her stance, setting her legs far apart in order to allow her magical pathways to flow unhindered. Next she lit her horn and cast a small light spell, the magic glowing the familiar magenta that it usually did, save for the addition of a few flecks of orange that the filly didn't notice. With her attention focused on her light spell, she began to go through the usual motions. Moving the spell up and down, left and right before centering it once more and focusing intently on the glow, forcing it to grow brighter and brighter until the strain became too much to contain.

So focused was the filly that she didn't notice Princess Celestia watching her from the sidelines, a bag of bright orange balls on one side of her, and several larger heavier ones that grew in size from roughly the size of a medicine ball all the way to a beach ball. The princess watched as the filly’s oddly colored magic dimmed and brightened several more times until finally she seemed to catch sight of the alicorn and let her horn shut off completely.

“Ready!” she announced enthusiastically.

“Good, first we are going to test your multitasking skills as well as your ability to spread your magic out.” The princess hefted several of the small bright orange balls in her hoof. “To do that I am going to toss these balls on either side of you, right or left. I won't ever throw one at you, so don't worry.”

Twilight’s hoof shot up, making Celestia blink. “Uh, yes? You don't need to raise your hoof, Twilight.”

The filly blushed. “Oh um. I was just wondering why this time the test is different. Usually they just make me try and lift a bunch of blocks and stuff.”

“That is a good question. While that test is accurate in regards to seeing how well you can lift stationary blocks, this method tests your speed and accuracy as well.” She smirked. “Plus it's way funner than playing with blocks.”

Twilight nodded. “Do I toss them aside afterward or?”

“Try and put them in a pile in front of you, if you don't think you have the speed to do that then just do the best you can.” The alicorn smiled warmly, beaming down at the filly. “And don't worry, I called this a test, but you can't fail it so don't worry and try to have some fun.”

Something irked Twilight about being told to have fun while taking a test as she felt as though fun would get in the way of potential testing, but she brushed these thoughts aside for now. Her eyes narrowed and her horn lowered, her attention focusing to a razor’s edge. “Ready!” Twilight called.

Celestia nodded once before taking the balls in her magic and levitating them above her head. The first ball she tossed was low, and slow, little more than a test to make sure that there was indeed a small orange light that flickered inside the glow of the filly’s magic. Sure enough the filly caught it and confirmed that it wasn't just a freak occurrence and that her magic was indeed flecked with orange. The alicorn frowned, staring at the filly’s horn until she noticed Twilight looking up at her with a confused expression.

Celestia shook her head and grabbed the next two balls and chucked them one after another, each at a different side. They were spaced out slightly, allowing the filly to grab them one by one if she wished. Yet the filly didn't bother, simply grabbing both of them about midway between them and depositing them in the growing pile in front of her.

The elder mare nodded knowingly, happy to see that the notes taken by the filly’s old doctor were indeed correct. Next she grabbed four balls and tossed them two at a time, varying their speed and path slightly in an attempt to throw Twilight off. The filly was anything but surprised by the sudden jump in difficulty and instantly grabbed all four at once before depositing them in the pile.

She would have to up the ante a little if she was going to have a hope of grasping the depth of the filly’s skill it seemed. Next she grabbed ten of the balls all at once and noticed that instead of intimidation in the filly’s face, Celestia saw determination. With a smile she threw the next set of balls, and was instantly met with surprising turn of events.

Back and forth they went, with Celestia eventually having to drag the pile of testing balls back over to her in order to continue. Over the course of several minutes it quickly became apparent that the filly was well beyond that of her old classmates. Her connection was solid, as was her reaction time and speed which were well above the norm, able to multitask with an ease that would make a full grown adult green with envy. Though she faltered occasionally, Twilight didn't seem to get too down from it, focusing instead on what she did wrong and how to improve and over the course of ten minutes of testing most of the curve balls Celestia threw no longer caught the filly off guard.

Her mind was evidently quick to change and adapt to new situations, with analytical skills well above her grade level. All that adaptation wouldn't help her on the next test however, as it was focused on one thing and one thing only, power.

The alicorn levitated all the orange balls back to her side and smiled down at the panting filly. “Great work Twilight. You did far better than even a month ago.”

The filly beamed, her grin showing off her teeth. “Thanks! Shiny and I practice every summer!”

The princess chuckled, watching as the filly quickly got ahold of her breathing and brought it back under her control, no longer panting. “That's wonderful to hear. Now, this next test is going to have a lot less finesse than the last. I’m going to toss these weights at you one at a time and I want you to catch them, if you can't, don't worry. They won't hit you.”

Twilight looked from one weight to the next until her gaze lingered on the largest of which. “A-alright,” she stuttered.

“Relax Twilight. If you can't catch it, then let it fall, it's okay. Remember there is no winning or losing.” The filly nodded. “Are you ready?” Celestia asked, grabbing the smallest weight and easily levitating it above her waist.

Twilight took a deep breath. “I’m ready.”

Celestia nodded before gently tossing the weight at the filly’s right side, sending it in a slow, simple arc.

The filly stared intently, and when the weight reached the apex of the toss she grabbed it, her magic wrapping tightly around the heavy weight. Her teeth clenched and she was forced to pour a little extra magic, but she caught the ball and gently brought it down to the floor in front of her.

Celestia nodded, hiding the small sliver of worry that wormed into her thoughts.

She brought the next ball up, and sent it into a similarly gentle arc.

And again the filly caught it, only to waver briefly before pouring more power into her spell.

Was her control hampered in some way? Celestia pondered, before tossing the third weight.

Again the filly caught it, but this time with much more struggling, the ball nearly slipping out of her magical grasp before being placed gently on the ground in front of the others.

“Remember Twilight, if you can't catch it just drop it, it's not worth hurting yourself,” Celestia reminded.

Twilight nodded, but didn't seem to be listening, her gaze focused on the second last weight that was held aloft in Celestia’s magic.

The alicorn sighed, mentally preparing herself for the possibility that she may have to stop the filly lest she hurt herself or perhaps worse still, flare. The last one didn't seem as likely but the filly was awfully focused on completing the test and it certainly wasn't out of the realm of possibility.

With one last hesitant look, the alicorn tossed the weight in the same gentle arc as the last.

Twilight’s face screwed up into a tight, if adorable, mask of concentration, her horn glowing brightly as she wrapped her telekinetic aura around the weight. The glow faltered almost instantly, slowing the descent slightly but flickering in and out as she struggled to control the weight’s fall. The weight dipped a few inches before the filly’s magic was able to slow its fall.

“Come on…” Twilight groaned, gritting her teeth tightly as her magic grew to the point that it very nearly blinded her.

The weight shifted this way and that, her magic unable to encompass it entirely, making it tumble out of her grip constantly. It was near the ground now, mere inches from the stone floor yet Twilight couldn't quite seem to get a handle on it. Then when it was a mere inch from the ground she pushed one final time.

Her horn sputtered, small jets of orange light shooting out before dissipating almost instantly. Despite stumbling up until that point, the additional effort seemed to work and she managed to gain control of the weight long enough to set it down in front of the others.

The filly nearly collapsed from relief, panting heavily, her legs shaking. “Yay,” she muttered weakly.

Celestia hid her disappointed frown and eyed the filly with concern. How could she have that much skill, yet lack strength? Her flare should have been all the evidence Celestia needed to conclude that Twilight was a powerhouse of mana, yet here she was, struggling with a weight that she should be able to lift. Yes it was a bit above her grade level, but compared to her other test this was a clear failure.

The filly’s eyes began to water and she looked up at Celestia. “Did I fail?”

“No, of course not, child. Like I said you can't fail this test.” Celestia tucked the weights back beside the others.

Twilight didn't seem convinced though and glanced forlornly at the last unlifted weight. “I should be able to lift it though, right? I mean I did super good with the last test! Maybe if I try again?”

Celestia stopped where she stood, noting the curious choice of words. “The test is over Twilight. You did well, remember that.”

The filly pouted. “But I lifted a weight like that before! I can do it, Princess, just let me catch my breath and I’ll-”

“You will do no such thing,” Celestia cut in, giving the filly a stern glance. “Magic changes, it fluctuates, I'm sure this is just a minor bump after getting your cutie mark. We can try again later.”

“I-...” The filly sighed. “Okay.”

The alicorn turned to put away the equipment, only to glance over her shoulder, her gaze lingering over the sad little filly. She sighed, and turned back, using her magic to pile the equipment next to the door.

As she approached she noticed the filly’s chest heave with a barely contained sniffle, prompting the alicorn to trot a little faster, fearing the worst. Sure enough the filly was on the verge of tears before Celestia got there. She wanted to reach out and assuage the filly’s worries but something held her back, making the alicorn hesitate.

The filly may still be contagious, and Celestia did not have the necessary spells to ward against such a thing. Sure she had some minor anti-infection enchantments to fight airborne pathogens, but she hadn't planned on getting close to the filly, meaning she didn't have anything prepared for potential contact. One look at the sniveling face of the downtrodden filly was enough to blow away such fear though and she reached down and scooped the filly up into a tight hug.

“There there Twilight, everything is fine,” the alicorn cooed, hugging the filly tightly against her chest.

Twilight tensed for a moment before awkwardly hugging the much larger pony back. She tried to speak but her tears always seemed to get in the way and eventually she gave up and cried into the alicorn’s shoulder.

The matronly alicorn sat patiently as the filly cried into her fur, until eventually her sniffles died out.

Celestia smiled gently and nuzzled the filly. “Are you okay, Twilight?”

“Mmhmm,” the filly whimpered back.

“Would you mind telling me what was bothering you?”

Twilight tensed for a second before relaxing once more, burying her face in the larger pony’s shoulder. “You aren't going to send me home, right?”

“I would never do that over one silly little test,” Celestia replied instantly.

The filly relaxed even more, pulling back from Celestia’s shoulder, prompting the alicorn to pull her back, while still holding her close. “Now tell Grandma Celestia what was bothering you.”

The younger mare slowly smiled as she looked up at the larger mare, a giggle slipping past her lips. “I was worried you would send me home since I am not as powerful anymore.”

The filly’s chin dipped and she started to look down, only to be caught by Celestia’s gentle hoof. “Excuse my language, but that's bull cookies.”

Twilight’s eyes widened with shock and she covered her mouth, stifling a laugh. “You are not supposed to say that!”

“Well it's true. You are already my student, Twilight, and unless you want that to change, it won't,” the alicorn stated.

Two glowing orange orbs looked up at the alicorn, searching her face for something in the alicorn’s expression. After a tense moment in which Celestia felt an odd tickle at the back of her mind, Twilight’s smile grew to encompass her face and she wiggled out of Celestia’s grasp. “Good! Because you promised something I could take notes on!” the filly announced proudly.

The alicorn chuckled and lay on the ground across from the excitable filly. “That I did, didn't I?”

“Mmhmm!” Twilight beamed.

“Well then, how about a story?”

The filly pouted. “I was hoping for a lesson.”

Celestia rolled her eyes. “Stories can be lessons, and they can have facts, you just have to find them.”

At that, the filly seemed to regain her lost excitement and in a flash her bag was beside her, her quill, ink and paper all set out. “Ready!”

“Once upon a time, in the magical land of equestria, there were...”

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Friends and Enemies

The sound of humming filled the filly’s room as she hopped from her desk to the now less empty bookcase nearby. She ran a hoof down the spines of the books that had come into her collection, knowing their titles from touch alone. The ability to know so much was a strange new addition to her growing list of skills, but it had come in handy as she had stayed up late studying and ended up groping around in the dark with only her eyes for light. Closing her eyes, the filly continued down the line of books until she felt the familiar touch of the one she was looking for.

With a quick yank the book was free and the Life and meditations on magic was now safely in her hoof. Hopping back over to her desk, the filly laid it atop her to-read pile, which had shrunk considerably over the last several days and she made a note of visiting the library sooner rather than later.

Sighing contently, the filly sank into her pillows and glanced at her to-do list, only to chuckle at the sight. Every line had either been crossed out or had a check mark beside it save for one which simply said ‘Make another to-do list’.

Twilight tore the list from the wall and whisked it away to the garbage can.

Taking out her trusty quill, complete with Mister Swimmer, she wrote the first item on her new list. ‘Go to library and get more books for class and personal reading.’ Nodding contently, the filly looked at her reading pile, thinking which book she should read.

They were primarily fiction or personal study rather than something for Celestia as Twilight had already read well ahead of the meagre amount of books the princess had assigned to her. The list she had been given would have been intimidating a week ago, but something about her flare had made her already startlingly fast reading pace double overnight, allowing her to flip through a chapter book in minutes and demolish a textbook in a matter of hours.

Glancing over at her calendar, she noted that there were no upcoming tests to study for, or classes that she wasn't already weeks ahead in. The filly sighed, indeed there didn't seem to be anything on her calendar that was even remotely interesting, save for an appointment with that nice therapist lady she had to talk to once a week.

The filly found it strange that she had to talk to somepony like that as she didn't have any problems that warranted a mental health expert. Sure, her eyeballs were still all glowy, but she was pretty sure a therapist couldn't help her with that. She frowned, still a little annoyed that she didn't have any special powers despite her eyeballs glowing like Lady Cyclops’ which she had read about in one of her brother’s comics.

She had just barely lifted the next book from her pile when a knock came from the door. It was firm, even and unrushed, most likely Bull, Twilight figured.

“Come in!” she called, hopping up from her pillow and trotting over to the door.

Silver Bulwark popped her head inside, instantly noticing the excited filly scampering up to her. “Mornin’, young miss.”

“Good morning, Miss Bull!” Twilight yelled back, saluting the guard.

Bull chuckled. “Don't suppose you know this, Celestia lady, do ya?”

Twilight covered her mouth with her forehooves, holding back a giggle. “I don't know… What does she look like?”

“Great big bugger this one is, with flanks as wide as-”

“I think that's plenty enough description for young Twilight,” Celestia remarked with a smirk, stepping in behind the giggling guard.

Bull leaned in real close to Twilight, whispering conspiratorily to the filly. “I dunno, young miss. You think we should let her in?”

Twilight glanced up to Celestia’s amused expression before nodding. “She looks nice.”

The guard grunted. “Alright, but don't come crying to me if she makes off with your silverware.” The silver glow of her magic pushed open the door as she stepped to the side, bowing to the alicorn. “After you.”

The alicorn was obviously trying to maintain her usual poker face, but one look down at the giggling filly and it fell away instantly, morphing into a wide smile. “Why, thank you, Bull.”

“Your Majesty.” Bull nodded once to the alicorn then again to the still giggling filly. “Young miss.”

Twilight nodded back like the guard showed her, making her grin as she shut the door.

Once alone, the alicorn lay down on the floor and opened her hooves, allowing Twilight to scamper up to her and jump into her waiting embrace. With a smile on her face, the alicorn gently squeezed the filly while nuzzling her softly. “And how is my favorite iddy biddy filly?”

Said filly’s cheeks puffed up and she glared up at the alicorn with all the hate she could muster, which wasn't much. “Hey, I’m not iddy biddy! I’m actually big for my age.”

Celestia rolled her eyes. “So you are saying you are just iddy, then?”

Twilight rubbed her chin thoughtfully before nodding. “That is acceptable.”

“Well, I’m glad we could get to the bottom of this very serious matter so quickly.” The alicorn ruffled the filly’s mane, making her giggle. “Now then, what have you planned to do today?”

“Visit the library, get more books, do more studying.” She shrugged. “The usual stuff since I don't have any work to do.”

The alicorn nodded. “I must apologize for that. I had assumed you would be a little slower to complete your coursework. Don't worry though, next week I will have more for you.”

The filly smiled. “Yay!”

“In the meantime though, why don't we go find some friends for you to play with?” Celestia offered.

Twilight visibly shrunk, glancing over at her desk. “But I don't wanna. Ponies are dumb and say mean things about my eyes.” She crossed her forehooves over her chest and pouted. “Besides, I have lots of friends here in the castle.”

“Oh, like who?”

“Bull! And uh, Night Shine, and Rose Bud, and uh… Chef Butter Roll!” the filly answered confidently.

Celestia shook her head slowly, placing a hoof on the filly’s shoulder. “I’m happy you are getting along with more of the staff, but you need friends your own age.”

The filly pouted. “But ponies my age always call me names.”

The alicorn hugged her a little tighter. “Well, I know one pony who is the nicest colt around, I’m sure you two would get along famously!”

The filly slowly opened up, looking up at the alicorn with a small optimistic smile. “Are you sure?”

Celestia’s smile filled her face and she beamed down at the filly. “Absolutely. Why, I even helped raise him for several years when he was young and I just know you will like him.”

Twilight’s smile grew and she hopped out of Celestia’s hooves. “Does he like books?” She glanced over her small collection. “Maybe I should bring a book.”

Rolling her eyes, Celestia stood up and gently pushed Twilight towards the door. “He is quite the avid reader, but I don't think bringing a book to the playground is the best idea. You don't want it to get wrecked, do you?”

The filly gasped and trotted over to the door. “That would be terrible.” She shivered. “Plus I’m pretty sure Miss Golden Stacks would eat me if I wrecked a library book.”

Celestia raised an eyebrow. “You mean Miss Stacks the librarian?”

The tiny pony gulped. “Yeah, she's scary.”

The alicorn made a mental note of it, determined to deal with that at a later date. With a magical tug she pulled open the door, nodding to Bull who waited on the other side. “Hey young miss, where you two off to?”

Twilight grinned, hopping up to the guard and saluting. “I am off to meet a new friend!”

“Well, ain't that just the bee’s knees,” the guard remarked with a smile.

Twilight turned to Celestia, a question already on her lips. “Do bees even have knees?”

“Technically, they do.” Celestia shook her head. “But that is a question for another time.” She nodded down to the guard. “Your services will not be needed, please remain here until Twilight returns.”

The guard’s face grew tense and she motioned for the alicorn to come closer.

Celestia lifted an eyebrow, but did as she was asked, coming in close to the guard, allowing her to whisper without the filly hearing. “Are you sure this is a good idea, Your Majesty?” she whispered, sparing a glance at the filly who had busied herself staring up at a painting that hung across from her door.

The alicorn followed her gaze to the filly before nodding slowly. “Yes, I do believe some socializing is in order. Why do you ask?”

Bull frowned, watching as the filly tried to mimic the overly pompous expression the unicorn in the painting was making. “I just have a bad feeling is all, plenty of ponies round here find her strange and you know what ponies are like around folk they find different.”

Celestia grimaced, already painfully aware of that fact. “I doubt this particular colt will be any trouble, but I may be wrong about this. With that in mind I’d like you close at hoof just in case things go poorly. We will be in the maze, so please remain at the entrance thereof, I will have somepony else cover her room.”

Bull nodded, breathing a sigh of relief, her smile growing as the filly suddenly burst into a round of giggling as she was no longer able to hold the pompous expression any longer. “Thanks, Your Majesty.”

With a nod the alicorn stood back to her full regal height. “Ready to go, Twilight?”

The filly nodded. “What were you whispering about?”

“Her majesty just wanted to talk to me, is all,” Bull remarked, reaching down and ruffling the filly’s mane.

“Hmm.” Twilight scrunched her face up tight, staring at the guard intently. “Hmmmm!”

Celestia raised an eyebrow and leaned towards the guard. “What is she doing?”

Bull shrugged. “She's trying to figure out what we said by reading my mind.” The alicorn’s eyebrow raised a little higher. “It's a game she likes to play. She ain't half bad at it either.”

“I got it!” Twilight yelled suddenly.

“Oh? What did you figure out, little one?” Celestia asked kindly, barely holding back a giggle.

“Something about a…. Maze?” she asked.

Celestia blinked, sharing a baffled expression with Bull. “Did you tell her about the secret playground?”

Bull shook her head. “No, did you?”

“No…” Celestia turned. “Say Twilight, why don't you tell me more about this game of yours…”

The filly beamed up at her, bouncing excitedly. “I got it right, didn't I?”

“Err, sort of.” Celestia began walking down the hall, her small charge easily keeping pace. “How did you come to start playing this game of yours?”

Twilight shrugged. “Bull said I wasn't supposed to know about how her date went and then it was like bam! I knew! And I was right!” She withered slightly. “Well, sorta right.”

“Interesting… Say Twilight, how are your visits with the therapist going?”

The filly’s smile remained in place, but her pace slowed slightly. “Okay. Velvet Touch is nice but asks lots of silly questions.”

“Really now, like what?”

“Like yesterday she asked…”

“And then Daring Do swooped down and swiped the goblet of fire right out of Ahuizotl’s hand!” the filly announced excitedly, bouncing beside the alicorn who nodded politely.

“Really now? She sounds like quite the adventurer.”

“Yeah!”

“So does that mean you want to be like her when you grow up?” Celestia asked, stepping outside and into the castle gardens.

Twilight glanced briefly at the immaculately kept grounds, her innate curiosity calling out for her to inspect the foliage in closer detail. She had more important things on her mind right now and that strange looking tree would reveal its secrets later. “Nuh uh.” She shrunk a little, her shoulders slouching. “Promise not to laugh?”

Celestia giggled. “I promise.”

The filly stopped before glancing right and left before looking up at Celestia. “You gotta put your hoof over your heart, like this. Dad says a promise made on the heart means you will never ever break it.”

The alicorn did as instructed, placing her hoof over her heart. “I promise not to laugh.”

“Okay.” Twilight glanced around before leaning in. “I want to be a super princess!”

“A super princess? What's wrong with just a regular princess?” Celestia asked curiously, holding back a laugh.

The filly shrugged. “A princess is cool, but I want super powers too! Like laser eyes or the ability to talk to fish.” She tapped a hoof to her chin. “Actually that last one sounds lame.”

“Well, I think it sounds radical,” Celestia commented, her smile faltering when Twilight didn't return the expression. “What, is radical not in use anymore?”

Twilight shook her head. “Not really, but you are getting closer.”

“Fi,” the alicorn cursed. “And here I thought I was getting good at this slang thing.”

Twilight giggled and got back up, prompting Celestia to continue walking deeper into the private gardens. “Good thing you got me around, huh?”

The alicorn smiled faintly, gazing off into the distance. “Quite so, young Twilight.”

Together the pair walked in relative silence, with Twilight humming some tune she only half remembered, her eyes flicking this way and that as gawked at all the different types of plants that grew in the royal gardens. Celestia smiled the entire time, her gaze occasionally glancing down to Twilight and watching the filly as she stared silently at some new type of plant she had never seen before. The innocent curiosity was both adorable and quite the change from the normal reactions she saw when guiding someone through the gardens for the first time.

Nobles would silently judge the worth of each plant as they passed them by, Celestia half convinced that she could see a running tally of bits slowly ticking away above their head. Occasionally they would point out a tree or flower that had a more expensive, and in their opinion, better replacement. Dignitaries always kept an air of polite judgement that was only slightly more enjoyable than the nobles who were more open in the way they judged the garden. After all, royal gardens, menageries and collections of art had been a measuring stick for the worth of a leader for centuries, which meant that every time she took one such individual, it turned into a subtle horn measuring contest.

She rarely if ever took anyone that didn't fit into those two categories through the gardens, partly due to the potential for damages, and there was the fact that a few of the plants in the garden were dangerous to ponies. Which was a shame as she genuinely enjoyed watching Twilight flit this way and that, drawn to each strange and exotic plant where she stared for a few seconds before trotting off to the next curiosity.

The alicorn felt a smile across her face, the alicorn silently thankful that they had discovered that Twilight didn't seem contagious in any way, lest this event have never happened.

By then they had worked their way deep into the maze at the centre of the gardens, and though it wasn't very large, it was designed to confuse and Twilight quickly found her head spinning, unable to remember which way the exit was. The filly turned around suddenly, looking up at the alicorn. “Where are we going?”

“To a secret playground I set aside for the castle’s younger inhabitants.” Noticing that the filly seemed unconvinced, she put a hoof on her shoulder. “Trust me, Twilight, it's going to be fun.”

The filly nodded. “Okay.”

Together they continued to walk deeper and deeper into the hedge maze, the walls of plants eventually meeting above their heads, creating a canopy that nearly blocked out the sun. Just as she was about to light her horn, the filly noticed that there were lanterns along the path ahead of them. The lanterns hung from either side of the wall and glowed with a soft blue light that felt both gentle and warm. The filly’s eyes went wide and she trotted up to one such lantern, staring up as the blue flame flickered within.

“Ooooh.”

“Would you like to know how to make a lantern like that?” Celestia offered.

“Oh, yes please!” Twilight exclaimed.

Celestia giggled, a hoof covering her lips. “I’ll make sure to include that on the schedule for next week then.”

The filly wilted slightly. “Could you at least tell me how you make the flame? Is it a spell, or alchemy?” Her eyes went wide and she spun around, staring up at Celestia. “Or is it both?”

“You are both right, and wrong,” she said.

Twilight blinked. “What do you mean?”

The alicorn leaned down and winked at the filly. “For that answer, you must wait until your next lesson.”

Twilight groaned, but her sour mood didn't last long, her mind already turning as it tried to figure out the newest mystery laid out before it.

Noticing that her student’s mind was occupied once more, Celestia continued deeper into the maze, weaving this way and that as Twilight stared up at each passing lantern. It wasn't long until the filly was completely lost and they neared their final objective. Just as they made the last turn in their journey Twilight stopped suddenly, her eyes opening wide as she lifted a triumphant hoof into the air.

“I got it!” she exclaimed.

Celestia lifted an eyebrow at the suddenly exuberant filly. “Oh? Did you figure it out?”

The filly nodded, using her magic to retrieve one of the lanterns from its hook and gently lowered it to her own height. Celestia was tempted to stop her, but the filly seemed gentle enough that there wasn't any harm in allowing her to continue. Twilight pointed a hoof to the bottommost part of the lantern.

“This part has the fuel which is alchemical in nature.” She moved her hoof up to the lowest point of the flame, where there was neither wick or any sort of readily apparent fuel source. “Where a spell array heats up the gas that escapes from the tank.”

Celestia clapped her hooves. “Congratulations Twilight, that was very well done. Tell me, what led you to that conclusion?”

The filly beamed under the praise, her back straightening as her head lifted a little higher. “The way you said it made it sound like both a spell and alchemy was at work, but not that they directly combined. With that in mind I just had to figure out the spell and after I figured out it was just a heat spell it was relatively easy to discover how it worked.”

“Bravo Twilight. Keep that in mind and I’m sure it will help you some day,” Celestia congratulated.

Twilight’s smile grew and she strutted proudly down the path, only to look up and just now realize they were walking towards a dead end. “Uh princess, are you sure this is the right way?”

Celestia smirked. “Oh, why do you say that?”

The filly trotted up to the wall of plant matter and just turned back to Celestia with an odd expression, as if asking, ‘seriously?’.

The alicorn chuckled and just stepped forward. “Sometimes, you must simply trust when your mind says otherwise.”

The alicorn strode confidently toward the plant wall, causing Twilight to grimace as her mentor was no doubt about to get a faceful of bush. Instead, she simply passed through the wall as if it wasn't even there.

“Huh?” Raising her hoof, Twilight mimicked the action, pushing it against the wall and finding there was no resistance.

Which wasn't what she was expecting, causing her entire body to topple forwards as she overcompensated, landing on her belly with a thump. The regal laughter of her mentor brought the filly’s eyes upwards where she saw Celestia looking down at her with a smile. “It's merely an illusion, Twilight. Meant to keep out the curious passers-by and allow the fillies and colts of the castle to enjoy some private time away from the prying eyes of their peers.” She extended a hoof to the filly. “Come. I will introduce you.”

Twilight nodded, taking the alicorn’s hoof and being helped to her hooves. Once standing, the filly slowly looked around, her eyes going wide as she beheld the secret playground.

The walls and impromptu roof were both made of the same hedge as the maze was, save for the fact that it rose much much higher and created an enormous domed ceiling over the entire area. This impressive amount of work had all gone into hiding a large play structure, complete with a slides, swinging bridges and just about everything a foal could ever want. Beside it were several sets of swings, and a jungle gym in the shape of an enormous tortoise. Next to the structure were several lavish benches for adults to sit and watch.

There were only a hooful of ponies in the secret playground, made up of a group of seven foals playing on the structure and a single adult sitting on the benches. The foals were many different colors and had a variety of cutie marks, however that is where the difference ended as they all sported finely manicured horns on their heads, and so did the single adult.

Twilight shrunk behind the alicorn, noticing that the foals had stopped playing and had all turned to Celestia and were gawking at the newcomers. The adult seemed to have a bit more class however and trotted over to them, a wide smile on his face.

He was tall, his limbs thin without being emaciated, his deep blue fur positively shimmered in the indirect light and his green eyes flashed with a quiet confidence. The stallion looked to be about his mid-forties and was sporting a small moustache that barely covered his upper lip.

When he drew close to the pair he bowed low, nearly sweeping the ground. “Greetings, Your Highness. To what do I owe the pleasure of your acquaintance?”

Celestia smiled down at the stallion, subtly motioning for him to rise. “I am here to introduce my newest student to the other foals of the castle. I was hoping she could make some friends.”

“Oh, and where is this newest prodigy of yours? I have heard many wild stories over the last several days.”

The alicorn crouched down, gently tugging the filly out from behind her hooves. “Come on, Twilight, this is one of the ponies I was talking about.”

The filly peeked out from behind the alicorn’s leg, however the second their eyes met the stallion’s face grew dark, making Twilight pull back to the safety of Celestia’s leg. “I don't wanna.”

“Come now, Twilight. You were just talking about how happy you were to meet new friends.” The alicorn frowned, gently tugging at the filly’s leg. “Where did that confidence go?”

Twilight whimpered softly, making Celestia sigh and lift her leg, robbing the filly of her cover and leaving her open. “Eep!” The filly turned left then right, finding no cover from the gaze of the strangers. A strange urge suddenly overtook her and with nowhere else to go she turned down.

The stallion blinked, watching as the filly used her hooves to frantically dig a hole in the dirt. “Pardon me, Princess, but is your protege alright?”

“What do you mean?” The alicorn looked down to where Twilight had somehow managed to already dig a foot deep hole, with only the top of her mane and horn still visible. “Twilight Sparkle, get out of there, it's dirty.”

The filly poked her head out of her hole and sighed. “Yes, Princess Celestia.”

Twilight dutifully crawled out of the hole she had made for herself, standing reluctantly in front of the alicorn as she shook her head. “This is Prince Blueblood the fifth, his son is the colt I told you about.”

The filly looked from the stallion over to the playground where a surprisingly well-built colt with white fur and a blond mane stood at the edge of the of the structure, staring down at her with what looked like a mix of curiosity and awe. Perking up slightly, the filly glanced from one Blueblood to the other, remembering what Celestia had said about the son being a kind and gentle pony that was also a fellow book lover.

With a sigh, she stepped out from Celestia’s shadow. “Okay,” she mumbled.

“Wonderful. I just know you two are going to be fast friends,” Celestia announced happily.

The elder Blueblood nodded his assent. “I agree, it seems as though these two have a lot in common.” He glanced down at her, a hint of something dark in the corner of his eye. “Quite a lot in common.”

Celestia smiled, gently pushing Twilight toward the play structure. “Go on, Twilight, I’ll be right here talking to Mister Blueblood for a few minutes. After that Bull should be right outside so if you need anything, seek her out, okay?”

Twilight nodded hesitantly, making her way over to the play structure.

A colt that looked to be about the age of Twilight hopped down and trotted right up to the filly, his eyes going wide as soon as he got close. “Woah, that's crazy. Hey guys! Her eyes really are all glowy!”

The fillies and colts all stopped what they were doing and climbed down, crowding around the now terrified filly. A curious unicorn filly that looked a little younger than Twilight walked up to her, only to wince when Twilight’s orange orbs looked down on her. “Eep!” she cried, scampering back and hiding behind a bigger colt.

Twilight gulped and awkwardly waved a hoof. “H-hi!” she muttered weakly.

“Woah,” the first colt muttered again.

An older filly suddenly leapt in front of her, peering into Twilight’s eyes with wonder. “That is so cool! Can you shoot lasers out of your eyes?”

Like a soap bubble being popped, the tension suddenly evaporated and Twilight shook her head sadly. “No, not yet.”

“Woah,” the foals all mumbled in unison.

And just like that the ice was broken and the foals bombarded Twilight with increasingly ridiculous questions until their interest finally wavered and the golden haired colt managed to convince them to start a game of tag. Before the game could begin he trotted up to Twilight just after the other foals had started bickering over who was going to be it.

Extending his hoof, the colt smiled warmly. “Greetings. My name is Blueblood, but you can just call me Bluey.” He shrugged. “Everyone does.”

Twilight blushed, extending her own hoof and clopping it against the colt’s. “My name’s Twilight Sparkle.”

“I assumed as much. Not too many ponies have glowing yellow eyes.” He smirked.

Something about the way he said it made Twilight realize It wasn't a jab, just a small joke, like the kind two friends would share. “Princess Celestia said you liked to read.”

“I do indeed. I am a big fan of the ancient unicorn philosophers, but…” He glanced over the filly’s shoulder, looking to where his father was engaged in a close conversation with Celestia. He leaned in, whispering in the filly’s ear. “I’d much rather read Daring Do.” He took a step back and smiled. “But my father thinks it's too low brow for royalty.”

The filly giggled, her blush growing. “They are really good, maybe we could go to the library sometime?” she asked hopefully.

The colt pondered it briefly before nodding his assent. “That sounds nice, when-”

“Hey are you two done kissing yet? We’re trying to play a game over here.” An upside down colt yelled from atop the slide.

Twilight’s face grew even redder, while Bluey merely chuckled. “Did you decide who’s it?” he yelled back.

“Nah,” the colt remarked with a shrug.

“Hmmm, well I think the rule is the newest pony is…” He tapped Twilight’s shoulder before sprinting off towards the structure. “It!”

Twilight blinked, glancing from her shoulder to the shrieking foals clambering over the structure to get further away from her. “Oh, it is on.” With a manic grin on her face, the filly charged into the structure, chasing down a slower grey maned filly with a dull white coat.

Across the playground Celestia smiled faintly, distracted by the sight of Twilight finally joining the other fillies and apparently being accepted by them.

“Princess?”

Celestia turned down to where the elder Blueblood looked up at her with a smirk. “The troubles of teaching weighing you down?”

The alicorn shook her head. “No, actually quite the opposite. It's been a treat to teach someone so young and innocent, even if she is eating through my coursework a little fast. Still, it's a nice change of pace.”

“Oh? I thought you would have preferred to teach someone more learned in the proper mannerisms.” He coughed awkwardly. “Not to say she is not intelligent. I merely understand better than most the problems that may arise if the proper respect is not shown to some individuals.”

Celestia hummed thoughtfully, remembering back to the few instances Twilight had met a rather overly important noble, most of such instances having ended in at least a partial disaster. “True, but she is learning quickly.” The alicorn’s gaze returned to the filly as she leapt down some stairs in order to catch a filly in the shoulder, tagging her before spinning around and sprinting back up the stairs and out of reach. “I don't foresee any real trouble coming from her.”

Blueblood turned as well, his own gaze lingering over his progeny, who was currently standing atop the highest point of the play structure and was sticking his tongue out at the aforementioned filly who tried to reach him. “If it ever turns out that you have another opening for a student, I know Bluey would love the chance to spend more time with you.”

The alicorn sighed, watching as the colt finally was reached by a leaping Twilight, forcing him to climb down from his position and chase after the giggling glowy eyed filly. “Somedays I wish my attention was not so divided amongst important matters.” She smiled faintly as she watched Twilight and Bluey go back and forth, tagging each other back and forth before Twilight faked him out, making the colt accidentally touch Twilight and thus tag himself, allowing Twilight to get away. “I would probably spend most of my days simply teaching. It truly is a joy.”

Blueblood shared the alicorn’s smile as the two sat and watched quietly.

As the game progressed it eventually morphed into a game of hide and seek, with Twilight running past the alicorn, a giggle on her lips. They shared a brief wave, with Celestia barely containing the urge to greet the filly out of fear she would give her away. The alicorn watched as the excitable foal ran past her and towards the bushes before disappearing into a small nook that allowed her to hide from sight.

“With that, I should be going now. I fear I have left the court unoccupied for far too long already.” She turned and nodded to the stallion. “Please, do let me know if you have any problems with my Twilight. She doesn't have a lot of experience with friends, I am afraid.”

Blueblood nodded, his eyes narrowing slightly as he watched his son scamper around the playground, finding other foals with relative ease but unable to locate Twilight. “Absolutely, Your Highness, I am sure she will take to the other foals like a duck to water.”

Celestia spared one last glance at Twilight’s hiding place before turning to leave. “Good day, Sir Blueblood.”

The stallion merely nodded, his gaze drawn to the small group of fillies all spreading out and searching for Twilight who had yet to be found.

After a few minutes of fruitless searching had passed the noble frowned, glancing over to where he could see twin orbs of yellow peering out of the bush. They eyes quickly vanished, ducking behind cover and disappearing from sight. One last glance at the group of searching foals told him it would be a while before they made their way over to the other side of the playground and over to Twilight’s hiding spot.

Making sure to not give the filly away, he trotted over to the hedge wall stood beside her hiding spot, looking at the group of foals. “You know Celestia’s pity will only go so far.”

Twilight blinked, peeking out from her hiding spot and finding Blueblood standing all but over her. Ducking back inside the tuft of bushes, the filly shrunk down, trying her best to ignore the adult.

“And that is why you are here, pity. She has a soft spot for lepers and commoners and it is only because of these weaknesses of hers that you are here in the castle,” the stallion remarked in a hushed and vitriolic tone.

Twilight shrunk down a little further, her hooves unconsciously digging into the dirt as she tried to retreat from the angry stallion.

“You waste the princess’ time with your mediocre intelligence.” He huffed. “It's not your fault really, you come from a long line of failures and fools.” He spat his distaste, staining the earth. “The Sparkle family has been a disgrace to the honored houses for too long.”

The filly sniffed, pushing her hooves tight against her ears, yet still she could hear his cruel words.

“You should not have come to the castle. Every step you take further desecrates those hallowed halls.” Blueblood hissed. “Leave now and there will be no further complications. This is the only time I will offer you such a kindness.” He leaned down, whispering directly into the foal’s ear through a few inches of foliage. “I shouldn't have to tell you this, but if you try and tell anyone, no one will believe you.”

Though there was a part of the filly that had grown cold, calculating and very efficient in figuring out just how to make it out of any situation, she was, at the end of the day, just a filly.

With a scream of panic the overwhelmed child bolted out of her hiding spot, sprinting past the grown up, tears streaming down her face. She didn't even notice as the junior Blueblood and the rest of the foals all turned and watched as Twilight ran screaming out of the playground, bolting through the illusionary wall and vanishing completely.

The rest of the fillies and colts were slow to get back to their game, lingering near the exit to the playground and watching the illusionary wall hesitantly, waiting for their new friend to return.

“I don't think she's going to come back. I’m sorry children, I had hoped to ask her a few questions, but it seems as though she didn't take it well.” The elder Blueblood sighed, his features falling. “I am sorry for accidentally scaring away your friend. Why don't you all go back to your game, I’m sure she'll be right back?”

To most, this would seem a heartfelt and meaningful apology, to the junior Blueblood it was an empty lie, one of many his father had weaved over the years. The colt’s eyes narrowed and he watched his father throw on his trademark overly exaggerated expressions, coaxing the foals back to their games.

Bluey lingered, watching for his friend’s return for a moment before his father approached him. “Why don't you go join the others? I heard they are going to try a new game out. Something called grounders, I think.”

Bluey’s gaze lingered, and though he wanted to stay and wait or better yet go looking for her, there was a hard edge to his father’s tone that assured him that this was not actually a question. “Yes father.”

“Good. Wouldn't want to leave your friends waiting after all. Oh and son,” the elder stallion placed a hoof on his son’s shoulder, “forget about that filly, she's nothing but trouble. Star Tracker on the other hoof is a wonderful young mare, don't you agree?”

The younger Blueblood looked over to where a slightly pudgy filly was standing on a small balance beam, her tongue sticking out of her mouth as she tried to cling to the small board. “Yes father.”

“Good, good. Her parents are honorable and good ponies, unlike the filth that seems to have begun to clutter the castle these days.”

The colt sighed. “Yes father.”

Silver Bulwark grumbled silently to herself, turning down another of the seemingly endless rows of hedges only to find herself in another dead end. “Great. It wasn't good enough that you stayed a little too far behind Celestia and got lost, but now you can't even find your way back out.”

The unicorn turned, mumbling curses under her breath. Celestia is going to have your head, she thought to herself, her mind wandering to the shrill cry she had heard minutes earlier.

She had recognized the voice’s owner as her young charge, meaning something had already happened to her. What exactly that was unknown and in the minutes since she had started to look she had yet to find heads or tails of the filly. Thankfully she had set up a flare, which should alert the guard and the princess herself but that was no excuse to stop now.

The aged guard turned around and put her head down, intent on sprinting deeper into the maze. Something made her stop though, some strange urge stayed her hooves and she looked around once more. She knew better then to dismiss her instincts, even if they felt more like someone tugging at her hoof.

Slowly turning around she scanned the hedges for any sign of somepony small passing through, and just as she was about to give up, she found a small clump of dirt near one of the hedge walls. Without the plant ceiling of the other part of the maze, Silver could make out a small trail of dirt leading to the corner of the dead end.

Trotting closer made the feeling of being tugged along grow more and more with each passing second and when she drew within mere feet of the corner, she swore she could hear a voice. It was small, barely above a whisper but the guard could have sworn she heard a filly ask why? Speeding up, the guard sprinted to the corner and peered down a small hole that looked freshly dug.

Down in the bottom of the hole was a small purple mass that had curled in on itself, her tail tucked tight against her chest, the filly’s tiny hooves running down it in a slow coaxing motion. Silver’s heart fell, sorrow threatening to overwhelm the guard, and only her years of training stopped her from breaking down and weeping then and there. Swallowing hard, the guard turned her horn skyward, casting a small firework spell that should alert everyone to her position. With her job done she fell to her knees and reached into the hole. “Twilight, it's me, Bull. What happened?”

The ball tucked even tighter and a wave of sorrow exploded from the filly, causing even the well-trained guard to crumple in defeat, tears crawling down her face, her limbs falling slack. She tried to stand, to move, but all she could think about was that terrible, soul crushing sorrow that made her want to curl up in a ball and weep the day away.

Seconds ticked by and through it all Silver’s will was unable to push past the crushing sorrow. Until finally she felt a sudden warmth and calm radiate from behind her. Like the coming of the dawn, the darkness lifted from Silver’s heart and she found strength in her limbs once more. Looking up she saw a concerned Celestia looking down at her.

“Are you alright, Silver Bulwark?” she asked, extending a regal hoof to the downed guard.

The guard shook her head, pointing to the small hole. “She needs you more.”

The alicorn nodded, looking into the hole with a deep sigh. Extending a hoof down, the alicorn pushed past the waves of sorrow and scooped up the filly and pressed the small bundle against her chest. Celestia swayed slowly back and forth, humming a strange and ancient tune in a language Silver had never heard of.

Over time the sorrow seemed to dull until Silver was able to ignore its presence until finally it faded completely. The purple bundle slowly opened, yellow eyes peering up at a concerned Celestia.

“Are you hurt?” the alicorn whispered.

Twilight shook her head. “N-no.”

“What happened?”

The unicorn thought back to the last words Blueblood had spoken to her. No one will believe you. Doubt flashed through the infested filly’s mind and she wondered if she should even say anything. She considered just doing as the stallion had told her to do and leave, never to return.

A voice seemed to take exemption to this, suddenly filling the back of the filly’s mind with its booming presence. Adapt, overcome, destroy.

Panic fled the filly’s mind, and in an instant her confidence surged to new found heights. She looked up at the alicorn with sudden steel in her gaze. “It was Blueblood senior, he said-”

As the filly recounted what happened, the trio slowly made their way out of the hedge maze, with Silver Bulwark hanging a respectful distance back while the two spoke. Her mind still whirled with questions, and she wondered just what, if anything, could explain that sudden feeling of absolute misery that had overtaken her. She shook her head and focused on the tall pony walking in front of her, noticing that Twilight had fallen still, clinging tightly to the alicorn’s chest.

With the filly having grown silent, Silver Bulwark walked a little quicker, matching pace with the longer legged alicorn. “Permission to speak, Your Highness?”

The alicorn nodded. “Granted. What is on your mind, Corporal?”

“I…” She wanted to ask about what had happened to her, to ask about the misery and whatever magic may be at work, but there were more important matters to figure out. “...was wondering what happened to my charge.”

Celestia sighed, hugging the filly tight against her chest. “It seems as though the courtly rumours I had thought were mere slander had more truth to them. Something is very wrong in the house of Blueblood, something I did not think possible.”

Her gaze lifted up to the easternmost tower of the castle, one she knew housed the Blueblood family. “What happened to you BB?” Shaking her head, the alicorn let out a sigh. “Suffice it to say the elder Blueblood will not be allowed within a hundred metres of your charge from now on, understood?”

Silver Bulwark saluted. “It will be done, Your Majesty.”

“Good, now if you would please locate my wayward nephew, I would like to have a talk with him,” the alicorn growled, rage boiling just beneath the surface.

The guard nodded hesitantly, an under current of hate flowing through the alicorn’s words. “Right away, ma’am.”

Celestia didn't bother watching the guard go, merely listening to her hooves as she trotted back towards the maze. Now alone with her student, Celestia paused, looking down at the now sleeping filly, tears still staining her cheeks. Using a wing, the alicorn gently cleared her student’s face of moisture.

“Another mistake. When will you learn, Celestia?” she whispered.

Author's Notes:

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Apollyon6024
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Iamunknown
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M
Michael
Random Reader
Starless
T Sparkle

A Stern Discussion

Celestia tapped her hoof on the desk, staring impatiently at the door across from her. Though she could be working on any number of projects that needed her attention, or catching up on the reports she should be reading, all that took a back seat as her worrying got the better of her.

The alicorn sighed and turned to the window behind her, gazing out over the sprawling towers that dotted the Canterlot skyline. They were tall, majestic, but after yesterday, seemed oddly sullied. Celestia sighed, trying to push thoughts of her nephew from her mind, but the ‘conversation’ they had still stuck in her mind, refusing to leave her in peace.

Celestia stared down at the small pony, her voice barely above a whisper. “Blueblood the fifth.”

The aforementioned stallion smiled, ignoring the glare the monarch was leveling his way. “Good evening, Your Majesty.”

“I heard you had a very interesting afternoon.” The alicorn’s glare hardened, drawing a bead of sweat from the stallion’s forehead. “Tell me about it.”

The stallion’s smile remained plastered against his face and he moved towards one of the chairs across from the alicorn’s desk. “May I?”

“You may not.”

Blueblood blinked, subtly shifting back to the spot he had been standing in. “Okay then. Um, where to begin. You know most of it as I informed you of such during our meeting at the secret garden. After that Bluey and I returned home for a mid-afternoon snack and after that-”

“Aren't you leaving something out?” she asked, leaning into her desk and steepling her hooves.

The elder Blueblood shrugged. “I suppose there was a little kerfuffle after you left.” He sighed. “One of those Starshine foals tried to jump over the other one and it turned into this whole debacle. Fortunately they were both fine.” He lifted an eyebrow. “Was that what you were referring to?”

“I was referring to when you told my student that she was a leper and a commoner,” Celestia scolded.

The stallion stared right at her and after a moment of silence burst into laughter. “Oh, that is a good one, Your Highness. You really do have the world’s greatest poker face.”

Celestia’s brow furrowed and her hooves pressed together with such force that she could have shattered bone. “I assure you, that was not a joke.”

Blueblood lifted an eyebrow, only now noticing that the room was growing warmer by the second. “I beg your pardon? I can assure you, Your Majesty, that no such interaction happened.” He smirked. “If it bothers you so much, why don't you ask my son? I’m sure he’ll tell you the same thing.”

The alicorn’s eyes narrowed, as the rest of the light in the room lowered, leaving only her radiant form as any sort of illumination. “I am giving you the chance to come clean, Blueblood. If you make me regret giving you this chance, I will ensure that you regret it as much as I do.”

“I-” The stallion’s voice hitched and he stood there awkwardly, his words having gotten caught in his throat. For a second he seemed to consider the alicorn’s offer, his usual jovial mask being disrupted, but it was only for a second. The stallion’s trademark smile plastered right back on his face a second later. “I am sure your student must have been confused. It's alright though, I understand that sometimes a foal’s mind can get a little mixed up.” He chuckled. “Are you sure you are not working her too hard?”

Celestia let out a slow breath, the building heat suddenly dissipating, her shoulders sagging. “I tried.” Her horn lit up and a golden wave washed over them. “Now then, could you repeat that?”

The stallion looked around. “What was that spell you used?”

“Answer the question, Blueblood,” Celestia commanded.

Blueblood tried to light his horn, but found he couldn't break through the cloud of mana that hung over the room. “What was that spell, auntie? Surely you didn't cast anything you shouldn't.”

“I did no such thing,” Celestia growled. “Now you have three seconds to repeat what you said or I will personally carry your family’s things to the curb. Am I understood?”

“Crystal, just give me a second to analyze the spell and-”

“Three.”

“Please auntie, you know how rude it is to cast a spell and not-”

“Two.”

“Two seconds! Please just give me that and I could-”

“One.”

The stallion raised a hoof and sighed, shaking his head. “Alright alright. It seems as though you are hellbent on having myself repeat, so I will reluctantly relent. What exactly was I repeating anyway?”

Celestia tapped her hoof on the table. “Simply tell me what you said to my student.” She opened her hooves and smiled. “That isn't too hard, is it?”

“No, of course not.” He smiled warmly. “If that's what you want to hear.” He cleared his throat and stood up a little straighter. “I just told her that she was wasting your time with her-” He stopped, shaking his head. “That's not what I said at all. What I really said was, her family was a disgrace.” The stallion clapped a hoof over his mouth, his eyes going wide.

“Interesting. She didn't even tell me about that part.” Celestia gestured to the stallion. “Please, do go on.”

“Did you cast a zone of truth on us, auntie?” His eyes narrowed, his stance instantly regaining the tall and regal standing it had only moments ago. “You know that casting such a spell requires the express permission of all potential targets.”

“Unless there was such an instance in which I have probable cause to assume a crime may have been committed such as a child and minor being alone and the adult in that picture refuses to tell the truth.” The alicorn frowned. “Just a tip, Blueblood, but do not quote laws at the pony who wrote them!” Celestia slammed her hoof into the desk with enough force to send her quills rolling off the side, the entire piece of furniture shuddering under the blow.

Blueblood took a quick breath and plastered that same smile back on his face before ducking into a deep bow. “My sincerest apologies for angering you, Your Highness. I assure you this is all taken terribly out of context. What I had said previously was simply blown out of proportion by what may or may not be the filly’s overactive imagination.”

“Ahh, duplicitous statements and no definitive answers, cute.” The alicorn smirked. “I remember when I learned how to get around a zone of truth when I was young.”

The stallion waved a hoof dismissively. “Well, I did have a wonderful teacher after all.”

Celestia tapped a hoof against the desk. “Alright then, tell me the context of what you had said. Oh and if you try that again, I will turn this conversation into one where you only answer yes or no questions, understood?”

The stallion’s smile wavered and he nodded his head. “Absolutely.”

“What was the context?” Celestia offered.

Blueblood hesitated, looking around the room. “I don't suppose you have any tea by chance, do you? I’m afraid I may be feeling rather parched.”

“You may be or are parched?” Celestia asked simply.

The stallion wavered once more, opening his mouth to speak before closing it.

“The fact that you would stall for time with such a weak excuse is all the proof I need.” The alicorn sighed. “I am terribly disappointed in you, Blueblood. To think I considered you family.”

“B-but, I just.” He growled, stomping his hoof. “She's just jealous! We have everything those peasents want, and instead of working for it, she's here, getting handouts!” He gestured wildly towards the door. “You can't honestly say my son isn't a better choice.”

“You will watch your tone, Blueblood or-”

“Or what? You’ll take another opportunity from my family and give it to some filthy peasant that has all the honor of a street beggar?” The stallion snarled.

“I am going to give you one last chance-” The stallion opened his mouth, only to find it slammed shut by the princess’ magic. “You will be silent and let me speak.” She rose from her chair, trotting around the desk and looming over the much smaller pony. “I am giving you a final chance to take it all back, to say you are sorry and that you were wrong.”

She walked around the sweating stallion, her magic holding his mouth firmly shut. “I know it won't be a wholly truthful statement, but that's alright. I want to hear you try, that's all.” She turned and looked him dead in the eye. “The Blueblood I knew wouldn't treat others so poorly based solely on wealth. Be that pony for me again and nothing will come of this. Or don't, and I swear you will reap the whirlwind that you have sewn.”

The princess nodded, lifting the magic from around his mouth.

The stallion rubbed a hoof across his muzzle, after determining that he wasn't actually injured, he looked up at the alicorn with a fire in his eyes that was only exceeded by her own. “She is a disgrace to everything the crown stands for and the honored houses all know it.”

Celestia sighed and slowly trotted back to her desk, her pace slow. With a heavy clunk, the alicorn sat in her chair. “Get out of my office, Blueblood.”

The stallion scoffed. “You must know this, auntie! If you weren't so biased towards the rabble, you would understand just how bad this looks on all of us!”

The alicorn’s jaw clenched and she looked up at the unicorn with such intensity that for a second Blueblood didn't know if he would leave this office on his own four hooves, or in a dust pan. “Get. Out.”

This time there was no graceful exit, no haughty scoff, the stallion merely sprinted out of the room, careening down the hall with all the speed he could muster.

Closing the door to her office, the alicorn sighed, burying her head in her hooves, feeling the hot sting of tears as they ran down her face. “Where did I go wrong?”

The stallion felt his mind finally catch up with his body and he frantically slowed his desperate sprint, already casting a glance over his shoulder to ensure nopony saw him running so ridiculously. Already a plan was forming in his mind in case anyone asked him why he would be running through the halls with a terrified expression.

He stopped suddenly, turning to a nearby window and staring out over the city, catching his bearings as he looked out over the bustling cityscape. Breathe, Blueblood, fix yourself, then we can think about what happened. We cannot let anyone see us like this.

Running a hoof through his mane, the stallion began to fix the damage the sudden sprint had done to it. With a careful application of magic, his mane and fur were in perfect order and he began to trot towards his family’s tower, his mind whirling with too many thoughts.

How could she do such a thing? Me, her own nephew getting threatened with eviction like a common peasant! His teeth ground together as his steps grew heavier.

The houses warned me she was tainted by the common filth. Why didn't I believe them? His anger faded, replaced by a strange pity. I must get home and speak to Bright Horn, she’ll know what to make of this.

At the thought of his wife the stallion hesitated, his mind going back to all the warnings she had uttered over the years. Maybe she was right, maybe Celestia isn't as great as she has made herself out to be.

His hooves slowed, his anger now gone completely, indecision suddenly gripping him. But is the houses’ plan truly the right thing to do? He shook his head, dismissing the thoughts and filling them away for later.

First and foremost he needed to get home, he could worry about the implications of the great houses’ plans later.

Celestia watched as a patrol of guards flew in a slow arc around the edge of the palace grounds, the pegasi both maintaining a slow and easy pace, confident in their positions. The alicorn shook her head and sighed, turning from the window and sitting heavily on her chair, the wood straining under her weight.

The princess morosely dug through the drawers of her desk, searching for something she had not sought in many years. Eventually she found it hidden away at the bottom drawer at the very back.

Before she removed it from the drawer, the alicorn made sure the room was properly secure with every manner of anti-scrying spell she knew. With the room impossible to see into or enter without her permission, the alicorn retrieved her prize.

Her golden magic gently levitated a long wooden pipe from the depths of her drawer, placing it gingerly on the desk.

Next she used her magic to access a very private and ill-used pocket dimension she had made for such an occasion. Her horn glowed, and her hoof reached into thin air, after a short search she pulled back, a small brown bag in her grip. The alicorn chuckled at the sight of the bag, good memories coming to mind.

She tugged open the draw strings and gingerly reached inside, gripping a small pinch of the dried plant matter within before pulling her hoof out and depositing her prize into the pipe.

Placing the pipe against her lips, the alicorn summoned a brief flame, lighting her pipe. With a deep breath she inhaled the potent mix and held it for several seconds before finally exhaling through her nose.

Her eyes closed and for a minute she didn't move or think of anything, focusing solely on her breathing and the act of just relaxing contently. She puffed occasionally on her pipe, but it had quickly run out of the relaxing substance and she tucked it back in her desk.

The alicorn sighed one last time, feeling a faint smile cross her face. It wasn't much, but it was still nice to get a moment of solitude before Velvet Touch would be here. She glanced over at the clock only to blink. “Oh poo,” she muttered.

Celestia shot to her hooves and threw open the window, brushing aside the curtains and summoning a quick wind spell to push all the smoke stained air out. A sudden knock on her door drew the alicorn from her panicked spell casting, causing her to accidentally put a little too much power into the spell.

Papers went flying and things flew off her desk, the nick nacks and reports caught up in the surge of wind that flew out the window. Thinking quickly the alicorn hastily grabbed the few reports that flew outside before slamming the window shut, shoving everything back onto her desk and sitting quickly.

“Come in!” she yelled.

The confused face of Velvet Touch popped through the crack in the door, eying the messy room with trepidation. “Are you sure now is a good time? I can come back later if you would like.”

The alicorn shook her head, hastily reorganizing her desk. “No, just had a bit of a gust of wind is all. Please, sit.”

The psychologist sat in the offered chair, placing her bag beside her and smiling faintly at the alicorn as she finished her rearranging.

Once complete, Celestia looked up and nodded. “Whenever you are ready.”

“I’ll just jump right into it then.” Velvet Touch sighed.“Twilight’s mental health has suffered from this recent run in. That much is obvious, but I fear it goes a little deeper than that.”

“I had feared as much. How bad is it?” Celestia asked.

“For one, I doubt you will get her back out there anytime soon. She has expressed distaste for the elder Blueblood and has even gone so far as to start drawing pictures of him getting eaten by something with many, many teeth.” The psychologist retrieved a slip of paper from her bag and placed it on the desk, pushing it closer to the alicorn.

Celestia frowned, studying the drawing closely. It was surprisingly well done, showing the elder Blueblood held in the jaw of a four limbed creature of some kind. The creature itself was a bizarre one, having bug like wings, and long arm-like appendages coming out of its back, with hook like extremities at the end of them. Its back legs were thick, supporting its weight while the front limbs sported large claws. Its mouth was filled with razor-like teeth and on either side of its head it had large growths that morphed into horns. The entire thing was a mix of purples and browns that blended together to make a truly disturbing creature.

The princess frowned and set the drawing aside. “That is quite disturbing. Did she say where such a creature came from?”

The other mare shook her head. “Just a dream, she said.”

“Odd.” She cast one last glance at the drawing before shaking her head. “Has she said why she avoids the other foals? She seems to do her best to pretend they aren't there when they meet in the halls of the castle, even while I’m there and Blueblood is not.”

Velvet sighed. “She seems to believe that she is not liked by the other foals. I believe this may be a reaction to the incident and she simply associates them with the trauma that has occured.” She shrugged. “That is just my instinct talking though, I don't have a lot to back that up.”

“It sounds logical at least,” Celestia remarked. “Is there anything we can do to remedy this?”

“There is. I would suggest setting up playdates with individual foals with your supervision, or this Bull pony. Twilight seems to trust them.”

The alicorn chuckled. “She does seem to have a way with Twilight, yet not any other foals.” She shook her head. “Regardless, that is a good suggestion, any others?”

“Playing with less judgemental ponies? Perhaps from poorer families. Other than that, simply paying stricter attention to her interactions with other foals her age would go a long way,” Velvet offered.

Celestia nodded. “All good suggestions. How bad do you think it is?”

“Honestly?” She shrugged. “It could be nothing provided we can find her some more friends, but if left to fester, this might be a moment that really pushes her towards further antisocial behavior.”

“Most disconcerting.” The alicorn frowned, glancing nervously at the drawing, her frown deepening.

The unicorn hesitated, her hoof half extended towards the alicorn. With a shake of her head she placed her hoof on the other mare’s, drawing the princess from her reverie. “It’s not your fault, you couldn't have known.”

The alicorn pulled her hoof away. “I could have, there were rumours that he had gone down a darker path since he married this new mare of his.” Her expression darkened. “But I only remembered all those times I held him when he was a foal, the way he used to call me-” She sighed, shaking her head. “Perhaps that is one of the weaknesses of my longevity. I can't help but remember seeing you mortals as the foals you used to be.”

An uncomfortable silence settled over the room, with Velvet nervously shifting in her chair while Celestia gazed off into space. Just as the silence had grown a little too awkward, the alicorn sighed and shook her head. “I am sorry, Velvet. This entire thing has rattled me more than I care to admit.”

“Your secret is safe with me,” Velvet reassured.

Celestia chuckled. “Thank you. If only I had the time to investigate these rumours more thoroughly.” She shook her head. “Regardless, thank you again for all you've done. Twilight seems to enjoy talking with you.”

The psychologist smiled faintly. “Just doing my job. Don't beat yourself up too much, princess, she is easily the most intelligent filly I’ve ever spoken too.”

“That is good, though I hope to instill more than just a love of reading and learning,” Celestia remarked. “It is not enough that a pony be smart or strong, they need experience and understanding to guide them, lest they fall down a darker path.”

She stood suddenly, extending her hoof. “I assume that was the rest of your report?”

Velvet blinked, quickly handing over the manilla envelope in her bag. “Yes, it's all here. If I may, I was hoping to request an interview with this Bull individual.”

Celestia placed the papers on her desk and nodded. “That should be easily done. Though I am curious as to why you would make such a request.”

The psychologist tapped her hooves together. “It's nothing. I just had a hunch that I was hoping to test out.”

“Oh, what kind of hunch?”

“I can't help but think that Twilight might be having an affect on those that interact with her.” She shook her head. “It's probably not possible, but I figured it couldn't hurt to build a profile on her, just in case.”

Celestia nodded slowly. “Granted, though I would remind you not to ask anything that may be classified and that such conversations are not spoken of to anyone.” The alicorn’s eyes narrowed. “Am I clear?”

“Crystal, ma’am,” Velvet stuttered nervously.

The alicorn stared for a second longer before relaxing. “Excellent. Secrecy on this subject is paramount.”

“I understand the need for secrecy, but why the sudden reminder?” Velvet asked.

The alicorn steepled her hooves. “I fear we may already have someone sniffing around the castle, seeking out information on my student. I do not want anyone to hear of our little project. Have you memorized your cover?”

Velvet nodded. “I reread it this morning, Your Majesty.”

“Good.” She sighed. “If that's everything, I should let you get back to work.”

The mare stood, quickly throwing her bag on her back. “Thank you again, Your Majesty, and don't worry, my lips are sealed.”

Celestia chuckled. “Hopefully not literally, I think Silver would have my head.”

The psychologist blushed hard enough to make her face go bright red. “P-princess!”

“I still got it.” The alicorn lit her horn and opened the door. “Good evening, Miss Touch.”

The psychologist ducked into a quick bow before stopping suddenly, her nostrils flaring. “What is that smell?” she muttered.

Celestia coughed awkwardly, causing the mare to jump back up. “Oh, sorry Your Majesty, good evening to you too.”

The mare turned and scampered out of the room, leaving a relieved alicorn to fall back into her chair. “That was close,” she muttered to herself.

Shaking her head, she turned to the window, throwing open the shades once more and gazing out over Canterlot. She sighed one last time, her gaze drawn down to the royal gardens below, a frown on her lips.

“What other dark portents might there be, lurking just beyond my sight?” She sighed. “I may have eternity, yet I still feel like I don't have enough time in the day to investigate everything.”

Author's Notes:

Want to see stories like this before anyone else and get access to secret patron only stories, early releases for patreon supporters aaand other goodies? Drop just three bucks on my patreon and join the early release club!

Join me over on patreon and get instant access to exclusive content and early looks at new stories, patreon only stories and other great stuff! Check it out!
Or just join the discord to ensure that you dont miss an update.
This update was made possible by the wonderful support of:
Apollyon6024
BooperDooper
DioKyo!
Facinus
Iamunknown
LuckyfanIsaac
M
Michael
Random Reader
Starless
T Sparkle

A Hushed Conversation

Slow, methodical hoofsteps echoed through the castle’s lonely hallways, Blueblood walking at a more sullen pace than he had a minute ago. Despite how badly most of him wanted to go home and talk to his wife, another, smaller part of him was reluctant to do so. She wasn't an intimidating mare by any stretch of the imagination, but when the topic of the princess or unicorns came up, she could probably shout down a manticore and the stallion wasn't wholly sure if he was ready to deal with that right now.

But he had to, his conversation with his ‘aunt’, proved just that, and this was one conversation he couldn't put off anymore. Still, that didn't mean he had to like it.

He tramped through the halls, his usual smile plastered back on his face, as if he hadn't just been reamed and demeaned like a petulant child. Passing through the castle, he stopped and nodded to a few of the other nobles and dignitaries he recognized, even exchanging greetings with a well revered general who was lingering near a balcony, a pipe in hoof.

Must keep appearances, he reminded himself, though he knew at least one of the nobles saw right through his facade, it hardly mattered, only the act did.

As he neared his family’s tower, his pace quickened slightly, the familiar sight of his blue and gold guards coming into view, filling him with a sense of pride and oddly enough, peace.

The two guards he saw before him were non-descript in the extreme, the enchantments on their armor making them appear as identical stark white unicorns, with piercing blue eyes and long finely filed horns. The stallions themselves weren't what made a sense of pride well in the stallion’s chest but rather their weapons and armor that marked them as his family’s personal guard. They each wielded a pair of sleek, gold handled short swords, with mana infused blades that turned the ordinary grey steel into a sparkling blue. The weapons themselves were meant to be wielded by telekinesis, and were light, yet strong and tied to the wielder's mana signature, meaning they couldn't be used by the enemy, or wrenched away by an opponent.

What was the true pride and joy of the Blueblood armory was not the blades, though they were effective, but not nearly as significant as the armor. The armor covered most of the wearer’s body in a thick shell of finely woven golden plates. The artistry and craftsmanship was beyond compare, blending form and function in a way that only the Firstborn could truly accomplish. Blue gems were inset at joints, shoulders, chest, and near the hooves of the wearer, linking together to create an automatic shield that deployed the instant the armor detected danger. Each set was over nine hundred years old and it took the work of several maintenance ponies to ensure that these ancient suits of armor continued to remain as effective as the day they were forged.

He had personally started a program to try and recreate the suits and blades, but many of his ancestors had tried, and he didn't hold out much hope that he would be able to accomplish what his predecessors had not. Still, it would be quite a sight to see an entire battalion of unicorn soldiers all wearing this powerful armor and wielding the ancient weapons of his Unicornian people.

He shook his head and flashed his personal guards a wide smile. “Good evening, Night Bloom, and Sudden Spark,” he announced, giving a slight nod of his head to the two guards.

The guard to the right immediately burst into laughter, slapping his partner across the shoulder. “I told you he would figure it out, Nighty!”

The other guard rolled his eyes and ducked into a more professional bow. “Good evening, Master Blueblood. I hope your conversation with Celestia went well.”

Sudden Spark ducked into a bow as well, stifling his laughter.

Blueblood grinned and motioned for them to rise, which they eagerly did. “It certainly was… enlightening, to say the least.”

Sudden Spark raised an eyebrow. “That doesn't sound good, the old mare busting your chops again?”

“Pfft, I wish it was just that.” He sighed suddenly, shaking his head. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m feeling rather thirsty.”

“Of course, Master Blueblood,” Night Bloom remarked, bowing slightly before opening the door for the master of the house.

Sudden Spark quickly followed suit, parting the other door that made up the entrance, bowing low.

As the elder stallion passed between them, Night Bloom cast his companion a sharp look, causing him to wilt slightly. All of which Blueblood saw, but didn't care to note, he did after all usually enjoy the bit of banter his guards often partook in, but now was different.

He trotted inside at a solemn pace, barely noticing the heavy oak doors slamming shut behind him. Ahead of him the grand splendor of his personal tower lay before him, and though he usually stopped to take in the grandeur of his family’s home, this time he kept his head low. Passing by paintings that cost more than the average pony made in a year, and hardly even lifted an eyebrow as he trotted past a bowing maid, offering her only the smallest of smiles before making his way up stairs and into the more private area of the tower.

As he climbed the spiral staircase, he heard the soft sound of string instruments coming from above, signalling that his wife was listening to her favorite record again. Though he hadn't been a fan at first, the all string orchestra had grown on him, impressing his logical side with the sheer complexity of the songs. It was also written and played entirely by unicorns, as most other races had trouble manipulating the finely stringed instruments.

Before he could go towards the origin of the music he turned down a side hall and made his way to his son’s room, noticing the door to which was open, and his son was leaning over his writing desk, his horn alight. Smiling faintly, the elder Blueblood trotted down the hall, hoping to judge if his son held any love for the old nag, and if he did, to try and quash that notion.

As he neared the door, his son stopped suddenly, the door slamming shut mere inches from the elder stallion’s nose. Blueblood raised his hoof to pound on the door, but found that he couldn't really muster the energy to be angry at the foal, it had only happened today after all. Maybe it was best he simply gave up for now and came back tomorrow when he had more energy in his bones.

The stallion let his hoof fall to the floor once more and turned away, trotting back down the hall and pushing his way into the kitchen, silently wondering if he had anymore of that good brandy from that party he threw a number of weeks ago. As soon as he entered the room, he instantly noticed the form of his second wife, Bright Horn. She was sitting at the small breakfast table, a book titled The Rise and Fall of the Third Unicornian Empire in hoof, tea cup set just off to the side and the record player resting beside that.

The mare herself was thin, ash grey with long dirty blonde hair tied into thick braids that draped down the sides of her neck. Her eyes were an electric blue that nearly glowed in the low light of the room, and on her flank was a picture of exactly what anyone who had heard her name would assume, a bright white horn surrounded by a sharp blue glow.

“Hello dear,” she greeted. “How was your little talk with the old hag?” The mare licked her hoof and flicked the page, not looking up from her book.

“It was… interesting,” he remarked lamely, turning towards the kitchen and rifling through the liquor cabinet in search of the one bottle he knew would satiate his unique thirst.

Behind him, Bright Horn frowned and placed a bookmark in her book, setting it aside, and shut off the music. “What do you mean by interesting?” she asked, the joviality leaving her voice.

He grunted. “I need a drink first before I sour my palate with such talk.” Blueblood stood up, bumping his head on the counter and cursing under his breath. “Did you happen to know where my Henri Dodgedon went? I could have sworn there was some left.”

The mare rolled her eyes and opened a cabinet just above his head with her magic. “It's near the top, remember?”

“Right,” he mumbled, leaning back and plucking the bottle from the shelf and hastily pouring himself a tumbler of the stuff, making sure to add the perfect number of ice cubes.

With a sigh he plunked down in the seat across from his wife, sniffing the brandy, before putting it to his lips and taking a small sip. “Ahh.” The stallion closed his eyes and breathed deeply, his shoulders relaxing as he did.

“It didn't go well, ” Bright Horn stated simply, sipping her tea.

The stallion grimaced. “No, it did not.”

“She didn't like how truthful you were.” Bright Horn’s eyes narrowed, her expression darkening. “She yelled at you, didn't she? Yes, she yelled at you, then she threatened you, like a common peasant.”

Blueblood sighed. “As usual you are right.” He chuckled, taking another sip of his brandy. “No matter how many times you do that, I’m always amazed by your little trick.”

“It is no little trick,” Bright Horn stated. “If you merely trained in the Khala more, you could do the same, or at least shield yourself from others.”

“Ahh yes, your ancient unicorn fighting style, magic without magic, right?” he asked, downing the last of his drink and sighing contently.

“That is a crude translation, but it isn't a wrong one.” Bright Horn leaned across the table, taking the stallion’s hoof in her own. “It really is a considerable boon, you know.”

Blueblood sighed, giving her hoof a squeeze. “I know, but I simply don't have the aptitude.”

“Nonsense!” Bright Horn remarked dismissively, squeezing his hoof. “All noble unicorns have the capability to undergo the training in the Khala, those descended from the Firstborn even more so!”

Blueblood sighed, releasing her hoof. “Still, this is a topic for another day, we have much to discuss right now.”

“Very true,” Bright Horn muttered, sitting back in her seat and sipping at the last of her tea. “Though I would insist that we come back to this discussion later, as training in the Khala is natural for those of us of noble birth. We have, after all, a moral imperative to rule over the lesser races.”

He snorted in amusement, levitating his cup over the counter. “I wish it were that simple. All we rule over is a hoofful of businesses and a small swath of land on the north face of Mount Canter.”

“That is true, we can only claim ownership over small bits of land, but the houses as a whole control a significant amount of the Equestrian economy, and can claim at least indirect ownership over a third of the country. Which is more than the average pony can say,” she pointed out, downing the last of her tea and placing the cup next to her husband’s before casting a quick sidelong glance at the door to the kitchen.

A glance her husband didn't seem to notice. “Why must you always speak as though we are not ponies?” he asked with a sigh. “You always say that word as if you are trying to spit it at the floor.”

“Through the Khala we can become more than we were born with, more than just mere ponies.” She sighed, sinking back into her chair and forcing her body to relax. “We just need time.”

“Well, for once time seems to be on our side.” He pointed out, leaning forward on his chair.

“Really?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “Time does not usually aid those who try to rise against an immortal alicorn.”

“After my conversation with the peasant child, I spoke with a contact and confirmed that the great houses have indeed been able to infiltrate most offices of government. Though I had hoped such underhooved tactics would be a moot effort, it seems as though their fears have been realized.” He sighed. “Yet despite the houses’ resources and efforts, no one knows what secret projects the princess is working on.”

“That is most unfortunate,” Bright Horn lamented, tapping the table nervously. “She has had millenia to plan, what in Equestria could be taking up so much of her time?”

“I would put my money on something about this strange peasant she’s been training. Other than that, you know as much as I do.” Blueblood shrugged. “Regardless, now that we know she doesn't have the time to devote to properly countering the houses’ efforts, it shouldn't be more than a few years before we control just about everything.”

“We?” Bright Horn asked, a slight smile spreading across her face. “So you have finally decided to join the houses in their efforts?”

He sighed. “I may not agree with everything they have planned, but they are right on one thing, the honor of the crown has been besmirched irredeemably, and something must be done.”

A wide smile slowly spread across the mare’s face. “I knew there was a good reason I married you.”

The stallion gasped, placing a hoof over his heart. “And here I thought it was for my charming wit and dashing good looks.”

The mare giggled. “Well, that too.” She clasped his hoof in hers and grinned. “Imagine it, Blueblood, the restoration of your family and of the path of ascension.” Bright Horn laughed giddily, squeezing his hoof tightly.

He smiled, squeezing her hoof back. “It would be a dream come true, but we have a lot of work to do.”

She nodded, leaning across the table and planting a kiss on his lips. “A meeting of the families can wait, why don't we go relax? You look tense.”

The stallion smirked, kissing the mare back before standing. “That does sound nice. What do you feel like tonight? Bach, or your favorite?”

“I think you know what I’ll pick.” The mare slipped from the table, and smacked her husband’s butt. “Just let me go put this book back and I’ll be right there.”

Blueblood smirked, trotting towards their room. “I’ll be waiting.”

Bright Horn turned and with book in hoof walked down the hall, depositing it next to her favorite chair before continuing down the hall. This is amazing! Celestia is completely distracted by her secret projects, giving us enough time to do something which would have taken another few decades in only a fraction of that time. Her smile grew into a cruel, almost predatory grin. Now to take care of a few loose ends.

The mare raised her hoof and knocked on the door to Blueblood Junior’s room. “Oh Bluey, can I speak with you a moment?”

There was a pause, followed by a brief scuffle before the latch to the door flipped and the portal opened, revealing the frowning face of the younger Blueblood. “Yes stepmother? What do you need?”

“Oh nothing, really.” She smiled down at him. “May I come in a moment?”

The colt glanced over his shoulder, and towards his bed before nodding. “Of course.”

“Why, thank you, Bluey,” Bright Horn replied, stepping into the room and closing the door firmly behind her.

The colt trotted over to his bed and hopped up onto the plush sheets, watching his step mother enter his room.

The mare raised an eyebrow, glancing around the room at the numerous band posters, statutes of comic book characters and numerous other ‘improper’ things that littered his private living space. She shook her head, pointedly ignoring just how much this room annoyed her. “Tell me, Bluey, you wouldn't happen to be doing something you shouldn't.” She turned to him, glaring down at the colt. “Would you?”

He shook his head. “Of course not.”

“Of course, of course.” She smiled and nodded. “I just knew you weren't writing a letter to Celestia, but you know how your father gets.” Bright Horn shrugged, noticing the small tremor of unease that flowed through the colt.

“Well, dad can be kind of paranoid,” Blueblood said with a shaky smile.

“Yes... Quite,” Bright Horn muttered. “But sometimes he can be right. Like now, when he told me that you had a habit of hiding things under your bed.” She turned suddenly, glaring down at him once more. “But I told him that was ridiculous, but now I find myself wondering what the truth is. So, Bluey, you wouldn't have written a letter to Celestia and tucked it under your bed, would you?”

“N-no,” he stuttered.

“Oh, really now?” she asked in mock surprise. “And I suppose you also weren't listening in on your father and I’s conversation a few minutes ago.”

The colt trembled. “That's silly,” he whispered.

“Yes, very silly.” her eyes narrowed and her horn lit up, a second later a scroll emerged from beneath the colt’s bed, making his shoulders fall in defeat. “Very silly indeed,” she remarked sadly.

“I suppose there isn't a way this ends with you letting me speak to Celestia, is there?” Blueblood asked tiredly.

“Of course not.” She huffed. “Just be glad I won't send you away for training.”

The colt shivered, hugging his chest and making himself smaller. “P-please no. I did good before. It was just a little mistake!” He looked up at her, tears at the edges of his eyes. “I’ll be good, I swear!”

The mare’s eyes narrowed dangerously and she gripped the scroll tight in her magic. “I will speak to your father about this, and we will see what punishment would best fit your little transgression.”

Bright Horn turned, and walked out the door, the scroll held aloft in her magic.

With a slam, the door closed, leaving Blueblood alone in the dark.

The colt crawled under his sheets, wrapping the satin blankets tight about his body, imaging for a moment that his mother was here, holding him tightly. He felt a trickle of tears roll down his face as he realized he couldn't remember her face anymore, or even what she sounded like. In the absence, Celestia’s smiling face came unbidden to his mind, and he latched onto the image tightly, remembering the years he had spent with her.

As the room grew dark and the night set in, the colt whispered a lullaby Celestia used to sing to him. Though he didn't know the words, and the language was incomprehensible, he remembered enough of what it sounded like to soothe his soul and help whisk his spirit into the realm of dreams.

(The Next chapter is already up on patreon! But will be out next week!)

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Play Day

“You did very well, Twilight,” Celestia remarked with a smile, wiping a sheen of sweat from her brow. “Quite well indeed.”

“R-really?” Twilight muttered while panting, her legs quivering and barely holding her upright.

Celestia smiled, using a quick refreshment spell to cleanse herself of the stink of sweat. “You have done admirably, my student. Your strength is improving quite quickly and as always your multitasking is phenomenal.” The alicorn smiled gently. “Would you like me to use the refreshment spell on you as well?”

The filly nodded. “Yes please.”

Celestia lit her horn and cast the spell again, curing Twilight of the stench that clung to her. “Are you sure you are feeling alright though? You seemed a little distracted.”

Twilight frowned, rubbing one hoof over her stomach. “I’m fine. I just have a bit of a stomach ache, is all.”

“Hmm, well try to go easy on the sugar for a little while, okay? I’ll see if your doctor can figure out what's bothering that tummy of yours,” Celestia quipped, poking the filly’s stomach and making her giggle.

“Stop iit,” Twilight whined, blushing hard.

The alicorn giggled and trotted over to the exit of the room where she lifted a hoof, turning a knob that jutted out from the wall. Slowly the subtle oppressive aura that had settled over her magic began to lift, making her horn spark as it got used to the removal of the anti-magic field.

The filly sighed, rubbing a hoof over her horn. “Why do we train with a dampening field on anyway?” she asked.

“Sometimes an opponent or an area can suppress your magic, making it harder to cast spells, meaning it becomes necessary to use more power than what you would normally require.” Celestia tapped her horn for emphasis. “It's important that you know how to overcome these obstacles, and it helps grow your mana pool, and strengthen your connection to your magic. Something you, little filly, need help with.”

“But I thought you said I’m improving,” Twilight said with a pout.

“You are, and quite quickly at that, which means it's working.” Celestia smiled, and picked up the filly’s chin. “Only a week or two more and I think you’ll already be back to your old self.”

Twilight’s eyes went wide. “And if we keep going I could get stronger?” the filly asked, the three words that had boomed in her mind a week ago returning to her.

Adapt, overcome, destroy.

She shook her head, purging her mind of the strange thoughts and trying to listen as Celestia spoke.

“Theoretically, you could keep getting stronger with this type of training, but I’m not wholly certain if that is a good idea.” The alicorn ran a hoof over the dial on the wall. “It puts quite a strain on your body and your magic and should be used sparingly.”

The filly nodded, before grinning up at the alicorn. “Hey Celestia, does the dial go all the way to a hundred percent?” she asked innocently.

“Technically yes, but again that's dangerous as completely suppressing a pony’s magic is a recipe for long term damage to a pony’s health including numerous complications.” Her features grew stern and she glanced down at the filly with a grave expression. “That mode is only for the elite guard and I want you to promise me never to try it, okay?”

The filly nodded. “Yes, Princess Celestia.”

“Good.” Celestia smiled. “Now then, are you ready to go see the dragon you hatched?”

“Uh huh!” Twilight proclaimed happily, pumping her hoof in the air.

The alicorn’s smile widened. “That's wonderful as I’m sure he would like to see you again as well.”

Together they walked back to the apartment section of the castle, passing by maids, guards and dignitaries, all of whom Celestia exchanged brief, polite greetings with. Twilight for her part remained close to Celestia’s side, nearly walking under the much taller pony, and utilizing the safety that the alicorn’s commanding presence garnered. Throughout it all the filly remained quiet and subdued, not speaking unless spoken too, and jumping whenever it did happen. When they made their way down the last hall to Twilight’s room that nervousness seemed to fade and, they both smiled when they noticed Silver Bulwark standing beside the door, leaning heavily on her spear and snoring loudly.

A little too loudly.

“Ahem,” Celestia barked loudly, yet the guard did not flinch.

Twilight giggled and stepped up in front of the ‘sleeping’ guard. “Good morning, Miss Bull!”

The guard leapt to attention, saluting the filly and yawning. “Morning already? Sorry, young miss, late night last night.”

The filly giggled again, returning the salute. “Would you mind opening the door for us?”

“Sure thing, so long as you don't mind this vagabond following you in,” Bull remarked, jerking her head in Celestia’s direction and smirking.

“Nope! Not at all,” Twilight announced happily, stepping inside when Silver opened the door for her.

The two older ponies shared a grin, and a slight bob of the head, before Celestia followed after her student and stepped inside Twilight’s room. A room that had come a long ways in the last week, gaining the appearance that somepony actually lived here. Several posters were pasted on the walls, a few more books sat in the shelf, and all manner of nick nacks both large and small were littered throughout, the filly having found time in her busy schedule to start emptying some of the boxes. Celestia smirked, evidently reality had finally settled in and Twilight realized that she was truly going to be living here, contrary to her first assumption.

With the door now shut firmly behind them, Celestia raised an eyebrow, gazing down at the smaller pony. “Was there something bothering you, Twilight? You seemed tense.” Her eyes narrowed. “No one was bullying you again, were they?”

The filly shook her head. “No, nothing like that. I just…” The filly pursed her lips. “His name is Spike, you know, he isn't an it.”

Celestia raised an eyebrow. “Usually dragons name themselves.”

Twilight nodded. “He did, and he likes being called Spike.”

“You only met once, and he was barely a minute old at the time, how do you know that's what he likes to be called?” Celestia asked innocently.

The filly nodded determinedly. “I just have a feeling that's what he likes.”

The alicorn leaned down and nuzzled the filly. “That's good, trust those feelings. Some may say trusting your emotions is the wrong thing to do, but oftentimes your heart knows before your head does.”

“That's silly, the heart can't think, it's just a mass of muscle and stuff!” Twilight replied.

Celestia rolled her eyes. “Metaphorically, Twilight.” She shook her head. “Now enough about that, do you want to see Spike now?”

“Yes, please!” she announced happily.

“Good, but remember after this you must have a bath.” The alicorn wagged her hoof at the filly. “Just because you don't smell bad anymore doesn't mean the sweat is completely gone.”

Twilight nodded. “Right.”

“Good.” Celestia chuckled. “Because I had a student many decades ago that always used that spell every morning and night, merely using a towel to keep herself dry and when she finally forgot to renew the spell I thought she was dead because of how bad she smelled!”

Twilight giggled. “Ewww!”

“Ew is right. I was just about to plan her funeral before she suddenly woke up.” Celestia chuckled, rolling her eyes at the mere memory. “Now just hold on a second, I will send a quick notice to his nurses.”

The filly nodded, eagerly bouncing on her hooves and looking at the door expectantly.

Beside her, Celestia lit her horn and reached out across the castle, ringing a bell that would alert the nurses to the fact that the pair were now ready to receive the baby dragon. Trusting her staff, Celestia sat back down, waiting for the nurses to arrive with their package. In the meantime she chatted idly with Twilight, pressing her on various topics and discovering what she was doing during her self-guided study time. If Celestia was being honest, it was really just time that the alicorn hadn't had a lesson plan, but still, self-guided study sounded better than ‘Twilight turned out to learn faster and know more than Celestia had accounted for, time’.

The filly regaled the alicorn with her research into dreams, launching into an eager retelling of all the different ways one could interpret a dream. “And if your teeth fall out it's probably anxiety, like if you went to work in your pajamas.” The filly pointed out with a smile.

Celestia nodded. “Very interesting. I never was very good when it came to dream interpretation, or magic.” Her face grew dark for a moment, before she shook her head, her dour expression replaced with an eager smile. “Tell me, Twilight, do you suffer from nightmares at all? I remember Miss Touch saying something about a particularly nasty dream you had about a week ago.”

The filly sighed. “Yeah, it was kinda weird, it was after that whole Blueblood thing.” The filly growled the name, but quickly shook her head, distracting herself from the sudden bout of anger.

“And what happened in the dream?” Celestia prodded.

“It started off normal, I was playing in my old room when all of a sudden I started dreaming about this place really far away.” The filly pointed upwards for emphasis. “Like on another planet or something. I was like this bug thing, and my mommy had told me to go away, and though I didn't want to, I went anyway.”

“Why did you do that?” Celestia asked.

“She was my mommy, so of course I would do what she said.” Twilight frowned. “But then it started getting stranger, everything went wrong and then there was just darkness.” She shivered suddenly, clutching herself with her forehooves. “And cold.”

“Odd,” Celestia lamented. “Dreams don't usually let you feel such things like heat, though the mind usually does remember such details.”

An uncomfortable silence hung over the room, until suddenly Twilight perked up and stared at the wall to the right of the door. Celestia blinked, following her gaze and listening to the sound of the distant cry of an infant, one with a slightly strange voice. “Ahh, that would be the nurses,” Celestia remarked.

Twilight nodded, her eyes following something only she seemed able to see, tracing along the wall as the wailing got closer, until all at once it stopped. The filly smiled, her gaze turning to the door, which opened a second later to reveal a pure white unicorn nurse with bright red hair and a needle for a cutie mark.

She smiled faintly and tugged at the trolley she was pulling behind her. “Good afternoon, princess,” she greeted warmly.

Celestia nodded. “Good afternoon to you as well. How has your charge been?”

The nurse’s smile faltered. “He was a bit of a hoofful until we got near your door.”

The smiling face of an infant dragon poked out from behind the nurse, his tiny hands gripping the edge of the small cart he had been wheeled in on. The nurse smiled and gently picked him up in her magic, an action the dragon did not seem to notice at all, his gaze locked onto Twilight’s orange orbs.

“He seems to like you.” The nurse remarked with a smile before turning towards the cart, reaching inside. “Just let me get his sucky, and you can hold him.”

Twilight shook her head, quickly trotting over to the dragon. “He doesn't like his sucky, he wants his tail.”

The nurse opened her mouth to speak, but found her telekinetic aura overpowered by the filly, who grabbed the dragon and brought him close to her chest, where Spike used his small claws to grip her fur, clinging to the filly’s chest. “Okay then,” the nurse remarked, before turning to Celestia, who merely shrugged, prompting the nurse to drop the soother back in the cart.

“It's fine, Nurse Prick,” Celestia dismissed.

The nurse winced. “I prefer Little, if you don't mind.”

“Of course, Miss Little,” Celestia remarked offhandedly.

The alicorn watched as the two children sat on the ground, both grinning and staring at each other, the dragon’s tail stuffed into his mouth. The alicorn tapped her chin, her mind deep in thought as she tried to read into just what was happening between her student and the dragon she had hatched.

“I’ll be right here in case you need anything,” Little Prick remarked before standing next to the alicorn.

Celestia didn't respond, merely watching as the two children hugged tightly, before Twilight pulled back, sitting him down in her lap. “You know I missed you while I was studying,” she pointed out.

The dragon held tightly to the filly’s fur, babbling incomprehensible baby talk that seemed to go a mile a minute.

Twilight nodded. “I know, but I have to study, I can't see you all the time.”

Spike’s face contorted, before he grinned and spouted another line of baby noise at the filly.

“Yeah, it is kind of stuffy in here,” Twilight replied, before turning and opening the window. “Better?”

The baby dragon smiled and erupted with happy gibberish.

The nurse blinked, staring from one child to the other before looking up at Celestia expectantly. “What is going on?”

The alicorn’s brow furrowed and she shrugged. “Those who bond with a dragon whelp often display an uncanny knack for understanding their needs and wants,” she replied. “And it's hypothesized that this is the work of harmony connecting the two in order to make sure the dragon gets what they need from a pony that wouldn't instinctively know.”

“But I’ve been with him for weeks, as had the rest of the staff, yet we can't get him to stop crying no matter what we try.” She frowned, glancing down at the dragon. “Even after studying every single book on dragons that the library had and consulting every expert we could find.” She sighed. “We just give him every toy and try everything until eventually one of them works.”

Celestia was about to ask a question when Twilight suddenly gasped, and whispered, “Really?”

“What is it, Twilight?” Celestia asked, leaning closer.

“He's hungry.” The filly grinned. “Aren't you, Spike?”

The dragon nodded his head and burbled more nonsense.

Turning back to the cart, the nurse quickly produced a bottle of formula and was about to start warming it with a spell before Twilight suddenly spoke up. “He doesn't like it like that. Let me do it.”

The nurse glanced from the filly to Celestia, who nodded. “If you say so,” she lamented, before handing the bottle to the filly.

Twilight gripped the bottle in her magic before using a simple heating spell to warm up the bottle until the contents therein were boiling hot. Little raised her hoof and was about to step in when Celestia placed a hoof on her withers. “Trust her,” she said simply, pointing to the filly, whom was staring lovingly at the dragon. “Do you think those are the eyes of someone who would hurt a child?”

The nurse watched as the dragon eagerly began to suck away at the bottle held aloft in Twilight’s magic. “N-no,” she stuttered, awestruck by the strange exchange.

“Exactly.” Celestia smiled faintly, sitting down next to the filly and smiling at the pair. “Why don't you wait outside for a bit, Miss Little? Something tells me we are going to be here awhile.”

Little nodded, and beat a hasty retreat, slipping out the door after one last look back at the strange pair, the mare shaking her head before vanishing as the door slammed shut behind her.

“You two sure made fast friends.” Celestia pointed out with a smile. “Enjoying your time with your little helper?”

Twilight smiled. “Uh huh! But he isn't my helper.”

“He isn't?” Celestia asked, looking down at the bright green eyes of the baby dragon whom was staring up at her inquisitively.

“Nope.” The filly smiled, hugging the dragon close as he continued to drink the last of his milk. “He's my son.” She looked up at the alicorn hesitantly. “I mean, if that's okay.”

Celestia paused for a moment. “First tell me why you said it like that.”

Twilight frowned, looking down at the dragon, who turned to her, a small smile spreading across his face. “I don't know, it just feels right, like there is a piece of me in him.” She extended a hoof to the dragon, who in turn gripped the hoof tightly in his tiny claws.

The alicorn tapped her chin, deep in thought, she was, after all, right in a way.

The eggs they had been given were the equivalent of magical stillbirths, with the dragon’s mother not having the necessary magic to hatch the egg. After the first few months spent without the magical infusion necessary, the egg required extraordinarily more magic, making it all but impossible for the mother to hatch. This rarely happened, but sometimes if the mother was injured or starving they may not be able to muster enough magical fire necessary to hatch the egg. When that happened it required immense magical concentrations or continual low grade exposure to magic to eventually hatch.

This was the reason why Celestia used to have a number of the eggs at her school so they may eventually be saturated with enough magic that they could eventually be given back to the dragon whom would finish the process with natural dragon magic. But Spike’s egg had been here for centuries and been all but written off, the amount of magical energy necessary to hatch reaching far beyond what any mortal pony should be capable of wielding. And that was without even factoring in the fact that the actual hatching should only be possible of being completed by the egg’s progenitor.

So the assertion that she was the dragon’s mother wasn't too far off, after all, the filly had, in essence, breathed life into the long dormant egg.

Said filly looked up at Celestia expectantly, an expression mirrored by the dragon who had replaced his bottle with his tail, his claws still gripping Twilight’s coat as he stared up at the alicorn. “Being a mom is a lot of work, Twilight.”

Her eyes lit up. “I know, but he’ll be good! Won't you Spike?” She looked down at the dragon and nodded. “Right?”

The dragon seemed to half nod, but whether he was actually agreeing or just mirroring Twilight wasn't certain.

Celestia giggled, ruffling the filly’s mane. “Well, in that case, I guess you two are going to have to see a lot more of each other, huh?”

Twilight grinned. “Did you hear that, Spike? We can hang out more often!” She gasped. “I can even show you my book collection!”

The alicorn placed a hoof on the excited filly’s shoulder. “He will still has to stay with the nurses sometimes. A baby dragon needs a lot of attention and care and you still have schoolwork to do.”

Twilight frowned, an action the baby dragon quickly mirrored. “Okay, but when I get all my homework done I can go see him, right?”

Celestia leaned in, booping the dragon’s nose and giggling when his eyes crossed, staring at the alicorn’s hooved limb. “Tell you what, Twilight, I’ll tell the guards to let you in whenever you want. But,” she raised a hoof, “you must be done with all your homework and all other responsibilities, okay?”

Twilight grinned. “Yes! Oh, thank you, princess!” The filly lifted up the dragon. “Say thank you, Spike!”

The baby dragon popped his tail out of his mouth and burbled something that sounded close to thank you.

Celestia giggled. “You are welcome, Spike, and Twilight.” Her lips pursed and she placed her hoof on the ground. “Do you know what he's saying?”

Twilight shrugged. “Not exactly.” The filly frowned. “It's like a feeling, sometimes it's stronger, other times it's not.”

The alicorn nodded slowly. “I will have to include more lessons on dragons now, won't I?”

The filly nodded. “Mmmhmm!”

Celestia smiled, watching as the filly began patting the dragon on the back, aiming his mouth away from her while she did. Sure enough a second later the tiny dragon let out a belch, before burbling happily, grabbing Twilight’s hoof and clinging tightly to the limb.

“Oh and Twilight, could you do me a favor?” Celestia asked suddenly.

The filly looked up at her quizzically. “Sure.”

“Could you ask Spike to try not to bite the nurses or cry quite as much? Maybe if he heard you say it, it might stick.”

Twilight nodded, pulling the dragon up to her eye level and fixing him with a stern expression. “Spike.” The dragon blinked, staring into the filly’s golden orbs. “Please don't bite the nurses, and only cry when you need something. Okay?”

The dragon pouted, and burbled something before pouting again and muttering some more.

“I think he’ll be better now,” Twilight said, placing the dragon back in her lap and watched him curl up on her tail.

“It looks like someone is tired,” Celestia remarked.

“Daww, I wanted to play some more.” The filly sighed before shrugging her shoulders. “Spike is kind of tired though, maybe next time.”

Celestia watched as the dragon curled into a tight ball, Twilight’s tail in his tiny claws, his eyes closing. Using her magic, the alicorn opened the door to the hall. “Nurse Little, I think your charge is ready for his nap.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” the nurse muttered before trotting inside and finding the dragon nearly asleep.

Twilight reluctantly watched as the nurse leaned down and picked up the dragon, using her hoof to cradle the dragon against her chest. Despite how gentle she was, Spike still woke up, his eyes snapping open, and a growl already on his lips. Just as he was about to bite the object of his ire he suddenly turned to Twilight, who shook her head disapprovingly, prompting the dragon to close his mouth and pout.

The nurse, who hadn't noticed any of this, calmly placed the baby back into the cart and tucked some of the blankets under him, which Spike promptly ignored, standing back up and gripping the side of his cart in order to look back at Twilight. Nurse Little smiled, and began to push the cart from the room, watching as the dragon began to tear up the further away he got, yet no matter how much his eyes watered, he did not cry.

By the time his cart had disappeared around the corner, Twilight had to wipe her own eyes of the crocodile tears that had begin to build there.

“Are you alright, Twilight?” Celestia asked, draping a wing over her back, and pressing a worried hoof against her student’s shoulder. “You were crying.”

The filly sniffed, wiping away the last of her tears. “I’m okay, just… proud.”

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Check Ups

“Ahh Twilight, you made it. Come in, come in,” Velvet Touch announced happily, opening the door for the young filly.

Twilight feigned a weak smile before trotting into the small room, noticing the now familiar couch that sat across the therapist’s tall chair, which had a small coffee table complete with a tiny candy dispenser sitting between them. With a resigned sigh the foal hopped up into the couch and sprawled out into her usual position, a frown on her lips.

Velvet raised an eyebrow at the filly’s downcast expression, but said nothing for now, merely closing and securing the door and then activated the privacy filter that would ensure complete confidentiality would be maintained. The mare quickly turned and sat at her chair, drawing forth a pad of paper, pen and a wide smile.

“And how are you this afternoon?” she began, clicking her pen and peering intently at the still frowning filly.

“I’m okay, I guess,” Twilight muttered.

The therapist raised an eyebrow but said nothing, adding a quick note to her page. “It's been awhile, hasn't it? I’m surprised how quick the weeks can pass us by.”

The filly shrugged. “I guess.”

“Is there something bothering you, Twilight?” she asked, smiling gently and leaned forward. “Are you having trouble with your studies?”

Twilight shook her head. “No, Celestia’s curriculum isn't difficult, though the physical tests are challenging.”

“Oh? Tell me about these tests of hers.” She smiled. “They must be tough if a smart pony like you is having trouble.”

Twilight smiled a little, before replacing the expression with a frown once more. “They aren't too hard, she's just trying to help my magic grow and my connections to become better.”

Velvet nodded, remembering the report she had received a few days ago. “It doesn't hurt when you two train like that, does it?”

Again Twilight shook her head. “No, not really, it's kind of exhausting but really not that bad.” She paused, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “It's like running for a really long time, but with magic.”

“Ahh, I think I understand now,” Velvet remarked. “Are you having trouble sleeping perhaps?”

“No, the beds here are really nice, and with Bull watching over me I always get to sleep when I’m supposed to.”

“Ahh yes, Miss Bull. How is she doing by the way?” Velvet offered.

The filly shrugged. “Fine, I guess. She hasn't been as talkative lately though…” Her frown returned and she suddenly extended a hoof towards the candy dispenser. “May I?”

“Of course, it's why it's there,” Velvet replied quickly.

The elder mare waited in silence as Twilight cranked out a hoofful of chocolates before tossing one into her mouth while levitating the rest in her magical aura. The therapist smiled faintly, grabbing a treat for herself and savoring the sweet milk chocolate that melted on her tongue. The filly’s frown lessened as she watched the older mare enjoy her chocolate, smiling slightly as she leaned forward suddenly. “Don't tell Silver, okay?”

Twilight giggled before making a zipping motion over her lips. “I promise.”

Velvet smiled before grabbing a second chocolate and tossing it back, an action that Twilight mimicked. With a smile now on her face, the therapist grabbed her paper and pen once more before leaning back in her chair. “Alright, now where were we?” She clicked her pen twice before her eyes suddenly lit up. “Oh right, we were figuring out why you got a case of the frownies.”

The filly narrowed her eyes, trying to hold back the urge to laugh. “I am not a baby, you know.”

The other unicorn held up her hooves defensively. “Everyone gets the frownies you know, even me.”

“Well, still,” the filly grouched, crossing her hooves over her chest while stifling a laugh.

“So, are you going to tell me what's bugging you or are we going to have to play twenty questions?”

The filly’s amusement fell away in an instant, a hoof going to her right foreleg, a limb that now appeared slightly thicker than the others, sporting a slight discoloration around the middle point between her knee and her hoof. The filly remained silent, looking down at the ground, absently popping another chocolate into her mouth.

The therapist frowned, tapping her pad of paper. “And how are your parents and brother, or is it brothers now?”

The filly bit her lip for a second, revealing her sharp canines and drawing an unconscious shudder from the mare. “My parents are fine, dad got a promotion and mom is starting a new book. Oh and Shining is doing well, so is Spike.”

“That's good, that's good. How is the little rascal? I heard he used to be quite a handful for his nurses before you two started spending more time together.”

Twilight smiled wistfully, staring out the window as her thoughts drifted to her ‘son’. “He was just scared and confused. It took a little while, but I don't think he is quite as much of a little rascal now.” She giggled. “Though I don't think I could talk him out of his habit of stealing treats, the little guy has as big a sweet tooth as me.”

The therapist raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Now that's saying something.”

The filly crossed her hooves over her chest and harrumphed, tossing the last chocolate into her mouth only to stop and chew slowly, her face burning with embarrassment. “Mmabe sho,” she muttered.

Rolling her eyes, Velvet picked her pen and paper back up and quickly scratched down a few thoughts before turning back to Twilight just as she swallowed the last of her treats. “So, Twilight, if it's not family or school that's bothering you, then would it happen to be your stomach still giving you issues?”

The filly frowned, a hoof rubbing her stomach absently. “I still get weird rumblies sometimes, but it's not so bad.” As if on cue her stomach rumbled audibly, making the filly wince.

“That doesn't sound very good, are you eating enough?” The filly nodded, drawing a frown to the therapist’s lips. “I assume you are following the chef’s meal plan and are not eating too many treats?” Again the filly nodded. “Hmm, I will have to let Celestia know.”

Twilight frowned. “Could you not?” She winced, noticing the therapist’s confused expression. “I just don't want her to worry too much, she already does so much.”

“If you really don't want me to, I won't, but I still have to write it down. Okay?”

The filly nodded weakly, while wincing and clutching her grumbling stomach once more.

Alert Celestia to possible dietary issues, stomach problems have persisted and have grown worse. Velvet Touch clicked her pen and looked back up. “Now then, if all that isn't what's bothering you, what is?”

The filly frowned once more, looking down at the floor and grumbling silently.

“If you really don't want to talk about this we don't have to, but I’m worried about you, Twilight.” Velvet Touch smiled, putting down the paper and pen for a moment. “Hurt that you don't let out sits inside you, slowly turning you sour like some sort of pickle.”

Twilight giggled. “A pickle? Really?”

Velvet shrugged. “Hey, you know I’m not very good at the whole metaphor thing, but you know what I mean.”

Twilight nodded, her face turning sour once more. “Promise you won't get me in trouble?”

The therapist placed a hoof over her heart and nodded. “I promise.”

“I tried to make some friends,” she whispered.

“That's wonderful, but something tells me it didn't go well, did it?”

“No,” the filly muttered.

“What happened, Twilight?” Velvet urged.

The filly’s face scrunched up in anger as she clutched the arm of the couch in a death grip. “They are all scared of me.” She ground her teeth together. “Or think I have some sort of disease or something.” She squeezed a little harder, the wood groaning beneath her hooves. “But I don't have some weird disease. I’m not a freak.”

She released the arm rest, barely noticing the way it now bent slightly. “I'm not a freak…” she whispered.

“What happened Twilight, what made them so scared of you?”

“I’m not scary.” The filly fell back into the couch, curling into a ball with her tail tucked between her legs. “They turned out to be a grumpy bunch of meanie heads, end of story.”

“Those were the Magisteel twins, right? They never struck me as the bullying type before,” quipped the therapist, scratching down a few notes in her book.

The filly leapt to her hooves, a snarl on her lips. “Not the bullying type? Not the bullying type?! They broke my leg and tried to kill me.”

Velvet quickly stood up, offering the filly a calming smile. “Whoa there, let's take it back a second alright. They both said it was the wind under a truth spell, I don't think they-”

The filly’s eyes burned an angry orange light, stopping Velvet Touch dead in her verbal tracks. “You want to know so bad? Fine, I’ll tell you, I’ll show you I’m not a liar.”

They had sent me a letter, telling me about how they wanted to hang out with me near the east wall, alone. I thought it was kind of weird that they would want me to ditch Bull, but some ponies are scared of her, so I asked her to give me some space for a bit. When I got there nopony was around as normally the area was off limits. This was in part due to the fact that it tended to get slick with dew, and there was a small section that were starting to heave, making it slightly slanted, but they said it was fine.

After meeting them near the wall in one of the towers closer to the castle, they challenged me to a race. I didn't feel like it, but then they said the winner got twenty bits and I could buy a whole bunch of books for twenty bits so I agreed, though I was confused as to why they even wanted to race as they were both scrawnier than Shining Armor when he was little.

They told me they wanted to race because they were trying out a new spell, one that would enable them to run faster and jump higher. I never heard of such a spell and they wouldn't show me, but I agreed anyway as it sounded like fun, and they really seemed to want to be friends, which I found out later was a total lie.

So those jerks convinced me to race them along the wall, and though I had my reservations about running on the wall it did sound like fun, so I did it. We lined up in a row, with those two jerks to my left, leaving me right next to the side of the wall with no railing on it. Again, they told me it was fine as there was some room left for us and it didn't look too dangerous.

Then we started running, and those two jerk faces were surprised to see me run out in front of them so quickly, and started whining about cheating, even though they said they were testing that spell. I didn't want to seem like a meanie pants though so I slowed down, pretending to get tired quickly, which they bought. After that they started really getting into it, running as hard as possible along the wall.

Most ponies don't know this, but that section of the wall is actually the longest unbroken part of the Canter Castle wall. It also has a really nice view of the city and the gardens, making it a nice place to watch the sunset. So anyways, we are running on the wall and they start to get tired, like really tired, and though I’m pretending to be tired too they seem to be catching on, so they look at each other like two thieves would before they mug somepony.

Up ahead I can see a slight bend before the next tower, and with my victory in sight they push me right off the wall! I nearly died! But I was too powerful, catching myself in my telekinesis with the help of Bull who was nearby. We only just managed to stop me before I broke my neck, but I still messed up my leg which hurt a whole lot!
Oh and those two stupid jerks didn't even try to help me! They seemed sad to see that I survived.

“That's quite the story, Twilight,” Velvet Touch remarked, jotting down a few notes before folding her hooves over her lap. “But have you ever considered that you may have slipped? You did say that the wall was heaving and that it did get slick.”

The filly wilted slightly, some of her anger blowing away. “B-but then why did they say they didn't want Bull there?”

“Silver Bulwark is rather intimidating, perhaps they were scared of her, again, you did say as much yourself,” Velvet pointed out.

Twilight wilted even more, her anger blowing away completely as she crumpled back into a heap. “Well, they still shoulda helped.”

“Twilight, you are a very powerful and talented unicorn, not everypony can match your skill and power.” The unicorn lit her horn for emphasis, picking up the pen that had been resting on the table. “Plus, I’m sure you know that telekinesis is harder the heavier and the faster something is moving.” She zipped the pen in the air before picking up the candy dispenser and doing the same with much more difficulty.

With her point made, she set the candy down and smiled. “They might not even have mastered their telekinesis by now, you never know.”

“B-but they are my age! They have to know telekinesis by now, that spell is for babies,” the filly whined, crossing her hooves over her chest and pouting.

“That may be, but do you know if they have fully developed magic and don't suffer from learning or magical disabilities?”

“No…” the filly muttered, unable to meet the therapist’s gaze.

Velvet smiled faintly. “Don't be discouraged, you might be right and I’m sure Silver Bulwark or whomever is in charge of investigating this matter will get to the bottom of this.”

“I guess so…”

“Hey, why don't you say we go and find some better treats and blow this popsicle stand,” Velvet whispered, leaning in conspiratorially towards the filly.

“Really? But what about the rest of the interview thing? Celestia said I have to be here for at least an hour,” Twilight remarked, her enthusiasm barely held back.

The therapist shrugged. “That's just a suggestion, I can cut it short if I want. So, what do you say we go find out what the royal baker has been up to?”

Twilight hopped out of the couch and bounded over to the door. “Well, what are we waiting for?”

Velvet Touch laughed, hopping down from her chair and following close behind the filly. “I have to put my notes in my office first, why don't you see if Miss Fine Tooth has a minute to chat while I file this away?”

The filly seemed about to agree before she suddenly stopped and turned, nervously shuffling her hooves. “Hey, Miss Touch...”

The therapist lifted an eyebrow. “Yes, Twilight?”

“I was wondering if you…” She gulped. “Would be my friend?”

“Of course, I’m your friend, Twilight.” The mare leaned down and pulled the filly into a short hug before gathering up her things. “Now then, why don't you see if Fine Tooth has any more cool stories left to tell you?”

The filly nodded, beaming up at the mare. “I hope so!” With that, the filly turned and bounded away, running across the busy office space and disappearing around a corner.

The elder mare’s smile fell away instantly, and the unicorn wiped a bead of sweat from her brow. “I better hurry before she gets bored,” she muttered, before turning to her own office and trotting away at a brisk pace.

Slipping inside her office, the mare turned the rod for the blinds and trotted behind her desk, flicking on the small lamp and made her way over to the filing cabinet in the corner. It was devoid of labeling save for a six pointed orange star that had five other yellow stars surrounding it and small white points poking out behind the largest one. With the ease of someone that had done this dozens of times before, the therapist opened a drawer, ripped out the sheet containing today’s notes and slipped it into the file with today’s date written on it.

Next she turned back to her desk and dug out a simple manilla folder, and extracted the x-rays and notes inside of it. The x-rays seemed normal at first glance, showing a healthy leg bone which was perfect save for the fact that it was a little thicker than most. This single strange aspect was compounded when one looked closer and realized there were many other odd things being captured in that picture.

Thin tendrils seemed to snake from the bone, and the bone itself was far denser than what should be possible. It also had a weird secondary structure around it that was vaguely reminiscent of scaffolding one might see on the side of a building, though it was for the most part already disintegrated. Along with the x-rays were also several normal pictures displaying a purple furred limb, that again seemed normal at first glance, with only slight discoloration making it seem anything less than average.

And though the limb itself seemed perfectly healthy save for a few strange lines of deep purple discoloration around where the break had occurred, it was also not the limb of a child, or at least it didn't look that way. The notes attached to the picture indicated that the subject had been administered a light shock an instant before the picture was taken, making her muscles bulge and making the limb itself seem like one that belonged to a body builder rather than a filly.

The picture after that seemed completely normal, with the filly’s muscles no longer bulging obscenely. Velvet Touch shook her head and filled it all away before making a note to review what she had discovered and write a full report, one that would indicate just how strange this all truly was.

Though she wasn't a scientist by any stretch of the imagination, she knew something was wrong. The parasite had finally acted, except it didn't seem to be negatively impacting the filly’s life, rather it seemed to be doing the exact opposite. It both strengthened and repaired the break she had experienced, pulling the bone back through her skin and knitting it perfectly before going even further and strengthening the bone itself, allowing the filly to stand after mere hours of the devastating incident.

That limb would need to be hit by quite a large amount of force to be broken again, and Velvet Touch was certain that Twilight would only bounce back and become even stronger if such a thing did manage to occur. The therapist shook her head and purged her thoughts of such worries, it wasn't her place to consider such things, only what it meant for Twilight’s mind and nothing indicated that she had acted out of the ordinary. Yet anyway.

Celestia set the report that she had just received down on her desk, tapping her chin thoughtfully as she mused on the news she had received.

It wasn't readily apparent that she had an attempted murder on her hooves, and though she was confident Silver Bulwark would ensure such a thing wouldn't happen again, the monarch was less sure that the guard could get to the bottom of things. Bull was very emotionally invested in Twilight, which made her unfortunately rather biased, add to that the fact that she just wasn't the greatest investigator and Celestia was almost certain she wouldn't get to the bottom of things without a set of keen eyes to help her out.

Something she could probably supply, all she needed to do was clear a little time, set up some interviews and- Her train of thought was derailed by a mental alarm sounding in her mind. “Not now,” she mumbled angrily.

The alicorn lit her horn and stood up from her desk, her mind going out along the familiar lines of magic, seeking out the source of the alarm bells sounding in her head. With a sigh, the bells stopped and she was forced to drop the response she had been writing, setting it aside into a now perilously large pile that sat in her ‘to do’ box.

Celestia spared the pile a sidelong glance before frowning at the way it tipped one way and then the next, barely able to keep standing anymore. “Maybe one day I will have time for you,” she muttered, making a quick note to check the loyalty of her officers in hope of delegating more of her duties only to realize she had already made such a note, and that it was somewhere in the perilous pile.

A long, shuddering sigh broke the silence of the alicorn’s private office, before she stood a little straighter, reminding herself that this was, after all, both necessary and vital. Shaking her head, the mare lit her horn once more, and after ensuring her teleportation spell would be unable to be tracked, disappeared in a flash of light.

The alicorn reappeared in another flash of light which illuminated the small room she appeared within briefly. Four perfectly flat stone walls surrounded her, featureless save for a glowing circle on the ground and an iron door across from her.

Lighting her horn, the mare waited as the circle below her lit up, along with several other glyphs and writing that sparked to life a complex weave of spells that washed over her. She had done this hundreds if not thousands of times, yet the spells were still as irritating as ever, making her skin crawl as they washed over her. Thankfully it didn't take long and after the glyphs discovered she was indeed the pony that had cast the spells in the first place, allowed her to move, the door across from her opening automatically as the spells dulled and the room lit up.

Several torches sprung to life, illuminating the room in the gentle glow of spell light, allowing the mare to trot through the room and into the area beyond. Much like the first room, this one was also relatively featureless, merely turning into a long hallway that had the the same featureless gray stone walls, floor and roof as the last room. Along the walls were more blue flame torches, illuminating a long carpet that led from one end of the hall to the other, wherein another, much larger iron door stood.

As she walked the hall, Celestia felt the various protective measures come to life and scan her before falling silent. Her hooves passed over a pitfall trap that did not open, while several magically aimed crossbows emerged from the ceiling, only to recede back into their hiding places. Traps and spells the likes of which nopony had ever seen before having been employed to defend this lone, narrow stretch of hallway.

Confident that her defences were still up to snuff, the alicorn walked a little faster, eager to find out what exactly had changed. Making her way to the end of the hall, the mare stood quietly before the final door, barely able to push down the urge to tap her hoof in annoyance. A second later the floor next to her bulged, a quadruped shape emerging from the stone and quickly taking a more distinct form of an earth pony

“Otium superat,” Celestia stated clearly.

The stone pony bowed once before reaching forward and pushing open the door, allowing a rush of wind to rush out from within. The stone pony didn't seem to notice, but Celestia could instantly feel the difference compared to the stale air of the hall, and she breathed deep of the crisp, cool breeze, instantly refreshed. She shook her head and slipped inside, pushing the door closed firmly behind her, only allowing herself to turn around after she heard the familiar click, whir that meant the room was sealed and her work could begin.

Celestia smiled faintly as she gazed out over the singular object that took up nearly the entire room, a hint of pride welling in her chest.

The room itself was much, much larger than the last, roughly the size of the training arena wherein she had begun to test Twilight’s unique magic. Except this room was nearly completely filled with strange and glowing streams, most of which were teal, while a few were black, which were, in turn, intermingled with thousands upon thousands of gears. The entire thing shifted and moved nearly completely soundlessly, with the only noise being the soft clink of the occasional gear sliding into place. Between this seemingly endless array of parts were the thousands upon thousands of thin streams of teal and black that seemed to emanate from deeper within the room, growing out from some unseen central point.

With a smile on her lips, the alicorn pumped her wings and lifted off the ground, flying into the great machine. The gears and lines seemed to ebb and flow around her, allowing the alicorn to make her way deeper through its many twists and turns before eventually emerging into the centre-most chamber. From here there were several thicker, seemingly more important lines of flowing teal light that caught her eye and made her smile fall away.

She looked down, towards where all the strands emerged from, noting that the egg-like centre point was now marred by more of the strange black-tinted streams. Now that she saw just how many of those streams were corrupted, her heart sank, and though she felt sorry for those poor fools that have strayed too far from harmony, she didn't have time for them.

She turned her attention deeper into the machine, gently gliding between the opening until she was able to behold the centre-most point and the six, powerful streams of the purest teal that surrounded it. The alicorn sighed, noticing that some of the black had begun to seep into three of the six streams, though she noticed that Twilight’s remained as pure as ever, even though it was marred by a little red that indicated she had experienced a considerable amount of rage in her recent past.

The alicorn sighed, making another mental note to check up on the afflicted unicorn in order to ensure she was indeed alright after meeting with Velvet Touch. Putting those thoughts out of her mind for now, the alicorn lit her horn and focused entirely upon reaching deep into herself, drawing forth power from the very depths of her soul.

Then, when she felt as though her body was filled with all the magic it could possibly hold, she began to sing. The song itself was wordless, and uttered in a tongue beyond the comprehension of mortals. It wasn't even wholly right to say that she was singing at all, rather she was giving voice to emotion itself, allowing the most primal part of her being to resonate through her magically enhanced vocal cords.

At the sound of the alicorn’s soul, the egg shook, the many streams of purest teal vibrating along with it. As she sang, the egg-shaped orb became still once more, though occasionally a thin tremor could be seen emanating from the countless streams that grew forth from its bulk. Those streams that echoed with the alicorn’s empathy lost a shred of the darkness pressing down upon them, the darkness flaking off and vanishing amidst the aetherial wind that gently shifted through the cavern.

As her song continued, Celestia looked down, noticing that it seemed to have the desired effect, as the three streams she focused on began to lose a hint of the darkness that clung to them. She peered intently at the thinnest most stream, peering into the river that was this being’s life. She could see pain, and sorrow the likes of which would make any other being quake with fear and grovel for relief, yet this pony seemed to bear it with a stoicism bordering on madness. Celestia could feel her heart break all over again as she stared deep into the pony’s life, reliving how she had nearly lost it all, only to be cast out by the only thing that she truly cared about, her family.

Shifting gears, Celestia chose to dedicate more of herself to that unfortunate pony, knowing well the signs of sorrow and loneliness that came with ostracization. Within minutes she could see the pony within the stream begin to still, her nightmare slowly dissipating and leaving her in a dreamless slumber. It wasn't much, but Celestia hoped desperately that the small kindness would help the poor thing as she struggled onwards on her uncertain path.

Her mood slowly lifting, the alicorn continued to sing, the minutes flying by as she continued to pour herself into the sound, hoping desperately that it would be enough to help push back the tide of darkness she knew to be coming.

The alicorn stumbled back into the small room she had first appeared in those many hours ago, her hooves having become dull, useless things that seemed to catch on every surface. The weight that had settled over her body having grown oppressive, weighing her down physically, mentally and spiritually. Though she had accomplished her goal and had staved off the alarm bells for now, she knew it wouldn't be long before the weave required more attention.

The thought of spending another sleepless night in those chambers was not a pleasant one, and it was with a heavy heart and even heavier limbs that she stepped back into the chamber and lit her horn. In a flash of light she was back in her office, only for her eyes to go wide when she realized exactly what time it was, her internal clock alerting her to just how close she had cut it.

Sprinting over to the window, the alicorn threw open the curtains, revealing the moon hanging low in the sky. Serendipity may have been on her side and allowed her to return mere moments before she had to lower the moon and raise the sun, but Celestia wasn't ready to count her lucky stars quite yet, as she had one last struggle left before the day could truly begin.

Lighting her horn once more, the alicorn reached out to the moon, her magic passing through the aether and beyond, until finally it touched upon the stark white orb hanging in the sky. The alicorn gritted her teeth, refusing to recoil from the ensuing hatred that poured through the connection. For a moment her hooves shook, and her mind trembled as the rage and fury of the moon’s mistress poured into her. Then her jaw clenched and the powerful alicorn stood once more, brushing aside the dark mistress’ influence and forcing her will upon the moon, lowering it from the sky completely.

With her sister’s prison now hidden from sight, she reached out and with only the gentlest of prodding, encouraged the sun to rise above the horizon. An action the sun eagerly complied with, moving into position and even giving the alicorn a piece of itself, temporarily pushing the pain and weariness that clung to the alicorn’s mind.

“Thank you, old friend,” she whispered, before standing proudly once more.

The alicorn turned back to her desk and noticed a new addition to her inbox, a small hoofwritten note from her secretary that told of complications with the most recent trade deal with Griphonia. With a deep sigh she crumpled up the piece of paper and tossed it into the trash, and reluctantly glanced over the pile of paper she wanted to get to.

She brushed a hoof over the top of the pile, desperately wishing that she had the time or the extra mare power to truly get to her many, slightly less pressing concerns. Turning away, the alicorn sighed once more, reluctantly putting off her those many problems in order to focus on the most recent trouble to plague her.

“I’m sorry Twilight, hopefully Silver Bulwark will be able to get to the bottom of this on her own,” the alicorn muttered. “And hopefully those foolish unicorns can wait to be investigated another day.”

A sudden knock on the door alerted the alicorn that she was no longer alone, and after pulling herself up into her more regal posture, opened the door with her magic. “Ahh, Raven, what is it?”

The demure mare on the other side of the door opened her mouth to speak, only to squint into the relative gloom of Celestia’s office. “Are you- are you alright, Your Highness? The guards said you didn't return to your chambers last night.”

“It's nothing, I was just doing some last minute work that needed some extra attention,” Celestia remarked.

The mare frowned, her gaze lingering on the alicorn’s eyes. “Alright… but you should really get some sleep, Your Majesty.”

“I will,” Celestia stated evenly. “Now, what do you have for me today?”

“Err, well it's about the griffon ambassador, Ma’am, she's been causing trouble again and demanding to speak to you about the negotiations.”

Celestia sighed, rolling her eyes and stepped around her desk. “We better see what old Storm Beak wants this time.”

“Are you sure you don't want to get-” The mare winced. “Sorry.”

“Put it out of your mind, Raven.” The alicorn smiled. “Just tell me what she is raising a ruckus over this time.”

“Right, it all started when a group of nobles showed up and-”

Author's Notes:

This bonus chapter made possible by veiwers like you! Consider backing me if you want to see even more content like this and help enable me to do less commissions and work more on stories you love!

Want to see stories like this before anyone else and get access to secret patron only stories, early releases for patreon supporters aaand other goodies? Drop just three bucks on my patreon and join the early release club!

Join me over on patreon and get instant access to exclusive content and early looks at new stories, patreon only stories and other great stuff! Check it out!
Or just join the discord to ensure that you dont miss an update.
This update was made possible by the wonderful support of:
Kali, Craig, Ozzy, Robert, Quill, JPMK, Tommy, Ivar, Mikhaila, Pacsik, Matt, Brendan, Peter, Nicky, Princess Pudding, Nofreedom, T Sparkle, Apollyon, Luckyfanisaac, Azin, Zairvin, Random_Reader, Iamunkown, Facinus, M, Nfreak, Doomgooey, Michael, Ceepert, Diokyo, Starless.

Hunger

“Hello again, Twilight Sparkle. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” a middle aged unicorn doctor asked kindly.

Twilight looked him up and down, noticing that his brown coat and incense cutie mark was remarkably clean for once. The filly couldn't help but smile at the sight of his enormous, goofy looking glasses that nearly completely obscured his orange eyes. “Celestia said I have to go for another check up.”

“My my, is it that time of the month already?” The doctor smiled. “Time flies, doesn't it?”

“I guess.” Twilight shrugged.

The stallion took a step back and gestured to the bed next to him. “Please sit.” He turned to the lingering earth pony nurse standing by the door and flashing him a smile. “I’m sure I’ll be fine, Nurse Forceps.”

The nurse frowned, glancing from the filly to the doctor before shaking his head. “If you are sure…”

The doctor scoffed. “I think I can handle a single filly. Besides-” he turned around and smiled at the young unicorn, “-Twilight isn't going to be a hoofful, are you?” The filly shook her head. “See?”

The nurse reluctantly sighed before bowing out. “If you insist, Doctor Feel Good.”

“I do.” The older stallion closed the door to the room and made his way over his desk, which was absolutely littered with personal effects, and took a seat in the ancient, well worn office chair. “Alright, let me just grab your file and we can get right down to it.”

“Okay,” Twilight muttered, absentmindedly kicking her hooves while staring at the floor.

The doctor’s gaze lingered over the despondent filly a moment longer before turning to his enormous filing cabinet and pulling open the appropriate drawer. With a deftness that belied his age, the stallion gripped the appropriate file from the numerous others before clearing a spot on his desk amidst the hoard of pictures and files that had yet to be organized.

“Alrighty then,” he announced, slamming the heavy file onto his desk. “First off, how have you been?”

The filly shrugged. “I’ve been okay, I guess.”

“That doesn't sound very enthusiastic, are your studies becoming too much?” Doctor Feel asked, while tapping his pen against the open file.

“Not really,” she muttered.

“Hmm...” He turned, made a note of the apparent stress she was suffering from. “Twilight, do you think you would mind doing a few tests today?”

“Whatever,” the filly muttered.

Frowning deeply, the doctor tapped his page a few times before standing up and retrieving a reflex hammer from a drawer. “Alright, first thing I’m going to test is your reflexes. Do you remember how we did this last time?”

Twilight giggled. “Yeah, you hit my knee and nearly got kicked in the face.”

“Yes, well, we’ll try and skip that last part this time.” He chuckled, levitating the hammer over to the filly’s knee. “Ready?”

Twilight nodded, and received a light knock to her knee, causing her to swing her leg out a second later.

“Hmmm.” The stallion rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Reflexes are a little delayed.”

The filly frowned, looking down at her leg with disdain, a hint of worry beginning to worm its way into her mind. “Is there something wrong with me?” Twilight asked nervously.

“I don't think so, but we better make sure.” The stallion smiled widely before plunking back in his chair and causing a small wave of dust to billow out. “So, are you getting enough to eat?”

