It had been a long two days in Canterlot, though as Cerb woke up atop Rarity and blanketed by Fluttershy, he quickly thought about just how quickly it seemed to have passed. Another thing that had passed rather quickly was the after-life party. Though, thankfully, everyone appeared to have enjoyed themselves.

Then again, yet another night sharing his bed free of night terrors was an even better ending to it. Just like how waking up with his head nestled into Rarity’s chest and Fluttershy laying atop of him, straddling him from hip to shoulder, was a fine way to start the morning.

Now he had to wonder if after having another long night, how long his girls would want to go before breakfast.

Well, might as well find out.

“Morning, ladies,” he warmly greeted the two sleeping mares. “You both went a little wild last night. Are you going for attempt number two of making me Wonder Rush more than you?”

Slowly coming to, Rarity groaned, a mix of pain and utter satisfaction rolling out before she spoke.

“Oh, heavens no,” she moaned while snuggling in more closely. “I’m in no condition for another rut, darling.”

Also waking in a similar condition, Fluttershy nuzzled in between her two bed companions. Not a solitary sign of lust displayed. Something he admitted he was more than a little surprised to see.

“Even my jaw hurts, and you only came once… I can’t help but feel like we’re not doing enough for you, and it’s so difficult to try and hold back anymore.”

An early morning ear twitch snapped back on Fluttershy’s left ear, followed by a limp, incomplete swish of her tail. The odd display was enough to leave her looking and feeling a bit bewildered while whimpering from disappointment.

“My poor pussy hurts just thinking about having our nice morning luvins."

Not one to complain, especially given he was somewhat thankful to discover their libido had an off setting, Cerb took their answers with a voice of ease but also an undertone of disappointment.

"Don't worry about it. You two have been doing a lot. I think you both deserve a break."

Being so close to Cerb’s body, Rarity was well aware of his current state of arousal. Just feeling it against her left questions about her options. After all, his tells were just as obvious to them as theirs were to him.

"Justin dear, we know that we've been asking a lot of you; heavens knows you've given all we asked for, but…"

It was all too clear what Rarity was getting at, and it only made Fluttershy weaker in her resolve.

"We know you want to rut again. That scent of lust you have when you get hard with us—"

"It's fine," Cerb interjected, still trying to take this as light-hearted as possible. "Just because I want it doesn't mean I need it. Just… How about we start with the leg rub, shower, then you two can rest up for tonight? Maybe have another repeat of last night? Or maybe take it a bit easy and we can stay in all this weekend?”

As enticing of an offer, Rarity gave a firm tap on Cerb’s chest with her hoof. It would have been taken as an act of aggression if not for the flustered look on her face.

“Justin, please! Of course, the answer is yes, but have some sympathy for crying out loud. Last night we certainly got carried away and are suffering for it. Now here you are, tempting us with an entire day of ravishing?”

Another ear twitch from Fluttershy only served to prove the point.

“Maybe we can try some gentle rutting this morning? Maybe after a while, it won’t hurt and- EEEEP!”

No matter how hopeful Fluttershy was about scoring this morning, one exploratory hand from Cerb feeling along her backside dashed all of her hopes. More than enough to call it off.

“Or… maybe we could take the morning off?”

A gentle tapping came to Luna's door, and still being awake, she was somewhat surprised to see who had come to visit.

"Good morning, sister. Might you need something?"

She took another look at Celestia. Not exactly standing proud, nor with her normal authority. She was, in some ways, relaxed yet seemed to carry some kind of burden.

Unfortunately, what little vulnerability was shown was not enough for Luna to lower her guard or open the door.

"Kelly is sleeping, so if you wish to speak, I suggest you keep it civil."

Celestia, showing a level of regret rarely expressed, bowed her head.

"No… I am not here to quarrel, sister. I merely wish to speak to you first about the changing landscape. And for all the good, we must converse on protecting all parties from an event that could turn damaging."

Spoken a little too broad of a statement to get Luna to buy in just yet, she questionably held firm.

"You wish to involve yourself?"

Celestia raised her head, silently searching for some understanding.

"Luna, please. We know of countless prophecies, unthinkable legends that the world would never believe, and have both witnessed other worlds we still don’t understand. We even know if the future of Equestria-"

"Your vision of Equestria," Luna quietly snapped.

Celestia froze for a moment. A touch of her prior anger swallowed hard with her pride gave her time to collect herself.

"Yes… My vision that you believed in. A future that I believe you are still striving for. But at no point did either of us ever come across a future with humans."

Spoken too quickly, Celestia could see that statement being interpreted the wrong way and hastily spoke again to clarify.

"Which means they either go home, my vision was wrong, or we must change the future so that they are not lost to us."

Luna took stock of her sister's plea. Either Celestia had discovered a plot against them, or perhaps she was finally coming around. If the latter was even a possibility, she was willing to take it, giving one quick look over her shoulder.

Kelly was still sleeping, so she invited her sister in.

"Up to the balcony. The moon should be setting soon. We can talk there."

On the balcony, the two sisters stared up at the dark sky above. Its beauty and grandeur was used by both as a means not to face each other. However, the silence could only be kept for so long when Luna had a warm, occupied bed waiting for her to join.

"Speaketh thy piece, sister. When the moon falls I wish to rest so that I may be of support for our human guests today."

The short temper from Luna was easily understood. Plus, even without the pressure of keeping up appearances in front of the others, Celestia knew she would have to be mindful of her words.

"I do not know where to begin with my apologies, nor where to assert my authority any longer. I had been so focused on the long-term goals with Twilight and the others that I assumed any unforeseen issue would be easily resolved. And perhaps I have become too accustomed to such events always keeping our plans aligned."

She turned to Luna, not even sure if this was the best course of action to take.

"But the humans… They have seemingly been thrust into every vital component of our society and the mechanisms that ensure their protection."

Luna, both wanting to boast but not lay out enough rope to hang herself with, spoke boldly of how she saw things.

"They have bested some of our strongest in combat, out-strategized our most experienced, brokered stronger ties and economic promises with three neighboring kingdoms, greater than any of our past attempts. And none of that begins to address the capacity of their hearts, let alone what their touch is capable of."

That covered the basics, though the longer-lasting implications, those were where Celestia’s focus of problems had formed.

"I am not blind to the benefits of their assistance. I am looking forward to seeing Peter help ensure the new trade deals that were proposed. I'm relying on Becky, and have full faith she can ensure the surgery will be a success, and we can put this awful business behind us of Kelly’s attack… But there is still division amongst the ranks regarding that matter."

Proverbial red flags could now be seen. Given Luna’s relationship with Kelly, this only gave her more reason to invest herself in her sister's calls for alarm.

"What kind of division? The Lunar Guard has given not even a hint of descent over the humans. Even those assigned to watch over them have grown fond of their wards."

Celestia sighed, already knowing how much favor the humans held.

"I know this, sister. But you must understand the bonds our guards hold with each other. To many, those three who have besmirched the good name of the Solar Guard... Others only know rumors of the humans and see them as outsiders who have caused more trouble than they are worth, or they might not care about their worth at all."

Such views instantly sparked outrage in Luna, causing her to raise her voice.

"That is outrageous! They—"

With a quick thrust of her wings, Celestia closed her sister's mouth. A short scan of the surrounding area showed they were in the clear, but now she had to control Luna’s emotions on top of everything else.

"Please calm yourself, sister. I agree with your frustration, but they don't know what we know. And for the human’s safety, we cannot tell them everything. Justin alone has fostered many concerns of safety within the guard for what many do not understand, as he has their admiration from what others do know."

Believing she had said enough to calm Luna, Celestia pulled back her wings. Maybe now they could get some work done.

"The more they have become involved, the more exposure to the danger they have created. Through power, wealth, and influence, they have made themselves valuable targets. The danger would only be amplified if the depth of their knowledge were to be known."

Despite her prior outburst, Luna said nothing, yet there was no hiding to what degree she was in agreement. However, one issue with the guards gave Luna the final card to play. Something that would resolve more than a few issues.

"Sister… if the division in the guard is as you say, and those assigned to their wards are as we know them to be… Then perhaps it would be best if we remove the influence of those they share in rank."

If Celestia was following along with what Luna was suggesting, then this was huge. Not just huge, as it would be a major milestone, even when considering given Twilight’s inexperience as a princess.

Even still, such a solution would likely further isolate the influence the humans created. Furthermore, Twilight needed the practice.

In the end, with no further deliberation, Celestia agreed.

"I shall pen the papers myself after raising the sun. Would you care to lower the moon alongside me?"

Luna smiled slightly. The personal matters between the two had not even been addressed, but this was a great start back to civility with her, not exactly as foolish as once thought, sister.

"You may stay to raise the sun, but the moon is not my duty as of this morning. I also need to write a letter, if one of your guards would be so kind as to deliver it for me."

With the faintest traces of the early morning lights easing into the large open room, Sniff woke to a discovery he didn't foresee happening.

… an empty bed.

"Twi?"

A pair of giggles echoed down from a higher level. One clearly Twilight’s, the other was in all likelihood only one other mare he expected.

"Shh, quiet. I think we woke him," Twilight’s voice whispered loud enough to hear her amusement.

If Sniff had to guess, Twilight was being Twilight in the only way she could.

"Twigs? Who else is here?"

The soft fluttering of wings drifted down, revealing Twilight in company with Swifty.

"Good morning handsome," Twilight greeted her stallion, an abundance of mirth emanating out from her as she landed next to him on the bed. "And thank you again for such a wonderful night."

Swifty, looking just as happy to see him, landed next to Twilight, going right into a nuzzling of cheeks with the mare in charge.

"Mmm, good morning Peter. Twilight tells me that you two had a great time last night and that there might be a surprise for me?"

Before Sniff could get a word in edgewise, Twilight leaned down to deliver a very enthused good morning kiss. She shared a strong taste of mint between the two. Clearly, she had been up long enough to brush her teeth and let Swifty in.

How long had she been up to still be this energetic?

"Mmm-wah!" Twilight chided as she broke from the kiss. "Sorry if we woke you. Swifty let herself in and reminded me that I had to lower the moon this morning."

She turned back to Swifty, raised the mare’s chin towards hers in her hoof, and greeted her with the same morning kiss.

