Rainbow trotted down the corridors of the Canterlot Hospital, looking for one room in specific. She passed multiple rooms, many of whom were full of wounded Equestrian nationals, but none of them were the one she was looking for. Finally, she came to the room the desk nurse told her the one she was looking for was in. She spent a good two minutes waiting outside, steeling herself for who would be inside. Finally, she raised her talon and knocked.

The door was answered by a royal blue stallion with a moon cutie mark. He said, looking confused, "Er. Can, I help you, ma'am?"

"This is the room Twilight is in, correct?", she said.

Still confused, he said, "Yes, but who are-"

Inside, a voice asked, "Dad. Who is that?" Another pony joined them in the doorway, stopping when he saw the fully equipped Pryhan. "Rainbow Dash."

"Captain Shining Armor", she replied. "I want to see Twilight. I just want to talk."

The two of them looked at one another, then stepped aside to let her enter. Inside, several other ponies were gathered around the main bed. One was a stallion with a grey coat, green eyes, and a two-toned dark purple mane, wearing a cloak and having a long scar across the bridge of his muzzle. Another was who Rainbow assumed to be Twilight's mother. The final one was Princess Cadence. They all turned away from Twilight to look at her as she entered, while Rainbow looked by them at Twilight.

The lavender mare looked surprisingly well off, considering the magnitude of the wounds she sustained. A cracked spine, resulting in near-total paralysis in her hind legs, if the doctor's report was accurate. She sat up in her bed, having been talking with her family and the other stallion. When she saw Rainbow, she said, "Oh. Rainbow."

"Hey, Twi." Silence reigned throughout the room while either side thought of something to say. Finally, Rainbow sighed, bluntly admitting, "I know about your wounds. I'm sorry."

Twilight said, "No. I'm sorry. I wasn't a good friend, and I let myself and my brother be manipulated."

"But that wasn't your-"

Shining interrupted, "I'm sorry too. We couldn't have been under the Queen's control all of the time, and we were jerks to you when we weren't. I'm sorry."

The grey stallion, who Rainbow believed was named Shadow Lock, said, "How about we just say that you guys all kinda bucked up, and you're all now even."

Twilight said, "Yeah. That sounds good."

Cadence then stood up, walking over to Rainbow. "We've never properly met. You met the disguised queen, if Twilight is correct. And I met you when you just, beat me up. Heh heh."

"I guess, yeah."

"Well, let's rectify that. Hi, I'm Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, but you could call me Cadence", she said, holding out a hoof.

She gripped and shook her hoof, and said, "Praetor Rainbow Dash, Imperial Pryhan Army."

She then said back to Twilight, "Look, Twilight. I just want to say that I forgive you."

"I'm, sorry?", she said. "What are you talking about?"

"I forgive you. You too, Captain Armor. You two didn't have too much of a choice in the matter, and so didn't do too much wrong. Well, you were kinda cunts, but-"

"We get it, we get it", Shining said. "And, yeah. Like Sunburst said, let's just call it even."

A few days past, and the 14th was getting ready to move. The Castrum they had been set up outside the city was alive with activity, with the soldiers inside beginning to pack up the smaller bits of equipment. The tents were still up and the walls and ditches weren't filled in, but all of the small bits of gear were packed up and made ready to move. Pryhan ships would be waiting in the Manehattan harbor, ready to take them back to Creui.

Rainbow stepped outside of the camp, trotting up to the cliff on which the main road up to Canterlot. She sat on the edge of the cliff, taking in the high moon, and the starry night sky. It was peaceful, and was quiet.

Rainbows ears suddenly perked up, whirling around to see a pony she had somewhat dreaded seeing. "Princess Celestia. How can I help you?"

The alabaster alicorn looked down, pawing the ground. Even Rainbow, who still had a disdain for her, had to admit that she wasn't looking the best. A small saddle bag rested on her back, and she had a small bandana around her neck. When she looked up, she looked absolutely miserable.

"N-nothing, Rainbow Dash", she said. "I, I'm just out getting some air."

"At nine at night? With a saddlebag and bandana? Outside of your fucking city?"

That sent her reeling, and her looking back at the ground again. "I, I-" She then slumped down, bawling out her eyes out. She said, much like Pinkies delirious babbling, "I'm sorry. For all I did, for everything, I'm sorry!"

Rainbow trotted up to her, then said, "So, what are you doing here? I take it you didn't strap on a saddlebag and a bandana and come out here to beg for my forgiveness."

She looked up into her eye, her own wet with tears. "I, I'm leaving. I failed, my ponies, my countries, and my sister. It's all my fault."

Rainbow growled at that. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"W-what?"

"Yeah, you fucked up. I hate you with a passion, even if you were manipulated. But you don't just run from what you did, and expect to resolve yourself of your guilt by running away. In the Pryhan army, that's called desertion. You want to absolve yourself of your guilt? To show a good example to your people? To do anything but make yourself look like a coward or look like a degenerate, sniveling git? Grow a fucking spine, go back into your city, and do your fucking job."

Celestia looked up at her, a sudden hardness in her eyes. Rainbow elaborated, "You're an alicorn. Yes, like I said, you fucked up big time. I'm not saying you have to rule; you shouldn't! You are an absolute fucking moron, and kind of unsuited for the modern world. But stick by your family, and don't be a spineless bitch."

She stood, and looked down at her. Rainbow probably could've been intimidated a few years ago, what with the towering stature and hard glare. It actually looked similar to the look when she was on the podium. "Well then, what do I do?"

"You really are dense, aren't you? I just told you", she said. "Help and stand by your sister. She's done everything for your country, and you have to support her. Pryhan's have to do their duty to hold office at any level of the state. So, do what you have to do for your country."

She just looked at her, looked down, and said, "Thank you." Her horn then lit up, and she teleported away.

Next Chapter: 106~The Forsaken Estimated time remaining: 13 Minutes