“Why is everypony worried about that?” Twilight frowned. “I’ve been eating lots, and sticking to the strict diet Celestia put me on.”

“Odd,” Feel Good remarked. “Have you been getting enough exercise?”

“Yeah. Celestia put me on a routine and everything,” Twilight remarked sourly, hooves crossed over her chest.

“And have you been keeping away from sweets like we talked about last time?”

“Uh huh.”

“And…” The doctor stopped, tapping his chin while deep in thought. “Have you been getting enough sunlight?”

“Uh…” Twilight scratched her head. “How much is enough?”

Feel Good frowned, turning back to his desk and made a few notes. “Nevermind that. Would it be fair to say that you feel lethargic, unenergetic or sickly?”

Twilight thought about it for a second before nodding. “All three, I think. Lethargic means lazy, right?”

The stallion nodded. “Pretty much.”

“Then yeah.”

“Do you mind if I scan you for a moment?” the doctor asked. “It will only take a second.”

“Alright…” Twilight frowned, crossing her hooves back over her chest. “But try not to take too long. Scans always make me feel funny.”

“I’ll go as fast as possible, I promise.” Feel Good made a crossing motion over his heart, earning him a slight smile from the still grumpy filly.

Lighting his horn, the unicorn quickly went through the motions of casting the scanning spell, before finally pushing a little extra magic through his horn, causing the spell to take form. A shimmering sphere of light green magic encapsulated the filly’s body in its dull glow. Twilight shivered briefly but otherwise didn't move, merely sitting patiently as the stallion’s magic focused on one part of her body and then another.

As his magic shifted, the stallion’s frown deepened until finally the light of his horn dulled and died. It was clear that something was wrong with her, that much was obvious, but due to the parasite’s machinations any information he gathered was borderline useless. Twilight had a new normal from any other filly, and as such the metrics he always looked for in a healthy pony, foal or adult, were simply irrelevant here.

He mentally set that information to the side, putting it out of his mind and focusing on what he could say for certain. After all, the information he gathered wouldn't help, not until he had built up a larger database anyway.

With that in mind the stallion rubbed his chin thoughtfully, staring off into the distance.

Meanwhile, Twilight Sparkle had grown increasingly paranoid, her thoughts starting to run faster and faster as she pondered just what this might mean for her. It was obvious from the doctor’s expression that whatever was wrong with her was serious, but without any clues other than her general laziness over the last month and a bit she couldn't draw any conclusions. Was it some sort of flu? Or perhaps something far worse then a mere flu?

The filly gasped, chewing idly on her hoof as her mind continued to race with possibilities.

The cutie pox? No, worse! Cooties!

Then, just as her brain was starting to overheat with all her panicked thoughts, Doctor Feel Good suddenly perked up, jumping out of his chair. “This must be some sort of deficiency. It's the only thing that makes sense.”

“What? But I’ve been sticking to the diet, I promise,” Twilight whined.

“And I trust that you have, but perhaps you need something you are not getting.” Feel Good grinned. “After all, you are a growing filly, and it's not like the cooks have had to make anything for a young mare in a long time.”

“I guess.” The filly’s eyes lit up suddenly. “Does that mean we get to go back to the kitchens?”

“Unfortunately not. I am going to get to the bottom of this right now.” The doctor smiled at the filly, ruffling her mane. “You should probably scamper back to Celestia.”

“Daw fine…” The filly hopped down and trotted to the door before stopping. “Can I at least get a sucker?”

Doctor Feel Good stopped, and mulled it over for a moment before making the mistake of looking down at the strangest pair of puppy eyes he had ever seen. His heart melting, the doctor retrieved a blue sucker, her favorite, and hoofed it over before he even knew what he was doing. “Alright, but that's all the sugar for today, understood?”

The filly squealed in delight, tearing through the packaging in seconds. “Thanks, Doctor Good!”

Shaking his head, the doctor made his way out of his office, making sure to close and lock the door behind him, remembering well the princess’ warning about security when it came to anything about his special patient. With his wards up and his locks now secure, the stallion turned, smiling faintly as he heard the distant sound of the filly humming happily as she walked down the long hall, accompanied by the steady thump of steel clad hooves.

Turning down a different path, the stallion made his way deeper into the castle, winding through ill used side passages and other less traveled sections of the castle. He knew well these strange and winding side paths, his habit of walking as he thought leading him down many of the lesser known halls of Canterlot Castle.

With his knowledge of the castle layout, the stallion made short work of the distance, emerging into the castle kitchens in mere minutes from leaving the small hospital found deep within the castle itself. As he looked around, trying to find the distinct tuft of silver mane that signalled the presence of the one pony he knew could help, he idly wondered just how he might be able to cure the filly’s most recent ailment.

With the sheer alien nature of the parasite that now lay dormant inside the filly’s body, there was a chance that her cravings could be for something truly unnatural and before his mind could go down any more darker paths, he shook his head. “That is not logical,” he reprimanded himself, forcing his mind away from the dark thoughts and towards a potential solution like vitamins or some other dietary supplement. “I wonder if…”

“Hey Feel, still talking to yourself I see,” a voice whispered from behind him.

Turning around, the doctor smiled, instantly recognizing the voice and its owner. “Miss Tea Spoon, so nice of you to stop by the kitchens today.”

The chef’s eyes narrowed for a second, before she threw back her head and laughed aloud. “Still as sharp as ever I see. Here I would have thought your self prescriptions would have dulled your wit by now.”

The stallion chuckled nervously, tugging at a collar he wasn't actually wearing. “Well, be that as it may, I’m actually here on business today.”

“Really?” The pegasus leaned against the door jam, using her dull grey wing to move the bangs from her eyes. “What can I do for ya?”

“Do you know of a filly named Twilight Sparkle?” he asked.

Tea nodded. “I sure do. She's Celestia’s new student, the one with the special diet.”

“Indeed.” He nodded. “I’m assuming Celestia sent you a list of guidelines, correct?”

“Sure did, was right ticked too.” The mare shivered. “Boy is she scary when she's pissed.”

“You are telling me.” Feel Good shivered as well, remembering well the thankfully few times he had the poor fortune of being near the alicorn when she was legitimately angry.

“Right, anyway. You are in luck, I was just about to go see Needle Beak and check how he was doing with the whole diet thing anyway.”

“Not very well apparently,” Feel Good remarked before sighing. “On second thought, he might be doing just fine, but there are certain… complications. Does he know who he's cooking for?”

“No one in the kitchens does,” Tea Spoon whispered, leaning in close. “It's just another security precaution put in after that whole chowder incident.”

“Ahh.” The stallion gulped, his stomach doing backflips at the mere mention of chowder. “I don't suppose you could direct me to this Needle Beak pony?”

Tea Spoon lifted an eyebrow. “What? Oh, he ain't a pony, thus the name.”

Feel Good slapped a hoof against his forehead, groaning. “Right, that's obvious.” He gestured towards the kitchens. “Lead the way.”

“As usual,” Tea remarked with a giggle, flicking Feel Good’s cheek with her tail.

Blushing furiously, the doctor followed the mare closely, weaving in and out of the many working ponies that all labored over a multitude of varied dishes. The stallion only stopped for a brief moment when his nose caught the scent of the most delectable pie he had ever smelt. Shaking his head, he quickly trotted back up to the head chef as she approached the corner of the royal kitchens where an aged griffon tom was dicing tomatoes.

“I see you are already starting on supper,” Tea Spoon announced.

The griffon blinked, placing his knife to the side before turning around, his eyes widening. “Head Chef Tea Spoon, what a delight. Give me but a moment.” He deftly cleaned his knife and put it in the waiting block before turning back around, cleaning his claws on his apron. “And to what do I owe the pleasure?”

“There were some… concerns about the dishes you have been making recently,” she said dourly, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly, clearly unused to the seriousness of the conversation.

“Oh?” The aged tom caressed his beard and looked from the chef to Feel Good who was now standing next to her. “I’m assuming you are the one who has these ‘concerns’?” he asked, adding air quotes to the last word.

“I was actually hoping to see the list you are working with first before I pass judgement,” Feel Good responded.

“Ahh good.” The old tom chuckled. “About time one of you horn heads actually asked some questions before judging me.” He chuckled harshly, turning back to his workspace and deftly pulled out a scroll from behind his chopping block and handed it over to the unicorn. “Here it is, all the weakly schedules for the last two weeks as well as for this one.”

Looking over it, Feel Good did a few calculations in his head before frowning. “This seems perfect. I assume you stuck to this menu plan the entire time?”

Needle Beek’s eyes narrowed for a moment. “Other than not having carrots for the stew last weak due to someone missing an order, everything has been done by the book. Or in this case, scroll.”

“Interesting,” Good remarked, handing the scroll back to the griffon. “For the record I’m the recipient’s doctor and I am merely chasing a lead, I didn't mean to assume any foul play or incompetence.”

The griffon nodded slowly, eying the doctor up carefully. “This whole cloak and dagger may not be my style, but I sure hope you lot wise up and start giving this little chickee what she needs.” He snorted. “All this pony food is good and all, but growing chicks need meat. Plain and simple.”

“She's not-” Tea Cup said only for Feel Good to step closer, raising a hoof and silencing her.

“Why do you think she's a griffon?”

Needle raised an eyebrow. “Well, you ain't in a hurry, so it's probably something small and if I had to guess she's probably just acting mighty sluggish. To me that sounds like a griffon who hasn't gotten their fill of meat, which is something I’ve seen plenty of over the years.”

“You are not wrong…” Feel Good admitted. “She has been rather lethargic and has been losing a little weight despite the diet.”

The griffon sighed, running a clawed hand down his face. “You ponies do a lot of things right, but you sure seem to have trouble thinking outside the box sometimes.” He snorted. “As soon as someone's not feeling up to snuff you think something’s wrong, as opposed to what they might be missing.”

“Hey that's not true!” Tea Spoon interrupted.

Feel Good raised his hoof once more, silencing the mare and earning himself an irritated glare. “He's not wrong, Spoony.”

A blush spread across her face and she shot the stallion a second, more intense glare. “I thought I told you not to call me that.”

The old tom chuckled. “Sorry to interrupt, but I just wanted to say that it's perfectly natural to fall into what you know.” He sighed, running a claw through his beard. “I’ve seen it plenty of times when I was working in soup kitchens. If ponies were in charge they made pony food, and if a griffon was in charge they made sure to cook for both.”

“Is that still an issue?” Feel Good asked nervously, his heart going out to the griffons who may be suffering because of some ignorant pony.

“Not so much anymore. Celestia had me go around the various orphanages and whatnot to teach the staff how to cook for a griffon’s special diets a few years back.” He smiled faintly at the thought of the alicorn. “Helps that we standardized the whole meal thing for schools and whatnot a few months after that.”

“I’m sure it was difficult to add meat to the menu for so many places,” Feel Good remarked.

The tom shrugged. “It was at first, but it helps that fish ain't as intelligent as other animals.” He snorted. “I’ve seen flies smarter than most things I’ve caught.”

“That makes sense.” Tea Spoon tapped her chin. “Most chefs have to at least learn how to clean a trout during schooling and if you want to work here, you have to know a lot more than that.”

“Exactly.” Needle Beak smiled. “Plus it's cheap protein and the only pony tribe that can't actually process fish at all are earth ponies.”

“I remember that from first year med school,” Feel Good remarked.

Needle Beak nodded. “If you want I could whip something up that's nice and subtle. Even if your little chick hasn't eaten meat in her whole life she won't even notice it.”

Tea Spoon and Feel Good exchanged a look before they nodded. “If you wouldn't mind, of course,” Feel Good responded.

The old tom raised an eyebrow. “Right now?”

Tea Spoon smiled. “I think what Feel Good is trying to say is that he wants to test this hypothesis as soon as possible. That isn't a problem, right?”

Needle Beak frowned, looking over the small array of vegetables he had already cut. “Well…” He tapped his chin. “I could probably make a pretty good stew out of this, but it might take an hour or so before I have everything ready.”

“Perfect, that should put it right on time for supper.” Feel Good turned to Tea Spoon. “Give me a heads up before the food is delivered so I can be there.”

“Of course.”

The stallion smiled. “Thank you for all your help, Needle Beak.”

The old tom shrugged. “Just doing my job, now would you mind getting out of my kitchen? I have work to do.”

“Absolutely.”

Feel Good and Tea Spoon turned and left, quickly trotting into the hall before ducking into an alcove and dodging a maid. “This is perfect,” Feel Good announced happily.

“We are sneaking meat into a filly’s food,” Tea Spoon pointed out. “That doesn't exactly sound like a good thing.”

“If it helps, it is.”

“I don't know…”

“Spoony, look at it like this. It's just fish, and if it works she’ll feel better and we’ll know more about her condition,” Feel Good pointed out.

The mare winced, rubbing the back of her neck. “I guess. It just doesn't sit right with me, you know?”

The stallion sighed. “Me neither, but it's the hand we've been dealt.”

The chef frowned. “Hopefully this works.” Shaking her head, the grey coated mare smiled, throwing a foreleg around the stallion’s shoulders. “So, are we still on for friday?”

Feel Good smirked, bumping his hip against hers. “You know it.”

The stallion trotted up to the door in the royal wing, nervously glancing around at the guards standing beside what seemed like every door he passed by. He gulped, trotting a little faster under the intense gaze of a random guard and making his way over to the door he had been pointed to.

“Ahh, you must be Doctor Feel Good.”

“Bwah!” The stallion stumbled back, somehow not noticing the white coated unicorn mare that stood next to the door.

“You are a flighty one, ain't cha?” The mare snickered, offering a hoof. “Name’s Silver Bulwark.”

“Feel Good, Doctor.” He winced, facehoofing. “You know what I mean.”

“Yup.” She smiled. “The princess already told me you were coming, so go right on in.” She lit her horn, pushing open the door with her magic before stepping aside.

“R-right.” He gulped. “Thank you.”

She shrugged. “Just doing my job, better hurry up though. Twilight was told to wait for you to arrive and I can just tell she's already chomping at the bit to get at that stew that nice chef lady brought by.”

The stallion chuckled. “I won't dawdle any longer then.”

Scurrying inside, the stallion looked around the room, his gaze lingering on the high ceilings and the other very generous accommodations. Shaking his head, he looked down to where the filly sat, staring intently at the bowl before her, a thin line of drool dripping from the side of her lips. “Hello there, Twilight Sparkle,” he announced loudly.

The filly shook her head, wiping the drool from her face and sitting up a little straighter. “Oh hey, Doctor Good. Does that mean I can eat now?”

“Go right a-” Whatever he was about to say was completely ignored as the filly dove right in, abandoning the use of utensils entirely and using her magic to shovel food directly into her mouth.

The stallion trotted over and plopped down across from the filly, watching in stunned silence as she ate the entire bowl in mere minutes. Not satisfied with just the entire contents of the bowl, she tipped the dish back, consuming the last of the liquid within before using her tongue to lap at what little remained.

The doctor took the moment to grab his notebook from the bags hanging from his sides. By the time he had his book out, and had found a quill and an ink well, the filly was already reclining in her pillows, a satisfied smile on her face and a perfectly clean bowl resting before her. “How was it?” he asked.

Twilight smiled faintly, rubbing one hoof over her belly. “I don't know what was in there, but that was amazing.” She sighed. “The second it came in the room it was like a light popped on in my head.”

“Huh.” Feel Good scratched down a few notes. “And how does it feel? Satisfying, I hope?”

“You could say that again,” the filly mumbled happily.

“Good, good.” He smiled, adding one last note before closing the book. “How did it taste?”

“Really, really good. There was something in there that I’ve never had before, but that was the best part.” The filly glanced at her bowl, as if checking more food hadn't magically appeared within.

“You know the staff, they like to make fancy food,” Feel Good remarked.

The filly shrugged. “I guess, but this was like, super different.” She frowned. “Do you know what it was?”

“Err. No, sorry.” He shrugged. “I’m just here to see if it fixed your stomach issues.”

The filly nodded, a smile slowly spreading across her face. “Whatever it was, it was yummy.” Her smile widened even more. “And I haven't even gotten any more rumblies since then!”

“That is most excellent, young Twilight. I was beginning to worry you may have had something serious.” Doctor Feel Good smiled as well, the filly’s innocent happiness almost infectious in a strange way.

“Thanks.” The filly hopped up onto her hooves and trotted over to the stallion. “I’m going to hug you now, ‘kay?”

The doctor blinked. “I, er, sure?”

The filly leaned in and gave him a bone crushing hug, squeezing the air from his lungs and making him wheeze like a balloon that was having the air squeezed out of it. “Mercy,” he whimpered, tapping the filly's shoulder.

Twilight’s eyes went wide and she hopped back, hoof over her mouth. “Are you okay? I’m so sorry! Celestia says my magic is doing funny things and, and-”

“It's okay.” He wheezed, forcing himself up. “I was a smoker in my younger years, not your fault at all.”

The filly breathed a little easier. “Still… I hope you are not mad.”

“Nonsense.” He smiled, standing on shaky hooves. “I’m just glad you are okay now.” He used a hoof to ruffle the filly’s mane before grabbing his book. “I’ll make sure to tell Celestia and alter your meal plan accordingly.”

“Does this mean I’ll still be on a diet?” Twilight asked nervously.

“Maybe…” He smirked, flashing the filly a wink. “But not if I have anything to say about it.”

“Yes!” The filly pumped her hoof in the air.

Chuckling, the stallion turned to the door. “I’ll be checking back with you tomorrow just in case. Until then I hope you have a wonderful evening.”

“You too, Doctor Good!” The filly waved, watching as the doctor caught his breath, before giving her a wave and slipping out the door.

Now alone, the filly frowned, her smile falling away in an instant and her gaze drawn to the bowl. Her thoughts wandered to what could have possibly been in the food, her mind combing through her surprisingly detailed and easily accessed memories. Her frown deepened when she came up with nothing that could truly compare to what she had just eaten. Stranger still, she could not even recall having smelled anything like it either, further deepening the mystery.

Still, even then she couldn't be too angry, as it had been just as amazing as she had said it was. Even more than the wonderful taste, it also seemed to have stopped the incessant rumbling in her stomach that had been bothering her more and more over the past few days.

With a shrug of her shoulders, she stood up and made her way over to the bathroom in order to pour herself a cup of water. As she watched the glass slowly fill, she couldn't help but realize that although she felt full for the first time in a long while, there was still a hunger deep in her belly that could not be so easily answered.

She gave a shake of her head, pulling her cup from the sink and downing it quickly before placing it back behind the mirror and making her way over to her bed and flopping onto her luxurious covers. Running a hoof over her stomach, the filly idly wondered what it was that had caused this in the first place, drawing the frown back to her face.

Turning in her bed, she looked through the open door of her bathroom, into the mirror and the glowing orange orbs reflected therein. “What is wrong with you?” she muttered softly.

Author's Notes:

This update was veiwable a week early for patrons! Head on over there if you want to keep up to date and dont want to wait! (also the next in process update after this one is already out for patrons!
Want to see stories like this before anyone else and get access to secret patron only stories, early releases for patreon supporters aaand other goodies? Drop just three bucks on my patreon and join the early release club!

Join me over on patreon and get instant access to exclusive content and early looks at new stories, patreon only stories and other great stuff! Check it out!
Or just join the discord to ensure that you dont miss an update.
This update was made possible by the wonderful support of:
Kali, Craig, Ozzy, Robert, Quill, JPMK, Tommy, Ivar, Mikhaila, Pacsik, Matt, Brendan, Peter, Nicky, Princess Pudding, Nofreedom, T Sparkle, Apollyon, Luckyfanisaac, Azin, Zairvin, Random_Reader, Iamunkown, Facinus, M, Nfreak, Doomgooey, Michael, Ceepert, Diokyo, Starless.

Troubled Dreams

Night’s cool touch graced the land, and the halls of Canterlot Castle had grown quiet as the hours crawled by. Silver Bulwark stood silently beside her charge’s door, leaning heavily on a spear she had been forced to carry. The aged mare sighed, shifting away from the room, only to move back, trying to wake up the foreleg that had fallen asleep while she was staring off into space. The last hour of her shift was always the most difficult, and though she fought valiantly against the grip of exhaustion, she could feel that her age was certainly not aiding her in this fight.

The mare shook her head and forced her thoughts towards some topic that would help keep her awake and get her brain do something for once. After a few seconds of thought her mind inevitably returned to contemplating the recent melancholy that had overtaken her charge. It was a strange sort of sorrow, as it seemingly came out of nowhere, one day the filly simply wake up and didn’t answer Silver when she said good morning. Though not terribly strange in itself, Twilight had been diligent about being polite and always responding enthusiastically to the guard’s morning greeting and this absence struck Bull as odd. Twilight’s melancholy only seemed to grow over time, despite Silver Bulwark’s attempts to defuse the lingering feeling.

She glanced over at the door, and not for the first time considered simply marching in there and demanding to know what was wrong, but after a few seconds of thought she knew it was not her place to do something so bold. Shaking her head once more, the mare made a note to really drill the filly in the morning, and hopefully even manage to shake loose whatever cloying thought continued to bother the young pony. But that was a thought for another time, now she needed to focus on the blank, empty expanse that was this stupid, boring hallway.

Silver Bulwark sighed. “It's going to be one of those nights, isn't it?”

Inside the room, Twilight Sparkle lay under her soft covers, the edges of her blanket having been pulled up around her body, forming a sort of cocoon of blankets that normally seemed to make Twilight’s mind rest easy. She wasn't sure if it was the way the blankets caressed her body with their soft warmth, or if there was some part of her that found the cramped space comforting, but what she did know was that tonight, it was not working.

With a sigh, the filly threw her hooves out, wondering what had gone wrong with her blanket cocoon. It had worked wonders helping her sleep over the past month and a bit, ever since she saw that shooting star…

The filly gulped, pulling the blanket up to her nose and forcing the thoughts away, or at least trying to anyway. Memories that she had tried desperately to suppress now returned to her mind, reminding her of something she dared not even dream of.

She thought of the change, the way her guts seemed to move around inside her body and though she had been distracted by pain and discomfort at the time, her memory had no such blocks in place. The filly clutched her belly absently, finally managing to force the memory away and turned onto her side.

She wasn't sure why she was a freak, but something had happened to her, something before the rainbow and her entrance into Celestia’s school. But what exactly that was seemed to elude even her newly enhanced memory, the memory having become vague and blurry when she tried to think back to that night she had seen a falling star.

Then there were the dreams, the voices, and the creatures… The filly shivered, giving her head a firm shake and slipping even further under the covers, wanting nothing more than for the angry, nasty thoughts to simply go away.

As she lay there, wishing desperately to be left alone, the breeze flowing gently through her open window seemed to pick up slightly, gaining an almost musical quality to it. It had no beat or harmony, or any real flow to speak of, but after listening to it for a few seconds Twilight knew it indeed was music, though not any kind she had ever heard before.

Her thoughts quieted, her memories came less readily, and for a moment she smiled faintly, feeling the cool embrace of sleep begin to creep up her spine.

What usually took many long minutes took only seconds, and just like that, the pony was whisked away to the land of dreams, the strange, unearthly song carrying her away. The last thing Twilight thought of before sleep claimed her was a word of thanks to whatever entity had heard her pleas and released her from her own mind’s torment.

Opening her eyes, the filly found herself greeted by the sight of soft brown of aged wood and a thin stream of light pouring through the window at the other side of the room. With frantic hooves Twilight tore the bedding from her body, tossing it aside and hopping to the floor of her childhood room, eyes wide.

“I’m home,” she whispered softly, relief flowing over her.

Though she never admitted to feeling homesick, she did occasionally feel the pang of regret that came with leaving her home behind. Being here, with the warm carpet beneath her hooves, fixed all of those lingering feelings of regret and homesickness.

With a smile overflowing with mirth on her face, Twilight threw open the door to her room and dashed out into the hall. Turning right, the filly quickly reached the door she was looking for and gazed up to find all the same posters she had come to expect. Pictures of ancient heroes were intermingled with ads for the royal guard as well as Shining Armor’s favorite hoofball team, making an interesting collage that displayed the colt’s many passions.

Lifting a hoof, the filly banged hard on the door. “Shining Armor, come quickly, a terrible monster is chasing me!” Twilight giggled, hopping from hoof to hoof as she heard her brother groan behind the door.

“Tell the monster to come back in an hour,” he half muttered, half yelled.

“I can't! It's going to get me!” Twilight yelled back.

“Augh, fine.” The colt groaned.

“I’m going to hide in the castle! Hopefully the monster won't be able to find me there!” Twilight yelled back, barely holding onto a giggle that threatened to slip past her lips.

All she got in return was a grunt, and the sound of four hooves hitting the floor.

With her playmate now awake and ready to join her, Twilight turned around and sped off, hopping down the stairs two at a time. Hitting the landing at a run, the filly deftly turned and leapt down the last few steps and took off running. The living room and kitchen sped past her as she ignored the usual sights, sounds and smells that came with her house in morning.

Exploding into the backyard, Twilight flew through the doorway, giving her barely enough time to pass through the portal before she leaped into the backyard. The filly slid across the dew covered grass, making it a few feet before she finally managed to slow down.

Unable to hold back her glee a moment longer, the unicorn let out an excited burst of laughter as she breathed deep of the crisp morning air. Doing a slow circle, the filly took in the sights and sounds of her backyard before finally turning to her treehouse and looking up at the structure in all its glory. It stood tall, painted white to resemble Canterlot castle and was complete with a small tower and battlements that rose from one corner of the structure.

With dexterous hooves, the filly climbed up the ladder, making her way into the tree fort and looking around at the pillows, blankets, books and other toys and games that littered the room. Her father had, of course, reinforced the small structure with a few enchantments to make sure the fort was warm and comforting at all times, which meant the filly no longer had to fear the cruel touch of the morning breeze.

Making her way over to the corner, Twilight hopped up another ladder, making her way up to the solitary tower and peeked out through the hole in the top. Staring down at her yard below, Twilight found herself able to see not only her own backyard, but also the yards of her neighbors, and even her neighbor’s neighbors.

The filly watched closely as a small dog zipped around the yard directly behind her own, watching the canine as he chased a rodent scurrying beneath the grass. Twilight chuckled, only looking away when she heard the back door open to reveal a yawning Shining Armor. The colt was clad in his signature cardboard armor and held his cardboard longsword, Foe Ender in one hoof.

“Oh no, the monster is still after me! Save me, Shining Armor!” Twilight called down from the tower.

The colt shook his head and chuckled. “Yeah, yeah. I’m coming.”

Twilight watched her brother trot over to the base of the treehouse before Twilight giggled and climbed back down the ladder and out of the tower. Eagerly hopping from hoof to hoof, Twilight waited until she saw the tip of her brother’s horn peak out over the lip of the entrance before gasping.

“The mean monster is in here, Shining Armor!” she called, scampering back and pretending as though some great creature was in the other corner of the room.

Her brother hoisted himself over the side, sword held in his teeth. Levitating his sword with his magic, the colt looked around dramatically, eyes narrowing as he peered around the room. “Where is it? I don't see it!”

Twilight restrained another giggle before pointing at the corner to her left. “The dragon is right there! See it?”

Shining Armor nodded, his gaze narrowing. “I see the foul creature! Have at you!” The colt swung his cardboard sword at the invisible monster, pretending to grapple with the beast for a few seconds before stumbling back.

“It's too strong!” he shouted.

Twilight pointed a hoof at the creature’s midsection. “It's got a weak spot over its belly!”

The colt’s eyes narrowed. “Good job, Twilight! Hold tight while I slay this foul creature.”

The filly giggled, nodding her head and pretending to hide and watch as Shining Armor dueled with the invisible monster. Shining Armor ducked under a claw swipe before delivering a follow up swipe from his sword, slicing across the dragon’s belly and making it stumble backwards.

“You got it now, Shining Armor!” Twilight yelled.

Shining Armor smirked, flashing his sister a winning smile. “Was there ever any doubt? Now stay back while I defeat this monster once and for all!”

“Watch out, it's using its tail!” Twilight added, pointing to Shining Armor’s right.

The colt jumped in the air, narrowly dodging the tail swipe. “Good eye!”

Lowering the visor on his cardboard helmet, the colt jumped forward, brandishing his sword in a flurry of wild strikes that drove the beast back. Scoring a decent hit on the dragon’s midsection, the creature reared back, hoping to finish things with a-

“Fire breath! Watch out!” Twilight warned.

The colt reacted quickly, putting up a bubble over himself and saving his hide from being scorched by the dragon’s fiery breath. When the dragon’s wrath stopped Twilight hopped forward, punching a hoof at the dragon’s face. “It ran out of breath, now's your chance!”

Shining Armor nodded grimly before dispelling his shield and charging forward, yelling bravely as he plunged his sword into the beast’s belly, making it fall over, utterly defeated. The colt struck a pose, with his sword raised high, one hoof on the imaginary dragon’s belly, and a proud look on his face.

“You did it, Shining Armor!” Twilight giggled. “You saved me!”

“All in a day’s work for the royal guar-” His eyes widened and he turned to his sister, sword pointed directly at her. “Wait, there's another one!”

Twilight blinked, looking around. “I don't see another dragon. Where is it?”

The colt’s sword gleamed in the soft light of the tree house, his armor reflecting the gaze of the sun. “Don't play games with me, monster!” He jabbed his sword forward, narrowly zipping past the filly’s cheek and drawing a thin line of blood that cascaded down the filly’s face.

Stumbling backwards, Twilight reached out to grab her cheek, tears already beginning to form. “B-but, I’m the princess,” she stuttered.

The colt drew his sword back, flicking the blood off and splattering it over the floor beside him. “You aren't fooling anyone! The princess doesn't have glowing eyes or whatever it is that's growing out of you.”

Twilight blinked, summoning a mirror with her magic and finding herself looking not into the normal eyes of her former self, but her glowing orange ones. “N-no. This can't be.” She looked on in horror as two extra scythe like appendages waved menacingly from her back, the flesh around which a strange distortion of her natural purple coupled with grotesque looking green.

“Be silent, creature!” Shining Armor boomed, stepping forward and forcing Twilight back. “You are no princess, the true Twilight is right behind you.”

“N-no. I’m -” Twilight began.

“I’m Twilight Sparkle,” a voice announced.

The monster turned, only to stop and stare in horror as she found herself looking into the eyes of her old, unchanged self. Unblemished by the recent changes Twilight had gone through, this filly stood tall and proud, her cutie mark lacking the orange stars that the monster’s had.

Anger burned hot in the monster’s chest “You are not! I’m Twilight Sparkle!” Or at least that's what she tried to say, unfortunately her voice had become strange, and distorted, as if her vocal cords were not intended to speak Equish.

“Zerlight Swarmle?” Shining Armor recoiled in disgust. “What a truly foul name for a truly foul creature.” He pointed his sword at the monster and smiled confidently. “No matter! I shall defeat you like every other monster that threatens the princess!”

The princess smirked, stepping closer to Shining Armor. “Oh, thank you, Shining Armor,” she whispered huskily, placing the stallion between her and the monster. “I just knew you would save me.”

The monster recoiled as if struck, barely aware of the strange music coming back, only for it to be unable to pierce the terror and confusion that flowed through the monster. “You have to listen! I’m Twilight Sparkle, that thing is actually the monster!” the monster yelled.

Shining Armor chuckled, shaking his head. “You really don't get it, do you? Just look at yourself, you are no princess, you are not even a pony and every second I look at you I become more and more disgusted by what I see.”

Shining Armor raised his shield, the perfectly polished steel reflecting the grim visage of the monster back on herself. “N-no,” the monster sputtered, her glowing eyes going wide at the sight looking back at her.

Thick purple scales covered the monster’s body, the foreleg she had previously broken was now huge, with a massive clawed hand sprouting from the base, replacing her hoof. Stepping backwards, the monster’s jaw hung open, giving her a perfect view of the two rows of serrated teeth now resting in her mouth. “This is wrong! I’m not a monster, she is!” the monster boomed, one of the scythe like appendages on her back pointing at the smirking, normal looking filly standing behind Shining Armor.

The colt shook his head. “Truly you are the most deluded creature I’ve ever met.” He clanged his sword against his shield and stood tall, taking a menacing step forward. “Putting you down would be a mercy.”

The monster continued to back up until finally she ran out of room and her back hit the wall. “P-please, Shining Armor, it's me, your sister,” the monster sputtered, tears crawling down her altered face.

Shining Armor set his jaw and raised his sword. “My sister is right beside me. You are little more than a poor, deluded freak of nature.”

The last thing the monster saw was the gleam of steel as her brother’s sword came down on her, before a pulling sensation suddenly sent her mind reeling. She expected to taste the bite of Shining Armor’s sword but after several terrifying seconds and nothing happening she opened her eyes, all eight of them. The monster blinked several times, taking a second to get used to the extra eyes she had suddenly gained.

A sudden sense of wholeness, pride and worry welled inside her and for a moment she wasn't sure what was happening. Then, the voices returned, this time they were not the tide of guttural sounds like last time, the primal sound being replaced by what seemed like words, but not in any language she had ever heard before. Yet still, even though the monster couldn't tell what they were saying, she seemed to understand what their intentions were.

“Where am I?” the monster muttered, raising one of her forelegs only to recoil when she realized it was a long, four fingered hand that was unlike anything she had seen before. “What the heck?”

The chittering noise increased in volume, evidently becoming more excited by the second and only growing louder as the monster turned and looked out to where the rest of the strange chittering speak came from. Her jaw hung open as she looked down over a small army of strange, mismatched creatures that looked like they came from the deepest depths of her nightmares.

Most were small, strange looking creatures like the ones she had imagined eating Mister Blueblood, but there were also a few taller, more slender creatures that were far larger and far more terrifying among them. They were for the most part a patchwork of green and purple flesh that seemed almost haphazard in appearance, with extra scythe-like limbs and strange appendages she had no names for appearing all over the creatures’ bodies. Yet despite their disturbing nature, the monster felt no fear, indeed she felt almost a sense of pride when she looked down on them, but that feeling was marred by guilt and it took a few seconds for Twilight to understand why.

The creatures’ forms were imperfect for the lack of a better word and were covered in what could only be described as abnormalities. Some of the smaller creatures lacked eyes, or their legs were too short, while others were too long. The taller creatures were stranger still, and were sometimes outright missing arms, or had grossly malformed heads, among many other random and uncomfortable mutations.

A surge of pity welled within the filly and she reached out, caressing the closest creature with one of her strange, four fingered forelimbs. The creature shuddered, chittering happily and rubbing itself against her leg, drawing a smile to the monster’s face. She wasn't sure why, but she felt bad for these creatures, and though she wished she could do something, a part of Twilight knew this was impossible.

“These are your children, aren't they?” Twilight whispered softly, gently rubbing the top of the small four legged creature’s head.

The answer was a short burst of chittering noise that Twilight knew meant yes. “Something went wrong, and they… they are hurting, aren't they?”

Again, the same burst of chittering noise responded, making Twilight sigh. “I’m so sorry.”

Whatever creature she now inhabited didn't seem to notice, and was busily mentally chittering away at someone to her left. Twilight blinked, turning their head towards where she felt the creature was trying to point her. “Who…” Twilight’s jaw hung open, instantly noticing the familiar shape of a pony standing to her left.

Only it wasn't quite as familiar as Twilight first thought as one side of its face was replaced by the same strange features as those of one of the smaller creatures. Purple flesh grew over the normally fuzzy face, replacing the grey fur that usually covered the pony’s features with more of the not quite scale-y substance that covered the strange creatures’ bodies. Its mouth had a mandible over one side of her jaw and a pair of small claws emerged from the pony’s chest. The half pony creature smiled up at her, its one glowing eye looking directly at her while its normal eye was pointed off to the left somewhere. It spoke excitedly, its mouth moving rapidly as it spoke, yet Twilight couldn't hear anything over the sound of the chittering noise coming from all around her.

“What are you saying? I can't hear you,” Twilight muttered, watching closely as the excitable young pony hybrid frowned before flapping its wings and flying up to Twilight’s face.

The pony’s mouth continued to move, yet still Twilight couldn't hear what the pony like creature was saying. Leaning closer and trying to open her ears more, Twilight caught only the scrap of a single sentence. “-Too fast, she's not ready.”

“Not ready for what?” Twilight asked, watching closely as the grey coated pegasus monster reared back in shock, revealing three strange green bubbles that adorned her flank where her cutie mark would be.

Twilight opened her mouth to speak again, wanting desperately to figure out what was going on, only to feel the return of the same pulling sensation that had brought her here. Only this time the feeling came in the reverse. The strange sensation shoved her out of the creature’s mind and back through the void, making Twilight feel as though she were floating in some sort of space between space. For a second the creature she had been inhabiting seemed to reach out, trying to catch Twilight, but the pony fell too far too fast and it was too late. The creature’s efforts were in vain and she was forced to watch as Twilight slipped out of her grasp.

Tumbling through the void, Twilight found herself filled with an immeasurable number of questions, her mind struggling to come to grips with the strange sights she had beheld. Then, just when she began to worry she was trapped in this space between space forever, feeling suddenly returned to the pony and her eyes shot open.

“Wait, what?” Twilight muttered, now finding herself looking up at the ceiling of her room in the castle.

Turning over, Twilight glanced at the clock on her end table which read four twenty-five. The filly flopped back onto her back, her limbs splayed in all directions, her moist blankets clinging to her sweaty body.

“Was it just a nightmare?” Twilight wondered aloud.

The first part was definitely a nightmare, but the second half didn't seem like any dream she had ever had. It was too real, too well detailed, as if she really were inside the head of some enormous creature. Even though a part of her mind was sure that last part was not a dream, she couldn't even begin to imagine how that had happened or where she had been transported. As far as she knew, you couldn't just fly into something else’s head and look through their eyes, no spell or magical item she knew of could do such a thing.

The filly rubbed her eyes and tried to force away images of the nightmare, pretending as though what had just happened, had not. This is crazy! I was not in some monster’s body! Twilight berated herself. That's nuts and impossible!

Feeling a little better about herself, the filly opened her eyes and tossed aside the blankets, making her way over to the bathroom. “Yeah, this is all just stress from the doctor and the…”

She stopped, her gaze having lingered over the mirror and the strange sight therein. For a moment her mind went back to the strange image of the enormous monster she had been in her dream, then it was gone, replaced by her semi-normal glowing eyes.

The filly shook her head, chuckling nervously. “Just a trick of the light. Yeah, that's it.”

Shaking her head, Twilight made her way into the bathroom, poured and drank a cup of water, and turned back to bed. Using her magic, the filly quickly aired out her sheets, using a spell she hadn't had to use since she was young, and hadn't had the bladder control she now had.

With her sheets clean of sweat, the filly slipped beneath them, quickly finding the groove she had made and settled in. After almost a minute of lying there, the filly sighed, pressing a hoof against her forehead. “It was just a dream, you are not going crazy.” She lay there a moment, wondering if she should tell Celestia or her therapist, only to quickly shake her head. “No, they’ll think you lost your marbles and might send you home!”

Twilight turned over, tucking the blanket in closer as she tried to force herself to sleep.

Several minutes later she rolled onto her back, and stared up at the ceiling, her mind entertaining a rather grim possibility. “But what if it did actually happen?”

Author's Notes:

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Dreams and Nightmares

Silver Scalpel was a patient mare by both nature and nurture, her family being almost completely made up of introverts so intent on not conversing that their home could have been confused with a museum. It also took a considerable amount of patience to deal with Velvet Touch, and though Silver never regretted dating the mare, she was beginning to wonder if her little idiosyncrasies were getting worse as time passed. With all that in mind, she was still beginning to run out of patience as she stood outside the throne room, one hoof tapping impatiently as she stared at the door.

She glanced up to the clock above the door, noting that it was now over an hour since Celestia’s last appointment was supposed to be up. Next she cast a look over at the receptionist who sat behind a desk to the right of the door, and noted the way that she absently filed her hoof while blowing a bubble, having evidently not received any new word from Celestia since the last time Silver asked. Silver sighed and rolled her shoulders, working out the stress that had begun to build within the muscles.

The guards certainly didn't help, as they stood there silently, staring straight ahead and hardly even seeming to breathe. They too were unconcerned by the fact that Celestia had spent the last hour in a soundproof bubble, unable to send or receive word. The doctor pressed a hoof to her chest, trying to calm her stubborn heart and assuring herself that this wasn't something to panic over, evidently this had happened before, or else the guards would be more nervous.

Just as she finally began to get ahold of her nerves, the doors opened, revealing two earth ponies wearing the most ridiculously bulky armor she had ever seen, followed by a grave looking Princess Celestia.

The armor was huge and strangely skeletal, covering nearly the entirety of the earth ponies’ bodies with huge metal plates. It also made them taller, nearly as tall as Princess Celestia herself, with large packs on their backs that seemed to connect to the armor. Every step they made was accompanied by the mechanical hiss of some unknown mechanism whirring within. This seemed to be important though, and if Silver Scalpel had to guess, it had something to do with just how massive the suit was, as it no doubt weighed several hundred pounds.

They stopped just outside the door, with the two armored ponies turning slowly to Celestia before flipping up the visors of their helmets, revealing the smiling faces of a brown, square jawed stallion, and a slightly larger blue furred earth pony mare. The male bowed briefly, only to realize that his armor couldn't complete the motion, forcing him to rise once more.

“Thank you, Your Majesty. With this investment your soldiers will be walking tanks!” he declared excitedly.

“And will also enable earth ponies and pegasi alike to serve alongside unicorns,” the mare added, to the annoyance of the two guards whose gaze narrowed at the comment.

“It is my pleasure, you two. I can already tell that great things are going to come of this,” Celestia announced, a small smile gracing her lips.

“I assure you the pleasure is all ours! With your investment in the company we can do so much!” the stallion proclaimed excitedly, only for Celestia to raise a hoof, silencing him.

“One moment, I forgot to mention something,” the alicorn announced.

The mare lifted an eyebrow, casting a sidelong glance at her partner. “Err, what's that, Your Majesty?”

Celestia lit her horn and cast a quick message spell, enabling them to speak without moving their mouths. I’m sorry for this, but I would like to keep your innovations secret until such time that Equestria is… ready, she thought at the pair. Also, keep your expressions solemn and neutral, please.

The armored ponies blinked, sharing a look before looking back at Celestia, the male speaking first, Absolutely, Your Majesty. Though I’m curious as to why you would keep our innovations hidden from the populace. There are so many implications ranging from prosthetics to large scale machinery, to so much more!

Celestia smiled faintly. I have no doubt you are going to do a great many good things. And suffice it to say there are potential elements in my cabinet that may or may not be linked with, ah uh, foreign entity.

The two ponies’ faces grew dark, and the mare nodded somberly. Understood. We will keep this secret and will come directly to you with reports on our progress.

Good, Celestia thought back. With that personal investment you should be able to keep up your rapid pace of innovation and even accelerate your timelines. I don't wish to add too many stipulations, but I must insist that you construct your labs and factories in the fringes.

Again the pair exchanged another look, only this one was of understanding. Anything else, Your Majesty? the male asked.

Yes. Celestia sighed. When you start to see progress, sell your suits and weapons to the militias around the villages first and come back when you need more money, consider this a blank cheque.

Both ponies’ mouths hung open and the male stuttered audibly, trying to speak only to remember the message spell used on him. You can't be serious, I thought this would be enough to keep us going for at least a decade! You've already moved up the timeframe from decades to mere years.

This is far too generous! What would we even do with so much capital? the female added.

Expand your scope. I’ve seen many, many implications for your armor and weapon technologies and I want you to explore them, thoroughly. Also, play along. Celestia’s grim expression was gone, and she lit her horn once more, dismissing the spell, and leaving the two ponies shocked and confused. “I apologize that I cannot fund your projects as much as you would like. I’m afraid they are simply no match for unicorn enchanted armor and combat spells. Though I wish you the best with your, what do you call it, high dro lifts?”

“Uh,” the male gulped, “don't think anything of it, Your Majesty. With this we will at least be able to improve our hydraulic systems, maybe even replace limbs that magic cannot regrow!”

“Fascinating,” Celestia remarked, dismissively. “Now if you will excuse me, I believe I have another appointment.”

“Err, right away, Your Majesty. Sorry for the misunderstanding earlier,” the male offered, sweeping into a slight bow.

One that was quickly followed by the female who bowed as low as her armor would let her. “By your will.”

The two ponies turned and left, expressions dark and gait solemn and slow. When they finally turned the corner and left earshot, Celestia chuckled and wiped her brow. “My apologies, but they were not taking very well to my attempts to get them to leave. I assumed it was best to let them down in a manner that would leave their pride intact.”

The two guards seemed to relax slightly, with the slightly taller one to the right grinning. “Excellent work, Your Majesty. I’m sure there are better things they could be spending their time on.”

“Yes, quite. Though in the future maybe I should consider a less subtle method of communication,” Celestia remarked sadly, only for her expression to perk up when she noticed Silver Scalpel’s presence. “Sorry about the wait, Silver. Please, follow me. I would like to continue this conversation in my study.”

The smaller mare blinked, stepping aside and allowing Celestia to pass. “Of course, Your Majesty. We can speak wherever is most comfortable for you.”

Celestia smiled. “Thank you, Silver Scalpel.”

The alicorn turned and spoke quickly and quietly to her now quite at attention secretary, who nodded eagerly. After a brief, hushed conversation, the secretary bowed slightly, and the alicorn turned and began to walk down a side passage, Silver Scalpel close behind. The mare glanced over her shoulder, noting that the guards and secretary were now breaking the bad news to the last two ponies still waiting in line. Though annoyed, they seemed more tired than anything, and it didn't take long for them to leave.

Silver Scalpel turned back and hurried her pace, forced to run for a few feet in order to catch up with the much longer legged pony. Together they trotted silently through the halls, with Silver attempting conversation a few times, only for it to fizzle almost immediately. Evidently the princess was not in a pleasant mood, though why exactly that was a little beyond the doctor.

Sure she had just come out of a rather awkward encounter with a group of earth pony scientists who didn't seem to take no for an answer or understand subtlety, but beyond that Celestia seemed… tired. It was barely perceivable, the alicorn having a poker face that would make even a golem envious. However Silver Scalpel had been around the princess long enough to be able to spot the hint of something that was bothering her and if it was something stressful enough to make even Celestia seem tired, Silver Scalpel was hesitant to even bring it up.

The pair turned down another corridor after just ascending a final set of stairs, the royal apartments opening up before them. Celestia nodded to the guards to her room, flashing them a small, appreciative smile before stepping inside, followed close by Silver Scalpel, who nodded to the stoic guards.

The door behind them clanged shut, leaving the unicorn alone with a very tired Celestia.

The room they entered was large, and the longer Silver Scalpel looked, the more it felt like a small library rather than something so simple as a study. The unicorn sat down in the same chair she usually sat in, waiting for Celestia who made her way over to a book at random, before pulling it out and revealing that there was a small bottle of brandy hidden behind it. More surprising than that was the fact that the bottle was nothing special, and was little more than one of the cheapest you could buy.

Evidently Celestia didn't seem to mind though and she swiftly placed the book back, sat down, and produced a cup. “Would you like some?” she offered, gesturing to the bottle held aloft in her golden magic.

“No, thank you,” Silver replied quickly.

The alicorn shrugged before pouring herself a tall glass of the stuff and placing the now nearly empty bottle in a drawer. After a sip, Celestia sighed and walked over to the window, glancing out the window while she rolled the liquid around in her simple glass tumbler. “I know why you are here,” she remarked bitterly, her attention held by something outside the window. “It's been over a week since Twilight started getting little to no sleep and this last event worries me as well.”

She sighed, closing the blinds and turning to the desk and taking a seat in the plush high back chair. “But first I would like to hear your retelling of the events as you've heard from Twilight, as well as your own medical opinion.”

Silver Scalpel frowned. “Should I assume that you wish to hear my interpretation of events?”

Celestia nodded. “Yes. I may have been there, but I admit I am not sure what to think of it.”

“Well, one thing you must understand is just how little of this has any real, medical backing.” Silver Scalpel chewed her lip nervously. “What I’m trying to say is this is nearly all speculation. We’re treading on virgin soil when it comes to whatever the hell happened.”

The alicorn smiled. “And that is precisely what I was hoping for.”

Silver sighed, sitting a little straighter. “Alright, so the way I see it Twilight-”

Twilight’s horn glowed brightly, her face twisted into a mask of barely contained frustration. Yet despite her body screaming out for her to stop, she pushed on, raising her head a little higher and pushing more power into her horn.

Celestia stood nearby, ready to turn on the magic dampeners at a moment’s notice. The filly continued to strain herself, trying to reach the magical output necessary to complete the spell. Only to find that no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't seem to do it, prompting Celestia to worry for her health.

“Twilight, please release the spell and allow it to fizzle,” she commanded, taking a step forward.

The filly shook her head, the deep circles under her eyes becoming more apparent under the intense glow of her own magic. “I can do this, just give me another minute.”

Celestia’s frown deepened, and she glanced nervously to the switch that would end this charade, then back to the filly. She knew that Twilight should be able to cast this spell, the filly knew all the practical parts of the spell, and had nailed the theory, as well as what little math such a spell had, yet there was something missing. A diagnostic spell told the princess that her student lacked the connection necessary to channel enough magic, as if there was a bottleneck somewhere in her system that made such channelling impossible.

Evidently their resistance training needed to be continued if she was going to have any hope of casting the relatively simple, yet mana intensive continuous flame spell. “Alright, Twilight, let it go,” Celestia remarked sadly, taking a step forward. “We can keep working on the resistance training for a few more days before trying again.”

“I can do this, I just have to- hrng.” The filly grunted, her legs just about buckling under her.

“Twilight, stop!” Celestia commanded, her magic already reaching out to the switch that would turn off not only the filly’s magic but all magic in the room. “You need to let it go, now!”

“I can do this!” the filly yelled, her horn glowing brighter than ever. “Just a little bit more!”

The alicorn gripped the switch, intent on shutting down the filly’s magic through force, yet even her lightning fast reaction wasn't enough. In the time it took for her to activate her magic and begin to engage the field, the filly’s magic flared, and a resounding crack filled the room.

Fearing the worst, Celestia cranked up the field, shutting down any magic, and possibly even the filly’s flare. Yet where she expected to see a flaring corona of magic, there was nothing, the filly having collapsed into a heap, her horn cracked and smoking, her eyes closed and her body still.

“At this point I assumed her horn cracked, but imaging and diagnostics spells have come up with nothing to back up this claim,” Silver Scalpel remarked. “During my interview with the filly she was more disappointed that she initially failed, and remarked that the traumatic event was little more than a sudden bout of narcolepsy due to her poor sleeping habit.”

Celestia placed the empty glass down on the table and eyed the other mare curiously. “Is that all she said?”

“Well, she did say you were really soft, and that you smelt a lot like her own mother, only super duper strong, and I quote, was trying to squeeze the life out of her.” The doctor chuckled. “I know it sounded traumatic, but surely it couldn't have been that strange. I mean she's fine now, better than fine really. She was so proud that she could cast the spell that she nearly lit my ceiling on fire.”

“You need to hear the more complete series of events before you can make that judgement. But first, did you measure her horn?” Celestia asked, leaning closer.

“I er…” The doctor paused. “No, I did not. Should I have?”

“I am not surprised that you didn't. I wouldn't have expected such a thing normally, but if you had you would have been surprised by what you found.” Celestia leaned back in her chair, her gaze staring off into space. “It grew, you know. More than that it also got a little sharper.”

The doctor raised an eyebrow. “But how? Horn growth takes many months. It shouldn't be possible to grow over a period of minutes or even days for that matter.”

“I think I should finish explaining what happened. You’ll understand better once you hear the entire story.” Celestia sighed, leaning back in her chair and staring up into the ceiling. “Things are more or less as you’ve heard so far, with the exception being-”

As she lay there in my forelegs I feared the worst, I checked her pulse, ran spells, and was about to use healing magic before I remembered the damage that may occur from using healing magic on a broken bone, or worse, a horn. I barely managed to stop myself, and was just about to carry her to the nearest doctor when I noticed something strange.

It was… horrifying to say the least.

Her horn… moved. I don't know how to explain it but at the base of her skull suddenly became alive, as if there were snakes writhing mere milimetres beneath her flesh. They squirmed up her head, focusing around her horn before climbing up it, the keratin shifting and morphing as if it was being remade before my very eyes.

A part of me wanted to stop it, wanted to try and hold off whatever it was that was happening, but then I remembered that the parasite seemed to do everything it could to help the filly. So I just stood there, watching as her horn shifted and moved, the snake like appendages beneath her horn restructuring it in a few minutes.

As time passed the cracks seemed to vanish and the horn was pushed back together, before filling with keratin once more, healing the crack completely. The entire process took only a few minutes, and by the end of it I was left shocked by just how complete it was.

If a pony doctor had attempted something like that either through magic or by traditional surgery Twilight would have been in for months of recovery before her years of magical therapy could even begin. Yet when it was over and done with, her horn looked new, and was, in fact, better than new.

I am no expert, that much is obvious, but I have been able to learn a few things over my many long years. An accident like that should leave scars, damage, yet this parasite seemed to not only heal the damage, but actually helped Twilight grow stronger.

Did you know that there are minotaur warriors that break their fingers in order to prompt additional bone growth? They do so in order to hit harder without having to worry if their hands are going to break under the impact. It's crude to say the least, but it's hard to argue with the results.

This is the closest I can compare Twilight’s startling change to.

After that I used every diagnostic spell I knew, trying everything I could think of in order to figure out what had happened. I was left even more confused than I had been moments earlier, as not only was her horn longer, and sharper, but her connections were improved, substantially at that.

The closest I can reason is that the parasite learned more about Twilight’s horn through the break, and was able to both improve and heal her through this accident.

Celestia sighed, and shook her head. “If I did not know any better, I would say that this parasite acts more like a sentient being than the primitive intelligence I once assumed it had.”

Silver Scalpel blinked. “I…” She paused. “I think we are giving this thing too much credit, it could be a reactive response to damage to the host. This would explain why her bones have become so much stronger after she broke her leg.”

“It's possible,” Celestia concluded. “Forgive an old mare for her musings. I have too much time to think and too few ponies to bounce ideas off.”

The younger mare leaned forward in her chair. “Did anything else happen after that? How was she after she woke back up?”

“Fine. She was more confused than anything,” Celestia remarked. “She even mentioned that she felt more well rested than she had in the past few days.” The alicorn sighed tiredly. “After that I made her promise to stop before such a thing could happen again. After that I determined her horn was fully healed and she cast the spell without trouble. As if she had been casting it for years without issue.”

“That is… baffling,” Silver Scalpel remarked, tapping her chin, her mind a million miles elsewhere.

“It makes me wonder if we ponies have the knowhow to even deal with whatever this thing is.” Celestia frowned. “Something like this must exist in greater number somewhere. There are no species of one and I shudder to think what these parasites could do if they had the inclination for evil.”

The younger mare blinked. “And infecting fillies is not evil?”

“All it's done so far is heal her and though it might be possible that it hurt her magical conduits to begin with, it more than made up for this shortfall,” Celestia explained, her expression becoming more and more strained by the second. “Have you had any luck finding a way to fight this… thing?”

“No.” Silver sighed, running a hoof down her face. “All the samples we have of it seem to be resistant to well… everything. Fire is really the only thing that seems to have a modicum of success in destroying it, but even then it has to be exceptionally hot.”

The doctor stood suddenly. “We have to tell ponies about this.”

“It would cause a panic,” Celestia remarked dismissively. “I would love to be able to tell the general population about the potential harm but what good would that do if we don't have any idea how to possibly counteract it?”

The doctor fell back into her chair and sighed. “I suppose you are right. I mean, we don't even know how it is able to reproduce, it might be airborne for all we know.”

“That is a… terrifying possibility,” Celestia admitted, her face growing tight as she thought of the potential implications. “All I know is that the charms have detected nothing this entire time.”

The two ponies shared a collective sigh, sitting back in their chairs and becoming lost in their own worlds. Eventually Celestia sighed and gave her head a slow shake. “On an unrelated note, has Twilight been able to give an explanation on the creature she drew a few weeks ago?”

Silver Scalpel blinked. “I don't think so, why?”

“Mere curiosity, I assure you.” Celestia smiled. “The mind of a child is a strange and wondrous thing. I’m sure it was merely from some nightmare of hers.”

“I will make sure to check back in with Velvet Touch tonight and inquire on this subject.”

“Don't bother.” Celestia waved her hoof. “I’ll just dig out the report on the subject, no reason to worry yourself.” The alicorn blinked and looked up at the clock. “Speaking of which, I should let you go, it's getting rather late.”

Silver Scalpel followed the alicorn’s gaze, her eyes going wide when she noticed the time. “Velvet is going to be so pissed.” The mare stood quickly, only to be stopped by the golden glow of Celestia’s magic.

“Thank you again by the way.” The alicorn chuckled. “And if you get in trouble, you have my permission to blame me.”

The younger mare chuckled, ducking into a brief bow. “You are far too generous, Your Majesty.”

“Good evening, Silver Scalpel.”

“And to you as well.”

Celestia watched the mare turn and leave, closing the door behind her and vanishing, leaving the alicorn alone in the silent room.

With a swift motion the mare locked the door and activated her wards, ensuring her privacy was complete before she began to dig through the files on her desk. Finally locating the one she was looking for, she hesitated a moment, her hoof mere millimeters over the lip of the file, doubt clouding her mind. It didn't last long though, and the alicorn brushed aside such notions, determined to see this through.

Flipping through a few papers, she picked back up where she had left off, tossing aside the sticky note she had used as a bookmark.

The sightings have grown more common over the last week or so, as if something has riled them up. My commanding officer does not agree with this sentiment, but I remain convinced that something has changed. Regardless, no one has been injured, and other than a few ponies that remain missing, no damage has been done save for some cattle that haven't turned up yet. Though this is possibly due to the increased timberwolf activity over the last month.

Attached is private Quill Stroke’s impression of the only creature he supposedly caught a glimpse of.

Brass is still telling us this is little more than wild boars, but that doesn't look like any boar I’ve ever seen.

Captain Steel Shod.

Celestia sighed, picking up the picture that Twilight drew and laying it next to the one attached to the most recent report. Her gaze lingered on the papers for a moment longer, her conclusions all but unavoidable at this point.

“What in the hell is going on?” she whispered.

Author's Notes:

(updated with better grammer and spelling)

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Time Now Passed

Twilight sighed, her gaze lingering on the ceiling as she lay on her back, limbs splayed in all directions. The pillow beneath her head was soft, warm and had just the right amount of support. The blanket that lay spread across her body had just enough weight to it while still being extremely comfortable. Yet despite all the comforts of the room and her bed, it wasn't enough, and for the second night in a row she knew she was going to go without sleep.

Sure, there was a small part of her that had grown strangely used to not sleeping or only getting in short naps, but in the end it still sucked. No matter how much she got used to it.

The filly groaned and rubbed her hooves against her eyes, only to stop when she pulled them back, noticing that her forehooves were lit by the strange orange glow coming from her eyes. Stupid eyes, she thought to herself, cursing her strangeness for the upteenth time in the last hour or so.

Her life had been so normal until right before her test, now she was a freak with glowing eyeballs and no friends. Everypony she met seemed to treat her as though she was either infectious or was three seconds from biting their head off. Only Celestia and Bull seemed to treat her as the filly she was, as even her parents had grown a little distant. She had only noticed it the last time they had visited when Twilight caught her father staring at her horn.

She had a bit of a growth spurt, it wasn't that big of a deal. Or at least that's what Twilight thought. Her father seemed to eye her with a mix of pity and concern while her mother seemed to look at her with what could only be described as fear.

The filly sighed and rolled over. Glowing eyes aren't that strange, right? It wasn't the weirdest thing Twilight had ever seen or heard about, yet everyone seemed to freak out whenever she looked at them.

I hope Princess Celestia finds a cure soon, she thought to herself.

Twilight closed her eyes and tried to drift off to sleep, but her thoughts seemed stuck on Celestia for a strange reason. The longer Twilight thought about it, the more she realized just how strange her life had gotten over the last three months.

She had ended her summer break at the end of July, only to become the princess’ personal pupil. After that she moved into a literal castle, got a giant new room, a whole ton of stuff, and then there were the lessons themselves!

Twilight had always considered herself a fast learner, but over the past three months she felt as though she had learned more than in the last three years combined. She knew dozens more spells, was stronger than ever, and could even manipulate more objects at once than Shining Armor!

Sure, things were weird, her horn was a little longer, her eyeballs were glowing, and she seemed to have gained a knack for finding trouble, but throughout it all she knew Celestia was there for her. The kind old mare had taken the filly in without a second thought, and Twilight hesitated to even consider a life without the alicorn’s presence.

Never in her wildest dreams had Twilight dared to believe that the princess could be so perfect. It was like she had gained a second mother.

The filly’s blushing face was promptly buried in her pillow and she groaned audibly. “I can't believe I almost called her mom the other day. What was I thinking?” she muttered.

With a soft sigh, the filly lay still, her mind wandering as she tried to think of anything other than that incredibly embarrassing moment that had nearly happened.

Unfortunately that led her towards the rather unpleasant memory of when Celestia had nearly nodded off the last time Twilight had given an oral report.

Come to think of it, the alicorn was looking even more tired than usual.

Twilight hadn't noticed it at first, but now that she thought about it, it made sense. The alicorn seemed stressed, and Twilight was fairly certain she hadn't been getting much sleep lately. By now her thoughts and worries were so compounded that she knew she would find no sleep this night.

With a long, tired sigh, she rolled onto her side, cast off the blanket and slipped out of bed.

The floor was warm, the heating ward placed on it ensuring that even during the middle of the night it was of a pleasant temperature. Twilight didn't have time to marvel over the small comforts she now enjoyed, instead she trotted over to the window and stared out over the city.

The dark shapes of the night guards were little more than specks, save for the few pegasi she could see making the rounds several stories up. The rest of Canterlot looked so small, and insignificant from up here. It was almost enough to make the filly swell with wonder, but her exhaustion sapped such enthusiasm before it could even reach the surface.

She looked up, noticing that the sun was just behind the horizon, the first rays of morning reaching out and touching the clouds, but not quite the earth. In this strange light, the world looked almost picturesque, with a few orange leaves floating through the air and catching the odd ray.

The filly blinked, only to sigh when she remembered that fall had started not long ago. Even though Twilight remembered vividly all the hustle and bustle as the weather team got to work, she could not for the life of her seem to remember time in between. Everything seemed to be passing her by so quickly, it felt as though it had only been yesterday that Celestia had pointed out that it was the first day of fall, and already the season was in full swing.

“Augh.” Twilight groaned, pressing her face into the glass and staring out over the city.

Lack of sleep had already made her irritable and lazy and now it had apparently managed to rob her of her very perception of time.

The filly pulled back and gave her head a shake, she may not be getting any sleep tonight, or this morning, but she refused to waste her time on feeling bad for herself. Celestia had wizened up over the last month and a half and had begun to give her more homework and self-guided studies, something Twilight wanted to get a head on before the field trip Celestia was taking her on.

Twilight shuddered, thinking about all the other fillies and colts that will also be on the field trip. The alicorn had been insistent that Twilight start taking more classes with other foals her age, and had ruled this field trip as the best way to introduce her to the class.

No matter how much whining, pleading, and begging Twilight did.

The filly turned and walked to the door, silently wondering if she was going to be lucky enough to find someone willing to give her some coffee. She couldn't help but lick her lips at the thought, her mind already turning with ideas of what she would do with her newfound energy.

I wonder where we will be going for this field trip, I hope it's that new museum that opened up in west Canterlot, Twilight thought to herself, her smile beginning to grow.

Hooves clattered against stone, and an ancient alicorn that had witnessed the breadth of ages pass her by, stumbled and fell. Only a hoof against the door jam held her somewhat upright, her breath coming in labored gasps. She cursed her weakness, her frail body, and above all, her complete inadequacy.

Luna had been a hundred times the dream whisperer she was, a comparison that was only growing more and more apparent the longer Celestia spent singing to her subjects and hoping against hope that this would be the time that it would work. Yet once more the alicorn had sacrificed her sanity and slumber for a futile attempt at assuaging the nightmares that plagued her populace.

“What a waste,” she whispered, head hung low in defeat, tears already beginning to form at the edges of her vision.

Her grip suddenly vanished entirely, leaving the alicorn sprawled out on the floor, as helpless as a babe.

As the tears began to crawl down her cheeks, Celestia reached up and grabbed at the door jam, trying to find purchase in order to heft her hooves under her. Just as she thought she had it, and began to pick herself back up, she slipped once more, landing back in the same heap she had nearly crawled out of.

“Look at you,” Celestia remarked wryly, “lying on the floor like you've just learned to walk.”

The alicorn let her head fall to the ground, the weight of her responsibilities carrying her to the floor and holding her down, forcing her to embrace the cool stone.

“A millennia of plans, of ensuring for every eventuality only to be undone by a chance encounter by a thing from beyond the stars.” The alicorn chuckled darkly even as the tears continued to roll down her face, smearing the makeup she had ironically applied to hide the dark circles that clung to the underside of her eyes. “What's your plan this time, Celestia?”

“Lay on the floor and talk to yourself until you finally lose it completely?” She sighed. “And to think, I found the elements, their bearers and even coerced harmony itself to ensure things came together in just such a manner that you would finally be free.”

“But now two are nearly lost to loneliness and isolation while another is no longer connecting with her very element.” The mare sniffed. “And that's not even including Twilight…” Celestia sniffed harder, her trickle of tears threatening to turn into a river. “Poor, poor Twilight. What hope do I have against a plague from beyond the very stars?”

For several long minutes she lay there, wallowing in self-loathing and crying silently, the cool sensation of the stone floor being her only company.

“I will not be undone by fear before I have even had a chance at failing,” she announced suddenly, using her magic, the alicorn wiped away her tears. “If fate wishes to throw me a curve ball, I will not lay here without even giving a swing.”

Pushing her hooves under her, the alicorn stood on shaky limbs, her jaw clenched tight as she fought against her own weakness. With one last heave, she was standing once more, her weakness slowly being replaced by determination born of pure, unrelenting stubbornness.

“Breathe, Celestia, just breathe.” The alicorn closed her eyes and focused on the simple act of breathing and forcing out all other thought of failure and fear.

With a final breathe, the mare opened her eyes and lit her horn, feeling the familiar tug of the sun as it waited patiently below the horizon. With a small burst of magic, the alicorn completed the familiar spell, giving the sun all the encouragement it needed to begin its ponderous journey across the sky, while simultaneously putting away the petulant moon which had stubburly tried to cling to the sky.

With victory came relief, which in turn felt like a splash of cold water across the mare’s face, startling her out of her own internal problems and once more reminding the alicorn of her greater place in the world. “Get moving, Celestia,” she chided herself.

Putting a hoof in front of the other, Celestia trotted into the centre of the room, confidence surging with every consecutively less shaky step. A quick spark of magic told her that she had only a few hours left before she would have to pick up Twilight and meet up with the class. Which should be just enough time to get a power nap, or at least to make some very powerful coffee.

After one last deep breath, the alicorn straightened her spine and forced a smile to her lips. With that same smile on her face, the alicorn lit her horn, and tried not to think about how terrible she must look right now.

Twilight groaned, glancing nervously between Celestia’s legs and sneaking a glance at the small group of fillies and colts waiting around a statue of some unicorn noble Twilight didn't care enough about to know anything on. “Do we have to do this? Can't I just read about the places on this field trip?”

Celestia sighed, and looked down at the filly using one of her legs as a shield. “Twilight, you cannot remain a recluse forever. Plus didn't you say you wanted to see that new museum of…” The alicorn scratched her head. “Pegasus history?”

The filly rolled her eyes. “It's a museum dedicated to the Highwind wars.”

“Exactly. See, I remembered.”

Twilight shook her head, dodging behind the alicorn’s leg when a curious filly glanced in their direction. “So are we going to go back to the castle or what?” Twilight asked pleadingly, looking up at the alicorn with big, watery eyes.

“She's in the middle of a lecture, it would be rude to interrupt, don't you think?” Celestia asked, smiling down at the nervous filly.

“I guess,” Twilight muttered.

Together the pair stood silently, waiting for the yellow and orange unicorn teacher to finish her lecture on the statue, though most of that fell on deaf ears as the majority of the students were already staring at the alicorn that stood a dozen feet away. Twilight rolled her eyes, wondering what the point of waiting was, if they were already distracted. Thankfully she didn't have to wait much longer as the mare finished her lecture and turned towards them.

“And today we will be having two very special guests joining our field trip,” Busy Bee announced excitedly, raising a hoof towards the pair and smiling widely. “Please give a warm middle Canterlot welcome to Princess Celestia and Twilight Sparkle.”

The colts and fillies clopped their hooves in admiration, though most of them merely stood there quietly, either still stunned, or bored with very few falling between the two extremes. Celestia strode forward, smiling down at the class with her usual serene expression. “I hope you don't mind me and my student joining you for your field trip.”

“No way!” one student yelled.

Busy Bee chuckled. “I’m sure that's fine, right kids?”

A chorus of agreement answered the teacher’s question.

“Why thank you.” Celestia smiled, gently pushing Twilight out from between her legs. “Go on, Twilight. Don't worry, I’ll be right here.”

The filly blinked, looking from the alicorn to the foals and back again. “I’m not getting out of this, am I?”

“Nope.” Celestia smirked. “So you'd better make the most of it.”

Twilight sighed and walked over to the group, taking a spot next to a group of fillies, who instantly began a hushed conversation, occasionally glancing in Twilight’s direction. Sighing to herself, Twilight picked up her hooves and began to follow the group, not even hearing the brief description Busy Bee gave of their next location.

Giving Celestia a final glance, Twilight fell into line with the rest of the class, desperately trying to bring as little attention to herself as possible.

The next location was a lot like the first, another statue, another plaque, another story that went along with it. Unfortunately this one she actually knew, leaving her bored, and anxious in the midst of so many other ponies.

“What school do you go to?” avoice asked, startling Twilight.

“What?” Twilight squeaked, spinning around to find a short, brown and white mottled earth pony looking at her.

“What school do you go to?” the colt repeated, cocking his head. “Do you speak Equestrian?”

“It's actually called Equish, and yes, I speak it.” Twilight frowned. “And I don't go to any school, Celestia teaches me.”

“Wooow,” the colt muttered, mouth agape. “That's so cool. I bet you know like tons of spells and stuff, right?”

“Not to brag, but I know sixty-seven spells,” Twilight announced, a hint of pride worming into her voice.

The earth pony cocked his head. “Is that a lot?”

Twilight slumped. “Yeah.”

“Cool.” The colt smiled, only to blink, and slap a hoof to his face. “Oh my bad, I forgot to introduce myself, I’m Mouse Trap.”

“Twilight Sparkle.” The filly extended her hoof and clopped it against the colt’s.

“Yeah, I remember.”

“Right.” Twilight rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly.

A glance over at the teacher told her that she was not anywhere near the end of her lecture, drawing a sigh to her lips. What do I even say? Should I just walk away? Twilight blinked, looking at the smiling colt and then back to the teacher.

Without any clear idea what to do, Twilight turned away awkwardly, trying to pay attention to the teacher. That was interrupted when she felt the presence of Celestia, who had walked up next to them and was now leaning down. “Ask him what his favorite book is,” she whispered.

Twilight looked up at her teacher in confusion. “Shouldn't I pay attention to Miss Busy?”

Celestia shrugged, a coy smirk on her lips. “We both know you've read all about May Weather and her many exploits, now go on, ask him.”

Twilight looked back to the strange colt and smiled awkwardly. “Hey uh, do you like to read?”

The colt shrugged. “Not really, just Daring Do and stuff.”

The filly’s eyes lit up, drawing a bemused expression from Mouse Trap. “Which one is your favorite?”

“Hmmm.” The colt tapped his chin. “Daring Do and the Temple of Doom is pretty awesome, but so is Cloudstone Curio.” He shrugged. “I guess both of them, what about you?”

“Temple of Doom is pretty cool, but my favorite is definitely Daring Do and the Crystal Skull!” Twilight smiled widely, forgetting about her enlarged canines and earning her a shocked expression from the formerly friendly colt.

“I, uh...” He gulped, unable to pull his eyes from the filly’s sharp teeth.

Twilight blinked, only now realizing what he was looking at. “S-sorry.”

“Augh, isn't that the one with the aliens?” Twilight turned to the source of the disgusted voice, and found that it belonged to a purple filly with a long white mane.

“Yeah, so?” Twilight asked defensively, looking around for Celestia, only to notice that she was distracted by a small group of colts all peppering her with questions.

“That is so dumb.” The filly scoffed. “Everypony knows aliens aren't real.”

“Yeah,” asecond filly added with a smirk. “Only dumb earth ponies believe stuff like that.”

“Hey!” Mouse Trap yelled.

“That's not very nice,” Twilight added, taking a nervous step back and looking around for the teacher.

The first filly rolled her eyes. “Who cares what some freak thinks.”

Twilight gulped, desperately searching for anyone capable of pulling her out of the awkward situation she seemed to have found herself in. A gentle hoof against her shoulder seemed to ease her worries, and she didn't even have to look up to know who was there.

Celestia leaned down, a smirk on her lips. “How do you know there aren't aliens here already?”

The two fillies exchanged a confused glance, the second shaking her head while the first seemed unconvinced, and took a step forward. “My daddy says aliens aren't real and that's just an excuse dumb farmers make to explain crop circles.”

Celestia rolled her eyes. “And what if I told you it wasn't an excuse?”

The first filly gulped, her eyes going wide. “Is there really aliens?”

The alicorn shared a wry smile with Mouse Trap and Twilight. “Aliens landing on our planet would be incredibly unlikely...” Her smirk grew and she suddenly leaned in close, whispering to the two fillies. “But not impossible. Isn't that right, Twilight?”

Twilight blinked, looking up at Celestia she was about to speak, only to be interrupted by the unspoken words of the alicorn. I wonder if this kid is related to Sergeant Bull Shot? That would explain the mane, and the poor attitude. Twilight blinked, shaking her head.

“Right, Twilight?” Celestia asked again, concern evident in her voice.

“Errr… Daring Do fought ancient crusader ponies that somehow became immortal. Nevermind that whole story when she fought a nightmare.” Twilight shrugged. “Aliens don't seem that farfetched.”

Both fillies blinked, with the first one opening her mouth to speak, only to stop. “I… never really thought of it like that.”

“Ha.” Mouse Trap chuckled. “Who's dumb now?”

Celestia placed a hoof on the colt’s shoulder. “There's no reason to be like that. We’re all just having fun, right girls?”

All three fillies nodded, with Twilight beginning to smile.

“Now then, you better listen to what Miss Busy Bee has to say,” Celestia remarked

“Yes, Princess Celestia,” the two fillies droned.

Twilight smiled up at her teacher, who in turn leaned down and whispered in the filly’s ear, “I’m going to talk to Busy Bee, let me know if you need anything, okay?”

Twilight nodded. “Okay.”

Celestia smiled and ruffled the filly’s mane. “Keep out of trouble.”

The filly pouted and ran a hoof through her mane, trying to fix the damage her teacher had wrought, not even noticing the smile that slowly grew across her face.

Author's Notes:

(Updated for better grammer and spelling)

Want to see stories like this before anyone else and get access to secret patron only stories, early releases for patreon supporters aaand other goodies? Drop just three bucks on my patreon and join the early release club!

Join me over on patreon and get instant access to exclusive content and early looks at new stories, patreon only stories and other great stuff! Check it out!
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Mistakes

Velvet Touch sat at her desk, her hoof tapping rhythmically on the open notebook lying before her. Notes of all kind lay spread out across the desk, distributed into piles that only had meaning to the tired mare. After staring at the spread of words and paper for what felt like a small eternity, Velvet Touch gave up and sighed, grabbing her coffee cup and drinking deeply of the sludge-like drink.

After polishing off the last of the long-cold beverage, she set the cup aside, focusing intently once more on the puzzle laid out before her. “What are you hiding?” she muttered to herself.

The filly’s mental state was obviously frayed, and had become worse over time, most likely due to her decreased sleep, yet that wasn't what had Velvet so confused. What disturbed her and had made her grow increasingly paranoid was the possibility that the filly was somehow reading her mind, or had gained some sort of bizarre mind power. Picking up one of the notes, she read it over again, her face growing tight as she recounted Bull’s explanation of the strange game they now played regularly.

Though this in itself wasn't overly concerning, it was the fact that Twilight had grown increasingly good at it that drew the psychologist’s attention. Over the last week she had grown out from her vague guesses that only sometimes hit their mark and had begun to somehow gleam details that no one had told her.

With a sigh, the mare glanced up at the clock and noted that she only had a few minutes before her next appointment, and knowing well how early Twilight liked to be, began gathering up her notes in preparation for the filly’s appearance. With swiftness born of constant repetition, the unicorn gathered her papers and deposited them into the ever-growing folder labeled ‘Twilight Sparkle’, putting it in the small filing cabinet next to her desk, between the folders for every guard and every non-guard personnel the filly had interacted with. Velvet Touch dumped her coffee cup in the garbage, stood up and looked around the room, rather enjoying her new digs. Her new office was large, big enough to also contain the sitting area that she used to interview her subjects.

Which made sense she supposed, as the powerful privacy spells placed on this room were no simple cantrips, and Celestia was a surprisingly frugal mare. With that in mind Velvet Touch was forced to admit that it was nice to know that nothing short of an alicorn could pierce the protective wards now placed on her office, but it was also disconcerting. She was in charge of keeping an eye on everyone who interacted with the filly, up to, but not including the princess herself. Which made the target on her back grow to the point that the wards were an apparent necessity, a realization that made the mare uneasy whenever she thought about it.

Shaking her head, the psychologist turned and using her magic, filled the bowl of candy that sat between her chair and the lounging couch that rested on the other side.

Just as the last piece of candy landed in the bowl, a knock came from the door.

“Come in,” Velvet Touch yelled, already forcing down a sliver of worry that wormed into her thoughts.

The nose of a curious purple filly poked through the open door, peering intently within, followed closely by the rest of the young mare who was wearing a comically large pair of blackout sunglasses. Stepping into the room, the filly walked nervously forward, waving her hoof in front of her as if she could hardly see where she was going. “Hello, Miss Touch,” Twilight greeted.

“Hello, Twilight. How are you today?” Velvet Touch asked, watching closely as the filly stumbled over to the couch and tentatively climbed up.

“I’m fine, I guess. You?” the filly mumbled, her hoof blindly searching for the chocolate bowl at the centre of the table.

Lighting her horn, Velvet Touch gently placed the chocolate into Twilight’s waiting hoof. She in turn greedily pulled it back, discarded the wrapper and popped it into her mouth, only relaxing after the chocolate began to melt in her mouth. “I’m alright I suppose. The weather could be better, I’m getting tired of these dreary, rainy days,” Velvet Touch commented idly, grabbing a chocolate for herself.

The filly munched quietly, chewing and swallowing the candy with gusto. “Celestia says it's necessary to keep all the gardens and the mountain watered without risking the chance of a mudslide or flood.” The filly frowned, crossing her hooves over her chest. “I just wish it could just rain already so the clouds can stop hiding the sun.”

Velvet chuckled. “True enough.”

The psychologist turned and grabbed her notebook from the table in addition to her pen. “Now then,” she began, “may I ask why you are wearing such thick glasses?”

“You may,” Twilight replied with a snicker.

Velvet Touch blinked, only to laugh. Appears to still have a sense of humour, though this may be a coping technique. “In that case, why are you wearing such thick glasses?”

The filly pressed her hooves together nervously. “Celestia is making me some eyeglasses that change my eyes and teeth to make me look normal, but they aren't done yet. So in the meantime I got these.”

Velvet nodded solemnly, making a note of this most recent development. “Do you feel like this would help you fit in better?” she asked.

Twilight hesitated once more, a hoof going up to the large sunglasses resting on the end of her nose. “I hope so. Everypony seems so scared of me at first. Maybe if I didn't look so weird I could make some friends…” the filly trailed off, twiddling her hooves.

“What happened to that friend you talked about last time? Mouse something?”

The filly smiled faintly, her hooves stopping their nervous movement. “He's nice, but he lives across town. We exchange letters every few days.”

“See? You can make friends even while you look the way you do.” Velvet smiled. “Why don't you take them off? It's just me and you here.”

Twilight shrunk in on herself, a shaky hoof reaching up to her glasses and gripping them tightly. Then, after a second of hesitation, she took them off, opening her eyes to reveal the same strange orange glow they always had. “Is this okay?” she asked cautiously.

Velvet nodded. “Yes.” She leaned forward suddenly, steepling her hooves. “I must ask though, Twilight. Do you plan on wearing those glasses all the time whenever Celestia finishes them?”

The filly stared down at the dark glasses she held in her hooves. “I don't know,” she whispered.

“Do you think it's a good idea to hide who you are?” Velvet asked pointedly.

The filly shrunk even more. “I don't wanna talk about it.”

Velvet Touch sighed, sitting back in her chair and making a quick note. Her logical side told her that this was a habit that was fundamentally unhealthy, something to be disassembled piece by piece. Her emotional side however, knew better than to push too hard too quickly, forcing her to rethink her plans. “How have things been going with Spike? I hear he's doing a lot better now that you're visiting him every few days. I’m sure the nurses appreciate everything you've done.”

Twilight nodded, the small smile returning to her features when she thought of the baby dragon. “Yeah, he was just misunderstood. The nurses were doing a good job but they were just missing a few things.” Her small smile grew, becoming more prideful. “Now that they both understand one another, I bet they will get along perfectly.”

“I sure hope so,” Velvet remarked, quickly adding a few notes to her book. “How were you able to understand him anyway? Even the nurse who understands dragon didn't seem to know what he was saying.”

The filly shrugged. “I dunno. It just feels like there is a flavor to his words, like a meaning or something that is just underneath.”

“Interesting.” Velvet added another line before placing the notebook down on the table. “Do you enjoy spending so much time with Spike?”

Twilight nodded enthusiastically. “Oh yes. He's a very smart little dragon, and I just know he's going to be a big help once he grows up.”

“Oh? Are you planning on having him help you with your studies? He is only a baby, you know,” Velvet pointed out.

“I know.” Twilight pouted, crossing her hooves over her chest. “Dragons grow up quickly, and I’m going to need an assistant if I’m going to keep studying under Celestia.”

“Do you think he would like to help you with your studies?” Velvet asked, peering down her nose at the filly, watching as the young mare squirmed under the question and its implications.

“Kind of?” The filly frowned. “It's just, he's so smart and I just know he wants to help me with stuff. Like yesterday! He tried to open the door for me, but he was too small, and got upset when I tried to do it for him.” The frown suddenly vanished and the filly giggled. “You should have seen him trying to push the door with his tiny little fingers.”

Velvet Touch smiled as well, her worry that this desire to help was being pushed on the dragon going up in smoke. “That's good to hear. It's nice to have a friend who likes to help out, just remember to always thank them and to not get too reliant on their help.”

Twilight nodded dutifully. “Yes, Miss Touch.”

“Good.” The psychologist grabbed her notebook and cracked it open. “Now then. How are your… studies going? I heard from Celestia that you are keeping on top of your homework and that your self-guided studies have been going well.”

Twilight nodded. “Yup! It's been nice to have the time to go and explore the library by myself.”

“I thought Bull was joining you,” Velvet interrupted.

The filly shrugged. “I mean I guess she's there but she mostly just hangs out at the librarian’s desk, hitting on the librarian stallion.” Twilight stuck out her tongue and faked a gag.

Velvet Touch chuckled, shaking her head. “What have you been reading about?”

“Oh all sorts of things,” Twilight began, her eyes lighting up. “I read about the Griffon Wars of Succession, the Broken Peak crisis, the borderlands. I just wish there was more material about the fringes and what lies beyond.”

“That's the area to the far east of Equestria, right?” Velvet asked.

Twilight nodded. “Uh huh. They aren't that far away geographically, but with the badlands and the Canter mountains between us and them, no trains can reach them and it's not easy to travel that way. Nevermind the fact that the hills they live in aren't exactly prime growing regions, and their only real export are precious metals”

Velvet Touch raised an eyebrow, tapping her chin. “Why are you interested in that area anyway, if you don't mind me asking?”

The filly shrugged, her gaze becoming distant. “I don't know, it's just mysterious I guess. I almost feel like I’m being pulled that way sometimes.” She shook her head suddenly, her gaze returning to the here and now. “It's just neat to think about a bunch of pegasi and earth ponies trying to make their own towns and cities so far from everyone else, and without the help of many unicorns.”

“And so close to the eastern reaches and the boglands,” Velvet added. “It sounds like a harsh life.”

“I guess. It must be nice though, freeing in a way.” The filly stared off into the distance, deep in thought.

Velvet Touch used this moment to scratch down a few more notes before inevitably returning to the discussion she knew she had to be having. “Twilight, do you think it's healthy to wear the glasses all the time?”

The filly blinked, looking down at her dark glasses. “I guess not, I keep bumping into stuff because they are so dark.”

“Do you think you should have to hide who you are just to make friends?” Velvet asked, pressing forward.

“N-no,” the filly stuttered, her body pulling inwards as she gripped the glasses tighter.

“And don't you think wearing them is almost a little bit like lying?”

“No,” the filly stated, shaking her head. “I’m still me, glasses or not.”

“Are you though? You are hiding who you are, Twilight. Your physical differences didn't matter to Mouse, and they don't matter to me, Celestia or Bull.” Velvet smiled, noting the way Twilight seemed to be deep in thought, her gaze distant as she was forced to face the points the psychologist was making. “A true friend doesn't care about such little things like that.”

“B-but I scare everyone away before I can even talk to them,” the filly muttered halfheartedly.

The psychologist sighed. “Face it, Twilight. This isn't you.” The mare smiled faintly. “Hiding who you are isn't right.”

“I-” The filly bit back the remark, stopping suddenly, her body becoming tense. “I am not just freaky eyes and weird teeth.”

“I’m not saying you are, but hiding these facets of yourself isn't right,” Velvet Touch remarked.

The filly remained tense for a moment longer, her mind deep in contemplation, only to explode into motion, standing up on the couch and glaring at the other pony. “But I can't even talk to ponies without them thinking I’m weird or some kind of a monster. These glasses would help me!” she exclaimed, eyes growing brighter as her conviction strengthened.

The older mare frowned at the filly. “Twilight Sparkle, you are a smart pony, you should know that hiding behind something superficial like this isn't right, it won't truly change who you are.”

“Maybe if you were a freak like me you would hide too!” the filly shouted, her voice turning into a wave of energy that rolled across the room, sending papers flying, and a cacophony of other objects clattering across the floor.

Velvet Touch sat there for a moment, blinking in shock as realization settled in. The filly was angry, that much was obvious, but more than that Velvet Touch had fundamentally misunderstood what the true issue was, and may have just cost herself all the good will she had just built up. Stranger still was the fact that the filly’s horn had never lit up during the entire episode, meaning some other force had knocked her stuff around, but she didn't want to think about that right now.

The psychologist carefully put down her notebook, placed the bowl of chocolates back on the table and looked down at filly, who was by now on the verge of tears. “I’m so sorry, Twilight. You are right,” she whispered.

The filly’s throat hitched and she suddenly fell to the couch, tears streaming down her face. “O-okay,” she whispered back.

Velvet Touch trotted around the table and knelt down next to the couch, pulling the filly into a tight hug. At first she resisted, and Velvet Touch was forced to wonder what she could possibly do to make up for the mistake. As if on cue, the filly collapsed into her forehooves, sobbing into the older mare’s shoulder. The larger pony barely held back her own tears, the realization of what she had accidentally done hitting her like a brick. “I’m so sorry, dear. I thought wrong and I should have known that. What can I do to make it up to you?” Velvet whispered.

Twilight sobbed for another few seconds before getting her emotions under control and mustering the nerve to speak. “D-do you have anymore of the chocolates with the blue wrappers from last week?” she asked tentatively, her voice barely above a whisper.

“I’ve got a whole bag left.” Velvet pulled back, a grin plastered on her lips. “I can't let you have them all, but I’m pretty sure Celestia wouldn't mind if you took a little baggie of them back to your room. Right?”

Twilight sniffed, wiping away her tears and nodding. “Uh huh.”

“Good. I was pretty sure they got your diet figured out, but I wouldn't want to accidentally mess something up,” Velvet Touch remarked offhandedly as she walked around to the other side of the room.

“N-no,” Twilight muttered, shaking her head. “They make me a special soup every few days. It tastes really good and makes it so my tummy doesn't hurt anymore.”

“That's wonderful news, Twilight.” Velvet extended her hoof, offering the filly a small baggie filled to the brim with chocolates in blue paper. “I better not hear that you ate them all in one night though or we’ll both be in trouble.”

Twilight pouted, swiping the chocolates from Velvet’s hoof. “Hey, I’m responsible.”

“I know you are, Twilight.” Velvet chuckled, settling back into her seat. “But I also know how you get around chocolate.”

The filly continued to pout, but found that her fierce expression was somewhat undermined by the blush that was spreading across her face. “Fair,” she muttered, grabbing one of the chocolates from the bag, unwrapping it and popping it into her mouth.

“Now I know we just began, but I thought that would be enough for now,” Velvet Touch remarked, sitting across from the filly and grabbing a chocolate for herself.

“Bwut I-” Twilight began.

“What did Celestia say about speaking with your mouth full?” Velvet shot back, shaking her head.

The filly rolled her eyes, chewed, then swallowed. “But I have another half hour left before Bull comes back to pick me up.”

“Hmm.” Velvet Touch got up suddenly, walking around to her desk and opening up the bottommost drawer on the right side. Reaching past a bottle of wine, and even further to the back, she grabbed a small deck of cards she kept hidden for moments just like this one. “Have you ever played Rummy before?”

Twilight shook her head. “I’m too young to drink.”

The mare chuckled, making her way back to the table and opening the pack of cards. “Rummy has nothing to do with drinking, you see the point of the game is to get the most points and you get points by-”

Together the two ponies played Rummy for the remaining half hour, with the filly quickly getting a handle on the game and soundly beating Velvet Touch at her own game several times, ending with a rather depressing score of two hundred fifty to negative ten. Still, even with being trounced quite handedly, Velvet Touch couldn't find it in her heart to be too disappointed, as Twilight was nothing if not a prodigy.

When the filly finally left, it was with a small smile on her face, something Velvet was immensely thankful to see after the blunder she made. With her door now firmly closed and locked, the mare walked back to her desk and settled into her chair with a resounding sigh, her face landing in the middle of her desk. “You are an idiot, Velvet,” she muttered to herself.

After a few seconds spent wallowing in her own self pity, the mare picked her head up and levitated her notebook before her. There were too many questions left unanswered, and the psychologist had a rather embarrassing report to write.

One which would have to inevitably include her own stupid misunderstanding, and the rather bizarre realization that Twilight had some form of power that relied not on her unicorn magic to operate. Try as she might, Velvet couldn't even conceive of anything that could possibly replicate the frankly baffling set of abilities the filly now possessed.

Opening the drawer once more, the mare reached past the wine bottle and placed the cards back into their spot, her hoof hesitating as it passed the bottle once more. She shook her head, withdrawing her hoof and closing the drawer. “No. You need a clear head, Velvet,” she muttered to herself, going back to her report.

Yet try as she might, she couldn't seem to put the thought of the wine from her mind, the bottle remaining clear and present in the mare’s thoughts throughout the time she spent writing her report.

A report that she was more than certain would upset her ruler and employer.

Celestia sighed, rubbing her brow with a carefully conjured telekinetic aura. “Oh, Velvet, you really need to take a step back and think about things every once in a while.” The alicorn chuckled darkly to herself. “You must be a real pain to get in an argument with. I don't know how Silver Scalpel puts up with you sometimes.”

The alicorn placed the report back into the pile with the rest before running a hoof through her mane and sitting back in her seat, staring out over her dark office. The sun hung low in the sky, casting her office in an eerie half light and drawing an odd sense of melancholy from deep in the mare’s heart.

Shaking her head, the princess looked up, only now realizing the time. “Oh poo,” she muttered to herself, looking down at the pipe ready to be lit just waiting on her desk. “You will have to wait, my friend.”

With that she placed the pipe back in its place and instead pulled out a pair of glasses with thin black rims, sized perfectly for a filly. Lighting her horn, the alicorn did one last test of her wards, and after finding that everything was in order, placed the glasses into a case at the forefront of her desk.

As if on cue, a knock came from the door. “Come in, Twilight,” Celestia announced.

Twilight’s glowing eyes peered from around the open door, looking inside. “How did you know it was me?”

The alicorn winked, tapping the side of her head. “It's a secret.”

The filly frowned, but ultimately walked inside, closing the door behind her and taking a seat across from the alicorn, a small smile on her face. “Is this it?” Twilight asked hesitantly, gesturing down to the case sitting before her.

“It is,” Celestia announced. “Though I would issue a word of caution before you put them on.”

Twilight hesitated, looking up at Celestia in confusion. “Why?”

“The process of shrinking the illusion wards down and tailoring them specifically to what you want was a difficult process and as such they only work for several hours at a time before needing to recharge for up to eight hours,” Celestia explained.

“How long do they last?” Twilight asked.

“About five or so hours. If you take them off before they are expended completely it shouldn't take long to recharge them.” The alicorn shrugged. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

The filly removed the glasses from its case, eying them up cautiously and turning them this way and that, intent on figuring out their secrets. “This is going to be part of a lesson, isn't it?”

Celestia’s pride, and her smile, grew. “Of course. But that won't be for another few months, we have a lot of preliminary work to do on wards before we can even get close to miniaturizing them.”

Twilight nodded, gently placing the glasses on her face and adjusting them so they sat properly. “Do you have a-” Twilight started to ask, only to realize Celestia was already holding out a mirror in her outstretched hoof.

Turning her head this way and that, Twilight was surprised to see her old self in the mirror. Gone was the Twilight with scary, glowing orange orbs and sharp pointed teeth, replaced by the Twilight with normal, violet eyes and the flat even teeth of a herbivore. The filly reached up and tapped the spot where her tooth usually poked out from her lip, only to find that it was indeed still there.

“Unfortunately the illusion cannot hide it completely,” Celestia added.

“I know,” Twilight replied sadly.

“Now I know you wanted a spell to help you sleep, but are you sure you really want to go through with it?” Celestia sighed, extending a hoof across the table and gripping Twilight’s. “It's not a pleasant experience having your dreams torn away, even if those dreams are sometimes nightmares.”

The filly pulled back her hoof, nodding her head. “I know.”

Celestia sighed, her features downcast and her mood dark. In the privacy of her own mind she cursed her own inability to master dream magic, or even to gain the slightest hold over it. If only the spellform was more powerful, maybe then I could banish these nightmares forever. But even then the thought was a hollow one, for she knew better than to give too much power to the spellform, her experiences reminding her of the drastic consequences that may come with such an action. Even still, there was a small part of her that wondered if it would be worth it to ensure that her sister would be returned to her, safe and whole.

No, I will not meddle in the minds of my subjects, even if it means risking my plan, Celestia thought, sighing once more. The alicorn stood up suddenly and walked over to a small corner of the room where several sitting pillows were set aside. “Come, sit with me.”

Twilight didn't hesitate, hopping off the hard and uncomfortable chair and plopping down in a small pillow next to the looming alicorn. “Are you going to teach me the spell?” she asked hesitantly, hope in her eyes.

“I will, but you have to promise me something first.” The alicorn reached out and pulled the filly closer, gripping her hoof in her own. “You have to promise not to abuse it. Promise to not fear what the night brings, and when you are strong enough, to face these nightmares head on. Can you do that for me?”

Twilight blinked, the alicorn’s words carrying a certain weight to them, as if she had vast experience with this spell, and its potential applications if it were abused. “I will,” Twilight replied, smiling confidently.

Celestia stared at the pony for a few seconds before nodding. “The spell is all here. If you have any trouble, or find that you are sleepwalking, sleep talking, or have trouble falling asleep then talk to me as soon as possible.” The alicorn offered the filly a thin scroll.

Twilight reached out, grabbing the scroll, only to find that Celestia’s grip held tight. Looking up, Twilight looked the mare in the eye, finding herself face to face with such an intense look the filly considered backing out, but only for a moment. With a confident nod, Twilight assured her teacher that this knowledge would not be misused. Satisfied with the filly’s response, Celestia released her hold on the scroll, allowing Twilight to pull it close, opening it wide and reading the contents within.

Several minutes passed in silence, only for Twilight to pipe up suddenly. “Is this it?” she asked incredulously.

Celestia nodded. “It's remarkably simple, but remarkably easy to screw up. Do not underestimate this spell, Twilight.”

“I won't.” The filly paused, scratching the side of her head. “I just thought there would be more to the spell. This is almost… too simple.”

The alicorn chuckled darkly, humorously. “It was written by a mage far more…” the alicorn sat there a moment, jaw hanging open, mind searching for the right word, “concise than I.”

Twilight lifted an eyebrow. “Really? Who is this pony?” She gasped. “Or creature?”

Celestia winked at the filly. “I’m afraid that's a secret. Maybe one day I’ll tell you more about her.” The alicorn gasped dramatically, clapping a hoof over her mouth. “I’ve said too much.”

The filly giggled, hardly even noticing Celestia’s magic tucking the scroll near the door.

“Now then.” Celestia smiled faintly, patting the spot on her pillow directly before her. “Come tell old lady Celestia all about your day.”

Twilight eagerly bounded across the space, hoping into the spot and turning, pressing her back against Celestia. “It was okay. I guess.”

“Did those fillies bother you again?” Celestia asked in a low tone, her magic running through the filly’s mane and untangling the knots that seemed to form almost constantly.

“A-a little bit,” Twilight muttered, shaking her head. “But they left me alone really quickly when I reminded them you are my teacher.”

“Twilight Sparkle using her position in order to put some bullies in their place. I never thought I’d see the day,” Celestia exclaimed in mock shock.

Twilight pouted, sticking out her tongue. “Well they deserved it.”

Celestia laughed her pleasant, almost chime-like laugh, pulling the filly close. “I know exactly how you feel.”

Twilight frowned, looking straight up at Celestia. “But you are an alicorn. Who would tease you?”

“You would be surprised, my young apprentice.” The alicorn leaned down, booping the filly on the nose. “There was a time when we were considered freaks.”

“Now that's a load of bologna. Everyone knows alicorns are the immortal personification of all three tribes,” Twilight stated, only to second guess herself. “Right?”

“That may be what ponies believe today, but that’s not how it always was.” Celestia sighed, her smile gaining an almost melancholic edge to it. “Can I tell you a story, Twilight?”

“Uh sure.”

“It's a secret, so you have to promise not to tell anyone,” Celestia stated, leaning close.

Twilight nodded dutifully, pantomiming the act of placing a lock over her lips and tossing away the key. Celestia smiled, ruffling the filly’s mane and earning another indignant pout for her actions. “Thank you, Twilight.”

She took a deep breath, and sighed suddenly, looking off into the distance. “One day there was a bully who always stole my doll. She-” Celestia frowned suddenly, looking down at a grinning Twilight desperately holding back a laugh. “Yes, Twilight?”

“N-nothing,” Twilight stuttered. “I just find it hard to believe you had a doll.”

“Am I not a mare?” she asked incredulously.

Twilight blinked. “Uh, I guess?”

Celestia nodded sagely. “And do mares not grow from fillies?”

“I guess it's not that crazy, what was your doll of?” Twilight asked.

Celestia smiled. “It was of bear. My family lived near the woods and occasionally I would see a bear when I went flying and ever since the first time I saw one I alway thought they were cute. It took a lot of talking for my mother to convince me that bears were not pets.”

“That would be so cool,” Twilight muttered.

“Yes it would, and though I would never suggest trying to tame one, they do make good pets if you do manage to,” Celestia commented with a smirk.

“Really?” Twilight asked, eyes wide with wonder.

“Hugging a bear is like hugging a giant fuzzy blanket that hugs you back.” Celestia shook her head. “But that's not the story I was going to tell.”

“Aww,” Twilight whined.

Celestia rolled her eyes. “The bully always stole Mister Bearington and she…” The alicorn sighed, looking down at a giggling Twilight. “If you keep interrupting my story, I’ll never get to my point.”

“I know, but really, Mister Bearington?” Twilight giggled.

“I will have you know that Mister Bearington is a very respected name in the bear community.” Celestia smirked. “Probably.” She shook her head. “The point is, she always stole my doll every few days, putting it up trees or hiding it in the village and forcing me look for it constantly.”

The alicorn sighed. “And every time I brought it up, the other foals would just shrug and ask what the problem was, since I had both a horn and wings I could just fly and get it or use magic and get it. I was an other, an outsider, and to them, a freak.”

Twilight sat in stunned silence, looking up at Celestia in wonder. “What did you do?”

“One day I beat the snot out of her. Something you are not allowed to do,” Celestia added pointedly, jabbing her hoof at the filly.

“Fine,” Twilight muttered, crossing her hooves over her chest.

“The point of the story is that bully still thought I was a freak, even when it was revealed that alicorns were natural and that we were not some sort of mistake.” Celestia smiled. “Even with evidence to the contrary that bully believed I was some sort of monster for her entire life and there was nothing I could do or say about it.”

“Wow.” Twilight frowned. “What a moron.”

The alicorn suddenly erupted with laughter, which she quickly cut off by slamming her mouth shut, realizing what a terrible precedent she might be setting. “That may be,” Celestia stated in a much more reserved tone. “But she wasn't alone in this opinion. Some other, smarter ponies believed this too, they wanted to believe it, and would not see otherwise.”

Twilight rubbed her chin. “You are saying that no matter what I do, there might be ponies out there that just won't see reason?”

“Exactly.” Celestia sighed, a sad smile crossing her face. “There are ponies out there that will always see you as a thing, and not the pony you are. They already decided what they thought of you before they even saw you and won't be convinced no matter what happens.”

“Surely there is some way to show them that I am a pony,” Twilight pleaded.

Celestia shook her head sadly. “That's a nice thought, but sometimes ponies are just too set in their ways to be convinced otherwise.” Twilight sighed sadly, staring down at her hooves. “But, those ponies are always drowned out by the good ones, trust me.” Celestia smiled, running a hoof through Twilight’s mane.

The filly however, was no longer paying attention, her mind running over the story Celestia had just told her. Realization dawned slowly on the filly, but when it did, she was forced to come to the realization that Celestia was truly a lot like her, and was a fellow freak who understood what she was going through. When she looked up at the alicorn again, Twilight understood the melancholy in her gaze, and without thinking, turned and hugged the pony as much as the tiny filly could possibly manage.

A soft smile slowly spread across the alicorn’s face and she ran a hoof down the filly’s back. “What brought this on?”

Twilight shook her head, not releasing her grip on the older pony’s midsection. “Nuffin,” she mumbled, face pressed into the alicorn’s white fur.

“Oh I know that look, what do you want?” Celestia asked, prodding the filly’s side with a hoof.

Twilight looked up at the alicorn, eyes filled with hope. “Can I sleep in your bed again?”

If it was possible for a heart to literally melt, Celestia was pretty sure she would be scooping hers off the floor right about now. “Fine, but you have to make the bed in the morning.”

“Ya-wait.” The filly’s happy cry died in her throat when images of the enormous blanket popped into her head. “Daww come on. Your bed is ginormous!”

“Ah ah ah,” Celestia tsked. “That's the price that comes with sleeping in my bed.”

The filly pouted. “Fiiiine,” she whined.

Celestia rolled her eyes. “Think of it like a test of both skill and power.”

Twilight poked a hoof into the alicorn’s chest. “You are just saying it like that so you don't have to do it.”

The alicorn gasped dramatically, gripping her chest in mock indignation. “Are you saying I would abuse my powers just so I don't have to make my own bed?”

“Yeah!”

Celestia chuckled at the fire in the filly’s eyes. “Well what are you going to do about it, little filly?”

“I’m…” she tapped her chin, only for her eyes to go wide, “...going to start a revolution!”

“Really now?” Celestia asked, placing her hooves on her hips and looking down at the filly.

“Yeah!” The filly announced triumphantly, pointing a hoof at the alicorn’s chest. “And it starts now!”

Twilight leapt into the air, plowing straight into Celestia’s midsection and a second later, causing them to both fall over and land in a heap. “Oh no, my government has been toppled. What are you going to do now?” Celestia asked in mock horror.

The filly stood proudly on the toppled monarch’s body, posing proudly. “My first command is no homework for anypony! And no bedtimes ever!”

Celestia rolled her eyes and pushed into a standing position, tucking the filly firmly under her wing. “Come on, you little revolutionary. We better get moving if we want to get to bed at a decent hour.”

“No!” the filly yelled, squirming in vain against her feathery prison. “The revolution will never die! Ra ra fight the powa!”

Celestia rolled her eyes, and walked towards the door, the squirming filly held tight against her side. “Kids,” she muttered under her breath, a wide smile on her face.

Author's Notes:

Hey you! The next chapter of this story is already uploaded to patreon! So if you want to go check it out and dont want to wait for me to finish the last of the finishing touches, head on over there!

Want to see stories like this before anyone else and get access to secret patron only stories, early releases for patreon supporters aaand other goodies? Drop just three bucks on my patreon and join the early release club!

Join me over on patreon and get instant access to exclusive content and early looks at new stories, patreon only stories and other great stuff! Check it out!
Or just join the discord to ensure that you dont miss an update.
This update was made possible by the wonderful support of:
Kali, Craig, Ozzy, Robert, Quill, JPMK, Tommy, Ivar, Mikhaila, Pacsik, Matt, Brendan, Peter, Nicky, Princess Pudding, Nofreedom, T Sparkle, Apollyon, Luckyfanisaac, Azin, Zairvin, Random_Reader, Iamunkown, Facinus, M, Nfreak, Doomgooey, Michael, Ceepert, Diokyo, Starless

Unexpected Discovery

“That will be all, thank you,” Celestia stated evenly, stepping into the large, indoor gymnasium.

The two white coated unicorn guards flanking her stopped, exchanging a glance before looking around the room they found themselves in. “Your Highness?” the first one asked. “Why are we here anyway?”

The second one nodded. “This old gymnasium hasn't been used in years, surely you could use the outdoor one. This dingy old thing doesn't even have any windows to speak of.”

The alicorn’s eyes narrowed, and she looked down on the guards with naked disdain, the shock of their backtalk stopping her from hiding her distaste. “I am here to go for a run with my student.” She leaned in close, nearly pressing her muzzle against the first guard’s face. “Is that a problem?”

“I, err.” The guard gulped, shaking his head. “No, of course not. Would you like us to wait outside or-”

“That will not be necessary,” Celestia replied, only now realizing how much her mask had slipped, prompting her to take a deep breath and a step back. “You are dismissed.”

The second guard blinked, about to say something, only to receive an elbow from his compatriot. “Right, sorry, Your Majesty,” he muttered.

The first guard bowed slightly. “My apologies. I let my curiosity get the better of me.”

“Make sure it doesn't happen again,” Celestia stated, in a tone that brooked no argument.

The two guards, not wasting any time, turned and left without a word, leaving a rather irritated alicorn to stand there and berate herself. You don't know if they were disloyal or just curious, she thought, shaking her head and stepping into the gym. Keep it together, Celestia, no need to tell them you know their plans quite yet.

The alicorn closed the doors behind her and looked around the room, the dim light of a half dozen lighting crystals doing a half-hearted job of keeping the room lit. The wooden slat floor was a dull orange, the bright gold it was originally painted fading into a cruel mockery of its former self. Lines were painted here and there, signifying numbered lengths for distance running, while others were for games which Celestia couldn't even remember the name of. The walls were much the same, with hoops placed on either end, as well as large targets painted in several colors below them. Only a trio of small windows near the tip top of the twenty foot walls allowed any natural light to enter, and the meagre amount that did come through created thin slats of light that barely reached the floor.

There was only one other door in the room, and it lead to a room that used to hold gym equipment of all shapes and sizes and now was used as little more than a storage room for old supplies bereft of a home. A quick scan told her that there was nothing magical within, but Celestia wasn't about to take any chances and a few wards now held the door shut and sealed firmly. A routine that she repeated on the rest of the room, ensuring no one could see inside without tripping her wards and alerting her to their presence. For extra flourish she enchanted even the tiny windows so that anyone who looked within would only see a line of magical text telling the viewer not to spy.

“You know for once I’m rather glad I didn't knock you down and put up that greenhouse like I wanted,” Celestia remarked to the empty room.

The room said nothing in response, though Celestia liked to think that the creek in the ceiling was a forlorn sigh of resignation.

With a chuckle, the mare turned and trotted a quick circuit around the room, tapping into her earth pony magic and getting a feel for the rarely used connections. Her morning workout routine simply wasn't challenging enough to make her need this aspect of her magic, and prolonged disuse made the magic slow to react. As she felt the magic stir and begin to fill her limbs with strength, the alicorn ruminated on the reason she was here, thinking back to several days ago when she had a rather interesting meeting with Silver Scalpel.

“It's as you predicted, Your Majesty,” Silver Scalpel remarked with a confused frown. “She has the extra connections exactly where you thought.”

“And her history? She has several earth pony ancestors, correct?” Celestia responded, tapping her desk impatiently with a hoof.

Silver Scalpel nodded again. “Yes, her family actually has a surprising number of earth ponies in it. I would have assumed that there would be less, considering her family’s propensity for magic. Then again, I am not a geneticist.”

Celestia smiled. “Me neither, but I had close friend who was, and he had some rather interesting discoveries. Namely that a good mix between earth pony and unicorn genes actually empowers the magic of both tribes. I couldn't even begin to explain to you the details, but apparently the two tribes’sgenes work in concert, empowering one another. To the point that most powerful unicorns have a lot of earth pony ancestry, and vice versa.”

Silver Scalpel nodded slowly. “Fascinating.” She blinked suddenly, cocking her head and looking at Celestia in a different light. “Wait. You are not saying that those connections are capable of actually channelling earth pony magic?”

“I’m not so sure anymore,” Celestia replied. “A pony’s body is only supposed to be able to use one type of magic, without being an alicorn the second system some ponies are born with would simply not work and then be reabsorbed completely by the body after a number of years. This is usually where most ponies reach magical maturity as the body is able to focus itself entirely towards the remaining one system. This is of course rare to begin with, but not unheard of.”

“A number of… How old is Twilight?” Silver Scalpel asked suddenly.

“My thoughts exactly.” Celestia’s smile fell away, replaced by a grim look unfitting the normally upbeat or kind looking mare. “She is about the age that it would be reabsorbed and should have been significantly broken down by now.”

“Which would explain why those extra connections of hers look like one from an earth pony with thaumatic degeneracy syndrome,” Silver announced suddenly, standing up from her chair. “Her body didn't have any magic flowing through those connections so the parasite didn't touch them.”

“I need you to keep this between me and you,” Celestia stated. “I know your non-disclosure agreement already covers this, but I want to be perfectly clear that if any of this knowledge were to get out, things would not go well.”

Silver Scalpel gulped. “Is that a threat?”

Celestia blinked, cocking her head to the side only to burst into laughter. “Oh no, that's not it at all. It's just not something that's common knowledge, and the potential ramifications are unpleasant to say the least.”

The doctor breathed easier, falling back into her chair with a sigh. “Sorry about jumping to conclusions.”

“Don't worry about it,” Celestia remarked. “The last time I was less tight-lipped with a discovery on par with something like this we got the eugenics movement and I refuse to let that happen again.”

Silver Scalpel shuddered. “Agreed. But if you don't mind me asking, how did you know to even look for these connections?”

“Simple, she's heavy,” Celestia stated with a smirk. “Heavy in a way that only an earth pony can be.”

“Your Majesty?”

The alicorn shrugged. “If you ever have an earth pony foal you will understand.”

Silver Scalpel blinked. “I never knew you were a mother.”

“Oh dear, when you get to my age you are, or were a lot of things.” Celestia winked. “Now then, let's get back to the lab, I have a few tests in mind.”

“Err, right. Of course,” Silver Scalpel replied dutifully.

Celestia shook her head, her thoughts dominated by the tests and the strange results they gave. By the end of it was clear that Twilight’s dormant earth pony connections were not quite as dormant or as gone as they should be, and the fact that this angle went so long before being explored was a point of embarrassment for the alicorn who thought she had planned for everything. She sighed, letting out a long breath of air as her thoughts returned to the same sentiments of guilt and self-loathing as they usually did whenever she thought of the poor filly.

“No one could have predicted aliens, Celestia, cut it out,” she chided herself.

With a shake of her head she lit her horn and teleported a simple potted plant into her outstretched hoof. Placing it at the centre of the room, the alicorn took a step back and observed her handiwork. Everything seemed in place and ready for her student’s arrival, and something told her that same student was fast approaching.

Turning to the door, Celestia smiled widely, and a second later a grinning Bull pushed through the door. “-and then I said, that's not a chicken, that's my mane!” she exclaimed, bursting into a round of laughter.

The filly trailing behind her laughed along, but it seemed more out of politeness, as she wore a good amount of confusion on her face. “That's an odd story, Miss Bull,” Twilight pointed out.

The guard shrugged. “When you are an adult all your stories get a little weird.”

“I should hope that you have at least a few stories that aren't weird,” Celestia commented.

Bull chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck. “Well you see, Your Majesty, she knows the rest of my stories by now. All I got left is the weird ones.”

The alicorn chuckled, looking down at the filly who took a spot to her right. “If you wouldn't mind I’d appreciate it if you remained just outside the door for the extent of the exercise,” Celestia commanded.

The guard nodded. “Don't work her too hard now. I don't want to have to carry your giant butt back to your room.”

“Hey!” Twilight yelled, cheeks puffed and face red.

Bull just snickered and left, taking position just outside the door.

Celestia smiled down at her student and pressed a hoof against her shoulder. “How was your weekend, Twilight? I heard you went home to visit your family again.”

The filly squirmed uncomfortably under the alicorn’s attention, staring down at the floor forlornly, her smile gone. “It was okay,” she whispered.

Celestia lifted an eyebrow, and pressed her hoof reasuringly against the filly’s shoulder. “Are you sure? It doesn't seem like it was okay.”

Twilight sighed, looking up at the alicorn with eyes ringed by dark circles. “Mom and dad are worried about me. Shining Armor disagrees and this caused some arguments.”

“Ahh.” Celestia sighed, making a note to speak to the parents when she had a minute. “I’m sorry to hear about that, my dear. Other than that I hope you had a good weekened.”

The filly shrugged. “I guess. I slept for like forever after using that spell.”

“Well that's… good.” Celestia shook her head. “Now then, I had a number of short tests for you today if you are feeling up for it.”

Twilight looked up at the older mare in wonder, eyes wide. “What kind of tests?”

“The physical kind.”

Instantly the wind seemed to leave the filly’s metaphorical sails and her features fell, a scowl crossing her face. “Physical education, my old nemesis,” she muttered, shaking her hoof.

Celestia chuckled. “Oh it's not so bad.” The alicorn squeezed Twilight’s shoulder reassuringly. “In fact it should be quite easy for you.”

“What are we going to do, exactly?” Twilight asked, looking around the empty room.

“We are just going to start with a little jog. Nothing too difficult. Think you can handle it?”

Twilight nodded confidently, spreading her legs slightly and getting into a battle stance. “I got this, Princess!”

Celestia did her best to hide the giggle that threatened to spill past her lips, only barely succeeding. “Well, if you are ready I thought a short one kilometer jog would be a good warm-up.”

“A whole kilometer?” The filly gulped. “I mean, I got this.”

Celestia pointed a hoof to the blue outline that created a tight circuit around the room. “We’ll follow this line and go around the room twenty five times which should be just about a kilometer.”

“Right. When do we start?” Twilight asked.

The alicorn suddenly leapt forward, yelling, “Right now!” as she did so.

The filly stumbled a moment as her hooves all tried to move at the same time, nearly making her land on her face. With her hooves now under her and her brain no longer fighting against her, Twilight was quickly able to catch up to the jogging alicorn, shooting her a disdainful look. “That was mean,” Twilight remarked.

Celestia smirked. “I’m sorry, it looked like you needed a laugh.”

Twilight hid her own budding smile, trying to hold onto the bitterness inside, only to fail, the edges of her lips rising into a slight grin.

The pair quickly fell into a routine of running the circle in slow, ponderous laps, neither going too fast or too slow while remaining quiet the entire time. Twilight kept her gaze forward, her thoughts focused on trying to figure out why she was suddenly being tested in such a way, while Celestia was busy keeping an eye on the filly, her senses keen to pick up any spike of earth pony magic.

By lap fifteen Twilight had begun to get winded, her breathing coming in harder and harder, until by lap eighteen she was audibly wheezing, barely able to catch her breath, with sweat pouring down her coat. Celestia frowned, noticing no rise in the magic she had assumed she would see by now. “Twilight, have you done any reading on how the other tribes access their magic?” Celestia asked suddenly.

Twilight blinked. “Not. Really. Just. The. Basics,” she replied between breaths.

“Really? I would have assumed you would be intimately familiar with how the other tribes’ magic works.” Celestia shrugged. “Would you like to know how they access it?”

The filly nodded, not trusting herself to speak while so short on breath.

“A pegasus must grasp onto their emotion, letting themself feel the right thing in order to complete certain tasks.” Celestia extended her wings. “The joy and freedom that comes from flight helps the pegasus to do just that by making their body lighter, and makes their wings grip the air better.”

“Grip the air?” Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh yes.” Celestia nodded, noting the way Twilight seemed to have gained a second wind. “It's why pegasi can fly with such small wings as their magic effectively makes their wings twice as large as they are. This gripping pulls the wind under their wings in whatever way they choose, allowing them to glide for far longer than a bird, or to go faster than the wind current should allow.”

“Wow,” Twilight muttered, watching close as Celestia summoned a small updraft of wind that caught her wings and held her aloft for over a dozen metres before she hit the ground jogging.

“Pegasus magic is difficult to master but not anywhere as hard to master as earth pony magic,” Celestia stated.

“Really? Why is that?” Twilight asked, keeping close behind the alicorn despite the fact that Celestia had picked up the pace considerably, approaching a running speed.

“It's different than the rest,” Celestia concluded. “While unicorn magic is made through logic, calculations and willpower, and pegasus magic is formed through emotion and the channelling thereof, earth pony magic cannot be called on in the traditional manner.”

Twilight watched her teacher closely, her attention held so clearly that she didn't even notice the fact that her hooves now pounded against the ground, keeping a close pace with the running alicorn.

“Only the masters of earth pony magic can call it to do something other than to help a plant grow,” Celestia remarked. “Earth pony magic is easily formed when attempting to help the earth, and in strengthening one’s body. But if you are a master, you can actually control this subconcious desire, and bring to bear as much strength as necessary at a moment’s notice.”

“Wow,” Twilight muttered, eyes wide. “Does that mean you could get like super strength or something?”

Celestia smirked. “Oh yes, and much much more. There were even rumours that the ancient earth pony republic had a whole school dedicated to teaching such subjects.” The alicorn’s tone grew low and she leaned in, Twilight unconciouslly mimicking the action. “Some legends say they could even control the very earth itself, making it rise, fall or bend to their will.”

“Whoah,” Twilight whispered, mouth hanging open. “Not even unicorn magic can do that.”

“Indeed.” Celestia smiled, her pace slowing and quickly coming to a stop. “And that's lap twenty five. How do you feel, Twilight?”

The filly skidded to a stop, only now realizing how fast she was going and once more nearly tripping over her own hooves. “What the-” Twilight stuttered, only to finally lose her battle against gravity when her hoof hit a loose board, tripping over her own hooves and tumbling ass over tea kettle.

Thankfully Celestia was close at hand and caught the filly in her magic, placing her back on all four hooves while giving her head a shake, a laugh on her lips. “You should watch where you're going little one, I won't be there to catch you every time you fall.”

“T-thanks,” Twilight muttered, her cheeks hot with a large blush.

“No problem,” Celestia replied, her mind still trying to piece together the strange bits of information that Twilight had incidentally given her.

She clearly was able to use earth pony magic, but had to be completely distracted in order for it to be even used, as her brain wasn't wholly sure it was even there. Something that although Celestia found strange at first, quickly realized made a lot sense, as that explained why the connections were very weak, but still present.

Twilight wiped the sweat from her brow with a hoof, looking up at Celestia with a smile. “That was awesome, Princess. I don't think I’ve ever ran that far before.”

“Then we will have to make sure to include a harder routine with your daily schedule,” Celestia replied, noting the way Twilight’s features fell slightly. “Now if you wouldn't mind holding still for a second I was hopping to test a quick spell.”

“Oh, of course,” Twilight replied instantly, her body becoming perfectly still as she waited for whatever Celestia was doing.

Lighting her horn, Celestia cast a simple, and secret spell, allowing her to see the remannts of magic like whisps of colored light that floated through the air. Tuning out the overwhelming presence of her own magic was an easy task, almost as easy as seeing Twilight’s own bright unicorn magic. Fascinating, your power seems to grow by the day, my young apprentice, Celestia thought, almost shocked by how much the filly had grown over the past several months.

Pushing that thought from her mind, the alicorn focused her sight deeper, tuning out the bright purple light that was the filly’s unicorn magic and instead focusing on the light whisps of green that clung to Twilight’s legs. Only for the color to immediately jump out at her as odd, as the light was a sickly purplish green, the sight nearly bringing a bad taste to the alicorn’s mouth. Well it's confirmed, though I can't even begin to imagine what that coloration means.

“Princess?” Twilight whispered nervously, looking up at Celestia with wide, panic-stricken eyes.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Twilight. I was caught in a thought.” The alicorn dismissed the sight and leaned down, hugging the filly tightly, ignoring the present sensation of sweaty fur. “Nothing to be alarmed about.”

The filly breathed easier, pressing herself against the mare’s stomach, the touch relaxing her significantly. “What did the spell do?” she asked quietly.

“Just checking your muscles to see if they are okay,” Celestia lied. “Turns out you are perfectly fine, even better than fine. Your diet must be doing wonders.”

Twilight’s smile grew and grew and she whispered a soft, “Yes.” under her breath, reveling in her apparent victory over the force of gravity.

This time Celestia couldn't resist giggling at the filly’s adorableness. “I’m glad you are excited, physical fitness is very important.”

The filly blinked, raising an eyebrow and looking the alicorn up and down in a long, drawn out look. “Ookay,” she muttered.

Celestia frowned, booping the filly on the nose. “Don't give me that look. I will have you know I am quite strong and these are just the curves of a full-figured mare.”

Twilight blushed profusely. “T-that's now what I-” The filly stopped and planted a hoof in her mouth.

The alicorn giggled, turning and trotting towards the centre of the room. “Come now, I have one last test for you before we are done for the day.”

“Done already? But what about my magic lesson?” Twilight asked, clearly hurt.

Celestia however, merely rolled her eyes. “We both know you've more than mastered that spell already, but I suppose if you wanted to reveiw it a few more times I could spare a couple minutes.”

The filly nodded eagerly. “Yes please. I want to make sure I’m getting the form right.”

“I have no doubt that you are,” Celestia commented before stopping and lifting up the small seedling. “Now then, I want you to hold this plant on your hoof.”

Twilight did as she was asked, levitating the small budding flower over to her outstretched hoof. “Now what?”

“Next I want you to try and make it grow, without using your horn.”

“I can't do that!” Twilight exclaimed. “I’m a unicorn, remember?”

Celestia chuckled softly, her laughter like the soft tinkling of chimes. “Twilight, Twilight, Twilight. Trust me. There is no way you can fail this, it's just a simple exercise.” The alicorn rolled her hoof in the air nonchalantly. “Think of it like a little fun. Just pretend you are an earth pony, channel the magic and imagine the great flower you would make if you weren't a unicorn but rather an earth pony.”

Twilight frowned, glaring down at the potted plant with a mix of disdain and confusion. After a long moment of silence she nodded. “Okay, what do I do?”

Celestia smiled serenely, leaning down and placing a hoof on Twilight’s foreleg. “Close your eyes, then hold out the plant, feel its weight, the way it sits heavy in your hoof, waiting for you.”

“Waiting for me?” Twilight asked, cracking open an eye and looking up at her teacher quizzically.

“Yes, it's waiting for you, a single mote of energy ready to be unleashed, to bloom and become more than what it could be on its own.” The alicorn leaned down. “All it needs is a little help from you. Focus, keep your eyes closed, extend yourself into the plant and then simply give it a nudge, a helping hoof in the right direction.”

Twilight’s face screwed into a frown for a moment, only for her to focus to win out and she pushed herself to do exactly as her teacher had commanded, her eyes closed tight.

Celestia didn't know what to expect, only a few days earlier she had assumed such a mixture of biology was impossible, half a year earlier she considered life beyond this planet to be a fool’s notion. Every day a new firmly held belief that had stood the test of centuries and sometimes eons, was shown to be that, little more than a belief that was as true as anything else that existed only because it was believed in.

What she hadn't expected to happen was exactly what was happening, which was... nothing.

The filly stood there straining herself, her leg muscles taut and her body strained, as if she was trying to push against something that wasn't there. Her face was twisted in deep concentration, prompting Celestia to apply her extra sight and gaze within the filly’s body, her attention seeking out the connections she knew existed yet didn't seem active anymore. What she found once more confounded her.

There was magic in her limb, but it was not the strange, sickly greenish color she had seen earlier, nor the distinct, crisp lavender of Twilight’s unicorn magic but a blending of them both, stemming directly from the filly’s horn and flowing down from there. Celestia sat there in shock, amazed that such a thing could even happen, once more proving that another long held opinion no longer held water.

Unicorn magic can't be forced through earth pony channels, this is… She wanted to say impossible, but the word that came to her mind was not impossible, but rather, amazing.

She stood there in stunned silence, watching as the filly pushed more and more magic through her hoof until after several minutes of intense concentration, something amazing happened. The flower bloomed, not only opening up, but also growing several inches taller, its stem widening considerably to hold up the bulb which had doubled in size.

Celestia took a step back, noting the way the small pot cracked along the edges and the dirt placed within heaved as thick cordlike roots emerged from the too small pot.

Then, just when Celestia thought she had seen it all, something truly disturbing happened.

The bulb twisted, shivering as something else rose from the base. A dark pulse of disgusting green energy emerged from the deepest points of its roots, traveling up the plant and causing rapid mutation the likes of which Celestia had never seen before. The stem seemed to hold its shape more or less, though it became far darker, gaining an almost brownish purple tinge to it. More disturbing than its change in color was the way it seemed to pulse and shift, writhing under the alicorn’s attention. The exterior also seemed to gain a slimy texture to it, its viscous external layer pulsing occasionally as it drew material out from the dirt, further enabling it to grow and change.

As it morphed and grew even stranger events occurred, with Celestia’s disgust and amazement peaking when the pulse reached the flower itself. Instantly the white petals were replaced by wide flat tongue like appendages of a slimy green-purple coloration, the petals being consumed by the strange appendages that replaced them. The center-most point seemed alive with movement, the stigma become a single tentacle nearly two inches long, its length twitching this way and that as if tasting the air.