"Mmmph… She was very eager to wake you up after discovering that we had a long and involved night together. Then I told her that there might be something you'd want to try with her, but that it was for you to explain."

Another look at Swifty and Sniff could tell that she was doing all she could to control herself. The tension in her ears left them erected at attention, though small jitters gave away how much focus she had to keep them from twitching. Her wings also had a certain rigidness to them, like she was squeezing them on her sides. Of course, he could see her tail was nearly vibrating as she tried to hold it against her.

Swifty was going to be in bad shape if she didn't get some attention soon, and she knew they all knew it.

"I was hoping to get here early enough that if you two were going to have some more intimate time together, or if you maybe you were worried about getting too excited before your big date tonight—"

Sniff wasn't about to make this poor mare suffer any longer. Not when he figured this was going to be a daily thing for him anyway.

"Hey, a quick question for both of you… How far does your tongue reach out? Like… how far over your nose can you lick?"

That question came so far out of the blue that even Twilight didn't know how to answer at first. Of course, two seconds of thinking had her put it all together.

"Oh! You mean like this?"

Leading by example, Twilight stuck her tongue out and curled it up over her muzzle. Stretching it as far as she could, she had it peaking just halfway past her nostrils.

Swifty, not having a clue why this was so important, looked at the display with confusion.

"Oh… kay?"

Doing as requested, she curled her tongue up well past the top of her nostrils. Her reach had both observers very happy with the results.

"Twilight?” Sniff happily spoke up. “Would you be so kind as to help Miss Swift Sails out her armor? Swifty, I think you're going to enjoy this."

The large table had filled again with a slew of familiar faces. Humans, their guardians, royals, and the remaining dignitaries.

Naturally, for obvious reasons, Kelly, Luna, Sniff, and Twilight were not present. Chris and Starlight, however, had left to join Redheart for breakfast near the hotel she was offered last minute.

Also, Pinkie had refused to get out of bed that morning. Reportedly, rolling over at every attempt by staff and Rainbow, falling asleep as soon as the covers were returned over her head. Privately, Rainbow had surmised that by the surplus of funk in the air, and the lack of candlesticks missing from their mounts, she must have pulled an all-nighter solo act.

And while she was rather quick to leave the room to disinfect her hooves, the multicolored mare couldn't help but be impressed by the party pony’s stamina.

Though it would appear Pinkie wasn’t the only one who’d opted to burn the midnight candle, some faces gave the impression of having a rough start.

Shining and Cadance both looked tired, but Cadance had an extra layer of a slight hangover weighing her down. Inconspicuously, they at least gave off the impression that they were happy to see everyone, so that was promising. Though, thankfully, her eyes, nearly always stuck on Cerb, weren’t much noticed. Not that there wasn’t a reason for that most didn’t notice or even think it unusual.

Rarity and Fluttershy both sat uncomfortably in their chairs. Not that Cerb was much different, though his forward-leaning posture gave the impression of an uncomfortable erection he was hiding as opposed to pain. At least, that was the theory of those in the know of such bodily functions.

Rainbow didn’t look tired, however, like many other mares, the strong scent of spices and sea salt had her distracted. One could even say she looked to be on alert. The same could be said for Ember, sitting directly across from Cerb.

In fact, there were many eyes on Cerb this morning, Celestia’s included. The strong scent, if anything, had created a positive vibe in the room. It also created a few giggles from the mares who had been satisfied but recognized why there was a slight burn in their nose.

Lo and behold, Twilight finally made her appearance along with Sniff, looking quite amazing compared to the others. In truth, radiant might have been a better word to capture her presence. With her smile, the confident glide in her strut, and for those with a nose keen enough, she also brought in a strong scent of clovers and the lust of another mare. Needless to say, the sensory overload was enough that Rainbow couldn’t bring herself to make the formal decree of Pretty Pretty Princess Twiggels Twinkles.

Just as keen, though, Twilight easily picked up on Cerb’s particular scent, along with the eyes that largely drifted back towards him.

"Good morning," Twilight greeted the room, thankfully holding back a laugh as she searched for some way to grant the room some relief from his distracting aroma. “It’s such a beautiful day! How about I open up a window?!”

Flaring up her horn, tall windows of the outside wall swung open. The warm rays of the sun and a cool morning breeze drifted in, cutting thin the literal/not-so-literal aerating mare-bate. All the more embarrassing for the likes of Rarity and Fluttershy to have to sit next to their clearly unsatisfied significant other. The shades of self-hate and borderline resentment at the others leering at their man, reflecting down into their plates, gave a mixed message that Sniff could recognize.

So, on Peter's way over to his seat, he stopped behind Cerb to gently massage the muscular shoulders of his troubled friend. Those muscles tensed up, obviously from Cerb believing some joke or mockery was coming on, but Sniff leaned in to calm his friend.

“You told me once to take care of my own problem. Some friendly advice, though... Our problems are their problems if we don’t deal with them.” He tapped his left hand on Cerb’s shoulder and gave a brotherly squeeze with his right. “I know what those looks you're getting mean. Now get your jar head straight. We’ll chat later.”

After receiving a friendly nod as a response, Sniff turned to take this opportunity to control the conversation in the room.

"Everyone, good morning. So glad to see such bright smiling faces this fine day. But before we get started, I just wanted to make sure we were all still on for deliberating on our mutual future investments. Because I might be able to persuade the talented Miss Rarity to join us."

The leaders of the neighboring kingdoms gave their respective agreements to the proposal, which was expected.

At the same time, Rarity was surprised to hear her name.

"Me?"

Now the whole room was focused on Sniff, just as he hoped.

"Why yes, Rarity. It seems the Abysasians were quite taken by your new designs and would like some new fashionable productions created for them. I was hoping you would be interested."

Of course, Rarity was ecstatic about the request, instantly perking up and forgetting her prior discomfort.

"I would be delighted to." She promptly turned to Cerb. "That is, if you don't mind me joining Peter for this morning?"

Looking into her deep blue eyes, Cerb couldn't say no, nor could he ignore the temptation they would bring about on each other.

"No, go ahead. I'm sure you’ve got this in the bag. I'm just going to be reading all day anyway."

With one event already getting confirmed, Celestia figured now would be the perfect excuse to slip away.

"That sounds wonderful. Queen Abyssinia, you are in the most trusted hooves I could imagine for your citizen's clothing needs. And Twilight, since Peter is so heavily involved in creating this new venture, I can think of no better pony, than you, to oversee it."

"Me?" Twilight asked in a near yelp.

Celestia turned to Twilight, cocking her head slightly.

"Why, yes. You've been the most involved in all their successes since arriving, as well as their continued well-being. Not to mention, as a princess, you should have more experience dealing with these matters. Assuming the others won't mind."

Celestia turned to the other leaders, all of whom again gave their verbal approval. Rutherford, being the loudest.

"Pretty pretty purple princess pony help all creatures best. Yaks trust Twilight."

On most any other day, such a task would have been an honor, but the cold to hot changes from Celestia as of late left her feeling unsure.

“I’m more than happy to help, but won’t you still be leading this?”

Celestia took a napkin to her lips and dried them from her morning tea. With everything going on, it was a little shocking to see her so calm and collected.

“That won’t be necessary. Also, Luna and I spoke this morning, and we agreed that it would be irresponsible to continue these temporary assignments for our guard with you.”

With some music softly playing, it had been a rather pleasant drive so far. A little unnerving for Lumberman since he'd never driven this way before. Then again, all he was really doing was following the train tracks for now.

"You still doing alright back there?"

From the passenger seat, Applejack turned to the rear towards the full back seat.

"It's a pretty nice ride, ain't it?"

In the back seat sat Cutter, Helix, and Ralph. All of them buckled in, still uneasy about the mode of transportation, but at least sitting comfortably.

"Yeah,” Helix quietly answered, eyes peering out the window with a nervous glance.

Cutter pressed her a hoof onto the seat between her and Helix, sounding more relaxed than she was after accepting the ride.

“It certainly has more comfortable seating than the train.”

From the corner of her eye, she could see Ralph still sleeping. His wings folded up around himself, shielding his face from the sun. A little sad to see how often the Lunar Guard were getting tasked with daytime operations.

"Much faster as well," Cutter finished.

With that much cleared up, that left the largest of the group for Lumberman to check up on.

"How about Onyx? He didn't fall out or jump did he?"

Cutter craned her neck to look out the back window. Onyx was still right where they left him; sitting with his back to the same window and watching Ponyville fall out of view in the distance… probably asleep as well.

"He's fine, dear."

From the thought of considering another’s well-being by itself, her motherly instincts kicked in again.

"Should we have left Big Mac alone? He doesn't strike me as the foal sitter type."

In the front seat, Applejack had a short laugh at the idea. It wasn't like she could have expected Cutter to know much about her brother.

"Don't you worry 'bout him, none. He's handled worse watching over me growing up."

Finally, out of the wheelchair, Applejack set the pace for the group entering towards the throne room. Slow and steady steps on sturdier legs were a vast improvement, though discomfort and some extra stiffness were easy to spot. Not that she let it get her down.

"Y'all can go ahead without me. I know my way around well enough to meet ya there. I'm sure that if Luna requested all of us to be here, she wouldn't start without me and Woody."

That probably was the case, but Cutter had no reason to leave their side.

"If they can wait for you, then they can wait for all of us. Besides... I'm still on leave from duty."

There was little chatter the rest of the way to the throne room. However, when they arrived, they had to believe this was something of a big deal if all the major players were there. And it really was a who's who of individuals, including every human, a half-awake Kelly amongst others, their guardians, Princesses, Princes, delegates, and the guards they've come to know. Above all of them, sitting high upon her throne, Celestia welcomed the last few participants.

"Good morning, all of you, and thank you for joining us on such short notice. Today marks a historic day for Equestria, and it wouldn't be the same without you all here for it."

As the last few walked closer, Applejack and Lumberman were directed towards the side while Cutter, Helix, Ralph, and Onyx were guided to join Thunder, Swifty, and Midnight standing in ranks before the throne. Once they were all situated, Luna started up with the procedures.

"All of you gathered here are about to witness the creation of two things that have been in the workings longer than we care to admit, as well as a few that have only recently come to pass. Now, Twilight, if you would please step forward."

Twilight broke from the sidelines and joined Luna near the throne as Celestia joined her sister, ready to begin the ceremony.

"Princess Twilight Sparkle. There is so much I could say about how you have grown and continued to impress all of us over these past few years. However, while recent events have proven challenging enough to warrant assigning you with some of our finest guards, that simply seems unnecessary."

A near overwhelming sense of dread washed over the guard ponies, fearing their duties were about to be pulled. Following that would be a return to their old positions. Unfortunately, such fears would have to wait to be addressed until after whatever was about to happen.

"Friends, delegates, leaders... Today marks the creation of a new entity that will aid in ongoing efforts to foster friendship between our nations and ensure the safety and protection wherever Twilight may venture with the induction of the new Twilight Guard."

All of the guards gasped, even the sidelines of guards posted on the outside of the guests, prompting Luna to address the guards hoping their wish was about to come true.

"Sergent Major Cutter. I first would like to offer you my utmost gratitude for your years of dedicated service to the Lunar Guard. However, given recent events, I would request you consider a change of pace in becoming the Senior Enlisted for the new Twilight Guard. To foster their development and your continued impressive service... It also comes with better hours," She finished with a wink.

Cutter took one step forward, not even batting an eye at the request.

"If Twilight will accept me to take this role, then I accept this honor with no reservations."

Standing between the two royals, Twilight was still trying to process what was happening. She was to be bestowed the authority of her own guard? Her own army? She was about to have permanent control over those she had come to trust?

Did that include Swifty?

It had to!

"I wouldn't accept any other pony for the job, Cutter."

Moving on with her speech, Celestia next turned to Onyx, a reluctant smile breaking through.

"Captain Onyx Armor. It appears that Twilight is in need of a heavyweight to run things in her constant absence. However, a Captain would, unfortunately, be too low of a rank for such a position. However, a Major would be more appropriate. And considering your outstanding performance during the Everfree incident, would you be willing to accept an early promotion?"

Onyx's jaw could have hit the floor had it not been attached firmly to his face, as he stepped forward.

"Daw~ Aww-Ye-Yes!" He finally stammered out. "Thank you, Princess."

After Onyx accepted, Celestia could see that every other face shared the same expression of hope, and in her head, she knew what that meant. All her observations accumulated into thoughts in her head.

"It only figures that they would all want this. After so much time around the humans, I can only imagine how attached they've become... I just hope this works."

Moving past her prior reservations about the closeness, Celestia decided to wrap up this impromptu ceremony.

"I believe we are past the formalities, and you all know what is to be asked of you. If you wish to be the first to join the ranks of the Twilight Guard, and are willing to accept the additional responsibilities that come with promotion, please step forward.

Immediately in unison, Helix, Thunder, Swifty, Midnight, Ralph, and Kühn stepped forward. The newcomer quickly roused a boisterous response from Rutherford.

"Hey! You still work for me! You not even pony!

Kühn's unexpected appearance in the lineup, as well as his well-deserved reprimand, created quite the peanut gallery of snickers and curious questions. At least Twilight had a good sense of humor about it on top of her intrigue.

"I'm flattered that you would be willing to join my guard, Kühn. Perhaps someday we could work out an exchange program."

At the mention of the idea, and in a surprising show of forward thinking, Rutherford immediately shouted out his approval.

"Kühn smart yak! Twilight take Kühn for exchange. Yak bring back pony next time."

One good idea deserves another, and Gruff saw an opportunity to save his image or at least buy himself some time. Just to make sure, though, he whispered something to Lord Gastal, who quickly gave a nod of approval, giving Gruff the opportunity to interject his announcement.

"Gilda will volunteer for the same exchange, CAW!"

A long series of scenarios flashed through Gilda's mind of what all she'd be able to do and get out of this. More music, easy access to alcohol, hanging out with probably the coolest warrior she ever met. All of those ideas touched back on how to handle her mini-bakery business which was still growing. Each thought expanded upon a growing short-list of who to entrust it to when one name popped up, and her anger took over, and she reached out and grabbed Gruff by the throat.

She pulled him beak to beak, easing her claws out just enough to pierce through the feathers so he knew she'd rip his throat out if he tried to pull a fast one on her.

"You think I'm stupid or something, you old coot?" She hushed through her fake smile so the applauses would keep their conversation private. "You're trying to get rid of me so you can—"

Gruff raised his claws and patted Gilda's, making it look like they were in some awkward hug, beaming with an equally fake smile. His hushed voice coming out with just as much fear as it did anger.

"Lord Gastal wants you to go to ensure we keep positive ties with the humans and the other Kingdoms. There's a lot of money, as well as our pride, on the line. Screw this up, and you'll be lucky to keep your citizenship. Then what can you do for Gallus?"

Now Gilda had to fight back a snarl at the old buzzard.

It was an extremely low trick, and she couldn't even be surprised that Gruff would entrap her like that if money was on the table. In fact, she could expect nothing better from Lord Gastal either. She didn't really have a choice any longer. So, while pressing her claws in a little harder, she let him know where she stood.

"I'll get you for this. Even if I have to bribe the Lords above Gastal. You'll regret this, I promise."

Saying her piece, she released his throat and waved to those applauding as she flew over to join the new ranks and flip the script on Gruff.

"Thank you! Thank you! All of you! It's truly an honor to represent Griffonstone like this. I'll be doing my best, because after this, Grandpa Gruff has offered me the opportunity to formally adopt our other delegate, Gallus, so as to better spread the message of friendship and unity between our Kingdoms."

For a day full of surprises, that one certainly seemed to hit a high note for Celestia, who directed her attention to Gruff and Lord Gastal, both struck dumb by her action.

"That is a very large responsibility you have entrusted Gilda with. From what I’ve come to know of her, you have made a wise choice."

Ready to play up the moment and keep their image with as high of a gloss as possible, Lord Gastal laid his claws over Gruff's shoulder, patting him like he was proud of the decision.

"After their performance at your ceremony, I think they belong together, and I will personally see to the adoption papers myself." He nodded with a greedy smile towards Gilda. "Make us proud out there."

Gruff, likewise, couldn't do anything other than put on the ugliest fake smile he could and applaud along with everyone else. Deep inside, though, he was terrified.

"If word gets out about this. My reputation is done for."

The official formation of the Twilight Guard and promotions had been a tremendous moment for the group. Nonetheless, there were other matters to take care of, matters that sadly involved splintering off different parties.

Luna went back to bed. Twilight and Sniff took to discussing the proposed trade offers with the help of Rarity providing her inspired ideas for the Abysians along with the other Kingdoms. Kelly and Fluttershy ended up joining Rarity, both for modeling purposes, but for Fluttershy, it was mostly because there was too much temptation staying close to Cerb. Becky returned to the hospital with Shining, Rainbow, Celestia, now freed from her other royal responsibilities, and Lumberman with Applejack for an extra layer of protection and support.

That left Cerb, Chris with Starlight, Benny with Pinkie, as well as the newly appointed Twilight Guard and three Wonderbolts waiting for Raven Inkwell to bring the promised reports. And by "waiting," that amounted to enough time for them to pick who got to sit where before Rave walked in with a cart full of folders.

"Good morning. I hope I didn't keep you waiting for long. I wanted to make sure there were extra copies to share."

The first few copies were distributed, four in all. One for Cerb, Chris, Benny, and the Wonderbolts to share. Of course, Cerb was quick to take notice of a problem.

"The fuck?"

Not a whole second later, Benny opened his copy, feeling the same level of disappointment.

"No shit."

Chris, however, while perhaps looking at the same physical page, clearly wasn't on the same proverbial page as the others.

"Is this a report or a third pers... Third pony narrative short story?"

Quick to respond, Cutter answered for Raven.

"All historical events are written this way. It's the story of what happened, making it easier to read. It's far more common than the journal method, being less organized than this style."

Benny, a little more experienced, was the first to pick the report apart.

"No ‘from’ or ‘to’ lines. No subject, and not that I would know the references, I don't have anything to cross-reference this with."

Cerb was just as critical, to the point he sounded offended.

"What's the point in cross-referencing anything? It doesn't list the personnel contacted, or what materials or sources were used." He flipped to the end to find even less help. "Well, I found your ‘from’ line, but there's no summary, recommendations... fuck."

After that final curse word dropped, Cerb noticed how quiet the room was. Thinking maybe someone else had walked in, he looked up to see the room was staring at him, Chris, and Benny. Even worse, it was clear that their harsh criticism had upset Raven.

"Awe, shit," Cerb moaned as he closed the folder. "Raven, I apologize. I'm sure you put your best work into this. And believe me, your penmanship is spectacular. It's just that your system is very different from what we were expecting. Our... Damn, again, I'm so sorry. I was expecting a report that highlights the events that led up to the incident, quotes, admissions, things that are scientific that recount the facts of things."

Jumping in, Benny came in with some positive feedback.

"Actually, a lot of the narrative parts kinda work... Look at page five. It spells out exactly the information they were given and the tone of voice Celestia used when she gave her orders. Her inflection was stern, yet empowering as she warned him of the capabilities of Sunset Shimmer."

He lowered the folder, ready to try and remedy the situation a little more.

"And sorry as well. It's like he said, though. This is a lot different than what we're used to, so we're going to have to work a little harder to catch up to your system of reporting."

The explanation appeared to soften the blow, but Raven still looked like she was taking it personally.

"Oh... I see. An-n-n-d I'm sorry about the confusion. If there is anything else I can do—"

Far be it for Cerb to let this poor mare have her whole day ruined because of his careless speech. Before Raven knew it, he was right next to her, his arms parted open.

“I can only say I’m sorry so much, but a hug usually makes it better.”

Small talk had filled the carriage with Becky, Rainbow, Shining, and Celestia. Mostly it was discussing issues concerning what it would take to relieve the pressure that had been building up in the skull of the patient. After arriving, and Lumberman and Applejack found a place to park the the truck, they were given full access to the staff lounge to wait things out.

Thankfully, the staff had been very productive in their absence, minus some technical difficulties, which Doctor Horse was trying to explain.