Thinking quickly Celestia lit her horn, activated the teleport rune she had placed on the bottom of the pot, teleporting the plant away, the entire thing vanishing in an instant.

“What happened?” Twilight asked, opening her eyes for the first time. “Did it work?”

Celestia, not missing a beat, leaned down and smiled sadly. “Unfortunately not.” She sighed, running a hoof down Twilight’s face. “But that's okay. Like I said, it was just a silly test.”

“I felt...” Twilight frowned, looking down to where the potted plant had been a moment earlier. “It felt like something happened, like I could taste something weird for a second.”

For once Celestia was at a loss for words, though she recovered quickly, flashing the filly a wide silly smile. “I think someone worked a little too hard.” She stood suddenly. “How about we go grab a snack from the kitchens, I bet you worked up quite the appetite after our little work out.”

“Yeah…” Twilight muttered, looking to her hoof one last time before sighing and following her mentor. “I guess.”

“Now, Twilight, what did I say about those long faces,” Celestia admonished.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “That long faces are only for long days,” she droned.

“Exactly. And we are not even to supper yet.” Celestia smiled. “But I suppose it can't be helped, a little filly like you is probably right tuckered out.”

“I am nooot,” Twilight whined, trotting behind her mentor as they made their way to the door.

“So you don't want a piggyback ride there?” Celestia sighed. “That's too bad because-”

“N-no!” Twilight shouted suddenly, stepping forward. “I mean um, no. I would like a piggyback ride please.”

Celestia giggled and scooped up the filly in her magic, depositing her onto her own back in a single swift motion. “Well then, I think you've earned that much at least. Now come on, I think the chef was making stir fry today.”

“Mmmm, stir fry,” Twilight muttered, settling in between the alicorn’s wing joints.

The alicorn smiled with her usual serene grace, bellying a deep uncertainty that threatened to ruin the careful mask she wore.

I am so out of my depth, she thought.

Author's Notes:

Want to see stories like this before anyone else and get access to secret patron only stories, early releases for patreon supporters aaand other goodies? Drop just three bucks on my patreon and join the early release club!

Join me over on patreon and get instant access to exclusive content and early looks at new stories, patreon only stories and other great stuff! Check it out!
Or just join the discord to ensure that you dont miss an update.
This update was made possible by the wonderful support of:
Kali, Craig, Ozzy, Robert, Quill, JPMK, Tommy, Ivar, Mikhaila, Pacsik, Matt, Brendan, Peter, Nicky, Princess Pudding, Nofreedom, T Sparkle, Apollyon, Luckyfanisaac, Azin, Zairvin, Random_Reader, Iamunkown, Facinus, M, Nfreak, Doomgooey, Michael, Ceepert, Diokyo, Starless

Questions and Preperations

“But why do you have to go?” Twilight whined from her place in Celestia’s bed.

“I just need to check up on something,” the alicorn replied, smiling weakly. “It won't take long at all.”

The filly grumbled and crossed her hooves over her chest, glaring up at the ceiling from under Celestia’s covers. “Well, I don't like it. You said it was bedtime. Why do you get to stay up late?”

“Cause I’m the princess,” Celestia shot back with a smirk, giving the filly a gentle noogy. “When you become a princess you can stay up as late as you want.”

Twilight tried to maintain the grumpy expression on her face, but she couldn't help but smile under the attention of her teacher. “Okay, but you better not wake me up when you get back!”

“I won’t.” Celestia leaned down and gently kissed the filly’s forehead. “Goodnight, Twilight.”

Twilight, however, did not seem entirely at ease, and she watched Celestia get up and cross the room before building up the courage to speak, “C-Celestia?”

“Yes, Twilight?” Celestia replied, turning to face the filly as she donned her regalia.

“What are you really doing?” the filly asked.

Celestia paused as she was about to don her tiara. “What do you mean?”

“I, uh…” The filly tapped her forehooves together nervously, unable to meet the older pony’s gaze. “I know my food has meat in it.”

For a moment the princess said nothing, only for the alicorn to place her tiara on its pedestal and turn back to the filly, crossing the room once more and sitting on the edge of the bed. “I’m sorry I didn't tell you earlier, Twilight. I’ve been trying to find a cure for your eyes and the other things that have changed in you.”

“It's just fish, right?”

“Yes, and even then it's only really water boiled with fish in it,” Celestia replied, laying a forehoof over the filly’s. “I promise to tell you more soon, but right now I really must get to my appointment.”

The pair’s eyes met, with Twilight peering within the gentle pink orbs of the alicorn as if searching for something. For several long moments they remained there, with the filly trying to use her newfound abilities to suss out the meaning behind the alicorn’s cryptic words. Though Twilight could not pierce the guarded mind of the ancient alicorn, she could tell that she was saying these things not out of malice, but rather love, and with that in mind, Twilight sighed and relaxed.

“Okay,” Twilight muttered.

“Thank you,” Celestia whispered, giving Twilight’s hoof a final squeeze, “for trusting me.”

“Yeah yeah,” Twilight murmured, turning over in the bed and looking away from the alicorn.

Whom, in turn smiled, made her way over to the door, and donned her tiara once more before straightening her posture and pushing through the portal and into the hall beyond. The guards on either side of the door greeted her silently, casting only a quick sidelong glance of acknowledgement before turning back to their duties, their faces becoming stony masks once more.

Celestia, on the other hoof, did not acknowledge them at all, a small sneaking part of her mind silently wondering if they were already moving against her, or if it was possible that they still remained loyal. With a shake of her head the alicorn dismissed such thoughts and turned to the left, beginning her long trek towards the lab, only to stop and realize she accidentally disrupted Twilight’s usual schedule without contacting her dedicated psychiatrist whom the filly was supposed to have met with.

Turning back around, Celestia began to trot towards Twilight’s room, hopping to find someone who could get word to Velvet Touch in order to inform the mare that today’s session was cancelled. When she did though, something else made her stop, namely an elderly blue-eyed mare clad in stately golden armor who was walking confidently towards the alicorn. The mare’s armor was heavy and bulky to the point of cumbersome, but the unicorn wearing it didn't seem to notice the weight of it, or the large tower shield strapped to her side. The deep orange gems set near joints and prominently displayed on the centre of her breastplate glowed faintly in the evening light, illuminating the unicorn’s aged features and shock of golden hair that barely poked out from beneath the helmet she wore.

“Ahh, Golden, and to what do I owe the pleasure?” Celestia began, stopping only a foot from where she began.

The armored mare smiled widely, her blue eyes almost glowing under the scrutiny of her sovereign. “I was hoping to give you a report on the project you had me begin, in pony, that is.”

The alicorn nodded, motioning towards her office that lay only a few doors down. “I believe this conversation would best be taken in private.”

“Of course. Lead the way, Your Majesty,” Golden Glaive replied with a nod.

Together the mares trotted down the hall and into Celestia’s private office, with the alicorn holding the door for her subordinate before they both took their seats. Once seated, Celestia lit her horn and activated the various charms and wards that stopped any would-be eavesdropper from listening in. With that done, Celestia allowed herself to relax, a large, proud smile crossing her face. “Golden Glaive,” the alicorn muttered, a grin growing across her face. “I assume you have nothing but good news for me?”

The aged mare laughed a deep, rumbling laugh that seemed to emanate from the mare’s very stomach. “As always, Your Majesty, as always.”

Celestia smirked. “Well, don't keep me in suspense.”

“Right.” Golden nodded, her smile falling away, and being replaced by a stern, serious expression. “The loyalty test you devised is working well, for one. It's subtle enough that I don't think anyone has caught on to its true purpose.”

The alicorn leaned back in her chair, tapping her chin. “That is good. I had concerns I had made it so subtle as to become useless.”

“We’ve already weeded out numerous recruits, and…” The unicorn’s face grew grimmer still. “I just never would have guessed their agents would be so numerous. What are those damn fools planning, anyway?”

“I’m going to be honest with you.” Celestia sighed. “I have no idea. That being said I have plenty of theories but not much to go on I’m afraid.”

Golden ground her teeth together before giving her head a firm shake. “Anyway, the training itself is going well, and we should be up to a full company by the end of the year, and a battalion within three…”

“I’m sensing a but in there,” Celestia pointed out.

Golden chuckled, flashing the alicorn a wide smile. “There's always a butt in here, Princess! The griffons may have nicked ol’ lefty but I assure, my ass is as amazing as ever.”

The ancient alicorn stopped and blinked, only to break into her own fit of laughter. “Oh, Golden, I missed your presence in the castle.”

The unicorn snorted. “I’m just glad you finally let me out of retirement. I was just about ready to strangle that husband of mine.”

“How is Shoe Shine anyway?” Celestia asked, leaning forward and resting her chin on her hooves.

“Annoyingly happy.” Golden grunted. “He's taken to retirement like a fish to water. Sometimes I think he loves that garden of his more than me.”

Celestia chuckled. “That's good to hear. And the kids?”

The unicorn stared down at the floor suddenly, shaking her head. “The last one finally flew the coup after his divorce to that bastard he shacked up with finally went through.”

“That was… Brick, right?” Celestia inquired.

“Yeah…” Golden mumbled. “He always did have a spot for fixer uppers.” The mare suddenly breathed deep and shook her head. “But you don't have time to hear about what my fool children have been up to. What else do you want to know?”

“Hmm.” Celestia tapped her chin. “What about the new weapons and armor? How are they faring?”

Golden Glaive raised an eyebrow. “Before I answer that I gotta ask, where in the hay did you find the designs for those things? I ain't never seen anything like that in all my years, not here, not in Griffonia, and not even in the minotaur lands.”

Celestia leaned in and winked. “It's a secret, I’m afraid.”

Golden glared at the alicorn for several seconds before snorting. “Well, wherever you got them, you better thank whoever made them, before giving them a smack upside the head.”

“Oh? Proving too heavy even for Mrs. Never Takes Off Her Armor?” Celestia shot back.

The unicorn laughed loudly, covering her mouth with a hoof as she shook her head. “Oh stars above, no. But it has been quite challenging to even teach them how to put on the damn things. It wouldn't be so bad, but that big circle thing-”

“Shade Projector,” Celestia corrected.

“Yeah, that thing.” Golden agreed. “It’s been quite a pain just to put together and get working, and then you have to attune to it, maintain it and you can't even swap a busted one without first unattuning the last user and reattuning the new one.” The mare threw up her hooves in frustration. “And you haven't even told me what it does yet!”

“I suppose you should know that at least,” Celestia began. “The recovered documents mention that it should be able to create a temporary copy of the user, but it also went on to list several other abilities that the copy, or shade, would have, including the ability to swap places with the original, potentially saving them from harm.”

Golden Glaive sat back in her chair and shook her head slowly. “Well I’ll be… Where was this thing when we were putting down that riot on fifty-third street?”

Celestia’s features hardened and she sighed. “Lost, I’m afraid.” She shook her head. “More to the point, how soon do you think your battalion could be trained with the full suit, including the shade projector?”

The aged unicorn sat back in her chair, tapping her chin with an armored hoof. “I’m gonna be honest here, I am not entirely sure. The armor isn't too difficult for some recruits to even use, but add the fact that we have to move slowly, and secretly while screening all recruits and ensuring they get the training they need and we’re looking at a six to seven year deployment window. I could get the numbers up there like I mentioned before in a much shorter time, but doing everything at once, well that takes time.”

The alicorn, rather than be shocked or annoyed as Golden expected merely nodded slowly. “That is acceptable. Will you be able to train a second in that time as well?”

“Trying to make me retire again, are ya?” Golden remarked with a chuckle. “And to answer your question. Six years. I got a good idea of who I want to replace me, but they are young, they need guidance, and more importantly, they need life experience, and varied experience at that.”

“Good,” Celestia murmured.

The alicorn continued to stare off into space for a few moments before she suddenly stood up and made her way around the desk. “I’m glad you're willing to take on this task. There is nopony else I would trust this to.”

The armored mare stood up, and shook the offered hoof, squeezing tightly. “Think nothing of it, Your Majesty. I’d follow you to Tartarus and back if that fool Tirek needed a second whoopin’.”

Celestia smiled, and squeezed back, silently impressed that the mare had stayed so strong despite her age, and the years since spent in retirement. “I don't think it will come to that, but you know what they say-”

“-Murphy has a funny sense of humour,” Golden Glaive finished. “Good to be back, Your Majesty.”

“Good to have you.” Celestia released the mare’s hoof and gestured to the door. “Now if I may. I have an appointment to keep.”

“Absolutely.” Golden turned and trotted out the door, stopping only briefly and casting a glance over her shoulder, a small, genuine smile crawling across her face.

The alicorn chuckled and shook her head, following behind the mare, after closing the door behind them. Once more in the long halls of the royal apartments, Celestia took a moment to watch her old friend trot away, a slight spring evident in the armored mare’s steps. The alicorn turned back around and made her way towards Twilight room.

Only to once more notice that there was a pony waiting for her, only this time she was looking away from Celestia, and shifting nervously from hoof to hoof while she chewed on her bottom lip. The alicorn smiled faintly and rolled her eyes, surprised to see the usually calm and collected unicorn so out of sorts.

“Velvet Touch,” Celestia stated when a good distance away, hoping to not startle the pony too much.

Unfortunately her good intentions meant little as the squirrly mare nearly jumped out of her skin before spinning around, her eyes going wide. “Oh, Princess Celestia! I, uh, didn't see you there. Don't worry about me, I totally did not lose Twilight.”

Celestia rolled her eyes and chuckled. “She's in my room. The poor filly is tired and a little lonely, so don't worry, she is definitely not lost.”

The other mare opened her mouth to speak only to sigh deeply, her entire body visibly relaxing. “Stars above, that's good to hear. I assume tonight’s session is cancelled?”

“Indeed it is.” Celestia gestured further down the hall, prompting the mare to walk in that direction, sticking close to the alicorn’s side. “I must apologize for not sending someone to notify you, but I’m afraid I was blindsided by an old friend who popped up unexpectedly.”

“That's fine. I was just letting my nerves get the better of me,” Velvet remarked dismissively.

“Still,” Celestia continued, “this breach of communication will not be repeated, I can assure you.”

The unicorn beamed, smiling wide, her face lighting up. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“Think nothing of it.” They turned down a side hall and passed by another duo of stone-faced guards. “I don't suppose you would know how late Silver was planning to stay in the office, would you?”

Velvet paused, catching the subtle undertone of worry that had wormed its way into the alicorn’s speech pattern. “I think she is going to be there for another hour or two, she mentioned something about chasing a lead and keeping her staff a little later than usual.”

“Ah, excellent,” Celestia remarked serenely, her calm tone bellying her hidden worry. “I must apologize again, but it might be that she will end up being a tad later than anticipated.”

Velvet was about to glare at the alicorn, but something about the serious way the alicorn held herself coupled with how calmly, yet seriously she stated things told Velvet that Celestia had good reason to give her girlfriend a little overtime. “Alright, but you better let her out before Donut Joe’s closes, we had a late night date planned.”

“I will make sure to dismiss her before ten thirty then,” Celestia remarked.

Velvet stopped and looked up at the alicorn, startled, yet not completely surprised by the fact that the ruler knew the odd time that the late night diner closed at. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“It is my pleasure, Velvet Touch,” Celestia remarked, giving the mare a slight nod. “Good night, and pleasant dreams.”

The alicorn paid the younger mare little mind, and simply made her way deeper into the castle, turning a corner and proceeding down a hidden staircase towards the labs she had sequestered away in the deepest parts of the castle. Making her way there was quick, and relatively easy, as she knew well the safety protocols at this point, and easily passed through the screening procedures in record time. Her quickened pace was so different from her normal speed that a few of the ponies milling about the halls at such an hour stopped and stared at the alicorn. Concern evident in the way she briskly trotted deeper, making short work of the security posts placed at even intervals.

In no time at all, she had reached her destination, and after one last mana signature test, she pushed open the double doors to the largest of her hidden labs. The enormous room ringed with smaller offices had changed dramatically since the first time she had been down here. Most notable of which was the fact that it had gained a rather lived-in look, which for a lab, meant experiments covering nearly every conceivable surface not obscured by papers of all shapes and sizes. Several large blackboards had also been wheeled in, and contained numerous technical drawings, as well as an equally numerous amount of expletives and question marks.

The few scientists left at such an hour, all looked up in shock, the clang of the doors hitting the wall startling them from their work. Several made short bows, others gave a simple nod while fewer still simply turned back to their work, unable or unwilling to show the alicorn a modicum of respect. Celestia didn't have time to overthink this particular aspect of her arrival however, and quickly scanned the room, and found what she was looking for in the form of a silver white unicorn leaning heavily on a water cooler, a coffee cup in her hoof.

As she trotted up to the mare, Celestia made sure to make her hooves clack heavily against the floor, only for the mare to not even notice the approaching alicorn until she was only a few feet away. “What, who?” she muttered, turning and looking at the alicorn’s chest, her eyes crawling up Celestia’s neck until finally their eyes met. “Oh uh… hello?” she half asked, half greeted, dropping into a slight bow.

“No need for such formality right now. I have a stunning development that requires you and your best’s eyes immediately,” Celestia stated evenly.

Silver’s eyes went wide and she turned, threw back the last of her coffee and gave her head a firm shake before yelling, “Beaker, String Theory, Bunsen, get over here!”

Two unicorns and an earth pony all stopped what they were doing and ran over to the lead scientist, each one with questions burning on their lips. Questions that were ultimately silenced when they noticed the alicorn’s dominating expression.

Raising her hoof, Celestia lit her horn and teleported a rather strange potted plant onto the outstretched limb. “Twilight grew this without using her horn. I need you to tell me how, and what the heck it even is.”

“What in the hell?” Velvet muttered, a sentiment shared by the rest of the scientists who gawked at the bizarre, twitching abomination.

“What was she doing when she grew this… thing?” one of the scientists, whom was an older unicorn stallion with a greying orange mane asked.

“I taught her how to grow a plant like an earth pony does,” Celestia began, gesturing to the plant. “This was the result.”

The younger, brownish red colored earth pony scientist stepped forward, his jaw falling open. “That's amazing. I mean even if she was an earth pony that would still be quite a feat for somepony her age.”

“It's miraculous, but I’m more confused by the fact that it seems alive, in the animal sense and not the plant sense,” the third, shorter unicorn scientist muttered, turning her head this way and that as she stared down at it.

Silver pressed a hoof against her face and sighed long and hard, shaking her head. “Now she can grow plants like an earth pony, great. Back to square bucking one yet again!”

Celestia snickered to herself. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I’m afraid I must insist that you get as much information as possible on this… thing. I have a feeling it won't last for much longer.”

As if on cue the tentacle like appendage at the centre was already beginning to rapidly lose its color, the limb falling still as it became more and more grey by the second. Silver frowned. “Right. Bunsen, get the arc scanner up and ready.” She pointed to another scientist. “Beaker, I want you to take tissue samples and do everything in your power to try and keep them alive for a little longer. String Theory, I want you on preliminary scanning. Use every spell you know, starting with the ones you think would be most beneficial and working down from there. I want as much information as possible before this thing kicks the bucket on us.”

The three scientists all nodded and started their task, with the bizarre plant quickly being whisked away by a lab hand. Leaving Silver Scalpel and Celestia standing alone, the unicorn having pulled over a black board and was now hastily erasing a small section before grabbing a piece of chalk. “Have you ever seen a plant like that?” Silver asked.

“Not in all my years have I ever seen something quite so grotesque before. The closest I can imagine would be the canopy wraith from the eastern zebra lands,” Celestia remarked, Silver already writing notes on the blackboard. “It uses a long flesh-like appendage to grapple and kill small rodents, pulling them back into the central mass wherein they are digested.”

“That is… disturbing.” Silver tapped the board a few times, deep in thought. “Is there any chance she came in contact with one of these plants?”

“Unless she made a trip to the eastern zebra lands, it would be impossible,” Celestia remarked. “The wraith itself is extremely finicky and cannot be replanted easily. Only one was able to be recovered during an expedition thirty years ago, but it died in less than three weeks after reaching Canterlot.”

“Hmmm,” Silver muttered to herself, staring off into space. “What about the actual texture of the uh, organism? Is there anything that appears that, flesh-like?”

Celestia hummed, tapping her chin. “Not that I can recall. There is a flower that mimics a rotting rat corpse fairly well in both smell and appearance, but even that doesn't look quite as fleshy as this… thing.”

Silver wrote a few more lines of notes on the board, ending it with a question simply stating hybrid? in bold letters. “Is there anything you can think of that would look or act at all like this new organism? Or any other information you may have gathered.”

Celestia shook her head. “As far as I’m aware it's an entirely new organism. As for other information, I can produce a memory crystal of what I saw when she was growing it. If you think that will help.”

“That would be an excellent idea,” Silver remarked, adding another line, simply stating see memory crystal #404 at the bottom of her notes.

“I’ll have that to you shortly,” Celestia remarked, looking over her shoulder to the buzz of activity and the various scientists and lab assistants running this way and that. “Do you have any theories on the sudden way it started dying?”

Silver frowned, her gaze lingering over her personnel. “It appeared to be some sort of cellular degeneration. I’ve seen something like it in Equestrian journal for health, but that was when a flower was exposed to high levels of thaumatic radiation.”

“Which wouldn't be applicable here, unless it's background tolerance was much, much lower than most Equestrian plant life,” Celestia concluded. “It was also fine, at first anyway, and only showed signs of degradation when it was brought down here.”

“Perhaps it's the lack of organic lighting down here?” Silver half stated, half asked. “Interesting.”

“Quite,” Celestia murmured, looking on as the scientists continued to run this way and that, the plant at the centre of their attention slowly becoming greyer, until within a few minutes the thing had lost its color entirely.

The two mares leaned in, watching closely as the plant trembled a moment before disintegrating into a pile of ash, just as the large array of crystals around it stopped humming. For a moment everyone stopped moving, the scientists and Celestia all staring at the strange organism that was now little more than a small mound of grey. Printouts continued to spit out of machines, spells fizzled, and then all at once the ponies began to move once more, gathering up whatever data they had managed to acquire so far.

Great piles of data printed on what looked like miles of paper were folded and placed in piles, the various assistants already beginning to organize their findings as the more senior members of the staff began to comb through the more interesting sections. Celestia meanwhile, was staring closely at the pile of ash, noting that the dirt had lowered significantly since the organism’s death.

“Complete cellular death,” Celestia remarked with a shake of her head. “I never thought such a thing was even possible.”

Silver snorted. “Impossible is the new normal, apparently.”

The alicorn merely shook her head and watched the experts as they read through the results, most either shaking or scratching their heads as they did. A few could be heard mumbling their confusion, muttering such phrases like “What the hell?” “What does this even mean?” and “How, just how?”

Celestia’s frown deepened, and Silver took a step forward. “Did she grow the plant from nothing or was there a seedling already present?”

The alicorn shook her head, and looked down a the unicorn. “There was a seedling present and it was an ordinary flower.” The alicorn rolled her hoof in the air as she tried to remember what exactly it had been at first. “I believe it was a dandelion.”

“That certainly did not appear to be an average weed,” Silver muttered.

“Evidently not,” Celestia agreed.

“I’m gonna be honest with you, Your Majesty, but I don't have a hot clue what this means and judging from the baffled looks on my staff’s faces neither do they,” Silver Scalpel remarked. “It's probably going to be matter of days or even weeks before we can comb through all this data and really figure out what exactly happened to your dandelion.”

“Wait!” Bunsen suddenly yelled, standing up and waving a chunk of paper in the air.

“Or apparently someone will find something right away,” Silver muttered.

The stallion ran over to the pair, his eyes wide. “I think I found something you may find interesting.”

“Well? Go on,” Celestia invited, motioning for the stallion to speak.

“From these readings here I can tell that the plant still had some base genes of your weed,” Bunsen exclaimed, gesturing to a large chunk of numbers in the bottom left of his sheet of paper. “It also has what I think is our subject’s aura attached to it.”

“Let me see that,” Silver demanded, grabbing the sheet of paper and scanning down the page.

Celestia raised an eyebrow and leaned closer. “Is that true, Silver?”

“I think so…” the mare muttered, shaking her head. “It seems to have part of the filly’s magical signature implanted within it.”

“And what does that mean, exactly?” Celestia inquired.

“I don't know…” Silver murmured.

“She may have been exerting some level of control over the plant,” Bunsen offered. “I’m not exactly sure but when an earth pony grows a plant their essence lingers within it for a little while. It's theorized that this is where the experience of connection earth ponies feel comes from.”

“I want a team looking into this,” SIlver commanded, turning to her staff member. “Take as many junior staff members as you need.”

Bunsen frowned. “May I pull a few hooves from other projects?”

“Low priority projects only,” Silver clarified.

“Alright,” Bunsen muttered before turning and leaving.

Silver Scalpel’s frown deepened and she looked up at the alicorn with worry on her face. “I don't suppose this means we are going to get any more hooves down here eh?”

“I’m moving as fast as I can but it's difficult to find someone whose expertise you would find useful, and whom is also not compromised by outside influences,” Celestia remarked, a frown crossing her own face.

Silver looked down, her jaw clenching and unclenching before she stood suddenly. “I should go over the results with my team quickly if I want a chance of getting out of here anytime soon.”

Celestia chuckled. “See that you do. Velvet would have my hide if you didn't make it to your date.”

Silver Scalpel’s frown deepened and she trotted away from the alicorn, leaving Celestia alone with her thoughts. The alicorn studied her chief scientist’s body language as she crossed the room, and was unable to stop herself from wondering if she was uncorrupted by the houses’ promises of power and money.

Just another thing to check up on, Celestia thought to herself, before turning and walking away, heading back to her bed, and a filly who needed a little love and attention.

Author's Notes:

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Shopping

“Let me get this straight,” Celestia began, running a hoof down her face. “You left your window open all night without waking up, and without the guards noticing?”

Twilight nodded. “Uh yeah, I don't like hearing them walk around all night, so I put a towel under the door.”

The alicorn sighed, eying her student up and down, and noting the way the filly only seemed to shiver beneath the blankets that covered her when being directly observed. “I suppose you can have the day off then, since you gave yourself a cold.”

Twilight’s eyes went wide and she threw back her bed sheets. “N-no, I don't want that! I just wanted to maybe go and buy a jacket.” She tapped her forehooves together nervously, looking down. “I think that would help.”

Celestia’s frown deepened as she stared at the filly, noting the fact that she had stopped shivering despite the fact that she had shed her blankets. “Twilight, are you sure you are sick? I’ve seen you bounce back from the flu in a matter of hours.”

The filly coughed into her hoof, or at least tried to, her fake cough sounding every bit as forced as it truly was. “See? A coat would help me stay warm, don't you think?”

The alicorn stared down at the filly for several long moments, her glare softening as time passed. “If that's what you want, we can go buy you a coat.” She raised a hoof, cutting off the excited yell that was building in Twilight’s throat. “But when we get back, you are going to do all your homework, and then read ten pages from Sapphire Flare’s first treatise on magic. Got it?”

Twilight nodded dutifully. “Yes, ma’am!”

“Good.” The alicorn nodded, pushing herself off the edge of the filly’s bed and standing tall. “So are you ready to go?”

“Oh, uh. You are not just gonna send me with Bull?” Twilight asked nervously.

“Am I not good enough?” Celestia asked while pouting profusely.

“N-no, I just…” Twilight crossed her hooves over her chest and pouted right back. “You are not supposed to tease foals, you know.”

“I’m the princess, I get to do whatever I want,” Celestia shot back, sticking her tongue out at the filly.

Twilight glared at the alicorn, yet couldn't resist the urge to smile, an expression that slowly grew across her face. “Yes, I’m ready,” the filly muttered finally.

“It's about time,” Celestia remarked.

Twilight grumbled silently to herself as she donned her glasses and trotted over to the door where Celestia stood waiting. “Well, it's not my fault you just sprung this on me.”

The alicorn smiled. “I’m just teasing you, Twilight. Are you sure you want to go, you can stay here if you really are sick.”

The filly shook her head. “No, that's okay. I think I’m good enough to go shopping.”

Celestia rolled her eyes and pushed her way into the hall, where Silver Bulwark stood next to the door, a bored expression on her face. An expression that vanished the second she noticed the pair of ponies standing next to her. “Oh, hello, Your Majesty, little miss,” she greeted, turning from Celestia to Twilight. “Where are you two off to?”

“We are going shopping for a coat for Twilight, as she seems to have caught a bit of a cold,” Celestia replied, pointing towards the filly.

Who in turn did her best attempt at faking a cough.

“Riiight,” Bull muttered.

“So we are going to get this little one a coat, to help keep her warm,” Celestia concluded. “Your help would be much appreciated.”

“Sure thing, boss lady,” Bull replied, snapping off a quick salute before clamping her spear to barding with a light use of magic.

“Excellent, but first, we need to stop off at my office,” Celestia added.

“Whysat?” Twilight asked, keeping pace with the older mares as they began to walk down the hall.

“You’ll see,” the alicorn replied.

The filly frowned, but kept her mouth shut, knowing well that such a tone was reserved for when Celestia wanted to ensure the filly stayed silent until the alicorn had a chance to reveal whatever said secret was.

So she did just that, staying perfectly quiet as the trio traversed the hall down to Celestia’s office, where the alicorn stopped. “You two can wait here. I’ll be right back.”

“Sure thing,” Bull replied, taking position beside the door.

Twilight merely glared at the alicorn, and said nothing, tapping her hoof impatiently.

Celestia vanished into her office, and returned exactly seven seconds later with a large overcoat the likes of which Twilight had never seen before. With eyes wide, and filled with wonder, the filly looked up at the alicorn and the coat she held. “What is that?” she whispered.

The alicorn raised the coat up, allowing the pair to get a good view of its high collar and long flowing black leather that would cover a pony nearly from head to hoof. Lapels studded with gold stars and large copper buttons going down the front completed the outfit, adding an air of intimidation and prestige that Twilight had never experienced from other coats before.

“It's a griffon naval jacket that was left here by a friend who passed away many years ago,” Celestia replied, smiling faintly as her gaze drifted over the jacket. “I haven't known what to do with it, and couldn't bring myself to throw it out.”

“Cooool,” Twilight whispered in awe. “Can I try it on?”

“That is indeed why I brought it out,” Celestia remarked, levitating the coat down towards the filly and offering it to her. “It's too large for you now but it is quite warm, and I think it would serve you well one day, as for today we’ll have to roll up the sleeves a little.”

Twilight gaped silently, levitating the coat over her body before slipping her hooves through the sleeves. Sure enough it was much too large for the filly, but with a few minor alterations and a liberal amount of folding, it no longer touched the floor. The filly shuddered under the weight of the heavy coat, hugging herself tightly. “It's so warm.”

“It is indeed. Plus it's probably very good at keeping the wind out. Griffon leather work is second to none after all,” Bull added.

“This is leather?” Twilight remarked, a hint of disgust working into her voice.

“Faux leather, actually,” Celestia interjected. “Hunting for skins has been banned, and the griffon I mentioned was quite against the practice in the first place.”

The filly relaxed, and resumed running her hoof down the coat’s hard exterior. “It's nice.”

“You look ridiculous,” Bull remarked. “The collar is so high I doubt you can even see what's right next to you.”

Twilight frowned. “I can totally see!” she exclaimed, before looking to the right and realizing that she could not in fact, totally see. “Oh poo.”

Celestia rolled her eyes. “Come on, you two. Twilight will be fine not being able to check her corners until we find her a suitable replacement.”

Bull shrugged. “You laugh, but it is a very important thing, you know.”

Twilight blinked, looking back from one adult to the other. “What are you talking about?”

Celestia shook her head. “It's nothing. Now then, are we ready to go? Or should I find something a little more in your size? I’m sure your family sent something along with you since your last visit.”

Twilight shuddered as images of the bright pink and purple monstrosity with the built in mittens that her father had all but demanded she take with her flashed through her mind. “Nope! This is totally good.”

Bull chuckled, elbowing the filly’s side. “What, don't you like string mittens?”

Celestia giggled. “That is adorable.”

“Augh!” Twilight exclaimed, while stomping away. “If you need me I’m going to be shopping for a jacket!”

Bull and Celestia stowed their laughter and followed after the angry filly at a more sedate pace.

Bull perked up, glancing to her left where a rather dejected-looking Twilight, as well as an irritated Celestia, stepped out of the latest store. “Find anything?” the guard asked.

“No,” both replied in unison.

“Somebody is being a little picky today,” Celestia remarked.

“Hey, it's not my fault they keep trying to give me these silly frou frou jackets!” Twilight exclaimed, puffing up her cheeks and trying to stand as tall as she could.

The alicorn sighed. “That's quite alright, my dear. I did say we could make a day of it after all.”

“Not even Quick Stitch could sell you on something, eh?” Silver Bulwark asked. “Now that's a surprise. That mare could sell an ice maker to a yeti.”

Celestia chuckled. “That may be, but I think my young student has her heart rather set on what she wants. Isn't that right?”

Twilight blushed, nestling a little deeper into her coat and whispering, “Maybe,0” in a volume low enough to be obscured by the click clack of the trio’s hooves.

“Fear not, my student, I have one last destination in mind, though it's a little further away than most of the places we’ve visited so far.”

“Really?” Twilight asked, eyes not literally glowing behind her simple black rimmed glasses.

“Indeed I do,” Celestia replied. “I haven't checked in with him for many years, but I assume the old bird is still kicking around.”

“Awesome,” Twilight replied, pumping a hoof in the air and inadvertently causing her sleeve to unravel. “Whoops.”

Celestia rolled her eyes, leaned down and gently rolled the sleeve back up. “There we are. Ready for a little more walking?”

“Yup!” the filly exclaimed happily.

“Good, because we have to go all the way up to the docks,” Celestia added, gesturing further up the Canterhorn towards a small secondary plate that extended from the mountain side.

“Whoa,” Twilight muttered. “I’ve never been to the docks before, what's up there? Is it cold?”

“Well it's not that high up, so it's only a little cooler. Plus just ship building stuff, as the name would imply,” Silver Bulwark answered. “But it's the wind that gets you up there since there ain't much cover that high on the mountain.”

“Exactly. So stay close to us so you don't get blown away,” Celestia added.

Twilight shivered, and took an extra step closer to Celestia’s leg. “I will, Princess.”

Bull chuckled and rolled her eyes. “We better get going if we wanna make it there before they close. It's just about five already.”

“I wouldn't worry about that. The old bird is a bit of a night owl,” Celestia replied.

Twilight giggled. “Good one, Princess.”

The trio quickly set off in the direction of the docks, with Silver Bulwark taking point and Twilight sticking close to Celestia’s right. As they walked, ponies occasionally stopped and bowed, or at least nodded their respect as the alicorn passed, though as Twilight was watching, she noticed more earth ponies and pegasi bowed, while the unicorns either ignored her, or offered the alicorn little more than a terse nod. The filly also seemed to notice that there were fewer non unicorns than the last time she had went shopping with her mother, though the number was not so few that it was apparent at a single glance.

As they continued to walk further into the city, Twilight began to completely ignore the conversation Celestia and Silver Bulwark were having, focusing entirely on the reactions of the various ponies they passed by. Twilight was keenly interested in the non ponies they saw, watching closely as they passed by several zebras and even a small flock of griffons that were eating outside a restaurant. Twilight couldn't help but frown when they passed by the pack of zebras making their way down the street, the lot of them clustered close to another and eying the various ponies with naked suspicion.

The filly’s mind suddenly filled with images of bills, hidden glares and tense conversations when they neared the black and white creatures, though even still, the small herd all stopped what they were doing and bowed low when the alicorn approached. Who in turn, stopped and offered a nod of her own, making the zebras smile and begin speaking animatedly to one another in their own tongue.

Twilight smiled at that, noting their more traditional garb of gold rings and grassy skirts that marked them as either tourists, or recent arrivals. The filly silently wished them the best, watching the group until they finally turned a corner and vanished from sight.

As they neared the wall that was the mountain side, the stark contrast between the number of unicorns and non unicorns became less and less apparent, until they began to proceed up the long path along the mountainside that lead from Canterlot proper to the densely crowded streets of the docks district. Twilight didn't notice this change at first, as she was too busy staring at the zeppelins and other ships that were docked above her, filling the sky.

When she did finally look groundward, she nearly ran into a large earth pony mare wearing the heavy barding of a mechanic, with various tools and instruments poking out of her many pockets. The earth pony seemed tired, her pace slow and her gaze downtrodden, though even still, she paused and offered a deep, if short, bow of respect when she noticed the alicorn. As the mare lowered herself, Twilight stopped, noticing that there was a patch on the front of the mare’s uniform that was half blue, half red, divided straight down the middle, and dominated by a golden sunburst in the center.

Realizing she had nearly wandered off accidentally, Twilight turned back and scampered back to Celestia’s side, who was watching the filly closely the entire time. The filly breathed easier once she was standing next to the alicorn once more, with Bull visibly relaxing, and releasing the grip she had on her spear. “S-sorry,” Twilight muttered.

Silver Bulwark nodded sagely, while Celestia smiled serenely, neither saying anything.

Twilight nodded. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course, my student,” Celestia replied.

“What was that flag that lady had on her shirt?” Twilight asked, gesturing back to the earth pony she had nearly run into. “I’ve never seen it before.”

“That's the flag of the Frontier,” Celestia answered.

“The Frontier?” Twilight cocked her head. “Why do they have their own flag, I thought they were a part of Equestria?”

“Oh I know this one,” Silver Bulwark added. “The Frontier is its own province, and is different from most other places in Equestria which are run by the largest city in the area, which act as hubs for local governments.”

“Oooh, like how Equestria started off as a collection of city states, right?” Twilight inquired.

“That is why we organize towns into governing regions controlled by the major cities, but the Frontier doesn't have any cities on par with Canterlot, Manehattan, or any of the other major cities so they share control via large council,” Celestia remarked while nodding to another group of earth ponies that had stopped to bow at the royal. “All major cities have their own flag, though they are rarely flown or used.”

“Why did that mare have one on her shirt then?”

Bull shrugged. “Despite the fact that they are often thought up as small or insignificant, the Frontier actually boasts one of the largest populations but they are mostly pegasi and earth ponies.”

“What does that have to do with the flag?” Twilight muttered, looking up at Celestia.

“It's a point of pride, to be able to accomplish so much without the help of magic, which has made them fiercely independent,” Celestia replied. “The flag itself has become quite a potent symbol over the last few months.”

“Huh, ” Twilight muttered, her gaze lingering over the crowd of ponies and other creatures that clogged the tight city street that lead up to the second plate.

“It's fascinating, isn't it?” Silver Bulwark remarked with pride. “I hope to visit one day and see how they accomplish such feats of ingenuity.”

“We are almost there,” Celestia interrupted, pointing to a large intersection just ahead, the long street they had been walking until now having finally reached the second plate where it connected with a trio of other streets.

The hustle and bustle of the connecting road they had been on was considerable, though even that was nothing compared to the numerous creatures which filled the intersection. Carts laden with goods went this way and that, directed by a steely-eyed guard at the centre of the intersection, who waved her baton this way and that, ensuring nopony ran into each other. Overhead griffons and pegasi zipped crisscrossed the streets, carrying their own aerial carts who were in turn being guided by a winged guard standing above his ground bound coworker. Everywhere Twilight looked she saw another group of creatures going about their day at a breakneck pace.

“Whoa,” Twilight muttered, unconsciously stepping closer to the alicorn for fear of being run over or forgotten.

Few ponies stopped or even acknowledged the alicorn, their frantic paces meaning they had little time to, even if they had the desire. Celestia herself seemed to enjoy this change of pace, and smiled widely as she gazed out over the intersection. “Fascinating, isn't it?” Celestia announced, sweeping a hoof out over the crowd. “And to think just a few months ago this was a relatively quiet section of the city.”

“I thought the docks were always busy?” Twilight inquired, following behind the alicorn, who was now crossing the street at the direction of the baton wielding guard.

“They have been relatively busy over the years but after investment into air travel began to dwindle there were rumours that the docks would be shut down or at least restructured,” Silver offered. “My uncle nearly went belly up before Her Majesty here made a significant investment into his business.”

“Really? Why did you do that, Princess?”

Celestia smiled down at a pair of gawking pegasus foals who suddenly remembered who they were looking at and ducked into a hastey bow. “It was nothing. They were successful, but they were also aimless, with each company going in a different direction, muddying the entire industry. A guiding hoof was needed, that was all.”

Silver Bulwark snorted as she shooed away a gawking trio of mares clad in dusty long coats who had been staring at Celestia. “If you call buying a controlling stake in nearly every aeronautics company in Equestria ‘offering a guiding hoof’ then yeah, that makes sense.”

The alicorn smiled and shrugged. “Regardless of definition, their aimlessness has been fixed and air travel will become cheaper and more reliable.”

“But why?” Twilight asked, only to shrink when both adults turned to look at her. “Did I say something bad?”

“No, your curiosity is invigorating, I just didn't expect such a question,” Celestia muttered, her features straining for a moment.

“Now that you mention it, why did you suddenly step in and buy into so many companies?” Silver asked. “They had been under pressure for years already.”

Celestia looked out over the crowded streets, her face an unreadable mask. “I simply saw an opportunity to help drive innovation.”

Twilight frowned. She knew that wasn't the whole story, and it wasn't just her new senses that told her that the alicorn was suddenly feeling guarded, but also how she looked away, as if hiding her face from her companions. What Twilight did know was that Celestia didn't do so for a malicious reason, and in fact the filly could feel waves of agitation, and worry rolling off the ancient alicorn.

“And here we are,” Celestia announced, gesturing to small run down two-storey building that appeared ready to collapse at any moment.

The eavestroughs drooped, rain barrels sat filled with tepid water, shutters hung by a thread, and what little red paint that covered the exterior was peeling and worn. Only the sign above the simple wooden door seemed to have earned any care, and it sparkled with a shine of its own. The Red Baron was written upon the sign in neat, simple script that was primarily made up of sharp straight lines. In the window of the door sat a simple open sign written in the same script as the sign.

“What a dump,” Silver remarked, shaking her head.

“Maybe the owner is just old or something?” Twilight offered, looking up at the alicorn.

Celestia shrugged. “If it's the same owner as the one I knew, he would be older, but not that old.”

“Should we go inside?” Twilight asked.

“We did come all this way,” Silver replied, stepping up to the door and turning the handle.

The door swung inwards, revealing an empty shop filled with rows and rows of jackets, coats and other leather and faux leather items, almost all of which were covered in a thin layer of dust. Silver gulped, and opened the door wide, taking position next to the exit. “Well, you two have fun in there, I’ll remain out here where my allergies won't make me sneeze my nose off.”

Celestia rolled her eyes and stepped up to the door, motioning for Twilight to follow. “Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right Twilight?”

The filly nodded and scampered up to the door. “R-right.”

Inside was just as dusty as it appeared from outside, with the various rows of clothes stretching in all directions, nearly filling the shop to the brim, and leaving little room to walk around in. Twilight could see little from her low vantage point, meaning she had to wander through the rows at random, searching for a coat that would fit her diminutive stature with increasing frustration. “It's all mixed up!” she exclaimed in irritation.

Celestia raised an eyebrow and looked around, noting that hats, coats, ties, and even bracers and other bits of armor were intermixed seemingly at random. “How unseemly,” Celestia muttered to herself.

“Who’s there?” a voice suddenly bellowed from the back of the shop, where a large display of long, flowing capes made up an impromptu wall. “I have a cudgel and I’m not afraid to use it!”

“Is this shop not open?” Twilight whispered nervously, glancing from Celestia to the back of the room.

“Let's ask, shall we?” Celestia smiled and cleared her throat. “Scaring off paying customers again, Razor Wind?”

The awkward shuffling heard from behind the wall of capes came to a stop, and was parted by a gnarled staff, revealing the even more gnarled being that looked like someone had carved a griffon out of wood. Brown feathers in the same shade scorched oak surrounded the griffon’s deep green eyes, which in turn were surrounded by black feathers that covered nearly the entirety of the griffon’s body. His beak had several deep scratches in it, one of which was so deep Twilight could see into his very mouth.

“Celestia?” he muttered, his voice losing the angry tenor it had a minute ago.

“Did you lose your glasses again, you old bird?” Celestia shot back with a smirk.

The griffon snorted in irritation before turning, vanishing and returning a moment later with a pair of spectacles at the end of his beak. Glaring down the end of his face, Twilight swore his eyes grew twice as large as he looked through the thick glasses. “Well I’ll be,” he muttered, before a scowl suddenly crossed his face. “Finally come to pay your tab? Or do I have to write you another angry letter?”

Celestia snorted. “I paid that twenty years ago, ya old coot.”

The griffon continued to glare at the alicorn before pointing his stick at Twilight. “What's this one doing here? You putting chicks in the guard now, huh?”

“I’m-” Twilight began, only to get cut off when the griffon waved his stick at her angrily.

“Nobody is talking to you, girly!” the griffon shouted.

Celestia rolled her eyes. “She's my new student, we are here to purchase a coat to tide her over until she grows into this one.”

The griffon’s eyes narrowed and he stepped through the wall of capes, revealing a pair of tattered wings that were a few shades lighter than the brown feathers around his eyes. Slowly, he walked over to the filly and eyed her up and down, jabbing her with his staff before suddenly stepping back and huffing. “Those your stars, girly?”

“N-no, sir,” Twilight muttered.

Razor Wind stood there silently before huffing again and turning away. “Good. Ain't nothing worse than an honor thief.”

“An honor thief, what's that?” Twilight asked, following the griffon as he weaved his way through the rows of clothing and leaving a smiling Celestia behind.

“Someone who takes stars that ain't theres and pretends that they are,” the griffon muttered, stopping at an intersection before looking both ways and turning down a path seemingly at random.

“No, sir. I would never,” Twilight replied, trotting beside the griffon and looking up at him with wide, curious eyes.

“Good,” he muttered, peering down the length of his beak and squinting as he looked around. “Ain't nothing worse than that. ‘Sides, you seem like the type of chick to grow up and earn some stars of her own.”

Twilight stopped and stared, her eyes going wide as a smile grew on her face. “Do you really mean that, sir?”

The griffon stopped and turned around, scowling suddenly. “Did I stutter, missy?” Twilight shook her head. “I didn't think so.”

Razor Wind turned back to the rack before him before pulling out a coat at random, peering at it closely and then placing it back and repeating the process all over again.

From a safe distance, Celestia observed quietly, a frown crossing her face. She didn't like where this particular conversation was going, nor the implications it had, as the alicorn was immediately repulsed by the very idea of putting Twilight into harm's way. That knee jerk, motherly reaction was quickly suppressed though, as Celestia had to reluctantly admit to herself that she was planning on doing exactly that to the innocent filly.

Alone, and away from the gaze of the public, Celestia sighed, running a hoof down her face, wondering not for the first time if she even had the guts to follow through on her plan which was now almost a millennium in the making.

Pushing such thoughts from her mind, Celestia continued to watch the pair as Twilight shed her oversized coat and instead donned several smaller ones of various sizes, one after the other. Though not quite her size, it was quickly becoming apparent that the griffon had nothing tailored for a young pony and was instead testing the waters with various styles, seeing which ones the filly liked and disliked. The alicorn shook her head at the sight, a smile quickly replacing the frown when she noticed just how lively the griffon had become over the last several minutes.

The slight hunch in his back seemed to vanish, and the reliance he had on his gnarled staff began to wane. Even his gruff tone of voice was softening the longer he was around the filly, and Celestia could already tell he was taking a liking to her young student.

“I like this one!” Twilight announced excitedly, doing a little spin as she looked up and down the latest coat she had donned.

Razor Wind nodded slowly, noting that it was nearly identical to the one the pony had come in wearing. “I knew you would like that one.” He extended a clawed hand. “Now take it off, I need to make some adjustments before you can wear it.”

“Aww, okay,” Twilight muttered, reluctantly unbuttoning the front and lifting her hooves from the sleeves.

An act that she accidentally messed up when she brought a hoof down against her face when she nearly tripped over the too long sleeve. “Ouch,” she muttered, rubbing her nose, only to realize her glasses were no longer there.

With eyes wide and filled with panic she looked up to see the griffon looking down at her, concern etched on his wooden features. Rather than fear, or trepidation she felt a wave of pity and respect coming from the aged creature, a sad frown crossing his face. Yet despite what her new senses told her, Twilight couldn't help but be afraid of what he may say after seeing this ugly side of her.

“Stars and stripes, what happened to ya?” he muttered in a low tone, his joints creaking as he lowered himself to her height.

“Y-you are not scared?” Twilight whispered, peeking out from behind the coat she had been hiding behind.

The aged griffon snorted in irritation. “Nothing scares me, girly, least of all some glowy eyes.”

“Don't you think I’m a freak?” Twilight whispered, retreating until only her eyes poked out from behind her hiding spot.

Razor Wind shook his head, placing his staff on the floor and staring intently at the young filly. “Let me show you something, little one.”

Twilight pursed her lips and waited patiently, watching as the griffon opened his right eyelid wide using his talons before gripping the eye itself and plucking it right from its socket. The filly’s jaw hung open and she watched in stunned apprehension as he rolled the eyeball around in his outstretched hand, revealing that it was little more than a painted white orb of some unknown material.

“Whoa,” Twilight muttered.

The griffon smirked. “So girly, do you think I’m a freak?”

“Nuh uh!” Twilight exclaimed, not noticing the fact that she had hopped out from her hiding spot.

Razor Wind chuckled to himself, rolling the eyeball around in his palm before popping the entire thing back into his empty socket. A few blinks later and the eye appeared natural once more, with the griffon sporting an odd smirk. “So we gonna sit on the floor all day or am I gonna get you a coat?”

The filly sniffed, wiping a tear from her eye. “A coat,” she muttered.

“Good, ‘cause my old knees don't work like they used to,” Razor remarked, wincing as he returned to a standing position, one hand on his back.

“Are you alright?” Twilight asked, taking a nervous step forward in case the old griffon fell over.

“It's nothing, missy. Just the joys of getting old.” The older creature winced once more, his back making several loud popping sounds before he was able to stand up straight.

From across the room, Celestia let out a sigh, no longer bothering to pretend to look at the various wares that filled the old griffon’s shop and instead staring intently at the griffon and filly as they made their way towards the capes, where Razor Wind disappeared. Only to reappear a few moments later with a tape measure and pad of paper in a clawed hand. In short order he acquired the filly’s measurements and had them written down, placing the pad of paper and the the coat on a previously unseen table, obscured by the rack of capes.

“There we are, shouldn't take more than a few minutes before I can get it all hemmed up for ya!” Razor Wind announced. “Feel free to go get food or whatever it is your ponies do. It shouldn't take long.”

Twilight cocked her head. “Can't I just stay here?”

Razor Wind paused halfway through the wall of capes, turning and looking over his shoulder. “Now why would you want to go and do a silly thing like that?”

“I never seen anyone work with leather before, and I thought it might be interesting,” Twilight muttered, looking down at her hooves nervously. “I mean if you and Celestia will let me, that is…”

The griffon looked up at the alicorn, his eyes asking the question he couldn't bring himself to give voice to. Celestia, understanding immediately, nodded and smiled, in turn bringing a small smile to the old griffon’s face.

Which he promptly hid by turning back around and walking through the capes. Twilight’s features fell even more, right up until a long gnarled staff parted the wall of leather, revealing a frowning Razor Wind who was staring down at the filly in irritation. “What are you doing just standing there, I thought you wanted to watch?”

“Yes!” the filly squealed excitedly, following the griffon into the hidden back area of his shop.

Celestia could hear an animated discussion begin almost immediately, and she hesitated to follow the pair to the back of the griffon’s shop. Her hoof reached out, but did not grab the wall of capes, her ears listening intently to the conversation happening just beyond.

The filly was eagerly drilling the griffon with a seemingly endless slew of questions about his home, his life and his experience in the military. Throughout it all, Razor Wind remained calm, if a bit irritable, his answers short, to the point, but still worded carefully in order to answer the filly’s questions fully. The alicorn quickly came to the conclusion that the old griffon was no threat, and as she stood there she wondered what she should do.

It was evident that they had taken well to one another, but Celestia still worried that the blunt old griffon would say the wrong thing and hurt the filly’s feelings. As seconds turned into minutes and the filly’s questions continued unabated, Celestia relaxed, a small smile crossing her face as she continued to listen. Their conversation had shifted to the topic of military strategy, and by the sounds of it, Razor Wind was regalling the filly with a tale of heroism and bravery, his normally reserved and harsh tone softening, and growing deeper as he painted a vivid verbal picture.

Celestia chuckled, and decided then and there to trust the old bird, going so far as to step outside and brief Silver Bulwark on the events that had occured within before finally returning several minutes later.

Once back in side, Celestia quickly realized that the conversation was now gone, and with a hint of worry in her heart, Celestia trotted to the back of the room and pulled open the wall of capes. There she found the two creatures sitting on either side of a large wooden plank dotted with small wooden shields standing upright on checkered squares. Twilight was peering intently at her pieces, which had various numbers painted on the side facing her, a hoof hovering over her red piece which was approaching the blue mass of Razor Wind’s pieces on his side of the board.

The old griffon on the other hoof, was hardly paying attention at all to the game, his talons gripping tight a length of fabric which he was glaring intensely at. “Darn, stupid pony needles,” he grumbled.

“Now that's a game I haven't seen in a long time,” Celestia remarked.

Twilight’s eyes lit up as she turned to Celestia, surprising the alicorn with the fact that her glasses had remained off. “Hey Princess, have you ever played this game before?”

Celestia rolled her eyes and maneuvered her way through the piles of unused leather scraps and various garments in a variety of stages of completion that littered the back area of the shop. “I may have, why?”

“Do you have any tips? Mister Wind is kicking my butt,” Twilight whispered.

The aforementioned griffon chuckled under his breath. “You ain't gonna get much help from old golden keester,” he remarked with a smirk.

The alicorn frowned. “I distinctly remember beating you the last time we played.”

“And I distinctly remembered beating you several dozen times before that,” Razor Wind replied without looking up. “Aha, there we go,” he muttered, having managed to remove the offending needle from the coat he was working on.

Celestia decided to stay silent and merely watch as the game progressed, the filly’s pieces slowly dwindling over the next several minutes. Until Twilight sat there, hooves crossed over her chest, a dozen blue pieces surrounding the last three red pieces on the board. “How did you beat me? I had the perfect plan!” she exclaimed, pouting even harder.

“You also didn't change your plan after it started going sideways,” Razor Wind replied without looking up. “Old goldy here was the worst for that.”

The alicorn’s frown deepened. “I will have you know I became quite adept at changing my plans, thank you very much.”

“It only took forty or so games, and probably as many years,” Razor shot back, jabbing a claw at the alicorn.

“Twilight, don't you think it's getting a little late? You still have homework to do,” Celestia pointed out, barely holding back a chuckle.

“Well don't scamper off too quick, I’m just about done here,” Razor Wind remarked.

Celestia looked down and smiled, noting how the filly was dutifully putting away the game, depositing the pieces gently back into the box before placing it high up in a nearby cupboard. “Make sure you thank Mister Wind for playing with you,” Celestia reminded, placing a hoof on the filly’s shoulder.

“Thank you, Mister Wind!” Twilight exclaimed happily, hopping off her chair and placing her glasses back on her face.

“You are welcome,” he muttered, as if embarrassed to even utter such a set of words.

Celestia stifled a chuckle, ushering Twilight back into the main section of the store, leaving a blushing old griffon to clean up the last of his work. A few moments later he emerged as well, a small, filly sized coat in hand. “That will be a hundred and fifty bits,” he stated.

The alicorn raised an eyebrow, remembering the fact that the coat had previously had a slightly higher price tag on it mere minutes ago. “Oh, giving us a discount? That's rare.”

Razor Wind grumbled quietly to himself, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly and looking away. “No. This one was just labeled wrong. Now are you gonna pay up or am I gonna have to call the guard?”

Twilight raised an eyebrow, but remained silent, watching the two adults speak.

With flash of her horn a bag of bits appeared in the griffon’s outstretched claw, where it was carefully weighed in his hand before the griffon nodded and placed it behind the wall of capes. “Seems to all be there, but if there is even one bit missing I will call the guards on you, missy!”

“I would expect nothing less,” Celestia replied with a chuckle, turning to her student and noticing that the filly was already wearing the coat. “Ready to go, Twilight?”

“Um…” The filly gulped, looking up at the alicorn with wide, watery eyes. “Can I come back someday? Mister Wind said he would teach me how to play stratego.”

“Oh, did he now?” Celestia remarked, lifting her eyebrow and eying the griffon out of the corner of her eye. “I never heard that part.”

Razor Wind grunted, waving off the alicorn’s attention. “It was nothing, I just figured she would make a better student than you did.”

“Whatever you say, you old coot. Now we better get going, Twilight, it's getting late,” Celestia replied, turning and walking over to the door, only to stop when she noticed Twilight wasn't there.

The filly was instead awkwardly hugging the griffon’s forelimb, before finally being brushed off by the ornery old creature a few seconds later. “Unless you are buying something else, get out of my shop.”

“Yes, Mister Wind, see you later!” Twilight exclaimed, not even seeming to notice the griffon’s gruff attitude.

Now outside, Celestia stopped the filly with a hoof on her shoulder. “That was quite a feat, my young apprentice.”

“Why do you say that?” Twilight asked innocently. “Mister Wind is a nice stall- err, griffon.”

“That old coot is nice?” Silver snorted. “Looked and sounded about as ornery as an old goat if you ask me.”

“He is so nice!” Twilight retorted, glaring at the guard. “He doesn't show it much, but I can feel it!”

Silver raised an eyebrow, and nodded slowly. “If you say so, kiddo.”

With that the trio began to move back towards hill street and home, with Twilight becoming more and more restless as time passed, an unspoken question burning on her lips. After a while Celestia slowed her pace and looked down at the filly in a way that prompted Twilight to sigh, and finally speak.

“Why was it so surprising that he gave us a discount anyway? He really is nice!” Twilight exclaimed suddenly.

“I have no doubt that he is,” Celestia replied with a faint smile. “It's just that griffons do not respect any foreign power, be it princess or police. Yet he choose to give you a discount. Something he never once gave me.”

“R-really?” Twilight murmured. “Wait, I don't even have any bits! Princess Celestia, I-”

The filly had her panic-filled rant shut down by the golden glow of Celestia’s magic which wrapped around her mouth and gently held it shut. “Don't worry, Twilight. I merely took it out of your stipend.”

“I have a stipend?” Twilight asked, only for her face to screw into a tight mask of confusion. “What's a stipend?”

“It's an allowance, kiddo,” Silver interrupted, earning her a glare from Celestia. “What? That's totally what it is.”

“There is more to it than that,” Celestia grumbled. “But yes, it is like an allowance.”

“Whoaaaah,” Twilight muttered, the filly suddenly eying up all the shops and stalls that dotted the sides of the wide, busy streets.

“An allowance you now used up,” Celestia shot back.

“Daw, come on!” Twilight whined. “I just wanted a few bits for a snack!”

“You have eaten quite enough already,” Celestia replied. “If you are still hungry you can have an apple when we get back to the castle.”

The two continued to argue back and forth, with Twilight managing to convince her guardian to at least chop up the apples and sprinkle a little cinnamon over them. Leaving a bemused Silver Bulwark to shake her head and chuckle, watching as Celestia and Twilight both began to smile even as they continued to argue. “You two were made for each other,” Silver Bulwark muttered to herself, shaking her head.

Author's Notes:

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This update was made possible by the wonderful support of:
Kali, Craig, Ozzy, Robert, Quill, JPMK, Tommy, Ivar, Mikhaila, Pacsik, Matt, Brendan, Peter, Nicky, Princess Pudding, Nofreedom, T Sparkle, Apollyon, Luckyfanisaac, Azin, Zairvin, Random_Reader, Iamunkown, Facinus, M, Nfreak, Doomgooey, Michael, Ceepert, Diokyo, Starless

Homeward Bound

A pencil rolled through the air, held aloft by a light purple aura that surrounded it. The being who controlled the telekinetic field was staring off into space, looking out the large window and out over the busy city of Canterlot. The day was not yet late, but neither was it early, the city just reaching that strange twilight that comes between the time when the work day is over, but the evening has yet to begin. It was an awkward time, Twilight thought, a time wherein everyone seemed to be too tired from a long day to do much more than laze around.

The filly remembered times when her mother and father would return home from work after Twilight had finished school, and then simply sat in the living room, too exhausted to move, but knowing full well that they must. Twilight was not a fan of this time, and even less so now that she found herself in that same awkward position she had seen her parents in so many times.

She had finished her last equation for the day, and though there was a part of her that wanted to go over the material one more time, that was a small part and was ultimately made silent by the fact that she knew it all. Indeed, Twilight had gotten considerably better at math over the last few months, to the point that even division, the one thing she hated more than anything, was now easy for her.

Yet, she didn't want to go home, and didn't feel that siren song of relaxation that came with the promise of rest. She knew she would find no rest within those four walls, and neither did she have reason to remain within the ones she sat now.

She sighed and continued to make her pencil float through the air, rolling around on imagined waves as it ventured through the skies. She continued to imagine the many adventures of sky ship number two and its brave directive to go out into the great beyond as she tried not to think of what was coming soon.

That was until Celestia suddenly shattered the fantasy by speaking up, “Would you look at that, it's four thirty already.” The alicorn stretched, lazily from her spot to Twilight’s left. “Did you complete all your work?”

Twilight froze, her pencil falling from the heavens as she hastily closed her books. “N-no!”

Celestia turned her head and raised an eyebrow. “Really now? Because last I checked, you nearly had everything completed. Do you need help with something?”

The filly hastily shook her head. “No, I’m fine. Just got caught daydreaming.”

The alicorn eyed her student carefully, concern evident on her features. “You wouldn't happen to be putting off going home for the weekend, now would you?”

“No really! I just… want to make sure I have this all memorized, is all,” Twilight replied weakly, smiling a little too widely as she held up her math book.

“Well alright, but if you need help, I’ll be right here,” Celestia said, turning back to her own desk and donning a small, dainty pair of reading glasses.

The filly looked down at her own glasses which rested on the desk before her. She was tempted to put them on, as it did fit the look of her new coat rather well. She still didn't have a real reason to though, and without prompting she didn't really want to put them on, no matter how cool it looked.

She lifted a hoof and inspected the copper stitching that held together the button-clad hoof cuff. It was intimidating and pretty darn cool, two things Twilight never really thought she valued until a few months ago. She had been a bit of a stereotypical filly until that point, loving the frills and laces that came with the dresses she owned. Now though, something had shifted inside her, and she couldn't even bear to look at the dresses that filled her closet, a small part of her mind telling her that they were opulent, and useless.

What she had now was useful, utilitarian, even the small visual flourishes serving the purpose of intimidating any viewer if she wasn't the shortest pony in the room, that was. This was something Celestia had initially been concerned about, the alicorn humming and hawwing over the potential looks Twilight might get. Her concerns didn't last long though, the alicorn taking one look at Twilight’s beaming face and choosing to drop any such concerns right then and there.

The rest of her coat fit that same style of copper on black, the buttons, stitching and embroidery all being the same shade of orange. The stark black that the rest of the coat was a perfect contrast, and Twilight knew the first time she gazed upon the finished result that it would be a style that would stay with her for years.

Dropping her hoof, Twilight turned to her textbook and gazed down on it, wondering if she should even bother pretending to work, as Celestia had no doubt already figured out that she was merely putting off the eventual family reunion Twilight knew was coming. Now that she thought about it though, the astute alicorn was rather busy, she probably wouldn't even notice if the filly no longer pretended to work.

Glancing over her shoulder, Twilight looked to where Celestia sat, noticing instantly the way she leaned forward, her entire body pointing towards the small bundle of papers held aloft in her magic. The filly also noticed that she was staring at those same papers rather closely, so intently in fact that she didn't notice that her face was scrunched up slightly. Her jaw was tight, her lips thin, and her brow furrowed, the older mare evidently drawn deep into the contents of the papers.

It didn't take the use of Twilight’s newfound powers to be able to tell that whatever was within the report, was as interesting as it was worrying. The filly didn't even want to think about something bad enough to make even Celestia worry, and yet she couldn't help but want to see it. Morbid curiosity had always been something Twilight easily succumbed to, and with a slight push of her mind, she tried to hear what Celestia was thinking.

Or at least she had been about to, but the filly quickly realized what she was doing, and pulled back, mentally reprimanding herself for considering intruding on her mentor’s thoughts without permission. She didn't know how she was able to listen to a pony’s thoughts, but she refused to simply eavesdrop whenever she was tempted to.

“You know reading over someone’s shoulder is considered rude,” Celestia exclaimed without looking away from the pages before her.

Twilight gulped and nervously tapped her forehooves together. “S-sorry, I was just done with my work and was curious. How did you know I was looking anyway?”

Celestia nodded and slowly placed the papers on her desk before turning to the filly, a sly smile on her face. “You are not the only one with unique skills, you know.” The alicorn chuckled, and plucked the reading glasses from the edge of her nose and let them fall to her chest, the small golden chain around her neck keeping them from falling far.

“What are you reading anyway?” Twilight asked hesitantly. “You were looking at it really closely.”

“It was a report from a group I am helping to fund,” Celestia began, her face lighting up slightly. “A talented group of earth ponies looking to protect frontier towns, and help in all aspects of life.”

“Wow,” Twilight muttered, the alicorn’s enthusiasm becoming strangely infectious. “Aspects like what?”

“Aspects as wide as they are groundbreaking,” Celestia remarked while leaning in conspiratorially. “Hydraulics, defence platforms, and even advances in computing and engineering. I daresay they may very well change all aspects of life as we know them.”

“Thats awesome!” Twilight’s eyes sparkled. “How long have you been funding them? This must have been going on for a while if they were able to do so much!”

“Not long, actually,” Celestia explained, giving her butt a slight wiggle as she found a more comfortable spot to sit in. “They have apparently been working on these projects for many years, the group of inventors having formed sort of collective in order to get a better deal. Unfortunately for them some of the nobility caught wind of their advances and ensured investors stayed far away.”

“I guess that makes sense, but why would anyone want to make them not get money if they have the potential to help so many ponies?” Twilight asked, muzzle scrunching up. “‘Cause that sounds stupid.”

Celestia sighed, shaking her head slowly. “I don't know. Some of the old unicorn families have begun to act… strange in recent years, but I never assumed their corruption ran quite this deep.” She stared off into the distance, her gaze lingering over the horizon. “There must be some sort of outside influence.”

The alicorn continued to stare off into the distance for several more seconds, making Twilight become increasingly agitated as the silence dragged on. “What do you think it is?” Twilight asked suddenly.

Celestia shook her head, her eyes refocusing as she looked down on the filly. “I don't know,” she lamented. “These things are strange, and I may very well be reading too far something that may not exist. Politics is never black and white, and only becomes more grey once you throw old noble houses and dogma into the mix.”

Twilight opened her mouth to ask another question, but found that Celestia’s features had grown darker, stopping the words before they had a chance to pass the filly’s lips.

The alicorn quickly wiped away the expression and stood up suddenly. “Now then, you must be getting awful homesick by now.”

“N-not really,” Twilight murmured. “I like hanging out with you.”

Celestia smiled gently and placed a hoof on the filly’s back. “That's very sweet of you, Twilight, but you must be getting at least a little tired of hanging around a stuffy old mare like myself. Come, let’s get your bags packed and ready for you to go home.”

“Do I have to?” Twilight pouted, crossing her hooves over her chest. “I like it here.”

The alicorn sighed and shook her head. “I’m afraid you must go home sometime. You wouldn't want your parents to worry, would you?”

The filly ground her teeth together and pouted vicioucly, but even that wasn't enough to resist Celestia’s gentle pushing. “B-but what about my math?”

“You and I both know you completed that hours ago,” Celestia continued. “Now, do I have to threaten detention or are you going to get up, young filly?”

“Yay detention!” Twilight exclaimed, throwing up her hooves.

“Oh, did I say detention? I meant expulsion.” Celestia smirked evilly. “Three days of no class, no homework and no library access.”

“Nooooo!” Twilight cried, raising her forehooves to the heavens and crying out in agony.

The adult, meanwhile, was busy rolling her eyes at the sight of the dramatic filly, before sighing and gently picking her from the floor. “Come now, don't make me follow up on that threat, I have a fun learning plan for Monday that I think you’ll enjoy.”

“Oh fine,” Twilight muttered, slowly allowing herself to be pushed along the floor by the chuckling alicorn.

Her saddle bags now filled with her things, and her head held high, Twilight paced silently in front of the door to her room, trying to come up with some excuse, or something that would get her out of having to go home. She bit her lip as she thought about it, already imagining all the stares she would get, combined with what was waiting for her at home, and Twilight was left with little desire to make the journey back.

Looking around the room, Twilight breathed deep of the scent of books, ink and her finely pressed sheets. The mix of smells, and subtle comforts was a potent one, and the filly took strength from the familiar scent of her room. A place, she now realized, felt more like home than even her real home.

Like with all good things, this too had to end, and a heavy knock on the door to Twilight’s room alerted her to that fact. “Twilight, are you ready to go?” the gentle voice of Silver Bulwark asked through the door.

“N-no! I just have to… use the washroom!” Twilight yelled back.

“Twilight Sparkle, you used that same excuse ten minutes ago. Now are you going to come out here or do I have to come in there?” Silver replied, her irritation getting the better of her.

Twilight sighed and kicked the floor. “I’m coming,” she muttered as she made her way over to the door, pushing the heavy object open.

“There she is,” Silver remarked with a smirk, gesturing down the hall. “Ready to get going, Twilight?”

“Can I talk to you first?” Twilight whispered, standing firmly on the threshold of her room.

“Sure, what about?” Silver Bulwark replied.

“Can I maybe, walk home by myself today?” Twilight asked nervously, shifting from hoof to hoof. “I know the way, and I have money for the trolley. You don't have to waste your time.”

The guard lifted an eyebrow, and looked down at the infested filly curiously. “Are you worried about getting too much attention again? Because you can't let them get to you, Twilight. Once we go back and forth a few more times ponies will get bored and won’t gawk quite as much as that first time.”

“I know, but it's just…” The filly looked down at the ground, pawing the floor awkwardly. “I’m already a freak and walking with you makes so many ponies look and it doesn't feel very good.”

The guard sighed, her knees cracking as she kneeled down before the filly. “Twilight, is this another head thing again?”

Twilight nodded awkwardly. “Even if they don't say anything, I can still hear what they want to say and I was thinking that maybe if you weren't there, I wouldn't get so much attention.”

Silver Bulwark sighed. “Twilight, I know I don't have to bring you home, but there are ponies out there that well, they wouldn't be kind to you.”

“I know,” Twilight said sternly. “But I feel like I would be able to hide if I didn't have a royal guard with me.”

The guard stared down at her charge long and hard before sighing once more and standing back up. “I can't force you to do anything, but just remember what I told you, okay?”

“Always stay in well-populated areas, no back alleys, if someone approaches start screaming, and never ever accept anything from strangers,” Twilight replied, rolling her eyes. “You only told me like a million times.”

Silver chuckled and ruffled the filly’s mane. “That just means I’m making sure it sticks in that noggin of yours.”

Twilight grumbled silently, hiding her smile while she fixed her mane. “Well, if you are done wrecking my hair, I’ve got a trolley to catch.”

“At least let me walk you to the gate,” Silver interrupted, a strangely hesitant smile on her face. “You can handle walking with me that far, right?”

“I guess,” Twilight replied with a hint of snark. “And before you ask, yes, I have everything in my saddle bags.”

“Good,” Silver muttered, her gaze oddly distant as she stared down the hall. “We better get moving.”

Twilight frowned, noticing the odd look that suddenly overcame her guard. “Is something wrong, Bull?”

“No, it's nothing. Just a bit of a tickle in my throat is all,” Silver lied, gulping down her trepidiation before turning and walking away.

The filly easily kept pace with the guard as they trotted the halls of the castle, Twilight’s mind trying to reach out and discover what exactly was wrong with her companion, ruling that her privacy wasn't that important when compared to the help Twilight might be able to give her if the filly understood what was bothering the guard. Even without the use of her powers Twilight knew she was lying, as Silver was simply too honest of a pony, and her tells were numerous. That being said, even Twilight’s newfound powers couldn't manage to eke out a hint as to what was truly going on. All she could find was a haze of distrust, guilt and worry that seemed to hang over the guard’s mind like a fog, her thoughts too random for Twilight to truly grasp.

The flickering thoughts were simply too difficult to grasp, leaving Twilight with little to do but follow the silent mare as they walked through the halls, slowly making their way towards the exit. Throughout it all the various guards they passed eyed Twilight with mixed emotions, most being able to hide what they felt behind a mask of indifference. To Twilight though they may as well be shouting their opinions, as most guards didn't have the mental discipline to hide their thoughts from the filly.

By the time they reached the enormous gates of the castle, Twilight’s heart was fluttering in her chest, her emotions all over the place. Some guards liked her, their thoughts and expressions displaying this admiration or appreciation. More than that, most guards simply didn't care, seeing her as nothing more than another charge and a VIP they may have to protect if the time ever came to that. Some though, they were a truly terrifying, their thoughts and emotions expressing such a depth of hatred and disgust that shook Twilight to her core.

This may not have been a new thing for the filly, but it was not a part of her new life that she had time to adjust to yet. Leaving her confused and oddly angry by the time Silver stopped just inside the gate.

Around them several ponies moved about, guards searching visitors, while a group of nobles walked towards the castle, speaking animatedly about a play they had seen the night before. When Twilight looked up, she noticed that Silver Bulwark had another strange expression, this one was oddly serious, as if she was intensely concerned about something.

“Twilight I need to talk to you about something,” Silver Bulwark announced suddenly, motioning away from the gate and towards a small area off to the side under the shade of a large oak.

“Err, okay Bull,” Twilight muttered, following the guard over to the spot.

Who in turn looked around nervously before leaning in close. “Do you remember that silence spell I taught you?”

“Yeah?”

“Can you cast it on us?”

“I guess,” Twilight muttered before lighting her horn and going through the motions necessary to cast the silence spell over both of them.

When the spell completed Bull lit her horn and inspected Twilight’s handiwork. Finding the spell work acceptable, Silver Bulwark sighed. “Twilight I know that you can feel that something is wrong in the castle.”

“That's one way of putting it,” Twilight muttered, kicking a chunk of dirt in irritation.

Silver Bulwark frowned, and placed a hoof on the filly’s shoulder. “Most of us are uninvolved and trust me when I say you can trust the old guards to protect you if you ever needed it. But that's not why I wanted to talk to you now.”

“What's wrong?” Twilight inquired. “I know you are worried, and guilty, but whatever it is, I forgive you!”

“Oh, my sweet little filly,” Silver murmured. “It's not something I’ve done, but something that some ponies are trying to do to do me.”

“Well whatever it is, it's not your fault!” Twilight exclaimed in an almost panicked tone. “It's the bad ponies, not you, Silver Bulwark!”

The guard gulped down a lump that had formed in her throat. “It's not that easy, Twilight. I haven't always been the best pony. When I was young I made mistakes, and some ponies are using that to try and…” She sighed, guilt weighing heavy on her shoulders. “Try and make me resign.”

“W-what, why?” Twilight muttered, the filly falling on her butt.

“I don't know. All I know is that it's what the bad ponies want, and I refuse to give that to them.” Silver Bulwark flashed the filly a winning smile and pulled back her hoof. “It's important to never give the bad ponies an inch, Twilight, if you do that, they’ll take a mile.”

“I don't understand,” Twilight whispered weakly.

“I know you don't, but just…” The guard took off her helmet, revealing her silver mane. “I won't be here in the castle for you as long as I’d like to be.”

“B-but you can't go!” Twilight exclaimed, grabbing the guard’s hoof and hugging it tightly. “You are not allowed to go! I still need you!”

“Oh I know, dear,” Silver whispered, hugging the filly tightly. “But there may come a time where I will not be able to serve you as a guard. But that doesn't mean I can't keep helping you.”

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked nervously, looking up at the guard through tear-strewn eyes.

“It means that I’m promising you that no matter what, I will always be there for you.” Silver set her jaw and banged her hoof against her chest. “In my hometown a promise is a sacred thing, one that cannot be broken. And I’m promising you that no matter what, I'll be there for you.”

“But thats wrong! You can't give up yet, Celestia would be able to help, right?” Twilight asked weakly, squeezing the mare’s leg tightly.

“Celestia can't be everywhere at all times, and even an alicorn is bound by rules.”

“B-but thats stupid!” Twilight exclaimed, releasing Silver Bulwark’s hoof and stomping her own tiny limb in anger. “They can't do this!”

“It might all turn out to be nothing, so let's just pretend like I’ll be here forever, okay?” Silver Bulwark reached forward and gently picked up the filly’s chin, forcing their eyes to meet. “Can you do that for me, sweetie?”

“Fine,” Twilight mumbled, pouting as hard as she could.

“Thank you.” Silver pulled Twilight in for a short hug. “Just remember that the old guards, or at least the ones with balls, will also help you day or night so don't fear, just remember their names, okay?”

“I will, Bull,” Twilight announced confidently, putting on a brave face for the guard.

“Remember, you just say the word and old Bull will come a-running, got it?”

Twilight nodded, a small smile crossing her face. “I remember.”

“Alright.” The guard stood, only to wince half way up, her knees cracking audibly. “Holy guacamole, these joints are going to be the death of me one day.”

“Are you okay?” Twilight asked hesitantly, her horn already glowing. “Should I cast a healing spell?”

“I’m fine, Twilight, it's just another joy of aging that you have to look forward.” Silver stood fully, stretching her back. “Now then, don't you have a trolley to catch?”

“Yup.”

“Then you better get moving.”

“I guess so,” Twilight muttered, looking up at Bull with wide eyes. “Oh and Bull?”

“Yeah kiddo?”

“Thank you.”

“Just doing my job, little miss.” The guard smiled. “Just doing my job.”

Author's Notes:

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Join me over on patreon and get instant access to exclusive content and early looks at new stories, patreon only stories and other great stuff! Check it out!
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This update was made possible by the wonderful support of:
Anonymous, Apollyon, Astor, Azin, Brandon, Brendan, Brenna, Canary in the Coal Mine, Ceepert, Chris, Craig, Diokyo, Doomgooey, facinus, grug, I am unkown, Ian, Ivar, Kali, Lich-lord krosis, M, Makani, Megatyrant, Menthol Qtip, Mephia, mike, mikhaila, mirvra, nfreak, nicky, pacsik, peter, princess pudding, random reader, robert roll, sheq2, shocker blocker, somepony, soundtea, starless, steven, t sparkle, todd Herron, Travis Houck, Vigilant watch, wes, zairvin.

A Home No More

Canterlot was not a kind city.

For all of Celestia’s attempts to make it such, it was as if the city itself resisted this attempt at change. Sure, it tolerated you, even when most would push you aside for fear of being labeled, but it was never kind. It tolerated the beggar, but did nothing to elevate him, it tolerated the different and the eccentric, but it did nothing to try and understand them. In this way, it was almost cruel, for it could be more, as it had the tools and necessary cultural language to be a kind place, but it did not desire to truly accept or understand others, only tolerate them.

This was more true now than at any point in Twilight’s life and she once more did not need her newfound powers to see this fact, though the strange sense of awareness she had gained recently did help in this regard. Ponies who had tolerated her, and were even kind to her in the past now seemed cold, and indifferent, staring as she passed, whispering amongst each other. No comments were thrown her way, and nopony stopped or insulted her, but they almost universally seemed to sneer down at the filly when they thought noone was looking.

Twilight knew in her heart that this was in part her own fault for projecting these thoughts on some ponies, but it was difficult not to, given that a lot of ponies seemed more than willing to scream their thoughts at her. The filly nervously glanced around the street car, noticing that nearly everypony around her had a horn, or wore the uniform of the street car company, which she couldn't remember the name of off the top of her head. The few earth ponies and pegasi seemed indifferent to her, too mired in their own problems to even spare the strange unicorn filly a thought.

Other than them, there was an elderly unicorn glancing occasionally in Twilight’s direction, a strangely judgemental and yet confused expression on his face. Twilight didn't even have to try and listen to his thoughts to know that he was suffering some inner turmoil due to Twilight being of noble birth yet apparently having some sort of flaw that made him view her as defective in a way. The other unicorns either guarded their thoughts or simply didn't care, with a strangely angry white coated mare near the back being one of the few who could guard her thoughts but didn't.

Twilight shuddered as she thought about the strange pony, trying not to think of her, but unable to not to. She wore old golden armor that appeared more ceremonial than anything, and though she seemed to be of noble birth she was still down here riding the streetcar with the middle and lower class. Her thoughts were the worst, and Twilight got the distinct impression that she was all but shouting them at the filly.

Though the exact words were lost in the haze of rage, one thing Twilight could hear distinctly was the word freak being thought over and over.

When the streetcar slowed to let off passengers, Twilight could take it no longer and without thinking hopped from the car, and scampered across the road, putting as much distance between herself and the strange pony as possible. The filly could feel the eyes of the hateful pony on her until the street car picked back up, and Twilight disappeared into the crowd.

Here amongst the hustle and bustle of the city, the unicorn filly was at least partially hidden, her small stature and unassuming expression leaving little reason for anyone to give her a second glance. This anonymity was a breath of fresh air for the filly, who felt the beginnings of a smile coming on, only to accidentally bump into a large unicorn stallion who said nothing after brushing against her.

Twilight frowned, opened her mouth to speak, only to think better of it and trot over to the very edge of the sidewalk before continuing on. As she began to trot further in the direction of home, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in a passing window and couldn't help but stop and look for a moment, a thought occurring to her.

Why do they stare? Surely I’m not that strange, she thought, looking at her reflection.

With her glasses on, her eyes did not glow, and in fact looked more normal than before, her eye color having been changed to the most common eye color in Equestria, blue. Sure her coat was rather odd to see on a filly, but that alone wouldn't have earned her that much ire, right?

As she thought about it, the filly found her thoughts going out to the unicorn word for harmony, the academic mare remembering the ancient tongue of her ancestors and all its strange translations. While earth pony language or Terran, as the earth ponies called it, had largely died out and was only used by the few druid circles still hidden away in Equestria, unicorn language, or Celestial as the noble houses referred to it, was still used semi-commonly. Or at least that was true amongst the rich and elite, though even then Twilight had begun to notice scraps of conversation spoken entirely in the ancient dialect while even on the street.

Unlike the straight forward and relatively simple language of the earth ponies, Celestial was flowery in the extreme, with most conversations taking nearly twice as long. With multiple definitions for each word based on the small inflections it was a nightmare for those who did not learn it when they were young.

The language itself wasn't what struck her, what struck her was the particular way that Celestial translated its word for harmony into modern Equish.

It was pronounced Aleventria in Celestial, and when translated it meant harmony, but had the inflection of comforminity or order, and was used in different ways than the word harmony was.

It also seemed to shape unicorn culture, and Twilight wondered if that was the reason old unicorn families considered those that bucked Aleventria to be worthy of shunning. It wasn't Aleventerious of an individual to not fit what society wanted of them, which explained much in the filly’s opinion.

Twilight shook off such ruminations for the moment though, making a note to read more on the subject when next she returned to school, and her true home.

For now, she had paused long enough, and with a confidence swirling within her, Twilight puffed out her chest and strode through the crowd, making sure to stay off to the side and out of the way this time. Whether it was the attitude change, or simple luck, Twilight didn't find herself slowed by any ponies thinking hate at her or even thinking much of her at all for that matter.

The filly slipped down one street and crossed over to another, knowing well the way home from all the times Bull drilled street names into her head during their last journeys back. Twilight frowned as she thought about the old guard, conflicted by the thoughts that emerged when she considered her.

The sound of someone weeping nearby drew the filly from her thoughts and Twilight looked up to notice a mare crumpled in a heap next to the gate to the mare’s house. The property itself was coming up on her right, and though it wasn't the largest house on the block, it was still a modest three story structure with a wrought iron gate and an architectural style that placed the house’s construction recent but not too recent. An admirable feat to own such a structure, that much Twilight was certain about, though upon looking closer she realized such an assumption may be incorrect.

The mare was sitting with her back against the fence, her head in her hooves as she sobbed uncontrollably. On the step of her house two stallions were arguing while a third and fourth hefted a large couch through the door and out unto the street where they tossed it into a growing pile of goods piled haphazardly on the curb. Even at half a block away Twilight could hear the argument, though she wasn't sure how much she was perceiving due to her new sense and how much of that was simply having ears.

“-and I told you that I had over two weeks left before the bank foreclosed! I had time, you can't just-” the earth pony stallion began, only to be cut off by a tired unicorn raising a hoof.

“And I told you that the bank got bought, as well as its assets, including the deed to your house and per the agreement that you signed when you took out the loan, the minimum amount of time needed to evict you is twelve hours,” the tired unicorn replied.

“But that's insane! How am I supposed to find a place to live in less than twelve hours? The old bank had a two week policy!” the first stallion exclaimed, glaring at the movers who were now carrying out an old grandfather clock which they placed next to the couch.

Twilight found her hooves slowing and her attention fixated on the two stallions, feeling the waves of anger and desperation that rolled off one, as well the irritation and guilt that came from the other.

“That's just it, it was a policy, not a rule and not something upheld by law. Blue and Gold have given you the legal necessary amount of time to-” the unicorn began, only for him to be cut off by the earth pony shouting over him.

“Blue and Gold? I should have known those assholes were behind this! First the factory and now my house? When will it be enough for them?” the earth pony demanded angrily, stomping his hoof. “Is there enough bits in the world to satisfy those hornheads’ greed?”

“Woops,” one of the movers mumbled, before the grandfather clock tipped over, smashing against the pavement. “Sorry sir. I guess it's a little hard to see past this horn on my head. You know how it is.”

“How dare you! That clock is worth more than your rinky dink moving company!” the earth pony shouted, stomping up to the mover’s face. “You are going to pay for that or so help me I will sue the pants off you!”

“Yeah whatever, the insurance will take care of it,” the unicorn replied smugly. “Come on, boys, let's get lunch. Maybe when we get back things will have cooled off a little.”

“You can't leave yet! My stuff is still sitting in the street,” the stallion muttered, his confidence beginning to wane.

“Law says I got another four hours to get your stuff out, plenty of time to get lunch,” the mover replied, motioning for his crew to follow him as he turned and left.

Twilight gulped and picked up the pace, passing by the house and trying not to look at the earth ponies but unable to turn off her newest sense, making her accidentally pick up the hushed conversation between the distraught couple.

“I’m sorry, Lotus Breeze. We’ll find something, we always do,” the stallion whispered.

The mare sniffed. “I know, but where will we go? No bank in Canterlot will touch us now, not after this.”

“I know you don't like it, but my uncle offered me a small plot of land out in the frontier,” the stallion replied, his tone betraying the fact that he expected resistance to his suggestion.

“I guess that's it for us, huh? It's the frontier or the street,” the mare murmured.

Now out of earshot of the two ponies, Twilight winced and put her head down, picking up speed and weaving around the moving ponies that were in front of her. As she passed Twilight made herself as small as possible, trying to avoid the gaze of the strange ponies, yet seemingly inevitably that was not meant to be, and she felt the gaze of the unicorn boss on her backside. Though he said nothing, he didn't need to, the disgusted snort, and his thoughts saying everything.

Freak.

Twilight bit her lip and ran a little faster, sprinting down the street and putting some space between her and the moving ponies.

The word swirled around in her mind for several minutes, running back and forth through her mind without rest. Freak, freak, freak, it was all she could think of, and as time passed Twilight felt the word settle into her soul, making her doubt herself and wonder if she was even a pony anymore.

The image of her parents drifted through her mind, and even that wasn't enough to stop the whirlwind raging inside the filly’s head. She was a freak, and though her parents meant well, thoughts of them would not dissuade the sentiment that she was something to be reviled. But then something changed, and out of the blue Twilight thought of Shining Armor and all the pleasant memories that came with such an image and suddenly she didn't feel quite so anxious.

Her parents may have been caught up in the whirlwind of change that had come with her acceptance into Celestia’s school but throughout the months Shining Armor hadn't changed, much anyway. She could still count on him, of that she was sure, and as she trotted up to the small gate that separated her house from the street she lived on, Twilight smiled and looked up at the place she had once called home.

She smiled, not because she was happy, but because she knew she would be. When Shining Armor came home tonight, things could would go back to normal, at least for a while, and that alone was enough to bring hope to the filly’s heart.

Brushing past the gate, Twilight trotted up to the front door and pushed it open, or at least tried to, as it turned out to be locked. The filly paused and then lifted her hoof, knocking twice on the heavy oak portal.

“Hello?” she called, still confused by the sudden change in locking procedures.

There was a second, before the door suddenly opened, startling Twilight as she could always hear someone coming to the door every other time she had gotten locked out. The filly quickly surmised that there had been a charm placed on the house, one that obscured the sound of hooves from within and for a moment she wondered what other magic may have been placed on the aged structure.

“Oh it's just you, Twilight,” Night Light muttered, relief flowing through his voice. “Thank the stars.”

Twilight smiled up at her father, only for that smile to falter when their eyes met and Twilight looked away. The expression on his face was one of worry, the same one it always had when Twilight was around. It was a look that always made the filly feel bad for existing, as it seemed to remind her that there was something wrong with her.

She couldn't fault him for that, not really, as it was a parent’s duty to worry about their child, but the aged stallion always seemed to take this to an extreme.

Twilight stepped inside and shrugged off her bags, hardly noticing the hasty manner in which Night Light closed and locked the door behind her, picking up her bags within a second of them hitting the floor. “Oof, that's quite the load you got there. You didn't bring home the whole library again, did you?” Night Light asked as he levitated the bags up off the ground.

“Just a few textbooks,” Twilight muttered, looking past him and up the stairs expectantly. “I can get it though, really. I was going to go read in my room anyway.”

“But you just got home, you must sit for at least a little bit and tell us about your week at school,” Night Light replied in a tone usually reserved for the very old, or the very young.

“It was good, nothing really different, just got a coat.” Twilight shrugged, glancing past the other side of the stallion and looking for an opening up the stairs. “Same old same old.”

“I uh see that. Your mother is in the kitchen, why don't you at least give her a hello before you go off to your room?” Night Light offered, gesturing to the filly’s right and towards the aforementioned room.

Twilight frowned, and looked up at her father, knowing from just a glance that this was not something she was going to be able to weasel out of. “Fine,” she muttered.

The stallion breathed a sigh of relief. “Just try and be nice okay? Your mother loves you very much.”

Then she has a strange way of showing it, Twilight thought to herself, biting back the remark before she could speak it.

The filly wiped her hooves and made her way towards the kitchen at a ponderous pace, her thoughts lingering on her father and the way he seemed to dwell on the filly’s health, perpetually distraught by the changes that had occured. Twilight knew he loved her, but his worry ran so deep that she found it difficult to speak to or even be around the older stallion over the last month or so.

Unlike her mother.

Where Night Light’s worry emerged as a fear for the filly’s safety, Twilight Velvet’s worry came out as a fear for not only the filly, but for everyone. This was perhaps the strangest change Twilight had seen occur in her family, as her mother had always been the most honest and upfront person in her family. Yet she was afraid, no, terrified of the young filly, for reasons Twilight couldn't imagine.

Not wanting to startle her mother, Twilight clopped her hooves audibly against the tiled floor, ensuring everyone in the kitchen was able to hear her coming. Despite this, her mother peeked nervously around the corner, as if Twilight was some sort of home invader she had to worry about.

When their eyes met Twilight could feel her mother’s body tense up, her paranoia coming across as a slap in the face to the telepathic filly. “H-hi, mom,” Twilight muttered awkwardly.

Twilight Velvet’s mind was not difficult to read, and despite the fact that the filly could detect a good amount of guilt for having made her daughter feel unwelcome, it was eclipsed, as it always was, with fear. “Hello, Twilight, how was school?” the older mare asked in an oddly strained tone of voice.

“Not bad. Just the usual stuff, and I got a coat,” Twilight replied.

“That's wonderful dear, though it is a little dark though…” the older mare replied, humming disapprovingly.

“I like it,” Twilight announced sternly.

The statement seemed to cause the older mare to take a step back and raise a hoof defensively. “And that's what matters. If you’ll excuse me I have supper in the oven and I really should keep an eye on it.”

Twilight Sparkle watched as her mother disappeared around the corner once more, leaving the filly alone with her thoughts.

Shaking her head, the filly turned to leave. “Nice to see you too,” she muttered under her breath.

Twilight passed her father wordlessly, knowing full well that her books were upstairs in her room by now, probably having already been organized. At this point it thad become so routine that they didn't need to speak, with Night Light knowing full well that his daughter wasn't going to emerge from her shell until Shining Armor came home. Something that she may not be looking forward to as much if she knew what he knew.

“Hey, Twilight,” Night Light muttered as the filly stopped on the landing halfway up the stairs.

“Yes, father?”

“Just wanted to let you know that Shining Armor got called out to another fancy get-together with one of his guard friends so it might be a little while before he gets home.” Night Light smiled weakly. “Would you like to join me and your mother for dinner or should I bring it up?”

Twilight frowned, and glanced up the last few steps and towards her room. “I’d like to eat in my room please.”

Night Light sighed, but nodded his head regardless. “I understand. Make sure you come down to grab dessert at least, I bought an apple pie.”

The filly giggled at the memory of the last time her father had tried to cook a pie. “I will.”

The stallion nodded. “Have fun reading, Twilight. I love you.”

Twilight smiled. “I love you too, dad.”

She walked up to her room, energized by the warmth and love that emanated from her father, the filly knowing full well that his love was as honest and genuine as ever. Even though the news of Shining Armor being late again was an unpleasant one, it was good to know that he was making friends.

Closing the door behind her, Twilight plunked down at her desk and pulled out one of the advanced textbooks she had signed out from the library. It was on trigonometry, a subject she was not well versed in, and it was going to serve as an interesting challenge for the formerly math inept filly. With such a large hurdle before her Twilight hoped that it would help the weekend fly by, but as she read through the opening, she couldn't help but feel that same worry that infected the rest of her family suddenly crawl up her spine.

The older guards were nice, but the younger ones seemed to be… different and though Shining Armor having friends certainly wasn't a bad thing, Twilight wondered just what kind of friends he was making. She wouldn't assume any control over his life, but the filly blanched when she considered the possibility that Shining Armor had made friends with one of those cruel noble houses Silver Bulwark always talked about.

Shutting that thought from her mind, Twilight focused on her textbook and began to take notes, drawing an extra piece of paper and setting her mind to task.

Hours flew by, food came, and pie was had, and throughout it all Shining Armor had yet to return. Twilight frowned as she stared out the window, the sun setting in the distance and casting what little of the city she could see from her window in the long rays of twilight.

“Where are you, Shiny?” Twilight whispered to the night.

Twilight knew instinctively what time it was, even while she lay on her back in her bed, her hooves balancing her textbook over her head. The bookmark in the textbook was a good third of the way through the book and the small mountain of notes on her desk was a testament to how far she had come over the last few hours. Yet even that small success couldn't break her funk.

It was nearly ten o’clock and Shining Armor had yet to come home.

“What is keeping you?” she asked the book, which she was now levitating in her magical field.

She rotated the object around and around, unable to concentrate enough to go back to work, but also not so aimless that she was actually able to calm down and simply enjoy the small comfort of her bed. Placing the book back on the desk next to her notes, Twilight turned over and tried to relax, or at least stop her mind from running in circles with worry.

Just as she felt her brain start to spiral out of control again she heard the door downstairs creak open.

Hoping out of bed, Twilight trotted over to the door to her room and threw it open and snuck to the top of the stairs in order to look down on the scene playing out on the entryway to her house. Shining Armor stood a little taller, his cheeks slightly rosey, though that wasn't what grabbed Twilight’s attention. For on his cadet scarf was a small pin of a golden egg like object behind which had a slightly larger blue circle. It was a mark Twilight had seen before on a few of the younger guards, guards who seemed to be the most hateful of the bunch.

Twilight didn't even hear the warm greetings her parents gave the stallion, but she didn't have to, for the filly knew well just how they greeted him compared to the greeting she was always given. Her teeth ground together and Twilight stared down at the trio as her mother pulled Shining in for a hug, a wide, genuine smile on her face. A smile Twilight hadn't seen in a long, long time.

She waited until her parents retreated, and her father moved back to his lounge chair while her mother went back to the kitchen, having said something about breaking out some wine for the occasion. With the coast clear Twilight hastily hopped down the stairs, hoping against hope that Shining hadn't changed as well.

“Shiny!” she yelled excitedly, trotting up to him and reaching up to hug the stallion.

Only to be stopped by a shimmering wall of force that kept her at bay. “Hey, Twilight,” Shining Armor remarked in a firm neutral tone, his barrier only falling when Twilight blinked and took a nervous step back.

“I’m not infectious, remember?” Twilight muttered weakly. “Princess Celestia even said.”

“I know what she said,” Shining Armor shot back. “But then again I’m not sure I trust what she says.”

“But it's Princess Celestia!” Twilight exclaimed. “I don't think she even can lie.”

The stallion snorted. “I wouldn't go that far.”

“I…” Twilight’s jaw slammed shut and she stared up at Shining Armor with tears in the edges of her eyes. “What did I do?”

Shining Armor looked around, and after noticing that their parents weren't in the immediate vicinity, motioned towards the hallway which led to the back of the house. “Come on, we can talk about it downstairs.”

“Why though?” Twilight asked.

“Just trust me,” Shining replied before turning and walking away, not waiting for a response.

Twilight frowned, but followed the stallion dutifully, making her way down the hall and to the other side of the house, staying close even as he opened the door to the basement and trotted down the stairs. The few lights that illuminated the small basement were lit, revealing the large open room and the many boxes piled haphazardly within. A small area to her right had been cleared for the purpose as serving as a small hidden space where her father could retreat to do woodworking. In addition there was a small bar pushed into a corner but other than that the rest of the area was filled with things that had simply never been unpacked, despite the fact that they had lived here for nearly a decade at this point.

Shining Armor used his magic to close the basement door behind them and turned to face his sister, a grim expression on his face. “Do you eat meat now?” he asked suddenly.

“It's not like that, Shining Armor, I just have this soup I’m supposed to eat,” Twilight offered weakly.

“Yes or no, Twilight?” Shining Armor demanded, taking a step forward.

Shrinking back, Twilight nodded weakly. “Yes. Princess Celestia says I need it for my diet or else I get a really bad tummy ache.”

“Then it's true,” Shining Armor murmured, looking down at the filly with a hint of more disgust in his eyes.

“It's not like I want to!” Twilight exclaimed. “Princess Celestia says that if I don't eat the soup that I would eventually get sick and might even die!”

“Ponies don't eat meat,” Shining remarked.

“I am a pony…” Twilight whispered, staring down at the floor.

“I doubt that.” Shining Armor frowned. “Is it also true that you can read minds?”

Twilight winced, shrinking even lower, and wishing desperately that she had her glasses or at least her coat on at a time like this. “I don't know… kind of? Princess Celestia says-”

“I don't care what Princess Celestia says.” Shining Armor’s eyes narrowed. “Is that a yes, or a no?”

Twilight sighed. “Yes.”

The stallion slowly shook his head. “Is it also true that you made friends with a griffon?”

“Hey, Razor Wind is nice! He plays games with me and likes my eyes!” Twilight yelled back.

Shining Armor took a step back, a disgusted look crossing his face. “He's a griffon, Twilight! They went to war with Equestria, you can't trust them.”

“That was over a hundred years ago!” Twilight shot back.

“Griffons hold grudges, Twilight, they aren't like ponies.”

“The only one with a grudge here seems to be you.”

Shining Armor’s eyes narrowed. “Is it true you attacked your therapist?”

Twilight instantly felt all the confidence that had been surging inside her suddenly vanish and she pawed nervously at the floor. “N-no.”

“Really, Twilight?” Shining Armor stepped forward, the stallion looming over the filly. “Because from what I heard, there was a big mess after you two got in an argument.”

The filly gritted her teeth, choking back a sob. “That didn't happen,” Twilight whispered, remembering the promise of confidentiality that Velvet Touch had given her.

“So it is true then.” Shining Armor shook his head slowly, fear suddenly creeping up his back.

Twilight could all but taste the emotions currently swirling in the stallion, and what she felt nearly made her retch in disgust. Fear bordering on paranoia was the most prominent feeling, second only by disgust, the rest of the emotions being fouler still than even that.

In that moment Twilight realized something she had known for over a month by now. This was not her home, and she no longer belonged here now that the last pony in this house had finally turned on her. Tears flowed down her face, and though Shining Armor continued to speak, the filly didn't hear a word of it, her magic already building in her horn.

She didn't have to look up to know that Shining Armor had cast a shield spell over himself, already convinced Twilight was trying to build up some sort of attack. A second later that assumption was proven wrong when Twilight teleported up to her room.

Now alone, Twilight grabbed her notes, books and other things she had brought with her and stuffed them into her saddle bags, her legs already carrying her towards the stairs. She could hear the sound of shouting as Shining Armor ran up the stairs, yelling something to her father, who stood near the entryway, eyes wide, a confused expression on his face.

Her mother was there too, standing off to the side with a glass of white wine in her hoof, staring in shock at Twilight who ran down the stairs.

“What's going on?” Night Light demanded, stopping Shining Armor before he had a chance to intercept Twilight.

“She's a freak, dad, she admitted to attacking somepony and-” Shining Armor began, only to be stopped by a firm glare from Night Light.

“We will talk about your punishment later. Now go sit down in the living room.” He turned to the filly only to notice that she had already thrown open the door and was two steps outside. “Twilight, stop, we can talk about this. Where are you going?”

Twilight stopped at the gate, turning back to her father. “Home,” she replied, before turning and sprinting off into the night.

Night Light ran after her, but quickly realized that the filly had already teleported away. Stopping on his front lawn, the stallion frowned, his worry and anger slowly morphing into rage.

The stallion turned and stomped back into the house, glaring at both Shining Armor and Twilight Velvet in equal measure. “What were you thinking, calling your sister a freak?” he demanded, jabbing a hoof into Shining Armor’s chest. “You know she hates that word.”

“B-but she is, she eats meat and hangs out with griffons and-”

“She's your sister,” Night Light stated in disgust. “How could you? I don't care that her diet has changed, or that she's making friends. In fact I’m kind of elated by that second thing.”

“Now dear, we should listen to the colt,” Twilight Velvet interrupted. “What if it's true and she really is a predator now.”

“No,” Night Light stated, glaring daggers at his wife. “I’ve put up with this for far too long, and I will not tolerate it any longer.” The stallion spun towards Shining Armor just as he was about to say something, making the colt wince and recoil slightly under the angry glare of his father. “Did you know Mister Star Forger has to take protein supplements for his condition?”

“Yes,” Shining Armor whispered.

“And do you hate him too?” Night Light demanded.

“N-no, but this is-”

“Not different in the slightest,” Night Light finished. “We can hate the fate that destiny has bestowed upon the sick, but we must never hate the sick. You will spend the rest of the weekend at home, in your room. Got it?”

“But dad, what about the game?” Shining Armor replied pleadingly.

“The game will go on without you,” Night Light stated.

The colt withered, staring down at the floor guiltily before turning and trotting slowly up the stairs.

Now alone, his wife turned to Night Light. “Are you sure about this, Night Light?”

“I have not been more sure of anything else in my entire life,” Night Light replied. “And don't worry, I will be making up the spare room.”

“You don't have to do that, Nighty-” Twilight Velvet began, only to be cut off by another harsh glare.

“For you.”

Author's Notes:

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Aftermath

Silver Bulwark sighed as she trotted down the hall once more, her partner for the night having predictably called in sick, leaving her alone as usual. She didn't want to even think on the rule that no guard was supposed to be alone, or that this rule was changed seemingly only for her, as she knew if she went down that train of thought she would just end up getting angry again.

Even while isolated once again, Silver Bulwark kept her head high and a smile on her face, confident in the knowledge that not only did she have Celestia’s backing but also the backing of one fiery little foal. A kid who might end up needing her, a kid worth staying in the guard for, and she would be damned if they were going to force her out without a fight.

With her confidence surging and her smile returning, Silver Bulwark strode confidently down the hall, ignoring the looks that came from both her fellow guards and the few nobles that lingered at such a late hour. So invigorated was the mare that she stopped just outside the door to the gardens in order to take a whiff of the pleasant aroma that drifted into the castle. The night lilies, flowers that only began to bloom at evening, were her favorite, and they were especially potent due to the full moon that hung over head.

With a sigh, she opened her eyes and continued her patrol after making a note to return to the garden before she clocked out for the night, which would be in about an hour or two if her guess was correct. Either way, she was looking forward to a long rest and another day of sticking it to those prick nobles and holier-than-thou jerks she worked with.

Turning the corner, she proceeded up the stairs that led to the royal suites, winding her way through the labyrinth of corridors and floors that were intended on making any attacker search every single room in order to just get up to the fifth floor where the princess had her primary quarters. Most days she cursed this extra layer of security, as it meant that her patrol was extra long and included climbing more stairs than she liked, but today she enjoyed it, taking every chance she got to flaunt her happiness in front of those that didn't like her.

Reaching the fifth floor didn't take long though, as she knew where she was going, and the guard quickly found herself trotting up to the door of her charge where she would remain at attention for the next hour before finishing her patrol and going home. Taking a spot to the right of the door, Silver Bulwark placed her spear firmly against the ground and leaned heavily on the weapon, yawning deeply as she began to settle into the now familiar spot.

That yawn ended suddenly when the guard experienced a sensation that she couldn't quite describe. The only word she was really able to put to the feeling was a distinct sensation of having missed something, like someone had called her name, but she hadn't heard it.

Looking around revealed that other than the guards that stood outside of Celestia’s room, there was nopony else around and those guards had not so much as flinched in the entire time Silver Bulwark had stood there. Shrugging it off, the guard settled into her spot and put on the usual cold and neutral expression that all guards were trained to don when guarding a fixed position.

Only for the strange sensation to return, this time far more powerful and far more close by. Looking around revealed nothing out of the ordinary and she was about to chalk it up to being paranoid for Twilight’s safety when she heard a crash come from the staircase to her right.

For a moment she merely looked over at the stairs, unsure of what was happening and trying to listen in order to figure out what was going on. Her instincts told her that it was just another clumsy maid, probably Tipsy Tender, but her heart told her otherwise.

Before she even knew what she was doing, she was already running over to the staircase, unsure of why she was even moving until she heard a familiar and terrifying sound. It was the sound of consuming sadness, of desperation and loneliness, all of which tugged on her heart strings as if someone were attempting to tear the organ from her very chest.

Skidding to a stop, Silver Bulwark looked down in time to find the tear-strewn face of Twilight Sparkle look up at her, the filly hastily shoving books back into her bag. “Do you need assistance, Twilight?” Silver Bulwark asked, already reaching for one of the books.

“N-no! I can do it myself,” declared the filly, her magic grabbing the book before Silver Bulwark could.

Taking a step back, the guard looked down at the filly, trying to piece together what had happened judging only by her appearance. The child was haggard, as if she had been running for as long as she had been crying which had evidently been quite a while. Her coat was equally as disheveled, her mane a mess and the fur beneath her eyes was matted with tears.

“What happened, dear?” Silver whispered, lowering herself to the filly’s height.

“N-n-nothing,” the filly stuttered, unable to look the guard in the eye and turned away, stuffing the last book into her bag.

The guard watched as her charge climbed the last of the steps on shaking hooves before brushing past her and making a beeline for the room. “Did someone hurt you?” she asked, keeping her voice quiet and her tone respectful as she followed close behind the filly.

The filly sniffed. “M-maybe.”

“What happened, dear?” Silver Bulwark repeated, placing a hoof on the filly’s shoulder, making her stop in her tracks.

“I-I...” Fresh tears began to trickle down Twilight’s face and she turned suddenly, brushing off Silver Bulwark’s hoof and sprinting into her room.

Leaving a confused and concerned Silver Bulwark standing outside the now closed door, the guard leaned against the wooden portal and listened in. “Are you sure you don't want to talk about it? I could fetch Celestia or perhaps doctor-”

“No!” came the tiny cry from inside. “I’m fine, I don't want to bother them.”

“Clearly something is not okay, would you mind if I came inside so we can figure this out together?” Silver Bulwark tentatively asked.

There was a long pause before the filly finally whispered back, “No, I’m going to bed.”

“I’ll be right here when you need me, okay?” Silver Bulwark whispered, only to receive no response.

Sighing to herself, Silver Bulwark turned and took her usual spot, ready and willing to stand there for as long as it took, no matter how long that was. With her resolve hardened, and her fatigue now non-existent, she stood vigil, trying to think of something she could say when Twilight finally gave in and asked for help.

Something she hoped would happen soon.

Twilight lay on her stomach, tears staining a pillow that was probably more expensive than all the allowance she had ever received combined and yet she couldn't bring herself to feel bad about that fact one bit. Thoughts and emotions whirled in her mind, each more dark and terrible than the last. Rage at her brother for what he had said, but also guilt on her own part for what she had done. Apathy for the mother that refused to stand by her and confusion for her father who had only now done just that.

It was all too much for the young filly and she used her magic to toss her book bag at the end table, unconcerned when that bag missed and toppled from its perch, spraying her books across the floor for the second time in as many minutes. Normally such a thing would be grounds for a minor panic attack as they were books after all, and not even her own books for that matter.

Now though, now it all seemed so small, so insignificant compared to the pain and trauma that weighed heavily on her mind. Confusion was most unfortunately the single thing that weighed the heaviest on her, confusion over how she felt about this recent change, and confusion over even how she should feel. In the end, the only thing that was constant was the feeling of numb acceptance that now swallowed her whole.

Which was much like how sleep unexpectedly took the filly in its tender embrace, whisking Twilight off to a place far from all the anguish she had recently experienced.

Twilight’s eyes snapped open a second later and she looked around to realize that she was no longer in Canterlot, or anywhere she knew for that matter. The world was dark and empty and it seemed to stretch on forever in every direction, and the filly knew then and there that she was dreaming. Except it wasn't quite a dream, for it had the same sensation that the vision of that strange creature from a while ago had, with the strangely disquiet song she heard last time gaining a distinctly harmonious edge to it.

She was both asleep, and not asleep, in Canterlot and not in Canterlot and though these facts would usually be enough to disturb the filly, or at least make her curious, for now she merely accepted their existence passively, uncaring as to where she was, or what happened to her.

When the now familiar tug and accompanying song came in full force, she didn't fight it and quickly found herself being yanked hundreds of miles in the span of seconds. A sensation that normally would have made her nauseous, but was now little more than an afterthought as Twilight Sparkle merely sighed, happy that at least here she didn't have to worry about her messed up hair and tear-stained face.

This time as she neared the destination of whomever was pulling her, she did not begin to get the feeling that she was entering a body not her own and instead she was surprised to feel that she had her own body, though it felt strangely disconnected. Looking down, Twilight realized that her hooves, and even the rest of her body were almost completely see through. Again, these changes were met with only apathy and she looked around, much to the shock of someone nearby.

Turning to the sound of the gasp, Twilight’s jaw hung open as she instantly recognized the source. There stood the strange half grey, half purple pegasus, her one good glowing eye looking down at the filly while the other looked off to the left somewhere. Her wings twitched excitedly and the small arms that emerged from her chest clutched each other tightly. “Can. You. Understand. Me?” she asked in a slow and deliberate tone of voice.

Twilight nodded, noting that the same strange green bubbles adorned both of the pegasus’ flanks, making the filly wonder what kind of special skill she could possibly possess. “Yeah, I can understand you, but you still sound funny,” Twilight replied.

“Hmmf, it's about time,” grunted a stranger, more alien voice from her right.

Turning her head, Twilight instantly recoiled when she noticed how truly strange the second creature was. Though the top half of her body seemed vaguely pony-like, with only a pair of mandibles on either side of jaw being out of the ordinary, that all stopped at her waist. The pink fur slowly morphed into scaly purple flesh just below her forehooves, and the purple mane that sported a single band of bright teal was tied into a single large braid that fell down her back. Her horn which appeared normal on first glance was actually slightly longer than normal and was far more curved than anypony’s horn Twilight had ever seen.

The bottom half of her body was where the truly strange part begun as though she still had two forehooves, she lacked any other limbs that Twilight would consider normal for a pony to have. Her torso bulged and twisted from there, growing far larger and sprouting six long limbs that had spikes growing from each joint, three on each side of her body. Each of these limbs ended in a remarkably sharp point and a thin purple membrane stretched between these limbs. Stranger still was her lower torso which seemed to resemble a large vertical maw complete with massive teeth, though what such an oddly placed body part could possibly be used for Twilight didn't know. Last and perhaps the most strangest feature of them all was the teal sacks of something that emerged from her back, which occasionally pulsed and shook for an unknown reason.

All in all the pony… thing, looked like a cross between a unicorn and some horror that no sane creature would possibly dream up and Twilight couldn't even imagine what had brought on such a horrible change.

“It's rude to stare, you know,” the creature exclaimed, crossing her forehooves over her chest.

“S-sorry,” Twilight stuttered, only to realize that not only did the creature speak the same chittering, guttural language Twilight heard in her head, but Twilight herself seemed to speak this odd language, though it sounded like Equestrian to her for some reason.

“At least she can speak now,” the pony thing remarked with a snort.

“Now child, that is no way to speak to a fellow sister,” admonished a kind, though strained and almost pained voice from behind her.

Spinning around once more, Twilight realized that the room they were in was likely a cave of some kind, and a strange, pulsing mass covered every last inch of the walls, ceiling and floors. There was also a vat of what looked like bubbling green liquid which sat in a corner. A vat that Twilight somehow knew was referred to as a breeding pool, though how and why she knew those things were beyond her. Though the room itself was strange, and warranted consideration on its own, that was not what drew Twilight’s eye.

For the voice of kindness she had heard before was coming from what was quite possibly the most terrifying entity she had ever witnessed, a creature so horrifying that Twilight knew she should run, yet she could not. The filly remained rooted to the floor, an alien will reminding her that this was the great mother, the sower of wills, and the only being in the universe that she owed allegiance to. An assertion that she didn't fully accept, not yet anyway, and though she could feel the chittering wall of voices in her mind continue to make that assertion, its potency diminished slightly, as if the great mother was granting her time to consider it on her own.

Twilight could scarcely tear her eyes from the creature’s strange features and instead forced herself to look up, searching for a head or a place she should speak at. Only to find many eyes where she assumed there would be only two, with the eyes being arrayed in two groups of four on either side of its head. The creature lacked any discernible nose, with a thin, dagger-filled mouth being the only facial feature to speak of other than a pair of small mandibles that sprouted from either side of its jaw. Though clearly feminine, the creature’s face was so unlike anything Twilight had ever seen before that she struggled to imagine anything in nature even remotely akin to it.

Its body, though lithe, was covered in segmented plates that jutted prominently from its chest, giving a clearer impression that it was female. Two sets of long spindly arms emerged from its shoulders and were now wrapped tight around the forefront of its body, a small space in its plates allowing its arms to slip between them, though why that was Twilight couldn't imagine. Its body was long and snake like, a comparison that was driven home by its deep brown coloration that was speckled occasionally with an equally deep green.

This snake comparison worked at least somewhat as its lower body was a single great tail. Though even then Twilight could see that many sets of smaller limbs much like her forearms were slipped between her plates, ready and waiting for the time when they are needed. A sudden movement from behind her head drew Twilight’s eye up to the crest she only now realized stretched back nearly a foot from the creature’s skull, wherein four long tentacles sprouted. Two for each side of her body, all of which ended in a long spike of some kind, another thing that made Twilight confused as there was no obvious reason for these spikes save for self defence.

The creature rose far above the small filly, her entire body nearly fifteen or so feet long and roughly the same width of a few of the female minotaurs she had seen on the upper Canterlot plate. The longer the filly gawked at this great mother, the more she realized something was wrong with her, the first thing being that although all her eyes seemed to work, some were slightly milky as if they had been damaged recently. More than that only one of her tentacles actually moved, while the other three merely hung at her sides uselessly. As Twilight looked down she realized that she was far more injured than the filly had first thought and she couldn't help but feel her fear evaporate and pity surge in her chest.

Some plates only barely clung to her body, and some of the many arms that slipped between them either weren't there or were obscured by a thick greenish substance that held them in place. Even a single glance up at the great mother’s face told her that the creature was clearly in pain. Constant, deep pain.

“Are you okay?” Twilight asked, not realizing that the room had fallen silent, its occupants looking down at her, analyzing the filly for some inscrutable purpose.

“I am fine, my child. Merely tired from a long, long journey,” the creature replied, while slowly lowering itself to the filly’s height. “Do not concern yourself with my health, tell me, how are you? You have not been discovered yet, have you? You seem to have suffered some manner of mutation in your ocular nerves.”

“Discovered?” Twilight asked.

The creature nodded slowly and deliberately. “Yes, you are not in immediate danger, are you?”

The pegasus smiled and shook her head. “Her fight or flight responses were triggered several hours ago, but it seems like she is now fine.”

“How did you know?” Twilight asked, already piecing together that the strange pegasus thing was referring to her clash with her brother.

“There are remnants of epinephrine in your blood,” the pegasus creature replied.

“It was just…” Twilight paused, unsure of how to describe what had happened with her brother and family. “An argument,” she concluded.

“Interesting,” the snake-like creature remarked, rising up slightly. “I must commend you on being able to appear before us like this, it takes a considerable amount of psychic energy to project this far.”

The many limbed unicorn snorted, and skittered forward, glaring down at the filly. “I managed such a feat with ease, it is not such a great accomplishment.”

“You are an adult, and a fully mature member of the swarm, she is a mere filly that has not benefited from my experimentation,” the larger creature clarified and waved a hand over the many limbed and heavily mutated unicorn, visibly calming her. “Do not take this as a slight, you do not have to worry about your position being taken by a mere filly.”

The unicorn thing bowed slightly, one hoof going over its stomach as it did. “My apologies, great mother, I let my emotions get the better of me.”

“You would do well to tame that anger, child, though it has its uses in encouraging our warriors, you are no mere warrior,” the larger creature intoned, laying a hand on the unicorn’s head.

“Ahem,” the pegasus interrupted, “I don't believe as though we have introduced ourselves yet.” The pegasus bowed slightly, one eyeball looking somewhere to the right while the glowing one looked directly at Twilight. “I am Bubbles, and this is-”

“Starlight,” the unicorn replied proudly. “But you may call me Underqueen Starlight.”

“Err okay…” Twilight muttered, before turning to the largest creature in the room. “And what is your name?”

“I am afraid I have yet to earn one,” the snake creature replied solemnly. “You may simply call me Mother.”

“With that out of the way, do you have a report by chance?” Starlight replied, slowly slinking her way around the filly, eying her carefully. “We have yet to hear from most of the other infested as Mother has suffered greatly from her long time spent in hibernation.”

“Report? You mean like my report card?” Twilight asked while scratching her head. “Because I got all A’s other than gym class, but I still passed.”

The underqueen stopped and facehoofed, only to be interrupted by Bubbles who took a step forward. “Excuse her, Twilight, she is just a little irritated as we were unable to locate any of the other infested save for us two, and well, yourself.”

“Indeed,” Starlight added, this time appearing much more calmer. “We have unfortunately suffered injuries too grave to be able to go incognito in pony society, and as such we were hoping that you may be able to connect us to our lost infested agents.”

Mother slithered forward slightly and looked down on the filly with renewed intensity. “You do not have to worry about this quite yet though, young one, we have many questions but first an explanation is in order. Our psionic potential has also been damaged significantly so that is why you need not worry about our infested quite yet as they are well out of our range of control right now.” Twilight could tell that last sentence was only half pointed at her, and she noticed that Starlight bristled slightly under the comment, though she tried not to show it.

“So, your name is Twilight Sparkle, correct?” Bubbles inquired, leaning forward and smiling at the filly.

“Um yes, how did you know?” Twilight asked.

“Mother has tasked me with serving as her coordinator as she heals, allowing me to see into your mind, though I did not look further than your name as I did not wish to intrude,” Bubbles explained.

“And because you can't do anything more,” Starlight muttered under her breath, hooves crossed over her chest.

“Regardless,” Mother interrupted, “you must be near this Canterhorn, yes?”

Twilight nodded. “I live in Canterlot, yes.”

“Ahh, good. You are safe then, I presume,” Mother continued.

“I guess so, the castle is safe, well… sorta,” Twilight muttered, looking down.

“Wait, you live in a castle?” Starlight asked, skittering forward. “You don't mean the Sunspire, do you?”

“Celestia doesn't like it when ponies call it that,” Twilight corrected. “She prefers that ponies just call it Canterlot Castle.”

“I am glad you are safe, little one. Your life is very important.” Mother leaned down until she was eye level once more with the filly. “Do not take any grave risks and value your life over others, understood?”

Twilight nodded slowly, baffled by the command but unable to find a reason to argue against it. “I will,” she whispered.

The larger creature nodded and slowly rose once more. “Good, now tell me more of this Celestia, it sounds like you two are close.”

Starlight stepped forward instantly. “She is the ruler of Equestria and the only known alicorn to still live.”

“An alicorn, interesting, they are both immortal and quite powerful so I hear…” The creature slithered back slightly, her hands emerging from their resting places and folding before her. “What is your relation to this Celestia pony, Twilight?”

The filly gulped and took an unconscious step back, slightly disturbed by the other three creatures’ combined looks of interest. “I, err, uh.” She stumbled a bit for a moment and considered lying to the three but for some reason that felt wrong, and she felt bad for just considering it. “I’m her student,” she blurted suddenly.

“Really now?” Mother remarked idly, a hand tapping her chin. “Bubbles, scan her mind and find out everything she knows on the subject of this alicorn princess.”

“Yes, my queen,” Bubbles replied instantly, bowing slightly to the large creature before trotting over to the scared filly and crouching down. “Don't worry, it won't hurt and I promise Mother will be very pleased to know what you know.”

For some reason the prospect of pleasing the enormous snake creature she had only just met felt… good to the filly and she nodded reluctantly, some of her worry bleeding away as she allowed the other creature to come closer. Bubbles raised her hooves to either side of the filly’s head and closed her eyes, focusing intently on something. What that was became clear a second later when Twilight felt a strange presence in her mind that was unlike the smaller voices she had grown used to. One that sought out and latched onto every memory she had made that had Celestia in it, combing through them for information as well as a few memories that did not. Slowly, reluctantly, Bubbles pulled back, a sad smile on her face as she moved to stand beside the larger creature once more.

“This is most fortuitous, is it not, Mother?” she asked, her smile growing a little wider. “They may know a little of our operations but they have not found our base or truly understand us.”

“But they have found us.” Starlight growled. “Worse still, this… fool, has been giving them information and has been actively working with them.”

Mother shook her head. “This is still acceptable. We were desperate for sustenance and the gambit has paid off. Furthermore their information gathering will be diminished by their infighting as well as their fractured support for these ‘frontier towns’.”

“This will give us more than enough time to fortify ourselves and find a way to heal our great mother,” Bubbles explained, her enthusiasm growing by the second.

“If we acquire more subjects that is. The survivors from my village did not have enough biomass to do even the most basic of experiments and I will need far more test subjects if I am going to have a hope of mastering gene magic,” Starlight continued, a frown crossing her face.

“Be that as it may, we have an interesting option before us,” Mother declared, smiling down at Twilight. “An infiltrator inside the highest office in the land, one that is well trusted no less.”

Bubbles placed a weary hoof on the larger creature’s side. “I would warn caution, my queen. The princess is quite formidable and has been alive for at least two millenia, perhaps longer and she will not be unprepared.”

“But if it were possible to infest or harvest her in some manner, we would be looking at acquiring arguably the most powerful essence in all of Equestria,” Starlight muttered before turning upwards to the larger creature. “I must request that we attempt to infest the princess at the earliest possible convenience.”

Twilight gaped silently at the three creatures, too shocked by the sudden change in conversation to have any idea what she should say.

Unaware of the filly’s sudden fear and confusion, the queen nodded slowly. “Normally I would agree, as her genetic material may hold the key to dominating this planet, but this is not normal circumstances and we find ourselves pushed to the brink already.”

“I agree, my queen,” Bubbles added. “We are too few, and our essence is weak and damaged by your slumber, if we reveal our hand too soon, we may find ourselves wiped form the face of Equis before we are even able to heal you.”

“We are already revealed,” Starlight declared angrily. “Or did you not see the filly’s memories while you were busy trying to find mention of some other unicorn filly?”

“I did not!” Bubbles yelled back.

“Quiet, you two!” Mother barked, making her advisors quail and become silent. “Though I agree it is too early to reveal our hand, we are also already revealed somewhat, though infesting the princess may make us the public enemy of the entirety of Equestria.”

“It is a small price to pay,” Starlight declared. “Her essence is incredibly strong and her genetic material may be what we need to heal Mother, as well as create a new breed of zerg that is capable of using the magic of all three tribes.”

“We don't even know if the princess can even be infested. She is an alicorn, the only one left of her kind and other than having vast magical stores of energy that eclipse anypony else, she is also closer to a god than a pony,” Bubbles explained, glaring at Starlight.

Who merely shrugged in return. “It matters little whether or not she can be infested, for regardless of the possibility we must try, the reward would far outweigh the life of a single child.”

“W-what?” Twilight stuttered, shocked to hear that her life meant so little to the the unicorn creature.

The other three didn't even seem to notice her fear though and continued their debate unabated. “If they make the connection between us and her, we will be wiped out. Gone, exterminated down to the last zergling.” Bubbles growled, taking a step closer to the other creature and jabbed a hoof into her chest. “They are divided now, but how long do you think they would stay divided after we attacked the princess in the seat of her very power?”

This time Mother seemed more than happy to merely watch the two bicker, carefully considering her advisors’ words and not making the attempt to stop them.

“You assume much, pegasus.” Starlight growled, jabbing a hoof right back into Bubbles’ chest. “If we simply overload the filly’s body and force it to produce as much spores as possible, I estimate a seventy eight percent chance of successful infestation of the princess.”

Overload? Twilight thought to herself, the filly catching a stray image of her body becoming bloated before exploding near the princess, showering the alicorn in gore and bright orange spores. The thought made the filly sick and she spun around, searching for an escape from this horrifying conversation, only to find that there were no doors other than a strange orifice that seemed built into the fleshy wall.

Mother frowned and continued to caress her chin. “Are you sure the child is even capable of such a thing?”

Starlight nodded confidently. “All infested are able to use this trait, though it would take several hours to accomplish, I do believe it could be done.”

“You don't know that,” Bubbles hissed. “The genes of every single parasite were damaged, and she may not even be capable of producing the normal spores. Besides, what you are suggesting is cruel beyond measure. I supported the taking of your village as we require sustenance and they were not on any map, but this is insane!”