"This is the first set of x-rays we were able to produce." He placed up the x-rays, with a noticeable look of concern. "We... had similar difficulties examining him with magic, just as we did with you at first. The other doctors couldn't get a full view... but I could. Regardless! This is where we seem to have isolated the source of the swelling you were concerned about."

Using a new method Becky hadn't seen before, Doctor Horse laid down a blank sheet of black glossy paper on the table, then illuminated it with his aura. What Becky saw at first seemed to go over her head, but once she realized what she was looking at, the shock had her drop her coffee from her hands, splashing it onto the floor.

"Oh, my god," she gasped as she covered her mouth with both hands.

Her sudden outburst had captured the attention of the room as she gawked at the floating hologram of Swift Hoof’s brain. There was a sudden fear that something had been missed and she instantly saw a new problem, but as she raised her hand to point to the image, her state of wonderment was for a completely different reason.

"His brain is human... How is that possible?"

Redheart did a double-take between the floating image and Becky, seemingly unphased by what she saw.

"We noticed the similarities as well. Isn't that the way all brains are supposed to look?"

Initially ignoring her fellow medic’s question, Becky drew closer to the image, still awe-struck.

"Not even close... I mean, sure, there are similarities in the parts that make up the brain, but the shape, size, and structure are distinctively different between species. But this... No... This right here—"

Getting too caught up in the moment, she reached out to touch the hologram, instantly dispelling it out of view.

"Fuck! Bring that back up."

Doctor Horse did as he was told, bringing EKG even closer to examine this new discovery Becky was so excited about. Also wanting to show off, Doctor Horse started to change the hologram to make an exhibit of the different areas he had been able to isolate.

Every new portion revealed left Becky marveling at what she could see with vivid clarity.

"The same two proportional hemispheres... His cerebral cortex is full of distinctly complex gyri and sulci. Even the brainstem is located in the same position between the cerebrum and the cerebellum. And-Woah! Go back!"

This wasn't exactly like operating a DVD player or a remote-controlled car, so it took EKG a few seconds to work his display in reverse, but he brought it back to the cerebellum area.

"Zoom in... Right here in the lower area were the Cerebellum folds in with the Cerebrum... Is that the issue you said you found?"

Looking to get a word in edgewise, EKG stepped up and pointed with an extendable wand where Becky was pointing.

"Yes. While looking over the brain scan, we noticed how everything was nearly symmetrical except for this red mass located here. We thought it might have something to do with the fracture located on the skull surrounding it."

Celestia was by all accounts lost in the terminology being thrown around, but all of it caught her curiosity, drawing her in to ask an obvious, yet poignant question.

"What is it? Is that part of the brain swollen?"

Becky stayed focused on the dark blotch, her mind still working out different options on how to best handle this.

"This might be worse, actually. It's a blood clot pressing on the cerebellum, and subsequently, the brainstem, probably blocking off the other pathways for blood and cerebrospinal fluid. The hairline fracture on the skull must have nicked a blood vessel open to cause the bleed. And if the clot is on the inner lining of the membrane surrounding the grey matter, and moves, that would cause a stroke. And if that doesn't kill him, it could turn him into a vegetable. Then you'll never get his testimony."

Rainbow still might not have been the most well-versed in medical terms as the others in the room, but part of that explanation simply seemed impossible. Even for the magically inclined, it just didn't seem possible.

"Umm... Becks? I don't know what a stroke is, and while I understand the concept of death... Ponies don't turn into vegetables."

Becky facepalmed, equally embarrassed for Rainbow as she was for her own poor choice of words.

"You're right, Dash. What I mean is that he'll be comatose for the rest of his life, have to be fed and watered like a plant. Or, he could wake up, but be unaware of his surroundings. Unable to process that he's even alive, or even worse, he'd be aware, but unable to communicate or react. Trapped inside his body with only his thoughts. Essentially, he’d be like a vegetable."

Having a better idea to explain this horrific outcome, she turned to Celestia, not smiling, but blankly staring at the Princess as if to show how empty of a life it would be.

"You could think of it as Discord being trapped in stone. The years going by while he watched the seasons change, and ponies come and go, unable to interact with them. But for Swift Hoof, he'd wither and die in a body that could be in pain, have an itch that can't be scratched, or end up so numb that he'd be driven insane by the isolation and lack of stimulation."

Utterly baffled, Rainbow tried to think of what that would be like. It almost seemed impossible to try and put herself in that same scenario...and even then she’d never wish such a thing on anyone.

"Hey, Becks? I know this pony tried to kill Kelly, and he deserved the beat-down Big Mac gave him, but make sure that doesn't happen to him. And Celestia, if that does happen, could you... I don't know... Put his brain to sleep and then... end his life?"

"Rainbow!" Celestia shouted in shocking levels of disgust at the Element of Loyalty.

There was no mistaking how that sounded, but Rainbow felt the need to explain herself.

"Hear me out for a second! A while back, I injured my wing, and I was in Ponyville Hospital for only a few days. I couldn't leave my bed to do anything other than go to the bathroom. I could still move around to get comfortable and talk to visitors, but until I had a book to read, I was going crazy with cabin fever. Now, take all that I could do away? No running, flying, talking with friends, eating nothing but that bland hospital food every day? And look at any pony else that we know that likes things nice and quiet. They read or write, or... work in a garden. They all have to do something that gives them peace of mind. So, leaving Swift Hoof trapped in his body wouldn't be the punishment he deserves... That's torture... And you're not cruel enough to let a pony suffer like that."

The dark outlook at such a miserable future was a hard one to swallow, but even Becky could relate.

"Princess, Rainbow's not completely wrong about that. Years before I got here, when Chris first started working for a law firm, he helped me get a power of attorney. I wanted it for him or Kelly to have the right to make the call that I wouldn't be resuscitated or kept on life support if my condition got so bad that I..." She motioned to Swift Hoof lying on the hospital bed. "I didn't want my friends sticking around while machines kept my body alive, but I was already gone... That's not a life worth living, but that should be his family's choice, not ours. And even where I come from, family members usually end up pulling the plug so their loved ones don't suffer."

Celestia’s posture wilted. Everything about both scenarios sounded beyond her ability to allow. Willfully ending a life or allowing it to suffer in a lifeless shell, unable to experience any semblance of life? It was an effectively no win situation, with neither decision being preferable. If anything, she would deal with the moral and legal aspects of his fate if that's what it came to. For now, though, there was something that could be done.

"Move forward with the operation. I trust you all will see to it that such an outcome will not be necessary to address with his family."

Things were going well for Sniff and company. Obviously, he had a done deal with practically all the females, pending the production of an actual product. As for the males, Rutherford respected his intellect, the Arabian Prince mirrored whatever his wife expressed, and the Abysasian King had a growing admiration for his consistent presentation. Lord Gastal had fallen into the role of a yes man, with no amicable input to offer outside of what his kingdom could provide.

Then, of course, Kelly reached a point of not having enough attention and had to apply herself more than needed for explaining the more intricate articles of clothing.

"Oh, the panties are a must," she urged the Abysasian King. "It doesn't seem like much at first glance, but when worn properly, it really catches your eye and is quite comfortable."

To make her point, she stood up and lifted her shirt as she turned her hip in his direction. The elastic, lacy band was now visible to the group.

"Just imagine your queen's hips getting wrapped up in something like this. Then think about how often you focus on her hips, we're all friends here, wouldn't something that accentuates her curves look much better?"

There was a certain hint of something sharp that drifted through the still air from revealing her thin linens. All the females caught it, feeling a softer reaction than Cerb’s earlier aerated appeal, but the males really took notice.

Rutherford found himself looking at Kelly slightly differently. With Becky, his mindset was friendly, nurturing, and almost fatherly. But experiencing Kelly like this was exciting, captivating his focus.

"Maybe pony take special order for yak wife so she look more like human Kelly?"

The Arabian Prince swallowed hard, not even understanding why Kelly’s choice of clothing was so visually stunning that he now wanted to see more of them.

"If-f-f spec- uh special orders are-are an option, might you be able to join Miss Rarity for the modeling and fitting?"

While practically any woman in her right mind would have been offended by the distracting mental breakdown their husband was having, this Princess was different... Or at least it felt different if humans were involved. There could be so many bragging rights to flaunt.

"Oh, darling. That sounds like such a wonderful idea."

She leaned in a little closer over the table, her girlish nature overriding her posh royal demeanor.

"Since we are all friends here, perhaps we could make a day of it? And you know, we Arabians have thee finest of silks naturally cultivated of all the kingdoms, if that would interest you, of course."

Such a request was getting Kelly even more excited than Rarity. She could barely even contain her excitement.

"Oh, my gosh! We can have a royal lingerie party!"

And behold, yet another future venture Sniff was interested in.

"Actually, ladies, you too Kel. This whole clothing venture I started with Rarity needs some good marketing. And while it may be a little risqué, if any of you would be willing to model for a photo shoot, that would really help drive up the business for us."

This was all coming together too fast. Rarity hadn't made more than four or five pairs of panties for her and her friends. Including her two human friends and a few special orders from Chris and Sniff’s girls, which simply wasn't enough experience to fashion samples for the other races.

A little clever thinking would have to be implemented to make this work.

"Peter is currently working on a new advertising campaign for the Wonderbolts. However, after seeing only a few examples, our new panties line has become very popular. And from what he tells me, this type of clothing is a multi-billion bit business."

Humans, panties, another party, and billions of bits? All the nations were in, even if the males were left out. Not that Sniff couldn't handle that.

"Okay, so that's settled. How about us guys have a poker night. Talk a little business and bet some coins?"

And with that, another done deal had been made.

Things weren't looking as good as originally hoped for, judging by the newest reports Becky was reviewing.

"His temperature is erratic. Up three degrees one hour, then a drop of two the next. Add in the new symptoms of muscle spasms, and while I'm no expert, I'd say his condition is getting worse… We probably don't have a lot of time left to save him."

EKG, while still the lead doctor of this hospital, wasn't feeling optimistic about the prospects.

"We have no experience with this type of procedure. No pony has ever had a condition this severe this long to require such an invasive operation. We still haven't decided if the best method would be to drill a hole to remove the fluid, and now a clot, or to remove a small portion of the skull."