Twilight searched around frantically, and after finding no available exit turned and looked up at Mother expectantly, trying to scan the alien creature’s face for any sign of who she may agree with. The creature’s features were drawn, her mind intensely focused on the predicament before her and despite Twilight’s best efforts, the filly could not seem to figure out what Mother was thinking. With little else to do, Twilight focused on simply praying for her safety, and silently hoping that Mother saw the wisdom in Bubbles’ words.

Starlight sneered down at the winged creature. “We are here to dominate this world, to infest its peoples and await the coming of the swarm, do you think such a goal can be accomplished without cruelty? Furthermore, may I remind you that we all suffer the effects of the slumber, and that Celestia is the key to fixing everything!”

“You don't know that!” Bubbles shouted back. “Furthermore, we do not even have the right to demand this filly to die by our command, she knows nothing of our struggle, of our mission.”

“We may not have that right, but Mother does! She commands every zerg on this wretched planet, which includes you, me, and that loathsome filly!” Starlight declared, gesturing to Twilight.

“This was not supposed to happen, I wasn't supposed to be in charge,” Mother whispered, her arms drooping. “My orders were merely to remain underground until the fleet arrived, only then was I to act. You both make excellent arguments.”

“That doesn't matter,” Starlight declared, stomping several of her pointed limbs. “If we obtain the essence of a several thousand year old alicorn, we can create the perfect zerg, one capable of wielding all three tribe’s magics while also able to bring down the full psychic might of the swarm!” Starlight stepped closer, looking up into Mother’s eyes. “Think about it, we could conquer Equis before the fleet is even here, imagine our queen’s pleasure when she realizes you already control everything.”

All eyes turned to the queen who had risen to her full height, her expression unreadable as she looked from Bubbles to Starlight and back again. Twilight studied those features closely, desperately clinging to the hope that someone with the name like Mother would not throw away her life so easily.

As she watched she noticed those same features grow ever more strained, Twilight’s anxiety reaching a fever pitch as the seconds turned into minutes. Mother’s advisors remained silent throughout it all, their voices both mental and physical remaining still, allowing their queen to contemplate Twilight’s fate.

That was until, Twilight noticed that Mother had made up her mind and seemed ready to announce her decision. A decision that Twilight knew she would not like, one that may very well end with her death and the death of her mentor. Though the filly valued her own life relatively lowly, the instant she realized that this may very well harm the one pony that had never done wrong by her, something flipped.

She was no longer content to wait for judgement to be delivered, and though she hoped Mother would ultimately agree that this was a bad idea, she was not going to chance it. She would not allow anyone to harm Celestia, no matter what they said about powerful essence or the healing of herself and others.

With a psychic shove she recoiled, trying to recreate the feeling that had brought her here only in reverse. It worked surprisingly well and surprisingly quickly, her body flickering as the endless guttural voices began to dim. Unfortunately the room’s occupants quickly realized this and Twilight watched in horror as they all began to approach her, each one speaking at the same time.

Her hearing had already begun to become muddied though and the words blurred together as their thoughts became more and more distant. With desperation fueling her actions, Twilight shoved as hard as she could, using as much energy as possible in order to get away from the strange creatures. Her senses finally dulled completely, her body flickering and vanishing from the room.

The feeling of weightlessness coupled with the endless darkness quickly returned, with the filly falling backwards as she traversed the space between space. For a moment she felt her efforts resisted, and the tugging returned, the feeling emanating from the place it had first originated from. With fear now aiding her desperate bid to escape, her psychic might increased and for a moment they were at a stalemate, the filly unable to break away from the pull she still felt but also no longer slowly backsliding towards them.

That was until she closed her eyes tighter and tried to focus on what she felt, the fear, and desperation had given her the strength to get away but were not enough to fully return her to her body. Panic had begun to creep up her spine, until Celestia’s smiling face suddenly flashed through her mind, reminding the filly that not only was she fighting for herself, but also for the one pony that she cared about more than perhaps any other.

With a grunt of exertion Twilight put everything she had into her efforts to push away from the strange creatures that had so coldly called for her death. Her efforts were rewarded and she quickly found the strength of the tug vanish, allowing Twilight to continue her flight through the void, the unicorn landing in her own body a few seconds later. She did not want to wake up quite yet though as she knew that she would be summoned back to that strange place the second her defences wavered. With that fear firmly in mind, Twilight summoned all her power and did everything she could to erect a wall between herself and where she felt the tug originate from.

It was a strange process, one that she did not know how to truly begin, or how to even accomplish for that matter. Yet despite this lack of experience, she continued to shove every last ounce of the strange strength that had filled her, putting it to use in order to keep her mind walled off from Mother and the others.

After what felt like eternity, something clicked in Twilight’s mind and she realized she had fortified her psyche as much as was possible. The voices which had first dulled to the point of nearly becoming inaudible were now muted entirely, leaving Twilight alone in her own mind for the first time in what felt like forever. Even the thoughts of the ponies of the castle seemed dulled somewhat, and though Twilight had never been able to truly read their minds before, now she could hardly even detect their thoughts at all.

A wide smile came to the filly’s face and she couldn't help but grin when she realized that she was at least a little more normal. That smile faltered when she realized what had just happened and that she was still asleep.

With a sudden gasp, Twilight returned fully to her body, her eyes snapping open and revealing her pitch black room. Her curtains were closed, meaning the room should be shrouded utterly in shadow, yet Twilight’s eyes picked up nearly every detail of the small room, her glowing orbs easily able to pierce the mundane darkness that surrounded her.

Lifting a shaky hoof, Twilight thought back to those terrifying last moments she had spent in the presence of those creatures. Her limb appeared normal, yet Twilight knew it was not the hoof of a pony, for she was not truly a pony any longer. She was one of them, one of the zerg, and from the impression she received from the others, this was not a change that would be easily undone.

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Whispers

I can't believe she sent me back anyway, Blueblood thought tiredly to himself, the colt trudging silently through the long halls of the ancient mansion.

The hall itself was long and filled with far too many columns for his sake, as it bordered on silly in his mind. The closest he could think of as far as a metaphor was like having each piece of a salad on a different plate just to show off your silverware. With a sigh he continued to walk the hall, all while giving absolutely no mind to the many busts, paintings and statues of unicorns who were at various stages of worm food by now. Though his accommodations and company had been first rate, and the food he had eaten had been nothing short of culinary delight, all that pageantry meant nothing to him.

He was here against his will after all, forced to partake in lessons that he felt stripped him of who he was. Just thinking about it made the colt shudder as he imagined the last lesson he had been forced to partake in. From the way he fell into the Khala, to the way he had a distorted memory of what had happened shortly thereafter. It was strange, and not unlike sleepwalking, only a hundred times more disturbing for numerous reasons.

The young colt shook his head vigorously and tried to imagine something more pleasant than the life thrust upon him, only for such a line of thinking to end up conjuring an image of Twilight Sparkle. Though the filly was strange, Blueblood couldn't help but both pity and respect her, as she had been given an unfortunate lot in life and continued on regardless. He remembered fondly the few secret library meetings they had managed to have over time, and how they had always met in the biography section of the royal archives. Though she had been awkward every single time and seemed to believe that it was all an elaborate trick at first, Blueblood was confident that she no longer considered him the enemy his father had nearly made him into.

The colt clung tightly to those images he had of his friend, of how he made her smile, of her laugh. A small part of his brain tried to pick her apart, by reminding him that her smile was slightly tainted by a set of sharp teeth, or how she had a way of laughing slightly too loud when she found something really funny, but he refused to listen to that voice. She was his friend, and he was going to be damned before he allowed himself to think ill of her.

Unfortunately for the colt, those memories would have to be put on the backburner for now as he neared the door he had come to dread. The wooden object itself was unassuming, following the same white, gold, and electric blue of the rest of the house, with only a small symbol standing out to his well-trained eyes.

It was difficult to explain, as the symbol itself was in three parts, with one part being a simple circle that was nestled into a slightly distorted square that hung over the top of it. These two shapes were then cradled by a third that looked almost like a curved blade save for the fact that it had three holes punched in it.

With a sigh he raised his hoof, flicked his golden mane from his eyes and entertained the notion of simply not knocking and running away.

For about all of three seconds anyway, then he knocked.

“Come in,” a voice commanded from within the room.

Blueblood gulped down his trepidation and pushed open the door, looking up at the very tall, grey unicorn that was already glaring at him. “You are late,” announced the stallion, his electric blue eyes glaring down at the young prince intensely.

“My apologies, Ardent Faith, but I’m afraid I got lost on the way to the bathroom,” Blueblood explained only half-heartedly.

Though it was clear that the tall, grey stallion saw through his half-truth in an instant, he did not immediately call him out on it. “Make sure you get another tour, so you do not get lost again,” Ardent Faith replied before turning and gesturing to the rest of the room. “Please take a seat, we were about to begin.”

Blueblood nodded, hardly paying attention to the rest of the small, personal classroom he now found himself within. Though there were nearly fifteen desks in the room, only one other was being used by another pony. A pony who was a slim, purple filly with a fair complexion and long braided black hair that hung down past her shoulders. Her orange orbs flicked past BlueBlood with disinterest, the pony merely sighing before continuing to stare off into space.

Not wanting to look clingy, Blueblood made sure there was a desk between herself and the other student before taking his own seat. “Good morning, Stoic Star,” he greeted as he sat, smiling politely at the filly, taking note that her bright yellow seven-pointed star cutie mark was as eye catching as ever.

“Morning, Bluey,” she replied lazily, not even bothering to look over at him when she said it.

“That is quite enough chatter, you two,” Ardent announced suddenly. “Take a seat and pull out your notebooks.”

The two students did as they were told, though Stoic took much longer to do so as she chose between three such notebooks before deciding on one that wasn't quite as bright as the rest. Opening his own notebook, Blueblood readied his quill after carefully ensuring that there was the perfect amount of ink on it.

Looking up, he noticed that Ardent Faith had already begun to write. “We will begin your lesson today with the Unicornian moral imperatives,” he announced before turning back to the class and pointing at the filly. “Stoic Star, what is the first of such imperatives?”

She sighed, and without looking up, answered, “That the weak be ruled by the strong, not out of malice, but out of compassion, for the intelligent have an obligation to assist them in bettering themselves.”

“Good.” Ardent’s smile faltered somewhat before he turned to Blueblood. “Master Blueblood, what is the second imperative?”

“That we control the means of production and keep them out of the hooves of lesser ponies because they will squander their opportunities,” Blueblood replied, already sweating.

“You are partially correct, as usual,” Arden replied. “We must also keep control of the means for not only will they be wasted on the peasant class, but it will also be used for frivolous and often nonsensical purposes, thus morality demands that we ensure this does not happen.”

The stallion spun back around and continued to write on the blackboard, his chalk moving in long, elegant motions. “Now then, we will continue with our lesson of the history of Unicornia starting with chapter thirty six of-”

The stallion droned on and on, continuing to berate the foals with facts of their history and constant assertions that everything had been better back when unicorns had their own nation. Though Blueblood knew it hadn't been quite as good as Ardent Faith made it out to be, it was difficult to dismiss his arguments out of hoof either.

Something Stoic Star didn't seem to struggle with at all, as she merely stared forward, her expression distant and her face slack, as if she were asleep without ever closing her eyes. Blueblood had gotten to the point that he wondered if she actually were asleep before she unexpectedly turned to him, making him flinch and pay more attention to the lesson being presented. He moved so quickly that he nearly missed the small smirk that his classmate shot him, before it too vanished under the careful mask she donned.

The lesson continued for over two hours before Ardent slammed shut the book he was holding and placed it on his desk. “-and that concludes this month’s lesson on the history of Unicornia, next week we will pick up with the succession wars.”

Blueblood sighed and placed the quill back in his now significantly lower inkwell before waiting a moment and finally closing his notebook and sliding it back into the desk. He nearly stood up and began to prepare for lunch when he noticed Stoic had remained seated and was looking forward. Following her gaze, he noticed that Ardent had already erased everything on the board and simply written the words.

Live training.

In the center of it.

Putting the chalk away, the teacher turned to Blueblood, his glare growing in intensity. “Before you leave this classroom, I need to ask you a few questions. Namely, Master Blueblood, is it true that you mentioned to one of the butlers while reading the morning paper that you were quote unquote ‘rooting for the confederacy’?”

“Uhhh.” Blueblood blinked, thinking back to this morning when he had indeed said such a thing. “Yeah? Kind of?”

“Kind of, how?” Ardent asked, his eyes narrowing.

“Well, it's just they are doomed, right? They are mainly mud ponies out in the middle of nowhere trying to grow crops in sand,” Blueblood explained, the lie quickly coming to mind. “It's like rooting for a snowball’s chance in Tartarus, it's not supposed to be taken seriously.”

Ardent Faith stared down at him for several long seconds before reluctantly letting it go. “Understandable, but do try and keep such sentiments to yourself, not all of our maids are as understanding as Subtle Sweep.”

Blueblood gulped and glanced over at Stoic, who flashed him a brief, appreciative smile, an expression that vanished the instant Ardent glanced in her direction.

Still, the expression was nice, as Blueblood received the distinct feeling that he had an ally in the class. One that he hoped may very well be able to offer him a sense of reprieve from this palace of intolerance he now found himself held hostage within. Plus she was also very attractive, so that was a thing that the colt did his best to try and not think of, only to fail utterly.

“Is it also true that you have not been connecting to the Khala fully while you are in Blue Blade’s lessons?” Ardent continued.

“Whuh?” Blueblood muttered, shaking the thoughts of the cute filly’s out of his head and forcing himself to look at his teacher.

Who sighed and ran a hoof down his face. “I said: Is it also true that you have not been connecting to the Khala fully while you are under the instruction of Sir Blue Blade?” he repeated, his glare somehow gaining even more intensity.

“Err, maybe?” Blueblood muttered, looking down. “It's just, really hard.”

“Thinking yourself better without embracing the Khala and gaining the strength of our ancestors is an arrogant notion that only fools believe!” Ardent boomed, glaring down at the colt. “Tell me, boy, are you a fool, or are you a unicorn?”

Blueblood nodded weakly. “I am a unicorn, sir.”

“Good.” Ardent stood back up and tapped the board. “You will be going straight to Blue Blade’s class, but before you do, I would like to say a few words.”

The teacher sighed slowly and looked down into Blueblood’s eyes before glancing briefly at Stoic. “We are approaching strange and troubling times, your generation will be the ones to finally bring glory unto the Firstborn, do not shirk from this duty. To stray from the path of ascension, and to not embrace the Khala fully is abhorrent and as a true born son of Unicornia you are called, neigh, commanded to give yourself to the Khala fully, lest you be forgotten by the great historia.”

“Yes, Ardent Faith,” Blueblood replied, bowing slightly. “I will not forget your words.”

“See to it, young Blueblood. You may be from a more prestigious house than I, but I will not hesitate to break out the paddle should I think that you are following a dark path,” the stallion intoned solemnly before sighing and taking a step back.

“Now, if you would please proceed to the practice room, I believe Blue Blade has your armor and weapons ready and waiting for you,” Ardent announced before turning away, already moving to his desk and ignoring the two students entirely.

Knowing that this command was not to be ignored, Blueblood proceeded hastily to the door only to realize that Stoic had fallen behind somewhat. Waiting just outside, Blueblood glanced nervously as the filly slowly caught up with him before proceeding to walk with him towards their next class.

For nearly a minute things were quiet, and though Blueblood would usually consider such a silence awkward, Stoic Star seemed unconcerned by it and merely kept walking. The colt tried desperately to think of a way to come up with some manner of conversation that would enable him to subtly discover if she had truly bought into Ardent’s endless tirades on honor, duty and moral obligation. Only to come up with a fat wad of nothing, leaving him with little to do but trot awkwardly beside her, until she suddenly spoke up.

“There is a way to take without giving, but you know not how it is done. Follow my words and I may be able to teach you just that, though if you speak of this to anyone, I will deny every word,” she announced suddenly in a low, hushed tone. “Listen closely and take heart, for you must walk the path of ascension as lightly as possible, give to the Khala only your errant thoughts, your idle musings and passing ideas. It will be satiated with such mindless drivel and the rest of the houses will not suspect that you do not embrace it as they do. All the while you will revel in its power.”

Blueblood gaped like a fish, a million questions came to mind, all of which fought for a spot on his tongue in order to be the first to be spoken to the filly. In the end he settled for the simplest question he could muster. “Why?”

A small hint of a smile grew at the edges of her lips. “You lied to him about the incident this morning, you have not drunk the kool aid as the common pony says, and may be a useful ally… one day.”

“I, er, what? How do I-” Blueblood began, only to get a hoof stuffed in his mouth for his efforts.

Stoic stopped and shot him a brief, but intense look. “We are here.”

Blueblood gulped and nodded, prompting the filly to remove her hoof from his mouth. “Got it.”

“We will speak more after dinner, for now we have lessons to complete,” Stoic replied before turning and opening one of the many doors that lined the endless hallway.

This one had the same strange symbol as the last, a symbol Blueblood knew was only used by those who followed the Khala and took its principles to heart. Stepping inside the room, Blueblood quickly looked around, the colt having found himself inside the mansion’s training room where an almost unnaturally tall, thin unicorn mare of advanced age stood near the front of. Stoic didn't even give a glance at the painted floors or the numerous circles and lines that covered it, nor did she look at the walls which were covered in glowing symbols meant to protect the room’s occupants from accidental harm.

The filly merely trotted over to the two floating sets of armor and quickly donned the golden plate, clasping it into place and securing the chest piece with a firm tug. Blueblood didn't want to fall behind and quickly trotted up next to her, taking the other set of armor and following her lead.

“Good of you to join us, Blueblood,” the tall mare whispered, her voice low, but containing a surprisingly menacing tone.

“Sorry, Blue Blade,” Blueblood replied, dipping into a short cordial bow as he secured his helmet in place with a magical tug.

“You are getting faster at that,” the mare remarked emotionlessly, the silver-furred unicorn slowly circling him, her purple eyes staring down at him intensely. “Good. Though I want you as fast as Stoic by the end of the week. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Master Blue Blade,” Blueblood replied, securing the last of his armor and looking up at his instructor.

Though the instructor’s deep blue mane hung over both eyes and came down to just above her nose, Blueblood knew that she was glaring at him through her hair. “You two will begin the day with a practice fight,” she began, before turning to his only other classmate. “Stoic, I want you to go easy on him at first and when it seems like he's finally getting the hang of things, show him what a true Firstborn is capable of.”

The filly hesitated only a moment before dropping into a short bow. “As you wish, Master Blue Blade.”

“Excellent. The match will begin when I give the signal. As usual I want you to keep quiet throughout the fight and when I am speaking, you are expected to listen while also staying focused on your opponent,” Blue Blade announced before taking a step back and gesturing towards the center-most circle of the room.

Knowing the routine by now, both Stoic and Blueblood trotted over to their proscribed places, taking position and watching each other closely. Blueblood remembered the first day he had been in this position, his armor hanging heavily over his body as he glanced warily at his opponent. He remembered how scared he had first been to hurt her, to fight a girl with not only real weapons, but truly deadly ones at that. That time was far behind him now though, and this day he knew that it was more likely that he was going to end up hurt rather than the other way around.

Stoic herself seemed calm in the extreme, standing perfectly still in her tight fitting, perfectly maintained golden armor. Armor that covered most of her body while still leaving large gaps that were meant to be obvious, in order to better get rookies to start aiming at the joints and neck. The shin protectors were the thickest points of the armor, as it was both meant to shield the wearer’s hooves and was also from where their weapons would emerge.

“No magic, no blows to privates or eyes,” Blue Blade announced before nodding. “Honor and Duty.”

“Honor and Duty,” both children replied while stomping their forehooves.

“Begin!”

And with that, the battle was joined, with Blueblood launching into the first attack by raising his right hoof and lurching at his enemy. At the halfway point the shin guard blazed to life and a foot long shimmering wedge of blue force emerged, crackling audibly as it made contact with the air. His strike was fast, and he thought, unannounced, two things he had anticipated would help him in acquiring first blood.

Stoic Star was far faster than him however, and the filly simply batted his blade aside with her own identical weapon before leaping forward and swinging at the colt’s exposed side. Her swing was fast, but Blueblood had enough skill to know it was coming and deflected it before taking a hasty step back. When their hooves neared the floor, the blades automatically turned off, allowing them to not have to worry about accidentally destroying the ground they walked on.

The two foals stared at one another, each one circling the other slowly, waiting for an opportunity to strike while scanning the other’s form. That was until Blue Blade took a step forward and cleared her throat. “Your forms have both improved, take positions once more and begin again,” she commanded.

Both students nodded to their teacher, with Blueblood silently wondering how she had managed to come to such a conclusion after such a brief encounter. But he wasn't about to air any such concerns, lest he be forced to repeat the same exercise again.

Both students took their positions quickly and faced off once more, this time they did not look one another in the eye, as they had closed them and were focusing intently on the connection they felt at the back of their minds. This connection felt strange, and altogether alien to Blueblood, no matter how many times he touched upon it. His mind went back to the spot wherein the Khala rested, the connection radiating a feeling so unlike his own mind that he hesitated to indulge at all in what it offered.

His teacher’s close proximity dashed any such notion however, and the colt was forced to grab hold of the connection and carefully push a section of his mind into the recess from which the Khala had lay dormant. Instantly a feeling of unreality settled over him, and thoughts, emotions and sensations not his own suddenly poured through the breach in his psyche, filling him with terror.

Strangest of all was the whispering that he could hear at the very edge of perception, the feminine voice speaking words he could not understand, but instead, could feel. The connection that was forced upon him as a child had opened considerably since such a time and though it had only been a few short years since the ceremony, the voice was already much, much louder than what it once was. Thus allowing the colt to tell that it was pleased with his connection, yet it also wanted more, to be allowed fully into his mind, offering him power unlike anything he could dream of.

Something he refused vehemently.

His muscles tensed, his mind seemed to accelerate, his thoughts briefly becoming faster than his body was able to move before it finally caught up. Then he stopped, his mind pulling back from the connection and refusing to allow it to occupy the entirety of his mind as he knew it wanted to. He had, after all, increased strength, speed and reaction time and that was enough in his mind, as the loss of self was far too high a price to pay.

Opening his eyes, he looked into the glowing white orbs of his fellow student. A student that now lacked iris or pupil, her orbs glowing with a pale light that exuded twin wisps of equally white smoke from the corners. Her face was as expressionless as he knew his own was, and he also took note of the fact that her muscle mass had increased even more than his own had, the rail-thin filly having been replaced by a muscle-bound foal that rippled with a disturbing amount of power.

“Begin!” Blue Blade shouted.

This time the colt did not even have the opportunity to consider attacking before Stoic closed the distance, both hooves raised, her blades igniting. Caught off guard by the sheer speed of his opponent, Blueblood took several steps back, only narrowly dodging the cross slash that would have turned his head into mincemeat. In the span of an eyeblink she was already upon him, her right hoof coming down and being deflected by his own before her left followed.

The sheer weight of the blows staggered the colt, and her speed was such that he was struggling to keep up, the sharp sound of clashing psionic blades filling the room. Each strike came faster than the last as she twisted this way and that, driving Blueblood further and further back as he was forced to give ground to his attacker.

Already he was nearly forced back onto his heels, his forehooves almost becoming numb as the blows continued. Suddenly, he heard the whispering voice change and the emotions slipping through his mind shifted erratically. The voice still spoke in its strange, wordless way, this time promising him even more power, and strength if only he give her more of his mind. Though tempting, he already felt like he was no longer himself, and was even now looking down at a mere puppet of himself from the third person, an experience as unpleasant as it was alien.

This resistance to the voice’s offer fluctuated when Stoic Star came close to hitting him several times in a row, the colt forced to leap out of the way of another cross slash aimed for his face. Anger flared in his chest and the voice grew louder, more demanding, yet still he resisted, trying to walk that fine line between giving and taking without committing too much to one or the other. Something that became increasingly difficult as he felt his teacher’s glare become more intense with each poorly timed block and half-hearted counter attack.

In only two short minutes the two had fought all the way across the room, weapons clashing together so frequently that the crackle of the blades meeting become near constant. Throughout it all Blueblood could offer little in the way in challenge, though he had begun to notice that Stoic favored powerful dual weapon attacks that would have overpowered most foes. Something that his own defences were able to absorb with relative ease, though not without strain.

So when another powerful cross slash descended towards him, he raised both hooves and shoved back as hard as he could. For a moment the filly seemed about to topple backwards, only for his opponent’s eyes to glow brighter and her strength to double in an instant, allowing her to shove Blueblood right back and knock him onto his back. Before he could even move, he felt the heat of her blade over his throat, making him sigh and lay there in defeat.

“You win again, Stoic,” Blueblood muttered, his eyes dulling as he pulled away from the connection at the back of his mind, the strange emotions and whispering slowly fading away.

The blade at his throat vanished and when he looked up, the terrifying filly was replaced by an utterly normal one, who had a hoof extended, offering assistance. “You fought better than usual, Blueblood,” she remarked dryly, easily pulling the colt up when he took her offered hoof.

“Though that is low praise, considering just how weak you are,” Blue Blade spat, stepping forward and glaring harshly at the colt. “You still resist the Khala no matter how many times you lose.”

“I tried, it's just-” he began, only to get shut down by an increasingly terrifying glare.

“You resist the Khala’s influence and have the gall to say you tried?” The teacher snarled, her lip curling in anger and disgust. “The Khala connects all of the Firstborn to one another, it is meant to be embraced, not shunned, given to, not taken from.”

The mare took a single thundering step forward, her sheer height making the colt feel tiny and powerless in the extreme. “Taking without giving is abhorrent in the extreme, young Blueblood. To do so is arrogance of the highest order! What do you have to say for yourself, hmm?”

“I’m sorry, it just makes me feel strange, like I’m not myself, like I’m sleepwalking while still awake.” He winced prematurely, only realizing how traitorous his words were after they left his mouth.

The colt didn't get a chance to apologize before he felt a hoof upside his head, making him stumble forward. “If you had allowed yourself to become immersed in the Khala fully, you would not be bothered by this sensation, and would instead realize the true power that looking at one’s self would grant. To be whole and empty, is to be able to act within an instance while also viewing it impartially, allowing you to escape the trappings of your emotions, if only for a moment.”

Blueblood gulped, silently happy that the helmet had taken most of the blow, though it still hurt even through his armor. The colt looked up at his teacher, only to realize that she had only begun her half rant, half explanation and was even now towering over him.

“Tell me, colt, do you have over a millennium of knowledge, of skills, of experience, do you? Or perhaps you already have all that as well as the strength of an earth pony and the speed of a pegasus?” Blue Blade continued, her voice growing more shrill by the moment.

“I, uh, well.” He gulped, his mouth moving as he tried desperately to come up with some excuse no matter how lame it sounded. In the end he merely hung his head in defeat and sighed. “No, ma’am.”

“I did not think so,” Blue Blade whispered, taking a step back before leaning down and looking him in the eye. “Remember my words well, boy. Any attempt to use the Khala without giving to it will be met with harsh retribution, do you understand me?”

The colt nodded weakly. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Good, this time I want you to try again, and if I see you taking without giving, you will be training with me from now on,” Blue Blade whispered before taking her usual spot off to the side of the room.

Knowing the routine, Stoic Star and Blueblood trotted slowly back into position, with the colt catching a flicker of pity from his opponent. That was until her face became a neutral mask once more, with the stony expression returning in full. Blueblood chose to not think about this particular change as his emotions were already too garbled for his liking, and were inevitably going to get in the way of his training.

This time when their eyes met, and closed, Blueblood found the spot in his mind that the Khala occupied quickly and though he hesitated a moment, he ultimately gave it more of his mind than he usually dared. The whisper was encouraging, the feelings of calm and relaxation easing the irritation that came with feeling emotions that weren't his, aiding him transition more fully into the Khala. Though he refused to give himself utterly, he passed the usual threshold.

This time when his eyes opened, they blazed with inner fire, dwarfing the intensity of his opponent’s by an order of magnitude. Though he felt no fear himself, he saw fear in the eyes of his fellow student, fear that quickly vanished when Blue Blade spoke once more. “Begin!” she yelled.

Blueblood’s corded muscles bulged beneath his fur, his flesh barely able to contain the raw power that he brought to bear. This time he was on the offensive before his opponent could blink, his cold and calculating mind knowing that since she was smaller than him, he would ultimately be able to use this increased size to his advantage. Hooves raised over his head, the colt brought his roaring blue blades down towards his opponent, utilizing his lightning fast speed to cover the distance in a flash.

The filly hesitated, taking a moment to consider blocking, only to roll away at the last second, a stray strand of hair being lopped off as he narrowly missed his target. Blueblood knew he shouldn't let his opponent have so much as a moment to think and instantly pushed his advantage, rearing back and delivering a trio of fast stabs aimed at the filly’s face.

The result was instant, and Stoic was forced to rear back in order to bring both of her own blades to the task of blocking his fast strikes. This meant she could not back up without nearly falling over herself and getting knocked prone, which was another advantage that he pushed.

Switching suddenly, the colt brought both blades down against his opponent, forcing her to block lest she slip and be forced into an awkward situation. Blades met and roared against one another, with the filly forced to give ground as her larger opponent drove his forelegs down against her, making their weapons grow louder as he multiplied the force he exerted down upon her.

Then, just as she had seemingly adapted to the force he exerted and began to push back, he took a risky step back and slammed his blades back down against the filly’s guard. The result was immediate, with the filly’s defences beginning to crumble as her legs began to shake. Blueblood’s own muscles strained to keep up with what he demanded of them, but the colt knew that they wouldn't give out until he had already won and he chose to continue to slam his weapons down repeatedly, knowing that his tactic would ultimately give him victory.

Sweat poured down the filly’s face, not only from the closeness of her weapons, and the exertion she was under, but from the pure and unfiltered fear she even now experienced.

The mana blades clashed repeatedly, their crackle turning into a roar each time this happened, leaving the filly dazed and reeling. This brutal assault continued until she had very nearly been broken completely, her guard beginning to crumble as the colt brought his weapons down in another thunderous crash of blade on blade.

This time he did not pull back and instead leaned forward, throwing his entire weight into this last push, intent on shattering her guard completely and finally claiming victory. As their weapons roared against one another, the filly’s hooves beginning to slip, their eyes met. In that moment Blueblood saw the naked fear in his opponent’s eyes for the first time.

For a moment both foals remained there, staring into one another’s eyes, one whose pure white orbs blazed like an angry sun and the other that contained only a soft and patient glow. Stoic Star looking up at him with a pleading expression, the filly desperate to dissuade Blue Blood from doing… something. An expression that first struck Blueblood as the desperate bid of a pony about to lose, only for the colt to dismiss such a notion when he truly began to understand the depth in those pleading eyes.

They pleaded not for victory, or even the avoidance of defeat, but rather for him, for the colt to refuse to give away the part of himself that he was now handing over to the Khala. With a mental jerk he pulled away from the link, his senses returning to him suddenly and with the force of a hammer blow.

To make matters worse, the filly reacted quickly to his sudden shift, shoving hard against his attack and forcing him to break away from the melee. Something that forced him into an awkward position as he had been standing tall on his hind hooves until then. He had learned his lesson though and quickly stumbled back, swiping wildly and keeping Stoic Star at bay long enough for the colt to regain his bearings and enable him to get his guard back up.

Or at least, that's what he tried to do, as Stoic pressed harder and faster than before, keeping him perpetually off balance and forcing each subsequent block to become wider and wider. Until finally the colt’s midsection was completely wide open, allowing Stoic to slide forward and press the tip of her blade against Blueblood’s breastplate.

The second that happened, a soft golden glow encompassed them both, stopping them dead in their tracks. For a second nothing happened, only for Blue Blade to suddenly realize what she was supposed to do, causing the mare to stumble over to the pair and light her horn, dismissing the enchantment’s hold on them.

“That certainly was… interesting,” she muttered, looking down at Blueblood with a mixture of awe and confusion. “What pray tell caused you to stop your attack, young Master Blueblood?”

“I was worried that the protection charms wouldn't work if I accidentally used her own blade against her,” Blueblood lied. “I wasn't aware of a time where this had happened and I did not want to test it and end up with blood on my hooves.”

“That is…” Blue Blade stopped, the angry tirade she had already planned falling by the wayside. “An excellent thought, though you should know for next time that the enchantment works if it detects any strike that would be considered lethal, even your own.”

“Ahh, my apologies, Blue Blade,” the colt remarked, bowing slightly to his teacher.

“Yes, well, see to it that you do not let another victory slip between your hooves and all will be forgiven,” the mare muttered before turning to Stoic Star. “You did well, little Star, but you let him maintain the advantage for too long, you must learn to dodge or offer a counter attack, lest you be trapped in a situation that your enemy planned for you to be in.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Stoic muttered, casting a cautious glance at her classmate.

“Now then, I can tell you are both quite exhausted, so while you disarm, I will be available for questions, after which I will demonstrate form three,” Blue Blade explained, trotting back to the forefront of the room.

As Blueblood began to remove the armor he wore, fatigue set in and his movements began to slow as he struggled to remove the larger parts of his equipment. A particularly troublesome strap saw him struggling for nearly a minute before Stoic unexpectedly assisted him, unshackling him from the back plate that he had been fighting against.

Noticing that his teacher was eying their interaction a little closer than he would like, Blueblood suddenly spoke up, “Yes, I had a question.”

“Go ahead, child,” Blue Blade replied.

“Where did these weapons and armor come from? My father has only a single book on the topic, but it makes no mention of their origin, only that it was invented by my family for unicorns to use,” he asked as he placed his helmet to the side.

“That is an excellent question,” Blue Blade declared. “The arms and armor you use today are based on ancient designs that Celestia believes were lost during the unification wars. It was only with the noble houses’ vast wealth and the whispers found deep within the Khala were we able to rediscover them in hidden vaults beneath what once was Unicornia.”

“Fascinating,” Blueblood muttered, with as much mustered enthusiasm as he could bring to bear.

Thankfully his teacher didn't seem to notice and continued to ramble, stars coming to her eyes as she recounted the tale in an increasingly fervent tone. “Oh, it truly is, for you see the Khala not only links all worthy unicorns with one another, but also to the whispers of our ancestors that lay within the link. It is with their help that we are able to uncover lost secrets and learn what has been forgotten by nearly all of pony kind.”

“Pardon me, ma’am,” Stoic interrupted, raising a hoof. “But aren't the unification wars commonly referred to as the long night or the Nightmare rebellion?”

The proud unicorn mare furrowed her brow and snorted irritably. “That is merely what she would have you believe. We fought not for the Nightmare, but for our independence, for the chance of regaining the glory and honor that was lost when we were forced to recognize the lesser races as equals.” The mare smirked and suddenly regained her proud posture once more. “But I would not worry about that happening again, the great houses have managed to create enough confusion in the castle that Celestia will spend all of her time putting out minor fires and allowing us to move unseen behind the curtains.”

“I thought the goal was to make Celestia join us?” Blueblood asked, feigning ignorance.

The mare was too distracted by her own emotions to notice this fake ignorance however and visibly shook as she spoke. “That fool has turned our offers of peace down one too many times and after slighting even your revered father, it is clear that she cannot see the light.”

“But doesn't she control the sun and moon?” Stoic asked. “It sounds like a bad idea to work against the pony that is able to move the celestial bodies.”

The mare smirked and puffed out her chest even more. “Trust me, child, that has been considered, and we have a plan for such an eventuality, should it come.” She shook her head and gathered up the gear that now lay on the floor, levitating the sets of armor off to the side with slow, careful movements.

Blueblood raised his hoof and was about to speak when his teacher interrupted him, “Question period is over, and though I know you have more concerns, I cannot answer them for now. Simply remember that with the Khala’s guidance, we can overcome any obstacle, and through its power we will be masters of our destiny once more, and will reclaim our lost homeland.”

“I guess, but-” Blueblood began, only to be interrupted not by his teacher, but by a knock at the door, followed by the door opening to reveal a stern-faced butler.

“Master Blue Blade, your presence is requested in the war room immediately,” the butler announced in a neutral, even tone.

“Did they say why?” the mare asked hesitantly, a look of worry overcoming her features.

“I am afraid not. Only that they detected a surge in the Khala,” replied the butler.

“In that case tell them… no, I shouldn't make them wait. I will leave immediately,” Blue Blade announced before turning to her charges. “You two remain here, review the literature I have set aside, and if I am not back within the hour, you are dismissed.”

The two foals both nodded, and watched as their teacher hastily trotted out of the room, following the stony-faced butler.

Once it was clear that Blue Blade was not about to return, Blueblood deflated, flopping out onto the ground and letting out a deep sigh. “Augh, that was terrible,” he muttered.

“Tell me about it, I thought you were going to kill me,” Stoic remarked with surprising calm.

The colt winced. “I’m sorry, Stoic, but-”

“You have no need to apologize, I saw how deep you had become,” Stoic interrupted, a small smile slipping onto her lips. “I experienced it once before and vowed that such a thing would never happen again.”

“I think I’ll do the same. That was terrifying, it was like I was looking down at myself and was moving a mere chess piece rather than my own flesh and blood,” Blueblood trembled at the memory.

“Me and several others have been working on a way of getting around this while also not tipping off our parents. If you are interested, I could teach you a few techniques,” Stoic explained while smiling down at the colt.

Blueblood’s eyes went wide and he stood quickly, his fatigue forgotten. “You could? Wait.” He took a step back and eyed her closely. “Though I agree with you, what are you trying to accomplish with this little club of yours?”

The filly sighed and rolled her eyes. “First of all it is not a club, or a secret society, no matter how much Subtle Script calls us ‘The Never Zim’ or whatever. And secondly, how do I know I can trust you with this?”

“For one you’ve already trusted me with information that would see you exiled from your family and given me one of the names of your club members,” Blueblood remarked with a smirk. “At this point I don't think it matters.”

The foal raised her hoof and opened her mouth to speak, only to shrivel somewhat and sigh. “I suppose it doesn't then, does it? Damn, we really need to get better at this whole secret society thing.”

“Anyway,” Blueblood prompted.

“Right, well, don't tell anyone but we are hoping to ultimately close ourselves from the Khala, but also keep the power it gives,” Stoic explained. “It's a little far-fetched now, but Quick Quill seems to think that it's possible.”

Blueblood found himself grinning from ear to ear by the time Stoic had finished her explanation. “You have no idea how much I like that idea.”

“R-really?” Stoic stuttered, looking up at him with wide eyes.

“Absolutely, this whole thing has felt wrong since day one and after hearing the whisper more intensely, I can say with absolute certainty that there is something wrong in there,” Blueblood explained.

“I know, right?” Stoic grinned. “Our next meeting is during Quick Quill’s birthday party. I’ll get you an invitation.”

Blueblood grasped the filly’s forehoof in both of his own, squeezing the limb tightly. “Thank you, Stoic, I won't forget what you've done for me.”

The filly hastily tugged her limb from Blueblood’s grip, a blush sprouting on her cheeks. “D-don't mention it. Seriously, don't mention it.”

“Don't worry, our secret is safe with me,” Blueblood remarked, flashing the filly a wink.

Author's Notes:

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This update was made possible by the wonderful support of readers like you:
Anonymous, Apollyon, Astor, Azin, Brandon, Brendan, Brenna, Canary in the Coal Mine, Ceepert, Chris, Craig, Diokyo, Doomgooey, facinus, grug, I am unkown, Ian, Ivar, Kali, Lich-lord krosis, M, Makani, Megatyrant, Menthol Qtip, Mephia, mike, mikhaila, mirvra, nfreak, nicky, pacsik, peter, princess pudding, random reader, robert roll, sheq2, shocker blocker, somepony, soundtea, starless, steven, t sparkle, todd Herron, Travis Houck, Vigilant watch, wes, zairvin.

Therapy

Twilight Sparkle shifted nervously in her chair, the filly squeezing the hoofrests of her seat as she waited impatiently for her therapist to get ready.

Velvet Touch shuffled a small group of papers, attached it to her clipboard and pulled out a pen. “Alright, so let's start at the top. What happened the other night?” she asked, looking over the rim of the clipboard and down to Twilight.

The filly gulped and continued to shift nervously in her seat. “Well my brother said some mean things and I ran away and then I had a really bad nightmare when I got home.”

“What did you argue about?” Velvet asked, her pen hastily scrawling a plethora of notes on her page.

“He knew about what we were talking about and-” Twilight began, only to be cut off.

“Wait, he knew what exactly?” Velvet asked, unconsciously leaning forward in her chair.

Twilight gulped. “He knew I have to eat a little bit of meat, and that I was friends with Mister Razor Wind and that we had an argument and I messed up your papers and... and that I can hear people’s thoughts sometimes and that I’m a freak!” The filly’s voice rising more and more, she listed off the things her brother had said, tears budding and finally trickling down her face by the time she reached the end of her sentence.

Velvet carefully discarded her clipboard and walked around the coffee table, carefully seating herself next to the sobbing unicorn filly. Placing a gentle hoof on Twilight’s shoulder, the therapist sighed and pulled her closer. At first she resisted, the filly pushing back against Velvet’s hoof, but she quickly melted into the embrace, hugging Velvet Touch’s leg and sobbing into the mare’s fur.

Using her free foreleg, the therapist gently rubbed the filly’s back, merely staying silent and allowing the young mare to get it all out. Mood swings are getting worse, trauma no doubt the cause, Velvet thought to herself, the mare trying to stay as clinical as possible. Familial distance will exacerbate loneliness and emotional detachment.

Her thoughts petered out when she noticed that Twilight was now sniffling and wiping away her tears. “It's okay, Twilight, take all the time you need,” Velvet whispered.

The filly nodded, wiping her face with her hooves and accomplishing nothing more than wiping her tears across her nearly her face. With a sigh, the therapist levitated a hoofkerchief to the filly and wiped away her tears before placing the square of fabric on Twilight’s lap and allowing her to finish the task. Something that Twilight initially resisted, but soon allowed Velvet Touch to do for her before taking up the rest of the task for herself.

“T-thanks,” muttered the filly as she wiped clean her cheeks.

“It's okay, Twilight. Why don't we talk about something else for a little while? How’s Spike doing by the way? I hear he's getting quite big already,” Velvet Touch offered, continuing to rub the filly’s back.

“Y-y-yeah.” The filly sniffed. “Celestia says that dragons grow fast at first but after a year start to slow down for a while.”

“Well, that certainly explains how he got so big so fast,” Velvet offered with a smile.

Twilight grinned weakly and nodded. “Celestia says that because I’m giving him so much attention he is growing faster than most dragons raised by ponies.”

“And why is that?” Velvet Touch pressed.

“It's ‘cause I know what he wants to eat, something that doesn't happen much with pony parents.” Twilight grinned a little wider, and a little more sincerely. “Celestia says it's because harmony is telling me what he needs, isn't that cool?”

“I bet there are plenty of moms out there that would love to know exactly what their baby wanted,” Velvet continued, gently pulling her hoof from Twilight’s back.

“I-I guess…” Twilight muttered, suddenly staring off into space with a contemplative expression on her face.

“Is something wrong, Twilight?” Velvet Touch asked, leaning a little closer.

The filly shook her head. “I never thought of him like he's my baby, just that I was helping raise him, but I guess he would probably see me as his mommy. I mean, I hatched him.”

“I wouldn't worry about that too much, Twilight, I don't think anyone is expecting you to raise a dragon while also going to school. Nevermind the fact that you are so young,” Velvet replied.

“I guess… is it weird that I wouldn't mind being his mom?” Twilight asked, looking up at the older mare with hope in her eyes.

“I think it's wonderful, Twilight, just don't push yourself, remember you have plenty of helpers including staff and even Celestia,” Velvet answered, a small smile on her face. “And you are just a kid, Twilight, you don't have to worry about that kind of responsibility until you are much older.”

The filly nodded. “I know you're right, but it kind of makes me warm and fuzzy inside when I think of Spike calling me mom.” She frowned. “I’m not weird, right?”

The therapist chuckled and shook her head. “Plenty of fillies want to be mommies when they are younger, though most usually have dolls instead of dragons.”

Twilight chuckled. “I never thought of it like that. Oh yeah and Celestia said that she's going to start letting me take care of him more soon! The sitters are nice, but he’s getting so big he's starting to be a hoofful and she says that so long as I keep up on my work, he can even sleep in my room!”

“That's wonderful, Twilight!” Velvet Touch declared, taking a step back and walking back over to her spot across from the filly. “I can't wait to meet him one of these days.”

“That could be fun! He may be a little grouchy sometimes, but he really does like meeting new ponies,” Twilight declared proudly.

“That's great to hear, and speaking of new friends, how is Razor Wind doing?” Velvet Touch inquired as she grabbed her clipboard once more.

“He's okay, I guess,” Twilight muttered. “He's old and has a weird sense of humour though.”

“Really? Why do you say that?” Velvet pressed, the mare scratching a few notes in the margins of the page.

“He just says funny things like jalopy, and he always calls unicorns horny toads,” Twilight muttered, a frown on her face.

The therapist’s face lit up and she nearly lost her grip on her clipboard. “I wouldn't repeat that phrase again, Twilight, it's an old griffon swear that's quite crude.”

“Really?” Twilight cocked her head. “But frogs are kind of cool. They got great big mouths and are all slimy and ooooh... Now I get it.”

“Yes well, let's just say there are several ways to refer to our kind in a less than pleasant manner.” Velvet coughed into her hoof. “Moving on, I was hoping to apologize to you. I have no doubt that you may feel betrayed by your brother knowing these things and I know I shouldn't tell you this, but there was an incident not too long ago.”

“An incident? What kind of incident?” Twilight pressed, shifting forward on her seat.

“One where one of your files went ‘missing’ and ended up in the hooves of someone that should not have it.” The therapist sighed. “He was fired and promptly jailed when Celestia caught him in the act, but I’m afraid he still made off quite a few of my notes and apparently sold it.”

Twilight frowned and crossed her hooves over her chest. “What a bad pony, I hope he learns his lesson.”

Velvet Touch coughed into her hoof awkwardly. “Yes, well, let's just say he will never be doing that again as Celestia threw the book at him.”

“How does getting hit with a book mean you never do it again…” Twilight’s eyes lit up, a panicked expression crossing her face. “She didn't kill him with a book, did she?”

Velvet Touch giggled and shook her head. “Oh no, she just charged him with treason and tossed him in a dungeon so deep I don't think he’ll see his own shadow for the rest of his days.”

Twilight frowned and sat back down, tapping her chin as she looked off into the distance. “Isn't that a bit much?” she asked suddenly, looking up at the mare. “I mean, it was just some papers, right?”

“Yes, but if a mean pony got it they could do many nasty things with that information and it was shown that he was quite erm, unrepentant,” Velvet Touch muttered, remembering well the zealous screaming she had heard from all the way down the hall. The mare shook her head suddenly, dismissing the memories that threatened to drag her down a dark path. “Regardless, he won't be a problem anymore and I promise we have increased security tenfold since then.”

The filly breathed a little easier, relaxing into her chair and resting her chin on her forehooves. “That's a relief, ‘cause I don't want to go through that again.”

“I don't want to pry, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask for more information on the disagreement you had with your brother.” Velvet Touch sighed. “If at any point you are uncomfortable with the conversation and want it to end, just let me know and we can pick this up another time, okay?”

Twilight nodded slowly. “I g-guess.”

“Okay, first question. What did your father say before you left?” Velvet asked.

“He didn't want me to leave,” Twilight muttered, her gaze drifting off. “He wanted me to stay home and for things to work out.”

“That's good, do you think he really meant it?” Velvet continued.

Twilight nodded weakly. “I think so.”

“Your father loves you very much. You know that, right?” Velvet Touch smiled. “Why he even came to the castle several times to try and see you, but you were either in class or weren't in the castle.”

“R-really?” Twilight asked, hope burning in the depths of her glowing orbs.

The therapist nodded confidently. “Celestia was unsure of whether or not to tell you since your little falling out, but I managed to speak with him briefly the last time he was in the castle. He wanted me to tell you that he cares about you very much.”

Twilight sniffed, tears building at the edge of her gaze. “Dad…”

“So I wouldn't give up hope in your family quite yet either.” Velvet Touch smiled. “Your father also said that he had a long conversation with the rest of your family and I think there is a chance to fix things between you guys.”

Then, just as suddenly as it appeared, the hope in Twilight’s eyes vanished and she pulled back, crossing her hooves over her chest. “Why should I talk to them when they were mean to me?”

“Twilight, they are your family, they love you very much,” Velvet Touch insisted.

“Maybe dad does, but Shining Armor was a big meanie and doesn't like me anymore. He even called me a f-freak,” the filly remarked, her jaw clenching tightly.

The therapist sighed. “I know you don't want to hear this, but he is just a kid too. He said something stupid, something I’m sure he now regrets very much.”

Twilight’s jaw clenched tighter and she looked away. “I don't need him. I have Celestia and Mister Razor Wind and Spike and Bull and that's all I need.”

“And your father? Would you push him away after he stood up for you?” Velvet Touch asked.

The filly’s anger melted for a moment, revealing the angry and hurt child beneath, though that lasted only a moment as Twilight gritted her teeth. “Maybe. For now I have all I need right here in the castle.”

That's something at least, Velvet Touch thought. “We are going to talk about this again later, but for now I want to talk to you about something else, okay?”

Twilight nodded. “Okay.”

“It's about your hearing thoughts comment. How much are you able to hear and is it some ability you are able to use consciously? I know we haven't really talked about it much, but both Celestia and I are curious about your new abilities,” Velvet Touch explained, smiling gently.

Twilight looked down, avoiding the therapist’s gaze. “A little, I could hear more but after my nightmare I can't hear as much.”

“What can you hear then?” Velvet Touch pressed.

“Big thoughts, like if you are really angry and really hate pens or something, I would know that, but like right now you're thinking of so many things that it's all just… noise.” Twilight gulped, pressing her forehooves together awkwardly. “I try not to listen, but sometimes some ponies think so loud that I can't help it.”

Velvet Touch paused, mere millimeters from the paper. “What happened in this dream, Twilight?”

“I dreamt there were these monsters, but it wasn't like any dream I’ve ever had before. It felt real, like I was there in that creepy cave with that monster and those ponies,” Twilight remarked, shivering as she imagined what had occurred only a night ago.

“Can you draw these monsters?” Velvet Touch asked, already bringing over a large pad of paper, and a plethora of pencils. “Just do your best, it doesn't have to be perfect.”

“I guess, it might take a while though,” Twilight replied, grabbing the pencils and paper out of the air with her magic, laying them out before herself.

“That's okay, Twilight, take all the time you need, in the meantime I’m going to ask you some more questions if that's alright with you,” Velvet Touch half asked, half exclaimed.

“I guess,” Twilight muttered, her horn alight as she began to sketch the first monster she had seen.

“Excellent.” Velvet Touch smiled as she grabbed a new pen and tossed the old one into the trash. “Now then, you said there were ponies and a monster, just one?”

Twilight nodded. “One looked like a monster and a pony mixed together, but she was nice. So was the other one who looked like a monster.” A frown crossed the filly’s face and her pencil moved faster across the page. “And the last one looked like a pony and monster squished together, but she acted like a monster and not at all like a pony. I don't like her ‘cause she wants to hurt the princess.”

“Hurt the princess how?” Velvet Touch asked hesitantly.

“She wanted to make me explode and hurt the princess, but the other two didn't want me to explode.” She frowned. “I thought they were gonna make me explode at first too but now that I think about it, I don't think they would do that.”

The mare paused mid-notation and rubbed her temples with her forehooves. “How exactly would they make you explode, Twilight?”

The filly shrugged. “They said something about overloading me and making spores come out of me, but the other two didn't want to hurt Celestia.”

“Right. Did you happen to know where these monsters were? Did you see any mountains or forests or discernible landmarks by chance?” Velvet Touch pressed.

Twilight shook her head. “We were in a creepy cave and the walls were all gross and covered with this fleshy stuff.” She stuck out her tongue. “It was super gross.”

“Yes, I suppose that would be quite unpleasant,” Velvet Touch muttered, her cheeks growing a little green as she tried to imagine it.

“There was also this pool of green goop called a breeding pool. Does that help?” Twilight asked, looking up at the mare.

Who nodded awkwardly. “Oh yes, I’m sure somepony will know what that is.”

Twilight smiled to herself and went back to drawing, only to stop after several seconds and take a closer look at her drawing and grin. “There, I made the nice pony I saw first,” she announced, turning and revealing the image she had just completed.

Velvet Touch raised an eyebrow as she took the picture, eyeing it carefully. Though clearly drawn by a child and its proportions were off significantly, it at least looked like a pony, save for its one eye, and its mandibles. “And its cutie mark is bubbles?”

Twilight nodded. “That's her name too! Also the bubbles were green but you don't have any coloring pencils.”

“Right…” Velvet Touch muttered, her mind churning with possible reasons for the mare’s strange disfigurements. “And why does she have mandibles and that stuff all over her?”

Twilight shrugged. “I am not sure, but I think it's because she was infested.” The filly frowned. “I’m not sure if I’m saying it right.”

Velvet Touch nodded absently, her gaze never pulling away from the picture for a second. “And what was this Bubbles like?”

“She was nice!” Twilight frowned. “Kinda. She looked around in my brain for another unicorn filly and didn't even ask permission, but when she did I could tell that she was really scared for some reason.”

“That is… interesting,” Velvet Touch muttered, her pen flying back and forth across the page, her every thought being committed to paper at a breakneck pace. “Please continue the next drawing.”

Twilight nodded and did just that, her face screwing up in concentration as she stared at the paper, strugglingly to draw what she could already see in her mind’s eye.

Velvet Touch however, was baffled by the drawing already before her, already imagining the many exhausted sighs that her partner would utter once she heard this most recent bit of news. Silver Scalpel already came home every night mentally and physically exhausted to the point that Velvet Touch was beginning to have doubts of taking this job, despite the pay and the prestige, and this new information wouldn't help that one bit. If she was already exhausted with just the few samples she was already able to take, Velvet Touch didn't even want to think about how bad things were going to get if she told her about this other pony.

“Done,” Twilight declared. “I couldn't draw her legs super good but they were like a spider’s, only with weby things between them.”

Velvet Touch lifted an eyebrow and took the page hesitantly, gazing nervously down at the strange drawing of what looked like a twisted version of the mythological Arachne. Only it was larger, more disturbing and had a weird vertical mouth in its waist, all things combined to make one of the most horrific sights Velvet Touch had ever imagined. It was at this point that she was quite glad that Twilight wasn't a better artist as she wasn't sure if she could keep her dinner down if the full disturbing nature of this creature was brought to light.

“And who is this?” Velvet Touch asked.

“Starlight Glimmer,” Twilight replied, the filly scowling at the simple drawing. “She is the meanie that wanted to make me explode.”

“She certainly looks… mean,” Velvet muttered, noticing the big angry frown drawn on the creature’s face. “And is she also like Bubbles?”

Twilight nodded. “Yeah, I think so.”

“What is that thing on her head?” Velvet Touch asked, pointing to the zerg’s crest.

“I don't know, but it was really big and gross-looking,” Twilight explained. “I might be remembering it wrong though…”

“And the last picture?” Velvet Touch asked, already fearing what might be coming.

Twilight shrugged and hoofed the third paper over. “Mother is really detailed but she's generally like a worm with arms all over her, see?” The filly pointed to the picture, indicating all the small arms that grew out of the snakelike creature’s body. “She's got two big arms as well.”

Velvet Touch nodded meekly. “I see that, Twilight, and what was she like?”

“She was kind of scared and confused and wasn't sure if I should explode or not, but I think she didn't want me to explode.” The filly shook her head vigorously. “I didn't want to take the chance though so I made sure she can't make me explode.”

“And how did you do that?” Velvet Touch asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m not really sure but it's like there was this part of my brain that was connected to them and I put a wall over it.” The filly shrugged. “I don't know how to explain it.”

“Well that's certainly… interesting,” Velvet Touch commented.

“Maybe I should take out a book on drawing the next time I’m at the library,” Twilight muttered to herself, tapping her chin and staring off into space, deep in thought.

“That might be a good idea,” Velvet Touch remarked offhandedly, never taking her eyes off the drawing.

The filly sat there for a few seconds, the room silent save for the tick of the clock, until she suddenly lifted an eyebrow and looked up at the mare. “Hey, isn't our time up already?”

Velvet Touch blinked and looked up at the clock. “Oh, uh, yes, would you look at that.”

“So can I go then?” Twilight asked tentatively.

“Absolutely. Don't forget your books and some candy,” Velvet Touch muttered, already ignoring the filly in order to give her attention to the three drawings fanned out before her.

Twilight lifted an eyebrow at the strangely distracted mare, but ultimately shrugged off that bit of oddness. Grabbing her book bag, the filly also grabbed one of the foil wrapped chocolates in the bowl in the centre of the coffee table, only to look up at the distracted mare and grab a whole hoofful before scampering out of the room, bags stuffed full of candy and books.

Velvet Touch however didn't notice or care in the slightest, uncomfortable realizations flying through her brain at a million miles an hour. There were more of these strange infested, they were able to alter a pony’s anatomy considerably, and they were being commanded by a great snake creature that looked so unlike anything that the therapist had ever seen. There was now no longer any doubt in her mind that this threat was extraterrestrial in nature. This Mother thing, was obviously a command oriented creature of some kind, but what exactly it was capable of was not clear upon first glance.

More disturbing than even those terrible realizations was the fact that at least one of the ponies was even more violent than the thing from outer space. Was this some sort of accident of becoming infested or had she been chosen for her apparent readiness to commit violence, or were these infested meant to all be violent and Bubbles was merely an outlier?

The therapist placed the three pages face down on her desk, forcing herself to not think about them at least for the time being. She added a few more notes to the file before placing it on her desk overtop of the drawings, the mare breathing deeply, a hoof placed against her chest.

This was officially above her pay grade, if Twilight was to be believed anyway, something the grown mare never once doubted in the slightest. The filly was so earnest, so desperate to please that Velvet Touch doubted that she could even lie, at least to any authority figure anyway. Furthermore the minor enchantments placed on the room made lying more difficult, and she certainly hadn't noticed Twilight struggling to speak even once.

Taking a deep breath, the mare stood up and rounded her desk, her hoof reaching for the bottom right drawer and pulling it open. Pushing past all the random nick nacks and nonsense that seemed to accumulate in the glorified junk drawer, the unicorn grabbed the small bottle of wine hidden in the back and pulled it out. She looked around for a cup only to sigh and pop the cork and take a swig straight from the bottle.

After several glugs of room temperature chianti, the mare felt her nerves begin to settle and she placed the bottle back on the table. Though the alcohol had yet to truly enter her veins, the mare already felt more relaxed, and she took a deep, steadying breath.

“Celestia is going to want to hear about this right away,” she muttered to herself, the mare staring down at the file resting on her desk.

With one last deep sigh, she reached forward, grabbed the package of papers and stood slowly. “Well, this should be… interesting,” Velvet Touch remarked.

Author's Notes:

Want to see regularily scheduled updates like this when they are done, rather then the end of the month? Head on over to the patreon and drop a measly three bucks in order to secure your place in the early release club!

Join me over on patreon and get instant access to exclusive content and early looks at new stories, patreon only stories and other great stuff! Check it out!
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This update was made possible by the wonderful support of readers like you:
Anonymous, Apollyon, Astor, Azin, Blade Tech, Brendan, Canary in the Coal Mine, Ceepert, Chris, Craig, Craxnor, DioyKyo, Doomgooey, Facinus, Free, Grub, I am unknown, Ian, Ivar, Jeffery, Josh, Kali, M, Makani, Megatyrant, Menthol Qtip, Mephia, Mike, Mikhalia, Mirvra, nfreak, Nicky, Octavia, Pacsik, Peter, princess pudding, random reader, robert roll, somepony, soundtea, starless, steven, T Sparkle, Tiwake, Todd, Trash Panda, Travis, Vigilant Watch, Zarivin.

Of Hearts and Vows

“-and well, that's everything I was able to gleam, Your Majesty,” Velvet Touch exclaimed, her gaze falling to the ground, unable to look the alicorn sitting across from her in the eye.

For several long seconds the room was silent, with the only sound Velvet Touch heard being the pounding of her own heart. Across from her, the alicorn had the three drawings as well as the contents of nearly every note Velvet Touch had gathered since she first started looking after Twilight’s mental state lying before her. The ancient alicorn’s gaze lingered over each one of the documents in turn before she finally sighed and telekinetically brought all the papers back together and placed them at the end of her desk.

“Well… That certainly changes things,” Celestia declared.

“Yes, Your Majesty. I honestly don't see a way that she could remain in the general populace.” Velvet Touch sighed. “It's unfortunate, but I think it would be best if she was placed in stasis or perhaps put under permanent quarantine.”

“And why would you suggest that, Doctor Touch? That seems like a bit of a knee jerk reaction, don't you think?” Celestia replied evenly, her gaze hardening as she looked down on the other pony.

“If she is truly capable of bursting into a cloud of spores, it could endanger not only yourself, but the entire legislative body,” Velvet Touch began. “If she were to detonate at the right time she could take out every single high ranking member of the Equestrian government in a single action. Worse yet they might all become ‘infested’ like the other creatures Twilight saw. The damage that would be wrought by that singular act would destabilize Equestria and possibly the world.”

“The world?” Celestia raised an eyebrow. “Doesn't that seem a bit hyperbolic?”

The mare shook her head. “The griffon kingdoms are ruled by several squabbling nobles as you know, and if rallied under a single banner, they could overrun our eastern borders with ease. If they sensed a weakness on the scale of your loss, I have absolutely no doubt they would be under that singular banner within a month’s time.”

Celestia stood and slowly walked around the desk. “And the minotaurs? They have been stalwart allies of Equestria for over five hundred years. Even if the entirety of the griffon kingdoms came crashing down, we would still be able to call on their aid, nevermind others.”

“W-well I’m just a psychologist, Your Majesty, my opinions hold as much importance as a sieve does water,” Velvet Touch replied nervously, only now realizing what she was suggesting.

“Everyone’s opinion holds at least some value, and I wish to hear yours to its conclusion!” Celestia exclaimed, the alicorn stopping just behind the mare and leaning in close. “So please, tell me why I should lock away an innocent child for having done nothing.”

Velvet Touch gulped. “I didn't mean to insenuate anything like that, I just-”

“You did,” Celestia interrupted. “But that isn't the point right now. Reach the conclusion of your thoughts, please.”

The younger mare took a deep breath, a hoof over her beating heart. “The minotaurs have signed a comprehensive non-aggression treaty with the griffon kingdoms. This treaty is iron clad, and though the treaty with Equestria is similarly made of iron, they have not been tested in international court. If they wished to stay out of the war entirely, they could very easily tie up legal battles for years, well until the point that the war was either won, or a stalemate reached. They are after all, nothing if not a pragmatic species and may stay out of the war until it's clear one side may win.”

“And what about the yaks, and zebras?” Celestia asked, raising an eyebrow as she circled the mare.

“The yaks are a backward people that are too far away to offer much in the way of assistance,” Velvet Touch replied. “As for the zebras, they have been facing several years of crop shortages, if they were to attempt to reform the black army, they would have to choose between feeding their warriors or their people. I don't think it's a stretch to imagine that they would choose their own people.”

“Interesting,” Celestia began, sitting back down in her chair and steepling her hooves. “You assume that every single one of our allies would succumb to their more base nature and abandon a friend in their hour of need.”

The mare shrunk in her chair, her shoulders falling. “Well, when you put it like that, it doesn't sound very nice.”

“I don't have to put it any one way, you said so yourself.” Celestia sighed, her hooves falling to the desk. “Regardless, your words have at least some merit, which warrants consideration.”

“So you are considering putting her away?” Velvet Touch pressed. “Because I don't see how anyone could justify teaching a bomb.”

“She is not a bomb, she is a child,” Celestia declared, her gaze bearing down on the mare, making her unable to look away. “Do you know how easy it is to make a bomb with either simple household chemicals or a spell? Anyone of my advisors may very well accomplish what you think this mere foal capable of.”

“I didn't mean to insin-” Velvet Touch began, only for Celestia to slam her hooves down on her desk with enough force to send papers flying everywhere.

“You did exactly that, whether you acknowledge it or not. The question should never be, what they could do, it should always be, what they are likely to do!” Celestia proclaimed. “So, let's answer that question, do you think Twilight would blow herself up?”

“B-but that isn't a fair question. She may be able to be triggered remotely, by these things, this Starlight Glimmer monster perhaps,” Velvet Touch declared, throwing up her hooves. “It doesn't matter what Twilight wants if she isn't the one pulling the trigger.”

“Yet you have also stated that she no longer hears the voices after her nightmare, and has blocked herself off from them,” Celestia stated, the alicorn slowly sitting back in her chair and steepling her hooves once more. “Or was that part of your report an error?”

“It…” The mare sighed. “It was not.”

“Remember your equinity, remember what makes you a pony. If we locked up a child based on what she might be capable of, where does it end? Until everyone is in cages? Until we speak to one another through the bars that contain us?” Celestia asked, spreading her hooves. “I agree that she must be tested and watched, with mechanisms put in place in case of that possibility, but if you think for a second that I will abandon an innocent on a possibility, then you are truly lost.”

“You are right. I was just… scared. This thing is bigger than me, bigger than even you it feels like.” The therapist sighed. “I just feel so small.”

“We are all small, even I. It is only through harmony that we are made a part of the greater whole.” Celestia smiled. “Now then, let us forget this unfortunate conversation for a moment, and move on to something else.”

Velvet Touch nodded. “Of course, Your Majesty, what did you have in mind?”

“It is evident that Twilight is realizing that something is… different with her, and she is going to continue to ask uncomfortable questions until we give her something. What do you propose we do?” Celestia inquired, leaning forward and peering intently at the mare.

“A convincing lie,” Velvet Touch answered confidently. “If she were to believe that she truly was infected by some sort of alien parasite or virus, she would only be isolated further from her peers. This may spawn more antisocial behavior that could become problematic later on down the line.”

“And what are you suggesting then?” Celestia queried.

“Some condition that causes night terrors would explain her dreams, and her damaged mental state combined with a magical affliction caused by her flare,” Velvet Touch replied. “It would explain her symptoms without making her feel like an other, only that she was unlucky in the extreme.”

“Interesting,” Celestia murmured. “I will consider your words carefully, as it stands right now I must speak to your partner before I make a decision on this matter.”

The alicorn stood suddenly, prompting Velvet Touch to do the same. “R-really? Should I join you or are you going alone?”

“I will go alone. There is something I wish to discuss with Silver Scalpel mare to mare.” Celestia smiled faintly, patting the smaller pony on the back. “I’m sure you’ll hear all about it tonight anyway, so don't worry.”

“S-sorry, Your Majesty, I didn't mean to presume,” Velvet Touch explained as she stepped nervously out the door and into the hallway.

“Worry not, my friend, I knew very well what you meant,” Celestia exclaimed. “Have a wonderful rest of your weekend.”

In a flash of light the alicorn was gone, leaving the therapist alone with the two guards who stood motionless on either side of the door. “That could have gone better,” Velvet Touch muttered.

Celestia reappeared within the sprawling labs beneath Canterlot Castle, where only a hoofful of ponies were laboring at such an hour. All of whom were in their own offices that branched off from the central laboratory. Looking around the room made Celestia realize that it seemed a lot less sprawling than the last time she had been down here. Test equipment, black boards and piles of books filled nearly every conceivable space and left little room to walk.

The alicorn lifted a book randomly and began to flick through it after noticing that it looked brand new. The text within was dense with jargon the alicorn didn't understand and loaded with concepts she had never heard before. “DNA, the building blocks of life,” she read aloud.

Brushing past the pile of books, she made her way over to a very particular office set aside from the rest, where a frazzled mare sat hunched over a desk. Her normally clean pressed look was gone, with the mare’s mane sticking out at odd angles, her eyes strangely haunted, with dark bags hanging underneath.

Knocking twice, Celestia didn't wait to be announced before pushing her way inside, where the mare didn't even seem to have noticed her entry, as she stared down at a sprawling equation that nearly filled an entire sheet of paper. “Ahem.” Celestia coughed into her hoof.

Causing the mare to rocket out of her chair, and look up at the alicorn in shock. “Who, what, oh… it's you.” Silver Scalpel breathed a sigh of relief and sat back down into her seat. “You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

“You really should be more aware of your surroundings,” Celestia teased, smirking at the scientist.

“My apologies, but I’ve been rather distracted with this newest equation is all,” Silver remarked, gesturing down to the pile of math before her. “It's been blowing my mind all day.”

“Hopefully not literally as I would hate to have to scrape my finest scientist off the wall,” Celestia remarked with a smirk.

“And I don't think they make spatulas that big,” Silver shot back with a smirk of her own.

“True.” Celestia plunked down across from the unicorn, her bulk making the chair groan under her. “Now then, I hate to dismiss this pleasant atmosphere so quickly, but I had hoped to ask you a few questions before you finished for the day.”

“Of course, Your Majesty. I am at your disposal,” Silver Scalpel announced.

“First thing’s first. How goes the cure?” Celestia inquired, hope evident in her voice.

Silver Scalpel snorted and shook her head. “I’m sorry to say, but a cure is impossible. An immunization? That might be feasible, but right now you would need to remove all infected tissue, which would mean the destruction of over ninety percent of the filly’s spinal column. After that you would need to replace nearly every major organ and then do extensive deep brain surgery to remove nearly an entire hemisphere’s worth of grey matter.”

Celestia nodded slowly. “And what about immunization?”

“Theoretical at best,” Silver Scalpel stated with a sigh. “The spores she emits are incredibly virulent, but also much different to the body's normal cells, it's possible that we could reinforce the body through magic as these extraterrestrial cells do not interact well with mana-based systems.”

“Then that should be one of our focuses,” Celestia declared. “It is paramount that we ensure the containment of an outbreak, should it occur.”

Silver Scalpel chuckled humorously. “If an outbreak occurred, we’d be dead or infected within a matter of days, containment is a pipe dream at this point.”

“Explain,” Celestia commanded.

“It's simple, this thing, whatever it is, is clearly not from Equis, noone has a natural immunity to anything like it,” Silver Scalpel explained. “Furthermore, I have discovered evidence that this plague waiting to happen has been artificially created, though how or why is beyond me.”

Celestia nodded. “I assumed as much. I also assume that it mutates at a rapid pace?”

“That's an understatement,” Silver remarked with a cruel snicker. “This thing is transferable by air one minute, then blood, then contact, then all of the above at once. Only magic seems to have any hope of holding this thing back for any length of time, though that might not last forever as I would put money on it adapting its way out of any containment we tried, given enough time.”

Celestia nodded. “I’ve also noticed that your laboratory has produced a number of interesting side projects that might very well become their own fields of study one day.”

“Yes, we’ve been able to study so many aspects of DNA, pony physiology, and alien biology that if we stopped inspecting Twilight completely, we’d be able to spend decades just exploring the avenues of research already open to us,” Silver Scalpel explained.

“Interesting, and I’ve also noticed that you were hoping to work with this Moebius Foundation for the purpose of better exploring these opportunities,” Celestia continued, tapping her hoof against the desk. “What do you hope to accomplish, Miss Scalpel?”

“Well, there are many different things I hope to see achieved, but the main goal is simply helping us shore up our own understanding of what we are looking at,” Silver Scalpel began, opening her desk and pulling out a business card before hoofing it over to the alicorn. “A Mister Moebius Finch has been assisting with some manners that we simply haven't had the time to put into. All non-classified, non-xeno oriented of course.”

“I’ve noticed. He's done an admirable job with secondary research and support,” Celestia added, nodding confidently. “He also seems honorable, his father was a guard, and his mother was a maid here in the castle back in the day, so I met him several times when he was younger.”

“Yes, they both expressed their desire to assist in any manner possible and have convinced Moebius to waive most of the lab fees after being told that you were personally funding part of this research,” Silver Scalpel replied.

“I’ll look into bringing his team on in a more official capacity soon, but that won't be for a number of weeks I’m afraid,” Celestia clarified.

“That would be very welcome as I’m sure I speak for everyone when I say we are a little understaffed, given the sheer volume of research before us,” Silver Scalpel concluded.

The alicorn nodded slowly, turning the business card over in the air, memorizing the information upon it. “I will see to it that you get more help, and perhaps a bigger lab, for now you will just have to work with what you have, I’m afraid.”

“That's fair. Is there anything else you require, Your Majesty?” Silver Scalpel queried.

“Yes, I am curious what you would have me do with Twilight, given what you know of this pathogen,” Celestia challenged.

The scientist let out an exasperated sigh and fell back into her chair. “If it was anything but a pony, I would say that it should be destroyed, preferably with extreme heat and then teleported into the upper atmosphere or space just to be safe.” She sighed. “But since we are speaking of a pony, I’m less sure. If the only thing we take into account is her ability to spread this plague, I would at least have her contained somewhere safe.”

Celestia frowned and tapped her hoof against the desk. “The fact that we would be quarantining a foal for potentially decades through no fault of her own doesn't bother you?”

“Oh, of course it does, but you have to realize just how big this thing could be if it decided to change for whatever reason,” Silver Scalpel cautioned. “If it ever did so, it would make the black death look like a mild flu.”

Celestia sighed. “I was afraid you would say that. It seems like my course is set, thank you for your time.”

“Are our priorities remaining the same?” Silver Scalpel asked hesitantly. “Because I don't even know if a cure is even conceivable against something like this.”

The alicorn paused for a moment before shaking her head. “Your priorities are unchanged, I want nothing less than a cure, but I will be bringing on this Moebius Foundation for your secondary research and potentially bringing in another wing of researchers to focus solely on a potential vaccine of some kind.”

The researcher let out a deep sigh of relief. “That is wonderful to hear, Your Majesty, I’m sure the team will be ecstatic once they get the news.”

“Just hold off on telling them for a little while, I’m hoping to properly screen the additional team members and further inspect this foundation first,” Celestia cautioned.

“Of course,” Silver Scalpel replied.

“Now then, I’m afraid I must speak with one last pony before I retire for the evening,” Celestia announced as she stood slowly.

“Thank you again, Your Majesty, I will be sending my next report Tuesday,” declared Silver Scalpel.

“Have a wonderful evening, Silver Scalpel,” Celestia replied.

Silver Scalpel stood and ducked into a deep bow as Celestia left the room.

Once away from the scientist, Celestia trotted out of the room, putting the equations, books and experiments behind her. The alicorn paused in the hallway and ran a hoof down her face, sighing deeply. “How am I going to put this?” she muttered to herself, already wondering how she could break the news to Twilight.

The alicorn shook her head and turned in the direction of the stairs, putting her worry behind her and choosing instead to take the long way back to her study. This would give her the time to think of what she would say, and hopefully help clear her mind of the new set of worries that now rested firmly on her shoulders.

Another day, another problem, Celestia thought cynically to herself.

Celestia stared up at the full moon that was rising just above the horizon, the stubborn object having fought Celestia harder than usual, leaving the alicorn drained. To the point that Celestia was glad her chair was so comfortable and supportive as she was sure without it she would be on the floor, struggling to stand.

This position at least offered her a view of the large glowing orb and its crater-ridden surface. Is this what it's going to come down to? Celestia asked the moon. Choosing between sacrificing an innocent to a miserable existence and coming up with another plan, or sticking to my plan and hoping that Twilight is truly the one that will free and purify you?

Celestia stared intently at the moon, her gaze lingering on the distinctly darker craters that made up the Mare in the Moon. My time is so divided that I have little left at the end of the day to try and keep your nightmares at bay. Nevermind look after the future bearers, Twilight’s health, and give proper attention to this newest threat. Celestia snorted angrily. And that's without constantly trying to ensure the loyalty of my ponies while recruiting more of whose loyalty is beyond reproach.

The alicorn considered going for her pipe, but refused herself that pleasure for now, as she knew Twilight would be here soon and though not illegal, she didn't want to expose the filly to such a habit. Plus she could only imagine the hubbub that her little calming ritual would cause if it got out, as she could already imagine the tabloids having a field day with the information that Celestia was one of those old farts that smoked Zebrican pipe weed when stressed.

A sudden knock on the alicorn’s door brought her thoughts back to reality. “Come in, Twilight,” Celestia announced.

The door creaked open slowly to reveal a nervous filly with glowing orange eyes staring up at her. “Y-you called for me, Princess?”

“I did indeed, please come inside.” Celestia beckoned, prompting the filly to close the door behind her and trot over to the chair across from Celestia, only to be stopped by the alicorn. “Actually, if you don't mind, I was thinking we could have this conversation on the balcony.”

Twilight nodded. “Sure.”

Celestia stood and slowly trotted over to the balcony where she sat, her back to Twilight. The filly hesitated to follow the alicorn at first, strangely put off by the shaky way that she walked from her chair and out into the small area beyond. “Are you coming?” Celestia asked, glancing over her shoulder.

“R-right,” Twilight muttered, following closely behind the alicorn and sat down next to the larger pony, only to be gripped on both sides and gently lifted up and placed between the alicorn’s forelegs.

“You don't mind this spot, do you?” Celestia asked, her body heat dismissing what little cold could be felt from outside.

Twilight shook her head and made a mental note of finding out what manner of spell Celestia used to keep the cold out and the heat in. “No, this is nice, thank you.”

“I’m glad,” Celestia murmured.

For several long seconds neither pony said anything, with Celestia staring up at the moon while Twilight simply reveled in the intimacy of the moment, a massive grin on her face. That grin slowly faded though as Twilight’s new senses quickly tuned into the whirlwind of worry that was even now blowing through the larger pony’s mind.

“Is something wrong, Princess?” Twilight asked, looking up at the alicorn.

Celestia shook her head slowly. “Please just call me Celestia.”

“R-right, sorry,” Twilight muttered, looking down.

“Don't worry about it, my faithful student. In truth something has been bothering me,” Celestia replied. “I have been faced with a problem that seemingly has no right answers, one that concerns us all I’m afraid.”

“Like what?” Twilight inquired.

“First, I’d like to ask you a question, one that I stress has no wrong answers,” Celestia began.

“Err okay, but I didn't study for anything…” Twilight muttered.

The alicorn chuckled and shook her head. “You need not study for such a question, you need only to speak your mind. Are you ready, Twilight?”

Twilight nodded vigorously. “I am.”

“What is better, to be good, or to be right?” Celestia quizzed.

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, only to close it and frown, the filly rubbing her chin with a hoof. “In what context?”

“In the context of you can only be one or the other,” Celestia answered.

The filly frowned deeper and looked off into the night sky, for several minutes, as if searching the star-filled sky for her answers. After a long while the filly nodded suddenly and announced her answer, “Good.”

“Why do you say that?” Celestia pressed.

“Because all the bad guys I read about in my stories always believe what they are doing is right,” Twilight began slowly, only to nod confidently. “And being good is more important than being right, ‘cause my dad said that it's better to tell a little fib rather than hurt someone’s feelings.”

“Two very good answers, Twilight,” Celestia affirmed. “Answers I wholeheartedly agree with.”

“R-really?” Twilight stuttered, looking up at the alicorn with wide eyes.

“Indeed I do, my little pony,” Celestia agreed. “A dear friend of mine once said that it is better to do what is good even if you know it's not right, rather than do what is right, knowing that it is not good.”

Twilight frowned. “Still, I mean that seems a little black and white, right?”

“True,” Celestia concluded. “But I’d rather strive for the best possible solution and fail, than to sacrifice and to be forced to live with the fact that I might have saved everyone.”

“So what does this all have to do with what's bothering you?” Twilight implored.

“You have…” Celestia’s face tightened and she absently ran her hoof down the filly’s side. “You have an infection of some kind. I’ve been trying to cure it in secret, as I didn't want to worry you, but it's clear now that even if we can cure it eventually, you will have it for many years.”

“W-what's wrong with me?” Twilight stuttered, her voice wavering.

“You have an infection that disrupted your magic, but through therapy and a good diet we have fixed that particular part,” Celestia began, pulling the filly tight against her. “Your eyes are a part of it, and you also might have some earth pony magic now due to the disruption in your magic. This infection also connects you to those other things that you saw the other night as well as gives you the ability to read minds.”

“Am I going to turn into one of those things?” Twilight asked hesitantly.

“We don't think so, but I have my best ponies working on a cure,” Celestia explained. “I tell you all of this because we aren't sure if it even can be cured, and I can't keep this from you any longer, but you must understand that you musn’t tell anyone about this, do you understand?”

Twilight nodded meekly. “Yes, Celestia.”

“Good. I don't want ponies to look at you differently because of this, you are a smart and wonderful pony and I will keep trying to make you better,” Celestia declared, the alicorn smiling faintly.

“Y-you are not gonna leave me, r-right?” Twilight asked, looking down at her hooves and shuffling nervously.

Celestia smiled a little wider and gently gripped the filly in her magic, bringing Twilight up to her height and forcing their eyes to meet. “I will never give you up, Twilight, I will never leave you and I’ll always be your mentor, this I swear.”

The filly sniffed, trying desperately to hold back the waterworks only for the dam to break and Twilight to reach out and grab Celestia’s neck, sobbing deeply into the alicorn’s fur. Celestia herself smiled and gently held the filly with a forehoof, while stroking her back with the other. “There there, Twilight, it's okay.”

For a long while they remained in that position, with the alicorn gently rubbing the filly’s back as she let out every last bit of her pain and confusion. Then, when her tears were spent and her mind felt more at ease, the filly pulled back, sniffling and wiping her face with a hoof. “T-thanks,” she whimpered.

“Fret not, dear Twilight,” Celestia declared with a smile. “Now then, I’m sure you have questions, feel free to ask away.”

“I have just one actually, but it's going to sound kind of mean and I don't want to say it…” Twilight muttered, looking away from the alicorn.

Celestia smiled confidently and gently pulled the unicorn’s chin so their eyes met once more. “I promise you I won't be mad.”

“O-okay. Well I just got the feeling that um, you might be well, hiding something else?” the filly muttered before wincing. “I’m sorry that didn't come out right I-I-”

“Shhh, it's okay, Twilight. I understand why you would ask that, you have every right to be wondering such a thing,” Celestia affirmed. “And the answer is that I am, but I can't tell you, not yet anyway. I swear to you that one day I will tell you, but I can't. Not yet.”

Twilight stared into the alicorn’s violet orbs for several seconds, her newfound abilities reaching out and doing their best to determine what the ancient mare’s true intentions were. Anger, exhaustion, disappointment and more all flowed through the alicorn’s mind and though Twilight couldn't tell what she was thinking, there was one emotion she could tell that dominated all others.

Love.

Whatever her reasons, whatever her secrets, Celestia kept them not out of malice, but out of a genuine care, and that eased the filly’s worries. “O-okay,” Twilight declared.

Celestia smiled a little wider and hugged the filly again. “I will make sure your faith in me is not misplaced, my student.”

“Thank you, Celestia,” Twilight whispered, hugging the alicorn’s neck tightly.

“It is my pleasure, my dear,” Celestia murmured, squeezing the filly almost as tightly as Twilight hugged her.

Slowly, Twilight pulled away from the hug and smiled up at Celestia, the filly not noticing or caring that her fur was matted with tears, and that her mane was all over the place. Celestia herself cared very little that her own fur was similarly matted around her neck, and that her a few of her own tears had marred what little make up the alicorn wore. “It's late,” Celestia remarked with a sigh. “You had better get to bed soon.”

“Can we…” Twilight gulped. “Can we stay here and look at the stars for a little bit?”

“Sure,” Celestia capitulated, placing the filly down between her hooves once more. “You know I was going to save this lesson for later, but would you like to learn a little about the constellations?”

Twilight nodded vigorously. “Yeah!”

“Alright, so do you see those three bright stars in a row over there?” Celestia asked, pointing up to a spot at the midway point of the sky.

“Uh huh.”

“That is the Sirusian’s belt, and if you look below, there are seven stars that connect with those three that make up the legs of Sirusian. See them?” Celestia whispered, pointing to the stars themselves.

“Oh yeah! And the top part is the other half of Sirusian. Wasn't he a minotaur king?” Twilight inquired.

“You are right, do you know why he was placed among the stars?” Celestia pressed.

“Because he-”

Celestia smiled as Twilight began to recount the entire myth of the Great King Sirusian and his many accomplishments. Though she paid close attention to the filly as she continued her tale, Celestia’s main attention was elsewhere, her gaze drawn to the bright moon that hung over them all.

I won't give up. On either of you, Celestia vowed.

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Changes

Nine years later.

Twilight tugged her overcoat into place, the coat which was designed for a griffon soldier in his prime, fit the unicorn perfectly. A magical pull ensured that the black collar was pulled straight and flipped up properly, ensuring her neck was slightly protected by the deep black leather outfit. The unicorn’s magic flowed over her coat, smoothing away any creases and ensuring that the outfit was perfectly fitted. The well-worn and much loved piece of clothing easily covered nearly every inch of the mare’s body save for her back hooves, where only the coat tails protected the hooved limbs.

Not like she was worried much though, as the unicorn flexed each of her thick, corded limbs in turn, ensuring that each felt as they should. Sure enough she had managed to shed the last vestiges of sleep by then, and no fatigue lingered in her powerful legs. Looking up and into the mirror, Twilight gazed back into her glowing orange orbs, while turning her head left and right, inspecting her features carefully.

Her complexion was perfect as ever, her jaw just as chiseled, and her mane, at least on first glance, was as perfectly short as ever. The mare’s eyes narrowed and she peered into the mirror, leaning against the sink and staring at her mane, which she used her magic to lift and inspect. It was getting long, well longer than usual anyway, as it was only just below her horn, and as perfectly straight as ever. A short look told Twilight that her bangs were nearing three inches long, which was too much for the mare, who sighed and made a note of seeing the same barber she had gone to last time since he didn't ask as many questions and was merely happy for the business.

With a snort of irritation she turned and gave herself one last look over.

The lapels, complete with the dual gold stars were as perfect as ever, as were the large copper buttons that went down the front of her outfit. The tight black shirt she wore under the coat hugged her body perfectly, and kept her surprisingly cool due to the enchantments she had placed upon it. Last and perhaps most importantly, were the mare’s combat boots which were black with gold stitching and were polished to a shine, as per usual. With everything in order, she nodded and trotted out of the bathroom, her heavy footsteps rendered silent the second she trod upon the soft carpet of her room.

Twilight paused and looked around, the familiar sights, sounds and smells of her room greeting her warmly. The many book shelves that surrounded her filled her with warmth, and a slight feeling of pride, each one being a small trophy to the knowledge within which she had consumed. The smells of all those books combined with the lilac fabric softener that she insisted be used on her bedding made for a pleasurable aroma, one that made her grin.

That was until she looked down at the dragon sprawled out on her bed, a dragon that was now snoring loudly, his eyes closed.

Twilight rolled her eyes and stepped over to the drake, glancing down at his lanky form with irritation. The large green scales that emerged from just above his brow and proceeded along his skull and down his back were now large enough to list slightly to one side. The trio of short fins that were on the side of his face now resided slightly further up his head, also becoming slightly longer and more angular, losing the rounded edges they had in his younger years. This theme of no longer being quite so round followed through with the rest of his body, which was far leaner than most dragon’s his age who usually had yet to grow out of their roundness.

Long, well-muscled arms fell from his shoulders and had been flung randomly across the bed, his much shorter legs following suit, one being under the blanket, while the other was over. His long tail emerged from the bottom of the sheet and fell to the floor, twitching occasionally as if he really were asleep. His purple scales shone brilliantly in the indirect sunlight coming from the small window across the room, illuminating his light green underside and the twin fangs that poked out from either side of his jaw.

Twilight’s frown deepened, and she glared at the dragon’s closed eyes for several seconds, as if willing him to rise before wilting slightly and coughing into her hoof. “I get it, you were impatient and fell asleep. Now get up before we are late for my first day back,” Twilight commanded, her voice having lost the distinct high pitched tone of a filly and having been replaced by a deeper, more baritone voice which had a slight masculine edge to it.

“Sorry, boss, I’m having a nice dream, come back later...” Spike muttered, his eyes remaining closed, the dragon pretending to snore.

Twilight’s gaze narrowed and she focused her mind towards the dragon, probing his psyche before forcing a memory to return to the forefront of his mind. “Gah! You didn't have to go that far!” he yelled, the dragon sitting bolt upright in Twilight’s bed. “I was two at the time for crying out loud!”

“Maybe next time you will think before you sass me, maybe then you won't be forced to remember that time you laughed so hard you puked,” Twilight declared before turning to the door. “Now come on, we are going to be late, and I refuse to make Celestia waste her time.”

The dragon rolled his emerald green eyes and shifted to the edge of the bed. “You know there wouldn't even be the possibly of us being late in the first place if you didn't take forever getting ready. What were you doing in there anyway?”

“My boots weren’t polished,” Twilight replied with a shrug.

Spike sighed and fell in behind the unicorn. “Sure. It's definitely not that you’re nervous about seeing your mom.”

Twilight’s face lit up and she ground her teeth together. “She is not my mom.”

“She might as well be, or need I remind you of that incident last year, hmm?” Spike shot back, the dragon sticking his tongue out at the mare.

“That doesn't count, I just woke up!” Twilight countered.

“Sure,” Spike muttered, raising his hands. “Whatever you say, boss.”

Twilight sighed and opened the door. “Come on, you lanky galoot, we got a long walk ahead of us.”

“Okay, mooom,” Spike droned.

“And don't you forget it. I brought you into this world and I can take you right out again,” Twilight replied with a smirk.

Spike rolled his eyes and groaned, following close behind Twilight as they made their way down the hall and into the living room. Where a stallion sat on his well worn chair, book held aloft in his magical grip while his hoof held a pipe that had long since gone out. Upon hearing the clatter that Twilight’s heavy boots made, he perked up and smiled at the duo. “Ahh, I was wondering when you two were going to be ready.”

“Oh not you too, dad,” Twilight groaned.

Night Light chuckled and placed his book aside, a long slim bookmark having been placed in the spot he had left off at. “I should have known Spike was taking my job. First he's a better chef than me, now he's the one teasing my daughter, what next?”

Spike laughed aloud as he leaned on the back of the stallion’s chair. “Maybe next I’ll take your pipe habit from you. Maybe then less tobacco will be wasted in this house.”

“I wouldn't do that, it will stunt your growth, ya know,” Night Light shot back, the stallion emptying the ashes from his pipe into a nearby garbage.

“He could use with a little growth stunting, he's already twice as large as he should be for his age,” Twilight replied with a snort.

“You both could for that matter,” Night Light interjected, the stallion standing directly across from the mare meeting her gaze directly. “Ponies are gonna start wondering if you’re mare or a stallion at this rate.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “I don't care what they think, besides, I kind of like making them wonder, it's funny.”

Night Light sighed dramatically and wrapped a hoof around Spike’s shoulders. “At this rate it will be up to you to give me grandkids. Where did I go wrong?”

Spike snickered. “I think it was letting her wear that coat and boots. She's gone full butch since then.”

“I’ll show you butch,” Twilight declared, jabbing her hoof at the dragon’s chest.

Night Light chuckled and stood off to the side. “As much fun as it is to trade quips with you two all day, I think you guys have a long morning ahead of you.”

“True,” Spike murmured. “We better get going.”

“Right.” Twilight turned and quickly pulled her father into a bone crushing hug. “Love you, dad.”

“Could you maybe love me a little less? I don't think I’m going to have a spine if you do that again,” Night Light murmured, a hoof pressed against his back.

“Oh pisha, you big baby,” Twilight replied flippantly as she made her way to the door.

“I love you too, ya brute,” Night Light replied snarkily.

Spike and Twilight shared a chuckle before heading out the front door and entering into the long hallway that connected their apartment to three others. They didn't pause long though, the duo making their way off to the left where the stairs down emerged. A staircase one wall of which was made entirely out of glass, allowing both dragon and unicorn to look down from the fifth floor and out over the cityscape.

Without a word they both proceed down the many steps that lead from the fifth floor to the first, pausing only briefly before entering the small foyer on the first floor. Spike turned back to Twilight and lifted an eyebrow. “Are you not putting on your contacts today?” Spike pressed.

“Oh right, I nearly forgot,” Twilight murmured before lighting her horn, the greenish purple light of her magic quickly enveloping both her eyes before flashing briefly and disappearing, revealing two normal looking pony eyes, save for the fact that her formerly magenta orbs were now a sickly orange color. “Did it work?”

Spike nodded. “Looks great, but I thought you were going to try and get your old eye color back.”

The mare shrugged nonchalantly. “It's too much effort, besides I think the orange looks intimidating.”

“Well it certainly is different,” Spike remarked, the dragon pushing open the door. “After you, my lady.”

“Why, thank you, my good gentle drake,” Twilight replied with a smile.

The dragon nodded and followed to the unicorn’s right as they made their way through the small foyer and towards the front desk. Where a much older unicorn stallion sat, his nose pressed so deep into a book that everything below his horn wasn't visible, his brownish grey mane even falling over the cover of the book. “Morning, Twilight, Spike, y'all have a good one,” he announced in a voice so gravely that he must have started smoking at age five.

Spike shook his head in disbelief as the pair pushed their way through the large glass doors at the front of the building. “How does he do that? I didn't even see him look up,” he whispered.

“He no doubt heard us coming, we have a very unique walking cadence,” Twilight replied. “It's probably why he still has that job despite the fact that he's pushing seventy.”

“True, plus he's tougher than he looks. You remember when he threw out Yellow Jacket the other week?” Spike murmured, the dragon shaking his head slowly.

“Yeah, I’ve never seen a telekinesis spell wedgie someone while also throwing them out the front door,” Twilight replied with a small chuckle of her own.

“I don't think he’ll be bothering Miss Turner anytime soon,” Spike concluded.

Twilight nodded, silently agreeing with the dragon’s assessment.

The hustle and bustle of Canterlot quickly enveloped the duo, most ponies hardly giving the strangely tough-looking teenager a second glance, though a good percent at least gave the dragon a wary look. For the most part they were anonymous however, the sheer amount of traffic hiding their presence from others who mainly kept their head down and their eyes forward, intent on reaching their destination and paying little mind to anything else.

It was through this storm of ponies that Twilight and Spike waded through with little effort. Those that found themselves before the imposing unicorn and tall dragon usually scampered out of the way, giving the pair a wide berth. Twilight was taller than most her age, and Spike was almost the same height as the nearly adult pony he walked behind. Meaning they towered over most ponies save for the few earth ponies left in their district.

As they trotted up the street, the two creatures paid little attention to the small snipes and rude things muttered about them. Though most did not utter such words until they assumed the pair was out of earshot, there were a few bolder unicorns who eyed them with naked disdain. Something that the pair were unfortunately used to, considering just how few non-unicorns were left in the city. There were very few ponies that they passed that did not sport a tall spike atop their heads, and those few who didn't were usually following behind the many who did, carrying the unicorn’s burdens or otherwise serving them in some capacity.

Twilight had long since gotten used to this sight, though she did note that there seemed to be even less non-unicorns than usual, meaning the troublesome nobles may very well have pushed through more of their so called reforms. The unicorn snorted in irritation as she strode confidently up the hill and towards the district gate that barred the small residential area they called home from the rest of Canterlot.

Glancing back at Spike, Twilight noticed that the dragon had acquired a newspaper at some point, and was nose deep in the paper, not even looking where he was going. Not like he had to as their connection was deep enough that Twilight could keep him from veering off with merely a thought.

“Anything new?” Twilight asked as she maneuvered around a pair of unicorns struggling to lift a safe from the back of a cart and towards a nearby house.

“Yeah, the Confederacy is back in the news again,” Spike muttered, folding the paper neatly and displaying the frontmost picture.

Twilight frowned at the image displayed before her, both saddened and unsurprised by the picture taken by the Canterlot Sun. On the front of the paper was an earth pony stallion sporting a headband with the Confederacy flag on it, his face askew with rage, his mouth frothing and his hooves bloody. Though bound by manacles, he appeared ready to leap out of his bindings at a moment’s notice and tear the reader asunder, an idea made more potent by the unicorn mare that lay broken and bloody behind him.

“Disgusting,” Twilight muttered.

“Since when were they allowed to show such things in the paper anyway?” Spike inquired. “That has to have been altered. right?”

“Oh it's been altered alright, I have no doubt about that, but as far as your first question, I think it was last year when they allowed the printing of such ghoulish imagery,” Twilight replied with a frown. “It was under the fair printing act of nine hundred and ninety-eight.”

“Oh yeah. Wasn't that supposed to make the news more truthful though? At least that's what all the articles claimed at the time anyway,” Spike muttered.

“You read too much of the news, just about everything is owned by those old noble pricks and they are about as dishonest as they come,” Twilight remarked.

“True. I am more curious about where the truth truly lies in the article though.” Spike pondered.

Twilight took a moment to glance through the article itself, trusting in Spike to guide them around a corner and towards the gate through the link. “It says the Confederacy supporter attacked the mare completely unprovoked, but it also said that he had several burns on his left side, the kind only mana bolts can make. He might very well have been defending himself against a racist attacker and went overboard, but they also don't give a name of the supposedly dead mare, meaning she may not actually be dead, or simply may have never existed at all,” Twilight explained.

Spike sighed. “More quote unquote evidence that the Confederacy is an insurgency, like that makes even a lick of sense.”

Twilight snorted and as they approached the gates, magically lifting both her own, and Spike’s identification for the nearest guard to see. The guard gave them only a brief glance before nodding and allowing them through the large gates. “It's ridiculous, they are only trying to defend the frontier towns that the nobles refuse to help, not start a civil war,” Twilight remarked, once through.

Spike folded up the newspaper and tossed it in a nearby trash can. “Well that's about as much of that as I can take.”

“Yes, let us speak of something more pleasant, like…” Twilight paused and pursed her lips. “Wait, you never did tell me how the Summer Sun Celebration with Celestia was. It must have been quite the event since we are so close to the thousandth celebration.”

“She didn't go,” Spike grumbled.

“Wait, Celestia didn't go to her own Summer Sun Celebration?” Asked Twilight. “But who raised the sun then?”

“Oh, Celestia raised the sun, just from inside her study.” Spike crossed his arms over his chest. “She was so busy that she didn't want to take time away from her reports in order to show up to the parade grounds.”

“Well, that's… odd,” Twilight muttered. “Though the Summer Sun Celebration isn't one of Celestia’s favorite times of year, she always makes time to go to it.”

“Tell me about it.” Spike groaned. “I ended up watching her work for an hour before heading back to our tower and napping most of the day. What did you do anyway?”

Twilight frowned, the unicorn brushing past a trio of colts running down the sidewalk, animatedly describing what candy they were going to buy with their allowance. “Father made me visit mother and we were supposed to go to the celebration, but she was in one of her moods.”

Spike sighed, the dragon shaking his head. “Let me guess, the same old argument reared its ugly head again, eh?”

“You guessed it,” Twilight affirmed. “She started rattling off her usual buzzwords and rhetoric driven nonsense about non-unicorns and even had the gall to demand that we move back in with her and Shining Armor.”

“I thought he was still posted out west, in the Old Crone Mountains or something,” Spike guessed.

“He is,” Twilight assured. “But his stuff is still there, and apparently mother holds out hope that he won't immediately take another posting once his latest tour is done unlike the last two times.”

“How are you two by the way?” Spike asked hesitantly, the dragon and pony turning around a bend and entering into a broad street, at the end of which lay the canterlot castle itself.

“I haven't had a real conversation with him in years, he's not as bad as he was, but he makes sure we are never alone,” Twilight remarked with a sigh. “Which is fine by me, as he's still hanging out with those noble pricks anyway.”

“Too bad, Night Light says he used to be really nice,” Spike added.

“Indeed,” Twilight muttered to herself.

The unicorn stared off into space, her eyes drawn to a nearby shop window that displayed proudly the many banners of the noble houses, the center of which was the strange three striped flag of the nobility itself. It hadn't been flown much until recent years, but now the alternating royal blue and shimmering gold of the flag was displayed prominently in most shops and stalls. Along with a smaller flag of whatever family or house owned the stall, shop, or building, which Twilight didn't care to look at.

Shaking her head, Twilight forced herself to look away from the many signs of the nobles’ influence and towards the sidewalk before her. Only for the unicorn to feel Spike’s unease, the unicorn easily picking up on the fact that he wanted to say something, but was having trouble finding the right words. Glancing over to the drake, Twilight noticed that her assumption was correct and he was clutching his claws together before him and was busy twiddling his thumbs awkwardly.

All the mare had to do was lift an eyebrow, and the drake sighed in defeat. “I was just wondering if you were going to send me away again, like during the Summer Sun Celebration,” Spike murmured, unable to look Twilight in the eye.

“Oh Spike, I didn't do that out of malice, but rather I just didn't want to subject you to anymore of mother’s rants,” Twilight explained. “You know how she gets around non-unicorns.”

“I know, it's just…” Spike sighed, his hands falling to his sides. “I feel so dull when you are not around, like the world gets a little greyer or something. I don't know, I probably sound pretty stupid, huh?”

Twilight smiled and gently bumped her hip against the dragon. “I love you too, ya big dork.”

“Does that mean you are not gonna leave me alone this year?” Spike murmured hopefully.

The mare nodded confidently. “Don't worry, Spike, I’m sure Celestia wouldn't mind you joining in on most of my lessons given that it is my last official year of classes, but if you are gonna be there, you are going to have to help me with my notes,” Twilight declared.

Spike grinned from ear to ear. “Thanks, mom. And trust me, I’ll make the best notes you’ve ever seen!”

Twilight’s proud smile faded somewhat when she heard someone nearby gag in disgust, a unicorn couple turning up their noses and trotting away from the dragon and pony. “Good, because I’m trusting you with an important job, you know,” Twilight muttered, trying to ignore the other unicorns.

Spike frowned and nodded his head. “Y-yeah. Hey, have you ever thought of moving away once you are done studying with Celestia? I know our family is here, but Canterlot isn't the nicest place nowadays.”

“I’ve thought about it…” Twilight admitted. “I don't know if I could leave Celestia though.”

“True, she seems to have another bunch of nobles snapping at her heels every other week,” Spike replied with disgust evident in his tone.

Twilight nodded. “She's overworked as is. I’m hoping that after I graduate, I could start helping her in some more official capacity, you know?”

“Didn't she say that she wanted you to live your life without having to worry about her constantly?” Spike shot back with a smirk.

The infested unicorn sighed. “I know, but after everything she's done for not only myself, but you and father, I don't think I could just leave her.”

“True, and hey, maybe she’ll take you on as a guard or agent, or something,” Spike added.

“That would be interesting…” Twilight muttered. “Special agent Twilight Sparkle does have a nice ring to it, doesn't it?”

Spike rolled his eyes and pointed forwards, towards the gates to the castle and the line that had formed outside of it. “Hey, check it out, I wonder what's going on.”

“Celestia said it was business as usual in her last letter,” Twilight murmured, her neck craning to see over the ocean of ponies spread out before her.

Several dozen unicorns were clustered near the gate, wielding signs and shouting slogans, though most of the crowd simply stood there and watched the devout few at the front yell at the royal guards. A glance at the signs told Twilight all she needed to know, and she groaned aloud when she saw all the references to bill c137.

“Augh, not these guys again,” Spike huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “That stupid bill doesn't stay dead, does it?”

“No, and worse yet every time Celestia kills it, they save the damn thing and merely put debate around it on permanent hiatus.” Twilight stuck out her tongue. “Which is a fancy word for ‘will spring on Celestia whenever we think it has a chance of passing’.”

Spike sighed and walked a little closer to the buildings to his right, giving the gathering a wide berth, followed closely by Twilight who kept a very close eye on the ponies nearest to them. Cries of “No Citizenship for terrorists!” and “Aptitude knows no race!” could be heard from various members of the crowd gathered outside the castle walls. Each one of these slogans and bite-sized bits of rhetoric were yelled by a unicorn with perfect poise and perfect teeth.

Twilight could barely contain her disgust, but held it in check until they managed to slip around the protestors and towards the small side entrance in the castle walls reserved for V.I.Ps, such as her and Spike. Those guards were unmolested by protestors, and though they kept an eye on the crowd, did not seem nearly as worried as the trio of guards standing at the gates who were struggling to deal with the barrage of shouting.

“I still can't believe Celestia actually let them build the wall around the castle,” Spike murmured, his gaze drawn upward to the impressive battlements that loomed over them.

“It sure beats that ceremonial fence they had up,” Twilight replied with a shrug.

“Halt, present identification and submit to a magical identification scan,” the slightly shorter guard barked, taking a step forward.

Twilight sighed. “How many times do we have to do this before you relax, High Tower?”

“There will be no exceptions for anyone, even you, Twilight Sparkle,” the other guard declared evenly, though Twilight could detect a hint of barely contained disgust behind his otherwise emotionless tone of voice.

The infested mare nodded and presented both hers, and Spike’s identification cards. Cards which had such basic information as primary residence, height, weight, a picture of them, sex, race, tribe, and other such minute details that Twilight cared very little about.

The shorter guard lit his horn and took the cards, his gaze hardening as he stared at the two slips before looking up to the duo and then finally back down to the cards again. “You may have these back, now please cast an illumination spell when informed to,” he commanded.

Twilight nodded and looked to the second guard whose horn was glowing. “You may begin,” the second guard announced.

Twilight cast the simple illumination spell before them, her magenta and green aura coalescing into a simple orb of white illumination. The second guard’s horn grew brighter still, his gaze hardening as he went through the motions of scanning the orb of magic. “Slight deviation of three point oh four thaums detected. You are going to want to update your card at the earliest opportunity,” the guard announced, his magic dissipating completely.

Twilight dismissed the simple illumination spell and frowned. “You can't be serious, I just barely updated it two weeks ago.”

The guard shook his head. “Current information on thaumatic output is mandatory for access to the castle, you will update your card within the next three days or be denied access should you refuse.”

Spike sighed and tugged on Twilight’s coat. “Let's just go, Twilight, we are going to be late.”

“Fine, but I will be speaking to Celestia about this,” Twilight declared, only for the guards to both shrug.

“Good luck,” the second one announced with a smirk.

“Yeah, this rule is law and I doubt she has the time to change it just for you,” the first one declared, a little more emotion coming through in his voice when compared to his companion.

The infested mare gritted her teeth and ignored the comment, merely allowing herself to be pulled through the gate by an annoyed Spike. Once out of earshot of the two, and on the main path from the gate to the castle door, Twilight brushed aside the dragon’s hand. “We shouldn't have to put up with this every single day,” she declared angrily.

“I know, but not everyone has to worry about becoming a stronger mage like you every month,” Spike declared with a chuckle. “Heck, I think you are one of like ten ponies that have to go back as often as you do.”

“It's not my fault my magic hasn't stopped growing,” Twilight muttered angrily.

“Woe thy name is Twilight Sparkle, truly she is cursed with power that most unicorns can only dream of,” sassed Spike.

“Yeah yeah, it's still annoying,” Twilight remarked, a small blush crossing her cheeks.

The duo approached the large gates of the castle itself, the guards on either side paying little attention to the coming and going of the ponies that passed them by. Though most were indeed unicorns, and seemed to be employed in some manner by the government, there were a few supplicants that were coming in and out as well as a trio of griffons who wore large trench coats and glowered at everyone they passed by, save for Twilight who they eyed curiously.

Twilight paid them little mind though, her attention utterly fixed on one thing and one thing only, namely her destination and finally seeing Celestia again. Her newer senses kept a watchful eye on Spike while her eyes searched for the semi-hidden staircase that would bring them quickly up to the royal floor where Celestia’s apartment was. Together they passed by a few guard stations, which were manned by unicorns who paid them little attention, their expressions distant and their eyes seemingly looking through the pair as much as at them.

Spike shivered when he passed them by, but Twilight had grown used to the strangeness that several guards exhibited. Though their perfectly neutral expressions were disconcerting, Twilight was more put off by the fact that their thoughts were so silent that they seemed nearly dead upon first analysis. The infested mare knew from experience that such a low amount of activity was unheard of, as even the sleeping and unconscious had more activity than what they displayed, yet they seemed fine.

Pushing that thought away for now, Twilight made her way to the desired floor after only a brief interruption by another security stop, one that took little time to get past, as Twilight recognized them as some of the few guards that were still here since she was a foal. She wanted to stay and exchange pleasantries with the older guards, but she refused to make Celestia wait any longer than absolutely necessary, only giving them a polite hello before continuing on. Plus she was getting kind of anxious to see Silver Bulwark again, a sentiment that Spike seemed to share as well, the dragon’s gaze flashing this way and that, searching for the older guard as intently as Twilight was.

When they reached their old room, where they usually met up with the old guard, they saw not the familiar shape of the strange older pony that had been with her for so many years but rather two new faces. Faces that were expressionless, distant, and seemed to peer straight through both dragon and unicorn with dispassionate looks.

“Where's Silver Bulwark?” Twilight demanded instantly.

“She has left the guard of her own volition,” the leftmost guard replied in an even, monotone voice.

“We are your new guards, my name is Aegis Shield, and this is Zealous Strike,” the second continued in an equally monotone voice.

“Yeesh, these guys are cookie cutter,” Spike whispered.

“Cookie Cutter works in the kitchen,” the first guard replied.

“Er, alright then…” Twilight muttered before turning to Spike. “I have to go speak with Celestia alone for a little bit, could you wait for me here or do you want to head back to the tower?”

Spike sighed and nodded. “I’m fine here, but you better hurry back.”

“I will,” Twilight vowed before kissing the drake on the forehead and trotting away.

Leaving a furiously blushing Spike to grumble silently as he leaned against the wall, trying desperately to act cool. “You two didn't see anything,” he muttered, his face bright red.

“See what?” the first guard asked in the same monotone voice.

Spike shivered as he looked out a nearby window. Those guys creep me out, he thought to himself, noticing that they hadn't moved an inch since the pair had first arrived

Twilight trotted confidently down the hall and made her way towards where she knew Celestia’s door lay. Though she was happy to be back in the castle and able to see Celestia again, that joy was hampered by what she had seen and experienced up to this point.

She could tell that the number of guards coming from noble families was still rising despite Celestia’s efforts to halt the tide of nepotism. The bill that would make magical aptitude a necessary part of being accepted to post secondary education had yet to be killed and worst of all, Bull was missing. The last fact alone was enough to make Twilight’s chest tighten and anger to surge through her veins, a feeling she refused to allow simmer, as she knew it wouldn't help her, not yet anyway.

Approaching the alicorn’s door, she noticed that both of the guards who stood outside had the same milky look in their eyes, making the dying embers of Twilight’s anger glow hot. “I need to speak to Celestia,” she declared. “Is she here?”

“She is indeed within this next room,” the first one began.

“But she is in the middle of an important meeting right now,” the second one continued in what sounded like the same exact voice.

“She also informed me that I should seek her out the very second I entered the castle,” Twilight explained, her jaw clenching tightly.

The two ponies stood strangely silent for a moment, though Twilight could tell that they were thinking about the priority of the orders and how they should follow them. Other than that though, their thoughts and emotions were carefully guarded with only a general aura of hostility being something that she could detect with her newfound senses. A fact that Twilight found unnerving even more so than their vacant expressions and strange manner of speech.

“You may enter,” the guard on the left announced suddenly.

The guard to the right pushed the door open with her magic, the mare’s body not moving an inch as she did so.

“Thanks,” Twilight replied on instinct before stepping into the room beyond.

The door shut swiftly behind her, leaving her mere feet away from an irate looking older unicorn stallion who glared down at her. Twilight ignored him for the moment, and sought out Celestia, finding her half asleep and standing half on the balcony half in the room. “I’m sorry for interrupting, but I was told to check in as soon as I returned to the castle,” Twilight explained, trying to disrupt some of the anger she could already see bubbling inside the unicorn.

“You announced yourself, now you may go,” the unicorn replied tersely, the stallion throwing up his nose in disgust. “I have a long report to get through and Her Majesty has asked that I leave no details unexplained.”

Celestia sighed, an act that made the wrinkles on her face grow longer still. “You don't need to do that Councillor First Strike. I will read the rest of your report myself, as right now my student needs me.”

The general turned to Celestia and glared up at her. “But Your Majesty, this is incredibly important, the agricultural sector south of Manehattan requires your immediate and undivided attention.”

“Which is why I will finish reading the rest of your report within the hour, but first I have other matters to attend to,” Celestia declared, the alicorn’s face growing tight as she glowered down at the stallion.

For a moment it looked like the unicorn was going to try and resist once more, but he sighed and bowed his head instead. “As you wish, Your Majesty.”

“Thank you, I will speak to you later, Councillor,” Celestia exclaimed sternly.

The unicorn stallion bowed low, to the point that his golden pocket watch nearly slipped from his blue and gold shirt before standing and trotting out of the room, his head held high.

When the door was closed behind him, and the two mares were alone, Celestia sighed, a great weight falling from her shoulders and a wide smile blossoming on her face. “It is good to see you again, my student,” bubbled the alicorn, taking a step forward and pulled the smaller mare into a hug.

“It's good to see you too, Celestia,” Twilight replied, a warm smile coming to her face as she squeezed the alicorn tightly, only to frown when she felt less resistance than usual. “Are you eating enough?”

Celestia took a step back and chuckled mirthlessly. “Oh Twilight. I’ve been eating just fine, thank you.”

“Are you sure? Because you felt a little… thin,” fretted Twilight, who was busy giving the alicorn a once over.

“I’m fine, Twilight, really, I’ve just been missing some sleep, is all,” Celestia explained.

“You really should be getting more rest, Celestia, you may be immortal, but even alicorns need sleep occasionally,” Twilight began, tugging gently on the alicorn’s wing. “You also need a thorough preening and a higher calorie diet.”

“I’m fine,” Celestia replied a little more sternly, the alicorn pulling her wing back and shooting the younger mare a firm look, a look that quickly melted into a smirk. “Though looking at your build makes me think that putting you in charge of my meals may not be a bad thing. Why, you are bigger than the councillor!”

Twilight snickered. “Not like that's difficult, the guy was a twig.”

“True,” Celestia murmured, before turning away and trotting over to the bed and flopping down into the lavender-scented sheets. “So tell me, Twilight, how was your break? Did you make any new friends?”

Twilight shrugged as she quietly trotted over to the small table where the councillor's report was laid out. “I met up with Razor Wind’s grand daughter for a few games of chess, but other than visiting her and the old geezer, I didn't do much other than study.”

Celestia sighed. “That's my student for you, always a quick learner save for when it comes to learning how to make friends.”

Twilight rolled her eyes as she brushed aside the topmost page of the report. “I don't need friends, Celestia. I have all I need right here, well other than Silver Bulwark.”

Celestia sighed, a deep line of worry crossing her face. “Ahh yes, I was hoping I would have the opportunity to explain the situation.”

“Explain what?” Twilight shot back with a little more anger than she had first desired. “She was a good guard, a wonderful friend and a faithful employee. Why would she just leave?”

“She didn't leave you, Twilight, she simply had other circumstances that required her full attention,” Celestia explained.

“I know she wouldn't leave me, but I’m more concerned with who forced her out,” Twilight muttered angrily as she skimmed the councillor's report.

“Her mother is sick, and has fallen on hard times recently. I offered to give her a leave of absence to look after her sole remaining parent.” Celestia’s smile fell away suddenly. “Unfortunately that offer was modified slightly before it reached her and she will not be returning anytime soon. Regardless, she will be well-looked after, as will her mother.”

“So someone changed your offer without your consent and now she will only be able to return to work after I have quote unquote graduated,” fumed Twilight.

“That is not… wholly incorrect,” confessed Celestia. “I haven't had the time to speak with her, as well as Captain Pure Heart as right now it seems like the amendment was done legally and was well within the guard’s guidelines.”

“What a stupid name,” Twilight muttered to herself.

“Quite,” Celestia agreed. “I’ve finally managed to move ahead with proceedings that will have him removed, but the process has become more lengthy due to the regular meddling and I fear the houses may simply insert one of their own ponies if I don't ensure otherwise.”

“I wouldn't put it past them,” Twilight groused before jabbing a hoof into one of the documents seemingly at random. “There was an attack in Cold Harbor?”

Celestia sighed and nodded. “Yes, I’ve withheld it from the press for now, but it won't be long before there is another leak.”

“Let me guess, more patsies?” Twilight half asked, half stated.

“Indeed,” Celestia grumbled. “Each one is a low ranking member of the guard easily replaced by another willing to take the next fall. So despite me ‘catching’ every pony who leaks something to the press, it's never the end of the leaking.”

“I never understood why you didn't get rid of the aristocracy years ago,” Twilight exclaimed, the unicorn turning to Celestia and trotting up to the mare. “They seem more nuisance than assistance.”

“That hasn't always been the case,” Celestia began. “Back in the day they served the same position as the modern day councillors, advisors and administrators, but with slightly more autonomy. A hundred years ago I began to chip away at their power and up until a decade ago everything was going smoothly, and my ultimate goal of leaving them with little more than worthless titles was going well.” The alicorn sighed. “Unfortunately at the same time I found you, several other issues cropped up and they've managed to claw back nearly all the power I stripped from them.”

“So if I-” Twilight started, only for Celestia to shoot the mare a firm, silencing glare.

“It is not your fault in the slightest, and I will not allow you to say such things in my presence. Understood?” Twilight nodded, and Celestia smiled, lifting a wing and patting the spot next to her. “Come sit next to your mentor, we have much to discuss and having someone to lean on would be nice.”

Twilight grumbled and blushed, but did as she was told, climbing up onto the bed and lay down next to Celestia, only to get tugged closer to the alicorn by a firm hoof. “Better?” Twilight huffed.

“Quite,” Celestia declared with a wide smile, one wing landing over Twilight’s side and hugging her tightly.

“So, about this attack.” Twilight murmured, wiggling a little closer to the alicorn. “The report didn't go into much detail, but did say that there were ‘significant issues’ in the area.”

The alicorn nodded grimly, her gaze lingering on the open door leading to her balcony and the lands that lay beyond the horizon. “The creatures are likely zerg, but they've been surprisingly merciful, only raiding poorly defended caravans, and small villages and most of the time leaving most infrastructure and ponies unhurt.”

“Most of the time?” Twilight asked hesitantly.

“Indeed, the few who resisted were mercilessly killed, while others were abducted for seemingly no reason,” Celestia explained.

“What about age, race, or sex? Surely there must be some correlation between those they abducted,” Twilight asserted.

“Though there were slightly more females abducted early on, now it seems split evenly amongst genders, ages and races. To the point that the only correlation is the fact that there is none,” Celestia continued.

“Odd,” Twilight murmured, a hoof rubbing her chin. “The report went on to explain that they were raiding mostly earth pony villages and were largely ignoring the unicorn settlements in the area.”

“We think it's due to the fact that magic still works surprisingly well against the creatures who have gradually grown stronger, but still can't survive even a direct, well-aimed mana bolt,” Celestia replied.

“Which would make sense as they know how to counter blunt force and bladed weapons to a degree, but not magic. You would think they would have adapted to accomplish that after all this time,” Twilight murmured, the mare stroking her chin.

“It could be that magic is so different from everything they've experienced that they can't manage to adapt quickly.” Celestia sighed. “Speculation aside, it's leading to some unfortunate casualties, and my hooves getting tied once again which is due to the fact that they are so mobile and lack a discernible base of operations, meaning the guard can't respond in time. The one time they were in the area already, my ponies were able to cut them down with relative ease using overlapping magical shields and well placed fireballs, but that was pure luck more than anything.”

“A tactic that would easily negate their numbers advantage,” Twilight muttered before looking up at Celestia. “I presume none surrendered, and no bodies were able to be discovered as usual?”

“Indeed,” Celestia answered. “The house guard also did very well versus these horrors, their training and steely resolve making their line unbreakable, though their response time is dismal.”

“That's just like those noble pricks. I bet they were keeping them back in order to ensure their own hide was safe,” Twilight spat.

“Regardless, the praetorians did fantastically, and were more than able to hold their own against the creatures whenever they managed to meet them on the field and even felled one of those great big creatures with the scythe appendages,” Celestia declared proudly.

“You mean the ultralisks?” Twilight asked, eyes wide. “That must have been quite a feat.”

“Indeed it was, though I’m afraid the honor went to your brother, who delivered the killing stroke,” Celestia admitted, eyeing the unicorn carefully.

Though Twilight’s eye twitched, she refused to comment on her brother’s take down. “So what's stopping you from commanding more resources to be diverted to earth pony settlements?”

“My viceroy has volunteered to handle it, and so far has done a poor job of things,” lamented Celestia. “She has kept our forces centered around the larger, more unicorn-dominated settlements in the Canter mountains, using them to build up defences before pushing east. Her decisions are sound, as covering their backs and creating defences in order to ensure Canterlot and the west’s safety is a good one. It doesn't do much to change the fact that while she does that, good earth ponies and pegasi are dying or being taken from their homes.”

“Hold on a second, viceroy? When did this happen? Also what happened to those earth pony engineers you funded over a decade ago?” Twilight uttered in disbelief.

“The viceroy was a good idea, at first,” Celestia remarked sadly. “She was loyal, she was able to take some of the work off my plate and generally help me get ahead of the houses. Somewhere along the line though she was turned against me, and now actively works against nearly every single one of my orders.”

“That's terrible, and you can't get rid of her?” blurted Twilight.

“Her term limit is only a year and she is appointed directly by me, but unfortunately she falls under the elected candidates category meaning I could only oust her with overwhelming support from the parliament,” Celestia began.

“Which is overwhelmingly controlled by those horny toads who would rather sit in their mansions,” Twilight concluded.

Celestia snickered. “Well put, Twilight, as for the engineers, they have done well, but their weapons have been unfortunately outlawed before they’ve even unveiled them. Though I am certain that the houses know not of the burgeoning Confederacy’s true power, Viceroy Tight Ledger has heard enough rumours to preemptively make a move to ban the private ownership of guns. Which means if I move to quash the bill it would look like I would be trying to put dangerous weapons that any tribe can use in the hands of civilians.”

Twilight ground her teeth together and glared at the door, and the closest objects of her distaste. “Those assholes are going to get ponies killed all to ensure they hold onto their power, it's disgusting.”

“And trust me, the second I’m able to give them the attention they deserve, I will undue their power structures one by one. Until then they control nearly the entire parliament, as well as the house guard, which has become quite formidable over the last few years,” Celestia declared.

“Good, because if you weren’t going to do it, I would be tempted to try and that wouldn't go well,” Twilight declared with a smirk.

“Now that's a good idea,” Celestia teased, bumping the younger mare’s shoulder. “I should just sic you on them, maybe burn down a few of those garish mansions that they so enjoy building.”

“Stars above are they ugly,” Twilight agreed. “It's like they are trying to make tiny, shitty versions of Canterlot Castle.”

“That is a most elegant way of putting it, my student,” Celestia acknowledged.

The two fell into a comfortable silence, with Twilight grinning despite the slew of bad news she had just been subjected to. “Oh, I guess there is one thing I did over the break, do you want to see?” challenged Twilight.

“Oh? Is it another spell?” Celestia replied.

The unicorn shook her head. “Nope, it's better than just any old spell. Watch and be amazed.”

Celestia lifted an eyebrow and remained silent, watching intently as Twilight poured them both a glass of water without moving from the bed, or lighting her horn, the pitcher seemingly moving all on its own. Once the glasses were full, they levitated over to the pair, were Twilight took her cup, as Celestia did the same.

The alicorn looked down at her hoof in shock and then over to Twilight who was breathing a little harder, but otherwise showed little sign of strain. “That's amazing, Twilight, what else have you learned?”

“It's been hard, but I can levitate multiple things without magic, can read most ponies’ thoughts and can even lift my own weight if I really push it,” Twilight declared proudly.

“That's wonderful, Twilight, I’m glad you've taken our lessons to heart and have expanded more than just your magical abilities,” Celestia proclaimed, only for her eyes to go wide. “Tell me, what am I thinking about right now.”

“Well I don't want to pry, but…” Twilight’s disagreement vanished when she noticed the giddy look on Celestia’s face. “I suppose I could try, but the more powerful the pony, the more difficult it is to read them.”

“I will try to make it easier on you,” encouraged Celestia.

“Alright…” Twilight closed her eyes and focused her mind outwards, in the direction she felt Celestia’s mind was.

Though it was difficult to get past the first barrier that she usually felt over the alicorn’s mind, it wasn't as difficult as the few other times she had made an attempt to look past the alicorn’s surface thoughts. It seemed like Celestia’s offer of assistance was genuine, and Twilight probed the ancient mare’s mind deeper, hearing the faint sound of someone speaking as if from deep within a cave.

Following the source deeper and deeper, Twilight was able to hear the words being whispered in the alicorn’s mind. I bet you are still ticklish.

The unicorn’s eyes shot open and she tried to escape the feathery clutches of Celestia’s wing, but was held tight and her ticklish spots along her belly were assaulted by a cruel and giggling Celestia. “Gotcha!” Celestia cackled.

“Noooo!” Twilight shouted back in mock pain, the mare already giggling while her legs twitched and spasmed.

Celestia chuckled as she used her magic to hold Twilight down while continuing to use her wings to tickle the mare’s barrel ruthlessly. “Mwahaha, you have fallen once again for one of my classic pranks.”

“S-stop!” Twilight yelled between bursts of giggling, the infested mare trying desperately to wiggle out of Celestia’s magical grasp, only to find herself unable to do so.

“Finally the rebellious Twilight Sparkle has been brought to her knees!” Celestia declared in her best evil bad guy voice, which sounded about as evil as you would expect.

“I surrender, mercy!” Twilight proclaimed, throwing her hooves up in defeat.

Celestia stuck her nose up like she was imitating some of the unicorns she had seen around the castle. “I suppose I can give you clemency if you offer up the names of your conspirators.”

Twilight gasped dramatically, recoiling from the alicorn and covering her mouth with a hoof. “Truly you are the most dastardly of villains to make me choose betwixt my freedom and my friends.”

“Don't forget pretty, I am dastardly and pretty,” Celestia added, poking the younger mare in the chest.

“True, you are indeed pretty. Pretty dastardly that is!” Twilight smirked.

Together the two mares broke into a chorus of laughter that left them weak, and leaning against one another, a hoof over each other’s backs. After several minutes, and long after any laughter had finally died down, the two parted, with Celestia wiping away an errant tear from her cheek. “I needed that, thank you, Twilight,” bubbled the alicorn.

“It is my pleasure.” Beamed the unicorn. “Though you know, I could help a lot more if you told me what you are so busy doing. You don't have to do everything alone, not anymore anyway.”

Instantly all the mirth was wiped from Celestia’s face and she sighed morosely. “I wish I could, Twilight, truly I do and though I cannot speak of it now, I promise that time is coming closer by the day and I intend on keeping the promise I made to you all those years ago.”

Twilight frowned and looked into the other mare’s eyes, only to find the same love and empathy the unicorn always found, prompting Twilight to sigh and nod reluctantly. “Fine, but you better tell me before I graduate, because Spike wants to move away the second that happens.”

“And what do you think?” Celestia inquired.

“I don't know yet,” Twilight remarked noncommittally. “I want to help you, but I don't really know how.”