Being more read-up on open operations, Redheart gave her best opinion.

"I'm not a doctor, but from everything I've read, I think the best option is to cut around as much of the fracture as possible and remove that portion. We'll have a better view of the damaged area, have more room for our tools to remove the clot, and close any torn portions of the membrane."

Doctor Horse took note of the suggestion, still reviewing the x-rays.

"While the brain may be similar to a human's, the skull itself is nearly twice as thick as theirs. Drilling could potentially push down on the fracture and cause more bleeding… So, I agree with Nurse Redheart."

Becky didn't see any better options made available, but the methods to do so were still an issue.

"What cutting tools do we have available?"

For that, Celestia offered a solution.

"I spoke with Lumberman. Granted, bone is different from wood, but the same principles should apply. He made some recommendations for using fine crafting tools that would normally be used for detailed work or even more industrial cutting tools for metals or minerals."

She paused to look out the window. Increased traffic from her guard moving in and out or patrolling the area made it difficult to tell if any had returned with what was needed.

"I've come to know many fine ponies of particular crafting skills. I'm requesting they offer any tools that may fit our needs. If not, we may have to make do."

Time was now a factor, and the mindset was to get this done as soon as possible. At least having the likes of Rainbow and Shining nearby gave Kelly some sense of calm and confidence.

"We need to start prepping him for surgery. Sterilize the operating room and whatever we do have available."

Reading through the narrative of how the events had taken place had proven to be very informative for Cerb and the others. Thankfully, since they had enough bodies to utilize, they could recreate the entire scene from the kitchen.

Helix was the unicorn guard Iron Sparks, Thunder was Swift Hoof, Cutter was Spear Head, Swifty was Applejack, Onyx was Big Mac, Ralph was Granny, which left Benny as Kelly, and Cerb directing while Chris narrated. Gilda and Kühn sat back to observe while Midnight did his best to explain things for them.

At the moment, Chris was going over again how their positions were and what was happening.

"To the left, standing not more than a hoof's width from Spearhead's shoulder, Iron Sparks channeled his magic, drawing his sword from its sheath. His panic left his stalwart-like skills shaken as he commanded the room, pointing his blade at Granny, then Kelly. 'No pony move,' his voice shook like the sword he wielded."

This had been the second time they ran through this scene, and it wasn't exactly conveying what they thought it should have.

Chris, in particular, certainly didn't like how the narrative played out.

"Cerb… if Raven is right about this reflecting both Big Mac and Granny's account of the events—"

"I know," Cerb preemptively answered back. "Just jump ahead to the stabbing."

As rehearsed, the ponies and Benny moved to where the story directed them. When they were all in place, he gave the whole layout another look.

"From here, Applejack can't see anything but Iron Spark, who she's pulling on before he cracks her over the head. Spearhead blocks the rest of her view of Kelly and her brother. Granny has the same view."

He moved to the other side, standing next to where Swift Hoof was detailed to be.

"From here, he sees Spearhead advancing and Applejack trying to stop Iron Sparks. Next."

Looking into the story again, Chris read what came from mostly the guard’s point of view.

"Retreating from the blade that had thwarted her escape, Kelly threw herself against Big Mac, demanding in a panic, 'Mac! Don’t let them take me.' Before latching her upper limbs around the civilian's neck."

This was the part that caused the most confusion, especially for Onyx playing Big Mac.

"Okay, so, my line is 'No! Stop!' But who am I saying it to? And why?"

Annoyed, Chris looked over the portion again, knowing the context was lacking.

"Fear had fallen over the large red stallion, his focus on Kelly wrapped around him, 'No! Stop!' He shouts into the room…"

Swifty, as Applejack, still holding onto Helix, the new Iron Sparks, seemed just as unsure.

"He could be yelling at just about any of us. This is where Applejack gets hit with a sword, but she is pulling on his armor."

Onyx looked again at the scene in front of him, seeing a likely answer.

"He's probably yelling at Kelly to stay away. If they're going to detain her, he should know they would use force to control her.”

While that likely was the case, Kühn wasn’t exactly following along.

“If human to be brought to Princess for interrogation, why stab? It not matter we not know why Mac pony yell. Stabbing-Pony is problem.”

In the midst of processing the broken English, an epiphany presented itself to Cerb. A stroke of genius only Kühn could have highlighted.

“It does matter, Kühn… And hey, Chris. Pull up Swift Hoof’s file. We need to check his training history again. And Cutter, tell me what you can about your weapons training for the guard.”

After some deliberation and further panty examples, the groups had made some agreements that Sniff was going to finalize.

“Alright, ladies. I will leave you to the skilled hooves of Rarity to take your measurements. We should give her a few weeks to put something together for you all. That should also give me some time to finish up some other projects and schedule a photographer. Maybe work in some other entertainment outside the cards. In the meantime, I have some mentoring with a young drake to catch up on.”

Just outside of sight but still well within earshot, Flash stepped into view.

"Pardon me for interrupting, but Spike and the remaining young delegates have stepped out."

Spike, Smolder, and Yona sat around the small dining table. Before them sat empty plates and half-filled glasses of orange juice. Well… mostly orange juice.

"I don't feel that much different," Smolder admitted before breaking out a loud belch. "Oops."

The three shared a laugh, in which Yona accidentally burped even louder, prompting an even louder laugh between them.

The laugh didn't last long, and soon Spike was calm enough to explain.

"Sniff and his friends warned us about drinking too much at one time. That's why I didn't grab a full bottle of champagne. I knew we wouldn't need much."

Yona eagerly took another sip, but after eating so much, there wasn't much room left in her.

"Oof. Yona not want to go home now. There too much fun to have here. Not that Yakyakistan bad place. It great place! But…"

Spike raised a sympathetic claw in a half-shrug.

"But no ponies, griffons, humans, or dragons there?"

Yona immediately slumped over the table, pouting.

"No… And Yona already know everything already. How to best plow snow. Best packing cart for travel. Best route to take. And smashing!"

Her sudden flare of emotion at the end had her sitting up tense, but it just as quickly deflated as she returned to the table.

"But this feel special. Ever since on train. Yona feel like going to place she belong. Little voice in Yona tell self that Equestria best place to visit since Prince visit and make friends with Pinkie. Yona tell self, need to visit. Not say no… But now am leaving."

Smolder, feeling a little strange the more she thought about it, couldn't shake an eerie sense of déjà vu. It was strange to think, but before turning her eyes away and reflexively scratching the back of her head, she couldn't help but share.

"I really… kinda… wanted to come and check things out. And I know I come off as kind of a jerk, but ever since I was a little hatchling hearing about ponies, and how they live, part of me liked the sound of it. Then when Spike showed up and we all heard how he convinced Ember to give friendship a try, our own Dragon Lord… I didn’t want to admit that part of me wanted to come here."

She turned her eyes upward, still looking away, but this was more passive. She wasn't trying to hide her embarrassment. It was more like she was trying to understand it.

"No matter how much I tried to fight it, parties, music, dancing, and dressing up in fancy clothes… It all sounded so much better than always fighting and trying to be meaner than every other dragon around so they don’t end up hurting you instead... Or sleeping on rocks and the dirt… I would stay if I could, but my brother is the only dragon that really cares about me, and I know he’d worry."

After another look around the room, Smolder had another comment to make.

"But if I come back to visit, you need to tell Twilight to cut back on the perfume. It's not bad, but how much did she douse herself with? Makes me feel weird when I smell it for too long."

Spike closed his legs tighter under the table. Strangely feeling uncomfortable with himself because of it.

"I know, right? Ever since the humans showed up, all the mares started wearing it. Even Pinkie."

Even Yona was getting the same reaction, fidgeting in her chair some.

"Yona not mind it so much. It kind of a happy smell, but it make me feel strange."

With a remark like that, Smolder inexplicably changed the subject.

"Yona, I think you're cool and all that, but we need to work on your speaking skills."

After making sure the room would be good to go, Becky was washing up with Redheart. Even after all the talking they had done earlier, she couldn’t take the silence. Oddly enough, there wasn’t anything work-related on her mind.

“So, not to pry too much, but is it safe to say that Chris heading out this morning wasn’t just for breakfast?”

While it might have been an inappropriate question, Redheart didn’t mind it coming from Becky, and she blushed a bit, being able to flaunt her encounter.

“Starlight felt terrible about me missing out on all the fun for the Werewolf Party, even though I spent a lot of quality time with the girls back home. But she knew that I was really going to need some company this morning.”

She blushed a little deeper, thinking about what she was admitting.

“I’m sure you’ve dealt with it too, but when you're with somepony, or half a dozen, it’s so hard to focus on anything except rutting. Chris and Starlight knew I'd be distracted all day until…"

Just thinking about it again sent shivers up her back, making her realize that she needed to keep focus.

"Well… Let's just say no pony can do for me what Chris can."

One could never fully appreciate the level of complexities that led to Becky talking to an equine about her sex life with her childhood friend before performing brain surgery. Yet, here she was with a mare who was just gaga for the guy and ready to take another pony's life into her proverbial hands with the utmost confidence.

"Chris mentioned that you're still a little on the fence about these kinds of things, so I wo—"

"It's fine," Becky interjected with a tone of confidence. "I might not need to hear the details of everything you all do, but from one medical professional to another—"

Becky raised her elbow to turn off the faucet and grabbed a fresh towel to dry her hands while continuing.

"I might not have a special someone, but I'm getting pretty damn horny myself. So I understand what you mean about how your mind can drift away from you when all you want is to have your body rocked."

That was certainly interesting to hear. Also, a bit promising since there was plenty on the medical side Redheart wanted to learn about sex, and Becky was the best suited to help. So, as her hooves were assisted with being dried off by Becky, Redheart decided to put some feelers out there.

"Careful with my bad hoof. It’s still sensitive… But also, I don't know how much help any of us could be—"

The implications were obvious, given their nature, making Becky laugh foolishly.

“Oh, my god. Red, no, but thank you for being so considerate. I can take care of myself. And I doubt I'll have any problems finding a pony if that's what I want. Now, keep your hooves up so I can get these covers on you."

After further research, Cerb, Chris, and Benny were getting some bad feelings about what they discovered. Still, the truth was that they needed more information. The only means of obtaining such information required the early waking of Luna, who just entered the room given for review.