“Oh Twilight,” Celestia murmured proudly. “You just being my friend helps me.”

“I know, but I want to help you more, to do something against these jerk bag nobles, or the zerg,” Twilight declared, before sighing. “I just feel so useless right now.”

“Then you will be glad to hear that this year is going to be the most grueling, difficult year of them all,” Celestia stated without a hint of mirth. “It won't be a stretch to say that you will learn more this year than in your first three years combined.”

“I, er… wow,” Twilight muttered, aghast. “Can Spike sit in on some of them? He offered to help take notes and stuff.”

Celestia nodded. “That would be acceptable. We are also going to be doing a considerable amount of casting and having an assistant would help matters.”

“Does that mean you are finally going to be teaching me those spells?” Twilight inquired giddily.

“Indeed,” Celestia replied evenly. “We are entering strange times, and you will need to learn things that most ponies don't even know is possible. I pray you are ready.”

Author's Notes:

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Mobilization

A mare clad in a thick cloak peeked out from a small, mostly hidden sidestreet that lay off the main thoroughfare of an earth pony village she was now in the heart of. Though the sun had set over an hour ago, the city remained tense, and active, with militia ponies patrolling the streets in groups of three or more. Though their organization could use work, they were quite diligent, and surprisingly observant, the mixed earth pony and pegasus force having a good understanding of their surroundings.

The mare stopped and watched as the trenchcoat-clad ponies trotted down the street, earth ponies wielding polearms while pegasi flew above with crossbows at the ready. The meagre leather dusters they wore seemed to be reinforced with plates inside the stitching of the armor, giving the poorly equipped frontiersfolk at least a small modicum of protection. And yet, with rusting weapons and poor equipment, the ponies held their heads high and seemed ready to put their inefficient tools of death to the test.

Smiling, the mare gave one last look around the main thoroughfare, noting that the small groups of ponies were illuminated by electric light sources that hung from above on long dark poles. Though the mare found these light sources strange, as she had never seen them in person before, she had heard enough on them to know that they were harmless and were in fact quite useful. Something that was clearly evident as almost every house she had passed had been lit by these same light sources. This increased level of technology was evident wherever she looked, from the light sources the town used, to the rudimentary self-pulling carriages that trundled down the road, to the heavy, machine-woven clothing most ponies wore.

These sights would have normally made the mare lament the loss of the simpler times, but she knew that such advancement was necessary now more than ever. Despite just how necessary she knew this technology was to save her ponies, she still couldn't help but feel a little saddened by its appearance. The wave of advancement she had held back for centuries had finally been allowed to propagate, and for once in the mare’s life, she was treading new and ultimately unfamiliar ground.

With a sigh, she pulled her hood up over her face, obscuring her green fur and brown mane. Cloak now secured tightly around her, the mare gave one last look around before trotting across the street and making a beeline for a local watering hole.

The building itself was relatively new, with thick metal walls the color of rust occasionally broken up by patches of dull grey metal tack-welded over holes or other damage. The result was a building that appeared to be one part bar, one part fortress, and the mare couldn't help but chuckle as she walked up to it. Most Canterlot natives would have passed by the structure without giving it another glance, as it was an unseemly building that appeared to be a simple dive, but the mare knew otherwise.

The vents near the top of the structure blew a little too much exhaust for such a squat one level structure, and the large jut out that rose into the air and displayed the name ‘JoeyRay’s’ was a little too big for such a simple sign. The mare made a note of berating the owner of said establishment for his boldness but otherwise stuffed any such worries away for now. After all, they had avoided detection for nearly a decade at this point by almost completely relying on the arrogance of the nobles, so it was a tried and tested strategy if nothing else.

Pushing her way inside, the mare gave a quick look around, noting how little it had changed over the years. The same old jukebox sat in the corner belting out a tune pretty much no one paid attention to while overtop of it hung the skull of some enormous creature the mare didn't initially recognize. A second glance told her that it was a skull from one of the creatures that had ravaged some of the nearby towns, with the weapon that killed it left embedded in the front of it.

The rest of the bar was as dingy and poorly lit as one might assume from the outside, with only a trio of larger windows able to bring in the dismal lighting from the street lights. Not like it needed that light however, as large electric torches hung along the walls while a fake golden candelabra hung in the center of the room. All of which was more than enough to illuminate all of the ten customers who dotted the room at such an odd hour. Some of which gave the mare a passing glance before going back to their drink while others gave her a long, lingering, suspicious look.

Said looks all but stopped the second she pulled back her hood and revealed that no horn grew from her head. Only a stallion standing beside the bar and the bartender herself kept their gazes locked firmly on the cloaked mare after that. One keeping himself between the nearest pony and the door to the backroom while the other idly cleaned an already spotless glass with a rag held in her wing.

Smiling faintly to herself, the mare trotted past what few patrons still lingered, and made her way up to the counter. “Good evening, may I have a cider please?” she asked.

The two other ponies exchanged a curious look. “What do you think, Joey?” the bartender asked.

The stallion frowned. “I’m not sure, Ray. You seen her around before?”

The earth pony mare merely smiled at the suspicion leveled her way, already pressing two bits against the bar. “I just got back into town, though I’ve been here plenty of times over the years,” she explained, pushing the bits a little further up the bar.

Ray looked down at the bits, then back at the mystery mare, only to shrug, and swiftly fill the glass with cider and push it across the bar. “Well your money is good, that much is certain.”

“Though I don't know about your story, outsider,” the stallion added. “I ain't never seen you around before, and I make a point of seeing everyone who passes through these parts.”

“Really now?” the mare replied, feigning shock while she sipped her drink. “Why I remember us having this very conversation the last time I was in town.”

The stallion’s eyebrow raised slowly. “What do you do exactly, miss?”

“I’m something of an investor you could say,” the mare answered, smiling faintly as she put her mug back on the table. “That's good,” she declared. “Local, eh?”

The bartender nodded. “Everything but the wine is local ‘round here.”

“Something we’re mighty proud of,” the stallion added.

“And you have every reason to. That's quite exceptional,” the mare murmured before taking another long sip.

“So, you a banker then?” the stallion pressed, the pony leaving heavily on the side of the bar. “Been a while since we had one of those try and show up around here.”

“Oh no, nothing of the sort,” the mare quickly replied. “I’m more in the charity business than anything, as the results I expect are more… indirect, you could say.”

Joey and Ray both exchanged a confused look. “Say, you wouldn't happen to be in the solar business by chance, would you?” asked Ray hesitantly, while Joey scanned the room.

“Just a second,” murmured the mystery mare before throwing back the last of her drink and smacking her lips. “Ah, I’ll never get over just how good it is to enjoy a drink without having to think about appearances.”

“‘Cause if you ain't, you, me and Joey are going to have to have a talk,” warned the bartender.

The mystery mare smiled. “I am indeed in the solar business, and business is good.”

Instantly the suspicion and veiled anger vanished, replaced by a nervous optimism most evident in the bartender who leaned over the bar. “R-really? And why are you here, miss?” she pressed.

“Just checking on local investments, and was hoping to grab a bottle of champagne,” the mystery mare replied. “That is, if you think this outsider deserves such a privilege?”

The stallion gulped and snapped a quick salute. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Only to receive a swift smack upside his head. “How many times do I have to tell you to cut that shit out goddes sdammit?” growled the bartender.

“S-sorry, sis,” whimpered the stallion.

“Man the counter. I’ll attend to our paying customer here,” commanded Ray, trading spots with her brother. “If you follow me, I think you’ll find that we have a surprisingly large selection of champagne for any occasion.”

The mare nodded, following Ray closely as she made her way into the backroom. “Lead the way.”

The room they entered was small, confined, and utterly dominated by three large walls of bottles, most of which had a fine layer of dust covering them. Once the door was shut behind them, Ray moved to the wall and tugged on a spare broom, prompting the door to clang loudly, signalling that it had been firmly locked behind them. Once that was done, Ray’s serious demeanor fell away in an instant and she sighed, her shoulders falling slack.

“Thank goodness you're here, ma’am. The higher-ups were beginning to worry about you,” Ray remarked, the pegasus flitting from wall to wall pulling bottles at seemingly random.

The mare nodded. “Things have become… difficult over the last few months. I apologize for making you worry.”

Ray stopped and laughed. “If my momma were alive today she’d probably bend herself into a pretzel trying to make you take back that apology.”

The other mare chuckled. “Well, regardless, I am sorry I haven't been able to check in. Canterlot is…”

“A goddamn nightmare of stuck up nobles, miles of red tape and more horned assholes than you can shake a stick at?” finished the bartender.

“Not the most tactful response, but certainly not an incorrect one either,” the mare replied with a smirk.

“Well, either way I’ll make sure to pass along the kind words when I see the bosses next time,” Ray responded, pulling the last bottle and taking a step back. “For now, let me welcome you back.”

The mare smiled and watched as the wall directly before her slid into the floor, and revealed a second square room, one just large enough to fit both ponies inside. The second room was cramped, and had metal grating that started at shoulder height and went up the sides, revealing a wall beyond that. It was dingy, illuminated only by a single bulb in the center of the elevator, which was barely enough to see in. Ray trotted in beside Celestia and pressed a large red button, prompting the wall of bottles to clang back into place, and after a small click, the elevator shuddered into motion, slowly descending into the unknown.

With a sigh, the mare dismissed her glamor and rose to her full height once more, silently proud that she had managed to hold it for as long as she did, while also lamenting the pain in her neck that always arose when she wore such a disguise for such a length of time. “Feel good to be back in your own skin again, ma’am?” Ray asked, glancing up at the alicorn.

She nodded, whilst rubbing her aching neck and wincing. “You have no idea, my friend. Illusion spells never get easier, no matter how many times I seem to have to use them.”

“Ha, you are just too honest for your own good,” Ray shot back.

Celestia chuckled. “That might very well be true. All of this sneaking around always saddens me.”

Ray nodded sadly and turned forward once more. “I can only imagine. We don't have to lie much after, those damn jumped up sissies in the guard only come ‘round once a month, if they even bother.”

“Speaking of which, they haven't found this place, have they?” Celestia asked, looking closely at the mare next to her.

The bartender shook her head and laughed. “Nope, the damn hornheads just scan the place with their magic and leave after finding no magic in the place.”

“You shouldn't use that word, my little pony,” Celestia admonished. “Though the nobles are an unpleasant bunch, unicorns as a whole are the same as you or I.”

Ray winced and rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. “Sorry, ma’am. It's just hard not to with everything that's been going on lately.”

“Just remember that kind of language might drive away potential allies, don't give those monsters a single reason to try and turn the blame on you,” Celestia continued.

“You are right, you are right,” Ray admitted. “And before you ask, no we don't need any assistance hiding any of the entrances. Between the enchantments you placed, and the fact that we don't use any magic, no patrols have even bothered searching one of our places with any degree of thoroughness.”

“Good,” Celestia declared. “Their reliance on magic may make them oblivious to a certain extent, but that doesn't mean they are complete idiots.”

Ray sighed. “I know.”

For the next minute both mares remained silent as they traveled the last length of the shaft before finally coming to a screeching halt, gears grinding as the elevator came to a stop. Ray reacted first, stepping forward and pulling open the steel plate that had slid into place when they reached the bottom and revealing a long metal hallway that ended with an enormous set of steel doors that lacked any form of handle.

The metal walls were fairly plain, and were bolted together in such a way that aided in keeping up the roof while also hiding the cables, cords, and bundles of wires that Celestia knew were just beneath. The dull grey and rust colored walls were accented by gold bolts and the occasional strip of gold colored patches placed here and there at random. The floor was identical to the walls, save for a path of orange tiles that stretched from the exit of the elevator to the doors across from them.

A few artificial torches lit up the room, and illuminated everything in an eerie, artificial orange light. Not that Ray seemed to notice or care though, as the bartender trotted down the hallway confidently, her hooves clanging against the metal floor. Once she reached the doors, she raised her hoof and knocked twice before taking a step back.

“Bill is working the door tonight, so watch out if he tries to show off,” muttered the pegasus.

Celestia frowned. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

As if on cue, two panels above the door slid back to reveal a duo of quad-barreled weapons that emerged from the panels and swiveled forward on metal arms, pointing menacingly at the pair. “Halt, who goes there? And what's the password!” demanded a metallic voice that echoed down the hall and originating from just above the door.

“We don't have a password for the door, you dumbass, and I have the VIP with me, so you had better lower those weapons!” Ray shouted back.

The weapons both drooped slightly, their barrels pointing away from the pair. A second later and the voice gasped, and the weapons slipped back into the wall and disappeared behind the plates which slid back into place. “My apologies, Your Majesty, I just wanted to give Ray here a hard time,” the voice replied in a quiet, almost pleading tone.

“Just open the door, you nincompoop. We can talk about you not checking your damn screens and making stupid assumptions later,” Ray growled.

“Though I like a prank as much as the next pony, perhaps you should not use weapons in your next one,” Celestia offered with a hint of anger.

“R-right,” the voice muttered. “Opening the doors now.”

A second later the two doors clanked, and a spinning sound could be heard within, a sound which grew louder and louder until both doors made a clunk sound and slid backwards, revealing themselves to be fake and the actual entrance more akin to a vault than a simple set of double doors. A few seconds of grinding and whirring later and the massive entrance hissed before turning to the side and revealing a sheepish stallion who was rubbing his foreleg awkwardly.

“So uh, don't suppose we are still on for that date later, huh Ray?” he muttered, the grey coated and brown maned earth pony already cringing before he could even get a response.

“We’ll talk about the possibility of you even being allowed down here after the princess leaves,” Ray shot back, giving the stallion a firm, withering glare. “Just radio Hammer Smith and tell him that wer’e coming.”

The stallion sighed, and kicked the floor. “I shoulda seen that one coming. Sorry again.”

As the stallion sulked away and slipped through a metal door off to the side, Celestia bumped her hip against her guide’s. “He does seem to have learned his lesson,” she pointed out.

The pegasus continued to frown, but that frown was alleviated slightly as they began to trot forward. “I know, and he is a smart guy for the most part. He just needs to stop and listen to that brain of his before he does something stupid.”

Celestia chuckled. “Too many ponies know what to do only do not listen to that voice, I’m afraid.”

“True,” Ray agreed.

The two mares trotted forward, passing through the metal room and through a second door, this one opening inwards and revealing a long hall, with a few doors leading off it, at the end of which stood a tall metal-clad pony. The pony was easily the same height as Celestia, her steel clad body giving her a height advantage over those who were unarmored. The metal itself was a simple matte black devoid of any insignia or rank, save for the word ‘security’ spraypainted in white on her pauldrons.

On her back was a large arm that emerged from her armor and wielded a long square-shaped weapon with a string of ammo feeding out of it and onto the other side of her armor where an enormous hopper was bolted on. Her visor opened, revealing a grinning earth pony mare underneath, her orange fur spattered with black grease. As the other mares approached her, the grin on her face grew, and she snapped into a quick salute, her bulky armor whirring as she moved.

“Well shoot, Princess, we were starting to get worried about ya,” announced the armored mare.

“You don't need to worry about me quite yet,” Celestia replied, her eyes narrowing as she reached the pony and stopped just in front of her. “Grease Slick, right?”

The armored mare grinned even wider, to the point that she looked like a filly that had just received a piece of candy from a parent after being told they did a good job. “You remembered!”

Celestia chuckled. “I try to remember everypony that points a gun at me.”

“Oh come on, that was one time. I have much better trigger discipline now,” whined the mare, her features falling, as did the gun arm on her back.

Ray cocked her head. “Don't tell me Greasy threatened you too? What is with ponies around here and waving guns at you?”

“It was a number of years ago, before you put in the vault entrance and Grease Slick was guarding the old entrance,” Celestia explained.

“Her Majesty didn't remove her illusion before coming down here,” Grease Slick added. “The armor detected it and I panicked, okay? I’m sorry.”

“I forgive you, dear. I’m just giving you a hard time,” Celestia replied, patting the mare on her armored shoulder.

Grease Slick chuckled. “I know, I know. Say I don't suppose you are hanging around for a few hours eh? I’m almost off shift and I’d love to take you up on your offer to have that cider.”

Celestia sighed. “I’m afraid not, my friend. There are too many things going on in Canterlot, and I cannot stay long. Perhaps one day when things return to a… well not normal, but at least not quite as hectic as they are now.”

Ray snorted. “Good luck with that.”

“Well either way, the boss is waiting for ya just inside, heard him give the ol’ ten four through the radio,” Grease replied, tapping the side of her armored head.

“I appreciate it,” Celestia responded before motioning for them to continue. “Shall we?”

“Err, I oughta head back upstairs,” Ray replied, rubbing the back of her neck. “My brother ain't the sharpest tool in the shed, I’m afraid.”

“Nonsense, take a few minutes off. How much damage could he do?” Celestia asked, only to chuckle. “On second thought you better head back, I might have jinxed it.”

“If he's somehow lit the bar on fire again I’m blaming you,” Ray insisted, poking the alicorn in the chest with a hoof.

Celestia chuckled. “Agreed, and thank you, Ray.”

“Think nothing of it, Your Majesty.” Ray beamed before turning around and jogging down the hall.

“Ya better head on through, ma’am. You know how Hammer gets when you make him wait, plus I’m pretty sure he wants to show you something,” Grease mentioned.

“A deadly combination,” Celestia mused. “I won't make him wait a moment longer. It was a pleasure seeing you again, Grease Slick.”

The armored pony slammed her hoof against her chest plate and beamed, servos whirring softly. “The pleasure was all mine,” she declared.

Smiling to herself, Celestia stepped through the next door, only to stop the second she had pulled the portal open. Lighting her horn somewhat dissipated the cacophony of sounds that had rushed out and engulfed her the moment the door opened, allowing the mare to hear herself think once more. Note to self, use the spell before you walk through, not after, Celestia mentally berated herself, the alicorn wincing slightly and making a note to check her ears on the way back to Canterlot.

The alicorn took a brief look around and found that she was in a massive room with enormously high ceilings. A room which was filled with ponies running this way and that, some so intent on their destination they didn't notice Celestia while others stopped and bowed. More important than that were the metal creations of towering height that were parked in some of the stalls which lined either side of the room. It was not only giant metal constructs that filled the stalls though, as some contained numerous bubbling concoctions or simple black boards filled with formulas and arguing scientists. The many experiments were too numerous to list, and Celestia promptly ignored them as well as the many ponies who noticed her but did not bow, the ponies mostly casting her curious and awe-filled glances .

“There you are!” arough, male voice announced from Celestia’s right. “I thought you got lost for a second there, Your Majesty.”

Celestia chuckled and looked over to where a tall black coated and grey maned stallion stood. Though he wore armor similar to the marine she had passed only seconds earlier, it lacked the raw protection that the other armor had, as well as the boxy gun and ammo box. Leaving behind only the exposed exoskeleton and the maneuverable arm on his back, allowing Celestia to see his cutie mark which was of a hammer impacting an anvil, with sparks erupting from all sides. The stallion was large, well-built, and clearly muscled, and though not old, he appeared to be in his forties, his features weathered by a lifetime of physically demanding work done mostly in front of a forge.

“Well, I thought about taking a nap before I came to see you, but I figured you’d get your knickers in a twist by then,” Celestia shot back with a smirk.

The stallion glared at the alicorn for a few seconds before erupting in hearty laughter. “It is you!” he announced. “I keep telling the ladies that we gotta figure out how to detect changelings but they are too convinced that their silly scanners are enough.”

“The enchantments I placed should be enough to drive away most changelings,” Celestia pointed out. “Though now that you mention it, that may be a good idea. I assume you have someone on it already?”

“Officially? No.” Hammer Smith smirked. “Unofficially, of course! Better to be overprepared than caught unaware as I always say.”

Celestia nodded. “Good. I may be able to offer your researchers a few pointers next time I drop by, I kept the notes on changeling anatomy locked away somewhere in the archives.”

“Aye, that would be a big help,” Hammer Smith replied, his stark blue eyes flashing with barely contained excitement. “Well then,” he announced suddenly. “I suppose you are here for a tour and an update, eh?”

“Indeed I am,” Celestia answered. “And I hear you have something interesting to show me,” she added, leaning in and smirking. “It isn't another pair of exploding pants, is it?”

“No, it isn't.” Hammer Smith deadpanned. “Plus I’d appreciate it if you didn't mention that, I was only a junior researcher back then.”

Celestia shrugged. “If you insist. Now then, where shall we begin?”

“Before we get into it, some of us just wanted to thank you again,” Hammer Smith began, grinning at the alicorn. “The first real sets of armor are rolling off the assembly line soon and it won't be long before we can really defend ourselves.”

“That's wonderful,” Celestia declared. “It is good to know that we have evened the playing field so to speak. Oh and before I forget, here.” The alicorn lit her horn and conjured forth a file of paperwork, which she hoofed to the stallion. “My praetorians did an exhaustive report on the combat ability of these zerg creatures. It should aid in your weapons testing at the least.”

Hammer Smith’s eyes went wide and he delicately took the folder into his armored hooves. “I don't know what to say, Your Majesty, thank you.”

“Knowing that my ponies are safe is all the thanks I need,” Celestia replied with a smile. “I hope it helps.”

The stallion used the mechanical arm on his back to flip through the folder while he held it open on a hoof, his eyes flashing back and forth, scanning the information quickly. “This is… this is amazing. We should be able to speed up production on the mark three impalers by a few weeks and maybe even figure out some sort of weakness.”

“I wouldn't count on that last part,” Celestia cautioned. “They are able to adapt quickly, and only magic seems able to bypass that thick hide of theirs with any kind of ease.”

Hammer Smith snorted. “Nothing a well oiled C-14 can't punch through.”

“Yes, your guns certainly are impressive, but I would advise you not to fall down the path the nobles have,” Celestia began. “Reliance on one weapon will ultimately leave you open to others.”

Hammer Smith nodded confidently. “Don't worry, Princess, we made sure we won't get pigeonholed like those high faluted jerks.”

“Good,” Celestia declared, sighing slightly. “Now then, where to first?”

“Right, first I wanted to show ya what we were cooking up to help the laborers around here,” Hammer Smith began, turning and trotting down the central, and mostly empty, part of the enormous underground structure. “The T-278 Special Construction Vehicle seems to be coming along nicely.”

Celestia followed close behind the stallion, watching as he gestured to one of the first stalls where several ponies of mixed race and gender were gathered around an armored pony in the center of the stall. The pony in the middle was wearing armor similar to Hammer Strike’s, save for the variation that it was just lightly armored, and was slightly smaller, though the limbs were also slightly bulkier. The main difference was in the fact that it had two pillars on its back on either side of its flank, as well as having an empty space between those stacks, allowing the wearer to cart around a considerable load.

“What are those stack things? I don't remember them being there before,” Celestia pointed out, gesturing to the back of the armor, while still watching the gathered ponies listen to the operator of the armor as they spoke animatedly on the suit’s functions.

“Containers,” Hammer yelled back over the din of conversation and noise. “We may have found a gas just beneath Equestria’s crust that does wonders when refined, and we’ve been working on retooling the S.C.V. to both construct heavy duty buildings with ease while also being able to gather both minerals and this gas.”

Celestia nodded, glancing over the many, many design documents that covered one wall of the stall. “And the plan to add an extra arm on either side? How is that coming along?”

Hammer Smith shrugged. “They are still working on not overloading the actuators on the legs, but I think they get that mostly worked out.”

Celestia hummed to herself, her gaze lingering on the drawing of an S.C.V. much like the one she was looking at, save for the fact that it had two large mechanical arms sprouting from its torso on either side of its body. The arms themselves were both different, with one ending in a large drill and the other being a simple two-pronged claw. It was at this point that the various ponies seemed to realize who was watching them, and after a brief hushed conversation they each turned and gave the alicorn a deep bow.

Celestia gave them a smile and a wave, before making a shooing motion, urging them to ignore her presence and to get back to what they were doing. Something they did only after they had all bowed deeply, with even the S.C.V. pilot bowing as much as her armor allowed. “And the pilot, will they be comfortable?” Celestia asked suddenly.

“About as comfortable as we can manage.” Hammer Smith snorted. “Those things are tight, what with all the gizmos we gotta cram into it, but they should be able to trot for upwards of twelve to fifteen hours without getting exhausted.”

“Well that's something, I suppose,” Celestia murmured. “And the defences?”

“Minimal, I’m afraid,” Hammer Smith murmured. “The fusion cutter they use to slap defences together can cut through anything that gets too close, but it's unwieldy, and unlikely to help against a real opponent.”

“We will have to keep a close eye on these S.C.Vs then,” Celestia murmured.

“The pegasus variants are in the works as well, but unfortunately we’re having problems with thrust, as it's just too much weight,” Hammer remarked. “I think we should scrap that particular variant entirely but that's just my thought, as we don't need S.C.Vs to be able to fly.”

“I wouldn't be so hasty.” Celestia cautioned. “If you have begun work on a thruster capable of lifting a stripped down set of CMC armor, perhaps you can retool it into an offencive variant for use on a marine’s armor.”

“True,” Hammer muttered, tapping his chin with his mechanical arm.

“Speaking of which,” Celestia announced, turning to the left. “Other than seeing Grease Slick wearing one, I have yet to truly be shown one of the new CMC-225s you talked so much about last time I was here.”

Hammer Strike grinned like a school filly. “You are right! The bosses have been hard at work making sure everything is ready for the mass roll out and they only finished it a few days ago.”

“I hope they didn't rush anything,” Celestia remarked, as she followed the stallion. “I would hate to find that there is some error that made your first deployment a difficult one.”

Hammer Strike nodded slowly. “I can't lie to ya, Princess. They are bulky, and need to vent exhaust out the back a little too much for my liking, but they are tough, and will give us the edge we need against the monsters at our doorstep.”

Celestia remained silent behind the stallion, her eyes flicking over the many stalls they passed until they reached the one they were looking for, wherein a marine was getting suited up. The stallion in question had a rust-colored mane, and orange fur, and was busy stepping into the armor, the whole thing having split open at the back to allow its wearer to get inside. The second all four hooves were inside, the armor clicked, whirred and slid into place, collapsing around the stallion’s back and encapsulating him completely.

“Why is he wincing like that?” Celestia asked, gesturing to the stallion in question, who was gritting his teeth as his armor continued to make a light whirring sound.

“The suits gotta connect with your magic, otherwise the arm doesn't work, but once it's all done your body thinks the arm is a part of you, which is why it's so easy to manipulate,” Hammer Smith explained, waving his own back-mounted mechanical arm around for emphasis.

“That seems unpleasant,” Celestia pointed out.

Hammer Smith shrugged. “It's not much worse than a brief pinch, after that it's fine. Though it does feel a little weird for the first little while.”

Celestia nodded, and stepped aside as the stallion approached, his arm drawing a weapon from the rack near the exit of the stall and clicking into place, the mechanical appendage gripping the weapon tightly. He offered the alicorn a brief nod, before his visor slid down, and he passed the two ponies by, his hooves thumping audibly with every step, and his body whirring and clicking as the armor moved with him. Celestia watched the various moving parts shift around inside his armor as the stallion walked, her ears picking out the sound of hidden servos and a thumping power supply as he passed by.

“That weapon is larger than last time,” Celestia remarked.

Hammer Smith grinned. “Oh yeah, we figured that since a pony can brace all four limbs at once while shooting, we can afford to slap some more fire power on our marines. The pegasus variant is a little different, and has two arms, and two weapons, as the system effectively convinces their brains that the arms are their wings.”

“But they can't fly?” Celestia asked, looking around and noticing that there were a few pegasus variants littering the bay area, though not as many as the more predominant earth pony version.

“Nope, too heavy. You’d have to be some sort of super flyer to get more than a few feet while wearing one of these bad boys,” Hammer Smith announced, clanging his hoof against his chest for emphasis.

“I see,” Celestia muttered.

“Would you like to see a test firing?” Hammer Smith asked, already grinning.

“I suppose,” Celestia muttered unenthusiastically.

“Oh it's not that bad,” Hammer Smith remarked with a snort. “Why it's a lot better than getting disemboweled by a sword.”

Celestia grimaced. “I’d rather we not need such weapons at all.”

Hammer Smith merely grunted. “I can't fault you there, but these are the times we live in.”

“Indeed they are,” Celestia muttered to herself.

Together the ponies trotted one stall over, Hammer Smith having grabbed one of the large rifles before they left. Now that Celestia had a second to really look at the things, she found herself slightly confused by its odd design. The thing was roughly squarelike, with several holes near the firing mechanism, where the clawed extra appendage found on the back of every marine would connect to in order to get a better grip. The magazine clipped in at the back, where it could be attached to a chain fed mechanism, if the suit was outfitted with one like Grease Slick’s had been.

It was at the midway point where things changed, and two long barrels emerged from the gun. The bottom one was wider, and lower, and was obviously not involved with the actual firing of the projectile, while the topmost barrel had a strange cagelike metal casing around it, evidently aiding in the firing, though Celestia knew not how. The sheer length of the two tubes at the front was off putting, as they were as long as the entire rest of the rifle, further confusing the quite technology-illiterate mare.

With a shrug, she followed the stallion as he entered into a firing range and stopped to adjust the blocky headset he had grabbed from a bench, no doubt to adjust for the loudness of what he was about to do. “You might wanna step back a bit!” he yelled.

Celestia nodded, and adjusted her own hearing spell, turning down the volume of incoming noises to the point that she could hardly even detect the sound of Hammer Smith’s enormous, clunking hooves. Watching closely, the alicorn studied the stallion as he tromped over to the second lane, hit a button on the wall, and summoned forth a wooden cutout of what looked like a zergling. With another click of a button under the firing range partition and several more zergling replicas sprung up and began to move in lazy zigzagging patterns.

Raising an eyebrow, Celestia studied the stallion’s appearance, idly noting that the rifle was nearly half his total length, and was positioned over his left shoulder, the barrels extending beyond his head. Then, the silence was broken, and a strange thumping noise erupted from the flaming end of the weapon, making Celestia jump backwards and look on in horror. The wooden cutouts exploded one by one, each zergling getting turned into little more than a stub attached to the firing range mechanism.

This continued for a total of six seconds before the stallion’s weapon began to beep angrily, alerting him to the fact that it was now empty. With a smirk, the stallion’s mechanical arm pulled back the weapon and pointed the smoking barrel in the air. “Whoowee, it's been a while since I hit the range,” Hammer Smith remarked jovially.

Celestia blinked, glancing down the range where no more targets moved. “That didn't seem so bad,” she murmured, raising an eyebrow.

Hammer Smith shrugged. “I used to be better.”

“If you say so.”

“So, what do you think?” Hammer Smith asked, a proud smile on his face.

“It seems quite effective,” Celestia began, only to frown. “Though I worry about what may happen if anyone were to get in close.”

Hammer Smith nodded. “We have a bayonet attachments, but we’ve also been working on something far more impressive, something I was hoping to show you.”

“And this thing you are going to show me will help aid our troops in some manner?” Celestia continued.

The stallion nodded, and began to trot in a different direction, dropping off the weapon back where he had found it before tuning his headset once more and crossing the enormous vault floor. “You guessed it, boss. This baby will make those zerg sons of bitches regret ever being born, or brought into existence as come to think of it, we don't even know if they are born.”

Celestia frowned, something in the stallion’s voice strangely off putting to the ancient alicorn. “I hope this thing is as effective as you seem to hope it will be.”

The stallion merely grinned and trotted over to one of the few contained stalls, which was surrounded on all sides by steel walls and a high metal ceiling. After hitting a combination of buttons next to the entrance, it beeped and opened, allowing the stallion and mare to trot inside. Where another suit was standing empty, a technician underneath the barrel of the armor, a wrench held aloft in his light magic. “I’ll be right with ya, Hammer,” shouted the voice, as he continued to crank some unseen component.

“We have a guest, Mister Star Fire,” Hammer Smith replied, smirking slightly.

“R-really?” shouted the stallion, before he lurched into a standing position, a wide smile on his face. “It's really you, you are really here!”

“I am indeed myself and I am really here!” Celestia declared. “Well at least, last I checked anyway.”

Hammer Smith chuckled. “Would ya explain to our guest what our little project is all about?”

Star Fire nodded eagerly, his long, bright red braided mane bouncing against the back of his head. “Absolutely, Mister Hammer Smith, sir!”

The unicorn all but pranced around the front of the suit, his smile growing larger with each step. “This is CMC 230 XF!” he declared proudly.

Celestia blinked, looking up and down the enormous set of armor, her gaze drawn inevitably to its lack of mechanical arm, and the twin canisters bolted along the thing’s back. “Interesting,” she muttered.

“It's a prototype armor meant for close combat,” began the scientist, who placed a proud hoof on the armor’s shoulder. “It uses twin tanks of refined vespene gas to incinerate any zerg who gets in too close.”

“Incinerate?” Celestia asked nervously. “You don't mean this thing shoots fire, do you?”

“I do!” declared the scientist, who ran over to the armor’s forelegs. “The fire is emitted from the top of the wearer’s hoof, and allows them to alternate between raising one hoof at a time, or standing on their back legs to unleash a truly devastating wave of destruction that will immolate any zerg that gets too close.”

“Are you sure this is the best way to protect our troops in close quarters? It seems…” Celestia trailed off, her gaze lingering on the twin emitters at the end of each hoof.

“Brutal?” Hammer Smith finished.

Celestia nodded. “Though I know the zerg are little more than animals, this leaves a bad taste in my mouth.”

The exoskeleton-clad stallion nodded. “I feel the same way, but nothing we have tested can reliably drive back the zerg and keep our forces from getting overwhelmed. Mana weapons are the only thing that can reliably puncture their hide and we don't have nearly enough unicorns to make that feasible. Nevermind the technical challenge that would come with just making the damned things.”

“Plus it burns so hot that any enemy is usually immolated in seconds, meaning it might be more humane than a glancing shot from an impaler,” Star Fire added, quite unhelpfully.

Celestia’s frown deepened. “I acknowledge it's a necessity, but I’m afraid I can't bring myself to see this as anything less than an immense cruelty. This will only be used against the zerg, understood?”

Hammer Smith nodded confidently. “I understand completely, Princess.”

“Good,” Celestia announced. “Now show me something less disturbing before I have to go back to Canterlot. I would hate for my last memory of this place to be this dreadful thing.”

“This next thing we are going to show you is the last big thing we’ve come up with, and you’ll be happy to know that it might even have civilian applications as well,” Hammer Smith declared.

“Are you talking about the vulture system, sir?” Star Fire asked, his eyes sparkling.

“I am indeed,” Hammer Smith replied with a confident grin. “It should be able to help pegasi that have lost one or more wings to fly again, though it has its issues as it stands right now.”

“I actually have a spare in the corner of my lab if you wish to show our esteemed guest,” Star Fire offered, gesturing over to the far corner of his cluttered lab, where something the size of a pony and twice as wide was hidden beneath a large black tarp.

“Then I will give you the honor of showing the princess,” Hammer Smith replied, taking a step back and extending a leg. “After you, Princess.”

Celestia nodded, her frown slowly disappearing as her curiosity grew. “I must say I’m thankful you are considering other potential more often. Cybernetics, and more importantly prosthetics is a vein of research I am intensely interested in, and will be very valuable in the coming years, I’m afraid.”

Star Fire nodded eagerly, his long, wild mane bouncing everywhere. “Oh yes, though I’m not particularly adept in such a field, I can say with absolute certainty that your desire for better prosthetics is being valiantly pursued.”

“It's true,” Hammer Smith added. “Though not handled in this facility, we have an entire research lab devoted solely to replacing the use of limbs, and even horns.”

“That is wonderful,” Celestia declared. “A conflict lasts far shorter than the scars it leaves behind.”

“Truer words have not been spoken,” Hammer Smith agreed.

“Now then, I present to you, the vulture pegasus assisted propulsion system!” Star Fire yelled, excitedly, while using his magic to pull back the tarp and expose the strange contraption beneath.

Celestia looked on in confusion, more than a little baffled by what she saw. There before her was a life sized ponequin with pegasus wings, and an enormously wide metal rectangle with turbines at the end of each side.

“It looks… heavy,” Celestia murmured, noting that it was easily as wide as a pony was long, and was made from some sort of silvery metal.

“It is, but we believe with training most ponies will be able to use it to fly effectively and for long distances,” Hammer Smith replied confidently. “Star Fire, if you would.”

The unicorn nodded and stepped up to the contraption. “It straps to the pegasus’ body here and here.” He pointed to the straps in question which were wrapped at two points around the pony’s midsection. “After that the wings slide into the straps on the underside of the airfoil, which then links with the machine’s systems, harnessing the pegasus’ own natural instincts to enable it to fly effectively.”

“It doesn't seem to have any offencive capabilities,” Celestia pointed out.

“Oh it does, see?” Star Fire lifted a pair of gauntlets that had twin tubes protruding from the underside, tubes which hooked up to magazines higher up the gauntlet. “These are a relatively small caliber compared to the rest of our weapons, but will allow the wearer to defend themselves while also not adding too much weight.”

“The vulture also functions with a far lighter version of our powered armor. Adding a bit more protection to the wearer and securing the entire thing more thoroughly,” Hammer Smith added.

“Aaand, if all goes well, we could create a foldable version that could replace a pegasus’ lost wings while not being as unobtrusive as this thing is,” Star Fire continued.

“Indeed, though that's a good way off right now,” remarked the earth pony.

“Fascinating,” Celestia murmured, a hoof gently caressing the long metal faux wings. “I suspect it moves too fast to reliably use any heavier weapon systems.”

“Indeed, anymore armor or weapons and it falls out of the sky, limiting its fighting potential significantly.” Hammer Smith replied with a hint of sadness.

“But we believe the maneuverability granted by its extreme speed will be a defence which will more than compensate for its admittedly lightly armored exterior,” Star Fire pointed out.

“I suspect you are still working on it?” Celestia inquired, lifting an eyebrow.

“Indeed we are,” Hammer Smith replied. “The current idea we are running with would be to use these in conjunction with well-trained pegasi in order to scout areas, and potential construct traps ahead of the enemy. This will also allow us the chance to create a fast response squadron able to reinforce key areas and quickly move to defend smaller towns and villages that are too remote to have their own designated garrison.”

“Or lay mines,” Celestia finished.

“Yes actually, how did you know?” Star Fire asked.

The alicorn shrugged. “They don't weight a lot, if I remember correctly, and weight wouldn't be an issue later, as you will have dropped your payload.”

“I told you she was more than a pretty face.” Hammer Smith snickered, elbowing the other male in the shoulder.

“I never doubted you for a second, sir. Celestia’s genius is well known in Canterlot,” Star Fire added, blushing slightly.

Celestia chuckled. “It was only a minor leap in logical thinking. I assure you.”

“Well, that's about all we have to say on the vulture,” Hammer Smith remarked with a shrug. “Unless you wanna see the design specs for it.”

“That won't be necessary,” Celestia replied. “Though I was hoping to speak to you about our more… experimental projects.”

Instantly Hammer Smith’s features grew dark and he turned to Star Fire. “Would you mind waiting outside for a little bit?”

“S-sure,” stuttered the other male, who awkwardly stumbled out of the room, glancing back rather nervously at the alicorn.

With him outside, the earth pony clicked a few buttons next to the door, prompting it to clang loudly, signalling that it had been closed and was now locked. “Now then, what exactly did you want to know?” he asked, his voice having a strangely guilty tone to it.

“First I want to know how your tank and goliath platforms have been coming along,” Celestia began, noticing that the other pony’s shoulders relaxed slightly, and he breathed a small, almost indiscernible sigh of relief.

“The tank works, but not well. We are having difficulties with the engine, and the gun’s range leaves a lot to be desired,” Hammer Smith replied, leaning against a workbench as he stared up at the ceiling. “The goliath is going a little better, as it's just a scaled up version of the CMC armor, but it's also experiencing its own set of problems with weight and weapon load out.”

Celestia nodded slowly. “I know just throwing money at the problem won't always help, but do you require additional funding?”

Hammer Smith blinked, and looked up at the princess in disbelief. “P-princess, you’ve already given us hundreds of millions of bits at this point, you really don't have to do that.”

“I will do whatever is necessary to protect my ponies, even if that means emptying my personal finances. That's a small price to pay to know that you are safe from those creatures,” Celestia vowed

“I…” Hammer Smith gulped, and looked down, unable to meet the alicorn’s gaze. “I don't know what to say.”

“A number would be a good place to start, and perhaps a list of supplies, or personal you require but have not been able to secure as of yet,” Celestia quipped.

“Yes, I’ll have Star Fire do a full breakdown on our requirements and we’ll send the list through the usual methods.” He winced slightly. “Are you sure this is wise, Princess? This many bits changing hooves is bound to catch some attention.”

“I’ve been working on certain… back channels, that will aid in the delivery,” Celestia explained coyly. “As you know, almost all air travel that originates or passes through Equestrian territory is under my control as of this year.”

“Ahh, and with the heavy use of gryphon and pegasi workers, the nobility have shunned involvement in the industry,” Hammer Smith concluded, nodding knowingly. “Very smart.”

“Indeed,” Celestia murmured, before lighting her horn and casting a quick bubble of silence over the room. “I had one last thing I was hoping to speak to you about before I leave.”

The earth pony’s shoulders slumped and his features fell once more. “I assumed as much.”

“So, how has the, special project, been going?” Celestia inquired, her gaze fixed on the earth pony’s face.

Hammer Smith winced, and rubbed the back of his neck with his robot arm. “Successful, in regards to the outcome, but unsuccessful in just what it takes to get there.”

“So you have managed to manipulate this energy?” Celestia questioned, raising an eyebrow at the stallion’s wishy washy response.

“Yes,” he declared. “That much is certain.”

“So where's the problem? Has Project Midnight failed in some way, or has gone over budget?” Celestia pressed.

“It's within budgetary restrictions,” Hammer Smith began. “But it has taken more intensive prompting than we’d like for our inductees to learn how to manipulate this psi energy. The drugs and training necessary to bring out the latent psychic powers is anything but pleasant, and unfortunately anything less than that fails to bring out the desired change in our neophytes.”

Celestia frowned, but nodded slowly. “And how went the last round of testing? Was it only unicorns capable of utilizing this energy like we feared?”

Hammer Smith laughed grimly. “No, no, no. Thankfully that's one thing they can't claim ownership of. In fact, just about any species can utilize this energy you’ve spoken of, provided they have the aptitude for it.”

“Let me guess, the training must start young and the neophytes are forced to undergo intense stressful scenarios in order to bring out their full potential,” Celestia assumed.

“Y-yes,” Hammer Smith muttered, looking down at his hooves. “We've had no shortage of volunteers, but I’m afraid the success rate is very, very low.”

Celestia sighed. “Continue your work, but I want the majority of your research to go into the more theoretical aspect of this energy, and how it's able to be manipulated in addition to trying to reduce the stressful nature of the training.”

“As you wish, Your Majesty, it lightens my heart to hear you say that,” Hammer Smith exclaimed with a small smile.

“Though I fear these ghosts as you call them might be necessary in the future, we can at least ensure we understand this energy in better detail before we are forced to put anymore foals through this training you mentioned,” Celestia concluded. “Speaking of which, how has their power level fared when compared to Midnight herself?”

Hammer Smith shook his head. “Compared to her our ghosts are little more than foals playing with a power they couldn't comprehend. The energy your mystery pony can wield easily eclipses the sum total of all our graduates so far.”

“It is as I feared,” Celestia murmured, tapping her chin. “Regardless, I want the main brunt of your research to remain in the more mundane sciences, this tank and goliath of yours sound promising as well as the quickly constructable buildings and defences.”

“Of course, Your Highness, the boys should have a fully functional command center and prototype fast erection bunker by the time you come visit next time,” Hammer Smith announced with a hint of pride.

“Excellent, because something tells me that traditional static defences will do little against such an agile opponent,” Celestia explained. “Plus I admit I am not a fan of monkeying around in a pony’s mind, there are so many poor outcomes to such an endeavour.”

“That is very true, Your Majesty,” Hammer Smith agreed.

“Now then,” Celestia began, a smile on her face. “I have to get back to Canterlot before my viceroy does something stupid, and I end up with more work on my plate. Walk with me.”

Hammer Smith nodded, and trotted over to the door before clicking it open and following the alicorn out into the noisy facility. Together they passed by a slightly smaller amount of ponies, staff having evidently finally gone home for the night, or at least switched out with a smaller overnight skeleton crew. Though some stopped and bowed to the alicorn, most kept their distance and didn't look away from their work, which was just fine for Celestia, who was rapidly running out of leisure time.

“Have you contacted the rest of the towns?” Celestia asked suddenly, turning to Hammer Smith as they walked.

The stallion frowned, but nodded. “We have been able to secure an alliance with nearly all elders, councils, and mayors in the area, though a few holdouts remain, especially along the border with the rest of Equestria.”

“They have yet to experience what your people have,” Celestia pointed out. “Give them time, and if that doesn't work, I would advise you use those cameras of yours to film the aftermath of one of the zerg’s raids, and do interviews with the survivors. These other towns may be distant from the suffering, but they are ponies all the same and their empathy will win out in the end.”

“It will be done, Your Majesty,” Hammer Smith vowed.

“Good,” Celestia replied. “Though I’m tempted to ask you to circulate this video to a wider audience, I fear we may very well start a civil war if that were to happen.”

“I won't let that happen, ma’am,” Hammer Smith swore. “You have my word.”

“I must reiterate this point, Mister Smith. We cannot allow anyone to divide this nation anymore than it has already been, not while we have allies that have yet to choose a side,” Celestia pointed out. “Their assistance may very well make or break the frontier, and I refuse to allow harm to come to my little ponies.”

Hammer Smith stiffened, and said nothing, his voice hitching before he could even spit out a complete word.

“Have you thought up a name for your organization?” Celestia asked as they neared the exit, the alicorn glancing over to the stallion quizically.

“Most have started calling us the Confederacy anyway, and I think it fits.” Hammer Smith shrugged. “After all, we are nothing more than a loose confederacy of engineers, isolationists and folks with nowhere left to go.”

“It does have a nice ring to it, though I’m sure that one day your confederacy will become so much more than just that,” Celestia replied wistfully, before giving her head a firm shake. “I’ll abstain from regular reports for a while. I’ve attracted enough heat as it is, and I fear I may have to wait until the next time I can get away to receive a full briefing.”

“Of course, ma’am,” Hammer Smith replied instantly.

“Though I would like to be kept abreast of what the cybernetics department is doing for my next visit. The technology being developed there is fascinating, and I hope the notes I delivered have aided them at least a little,” Celestia mused.

“I can tell you with absolute certainty that the scientists down there have been thrilled by your attention, and have made great strides with the experimental medical papers you’ve been able to give them,” the earth pony maintained.

“That is wonderful news, make sure you stress to them, and your superiors, that I want the ability to replace just about every part of a pony of any tribe,” Celestia commanded before stopping next to the exit and smiling at the stallion. “You and your ponies have done excellent work, though I fear that work is far from over.”

The servos in the earth pony’s suit whirred and the black coated stallion ducked into a low bow. “We would work day and night if it meant we could better serve you, and protect our own. We will never forget what you’ve done for us, Princess.”

Celestia smiled gracefully. “Please rise, my good stallion, and remember my words carefully. The shadows will be your friend and I will most likely have need of you sooner than anticipated. Be ready.”

“Our loyalty is without question,” Hammer Smith stated confidently. “There isn't a mare or stallion here who doesn't know what you’ve done for us, and there isn't a single soldier who isn't ready to lay down their lives for you if given the order.”

“Pray it doesn't come to that,” Celestia warned. “War does not prove who is right, only who is left.”

With that, the alicorn gave the earth pony one last nod, and walked away, disappearing through the open door and trotting down the hall. Her mind was abuzz with memories, concerns and ideas, the most dominant one being a memory of the last great conflict she had participated in. The stench of death had permeated the air, buzzards had flown overhead, and the moans of the dead and dying could be heard in all directions.

Thousands of bodies littered the ground, some dead, others wishing they would join the former. Medical personal moved from pony to pony, picking up some who were alive and able to be moved while others were given their last rites and put out of their misery. While this macabre scene played out in a hundred different places across the great field, the moon hung low overhead, its newest addition sticking out like a sore thumb and bringing a tear to Celestia’s eye.

This time, dear sister, I will free you from your corruption, but I will not be caught unaware. This I swear.

Author's Notes:

If you want to read the next update at the begining of the month rather at the end, or just want get a commission from me as well as access to patreon exclusive content, head over to my patreon!

Join me over on patreon and get instant access to exclusive content and early looks at new stories, patreon only stories and other great stuff! Check it out!
Or just join the discord to ensure that you dont miss an update.
This update was made possible by the wonderful support of readers like you:
Anonymous, Apollyon, Azin, Blade Tech, Brendan, Canary in the coal mine, Ceepert, Chris, Craig, DioKyo, Doomgooey, Facinus, Free, GruB, I am unknown, Ivar, Jeffrey, Josh, Kali, M, Makani, Mecha Paladin, Megatyrant, Menthol Qtip, Mike, Mikhaila, Mirvra, Nathan, Nfreak, Nicky Aelia, Octavia, Pacsik, Peter, Random Reader, Shooting Star, Soundtea, Starless, Steven, T Sparkle, Tiwake, Todd Herron, Trash Panda, Travis, Vigilant Watch, Xvos, and last but not least Zarivin.

An Interesting Conversation

“That will conclude our combat exercises for the day,” Celestia announced, the alicorn using her magic to place her claymore in its sheath.

The weapon itself was relatively simple, meant only to replicate her true weapon, Dawnbringer, without copying any of the weapon’s power or majesty. Only its length, weight, and general feel was truly recreated, which was exactly how Celestia liked it. Twilight, on the other hand, wielded a quarterstaff, the long metal weapon being the only thing currently keeping her from falling to the floor.

“Is that it?” Twilight asked between short, quick breaths, her forehooves desperately gripping her weapon as her back legs shook. “I thought that was just a warm up.”

“In that case, maybe we could move ahead tomorrow’s lesson.” Celestia smirked, pulling her blade back out and ducking into a defensive stance. “How does another three rounds sound to you?”

Twilight gulped, and slowly pulled herself into a standing position. “You know what? You're probably tired and hungry, we should just call it a day.”

Celestia chuckled and resheathed her sword before levitating it over to its stand. “I admit I am feeling rather peckish. Why don't you place your weapon off to the side so we can sit and chat before grabbing some well-earned lunch.”

The mortal mare nodded and trotted to the other side of the gym, while Celestia conjured a small mound of pillows for herself and her companion and sat atop her pile. While waiting for her student to return, the alicorn carefully watched as Twilight gently laid her weapon in its proper place and trotted back. The ancient mare’s eye caught the way Twilight’s musculature flexed and moved, the younger pony having evidently grown much stronger in more than just her magic.

Plopping down across from her mentor, Twilight wiped the sweat from her brow. “So, what did you wanna talk about?”

“I was hoping to resume the discussion we started on your first day back,” Celestia explained. “You seemed hesitant to follow through with my lesson plan.”

Twilight sighed and looked away. “It's not that I don't want to. I just don't understand why you have me taking such… strange courses. How to spot a liar and those other manipulation tactics are interesting lessons, but leadership? I’m a lot of things, but one of those things is not a leader.”

Celestia smiled gently. “Tell me, Twilight, if you were in a group with a few other ponies and you noticed they continually messed up your collective project, what would you do?”

“I would tell them what needs doing, and how to do it,” she replied quickly, shrugging her shoulders. “Why?”

“That's what a leader does,” Celestia pointed out. “You may believe that you are unfit to lead due to your unique personality, but in reality leadership is not all poise and grand speeches. It's about seeing something that needs doing, a role that needs filling, and simply getting it done.” She waved a hoof dismissively. “The rest is simply presentation and practice.”

Twilight frowned, but reluctantly considered the elder mare’s words carefully. She had always known that she had a low tolerance for stupid, but to have that intolerance described as a trait that made her worthy of a leadership role was a bit much for the infested pony to accept. She was an outsider, in her mind, and she struggled to imagine a pony that would want to be led by the creepy pony that could read her mind and always wore a coat.

Sighing deeply, the pony reluctantly nodded and looked up at the alicorn. “If you insist, but I really don't think the average being would want to follow my orders. I mean, look at me.”

“You know, most ponies flirt with me a little more subtly,” Celestia remarked with a smirk.

Instantly Twilight’s face grew bright red and the pony began to stammer, only for Celestia to cut her off with a giggle.

“I’m teasing you, dear,” Celestia quickly explained. “I know what you mean, but just trust me when I say that during an emergency, few ponies are going to argue with the biggest, smartest pony in the room.”

“Well, you are right about one of those things anyway,” Twilight murmured.

Rolling her eyes, Celestia sighed and leaned a little closer, extending a hoof. “Look, I know the value of these lessons is not immediately evident, but you trust me, right?”

“Of course I trust you,” Twilight replied instantly.

Celestia smiled widely, her heart leaping in joy at hearing such a quick and confident affirmation of trust. “Then just continue to trust me on this one. Think of it like another kind of challenge. After all you're learning things you aren't immediately good at, for once.”

The unicorn’s blush nearly lit up both of her cheeks, and she tried to hide her face behind a hoof. “Oh stop. I’m not that smart.”

“Well, you’ve excelled in just about every academic course and test I’ve thrown at you, so I’d say you are pretty smart. This is just another trial, one that will merely take more effort to pass than usual I’m afraid,” Celestia continued.

Twilight nodded slowly. “I suppose, though it does make me wonder what kind of plans you have for me if you think I’ll need leadership skills and a better understanding on how to spot a good liar, among other things.”

Celestia smiled mysteriously, one side of her grin rising a bit higher than the other. “That's for me to know, and you to find out. Soon, I might add. I promise you won't be in the dark for much longer.”

“Well, I hope not,” Twilight muttered. “As much as I trust you I don't enjoy being moved around like a chesspiece.”

The alicorn laughed and shook her head. “Oh, Twilight, you are not a piece on the board, you are playing the game with me, I just haven't let you see that board yet.”

Twilight’s jaw hung open and she stood there awkwardly, confused, but also oddly flustered by the strange compliment. “Thanks? I think.”

“It is indeed a compliment, my dear friend,” Celestia continued, patting the mare on the hoof. “Now then, I had a few other questions to ask before I had to return to my duties.”

The younger mare straightened her back and nodded. “Fire away, Princess.”

Rolling her eyes, Celestia sighed. “You know I hate it when you use honorifics, Doctor Sparkle.”

“Hey, that one’s low! You tricked me into becoming a doctor,” Twilight replied, crossing her forehooves over her chest while wiggling a little more into her seat.

“You know most ponies would be happy that they had accidentally earned a doctorate before the age of eighteen,” Celestia pointed out.

“And I am not most ponies,” Twilight shot back.

Celestia nodded slowly. “That you aren't, my young friend. Regardless, I was just wondering how your father and Spike were doing. I heard the divorce finally went through.”

Twilight winced. “Dad is doing… alright, but he's not taking this whole unicornization of Canterlot well. He has been talking about moving away recently, but I don't think his idea of helping uncle Star Shine on his farm out east is the best idea.”

“Why do you say that?” Celestia inquired. “The confederacy may not be the most… well-liked of provinces, but it is remarkably safe, all things considered.”

Twilight nodded. “I know you’ve been trying to help them, and that it's been working, but it just seems silly. Why run from tribalist pricks only to go to the one place you are most likely to get strung up from a lamp post for having a horn.”

The alicorn frowned deeply, but couldn't help but agree. “Though I don't like it either, I would suggest your father follow that instinct of his. Canterlot’s troubles may be more than skin deep, but eventually those troubles will reach the surface and when that happens, things will not be pleasant.”

The younger mare stared at her older counterpart for several long seconds before nodding knowingly. Twilight knew that the alicorn’s words were only ignored by the foolish, and the dead, and she was determined to not end up as either of those things. “I’ll tell him that when I get home tonight, but I don't think he's going to leave Canterlot while I am still here.” She smiled faintly. “He's too loyal a stallion for that.”

Celestia felt her frown melt away, replaced by a soft smile. “Perhaps I could come up with a possible solution then.” She shook her head suddenly. “Regardless, how is Spike doing? Is he adjusting well to the tower? Or is he still scared of heights?”

Twilight giggled, and shook her head. “Oh, he got over that fear years ago, now he's just convinced the whole tower is just going to topple over one day.”

“Mature, yet so young at the same time,” Celestia mused aloud. “Such is youth, I suppose.”

“I’d say he's a smart dumbass, but I suppose that's a nicer way of putting it,” Twilight concluded with a small smirk.

Celestia chuckled, her gentle laughter akin to the sound of many tiny bells in Twilight’s opinion. “Regardless of however way you slice it, I’m glad you three are getting along so well.” The alicorn readjusted her hooves, all levity leaving her features in an instant. “Would you mind if I ask how your mother and brother are doing though? If you don't wish to speak of them, that's understandable.”

“No, it's fine,” Twilight remarked dismissively. “They are not worth of my anger,” she declared.

Celestia winced slightly, the alicorn able to detect the small, subtle shift in her annoyed student’s more rigid body language. “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely,” Twilight affirmed. “Mother was attending some manner of meditation course that was mandated by her work last I checked. She hasn't spoken to me in a long time, not since dad stood up for me a few years ago. As for Shining Armor…” She shrugged. “He's been distant, always looking away from me like he's ashamed or something. I don't think he's bought into mom’s bullshit, but he also won't leave her.”

“It is hard for any child to leave their family, especially when they are the last thing that family has,” Celestia replied softly. “I would not give up on him quite yet.”

“Well, some of us don't have that kind of patience,” Twilight muttered. “So, was that it?”

Celestia nodded slowly. “That is indeed it, my student. Have a wonderful evening, and I’ll see you bright and early for our seven o’clock start.”

Twilight hopped up, gave the alicorn a short, quick bow and left, her mind and attention elsewhere. A small part of her felt bad for treating the alicorn so rudely during the end of their lesson, but no matter how prepared she thought she was, conversations about the other half of her family always left her bitter. Bitter and angry, and she channeled that anger into her hooves as she stomped out the door, ignoring the looks she got from the guards that were present on either side of said door.

Just focus on getting back to the tower, Twilight, after that we can focus on how to apologize to Celestia, she thought to herself, her jaw clenched tight, and her gaze set on the distance, where she knew her destination lay. Hopefully Bull is working, I haven't seen her since I left for summer break.

The thought of the crotchety guard made her smile, and she silently hoped that the guard was waiting at her door, a smirk on her face, and a joke waiting on her lips.

Twilight’s boots clacked against the stone floor, her gaze lingering on the long line of windows to her right, and the cityscape that lay beyond. The view was amazing from the sky bridge leading from the central castle to her tower that lay just beyond the main structure. She could see for miles out over the city, and though the vista no longer filled her with awe and hope, the pony could not deny it was still pleasant to look at.

A stark contrast from what her new senses were telling her.

She detected no emotion from up ahead, and little to no thoughts either, making Twilight fear the worst. Images of Bull having been turned into one of those mindless servants of the old houses filled her head and she had to forcefully banish them lest the visions color her perception. She told herself that would never happen, but she remembered a time when she would have said the same about her brother and mother.

With her will steeled, she turned and glanced down to the end of the hall where a single lone guard and two doors sat. One, she knew led to the lower levels of the tower, while the central-most door led to her level, and was a pleasant sight. The guard however, was not, as he appeared to have the same glassy look that just about every other did. Though the sight gave Twilight hope that Bull had not fallen to the houses, it also left her fate up in the air.

The guard’s gaze remained locked on her the entire time Twilight approached, and though the younger mare towered over the full grown stallion, he did not waver in his gaze. When she finally drew near, he nodded slightly, a greeting of politeness, but not one of respect.

“Greetings, Twilight,” he began, his milky teal eyes betraying no emotion.

The young mare stopped for a moment, realizing that despite his somewhat bland exterior, that he wasn't quite as generic as he first appeared. Though his armor was a bog standard gold and he wore the same thing every other guard did, his fur was a soft orange, and a few strands of his electric blue mane poked out from the cracks of his helmet. Twilight brushed aside those small, subtle details and focused on the male more fully, finding that his mind was as seemingly blank as every other guard she had tried that on.

“Greetings to you, guard,” Twilight muttered. “Where is Bull? I was told she was assigned to me for another year.”

“She retired,” the guard replied quickly and evenly. “In disgrace, I’m afraid.”

Twilight bit back the angry retort she felt building in her throat and forced away all emotion. “What happened?” she demanded.

“I’m afraid I’m not authorized to give you such information,” the guard answered, bowing his head slightly. “I am sorry.”

Twilight probed the guard’s mind a second time, and after finding no manner of entrance, brushed him aside and pulled open the door to her home with her magic. “No matter then,” she muttered, passing by the guard without another thought.

Once inside, she quickly shut the door, and closed it firmly, using her magic to seal the portal tightly. Without having to worry about the guard’s uncomfortable gaze, Twilight looked around her abode with a small grin on her face. It was huge, easily three-storeys tall, witha large open area in the center. On either side of her were two storeys of bookshelves that ended where another full storey of windows began.

The central area was large, and had three-storey tall windows on either side that joined with the ones behind and above her. The result was an absolute flood of natural light that ensured that Twilight rarely had to burn a candle no matter the time of day. Not like that was even necessary anymore, as she found her natural night vision to be excellent, but she still used them regardless, just to keep up appearances if nothing else.

The other side of the structure was broken up into three layers, one, a simple reading nook tucked underneath the upper levels. It contained a large flat table piled high with various books, with a plethora of pillows stacked underneath. It also had a bathroom, and a small kitchenette complete with an enchanted fridge and dishwasher, luxuries that Twilight had rarely seen before she moved in. Above that was a floor where her bedroom lay, accessible by stairs tucked away in the right corner of the tower.

Above that was a large open area suitable for magical testing and star gazing, the second activity made easier by the large telescope in the corner. All in all it was a wide open and amazing place, and Twilight loved it, though that love was stifled somewhat by all the glaring security flaws that had been present when she had first arrived. Ultimately those had been fixed by a layer of wards and enchantments that made her home into a fortress.

Though that didn't explain why Spike was sitting in the reading nook, his hands clasped tightly together and a worried expression on his face. “H-hey, mom,” he greeted, waving a claw.

Raising an eyebrow, Twilight trotted over to the young dragon, stopping herself from taking off her boots and jacket due to the uttering of the word mom, which he rarely used. “What happened, Spike?” Twilight asked, her mind going out to his and finding that although he was worried, his thoughts were too tumultuous to read.

“I had an… interesting conversation,” he began, relaxing slightly when Twilight settled in next to him and rested a hoof on his back.

“Oh really, and with whom?” Twilight pressed, her consciousness brushing against his and forcing his thoughts into a more orderly state, while also placing her glasses on the table.

“H-him,” Spike whispered, pointing towards a seemingly random wall.

Instantly Twilight’s senses spun towards where Spike had pointed, psionic and magical power alike coming to her call. “Blueblood,” Twilight muttered, disgust dripping from every word.

The stallion emerged from a swirl of smoke, stepping forth from wisps of smoke and revealing himself fully. He was tall and lanky, the stallion appearing to be every bit the adult he carried himself as. Other than the increased height, he had evidently changed in other, more subtle ways, as his usual long blonde mane and tail had been cut so short they were both hardly visible and were bound in a tight braid.

His eyes also seemed to glow a faint green, smoke of the same shade of jade billowing from the edges. His normally nude body was wrapped in a tattered purple cloak bound to his form by dark purple wrappings of some kind. On one hoof he had one of the energy blade gauntlets she had seen a few of house Blueblood wear, though it seemed vaguely different. The weapon wasn't activated yet and Twilight wasn't going to give him time for that to change.

A mere second had passed since the smoke shrouding him had vanished and Twilight was already on him. Her large frame flew across the room, her right forehoof connecting with his chest hard enough to knock him back a few feet. He hardly had a chance to groan before Twilight appeared before him in a flash of light, her back hooves already extended and aimed at his chin.

The stallion went flying, the buck strong enough to send him airborne, his hooves leaving the ground fully and sending his mind reeling. He didn't have a chance to even land before he felt his body enraped by a field of some kind, though he didn't see the glow of Twilight’s magic. Then he was flying once more, this time tossed into a bookshelf which crumbled under the strength of the throw, and the stallion’s own body weight.

Twilight stomped her way across the floor, ignoring the strangely conflicted Spike standing off to the side, his spines raised, and his muscles ready, but his features unsure, and his mind awash with warring emotions. Brushing aside the dragon’s worry, the infested mare stomped her way up to the groaning pile of books which contained her target.

Extending a hoof, Twilight pulled the stallion from the ground by will alone, her hoof gripping his robe. “What do you want?” she hissed, her glowing yellow eyes burning brighter than ever.

The stallion’s gaze seemed distant, the male unable to gather his thoughts quickly enough for Twilight’s liking. The infested unicorn, already irritated by his presence, began to summon her magic in order to channel a spell powerful enough to eliminate the offending male. A second before it was complete however, Blueblood seemed to finally gather his bearings, and a hoof suddenly shot out and pressed against the mare’s head.

“Calm,” he whispered.

In an instant all rage was forgotten, the anger from having her sanctum invaded and the protective urges riled by Spike’s words, all just… slipped away. Stumbling backwards, the mare’s magic sputtered and fizzled, and she looked down on the stallion in a new light. She had been hasty, she knew that, but in her eyes this was her enemy, an emissary of the old houses sent against her. Now though, those feelings of anger were hard to rouse, and she watched him slowly rise and dust himself off, determined to hear him out at least before she reduced him to ash.

“Speak, noble,” Twilight spat.

Blueblood gave his body a quick shake, before turning and giving the broken bookcase a forlorn look. “We sure have changed, haven't we? I mean, here you are, destroying books and damaging a library,” quipped the stallion, who lifted one such destroyed book up, displaying its ruined spine.

Twilight yanked the book from the male’s grip and used the mana she had been building for an offencive spell to make the book glow and quickly fix itself. “There, now would you tell me why you are here?” Twilight reiterated.

Blueblood nodded and stepped out from the pile of books. “I apologize for intruding and speaking to your… son without your knowledge, but I’m afraid it was necessary.”

“Oh, and why is that, huh?” Twilight replied, her glare hardening. “I doubt gloating about isolating me or taking all my friends is that important.”

The male winced visibly, his gauntleted hoof rubbing the back of his neck. “No, I am not the same pony I was nearly a decade ago.”

“Right, now you are one of them. Albeit with a weirder dress code,” Twilight added.

“Just hear him out,” Spike interrupted, the dragon wincing when Twilight’s blazing orbs settled on him. “He has something important to say.”

Twilight relaxed slightly, the words of her most loyal companion weighing heavily on her. “Well, go on then.”

“Please, allow me to apologize for my tacit endorsement of my father’s actions. I wish I had stood up for you all those years ago.” He sighed. “But that is neither here nor there. Long story short, I’ve learned just how truly mad my father and his allies are and I’ve come to offer you aid in the form of information.”

Twilight eyed him carefully before she finally relaxed completely. “Out with it then. I don't have all day.”

“Right.” Blueblood took a deep breath. “Something big is going to happen a year from now. I have allies within the ranks of the houses, allies that wish to break away from the houses’ control, but not before we are able to deal them some kind of blow.”

Nodding slowly, Twilight brushed against his mind and found that what he said was true, though the rest of his thoughts lay below an impenetrable layer of something she could not push past. Pulling back, the unicorn was pleased to find that there was indeed the activity she had been searching for, but the layer of white noise over top of it was too much like the empty space inside the other guard’s minds for her liking.

“A blow we wish to deal in one year,” Blueblood continued. “Though we know not what this blow will take the form of. Our mutual enemy seems to think that their plan will quote unquote, win their freedom. Whatever that means.”

Twilight scoffed, a sneer growing across her face. “You know nothing but vague portents and have nothing to offer but empty promises.”

Blueblood took a step forward, his brow creased with worry. “We need to work together when we act, you have Celestia’s ear, she must know what you now know.”

“What would I tell her, huh?” Twilight challenged. “That some random stallion thinks something bad is going to happen next year, but don't worry his shadowy cabal is going to try and help us to stop it? Get real.”

Sighing, Blueblood shook his head. “I am not your enemy, Twilight. I am just-”

The infested unicorn lurched forward, teeth bared and eyes glowing brightly. “You, your family, the old houses and everyone else that wants to get in my way is my enemy. So take your prophecies and nonsense and fuck off.”

Blueblood shook his head slowly, a strangely sad expression crossing his face. “That is exactly what they want you to say. Abandon hatred, Twilight.” His form began to blur as smoke billowed all around him. “For hatred is a weapon they can turn against you. And they will use it against you.”

The smoke vanished as quickly as it appeared, the stallion it had hid having disappeared.

With an angry shout, Twilight grabbed a random book and whipped it as hard as she could against a window. “Fuck!”

Author's Notes:

If you want to read the next update at the begining of the month rather at the end, or just want get a commission from me as well as access to patreon exclusive content, head over to my patreon!

Join me over on patreon and get instant access to exclusive content and early looks at new stories, patreon only stories and other great stuff! Check it out!
Or just join the discord to ensure that you dont miss an update.
This update was made possible by the wonderful support of readers like you:
Anonymous, Apollyon, Azin, Blade Tech, Brendan, Canary in the coal mine, Ceepert, Chris, Craig, DioKyo, Doomgooey, Facinus, Free, GruB, I am unknown, Ivar, Jeffrey, Josh, Kali, M, Makani, Mecha Paladin, Megatyrant, Menthol Qtip, Mike, Mikhaila, Mirvra, Nathan, Nfreak, Nicky Aelia, Octavia, Pacsik, Peter, Random Reader, Shooting Star, Soundtea, Starless, Steven, T Sparkle, Tiwake, Todd Herron, Trash Panda, Travis, Vigilant Watch, Xvos, and last but not least Zarivin.

A Velvet Scalpel

“Ahh, Silver Scalpel and Velvet Touch, please come in!” Celestia exclaimed, gesturing to the open chairs across from her.

The two ponies paused in the doorway, unused to seeing Celestia’s study so barren. The usual displays of knick knacks and random historical items were all gone, replaced by flat white walls and an open, empty area. Even Celestia’s usually cluttered desk was almost completely devoid of paperwork or random objects, only two neat stacks labeled ‘in’ and ‘out’ were left. Most of the colors in the room seemed to have been stripped away, leaving behind only the stark white marble and the red and gold window coverings.

“Gotten into minimalism I see,” Silver Scalpel remarked as she sat across from the princess.

“It certainly feels bigger…” Velvet Touch added, the mare taking a seat next to her partner before looking around the comparatively empty room.

“Yes, well, it was about time I cleaned up this place and put the non-essential items in storage,” Celestia replied dismissively, before tapping her desk. “I assume you have brought your final report as requested?”

Silver Scalpel scowled, but produced a slim manilla folder regardless, placing it on the desk in front of the alicorn. “I’m telling you right now, this is a mistake.”

“Your concerns have been noted,” Celestia replied simply, the alicorn flipping through the folder before nodding and placing it in the ‘in’ stack to her left. “Everything seems to be in order.”

“Celestia, if I may,” Velvet Touch piped up.

The alicorn nodded. “Yes, what is it, Velvet Touch?”

“Though I agree with Silver, I’m curious as to why you are scrapping the entire project so suddenly,” Velvet remarked.

“Yeah, and right when we were starting to really figure this thing out as well,” Silver added.

Celestia sighed and steepled her hooves before her. “Though I regret not being able to continue this program, it had its issues that could not be ignored. For starters the costs associated have ballooned out of control.”

“If we didn't have so much damn security that wouldn't be a problem,” Silver Scalpel growled.

“And if your team would stop leaking things to the press or the great houses for so much as a single day, they wouldn't be necessary,” Celestia shot back.

“I don't think that's completely fair,” Velvet Touch interrupted, interposing herself between the alicorn and the unicorn. “They are under a lot of stress. A few bad apples shouldnt ruin it for us all.”

“Yeah!” Silver shouted, slamming her hoof on the desk. “You’ve fired and rehired nearly my entire staff at this point, surely you’ve weeded out all of them by now.”

Celestia slowly raised an eyebrow. “You really don't know, do you?”

“Know what?” Silver Scalpel asked.

Shaking her head, Celestia opened a drawer, rifling through a few folders before grabbing a rather hefty-looking one and slamming it on the desk. “This.”

“And what is this anyway?” Velvet Touch inquired, the mare sitting a little taller in order to see all the writing on the folder.

“This is a record of every single leak in both of your departments,” Celestia declared, tapping the top of the folder. “There have been over six hundred and thirty-two succesful or attempted leaks.” The mare shook her head slowly. “Calling it a department isn't even accurate anymore, they are more like sieves than anything.”

“I…” Velvet Touch gulped. “Are there really that many?”

Celestia nodded and opened the folder. “It took three days for the first leak to happen, and since then there’s only been a single month where you have gone without a leak and it was directly after I was forced to try Beaker for treason against the crown.”

“Woah,” muttered Velvet Touch, who watched as Celestia flipped through the folder.

“Silver Scalpel, did you know your second-in-command is implicated in over thirty seperate leaks?” Celestia pressed.

“That's impossible,” declared Silver. “Graduated is a fine stallion, and does good work.”

“That doesn't mean he hasn't also directly overseen the leaking of over five hundred and ninety pages of classified information,” Celestia stated, before closing the file and tucking it back away in her desk.

“So there have been a few leaks, what does it matter?” Silver announced.

“Silver,” Velvet Touch hissed.

“What? It's true. We’re a research division working on a potential cure to a plague that could wipe out all life on the planet. The more information that is out there the greater the chance that someone else is able to crack this thing wide open and help us all,” Silver exclaimed, throwing up her hooves.

Celestia tapped her hoof impatiently against the desk. “Are you done?”

“Yes,” Silver declared.

“Let me tell you what your leaking has done, and when I’m done if you still think it was worth it, I’ll admit defeat,” Celestia replied.

The alicorn stood before anyone could mutter a word and walked over to the window. “A mother and child in Ponyville were burnt alive in their homes because it was assumed they were infected.”

“That's ridiculous, we said the infection was-” Silver began, only for Celestia to shoot her a glare so strong that she closed her mouth on reflex.

“I will not be interrupted,” Celestia stated before turning back to the window. “And that was only one such event, there have been over thirty-two known attempts on the lives of innocents, some which have been unfortunately successful. Most of which have been burnt alive, sometimes locked in their own homes. Do you know why this has happened, Silver Scalpel?”

The mare gulped. “N-no.”

“Several years ago, one of your reports that suggested fire as a potential weapon against the infection was leaked. Since then it’s been spread amongst the population, whom have used it as justification to immolate their very neighbors.” Celestia turned to the mare, glaring down at her. “Do you still think it’s worth it?”

“Well, I…” Silver Scalpel breathed deeply and nodded. “If it ends up saving us all from a viral apocalypse, then it's regrettable, but not the worst possible outcome.”

“Silver Scalpel, how could you say that?” Velvet Touch asked in shock.

“We are weighing the lives of every known creature on this planet, anything less than genocide is not enough to be truly weighted against that,” Silver Scalpel justified.

“Do you think you could do it? Could you board the windows of your neighbor’s house, lay the kindling on her doorstep and light the match?” Celestia asked, turning back to the mare and trotting towards her. “Could you hold true to your justification as you watched the flesh melt off the body of a child no older than five? A child, whom had not done anything to deserve it save to be born with a minor genetic mutation that made her skin a little harder and her hair slightly thinner?”

“I uh, well I’d never-” Silver sputtered.

“Could you? Would you be able to watch her single mother as she desperately shielded her foal with her own body, hoping against hope that the fire would burn out before her progeny perished?” Celestia continued, stepping closer and towering over the other mare.

“I…” The mare looked down. “I couldn't.”

“Unless you yourself are capable of committing every atrocity that is a result of your actions, do not speak to me of whether or not it is ‘worth it’.” Celestia spat before stepping back and sitting back down. “There have been many other effects of the leaks, such as a certain faction claiming unicorns are not affected, and using that to justify racism and bigotry, but I think I’ve made my point.”

“Yes, you have,” Velvet replied as she rubbed her partner’s back while she looked down at the ground.

“Furthermore, my efforts are required elsewhere, and budget concerns have been raised. The funds would better be spent on other projects,” Celestia added.

“What about Twilight’s mental status? Is someone else going to be keeping an eye on her?” Velvet Touch asked as she rubbed Silver’s back in slow circles.

“I will,” Celestia declared. “I’ve studied your work, and taken some time to study recent advances in psychology. Though my doctorate is over a hundred years old at this point, I believe I have caught up with the modern times enough to do an adequate job.”

“Wait, you have a doctorate in psychology?” Velvet muttered.

Celestia nodded. “I’ve studied a good majority of modern sciences over the years, and though I don't like to mention it, I’ve gained around a dozen doctorates in various fields over the millenia. Though a few of those are useless considering modern advances.” The alicorn shook her head. “The point is, I will be taking over this duty, and slotting it into my daily lessons. It is my belief that a more natural approach to monitoring her will work better.”

“I don't know about that,” Velvet Touch began, retracting her hoof from her partner’s shoulder now that she was sitting straight once more. “The more professional setting helps to calm most patients and allow a deeper understanding of their ills.”

“If they could not read your mind and know exactly what conclusions you are drawing from what they are saying,” Celestia countered.

“I don't think that's wholly fair,” Velvet Touch stated.

“It isn't, but it is just how things are now, I’m afraid,” Celestia replied. “Twilight has remarked on more than one occasion that she has lied to you when she knows you will think ill of her if she spoke the truth.”

Velvet Touch winced and rubbed one foreleg with the other. “I did remember those reports, though I had hoped we had worked past it.”

“Look, Velvet,” Celestia whispered, reaching across the table and taking the mare’s hoof in her own. “You did fantastically for nearly a decade and have no doubt significantly assisted in her mental stability, but I simply don't have the time or the funds necessary for you to carefully rebuild that trust. Twilight trusts me implicitly, and it's simply easier for me to take over this duty, though it pains me to let you two go in the process.”

Velvet Touch sighed and shrugged off the other mare’s grip. “I suppose you are right, Princess,” she conceded. “It's just sad to go out like this. I really felt like she was more a friend than a patient.”

“And Twilight has said something similar as well.” Celestia sighed. “Just not lately, I’m afraid.”

“I guess it's for the best then,” Velvet Touch murmured, turning to her partner and gently touching her shoulder. “Come on, Silver, we should go.”

“No,” Silver declared suddenly, sitting up as straight as possible. “This isn't right. Even with the leaks, and the other… issues. I don't think the correct response is to destroy all our laboratory equipment and mothball the entire thing.”

“I can appreciate that this news is unpleasant, but I assure you there is little I can do at this point. The order is given, and is being carried out as we speak,” Celestia replied calmly.

Silver stood up and slammed her hoof against the desk. “Bullshit! We could have used that equipment. I could have used the possibility of being able to include this on my resume. Velvet could have used the chance to get her Ph.D.!”

“It's fine dear, I’ve already got another study I’ve been working-” Velvet Touch tried to interrupt.

“But you shouldn't have to,” Silver shot back, her mane flying as she turned on the other unicorn. “You had committed almost a decade of your life to looking after a hoofful of patients. You should be able to use that experience.”

“If bits are your primary concern, you should know that won’t be an issue,” Celestia explained. “Though it is lamentable that you are not able to directly advertise what you’ve done, working directly under the crown on a secret project you are not allowed to speak of is a form of recognition in its own right and although I can't comment on your work, I can tell any future employers what a good job you did.”

“Celestia is right,” Velvet Touch added quickly. “Though it may not be the best outcome, that doesn't mean it's all bad. I could work in that orphanage we visited the other week. You could work in the children’s hospital without having to worry about the pay cut.”

“I know that's a possibility, but we shouldn't have to change our dreams, our aspirations in the first place,” Silver Scalpel declared, sitting back in her chair. “This entire thing feels wrong.”

“Be that as it may, it's already done and if that is all, I would ask that you return home and plan the next phase of your lives,” Celestia exclaimed.

“Come on, Silver, we better go,” Velvet Touch remarked, standing up and turning to the door.

“Wait, there is just one last thing I wanted to talk about before this chapter of our lives is closed for good,” Silver Scalpel interrupted, catching her partner on the shoulder.

“Go ahead, Silver,” Celestia invited. “I owe you at least some closing remarks.”

The mare nodded and set her jaw. “I have just one last question, namely, what do you intend to do with the subject?”

“Excuse me?” Celestia replied, forehooves pressing tightly against one another.

“Silver Scalpel, this is not the time,” Velvet Touch hissed, grabbing the mare’s shoulder.

“No, I’m serious. She represents a risk we cannot ignore, even you have to realize this,” Silver Scalpel pressed, the mare looking up at the alicorn intensely.

“What exactly are you implying, Silver Scalpel?” Celestia whispered harshly, her voice low and gaining an almost menacing edge to it.

Though intimidated, Silver Scalpel didn't give up, the mare rising from her seat. “I mean to ask what your plans are for it. No matter how you want to frame it, she represents a risk that no one can afford to take.”

“That’s enough, Silver, now come on we-” Velvet touch interrupted, only to be silenced by Celestia raising a gentle hoof.

“No, I want Silver to finish her thought. Tell us what you really want to say,” Celestia invited, an obviously fake smile spreading across her face. “We are all friends here, after all.”

“Look. I won't try and pretend like I have the moral high ground here, but you cannot deny that this thing has the very real chance of turning into a global pandemic. No matter your feelings on the matter, it represents a risk that is connected to the creatures harassing the farmers out there in the wastes,” Silver continued, growing bolder with each word.

“Those tests were inconclusive and unsubstantiated,” Celestia shot back. “The inability to take a subject alive means that any and all genetic studies will be useless due to the rapid degradation.”

“But what we have managed to gather is more than enough to indicate that they share a disturbing amount of genetic similarities and that's without even considering the other things they have in common,” Silver Scalpel replied.

“And what, pray tell, does a mere child have in common with ravenous beasts?” Celestia asked calmly, her gaze fixed unblinkingly to Silver’s.

“Oh, you know I didn't mean anything personal with that,” Silver replied.

“Than what did you really mean then?” Celestia responded.

“They adapt quickly, they are more aggressive than most animals and they are the only species, or group of species that have been shown to have the capability to replicate your student’s psionic abilities,” Silver declared.

Velvet Touch chewed on her hoof nervously as she looked back and forth from mortal to immortal, unable to muster a word.

“Though they have a passing similarity, one has been changed and afflicted by a sort of parasite. The other seems to be a collective group of creatures following the will of some yet unknown master,” Celestia remarked dismissively. “Though they have similar abilities, they diverge too much for a comparison to be reliably drawn between them.”

Silver Scalpel scoffed. “It is enough that they are both psionic or at least receptive to psionics to prove a link. It is not a skill that any native Equiss species has exhibited.”

“Over a third of the species on our very planet have yet to be fully studied,” Celestia countered, waving away the mare’s concern. “And that is without considering the very real possibility that changelings operate in a psionically linked hivemind.”

“Changelings haven't even been proven to exist at all,” Silver Scalpel fired back, leaning forward on the alicorn’s desk. “All we have to prove they are real is a few firsthoof accounts and a single dismembered hoof that is too badly damaged to gain any meaningful information from.”

Celestia scoffed. “You cannot be serious, you actually believe such a conspiracy theory? I was there, I have witnessed what they leave in their wake and fought them firsthoof!”

“Conspiracy theory? Is that what you think the complete lack of scientific evidence is?” Silver scoffed right back, shaking her head. “I’ll give you a conspiracy theory. Like how you are funding those rebels out in the wastes!”

“I have done no such thing and they are not rebels. They are a province like any other,” Celestia replied dismissively.

“Yeah, sure, which is why they don't pay taxes and don't have an elected official in parliament,” Silver countered.

“But I thought they were exempt from taxes due to their continued struggles with the zerg,” Velvet Touch interrupted, drawing the ire of her partner and an appreciative nod from Celestia.

“That they are, Velvet Touch,” Celestia agreed. “Their last elected official was killed by a group of zerg on her last trip to the capital and as they are currently embroiled in a deadly struggle against said zerg, they are not in a good place to elect a new one.”

“The death toll has yet to even hit the hundreds!” Silver Scalpel shouted. “How is it even an emergency if more ponies have been killed by gangs in Manehattan in the last year than have perished on the frontier since this entire thing began?”

“Because that report you are citing has chosen to not include the missing, who were either abducted or were more than likely eaten,” Celestia deadpanned.

Silver Scalpel sat back in her chair with a thump, the mare shaking her head. “I still don't think this is right. At a time when we should be figuring out as much as we can, you are shuttering the leading researchers.”

“I’m shuttering an inefficient team unable to stop the constant leak of highly classified government documents and redirecting those funds elsewhere,” Celestia clarified. “Saying that I have stopped researching this new foe because I’m closing one lab is like saying you’ve stopped doing the dishes forever because you ignored them for a day.”

“You must understand how one might see it that way, can't you?” Velvet Touch intercepted. “Despite the leaks, their effectiveness was proven.”

“Oh, I understand where she's coming from, but what I wonder is if Miss Scalpel can grasp why I would not want a team that leaks as much as hers had.” Celestia steepled her hooves. “As far as we know, the zerg are smarter than we realize and are aware of how far we’ve come in researching their physiology.”

“I-!” Silver began, only for her jaw to hang open. “I never…”

“Never considered that on top of killing entire families that you also may very well have been handing information to the very enemy on our doorstep. One that you yourself claimed to be a potential world-ending threat of pandemic proportions?” Celestia finished, her features firm and her jaw set.

“Y-yeah…” Silver Scalpel murmured softly.

“Ponies sometimes ask me what benefits immortality has, and one thing I always tell them is perspective,” Celestia began, her tone losing some of the edge it had only moments earlier. “We considered yaks to be too stupid to be a truly sentient species at one point due to their lack of written language and nomadic life style. Only for those very same yaks to read this quote unquote study in our own newspapers. The experience of millenia gives perspective that most lack.”

“That is certainly something to consider,” Velvet Touch replied diplomatically before turning to her partner and pulling her up and off her chair, ushering the still distraught pony in the direction of the door. “We really should be going before someone puts their hoof in their mouth again.”

Silver nodded and merely allowed herself to be pulled along, staring at the floor, unblinking.

“Oh and if you two even give me the impression that you have used what you know against the crown in any capacity, or if I even get a whiff that you’ve broken your oaths, expect to become intimately familiar with the deepest cell I can find,” Celestia called out, stopping the pair at the door. “I do not make this threat idily, but nor do I want to have to back up said threat.”

“We won’t, Your Majesty,” Velvet Touch replied, before giving her partner a light smack on the shoulder. “Isn't that right, Silver?”

“Yeah, don't worry about it, Princess,” she muttered, unable to look the alicorn in the eye.

Nodding slowly, Celestia pulled a sheet of papers from her ‘in’ folder. “I wish the rest of your days are more peaceful than what these last few days have been.”

And with that, the door slammed shut, leaving Silver Scalpel and Velvet Touch standing outside the alicorn’s sanctuary, a pair of dead-eyed guards standing on either side of them. “Come on, Silver, we should get home. Maybe that pizza we ordered the other day is still good.”

Silver nodded and followed closely after the other mare, her gaze low and her shoulders drooping. “I can't let their sacrifice be in vain,” she whispered to herself.

“What was that?” Velvet asked, stopping and waiting up for Silver.

“N-nothing. Just thinking aloud is all,” Silver replied quickly.

“Maybe we should grab something to eat on the way home instead,” Velvet offered. “Maybe that would help take our minds off this whole thing.”

Though the other mare nodded, her gaze was distant, as was her mind. “Sure, whatever you say, dear.”

Frowning, the other pony began to trot down the hall once more while keeping a closer eye on her special somepony who lagged slightly behind.

A few feet away, the two guards standing vigil by the door exchanged a knowing look, the one to the left of the door nodding after a brief, silent exchange passed between them. The plan already formed, and set into motion, the guards turned back to their duty, both pretending like nothing happened.

Silver Scalpel had been rendered unstable, they had realized, and had accidentally given them a hook to which they could drag her to their side. There was no doubt in either guard’s mind that it would take little prompting to get the mare to work for them, as her desire to make things right was as obvious as it was all consuming. The only detail left up to chance at this point was what to do about her mate, who seemed to side with Celestia more often than not.

Something both of them knew was not a good indicator of a long life.

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An Inopportune Reunion

Twilight groaned as she plodded down the street, crowd parting around her and Spike as if guided by the cool, fall wind that nipped at their heels. “I can't believe Celestia is working me so hard,” she moaned, shoulders slumped.

Every last inch of the pony’s body ached, even her horn, which was still warm after the rigorous workout she had put it through. Though she had showered, she still felt sweaty, her clothes feeling ten times their usual weight despite the fact that nothing had changed. Even Twilight’s enhanced strength strained under the amount of work she had put her body through, and her hoofsteps were heavy and slow.

“I know what you mean. I feel way stronger after carrying all your books,” Spike added, while striking a pose and flexing.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Those books were nothing. Did you even see the size of those weights she had me lift?”

Spike shrugged. “I could probably lift them easily, I mean, look at this.” The dragon struck another pose and flexed even harder, showing off his almost non-existent muscles. “Oh yeah, that's what I’m talking about.”

“Your arms look like noodles, just like the rest of you,” Twilight pointed out, jabbing him in the stomach.

The dragon winced and clutched his belly. “Hey, it’s not my fault I’m part noodle. You are what you eat after all and grandpa only now figured out how to cook.”

“True,” Twilight admitted. “I don't think we ate anything that wasn't reheated or came out of a box for the first few years after him and mom broke up.”

“Seriously, the guy needs to figure out how to make something other than spaghetti,” groaned Spike. “I mean it's good, don't get me wrong, but it feels like we have it at least twice a week.”

“Either that or pancakes,” Twilight added, ignoring the pointed stares and judging looks from many of the unicorns she passed.

The glares and looks had long since stopped bothering her, and the pony hardly even noticed them nowadays, having learned to focus on Spike in times like this. Something she did now, watching as he continued to hike down the street, his backpack filled with books, as were her own saddle bags. Going home for the weekend was always a bittersweet adventure for them, as it meant leaving Celestia, but seeing her father again.

Thinking of the older stallion, Twilight couldn't help but wonder what the surprise he had mentioned in his letter the other day was. They didn't exactly have a lot of bits, though thanks to Celestia, they never had to worry too much, or consider the possibility of going hungry. He also wasn't likely to have learned how to cook anything new, as that took the stallion months to do. Perhaps he had managed to get some of the stuff they had left at her mother’s?

She shrugged and dismissed her pondering, focusing on the road before them and the ponies they passed by. Only to remember why she hardly gave them a second thought when she received a scowl from a random unicorn who was followed closely by a blank-looking servant. Whose thoughts were dulled and unpleasant, reminding Twilight that it wasn't just the guards who were changing.

She didn't even want to know how they ended up like that, as it was no doubt an unpleasant experience.

Sighing, the infested pony walked a little closer to Spike, keeping a close eye on the drake, who was watching the crowd. His expression was reserved, the male no doubt wondering what Twilight had been pondering only a few minutes earlier. The dragon was surprisingly empathetic, as the fire-bellied lizards were supposedly largely selfish and cared little for others. Yet here he was, frowning, as he looked out over the judgemental and cruel crowd of unicorns and only a few earth ponies and pegasi.

“So, what do you wanna do when you get home?” Twilight asked, bumping her hip against the drake’s. “‘Cause I was thinking of convincing dad to play a game of risk with me, if you’d like to join, that is.”

Instantly the dragon’s mood shifted and he smirked. “Good luck with that. I think he’s finally learned that there is no way to beat you, even if he always seems to have better luck than you.”

The unicorn snorted and cursed under her breath. “Stupid dice. One day I’ll make a game that doesn't rely so heavily on chance, and then you’ll all be sorry.”

Spike laughed. “Yeah, but then you’ll never get anyone else to play with you. See, it’s a balance between luck and skill that…”

“Okay, I’m going to stop you right there,” Spike interrupted, holding up a clawed hand. “That is way too many rules.”

“What? No, it’s not. We’re only on rule number what, thirty-nine?” Twilight replied.

“Yeah, but that's thirty-nine subrules, to forty regular rules. That’s crazy, that's like a bajillion rules,” Spike replied, throwing up his hands.

Twilight hummed thoughtfully. “I suppose that is a lot for people to remember.”

“Thank yo-” Spike began, only to be interrupted.

“Which is why we’ll have a rule where one person has to read all the rules and act as a judge!” Twilight declared. “It's brilliant.”

The dragon groaned and slapped a hand against his head. “It is not. That's just ridiculous. Noone is going to want to just serve as a judge for a game. That’s boring.’

“Fine,” Twilight replied with a pout. “I suppose that is a lot to expect of someone.”

Spike perked up suddenly, pointing down the road to the house next to their apartment building, where a unicorn was raising a flag on the small pole that sat in the middle of her yard. “Hey, look.”

“Daring, but I would hate to hear what her neighbors think,” Twilight replied, watching closely as the unicorn raised the flag proudly, before taking a step back to admire her handiwork.

“Nice flag!” shouted Spike, who gave the mare a wave.

The pony blinked, and recoiled slightly, shooting the dragon a glare. “I don't appreciate being mocked you know.”

“But I wasn't-” Spike began.

“He was being serious, we both are,” interrupted Twilight, who walked up to the tall fence that lined the mare’s property.

The pony gave them both a look before sighing and nodding slowly, taking a step forward. “Sorry about that. This is just the third flag I’ve raised. The others keep getting stolen.”

Spike shrugged. “It’s okay, we know what it's like supporting the confederacy. Don't we, Twilight?”

The infested mare nodded. “That we do.”

“Wait, Twilight… Twilight Sparkle?” asked the other pony with wide, curious eyes.

“Err yes?”

“Oh wow, I didn't know you lived around here,” remarked the mare in shock. “Hey, is it true what they say about Celestia and that she is helping the confederacy in secret?”

Twilight smirked. “Maybe, depends on who's asking.”

“That is so awesome. Those poor ponies deserve all the help they can get!” exclaimed the mare with a grin.

“If only that stupid vizier or whatever wasn't around,” complained Spike.

“True. It seems like everything has gotten worse since they showed up,” agreed the pink maned, and blue furred unicorn.

“Well, we better get moving, Spike. It was nice meeting you…” Twilight announced hesitantly, extending a hoof towards the pony.

Who promptly clopped her own hoof against the taller mare’s. “Star Bright. For family, friends, and the Confederacy!”

Twilight chuckled as she returned the salute with one of her own. “Good luck with your flag.”

“Have a nice weekend!” Spike added before the pair trotted away, leaving a grinning Star Bright to wave after them. “What a nice lady.”

“Let's hope she's not another plant,” Twilight murmured with a snort.

The dragon’s smile vanished and he sighed. “Yeah.”

Together they walked the rest of the way to their apartment, stopping only to greet the elderly security guard who was muzzle deep in another book. After that it was a silent plod the rest of the way up the stairs, and to the entrance of their home. Using her magic to unlock the door, Twilight was about to open it when she stopped and sniffed the air.

“Do you smell that?” Twilight asked, turning to Spike.

The dragon shrugged. “You mean the spaghetti? ‘Cause I can smell that from down the hall, what with all the garlic grandpa throws in it.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Not that, I thought I smelled perfume for a second. It must have been nothing.”

Opening the door, Twilight was greeted with a wave of garlic, making her nose wrinkle and her stomach rumble. Despite all her complaining, her father’s cooking was still quite good, and entering the small kitchen revealed that he was busy cooking at that very moment. “Hey dad, how was your day?”

Her father spun around and gasped, placing a hoof over his heart. “Holy jumping jelly beans. You darn near scared the poop out of me.”

“Really dad? Jumping jelly beans?” Twilight deadpanned, as she unslung her bags and set them aside.

“What? It was the first thing that came to mind and I was distracted,” declared Night Light, pointing to the spaghetti he was stirring in a pot.

Spike sniffed the air and grinned. “And is that garlic bread I smell?”

“It is indeed,” Night Light replied, only to frown. “Though I may have gone overboard on the garlic.”

“Ya think? We could smell it all the way down the hall.” Twilight remarked flatly, before levitating her, and Spike’s bags into their room before returning to the dining room and plunking down in her favorite chair. “So, what was this surprise anyway? Unless the surprise was you trying to make garlic bread again.”

“Yes, and no,” Night Light answered, turning off the stove, and retrieving a pan of garlic bread. “I also invited someone over and she said yes.”

Spike sniffed the air and sat down next to Twilight, noticing only now that the table was already set, and that everything was ready for supper. “Isn't this all a little early?”

The stallion shrugged. “It's only a half hour early, besides, I’m hungry.”

“Fair enough, though I am curious as to who you invited.” Twilight smirked as she leaned over her chair. “Are you finally getting back into the dating scene?”

“Not exactly,” Night Light murmured, before ducking into the fridge and pulling out a pitcher of water and placing it on the table along with a plate of garlic bread and a bowl of pasta. “You already know her, and though you had a bit of a falling out, I think we can work it out together.”

“Wait, you aren't talking about mom, are you?” Twilight demanded, glaring at her father as he sat down at the head of the table.

“Now, Twilight, I know things haven't worked out well these past few years, but she is still your mother,” Night Light replied with more force than he usually used. “And she deserves to at least be listened to.”

It was at this point that the door to the bathroom opened, and everyone turned to face the familiar sight of Twilight Velvet, who was using her magic to arrange her hair. “Oh, Night Light, I just love what you’ve done with the bathroom. I guess I should have let you decorate all those… Oh… hello Twilight, Spike.”

The dragon could barely restrain from growling, while Twilight’s glare made the older mare shrink slightly as she walked up to the table. Taking a seat to Night Light’s right, the mare plunked down and smiled warily, looking around the table. She hadn't appeared to have changed much over all this time, other than gaining some more wrinkles and grey hair.

“What are you doing here?” Twilight asked, hooves crossed over her chest.

“Look, Twilight…” began her mother, who leaned forward on the table, “I know what I did was wrong and letting this fester between us for as long as it has not been good either. But your father and I have been talking and we have agreed that it is in all of our best interests if we try and work towards putting this behind us.”

Twilight tapped her hoof against the table, glancing from one family member to another, conflicted. Her father was cautiously optimistic, the paranoid stallion smiling despite just how nervous he was. Spike seemed ready, as if waiting for word on how to feel or what to do, the drake staring intently at Twilight. Her mother meanwhile looked scared, that much was obvious, but there was also a hint of hope that made Twilight pause.

In her heart, Twilight wanted to forgive the pony, but she knew that the houses had already begun to increase their attempts on infiltrating her life. If they had managed to convert the elder pony to their side, they would no doubt use her against Twilight. With that thought firmly in mind, Twilight used her new senses and began to study the pony in a more intimate manner.

She was surprised and relieved to find that she didn't feel blank like the guards, though her mind still felt oddly familiar to those other unicorns. Had she been fully converted? Or had she stopped mid-way through the indoctrination? Had they simply began to send regular, unbrainwashed spies into her midst, utilizing good old-fashioned intimidation and charisma to make the older pony spy on her own daughter?

There were too many questions, too many variables, and it bothered the analytical pony, who couldn't help but imagine all the ways this situation could come back to bite her in the ass. Crossing her hooves over her chest, she sat back in her chair and shook her head. “Apology not accepted. You hurt me, badly, and you coming back like this out of the blue is too perfect,” announced Twilight.

Spike sighed, relaxing somewhat, and scooched closer to the unicorn, while her father seemed defeated, as did her mother. “Look, I know this is all rather sudden, but your father and I thought that if we told you first, that you would just not come home,” pressed the elder unicorn, who looked to the lone stallion for help.

Night Light nodded. “I know this might seem like we are springing it on you, but I really wanted you two to sit down and have a chance to talk it out.”

“Well, we talked it out, she can leave now,” Twilight snapped.

Before anyone could say anything, the stallion grabbed Twilight’s hoof, and forced their eyes to meet. “Twilight, please just listen to her, talk to us. This isn't another game of stratego, sometimes people are as they appear to be.”

Twilight Velvet nodded. “Please Twilight, talk to me, tell me what I can do to help make this work. To prove that I’m sorry and that I was wrong.”

Carefully, Twilight removed her father’s hoof and stood up, pushing out her chair. “You want to do something, to prove yourself? Go back all those years and untraumatize me. Take back all those nights I spent crying alone in my room, knowing that my mother no longer loved me. Until you can do that, I have nothing to say to you.”

Twilight turned and was ready to walk away when she heard another chair move and hooves clatter across the floor. She turned and found that her mother was kneeling before her, tears in her eyes and a desperate look on her face. “Please Twilight, I know I can't take it back, but give me a chance at least,” she begged, latching onto the unicorn’s foreleg and holding it in her own forehooves. “I admit I was scared, and that I still am, but unlike before, I’m not scared of you. I’m scared of going back home knowing I’ve failed you again.”

Taken aback by this sudden change, Twilight could only stand there as the other mare poured her heart out unexpectedly. “The ponies I thought were my friends told me such terrible things, feeding on my fear and getting me to buy into their bullshit. I was a fool, you hear me? A complete and utter fool that they took for a ride, and left by the wayside.”

“So this is it then?” Twilight snapped, tugging her hoof from her mother’s grip. “You lost your friends, and now you are back not because you want to make things right, but because you are terrified of being alone. Pathetic.”

Tears streamed down the older unicorn’s face and she nodded slowly, shoulders slumped. “I know that's how it must look and I admit that is part of it. This decisiveness going on recently, combined with being dropped like the garbage I am made me realize how it felt. That doesn't excuse what I did, or make it even or anything, but I promised myself I would never lie to you, not again.”

Twilight paused mid-turn, and breathed slowly, her emotions threatening to overtake her senses. She had never considered the possibility of this even happening, and without any plan or time to think she was left in a strange place. Normally she would ruminate on the pros and cons of every action before settling on what was the most logical and best outcome, something she couldn't exactly do right now.

With a sigh, Twilight turned back around and looked down on the still kneeling mare with pity, gently probing the older pony’s mind. Regret flooded in, and though there was indeed still fear there, it didn't feel like it was directed at her. Yet still, she could feel that same emptiness, that same dullness she had sensed in every guard she had scanned, stopping her from simply forgiving her then and there.

“Fine,” she announced suddenly, extending a hoof, “I won't forgive you, but I will give you a chance.”

Twilight Velvet sniffed and took the younger mare’s offered hoof. “R-really?”

Nodding slowly, Twilight observed her mother closely, noting just how distraught she looked, with make-up smeared all across her face. “Yes. Maybe in time things can go back to the way they used to be, but it won't be for a very, very long time.”

The older mare nodded slowly. “That's better than what I expected.” She sniffed, and pulled back her hoof, only to realize how stained it now was.

“Go clean yourself up, we’ll be here,” Twilight assured, gently pushing the other pony towards the bathroom.

Twilight Velvet sighed and did just that. “Okay, oh and Twilight, thank you.”

Being wrapped in a tight, yet brief hug made Twilight frown and reluctantly sit back down once it had ended. Without the older pony around, Twilight pulled her chair forwards and glared down at her plate. “I just want you to know that I’m doing this for you. Not her,” she whispered, turning to her father.

Who nodded knowingly. “That's fine. I don't care why you do it. Only that you follow though, and actually give her a chance.”

“That was intense,” Spike muttered, only for his stomach to rumble. “So are we going to eat or what? ‘Cause all of this emotional stuff is making me hungry.”

Night Light chuckled, and gestured to the food arrayed in the center of the table. “You can dish out, but we’ll wait for Velvet to come back before we eat.”

“Daww, but she's going to be there forever,” grumbled Spike, who was already heaping a load of spaghetti onto his plate.

“Now Spike, it isn't polite to eat before everyone is sitting. Even if it’s her,” Twilight added.

The dragon groaned but did as he was told, impatiently sitting there and occasionally glancing over his shoulder towards the bathroom. Thankfully for Spike’s patience, it wasn't long before Twilight Velvet returned, now sans make-up. Though still a little disheveled and emotionally shaken, the older pony seemed calmer and happier.

She smiled faintly when she returned to her seat, and soon after, the meal was joined. For a while no one spoke, each party gathering themself and considering what had just occurred, or hungrily devouring pasta as it was in Spike’s case.

Eventually, Twilight couldn't help but wonder something that made her feel rather unpleasant now that she thought about it. “So, how's Shining Armor doing?” she asked hesitantly, her brother’s full name sounding clumsy and forced.

“He’s… okay,” Twilight Velvet replied at length, before putting her fork down. “I tried to invite him over as well but he was resistant to the idea, though he did say he might be by later.”

“Really?” Twilight replied, raising an eyebrow and taking a bite of garlic bread.

“We will see if he meant it soon enough, I suppose,” Twilight Velvet answered, having chosen her words carefully.

Night Light snorted irritably. “He's probably out drinking with his new guard buddies,” declared the stallion as he waved a fork at his ex wife. “Mark my words, those guys are no good, no good at all.”

The mare nodded slowly, pushing around a roll of spaghetti on her plate. “They aren't all bad, though there are more than a few who buy the nonsense the great houses put out.”

“And Cadance?” Twilight asked hesitantly. “How is she doing? She isn't caught up in all of this, is she?”

Her mother shook her head quickly. “No, thankfully she's taken the high road and is doing community service while they are on a break, of sorts.”

“Really?” Spike asked, mouth still filled with food.

Twilight jabbed the drake in the side and shot him a glare. “Don't talk with your mouth full, you know better.”

The male gulped. “Sorry.”

Twilight Velvet smiled faintly at the pair and nodded. “I’m afraid it's true. It seems like Shining Armor and her had a bit of a falling out. A shame too, she was such a good influence on him.”

“Do you happen to know what it was about? I haven't spoken to Cadance in a while,” Twilight continued, nibbling occasionally on her food.

“I think it was about the confederacy,” Twilight Velvet replied hesitantly. “But I’m not sure to be honest. Those two seemed to fight about something else every other week. This was definitely the worst one though.”

“Dagger Hill!” Night Light declared suddenly. “That's where she's volunteering.”

“How do you know that?” asked Twilight Velvet.

“It was in the paper not too long ago. She's helping to build an orphanage and a hospital there,” Night Light explained. “She went with Celestia’s praetorians on an outreach mission.”

“Well, at least she’ll be safe,” offered Spike, who turned to Twilight. “Right?”

The young unicorn mare nodded. “The praetorians are quite skilled, and well-outfitted. I don't see anything bad happening to Cadance while they are around.”

“Enough of this political talk,” Night Light announced suddenly. “How was school today, Twilight?”

“It was good,” began the mare, silently considering just what she could, and couldn't say about her day. “Celestia has been grilling me pretty hard lately, but-”

“So you are saying Celestia trains you in all of that and spars with you as well?” Twilight Velvet remarked in disbelief. “I can't believe you didn't pass out immediately after getting home.”

Twilight Sparkle smiled and leaned back in her chair, swirling her tea with her magic. “Oh, it's not that difficult. Plus Celestia tends to blur the lines of one lesson and another so her sessions don't actually take a lot of time. It's kind of nice actually, nothing ever feels rushed, and it helps ensure she has time to get her own work done.”

“That's good,” muttered the elder mare. “I have heard such dreadful stories about how the princess is overworking herself.”

Twilight bit her tongue and resisted the urge to point out that it wasn't as though Celestia was choosing to do that of her own free will. They were doing well, and conversation was flowing nicely, something Twilight wasn't about to mess up quite yet. If for no other reason than she didn't want to upset her father, who was looking rather pleased with himself as he sat back and sipped on his own tea. Meanwhile, Spike was curled up in front of the false fireplace, half asleep, and only barely paying attention to what was going on.

“Yes, she does work quite hard,” Twilight tactfully replied.

Silence reigned over the family, who sat and simply enjoyed the quiet, each sipping their tea, munching on a small slice of cake or lounging like a cat by a radiator. It was nice, Twilight thought to herself. She may not trust her mother, not by a long shot, but learning to guard her words and reveal little was a skill Twilight had become quite adept at over time and this was just another chance to practice that same skill.

As it stood right now, the young mare wasn't certain if she ever would trust the other pony, but the content smile on her father’s face made her want to try at least. Which wasn't the best reason in the world, but Twilight wasn't about to give anything to the great houses to which her mother may be aligned with. So she decided she would do as she was doing now, merely sitting back and watching, waiting for things to develop.

The infested mare brushed a hoof down her coat, noting how strange it felt to be without her clothes or even her boots. They had become a second skin to the unicorn, and the loss of the familiar weight was oddly unpleasant in a way she couldn't quite explain. Her musings were cut short though, as something heavy banged against the entrance to the apartment.

“That's probably just the neighbor, Mister Lilly Pond has issues walking straight and-” Night Light began to explain, only to be interrupted by another bang against the door. “I guess that's not him, Twilight could you get the door?”

The infested mare nodded, already extending her new senses towards the door and finding the same odd emptiness which hung over most guards, only it was different. There was very little time to wonder about that bit of strangeness though, as midway to the door, it opened on its own, admitting a very intoxicated Shining Armor.

The stallion was taller, had broader shoulders and was generally larger than the last time Twilight had seen him, but that wasn't what stuck out about him. It wasn't even the way he stumbled forward, with a frown on his face, nor the fact that he reeked of wine. Rather it was the slightly glazed expression he had, one that Twilight had seen too many times which drew her ire, and irritated her before he even had a chance to say anything.

“Shining Armor, please tell me this is all an elaborate joke and you are not currently drunk before eight in the evening!” exclaimed Twilight, moving to stop the stallion from getting more than a hoof in the door.

The stallion stumbled back a step before stopping himself and peering intensely at the unicorn mare. “I don't remember needing your permission for nothing. I’m just here checking on my mother. Who I am worried for. What with her being in this less reputable part of town and all.”

“I’m fine, dear! Why don't you wait outside? I’ll be out in a minute,” yelled Twilight Velvet who winced at the sight of her disheveled son.

“No way, we are leaving right now. This is no place for a lady,” Shining Armor declared, while wobbling on his hooves.

Twilight sighed and placed a hoof on his shoulder, hoping to steady the stallion. “Look, Shining. I know you are probably pretty sad about Cadance, but you can't just come in here and demand mom leave with you, we were having an… okay time.”

The stallion batted his sister’s hoof from his shoulder and shot her the harshest glare he could muster. “You don't understand anything! I loved her more than anything else in this stupid terrible world. I won't lose anybody else, you hear me?”

Twilight frowned, only now noticing just how puffy and red her brother’s eyes were. “Why don't you come in? We have some cake left over, tea, and some dinner if you haven't eaten yet.”

“No. Mom and I are leaving, and that's that,” he announced, before trying to push past Twilight and make his way into the apartment.

“She doesn't want to go with you while you are like this,” Twilight declared, shoving the stallion right back into the hall.

Stumbling back a few feet, the male struggled to stay standing only to glare back at the female, and jab a hoof in her direction. “First you take my dad from me, now you are trying to take my mom too? When will it be enough for you, you freak!”

Twilight could feel her heart pounding in her chest, and for a moment she considered running the impudent male through with her horn, only to stop herself. Instead, she used her considerable magical might to shove the stallion to the ground and hold him there. All attempts at spellcasting were nullified the second the other unicorn attempted them, and he looked up in fear, realizing he was helpless.

“Here's what's going to happen. You are going to leave, and you are never going to come back,” Twilight stated, one hoof keeping him down while her horn blazed with energy. “Understood?”

For a second it seemed like he was going to continue to resist, only for him to stop when he realized he couldn't even move. “Fine,” he spat, looking away from Twilight. “I don't need you. I don't need them. I have friends in royalty, real royalty.”

Twilight took a step back and allowed her horn to dull, and the stallion to rise and shoot her a glare before stomping away. He stopped only for a moment at the end of the hall, casting one last glance over his shoulder before disappearing. In that moment, Twilight could sense guilt, regret, and pain, but also anger and resentment.

With Shining Armor gone, she sighed and turned back to the apartment, noting that her parents stood in the doorway, mixed expressions of sadness and shock on their face. “Oh, my poor Shiny,” whispered Twilight Velvet.

Night Light wrapped a hoof around the mare’s shoulder and gave her a light squeeze. “The boy is old enough to make his own decisions now, this is his choice.”

“Still. Shouldn't we go after him or something?” Twilight Velvet replied.

“What we should do is go back inside,” Twilight announced, gesturing around them, to where several ponies either peeked out their doors or stood in the halls, gawking.

“Right, come inside, we can talk about it together,” urged Night Light who held the door open and stood off to the side.

Twilight nodded, and was about to walk back inside when she glanced at the spot Shining Armor had disappeared in. “Oh Shining. Who has gotten into that thick head of yours?”

Author's Notes:

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Testing Mettle

“Again,” Celestia asked, lifting a pair of short swords and leveling them at the infested pony.

Who breathed hard, her body trembling as she tried to stay standing, knees quaking and heart fluttering. “I need a second,” Twilight replied weakly, the mare unable to even power her horn, much less enact the shield spell she was being told to use.

“Your enemies will not give you time to rest. Bring up your shield,” Celestia demanded, the swords floating around her pointing towards the unicorn, ready to strike.

Twilight gritted her teeth and grunted as she poured magic into her horn, causing it to light up briefly before showering the ground in sparks. With one last heave, the pony collapsed to the floor, unable to even stay standing anymore. “I’m sorry, I can't go on,” Twilight muttered, struggling to stand again.

A gentle wing pressed against her back, keeping her down. “No, it is I that am sorry,” Celestia replied hesitantly, her magic depositing her swords into the rack across the room. “I should not have pushed you so hard.”

Twilight wanted to assure the alicorn that it was okay, and that she understood why Celestia was training her with such intensity, but she could only lay there and gasp for breath. The alicorn smiled faintly and lowered herself to the ground, allowing Twilight to lean against her and be pulled into the fluffy depths of the alicorn’s vulumous wing. There she enjoyed the tender embrace while waiting for her body to stop shaking and her breathing to even out.

Eventually, she was able to relax a little and pushed Celestia away, only now realizing just how matted Celestia’s fur was. “You probably shouldn't do that. I’m all gross, you know.”

“I was going to have a shower anyway, don't worry about it,” replied Celestia, who pulled the unicorn right back under her wing, squeezing her tightly.

Twilight reluctantly accepted the hug, grumbling to herself all the while.

For a while they just sat there, enjoying one another’s company, until Twilight began to feel guilty for wasting as much time as she had, and stood up, brushing off the alicorn’s wing. “Alright, I’m ready,” she declared.

Celestia eyed her student carefully, noting that although she was vertical once more, her legs still trembled, and her horn still glowed slightly from overuse. “No. You are not. Sit, I have something to tell you.”

Twilight tried to muster some sort of denial, only to frown when she realized Celestia had seen clear through her ruse. “Fine. What did you have to say?” Twilight asked before plopping down next to Celestia again.

The alicorn hummed thoughtfully as she stared out into the distance. “I am not entirely sure how to put this eloquently, so please forgive me if this doesn't come out well.”

Twilight shrugged. “I’m sure it’s fine, go ahead.”

Celestia nodded and wrapped her wing around Twilight’s barrel once more, pulling the smaller pony close. “I know that your condition allows you to get stronger the more I push you, which is why I’ve been so insistent that we train as hard as we have. That being said, I don't think we will be able to get to a point where you are strong enough to defend yourself properly without you exploring your… unique abilities more.”

Twilight blinked and looked up at the other mare in confusion. “What abilities do you mean, exactly?”

“For one, your psionics have not expanded much since you were a kid. Practice that skill, and try to expand its uses, I’m sure it will come in handy,” Celestia began, tapping the smaller pony on the head. “You are a smart girl. I’m sure you will come up with a brilliant new application for that special talent of yours.”

“I guess….” Twilight muttered, placing her head in her forehooves. “I just can't use it very much without risking my defences so to speak.”

Celestia nodded slowly. “I’m sure you’ll figure out a balance between offence and defence, but that is not all that I was hoping to speak to you about.”

“What else is there?” whispered the younger pony nervously.

“You have other abilities, abilities that are more… biological in nature,” Celestia began hesitantly. “Your body is different and is both adaptable and strong. We are training your strength as much as we can, but I know you are capable of much more, if you put your mind to it.”

Twilight bit her lip and looked away from the alicorn, very aware of just how different she was from the average pony in this moment. “I know something is going to happen next year, something dangerous, but is this all necessary?” Twilight asked hesitantly.

“Your friend’s warning may be vague, but trust me when I say it lines up with information that I have gained from other sources as well,” Celestia reassured. “He may not have been telling the whole truth, but he wasn't lying.”

“He's not my friend,” Twilight grumbled.

“Friend or not, he’s helped you, and me,” Celestia pointed out. “Furthermore, I don't think we will have to wait a year until something happens. Danger lurks around this very castle, Twilight, and I will not always be there to help you.”

“But you are immortal, you are always going to be there,” Twilight shot back, looking up at the alicorn.

“I may not age, but that does not mean I can be everywhere at once, nor am I truly immortal,” Celestia reminded. “There will come a time where you and I will need to take different paths, and when that time comes I need to know that you will not require my presence.”

Twilight wrapped her hooves around Celestia’s neck and buried her head in the alicorn’s soft fur. “Don't say that. I’ll always need you.”

Celestia smiled faintly and hugged the smaller pony, rubbing a hoof down the unicorn’s back. “You’ll always be my friend, Twilight, but there will come a time when you will not want to be around an old nag like me all the time.”

“You are not an old nag,” Twilight muttered.

The alicorn chuckled. “I’m pretty sure that after your two thousandth birthday you are officially an old nag.”

Twilight grumbled, and slowly slipped her hooves from Celestia’s neck. “So, what should I do then?”

“Practice. When not with me, you will do all you can to strengthen those other parts of yourself,” Celestia began, poking the unicorn in the chest. “I know you have abilities and skills that you have been scared to explore, but now is the time to do just that.”

“Are you sure? What if I-” Twilight began, only to have Celestia’s hoof pressed against her lips.

“I swear on the stars, Twilight, if you were about to say something about being a monster, I am going to ground you for a thousand years,” Celestia vowed.

Twilight winced and rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. “I mean, you have to admit it is rather… weird.”

“Twilight, I’ve seen ponies born with the gifts of necromancy, blood magic, and biological manipulation. I’ve fought monsters, gods, and creatures from beyond this plane of existence, and none of them were truly monsters, at least in the way that you are imagining anyway.” Celestia paused, and tapped her chin. “Except maybe shogoths. Those things were monsters in every sense of the word.”

“I guess when you put it that way, it's not that strange, is it?” Twilight asked hesitantly, looking down to her left leg.

“Some may think so, but they are wrong,” Celestia assured, placing a hoof on the unicorn’s shoulder. “Your abilities may be different and not the prettiest, but I have no doubt that, if trained and tested, will come to serve you well.”

“If you are sure…” Twilight muttered, tucking her leg back under her.

“I am indeed. These skills of yours are unique, and will give you an edge over most enemies who will not know how to counter them,” Celestia explained. “Provided you are able to train these skills in secret, or in such a way that noone will know that you are training them.”

“I have a place where I can be alone which no one knows about save for well, you know,” Twilight admitted.

“Good, make sure to hide it well, and use the spells we talked about last week,” Celestia reminded. “You need to be able to hide your little warehouse from even my sight.”

Twilight nodded. “I’ll make sure to enchant the entrance a little more heavily tonight and use those new warding glyphs you taught me about.”

“Good, because I have no doubt that they will try and watch you whenever possible,” Celestia exclaimed grimly. “The importance of good reconnaissance is one thing you can learn from them.”

“I would rather not learn anything from them,” Twilight muttered angrily.

“Ah ah ah, what did I say about learning from your enemy?” Celestia gently chastised.

“That your enemy will teach you many lessons, including how to beat them,” Twilight replied tiredly.

“Exactly,” Celestia declared. “A foolish enemy will give you the weapons to defeat them, while a smart enemy will hide them, but if you watch them closely, you can still find them.”

“I know, I know,” Twilight murmured.

“Now then,” Celestia announced suddenly, squeezing Twilight with her wing. “Are you ready for another round?”

“Of course,” Twilight replied with a smile, only for that smile to falter somewhat. “Are we doing more shield training?”

“Yes. I know you aren't thrilled about it, but you must admit you need work in that area,” Celestia pointed out.

Twilight grumbled, but reluctantly stood anyway, a frown on her face. “Fine, but after this you are teaching me that better teleportation spell.”

Celestia sighed. “Don't get frustrated if your accuracy doesn't improve right away.”

“Deal.”

“You know I could help with those bags if you want,” Spike offered.

Twilight grunted and hefted her saddle bags up a little further on her back. “I’m fine.”

Spike raised an eyebrow and looked over the mare, noting how hard she was breathing and how slow and deliberate her steps were. The sidewalk wasn't even uneven, meaning there was little excuse for her to be taking so long and being so careful. Her muscles also bulged beneath her coat, serving as more evidence for a recent and very extensive training session. Which was no doubt the reason why she was exhausted, both physically and magically, as her horn was wrapped in a layer of gauze.

“You didn't try to master that teleportation spell again, did you?” Spike deadpanned.

Twilight frowned. “So what if I did? It's useful, Spike. Imagine how convenient it would be if I could just teleport directly from home to the castle.”

“I have no doubt it would be useful, but that spell was intended only for ponies twice your age to use,” Spike pointed out, quite unhelpfully in Twilight’s opinion.

The mare snorted. “I don't care who it's ‘supposed’ to be learned by. I want to master it, and that’s just what's going to happen.”

The dragon shrugged. “I guess, but shouldn't you pace things a little? You might hurt yourself.”

“I’m fine, really.” Twilight smirked. “Besides, pushing the limit of what should be possible only makes me stronger. This is nothing.”

Spike sighed. “Still. You might be tougher than the average pony, and bounce back from injury quicker as well, but that doesn't mean you're invincible, you know.”

“I know, Spike, and I promise, I won't go too far,” Twilight replied. “But you can't improve if you don't push your boundaries.”

“Just promise me you won't push your luck,” Spike demanded. “I worry about you.”

Twilight smiled and nodded. “I know, and I promise.”

Spike snorted a small gout of smoke from his nostrils. “Good. ‘Cause I don't want to have to be the one to tell grandpa something bad happened to you.”

Twilight brushed past a rather large unicorn, quickly returning to the dragon’s side. “Don't worry, Spike, I'd sooner send Celestia to deliver the news than rely on you.”

“Speaking of which, has she mentioned what the whole plan was for the… you know.” Spike waved his hand around randomly, gesturing to everything.

Twilight shook her head. “No, she's been sticking to training me in a bunch of different things and is trying to get me to branch out from just magic.”

Spike raised an eyebrow. “I can tell. You are getting even more jacked than last summer. Is it really worth it though? I mean you are really, really good at magic, can't you rely on that?”

Twilight chuckled. “You should know better than to rely solely on one strategy every time, you know. Mister rush the dragon isles and turtle.”

The dragon shrugged. “What can I say, it's a great strategy in risk.”

“It's also a predictable one,” countered Twilight. “If you changed up your strategy more, I wouldn't be able to just keep you off the deployment advantage and eventually crush you every time.”

Spiked sighed, and kicked a stone. “I guess.”

“You must be adaptable, and besides, I’m already a great mage. Imagine how formidable I will be once I’ve studied the blade, amongst other potential things,” Twilight added, pointedly.

“Does that mean you are going to finally stop losing to bombs whenever you play stratego?” Spike asked, a smirk already on his face.

“Celestia may be the best teacher I’ve ever had, but even she can't do the impossible,” Twilight quipped, laughing right along with her son.

“Well, that could have gone better,” Spike muttered.

Twilight sighed. “I know, father’s paranoia is getting rather irritating.”

The dragon nodded as the pair walked down the street, most ponies moving out of their way and allowing them to pass without issue. “I didn't think he’d launch into a whole rant about it though. That was out of left field.”

Twilight shrugged. “He's getting a little more unnerved ever since his boss made that strange threat the other day.”

“That was rather weird,” Spike remarked absently as they turned down a side street and began the long trot to the dock’s district. “Do you really think they would fire him?”

“For what? Having a kid who is being taught by the Princess of Equestria?” Twilight asked. “Never, and if his boss tried it, he would be in for years of litigation and issues, something I have no doubt Celestia would help out with.”

“Still… That job is like, his life. Could you even imagine what he would be like if he didn't work at the observatory?” Spike replied.

Twilight frowned. “That would be weird. He's been working there as far back as I can remember.”

“Maybe moving would be for the best,” Spike remarked after they made another turn, the sun now on their backs.

“Maybe. But I’ll have to graduate or at least master long range teleportation matrices before that happens.”

“True. I doubt he's going to go anywhere before he knows you can defend yourself. Which is funny, ‘cause I don't think that old stallion even knows how to cast a mana bolt very well,” Spike announced with a snort.

“Remind me to teach him a few things when we get home later tonight,” Twilight reminded. “Just like he won't leave until he knows I’m safe, I won't let him leave without knowing he can defend himself.”

“Good thinking, he can't rely on his old man strength for everything,” Spike added with a snicker.

Twilight chuckled along with her son as they trotted ever further into the city. Around them, the buildings grew shorter and more closely packed together, until there was almost no space between them. The district loomed over them by this point, the large plate that supported most of the actual docks and shipping industry suspended several hundred feet over their heads. Though it didn't stick out far, it still made Twilight feel uneasy, and a part of her to begin worrying about it falling, despite how unlikely that was.

Twilight pointed to a small, narrow alleyway, prompting Spike to nod and proceed in that direction before stopping just outside of it. The unicorn entered first, walking relatively deep into the passage before turning to Spike, who stood at the entrance. After giving the street one last look, the dragon flashed Twilight a smile and a thumbs up.

Lighting her horn, Twilight cast a quick notice-me-not spell on both of them, and followed that up with several anti-scrying measures, and a myriad of other spells intended to help ensure they wouldn't be detected. After she had expended every spell she knew of that would help, Twilight let her horn dull and gave Spike a quick nod.

The dragon could no longer actually see the pony, but he didn't need to, as their connection was such that the intention was still understood, even if the nod wasn't seen. He peeked back out into the street, and after finding no one was approaching them nor looking in their direction, stepped out. Following closely behind, Twilight made sure to keep a close eye on Spike by utilizing her psychic abilities as her normal senses no longer helped in this regard.

Keeping the young drake in front of her wasn't hard, and the pony focused her mind on trying to find anyone who may be tailing them. By the time they reached their destination, Twilight was fairly certain they weren’t being followed. Spike had stopped a second earlier, and was now tugging at a dumpster that had been placed next to a seemingly random wall at the end of a short alleyway.

Twilight rolled her eyes, and gently pushed him out of the way before grabbing the dumpster in a hoof and moving it out of the way with ease. The unicorn didn't have to read Spike’s mind to know he was annoyed by this, but she merely pushed that thought aside for now and pointed towards the hole she had just revealed. Obediently, Spike knelt down and slipped through the small hole in the wall before disappearing and leaving Twilight behind.