Luna stepped in, a little tired but more concerned than anything else.

"Raven, thank you for fetching me. Please wait with the others if they wish to speak in privacy."

Raven stepped out with only Cerb, Chris, Benny, and Cutter remaining. The select few remaining was alarming enough for Luna, wondering why so much privacy was required for present company.

"I hope there is no bad news to give. What is it that you need of me?"

For this, Cerb was the one to break things down for her.

"We're missing information prior to the guard being assembled. Cutter wasn't sure of all the specifics since she ran the Lunar Guard, and the others didn't know how to answer our questions."

Next up was Chris. Outside of their invention concerns, there were legal matters to consider.

"We're not representing the defendant, so we can’t just go and ask any of them directly. We need to know how to go about asking either Spearhead or Iron Sparks some questions on what they were supposed to do while operating in an official capacity."

He looked over to Benny and Cerb, still not sure how this was going to turn out. Given how this was still outside of his normal area of legal expertise.

"Normally, if the defendant was pleading guilty, or at least for a case like this, the prosecution would be able to discuss terms for considerations. Essentially giving up more information for a reduction in charges or a more lenient sentence… But we’re not the ones prosecuting… You and Celestia are."

For more clarification, Benny slid over the report of the incident.

"According to the report, there was so much going on in the kitchen that no one really saw what happened when Swift Hoof stabbed Kelly. So, unless you can tell us what standing orders were given before they were sent out to find The Elements or what the Solar Guards rules of engagement were, this case might drag on for longer than needed."

Luna looked at the report sitting on the table. Her gaze was hard to read, given her just waking, but she wasn't thrilled by any stretch of the imagination.

"I know we tend to speak in different terms when it comes to our military vocabulary, but what do you mean by rules of engagement?"

This was going to be a difficult subject to approach, and Cutter knew what was needed.

"Princess, I have been working with them through this discovery phase, and I'm afraid there may be serious issues if taken to trial. We can explain, but I think it best if the prisoner Spearhead is interrogated once with these three present to ask questions."

While Luna may have had a substantial level of trust with the humans, this was beyond unorthodox. It might also be a problem if it were to interfere with conducting a trial later on for a myriad of reasons.

"Explain yourselves first. Only then will I consider this request."

Celestia examined the mechanical pieces soaking in antiseptic. Small blades, thin, short, curved, attached to gears and cranks. All of them were incredibly finely crafted and gathered from a host of craftsmen willing to aid the Princess.

"This all again is to stop possible infections?" She asked behind her surgical mask.

Becky looked over the pieces, grateful to have found any that fit their needs.

"Infections in the closed cavities will spread to the organs. If any of the major organs get infected, they are a major concern. The brain especially. Now stand back please, I'm glad you offered to help, but you will be observing, just like me, but once we start, please don't interrupt. One wrong slip and we'll have done more harm than good."

With the last few items in place, the three-pony team was ready, but Doctor Horse was still nervous about his performance.

"We're ready, Miss Landon. The patient has been sedated. We will now begin."

EKG levitated a scalpel and swallowed hard.

"We will start with an incision on the scalp where the hair was removed. Nurse Redheart, ready with the gauze."

Redheart stepped up to the operating table, stepping out of the hoof covers. Clean surgical gloves covering her hooves were placed on the table next to a package of gauze and other medical supplies.

"Ready, Doctor. How are the patient's vitals?"

Swift Hoof was face down on the table. His muzzle stuck through a hole, much like one would find at a massage parlor. Around his body, various cables were attacked to monitor his vitals that Becky was doing her best to track.

"Heart rate is forty-five. Blood pressure is one forty over seventy-five. Both have elevated further from the clot. Temperature is steady at a hundred and one. That's a high normal, so no fever present. I'm standing by."

As Doctor Horse looked down at the patient, all his years of studying and practice flashed before his eyes. So many emergencies seemed pathetically trivial in comparison now. This was the first do or die, his first life or death.

"Here we go… Making the first incision."

The blade met skin and stuck into the bone. With some effort, he pulled the blade along the markings. Two perfectly cut lines in a wedge shape.

The first portion was done. He was doing it.

"Peeling back the scalp."

While exposing the skull, a tap came on the door, and through the window, they could see a guard standing outside, motioning for Celestia.

Despite the clear importance of the situation, Celestia had earlier made it clear that they were not to be disturbed unless there was an emergency. Thus, there seemed to be something that required her attention.

"My apologies. Carry on."

She wasn't supposed to be disturbed, so this was already vexing, and she didn't hide it when she closed the door behind her.

"This better be important," she grumbled.

The lowly guard saluted, clearly shaken by the report he was about to give.

"It is, Your Majesty. The prisoner Spearhead has been removed from the dungeon."

"What?" Celestia snapped.

The guard gulped, dropped his salute, and stood tall at attention.

"The humans reviewing the reports produced this morning were not satisfied with what they were provided and are now interrogating the former captain as we speak."

Infuriated, Celestia tore off her mask and gown, releasing a low growl as she spoke.

"This is unbelievable. Under whose authority?”

This poor guard was nearing the point of shaking in his boots. It was rare to see Celestia this angered.

“Princess Luna made the order. Princess Cadance is assisting as well.”

Celestia took a slow deep breath in, a slow exhale out, then spoke slowly and coldly.

“Have the guard continue to watch over the operation. I will deal with my sister myself.”

Spearhead stood firmly at attention. Still in bandages, no pride visible, and his overall appearance was unkempt and malnourished. Chris, Cerb, and Benny sat alongside each other at a table facing him. Luna and Cadance stood at the end of either end. Onyx sat with Cutter off to the side observing Thunder and Helix standing along either side of Spearhead, both acting as bailiffs. On the other side of the room sat Raven, an inkwell, and a stack of papers ready.

Despite Cerb’s disposition, he felt bad for Spearhead. Criminal or not, that was no way to keep a prisoner, and his softer tone of voice made it known.

“This is just an informal series of questions.”

Chris was much on the same track, sounding rather sympathetic to the battered stallion.

“This isn’t a legal proceeding. This is merely an inquiry of the events leading up to the incident of which you have been detained for. You are not obligated to answer any of our questions unless otherwise requested by your superiors. Just the same, anything your superiors instruct you not to answer, you are to follow their instructions.”

He flipped open a stack of papers, taking reference of what to be covered.

“Also, Raven Inkwell will be recording what we discuss which may be used as evidence in any future legal proceedings… We’ve also noticed that you both have pleaded guilty to all charges and have not requested any legal council. Is that correct?”

Spearhead nodded slowly.

“Yes.”

Simple, direct, and to the point. Now Benny was ready to begin.

“My name is Benjamin Yale, to my right is Justin Husk, and at the end is Christopher Breslin. Respectively, Justin and I have experience with military conduct and operations. Chris is here as our legal expert. Our goal is to determine what led to the attack at the Apple Estate. With the approval of Princess Luna, and the oversight of Princess Cadance, Sergeant Major Cutter, and Major Onyx, we will begin… Chris?”

Nodding, Chris picked up his papers and started from the top.

“For the record, state your name, rank, and position.”

“Cap—,” Spearhead had to stop himself, remembering what had happened. “Spearhead, Former… Captain of the Solar Guard. Currently, my position is prisoner… I am with no rank, but on the day of my disgrace, I was leading my squad on a search for Applejack.”

Those were all formalities. Now, it was time for Cerb to get his questions in.

“We'll get to that. First though, we’d like some background about you and the two that were involved. Namely, the weapons you were issued."

With Spearhead's record open, he looked it over as he spoke.

"Sergeant Major Cutter has informed us that you, befitting your name, are very proficient with a spear. Your record shows you are designated as a Master, the highest designation. Iron Sparks was issued with a double-edged short sword and medium round shield. He was designated as a Free-Scholar, which is just above Scholar, the lowest. But for Swift Hoof’s record, I don’t see a designation for Scholar, Free-Scholar, Provost, or Master. What was his designated proficiency with a spear?”

Just by hearing that name, all could see the remorse on Spearhead’s face sink in, and all the pain and shame that came with it.

“Swif… Ahem, uh. Swift Hoof held no designation, as he had not completed the training I was giving him. I had brought him out of Supply Staff when he complained of feeling under-utilized in an administrative position… He… originally failed to achieve his Scholar designation upon enlisting. I was trying to help him.”

There was the first major hole missing from the reports, but Benny had to dig deeper.

“Spearhead, if Swift Hoof was not properly trained on handling his weapon, why was he issued one?”

A fair question. One Spearhead could easily answer.

“All guards, regardless of designation, are issued a standard wooden spear with a steel blade. Non-designated guards are restricted to spears, as it offers the optimal level of protection at the greatest distance to both ground and airborne attacks. However, with so many guards getting called into formation, we were short, so I gave him mine and took a sword instead.”

Enlightening, to say the least, but that did bring to mind a separate question for Cerb.

“What about the halberds? Why was that not an option?”

Spearhead looked to his right, sizing up Thunder and her weapon.

“Halberds are only authorized to be held by those of a Master designation.”

That answer created a possible discrepancy for Benny.

“If you’re a Master, why did you not have yours with you?”

Almost embarrassed, Spearhead sighed, sadly trying to keep his posture upright and proper.

“Controlling the standard spear is my special talent, but the weight of the halberd doesn’t work as well for me, so I chose to stay with the traditional spear. I only carry the goldenrod spear I earned as a Provost for ceremonies. However, I managed to reach Provost designation with a sword from my time training with Sergent Major Cutter, which is why I was comfortable taking it with me and giving my spear to Swift Hoof.”

They didn't know enough to question him further on it, and the logic checked out. That left the next question for Benny to ask.

"Very well. And next, we wanted to ask you about what we call the rules of engagement. Essentially, what we need to ask is what levels of force you were authorized to use and under what situations."

The question was about as well-received as postage sent to the wrong address.

In other words, Spearhead didn't understand what he was being asked, and Benny could see that.

"Let me try and explain this in a different way… In any given situation, were you given any instructions on how much verbal or physical measures you could use to force compliance or deploy resistance so as to either accomplish your mission or provide protection for yourself or others you were entrusted to protect. Such as, use of edge weapons to force compliance of suspects, including inflicting serious bodily harm or death?"

That last part seemed to hit like an insult, but Spearhead answered with no joy in his voice.

"No."

Sadly, this wasn't exactly a binary question, so Chris went to clarify.

"For the record, are you saying, no, you were not given any rules of engagement or instructions that fit that role, or the example given did not match the instructions you were given?"

It now dawned on Spearhead what they were after, and they had him dead to rights.

"No… We were not given any instructions on what type of physical force we could use to force compliance."

That carried a lot of complications, and now it was back to Cerb to inquire for more info.

"Were there any rules, laws, orders, or regulations that you fell under that dictated or restricted the amount of force or methods you were allowed to use?"

There was no pony in the room that didn't look uneasy after that question, but Spearhead answered just the same.

"The only law that possibly could have applied, is not to kill… but I didn't know that was a possibility with your friend… I heard she's doing better, and I'm very sorry about what happened… Is there any word on Swift Hoof’s condition?"

His words came off as genuine, and for this portion, Luna was prompt to respond.

"Miss Kelly Bardwell is doing well but still recovering. As for Swift Hoof, his condition was actually worse than we expected, and is undergoing surgery currently… We are expecting a full recovery, but this is uncharted territory for our physicians. Our new human friend, Becky Landon, has agreed to assist in ensuring he survives this procedure."

There was a clear sign of relief from Spearhead as he sighed hard enough to drop his posture.

"Again, my deepest apologies for the harm that was caused under my leadership. Please let Becky Landon know she has my utmost gratitude for helping Swift Hoof, and that I take full responsibility for his actions."

His apology and concern were well received, but there were still a few more things for Chris to cover.

"We appreciate your kind words, Spearhead, and I'm sure that will reflect favorably on your behalf. That being said, you say you take full responsibility for his actions. Could you possibly tell us why he chose to use his spear to inflict life-threatening injuries on Kelly?"

Spearhead took a moment but held no confidence in his response.

"No… But he's not a bad pony. I'm sure he—"

"Hold your tongue," Onyx ordered from the sidelines. "That wasn’t a question you were asked to answer."

Benny motioned with his hand for Onyx to back down, oddly not looking all that upset.

"Thank you, Major, he's fine. But Spearhead, please stay on topic. You'll have your chance to speak freely. First though, one final question."

He took another look over a series of documents and laid them out for Spearhead to see.

"We've spoken with many from within the ranks you've served with and those in leadership positions. We've covered your training, practices, and the instructions that govern how you operate. However, we have yet to discover some important details that would give us reason to believe there was sufficient justification for Swift Hoof to use his weapon as he did. If you could step forward and examine the documents listing the training you were all provided, were there any portions that apply to Swift Hoof’s training history that would have explained to him how to use his weapon, or any other in your arsenal, to deliver a lethal blow or induce serious bodily harm?"

Strangely, Spearhead didn't move from his spot between Thunder and Helix.

"Mister Benjamin Yale, that won't be necessary. I can assure you that there is no training, formal or informal, outside perhaps Sergeant Major Cutter's, that directs or teaches us how to use any of our weapons to end a life. Our training is how to handle, carry, stand with, march, and perform with our weapons. Similarly, our combat training covers self-defense, disarming, and outmaneuvering our opponents into submission."

That was grounds for Chris to step in again.

"For the record, you are stating that Swift Hoof was issued a weapon, without a designated proficiency in wielding it, formal training in using it defensively, or any guidance in how it could be used to injure, maim, or kill, while deployed, conducting in-country security countermeasures against a threat with capabilities that could potentially rival that of an alicorn?"

When spoken so formally, it only seemed to add more shame to Spearhead's mountain of grief.

"Ye… Yes… That is the situation I was entrusted with leading."

The three humans looked at each other with concern. They had finished their questions; the results were disheartening, but now they were ready to give Spearhead the floor once Cerb gave his piece.

“That completes our inquiry, and we thank you for your honesty. None of this undoes any of the damages that occurred under your charge, and there is still a lot that needs to be addressed. And while we have refrained from any of our personal views on the subject to avoid partiality, we will leave the floor open to any closing comments you may have… The floor is yours.”

Spearhead took a deep breath and steadied himself. There was so much to say, but what could be said to address anything at this point?

“I cannot make amends for my mistakes. I failed to control my subordinates in a situation I was not ready to handle. I can only offer my most sincere apologies and accept whatever fate awaits me.”

Just then, the doors flew open with Celestia barging in on a warpath.

“What is the meaning of this?! Guards! Return Spearhead to his cell! I want all of the Twilight Guard out! Luna, Cadance, and you three…Don’t you dare move.”

Taking a leisurely stroll through the city, Sniff, Swifty, and Twilight came across a pair of mares they had been looking for.

"Ovens, Topsy," Sniff greeted the pair. "Fancy meeting you both here."

Top Shelf was beyond excited and rushed through the crowd to wrap herself around Sniff.

"Oh, my gosh, Peter. I haven't been able to stop thinking about our date. I really hope things go well for us tonight. I'd really like to pick up where we left off."

That was certainly promising to hear for Twilight, further brightening up her mood.

"Well, then. I guess I'll leave you both Swifty to escort you. Ovens, would you care to join me tonight? There's a lot I'd like to get you updated on. And I was thinking about a more private place for us to stay as well. Canterlot has some very accommodating hotels with rooms reserved for royalty."

Unsurprisingly, Ovens went flush with excitement at the new proposal.

"Twilight," she gushed. "I know Lyra and Mayor both have been open to just us girls, but… is this like a date?"

There on the crowded street, Twilight walked up and softly kissed Ovens, careless of who saw.

"Mmmph… It's more than a date."

A slight ear twitch came to Ovens. She was invested, but there was one potential snag.

"I'm looking forward to this, but don't you still have some royal duties to attend to?"

Carelessly, Twilight shrugged.

"Not anymore. Only the yaks and Ember are still here. Once Spike gets back with Yona and Smolder, they'll be heading back. I already said my goodbyes."

Ember sat patiently with Rutherford and Vogt. Together, they were struggling to make conversation.

"So…" Ember meekly spoke up. "It’s just you and Vogt now… What's it like having a bodyguard? I've never had one, and I'm not sure of another Dragon Lord that ever did."

Clearly bored and latching onto any topic to cure the silence, Rutherford snapped out of his drowsy state.

"Vogt strong yak. Many fights in dangerous wilderness of frozen north. He not as strong as me, but being Prince… Eeeeh~ Often too busy to fight every little fight. Other times just not want to be close to others so guards keep others away. It more of convenience."

That seemed legit. With the exception of maybe the Abysasians, some of the griffons, or the female humans, guards were more of a privileged consideration than a necessity.

"Maybe I should get a few. It really takes up a lot of my time having to either do everything myself or manage every other dragon to do what I want them to do."

She grit her teeth and slammed her fist down on the table.

"Like not running off without telling me where she's going with Spike!"

"I'm sure they're fine," Twilight suggested, still just as carefree.

More than likely that was the case, but there were still a few others Sniff had to worry about.

"What about Chris, Cerb, and Benny? Cerb wore out his girls last night so they're still in recovery at the spa. Then Starlight is doing her friendship thing with Octavia and Vinyl… which is actually really nice of her. That Octavia really has a lot more of her shell to come out of."

Showing little concern, Twilight turned to join Ovens at her side, her large poofy dress still just cumbersome enough to be adorably goofy that it fit her perfectly. Either overly motivated by her desires or some false sense of ease, she started off with her date for the night.

"I wouldn't worry about them. What's the worst that could happen? All they're doing is going over some reports."

Celestia was passing back and forth, fuming at what she had walked into. Only waiting long enough for the departed to have made it to the dining hall as requested. In that time, she had barely collected herself. Instead, only growing more frustrated from what she had been dealing with.

"I have been far more than generous with the liberties you have taken since arriving. And do not think that your contributions have not gone unappreciated, but interfering with our trial before you get your justice is unacceptable."

She marched up to the table directly in front of Cerb, who looked unphased.

"You most of all, Justin. Taking my ponies into the depths of Everfree Forest. Not warning us of your night terrors and violent outbursts. Then, physically challenging Prince Rutherford to a test of strength, their most prized attribute? And don't think for a moment those incisors have escaped my detection. I know what you are."

Cerb sat silently, composed but reaching his limit.

"Benny, Chris… Step outside, please. Celestia apparently has a bone to pick with me."

Both of his friends looked at Cerb, knowing this was a bad idea, but Benny had the first objection.

"No. We both went into the forest, and I didn't warn them of the—"

"This is more than that," Cerb snapped.

Stuck in the middle, Chris also pleaded to stay.

"I'm the official representative and know more about—"

"Out!" Cerb barked, never taking his eyes off of Celestia. "Ben, you may be the head delegate for us, and Chris, you may be the most informed, but this is about what happened to Kelly more than anything else. And as a military matter, I take the lead dealing with it. So… No offense to either of you, but I'm handling this one."

There were many factors to take into consideration, but Chris lacked the backbone to stand up to Cerb, and Benny rationed this was a good cop/bad cop play on top of Cerb being right on having more experience.

It was settled without further complaint, and Benny stood up, hoping the undertone of Cerb’s anger would be kept in check if he did as he was told and left things to be discussed civilly.

"Princess, my apologies for any offense given. Chris and I will be waiting with the others if you wish to—"

"SIT! DOWN!" Celestia demanded fiercely.

"GET OUT!" Cerb screamed with unapologetic ire.

His voice echoed throughout the room, and well past the halls outside. The area fell silent with that familiar uneasiness that crept over the alicorns in the room. Cerb’s emanating anger overtook them momentarily, almost as if they could feel his hands choking their power, if not, his fingers somehow reaching out, instilling the sense of danger which they all knew he presented.

There wasn’t any mistaking where Celestia stood and the possible fragile peace they held over this trial, as well as their complacency. She would have to delegate as any wise royal would.

“Chris, your legal expertise will be requested to help process what has been discussed in my absence. Benny… We… will discuss your choice of actions after Justin and I talk.”

Such foreboding requests were not promising, but the fuse to this interaction was already lit, making Benny and Chris take their leave. Benny giving one final word for Cerb to be smart.