The unicorn wasn't bothered though, merely stepping into the hole and swiftly moving a poster over the exposed space before positioning the dumpster back into the spot she had found it in. With that done, she paused, lit her horn, and cast a few more defensive enchantments she had recently learned around the area. Now at least slightly more confident that she wasn't about to get some unexpected guests, Twilight shimmied backwards out of the hole and into the space beyond. Which happened to be a large, relatively empty warehouse which Twilight knew was abandoned.

Officially it had been due to dark magic contamination, but Twilight had uncovered that it had merely been a company trying to get away with insurance fraud due to nearly going out of business. Since then, she had convinced Celestia to do nothing about the case, as it was beneath her notice to begin with and Twilight had her own designs for the warehouse. Celestia was no fool, and was no doubt only pretending to not know about it in order to not accidentally leak Twilight’s whereabouts.

All of which made Twilight swell with pride, even as she made her way around the rusted and moldy wracks of long forgotten boxes. She had put quite a bit of effort into this place over time, and had layered more enchantments than she could count during that time. She doubted the great houses knew of this place, or could enter it even if they did, but Twilight also knew they were no doubt in the area. Meaning she needed to keep her defences up, and not allow herself to relax, even while in her special lair.

Winding her way through the warehouse, Twilight slipped through a door, and locked it tight behind her before turning and proceeding down the stairs. At the end of which stood an impatient Spike, in front of a heavily padlocked and magically sealed door. Twilight rolled her eyes, not needing to see Spike to know that he was looking at her closely, already itching to get into the basement and get back to his nap.

He didn't have to wait long though as Twilight lit her horn, lowering the defences one by one, and finally unlatching the physical locks within a matter of moments. Once open, the dragon threw himself into the room, while Twilight took on a more sedate pace, stopping immediately after entering, and erecting her defences on the door once more. Only after she was certain that they were safe, and alone, did she turn around and dismiss the enchantments placed on herself and Spike.

She smiled and breathed deeply, inhaling the strange, potent scent that rose from the thick, slimy green and purple floor. The pony paused in order to take off her boots, and let her hooves sink into the porous ground, feeling rejuvenated within seconds of being inside the slime-filled chamber. A chamber that was surprisingly large, having served as an employee meeting place, as well as what must have been a lunch room at one point.

Though just about everything had been pulled out of the room, there was still a couch, a few chairs, and a table left behind, as well as everything they had found in the bathroom was still there. Add to that a duo of beds tucked into one corner of the room and it was a veritable home away from home. Made all the better by the slimy green and purple matter that grew all over the ground, and halfway up the walls.

Twilight smiled as she caressed the wall, whispering softly to the alien structure. “Shh, mommy’s home. Don't worry.”

The floor and walls both seemed to slump slightly, as if the green mucus-like structure that grew upon it had truly been worried for Twilight’s safety. Extending her mind into the creep enabled Twilight to gauge its health, and note that it had managed to sneak into the sewer without being noticed. With water secured, it needed no other nourishment, merely waiting for word from its mistress before it grew any further.

It was a simple being, which was so basic that it was a stretch to even call it a being. To Twilight though, it was like a pet, one that she was responsible for, and would thus take care of, even if it was little more than a bundle of alien instincts. Still, the sight of it thriving made Twilight smile, and she trotted over to the corner of the room, where a tall, twisted orange, green, and purple flower grew from the floor and rose to waist height.

Gently cupping the petals of the flower, Twilight subtly reassured the strange, alien creature that it did not need to grow any further, and should remain as it is right now. After that was done and Twilight was certain that the structure wouldn't spread any further, she sighed. “It’s nice to be back,” she exclaimed.

Spike leaned back in his favorite easy chair and nodded. “Heck yeah it is. Plus old Greeny is still doing fine, aintcha Greeny?” Spike asked, patting the ground, which seemed to vibrate strangely after receiving his touch.

Twilight chuckled as she walked over to a spot a good distance from Spike’s chair. “I don't know how you make it do that. I can't even make that happen.”

“It's about respect,” Spike declared, patting the greenish purple mass near his chair.

“Well, tell it to get ready for some tests. I want to see what it can do,” Twilight announced.

Spike frowned and patted the floor one last time. “I think she means it, Greeny, you better get ready.”

The small green mound sunk back into the rest of its mass before emerging once more, this time directly in front of Twilight. Who extended a hoof towards it and focused her powers outwards, and into the slimy growth. Closing her eyes, Twilight tried to imagine the creep growing until it could serve as cover, and she used a bit of psychic ability to ensure that happened.

Upon opening her eyes she was surprised to see that a small, chest high wall had appeared. Though it wasn't particularly dense, it was about the dimensions that Twilight had been imaging at least. She focused once more, trying to make the wall thicker and harder, capable of shielding her from an explosion, or incoming spells.

For a moment nothing happened, then Twilight felt the floor beneath her twitch, and the wall begin to change. Wanting to make sure everything happened as she wanted it to, Twilight focused more of her power onto the spot, funneling psychic energy into the creep. Which had the desired effect, making the wall grow thicker, stronger, with a layer of scales appearing on one side.

“Huh,” Twilight muttered, circling the wall and noticing the scales were about the same size, and thickness as the ones that covered Spike.

“Woah. That’s intense,” exclaimed Spike.

“It's too bad we don't have more space and food. I’d love to see if I could grow entire structures like this,” Twilight remarked, only to frown. “Though that would be kind of weird and a little gross, come to think of it.”

“As much as I like Greeny, I think an entire building that pulsated like that would be an odd sight,” Spike agreed.

“True. Plus I’m not always going to fight someone in a location of my choosing,” Twilight replied, waving a hoof over the creep and allowing it to disperse into the floor once more.

She wanted to try and test a few other things with her plant, but Twilight could tell that it had exerted itself significantly just making the wall. “Rest now,” Twilight whispered, patting the ground.

With her main ideas now no longer viable, the unicorn began to pace and consider more esoteric possibilities. She knew that her magic turned plants into whatever the green and purple mass beneath her hooves was, but she had very little understanding of what exactly it was. She moved faster while standing on it, and could nearly skate across the surface if she wanted, as could Spike. In addition she also felt a lot better while in the room with it, something her and Spike also shared. Other than that, it grew fast, didn't care about the surface it was forced to grow on, and could do so quickly, turning nearly anything it encountered into food.

Boxes, the odd rat, water, apples, Twilight had tried just about everything she could think of and only magically enchanted items could not be recycled by her plant. Did that mean it could break down and use minerals and stone if it wanted to? After all, it did eat the sword Twilight fed it, after she had dismissed its enchantments first.

As she continued to think, she strode back and forth, occasionally tapping her chin, and looking around the room. “So uh, whatcha thinkin’ about?” asked Spike.

“I was just considering what other ways I could utilize my newfound abilities,” Twilight murmured, still deep in thought. “The plant life I can grow is useful, but I won't be able to count on it. My own body is strong, but is still the body of a pony.”

“What's wrong with a pony body? You guys get a horn, magic, and other cool stuff,” Spike pointed out. “All dragons get is fire and flight.”

“Those are two very advantageous adaptations,” replied Twilight. “The ability to fly would be very convenient.”

“Well, why don't you try growing wings then?” Spike inquired.

“That's not how this works, Spike. I can't just grow wings whenever I want,” Twilight exclaimed, while rolling her eyes.

“How do you know? You’ve never tried it before,” Spike pointed out.

Twilight paused mid-stride and frowned. “I guess you have me there. It's not like there is a book on how to utilize weird alien powers.”

“So why don't you give it a shot?” Spike pressed. “Wings would be pretty awesome.”

“Hmm, fine. I suppose I could at least try,” Twilight exclaimed before casting off her coat, and standing perfectly still, legs spread, and eyes closed.

Without any real idea of what she was doing, Twilight focused on recreating the same feeling she had when commanding her plant to do what it did. Her will steeled, and her attention centered on her back, Twilight imagined what she would look like with large, draconic wings. She imagined what the bone structure would look like, how big they would have to be in order to lift a pony of her size, and even what color it would be in order to match her coat. Once she had imagined what it would look like, she tried to use her psychic abilities to force her body to change.

Power flowed through her, and towards her back, but she didn't feel anything different, other than a slight strain on the amount of energy she could bring to bear. Grunting from the effort, she pushed more and more power into it, trying to force her body to change the way she wanted it to. Her spine tingled, and the muscles along the center of her back began to ache, as if she had just put them through an intense workout, yet nothing happened. She focused for an extra few minutes before finally giving up and nearly falling to the ground, her breathing ragged.

“Damn, too bad too. I know how much you enjoy flying,” Spike remarked with genuine concern in his voice.

Twilight nodded. “I suppose my dreams of flight will have to wait another day.”

“So, any idea on how that works?” Spike asked.

Twilight shook her head. “It seems fairly random, but I was able to make scales appear on the wall that formed, so maybe I could make that happen on myself.”

The dragon shrugged. “It's worth a shot at least, right?”

“I don't know. It feels like there is something missing,” Twilight muttered, resuming her pacing.

“Like what?”

“I’m not totally sure, but it feels like my body wants to move the way I tell it to,” Twilight began. “It just can't, like there's a wall or something. Maybe the body simply can't make changes that quickly?”

“Or maybe Greeny is just special?” Spike added.

“That could be it,” Twilight murmured, while looking down at the mass of green and purple that spread out beneath her. “It is a unique ability, one that I’ve not seen replicated on any creature. Either from Equis or otherwise.”

“Is there a spell or something that would help things along? I mean you do know like, a bajillion spells, there's gotta be one that would help you,” Spike added, now leaning forward on his ratty recliner.

“There was one, but it's meant to combine two types of minerals that are relatively similar,” Twilight answered, her mind already churning with potential solutions and changes for the spell. “But with a little tinkering, it might be able to do more.”

“Huh, well good luck not turning into some sort of plant monster,” Spike muttered before reclining on his seat once more.

Now alone with her thoughts, Twilight began to formulate a way to alter the spell so it would give her the properties she wanted without turning her into a mass of green and purple goop. “Wait, what am I doing, this is crazy!” she exclaimed, only to turn and begin pacing, occasionally nibbling on her lip. “But if I was able to change my body in such a manner, I could become far more powerful. Maybe even strong enough to complete whatever mission Celestia is planning for me.”

The thought of being able to help the alicorn made Twilight consider her options much closer. It was no secret that the elder mare had a grand plan for Twilight and she had hinted as much when she promised to eventually disclose all of her secrets. What that mission or plan actually was though was still a mystery. All Twilight had to go on was that whatever Celestia had planned, had the possibility of being dangerous, incredibly so.

Did she want Twilight to become a general of some kind? Twilight dismissed that notion quickly, as it would mean she would have to be in the military, something she doubted Celestia would want. Perhaps a special agent of some kind? The unicorn considered it for a moment before brushing aside such thoughts for now and focused on the one thing she did know. And that was that she needed to be stronger, better, and gain the skills and abilities that would give her an edge.

“Alright, let's try this out,” she muttered, pulling forth a plethora of writing supplies from one of the few remaining cabinets and arraying them before her.

Spike yawned and curled up in his chair. “Wake me up when you are ready to go,” he muttered, before closing his eyes.

Twilight hardly even heard him, as she was scribbling several notes onto several pieces of paper which levitated all around her. “I just need to substitute the matrix here and here, and alter the parameters here… but then I’ll need to rewrite the underlying spell formula there and there.”

The pony plunked down onto the thick mass of green and purple, a frown on her face. “This might take a while.”

“Aha,” Twilight declared, lurching into a standing position and raising a hoof over her head. “I’ve got it!”

Spike yawned and stretched out like an enormous scale-covered cat. “Got what?” he asked sleepily. “Also, what time is it?”

Twilight shrugged. “I don't know, and I got it! It, Spike! The spell should work, and I wrote in a quick failsafe that should only alter my foreleg, so at worst I would lose a limb.”

“That's still a lot to lose, Twilight,” Spike pointed out. “Losing a leg isn't like losing a finger, you know.”

“I know, but this will be worth it, if it works, that is,” Twilight replied hastily, papers flying this way and that, some of which collected themselves into a pile while others were crinkled up and tossed in a random direction, where they were consumed by the creep.

“If you say so. So, what's it supposed to do?” Spike asked, leaning forward on his chair.

“It should allow my foreleg--” she raised her left leg, “--to gain the shape altering properties that the plant has.

“Neat. Then what?”

“Well, that would leave the possibility open to expanding it and even growing wings, or horns, or maybe even the necessary organs to breath fire,” Twilight continued, grinning madly. “The possibilities are endless, Spike!”

“Well, don't go too quickly,” Spike cautioned. “I don't want to have to carry you home.”

Twilight snorted. “Nonsense, this will work perfectly. You’ll see.”

“Alright then, but if you end up in agonizing pain, or unconscious, then you can't be mad when I say I told you so,” Spike added, before reclining in his chair once more.

“Nonsense. The process should be painless,” Twilight declared, only to gulp. “Should be, anyway.”

“Well, what are you waiting for?” pressed Spike.

“Right,” Twilight murmured, before lighting her horn.

The original spell itself wasn't terribly complicated, but she had never cast the unmodified version before, nevermind the much more complicated, much more difficult, modded one. So it was with a slow, ponderous pace that she worked through the minute aspects of the spell, hyper aware of potential issues. It was only after the spell was nearly complete, and Twilight had triple-checked her work did she follow through with the last steps.

Magic pulsed and formed several glowing matrices in the air directly over the ground and her leg. The glowing symbols and runes twisted, and shifted until the spell’s parameters were met. Then, it began to work, glowing brightly causing both Twilight’s left foreleg to light up, as well as the ground directly under her. Twilight could sense a strange, almost fearlike response from the plant which now covered the ground, but she quickly ignored that.

It wasn't truly sentient, so that was impossible. Or at least, that's what she hoped anyway.

Either way, her musings and worries quickly vanished when she felt white hot pain erupt up her leg. Gritting her teeth, Twilight refused to call out, bearing the worst of it, and focusing on what was happening to her. The ground shifted, and moved, tendrils of green and purple sinking into her flesh, and snaking up her limb. The process was agonizing, and she could feel the plant slithering beneath her flesh.

“Are you okay?” Spike asked hesitantly, standing up and hesitantly approaching the mare.

Twilight raised a hoof and warded him off, the pony unable to mutter a word while her jaw was clenched as tight as it was.

The dragon seemed to get the message, though it was clear he was still worried, and the slightest bit annoyed.

Twilight had much bigger concerns though, namely the way that a good chunk of the floor had broken away from the rest of the mass, and was now flowing into her limb. Muscles heaved, bones shifted, and nerves flared as her body was forcefully altered in order to accept the new mass being added to it. Twilight briefly considered stopping the spell, but she knew that it would only cause worse problems if she did that. Instead she was forced to merely sit, and wait for the process to complete itself.

Something that thankfully didn't take much longer, the spell flaring one last time before dulling, and finally vanishing completely. Leaving a small hole in the living carpet that covered the ground, and a burning sensation throughout Twilight’s now larger foreleg.

Looking down at it made Twilight realize that it was thicker, heavier, and more well-muscled but was also unpleasant to look at. Her fur was warped, with her flesh having shifted and moved in bizarre, and often seemingly random directions. Twisted masses of skin stretched across the limb which was also a darker purple that had the odd bit of green added to it.

“Woah,” Spike muttered, taking a step forward and pointing to the pony’s leg. “How does it feel?”

“Heavy,” Twilight muttered, the unicorn thankful that the pain had already begun to dull. “I don't think I will be doing that again anytime soon.”

“Were you trying to do that?”

Twilight snorted. “Not exactly.”

“No, not that, that,” Spike corrected, pointing to the unicorn’s cheek.

Twilight quickly conjured a mirror and looked at the spot Spike indicated. “No, I definitely did not intend for that to happen,” muttered the mare.

Though her leg had sustained the most changes, her shoulder had also become larger, and a small section of her back and chest and also been warped. It was a strange alteration, but paled in comparison to the odd scar that stretched from her neck to midway up her cheek. It didn't look deep, and wasn't terribly noticeable, if it wasn't for the fact that it glowed the same shade of orange that her eyes did. Poking the spot made Twilight frown feel uncomfortable, but she pushed down that feeling for now, focusing on creating a quick illusion that would hide it.

A quick cast later, and it vanished. “There. Gone,” Twilight declared nervously.

Spike nodded slowly. “You are going to need to add a whole bunch of illusions to your daily routine.”

The unicorn groaned. “I know. Hopefully I won't have to go back to those damn glasses.”

“What, they weren’t that bad, right?” Spike asked hesitantly.

“I looked like a librarian, Spike,” Twilight deadpanned. “I like books, but I don't like books that much.”

“Didn't you dress up as a librarian for Nightmare Night one time?”

The unicorn groaned. “I should have never let dad show you the family photo album.”

“And you also should have never put me in a tootoo when I was younger,” Spike added.

Twilight chuckled. “What, I liked the pun? A tootoo for a two year old isn't that bad. Besides, nopony even knew what gender you were anyway.”

“Augh, that's not the point,” Spike groaned while blushing furiously.

“Right, I suppose we have gotten rather off track,” Twilight muttered, lifting her hoof. “Let’s see if this worked at least.”

Once more the pony closed her eyes, and imagined the flesh of her foreleg becoming harder, and more resilient. This time when she put a bit of her power into the limb, it reacted instantly, shifting and changing until it was exactly as Twilight designed. Opening her eyes, Twilight confirmed that it was as she had felt, her flesh now no longer soft, but covered in thick greenish purple scales. Touching the limb made Twilight realize that it was every bit as hard as a dragon’s natural hide.

“Huh, it worked,” Spike muttered, poking the scaled limb nervously. “Feels real too.”

“That's a good defensive ability, but let's see if we can't do something to assist in the offence department,” Twilight muttered, before lifting her hoof and focusing once more.

This time she imagined gaining a spikelike extension from the bottom of her hoof, something that would be able to emerge at a moment’s notice, but remain undetectable for the most part. Sure enough, after a little extra focusing, a spike of bone emerged from the bottom of her hoof, grew several inches long, and stopped abruptly. Waving it around, Twilight realized that it was sharp, and could no doubt pierce armor if she were to really lean into the blow.

“That's intense,” Spike muttered.

“It's certainly something,” Twilight replied, before focusing once more and retracting it back into her body.

The unicorn could feel the weight of the bone weapon inside her hoof, but after a few seconds, it began to feel a little more natural, and within a minute, she hardly noticed the added heft. She summoned her psychic powers once more, intent on experimenting further, only to nearly collapse when a headache suddenly assaulted her. Groaning, the pony was distinctly aware that she had suddenly fallen face-first into the squishy ground.

Spike was there in an instant, picking her back up, and placing her back on her own four legs. “Easy there. I think you might have pushed it a bit too far,” he warned.

Twilight nodded weakly. “Y-yeah. I haven't used that much psi energy in a while.”

“Psi energy?” Spike asked. “Is that what you are calling it?”

The unicorn rolled her eyes. “Do you have a better name?”

“No, it just sounds like something from a comic book, ya know?”

“That doesn't matter now, we need to get home,” Twilight declared, stumbling over to her discarded coat and boots.

“Do you need some water or something?” Spike asked.

The unicorn shook her head as she pulled the coat over her forelegs. “No, I should be fine until we get back.”

“Alright. But I’m fairly certain if you collapse, I won't be able to carry you,” Spike deadpanned. “‘Cause I could hardly lift you anymore.”

Twilight grimaced as she tugged on her boots, noticing that one hardly fit anymore, and the leg of her coat was also stretched tight over the large limb. “It's fine. We’ll just stick to well populated streets and open areas. If anything happens, make a ton of noise, they can't have every guard in their pocket, not yet anyway.”

Spike hummed and hawed, before shrugging. “Alright, you are the boss.”

“Damn right I am. Now let's go, before I fall over.”

“Oh and Twilight? I told you so.”

“Report,” announced a stern, yet surprisingly neutral female voice.

The guard lowered himself from the edge of the roof and closed his eyes, focusing on the voice. It is as you feared, my lord. The creature has… changed.

“You have been able to confirm this?” asked the voice from seemingly everywhere, and nowhere.

Her clothes no longer fit and I could sense that she had significantly exhausted her psi energy. Permission to engage? asked the guard, clutching tight his gauntleted wrist.

“No, there are too many variables,” replied the voice, which gained a cold, calculating edge to it. “This is good though, it means our inside agent was correct after all. Continue to hunt down her base of operations. We cannot allow her to infect the population with her vile taint.”

Yes, my lord, the guard replied instantly, his worried thoughts getting the better of his usual calm and cool mindscape.

“I can sense your worry, and can say with confidence that you have no need to feel such a thing,” the voice announced evenly.

My lord? the guard asked nervously.

“We are sending in zealot one. A plan is already underway and our victory all but assured,” declared the voice.

The guard breathed easier and let his head sink slightly. Forgive me for my assumption.

“We all have worries, so long as you keep yours under your control, that's all I care about,” stated the voice.

Thank you, my lord, that is all I have to report.

“Stay vigilant, child. The time of becoming is nearly upon us, our faith will be vindicated,” vowed the voice.

The guard nodded. May the khala guide you.

“As it does, us all,” answered the voice.

Author's Notes:

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Cloak and Dagger

Twilight tapped her hoof against her desk as she stared out the window. Outside, the cool wind of fall blew, carrying with it promises of snow and cold in a matter of weeks. Only a few pegasi dotted the skies, the majority of the weather now being handled by spell work alone, cast by large cadres of unicorns. It required far more pony power than if pegasi did the work, but with so few left living in the city, the method had been deemed necessary by the all-unicorn weather council.

As such, there were a scarce few clouds that were being pushed or pulled across the sky by pegasi. None of whom were making clouds, as that was handled by a massive sigil that glowed high above the city which spat out flat, dull grey cloud cover. As she watched, the spell flickered and died, and the clouds which had been building dissipated as well. The few pegasi Twilight could see seemed angry and relieved, with most shaking their heads at the futility of it all.

With a sigh, Twilight activated a spell, causing the window to darken significantly, while doing her best to ignore the sorry sight playing above the streets of Canterlot. Instead, she picked up the letter she had received, a small smile overcoming her features as she perused the contents of the correspondence once more. Though short, it was a pleasant affirmation of where her and Cadance still stood, with the young alicorn brushing off her break up with Shining Armor. In the letter Cadance also urged them to meet again, and soon, but Twilight hesitated to pen her response, despite their shared enthusiasm for such a meet-up.

Seeing the young alicorn would be nice, but with Twilight’s schedule so full and her lessons so intense, Twilight knew she would have precious little time to waste socializing. Even if she really wanted to see her childhood foalsitter and close personal friend, whom probably needed to see a friendly face about now, time was at an unfortunate premium. There was another, darker reason that Twilight wanted to see her, but the unicorn brushed off that thought for now, reassuring herself that Cadance would never fall into the clutches of the great houses.

She was simply too kind for that, Twilight reasoned.

“There is always Hearth's Warming break,” she muttered as she tapped a quill against an empty sheet of paper, her letter still only sporting two words.

Greetings, Cadance.

The rest was empty, and though Twilight’s heart told her that meeting up during Hearth's Warming would be a great idea. Her head told her that it would be a waste of time and would ultimately take away from the personal study time she had planned.

She hummed and hawed a few times while tapping her quill before she picked up the writing utensil, putting it away in a drawer, determined to deal with the letter at a later date. When the drawer was opened though, something grabbed her attention. Looking down, the pony saw her favorite quill as a child and the small charm still attached to the end of it.

The quill itself was useless, having been worn down far past the point of being able to write, yet she had kept it anyway. She ran a hoof across the nearly flat face of the tiny blue fish and smiled faintly, remembering well those early days she had spent by Celestia’s side. She thought back on how the alicorn had never once looked at her funny due to Twilight’s unusual eyes. Or her other, less obvious quirks, and never judged her for her strange habits, or overall bookish personality.

With a sigh, the unicorn pushed the drawer closed, wiping the corners of her glowing orange eyes, dismissing the tears that had begun to build there.

Spike stirred on his bed of pillows nearby, the dragon sitting up and rubbing his eyes. “What's wrong?” he asked while yawning.

Twilight shook her head. “It's nothing, Spike. Sorry for waking you.”

“Well, I’m up now,” he declared, before stumbling up from the small nest he had made for himself. “And you are going to tell me what’s wrong.”

“Just… getting nostalgic, is all,” Twilight replied with a sigh.

Spike walked up to his mother and draped an arm around her shoulders, giving the pony a gentle squeeze. “You know, I don't think you are allowed to be nostalgic yet. You are not even old enough to drink, after all,” he pointed out.

“Hey, I will be next year,” Twilight shot back.

“True, and then and only then will you be allowed to get sappy over something that happened in your childhood,” Spike added, giving his mother one last squeeze before taking a step back. “So, what are we doing for lunch? I’m hungry.”

“Wait a second,” Twilight interrupted, the mare standing and turning towards the door, her horn glowing with power.

A second later a small slip of paper was tucked under the door of her room, tempting Twilight into frying it. For a moment she simply glared at the small object, her horn glowing brightly, magic ready to be unleashed at a moment’s notice. When nothing happened, she changed the flow of her mana, and focused it away from a disintegration spell and towards a scanning spell.

When her horn flashed, she was instantly assured that it was nothing more than a scrap of paper, with a small ward placed on it that allowed it to bypass Twilight’s defences. With a frown on her face, Twilight hesitantly approached the piece of paper only to be stopped by Spike who grabbed her shoulder.

“Are you sure you should even look at it?” Spike asked nervously.

Twilight nodded. “The only spell on it allows it to get through my defences, not hurt anyone. Besides, I want to know what someone would go through all the effort of sending us.”

Spike frowned, but let go of his mother’s shoulder. “Alright… be careful though.”

The unicorn turned, and gently lifted the piece of paper from the ground and towards her. A quick spell made a forcefield spring into existence around the note, making doubly sure it could do no harm. With something between him and the paper, Spike leaned in, his curiosity getting the better of him.

The paper itself was plain in the extreme, and was folded haphazardly down the middle. Opening it up revealed only two, short lines of text written in slightly crooked letters.

Meet me in the training room in ten minutes.

Come alone.

Twilight snorted, dismissed the shield spell, and disintegrated the note. “Like hell I’m doing that,” she muttered in disgust.

Spike raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure that's a good idea? What if they have information, or if it’s Blueblood again?”

“If it’s Bluey, he would just show up like he owned the place,” Twilight retorted. “And if they had information, why not just include it in that note of theirs? No. This is clearly a trap. One that is designed to suggest that my defences are not enough, and that my tower is compromised somehow.”

“Really? I mean it just slipped through your wards, surely you can patch that hole, right?” Spike asked while scratching his head.

Twilight sighed. “It's a show of knowledge. They know how to get past one, meaning they likely know how to get past the other defences I have erected. We aren't safe here.”

“Then what do we do?” Spike pressed, as he nervously began to wring his hands together.

“We go straight to Celestia’s apartment,” Twilight declared. “I won't be able to teleport inside the castle due to the interdictor spell they have placed on the premises, but that should mean no one else can either.”

“So we just walk over there then?” Spike asked. “Because I like the idea of sending her a letter and hunkering down here.”

“We can't do that,” Twilight replied. “Celestia is in a meeting with her cabinet for the next six hours, your letter won't go through until it's over.”

Spike mumbled a curse under his breath. “So what do we do then?”

“Celestia taught me the key spell needed to get into her private apartment. She has more defences on that place than anywhere else in Canterlot. Except maybe the royal treasury,” Twilight answered. “If we can make it to her room we will be safe from everything from invading armies to a direct meteor strike.”

“That's if we can make it that far,” Spike replied.

Twilight snorted. “We are stronger than the guards, and they haven't been able to corrupt them all, meaning they couldn't afford to attack us in a large number.” The unicorn began to pace back and forth. “They probably aligned some sort of distraction so there are no staff between here and the training room. This also means that most of the distance to the royal apartments is also empty, but that's acceptable.”

“It is?”

The unicorn smirked. “We got this, Spike. Come on. We just need to get to Celestia’s apartment.”

“Are you sure this is the best idea?” Spike asked.

“It is. Now hold still while I cast some quick enchantments on us,” Twilight exclaimed, the unicorn already summoning her magic.

In no time at all, both Spike and Twilight glowed faintly, as numerous defensive wards and other spells fell into place. Her horn dulling, Twilight nodded slowly, appraising her work. “There, that should protect us at least a little bit.”

“I don't suppose I can talk you out of this, huh?” Spike pressed.

Twilight shook her head. “Celestia’s room is the safest place in the castle.”

“I guess…”

The unicorn sighed and ran a hoof down the dragon’s frills. “Don't worry about it, Spike. We can handle anything those fools throw at us. Celestia has been teaching me for almost a decade at this point, and training me in offencive magic for the last year.”

Spike took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. “You are right,” he declared. “You know tons of magic. They don't stand a chance.”

“That's the spirit, now let's get moving,” Twilight announced before turning to the door and lighting her horn once more.

A ping of magic alerted Twilight to the fact that the area just outside of her tower was empty, the guards that had been stationed outside vanishing within the last few minutes. Pushing the door open a sliver, the unicorn peeked outside and found neither sign of struggle, nor a note left behind to explain their disappearance. With a frown on her face, the unicorn pushed open the door the rest of the way and silently ushered her son into the hall before closing and locking the door behind them.

She knew it wouldn't do much since they knew about her defences, but it put her mind at least a little more at ease to have her room locked. With that done, she lit her horn and began to creep down the hall, with Spike eyeing the stairs to their left closely. When nothing happened, and they had made their way over the skyway, and entered the castle proper, both creatures relaxed slightly.

“It’s empty,” Spike muttered.

“It sure seems that way,” Twilight only half agreed.

“Why do you say it like that?” Spike asked as they turned down a hall and made their way towards a spiral staircase that lead up a floor.

“Because something isn't right here,” Twilight replied, her horn still glowing, though not nearly as much as it had been a minute ago. “Why lure me out only to not do anything? They evidently expected me to leave the room or they wouldn't have bothered to clear the castle halls.”

Spike paused as the pair reached the stairs, with the unicorn peeking around a pillar before nodding to the dragon, and prompting the pair to begin climbing. “That is weird. What do you think it means?”

“I don't know,” Twilight admitted. “I still feel like our best chance of safety is Celestia’s apartment though. Noone should know we are able to enter without the princess’ presence.”

“I still don't like this,” Spike muttered.

“Just keep a look out and warn me if you see anything,” Twilight replied.

The dragon nodded.

Twilight strode forward, standing tall and silently hoping to attract any attention first and spare her son from any potential harm. Harm which never seemed to come as empty halls proceeded only more empty halls, all of which were utterly devoid of any staff or sign of battle. The sheer emptiness was beginning to get to the pony, as several minutes had already passed, and they had yet to see another soul.

Twilight peeked her head around a corner and surveyed the next hallway closely, her nerves beginning to fray after so much silence. Sure enough, another empty hallway opened up before them, one which was surprisingly bereft of other exits, be it doors or windows. Frowning deeper, the unicorn trotted into the hall, her hoof going up to where she knew there should be a pane of glass.

“Odd,” she muttered.

“This is really starting to weird me out,” Spike muttered, crouching slightly as he looked left and right. “Where is everyone, and where are we? I don't remember this hallway before.”

“That's because we are either not in the castle anymore, or this is an illusion.” Twilight lit her horn and cast a quick dispel, only for nothing to happen. “A very, very good illusion.”

“But it feels real,” Spike muttered as he tapped the wall. “Shouldn't there be a window here?”

“Powerful illusions can replicate all of the senses and convince the mind that what it perceives is indeed real,” Twilight explained, her horn flashing once more, to the same effect as last time. “And this is the work of a master.”

“So what do we do then?” Spike asked as he looked over his shoulder.

“We could stay in place, fire off a few flares and attract a lot of attention,” Twilight began, the unicorn leaning towards the wall and tapping it several times. “That should be able to attract at least a few guards not under the great houses’ sway. Or we could-”

“Hey look, it’s Celestia!” Spike interrupted, the dragon already running down the hall. “Hey, Princess, it’s us! Come back!”

Twilight cursed and spun around. “Spike, wait, that's not her!”

Despite her warning coming as quickly as she could speak it, the dragon was already at the end of the hall, vanishing around the corner a second later. Muttering a string of curses under her breath, Twilight silently reminded herself that despite his appearance, and his general maturity, Spike was still a kid at hear. One that was in a stressful and strange situation.

Putting anger from her mind, Twilight focused on what needed to be done and began to sprint after him, her head down and her horn blazing with life. Thankfully she wasn't wearing her usual boots, and had only thrown on her coat earlier due to the slight chill that pervaded her tower. Without anything slowing her down, the unicorn was able to easily catch up with the dragon, who was standing in the middle of an intersection.

“Princess Celestia!” he shouted. “Where did you go?”

“She isn't here. That was an illusion,” Twilight remarked sadly.

The dragon stumbled back and raised his hands as if he were about to karate chop the pony in the face only to stop when he realized who was standing there. “Oh, thank goodness. I thought I lost you for a second there,” he remarked.

Twilight reached out and gripped the dragon by the shoulder, looking him dead in the eye. “Do not do that again. Our opponent is master illusionist, and likely intended for you to run off.”

“S-sorry. I just thought I saw the princess and…” He stopped and blinked, looking around the room. “How did we get here?”

“What do you? Oh no,” Twilight muttered in shock, before turning around and bolting towards the exit.

The door she had just passed through slammed shut, clicking audibly and making her screech to a halt as something heavy was placed against the otherside of the wooden portal. Cursing, she spun around and scanned the area, only to find that the training room looked empty still. “How did we get here?” Spike asked hesitantly, the dragon close at his mother’s side.

“More illusions, these ones even better than the last,” Twilight explained, before pushing the dragon back a step. “Give me a moment and I can knock down this door.”

The unicorn lit her horn and began to summon forth the necessary mana to knock the door clean off its hinges with a well-placed fireball. That was until her horn suddenly flickered and died, the second an oppressive wall of force sprung out of nowhere and stopped her spell dead in its tracks. Wincing, Twilight did her best to mitigate the backlash quickly before stumbling over to Spike and placing herself between him and however else was in the room.

“Ah ah ah. There will be no cheating on my watch,” teased a female voice that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

Twilight tried and failed to bring light to her horn once more, grumbling when she found the act completely impossible. The force was powerful and the unicorn guessed that the training room was probably set for ninety or so percent magical reduction. More than enough to make all spell casting impossible, and to leave her with a pounding headache. Spike winced, the dragon clutching his head with both hands as he stumbled backward a few paces.

“W-what’s happening?” he asked in confusion.

“Magical reduction field. Focus on your breathing and don't move unless I tell you to,” Twilight commanded.

“Ahh yes, that would help, wouldn't it?” remarked the distinctly female voice. “If you weren’t an abomination deserving of oblivion!”

Twilight shoved Spike hard, pushing him out of the way of a bolt which had been aimed at his head. The dragon toppled into a heap and Twilight quickly stood over him, her muscles flexing as she turned this way and that. “Show yourself,” she shouted. “Unless you don't think you can take me in a fair fight.”

The voice laughed. “Oh please. You came here loaded to the gills with enchantments. The game was rigged from the start.”

“What do I-?” Spike began, only to be shushed by Twilight, who kept him down.

“So what if I put on a few enchantments? They are gone now, yet you are still hiding, cowering in the dark and relying on your illusions and weapons while I have neither,” Twilight spat back.

“Me? Cower? I long for combat and with honor guiding me I will strike down the enemies of our great nation!” the voice exclaimed, a second before Twilight heard hooves hit the ground.

“So predictable,” Twilight muttered before raising a hoof and bringing the full power of her psychic might to bear.

Her opponent flickered into existence a few feet away, whatever ability that had kept her invisible dissipating now that she was moving, only to be thrown back by Twilight’s psychic push. Rather than be caught off guard, the pony simply slid back, her hooves gripping the floor tightly and stopping herself relatively quickly. She threw her head back, throwing her long, light teal braided mane back over her shoulder and out of the way, subtly shifting her large gold and blue gauntlets back into place on her hooves.

“You are stronger than they gave you credit,” mused Twilight’s opponent, who slowly began to circle the unicorn, her golden armor and large, bulky bracers clacking audibly with every step she took.

Twilight snorted in irritation and stepped forward. “Your masters are fools to believe I am easy prey. And even more foolish to only send one of you.”

If Twilight’s opponent was unnerved, she didn't didn't show it, the pony merely scowling from behind the bit of cloth that obscured her mouth and nose. “That is where you are wrong. Wherever I go, I bring the might of my ancestors. And you are no match for us all!” she yelled before charging forward, magenta eyes flashing dangerously as she did so.

Twilight gritted her teeth and focused on the ill-used part of her mind dedicated to bringing forth her psychic abilities. Reaching out, she tried to grab the other unicorn, only to find that her opponent was ready, and an alien will rose up to rival her own. The other pony slowed as her eyes blazed with fury, pushing back Twilight’s attempt to batter the other pony senseless through psychic might alone.

Having never felt resistance to her psychic abilities, Twilight found herself struggling to figure out the correct course of action. Gritting her teeth and pouring all she had into the act seemed to do little, and she quickly abandoned the effort, not wanting to take away from her mind’s defences. Stumbling back, Twilight glared at the other pony, who was smirking victoriously at the infested mare.

“Is that it?” she asked, throwing her nose into the air haughtily. “And here I thought you were going to be a challenge.”

Twilight snorted and pawed the ground with a hoof. “You may be able to resist me and your mind may be shielded, but I could feel that power is not your own. You are but a mare. A scared and angry little mare.”

“I am not scared of you, or anyone!” shouted the other unicorn, who suddenly lurched forward with hate in her eyes, burning away the grey emptiness that had been at the edges of her vision.

Taken aback by the response, Twilight moved subtly to the left, knowing instinctively where her draconic progeny was without having to look. With the other unicorn barreling directly at her, and with little time to figure out a plan, Twilight slammed her forehooves together and used what little psychic energy she had left to cover her forelegs in a thick, scaley hide. Just in time to deflect a knife which had flown out of nowhere, and had been aimed at her face.

Knowing it was a feint, Twilight leapt back, dodging out of the way of another dagger strike, this one coming from the mare who wielded a pair of short, sharp weapons. Seeing her prey duck out of range, the attacking unicorn screamed and threw herself forward once more. “For the empire!”

Twilight stood on her back legs and brought her forehooves up in time to knock aside a series of lightning fast attacks aimed at her midsection. The blows were short and quick, lacking any true power behind them and forcing Twilight to rapidly shift her weight in order to stop herself form being poked full of holes. After a few seconds Twilight managed to create an opening and brought her left forehoof down hard on her enemy's foreleg, knocking her weapon to the ground.

Utilizing the brief disruption of her opponent’s concentration, Twilight grabbed her enemy's foremost limbs and brought her forehead down hard against her opponent’s face. Twilight felt and heard the familiar crunch of cartilage buckling under her strength, signalling that she had shattered the enemy unicorn’s nose. A second later and the sound of falling metal alerted her to the fact that she had also managed to make the other unicorn drop her remaining dagger.

She wasn't out of the fight yet though, and the teal unicorn spat a wad of blood directly into Twilight’s eyes, forcing her to stumble back and blink the foreign matter away. The unicorn raised her heavy, scale covered forelegs up, expecting the enemy to have not given her any time to prepare, only to find noone there. Instead, the other unicorn had taken a step back, and was staring down at Twilight, a disgusted look on her face.

“You are even more hideous up close,” she remarked. “I mean your eyes are one thing, but your face is scarred and deformed, almost as bad as that foreleg of yours.”

Twilight snarled. “Only the weak fret over aesthetics and mere appearances. The strong care only for results.”

“Well, if you were planning on being ugly as sin, then congratulations,” remarked the other unicorn, who hopped up onto her back legs and ignited the bright blue blades that extended from her bracers. “Let’s see how well you fare against the weapons of my people!”

Twilight was hesitant to put her hoof in the way of the glowing energy blade that had sprung from her enemy’s wrists and tried to dodge out of the way, rather than potentially sacrifice a leg. That was easier said than done though, and she quickly found herself forced to decide between getting a weird, glowing energy weapon to the chest, or losing a limb. Thinking quickly, Twilight deflected the blade away from her with her bulkier left leg, her scales faring relatively well against the odd weapon.

The daggers hadn't so much as left a scratch on her natural armor, unlike the odd, humming blue blades the enemy unicorn now sported, which burned even her hardened scales. Grimacing, Twilight pushed down the pain that threatened to distract her, focusing instead on her opponent who was still bearing down on her. Deft cuts and quick thrusts were either dodged or blocked by scaled limbs, ensuring that Twilight gained several more burns, but did not take a blow she couldn't afford to.

Spike, feeling the pain now coursing through his mother, began to look for an opening, in order to unleash his own attack. Only for Twilight to feel his aggression without having to look, and quickly stifle his urge to defend her. Stay back, you’ll only get in the way, she mentally commanded.

Spike, shocked to hear someone else’s voice in his head, stumbled back, and did as he was told, nervously watching as the two unicorns continued to duel only a few feet away from him.

Glowing blue blades were turned aside by tough, scaly flesh, adding numerous burns to the mare’s forelegs. Twilight’s limbs were heavy and slow, while her opponent's strikes were fast and precise, meaning she was stuck on the defensive with seemingly no way out of it. Without magic or her psychic abilities, she knew it was only a matter of time before this newest foe wore her down and struck a blow Twilight could not recover from.

Thoughts of her own demise didn't trouble her terribly, but thinking of what would happen to Spike if she were to perish made Twilight’s blood boil. If careful calculation, planning, and intelligence could not win the day, there was only raw brute strength and the power that came from rage. Throwing caution to the wind, Twilight brought about as much psychic power as she dare use before releasing it all at once into her opponent’s face.

The spike of telekinetic power was enough to knock the pony’s forelegs outwards, her defences forming a millisecond later and saving her from being knocked across the room. That was more than enough of an opening though, and Twilight let out a snarl of rage before leaping forward and bringing her hooves down over head.

The other pony was fast though and recovered quickly from the shove, raising both blades above her head in order to block the coming strike. Not like Twilight cared, for she had something the other pony did not, earth pony strength and far more muscle mass. The blades ultimately slowed Twilight’s attack, but did not stop her completely, forcing the opponent’s forelegs into a weird angle and battering her in the head with her own limbs.

“What the-” Was all the other unicorn could mutter before Twilight brought her forelegs down again and again, batting aside her enemy’s defences and pounding her face in.

Steel bent and the mare’s helmet warped before being knocked clear off her head, allowing Twilight to see the faintly familiar features of a pony whom looked a few years older than she did. There was just enough time to commit most of the pony’s face to memory before she was able to bring her guard back up and burn Twilight’s hoof bad enough to force the larger unicorn back a step.

Though she had managed to get her guard up and adapt somewhat, it was clear the other unicorn was still a little off balance from the battering she had just received. Ignoring the cries of pain along her forelegs, Twilight snarled, and was ready to throw herself forward once more when the other unicorn reached back and produced another dagger.

Knowing what was coming, Twilight raised her burnt forehooves in order to cover her face and other vital areas. Only for the dagger to fly right past her, and across the room, right where she knew Spike was standing. Eyes wide and filled with fear, Twilight reached out with her mind and forced the blade to stop mid-air, only a few feet away from the terrified dragon.

“For all your talk of strength you sure are weak,” spat the other unicorn before stabbing the infested mare in the shoulder and delivering a cross slash across the front of her body.

The simple leather cloth couldn't stand up to the mare’s strange weapons and didn't even slow the blades before they met the pony’s flesh. Searing pain flashed through the infested unicorn’s mind, making her cry out as she stumbled backward. Twilight tried to get her hooves up in time to block the next attacks. She was too slow however, and as she felt hot blood begin to cascade down her left foreleg, and chest she felt the heat of her opponent’s weapons as they neared her neck.

White hot panic coursed through her body, making the young pony realize that this may very well be the end. In that moment, time seemed to slow, leaving Twilight with ample opportunities to ponder her own mortality. Such grim musings were tossed away quickly, the pony too stubborn to even consider the possibility that this was indeed the conclusion of her story.

In that moment, she realized that she had never given it her all before, never truly allowed herself to delve into the true depths of her own soul. Her psychic abilities were always distant, and Twilight had feared what possibilities they may bring about if used and expanded.

Yet she would need to do so now, to give in to the most primal emotions that had warred within her for so long. That seemingly endless, yawning abyss of power that she had been too frightened to touch would finally be put to use. With grim determination, she tugged, no, ripped the power she felt swirling around her wellspring for over a decade, putting it to use for what felt like the very first time.

The teal unicorn’s smile began to slip away as the milliseconds passed, and she saw her enemy’s form begin to build with purple light. Putting everything she had into her attack, she desperately tried to cut off whatever the infested mare had planned only for the world to go white. Then she was airborne, the pony flying through the air until she hit the opposite wall, near a certain lever, her armor crumpling, but ultimately saving her life.

The first thing the assassin heard was a scream so powerful she felt it in her very bones. Her mind cried out in agony as it was attacked as much as her physical body was. Her ears bled, and crimson tears dripped down her face, yet despite all that she forced herself to look up, hoping desperately to find a bloody and broken opponent. Though Twilight’s wounds remained, the assassin no longer considered ways of attack and focused instead on escape.

For the infested mare was humming with power, the pony levitating several feet above the ground with massive glowing, ethereal purple wings having appeared on her back. Her eyes pulsed with an angry orange glare, promising the assassin a quick, but utterly brutal end. Grunting, the illusionist quickly pulled herself up, one hoof going to the hidden compartment in her armor which contained her daggers.

Twilight meanwhile was so shocked by her sudden transformation that she didn't notice this shift in her enemy’s attention until she saw a dagger in her enemy’s hoof. Reacting quickly, she reached out and tried to tug it out of the assassin’s hoof with her mind, only for it to slip out of her grasp as it was thrown past her. Growling in irritation, Twilight knocked it aside, as well as the next dagger which was thrown at Spike.

“Coward! You are fighting me, not my son!” Twilight boomed, her voice echoing in the minds of all who heard her.

“Oh, I’ve already gotten what I came for. I’m not fighting anyone,” the assassin replied with a smirk.

Twilight blinked, and looked over to where she had knocked aside the enemy’s daggers, only to see a trio of small black orbs on the ground. She was about to curse her own obliviousness, when the orbs exploded, filling the room with smoke. Reacting on instinct, Twilight half flew, half levitated over to where she knew Spike was, wrapping her ethereal wings around the drake and erecting a barrier between them and their enemy.

Spike clung to the pony desperately, his confusion palpable even while he coughed his lungs out. Twilight cursed herself for knocking the pony so close to the activation lever, but kept her mind focused on her surroundings. There was time for regret later, when they weren’t in danger, as now she had better things to do.

Opening her wings wide, Twilight let out a powerful flap, one which dissipated the glowing appendages and returned Twilight to the ground once more, their job done. Smoke billowed away from them, forced back by the sudden surge of wind Twilight had managed to summon.

Allowing Twilight and Spike to breathe a little easier and see that they were alone, the smoke now gone, as was the assassin. All traces of the unicorn’s daggers and broken armor were gone as well, leaving only a few dents in the walls and floor of the training room as evidence of their struggle.

“Are you okay?” Twilight asked, her voice weak.

Spike nodded and squeezed his mother harder. “I’m fine. But you are bleeding.”

Twilight snorted and straightened her back. “It's nothing. Now get ready to move, we still need to get to Celestia’s apartment.”

“That won't be necessary,” announced the kind and gentle voice of the alicorn herself.

Twilight stumbled back and lit her horn, nearly slipping on her own blood as she did so. “Don't believe her, Spike, she's probably another illusion.”

The alicorn smiled and trotted toward them. “Your first crush was on Feather Duster, your second maid.”

Twilight’s jaw hung open, and her shield vanished. “But I never told anyone that. Not even Celestia…”

“You talk a lot in your sleep,” Celestia replied with a smile. “It's actually quite adorable.”

“I think that's really her,” Spike added.

“But how did you get here so fast?” Twilight asked, hardly even noticing that she had fallen to her knees, her world spinning.

Celestia frowned, and gently wrapped the young unicorn in her golden magical aura. “I don't know, to be honest. It was like I heard you cry out in pain and I knew you needed me. So I teleported here as quickly as I could.”

“No way…” Spike muttered in disbelief.

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, only for Celestia to cut her off. “Now is not the time for talk. Sleep now, and know that you are safe.”

Twilight hardly had time to contemplate the alicorn’s words before she felt a low grade stun spell wash over her, knocking her out. The last thing she saw was Celestia’s warm, inviting smile, and then darkness.

Author's Notes:

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Rest and Recuperation

Twilight groaned as she pushed open the heavy door to the bathroom. The wooden portal was made for an alicorn, and her burnt and bandage-clad forelegs could hardly open the damn thing. If it wasn't for the fact that her magic was on the fritz, this would be easy, as she could have just pushed the dang thing open that way. Not even her psychic abilities seemed to have recovered yet either, meaning she was stuck doing everything the earth pony way. Something made even more difficult by the injuries on her chest and shoulder which thankfully didn't reopen.

Which was a way of doing things that the young unicorn had not had to experience since that one time when she was seven and suffered magical burnout practicing spells in the backyard. This was worse than even then though, as it felt like her everything had been used to the point of exhaustion and then some. Her horn ached, her hooves still felt warm due to the sheer number of second degree burns she had accumulated, and her head pounded, all despite the numerous healing spells used on her over the last few days.

Turning the tap on the sink, Twilight stuck her head underneath and gulped down mouthful after mouthful of the stuff. Sure she could have gotten a glass, and gotten something out of the fridge, but Celestia’s kitchen was similarly alicorn sized, meaning it was a struggle to even get a drink. This was just easier and meant that she didn't have to try and use her horn, or psychic powers, which were both temporarily off limits anyway.

Having gotten her fill, Twilight turned off the tap and trotted back out of the room, muttering “ouch” with every step she took. The bandages were thick, the gauze turning her already bulky legs so cumbersome that it made walking slightly difficult. Not like Twilight was about to complain though, as the young mare knew how lucky she had gotten.

Her second flare was something nopony had seen coming and was not something anyone had even deemed possible, until now. Her first flare had been half fluke, half the effect of whatever had infected her. The result had been an explosion of magic that opened up her magical pathways to the point that they were nearly exploding with mana. Whatever had happened in the training room felt familiar, and much, much different at the same time.

She wasn't sure why her horn also ached if she had been using psychic energy for the most part, but Twilight tried not to think of that right now, as she had enough things to worry about at the moment.

Grunting, the unicorn pushed the bathroom door closed behind her and began the long trek back to her temporary room. Around her were tall countertops, a table, and everything one might expect to see in a kitchen designed for an alicorn. Just about everything was out of Twilight’s reach, despite the fact that she was taller than the average full-grown unicorn mare, despite her relatively young age.

The sight alone was enough to remind Twilight that despite looking like them, Celestia was still an entirely different type of pony, one that grew far taller than the average mare could ever dream of. Though this realization would normally make Twilight ponder why this would happen, now it only made her slightly irritated. “Stupid alicorn and her stupid tall stuff,” she muttered to herself as she crossed the kitchen and made her way towards a long hall on the other side of the room.

She passed by the small dining area and flicked on the light to the hall, despite the fact that it was hardly needed, given that it was only two in the afternoon and sunlight filled the apartment. Regardless of the necessity, Twilight did so anyway, the unicorn stopping and scanning the hall for a second. What little shadows that had existed were now banished by the light, and Twilight breathed easier, having found that it was the same empty hall that was always there.

“Relax, Twilight. This is Celestia’s apartment. Nopony can get in or out without express permission from the princess herself,” she muttered under her breath as she made her way over to the door leading to her room.

Pushing it open, Twilight peeked inside and found her assistant asleep on her bed, his body curled into a ball as he snored loudly. The dragon had been quiet since the attack and more reserved than normal, spending most of his time sleeping or reading. It was enough to make Twilight begin to worry about him, even though he had not been injured in the fight.

The unicorn sighed and silently hoped that her new overcoat came in soon, as walking around with nothing more than gauze and bandages covering her made the pony feel naked and vulnerable. The black leather had done little to stop her attacker, that much was true, but that was something which would hopefully be addressed with this latest coat. Her old gryphon gaming partner had been insistent that the destruction of the coat was an acceptable loss, and that he had something better coming, though he wouldn't elaborate much in that regard.

It was enough to make Twilight’s mind wander as she considered just what he meant. It was obvious that he was going to make her some manner of new coat, but how could it protect her if it was just a coat? She put those thoughts away for now and plunked down at her desk, sighing heavily before grabbing a book which she had set aside.

It wasn't exactly the most stimulating of books, given that it was little more than a great collection of riddles, but she felt oddly drawn to it. It felt nostalgic for some reason, and she eagerly flipped back to the spot she had left off at and began to read once more.

With nothing but the sound of snoring, and the occasional gust of wind against her window, the unicorn was quickly whisked off to a world where there were only her thoughts and the riddles she read. Time flew by relatively quickly, unnoticed by the oddly entranced unicorn, that was until she heard the door to the apartment open. Shooting out of her chair, Twilight put the book back down and sprinted over to the door, which she pressed her ear against.

She could hear the distinct clip clop of Princess Celestia’s heavier, yet also daintier hooves, but also a second pair of hooves which were shorter and even heavier still. Hearing those hooves approach her temporary residence, Twilight opened the door and beheld a surprised Celestia who smiled down at her.

“Ahh, Twilight. Good, you are awake,” Celestia exclaimed. “How goes your studying?”

“Not bad…” Twilight muttered, glancing to the left, and finding no one else there. “Did you come alone?”

“I did not,” proclaimed the alicorn, who shook her head. “But that can wait. Please wake Spike and bring him and yourself to the sitting room.”

“Why?” Twilight replied hastily.

Celestia smiled cryptically. “It's a surprise. One you will like. I assure you.”

Twilight eyed her carefully before nodding. “Alright, give me a minute.”

Celestia nodded. “Thank you.” With that being said she turned away and trotted down the hall, leaving Twilight to ponder what the alicorn had planned for her.

The unicorn sighed and looked over to where Spike was still curled in a ball, though he had stopped snoring at least. “Hey, Spike. Celestia is back, she wants to talk to us,” she exclaimed while walking over to the bed and giving him a poke in the side.

The dragon grunted and slowly uncoiled, scowling as he did so. “Did she say what it was about?” he asked sleepily.

Twilight shook her head. “I’m afraid not. There was someone else that came with her though.”

“Hmm.” He shrugged. “We better get moving then. Are you going to be alright to walk all the way there?”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “It's only across the apartment, it's not like I’m going for a run or anything.”

Spike sighed. “Sorry. This whole thing is just… weird.”

“I know what you mean, Spike,” Twilight agreed.

The young drake hopped off the bed and together the pair made their way over to the other side of the apartment, where the sliding door to the sitting room was closed, and Celestia stood before it. The alicorn wore a bemused expression on her face, and shook her head as the duo approached her.

“You know, I overheard a maid who assumed you were actually my lover,” Celestia announced out of nowhere, making Twilight stop and blink in shock.

“Uh r-really?” Twilight muttered, looking away as she blushed profusely, her brain already struggling to imagine such a strange idea.

The thought itself wasn't wholly unpleasant, but felt a lot like having a crush on your cousin, distant or not, that was just too weird for Twilight’s taste. Celestia merely chuckled, not noticing how hard Twilight was blushing. “Oh yes, they were whispering about it quite a bit as I walked past.” She paused and pursed her lips. “I really should hint that I can hear them one of these times.”

“But then you wouldn't get all the latest gossip,” Spike added with a smirk.

“True,” Celestia admitted, a gentle smile crossing her face. “So, are you ready to meet the pony I trust to guard your person when you are out of my sight?”

Instantly Twilight’s blush was gone and she looked up in confusion. “I thought you said there wasn't anyone that you trusted for the job.”

“I said there wasn't anyone currently in my employ that I trusted to do such an important job,” Celestia corrected, her smile growing a little cheeky.

“Err, what's the difference?” Spike asked while scratching his cheek.

“It means that I had to dig back through my archives in search of someone who used to work for me whom I could trust with this.” Celestia took a step back and reached towards the sliding door. “And I think I found the perfect pony to handle something so important.”

Twilight was about to ask a question when the alicorn pulled the sliding door back and revealed Celestia’s cherished sitting room. All the usual things were there, including the roaring fire, the large bay windows that opened up onto a small balcony which oversaw Canterlot. The large, suitably alicorn sized couches sat against two of the walls, the final wall being completely dominated by a floor to ceiling bookcase. All the usual seemingly random nick nacks, ancient banners, and flags whose importance had been all but lost to history were all there, but there was something else there as well, something new.

“Silver Bulwark?” Twilight muttered, her jaw hanging open.

The older mare chuckled as she got off one of the couches, the furniture squeaking as she moved. “Did I surprise ya? Celestia wouldn't let me put on the helmet and make you guess who I was, but I thought that would've been more fun.”

“Oh my gosh you are back!” Spike shouted, the dragon leaping towards the pony and wrapping his arms about her.

Silver Bulwark chuckled as she hugged the dragon back, though she winced slightly as she did so. “Whoa there, big guy. I ain't as young as I used to be, you know.”

“You are not even forty yet,” Twilight deadpanned.

“Hey, that’s older,” replied the other unicorn, who flashed Twilight a wide, genuine smile. “So, what has my favorite little rugrat been doing these days?”

“Not being a rugrat, for one,” Twilight shot back, a smile of her own threatening to build at the edge of her face, though she stifled that urge for the moment.

Summoning what little psychic powers she had left, the infested unicorn reached out and touched the other pony’s mind. Though not enough to get anything more than even the simplest of snapshots, it was enough to tell Twilight that Silver Bulwark had none of the emptiness she had feared. The older pony’s mind was as vibrant and expressive as ever, with no trace of the great houses’ influence.

Breathing a little easier, Twilight no longer resisted the urge to smile and wrapped her hooves around Silver Bulwark, who had just escaped Spike’s scaled limbs a second earlier. “Oof, you are bigger than I remember. What have you been feeding her, Celestia?” Silver Bulwark asked jokingly.

“Just the usual, a mix of growth hormones and animal feed,” Celestia replied smugly.

Silver Bulwark blinked and was caught off guard for a second before erupting with laughter. “I forgot how good your poker face can be!”

Twilight took a step back and eyed the older pony carefully, noting that despite her slight increase in age, she was as in shape as ever. Though she had apparently been out of the guard for several months she didn't seem to have gained much, if any. Though her mane had gone from a bright silver to a slightly duller, more grey color, her fur remained a stark white. Her eyes still held all the same kindness and intelligence that Twilight had come to expect from the pony.

Twilight also noticed that her armor looked very different from the suit she wore as a guard, and Twilight took a step back in order to figure just what about the golden plate that made her realize that. “Wait, is that from…” Twilight half muttered, half asked as she turned to Celestia.

“It is indeed,” replied Celestia. “Behold, the Corvus pattern full plate armor.”

“I even got the nifty helmet. See?” Bulwark added, reaching behind the couch and producing the slightly angular, beaklike helmet and displaying it for all to see.

“That's so cool,” muttered Spike, who took the helmet in his hands and began to turn it this way and that, inspecting it closely.

“I even added a few enchantments of my own design,” Celestia offered. “Ones I hope to teach you one day, Twilight. Though that won't be for quite a while.”

Twilight blinked and turned to the armor, stopping herself a second before she tried to light her horn. Cursing her poor luck, she grumbled quietly to herself, bemoaning the circumstances that left her unable to inspect another one of Celestia’s legendary enchantments. The alicorn was a master of the art, and it was said that Celestia herself had pioneered the entire field of enchanting. It was also said that the alicorn kept all her greatest discoveries to herself, something that was only partially true.

“Why does it look like it was made for a gryphon?” asked Spike, who poked the beaklike portion of the helmet that jutted from the front of the helmet.

“It’s to allow enough space for a mechanism I enchanted, which cleans the air of whomever is wearing the helmet,” Celestia replied, turning the helmet upside down and pointing to the spot the magic was located. “See?”

“Woah,” Spike muttered again.

Meanwhile, Twilight simply looked on, conflicting emotions rising in her chest, ones which made her feel quite uneasy. On the one hoof she liked the familiar sight, but it also meant that Silver Bulwark was at risk now too, and the possibility of losing not only herself, but Silver Bulwark made the infested unicorn uneasy. Furthermore, there were several other questions which made Twilight wonder about the finer details of their arrangement, questions she decided to open up about now.

“So is she my bodyguard then or what? Because something tells me the guard isn't just going to let her back in,” Twilight half asked, half stated.

Celestia nodded. “She is a private contractor hired by myself. Her contract is for the next five years, but if you wish to break that contract for any reason, you may.”

Twilight paused and considered the alicorn’s words for a moment. It was obvious that this would only happen if Twilight wanted it to, but the alicorn was also all but telling the young unicorn to go along with her plan.

“That makes sense,” Twilight muttered while tapping her chin. “So would you be under my command then?”

Silver Bulwark snorted and pulled the other unicorn into a sidelong hug, giving the mare’s neck a light squeeze. “Why? Are you thinking about making me do your laundry or something? ‘Cause I’m telling you right now, that was not what I signed up for.”

Celestia chuckled lightly, her laughter as gentle and kind as ever. “We can discuss the finer details of her contract and how exactly it would work a little later. Suffice it to say she would be with you pretty much twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.”

“No matter where you go, I’ll be watching you,” Silver Bulwark added, while wiggling her hooves at the unicorn and making spooky noises.

Twilight rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I’m not sure about this. What if that zealot comes back?”

“Then you will be better protected next time. I will also teach you some methods to break the illusions of others so you will not be caught unaware,” Celestia replied quickly.

“Didn't you say you wanted someone who could watch your back who you could trust?” offered Spike.

Twilight sighed. “I did. It's just... I don't want anyone else to get hurt because of me.”

Silver Bulwark snorted and squeezed the pony a little tighter. “Don't you worry about me none there, young lass. Both my husband and my wife left me for caring too much about the guard. So it ain't like I’m going to be having kids anytime soon, meaning I gotta look after other pony’s rugrats.”

Twilight paused when she was just about to say something, and merely chuckled instead. “I missed you and your Bullisms.”

“Bullisms?” Celestia asked.

Spike smirked. “Bull has an interesting way of saying things sometimes.”

The older unicorn scoffed and released the hold she had on Twilight. “What they mean to say is I’m a font of wisdom which they struggle to understand!”

“Sure. It's definitely not that you are just plain hard to understand sometimes,” Twilight shot back.

“Pffft whatever. I like my explanation better,” replied Silver Bulwark with an indignant snort.

“So what do you say, Twilight?” Celestia interrupted.

Twilight paused and looked to Spike, who was nodding eagerly. “I suppose it couldn't hurt to have someone else watching my back. I want to take a short trip downtown though.”

Celestia raised an eyebrow, but quickly caught the subtext and frowned. “Are you sure that's the best idea, Twilight?”

“I need to test something, and the sooner I do that, the better,” Twilight replied.

Silver Bulwark looked from Celestia to Twilight and finally to Spike. “What the hay are they talking about?”

“Twilight has a secret lab in Canterlot,” Spike replied.

Twilight nodded. “And if you are going to become my bodyguard, I need to check something.”

Silver Bulwark shrugged. “I don't see the big deal. What do you say, Princess?”

The alicorn sighed. “Fine, but you are going to also visit your father and take a taxi most of the way down. It won't be the best cover, but it's better than nothing, and I’m sure he's still worried about you despite his frequent visits.”

The infested mare sighed. “I suppose that works.”

“Um, do you mind if I ask something as well?” Spike requested with a hint of nervousness.

Silver Bulwark grinned. “Of course ya can, big guy!”

The dragon stood a little straighter. “I want you to train me. If that's okay with you.”

The older unicorn blinked and seemed shocked for a moment before grinning like a mad pony. “Oh, this is going to be good,” she exclaimed.

Celestia sighed and planted a hoof against her forehead. “I feared you were going to say something like that.”

“What's the big deal?” Twilight interjected. “You’ve been training me for a while. Why can't Spike learn a thing or two as well?”

The alicorn shook her head. “It's not that I don't want him to learn how to defend himself, but rather I worry what Silver Bulwark will do to him.”

“I never told you this, but I used to be a drill sergeant back in the day,” Silver Bulwark added with a smirk. “It's actually where I got my nickname, kinda.”

“Kind of?” Spike asked.

The older unicorn puffed out her chest, making her armor clink. “They used to call me the Silver Bull.”

“On account of her being tough and as stubborn as a bull made of silver,” Celestia added.

Spike shrugged. “How bad could it be?”

Silver Bulwark smirked and shook her head. “Oh my sweet summer child. You will see.”

Twilight chuckled. “Just remember, Spike, you asked for this.”

Spike laughed nervously. “It can't be that bad, right… right?”

Twilight paced back and forth, her hooves squelching against the organic floor of her secret hideout. Already her psychic energy was nearly full once more, the presence of the creep easing the worst of her aches and making her feel complete once more. She also felt far more secure now that she was here, the familiar room, and strange healing properties of the organic floor assisting that feeling.

The hideout itself had recently been reinforced by several alicorn-level enchantments given to her by Celestia in the form of scrolls which could only be used once. Originally, Twilight had wanted to put them on her tower, but by now everything in it had been transferred to Celestia’s royal apartment, and it felt like a waste to use it on the tower. Even if she mourned the loss of her privacy, she also silently rejoiced being so close to Celestia.

Sighing, the mare pushed down those thoughts for now and focused on what she had in mind for her newest bodyguard. Which wasn't much other than a vague desire to help her in some manner, though she knew not how that would happen.

She mentally pinged Spike’s location and found him just above the room, still repeating the same drills that he had been doing the last time she had pinged him. Though it put the unicorn’s worries to rest, it made her wonder just how deep their connection was after her psychic flare. Which was something she hadn't thought about a lot since her powers began to wane after she had erected her mental wall all those years ago.

The unicorn had been content being able to tell what someone was feeling, and do light, non magical telekinesis if it meant being able to keep out their influence. Now though, now she could tell that those powers were beginning to grow more powerful by the day, while her mental wall remained as strong as ever. She wondered how long it would take until she was as strong as she used to be, and how great her new powers would become now that she was intent on training them.

Setting her jaw, she focused on the connection she shared with Spike, noting that the dragon felt like an extension of herself. It was strong and stable and Twilight knew that if she focused even more, she could control his body, though she vowed to never do that. The dragon himself seemed only barely aware of her, and Twilight could very easily mask her presence if she wanted.

She quickly pushed away from the dragon’s mind, already feeling uneasy upon hearing his thoughts in her head and choosing to focus on something else entirely.

Namely, Silver Bulwark, and how different their connection was. Twilight could hear her surface thoughts, feel her most outward emotions, but that was just about it. Pushing against that connection could yield something, but she knew the pony’s mind would resist her attempts and that was not something she wanted to try just yet. Silver Bulwark’s mind also felt… different for the lack of a better word.

It was like hers and Spike’s existed on the same wavelength, and were able to communicate clearly while Silver Bulwark’s was just a little bit off. They could still communicate, but it was difficult, like a radio that was only a single tick away from the right frequency. Twilight knew that this meant something, but the true significance of this difference was lost on her for the moment.

Either way, Twilight wouldn't be able to aid the pony in the same way she could mentally guide Spike or change his body structure like she did her own. With a snort of irritation the pony continued her pacing, wracking her mind for something that could make her bodyguard stronger. Twilight knew it was an arrogant thought, as the unicorn was already decked out in some of the best armor Celestia had ever made, and had received extensive training.

Still, Twilight knew she had something that Celestia did not, and she was determined to put her unique skill set to the test and come up with some sort of way to aid the older mare.

Twilight stopped and looked down at the ground, an idea suddenly coming to her. If she couldn't aid her bodyguard directly, perhaps she could create a second bodyguard. She knew the creep was capable of shape shifting to a lesser degree. It could also grow in strange ways, but she had never tried to create something out of it, until now that was.

Focusing, Twilight tried to imagine growing a small doglike creature from the creep, her newly enhanced senses telling her that the creep had more than enough stored nutrients for the job. Closing her eyes, Twilight pushed hard, shoving as much of her psychic power into the creep as she dared. Almost immediately the ground began to bubble and contort, a small pustule the size of an ostrich egg emerging from the creep.

It took a considerable amount of power to push the egg into growing faster, but Twilight got the feeling that if she let it grow more naturally that it wouldn't take more than a day or two. Still, she wanted to see the fruits of her labor now, and so it grew faster and faster, the thin, snakelike creature within twisting and contorting as it grew.

Unbeknownst to the unicorn, her burns and other injuries were also rapidly healing, her bandages falling away to reveal new, undamaged flesh just beneath. When finally it felt like her job was done, and her energy was nearing depletion, Twilight stopped and nearly collapsed, surprised by just how hard that was.

“That was intense,” she muttered, gazing down at the now slightly larger egg-like pustule. “You aren't much to look at, are you?”

Twilight frowned as the thing within continued to twist and writhe, its form only barely visible due to the low light coming from a few glowing spots on the creep. Looking down, Twilight only then noticed that her burns were gone and her legs looked brand new, as did her chest and shoulder. Lifting a foreleg, the unicorn inspected herself thoroughly, a sense of wonder filling her.

Even the best healing magic around couldn't do that, she thought to herself, noting how complete the regeneration was, even though it had left behind some uncomfortable-looking scars.

A resounding crack drew the unicorn’s attention back to the egg which had begun to shake visibly. Inside, the creature pulled back, and rammed the side of the egg again and again, before a chunk flew off. With an opening secured, the thing shot out of its egg, and emerged into the light, squirming and twitching as it did.

“What the fuck is that,” Twilight muttered, hastily backpedaling at the sight of the creature.

It was about a foot long, and resembled a snake, only with many legs and a diamond like head. It had no mouth to speak of, and its eyes were small and beady, looking around the room curiously. The mere sight of the creature made Twilight’s stomach churn for a reason she couldn't quite explain. The creature itself didn't seem overly bothered by this and gazed up at Twilight, as if expecting an order of some kind.

Disturbed and slightly panicked, Twilight made a shooing motion with her hoof. “Go to sleep or something,” she hastily commanded.

The snake creature nodded, and curled into a tight circle, its body shrinking to the size of a tennis ball before losing its purple and green coloration and becoming slightly grey. It felt oddly inert, like it was asleep, yet more than that at the same time. Hesitantly, Twilight approached the ball and prodded it, only for it to roll over and not react one bit.

“What the hay?” muttered the unicorn. “How would this thing help me?”

She looked up and idly noted that the creep was rapidly absorbing the egg, but left the creature alone. Though it was uncomfortable to look at, and made Twilight nauseous for some reason, the unicorn still gently lifted the ball in her magic and tucked it into a pocket dimension. “You can stay there, you creepy parasite thing,” Twilight whispered, only to stop and blink. “Wait, how did I know what that thing even was?”

Twilight placed a hoof on her chest, and closed her eyes, her mind already churning with possibilities. This thing could make someone into whatever Spike and I are, she realized, before looking down at her burnt legs. And I can rapidly heal whatever we are.

Being able to rapidly recover from wounds was quite a boon, but the thought of giving a parasite to Silver Bulwark made her incredibly uncomfortable. Shivering in disgust, Twilight began to trot towards the door, intent on gathering up Silver and Spike and heading to her father’s place as soon as possible.

Let’s hope I never have to use that creepy thing.

Author's Notes:

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Decisions

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Twilight sighed and tapped her desk idly as she stared out the window for what felt like the thousandth time. Another letter from Cadance sat on her desk, and another half-written response sat next to it. The alicorn was urging them to meet once more, and spoke about the possibility of Twilight coming out to the frontier, in order to assist the elder mare in her charity work. Though Twilight was intrigued by the idea, and had grown interested in seeing what was going on out there, it was also undeniably dangerous.

The zerg had never been spotted near Cadance’s position, yet the sheer fact that they were in the area made Twilight reconsider her former foalsitter’s idea. The possibility of having her body controlled by some other entity was only slightly less unpleasant than being forced to turn against Celestia. A possibility which was unfortunately very real, considering how the conversation she had with those strange half-ponies and mother had gone.

Shaking her head, Twilight dismissed all such thoughts, and tried to focus back on her letter, only for her attention to dwindle quickly. Would Cadance even recognize me anymore? Twilight wondered, painfully aware of how pronounced her changes had become since she had last seen her.

Would she still accept me if she knew what I was? Twilight thought, the mare staring down at her hoof, only to shake her head and force the thought away. Cadance is kind, smart, empathetic, and understanding. She would know that this wasn't my choice, and that I am not one of those monsters.

Right?

Twilight sighed and planted her face into the center of her desk, her mind at war with itself over what to do, and what to say. Placing her quill aside, Twilight determined that she would deal with the letter later, maybe after she talked to Celestia about it and had gained some perspective. The unicorn doubted that such perspective would change anything though, as she wanted to spend time studying and perfecting her magic as well as her psionic abilities. Though even still, she couldn't help but admit that seeing Cadance would be nice right about now.

Especially after all this time had passed, and what had happened between the alicorn and Shining Armor.

Twilight’s hoof reached out to the book of riddles and for a moment she considered opening it, only to push her chair back, grinning as she did so. She just remembered that her horn had fully healed and her magic had likely completely returned by now, meaning she could finally check out some of the spells Celestia had placed on her private domicile.

Lighting her horn, Twilight looked around the room, taking in the lavish space while looking for a good spot to start. Her gaze stopped over the window, which looked normal at first, but considerably less so after Twilight reached out and touched it with her magic. Strands of fine gold sprung into existence, repelling Twilight’s magic, though not forcefully, the strands only visible for a second or two before vanishing.

Her smile grew, and Twilight repeated the motion a few times, before getting a handle on how the strands on her window connected with the spells placed on the rest of the apartment. Rubbing her hooves together, Twilight grinned and looked around, wondering where to start.

“Oh this is going to be fun,” she declared.

A few minutes later and Twilight was lying on her back in the middle of the kitchen floor, her legs flopped out in all directions, an awestruck expression on her face. “How is that even possible? How does she even layer magic that efficiently?” she muttered.

Truly the alicorn was a master of the school, having layered her home in so many wards and enchantments that the castle around it would fall before it would. Was it paranoia that made her do it, or perhaps to the alicorn this was all merely a practice in order to hone her skills and challenge herself?

Either way, Twilight was fairly certain that if she spent the rest of her life studying only enchantment spells, she still wouldn't be half as good as Celestia was currently.

The sound of hooves outside the apartment made Twilight lurch back up into a standing position, her gaze settling on the door as her body tensed slightly. Logically, she knew that such precautions were wasted as no one could enter the apartment without Celestia’s permission, but that didn't stop her from worrying anyway.

She would not be caught unaware again…

The large wooden portal opened to reveal a haggard-looking Spike, who stumbled into the entrance before draping himself over the backside of a nearby chair. Behind him strode a tall, confident Silver Bulwark who wore the armor Celestia had given her, a wolfish grin on her helmeted face.

Twilight mentally reprimanded herself for not simply using her new psionic abilities to figure out who was behind the door before trotting over to Spike and placing a hoof on his shoulder. “Are you alright? What happened?” she asked hastily.

“This little munchkin thought he had come far enough to challenge me,” Silver Bulwark declared with a smirk. “Needless to say he wasn't up for the task.”

“How... can you... run... in armor?” Spike asked between deep, heaving breaths.

A quick mental probe revealed that the dragon had indeed challenged his trainer to a race and had summarily been beaten by a fully armed and armored Silver Bulwark. “I told you she was tough, Spike,” Twilight pointed out.

“Augh, I know, but still. She was in full armor!” Spike exclaimed, while gesturing to the mare in question.

Who chuckled as she wiped off her hooves and kicked the door shut behind her. “Oh, and before I forget, there was a package for ya, Twi,” Silver Bulwark announced, before reaching into her saddle bag and producing a large brown package.

“Did it say who it was from?” Twilight asked as she tentatively reached for the package.

Silver Bulwark smirked. “Just look at it and you tell me.”

Curious by Bull’s choice of words, Twilight ignored her son who was now sprawled out on the floor, and focused on the mysterious arrival. Only for all such mystery to vanish the second she saw the note taped to the top of the package.

To Bombgirl, from your better, was written across the top.

Only one being had ever called her Bombgirl before, just as there had only ever been one person whom would even know the context for such a reference in the first place. Already knowing what was inside the package, Twilight tore through its exterior with glee, her magic shredding the paper packaging in a millisecond. Sure enough, her assumption was correct, and in her hooves was a carefully folded pile of black leather with the occasional piece of bronze sticking out here or there.

“Wuzzat?” Silver Bulwark asked, glancing at the pile curiously. “Someone send you some new digs?”

“New digs? Really? You are as bad as Celestia,” muttered Twilight, who shook her head. “No, this is from an old friend, who made me a replacement for the coat I lost to that assassin.”

“Really now? Seems mighty heavy to just be a coat.” Silver Bulwark pointed out before trotting over to Spike and roughly hefting him to his feet. “Come on, big guy, let's get you to the shower so you don't stain the floor with your greasy sweat.”

“H-hey, I can get there myself,” whined Spike.

“Alright then,” Silver Bulwark replied, releasing the dragon and letting him fall right back to the floor.

“On second thought,” he muttered, “why don't you toss me in the bathroom first?”

Silver Bulwark chuckled and offered him another jab at his expense, but Twilight had stopped paying attention to the pair, as she had realized just how truly heavy her new coat was.

It felt like she had a suit of half plate in her hooves, rather than a leather coat, and she was intrigued to find out why it was so heavy and felt so bulky. Tucking the bundle under one leg, Twilight trotted hastily into her room, and locked the door. Pulling out a floor length mirror, the unicorn quickly got to work donning her new coat, becoming more and more excited as time went on.

The first thing she realized was that the coat was thick, very thick, with plates sewn into the leather at crucial points. The thickness was obviously intended to hide the fact that it was armored, but there was also a good amount of insulation in there as well. As she put the coat on, it didn't clink, or make a sound either, on top of fitting the infested mare like a glove despite the fact that one foreleg was larger than the other. It was obvious that her griffon friend had put a lot of effort into the piece of clothing, and she marveled that it had taken him such a short time to make it.

Sewing plates into leather armor was also seen as wasteful or stupid by conventional wisdom, and yet he had done it anyway. Was this one of the griffonian secret techniques that the old bird had mentioned before? Twilight didn't know, but she was certain that it would be effective, otherwise he wouldn't have included it.

“Wow, I look good,” Twilight muttered as she shifted this way and that in front of the mirror.

The thick black leather outfit made her appear even larger and more imposing than she already did, and Twilight was certain she was even more intimidating than ever. Thick lapels, a large collar, and a row of bronze buttons down the front completed the look quite well, mixing perfectly with the overall militaristic appearance of the piece of clothing. Combined with her heavy boots and broad shoulders, Twilight was fairly certain that if she cut her mane, no one would even know that she was a mare.

The pony’s gaze fixated for a moment on her cheek and neck, her gaze drawn to the lines of glowing yellow that emerged from beneath her flesh. It had been a while since they had appeared, but Twilight still found herself unnerved by the sight. Her eyes made her look even more alien and unnerving, her figure and unique features sure to scare more than a few ponies. If she ever let anypony see them anyway.

Forcing down those negative feelings, Twilight put away the mirror and trotted back out into the main area. Having sensed that Spike had already finished his shower and was now lying face down on a couch. Following his presence, Twilight trotted into the sitting room and plopped down next to the dragon.

“So, how'd it go?” she asked.

The dragon lay there with his face pressed against the couch for a few seconds before sighing and turning to the side. “Fantastic,” he muttered bitterly.

Twilight shook her head and ran a hoof gently down the dragon’s spines. “I’m sure you will do better next time.”

“Augh, remind me never to bug you after your done training with Celestia,” Spike murmured.

The unicorn chuckled, silently glad that the dragon had received a less than subtle kick to the ego, as his teasing had been getting annoying. “Did you learn something at least?”

Spike nodded and rolled onto his side fully, allowing him to look at Twilight. “I did, and nice coat by the way. I’m assuming the old bird came through?”

“He did indeed. It's even got plates inside of it, as well as a thick layer of insulation.” Twilight explained with a grin, extending a leg. “Here, feel it.”

Spike tapped the coat in a few places and nodded. “That is so cool. When can I get something like that?”

“You are a dragon, Spike, you don't need armor,” Twilight replied, while tapping his scales.

“I do,” replied Spike, who smirked. “Think of the cool factor, mom. We would be all matching and stuff.”

Twilight tapped her chin as she thought about it, her mind conjuring an image of a similarly coated Spike standing by her side. “I think ponies would start thinking we were in the navy then,” she remarked after a brief pause.

“Ha, true. So, did you come up with any way to help Silver Bulwark out? She's tough, but she's still just a pony, you know,” Spike asked before sitting up next to the unicorn.

“First, where is she anyway?” Twilight asked, her psionic powers telling her the unicorn had disappeared from the immediate vicinity.

“She went to go grab some grub, mentioned something about forgetting to eat this morning,” answered Spike.

Twilight nodded, and reached into her pocket dimension and produced the parasite she had created not long ago. “This is the pitiful fruit of my labor.”

Spike shuddered at the sight of the creature, and pushed her hoof away. “Is that a parasite or something? Why would you make that?”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “I didn't intentionally make it. I was trying to create something which could serve as a guard dog. Something that would help us, or at least guard our base while we were gone.”

“And that's what came out?” Spike replied, slightly dumbfounded.

“And that's what came out,” Twilight answered grimly.

“Gross,” Spike muttered, the dragon shifting away slightly. “What use would that be?”

“It would make whomever it infects into one of us, I’m fairly certain,” Twilight began, the pony rolling the hibernating parasite around in her hoof. “Meaning we could communicate across great distances, and I could heal them like we tested the other day.”

Spike relaxed slightly. “I mean, I guess. But who would sign up for something like that? Unless you are thinking of-”

“No,” Twilight interrupted. “I know what you are thinking and I will not infect someone without their consent. And to answer your next question, I was considering asking Silver Bulwark about it, but I decided I’ll wait until something comes up.”

The dragon relaxed even more, breathing a sigh of relief as Twilight put the parasite back into her pocket dimension. “That's probably for the best. I think she would be kinda freaked out if she knew about that thing.”

“Yeah…” Twilight muttered, while looking down. “Still, it could be useful.”

Spike snorted. “So have you decided-”

Twilight held up a hoof, silencing the dragon. “Someone’s coming,” she whispered.

Spike leaned over the side of the couch and glanced over at the door, waiting patiently for whomever was coming to arrive.

When the door opened, it revealed a frowning Silver Bulwark who slammed it shut behind her before snorting irritably. “Stupid stick-headed morons,” she muttered.

Twilight snickered, as did Spike. “That wasn't long,” Spike pointed out.

Silver Bulwark nodded. “They were being total asses about getting food from the cafeteria, so I grabbed a muffin and some coffee from Joe’s instead.”

“Well, we got plenty here. I’m fairly certain Celestia wouldn't mind sharing,” Twilight offered, gesturing to the fridge door.

The elder mare looked the fridge up and down before snorting and shaking her head. “I don't want none of whatever feed you two eat to get so big. I rather enjoy fitting into all my clothes, thank you very much.”

Twilight glared briefly at her bodyguard before falling back into her chair and hiding a snicker. Spike laughed as well, the dragon watching as Silver Bulwark trotted across the room and into the chair across from them.

Spike slapped his knees. “Did you see Celestia while you were out and about? She said she was going to take it easy today.”

“Ha! Good luck with that,” Silver Bulwark declared with a laugh. “That girl can do anything other than slow down, but yeah I saw her. She said she should be back in a little bit.”

“Well, that's good,” Twilight muttered, the unicorn relaxing visibly. “She has been run ragged recently, and I worry she’s not getting as much sleep as she should.”

“That reminds me when I was younger, there was a rumour that alicorns didn't need to sleep,” Silver Bulwark remarked offhandedly, the still-armored pony wiggling into a more comfortable spot on her chair.

“I read about that,” Twilight replied, while tapping her chin. “I heard there was a whole cult that thought that alicorns were truly immortal and required no sustenance at all.”

“Like food and water right?” Spike added.

“Or air, or anything,” Twilight responded.

“Weird,” muttered the dragon.

“Yeah, that was a weird time,” remarked Silver Bulwark, only to laugh suddenly. “Though it's got nothing on the times we live in nowadays, eh?”

“You are telling me,” muttered Twilight.

“So,” Silver Bulwark declared, the armored pony plunking her helmet down on a nearby end table as she did so. “What are we doing for winter break?”

“We?” Twilight asked, the mare’s right eyebrow raising slightly.

“Well yeah. I’m going to be sticking with you through the whole thing, remember?” Silver Bulwark reminded.

Spike nodded. “Well, I’m hoping to get more training in. Regardless of what we do, or where we go.”

“To answer your question, Bull, I’m not totally sure what we are going to do, to be honest.” Twilight began, leaning back in her seat. “It should be no problem for you to train Spike more, no matter where we go.”

“Where we go?” Silver Bulwark asked, perking up slightly. “You are thinking of getting out of the city then?”

Twilight hummed thoughtfully. “I’m not sure. I would like to stay and do more studying and training, but it would be nice to see Cadance again. Especially considering all that's happened, and all that will happen soon enough.”

“It might be the last peaceful time we get for a while,” Spike added sadly.

“Yeah…” Twilight muttered, while hanging her head. “It would be nice to see her, but with all of that coming, it would be irresponsible to spend it being unproductive.”

Silver Bulwark scoffed. “You are a kid! You are supposed to be irresponsible.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “I’m the princess’ personal student. I do not do irresponsible.”

The elder unicorn raised an eyebrow at that. “You mean like pushing yourself to the point of exhaustion over a test Celestia said would not impact your grade?”

The infested mare grumbled and crossed her forehooves over her chest. “That’s different.”

“How so?” asked Spike with a smirk.

“It was with the goal of being responsible,” Twilight declared, only to deflate slightly, her shoulders sagging. “Alright, so that was a little irresponsible of me, so what?”

“Well, I’m not trying to nag ya ‘bout it, I’m just sayin’ that maybe you should consider going to see her is all,” Silver Bulwark offered. “You are allowed to be irresponsible sometimes, you know. We all are. Heck, even Princess Celestia does something irresponsible on occasion.”

Twilight opened her mouth to retort, only for a solitary raised eyebrow to silence her response before it could even leave the unicorn’s lips. “Fine. You got me there,” Twilight admitted.

“So we’re going to go see Cadance then?” Spike asked hopefully.

“If we can get permission and figure out accommodations and whatnot,” Twilight reluctantly admitted. “But I don't like it. The only safe place left is by the princess’ side.”

Silver Bulwark scoffed. “But you got me now! Wherever you go is officially a safe place. Provided you don't take off without me or something.”

“She is pretty awesome,” added Spike with a smile.

“See? Even Scales over here knows it,” Silver Bulwark remarked while exchanging a hoof-fist bump with Spike.

Twilight groaned. “Well, I still don't like it. There are too many moving pieces around here and I don't want to leave Celestia by herself.”

Silver Bulwark nodded, and pushed her way out of her seat, coming to rest next to Twilight, her weight making the couch sag slightly. “Twilight, I’m going to be honest with ya. Celestia can handle herself, and whatever she's planning is going to go down next spring or so. Which means you got like half a year left to just be a kid.”

Twilight sighed and stared down at the floor, unbothered by the other mare’s hoof being draped over her shoulder. “I suppose. Cadance always did feel like a sister to me,” Twilight admitted.

“And when you are out there, you can teach Cadance to help defend herself,” Spike chimed in. “You can also tell her all about the dangers she might not know about.” He grinned and spread his arms. “See? It wouldn't be a waste of time after all.”

“Plus if I remember correctly, she's helping out the frontier right now, so I bet you could learn a lot from them confederate folk while you are out there,” Silver Bulwark added with a smile.

Twilight shook her head. “Fine. But I’m going to go on the record and say this sounds like a bad idea and that I liked you better when you kept your accent in check.”

Silver Bulwark blinked and seemed confused for a second before laughing loudly. “Well I’ll be. I guess it has been coming out a bit more recently. Must be the more relaxed atmosphere gettin’ to me.”

Spike seemed confused as well, the dragon cocking his head slightly. “Is that why you say ‘eh’ all the time?”

“You go it,” replied Silver Bulwark. “Everypony back home in Vanhoover talked like I do. Some ponies worse than others. Why, there was this one old guy who worked at the bakery who even I couldn't understand. He said ‘eh’ so much he didn't make a lick of sense.”

Spike snickered. “That would be pretty funny to hear, eh Twilight?”

Twilight wasn't paying attention though, as she had turned towards the entrance, her ears standing up straight. Spike was the first to react to this sudden change, the dragon leaning to the side and glancing towards the entrance as well, while Silver Bulwark laid a hoof on her helmet. What little tension that had built disappeared the second the door opened, and Princess Celestia trotted into the apartment, a tired frown on her face.

Upon seeing the three faces peering at her from around the bend, that frown became a smile, and Celestia strode into the sitting room. “I hope you all had a better day than I,” announced the alicorn and sat down on her favorite oversized chair.

The old wood squeaked under the weight of the ancient pony, and Twilight swore she saw a small puff of dust come from the aged and cracked cushion, though Celestia didn't seem to notice or mind. “It wasn't too bad,” Twilight replied, before turning to Spike. “Isn't that right?”

The dragon nodded. “I learned a bunch, got my scales kicked and had a shower. So, all and all, not bad.”

Silver Bulwark smirked. “I didn't learn nuthin’, got to kick some dragon butt, and get denied some grub down at the mess. Can't complain though.”

Celestia frowned and tapped the arm of her chair idly. “It’s that irritating blight, Bright Star, isn't it?”

Silver Bulwark shifted uncomfortably in her chair. “It might have been, but I wouldn't worry about it. I’ll just make sure to bring something from home going forward.”

The alicorn sighed, and sunk into her chair. “If it's not one thing, it's another around here. I can't wait until I have the time and resources to cleanse this castle down to its core.” She straightened her back and breathed in before clopping her forehooves together suddenly. “No matter. Now then, who wants pizza?”

“Again?” Twilight asked.

Spike raised a hand. “I do!”

“A pizza does sound good right about now,” admitted Silver Bulwark.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Fine, but I want extra anchovies on mine.”

“Good, because I already assumed as much,” Celestia announced with a knowing smile. “It should be here in about twenty minutes.”

“Heck yeah,” shouted Spike, pumping a fist in the air.

Twilight sighed and resisted the urge to roll her eyes again. “So, Celestia. We were talking about what we were going to do for winter break and Bull here has talked me into seeing Cadance again. Could that be arranged?”

The alicorn’s eyes lit up and she nodded eagerly. “You bet. In fact, I have a supply caravan going out there the day your break starts. You can hitch a ride with them.”

“That's… convenient,” Twilight muttered, only to turn and glare at the alicorn. “You planned this, didn't you?”

Celestia put on her best innocent expression. “I don't know what you are talking about. I guess you're just lucky like that.”

The young unicorn sighed. “I should have known. I bet you were the one who put that idea in Cadance’s head in the first place, weren’t you?”

“I may have mentioned how nice it would be to see you again,” admitted Celestia. “Though I wonder what your parents would think about you missing Hearth's Warming.”

“I wouldn't miss it completely. I could probably get back on at least Hearth's Warming Eve. Right?” Twilight asked hesitantly.

“That could be arranged,” remarked Celestia slyly.

Spike blinked, and looked back and forth from the alicorn to the unicorn. “So, that's it? Were going then?”

The alicorn nodded slowly. “You will be joining a military transport and will be going to a military outpost. You won’t need to worry about security, especially with your own guard watching your back.”

Silver Bulwark grinned and banged a hoof against her plated chestpiece. “You can bet on it, Princess!”

“I expect I’ll still need some form of permission slip then?” Twilight asked.

“Unfortunately yes. Your parents must be notified of your location, though I’m fairly certain they will let you go,” answered Celestia.

“Well, alright then. Sounds like a plan,” Spike announced with a smile.

“That's great news, Princess,” added Silver Bulwark.

Celestia nodded slowly. “Now if you two wouldn't mind, I was hoping to speak to my student in private for a minute.”

Spike and Silver Bulwark exchanged a glance before shrugging in unison.

“Sounds good to me,” remarked Spike.

“Ditto. You want us to wait in the kitchen, Princess?” Silver Bulwark asked.

“If you wouldn't mind,” replied Celestia.

“What is this about, Princess?” inquired Twilight.

“I will tell you in a moment, but suffice it to say it's not something serious. Yet, anyway,” replied Celestia with the usual level of crypticness.

Spike and Silver Bulwark hastily stood up and left the room, with the dragon giving his mother an inquisitive look before departing.

Twilight shook her head, dismissing Spike’s curious thoughts. “So, what was it you wanted to say?”

Celestia summoned her magic to shut the door, as well as turn both of the locks and cause the room to briefly glow a soft gold color. “It has to do with what is coming,” she began, the alicorn choosing her words carefully and slowly. “Things are… advancing, and though I cannot tell you anything right now, I promise that upon your return from break, I will tell you everything.”

Twilight grinned. “Really? That's amazing. I’ve always wondered what you were keeping from me.”

Celestia sighed, the alicorn suddenly seeming much older than she had been a second ago. “Yes, and for that you have my deepest apologies. I always meant to tell you but only when the time was right and not for a couple of years.”

Twilight’s enthusiasm faded and she quickly settled back into her chair once she realized the full weight behind Celestia’s words. “What changed?” Twilight asked, shuffling a little closer to the alicorn.

“So much has changed.” Celestia replied while looking off into the distance. “I struggle to imagine how we are going to get out of this.”

“Is it really that bad?” Twilight inquired.

Celestia shook her head. “You will discover that fact for yourself soon enough. For now, be warned that the knowledge I will give you will weigh heavily on your heart and I fear that what little peace you have known will be lost.”

The younger mare stood up suddenly and wrapped her forehooves around Celestia’s shoulders. “I know you wouldn't do this unless it was necessary. I trust you,” whispered Twilight.

The alicorn smiled faintly as she hugged the younger mare back. “I fear that you won’t after I tell you all which I have kept secret.”

Twilight squeezed a little harder, nuzzling the alicorn’s cheek slightly. “And I know you wouldn't keep such a secret from me unless it was in my best interest. Whatever comes, we will be ready, and we will face it together.”

Celestia chuckled bitterly as she gently pushed the younger mare back slightly. “You truly are wise beyond your years, Twilight Sparkle.”

“That's only because I have a great teacher,” Twilight replied.

The alicorn laughed, a sad grim laugh. “If only that were true, then perhaps we wouldn't be in this mess to start with.”

Twilight shook her head and reached forward, wiping away the tears Celestia hadn't noticed she was shedding. “We are strong, resourceful, and above all adaptable. We will get through this,” declared the mare.

Celestia smiled faintly and sniffed. “If only I had your courage, my pupil.”

“You do. You are just too exhausted to find it,” replied the younger mare.

Again, the alicorn laughed, this time with genuine humour. “Alright alright. Let's cut this pity party short. I think the pizza is just about here.”

“You got breadsticks too, right?”

Author's Notes:

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Horizons

Twilight’s gaze lingered on the horizon, her attention fixated on the mountain which was slowly sinking into the distance. Canterlot felt so far away, even though they had only left it a mere two hours ago, the train evidently going remarkably faster than a civilian vessel. Then the mountain was gone, replaced by a sheer rock wall that seemingly rose from nowhere, startling Twilight from her thoughts.

Shaking her head, Twilight dismissed the worry that had plagued her all day, and tried to focus on the here and now. Looking around the car, Twilight noticed that most of the other passengers were giving them a wide berth, leaving only Spike, Silver Bulwark, and a gaggle of military ponies who sat near the back. Bull and Spike were still speaking in hushed tones about their plans to get more training done, and a brief look into the dragon’s mind told Twilight that he was becoming slightly nervous.

The unicorn smiled and sent a soothing wave of confidence to the young drake through their connection, making his shoulders fall slack. His worries now assuaged, Twilight turned back to the window, which once more displayed the wastes which the confederates called home.

From the low lying hills and mountains near the Canterhorn, to the wide open expanses of the wastes, dry and barren ground dominated her sight. The cool weather and near constant snow had vanished within the first hour after departure, winter apparently forgetting all about the wastelands. Here summer reigned eternally, the heat of the sun beating down on the mare and her dark black coat. Not like she minded the change, indeed she found herself relishing the heat, finding it much more tolerable than the cold they had just left behind.

She wasn't sure why, but the temperature here made her feel at home in some strange way, like she was meant to be somewhere that was hot every day of the year. Was it due in part to what she was? Or perhaps Spike was simply rubbing off on her? Either way, Twilight was glad that the land was so different here.

Those differences were greater than just the heat though, as Twilight had done her research before she had left and had discovered why the badlands were called just that. Though originally called the steppes of Canter, that name had long since lost all meaning to all but the scholars. For during the eclipse wars, many battles had been fought on these plains, ravaging the once pristine landscape and reducing it to its current state.

Which was little more than a barren expanse of rock, the occasional hill and the odd cliff or plateau, beneath which was a vast churning web of geothermal activity. Between the heat and the currents of strange, lingering magic, it wasn't difficult to understand why no one had tried to resettle the area for close to a thousand years. Yet as Twilight thought about the land’s history, she also spotted a few scattered farms here and there, most of which could be found on the hills they had passed by earlier.

There were other, smaller farms here and there, but they were few and far between, the majority of towns being built around factories or other centers of industry. Twilight contemplated looking back through her notes on the area, but was jarred out of her geographically focused thoughts by a pulse at the back of her mind.

Gritting her teeth, Twilight pushed aside the uncomfortable presence of mother and her council. Though the unicorn was certain that her presence was not discovered, it was obvious from the intensity of the pulses that the zerg at least knew she was in the province and were actively searching for her. A quick check told her that the wall she had built between her and mother was well-reinforced with psychic power while still leaving Twilight with a large reserve. Though the constant reinforcement of which left her weaker than normal, it was an acceptable weakness.

She had backup after all.

Spike and Silver Bulwark were with her, but there was also an entire platoon of Celestia’s chosen who would be in town as well. All of whom seemed clear of the great houses’ taint. Though that didn't mean they were all perfect, it was nice to see that there remained a group of ponies still loyal to Celestia.

As Twilight watched out the window, she noticed their destination rise in the distance, the distinct square plateau catching her gaze. The plateau itself was just over a hundred and fifty meters into the air, with one side sloping all the way to the ground. Burninghill was apparently the camp of some general whom had chosen that spot due to the aquifer inside the plateau in addition to the height advantage it gave him. Though his actual name and what side he belonged to were lost to history, what happened there was well-remembered.

The camp had been razed to the ground by pegasi who utilized fire bombs to trap the general and his company atop the plateau, their exit cut off by magical fire. The largely ground-bound force was then forced to choose between burning to death or leaping off the side of the plateau. Though the stories aren't clear as to what fate befell the general, what is known is that the steepest side is referred to as General’s Leap by the locals.

That was in the past however, now the town itself was quite larger than the simple camp that had been there nearly a millennium ago. Short walls encapsulated the town and the town itself covered the entire top of the rock formation and even spilled down the slope, ending at the trainyard at the bottom. Though their soil was poor, mineral deposits had recently been discovered and there was a bounty of fresh water just beneath the ground.

Twilight couldn't help but grin as she looked out over the town, the tall red stone buildings clashing with the metal ones that sprouted up randomly between them. Despite the inelegant overall design of the town, it was quite orderly, the buildings arrayed in a proper grid structure. It made Twilight’s heart happy to see at least one place where the streets were designed not to make some noble’s view a little prettier but rather for the convenience of those who lived there.

“One hour out, briefing is in ten, you maggots!” shouted a voice from the back of the car, startling Twilight from her thoughts.

Glancing over at Spike and Silver Bulwark, she noticed that they seemed ready to move at a moment’s notice, but Twilight decided to keep her distance from them for a bit longer. She had wanted more time to think and plan, though she had a feeling her time would end up being spent worrying and accomplishing nothing. With a sigh, the unicorn tapped the hoofrest of her chair, idly listening to the surface-most thoughts of her companions while also keeping tabs on the ponies at the back of the car.

The mare wasn't certain how her vacation would go, but something told her that it was not going to go according to plan. The only question left in her mind was if this was something that she could adapt to, or not.

“That didn't take too long,” announced Spike as he stopped off the train and onto the platform.

Beside them, Silver Bulwark levitated what meagre bags they had brought along, the well-armored unicorn grinning beneath her helmet. “Military trains can use magic to make them faster, but more importantly, do you all smell that?” Silver Bulwark asked.

“Smell what?” Twilight deadpanned, the unicorn sniffing the air and finding nothing out of the ordinary.

“That's what it smells like when you don't have a whole city full of unicorns with their heads up their asses,” Silver Bulwark replied with a smirk.

Twilight rolled her eyes as she scanned the platform, noting that the troops they had joined on the train were mostly helping to unload various supplies. The open air platform was relatively large, with all exits blocked off by at least two guards who held the civilians at bay while the military unloaded their cargo. Before them lay the station itself, and beyond that the slope which lead to the bustling frontier town of Burninghill.

Looking around, Twilight realized most of the ponies she saw were earth ponies, though she did see a good number of pegasi, and a handful of unicorns, most of whom were wearing armor marking them as Celestia’s chosen.

“So, where to next?” Twilight asked, turning to her personal bodyguard.

Who pointed to the ticket stand where two earth ponies wearing thick leather armor stood, primitive firearms strapped to their sides. “We gotta talk to the local guard and get our passports checked before we can enter the town proper. Come on, I got them all ready for ya,” announced Silver Bulwark who stepped forward, leading the way.

Spike and Twilight were quick to fall in behind the unicorn, trotting up to the two stern-faced militia ponies who were watching the hustle and bustle with an intense scrutiny. Upon approaching the pair, Twilight noticed their gaze shift and fall upon them, inspecting them critically. To the left stood a slightly taller and more heavyset stallion with a deep brown mane, and a thick orange coat. Beside him was a slightly less stern pony, who at first glance appeared to be a stallion, only for a second look to tell Twilight that it was actually a mare.

The mare had a stark black mane, and grey fur, her deep blue eyes peering intently at the trio as they approached. “You are Twilight Sparkle and company, correct?” she asked, a small amount of curiosity breaking through her guarded tone of voice.

“That is correct,” replied Silver Bulwark, who raised the grille of her helmet, and handed over the small stack of passports. “And here is our identification.”

The stallion snatched the pile of papers from the armored guard’s grip and glared down at them without saying anything.

“Well, hello to you to,” whispered Silver Bulwark slyly.

Spike snickered.

“And what is the reason for your visit?” asked the mare, who spared only a single glance at their paperwork before turning her attention back on them.

“I am visiting a friend,” Twilight declared, taking a small step forward. “Princess Cadance, to be precise.”

The mare’s eyes narrowed as she looked up at the towering unicorn. “Really now?” she asked. “And what brought that on?”

The infested mare raised an eyebrow. “I was not aware I needed a reason to see an old friend of mine.”

“She asked you a question, stick head,” interrupted the stallion.

Twilight’s eyes narrowed and she could feel her companions stiffen, waiting for her response.

It never came though as the militia mare slapped her fellow guard upside the back of his head. “Dessert Cream!” she hissed. “Cut it out with the racism. You know what she said about that kind of thing.”

The stallion wilted slightly, his angry expression replaced with a guilty look. “That it just makes us as bad as them... Sorry, miss.”

The infested mare still wanted to offer some kind of rebuttal, but stifled that urge quickly. “Apology accepted. Now, may we pass?” she asked, gesturing to the gate just beyond the pair.

The female guard nodded. “Go right ahead, Miss Sparkle.”

“Enjoy your stay in Burninghill, ma’am,” added the male guard, while handing back their passports.

Twilight ignored the duo and strode past them, forcing her companions to hastily trot after her.

Spike was the first to catch up, the dragon grinning from ear to ear. “That was so cool. You put that jerk right in his place.”

Twilight smirked. “Actually, I think it was his companion who did that for me.”

Silver Bulwark nodded. “It is good to see that not everyone has forgotten the lessons of harmony.”

“Agreed,” Twilight replied, the unicorn stopping off to the side of the busy street while looking up at the long rows of buildings. “Cadance mentioned she would be helping with the construction of a new apartment building on the east end of town. There should be a motel a block away which we can drop our stuff at first.”

“Lead the way,” encouraged Spike.

“Well, that wasn't the nicest place ever,” Spike muttered as they trotted down the hot asphalt road.

“It was affordable at least. Though I worry about our stuff,” added Silver Bulwark, who had taken up a position to Twilight’s right, the mare still wearing her armor.

“I wouldn't worry about it. If anyone tries to steal our luggage, I will be able to track it, provided they don't die from all the lightning runes I placed on it,” Twilight replied with a cruel smirk.

“There's no chance of us getting electrocuted, right?” Spike asked hesitantly.

Twilight raised an eyebrow and looked to the dragon walking on her left. “Do you really think I would do that?”

The dragon shook his head. “No, but after getting zapped by that test rune you made, I’d rather be safe than sorry.”

The unicorn shook her head and went back to simply walking, her gaze sweeping over the shops and homes which lined the street. She found herself struck once more by just how different it all was, as there were no grand front gardens, or lawns at all really. With only a few homes having even a few feet of greenspace between the house and the road. It was nice in a way, Twilight decided, as it was orderly, efficient, and though it wasn't much to look at, the actual architecture of the buildings made up for that.

Efficient and robust dwellings of varied height flanked them, and helped block out some of the surprisingly hot afternoon sun. It was quite the change from the sprawling mansions and flowery designs which dominated Canterlot, that much was certain. Though the people seemed every bit as paranoid as the ones who populated the many streets of Canterlot.

Curious gazes looked upon the trio from all angles, though Twilight could sense that these looks were less malicious than she had first assumed them to be. That alone made Twilight feel at least a little better about this whole thing, though it was a far cry from being welcomed with open hooves.

“Yeesh. What's their problem?” whispered Spike, who gestured to a group of local militia ponies who stared openly at the trio as they walked the street.

“We are strangers who may very well be spies for the great houses,” Twilight replied idly, nodding to the militia ponies as they passed. “We should not bemoan their curiosity, but seek to prove ourselves.”

“Well said, Twilight,” added Silver Bulwark.

“So where is this place anyway?” Spike began, while looking around. “I don't see any construction sites anywhere.”

“It should be right around this corner,” Twilight replied.

Sure enough, after they turned the next corner, they were faced by a large open construction site where dozens of ponies were hard at work. The skeleton of the structure had already been erected, metal beams rising five stories up, scaffolding allowing a handful of welders to attach new pieces to the frame. Earth ponies and pegasi filled the area, each one intent on completing whatever task they had been assigned, few even giving the trio so much as a passing glance.

“I don't see Cadance anywhere,” Spike muttered as he looked up at the apartment complex.

Twilight focused herself, and reached out towards the ponies, brushing her mind across the surface of their thoughts. Most were devoted to simply doing their jobs, while a few were thinking about food, or what they were going to do once the day was over. She was about to give up, when she felt something familiar, and after following it to its source, Twilight found what she was looking for.

“There,” Twilight declared, pointing to a spot off to her right.

Spike and Silver Bulwark both turned just in time to see Cadance trot out from behind a pile of bricks, a large metal I-beam on her shoulder. All but Twilight raised an eyebrow at that, the two startled by just how strong the alicorn was, while Twilight was wondering why Cadance didn't just use her magic. Though the beam was heavy, it wouldn't be that difficult to simply use a telekinesis spell to move the piece of metal with relative ease.

As she watched, she saw the dirt and grime-covered alicorn pass the beam off to two large earth ponies, who both struggled visibly under its weight. Now free from her burden, Cadance rolled her shoulders and looked around, only for her and Twilight’s eyes to meet.

Though the infested mare had worried quite a bit about this moment, that worry dissipated as Cadance happily trotted up to the trio, her smile wide and genuine. A cursory scan of the mare’s thoughts revealed that there was nothing to indicate she was under the thrall of the great houses. Though Twilight wanted to push a little deeper, she wouldn't do so without permission first at least.

“Twilight, Spike! It's wonderful to see you two!” Cadance explained, before grinning like a mad filly at Twilight.

Who blushed hard, already knowing what was coming and that she was powerless to stop it.

“Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake, clap your hooves and do a little shake,” they both sang, the two females mirroring the actions of the other, one more enthusiastically than the other.

Cadance giggled and quickly wrapped the infested mare in a tight hug. “You are as adorable as ever. Even with that giant metal coat of yours,” declared the alicorn.

Silver Bulwark blinked, and leaned closer to Spike. “What was that?”

“A greeting they did since Twilight was a foal,” Spike replied, holding back a snicker.

Twilight grumbled. “Cadance, I’m an adult now. You can't just do that whenever we meet.”

“You may look the part of an adult, but I know you are still seventeen, young lady,” Cadance shot back.

The infested mare continued to grumble, only to notice that a few of the earth pony workers had stopped and were now staring at them. “What are you looking at, huh?” she shouted.

Cadance giggled. “I’m glad to see you are more confident than the last time I saw you.”

“That's not all that's changed,” Twilight muttered before taking a step back and looking Cadance up and down. “And speaking of changes, you sure have come a long way from that chubby mare I knew when I was a kid.”

The alicorn giggled and rubbed the back of her neck, flexing as she did so and showing off her large muscles. “Yeah well, when you work hard, you get strong or you quit,” Cadance remarked.

“Fair enough,” Twilight admitted.

“So, who is this?” Cadance asked, gesturing to Silver Bulwark. “Don't tell me Celestia finally convinced you to ask one of your many crushes on a date.”

“I didn't have that many crushes!” Twilight blurted out while stamping a hoof.

Silver Bulwark slid next to Twilight and wrapped a hoof around the large unicorn’s shoulder. “Why yes, she finally did ask me out after all these years of pining. Come here, sweetie,” Silver Bulwark exclaimed before making exaggerated kissing faces at the other mare.

Twilight shoved her bodyguard hard, causing her to nearly fall over, laughing all the while. “Silver Bulwark is my bodyguard, not my whatever you thought she was,” Twilight declared.

“Really now?” Cadance muttered, eyeing the mare in a new light. “Well, it's nice to meet you either way, Silver Bulwark, I’m Cadance.”

“Not a fan of Mi Amore?” asked Silver Bulwark, who was busy dusting herself off.

The alicorn scoffed. “Only nobles use that title.”

“And anyone who wants to get under her skin,” added a passing earth pony, who snickered as he walked away.

“I’ll get you for that, Nails!” Cadance shouted after the male, who merely kept laughing and walking away.

“So we were just about done for the day. Do you guys want to help out a bit?” Cadance offered, gesturing to the site behind her. “I’m sure Blue Prints can find you a job to do for a little while then after that I can show you around town.”

“Sure,” Spike offered.

“I suppose a little manual labour wouldn't kill me,” Twilight added, before turning to Cadance. “Alright, Cadey, you got a deal, but I gotta ask. Is there a reason you aren't using magic?”

“All these buildings were designed to be built the earth pony way, plus it’s a good way to shed some pounds,” Cadance exclaimed with a giggle.

Twilight nodded, the mare hardly able to take her eyes off of her former foalsitter or her now quite impressive set of muscles. “I’ll say.”

“Come on, I’ll show you around and introduce you to the team,” Cadance offered.

“I’ll stay nearby in case you need anything,” Silver Bulwark added.

Twilight smiled, happy to know that Silver Bulwark was staying serious despite the change in situation. “Alright then. Just tell us where to go.”

“Excellent!” Cadance declared with a grin. “If you follow me I’ll grab you a hard hat and we can get started.”

“One more thing, why an apartment building? I thought you were building hospitals and stuff,” Spike added as they followed after the alicorn.

“This is all meant to house refugees coming from other towns,” Cadance began, stopping at the entrance to a small shed. “The residents want to help give a sense of dignity to the ponies fleeing from the zerg.”

“That is really nice of them,” Spike remarked. “We aren't going to do anything too exhausting, right? I don't want to get too tired and not be able to see the town with you guys.”

Cadance scoffed. “You are a big tough dragon. I’m sure this won't be anything you can't handle.”

Twilight smirked. “Unless you don't think you can keep up with two girls?”

Spike’s eyes narrowed and he squared his shoulders, standing a little prouder as he did so. “You’re on.”

“That... was... a terrible... idea,” Spike proclaimed between breaths.

Twilight snickered. “D’aw is the poor wittle baby dragon too tired from working with girls all day?”

Spike lifted his head from the back of Silver Bulwark and glared. “I hate you.”

“I love you too, big guy,” Twilight replied, while ruffling his scales.

Grumbling to himself, Spike slumped back down onto the guard’s back. “So, what's the plan now?” Silver Bulwark asked. “‘Cause something tells me this tough guy ain't up for a tour quite yet.”

Twilight shook her head. “I’m afraid not. You will take him back to the motel and get him cleaned up while Cadance and I proceed with the tour.”

Silver Bulwark raised an eyebrow at that. “Are you sure? If you wait a little bit, I’m certain Spike can get a second wind. Or we could just wait to take the tour tomorrow.”

“Silver Bulwark is right. We could just pick this back up in the morning,” Cadance offered.

“We will be fine by ourselves and I would rather you keep an eye on this lump anyway,” Twilight declared while gesturing to the exhausted dragon draped over the guard’s back.

“Fair enough,” Silver Bulwark admitted.

“Are you sure about this, Twilight? I’m not worried about our safety or anything, but it's just a tour,” Cadance asked as the trio turned a corner, their motel coming into view a few houses down.

“I am,” Twilight replied, while looking directly into the alicorn’s gaze.

The look Twilight had made Cadance rethink what she had been about to say, the intensity making the alicorn realize that there might be a hidden meaning behind the other mare’s words . “Well, if you are sure about that, Twilight, I guess we can just take a shorter one tomorrow if Spike wants to see the town,” conceded Cadance.

“That would be nice,” muttered Spike.

The group stopped just in front of a U-shaped building with a small greenspace in the middle. A large sign out front indicated that it was their motel, The Oasis. Upon stopping, Spike peeled himself off Silver Bulwark’s back and stood on shaky feet.

“You won't be long, right?” asked the dragon hesitantly.

Twilight shook her head and smiled. “No, and I won't be too far either.”

Spike relaxed visibly and turned to Silver Bulwark. “Well Bull, wanna start finding out what kind of take out they got around here?”

The guard chuckled. “I doubt they are going to have any gems, but there was an interesting noodle shop I saw on the way here. I bet they deliver.”

“Oooh, noodles. Now that's a good idea,” Spike muttered as the pair turned and walked away.

Twilight and Cadance watched them go, only proceeding on their way once Spike and Silver Bulwark had entered their suite on the ground floor. With that done, Twilight breathed a sigh of relief and turned to her old foalsitter, a grim look on her face. “Where can we speak in private?” she asked quickly.

“I’m staying in an old guard house at the edge of town that is just being used as storage. We can speak there if you’d like,” Cadance offered, the mare eying Twilight closely. “Why? Is there something wrong?”

“It’s nothing,” Twilight replied quickly, glancing around at the ponies who walked to and fro down the quiet street.

Cadance nodded, and though she seemed conflicted, went along anyway. “It's on the south end near the edge of the mountain.”

“Lead the way then,” Twilight offered, gesturing down the street.

The alicorn did just that, though she did give Twilight one last lingering gaze as she did so, concern etched plainly across her features.

“This is rather close, isn't it?” Twilight declared, while looking down from atop the small structure which was serving as Cadance’s home away from home.

The wall which surrounded the plateau wasn't particularly high, or thick, given that it was already impossible for it to be sieged by ground forces. With that in mind, the wall served mainly to keep people from falling over the side, while also serving as a good lookout point, in addition to housing some of the local militia. Though that was evidently its primary purpose in the past, it was obvious that this was no longer true, as dark, empty towers and guard houses dotted the wall at regular intervals.

“It is a nice view though,” Cadance offered, sweeping a hoof out over the horizon. “When the sun sets on Canterlot, it feels like everything else is a world away.”

Twilight nodded solemnly, the unicorn looking out over the expanse of broken, desolate earth scattered occasionally with patches of lush green. Behind her she could sense the shifting mass of ponies as they went about their day, few straying near their location.

“Thank you, Cadance,” Twilight exclaimed suddenly. “I think I needed the perspective.”

The alicorn smiled. “It sure felt like you did. Are you ready to talk about whatever it was you wanted to talk about?”

Twilight nodded slowly and turned to the hatch which lead down into the old guard house proper. “I am, though I would ask that you not repeat a word of it to anyone else.”

Cadance’s smile vanished as she followed after her friend. “You are not in trouble are you? Is it those stupid nobles again?”

Twilight paused midway down her descent, her head poking out the top of the hatch. “Yes, and no. Please, we can speak more inside.”

“Alright, but then I am going to want answers,” replied Cadance.

“And I promise you I will give you them, but first I must catch you up to speed on what's been happening back home,” Twilight announced, before she slipped off the ladder, and stepped out into the small second story room which served as the alicorn’s bedroom.

“That’s fair,” replied Cadance who followed after her, the alicorn closing the hatch with her magic as she sat down on her bed. “So, where do you want to start?”

Twilight took a deep breath. “From the beginning.”

The alicorn shook her head slowly as she stared blankly into space, her body sprawled out on her small twin-sized bed. “I can't believe it. Aliens are real, and you… then they…” Cadance muttered, still shaking her head slowly.

“I know it’s a lot to process, but Celestia thought it best if this information came directly from me,” Twilight replied, a hint of nervousness worming into her voice. “I hope this doesn't change anything between us.”

Cadance sat up and turned to the other mare who sat at the end of the bed. “Of course not! You are still the same adorable filly I foalsat, and nothing will ever change that,” she proclaimed.

Twilight’s smile was strained somewhat as a blush spread across her features. “I would have hoped age and experience would change that,” she muttered with a hint of irritation.

Giggling, Cadance sat next to the other mare and wrapped a hoof around her shoulders. “I’m afraid not, ladybug.”

“I hate it when you call me that,” Twilight all but whispered, her face turning a bright red.

“You love it and you know it,” Cadance shot back, giving the other mare one last squeeze before sitting back a little bit. “So, what is the real reason you are here then?”

“Real reason?” Twilight asked. “Is it not enough that I just wanted to see my old foalsitter?”

“Well yeah, but knowing you, there is probably more you wanted to do,” Cadance pointed out. “Or did Celestia finally talk you into taking a plain old vacation?”

“Well, I wouldn't say it wasn't a vacation,” Twilight remarked while scratching the back of her neck. “I just have a few other goals to accomplish while I’m here is all.”

“I knew it,” Cadance exclaimed with a giggle. “What's the plan then?”

“I was hoping to get you to submit to a few enchantments and train with me a little,” Twilight admitted. “I know you are an alicorn, but there are forces out there that will want to capture you because of that and I fear you may not be strong enough to resist them.”

“That mother character, right?” Cadance asked.

Twilight nodded. “The zerg will want your essence. I don't know what that means, but it can't be good.”

The alicorn stared off into space, worry evident across her features. “These enchantments. What would they do?”

“Reinforce your body and magic and make it impossible for you to be stunned or knocked unconscious against your wishes,” Twilight began. “I would also recommend you find a bodyguard, or at least start traveling with a few of those militia ponies.”

“Are you sure that's necessary? I know the zerg are after me, but they don't exactly seem the type to just sneak into town,” Cadance replied.

“The houses will also want you out of the picture. Whatever they have planned, they seem intent on being the sole power in Equestria,” Twilight answered grimly.

“And another alicorn would only make that rule more uncertain,” Cadance added with a frown. “The more I hear of these great houses, the more I dislike them.”

Twilight snorted irritably. “That's not the half of it.”

“I trust you, Twilight,” Cadance whispered, placing a hoof on the other mare’s leg. “If you think these enchantments and training would help me, then I’ll do it.”

The infested mare nodded, and lit her horn. “Just hold still. This will only take a moment.”

Cadance nodded and sat back a little, retrieving her hoof from Twilight’s leg before sitting straight, tall and unmoving.

Twilight’s magic twisted this way and that, the mare quickly working her way through the necessary steps to cast the spells she had told Cadance of. With a flash of her magic, the first enchantment was placed upon the alicorn, a glowing sigil appearing above her back for a brief moment before fading into nothing. Two more sigils of varying complexity and intent appeared one after another, each one causing the mare to glow briefly before fading, the magic sinking into her body. The last one took slightly longer, and Twilight hesitated to cast it, for it was not one she had mentioned to the alicorn.

Swallowing her hesitation, Twilight cast the final enchantment, this sigil being far smaller than the others, and appeared directly over the alicorn’s heart before fading away. Igniting her horn one final time, Twilight closed her eyes and focused on the spell, moving quickly through the necessary steps to cast it. With one last flash, her magic faded, and the unicorn could suddenly feel the alicorn’s heart, and know instinctively where Cadance was.

“There,” Twilight declared with a hint of hesitation.

Cadance blinked and looked down over her breast. “What was that last one? I’ve never seen a spell like that before.”

“It just reinforces the other enchantments and serves as an anchor point,” Twilight lied.

Nodding slowly, Cadance flexed one of her forelegs before extending her wings. “I do feel stronger, more resilient even, like there is a slight weight over my whole body.”

“Just make sure to feed the enchantments a bit of magic every week or so and they’ll stay for as long as you want,” Twilight explained before pushing her way off the bed. “I should really be going though, I bet Spike is worried sick by now.”

“One last thing, Twilight,” Cadance interrupted, causing Twilight to stop in place.

“What is it?” Twilight asked nervously, the apprehension in her friend’s voice putting her on edge.

“Could you… take off your coat and dismiss your illusions?” Cadance asked, gesturing to Twilight.

“Are you sure you want to see that?” Twilight pressed. “It is not a pretty sight.”

“I swear to you it will not change anything between us,” Cadance promised.

Twilight sighed. “Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you.”

“I’m sure it's not that… bad,” Cadance muttered, her voice trailing off as Twilight’s illusions fell away at the same time as she began removing her coat.

The light coming from the infested mare’s eyes immediately caught Cadance’s attention as it with its intense, almost maleficent glow. Caught in the gaze of those glowing orange orbs, Cadance felt as though she were standing before a true predator. Not even her experience meeting griffons, minotaurs, or dragons could prepare her for what it was like to stand before the other being.

They were truly the eyes of an alien, of a creature so unlike a pony, that it made the rest of the mare seem less equine. That wasn't all that Cadance saw in Twilight’s eyes, as beyond mere strangeness there was also sadness, and a deep empathy hidden beneath a layer of cynicism. They might not be the eyes of a pony, but they were still the eyes of a thinking, feeling being, one who had been aged prematurely by the strife that surrounded her.

The glowing yellow lines which emerged from the infested mare’s neck reached up and wrapped around the former pony’s jaw like a large clawed hand. Though the glow was not nearly as intense as the one emitted by the creature’s eyes, they were still unnerving to say the least. A primal feeling of unease rose in Cadance’s belly, she pushed that feeling away quickly, another experience quickly replacing it.

Pity, guilt, and empathy consumed the alicorn, for the other being’s pain and grief were obvious not only in her eyes but her body as well. A body that was slightly misshapen, her proportions slightly off and her left foreleg slightly larger than the other one. Patches of fur were shorter than the surrounding sections, and lumps were visible intermittently across her form, though most were found on left foreleg.

“What happened to you?” Cadance whispered, a hoof brushing across the other pony’s chest.

“I...” Twilight caught herself, her mind overwhelmed by the pity and guilt that poured from her former foalsitter. “I need to be stronger, better. So I experimented, altering my body to better serve my needs.”

“And you did that much at least,” Cadance muttered, the mare easily able to tell that the other being’s skin was harder, her muscles denser, and her body all around stronger. “Is that why you wear that big heavy thing?”

Twilight chuckled, the unicorn relaxing slightly as she felt Cadance’s hoof pull away from her body. “Yes and no. Intimidation can be very useful, and the plates sewn into the leather are quite durable.”

“Well, you should get better at this experimenting thing. Otherwise you’ll never find a girlfriend,” Cadance chided.

Twilight blinked in shock, only to chuckle. “Oh Cadance, only you would worry about me finding love after I’ve been turned into some half-pony, half-zerg monstrosity.”

“You are not a monster,” declared Cadance, her tone brooking no room for argument. “Not even a manticore is a monster. You can only be a monster if your heart grows dark.”

Twilight raised her forehooves defensively. “I know, I know. It's just hard to think that way sometimes. Especially when you look as hideous as I do.”

Cadance sighed. “Good, because one day I will find you a date, and I will not allow some misplaced sense of self pity to ruin it for you.”

The infested mare rolled her eyes and did her best to hide a blush. “I’ll endeavor to not disappoint you.”

“Good,” Cadance exclaimed with a smirk. “I wouldn't want my sister to be alone forever.”

“S-sister?” Twilight blurted.

“Well, I may no longer be marrying your brother, but I was looking forward to gaining a sister,” Cadance replied with a hint of nervousness. “If that's alright with you, I would still like to have that.”

Twilight lunged forward and wrapped her forehooves around the other mare. “I’ve always wanted a sister.”

“And I’ve always thought of you as one,” Cadance replied while hugging the mare back. “Now and forever little, ladybug, I’ll be here for you.”

Author's Notes:

The next 2 chapters come tommorrow!

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Relaxation?

“I’m surprised that son of yours isn't an early riser like you,” Cadance remarked as the pair trotted down the asphalt road, the sound of their hooves drowned out by the numerous other ponies walking under the mid-morning sun.

Twilight rolled her eyes and sighed. “He’s reaching that magic age, I guess. Though I’m glad he's not actually mine, otherwise I think I would be the target of more of his angst.”

“He is yours, you know,” Cadance reprimanded lightly.

“I know that. I just mean biologically,” Twilight replied as their hooves turned and the construction site loomed over head.

“I don't know about that. Spike doesn't strike me as the angsty type, even if you were his quote unquote real mom,” Cadance exclaimed.

“You should have seen his goth phase then,” Twilight remarked with a sigh.

“Goth phase?” Cadance asked. “Really?”

Twilight nodded. “Oh yeah, he had the makeup and outfits and-”

“Sparkle!” boomed a deep voice from just within the construction site.

The infested mare reached out with magic and psionics alike, her muscles tense and ready to strike as a shape emerged. Striding out from a flap in the scaffolding was the largest earth pony Twilight Sparkle had ever seen, the mare standing a good head and shoulders above even her. In an instant the unicorn went from confident and ready to strike, to slightly unnerved by the small mountain of muscle trotting towards her.

“Who is that?” Twilight whispered.

“That's Steel Heart. Don't take her seriously, she's just trying to rattle you,” Cadance whispered back.

Twilight nodded and watched closely as the enormous grey mare strode up to her, the unicorn quickly scanning her appearance. Her mane was very short, and even shorter on the sides, while her cutie mark was an image of a heart made of steel. Though enormously tall, with a voice deeper than most males, her eyes shone through with an inner, almost childlike glee.

Steel Heart stomped up to the smaller pony, stopping only when their noses were about to touch. “So this is Princess Celestia’s prized pupil. They told me you were tough, but they didn't tell me you had a terrible sense of fashion too.” The mare brushed Twilight’s lapel and scoffed. “I mean, black leather is so last season.”

Twilight knew she should be unnerved or at least annoyed, but even the briefest look into the other pony’s mind revealed that she was thrilled at the sight of Twilight, and that this was all just a game to her. “It's more fashionable than going in one’s birthday suit,” Twilight replied with a smirk.

Though the other pony’s physical exterior seemed to darken, Twilight could tell that inside, Steel Heart was holding back the urge to laugh. “Hmm, this one’s got a mouth on her,” declared the enormous earth pony before taking a step back. “I overheard one of my boys talking about how you might be the first unicorn to give me a run for my money. You up for a little hoof wrestle?”

Twilight could tell the other pony was genuinely curious about Twilight's strength, and the infested mare was feeling confident from an entire day of hard labor. “Alright, sure,” Twilight proclaimed, puffing out her chest. “Where are we doing this?”

Steel Heart smirked and gestured to her right, where a table sat covered in plans and random tools. “Right here.”

Twilight nodded and was about to follow Steel Heart, only to be caught by Cadance’s hoof on her shoulder. “Don't feel bad if you lose,” she cautioned. “Just being challenged has already earned you some bragging rights around here.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “I know she's big, but she’s just a pony. I can take her.”

Cadance shook her head and released the hold she had on Twilight’s shoulder. “Alright, but don't complain when you can't walk after this.”

“Oh, she can't be that bad,” Twilight replied dismissively, before plopping down across from the construction worker.

“Glad to see princess didn't talk you out of it,” Steel Heart exclaimed with a sneer.

“No way. You are going down,” Twilight declared, while pulling her left forehoof from her jacket and pounding her elbow against the table, hoof in position.

“Alright. That's what I like to see!” Steel Heart shouted. “Gather round, boys. This is going to be a good one!”

Twilight smirked as a small crowd formed around them, Cadance amongst them wearing a smirk of her own. “Till one hoof hits the table, right?” Twilight asked.

The larger mare nodded and took Twilight’s hoof in her own. “Right.”

Twilight grinned, the pony channeling a bit of her psionic power into her foreleg, causing it to bulge visibly as she flexed. Around her, ponies whispered and bits were counted, with a smaller stallion collecting the money in a hat.

“Ready?” Twilight asked.

“Ready.”

“Augh, that was a terrible idea,” Twilight muttered, the pony lying half on the table, half off.

Cadance shook her head, a small pile of bits floating before her. “I told you to not get overconfident,” she remarked.

Twilight wanted to say something, but all that came out of her mouth was a strangled groan.

“You put up one hell of a fight,” Steel Heart declared, the pony grinning from ear to ear. “You and me are going drinking, and soon.”

Without saying another word, or waiting for a response, the hulking earth pony turned and trotted away, leaving Twilight feeling slightly confused. “What just happened?” Twilight asked, turning to her former foalsitter.

“It seems like Steel has taken a liking to ya,” Cadance declared, before teleporting away her bits.

“I can't believe you bet against me,” Twilight muttered, as she peeled her aching foreleg out of the dent it left on the table.

Cadance shook her head. “You are strong, but you are not ‘crush rocks with your bare hooves for fun’ strong. Besides, I made more than enough to treat us to some ice cream.”

“Ice cream?” Twilight asked, looking around the job site. “But I thought we were going to start work.”

“Trust me, you are going to want some ice cream right about now,” Cadance replied knowingly.

“I’m fine,” Twilight insisted, only to fall over the second she put weight on her left foreleg. “Okay, maybe a little ice cream would be good.”

Cadance chuckled, and slipped in next to her friend, tossing Twilight’s aching hoof over her shoulder. “Come on, let’s go get you some tiger tiger.”

“Cadence, I am not a baby,” whined Twilight as she hobbled down the road, Cadance supporting some of her weight.

“So you don't like tiger tiger anymore?” Cadance asked.

“I never said that.”

“So where are we going to be training tonight?” Cadance asked as the pair trotted down the asphalt road, ponies going to and fro without giving the alicorn or unicorn a second glance.

Twilight smiled, the shift in atmosphere as obvious as it was pleasant. “The roof of your place should be fine with what I had in mind. Though you should probably-”

“Sparkle!” shouted a now familiar voice.

Twilight and Cadance stopped to see the grey-coated mare trotting through the crowd, a small group of construction ponies following in her wake. Most were from their job site, but Twilight could tell a few weren’t, though it was obvious they all shared a profession given their mostly tool related cutie marks.

“What is it now?” Twilight groaned. “Don't tell me you are here to try tearing off my other leg?”

Steel Heart chuckled, her laughter sounding almost like something heavy rolling around inside of a steel barrel. “No, no. I’m here to take you out for drinks.”

Twilight paused. “Well, the drinking age is seventeen here…”

Cadance shook her head. “Nuh uh, no way. You go way too hard, Steel Heart, and Twilight has never drank before.”

“Hey, I have so. Dad let me have some of his beers before,” Twilight huffed indignantly.

“See? She can totally handle it!” Steel Heart declared before patting Twilight on the back hard enough to make the unicorn almost throw up in her mouth. “So what do you say? The night’s on me, Princess.”

“Well that is really generous of you…” Cadance admitted.

“Come on, I can handle this, Cadance. It's just a few drinks,” Twilight reiterated.

“The last time you said something like that you ended up with your hoof stuck in a table,” Cadance pointed out.

“This time will be different,” Twilight offered. “You are going to be there to make sure I don't overdo it.”

“See? It's a perfect plan,” added Steel Heart.

Cadance sighed. “Fine, but I don't like this.”

“Score!” Twilight shouted, pumping a hoof in the air.

“Wait, she's only seventeen?” someone asked.

“Augh, that was a terrible idea,” Twilight murmured, her voice being distorted slightly due to the fact that her head was currently inside of a toilet bowl.

Cadance shook her head as she ran a hoof down Twilight’s back. “I told you that wasn't going to work out. Why did you do that anyway? You’ve never expressed interest in drinking before now.”

Twilight paused, her conversation with Bull coming to mind, namely the part where the guard had mentioned that this was going to be one of the last times Twilight could truly act like an irresponsible kid. “I just… I just… Hurgh.”

Projectile vomit cut off whatever Twilight had been about to say, leaving Cadance to sigh, and continue stroking her friend’s mane, her magic levitating the pony’s bangs out of the way. “There there, Twilight. After this we’ll go get you some water, and you can lie down, okay?”

Twilight nodded.

Twilight pushed the thick sunglasses further up her nose, grumbling as she walked down the street. The clip clop of her hooves was deafening, as was the general din of the crowd, nevermind all their thoughts. It was enough to drown every sound in a veritable sea of noise, and leave Twilight stumbling around blindly, relying completely on Cadance for direction.

“Would you three keep it down?” Twilight asked all of a sudden, turning to Cadance, Silver Bulwark, and Spike who walked next to her.

“We weren't even talking,” Spike pointed out.

“Maybe you should go back to bed for a bit,” Silver Bulwark offered.

“No, I can handle it,” Twilight replied tersely.

Cadance put her hoof on Silver Bulwark’s shoulder. “I got something in mind for her, trust me. It will be fine.”

Silver Bulwark shook her head slowly. “I’m still disappointed you left me looking after Scales while you went out partying. Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve had a good excuse to drink?”

“Didn't you get drunk the night Celestia hired you?” Twilight pointed out irritably.

“I said a good excuse to drink,” Silver Bulwark replied pointedly.

The infested unicorn grumbled to herself as they turned and made their way towards the construction site.

Upon reaching said site, Twilight found that the thoughts of the ponies around her changed suddenly, going from either unconcerned or curious to awestruck. It was enough to make Twilight peek over the rim of her sunglasses and look out over the gathered ponies. The looks of shock and admiration were evident, though they only lasted a second or two at most before they turned and went back to work.

“What's with them?” Twilight asked, while gesturing to the other ponies working on the now half complete apartment building.

“They are impressed by your exploits, it seems,” Cadance replied with a gruff snort. “Though they should be as disappointed in you as I am.”

“So what am I doing today anyway?” Twilight inquired, while looking around. “And where's Steel Heart?”

“She’s probably in the office, come on,” Cadance announced, before trotting towards the small trailer parked at the edge of the construction site.

Without the energy to offer a reply, Twilight merely fell in behind the alicorn, her bodyguard and son trotting alongside her.

Upon reaching the trailer, Cadance pushed open the door and stepped inside before motioning for Twilight to do the same. After the unicorn did so and fully entered into the surprisingly cozy trailer, she found herself feeling better already, as most sound and light could not pierce the walls of the building.

“You’ll be helping Steel Heart with organization today,” Cadance whispered, gesturing to the other side of the room where the pony in question sat hunched over a mess of paperwork, a familiar set of sunglasses resting on the end of her nose.

Twilight nodded and trotted forward, hardly even noticing that the alicorn had slipped out behind her, closing the door as she went.

Plopping down across from the larger pony seemed to startle her from her reverie though, and for a moment their eyes met. “Nice glasses,” Twilight commented.

Steel Heart nodded. “You too.”

“So that was quite the night, huh?” Twilight offered.

“You are telling me,” Steel Heart muttered with a grunt. “Are you the one that’s going to help me coordinate all this?”

Twilight nodded as she looked out over the pile of work orders, funding requests, permits, and other paperwork that covered the large table that sat between them. “Apparently.”

Steel Heart smiled faintly. “Well alright then, let’s see if you can handle your paperwork better than your whiskey.”

Twilight smiled as she looked out over the land below, which seemed less desolate, and all the more beautiful after the recent rain they had received. The mare marveled at all the small signs of life which sprouted out of seemingly nowhere upon receiving a healthy dose of water. Small, withered shrubs Twilight assumed were dead had bloomed overnight, revealing bright flowers. Even the air smelt fresh, the scent of new growth carried on the gentle breeze billowing up from below.

“Beautiful, isn't it?” Cadance asked, gesturing to the land around them as she continued to trot along the wall surrounding the town.

“It's amazing how it all comes alive like it this,” Twilight murmured.

Cadance nodded. “The presence of so many earth ponies brings the very land back to life and soon they might even be able to replant the lush grass this place used to be known for.”

“Really? It seems like that would be at least a decade away, if not longer,” Twilight remarked idly.

Cadance smiled. “With earth pony stubbornness and a little magic, it can apparently happen in a quarter of that time.”

“Wow,” Twilight murmured. “It’s sad that they don't teach you any of this in school.”

Cadance sighed. “Yes, I’m afraid the curriculum is focused more on the learner’s tribe than the others, leaving many ponies ignorant of what the other types of ponies can do.”

Twilight nodded, only to perk up and turn her head when she felt the unique sensation of another pony’s thoughts. Looking ahead, she found that they had walked nearly the entirety of the wall, and were reaching one of the few towers which were actually manned. Glancing within, Twilight could see the flicker of candles, and hear a hushed conversation happening just inside.

“Would you like to meet them?” Cadance offered, the pony stepping forward and reaching for the door to the tower.

“I shouldn't,” Twilight replied quickly. “I wouldn't want to make them think I was trying to learn something I shouldn't know.”

“Nonsense. I’m sure they are just playing a game of poker or something. The town’s militia don't exactly have a lot to do now that Celestia’s soldiers are here,” Cadance replied before knocking twice on the heavy oak door.

Instantly, all sounds of conversation vanished, replaced by a single pony trotting across the room. The door opened slightly, revealing the deep green muzzle of an unarmored militia pony, a suspicious look already on her face. Upon seeing Cadance that suspicious look lightened somewhat, only to come right back when she noticed Twilight standing just beyond.

“It's nice to see you, Cadance. What can I do for you?” the militia pony inquired.

“We were just out for an evening stroll and saw the tower was occupied. You aren't having a game of chance, are you?” Cadance asked with a smile.

“Not exactly…” admitted the the militia pony, her brow furrowing, causing a strand of teal hair to fall over her face.

“It's fine, Cadance, we don't have to intrude on these ponies,” Twilight interrupted.

“I guess it was rather presumptuous of me to assume our company would be welcomed,” Cadance admitted.

“Hey, is that Cadance out there? You should get her in on this!” shouted a male voice from within.

The green-coated militia pony turned and glared at her companion. “But captain, this is for our eyes only,” she whispered harshly.

“Bah, she's a princess. I’m sure she would be able to help us out,” replied the voice.

The green pony sighed and opened the door. “Come on in then, I guess.”

Cadance took a hesitant step inside. “Well, I don't mean to intrude. If you all are doing something important we can leave you to it.”

Twilight followed close behind her friend and was shocked to find that the captain in question was a unicorn with a short, stumpy looking horn with purple fur and a black mane. To his right sat a silent earth pony with brown fur and a grey mane, the militia pony whom had met them at the door being revealed as a pegasus. On the table was a small scattering of maps, most of which were of the town, and included layouts of the sewers, as well as a topographical map of the area.

“Nonsense,” declared the unicorn, who used his magic to pull up a pair of chairs. “The assistance of an alicorn and Celestia’s personal student would be a great boon. Isn't that right, Granite?”

The earth pony merely nodded slowly while giving the newcomers a slow inspection.

“Well, I don't like it,” added the pegasus, who turned her chair around and rested her chin on the back. “This is a military matter, we shouldn't invite civilians in here.”

“Mossy, you are a farmer who just learned how to shoot last week,” deadpanned the unicorn. “If anything these ponies consider you the civilian here.”

The pegasus mare crossed her hooves over her chest and frowned, but said nothing.

“Sorry if we were interrupting anything, Twilight and I were just out for a walk on the wall when we saw the candle light,” Cadance remarked.

“And Cadance was hoping you were playing cards so she could gamble more bits away,” added Twilight with a smirk.

“I was not… nevermind,” grumbled Cadance, shooting Twilight a good humoured glare.

“Well regardless of why you are here, I’m glad you are,” announced the unicorn, who gestured to the maps. “We were just in the middle of creating plans to defend the town should it be attacked.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow, her interest instantly piqued, a fact that did not go unnoticed by the pegasus sitting next to her. “Why would you bother doing that? I thought Celestia’s soldiers were supposed to be here for indefinitely. Aren't they in charge of the defence of this town?”

“Officially they are,” murmured the earth pony, whose voice sounded more like two rocks grinding together than any words created by a normal voice box.

“But they are planning on an excursion in the coming days,” added the unicorn. “And though they shouldn't be gone long, I had hoped to review our plans in case the worst comes to pass.”

“They’ll miss the big celebration we planned,” Cadance exclaimed with a hint of disappointment. “What exactly are they doing anyway?”

The pegasus shrugged. “We haven't been told much, only that there is some zerg force that was straying too close, and they want to put it down.”

“I’d start by creating a failsafe at your water treatment plant, should it ever be breached,” Twilight suddenly declared, while pointing to the facility which lay at the base of the town.

“Why? The pipes are too small to transport enemy forces,” replied Mossy.

“And they would be full of sewage,” added the unicorn.

Twilight nodded. “Yes, but the zerg are unbothered by such things, and zerglings can fit into any place a foal could.”

“It will be done,” declared the earth pony, writing out a few notes on a scrap piece of paper.

“Is there any other insight you could give us?” asked the unicorn, who leaned forward expectantly in his chair.

Twilight paused, only now realizing that everyone in the room, including Cadance, was watching her expectantly. “I… might have a few suggestions, but I would need a full tactical breakdown of the forces and weaponry you have available to you.”

The three militia ponies exchanged a glance, before the unicorn nodded, and pointed to a file cabinet in the corner of the room. “Mossy, give the mare what she needs. Let’s see what she can do.”

Twilight kicked her forehooves idly in the air, letting them swing back and forth from her position at the edge of the apartment's roof, a smile on her face. Another day had passed, and another sunset could be seen in the distance, its last fleeting rays illuminating the now complete structure she sat atop of. Beside her, Cadance sat quietly, the alicorn watching the same sunset Twilight was, her thoughts similarly consumed by the majesty she beheld

“This is nice,” Twilight remarked idly.

Cadance smiled. “I’m glad you came to visit me, Twilight. I don't think the apartment would have been completed on time otherwise, nor would this week have been as much fun as it was.”

“It was pretty fun, wasn't it?” Twilight muttered, a smile slowly crossing her face. “I am glad we were able to include Spike as often as we did.”

Cadance’s smile grew ever so slightly. “The kid has a great mom, you know. Even if she's a little on the young side.”

Twilight chuckled. “And I wouldn't trade him for the world. Well, except for maybe a version of him that isn't scared of heights,” Twilight remarked, shouting the last four words over the ledge of the apartment building.

“Hey, was that an insult?” Spike shouted from the ground floor. “Because there is nothing wrong with disliking heights you know!”

“Come on, Spike, let’s go get some noodles one last time and leave those two weirdos to do their best gargoyle impression,” Silver Bulwark shouted.

“A gargoyle is a waterspout for a building, we would be grotesques!” Twilight corrected.

“You are grotesque!” Spike shouted back before scampering away with Silver Bulwark, the pair both giggling as they did so.

Cadance chuckled. “Maybe he does have a little youthful rebellion in him after all.”

“At least his sense of humour is good,” Twilight remarked with a chuckle of her own.

The two ponies stared off into the distance together, their gazes lingering on the town, and the fluffy white clouds that floated above it. Several minutes passed in relative quiet, both mares content to hang their hooves off the edge of the building while watching the world turn. The serene quiet couldn't last forever though, and soon Twilight found herself unable to resist speaking her mind.

“So… We only have one day left before we’re going back. What do you think we should do?” asked the unicorn with a slight edge of hesitation.

The alicorn hummed thoughtfully and tapped her hoof against the roof’s edge. “I know you wanted to do more training, and to teach me more spells but why don't we take it slow instead?”

“Slow like how?” Twilight inquired.

“We could do board games, a little sightseeing, and enjoy some more of the local cuisine,” Cadance offered. “I know you wanted to get more done, but at least one day of your vacation has to be relaxing. I’m pretty sure that's a rule.”

Twilight found herself nodding along with the alicorn’s idea. “That does sound like a good idea. Besides, I’ve pretty much covered everything I had hoped to cover.”

“Really? I would have thought you had a bunch more planned,” Cadance remarked with a hint of surprise.

The unicorn smirked. “Oh I had a bunch extra planned just in case, but this is all I assumed we had time for.”

“Makes sense,” Cadance admitted.

“You know, I’m going to miss you, Cadance,” Twilight announced with a slight, sad smile. “I have really enjoyed catching up these past few days.”

“I may not be planning on coming back to Canterlot anytime soon, but that doesn't mean we aren't going to see each other again,” Cadance explained.

“I suppose. It's just, with everything that's happening, there isn't really going to be a chance to do this again anytime soon, you know?” Twilight replied.

“What, get black out drunk and throw up on my tail?” Cadance asked with a smirk.

Twilight punched the other mare playfully on the shoulder, only to send the alicorn tumbling forwards, off the building. The infested mare was milliseconds from panicking, only for her psionic powers to catch the playful glee emanating from Cadance. Crossing her forehooves over her chest, Twilight lay there, waiting for Cadance to come back up, which she did a second later.

“Oh come on, nothing? Not even an apology?” Cadance teased as the alicorn flew before the irritated unicorn.

“That was mean, Cadance. I thought you really fell for a second there,” Twilight stated.

“Oh come on, it was just a prank. I have wings, remember?” Cadance exclaimed, flapping her wings a little harder in emphasis.

“You know the old Cadance wouldn't play a prank like that,” Twilight pointed out.

“Well the old Cadance was a sucker, who almost let herself get brainwashed just to keep her boyfriend,” Cadance shot back.

Twilight sighed and looked into the other mare’s eyes, only now seeing the hurt buried deep down inside. After a long moment of silence, Twilight grinned and began to laugh. “You know, I think I like this new Cadance. She's slimmer and easier to talk to. Not like you weren't easy to talk to before, but you know what I mean.”

Cadance nodded and flew back onto the roof, taking a spot to Twilight’s right. “I have always been in tune with my pegasus side and Celestia taught me a lot about what it means to be a unicorn, but after spending time here I finally feel whole. Like there was a part of me always yearning to be set free, and now I’m who I was meant to be from the very beginning.”

Twilight smiled. “I’m glad. You look brighter, more confident even.”

Cadance nodded. “Thank you, Twilight. That means a lot coming from you.”

“So, what do you wanna do for supper? It seems like we are on our own again,” Twilight offered.

Cadance hummed thoughtfully, and tapped her chin. “What about pie?”

“Pie, for supper?” Twilight asked, with a hint of confusion.

“Oh right, you are probably still full on humble pie after Steel Heart fed you so much of it,” Cadance teased.

Twilight growled, and lurched toward the mare, only to catch a whole lot of nothing, as Cadance had taken flight and was giggling just overhead. “I think I’m changing my mind about this whole new Cadance thing,” Twilight lamented.

Cadance blew a raspberry at her friend. “You just say that because you suck at the whole witty banter thing.”

“Well I… At least I don't smell!” Twilight shouted, jabbing a hoof at the other mare.

“Really, that's the best you got? You smell too, dummy. We worked all day,” Cadance replied while shaking her head.

Twilight grumbled under her breath while glaring at the alicorn. “Shut up.”

Twilight trotted through the more or less empty town, putting a good amount of distance between herself and the bustling city hall she had just left behind. The party was nice, and the ponies had largely grown used to her presence, but there were simply too many minds all shouting at her. Spike and Silver Bulwark’s presence had been calming, but the infested mare could only take so much before she needed her space.

Twilight had been quite surprised that Cadance had managed to talk the event organizers into turning it into a celebration meant to welcome the new wave of refugees which had just arrived. The alicorn herself had been in her element the last time Twilight had seen her, the pony mingling with all the new arrivals while also ensuring everything went swimmingly. Spike had been nearby, the dragon accepted surprisingly easily by the general populace, many of whom had met the drake over the last week. Silver Bulwark was the only pony they seemed to still be suspicious of, but that hadn't lasted very long, as the unicorn’s calm demeanor was surprisingly infectious.

A mental ping told the infested mare that her young son had left the hall, and was standing outside with Silver Bulwark. Pushing that thought from her mind, the pony trotted down the almost empty street, smiling as she thought about her little vacation.

Sure, it may not have been as long as she liked, or as productive as she had hoped, but it was undeniably good. All the regrets Twilight had built up in her mind bled away, leaving only a pleasant warmth and a soft smile. The memories she now had were quickly becoming treasured possessions and the pony was already planning on when next they might be able to do this again.

That was until she heard the colossal crack and snap of a mass teleportation spell, one powerful enough to make her horn ache and her ears ring. A second later and a deep rumble emanated from all around her, like a great many heavy objects had just been dropped from several feet. Looking up, Twilight saw a glyph of magical power hover above the city, its power already waning, and causing the glyph to fade rapidly.

“How the hell did...” Twilight muttered in shock a second before the screaming started.

The first came from somewhere to Twilight’s right, and she turned in that direction just in time to feel the full psionic weight of a thousand unthinking minds all pressing against her. Her vision swam, and she could feel her knees go weak, her body struggling to stay vertical under the pressure now assailing her.

She could hear them, feel them, all around her, their incredible hunger and wild animalistic minds tearing at the wall she had built at the back of her mind. With a shove of her power, she reinforced the barrier several times over, making the feral minds fall into the background. With the pressure now dissipating, Twilight pushed her way into a stand, and gave her head a firm shake.

Looking around, Twilight found herself in the middle of a desperate melee, ponies of all shapes and sizes locked in combat with various zerg creatures. To her right Twilight saw an earth pony crush the head of a wide, flat creature with membranous winglike appendages that grew from either side of its body. Two large pincer-like claws sprouted from the forefront of its body, each one easily large enough to crush a pony’s head.

The creature flailed weakly in its death throes, the large red earth pony continuing to stomp on it until there was little left but paste, only to be tackled when a trio of smaller creatures leapt upon his side. Twilight quickly realized that the creatures were the same doglike monsters Twilight had seen in her dreams when she was very young. Instantly the thin, emaciated zerglings began to tear into the earth pony with tooth and claw, yet the earth pony did not falter, keeping them back with a few well placed kicks.

Summoning her magic, Twilight shot a concentrated beam of energy straight through the three zerglings, bisecting one, decapitating another, and cutting all four limbs from the last. The red earth pony took advantage of the opening Twilight had given him, and hopped back up before delivering a stomp to the last living zergling’s head.

“Hey tha-” Was all he could say before a hail of acid reduced his head to a smoking mound of gore.

Ducking into a nearby alley, Twilight heard the scuttling of many tiny legs, and a quick glance from her hiding spot revealed two heavily armored bug-looking creatures scuttling towards her. Their backs were covered with a hardened, spike ridden exoskeleton, with a pair of scythelike appendages sprouting from their shoulders.

Wasting no time, Twilight teleported to the roof above her, putting as much distance as she could between herself and the roaches who had been bearing down on her only a second ago. Her first thought was to end the creatures, and Twilight was in the middle of casting a fireball spell when she caught a glance of the town and the destruction she was made to witness.

All around her, zerg ran rampant, hordes of starving, half-mad creatures rampaging without direction. Some even attacked each other while others simply stood there motionless, as if their very will had been torn out of them. The one thing that remained constant was the fact that they were all starved, thin, and showed signs of torture or experimentation.

“What the hell is going on?” Twilight whispered in shock.

Author's Notes:

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Incursion

Looking around the rooftops, Twilight found herself horrified by what she beheld. All around her ponies fought desperately against the tide of confused and feral zerg, whose numbers were far greater than Twilight had first sensed. Already she could hear shots ringing out in all directions as the militia joined the fray, and in the distance she could hear the sound of bells, signalling the town was under attack.

“Spike!” Twilight exclaimed, her gaze turning back in the direction of the hall, and to where she knew the dragon was.

A quick glance into the drake’s mind told Twilight that he was okay, and that Silver Bulwark and him were held up in a bookstore not far from here. The immediate danger now gone, Twilight scanned the rooftops once more, her horn glowing as she tried to follow the now dissipating field of magic back to its source. The process of tracking another’s magic was usually a futile effort only possible by the most well-trained ponies around, but this was different.

The spell was so large, so powerful, and used so much magic that it was less searching for a needle in a haystack as it was looking for a cart in a haystack. After a short channel Twilight found herself looking towards the east, and at one of the empty guard houses which overlooked the town. Though at first she saw nothing, a brief shimmer told her there was at least one pony standing atop the tower, though they were obscured by an imperfect invisibility spell.

Utilizing her other powers, Twilight reached out with her mind, and found two beings standing atop the tower, each one looking out over the town emotionlessly. Looking away, Twilight ground her teeth together, rage building in her chest the moment she realized just who was looking down at them. It was obvious that the houses’ agents were here, and worse yet, one felt familiar, very familiar.

Pushing their presence out of her mind, Twilight looked down at the town, a battle plan forming in the back of her mind. The zerg were feral, likely captured by the houses’ scientists and turned loose for the purpose of testing the town’s primitive defences with a secondary objective of taking her and Cadance out of the picture. She would need to find the other mare, secure her, and then work with the guard to eliminate the zerg threat.

The first step would be reconnecting with Spike and Silver Bulwark, a plan that was easier said than done given that there were a small horde of zerg between her and the besieged bookstore. Twilight considered the connection she shared with the other zerg, only to qual at the thought of all those hungry, angry minds intruding upon her own. Worse yet, it might very well be a trap, Twilight realized, one meant to make her open herself to the zerg only to end up being controlled.

Which was something she simply could not risk no matter how unlikely it may be.

Summoning her magic, Twilight stomped her hooves and chanted the necessary words to open a portal and summon forth a trio of medium-sized fire elementals. The floating masses of living flame hovered above the ground, their bodies vaguely bipedal with a pair of enormous fiery arms extending from equally large shoulders. They lacked any legs to speak of though, their torsos ending in a pillar of flame that kept them aloft despite no apparent means of flight.

“Slay every zerg you encounter and secure the perimeter of the hall,” Twilight commanded.

The fire elementals nodded briefly before descending upon the streets, each one wading into a small throng of zerg and burning their way towards the hall. Twilight contemplated the intelligence of letting loose a bunch of fire elementals, but the spell that summoned them should keep them under control, and most of the buildings were stone or metal anyway. Putting that thought aside, Twilight leapt from the rooftop, and began to follow in the wake of her elemental soldiers.

Twilight paid little mind to the already dead and dying zerg which littered the area, her body already in motion, and headed towards the bookstore she had seen in Spike’s mind. Sprinting down the street, Twilight stopped briefly to fire a mana bolt through the window of a house just as an armless hydralisk was about to bite down on the neck of a father who was shielding his children from harm. Twilight only paid them enough attention to confirm the zerg was dead before running away, ignoring the confused cries coming from within the house.

Sprinting around the corner, Twilight readied herself for resistance, the pony knowing that this street would not be as clear, given that her fire elementals were going in a different direction. She wouldn't let a little danger slow her though, and didn't stop for a second as she surveyed the battlefield that lay before her. To her right a trio of Celestia’s soldiers were in the middle of a fight with a small pack of zerglings, while to her left a group of stallions were kicking a roach to death.

Without slowing, Twilight reached out and crushed the zerglings with her mind, before lighting her horn and whipping a fireball at a strange winged zerg who swooped down from the cover of a four story building. Wings now useless, the mutalisk tumbled to the ground, killed by its own momentum and splattering its burning guts all across the road. The soldiers hardly had a chance to realize what was going on before the unicorn sprinted past them.

Looking down the road, Twilight could see the bookstore near the end of the street, a whole host of zerg all banging on the entrance and trying to force their way inside. Twilight couldn't think about them yet though, as something large was coming this way, the very ground under her hooves trembling. A second later an enormous two story tall beast thundered down the road while letting out a fearsome cry of challenge.

Though the infested mare could instantly tell that this creature was malformed, with the beast sporting only a single scythe-like arm and standing half the height it was supposed to, it was still quite large, and incredibly dangerous. It was also ignoring everything else and focusing completely on Twilight, its comparatively small eyes staring intently into the unicorn’s own. Gardens, corpses, and stalls were crushed beneath the ultralisk’s great bulk, yet Twilight didn't flinch.

Summoning her magic, Twilight remained motionless, merely picking up a stone, before building more and more power into her horn even as the creature bore down on her. She could hear the cries of panic, coming from the celestial soldiers, as well as the stallions Twilight had seen earlier but she ignored them. Thirty feet, twenty feet, the creature continued to barrel down on her, bellowing a distorted cry the entire time.

With a grunt, Twilight released her spell and the small rock she had picked up a few seconds ago all but exploded, shooting out with such speed that it broke the sound barrier. In an instant the ultralisk went from confident to confused, its legs giving out from under it as it struggled to process its own death. Brain matter leaked out of the whole in its head and pulped organs oozed out of holes in its sides as blood rushed out of its mouth. By the time the beast hit the ground it was already gone, and Twilight was in motion once more.

With a pulse of magic she teleported further down the street, landing in the midst of the other zerg just as they were about to break through the hastily erected barrier placed at the forefront of the book store. Landing on top of a drone, Twilight tore the eyes from the creature’s head before lashing out at a nearby hydralisk, sending the contents of its skull splattering across the road with the power of her kick. The zerg were quick, and their surprise didn't last as long as Twilight wanted, with the entire group turning towards her.

Lighting her horn, Twilight leapt up from the drone as it sputtered and shot acid randomly, screeching all the while. As she came down, Twilight punched a hoof into the head of a zergling, causing all the flesh above its neck to instantly necrotise, killing it before it knew what had happened. As she hit the ground she pulled on her psionic power and shoved the nearest attackers away from her. Stunned and confused, the closest roach was turned into a teacup before it had a chance to even know where its enemy was.

With only two hydralisks left, Twilight brought both of her powers to bear simultaneously, forcing the creatures to face upwards and utilizing both kinds of telekinesis at the same time. The dagger like projectiles they fired at her went wide as the creatures struggled against the forces holding them back. They didn't struggle long though as Twilight grunted and poured power into her abilities, tearing them in half with sheer psionic and magical might.

Panting, Twilight trod forward, unbothered by the ichor and blood that pooled all around her. As she approached the shattered window, she reached forward and grabbed the still flailing drone by the claws before driving her horn directly through one of its empty eye sockets. After pulling back her horn, and whipping her head to the side, Twilight discarded the bloody remnants of the zerg’s brain which had clung to her.

She could hear commotion coming from within, as well as see several pairs of curious, and fearful eyes peering out from between the cracks in the wall of furniture. Not wanting to waste any time, Twilight simply pulled aside the debris with a wave of her hoof, causing the ponies inside to stumble back in panic. Silver Bulwark was quick to fill the gap, a greatsword in her telekinetic grip, her armor stained red and green by blood and gore.

“Silver Bulwark, stand down, we have work to do,” Twilight commanded.

The guard pushed her helmet up to reveal her shocked face. “Holy shit, is that you, Twilight? I didn't recognize you under all… that,” Silver remarked, gesturing to the unicorn’s body.

“I told you she was coming,” Spike declared, shoving his way past the guard and sprinting up to his mother.

“Good, you are both safe,” Twilight exclaimed with a sigh, only now catching sight of who the other sets of eyes belonged to. “And you did well protecting them.”

Spike grinned and nodded. “Bull wanted to go help you, but I knew you were fine.”

“You did the right thing, Spike,” Twilight announced before motioning for her guard to exit the building. “I’ll erect a barrier that will keep the zerg out. We have to locate Cadance.”

Silver Bulwark pushed the grille of helmet back down before placing the greatsword on her back. “Sounds good, but how do you even know where she is?”

Twilight lit her horn and quickly conjured a partial dome shield over the entrance to the bookstore. “I placed a life detection enchantment on her earlier this week in case something like this happened, so if she's alive, I can track her. Right now she’s still in the hall, no doubt protecting the partygoers as we speak,” she explained.

“Did you tell her? Because that doesn't sound-” Silver began, only to be interrupted by Spike.

“We can argue about the morality of it later. We have a princess to save,” declared the drake.

“Right, which means we need to move, now,” Twilight added.

“I’m right behind you,” proclaimed Silver Bulwark.

Twilight nodded briefly, giving one last glance to the still terrified foals inside the store, their fear making her spine itch for some reason. Looking away, Twilight focused on the job ahead of her and began to sprint back the way she came. As she ran, she noticed the stallions she saw earlier were mingling with the guards, who seemed confused and directionless.

“I’ve set up a safe zone in that store,” Twilight shouted, gesturing to the shop she had just came from. “Start directing survivors into that building and fortify it with everything you have.”

It seemed like the guards were going to argue for a second, only to nod, with the tallest one stepping forward. “You heard the mare, get on it. Stout Staff, Breakwater, you are with the locals, start rounding everypony up. The rest of you lot is with me, let’s secure that area.”

Both the stallions and guard fell into line, following the orders of the tall, well-built pegasus.

Twilight didn't give the group a second glance before she continued on, both her son and her guard close on her heels. The unicorn could feel the worry emanating from her companions as she ran, but didn't let that get to her, she needed to stay focused. Using her psionic abilities, Twilight sent out a mental pulse and created a crude mental map of nearby enemies and allies.

Few zerg were around, most having dispersed after the death of the ultralisk, though if this was some sort of response due to the beast’s death or coincidence, Twilight wasn't sure. Either way she didn't have time to think of the great monster as she could feel two more zerg coming down a nearby alley. Throwing out her hooves, Twilight slid to a halt, and spun in the direction of the creatures, her horn already blazing with life.

Confused and surprised, Silver Bulwark reacted quickly, the mare drawing her weapon as Spike fell in behind her, the dragon holding a spear he had picked up at some point. No words needed to pass between them, and a second later the enemies emerged, the creatures rolling towards them. Bright green liquid filled their abdomens, barely contained by their thin, fragile carapace.

“Wait. Use spells, these have acid,” Twilight shouted, holding back Silver Bulwark with a hoof.

Silver Bulwark nodded before lighting her own horn and extending her hoof towards the banelings rolling towards them. A second later and two phantom daggers sprung into existence from the end of the mare’s hoof before flying towards the creatures. The magical constructs tore through the banelings with terrifying efficiency, spilling acid and organs across the ground.

Tugging her companions along, Twilight forced them onwards, silently thankful that she could sense there were no enemies left between herself and the hall. Now on the main road once more, Twilight followed after the scorch marks left by her elementals. Her connection to the summons told her that they were still alive, or as alive as semi-sentient fire could be anyway.

Only for all three to flicker and die one after another, making the mare pick up speed, her companions quickly following suit a second later.

Careening around the final corner, Twilight saw the hall come into view and nearly stopped as her senses caught up with her. A veritable swarm of zerg were centered on the large, three story stone building, many banging on the walls, or ramming their heads against the stonework. Worse yet, Twilight could feel some sort of tug at the back of her mind, directing her towards the hall itself.

Brushing aside that feeling, Twilight continued to sprint towards the building, her companions easily keeping pace with her. Both unicorns’ horns blazed with life, and with an explosive crack, Twilight let loose a bolt of white hot lightning. Upon hitting the first zergling, the bolt jumped to the nearest zerg who happened to be a slightly malformed hydralisk who was already missing half of its face. From there it jumped to several other targets, frying a drone, another zergling and one final roach, who was left stunned but not killed.

The barrage didn't end there though, as Silver Bulwark skidded to a stop for a moment before raising her hooves above her head and chanting in ancient unicornian. With one final shout to the heavens, the guard brought her hooves down hard against the ground, a pulse of white magic exploding from the point of impact. A second later, and a great ethereal battle axe sprung into existence above the main entrance and came down with such thunderous force that the ground shook.

The zerg not initially annihilated by the axe’s impact were pulped by the shockwave that emanated from the point of impact. With a good two thirds of their enemies now reduced to paste or smoking corpses, Twilight was finally able to see the entrance. Tables, chairs and desks were piled behind the doors, though at some point they had been breached, yet the zerg didn't seem smart enough to relay that information to their brethren.

Only a handful of the creatures were left, though Twilight could already feel dozens of new ones swarming from all directions. Not wanting to lose her momentum, Twilight used her magic to grab a nearby baneling which had sat frozen until now in her magic and squeezed it out over a group of nearby zerglings. The ensuing shrieking made the pony wish she could turn her ears off, but the job was done and the immediate threat was dealt with.

Spike skidded to a stop just outside the door, the drake clutching his spear tightly. “So what's the plan? Do we hold here, or what?” he asked quickly.

Twilight shook her head. “I’ll put up a quick barrier, but we have to move inside and find Cadance. I can sense she is close.”

Silver Bulwark nodded. “Right.”

Lighting her horn once more, Twilight erected a barrier over the opening before she trotted into the hall. Bodies of zerg and ponies alike littered the floor inside, the stench making Twilight’s nose crinkle in disgust. The smell of death hung heavy in the air, and Twilight and her companions were forced to see the ugly results of this surprise attack.

The zerg did not discriminate as bodies of mares and stallions, young and old littered the ground sporadically, some having been partially torn apart. Forcing her eyes up, Twilight used her connection with Spike to ensure he did the same, keeping down his urge to vomit while also ensuring he stayed focused. Trotting past the corpses, Twilight entered into the hall proper, leaving the small entryway behind and stepping onto what had once been a dance floor.

Bodies continued to litter the ground, though here at least, most seemed to be of zerg whom had been foolish enough to get in the way of someone incredibly strong. Zerglings lay strewn across the ground, their legs torn from their bodies and tossed aside without a second thought. Bodies were crushed, organs pulped, and few ponies could be seen amidst the carnage, most being large earth ponies whom had evidently died in the room’s defence.

“There! The back room!” Silver Bulwark shouted before pulling her blade from her back and charging a duo of hydralisks slashing at a wooden door.

Leaping over the corpse of a headless roach, Silver Bulwark brought her magically keen sword down hard against the backside of the first hydralisk, cutting it clean in two. The second hydralisk seemed to be faster than most, and quickly turned and fired several dagger-like projectiles, which bounced harmlessly off Silver Bulwark’s armor. With a snarl of rage, the guard lit her horn and charged, projectiles continuing to bounce off of her like they were little more than toothpicks.

With a flash of magic she tackled the hydralisk and crushed it against a nearby walls, turning its head, and most of its midsection into a bloody goo. Twilight was quick to follow her up, and ran up to the door, quickly realizing that there was a large bookcase behind it.

“Hey, open up! We got survivors here!” Twilight shouted.

A relieved sigh could be heard from behind the bookcase. “It’s Celestia’s student. Get this thing out of the way!” a voice shouted.

A second being grunted, and through the holes in the door Twilight could see a stallion and a mare shuffling the bookcase out of the way for them. Not waiting for the other ponies, Twilight pushed it open and strode inside, ushering her companions in after her before turning to the ponies.

“Where is Cadance?” she demanded.

The two ponies blinked in shock. “She went up to the roof to try save some ponies who panicked,” the mare quickly responded.

“Yeah, just go down the hall but watch out, a few of those monsters got in before we could seal the door and we haven't had the chance to deal with them yet,” added the stallion.

Twilight nodded. “Let’s go.”

Knowing that her companions would be right behind her, Twilight took off at a sprint, leaping over fallen debris and passing by a long row of closed doors before taking a left at the bend. More doors lined either side of the hallway, while most were closed, one had been torn off its hinges, blood splattering across the entryway. Zerg cries and a familiar bellow of pain could be heard just beyond, one that Twilight recognized all too well.

With panic coursing through her, Twilight sprinted to the door and was just in time to watch as Steel Heart pulled apart a zergling by grabbing its front legs and ripping it straight down the middle. Gore and blood cascaded over the enraged and bloodied mare who didn't seem to care about the fact that she was now covered in the blood and organs of her slain foes. Hydralisk projectiles stuck out of her body at various points, and dozens of shallow slashes were visible all over her coat, yet she did not seem weakened by this one bit.

Behind her cowered a small group of foals who hid under the stairs which lead up to the floor above and beyond that, presumably the roof. That wasn't the only enemy in the room though, and a splatter of acid made Steel Heart stumble back in pain, the mare desperately trying to clean the burning liquid from her foreleg. The roach in the corner didn't have time to fire a second time though, as Twilight grabbed the thing with her mind and crushed it into a ball about one third of its original size.

“Help’s here, we got you,” Silver Bulwark announced before sliding in next to the pony, her horn glowing, a healing spell already partially complete.

Steel Heart looked up and sighed, her small smile turning into a grimace as Twilight pulled out one of the hydralisk daggers that had been embedded in her shoulder. “Took you long enough. Thought for a second I was going to have to crush all these bugs myself,” Steel Heart muttered, the enormous pony stumbling slightly and falling on her rump.

Looking over the pony’s many injuries, it was hard to imagine the earth pony surviving them for long without assistance. Twilight’s thoughts instantly went out to the parasite she had in her pocket dimension, and she considered using it before Silver Bulwark’s spell completed and the worst of the mare’s wounds closed.

“You should live, but be careful with that leg. Acid isn't exactly easy to heal,” Silver Bulwark cautioned.

Steel Heart chuckled bitterly. “Don't you worry about me. It's going to take more than a few puny darts and a couple of ugly dogs to take me down.”

The foals peeked from around the corner, revealing that there were over a dozen of them. “Is she going to be okay?” one rather brave one asked.

“She’s going to be fine,” Spike declared.

“Do these stairs go all the way up to the roof?” Twilight asked.

Steel Heart blinked and nodded. “It should. I don't think anything got past me otherwise there would be a hell of a lot more screaming.”

“Good, let’s go,” Twilight commanded, already sprinting up the stairs.

Silver Bulwark and Spike were quick to follow, leaving a grinning Steel Heart to pick herself off the ground and motion for the foals to follow behind the infested mare. “Get to the second floor kiddos, I’ll watch your back.”

The children all did as they were told, leaving a suddenly exhausted Steel Heart to nearly slump back to the ground. “Come on, old girl. We still got work to do,” she muttered.

Upstairs, Twilight sprinted across the mayor’s office space, making a beeline for the roof access and ignoring the looks coming from the huddled, fearful ponies hiding in the various offices. The clank of Silver’s steel-shod hooves and the distinct sound of a panting dragon told Twilight that her friends were still right behind her. A quick check of her detection spell told her that the alicorn was right above her, and her psionic abilities told her there were several zerg up there as well. One whom was clearly more powerful than the others and was likely the source of the tugging feeling she had detected earlier.

The psionic potential of this newest creature was staggering, at least compared to the usually non-existent power levels of most creatures she met. There was also something else about the zerg’s mind that made Twilight feel uncomfortable, though she couldn't quite put her hoof on why she felt that way. Shouldering her way through a door, Twilight didn't slow for so much as a second, the pony leaping up the stairs three at a time.

Upon reaching the roof Twilight was forced to trod over the corpse of a middle-aged stallion who had a long, dagger-like projectile sticking out of one of his eyes. Though it seemed different from the usual ones she had seen hydralisks use, Twilight didn't have time to think about that, and simply kept going. Upon reaching the rooftop, Twilight found the reason she had felt the tugging at the back of her mind, and also the source of this greater zerg she had sensed.

In the center of the wide, flat roof stood one of the strangest creatures Twilight had ever seen before. Though it resembled Starlight, it was clearly completely zerg, unlike the half-pony creature who had so desperately wanted Celestia’s essence. One half of its body was smaller than the other, and she was missing an eye due to a good part of her face being scorched black, but that didn't stop her from firing strange projectiles with deadly accuracy.

Projectiles that flew towards two foals and their mother who were cowering off to the side of the roof near the edge, Cadance standing tall before them. Before the spines reached their target, Cadance brought her wing down, the limb glowing and causing the objects to bounce harmlessly off of her. Seeing the alicorn alive made Twilight’s heart leap in her chest, only for her obvious wounds to fill the mare with fear.

Spines riddled the alicorn’s body, and though none seemed to have hit anything essential, one wing hung limply at the side and a great pool of blood lay beneath her hooves. Seeing such damage instantly made Twilight’s mind go to the parasite she had been ready to use a moment earlier. Before she could do that she would need to kill the queen currently attacking her foalsitter though, as she would need time to work.

With a slight push of her will, she kept Spike back, not trusting his scales to stand up to the queen’s spines. “Hey ugly, over here!” Twilight shouted.

With a wordless cry of rage, the queen spun towards Twilight, projectiles already shooting from her body. Twilight was ready though, and using her psionic abilities, she knocked aside each one of the queen’s attacks, batting them easily aside, before reaching out and grabbing the creature, intent on simply crushing its head with her mind. That didn't happen though, as the feral queen seemed to fight back, its own psionic powers just barely holding Twilight at bay.

It didn't seem able to multitask though, and it was forced to devote itself completely to fighting back against Twilight, leaving an opening Silver Bulwark could exploit. Hefting her sword high into the air, Silver Bulwark charged, yelling a wordless battle cry as she did so. Trapped between defending herself psionically and physically, the queen looked back and forth between Twilight and Silver Bulwark.

Then in a split second, it tried to scuttle backwards out of the guard’s swing, giving Twilight just enough of an opening to crush its skull and destroy its brain. Skidding to a stop, Silver Bulwark gave the crumpled queen a kick for good measure before stopping and putting her sword on her back.

Twilight didn't give the zerg a second thought though, only stopping long enough to notice the deep burns across a good third of its body and ponder how it had destroyed her elementals. Then she turned, and ran over to the wounded alicorn who still stood half over the two ponies, panting heavily as her blood ran in great rivers.

“Thank the stars,” Cadance muttered. “I don't know how long I could have held out.”

“Shh, it's okay,” Twilight replied, while motioning for Spike to join them. “I have something that can heal-”

“There's more!” screamed the tiny voice of the foal Cadance was still protecting.

Spinning around, Twilight saw two zerglings scamper up onto the side of the building, having taken an old fire escape staircase up to the top floor. Growling irritably, Twilight mentally commanded Spike to watch over Cadance before bringing her psionic power and magic to bear. A trio of manabolts brought down the first zergling while a wave of force caused the second to fly off the roof and splatter across the ground below.

The sound of claws scrabbling against metal made Twilight realize that more were coming up the stairs, a fact confirmed by her psionic abilities detecting multiple incoming zerg. Sprinting over to the edge of the building, Twilight began working on a spell which she planned on unleashing shortly after her target came into view. Dozens of zerg of various sizes and types were all climbing up the metal stairs, making the entire thing sag slightly under their weight.

A quick visual scan told Twilight that her plan would work, and after one final push of magic, she released her spell. A beam of white hot energy tore through the supports holding the staircase to the wall just as a zergling reached the top. Without anything keeping it bolted to the building, the entire thing went crashing to the ground, crushing most of the zerg and causing the rest to attack one another in confusion.

Spinning back around, Twilight was ready to reach into her pocket dimension once more, only for the entire building to shake unexpectedly. “What is it this time?” Twilight growled and spun back around.

Only to come nearly face to face with an enormous ultralisk who was eye level with the top floor of the three story building, its body glowing faintly, runes carved into its flesh at various points. “With me you two, Cadance watch the family!” Twilight shouted.

“But Silver Bulwark isn't done, Cadance is injured and bleeding every-” Spike began.

“If we don't kill this thing, everyone on or in this building is going to die,” Twilight barked back. “Cadance is strong enough to hold on a little longer before we heal her.”

The alicorn nodded wearily. “I can hold on for a few more minutes, focus on that monster first.”

Silver Bulwark, and Spike both seemed to hesitate before joining Twilight at the edge of the building. The ultralisk itself seemed confused, the beast looking around for direction, only for a lightning bolt to hit it in the back and cause it to roar in rage. Twilight had just enough time to notice a pair of unicorns standing atop a nearby building before they teleported away a second later.

The four great scythe-like limbs of the beast opened wide before coming down, intent on crushing the entire building in a single attack. With little time to plan, or cast a spell, Twilight was forced to use her mind alone, grabbing the ultralisk’s limbs and giving everything she had into holding them back. The sheer exertion made Twilight cry out in pain, the beast’s enormous muscles straining against Twilight’s hold, though they remained locked in place for the moment at least.

Noticing this opening, and how hard Twilight was struggling, Spike breathed deep and spat a ball of flame directly into the ultralisk’s unguarded face. The greenish purple ball of fire never connected though, as a rune etched into the creature’s forehead flashed briefly, causing the dragon’s attack to vanish. Silver Bulwark launched her own attack immediately after, her magic conjuring a rain of silver daggers that fell upon the beast. Only for another set of runes to light up and cause most of the daggers to vanish, and the rest to lose the majority of their momentum and bounce off the ultralisk’s thick hide.

“Do something, hurry!” Twilight shouted, veins bulging on her forehead as a thin dribble of blood trickled from her nose.

“Now’s the time to put your training to use, Spike!” Silver Bulwark shouted as she began to cast another spell, this one evidently much more complicated, requiring her to move and chant at the same time.

Spike nodded, gripped his spear, and blew flames over the tip, causing the end to light up with a bright blue flame that burned incredibly hot, yet didn't damage his spear. Without missing a beat, he wound up and hurtled the weapon directly at the beast’s face, his weapon flying straight and true. The first rune lit up again, and caused the flames to wither, but not die, only slowing his spear slightly.

Upon hitting his target, Spike found his weapon did little to hurt the enormous monster, but it did make it roar in pain, giving Twilight the breathing room she needed to shove the beast back a few feet. Collapsing to the ground, Twilight panted hard, her breathing ragged, and her head pounding from the toll her powers had placed upon her. She wanted to command her friends, to tell them to attack while the time was right, but she couldn't so much as muster a single word.

Thankfully for her, she didn't have to say anything, as Spike and Silver Bulwark leapt off the building. Silver’s magic wrapped around them both, causing their fall to slow just enough to leave them unharmed. Upon hitting the ground, Silver Bulwark ran straight at the monster, while Spike went around its side, scooping up a dropped sword as he did so. Twilight wanted to go to them, but with her head pounding and a bleeding, and panting Cadance close by, she was conflicted.

Looking back revealed that the alicorn had pulled most of the spines from her body, and though her wounds were terrible and she was rapidly losing blood, she was still standing. “Cadance, I-” Twilight began, only to be cut off.

“I’m fine, Twilight. A little blood loss won't kill me, I still have time. Your son and friend have even less than me,” Cadance replied.

Twilight took a glance down at the small ocean of scarlet liquid pooled about the mare’s legs, and nodded solemnly, trusting in the alicorn’s natural toughness. “Alright. But you are not allowed to die on me,” Twilight reprimanded before turning and leaping off the roof.

Cadance chuckled. “Don't worry, I’m not going anywhere.”

Leaping down from the building, Twilight was just in time to see Silver Bulwark get knocked through the wall of a nearby shop, the armored mare having gotten backhanded by one of the ultralisk’s great limbs. Twilight knew how tough her armor was though, and didn't spare the pony a second glance, focusing instead on Spike, who had somehow climbed atop the beast’s crest and was slashing and burning away at the rune placed upon it.

Without Silver Bulwark to distract it though, Spike was swiftly bucked off the creature’s head, and sent flying into the air. Sensing his panic, Twilight reached out with her magic, and grabbed the drake before he could get launched out of range, placing him down at the edge of the road. Now face to face with the great monster, Twilight realized just how well and truly massive the creature was. It easily towered over her, and weighed in at probably a thousand times her current mass, and that was only just her initial guess.

Without any enemies to distract it, the beast shook itself, before gazing down upon Twilight and letting out another roar of challenge. Twilight knew she had mere moments before it bore down on her, and so she chose to break out the one spell Celestia had told her to never use. Muttering an apology to her mentor, Twilight began the casting, the pony chanting while also waving her forehooves in an intricate series of motions. While this happened, she used her psionic powers to slow the beast down, stopping it from simply taking a few steps forward and crushing her underfoot.

She didn't try to stop it completely though, as that was simply out of the range of possibilities for her now that she had used so much of her power. Instantly the beast’s movements slowed as if it were slogging through neck-high water, giving Twilight time, and further enraging the enormous monster. Its bellow of rage made Twilight’s bones rattle and the ground under her shake, and Twilight made a note to complain to Celestia about just how long the spell took to cast.

Stupid old spells and their semantic and physical components, Twilight mentally cursed, her headache increasing tenfold by the second.

The ultralisk continued to slowly plod down the street, until its great limbs were in range, Twilight’s spell reaching its final stages just as the zerg’s blades were closing down around her. I won't have enough time, Twilight realized a second before the ultralisk found itself slowed even further, a silver aura surrounding its bladed limbs.

Out of the corner of her eye Twilight could see Silver Bulwark stride out of the rubble of someone’s house, her armor badly dented but not destroyed. The extra few seconds Silver Bulwark bought her were just enough for Twilight to complete the spell, her head pounding so hard it was difficult to see straight. She had done it though, and with one final thrust of her forehooves, Twilight cried out the primal name of the sun and called forth its power.

And the sun responded in kind, a great pillar of flame coming down from the heavens and slamming into the ultralisk’s back. For a moment it seemed like the runes were going to be enough to hold out, the pillar stopped in mid-air just above the top of the creature’s head. Then, with a great crack, the runes shattered like glass, and the concentrated beam of sunlight crashed down around the beast.

The ensuing howl of pain was completely erased by the far greater roar of energy currently filling the street. With the spell completed, Twilight stumbled to the ground, Silver Bulwark and Spike quick to rush in and grab her before she fell completely. Dragging her back a step, Twilight muttered an unheard thank you, the pony temporarily blinded by the sheer radiance of her spell’s effect.

All sound was consumed by the roar of the flames, all color erased by the raw intensity of the sun’s unbridled fury. The heat of which made Twilight wonder if she was on fire, her nerves temporarily shot from the exterion she had been placed under. The great pillar lasted only a few seconds longer before vanishing all at once, leading to a moment of silence before air rushed in to fill the void. Revealing the smoking body of the great beast lying inert on the ground, the rock beneath it having been heated to the point of it now resembling lava.

Twilight’s horn ached, her head pounded, and though she had strength left in her limbs, it was fleeting and growing more distant by the second. Sending out a ping, Twilight found that there were only a few scattered zerg left, most of whom were fleeing in all directions.

“-alright?” a voice asked, the ringing in Twilight’s ears dissipating just enough to allow her to hear what was going on.

“What?” she muttered, turning to where she assumed the voice had come from.

“Are you okay?” asked the distinct voice of Silver Bulwark, Twilight realizing in that moment that she had indeed been on fire, though Spike was taking care of that by patting her down.

“Fine, where’s Cadance?” Twilight croaked, her lips, face and throat burnt by the heat. “Not much energy left. Need to help her before she bleeds out.”

Silver Bulwark’s helmet was gone, allowing the unicorn to give Twilight an incredulous look. “Twilight, you were just barely on fire, we need to worry about you first.”

“No,” Twilight growled, pushing the unicorn back. “I can take it, Cadance does not have my regenerative abilities, she will die without my help.”

“Look! More of them!” Spike shouted, pointing to the sky.

Twilight spun around in horror, the unicorn looking up to where a four perfectly healthy mutalisks bore down on the roof of the hall in a V-formation. Twilight struggled to stand, limping weakly as she watched the unicorn foal Cadance had been guarding stand in front of her former guardian, her horn glowing brightly. Tiny mana bolts shot out of her horn, and whizzed past the creatures, the foal’s bleeding mother weakly crawling after her, desperate to protect her child.

“Get up there, now!” Twilight shouted, gesturing to the hall roof.

“I’m spent,” Silver Bulwark replied weakly. “I don't have any magic left.”

“We’d have to go through the building,” Spike added.

Twilight didn't hear either of them though, as her eyes were glued on the foal who through tear-strewn eyes continued to launch her tiny mana bolts at the fliers. The mutalisks ignored her attacks, the lead-most flier casually firing some manner of projectile at the foal in order to silence her forever. That attack never landed however, as Cadance dove in the way, protecting the child with what little of her life she had left.

Twilight felt her body hit the ground at the same time she saw Cadance’s do the same, a large glaive sticking out of the middle of the alicorn’s torso, severing her remaining wing and dropping her like a stone. All she could do was watch as the lead-most mutalisk swooped down and grabbed the alicorn with its four-pronged tail before attempting to fly off.

“Cadance!” Twilight shouted, the unicorn pouring everything she had left into her horn.

A thin beam of purple energy sliced the mutalisk in half, severing its tail, and making Cadance plummet to the ground. With one final grunt, Twilight reached out, and using the last of her psionic power, caught the alicorn before she hit the ground. The mutalisks were faster than her however, and by the time Twilight was about to lay her former foalsitter safely out of the way, the fliers were already coming back around.

Seeing the outstretched claws of the new lead mutalisk, Twilight could only scream in wordless rage, helpless as the zerg grabbed Cadance and flew off with her. Something rumbling nearby wasn't enough to distract Twilight as she tried to muster anything she had left. Her horn sparked uselessly, her head pounded with such ferocity that she could hardly think, and there wasn't even a weapon which she could throw at her enemies.

She was defeated, Cadance was gone, and nothing could change that, a fact reinforced by her life detection spell failing as there was no life left to detect.

And then Twilight was airborne. When she landed, the ground shook not from her impact, but because of something else, something very, very large.

Glancing over her shoulder, Twilight saw the ultralisk’s foot lift from the spot Twilight had stood a moment earlier, revealing a broken guard clad in gold armor. Spike was quick to snatch up the pony, but it was a wasted effort as the ultralisk had nothing left, and with one last wheeze it toppled to its side. Spike didn't make it far though, the drake tripping on a piece of rubble and falling before Twilight, Silver Bulwark’s broken body tumbling to the ground once more.

“Silver Bulwark, Bull!” Spike shouted as he gripped the mare’s shoulders. “Twilight you have to give me the thing. It's the only way!”

Twilight couldn't hear his cries however, as her attention was fixated on the broken body of the pony who had just saved her life. Her horn was cracked, as was her skull, her entire head slightly misshapen, yet still she breathed, and looked up at Twilight with hope in her sole remaining eye.

“You are alive. Thank goodness,” she croaked weakly. “Celestia woulda killed me.”

“Twilight, the thing, do it now!” Spike shouted.

Shaken from her stupor, Twilight lit her horn only for her spell to fail. “I can't, I don't have anything left,” Twilight replied.

“Take what you need from me,” Spike pleaded, tears cascading down his cheeks.

Twilight didn't know if that was possible, but she wasn't about to argue. Reaching out, Twilight tried to pull in what energy she could from the dragon, only to find that such a task was far easier than she would have thought. Strength flowed through her, rejuvenating her broken form and giving the unicorn just enough power to retrieve the parasite from her dimensional pocket.

Silver Bulwark, do you want me to save you? Twilight thought, connecting her mind to the dying mare’s.

I swore I’d lay down my life for you, but I have gotten rather fond of being alive, Silver Bulwark thought bitterly, a tiny smile growing on her face.

Without wasting a second longer, Twilight activated the parasite, and shoved the creature towards the mare. The unicorn wasn't sure what happened next, only that Silver Bulwark went limp, and Twilight poured every last bit of borrowed energy into the mare. As she did so, consciousness became more and more difficult to hold onto, until Twilight could no longer see, or sense what was happening before her, and yet still she pressed on.

Only when the last of her power was gone, and darkness loomed, did she finally let go, falling into the void just in time to hear someone gasp for breath.

Author's Notes:

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Recovery

Twilight’s return to reality was a jumbled one, with the pony’s senses mixing together and leaving her confused as to what was going on around her. This bizarre synesthesia dominated her senses and left her with the strange ability to hear the blood on her tongue and taste the sound of quiet conversation happening nearby. Spike and someone else's thoughts also came to her sporadically, and became so jumbled with her own that she struggled to pick them apart.

Until a voice cut through the fog. “Twilight, can you hear me?” asked the familiar tone.

With hope surging inside her, the infested mare cracked open her eyes. “Cadance?” she asked.

“I’m afraid not,” said the voice, whose owner was slowly reforming into what looked like Silver Bulwark, only wrong somehow.

The pony’s eye which had been missing had regrown, but was now vastly different from her normal teal orb which rested next to it. To start, her new eye glowed with an intense orange light much like Twilight’s did, only even brighter still. Her face was also slightly off, as all of her mane was gone and a thick carapace covered the majority of her skull. Her horn was also fixed, but not perfectly, the cracks still evident in the structure, though the horn itself was straight at least.

Orange light spilled from the cracks in her horn and her jaw seemed slightly thicker, her mouth sporting a row of new, sharper teeth. Blinking, Twilight cleared the gunk from her gaze and realized that her bodyguard had been changed more than first anticipated. The carapace she had noticed before had several thick spikes coming out of it, resembling the top of the ultralisk. Only in miniature, staying glued to the pony’s head and not forming a crest like the monstrous zerg had sported.

Her forelegs were also much thicker, and ended with three-toed feet much like the ultralisk had. Stranger still was the fact that Twilight could hear her thoughts plain as day, their connection as strong and deep as the one Twilight shared with Spike. Focusing on that for a moment, she found that the other pony was healed, though her changes were deep.

Her body was denser, her skin now much harder and her body more built for combat than before. Twilight also knew instinctively that her bodyguard could extend long, bladed appendages from her forelegs if she felt like it. A scan of her own body told Twilight that she had not changed very much, the infested mare staying relatively the same, though she did feel a little tougher for some reason.

“Twilight, are you alright?” Spike pleaded. “I knew I should have taken her to the hospital.”

Looking around, Twilight realized she was in her old motel room, with Spike standing to her left, and Silver Bulwark nervously shuffling to her right. “Where is Cadance?” Twilight demanded.

Silver Bulwark winced and rubbed the back of her bony head. “We don't know. She was taken by that creature we saw earlier and hasn't been seen since.”

Spike nodded. “They sent hunters after her, but they lost it somewhere over the burning sea.”

Twilight frowned and sunk into the bed, the pony only now realizing just how badly she needed to use the washroom. “Help me up, please.”

Silver Bulwark leaned forward and assisted the pony as she crawled off the bed, Twilight standing on shaky hooves. After a moment of hesitation that nearly saw her topple to the ground, Twilight gathered her bearings and made a hasty trot towards the ensuite bathroom. After relieving herself and drinking a few gulps of water straight from the tap, she stumbled back into the bedroom, leaning heavily on the door jam.

“Status of the town?” Twilight asked, her features stern and stoney.

Spike and Silver looked at one another nervously. “Maybe you should lie down first before we start worrying about that?” Silver Bulwark offered.

Twilight grunted. “No time. If there are any more zerg holding out they are going to need me to track them down.”

Spike gestured to the bed. “At least lay down while I grab you something to eat.”

Twilight was about to argue only for her stomach to rumble audibly, reminding her that it had been empty for far too long. “Fine, but while you prepare the food, Silver Bulwark will fill me in on what's been happening while I was out,” Twilight concluded.

The mare nodded, and Spike quickly walked to the other side of the room and readied a hot plate. “Well as you might be able to tell, I’m alive,” Silver Bulwark began with a smirk.

“Though not without changes I see,” Twilight remarked, the infested mare awkwardly stumbling into the bed and sitting neatly back into the groove she had just gotten out of.

“Yeah well, it's better than dying, I’ll tell ya that much,” Silver Bulwark remarked with a shudder. “Boy was it close though, saw the light and everything.”

“How was it?” Twilight asked curiously.

“Weird,” Silver Bulwark muttered. “But hey, now I can see in the dark, my already hard head is even harder and I can do this.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow as Silver Bulwark lifted a forehoof and extended a nearly two foot long blade from her foreleg. “That sure is interesting. It looks a lot like the ultralisk’s natural weapons, only more… elegant for lack of a better word,” Twilight exclaimed, the pony a little shocked by the sight, even though she knew it was possible beforehand.

“Yeah,” Silver Bulwark agreed. “It's also really long, yet I can't even feel it when its retracted, and I hardly even notice it at all unless I focus on it.”

Twilight nodded, watching as the blade retracted into an unseen flap of skin just above the mare’s three-toed hoof. “I’m assuming Spike filled you in on what it means to be one of us.”

Silver Bulwark nodded. “Sure did and all in all this ain't so bad. Sure I mean having some young filly in my head isn't exactly how I thought I’d be spending my retirement, but hay, could be worse.”

Twilight chuckled. “Yeah, it certainly could be.” She sighed. “I’m glad you are okay, Silver. I don't know what I would have done if I lost you both.”

“Hey now, she isn't gone for sure, right?” Silver Bulwark offered, the mare placing a hoof on Twilight’s leg.

“No,” Twilight muttered sadly. “My tracking spell was based on isolating her life force and pointing me to it. Yet it completely failed before shattering. Meaning she's well and truly gone.”

Silver Bulwark’s frown deepened and she pounded a hoof into the bed. “Goddamn those arrogant pricks. When I get my hooves on them, I’ll skewer the bastards.”

“Well, I don't think they are out of the shadows yet,” Twilight cautioned. “Meaning we need to keep playing the game.”

The older mare sighed. “Since when did you get so patient?”

Twilight snorted. “Celestia has taught me much about how they operate and even with… all that's happened. I know the princess has a plan, and we should trust her.”

“Well said,” added Spike, who placed a small tray over Twilight’s lap before placing a bowl of soup on top. “It isn't much, but with Silver’s appearance we couldn't go far without causing a panic.”

“Right. I’ll have to craft an illusion before we go out again.” Twilight grabbed the spoon only to pause. “How long was I out for, exactly?”

“About two days,” Silver Bulwark announced.

Twilight frowned and looked down into her meal before reluctantly gulping down the first mouthful of the stuff, finding that it was a good mix of hearty vegetables. The food felt good in the pony’s dry mouth, and the deep yearning she felt in her stomach was also slowly being filled. Two days without food or water had done a number on her, but Twilight knew she had the strength to bounce back quickly.

“The train back to Canterlot is going to be leaving later today,” Spike warned. “We are going to have to figure out Silver Bulwark’s disguise quickly if we are going to have any hope of getting back to Canterlot before the new year.”

Twilight nodded and shoveled several more loads of soup into her mouth, the pony quickly gulping down her meal before setting the bowl aside. “Well at least we won't miss Hearth's Warming then, I guess,” Twilight remarked.

“Oh yeah, it's gonna be close though,” Silver Bulwark warned.

“No matter,” Twilight declared before pushing her way out of bed and standing tall. “Is everything packed and ready?”

Spike nodded. “When you are.”

“Please stand still for a moment, Bull. This may feel a little strange,” Twilight continued, turning to her guard, who remained motionless. “Now how are we going to do this?”

“You could give me back the flowing blonde mane of my youth.” Silver Bulwark fluttered her eyelashes at the other pony.

Who chuckled, only to stop and think about it. “Wait, did you even have a blonde mane at any point in your life?” Twilight asked.

Silver Bulwark smirked. “What do you think?”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “I’m going to wrap your head in bandages and then use an illusion spell on your eye, spikes and feet. Don't let anyone see your blades, or the top of your head, for obvious reasons.”

With that being said the pony lit her horn, and quickly worked out the necessary formula to her improvised spell before casting it. Upon completion Silver Bulwark’s eyes were now an identical soft teal, and a visual inspection revealed that they, and the rest of the pony’s illusions were near perfect. Next she worked her own illusions before grabbing a small pile of bandages that Spike had at the ready and wrapping them around the guard’s head.

After that, she pulled her way out of bed and stood on steady hooves, her strength more or less returned to her at this point. “Alright, let’s go.”

Twilight’s frown deepened as she looked out over the devastation.

Homes had been reduced to rubble by fire or zerg attacks, and though the bodies had been cleaned up, a few blood splatters could still be seen here and there. What few ponies that walked the street seemed either haunted or carried a deep-seated rage in the pit of their bellies. A feeling that Twilight shared with them, though she kept her emotions buried deep inside of her at the moment.

Something that was oddly easy for the infested mare to do, as she found even the intense feeling of grief and loss to be strangely distant. Her analytical mind filled it away to deal with at a more opportune moment with all the ease of an emotionless automaton. That alone would normally make Twilight worry, but she was too relieved to really give that notion much consideration at the moment.

If the circumstances needed her to be cold, calculating, and detached, then so be it, Twilight thought to herself. After all, the world was no place for the weak, and she was many things, but never, ever weak.

The pony was pulled from her thoughts when she realized that a small cadre of militia ponies were staring at her and her group with a mix of awe and fear. Twilight recognized one of them from when she had brought down the first ultralisk, but the rest were fresh faces unmarred by conflict. Twilight didn't give them much mind though, as she had more important things to consider than the rumours that may be circulating about her.

Striding down the street, Twilight and her group turned down the main road only to stop when the true scale of the damage was visible. From this new vantage point they could see the majority of the town, as well as the train station which sat far below them. Everywhere they looked, ponies sprinted this way and that, some carrying supplies while others transported the wounded down to the base of the town.

Many, many buildings were destroyed, and had groups of earth ponies picking through the rubble, either in search of belongings or missing loved ones. Tents had been raised in nearly every empty space and Twilight noticed a particularly large group of them coming up on her right. As she neared it, the pony realized that it was likely an impromptu hospital, as ponies in white gowns moved this way and that, accompanied by many injured or dying ponies.

Twilight couldn't help but stop and stare at just how many ponies filled said tents, her gaze lingering on stretchers of wounded which were laid on the cold ground outside. For a moment Twilight felt the compulsion to help, to do something, but she knew there was little she could offer them. Her own healing magic was weak, and even if she had more parasites, she wasn't about to use them on some random pony.

“Over three hundred ponies have perished already, and thousands were injured,” Spike remarked sadly, the dragon stopping next to Twilight as they stared at the tent hospital.

The infested unicorn nodded slowly, before tearing her attention away from the tents. “We should go,” Twilight murmured.

“Hold on, someone’s coming,” Silver Bulwark interrupted, before pointing towards a stallion who was running at them, his eyes wide.

Twilight paused. “Hammer Smith?” she asked.

The stallion stumbled to a stop before the unicorn, his breathing harsh and ragged. “You remembered me. That's a surprise,” he exclaimed while panting.

Twilight pushed down the urge to blush and looked the male over, noting that although he sported over a dozen large, nasty bruises, he seemed relatively unharmed. “What do you need?” she demanded.

“Spike said you were leaving today, so I was hoping I could catch you. Someone wants to talk to you,” Hammer Smith announced with a small smile. “You are a hero by the way.”

Twilight snorted irritably. “Some hero I turned out to be.”

The male winced. “I’m sorry about Cadance. If it makes you feel any better, the commander promised to keep looking for her.”

“That's… nice of them,” Twilight admitted, before sighing. “Who wants to speak to me, exactly? I have a train to catch.”

“Through here,” he declared before turning and disappearing into one of the tents.

Twilight exchanged a glance with her companions before stepping forward, an unspoken command passing between them. Now alone, Twilight walked through the tent, noting that although the entire set up was very improvised, everything was clean and orderly at least. Rows of beds with cloth dividers lined both sides of the tent and at the far end she noticed Hammer Smith standing in the aisle, waiting for her.

Walking a little faster, Twilight began to ponder just who she was being led to, only to feel a familiar presence.

With a grin on her face Twilight turned the corner and shook her head. “Well, I’ll be damned. I was certain you had kicked the bucket,” remarked the infested mare.

The bandage-covered earth pony snickered. “Didn't you hear? I’m invincible,” she declared while raising a cast-clad limb.

Twilight smiled, her gaze lingering over the broken form of Steel Heart, the earth pony mare covered from nearly head to hoof in gauze, regular bandages and multiple casts. Beside her was an IV drip which had a clipboard hanging from it, though Twilight couldn't tell what it said from where she was standing.

“Though not as invincible as you,” added the stallion pointedly.

“I’ll say,” remarked Steel Heart. “You took quite the hit back there. I’m amazed you are not in a bed with a buncha doctors fussin’ over you every twenty minutes.”

Twilight shrugged. “I am pretty awesome. What can I say.”

The stallion chuckled. “It's good to see you are okay, Twilight. I know you probably won't be coming back this way anytime soon, but I just wanted to say that what you did the other day won't be forgotten anytime soon.”

“Hell no it ain't,” Steel Heart declared. “They are already calling you the Herald of Celestia. What with that pillar of flame coming out of nowhere and making everyone think the princess had arrived. Really gave everyone a kick in the pants and made ‘em fight harder thinkin’ she was here.”

Twilight blinked. “I think you are overstating my importance a little bit.”

Hammer Smith snorted. “If anything we are understating it. Noone could have taken down that big ugly zerg, nevermind give us the moral boost that came after we thought Celestia had come to save us.”

“You saved yourselves,” Twilight corrected.

“Only ‘cause we had a little help,” Steel Heart exclaimed. “But we ain't here to argue. I just wanted to thank ya for what you did before ya waved goodbye to our little town.”

“I doubt those namby pamby nobles would pin a medal on ya, but we would if we could,” added the stallion with a smile.

“Now that's going too far,” Twilight pointed out, a blush building at the edges of her cheeks.

Steel Heart scoffed. “Nonsense, why I wouldn't be surprised if next time you came out this way we do pin one on ya!”

Hammer Smith laughed. “I think she's blushing!”

Twilight grumbled and shot the earth ponies each a glare. “Well, if you are just going to tease me then I may never come back,” Twilight warned without any intention on following up said threat.

“What? And miss out on all this exciting country living?” Steel Heart asked.

Twilight shook her head. “It was nice to see you, Steel Heart.”

“It was good seeing you too, Twilight,” Steel Heart replied solemnly.

“Make sure those unicorns don't muck up the capital too much now,” added Hammer Smith.

“I won't,” exclaimed the infested mare before she turned and left, a smile on her face.

Walking back outside, Twilight was met with a smiling Silver Bulwark. “Well, that was sure nice of her,” exclaimed the guard.

“It was. It makes me wish I could stay out here and help them more,” Twilight replied sadly.

“I mean, can't we?” Spike asked hesitantly.

Twilight shook her head. “As nice as it would be, we can't leave everyone else behind.”

“But it wouldn't be hard to get grandpa to move here, and I bet Velvet wouldn't be hard to convince either,” Spike continued.

Sighing, Twilight placed a hoof on the dragon’s shoulder. “We can't, Spike. Even if my parents both moved, how would I continue my studies? Or help Celestia?”

Spike hung his head and frowned. “I guess. It's just… This place may be dangerous, but it's simple here, you know? Things make sense.”

“Having an enemy you can actually hit does feel pretty good,” Silver Bulwark added.

“You may change your mind after the great houses finally stop beating around the bush,” Twilight warned.

Silver Bulwark nodded knowingly. “True, though I sympathize with Spike. At least out here the difference between friend and enemy is a little more obvious.”

Twilight retracted her hoof and began to walk towards the train station, her companions falling in on either side of the infested pony. “I know what you mean, Spike, but don't worry. I have a feeling we’ll find our way back here at some point or another.”

“I guess,” Spike admitted. “I will miss their noodles though. They were great.”

“Augh, same,” Silver groaned. “I don't even understand how it can be so good. They can hardly grow anything yet it’s always fresh and always really good.”

Twilight shook her head and smiled. “I’m glad you two found something to bond over. Maybe when we get back I can ask Celestia if the kitchen could start making more of those raw men noodle dishes.”

“It’s ramen, and you really think so?” Spike corrected.

Twilight grinned. “I’m sure it wouldn't be that hard. Now come on. It's going to be a long train ride and I don't want to be late.”

Spike and Silver Bulwark both nodded, the two creatures following close behind Twilight as she trotted towards the station in the distance.

The train ride was indeed long, and rather boring, leaving Twilight with little to do but contemplate the most recent events. Guilt, anger, and bitterness took root in Twilight’s chest and it was only her companions’ presence and optimism that kept her from falling into a dark place. Cadance may be gone, Twilight thought to herself, but the infested mare could not rest, could not waste time wallowing in petty anger and grief.

After all, her sister’s killers were still at large, and Twilight was absolutely determined to see them dead at her hooves. Only then would she allow herself to break down and truly experience all the pain her death had wrought. To that end Twilight spent the majority of the time on the train contemplating how best to accomplish such a thing, though most of said plans were mere fantasizing and would help little.

Still, it made her feel at least a little better, that was until they got off the train and emerged into a brightly lit Canterlot street. Snow fell from what few puffy white clouds that loitered above the city, making Twilight remember that despite her brief vacation it was still winter. That wasn't what made her mood fall though, rather it was the papers she could see ponies walking around with that made her scowl in disgust.

Spike shook his head, and Silver frowned deeply, the guard hefting her backpack full of broken armor a little higher on her back in order to hide the disgusted face she made. Twilight was a little less tactful than that, and she growled audibly as she stomped in the direction of the castle. While she did this, she did her best to not look at the papers most unicorns read, but her gaze was inevitably drawn to their horrific headlines.

Princess of Love joins terrorist organization and dies after resisting lawful arrest, one newspaper read, while most others simply regurgitated the same headline with only minor changes. A cursory look into the mind of one reader confirmed Twilight’s assumption that the entire story was utter madness and made little real sense.

Stomping her way through the city, Twilight hoped her mentor had a plan to combat all this rampant disinformation. For if she didn't, Twilight wasn't sure if she would be able to stop herself from breaking a few choice heads.

Namely, whomever had written the original flimsy hit piece.

“Twilight, thank goodness you are back,” exclaimed the worried tone of Princess Celestia, who swooped in from behind the infested pony and picked her up by the barrel.

Twilight blinked, the pony shocked to suddenly find herself locked in a warm embrace just as she had neared the alicorn’s door. “Hello to you too, Princess.”

Celestia gave her student one last squeeze before depositing her back onto her own four hooves. “You have no idea how hard it was to not run off the second I heard what happened,” she proclaimed.

Twilight blinked, and looked up at the distraught alicorn, only now realizing how distressed she appeared to be. A casual observer would think nothing of Celestia’s appearance, as they would see only the same stalwart expression and cool exterior they always did, but Twilight was more adept than most. She had enough experience to see the small wrinkles visible on the mare’s brow, and the way her makeup was layered a little thicker than normal, hiding the dark rings that would have been visible under her eyes.

“I’m perfectly okay, as is Spike, and Silver Bulwark,” Twilight replied with a smile as she gestured to the pair.

Celestia’s frown deepened when her gaze fell over the bandaged and unarmored form of Twilight’s guard. “I wouldn't say that. It seems as though your personal guard is a little worse for wear.”

Silver Bulwark shrugged. “Eh, I’ve had worse.”

Twilight rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to point out just how close the other pony had come to dying only a few days earlier. “It's a long story, and one I will tell as soon as we are in private.”

“I’m fine too though, thanks for asking,” Spike muttered.

“Of course I didn't forget about you,” Celestia replied, the alicorn scooping Spike up and giving the dragon a tight hug. “I didn't worry about you because I knew you were the responsible one.”

Spike smiled, and stuck out his tongue at his mother. “Hear that, Twilight? I’m the responsible one.”

The infested unicorn snorted. “The only thing you are responsible for is eating up half our budget at that noodle shop.”

“Well, sorry for enjoying the local cuisine and supporting an independent small business owner,” Spike replied, before sticking out his tongue.

Shaking her head, Twilight motioned towards the door near the end of the hall. “How about we continue this conversation somewhere more comfortable?”

“Of course,” Celestia replied. “And then I want to hear your personal account of all that occurred while you were on vacation.”

Twilight nodded. “I won’t leave out a thing, Your Majesty.”

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An Overdue Conversation

Celestia reclined in her chair, the alicorn tapping her chin while she stared off into the distance, her gaze unfocused as she contemplated what she had just been told. “Then it is as my sources feared. They are growing bolder than ever, and have managed to get ahold of scientists knowledgeable of zerg biology,” Celestia remarked.

“I’m afraid so,” replied Twilight. “Though I’m worried about that mass teleportation spell they used. Such an affect is rare, and difficult to create without gathering dozens of powerful unicorns together in one place.”

“And then there was that queen they had,” added Spike.

“Indeed,” muttered Celestia. “Between the attack and all of the events surrounding it I am beginning to worry that they are preparing for something big like Blue Blood warned us.”

“Likely some manner of invasion, considering that they have not deployed their own forces up to this point,” Silver Bulwark warned.

“True. If they are testing both the strength of the zerg and the frontier towns, it makes me think they are going to strike there first,” Twilight exclaimed.

Celestia sighed. “I would refrain from making too many assumptions in that regard for there is information you do not know, which will no doubt change your thoughts on this matter.”

“And I am going to learn this information soon I hope,” Twilight replied with a hint of irritation.

Celestia nodded. “In mere minutes. I just wished to discuss a few things with Spike and Silver Bulwark before we begin that particular conversation.

“Oh? Like what?” Spike offered, leaning forward in his seat.

“I am about to tell Twilight a great number of very dangerous secrets. Secrets that mustn’t be repeated anywhere,” Celestia stated, the alicorn’s gaze falling on Spike and Silver Bulwark in turn.

“Are you calling me a blabber mouth?” Silver Bulwark accused with a smirk.

Celestia chuckled. “You two may believe you are good at keeping classified information to yourself, but you've never known secrets like these. You can't even so much as hint that you know what Twilight will soon know. Do you understand?”

Spike nodded. “I think we got it.”

Celestia frowned. “I will leave it up to Twilight’s discretion on whether you are let in on any of this confidential information.”

“Understood,” exclaimed Silver Bulwark.

“So was that it?” Twilight pressed, the mare’s anticipation getting the better of her.

“More or less,” Celestia admitted. “Though I had hoped we would have more time to talk, so that I may inquire about your most recent changes, Silver Bulwark.”

The guard nodded and ran a hoof down the back of her armored head. “Not much to say honestly. It's better than dying, and as far as I’m concerned I’m better for it.” She smirked. “Feels like I’m ten years younger too.”

Celestia smiled. “I’m glad. I trust you will keep these new abilities of yours reserved only for extreme cases, correct?’

“Of course,” Twilight replied instantly.

“If we had the time I would start researching this regenerative ability of yours, but that is merely another plan that must be put aside for now,” Celestia remarked, the alicorn sighing and leaning back in her chair.

“So is that everything?” Spike asked, the drake sitting on the edge of his seat, eagerness evident in his voice. “‘Cause I got some cold pizza and half read comics with my name on them.”

Celestia slowly stood, her joints creaking as she rose to a stand. “That is indeed everything,” remarked the mare, who winced after a particularly loud pop came from her right foreleg. “I really gotta make time for those yoga classes again.”

Twilight smirked. “Maybe you could get the council to meet in the yoga room.”

The alicorn smiled. “Then they could give me their reports while I practice my downward dog.”

“No way. You should get them to join you. Maybe then they wouldn't be so stuck up and inflexible,” added Silver Bulwark.

“True,” Celestia admitted, the alicorn thinking about the suggestion for all of a second before shaking her head. “We will be back soon, until then make yourself at home as usual.”

“Sounds good,” exclaimed Spike before he slipped out of the room, followed by a slightly more hesitant Silver Bulwark.

“Are you sure you don't need some backup there, boss?” asked the guard.

Twilight looked to Celestia, who shook her head. “After our conversation we’ll be going to one of the most secure locations in Equestria. I think we’ll be okay without you,” Celestia stated.

The infested guard nodded, before giving Twilight one last look and slipping out of the room.

Leaving the younger pony to look up at her mentor expectantly. “We’re not leaving Canterlot, are we?” inquired the unicorn.

Celestia shook her head. “It's not far, a short teleportation spell will bring us right there.” The alicorn lit her horn and shut the door before enacting even more privacy measures on the already well-warded room. “Now then, first things first. Please save any questions until the end. At which point if you do not believe you are capable of keeping these secrets I will use a gease to remedy that.”

“Isn't that a bit much?” Twilight asked. “I mean a gease is dark magic, after all.”

Celestia snorted. “Dark magic is merely magic that wants to be cast, remember?”

Twilight nodded grimly. “Its ease of casting, combined with its power has made it vilified by the unicorn nobility, and other groups who wished to keep such high level spells available only to them.”

Celestia smiled mirthlessly. “Exactly. It may be seductive, but it is only psychologically addictive, as the actual spells do not corrupt you like they would want you to believe they do.” She waved a hoof dismissively. “But I understand your hesitation and promise to only use such magic if absolutely necessary.”

“So, where do we start?” Twilight inquired.

“We start with something you may have already guessed. Namely that the nobility have managed to snatch up key researchers, as well as your former therapist,” Celestia began, the pony placing a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “I wish to apologize for this oversight. I do not understand how they have managed to get past the physical and mental contingencies put in place to stop such a thing.”

“Why would you apologize to me?” Twilight asked nervously, gently removing Celestia’s hoof from her shoulder.

“Because they will use that information against you in the future,” Celestia declared before taking a step back. “Every little thing you may have given either of them is now likely to be in the hooves of our enemies.”

“So expect that all to come back and bite me,” Twilight concluded with a nod. “I accept your apology.”

“Thank you, dear.” Celestia sighed. “Now then, why don't we-” The alicorn stopped, her brow furrowing as her attention shifted suddenly.

“What's wrong?” Twilight asked quickly, the mare looking around the room, as if expecting an attack at any moment.

“Well, let’s just say I’m going to have to give you a demonstration of something I had hoped to explain first.” Celestia lit her horn. “Hold still.”

Twilight did as she was told, the infested mare remaining completely motionless as Celestia’s horn began to glow brightly. Magic swirled around the mare's head, forming an intricate teleportation spell the likes of which Twilight had never seen before. It was powerful enough to send someone to the moon if need be, yet it was aimed somewhere close by.

The spell was completed a second later and Twilight was subsequently almost blinded by the ensuing flash. The usual snap, crack of a teleportation spell came from the other pony’s horn, though the moment of weightlessness between departure and arrival was longer than normal. It was enough to make Twilight begin to wonder if something had gone wrong, only for cold ground to suddenly appear under her.

Her head spun, and her body felt strangely light, magic clinging to her horn for some reason.

“Stay still, don't cast any magic, and don't utter a sound,” Celestia warned.

Twilight did exactly that, the sternness in her teacher’s voice telling her that she was serious. She dared not even move her eyes, merely staring forward into the gloomy stone grey room until something strange washed over her. White and blue light covered her form, making her skin crawl as the scanning spell picked her apart, atom by atom.

When finally the light dulled, and several torches sprung to life, Twilight breathed a sigh of relief, the spell leaving her feeling oddly naked for some reason. A shiver ran down her spine, and she looked up at Celestia expectantly, finding that the alicorn had her horn still lit and her eyes closed. With little else to do, Twilight looked around and realized she was in a moderately sized room that was oddly devoid of decoration.

There was only the dull, lifeless glyphs on the ground, plain stone all around them, a few torches on the walls and a large doorway before them which opened up into a lengthy hallway.

“There,” Celestia announced suddenly before turning to her student. “Sorry about that, Twilight. I programmed the defences to make an exception for you, but I had to make sure they were still working as intended before we could continue.”

Twilight nodded. “Understandable. So, what is this place anyway?”

“It’s somewhere deep beneath Canterlot, carved out in order to house something of great importance,” Celestia began with a faint smile. “But first, I must ask you if you believe in Harmony.”

“I assume you are not simply talking about the concept itself, right?” Twilight replied.

Celestia nodded. “I am not.”

Twilight pursed her lips. “There are plenty of magical beings with power the likes of which I cannot even fathom, so in that context it's certainly possible.”

“You are pragmatic as always, my student,” Celestia exclaimed with a chuckle. “I should have expected such an answer from you.”

Twilight cocked her head. “Why do you say it like that? You are not seriously suggesting that there is some sort of force that works through all of pony kind, manipulating us to some unknowable end. Right?”

“It is not unknowable, and it is not just ponykind that it moves through,” Celestia countered, the alicorn trotting forward, walking through the door and down the hall, her student close behind her. “Harmony exists in all living things, giving ponies magic, the hydra its regeneration, and much much more.”

“Okay, so why bring this up, exactly?” Twilight pressed.

“Because now that you know that Harmony itself is real, you must have many questions, like how does it work, or what does it want?” Celestia began, the sound of her trotting hooves being muffled by the long ornate carpet she walked upon. “I will not be able to answer many of those questions however as Harmony is as mysterious as it is powerful.”

“How powerful, exactly?” Twilight questioned, the pony only giving a brief glance to her surroundings before focusing on Celestia once more.

“It alters the very course of history, changing each and every one of us, steering us towards some future only it knows,” Celestia continued. “What I do understand is that it is truly benevolent, and that in times of chaos, it grows weak.”

“Times like the one we find ourself at this very moment,” Twilight remarked.

“Exactly,” Celestia declared, stopping before a large iron door that lacked a handle or any obvious method of opening. “Its plan for this world, for us, has been changed, altered by something dark that happened in the past and which has brought about untold suffering. Namely, the arrival of the zerg.”

“So if they had not arrived we would... What? Live in some perfect, peaceful utopia?” Twilight deadpanned.

“Most likely, yes,” Celestia replied with a soft smile, before lighting her horn again.

Twilight frowned, and was about to ask another question before she noticed the floor begin to bulge, and slowly take on the shape of an earth pony. “A stone golem? Interesting,” Twilight remarked idly

Celestia nodded before turning to the golem and speaking directly to the construct. “Concordia praevalet.”

Twilight lifted an eyebrow, and watched as the golem sunk back into the floor. “Is that the password?”

“It is, and should you ever require access to this place it will be the one you use,” Celestia announced. “I will also teach you the unique teleportation spell that brought us here later tonight. For now I will just say that my plans were all but ironclad, but with the addition of more variables things have changed, and the dark force which looms over this world has also changed.”

“What dark force are you talking about exactly?” Twilight questioned.

“I will tell you that in a moment. For now, I must welcome you to the Sanctum of Harmony,” Celestia announced as the large iron door opened on its own, revealing an enormous room.

Twilight blinked, temporarily taken aback by what she beheld.

The area was large, probably as big as the training arena that her and Celestia had spent so much time in. The walls remained a dull grey like the last room, but the carpet vanished, as did the torches, though the room itself remained brightly lit.

For in the center of the room was an enormous structure of bronze gears and glowing strands of light. The gears varied in size and shape, though one feature they always maintained was the way they effortlessly fit together, turning soundlessly. The entire thing moved and shifted in a manner reminiscent of an organ of some kind, reminding Twilight of a massive heart.

The light itself was also not all one color, though it was mostly dominated by the teal hues Twilight noticed earlier, there were also black, red, and purple lines intermingled here or there. More concerning than its bizarre appearance was the raw pressure it exuded in such amounts that Twilight could feel her horn begin to ache. Wincing, Twilight rubbed the base of the appendage, trying to make the uncomfortable sensation go away.

“Here, allow me,” Celestia whispered.

Twilight grimaced and nodded her head, allowing her teacher to touch their horns together and dispel the pressure that had previously assailed Twilight. “That is much better,” muttered the younger pony. “What was that exactly?”

“This room exudes so much magical energy that it could even refill your spell-casting reserves if you were suffering from something like magical exhaustion,” Celestia began as she trotted towards the enormous entity at the centre of the room. “Which you weren’t, so I went ahead and sapped some of your magic, relieving the pressure.”

Twilight snorted. “I never thought I would thank someone for doing that to me.”

Celestia smirked. “It is the only reason I’ve remained standing after so many long nights, and brutal days. Come now, I have something to show you.”

Pursing her lips, Twilight followed close behind her teacher even as they neared the great mass of gears and light. “Are you sure we should get so close to it?” Twilight nervously asked.

“It couldn't harm you even if it wanted to. Though that doesn't mean you shouldn't be careful, as it is quite delicate, despite its appearance,” Celestia cautioned.

Twilight silently doubted such an assertion, given that some of the gears looked heavier than her childhood home. “So what is it you wanted to show me?” Twilight questioned.

“The future,” Celestia replied cryptically before kneeling. “Hop on my back and I’ll explain everything.”

“Are you sure about that?” Twilight muttered, eyeing the relatively thin alicorn closely. “I don't want to squish you.”

Celestia rolled her eyes. “Twilight, I’m part earth pony. I’m sturdier than I look.”

Twilight’s frown deepened and she sighed. “Fine, but don't complain when your legs start giving out from under you.”

“Oh it will be f-ine!” Celestia cried as her student slipped onto her back and nearly knocked her off her hooves.

“Are you sure you are okay?” Twilight pressed, even as Celestia slowly rose to a stand once more, the younger mare now sitting atop Celestia’s back.

“Yeah I just probably should have done some stretching before this,” Celestia muttered under her breath before leaping into the air and flapping her wings.

It took a few seconds, but eventually Celestia managed to get Twilight right where she wanted to. “Wow, you are really warm,” Twilight muttered, the mare awkwardly holding onto Celestia’s neck with her forehooves. “And boney.”

Celestia sighed. “Can we pretend like this part didn't happen? I had a whole dramatic entrance planned.”

Twilight chuckled. “Sure.”

Clearing her throat, Celestia raised her head high in the air. “What you see before you are all the lives of those who live within the borders of Equestria. The ones furthest out are the least important to Harmony’s plan while those at the centre are the most important. The black ones are those who Harmony can no longer reach, and have fallen out of its ability to influence while the teal ones remain pure.”

“Then what about the purple and green ones?” Twilight pointed out.

Celestia sighed. “Their state of mind has been altered in such a way that their connection to Harmony has changed. This is only recent, and I assume it has something to do with the zerg.”

Twilight gazed over the few lines she could see which weren’t either teal or black, and found them to be few and far between. The majority remained bright teal, but several knots of black lines were visible near the exterior of the mass of gears and light. Around those particularly dense spots, the gears didn't move quite as quick, or as elegantly for that matter. A thought suddenly occurred to Twilight and she tore her gaze from the last knot she had found and gazed as deep as she could into the machine.

“Who's at the centre?” asked the young mare.

“I’m glad you asked,” Celestia replied before pumping her wings and flying directly into a hole which neatly opened for them. “Let's find out.”

For a second Twilight gripped her teacher’s body tightly, her fear getting the better of her until it was discovered that absolutely nothing bad was about to happen. Then her hooves loosened, and she relaxed, taking a deep steadying breath. With panic no longer coursing through her, the unicorn found her gaze drawn to the center, which seemed to be their destination.

Here the many lines seemed to converge at certain important points before flowing off into another part of the machine. Twilight’s gaze lingered over one such convergence point and found that she could see someone inside the thicker point of light. It was a teacher she had in her youth, one that had done a wonderful job instilling a deep love of learning in all of her students. Her name was Quick Quill and her light was as one of the brightest and most vibrant of the ones Twilight had seen.

Then it was gone, lost amidst the ever churning mass of gears and light, and a second later they came to a stop. Looking down, Twilight found that Celestia had conjured a floor for them to stand on, and began to lean down, allowing Twilight to step onto the glowing bit of golden light. After testing her new footing, Twilight looked around, and quickly discovered they were in a small alcove of some kind.

Beneath them shone a bright teal light which drowned out most others, though there were a grouping of lights near them which nearly did so. Though of that grouping only a select few seemed to have many connections of their own, and one had only two lines which touched it. They were also varied in color, one being a purplish teal, while two were black, and the others were a mix of teal or green.

“What is all this?” Twilight asked, looking up to her mentor.

Who smiled. “These are the Elements of Harmony. The group of ponies whom are destined to wield six ancient artifacts of unimaginable power.” Celestia pointed to the bright teal and purple speck Twilight had noticed earlier. “This is you, and the other five are friends who you will soon meet.”

“That seems a bit presumptuous. Don't you think?” Twilight muttered as she stared at her point of light, only to find that she was looking down over her own shoulder.

Celestia chuckled as Twilight hastily turned around and found no one looking down at her. “Harmony has a destiny for us all, and after I discovered yours, I made sure to move things in such a manner so that Harmony’s plan would be fulfilled.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow and studied her mentor closely. “So you’ve been manipulating my life without telling me?”

Celestia grimaced. “I wouldn't say manipulating persay, as Harmony’s destinies are not painful things. In fact when it is able to do what it wants without meddling, the ponies live their best life. They accomplish all they ever desired without suffering more than minor inconveniences.”

Twilight frowned and tapped her hoof, looking down at her point of light again. “I’m just going to assume you are right, and that this force is in fact completely and utterly benevolent. With that being said, what exactly is this destiny of mine? Or does telling me it change things in some way?”

Celestia sighed, her shoulders slumping. “Things have already changed immensely, and at this point I am going to need you in on my little schemes if we are going to avoid catastrophe. For you see, Twilight, you were meant to wield the Element of Magic and become the leader of the Elements of Harmony. Together with your friends you were intended to become Harmony’s agents and use your power to cleanse corruption from several enemies from Equestria’s past.”

Twilight’s features tightened and she bit down nervously on her lip. “How do you know all this?”

“That I’m afraid is one secret I can't divulge. At least not yet,” Celestia replied.

The unicorn started to groan, only to chuckle. “You know what, maybe that's for the best,” she exclaimed. “At this point I’m already going to lose sleep, and if you reveal some manner of divining the future, I may never see my pillow again.”

Celestia smiled. “That's more likely than you may think.”

“Alright, so we were supposed to be the Elements of Harmony and save the world a bunch of times,” Twilight began. “But from what exactly? My list of potential threats to Equestria is long, but most of them are relatively new.”

Celestia frowned. “Discord, the God of Chaos will return shortly after you and your future friends become the Elements of Harmony. He will be awakened by the dwindling chaotic energy in the world, something I don't think we have to worry about anymore.”

Twilight snorted. “Well, at least that's one less thing to worry about.”

“I wouldn't rule him out completely. Chaos isn't exactly known for being consistent and obviously the arrival of the zerg has dramatically changed our future,” Celestia cautioned. “I wouldn't be entirely surprised if Discord is awakened by too much chaotic energy as well.”

“Alright, we’ll worry more about the exact details of these threats later. For now, who else are we dealing with?” Twilight pressed.

“I have told you of the changeling species, and how they nearly dominated the planet a long, long time ago, right?” Celestia asked.

Twilight nodded. “You have. You also said they went extinct, though I think there is an addendum needed on that statement.”

“There is indeed,” Celestia admitted. “The inter-hive wars that destroyed their empire also nearly killed them all and only a single queen known for her propensity towards scavenging the scraps of other hives survived the conflict. In time she too will become a threat that needs to be dealt with by you and your future friends.”

“Shapeshifters, possible infiltration, high likelihood of working with, or being absorbed by the zerg. Got it.” Twilight looked up at the alicorn. “What's next?”

“Next is King Sombra, a unicorn who thought himself the rightful ruler of the entire planet.” Celestia chuckled. “He would be right at home with the nobles, though I wouldn't count on them working together.”

“Really, why is that?” Twilight questioned.

“He is arrogant in the extreme, perceiving even other unicorns as inferior to himself. He is an island of one, and in his mind he is the only one with the intellect and drive necessary to run the world properly.” Celestia scowled. “He was a truly blackhearted stallion who was not above mind-controlling whole hordes of innocent ponies, using them like cannon fodder against his enemies. He was defeated by myself and another, but he was able to fling himself and the Crystal Empire into the time stream before we could deliver the final blow.”

“Another alicorn I presume?” Twilight questioned.

“I will tell you about her in a moment. First I must tell you of the last threat, a centaur by the name of Lord Tirek,” Celestia replied sadly, the mare shaking her head. “His tale is long, and saddening, but after his race perished, he blamed those beings who had magic and sought to take it from everyone. He too was defeated, and locked in Tartarus, though I fear he may eventually escape as well.”

Twilight’s frown deepened. “Maniacal, mad, and driven by grief. Unlikely to work with the nobles unless intending on stabbing them in the back. Also unlikely to work with the zerg, though they are likely to hunt the centaur down in order to obtain his essence.”

“If they acquired his unique ability to steal magic for themselves, they would be unstoppable,” Celestia remarked grimly.

“Our priority should be to recapture him, or destroy him utterly if necessary. The zerg cannot be allowed to gain such a power,” Twilight stated sternly.

“I unfortunately agree.” Celestia sighed and shook her head. “Regardless. I promised you an answer to your earlier question so here it is. The last, but also the first villain you must face is my sister, Nightmare Moon, though at one point her name was Luna.”

Twilight’s brow furrowed and she looked up at her mentor closely, studying her features. “What happened?”

“Something corrupted her, something not from this planet and I fear it may be connected to the zerg, though they only showed up much, much later,” Celestia began, her gaze becoming more and more distant the longer she spoke. “She controlled the moon, and for this reason there were some who distrusted her, associating the mystery and danger of her night with her personally. Jealousy, distrust, and envy allowed this entity into her mind, and turned her into a monster who tried to bring night eternal.”

“Which is why you cannot simply destroy her, but you need to deal with her one way or another,” Twilight concluded. “These Elements of Harmony will purify her, right?”

Celestia nodded. “It is within their power, that much is certain. For it was their power that imprisoned her on the moon in the first place.”

Twilight was unbothered by this information, and merely tapped her hoof, deep in thought. “This will not be easy.”

Celestia sighed. “I know I have no right to ask this of you, but please get my sister back. If you awaken the elements and meet with the other five ponies that were destined to become your friends, then I’m certain it's still possible.”

“And if I can't?” Twilight asked curiously.

“Then I have contingency plans in place to ensure she does not take the throne,” Celestia exclaimed grimly. “She cannot be allowed to roam free without being cleansed, and if that means she needs to be destroyed, then that is a possibility I am willing to consider.”

Twilight eyed her mentor closely, the unicorn knowing quite well that the alicorn did not have the guts to do such a thing. Though after thinking about it for a moment, Twilight wasn't quite sure about that assumption, as this was a unique situation, one that may affect the fate of the entire world. With a frown, Twilight looked down, her gaze lingering on each of the five lights that surrounded her own.

“So, what's the plan then?” she asked.

Celestia smiled. “I would ask that you go to Ponyville in one year’s time, and act as my emissary in order to organize the one thousandth Summer Sun Celebration. Once there, you will need to reconnect with the other five Element Bearers and bring them to the Castle of the Two Sisters at the heart of the Everfree Forest. There you will find the Elements, and after you awaken them, you will then use them to cleanse the nightmare from my sister.”

“And then go down in history as big damn heroes,” Twilight added with a slight smirk.

“Indeed, and if all goes well, I would ask that you stay in Ponyville for a little while after that so you may connect more with your new friends,” Celestia continued, pointing down to the lights. “The bonds you share will strengthen the Elements, and enable you to face the rest of Equestria’s foes when they crop up.”

“Assuming this all goes according to plan,” Twilight remarked.

“I know it's a long shot, but I intend to stack the deck in your favor and give you all the information you will need to complete this mission,” Celestia finished, before stepping closer to the young mare. “So, what do you say, Twilight? Will you save Equestria and potentially the world?”

The unicorn grumbled to herself before looking up once more. “I want to say yes, but I can't help but feel like my place is in Canterlot, by your side. Especially with these unicorn supremacists running around, nevermind the zerg.”

Celestia chuckled. “Your concern is endearing, but I can take care of myself, you know. Dealing with upstart nobility is something of a specialty of mine, and as soon as we have cleansed my sister, I will be able to divert a lot more resources to handling them.”

“Still, it doesn't feel right to send me away when there is so much danger here in Canterlot already,” Twilight stated, though her convicting was beginning to falter.

“Know that I do not send you away for your safety,” Celestia began with a sad smile. “If Luna is not cleansed, then this world will suffer greatly, and I fear my back-up plans will be insufficient to deal with her at full power.”

Twilight sighed and stared off into space, her attention slowly drawn to the five lights which surrounded her own. Upon looking closer, she found that more lights surrounded hers, though they weren’t as bright, including a teal and green one which contained a slumbering Spike who had a piece of cold pizza sticking out of his mouth. She could also see a similarly distorted light that contained a worried Silver Bulwark who paced near the entrance to Celestia’s private residence.

Looking deeper revealed a clear teal light which showed an image of her father who was asleep on his chair, a book draped over his face. She could also see her mother staring out a window, a half-finished draft sitting forgotten on the desk before her. Even Shining Armor was visible, though his light was even blacker than his mother’s. The stallion could be seen polishing a sword.

With one final sigh, Twilight stood up, straightened her back, and looked Celestia in the eye. “Fine. But after that is done I am coming back to Canterlot and you are not leaving my sight for like, a month.”

Celestia chuckled. “Sounds like a plan.”

Twilight smiled as her mentor pulled her into a tight hug. “So you ARE going to tell me everything about these mares right? And about these contingencies of yours?”

“And so much more,” Celestia concluded before relinquishing her hold on the other pony. “But first thing’s first. You must learn about the ponies whom you will soon be your closest allies, for if even a single one of you does not realize your potential, the entire plan will fall through.”

Twilight nodded and peered down at the lights. “I’m ready.”

Author's Notes:

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Ponyville

Twilight tapped her armrest as she stared out the window of the train, the rolling plains passing her by without ever truly registering in the unicorn’s mind. Her thoughts were in a different place and time, when Celestia had opened up to her and told Twilight about all that she had planned. The burden of potentially saving the world a half dozen times wasn't quite as bad after all those months of careful consideration and planning. Though that wasn't to say that weight was gone entirely, as the fate of the world wasn't exactly a simple thing to dismiss.

Still, with Silver Bulwark sleeping soundly next to her and Spike reading the paper across from her, Twilight had all the allies she needed. At least until she met her fated friends and connected to each of them, that was. That particular thought made Twilight’s stomach turn a little, the pony more than a little uncomfortable with the idea that her life had been altered so that she was destined to end up where she currently was.

She brushed such considerations from her mind though, she had bigger things to consider, and more pressing concerns than some possibly fictional force of nature. Such as the locations and personalities of the other Element Bearers as well as the plan she had come up with. Her cover was easy to remember, since it wasn't strictly speaking a cover as she was indeed the coordinator for the coming Summer Sun Celebration.

The first location and asset would probably be the most difficult considering who she was, who her family was, and the situation she was likely in. Twilight’s frown deepened, and she silently hoped that her connection to other zerg-infected ponies would give her the edge she needed as this was going to be tough without it. If that connection wasn't enough or if this family of farmers had figured out a way to block that connection, well, then things might get a little messy.

Twilight tried not to think about such a possibility though and instead ran through the steps of her plan once more. Only to suddenly sit up when she remembered that she had yet to practice the harmonic resonance detection spell Celestia taught her. Closing her eyes and lighting her horn, Twilight quickly went through the motions, casting the spell in mere seconds.

The strangely familiar tugging sensation popped into her mind, pulling her towards Ponyville and herself. With her worry now sated, Twilight settled back into her spot and breathed a long sigh of relief.

Spike peeked over his reading material and eyed Twilight curiously. “You are not still worrying about the other passengers, are you?”

Twilight’s elation vanished and she half turned towards the aforementioned other travelers sitting at the back of their car. “I wasn't, until now,” she muttered.

Twilight glared at the three unicorn ponies out of the corner of her eye, her psionic abilities confirming what a casual glance already had. Their cold, dead eyes hid a mind blanked by whatever changes they had been subjected to at the hooves of the great houses. They sat rigid and unmoving in their seats, large bags on their laps as they looked at one another as if having a hidden conversation or perhaps just staring off into space.

“I wouldn't worry about them,” Spike remarked before turning back to his paper. “Whatever training they've undergone no doubt pales in comparison with what we've been through.”

Twilight felt a small hint of satisfaction when she thought back to all that Celestia had done to ensure they were ready. From the grueling physical training, exhaustive lessons, and wisdom imbuing tales of events long since passed, the unicorn felt ready for just about anything. Even that feeling of readiness was stifled by her logical side however, which warned that such arrogance could easily get them all killed.

“I wouldn't write them off completely. They’ve evidently come prepared,” Twilight commented, the pony turning her gaze from the three unicorns and back out the window.

Spike shrugged his more muscled shoulders. “So what? They may have some of that old armor or one of those weird magic blades but we got all that and more. Plus we don't have to take an hour to put it all on.”

Twilight nodded slowly, the pony rubbing a hoof over the sleek black outfit she had worn for almost a year at this point. “Overconfidence is still to be avoided. Remember what Celestia told us. Always assume your enemy can, and will, kill you.”

Spike sighed. “I know, but still. We can be at least a little proud of our accomplishments, right? I mean I can actually wield a weapon now, you learned a bunch more spells and we got Silver Bulwark with us.”

The hooded and armored guard snorted in her sleep and rolled over, facing away from the duo.

Twilight chuckled. “I suppose we do have an edge or two, but we should still assume they have one as well. They aren't trying to hide, which means they aren't here for us, or they are, and they don't care that we know of their presence.”

“Which means they are confident as well,” Spike finished.

Twilight nodded. “Exactly.”

The dragon folded up his newspaper and set it aside. “So, where were we going first again?”

“Sweet Apple Acres. We need to find Applejack, make sure the food is acceptable, and guage who her and her family may or may not be allied with,” Twilight stated.

“I don't suppose you could put me on taste-testing duty, could ya?” Spike asked while leaning forward, an expectant grin on his face.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “If I say yes, would you pay attention next time I go over the plan?”

Spike shrugged. “Maybe. Depends on how good the food is.”

“Fine, but try to relax while you can. We’re still a half hour away and something tells me we aren't going to get much rest during this little mission of ours,” Twilight pointed out.

Spike yawned and leaned back in his seat. “Good thinking. Hey, I don't suppose you could give us all whatever gene that enables Silver Bulwark to fall asleep at the drop of a hat.”

Twilight chuckled. “I don't think that's a gene.”

“It’s practice!” Silver Bulwark exclaimed suddenly.

“How do you do that? I didn't even notice you were awake,” Spike muttered in shock, the dragon shaking his head and removing the hand which had been over his heart.

The guard smirked from beneath her hood. “Practice, young one. That's all it is.”

“So, what did you two think of the town so far?” Twilight asked as she plod slowly down the dirt road.

“It was interesting…” Spike began, the dragon’s gaze lingering on the many apple trees which loomed over them. “There doesn't seem to be much of the great houses’ influence around here. Plus they seem pretty independent for being so close to the Everfree and Canterlot.”

“I admire their spirit,” Silver Bulwark exclaimed, the heavily armored guard tugging her hood into place, and keeping her face firmly in shadow. “They are resilient, adaptable, and friendly even in this day and age.”

“It does seem rather homey, doesn't it?” Twilight remarked idly, the infested unicorn looking up at the clear blue sky. “I can certainly understand as to why Harmony wanted us to stay here. The honesty of these town folk is invigorating, especially when compared to Canterlot.”

Spike spat an angry loogie into the ditch. “It doesn't even compare.”

Twilight’s brow furrowed, and she felt something tickle at the back of her mind. “Do you guys feel that?”

Silver Bulwark nodded, a hoof went to the blade at her side at the same that Spike’s claw gripped the mace around his waist. “Yeah, like we’re being watched or something,” Spike muttered.

The three infested looked around, only to find themselves alone on the dirt road, not a creature in sight and not a sound to be heard other than the gentle wind which washed over them. Focusing on her psionic abilities, Twilight reached out with her mind and immediately felt another zerg presence, one that she had already picked up a few times as they were walking through town.

“That follower is back, but she's staying hidden as usual,” Twilight began. “There is someone else here as well. They are powerful, but… different and muted somehow.”

“Is it the great houses? Did one of those high templar dudes finally decide to show themselves?” Spike asked, the grip on his weapon tightening.

“No, this is different. That other presence was shielding itself, this one is muddled somewhat,” Twilight muttered, only to turn suddenly and glare at a seemingly random spot in the trees. “We have a guest.”

“Where? I don't see anyone,” Spike asked, looking around desperately for whatever Twilight had seen.

“You can come out now,” declared Silver Bulwark, who had removed her hoof from her blade.

The air shimmered, and a pink gadget-clad pony appeared on the side of the road, a baffled expression on her face. “How did you see me? I thought I finally got my cloaking field perfected,” she exclaimed in shock.

Twilight lifted an eyebrow and quickly inspected the strange mare, noting that although she seemed normal at first glance, having neither the taint of infestation, nor the blankness of the houses’ influence, she was still very strange. Her outfit was the obvious first thing to grab Twilight’s attention as the pink pony wore a bulky suit absolutely covered in lights and various electronic bits. On her back was a large, obviously homemade battery pack of some kind which fed into her suit through numerous and sometimes exposed wires.

Her hair was straight, and pulled back into a tight, short ponytail, her tail a similar style and length as well. Twilight held up a hoof, stopping Spike before he could move, the infested pony already able to tell that the dragon was going to react poorly to the pony’s sudden appearance.

“Hello, Pinkie Pie,” Twilight greeted with a smile. “It's wonderful to finally meet my stalker.”

“Stalker? I’ve been standing here the whole time,” Pinkie Pie replied.

Silver Bulwark tapped the other unicorn’s shoulder and jerked her head back and to her right. It’s coming from inside the orchard, and it feels zerg.

Twilight nodded, extending a hoof. “Ah, so that wasn't you. Still, it's a pleasure to speak to you.”

Pinkie Pie hesitantly shook the other pony’s hoof. “Err same, random pony whose name is...”

Twilight was about to answer when she felt a psionic intrusion coming from Pinkie Pie, who had narrowed her eyes intently at the infested pony. Rather than be shocked by this, Twilight created a small mental space and put some basic information about herself inside of it. Sure enough Pinkie Pie found it and smirked to herself, satisfied by her acquisition, before pulling out.

“...Twilight Sparkle! And you are here to help set up the Summer Sun Celebration!” Pinkie Pie declared with a grin.

The infested unicorn nodded, mentally commanding her companions to stand down and not respond to the mental poking. “That's a neat trick,” Twilight exclaimed.

“Thanks! There is only so much you can do on a rock farm,” Pinkie Pie explained before her eyes went wide. “Oh my gosh! I just realized something super duper important! I guess you’ll have to tell me how you found me later!”

The pink pony’s form shimmered briefly before she ran off, her hoofsteps audible as she sprinted back in the direction of town. Twilight watched the invisible mare go before smiling and turning back down the road and continuing on as if nothing happened.

“So uh, you gonna tell us what the heck all that was?” Spike asked, the dragon relaxing only slightly as he walked to Twilight’s right.

“She's one of the Element Bearers, remember?” Twilight replied.

“It was all in the briefing,” Silver Bulwark added.

“I really shoulda paid more attention to that,” Spike muttered.

“She’ll likely try to throw us a party of some kind in the next week or so,” Twilight explained. “Did you get a fix on our zerg follower?”

Silver Bulwark shook her head. “It ran off again, though I get the feeling it's not hostile. Just curious.”

“Either way we should try to figure out what exactly it is,” Twilight began, a plan already forming in her mind. “A zerg bioform this far from the badlands is strange enough already, especially if it’s managed to survive alone for so long.”

“So, do we just keep going then?” Spike asked.

Twilight nodded. “We do. The food still requires checking and our first objective still needs to be reached. Strange presences or not.”

“We’re right behind you, boss,” Silver Bulwark declared.

“Right, let’s go taste some apples and find us a friend.”

“Nice place they got here,” Spike murmured, the dragon looking around at the extensive orchard, numerous pens of animals, and a large barn.

“They got quite the operation, that's for sure,” Silver Bulwark muttered.

“She's around here somewhere, but there is more interference,” Twilight exclaimed, her horn dulling as the harmonic spell was cast once more.

“Well if you need us to run distraction, just give us the signal,” Spike whispered.

Twilight nodded, and turned towards the farm house, the infested pony stomping up to the door, making her presence known. The thud of her booted hoof against the aged portal ensured that no one on the entire property was unaware of her presence. Sure enough, the pony could hear the skid of a chair being pushed out, followed by the thump of hooves coming her way from within the house.

“I heard ya the first time!” shouted an elderly female voice, one Twilight assumed belonged to Granny Smith.

With the interior door being opened, Twilight’s assumption was proven right, and she looked down on an aged green-furred and white-maned mare. Who also happened to have a terrified expression on her face as she looked up at the towering unicorn.

“Are you Granny Smith?” Twilight asked, doing her best to keep her voice even and professional.

“Aye, that I am,” Granny Smith muttered in a mixture of shock and apprehension. “You wouldn't happen to be from the bank, would ya?”

“I am not,” Twilight declared. “I am actually Celestia’s student, Twilight Sparkle. I’m here to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration and more specifically the food for said celebration.”

Instantly all the fear and confusion fled from the other pony’s face, and she grinned before throwing open the screen door. “Well, why didn't ya start with that? Come on in. The whole family is down for a big reunion, but don't worry, that won't put a hamper on the preparation.”

Twilight turned and nodded subtly to her guard, who stepped forward, swiftly stepping into the other mare’s place. “I’ll be looking over the spread if you don't mind,” Silver Bulwark declared. “Twilight has to ensure that the facilities are up to Her Majesty’s standards.”

The elderly pony seemed confused but nodded anyway. “We ain't cutting any corners if that's what yer accusin’ us of.”

Spike scoffed. “Nah, it's just a formality. As unlikely as a violation is, we have to check the premises regardless.”

“What, you think one of mah family is tryin’ to poison the princess or somethin’?” Granny Smith shot back, poking a hoof into the dragon’s chest.

Silver Bulwark shook her head. “Not at all, ma’am. Rather someone else might want us to think that.”

The older pony blinked in shock before nodding solemnly, her paranoia subtly shifted away from them. “Good thinkin, youngun. I’ll send my grandson Big Macintosh to show ya around.”

“Actually, I do not require assistance,” Twilight declared, pushing a little bit of psionic power into her words.

Granny Smith’s eyes glazed over for a second before she nodded vigorously. “Alright, but only ‘cus yer sent by the princess.”

“My thanks, ma’am,” Twilight replied before nodding and slipping away.

Leaving just as a few members of the Apple family came up behind Granny Smith and began asking questions about the strange black-coated unicorn who had just left. Chuckling, Twilight only paid attention to said conversation for a few seconds before quickly putting it out of her mind. Though she did find it rather amusing that there was one pony who was utterly convinced that she couldn't be a mare, due to her height and overall size.

Shaking her head as she walked, Twilight cast the harmonic resonance spell again, only to come back with another confusing reaction. It felt close, and it was vaguely southern, but the actual location of this other Element was indistinct, like it was being jammed by something. A scan through Spike and Silver Bulwark’s minds revealed that the Apple family had next to no unicorns and none of whom seemed powerful enough to craft a ward powerful enough to stop her.

Though it was still possible that someone had cast an obscuring ward on their location, it was unlikely considering just how distrustful of magic the family seemed to be. Plus Twilight couldn't detect any magic on the level necessary to stop her, worse yet the entire area seemed to be a dead zone of sorts. Walking along, Twilight did her best to pretend like she was inspecting the area while continually trying the spell and reaching out with her mind.

The familiar zerg presence was still gone, but it had been replaced by another, this one as muddled as her spell had been. Twilight had never felt such a response before, and as she poked around the area, she continued to search both psionically and magically. Minutes passed, and Twilight had managed to do a sweep of nearly the entire farm before she acquired an inkling as to where this interference was coming from.

Trotting over to the barn, Twilight found that the tug was stronger, and the zerg presence closer. Casting a quick glance over her shoulder, Twilight found that there was no one around and so she hastily pulled open the double doors and slipped inside. She was greeted with stacks of hay, a few confused animals, and all the usual items one might expect to see on a farm.

“This is strange,” Twilight muttered to herself.

A scan of the animals found that they were completely normal, and a visual inspection of the area revealed that everything seemed normal as well. Hopping down from the loft, Twilight landed with a thud and a crack, making her look down suddenly. The wooden floor had managed to take her weight well though, remaining undamaged, and Twilight was about to look away when a thought suddenly occurred to her.

Why did they even bother to put a wooden floor in a barn? Twilight thought. Unless they have something to hide.

Grinning to herself, Twilight hastily slipped back through the double doors and closed them firmly behind her. Turning to her right, Twilight followed around the edge of the barn, searching for some manner of entrance. Only to come all the way around the other side, having found nothing of note save for a patch of dandelions.

Pursing her lips, Twilight did another circle of the barn, paying closer attention to the ground while also using the harmonic spell constantly. She was about to give up when she noticed that a section of the grass seemed newer than the rest and, pushing her hoof into the dirt, Twilight found that it was looser than normal. Someone was definitely trying to hide the cellar entrance, that much was certain, but why they would bother doing that was still a mystery.

But she would find out soon enough.

Glancing over her shoulder again, Twilight found that she was still as alone as ever, and both Spike and Silver Bulwark had not noticed anyone leave the house. Confident that she was safe from any prying eyes, Twilight conjured an enormous hard magic shovel before sinking it into the ground. With her strength, skill, and practice with shields, the improvised spell easily managed to remove a good chunk of dirt in no time at all.

A thump told the pony that she was on the right track, and after dismissing her shield, Twilight used her magic to clean away the last bit of dirt, piling it carefully next to the hole. And was thusly greeted by the sight of a bright red entrance the same color as the barn. Other than the cellar entrance being about a foot beneath the ground, it looked normal, save for the lock which bound it shut.

Lighting her horn once more, Twilight pushed her aura into the lock before solidifying the magic and turning her improvised key. With a click, it opened, and Twilight hastily tossed it aside before throwing open the cellar doors. Stairs and darkness was what met her, as well as a blast of strange, psionic signals that emanated from within.

Though garbled like everything else, Twilight could feel panic, confusion, and fear amongst them. Focusing on that, Twilight found that the zerg presence she had noticed earlier was much, much stronger here, though she still couldn't quite get a lock on it or connect to it. The harmonic resonance spell was also clearer, but still imperfect as well, and with nothing else left to try, Twilight crept down into the unknown.

Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, Twilight closed her eyes tightly before opening them and revealing a bright room illuminated only by a few thin strands of light which shone through the cracks in the ceiling. It was all she needed though, as Twilight’s eyes were more than a match for such mundane darkness. Looking around revealed that she was in what at one time had likely been a storage area for farm equipment, and a large door was situated directly across from her.

Though there was still equipment down here, it certainly wasn't mundane in the slightest. A rack of spears lined one wall, and a homemade suit of armor rested on the floor next to it, propped up by an obviously improvised stand. There were other strange items like a large bucket filled with what looked like water, as well as a brush long and large enough to scrub the back of an elephant.

All that strangeness paled in comparison to what she saw next though.

Random bits of wood with large black nails hammered through them were spread evenly across the ceiling, unnerving the unicorn. Upon closer inspection Twilight noticed that the bits of wood were moving, and twitching in place as if they were alive. Reaching up, Twilight prodded one of the sticks and noted that it seemed to react to her touch, spasming as if trying to get away.

“Strange. Is this…” Twilight’s question ended before she could finish it, the answer already coming to her. “Timberwolf.”

Someone had pulled apart a timberwolf and nailed every single piece of it to the ceiling, using its spiritual essence to create a barrier against magical and psionic intrusion. Though primitive, it was remarkably effective, and more than a little messed up in Twilight’s opinion. Timberwolves didn't exactly feel pain, given that they were a crude mix of necromancy and golemancy, but it was still alive, at least in a sense anyway.

“Mac, is that you?” whispered a heavily distorted, but still obviously female voice from behind the door.

Twilight’s eyes narrowed and after casting the harmonic resonance spell again, she found that one of the Element Bearers was definitely in the next room. Though it could be anyone, Twilight’s money was on Applejack, as Celestia’s monitoring had always come back incomplete when trying to observe her. Trotting forward, Twilight realized that whomever was behind this door was definitely infested, or was at least affected by the zerg in some manner.

“No. I’m not one of the ponies that did this to you,” Twilight declared.

Something large and heavy shuffled backwards, chains rattling. “S-stay away! You don't know what yer doin’, lady.” shouted the other pony.

“My name is Twilight Sparkle, and I know exactly what I’m doing,” declared the unicorn who stepped forward and wrenched the door right off its hinges with a single hoof.

Revealing a large room that filled the rest of the space under the barn. The ceiling of which was similarly covered in bits of timberwolf nailed to it while the ground was covered in fresh hay and a few tiny daggers of some kind. What little light managed to pierce the slats of the floor above them was enough to illuminate one of the strangest amalgamations of pony and zerg that Twilight had yet to see.

It was definitely Applejack, the pony still retaining her bright orange fur, and some of her straw colored mane, though both were significantly different compared to the last known image Celestia had acquired. For one, only a single green eye remained, the other having been replaced by a glowing emerald orb that instantly marked her as part zerg. Only the tattered remnants of her mane remained, most having been replaced by a large crest reminiscent of the ultralisk Twilight had fought all those months ago. Though that resemblance wasn't perfect, as Applejack’s crest was far longer, more angular, and had hidden nooks and crevices in it.

Applejack’s alterations also reminded her of Silver Bulwark’s transformation, though it was clear that this one was much less complete, and significantly less harmonious a change than her guard’s. Most of Applejack’s body was covered in thick chitinous material, the heavy plates a mixture of green, purple and yellow, and leaving only her joints exposed. She also had an extra set of jaws that didn't connect together, each one sporting a row of sharp fangs the likes of which Twilight had seen on some of the zerg she had fought before.

Only the pony’s left eye, nose and mouth seemed unchanged, or unaltered, as she no longer had normal forelegs but rather a pair of great sickle like arms with two smaller blades attached to the same limb. Her back legs were also completely gone, having been replaced by a long slithering tail that was also covered in thick, organic plates. She was also easily twice the size of a normal pony, towering over even Twilight, with the former farm pony’s head nearly brushing the eleven foot ceiling. Chains wrapped about each of the creature’s forelegs, neck and waist, binding her to the stone floor in multiple locations and forcing her to look down at the ground.

“What happened to you?”

Author's Notes:

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This update was made possible by the wonderful support of readers like you: Apollyon, Astor, BeenMcsqueen, Blade Tech, Calum, Canary in the Coal Mine, Ceepert, Corey, Craig, Dale, DioKyro, Doomgooey, Facinus, Free, GruB, I am Unknown, Ivar, Jacob, Jeffrey, Kali, Lich-Lord Krosis, M, Makani, Megatyrant, Menthol Qtip, Mephia, Mike, Mikhalia, Mirvra, Mophop, Nathan, Neverborn, Nfreak, Octavia and lowbar, Pacsik, Peter,Prysm, Random reader, soundtea, Starless, Steven, Tiwake, Todd, Trash Panda, Vigilant Watch, annnnnnnd Xvos!

Freedom and Fear

“What happened to you?” Twilight muttered in shock, silently amazed that there was anything left of the pony inside the twisted mass of alien flesh.

“You are not supposed to be here, no one is supposed to know or else they will take me away. Please just go and don't tell anyone of what you saw,” Applejack pleaded, the zerg pony hybrid recoiling until she reached the ends of her chain and hissing pathetically.

“Noone is going to take you away,” Twilight declared, taking a step forward and raising her hoof in a calming manner. “Just tell me what happened and I might be able to help you.”

“N-no. I just hurt everyone who comes close,” Applejack whispered. “You should leave. If you do I, I… I won't tell Granny Smith you were here.”

“I am not leaving without you, Applejack. You deserve to be free, to not be chained up in some basement like an animal,” Twilight stated, taking a step closer.

“Don't you get it, lady? I’m not even an animal, I’m a monster. Just look at me!” Applejack declared, opening her forelimbs as wide as possible and revealing a twisted mass of organic plates, and a few patches of fur.

“I don't see a monster. Just someone who needs a friend, and to understand that they are more than just what they are on the outside,” Twilight continued, taking another step forward and causing Applejack to strain against her bindings, recoiling as far as she could.

“You don't understand! I hurt everyone I come close to, everyone I’ve ever cared about!” Applejack shouted, her voice becoming more distorted as time passed. “And if you don't leave, you’ll get hurt too.”

Twilight smiled. “I think you’ll find that I’m pretty tough.”

Applejack let out a violent hiss and slammed a boney limb against the ground, causing a chunk of dirt to fly off and bounce off Twilight’s shoulder. “Get back! I’m warnin’ you!” Applejack shouted desperately.

Twilight’s smile faded, the other pony’s tear-filled eyes sapping her of any mirth she felt. “Trust me. I know how you feel. If you tell me what happened, I promise I can help you,” Twilight urged.

“No, you don't!” Applejack shouted, slamming her forelimbs into the ground and causing several spines to erupt from her body.

Twilight was ready however, stopping the duo of thick dagger-like spines in mid-air and eyeing them curiously. “Fascinating. I didn't think the hydralisk strain could be incorporated into pony physiology,” she remarked before tossing them aside.

“You didn't even use yer horn,” Applejack muttered in shock. “Who and what are you?”

“I told you, I’m like you,” Twilight declared before pulling back the sleeve of her jacket and raising a hoof. “I too have been changed in some manner by the zerg.”

“Sure yer tall and mighty big for a unicorn, but…” Applejack’s jaws hung open, her face becoming an odd mixture of fear and confusion as Twilight’s hoof grew thick and familiar plates.

“I have also figured out how to hide some of my more… outward changes,” Twilight declared before causing her foreleg to return to its natural shape, though not without the glowing lines, and other changes she could not easily reverse. “I admit that such extensive changes are beyond my ability currently, as there seems to be a genetic component to making larger changes.”

“So can ya help me or not?” Applejack asked, hope and confusion brimming in her voice.

“I can't. Not yet anyway, but I swear that if you trust me. I’ll never stop trying to help you,” Twilight declared, while extending a hoof.

The hydralisk hybrid eyed the unicorn’s hoof carefully. “I’m not sure what ya want mah help for, but I’d do just about anything to see mah family again.”

Twilight frowned. “Are they the ones who locked you up down here?”

Applejack nodded. “I… hurt some ponies and they knew I’d get taken away if anyone found out, so they put me down here. For my own protection, and everyone else's.”

Twilight grumbled, anger burning in her chest even as her analytical mind came to the realization that this was probably the right decision on their part. “Let’s ignore that part for now.”

“Why do you smell so good?” Applejack blurted, only for her eyes to go wide. “I don't know where that came from.”

“Don't worry about it. Do you also feel smarter and more focused by chance?” Twilight pressed.

The hydralisk pony nodded slowly. “Yeah. I do. It feels like I’m seeing things clearly for the first time in a long time. What's happening to me?”

“My abilities are a little more cerebral in nature, but suffice it to say I make ponies like you feel a little more normal when you are around me,” Twilight clarified.

“Ponies like me…” Applejack whispered, the zerg’s gaze drifting off.

“Which is why I’d like to try something with you Applejack, if you’ll trust me,” Twilight began.

“Anything,” replied the other pony instantly.

“Close your eyes and try to focus on me while putting all other thoughts out of your mind,” Twilight continued.

“Alright.” The hydralisk closed her eyes, her facial muscles twitching for a moment before she seemed at peace.

Stepping out of the way of Applejack’s potential firing arc, Twilight placed a hoof on the hydralisk’s shoulder and focused her own mind on the tenuous connection they shared. Though small, it was enough to allow Twilight to briefly touch the other creature’s mind before reinforcing that strand that bound them together. As she did so, Twilight was able to feel more and more of the other creature’s thoughts and feel the fear and curiosity currently flooding her system.

Before she finished what she had set out to do, Twilight searched the neural pathways of the other pony’s mind until she found what she was looking for. One mental flick later, and Twilight finished strengthening their connection, fully opening herself to the other zerg, and vice versa. The reaction was immediate, with Applejack recoiling in fear, and confusion, her mind awash with new sensations.

“What in the hay did ya do to me?” Applejack shouted in shock.

“I have connected your mind to my own. Only with this connection can I help you,” Twilight warned.

“That was not part of the deal,” Applejack declared. “You need to leave, now.”

Twilight frowned. “I had hoped I wouldn't have to do this, but you must understand what is at stake.”

“What are you-” Applejack began, only for her eyes to roll into the back of her head as information poured into her mind.

A second later and they opened once more, only now the fear and confusion was gone. “Was all that, true?” she whispered with a strange sense of caution.

“What you saw were my memories, whole and unaltered,” Twilight declared. “It's about as honest as one can possibly be.”

Applejack nodded slowly. “I may not understand a lick of what's going on, but so long as you hold up to your end of the bargain I’ll follow you to the ends of Equiss and back.”

“Well. Hopefully we won't have to go that far,” Twilight replied with a smirk.

“So what's first there, boss? Or what do I call you?” Applejack asked.

“Just Twilight is fine, but if you insist on using a title, boss works fine,” Twilight declared.

Applejack nodded, her lips curling into as much a smile as the zerg pony could manage. “Alright then, boss.”

“Right, well. First thing’s first. I need to bust you outta here. Then I’m going to cast an invisibility spell on you. After that you should stay close, but not too close to me,” Twilight explained, the pony getting a brief alert from Spike indicating that they were wrapping up their visit.

“Close, but not too close. Got it. What else?” Applejack asked.

“Don't say anything. If you need to contact me just direct your thoughts towards me and I’ll receive them,” Twilight added before lighting her horn. “Get ready. I’m going to have to teleport you out of here, and the first teleport is a little… disconcerting to say the least.”

Applejack gulped and nodded again. “Alright. Ready when you are.”

Twilight decided to cast the invisibility spell first, quickly doing that and rendering the hydralisk completely invisible, though she was still bound by several chains. A quick zap from Twilight’s horn and the thick steel was turned to dust, but before Applejack could get used to the freedom, she was teleported into the nearby woods, giving her the space to get over the effects of one’s first teleportation without the worry of alerting anyone to her presence.

Shaking her head, Twilight put the entire morbid scene behind her, before crawling out of the hole, and back into the world. The mental block placed upon her by the dessicated timberwolf lifted the second her head emerged from the hole, and she breathed a sigh of relief. One quickly cut short by an irritated snort from someone standing only a few feet to her right.

Looking in that direction revealed a rather irate red-furred pony with a slightly darker straw colored mane. He wore a yoke around his neck, and on his flanks was the cross section of a large green apple. Scanning through the minds of Spike and Silver Bulwark revealed that this was indeed the same Big Macintosh that Celestia had told her about, though neither of her assistants could tell her how he had managed to slip away.

“Ya got about five seconds to explain yourself before I knock that head of yours right off yer shoulders and if you even think about lighting up that horn, ya won't even make it the five seconds.” Big Macintosh declared.

Twilight took a second to fire off a brief set of orders to Silver Bulwark, Spike, and Applejack before looking up at the large red pony. “I know how this may look, but trust me, one day you are gonna think back to this moment and thank me for what I just did,” Twilight replied.

“What are you-” Was all Big Macintosh managed to say before Twilight’s full psionic weight bore down on his mind, turning his legs to jelly and knocking him to the ground.

Twilight’s eyes narrowed as she dug through his memories, witnessing events only he had experienced before now. Twilight didn't have time for the details and went straight to his earliest memories, focusing on the relatively normal childhood he had. Which proceeded to be completely changed when something hit his sister, after which things got fuzzy. His parents passed away suddenly, and after that things became grim, forcing the young male to grow up quickly. Twilight was about to press deeper and figure out what had happened to his parents, when she felt a familiar presence.

“Are you alright?” Twilight asked without turning around.

“What are you doing to him?” hissed Applejack defensively.

“Looking through his memories,” Twilight began, only to grunt when she felt the male start to fight back. “And hopefully going to expunge these last few minutes from his mind.”

“Just be careful is all, he's as stubborn as a mule sometimes,” Applejack cautioned.

Twilight nodded and eased off on the male, redirecting her efforts to simply altering what had happened since he had come around the corner to find the ground dug up. It took a little more effort than Twilight would have liked, but eventually she managed to change things just enough to fit her plan. After she was done Big Macintosh would now remember that he had been the one to dig it up and that he did not need to go down there for an entire month.

It wasn't a fool proof way to cover her tracks, but it gave Twilight time to come up with something better, and perhaps if they were lucky, even return Applejack to a more normal state. Though that last possibility was an incredibly unlikely one, as Twilight hardly had a clue where to start on that particular front. Still, her abilities had grown quite a bit in the past few months so she was still optimistic that she could do something for the poor pony.

“Perhaps I could transfer her consciousness?” Twilight remarked idly as she worked.

“What was that?” Applejack asked.

Twilight shook her head. “It's nothing. We’re almost done here.”

Pulling back on her psionic presence, Twilight made sure to cover her tracks well, knocking Big Macintosh out for a minute or two. Leaving them just enough time to duck around the corner and slip away, meeting up with both Silver Bulwark and Spike near the farm’s entrance. The two other infested both gave Twilight a worried look, with Spike eyeing the unicorn critically, while Silver Bulwark watched the spot she knew Applejack stood.

“So, how'd it go?” Spike cautiously asked.

“Good,” Twilight declared before trotting down the long dirt road which connected the farm to Ponyville proper. “The first asset was acquired with minimal interference. I assume the planning for the Summer Sun Celebration went well?”

“It did and we got stuffed in the process,” Silver Bulwark happily explained, the pony patting her stomach with a grin.

Twilight glanced over near the ditch where she knew Applejack was, and smiled as the pony seemed too amazed at her surroundings to give Spike and Silver Bulwark any attention. “I’m not sure if the Summer Sun Celebration will even occur, but if it does, it's nice to know that at least the food will be acceptable. I’m concerned about the asset though, as well as this other presence that has been plaguing us, but we don't have the time to deal with either of them right now,” Twilight exclaimed.

“So what are we going to do right now then?” asked Spike curiously.

“We need to secure the asset at the library, and then move on to the next pony on our list,” Twilight declared.

The two other beings nodded, and the group proceeded to do just that, all four of them making a beeline to the large semi-hollow tree that they had already passed earlier. While they walked Applejack was busy marveling at all that had changed since she was a kid, and all the new faces she saw. Twilight was forced to regulate the other infested pony’s emotions a few times as she was a little overwhelmed at a few points.

In the end Applejack seemed to have adapted to the changes of her hometown relatively well, Twilight’s influence strong enough to ward away the worst of the panic and fear she had felt. By the time they reached the library Applejack was also much quieter, despite her enormous bulk, and Twilight no longer had to worry quite as much. Still, even with Twilight having turned off the part of Applejack’s brain that made her shoot spines on impulse, the infested pony was not exactly in the best place either mentally or emotionally which worried the unicorn.

If Applejack was going to stick with them, they were going to have to find her help, when they could. That time was not now though, and Twilight put such concerns from her mind for the moment while lifting the welcome mat to reveal a small silver key. Nodding to Silver Bulwark, Twilight grabbed the key and hastily threw open the door, her guard charging in first, followed closely by Twilight, Spike, and finally an invisible Applejack.

The room seemed normal, if a little quiet, with dusty shelves surrounding them, and small mountain of mail sitting on the ground just inside the room. Snatching the pile out of the way before Applejack could crush it under her bulk, Twilight flipped through them while her guard searched the area. Though they were mostly ads and flyers that were largely out of date, there were a few letters addressed to the former librarian. Whom, if Twilight remembered correctly, had moved back to Manehattan to take care of her ill mother rather suddenly.

Twilight put those letters aside before tossing the rest in the trash and closing the door behind Applejack. Turning to Silver Bulwark, Twilight noticed that she seemed to have completed her initial sweep and was eyeing the hydralisk carefully.

“Everything in order?” Twilight asked.

Silver Bulwark nodded. “It seems as though Celestia has indeed learned subtlety after all these years.”

“Ha, like that would happen,” Spike exclaimed before hopping onto the couch and causing a cloud of dust to erupt from the piece of furniture.

Twilight rolled her eyes as her draconic assistant began coughing and rolling around on the floor. “How long do you think it will take to reinforce this building to the point that you would be confident of its security?” Twilight asked.

“A couple hours at least,” Silver Bulwark declared, her eyebrows rising as she watched the strange hydralisk pony poke open a children’s book and begin reading it. “More, if I’ll be watching over her while I do it.”

“I’ll leave Spike with you as well, that should be enough to handle things while I find the rest of the assets,” Twilight declared, before smirking. “I’m amazed you managed to see through my invisibility spell so easily.”

The guard shrugged. “Your spellwork has come a long way, but the guard isn't quite as inept as you might believe. Or at least, it wasn't anyway.”

Twilight nodded. “Alright. I’ll be proceeding with the next part of the plan alone then. Applejack, Silver Bulwark, Spike and you will be staying here while I go back into town and find the other ponies we need. After which we will meet back here and discuss the plan.”

“Do I have to keep being invisible?” Applejack asked.

“Until we can secure the premises and ensure no one sees you, yes. I’m afraid so,” Twilight replied.

The pony seemed ready to argue for a second before she sighed. “Don't suppose you could work something out so I could at least read, could ya? These chopsticks aren't the best when it comes to doin’ anything delicate.”

“I could read to you for now. I got nothing better to do,” Spike offered.

“Err okay, but aren't you the least bit confused?” Applejack inquired. “I mean you haven't even seen me yet.”

“Yeah, but Twi already showed me what you look like,” Spike replied while tapping the side of his head.

“Oh…” Applejack murmured, her large bulk skidding back a little.

Spike shrugged. “I wouldn't worry about it. I’ve seen plenty of scarier people than you.”

Twilight quickly tuned out the rest of their conversation and turned back to Silver Bulwark. “She is emotionally unstable, cloistered, and no doubt traumatized. When you get the time, try to give her a space of her own which isn't in the basement. Oh and maybe have a talk with her about her experiences if possible.”

“Will do, boss lady,” Silver Bulwark declared. “And don't worry about her none. I got a feeling in my gut that she's going to be one of the easier Elements to get on our side.”

Twilight frowned. “Well now that you jinxed it, she is.”

The guard grinned and slapped the other unicorn across the back. “Ahh, what's a little challenge to Celestia’s chosen?”

Shaking her head, Twilight shrugged off the guard’s hoof and turned to the door. “I’ll be back soon. Oh and if you can, get Spike to make a quick run for groceries. Something tells me whatever is left in the fridge won't be edible.”

“Aye boss,” Silver Bulwark replied.

Twilight gave the invisible hydralisk one last glance, noting that even though she was still a little guarded, Applejack had begun to warm up to Spike. A soft smile came across the trench coat-clad pony, and Twilight made a note to do something nice for the no doubt traumatized farm mare when she could. After all this was said and done, of course. They couldn't exactly have a party while the world was being threatened after all.

Slipping outside, Twilight hastily put the library behind her, confident that her two assistants would be able to handle the tasks she had left for them. Though she couldn't help but worry about the newest addition to their little cadre of half zerg hybrids, Twilight knew she was in good hands. Putting that worry from her mind, Twilight continued on her mission, seeking out the next Element of Harmony on her list.

It took a couple of minutes and casting the harmonic resonance spell a dozen or so times, but finally, she found who she was looking for. Looking up at the sky, Twilight smirked, noting that Celestia’s intel had been bang on for once, as a thin trail of rainbow-colored mane spilled over the side of a cloud. Right where the alicorn had said she was likely to be, doing exactly what she had said she was likely to be doing.

Looking around, Twilight noticed that despite glowing recommendations of the pony’s skill, clouds still littered the sky. Having committed Rainbow Dash’s psyche profile to memory on the way here, Twilight already knew just what to do.

“I wonder who is in charge of the weather around here? All these clouds should be gone already,” she loudly exclaimed, as if talking to someone.

The cloud stirred, and Twilight got the distinct impression that she was being watched. “Oh well, no matter I suppose. I guess I’ll just have to call in the Canterlot weather team to fix this before the Summer Sun Celebration.”

That seemed to work, and a prismatic blur shot down form the cloud and landed an inch from Twilight’s muzzle. Inadvertently landing in a mud puddle and causing the unicorn to be splashed by a wave of brown mud. “If you call those creeps to come mess around with our weather, I’ll give you a taste of my hoof, unicorn!” declared the teal pony confidently.

“Oh really? Then you had better prove to me that this town’s weather team is up to the challenge,” Twilight countered while leaning forward, emphasizing the considerable difference in height.

Rainbow Dash was unmoved by the act of intimidation though and merely snorted. “You are on,” she shot back.

Exploding into the sky, the pegasus caused another splash of mud to land on Twilight’s jacket, making the unicorn sigh and wipe the worst of it off. “I just had this dry cleaned,” she muttered to herself.

Up above her head, Rainbow Dash shot through the air like a rocket, destroying cloud after cloud until the sky was clear, and the sun shone brilliantly and unimpeded once more. Nine seconds after she had started, the pony skidded to a stop before Twilight once more, the unicorn ready this time, erecting a barrier that caught the ensuing spray of mud.

“Well, would you look at that,” Twilight exclaimed with a grin. “I guess this town doesn't need help after all.”

“Heck no we don't!” Rainbow Dash declared while puffing out her chest. “Ponyville may not be the biggest, but there is no way we need some namby pamby unicorns to help with the weather.” She snorted. “As if they could do anything to help anyway, the stick heads.”

“Rainbow Dash, I presume,” Twilight announced while extending a hoof.

The pegasus cautiously clopped her hoof against the offered appendage. “And who are you supposed to be? Nightmare Night isn't for another few months.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “My name is Twilight Sparkle, and I’m Celestia’s student. I’m here to oversee the thousandth Summer Sun Celebration.”

The other pony’s eyes went wide. “R-really? So Celestia really is coming here of all places?”

Nodding, Twilight smiled. “She is indeed planning on it. Provided everything goes according to plan, that is.”

“Well shoot. Why didn't you start with that?” Rainbow Dash declared, only to wince when she looked at Twilight’s mud-covered clothes. “Oh, did I do that? Here, I’ll fix that in a jiffy.”

A firm hoof held Rainbow Dash in place. “No need. I can handle it myself just fine.”

Twilight lit her horn and cast a quick spell, cleansing her person of the mud and dirt which clung to her.

“Cool trick,” declared Rainbow Dash who grinned. “Say, you aren't so bad, for one of those pointy headed know-it-alls. We should hang out sometime.”

“I’d like that. Maybe you’ll be tough enough to actually beat me in a hoof wrestle,” Twilight shot back.

The pegasus grinned. “You are so on! Come by my cloud house at the end of Birch street whenever you are ready to lose!”

Then without waiting for a goodbye, the pegasus rocketed into the sky, quickly disappearing as she shot off into the distance.

Twilight shook her head and smiled. “You are an interesting one, I’ll give you that,” she whispered to no one.

Lighting her horn, Twilight cast the now familiar spell and found that the last two element bearers were nearby, though one was closer than the other. Which was probably at the town hall, while the other was near the Everfree, which meant Rarity was probably closer, as the unicorn was in charge of decorating said hall. Twilight was already dreading her meeting with the fashionista, but soldiered on regardless, knowing full well what must be done to avert potential calamity.

While she walked, the unicorn pondered as to why the information they had received on Rarity was so spotty. The parents were unremarkable, one being a traveling salesman while the other worked at a travel agency. Despite the humble beginnings, Twilight knew Rarity had traveled to Canterlot several times, sometimes on her own, sometimes with family. The frequency of said visits were perhaps the most off-putting to Twilight as it represented the first real chance that one of the assets had been corrupted by the families.

She had recently gotten back from a rather lengthy and secretive trip, adding to the air of mystery and unease that surrounded her. Gulping down that particular worry, Twilight tried not to think about what she may be forced to do if it turned out that Rarity was beyond hope. Still, the spell had at least worked, meaning the fashionista’s connection to the Elements wasn’t completely severed.

Ignoring the nervous glances and paranoid looks of the general populace, Twilight trotted through the central square and up to the town hall. Pushing open the doors, Twilight looked around to find that the large, circular room was decorated quite elaborately. Streamers of blue attached to decorative suns were plastered everywhere, connecting the various balconies with strands of colored paper.

Banners hung from the walls and chairs were placed around the central two-story stage, yet there was no one around.

Pinging the spell again, Twilight found that she should be standing right next to the other Element Bearer, and the unicorn began to wonder if Pinkie Pie had managed to master her invisibility technology in the past hour.

“I’ll be with you in a moment, darling. I just noticed there was a dreadful cobweb up here and I absolutely had to deal with it before the princess arrived,” announced a female voice that seemed to echo despite the apparent impossibility of such a thing.

Twilight’s blood instantly turned to ice, and she looked up to see Rarity floating near the ceiling, duster in hoof as she cleaned away a stubborn cobweb. Her horn was dull, her eyes glowed a faint blue, and draped over her form was an elaborate dress of a familiar gold hue. Her mane was bound into a tight cord that hung over the side of her head, blue and gold fabric intertwined in her hair.

No wonder there was a hole in her intel, Twilight thought to herself, her worst fears now suddenly realized. Rarity is a high templar.

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A Tentative Alliance

“There we are. Much better,” Rarity declared, the fashionista’s voice echoing slightly as the gold and blue-clad mare descended from on high.

Numerous defensive spells sprung to mind, and for a moment Twilight considered using them, only to remember what she had felt a minute earlier. Namely the fact that Rarity was still connected to her Element, and though that connection had felt tenous, it was still there, which meant Twilight still needed her. Gritting her teeth, the infested pony tried to relax by breathing deeply, but that did little to calm her nerves.

“Are you alright, darling?” Rarity inquired.

Twilight forced herself to smile. “I’m fine. It's just been a long day, is all.”

The unicorn nodded slowly. “I’m sure it has. What can I do for you?”

Twilight felt the usual prick of a templar’s mental intrusion, and though she quickly rallied her defences, she found the act ultimately unnecessary. It seemed as though the other pony only wanted to know if Twilight was angry with her and did not seem intent on going any deeper than that. Confused, Twilight felt herself relaxing a little, though she kept herself ready to ward off any further intrusions.

“I’m the event planner for the Summer Sun Celebration,” Twilight declared while straightening her back and squaring her shoulders. “I am here to ensure the decorations are complete for Celestia’s arrival.”

“You must be Twilight Sparkle then,” Rarity concluded, prompting Twilight to nod. “I guessed it was you the very second you stepped into the room. You carry quite the aura of command, you know, and to refer to the princess in such a casual manner... Well, if anyone else did such a thing, it would be quite scandalous.”

Twilight cocked her head slightly. “I, uh. Yes, I suppose it might.”

“And your sense of fashion is so… out there,” Rarity replied, her telekinetic powers lifting one of Twilight’s lapels. “It would be quite garish on anyone else, yet you pull it off quite well. Very intimidating.”

“Yes, well.” Twilight brushed her lapel and dismissed the other pony’s telekinetic touch. “My own sense of fashion aside, I was hoping to speak to you about the decorations.”

“Oh, yes of course. Where are my manners?” Rarity bowed low, her braided mane nearly touching the ground. “The name is Rarity Silver Belle of the Belle family. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Twilight of the Sparkle family.”

That made Twilight lift an eyebrow. “You know my family name. That's rare, most folks don't remember the old houses, and especially not the old, disgraced ones.”

Rarity waved a dismissive hoof after rising back into a stand. “Oh, pish posh, darling. Even scuffed gold is still gold after all. Besides, I don't put much stock in all that noble house business.” She leaned a little closer to the infested mare and lowered her voice. “Too many ponies use it as a replacement for a real personality, if you ask me.”

Twilight couldn't help but feel herself grin. “That is very true.”

Rarity nodded and took a step back. “I also make it a habit of doing my best to judge someone based on their actions, rather than their reputation and the rumours that may surround them.”

“Oh, and what kind of rumours have you heard about me?” Twilight pressed.

The unicorn blushed slightly, running a hoof down her braided mane. “Nothing polite, I can assure you, and nothing I shall repeat in pleasant company if you don't mind me saying.”

“You know. Now that you mention it, I am rather curious about what you do know of me,” Twilight continued, her curiosity getting the better of her.

Rarity blushed a little harder, the blue aura which surrounded her eyes flickered slightly. “Oh, just that you're the princess’ student and your family name. Nothing more, I assure you.”

“Uh huh,” Twilight exclaimed. “You know, it is a little unfair that you know more about me, than I do about you.”

The designer nodded vigorously. “Oh quite so. Allow me.” She cleared her throat. “I was born here in Ponyville, but my family is originally from Canterlot as you may have already guessed. I am the eldest of two sisters, and I own and run the Carousel Boutique which is actually just down the street. Please do come see me if you need any manner of clothing.”

Twilight nodded slowly, silently surprised to find that one of the great houses’ pawns were so honest, the other unicorn having passed Twilight’s little test with flying colors. “Interesting. Though I’m curious about how you became such a high ranking member of the houses’ little cult.”

“It is not a cult,” Rarity growled, the unicorn lurching forward, her voice having suddenly become far deeper than normal.

Rarity coughed awkwardly before taking a step back and placing a hoof over her heart. “Pardon me, but I assure you it's no cult. The khala and the connection it gives us is quite real and is a powerful gift.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow, but remained unfazed by the sudden shift, having had enough experience with ponies like her to know that such a jab would elicit a similar response. “Really now? Seems like slavery with extra steps to me,” Twilight countered.

“It most certainly is not,” Rarity declared with a stomp of her hoof. “I will have you know that I entered into this union with full knowledge of what it entailed, and I was not under any manner of duress. In addition, I have been given powers I had only dreamed of while not under any obligation to give the houses anything in return.”

“Other than your loyalty and fealty,” Twilight replied.

The other unicorn scowled. “Loyalty is earned, and my fealty is owed only to Equestria. All other obligations are secondary.”

Twilight nodded. “That is quite admirable. I must apologize for my earlier statement. It seems as though there exists a great amount of misinformation on the topic.”

Rarity’s scowl quickly vanished, the mare quickly gaining a wide, confident smile. “Apology accepted, but I really must reiterate that the khala truly is a force for good,” she urged, the unicorn floating into the air while wrapping her arms about herself. “To be one with every unicorn is to never be lonely, sad, or without a comforting, helpful voice.”

Twilight frowned, the pony already conjuring images of people constantly looking over her shoulder every moment of the day. “Yes, that certainly does sound… nice.”

“Oh, but it gets better, for you see, it is quite a magical experience to truly understand your fellow unicorns,” Rarity gushed. “To speak with one that is connected is to understand not only what they said, but what they meant and intended. It is a connection that goes beyond the physical. To be able to do things you only read of in cheap paperbacks is the perfect icing on the cake.”

Twilight’s frown deepened, her irritation slowly growing hot in her chest. “Well, it's certainly not for me. I enjoy my privacy. Thank you very much.”

Rarity surged forward, cupping the infested mare’s cheeks in her hooves. “O,h that truly is a shame. With your power, your knowledge, and your abilities, you would be a wonderful member of our little family. Think about it, darling! You could partake in what we know, and in turn all of Equestria would benefit from your talent.”

Rage burned hot in the infested mare’s chest, her irritation growing to the point that her horn sparked, and her muscles tightened. Rarity didn't seem to notice any of this, the pony taking a step back and levitating into the air, spinning in circles.

“Oh, it would be absolutely wonderful, and with your influence we could help make all of Equestria understand how beautiful our union truly is,” Rarity exclaimed. “That would be just…” she sighed, “amazing.”

The other unicorn’s infectious joy was pressing against Twilight’s mind, Rarity’s exuberant declarations only annoying Twilight further. With her horn sparking and her muscles coiled, Twilight considered decking Rarity the second she floated close enough, only to receive a sudden tug at the back of her coat. Turning around, Twilight was ready to lay out whoever had distracted her, only to realize a certain lanky dragon was looking at her curiously.

“Are you alright there, boss?” Spike inquired.

Most of the rage Twilight felt vanished from the mare’s mind. “I am now,” Twilight muttered. “Why are you here anyway?”

Spike shrugged, the dragon watching as Rarity continued to sing the khala’s praises, unaware that no one was even listening to her anymore. “I was going on a grocery run when I felt like you were gonna do something stupid,” he explained.

Twilight snorted. “I just might have.” She waved a hoof. “Forget the groceries for the moment, we’ll do it together. Something tells me I’m gonna need help keeping a level head if the last one turns out even half as irritating as Rarity.”

“-and that is why it is the destiny of not only unicorns, but all of Equestria to join us,” Rarity declared as she floated down before them.

“Very interesting,” Twilight muttered.

“It was, wasn't it? Oh, how I do so enjoy telling ponies of all the benefits that await them, should they choose to join us,” Rarity continued to gush.

“You said your shop was just down the street? Where exactly might it be?” Twilight inquired.

The fashionista blinked, temporarily confused by the question. “Oh yes, right. It's right down Maple. You should be able to see the sign easily enough from the street.”

Twilight nodded. “Thank you for your time, Rarity. But I have several other things to organize before the day is done, so if you’ll excuse me.”

“Of course, of course. Don't let me keep you, darling,” Rarity replied before turning to Spike with a wide, genuine smile already on her face. “It was a pleasure meeting you as well, Sir Spike.”

This time it was the dragon’s turn to act confused, a small blush coming across his features. “Wait, Sir Spike?”

“Oh, but of course. You are officially part of a noble house, even if you are a dragon,” Rarity declared.

“Let’s get those groceries done. Were on a schedule,” Twilight announced suddenly, grabbing Spike by the scruff of the neck and all but dragging the dragon after her.

“It was nice meeting you too, Rarity!” Spike shouted as he was pulled out of the building.

Now outside, Twilight deposited the dragon onto his own two feet, eying him curiously. “What was that?” Twilight demanded.

“What was what?” Spike asked, his gaze lingering on the door which now stood between him and Rarity.

“Those goo goo eyes I saw,” Twilight declared, jabbing a hoof at the dragon’s face.

“I was not making goo goo eyes at her,” Spike shot back. “Also, who says goo goo eyes? You’ve been spending too much time with Celestia. You are starting to use her one thousand year out of date slang again.”

“I might have spent some… You know what, it doesn't matter. You know exactly what I mean, mister,” Twilight countered, her glare fixing on the now suddenly defensive dragon.

“Alright alright. So she’s cute. What's the big deal?” Spike replied while throwing up his arms.

“She’s the enemy, Spike,” Twilight hissed. “The enemy is not cute.”

Spike raised an eyebrow and looked over the unicorn’s shoulder, prompting Twilight to blink and follow his gaze to where a pony stood awkwardly, a bundle of decorations in her hooves.

Shuffling out of the way, the pony quickly walked past the pair, giving them both a wide berth.

Twilight frowned. “Come on. We can talk about this while we head to the store.”

Spike shrugged. “I’m not sure what the big deal is. It's not like I’m interested or anything. I’m just sayin’ she's cute. You have to admit she does pull off the whole blue and gold thing quite well.”

Twilight’s frown deepened and she grumbled under her breath. “Okay, fine. So she maybe kinda sorta does a better job pulling off the look than most of the houses’ pawns.”

“See? That's all I’m saying,” Spike declared. And if you don't believe me, read my mind, he added, sending the thought to Twilight.

“Fine. I’ll drop it. Just don't get too friendly with her, alright?” Twilight whispered as the pair proceeded down the steps and began to trot in the direction of the market. “You don't know who else may be listening through those ears of hers.”

“Yeah yeah. It's not like I’m going to go spilling my life story to her or anything,” Spike muttered. “Hey, do ya think she could be a potential ally?”

“An ally, Spike, really? She’s a pawn of the houses,” Twilight deadpanned. “Once you become one of them, there is no coming back. Besides, you heard her little spiel back there. She loves the whole khala thing, and is a high templar for crying out loud.”

“I mean, yeah, but she was also nicer than most of those jerks we usually run into,” Spike countered.

Twilight’s frown returned, and the pony considered the dragon’s words carefully as they proceeded across the square and into the market. Most ponies avoided them or shot them fearful looks, but already it seemed as though some of the suspicion was beginning to dissipate. Twilight didn't care for any of that however, her thoughts focused completely on the enigma that was Rarity Belle.

Sure, she was nicer, but she still evidently cared a great deal about her heritage, her family line, and Canterlot itself. Those were usually enough to make Twilight a little disgusted, but the unicorn somehow managed to make those things seem less dirty when she spoke of them. Rarity’s appreciation for these concepts and ideas was simply purer than most of the unicorns Twilight had met, and that was admirable in Twilight’s opinion.

She sighed. “Rarity may not become one of the most steadfast of allies, but she is one of the Bearers. Which means we will have to win her over regardless of my feelings on the matter,” Twilight declared after a long pause.

“Great work on that front, by the way,” Spike replied with a smirk.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Yeah yeah. I nearly lost my cool. Sue me.”

“It's not a big deal. Just ya know, try to remember that she’s important. Even if she’s one of them,” Spike pointed out.

Twilight nodded and levitated over a selection of vegetables from a nearby stall, swiftly leaving the appropriate amount of bits before turning and departing. The startled shop keeper merely took one look at the goods, and then the bits before nodding, depositing the money into an unseen bag behind the counter. Twilight didn't give him a second look, her gaze already fixed on the next stall they would need to stop at.

Have you seen them around? Twilight asked, the unicorn sending her companion a quick image of the suspicious unicorns who had accompanied them on the train.

No, I haven't, Spike replied quickly, the dragon taking the bags of food from Twilight. It's like they vanished the second we got here. I even talked to a few ponies on the way to the town hall, and they all said they haven't seen them.

Twilight smiled as she paid another pony for a bag of flour. That is strange. I would have expected that they would be watching me closely and perhaps even done everything they could to disrupt my duties.

Now that you mention it is, that is kinda weird, Spike replied, grabbing another bag from Twilight. It's almost a little unnerving that they haven't even done anything. Do you think they are planning some sort of surprise attack?

Twilight hummed thoughtfully as she looked over a stand piled high with baked goods. I don't think so. Their best chance to do so would have been when we split up, but by now Bull likely has the library locked down tight.

Which means they could attack us, Spike replied, the dragon nervously glancing over his shoulder.

Twilight merely rolled her eyes as she selected a few good loaves of bread as well as a box of muffins, paying the mare for her food before walking away. I doubt they would want to make a scene somewhere so obvious. They don't have the support here like they do in Canterlot, so it's not like they could get away with attacking us in broad daylight.

I suppose you are right. Still, I almost wish they would attack us. It's scary thinking that they might be out there. Watching us, Spike replied, the dragon grabbing the final bag from Twilight and following her as she began the long trot back to the library.

I don't think we have to worry about them quite yet. Something tells me they are waiting for something important to happen, Twilight thought.

You don't think they are connected to Nightmare Moon, do you? Spike asked, slightly nervously.

I seriously doubt that. Celestia told me all about the banishment spell, and how it works. Nothing can get through that, so unless they are a cult that just so happens to be operating on a thousand year old orders, I don't think Nightmare Moon is in on it, Twilight explained with a shrug.

So are we going to go looking for the last Bearer after this? Spike inquired as they turned the last corner and began to approach the library.

We are. I’d appreciate it if you came with me. I think Bull can hold down the fort while we’re gone, Twilight explained before reaching out and opening the door to the tree building.

The inside of the library was quiet, with the only sound being the clack of hooves as Silver Bulwark came out of the kitchen. “Well, would ya look at that. You are back early,” she exclaimed.

Twilight nodded to Spike, who trotted into the kitchen before Twilight turned back to Silver. “We still need to track down the last one. How goes the defences?” Twilight asked.

“Woah, this fridge is enormous,” Spike exclaimed from the other room.

Silver Bulwark smiled. “Surprisingly easy. There are no other exits other than the doors and windows since it's, well, a tree.”

“And the wards?” Twilight added while looking around.

“Should be up in about an hour or so,” Bull replied. “And before you ask, Applejack is upstairs in a spare bedroom. I figured we’d bunk up like usual in the largest bedroom.”

Twilight nodded. “That sounds good, and how is she?”

Silver Bulwark sighed. “Not good, frankly. She’s going to need years of therapy to get over what happened to her, and that's assuming we can turn her into something more pony-shaped.”

“Well, it's not impossible. Though it might take a while,” Twilight exclaimed before turning back to Silver Bulwark. “Keep working at both. Spike and I will find the last Bearer and start formulating a plan.”

“Aye, boss. Should I have Apples do anything in the meantime?” Silver Bulwark replied while snapping a lazy salute.

Twilight shook her head. “No. She just needs to relax and enjoy being in the presence of friends for a little while. She has a lot to heal from and has recently undergone a considerable life change.”

“So if she needs a friendly ear, give it to her. Got it,” Silver Bulwark added.

“Exactly.”

Spike stretched as he reentered the main room. “Groceries are away. Are we ready?”

“We are,” Twilight declared.

Twilight stepped out into the wide open plain which surrounded the town and separated it from the dangerous Everfree. As she did so, Twilight lit her horn and cast a familiar spell, the pony intent on finding the final Bearer and gathering the last piece to that particular puzzle. The spell, once completed, tugged Twilight in several different directions at once, though the main pull was directly behind her.

That wasn't her focus though, as one final thread tugged her towards the edge of the Everfree, near where Fluttershy lived. Celestia’s information on the hermit was decent, but had some holes in it given Fluttershy’s extreme isolation. The pegasus rarely emerged from her house, and when she did, it was either late at night, or early in the morning while wearing a heavy cloak of some kind.

Twilight wasn't sure what that meant for the pegasus, but Twilight had a few theories, theories which would have to be put to the test once they met the mystery pegasus.

“Do you feel that?” Spike whispered, leaning in close to Twilight as they crested a hill.

Twilight closed her eyes briefly and then nodded. “It's that zerg presence again. It also feels like there is another zerg as well, but it's somewhat muted .”

“Do you think Fluttershy is infested as well?” Spike asked.

“I don't know, but someone near her certainly is,” Twilight replied.

The dragon nodded slowly. “Should we be on guard?”

“I don't think so,” Twilight quickly answered. “Fluttershy is an avowed pacifist, and I doubt this other zerg is aggressive, given that it has spent so much energy trying to avoid us.”

“That could be because it wants to ambush us,” Spike pointed out.

Twilight shook her head. “Whatever it is, it's weak. It won't be a problem one way or another.”

“I’ll follow your lead then,” Spike exclaimed.

Twilight nodded and turned left after her hooves landed on an ill-used trail which steered a little to their right and got dangerously close to the Everfree. Neither Spike nor Twilight felt intimidated however, as they knew exactly what monsters the forest held, and none of them stacked up against the monsters they had already faced. Except maybe a hydra, but Twilight felt confident that her spells could take down such a beast before it even got close.

A slight hill rose before them, the sound of birds singing in the distance reaching their ears at about the same time. It sounded oddly good for a bunch of animals, though there were one or two of them which were slightly off key. Proceeding around the hill, Spike and Twilight saw the source of the bird song, which was a tall stand covered with avians that stood before a robed figure.

The figure was covered from nearly head to hoof in thick brown fabric, the cloak obscuring almost all physical details, but a quick and familiar spell confirmed that this was indeed Fluttershy. Who had been in the middle of coordinating the bird’s singing, though that had stopped the second Twilight rounded the bend and laid eyes on her. The infested unicorn could also sense the now familiar zerg presence which lay to her right, only a few feet away from Fluttershy. Yet when Twilight looked, there was no one there.

Fluttershy hastily spun around, her hooded face and long flowing pink mane hiding all but a single glowing yellow eye.

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Hope and Healing

The pegasus’ eye bore into Twilight’s skull, the sheer amount of fear and anxiety behind it making Twilight a little uneasy. Yet as they stared silently at one another, Twilight could feel a new emotion slowly rise within the other mare. Namely curiosity, her body becoming slightly more relaxed, and her eye narrowing, the other pony considering Twilight carefully.

“Greetings. My name is Twilight Sparkle and this is my son, Spike,” Twilight greeted before extending a hoof. “And you are Fluttershy, correct?”

The robed figure nodded weakly. “Y-yes. I-I-I am,” she stuttered.

“And you are in charge of the music for the Summer Sun Celebration, aren't you?” Twilight continued, gesturing to the agitated flock of birds which sat behind the pegasus, the avians eying Twilight curiously, as if they were ready to dive bomb the unicorn at a moment’s notice.

Again, Fluttershy nodded. “I am.”

“And how is that going by the way?” Twilight pressed, her voice remaining calm and even as she spoke.

Fluttershy looked from Spike to Twilight and back again, her fear fading more and more with each passing second. “G-good,” she whispered after a long pause.

“Do you think it would be ready for Celestia’s arrival?” Spike asked.

Fluttershy sized up the dragon quickly and nodded. “They s-should. Mister B-B-Bluejay just needs a little w-w-work.”

Twilight looked up to where a flummoxed blue jay stood, blushing slightly. “So I heard. I don't mean to interrupt you, so if that's all, we’ll be going,” Twilight declared.

Spike grabbed Twilight by the coat the second she turned around and whispered hastily in her ear, “What are you doing, Twilight? We need to get her on our side.”

Twilight gently pushed the drake back a step. “Trust me.”

Spike frowned, but followed her. “Fine,” he muttered.

Together they turned and began to slowly walk away, only to make it a few feet before Fluttershy suddenly spoke up. “W-w-wait!” she shouted.

Twilight smirked to her companion before turning back around. “Oh? What do you need?” she inquired.

“W-who are you. I mean, who are you r-really?” Fluttershy pressed, her yellow eye glowing brightly.

“What do you mean?” Twilight replied.

“I m-m-mean. Why do you smell so good?” Fluttershy blushed and looked down, muttering to herself.

Twilight and Spike exchanged a look before Twilight glanced back at the pegasus. “I’m not sure what you mean,” Twilight admitted.

“It's just...” Fluttershy paused and inhaled deeply through her nose. “You smell really good, like h-home.”

“That's new,” Spike muttered.

“I’m sorry. That was w-w-weird of me,” stuttered the pegasus, who shuffled backward, nearly bumping into her bird stand.

“It's quite alright,” Twilight replied. “I probably smell that way because I’m like you.”

“L-like me?” Fluttershy whispered, her eye containing the unmistakable look of hope, tinged with a slight edge of fear.

Twilight smiled and extended her mind, brushing it against Fluttershy’s. Like you, I am different.

The pegasus’ eye went wide. “How d-d-did you d-do that?”

“I told you, Fluttershy. We are alike,” Twilight exclaimed, gesturing to both her and Fluttershy, as well as Spike.

“R-r-really?” stuttered the mare, who glanced at Spike.

Who nodded. “Yup,” the drake added with a grin.

“I t-t-thought you were d-d-different,” Fluttershy whispered, the pegasus taking a nervous step forward. “I f-f-feel better around you. C-c-clearer. It's l-like I can think again.”

Spike sniffed the air. “Now that you mention it. I don't smell anything different.”

Twilight lowered herself slightly and took another tentative step towards the mare. “I’m unique. I help people like us become smarter and assist in keeping their minds clear as well as help them fulfill their purpose.”

“P-p-purpose?” Fluttershy asked nervously. “What do you mean?”

“I don't know what yours is. But I know you are unique, like me,” Twilight exclaimed, extending a foreleg. “Take my hoof, and I’ll help you even more. I promise.”

The pegasus glanced nervously at the offered limb while biting her lip and shifting from hoof to hoof nervously. As she did so she inadvertently revealed a second pair of clawed limbs which sprouted from her shoulders and were mostly hidden by the cloak. Twilight made sure to keep her expression calm and neutral, but in her mind she was already running through what she knew about Fluttershy and comparing that knowledge against what she knew of the various zerg strains.

She wasn't any of the obvious ones, such as a hydralisk, zergling, or ultralisk, as the extra limbs Twilight had seen had no manner of blades or other obvious defences. They didn't even seem adept at defence in any manner, the two three fingered hands being far too thin to do much other than maybe poke someone in the eye. Twilight quickly came to the conclusion that this was no normal mixing of zerg and pony as whatever Fluttershy had started to become, she was completely new.

“W-what happened to you?” Fluttershy asked suddenly, a hoof pointing towards Twilight’s shoulder and glowing foreleg.

“I’m not injured if that's what you are worrying about,” Twilight hastily replied, pulling her collar a little higher and straightening her coat. “I’ve merely made a few alterations. Is all.”

“Primitive, bulky, inefficient use of tissue,” Fluttershy muttered under her breath, a hoof poking Twilight’s shoulder again, only for the pegasus to take a nervous step back all of a sudden. “S-sorry. I don't know w-w-what came over m-me.”

Spike raised an eyebrow at that. What are you thinking, Twi?

I’m going to bring her into the fold. Then we can figure out what's different about her. While I do that, please keep an eye on our little guest, Twilight replied before turning back to Fluttershy. “Would you like me to be able to help you more? I promise this isn't a trick or a trap of some kind.”

Fluttershy glanced at Twilight’s hoof. “W-will I always b-b-be able to think this c-clearly if I s-say yes?”

“You will,” Twilight declared.

The pegasus almost immediately reached out and gently took hold of the other pony’s hoof. Twilight quickly got to work, reaching forward with her mind and connecting Fluttershy to their little collective. Unlike with Applejack, this connection was a simple matter, and Twilight could have sworn that the other pony was even helping her somehow. It was like the difference of dragging someone and just holding their hoof as they both walked towards their shared goal.

In mere seconds Fluttershy was connected, her thoughts ringing in both Twilight’s and Spike’s minds. The startled look on Fluttershy’s face was fearful at first, but it quickly morphed to one of curiosity, and finally, joy. In her glee, Fluttershy accidentally let her hood fall, revealing the extra pair of arms which grew from her shoulders, and the thick green pustules which were mostly hidden beneath her mane.

Then the joy was gone, replaced by fear once more, with Fluttershy quickly stumbling back and pulling up her hood. Before she could say anything however, Twilight took a step forward, and stopped Fluttershy’s panic before it could truly begin.

“It's okay. We are all different,” Twilight declared, opening her mind to the other pony. See?

Fluttershy stopped as images of Twilight without her coat, an undisguised Silver Bulwark, and a sad Applejack flashed before the former pegasus’ eyes. “Oh my goodness,” Fluttershy whispered. “That p-poor thing.”

“I’m trying to help her. Like how I’m trying to help you as well,” Twilight pressed.

“You don't know how we could do that, can you?” Spike added.

“Process incomplete. Possible sequence damage,” Fluttershy whispered under her breath, only to shake her head. “N-no. Or maybe? I’m n-not sure.”

“It’s okay,” Twilight urged. “We can talk about it again later. For now just relax. You are among friends.”

“F-friends,” Fluttershy whispered happily to herself, a small smile crossing her face.

“Right,” Spike muttered, turning to Twilight. “So should we let her in on the plan, or are you going to use that brain download thing again, like what you did to Applejack?”

Twilight shook her head. “That was… strenuous on us both. We can discuss the plan and why we are here like normal people. But I think we need to deal with our little voyeur first.”

Spike raised an eyebrow and merely watched as Twilight stepped over to a seemingly random spot of dirt before discarding a boot and rolling up the leg of her coat. Twilight stood completely still as she stared down at the chunk of earth, hoof pulled back and ready to strike. Spike and Fluttershy exchanged a glance, and the dragon was about to ask what was going on before the unicorn’s leg suddenly shot into the ground.

The soil parted like water, allowing nearly the entirety of Twilight’s leg to vanish into it without a trace. A second later Twilight pulled back, now holding a thrashing orange and purple shape that had too many legs to be a pony, but was too bright to be a zerg. The whirling mass of impotent fury snarled and spat, scratching at anything it could, but doing little damage for its efforts.

“Scootaloo!” Fluttershy shouted, the robed pony running over to the imposing unicorn. “Don't hurt her, please!”

“I have no intention of harming this one,” Twilight stated, only to wince when the ball of angry orange fur and purple scales managed to nick her leg with a bladed limb. “One moment.”

The unicorn lit her horn and focused her gaze on the infested filly’s eyes, freezing her mid-flail. Now that she wasn't attempting to escape Twilight’s grip, Spike was able to get a good look at the creature, only to immediately cringe in sympathy. Scootaloo was young, very young, and judging by her scruffy appearance and emaciated form, had likely been abandoned at an early age.

Her vibrant purple hair was unmarred by her infestation, though that didn't mean the rest of her features were safe from her mutations. Her jaw was larger than normal, her mouth was filled with sharp teeth and flanked by an imposing pair of spikes that made Spike think back to the zerglings he had seen not long ago. From there the changes were similarly random, with three of her hooves having been replaced by clawed limbs while one was completely normal.

Her tail was a mix of flesh and hair and ended with a spike, while two large malformed growths sprouted from her shoulders, ending with thick bladed appendages, one of which looked dull. A pair of tiny, relatively normal pegasus wings emerged from the pony’s fur-covered chitin, and she wore a wide, terrified look on her face. As Spike watched, he was able to gleam enough from his connection to Twilight to know that this poor creature had suffered greatly due to her affliction.

“What is she doing?” Fluttershy asked nervously, turning to Spike.

“Just talking to her and trying to figure out what happened to her,” Spike explained. “If you focus, I’m sure she’d let you listen in as well.”

Fluttershy closed her eyes and focused, the mare finding that the connection she sought was easier to acquire than first anticipated.

-can really help me? Scootaloo asked, her thoughts excited and jumbled.

Twilight nodded. I do. I have someone else with me who has suffered as you have, and I hope to help her as well.

It’s Applejack, isn't it? Scootaloo replied.

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “And how did you know that?” she asked aloud.

Scootaloo scratched her neck with one of her bladed limbs. “I’m not supposed to say. But I guess it doesn't matter now anyway.” She sighed. “Apple Bloom leaves out food for me sometimes and even books and stuff. She’s really nice. We even played hide and seek one time, but I was too good at it, and she didn't want to play anymore after that.”

“Oh, thank g-goodness,” Fluttershy exclaimed. “I thought I was the only one t-t-trying to help you. I get so worried when I see you haven't eaten what I l-l-left out for you.”

Scootaloo blushed and turned away from the infested pegasus. “S-sorry. I thought you were one of the bad ponies who would take me away. I know it's silly now that we are… ya know.” The filly pointed to her head and then gestured to Fluttershy.

Fluttershy nodded. “Well, I’m g-g-glad we’ve been able to get over this little m-m-misunderstanding.”

“She’ll be staying with you,” Twilight declared, before gently placing the zergling pony back onto her own four legs. “She’s malnourished and has developed severe social anxiety and agoraphobia.”

“And why do you think Fluttershy would be the best to help with that?” Spike replied, quickly turning to Fluttershy. “No offence, Flutters.”

The pegasus quickly shook her head. “None t-t-taken, Spike. I’m c-c-curious as w-well.”

“When I connected to your mind, I felt as though there was something locked away deep down inside you. Something that may help us fix Applejack as well as Scootaloo.” Twilight frowned. “I can't explain it, but I felt like you may have the physiological and genealogical component that I need to alter our zerg half.”

“What's a zerg?” Scootaloo asked.

“That word sounds f-f-familiar,” Fluttershy muttered.

“It's part of what we are,” Spike exclaimed.

“But I can explain that in more detail later,” Twilight interrupted. “We need to get somewhere more private first.”

Fluttershy’s eye went wide and she looked around nervously. “You are r-r-r-right. Come on, guys. We’ll p-p-practice more back home.”

The birds all nodded before taking to the air, and Fluttershy grabbed the stand before turning eastward. “F-f-follow me.”

Twilight nodded and did just that, with both Scootaloo and Spike following close behind the unicorn.

Twilight looked around from her seat, her gaze drawn to the strange abode that Fluttershy called home. It was certainly not something she had seen coming, but none of Celestia’s spies had managed to enter the pegasus’ home before, so a certain amount of surprise was to be expected. However, seeing the walls covered with some manner of organic plaster went a little beyond what Twilight had assumed was possible.

Not like she was bothered by this though, and despite just how dingy Fluttershy’s abode was, it was surprisingly homey, and already the unicorn could sense that both of her companions were beginning to relax. What little light they needed was given by a small lamp that sat at the center of the small cottage, illuminating the large living room as well as the attached kitchen. Like the brown walls, the furniture was also relatively drab, with all the colors being somewhat muted and ranging from grey, brown, and dull green to faded yellow.

There were also numerous creatures skittering about, including dozens of insects, a few different kinds of bats, a family of bunnies, several ferrets, and numerous other nocturnal creatures of various shapes and sizes. They had hidden from the cottage’s new arrivals for a few minutes, but had quickly warmed up to them after a large snake had emerged. The reptile had slithered out from under the couch and climbed atop the the window sill, before eying them criticly. Its gaze carried with it the distinct look of an intelligent being, one who was clearly wary of the three new ponies now residing within its domain.

Fluttershy appeared a second later with a silver platter in her clawed grip. “I m-m-made some t-tea. I h-hope you like lemon.”

Scootaloo immediately stuck out her tongue. “Gross.”

“Oh, come on. Lemon isn't that bad,” Spike remarked as he grabbed himself a cup.

“Maybe not for you. It makes me puke though,” Scootaloo replied.

“Thank you, Fluttershy. That's very kind of you,” Twilight exclaimed.

The pegasus blushed hard beneath her robes. “T-thank you, my q-queen.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Queen? That's a rather new one.”

All four of Fluttershy’s forelimbs immediately slapped over her mouth. “Oh my g-g-gosh. I’m so s-s-s-sorry.”

Twilight placed a steadying hoof on the other infested’s shoulder. “It's okay. It's just different, is all. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing,” Twilight quickly explained.

“Ya, relax, Flutters. Twilight ain't the type to make a stink about something as small as a nickname,” Spike added.

Twilight nodded and slowly removed her hoof from Fluttershy’s shoulder. “Exactly. I’m just curious as to why you said it, is all.”

Fluttershy gulped and slowly stood back up, her two clawed arms disappearing beneath her voluminous robes. “I d-d-don't know. It just sounded r-r-right,” she whispered.

“Well, regardless. You may call me whatever you want to call me.” Twilight leaned forward, and gestured to the empty seat. “For now we need to discuss why I am here.”

The snake suddenly hissed, its black beady eyes glaring at Twilight as its large copper-colored bulk rose into the air.

Fluttershy glared at the reptile. “S-S-Serra, what have I told you about hissing at our g-g-guests.”

“That sure is an interesting name for a snake,” Spike muttered.

“She ch-ch-chose it for herself,” Fluttershy quickly explained.

“She also seems surprisingly smart,” Twilight mentioned, unfazed by the snake’s sudden aggression.

“I h-h-helped her when she w-w-was little,” Fluttershy exclaimed before turning to glare at the snake in question. “Would you r-r-relax? These are f-f-friends.”

The snake’s jaws slowly closed, and it looked from Fluttershy to Twilight before slowly lying back down on the windowsill, though it never stopped staring at the unicorn.

“S-s-sorry about h-her,” Fluttershy said.

Twilight nodded and sipped her tea. “Moving on. We have much to discuss and little time to do so. I need to get back to the library in order to better figure out how to deal with what's coming.”

“Pfft, whatever it is, you can take it. Right, boss?” Scootaloo declared, her eyes sparkling as she looked up at the unicorn.

The sheer amount of admiration in the zergling hybrid’s gaze made Twilight pause mid-thought. “I, er. Intend to do just that,” Twilight murmured.

“I m-m-may not be the m-most useful pony, but if you n-need my h-h-help, it's yours,” Fluttershy whispered.

Twilight nodded. “Thank you. Your assistance will be appreciated.”

“I’ll help too!” Scootaloo shouted, the hybrid waving her dagger arms as well as her forelegs in the air.

“Your assistance won't be necessary in accomplishing our main goal,” Twilight quickly replied.

The filly shrunk. “Daww.”

The unicorn winced. “But I suppose I could still have a little side job for you.”

“I’m so in!” Scootaloo declared, beaming.

“I need you to guard Fluttershy’s house. There are some bad ponies out there, and I don't want them to set a trap for us,” Twilight stated, eying the filly closely. “Can you handle that?”

Scootaloo snapped a quick salute. “You got it, my queen!” she shouted, before leaping off the couch and sprinting right out the door.

“Was that really necessary?” Spike asked, jerking a thumb in Scootaloo’s direction.

Twilight used her magic to close the door. “It doesn't hurt. Though I don't understand why she was so eager to help all of a sudden,” Twilight admitted.

Spike and Fluttershy exchanged a brief, incredulous look.

“You really didn't notice how excited she was getting?” Spike asked.

Twilight raised an eyebrow at the drake. “What do you mean?”

“She was t-t-talking about y-y-you the whole time,” Fluttershy pointed out.

“I may not have been paying attention,” admitted Twilight.

“Well, the filly seems to worship the ground you walk on, Twilight, so be careful with her,” Spike warned.

Twilight nodded. “Noted.”

“So w-w-what was this p-plan you were talking about?” Fluttershy inquired.

“Nightmare Moon is returning shortly, and I am going to stop her. Provided everything goes according to plan,” Twilight declared.

“B-b-but I thought that was just a s-story?” Fluttershy replied while wringing her clawed hands together nervously.

“Totally real, I’m afraid,” Spike remarked.

“And when she returns, she will use her power to make it night forever,” Twilight continued. “I should not need to tell you how devastating that would be.”

Fluttershy gulped and nodded.

“Heh, speak for yourself. Us dragons will be totally fine,” Spike exclaimed while puffing out his chest.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Spike, you wore two parkas all last winter and still managed to catch both a cold and the flu.”

“Well yeah, but they only lasted like a day or whatever. My immune system is awesome,” Spike countered.

“Regardless,” Twilight began, “we need to avoid this scenario at all costs. Which means activating the Elements of Harmony and using them to seal Nightmare Moon away permanently this time.”

“The E-Elements of H-H-Harmony?” Fluttershy muttered. “What are th-those?”

“Ancient artifacts of unimaginable power. You don't know it, but you are connected to one of them, as is myself, and a few others,” Twilight explained.

“This is all s-s-so m-much,” Fluttershy whispered as she shook her head.

“The fate of Equestria depends on you six. So uh, no pressure, eh?” Spike teased.

Twilight punched the drake in the shoulder before turning back to Fluttershy. “Ignore him. You’ll do just fine. Trust me.”

“I-I do. It's just a lot to t-t-t-take in at once,” Fluttershy stuttered.

“Look. I need to get back to the library and start planning how we are going to get everyone together in order to cast the seeking spell and find the Elements,” Twilight continued, the unicorn standing up from her seat. “After that it shouldn't be difficult to find Nightmare Moon and banish her forever.”

“Forever d-d-does sound a little m-mean, but I guess if she's going to f-f-f-freeze the whole w-world, then it's okay,” Fluttershy whispered.

Spike snorted. “She's trying to destroy the planet. That kind of evil should get you life without parole.”

“Exactly,” Twilight declared. “She has to be dealt with for good, to hesitate would endanger the entire world and all its peoples.”

“R-r-right,” Fluttershy muttered.

“Get your affairs in order and meet me at the library tonight. Hopefully by then I’ll have had the time to coerce the other Element Bearers into joining us,” Twilight commanded.

“Please,” Spike added pointedly.

Fluttershy bowed her head. “Y-y-yes. My queen.”

Twilight nodded. “Good. This will be dangerous, but if we follow my plan, then not only will Equestria be saved, but you’ll be back in time for dinner tomorrow.”

The infested unicorn turned and walked away, her assistant close on her heels.

Spike paused and laid a gentle hand on Fluttershy’s shoulder, an action that earned the dragon a glare from Serra. “We really do appreciate this by the way. You are going to be invaluable against Nightmare Moon, and I just know you’ll be able to help both Scootaloo and Applejack in time.”

Fluttershy smiled, a small blush crossing her features. “T-thanks,” she whispered.

“Spike, are you coming?” Twilight yelled from outside.

Spike rolled his eyes. “Oh and please forgive Twilight. She’s a little stressed.”

“I can f-f-feel it,” Fluttershy whispered, tapping her chest. “There is s-s-so much w-weight on her shoulders.”

Spike frowned and turned away, making a beeline for the door and closing it swiftly behind them. “Coming, Twilight!”

The unicorn snorted, tapping her hoof impatiently as she waited just outside. “All of these detours have cost us precious time. We won't have long before the Summer Sun Celebration, and I refuse to risk the princess’ life.”

“Chillax, Twi. Celestia isn't going to show up until you give her the all clear, so it's not like she's going to be in any danger,” Spike replied flippantly.

“She's in Canterlot, Spike,” Twilight muttered through gritted teeth. “She’s always in danger.”

The dragon winced. “You know what I meant.”

Twilight sighed. “You are right. Let's just get back to the library so I can start planning our next move. Maybe then I’ll be able to relax a little.”

The pair trotted over the bridge which separated Fluttershy’s out of the way property from the rest of Ponyville, only to be interrupted by an orange, furry face peeking out from under the wooden platform.

“Psst, down here,” Scootaloo whispered.

Twilight sighed and leaned down to Scootaloo’s level. “Yes, what is it?”

“I was, uh… just wondering if when you fix me, you could make it so I could… well you see, I was hoping…” Scootaloo muttered, her voice growing quieter and quieter until it was barely louder than a whisper.

The unicorn sighed and ran a hoof down her face. “I do not have time for this,” Twilight muttered.

“Relax, boss. I got this,” Spike interrupted, the dragon sitting down on the edge of the bridge. “Breathe deep three times, then try again.”

Scootaloo nodded, and took three deep breaths before speaking. “I want to be able to fly.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Is that it?”

“Twilight, this is obviously something she cares about,” Spike retorted.

The unicorn frowned as she gazed down on the distraught orange face which looked up at her. “You misunderstand. Enlarging your wings should be relatively easy to do,” Twilight explained.

“R-really?” Scootaloo asked, her eyes going wide.

Twilight nodded. “In fact it should be easier to grow your wings than it is to fix the rest of you. Though it will still be some time before we could do either.”

Scootaloo leapt up onto the bridge and hugged the unicorn’s leg. “Thank you so much. I promise I’ll do everything you say forever!”

Twilight awkwardly patted the pegasus on the head. “Thank you. I think.”

Spike shook his head and gently pulled Scootaloo away. “Now squirt, you better get some food in that belly of yours. You don't want to pass out on the job, now do ya?”

“B-but I need to guard the-” Scootaloo began, only for her rumbling stomach to cut her off.

“I think Spike’s got a point there, Scootaloo,” Twilight added.

“It has been a few days since I ate,” she admitted.

“What are you waiting for? Go on,” Spike urged, pointing back to Fluttershy’s cottage.

Scootaloo began to sprint towards the older pegasus’ home, only to stop after a dozen feet. “Don't worry, my queen. I’ll be back on duty before you know it!” she shouted.

Twilight nodded. “See to it that you do. I’m counting on you.”

The filly giggled excitedly before turning back around and running the rest of the way to the house.

Spike stood back up and shook his head. “You better follow through on that promise of yours, Twi. ‘Cause it looks like you got the poor thing’s hopes up.”

Twilight frowned as she stared at the remote cottage. “As soon as Nightmare Moon is defeated, I will dedicate my every last waking moment to ensuring that both her and Applejack can live normal lives.”

“How exactly do you plan on doing that anyway? You seemed hesitant to promise such a thing to Applejack, but now you are all gung ho about fixing Scootaloo as well,” Spike pointed out.

“There is something in Fluttershy that will be able to help us in this matter. I can feel it,” Twilight declared confidently.

“And her connection to her Element? You aren't still worrying about that, now are you?” Spike inquired.

“Her connection is weak, but no weaker than Rarity’s,” Twilight remarked before turning back towards town. “Come. We don't have any time to waste.”

“Right. Let's hope Silver Bulwark has got the library locked down by now,” Spike added.

“I have no doubt that she does,” Twilight replied.

As Spike walked back from Fluttershy’s cottage, the dragon couldn't help but notice that the denizens of Ponyville were going about their evening with a sense of trepidation and fear. Something was about to happen, and it seemed like everyone knew it, though no one truly understood why they felt the way they did. To the dragon it was as though the world was holding its breath, waiting for whatever cosmic event to arrive and finally pass.

Twilight didn't seem to notice this at all, the unicorn completely unconcerned with the passing ponies and whatever they may be doing with their lives. Her mind was focused utterly on the task ahead of her, namely bringing the rest of the Element Bearers together in order to find the Elements of Harmony themselves. It wouldn't be difficult to do once she managed to get them in a room together, as the same spell she had been casting non-stop all day would also tell her where they were located.

Then all she had to do was get the Bearers to follow her, activate the Elements themselves, and then banish Nightmare Moon forever, which would hopefully leave behind an uncorrupted Luna. Twilight wasn't sure if her plan would work though, given that Luna and Nightmare Moon shared a body, but either way the world would be saved. After that Celestia could divert all of her focus back onto their little nobility problem, and with Twilight’s help, drive them out of Canterlot.

The thought brought a smile to the infested unicorn’s face, and she silently wondered if it were possible to eradicate the zerg after the Equestrian heartland was secure once more. Either way, that was a consideration for future Twilight, not current day Twilight who had a lot to do before she could daydream. Looking up, Twilight realized she was closing in on the library, and even from here she could feel magic emanating from the structure.

As well as something else…

M-my queen? asked a familiar and slightly nervous voice.

Yes Applejack, what is it? Twilight replied, the unicorn stopping a few feet from the door.

A bunch of ponies showed up not too long ago. Silver Bulwark let them in, but I don't know what they are doing, Applejack explained.

Did you recognize any of these ponies? Twilight inquired.

Spike stopped and eyed the unicorn closely. “Why are all the lights off?” he muttered.

I think I heard Silver Bulwark say the name Pinkie Pie, Applejack offered. Sorry, that's all I know.

It's okay, Applejack, Twilight replied before turning to Spike. “Relax. I think I know what's going on.”

“And what's that?” Spike asked.

Twilight smirked. “Let's just say that not everyone agrees with my assessment of when is the appropriate time for a party.”

“A party? Are you sure it isn't a trap of some kind? What if they captured Bull?” Spike asked nervously while gesturing to the library.

“Do you remember what Celestia said about trusting in the good intentions of others?” Twilight countered.

“To uh, do that sometimes?” Spike replied while scratching his head.

“Exactly,” Twilight declared, before reaching forward, opening the door and stepping into her temporary home.

“Surprise!” shouted several different voices as all the lights flicked back on, revealing a grinning Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Silver Bulwark.

Twilight smirked and turned down to her assistant. “Told ya.”

Spike smiled as he surveyed the food and games. “I love being wrong,” he muttered.

Author's Notes:

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Party Crasher

“So, did I surprise ya?” Pinkie Pie inquired, the pony now without her suit, though her mane remained in a tight ponytail.

“You sure did,” Twilight declared. “I haven't had a surprise party thrown for me since…”

“Five years ago, when Celestia threw you a party for graduating highschool,” Spike pointed out before walking past the unicorn and making a beeline for the snack table.

“Yeah, then,” Twilight murmured.

“Well that sounds nice. I’ve always wondered what Celestia is actually like,” mused Pinkie Pie.

“Well it seems as though she is every bit as wonderful as we have been led to believe,” added Rarity, the high templar sporting a different, but still somehow nearly identical gold and blue set of robes.

“Yes, she is,” Twilight replied with a little more force than intended.

Rarity nodded. “I believe you wholeheartedly, darling. There are so very few accounts of her being intentionally mean that I’ve largely disregarded the reports regarding her apparent hidden cruelty.”

Twilight blinked, her retort dying on her lips the second she realized that it wasn't actually needed. “Yes, well. There are certainly a lot of ponies trying to discredit her these days.”

“That is unfortunately quite true,” Rarity agreed.

“Oh! I didn't take you on the tour yet,” Pinkie Pie declared, the earth pony trotting over to Twilight and extending a hoof over the mare’s shoulder. “Over here we got my favorite games, some of which are my own personal creations. And on that table we have the snacks, and of course the tunes.”

Pinkie Pie hopped past the small pile of activities and over to the long table of party food, at the end of which sat a record player. Quickly turning it on, the party pony placed the pin at the right spot and grinned as a jaunty, upbeat tune emerged from the clearly aged device. Twilight smiled and quickly cast her attention to Applejack, suddenly realizing that all of this commotion may have put the mutated mare on edge.

Calling upon the connection they shared, Twilight found that her worries were unfounded, as the hydralisk hybrid was upstairs, hiding just out of sight. Though Applejack’s closeness bothered Twilight slightly as the unicorn didn't want to reveal the farm pony’s presence quite yet, Twilight ignored that worry. Applejack had spent a good majority of her life locked in a hole, and Twilight wasn't about to rob her of what little pleasure that listening brought her.

Looking around the room, Twilight discovered that both Spike, Rainbow Dash, and Silver Bulwark were chatting and eating desserts. The sight made Twilight’s stomach rumble, but she put that out of her mind for now, focusing on the conversation. Just in time to catch Rainbow Dash asking for more details on one of the missions Silver Bulwark had gone on during her time under Celestia’s personal employ.

The guard was in turn lapping up all of the attention, spinning grand tales that were only slightly exaggerated. Her armor and disguise remained on so there wasn't much to worry about there, other than Silver’s head getting too big for her shoulders. Thankfully Spike was quick to butt in whenever Silver’s story delved a little too far into the realm of fantasy, so that worry wasn't totally necessary.

Twilight had been about to turn to Pinkie Pie, when the party pony hopped over to her with a small bucket of mini-donuts in her hoof. “Here! I saw you eying them up, so I got you a bunch,” she announced with a small smile.

“Thanks. But why the tiny bucket?” Twilight asked as she took it.

“‘Cause it's cute. I mean look at it, it's so tiny,” Pinkie Pie replied, shaking the bucket in emphasis.

Twilight couldn't help but smile. “You know what? That is kind of cute. It wouldn't even make a very good sand castle bucket.”

“I know, right?”

Twilight grinned as she chewed on one of the tasty confections, the simple powdered donut making the pony briefly shudder. This was exactly what the doctor ordered, and already Twilight was beginning to relax as she stood silently with Pinkie Pie. Though Twilight’s thoughts were still marred by the threat that loomed over all of Equestria, it was nice to know that she had managed to gather almost all of the Elements. All that was left to do was to contact Fluttershy and invite her to the library, but that could wait until Twilight was done with her donuts.

“So what do you think?” Pinkie Pie asked, poking Twilight in the side.

Twilight swallowed. “It's a great party. Not too many people and some really wonderful snacks.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. “I was worried about the turn out, because despite my frequent attempts at throwing parties, it always seems like nopony wants to come.”

“Well, the atmosphere around town isn't exactly… conducive to a party,” Twilight remarked.

Pinkie Pie sighed. “Yeah. I’m kind of new to the whole party thing, and I think I’m getting good, but the whole town just feels so… blah. You know?”

“There is a lot of fear and mistrust these days,” Twilight acknowledged.

“No kidding. When I first got my cutie mark, I wanted to set out into the world and find my own path right away, but obviously I was still a little young for that,” Pinkie Pie began, her gaze growing distant. “When I grew up and was ready to go out on my own, my ma and pa made sure to find me a job at a rock farm near town.”

“It's sad to see such hostility infect even a small town like Ponyville,” Twilight remarked.

“Yeah…” Pinkie Pie grinned suddenly and gave the larger mare a brief squeeze. “Hey, at least you and your friends all showed up. It's rare that I get even seven ponies to come to one of my shindigs.”

“And I appreciate it, Pinkie Pie. I can already tell I’m going to have fun,” Twilight declared.

Pinkie Pie smiled. “That's great! Oh, and I hope you got room in your fridge for leftovers ‘cause I maaaay have had too much fun making mini-donuts.”

Twilight chuckled as she glanced over at the small mountain of powdered treats waiting for her. “I can tell. I’ll join you in a second though, I just need a moment to think, if you don't mind.”

“Okey dokey,” Pinkie Pie replied before trotting over to the snack table and joining the other’s conversation.

Now alone, Twilight turned and walked over to the window, gazing out over the quiet, barren streets of the small town. Her attention quickly turned inward however, and she focused on the connection between herself and Fluttershy. Bringing it into focus, Twilight was able to reach out and gently touch the other infested pony’s mind.

M-my queen! What do you require? Fluttershy thought excitedly.

Pinkie Pie has thrown a welcome party, and I would like it if you joined us. The other Element bearers are here, and I had hoped to bring them in on my plan before the night was out, Twilight replied while munching on more sugary treats.

Oh um, I got her invitation, but well… Fluttershy’s thoughts petered off.

You’ll enjoy it, trust me. Plus I need you here in order to cast the spell which will allow me to locate the physical manifestation of the Elements, Twilight explained.

Oh, yes of course. I’ll just finish up the last of my evening chores, and I’ll be right over, Fluttershy hastily replied.

How long will that take? Twilight questioned.

An hour or so? That's not too long, is it? Fluttershy nervously replied.

That's more than enough time. I’ll see you soon, Fluttershy, stay safe, Twilight stated.

I will, thank you, my queen, Fluttershy exclaimed before the connection between them was allowed to fall away.

Now relatively alone in her mind once more, Twilight considered her course of action carefully. The time between now and Fluttershy’s arrival wasn't a lot, but it should be enough to get a good feel for the other bearers. After all, Twilight still had to convince them that an old mare’s tale was true, that they were destined to become the embodiment of harmony, and that Celestia was personally counting on them.

“Easy,” Twilight whispered before chuckling to herself.

She sighed and turned back to the group just as Spike finished a joke, causing the other ponies to laugh aloud. All save for Silver Bulwark, who had heard the same bit of humour a few dozen times already. The sight made Twilight’s chest swell with pride, and she began to walk in their direction, determined to accomplish the job set out for her by Celestia.

Don't worry, Princess, you can count on me, Twilight thought to herself.

Twilight, Spike, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash all sat around a table, cards held in their hooves. Each one looked at one another closely, several mounds of candy of various sizes sitting before them while one mountain of the stuff resided in the center of the table. While the players remained silent and were busy trying to stare one another down, Silver Bulwark and Rarity sat near the bottom of the stairs, sipping from wine glasses as they conversed quietly.

Twilight smirked and pushed her pile of colored treats into the center. “I’m all in,” she declared.

Spike stared at the infested pony, their connection temporarily disabled, forcing the dragon to trust his ability to read facial expressions. “I call,” he replied, pushing his own pile into the center.

“Oof, that's too rich for my blood. I’m cashing out while I’m ahead,” Rainbow Dash announced before dumping her sugary snacks into a bag and taking a step back.

Leaving Pinkie Pie to stare at the dragon and then the unicorn. “I’ll call your bluff,” she declared.

With the central mass of candy now the size of a small foal, Twilight flipped over her cards. “Four of a kind, read ‘em and weep.”

Spike smirked and flipped over his own cards. “Straight flush. Now come to papa.”

Pinkie Pie smacked the dragon’s claw before he could reach for the pile of candy however. “Ah ah, you haven't seen what I got yet.”

“Oh uh, right.” Spike leaned back. “Go ahead.”

Pinkie Pie eyed her opponents carefully before dropping her cards and erupting with laughter. “I got nothing. I’m just messin’ with ya.”

“You were one off from a royal flush though,” pointed out Twilight.

“Ah oh well. I should probably stop eating so many sweets anyway,” Pinkie Pie replied with a shrug.

Spike laughed as he dumped his loot into multiple paper bags. “Well, it was nice playing with you girls, now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to eat myself into a food coma.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “You are not eating all of that. You can have ten, mister.”

“Aww, come on!” Spike whined.

“No way. I saw you pig out on chips earlier,” Twilight retorted.

A knock made everyone’s attention turn to the door, and Pinkie Pie leapt up from her spot. “I got it!” she shouted.

Twilight and Spike stood next to her, both creatures already aware of who stood behind the door. Sure enough, when the portal was pulled open, a familiar hooded figure could be seen standing nervously on the other side. Fluttershy wore the same cloak from earlier, and though she appeared a little nervous, Twilight could tell she was also a little excited.

Upon seeing who was standing there, Rainbow Dash perked up, her eyes going wide. “Fluttershy, what are you doing here?” asked the pegasus.

“She’s here for the party of course! I’m so glad you could come,” Pinkie Pie excitedly proclaimed.

“Really, you're coming to a party? I’ve been trying to get you out of the house for years!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, clearly stunned by this sudden turn of events.

“Yes well, I um, thought that it m-m-might be g-good to get out,” Fluttershy muttered while shifting from hoof to hoof and glancing at Twilight.

A look that grabbed Rainbow Dash’s attention, who eyed the infested mare curiously.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Come on in!” Pinkie Pie shouted before grabbing the cloaked pony and all but dragging her into the room.

Unfortunately for her, that action looked a bit too much like she intended to choke the shy mare, prompting her tiny defender to erupt from the ground, yelling a frenzied battle cry as she did so. Both Twilight and Spike were too shocked to move, and Fluttershy was so baffled by what had just happened that she didn't think of telling Scootaloo to stand down, giving the screaming zergling hybrid time to fly at Pinkie Pie’s face, claws and hooves outstretched.

Pinkie Pie nimbly stepped out of the way, giggling as she did so. “Oh, and you brought a plus one, wonderful!” she proclaimed with a grin.

“Taste claw, meanie pants!” screamed the filly before flinging herself at the pink pony once again.

Rather than be surprised or offended, Pinkie Pie batted aside each of the smaller pony’s attacks. “Don't you think you're a little old to play patty cake?” asked the pony as she continued to easily rebuff each swing of the zergling’s limbs.

“What in the hell is that?” shouted Rainbow Dash.

Rarity levitated into the air, her eyes going wide. “Hold still, darling, I’ll get it!” yelled the templar.

“Wait, she doesn't mean anyone any harm,” Twilight interrupted, grabbing Scootaloo’s back end while she continued to try and attack Pinkie Pie.

“Good thinking. Hold it still and I’ll deal with the creature,” Rarity muttered, her eyes glowing brightly as she raised a hoof towards the zergling.

“You will not hurt her!” shouted a new voice from atop the stairs.

Rarity hardly had a moment to process the newcomer’s shout before said individual slammed into her, knocking the wind out of the templar and pinning her to the ground. Her spell fizzled, and the templar lay on the ground panting as her eyes rolled around in their sockets. Rainbow Dash leapt into the air, jabbing a hoof at Applejack as the hybrid held Rarity against the ground.

“What the fuck is that?” screamed the pony.

“Oh, there she is! I was wondering when you were going to come out. Donut?” Pinkie Pie inquired, offering a sugar treat to the confused hydralisk hybrid.

“Come on, Fluttershy, we gotta get the guard. Something screwy is going on here,” Rainbow Dash urged while pulling the other mare towards the door.

“W-wait, this is p-p-part of the plan,” Fluttershy urged.

“Well, I wouldn't say that,” muttered Spike.

“Get off of me, you brute!” shouted Rarity, eyes glowing dangerously.

Twilight sighed as Scootaloo sat motionless in her grip. “Uh, sorry?” muttered the filly.

“It's fine. Just give me a second here,” Twilight replied.

Applejack began to glow, and Rarity seemed ready to toss the zerg hybrid aside, while at the same time Rainbow Dash had nearly pulled Fluttershy out the door. Silver Bulwark was attempting to put herself between the two combatants, and Spike was shoveling candy into his mouth. Pinkie Pie was the only one unbothered by the circumstances, holding a plate of food which she was trying to use in order to bribe Applejack away from Rarity.

“Quiet!” shouted Twilight, her horn glowing brightly as did her eyes, inadvertently shattering the illusions placed upon them.

A powerful force both magical and psionic suddenly pinned the panicky ponies to the ground. Rainbow Dash found herself facefirst against the floor, unable to move an inch, as did Rarity, and Applejack, though the two had been pulled apart first. Spike calmly walked over to the door and closed it behind them, the dragon taking position next to his mother.

“Now that I have your attention, I only need to say this once. Calm the fuck down. Got it?” Twilight barked, glaring at each party before settling on Rarity.

Each one nodded as much as they could.

“S-sorry, Twilight,” muttered Rainbow Dash.

“Sorry, my queen,” murmured Applejack.

“I have no idea what's going on, but it appears as though I am in the wrong,” Rarity regretfully added.

“It's fine, you guys. Now I’m gonna let you up, and we are going to have a long conversation, at the end of which I will answer any questions, okay?” Twilight stated.

Everyone nodded.

“Alright.” Twilight sighed and released the hold she had on everyone.

“Just uh, one question first. What's with your eyes? Are you like Rarity?” Rainbow Dash inquired while dusting herself off.

Twilight blinked and looked over at a window. “Ah, horse apples.” The unicorn tugged the blinds closed before turning back to Rainbow Dash. “And to answer your question, it's something like that.”

“I doubt that, but regardless, go ahead,” Rarity muttered.

Twilight breathed deeply. “Alright, so here's the thing, we are the Elements of Harmony and--”

“--that's pretty much the gist of it,” Twilight finished.

The room was silent, the various inhabitants now seated before the mare, some on the ground, others on chairs, while one stood to the side, eating popcorn.

“Wow. That's quite the story,” Pinkie Pie muttered through a mouthful of salty goodness.

“That certainly is one way to put it,” Rainbow Dash murmured.

“You speak with such conviction, and after what I’ve seen and heard, I’m inclined to believe you,” Rarity admitted with a hint of reluctance.

“Which is why we gotta go with her to wherever these Element things are, so we can save Equestria,” Applejack stated.

“I normally wouldn't buy such a farfetched story, but…” Rainbow Dash glanced to Fluttershy. “If Flutters is convinced it's real, then I’m coming to. Even if it's just so I can look after her.”

“T-thanks, Rainbow,” Fluttershy whispered while blushing profusely.

“Right, and Pinkie Pie, what do you say. Are you gonna help us save the world?” Twilight asked, turning to the party pony.

Who gulped down the last of her popcorn and tossed the bowl aside. “Yupper doodle. If Equestria is in trouble, then Pinkie Pie is on the job. Though I’d like to be able to run home and get my stealth suit first.”

“That could come in handy,” pointed out Silver Bulwark.

Twilight nodded. “It's imperative that we move as soon as possible, but if we have the time to grab it, then I suppose it's possible that it may end up saving our hides.”

“Now hold on, darling. I haven't agreed to anything yet,” Rarity pointed out, the templar standing from her pillow and gazing down on the gathering of ponies and zerg hybrids. “If what you say is true, we should at least acquire additional allies or at the bare minimum hire a guide.”

“Pffft, why bother? I know most of that forest like the back of my hoof,” Scootaloo declared.

Fluttershy frowned. “What did I tell you about g-g-going in there? It’s d-dangerous.”

Scootaloo blushed. “Oops, sorry.”

Twilight stood as well, facing the other unicorn fully. “Look, I know this is a lot to take in, but trust me when I say that this is the best possible course of action. All I need to do is use the spell one more time.Now that we are all together, I should find out where the Elements are. After that we just need to get them and then use them on Nightmare Moon.”

“Why don't you use it now, so we can start planning? They might be in Vanhoover or something,” Silver Bulwark pointed out.

“Yeah, good thinkin’. We should use it now, just in case,” Spike added.

“It’d assuage my worries, if you did,” ddmitted Rarity.

Twilight nodded and lit her horn, casting the spell in mere moments. This time when it finished, the magical energy didn't dissipate immediately, and instead a rainbow of lights erupted from Twilight’s horn. Each one of the colors connected with the six Element Bearers before rebounding and meeting once more in the middle, where they shot up through the roof and into the sky where the rainbow exploded in a shower of light, briefly illuminating the small town.

“Woah, neato,” Pinkie Pie remarked while peeking out the window.

“That certainly was quite the lightshow,” Rarity muttered.

Twilight’s eyes remained closed as information began to pour into her mind. “That's… odd,” she whispered, her eyes flickering open. “It seems like they’re in a dilapidated castle, likely in the Everfree.”

“The Castle of the Two Sisters! I know where it is!” Scootaloo proclaimed.

“I guess Celestia’s hunch was right, after all,” Silver Bulwark exclaimed.

“That's not far either, we could get there tonight. Which would give us at least a little time before old moony makes her return,” Spike pointed out.

“That's good, right?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Any advantage we can get against an ancient evil alicorn is a good thing,” Twilight replied.

Rarity’s frown deepened. “I still don't like this, but if I’m wrong, the entire world may be plunged into darkness. That is something I cannot allow.”

Silver Bulwark smacked the unicorn on the back hard enough to almost knock the wind out of her. “Atta girl! I knew there was a brain in that head of yours,” exclaimed the guard.

“Yes, well.” Rarity coughed. “I would at least like the opportunity to change out of my vestments at least. I would hate to ruin them.”

“Yeah, that would be terrible,” Spike mocked.

Rarity sighed. “It is my only demand. Surely if Pinkie Pie is getting her ridiculous suit I can at least shed my clothes in the comfort of my own home.”

Twilight nodded. “That does sound fair. Does anyone else have anything to contribute?”

Everyone shook their heads.

“Right, then let's get moving,” Twilight declared. “We’ll start by splitting up and meeting at the edge of the Everfree next to Fluttershy’s cottage.”

“I would advise that if you are trained in any manner of weapon or have experience wearing armor, that you bring them with you,” Silver Bulwark added.

“But if you aren't, don't grab any as you’ll just end up hurting yourself or others,” Spike exclaimed.

“Pfft, of course, everyone knows that,” Pinkie Pie remarked.

Rainbow Dash blushed and quietly pretended as though she wasn't planning on going home and grabbing the katana that hung over her mantle. “Yeah, totally. I’m ready when you are,” muttered the pegasus.

“Thank you, by the way,” Twilight proclaimed with a soft smile. “I know that was a lot to swallow, and I promise your trust in me is not misplaced.”

Applejack smiled. “Course, now let’s go kick some bad guy’s butt!”

“Here here!” Rarity added, prompting the rest of the gathering beings to add their own shout of excitement to the mix.

Author's Notes:

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Into Darkness

Twilight nodded and took a step back. “Alright, you are back to being invisible again, but just remember the spell doesn't muffle any sounds you may make.”

Applejack nodded, only to realize that she was no longer visible. “Right. I’ll hang back a little and watch your back.”

“I’ll be counting on you, Applejack,” Pinkie Pie declared with a small smile.

“Can you make me invisible too?” asked Scootaloo excitedly.

Twilight shrugged. “Yeah sure. But it won't last for more than an hour or so. I have to conserve my mana.”

Scootaloo grinned and pumped a hoof in the air. “Awesome!”

A second later the zergling hybrid shimmered out of existence, though everyone around could still hear her as she hopped around the room.

“Right, well. I will see you in a few minutes and don't worry, darling, I shan't tarry long,” Rarity proclaimed, gently touching Twilight’s shoulder as the templar passed the other unicorn.

“In that case I’ll see you girls shortly. Remember, don't tell anyone what we’re doing or repeat what I’ve told you,” Twilight sternly declared.

Rarity nodded, and Pinkie Pie gave the unicorn a brief salute. “You got it, boss lady,” exclaimed the pink pony.

With the two mares now behind her, Twilight turned to the rest of her friends. “Anything else?” she inquired.

Spike, Rainbow Dash, Silver Bulwark, and Fluttershy all shook their heads.

“Good, then let's go,” Twilight ordered.

“Relax, Twilight, they will come, you’ll see,” Spike softly stated, doing his best to reassure the pacing unicorn who walked back and forth in front of the entrance to the Everfree.

“I know they will, but I keep thinking about Celestia and how much she wants us to succeed. This may be the only chance to get Luna back, we have to give it our all,” Twilight replied before resuming her pacing.

“We totally got this,” Rainbow Dash announced with a grin. “I mean sure, we got a motley crew with us, but so long as I’m around, you got nothing to worry about.”

“Your confidence is so reassuring,” Twilight muttered bitterly.

Rainbow Dash didn't have time to give a response however, as the sound of incoming hooves made the small group turn to where Pinkie Pie was running towards them. The straight-maned pony now wore the same bulky suit and homemade battery that she had when Twilight first met her, though her usual grin was gone. Her expression was grim, and strapped on her shoulder was a long thin blade within easy reaching distance.

“You girls ready?” asked Pinkie Pie as she trotted up to the group.

“Woah, cool knife. Can I see?” inquired Rainbow Dash, who reached for the hilt of the earth pony’s dagger.

Pinkie Pie swatted the pegasus’ hoof away. “It is a dangerous weapon, not a toy,” she replied.

“Right. Sorry,” muttered Rainbow Dash.

“Now we just have to wait for Rarity,” Twilight exclaimed.

“You won't have to wait long,” interrupted Silver Bulwark, who peered intently from behind the shadows of her hood.

Following the other pony’s gaze, Twilight was able to see a floating shape that was approaching them from a distance. Rarity had removed her clothing in addition to the colored fabric that had been in her braided mane, which was now pulled further back. She also appeared far more serious then a few minutes ago, and though she remained unarmed, her eyes blazed like a bluish inferno.

Twilight remained silent, watching closely as the pony approached them at a good pace. “You made good timing,” Twilight remarked once Rarity was in ear shot.

“Yes, well. I would have made even better timing, but I was interrupted for a moment. Nothing to worry about though, I assure you,” Rarity hastily exclaimed.

Twilight’s gaze lingered on the floating unicorn for a moment before turning towards the rest of her group. “Remember. This is no walk in the park, the Everfree is dangerous, and though I am confident that we could overcome any foe, it's important to stick together,” Twilight stated.

“You got it, Twi!” Spike replied.

“Understood,” added Silver Bulwark.

Looking to the rest of her group revealed expressions of acknowledgement.

“Alright, so this is what's going to happen. Scootalooo will be at the front, and I’ll be right behind her. After that the rest of you will fill in the middle with Spike and Silver Bulwark on either side, and Applejack taking up the rear,” Twilight announced.

“Hey, I can totally take point,” Rainbow Dash declared with a stomp of her hoof. “I’ll have you know that I’m a black belt in-”

A sudden scream from somewhere in town caused the small group to turn in unison.

“What was that?” Applejack whispered.

Cries of confusion, followed by shouting, could be heard coming from the centre of Ponyville, setting everyone on edge.

“She’s here, and early too,” Twilight muttered. “Come on. We have to move. Haste is now more important than ever.”

“Wait, shouldn't we check on them? What if it's not Nightmare Moon?” Rarity questioned.

“Then it doesn't matter,” Twilight stated evenly.

“But-” Rainbow Dash began, only to be cut off by a firm glare from Twilight.

“Nothing else matters,” declared the unicorn. “Nightmare Moon can end all life on this planet, remember? Even if it's a fire, or a monster attack, it's nothing compared against the fate of our entire world.”

The screams died down suddenly, and a hush fell over the landscape.

“I’m not sure if I’m more relieved or terrified,” muttered Pinkie Pie grimly.

“We should move, it's already late,” Silver Bulwark interrupted.

Twilight turned. “Remember what I told you and we may very well end up saving the world before the day is out. Don't fall behind and don't get separated.”

One by one the group slowly fell into place, each pony settling into their prescribed positions with Twilight at the forefront. The mood was grim, the sudden scream having shattered any remnant of joy left over from the recent party. Even Pinkie Pie seemed utterly focused on the path ahead, a sight that made hope kindle in Twilight’s chest.

I won't let you down, Princess, Twilight thought to herself before plunging head first into the dark forest.

Twilight frowned as she looked over the thin ledge, which on one side was flanked by a tall wall of stone while the other went straight down for a considerable distance. The unicorn turned to their guide, or where Twilight knew Scootaloo was standing anyway, given that she was still invisible.

“Are you sure this is the fastest way to get to the castle? This seems unnecessarily risky,” Twilight remarked, gesturing to the ledge.

“Totally,” Scootaloo declared. “After that it's a straight shot through this dry ravine, over a river, and then bam, we’re there.”

“I assume there is a bridge over this river,” Silver Bulwark inquired.

Scootaloo nodded. “A great big stone one,” she proclaimed.

“I suppose I could levitate everyone across, but that would take quite a while as this ledge stretches for quite a while,” Rarity remarked, the mare floating over the side of the cliff and glancing further down the path.

“That would negate the time advantage we are getting from this route,” Twilight murmured.

Spike stepped forward onto the ledge and looked around. “It isn't too bad. Though I think Applejack might have some problems.”

“She’ll take up the rear, and I’ll keep my eye on her. Should anything happen, I’ll teleport both of us to safety,” Twilight quickly interrupted, the unicorn well aware of the worry already building in the hydralisk’s mind.

“And me and Rarity will fly beside and catch anyone if they should fall,” Rainbow Dash added.

“Excellent idea, darling,” Rarity declared.

“Alright then, Spike and Scootaloo should go first then. They are the lightest, and after that I would suggest that the order be Pinkie Pie, myself, Fluttershy, Twilight and finally Applejack,” Silver Bulwark explained.

“Distribute the weight at least a little more, I like it,” Twilight murmured.

“I don't know why you guys are spending so much time planning this all out. This is easy,” Spike declared before he and Scootaloo rounded the first bend in the path.

“Slow down, Spike!” Twilight shouted before gesturing to the group. “No point in waiting now, Pinkie Pie, you're up first.”

The earth pony nodded and slipped onto the ledge with ease, her surprisingly slim frame and dexterous hooves making it look easy despite her bulky armor. Silver Bulwark followed at a reasonable distance, her larger frame and bulky armor somehow not slowing her down one iota. The guard’s practice and years of training were evidently coming in clutch, as she strode confidently down the narrow path.

“Woah, she is good at that,” Applejack murmured.

“You're telling me,” Twilight replied.

“S-should I g-g-go now?” Fluttershy asked nervously.

“Just give her a few more feet,” Twilight said. “Alright, now you can go.”

Fluttershy gulped and walked out onto the ledge, her steps shaky and unsure, though her natural pegasus grace seemed to compensate at least somewhat. Her cloak thankfully didn't get in the way too much, but it still bothered Twilight, as she worried the mare may trip. When that didn't immediately happen, Twilight breathed a sigh of relief and stepped out onto the ledge, only to be stopped when Applejack coughed nervously.

“Are you sure about this?” whispered the mutated mare.

“I am,” Twilight declared, turning to the infested pony. “All you need to do is yell, and I’ll turn around and teleport both of us to the beginning of this path. Unfortunately I can't see the end of it, so it's not possible for me to skip straight there right now, but at least we won't be crushed by falling rocks or fall to our deaths.”

Applejack chuckled nervously. “You sure know how to calm a pony down.”

Twilight smirked and began to trot forward. “Your safety is assured, and I have a plan, that's pretty calming in my book.”

“I guess so,” Applejack mused.

After getting a good amount of distance between them, Applejack began to slither out onto the ledge, her enormous body and strange method of locomotion making things difficult for her. Still, she had just enough room to move, and with Twilight’s confidence bleeding through their link, she began to set out in earnest. Ahead of her, the train of ponies and dragon moved at a slow but steady pace, winding around the many bends.

Time passed by slowly, with each member of the group fixating completely on their own progress and little else. While this happened both Rainbow Dash and Rarity hovered nearby, ready to swoop in and help should the need arise. Twilight for her part had quickly gotten used to traversing the ledge, gaining a bit of Silver’s dexterity somehow.

Which meant Twilight had plenty of time to study the enormous boulders and piles of rocks hanging on the slope overhead. A sight that grew increasingly unpleasant the more Twilight observed it, though she did at least manage to tear her gaze away from it after a while. Just in time to see Fluttershy’s hoof slip and the pony tumble to the ground in a terrified, panicked heap.

Twilight lit her horn, but couldn't get a telekinetic grip on the mare before she was already on the ground, mere moments after slipping. It happened so fast that almost no one noticed what had happened before Fluttershy was lying there, panting hard with one of her legs hanging off the edge. Everyone who saw her slip collectively let out a sigh of relief, and the hybrid mare rose to an unsteady stand.

“S-s-sorry. I don't know what h-happened,” Fluttershy whispered. “It felt like my l-leg was pulled out from under me.”

“The rocks aren't even that slippery,” muttered Twilight, before a sudden noise brought her attention to the wall to her right.

A dark shape moved swiftly out of sight, but not before kicking a boulder down the side of the cliff. Twilight lit her horn once more, but by the time she was able to grab the boulder it had already started an enormous chain reaction.

With wide eyes, Twilight turned back to the ledge. “Run!” she screamed.

The rumbling of the rocks quickly grew to a great cacophony, and everyone began to sprint as fast as they could manage. Stones varying from the size of an apple all the way up to small homes tumbled down the side of the cliff face. A brief flash of images told Twilight that they were nearing the end though, as both Scootaloo and Spike were now safe and out of harm's way.

With that knowledge in mind, Twilight kept as close to the rock wall as she could manage while keeping an eye on the rest of her group. Silver Bulwark weathered the pelting stones with ease, the guard indomitable and utterly unshakable as she sprinted down the path. Pinkie Pie was the picture of grace, dodging around every obstacle that she faced with the ease of a trained dancer.

Fluttershy however was breathing hard and struggled to keep her hooves from getting tangled or from getting knocked off the side of the cliff by the rocks. A problem Applejack also shared, as her sheer size meant that the hydralisk was constantly assaulted with falling stones. Thankfully her chitinous exoskeleton protected her somewhat, unlike Fluttershy, who was one good hit away from plummeting over the side.

As the end neared, and the ledge began to widen, Twilight felt a brief burst of hope to flare in her chest. That hope was dashed the second she noticed an enormous misshapen boulder hurtling down the sloping cliff above them. The trajectory would put it directly on top of Fluttershy, who was too terrified to notice what was about to happen. Focusing on her magic, Twilight tried to run and cast at the same time, but she could barely budge the boulder given what little focus she could muster.

The unicorn didn't have time to try her psionic abilities however as the boulder was already mere feet away. Thankfully she wasn't the only one to notice this coming danger, and a prismatic blur swept in from behind, snatching Fluttershy out of danger. Twilight could tell that Rainbow Dash had been forced to take a few nasty hits, but the flood of relief from Fluttershy over their link told the unicorn that they had at least both reached safety.

Unlike her.

“Look out!” Applejack cried.

Twilight realized two things in that moment, one, that in her attempt to save Fluttershy, Twilight had inadvertently slowed down to a mere walk, and two, that it was suddenly very dark. The boulder never hit her however, as Applejack leapt overtop of the unicorn, using her larger bulk to shield Twilight from harm. Though not herself, as Applejack cried out in pain as the hunk of stone bounced off her back with a sickening thump.

Twilight wished she could heal her savior, but she didn't have time, and instead the infested unicorn made a snap decision and teleported her and Applejack away. She had only seen snippets of her destination in the eyes of the others, but it turned out to be enough information as they appeared safely out of harm’s way. Though they did both end up falling a half dozen feet, and ended up sprawled out on the ground, that was a small price to pay.

Silver Bulwark was the first to appear, the guard nervously checking Twilight over. “Are you injured? Where does it hurt?” shee asked.

Twilight winced and rolled onto her stomach. “I’m fine. Check on the others,” she muttered.

Silver Bulwark gave the infested mare a nervous look before doing just that, leaving Twilight standing there while trying to catch her breath. “You alright?” Spike asked nervously, the dragon followed closely by a nervous and still invisible Scootaloo.

“I’m fine. How are the others?” Twilight asked, the mare’s horn glowing as she assessed her own injuries.

“Rainbow’s wing doesn't look good and Applejack is a little banged up, but other than that, everyone is okay,” Spike hastily replied.

“I’m so sorry,” interrupted Scootaloo, who hugged Twilight’s leg tightly. “This is all my fault.”

“The decision was mine. Don't worry about it,” Twilight declared before gently brushing the zergling aside and observing her companions.

Sure enough, Rainbow Dash was indeed injured and though the pegasus was still standing, one wing hung limply at her side. Fluttershy was doing her best to help, but it was clear from even a glance that there wasn't much she could do. Turning to Applejack revealed that although she appeared bruised and battered, the hydralisk was relatively uninjured.

A spike of guilt still shot through Twilight’s heart though, and she walked over to the pony as she was slowly rising back into a stand. “Here, hold still,” Twilight whispered.

Applejack nodded and remained calm as Twilight channeled a bit of the strange energy she carried within her. Within moments, Applejack’s wounds began to heal, and the pained expression quickly left her face.

“Thanks,” Applejack murmured.

“No, thank you. That was really brave of you,” Twilight replied, touching the hydralisk’s shoulder.

The other infested mare blushed slightly. “Just returnin’ the favor, is all.”

Twilight was about to rebuff such a sentiment, only to be interrupted.

“Relax, I’m fine,” Rainbow Dash insisted.

“You are not fine,” Fluttershy hissed.

Twilight sighed and trotted over to the pair, the rest of the group checking themselves for injuries, all save for Rarity who was nowhere to be seen.

“How bad is it?” asked Twilight, who pushed her way next to Fluttershy.

“Possible broken bone, definitely some ligament damage, cast required,” Fluttershy muttered before shaking her head. “It's not good, b-b-but I c-can't do much.”

“It's fine,” Rainbow Dash insisted, only to wince immediately. “So I can't fly for a bit, it's no big deal.”

“Yes, it's a big deal. If left untreated or further aggravated, this could lead to permanent, irreparable damage,” Pinkie Pie interrupted.

“Exactly. If you take another big hit like that, your wing may never recover,” added Silver Bulwark.

Rainbow Dash paled, though she quickly shook her head. “So I just won't get hit again. Easy peasy,” she announced.

“This is serious,” hissed Fluttershy who quickly turned to Twilight. “Can you heal her like you did Applejack?”

“I’m afraid she's not like us,” Twilight replied sadly. “But I can at least ease her pain and use a low level healing spell.”

“Actually I think my triage spell will be a little more effective,” interrupted Silver Bulwark who stepped forward, horn glowing an odd mix of teal and orange.

Twilight nodded. “Do it.”

“Hey, wait, don't I get a say in--Oh, that's kinda nice,” Rainbow Dash murmured, the pegasus instantly relaxing as Silver Bulwark’s spell cascaded over her wing and upper back.

After the spell had run its course, Silver Bulwark sighed. “It's not much, but so long as it doesn't get hit again, it will heal completely, given time.”

Fluttershy let out a sigh. “Oh, thank goodness,” she whispered.

“So do we go back, or?” Pinkie Pie asked nervously.

Rainbow Dash shook her head. “No way. We got this far, and I ain't giving up yet.”

“Then we should move soon,” Twilight urged, only to look around. “Wait, where's Rarity?”

“Right here, darling,” announced the mare as she levitated down from the cliff. “After you were safe, I gave chase to whomever was following us, but I fear they have managed to evade me.”

Twilight’s eyes narrowed, but despite her misgivings, Rarity didn't seem as though she was lying. “Then you saw it too,” Twilight muttered.

Rarity nodded grimly. “I did. Though unfortunately all I was able to see was a shadow. They were definitely strong though, that's for sure.”

“Am I missing something?” Spike asked while scratching his head.

“I’ll tell you on the way,” Twilight replied before turning to the path once more. “For now, we gotta keep going.”

The group crept slowly down the path, a looming wall of stone rising before them and blotting out the light of the moon. The wall was strangely smooth, though there was at least a narrow opening that would allow them to get past it relatively easily. Silver Bulwark, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity were up front while the others hung back with a pouting Scootaloo.

“Why can't I stay at the front?” Scootaloo whispered.

“Because it's dangerous. You heard what Fluttershy said, a manticore is in the area,” Twilight whispered back.

Fluttershy nodded. “And they are v-v-very t-territorial.”

“Is it just me or does it also smell a little funny?” Pinkie Pie asked suddenly.

Twilight sniffed the air, her nose scrunching up instantly. “You are right. Fluttershy, what is that?”

“I don't know…” Fluttershy muttered, her brow creased.

“Stop,” Silver Bulwark whispered.

Instantly the group stopped moving, save for Twilight who crept a little closer to the guard. “What is it?” whispered the unicorn.

“Look here,” Silver Bulwark exclaimed, pointing to the ground. “Something big went down.”

Twilight followed the mare’s hoof and found that such an assessment was indeed true, as the ground was rough and uneven. Footprints both large and small could be seen all over the place, and the dirt was torn up in some spots. Blood could also be seen splattering the now dry earth and though most looked old, there was some which appeared bright and fresh.

“At least two assailants, and… is that a manticore footprint?” Twilight murmured.

Fluttershy nodded. “It's likely injured and though it looks like it l-l-lost a lot of b-blood, it's still d-dangerous”

“Noted,” Twilight replied before nodding to Silver Bulwark. “Let's proceed slowly, I do not want to be surprised by some angry manticore out of nowhere.”

Silver Bulwark took point and slowly crept forward, while the rest of their companions fell in close behind. Compared to the rest of their adventures, a manticore didn't seem that scary to Twilight, though the waiting certainly wasn't helping matters. As time stretched on, the group grew increasingly nervous, save for Twilight and Silver Bulwark, who were able to keep their cool.

“Incoming, right side!” Silver Bulwark shouted a second before a crash alerted the entire group to something big coming from that direction.

Twilight, Silver Bulwark, and Applejack lined up, while Rarity and Rainbow Dash levitated just overhead. They had just enough time to get into position before a nearby tree toppled over and an enraged manticore emerged into view. It stood taller than even Applejack.Its paws were massive, its hide scarred from many, many battles. Its stinger was a blood red, while its large, voluminous mane was a deeper crimson color, like the skin between its wings. The beast landed before them and let out a great roar that filled the area, shaking everyone who heard it to their very core.

Even Silver Bulwark seemed a little unnerved, though it didn't stop her from charging forward, hoof raised. Twilight was also quick to act, casting a lightning bolt that ripped through the air and impacted the manticore’s thick hide to little effect. Even a hail of organic missiles from Applejack did little to stop the beast, though that may have been due to the hydralisk’s poor aim.

The creature, shocked by the sudden counterattack, roared one final time before leaping into the air and attempting to pounce on Silver Bulwark. The guard was too fast however, and she leapt to the side before stabbing forward with a long blade which extended from her hoof. The blade was sharp, but the manticore’s hide proved tougher once more, ensuring Silver Bulwark hardly left a scratch.

“Get some fire on those wings!” Twilight shouted.

Spike, now shaken from his stupor, charged forward and breathed a gout of purple flames onto the closest batlike wing while Applejack unleashed on the other one. This time their attacks seemed to do something, though that something was enraging the manticore even more. The beast backhanded Spike off of his feet before slashing Silver Bulwark across the chest with a clawed paw.

The guard was able to block in time, but she too was knocked aside by the force of the blow. Rainbow Dash and Rarity took advantage of this opening and leapt into action with the pegasus jumping onto the manticore’s back and punching it in the back of the head. While this happened, Rarity waved a glowing hoof at the manticore, causing the beast to suddenly stumble to the side, temporarily dazed.

Rainbow Dash’s punch landed squarely at the base of the creature’s spine, but the manticore’s hide seemed as adept at deflecting blunt objects as it was sharp ones. A second later and the pegasus was forced to leap aside when the manticore’s tail began to descend, the blunt part of its stinger aimed for Rainbow’s back. Rolling off the side of the creature, Rainbow Dash immediately kept running before leaping into the air and dodging another swipe.

“Stand back. I’ll finish this,” Twilight declared, a fireball spell building on her horn.

“Wait! Stop!” Fluttershy cried, the infested pegasus leaping to the forefront of the action and putting herself between Twilight and her target.

“Watch out, Fluttershy!” Pinkie Pie shouted.

The shy mare spun around just as the manticore’s stinger came down, putting the companions in an odd spot. Noone was in a position to do much of anything, even Pinkie Pie, who had spent her time sneaking up on the manticore and was still too far away. Twilight could unleash her spell, but it was as likely to hit Fluttershy as her target, leaving her in a strange position.

The stinger never hit her though, and the manticore’s eyes popped open, its body suddenly becoming rigid. Confused, Twilight turned to Rarity only to find that she and Silver Bulwark were just as perplexed. Noticing that the creature hadn't attacked, Twilight quickly gestured for Spike and Applejack to stand down.

A move that turned out to be the correct one, as Fluttershy somehow managed to make the manticore sit and then lay down. Twilight was tempted to use this moment to deliver a coordinated attack on the monster, but she could tell that her shy friend was onto something. Taking a cue from Fluttershy’s confident expression and calm mind, the infested unicorn silently took a step back, urging the rest of her friends to do similarly.

Though they were as nervous as Twilight was, they complied, leaving Fluttershy relatively alone with the creature. This increased space seemed to put the manticore even more at ease, and it settled its great head on the ground before Fluttershy. Immediately, the creature let out a low, pained moan, and turned slightly, as if trying to draw attention to its large mane.

Fluttershy nodded, and while still maintaining eye contact, trotted up to the manticore and began to slowly part its hair. The sound of nervous chewing made Twilight notice that not everyone was as calm as Fluttershy was. Rainbow Dash was biting on the tips of her hooves while staring intently at her friend, who was seemingly searching for something in the creature’s mane.

The shimmer of something metallic caught Twilight’s eye, and Fluttershy slowly parted the creature’s mane to reveal a dagger. The weapon was long and sharp, and stuck fast in the manticore’s thick hide, having somehow managed to pierce it just deep enough that the wound wasn't fatal but also didn't slip out. The manticore’s moan of pain made all but Fluttershy nervous, the pegasus’ gaze still focused on the creature.

Her hoof settled on the hilt of the blade, and while keeping her eyes locked with the manticore, Fluttershy ripped the weapon free. The beast roared in agony, rising to a stand and using its great paws to tear a deep furrow of earth. Twilight stood ready, a spell already formed, but Fluttershy remained confident, and so the infested unicorn waited patiently.

The manticore roared and tore at the ground for several more seconds before it seemingly burnt itself out and stood there, chest heaving as it stared down at Fluttershy. The shy pegasus smiled and tossed the dagger aside before nodding slowly to the great beast. An action the creature returned before backing a few feet away and then taking off into the woods.

Fluttershy remained in the same spot for several seconds before letting out a deep sigh. “Whew, that w-w-was c-c-lose,” she stuttered.

Twilight was the first to react with the unicorn rushing over to her friend and pulling her into a tight hug. “That was amazing!” Twilight declared.

“Yeah, Fluttershy, that was crazy,” Rainbow Dash remarked.

A small chorus of agreement made the shy pegasus’ blush grow to encompass nearly her entire face. “Oh it w-w-was n-nothing,” whispered the mare.

“I hate to interrupt, but I think you should see this,” exclaimed Silver Bulwark.

Twilight turned to see the guard holding the dagger aloft in her hoof. “What's so special about… Oh.”

“Well, that's not good,” Spike murmured.

Twilight nodded and took the blade, rolling it over so the symbol on the hilt could be seen by all. A symbol that most were able to recognize as one which belonged to the great houses, and the first empire. The sight made an angry flame ignite in Twilight’s belly, an anger shared by several of her companions.

“Let’s not jump to conclusions, maybe it was planted there by another group,” Rarity offered.

Twilight frowned. “It's not impossible, but we should be on the lookout for anymore of your kind.”

“Don't you think that's a bit mean?” offered Pinkie Pie.

“Mean or not, the great houses do not just give these things away,” Twilight retorted, hefting the finely honed and well-crafted dagger for all to see. “These are incredibly expensive to make, and from my understanding are given only to high ranking members of their cult.”

“Now that was just uncalled for. It is not a cult!” exclaimed Rarity.

Twilight snorted. “Debatable, but regardless, we need to move. This detour has wasted enough of our time already.”

The group eyed one another nervously before reluctantly falling in behind the infested mare and proceeding deeper into the dark, twisted forest.

Author's Notes:

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Deeper Still

“Did you really have to break that dagger, Twi?” Spike whispered.

Twilight snorted, her gaze lingering on the rest of her little troop which marched before her. “None of us save for Rarity could have even used it with any degree of skill, and I will not hand her another weapon,” stated the mare.

Spike frowned, his gaze lingering on the aforementioned unicorn’s backside, as did Twilight’s. “You know I’m as leery of them as you are, but even you gotta admit that she seems different,” he pointed out.

“She may be different, but that may also be due to her planning on winning us over before stabbing us in the back.” Twilight raised a hoof, silencing Spike’s retort. “And before you say anything, I will grant that there is the possibility of her truly being on our side, but you must remember that anyone could be looking through her eyes. They share their every thought and emotion, which includes our location and what she’s currently doing.”

“But we also know that they can learn to subdue that part, only sharing what they want to share. Like with Blueblood,” Spike remarked.

“If they have the right motivation and training,” Twilight replied. “Neither of which I believe she has.”

“Fine, I suppose you have me there,” Spike murmured.

Twilight glanced down at her slouching companion and sighed. “One way or the other, we’ll see where her loyalties lie soon enough.”

“And hopefully you're wrong,” Spike added.

“And hopefully I’m wrong,” Twilight admitted.

If it makes you feel any better, I think you're both wrong, exclaimed the voice of Silver Bulwark, echoing in the minds of the infested. She's too naive for all that. If anything, they are likely using her because she's so good-natured.

I want to say that would be mean even for them, but I think they are well past that, remarked Spike.

True, agreed Twilight.

Well I think she's nice, and wait, what was that? Fluttershy thought, the pegasus stopping suddenly and spinning around, staring with wide fearful eyes at a seemingly random tree.

Twilight lit her horn, eyes scanning the darkness. “What did you see?” she shouted.

“It l-l-looked like a p-pony,” Fluttershy murmured.

Silver Bulwark frowned and moved her hoof away from the hilt of her blade. “I don't see anything-”

“It's above us! It's got great big wings and huge red eyes!” Scootaloo shouted, jabbing a hoof straight up before scuttling under Fluttershy, the invisibility field surrounding her sputtering and dying suddenly.

Twilight’s horn blazed with life, and she stared up at the spot Scootaloo had pointed to, while at the same time Spike stood ready, as did Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. For a moment, noone moved, and the troop merely stood there, staring into the darkness and waiting for something to happen. Then a shriek, and Rarity let loose a storm of electricity which ripped apart the earth, decimated several trees and incinerated a dozen bushes.

“Eek, kill it!” she shouted, before flying up into the air and conjuring a shield around herself.

Twilight readied another spell, but by the time she was facing the spot Rarity had already destroyed there was nothing there other than shattered wood and chunks of dirt. “What did you see?” Twilight shouted.

“It was huge, bigger than an oak, but it was super--There it is again!” Rarity shouted before unleashing a bolt of lightning from her hooves.

Twilight followed the path of her attack, only to see nothing but trees, shadows, and a now smoking stump. “Silver, what's out there?” Twilight called.

“I don't know, it's like something is scrambling my senses,” retorted the mare, who had drawn her blade and now eyed the forest cautiously.

“I don't know what you guys are talking about. I don't see anything,” Rainbow Dash declared, only to gasp. “Wait, what in the hell is that huge ugly thing over there?”

Twilight spun around to face whatever monster had managed to sneak up on them, only to find that there was nothing but more trees, bushes, and darkness. “What in the hell is wrong with you guys?” bellowed the infested unicorn.

Spike suddenly grabbed hold of her coat, clinging tightly to the mare, his eyes wide and filled with terror. “Can't you see them? They are all around us, just waiting to strike!” he shouted before collapsing to the ground and cowering in fear.

Twilight closed her eyes and focused inwardly, trying to use their connection to force the fear from Spike’s mind. The second she entered the dragon’s psyche that plan was dashed, as the sheer weight of the terror he felt forced Twilight to close herself off lest she too be washed away in a sea of panic. Clutching her head, Twilight tried again to fight back against this strange, unnatural fear, but found that she was unable to make any headway. Worse yet, the sheer amount of despair felt by the other infested beings was beginning to take its toll on her as well, grinding down her willpower.

Twilight forced her eyes open, only to find a screaming Rainbow Dash heading straight for her. “They are right behind me!” she shouted.

Twilight rolled out of the way, narrowly avoiding getting knocked over by the panicked pegasus. Grabbing hold of her draconic assistant, Twilight roughly hefted the teenager to his feet and glared into his eyes.

“Snap out of it, Spike, it's not real!” shouted the mare.

The dragon didn't even seem to hear her and merely curled into a ball, rocking back and forth as he was held aloft by Twilight.

“Snap out of it, Jacky, you're scaring me,” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, prodding the hybrid who lay on her back, eyes wide and body twitching.

Upon recognizing that Pinkie Pie was also unaffected, Twilight ran up to her, grabbing the earth pony by the front of her homemade stealth suit. “Pinkie Pie, you have to do something! I won't be able to hold out much longer, their fear is too much!” cried Twilight.

“I don't know what to do though!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

Twilight was about to reply, only for a sudden movement to catch her eye and she dove to the side, firing off a trio of mana bolts into the forest. Leaving a confused pink pony to stand there amidst the chaos that was now all around her. Magic whizzed past her head, dirt went flying, and a prismatic pegasus ran screaming through the forest.

“Wait, I know what to do, this reminds me of a song!” Pinkie Pie shouted.

The earth pony took a comically deep breath before rising onto her back legs. “Oh, when I was a little filly and the sun was going down,” she sang as she dodged, ducked, and otherwise avoided the various projectiles flying about the area. “The darkness and the shadows would always make me frown.”

She hopped over to a spot of dirt and rammed her hoof shoulder deep into it, retrieving a terrified looking Scootaloo. “I’d hide under my pillow, from what I thought I saw, but Granny Pie said that wasn't the way to deal with fears at all,” continued Pinkie, before tossing the still terrified and now utterly confused zergling hybrid onto her back.

“She said, Pinkie, you gotta stand up tall, learn to face your fears. You’ll see they can't hurt you, just laugh and make them disappear,” Pinkie Pie sang, instruments springing from nowhere and adding a bouncy melody to the pony’s impromptu song.

“Ha, ha ha,” Pinkie Pie laughed.

Scootaloo’s eyes went wide, and in an instant all traces of the unnatural fear fled, leaving behind a deep well of joy that quickly spilled past her lips in the form of furious laughter.

The earth pony picked up the catatonic Applejack around the shoulders and held her upright. “So giggle at the ghostly. Guffaw at the grossly,” she continued to sing.

Applejack laughed suddenly, as if she were being forced to do so, though it became more and more natural as the fear was replaced with confusion and, finally, relief.

“Crack up at the creepy, whoop it up with the weepy,” Pinkie Pie shouted, plucking Rainbow Dash mid-sprint and holding her tightly.

Again, the pony reluctantly began to chuckle, until she collapsed to the ground, laughing so hard that tears spilled down her face.

“Chortle at the kooky. Snortle at the spooky,” Pinkie Pie sang, face plastered against the outside of Rarity’s bubble.

Inside, the fashionista found herself unable to continue lashing out as she was too transfixed by the pink pony staring at her. A moment later and she too found her fear giving way to joy, laughter springing unbidden to her lips. Her defences fell a second before the pony herself did, landing in a heap along with Applejack and Rainbow Dash who were still giggling uncontrollably.

Pinkie Pie appeared before Fluttershy, who had retreated into her hood and was now shivering violently while lying curled up on the ground. “So let’s tell that big dumb scary face to take a hike and leave us alone!” she exclaimed.

Fluttershy’s wide eyes shrunk slightly, and a second later she too found herself unable to resist the urge to laugh aloud.

Grinning from ear to ear, Pinkie Pie leapt atop a nearby stump which Spike was hiding behind and raised her hooves to the heavens. “And if they think they can scare us, then they've got another thing coming, and the very idea of such a thing just makes me wanna-” Pinkie Pie continued, her voice becoming twice as fast before stopping completely and devolving into half-stifled giggling, “laaaaaaaaaaaaaugh!”

The music rose to a crescendo as the pink pony held the final note for several long seconds. Until finally, it broke, and the forest was silent once more, the haze which had fallen over Twilight and Silver Bulwark dissipating as their friends’ fear fell away completely. The group sat in silence, slowly catching their breath as they gathered their bearings and came to grips with what had just occurred.

“What the hell was that?” Spike muttered, the dragon slowly rising from the ground and dusting himself off.

“A very powerful fear enchantment placed on a very powerful illusion,” Twilight exclaimed whilst frowning. “Likely tied to a perception filter and a few other less than pleasant little surprises.”

“Who would cast such a nasty thing?” Rarity asked while pulling leaves from her mane.

“Someone who wanted to keep us from reaching the castle and defeating Nightmare Moon,” Silver Bulwark exclaimed, shrugging. “Either that or someone got really bored and wanted to fuck with the animals.”

“Either w-w-way, they are a m-mean,” Fluttershy stammered angrily.

“You said it, Flutters,” Rainbow Dash added.

Twilight plucked a branch from the pegasus’ mane and tossed it aside. “You girls go on ahead, I just need to talk to Pinkie Pie for a moment.”

“Sure thing,” Silver Bulwark replied. “Alright, you heard the mare, let's get moving.”

Most of the group’s members complied without question, though Fluttershy’s gaze lingered on the pink pony for several seconds before she too turned and left.

“I didn't do anything wrong, did I?” Pinkie Pie asked, cocking her head.

“No, you did not do anything wrong. I just wanted to check something, if you don't mind,” Twilight replied.

“Oh, uh sure. Is it about the song thing?” Pinkie Pie continued.

Twilight nodded and stepped forward, placing a hoof on Pinkie Pie’s forehead. “Something like that.”

Closing her eyes, Twilight mentally poked and prodded at the other mare’s mind, scanning it for any irregularities and trying to compare what she found to what she already knew. Which admittedly wasn't much, given her own poor experience with psionic abilities, though even then she was able to figure at least something out. Namely that whatever part of Pinkie Pie’s brain that controlled her psionic powers didn't have very many connections with the part of her that controlled empathy.

“It feels like you don't have the connections necessary to properly access your powers,” Twilight exclaimed, withdrawing her mind and taking a step back. “My knowledge isn't complete, but it feels like if you were to get in touch with your empathetic side and perhaps spent more time among other ponies, that you could wield those abilities with greater control.”

Pinkie Pie frowned. “I guess that makes sense, I did grow up on a rock farm after all. It still kind of freaks me out that anyone else has this kind of power to be honest. The only other pony I knew who could do stuff like that was my Granny Pie.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “So you're saying it might be genetic?”

The inventor shrugged. “I have it, Granny Pie did, and apparently her grandma did too. So I think so? But then again, that ain't the biggest sample size.”

“True, but it is consistent.” Twilight shook her head. “Regardless, we are getting off track again. We better catch up with the others.”

Pinkie Pie caught Twilight by the shoulder just as she was about to pass her by. “Wait, I just wanted to thank you. Everyone else who has found out about my abilities has treated me like a freak because of what I could do.”

Twilight chuckled. “That would be a lot like the pot calling the kettle black, don't you think?”

The pony giggled. “True. We are all a little strange, it's just if it's on the outside or not.”

“Exactly, now come on. I don't want to make them wait.”

“Right behind you, Twi.”

The group had continued their march through the woods at a steady pace, the moon hanging over them the entire time, bathing the land in its eerie glow. Interruptions from the wildlife were few, infrequent and easily dealt with, unlike the terrain itself which was as chaotic as ever. Thankfully no one was so out of shape that they had to stop, though it was becoming apparent that doing such a thing may become necessary sooner rather than later.

“Are we there yet?” Scootaloo whined.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “No, and I swear if you ask me that again, I’ll-”

“Wait, do you hear that?” Spike muttered, holding up a hand.

“Sounds like waves,” Rainbow Dash remarked. “But there shouldn't be any lakes around here.”

“There is a r-r-river around h-here,” Fluttershy offered.

“Hmm, we better check it out. Stay close and quiet,” Twilight urged.

Her friends all nodded, and together the cadre of misfits crept slowly along the winding and slightly descending path. The trees parted, revealing the supposedly calm river was anything but, as the water churned in a violent and chaotic manner.

The sound of the waves was incredibly loud, and the aroma of the forest was washed away by the mist which surrounded the banks. As Twilight stared, the sense of strangeness only grew more prevalent when she realized that the water wasn't even flowing normally. The waves seemed to emerge from the center of the river, as if some great beast writhed in agony just below the surface.

“What do we do now?” Rainbow Dash asked, the pegasus stepping nervously from hoof to hoof. “I mean I could normally ferry you each across, but even without a busted wing I couldn't help much.”

“I thought you said you were the best flier in Equestria,” Scootaloo remarked.

Rainbow Dash waved a hoof dismissively. “Nah, I’m the fastest. Plenty of ponies can carry more or fly further than me.”

“I could teleport us across or simply use telekinesis,” Twilight began, pursing her lips. “Though that might drain my magic quite a bit, considering just how wide it is.”