“Just keep a cool head, and we’ll discuss everything together over some drinks downstairs… See you in a few, bud.”

With the door closing behind them, Cerb asserted his dominance over the conversation.

“Why was Corporal Swift Hoof attached to a squad and issued a weapon he wasn’t properly trained to handle, or given guidance and training on how to safely control or detain a hostile threat?”

The audacity to demand such a question shocked all three alicorns, but hit Celestia with such scorn she unveiled her own temper.

“Who are you to question how I run my guard!”

Cerb stood up; his knuckles pressed hard into the table as she stared Celestia down.

“I’m the man who had to carry Kelly’s bloody body away from your guards. Guards you sent blindly into what they were told to be a hostile invaded area.”

“Sit down.”

“They were barely trained.”

“Quiet!”

“Swift Hoof went from pushing the supply chain—”

“I said be quiet!”

In the heat of the moment, Cerb picked up the copy of Swift Hoof’s military record and threw it up in the air, showering the pages down over them, and slammed his fist on the table.

“KELLY WAS NEARLY KILLED BECAUSE YOU’RE AN INCOMPETENT LEADER! YOU SENT UNTRAINED SOLDIERS AGAINST AN ENEMY THEY DIDN’T UNDERSTAND!”

Celestia was paralyzed by Cerb’s anger, no longer held back. Beyond that, never had she been grievously insulted as a leader, and he was still screaming at her.

“YOUR FUCKING REPORT SPELT IT OUT FOR US! THEY WALKED IN! NO FUCKING CLUE WHO OR WHAT KELLY WAS! AND AS SOON AS THEY FIGURED IT OUT! THEY WERE SO FUCKING SCARED OUT OF THEIR SKULLS, THAT WHEN KELLY RAN TO MAC FOR HELP! THEY ASSUMED THE WORST!”

Having raised his voice so loud, Flash and a small patrol of guards burst through the door with their weapons drawn.

“Step away from the Princess, human!"

Unphased, Celestia and Cerb were still locked in their exchange. Cerb never backed down from ripping into Celestia, lowering his voice to a stern lecture.

"You should thank your lucky stars Big Mac had the good goddamn common sense to beat those worthless fucks down. Had I been there to protect her, they never would have made it out alive."

Fearful or not, that was crossing the line, and Celestia wouldn't stand for it nor let her guard be defamed so flippantly.

"You barbaric beast! How dare you! My Guards are not some simple-minded Timberwolves so easily dispatched. You think you could best them in armed combat?!"

"WITH AN AX!" Cerb mindlessly screamed back. "No different than the Timberwolves. It wouldn’t even be fair… Wouldn’t even need the gun. A fucking pocket knife would do."

Flash felt like he was like a fly on the wall, completely ignored, and was equally insulted by Cerb’s boasting. He wouldn't allow this outsider to challenge their proud name, so, he stepped alongside Celestia, ready to defend his princess as well as his pride.

"You were wise not to trust them, Princess. Let me show this insolent fool how the Solar Guard answers the call."

And there it was.

"Auntie?!" Cadance cried in horror.

All the good graces Celestia might have held…

"Sister?!" Luna yelped. "After everything… This is what you tell your Guard behind our back?"

Celestia lost any power of influence toward this struggle. Her illusion of impartiality and the foundation of trust were now lost to her.

In losing them, her eyes fell to the floor, along with her voice and grace.

"Captain… Lower your weapon and remove yourself from my sight."

Flash lowered his spear but stood motionless. Looking up to Celestia like a child in the process of being abandoned.

"But, Princess?"

The voice of a defeated giant were the sounds of a princess giving up.

"Remove yourself and do not return to your duties until I call for you… The rest of you… Leave my palace and your findings. I shall deal with my Guard alone. I am of no service to you, nor would I ask for any of you… Begone."

Cerb stormed off with Cadance follow alongside, but Luna stood fast, waiting for the room to clear, much to the dismay of Celestia.

"I am in no mood, sister. Whatever requests you have of me to rethink my position, now is not the time."

Luna sneered at her sister, a look of utter disappointment and disgust dripping from every pore.

"You have no idea what needless complications you have brought onto us. Those three you just insulted saw what we could not. Justin, of all seven of them, sought to find the reason Swift Hoof attacked Kelly, not simply exact his revenge in the name of justice. And in doing so, he discovered a path to not only put this behind us, but the means to heal the wounds on both sides… But your self-pitying, loathsomeness brought out the worst of your bitterness you've been hiding for all to see.``

Celestia died a little inside, but the same empty shell remained unmoved from its current pitiful state that Luna lectured.

"Even after all they have done for us, what your foolish posturing for the illusion of more strength than you were willing to give your own guard has done, telling them not to trust humans? They wanted to keep this quiet… But your prejudice has rightfully angered Justin and will likely spread to the others. So how about this time you let me do the sisterly thing and fix your mistakes.”

Luna took one step forward, nearly ready to strike her sister for ruining so much momentum. Yet, there was already so much regret and misery seeping from her sister, such a blow would have been but only a footnote to a novel’s worth suffering.

Still, her anger had yet to be satisfied with her retribution. Something cutting had to be said.

“I’d remove my hoof from thyn covers and slap you across your two-faced facade… but you are undeserving of even that much warmth.”

Celestia turned to her sister. Lost, hurt, unsure of how she kept making the same mistakes.

“Sister, please. You must understand that I—”

No longer interested in the attempts, Luna stormed off.

“Hold thy breath, sister. We have tried for too long to hear your truths. And today we learn the only truth you speaketh is to fool us into your concerns is that of thine own creation. Now we grow weary of your silence, lies, deception by omission. We do not wish to consult with thee for a very long time… A very long time indeed.”

A bartender, tall, thin, lanky limbs matching his elongated head closed the tap on a large mug. Amber-colored liquid sloshed and bobbled up a heavy froth that spilled over the edge before being carried over to the lone patron, where he dropped it off.

"Officer Breslin, would you like a menu this afternoon or just the root beer?"

A leaner-looking Chris put down his phone and took his soda in hand with a grin.

"Nine more menus, actually. Got the old gang meeting up again."

The bartender gave a nervous grin as he reached for the menus. Nine more customers was good business, but the other business they were there for had been bad for him.

"Would I be wise to guess that it is about the earthquake two weeks ago?"

A figure that could have only been a more awkward, if not less interesting Sniff, considering the lack of complex facial features, sat next to Chris, slouched, ready to bury his face in a menu.

"You would be correct... Even if you didn't see the crazy light show." He turned the menu with his pointed at one of the specials. "Same as last time, please."

Chris finished taking a long chug from his root beer and set it down to give his old friend a few pats on the back.

"Hey, Peter. I'm glad you decided to join us. It's no coincidence that all of us got those letters. Especially you, buddy. You really need to get out and socialize more. Meet some girls. Gain some confidence. I mean, just look at James. Him and Amber hit it off."

The bartender sat down a half-filled glass of pineapple juice, dropped in a handful of cherries, then poured the rest full with seltzer. The space behind his only two customers was clear, so he figured he'd at least offer some kind words of confidence to the depressing-looking fellow.

"You know, you all said you were old friends, but that girl Kelly has so much in common with you from what I could tell. And you might not have noticed, but with your strange compliments, she was flirting with you."

This less charismatic Sniff cringed at the reminder, prompting a ninja skilled retraction of a menu to cover his face.

"We're just friends, and Kelly's never even had an interest in looking for a boyfriend. And saying she'd win the Nobel Peace Prize for CEO isn't weird. She's very business-minded and would probably win… That is a category, isn’t it?"

Chris rolled his eyes and decided to let it go. No need to chase off an old friend who just needed time to open up and not be afraid to put himself out there.

"Anyway, we still don't know who sent us those letters. All ten of us know each other, but after being apart for so long, we don't have anyone that we all kept in touch with that knew what to offer us in those letters to bring us all here. Then add in the earthquake, those lights that passed through the bar while it was only us present for them. That takes planning and coordination of military precision."

Sniff kept his face hidden in the menu, relieved the conversation had changed.

"Says you. You're only a traffic cop. We don't even know anyone in the military."

From behind, a soft female voice spoke up.

"Excuse me, are one of you Timothy Fields or maybe Chris Breslin?"

Chris turned around to see a young lady he'd never seen before. She was cartoonishly thin, her neck barely as thick as her forearm, which was irregularly thin as her biceps, both less than half as wide as her legs. Much of her appearance was compensated by her large, richly orange and yellow striped hair. There was also a certain vibe, or aura, that he couldn't see, but felt around her that was similar to what he felt two weeks ago.

"I'm Officer Chris Breslin, Tim will be here shortly. Is there something I can help you with?"

As if on cue, the bar door opened, and the eight remaining friends showed up all at once, laughing and carrying on as old friends would do. This gave the new arrival little time to speak.

"My name is Sunset Shimmer. I know about the letters that were sent to you. I was sent to find you, but I couldn't make it to where I thought you were. But if you are here... I don't know who took your place."

I'm gonna keep this recap brief because beyond the reported fractures and torn tendons in my foot, it's incredibly swollen and uncomfortable.

The quick rundown: It seems like some of the mares are really getting over-invested in sexual encounteres. Rarity and Flutters, Pinkie, Cadance (despite it being a failure), Starlight (both the day before and this morning), and it's getting difficult to keep track, but so many are wearing themselves out.

Aside from that, the Twilight Guard is now an official entity, so good for Twilight and the Ponyville crew. Although, Gilda and Galus will have some troubles dealing with Gruff, and maybe even Lord Gastal.

Otherwise, this chapter focused on two things. Becky having to save Swift Hoof with the help of Redheart and Doctor Horse, and the investigation into what happened at the Apple Farm under Spearhead's charge.

What was discovered was something many service members have had to face down their fear with. And while Celestia was in the right to be upset over others interrogating her guard/prisoner without her there, she blew it over how she chose to handle it. Well, she probably could have gotten a lot farther with it if not for Flash totally blowing it with his candid speak.

Oh, yeah. Sunset Shimmer was in the mirror world looking for the humans... but she found the ten?

What's up with that?

Find out in the next publication: